[Aurora's bracelet is only turned on because a certain owl had been gently nipping at it. Aurora's singing can be heard over the network as she is cleaning the room provided to her. The owl, who had been sitting on the windowsill while Aurora was cleaning. Aurora is just smiling as she gently shoos her avian companion away, still singing.]

Yes, I'm sure this is a bit strange for you as well. Coming here all because of an apple! [She sing-songed to the owl, unaware of the bracelet being on.] But I am glad all the same to see you. And I suppose thankful to the apple as well. [She lightly bops his beak and he sees the screen, giggling and she hasn't smiled so sincerely in what felt like weeks if only it's been a few days.

He tilts his head and gives a soft "hoo!" Aurora turns to see where he's looking, giving a soft "oh!" in surprise.]

Oh! [Well, it would seem all of Asgard had just heard her sing for the moment.] Well, I suppose I should ask, is it very common for fruits to provide us our dear friends and items from home? I'm quite sure I've never had an apple do such a thing before... or appear in such colors.

[In one corner there's a small pile of fluff, just barely visible. Worn and repaired a half dozen times at least, if somebody got close enough to hold it they'd easy feel the stitches that reunited one ear with the rest of it. Poorly done stitches at that. Child-like, even. But incredibly determined. It's clearly showing it's age with an apparent need for glasses. At least it's not bifocals.

His name is Feigenbaum.

And Fred had pretty much counted on never seeing him again.

He'd kept her company on that incredibly long drive into L.A., a familiar face to come home to when everything else was so new and different. Heck, without him it wasn't even home. Just an unfamiliar bed topped with unfamiliar sheets in an unfamiliar house. All of it, smelling like nothing. That's one of the hardest parts, she thinks then, curling up at night and being surrounded by things that all smell like nothing. That made her feel nothing. Everything except for him.

And then, suddenly, she was nothing. (Because when you forget your own name, that's a lot how it feels) For five years it was a different kind of emptiness until they came and brought her back. Back, not home. Because Fred had been absolutely certain home wasn't something she was meant for anymore. She didn't fit into the spaces that she'd left behind. She was the unfamiliar thing now.

But somehow they found her anyway. And somehow they still knew. And even if it wasn't alright? It was better And better felt like a whole heck of a lot. The next time her folks came to visit they brought Fiegenbaum with them, and it was only right then as Mama pressed him into her hands that Fred remembers properly thinking of their version of the story.

A daughter, suddenly gone. Having to make that same trip into L.A. only with just their own thoughts and fears as company. And finally having to pack up her things, to bring them back home instead of her. He feels branded with it now, Feigenbaum. Somewhere in all his mottled fur and wide-set eyes, it's there. All those feelings. Hers, and theirs.

And her folks feel incredibly far away]

Why do the things that make us feel better make us feel so much worse?

[Fred blinks, as if realizing what she's doing]

...and why am I even rambling about this here?

[It's late when the video flickers on, Rapunzel is seated near a window with the stars in view, along with the dim light revealing more of her paintings. Pascal is curled up asleep at her lap nested in her hair, let loose from the daily braid at night.]

So, those apples are....different? But...if I believe what the red one showed me, I guess I'm not so scared about going back home, meeting my real parents. You know what I mean? I haven't tried the others, but there seemed to be a few different colours. I hope nobody had anything too bad happen with them?

[Rapunzel seems genuinely a bit concerned there, with the warning on the bark and all. She doesn't know what the other colours might have potentially done to people. She figures even her own red one could potentially have been a lot worse, if it does really show the future. Even if she will now forever be traumatized by Eugene dying there, she at least has the reassurance of the kingdom and her parent's welcome for her at her return.]

A-anyway, I wanted to ask, since I'm kind of having trouble sleeping for some reason, what sorts of stories does everyone know from home? I only had three books in the tower, so I'd love to hear some from everyone.

[Dany turns on the video feed but appears to be distracted by an object in her lap.]

Has any of you received an important item from home recently? Are the gods being unusually kind to us this time?

[Because the item Dany has gotten is quite precious to her. It is her mother's crown, Queen Rhaella's crown, a heirloom she had thought lost to her long ago, when Viserys saw himself forced to sell it in order to ensure both of their survival.]

Or will these gifts be taken from us just as easily as they came?

[The screen finally shifts to her lap, and the crown is finally visible to the viewers before the feed ends.]

[Isaac is broadcasting from inside of a pretty wrecked looking place. The shelves around him are still in some form of disarray, water damage is soaked into the walls, and there are various animal cages laying on the ground with different sorts of pets in them- sluggish lizards in one, sneezy rats in another... all in all, the sight is kind of depressing, even if there are obvious attempts to clean it up.

He sighs.]

Right. I was hoping to not have to do this, but I think that the animals will get sick if we keep them here for much longer. Can you guys foster some of these while we're getting the store rebuilt? We can give you all the stuff you need to take care of 'em.

Oh. And- we're broke. Like, really broke. [Having over a week of no income, plus repairs, plus having to use product to keep the animals alive will do that to you.]

So... [Isaac sighs.] There are those apple things that give you money, right? Would anyone be willing to share some?

[ caroline is sitting cross-legged on her bed, in her room at the freya house, fiddling with something the camera can't quite see yet. her eyes are downcast and she takes a long, deep breath before starting to speak, brushing a stray strand of hair from her eyes. ]

So, I found this today. I ate an apple from one of those weird-looking trees that've sprung up, like, everywhere and then there it was. Hanging from a branch, like it'd been there the entire time.

[ she shakes her head and holds up the thing she'd been playing with to reveal a silver charm bracelet dangling from her fingers. her lips twitch up into smile, but it's a gesture tinged with sadness. ]

My boyfriend got me this for my birthday last year and it - well - it made me think. Do any of you have people you love back home, people you miss? If you could, would you ask the gods to bring them here?

No. No. NO!

[The video is an absolute blur, but there is definitely destruction happening. The tinkle of broken glass, loud thumps and cracks that sound a lot like furniture being hit with blunt objects - anything you'd associate with a house being utterly totalled from the inside can be heard through the maelstrom.

Then it stills, and one red-faced, absolutely apoplectic Pyro is visible in the middle of his path of destruction.]

You assholes. You stupid fucking assholes. If you were so almighty, we wouldn't be any threat to you, would we? So why the hell take them away? Curse me. Make me think I'm Stryker, I don't care. Just bring them back, and do it now.

[It doesn't matter how many times he's told others that people come back. That's it's random. That they're better off. This is his fucking leader and second-in-command, two of the mutants he admires above all others, and they're both gone. If someone doesn't talk him down soon, he'll be paying off the damages on a burnt-down paid residence for the rest of his time in Asgard.]

((ooc: backtags are coming, but this huge of a drop had to be referenced. also, if any gods want to garnish his wages for the damage or anything, consequences are obviously expected for this.))

[Hello, Asgard. The entire city is treated to this lovely smiling visage.]
( Cut for image/gif )
Hey there, Asgard. So, after a lot of thought, I've come to realize I really need to get a job. Preferably not at a pet store.

[Sorry, Scott, but if he had to work around Isaac and Derek, it was likely there'd be some sort of war involving projectile puppies or kittens. No one wanted that, man. No one.]

A man needs to be able to buy the finer things in life. Maybe some of the not so fine things as well. I don't know what the job market's like out here, but Stiles needs some dough.

[He needed to be able to impress, not that it had ever helped him before.]

Is there a sign up place? A help wanted section? A newspaper? Ye olde job market? Come on, help a guy out. I shouldn't have to state the obvious, but heavy lifting isn't my strong suit. Neither is anything involving having to move. Or do things that require effort.

[Okay, so it wasn't that bad, but he wanted to make sure his potential employer had lowered expectations. He might need to slack off to help a certain best friend out and if no one expected anything from him, that gave him a lot of leeway.]

So, any takers?

[The feed starts, and there's a woman standing outside the palace. She doesn't look overly pissed, more annoyed than anything.]

Okay, as awesome as that guide was... Is Loki like... Five? Whatever, moving on. Like a leaf on a branch? That sounds more like some cheesy lines out of a sci-fi show. But let's take a moment and talk about those creepy maids with no faces. Was that really necessary? Shouldn't Gods be able to give them some faces? At least have them paint one on if they can't?

[She sighs, shaking her head as she looks around.]

Really, as fun as a vacation in this place would be? I have crap to do. I don't have time to deal with crazy God shit.

[She frowns, a hand resting on her hip before making a face.]

Oh, c'mon! This is getting frickin' old already! One of you assfaces need to send me back. And by assfaces, I mean Gods.

[ The video turns on and Annabeth gives a small wave at the camera; she looks pretty excited for whatever reason. ]

Hi. My name's Annabeth Chase -- and I know I'm not the first, but I'm another person that's been brought here permanently after I arrived for the celebration.

But I was reading the welcome...uh, drawing? And I wasn't really satisfied by the answers. Can anyone tell me a little bit more about this place and the gods? Where I come from, we don't really have these same gods. [ You know, being a daughter of a Greek goddess and how the Greek pantheon is a thing. ] Any help you'd like to give would be really appreciated. Or maybe just tell me where I can go to find out some more -- I looked in the library, but it's so huge. I might have missed something.

Also if I'm going to be living here, I should probably help out. What's there to do around here? Jobs and stuff? I'd offer up my services as an architect, but you usually need some capital before you can build anything...

--Oh and Seaweed Brain, you'd better message me when you see this. Thanks!

[ elena’s not quite sure how she even managed to figure out how this works despite being told, but she supposes that’s not what matters: what matters is it is working. the last thing she remembers is bonnie, holding her above her gram’s lifeless body, her best friend’s sobs shaking into her chest.

and now this. that room, that faceless maid. she’s outside the freya house's welcome hall, more shell-shocked than panicked. it wasn’t long ago she was trapped in a hotel room and held there, but this is much different.

more dangerous, potentially. definitely leagues away and bigger from anything she knows.

she speaks, seemingly calm and firm. ] I was told I could talk to people this way. That there were... others. If anyone can tell me what they know about this place, I... [ she doesn’t know what this is, and she’s not willing or naive enough to simply believe anything she's been told besides the obvious: she's not home. with a breath, she seems to center herself better, despite the lost look in her eyes. ] I’d appreciate it. My name’s Elena, and... I’m pretty sure I was ‘living’ and ‘growing’ just fine at home. [ /wry. ]

ooc: if possible, action is also welcome!

I'd like to be enlightened. [ And judging by the way he's expectantly looking at the camera, it seems like he's genuinely interested in you. As if you have a superb, unbidden story to tell...and he wants to hear it. ]

So if you could take a moment of your time to answer this simple question, it'd really mean the world to me.

When was the first time you decided to use your powers? Was it accidental? Intentional? How did it feel? Have you used your powers excessively after that time or scarcely? Moderately, if at all?

And if you haven't used them yet...why not? [It's not asking too much....right??]

[Loki appears in front of the screen while tapping his chin. He is thinking. After all, he has so much exciting things to announce.]

Direst news, fellow Asgardians and similar individuals! After this great feast of spring, flowers and similar jubilant subjects we must have reduced the amount of areas infected with the grey malady to a minimum, yes? After all, it is as Other Loki tells us, a healthy amount of joy can cure this!

Second of all, I have made an assessment of the refreshments during the feasts. I could not have done this without the kind maiden who told me about a Kinko's. Alas, there is no Kinko's here, please do pay attention to the screen now.

[Loki disappears for a moment and returns with two large pieces of paper. First he holds this one up for at least five minutes because he wants to makes ure you have seen it.]

Besides the poor quality of the pastries with meat I also have a small point of critique...

[Loki holds up a second sign for a obnoxiously long time.]

To conclude this very important message I would like to ask my fellow housemates a small favor. I seem to be in need of an occupation to acquire currency. I am sure some of you can help a fellow Loki out, right? Right!

[Alice smiles as she adjusts the stuffed rabbit in her arms. She's in much higher spirits with the flower festival having gone on and just general good weather and flowers.]

How do you do? [She starts.]

I've been thinking about this quite a bit, and I thought, since it's so difficult to tell what day it is because the calendar here is different! Well, because of that, that means you can't have a birthday party! [Horror of horrors!] So I've devised the absolutely perfectly answer to this!

Unbirthday parties! [Yes, people, for Alice this is a thing.] Now! Unbirthday parties are held on every day your birthday isn't! But since we can no longer tell, I think people should pick a day they wish to have their unbirthday and that can be their unbirthday so long as they're in Asgard! [She shifts her rabbit from one arm to the other.]

Would anyone else like to celebrate an unbirthday! Because I've the perfect idea for one!

A tea party! There's a distinct lack of those here, and that simply shan't do! So I would like to hold one near the field of flowers! An outdoor tea party sounds rather lovely, wouldn't you agree?

[Filtered to Iri, Archer, Rin, & Saber;]

I'd like to move out of the provided housing soon and I'd like Iri and Archer to come along, if you would. I expect Rin and Saber would follow if that happened, so I'll just invite you now. But we'll need income, so how many of you are working?

[/End Filter]


What are the best restaurants in town, in your opinion?

[A clearing of the throat, and a certain moth man dressed in a bright purple suit comes on camera, looking unamused as always.]

So, they say that you can judge people by what they like, right? I mean, if you like reading big long tedious books in your spare time, people will tend to think that you're big long and tedious when it comes to conversations. Or, if you like action movies and things with large explosions in them, people might think you're an adrenaline junkie and more likely to jump into a reckless situation. Or if you like really trashy romance novels, you don't actually have a life and stay at home all day because nobody will ever go out with you. Stuff like that, you get the idea.

So, I thought, why not ask people what they think about a certain thing I actually know a little bit about?

Insects.

[Yes, he's being serious. Nick gives the camera a level look.]

Tell me what insects you like, and I'll then judge what kind of person you are based on that. Yes, I'll count spiders in with that one. And if you don't like bugs all that much, you can just tell me which ones you don't like, and I'll judge that too. Think of this as a survey, of sorts.

...

If you have no idea what insects are, then I wonder what in the name of Sam Hill is going on with your world, because it must be the apocalypse over there or everything is messed up, that's all I can say.

[Anyone who says they hates butterflies is automatically getting a punch in the face from him, just saying.]

[ Scott attempts to make this anonymous... and fails, but it is locked from the person he doesn't want to see it the most: Allison Argent. ]

Say your girlfriend's mom tries to kill you but she gets -

[ Bitten? No, too obvious. ]

- infected with something really bad and life-changing by someone who saves you from the situation.

The infected mom chooses to kill herself because she thinks it's easier on everyone to die.

If you'd stopped seeing your girlfriend like her dad told you to, you wouldn't have given her mom a reason to kill you, she wouldn't have got infected and she'd still be alive.

Or if you never got rescued... you'd be dead, but your girlfriend would still have a mom. [ And having a mom is important, right? Even if she tried to murder a sixteen year old boy whose only crime was falling in love with her daughter. ]

Is it your fault her mom is dead?

[ Because this isn't a hypothetical situation and Scott will continue to feel guilty until someone talks some sense into him. ]

( Private )

[Audio]

[The voice that comes over the feed is soft, but if you've spoken to her enough, it is unmistakably Hibiki's. Considering she doesn't usually do voice posts, this is a little... odd.]

Does anybody... know what to do when you really, really miss somebody?