[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.))

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.]

It's my birthday today. I'm two years old.

There's not many supplies, so I was wondering how other people celebrate things here? It's hard to make any day different from the others.

If you want, you can come by at dinner and have some cake with me. It'll have to be carrot cake, that's all we've got.

[For anyone looking at the network today, they would see a little girl with strange green hair wearing and orange knitted scarf and a pair of knitted green gloves, even though it wasn't really cold out. There was a reason for this, and the girl started chirping, waving her hands in front of the camera so that everyone could see the gloves.]

Good morning! Yotsuba got these things in the mail today, but I dunno who sent them! I don't know if you're a good person, but thank you! Zett said a lot of people use the..ter..termanals, so I hope you'll see this! Thank you a whole lot! Can you tell me what they are though?! Yotsuba doesn't know!

[And with that, the feed would click off. The girl would be watching for any replies though.]

Hello, tower! The Principality of Sealand here, smallest nation in the world! I hope everyone is okay! I have a few things I was wondering about and I'd be grateful if you could help me at all.

The first thing is about weapons! Does anybody have a spare sword? One that'd be a good size for me? See, my friend Aleph said he'll teach me to sword fight, but I'll need a sword that's my size first. Me and Aleph tried to get one from an Orc monster, but it... didn't work out very good. Um. [Aleph died, but Sealand doesn't really want to talk about that.] So, we're still looking, and would appreciate any spares on offer! If not, does anyone know anything about making swords? Like, uh-- blacksmith stuff. I'll be at the workshop later, if anyone would be willing to help! I'd really appreciate it a lot!

Ah, and thing number two! Does anyone here play football? Wouldn't it be really cool to have a football team here?! I think we should make one. Sealand has a really great football team, so I'm practically an expert at it. I think it could be good fun!

Okay, that's all! Thank you for listening.


( Action option - Workshop )

[Tetra's sitting at a terminal, playing a few notes on her recently acquired Spirit Flute before looking at the screen.]

So, um... It's a Ruana month. And she can be pretty awful sometimes.

[A lot of the time but Tetra's not saying that where Ruana, Jason or Riki could hear.]

There's really no way to get ready for anything that happens here so just everyone should be careful, okay?

[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. )

[ Sealand’s face can be seen, very close to the screen, his expression bewildered yet somewhat excited. He's on the terminal closest to room 1-20, and he might seem familiar to anyone in the tower who knows England. The only real differences between the two are his somewhat tamer hair, his blue eyes, and the fact that he looks no older than twelve years old.

Oh and guess who totally hasn't read either of those important letters by his bed yet? Who needs to read when it's finally his birthday. He's pretty proud of himself for having figured out how to use the terminal without any help. Technology can help him out here! ]

Hellooooo?!

This is the weirdest birthday surprise I’ve ever had and I don’t know if I like it yet. It’s for a party, uh, right? A surprise party? …Here, for me? This is a strange place for a party, but it’s okay, there must be some reason for it!

I bet my dad organised it! Is he here? And Fin and Wy and everybody? Is this like a game? Is there a cake?! And why did you change me into this suit thing? It's weird.

Anyway, I’m forty-six years old now, you know, I'm practically ancient and more than ready for true nationhood! I hope I have lots of presents and you’ll all take the opportunity to realise how much I’ve grown!

Oh, also, I think this computer’s broken. I can’t find the internet link and I need to get on facebook! I should have lots of birthday messages!