synopsychic | [Second day of Week Two/Three Mingle]

Hello, sorry, Lyall here. Do all of you recall that vision I had of the dividing wall between us during the last month or so of liminal space? How it was a very literal sign of what was to come?

It's happened again. I had another one. And it's being about as persistent as the first one, so I'm guessing it's important. I can share it directly if anyone would like me to, but in summary, I believe there's something out there beyond the reefs. I saw dark water, well below the level of the reefs, and a large, pale, diseased something. All I saw was a wall of flesh, that was then obscured by bubbles, and then it went even darker. Like it dove away.

I don't know if we need to find it to stop it, or find it to help it. But I do think we need to find it, if just to keep it from coming here.

... also, I am still making earplugs, for those who are finding the noise difficult to bear. I'm not sure if it will help entirely, but it can't hurt. If anyone wants to try and distribute them to people who trust them and might need them, please let me know, I'll get you a few pairs.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

The death of children, or being careful?

[ He's linefacing pretty hard, if that's the case, but he usually takes the time to hear people out. His psychic "voice" does not raise. ]

You're quite young, aren't you, darling? And I can tell you're not familiar with our Randolph Lyall. [His tone is still amused, and there's practically an audible wink at the last statement.]

[ And he thought Jay was the only one calling everyone "darling." He can almost see, in his mind's eye, someone winking at him roguishly. On the other hand, he is also uncomfortably reminded of when Al Mualim used to call him "child" when irritated, but it's not enough to put Altaïr off just yet. Age is not a crime, and neither is not knowing someone well. ]

Familiarize me, then. I am listening.

[ It's short enough to be challenge as well as request, but, as he said, he is listening. ]

[Tick-Tock is the sort of man who generally behaves as if everyone likes him, even if he has bountiful evidence to the contrary, so he seems unaffected by the implied challenge, and instead he takes the request at face value.]

Don't mind if I do! Though, where to start to give you a proper picture? I would say his most prominent traits, in my personal experience, are a clever, quick mind, an uncommon amount of common sense, and a truly impressive sense of compassion - quite the kindest man I've met here. He was a teacher in this life, and a professor in another, from what he's told me, and it's quite easy to see when you talk to the man or watch him interact with young people. I quite envy his patience; I think I've yet to see the man truly lose his temper.

More than that, he's quite fiercely loyal to the people he cares about or those he considers his responsibility. He's very practical, and doesn't shirk from what needs to be done to protect those people, though I would also say he has a strong moral and ethical sense. It does make me worry about him at times, but he manages quite well - he's often a quiet but firm voice of reason in all the other chatter, I've found. And ridiculously humble, but good people often are, aren't they? [His tone is very warm, and a little wry when he says this last.]

And lest you think I'm simply madly biased because he's a dear friend, ask anyone here about him. You'll hear much of the same.

Come now, Nigel, you're embarrassing me.

[He does sound awfully embarrassed, there.]

Yes, there's that humble bit I was talking about. [amused again] And besides, it's all quite true.

Painting me quite so prettily might just make you seem biased, you know. I do still have my faults. They just aren't, I'll admit, usually related to being reckless.

Precisely. They aren't relevant to this conversation. [And of course he's biased!]

You are ridiculous, Nigel, honestly.

[But he sounds as fond as he does embarrassed now, at least.]

I was under the impression you considered that one of my more attractive features.

[ He has to wait quite a while for Tick-Tock to finish, but he can be patient. ]

Somehow I feel like I am getting to know you as well.

[ He's still internally rolling his eyes at Tick-Tock finding his lack of familiarity with another Traveler amusing, but ultimately he cannot turn his nose up at such a nice stack of information, bolstered by Tick-Tock's earnestness. It's almost heartwarming, if Altaïr didn't have giant sea monsters and missing people on his mind. ]

If what you say is true, then I may rest easy that this man, at least, will not do anything rash. [ He can't speak for every other Investigator, he doesn't know all of them well enough yet. ]

[Ah, but Altair, he isn't amused by your lack of knowledge - it's your assumptions and the brash way you seem to think you can make decisions for others. That seldom works out well, here.]

Certainly not. And I would recommend listening to him - he's quite familiar with how all of this works.

[ He's going to hold off on any definite decisions and actions until they have more information on these potential threats. Whether anyone else will, he has no idea. ]

Are you referring to his visions? [ Of course the man would be familiar with how his visions work, he's the only one who has them... ] Or reconnaissance?

I'm referring to everything. Jaunts and how they work. How to be unobtrusive and how to be careful. What's expected of us. And what people will and won't listen to.

[ It's sad that his first thought is, Oh good, someone to practice with. He's been lonely for the support network of other people skilled with subtlety and subterfuge. Quickly he reminds himself that he's not here to make friends, he's here to make sure the Travelers get out of this in one piece. He was never good with niceties anyway, except when blending in on the job.

His second thought is that he suspects Tick-Tock takes it personally that Altaïr lacks... something. But Altaïr feels he has no time for games today, let alone for worrying if he's missed a point by about a mile. There's a murderer on the loose. ]

Advise everyone else to listen to him as well, then. I feel that we are already treading much closer to danger than I'd like. Several people have gone missing, difficult and disturbing among such a small population. And there is something else... I am asking him to look into something, so excuse me if I do not answer the network right away...

[ He's already "sounding" distracted. ]

If you like, darling, but I do think you're missing the point. Getting a large group of rather disparate people with various goals and priorities to listen to any one person is rather difficult, if not impossible with this lot.

[There's an audible smile in his voice, as he adds] And I expect Lyall is better at getting people to listen to him than I am.

[ His response is indeed slightly delayed. ]

A leader is nothing without followers. He'd still need you to help, even if just by example.

[Second day of Week Two/Three Mingle]

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I lost track of this, feel free to drop it if you like, sorry!

i did too whoops, so i'll just wrap it up