[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

[nailedthelook]

Sorry doesn't change results.

Just... keep in mind.

No one right now is looking out for us because we're in a 'better place'. So we're probably only registering as targets to anyone who even thinks about us.

[heartlands]

I know it doesn't, but I'd still rather be sorry than not care at all.

How many teams do you think that is?

[nailedthelook]

To my own knowledge, anyone other than Cerberus.

Which teams could you say would actually avoid us?

[heartlands]

I can't really say for certain what any team is going to do. That's the problem. We just have to make the best choice we can while not knowing what's going to happen... And I know that's scary.

[nailedthelook]

[ mmmmmrgh, rubbing her neck in annoyance. ]

Just. I know you guys are trying to watch out for people who are important to you. I'm trying to do the same.

My problem is the people important to me are dumb and don't watch out for themselves so I have to do it for them. But it's important to respect what they want to do, so I'm trying to do it except they just want to throw themselves on spikes for everyone else.

[heartlands]

...Believe it or not, this is me watching out for myself, in a way.

[nailedthelook]

You have the survival instincts of a brick wall in the middle of the road then.

[heartlands]

I didn't say survival instincts, I said looking out for myself.

[nailedthelook]

I'm noting that you're not arguing against my metaphor.

But what do you mean by that?

[heartlands]

I didn't have to argue about the specific metaphor because I'm arguing against the broader point!

[anyways.]

Just - not that I'm saying I want it to happen or anything, but there's different kinds of pain. It always hurts me more to watch things like this happen to someone else. [...] Which is kind of a moot point given the whole team set up, so it doesn't really matter, since I'm not here alone. I definitely don't want anything to happen to you guys.

[nailedthelook]

Ugh, you're such a bleeding heart.

[heartlands]

It's my job to protect people back home. That's always what I'll want more than anything.

[nailedthelook]

You have to be alive and in good health to protect people too.

[heartlands]

...It's different here, though. If anything happened, I would come back.

[nailedthelook]

So does everyone else.

[heartlands]

I know, but that doesn't make it easier for me to watch other people suffering.

[...]

I get it if you think it's stupid. This is probably something we're not going to see eye to eye on.

[nailedthelook]

I think it's stupid as heck but... I wanna respect what you guys wanna do, like you guys do for me. So if you wanna make these kinds of decisions sometimes, fine.

I'm just gonna make sure you're not doing them all the time.

[heartlands]

Like I said... You guys matter to me, too. I don't want you to get hurt, either. But right now, it seems like someone needs our help.

[nailedthelook]

I just wish we could tell if they actually want help or not.

[heartlands]

You and me both. This set up is the worst.

[nailedthelook]

... I take back saying you're dumb. You just make dumb choices sometimes.

But I get them.

[heartlands]

Thanks, Nobara.

[that's sincere.]

I just don't want to be the kind of person who turns away if other people need help that I can give.

[nailedthelook]

Yeah... having people like you in this world is a good thing. You guys make it brighter.

[heartlands]

So do you, you know. You could just said we're all being stupid and absolutely refused to help them, but you at least tried to understand and work with us.

[nailedthelook]

Ew don't get mushy on me.