[The video begins with nothing but the sight of a clear, blue sky, framed on one edge with the rust-colored leaves of an oak tree in the fall - yes, leaves, autumn leaves.

Wherever Kaworu's tablet is resting, its camera is pointed upward at an angle, away from himself and the rest of his surroundings. After a few seconds, the soft rustle of leaves is broken by the sound of his calm, even voice.]

Hello, everyone. It's been a while. Are you staying warm down there?

[From the sound of his voice, he's smiling as he asks. But he says no more, and after another short pause, piano music begins to play.

It goes on for about five minutes, and when it's over, he speaks again.]

I'm going back to Earth tomorrow. Permanently, this time.

I haven't seen many of you in quite some time. I've been preoccupied, you could say. Please let me know if you have some time to spare for me.

[with that, the camera jitters and moves, and Kaworu's smiling face enters the frame.]

Thanks for listening.

( ⇉ additional private transmission to shinji ikari. )

((OOC: I will be posting an open log at some point this week. You're welcome to arrange to meet him here, or simply bump into him tomorrow! I would love to close out on all of the amazing CR Kaworu has had over the past year, no matter how old it may be, so please don't hesitate. You have all been awesome. ♥))

I have information to share with you all, about information that we lack.

[a pause.]

( LOTS OF TALKING )

Some time ago, there was a discussion about remaining on the moon instead of returning to Exsilium. [The tauren's words are punctuated by hooves crunching on snow, and the soft sound of something being dragged.]

I believe this is a topic that we should revisit. [The dragging noise stops, and a....large-cow-sitting-down noise occurs.]

The land is now even harsher than it was before, and the natives take less kindly to us as well...particularly those of us who are non-human. And the moon base offers safety - for us and those we are here to help. I realize that we have had...difficulties...being in that confined structure, but it should be much easier now that we can come down, if we need to.

[A pause.] In addition, I am not certain...I am not certain what will happen to us if we are able to change Exsilium back to the one we remember. This new place...it is obviously very different. It feels almost as if the planet moved into another timeway, while we on the moon stayed....unaffected.

[Another pause.] I....'m sorry, I do not understand time traveling well. But, anyway...the moon base. Let us talk?

[Asuka clears her throat and pauses before actually launching into her little spiel.]

So, I thought you all deserved to know that I turn sixteen tomorrow! Maybe I'm finally getting used to living here after a year. Or something. Hell if I know!

The only problem is that we're still stuck on this stupid rock, so it's not exactly the best place for celebrating much of anything. Anyone have suggestions? And none of that virtual reality crap! They're neat, but they kinda give me the creeps. Maybe I'll just try and take over part of the dining hall...

( When she speaks, Collette aims to sound warm. She's tired, keyed up, and confused as well as trying to understand what's gone on since the mutiny began, and what's continuing in the aftermath. She brings a question she'd talked to Ros about, in her own way; something she wants to know very simply because she doesn't, and it's all the more important now.

Out of respect for that same woman, she keep's Ros's name out of this. )

When it comes down to do or die, who do you trust here to make decisions to pull people through, and not leave people stranded high and dry, or freeze up and fall into inaction? People who keep their temper in heated circumstances. Ones who maybe aren't going to forget the bigger picture, even if that doesn't make it easy on the smaller scale.

I've got a few names myself! Blue, Kate Kane, Nathan Summers, Caesar Silverberg, Lenalee Lee, Xerxes Break, Gilbert Nightray, Jaime Reyes, Ashraf, Kang, Peter Quill, Donny, Armin Arlert, Chrono and Rosette, even Dick Grayson and Ahiru and Vanadi, of all people, would stand by you figuring things out.

Those are some of mine. What're yours?

( I'm going to keep talking, though, so you might want to tune out if you don't want to hear me ramble about a few maybe important, maybe not things! )

[ When the video clicks on Roslyn looks a little tired but primarily determinedly mad, someone who's been running on coffee and protein bars for too long and is in no mood for anyone's games. Her voice is brisk, no nonsense and cuttingly sharp. ]

As of this moment, all identified mutineers are in the custody of the police. Should anyone wish to provide help with guard duty it will be appreciated. Visits to them will be allowed only under supervision. Should anyone attempt to injure them, that person will find themselves in cuffs faster than they can blink.

My patience with having to repeat myself on this matter is wearing thin.

[ Her tone softens a little, almost an appeal. ]

While there will be consequences for their actions, we have enough war and bloodshed on our doorstep without killing each other. Nothing will be gained and much could be lost. We do not execute people, and I will not tolerate it as a suggestion.

All systems should be restored. The base should now be fully operational again and you can return to your daily lives, if that is what you wish. Alternatively, you can consider what was said on both sides and determine if what we are doing is truly enough, or if we have become complacent.

[ Just saying. Small out. ]

( an array of private texts )

[ ooc: all mutineers can now be considered to be locked up in empty rooms in the West Wing for the immediate future! I will keep all arrested mutineers updated as further consequence type developments occur, feel free to let me know if you have preferences that we could maybe work out. log for mutineer & visitor shenanigans can be found here. ]

Hey everyone,

This is a terrible situation no matter how you try to phrase it, and we had to make a frankly horrific decision.

It took me a while to learn this, so I wanted to say it in the hopes that it would help someone: no matter how awful it seems right now, you don't have to hate yourself. Hate the situation, hate the enemies, but it's not all your fault, no matter how much it might seem that way if you're used to always being able to save the day. I know because I've felt this way---just recently, actually.

I'm not saying it's definitely going to be all right. The memory will always be with us, and I can't look into our future to see for certain that it ends well. But I think we stand a chance of undoing the damage.

–omeone...

[a beat, a breath heavily drawn and shakily exhaled. sentences are punctuated with overlong breaks.]

Help me understand. Not one person I have spoken to recalls this mission...But she is still gone. [breath.] Physis is. Others, perhaps? I don't know. No one has any recollection...

I see... I have returned to this place again.

I can't imagine any reason that I would be sent back here. It's an annoyance, and I wish that the Initiative would make up their minds. There is nothing practical in sending off and retrieving Transports as haphazardly as this.

[Nageki, as stony-faced as ever, stares down at his camera with eyes bearing his normal level of faint disapproval; whether it's relieving, or disturbing, or just completely unfamiliar is entirely up to the viewer. if there's any difference in him at all between when he was last seen and now, he looks a little less tense -- rather, his demeanor is more resigned than anything, like he's already long since accepted whatever will happen now that he's arrived back in Exsilium again.

still, it's only a pause before he wrinkles his nose slightly, tugging slightly at his clothes with obvious discomfort.] Still... I could have done without having to return to this body again. I would prefer if I could at least have some of a choice in the m...

[he trails off rather quickly, raising a hand to his face in anticipation of a sneeze.] Ma... matt--

Hachoo--! [even if he ducks down a little and covers his face fully with his hands, his sneeze is still quite loud and jostles the device just enough that when it settles, there's... nothing there. nothing, except a pile of clothes on the bed and a small lump where Nageki was only a second ago, a lump that wriggles around under the beige cardigan, until --

a small, similarly beige head pokes out. a dove, ruffling its feather agitatedly, wiggles its way out from the clothes and hops directly over to the device, staring with an almost annoyed looking expression at the camera, or at least as close as a bird could ever ge to to emulating any sort of angry face. to make the entire video all the more surreal, when it opens its beak, it's Nageki's same voice that comes out.]

...Matter. Please, at least allow me to pick one or the other instead of this ridiculous back-and-forth nonsense. Given that any of you even listen to the messages posted on this network, of course.

[The screen clicks on. There are stacks of paper on every side of Billy's room, with wire prototypes strung together. He looks weary and a little uncomfortable for a second, but this request requires a visual presentation.]

Do any of you happen to have experience with piano construction? I'm willing to trade services for materials, of course, and I'd like to help as much as I can. But my usual construction projects are much closer to this:

[Billy pushes a button on a remote in his hands, and then a little round robot walks on the desk that the tablet is propped on. It's a green baseball-sized bot that takes up most of the screen, greatly resembling a pea with tiny hands and feet. It 'smiles' and waves hello in a mechanical back-and-forth, then waddles out of sight.]

I can trade you a similar robot---it's useful for retrieving small items from small spaces, and it's easy to control from up to half a mile away. I'd like to add a camera mount with an additional viewing screen on the remote control when I have the materials for it. Or perhaps I can build something for you, or fix something you already own.

But this piano project is very important to me. I'd appreciate any help at a fair price.

[The voice is measured, disciplined, but rather young:]

This is Armin Arlert, cadet of the 104th Scouting Legion, reporting. I arrived to an unknown location approximately one week ago, and have yet to meet any others from my group, or anyone with knowledge of our war with the titans. While I have currently determined the situation to be safe, even hospitable, all evidence suggests it will not remain so. Should anyone out there who serves under Generalissimo Dallas Zackley receive this message, please respond! [A pause, and there's a slight break in that resolve.] Please... I-I can't have been the only one to...

[After a moment, Armin clears his throat. He is shaken, but continues:] To everyone who arrived here prior to this month, I would appreciate any assessment of the situation or perspective on the war and the time-and-space transportation that appears to have taken place. Suggestions for further reading on the subject would also be appreciated.

[It's clear he's a bit worn out by making this message, though fighting to sound brave.] Thank you.

[Nanami's sunburn has mostly healed and peeled away by now, but she still shows signs of having been out in way too much sun for way too long. For once she's speaking very politely, aware of both of the subject matter and the adults who might be watching.]

It's my birthday on the 8th.

[If the potential selfishness is broadcasting her birthday for the entire network has dawned on her at all, she doesn't show any signs of recognizing it. But, for a moment, her expression becomes closed off and drawn.]

I already had a birthday, technically - on a mission. It was a long time ago, but only a few weeks here. But we all know that doesn't count!

[She lifts up again, pointing her index finger at the camera.]

There's no way I'll let this opportunity go by! This is the most important event in my life! I can't possibly let it pass without the appreciation it deserves! That's where some of you come in!

You should all be planning to attend!

[Attend what? Attend where? She's doesn't...know. Details.]

More to follow!

Hello, everyone.

I have been in United Earth territory since June. I was released last week. Although I have been inspected and declared safe by the Initiative, I feel that it is my obligation to notify you all of what happened.

I am very eager to see some of you again. I am staying in my assigned housing at 502 while I continue to recover. Please come by at your convenience.


((feel free to use this post for both network conversations and action!))

A scorpion needs to cross a raging river but fears drowning. As he wonders what to do, a frog approaches. The scorpion asks, "Please, will you carry me across the river on your back?"

The frog replies fearfully, "No! You'll sting me!"

The scorpion promises he won't because if he did the frog would sink and he would drown. So the frog agrees and takes the scorpion across the river on his back. As they cross the deepest part of the river at the midway point the scorpion suddenly stings the frog with its tail.

The frog writhes in agony as the poison slowly paralyzes him. He screams, "What have you done? Why would you sting me after you told me you wouldn't?"

And the scorpion replies, "It's my nature." Both of them drown in the river.

[A pause.]

What do you make of it?

What do people usually do here to celebrate someone's birthday?

[ He's covered in flour. Apparently, he tried baking, and utterly failed at it. ] Umm... one of my friends seems kinda down, and I feel bad. I just need new ideas.

[ And, of course, he completely and totally forgot about filtering this. Have fun, Tori. ]

[Jesse's reporting in from the lab, for once, which probably looks a little strange for anyone seeing him in hazmat coveralls for the first time. Look at him. Professional-like. Behind him is a peek at the Initiative's futuristic chemistry equipment, but the focus is on a vial of clear liquid pinched between Jesse's fingers.]

Yo. Remember how I said like a month ago I was working on something? I finished it.

Wait - Um, backing this up a little in case you missed it. We got word a few months back that the U.E.'s been drugging their people with something called verstatsi. A lotta the Exiles that turned up here ended up sick 'cause they couldn't get their fix. A lotta them were dying from the withdrawal. It was pretty bad.

Anyways, I was developing an anti-addictive drug. We tested it this week.

[He taps the vial he's holding, looking pretty proud of himself.]

It's working. Everybody we gave it to stabilized in like under two hours. Cravings totally gone, symptoms gone. And the dose is only once a day, which - if you've ever been on methadone - that is huge, okay.

I know a lotta you are probably like, "Who cares? I'm not a junkie anyway." No, seriously, this shit? This could save your life if the U.E. ever captures you. This is big. We're gonna keep testing it, but I'm making sure the clinic gets stocked A.S.A.P., yo. All my research notes'll be there along with it so I don't gotta sit here explaining science to you for three hours. Everything about dosage... Recipe, too, in case anything happens to me.

So... Yeah. And thanks to Vanadi and Rin for helping me out with getting chemicals. We totally did it, you guys.

[ she's put this off for almost a month now. what with looking out for madoka, keeping an eye on oriko mikuni, examining the surrounding areas and moving in with three other magical girls... there simply hasn't been time for something as frivolous as this. nonetheless, it's something that needs to happen at some point, and thus she has holed herself up in her room with her tablet at the ready.

today is the day homura akemi finally contacts the network.

when the feed comes on, a young woman with long black hair can be seen. some of you may already know her, for any number of reasons; her cool, formal demeanor is in effect as always, even if it's significantly less icy than it's been over the past few weeks. ]

My name is Homura Akemi. I arrived here a little over one month ago, and I've been working on settling in ever since. [ her words have a certain practiced, muted tone to them, as does the slight bow she gives the camera. ] It's nice to meet you all.

[ she closes her eyes, takes a breath, exhales- when she finally opens her eyes again, she resumes speaking in that controlled way of hers. ]

If the network is reliable, I've been to this place several times already. As such, some of you have likely met me before. I'd be very interested in meeting with anyone I once knew.

[ a slight pause, another breath, and then- ]

Thank you for your time.

[ and with that, she unceremoniously reaches out and closes the feed. ]

I hope that everyone will make the best of their new housing arrangements. The meeting of two personalities is like the mixing of chemicals: if there is any reaction, both are transformed.

[soft piano music begins.]

Of course, "home" is not a place, but people. Seeing the face of a loved one brings you home. Likewise, the presence of an enemy brings you back to the conflict you have with him, regardless of your physical location.

[he pauses, letting the piano fill in the empty, unstated spaces around his words.]

...No matter who else may come, I'm fortunate to have that good part of my home here with me.

[It's the low, rusty voice of the maniac who had been hacking falling debris out of the air during the crash. He is calm now.]

Situation Report.

[A long pause, then he remembers that not everyone here has a military background]

Is everyone okay?

((ooc note: Should have mentioned this earlier but Raiden will be reading people's names on his device, since they appear when a character posts by default. Let me know if your character is replying anonymously or has changed their display name somehow.))

A space-ship crash? I would think there would be plenty of better ways to greet new Transports. Even things like unsightly roommates or dingy floors rank secondary in overall effect now.

[ And he'd just started getting acquainted with the place, too. He could have never imagined the biggest source of disruption would be a radical destruction of his entire complex.

A hazing experience to rival all others, he supposed. ]

Well, I'm impressed by the hospitality here. Do events of this magnitude happen regularly?

( ( encrypted to shinji ikari, asuka langley soryu, rei ayanami; 70% ) )

I ain't exactly proud of how I handled stuff when I got here, but I gave it a lotta thought, and I think I've got everythin' figured out now.

[Toji takes on an important sounding tone.]

We're basically on our own here, living by ourselves, makin' our own food, doin' our own cleaning, payin' for our own stuff, right? So that basically makes us adults. Or at least we're bein' treated like it. And if we're bein' treated this way, we gotta live up to it. I got a job washin' dishes at a place, and I've been takin' a bunch of other odd jobs too. I can't act like a spoiled kid forever, so from now on I'm gonna pull my own weight around here.

So if anyone sees me mopin' around like a sadsack again, smack some sense into me!

[ this bizarre, ugly situation certainly doesn't have the same quality of his hallucinations, and in none of them has kazuaki ever been so cold right through to the bone. or, well, human, he's definitely never been in a human body in any of them, either... he's tired of trying to figure out if it's an effect of the gas he'd been breathing before he appeared here, or an effect of higure's pheromones, or if it's real. just like his hallucinations, what it is doesn't matter. it's that he gets through it.

so with that in mind, he's managed to make it to his assigned apartment with a small purchase of several blankets and a good coat. he needs a lot more to make it through this kind of weather, but it's good to regroup, after all... now he needs to network, to make acquaintances, to be known as helpful and likeable. it's the only way he's managed to get anything done so far and he won't be changing tactics that have worked.

after the broadcast begins, kazuaki can be heard fiddling with the flexible little tablet thing. he's not quite sure how to tell that it's broadcasting at all. ]

Aa... How confusing, hmm... Well, at least I'm warm while I try to figure it out, ahaa... Oh! Oh, there it-- yes, it must be on now. [ he shifts to get more comfortable now before addressing a bunch of complete strangers. ] Hello, everybirdie, this is Kazuaki Nanakiii. It's very cold here, isn't it...? Well, I hope we can all make the best of it, and everybirdie is welcoming to new people... especially those, mm, who are newly... people, eheh...

[ for a few moments the feed is silent, and it's pretty obvious he's falling asleep. he manages to wake himself in time to ask an important question, though. ]

Ah! Yes, I had forgotten to ask... Does anybirdie know a Yoshio Akagi? He'd call himself Anghel Higure... I believe I could be considered responsible for him, and I'm a little worried...

[It's rare that she addresses the network at large, but today, Kyouko is perched on a far-off rooftop. The remains of the domed ceiling and the slightly bent, scorched cross atop it suggest that this place, wherever it is, used to be a church.

She is dressed as a Puella Magi for this, and with a care that belies her usual behavior, wraps the chains of her separated spear around the bent cross, and begins to pull, slowly. The comm device catches bits and pieces of this work — her boots, the strain and squeaking of old metal and wood. Eventually the cross is righted as much as it can be without tipping over and crashing to the ground below, and apparently satisfied, she leans against it, unwraps a candy bar, and places her comm device in her lap, staring down at the screen.]

[She turns away a little, and speaks in a contemplative tone of voice.] Y'know, the people who live here have hard lives.

[She takes a bite out of her candy bar, and continues to speak. Seems she's in an introspective mood.] Not you guys, [rude.] the people who lived here before we got here. When those bombs hit, a buncha of these buildings didn't make it. A lot of the people didn't either.

[A grin, but there's little humor to be found in it.] Heh, and this place is still here. It's a dump, but people come in here anyway. There's no priest and no books, but they leave junk here at the altars, even though the rain leaks through. They bury people without givin' 'em their rites. [...] I wonder if they even remember 'em. Betcha they don't, huh?

[She continues to chew.] I got here almost a year ago, and this building's still the same as the first time I saw it. I used to think nobody gave a damn about it, but I see them coming in and out of here all the time. An' even after the bombs, and what just happened, they always smile at you when you walk by. People give me stuff for no reason. I used to think that kinda attitude was stupid. Who smiles in a shitty place like this? Why give a buncha strangers anything? It's better to just care about yourself. They'd live better lives if they did.

[The wind is soft. Still. Kyouko's expression appears to close off, becomes difficult to read.]

Maybe. I don't know what I think now.

I have another question for the transports of Exsilium.

How common is it for transports to... disappear, indefinitely? Do not mistake my question as a matter of personal discrepancies - the person I'm concerned about is very unlikely to wander off and not come back without a word to anyone of it, at least not for a period of several days.

Are there any dangerous places nearby that should be avoided? I don't want to jump to the conclusion that he is hurt, but... I am not sure what else to think.

[ Here is a more unusual post from Aurican, the dragon that didn't know how to read.

Until now.

Do forgive the misspellings, it's his first try. ]

Hello my name is Aurican. I am learning to write. Kang taught me.

I.t is easy to read. but hard to write. My clawss make it hard and this keyboard is small. I will be better. I learn well.

thank you for helping me.

[An audio post begins, and for a few seconds it's just the sound of the rain. Then, a piano begins to play. Those familiar with classical music would recognize it as French Suite No. 4, a well-known work by German composer J.S. Bach.

The music goes on for about fifteen minutes. It's a piece with a sense of introversion to it - even as the music turns complicated and speedy in some areas, it maintains a restrained elegance. Emotional, without being passionate.

When it finally ends, there are another few seconds of rainfall before Kaworu speaks.]

The demands of human relationships are overwhelming when you consider just how much love a heart needs to survive.

But, conversely, a heart can give an infinite amount of love in turn. The world is less scary if you simply remember this.

Hey everyone!

Are you an engineer, mechanic, inventor, or someone working under another title who has a talent for working with nuts and bolts? Would you like to be? I just wanted to let you all know that I've finally finished renovating my inventing garage, and I'm now taking requests for repairs of most devices, particularly vehicles and weapons. I also like working with unusual requests, so domestic appliances and items with interesting uses are accepted too. They just might have to be prioritized behind more urgent projects. I can't guarantee that I can do everything, especially if it's far removed from Earth's late 20th century, but I'm expanding my skillset as I work.

I'd also be interested in working with partners, especially if our skills complement each other in some way or you're willing to learn those skills. All I ask is that you fill out this questionaire, and I'll invite you in for a talk and some practice if I think we could be a good fit for each other. You definitely don't need to know everything on the list, it's just there to give me a general overview.
( The questions: )
Feel free to ask me any questions you'd like. I know it's a little much to ask for you to trust me when I'm still relatively new and haven't had all that long to prove my abilities, but I'll do what I can to address your concerns.

-Billy Cranston

( At least this time Ellie isn't in some random, ramshackle building, but enjoying the warmth of the kitchen and a giant cup of coffee. At least she looks marginally better rested than she has on previous occasions. )

So, with that whole swap thing, I've been thinking. ( A pause, and there's a note of self mockery in her voice: ) Because I don't think enough when weird stuff isn't happening. Or less-weird stuff, at any rate. ( Has she really digressed already and wandered off with her thoughts? She shakes her head at herself. )

I was thinking about anger. Or any emotion, I guess, when they get that intense that you feel like all your insides are writhing about like snakes, but anger's the one that stuck out for me. We're all in this war, and some of us have been in wars before and some haven't, and everyone handles it in these different ways.

( She trails off; articulating this isn't going so smoothly as she'd expected, but sometimes you just have to throw things at the wall and see what sticks. Homer used to throw pasta at the wall, a lot, and a bloody lot of that stuck. The memory makes her smile a little. )

I mean, just before I got here, Kev-- uh, this guy in our group, he wasn't doing so well with everything. ( See, Fi, she at least tried not to name and shame. Belatedly. ) Everyone tried different things to get him going, and it was this weird insight-- I guess it just said a bit about the kind of people we are, depending what tactic we used. ( Fi: sympathy. Lee: abuse. Homer: encouragement. )
I was all logic and common sense. ( A beat, before she continues, speaking a little more slowly as she grapples with her pride and tries to think it out. ) Sometimes I don't think that really shows the full picture, but.

( She could say that it definitely doesn't, not when you got anger that just bubbles up and blows being reasonable right out of the water. She could, but does not. )

Anyway, I was talking to this guy here, before, about anger. How you can use it, and that, make it work for you, and I just... I didn't know if that really worked for anyone. If anger's a weapon, or if you got an on/off switch for it, or what? 'Cause there's this quote in uh, this Shakespeare play - “wrath makes him deaf,” I think the Queen in Henry VI. ( She squints, trying to remember. ) And then there's another bit, about not coming between “the dragon and his rage,” in King Lear. I think Lear was already going crazy, though, by then, though. ( Quietly: ) It's been a while since I studied them. Trying to read that stuff and figure out all the language is hard, without those special high school study editions.

( Where was she even going with this? )

So I guess I just wondered what you lot thought about it. Anger and controlling anger and using it and whether it screws you up, or what.

( A beat, and she smiles crookedly. ) Or we could talk about dragons. We don't have any back home, but some of you have to have dragons, right?

[ The video feed opens in a rather mundane fashion: an expressionless man sitting within the library in the Initiative Hold, his tablet on a desk in front of him as he pages through a book--a somewhat battered old volume of history. ]

I have two questions. I would appreciate some answers, if you could.

[ His voice is deep and serious, but also remarkably flat and toneless. ]

I understand that the other "Transports" here represent a wide variety of worlds. How many come from one with similar components to this one? A ruined Earth, or one near ruin, and a repressive absolute government guiding humanity in the wake of that disaster.

[ He closes the book and sets it down on the desk just out of the screen's frame. ]

The second question is simple. Can anyone recommend somewhere I can find decent coffee?