[pre-Emodriver Liminal] We interrupt your Jaunt preparations for some metaplot

[razorblade_empress]

[It's relatively late in the Liminal when Yukino contacts the network, although in fairness she's been a little busy being stuck in a dungeon for much of its duration. Still, though.]

A little while back, Judgement had this whole dungeon... thing... going on that a bunch of us got dragged into. One of the rooms was Belljar, and there was a closed-circuit TV showing a selection of images, one of which was a portal in a field of crystals that the Travelers of the time were evacuating into. So after we got back from this Jaunt, I tried to do some digging, and, well... I got this.

[This being a memory, which she is now sharing:]

The network was not full of happy chatter, during the visit to the place with the crystal fields. Granted, having to deal with ‘nation-eaters’ would likely put a damper on anyone’s mood, but on top of that, the Protectorate’s built-in psychic intrusions to enforce their idea of what’s best for everyone are Not Helping. The intrusions probably wouldn’t have helped in any round, but especially not with how freedom-minded the Travelers Fortune’s rig pulls in tend to be.

It’s quickly becoming apparent that there are two courses of action available to the Travelers: Back the Protectorate’s 'right-think' and keep the peace, or assist a violent coup so that the people can start fresh. If the coup works, and there’s no guarantee that even the Travelers can help convince enough people to defend their minds against their own government. There are two choices, but they both suck.

If it's a choice between this and the Champs being displeased, someone says on the network (it’s all text, of course, so discerning who might be difficult), I'll take my chances with our local True Fae.

After a pause, they add, Si se puede. Let's strike.

The strike itself isn’t that flashy, memory-wise; it consists largely of herding all the investigators into Liminal and camping out with whatever food they'd stashed or could manage to manipulate until the Jaunt's clock runs down. It's pretty clear when that happens: Liminal Space suddenly upends itself, with everyone falling endlessly away from a planet they'd know above them - since this is Yukino's memory, that planet is Earth - towards clouds they never reach, with swords falling along with them...

[The memory cuts off there.]

Next stop after that was Moebius.

Comments

[thornsofmalkav]

Yeah. I mean, I was just kind of startled by the 'si se puede' bit, I guess. I'm used to being one of the only Latines around in Liminal, you know? If not the only one.

[That's not the only thing, but. Well. As we've already established, she feels awkward about asking for a memory replay just yet.]

[razorblade_empress]

[Yukino's not quite sure she entirely buys that explanation, but okay.]

I can see where that'd be startling, yeah.

[thornsofmalkav]

... and I guess also because it's the UFW motto?

But, like, a lot of activist groups have adopted it as a slogan. Hell, Obama even used it: yes we can is basically a rough translation of the phrase. Though, like, the UFW's version is Yes, it can be done.

[razorblade_empress]

UFW and Obama?

[She has no idea who or what either of those are.]

[thornsofmalkav]

Oh! Right. You're from the 90s. Obama was the president when I left my world. [Let's... not talk about all the terrifying shit she's learned about her world's future from Gil, who's from a world that's pretty damn close to hers if not the same one.] The first black president, in fact! He was pretty damn cool. I cast my first vote for him in the California Democratic primary, actually. [By which she means her first vote at all. She was eighteen at the time.]

The UFW's the United Farm Workers of America. They're a labor union back home. Some of my family on my dad's side are members.

[razorblade_empress]

[The American electoral process is not something Yukino has a great understanding of, but now's probably not the time, so she lets the mention of Democratic Primaries slide.]

Got it.

[thornsofmalkav]

Yeah, so 'hearing' it in this context is kind of, I dunno, startling. And I guess... I guess it means I'm a little interested in who the speaker could be.

Especially since, well, with the whole 'True Fae' mention, they're probably-possibly from mine and Gil's [and Melissa and Jules and Jackie and Malin's] world-cluster.

[razorblade_empress]

Yeah, understandable.

You need to hear it again, or...?

[thornsofmalkav]

... I wouldn't mind it.

private; protected

[razorblade_empress]

You got it.

[Fortunately, it doesn't take much effort for her to replay the memory; she's gotten the hang of doing that by now.]

Private x2 protected

[thornsofmalkav]

[Fuck. There's a guy in the strike bits and the falling bits who could be Steven, but she can't see his face clearly and she hasn't heard his voice.]

... yeah. Okay. That... was less helpful than I thought.

If using psychic healing on you does work, do you mind if I try to aim it for the mystery speaker?

Private x2 protected

[razorblade_empress]

Go for it.

You think he might be someone you know, don't you?

Re: Private x2 protected

[thornsofmalkav]

I'm trying not to get my hopes up too much when it could all be a coincidence. And is probably more likely to be, honestly, than who I wish it was.

Private x2 protected

[razorblade_empress]

Yeah, I get that.