[elevator] [kraken]

[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

[fanstheflames]

... Okay, Rupert, try... um. Projecting from the diaphragm! Maybe it couldn't hear you! Want me to do it?

[heartlands]

Let's do it together! Twice the chance it'll listen, right?

[fanstheflames]

Okay! On, three!

[ and-- ]

HEEEEEEEEEEY!!!! BIG KIDNAPPING BIRD THINGY!!

[heartlands]

WE'D REALLY APPRECIATE IT IF YOU WOULD LET US AND ALSO EVERYBODY ELSE GO!!!

[fanstheflames]

[ The harpy does not give a shit apparently, and Tsuruno grimaces. ]

I'm glad we tried, but...

[heartlands]

Yeah, I expected that, but - it's good to know for sure.

[...]

We should start talking about what we want to do.

[fanstheflames]

... I'm not letting anyone target Cerberus again.

[heartlands]

I don't think we're going to be pushed into doing that ourselves.

[after a moment:]

What do you think is the least awful way of choosing?

[fanstheflames]

... I think every way is pretty awful... rock, paper, scissors?

Maybe if we raise someone this time, we can lower them next time...

[heartlands]

Oh - that's a good idea. I'd like to do that, if everyone else is okay with it.

[unless whoever they raise immediately dies, but they can cross that bridge if they come to it, it's fine.]

[fanstheflames]

... Thanks. We'll see what everyone else thinks.

[heartlands]

Yeah. If it comes down to it... I'd like to leave Phoenix and Yatagarasu alone, too. Hunter and Adrien are both pretty important to me.

[fanstheflames]

Yeah, I'm fine with that. I finally got to go inside Phoenix the other day.

[heartlands]

Oh, neat! Were you visiting someone?

[fanstheflames]

Yeah! Juzo-san invited me over to try his coffee!

[hijinked]

[ oh my god ]

Would you two pipe down? I swear you are almost shaking the cage.

[heartlands]

It was worth a try!

[WAS IT.]

[hijinked]

[ WAS IT.

just the blandest look at that. ]

... Regardless. We need to focus.

[heartlands]

Right. Tsuruno said she doesn't want to target Cerberus... I'd rather either help them, Phoenix, or Yatagarasu, or at least leave those teams alone, depending on what everyone else wants. What do you want to do?

[hijinked]

I want to make sure that none of us fall to our untimely deaths. Everything else is secondary to me.

[ ... ]

It seems extra necessary in light of the fact that you are all very selfless.

[heartlands]

Are you suggesting we lower ourselves...? I don't know about that.

[immediately proves his second point right]

[hijinked]

[ sighs. ]

Yes, I rather thought you would say that. So would Tsuruno, and many others.

If you are so very concerned about not causing harm to others, you could raise and lower the same team, presumably. That is somewhat mitigating the damage.

[heartlands]

Are we allowed to pick the same team twice in one round?

[hijinked]

Hm. The rules state that we are required to pick two teams--one to raise and one to lower. That does not explicitly say they must be two distinct teams... simply two choices.

[heartlands]

I'm willing to at least try it if everyone else is.