[ the camera focuses on France and when he's confident the bracelet is working right, he flashes a bright smile. ]

Bonjour, Asgard!

Very soon, I will begin preparations for Halloween! I think that's two days after today-?

[ he's not certain because of the time difference between Asgard and the other worlds, but at least it sounds right to him? ]

The magnifique Francis Bonnefoy, that is, I, shall be making the very best of French sweets for the citizens of Asgard to enjoy! I will also be showing off my fabulous costume and teach about Halloween for those who do not know of it, as well! I expect to see you there!

( filtered to all Drawing Life users )

[The image is very staged, as if the teenager had rehearsed and settled himself carefully. He's sitting down, with a notebook on his lap, and he smiles at the screen with his best friendly look. He's dressed very neatly, a sweater vest with a tie visible in the picture. A very plain metal bracelet hangs on his wrist, opposite the one with the communicator bracelet on it.]

Excuse me. This is a little awkward, but I'm afraid I'm in a bit of a strange situation.

[He holds his pen above his notebook, as if he might be about to doodle to help himself think.]

I've heard that I've been here before? I don't remember, so I want to talk to anyone who has had a similar situation, or those who might have known me before. For those of you who don't, my name is Gau, I live at Sigyn House, and I would love to hear anything useful you can tell me about people coming and going this way here.

[He clears his throat, unsure how to end the video, and finally settles for a small bow toward the screen, which if anything looks awkward.]

[The feed starts with a pretty happy Damien. In fact, he looks kind of anxious... or excited. Either way, he forgets to filter the post to the one person he's directing the message to.]

Argenta, I did it! Remember what we said a while back? Here it is. [He holds up a small ice sculpture that is in the shape of some four legged animal that is shaped to be similar of a tiger. Or a panther. ... Something...] Sorry it took so long, but I finally got it. Ice magic can be a bit tricky sometimes...

[As Damien sighs while looking down at the small ice sculpture, Jinjing the panda is in the background, toddling in the room... being its cute self. But then--
( cut for image )

Damien turns around in the middle of that happening and he looks pretty shocked right there.]

Jinjing, what are you doing--?!

[And the video gets cut off there.]

[Shortly after Loki's post, a text feed pops on the network.]

Hello, fellow travelers. I have a question for you, if you care to answer. Interpret it as you wish, however I will not deny it is inspired by our recent encounter with the one called Loki.

Can you kill a god?

[ Lookie Asgard, a new feed clicks on your network. What appears on your screens will be the fixed image of a pair of hands joined together and placed on a desk, a notebook between them plus a pen, books all scattered around with a specific cover visible among them. Maybe some of you can figure out that it's being recorded from the Great Library in Odin.

One of the hands, the right one, has the sleeve pulled down to hide most of it, though a bit of darker skin can be spotted. Geez girl, show your face already...! From the way her hands are rubbing together, it's clear she's ever so nervous about using the video feature. Isn't this an improvement, though?

... Actually, Hanako thought it would have looked more professional this way. ]

Good afternoon...

First of all, I would like to thank everyone for participating to our Arbor Day. I never imagined that we could have this much presence throughout the holiday. It was all hard work well served; the city looks even better than before, and some color has been restored as consequence. [ Despite the nervousness, her tone sounds a little... chipper than before. It wasn't only for the event, factors like Lilly's arrival and the determination to make the next project work has boosted her morale quite a bit. ] It has served its purpose, it was successful, and I'm very glad for this fact.

However... [ And now she turns a little dim. ] This is not enough. In order to prove a point towards these gods that have no hint of respect for our free will and how much we have done for them, we need to do more. [ She emphasizes the word a little aggressively. It is totally on purpose.

...

Screw this. By the time she resumes her speech, Hanako has tilted the camera up to show her face, a clear frowny expression on- with the characteristic peek-a-boo bangs that seem to perfectly hide her right side. ]

I would like to direct you all to Conan-kun's last post, which illustrates the next project we're going to set. This time, we want something even bigger than Arbor Day. We want you all to get involved and help out, by either taking part in the festival or aiding us through your abilities. So if you can cook, sing, play instruments, design decorations or organize shows of your own- please contact us.

[ The feed suddenly switches to text. ]

For those of you who didn't take notice of the post, you can find it here.

[ Back to video. Now she's trying to relax her expression, though it's a hard task. ]

That being said, I've been given the charge of organizing the food stalls for the festival. I'm looking for professionals in the area of cooking, but also people who have experience and are confident in their skills are very welcome. I'm also looking for particular ingredients, so if those of you owning a restaurant or a cafeteria are willing to help me gather them, I would be plenty grateful.

Any and every kind of support is important to us. We can do even better than Arbor Day, if we unite and work hard together. This is our chance. If we don't change our situation in here, nobody will.

Thank you for your time.

[ Hanako gives the camera a bow, before she reaches out and- instead of cutting the feed off, it switches to audio. There is something more she needs to say, but this time to a stricter range of people. ]

( A MESSAGE FOR ALL THE NIGHTLIGHT FANS: CLUB FOUNDING??? )

( Private to Hisao and Lilly. )

( Private to Conan. )

[The feed opens up to what might be a familiar face to some. Minako's been in this world for a few days now, and while she's been taking everything in rather well, there's still some things that are concerning her.

Namely, one that she'll address right away...]

Ah, hey there. I'm one of the new arrivals here, Minako Arisato. But, I have been told that I've been here before, even if I don't remember it. So if there's anyone thast I met before, I'm really sorry for leaving on you.

[Its a little direct, but seeing as she doesn't know who knew her before, this was the best way she could broach the subject.]

What I'm really interested in right now, is killing some time. [its true. Without clubs and events and social links, she's finding she has a lot of time on her hands, and that simply won't do.]

So maybe someone could help me. I want to cook and bake some new things, and we're all from different places, right? What's some of your favourite foods and recipes from your home?

[For anyone lurking around Freya's kitchen, they'll find one Minako, still in her school uniform, rifling through the cookbook section with immense concentration.

There's gotta be a cool new recipe in here somewhere.]

[There's an intense fiddling of the camera feed.] 

Hello? [fiddle-fiddle] Oh...dear gods, how do you work this damn thing? Do they seriously expect me to learn something like this so quickly? If they claim to know about me and my world, they'd know I can't grasp these human technologies well...

I wonder, am I supposed to just....[finger in the screen] poke this gemstone? Why would anyone make a communication device out of a piece of jewelry...?

[the feed finally settles into proper view] Wonderful...I think I have it. Can anyone see this?

[She smiles sweetly, but her words carry a dangerous undertone] This has probably been asked many, many times, but if there is a way to return home, I'd appreciate being let in on it. I have very important duties to attend to.

Possibly life shattering, impending-doom-of-the-world duties. I realize I should be extremely grateful for, ah, being given the opportunity to help make this dank world flourish with my talent, but I fear my own duties are more important.

Alright? Alright! Thanks so much. [and that may be the most sinister smile you have ever seen]

[She thinks she's cut off the video feed. Nope.]

Honestly. This so ridiculous. What a bunch of amateurs.

[The feed begins with the redhead sitting with his back up against the wall of the horse barn at Gefion Park. From the looks of things, he's sitting inside. Some horse tack is visible hanging on the wall over his shoulders. A partially eaten apple sits in his visible hand, and he's looking off at something in the distance.]

[He takes a bite of the apple, chewing thoughtfully for a moment before swallowing and finally addressing the feed.]

Was there... somethin'... wrong people did where y'all come from?

[The sound of a horse nickering is heard in the background. His lips move awkwardly, like he's trying to say something that won't let itself be said.]

I don' mean like... murder or nothin'. I know tha's wrong. I mean like... somethin' some people did that lotsa people thought was... [He pauses, the word finally coming with a touch of bitterness and fear.] ...shameful.

[He set the apple down to scratch the side of his nose, not once having made eye-contact with the feed.]

An'... did you uh... did y' think that th' thing people were doin' was uhm.. immoral or disgustin'? Or were y' confused why so many people didn' like it?

[He sighed gently, finally casting a brief look at the feed before shutting it off.]

[the video starts off and shows the trainer here looking a little pale, the black dragon finally at his side but looking more tensed than usual. ]

I don't even remember ever losing my bracelet, which means it must have been..

[after he died.. oh, right, the bracelet]

So death is not only inevitable here but also not the end? The Gods must really value our lives then. Considering the camping trip- I wouldn't have thought so before.

[after removing his hat he ruffles his hair a bit which only makes him look more exhausted]

Anything new happen? To those that went along the camping.. what happened after?

[he looks like he wants to say more but.. he apparently decides against it.]

[Aerith's been pretty busy ever since arriving, though a bit unsettled by her new surroundings at first. yeah, she might have spent a large chunk of her life on a world that wasn't actually her own, spontaneous world travel wasn't exactly something she has a lot of experience with, either.]

[regardless! sometimes other worlds need more assistance than her own does, and Aerith is more than willing to help out. besides, seeing a bunch of people from different places gathered into one area is pleasantly familiar. no need to worry about breaking the rules about different worlds here.]

[so have a smiling face, Asgard.]

Hello! I have a quick question for everyone – there are a lot of people here from a lot of different places, so I'm hoping there are others here who would know.

Is anybody else familiar with hearts? Not just the organ; I mean more like the hearts that pertain to worlds themselves.

If you do, let me know. I have an idea.

[on the network today is a video of Hope! he still looks... a little disheveled, yes, but considering what he must have looked like upon his return from the camping trip? he's doing pretty good. he'd sort of gone missing after coming back to Asgard, though, and he kind of looks a little guilty as he speaks.]

Hey, everyone. I just... wanted to let people know that I'm okay, if anyone was wondering where I was. I was on the camping thing from a couple of days ago, and I've just been trying to recuperate. I didn't want anyone to worry about me, but... I guess that just did the opposite, huh? Sorry about that. [a short pause as he shifts gears, his expression hardening.] There are groups for people who want to learn how to better use their powers, right? If I learned anything during that, it's that I need to get stronger. We never know what this place has in store for us, so the better prepared we are, the more ready we'll be when something like that happens again. I'm sure that won't be the last time we're caught off-guard.

[he's about to finish his transmission with that, but then he remembers one last point. does his expression fall just a little more as he opens his mouth for this addendum? it must be a trick of the light.]

Oh, and if anyone knew Lightning or Vanille... they're both gone. I just thought I'd let people know about that, too.

[...there's a couple of moments of silence as he tries to think of something else to say. he can't come up with anything, though, so he chooses to finally end it there.]

[ claudia seems to have a habit, and this habit is posting to the network during the morning. even when it's an accident, apparently! today, though, the post does not begin purposefully; the video records... nothing, only a quiet view of claudia auditore's suite. clean but rich in colors and details, much like the room one would expect of an italian renaissance noble. if more updated, of course. (someone is, clearly, not wearing her bracelet.) but the feed remains quiet for only so long. — a rose-ringed parakeet (recently, feral. has someone lost one of their blackmarket goods?) squawks. once, twice, thrice in alarm as a hair brush nearly collides with its small body. ]

E che cazzo, chiudi il becco!

[ the bird, instead, flies across the screen's corner to settle between books and a plant, all sitting on a high shelf. the window is open, but something about the suite must be awfully nice for it to tolerate thrown objects; it hasn't left for several days, now. some on the fourth floor residents of freya's welcome hall may have noticed. ]

When I finish with you...! Caterina will have bird for dinner. And she asks: "what is this lovely meal," I can tell her it's exotic chicken! Do you hear me! [ claudia is... wet. wearing a towel, of course. but wet. and she has something akin to a mane sticking to her neck and back: soft but long and thick. no wonder she wears her hair up, huh! that's one of those distinctive things people notice when someone is reaching for the recording device, you know. that, and the incredible volume of claudia's voice. ] Oh, because if I hear you one more time, I swear — uch! I'll use those pretty feathers to make new earrings, and —

[ oops, did someone realize she is being recorded in the middle of a tirade against a bird? the surprise passes, though, and claudia's face scrunches before the emotion releases in a heavy sigh. the feed cuts, suddenly. ]

[ Hellloooo, Asgard! This is one of your local weirdos on the network today! She has a question... It is serious and important out of everything in the world--okay, not really! But she thinks it's important. ]

Do you guys like dramaaas? Like Asian dramas? Or like Spanish novelas? Though I think it would be difficult to display an evil twin in the use of shadows... [ Stroking her chin. ]

What about action? Action-oriented stories are pretty cool, too! It's fast and furious--everyone likes an adrenaline rush, right? [ Hehehehe. She's trying to imagine things like a racecar movie. It's pretty cool. Moving on! ]

Sooo What I'm trying to ask is... What kind stories do you guys like, huh? I really can't decide! That, or I have no idea what I should do. [ It sounds vague only because she assumes everyone knows what she's planning on doing. Or she thought she told them. Either way, it's weird. ]

... If I can't decide anytime soon, I might as well make it an Asgardian satire.

---

( FILTERED FROM DAMIEN AURELIUS CAUSE SHE IS BRACELET-SAVVY NOW YEAAAAH )

Oh, yeah. What kind of birthday gift would you give a boy that is like... Thirteen? Fourteen? Around there. I just needed some ideas here!

I was going to see if I could get him a pony, but apparently that isn't a thing anymore. [ No, don't judge that when she was young she wanted a pony. Also if you say porn, she will kill you. ]

[Ranka takes a deep breath before she starts to talk. She opts for voice, because if she did this on camera she'd never stop blushing.]

Ah, so I have a question. Is it weird to like someone here? I mean I know that there is a lot going on, but it just sort of happened.

There is a person back home that I loved very much, but I'm not sure-

[She sighs again.]

I'm not sure I should even be asking this type of thing here. Sorry!

( IC Summary of the Camping Event. )

Conclusions.
- Either we were sent to hostile territory or encountered a hostile scouting party in Asgard territory; either way we can assume that preparations for war are being made among the Fire Giants.
- We were not armed for battle. Those of us who do carry weapons found them removed. This fact is not consistent with the gods of Asgard's statements about how seriously they wish us to take this war -- unless it was their hope that deaths or injuries sustained among us might lead us to take their word.
- Baldr caused the camping trip to teach us a lesson about complaining in much the same way he wanted to teach us not to ask about our orginal abilities. The other gods distanced themselves from his actions but did not prevent them.
- I am tired and going to sleep.

((ooc: feel free to use this post to visit Conan at the hospital -- he will be spending a couple of days there. Also please feel free to time-skip as necessary! I am not sure how around I will be, so apologies if I am slow/stupid/all the usual disclaimers.))

[A video feed comes online. It looks like one of the dingiest, grayest and most forgotten parts of the Loki district. The only color is fading back into existence on the frame of Samantha Grey as she fiddles with her bracelet and gives it a thoughtful growl. She doesn't seem to completely notice that she's not wearing a cap right now, her horns visible.

Looking over to her right, the screen shifts just enough to give a view of a house guard in Hel colors. She nods to him before he departs and sighs.]

Thank you.

[There's a grunt and her hand reaches up to pull the cap she doesn't find there down. This makes her look even more annoyed, but ultimately it just gets another shrug. She sits heavily against the wall and looks around.]

So, I suppose this whole gray thing isn't complete bullshit, is it? Not exactly the brightest way to find out about that, I suppose. There really doesn't seem to be a way out of here, either, but I suppose most of you already knew that. Those bastards have us right where they want us, don't they? [She looks very briefly defeated, though her jaw firms quickly enough. She's not one to give up even in hopeless situations. This just requires a new tactic.]

(OOC: And with that, back from hiatus am I.)

[Castle appears on the video feed looking stricken. He's got a 5 o'clock shadow spreading across his chin and upper lip. Swallowing, he tries to look calm, but his eyes betray that he's worried.]

To those who know her, has anyone seen Kate Beckett today? She hasn't contacted me over the bracelet yet today.

[And yes, that is unusual. The two of them usually texted on and off during the day.]

I went to Heimdall and was told that she hadn't been seen all day. She's not with the Forensics Unit, right?

[Castle knew she wasn't. He'd checked there as well. In fact, this entire day had been devoted to obsessively texting her and searching for her to no avail.]

For those who don't know her, she's slim and tall with wavy brown hair and hazel eyes. She usually wears jeans with a button down shirt, a leather jacket and heels. And she carries a gun. She's a cop. If you see someone fitting that description, could you please contact me? Or.. at least tell her that I'm looking for her?

Thanks.

[He's trying not to assume the worst, but he's never had this problem since he's been here. Beckett has always answered him. What if she was gone? Or dead? Swallowing hard, he nods slightly at the screen before shutting the bracelet off to continue searching.]

[so he heard that Gefion Park was a popular place! back home he liked taking a break from his knightly duties by laying out in the nearby forest, enjoying the sunshine. so he thinks exploring the park might be fun! maybe he'll even find a place he could relax like he did back home.

while walking in the park he notices he's being followed. by a small white rabbit.]

Ah... hello there, little one. [he crouches down to offer his hand for it to sniff] Do you live here? [the rabbit sniffs his hand but then... takes a little chomp on his finger]

O-Ow.. ah, are you hungry? While I may not be food, I may be able to find you some. Uh.. i-if you'd like. [the rabbit looks up at him & castor takes this response as permission to pick the fluffy thing up in his arms

SOOOO now he is wandering the park with a white bunny in his arms! feel free to approach!]

[ there's a bit of jumbling before the feed is set on an empty wall and what appears to be a film projector. the film reel inside it starts in a soft shade of sepia, actual color bleeding in faint, blues reds, and golds. it's old, and the quality is iffy, maybe something in line with the old films from the thirties, though obviously being in asgard has had some effect on the color. on the center of the screen is an arena over a pool of water, lit by a single spot. two groups of three people, one set in reds and whites, the other, in brown and tan, are lined up along the half court line. anyone who met or saw mako on his first day in town will recognize the combination of pads, though the helmets are a new addition. A BELL RINGS, and—!!

(the sound is almost washed out save for the announcer's words, it appears someone has mashed together a radio broadcast in time with the film.)

hot damn, someone's throwing fire. AND WATER? AND ALSO frisbee looking things... ]

( transcript, non-ic cut for length )

[ the reel cuts out seconds later, interrupting the radio announcer fellow's list of "league rankings". while it plays in the background, the camera switches to an awe-struck Hilda. ]

There's some awesome stuff in this library. Hey, Mako! This was that "bending" stuff you were telling me about, right? You should come and see all of these tapes!

...so, any of you newbies know about this stuff? Or maybe had something like it back home? I've seen Pokemon be able to use elements like that, but never people!


((ooc: tags will come from both Mako and Hilda, with the former answering any questions about pro-bending and the latter just jumping in with her own commentary. ))