[On screen today - Kanji's trying to look the smartest, coolest and calmest he's ever looked. It's definitely not perfect, though, but he starts...]

Hey.

I realised, yesterday... It's been a long time since I came here. And people here have done a lot for me. I know it wasn't, really, but it feels like it was just a coupla days ago a load of you helped me out when I was just a kid. It meant a lot to me.

So - I wanna pay folks back.

Do somethin' to help out that ain't just my job, you know? And what I can do is sew and fix things. Clothes are damn expensive at the moment. With the way things are, we've all gotta try and get by.

What I'm thinkin' of doing is runnin' some kinda - uh, workshop to show anyone who wants the basics of sewing things. How to fix buttons, how to fix basic holes and that sorta thing. I can do some'f the more complicated bits, too, if anyone wants.

So, anyone interested? Come by Everyday Sunshine later. If this works, an' nothing gets in the way, I might do a few more'a these. What d'you think?

[Anyone who does follow him up on his offer will find him setting up a couple of tables of sewing and craft equipment, and hoping for the best...]

Action:

There's a stray kid wandering around the city today, a lanky young boy - when did he even get here? He looks lost, baffled, and more than a little wary and scared. He shouldn't be here! This place is grey, it's ugly, and more than anything, it's not his home.

Every so often, he stops and looks in shop windows as he passes them. Toy shops and craft shops, mostly. Trying to pretend like he isn't looking at that stuff, though; he's going to be a man about it! He doesn't need the cute stuff! He doesn't need to look at the singing flowers, or the weird bunnies or that stuff, either...
(Fooling no-one.)

In time, he can be found seated on a bench in the park, fiddling around with a bracelet that he's not sure how he got. Okay, it's very pretty, but - ]

Video:

- Ah! What's this doing? 'Recording' - huh?

[Poke, poke. The transmission flicks off, then shortly on again, with a slightly less surprised looking kid.]

Uh ... hi...

I can talk to people on here, right? Um... so [nervously, he almost mutters-] ...has anyone seen my parents? Their names are Hayao and Aiko Tatsumi... Ma? Dad? Are you here too? I'm - I'm in the park and I'm not sure where everything is... where am I?


((OOC: Yes, Kanji's been de-aged. Enjoy your temporary bitty with issues.))

[Newish face on the network, though some should find it familiar. Ostensibly a younger boy talking, for those who don't know any better. Gun in her hand? Gun in her hand. Naoto seems a little hurried, but she's still trying to manage a formal tone. Still, there's a trace of panic she can't quite eliminate.]

My name is Naoto Shirogane, I'm with the City Patrol. This is important, so please, pay attention. It's exactly what some of us feared. Just a moment ago, I caught sight of an army approaching the Gate of Fog. Most of the force is comprised of...frost giants, I believe? [Guess who hasn't actually seen them before?] Eighty or ninety or so, one hundred at the most. There were at least ten larger ice creatures accompanying them, and they're equipped with two catapults. Some kind of strange lights were around them as well. I don't have any further details, and I apologize, but...

[She grips her pistol a little more tightly. This isn't something she was really ready for, but like hell is she going to back down.]

I'm in no position to give anyone orders, but we must begin coordinating. Now.

( [filtered to City Patrol] )

( [filtered to Investigation Team] )

[It takes some pretty extreme circumstances to get Adachi rampagingly pissed off; the only time it had (that he knew of, at the very least), was when Yamano had pissed him off, and he gave that bitch what she deserved. Now this entire month had been an excuse to essentially piss in his bowl of rice, and there was nothing he could damn well do about it.]

[Except of course, rant where everyone could hear him. It probably wouldn't do him any good, but at least he'd feel better for a little bit.]

This place is... is just messed up!

It screws with my head for weeks, makes me forget the few people that I actually give a shit about, makes me see everything go to shit night after night, and then it's just, 'Oh well, this is how it's going to be, sucks to be you!'

Fuck that!

[He's shaking, and having trouble keeping the bracelet straight, so he pauses a moment to take it off.]

I didn't fucking ask to be dragged into this! I didn't want to forget Nanako-chan or Dojima-san or anything I fucking did back home! Now it's not supposed to fucking matter anyway, 'cause it's all gonna burn?!

[The bracelet suddenly went flying then, finally cutting out when it hits a wall.]

[No, he's not okay.]

[Video]

[Ah, such a beautiful day to have off! Which means that the natural place for a growing child like her would be...

...Indoors?]

Hello everybody! Over the past few days a lot of people have asked me about Runic Magic, so I thought... Since I have the day off, if anyone would like to come learn the basics, I can teach them! I'll take breaks around lunch and dinner, but I'll come right back once I finish, so please feel free to come at any time if you are interested in learning!

[--And something seems to occur to her right then.]

We've gotten a lot of new people, haven't we...? If you don't know what Runic Magic is, it's a different type of magic from the powers the gods give you. Instead of drawing from the gods, it draws from the world itself. It can be used for all kinds of things, like conjuring bread or making your clothes invisible... things like that! And we're discovering more and more spells every day! Anyone can learn it, so if you'd like to give it a try, just come visit!

I'll be in the Grimoire's Sigil headquarters. It's right by the Draupnir Theater in Freyr-sama's district, so you can't miss it!

[Action]

[And as promised, she can be found sitting at a table in the Grimoire's Sigil HQ, a book on Runic Magic spread open as she scribbles some new circles on a paper with plain ink. Nothing magical here - it's all just practice and half-thought up ideas.

...And a couple of cat faces if you actually look, but can you really fault a kid for getting distracted every once in a while during her studies? Either way, the moment she hears someone around she'll look up right away.]

Oh-! Did you come here for lessons?

[Anyone in the general vicinity of the hospital in Sigyn - more precisely, the vicinity of the Everyday Sunshine building - might catch Kanji at work setting things up, organizing cute bits and pieces and generally making a nice looking display. It's been more than a week since his stall's been open, and he's making up for lost ground.
Not that he could help it. Going home can be a drag like that.

He sets a sign outside, decorated to the point of possible overkill, down to having a (drawn up, sadly) plushie pointing at it: Craft stall re-opening!

And to announce things a bit more, the video feed opens from inside the building, set up to take the stall in the best he can:]

Hey, everyone.

Just lettin' anyone who was lookin' for my craft stall this last - uh, is it a week? Two? I can't work it out... anyway, I'm up and running again. Yeah, I got pulled home for a bit. [Shrug.] Not like I could help it, right?

So... the cute stuff's ready to go again. And I'm doin' a 'first day back' sale. Come on over and get it!

While I'm here, though... have I missed anything?

[ The video comes on and Hermione settles a few pieces of notepaper before she speak. ]

Hello, everyone. I know it's been a long time but I've finally finished writing up all my notes about Asgard and everyone's worlds. I know it doesn't quite cover all the worlds that have been introduced here but it's a start! If you'd like to add anything then, please, let me know as soon as you're able.

[ She smiles, softly, expression bright. She's very proud of herself, really, and more than glad that she's finally able to contribute something solid and real to Asgard. She's finally able to put all her research together and actually show it to her friends and acquaintances and, maybe, actually help them in the long run. ]

It's a digital file, so I think you should all be able to access it using your bracelets. If you have any problems then, please, let me know and I'll do whatever I can to help.

[ LINKED: Hermione's guide and notes on the City of Asgard. ]

Otherwise, how is everyone? Things have been quieter than usual, which I think is a good thing, so I hope that means well for you all. 

[ She pauses, pursing her lips, before she shakes her head and sighs just before the feed turns off. ]

[ The morning's fierce thunderstorm may have calmed, but the unnatural silence that has fallen over the city brings little peace. Even the white noise of the rain is constant and heavy enough to fade from Travelers' awareness; it is the sort of quiet that begs one to break it, that drags out each successive moment for longer and longer.

That night, Heimdall addresses the network. He holds himself more formally than usual, shoulders back and chin up, gaze level into the feed as if he's meeting every Traveler's eyes directly. There's an air of authority about him and quiet certainty in his voice when he speaks. It's not strange by any means, but it's different enough that those who have spoken to him prior will know something has happened -- something that will affect them all. ]

Good evening, Travelers. I do hope this reaches you in safety. Certainly, this storm is no mere weather, and its mainspring...

[ Heimdall breathes in and seems to make a decision. He will tell the Travelers more than his King would approve of, in the hopes of ensuring their support. There has been enough conflict recently, arguments and placation, things for which they can no longer spare the time or energy. ]

Odin is gone. Shielding Asgard from Yggdrasil's collapse has taxed our King profoundly, and he has fallen into a sleep from which he cannot be woken. I ask of your patience as we await his recovery, and through any changes his rest may bring. Thor, Prince-Regent and heir, will reign in his father's absence.

I'm certain many of you have questions. While I will endeavor to respond, please realize there is much to be done at the moment. Thank you for your cooperation in this difficult time.

[ sup Asgard, here's an oracle looking particularly pleased, and it's because she's ..particularly pleased with herself. or maybe just in general. it's hard to tell. but she's sitting on the floor of a bedroom ( hers? probably. but who knows. ), her bracelet being held up for a moment when the feed first clicks on before it's put on the floor in front of her. then she's kind of stretching but kind of not, leaning forward a little, pretty much just to avoid the most unflattering camera angle in the world. but she's too jittery to actually hold the camera up, so- right. anyway. ]

So I've been thinking. [ there's a pause, like she's imagining someone going 'uh oh' ] And I think what this city really, really needs is an art club. Or an art- something. Club sounds too much like high school. And that's not what I'm thinking of. Not really a class, but just a time and place where people can get together and make- stuff. Make art. There's a really great space in the Freyr district that's open to the public to use, and I've been going there just to draw and paint on my own, but I just keep thinking that it might be really cool if there was a whole group of us. And I already know there's a few people here who like art as much as I do, so I figured I'd bring it up. Because why not.

We don't even have to work on any projects together, specifically, but sometimes it's kind of nice surrounding yourself with people just creating things, right?

[ there's a pause, and she sighs a little sigh ] I know that there are a lot of really scary things going on, and I've found myself more caught up in them than I ever thought I would be. But our purpose here isn't just about fighting and sweating and bleeding to try and save the worlds, right? It's about bringing the color back.

And... Isn't that what art is for?

[ oo, so insightful, she might have practiced that one. then she's grinning again, a little mischievous ]

So... Let me know if you want in, okay? Oh, and if anybody wants a live model to paint, I've got just the man for the job. [ she's looking up past the camera now, reaching to shut it off as she does. ] Hey, Stiles-!

[The feed opens in a Sigyn park, before it pans up. The bracelet appears to be Souji's, and Ellie is sitting close by on a bench, wearing a strange plant-like clothing. Sandy is using her as a pillow. There is a No Voldemort / Tom Riddle allowed sign painted next to everything.

Souji waves as the screen, with a half-grin, looking much more serious than usual. Despite the preparations, he's not usually the one doing the first introductions in a group, Yosuke usually did. There's so much to speak about too...]

Hello. [That's a good way to start right?] My name is Souji Seta. This is Ellie-kun and Sandy-san... [He points to them and pans the view a little before returning to him.] ...we're from house Sigyn.

( The message in full (Public to everyone BUT You-Know-Who, get your lackeys to find this for you. )

( Private to the Sigyn House (both Growth and Healers) )

[OOC Note; Just to be sure, this post happens after it is decided to go and help out.]

[When Skuld appears on Asgard's network, she is the picture of regal composure - perfectly groomed and solemn of face, a far cry from the dirty, soot-covered refugee that arrived the day before. Only when she speaks can some of the frayed edges be noted, but never to the point of hysteria; she is still a queen, and this is a royal duty.]

Travellers of Asgard. For those whom I did not have the pleasure of meeting on my last occasion to visit this city, my name is Skuld, and I am ruler of the elven kingdom of Alfheim. While it pleases me to speak with all of you again, I must regretfully inform you that it is on a very dire matter indeed.

[She glances down at her hands, ensuring that they are still steady where she's folded them in her lap, then back up again with iron determination.]

( Cut for Skuld's loquaciousness. TL;DR: things are, in fact, hitting the fan in elfland. )

[And indeed, her speech is done. The gods will be backing her on matters relating to Asgard, which will likely be the most pressing concerns for those that live here, but she will take any questions about Alfheim directly. And of course, it will likely be her who tries to soothe those angered by this speech.]

[ Now folks, there's nothing to be alarmed about. Showing up on the feed is a skeleton. But, it is a skeleton that, from the neck up, can be seen wearing what looks like a pin-stripe suit and elaborate bat bow tie. His jaw is stretched out into a big grin as he waves a bony hand to those who may be watching. ]

Greetings, one and all! For those of you that I have not had the horrifying pleasure to meet, allow me to introduce myself! My name is Jack Skellington, the Pumpkin King, and I come from a terrifying little place known as HalloweenTown. And yes, I am, indeed, a skeleton! A real one at that! [ Because this has been brought into question many times. ]

My reasons for addressing everyone is that due to certain... well, the fact that I am a walking and talking skeleton, I seem to find it very difficult finding a job of sorts. Seeing as my usual duties I tend to at home are not required here, I wanted to offer up my skills to those in need!

[ Yes, take a moment to let that settle: a skeleton looking for employment.

... Moving on. ]

I'm very good at telling scary stories and frightening others, those happen to be my specialty. After all, one isn't a citizen of a town dedicated to the most horrendous night of the year for nothing. [ He chuckles at that before his eye sockets widen, remembering something. ] Oh! And I enjoy singing and performing songs too! Not to mention I get along well with monsters and ghouls, as well as dogs.

[ He continues to grin, not fully aware that this entire video is probably confusing a lot of people for one, if not multiple, reasons. ]

But if anyone could help me, I would be horrifically grateful.

I literally just slept for like a week.

[ Jade's voice is a little hoarse, her hair wet from a shower, and she still seems vaguely sleepy. ]

Did I miss anything exciting? Any more giant attacks? -- how is everyone, anyway? Yes, hi, even people I don't know yet, how are you doing?

[ FILTERED TO ROXY: ]

Hey! I met Callie! At home, I mean.

[PUBLIC POST - ADDRESSED TO ALL]
[The feed opens in another Sigyn room. There's a tall teenager with greyish hair and he looks calmly at the camera, giving a small bow in greeting.]

Hello.

[Since he's got a few things to send in private, why not go for broke and address the entire population. Projects are buzzing in his mind.]

I'm Souji Seta, and in house Sigyn. While I haven't been here for long, if anyone has questions regarding the city, I've been studying maps and locations whenever I've had free time. [His head is in the books when he's got a minute off, he kinda needs to keep his mind off things that's how he rolls.]

I've been thinking about what has happened recently, and while I was able to find information about the gods made by someone else, I don't see any guides to the city itself. The stores and services some of you own that could be useful to add as well.

Whenever we have new people coming here - along with Loki's, having a guide could give them a better understanding of what's happening and the history so far. [And in easier terms, sorry Loki.]

By pooling our resources together, I believe we can truly make something impressive. [Sorry, protags gotta protag.] As I've said, I've only been here for a short time myself, but I know some of you have been here since the first day. I would appreciate it greatly if you could share your knowledge with us.

I'll spearhead the information collecting myself, so simply leave me a message with what you know or businesses you have and their open and closing hours, and I'll work on a document we could easily pass around.

[He smiles.]

Thank you.

I'll try to come here once in a while and give you all updated information on how it's going so far. If anyone wants to help me with this, I'd be glad to have your help.

---

( PUBLIC POST, BUT SPECIFICALLY ADDRESSED TO THE DOCTORS -- ALL OF THEM )

--

( PRIVATE POST TO THE INVESTIGATION TEAM )

---

( PRIVATE POST TO THE IT, SEES AND THE RYOJI )

[The video coming through at the moment seems to be coming from somewhere in the Freyr welcome hall, going by the colours. Kanji's staying inside in the cool, dammit, where he can get something to drink easily.

However, he's got other reasons to be sweating, right now. How about some nerves? He can't quite believe he's doing this.
Still, if that mirror world'd told him anything, it was a reminder about being true to himself, so... here goes nothing.]

Uh - so, hey, everyone.

We've all been through a whole lot over the past few days. And we could kinda use a break from it… so… Figured I'd do somethin' to cheer folks up. I was doin' a couple already, so...

[In a bit of a rush-] I'm makin' these.

[Kanji reaches down out of camera-shot, and picks up an absolutely adorable knitted plushie. A grey kitten with a flower on its collar, to be precise.]

If anyone wants one... they're gonna be one hundred percent custom designs. Whatever you want, I can make, pretty much. That's hand-make. More complicated ones are gonna cost more and I'm gonna need to spend longer working out the patterns on them, but I can still do just about anything.

So who's up for the cutest crap that this city's ever seen?

[ so, Rachel's freaked out. really, really freaked out. the network is talking about a mirror universe and she's noticed it, of course she has. people getting sucked into reflective surfaces. it's hard not to notice that! and she's managed to avoid getting caught in the crossfire so far, but only because she's shut herself in her room and hasn't left since the fighting started to get really bad. which, honestly, she hates. she feels useless!

so...

here's this transmission. she sounds panicked and frustrated all at the same time, fun stuff. ]

So, hi. Hello.

I'm still pretty new to the city so this might sound like a dumb question, but is it status quo for giant ..giants to be running around fighting each other here? Does this kind of thing just happen? I get that the people-stealing mirrors is new, but is this what the war is like here? The one we're supposed to be fighting in. Because I can't say I'm a huge fan of hiding out in my room and waiting until it's all over instead of actually helping somehow, but this kind of came out of nowhere and I've had a total of zero hours of training with my abilities, so here I am. Can't we do something? Maybe? What are we supposed to be doing right now?

[ half seriously looking for some answers, half just trying to distract herself from how crazy scary all of this is. yep. ]

[The name attached to this post is "Naoto Shirogane", but Naoto's is definitely not the only face to greet the camera as it switches on, let alone the one initially taking up most of the picture - although "greet" implies some sort of presence and purposefulness, both of which seem to be lacking in the taller young man currently looking over at somebody just out of frame.]

- sense, doesn't it? We don't know if anyone's going to believe a bunch of high-schoolers even if we're all saying the same thing, but a detective's another story. So...

[He looks down at the bracelet, brow furrowing a little, pointer finger at the ready, and... does a pretty dramatic double take.]

Huh? It started recording already?

Whether we're believed or not isn't our concern. We can simply give out the information we have and nothing else. [Those who choose to listen to it or not... that's up to them.

( OOC cut for an extremely professional PSA about the mirror world )

Oh, and if anyone's seen... Eh, never mind. [Before anyone can correct him, he reaches down and switches Naoto's recording off.]

[ooc: replies and possibly threadjacks may be from any combination of Yosuke, Kanji, Rise and Naoto!]

[The voice that comes over the feed is definitely Henry's, but it's- different. More nervous, tense. It's not cheerful or light or anything like it.]

Hey, uh- does anyone have any tips on how to relax? Like if you can't get a thought- or a lot of thoughts- out of your head, and you have no idea how to even start dealing with any of them? I always said I'd never last a week, and, er-

I think I was right.

[Shaky laughter; it's nothing like his usual sort. On the other hand, the emotion in it is actually a bit more real.

Henry almost ends the transmission there, and there's a few minutes of silence before he adds, reluctantly, guiltily:]

Also if you see Ryan around, please don't mind him too much, he doesn't really know what he's saying, and he'll probably feel really bad about it later. Also don't give him a weapon or promise him your organs, even if he asks nicely.

I... think that's it, thanks.



((OOC: Henry's been afflicted by a personality swapping curse, exchanging his usual careless morbidity with Ryan's nice propensity for worrying (and a good deal more thoughtfulness in the bargain). The downside is that he's overreacting and poorly equipped for dealing with normal amounts of emotion and daily concerns.

Well, one of the downsides.))