[Video]

[sacred_flamer]

[It's a very unsure and uneasy Luke that appears on the network today, keeping a firm grip on his stupid helmet so people could see his face. He squirmed uncomfortably, not used to this sort of thing.]

H-hey... guys? I wanna say something.

[He swallowed hard, trying to think. C'mon, Luke, you're supposed to be an ambassador of Kimlasca. It's about time you started acting like it. Just... what would Natalia say in a situation like this? She'd probably be really honest about what's happening... and try to be encouraging. It was hard to be encouraging when the situation was so overwhelming, but...]

The monsters aren't dropping candy anymore, and I haven't been able to find any around the Tower either. I think Ruana changed the rules again... I think the only candy that's in the Tower is what's in our buckets, which means she wants us to fight against each other to survive.

[He paused for a breath, before trying to look as determined as he could.]

But that doesn't mean we have to give in to what she wants! If we work together, we should be able to find a way to survive.

Those of us that are still alive... we need to get together, pool our resources as best we can. The ones that were lucky enough not to end up in a costume should help too; I know you might feel that you don't need to, but we all need to work together to survive in this place.

[He held up a fist, trying to look pumped despite how much his stomach was doing flip-flops.]

I'm confident we can get through this if we can all work together. We should all meet up... the cafeteria would be a good place. Let's get together and brainstorm how we're going to get through this, together.

[Luke let out a breath, before cutting the video. Did that sound like something a leader would say? He wasn't sure... he hoped so.]

Comments

[video; private]

[idol_support]

I'll be there! I know some other people are helping her, too, but...I have to do my best to help Nanako-chan, since Yu-senpai...

[She'd seen Yu in passing, and he hadn't looked...right. And when she did a scan, he'd come up as...but that couldn't be right, could it? She would have to talk to him and see for herself soon enough, dangerous and kind-of stupid or not.]

[video; private]

[sacred_flamer]

[Luke looked like he'd just been stabbed. He didn't know who that Nanako person was, but...]

W-what's wrong with sensei?

[video; private]

[idol_support]

[Rise both looks and sounds a little blubbery already--for all her ~amazing~ acting skills, she cries fairly easily when it concerns someone she really, really cares about.]

I--I d-don't knooow! But when I did a scan, he was...he just didn't come up right at all...!

[The tears are threatening, but not falling just yet, but from the way her lower lip is trembling, the prospects don't look too good there. :|]

[video; private]

[sacred_flamer]

[Luke swallowed, feeling his stomach bottom out.]

W-what did he come up as?

[video; private]

[idol_support]

[Rise struggles for a second to figure out how to explain it, because...it really had been weird...]

It...it almost looked like...he was coming up the same way the monsters do... [She has to pause briefly to swallow the half-sob working its way up her throat, because that...she hadn't even wanted to see anything like that happen again, ever.] ...O-only it wasn't steady, it was kinda flickering in and out, as if...maybe he's not all the way...

[She shakes her head, her words coming out a little too fast and a little desperate, because she doesn't want to believe what the scan had shown.] Or maybe Kanzeon's scans are coming out all wrong again! I mean, I haven't even been able to find everyone yet, when normally that wouldn't be any problem, so maybe...maybe it's just me! Maybe...

[Maybe there's nothing to worry about, she wants to say, but can't bring herself to say it. Because lying to Luke or to herself won't do either of them any good right now.]

[video; private]

[sacred_flamer]

[Oh... oh dammit. Yu, why didn't you tell him? He would have given you his candy in a heartbeat. Someone like him was much better equipped to do this sort of thing than he was. Luke forced a smile on his face, trying to be as reassuring as he could.]

Hey, don't worry. This is Yu we're talking about! He'll be fine.

[Damn it was hard to smile when you didn't feel that confident about something...]

[video; private] 1/2

[idol_support]

[She wants to believe that. She wants it more than anything. But...the things she's seen over the past few days, all the almost-encounters she's had with cursed Tower residents, only avoided because of Kanzeon's scans...]

[She tries to swallow the tears half-choking her up already, tries to copy that forced smile and add her own trademark levity to it. It comes out clearly fake, but she manages it.]

Y-Yeah, you're right! He'll be...

[video; private] 2/2

[idol_support]

[...Oh gods, she can't do this.]

S-Sorry Luke, I gotta go. See you in the cafeteria later?

[video; private]

[sacred_flamer]

[...o-orz, he tried. He so tried.]

...yeah. I'll see you.

[...dammit, Yu.]