Not Again! With Akira

[shortforever]

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Week 1, Tuesday, post-meeting

[shortforever]

[Wherever Akira is, he's getting a visitor suddenly.

Said visitor is carrying a plate with a few pancakes on it. Said pancakes are in a sad state of things. One is rather crispy, one is white and barely cooked, they're all lopsided and different thicknesses, and so on. A bunch of butter and syrup has been spread over them too, as if to hide any potential flavor defects. And he's also carrying a fork and butter knife too.

Chuuya is frowning too, but not because he's mad. This is definitely one of his "I'm pretty sure my attempts at reaching out are about to be laughed at, so I'm bracing myself for that" looks.]

It's not that great, but here. Eat.

[survivaltricks]

[LET'S SAY MESS HALL because I have too many PCs in the kitchen]

[Akira blinks at the pancakes when Chuuya places them in front of him, taking one note of their. . . less than ideal conditions?]

[and then, to Chuuya, in a slightly incredulous voice]

Did you make these for me?

[he isn't laughing!!]

[shortforever]

No, I made them for the shark in the lake.

[:|]

Of course I made them for you. You worked really hard today, and you need to eat.

[survivaltricks]

[oh]

[blinks a few times at Chuuya like ??? because he's so used to doing things for other people that he's not used to random acts of kindness?? even from friends]

Oh.

[. . . well then!]

Thanks. Though I didn't really do anything?

[shortforever]

Bullshit you didn't.

[Handing over the plate now.]

You're a good talker, you know? So just talking through stuff and keeping everyone calm, that counts.

[survivaltricks]

[taking it with an appreciative smile. look no laughter!! no matter how lopsided those pancakes may be]

I think Lili, Belph and Dick calmed people down way more than I did. I just backed up everything they said.

[shortforever]

Well I didn't make them pancakes.

[He's going to just. Sit down at one of the tables. He's not eating right now but Akira shouldn't have to stand and eat.]

I thought of something today too.

[survivaltricks]

[Akira was already sitting so it's okay!! he's going to dig in while Chuuya speaks, though not before shooting his friend an amused look]

Hm? What is it?

[shortforever]

If only one team can win, what if we all just switch teams to be on the same team?

[survivaltricks]

[a pause]







Can we even do that?

[shortforever]

I dunno, I didn't ask them yet.

Do you think it could work?

[survivaltricks]

If it's possible to change teams, then-- [hm]

But what about our team leaders? Do they need to be eliminated for one team to win?

[shortforever]

I dunno about that part. Maybe they could become regular team members too, like the rest of us. Then they can switch.

[survivaltricks]

[. . . hm!]

[looking thoughtful as he takes a bite of pancake]

You know, I think it's an idea worth bringing up to the directors.

[shortforever]

Yeah, I thought so too. If we can do it, then it's a way to get around the rules without killing more than half the people here.

[survivaltricks]

Yeah.

[and it actually gives him another thought]

Even if we can't swap teams, the rulebook says "there can only be one team standing at the end of the competition," right?

Before the pink voice-- [WHY IS THE VOICE PINK] -- took over everything, we were already competing through completing Shadows', Heart's and Winter's tasks.

I wonder if there's a workaround by looking at the competition through that lens, instead of one that involves murder?

[shortforever]

That begs the question of 'what is the end of the competition' though. Is there a time limit? Is it like 'survive six weeks, and the team with the most points at the end wins'? Because if it's that then we can all avoid killing, I think.

[survivaltricks]

. . . [haha]

[akira hopes for the best, but. . . he isn't naive]

I think it's a little too late to hope that nobody else here will die.

[shortforever]

You think it's gonna happen again?

[survivaltricks]

I think, now that 45 has outed what we're supposedly playing for. . . someone is going to panic.

[shortforever]

Maybe we're better off trying to identify the risky people and heading them off first.

...and don't say a damn thing, I'm not a risk this time.

[survivaltricks]

[oh my god]

[just. . . gives Chuuya a Look]

First off: no, we're not doing that, because it's impossible to tell who is risky and who isn't and I am not killing anyone.

Second: you promised me you wouldn't and I'm taking you at face value. Of course you're not a risk.

[shortforever]

I didn't literally mean 'heading them off', I meant talking to them.

[Murder is the third step, not the first!]

And...good, yeah. Because I won't kill, so long as it's not needed.

[survivaltricks]

[well at least it's only the third step??]

It won't be needed.

[he says that so firmly]

I refuse to believe that it will be.

[shortforever]

Yeah, you keep doing that. In the meantime, I'll keep preparing for when someone backstabs you, so we're ready to counteract that.