Is anyone here a teacher or.... [Hugo falters, still uncomfortable making announcements with his face shown] 

At home I didn't- - I couldn't finish school, I had to work but I... [His voice gets a little tight as he starts to feel ashamed. Admitting that he's behind the other children of his age because its been months since he's sat in a classroom. Since he's practiced his handwriting, or looked at a map. Ever since his father passed away and his uncle took him away to work in the Gare de l'est. Face burning he wrings his hands before shaking his head]

Uhm...Nevermind. 

[And hastily he ends the video]

[This video is started by Hugo attempting to scale a set of shelves to reach his jar of spare gears that was clearly a bad idea to place on the top shelf. As he sets his feet on one shelf and then one just above that, the bracelet gets rattled against the odds and ends of Hugo's collection in his attempt to reach the jar. 

However, just has he gets his fingers gripping about the lid of the thing, there is a sharp CRACK and  the shelf beneath his feet buckles where his weight was too much for it. ]

AHH!

[Caught off-gaurd, Hugo loses his balance and falls back, plummeting to the ground as his jar crashing down beside him. Gears, screws, and coils go flying along with pieces of broken glass and Hugo  quickly covers his face with his arms]

 I've said before that I am going to start selling things....clocks and watches, and mechanical toys... I've already made a few that could be sold now..

[He gestures off-handedly to a few small clocks sitting off to the side and a couple of pocket watches hanging on hooks.]

But I wonder if there's anything else that people would want? Things that I could make? 

[After a moment he adds seriously.]

....No weapons. 

[as ever, asgard, you only get to see half of ushahin's face on the video screen. behind him appears to be a shelf absolutely brimming with books]

While the influx of odd candies and lovely flowers has been quite intriguing, I would appreciate a moment of your time for a different distraction. I have recently come into possession of a bookshop, now called Darkhaven. It can be found in Loki, nearby the castle and hospital both. The books are priced quite reasonably, and if one is curious, I may have some other little baubles and gewgaws as well. There is space to read, as well, and those who care for the books are welcome to do so.

For those seeking employment, I am hoping to find two clerks. The ability to lift and carry the occasional heavy item is necessary, and those willing to travel to Utgard regularly or responsible enough to mind the shop on their own would be most welcome.

[more details about the bookstore can be foundhere.]

 [Hugo sits on the floor of his room, his steam engine on the ground in front of him as well as his father's broad silver pocket watch that always keeps perfect time both sitting amongst a few odds and ends the likes of screws, gears, springs, and rudimentary tools like hammers.]

I make things and I fix things... [He gestures to the stuff in front of him, the train in particular which sits gleaming the length of a man's arm now that he's just finished polishing and painting it.] Back home- Back where I am from I fix clocks and I know how to make them. 

I want to do that here. I can make or fix almost anything if it is a machine, if it's got parts like these [He holds up a gear and a spring] But right now I don't have any money, so I can't buy more parts. I guess that means I can't really make things so much as fix them until I can afford to make them. Unless there's something you want and you've got the parts for it. 

[He swallows awkwardly, frowning at his things. He's not used to talking this much or this...publicly]

So...how do you start a business? 

[When the video comes on, Finnick pops onto camera as he smiles. He's outside walking around in what looks like the park, just enjoying moving around.]

I have a few questions for you all. The biggest one is, what type of weapons are used in your world, and are they suitable for a place like this?

Call it a curiosity.

[Looking thoughtful, he humms for a second.]

Other than that, anyone want to come and keep me company in the park? I promise it'll be fun. The more, the merrier.

[Alice looks at the screen and then claps her hand in joy.]

Oh I've done it! Oh how wonderfully splendid! [Alice examines the screen very closely.] Curiouser and curiouser! [She mumbled to herself.] I've not ever seen anything like it before! And to think, all I did was press the jewel! I've never known any sort of bracelet to do such a thing before. Or... well anything like this before. It's like a mirror! Oh but! The most curious mirror I've ever seen. Perhaps mirror is not correct... Now if it isn't a mirror, what would I call it. A window doesn't seem right though I can touch it like one. [She hmmed softly before pulling back.]

Now let's see! [She touches the screen and watches as it follows her around.] So many little squares and sorts! Whatever do they do? [Alice was unaware she had started recording her actions, instead trying to understand the bracelet. Lessons by gray people were all well and good when little girls actually listened to them. She pressed another button on the screen.] Look at all the names! [She whispers as she just reads everything. She moves to try and look under the touchscreen but said screen just follows her movement.] And there were all those people on it before... how do I get back to the little people in the boxes?

How peculiar! I do so wonder what this all does. [She tilts her head.] Now, if I were to press this-

[She cuts her feed.]

[ While Allen is perhaps not one to bother the network at large himself about much of anything personal -- this is a little different. And straightforward (simple) enough. ]

When someone wants to get a camera --

How do you go about it?

An actual one [ not this ] with film. [ Or -- chips. Or... whatever they use. Because the ones from his era of technomagical bullshit are kind of different.

Aha...

As if by means of explanation: ] They're not quite like the ones I'm used to. [ Or he's gotten unlucky in not stumbling across more traditional ones.

So there's a sheepish but polite smile, and a smart nod. ] Thank you.



( Action at Odin housing 102 )

Ah -- this is a little abrupt! Apologies if it sounds weird but -- I've been keeping it inside for too long, and I needed to say it.

[Today Asgard, your tiny detective is steeling himself for a difficult admission. It's delivered with an intentness that Conan usually doesn't display on such public feeds. You'll soon see why -- detective is serious business after all.]

My reasoning was flawed.

The greatest detective of my world taught us that to be a perfect reasoner one must be an observation machine, detached, impartial and rational. The moment you allow emotion to enter your reasoning, you run the risk of being swayed by it. I think I do a good job of applying his methods most of the time, but lately--

[This is the hard part. Conan looks down.]

A lot of my friends have left. I wasn't trying to pretend I wasn't sad or didn't miss them ... but I guess I didn't realize how much I depended on them. Or how much that loss was effecting my ability to reason. Odin, I realize you do not care, but I was not reasoning to the best of my ability and for that I'm sorry.

For everyone else -- I'm Edogawa Conan, detective. From now on I'm definitely going to show you the best of my reasoning!

( Ah -- Ushahin-san? You asked me if the gods had lied. (cut not filtered) )

[There is a metallic clanking and a bit of shuffling as Hugo orients himself around a massive piece of metal and gears now settled in his lap, fingers testing a bolt here and then gripping a thin steel rod there that in turn makes a wheel move and with it the next. He smiles as the wheels spin in the air and the rods cycle up and over without catching.  When he is satisfied he turns his creation into view.

An engine, one nearly the length of his arm. What had begun as a small idea and a small project has grown and now as he sets it on the ground has taken shape in dusty black and red metals and large silver wheels, rough at the edges, but all in all a fine looking locomotive for what he had to work with and his lack of practice.

And as a final touch the name "Cabret" is painted in bright golden yellow on the side, just above a few dent marks left by his hammers.]

I need somewhere to test this...

[He lifts up a handful of coals from a nearby table where crude but workable track pieces sit in a stack ready and waiting to be laid out somewhere.]

...any ideas? 

( [[Private to Ja'far]] ) 

(ooc: image for a general idea of what the train's shape looks like, obviously without the fancy finishing touches, extra parts, and showroom quality.)

Okay, I'm all for Norse mythology and stuff, but really? This isn't LARPing gone wrong or something, is it?

[Because that would suck. Also she'd kill Alice for letting her get anywhere near it. Or if this is a joke. Because then she'll resurrect the girl and kill her again. Vampire vs human status notwithstanding.]
_____

[[ EDIT later on in the day. ]]
Since a lot of people don't know what LARPing is, it's an Acronym.

Live
Action
Role
Play.

[Rue's oddly thoughtful when she decides to use the bracelet again, though the serious image is probably ruined by the clumps of dough drying in her hair and the light coating of flour she seems to have acquired. Behind her, several piles of blackened or misshapen bread cover the kitchen counter.]

Do people always name things they create after themselves? What if I make something new but want to name it something else? I don't think "Rue bread" sounds very good.

[She frowns down at the floor, then remembers she had a reason for sending this out.]

One of the bakers here said there's something called pita bread. That means it's Peeta's, right? I want to make it for him when he comes back. [Rue smiles, looking very pleased about this.] But I'm not getting it right...

[Rue tugs on a strand of curly hair.] Can somebody help me?

[Hugo has fiddled enough and seen enough to know a little of how to use his bracelet, though not enough to text. Not like it matters much here anyway, no station inspector will be barreling down upon him with his hellhound of a dog if he be discovered, but even so he keeps the focus mostly away from his face and his head down so his shaggy bangs cover a lot of his ash-dirtied cheeks. It's habit and it allows only glimpses of his serious expression as he toys with small pieces of metal in front of him]

I need things. Gears and wires...pieces of metal. 

[He digs two dusty fingers roughly into his pocket and drops a few examples onto the table in front of him]

I don't have money, but I'll work for them if I need to. 

[He'll steal it if it comes to that. He pauses to regard a small spring]

...I can fix things. 

[ Scott isn't new here, but the following video will make it seem like he is.

Last night he went to bed sixteen years old, this morning he woke up in the body and mind of his eight year old self. He has no recollection of where he is and no memory of anyone he knows here. Waking up in a bed beside a mysterious sleeping lady (aka his future girlfriend) pretty much freaked him out. He found some keys in the room labelled "Allison's Pet Store" and took them, wandering around Freya until he found the store and locked himself inside, thinking it might be a safe place. Any customers or employees who come to the store might find it odd to see the closed sign on the door when the store should be open.

After poking the gem on his bracelet out of curiosity and discovering it was more than just a bracelet, he's managed to record himself in a video, hiding under a desk where the cash register is. ]

Hello? Can anyone hear me?

I need help. I think a lady kidnapped me. I need - my mom, I need to find her. Or Stiles. [ His best friend will know what to do. ]

Can someone help me? [ He starts to sound tearful. ] Please?

I wanna go home.

(ooc: Scott has been cursed for a few days! Replies will come from mccallmebb :3)

[The feed turns on to Norman sitting inside of Hel's Welcome Hall's lounge  with his long red scarf wrapped around his neck and a destroyed book on his lap. He's got a slightly nervous smile on, and his hands rub together in a worried manner before strumming along the book.]

Soooooo....who wants to talk about the afterlife?

[Yup, Norman's doing this. That's right, Asgard. There's a 11 year old who wants to talk about death. Although that wasn't the best way to start off this video, and he has to take a deep breath before continuing.]

I'm not actually talking about religious views, but what do you think happens when you die? Uh, I guess religious stuff works too if you really want to talk about that. I've heard a few things about how death works in different worlds, so I thought it would be interesting to hear from more people.

Also, I thought it would be good to talk about it since a lot of people seem to want to help get Freyr back. [Just going to add some not-bizarre reasoning to this.]

So yeah, if you want to say anything, go ahead. If you want to talk about it privately, you can put up a filter. [A pause.] And...if your world has ghosts or you believe in ghosts, that would be great to hear about too.