[This is just the face you all missed so much, isn't it? Yep, this ugly, gray-skinned mug with the broken yellow teeth, smudged in oil and glaring at the screen behind a pair of chipped and broken sunglasses is sneering at the lot of you. He looks annoyed.

Or constipated. It's hard to tell.

Behind him, there's a gas station and small motorcycle repair shop opened up again. Crossing his arms, he bristles and curls his lips before speaking.]

You have not destroyed this place sufficiently for me to be unable to re-open, ergo your collective compressed and liquified animal carcass [Yes, he knows you call it gas. he doesn't give a fig.] needs will be met at Black and Blue. I am informed that I should mention our decadent sweet selections are improved over past offerings. As we have resumed our normal functionings, I will inform those with interest in my alchemizational capabilities that my time is at present to be distributed evenly between three separate projects, which will likely consume the majority of extraneous stamina.

[Making weapons, building crap for Leonardo and Kaworu and fluffy things for Nepeta was also a good way to keep him out of trouble with things like armadas of Aradia bots, like the one he had in the basement.]

...And whoever left the hand print in my wall, you will fix the damage. I command it.

[ Normally when Kieran makes posts to the network, he tries to seem at least a little friendly. Not today. The video opens on a glaring stormcloud of a man -- he looks pale, sleep deprived, and ready to kill something. ]

She's in the fucking bracelets.

[ Yeah, the things they wear that directly tie their souls to the gods? Those bracelets. Kieran's glare shifts slightly, as if it's directed at the jewelry on his wrist rather than the feed itself. Then he abruptly looks to the side and says something in another language -- anyone who knows him well enough will recognize that he's talking to Ash, others are free to think he's just nuts and speaking gibberish to no one.

It roughly translates to 'they should be scared, the fucking bitch is eating us.' But he looks marginally less homicidal when he turns to the video again. ]

It's not a curse on us, she's in us, using the connection to twist our souls. We proved it. If you take 'em off, it stops.

Where are you, Loki?



(( ooc: this is happening evening of 330! Kieran, Ash and Rider have been completely incommunicado for about two and a half days. ))

[The video feed flickers on but Luke seems more intent on studying the touchscreen that's popped up once he turned on the bracelet. He'll get around to addressing everyone in a sec, he's a little more interested in getting more familiar with the technology. Demigods and technology generally didn't go together for safety purposes, but if he was already dead, maybe it didn't matter.

Granted, he wasn't even sure if he was still dead at this point. This wasn't rebirth. He didn't have any recollection of anything beyond his final breath, but here he was and he was able to breathe, see, and think. And then, of course, there was the fact he could also apparently hear other people's thoughts. It was jarring to have random strains of thought that weren't his entering his brain. He had to figure out how to control his new power so that it didn't drive him to insanity. However, he had more important matters to attend to. He finally stops, focusing on directing his message to the city at large.]

Someone told me that the gods talk to us a lot. Our gods aren't exactly the most chatty, so I'm not sure if I buy it. Which one of them are we supposed to talk to if we don't belong here? [His fingers seem to be reaching forward to push some buttons on the keyboard, still experimenting.]

If I can’t get an answer for that question, then how about this: who's actually right in this war?

[There's a lot more he'd like to say, but as it is he's going to stop and just wait. Come on, Asgard. Give him options.]

[The video starts off with Dirk in the bar Stride, he was polishing the bar and looks up when the feed connections.]

Take a second to hear me out. In light of all the recent battles, stressful situations, and losses of people - Roxy and I thought we all could do with some time off.

The party will be held at the date on the ad. [The ad gets some screen time before things go back to Dirk Strider.]

So, come join us for a bit and take a load off.

We all need it.

[ooc: Party log is here.]

[The feed comes on accidentally, one of the last 'hiccups' in the network before Loki is back to full health. Equius is staring to the side in what looks like a gas station, a rumbling growl coming out of his throat. He seems to be trying to make sounds over and over again.]

Le... le... le...

Language of love indeed. It sounds like idiotic cluck-beast babble.

[He growled, shaking his head and looked up at the door, scratching at the door when it opened. There was a dingling sound from a bell above the doorway and he leaned forward, a hand on top of the bowl of free fire-hot candies he'd set out on an 'impish' whim.]

Ah, Nepeta... good. [ahem] [ahem] [AHEM]

Voulez vous avec moi se swoi...

[His small, cat-like moirail comes bouncing in, the candy-bowl getting a pointed look before her attention swerves back to Equius.]

Ooh, are you still purracticing that? Try it again!

[He nodded and grunted, handing her a candy that was not tricked to be overly spicy.]

Of course. I see no reason not to attempt to broaden my horizons, and if I am to express romantic intentions then my moirail is the most appropriate to do so with.

[ahem] Voulez vous coucher avec moi ce soir?

[It is really, really, unbelievably creepy to see Equius trying this hard to offer a french leer to the words, especially with the way his lips quivered and his broken, snaggled teeth seemed to quiver. The feed crackled and cut off right about then.

No, he has no clue what he's just asked her to do.]

(OOC: This color is Equius and This is Nepeta)

[Gaara is left staring at the screen for a full minute after reading this magnificent piece of work. What the hell kind of presentation was that.

This has got to be an elaborate joke. Albeit a completely unfunny one.]

Absurd… You must train your own soldiers for war, rather than steal resources from others.

[Because shinobi don’t steal things from other villages. Nope!

Oh, right. There is a purpose to this message.]

For those of you that are affiliated with Suna, respond immediately.

[That is a command, not a request.]

Okay... okay this 'random arrival' thing was cute. [This is as sarcastic as someone can be without holding up a sign saying I'M BEING SARCASTIC.]

Nice trick the gods pulled, ha ha everyone is laughing.

[Isaac is not laughing. His voice is deadpan, a little tight, and when he glances behind him, there's... another Isaac. They look practically identical, save for wearing different clothes, a slightly different hairstyle, and Isaac- the one making the post- takes a deep breath and looks back to the feed, still in. A little bit of shock.]

But this.

This is a little creepy.

[Another deep breath. Deep breaths are important when the Invasion of the Bodysnatchers goes from Tuesday night B Horror to actual real life.]

...any explanations?


[[ooc: other Isaac is fugitive_but_great! Threadjacking is encouraged everywhere, and other Isaac will tag around a bit/threadjack too.]]

[This is another network post from the worst video personality imaginable. Kieran is on one of the fields at the arena, and there's several bags and a large pile of … something..? behind him. It could be easels or barricades or anything like that. He glances off camera for a moment, then speaks, and anyone who knows him will recognize that he's doing his 'I'm totally not scary' thing.]

We just got a big wake up call about powers not working outside the city. Not everyone can do hand to hand or blades but everyone should be able to fight.

I'm giving shooting lessons at the arena. One on one or small groups for now. You pay for your ammo, unless you want to practice resisting body control. Then it's on me.

[He says this as if it's a favor to you rather than the other way around, that he's a body controller looking for people to practice on. Kieran glances offscreen again, and the feed cuts out.

At least he doesn't waste words.]

[The video feed settles on the grey-skinned troll as he runs a hand through his violet streaked hair.]

You knoww, a lot a' you complain about fightin' in this wwar, gettin' dragged here against your fuckin' wwill. But wwhat I wwant to knoww is wwhat the fuck happens wwhen it's all ovver.

[Eridan is surprisingly somber, a hint of a frown tugging down the corners of his grey lips as he stares down the screen. His fins are slightly drooped, and he chews on his lower lip for a long moment before continuing.]

Wwhat happens to those a' us wwho don't havve a univverse to go back to? My fuckin' planets gone, and considerin' this scar around my gullet, I'm not bettin' that I get out a' encounterin' Kan's chainsaww alivve.

[He's not going to let them send him back to die, no matter how impermanent it might be in his universe.]

I'm not fuckin' goin' back. Not to Alternia. Not to that fuckin' sack-a-wwhale-entrails  of a meteor.

[He had finally come to that decision this morning. He's not going back. And Gl'bgolyb help the god who tries to make him.]

So wwhat are my other options?

[Hello, Asgard. Look who is finally making his first post to the network? Jack is sitting on a roof and enjoying a blue popsicle. It seems their little trip to the cold lands wasn't enough ice for him.]

Moral of the story: 'frost giants' aren't as cool as they sound.

[...it's a joke, ok, don't judge him much. He needs to deal somehow with the fact the trip pretty much sucked. Jokes are also his way of trying to break the ice see what I did. Answering to people's silly thoughts? No problem. Starting conversation by his own? That's gonna need more practice.]

Someone mentioned weapons when I arrived, and how I should I ask the network about it. Maybe you do have an idea of what to do about--

[He uses telekinesis to make the two halves of a shepherd crook float next to him.]

--this. Because without my original powers, my staff is now just... a piece of wood, I guess.

[Brilliant deduction, Jack. All these changes are sure bothering you, huh?]

[There is a boy (probably) with a box on his head. No holes, but it has several goofy faces scribbled all over it in red ink. Coincidentally, there's a redhead giant of a man behind him with just such a red marker!]

Um, I don't bother with this sort of thing typically, but would anyone happen to have good book recommendations? I have a preference for detective fiction but at this point I'm so desperate, I'll read anyth--

Rider stop that I can feel you doing it!

[The boy swats at his companion, but as he can't see, his aim is completely off. The big man merely laughs.]

Look-- I get that Gods really don't care about if we want to do something, but could they at least pick better timing? I guess if they have one thing going for them they're not as big of jerks Roman ones. Some Gods really have it out for me. Starting to think I should have ate those Crispy Cheese 'n' Wieners when I had the chance. Take up a job at ROFL, nothing says fun like rainbows.

I mean I'll help, but this place doesn't look like it's under attack. The grey people are creepy, but I've seen weirder. They could be statues...

Anyway, great. So I'm here. Someone mind telling me where I can find a sword and a nice long bath? Something tells me I'm going to need it before this is all over.

[Well... this little trainer has some things on his mind. He's sitting on the back of his Torterra, up against the tree and smiling shyly at the camera. He reaches up to his hat, grabbing the tip of it and nodding a little at everyone before he speaks up.]

Hey Asgard, been a while for me. So... I've noticed that... well, there's not a lot of us trainers left at all. So of course, we're a little short on people over at Poketopia-... ehehe... if you want a job there, it would be best to ask Hilda about that, she's the boss after all.

In any case! Those nightmares and stuff were really freaky before- right? So instead I'd rather have some happy times. What's your favorite thing to do? Or just stuff you like in general, I guess.

Like for me, I really love baking, and taking care of my Pokemon of course.

[Torterra makes a sound at that, moving a little and Lucas tries to steady himself on the back of the large turtle.]

Aah... oh! I also liked digging in the underground! Finding fossils was really neat, I remember finding several of them and... well, people could revive the fossils back home and they'd become Pokemon again! Technology is great... but yeah, I wanna hear from you guys too!

[Anyone who spends any time at all with Nepeta should have noticed her absence the past day or so. She'd been just about everywhere hunting for easter eggs for a while, skipping about with two great baskets, one on each arm, and apparently throwing herself completely into this fun new game.

And then she just didn't show up any more.

Until now.]

My Pounce! Look, look everybody! It's my Pounce! She found me again!

[The feed shows a delighted Nepeta and a great white double-mouthed cat purring loudly and nuzzling all over her charge.

Yes, this is indeed why the small kittytroll hasn't been around. She's been busy cuddling her lusus, and has been for a while judging by the white hair covering her hat and coat.]

Oh, oh, this is the best day efur!

[Ichigo doesn't use the network much-at least, he doesn't use it to make his own posts. He'll respond, sure, but he'd rather interact in person than over the network in most cases. This past month, he's been a bit busy, and hasn't really glanced at it much, but now...well. Now he has a genuine problem and quite a few questions.

While he's his normal scowly self, he seems more...fidgety today. Even possibly nervous, although god knows over what. He opens his mouth, shuts it, opens it again, shuts it again. Obviously frustrated, he takes a sharp inhale of breath and lets it out, closing his eyes and apparently trying to relax. Okay. Calmed down. Let's try this again, shall we?]

Hey...everyone.

[...oh god, this is going to be awful. Still, he bravely soldiers on, trying to get over this weird...nervousness.]

So, I uh...I've kind of got a question for everyone. I mean, you don't have to answer it or anything-and if you're just going to be a jackass about it, don't even bother. But...

[Swallow. Did it get dry in here? It got dry in here, when did that happen? Where the hell is some water?]
What, uh...what do you do when you're trying to show someone you like them? And I mean like like them, not just as a friend or family. That...kind of like. I mean yeah, I think I know the basics, but... I don't even know where'd she'd-

Coff. Anyway. So...if anyone's got...tips on stuff like that or where to go for a...date, I'd appreciate it.

[He exhales jerkily, obviously relieved this is over. But he looks at the camera, and something in his gaze changes just a little bit. A bit of panic, maybe? Realizing that this could do hideous things to his reputation (not that he cares, of course)? Hastily, he adds:]

-And before you get the wrong impression, this is for a friend. Not me. So don't even suggest otherwise, alright?

[...oh, Ichigo. He quickly shoves his hands into his pants pockets, looking away.]

Yeah, so....That's it.

[And there goes the feed. [/awkward turtle] ]

[Equius looks feverish as he polishes off the last of a yellow potion. He's noticed something very recently, that some of his creations seem easier to create. Downing it, he settles himself up as the screen flickers to life and begins sketching at something with an almost desperate look in his eyes. Sweat drips down his forehead, and he motions once for the audience to bear with him.

It's a minute or two, and he looks exhausted, stamina potion or no, when he is done. But in seconds, something hideous is sitting in his lap. The large, clawed, scaled and black creature lazily looks up and hissex with its fanged maw at the screen and Equius laughs in triumph.]

It works! My alchemization has achieved proper levels of potency! I... look at this! This is superb! I must continue to strive and build my stamina up. There are preparations to make!

[He is positively beaming. People... should probably be a little nervous. Equius had apparently reached the third tier of power.]