(1607) The Reality War

[Varyx]

Varyx shakes her head. Her expression is soft, but certain as she looks over at Fisher and Runner. "As much as I can appreciate the desire to save lives, there is more at stake here than living. If our concern was to save everyone, we would lose the war in an instant."

The discussion of the new layout of the Consilium draws a furrow to her brow. There is much to consider, but at the forefront of her mind is numbers. "We are at war. We are too few, and I doubt very much that an Assembly will be capable of making the decisions we require quickly enough or decisively enough. It is a laudable concept, perhaps something to be reconsidered if or when we gain greater strength here. For now, however, we require a singular leader who is capable of making decisions and whom we are capable of following." She nods towards Avis. "Consider this a third vote for Avis as Hierarch."

[Avis]

Avis was silent while the others spoke, a pensive frown on her features when Fisher spoke, condemning them all for resigning so many people to death, and only seeming to deepen when the debate over a Consilium or an Assembly began. She definitely hadn't expected to have to frame an argument against keeping the Consilium they'd--she'd--worked so hard to build.

Nor...did she expect to have to find a way to decline the position of Hierarch.

For months she'd dreamt of Challenging Aquinas. Of forcing his own example down his fucking autocratic throat. For, as much as he desired to project the front that his word was law, he frequently overstepped his bounds. It was only his own laziness that ultimately convinced Avis to simply let it go. For, while there were definitely some things that were worth fighting for, there were others that were just wastes of time and energy compared to the other struggles that they were already locked in.

The Titanic begin the most recent example...

"As much as I appreciate your votes of confidence and respect," Avis finally replied, "I cannot accept an appointment as Hierarch, or as a General for a new Assembly. I've struggled for too long to abandon this Consilium now in favor of an idea I don't fully comprehend, and I've put up with enough bullshit from a man with a paternal complex to imagine that the seat of Hierarch would change what I want to be changed.

"We don't need a Hierarch!" she loudly proclaimed, her voice climbing higher, becoming a bit shrieky where she tried to make it piercing.

"Per our laws, per our charter, the Hierarch has no more authority than what the Council gives them, and I say that this Council should not recognize one. We can appoint the Heralds, we can appoint the Sentinels, and if there is eventually corruption within the Council then, and only then, will an Assembly be something I support. For we have Laws no, we have a foundation for a society, yet it is a foundation that we can still shape! A foundation that we can still build upon."

[Fisher]

None of them get it...they don't understand. Is it my fault? Am I just not a good speaker? Fisher thought to herself struggling with so many emotions that she couldn't sort them out. Part of her brain told her that there was some logic to what the others said, but as they say the road to hell is paved with good intentions.

"You guys just don't get it, I'm not arguing that we need to save the Titanic. What I have issues with was the first solution that everyone came up with as soon as they heard the words Titanic is, great! Lets sink it! Do any of you understand how horrifically wrong that is? Anyone?" Fisher asked looking around to everyone. "Yes the timeline that I remember before all this seer stuff had it sink, I'm saying that we likely don't have to worry about it sinking, I bet it will regardless of the course we take. I mean I don't know much about fate, but one doesn't struggle against it and come out ahead. What I'm arguing is that there is a world of difference in allowing a fixed event to happen, which would have massively unknown consequences if we tried to change it, and actively seeking to cause the event because it 'already happened and they're dead anyway.' If we change anything we run the risk of killing people ourselves who were supposed to live. I mean if we are able to go into the past to alter things one could use that arguement to do anything they wanted from our perspective. Well they died X years ago it isn't like they are real people lets just kill them. It is our duty to shelter and protect the human race that we are all members of."

She was a little shocked that people were actively trying to radically change their form of government just because a Hierarch disappeared. In the middle of all this chaos such a change did not seem wise to her, especially to a form of government that only two people present were experts on or even knew anything about.

"Yes, an Assembly because giving every person an actual voting state in official decisions won't lead to a massive gridlock in a city as diverse as ours. I mean just look at how well the last Consilium worked out, I mean that didn't devolve into arguments or anything even with the threat of a prophesy of doom. I also don't think voting in a military dictator with no check on power is the wisest course of action. Is it just a coincidence that the two members who are the only experts on the form of government they advocate are pushing for this?" She shook her head emphasizing her point. "No, we already have a functioning government, there is an intact Council already. We are a pentacle not all a part of the Free Council. I can understand the desire not to have a hierarch, but my only concern is that a Hierarch can help focus things and keep a council from deadlock if it comes to that. It can help as a check and there is wisdom to being lead by the wisest of each path. I say we keep what we have already, the Council, and we can always appoint a hierarch if one is needed down the line."

[Tuesday]

'Statistics. Numbers on papers. Data on screens. Lists of those already dead.'Tuesday repeats in her mind as Fisher continued to show her outrage at everyone not showing sympathy for the lives of those on broad the legendary ship they were planning to sink. If the Enchantress thought of them as people living their lives in the past. Still living, if you thought of separate lines of Time...not wanting to look like a pussy and take a leap back from her word she instead chose to take action.

"Fuck...anyone have a cup? Like a coffee or something?" asks Tuesday. "I'm not going to drink it. I just want to take a peak. See if Time and Fate want to yield to my questions, and maybe ease Fisher's mind and uh-temper." a cup was a chalice right? It should work if she wanted to divine something.

Then they started talking about the state of the Consilium and how they needed to get their shit in order. Hierarch and Libertine war leader alike, and both nominated the Counselor, Avis. Who in turn gave them a big fat no, and a general f-u to the Hierarch chair, and willed to keep what was there and apparently working.

Honestly, Tuesday was in favor of the Assembly that sounded awesome. And truth be told she should probably be a Libertine herself. But that's was Dea and everyone else thought she'd pick when she was offered the Order recurrent speeches. And her pride grated at being so predictable, she gave them all an f-u and picked none, becoming an Apostate, besides, Circles were for Squares.

[Aurora]

Faye closes her eyes and tries to do the whole count to ten thing.

Once she feels calm, she opens her eyes,

"July makes a great point. It is possible to go back in time to fix something and leave timelines alone. You can't simply go back 100 years, save hundreds of live and expect things to be fine. Cause they won't. You are talking about altering a major event in history that effects more then we may know. Fucking with what is destined to be is putting everything we know in danger." is it just cause she doesn't understand how destiny and Fate work?! How hard was it to grasp what a bad idea it was to fuck with this is?!

Sighing, "We need to take care of we are going to govern, without it there can only be chaos. If we don't want a Hierarch, that's fine, us banding and working together is more important. If you guys want to go with Councilors ruling, then lets do it. There is no reason we can't revisit the whole thing after we've handled whatever is coming at us." and there always has to be a few who will fight this, who will it be this time?

"And I agree with July, a General who is knowledgeable about war and dividing us into useful groups. We don't have time to argue and fight among ourselves right now. Our lives hang in the balance and working together is our best shot right now." can they just work together as a whole for once?! Why did this have to be so fucking hard?!

[Strix]

The majority of people seemed quite sure about how they wanted to deal with the Titanic situation, which was at least something.

The talks about the government and politics of this Consilium were going as well as expected when these things came up, they were everywhere the same he supposed. The only difference was that there was currently no Hierarch to speak up the loudest and take control. Since he was new, he wasn't sure about the dynamics around Sacramento, but the people here seemed to put a lot of trust into the current councilors, so Strix was willing to give them the benefit of a doubt.

Strix was also very willing to leave those who had been around longer to argue about it for now while he listened.

Scratching at his jaw thoughtfully, Strix lowered his arm again to his other, still folded before his chest as he looked at Fisher. "I'm not gonna lie, I'm basing what I think to know about time traveling on...tv shows and movies and the like, and those better versed with how Time or Fate works can correct me here...but if there is a portal into the past, it is very likely we are supposed to do something there. Maybe we have to cause the sinking directly, maybe we have to do it indirectly, or maybe we are supposed to stop the Seers from this time to stop them from the past to fail. If we have a portal, they might have one as well." Then he nodded over to Avis. "Or like she said, we might as well be facing an attack here to stop us. Or to use 'our' portal — but I don't think we have the option to just stand back, watch, and hope for Fate to play out as it did for this reality."

Actually, picking up on Fate and Time was becoming something to add to his to-do-list.

"Maybe...look at it this way: You're worried we just randomly want to 'kill' them, which is...well, they're dead already. Now. But think that the portal leads to the past, meaning we might as well already have done whatever caused to make sure the Titanic sank the first time for this reality. Only when the portal opens it'll be...when we actually do it. It's common enough a theme when time travel is involved that people of the 'present' cause events in the past." Strix gave a helpless shrug. "It makes no sense. And time traveling doesn't need to make sense, it just needs to give everyone involved a headache."

They could probably argue and waste a lot of time about this.

He looked over to Tuesday, then looked around the group of Awakened. "I remember there were a few who did join while drinking coffee outside?" A few was a vague way of expressing it, but he did think it might have been Arthur and Faye. He just wasn't sure...he had been a little distracted outside.

Unfortunately, he hadn't arrived with any caffeinated drink. A clear error in his judgement, but he hadn't exactly expected to be involved in Consilium matters today.

[West]

In retrospect, I shouldn't have used real-time (i.e. three weeks from when the this thread opened to when I wanted to open a Plot thread -- I probably should have used faux game-time and given y'all 24 or 48 hours.

If the group can't come to a consensus, you've got six real days to make individual decisions about what you're going to do this Sunday when I open the Plot thread.

So ya better decide if you want to go Sink/Save the Titanic.

[Arthur]

Ah Crowley, good move pushing the other side. It may help form the Nation but the focus is all wrong. We should get drinks when this is over, see if Einstein was just a fluke. Arthur entertains the thought and the Libertine's probable responses as the others speak. A deep frown grows as Avis throws away her chance at being Heirarch. At least Fisher isn't completely...confused.

Effortless steps carry Arthur over to Tuesday and he offers her his cup of coffee. A nod gets thrown to the new guy, both for calling out the cup and for making sense-able words on time...stuff. Making sure the Titanic sinks? Sure that's easy, it's all air or energy or a push or pull. Time? That's so far removed from what Arthur understands that he will just call it magic if he has too.

"These artifacts will bring ruin." A finger pointed at the floor accentuates his word. Then sorrow."So as far as I am concerned, they have to be stopped. Even if that does mean ensuring that a tragedy happens." Perfection is the realm of the Oracles and Supernal. Within the Lie there is only hell.

"We can leave a message somewhere in the past to have our people help with the cover up if it does come to causing a massacre. Why deny what it will be?

[Crowley]

"Do we know what these Artefacts look like?" Crowley winced as he shifted on his seat. "See... if we do... we could try and locate them before they get put on the Titanic. Then the maiden voyage can go to its fate, whatever that is, without distraction. Fisher - if they are destined to die, they will. Crying over it won't help. But you are right, perhaps we will know more when we take this joy ride into the past; maybe we can make things turn out differently..."

He took a breath.

"What I think I'm saying is: if we have to stop these artefacts from reaching America - how about we try and stop them at Southampton before they get put on board the Titanic. Anyone got the ear of an Awakened historian? I mean - Nameless War would still be simmering, right? Southampton should have a Consilium; maybe even an Assembly. Maybe we can pick up some allies... Um... Local contacts would sure... help?"

Another breath.

"So, how about we do some research. We'll need tickets. So we need someone to either forge them or buy them at the last minute when we are... um... in country. I mean, going by the movie it was a very... class... society. If the bad guys are hanging with the nobs we don't want to be in steerage. Oh yeah - and fashion. As much as I like steampunk, I think it would stand out a bit too much."

He surveyed the group, pondering if he should mention that he was a Libertine and the Diamond's protocols didn't mean much to him either, but decided against it. Too hard.

"Well. Council sounds fine, I guess. We don't need a Hierarch. And I guess we stick to the role Cabals played in structuring this society, eh?"