Uhmm.... this may sound really awkward and out of the blue but Darr-- my husband's birthday is in October and uh, does anyone know how to make a cake?

Like a legit cake, not the kind you get out of a box and it has to taste... well good?

[ god this is so awkward. She can't even say this without sounding like and idiot. ]

I don't want to give him food poisoning and I really want to give him something for his birthday, even if it'sa little bit in this hell hole....

I'll owe you anything. Just name it. Really.... please? A girl could use some help with learning how to be a good .... well wife... I guess.

....god this is awkward.

[ With that Ishtar's face flusters a bit before she cuts the feed. ]

[...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!

[There's a moment where you can see Luke, looking angry and about to cry, before his fist suddenly descents on the terminal screen, punching it as hard as he can. The view rattles angrily, and again when he plants his hands down on either side of the keyboard hard. His voice is high pitched as he struggles not to cry, but it's a futile effort, and it's not long after he starts speaking before he can't see the terminal because of the tears.]

Jason, you damn bastard!!! How could you make me do those things?! How could you make anyone do those things!? I killed my friends; I killed people I care about because of you! And then you made us tell you about everyone!? Betray everyone?! You... you...!

[He just can't anymore; he sinks down against the terminal, just barely in view as he curls his arms around him, sobbing so hard it feels like his chest is going to burst. It's a moment before he can say anything more, and when he does, it's barely more than a whimper.]

...I hate you... I hate all of you...

[ Greetings people of the tower, have the King of Evil who cursed the tower this month appear on the terminals, for the first time in over six months. He looks fairly neutral, with a very light smile. ]

So long as it been since I last posted here, and yet I see nothing changed. The same cycle has been repeating over and over again, both here and where we come from. Higher powers play with those they see as inferior... Cruel and pointless games meant to satisfy their own amusement. From the tortured crowds sometimes a voice arise, then many--

But at the first bone tossed their way, the mindless masses go back in rank behind the higher powers they chose to venerate as deities. At the first occasion to forget, they chose blissful ignorance. Yes... In the end, complacency reigns. People always return to their meaningless preoccupations and lose of sight what should matter most.

[ He pauses and shakes his head in disapproval before continuing. ]

Have voice even been heard in this tower? Many entertained -and without a doubt still do- the idea that following certain golden haired women would bring them what they longed for. Yet, nothing happened. All they did was replace a deplorable situation with another, build a false hope they could comfort themselves with. All they did was turn a blind eye on reality.

Not a voice arise to stand against the status quo. [A very short and deep chuckle.] How pathetic. Tell me, Tower of Animus, do you not believe time has come for you to awaken and bring about an end to this?

[Luke's curled up in front of the terminal, looking rather forlorn after the massive info dump that was just dropped on everyone, not to mention Dax's horrifying death. It takes him a moment for him to live his chin up from where it's wedged against his knees so he can speak clearly.]

So... I don't... really understand what's happened. But from what I've read and watched on the network... does this mean everyone that's died is... a replica?

[...he really doesn't know how to feel about that. On one hand, yay, even more people like him! On the other... that is so damn depressing.]

W-were we living when we were taken from our worlds, or was that our first 'death'? How is it even that they were able to bring any part of us here?

[He sulked back until his face was hiding behind his knees now.]

...I think all this gave us even more questions than answers...

I have two things to speak of today, starting with the one directed to the residents of this Tower as a whole.

[She holds up a striped billiard ball from the bar on the 88th Floor.]

I wish to learn to play this game. Who can teach me?

[She then idly rolls the ball in her fingers as she continues.]

As for the other matter, it is directed to those from my world or a variation of it where a specific war takes place involving magi. With Rider gone, his ridiculous idea of a conclave amongst us to discuss the War and those of us involved in it should also disappear.

Though I understand why the King of Conquerors wished for the gathering, it was folly to believe such a thing could ever happen and remain peaceful. There are worst fates than a death that does not take here. I know that there was one that had been planning to use Rider's conclave as means to gaining power with all gathered in one location. Had Rider carried his meeting out before his disappearance, I would have seen to neutralizing that threat.

Should another of you be foolish enough to pursue this idea, I will not and you will reap what you sow.

So we're letting creeps into the library now, huh. Nice.

I wouldn't think that setting these terminals up as some sort of monster-laden booby trap was really a clever idea. Blame the weird technical earlier on the mass of construction, sure. Bait them to have something crawl out of the shadows when you have your back turned to read a message? Not so much.

But hey, joke successful, I guess. I'm surprised. [And splattered with the blood of god-knows-what-that-was in an effort to rip himself out of the library, down the stairs and into the elevator. Details weren't exactly important right now.]

So, does this kind of trick happen a lot around here? Monsters braething down your neck, I mean.

[There's a slight pause before a second message is written up, a filter hastily applied.]

( FILTERED )

((OOC: MASSIVE EDIT because the mun apparently can't read dates, oops.))

[Luke's holding up that evening's dinner, making a face as he pulled a piece of candy out from his hamburger.]

...definitely a Ruana month. I hated candy after October, I really hate it now.

[He flicked the candy down the hallway.]

[Luke stared at the screen for a long moment, frowning, before he let out an annoyed noise. Amnon is on his lap, an equally confused look on his face.]

...sorry, guys. I don't know how to make these private yet.

[He paused a moment for a breath, before continuing.]

Hey, Yu-sensei? Can we talk real quick?

[There is one severely irate redhead at his dorm terminal tonight. Amnon is snuggled in his lap, but he's not paying much attention to him at the moment. He lifted up a paper, to show he had been awarded a free meal at the restaurant.]

[He's not thrilled.]

What the hell kind of consolation prize is this? You jerks turned me into a damn bobble head!

[He let out an irate noise, crumpling the coupon up and pegging the screen with it.]

[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.]

[Don't be alarmed, guys. That's not a zombie that's appeared on the network screens. That's just a very hungover Luke, looking like his head is just a few inches away from splitting wide open. He paused a moment, rubbing his eyes as he tried to focus, but light and sound were kind of being mean to him right now.]

[Just at the edge of the video view, Amnon can just barely be seen, the little pink cheagle pushing a cup of steaming coffee toward his master. He's letting out little "mieumieu" sounds, like he was going "heave ho!"]

...guys...

[Poor Luke sounds like he has sandpaper for a throat.]

...what happened last night...?

[And here would Luke be, trying to get used to this technology stuff. Of course, when you have a cheagle snuggling against the side of your face while you're trying to figure out what button does what, you're usually not very successful. He let out an annoyed noise, shoving the thing out of his face. The little pink cheagle dropped onto his lap, poking its head up so it could just be seen at the bottom of the screen.]

Uh... the scientists left me this thing, but I have no idea what its name is. There isn't anyone that can speak monster by any chance, is there?

[The cheagle jumped up, big ears waving as if it could fly.]

Mieu! Mieumieu Mieuuuuu~

[Luke tolerates that for all of two seconds before he dropped his fist down on its head.]

What'd I tell you about doing that?!

Mieuuuu...