So, um, first off I just wanted to say hi to all the new people! And say that I'm sorry you're kind of stuck here, too. It's tough, but there are lots of nice people here, so if you're having trouble with anything I bet you'd be able to get help. Except going home, that's still a mystery for everyone.

[And then a smile breaks out on her face, and she moves her tablet so the feed shows a wing of one of the gyms with a barre running along a wall, and mirrors attached to that wall. As quickly as she turned the camera away from her face, it's focused back on her.]

I know last time that I mentioned I was looking for a place to dance, and some other people mentioned they'd be interested in the same thing, so I asked the Initiative people if it would be okay if we could have a wing in one of the gyms to turn into a place for the dancers here to practice. And, um, they said yes, so here we are! There's not going to be formal lessons or anything, unless somebody else wants to set something like that up. I just wanted to let everyone know that they can stop in whenever they want to!

Oh, and - if there's anybody interested in going outside the city sometime, I'm looking to take a trip or two. Before anyone gets all worried, I know to be really careful, and I've done it once before.

[With another smile, she leans forward to end the feed.

ooc: this is all mod approved!]

–hhhgh...

[behold: the underside of a table. if...you're aware of what the underside of a table even looks like, that's surely what you're looking at.

until a hand lifts and then gracelessly drops onto the screen with a heavy THWUMP.

a grunt.]

Get...backhh... [exhale. the view tilts, then dramatically shifts.

behold: Martin's face, sideways, on the floor. red-cheeked, bleary and slow-blinking.

cue nasally, confused sound:] Mruh–?

[a long stretch of just staring, squinting periodically. he is...sure these are words he can read on this screen. hang on. just...a second...........


nah. nah, he's just gonna...gonna let the screen drop flat and display the table again, rattling a little with the careless move, while he mumbles something unintelligible, topped off with some kind of whiny noise.]

I am out of money.

[ This is clearly distressing - how is he gonna build his hoard now? He has collected several different kinds of glass bottles already. He's been collecting rocks as well, along with sheets of paper, tattered magazines, and different kinds of toy balls and horseshoes. He needs to get more more more. ]

I was told I can get more by getting a job. Doing things and in return I get money.

How do I get one? I don't know how it all works.

[ The voice is hushed and small, but no less direct for it. ]

Reporting. Met with Ikari-kun and the pilot of Unit-02. [ Kaworu Nagisa, the Fifth Child - she omits him, as something unsettles her still. ] Housing was located, according to instructions. No status problems. I will wait.

[ Silence, as if she forgot to end the recording, until: ]

Requesting information on where to buy clothes. My plugsuit is not useful here.

[ Akito’s eyebrows are wrinkled and his face is definitely way too close to the screen, but once he realizes the video function is actually on and working - he pulls back, an easy smile on his lips and a hand raising to give a small wave to the camera. ]

Hello! I haven’t been able to look around much yet myself, but -- there was someone with me before I got here, and I was wondering if anyone has seen him? He’s about this tall, [ he gestures about foot and a half above his head, which probably isn’t much help, but. ] has brown hair that’s pointed at the ends, yellow eyes, and might be wearing am ugly colored sweater vest. Goes by Akira!!

If you haven’t seen him, then maybe Kazu? He’s about -- [ the hand lowers a half a foot. ] this tall, has blond hair, blue eyes, always wears a white beanie.

[ the hand drops down as he finishes speaking, arm pressing close to his side. ] Or if you could tell me where the nearest cake shop is, that would be almost as good!

My name is Akito, by the way. Akito Wanijima. It's a pleasure to meet you all, I'm sure.

I know that in my world, on the fourteenth of this month, there's a holiday called Valentine's Day.
On this day, people express their affection for one another, right?

I was wondering if someone would be willing to explain this to me a bit more.
I don't understand.
It seems to me that expressing one's love, and having love expressed to you in return, is meaningful when it's done spontaneously.

[VIDEO // Encrypted to everyone who interacted with him during the timewarp mix-up]

Hello. I wanted to thank you for helping me the last couple of weeks. [smile.] And I wanted to apologize for my child self, if he said anything strange to you.

[The feed starts, focusing on a girl who appears to be around sixteen. She's sitting on a bed in the apartment she's been assigned to. She appears tense, nervous, though she does her best not to let that carry to her voice as she begins to speak.]

I'm sort of, um, not really new to the whole getting sent to a different world all of a sudden thing, so I don't really have any questions about that. I got everything about the war thing, too, even if I'm not going to have anything to do with it. I did have a few questions about some other things, though, so I'd be really grateful if there's someone out there who knows the answer!

The first thing might seem a little bit silly, but it's important. Um, to me, at least! I just wanted to know if there's a dance studio anywhere in this city, and where it is if there is one. The second thing I wanted to know is kind of more general, but, um, if the words Siren's Port mean anything to anyone here, I'd like to know, and to talk to those people a little bit, if I could. And the third thing...

[She pauses, looking down at her hands, away from the tablet.]

What do you think is the best place here to watch the sun go down? Um, thank you in advance.

[+1 to the late-to-the-event party but THAT'S OKAY this blonde teenaged militarily-dressed lady doesn't have much to say, but it is undoubtedly important. In fact, how this important factoid seems to have slipped by everyone's minds seems to utterly boggle her.]

I'll make this quick since I wouldn't want anyone to waste my time.

[Yes all this... time-travel business was jarring and important but this is unacceptable. She crosses her arms.]

Why are there so many dragons here?

[A small, white-haired child, about six or seven years old, stares directly into the video lens. He seems to be wearing something like a hospital gown. The whites of his eyes look a little pink and puffy, like he's been crying. But his face is completely blank.]

This isn't where I'm supposed to be. [despite his expression, there's tension in his voice.]

No one's come to get me. [more tension.]

Where is my piano?

[after another second of cold staring, the video ends.]

[ So maybe an hour or so after everyone's return to Exsilium, some might have noticed it started snowing. Probably even more noticed when said snow quickly turned into a full on blizzard, covering everything in a thick layer snow in a matter of minutes. After an hour of letting the blizzard rage on, the culprit finally reveals himself.

Jack turns on the feed, squinting into the camera before quickly pulling back a little when he realizes it's on. He's leaning back against a wall, staff resting on his shoulder and he opens his mouth to speak when suddenly the screen grows blurry with a soft crackling sound. The screen goes dark for a moment then as Jack hurriedly wipes the frost away while muttering darkly under his breath. When the camera focuses again, the communicator is placed somewhere low and Jack's crouched down instead.

He raises one hand and waves sheepishly. ]

Hey. Since it seems a lot of people can hear and see me which wow, still unbelievable, I figured I should give this thing a try. For those who can't ... this will probably be a really weird video. Oh well!

[ He shrugs and the previous uncertain expression disappears in favor of a grin. ]

For those that can hear and see me, hi. I'm Jack Frost and I come bearing gifts. The heat back there was bad enough, but I can't say I was feeling up for all that dreary rain again, so ... [ He flips the device, showing the big snowflakes that are now gently drifting down from the sky. ]

Have some snow. [ A pause and he moves back into view. ]

I also wanted to thank everyone who helped me back in the desert, you all kind of saved my life. You too, guy who kept leaving glasses of water. So yeah, thanks. [ Wow, awkward much? But he obviously means it sincerely and the awkward is replaced with excitement again soon enough when he gestures to the snow-covered courtyard behind him. ]

Now, everyone should come out and have a little fun!

[ There is a video of something bright, golden, and shiny. It's moving fast and the video barely catches it before it switches off.

Then it switches back on again, this time showing a scaly, reptilian face that has the shape of a wedge and bright yellow eyes.

Then it switches off again.

And on again, showing the the underside of the golden creature's jaw. That's when it speaks with a slightly squawk. ]

Stop that and start working! How does this thing work I don't -

[ And then video shuts off again and stays that way until a few minutes later when it clicks back on again. The little wyrmling looks less than impressed, judging the narrowed eyes and the tightening of the jaws. ]

Is it working? I don't think my claws are good for this sort of thing. Can you hear me now?

I've been thinking about how it is I can be the best help here. I want to help make the Initiative happy without needing to fight or hurt people. Of course, one of the ways is to help keep up morale - everyone will feel better and work better with a smile on their face! But there's more to an army than just fighters. I'm sure we have other departments that need help. I'm offering up myself to one of these services! I promise that I'm a capable energetic worker who's willing to learn a lot!

So which one needs the most help? I'm sure we have a medical team. What about a technology department? Oh, I hear we also have a law enforcement division now too. Maybe I should become a cop? [Okay, he just laughs at that.] Is anyone out there willing to take on an apprentice in something, then?