Monsters that can enter even our rooms, Ruana? That is your game? And if the pods aren't what protects us from them otherwise, what is?

*Enoch sighs tersely, a little shaken beneath his annoyance. Death isn't fun, even if it isn't real.*

Jason must rather dislike all this extra work you're giving him...

[...Woooow there's a lot of posts on the network today. A lot of people sound really worried about a lot of crazy-sounding things...but what she's got to say doesn't sound that crazy, all things considered.

Worried as she is, Rise is still an idol at heart, and she smiles for the camera like a movie star.]

Hi hi! Rise Kujikawa here, bringing you all an important message!

I know things are kinda crazy today, and lots of people are saying really weird stuff, buuuut this is a little different, because this one's not that unbelievable.

So everyone, be really careful if you're eating the cafeteria food! There might be poisonous plants in it...and honestly, in a place like this, I'd say you're better off safe than sorry.


[Filtered to the Investigation Team + Nanako, Hidetoshi, Luke, Tohko, and (after a moment's debate) Asch, Ken, and Frederick + EDITED (at Luke's request) TO INCLUDE TEAR]

Even if it's not true, I don't think we should risk it, guys... So...who wants to go hunting and who wants to help me see what we can find to make in the kitchen? We should meet up for meals somewhere at least twice a day, and maybe we could invite more people, too.

[EDIT: brief additional video, filtered to the same crew as above]

Senpai says to meet up in the cafeteria, and we'll decide where to go from there!

[[The boy showing up on the screen looked...well. Crestfallen to say the least. He pulled his orange headband down a little before finally addressing the screen.]]

I...I'm sorry everyone. [[What's this kid apologizing for?]] We failed. We let the aliens win... [[It was clearly hard to admit, he was visibly trembling.]]

I...there's no excuse. I wasn't strong enough. I'm sorry. [[His fists finally pounded on the console. He was so frustrated, so disappointed in himself. After a moment he sighed, relaxing as best he could. His hands slipped from the console, and he put on a smile.]]

So...who all is here? Mom? Any of my team? How about any other soccer players? Please ah...speak up! I want to know who was saved...

So, I need you to answer a question for me:

the pyramid on floor 92
or
the castle ruins on floor 73

which is the best for hide-and-seek?

And does anyone want to play said hide-and-seek with me?

[The feed opens to a bespectacled teen staring at you guys with a serious look on his face.]

Hey, I got a question for you guys.

[...He has to admit what he's asking is really dumb even for a guy who had been here for a while, but well...]

This terminal here, does it store information from a long while ago?

[There's a sigh.]

I know that it must've sound weird, but this is the first time I'm using it. So I guess that's all then.

[...oh wait.]

Name's Shiki, Shiki Tohno, in case there's other people sharing the same name here.

 [Hei is on screen, not looking much better. Considering he just recovered from his first death, he is calmer...sort of. Recall the same emotionless face that was there before? Now it seemed to be angry, particularly within those dull cobalt eyes of his, giving a particular shine one may not have expected.

And he's now holding up a small chalkboard, his fingers close to this.]

Due to circumstances, I find myself needing to make sure this message spreads across further. Forgive me for what I am about to do.

[And what follows next is a series of noises that are painful to the ear. Oddly enough, Hei is unfazed by it. After a few seconds, he stops at last, taking a deep breath.]

I had hoped to never do that, but apparently I need to. You are all hurting, as I can imagine. My own heart is still in pain from what happened, knowing I nearly took away the one person closest to me, and then losing others as well, and not just here, but at the facility as well. Minako, Raven, Yin, Homura, Elena, Reno, Lucy, and countless more here and at the facility.

For those unaware, the facility was similar to this, experiments done weekly, and chaos brought about by others and those that ran it. At first, I was willing to say the facility was the worst place to be because of all of that, and having to know our friends' bodies were burned, and could almost never be recovered because of the sickness we have.

Some might think death would be paradise compared to the hell of this tower. I disagree, because of what Ruana is capable of. To some, especially given facts may have been revealed that were meant to stay hidden, that this is the time to give up hope. At a time like this, there was someone who would say something crude, though I would say something more tasteful. For once, I will follow his logic.

( motivational speech worthy of Yusuke here )

[She's calming down from the whole thing, her eyes closed and a little shudder running through her. There was a part of her that was furious, wanted to hurt them, to punish the administrators for doing that to her, brainwashing her, cutting her, making her hunger like that.

Oh, that part, it wanted blood, but she tempered it, controlled it and as her eyes closed, she giggled. It wasn't a particularly sane giggle.]

That... that was a fun little game, wasn't it?

[snicker]

I wonder... was it merely a whim, or was there a purpose to our wanton playmates?

[She probably should have done this a lot sooner but... to tell the truth it's taken this long for the wound of Reno's departure to not be too raw. But now some of the edge is fading, and she needs to be practical. She's never going to get better like this.]

Up until recently I was training with someone how to fight, but... he's gone now. So... I was wondering, is there anybody who can help me train? I can fight hand-to-hand, and also I can... I've never found anything like it anywhere else, but I think it's most like a sword in other worlds. I'm trying to learn to fight with it a little differently too, so... I might not be as good, but I want to to get better.

[Meaning her bad hand is useless for pretty much anything still, and she hasn't had much chance to practice one-handed keyblade wielding]

Anyway, thanks.

[She pauses, then adds]

Oh... Shion, if I find anybody, do you want to come as well? [Er...] I'll ask you if I see you too.

I'm no good at speeches. Louis is far better at them than I am - but with him gone I feel that it's my duty to pick up his slack.

[It still stings a little to speak of his disappearance, but Aleph has had worse pains.]

Not because I need to intimidate the administrators. Not because I need to curse them. They know already what their crimes are. But everyone trapped in this tower needs to hear this right now.

Every tyrant falls. Every regime is overthrown, every cruel fist is shaken off. No matter how powerful, how old, or how deeply entrenched.

You know how many of us there are, and our numbers continue to grow. And with every new captive comes a new hope for freedom. Among us are those stronger than you can imagine, those wiser than you can dream of, those skilled beyond belief - those who may not have the power to escape on their own, but will risk everything together to bring down those who would seek to torture us.

With so many of us who are so strong, freedom is an inevitability.

 [Hei appears, though he doesn't look too pleased. How could he after witnessing that. However, he's keeping it under wraps for now. Probably why no one was seeing his angry side at the moment. Lord knows how much he wants to rage, always wanted to rage in fact. But hey, people had to be shown as level-headed.]

I am aware of certain circumstances regarding the events that transpired, aside from certain things regarding whatever experiment they were doing. However, there is information I wished to set up for this tower: the school system. I am aware now is not the best time, but focusing on rage and sadness alone will only make you more sloppy in thinking and fighting. I speak from experience.

There is a list present here. You can contact me if you have any questions. Multiple teachers are allowed, and classes will begin in March, assuming nothing else happens to give everyone time to recover.

That is all.

[...Frankly? Shepard is actually quite subtly freaked out--no matter how much she's had to put up with over the years, no matter how much mutilation occurs in Shepard's life on a daily basis, it couldn't possibly prepare her for what she saw only a while ago. Ruana consuming Dax, and the fact that her soul is apparently bound to a replica of her current body--this collar must have had something to do with whatever the hell it was, but she was only grasping at straws--hit her all at once like a torpedo to the face.

...But there are still things that need taking care of--things that need doing while they're still here. Thus, when the feed comes on from her end of the dorms, she's putting on the face she's always put on since she started service.]

Considering what just happened, I won't be surprised if any more posts come onto the network with single-minded rage towards Ruana. But it's only going to waste our breath at this point.

We need to buckle up for whatever's ahead. The basics come first--food, supplies, anything you can think of that I might've missed. If anyone has other ideas, pitch 'em here. I'll take them into consideration.

Commander Shepard, out. [With that, the feed cuts. For now, Shepard can be found amongst the corridors of the dorms--though later into the evening that day, she'll be found at any floor where prey is plentiful.]

[Feferi's gray skin looks pale as she steps forward, and it's clear that she's shaking. But she takes a deep breath, because this is too important not to tell everyone.]

My name is Feferi Peixes. Anyone who knows me knows I'm infamous for fish puns, but I'm going to hold off on them here, just so the message is as clear as possible. I don't want it to get twisted by a bad turn of phrase.


The message you all saw about the soul thing...it's true. I know, because...

[She takes another deep breath, swallowing hard.]

I went down the elevator, with some others, when we saw it open. We had to take the chance. We needed to know what was down there.

When the group I was with saw a soul being extracted from a dead person, we couldn't believe what we were seeing. More than anything, we knew what a precious thing that was. We didn't want it to be harmed, and so we followed where the retrieval unit was taking it.

...we didn't expect that it would be carrying the soul straight to Jason. We confronted him, we refused to give up the presence of the other groups that were in the administrators' area, and he punished us by forcing us to go through the soul extraction and re-implantation processes while we were still conscious.

Before I go on any further, I have to stress this point: DO NOT TAKE THIS AS AN INVITATION TO CONFRONT JASON. He will not hesitate to put you through that process, and no one should ever have to experience a thing like that. I don't want anyone to consider this as an invitation to take some kind of vengeance. That path only leads to pain.

I didn't think that he was actually capable of anything close to mercy until I went through that. Everyone in this tower has been through it while unconscious, and that is truly a mercy. When it happens, your body is taken downstairs and placed into a sphere. That sphere fills with a violet liquid, and then it begins to contract.

[Tears start to run down her cheeks as she remembers, and her voice cracks.]

It quite literally squeezes your soul out of your body, and that is like no physical pain in this or any other universe. I don't think there is a single word that is capable of describing it. Agony isn't strong enough, because the pain keeps going while you feel your body stop working.

And even when you are only that shining light, the pain doesn't fade immediately. It takes time.

Then, you're surgically put into - into a...a new body. I...

[She can't keep talking. She breaks down sobbing, and then the feed cuts.]

WHAT WAS THAT?

Did anyone else see that administrator thing?!

Even Ganondork can't exceed that level of freaky freakiness.

It's like ReDeads except worse.