[After reading her letter and talking with the maid, Nina wastes no time using the bracelet. She still can't believe that she magically arrived in a new world, but she soon overcomes some of her shock.

It takes Nina only a moment to discover how to activate the bracelet and start recording. However, when the screen materializes, her eyes widen in astonishment. Although she's used to technology in her world, nothing is as advanced as this.

There's a brief pause before she speaks. She sounds relatively calm for just arriving, but she still has a somewhat strained and incredulous tone to her voice.]

Hello, my name is Nina. I was told this was another world, no matter how hard I find that to believe.

I still can't believe that this isn't some sort of strange dream... I don't even remember going to sleep. [She seems reflective for a moment, and she glances at something unrecognizable in the distance before her gaze returns to the screen.]

How did we get here? Has anyone tried to leave or left successfully? There must be a way out. [The last sentence is said with absolute determination. She can't stay. She has responsibilities at home, and she finally started her life again from where she's left it.]

And I don't understand what this letter means... "You have been chosen by the gods to bear the honorable task of restoring colour and life"? Everything looks quite colourful to me. Is it a joke?

I would appreciate any information. Thank you.

[OOC: During her conversation with Zack, Nina learned how to use the video function, which she will use in her responses to everyone. :)]

( [Added later:] )

[ it may come as a surprise at first, the fact that ririchiyo is by herself and not accompanied by the usual overbearing SS agent of hers. however, once the surprise wears off one will notice how she is sitting or rather, they’ll notice her fidgeting. it’s obvious to see that she’s uneasy, and the fog outside had done nothing for her nerves. miketsukami usually was at her door at the exact time she woke up, but today was different. he hadn’t arrived and the fog gave no signs of clearing any time soon which made her worry about the well-being of her bodyguard. why was he late? no, moreover, what was the cause? surely a mere fog wasn’t one to hold him back like this.

as opposed to her usual haughty attitude, today she was quiet and far from relaxed. she felt an uneasy feeling settle in her stomach at the thought of something happening to him out there. not being able to hold herself back, she begins texting someone--most likely him--but every now and again she deletes the message and starts again. due to never having friends, she never felt any obligation to own a phone or to text people so naturally she was still learning. ]

... Does that sound too weird? What about “I hope you are in good health”? No, that sounds too suspicious...! I can’t just outright ask him the question. What do I do? Let’s see... “You better be in good health otherwise I’ll reprimand you for worrying me like this.” That makes it sound like I’m mad at him rather than concerned!

[ after many failed attempts at conveying her message clearly, she gives up in utter defeat as she throws herself back onto her bed. she never had been good at things like this, and every message she thought of either came out like she was mad or just out of character for her. what was he doing right now? those thoughts flew through her mind, making her more and more uneasy as time passed. now, suddenly gloomy and depressed, she gazes out the window at the fog while being completely unaware of her bracelets activity.

have fun with catching her off guard asgard.]

[ Truth be told, Regina's been a little out-of-sorts for a few days now. She was worried about the stabbings, but put it out of her head and got on with things quite easily. But after witnessing someone...pass away right in front of her, she had decided to mainly stay in Freya Hall. So, when the fog rolled in, she wasn't as upset as she normally would be with being barred from going outside.

Today, anyone who passes through the Welcome Hall will see a couple of unusual things.

One, the entrance will be full of paper dolls hanging from the ceilings. Regina was disappointed she couldn't find a slightly brighter colour paper like electric green or shocking magenta, but this would have to do.

Two, the girl herself is hard at work in the kitchen, which has turned into a dreadful mess and smells equally bad. ]

Hmm, what did Moe say? Stew needs salt! Just a pinch...but better take that with a grain of - oopsie! [ There goes the whole bottle. ]

[ For those lucky enough not to be in Freya, later, Regina has discovered a new way to inadvertently annoy people. ]

[ TEXT ]

hello asgard its so nice to talk to you!! look what i found out look look look! ITS SPARKLY!!!!

can ya see it yet???

HUH? CAN YA?

[After practicing her new-found leveled up power, Diva has refined parts of it so that it's not quite so revealing. And since many of her fellow housemates have been showing off their singing prowess, Diva, of course, has to show them up.

The camera is at a wide angle, so that there's a full view, and she curtsies deeply to the camera before straightening. And she begins to sing. Opera aficionados will recognize it immediately as "Un bel dì vedremo" from Madama Butterfly, but after a few moments, Freyr's gift adds to the performance. Though she was wearing European clothes a moment ago, the illusion her song creates makes it seem as if she's now wearing a kimono to go with the scene, and adds the orchestration that would otherwise be missing. She acts out the scene as well, and though the song is in Italian, the story of longing and love is very evident. Diva is quite talented, after all!

But after that final, long, powerful note, where her arms are spread wide, the illusion fades, and her hands drop slowly as she becomes "Diva" again, rather than Butterfly.]

That's singing. [She says it haughtily, but surprisingly, that's all she has to say in the "being rude"-department. So she just runs a hand through her hair, smiling brilliantly for the camera.]

Hey, but if you liked that, you should come see the full opera. I'll be performing Madama Butterfly, and it's even free!

[She smiles sweetly, even tilting her head as a "cute" gesture]

So you really don't have any reason to not come, right?

[Oh, did that have a slightly threatening tone in it? Oops, how did that get there...]

[Alice is walking along as she does, it's normal for her at this rate to be talking to herself. Muttering, even. She doesn't sound too well.]

People... don't just explode and come back to life.

A- And England surely isn't a living being. I- I'm not mad, I'm-


[She lowers her head as she walks in the streets, even bumps into others as it didn't help.]



But to a crisp- That's real. Is this real? Is all of it?

[A flicker - a glint - of her vorpal blade can be seen as she withdraws it in her hands.]

Foul tricks, they're all better off dead.

[Alice strains, with her free hand, she covers her head as if she's got the worse possible headache in the world. Huffing as she does, in a drop of a hat, Alice keels over to her left side out of sight.]

[If anyone happens upon the kitchen, they'll notice a redhead with his ass in the air as he's digging through cupboards. Noise ensues - the sound of metal clanking against metal. He's looking for something that could be used as a cake tin, if not a cake tin itself.

There are various ingredients strewn upon the top of the counter as well. Flour, eggs, sugar... those types of things. If they're yours? Oops. Marui doesn't know the difference. It's too late anyway, considering there's a bowl amidst all this with a nice, thick batter that will be made into cake once he finds a damn tin!]

Jeez. I did not do all this work just to be stopped now!

[Do you want to interrupt him? Help him? Feel free!]

[All these deaths, the stabbings, the trickery, and the callous way the gods (well, mostly Baldr and a little Loki) have handled it seem to have left their mark on Nier lately. He's a bit on the angry side, and having convalesced thanks to Keine's helpful healing and the doctors making sure there's no lasting damage, and the unfortunate idea that there's a coming conflict between mortal and not just won't leave him.

Frankly, he thinks it's time to summon the troops.]

Question. How many of us 'Travelers' here have any combat experience to speak of?

[ here is a perplexed young lady (who is loath to even interact with people) asking for help, in a voice much less gruff than her last two appearances on the network.

even more incredible is the sudden sound of tiny, canine yips in the background. ]

What the fuck do dogs even like to do when they're not eating or sleeping? --h-hey, stop, I don't understand what you want!

[ The video function initiates! A figure is in plain view, but the background seems to be swerving and moving in a pretty fast pace... At least the main focus isn't moving that abruptly, but she is wearing something pretty ridiculous with a short bow strapped onto her back.

It doesn't help that she's a bit bloodied up. ]

If I knew being a prisoner of war--of should I say "honored guest"--would be so luxurious, I would have surrendered sooner! [ 'cept not, she has a battle to win for other people. ]

Everyone's so calm. It's kind of weird. Anywaaaay, this is a pretty cool amusement park! Though I'm not really into Norse myth or anything, this place is still pretty sweet. Especially when the first thing you see is a maid that tells you everything is basically taken care of.

There is something I would like to ask though... The cute maid was just part of the attraction, right?! There is no way it would be impossible to "go home". [ There has to be an exit! That is what she is looking for, zooming all over the area. Go ahead and stop her in her tracks or throw something at her if you want. ]

Someone give me a sign!! [ NOTHING MAKES SENSE--S-so disoriented here. Help a girl out here? ]

Fuck this is such a pain in the ass...

OI, LISTEN UP. Any of you freaks a doctor? There's a moron Witch named Euri here threatening to have psycho cannibal babies, so if you know how to stop the whole baby thing from happening? Awesome. Go bother her.

The end.

[ ...........................MIGHT AS WELL ]


There Euri, happy? I asked about stupid fucking birth control for you. You're welcome.

There's been talk amongst my coworkers at the carnival that the ghosts have been gettin' restless as of late. A dangerous one in particular, I've heard, has decided to come out of hiding, too.

Have any of you guys ever heard of the urban legend about the Face Snatcher from the locals? I suspect it's only been brought up as of recently since strange things have been happening... Anyway, this is how the legend goes, for those of you who have yet to hear the tale!

( non-ic cut for an original Claire Stanfield urban legend! )

So, with that bein' said, I think this warrants a little warning to all of you. Be careful going to the Carnival at night and make sure to cover your face when you sense a dark presence afoot, all right? And remember, if you so much as peek, you'll be torn to shreds before you can even shut your eyes again! [His tone takes on a more light-hearted air.] I'm around sometimes on the job, but I can't promise I'll always be there to help when help's needed!

Hope this excited you guys just as much as it did me!

((ooc: TL;DR Claire will be working at the carnival at night from now on and will be fulfilling the role of the Face Snatcher. He won't necessarily kill anyone, but he'll be trolling the shit out of groups/loners who like to go to the carnival at night. I'LL BE SETTING UP A LOG SOME TIME NEXT MONTH???))

[The bracelet clicks on to the sound of pages turning. Someone is looking through about a million different books in the library at the current moment. It's really all the Odin folks do, isn't it? Read.]

I am not sure if this has been asked before, and if it has I apologize for the repeat. Is there any way to get rid of the ability given to us by the gods? I know someone could simply choose not to use their power if they disliked it, but it would be more convenient if it wasn't there to begin with.

In some cases, anyway. I don't speak for everyone. [A book snaps closed before the feed cuts. However, anyone in the library is free to stumble across him at a table, surrounded by a small mountain of reading materials.]

( Private to Rin Okumura )

[ The network has a lot of people on it, almost too many— and despite having coaxed herself out of her shell slightly, Shiemi couldn't help being intimidated by talking to that many people at once! It's taken her a few minutes to get up the nerve to actually try posting, but once she does, all of that determination she's built up sort of ends up...

Well, exploding, nearly yelling at the feed. ] H-Hello, everyone!!

[ Though her face is as red as a tomato, she manages to breathe and smile abnormally widely before continuing, seeming to gain confidence with every passing moment. ] My name is Shiemi Moriyama! I've only been here for a few hours, but it's nice to meet all of you! I-I've never used anything like this before, but I wanted to give it a try! I hope I'm doing it right...

[ She doesn't look so sure of this, but it doesn't seem to deter her, either. ] I was told it was a good way to get in contact with people, and that seemed like a good idea, I thought. I'm looking for some friends of mine. If anyone from True Cross Academy is here, I think... [ It feels a little strange, being the one to suggest a plan of action, considering that's usually the other Exwire's area of expertise, or even the teachers!

But she really thinks... ] I think we should regroup! [ That's the word she's looking for, isn't it? Regroup? ]

So please call me back if you see this! And to everyone else, I hope we can be friends!!

I have a proposal for all of you.

[Lucifer is seated casually, his hand propped up lightly by his hand. Immediately, any sane person should be wary, because a proposal for the Devil sounds like a danger. Yet, after a deliberate pause, what he says will likely be a surprise.]

This city is poorly lacking in a bar and lounge up to standard. Sky's Prize seems to be the main venue, yet it's far too Norse for my tastes. And I imagine most people who haven't already drunken themselves into a stupor.

I'm interested in establishing a bar and lounge here. One that is, as you would imagine, suited to higher tastes. I'm gauging interest in this, but also in potential employees and entertainment. The bar that I ran in Los Angeles was notable for its live entertainment, and I would like to continue the tradition. Jazz would be especially suited to the atmosphere, though I am willing to hear auditions from all sorts of performers.

How does the saying about idle hands go?

[He sits back with an uncharacteristic smile, as if this is just an idle amusement to him. He has a greater picture in mind, but for now, a place to establish himself in the city is a good starting point.]

Surprisingly, your feedback is appreciated.

[The voice feed cues to Archer, but he's more indignant and put upon than usual. He'd rather not have to deal with this, but something needs to be said]

You know. Sometimes I wonder if there are any people in this place with descent enough intelligence or perception.

Some of you claim to be fighters, do you not? Then answer me. Why have I seen so many miscalculations and missteps as of late.  I have seen the approach of many and handling these fairies, and it is unacceptable. 

Do you think because you have been given powers that that gives you the right to fight such creatures?  Does that give you some claim to fight, when you have no experience to?

Or maybe, you are all children, babies rather, trying to be taught the ways of the world but instead are content to wail and cry without any purpose.

I, unfortunately, do not have the time to play with adolescent, ignorant children.

[/end feed]


[ooc:  Sorry if tags will be delayed, will try to tag back when I'm semi-conscious]

[The feed flicks on to show a mildly uncomfortable Euri. She's slowly getting used to this video option, but it still feels awkward. Unfortunately, it's a good idea using it today. At least she didn't get hassled by any annoying ice fairies on her way to the library. They must have all retreated or been killed.

As she speaks her hands move rapidly, manipulating a long loop of red string in a very fast game of cat's cradle. It's as if she's not even paying attention to it, though, since her eyes are on the bracelet's hologram screen.]

Hey! I'm looking for some recipes. Specifically, soup and stew ones that use blood as one of the main ingredients. The library has lots of cookbooks from other worlds, but I don't know where to start.

I've got a bunch of them pulled already....

[She's pausing her game and adjusting her bracelet appropriately so she can turn the camera to take in the table she's sitting at. It's filled with various cultural cookbooks, ranging from Jamaican to Chinese to Mexican. Some are open to pages about soups and stews, and others are stacked on top of her each so they'll all fit on the table. Judging by the amount of diversity it's clear she's taking this very seriously.]

... But I don't want to have to go through all of them. That will take way too long!

I've got one here that has what I'm looking for.... [She'll fix the bracelet so the camera is facing herself, and resume her game of cat's cradle.] But it uses pig blood and other parts. Pig is okay I guess, but goat and rabbit are much better. So if there's anyone out there who knows where I can find more recipes like that, let me know!

[Diva is rather reluctantly greeting the network—She had been wanting to keep a (relatively) low profile, but it was pretty necessary, she figured. She looks quite concerned, and shockingly, it's not for herself.]

Um... [Her frown deepens, since she doesn't know how to ask this]

Hey, so how do you humans, you know, take care of yourselves when you're sick? I mean, I've obviously never been sick, so I need to know.

[She doesn't want to admit she's actually caring for a human (because ew), but after dragging Johan to safety after being attacked by a fairy, she promptly realized she had no idea how to take care of him...]

I'd be... grateful for any help. I guess. Ugh, this wouldn't be a problem if you all weren't so frail!

[Clearly she's getting frustrated with having to ask, so after another frown and huffy noise, she turns off the video]

[ Having long perfected the art of stealth, Chane Laforet has been a silent presence on the network for a few days, now. She's gathered the information she could, done the proper exploring once the sun had set each night in this strange, grey world, and made sure to trust no one.
The communication device was unlike anything from her time or world, but was basic enough in design that she caught on after a few fumbles, that would have been more noticeable to the network had she not been a mute.

And so. A woman with short, black hair looks at the community with a determined, if slightly confused, expression, and holds up a set of FLASH CARDS, as if she's presenting a project to a bunch of colleagues. She holds up one note, which reads: ]

"I have misplaced the map I was given by the maid-woman."

[ Then shuffles it to the back, pulling out the next. ]

"Please, if anyone can reproduce something like this for me, I would appreciate it."

[ Her expression becomes slightly uncomfortable, as she's now second-guessing this entire decision. Nevertheless, she holds up another awkwardly floppy poster board. ]

"Can the people here see if some have no eyes? Some speak though I do not see their mouths."

[ And another one. This time she's holding it up in front of her face, so she doesn't have to feel as awkward... ]
"If I could be shown where to go to acquire the proper materials to arm myself,
that would be very helpful too."

[ Final note! ]

"Thank you for reading this message."

[ And she just slowly ... puts down all the notes, and sits, staring way too intensely at the video feed. She seems to be RIGHT outside the Sigyn House, so that should be recognizable enough, and is very under-dressed for the weather! ]

[ The feed opens on the main network, its colours seemingly in higher contrast than usual as the setting comes to view.

At the corner of the screen, is Johan. He is sitting down on a bench in the Loki District, with a pile of books beside him. However, his presence is devoid of any command -- there is nothing about it, right now, that would make anybody truly want to focus on his image. Instead, the main focus of the video seemsto be the eleven faceless children sitting in front of him. They are resting their chins against their palms, and every now and then, tiling their heads thoughtfully. One can even hear the sounds of whispers or laughter come out of them, though they seem to not possess clear mouths. ]

This one might be more familiar to you all. It's called, "The Girl with the Green Ribbon."

[ His voice lifts gently in inquiry around them. ] Are you all ready? Are you ready for the story?

[ The children nod! Johan opens the book, while one of the children -- perhaps it is a girl, it is hard to tell, scoots in closer beside him. ]

A long, long ... [ He pauses, smiling over at the girl. ] Long time ago, there was a little girl, who wore a green ribbon around her neck.

[ The child puts a hand to their neck in response. ]

One day, she went to school, and met a boy. The boy sat behind her in class, and the ribbon had caught his attention.

"Why?" The boy asked, curiously. "Why do you always seem to wear that... ribbon, that green ribbon... around your neck?"

She promised that someday she'd tell him.

When they grew a bit older, as teenagers, the boy asked the girl on a date. She was very happy to accept this date, but that night, on their date, he asked again: "Why? Why do you wear that green ribbon around your neck?"

"It's not important," She insisted. But he persisted. He asked once again, and so she told him that if they married one day, she would tell him.

And so the boy and the girl fell in love. [ Some of the kids make a few "eww" sounds, though the child beside Johan scoots in even closer, trying to get a glimpse of the picture book. ]

On the night of their wedding, the boy who had grown into a man asked once again. She replied that she would tell him if they were to have kids. So they had children, and again he asked: "Why? Why do you wear that green ribbon around your neck?"

She said: "Please, if you love me...you will stop asking me, for now. It is not important. I will tell you one day."

The man unhappily accepted this. The two grew old together, and one day, the wife was told by a Doctor that she had grown sick, and was about to die. While laying in bed, near death, her old husband asked once again: "Please, please. Please tell me, wife. Please tell me why you wear that ribbon around your neck?"

In a weak voice, she whispered: "I will tell you. Take the bow off."

When he pulled the bow loose, her head fell off.


[ A couple of the children laugh, while some remain expressionless, seemingly emotionless in response, but taking it in nonetheless. Johan glances directly at the video feed, then back at the children. ]

Now. I want you to tell me. What did that story mean?