[some time into the coffeshop liminal] Informed voting

[capital_asset]

I know the candies represent potential Jaunt worlds, but has anyone been able to identify which worlds they are? I know the blue ones symbolize the Grid and the lavender ones Questing Country, but I'm still unclear on the other two.

While we're on the subject, the voting area looks to be another Jaunt reference; specifically, it looks like the Ground coffeeshop from La Tour Ivoire Academe.

Comments

[seestheworld]

Yeah, I can understand that.

[It had hurt to find out that she'd been a human cage for Death. It had hurt more to realize that it had been Aigis who had done that to her. But she'd also understood why it was done, and that Aigis hadn't had any choice at the time.]

There's no way to cure them, is there?

[bite_the_hand]

Without making them a Shifter? If there is, we haven't found it yet. I'm really hoping there is though. There's one we managed to capture, because its limbs are too deformed for it to move. And it turned out to be Connie's mom. Other Titans are just too dangerous to contain like that. I was told the attempts to capture even a few for study before we knew what they were would almost always result in multiple casualties. So killing them isn't only the most merciful thing we can do for them with the information we have, it's the safest option for us.

[seestheworld]

[And making them Shifters seems like an imperfect solution at best, one that she wouldn't be surprised has some serious downsides.

Of course, that's not the only disturbing thing about this.]

How did she end up as a Titan? If you don't mind my asking.

[Because it sure as hell doesn't sound like Titans get that way naturally. Unless his friend Connie is part-Titan somehow, but that brings up issues about genetics and especially consent and Minako is really not sure she wants to follow this particular line of thought any farther because the necessary implications are too disturbing.]

[bite_the_hand]

We're not sure. Every time we've been able to confirm how the transformation happened, it was because of an injection. But that doesn't make any sense here. As far as we can tell the entire population of Ragako village was transformed at once, and a good number of them were in their homes at the time.

What we do know is that the Beast Titan had something to do with it.

[seestheworld]

And it probably wouldn't be something like pheromones because those are scent-based. I mean, I guess it could be, but if it was the Beast Titan's they'd have to be within proximity, and if it was the other Titans', nobody could be around them without protective gear.

Have you tangled with the Beast Titan directly before?

[bite_the_hand]

Feral-whats? [At least 'scent-based' gives him enough to hopefully answer her question.]

We have, once. He and the other enemy Shifters ambushed us during the mission to retake Wall Maria. It stayed at a distance, killing everyone by throwing rocks. Captain Levi was able to get close and defeat it, although the Shifter inside got away. Levi has the same powers as Mikasa, which might give him some kind of special protection, but if just smelling it turned most people into Titans it would've made more sense for it to try to get close.

[seestheworld]

Are hormones common knowledge in your world? They're basically chemicals your body produces that regulate physiology and can even influence behavior, like fight-or-flight responses. All living beings including animals have them, or at least the organic ones do. Pheromones are another kind of hormone, but they're meant to trigger responses in other members of the same species. Not enough to out and out control them, but enough to get their attention somehow. There are a lot of different pheromones, and they vary by species. Most people can't consciously control them.

That doesn't seem like what the Beast Titan's doing, then, if he's mostly keeping his distance. Maybe contaminating their food supply?

...Sorry. I'm probably bringing up stuff for you, aren't I?

[bite_the_hand]

They're not, this is the first time I've heard of either of those. The pheromone things are really damn creepy.

[Considering Eren's everything it's a good she specified that pheromones are meant to get attention rather than to control. He still doesn't like the idea, but at least Minako's spared the rant about freedom that would have otherwise happened.]

Maybe. But Ca- Commander Hange said everyone would've had to be transformed at once. If it was the food or water they would've ended up eating or drinking it at different times.

[There's a bit of a mental sigh.] It's fine. I'd rather people know than make assumptions about me and my friends without knowing anything. Besides, too many of the problems in my world happened because someone was withholding information. Like hell I'm going to contribute to that.

[seestheworld]

[And that's why she was careful with her phrasing.]

Yeah, they are.

And okay - that's good to know. And yeah, I know what it's like to have to deal with something that could've been avoided if someone had just said something.

[Of course, it also helps if the someone who's saying something is actually telling the truth, as she and the rest of SEES had found out to their sorrow, but that's neither here nor there right now.]

That's true... hm.

Maybe it's a multi-stage process? Like a contamination phase followed by a trigger event?

[bite_the_hand]

[Agreeing nicely avoids any other reasons Eren might start ranting - something even he's relieved about, since it means she likely already has a view of freedom he'd approve of. If she keeps this up she will definitely make a friend.]

I'm sorry you've had to go through something like that too. I hope whatever you had to deal with turned out okay.

That- [There's a moment's pause.] ...That would explain a lot. And I really don't like the implications of that.

[seestheworld]

It turned out as well as it could, ultimately. We needed a miracle at that point and we managed to get one.

[But miracles aren't cheap.]

Me neither.

[Granted, she doesn't have Eren's lived experience with Titans, but everything he's told her is disturbing, and if this particular hypothesis is correct, that makes it even more so - and that much more dangerous as well.]