[The feed turns on and the first thing you notice is this_chair 's body on the bed.

Shirou walks over to poke him and there's no response.

Since Shiki claimed to have anemia, Shirou couldn't bring himself to ignore it as easily.

This is why he will now consult the bracelet for advice. ]

Do any of you think he's dead?

...

Hey.

Tohno.


[Now using more force to tug at the other male's shirt.

Still no response.]

He might be dead for real.

What do I do?

[ooc: replies will be coming from Shiki Tohno as well! We'll be tagging separately.]

[ when the feed comes on, loki is sprawled sideways in an armchair, his back against one arm and legs thrown carelessly over the other. there are books spread around him, one lying open across his chest with his palm against the spine to keep it from shifting. he's not bothering to look into the video, instead toying with a small, delicate piece of equipment that a certain playboy multi-billionaire might recognize. (he's good at 'acquiring' things that interest him.) ]

Tick tock, Asgard. Aren't we all just good little clockwork people, spinning predictably along while it all comes to life around us. I wonder where the key might be that does the winding.

[ he curves a slender hand at his ear as if listening. ]

Can't you hear it? Tick-tick-tick, like some great and terrible heart. [ his hand falls away, and he laughs, head falling back, folding an arm over his eyes as if to hide it. ] A last, desperate act for a dying world.

[ he's quiet for several moments, but slowly removes his arm, turning slightly to smirk at the feed. ]

Come along, now, show me some real mischief, won't you? It's been so terribly dull.

[are you enjoying your bunnies and colored eggs today, Asgard? Beato is, and she looks fairly relaxed on the video feed. Unlike last time, there are no signs of disarray or anything. In fact, she's having a pretty calm cup of warm tea and looks rather satisfied with herself]

Good afternoon, Asgard, and Happy Easter! Rejoice, for I have come to impart a bit of magical knowledge to you!

Did you know that Easter is also a Witch's holiday? We call it Ostara and celebrate it as the full return of the sun and the beginning of the season of fertility on Earth. Since it's a festival related to fertility, rabbits and eggs are used to celebrate. Ostara began as a celebration among the ancient Germans and was eventually merged with the Christian Easter and Jewish Passover season. It's usually celebrated on the day of the Spring Equinox.

Be grateful, humans! We Witches don't usually share our knowledge with you! But since it's a holiday, I'm feeling especially generous today.

...bel. Asbel?

[ A young girl around the age of fourteen with purple hair tied up into pigtails appears on the video feed, peering worriedly into the screen. She got the part about the ring that it was some kind of communication device, but how to actually use it was another story. What is this, some kind of Amarcian technology? She managed to at least bring up the holographic screen with a few pokes and record herself. She hasn't a clue that it's recording properly. ]

Where... are you...? Can you hear me?

[ She brings up the letter and map that the maid handed to her when she arrived. She struggles to read it: ]

You have been... cho... to...

[ She trails off into silence, then starts struggling to read it again. Asbel only taught her how to read simple words. ]

You... be...

...

I can't... I can't read it...

Hey.  I’m not into public introductions, it feels like AA or something.  Name’s Rudolf Ushiromiya, just got a few questions here for the rest of you.

Anyone know how exactly they decide where you go?  It’s like a horoscope, right?  Personalities and all that.  So what’s the formula, if you want specifics, it’d be Baldr.  If you don’t like how they judged you, who do you talk to about getting a switch?  I don’t like the idea of somebody just assuming who I am.

Oh yeah, and what kind of jobs are up for grabs, or businesses that might be needed.  This suite doesn’t really suit my tastes.  …And I guess I’m gonna have to buy cigarettes.

[Tohru's by the Gate of Fog, eager, but holding herself back, even if just barely, shown by how close she is and how tightly she's balling up her hands in determination.]

They said we could leave if we wanted and return home. [And yes, of course, she fully believes that.]

Does anyone want to go together?

[Come morning on the travelers’ 64th day in Asgard, the city now seemingly overwhelmed with vibrance, a message will appear on each and every bracelet. Loki's face should appear familiar enough to the travelers by now, and the video’s background appears to be that of his last video. He smiles, just the same as before, and then, chuckling, throws his arms up in an almost celebratory manner.]

Well Travelers, it looks like you did it! Asgard is back in its prime and, just as promised, you’re free to go!

[A quick wink.]

It was nice knowing ya! And hey, thanks again for all of your help. You’ve been great, really.

[And that's that. The feed cuts.]


[OOC: "Loki" will only be responding selectively at best, but the gods will be about in this post. As of now, the Gate of Fog (at the end of the main road between Heimdall and Freyr districts) will no longer be guarded, and the force field keeping Travellers within the city is down. Should they leave, they'll find that nothing in particular happens. They're just outside the city, and the landscape is rocky fields and some sparse, tame little bits of woods. There's game to hunt if looked for (caribou, rabbit, fox, etc), and things are more and more "normal" the further they are from the city. After a couple of hours the city itself will suddenly, in the blink of an eye, become just as grey as it was before the fog rolled in, and the greyness will apply to the lands very close to the city outside as well.

Keep an eye on the gods' interactions with each other for clues to what happened! ;) Another NPC post later will give more solid info later.

Also Importantly, the chosen leader for the hospital expedition on Day 70/April 20-21 is... The Doctor. All of him. We'll be contacting the muns with info sometime in the next day or so so things can get going ICly. If it falls through we'll PM an alternate asap! Have fun!]

 [ Since they can't leave because of the thick fog, Lenalee decides to head down to the kitchen. Sure, she's hungry, but she's feeling a little homesick.

And what better way to get to know her fellow Freya residents than to give them coffee?

As she follows the steps, she falls into a familiar process, and muscle memory allows her to actually start to relax. This really was a good idea.

By the time she calls out to the large common area, she's feeling much more like herself again. ]

Does anyone want coffee?

[When the feed turns on, he’s quite obviously pissed off to the point of shaking. It’s subtle but there if someone’s looking closely. There’s also nothing calm about the teeth clenching and danger flashing in his eyes, features contorted into a snarl.]

Gods? What is this bullshit?! Where is everyone? JYUUDAIME ARE YOU OUT THERE?!

[Gokudera doesn’t know if he’s the only one in this... this place. But he has to assume he’s not for his own sanity. Life without anyone he knows would suck, and it’s something he’s thought about often enough in the privacy of his own apartment. That is, what life was like before going to school at Namimori. It’s not something he wants to go back to.

He stares into the screen area for another brief moment, almost like he’s willing someone to answer... then the transmission ends with a ‘tch’ and a small muttering of - because he needs it to kill some of the stress he’s feeling -]

I need to find some smokes...

[A new face lights up out of everyone's bracelets as Lyon figures out how to use this thing.]

Hello?  Can anyone hear me?  This is incredible, it's like something the Sindar would have made...  Oh!  My name is Lyon, Queen's Knight of Falena.

[The figure bows politely.]

I was wondering if anyone could tell me a little more about this place and why I've been brought here.  The maids I met before weren't very informative.  They mentioned something about bringing life to the world, but that's all they would tell me.  Does this have something to do with the True Runes?  I'm certain that if I could just speak to the Prince or the rune sages in the Sun Palace, there's something we could do to help.  I've never heard of a nation by the name of Asgard before, but I'm sure our Queen would be interested in forming friendly ties with a foreign power.  Is there a way I can contact them from here or at least send a message back?  I'd feel much better if I could let them know where I am.