we_meet_again | Phone inbox

[don't worry, he's fine]

That worked out.

Do you always hit the same units every time?

Typically. About half the units are on our priority list, some of those which we have agreements with not to hit though I wouldn't call them alliances. And we choose from the remaining units.

The benefits of being introverted.

I always wondered how your unit did it - since I imagine someone has a friend on every unit.

Yeah, that's definitely true.

[helping himself to more nachos]

We have a handful of priority units that contain people's significant others or literal family members, but I'm not sure there's a single unit we could hit without someone being sad about it. So most of the time it comes down to, "we have to hit somebody, so who is most likely to survive what we send?"

In the guest game, for example, we wound up hitting several of our top priority units because they seemed least likely to go into debt. The cards we played on them were small, though, like sore throats and fatigue and "can't use the conbini for a day."

When the "do the least harm" system doesn't work, we have to fall back to taking only our priority units off the table. Just like everyone else, probably.

Like what happened in the balloon game. Or do you think with all the turnover since then, the current pep would play a different game?

Hmm....

I think the way we played would probably be the same. We played very lightly for the first few rounds, and when it looked like we were about to eat it, we played as hard as we needed to to survive, and squeaked through by only one point.

I think the only difference now would probably be which units we prioritize. Half the people who were in that game are gone. Now we have new people, new connections.

[he swirls his drink around, thoughtfully. The alcohol is starting to kick in, whew.]

When that last round came along and we knew we were going to die if we didn't hit one more unit, we'd already hit all our non-priority units. Nobody else would give up theirs, and time was running out, and something had to give. So I gave up future is now. Sunset and Sunshine had been protecting you until that point, too. We all folded to protect ourselves.

But then you died, and I was sure it was us who killed you, and I was... I was so angry. Because you guys had already died so much. It was so ffffucking unfair, what we did to you.

I don't think I've really stopped being angry about it.

But even though I keep going back over the situation in my head, I'm not sure what a better alternative would have been. If we hadn't hit someone, our unit would have died. If we hit someone else, then maybe one of my unitmates would be feeling this pain instead of me. None of those alternatives are better.

Edited 2020-01-20 08:43 (UTC)

You know. We haven't died since then. If you exclude the bullshit that happened to Duality during the guest stars arrival. And the House, since that's its own special cluster fuck.

[Takes a drink at remembering both of those unpleasant things]

But that was the turning point. Where we stopped playing soft in faith of the community.

I won't say you didn't kill us, because everyone who hit us did. But in turn, we also hit you in the first round of that game. So we were also willing to sacrifice you.

What's more frustrating is the wallowing in self-pity afterwards. Even in this last game with your Cotton Candy puff. Being hysterical and feeling sorry for yourself for having to make hard decisions. Blaming it on everything else besides your own hand. Was I willing to sacrifice your unit for mine? Absolutely.

But I don't make excuses for it besides that's what I want.

[he falls silent for a bit, staring out at the scenery.]

That's fair.

I guess if I'm going to be upset about it, then hitting you was meaningless.

Instead, I should say that I'm grateful my unit lived.

...I'm glad we lived.

I am also glad you lived. Though I have no qualifications to say that since I also agreed to attack your unit.

...

[Takes another drink]

Hopefully that means you can put some of those corpses in your mind graveyard to rest.

[...

... Hold on, this is literally the first time it's occurred to him that maybe Intensity cares what happens to him in games.

He feels... stupid? touched? sheepish? sentimental? ...tipsy? yes

He flushes a little... from the alcohol, ok. Shut up. Don't look at him.

...]

...That's the second time you mentioned that. The graveyard.

What did you mean, before, when you said my guilt was repaid twice over?

Edited 2020-01-26 03:10 (UTC)

[Intensity is thankfully not looking at Cobalt so he can enjoy his myriad of feelings over on his side of the balcony.

(Did Cobalt really think he was this "nice" to everybody?)]

We've hit you in two games since then. This latest guest unit game being one of them.

So it's not like we're sacrificing ourselves for you.

Only twice? I always just kinda assumed you probably hit us in every game.

[wait... how many games even have let us hit each other since then, he's trying to remember]

Well, you gotta hit somebody, especially if half the units are already off the table. The guest game goes to show there are times you can hit us without doing much harm, so it's not like I'm gonna be upset about that.

[For straight up hitting other teams, that would be two: Capitalism and GM Game. Not counting Battle Royale games.

Switching it up for the BARiTONES homebrew]

Low bar. Do you really get that much outwardly upset at anything?

[oh ok so he's still right. (Not that he knows Capitalism was a game where you COULD hit each other)]

You tell me. You've watched me implode at least a few times by now.

[bottoms up!]

Do you think I'm secretly upset about that? That you hit us in games?

Was that flicker an implosion? My bad.

[And he takes a minute to actually look at Cobalt before he answers the next question]

No. One, because it doesn't affect your outcome too much whether we do or not. And two, because you try too hard to understand the other side.

[are they talking about the same things? Unsure. He'll put a pin in that for now, though.]

That's probably true, on both accounts.

[He looks at Intensity right back.]

Does it bother you that we hit you?

It used to when Shogun was around. He was very fond of many of you. But since we have established that we'll hit each other, I have no issue with it.

My irritation comes from when my unit wants to prioritize your unit over others that won't hit us for stupid reasons.

[Which is not on Cobalt, but being the petty asshole Intensity is, he still is irked at pep! about it]

Yeah, back when Shogun was around, quite a few people on my unit were very attached to fin, so it bothered me when we hit you, too.

[see: balloon game]

[What was the other thing Intensity brought? Scotch? He's going to pour himself a sample of this now]

So you're having to fight your unit in order to hit us more? Sounds annoying.

What are the stupid reasons?

You can revive people. And are more personable to deal with than the White Mages after certain... incidents. I don't particularly care for saving people just because of the roles the producers want us to play.

Their personal usefulness to me, however, is a completely different story.

I mean... If you're going to spare someone for that kinda reason, better off prioritizing sensitIV over us. They always have like three times the work we do, minimum. And even if our whole unit died in a game, I can't imagine anyone would to go to Monster Mom for it. They'd never let us be that vital.

[He has some scotch, tries not to wince from the burn]

Sounds like your arguments are getting through, though. Good thing, 'Cause I'm not about to explain to the rest of your unit why they oughta hit us more. If I get into it with Silence I might bite her head off.

...Ahaha, maybe I am a little mad.

...

I imagine Silence said something incredibly direct to you.

She has a knack for doing that.

[For better or for worse]

[his expression is very flat]

Not to me. To a couple of my unitmates, though.

Does Silence ever vote to hit us in games? Or is she one of the ones who stands up for us?

...If you feel comfortable saying. It's fine if you don't; I can ask her myself.

She's done both. Depends on the game.

But she's also not going to hide her intentions, so I suggest that you do ask her.

I probably will. No point being mad about it when I can just talk to her.

After the Castle Game she came over to scold us. I'm sure she meant well when she said, "if you ever sacrifice yourselves for fin, I'll never forgive you." It's one thing to hear that from someone who actually cares if we live, but it's frustrating to hear from someone who will also choose to sacrifice us for fin. Like it's acceptable if she kills us, but unacceptable if we do it ourselves, even if the outcome's the same. Like whether we live or not doesn't even matter, it's just our choices that are offensive. How we choose is none of her business.

I'm sure she didn't mean it that way, but I think about it whenever you guys hit us.

[Takes a generous drink]

...But anyway, it's stupid and doesn't really matter. Silence isn't fin, and her opinion is just her opinion, you've gotta hit someone, and I guess I don't really have anything to be mad about since you guys haven't killed us in a game.

[SHRUG]

It's all dumb and I'm just being cranky and bitter.

[Laughs at Cobalt's expression. Oh, he should get this boy a little tipsy more often]

What's wrong with being cranky and bitter? Keeps you sane and warm at night.

And also. Counterpoint - as someone who is terribly fond of Silence - why do you care if she'll never forgive you? Words are words and nothing changes.

It is none of her business how you play unless it affects her, don't you agree? And even that is open to interpretation.

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