(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

[taiyny]

Natasha Romanoff. Any indication where we're supposed to be living? I'm not so sure I can just run on up to an apartment and claim it as my own without some kind of paperwork, and I don't really like the idea of being homeless.

I'm also feeling really underdressed for the occasion.

[forcechanic]

Jaina Solo... I've infiltrated a few times, but never investigated before.

Phillip and Jules are both infiltrated. Jules is a gargoyle and he's worried about petrifying this time instead of fire.

Uh... if this is Earth... has anyone noticed if those Star Wars movies exist in this version?

[Kinda important to know]

[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.

[awitchdidit]

The world here is plainly magical, though unlike other modern versions of Earth I've seen, magic is displayed openly and the sorcerers and witches - called Empowered, if I understand the festival leaflets correctly - are currently being celebrated for their supernatural contributions to the Empire.

Also, the aesthetic of the Empowered is closer to a children's TV show or comic book than my personal preference, but at least it's less ridiculous than the S. Tech world.

If anyone happens across a young girl answering to Maria or something similar with magical powers and possibly a couple of large cats following her around, do let me know. In exchange, once we've had time to return to Liminal, I can offer a portal back there and a bed for those who don't want to rent a hotel room.

[claudiometer]

This is not my beautiful house.

Claudia Donovan, not new to Traveling by a long shot but this is Baby's First Investigation. Got my google-fu on at the library to figure out what was up with the date - it's 2016 by a Gregorian calendar, but there was apparently some weirdness with Halley's Comet when it passed through in 1910, which explains the '106' business.

It looks like those of us with ridiculous jaunt skills can pass them off as a side effect of the comet thing. Probably better to stick to one thing, or at least one at a time, but we have some options.

What's worrying me is the fact that the comet weirdness sometimes attaches itself to objects and not just people... but that's something I can noodle out alongside figuring out what the big deal here is.

[wildmagician]

Yosuke Hanamura here. This is my second time investigating. So far things have gone rather smoothly.

I'm one of those who can open up portals, if someone needs to visit there for some reason.

[wildmagician]

Creepy familiar...? In what sense?

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

[awitchdidit]

I've been looking around, and I think both Color Magic and the special abilities of some of Bando's ninjas should easily pass for "normal" in this world. Not sure about S. Tech, but more technological abilities are likely in-genre as well.

[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?

[leftbehindagain]

This is Naoki. I think we might have not been split up across jaunts, this time - everyone from Inaba's somewhere nearby, at least, and there's enough of us for that to be a good metric.

[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.

[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.

[howexciting]

Leonardo da Vinci. [He sighs, annoyed.] Present.

Anyone wishing to sleep in the Workshop should meet me at this corner... [He briefly livestreams a map of the area, drawn in his hand.] ... after dark, and I will open a portal for you. Discreetly, of course.

Furthermore, if you require food, money, or other resources, I can make them in Liminal Space. But I will need examples of other notes and coins so that I do not flood the market with too much of one.

[highsteaks]

... how good are you at making meat?

[What? She's got a place to crash at Kanji's Aiya, but the more people she can get food from the better.]

[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.

[claudiometer]

I am totally going to find an excuse to bust out my lightcycle. [She hasn't yet worked out the trick to sensory livestreaming, but Claudia's grin is damn near audible nonetheless.]

Other Grid stuff is probably gonna be more case-by-case basis, same for Nova Venezia remnants. But this place will forgive a multitude of weirdness, if we need it to.

[truerevelation]

...ah, right! Kanji checkin' in. It's ... kinda a hell of a thing to be in a world that's actually somethin' like - where I'm from. Even with this ... hero and powers stuff going on.

I'll get Aiya up 'n running too later if anyone wants it. [Or maybe it will be already...]

[howexciting]

... for someone who abstains from meat, I can create it and cook it well enough.

[Meaning: don't ask him to eat with you.]

[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]

[That's okay. More meat for Chie!]

... is it a religion thing?

[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.]

[theanguissette]

Leonardo, amico, is something the matter?

[There is concern, of course, at the annoyed tone.]

[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?