(a few hours into the Jaunt, open broadcast)

[protect_and_serve]

[Joscelin's voice, sent across the network, is warm, dry, composed - instilled with enough confidence, he hopes, to reassure the new and uncertain.]

A calm beginning makes for a welcome change. We should still start sharing what we know. Who's with us, and who is missing? Who is infiltrating? What do we know about this world?

If this is your first Jaunt - and there were many new faces in Liminal Space - ask for assistance, and we'll give it.

I'll begin. This is Joscelin Verreuil. We're on the coast of an island, somewhere between Alba and Terre D'Ange- England and France, I think, locally. Magic of some sort appears to be open and commonplace. I can't make sense of their calendar, but we're in or just after the Twentieth Century, as.... Christians... reckon time. This is a port where foreigners are common and unremarked. I have clothes that fit the era, and in my pockets were ten five-pound notes. The Trumps don't mean for us to be spotted immediately, or starve, but I can't guess more than that.

Comments

[highsteaks]

Hi? Uh, this is my second Jaunt, but last time I was a Roman and this time... I'm me.

Oh. Right. I'm Chie. Chie Satonaka. I'm from Inaba, Kanji and Konishi's version.

Everybody has really fancy phones and they're playing this Pokemon game that won't work on my phone because it's old and crappy.

Also, uh, Kou--the basketball team captain back home--is here. I think he popped up in Liminal for Yosuke and Rise's party? Has anyone else from Inaba seen him? Because that outfit of his is creepy familiar.

[wildmagician]

Creepy familiar...? In what sense?

I haven't seen him though. Pretty sure he wasn't at the party either.

[highsteaks]

Uh, it kinda looks like Adachi's suit. Only blue. And I could have sworn... ugh. Maybe it really was Naoto doing her guy thing again. I'd be a lot more comfortable with her dumb guy thing if she didn't make herself look like Kou all the time.

[wildmagician]

Adachis? Well, you know, clothes don't make a person. It's probably just a funny coincidence.

And just because I didn't see Kou, doesn't mean he wasn't there. I was pretty... out of it during the party.

[highsteaks]

Well, and his name was Mako. Ma-Kou. I bet it is him.

[wildmagician]

That may very well be a coincidence, Satonaka. It's not like my Roman name had anything to do with my name.

[highsteaks]

... yeah, maybe. But what about the bird guy you worked for? His name was Ambrosius and I'm pretty sure I've heard people call him Ambrose!

[wildmagician]

That still doesn't prove it's Kou. Like you said, Naoto looks a lot like Kou, so it could be her. Which leaves us with one less investigator to count on.

[highsteaks]

... and the one that really is an investigator back home too.

[SHE STILL THINKS IT'S KOU. But. Ugh.]

[leftbehindagain]

When was Ichijo-san even... no, wait, he talked to Naoto about her cat.

[There's a bit of a pause before Naoki continues.] He's not here. I'm reasonably certain we started in a small enough space that I'd be able to tell. It might be Naoto - she hasn't had a male overlay yet, but I don't see why that wouldn't be possible. she's probably infiltrating either way, since she didn't answer when I tried to get a hold of her.

...Creepy familiar how?

[highsteaks]

See! I knew he'd been around. Take that, Hanamura!

How do you know if we're all here anyway? Do you have some weird Inaba radar now, Konishi?

Also, Kou or Naoto was wearing a certain jerk's stupid wrinkly suit. Only in blue.

[leftbehindagain]

I think it's a network thing. Last time I was myself on a jaunt we were too spread out for it to really be useful, though.

[This time, the pause is even longer.]

That's not a good sign. But I thought his suit was blue.

[highsteaks]

Oh come on, it was this dumb greyish black color. [Maybe it had a bluish tinge but still.] Anyway, this one's a little bluer.

[leftbehindagain]

Either way, the suit by itself doesn't mean anything. This could be more Adachi-san than Adachi. [Yes, there's a difference. It's a really big difference.]

We'll have to wait and see which it is, I guess. And be on guard in case it's the latter, since then we won't get anything done easily.

[highsteaks]

Well yeah. It's just creepy, that's all. But I guess unless you can nefariously plot when you're playing dumb fancy cell phone games that don't work on flip phones, we should be okay for now.

[Somebody is jealous of people's smartphones.]

[leftbehindagain]

Really, Carnivora, if there's anyone who can nefariously plot while playing a cell phone game, it's Naoto.

[highsteaks]

Oh come on, Konishi, how long are you going to keep calling me that dumb Roman name?

[leftbehindagain]

At this point I think it's safe to say it's officially stuck.

[highsteaks]

Whatever, Crispus. Crispy.

[leftbehindagain]

[Instead of getting upset, Naoki just sounds even more like he's trying not to laugh. Or at least like he's trying to keep said laughter off the network.]

That's not even what it means.

[highsteaks]

I know that's not what it means but that's what it sounds like, Crispy.

[leftbehindagain]

[Still way, way more amused than annoyed:]

At least get it right if you're going to keep using it. And here I thought you'd appreciate getting something other than your family name for a change.

[highsteaks]

Yeah, but. It's Chloe's name, not mine.

[leftbehindagain]

It's also true about you. [Which they've covered previously, and he doesn't know how to say he's very aware of the differences between the two without making it sound more condescending than it actually is. At least this part's entirely serious?]

[highsteaks]

Yeah, but.

Ugh. Whatever, Konishi.