[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.

[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!

So. That month certainly happened. As usual I'll be the contrary fool who points out that leaping directly for Jason's throat was foolish and hastily conceived. I hope at least some of you understand that outright murdering the one person that makes our own deaths a minor inconvenience would be ill-advised at best. When next this opportunity presents itself, I advise that quick planning should lead to a less half-baked idea.

[Deadpan as ever (or perhaps even more so), Waver appeared today in much better shape than he had been the previous month, though for some reason he was currently lacking the usual sunglasses. If not for the frown set deeply on his face and disapproving tone, one might dare think he might have been in a good mood.]

Now that that's been said--and without touching upon specifics--I'd like to hear how everyone else is faring at the moment. [It would be stupid to outright say HEY GUYS HOW'D THE COLLAR EXPERIMENT GO FOR YOU ALL, so Waver elected to be vague.]

If anyone should care to answer that, I have quite a lot of work to do- [He idly held up a number of sheets of what appeared to be parchment, the topmost one having runic writing on it.] -so I will most likely be found on floor twenty-seven in a half hour or so. [And for the next few days without a break, probably.]

[There followed a short pause, after which the severity in the cold and British accented speech lessened slightly.]

...My disapproval of the methods aside, congratulations. Ill-advised or not, you did accomplish something. Don't allow yourselves to think this a failure.

[Losing Mami, who he viewed as an adopted daughter, last month had been hard, but Diarmuid had worked his way through his grief by focusing on the happy times they had spent together.  However, when three more people he is close to are sent home--two of which he cares for like his own children--those happy memories become a source of pain instead of a route passed the grief.

When he appears on the Network, Diarmuid looks more lost and empty than he has in a long time.]

Usually, when I address everyone, I am asking for help on a project that will benefit the whole Tower.  Today, I am asking for help on a more personal level.

How does one handle losing a child?  Not just one, but several over a short period of time?  Nothing I try seems to work, and I am...

[His voice trails off here, shaking and uncertain.  A short time later, the feed ends.]

( In our arms for a little while, in our hearts forever. )

What do you do when you wake up to realize that you're once again entirely alone?

A promise of change that never happens. In this place, of all places, I was almost happy again. I could have been happy again.

But then I woke up. And I was once again completely alone.

How do you go on from that? Is it even possible?

[Aleph looks remarkably pleased.]

So, does anyone know if their homes have non-religious marriages and wedding ceremonies? My girlfriend April - fiancee April now - proposed to me, and... well, we're both from post-apocalyptic worlds, hers doesn't have much in the way of traditions and mine had people who would gut you for trying to pervert a holy ceremony. I've never actually attended a wedding, either, so any help here would be nice.

Also nutrition bars are a terrible substitute for cake. At least I'm sure there's no connection between nutrition bars and Him.

I hope you all have a great day, Animus.

[There's an audible chime, like a cheery voicemail tone, from every terminal simultaneously, before text appears on the screen.]

Good afternoon, Tower of Animus. My name is The Observer. I've got a special message for you today, direct from one of our beloved administrators. Please read, listen to, and memorize this message, and reproduce it wherever you can!

( Cut for long but very important message. )

Wasn't that a special little message? Now, copy it down in your notes so you don't forget it! No matter whom you're allied with, be it Pandora, Ganondorf, your friends from home, or just yourself! There will be a test on this.

And the first section of the test is this - I want you to place at least one copy of this message somewhere in the tower. No points for hiding it! It has to be visible to everyone! In a few days I'll tell you all how you did, and I'll repeat this message for you lazy people who didn't see or hear this today.

That's all for now!

- The Observer

[All characters with mailboxes will find a copy of the message in their mail as of this evening.]

[Ryoji switches the feed on with a small smile. He has cheered up significantly after talking to a few people and making a few friends (or at least, people he thinks are friends). He still is nervous about what he has to say, but he tries not to let that show.]

Hi everyone. It's a little late, so I don't know if anyone is still around, but I couldn't wait any longer. So many things have happened lately... which is probably why I haven't had a chance to talk to you all, but...

[He swallows, then takes on a more serious tone. He's determined to help people, though he doesn't know that he's actually doing more harm than good.]

I was in a group of people who went down the elevator again earlier this month. We were looking for a control room and an exit from the tower. It was dangerous, and... most of us didn't make it out alive.

[He feels guilty, not because he was killed, but because others on that team did. He finds a lot of them strange and he isn't sure whether he can trust everyone, but he still blames himself for not being a better leader.

He shakes his head and continues on.]

The point is, I have information. If anyone wants to know anything, just ask.

[He doesn't have any idea that he received this information through working with a group led by the one man who likely caused the most trouble in the tower this month. He may need a bit of enlightening about that.]

Greetings.

[ As is usual for Data, his message is simultaneously sent in both video and text formats. ]

There has been a weeding recently and in one week is an event known as "Saint Valentine's Day", a holiday associated with romantic love. It is an occasion in which lovers express their love for each other in a special manner, most often depending on their culture and past.

But what is love? How would you define that feeling? I have been told about love before, but it is a most... complicated emotion and no explanation I have heard truly conveyed an understanding of the feeling.

This is not a good way to go about waking up after a crazy night.

[Dante was perched in his new bed rubbing his head and trying to make sense of the letter that had been left beside him. He gave himself a glance and just groaned: tight white body suits just weren't very fitting. I mean, look at his junk! It doesn't leave much for the imagination... not that he cared.]

All right, guys. Very funny. Is this supposed to be a joke because I totally fell for it. My head hurts, I feel a little woozy, and this jumpsuit is cutting all circulation to where I really need it. Who the hell even picked this out? Why did you choose white? It's going to give someone a rash, you can't walk with this thing on...

[He mumbled a few more things before lunging a few times in the suit. Yep. All that squeaky sure was funny.]

So let me guess, was I drunk and that's why you bastards decided to drag me here? I better be wearing something underneath this suit. You don't touch another man's junk unless you're going to go all the way with him...

[The young man on the screen has seen better days. Other than looking like he ended up on the wrong side of a curb stomp, that's more believable than what actually happened. It was his "first", after all. Sweat slowly beads down his face. The normally pristine, stark white hair of his was little more than an orderly mess. While this didn't make him unattractive, it nonetheless signaled that something was off. Very off.]

[His voice, unmoved by his current state, is a far departure from expectation.]

My name...Is Allen Walker. I know you've already met me, but it was under the worst possible circumstance.

( Story and Apology )
( Closing, a face with no tears )

[Hazy though the reception may be, a pair of dark, deep brown eyes pierce the veil of the deliberately bad reception.]


Attention, denizens of the tower Animus. I am Doctor VIctor von Doom.

( Click for hammy speech )

Subtlety's not my strong suit.

What do you think of God? The gods, if you have more than one.

[Answers will come from this account, belzebul, or demonfly.]

[Nanaya's gotten into a few fights since getting here. Obviously. However, though he very much appreciates getting do-overs if he finds a battle unsatisfying, he has to admit it also takes some of the fun out of it. It reminds him all too much of the time he left the world of the living. No fun in killing those who have passed away. No will to live in them. Though he still very much prefers going out and having his own kind of fun than genuinely interacting with the tower's other residents, even Nanaya can have a taste for variety now and then.]

Death's a funny thing. Every moment of fear and anxiety anyone has ever gone through is rooted, if not directly caused, by it. Every time you turn on the lights at night, and every time you decide to close your eyes and ignore something to live just another day, that's your thanatophobia at work.

[Subtle. Not like it's the first thing any blatant psychopath says in the comm. Then again, Nanaya doesn't much care about what people know or don't know about him here.]

If that really forms such a large part of us, then couldn't you say we're effectively half of our own selves just by being unable to be truly killed? How you round it up is your own business, but that's almost like not living at all.

Aa... Although, if you're going to consider yourself dead already, then you might as well consider this some sort of hell while you're at it.

[That made all kinds of nonsense, but as always, Nanaya's much more interested in the poetic beauty of the situation, rather than the actual facts. Worth noting, though, that this isn't some attempt at standing out or intimidating others. Nanaya's genuinely intrigued, and very much interested in what others have to say.]

 I trust everyone has recovered from their illness. In any event, I wanted to propose an idea I I share, one that originated back in the facility:

An educational system, or a school if you will. While there are lessons on fighting by others and training your body, I believe there needs to be a system to help balance the mind, and hopefully, make those not comfortable with each other slowly ease into that state. It is a flawed idea to be sure, but nothing in any world is perfect. Not even the tower moderators.

For those that wish to join, you can find me in the library or the kitchen most often, or simply reply here. Classes aren't mandatory, but are recommended. After all, there are many children here being deprived of some education.

[Would you rather have death on the mind, kids?]

And, to those I attacked while I was hallucinating under the effects of the disease: I am sorry.