Smells like a Revolution is brewing

Summer 2021, Week 4, Tuesday early evening

Briar Park, The Heights

Lavrentia

They show up a good hour early to the park, which is easy as this was a week they could shift Tuesday work to Saturday if they couldn't get it done during the week. Not knowing much more than a vague impression of who they were to meet, they decided on a grand first meeting and packed a picnic feast for them to have in lieu of an ordinary supper. They kept the food in its storage containers until about 15 minutes before Conspiratus was to arrive, spending the in between time writing and reading.

James Smith

James wore his normal clothes for this meeting, well, normal for him. He never spent even a single cent that wasn't necessary for the plan and looking the part of a homeless man had it's advantages, so his 'normal' clothes were rather ragged. He approaches nearly perfectly on time, in the hopes that it would indicate preemptively that he was the one that had asked for this meeting.

"You've gone all out.. 'If you really want to make a friend, go to someone's house and eat with him. The people who give you their food, give you their heart.' César Chávez said that; A true champion for Humanity in many regards and yet he held food with such regard that he still found time to become an excellent chef."(edited)

Lavrentia

They look at the seemingly homeless man in front of them, and pat a corner of the quilt sent to them by their brother. It was perfect for picnics.

"Please, have a seat. Humanity needs more champions. We aren't all bad, not even among those who could consider themselves a villain." They pause, thinking back to the weekend, having slept through what was indeed a dark time for New Victoria. "Anyways. Please, help yourself! I do have gluten free bread if it's necessary - and I picked things that have very few ingredients that could double as an allergen." They open their arms at the spread. Indeed, many small amounts of things are in individual containers, separating out possible allergens, but more than enough for the pair of them to be comfortable.

James Smith

"Allow me to first thank you for this meal. You've put a lot of thought into it, and I appreciate it." He says with a slight bow before he takes a seat, sitting cross-legged. The thought of the food being poisoned crosses his mind but he dismisses it as unlikely. Though despite his efforts, the thought lingers in the back of his mind as he takes a sandwich which has no cheese and begins to eat, pausing after a bite or two to continue the conversation. "And I'm glad you feel that way, it is a sentiment that I share. The world needs more people to fight for change.. I don't consider myself a villain or hero, the world doesn't need either of those things. This society of ours is sick, and we need people willing to cure the many diseases; People who are willing to step around the boundaries of our imperfect laws to do what is necessary. In my eyes, I am simply one of those people. And I believe you to be one of those people as well."

Lavrentia

They pause for a minute, thinking over their next words. "Some could say your specific sentiments are extremist. But then again, the pilgrims were extremists, as well as Martin Luther. But because of those people, we have this country and an expansion on religious freedom. There is a certain amount of faith you have to take - faith that this is the way to go. Not necessarily religious faith, though those are the extremist examples I offered, but a certain personal conviction that this is the path to take."

They pause, taking a few moments to eat some meat and cheese sandwiches and taking a sip of iced tea before asking, " What do you propose to do to heal the world? In what direction will you take it, and by default, us? And why do you think my skills will be of particular benefit for your goals?"

James Smith

"Well, to continue the analogy, a healer must first diagnose the patient before deciding on a cure. It must also be decided what is most pressing and what can be left for the time being; A plan of action is needed and that is not something I was able to complete on my own without more knowledge, and that is exactly why you are so valuable to this cause. Your powers and skillset are of great importance because they center around knowledge, and knowledge is power. Between having you on our side and my ability we can do anything we set our minds to, and I'm willing to do whatever it takes to make this world a better place for those that come after us.. even if we have to tear it all down to build it back up anew."

Lavrentia

They listen to the argument, occasionally taking bites of food, and sipping their tea. "The question is how does everyone fit in your proposed world. Yes, we tear it down, we help others bit by bit to grow stronger. But ever since the Atlantic slave trade, people haven't really approved of others. Before then, really, but that's when it turned deadly, and it hasn't gotten much better. What are your measures to make it more peaceful? How will evolved humans be involved in this? While our powers can help, they can hurt as well. What measures are you proposing for this new age? "

James Smith

He ate at the sandwich as they spoke in such a way that showed how disciplined he had made himself when it came to food; slow and measured bites followed by lengthy amounts of time chewing. He finishes off the last bite before responding.

"That is the greatest part of this opportunity, you can help to shape that vision as we go forward as you are getting in at the ground floor, so to speak. But the way I see it, everyone has a right to a better life than what most have. I want to see the struggle most of us endure daily to become a fantasy, and I want that for everyone. Whether evolved or not, we are all still thinking and feeling creatures who deserve better. Of course, evolved persons will serve as the foundation for enforcing this shift from the status quo but things will have to be regulated, because you are right in that our powers can be hurtful. That is where my power comes in; my power to grant evolved characteristics to other people, and to take them from other evos for my own use. For now I can only make the change temporarily, but given enough time and training I believe I can make the changes permanently. At that point I can control who has what abilities within our organization, as well as take them from those who are deemed too dangerous to be left as they are."

He pauses for a moment before continuing. "Though in the end, all of this is just the foundation and little of it is structured. I understand that change on such a massive scale is no simple undertaking, it will take centuries before a meaningful difference can be seen, but I am willing to make a commitment to this goal no matter how long it takes.. Even if I must dedicate my entire life to only the planning stage and pass this power onward as a legacy for those who follow in our footsteps."

Lavrentia

"I've noticed I can tell whether someone's family has a history of evolved humans. I don't think we popped up out of the blue during the war, but rather the extenuating forces thereof made us have to come out, for whichever side we were on." They pause. "One of my side projects is figuring out just how long people have been evolved, or rather, which governments or regimes put us so far into hiding we forgot ourselves." They smile. "It does take much work to accomplish a whole new era, and you're right in that it doesn't happen over night, but we could work on shortening the length from centuries down to decades. You might not live long enough to see it, and it might just be at the end of my life but...i think we need to do something to put ourselves back on the track of humanity. Back when people cared more about stories and connections. Technology can only help so much...but today, it can also be used to hurt."

James Smith

He grins towards the end of their statement. It's a smile that shows the man was beyond pleased with what he had heard to such an extent it could almost be called over the top, and yet somehow it feels genuine. Because it was. "So you are in agreement then, good. And yes, if we can shorten the time it takes without rushing things then we should do so, the sooner we are successful the less people that will have to endure this broken world. But that being said, we mustn't rush things. There will be many who wish to stop us; many who will not agree with a paradigm shift.. We must remain unknown to these people until we can reasonably stand up to them. This will mean moving slowly, within the shadows, until we are discovered or reveal ourselves. It also means being hunted as villains when we become known to the public. This may sound strange from the one who approached you about this, but I must ask: Are you sure you are ready for that? For there will be no turning back once that time comes."

Lavrentia

"How many people are labelled as victims simply because they save food from a franchise with more money than the gods? Who help make sure those without a home are warm and safe in the winter months? Id rather go down for a perceived villainy because I'm caring too much about the people around me than because i don't care at all." They smirk, bringing their place of work into it. "The more people want to burn books....the more the right sort of people want to know and learn what's in them. This is no different."

James Smith

His grin returns once more as they speak the last line, and afterwards he extends his arm towards them, offering a handshake. "I couldn't agree more. The name's James, James Smith."

Lavrentia

"Lavrentia, at least for today. Sometimes I feel like Lavrentis and dress accordingly." They give a shake of the hand. "I do hope you enjoyed the sandwiches, the bread is from a family recipe, I baked it fresh this morning, with some...excited help from back home." They chuckle, remembering the first batch of dough which kind of sort of exploded, before they made the call home and asked for help.

James Smith

"A pleasure to meet you. And the meal was exceptional, I truly do appreciate it." He stands before continuing. "I suppose I should take my leave before it gets any later, but I shall be in touch. I look forward to building a brighter future with your help, Lavrentia." he says, giving another slight bow.

Type

Record, Historical

Medium

Digital Recording, Text