Kahli looked at the long, flowing white cloak of the tall, lanky figure that was, as they described themself, The Supreme and Almighty Overlord Tauman of the Sanctity of Time. Kahli could barely keep track of a title that long.

"Wow, that's... quite a title," she replied.

"And you're quite a tauman, Kahli," replied The Supreme and Almighty Overlord Tauman of the Sanctity of Time with a huff. "You've progressed quite far already with [Seismic Sense], it's rather impressive. And what's more, you're starting to already grasp the many intricacies of manipulating time in any manner. Do realize that I've had this visit to you on my agenda for a good, long while now - although I must say, I really wasn't expecting you to pretend to be one of my envoys. I must request you refrain from such actions in the future unless I do end up incorporating you as one of my team members in some manner. Not only is it bad for my reputation to have people lying in such ways, but it's also a direct violation of Time Law. And, as an officer of that very law, I can't sit idly by and allow you to trample it in such a dreadful manner. I like to picture Time Law as a personified being, or more aptly, like some large, scaled serpent hissing and rattling its tail away into oblivion at any sort of stimulus, from the passing wind to a mighty flood."

Kahli looked into her purse at Froufrou, hoping she'd have something to squelch about. But Froufrou's lips were sealed, apparently, and this only made Kahli feel cross. "So, you, you officer of Time Law, what exactly am I violating?"

"Are you sure you want me to rattle off all that to you?" asked The Supreme and Almighty Overlord Tauman of the Sanctity of Time. "I want to stress that I'm not here to talk about your violations. As I said, I've been planning to meet with you for quite some time now - it's just that many of your actions as of late have put you on a much larger radar, and with that, I've certainly got my work cut out for me."

Kahli was irked. Who did this Supreme whatever think they were? It was a little insulting. "Look, Supreme Overly Almighty Tauman of Scared Timeliness, or whatever it is you call yourself, can I just -"

"Oh, my apologies. Yea, no expectations to say all that whenever you refer to me, that's just my formal title. Just call me Supreme Time Protector or something like that."

Kahli sighed. Clearly, this fellow had never once heard of modesty or tauman decency and politeness. "Alright, sure thing, Supreme Lime Projector. So, uh, what's your whole deal? How are you here in the void? I thought it was just someplace I went when I was analyzing timelines.

"That's the funny thing, Kahli, it's just the same way that sinister jellyfish guy you took out got in. You're not closing off or protecting your system, which is a pretty big deal. However, other than that, I'm able to be here because of my elementality. See, I used to have a more normal elementality. I think it might've been water, or perhaps rock such as yourself. Regardless, my elementality has changed, it has evolved, and I am now a time elemental."

Kahli could've slapped herself in that moment. A time elemental? That couldn't be real, could it? She turned to the Supreme Time Protector with interest. "So what you're saying is that your elementality changed over time?"

The Supreme Time Protector chuckled. "Yes, though I must admit I'm enjoying the double meaning in what you just said. You've got to forgive me, my mind practically runs off of time related puns. Regardless, yes. It was a very slow change... Or a very fast change, depending on how your cognition processes time. Fairly short for a tauman like either of us, yes."

"Interesting," said Kahli. She felt in this moment a little bit uncomfortable. It wasn't that being a time elemental didn't sound cool and exclusive, it was instead that Kahli felt very attached to being a rock elemental, and she didn't like the idea of taking away that small bit fo joy about herself. So, she said nothing.

"It's fine, I can understand being intimidated," said the Supreme Time Protector as he twirled his long staff, which had a large clock on top of it. "That said, I've got to talk to you about your usage of your [skill]."

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"Okay," said Kahli with a little tinge of anxiety. "What is it?"

"You're progressing at a rate that requires oversight by the Time Board."

Kahli was starting to feel like all of this was a bit stupid. "Time Law? Time Board? How many silly time-related names can small organizations have?"

"You'd be surprised," said the Supreme Time Protector with a sigh. "Regardless, ugh... There's only one way for us to really smooth all this over with the Greater Time Committee - if you're having trouble understanding who that is, just think of it like the Upper Echelon, but for time - other than of course turning you into one of my envoys or having you go to mandatory time training, which often times ends up never ending in the first place because almost everyone observing is able to manipulate time in some way."

"So you're saying there is that there are all these shadowy time-related entities that I've never heard of, and they're going to dictate what I can and can't do under threat?" Kahli wasn't liking the sound of all these time people. Why now? Why all the red tape? Why couldn't she just do what she planned to do with her timelines?

The Supreme Time Protector just sighed when Kahli said all of this, and buried their head in their hands in emotional frustration. "Look, Kahli, if we don't follow the process, the effects on Nomachiato - hell, the effects on the whole universe if we're not careful - will quickly start to build and then to snowball. You could wake up tomorrow and see trees flying around, chopping down taumans and turning them into people if you took the wrong course of action. That is to say, if you misuse your ability to twist timelines, you truly run the risk of destroying everyone and everything you hold dear." The Supreme Time Protector took a deep breath. "And so, I'm going to do something I swore to myself that I would never, ever, do again. But, please know, if you don't take me up on this, Time Bounty Hunters may seek you out in hopes of obtaining a ransom."

Kahli stayed silent. She felt uncomfortable with the idea of the Time Bounty Hunters, but she also found it hilarious that the Supreme Time Protector couldn't just call them bounty hunters. It seemed that the word 'time' was by necessity appended to the beginning of all applicable organizations run or run under the reign of the Supreme Time protector. So, Kahli listened, and she tried not to laugh.

The Supreme Time Protector walked up to Kahli, sighed, and handed her a small pocket watch. "Accept this gift of mine, and you will become a time apprentice. What does becoming a time apprentice require you to do? Not all that much for you, thankfully - though I'll have a ton of scrollwork to fill out, mind you - other than to learn from me to the best of your ability while spending infinity amounts of time here in the shrouded void - that's what I call the void when my light aberrations and fractal clouds come into play, they follow me everywhere as a side effect of heavy time control. Really, Kahli, what I'm offering you is coaching on timeline crafting and selection in order to keep you and Froufrou from unintentionally destroying the world. You've already come dangerously close to this many a time, and it had just reached the point where I couldn't stand idly by."

Kahli chuckled, pocketed the watch, and looked at Froufrou. Her pet seemed nervous, and less squelchy than usual - and Kahli trusted her judgement.

"Look, Supreme Crime Inspector, I respect where you're headed here. You're worried about the end of the world, and I totally get that, I do. But, see, I just have had reeally bad experiences with mentorship, if it can be called that." Kahli remembered Omar burning the prophetic scroll that foretold Froufrou's existence and the end of the world. She also remembered the big jellyfish and its many monologues on the function and uselessness of time. She recounted these at length to the Supreme Time Protector, going into exquisite detail into how much of her time she had spent either being taught or apprenticed to people that showed no respect to her at all.

"Kahli, I promise you, I would not do this if I was going to treat you in such a way. I think you've got a lot of potential as a [Time Manipulator], and I'd like you to seriously consider learning from me. There are only so many Supreme Time Protectors, and we all know each other. Apprenticing under me will afford you unparalleled protection."

Kahli still felt apprehension. "I don't want to lose my current elementality! I like being an elemental of rock and stone."

"That's fine, Kahli, really! This is not about taking things away from you, it is about giving you something new, something you seem to already have a real knack for! There are so many people that have studied time as an element that never once thought to control timelines in ways that you have! "

Kahli had to admit, she was a sucker for flattery. She took a deep breath, and then she looked at the Supreme Time Protector. Their face was fully covered by their hooded shawl, and yet, she felt a need to smile at them.

"You know what? I'm in."