[despite the gravity of their situation, Robin finds plenty of time to roll his eyes.]
Yeah, yeah. Shut up.
[and then he bumps into the other's shoulder, staying there, because he doesn't actually mind all that much. he'll regret inviting constant torment into his home after a while, certainly, but right now it's a fond reminder of the last few years of his life.
the elevator slowly rolls down to their level and stops with an uncertain wobble on their floor. the doors are just folding grates, which slide open automatically by some steam-powered hissing quietly near the ceiling. Robin leads them in and the thing seems to hold, though it wobbles again as the doors close. casually, Robin adds:]
It's "officer", by the way.
[though smirk that spreads over his face implies that he finds this fact humorous and, very likely, incredibly ironic.
the grate that covers the door of the elevator provides a very clear view of everything they pass. there are several more dark, tall rooms filled with crates, boxes, tarp-covered bundles, and as they elevate through the final storage chamber, Tek gets to see this labyrinth of boxes go on for maybe a mile. it's the first place around here that seems to have been set up with any sort of order or planning involved, and is a clear division between the low levels and the "civilized" levels of the city.
they pass through another largely residential layer, but it is the first time that these collections of houses and structures have looked like an actual city. street lamps line actual streets, bars advertise with neon signs, and the large cavern hosts multiple layers of organized walkways and buildings to fit a ton of people into a limited space. it gets even more vibrant the next level up, and the people here are look healthier and better dressed. the buildings are carved artfully, the air smells cleaner, and the artificial lighting installed in the ceiling looks closer to sunlight than the dirty synthetics running far below.
another layer reveals a vibrant marketplace, a bustling jumble of smells and sounds coming from hundreds of colorful booths lining the packed streets. suspended far above their heads is a platform with a running fountain, propped up by four massive stone bridges connecting it to the walls around them. the elevator shutters to a stop on this level, and Tek can quickly guess why--at the far end of those bridges, a massive hunk of black stone has been left hanging from the ceiling, wide at the top and narrowing dramatically by the time it meets the market floor below.
Robin steps out as the doors open. the rock structure seems to glitter as they move, but only because hundreds of small windows have been carved out of its exterior, all of them lit with candles. this is definitely the structure that Robin had thought of when he had explained to Tek where they were going.]
This is the market level. We're pretty close to the surface now... [he points up at the ceiling.] Just one more layer before you hit open air, up there.
[he looks in a couple of directions--seemingly checking for something specific, but in this busy place, who could say what he's looking for--before taking Tek's hand again and guiding him over the bridge. there are well-made guard rails here, and no real danger of getting lost... so the gesture is more for Robin than anything.
there are a lot of people here, mingling and hurrying along these platforms, but they've finally reached a level where the both of them look like they might be at-home here.]
no subject
Yeah, yeah. Shut up.
[and then he bumps into the other's shoulder, staying there, because he doesn't actually mind all that much. he'll regret inviting constant torment into his home after a while, certainly, but right now it's a fond reminder of the last few years of his life.
the elevator slowly rolls down to their level and stops with an uncertain wobble on their floor. the doors are just folding grates, which slide open automatically by some steam-powered hissing quietly near the ceiling. Robin leads them in and the thing seems to hold, though it wobbles again as the doors close. casually, Robin adds:]
It's "officer", by the way.
[though smirk that spreads over his face implies that he finds this fact humorous and, very likely, incredibly ironic.
the grate that covers the door of the elevator provides a very clear view of everything they pass. there are several more dark, tall rooms filled with crates, boxes, tarp-covered bundles, and as they elevate through the final storage chamber, Tek gets to see this labyrinth of boxes go on for maybe a mile. it's the first place around here that seems to have been set up with any sort of order or planning involved, and is a clear division between the low levels and the "civilized" levels of the city.
they pass through another largely residential layer, but it is the first time that these collections of houses and structures have looked like an actual city. street lamps line actual streets, bars advertise with neon signs, and the large cavern hosts multiple layers of organized walkways and buildings to fit a ton of people into a limited space. it gets even more vibrant the next level up, and the people here are look healthier and better dressed. the buildings are carved artfully, the air smells cleaner, and the artificial lighting installed in the ceiling looks closer to sunlight than the dirty synthetics running far below.
another layer reveals a vibrant marketplace, a bustling jumble of smells and sounds coming from hundreds of colorful booths lining the packed streets. suspended far above their heads is a platform with a running fountain, propped up by four massive stone bridges connecting it to the walls around them. the elevator shutters to a stop on this level, and Tek can quickly guess why--at the far end of those bridges, a massive hunk of black stone has been left hanging from the ceiling, wide at the top and narrowing dramatically by the time it meets the market floor below.
Robin steps out as the doors open. the rock structure seems to glitter as they move, but only because hundreds of small windows have been carved out of its exterior, all of them lit with candles. this is definitely the structure that Robin had thought of when he had explained to Tek where they were going.]
This is the market level. We're pretty close to the surface now... [he points up at the ceiling.] Just one more layer before you hit open air, up there.
[he looks in a couple of directions--seemingly checking for something specific, but in this busy place, who could say what he's looking for--before taking Tek's hand again and guiding him over the bridge. there are well-made guard rails here, and no real danger of getting lost... so the gesture is more for Robin than anything.
there are a lot of people here, mingling and hurrying along these platforms, but they've finally reached a level where the both of them look like they might be at-home here.]