May the odds...

[justabignobody]

Characters: Minglelog for anyone not involved in the event
Setting: During the first part of the event, in the media room or near any terminal
Format: Whatever!
Summary: As Ruana's chosen dogs set out to hunt and/or run, the rest of the tower watches.
Warnings: very possibly mentions of violence and character death? Will update as needed!

[Sometimes in the morning, strange events start to be broadcasted to the screens of the media room and the terminal, showing familiar faces, though some maybe in not quite so familiar get-ups. Looks like Ruana's game is just about to start!]

Comments

Floor 3 | Morning of the 16th

[justabignobody]

[Riku can still feel the exhaustion from the begin from the month, the instability to his powers, but at least he's reached the point where he doesn't have to be as overly careful as he's been over the past two weeks whenever he's dared to leave his room.

Like every morning, he sits down at a terminal in the library to check for new posts and messages after breakfast, and frowns in confusion at the feed that's being shown. Except... the setting does seem slightly familiar and he curses softly under his breath as he watches flickers from the labyrinth, showing people he is some more, some less familiar with.]

[provenworth]

[Elena has been watching as well in bits and pieces, flickering between the various individuals involved. Sometimes watching one or two in particular. Normally she watches on her own and in private, however she felt the need to get out - get coffee - and find a place more comfortable.

The sight of Riku watching earns a little lift of her eyebrows and she's crossing the room to stand just slightly behind and to the right of him.]

...You sure you should be watching?

Media Room // morning of the 16th

[slightlyoblivious]

[The minute Yukiko had gotten to a terminal that morning, to check the network, she'd seen Ruana's little game start. The first thing she'd done had been running to her friends' rooms, hoping that it was all just a sick joke, but that hadn't been the case.

She had gone on a tear through the Tower after that - as much as she could, given the three blips into the void and two times where she'd had to rest given the exhaustion from last month's experiment - trying to find where everyone was. If she could find them, she could get them out, maybe, but it was no use.

In the end, she winds up on one of the couches in the media room, hugging a pillow to her chest. Yukiko doesn't particularly want to watch things, but she feels like she has to. If there's some clue, any clue, as to where they actually are, she wants to find it.]

[sarcasmancer]

[Jade counts himself fortunate that he hadn't been chosen for this particular game. Checking a terminal had alerted him of what was going on, and while he hadn't gone checking for the people he'd known, he had met the news with a frown.

He had no reason to believe that this was a joke or a fake-out. It would be far crueler for it to be real, and this is a Ruana month, ergo it must be real.

When he arrives at the media room with a hot drink from the cafeteria, steaming in a thermal mug, he spots Yukiko looking quite distressed as she hugs a pillow to her chest. It's not hard to figure out why; Jade had spotted Ryoji among the crowd. He approaches her, expression appropriately grave, and offers the untouched drink to her.]

Pardon me, Yukiko. You look like you could use this more than I could.

[After all, Jade knows several of the victims, but he isn't nearly so attached to them by comparison, and the tiredness and blip out of reality he'd had to deal with to make that detour aside, he didn't want that drink so badly that he can't sacrifice it to express some consideration for the young woman.]

media room, late morning of the 16th

[glassceiling]

[Of course Assassin would end up here. She had caught sight of Claudia among the hunters from the terminals. An hour or so had been spent searching the floors fruitlessly for the labyrinth, so finally she retreated to the media room to watch the chaos unfold. Unlike how she usually stayed to the side of the room, now she shoves her way to the front, without so much as sparing an apology for anyone she shoves aside.]

[As she looks up at the screen, she feels slightly relieved that Claudia has Kirei by her. Though they are not married, Kirei is her ally. She hopes that he will keep Claudia safe.]

[provenworth]

....Ah, its you again.

[Standing several feet behind the seated figure, Elena had taken a few moments in quiet to see if the woman looked familiar. Which was hard given the cloak and hood.]

Anybody you know in there?

Floor 14 | Media Room | Midday on the 16th

[megazero_to_superhero]

[David isn't usually the type to swear. He's a lot more mild about his choice of language.]

[This? Is not one of those times.]

Dammit!

[That bang that accompanied his outburst would be his fist hitting the wall next to a terminal. It's not actually that hard of a punch given that he's still suffering from power donation fatigue, and his powered armor's systems are still not working like they should.]

[Regardless, he is furious. Again, he's on the sidelines and has to watch while the admins have their way with the people of the Tower. He hadn't even been aware something was amiss until he noticed the people gathered here at the Media Room!]

[And yet, he realizes ... there's probably nothing he could do to help anybody if he were chosen to go participate in that blood sport. Especially not in his condition.]

[David continues to glower at the terminal, anger and disgust all over his face—though there's something else in his expression, too. As if he were in deep thought.]

[midgarhorizon]

[Reno had been passing the media room when he heard the curse, and stopped to poke a nose in.

That's a familiar face. Stepping farther in, Reno walked over to David and touched his shoulder.]

Relax. The labyrinth isn't anything new.

Media Room - midday 16th to event end

[bashfulshifter]

[As disconnected from general Tower events as Rick is--goodness, he's hardly made it to his own room for the past two weeks, let alone his job in the morgue, or at a level where he can read a terminal. But once he does finally realize that the Tower seems oddly quiet, and he tracks scents to the media floor--sees the screens where everyone else is gathered--the full gravity of the situation hits him quite hard.]

[...And there's that crippling sense of uselessness, again...]

[Rick may or may not be human when he makes his rounds of the floor, checking to see who else has made it and reassuring them as best he can, however he can. Those times, however, are few and far between; mostly he'll be on (or by) one of the couches, curled up in blankets with weary eyes glued to a screen, looking for people he recognizes and hoping, fervently enough that it makes him feel sick, that they make it out okay.]

[...Even though he knows they won't.]

[provenworth]

[Elena, too, has been carefully watching the progress of the people trapped within the game. She's also been mindful to try and be positive support to those who had those they knew or cared for within it, despite the knowledge shared by all that there would be no positive ending.

Finding Rick watching was off-putting, earning a little frown. For a man who was so easily frightened, she would think he would want to avoid watching. Coming up behind the couch, Elena reached down and put a hand lightly on his shoulder.]

....Has there been any changes?

[myblueskies]

[Romeo was running around trying to make sure everyone was okay. He couldn't do anything for those stuck in Ruana's game, and that made him feel sad and helpless but he could do things for those who were scared and sad out here.

Like Patrick, who Romeo spotted on the couch and ran over to.] Sir! Are you okay? Do you need anything? You probably shouldn't watch it, even if that feels mean because miss Ruana only put it on there to make us all feel sad.

Media Room - The 16th, Afternoon

[sarcasmancer]

Jade's powers have been largely non-functional since he came back from volunteer duty last month. This is better than what it could be; he knows of others whose powers have gone out of control or fire when unbidden. Between having no powers and having powers but no control over them, he would take no powers in a heartbeat. He's also slipped in and out of reality for bits and pieces of the day, bringing him closer to the monster-ridden night. This, too, is better than it could be; after all, he's not one of the chosen to participate in tasteless blood sport.

Which is why he watches unsmiling from where he sits in a clutch of beanbag chairs in the corner of the media room, away from most of the others, with hands folded under his chin. It's an almost ridiculous sight, but Jade has not the slightest bit of self-consciousness about it. Because he's more fortunate than most, he should watch at least some of it... even if he doesn't put very high odds on the survival of the prey. Still, many of the hunters have exhibited reluctance to follow through; the odds aren't zero. The question is what will change as time grinds ever-onwards.

Media Room/Meadow- 16th til event end

[floreatnoctem]

[Media room]

[On the sixteenth, her customary morning scan for Ken has Chidori scrambling for the nearest terminal, and then toward the media room, her expression impassive save for the way her eyes are wide- focused with almost frightening intensity on the screen.

She knows the maze well. She remembers what happened there.

And immediately, she has to tamp down the flames that begin to wreathe themselves into her hair.

She is almost immobile as she watches from then on, no matter the time of day she's there. Her eyes stay locked on Ken, fingers working of their own volition on small pieces of paper, folding or tearing them in slight, jerky, nervous motions.

If anything happens to him, she doesn't know what she'll do.]


[Meadow]

[When she isn't in the media room, she's settled in the meadow, eyes closed, scanning the tower as best she can and- more often than not- trying to communicate with Ken in the Maze to reassure him, keep him company. She sits immobile during this, almost statuelike as she pushes herself to the point of exhaustion to try and make sure her brother doesn't give up.

Her attention may be divided if you run across her here- but she's more than capable of multitasking... provided she has a good enough reason to.]

Media room

[warriorscribe]

*Enoch can't sit still, either. His fingers toy with a bracelet - a hospital bracelet - on his wrist. His was a blessing, a gift, a reward for his sympathy. Or an acknowledgment of well-wishes. Proof Ruana could feel gratitude? Or understood he was speaking of real problems? He had no way of knowing, it hadn't come with a note.

But his was a gift. To them, she had given a curse. The movements of someone near him catch his eye and he looks up at her as if trying to both say I understand and what can we do. His own attempts at taking action had already been thwarted and he knew he'd have as much luck getting down there as he would falling off a cliff back home - that is, it would never happen.*

It's terrible...

In the void; semi-closed to participants of Recharge

[sageprincess]

[From the residential portion of the Tower, the events within the labyrinth can seem so far away, especially when all one can do is watch and pray for the well being of one's friends and loved ones.

However, there is one place where prey (or hunter) and spectator can meet...

Should those that sacrificed their energy last month be particularly lucky, they might just blink into the empty void as one of the unfortunate souls designated as prey inhabits it. Though it's entirely likely Zelda's going to be asleep (the labyrinth isn't exactly the safest place to catch a few winks), it may just be worth waking her up in order take advantage of the rare opportunity to speak with someone trapped in the maze.]

And I took forever to get to this...

[warriorscribe]

*Enoch often uses void time to sleep, as well, though he's becoming less and less exhausted and less in need of it. It's almost a curse, since drifting here was so much easier to ignore when he could simply doze off...

Someone drifting into him gets his attention as he's about to fall asleep for nothing more than lack of stimulation, and he reaches up to steady the other person without thinking.

He realizes it's one of the ones from the game. It's Zelda. He's had the terminal tuned to her the whole time. Well, when he isn't craving the comfort in numbers and heading down to the media room instead.*

...How I wish I could take you back to where I came here from, rather than where you were.

[megazero_to_superhero]

[At a different point in time from when Enoch encountered Zelda, David winds up in the void himself. Not for the first time, but no more welcome than before.]

[He trudges aimlessly through the void, chomping on his cigar and fuming to himself over the whole situation. As if being sapped of what powers he had weren't enough, he kept popping back into this void every now and then, and—]

[—wait. Who is that? David hadn't yet run into anyone else here in the Void. ... Huh, she looks a little familiar. Wasn't she there when they volunteered to donate power? And—that's right, she's one of the ones trapped in that blood sport arena!]

[David hurriedly makes his way over to the woman.]

Hey—hey!

Media room, 16th at first and then through the week, sometimes terminals

[warriorscribe]

A

*With the game begun, Enoch drifts towards the company of other people, and that means the media room. He watches as the people scatter through the maze, watches as people he knows, people he respects, set out to kill their friends.

He plays with the hospital bracelet reading "011" on his wrist. He feels bad for Ruana. For her madness. For the pain she had been through.

But he'd never let a thing like that stand in his way before. This tower is vile but not vile.*

We must find them...we must...

*With that, seemingly out of nowhere, he's up and heading for the stairs. Someone should probably stop him. He's in no condition.*

B

*After that little incident, Enoch can be found watching among whoever has gathered in the media room, almost never without someone he knows at his side to ensure he doesn't try to run off again. If it's a member of his "family", he may be holding on to them as they watch.

Either way, he looks just as many of the others do. He feels he must do something, he must act but he can't...*

C

*Or maybe he's not with the company of a group. Maybe it's just him and whoever wants to watch over his shoulder as he keeps the dorm floor terminal trained on Zelda, occasionally flicking between her and the children in the game. Ken, Sealand, Quark...back to Zelda. He's worried for his partner in crime as it were, and knows she and the girl with her were in the machine too, they had a disadvantage...*

C

[provenworth]

[Elena is one of those people who wants to watch what was going on in the game. To keep tabs on those who were surviving and who had not. Especially for those who she knew, the small handful that that was.

Coming up behind Enoch, Elena made a little noise to let him know she was there, her hands clasping loosely behind her back.]

...Do you mind if I join you?

A

[crouching_sin]

[Naoya stands, a little unsteady, and walks over to grab Enoch to try to sit him down.]

Stop moving so much. You're not well.

[He's not either, but that's beside the point.]

Media room 18th

[culbutiri]

Nesir didn't spend all her time watching Ruana's game, but she did sometimes check it. Not that she cared about most the people in there but Sephiroth was there and she wanted to know how he was doing.

She watched for a few moments as the screen flicked from person to person, all wearing the strange gowns, then she looked around at the others, taking in their faces and how they were reacting to everything. She resisted the urge to roll her eyes.

[kindofademon]

"Shame no popcorn on the menu, huh?"

The guy sitting down next to Nesir didn't seem to be worrying much, either.

17th media room

[undroppedeaves]

[Sam didn't usually use the network but the amount of people watching had drawn him to it, and he had been shocked by what he saw. Worse, he knew a few of those who were being hunted. Zelda for one and miss Tetra, who was brave and resilient and deserved a lot better than this.] Is there naught we can do? [Asking the room in general]

[megazero_to_superhero]

Been tryin' to think of somethin'.

[Have one bitter superhero glancing over your shoulder at the terminal and glowering at the screen.]

We got any idea where dey're bein' held?

16th-20th, media room/void/various

[ambassadorasshat]

[Media room]

[Luke can be found practically glued to a seat in front of one of the televisions in the media room. Sometimes with food, sometimes without, but usually curled up in a makeshift cloak/blanket. Also usually focused intently on the screen so not to miss too much.]

[Various]

[He's not always in the media room, as he has to eat. Sleep too, but that's what naps are for. If you want to catch him outside of that floor, he'll be on the stairs or in the cafeteria.]

[Void]

[And sometimes, he'll disappear into the void randomly. Anyone who ends up in there with him will have a mildly grouchy redhead for company for a while.]

The 16th and onward, around the media room and terminals

[fragileprophet]

[For the first few days of the game, Ion can be found watching mostly from various terminals around the Tower--most notably the ones on the first floor dormitory. He's been shaken, unable to tear his thoughts away from the bear that he found and what he did to it on the forty-third floor. It's been difficult to stomach what he's done and how he's felt, and doesn't necessarily want to be seen in yet another set of clothes so bloodstained they're hardly recognizable.

Sometimes, he still imagined he hadn't washed it all out of his hair, or from his hands. Ion's jumpy and distracted, unlike himself. Even watching those trapped in the labyrinth with characteristic concern, he seems to watch with a heavy heart.

What part in this has he played, he wonders.

He'll still occasionally dare to make his way toward the 14th floor, but lingers primarily outside of it. When Ion goes in, he's less social than normal, remaining close to the door and keeping primarily to himself as he watches the screen. He can he found here on this floor more and more often as the week draws on and he becomes more composed.]

[warriorscribe]

*Enoch normally watches in the media room, though with a quick check on the terminals every so often to make sure everyone is still alive. It is at one of these checks he finds Ion.*

...It's terrible, isn't it?

*He's wanted to go help them, but if he doesn't let Naoya's words stop him, Lucifel's teleporting will.*

All days | Any terminal/media room

[lethechained]

[It's an awful thing to watch.]

[Still - she feels obligated, somehow, to try to keep an eye on things. There isn't anything she can do, isn't anything she can change, but still she waits and she watches and she dreads.]

[It's not constant; there are times, of course, when she cannot help but turn away, keep her eyes shut or averted or even shift away entirely. Otherwise, she is usually in large part motionless, quiet but anxious in her own way.]

hope this is alright!

[derping]

[It's awful to watch, and Sora doesn't want to watch it. But he has just about the same problem as Namine - he feels like he has to, at least some of the time. Like if he doesn't, some opportunity to do something will come by and he'll miss it, even though he dreads the idea of it not.

Still, he's there for now, at least. He hasn't seen Namine in awhile - he was worried, actually, that she might have been gone, but the tower is so big that they were probably just missing each other. He smiles at her - he's happy to see her, at least, even if they aren't there for anything good.]

Mind if I sit here for awhile?