[ Video as usual. One of these days Anders ought to take a typing class and advance beyond two-fingered typing. ]

So we're back to ourselves, yes? Another bout of our hosts' incompetence survived. I have to say I'm proud of us as a community for placing responsibility where it belongs, and not jumping to conclusions. I haven't seen or heard anyone blaming mages for what happened.

On a happier note, I've learned that today people are supposed to eat pie, in honor of mathematics. Anyone up for a potluck? I'm no mathematician, mind. I just happen to think pie is always worth celebrating.

Being human for that long was...let's go with "a learning experience."

However everything seems to have been returned to normal, and no lasting harm has been done. Being able to fly again puts me in a good enough that I think I shall share with you now the results of some research I have been working on for a while now with Crucible. Behold!

[The dragon gestured dramatically, finishing a ritual he had stopped just short of completion before starting the video. The camera panned up to show the ever present rainclouds.

For a minute, it wasn't clear what was happening, just the normal gray skies. Eventually, however, it became clear that the clouds were brightening. Both in the video AND in real life outside of your window. After another few minutes, Exsilium was treated so something that it hadn't seen in a long time: Natural sunlight. Clouds all over the city are starting to break up, drenching exsilium in the watery sunlight of late winter that was till brighter than anything they normally got. The wet earth glinted, and eventually started lightly steaming as it heated up.]

Naturally it won't last forever, an hour or two on the outside, but it is a nice change from the normal gloom, isn't it? For appropriate compensation, I might be convinced to repeat this trick again in the future on request.

Apparently, in some countries, in some worlds, blonds are considered dumb! [ He smiles like there's some private punchline, not like he's the butt of the joke. ] I just thought I'd share.

Anyway— [ he makes a circling gesture with his left hand ] people like to use this thing to ask questions, right? This is one you'll like. [ By "you" he means the Initiative, which he is sure is always watching. Well, maybe not always but enough that you can't count on them not. ] I want to practice my fencing.

I guess that's not a question though, is it? [ He squints. ] Okay, how's this: I'm looking for a sparring partner. No, still not a question. Hmmm. [ Tapping a finger. ] Anyone up for a match?

I can't promise I'm anything but out of practice, but… that's the whole point of practice.

And I hope everyone's recovered from that out of body experience. Like I was saying before, It's a tricky thing to fight when you don't know which is your swordhand.

[Disgruntled and serious looking as ever, Kido appears flips on the video. May as well. She's sitting up on the couch, hood up, but she seems to be in a pretty good mood. How can she not be? She's back in her body.]

Never thought I'd miss my body so much. [Well, anyway.] Oi, anyone in the Mekakushi Dan! Report in. And I'm counting you if you want to be in it and just haven't joined yet, so this is for you, too. We need to assign your numbers. First come, first service, I guess. Kinda hard to keep track otherwise.

Ah, yeah, how did welcoming the newbies and the Initiative's mission go? How are you feeling? That's all I need to know.

[She scratches her head. Business done, she slouches more into the couch, tablet sliding in her lap. Just some leftover messages for people. She switches the video off and goes to text only for that.]

Sayaka, I uploaded some music for you. [Have a download link featuring copious amounts of Radiohead, Oasis and pretty much any bands you can find here as well as indie Japanese artists.] Tell me if you like it. I'm thinking I'm going to practice singing and maybe try taking up guitar. ...Ah, anyone who wants the music can take it though.

Ringo? I'm up for that...girls' night or whatever whenever you are. What do you do on one anyway?

Oz, when you're free I'll teach you how to cook so let me know.

[She tries to remember what other things she was thinking about... Oh yeah.]

Oh yeah, two things. I remember hearing about that holiday with the bunny that hides eggs. It's sometime in spring, right?

Other thing is I need some new recipes to try. Don't really care what kinds. There must be some foods you guys like a lot and want to tell someone about. If it's something you like, I'll make it for you in exchange.

[Rose is dressed in a simple purple blouse and black skirt when she appears on the screen, sitting in a high-back, fluffy red chair she found somewhere. She's holding the camera at arms length, and then she leans forward and sets it down on a table. There's a battered, somewhat worn out couch half-visible off to the side.]

So. That was certainly more than any of us signed up for, I suspect? Waking up in foreign bodies, different ages, different genders, different species at times? I imagine a qualified person with enough time and resources could dedicate an entire library just to the experiences of the last week or so.

Unfortunately, this is hardly the proper environment for large scale publishing, so those of us with a particular talent towards assisting others with their mental well-being just have to make do with actually helping people rather than just theorizing and becoming famous authors.

Which brings me to my point, in as roundabout a fashion as I could manage. If anyone here would like to discuss what took place recently, and of course I mean our recent intra-body experiences, I'd be more than willing to find some time to help you work through any lingering emotional concerns you might have developed. Suddenly feeling like a stranger in your own skin, or finding that you actually miss certain aspects of a body you had never previously considered? I'm quite certain we can work through it together.

[She smiles.]

But don't think this is limited to just particularly recent developments. I realize this place has a tendency to lend itself towards rather unsettling and lingering trauma, and I am more than happy to discuss any of those with you as well. We'll get you through this.

[She reaches out to turn the camera, and reveal the couch she had found. The room is a bit battered, it's hard to say precisely where it is, she probably just moved into an empty building with it.]

I even found a suitable couch for that authentic psychological office feeling. So, please, feel free to contact me, whenever you need to.

[And she turns it back, offering a small, polite wave before she hangs up.]

I hope that everyone has returned to normal. And I hope that some of you will excuse your partners for enjoying their time away from their bodies. Some of us could use a break from ourselves now and then.

Of course, I do also hope that everyone was respectful of each other...surely one who was not would face some kind of reprimand, since your identity would be obvious if such a thing happened. [Yes, mamacow knows that not all of you have been good this event, Exsilium. Shame on you, you goobers.]

Fortunately, my partner was very friendly and agreeable. Thank you, Sonic. I hope that you are doing well back in your own body.