During the Fourth Wall

[dino_zarf]

[Do you know what time it is? It's Baby Livestream Time! Of course, it's more or less always Baby Livestream Time when Wash isn't infiltrated, as everyone is no doubt terribly aware of by now.

Today the feed shows Rose, who has grown considerably over the course of the Jaunt and will need new clothes again. She's also smiling. And sitting in a strange bubble of blankets and soft toys that Wash decidedly did not generate.]

So guess who learned to actually smile!

And apparently to use liminal skills. Psychic, too, but she seems to be keeping those to people she's met.

[Those are a bit more confusing than smiling.]

Comments

[senpaidol]

Well, if you need it now, I pretty much know the basics and how to keep other people out, and I'm like 90% sure I can teach them over the network.

[dino_zarf]

You know how to keep people out?

[Actually, that sounds really useful. And like something he might want to be able to help Rose with.]

[senpaidol]

Sort of. I haven't learned to shut off the network completely, but as far as people getting into my head specifically, or hearing something I don't want them to, I feel pretty confident I can keep them out.

[dino_zarf]

That sounds right handy, if you think you can talk me through it. Never been wild about just anyone being able to pop into my head.

[senpaidol]

I worked it out for a couple people so far, so it shouldn't be too hard.

Can you make this conversation Private first?

[Private]

[dino_zarf]

Uh...

[Takes him a second to remember how that works. BUt he's broadcast just for Zoe when trying to figure out if she was infiltrating.]

Should be now.

[Private]

[senpaidol]

So the basic idea is to start by reinforcing the private-ness. Take this connection and put a wall or soundproofing or something like that around it in your mind. Get determined to keep everyone else out of it.

[Private]

[dino_zarf]

Like checking the bulkheads to make sure they're sealed.

[He needs to stop thinking of the network as being weird psychic stuff and just think of it physically apparently]

You want more than one layer.

[Private]

[senpaidol]

Based on what I remember from Gehenna that's a thousand percent accurate, yep.

Just focus on that. Build up that reinforcement and then try putting it around yourself, not the connection.

[Private]

[dino_zarf]

So a spacesuit instead of a bulkhead.

[Private]

[senpaidol]

Sure.

[Not that that had been a concern for Citrine.]

Just concentrate on blocking out everything. It won't work on voices over the network, but let me know when you're ready and I'll trick to pick out something you're not thinking "out loud".

[Private]

[dino_zarf]

Okay, let's try this.

[He concentrates on gathering the imaginary forces around himself. And on thinking entirely innocuous things. A jingle from a commercial.]

[Private]

[senpaidol]

[Rise pokes at his mind, first with the regular network connection, then a serious attempt to break through his "filter".]

Huh. Well, I think you kept me out. I have the Junes jingle stuck in my head now but that happens like 50% of the time all by itself...

[Private]

[dino_zarf]

I was thinking of a jingle, but I've never even heard of Junes so I guess it must have worked.

[Maybe she picked up something, but he's clearly getting the hang of this]

[Private]

[senpaidol]

I think you got it, then. If you want your little one to pick it up so she can have some privacy, try using it around her, I guess? I've never met a psychic baby, but they're supposed to learn by imitating others...

[Private]

[dino_zarf]

Seems to be how babies learn anything else, so it's worth a shot. Reckon no one here's met a psychic baby before, this is all new territory.