WELCOME TO DREAMWIDTH, HERO...

So, uh. I've kind of got a really dumb question. Bear with me.

How do people who've been here a long time count their birthdays? Is it like, you still want to have them even though we're gonna go back to where we started when we got Ported here? Or is it more like having free time to prolong your youth as long as possible?

Because if it's typical to count your birthdays, well. I'm gonna be 40 this weekend. And without my best friend or my partner here to give me crap about it, I guess I'm at the mercy of my new friends here to send me over the hill. Preferably with a lot of alcohol.

...oh, but if time doesn't count here? Then forget I said anything about 40! Nope, I didn't say that. I'm not that old, seriously.

So, generally speaking, if it's been at least a week, someone's probably not coming back, right? I mean, if things they set up to happen if they leave permanently kick in, that means they're really gone.

[he heaves a long, dejected sigh]

I know there's been a rash lately. Helena Wayne is one of 'em. I wish it weren't so, she was such a nice woman, smart and well-liked. To the people she cared about...I'm sorry. I miss her already, too, and not just because she wrote my paychecks.

Sure, this puts things with Socrates: Action Detective up in the air, but that's not the worst thing when you're talking about someone who made a life here, made friends and had people they relied on, who just disappears back to their own world. I wanted to take a moment to remember her. She was a great lady.

[another long pause while he looks off to the side]

Though, uh. I wouldn't mind if people wrote letters to the network. I hear fan campaigns can keep a show going sometimes. We were halfway through shooting the second season, I'd hate to disappoint the fans...

Well, looks like things have mostly quieted down again. Gotta say, the City knows how to keep a hero from getting homesick. It's just like Sternbild, real comfortable. [ahahaha...ha. No that was sarcasm] Though I do have to give a shout-out to the news crew from channel 4, for looking after my power suit while I was busy not wearing it. Could've also remembered to plug it in but eh... It almost makes me want to ask what some of you other heroes do with your equipment sometimes but this place has been full of questions lately, maybe I'll let that slide this time.

That reminds me, I still owe somebody a date, I think... [whoops!]

[PRIVATE to: Helena Wayne]

Hi there. I need to have a talk with you about your Charlemagne.

[end PRIVATE]

Things are quieting down, it looks like. I don't know what all of that was about out of nowhere - not that I have a problem with people being behind Imports, but there's a lot better ways to go about expressing your love besides. [AHEM] Riots and graffiti. Although, I may have to tease my co-star endlessly about how good he looks with a beard like mine.

What's really nuts, though, is that I went taking a poke around the internet to see what people were saying, about the rallies and stuff. Boy, was that a mistake. The 'Socrates: Action Detective' fansites are pretty cool, but if you dig too deep you might find things you really don't want to see. [like...slashfic of Socrates and Charlemagne. Ugh] There's even a little corner of the web dedicated to... [and here's a really fake, awkward laugh] ...proving that I'm actually the superhero Wild Tiger. Is that crazy, or what? I mean, sure, we're from the same world, but that's just beyond impossible. He's a hero and I'm just some guy, really. I don't suppose they'll listen if I deny it, though. Something tells me that getting into arguments on the internet is not a good idea.

[not like he really knows how to use the internet that well, beyond Google...]

Anybody else learn something fascinating by searching for themselves?

[happy holidays, network, you're getting the tourist's-eye view of a pretty standard December scene around the City - the skating rink and decorated tree at Rockefeller Center. Lots of people around on a Saturday, there's a crowd out skating and even more bustling around the tree, snapping photos]

You know what's great? And a little weird, but mostly great. See this? It's just like in Sternbild! The ice rink and everything. It's so weird to think that different dimensions have exactly the same Christmas decorations, but there it is! It's so beautiful, I can't believe it. It's nice to see. Really makes me feel like we're all not so different after all. Heroes or not, aliens or humans or trolls or whatever. Makes me want to find some kind of commemorative thing to buy...they don't seem to have pins, though...

Anyway. [he flips the video to himself - yep, it's 'normal' Kotetsu, in a scarf and tweed cap] I like Christmas, myself, but this is the first one where I won't get to spend any of it with my family at all. I can't even call my daughter across dimensions, let alone see her. I guess I'll just have to find some other way of celebrating.

...I don't suppose there's any folks my age who'd like to go out for drinks? Nothing funny, just for company.

[just before he shuts it off, he gets a brilliant idea. Clearly it must be shared]

I know! I need to get one of those special sweaters!

All right, all right - I know there's a lot of kids listening in to this. Hear me out, for a second.

I know it's rough, if you feel like you've suddenly been dropped into a new place and don't know where anybody is, don't know how to get a hold of your parents, and so on. It's okay. I promise. My name is Kotetsu, and I'm a dad, so I know how to take care of kids. If anybody needs a safe place to stay, so they're not on the street or in trouble, my door is open. But if you're being smart and not just going home with a stranger because he says so...well, good on you. You still need a place to go. I've got the keys to my free apartment at the MAC, so kids are welcome to crash there if they can't find anywhere else.

I just want to make sure nobody's lost, hungry, or cold, and everybody has a nice warm bed for however long this lasts. I know how I'd feel if my daughter was all alone in this place with superpowers, so I don't want any of you kids to be afraid. Some of us are here to help. Oh! And if anyone finds themselves with a kid they don't know how to take care of? [a wink and a grin] Call on me for all the best parenting advice to get you through this!

[Daddy!Kotetsu has a stern look for Klarion, too] And to the guy who used magic to do this to people. You'd better switch it back. People need to live their lives naturally, this isn't right.

[well, he had to do it sooner or later. At the moment he's outside, looks like Central Park where all the cool kids hang out]

So, uh. I guess everybody's pretty certain that some of us on a certain bus that didn't go to Hell and didn't hear voices ended up getting our powers switched around. If that's the case, I just wanted to touch base with everyone who remembers seeing me, there, make sure you're all okay. I, uh...I'm not sure whose power I ended up with, but I managed to fling most of my furniture across the room last night without touching it, so I'm guessing it's some kind of telekinesis.

Oh! Oh, right. I'm, uh...I'm Kotetsu. Kotetsu Kaburagi. I'm new here. I only know a couple of people right now but I seem to be part of this Import community, now, so...hi! I'm just a guy like most of you, nothing to see here. I was at work when I got teleported onto that bus, so.

[]beat]

Uh, if the kid I lent my coat to still has it? I kinda need it back. That's my only good suit coat.

Oh, hello there, City! [waving! Kotetsu is in street clothing at last, mainly a button-down and tie (and the closest replacement for his newsboy cap he could find), but he's still wearing that same teal-green domino mask that he had before] Man, these phones without the 3-D are so boring. But! I'm happy to be able to talk to everyone at large. Kind like a PDA, isn't that cool?

Soooo...from what I hear, you've got a lot of heroes here. Second, third, and fourth string at least. Now, I gave it a few days, just to settle in and see what the place is like, what people do, but I can't sit around idle forever. I want to get back out into the game, so to speak. So, uh, a couple questions? Since it doesn't look like you guys use agents or a director, how do you get to the scene in time? Do you just use these phones? Or do you actually go around... [flaily hand-gesture] ...patrolling, just looking for crimes? I guess I could do that. Don't mind me if you see me out there, in the suit. My mom always said I was good at playing well with others. I won't get in anyone's way, I'm here to help. Really!

And since there's no Justice Bureau, you don't have to even like...register, do you? Just so long as you bring your suspects to the police and let them take care of that end of it. Have I got that right? I don't want to step on any toes or anything. Let's all just remember to do our best, and don't forget – protecting the people of our fair city is the most important thing!

[nodnod] Okay, then. Let's go, heroes! Wild Tiger, out.

[and in an attempt at turning off the comm with a flourish, he knocks it off the table onto the floor, meaning the last thing you see is an embarrassed, wide-eyed gawking at his own fail before his hand closes on it]