>>@ENTERTHEDRAGON | @ALL

[ryuji]

Looks like Sergeant Gramps is gettin' a little finicky that some stuff hasn't gone down. I got an idea on how to introduce the king to the guillotine. Anyone wanna start a riot with me to kick it off?

Basically, I got this list of VIPs who frequent the bar I work at, right? Turns out, a few of these boneheads are some serious players. All we gotta do is get into a fight of king supporters vs revolutionaries and inspire 'em to start writing some charges up. Who's in?

Comments

un: BOARING | private message

[lonelywar]

[...wait, hold on.]

Riots are meant to be happening? And the king...

[He remembered Sarg mentioning that the king was to be put on trial, but he hadn't heard of the result of that trial. Things were getting tense in this city, certainly, but...?]

[ryuji]

[He did misspeak? Ryuji must not have been paying attention at his orientation. Which... isn't a surprise at all.]

Yeah, dude. I've been reading some stuff gramps sent over and it pretty much sums up what all these people are feeling. Oppressed, treated like slaves, with no real legal system other than whatever the hell the king wants.

The way shit's supposed to happen is that the people overthrow the king and send 'em off to his death. At least, I mean, I think it's supposed to happen that way. It's what he learned in history class.

[lonelywar]

[He's suddenly wishing that they'd had a much more thorough orientation to this whole historical situation. He's been working at the palace for weeks, guarding the royal family, completely unaware of what was supposed to happen to them. He feels slightly ill.]

I have been speaking with many among the guard at the palace and they feel similarly. They... feel as though there is no other path forward besides that which would spill blood.

[Groan.] I wish I had known that sooner.

I wish that we could change it. But that is what our enemy would want, yes?

[The dilemma of being tempted to change what were perceived as the wrongs of the past was one he had never thought he'd be faced with. He had never railed against his decision to slay Nago, simply pursuing the only way he knew to try to amend it. That is what he must do here also, it seemed, even though the power of time travel made that temptation that much greater.]

[ryuji]

[There's some natural order to things that's supposed to happen. It was no doubt about it- the message from gramps to everyone was crystal clear. A sequence, loosely built, but an important set of events set to happen in chain reaction.

Look. Ryuji's not the brightest crayon in the box, but he gets that in order to save the world, they have to secure time the way it was meant to be in its original form. He's seen manga with time travel stuff going on in it. Every tiny thing could be a catalyst for things that happen down the road that no one has a grasp of understanding. The only thing he can do is try to keep the actors playing their parts. He's not that great at doing much else.]

I'm sorry you had to find out this way, man. But it's not like what you're doin' doesn't have purpose.

You being there is still important.

Maybe it's because you don't know what happens is why you're there. I dunno.

[But it does make him think a little bit.

Like... back home, him and the rest of the gang had done absolutely everything in their path to stop people from dying. This is a moral grey zone, at best. Is it really just what they're doing? How do you rationalize two lives over the needs of millions to come?

Ryuji, parallel to Ashitaka, miles away in their locations, groans as well.]

[lonelywar]

No. If it was destined to happen, it is best that I know, and before when I might have had the chance to make a mistake.

[Ryuji's further comments give him pause, though. He had never really thought of it that way. Back home, his involvement had been an impediment to the goals of everyone he faced; even if they had no quarrel with him, they had a quarrel with what he planned to do. He didn't allow himself to feel self-important, only scrambling to do what he felt was right (in the off chance that would absolve him of his curse). Much of him had been wondering if there was even much purpose to the COST agents being here, if all they were meant to do was preserve what was already set in motion.

But no, Ryuji is right. They did still have purpose here, and surely the width and breadth of the different recruits had its purpose also. He nods.]

If we are to continue, we must all believe in the good that we can do here. Even if something terrible is meant to happen, surely there are things that we can do to safeguard others.

[If the timeline only looked at the figures history regarded, such as the king and those writing the magazines and pamphlets inspiring the people to action, certainly they could help those that history forgot. Even if it was just a salve to their consciences, it was still something.]

un: @MINIMALCAT

[hakanai]

Going to be the catalyst for the fire, are you? Good work.

[ryuji]

I know, I know. Not your style.

Put some faith in me, though. I gotta see this through.

[hakanai]

This time it wasn't sarcasm. From the information passed onto me a spark is what is needed right now.

[Seriously amused by the assumption though.]

[ryuji]

"This time"

I'm onto you!

[He's not.]

And hell yeah, sparks are my thing. Forreal. The magic I use is all electricity based.

[hakanai]

Are you? I can see I had better be careful in the future, knowing you will see through my every attempt at teasing.

[L O L]

Interesting. I would like to see this when we finally get to break from the mission.

un: @MODERATUS

[bloodings]

if its a fight, im there.

[ryuji]

I knew I could count on ya!

Let's uh.

Just not bust any walls this time.

[bloodings]

huh? but its a riot.

[ryuji]

I know but

I kind of have to sleep here

[Didn't stop her last time, what makes you think this time will be any different?]

[bloodings]

[ Oh, right. She gives it about two seconds of thought. ]

ill try and aim for a different wall this time. or maybe a door?

un: @ACHEELIES

[chariotry]

Kouneliaki mou. I was wondering what you were up to these days!

What do you need me to do?

lmao i h8 u

[ryuji]

[Is that Hawaiian?]

Aloha!

[N a i l e d it]

I'm gonna need you to pretend to be a royalist

[chariotry]

Aloha?

I'm not wearing one of those wigs, though.

[ryuji]

Yeah. You know. Like hello?

[Was that not Hawaiian? He has no idea. It's all Greek to him.]

I mean. If you're gonna play the part, you gotta look the part.

It ain't that bad.

[chariotry]

So that's hello in your language... Khaíre, then.

I don't see you wearing one.

@BUCKET (and late forever i'm sorry :((( )

[lefthandfree]

A bar fight, huh? Sounds like fun.

You can count me in, pal.

you are 100% fine!

[ryuji]

@BUCKET Countin' on ya. What skills you got?

[lefthandfree]

To put it simply, I haven’t lost a fight in decades, and fighting is arguably what I do best.

[Not that he’s explaining the part where he basically ran from the last few he had to deal with back home because he didn't want to get even more in mega-trouble with all the world's governments, but that’s beside the point.]

[ryuji]

Shoot first, ask questions later type of guy, I liiiike. Yeah, man you're definitely in.

[Time to get in trouble with another major government. Oops.]

[lefthandfree]

[Considering he’s a fugitive of the UN now, there are definitely worse things.]

What can I say? Sometimes your first reaction is actually the best one.

Name’s James, by the way.

And for transparency’s sake, one of my arms is metal. But I probably won’t be hitting anyone with that one. For, y’know, realism and all that jazz.