[For the next couple of days since he responded to Waver Velvet's summons, David's spent a few days in Aria's hideout looking over the reports Reno's collected, trying to get an idea of what to expect once the stealth operation is a go. On the 19th, he posts a video to the Network. Judging from the background, he's on Floor Three, the library.]

Arright—so I'm gonna get dis out of da way first, since I think dere's a lotta people who ain't seen me around an' I didn't introduce myself last time.

[He points a thumb at himself.]

I'm da Darin' Little David—but if you ain't into superhero names, David's arright with me. I've been spendin' a lotta my free time in da past year tryin' to get around a problem. I figure I might as well ask about it on da network 'cause I ain't gettin' nowheres—

[David leans off to the side. There's some rustling of something that sounds lacquered and metallic—and when David sits back up, he's got a rifle in his hands that's as big as he is, given he's kinda short. It's painted in the same "olive drab" and dull gold color scheme as the suit of armor.]

Dis thing here? When da Admins brought me to da Tower, dey left me without any ammo for it. Or any of my other stuff. I've been lookin' for somebody who can fix dat for me. Makin' it, creatin' it with magic or somethin', whatever works.

[As he speaks, he lets the video get a good look at the rifle as he turns it over in his hands, but keeping proper trigger discipline and handling at all times. After that, David leans over to the side again, putting the rifle away.]

If you can help me out but don't wanna talk about it over da terminals, lemme know an' well go someplace eavesdroppin'-free.

[... Maybe he should have worded that more like how Waver did when he posted his summons a few days ago.]

—but yeah, uh—anybody dat can help, I'll owe ya one!

[After that, David reaches over to the monitor and cuts the feed. Now, he just has to hope that someone responds ...]

So are we just not going to talk about the fact that this place is suddenly a lot less dangerous?

[Asagi sighs, and shrugs, leaning back in her chair as she always is.]

Alright then, let's talk about something else.

[She kicks her feet down and leans forward, chin on her hands, feigning attentiveness.]

Tell me then- what's your good end for the tower? What do you boys and girls out there hope winds up happening when the clock hits zero on our time here?

Come on.

Always did love a good fairytale.


[ooc: backdated to sometime the 21st, late forever]

[The woman who appears on the video feed might be familiar to some of the Tower residents, particularly the older ones; though, really, not necessarily as old as she thinks, but she doesn't realise there have been other Aquas here since she left.

Despite the situation, she sits up straight and offers a smile.] Hello. My name is Aqua. Some of you might know me, but I've been gone for a long time.

If anyone remembers the whale that attacked the Tower, I was returned home after that. I know it's been... [a small pause, and though her smile doesn't falter, her gaze does, just for a moment. Her eyes fall away from the camera as she continues, in a slightly softer voice.] ...a while, so I think I've missed a lot.

[She looks into the camera again, holding her head up straight.] If anyone could tell me what's happened since I left, I would appreciate it. [And, with resolve:] I want to help.

I'm in the library on the third floor if you'd rather meet in person. [She nods her head in a small, polite gesture of recognition.] Thank you.

[Ion clears his throat as the feed comes to life. He looks tired and shaken and most definitely uncertain about his choice to make this message a video.]

I apologize for any trouble I may experience in this recording, I...I'm afraid I'm not terribly used to using the Network, but I have an important announcement I feel is necessary to make. It's...

[He hesitates, taking a deep breath before he continues on.]

...it's been a few days since those of us who were transported to outside of the Tower returned. I'm sure many of you know Patrick Dawn. He was my roommate and my friend. I wasn't sure what to think when he didn't wake up with the rest of us. I kept hoping...

[Again, he pauses. Ion's face turns a bit stonier and he gets to the point.]

He died. Outside. I followed him when he wandered off and I meant to bring him back to the group but he--there was an accident with a machine.

[For most of the message thus far Ion had been unable to make direct eye contact with the screen, but here he looks up, eyes pleading.]

It's with a heavy heart I inform everyone that I do not believe Rick will be returning. I'm sorry. I couldn't save him. If anyone would like to join me and share in saying kind words, I'm going to be paying my respects to him tomorrow on the forty-eighth floor.

[With that said, Ion makes to turn off the feed but then hesitates, his expression darkening further. After a brief deliberation he speaks again.]

I have something else to say, and I hope you can forgive me for not...bringing this subject to light sooner. I should have, but I'll admit that I've been afraid to. For those of you I haven't already informed, on February 14th, Ruana...[Here Ion struggles briefly with his words.]...disposed of her heart.

[As an afterthought, he adds one final thought--] Please be careful. [--before the feed goes dark.]

((ooc: Ion will reply to any replies made to this post, but he may not be particularly talkative.))

[It's Lorelei! He looks a little tired, but otherwise perfectly fine.]

I apologize for my absence this past while. It seems our population has grown since I last poked about on the network, so hello to everyone. You may call me Lorelei. I am not in spite of appearances actually Luke or Asch, they're me. It's complicated.

[And he seems to think it's funny by the way he's grinning.]

At any rate, I am hoping for an idea of what I missed, as some digging about has led me to think some significant things have happened lately! Also, for those living in room ...2-08, I believe, you do in fact have another roommate, I've just been absent a while. Hello, I look forward to meeting you all.

[GUESS WHO'S BACK. BACK AGAIN. And is on the network to say hello. If you guessed a fish troll, you would be correct.]

...huh. Didn't think I'd ever sea this plaice again. It feels like everything and nothing have changed at the same time. New room, new people, same glubbing oatmeal.

[She laughs.]

How long has it been, anemoneway? Last thing I remember was getting a box of tentacles in my mailbox and a bunch of weird shadow kids following people around.

Right, right. I'm Feferi Peixes.

[She waves at the camera.]

I was here for - glubbing shell, I don't remember. You start to get somefin like aquadementia - ocean madness - after spending too much time on a dead world. Things get fuzzy.

I'm guessing, though, based on this timer and what people are saying, that we don't have a whole lot of time left. Figures that I'd be coming back at the end. It seems to be a thing!

[She doesn't look upset; more amused than anything.]

So. What did I miss? I want to hear everyfin.

[It's hard not to notice just how low the counter's gotten. Riku still remembers when the number was up in the triple digits, but now it's dropping lower each day. How much time do they really have to turn things all around? And just what can they hope to do in so little time?

When the video starts up, Riku appears hunched over the keyboard, fingers tapping at the desk.]

We've got less than two months now. I wonder what we can really do. I'm definitely not gonna give up hope, but we're gonna have to start thinking ahead. Planning for the home stretch. We've made a ton of progress. I just hope we can keep the momentum going.

[He pauses briefly, looking down at the ground.]

Things have already gotten tense. For those of you who didn't get flung outside the tower, how were things from your end? Hopefully better than what we went through. Out there, it felt like I could've exploded at any second. Almost like this lousy, wireframe body just couldn't hold me anymore. All those dead bodies sure didn't help much, either.

[Heaving a soft sigh, Riku finally leans back in his seat.]

I just wonder if it'll get any worse than that. Probably just jinxed us by saying that, but you can never really tell with this place.

[He'll just leave it at that for now, ending the message with a click.

Anyone perusing floor 3 may spot this Riku waiting at the computer, with a colorful looking Dragon doozing at his side.]

[ooc: Going to try and hit my backtags tomorrow. School just started, so I've been a bit slow.]

[Prussia is sitting in front of the Network screen like nothing ever happened, like he hadn't just poofed out of the tower for a good deal of time. His yellow bird is in its customary place on his head, and not even that recent network post he spotted questioning whether the pets were real could make him do anything else with it. It didn't matter if it wasn't "his" bird; he'd accept whatever made him comfortable here. That, of course, is beside the point; he's got some serious catching up to do.]

Hey, everybody. Guess who's back and awesome as ever? Prussia. Yep, awesome. [He's not putting much gusto into the word today.] Had my initiation oatmeal and everything.

I dunno if anyone noticed, but I've been gone for a while. Did anyone see a stone in the graveyard for me? Just wondering. So, because of that, I need someone to catch me up on just what's been going on in the tower. I have no idea how long I've been gone, because being stuck on a dead world kind of screws up your sense of time. So, if anyone could tell me what I've missed, that'd be greeeeeat.

Oh yeah, another thing. Is Enoch still here? Just wondering.

[The face that pops onto the terminal screen is far, far too close for comfort. It's squeezed tightly into something trying for scorn, but there's an unmistakable edge of panic beneath those thick brows.]

This is hilarious, Barry! Really, you've outdone yourself!

[He backs up now, enough to actually be visible in all his lanky glory on the video feed.]

I'll be the better man here, I'll admit when I have been punk'd--hey! Look at you! You've completely lived up to your reputation as The Invisible Cunt and we're all very proud.

[He points with accusation at the terminal, as if he's giving it five seconds to confess to a crime it's committed before he becomes very, very disappointed and maybe throws a tantrum.]

But hasn't this...uncomfortably well thought out set-up gone on long enough? I thought we were friends!

ENGLAND!

[Someone apparently never taught Seychelles to keep her voice down in the library, because she is yelling over the network from one of the library's terminals, and this is one irate-looking girl in her early teens. Her clothing is more old-fashioned than her icons suggest - a history buff might recognize it as being from the early 1800s.]

If this is supposed to be some kind of joke or an elaborate time-out, it isn't funny! I wanna go back to my islands, now! And you better not ignore me! Do you know how long it took me to make this work?!

[The answer to that is a solid three hours of hitting the terminal and randomly pressing buttons. Even now she doesn't know if it's actually working, but she's at the end of her rope.]

Those of you who know April Sinclair may want to know that she has left the tower. I searched the graveyard and found her tombstone today.

-Aleph Sinclair

[Those who want to console Aleph in person can find him in one corner of the third floor library. He's looking pretty miserable.]

Have any of you checked out the library on floor three lately? Got some pretty good books here.

[He picks up one and begins reading.]

True --nervous --very, very dreadfully nervous I had been and am, but why would you say that I am mad? The disease had sharpened my sense --not destroyed --not dulled them. Above all was the sense of hearing acute. I heard all things in the heaven and in the earth. I heard many things in hell. How, then, am I mad? Harken! And observe how healthily --how calmly I can tell you the whole story.

Hi, everyone. This is Yukiko Amagi, and I think this is starting to be a ritual with me, addressing the network towards the beginning of the month...

[She laughs at herself for a moment, but quickly regains her composure. She has something serious to say, after all, and she can't say it if she's laughing at herself.]

Anyway, that's beside the point. I know that since Jason's death, the revival process hasn't been running nearly as smoothly. There's no need to hide it; I don't think there's a one of us left here that hasn't seen a friend come back hurt. I know this is going to sound harsh, but we all need to realize that it's probably not going to get a lot better in the short time we have left.

There's no need to suffer in silence, if you've come back and you're still injured. I have healing magic and I'm sure others here also have it. If you're hurt, don't keep on being hurt. Come find one of us, and we'll patch you up as best we can. All right?

[She pauses, blinking for a second.]

...it sounds so strange to say the words 'Jason's death'. It doesn't quite feel real to me yet. Is that just me, or does anyone else feel that way?

[She clicks off the feed with that question.]

[As the feed starts, everyone can see a familiar, or unfamiliar, boy, looking quite worried. For those who don't recognize him, he probably looks like some kind of hero wannabe, with the weird hair, goggles pulled over his eyes, and the cape worn around his shoulders. The reality is, he's just a weird soccer player.]

...good afternoon everyone, this is Kidou Yuuto. It looks as though I was sent home again... and I get the feeling I've been away for quite a while. This place seems different, though I can't put my finger on why. Would anyone like to explain what has happened since I was last here?

[Veronica's face appears on the screen. She's sitting at one of the terminals, leaning to the side. Her entire right arm has been wrapped in bandages, the sleeve pulled up to show a few blood stains.]

...S-so, I woke up in a-a n-new room a w-while ago. I g-guess you a-all have too.

[At least it was surprisingly pleasant. Thanks Zo.]

I h-have to ask, d-does the t-tower feel... different? Like, n-now t-that J-Jason is dead.

[Locked to Rick Dawn]

...[It takes her a moment to collect her voice.] R-rick...? Are... a-are y-you there?

[She leaves the message open for a while, waiting to see if he'll reply.]

[When the feed first comes on, Link is still, not sure if he's got this set up right.]

Tetra? Are you and the Princess okay? I'm sorry I didn't find you in the maze...

[Bitty twisted his ankle while recklessly running around and looking for them.]

[The video opens to a young man dressed in purple, looking a bit anxious.]

...Oh man, I really hope this thing is working. I don't think I broke it, but it's not like the 'Gear, so I don't know if it's actually transmitting...

[He studies it for a moment before finally relaxing. An easy smile crosses his face and he leans forward a bit, actually managing to look at the camera.]

Well, if this thing's working, then hi! I just woke up here this morning, so I'd like to know what's going on. The last thing I remember is going to bed in [the Team Rocket base, but he's not going to mention that] Goldenrod, and now I'm here. I don't think this is like that weird dream everyone had - this doesn't look like that castle, after all - but correct me if I'm wrong!

[He steps back from the terminal and reaches up to absently tug at the collar around his neck. For those of you who recognize this man, it might be a bit of a surprise to see that the collar is blue.]

Oh yeah, what are these for? I definitely didn't have this on when I went to sleep. It's kind of annoying, but I can't get it off. Is there any reason for that?

[Ryuunosuke pauses, tapping a finger to his chin in thought. As he's thinking, a strange ghost floats into the frame and starts pulling faces behind Ryuunosuke's back. He doesn't seem aware of it at all.]

I think that's about it. I guess I'll be here in the library if you want to come talk to me directly, otherwise I'll respond on this thing! ...Assuming it's working, that is. I'll feel really dumb if this isn't broadcasting...

[He reaches over to shut the camera off, still smiling innocently.]