[ Who hasn't made a network post in a while? This guy. It's been a rough few weeks, but he seems to be back in form now, if the grin he flashes the feed is any indication. ]

Guess it's time I made things official. [ He turns the tablet around as he speaks, showing a less fancy version of this. There's a fair amount of activity going on, with drinks being served and orders being taken, but the noise level isn't too bad. ] We've been up and runnin' for a while, but this here is the NORA cafe. We do meals, coffee, tea, milkshakes, and cocktails for all the adults out there. Figured this place could do with some livening up.

[ With a laugh, Snow faces the camera towards himself again. ]

Consider this our grand opening. If anyone wants a job, drop by and I'll find a spot for you. Just make sure you're old enough if you wanna work the bar. [ SEE HE CAN BE RESPONSIBLE SOMETIMES. ] We've got a stage, so I'm lookin' for people good at entertainment, too. Let me know if you're interested.

[ ooc; Here is a WIP info page/list of employees, based off responses to the OOC plotting post. If you're interested or want something changed (or if I got something wrong, which isn't unlikely), we either can thread something out here ICly, or drop a comment there and it can be handwaved. c: ]

It is surprising, to hear of two holidays that hold such little in common with each other colliding on one day.

[ the feed has caught onto Larsa, awkwardly holding a bunch of candies. it seems like someone who's just passed by has just poured out a bunch into his cupped, gloved hands. he looks at all the chocolate and caramels and shuffles a little, with a grimace. ]

I... must admit to not having a fondness for sweets. If anyone would want these... please.

[ he sets them carefully into a little satchel beside him, atop a sketchbook that seems dog-eared and meticulously kept. he had watercolors next to him as well as a few brushes, but does not seem to draw attention to them. when he turns back to the feed, that awkwardness disappears, covered by a thin sheet of smiles as he struggles to keep his cheer about him in light of all that's happened. ]

I have heard of this 'Valentine's Day' and this day of Separation.

I have heard my full of Exsilium's Day of Separation--and gave gained trinkets abound due to my age. [ which he's so not going to go into. ]

Yet, I have heard little of this Day of Valentine's.

From what I have been able to gather, it is a day wherein love is celebrated, is it not? Committed relationships as well as passing fancies... it seems far more complicated than a mere day of Separation.

May I ask for a more detailed explanation from one who has celebrated such a holiday before?

[ Oh look, another person is fumbling with the tablet today. There's a short capture of the grey sky and a glimpse of bright red hair before a "clunk!" sound can be heard and a panicky-- ] Oh no! Did I brea-- [ The video stops there.

Several minutes later, the audio comes on. Whether it's by mistake or choice, who knows. You can still hear the rain coming down heavily and then a young girl's voice speaks up. The same one who was panicking not too long ago. ]

Hello? Is there anyone who can hear this? Hello? I'm-- [ her voice is almost hard to make out in the rain, so she talks louder: ] I don't know how I got up here and I'm stuck! Somebody on the street told me they were gonna come, but it's been forever and it's cold and raining and-- [ She sounds cold, tired and scared. ]

Can somebody come and get me down from the roof? [ A beat. ] Please?


[ ooc: max will be retrieving her! otherwise all network replies will be icly delayed by an hour or so. ]

[Okay, Exsilium. Hilda's kept quiet on the network so far, although she's commented to other people. She's chiefly been out to familiarize herself over the past month with the city, among other-- things.

(Like settling Victini in, and finding somewhere to put him if she should leave.)

She's ready today, though, to ask a few questions of her own. Those get pretty nice responses, right? The more philosophical the better. Which would be good if she was the philosophical type, but she isn't. She smiles, because even if she can't ask a meaning of life question she can at least look friendly.]

People get dragged out and go back in time to fight, right? [It's rhetorical. She's already been to the past, during the masquerade. She knows it's possible.] Is there a way to volunteer for that kind of thing?

[The smile slips into a small frown, as she realizes that fighting blindly in a foreign world probably isn't the easiest thing. Time for a little advice getting.]

And if you've been out like that, can you tell me what it's like? Unova hasn't had a huge war since the twin brothers, so I'm pretty much a Basculin out of water.

[ Asami noticed something had changed about her weapon, the electrified glove that had come with her from home. Superficially, it was a bit sleeker, and she noticed the change after her post-training shower and nap. There wasn't a lot for her to do these days besides training; whereas at home she might go for a drive or shop, she didn't have the means to do either, and so it made sense that her weapon evolved a little quicker than she anticipated. The change wasn't drastic, but it was noticeable.

She slipped on the glove upon seeing it, just to make sure it still fit. It did, and her fingers wiggled without feeling too tight. The metal fingers clinked together, once or twice more, and then...

ZZZZZZZAP!

Her roommates or anybody passing by Room 510 should notice the sound of an electrical pop, followed by a short, startled scream.

So it is, Asami is on her back on her bedroom floor, groaning tightly and trying to regain her bearings. After the initial shock, a shaky hand withdraws her netbook from the pocket of her sweatpants. Her hair is so afro'd that she looks like she stepped right out of a Twisted Sister video, which means showing herself on camera is out of the question! ]

H-hey, thisisAsami and I thinkIneedahairstylist and maybe— nngh— renovationstomy... room...

Thankyousomuch!

[ She's just going to lay here and recover a little bit before responding to anybody. Bluh. ]

[ The feed opens up to a dusky and large, but mostly empty room. For anyone who may be familiar, it's the interior of a synagogue. It doesn't look like it's been maintained or that there have been services in here for months on end, as evident by the heavy amounts of dust and dirt that have settled onto everything. The windows are cracked and occasionally you can hear the distant whistling of the wind coming through and the pitter-patter of the rain against the glass. ]

Hanukkah's been over for a long time, but I wanted to come see what synagogues the city might have. This is the largest one, though from what I hear nobody comes here anymore. Occasionally it's a shelter and that's about it. [ A pause and the video switches off after not too long. ] It must have been something to see in its better days.

One of the merchants was kind enough to weld me a menorah. It's not the most fancy, but it's a good one. I don't know how the calendar here runs with holidays like that, though it wouldn't have felt right to not light one. [ Even away from home and all. ]

Anyway, I wasn't expecting anything... so for those who did, thanks for the drinks and the little snowman. It was a nice surprise. [ She'll let it slide that a couple of you somehow sneaked into the room. Besides, she becomes distracted just as she's about to disconnect. ] Huh.

I'm already familiar with the fact that people seem to appear here more than once, disappearing and then returning as if renewed. I'll spare you the effort of convincing me of it.

[ Oh, so look at this pink-haired but serious-business-looking woman finally addressing her tablet for the first time! In a marked contrast to the unusual armor she originally showed up in (no doubt causing more than a few stares at the masquerade), today she's got on a rather unremarkable, plain grey shirt on instead- a fact that, given her posturing, even she seems to think is unsavory.

... But more importantly, despite her direct words, her tone is definitely a bit at odds with them, too; she speaks with purpose, but her voice is low and more careful than you might think... and carries a strange sense of barely-hidden weight behind it- whatever the cause of that might be. ]

If you've seen me before, if we've spoken at any point in time, I want to hear about it. More importantly... if you've ever spoken with my sister, Serah Farron [ ... ] I want to hear about that, too.

[ She knows Serah was here before, but. These things don't record everything, after all, and in a strange way, it's definitely engaging Lightning's sense of annoyance that she isn't familiar with all that has happened yet. After Valhalla, she's not so used to being in the dark about things... and even asking that question seems to spark something painful in her pale face. Regardless- ]

Thank you.

[ She doesn't allow the camera to pick up on any emotions that sneak out past her defenses for long, ending the transmission there in wait for replies. ]

Looks like these guys aren't giving up easy.

[ Snow holds the tablet in front of him, showing a few NPCs fleeing in panic, a small undead hoard in hot pursuit. He's on his motorbike as usual, and takes off after them. ]

If you can't fight, stay indoors. There's enough of us out here to hold 'em back. [ Probably. ] Anyone who wants to help, don't get too close. If you need a hand, let me know and I'll come pick you up.

[ No sooner is he done talking than a one of the creatures turns to charge towards him - he raises a hand, sending out a blast of ice that freezes it solid. ]

Fang, Light. I'm at [ INSERT LOCATION HERE, wherever the crowd is thickest. ] Hope, you keep yourself safe.

[ The video starts to spin as he drives straight into the hoard, ice flying out of the side of his bike and launching some of them into the air. Once they're defeated, he offers the feed a thumbs up, shutting it off afterward. ]

[ the audio of the tablet is all that clicks on first; there’s some muffled noise, and what is possibly recognizable as the voice of Tidus, depending on who you are, saying something just out of earshot but sounding suspiciously like “don’t think that worked.” What isn’t working, exactly, isn’t clear, considering the screen’s just showing black, but it sounds like something’s being moved, and this time, more audibly:]

Let’s try this one...! [ A click, and the video shows the top of some blonde hair for half a second and a triumphant little noise before it shuts off again, and evidently hands it over to a nearby party. ] Got it?

[ after a sound of being handed to another, some of the excess noise subsides. It seems the person who has received it has a much gentler, delicate handling on the tablet. ] No, that’s not quite right. Here. [ a sound of a button being pressed, and then, the smiling face of a young woman some may recognize as Yuna. She turns the tablet around to show a blonde boy with a quizzical expression. She points to the button on the front. ] It’s this one. It took me a while, too. [ but she’s from a non-tech world, Tidus, you loser. extending her reach, she hands the tablet back to Tidus. ]

Er... Hey! Hi, Exsilium. Tidus here. And - this is Yuna. [ he offers a little wave and tilts the camera towards her a bit. ] Oh— H-Hello. [ boy, he should’ve thought this out a little better, but he’ll carry on fine. ]

( non-IC cut for length! )

[If you're watching this, you'll realize pretty quickly that the communicator is placed at the far end of a bath tub. How can you tell? Because there is a woman in the tub across from the communicator. Nothing explicit can be seen due to convenient placement of frothy bubbles.

Erza shows no signs of actively trying to preserve her modesty and is fully aware that the device is transmitting.]

Greeting fellow... transports? That's what they've been calling us I believe.

My name is Erza Scarlet and I'm what we call a wizard on my world. I belong to a guild known as Fairy Tail.

[She pauses, seemingly distracted by her own thoughts before she smiles at the camera.]

I had meant to introduce myself earlier, but I've been confined to the infirmary for the past two weeks recovering from injuries I received prior to and during my arrival here.

That reminds me.

I'd like to thank everyone who came to my aid; it was foolish of me to return to the battlefield so soon after... Forgive me I'm trailing off. Regardless, I owe you all a debt of gratitude for your assistance.

[She inclines her head to emphasize her gratefulness.]

I'd also like to greet to my new roommates in Room 710. Villiers, Lash, I hope we'll get along.

[And you will get along with her or suffer the consequences.]

Light! [ Sure hope you wanted one (1) two meter tall guy shouting over the network today, Exsilium, because you're going to get it. Snow shakes his tablet a few times for emphasis, yelling into his surroundings as much as the screen itself. ] Vanille! Fang! Hope! Sazh! C'mon, someone answer...

[ Well, scratch that. He rubs the back of his head for a moment, before setting the tablet down and turning away. ]

I'm gonna need some help here... Ladies! Mind lendin' me a hand?

[ The feed catches the summoning of said ladies, though the pair are onscreen only a moment before transforming into a motorbike which Snow gleefully leaps aboard. He gives a heroic thumbs-up pose to the tablet before snatching it back up, tossing the (still transmitting) thing into a coat pocket. ]

Haha, alright! Let's get this show on the road!

[It's not long before something else is heard in the distance, a sound akin to a low rumble, or perhaps a growl.

It's all but confirmed when that growl becomes a roar, and a little later, a voice that might be familiar to some speaks up:]

I'll take the sky! We'll cover more ground that way. [Fang adds, in a mutter:] They've gotta be around here somewhere. No way we all could've been separated that quickly...there's something else going on.

[ ooc; TL;DR IF YOU EVER WANTED TO BE ACCOSTED BY A GIANT MAN ON A LESBIAN MOTORCYCLE OR AN ATTRACTIVE LADY ON A DRAGON today is your lucky day because they will be hitting up everyone they come across in addition to answering the network. Tags will come from both in separate threads! ]