"Where do I begin?" This is a question many ask and a wise, or mad, man once said, "at the beginning and when you get to the end, stop." Oh if it were only that easy. For here we start at the end and work our way back to the beginning, or to another ending. It can be a bit confusing for those that are not used to this continuous loop of never ending days and nights between the veil of life and death. How does one explain it? I wish there was a way, yet if you give it time experience will allow you to understand or at least accept it. That is what this is about, acceptance. Accepting what you have been through, what brought you to an end, what brought you here. What happens after that is up to you. Do you move on or do you continue here? The choice is yours, in a sense. You have some control but in the end everything is in the hands of The Dice. Eventually the decisions you make will lead to you moving on, how you chose to go out though is your choice. On your feet or on your knees.

Yes, it is tough. Leaving all you knew behind. There has yet to be one that I can recall that awoke here and was at peace. Those at peace never cross our borders. We do not bother those that feel they have nothing left, unfinished business is what tends to bring them about. Oh, no they did not chose to come here. They were brought. Why? Oh now, that is not yours to fret about. Ours is not to reason why, ours is but to do or die. Or die and live in this case. Shh, don't weep young one. It will be alright. All is not lost, The Cards will show you where to go. No, you can't go back. Of all the rules you must learn of this place this is the most important...

"You must NEVER go back."

I know you want to. You want to let those you loved that you are alright. You want to ensure they are alright. I know, I truly do. While I have never felt the rip between life and death, I have lost. I wish there were things I could know but some questions do have to remain forever unanswered. It is a sad thing but that is part of living and live you must now. Do not worry, you will be shown how. We have been here long enough to know the way of traversing the years, decades, and even centuries. Are you immortal? Or how I wish I could answer yes but you are in fact not. Neither am I. None of us are.

What happens if you die now? I am afraid I do not know, not for sure. All I know is those that pass here never appear elsewhere. Their story comes to a close when the final chapter is written here. Oh, it is not such a bad thing. It is a chapter you would not have had otherwise, perhaps many chapters. So why not make the most of it. You will learn so much here if you chose to, we have much to teach. Worry not about what you no longer have, more will be provided. The Hat will ensure you have all you need. Now, onto other matters. Today is a grand day indeed. It is All Hallows Eve. Quite an exciting night of us all here and we get to relive it time and time again.



Why this night? Because. Oh no I won't leave it at just that. Tonight is a night where the veil is the thinnest and I have found over the centuries that this night allows me to let you cross into our world with the least amount of effort. With as many duties as I have, as all we Emendators have, it is good to be able to reserve our strength. Especially these days as our numbers have dwindled. Why? Oh, let us not worry about that just yet. You have plenty of time to learn everything. Right now, let us talk about today. No, you don't need a costume. In fact you seem to be dressed rather differently than when you took your last breath. It will feel enough like a costume for now until you grow accustomed to it.

As I was saying, this night is very special to us. We get to interact with the living on this night, see bright faces, and well... There are a few here that do enjoy scaring the bejeebus out of all that come and visit. Watch your step we have a few pranksters among our flock. Who visits? Just the locals. I know, it is a risk to allow them here on this day but there are so many ghost stories and hauntings in this area, if we did not freely open our doors they would come and poke around. Hiding in plain sight is a skill you will need to learn. It will keep you safer than any other.

I must admit, the ambiance of this night is very refreshing to me. The smells in the air, the flickering candle light from various gourds, the cooler air setting in, the crisp sound of leaves crackling beneath the feet. Do not worry. If you are not ready to deal with it all, you need not stress. Many of your kind prefer to stay in their room for the first few days until they can get their mind wrapped around everything that has happened. It is a lot to take in. It was a lot for me as well. Oh no my dear, I am nothing like you. What am I? I will explain that later, or actually I will let another. Now, if you do not mind. I will be off. So much work to do and so little time. I dare not fall behind in my schedule, The Watch would have my head.

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Letting out breath of smoke, she huffed. Things were getting more and more complicated as they days and weeks ticked by. Normally those within Ville au Camp did not worry about the smallest of things but more and more was showing up where it shouldn't. Ingredients were vanishing in places and minds memories were changed to what happened. Items were being taken from place and brought to another. Little things, nothing that should have drawn attention but it did and it was beginning to become worrisome. If this continued it could snowball into an avalanche that even the Emendators and Paradoxes could not set right.

Those damned Destruere. Was it not bad enough that they had ripped one of their own life from limb? It had been several years since that fateful day, when The Glasses perished, but to at least one of the remaining Emendators it seemed as if it was only yesterday. How they had found their home is still a mystery, one that needs solving. One that has to wait though. Thankfully since they left their last home and set up Camp in the Deep South of the United States they had not been found again.

So many Paradoxes were forced to move forward at that time, many of which had been with them for an age. Two remained after the move, one more had joined them since. Three, such a paltry number compared to what they once looked over. More would come, more would come soon. Things were shown, a path was laid out, chances had been decided. It was done.

That was enough, or so one thought. That was until the last couple of weeks in the loop. How could he? It was a simple mission. Go, retrieve an item, set it back where it belonged before it was discovered. Yet he refused to return and was lost outside of the loop as the portal closed. This wasn't some accident, this was on purpose. Breaking the first rule of a Paradox - you never return!

And now another was sent to retrieve him... Would that work out? What was happening to cause more ripples in the timeline? One could not tell. They would not know the level of disruption until it was over and done with. All one could do now was wait. Pray? To whom? Sure, some prayed. Paradoxes tended to have an affinity to holding onto the beliefs of their former life but the Emendators knew better than to ponder such existences. What lay beyond was not of their concern. What lay before them right then was. The time they had in their hands was what was most important but if this was not corrected quickly, what time would be left?

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Today is the day but isn't it always the day here? The clock keeps ticking but the days never change. It is better that way. It allows us a safety we could not obtain otherwise. No, we are not completely safe. More and more is happening out there that let's us know there is a storm coming. Where and when we do not know yet. For all our knowledge of human history, for all our abilities, I still feel blinded. If only you were still here, to see what we cannot perhaps we wouldn't be as shortsighted as we currently remain. Why did it have to be you? Not that I wish your fate on any of the rest but losing you has left us more vulnerable than ever. We never suspected in all our millenniums that it could happened. We have to be able to see and yet we cannot anymore. Perhaps if it had been me things would have changed. We need to see the future, we need the time, we need the supplies, we need our sight. Chance, that is something we could have done without.

A quill placed back in the ink well, a book closing, a sigh escaping the lips. Tightness in the chest. It was always how this day began. The sun not yet having risen and yet The Dice had been up for an hour already. Lady Lucas never slept much these days, her mind constantly moving, trying to plan out three steps ahead. How she was. Far too many things in life were left to chance, left to her. She had to make sure that as much of her life and the lives of those around her was as ordered as possible. It was a difficult task and she swore some days a few around her were bent on causing her to scream.

Feeling a prickle in the back of her mind, her hand aimlessly wandered into her pocket. She could feel the worn and ancient dice in her pocket. Pulling a single one out slowly she closed her eyes and braced herself as she let it fall from her fingers onto the wooden desk top. It clicked as it turned over and over again. It wasn't until it fell silent did she open her eyes. Eve stiffened slightly as she looked down and her lips thinned. "No.. no rest for you. We need you here," she said as she snatched up the dice from its death roll and shoved it back into her pocket.

Standing she lit her pipe and took a few quick puffs off of it before opening the door to her room. There was work to be done. Today they would not welcome just one to the fold but many. There was work to be done, rooms to be prepared. Rooms that had remained unoccupied until this day. Checking the chart on the wall that hung next to her door she ran her finger over it. "Ahh yes, room 107 should do nicely," she said to herself as she picked up the pencil that hung next to the chart and wrote in a name next to the room number. "Sophia Harris."

Stopping she let the pencil drop from her fingers and looked around. This would be interesting. Turning she made her way across the Hallway, over the Galley and towards room 206. Rapping her knuckles against the wood quickly before she spoke. "Miss Gonzalez? Are you awake?" she asked. There was no answer. Sighing she rapped again. Still nothing. "Oh fuddle, do not tell me you are still slumbering..." she said in slight frustration as she reached down and turned the knob of the door. Pushing it open her brow quirked in the slightest.

Alicia was not there. "Peculiar," she muttered to herself, noting that the woman's bed was unmade, her clothes strewn across the floor. Did she forget to have a conversation with the young woman about her habits of untidiness? No, she was sure that she had yet the room looked as tumultuous as ever. At least she was awake from the looks of things. Yet, where was she. Eve needed to have a word with her before anyone arrived.

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"Oh come on..." Alicia said in a huff as she sat beneath the old oak tree and glanced around. The sun was starting to rise and she looked down at the clip board she clutched in her hands, her fingers drumming along the back side. It was first official day of welcoming to new comers and she was beyond excited. Sure, she was the equivalent of a bastard child between a Wal-Mart Greeter and a Museum Tour Guide now but she didn't care. This was going to be fun. Yet still no names had appeared on the paper that The Hat had given to her.

"You broke or something?" she asked the damn paper as she shook it a few times, like it was an etch-a-sketch. She had been told how it worked. A name would appear on the list, with information about the person, when The Dice chose. She had been assured that today would be the day by Evelina the night before. She wouldn't tell her who to expect but she had given her word. The very thought had made it nearly impossible for Alicia to sleep the night before and she had been hanging out beneath the Oak since shortly passed midnight.

The Oak was the place the main portal was, it was maintained by The Watch and kept open at all times. It was a different portal than the others, this one designed to only allow Paradoxes to pass through on their initial journey to the Camp. There was the most gentle of shimmers to the oblong portal that was located beneath the Oak old limbs. A one way passage into a new life. Alicia remembered the day she crossed over as if it was yesterday.

It wasn't and she had been there nearly a year now. A lot had happened. She had met the most wondrous people. Learning she had lost much of the knowledge and skills she had had in her previous life was upsetting at first but the new ones she had developed were beyond amazing. She would make due and she was learning more and more as each day replayed itself. She had no plans on leaving anytime soon. She was going to make the most of the time she was given, not waste a single minute. Yet right then she felt like she was wasting hours as she waited.

Glancing back down at the paper again she squealed. "Oh Shit! Yes!" she exclaimed as she jumped up. Words slowly scrolling across the paper as a name appeared. "Sophia Harris," she said to herself as the name completed. The writing was not coming quick enough and she hopped around as she kept reading. Then she stopped in her place as her jaw went slightly slack. "You gotta be fucking kidding me..."

"I see the first name has become clear," Lady Lucas said as she came up from the house and over towards Alicia. Alicias eyes darted over towards Eve and she nodded. "Marvelous. I wishes to discuss this first arrival with you."

"Yeah, no shit," Alicia said as she rolled her eyes a bit and crossed her arms over her chest, jutting her hip out slightly as she did.

"Language. You are our representative. Our first impression. Make it a good one. Oh why did you have to chose such an ensemble today? Could you not have chosen something more befitting of the time? Never mind, it is too late now. She will be here shortly. Now as I was saying," Eve said with wave of her hand. She went on to explain a few things to Alicia about this first meeting. She was rather sure it had gone in one ear and out the other but there was no time to repeat what she had just said. She needed to gather a few things from The Hat. Even just hoped that he was already at the Mill. It was early but she had told everyone to be up early and prepared this morning.

Eve started towards the Mill and then stopped and turned, heading for the kitchen instead. Knowing him he was eating them out of house and home already. Alicia watched Eve for a brief moment before looking back at the portal. She could hardly contain herself as the portal shifted. "Hot damn!" she exclaimed as it turned and lowered to the ground. As it rose again and went back into place there was a freckle faced one handed woman in a brown dress laying on the ground as if she was asleep. Turning her head to the side Alicia bent at the hips and leaned over the woman, tucking the clip board behind her.

"Well good morning to ya chica. Names Alicia, welcome to Thunderdome!" she said in a giggle. Oh yeah, Alicia was a great choice for the welcoming committee.

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October 31st was Nancy's favorite day of the year, for a variety of reasons. Throughout the centuries that the holiday had existed in its various forms, it had always enticed her. Depending on the geographical location and temporal state, the rituals changed. There were games of divination - human attempts to achieve her gift always amused her. No matter how hard they tried, they never could get a proper reading - yet for her, it was child's play. Then beyond this supernatural emphasis, the holiday was ripe for mischief. She claimed it as her birthday before she had met the other Emendators.

But there was something particularly special about this particular All Hallow's Eve, in difference to the one the day before or the day before that. There would be chances to terrorize and torment the people of town with her latest pranks. But in some cases, it was disappointing that they never remembered them come the next day. No, on this day Eve was bringing new souls to Ville au Camp. They were all expected to be prepared early for the influx and while Nancy knew Eve's intentions were that they would be prepared to greet the new Paradoxes kindly, she had other ideas.

Namely, a plan that she had already shared with Gio the day before - or was it a few days before? Sometimes, the days at Ville au Camp blended together for her. But with a host of newcomers coming in, any slowness that had formed would vanish. She thrived off of chaos - and no matter how much planning was done, with a bunch of new Paradoxes, there would be chaos. She didn't need to conduct a reading to come to that conclusion.

Nancy dressed quickly, pulling on her long sleeved white blouse. She pulled the black dress on over the shirt, hopping on one foot and then the other as she got her stockings on. She put on her black oxfords and then pulled on her light blue cardigan. All of her important belongings were placed in her pockets, yet she gave her cards a shuffle or two before placing them into the pocket. There was no real meaning or significance behind that action - it was simply habit by now. She shook her hair a bit with her fingers, aiming to give it as much volume as possible. She couldn't wait for the loop to one day be in the 80's. But for now, the 40's would do.

Heading out of her room, Nancy shut the door, looking up and down the hallway to see if anyone else was around. She didn't see any other Emendators or Paradoxes, but given the time, she expected Gio to emerge from the door at any moment. It may have appeared to be weird to others, but Nancy walked down the hallway a bit and stood outside of Giouse's room. She assumed that he'd be out any minute now, if she had the time correctly.

"Gio, hurry up, will you?" Nancy called out. She wasn't the most patient of people, despite having lived as long as she had. It was connected to her thrill seeking, whimsical nature. While she always went with the flow, she never wanted to stay still. Yet there wasn't much point in her expecting Gio to get ready early - he was never early and never late. She would just need to be patient. Pulling out her deck of cards, she continued shuffling them while she waited.

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Sophia nodded when Dick answered her question, she jumped suddenly when she heard a scream coming from within the armory she quickly followed Dick towards the entrance of the armory she stood just outside. Sophia then saw Richard carrying an injured Tom out of the building, seeing the flash burns all over the man's body. "I'll come help once Tom is settled in there." Sophia said towards Richard as she saw him running off towards the shop, she gently took Tom's arm over her shoulder feeling the man's body weight on her. "Just hold onto me alright?" Sophia said as she groaned slightly slowly making her way towards the armory she heard Richard yelling out for Meg to help her out. Even though she could easily handle carrying someone it would make things a bit faster, a few seconds later Sophia saw Meg coming over taking Tom's other arm feeling some of the weight off of her now they both started making their way towards the armory.

"Thank you." Sophia said with a soft smile towards Meg as they made it towards the armory, she turned her head towards Ashton asking for a report on what happened. She heard Black James' voice on the radio she didn't even know that he was in there until now, but he answered his question. She and Meg both walked into the infirmary seeing Tatiana and Kris there the two of them rushed Tom into the infirmary. "The water heater in the armory went off, that's what caused the explosion, Tom went back into the building for some reason and got burned." She told Froggy, Niesha, Tatiana and Kris.

Sophia and Meg got Tom onto one of the beds and went over towards Niesha and gave her a quick kiss on the cheek. "I'm fine I have to get back and help before anything else explodes." She told her before heading back out and started running back towards the armory she ran past Bazhooli and Jack. As Sophia ran ahead towards the armory that was going up in flames, she looked over her shoulder towards Richard who was carrying the supplies that needed to shut down the gas line to the building. She had a good head start over Richard as she ran down the alleyway, what she didn't expect was for another explosion to go off. She could feel the flames catching her clothes on fire, the force of the blast instantly killing her and knocked back her lifeless body being thrown a few feet away her lifeless eyes looking up at the evening sky.

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Sophia laid on the ground as she could feel the cool air around her, she could hear another woman's voice she could feel the air was a lot colder then she remembered. She slowly opened her eyes staring up directly at Alicia hovering over her she hadn't seen her face before as her eyes wondered around. She could see a strange old looking oak tree nearby, which wasn't in Newnan the last thing that she remembered as going down an alleyway to shut down the gas leak. "Where am I, and who are you?" Sophia asked as she slowly sat up, feeling very disoriented.

When she looked down at her clothes they weren't the set that she had been wearing that day, Sophia started to get even more confused as she saw a house that she had never seen before. Along with a few other buildings, she then started to get confused she didn't know why she was here. "What happened to Newnan?" Sophia asked, she wasn't sure if she was in some weird dream or not, everything around here felt very real. Her eyes wondered down seeing that her left hand was still missing, the last thing she remembered was the explosion that sent her flying back, and then nothing.

"Is Niesha here? I need to see her." Sophia needed to make sure that she was alive and well, everything was so confusing to her she didn't know where she was or how she got here. Even if Newnan did fall Sophia wanted to know that her girlfriend was safe and sound, she didn't know what to do if something had happened to her she really wanted to see her again.

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The Watch slept and then the Watch rose from his slumber. It was 6am on the dot. He knew this in the way one knew how many fingers were on their hand, yet he took a moment to look at the clock he had mounted up on the wall. He didn't actually bother to read it, the thing was completely inert, solidified at 9:48 indefinitely; it was left up simply for the purpose of keeping up appearances. A watch need not external forces to know when it was.

Giosue always woke up at the same time, not a second earlier, not a picosecond later. That's not to say that he only ever woke up at the same time every single day stretching back to the beginning of his consciousness. But he always roused when he wanted or needed to be awake. And he happened to like waking up half an hour before dawn.

Having opened his eyes to the world around him, the Emendator went about his morning routine. He had each step down to a system. A science contained far too many errors to adequately describe the machine-like fluidity with with he went about his morning. Brushing his teeth took 138 seconds. Shaving another 623. Applying deodorant and cologne was a mere 75 seconds. It was around this time that he heard dear Nancy calling on the other side to hurry up. A bit earlier than usual, but she had probably woken up earlier due to her excitement for the big day. A quiet giddiness fluttered about in his stomach as well, but he couldn't let that throw off his rhythm.

Lastly he suited up, a process that expended 317 seconds, which when combined with the 47 seconds it took to get out of bed before starting his day and to leave his room, brought him to 6:20 exactly. Right when he had planned to leave the night before.

"Good morning, my dear," Giosue greeted Nancy as he stepped out of his room, a spring in his heel, and a parasol tucked under the pit of his arm. "Did you come over to do some last minute preparations for that?" It was a bit of fun that the two of them had concocted as a way of livening up the experiences of the confused newcomers that Eve happened to bring into their humble abode. There likely wasn't anyone around to hear their conversation and ruin the surprise, but he wasn't going to take the chance that some fresh-faced Paradox happened to escape Alicia's grasp, get lost within the manor and stumble into the conversation.

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The wet, hacking sound of flesh being split asunder rang from deep within the sleepy Louisiana house. Again and again a heavy cleaver rose and fell, hewing its target like the work of an uncaring butcher, guided by a strong, practiced hand. The work was fast and efficient, if not demonstrating the utmost of precision. The man holding the cleaver didn't seem to care. Quite the opposite, the impressively tall man seemed delighted at his efforts, smiling down upon the now fully disarticulated hunk of once living tissue with anticipatory glee.

The tall man had the forethought to don a nearby apron to prevent the bulk of the splatter from ruining his clothing, what clothing he still had on at the time. The apron was not remotely large enough to cover the bulk of the cleaver-wielding man's muscular frame, though it did conceal the important bits readily enough. His long, unkempt hair swung lazily in front of his face as his smile parted into a delighted, nigh maniacal grin. He inspected his stained chopping utensil, nodded, and gave a satisfied growl.

"Mmm, beefy..." he murmured, lifting his handiwork up off of the counter; a grand, rectangular wooden cutting board containing the irregularly chopped remains of an unknown number of thick, meaty steaks. Using the flat edge of the cleaver, he scraped the steaky goodness into a lightly oiled, heated cast iron pan and listened to the satisfying sizzle of meat hitting heat. A few tiny bowls of ingredients were arranged nearby; coarse salt, freshly ground pepper, minced garlic, oil, cilantro, and tiny amounts of cumin, cinnamon, and paprika. He dumped the entirety of them into the pan just the second that the meat started to brown. This was the last salvo in what promised to be a very mediocre breakfast. For him.

Far be it for him to only have chopped steak for breakfast; he had already set a covered plate of eggs to the side (a good full dozen and a half of them), along with a full loaf of some manner of crusty bread and comb-in-jar honey, persimmon jam, whole sauteed mushrooms, a pitcher of cold milk, and a basket of juicy, red pears. A kettle of water was going on the stove for tea, as he was beginning to develop a taste for it these past couple of millennia or so (and if he were honest with himself, because he knew Evelina had a great fondness for it). But the steak had to be prepared last, served barely cooked yet still steaming hot, and comprise an amount equal to everything else present. Such was the glory of seared herd mammal.

Sitting down to the table, he briefly wondered what everyone else was going to have for breakfast. He shrugged, then jammed a fork into his morning repast and tore into it. The apron was still on him, still covering everything that screamed for modesty in the barest sense. In fact, the only clothing that was readily apparent on the man in his present state was an untied burgundy ascot tie and a pair of thick cotton socks. From the angle of the main entrance to the kitchen, one would swear the man wasn't wearing pants, and for good reason. But again, important parts covered by a frilly, floral apron suitable for domestic work. Plus his boxers, but they were fitfully concealed as well. While he ate, he considered his day so far.

His was an interesting morning. He had awoken in his workshop out in the Mill, head positioned awkwardly on a worktable on top of one of his arms, the other still clutching a mallet. He had been working late again, doing his part to see to the upkeep of the Destrehan Plantation and the growing Armory. He had no problem using his gift to summon/fabricate items of use from his Hat, but doing so to the exclusion of other methods seemed lazy. Even irresponsible. Plus, it just felt good to fire up the forge every now and again, and pound away at an orange-hot, malleable bar of steel. He was just putting the finishing touches on a series of melee weapons, bone and horn handles, leather wrappings, final whitesmithing of completed blades, etc., and had just lay his head down for a moment to rest his eyes. When his eyes were fully rested, it was early in the morning. Very early. The sun had not yet crested the horizon, and his antique pocketwatch told him that it would be a while before it would. So, he did what any man in his position might: He wrapped chains around his limbs and hefted his anvil, using the shaped steel as weight resistance while he put himself through an impressive regimen of ante meridiem calisthenics.

Naturally, it made a man hungry. And so he sat, awash in the bliss of fresh, hot food, his signature Hat set upon the table next to his plate and mostly without respectable clothing otherwise. Eve had mentioned something about an early start to the day, which made him assume that others might also be awake. Well, maybe he could be persuaded to give up some of his fine repast. It looked to be an excellent Halloween this day. Full of potential. Promise. Other optimistic things. He may as well greet it healthy, strong, and well fed.

His pants... well, he'd take them out of the oven when they were good and ready, and not a moment before.

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Wanting to ensure that their newest arrival was not overwhelmed with too many people to begin with, Evelina made quick steps away from the Oak Tree and towards the old farm house that had been re-purposed to be the kitchen on the grounds. It had been a home at one point, back when the plantations main house was being constructed but once that was completed it was turned into the kitchen. It was a good idea for the deep south back in a time before air conditioning. Keeping that much heat away from the main rooms during the long summer months. Winter was not something that they had to worry about even without a loop. It was quaint in it's appearance but Eve had to admit it could do with a fresh coat of paint yet that was something they never bothered with. It would just be undone come the reset of the day so why bother. It hadn't crossed her mind to do it before the loop was set in place.

Making her way of the few steps until she reached the patio Evelina could smell something brewing, thankfully it smelled like food and not some other concoction. The Dice had no doubt in her mind that Gio and Nancy would be up to their usual bag of tricks today and in abundance. It had been sometime since they welcomed new faces that would remain on the grounds, so she had already braced herself. As her hand came to the door knob she turned it carefully and pushed the door open, letting it swing freely as she stood there. No bucket of water or oatmeal came down, that was a good sign. Perhaps not good, they were probably planning something far worse but at least she didn't need to go and change her clothing already.

Walking into the Kitchen House she stopped in her tracks as she spotted Gilbert sitting there. Her jaw tightened slightly as she let out a breath before she spoke as she approached him. "₁Γιατί δεν με εκπλήσσει? Καθίστε εδώ σε τίποτα, αλλά θα θεωρούνταν ένα πανί ύφανσης πριν από χίλια χρόνια. Δεν έχετε τρόπους? Ξέρετε ότι λαμβάνουμε αρκετά νέα παράδοξα σήμερα το πρωί. Είναι αυτό που θέλετε να τους χαιρετήσετε? Θα περίμενα τόσο πολύ από τον Γκιό και τον Νανσύ, αλλά εσείς? she rambled in a huff as she gripped her pipe in her hand. Taking a long puff from it she let the smoke flow out from her lips before she considered continuing. Then she smelled something else in the air, sniffing slowly as she started to roam around the room and finally stopped over at the oven. Reaching over she grasped the handle and pulled the door open, peeking inside. She shut it abruptly before her head snapped around and her eyes narrowed towards him.

"₂Σοβαρά Gilbert, έχουμε μια γραμμή στην οποία να στεγνώσει τα ρούχα μας. Ακόμα κι αν δεν το έχουμε, έχετε άλλο ένα παντελόνι?" It was more than obvious that she was had crossed the line from proper to vexed as she spoke. Lady Lucas normally held her adopted Yorkshire accent and English language at all times but when she became stressed she would often slip into another language from her past. Greek tended to be the one she spoke to Gilbert in when he had unnerved her because of his improper ways. It was the language she had first spoken to him in and is always dwindled back to that at moments such as this. Sadly she could not say this was the first time she had found him in his underwear sitting in the kitchen.

Bringing her pipe back to her mouth she took a puff, letting the smoke curl from her lips as she spoke again. "₃Λοιπόν, τι έχετε να πείτε για τον εαυτό σας?" It wasn't as if she expected a good excuse from him for this. She was in all honesty half expecting him to just smirk, shrug, and continue eating. He might have been the first of them to come into consciousness, therefor making him the eldest on some playing field but there were many times she wondered if he just wouldn't grow up in some respects or if he just liked tormenting her like this. It could go either way.

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This was to be expected, lady Lucas had warned Alicia that people arrived very distorted and confused. Alicia herself had but had readily accepted that she was dead considering the memories she had of her death. Justice was never a place for justice... Taking a breath she crouched down and tilted her head to the side. "Okay, let's try this again slowly. My... name... is... Alicia..." she said slowly, drawing it out far more than really needed to be done but she had already told the girl her name. If she couldn't retain that, they might be shit out of luck. No, she had this. Just take it slowly, ease the girl into the whole death thing. Don't scare her or anything like that.

"Bitch, you're dead." Yeah, that was great. Just rip that bandage right off. Wiggling her brows a bit she smiled towards her. "Don't know this Niesha but I do know Newnan. Hell I used to live there, guess it was before yer ass showed up," she said pulling the clip board out from behind her and looking down at the paper. "Oh hell, you came into Newnan the day I died. Ain't that a bitch. That was a fucked up day." Shrugging a bit she looked back over towards Sophia and righted herself, pressing on her knee slightly to give her leverage as she stood up.

"I know its a lot to take in but you aren't in Kansas anymore, hell you ain't even in Georgia anymore. This is Louisiana, and it ain't 2010 chica. It's 1943," she said as she took a step back and leaned against the tree, crossing her arms over her chest and tucking the clipboard under her arm as she did. It seemed that Alicia needed to work on her whole greeting new people thing but hey, it was her first. As far as she was concerned it wasn't half bad. It could have been worse, a lot worse.

"Listen, yeah sucks to be dead but hey, get this. None of them damned flesh eaters waltzing around here," Alicia said trying to lighten the mood a bit. Yeah, there weren't walkers about her but there could be on any mission they got sent on and there were worse things that went bump in the night from what she had been told. She wasn't going to tell Sophia that though, that shit could wait and Alicia figured one of the Emendators could break her in on that stuff.

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There was so much time and so little to do, Giosue wasn't sure where to begin. Wait, strike that first part, reverse it, there. He and Nancy had to do final preparation for her costume and script, get ready for the new time loop, set up house for the new residents to feel properly welcomed, meet up with any new Paradoxes that would arrive shortly, and grab something to eat.

Working from an efficiency standpoint, it would be best to start arranging welcoming presents in all of the unoccupied bedrooms on the second floor, repeat with those on the first, quickly break to grab a quick, filling breakfast, and then work on preparing the big event with Nancy before too many new faces could arrive. Speed was the name of the game here, but he wouldn't skimp on the quality of work in the name of trying to get everything done as quickly as possible.

As tempting as it was to set up Alicia's room, Gio restrained himself from lumping her in together with everyone else. She deserved a more personal touch than the rest. No, he would begin with the room adjacent to hers. Since it was Hallow's Eve, he figured it would suit the festive mood to give each room a trick and a treat. If one was alert and/or lucky enough they could perhaps get away with only receiving the treat, or perhaps Fate would frown upon them and the room would only bestow trickery. Whatever the outcome was not Giosue's concern, as long as he and Nancy got to have a bit of fun.

For Room 207, he set up a delightful little contraption, attached to the doorknob was a device he had picked up a few decades prior that channeled a weak current through whatever metallic object it was affixed to. Anyone who were to grab the doorknob with their bare-hand would experience a minor shock, only a wee bit more potent than the static discharge built up by shuffling across carpet whilst wearing slippers. And for the treat: a hard butterscotch candy, stashed neatly under the covers of the bed. One room down, six to go.

Sophia turned her head to look up at Alicia introducing herself again a bit longer then intended giving her the look. 'Yeah heard you say your name already' She slowly sat herself up a bit more, going back to what she saw moments before waking up here. She ran a hand through her hair letting out a slight sigh as she started to accept that she was actually now dead.

Sophia looked at Alicia once more remembering seeing a picture of her back in Newnan as she pulled out the clipboard that was there. "I remember your name and seeing your picture in Newnan, that day was pretty shitty." She said softly gesturing to where her left hand was. "So what is this like heaven or something?" She asked.

Alicia had to refrain from busting a gut with laughter though the fact she covered her mouth and laugh-snorted wasn't much better. It surely didn't help that she fell onto her rear end as she chewed on the inside of her mouth to hold it back. "Oh chica, this isn't heaven but maybe the fact it isn't hell will make you feel a bit better. This is Ville au Camp, Louisiana." She was still laughing as she spoke, chuckling between her words. She was trying she really was, her face turned slightly red from trying to hold back the guffaw that threatened to shatter her teeth and a few tears slipped from the corner of her eyes. Letting out a long calming breath she wiped them away. "Oh how to put this. This isn't life but it isn't death. Well it is death but this isn't the afterlife. Head bitch around here decided it wasn't your time to move on and here you are. Basically, you get a chance to have a new life."

Sophia raised an eyebrow when Alicia tried miserably from holding back her laughter at her question, to her it wasn't really all that funny, but she decided against saying anything at the moment and she didn't want to piss her off or anything. Alicia seemed to be the one here to greet her and she had the answers that she needed as far as she knew. It was good to hear that it wasn't heaven or hell at least, it was more of a second chance to have another life but she still wasn't sure why she was chosen. "How long have you been here then and how many others are here currently?"

"A day," she blurted out and then realized that might need a bit of explaining. Sighing, she took a deep breath. Okay she could do this. This was what her skills were these days, what she had been reading up on. Granted there was a difference between reading and practice. Crossing her legs she sat indian style on the ground and dangled the clipboard over her knee. "Okay, quick run down. This place, a single day that repeats and repeats and repeats. It doesn't end. Ever. So I really haven't kept up. It's been a while though but damn not near as fucking long as the others living here. We have two out like you and me, people that have died before. We're called Paradoxes. Don't ask me why I don't have a fucking clue. It was the name I was told when I got her. Then there are the other four. They're the Emendators. They're kind of like gods. Well no, they didn't create anything. Well other than this place. Shit, no. They didn't create this place they created the loop. Why it stays the same. Well The Watch did. The Dice made you, well brought you back. The Cards told her shit was going down. And the Hat, well he just makes everything. Damn it, not like making the world but shit we need. God, Eve is better at this than me," Alicia rambled off trying to get some of it out but right then she knew she probably should have listened to Eve and made note cards....

Taking a long breath Alicia decided to try another approach. "I know it's a lot to take in. You and me are what are known as Paradoxes. People who died but that The Dice, a woman by the name of Evelyn, decided we should get a second chance. She never tells us why she chooses who she does. There is just something about you that she felt was worth giving another chance. Basically you will be here and learn, train, figure out your own reasons to keep living. If you chose to keep going you stay here with us. If not, you choose to move on and well. What happens after that, none of us know."

Sophia adjusted her dress slightly as she crossed her legs as well, she really didn't like to wear dresses even before the outbreak and well her death now. But she decided to simply just listen to Alicia as she started to bring her up to speed on things, so she was called a Paradox now from what she said. "So basically we pretty much live out the movie Groundhog Day, and what are we here to learn and train for?"

Letting out a slight laugh, Alicia nodded. Groundhog Day, classic movie from their time, was a perfect example of where they were stuck. "Yup, that pretty much covers it. Training. Well have to take care of yourself and anything you thought you knew before you got here is gone. When I showed up I couldn't hit the broad side of a barn with a shotgun and I used to be the best shot Newnan had," she said with a sigh. Thing was though she didn't miss what she once was.

Training, Sophia would need to train but the real reason why was a touchy subject and she really hadn't come across softly so far. Maybe it would be better to let Eve take care of that, or any of the other Emendators. Right now she needed to get Sophia settled in. "Listen, don't worry about why so much yet. Just know, you are going to know things now you didn't before and you have to learn to control them. For now, why don't I show you to your room?" she added as she stood up and dusted herself off with her free hand before holding it out to Sophia to help her out.

Sophia chuckled slightly at her little movie reference as well, she did miss her old job before the outbreak but now that seemed to be gone now. She did have a lot of other questions, but she figured that she would ask more later when she met all of the others that lived here Sophia gently grabbed onto Alicia's hand pulling herself up to her feet she dusted herself off. "That sounds good to me then, I guess you should lead the way." She said giving Alicia a slight smile.

Alicia nodded and pointed over towards the Kitchen House. "That's the kitchen, if you get hungry. I didn't for the first couple of days," she said in passing as she ducked under one of the large low hanging branches of the Oak Tree and dodged some of the Spanish Moss that hung from the limbs. "Careful not to touch the moss, chiggars suck," she added before making her way the short distance between the tree and the main house and walking through the gallery between the main house and some of the other rooms on one side. Bounding up the steps she checked the clip board hanging outside of Lady Lucas' room. "These rooms in the main house upstairs are for the Emendators. The Bathroom is on the other side of the house. You'll have to go downstairs, cut through the house and back upstairs to get to it," she explained before motioning for Sophia to follow her.

Down the stairs, through the gallery and over to a room marked 107. "This is yours," she said turning the key in the lock and pulling it out as she opened the door. Looking over at Sophia she handed her the key before stepping inside. All the Paradox rooms looked very similar: bed, vanity, wardrobe, chair, tables, nightstand, mirror. "Looks like The Hat already took care of a few things for you," she said as she noted the bookshelves full of various books. On the nightstand was a picture of Niesha and Andrew, one on each side of a silver folding picture frame. A wedding ring lay on the nightstand in front of the frame.

Sophia turned her head as she saw the Kitchen House and nodded, she didn't feel hungry yet but now she knew where to go if she ever wanted to grab something to eat. "Is the kitchen open all times of the day?" She asked as she dodged a few of the oak tree branches, Sophia listened as they made their way into the main house. Her eyes wondering around the main house as she started to get more familiar with her surroundings. She looked up the flight of stairs where the other Emendators stayed, as she headed down the hallway following Alicia to the Paradox's rooms were.

"Yeah it's open but gonna take you getting used to. Nothing is prepared, you have take care of your own meals, and that wood stove slash oven that wasn't updated before the loop was set in place is a bitch," Alicia warned with a bit of a chuckle. Living back in the 1940's was a massive adjustment for those of them that had come from the next millennium forward.

When Alicia stopped to the room 107 seeing her name next to it, she waited until Alicia unlocked the door then the door opened Sophia took a step inside and was surprised to see the room was already stocked. She walked over to the book shelves looking at all of the books that were set up on the shelves. Then she looked at the nightstand and froze for a moment as she slowly approached the silver picture frame and picked it up. Running her hands slowly over both pictures of Andrew and Niesha letting out a soft sigh, then she stared down at her wedding ring, she set the picture frame down and picked it. "I thought this was gone forever when my hand got chopped off." She said to herself then turned her attention back to Alicia. "Thank you for showing me around by the way." Sophia said grateful for her help.

Giving Sophia a slight nod she smiled at her and leaned against the door frame. "Sure thing girl, listen, find me later this afternoon. Right now I gotta haul ass, we have another coming in soon," she said before turning and starting to head out the door. Stopping in her tracks she glanced back towards Nancy. "Look out for Gio and Nancy, they are pranksters... And this is... well, just don't be surprised if you get smacked with a pie flying through the air when you open a door. Good luck!" she added before leaving Sophia to getting settled in and closing the door behind her.

Sophia turned to look at Alicia and gave her a nod. "I'll be sure to find you after I get settled in some more." She said setting the ring down on the bedside table and was about to reach for the picture frame once more as Alicia spoke again. Sophia let out a slight chuckle hearing about the two pranksters Nancy and Gio. "I guess I should be on my toes constantly, thank you." She said as Alicia closed the door behind her, Sophia then grabbed the picture once more giving it another long look wondering how they were all doing now.

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Greek? Of course. Gilbert adored the Greek language. So descriptive, artistically and scientifically, though for precision he preferred Latin. It was more complex, but it was a highly functional tongue. Admittedly though, this was not the conversation he wanted to have with Evelyn over breakfast. Though if he wanted to be wholly objective about the situation, breakfast was here first. Let it never be said that Gilbert Theodore Summers was not a fair man. As she browbeat the once mighty ruler of the ancient world, he merely sat, shoveling another couple of forkfuls of chopped steak and eggs into his face, giving her a kindly smile.

She was really was just trying to make a good impression on the newcomers, of which there might actually be a few on this day. Paradoxes weren't easy to come by, he figured, and it was a hell of a shock for some of them. This was a pleasant sort of place, tucked away from anything loud or particularly anachronistic, depending upon what era these people might hail from. Time loops were funny that way.

What was not funny was the look of a somewhat cross avatar of The Dice, smoking her pipe and staring down at him like he was some kind of uncouth savage. It had been a very, very long time since he could rightly be portrayed as such. But he was mostly naked and he was most certainly enjoying his morning repast to the exclusion of anything else. He'd already had a very full morning. But she did make a point. Gilbert swallowed hard and addressed her respectfully. "Miss Lucas, I really like those pants. They're me. And they will be all freshened up in another minute or two. Now, how about you have a seat?" The tall Emendator placed a delicate porcelain cup and saucer down in front of an empty seat from across the table. "I have simmering water on. Let me get you some tea?"

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While there were last minute preparations in order for that, that wasn't the only reason that Nancy was waiting outside of Giouse's door. No, there was a more practical reason as well, beyond a mild bit of mischief that ideally, Alicia would be just as clueless about as Eve. The secondary purpose was to get some tea or coffee - either would do for breakfast. And regardless as to which one, she'd end up drowning the liquid in sugar. There once was a time where she would simply eat sugar cubes straight.

Okay, if she was to be perfectly honest, she still did that.

She followed Giouse down the hall, smirking a bit as he rigged up the contraction. There was a reason why she had been able to masquerade as a god of mischief back in the Viking Age. "Excellent," Nancy said approvingly. Giouse kept a stash of prank items and Nancy was glad to see them put to good use. She whistled for a moment, waiting for the idea to come to her. Perhaps an exploding cigar? Though those were mostly useful for either Eve or any Paradox with a bit of a penchant for tobacco.

"Perhaps trip wire, rigged to cover them with feathers?" Nancy whispered, just in case any of the new Paradoxes were within earshot. She wasn't aware as to when exactly they would start to arrive - the later in the day, the better it would be for her and Gio's plans. They still had a costume to put together, along with some minor edits to the script. Of course, as for Alicia...Perhaps they could switch the tequila in her flask with hot sauce? No, there had to be better ideas than that. "Or perhaps itching powder instead of feathers?"

She tapped her foot for a moment, before grinning broadly once more. "Switch a glass with a dribble at dinner?" A dribble glass was one of her favorite inventions of the 1910's. It was an ordinary glass by all appearances, only with hidden holes. Once the victim tilted it back to take a drink, the liquid would pour through the holes, dousing them.

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Gilberts reaction, or lack there of, did not surprise Evelyn in the slightest. It took quite a lot to ruffle the mans feathers and she knew spouting off in Greek to him wouldn't do that. Yet she wasn't trying to ruffle his feathers she was trying to make a point. Whether he said anything or not, she hoped she had. He was offering tea though and she did have a few things to discuss with him before she made her exit from the room. Pulling out a chair she sat herself on the edge and crossed her ankles left over right. Pulling the pipe from her lips she nodded slightly before she spoke. She wasn't off the Greek kick yet, which meant she was still rather peeved. ₁"Πολύ καλά, οικοδόμοι τσάι, αλλά δεν νομίζω ότι η προσφορά ενός άκαμπτου κυπέλλου θα ενισχύσει το άνω χείλος μου όταν πρόκειται για την μισή γυμνότητα σας σε μια ημέρα που καλωσορίζουμε νέα Παράδοξα. Αφήνοντας πίσω το γεγονός ότι είμαστε Οι μεταγλωττιστές είναι τώρα οι δάσκαλοί τους και πρέπει να διατηρήσουμε μια τάξη πειθαρχίας και σεβασμού, προσωπικά θα σκεφτόμουν ότι θα θέλατε να είστε σε θέση να κρατάτε από απόσταση όσα πλήθη θα πούμε πάνω από ενθουσιώδεις οπαδούς από την προσπάθεια να κάνουν το δρόμο τους στις ιδιωτικές σας συνοικίες όπως έκαναν προηγουμένως."

Shaking her head, Eve took a long pull from her pipe, the smoke billowing up from her lips and framing her face as she waited for her morning cup of tea that was being provided by Gilbert. If only those that had faced him in battle could see him now, handling dainty porcelain cups with filigree and gold trims yet The Dice was not one to think on such things, especially as she felt the tickle in the back of her mind again. She knew this was coming today, she had planned for it. Reaching into her pocket she felt the cool surfaces as her fingers wrapped around a single dice. Pulling it out she let it clink against the table. ₂"Θα ακούσουμε μια κραυγή σε μερικές στιγμές Gilbert, κουνάμε τα αυτιά σας." It was a warning, one she rarely gave but she felt it would be needed at this time.

₃"¡SANTA MADRE FOLLANDO A CRISTO! ¡TENGAS QUE FOLLARME ENGAÑARME! ¡OH, MIERDA! ¡SÍ! ¡¡¡¡NO!!!! ¡OH! ¡MIERDA!" Alicias voice rang out like a banshee as Eve glanced towards the front door and towards the oak tree. Seeing the young Paradox sinking to her rear and pulling her knees to her chest.

Picking up the dice from the table Evelyn slipped it back into her pocket. "It is never easy to know someone you care for has passed away, yet for a Paradox to meet them again in this place it is a torrent of emotions. Should you be joyous or in mourning? Such a difficult time yet all we can do is to continue to move forward," she said idly as she tapped the base of her pipe against the table. At least she was off the Greek but the sudden change of languages was just a sign to those that truly knew The Dice that she never took death lightly, granted there might have been a total of two people during her entire existence that knew that about her. Shaking off the thoughts going through her mind she got back to the reason she had sought out The Hat that morning to begin with. "This evenings festivities and visitors are nothing we are not accustomed to after these several years here but with the addition of the new Paradoxes, those whose abilities have yet to manifest perhaps it would be prudent that this evening during the height of activities you could take the Paradoxes on a full tour of the outer grounds. Group activity. Alicia could assist," she suggested.

She knew that any training would have to wait, it was not something that was done. In fact those that arrived were steered as far away from their previous life as possible. Rule One was you never go back. Rule two was you never taught what they once knew if it could be helped. It just lead to too much temptation to breech rule one. It was difficult because fighters always wanted to relearn but it was not done. Evelyn had seen too much go too far wrong too many times over the centuries. She would not set them up for failure, not if she could help it. None were left defenseless but this was a new life, it should be just that. Not a continuation of the last. Ever.

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"Sure thing Chica," Alicia said before closing the door and leaving Sophia to get settled in. Not that there was much to really do. She had clothing now, a room, a few treasures from her previous life. The biggest thing for any new Paradox was just to wrap their heads around the fact they were actually dead, whisked to another place in time, another place period, and they would just have to basically deal with. It was a lot to take in and Alicia didn't know about Sophia but she remembered needing a lot of time to process it before she left her room for the first time. After that she got to work keeping as busy as possible. It was one of the reasons she had gotten to know the Hat more than the others. He had a job she could actually help with and it helped keep her mind from wandering back to Justice and her father and her son. Though the longer she was there, the easier it got. She didn't forget them but it was as if they were a dream now so there wasn't that pull to try to get back to them anymore.

Making her way out of the main house she was heading back to the Oak Tree and had contemplated just passing it and going to the Kitchen house to get something to eat. That was until she took a look down at the clipboard in her fingers and a new name started to be scrawled over the paper. That was when the slew of Hispanic curses left her mouth. She was jumped up and down, freezing in place, looking ecstatic one second and heart broken the next. It was a tidal wave of conflicting emotions. Along the same lines as when Evelyn Couch had found out it was Mrs. Otis that was dead and not Mrs. Threadgoode in Fried Green Tomatoes. Near the tail end of the freak out Alicia sunk to her rear end and gripped the clip board as she glanced over towards the portal.

This was something she hadn't expected today. Sitting beneath the Oak Tree Alicia had planned to mess with some of the Paradoxes when they arrived. Granted, it really hadn't gone well with the last arrival, though it hadn't gone bad either. Alicia knew she needed to work on answering questions and such but right then her mind wasn't on it. She knew with this next arrival she couldn't fuck with them. Well she could, if she could mess with anyone it would probably be him. Glancing up from the clipboard she looked back over towards the house. She should have asked Sophia about Newnan and what was going on there but she wanted to let her get settled before she bombarded her with questions. Now she really wished she would have considering who was about to show up. It probably would make things a touch easier.

The gate flickered and the daughter of El Hefe stood up slowly and dusted herself off. She found herself swallowing a lump in her throat as she tucked the clipboard down on the ground against the trunk of the tree. It wasn't a known thing how he would react showing up here and seeing her but Alicia felt that it was a pretty safe bet that she would need both hands free. Seeing the flickering increase she didn't bother to worry about reading how this man had died, any of that. She knew him well enough, at least her memories did. This was going to be hard to explain but she would just run with it. The portal turned until it was parallel with the ground and lowered as it had before.

As it rose Alicia looked down at the blackneck, her eyes widening slightly. It was as if she had been caught dumbstruck, unable to move or speak as she looked at him. Then it happened. Whatever calmness she had thought she had before he arrived, whatever respect she intended to give him... was plum out the window as her arms wrapped around herself and she doubled over giving out a stream of laughter that made her fall to the ground, rolling onto her back, kicking the ground as she continued to guffaw, chuckle, chortle, bellow, and more in total hilarity. "Hold on, I fetch you some watermelon be'fore yous goes pick the cotton Uncle Tom," she said giving her best southern accent impression.

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Sophia turned her head as she heard the door to her room close, she then laid down on her back and stared up at the ceiling as she started to think about all those that she had left behind letting out a slight sigh. She knew that she would see them one day, she wasn't sure when but she knew that she will again someday. She slowly sat up and moved over to the bookshelf that was in there, looking at some of the books that were there. She at least would have some reading material which was good, at least it would get her something to do since there wasn't any internet at all during this time.

She was still trying to process everything, and still there were so many questions that she'd like to ask Alicia probably had other duties to attend to now. Sophia turned to the wardrobe looking at the clothes that were all there, all seemed to be fitting for the time, as much as she wanted to just sit in the room. She did want to get used to her new surroundings, and maybe even bump into some of the other Emendators and see what they were like.

Sophia headed over to the door and made sure that she had her room keys when she was confident that she had them Sophia opened the door looking up and down the hallway. She then started to turn right looking at some of the pictures that were there, before continuing down the hallway and found the staircase making her way up the flight of stairs to see the rest of the rooms.

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The smile on Gilbert's face broadened, turning from kindly to charmingly warm. He rose, allowing himself a really good, growling stretch before turning to a cabinet nearby. Luckily, the ancient but youthful warrior had decided to retain the use of his undergarments beneath the frilly and floral apron. After locating a tin of packed, black tea, he spooned a healthy amount into a steel mesh tea ball and turned back around to the table. Deftly placing the spherical steeping device into the tea cup, he filled it with rolling, steaming water from the kettle on the stove. "Builder's tea usually comes with a bit of milk, as you well know. I think this hardly requires it, myself. I can fetch some from the icebox if you would like." His accent was mild. Very mild. Except for the occasional vowel or cluster of awkward consonants, one would believe that he was every bit the traditional American, if a hair darker skinned than the ruling class ideal of the nation.

He heard the commotion going on outside, again turning his mirth toward Evelyn. "I am envious of your ability to do that, Evie. Let me know if I need to step in, hmm?" he said, checking the oven briefly. Seemingly satisfied with the state of his pants inside, he removed them with a flourish, threw off his apron, and began sticking one leg in at a time. It wasn't a lack of shame with this man, more than it was a feeling of simple comfort in his own skin. When his belt was properly fastened, he hung the apron back up on a peg near the stoves and settled back into his chair, in front of his gargantuan breakfast. Happily, he noted that it was still quite warm.

"Yes, that sounds like a fine idea. Tour of the grounds, I mean. Hopefully after the last of your new Paradoxes gets settled. Some of them don't take the news as well as others sometimes." It was a good idea. And if it wasn't him doing it, it would have to be her, or the Cards, or the Watch. And frankly, between those two and their tendencies toward overt practcal jokes, it was probably best if it was him. At least until the newer people were used to them. "So hey, do you know how many will be arriving yet?"

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The last thing James remembered, he was looking wistfully upon the faces of old friends and new acquaintances. Some of them were people he cared for a great deal, some he had just met, and one of them was a fresh young face with the familiar, fiery eyes of an honorable but dangerous family. He felt true and honest hope for a world that desperately needed it.

Then the place that was his home collapsed into the ground.

Then it exploded.

And finally, the earth took him, too.

It was a blessing that he cracked his head on a hard surface on the way down. It didn't quite put him away immediately, though. He got the barest hint of awareness that his body was being flung mercilessly upon hard, sharp rocks before his death. And that was it. Death. James was dead. So naturally, it came as a complete shock when he felt himself laying on soft grass under shade, comfortably cool air blowing past him as an inviting morning sun filtered down from above.

He waited for his body to report pain - torn skin, broken bones, something, but it didn't. Everything seemed so slow and sleepy, a haze separating what had happened to him and what was happening now. An odd awareness began to fill his mind, like a thousand stories of lives he didn't live, starring himself, barely began to insist that they were present somewhere if he dared learn to remember. Even stranger, James heard laughter. Merciless, howling laughter. Boisterous, mirthfully uncaring laughter from a strong female voice that he swore he had heard before. He thought he recognized from where he had heard this last, but that wasn't possible. Just wasn't. She was dead. Fuck, she was dead. So was he. This complicated things.

The same voice that laughed above suddenly took a header, accompanied by the boneless sound of a body hitting the ground next to him. But she kept on laughing. Whatever this was, it was funny to utter distraction. As soon as he could move, he was going to check his fly. Then she spoke. Something about watermelon and picking cotton. James's eyes shot wide open, taking in everything but searching furtively for the source of the voice. He rolled onto his side and prepared his best "Aw Hell Naw" speech for the moment, but instead it went something like this:

"Aw Hell Naw y'all didn't just OH MY GOD GOD DAMN GIRL MUTHAFUCKIN' WHAT THE whoa a minute slow ya roll there... You dead, bitch!"

Giving it a nanosecond's consideration, "Wait, that means..."

"You're dead bitch," Alicia laughed as she looked over towards James, still holding her gut. She was starting to get a stitch in her side from laughing so hard. Taking a deep breath she sat up slowly and turned her body towards his. Even though she was able to curb the laughter to something that didn't sound like a hyena on steroids she couldn't stop completely. The outfit alone was nearly enough to send her flat on her back once again.

James wasn't exactly sure what was going on. He did firmly believe that he was dead, I mean, he kind of felt himself go, and he most definitely saw Alicia die. It was a gnawing, tearing death, one he wouldn't wish on anybody. Well, almost anybody. Whatever this was, be it Heaven, Hell, or Purgatory, the Happy Hunting Grounds or Negro Valhalla, he was with Alicia. So sure, he was dead. But he was going to play along. "Aw damn, o'course you gonna say "You dead, bitch", right after I said "You dead, bitch". Hells yes I'm dead, bitch! I'm just wantin' to know what a dead bitch finds so funny!"

"Fact that your gringo ass showed up here in 1940's Bayou country looking like your about to go pick cotton. The rope belt is a nice touch amigo," Alicia said, still laughing her ass off. The entire thing was just too funny to her. Slowly she started pointing around where they were, the kitchen house behind them and the large plantation house in front of them.

James's face went slack for a moment. Even being dead, this made no appreciable sense to him. Slowly, he began to turn his eyes downward to himself, trying to see what his deceased friend was talking about. His response was less than flattering. "Oh, well Good Googly Moogly!" he exclaimed sarcastically. "I done died and went to Song of the South with Br'er Rabbit an' the Tar Baby n'them!" His hands wet over the coarse fabric of his outfit, stopping to tug lightly at the ingeniously crafted rope belt. But still, 1940s? Bayou Country? That could only mean southern Louisiana or Mississippi; places he'd been before (albeit well after the Civil Rights movement). "Aw c'mon, chica! This wasn't a really great time for my people, an' someone got me dressed up like Sambo. Please, tell me you got some 'splainin' to do. But first, you givin' me some love." He rose and stretched his arms out wide. "Less you want me to start dancin'..."

Alicia smirked over towards her el mejor amigo as she slowly started to stand up. "Well, it's in your blood boy," she said with a twinkle of mischief in her eyes before she started clapping her hands and stomping her feet. As she did she made sure to place some distance between her and the black-neck before she started singing. "When the sun goes down, the tide goes out, the dark gather 'round and they all begin to shout,'Hey! Hey! Uncle Dud, it's a treat to beat your feet on the Mississippi Mud. It's a treat to beat your feet on the Mississippi Mud.'"

James's eyes grew wide, and he sputtered with mixed amusement, annoyance, and surprise. "You, hmm, oh you mutha, I'm a' get... BLACK RAGE!!!" His battle cry of Afro-American justice sounding across the trees and swamps of rural Louisiana, the indomitable blackneck charged after his troublemaking compatriot, intent on a full, solid tackle.

"¡Ay, mierda!" Alicia exclaimed as she turned on her heel and went to dart off. It would have been great if she had been facing the main house or even the kitchen house. She wasn't. She ran smack into the large low lying limb that touched the ground. "¡Carajo!" was all the little Hispanic was able to get out as she effectively tackled herself over the tree limb and took in a mouth full of Louisiana turf.

"Aw, girl..." James started, slowing himself down to a concerned jog. He knelt by Alicia, giving her a once over and then looking around to see if anybody else was present. "Chola down!" he called, "We gots us a chola down here! Face fulla countryside an' mad as hell! Hep! Help in Spanish, muthafuckas! ...wait, we in Wheezy Anna... Parle vous help?"

Sputtering and spatting bits and pieces of grass and gravel launched out of Alicias pie hole. Her eyes narrowed as she looked over towards James. It was a familiar look, one that her father had given back in his time. It meant someone was about to be introduced to what was most likely the most painful minutes of their lives. One at a time her hands found the ground and she righted herself, all the while her eyes never left the former hog hunter. Then the look faded and she realized just why Eve had placed her in charge of the welcoming committee. At that moment Alicia knew exactly what James was feeling beneath all the laughter and poking fun. "James, no one could have got off that shot. It's okay."

And that stopped the train in its tracks. Her death. Alicia was pulled from the window of a truck by a horde of the living dead, each one of their gnarled hands or fetid teeth tearing another piece away from her body. James had his gun but could not get a clear shot, and in the end, he had to abandon her in order to save three other people - one of which he murdered just a few hours before his own death. The memory of both incidents were still fresh. Strangely hazy, but readily available for recollection. "Somebody could've. Your man, Ash? He could've done it. He was better with a pistol than I was, and he wouldn't have hesitated. Not for a eyeblink." James looked forlorn at Alicia, saying, "I'm so sorry you had to go through that, girl. I can't even imagine. Don't want to, neither."

Dusting herself off, Alicia shook her head. "Shit man, you know I'm not gonna bullshit you. I couldn't have made that shot. It was a bitch. It's over and actually, that wasn't how I died. Long story but just know what you saw was very different than what happened to me personally," she said. It would be hard to explain what she meant and about Justice. "Fuck man, I have a son, and papi is still kicking. So take a breath, give a girl a hug, and let me get you settled in. Then we can sits down and really talk." Holding out her arms she motioned for him to bring it in and give her a damn hug.

The explanation made absolutely no sense to James, but he wasn't about to pass up a free hug from his old running partner. He extended his arms again and stepped forward into Alicia's grabbing range, then wrapped his arms around her. "Damn good to see you, girl." he whispered, the beginnings of tears forming in his eyes. "But now I gotta know what's goin' on here. I'd be obliged if'n you'd start by explainin' pretty much everything you just said, 'cause that is a hot, sticky mess o' what the ass did you just say?"

Alicia smiled as she wrapped her arms around James and gave him a big hug. She knew this was going to be difficult to take in and all that but she had an idea of how to explain it. At least on a level where he might understand. Leaning back she motioned towards the main house. "Come on, you walk, I talk," she said as she kept an arm around his waist and leaned her head on his shoulder as they headed away from the Oak Tree. "Remember Back To The Future? Where when Biff screwed shit up they had that whole alternate time line thing? Well, that is basically what was going on when you saw me die. It is an alternate place. The main one, the one where things are at least a little better. Okay, not that much better but no face eaters."

Taking a breath she gave him a small run down of her life before she died there in Justice. About giving birth to her son Liam, about Lorna and her being close friends, about her Papi and his fluffy bunny slippers kicking in a door and making her toss enchiladas into the ceiling. As they headed into the main house and up the stairs she decided to check out her room. Unlocking her door she showed James in and headed over to her nightstand and picked up the picture of Caesar holding Liam. Handing it over to James she smiled proudly. "That's my boy Liam."

"Well, ain't that a total mindfuck?" remarked James, unsure as to how to respond to the knowledge that everything he knew and used to be was a mistake, kicked off from the main line of actual events because somebody messed something up horribly enough to break time. "Oh, not your boy. He's just cute as the dickens. And the size of them hands? He's gonna grow up and kill somebody. Damn." James quickly got back on track, "But look, I done seen enough episodes of "Quantum Leap" to know that Scott Bakula's got somethin' up his sleeve what can put stuff right, right? But before I get fitted for a snazzy white future suit, I gots me a question: Do we know each other, you know, in the other timeline? There another Black James what don't gotta split undead wigs to survive?"

"Well we didn't know each other then. You'd have to ask one of the Emendators about that," she said before setting the photo back down on her night stand. Shoving her hands into her pockets she shrugged a bit. "Listen, this place is complicated. You aren't alive but you aren't dead. This is kind of like a second chance. We don't go back to where we were and we stay away from any other place we could have been. You and I, we're called Paradoxes. The ones that run this place are called Emendators, they are fucking ancient... Like, this one guy here is the actual Gilgamesh! But he's cool, really likes hats." Heading out of her room she checked the board to see where James was assigned and got the number. "Come on. Let me show you your room. You can settle in. I have more people to go meet at the tree. Once I'm done though, we can kick back and talk some more."

James nodded soberly. This was a lot to take in. He was really still dealing with the whole You Are Dead thing, and the rest of this? This wasn't something you just got right from the start. He followed Alicia to his assigned room and paused before he entered for a final word with his friend. "Yeah chica. I'd like that. Might need some time to work all this shit out, but you come find me when you can, yeah? I missed you, girl. Missed you a lot."

Alicia handed over the key to the room to James and nodded a bit. "We will man. Listen, just get settled and then have a look around. Beware of our resident pranksters," she said before explaining a small amount about Gio and Nancy. After that she let him know where the bathroom was, where the kitchen house was, and that he was good to walk around the ground. Stopping herself she quirked a brow. "You know a Sophia Harris?" she asked as she leaned against the door frame.

A sort of odd recognition washed over James. He indeed knew a Sophia Harris, and though they were not particularly tight, any level of non-hostile acquaintance was as good as friendship given the fact that they both helped each other to survive. Their timeline was one of an apocalypse, with the corpses of the recently deceased rising with the sole purpose of consuming the living. And though the dead were a plague, the living could be so much worse. "Yeah chica, I know me a Sophia Harris. One I'm thinkin' of lived with us in Newnan. Girl came in bit, Valkyries with her hadda take her hand offa her so's she'd make it." The thought just occurred to him, "Wait, you went 'n died just before she came in. Shit, she here?"

"Yeah, she got here just before you. She's in 107 downstairs, why don't you go say hi once your settled in," Alicia suggested before giving James a quick hug and letting him know she had to get back to the tree because they were expecting others. With that, she left him to his thoughts and to look over his room a bit while she dashed back to the tree.

"...well, ain't that somethin'..." James mused to himself. While not particularly close, it was a touch of joy to hear that someone else from his Newnan that he knew to be dead was with them. He repeated the room number in his head a couple of times just to make sure that he got it, then promptly realized that he was standing alone in the corridor of a strange house after having spent an unknown amount of time, well, dead. He did need to settle in. Take some alone time. Work some things out. Like Alicia said, he needed to settle in.

Perusing his appointed room, James was just pleased as punch to see a pair of overalls folded neatly on his bed, a dark blue bandanna poking out of one of its pockets. "Hot damn, jackpot!" he exclaimed, not even bothering to close the door before he had stripped off his hat, pants and tacky rope belt, replacing them with the overalls and bandanna, the latter tied around his head. If anyone happened by whilst he was "sans pants", they'd just have to live the rest of their life with that image of the sturdy, recently dead blackneck.

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Nancy turned her head as she heard the shouting and screaming coming from outside. It must have been Alicia and one of the new Paradoxes. Glancing over at Giouse, she shrugged a bit. Some people took the news differently - apparently, this one was a fan of loud noises. Or perhaps that was a manifestation of their gift? She snickered at the thought of someone with the ability to project noises incredibly loudly. They'd be a useful asset when it came to pranking. However, she couldn't be certain that was really the case.

"You may want to invest in some earplugs with the newcomer," Nancy said to Gio with a bit of a chuckle. However, her chuckle stopped and her arm shot out to prevent Giouse from leaving room 205 when she heard the stairs creak. The screaming and shouting outside had stopped, with the sounds now inside. It wasn't Eve and Gilbert, as far as she was aware. Alicia was loud enough to fit the description - it must have been her and the new Paradox.

With her free hand, Nancy held a finger to her lips, signaling for Giouse to be quiet. She didn't want to run into the new Paradox just yet. They still had plenty of preparatory work to handle and besides, Alicia would likely end up ruining their scheme. They really should've roped her in on it, Nancy realized. Nancy crept quietly to the door, placing her ear up against it in an attempt to hear their conversation better outside. It seemed to be the standard speech for the most part - or at least, what Nancy assumed would be standard for Alicia. Unfortunately, they moved out of earshot not too long afterwards.

She waited by the door, listening to see if the footsteps would return. Once she heard Alicia and the new Paradox once more, she continued to listen, until she heard a faint exclamation from the other side of the house and footsteps heading back down the staircase. "Think we're good now, but we're really cutting this close, Gio," Nancy said, though it was a bit pointless to try to rush Giouse. He was perfectly punctual in all of his activities.

"Should we scratch the costume and go over the script, before greeting our new friend?"

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"A muzzle would work just as well for dampening the noise, my dear," Giosue replied under his breath, clearly not overly fond of all the hooting and hollering going on outside. If he knew what room that newcomer would be staying in, he would have rigged it up with something very special indeed. But he didn't, and now was not the time to try to personalize, guess or attempt to bias their gifts in some way or another.

When Nancy signalled for him to be quiet, he had just finished up with everything he had wanted to accomplish in the room and was almost about to leave. When he spotted her gesture, he froze like a rabbit that had spotted a great wolf, making nary a sound. He couldn't hear much of the conversation on the other side of the door save for merely the muted voices, nor was he very much interested in learning the contents of said discussion as they were unlikely to be very important for the time being.

"Perhaps it would be best to nix trying to give everyone a greeting gift so we don't have to sacrifice either the costume or the script. The costume gives the whole thing life and believability." He and Nancy had also worked very hard on all the aspects of that and was loathe to give any part of it up so easily. They had plenty of time for pranks later down the line, but they would only be able to pull this off when the Paradoxes were fresh and unaware of the circumstances around them.

"Quickly, we must return to my room without being seen. There we can finish all our preparations, hopefully without incident. I'll check first, make sure the coast is clear." Having a lock and key certainly helped in regards to setting up a private dressing room/theater. Gently, he moved to the door and poked out his bald head to purview the hallway. When he found the hallway empty and deemed that good, he nudged the door open and tip-toed outside whilst motioning for Nancy to follow and shut the door. They might not have been rigging every room with a prank now, but it would be a waste to discard the work he's already done so far.

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With a quirk of her brow Evelina looked up at Gilbert as he let the boiling water flow over her tea ball and into the cup. There was the slightest hint of a smile tugging at the corner of her mouth as she reached forward and gathered the chain of the strainer in her slender fingers. The silver tone of the chain stood out starkly against her nearly navy, nearly black, painted nails as she maneuvered the ball around in the steaming water as it seeped. "Now just because you spent several hundred life times in the far east do not think you will school me on a perfect cup of builders tea. If you wish to discuss chai I will default to your vast knowledge but leave the builders to those that spent more than just a few hundred years in the British Isles," she said letting her accent come through a bit thicker as she continued. "First, builders is served in a mug, not a cup. This isn't earl grey mate. And while your at it, it is milk with sugar, and I will need a couple of biscuits to go with it," she added with a bit of mirth in her tone. She sounds like a chimney sweep at this point. It was rare Evelyn let her more jovial side show but they were not in mixed company then.

Glancing over towards the door, things had quieted since Alicia and the newest arrival had left the oak tree. Her smile faded from her lips as Gilbert spoke. "₁Ποτέ δεν ζηλεύω τίποτα που είμαι ικανός του Ηρακλείου. Δεν θα ήθελα τις ικανότητές μου ακόμα και στην Καταστροφή," Evelyn said as she pulled the chain of the strainer and removed the tea ball from the water. It clanked against the tea cup and saucer in that order before she let the chain fall from her hand. She stared at the dark liquid in her cup and swallowed slightly as she spotted her reflection. Whatever mirth or joy she had been having had quickly left and had been replaced with her usual proper and stoic demeanor. "₂Αν μη τι άλλο, λυπάμαι που δεν έχω τις ικανότητες του Οράσι. Θα μπορούσαμε να χρησιμοποιήσουμε προς όφελός μας."

A subtle sigh escaped her lips thinking back on Drem before she pushed that too from her mind. Picking up the cup she sipped it slowly before her head twitched as if she was chasing off a shiver that had crept down her spine. Mindlessly her hand went back to her pocket and the ancient dice she carried with her tinked against the table once again. Snatching it up she shoved it in her pocket and picked up her pipe from the table. "₃Σήμερα θα μπορούσε να είναι ατελείωτη. Θα έπρεπε να πάω, έχω τα πράγματα να τα παρακολουθήσω."

Placing it between her lips she pushed her chair back beneath the table. Resting her fingers into her front coat pockets, her thumbs flicking on the edge of the seems she turned and headed towards the backdoor. Stopping in the door way she reached up and pulled the pipe from her lips, a small cloud of smoke billowing from her lips. "Queen to Kings Rook Five," she said in passing but there was the faintest twinkle in her eye as she turned and continued on her way. "Checkmate," she added with a wave of her hand as she headed down the steps and then veered in the direction of the abandoned cabin near the servants quarters towards the outskirts of the grounds.

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Alicia had made her way down the back set of stairs from James room and over towards the Oak Tree once again. Glad to see her clipboard was still there since she had left it leaning against the tree before she had shown James his room. She didn't look at the numerous images that were hanging on the various walls in the main house. She had when she first moved in but now they were just part of the wall and she had work to do. There were not as many pictures as there were paintings. And there were not many images of people, it was mostly places and landscapes though every so often there would be an image of a person but usually the back of someone's head or a shadowed profile so you couldn't be sure who it was on the image. It seemed images with a persons face clearly shown was reserved for private quarters. Yet there was one hanging in the parlor over the mantle piece. Mounted on the frame on a brass plate it simply said Vefror.

Sitting down on the lowest hanging branch that swept the ground Alicia looked down at the paper. It seemed another name had appeared while she was off getting James settled in. Her brow furrowed slightly as she took note of the place of death. It wasn't Newnan and it didn't appear that this woman had any ties with Newnan itself but it was close enough to Newnan to make her wonder. Granted she didn't know the deal with this word that was written by the name of killer. Eden? Her lips pursed and pulled to one side as she kept looking over the information that was written. This would be interesting. It would be her first welcome that wasn't a direct result of Newnan.

It was probably for the best. At the rate they were showing up from her last home she wondered if her papi would show up. She didn't want him to for the most part but there was a tingle in the back of her mind that she wouldn't complain to terribly if he did. She did miss him. Liam and her papi were the only two things that seemed to keep her tied to that previous life. Ash hadn't really even crossed her mind in some time. Yes, they had been close but for her it wasn't anything huge. It wasn't love but it wasn't lust either. It was probably for the best she wasn't thinking about him, it would just complicate matters to start asking about her old home. Maybe not so much for Sophia since the two hadn't known each other but for James, it could have been. She figured Ash moved on a long time ago, she had. Not that she had had any relations to speak of since her arrival but she did have a new life in the most twisted way.

A flicker of light caught her attention and she glanced up from the clip board. It was time for the next arrival and she stood up. Dusting herself off before taking a breath. Okay, she could manage this. Three times a charm. Tucking the clipboard under her arm she waited for the portal to lift once again and reveal their newest arrival. Looking down at the woman she smirked a bit. "Welcome to Ville au Camp, I'm Alicia and bitch, yer dead," she said as she stood there. Okay, it was still bad but hey she had said welcome to start this time. It was progress.

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As Sophia continued to walk along the hallways, she looked around at some of the pictures that were hanging on the walls she was still a bit confused at why she was still chosen to be given another chance at life. She decided to turn back around and made her way back towards her bedroom to stretch out a bit. She could hear Alicia's voice from outside and wondered if it was anyone that she knew from before, but she didn't know and didn't want to interfere or interrupt with anything or the tour as well. And figured whoever the newcomer was they needed some space, she did as well.

When she got back down to the first floor Sophia unlocked her door and headed back inside closing the door and locked it as well, she ran a hand through her hair before making her way over to the bedside table grabbing her wedding ring once more and started to awkwardly put it on her finger. Sophia then made her way over to the bookshelf and grabbed a random book off of it before plopping herself down on the chair. She would occasionally look over at the picture frame, more towards the picture of Niesha letting out a slight sigh Sophia regretted not staying behind back at the infirmary.

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Nancy grinned, imagining outfitting the Paradoxes with muzzles. Eve would definitely have something to say about that, but if the next few were just as loud as these ones, Nancy and Gio may as well ask Gil if he had a few in his hat. Would it be hypocritical for her to get irritated with the louder Paradoxes? Perhaps a tad. The irony wasn't lost on the Emendator. "Hmm...I don't want the others to miss out on the welcoming gifts...Maybe we do them in waves, Gio? Each day, we rig a few more rooms until they've all been properly welcomed to Ville au Camp." She'd hate for any Paradox to be left out, after all.

Nancy nodded at Gio's argument that the costume was key: without it, they may not be able to pull it off. She was a skilled actress and able to mimic easily, but the clothing was really going to sell it. And with Gio's flare for writing, the script was going to be near perfect. It'd be a shame to waste all of that effort and preparation. They had come up with hundreds if not thousands of schemes together throughout the ages, but this had to be Nancy's favorite by far. She held her breath, as if that would help somehow, as Gio stuck his head out the door to check that the coast was clear.

Once he gave her the signal to follow, Nancy shut the door softly behind her and sprinted as lightly as she could on her toes over to Gio's room. Once they made it to Gio's room, Nancy darted inside, listening to see if any Paradoxes or Emendators had appeared in the hallway. There didn't seem to be any others at the moment. "Think we're good for now...Where's the costume?" Nancy asked.

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Faith blinked awake when she heard a voice. She half expected to see that bitch's face again and was ready to punch her in the throat. However, as she made the move to do so, she saw it was not, in fact, that bitch, but some other woman. It took her a few moments to process this new scene as well as her words.

She was...dead?

No, that was not the case. She didn't die. She couldn't die. She stood up quickly, almost falling over. She shook her head, "No, I am not dead. That bitch did not kill me. I just...got moved somewhere else." She looked around. This place felt off. She wasn't in Georgia anymore. Or...was she? She never really paid it much thought. As she looked, she glanced down and saw she wasn't wearing her normal clothes. She looked like she jumped out of a really old magazine that 50's housewives read. She started breathing heavily. Where were her old clothes? Where were her TRENDY clothes? Apocalypse or not, she needed to be up to date.

Alicia took a step back and let the girl work through shit a bit. Pulling the clipboard out she glanced down at it and went over the details of the girls death now that they were there before glancing back at her. Seemed she was about to accept it, at least she hoped she would. It would make shit a lot easier.

"Oh God, maybe I am dead. Is this what hell is like? Where I have to walk around in...this? What the fuck?" She started to panic a bit, not paying the other woman much mind.

Letting out a smirking chuckle she shook her head. "Oh, ain't hell. Ain't heaven either if that makes you feel any better. It's Louisiana, 1943. And that right there is the height of fashion right now. Be glad you didn't show up in what the last guy did. He had a rope belt and looked like he was about to pick cotton," Alicia said snickering a bit thinking back on how James had popped into existence there.

Faith was still reeling from her new ensemble that she barely heard what the woman said. She did catch the important part though. 1943. How was that possible? "What do you mean 1943? I was in Georgia and in the year 2011. How did I die and end up in Louisiana and, like, a trillion years ago?"

Squatting down, Alicia gripped the clipboard in her hands and it hung between her knees slightly as she looked over Faith. "Yeah, know that feeling. I was in Georgia about a year before you when I got taken by a horde of face eaters. Fucking sucked and I ended up here," Alicia said as she held one hand out and stood back up, offering to help the girl to her feet. "Well all that shit about life after death? Apparently it does happen, just in the weirdest fucking way."

Faith took in what the woman said for no other reason than she seemed to have the knowledge of what the hell was going on here. If she had her way. She noticed the woman mentioned walkers though. Were they part of the same time? She took the hand offered and she stood up. She took in her whole ensemble now and it wasn't too terrible, if she had to admit. If she was at the height of fashion during this time, that at least would give her the appearance of being well above others. That was good.

"So, there is an afterlife and it brings you to Louisiana in the 1930s? That's fucked up. But, ok. So what now?"

"1940's and this ain't no fucking afterlife. It is quite literally a life after death," Alicia said as she tucked the clipboard under one arm and glanced towards the main house. "Basically, you died. A woman by the name of Lady Lucas who has been alive since like pyramid fucking times went to herself, 'this bitch isn't going to whatever the fuck is after death. She's coming here.' And you came here. And we are caught here in the same day, over and over and over again until the Emendators decide otherwise."

1930s or 1940s. Did that really matter? It was a time before cell phones, the internet, and quality fashion judging on her appearance. She wanted out of here and back to where she came from. "So these Emendators are the bosses around here? I'd like to speak to this woman, if possible. I need to go back. I can't let that woman live another moment."

Alicia had to chuckle, she couldn't help it. "Close to the first thing I said and I'll tell you what they told me. You don't ever go back, ever. But yeah, you can talk to her later. Supposed to get you settled into your room first and finish getting the others situated. Come on I'll show you your room chica," she said motioning towards the house.

She had a room here? So they expected her to stay? No, she couldn't stay. She would get back. Emendators be damned. She had business to attend to and she couldn't do it spending her days (or day, as it were) in rural Louisiana. But she wasn't stupid either. She doubted this woman had much control other than her being the introducer to her own personal hell. She would bide her time. She wanted to see this Emendator face to face before she made any solid plans.

So she followed. And she plotted.

It was but a hop, skip, and a jump later that Alicia had made her way upstairs to find out the room assignment for Faith. "They have you over here," Alicia said as she lead their newest arrival over to her room. Along the way she explained where the kitchen house was, where the single bathroom they ALL had to share was, and most importantly: to look out for the resident pranksters. Opening Faiths door she leaned against the door frame and handed over the key. "Listen, this is a bitch of a lot of information to take it. I got here and found out I had been killed, twice, in two different lives. That was a real mind fuck. Anywho, get settled in. The Hat usually stocks a new arrivals room with shit to make them feel at home," she said before leaving Faith to get settled in and heading back to the Oak Tree. She was getting her 10,000 steps in today that was for damn sure.

Not only did she find out that she was dead, but that apparently there were different lives? Did she have any? What fresh hell did she wind up in? And someone named The Hat put things in her room to make her feel welcome. She highly doubted...

And then she looked inside. Despite the current year, it looked as if it came out of her own room. It was decorated with tons of things she liked. A full-length mirror to see herself in. A cute pink puppy on her bed. The room screamed her. She had to give them that. While her appearance wasn't desirable, this room certainly was. "I...appreciate that. This is going to take some time to get used to, it seems." She stepped into her room before she felt the need to be any more nice and thankful. As far as rooms went, this wasn't half bad.

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"Perhaps, my dear. Perhaps. It depends on if we have the time." While someone with less restraint or who hadn't lived at least 23 lifetimes, most of them as a living embodiment of time itself might have purposefully made some kind of joke, or noticed afterwards and smiled at their own perceived wittiness, Gio gave no such indication for there wasn't anything humorous about what he'd said.

Yes, they were about to enter a theoretically perpetual time loop, but they still had to contend with time moving normally beforehand and once in the loop, everyone that resided within it would still experience "time" and have to contend with only being able to do so many things at a time. The longer they waited, the more Paradoxes would show up, and the more difficult it would be to prepare everyone's gifts. Even when freed from the flow of time, one still had to contend with it.

"I had to hide the costume in two parts of space-related reasons, I hope you don't mind." Moving quietly so as to not cause a huge ruckus, Giosue moved the dresser away from the wall and reached behind it. After a few seconds of blind jiggling, he produced a jumpsuit on a hanger. All the way down it was lined with stripes that were once black, but now faded to a grayish-blue. On the "neck" of the hanger was looped a set of dull matte handcuffs broken apart halfway down the length of the chain. He laid the costume on the bed before laying down to get the pièce de résistance underneath the bed: a metal weight attached via chain to an ankle cuff. All the parts assembled, the Watch pulled out the key to the cuffs from his trousers.