Locked Rooms (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
guillotineroom) wrote2022-11-01 10:48 pm
guillotineroom) wrote2022-11-01 10:48 pm
[elevator] [cerberus]
[ 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.]
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.]
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[ Sometimes you have to say the quiet part aloud. Though she considers for a moment. ]
...it's not that I actually want to die, even if it's only temporary here... but I hate the idea of contributing to someone else being hurt.
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The very first task we had like this here... Cerberus almost chose ourselves to throw the game. The only reason we didn't was because Bugbear volunteered.
... I don't think anyone would argue with you. I guess... that's why we're not allowed to.
[ not emotionally heart-wrenching enough. ]
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But I guess she accounted for that. She wants it to be unpleasant, not a self-sacrifice.
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But since we don't have that option, our second-best choice is protecting as many people as we can, right?
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[ if they can see how far everyone raised and lowered... ]
This round... we just have to make sure not to pick the same team everyone else is to raise, right? Then we can re-strategize when everyone is still safe.
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Especially not for something as important as this.
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[ for a moment, his calm gives way to quiet frustration. ]
And all of these half-measures of trying to protect as many people as we can... it never feels like enough in the end.
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[ She hesitates for a second, then reaches to take both of his hands in hers, squeezing. ]
Maybe it's not enough to stop it... but it's enough to help. It's enough to change things, a little at a time.