first chapter | open [voice + action]

[thirdarrow]

[ This is the first time Takakage has started a discussion instead of listening in and participating, so it took him a while to find the proper words for it.

Nevertheless, when he finally starts the transmission, his voice is quiet and confident, perhaps even a touch crystalline. ]

Hello, everyone. I am Takakage Kobayakawa, from the Land of the Rising Sun. You may also know me as MINTAKA from the previous Jaunt.

We have quite a few Persona users amongst us, myself included. Thus, I would like to propose that we meet and train together, so that those of us Investigating in future Jaunts will be able to pool our efforts together and use our gifts as a team. It will also aid in identifying Infiltrators, as I have noticed that our Personas also follow us if we take on alter egos. If you are partial to that idea, we can all share our abilities and compare what we are best at. I am aware that a few of us have also been Marked by Trumps, which may also change our Personas to some extent. That can be discussed as well.

As far as I know, I am the only Support Persona user in our midst, so it would be beneficial if you let me know, so I can best support you with what I can do. Noah is able to heal, scan surroundings, weaknesses, and detailed analysis - in addition to providing a psychic closed network which will be useful on stealth missions.

For those who have been Infiltrating with the Miners for the past Jaunt - may I also ask for your assistance? There was another Program with me, SAIPH - do you know if she is amongst us as a Traveler? I have something that belongs to her.

If you need me in person, I will be by the entrance next to the Trump phone. Thank you for your time.

[ True enough, he is seated on one of the stairs, with Noah floating above him in a stance similar to that adopted by guardian angels. ]

voice; (open + optional action)

[unabatedly]

I suppose introductions would be best, first.

My name is Neria Surana, one of the 'veteran' Travelers here. I understand we've had several new arrivals in the midst of one of our escapades, and for that, I do offer my sympathies. This is not a common occurance, I assure you, though I'm certain that is of little condolence to you.

[Her voice is calm and gentle, though there is some underlying strength there that hints at authority. It's hard to shake what she once was, even if she would never seek such a thing among their number. Cautious, she tries to give information without inflection, afraid her frustration and distress will show through if she divulges too much.]

We have had a very difficult Jaunt. I'm stating the obvious. But those of us who have been here the past few...months [what is time in these places] have gone through enough trouble and disaster, I think. And it's high time we have a talk about it. Specifically...what we go through during these excursions.

[Neria pauses, gathers herself.]

Many times, we take on roles these Trumps have given us. We believe we have lived in these worlds we visit for our entire lives, carry memories of people and faces and entire identities that are not our own. And these have been used, time and time again, to twist us into doing things we might not do otherwise. We are actors in a play to the Trumps and little else. [Her voice grows in anger.] But make no mistake: we are not at fault for this. The decisions we make are not our own; the things we do, no matter how terrible, are not ones we would willingly consent to. Though you may have done something, listen to me now when I say it is not your fault. You are not what they have made you to be.

Unfortunately, that does not mean that we can forget what's been done to us and to others.

[And there lies the problem. It's easy to forgive friends, but harder to reconcile when that person hurt you or destroyed some part of you, possibly even killed you.]

We've been going strong these past several months. But what happened in Harrogate, what happened on the Grid... We need to talk about it. You might think it better to hide it, stuff it all away, but we don't have that luxury. We are allies, if not friends, and we have to look out for one another. If we don't trust each other, if we harbor resentment, then we will start to fail these tasks the Trumps have given us. And while you might think that a grand idea, trust me when I say you don't want that. But even worse, if we don't trust each other, we could disappear. [She sighs.] Many, many Jaunts ago - and some of us may remember - we weren't able to find a solution. But we couldn't leave, either. We stagnated as a group, did little to help each other. There was-- [No, she realizes she doesn't want to talk about it, actually.] We came down to a vote: give up or keep going. Most of us chose the former. And when we came to Liminal Space, those people didn't come with us.

We don't know what happens when people vanish. They might go home, they might not. I'm not willing to take that chance. I propose we discuss what's happened, air our grievances, come to terms with it, and move on. I think we all deserve that much, don't you?


[ooc: basically, FREE FOR ALL DISCUSSION but also doubling as an armchair support group counseling session. anyone who's willing to discuss their stuff privately and not on an open network can also see Neria on the log.]

[Voice]

[nicotinized]

So I guess right now we're doing introductions and getting heavy shit out of the way, huh? I'm Toshizou Hijikata - the taller one, with the cyberarm. There's two of us with the same name here.

I've talked to a few people about this already, but I realized a while ago that we should probably stockpile supplies when we can - there's been a few times we've been stuck here in liminal space for extended periods of time, and some of the Jaunts aren't to the most habitable places. And there's a limit to what I can store in liminal space, not to mention that if I'm out of the picture, nobody can get to it - it benefits us all for anyone who can store stuff to do so. Water or water purification supplies, food that won't spoil, medical supplies, shit like that. Don't steal if if you can help it - trade work or supplies with the locals, or find someone with currency left over from something else.

I also have some tazers for anyone who doesn't have a weapon or other means of self-defense and wants one. They're pretty easy to use, but the charge is limited and I'm not swimming in power supplies.

And I know this is a long shot but - anyone here with any skill at cybernetics maintenance?