[Written/Action]

[malnosso]

This morning, a message is broadcast over the journal system, a cheerfully written message:

"Attention, all residents: there will be a meeting held at the town hall today at 4PM. All newcomers of the enclosure are invited and encouraged to attend the meeting ONE HOUR prior for a special guide to life in our town! We hope to see you all there and will be very happy to answer any questions you might have. Please note that this meeting will start on time, so arrive early in order to not miss anything!"

And in a precise and sternly elegant hand below:

"As the saying goes: if you're early you're on time, if you're on time you're late, and if you're late you're in trouble. Don’t get in trouble."

Those who attend the early introductory meeting will find it to be... not exactly as advertised. The doors will be open early. Inside, the hall has a similar layout to that of the modern day school - same building, after all - but with offices and supply rooms rather than classrooms. Romaeus is there, looking more or less the same as his modern-era counterpart, and he is hanging out near the stairs with a blonde-haired woman with large wings that some long-term Lucetians might find familiar.

When the hour chimes, Romaeus locks the entrance doors, leaving the woman to keep watch, and guides the arrivals down into the basement. They are led to a side of the wall near the back that opens up at Romaeus's touch to reveal the underground tunnels. These, too, are different: bright, clean, and freshly maintained, rather than the dusty and rusted out hallways people would know them to be. It's an active lab now, with a number of closed-off rooms, heavy doors to each side for laboratories and the pursuit of science. He ignores them all, leading them further down into the deeper parts of the tunnels, to a large room that seems, for the most part, unused. Once everyone is inside and quiet, he begins.


"I know you have questions, and I ask that you wait until after I've finished to ask them. There is... a great deal of information to cover." He takes a deep breath. Public speaking is really not his forte. "My name is Romaeus, but in the time you're from, I've come to understand that my name is John. You were sent to us by him in order to change the future. Rin brought with him my old journal, and... through it, I was given all the memories of my future self."

He reaches into his jacket pocket and pulls out the journal, pages ragged from multiple re-reads. He holds it up for them to see.

"This is our future. What you have lived through is what we made the world into, through our mistakes and lack of knowledge. The knowledge is here now. I want to try to fix those mistakes now, before it's too late."

The door behind them all opens, and through it walks the blonde woman. Romaeus sees her and gestures for her to come forward; her presence seems to grant him some relief. Her tight-lipped expression is hard to read as she takes her place next to him, but she's discernibly more at ease in front of the crowd that her eyes survey. The compact distance between her and Romaeus is comfortable.

"We came to this world much as you all did, some time ago. We had no guides, no convenient journals to tell us what was going on. What we had instead were her people - the large winged folk whom we believed to be natives. Instead, they are those who have been here much, much longer than any of us combined. Their leader was a good, strong man, frustrated by the centuries he and his people have spent living and dying here, over and over. He's lost memories, senses... parts of himself that could not be regained. More recently, he's begun to change. His methods of dealing with conflict has escalated. The peace between us is going sour. The inception of the group you know to be the Third Party is upon us."

He glances sidelong at the woman, grimacing, and rests a hand on her shoulder. She allows herself to glance back at him only briefly. The only change in her expression is the twitch of her eyebrows as they knot together, whether from worry or from wishing to appear brave.

"In a matter of months from now, the change within him will be complete, and Julia, his sister, will be the first sacrifice. Our mission here is to prevent that and everything terrible that follows."

When he’s done, Julia asserts her turn to address the gathered crowd. Her words click out with suppressed urgency.

"It is our hope that we can settle this peacefully. Theo is still my brother, regardless of how he's changed because of what has been stolen from him, and death will only tear him apart more. We must firmly believe that there is still room for negotiation. That is what we are asking you to help us accomplish. If we can convince him to see reason and join us in our efforts to return everyone to their homes - or if we can force him back on our side, if necessary - the Third Party you know in the future will not get the chance to form. Tyr will be able to explain further once the rest of the village is here.”

"One last thing." Romaeus steps forward again, his eyes narrowed. "At this point in time, prior to your arrival, we had no way to reverse the losses caused by repeated deaths in this place. The information gained from my future journal changed that. Unfortunately, while the knowledge is there, my personal experience doing so is extremely limited. My ability to cure this affliction is crucial in mending the mind of the cultists' leader, so if any of you wish to have such penalties fixed prior to this mission, I would… appreciate the chance to practice. In addition--" His eyes wander through the crowd, seeking out no one in particular, but studying. "It is crucial that Tyr is not told that I am the one who can cure these ills. I can't explain why, but my reasons for hiding this from him are more important than you could ever know. I plead with you not to tell him the truth."

He glances back at Julia again, then steps away. "That's all. Julia, the floor is yours."

Without another word, he heads for the door and back out into the hall, leaving his companion to field any questions before the main meeting begins.

Comments

[goldenglasses]

[Vash does recognize Julia, but doesn't comment on it. At least not right away at the moment. Instead smiling and nodding politely at her when he first arrives nice and early.

He's not surprised when the doors get locked, but he's still a bit uneasy by the whole thing. Listening quietly as Romaeus speaks. He had no death penalty to be reversed, but he was still ready to help.]

It's actually nice to hear that reasoning is still an option. I'll be happy to do anything I can for it to go well.

[He shuffles his feet at his next offer. Feeling a bit unsure of himself, but manages to keep that uncertainly out of his voice.] Afraid I don't have any death penalties, but you-ah, John? Helped me in the past. Not that I remember any of it until I woke up after, but if I guess- ahh... taking a look at a result? [Is that the best way to describe it?] Would help, I'll also be willing to speak more with you.

[ricecakes]

Romaeus, if you please. "John" was a pseudonym chosen by another, as I understand it. It was - or won't be, I suppose - a name I chose.

[Romaeus pauses at that, considering the offer. He needs to go upstairs and speak with Tyr before the meeting begins, but... hmm. He does have the memory of removing the affliction, but seeing his own work might be beneficial.]

It may help, actually. Would you come with me to my office for a few minutes?

[frost_jewel]

[So. Eventually, the penalty you pay for death is the loss of your sanity, is that it? Mia's tone remains polite, if sad, carrying the flatness most of her interactions in Old Luceti have borne.]

What changes will be wrought in our time by the prevention of this sacrifice?

[Which she wants to prevent. Mia doesn't believe in such things. Besides, this is painfully close to her heart, a family member losing his grasp of what is right and turning on his closest relative.]

[justobserving]

[There's a pause of tight-lipped consideration for the young woman.]

Unfortunately, it's difficult to predict with any real accuracy how our actions in this time will affect the future. In preventing one event from occurring, we cannot know what new chain of events might spring from that altered moment. However, that is a risk we are willing to take at this point.

Our primary goal is to stop my brother from inciting the rise of what you know as the Third Party. So rather, I should say that if we cannot get him to back down before the time comes when he would sacrifice me...it will be too late to change his fate. [And hers as well, of course, but she feels that is best left unsaid.]

[yourfononsarewhack]

Jade is like a fixture in the crowd, absorbing every last detail, while he stands with his hands folded into his pockets. Once there's a moment to speak with Julia, he takes some steps towards her. And he casually addresses her.

"It's quite the unique situation that we've found ourselves in."

[justobserving]

She had made a mental note of everybody present for the gathering (a habit, she supposes), and so she isn't surprised when this man approaches her. She knows well enough the look of someone paying strict attention.

"No, I suppose it isn't every day that you get the chance to undo the past." With a perfunctory smile offered despite the sobriety of the situation, she adds, "May I ask for a name?"

[airyopalescent]

[Hoo boy, this is a situation. Opal is attentive, following along as best she can as one of those newer people in Luceti. She understands the journal of course but has never exactly run into death penalties or the like.

In the end she only has one real question for Julia.]

How can we best help the two of you during this then? I haven't been in Luceti that long so I don't know that much about the time period we're originally from... or the Third Party.

[justobserving]

It's best if you decide that for yourself, is it not? You'll hear the specifics of the plan from Tyr once we move upstairs, and there are a number of roles to take. There is, of course, plenty to do here in the village too. As much as we need manpower to pull this off - or womanpower, as the case may be - things generally turn out better when you play to your own strengths.

[Her words are not condescending, but simply matter-of-fact.]

If you're concerned that a lack of knowledge will hold you back, I'm quite sure that there are many from your time who would be willing to help get you caught up.

[chikaidestroyer]

[So that was the truth of the matter. Bringing the knowledge of the future into the past to try to better the situation. It wasn't overall surprising to hear; after everything they have heard and experienced over the years in Luceti, John's actions made sense. If the war with the cultists could be stopped before all their advancements were made, the Organization could potentially spend years upon years making progress with sending people back to their own worlds.

That was the hope, at least.

He studies Julia thoughtfully as Romaeus speaks -- studies the way the two stand next to each other. The exaggerations of the play at Rataneran Keep made sense now. She would turn out to be the first sacrifice by the Third Party. He thinks back on when the Observer had first made herself known to them through ANI -- after John had experimented on both Carol and Tyr. Had she only been returned to that world that recently, through John's work?

Jacob had been claimed as the first to be brought back from a sacrifice. But had that been confirmed by John, or assumed by them? He wracks his brain for an answer, wishing he had brought more of his notes along with him when they had time-traveled. There were still things there that were left unexplained.

The fact remained that the Observer, Julia, had been as close an ally as John himself, allowing ANI to answer questions and supplying information when she could.

And power. He rubs his temples for a moment. She had supplied a few of them with power through an elaborate shift as well.]

Thank you for allowing us to work with you.

[justobserving]

[She grants him a small smile and a curt but gracious nod.]

I should thank you all for allowing us to recruit you for this. You weren't quite sent here by choice, after all. Romaeus-- John, as you know him...he has his own way of going about things.

[capturespecialist]

The Third Party you know in the future will not get the chance to form.

The words tumble in her head. There's a lot that'd be better if they hadn't; she's heard a fair amount about other drafts, she's read notations on the Third Party, and seen first hand just how powerful they are. She knows people who've been sacrificed and she's lost something incredibly important to her because of them. It's almost too much to think none of that would happen if they just made things right here...

Nothing's set in stone, and Crystal's not going to get her hopes up, but there's a sense of urgency in her step as she heads over to Julia.

"I'm Crystal, but you can call me Crys. It's nice to meet you, Miss Julia." She's a polite young woman before anything else, and she bites her tongue once before she jut -- goes ahead to ask. "Um -- if we manage to help your brother, and the Third Party we know really does disappear, would that mean the people who died because of that Third Party would be alive when we returned to our own time?"

She's going to help regardless, but -- the thought she'll be able to see Archy again (and this time properly, not as a ghost) is one that just won't leave her alone now that she's thinking on it.

[justobserving]

"The pleasure is mine, Crys," she returns with a warm smile. The subject of death always scrapes close to the heart, but that is all the more reason to continue to show warmth. "That is our hope, that the thousands of lives that have been lost to Sacrifices by your time - and general Cultist violence too - can ultimately be prevented. If we succeed, those needless deaths should be 'erased', as it were, upon your return to the proper time."

A pause in which her expression sobers.

"Of course, even if we manage to nip the Third Party in the bud, we have no way of predicting what else might transpire in the centuries between now and the time you've been sent from. Keep in mind that time is a complex beast."

[feistytrader]

[They have a chance, right here, right now, to change things. Possibly for the better. Could something bad come of their changes? Possibly, but it's worth assuring that no one will ever have to be sacrificed to that thing again.

Silver pulls at his gloves as he considers it before speaking up.]

Could you tell us more about The- [General- no, that's not right. What did she just say his name was?]

About Theo. You're his sister, right? You'd know him better than anyone. [And the more they know about him, the easier it would be to reason with him.]

[justobserving]

[She had expected their guests to ask about her brother. He is, after all, the key to altering the future as they hope, the hinge on which the door either swings open or shuts on them.]

Of course. What would you like to know?

[geniustheveil]

I want to help.

[What strikes Mercury, out of all of it, is that she knows what dying and returning can do. She knows the bitterness it caused Kunzite, and the anger he turned that into. She knows the way Jupiter and Venus were willing to throw themselves into battle, throw their lives away, because there'd be a next time just like they had a past life. (Bravery, or the start of exactly what Romaeus described in Tyr?)

So the offer comes very naturally. If there's a chance to end it... Everything in her knows that it's wrong, and that fate has to take its course, but something in her can't accept that. Luceti breaks so many natural laws anyway, it would be more like putting things right, wouldn't it?]

If there's something I can do, I want to find what that is.

[justobserving]

[She allows a smile.] I'm glad to hear it. We'll need as many people on board with this plan as possible if we want it to go smoothly. [And they do.]

Tyr will be briefing you on the details shortly. I believe that you are a better judge of your strengths than I would be at this point, I'm afraid, so I trust that you'll decide for yourself where you'll fit best into the plan.

[Voice]

[knowitowl]

[Wan Shi Tong was here. However, as it has been since he arrived, his size has been a problem. The spirit is unable to go where everyone else does simply because he can not fit. Thus he elected Helios to use his journal's voice function to transmit to his, the entire conversation. Thus the owl's voice will be heard over journal when the floor becomes open for questions.]

Have you considered what will happen should negotiations fail? Do you have a plan if force is necessary?

[While he would prefer a peaceful solution, there is always the possibility that talking won't work. ... Because he certainly has no experience with that. Cough.]

[Voice]

[justobserving]

[They're not so naive as to believe that their plan is fail-safe, their desired outcome inevitable. Her jaw is tight when she answers.]

We will resort to force if necessary. That is, however, a last resort, as things could become very messy very quickly. In the end, it could cause more problems than it solves. Tyr will be briefing you in full regarding that.

[generalflirt]

[ So that was why they were here. That's heavy, and it connects to a lot of things that he's learned over his time here. Shikamaru could no doubt help him collect a lot more. Both Crystal and Silver he saw talking to the woman, and he's seen other people stepping up to talk to Romeaus - John? - and he. But for Masaomi's sake...

Nerves have him, both for fear and excitement. There's al of information to process here, but there's also an immediate truth. That is... that Julia is charming looking woman. Oh sure, he can read a mood, he can read some body language between her and the red guy, but he's also going to try to get up to her and - ]

Julia-san, right? Might I have your hand a moment?

[ For a handshake. He's half-bowed and holding a hand out for it. After all, they're going to be working together. And it'll help him process this ]

[justobserving]

[Without missing a beat, her tone crisp, she quips:] If you hope to have a woman's hand, you ought to be able to promise more than a moment. [But she of course takes him up on the handshake.]

Do I get a name, at least?

[yourhatred]

[Itachi is quiet for a while, listening to others. Those with the Sharingan were capable, in exchange for losing sight in the eye casting it, of using a technique that allowed them to rewrite time, change reality, in order to get an outcome that was more in their favor. It was only for a few moments, not years back in time, but it was still abused. There had been a separate technique developed, also asking the price of an eye, in order to counter it. One of his own eyes was dead now for this very reason.

The idea of altering the past, especially this far back, hadn't set right with him this whole time. And this was coming from someone who often wished he could have changed some of his own past decisions. But what's done has been done.]

I do hope you develop a solid plan. As it stands we don't know that actions taken here aren't what cause future troubles in the first place. Or that what we do here might not actually make things worse.

Time isn't something to be tampered with lightly.

[justobserving]

I'm told that Tyr has quite a few plans up his sleeve. It would be naive to anticipate that all turns out exactly as we would hope, after all. I understand your concerns.

However, we're not approaching this blithely. Since I arrived at this enclosure, we've spent quite some time in serious discussion regarding everything we've learned thanks to the future Romaeus' intervention.

[tea_lover64]

[Iroh listens carefully as everyone speaks, taking in the information and taking some time to analyze it. He listens to a few of the exchanges and general opinions and responses without saying anything for a bit. There was certainly a lot at stake here, and they could make a huge difference in how things are going in the world.]

Those who fall out of balance, can always be brought back to their center if the people are willing enough.

[justobserving]

[She nods with consideration toward the older man's words. She appreciates quiet deliberation, and those who wait to let their words gel into something worthwhile before speaking.]

That is certainly what we hope. However much someone may change, there is still some part of them that remains to be uncovered again.

[that_is_asecret]

[Xellos will be sitting back and taking note of different people. If he could get more info on how the rituals start, it could potentially useful and work in his advantage. It might clue in to the nature of who or what created this world. If that was discovered, that power might be harnessed for a variety of purposes, including getting home, and reviving those who had been destroyed.]

A brief question, if you please Miss Julia.

[justobserving]

[She nods to him.] Of course. Please go ahead.

[endgames]

[It all clicks together suddenly, as the blonde woman comes to stand beside John - no, Romaeus - and the coming events are explained. A lot of things do, really. But this one stands out.

He takes his time choosing how he wants to approach Julia. Standing in the back of the room leaning against a wall, Shikamaru watches Romaeus exit the room and considers the information he's imparted to them carefully.

And in spite of himself, he's relieved. This is the opportunity he's been waiting for, ever since they came to the past. Maybe longer still; maybe ever since that mission where the Lucetians last encountered the General. That he hasn't been able to get it out of his head since then is kind of ironic, standing here now.

"Is she supposed to be your sister?"
"... at one time, perhaps. But she is bound with this planet now. By my own hand, I granted her the peace that the machinations of the organization could not."

Irony, like luck, must be a woman. And speaking of women, Shikamaru waits quietly until Julia is free.]

He had a dream about you.

[justobserving]

[She had expected and prepared for a wide array of questions from the time travelers, but she hadn't anticipated learning anything significant from them in return. Romaeus had already walked her through the future, after all. After a flash of tightly-kept confusion as she deciphers Shikamaru's statement, she looks caught off guard for a moment. Then she tucks it away.]

Theo, you mean. In your time. [Her words, while not questions, press forward in a way that suggests he should explain more.]

[stilldontgotit]

[Riku listens quietly and intently throughout the entire meeting, takign mental notes of the situation. It's a lot to take in. The repercussions of their actions are potentially huge, and if they can truly manage to prevent the Third Party's formation, then this world could change for the better.

But that's if. And even if they stop the Third Party's formation, there's no telling if things will truly improve.

Time is like a river. You can fight the current, but sometimes even a dam can't break the flow.

He's... really not sure what to say at first. Riku's always assumed the Third Party were just twisted fanatics, but knowing that the General was once a sane man is... daunting. A true sign of how far one can fall.

So, after a prolonged silence, he finally asks:]

Is it common? Death taking a toll on people's minds... And I understand if it's too personal to answer. I can't even begin to imagine what you're going through right now.

[justobserving]

[She doesn't doubt that it's a great deal of information to chew on all at once. It had taken some time for her to digest it all even with Romaeus and Tyr to collaborate with.

And she can appreciate the sympathy, but she thinks it entirely too self-indulgent to acknowledge that.]

I don't mind answering. [A brief pause.] Insanity triggered by the cycle of repeated death is a growing problem among those of us who have been here for so long. Simply put...it can do things to your mind. Even the strongest of minds can fall prey to visions and paranoia.

[savedtheworld]

Aang listens carefully to the whole presentation and takes in the reason why they're here. It's all more than a little overwhelming, and he has to take a moment to catch his breath. But there's no overlooking that there's an actual opportunity to change this world, for the better. He'd started to accept that there wouldn't be such a chance here - and that the Third Party might truly be beyond redemption.

But Romaeus and Julia's words build up something in him just like hope. Stopping Theo before he could join the Third Party... The idea reminds him of his trip into Avatar Roku's memories. He saw Sozin, the person who would one day kill his people, as a seemingly kind and fun-loving man. If things could have gone differently, maybe Sozin wouldn't have gone down that road. And maybe Theo won't go down this one.

Aang approaches Julia... quietly and bashfully. She's very imposing and very pretty. So the teen monk speaks up meekly. "Um... M- Miss Julia?"

[justobserving]

The young monk is easy enough to read. He seems contemplative, yet nervous either toward the situation or toward her in general. Despite the heavy atmosphere imposed by the weight of the information she and Romaeus had unloaded on everybody present, she manages a smile to perhaps put Aang at ease.

"Yes? To whom am I speaking?" she asks as a formality, but there is some warmth behind it.