voice.

[heralding]

[There are a lot of questions, a lot that she's had answered just by being here, but there is always more than that. It's why she comes here today. Lightning isn't great at this means of communication; it seems more like it's suitable for someone else, someone not her, but here she is.

Some part of her realizes her questions will be telling, especially for Hope, but they are necessary. They're important to understand. Not only her situation, but this world's situation.]

I come from a world that was in danger. A different danger. Our war had long since passed, and what remained was somewhere that ... [She struggles with the words.] Use your imagination. [That works.]

What I want to know is the source of this war. Who's leading it? Why is it happening? [As a military adviser, she has a feeling it'll be important going forward, but she wants her fellow imPorts' opinions first; it feels important. This is their lives, too, after all.]

I also have some questions about the flow of time. A friend and I ... we're from different points altogether. He's from my past. But the past itself is shaky. Is that the same here? Should we consider all points in the timeline one and the same?

[What else should she add? There's a sound of uncertain shuffling, in part because she's impatient with herself for not knowing what to say right off the bat.]

... Right. I'm Lightning.

Comments

voice

[aggressiveapathy]

Time back home doesn't count here. I'm not even sure time here counts here.

And are you part of a rock band or a cult or something?

voice

[heralding]

Time doesn't count.

[She's mostly repeating it to process it.]

Why do you ask?

[aggressiveapathy]

You're named after a natural disaster.

[She sound impressed.]

[heralding]

It serves its purposes.

[Some part of Lightning is very conscious of the logistics of the name now. Lumina brought that up in her own way simply by existing. But she is Lightning.]

Video;

[blue_pheasant]

It's a whole lotta hush hush. [Kuzan was splayed out on a bed, yawning after he spoke up.]

Better wait a bit 'till you rise in ranks.

Video;

[heralding]

Sounds familiar. [The hush hush part.]

They'll let us know there's a war, but they won't let us know the details of it. Is that it?

Video;

[blue_pheasant]

That's as much as I cared to read. When I asked for more details, they said I'd have to wait, but-- I'm getting the impression I could find out more if they let me out on the ocean a bit.

[He shrugged.] Reconnaissance is a necessity of war, isn't it?

Video;

[heralding]

Sounds about right.

But why won't they let you out onto the water? I wasn't under the impression that the leashes were that short.

video;

[crab]

Everyone here would like you to think time stops back home when you show up here, but no one has any way of proving it. It's all guesswork, so for all we know, you could be from different timelines altogether. And subsequently doomed forever. Sorry.

video;

[heralding]

I know about doomed timelines. [It's an unfortunate thing, but she states it readily enough: she really has no choice at this point.]

I'm guessing you think differently.

video;

[crab]

I'm not that optimistic.

video;

[heralding]

Neither am I.

But there's no chance of making things less ... doomed, is there?

[thanatophobias]

You don't have to worry about home when you're here.

[heralding]

I wasn't worried too much about home.

[thanatophobias]

You sounded like you were.

[heralding]

I didn't make myself clear. I'm not very good at ... this.

[fingerbang]

This place has a way of making any time but its own seem meaningless after you've been here long enough. Whatever the truth behind it is, anyone who says they can tell you definitively is a fool or a liar. [ She pauses. ] What do you mean by "shaky"?

[heralding]

I'll keep that in mind.

[It's not the first time she's heard it, and she's readily to believe that as the truth; not trusting anything is better than trusting it.

As to the question, she debates over it, but Hope will find out one wait or another. It's inevitable. And it will provide insight for which she desires (requires) answers.]

And a man put into motion the possibility of destroying time altogether. He succeeded.

[fingerbang]

Time itself...

[ She's repeating it in an attempt to process the concept, because man that is kind of ridiculous, even for Lust! And she knows from ridiculous shounen manga masterplans. ]

I see. [ no she really doesn't ] For what it's worth, then. It seems that the universe we're trapped in -- and the one before that -- work in a straightforward way. No matter when you arrive, time goes on as it always has.

Actually, that might be the strangest part of all. From what I can tell, the date and time in this place are exactly the same as they would be back there. No gap at all, even working across dimensions -- that's how precise the Porter was.

( voice )

[indentcision]

If they really think we're going to be soldiers I think they got their work cut out for 'em. They aren't shipping us off yet, but who can say what they got in their heads?

[ Then, a little sarcastically: ]

Then there's always the war on crime.

( voice )

[heralding]

They made me an imPort military adviser. I think we should use "yet" lightly.

[Meaning: she has a feeling it's gonna happen sooner or later.]

But I wonder how many of us they need for the crime. With our powers and all.

( voice )

[indentcision]

Don't need to be a soldier to be trained in combat. That comes in handy no matter what you do.

Anyway, however many still won't be enough. Crime is ink, not pencil. You can't erase it.

Video

[foreshadower]

Unfortunately, being out of time is rather common, I'm afraid.

I find some from the past, or the future, or altogether similar but not quite the same.

Video

[heralding]

Huh ... I doubt I'll find anyone from my future. But wouldn't that be interesting?

[She's saying it less for his benefit. It's more for herself.]

Is it disorienting for you?

Video

[foreshadower]

It's very fascinating. I enjoy it, personally, but then again, a little change now and then keeps things interesting.