PIZZA PARTY. . . . . . . . . . 2

[survivaltricks]

Comments

[shortforever]

Knowing that, I'm amazed you all were able to come together as a group in the first place.

[How did you all not dart each other in the face more, it's a miracle.]

So, what now? I'm sure you all know what my role does already, and if you've already pieced together everyone's teams, then we just sit here playing darts? Or is there some point to it all?

[ruffboi]

[Well, about that. You'll notice a lot of the team members here happen to care a lot about each other.

Anyway, shaking his head.]

Nobody's asking you or Akira to do any of that. Or even to look the other way. Just. This started seeming to work a little bit. It started feeling like a good thing. We wanted to widen the circle.

[shortforever]

[He sure has noticed that, yes.]

Widen the circle to what point though? We still have to find a way to end the game. And I'm kinda hoping it doesn't end with "massive throwdown now that everyone knows everyone."

[givethemhell]

Correct me if I'm wrong- [To the rest of The Squad.] -but I believe the plan is widen it to all roles first, just to see if anything significant changes once we're all together. We figure out where to go from there after that.

[They are LIVIN ON A PRAYER MY MAN.]

[chaoticlootral]

That’s what I figured.

[ruffboi]

Seeing as I don't even think we can rope anybody else in, seems right to me!

[shortforever]

So we all hold hands and show how good of friends we are, and whatever's making all of this happens goes 'oh no, not the power of friendship!' and lets us go?

[He's slightly less doubtful of that because that's how they beat the house, but.]

Well, I guess it's better than the alternatives right now.

[ruffboi]

Widen the circle to everyone if we can, but. Y'know. So far, we're both physically unable to do that and also think there's a good chance someone's gonna do a revenge murder if we do. And I think that would be bad?

[I mean, obviously it would be bad for them to be killed, but besides that.]

Our roles pass on, just like Sanji's did, but we'd have to start from scratch with somebody new.

[shortforever]

[He. Honestly can't argue with that logic. Considering some of his CR here and how revenge-happy they are.]

Yeah, it would be. If we do need to include everyone in this, we're gonna have to address that at some point.

[survivaltricks]

For what it's worth, Lili and Natalie confirmed that there is a way to get everyone on the same team.

[SO]

We just have to find it. And getting everyone with a role on the same page is a good start, right?

[shortforever]

It's a start, yeah. We can work on talking to them to find out the method they know about.

[survivaltricks]

Gold sequins.

[holds up his scrunchie-wearing wrist again]

We have one more person to find before we have all of the roles, and we're hoping that something good happens when we-- ah. . . invite them to our pizza party.

We know who they are, too. It's just a matter of. . .

[trails off. waggles a hand]

Getting them to trust everyone.

[shortforever]

Is it too much to hope that it's one of my friends and I can drag them in here?

[disreguarded]

Yes, it is.

[survivaltricks]

45's one of your friends, right?

[shortforever]

[Holy fucking shit.]

So I'll just drag her in here, sure.

[chaoticlootral]

The point is, this whole game, the intrigue, the solution— the death and darts is all a distraction. You . . . can be angry about it, I’m not gonna pretend that I wouldn’t be, but instead of working together, talking to each other, we’re all caught up in this revenge cycle. Focusing on finding some sort of justice when the only justice we’ll ever actually get is beating the entity that’s running this place.

I know you hated what I pulled last trial, you didn’t try and hide that, but . . . the reason most of us from these roles are still alive is because we, for reasons I can’t explain, cared so hard about one another we managed to pull off a good enough cover every week. I think it’s almost better, that every here cares so much about people they try to keep them alive that hard. That we care about that more than solving a crime or obeying the orders of a disembodied voice. You can understand that, right?

So, right now, we’re just trying to gather everyone with roles, maybe shift the focus onto an actual solution instead of twiddling our thumbs while the countdown clock ticks, and maybe all stay alive long enough to see it. Bring everyone back, instead of giving into this dumb “pick your 3 favorite people” shit.

Does that make sense?

[shortforever]

[I'm so sorry for this, but Taako struck a nerve in Chuuya.]

That's really fucking easy for you to say, when you're on the side that's in the know. Is it really that hard to understand why someone would want to know the truth of why their friend died?

[disreguarded]

Hey, fuck off. It's so easy for you to just make judgements! No matter who we played darts with, it would've hurt somebody. You don't get to fucking judge anybody, you haven't had to --

[ please sOMEONE STOP HER ]

[ruffboi]

[Grabbing her.]

Beau. [With a harsh expression, for once.]

Stop.

[daifukus]

Beau.

[ just. gently. ]

[survivaltricks]

Chuuya.

[reaching to grab his sleeve]

[chaoticlootral]

My dude, I didn’t know shit about fuck until like, last Friday.

[ruffboi]

. . . I get where you're coming from.

[He'll answer him. He doesn't fully disagree, as he can read from his serious expression.]

It's two sides of one shitty coin, yeah? One side gets to know, and even has the power to do some shit to protect the people they love. But they also get put through hell and risk their lives. The other side doesn't know anything, including whether they'll lose their lives, or whether they'll lose the people they love.

I don't think it's right, or what any of us are saying, that the first group had it worse. I think we're saying that it's all bad.

[givethemhell]

[Magnus already said most of what he wanted to, so he'll just quietly add:]

We do understand. If people choose to seek answers or retribution later, I don't think many of us would deny them what they're looking for. But for now, we can only do and say so much - and what all of us want is to deliver everyone from this place safely.