[IT'S A BALL OF FLUFF IN HOTARU'S HANDS! It's a little hamster and Hotaru looks completely overjoyed; so overjoyed, she's got tears in her eyes.]
I- I never... got a Christmas present outside of papa.
[She's about ready to cry when she says that. Quickly, she recovers and cups the little tan hamster in her hands.]
I- I don't know what to call her... I-
Thank you, Priscilla-san. I will take good care of her.
[The Forge pans around a familiar area to its current residents, that wonderfully generic kitchen and its wonderfully generic food. All the windows of the little apartment are wide open and the last of a billowing cloud of smoke can be seen wafting out of the window. Notice how the view of the camera takes careful measures to avoid the stove. Eventually it turns back around to face a kid who looked incredibly guilty and somewhat annoyed.
But after a moment or two of quietly dealing with being annoyed, he speaks.]
I can stand waking up to a weird as hell place and being placed in a nicer jail cell than before. I can even try to understand whatever messed up logic you have about food. [And he holds up one of the generic snacks. He didn't even like those, damn it.] But at least leave me with some pots and pans! A spatula would be nice!
[Each time he spoke, his pointed teeth showed through.] ... And before you say "they were there", well they were. But they sort of broke.
[And that stove that's been avoided? He finally turns the camera to face it. The poor stove was a blacked mess. But the stove top was a-okay! ...It wasn't his fault that he turned on the oven before checking to see if there were any useful things inside of it!]
... I think I also broke the door. [It wasn't on purpose. He hadn't expected it to be so fragile. And. He was sort of freaking out about the burning kitchen utensils and... well, Forge zooms towards the door, to show the damage there. It's not so bad, right? Right?]
So... since a jail cell can't have a broken door, I'll just leave. [He waves to the Forge (see ya people!) and stuffs it into his pocket.]
[The forge blinks on in the middle of a little girl’s very exuberant giggle. It’s obviously Yachiru for anyone who knows her - the pink hair and rosy cheeks are a dead giveaway if the laugh isn’t - but this is not her forge number. In all likelihood, it belongs to the mountain of a man on whose shoulder she is perched.
Maybe some of you recognize that forge number, it’s an old one. Even if you don’t, the answer is soon revealed. The forge screen is brought to an extreme close up of a scarred ear. A deep voice rumbles with a touch of a laugh.]
You need to work on your aim, kid.
Oh, wait!
[She somehow shifts herself forward, draping herself in what should be a precarious position for any normal child, and joining her excessively cheerful face on the screen is the rest of the head that goes with that scarred ear. The most noticeable thing is the eyepatch the man wears, next would be the scars, or maybe the hairless brows. Should the forge screen allow, his hair is done up in spikes that defy gravity and logic. The face wears a grin.]
That’s better! Now everybody can see that you’re back, Ken-chan! See, see!
[It’s amateur cameraman time as she takes the Forge in one little hand and draws it close in to his face - much closer than necessary - and then far away, like a handmade zoom feature. The belled ends of his spiked hair appear for a moment, and then all you can see is the bridge of his nose. She laughs like a tiny, ecstatic maniac.]
LOOK EVERYBODY! KEN-CHAN IS BACK! I said he’d come back, didn’t I? ‘Cause Ken-chan would never leave me here all by myself if he could help it, right, Ken-chan?
Heh, ‘course not, kid.
[She’s got her arms around his neck in the best approximation of a bear hug someone of her size can give and she pretty much looks like the happiest kid in the world. Kenpachi puts up with it because if fact he loves it too. He looks into the camera with the uncovered eye and bares his teeth in a smirk.]
So, hope yeh guys got stronger, cause I have. And I’m going to take you all on! [He laughs.]
Yeah! Scilly, you should fight him again! That was a good fight! And Isie, too! He’s been teaching me how to shoot a bow and arrow, Ken-chan, and he’s really strong! And Icchi should fight! Ken-chan always has fun fighting Icchi! And Au-rin even though he’s not that strong! [That mischievous grin is just for you, Arthur.]And everybody! Everybody should come fight with Ken-chan because it’s fun!
[AND SHE’S STILL GIGGLING. The hand not holding the Forge up to see both their faces is now latched onto his ear. Not because she needs a handhold or anything of the sort. Just because it’s there. Looks like she’s pulling on it pretty hard, too.]
Knock it off! That hurts!
[A large hand bats her little one away from the ear. There’s no real force in it but hopefully she’ll get the picture. He grumbles, a bit put upon.]
Can’t escape that wherever I go.
[She just giggles and gives it another tug.]
Everybody is going to be so happy you’re back! I told everybody all about you, Ken-chan! Especially Xerbie! Oh oh! We have to go home right now so you can meet Xerbie right away! Look, Xerbie, Ken-chan’s back! Ken-chan’s back! I can’t wait for you to meet him!
Fine. Lead the way. [Meaning they’ll get there sometime next year, knowing her.]And stop pulling on my ear!
Okay, let’s go!
[She gives another tug on his ear, as if she is pulling the chain on a train whistle. She even makes a happy squealing nose that could almost approximate the sound that should come from doing such a thing.]
This way, Ken-chan!
[The hand makes an appearance again, this time reaching for the Forge, a giant palm covering the screen. A button fumble or two later, it’s shut off. He really doesn’t need a video of them getting lost on the way home.]
[filtered from isobel. h8 you mom.]
[This is Elena Gilbert. Young, pale, wide-eyed, and utterly unsure of where she is, what this is, or what's going on. A hand pushes and worries through her hair. A gauzy bandage is taped to her neck. Her voice is strained with determination (desperation? she's not sure of the difference right now, lately) for answers.]
I need to-
[She swallows and there's a pause in which all other words get stuck in her throat. Get home. Last she remembers, she was at the hospital, and a nurse was taking her blood and sedating her. For Klaus. Elena's lips purse and she shakes her head. She's steeling herself, because she can't be this: shaken by everything that's happened. (Not when Klaus is probably out there, responsible for this.
Why would he leave her a phone? And Caroline's here, and Damon… But there's Isobel. Maybe this is -- maybe this isn't Klaus. She doesn't know.) Elena looks back to the Forge.]
I need answers. If you have any. It would mean a lot. I've been looking… [through the network.] This is a city. Anatole? My name's Elena.
[private to caroline and damon]
Caroline, Damon -- please, if you see this. I'm in some room. I don't know where.
[So remember this dumbass who was yelling about bunnies but not actually referring to rabbits the other day? Well, he's back. This time, in the clinic. What's visible of his torso, hands, arms, neck, and part of his face can be seen wrapped in bandages, a clue towards the very stupid thing he attempted to do that landed him here.
But Kotetsu looks in pretty good spirits about it anyway, and the Forge is sitting against a makeshift table/writing board on his lap, where he seems to be writing out a card. Next to it is a...very shoddily wrapped present with a crooked bow. Don't judge him, okay, manual dexterity is hard when your fingers are bandaged. Especially when you're ordinarily clumsy anyway.
When he finishes the card, he sets it on top of the box, both of which he then moves to the bedside table before addressing the Forge.]
I understand Anatole brings in people from a bunch of different places. [Worlds, even. He still needs some time to process that one.]
So I was wondering...what do all of you do for the holidays where you're from? Do any of you celebrate Christmas?
Maaa, back home, we have Christmas trees decked with lights all around, and there's a mall with a skating rink and a clocktower with a date countdown.
Anyway, I hope everyone has a good time, whether or not you celebrate.
[...he's. kind of worried about Barnaby dealing with today alone, honestly, but that's neither here nor there, so he doesn't bring it up.]
Oi, that reminds me. Miata, Ginko, Renji, and...Tabitha? [He's. checking his cards just to make sure he got the right names.] I got a few small things for you as thanks and Merry Christmas, if you wouldn't mind coming by to pick them up. Otherwise I can see about having someone here drop them off, but I wouldn't want to trouble them too much.
[A little. Self-deprecating chuckle from someone who tends to get himself injured a lot.]
...Aa, if anyone knows a girl with green hair, I'd appreciate it if you could send her my way, as well. I kind of owe her more than a thank-you.
[There's no uncertain fiddling with the Forge when it turns on for the first time. It may not be held entirely steady, but the guy holding it seems to know what he's doing.]
[He also seems like he very recently had the shit kicked out of him, but if he minds it at all, it doesn't immediately show. Instead he just looks at the Forge as if it was the cause of all current problems and then gives a short, sharp laugh.]
You and me again, Anatole?
You got some nerve.
[That grin probably means he's glad to see you again. Maybe. It's totally not covering up a wince of pain.]
[Ginko isn't looking at the Forge when it comes on--he appears to be sketching something. After a moment he says,]
So everyone knows, I'm working at the Clinic now. My name is Ginko, for those who haven't met me yet.
To the newcomers... welcome to Anatole. It's an interesting place, by all accounts.
[A slight pause, before he looks directly at the Forge for the first time since the video came on.]
Does anyone know how often this... surge of new people happens? [The question is asked with a curious sort of caution, but his curiosity has overwhelmed his caution temporarily... and no one's warned him away from asking questions yet, so.]
I swear...
I am not back here.
This has to be a bad dream.
Just...I can't even.
[As the Forge is turned on, it slips a bit through wet slicked fingers and slides onto the teen's lap, showing a fumble of images: wavy golden hair, a long white scar down a neck that's inked with strange black patterns that look like curling flames poking out from beneath a black collar. Darkened patches on the black fabric that look suspiciously like blood. Lots of blood. He wipes his hand on his thigh and picks the Forge up again, peering into it with eyes dramatically tinged with gold. No, it's not Edward Cullen. One eyebrow steeples as he examines the device.
His voice is wary, but doesn't sound afraid in the least. If anything there's a haughty humor to his tone.]
...The last time I checked Portals didn't take wrong turns.
[He presses a few buttons on the device, turning it side to side before facing the screen towards himself again, looking more intrigued] And kidnappers generally don't offer generous texting packages.
[Something hardens behind his eyes, the amusement taking a dangerous edge, as he demands:] Where's the vampire?
