[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

[cultfavorite]

Of course it doesn't . . . I'm sorry. I can hope he wasn't. But it doesn't change how it feels.

[lonesummit]

It doesn't. And, even if he wasn't, those are still people who I wish would not have died.

But we cannot rewrite the past.

[cultfavorite]

We just have to end this as best we can. Whatever that means for us.

[lonesummit]

O-of course.

[Still, it hurts so much. He feels like a landslide, clinging to the side of a mountain, nearly ready to crumble, and soon enough, he does.

All of the weight of the years and the losses finally chips away at him, and Zhongli barely even notices as he falls to his knees, a hand on a bar keeping him somewhat vertical.]

This can't last forever.

[cultfavorite]

[Saturn sinks down carefully next to him, curling an arm around his waist. Seeing even Zhongli like this . . . there really is no one among them who isn't crushed right now.]

Soon. Once this is over . . . it's going to be terrible, still, but we can take action. It'll be something more than this.

[lonesummit]

Right. This is not truly the end.

But... maybe right now, I need a break from foresight. Just a small one.

When the dust settles, we'll still do all we can.

[cultfavorite]

It's all right. Take a break as you need to. We need to conserve ourselves.

[lonesummit]

.... I am going to need a spa day when this is over, I think.

[Like. He's still incredibly distraught right now, but he knows he's going to be around later, and will need the relaxation.]

[cultfavorite]

I know what we ought to ask the box for once we're all through this.

[You know, that sounds like a fantastic idea. Yes, please, soak the woes away.]