I need to talk to the gods. Now.

[Yes, Asgard. He's not anon, for once. He's also not signing this with "M" either. Best to preserve that identity.]

The things that attacked us -- Does anyone have a body? I want to examine one.

It's called the Dark Presence.

[BLAM.

For those who were wondering if anyone knew what the hell was going on, here's your cue. Alan is in the dark, holding a hunting rifle and sporting a heavy-duty lantern flashlight in the other. It's pointed in the direction of something nearby, a hand being seen covering what looks to be possibly a face. In front of him is a Taken, a girl who is a native and sells bouquets at a local stand. It's clear that she has no intention other than to hurt Alan, planting tools being hurled in his direction as she sing-songingly skips around him.]

Fresh FLOWERS FOR SALE!! Only THREE COPPER RUNES-

[BLAM BLAM. Without even hesitating, Alan points the light, raises the rifle, and fires. The girl shrieks and then suddenly turns into ash that fades as she disappears. He looks back at the camera, eyeing it but still wary for other attackers.]

Those are what we call "Taken" back home. They're consumed by the Dark Presence and have no mind of their own. They can be anyone you know. And once they're possessed, their mind is gone.

[Alan grits his teeth suddenly, reloads the gun, whirls as another Taken appears, light from the lantern pinpointing the creature and making it hiss. The shroud covering it evaporates, fizzing out a few seconds later, leaving the thing to be more irked now that it has no protection. Alan still continues to speak, even as he's fighting.]

You can only hurt them in light. [BLAM. It becomes ash and fades like the last one.] Get rid of the darkness surrounding them, and then attack. You're just wasting ammo otherwise. The ravens and the objects that fling themselves at you? Use light on them and they'll disappear once their darkness is gone.

[Now he turns back to the camera, because this is something he has to emphasize.] And no matter how much they look like someone you know, no matter how much they sound like your friend, no matter how much you think it's your crush or wife or husband or whatever playing a joke, they're not. They've been possessed by the Dark Presence, and they're nothing but an empty puppet for it now.

[His voice is dark, but it's blunt and hits the point right on the head.] You can't save them. If they become a Taken, the only way to help them is to kill them. [He ducks as another Taken comes by, the blade of a sickle narrowly missing his spine, and he pulls out a flare to give himself space. The red light creates a small circle around him, and one the creature backs away from instantly. He uses this to his advantage, grabbing his lantern again, knocking out the shroud, and then shooting it before the thing can recover.]

If you're inside, stay there. Keep all the lights on in your house. If one goes out, light up candles and keep as much possible lit at all times until morning. If you're outside, find a light source and stay by it. If you can get in a building with light, do it.

[At this point, he pauses before continuing, almost like a hesitance.] If you can't get inside, tell me where you are. I'll come look for you and bring you someplace safe.

Just please, all of you- this is dangerous. It's not the time to play "hero." Stay inside if you can, and don't come out until you notice the sun is up. I don't want this to get any worse than it already has. [But the tone of his voice says that this isn't the end. Not by a long shot.]

[[For those who want to run around with Alan and help him with finding others and fighting, you can find him in the logs for Day 129, Day 130, and Day 131]]

[the sound of muffled curses as Alec is trying to organize himself and his thoughts and he's clearly trying to work out exactly what he's going to say to everyone that can hear him. He's been stewing over this for a couple of days already. In fact the words that can probably be made out right from the get go are things like 'clave' and 'family' and 'cowards', before he seems to realize that people are probably already hearing him. So this mumbling is followed by a long, slightly awkward pause before he finally begins speaking again]

I've been listening to everything that's been going on, and I listened to the lecture when I got here and I'm great at learning and I'm sure it's supposed to be some kind of honour to be chosen to come here or whatever, but I can't be here. I even waited a few days, just to respect all of this, but I can't stay. I'm different than the people who should be here. I'm nephilim, and it is my job- my duty- to get out of this place as soon as possible. There's a war going on outside of this place, and most of you probably don't understand any of it, I don't know how long you've been here, and I'm sure you're mostly mundanes, but it's happening. The Clave has rules, laws, and I have to get home before they think that I've broken them.

Before they take my punishment out on my family or-- or other people.

[a pause and he's sighing just a little bit because this seems stupid, talking to a bunch of people (downworlders, crazy people, vampires... he has no idea who they are or what they are, and he could be breaking the Law just by talking to them or maybe he's going crazy, who really knew) through a bracelet.]

I have to go. I have to find a way out, because this place is all wrong. I just need a warlock or someone else who can make a portal for me. I can pay you... probably when I get back home, but there are people there who I know want me back, and who will help me pay whatever the price is.

[another pause, because his mother did teach him his manners after all]

Thanks.

'--the way the streets were made, it was like charcoal on paper. Grey, bland. The city had been ill for such a long time, that many didn't believe that it could ever be cured.'

[The feed cuts in on what sounds like Alan talking, and if you listen close, it's a familiar story.]

'With little hope but to bring in others, the ones who ran the city pulled them from their times. It was a conundrum waiting to happen. To give them a specific request: "Paint the city, or lose your home worlds in the process."

What they didn't want to tell was the great war that was coming.'

[A long pause. Alan sighs. And then, suddenly, you hear him throw things off a table nearby, frustrated. There's a few kicks and some frustrated shouts of anger before he says something that's coherent.]

No. No no no! It doesn't sound right! That's not... no, it should be easier after Bright Falls! Alice--! [More papers being shoved, more violent sounds, more angrily tossing things. He might've just flipped a table too. WHOOPS.

Someone help pls. He needs to be calmed down, badly.]

[It's taken Andy a long time to make his first video. There was a lot of practice involved to get the shots on this just right... so much, in fact, that he probably hasn't even watched what other people have been broadcasting. At all.

It begins with an extreme close-up of a chin and mouth in profile.]

"Why do you dig?"

[The view pulls away and swings so that Andy's face is now seen full on as he strikes a pose: eyes closed, chin between thumb and forefinger. The philosopher.]

When legendary tunnel engineer Alejandro Vedernikov was asked that question, he responded: "Because a new world awaits on the other side."

[He points to the sky dramatically and looks straight at his digital audience!]

Now I, Andy W. Hol, stand in that new world! Emerging from a tunnel I dug myself, I have come to this gray city of Asgard with a special mission from the gods themselves! [He strikes a different pose, this time with his palm held flat against his chest.] "Andy," they said to me, "You must preserve this world. Preserve it by flourishing and bringing joy to others!"

This is a duty I intend to uphold with all seriousness. So seriously, in fact, that I've already come up with a great idea that'll let everyone have fun! It's so good that all of you will wonder how someone else didn't come up with it before...

Boys and Girls Union!

[He's pointing straight at the screen now. That's right: AT YOU.]

So, what do you say? Sounds like a good idea, doesn't it? Imagine all of those boys and girls becoming one! Man... I can't wait! Now, if you're wondering how you can get involved, just leave your name below right now! That way, I can get back to you and we can arrange for the biggest and best Boys and Girls Union this world has ever seen!

[He's pointing down to where he assumes the reply button is going to be.]

That's right, that's right. Right here. I'll be waiting! See ya!

So, people of Asgard, this is your resident Wendy Watson of Freyr House and O.2.S.T.K -- where we fight evil so you don't have to! -- speaking, and I have a question for you all. The question comes with a little preface, though, so bear with me for a minute here.

Back in my home "world," we've got aliens, werewolves, ghosts, mad scientists, vampires, zombies, and every other type of classic, comic book evil, so I'm curious, if other worlds are like that too.

What sort of supernatural, extraterrestrial, and just plain hinky stuff would I find if I went to your home town?

[Oh, look, Asgard. Alan's decided to actually grace you with his own voice today. Pay attention, it's one of the only times you'll ever get to hear it. Unless he comes outside and you meet him.]

Question.

Fiction, or non-fiction?

[Well hello, everyone! At about noon, one of your Gods has appeared in front of you again, cheerfully addressing the network from a nicely furnished living room somewhere (the decor matches the castle, perhaps?) Loki is completely chill about this, nowhere near as uptight as Odin was.]

Hey there, Travellers! This is your captain speaking. One of them, anyway. The name's Loki.

Are you having a good time? How about a miserable one? Either way, we hope you're not bored. The whole point is to keep you going, isn't it? The more you laugh and cry, the better the city gets. Have you noticed yet? It's working. Some things are getting pretty colourful by now, so we really have to thank you a little.

Good thing it's a special time anyway. See, it's the first day of Spring, so for our little world of Yggdrasil, it's the beginning of a new year! Welcome to year 416 of the Last Era, everyone!

To celebrate, to get the year off on a good leg, and to thank you, we'll be allowing another little Q&A here. You can ask us whatever you want as long as you follow a few rules.

One, we don't have to answer repeat questions. We might, but if you're all asking us the same thing we aren't going to explain it over and over. That's boring, and I'm sure you're all perfectly intelligent enough to look at the answers we give other people.

Two, we don't have to answer stupid questions. Self-explanatory, right? If you're repeating a stupid question you're breaking two rules, so don't do that. You might end up regretting it.

Three, you're not entitled to answers we aren't ready to give you. If you can't handle hearing "no", we just won't argue with you.

Simple, right? Now for one last thing, here's a couple of questions you can answer for me, if you want to.

How would you like it if we socialized more? Would it make you more or less comfortable?

Also, what's the #1 thing you think this city is lacking?

Ready? Go.


[OOC NOTE: The mods will OOCly be following the gods' IC rules. This means that if your comment gets skipped we aren't mad at you, it's just that we are all people with limited time too. ;)

This is also the post that will trigger the proving a point plot. If your character was chosen (the list is below), they should comment here asking about their powers. If you don't have time to do so, you're welcome to handwave that they asked and it was ignored, but characters who didn't ask won't be punished. If you were chosen and changed your mind about participating at all, it's fine to just not do it (it doesn't have to be an exact 10 that die), but if you want us to find an alternate, PM us asap so we can do so.

Now for the 10 victims, we chose 5 with more mental powers and 5 with more physical, and tried to pull from the biggest variety of canons as possible. The characters chosen to die are as follows:

Dying from physical powers: Buffy Summers, Cheriour, Dante, Rin Okumura, & Ririchiyo Shirakiin

Dying from mental powers: Charles Xavier, Kainé, Rose Lalonde, Shiki Ryougi, & Sweden

Characters chosen can die anywhere from now til March 31. It honestly doesn't matter if it all happens in the next few hours or if they're all at once on March 31, so don't agonize too much over timing. Just have with it. Check the linked plot info for more details! :)]

--no, this is wrong, this is all wrong- I can't be here, it's not-- I can't!

[Afternoon, Asgard. There may just be a video clicking on now, showing a man who's partially wounded with bandages on his forehead, standing in the middle of the city and feverishly flipping through pages he has in his hand. He looks worn, tire, almost as if he's seen a ghost standing right beside him. His voice is panicked, and he's talking to himself a mile a minute.]

Not in the manuscript, I'm not... I'm not supposed to be here- what is this?! I have to get back to Bright Falls! I can't be here, don't they understand? Alice-

[He starts shouting, terrified of what's gone wrong.]

Alice? ALICE!! Where are you??

[And then he goes back to panicking at a normal tone, sounding almost hysterical.]

Oh god, oh god. This isn't Bright Falls. I have to get back! [He turns to the citizens walking by, a huge sea of gray, and begs with them.] Please, I know you need help right now, but I have to go back! I'll do whatever you want afterwards, I promise! Please, just please, send me back! Alice, I have to save her! PLEASE!!

[The people look at him, but say nothing, and continue on. Alan sinks to his knees, looking rather hopeless and dejected as it's slowly dawning on him that no one cares. One of the residents accidentally bumps into the papers in his hand, and they scatter, leaving the man to himself to pick up the pieces in a massive crowd.

Someone help the poor guy out? He's close to a mental breakdown. )8]