Team Post: Heliodor

[dramatispersonae]

[The room you step into is bare and depressing. Gray, damp stone walls, a dusty and worn table, a few candles providing dim light . . . There is, at least, a meager spread of bread, cheese, and meat laid out on the table. A pitcher of water and a few glasses are set upon it as well.]

[Most notworthy as you enter the room, however, is the sudden implicit understanding of the rules of the game:

1. There are 13 teams, and 3 among them are "wolves". That is, 3 specific teams will be choosing another team to "eat" each night. The team that is selected to be eaten will be killed.
2. Each day, every team must participate in the poll to decide who among them is the most suspicious; the most likely to be one of the wolf teams that is eating someone each night.
3. The two teams chosen as the most suspicious each day will be put up together in a poll for everyone to discuss and vote on. Teams are to vote for who they believe to be the most suspicious between the two, and the team selected as the most suspicious will be executed.
4. Any attempt to save those being put to death will be severely punished.
5. Although the ultimate goal is to find the 3 "wolf" teams, that is not the only way to win memories. This particular rule is left somewhat vague, but there is the impression that Jacobi and Jabberwock will be considering other factors as well . . .

You also are aware of the fact that your team are wolves]

Comments

[hunting]

They want us to do what?!

[redblossoms]

Shit!

[hunting]

They can't make us!

[redblossoms]

Don't be fucking stupid, of course they can!

[hunting]

[Just heard Jabberwock's reply.]

They're going to just pick at random if we don't play along. Bastards!

[redblossoms]

To that one, the point of the game is death, so of course it wouldn't let it end without death.

[hunting]

There has to be something...

[crusthatecean]

The question is, do we try to win, or do we try to cut our losses?

Tavros said someone told him the last time this was played, when the wolves tried to not kill, there were serious consequences for them. That wasn't a game where anyone died, so it might be worse.

But if choosing randomly and not playing into this sick fucking excuse for a game helps everyone overall, it's worth it. To me, at least. It's just a matter of determining the best outcome for everyone.

[redblossoms]

If possible, I want to live.

[crusthatecean]

So would I. But I have other priorities, too, like not being a complete fucking scumbag.

[redblossoms]

So you'll make us throw our lives out with yours to achieve that? Have you met my teammates?

[crusthatecean]

This isn't me making anyone do anything. This is me, saying what I think we should do.

Have you met mine? I bring it up because the odds are one of them will be among anyone we decide to kill. So don't even fucking start with me.

[redblossoms]

I don't want to kill anyone, but in this situation I have to act selfishly.

[crusthatecean]

You don't have to do anything. You're choosing to act selfishly to save your own ass.

But it's ultimately your call.

[redblossoms]

I could care less about my own well-being.

[crusthatecean]

You've done a great job fooling me on that count.

[redblossoms]

Would you like me to explain it to you? In the partnered game, half of my team died on purpose. For their convictions, for their pride, for the sake of everyone else--they had all the same reasons I would have had if I had done the same, which I would have if I had been paired with anyone but who I had, and yet I can't bring myself to understand or forgive them. Too many of them have been put through too much already! You're a knight, so your position is different, but my duty has never been to Aather, or the Personae, or every other team. I won't fail them more than I already have. I don't want us to become a team of people who will simply roll over and suffer for others! I can't watch that! I'm the only one who won't, so I won't!

[crusthatecean]

But they made the right decision. They did. I thought about it after the game. If everyone had refused to give up enough, the game wouldn't have worked. People still would have died but the overall casualties would have been less.

[But his anger has sort of collapsed at the outburst.]

I'm not saying we just die for the sake of it. I'm just...we have to think it through and decide what's best for everyone. Isn't that right? I wouldn't ask you to watch them die if they were here, but I...we just have to play the game right, and everything will be fine.

[redblossoms]

Two of them died together. One of them guaranteed his own death. That wasn't aiming for less casualties, that was just being stupid...

The least amount of death possible is four or five teams, with all of us included in them. Compared to at least eight teams, in order for us to survive, if we go by numbers alone isn't throwing the game what's "best for everyone"? I'm saying I won't do that.

[crusthatecean]

By numbers, throwing the game is what's best for everyone. My friend told me that in the past, though, there have been punishments when that's been tried. It's also a consideration.

But yeah. I think we should throw the game. But I'm not going to ask anyone else to do that if they don't want to, so we're playing. Good, conversation over.

[redblossoms]

But if we're to manage eight teams before any of us are caught, maybe taking the choice to wait it out right now is counterproductive...

[crusthatecean]

We have to kill them off as quickly as possible.

[redblossoms]

Should we rush the others?

[crusthatecean]

It's not hard.

At this stage, we know shit. If we're not comfortable making a decision, we take Kunzite and Ruby out of consideration because it would be fucking retarded to kill them. We can each take one other team out of consideration for strategic reasons, not personal ones.

Out of the ones left, we choose randomly. Everyone might feel a little more comfortable with that, if we aren't deciding one team to die.

[redblossoms]

It's not exactly a strategic reason, but Zero did point out Coral has more people present.

[ ... actual strategy would suggest doing the opposite and this is why I hate strategy ]

[crusthatecean]

...That's a good reason to save them. At least fewer people will die.

[redblossoms]

Iolite has two people and at least one of them is asking around.

[hunting]

We could... make Kunzite look suspicious. Lambdadelta has a... cavalier attitude sometimes. But... it's risky.

[crusthatecean]

Which means we try to play strategically. So our goal is to win.

I don't know if I agree with that. I'm not saying I disagree, but...

[hunting]

... I won't sacrifice someone who doesn't wish to die. That's not the place of a knight. And I won't let you emotionally blackmail her into it either. I also want to save as many as possible, but asking someone to give up their life... I refuse.

[crusthatecean]

I already told her, if she wants to play, we're playing. So fuck you for the lecture, I know.

Am I not allowed to be angry I'm in this shitty position?

[hunting]

You're allowed to be angry, just don't take it out on her.

... What did you say about consequences for throwing the game?

[crusthatecean]

I wasn't. But I'm not going to hide how I feel about what we're doing.

[Sulk]

Tavros heard from someone on Turquoise. Last time, the wolves said they wouldn't hurt the sheep. Some of the wolves went blind, lost senses. But that game wasn't a game where anyone got killed. If they really are killing this time, the consequences would logically be even worse. And...obviously no one wants to deal with an outcome like the last bad game, where the next week is nothing but quests to fix everyone who made a shitty decision.

[hunting]

... The best way to do it would be to ally with a team we're close to and work with their decisions.

[crusthatecean]

That makes sense.

Who do you know good for that? I'm closest to Ruby, but Tavros isn't decisive, he'd wind up going with my decision, and I don't know if that would help us at all.

[hunting]

Coral, maybe, if we want to protect them. But... they're smart, especially Kit and Shark. They'll want to know if we're talking to Ruby and Kunzite.

[crusthatecean]

We aren't protecting anyone on the basis of whether or not we like them. If I'm playing, that's something I'm going to insist on.

If it makes sense, it makes sense, and that's fine but...it's not right, it's not okay for us to decide on that basis. I mean that, and I'll kill Ruby if it comes to it.

[hunting]

That's... not what I meant. Coral's familiar with this game. They might have strategy we can lean on. And I'm... familiar with them. It would make sense to turn to... friends.

It's doubtful we can save both Ruby and Kunzite now anyway.

[crusthatecean]

If it makes sense, we'll work with Coral. That's fine.

I'm just saying. There's no one we're protecting in particular.

[hunting]

... Fine.

[crusthatecean]

I'll talk to Ruby, it would be weird if I didn't.

[hunting]

Go ahead.

[dramatispersonae]

Oh . . . I forgot. If you wish to speak to the other wolves, you may do so here.

[hunting]

What if we refuse to choose?

[dramatispersonae]

Should all of you refusssse then we will make the ssselection for you.

[crusthatecean]

What does that mean. You'll choose randomly?

[dramatispersonae]

It meanssss we will ssselect a team of sheep at random to be sssslaughtered. Like choossssing from a hat.

[crusthatecean]

[Oh so it turns out I'm here too]

We're not doing this.

[redblossoms]

[ Ruby votes??????????? ]