Open | You think you're safe without a care...

[rollstoseduce]

Who: Jaskier rollstoseduce
What: New arrival tries to understand the city and tries to rescue a kitty
When: Last week of June
Where: Central city
Notes: Using this log to move Jaskier's arrival TDM prompts and organize closed threads. If you want to plot anything more specific, feel free to hit my intro comment!

Comments

[unkindled_madness]

[Sephiroth doesn't smile, but he seems to like that response. He finally settles, sipping his coffee.]

...I suppose it's worth knowing that one can encounter multiple versions of the same individual, from parallel universes.

But if this is your first experience with Earth, I imagine you have quite a few questions.

[rollstoseduce]

[Jaskier's chokes on his tea and as he grabs a napkin to clean his face and lap, he stares at Sephirot with wide eyes.]

Oi, oi, oi, go back to the first part! You're saying I could find myself here? [People are always telling him to go fuck himself, maybe this is his chance.] And what about my friends? How am I supposed to know who I am encountering under the familiar face? How do I even know if they're here?

[unkindled_madness]

I don't know that it's likely, but it is possible, yes.

...and surely, if they are your friends, you would recognize them beyond the familiar face.

[He knows his Loki, whether he's remembered or not.]

[rollstoseduce]

[He rolls his eyes.] Dopplers steal faces and memories. Who knows what this conjunction is capable of.

[Then there's the whole deal with Cirilla and the Deathless Mother, and if witchers couldn't smell it, then Jaskier knows there's more to this double business than it seems.

Sephirot said Jaskier would have a few questions, and yeah, he has a hundred of them. So may as well keep it connected.] Then if my friends show up -or are already here, even!- how do I know? I must wait for them to send a message to the world through the black thingy? [He waves the cellphone, not sounding very hopeful. He can't imagine Geralt wanting to chat with a bunch of strangers. After sighing, he takes out the credit card from his pocket to wave it as well.] And is this truly coin, because it sounds like I'm being pranked here.

[unkindled_madness]

Hm.

[Dopplers? Sephiroth sips his coffee. If Jaskier can't tell the difference then that isn't his problem.]

I suppose you might encounter them here. It seems they corral all new arrivals to this hotel.

And yes, that can be used in place of money. It bears a unique identifier linked to an account, so a record is created of each purchase. The bill is paid later. Evidently by the guilds, for now.

[rollstoseduce]

[He nods at the explanation as he munches on toast and jam - it's amazing how familiar yet much tastier jam is here. Finding them in the hotel, huh? Jaskier supposes it can't be hard to ask the people at the front desk every day if they've seen anyone from his world - it's not like there are that many actual beloved people he wants to see again. ...and fuck, that's a depressing thought. Better concentrate on the now.]

Ah, yes, the guilds and their seemingly endless generosity. [He leans in with a hand around his mouth, lowering his voice a bit too.] Sooooo- what's the catch?

[unkindled_madness]

[Sephiroth regards him coolly over his coffee.]

I imagine it's the carrot.

New arrivals are greeted with luxury and apparent generosity, coloring our impression of the guilds, and encouraged to sign on. But I've no interest in the accompanying oversight and obligation.

[rollstoseduce]

[The carrot, Sephirot says, and the way Jaskier grunts his understanding would make Geralt proud. It makes sense, but just because it's a carrot it doesn't mean...]

So-called generosity may still come with fine print. They said not aligning with any of them may mean trouble for my identity - how is that working for you, if you are sticking to your right to staying out of it?

[unkindled_madness]

[He shrugs, lightly.]

My time here hasn't quite run out yet, but I don't think getting by in this world will be so difficult.

I expect the trouble would come from the guilds, should you make yourself too visible. They seemed to take unnecessary issue with even minor vandalism.

[The worst he did was cut someone's car in half, honestly.]

[rollstoseduce]

[That makes him snort.]

I hope you realize you just described the average city guard. Is that the worst they can do? Stop what they consider "crime"? [He shakes his head.] It begs the question: who is actually in control here? The actual government or these guilds?

[unkindled_madness]

While I don't see much separation between the guilds and this world's government, I haven't determined the degree of power they wield within it. It does seem considerable.

I imagine they would have been more forceful had I actually killed anyone.