An hour or two into Jaunt [Locked to modern travelers]

[itsananimalthing]

Okay. I have fuckin' been here before. I remember this stupid Founders Day party. There's going to be some kind of upset soon after it, but I don't remember what yet.

And just in case it wasn't obvious, those are Travelers from years ago. I know them. I ain't got names for all of them yet, but I got memories now for almost all of them.

Pretty sure I ain't crazy, and I can't be the only one. So who else remembers this, and those other Travelers?

Comments

[razorblade_empress]

Yeah, about those Travelers: I'm getting some really screwy perspective readings from some of these veteran 'Investigators.' Specifically, they're coming up as Infiltrators.

And yeah, I remember most of them in general. Along with this place in general and this party in particular.

[itsananimalthing]

That makes three of us who were here before. Look out for your double. I already got the original Beatrice freakin' out at me since I didn't exclude her from this, and if mine is here somewhere, he's a big, angry asshole right now.

So explain this investigating infiltrator thing. Do you got psychic detection? Can you tell who they really are?

[razorblade_empress]

Already met her. Didn't go great at first, because meeting your double in my world usually only means one thing, but she calmed down pretty quick once she got an explanation.

[Convincing her earlier self that she wasn't actually a Shadow had admittedly taken some doing, given that she'd only just been taken by the Arcana and wasn't all that inclined to forgive even more Arcana fuckery right off the bat, but they'd managed. Somehow.]

Nah, it's Questing Country bullshit - they made me the "Oracle of Perspective" for some ungodly reason, and for some reason it came back with me.

As far as figuring out who's who, I can't do that at a glance, but I might be able match the Infiltrator perspective with an existing Traveler if I have some idea who I'm looking for. It'd help to have some idea of who we're missing, though.

[itsananimalthing]

I'm not sure yet who all's missing, besides the girls talkin' about Naoto being Sherlock, I guess. Could be some of the missing people are on another Jaunt, like there has been lately, too.

I've got detection. I'll make the rounds and see who shows up as two people at once. If you want, I might be able to teach you how to do it, too, if you've got the right grounding.

[razorblade_empress]

Wasn't there talk about a walkabout when people started talking about their prophetic nightmares?

[The shift in that particular term is still kind of weird to her.]

Not sure if I do offhand, but I'll keep it in mind. Thanks.

[itsananimalthing]

I'd be surprised if there wasn't one. Usually the big important Jaunts get some people off to the side. Maybe people they think would get in the way or make trouble.

[razorblade_empress]

Is that how they decide those things?

[itsananimalthing]

Fuck if I know. It's how I'd do it if I were them, though.

[razorblade_empress]

Yeah, it'd probably be the smarter option.

[And yet she's seen instances where the chaotic option actually worked better.]

[claudiometer]

...Oh, so that's what's up with Naoto.

[razorblade_empress]

What do you mean?

[claudiometer]

Questing Country-flavor bond. It's still active, so she's here, but I haven't seen her since the David Bowie Tribute Statue Park mini-liminal.

I keep finding one of the old guard instead.

[razorblade_empress]

[Well, at least that's one missing person accounted for.]

I wonder if that was supposed to happen, or if something got messed up.

[claudiometer]

Either way, she's probably gonna be amused as all hell afterward.

[razorblade_empress]

Which one is she?

note keywords

[claudiometer]

Sherlock Holmes.

[razorblade_empress]

...That's almost too appropriate, isn't it.

[thornsofmalkav]

Oh Jesus. This really is a double Jaunt, then. Jauntception.

[razorblade_empress]

[She's going to assume that reference is either before or after her time. Probably after.]

Yeah, looks like we're actually re-doing the original Jaunt, and not just going back after the fact.

[thornsofmalkav]

Yeah. Man, that's so weird.

[razorblade_empress]

I'm gonna be real surprised if this doesn't have anything to do with whatever they took from Questing Country.

[thornsofmalkav]

Oh, it totally does. And probably what they were messing with that caused the time shenanigans during that really long Liminal.

[razorblade_empress]

The one with all the visions?

[thornsofmalkav]

Yep, that one.

[razorblade_empress]

...How likely do you think it is that this Jaunt will open the floodgates if it goes well for them?

[She could almost see a return to Belljar - another return, apparently - if this one goes well, which is... honestly not something she wants to deal with at all.]