[ 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!

[ Hey Asgard. Here's Rin. ]

Hey, what's a good paying job? I need some suggestions for someone. [ Using Archer to cover up her search for a job. Wonderful. ] If you don't have a good answer, don't bother replying because you'll just be wasting my time.

[ She says nothing more and seems to turn the feed off. However, she simply switches to a private filter. ]

( Private to Archer, Saber and Kiritsugu; )

[The feed turns on to a blink.] I think I have it.

Ah--Hello, my name's Saki Watanabe. I recently arrived here in Asgard to House Sigyn. [Wow, this sounds super formal. She looks almost sheepish as she just decides to sit back with a sigh.]

This whole place is just weird. The electricity, people, vehicles. In Kamisu our only method of transportation is boats; I don't even know what to call some of these things. [She laughs to herself.] I'm guessing I'm not the only one who's had a culture shock.

[She mellows after a moment, tucking a strand of hair behind her air. She's still dirty from the search for her friends and more than a little uneasy, but she's trying to tuck it away for the important things right now. Which is what leads her to a question.]

How long do people stay here?

[No that's not quite what she wanted to ask either so she lets out a breath.] It was sort of implied, with a war-- but are many people really capable of hurting each other here? [Not indirectly. Through means like faker cats and trickery, but not helping and harming. It was a foreign concept to the girl in all.]

Sorry, that must be a little weird. Huh? So what do you guys do now that you're here?

[The video shows a blond teenager wearing a metal headband, frowning at his bracelet as though silently judging it before he realizes it has finally started recording, to which he breaks out into a wide grin.]

Uzumaki Naruto, reporting in!

So if I've got this right, we're all here to help fight a war so all these weird lookin' people can get their colors and faces back, right? Then we get to go home. So what are we waiting for!

'Cause we're fighting a war at home too so I've got to get back. Oh yeah- are there any other shinobi here?

[He reaches up to tap his forehead protector.] The symbols are different for other villages, but they all wear a forehead protector like this one! This one means they're from Konoha!

And I still dunno why we can't use our own powers here, but they told me I had something called Energy Transfer, so you have to tell me what I need to do with it 'cause I want to start training right away!

[...Okay, not right away.]

Hey.. does this place have ramen?

Moshi moshi? Is this thing on-- ah! There we go, hello!

Hello Asgard! Can I ask a question? What's your view of fashion? What made you choose your clothes? Why do you wear what you wear?

[ The video screen is flipped from upside down to right side up as the teal haired girl fiddles around with the controls. She nods as she glances into the screen, smiling. ]

Oh! Let me show you what I'm wearing so you don't feel too uncomfortable with telling me what you wear!

[ She's wearing a little something that looks like this, and pans the angle down a little so you can get a good view of her clothing. It wouldn't be fair of her if she asked a question and didn't tell you her opinions, right? If she wasn't huddled up in her room in the welcoming halls with blankets, she would be freezing her butt off, even if she wasn't human. ]

I hope I'm not asking too much... but, where might I be able to find some more clothes? Something more.. winterlike? Maybe some shoes, too?

[Blondie over here is sitting in a chair, twirling a rose in his hand.]

A bit preoccupied I have been with trying to learn more about this place. Of course, I still have much to learn, what with the recent events that have transpired, but I'm sure it won't be of any hindrance of things that will come up in the near future.

But that's not why I'm making this. I feel this may be a little more personal, but with the way things are, does that really matter at this point?

[He placed the rose down, his eyes shifting to the bracelet on his wrist.]

"Resolve". That word has been stuck in my mind for quite some time. What exactly does your "resolve" involve? Is it one to be admired, or is it one that is grotesque and horrifying? I've been told that mine has been rather admirable, yet to others, it might seem reckless and rather terrifying. However, I achieved my "resolve" a while back, making me rather...content.

...what is your resolve? [The rose finds it way back to his hand, as he plucks a petal from it.] I want to see if I can admire it.

It was almost seventy degrees according to the thermometer in the shop today. Spring is coming! Which might not be super exciting for everyone, but I'm not really used to the cold weather, ehehe.

[ She's sitting high in one of the trees in the park, her shoulder resting against the trunk. ]

But mostly I wanted to ask: what sorts of things do you guys do with your powers? Day-to-day, I mean. I help with a flower shop, and I'm sure Draco gets sick of all of the plants he trips over every day in our place, but it's become sort of second nature by now.

And also, has anyone taken the Elven train anywhere yet? I haven't been anywhere besides Utgard yet, and I'm trying to figure out where to go first.

[ video/action for baldr. ]

Okay, so it's been what — a day, since I got here. And it isn't so bad I guess, if not kinda boring.

[ There's a beat, and the sound of a piece of paper ruffling can be heard off screen. ]

That's not really what I wanted to talk about, though. I know this is supposed to be some different world, something along those lines, but I was wondering—

[ The moment he tries to hold up the sheet though, Arcanine decides that it's a good idea to suddenly interrupt and attempt to press her face against the camera like so. Thrown off guard by the sudden attack, the paper flutters off somewhere in the distance. ]

—Wha?! Hey, what do you think you're doi—

[ The video cuts off there, and it'll be a good five minutes before the next portion shows up. If anyone happens to be outside Baldr at the moment, they may be able to catch a disgruntled Blue trying to calm down the way too excitable Pokémon. ]

[ text. ]

… Ignore the video from before. Technical difficulties. [ Except not really. ]
But this is actually what I wanted to show earlier. It's something that comes from my world, and I wanted to know if I was the only one or not. If it means anything to you, let me know?

[ Drawing is one of the few things Blue doesn't pride himself in. Though, a Pokéball is simple enough he thinks — and far more universal than an actual Pokémon. Else, he'd just showcase his Arcanine. … But that had already happened, didn't it. ]

Asgard. I thought this place only existed in religion. And if religion is an idea, wouldn't that make Asgard an idea too?

[ Sure, it's an overly simplistic explanation of a complex topic but since it's a topic he knows so little about, it's best to keep it simple ]

Unless there's something I missed. [ A brief pause, as though he's genuinely perplexed by the whole idea.

Spoiler: He is ] Your gods. I've heard a lot about them. Do they exist any more than the other divine beings? Or are they just something that we need to put our faith in? Like the Easter Bunny.

...I'm just wondering.

[ He's passing it off as no big deal. Just questions. No reason behind asking them. It's not like it's because of this supposed divine being that he found himself in the shit heap he was in just before showing up here. The very one that has him a little on edge currently.

As for the actual being in Asgard? Well ]

I don't suppose my money is any good here...

[ He's distraught on the inside. I swear ]

Action
[Now Hiccup's been surprisingly quiet since he got pulled into this mess. Nothing's exploded, nothing's been destroyed...his father and Gobber would be so proud.

Or rather, they would have been so proud. There's such a thing as "speaking too soon".

The story starts a couple weeks ago, when Hiccup discovers a forge run by a nice, old native man, who lets him use the facilities in exchange for some labour. Molten steel, razor-sharp blades, lots of time to himself...what could possibly go wrong? As Gobber might say.

The answer is "a lot," as it turns out. If travelers and natives alike weren't warned off in the wee hours of the morning, when a certain viking can be seen lugging a largish metal-and-wood contraption through the city, they're certainly discovering this now. Once people have recovered from the shock of being pelted with what appears to be a lot of balled up parchment, they might notice the projectiles are being launched from some part of the wall around the city, and that the parchment does actually contain a message. It goes something like this:

"Have you seen this dragon?" Under the somewhat vague message is a clear, bold sketch of a dragon.

How curious.]

Video
[Some ten minutes later, a very contrite, sheepish Hiccup addresses the city.]

Sorry about the ahm...volley of parchment. It wasn't supposed to do that. I should probably fix that...

Anyway, since I'm already here, could someone let me know if they see him? His name's Toothless. I've been all over the place looking for him, but I thought asking wouldn't hurt either. Oh, and what are the chances he's outside of the city?

[A short, awkward silence.]

Yep, that's it. Thanks. And...sorry again.

[ Hello, Asgard. How d'you do. It's been a while since Brendan (that hair-hatted Pokemon trainer, you know) last looked at the network, but it'll soon be evident why.

Wait for it... ]

hey
this sounds funny, but i think there's a word for it...
for missing your mom and your father,
and your other relatives too if you happen to have any
hmmm

do you know what it's called
?

[ And a short while after, though it pains him to say: ]

i think i might need a new pair of shoes

[ Quinn's got her hair pulled back today, not that it makes much difference to her appearance - she's got flour in little patches of her face, and on the front of her dress. She looks a little defeated, and some parts worried also. That Darkness 'thing'? It freaked her a lot, and coming out of it? She's not sure where to go ]

If I wasn't stir crazy before I think I am now. [ She lets out a sigh, tucking a strand of her hair behind her ear that had slipped from her ponytail (and adding a little more flour onto her face) ] I've been trying to find things to do, but it's not as easy as you'd think. [ Not if you know her, not if you know what she can't do right now. And judging by the amount of cupcakes she's made that morning alone? She is struggling to find something to do, or is just trying to focus on something to not think. Didn't she say once she'd never bake again? ]

I guess I'm asking for help. Or something to do. Whatever. [ And there's another sigh. At least she could sell the cupcakes? Or give them out as thanks for help ] Going crazy is not on the top of my list of wants here. [ Or ever ]

Let's hope the one responsible for those monsters is gone for good.

[ There is a distinct amount of distance in her voice. She speaks quietly, as if she isn't entirely focused. What happened was traumatic for her. She was forced to do something she didn't want to do - again - and it's left her thinking far too much about the life from whence she came. ]

But if that isn't the case, how many of you know how to protect yourselves from monsters? Do you fight, or do you hide?

( privated to everyone BUT rue. )

( privated to peeta. )

[ Someone just found his bracelet again. And that someone is completely baffled. ]

Hey, come on! That can't be right. What was I doing for that long?!

[ What you hear when the feed starts is a very long, very mournful howl. Sure, the teenager on the screen is interesting, but even he seems more preoccupied with the horse-sized creature draped over his bed. ]

Okay, okay. I get it. You're hungry, let me ask and we'll get you something! [ Whine. ] There's no way anyone could hear me over that. I can't even hear me over that! [ A huffy woof. It drops it's head down on his paws and looks away. ] That's right.

[ Ahem. ] Look, I think I'm as up to speed as I can get on this weird kidnapping junk. There aren't any Pokemon either, fine, whatever. Can someone tell me the best place to go to feed the one I have? It's not like there are any Pokemarts or Centres around here... He'll eat pretty much whatever, there's just got to be a lot of it.