Long time, no see, Asgard. The snow is very nice, isn't it?

[And here's a face which hasn't appeared in a while. Jacob stares at the camera with those bright blue eyes of his, voice ever so calm.]

You know, I know that we're still going over what to do about the Freya situation, and whether Freryr can or cannot be saved. It is a difficult decision, and I'll let that topic rest for now, as I know all of you have differing opinions on what should be done.

No, the topic I want to talk about is sacrifice.

[And he sits a little straighter in his seat- it's been a while since he's made such a post.]

Sacrifice that is instigated by yourself is generally considered a noble thing, for it means giving up something that is dear to you in order to do something or allow something to happen that never would occur before. Of course, sacrifice is not an easy thing to do, in practice. You may say you can sacrifice that precious something when the time occurs, but when it gets down to the wire, not many people have the courage to give it up.

So, when somebody goes and does something like sacrifice their life, well...it's rather tragic, it is. For one wonders if there might have been any possible way to avoid it, or if things had been different in circumstance, the person would still be alive...it's not an easy decision for he person to make, but at the same time it's hard for the people around them to witness such a thing.

But really, what I've always wondered is this- how do they know for sure that their own death will bring an end to the problems plaguing them and their beloved ones? Letting yourself die is effectively putting an end to what you can do, and even if you somehow come back as a ghost or spirit, you can only watch to see if what you did was the correct decision. That is why sacrifice is a very touchy thing, because while noble in nature, it could go very easily wrong if you decide its time to let it happen.

[A pause.]

So, is sacrifice worth it? Would you go and sacrifice your own life for your friends or beloved ones, knowing the risks that come with it? Or is it better left as a method of last resort?

What do you think?

[ If you happen to switch on your bracelets this fine midday you might happen to notice one feed in particular where a young brunette is...casually removing the only piece of clothing she's wearing. Why? Because it's actually pretty tattered-looking and has a few cuts in it at the ends and down the back.

Whether or not she's particularly bothered by the fact that the camera's on or even notices, Riful doesn't give much indication and turns instead to the display case of a dress shop in front of her. She tilts her head in contemplation...all while standing there butt naked in the cold.

And murmuring to herself; ]

Hmm... I wonder if something like that would fit. It's a little too flashy for my taste though. It'd be nice if they used a more simple design.

[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.

[ There are so many things Hanako would like to say over the network... but there are not enough words. That post during the battle... it became real, after all. The void would be more painful if she didn't rebel and go say goodbye to the girl properly. It's possibly the best decision Hanako ever took in her whole life.

It's audio, and it'll be curtly to the point. ]

To all those who knew her, Nakama-san has gone back to her home world.

Those of you I know, and I didn't have a chance to catch up with during the battle, please contact me. I want to be sure you're all safe and sound.

[ Feed over. She's going to respond in a hour or so, after she's less prone to sulking for the loss. ]

[It's roughly noon. The armies are staring each other down across a field of mud and gravel and blood. It's clear that Asgard and their allies are heavily battered down, suffering from heavy losses and damaged morale. It feels like today is the last day. It seems like there's no chance that anything but the end of the world could come today.

Then a video feed starts on the network, surveying the view from a high vantage point. Freyr isn't on screen, but he's close enough to speak and be heard clearly. But even if he weren't close he'd still be heard. There's a convenient little spell projecting his voice all across his side of the battlefield and through the city itself. It's a stern voice, tense and short instead of the gentle, patient attitude he usually shows.]

Sound the retreat. Get all living things within the city walls. Abandon that which cannot be swiftly carried. Now.

[The video continues in silence while his orders are spread through the forces and followed. It takes little more than ten minutes to move everyone inside at an ordered dash. Supply wagons and tents are left in the field and people and animals are removed until all that remains is ghost town of a camp. Small groups of enemies that try to chase are quickly and efficiently deterred by fire from the flying ship, and eventually all are safe inside.

He wants this recorded. It's more than just to be sure his announcement is heard -- he wants to be sure no one forgets how close they were and how important this battle was. His ship maneuvers to the center of the field, and he takes a graceful leap to the ground just yards from the enemy front lines. At that point, he begins to glow.]

...Do not doubt that all of you would have died this day. This is not a game. It's not a trick. Everyone and everything you love is and has been riding on this. I'm sure, even now, that the war will not end. You will all have to continue to fight, and for that you have my sincerest apologies. You also have my sincerest faith. I have never seen hearts so strong as those who stand for what they believe in when they are so far from home. Whether you hate us or not that remains true. I am sure you will triumph in the end.

Thus, I am honored to have observed true beauty in all of you. Thank you and good luck.

[His voice wavers by the time he's done. He'd like to be emotional, but showing fear and regret won't help anyone and so he holds it in.

It's a distant angle, but the video might just catch a hint of a solemn smile. Then, with a flash like a bomb the view goes white and then blinks out. After that anyone looking out past the gates will see a wide, shallow scar on the land, stretching from just feet away from the city walls to what used to be a point three quarters of the way into the enemy army. In that place, nothing remains but rock-solid round covered in a layer of fine white dust. Not even a bit of metal or a single plant mars that flat surface. For a moment anyone in Freyr house will have their powers flicker off, then back on within a few seconds.

But the enemy is decimated, and shows no signs of coming close again.]


[ooc note: That's it for actual plot events! The enemy army will stay at a distance the rest of this IC day (tonight and tomorrow), and will leave in the morning (Nov 16). There will be another NPC post on the 17th, but other than that from this point on is just cleanup. Characters who died will return on the 17th! Thank you for playing!

Oh and P.S. you can get comments from the other gods, so do feel free to respond to this post to talk to them or just to talk to each other. Threadjacking is A+! It is a free-for-all in this post, even for quick action threads.]

So, I trust we all had fun with our animal friends a week or so ago?

[Hey Asgardians, long time no see. Jacob smiles, looking amused in his new sweater that was given to him, along with six other sets of winter clothing, due to the fact that he was nice to a sheep. Asgard you sure do surprise him sometimes.]

I've even seen a few sticking around...which makes me wonder, are they appreciated? Animals in human lives, I mean. I know most children nowadays want a cat or dog to keep them company, but parents would probably shirk at the thought of keeping a more unusual animal, like a snake or raccoon.

Which is interesting really...in Egyptian times, animals were great symbols of powerful deities who shaped the world they lived in. Most of them even had animal heads- Anubis, god of the dead and embalming, had the head of a black jackal. Thoth, god of writing and knowledge, had the head of an ibis, which is a type of bird. Horus, the god with the head of a hawk, Bastet, a protective goddess with the head of a cat...I could go on and on.

But it is interesting how animals, on my world, are not held as sacredly as they were back then- except for examples like the Hindu treating the cow with reverence and other such cases, most people would not look at an animal and think "that is something I need to pay respect to."

How is it in your worlds, I wonder? Are some animals held in higher respect than others? And for what reason? I know that even some worlds have mythical creatures like dragons and unicorns...are those even considered special in a place in which a person sees them in their regular habitat.

[A pause, as his smile widens.]

I'm curious, Asgard.

Per adversas res fortitudo. Through adversity comes strength.

[Well, well, well. If it isn't your resident kindly god figure, Asgard. Jacob looks weary, but his blue eyes are bright, and he stares at the camera with a tiny smile, as if to reassure all who are listening to him.]

Of course, war provides the most adversity of all...and considering what happened the last several days, I believe many people aren't yet over the suffering and pain caused by the attack. But what we need right now is to heal each other, physically and emotionally- if there is someone in need of help, help them. If you are in need of help, don't hesitate to ask.

Because, in times like this, we need to find strength in ourselves and one another if we want to get through adversity. Don't take it all on yourself...it will do you no good. But some people don't believe that. We'll all very different, we god-kidnapped people...

[A pause.]

What do you believe, Asgard? Are you ready to trust your fellow man and fight this war together? Or are we all too unlike each other to even consider cooperating?

Well, well, well. Looks like the gods decided to play some more tricks on us when we weren't expecting it.

[The young woman on camera smiles- many may recognize her as the one called Nina Fortner, but for some reason, she seems more reserved than usual. More calm. If this is a person in a bodyswapped state like most of Asgard, they're doing an extremely good job at not freaking out about their situation. In fact, "Nina" looks like she's on the verge of shrugging, as if to say "well, that happened, what can I really do about it?"]

And looks like I wasn't untouched as well. Which is interesting, I suppose. It does bring up the interesting question of whether this was chosen randomly, or our changed counterparts were specifically chosen for each of us.

[A pause as "she" brushes aside some hair away to an ear.]

Also, let's say we got stuck like this for a good amount of time. Would we change on a more mental level? Or would we stay the same because our personality and thoughts are immutable no matter what body they're put in? There was a very nice story from where I came from called "The Metamorphosis", in which a man inexplicably wakes up as a giant bug, yet his thoughts and personality stay the same. Yet, in that story, his family completely changes the way they act towards him, seeing him as a monster rather than the man they used to love...

Basically...if you had to live with whatever body you woke up in, what would you do? Would you change to become more like the person you're in to please the ones closest to them? Or would you not change at all?

[That calm smile widens a tad.]

What do you think, Asgard?

[ooc: Have a bodyswapped Jacob, Asgard! Comments will be made with brightspirit.]

[Well, Asgard, as you've probably figured out by now, it's body swap day! And actually, you've already seen the other half of this swap, which is why Diva doesn't bother with the "well this is weird" speech. She is lounging on her bedroom floor, and Rapunzel's usually quite lovely and well-kept hair is... not so. It looks approximately like this, but like for ten feet.

But. Diva is playing it cool. Because being in a 100% human body means something that Diva has never had to deal with before.]

Hey, I'm really hungry. I didn't know humans got hungry this easily. It's weird. It takes me like two weeks to be this hungry! [She makes an upset noise] But... What kind of food is there to eat? I don't really know much about it, I guess.

[She makes a reluctant face like this is a severe blow to her pride to admit] But, um... This is kind of a lot of hair, so I can't really go anywhere without... tripping on it. And that really hurts, you know! It's too fragile. [hmphs!!] So what kind of food should I eat? Or... if someone would cook me something, I guess that would be really nice too.

[After a pause, she adds,] I would appreciate that a lot, actually.

((ooc; as with everyone else, replied will be coming from tangledup, aww yiis))

'--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.]

[ No greetings, or any attempt to be friendly and open today. She can't be bothered being polite today. However, even despite all the bitterness and anger directed in various directions, Hanako will turn the audio feed on and speak to the network, hours after Heimdall's announcement.

Her voice is quiet, and oddly cold even for someone as gentle as she is. ]

I would like to once again apologize sincerely to whoever ran into me during the... competition, and all the discomfort my reactions caused you. I was completely out of control, and I don't think there's still any excuse for what happened.

[ She feels like gagging at the mere mention of the 'competition' word, but she'll continue. ]

Our House apparently... won a considerable amount of gold. This is directed to all Sigyn members; what are you planning to do with all that? I am just curious.

[ Hanako waits a few seconds, then she'll click the feed off. Someone is obviously hurt and in need to talk with anyone. ]

Either you all like singing in public or the gods have an excellent sense of humor.

[If it isn't Jacob, looking ever so amused at all the things he had heard on the network. Really, some of you even have wonderful voices, he's impressed.]

But either way, all of what I've seen has made me curious. Music certainly has a giant influence on most of our lives...but what does it mean to you? Is it something you listen to casually, or has anything spoken to you? Some songs can do everything from making people burst out in tears or dwell on things they thought were over and gone with.

What role does it play in your life, residents of Asgard?

These 'god houses'...can they be changed or switched?

[Because out of everything he's been told, this is the only thing he feels like he can do anything about right now. And, really, the irony of being put in 'Hel' is not lost on him and he doesn't appreciate it.]

Also, is there any way to find out who else is here? Like a list?

[For those who choose to wander into Hel's Welcoming Hall, Richard is hanging out there, looking put out and rather tired. It's been a long day.]

[Backdated to the 19th.

Effy's getting dressed, wandering around her room. Luckily, she's not anywhere near half naked, but as she's pulling on a light long-sleeved button up, she starts to hum. Humming turns into the soft, light lull of singing.]

You're an island of a girl, adrift in a world with a rising tide. You know that the coming storm is gonna be a crazy ride. [She seems to be going with the tune, at least for now. She's moving around her room, grabbing a few bracelets off her bedside table.]

With your altars made of trash, the aftermath of disposable dreams. [She sways gently, pausing by her bed. She's almost lost in the song, it seems.] You know that you were born for more than what machines provide.

I will write you a song that sounds like a faded photograph.

[She stops abruptly, frowning. Her brow furrows. Taking a breath, she realizes that her bracelet has been recording.

She doesn't say a word. She rolls her eyes, and turns off the feed.]

[Momoka is sitting in her room--the bracelet is on the desk and she doesn't seem to know it's on--instead she's studying an apple, or more specifically, she's studying the sticker on it, running an index finger along the outside. After a moment she shifts, realizes she's being filmed, and smiles.]

What do you think of fate?

[Trucy's been thinking over this whole newfound family thing since the big reveal, and surprise surprise, just thinking the same thing in circles wasn't being very productive, so she decided to try something new.]

Hey, does anyone here have a brother? What's he like??



[She goes to turn the feed off, only to stop at the last second to add:]

Also, since it doesn't look like we're all going home after all, does anyone need an entertainer for their shop? I can't provide references as they're all back home, but my talent speaks for itself.

 [ Hello, Asgard. Have one (1) little ten year old boy smiling cheerfully at you. ]

Ah, i hope I've got this right. I've been trying for the last few days, but it's a little weird!

I'm still a bit confused over what we're doing here. But if we were brought here by Gods, that must mean some of you are really strong, right? Like heroes? [ The admiration is practically tangible in his voice. ]

--Oh! Before I forget! My name is Thomas! I've been put into...uh... Hel House? That's an odd name...

[ ooc; As a reminder, his real name is Czeslaw Meyer. However, out of force of habit (and the chance he gets his immortality back) Czes will be going by Thomas in Asgard! ]

[When the audio feed opens, you can hear the high pitched sound of some yapping, and then a hushing noise.]

Shhh... please be quiet for a moment...

[Hanako speaks softly, before returning her attention to the bracelet.]

Um... g-greetings again, everyone.

I suppose Laurent is... gone. [There's a gloomy tone to it.] I wish him the b-best and that he'll return s-safe and sound to his world.

...

[A pause.] There's... another particular matter I n-need to press. Laurent left me s-something. I guess he w-wanted me to take it, but he disappeared b-before he could tell me anything...

[And there you hear more yapping.] Ah- please not now! Um... well... hold on.

[Hanako switches the feed off. Some fiddling later, the feed opens again, this time set on video. You won't see Hanako's face, instead, the bracelet's camera is set towards the floor of her room, so you can only see her shoes, and...

And then there's an adorable corgi puppy dog sitting there, with its tongue out, tail wagging happily, and big curious eyes staring at you. It yaps a few more times before Hanako hushes it up again.]

I already checked... i-it's a female. I couldn't ask Laurent how o-old she is. Uhm... [Her feet shift awkwardly. The puppy still stares up as she speaks in the background] All I k-know about domestic pets I only have read in a b-book, but- I don't remember much and I have no experience whatsoever w-with animals. So I wondered if those o-of you who have a p-pet or know something about k-keeping a dog could... give me some advice.

Also... I w-wondered if you could... suggest me a name for her. I- I'm not good at these s-sort of things...

[Another pause. Hanako's growing anxious with keeping this a video.] I hope I wasn't a b-bother to you. Good... good day.

[Click! And the video ends.]