The whole Tower went a brilliant, blinding white. Then it went black, and there was nothing. Surely this is it--something's gone wrong, something's failed, it didn't work, everyone is dead, or maybe worse--

And then light filters back in--it lights only the various residents of the Tower. No matter where in the Tower they were before this happened, they are all together again now. It appears that they are in a void, but after a few moments, as if their eyes are adjusting to it, more things become visible: the machine that may be their salvation is here. Ruana, with a visible pulse of energy encircling her, is here, but appears colorless and frozen. Aria is here.

Zo is here. And he speaks. "I can't hold her forever. We have to act now. I want to save you all, so I'll do my best. Just tell me, okay?

What do you want me to do?"

Characters: open to those staying in the machine room
Setting: machine room
Format: any
Summary: The time has come to make decisions about what will happen after everything is over.
Warnings: psychological horror (eventually)

Characters: open to those who want to fight Ruana
Setting: the lower administrative levels
Format: action, please!
Summary: It's time to take control of the Tower.
Warnings: physical and psychological horror, violence

When everyone is assembled, Zo opens up a portal--rather, he rips into space violently, as if doing anything less will cause it to snap back shut again. The way the portal quivers and shakes at the edges, it really might. He'll hurry everyone through--and they'll all step into a bedroom. The bed in the center is decorated in pink, with a large canopy and curtains surrounding the bed itself. The curtains are closed. It's silent, but the pressure is so thick in the air it's a living thing all its own. It's completely silent.

Characters: open
Setting: travelling through dead worlds
Format: any
Summary: The power has gone out, but a portal opens. Maybe all is not lost if you can gather up those who are missing...
Warnings: general animus endgame warnings

Characters: open to those trapped in cells
Setting: the cells
Format: any
Summary: Those left abandoned in the Tower have some time to speak to each other. In the middle of the room, a clock counts down...
Warnings: general animus endgame warnings

Characters: open
Setting: floor 101/hidden floor; June 2
Format: action brackets, please
Summary: Something arrives.
Warnings: psychological horror, physical horror, violence

[The thing arrives on the twenty-third floor where no one is around to see it. But even if there was anyone except the retrieval units there, they would hardly have a chance to spot a single shadow, as the Tower pushes around and caresses the thing, hiding it away. The Tower ripples, then, and delivers the thing up and up, skipping floor after floor.

Floor one-hundred and one goes dark, and the glamour fails entirely. There's a thing lurking about in the darkness, approaching the way to the hidden floor. It can't be seen in this gloom, but it can be heard taking heavy, laden footsteps.]

Characters: open
Setting: all around the Tower from the 25th of May to the 1st of June
Format: any
Summary: A general mingle for all characters throughout the Tower.
Warnings: Standard Animus warnings; please note anything specific in the subject headers of your threads

[The Tower is stagnant, the only signs of activity confined to the second block. There isn't much time left; it might be a good idea to rest and do whatever strikes your fancy before the timer hits zero.]

Characters: Aria, Zo, open
Setting: floor 001 for now
Format: action brackets
Summary: Aria and Zo reappear quite suddenly.
Warnings: standard animus event warnings

Aria and Zo tumble out of the elevator more than they step out of it. They look worse for wear; Zo's covered in minor scrapes and bruises, and Aria'a left arm hangs at her side uselessly, bloody and mangled. As soon as they're on solid ground, Zo turns and forces the elevator doors shut without touching them, leaving the broken car lodged in place behind it, and Aria slides to the floor, gasping for breath. They're both on high alert even for all their exhaustion.

SPEAK TO ARIA
SPEAK TO ZO
ESCAPE
-FLOOR EIGHT

Characters: Suzaku Kururugi and Diarmuid Ua Duibhne and potentially Waver if he is around
Setting: Diarmuid's room, mid afternoon
Format: Either
Summary: Suzaku returns, finds out about Rolo and Lelouch's disappearance and then goes to find Diarmuid
Warnings:

( Reporting in )

Characters: Romeo
Setting: Dorm halls and rooms and then hidden floor
Format: Either
Summary: Romeo returns from a long stint on his dead world, to find that a close friend is gone, he goes looking for people. He then goes into a frenzy to finish his book and lets people know it is done
Warnings:

( Looking for answers )

( The Hero Book )

( Stalking Gamzee )

Characters: Xion, her close CR (for some prompts), and (for others) everyone.
Setting: Closed - wherever you guys prefer, Open - Graveyard Floor, Beach Floor, Hidden Floor, and anywhere
Format: At this point you guys know I don't care, whatever you prefer
Summary: The events of Ex Machina helped Xion make a very very important decision. All that's left is to talk to people about it and prepare for what might happen
Warnings: Nothing right now? Will add if something comes up

========================

( The future doesn't scare me at all )

========================

( Nothing's like before )

Characters: Everyone.
Setting: Anywhere.
Format: Party style.
Summary: Post-Ex Machina catch-all mingle.
Warnings: See individual threads.

[After a long, drawn out battle, the infiltration team returns to the residential portion of the Tower, weary, battered... but victorious. Some catching up is in order.]

Characters: Enoch and anyone who would like to join him
Setting: May 1st, floor 101
Format: I'm starting in prose but feel free to do whatever. Threadjacking encouraged!
Summary: Enoch still has wine left, thanks to Riki's efforts to win their trust. What better way to get rid of it than to drink to the memory of Dax and their future?
Warnings: Nothing as of yet.

( Don't need your gifts, your chains of seeming kindness )

Characters: TEAM 'POKE STUFF WITH A STICK AND SEE WHAT HAPPENS' (which is still open to anyone topside!)
Setting: starting at Floor 56, extending to the other terribad floors (16, 26, 43, 44, 59)
Format: starting in prose, either is fine in comments!
Summary: The exhaustion effects are worse on certain floors, so time to get our investigating on.
Warnings: Standard Tower warnings apply (psychological horror, possible physical horror, I'll edit this if worse comes up)

It wasn't a bad plan. 'Look for something that doesn't belong and see if it's on the other bad floors, and if it's there, we'll figure it out'. It was simple.

That, of course, meant things couldn't possibly go easily, Feferi thought as she made her way down the stairs. Still, she remained optimistic as she approached the entrance to floor 56.

"All right. Let's do this."

She tightened the grip on her trident. The monsters might have been gone, but who knew what else might be lurking? Better to be ready for anything.

[OOC: Now with shiny chip searching and EMP team threads!]

Characters: Waver, Marty, anyone else that stayed topside
Setting: Hidden Floor
Format: Any
Summary: Let's figure out that exhaustion thing!
Warnings: TBA

[The Hidden floor is probably the safest place in the Tower right now, but "safe" is relative when everybody is starting to feel the effects of the new threat.

The infiltration team has a dangerous job, but how well can those who stayed behind prepare for the aftermath when they have their own crisis to deal with?]

[This is a mingly log! Feel free to post your own subthread!]

Characters: Riki and the infiltration team
Setting: administrative levels
Format: any
Summary: Riki's efforts must be sabotaged. Stealth is the name of the game and time is of the essence.
Warnings: psychological horror

Though the chipped unit does not follow, he sees to it that the team advances the rest of the way. At the end of the lit corridor is a set of double doors, heavy-duty polished metal with small windows set into each one.

Through the windows, a massive machine is visible, connected to thousands of holographic screens that are hard to make out at the speed at which they're being manipulated. The machine sits in the center of the room and is networked to four elaborate terminals stationed along the walls via a complex tangle of panels, wires, and towers. Each of these terminals controls its own set of floating screens; the sheer amount of holographic monitors in the room is disorienting, and really, it's hard to tell what's connected to what.

In the chair in the middle of the enormous set-up is Riki, maneuvering all of the screens with the same ease with which most people breathe. His back is to the doors that lead into the room, and for the moment, he is utterly engrossed in his work.

Characters: MM!Link and YOU
Setting: Room 1-12, then the Cafeteria
Format: I'll match you!
Summary: A familiar start to the story: the hero wakes up. But... Wait, he's done this before. Hasn't he? How long has he been out? Link is up and on his feet and looking for answers. Also? Oatmeal.
Warnings: None thus far, but BACKDATED to the start of the month, 'cause I'm a loser.

( welcome back )

Characters: [OU] Xion, Excalibur, and whoever comes
Setting: Floor 101
Format: Whatever floats your boat
Summary: It's the night before the infiltration. People are plotting, discussing, and Xion has brought a Dream Eater so those who want to try to get a good night's sleep have a marginally higher chance of doing so. So in short it's a Tower-flavored sleepover. Bring your own pillows.
Warnings: Nothing in the top level. Will try to edit if anything changes but if something comes up in one of your threads make sure to add a warning in the subject line

======================

[Standard mingle post procedure. Make your top levels. Tag around. Have fun. Or not, this is Animus after all.

Notes will have been passed out and quiet discussion gone around by word of mouth, just saying that several people were spending the night in the hidden floor. Anybody who spoke to Xion would have been told that she's trying to figure out a way everybody can get a good night's sleep. You'll need to supply your own blankets and pillows but... hey, at least if you have trouble sleeping, you'll have company?

Note that any characters who sleep on the Hidden Floor, if they normally suffer from nightmares will likely have notably lessened or absent nightmares (up to your discretion) owing to the Dream Eater that Xion has brought with.]

Characters: [OU]Dave Strider and Open to anyone
Setting: Room 2-14, Cafeteria, Graveyard
Format: Either
Summary: Dave is back. Back again. Gdi.
Warnings: Language mostly

( And I won't get better )

Characters: Sora, Xion, Riku; possibly others if more people ask for a final thread with him.
Setting: Various, all threads set before the 8th.
Format: anything
Summary: Catchall for last threads with Sora for people who wanted those.
Warnings: Probably nothing.

( I'm still no better at cut text than I was when I got here )