(no subject)

[claudiometer]

So, uh. Having poked my head out the door just now...

Doveresque cliff faces shouldn't mean we're heading back to Newport, right? Please tell me we're not heading back to Newport. I don't think any of us want to try to clean up that mess again.

[Also that would be the worst birthday present ever.]

Comments

[awitchdidit]

I think I owe that giant scorpion-tailed piece of garbage another bullet or three after my return trip to that world. On the other hand, if we go back again, it's probably to deal with the fact we just kind of fled after an assassination the first time...

The symbolism is pretty clear, though. If we're not going back to Newport, we're definitely still dealing with Emperor or Empress, and probably royalty directly. Are there any places in the world besides Britain with chalk cliffs?

[claudiometer]

The first time that was technically the second time, considering they not only knew about us but to look out for infiltrators?

Mei's been knocked out, so short of another loophole-abuse situation - which we can't rule out, but I think one of the others benefited from the last one of those we've seen - we're dealing with her dear husband. As for the cliffs, no idea.

[awitchdidit]

Did I forget about that or miss it...? Never mind, they work as a team most of the time regardless.

I wonder if anyone thought to pick up an atlas while in a world with bookstores? Those are surprisingly useful for obscure puzzles.

[wholeheaded]

Bandages - and I guess the cliffs too, being a precipice and all - point to Fool as the other contender.

[ he'll be over here sort of idly listening. ]

[awitchdidit]

Ah yes, our particular representation of the Fool uses those as a sign.

I suppose we should be on the lookout for "established order" versus a "new beginning". I feel like tastes aside, pushing the latter might be a good idea now that one of the Arcana responsible for renewal is dead.

[amadine]

The atmosphere reminds me more of Harrogate - though the summoning circles aren't directly related, at least, despite the colouring. That would be the last gods-damned thing any of us need, and not an entirely unforeseeable consequence of recent fuckery.

[Things she would not mourn: the deaths of literally any of the Arcana.

Things she is very wary of the consequences of: also that.]

[claudiometer]

Last time they wanted to head back to Harrogate, they were more up-front about it. Also that'd be just as dangerous to them as it is to us, so I don't think they'd risk eldritch bullshit just to make a point.

[She could be wrong, but that'd be one hell of a risky move after things have been destabilised anyway.]

[amadine]

I didn't necessarily mean a return trip. They may have been able to lock the King in Yellow out - eventually - but that doesn't mean he and his aren't sniffing around the threshold, waiting for our hosts to weaken enough that there's a chance to get a foothold here again.

I have no love for the Arcana, but they're far from the worst of our bad options, and I wouldn't put it past them to take the chance to remind us of that when we're already primed to look for signs and symbols.

[prince_of_pain]

Okay, I'll bite but what the hell are you talking about?

[Noct HAD spent most of his time as a traveller dead to the world and still didn't know really anything about the mechanics of anything.]

[claudiometer]

Our hosts like to drop hints about upcoming destinations in the makeup of Liminal Space. How obtuse these hints are depends on which of them is setting up the space, and whether you have any kind of useful knowledge base for it, but there's usually at least one of us who can figure something out, especially by this point. Either we've gotten better at understanding their symbolism, or they're doing the 'talk louder and slower and the foreigners will understand you' thing, or possibly both.

Newport was a previous jaunt destination - technically the second time we'd been dropped into that world, but what few people were there the first time didn't remember it. Typical comic-book-superhero shenanigans, with a liberal side of police state and some 'the locals know about us and are prepared to exorcise infiltrators from whoever they're in' for dessert.

We kinda... killed the fuck out of the entity maintaining the police state, so a return trip would. Sure be a thing.

The whole chalk-cliff thing doesn't guarantee Newport, but there's only so many places it could point to, and if we don't consider the chance we're gonna be screwed from moment one.

[awitchdidit]

In addition to what Claudia said, we also meddled with a summoning circle not unlike a giant version of the ones on the cliff, to break the scorpion bastard's monopoly on travel for spirits.

The fake magic circles and Emperor's obvious involvement in crafting this Liminal Space are what have me strongly suspecting Newport's world as our next destination.

[modernliterature]

You beat me to it.

[bite_the_hand]

If we do end up back in that world and Even's still around, somebody kill him. Please. Don't worry about me. You'll be doing me a favor giving that two-faced bastard what he deserves.

[claudiometer]

Depending on the time frame, you might be in luck and he's dead anyway.

[neverfeltthatway]

...Okay.

[It would absolutely kill him to do it - but like hell he'd ask anyone else to do it instead.]

[willyousee]

I have heard of those cliffs in my own lands, across the straits in Alba. I do not think they are limited to a single world, luckily. You could just as easily claim we could be returning to Harrogate. Though I think that unlikely.

We have been to both places twice now, I think, yes? I do not believe that we have ever been to a place three times, as of yet. I should need to review the archives.

I do wish we might go back to France... Though given the cliffs, that, too, is unlikely this time.

[neverfeltthatway]

Not to a single place in one world, but we have visited a single world or universe three times or more. The Labyrinthine Shoals and the Bando Peninsula, which we found out was the same world when we returned for the third time. Or questing country and the worlds it comes from, escaping from Gehanna. And we visited the refugees from that place after they escaped twice now, I think, without even taking questing country into account.

[claudiometer]

In addition to Armin's list, Newport got a walkabout, so we're up to three visits even if people only remember two.

Also I think someone mentioned on-network that Bando was the same world as Mermaidville at the time? I was infiltrating, though, so that'd need some deep archive-diving.

[awondrousplace]

Darling, the white cliffs of Dover are universal in versions of England.

For all we know, we could be going home to see dear Josephine.

[claudiometer]

Yeah, I know. Better to be braced for something that doesn't happen than screwed the second we get there, though.

You just don't want to hear about King Arthur Conan Doyle again, do you?

[tookashirototheknee]

Ok, so I don't know a lot, it seems, but I'd think if we were going back somewhere that we've been it would be clearer than just... a geological feature.

Then again, I'm shit with metaphor.

[Protection II, telepathic power]

Why are people so determined to see the worst in everything? It's getting old.

I don't blame you, because you're trying to see something else, but... ugh. I feel like I'd get battered for daring to say that there's other places than the shit ones we've been before.

[claudiometer]

That is true. Beatrice thinks the gibberish magic circles might point to something, but it's still not really evidence, just me wanting to be wrong.

[by all means beef up that double protection]

I dunno, maybe because archetypal Hope is dead so it's harder to come by around here? Also everyone's on edge after the whole Tower thing, which given the Arcana's last idea of a good punishment I can't really blame people for. Other than the attack squad, anyway.

If someone jumps on you for acknowledging the fact that they do still send us to new places, they're being even dumber than usual. And hell, if I'm wrong, I'll count that as a good thing. Considering how much we fucked up Newport last time we were there, though, I figure it's worth being a little paranoid about.

[breakaleginhalf]

Who doesn't love a nice vague geological feature, though? [/sarcasm]

I'm just waiting for them to drop us into fantasy-Australia, honestly. Watch us end up on a giant fucking red rock no matter where the Jaunt's set.

[haveabiscuit]

Quite a few universes have a Great Britain. My overlays usually still come from Scotland when we're on Earth.

[claudiometer]

True.