WELCOME TO DREAMWIDTH, HERO...

[There's a thumping noise, and the video comes on. It's incredibly blurry, like something is looking at it up close and personal. Or sniffing, rather. Like a cat, one of the handful that live at Awesome Base.

The blurred face resolves into a definite kitty, who gets bored with the box thing and wanders off, leaving the video clear.

There's a young teen wearing a pair of shorts and a tank top, both a bit dirty, a bit scuffed, carving away at a huge block of what appears to be a beautiful green marble. Carving with her fingers. Difficult to say what it will be. Possibly a statue of a person. Possibly some form of abstract art. The stone is taller than she is, but that doesn't seem to bother her at all. A hidden tap of a dirty bare foot in the grass, and she's suddenly standing on a dirt mound tall enough for her to reach the stone's top.

She doesn't even notice that the comm's on, until what looks like another cat's paw bats it off the table it was sitting on, into the grass.]

Hey, don't break that!

[Footsteps, footsteps.]

Sorry, everyone. Curious cats get into everything, I guess.

So, uh. What is the Ides of March, anyway?

I heard some people talking about it.

Couple more months and I'll have been here three years. I'm fifteen now, too.

Huh. Funny how time flies.

[Long pause, where she's softly humming a song.]

I miss everyone from home. But not as badly as I used to. I mean, Zuko and Sokka were here a little. Off and on. But otherwise..sometimes I don't remember how they looked, to me.

Quick poll, people. Has anyone else been here so long without getting 'ported back? Seems like a lot of people have been here awhile, but went home at some point and got brought back. At least as far as I can tell.

[Locked to Awesome Base]

Lyra, Vivi. We should go have a pizza party or something somewhere. And get ice cream. Just because.

Does anyone know if Edna Mode is still around? I haven't heard her on the network in awhile. Last time she was here she made me boots I could wear all winter and still see with, mostly, but they're getting pretty torn up and my feet got a bit bigger.

I need new boots that keep my feet warm, but they can't be thick.

Stupid cold.

Hypothetical question, people. Well, sort of.

If someone decided to make a memorial, sorta, for all the imports who've been here and sent back, and I mean all of them, even the jerks and bad guys, would you like that idea?

[Sigh.]

I don't want to forget them.

[Here is a Toph sounding worried and sad.]

Has anyone seen Ken? I haven't noticed him around the house for a few days. I mean, I've been out at odd times like usual so I could've just missed him, but I've got a bad feeling.

[Long pause.]

Ken, if you're listening, answer me, okay? Please?



Please don't be gone.

Um. If anyone needs help looking for survivors in any of this, I'm really good at that. And at getting people out and cleanup.

My team's good to help, too.

Hey, um.

Has anyone seen Mai? Or heard from her? I think she might have been 'Ported out.

[This sound might be a sniffle. Maybe.]

At least she'd be back home with Zuko where she belongs.

[The video clicks on, showing a sideways picture of what looks like a basement dirt room. It obviously just fell off a table and clicked on.

Across the room, a young girl is busily working on what looks like a statue. Probably of a person, judging by the shape. The features haven't exactly been carved out just yet, but it's definitely recognizable as a humanoid.

The girl herself is covered head to toe in dirt and dust, but doesn't appear to care. She's molding the solid rock (granite, probably) as if it's clay with nimble fingers. Whenever she needs to move a large section of rock, she gives a little footstomp, which vibrates the floor, making the video shake a little, which is likely why the comm fell in the first place.

Eventually, the statue is recognizable as Soundwave. She knew him well enough to be able to recreate his face unassisted in a short time, the curve of his sunglasses the first thing to emerge from the stone.

For those who know her well enough, they'll know that she makes a statue for each friend that gets 'ported out permanently.

She'll only notice the comm being on when it beeps with replies.]

[The camera is upside down, pointed at a certain little blind girl's face. There are plants in the background, like she's at the park. Funny, isn't this the time for kids to be in school?]

I lost track of time for awhile, but I figured it out last night.

I've been here for over a year now, and sometime during that year I turned 13. So, happy Cityversary to me, right? Crazy. It doesn't feel like it's been a year, but I guess it has.

[The comm is upside down. She probably meant to turn it on voice only but fumbled the buttons.

So have a srs Toph face at the camera, upside down.

She takes a deep breath, then yells.]

BAKURA!

Has anyone seen Sokka?

We don't always talk all the time, and I haven't heard from him for awhile.




Is he even still in the City?

[This is Toph's communicator being dropped to the floor and turning on.]

P-pikachu, no! No, you can't-!

NO!








D-damnit, no..



I HATE THIS PLACE!

[Crash, crash, then the comm gets kicked into the wall and turns itself off.]

[This is every curse word Toph's ever learned, starting in a low growl and escalating to the top of her voice for a few seconds, then the sound of a lot of things breaking.

She eventually tires herself out and is just sobbing.]








Lyra's gone. 'Ported out. I h-hate this stupid place.

[Private to John McClane, Elisa Maza, and Optimus Prime + Awesome Force]

Got a lead for you guys about that scientist lady. Angelica, right? She posted earlier about wanting to play chess. One of my teammates, Bakura, not knowing who she is, took her up on the offer.

She won't meet him directly, but she's sending one of her flunkies to meet him at [Location] at [Time].

I'd love to get a piece of her myself, but I want the police in on this. Since I know you're so eager to get your hands on her.

[Private to Awesome Force]

Bakura, I don't know how the police are gonna want to handle this, but. We have to be careful.