Sterling

[dramatispersonae]

[The room is bare, but clean and private.]

Comments

[heroinhisowntime]

I guess that makes sense.

[crusthatecean]

For now, I have nothing. We should work on figuring out who's around for what team. The teams with only one person on it are more of a threat.

[heroinhisowntime]

A threat?

[crusthatecean]

Less to keep straight if they have to pretend not to be a fox.

But honestly it's fucking stupid. No one is going to be acting suspicious, what would that even look like? Normal teams don't have much incentive to defend themselves, either.

We might as well go out there and look like suspicious assholes, it won't make any difference.

[heroinhisowntime]

I don't want to look like an asshole. It's just a game, we can guess and hope we get lucky.

[crusthatecean]

Yeah. I guess we should pick. We should choose Sapphire for row three, since we have a better chance with them. Pick between Amethyst, Kunzite, and Onyx the best we can. And choose totally fucking randomly for the first two rows unless something really stands out.

[heroinhisowntime]

What to you mean, we have a better chance with Sapphire?

[crusthatecean]

They're in the same column as us, and we know we aren't foxes. And between them, Jasper, and Heliodor, I'd say they're more connected.

But I can't decide if we should just vote Jasper and Heliodor two, secure that we'll definitely get one fox if we do that, or try our luck totally randomly.

[heroinhisowntime]

You mean vote everyone in our column even though we'll be wrong two out of three?

[crusthatecean]

Exactly. We'd be wrong twice, but we'd be guaranteed one, and we'd have a one out of three chance for two. Those are better odds than what we'd get if we chose randomly. The odds that we'd pick three are slim.

Unless something stands out to us, that would be my plan.

[heroinhisowntime]

Well, I definitely don't think it's Heliodor.

[crusthatecean]

Why's that?

[heroinhisowntime]

That's just my instinct! Besides, they were excited about solving the mystery, and I think Rider's an honest kid, and he said he wasn't a fox.

[crusthatecean]

You do realize if we don't vote for them on that terrible logic, we're possibly giving ourselves none instead of our definite one?

[heroinhisowntime]

My instincts are good! And if we're do that there's no way we're getting more than one right!

[crusthatecean]

We have a shot at two, because in the last row we don't pick ourselves. You don't think Hiccup could lie?

I'm not saying he did, but it isn't solid enough. Unless there's someone in that row you're sure of?

[heroinhisowntime]

...My instincts say it's Sapphire! And if we decide that, that makes other things easier, right?

[crusthatecean]

Not in that row! In Heliodor's row! We're already voting for Sapphire!

[godcomplexed]

I agree.

This is our best shot.

Even suspicious behavior could be a ruse.

[crusthatecean]

I'm not inclined to trust things like "Hiccup said he isn't a fox." Hiccup isn't a complete fucking idiot.

[godcomplexed]

For the best, I think. Even if Hiccup doesn't like to lie, there's little incentive for him not to. The only clues would be if we know someone is a bad liar and know them well enough to read.

[crusthatecean]

Exactly. There's no sense in it. Besides, she said there might be other criteria for winning. The best strategy could be one.

[godcomplexed]

Good point. There's no reason for anyone to throw the game.

Though it this point it seems like the only pattern. Since we don't even have a hint of a clue as to even one fox, there's no way to guess patterns or anything like that.

[crusthatecean]

On the other hand, this idiot here is convinced, absolutely convinced, Heliodor can't be foxes for this exact stupid reason.

[godcomplexed]

Going with instincts is ridiculous. Now Tiger's a pal, but I don't think thats the way to play. Even if he thinks it's not four certain teams including us, that leaves twelve to be guessed randomly.

Terrible odds.