synopsychic | [Video/Memory Post] - Locked to Travelers - he doubts he can keep out the Trumps, but he'll try

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[Video/Memory Post] - Locked to Travelers - he doubts he can keep out the Trumps, but he'll try

[Instead of simply his thoughts, Armin's image and voice appears in everyone's head. Dressed like a medieval knight with strange gear, he looks halfway between nervous and professional.]

Hello, everyone. For those of you new here, my name is Armin. If you'll bear with me for a few moments, I have a few things to share.

First... I figured it wouldn't be a bad idea to make a list the Travelers who have left us - though whether temporary or permanent, it's impossible to say. But it's better to be organized, and to let everyone know as soon as possible.

Élise de la Serre, Genevieve Blanchard, Cesare Borgia, Owain, Rekka, Hajime Saitou, Heisuke Toudou, Harry Dresden, and Cecil Harvey have left us since last liminal space. I... I think that's a complete list, but I can't be certain.

Next - The Trumps. I had... not a vision, not exactly. I was one of the automata, and tried to corrupt ROSE - but she reversed the flow of data. Before she killed me... some of the images became clear. But I don't understand them. And she has a telling reaction to my attack as well, so I'd like your opinions. [He takes a deep breath.] Here goes.

[And suddenly it's not Armin everyone sees, but his memory - and not just the events, but the thoughts and emotions too. The confusion and the disorientation and the fear. He ends the feed in the second between the end of her data stream and the moment she kills him - though it's fairly obvious it had been about to happen.]

The roses might refer to her, and the hands might belong to the Fool - but beyond that, I'm at a loss.

I think we might learn a lot from what she said, too - she was surprised, and perhaps not as careful as she would be the rest of the time. She's talking to the Lovers, obviously. But she said she knew they were listening - so we know somehow they're able to listen in like that. And 'overlay' - I assume that referred to my infiltrator persona. Did anyone else hear them mention that?

When I went back to speak with her again, later, she offered me a complete answer to any one question. I deferred it till later, so I could think, and ask you - what do you think is the one question that would do us the most good, the one thing we most need to know?

Finally - we need to talk about what might happen as more of us become marked. They've obviously accelerated the process - it may not take too long before we're all marked, now. And they may not wait till we're all marked to start... whatever the next stage is. I think we all fear there's a chance they may try to pit us against one another. Given how divided we were at the end there, we can't afford to assume we'll be able to refuse that so easily. We should talk about how it might happen and what we should do about it now, so that we're ready for it later.

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[There is so much that is problematic about this situation: the tarot imagery, with which Souji is more than passingly familiar; the disturbing memory, shoved into Souji's brain, uninvited, and the force of the feelings surrounding the images; the talk of being killed, as if it's an everyday occurrence.

Mostly, though, it's the fact that someone he doesn't know is inside his head.]

Excuse me ... Mr. Armin?

[Armin blinks - that mental voice is not familiar.] Yes?

You're new, right? I'm sorry, this was more directed at people who have been here a while - a lot of that must have been confusing.

How are you doing this? [To call it unsettling is a huge understatement.]

...the explanation would probably be easier in person. If you don't mind, that is?

[Souji can see Armin right now, but Armin can't see Souji, and it's easier to explain something when he can see the other person's reactions. More than that, he doesn't want to freak the new Traveler out more with manifesting a psychic presence to him.]

... That would be fine, but I'm afraid I'm stuck here. [In his bubble. He hasn't figured out that he can draw something with the giant pencil also inside the sphere.]

In one of the spheres? [There had been something allowing them to break out in all the spheres Armin had seen. But then, liminal space was always unpredictable - and maybe, being new here, he just didn't know what to look for.] Just stay there, then - I'll find you.

*****

[How Armin is supposed to find him when he doesn't actually know what he looks like may be a mystery, but somehow he manages - it's just under two minutes when Armin a grapple hooks into Souji's sphere, and Armin lands on it a second later.

His eyes widen as he takes in the scene, quickly realizing that this is Souji - another Souji. But he keeps his calm, and after a moment, his eyes fall to the pencil.]

This is going to sound strange, but you can get out of there if you use that pencil to draw a door. [The communication is still telepathic, though it's just a thought, this time - no need for the image when they're right next to each other.]

[The fact that it's only telepathic communication, an unfamilar voice in his head, doesn't leave Souji feeling any less unsettled. But he nods, and retrieves the pencil from the ground of his enclosure, and sketches a quick door with handle near Armin to allow him to enter.]

Please, come in.

[Armin smiles at Souji at the invitation, hoping to put him a little bit at ease. He steps carefully into the bubble, and, remembering Souji is Japanese, inclines his head with a shallow bow in greeting.]

Thank you. It's a pleasure to meet you.

[Souji returns the bow.]

And you as well.

[The words feel hollow coming out of his mouth; they're what's expected.]

[If Armin notices, he doesn't show it - perhaps he simply chalks it up as a reaction to being kidnapped to another world. A lot of things would be forgivable, under the circumstances - and even obeying social etiquette is more than many people manage.]

Since you were still stuck in the bubble, does that mean nobody's told you anything about where we are or what we're doing here yet?

[In other words, does he have to give you the whole introduction?]

[Souji shakes his head.]

Someone I know dropped in. [He points to the top of the sphere, where a yellow-rimmed hole sits.] She gave me the details about the ... ah, Jaunts? But I forgot to ask her how I should get out of here. [In fact, Souji just wanted her to leave.]

[In his surprise at finding another Souji present, Armin had somehow completely missed the hole in the sphere. He kicks himself internally for being unobservant.]

Oh, I see. [He almost asks if it was Naoto, but - barely - manages to stop himself before freaking Souji out even more at why a total stranger knows so much about him. Save that revelation for later.] Well, there's the pencil, you can draw your way out. But since there was already a hole - in liminal space, gravity can be in whatever direction you want it to be in. So you could actually have just walked to the hole - though you'd have had to be careful about falling through.

[Armin calmly walks halfway up the sphere to demonstrate, stopping when his orientation is perfectly perpendicular to Souji's - and there's no denying that gravity is not pulling them in the same direction.]

[Souji watches the demonstration closely, feeling ever more unsettled. Why hadn't Naoto mentioned this?]

I'm not sure where I would go once I got out, either.

[Armin walks back down to be on level with Souji - he was demonstrating a point, but there's no need to unsettle the man unnecessarily.]

I'm afraid I can't answer that one for you, except to tell you the people you can go to if you get hungry or thirsty. Food has just as little object permanence as everything else here - but liminal space is morphic, and can be affected by consciousness. Some people can control it, and a few people can control it well enough to make nourishing food and drink for the rest, while we're here.

But you're interested in learning more about the telepathic network, right?

[Souji nods, taking in the information Armin imparts to him.]

I was curious how you were able to speak to me in my head. [And show pictures. That's a new thing.]

[He nods.] When the Trumps brought us here, they linked our minds through the telepathic network. It's an old theory that they borrowed the telepathic abilities of Travelers to do so, because those who used to have such abilities would find themselves without them, when they arrived here - and were generally more proficient in learning to use the network.

We don't know for sure how they did it, anyway - but the why is fairly clear. Though many are not comfortable with it, in several ways it's invaluable in what we do. We can coordinate with each other instantaneously, over any distance, and it helps us blend in, since we don't have to have conversations that wouldn't make sense in the context of whatever world we're in out loud. And then it also automatically translates for us, even when we're not speaking telepathically. Otherwise, coming from so many different worlds, there's no way we'd be able to communicate at all, even with just each other.

There's more you can do with the telepathic network too, with time and practice - though we're still discovering new abilities with it, after all this time. Some, like projecting your voice and image instead of simply your thoughts, are fairly simple, and easy to learn. Projecting your memories over the network is a little more difficult, and takes more time to learn. And then there are really advanced techniques, such as mind reading, or creating virtual environments.

...I know it can be a lot to take in. Was there anything more specific you wanted to know?

[Souji is quiet while Armin speaks, but attentive, taking mental notes on everything he says. The mention of mind reading sends a shiver down the back of his neck - he doesn't relish the idea of his secrets being open to discovery.]

Is there any way to keep people out?

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[Video/Memory Post] - Locked to Travelers - he doubts he can keep out the Trumps, but he'll try

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[Video] -> [Action]// Armin's dressed like in this icon, minus the breastplate (at the moment)

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