(1607) The Reality War

[Fisher]

"One thousand...five hundred...and three," a tiny emotionless voice barely audible over din could be heard. There was a loud clearing of a throat and then Fisher spoke up louder at a normal speaking voice.

"One thousand...five hundred...and three. Because that is how many people die. How can you all just stand there and talk about killing innocent people like that?!" She looked around at everyone pleadingly with tears welling up in her eyes. "You're all monsters. How can you possibly even consider that that is ok? What gives any of you the right to choose to kill those people so thoughtlessly? Fifty four children die that night. CHILDREN!" she shrieked the word as she repeated it.

She shuddered to herself as she remembered a certain child that she was directly responsible for brutally killing and eating in front of her mother in another timeline. Was that how it started? Making compromises? Allowing things to happen for the greater good? Then taking that first step to unspeakable crimes to save humanity?

"No!" Fisher said her voice normal once more, her cheeks still wet. "I refuse to allow that to happen. We just have to stop it right? If we pitch the stuff over the side then they would need to find it in twelve thousand feet of water over literal miles of ocean. For all we know sinking it is what they want, i can think of a lot of horrific things that can be done with one thousand five hundred and three sacrifices in ritual. What about you? Besides talking about sinking something at this point is pretty premature."

"No! we find another way," she said flatly her voice resolute.

[West]

This might be a good point to consider how the Consilium is going to Make Decisions as a whole. We've got about 1.5 weeks left.

Also, these sorts of situations are exactly what the Bad Dreams were for

[Aurora]

When July mentioned that the others, she looks over and nods. Seemed they weren't able to help much with looking into the past, maybe later. She walks over and stands by July.

She moves to stand beside July, nodding as he spoke,

“Changing even the smallest thing in the past could alter the future as we and the world know it. Those people losing their lives are tragic, but it is said and done.” Why were people so friggin set on changing the past?! Did people not know about the butterfly effect? “Those changes will have consequences, and we don’t know how severe they may be.” And she would not be a part of that.

“Aside from that, July is right. We need to sort out if we want a Hierarch, and who the missing Councilors will be replaced with. Also, laws and rules need to be settled upon and put into place.”

[Tuesday]

Sure the others figured shit out, and now the Acanthi and the lone Moros looked like idiots as they stood around looking at each other silence. Hands still fisted in her jacket pockets, Tuesday shakes her head and follows the other Acanthi.


"Boom. Butterfly effect." Tuesday remarks, as she falls in line with Faye (and wasn't that a little on the nose?) and the urb-July. "Yes. It's sad. Yes it's a tragedy. But do we have the resources to dedicate to going over all the possible timelines of what saving the lives of those who've died, or not sinking the Titanic would cause?" the witch's rasping voice spoke out. "I don't think we do. Especially since it looks like this Consilium is more then just sorta fractured. All these time-y shenanigans....we have to get our shit in order." and with that it seems like all of the Path of Thistle were in agreement.

Tuesday looked as the others would spent many long hours figuring out what they needed as those set for poscog duty went silent. Doing a silent headcount, Tuesday frowned. Was this it? There was already word over those missing, but...but..shit. They were more then just fractured.

[Arthur]

Ok so the Oracles probably made all of this then. Or maybe an Archmaster or two? But ok Titanic can't make its trip or at least some of it can't. So maybe the iceberg is all part of a Guardian cover story then...that would be kind of impressive and terrifying. Fisher though...that can't be tolerated. Not if the Nation is to live.

Arthur starts with a calm measured pace. "I don't know about your dream Fisher but in mine we were scattered. Not just us, here, all of the Pentacle. The Nation had been shattered even worse than it is now." Stone begins to form. "We were running for our lives, broken."

Then fire lights Arthur's voice and eyes. "If the Nation falls then there is no one to bring humanity to it's destiny. The Jailors would win and humanity would be kept in this Lie and denied what is ours, Imperium." Throw aside the Diamond and Thunder and Blood? Get the fuck out.

A crack of that grin and the fire cools to a simmer. "And honestly? I'm going to go with what the Acanthus say on this, I have no idea what shifting history would do."

With a nod and smile Arthur agrees with July and Faye and the new one..Tuesday? "This is war right? We have People for that." Eyes shift to only other Master in the room that Arthur knows of, who also happens to be an Arrow, Avis .

[Crowley]

"All in, shit or bust. If this... clock... thing... is as you all say, then the Seer's are not fighting it out here. They're duking it out over a stream of time. I reckon we're safe in Sacramento - from direct manipulations and in your face aggression now. In the present, like. The False Father is pulling up weeds, remember. He's trying to reorganise history to make the present what he want's it to be..."

He coughed.

"Anyway. As to Hierarch? How about we park all that till we're done? The Consilium is fucked, king it with a sledge, remember. So... I can extend to you all the offer of an Assembly. Everyone. Every Path. Is welcome. Check the Order shit at the door - if you want to form factions based on your affiliations, more power to you. We're a democracy of the Awakened and we don't need a Hierarch."

He sucked in a breath and managed to haul himself up straighter. He held up a hand to forestall argument.

"Its all semantics anyway. Besides what we need right now is a General. A Strategos. We are at war and during times of war, the Assembly puts aside democratic convention. We have one leader. One big boss to coordinate everything because, well, we are like an army - a guerilla army. And - God help me - the best person for that is the First Talon, Avis."

His hand moved, pointing, to accentuate his point.

[Wayland]

He could understand Fisher's revultion at the prospect of being responsible for the deaths of so many people, cause like, that would be the biggest mass murderin history right? Well, except for the Nazi's. Ok, so it'd still be a pretty big scale genocide. "Yo Fisher, no one's tryin' to say they're happy about probably killin' everyone on board, but you need to consider the practicalities of the ahh, situation. I mean, how easy do you think it'd be for us to steal a bunch of Artifacts from Seers who are like, there to defend them? And you also gotta remember these are Seers who have like, been helped directly to make sure the boat doesn't sink. What's gonna be easier, fighting our way through Seers that are like totally protecting their cherry gear, or try and make a big fucking hole in the ship and sink the lot, Seers and all? It comes down to the plan that's got the best chance of success. Don't get me wrong, it blows, but sinkin' the ship's likely the best option, ya know?"

The call for leadership was a welcome call in Wayland's book. Every organisation needed a clear chain of command, and they needed one more than ever. The idea of a Free Council Assembley left him with a sour taste in his mouth. Ultimately he didn't care what the structure was, just that in his experience, Assemblies tended to move very slowly, almost glacial, with everyone thinking they have the right to speak and add their two cents to every discussion. They just didn't have time for that now with the dangers and pressures they faced.

Right up until Crowley mentioned appointing a General. If his ears could twitch, well then they probably still wouldn't have anyway, but it got his attention. The call for Avis to lead them in war was obvious and he would have agreed, but he would wait for his superior to voice her thought first and he would follow. "We might be due for a change yo. Things didn't exactly work out all that golden before ya know? Maybe it's time we adapted and tried a new tactic." With a nod given towards the Enchanter.

[Strix]

While Strix might have been quick to condemn the people on the ship, he made his stance on them very clear: They were already dead, saving them would accomplish nothing than risk the artifacts getting to the United States of the past — and then they were all royally screwed. Wayland's idea to possibly use the artifacts actually made him looked at the man in bewilderment.

Fortunately, many of the people here seem to have their head screwed on the right way. Even if a few screws were probably loose here and there. He was no exception to that.

Just as most seemed not to be running on a bleeding heart.

An almost pained look flashed for a moment over Strix's face at the suggestion of not needing a Hierarch, though he didn't voice that particular thought. Fact was, he was too new to know who he would want to take that particular role, which made the idea of an Assembly much better overall. He had no idea how the other orders actually took care of any form decision making, never having delved deep enough into their workings to find out.

An Assembly was a good idea, he thought, since the majority would simply decide. Democracy at its finest. People would work against it behind the scene, anyway.

He lifted his right arm for a moment. "I'm in favor of the Assembly idea," he said, dropping it again. Considering he was a newcomer that might not count for much, but voices needed to be heard. Crowley also might, possibly, be a Libertine as well, which was good to know that he wasn't the only one here. It would be nice to know if there were more, but all in due time.

As for Avis, well...again, he was too new to know whether she was a good choice or not. Crowley and Runner seemed to think so, and if Arthur's look was anything to go by, he might agree with them, as well.