guillotineroom | [elevator] [kraken]

[ 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.]

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

I won't argue this time.

Fine.

[ iiiit's probably not going to be enough if a team decides to off them, but!!!

There's no point in rubbing it in now. ]

That makes that decision easy.

Yeah.

[it's probably obvious, but he feels like it's decent to at least say it, so—]

I'm - sorry. Really sorry.

Don't.

You made that decision according to your convictions, didn't you? So stand by it. This is the situation at hand, and we will handle it as best we can.

[after a moment, he nods.]

No matter what happens, we'll be together.

[which might not make much of a difference if they die horribly in the next round, but it's fine.]

Your turn to pick. I think it's only fair.

[ he snorts at that. ]

Pick? To lower, you mean? Obviously, ourselves.

As to who we raise, well--you shall have to forgive me for not honestly caring right now.

...Yeah, that's fair.

[THEY HAVE MORE PRESSING CONCERNS]

... If we make it through this next round, then... let us revisit the thought of "strategy" then.

Even with that, though, we can't abstain... Do you just want to pick someone at random again? Someone who isn't too high.

Yes, we may as well. You realize that we need five teams to be higher than us if we want to escape, right?

I know.

[...]

I really wish you got pulled into a nicer game.

Hmph.

[ hmph!!! ]

I am not a stranger to difficult situations.

Does that necessarily make this better...?

Nothing makes this situation better, Rupert.

And most certainly not the crackers.

At least we won't die of starvation.

[is now the time]

[ now is absolutely not the time.

Lear throws the crackers at him. ]

[he yelps and ducks and they go flying out of the cage for rule of funny]

Nooooo...

[ i hope they land on one of the lower teams

it'd serve them right. ]

[fair and valid]

...Someone told you already what happens if things go badly for us, right? I know you're newer.

[ a sigh. ]

Yes, I'm aware. I can't say I'm looking forward to it, but I know that is stating the obvious.

[ it bothers him that nobody will be around to take care of Hoopa, though. ]

Yeah... I'm not scared, but I can't exactly say I'm looking forward to it either.

[a little shrug]

Maybe we're just worrying for nothing and enough people will come through for us that we'll only get injured, though. It's better to prepare for the worst, but...