[ Better than before? He'll take it. Her messages are also clearer, even if they're showing up on the wall of this ritual room, which is slowly leaking water.
Which... yeah, he should get to that. ]
We freed a massive monster, and i̷̺͍̒n̵͓̖͝ ̷̘̑͑t̸̺͗̚h̴̛͙e̸̱̲̓ ̷̲̂̓c̶͓̝̅h̶̝̰̉̍a̵̪͑̚ȏ̸̫͕s̶̤͔̀̃ ̵̝̝͂̓à̶̦ ̷̢̝̂͝l̴͖̺̑o̵̺͝t̴̮͆ ̶͕͘ of people were able to get out. The rest of us have been shoved i̸͙͌͝n̵̟͆t̶̛̟͓͗ó̸̱̏ ̸̹̠̋̓a̶̧̓̆ ̸̠͛s̷̡͗m̷̧̛͇a̵͍̋̆l̵̡͘ḷ̶͓̊ ̶̪͛͗ͅr̴̹͑ȏ̴̧̨o̷̲͜͝m̸̰͂̎.̷̔̎ by the acolytes.
Because of all the tremors, sea water ị̵͇͛̍s̶̢̍ ̸͓̕s̵̜̄ṫ̵̪͠a̸̧͉̿r̴̥͗͜t̶̲̦̀ï̵͙̑n̴̟̮͗g̶̛̖ ̶̟͚̌̽t̸̡̫̾̐ǫ̴̽̍ ̶͎͒f̵̢̓l̵̺̋ô̵̬̬ö̶͉͆d̶̳́̂ ̴͖̞̓i̸̠̅̅ṇ̴͎̒.̸͖͚̅́ We've plugged up some of the leaks, but I̵͕̙̓ ̵̨̻̓͐d̵̥̈́͌ͅo̶͔̍n̶̨̳͒̇'̶͎̗͂̀t̵̺͉̑̀ ̴̮̦̆͂ḳ̶̋n̸̜̑͘o̶͍͇̾̈w̷̢̰̉̎ ̶̙̚h̸̢̘͌̓ö̶̺̗́w̴̦̜̌ ̵̖̳̑͝l̴̢͝ͅo̵͍͂n̵̩̯̄g̶̣̋͗ ̷̻̏̏i̸͎̐t̷̞̽'̷̹̔l̶̖̎̓͜l̸̳̩̕ ̶̪̹́́l̵͔̟͘a̶̳̚s̶̨̽̈́t̸̬̎̽ ̵͖́̐ù̴̻s̵̨͚͑̈́.̶̘̺̒̚
[ Translation: the sooner they get here, the better. ]
Turns out it doesn't ŵ̷̧͓o̵̡͘ȑ̸̪͎̎k̸̩̦̾ ̴͉̀͜s̶͙͐o̶̲͜͝ ̴̧̭͘w̷̪͓̒̈e̵̤̗͛l̵̗̲̃͝l̶͙̤̈̄ when the real deal isn't here. [ Actually, Steve doesn't want to think about how things would have gone if Bruce had been here and trapped with them. Could the magic of those acolytes have even contained the Hulk? ] We did trigger ä̷͎́ ̷̼̮̒̚s̷̞̭̓̐ḿ̸̮à̷̪̝͑l̸̟̎l̷̡̉͘ explosion, though.
[ This is normal for them.
As for Natasha's question, ASAP is understood. He doesn't know what needs to be done on Nat and Sam's end to actually get boots on the ground here, though. ]
My guess is we could h̴̡̤͂ö̶̝̠́͋l̷̺͔͝d̸̙͝ ̴͎̾̃ő̶̧͔̿ṳ̸͍̄̾t̷̻́ ̴̢̃m̸̜̃̈́a̵̙̅ŷ̸̨͖b̵̫͕̍e̶̩͋̇ another week, I don't know. Most o̸̤̽̌f̴̡̍̊ ̶͙́u̵͕͝s̸̬̲̚ ̵̫̜͗͝w̴̡̛̦̎h̶̼̍ǫ̸́ ̸͑̔͜â̸̧̠r̶̳̀̓ę̵̪͂͠ ̸͙̬̅͘s̵͕͗͋t̷̨̩̓i̸̻̣̾̄l̸͎̉l̸̘͋͝ͅ here can mentally handle this, at least.
[ Though a few people have definitely drunk the kool-aid after the ritual, so... yeah. That's not great. And he's hoping it's something that can eventually be reversed. ]
We plan on being there long before a week, if we have anything to say about it. It depends on how heavily they've got the area around where you're being held is trapped and hidden. Which, at the moment, is a lot.
But hey, on the plus side, you've made the impossible happen. There are Thorne mages working side by side with Cadens military on this rescue venture.
But can you try not to blow up anymore of the place until we get a little closer? I know that's a real tough ask, but try anyway.
[ He hopes that she's right and that they get here way sooner than that for the sake of people like Matt and Istredd, but he's also trying to be realistic about this. This is a monumental effort. ]
Never thought I'd see the day. [ And maybe that's a tiny, tiny silver lining to take from all this. He doesn't know if it will actually do anything about the war, but he can hope. ]
I'll do my best. K̸͎̽́e̸͇̼̐̆e̵͎͝p̵͚͓̌̌ ̶̯̈á̵̘̲n̷͇͍̋͠ ̸̧̏̕͜ȩ̶͒ẙ̷̺̼e̵̖̙͗̍ ̴͕͕̇̊o̴̼̍ȕ̶͉͈͝t̴̗́ for a massive monster tromping å̶̘̃r̷̾͜o̶̜̦͗̎ǔ̶̙͛n̴̘̖̍ḓ̴̛̓ ̵̙̹̓ơ̶͈n̸̻̪̒ ̴͔͖̔ṯ̶͊͛h̸̡͍̎ȅ̶͈ ̶̩̋ island, or in the ocean ṡ̴͚̫ó̶̫̹̎m̸̦͙̍̑e̵̩͒w̷̹̯͆h̸͈̞̉͠e̷̛͔̱r̴̳͌ȇ̴̮̠.̶̙̆
Ī̷̠̝̕ ̸̫̤̎ḿ̷̱̖̓ê̶̞̂a̷̟͒n̸͖̐,̸̨͈̾̔ ̷́͜͜Ḯ̶̧͠'̵̩̇͋m̸͇̿ ̷͈͠t̴̟͛ḩ̵̳̒̀e̷͔̗͂͠ ̶̭͗͘o̷̗͌n̶̛̯̭̋e̸̪͘ trapped in a room at the bottom of a giant cavern, so you tell me.
[ He doesn't feel the entire place shaking anymore, though, so it must have gone into the sea, right? ]
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
no subject
Which... yeah, he should get to that. ]
We freed a massive monster, and i̷̺͍̒n̵͓̖͝ ̷̘̑͑t̸̺͗̚h̴̛͙e̸̱̲̓ ̷̲̂̓c̶͓̝̅h̶̝̰̉̍a̵̪͑̚ȏ̸̫͕s̶̤͔̀̃ ̵̝̝͂̓à̶̦ ̷̢̝̂͝l̴͖̺̑o̵̺͝t̴̮͆ ̶͕͘ of people were able to get out. The rest of us have been shoved i̸͙͌͝n̵̟͆t̶̛̟͓͗ó̸̱̏ ̸̹̠̋̓a̶̧̓̆ ̸̠͛s̷̡͗m̷̧̛͇a̵͍̋̆l̵̡͘ḷ̶͓̊ ̶̪͛͗ͅr̴̹͑ȏ̴̧̨o̷̲͜͝m̸̰͂̎.̷̔̎ by the acolytes.
Because of all the tremors, sea water ị̵͇͛̍s̶̢̍ ̸͓̕s̵̜̄ṫ̵̪͠a̸̧͉̿r̴̥͗͜t̶̲̦̀ï̵͙̑n̴̟̮͗g̶̛̖ ̶̟͚̌̽t̸̡̫̾̐ǫ̴̽̍ ̶͎͒f̵̢̓l̵̺̋ô̵̬̬ö̶͉͆d̶̳́̂ ̴͖̞̓i̸̠̅̅ṇ̴͎̒.̸͖͚̅́ We've plugged up some of the leaks, but I̵͕̙̓ ̵̨̻̓͐d̵̥̈́͌ͅo̶͔̍n̶̨̳͒̇'̶͎̗͂̀t̵̺͉̑̀ ̴̮̦̆͂ḳ̶̋n̸̜̑͘o̶͍͇̾̈w̷̢̰̉̎ ̶̙̚h̸̢̘͌̓ö̶̺̗́w̴̦̜̌ ̵̖̳̑͝l̴̢͝ͅo̵͍͂n̵̩̯̄g̶̣̋͗ ̷̻̏̏i̸͎̐t̷̞̽'̷̹̔l̶̖̎̓͜l̸̳̩̕ ̶̪̹́́l̵͔̟͘a̶̳̚s̶̨̽̈́t̸̬̎̽ ̵͖́̐ù̴̻s̵̨͚͑̈́.̶̘̺̒̚
[ Translation: the sooner they get here, the better. ]
no subject
She stares at those words for a long moment, reading them again and hoping she wasn't seeing this right. No such luck.
Shit. ]
So Hulk Smashing your way out of this one only partially worked, huh?
What timeline are we looking at here? By your best estimation?
[ She's up and moving, heading towards where she hopes to find the rest of the retrieval team. They don't have more time to wait, she suspects. ]
no subject
[ This is normal for them.
As for Natasha's question, ASAP is understood. He doesn't know what needs to be done on Nat and Sam's end to actually get boots on the ground here, though. ]
My guess is we could h̴̡̤͂ö̶̝̠́͋l̷̺͔͝d̸̙͝ ̴͎̾̃ő̶̧͔̿ṳ̸͍̄̾t̷̻́ ̴̢̃m̸̜̃̈́a̵̙̅ŷ̸̨͖b̵̫͕̍e̶̩͋̇ another week, I don't know. Most o̸̤̽̌f̴̡̍̊ ̶͙́u̵͕͝s̸̬̲̚ ̵̫̜͗͝w̴̡̛̦̎h̶̼̍ǫ̸́ ̸͑̔͜â̸̧̠r̶̳̀̓ę̵̪͂͠ ̸͙̬̅͘s̵͕͗͋t̷̨̩̓i̸̻̣̾̄l̸͎̉l̸̘͋͝ͅ here can mentally handle this, at least.
[ Though a few people have definitely drunk the kool-aid after the ritual, so... yeah. That's not great. And he's hoping it's something that can eventually be reversed. ]
no subject
But hey, on the plus side, you've made the impossible happen. There are Thorne mages working side by side with Cadens military on this rescue venture.
But can you try not to blow up anymore of the place until we get a little closer? I know that's a real tough ask, but try anyway.
no subject
Never thought I'd see the day. [ And maybe that's a tiny, tiny silver lining to take from all this. He doesn't know if it will actually do anything about the war, but he can hope. ]
I'll do my best. K̸͎̽́e̸͇̼̐̆e̵͎͝p̵͚͓̌̌ ̶̯̈á̵̘̲n̷͇͍̋͠ ̸̧̏̕͜ȩ̶͒ẙ̷̺̼e̵̖̙͗̍ ̴͕͕̇̊o̴̼̍ȕ̶͉͈͝t̴̗́ for a massive monster tromping å̶̘̃r̷̾͜o̶̜̦͗̎ǔ̶̙͛n̴̘̖̍ḓ̴̛̓ ̵̙̹̓ơ̶͈n̸̻̪̒ ̴͔͖̔ṯ̶͊͛h̸̡͍̎ȅ̶͈ ̶̩̋ island, or in the ocean ṡ̴͚̫ó̶̫̹̎m̸̦͙̍̑e̵̩͒w̷̹̯͆h̸͈̞̉͠e̷̛͔̱r̴̳͌ȇ̴̮̠.̶̙̆
no subject
[ If you tell her it can turn invisible or something, Steve, so help her... ]
no subject
[ He doesn't feel the entire place shaking anymore, though, so it must have gone into the sea, right? ]
no subject
[ But his words have her lips curving faintly as she teases him, even if it's still tinged with stress and worry. It's fine, he can't see that part. ]
You just focus on keeping your feet dry. I'll worry about avoiding your new monster friend.
no subject
Sounds like a plan.
See you soon.
[ Not in a minute. And he's determined that this won't be like that time. Both of them are getting out of this. ]