crystal. everybody movement.

[propulsion]

FORM: Crystal
SENDER: Tony Stark
RECIPIENT: All
NOTES: While there is a mild call for volunteers, note that only people who were selected for time travelling in the plot post can go. Feel free to volunteer anyway, just know OOCly your character will either not be selected or perhaps will be too injured or something to attend. This post is mostly for discussion and questions. On another note, this post is for more in person discussions around science, helping with science, talking about science, and so forth. Feel free to make your own top levels there!

Rough couple of weeks, huh?

[ If there is a simmering manic energy to Tony's tone, it doesn't translate as cheerful or irreverent, not really, not even in a jokey way. Splitting hairs, but there's a tension at the core of it, despite the fact he's broken out of the more sober, understated manner he's more or less publicly comported himself with being

mainly by virtue of being tired, despite getting plenty of sleep. Not anymore, though!!! ]

I don't think there's any overemphasising exactly how rough, so let's be real: they done did it, folks. They hurt us bad. Bad enough that trying to continue to do our jobs like nothing ever happened is becoming–I want to say silly? In a depressing way, like, sad clown silly. Point is, what we should probably be doing right now is discussing the future of Riftwatch and how we don't have one.

But that sucks and I'd rather talk about the past. Specifically, changing it.

[ A drawn in breath, here goes nothing– ]

We're currently working on a means of sending people back in time to before the incident at Granitefell. These people will be able to warn us–as in, past-us, warn past-us ahead of time of the attack, and we'll do things differently, like not get attacked. On this end, we'll be manipulating the timeline to ensure that the present–the future-present–will be affected by whatever changes occur in the past.

And, yeah, that's what's happening. We're going to save everyone from being massacred by making sure that never happened. Also rescuing civilians from being bait and whatever.

The Commander and Scoutmaster will have assignments for you in the coming days. We need stuff that's not easy to get, so, be ready. And otherwise–

Well, we'll need some intrepid heroes who can convey vital information with conviction and urgency. Specifically, we're looking for at least one mage and at least one dude with magic-nullifying ability, and any willing normies otherwise. Don't break down our doors or anything, just keep your calendars free.

And can someone figure out pancakes? It's like, flour, milk, egg. And sugar. And baking powder, I think, or the other one. It's not time science. Thanks.

Comments

[propulsion]

No.

[ Frank honesty. ]

We'd probably cruise control into nervous breakdown territory, but that's a risk I'm willing to take.

[prelest]

Well, at least you're honest. Is this - really, is this a realistic plan?

[propulsion]

Yes.

[ It would be a wild thing to announce if he was anything less than 100%, and so he sounds it. ]

Is there margin for failure? Sure. But our job is less about making this possible and more about narrowing that down to nil.

[prelest]

[ Wishful thinking is a powerful force. But what do they have to lose? Aside from the last dregs of their hope and sanity. ]

All right. Well, I'll help where I can, then.

[propulsion]

What help exactly?

[ —and it's worth stating: there is no flippancy or skepticism, but an honest question, like he's standing here with a clipboard and tallying every possible resource at his disposal. ]

[prelest]

[ Oh. She didn't quite expect that question. For some reason, it makes her feel a little more confident in this plan - which, to be fair, raises her confidence from about eight percent to about eleven, but still. ]

What help. Well, I can - [ A moment of wobbly hesitation, because she's been fairly careful to name only abilities that look like magic here, but, well...Realistically, she's not going to end up keeping her secrets much longer, so why bother? ] I can keep people from knowing that they need sleep. Which is not the same thing as keeping them from needing sleep - the crash at the end is always awful, and then afterwards it takes weeks to get back to a normal sleep cycle. But you can go at full energy until - well - you can't anymore.

[propulsion]

—huh. Biochem manipulation? Something like that?

[prelest]

Oh, I haven't heard of buy-o-kems before.

[ Nina, after being exposed for a while to Thedas, does assume that most people she meets aren't going to Get It. And so she assumes that the slangy "biochem" is just some bit of superstition or magic from his world, and gives the "baby's first biology lesson" version to Tony goddamn Stark of all people. ]

I can encourage the body to produce more of certain substances and less of others. There's something called cortisol that bodies make naturally, that causes us to stay alert, and I can trigger the release of that while decreasing the production of other substances that the body normally makes to wind down.

[propulsion]

[ It's cute, what can he say. ]

Very groovy.

[ He'd throw in some kind of warning at her about how the locals might perceive magic to do with body substances, but, surely someone already has. ]

We've got a not-insubstantial road ahead of us that we can't afford to crash out on yet but I'll keep it in mind. There'll be a crunch time eventually.

[prelest]

Well, I'm here when you need me. Just give me a bit of warning before you do - my stamina here isn't like at home, so I'll need to rest up first myself.