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[Written/Action]
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.
"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.
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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.
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Theo, you mean. In your time. [Her words, while not questions, press forward in a way that suggests he should explain more.]
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There was a Dream Shifter... [He pauses, brow furrowed as he pieces out the potential error.] They have those here yet?
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I'll confess I'm not familiar with the term.
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It's a special type of soldier the Third Party has at their disposal. We've faced them sparingly for the most part. It's what you would expect with a name like that - they use Shifting to trap their target in a dream.
Typically they work alone, but once when I was on a mission, the convoy I was with encountered something your brother called a Shaman, who was leading a group of these Dream Shifters. They trapped all of us in one shared dream - The General's dream.
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That's where we first saw the girl, who I now know was supposed to be you. She was flying kites with her younger brother.
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I suppose it's nice to know that at the very least his subconscious could hold onto such memories even centuries from now.
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I didn't bring this up just for the sentiment. [Don't be fooled. A big reason why he brought this up was for exactly that. ...But he does have a point to this, and raises his finger as if to address them from a list.] I told you before that the dream they craft is a trap for us, and here's how. Once the illusion is set up, the Dream Shifter disguises themselves as a person in the dream. They have to. Killing the Shifter is the only way to end the dream.
The person they imitate has to be chosen carefully because of this, or their target would never hesitate to attack. It's not just guesswork, on their part. They infiltrate their target's memories and subconscious to determine what face is best suited for this.
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Regardless of whether you're able to overcome them or not, what I've gathered from my own personal experience with them is that for the Dream Shifter to have even a sliver of a chance, the form they take can be none other than the most precious person in your heart.
For Theo, the person the Shaman disguised herself as was you. Centuries after your death and years of hardening his heart, that person was still you.
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What you're saying is that in order to escape the dream, Theo had to essentially repeat the past and kill what he perceived to be me.
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Romaeus tells me that I originally sought Theo on my own - or rather, that I will seek him on my own. We already know how that would end. So regardless of my brother's feelings for me, it is a key which we have to find the right lock for.
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Just because you couldn't reason with him then - in that timeline - doesn't mean he didn't hear you at all. [Tapping his chin in the cup of his fist, Shikamaru again considers the conversation he had with the General in that dreamland.] When I spoke to him, he said he killed you to grant you the peace that the Organization couldn't provide; that you were bound with the planet.
[He talked about it as if it were alive. Shikamaru had scoffed back then, but now... Now, what inklings he has are still vague, so he holds off commenting on them. If what Theo told him then is grounded in more than madness, Julia might be the one who can follow the train of thought, and he looks back to her now.]
Does that mean anything to you?
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When you die in this world, you are reclaimed by the planet. Of course...it can't manage to hold onto everything all at once, so it takes just something before you ricochet back to life. You already know that much.
To be sacrificed, however...as I understand it, your being is pulled apart in such a way that the planet is able to take everything. There's no coming back. My brother, even right now, is coming to believe that this is the only way to escape the madness of this world. As the cliche goes, "if you can't beat them, join them," I suppose.
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Is there something besides what we experience when we die that's indicative of this?
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Things start to click together more and more. It's not just their children going insane and the association to the Cultists people fear, is it? It's that the more of them who are born into this world, the slimmer anyone's chances of leaving become.]
It already has you and your people. By our time, there's thousands more. [No wonder only Lucetians can leave now.] If that's all it wants, you'd think that'd be enough.