Citizens of Asgard. I come bearing only grave news this day. What I believe to be a spy, lurking in our very midst.

[ The camera pans over to a bound and gagged individual that some may in fact recognize from the tail end of the Utgard excursion. ]

He has aroused the suspicions of many with his peculiar behavior. The natives themselves have been able to confirm he is not one of them, as he has tried claiming.

Presently, he can be found in the custody of myself and Sir Gwaine. I wish to seek the council of everyone before we reach the city proper as it is a matter which undeniably concerns the safety of us all.

But as for myself, I would vote for execution to follow his questioning. I have seen firsthand what may happen with prisoners during war. They conspire to escape and wreak further havoc, squandering mercy and endangering good men.

(ooc: edited in-character to clarify.

don't forget about the poll going on. if you've already voted but your character's opinion has been swayed in this post then simply update your vote!)

[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.]

[ 'Sup, Asgard. You know who hasn't posted to the network in ages? Giles. ]

Rather recently, um, I've found employment as a librarian in Odin's library-- it's a truly marvelous place, for any newcomers who might not yet have visited. I do thoroughly recommend as a source of knowledge, and, well, hugely useful as a means of combating boredom.

[ Giles fidgets with his glasses, and looks, for a moment, a little wistful. ]

Before arriving in Asgard, my resume boasted a year as the proprietor of a magic shop, which seems... perhaps a field less in demand, here. I do find Asgard's system of alchemy and runes thoroughly fascinating, though certainly in need of further research. It does, um, prompt one particular line of curiosity-- I'm aware that asking broad questions of the masses has become a common network practice.

I'd certainly be interested to know-- how many among us come from a world wherein magic is commonplace? Whether in secret or as a matter of public knowledge. I'd fallen under the impression that it's a rather large proportion. Perhaps similarities of this nature will offer some insight as to why those who were chosen... were, more or less.

Beyond that, I'm aware that a number of Travellers do operate their own businesses -- though a majority seem to be restaurants. I did very much enjoy it, at home. [ He does love being a librarian, but he misses the Magic Box. ]

[Well he sure has been gone awhile. His bracelet was returned to him in the wee hours of the morning, and he headed straight to see Irisviel. Leaving her behind for so long is something he can't quite forgive himself for, even if it wasn't intentional. But she always forgives him, and experiencing that lets him feel the warm sense of "love and family" that he cherishes.

It's later morning now and he's sitting in some fast food joint when he addresses the camera. He actually looks quite a bit less tired than usual -- the bright side to forgetting his "self" was that grey!Kiritsugu didn't keep himself up worrying about everything -- and his gentle smile is perhaps more cheerful than it tends to be.

This also might have something to do with the hamburger and milkshake he seems to think make a good breakfast.]

It seems I've missed quite a bit. Sorry to anyone who noticed I was gone, and thank you for your concern.

Ah, but to everyone else... If one wanted an in with our "divine" hosts, which would you recommend talking to? I guess you could also take it as "which god is your favorite" or something like that. Just curious who's made a good impression and who hasn't.

( Hermione was having another nightmare. Or at least, it felt like a nightmare. She was searching for something important to her, but every time she reached her hand out to touch it, it would vanish as though it had never been solid in the first place. Over and over, until she could feel her breath coming in gasps and tears rolling down her face - was she screaming? It felt like she was saying a name, but she couldn't quite understand what it was, as though there was something obscuring her hearing, keeping her from understanding.

There was a flash of red hair, which vanished---

And then she woke up, sitting straight up in bed and panting, one hand pressed against her mouth to keep herself from screaming. This was a new one, wasn't it? But surely, it didn't mean anything...

Rolling over and reaching for her bracelet, Hermione scrolled through the names. And scrolled again. And a third time, her eyes almost too blurred with tears to see. The one name she had been counting on, she had been hoping to find - had disappeared during the night, while she was sleeping. What could she do about it?

By the time the sun rose, she had calmed herself enough to actually say something, though her eyes were red and puffy and had dark circles under them. )

Ronald Weasley has left. If .. anyone knew him, he was .. someone I knew from home. Someone I cared about. ( Was she supposed to say all this? )

I just thought others might want to know.

[There's no video feed, but the audio feed comes on to someone muttering under their breath a little before sighing and addressing the network at large.]

...Right then, here's a question for you lot. Say you arrived here a bit ago, and a small and foul creature immediately took to following you around. And then you did something completely, entirely stupid, such as misplacing your bracelet and going about without it, and you think you may have gotten all pal-like with the smelly little thing during that bout of idiocy, and now it won't go away. Hypothetically speaking, how would you keep it from barking in the middle of the night and what would you, um, feed it?

Hypothetically speaking, of course!

[And then there is the sound of an enthusiastic bark in the background.]

Oh, shut up. No one asked you!

This place is officially boring!

[Mels had woken up in a bed that wasn't her own, in a house that definitely wasn't hers, wearing clothes that not only didn't fit her, but that she didn't remember picking out and/or stealing in the first place! After a quick couple of hours to adjust and wander around, it seemed the initial 'wow factor' of this new and unusual city had officially worn off]

Ugh, I need something to do before I mental! So, what do you lot do for fun around here?

[Someone better hurry up and offer some suggestions before she contemplates committing Grand Theft Auto again]

Well, at least I don't have to deal with those awful history teachers here. Those lot don't know what they're going on about half the time anyway.



(ooc: River Song's first curse is a complete recession to her first regeneration: Mels. She won't have any memories of her time spent here for the past few months. Let's just say she's pre-Let's Kill Hitler episode. She's bored and looking for trouble! All types of CR are welcome, bring it!)

[ The video opens in a way that one could consider sudden. There is a feel that nothing planned nor expected about the feed that opens, given that the face that appears rears back in shock at its appearance and the resulting recoil has the screen waggling about at strange and dizzying angles. For a moment there's an awkward silence as the scruffy fellow shown to be making use of his bracelet for the first time stares in wonder — before he breaks into a grin that spreads quite nearly ear to ear. ]

It truly is magic!

[ He moves backwards and the screen naturally follows, earning a raise of eyebrows... before he feints sharply to the right, then to the left, laughing joyously as it manages to keep up. ]

Even Gandalf could not create something so fantastical as this! And the maid, she has told me that this speaks to all the residents of this strange city?

[ He's already poking at the buttons surrounding his screen as he speaks, naturally at random; he doesn't have the hang of this bizarre written word at all and probably wouldn't bother to read any of it even if he could. At one point the video blacks out and becomes audio-only, then video again, then zooms in close, then back out. Satisfied that he has clearly mastered this mystical contraption, the young dwarf finally puffs up his chest and raises his chin with a smirk. ]

Kili, at your service.

[ His fists clench together, the smirk pulling wide into a cocky grin. ]

While it comes to no surprise to me that a son of the line of Durin has been called upon to serve beneath the banner of the gods themselves, it is truly an honor to stand amongst what I expect to be the greatest warriors of our worlds and to fight alongside one another as—

[ The dramatic clench of his hands does in the rest of whatever he'd planned to go on about; fists come down to table, bracelet strikes corner and the video is unceremoniously ended. Hello, Asgard. Your new village idiot has arrived. ]

... [ Saber makes a disgruntled noise as she flicks the video on the bracelet. She fumbles a little with it, trying to figure out what exactly she should be doing. The unfamiliarity with the bracelet shows that she may have not been exactly aware of herself for some time. ]

Has anything significant occurred within the past month? Any information would be highly appreciated, thank you.

[ No way is she going to tell anyone she did something so forgetful. ]

Ahem.

( Hermione is clearing her throat, almost nervously. Is this thing on...? )

It's come to my attention, since I've arrived here, that apparently I've been here before. I don't remember it but so many other people do .. I can't exactly deny that it might be true. I was just wondering how many people met the other 'me' and what exactly I was like. What relationships we had. I don't remember anything about that time and I'd rather not offend anyone.

( Her tone is more tentative than matter-of-fact, worried rather than skeptical. She clearly looks troubled by the fact that people remember her but she can't remember them. She might have made friends, enemies, developed all sorts of relationships with people and it didn't matter at all now, if she couldn't remember. )

I was also wondering .. is there somewhere I can practice the power that I've been given now that I'm here?