[A Polite PSA]

[professorwolf]

Ah, hello, Randolph Lyall here. Sorry to bother everyone, but someone from my own, er, original home universe has just arrived... and I do believe she requires a bit of an introduction. Lady Alexia Maccon, wife to my former pack leader, Victorian-era aristocracy, and preternatural.

[Because he has sensory livestreaming, he's able to send with this a mental image of Alexia, so hey, maybe this will count for her as an introduction to everyone, for her sense of propriety? It's a thought!]

'Preternatural' means, if she touches you and you have supernatural abilities, it is entirely possible she will negate them. I don't know the extent of that ability with people not of our world, but in our world, shapeshifters, vampires, and ghosts are all affected, so a warning seems... well, prudent.

I am entirely positive she will not take offense if you wish not to take her hand, with this knowledge in mind.

Comments

[detectivewonder]

Sounds like it could be useful. Do you know if she'd be up to testing it?

[professorwolf]

Lady Maccon has always been of a very scientific bent. I'm sure she'd be happy to experiment.

[covertsledgehammer]

Thank you Professor, an excellent introduction. I must confess that I am also curious as to whether my preternatural state will affect those of other worlds.

And this 'psychic network' is remarkable! So much more convenient than the aethographor. How much is known about it's creation?

[professorwolf]

It was here when we all arrived, and as far as anyone can find, there's no particular mechanical or technological component. It appears to be operated entirely by the mind. You can learn how to use it in different ways-- for example, scanning back through previous conversations, or as I just did, showing an image or a sound.

I'm afraid there isn't a lot that we know about how it works, just how to use it.

[covertsledgehammer]

Perhaps it is biological in nature? Although then the mystery is whose biology has created it. Though I thik we can at least assume that it is not driven by soul in any manner. Otherwise I would not be able to access it at all.

Still, regardless of it's mysteries I can see that this will be very useful indeed, although it is perhaps a touch too public for all potential uses - unless there is a way to make conversations private?

[professorwolf]

It's possible, but not all of us here are biological. There is at least one android-- excuse me, construct, as you might understand it. Rather like a mechanimal, except man-shapes. He's nothing like that one from London all those years back, though. He's quite friendly and articulate.

Either way, though, he does have access to the network, as well. So it has to be something accessible by a mechanical brain, as well.

[stopinthenameofawe]

[Melissa usually doesn't say anything on the psychic network, but--]

She can do what. [After a Jaunt of being human, Melissa can't decide if this is great or terrible.]

[private]

[thornsofmalkav]

[SHE IS NOT THE ONLY ONE. Although Thorne is leaning slightly toward great if only because...]

... I could eat chocolate again. Holy crap.

[private]

[stopinthenameofawe]

[............oh that's an excellent point.]

She probably wouldn't want to hold my hand while I got drunk off my ass on real alcohol, huh?

[private]

[thornsofmalkav]

You know. I bet we could bribe her with liminal manipulated food. Like, she's a newbie. She won't be able to do that stuff. But I can. And I'm totally willing to do you a solid in that direction.

[professorwolf]

She can make me mortal again, entirely human, for as long as she touches me. It's an odd sensation. I'm not sure if it will work on others, who aren't made the same way a werewolf or vampire is in my world, but I wanted to warn people just in case it does.

[stopinthenameofawe]

...Damn. [melissa doesn't even know what to say to that.]

[professorwolf]

I know. If you want, I can introduce you and give it a try, to be sure, but if you'd rather avoid her, I understand entirely. For me, it's a bit disconcerting-- I lose my sense of smell almost entirely.

[pseudologist]

...Huh. I can think of a few situations where that kind of trick might come in handy.

Is it limited by skin contact?

[professorwolf]

It works through gloves in most cases, but there has to be some form of contact, yes. As soon as contact is removed, the supernatural abilities return full force.

[pseudologist]

Does she have any resistance to magic directed at her?

[professorwolf]

I don't know. We don't have magic in the sense you're used to, in my world. Vampires, werewolves, and ghosts are pretty much the extent of it.

[papacerberus]

[Lupa is interested, so very interested. True the implication is that it's touch only, but to be free of it all, even for a moment? Lupa wants to feel that, as himself.]

Do you think it might work on demons?

[A few seconds later.] Are there any known side-effects?

[professorwolf]

None at all. And as soon as she lets go of you, or you of her, it all comes back immediately. It's worth a try, if you want to give it a go.

I would... actually like to introduce you to her, anyhow. She needs to know more people here, in case we wind up on different Jaunts, or I am infiltrated and she is not. And people who are important to me I think ought to be among those she knows.

[papacerberus]

So only a temporary reprieve. Still, even a moment might be worth it.

I would enjoy meeting her. If she is a friend of yours, I am certain she is an honorable person. I will make an attempt to look out for her, if we are on a jaunt and I remain myself, as well.

[He wants to ask if they can meet right now, but refrains. Barely.]

[professorwolf]

I'll set something up in the next day or two, then, once she's settled and I've finished making up her wardrobe... and answering her plethora of questions.

I do appreciate your being willing to look out for her, though. It may not be necessary, but... well, I'll certainly feel better.

[bluejade]

How are shfiters affected? I've known of abilities like that from my own world -- I could do the same to another Raksura if I have to -- but not ones that only work by touch.

[because this is relevant to her interests.]

[professorwolf]

It depends on how your species' shapeshifting works. Werewolves are technically shapeshifters, but we were human originally. What Lady Maccon does is return us to our original, mortal state.

Your people may not have been one or the other originally, so I'm not sure it would do anything to you. It may, I suppose, revert you to whatever state you were born in, if one is considered more "natural" than the other.

[bluejade]

Both are natural. How does one become a shifter when one isn't born that way?

[professorwolf]

The ability is natural. The actual shape you were born in may be your original shape-- it may not be. I wouldn't know until Lady Maccon gave it a try, to be honest.

And while you may have been born with the ability to change shapes, I acquired mine by dying and being revived with a different set of abilities, and others among us acquired theirs through magical spells. So there are other means, in other universes.