general news media.

[aa_loki]

On 12 September, the Assembly of the United Nations welcomed a guest speaker and representative of Asgard, and the webcast of this talk was published that same evening. Introduced only as 'Loki', and wearing an ensemble that had both Earth-like formality and more ornate, alien touches, he gave a talk that lasted approximately an hour. It was articulate, generally positive without being too assumptive, and thus inoffensive.

Also he had showered prior, okay.

The key points he hit on were:

• the historical ties between Asgard and Earth (no use of the word 'Midgard')
• the technological and social readiness of Earth to consider now its place in relation to the wider galactic sphere
• his gladness and commitment to be working with world leaders and their offices to ensure transparent communication

Though about as boring and tedious as most of these kinds of talks can be, the webcast saw heavy traffic and wider media distribution, due to featuring an actual fax alien... god... thing, and marking a political first for Earth-Outer Space relations.

Reactions are tentative and mixed, but truly suspicious grumblings (hey, were you in Stuttgart when--) are kept to lower circles. So far.

Actions? Questions? Page me or comment. mO_Om

Press Conference

[aa_steve]

Pepper manages to call a press conference late this morning for Steve to make a statement to the press. He comes dressed in his Captain America uniform, but he takes a breath at the podium and pulls down the cowl to leave his face bare for the cameras. His speech starts out a bit rough around the edges, a little out of practice with the public address. But Captain America finds his rhythm, and there's no denying his conviction.

"Thank you all for coming," he says. "And thank you to Pepper Potts of Stark Industries for setting this up. It's been—a long time since I did something like this.

"My name is Steve Rogers. I was born on July 4, 1918. I was 24 when I enlisted in the United States Army in 1942; it was my fifth attempt. As part of Operation: Rebirth, I eventually became Captain America. I did my best to serve my country until my final mission left me frozen in the Arctic. They tell me that it was the enhancements I was given that helped me survive. Since I woke up, I've continued to do my best to do what my country needs of me. I accepted the call to the Avengers to help stop a global threat, and by working together, we managed to avert the worst of the catastrophe centered in New York City.

"I'm telling you all this because I hope it will make you believe the more difficult thing I have to say, which is this: yesterday you may have watched a speech by a man calling himself Loki and claiming to be an Asgardian representative to the UN. That is a lie. Loki is a war criminal who was the mastermind behind the attacks on New York City. He has managed to escape justice in his home world of Asgard in order to return to Earth. He is not a diplomat or an authorized representative of Asgard; he is a wanted criminal responsible for the murders of thousands of innocent people. I don't know how he managed to convince the UN that he was on the level, but I can tell you this: whatever this man has said to you, it's a lie. He is a manipulator capable of using alien technology to affect the minds of his victims. I urge you not to believe him.

"A lot of information may be classified, but I'll do my best to answer whatever questions I can. Again, thank you all for coming."

(OOC: Have questions you think the press should ask? Reply with them and I'll answer! THIS PRESS CONFERENCE IS OVER.)

Email

[aa_vision]

FROM: Vision
TO: Avengers
SUBJECT: More on the Blight craft

The alien vessel that the Blight entity likely emerged from was revived last night, at least temporarily, by an impact with Thor's Mjolnir. I took extensive photographs of its live exterior and interior, which I have attached.

Some information is particularly pertinent, however. The craft does react to Mjolnir particularly and is of a metal Thor vaguely recognizes, if he cannot place it exactly. There are figures written on the exterior in the language of Nidavellir, which is home of the dvergar (this translates roughly to Norse dwarves, although Thor has told me dwarves is not a good term). However, Thor does not believe it is a dvergar craft.

Not every symbol is in this language, either. One group of symbols was familiar, though. It was in the shape of a star. Thor recognized a figure regarding the atrocity of war and another that roughly translated to "Mother of Dusk." Neither of these appear to relate to the dvergar.

It is uncertain whether the craft is stolen by the Blight or what its origin is, although all of this suggests some relation to cultures our Asgardians are aware of. What relation, we do not have context enough for yet.

-Vision

Attachments: a lot of zipped photos of runes and circuits et al