[ Clang! Clang! ]

Argh, no, Master! Put more of your back into your swings!

[ Said one Saber as she's turning on her tablet and placing it on a table, face turned over her shoulder. The recipient of her yelling is none other than Coby, whose hands are blackened with armaments and a piece of hot steel lying on an anvil. ]

My hands aren't exactly even! I'm not certain it'll come out right!

[Despite how illogical it was for him to be tempering and striking a heated template of a sword with his fists, Coby continued bashing them, especially as Saber commanded more of it. His fists struck the steel, sounding as if they were hammers on the anvil.]

Wouldn't it be more practical for me to use the hammer?

Bah, that is besides the point! This is a test, is it not? Put more of your strength into the steel; if you cannot muster even that much, not even a hammer will change a thing!

[ Says the woman holding an actual hammer and swinging it around threateningly. Then she turns her attention back to the feed with a small smile. ]

Greetings! It has been some time since I graced the network with my presence, but I do so with a matter of importance. Having resided in this world for a lengthy period, I have come to notice that many of the weapons I have seen, especially those given by the Initiative, are severely lacking in taste, strength, and refinement! There is hardly any artistry or beauty in them, and not even imbuing them with a special little charm gives them enough luster to be looked upon as mediocre pieces.

Therefore! [ She places the hand that holds the hammer on her chest. ] I have begun to take it upon myself - and my Master - to design works of exceptional beauty and lethality! You will not go wrong when you choose my wares, and if you need an example--

[ Saber raises her free hand and a crimson longsword materializes with a flash of fire. Pride shines in her eyes at its appearance before letting it stand in the ground as she readdresses the feed. ]

My finest work, the Aestus Estus. Considering the Initiative gives a paltry sum as an allowance, I am willing to negotiate prices. Master, do you wish to have a word in before I close this?

( and the master's word is... )

[ 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: ]

[ The feed snaps on, and it's Saber, lying on her side with her cheek pressed against her knuckles. It's the more blue yes, they're color coded, calmer version also flatter chested, and probably the "older" one in staying in Exsilium. She has an almost uncharacteristic smirk on her face, but she's gonna go ahead and address the tablet with: ]

Tell me of the various tales of your lands, foreigners of Exsilium.

And not just any stories - I wish to know of your heroes, of your mythologies, of your monsters and men. Perhaps walking among you are heroes and villains themselves. I would think we've all calmed down from the Initiative's most recent fallacy: surely those afflicted have learned some things of their bodies to pique certain curiosities?

I am particularly interested in myths surrounding a figure known as King Arthur and his Excalibur. [ This is where her smirk just grows a bit too much for one whose expression is mostly guarded and impassive. ]

Different realms account for different flavors, but perhaps we will discover the threads here.

[On the feed, you can see a pretty blonde girl staring at the screen. She's brushing her long hair with one hand, reaching to poke around on the screen with the other.

Finally, she lets out a little sigh, and mutters:]

Same shit, different day, I guess.

[She'll finally look directly into the camera, now, and put on a bit of a smile as she continues brushing her hair.]

So, it looks like I'm one of the few people whose age didn't get screwed around with. Anyone else out there?

[While unaccustomed to addressing the public without a mask, Lelouch appears entirely at ease when the transmission begins, if a little bored. Certain aspects of the week had been altogether too eventful for his tastes (hi, Kallen!), but he's ignoring those in the hopes that they might go away. Besides, this place could be downright dull sometimes, futuristic dystopia or no. That aside--]

I had been wondering, has anyone been keeping tabs on the Transport population? Our numbers, worlds of origin, dates of appearance and disappearance, things of that nature? I have a feeling that the Initiative has records if no one else, but given their frequently difficult nature, there seems to be little point in asking.

Beyond that, there seem to be a fair number of Transports who have combat or leadership experience in some form or another. Would those of you who fall into either category be willing to share what that experience has been? Naturally, if you fall into both categories, the question is doubly relevant.

[There's a slight pause, then--]

On an unrelated note, would anyone be interested in a game of chess?

Hi, I'm Shu Ouma. You can call me Shu.

Nice to see you all.

[After Shu's self introduction there was an awkward silence lingering in the air.  The silence made him assume he messed up somehow. Shu's  completely nervous about showing his face to the network.  ]

Um.

[At this point he'd pretty much be okay with saying anything as long as it filled in the silence and didn't make him look bad. Here goes nothing.]

Does anyone here want to play a word game? 

The rules are easy.  All you have to do is take the last letter of a word and make a new word with it.  

For example "Happy"  ends in "Y" so you can only pick words that start with "Y". A word like "Yard" would work well I guess.

There's a couple more rules but they're simple. You're only allowed to pick nouns and you can't repeat words that were said already.  That's all.

Is anyone interested?

 Is this truly the state of the world?

[Gilgamesh asked the machine while not realizing it was on, wondering if he was simply being shown a farce of the Earth. The reality of the world around him sunk in quickly, but he seemed a little disappointed. The King stood in the middle of the street, holding his tablet in one hand and visible in the corner of the screen he held a golden crown with a jeweled ring attached to the front of it.]

So few survivors left. With this artifact being the only interesting thing presented to me...

[His teeth clenched and his expression hardened.]  What a torrid vacation. The degradation of the world is no surprise, but these spoils are a disappointment. At the very least, I would have preferred to see the 'end' of civilization as it happened rather than being inclined to save it in its aftermath.

I, Gilgamesh, shall oversee this.

--And here we are. What an intricate device it is, and its design is solidly made!

[ On the screen stands a young looking woman in regal red, bright garments. The device is placed at a distance so that the feed can transmit her entire body, and she looks vaguely amused. She gestures with her hand at the surrounding areas, and the slight smile on her face nearly drops entirely. ]

Yet this land I stand upon... Truly, how times have made this land that I once knew as Britannia to fall so low. It is a tragic sight, to think that it was once a part of my Empire, but I get the feeling that the world beyond the Moon Cell is exactly as how this place appears to be. Why, it does not feel as though I have left my own realm at all.

[ And at that, her eyes narrow and glisten with a sharp look. ]

But I know this is not the case. This... Initiative has torn me apart from my Master, and that is a sin I cannot forgive, despite how courteous they were to my presence and readily answering my queries. Hah! Then again, perhaps my situation is punishment for the sin of defeating a misguided Savior to leave the world as is. Yet I do not regret my actions one bit.

So tell me, those who came before, how goes this war that we are all unceremoniously made to participate in?