Game 36 - Sage

[teamposts]

Comments

[pchaaair]

... Cardinal. Celeste. Teal. ... Fawn, maybe?

Cardinal and Celeste, are the teams that I would say are the ones that are most at risk.

[folding_cranes]

What do you think we should do?

[pchaaair]

... I don't know.

There is no way to protect both of them.

[folding_cranes]

Of course. There has to be a choice.

The question is, how will it be made?

[pchaaair]

. . . By trying to determine who, out of those two teams, is most likely to not be protected.

[folding_cranes]

...Are you certain that those are the only two teams that are likely to be left alone?

[pchaaair]

... I feel like I am reasonably certain of that possibility.

What do you think, Violet?

[folding_cranes]

I don't know...

I mean, of all the other teams, how many do you think are having a similar discussion to our own? Trying to protect the bottom, possibly at the cost of the middle?

[pchaaair]

[...frowns]

That's... likely, too.

[gugalkjsjklf]

I wish there was a way to predict how people would play.

[folding_cranes]

If you know people on the other teams, it seems like their actions could be predicted. ...Unfortunately, I am not very familiar.

[pchaaair]

I'm not, either. I know, in general, what each team is like, but ... I spent enough time not caring, or paying attention, to anyone not Sage or Celeste, to not know the relationships well.

[folding_cranes]

I see...

Then, it comes down to a choice of what one can live with.

[pchaaair]

... Yeah.

[huff]

I'm sorry. I've been here for as long as Apple, so, I should probably know this.

[folding_cranes]

You can hardly be expected to know everyone here.

[pchaaair]

But, it would be helpful if I did.

[folding_cranes]

But you don't. ...What's more important is what now: will you give in, or will Shirayuki?

[pchaaair]

[looks at his hands

looks at apple

looks back at his hands

thinking very deeply]

Cardinal is probably least likely, to have anyone to protect them. I am not aware of alliances, or how strong they might be, while Celeste still ... has something.

[folding_cranes]

...I see.

[pchaaair]

... And we are probably not the first priority for protection from Celeste, anyway. They are probably going to protect Shell, and then rely on the alliance that they do have to stay safe.

... I don't want to, because I still do not like Cardinal as a whole, but. . . [um] We agreed to try to minimize damage to everyone.

[folding_cranes]

That is true.

Is it a decision you can live with?

[pchaaair]

... Yes.

I think so. I was able to live with what happened in the last bad competition, and what we did contributed to what happened to Celeste, in a way, since we blocked extra points for them. So—I can... live with this, too.

Can you live with it? If that is the decision that is made.

[folding_cranes]

[smoothing down her skirt before looking him in the eye, voice steady]

...I am uncomfortable with the fact that Tetsuya seemed reluctant to speak his mind. I know that he would rather protect Canary, but he did not put forth anything in her defense, instead quickly deferring to others. If we are meant to have a team dialogue that is 'fair,' part of that means that everyone must feel open to speak their minds.

I personally just want to mitigate the damage as much as possible. So if there is a team that otherwise would be hurt without our protection, I am in favor of protecting them, no matter their identity or deeds.

[pchaaair]

[...frowns, ugh he fucked up]

I can talk to him about that. Because—I... don't want that to be a thing.

[folding_cranes]

I don't believe any of us do.

But for now, we have to make a decision.

[pchaaair]

[nnngh]

Yeah, we have to. [looks at apple, looks at kuroko, and then back to violet]