The Universe's Mixer

The crone stood on a hill in the park, wondering at the sun. It was there now. Her head lifted, eyes closed, and she basked. The cabin had stayed with the castle; the crone was beginning to think that the damn place was becoming aware. Eric was not going to be pleased.

The energies felt right. She'd been careful in how she touched the City's power. She knew the City's local deity could tell when she had, and she wasn't ready for that particular fight. She had a feeling she would never be ready for that, yet she was curious to see what might come of it. But, she touched the power anyway. Something had gone wrong.

It wasn't that the sun had gone down and stayed that way for days. No, it was the lack of alteration in everything else. As if the City had simply been unaware. She had let the possible malady, for that was what it felt like, take its course. She would not move to aid the City without its request, but...

"You are acting strangely." Her voice was soft, but she knew that the City would listen. It always had before, even when they were having a bit of a spat. "You should seek help. Not the God; his way is too easy. You wish to understand. Find the ones who will help you. Seek them out, and do it quickly. I've more important things to do than worry on your well being."

Her eyes opened slowly, and she looked around. Now, what mischief was there to be had?

It wasn't a large explosion. No. It was just the right size and rather controlled. There was the smell of ozone and burnt flesh; the air felt electric. Everything seemed to have a strange hint of glow, almost like the afterimage left behind when one looks at a bright light or the sun.

The cabin sat, shaking ever so slightly. It had not been prepared for what just happened. It had come to help, but whatever was attacking its mistress kept biting at its legs. For once, some might say, the crone had taken pity on the poor cabin as it tried to defend her. Not just her by its yard. They had only just started the walk in the strangely dark day, just leaving the main castle grounds, when things started attacking the crone.

Baba Yaga did not like being attacked, and she liked it happening so close to not one but both her homes. Well, both her known homes anyway. She didn't care for it, and while the cabin was trying to be helpful, it was getting in the way of anything that could be truly devastating.

They weren't zombies. Or vampires. They were misbegotten things, green, scaly, and ugly. Apparently, the City thought it was a good idea to bring a few ogres from one of the kingdoms. A couple of them seemed to remember Red, and a few others seemed to remember how badly a certain Red had treated them. They saw her, but in the darkness, she could not see them. Attacking was the plan, only it didn't go the way they planned.

It wasn't a long fight. Once the cabin had gotten the hell out of the way, she was allowed to let loose a spell that burnt the closest ones to a crisp, as well as the grass beneath her feet, and her clothes. She thankfully came out of it little worse for wear. She hadn't gotten all of them; a few stood on the edge of the circle of death, wondering what to do. Attack her or run?

"Decide quickly. I haven't got all day." She was a little tired, but she'd survive, hiding the drain well. It'd been some time since she'd actually done something like that. Controlled magic of such power was much harder than creating a storm or nudging a libido.

After finding out that Fred was okay, Sam had made his way to the hospital. He wanted to talk to the woman that he'd tried to kill and make sure that she actually did have those supposed memory issues. He had to make sure that she couldn't spill the beans on the fact that he'd tried to kill her or perhaps on what she'd read. The book would have burned in the fire, so as long as Fred's memories were gone, then that knowledge could stay buried.

There was a low level of frustration when he discovered that Fred wasn't currently in the hospital. In fact, Fred had been allowed out on an outing. The nurse that he spoke with didn't seem too thrilled with giving the information but apparently the man who was watching out for Fred had left a contact list and the Winchesters and Dinah had all been on it.

That was a good thing, Sam thought. It would make it easier to keep tabs on her. He thanked the nurse and then headed to the park. It was a big park, but he had the patience to comb the place thoroughly while seeking out his prey.

During that strange night, the crone had stretched out under the sun; her dress pulled up enough to expose a good bit of her thighs. The straps insubstantial so as not to make much of a mark. Her eyes closed, as she relished the sun. She'd laid out in it, soaking it up. While some might consider her a creature of a harsh landscape, cold and desolate, that harsh landscape could have very long days, at least in some areas. It could have what seemed like a never ending sun, and the crone had missed that.

She almost wanted to thank the City for a small piece of reminisce, when it hit her that this was not normal. Of course, the City may be experimenting with sleep patterns or light and darkness, but that didn't set well with her. There were others who had been here much longer than she, and she wondered if this sort of day/night issue had happened before. Time felt...off. The people and animals didn't seem to mind.

So, she settled in to watch once the night had came back. She doubted whatever happened had been the City giving her a little bit of her home, so very far far away. She did not believe that there was anyone powerful enough to stop the sun, well, none that would do it anyway. She did not care for havoc that she did not cause or have some finger in, save for that bit of murdering of the silly women. Oddly, that seemed to be getting solved as quickly as her own bit of fun, or perhaps not so oddly. The police were dreadfully dull.

"Mundies." She lounged on the bench, now and then seeing her home along with the cabin that had become the damn castle's friend somehow would pass by as the City shifted this way and that. She'd yet decided if the castle was indeed alive, or had simply been integrated into City's ever changing inner and outer landscape. She watched the park and those in it. One day of sun. She could think of signs found in darkness, but not so many found in the shining of the sun.

The boys had been fun, and she'd kept her husband busy for the most part. Of course, she had to let him see to his business and his progeny, and she didn't feel the need to be with him every moment. Well, she did, but she could ignore it when she knew that was partly the blood speaking. She understood the draw, and she simply pushed that to the side. Plus, absence did make the heart and the libido grow fonder?

Baba Yaga sat on the grassy knoll and watched as people played and romped like silly little puppies. Her nose wrinkled a little at it all. They were too happy and too quaint. Mundies, or sub-Mundies disgusted her, and she would prefer to see them used in some fashion. Then again, if they weren't so stupid, half the things that she got up to would not go over very well; there would be some champion type somewhere who wanted nothing more than to end her life and her fun. She did have to wonder though what her husband would do should someone try to kill her. She laughed softly at the thought of it.

Her head tilted up to the sun, which she enjoyed. The fact that the weather rarely changed allowed her to sit there in a nearly see through bit of cotton dress and the sandals. A hint of wind played with her hair and the hem of her dress. Now if she could just find a way to make someone's day...miserable, more interesting, just fun for her.

Hannibal knew that they were meeting to go after one of the few remaining Asylum employees on the list they'd created. A list that existed only within his head, of course. He would never be so stupid to leave such a thing laying around where somebody might stumble upon it accidentally and have reason to implicate him in any of the crimes.

But Baba had told him that she had a little surprise for him. She would not give hints as to what it might be, even in vague nature. Because it was her, he could not bring himself to be irritated by the situation, just intrigued.

She had told him to meet her in the park and they would go from there. Many of their interactions had begun or ended in the park, so it wasn't a new or strange thing. It was nice because it gave them a meeting place where it wasn't noticeable if they went to walk off by themselves, and where most people weren't even paying attention to what they were saying anyway. They could blend in with the others and still say the things they wished without worry.

Hannibal found a bench to wait at, one in the full sunshine, and he sat basking in in. The day was pleasant as were most days within the City. An occasional slight breeze. The flowers were always in bloom, butterflies always flitting about. Some might find it boring, but Hannibal loved the beauty in it too much to be bored by the constant temperatures.

He wished briefly that he had brought with him a sketchbook. He would have liked to draw things while he waited for his partner in these bloody things.

Eric was pleased.

Not just because there was going to be a party, to which they'd invited every single person in the City, but because it was for him and Baba. But to top that off? It was in their new home, Castle Dracula.

He would retain his sleeping place, and she would - of course - retain her cabin. Both would be used for various things, but their main residence was going to be the castle. Eric was in love with the building. The rich history, the fact that it belonged to living relic, every aspect of the castle was glorious to him. Baba had warmed to the place.

It was decorated with the red and black that they had decided on for colors. Tastefully done, but very gothic. The front door was wide open, welcoming all visitors. From the front gates to that open door was a pathway of red roses, to guide people inside.

The castle held many rooms, but only the ones on the ground floor were open to wandering. The stairs leading to the levels below and above were cut off by large men and velvet ropes. Strict instructions were given that only himself or his wife were allowed to pass. Even with these restrictions, there was more than enough room to fit every citizen, should they choose to show. Plenty of room to poke around.

In the great dining hall stood large tables laden with many kinds of food and smaller tables with chairs for people to sit at. Tables had been placed in other rooms, too, for people to take their food, drink, or company. Catering staff roamed with hors d'oeuvres and took drink orders. There was a large room filled with art and two fondue stations - chocolate and cheese. A room with a nice, even floor and a grand ceiling which also held the orchestral quintet he had found. Once the sun set, the grounds around the castle would be lit up with tiny fairy lights.

There was to be only one truly scheduled event, and that was when he and Baba would make their appearance and introduce themselves to the rest of the City as Eric and Red Northman. This would happen closer to sunset so that the other vampires could attend. The rest of the time, the people would be allowed to do as they wished when they wished to do it. Eric had spared no expense to get this rolling along. He wanted his new wife to have a party that nobody would soon forget.

The reception for their wedding had been earmarked for the days following the actual ceremony, but once Baba and Eric had said their vows and become one, they'd both discovered that they'd much rather start the honeymoon early. Thus the invitations were left sitting in Eric's day place, unsent. The honeymoon itself extended into extravagance where time was concerned.

But now they both wanted to have this second portion done. The party would be grand, everyone in the City invited. It would be in the park to accommodate all the people. During the day, just to make it all the more strange. And an all day event, just in case there were some that couldn't attend for whatever reason. Food and drink would be provided by the bride and groom. All people had to do was show up and have a good time. Eric expected there to be a little bit of drama, but nothing that couldn't be handled.

He'd set off thinking that all he'd have to do was have them print off new versions of the invitations they already had. Just change the date on it, and then all would be good. He was called a few hours later to come pick them up, and he'd gone in with a smile on his face. A smile that faded after he saw what they'd done.

The address was wrong. Some house instead of the park. He had them print them again. Again, he left and again he was called to pick them up. Again, the address was wrong.

Feeling his anger rising and unwilling to give the company a third chance, Eric picked up the box of mis-addressed invitations and left. He would ask his wife what she wanted to do about this, or if there was any way she could just use magic to fix it. He really wanted to rip the people behind the counter into small bits, but if they were going to try to print a third time, he'd need those people. They were, after all, the best in the City at what they did. He would not have less than the best.

Eric opened the door to his hiding spot and dropped the invitations on the small table right inside. He could smell her everywhere in here. He didn't think that there was any surface they had not touched. Maybe parts of the ceiling. Maybe.

Lorne did not spend all of his time in Caritas. Most of it, yes. But not well and truly ALL.

Today, before the club opened, he had errands to run. There was laundry detergent that needed getting, and new light bulbs, and a fresh set of towels to replace the ones that a belligerant client had destroyed after barging into Lorne's room.

He decided on a store with a big target on the side. It was like Wal-Mart or K-Mart or something. Lorne didn't spend a lot of time in places like this, but the City put it close by, so off he went.

It was very bright inside, and there were no windows. And a lot of people stared at Lorne.

"Greeeat," he muttered, smiling at each staring person in turn.

He'd just get in, get out, and get back to the club.
With the weirdos.
The weirdos who liked him and didn't stare at him.

Note: There is no posting order in this. We know that some people won't be able to throw in very often or as fast as we will. Don't worry about it. Just jump if you see a chance you want to take. Otherwise, we'll count your kids as there and witnessing what happens

Eric had sent out a messenger with the invitations to the actual wedding ceremony. A thing that would be small and intimate with only those in attendance who were important to either him or Baba or the both of them. He didn't think that this part of it needed to be in the public eye, and he didn't want any interruptions or missteps. This part of it was very important to him. Eric had not taken a wife since Aude. He'd never thought to ever again. He wasn't the sort of vampire who enjoyed living in a nest and he didn't require constant companionship that other beings craved. But he did love Baba and did want for this to happen.

The time he picked for it all to happen was late night. He wanted his vampires able to attend but not have to worry about too much time between the ceremony itself and when the reception would begin. The moon was full and the stars were out in force. It was warm but breezy.

Location had been a little more difficult. He didn't want it to be traditional, but he also didn't want it to feel as if they were getting married in a school cafeteria. In the end, he picked a building he had found when he'd first begun to be able to walk in the sun. It was an old building. It had been in the City for a very long time. It looked as if it had been transported from England, from a time before Pam was even born. It was also empty and had been for some time. It was unused and ignored. Eric had it cleaned and decorated. Everything was in darker shades of purple, even the flowers which were orchids and some of which were almost black. Candles were the only illumination, and there were hundreds of them. All carefully placed around the edges of where they would be.

Eric had gone with her suggestion of royalty in some ways, but not others. The colors for one. But instead of some garish kingly outfit, he was wearing a very nice and finely tailored Armani suit. On his head he wore a simple iron crown that was very much like the one his father had worn. Just a circle of metal with a little decoration carved out at four points. He had sent Baba a crown as well. Hers a little more fancy than his own.

He waited with the man that she had picked to officiate the wedding. Eric didn't know him, but knew of him. He would have known immediately upon meeting that this wasn't just some human, though he'd been told as much already.

The crone stretched and rolled over to find that the bed was empty. It wasn't overly shocking, but there were times she did like waking up to the Viking's cool body beside hers. She smiled slightly, knowing he was somewhere in the City without even trying. She could find him, pinpoint him, and be at his side as quickly as she'd like, but she was pleased with simply knowing he was indeed around and did not seem to be in any trouble. A hint angry perhaps but not in trouble.

She stretched again, got out of bed, and put on the usual summer dress and sandals after a quick shower and a look in the mirror. She had changed, and she might continue. It bothered her on a little; she liked being more in control, yet she knew it wasn't always in her grasp. She laughed softly at how she seemed to accept that a little better at that particular moment. With a shrug, she headed out.

Her destination was wherever the City took her. They weren't as connected as they had been, but the City wasn't keeping itself completely from her either. She had access to its power, and tonight, she simply let it change the streets around her. Of course, when it put a building directly in her path she might have been a touch upset, but, keeping with the rather laid back theme of the evening, she only slapped the building's wall and turned, stopping when she saw what felt more like a bad monster movie monstrosity, even if it didn't appear to be obviously so.

It was but wasn't Fangtasia. Well, the City had something in mind for her after all.

She stepped off the curb, crossed the street, and walked in, only to be hit by just how wrong the City had gotten it. The crone tsked softly as she took a seat on the more vampiric side of the bar.

"You really screwed this one up, didn't you?" The crone spoke softly into the air.

The crone sighed softly as she stretched; her body felt...normal. It wasn't that she had felt overly abnormal, off, but the feedback from her surroundings had felt different. They were not the ones she'd grown accustom to. Rather than shooting up and out of whatever bed she lay in, she curled up tighter and willed herself back to sleep. She'd worry about cleaning up later.

Later seemed to come quicker than she had expected. She felt the rumblings as the cabin in which she felt most at home lift and start walking. She didn't move from her curled up spot; it was just too damn comfortable, even with the blood and such on her clothes. The rocking was slight, but enough to send her back to dreaming about multiple Erics and Pams. It was enough to make an old woman giddy.

Finally, with the thud of a settling cabin, she stretched, pushing the covers from her body. She glanced down, making a face. She looked at the homespun sheets and rustic bedding, the bed just as "rustic." She looked around at the other minimal furnishings before glancing over the herbs, the bones, the kettles, the pots, the books. The bits and pieces that were her tools of a trade she had given up long ago, mostly.

"You should go back." She couldn't be angry at it, not at the moment. She felt oddly in need of the comfort of the familiar. She'd been scared, alone, angry, and it had been the first time that she had also been mad that someone hadn't come along to save her. "You should go back; I'm not her anymore. I haven't seen the face staring back at me in the mirror." She got out of bed.

"And if you tell anyone I said that, I'll kill you. I can, you know?" The cabin just gave a slight shake. It could have kicked her out. It had before, but it seemed content for the moment to be her safe haven. It was better than any old abomination, wasn't it? She still needed it. Plus, it wasn't like it'd want to go back to the Farm; it could roam free in the Park.

This was what the crone came back to. And, the "human" moment was just as confusing as everything else she'd been feeling recently.

Hank was feeling restless. He was finished with the image inducer, but after spending so long in the lab. So, instead of celebrating his completed project with a test run, a nice dinner, or a good long nap, he shed his shirt and glasses (because such things were precious to him and didn't have much of a shelf life around the object of his venture out) and escaped out a window of the tower.

It was quiet out, near enough nightfall that the City was settling down some before the nightlife kicked into gear, and Hank made his way over the rooftops easily, testing the wind at various points to get a sense of where he might find her. He was getting much more comfortable being around without a shirt on, and besides, after the way he'd slipped into feral docility with her and her boyfriend last time they'd met, there wasn't much point in getting dressed up if he was looking for her specifically.

He caught her scent after only an hour or so of searching, and tracked her down to the library. He paused, remembering the prize he retained from his last encounter with her in the building, then opted to enter through a window on the second story to avoid running into any staff. He landed on the carpeted floor with a soft thud, then crept through the building, finding her quickly enough. Her scent was strong and easy to track, something he was grateful for tonight but which made escaping her difficult when he wanted to try to find peace of mind away from her.

Red.

His blood quickened just at the sight of her, and a familiar hunger took his body everywhere but his stomach. But he was feeling playful, too, and so when he located her he paused, going into stealth mode and sneaking up behind the seating area where she was, surrounded by books. He took a moment, then thudded along the floor, making just enough noise that she shouldn't scare too badly, then pounced up and over the back of the couch and caught himself before landing fully upon her.

"Boo," he grinned, all teeth and fluffy fur, before he caught a much stronger scent. He paused and frowned, sniffing at one of the delicate looking hands holding a book, his brows knitting together. "Were you bleeding?"

Pam stared at the phone. It wasn't the one she was used to, but she'd learned it quickly enough. Apparently so had her maker as he was using it to give her orders. She considered for a moment throwing it at the wall, but tantrums did nothing when they went unseen. That and she wasn't one to throw tantrums, not often if at all.

She was to have a sibling. A sibling she had never met. One that was keeping her maker very busy in the making. As it was a very last minute thing, Eric had told, with the understood 'order,' her to inform Baba Yaga that he would be MIA for a few days. He did not say that she was to inform the witch what exactly he was doing, only that he was busy, which meant she had the very strong inclination to keep the why to herself.

The petite vampire didn't go immediately to find the woman - Eric had told his progeny where to find the small creature - because the bar wouldn't keep itself. She did all she could to stall the inevitable task of finding the witch, but soon, her work ethic of actually doing something had her out of the bar and racing to the library. It took her some time, zipping through the building, but she finally found the dark hard beauty surrounded by books. ( She blinked at the sight. )

The crone wasn't in bed. She was nowhere near the bed; actually, she was nowhere near the Viking. It wasn't a very easy thing for her to do in such a limited space. The fact that she was bound to the man who at the moment upset her and whom she wanted to curl up to made it even more difficult. There was a definite pout on her lips.

Eric had told her what he had done, and while she was a little amused at some of the reactions and the situation he'd let himself be put in, she was rather upset that he would even go there. That he would dare go see that damn child. She was torn between turning the damn Viking into a bat, a precious little bat, and having her way with him. She was certain with how very irritated she was, he'd let her have whatever she wanted. She liked and disliked the fact that he was probably just as upset as she was. She could feel it, and that seemed to confuse things even more.

"Are you hungry?" It was strange; sometimes, she knew more than she would have liked. She could feel the desire that seemed to always be there, but she could also feel something else, nagging at him. Or perhaps it was just a basic need of her own. She could go a very long time without food, but she did have needs.

They hadn't shared themselves in a while, or more she'd avoided enjoying him. But, she couldn't stay away. When she wasn't doing something, she often times wanted to be near him, even upset with him.

Jesse was taking a break from the routine he'd established for himself. There was something pretty important that he'd meant to do for a while now, and it had just sort of slipped his mind. Funny that it had, since it was a big thing, no small thing. But helping people constantly and falling asleep at dinner really took up a lot of time. But it had occurred to him this morning as he was getting dressed, and once he'd remembered, he was determined to have done with it.

Everything else on his mind was pushed aside. It wasn't that he didn't care about the recent happenings in his life, and his and Zoe's together, but making sure that certain things didn't happen again, well, that was a little more important for the greater good than his relationship snags.

He put some thought into it before setting out. Also thought more about it as he walked through the City. He supposed that there were multiple people here who could have pulled something like this off, trapping the City into the body of Thomas Townsend, and there was always a chance that there was somebody here he'd yet to meet. But the fact about the body trappings collided with something else he had dealt with, and it seemed to him to fit perfectly into a payback scheme. What was done to one, was done to the other.

Which meant that it could only be one person. He had helped her escape the male form that the City had stuck her in. She had more than enough power and knowledge to orchestrate such a complicated task. The will to do it, the motive to do it as well. When it came down to it, if she wasn't the one, he was going to be really surprised.

Jesse wasn't really looking forward to this. Her power rivaled his own. It could get potentially very nasty. He didn't want anybody to get hurt, especially not innocent bystanders, but he couldn't just not do this, either. She had put a lot of people in danger with what she'd done. He didn't know if she'd had a reverse for it, or had ever intended to even think about reversing it. But the food supply would have eventually dried up. He didn't think the City's ability to sustain the people it harbored would continue infinitely.

The best he could do was find a quiet spot on the far end of the park where nobody seemed to be.

"Hey." He said it to the air, his intention carried along with it. Jesse had a feeling that she'd be able to hear him, even if she didn't hear him. "We gotta talk."

Hannibal had been curious about the bar named Fangtasia since it arrived. The flyer for it had stated it was a vampire friendly bar. He had no doubt that Lestat had already explored this place, the vampire wouldn't have let his curiosity slide as long as Hannibal had. He had no real excuse for waiting, he just had.

Baba's mention of an old vampire had whet his interest further, and finally Hannibal's curiosity was just too overwhelming to let it go. He did try to call River to see if she would like to explore as well, but he only got voicemail, and realized that she was probably off dancing. He didn't want to interrupt that, he knew how much it meant to her.

So he was off to the bar on his own. It would be his first step in exploration. There was, after all, still Caritas and The Roadhouse to experiment with as well. He'd yet to hear much about the latter, but if he was going to one, he might as well do all three. Caritas boasted a green demon, from what he'd heard. And something about karaoke.

The building itself was red, with no windows at all. On one wall was a big red neon sign reading Fangasia, which he supposed looked fairly gaudy during the day. The door was thick glass that Hannibal couldn't see through even in the smallest way. There was a line outside, almost to the street. That he hadn't expected. There seemed to be somebody standing outside, under the red awning, deciding who could go in and who could not.

Hannibal thought of somebody else who might be interested in being here. Not because she hadn't been already, but because she would appreciate seeing his reactions. He could picture her teasing and playing with him while he inspected this new world around him. She had told him how best to get a hold of her when they'd made the sacrifice to work her spell on the City.

Putting his thumb to his mouth and using the edge of his eye teeth, Hannibal bit until he drew blood. He let it drip onto the concrete, perhaps an unwise choice in front of a vampire bar, but he didn't care. Doing this, he thought her name, and thought of where he was, and that he would like to see her.

The crone had found the conference very interesting, but that reporter had asked questions later in her paper she didn't care for. The fact that the City was now...normal hadn't been missed either. How could she not know that her spell had been broken by someone with a good deal of power? She didn't have to think long or hard on who that someone was either. The god was a being she'd have to handle; she'd noticed the woman with him, but for the moment, she'd decided to take up a bit of distraction.

Baba Yaga'd sent a woman dressed in the crone's clothes to the Tower, given the woman instructions, and set her loose. The woman would definitely smell like the crone as she stood waiting for the beast to come out and play. She was built much like the crone, or Red, was, and she held a small basket with pieces of tasty meat inside. On the basket was a small envelope, inside, a note:

You may enjoy this one, or you may come play in the park. Bring the food. We could have so much fun, my darling.

It was unsigned, but the scent alone should be enough to tell the blue furred genius who sent him his little present.

The crone sat on a park bench and watched the world move around her. She had picked a spot that seemed more wooded than normal. Quite possibly her cabin was close by. Perhaps Eric would feel the strong hint of mischief, anticipation, and lust from the small woman. She was certainly in the mood for a distraction with so much possibility.

Jo had dispatched with the bones of the ghost in that house. She'd left Ted a message that it was all clear, though she was a little bit disappointed that she'd only gotten his voicemail. She'd also left him her number if he wanted to call back, though she wouldn't have blamed him if he didn't.

It seemed that she had a whole laundry list of things to look into in the City because her next stop was the park. She'd heard a lot of odd stories about a house on chicken legs, and that sounded like something that might need looking into.

She didn't exactly know where to start, so she just picked a path through the park and began to walk. A giant chicken house couldn't be that hard to spot, right?

The City Hall was chosen because it held a room within it that was big enough to accommodate the droves of people that were sure to come. Plus, being inside space, there were no worries over weather that couldn't be controlled. The people could sit and listen and not have to try to hear past traffic or wind.

Even with the late notice, everything was done well before the scheduled start time, which Thomas was proud of. He was glad that the ones who were born here weren't entirely useless without him around. They were keeping their heads together, doing what needed to be done. Of course, it also could have been the fact that they believed Thomas was who he claimed to be, and with his presence there with them, they felt better about the situation they were currently in.

Thomas looked at the stage. That's where he would be standing, talking to the people he had brought here. He had no doubts that they would be the ones with the questions, the ones who demanded answers. He was ready. He could do this.

He sat in a seat hidden by a curtain, where he could still see the stage and the rows of chairs beyond, and waited.