The Synodiporia Psychic Network

[Somehow, Kinji is looking over an empty, white scene that seems to stretch off indefinitely. The only other person here is naturally Yakumo; though he's armoured up in his blue Aoninger armour, and it's easy to tell that Kinji is as well.

And about half a beat after the stream starts, Yakumo turns sharply towards Kinji, bristling.]

So fer those who might a' been wonderin'-- [Yakumo is rushing towards Kinji now, but the cowboy seems undeterred, dancing back from his partner with practiced ease.] --that if folks wanted t'go an' try straight-up possessin' this here truck we're ridin' on, this is where y'all might end up.

[Yakumo's still chasing after him, but it's not aggressive as much as very clearly trying to block Kinji's line of sight, trying to throw up his hands and block the stupid situation they've landed themselves in.]

I'd also like t'note how we're a mite bit stuck in here. Can't quite seem t'find an exit just yet.

Well, that there's sure a thing I can't say I done missed.

Fer those what don't know, a few 'f us folks get special nightmares what predict the future a bit, some worst-case-scenario type stuff. [he doesn't know how many new people there are okay it's been a while]

And mine just now was of a tremor in the water, goin' so deep it hits the ocean floor and sends up this great gout a' blood. An' as that goes risin' through the water, it turns into a damn great mass a' writhin' tentacles, like they're ready t'strangle whatever they can grab.

Had a' nightmare just before, one a' those visions a' the future kind.

Only there weren't nothin' to it. Couldn't see nothin' through some goddamn blizzard, but I could hear cattle nearby.

An' that was it.

[And he sounds vaguely offended. How dare he get traumatised for such a useless vision.]

's'makin' me wonder if we're gonna be dealin' with those cows personally, though.

[There's a brief, frustrated huff on the network.]

Alright, I seen this kind a' Youkai nonsense before.

If anyone else's tryin' t'navigate through that big area past the tower, it ain't gonna work 'less yer confident in what yer doin'. Not knowin' what yer after an' doubtin' yerself's gonna make it more tricky - an' more dangerous. Keep yer head clear an' don't loose yer cool.

[Some time after Interfacing everything, Kinji's managed to get back on a more even keel.]

Alright, so me an' Matthew found out some interestin' stuff just earlier, 'bout how this place all works.

First 'f all, fer those who don't know, down over the edge a' this picnic area's a huge forest. All that fog down there's bein' made by this pools a' water - an' accordin' t'what Raidou told me, that's where all 'f everyone's spirit animals are born.

Ain't nothin' down there but the water an' trees, so it's all safe an' proper fer explorin', but I don't recommend goin' down there alone. Not 'less y'all can get back up alone too.

Now, my point is. When I was down there, I tried Interfacin' one a' the trees there, checkin' out if it was anythin' interestin'. An' what I done got was... well, a whole heap a' voices. Or thoughts, I s'pose might be more accurate. All 'f 'em wishin' an' hopin' - must a' been thousands a' people, just from that one tree, and all a' those thoughts were movin' from the branches down t'the roots and into the water.

So, course I tried testin' the water next.

[And his voice takes on an almost uncharacteristic seriousness and intensity for his next few words:]

Do not go Interfacin' the water.

'Cos when I did, it damn near would a' blown my brains out if'n I hadn't stopped it in less than a second. It's-- it's too much - the water's the goddamn life force a' this entire world. When I was connected t'that, I think I was connected t'just about everythin' else what exists here.

...if anyone's that curious, I can show y'all the memory 'f it. But it's gonna be real damn short, an' it's gonna hurt.

S'pose the biggest thing we got outta that's basically what Thorne was sayin' back at her Salon earlier - how everythin's made up a' thoughts an' willpower, projectin' on the world? Turns out it applies t'Questin' Country as well as Liminal Space.

Son 'f a bitch... Looks like I got one more a' these visions t'add t'the pile.

[damnit he thought he'd gotten out of Harrogate without any of that mess hanging on.]

Saw a forest full a' ponds all glitterin' like different colour jewels an' givin' off mist. An' they just started... boilin' up. 'til there weren't nothin' left but clouds a' dust in the air, left 'em bone dry.

Didn't feel like there was anythin' could be done t'stop it... [And that had been the worst part, honestly.]

I know I can't be the only one what's noticed this, but I gotta ask.

Anyone else wonderin' how Hermit an' Death seem t'have both won?

[Kinji sounds... less himself than usual. There's a distinct lack of energy to his words, the very strong impression of his face being buried in his hands.]

If anyone who got sent off t'Walkabout wants t'know what happened durin' Harrogate, I came back with a whole heap a' my overlay's footage. Still gotta go over an' edit it, but I got the whole final battle, fer the most part, an' a pretty decent chunk a' the rest a' the month. So long as y'all don't mind it bein' filtered through me. [because he knows how many people he actively annoys just by existing]

Anyone want out a' that footage, lemme know an' I'll fix that. Alcuin, I'm gonna go an' ask that I get t'keep all the footage we got durin' yer interview, but if y'all don't want it hangin' round, then by all means lemme know. Anyone wanna help me add t'this, make a full account a' what went down an' not just Kris's, gimme a shout. Anythin' I ain't got footage for, I got memories I plan on uploadin' too - gonna leave everythin' in the library when I'm done.

[Companion/follow-up to this]

[Another day, another half of it spent meeting with Titans who could tear him asunder with the barest whim. But no pressure, right?]

I
[The first of the day, third in the series, comes shortly after when sunrise should be, a third memory comes to light. Kinji only vaguely recognises Shinjiro - he's never met this Traveller personally - but others surely will.]

II
[And, finally, around midday, the fourth and final memory is deposited. Kinji doesn't know this guy from a bar of soap, apart from the unfortunate squirm of discomfort when he remembers he already encountered this one as well. He doesn't know that this one's not technically a Traveller in the same sense as he and the others are. He just spends the chat being nervous about not getting in on this plan at the final step.]

Alright, so - never thought I'd be sayin' this, but - thanks t'Zed, I think I got a workin' idea 'f what's been happenin' behind the scenes here.

'cos without him, Yakumo wouldn't a' gotten turned back into an Investigator. First thing he done did was find me an' tell me how the Titans're throwin' a coup a' the gods. He ain't got too much info yet - turns out storm spirits ain't got the greatest sense a' focus - but at least one a' them's a Traveller, that English wizard guy.

[you know, the other one]

An' Galen, Tachibana's overlay, said that when he went t'go talk t'em earlier--

[And a memory of Galen's voice, sullenly furious, speaks.]

"Something has bewitched the gods and dulled them to blindness. For the barest fleeting moment there was intelligence in Apollo's eye, but it dulled like embers in ice, leaving only disinterested arrogance in its wake."

[And then back to Kinji's own.]

--so they're doin' somethin' directly t'mess with the gods an' make 'em complacent in their own demise.

So here's where it gets tricky. Yakumo thinks he can get me an in with the Titans - the storm spirits seem t'have all taken a likin' t'me, and they're already in on whatever the hell this plan is with the Titans, so unless there's any volunteers, I'll be goin' an sneakin' into that.

An' that means somebody else oughta try goin' back up the mountain t'try an' talk some sense into the gods. An' I reckon y'all might be able t'do that with some kinda skill that can clear their minds. I know there's a Song fer that, I can pass that on if'n someone needs it, but there's gotta be other ways that work better. If teleportin' or climbin's too far, I can make some kites an' Yakumo an' the other storm spirits can fly people up the mountain. It ain't too safe but it's a right sight faster than teleportin' or climbin' on foot.



...so. Thoughts?