[elevator] [cerberus]

[guillotineroom]

[ When you open your eyes again the first thing that you, and your teammates, may notice is that you are confined within an iron cage, rectangle in shape. Further inspection will reveal that outside of the cage is a large structure of sorts, reaching far above you. It kind of looks like an unfinished clock tower, really... there are spots that look finished and bolted tightly, and others that look like they had been left once and the work never thought of again.

Also, it's pretty chilly. You might get to notice that.

It's foggy and windy—the kind of wind that howls and roars, jostling your cage against the tall shaft, and every so often you feel as though you might have had the ghost of a raindrop on you. The tower-like build creaks horribly ominously in the wind, and you can see the rusted metals swaying slightly. But if you decide to look around...

Flapping above you (and not helping with the wind) is a harpy-like creature, iron chains wrapped around their talons. Though, maybe it's more like a lion? The chains are bolted to the top of your cage. There are also little indicators on the structure, the same distance apart, that seem to be declaring different levels or heights. They look horribly unhappy to be here, but they're also impressive at ignoring any call you might have for them.

There's a door to the cage, but it won't open, even if it's just a simple-looking locking mechanism. If you peer out, it's too foggy on the ground to make out very much, but you can make out nine other, tower-like structures with similarly flapping harpies. Each one, including your own, has an emblazoned emblem of every team's patron monster, so that you can see where everyone is—it's just difficult to make out exactly who may be in each one. Even more difficult to try and communicate like this.

Attached to the door is an aged metal panel with a screen and four buttons; two to choose between the team names that appear on the dark green and black screen, and two to choose whether you wish for that team to go up or down.

After a moment, a little speaker in the corner starts playing an incredibly bad quality version of this.]

Comments

DISCUSSION

[guillotineroom]

[cultfavorite]

[AS KRAKEN GOES UP . . . AND UP . . . he starts literally vibrating, clutching at the bars, and when they stop right before the top floor, he lets out a little wail and collapses until he's kneeling on the floor, still gripping on with his hands.]

Ahh—! Ahhhhh!

[moonlit_knight]

[Drops down and wraps their arms around him]

They - they stopped, they're still here.

[featherbeaned]

Saturn-!

[ Shuffles over as he collapses, hesitantly reaching out with her snoot to nuzzle against his shoulder ]

[messianic]

[ oh no no no no nooooooo ]

We-- we have to help them--!

[menphina]

Saturn... Saturn!!

[ She's going to grab him by the shoulders. ]

We can help... we should!

[fujimaru]

[ She doesn't say anything; she just kneels next to him, leaning her shoulder against his. ]

Re: DISCUSSION

[moonlit_knight]

What the fuck happened with Kraken?!

[messianic]

I don't--maybe... everyone thought that they should go for a middle team, and--

[ aaaa?????!?!? ]

Re: DISCUSSION

[featherbeaned]

Kraken??

Re: DISCUSSION

[moonlit_knight]

That's ridiculous - that's too much for one round!

[menphina]

I think we're all unanimous on who to lower, right? Even if we should... we should discuss it.

[menphina]

[ Her eyes widen in horror as she stares at the Kraken cage. ]

NO!! Why them?!!

[moonlit_knight]

It - has to be bad luck, right? People voting for a middling team to try and even out damage, if that's how people are thinking they might still have a chance.

Re: DISCUSSION

[peacetalks]

[aymeric is sucking in a breath sharply through his teeth as he watches both kraken and bugbear rise]

[menphina]

Aymeric...

[ She's already tense because of the cage but it's hard to be steely about this. ]

[messianic]

[ mood. Minato is just trying so, so, so hard to compartmentalize right now so he can be even remotely functional. ]

Kraken will--

They... but Basilisk, too, and Bugbear...

Re: DISCUSSION

[moonlit_knight]

If... If we're looking at the way everyone is voting, Bugbear being in the middle might be the safest position right now.

[eggstinction]

[relaxes for ONE SECOND when their cage descends, but then he's chattering in alarm as cages rise up past them

BARK BARK BARK]

[menphina]

[ Just trying to calm herself. And then- reaching for one of Moon's hands.

Making a small tweeting sound that he should recognize as her saying "Peace, my love." ]

[moonlit_knight]

[reaching for another one of his hands]

Nobody has hit the top. Bugbear still has a good chance.

TOUGH CHOICES

[moonlit_knight]

[Trying to take the lead before Saturn or Aymeric have to again, EVERYONE LISTEN TO SELENA]

We have to decide our strategy going forward. Right now, we have a choice to vote to lower Kraken, or stand by our alliance and lower Bugbear.

Kraken is obviously in the most immediate danger. It seems like most of the teams have been voting to minimise damage, but they drew the short straw and got three teams deeming them as 'safe'. If even one more team votes for them, they'll hit the top. But if we vote to lower them, and they lower themselves, they'll have a fighting chance.

However, we obviously have our agreement with Bugbear to prioritise them, and while they're currently in a safe position, any raises on them would put them in a risky place. Do we try and fight fires to keep Kraken from hitting the top, or do we try to keep Bugbear stable?

Additionally... there's a proposal for raising that none of you are going to like. But if we raise Basilisk, we can potentially take the heat off of Kraken if they survive. I know nobody wants to throw them to the wolves, but the other choices are voting for someone like Yatagarasu again or Tsuchigumo, and we all know our feelings on them. I know none of you would want to go for a plan so cruel, but it could give Kraken, Bugbear and Nymph the break they need. Could you all live with that?

[messianic]

[ .....................

compartmentalize, compartmentalize, compartmentalize--

okay no he's just sinking to the bottom of the cage and crouching there for a moment.

aaaaaaaaa. ]

Re: TOUGH CHOICES

[eggstinction]

[shakes his head, clenching his free hands together]

I will not raise Basilisk. I will not— cannot push a team to be the highest.

Re: DISCUSSION

[featherbeaned]

[ after all of the decisions are made, Unisonya speaks up ]

Whatever happens next, I'm gonna try to heal people. As many people as I can. But — I am just one dragon, so I was thinking …

Does anyone want a jar or two of dragon salve?