[Town victory] Vanilla Mafia!

[Chibi Pika]

Ebony trotted over to Wes, holding some papers in her mouth. "So, umm... I got a lot of the things that Jean's Voice and Sylveon said. Maybe some of it will be helpful?"

Spoiler: Dragonfree Quotes

Technically we do not actually know that Steven was rolecop. We’re assuming this based on him stating that he had found out Hana/Abra’s role. I forget precisely how he phrased it, want to look at that again in a bit, but it was very much a softclaim. I’m not comfortable calling them mechanically confirmed, especially with an actual hardclaimed town rolecop coming out of the woodwork. I’m just really weirded out by two town rolecops? What are they even for? (The other thing that would explain this is scum Chibi? Need to go through and form an opinion on how plausible that is as well, but I certainly have been reading Chibi as town.)

SparklingEspeon’s information does indeed look extremely suspect.

Equi at first tried to exonerate SparklingEspeon specifically for the highly suspect hint, which I find a bit eyebrow-raising. I guess the reasoning is scum would have come up with something more convincing, which is fair enough, but the immediate willingness to not just consider that angle but to put her off the scumlist altogether seems very oddly hasty. Then, subsequently Equi is immediately on to voting SparklingEspeon once there's more suspicion on her, even while still actively looking for ways she could be telling the truth? Mmmmm, feels like a dodgy sort of pattern.

If Equi flips scum, at the very least, I think we should deeefinitely look at SparklingEspeon tomorrow.]]

Hi, brain is leaking out of my ears and I need a nap before I can do any useful posting, but primarily I think we really need to hear from @SparklingEspeon today, and in the meantime I want to review several other people because we're running real low on potential mafia]]

I'm sorry, I'm kind of baffled that you'd been paying enough attention to know Chibi was seen as hard town but not enough to ever see that they'd claimed rolecop? As rolecop, wouldn't you want to make at least a cursory effort to check if your prospective target has claimed anything, just in case you caught them in a lie? I guess if you saw your main role as being looking for mafia (i.e. only for the juggernaut, since there's no other role in the game that could only be mafia), it makes some sense to go for someone you think is unclaimed, but even then I'd think you'd want to check.

Spoiler: Espeon Quotes

Long story short, town rolecop. N0 I scanned Bench. Vanilla. He died. N1, I scanned Homestar hoping to find SK or something. Bulletproof. N2 I scanned Wind to see what side of the debacle she was on. Cop. N3, I scanned Chibi. I don't think they claimed yet so I won't reveal theirs unless they're fine with it.

I didn't want to reveal myself because I was looking for some kind of power-role that was obviously mafia or could bust the game open. I thought if I did reveal, then the mafia would pick me off ASAP and then Town would be pretty darn screwed. So when Jackie asked me to claim last day, I tried to pass as Vanila Townie. Except I only had Goat's hint I skimmed to go off of, so I made something that sounded vague and convincing and wouldn't intentionally mislead people at the time. But I guess I screwed up or something, because it did both. And then I just didn't post for the rest of the day because I didn't want to dig myself a hole and convince people I was mafia. But now I think it's either reveal or be daykilled, so.]]

[[I was specifically looking for people who had power roles and were suspect. Tonight was going to be the lovers. Checked Wind just to make sure, because I really wanted to be sure of our cop and that this wasn't a stealth ploy or something. Checked Chibi because they were pretty darn protective of DF, who people were throwing sus on. Legit did not know Chibi claimed at any point.]]

[[In my head, you could easily have been anything, though. And I won't pretend to understand a lot of the first day, but you were big on my sus radar for that first night. I thought I would get an SK read from you, which maybe would have justified the behavior? And then the lovers could come after. But SK was a big prize IMO.]]

[[In my head, Anti could have been a cop. OR Mafia could have had a rolecop, read Altair night before, found their SK, and used it as a way to get Wind "confirmed". I suspected they had done this because Inke is the kind of player who's savvy and holds her cards pretty close to her chest. If I were mafia, I would focus on figuring her out early. So I read Wind to see if she really was cop, since cop would be a pretty useless role in the hands of mafia.]]

[[Because it just seemed like every day, there was another priority check. I've explained Homestar and Wind. Chibi was essentially my OCD 'let's go big' check. I also knew I was going to be sussed hard today and wanted to investigate someone who didn't have bad connotations to me, or could mechanically confirm me (I was under the impression Chibi never claimed). If I turned up today and said 'howdy ho, I'm rolecop, these two people I've been blatantly sussing the whole game are actually Bad Guys like I think they are', thaaat would not look good for me. And sure, they may be innocent, but I'm pretty sure they aren't?]]

[[No definitive evidence, and I'm not calling for a lynch without a check. But same logic as for why Wind could have been mafia. I just think it's pretty sus that it came out at like the last second, and it's at least worth a rolecop read to make sure they are who they say they are. Because if they are mafia and masquerading as lovers, thennn that would mean all our reads here are pretty off, since we're excluding the lovers. I just think it's a really good hiding place, and from what I saw of D1 their behavior just rings my bells.]]

[[If I scanned the people I believe are secretly mafia and they turned up secretly mafia, then it would look bad for me today. I knew I was going to be interrogated. Sooo it looks bad if I point at two people and say 'hey I scanned them they're bad guys go hit them not me'. Chibi was relatively safe in that I didn't think they had claimed and thought I could mechanically confirm myself by having the right answer. Also doubled as a throw in the dark for stealth town I guess, though not much logical foundation for that.]]

"Also, my Voice gave me more boxes to draw." Ebony was really getting tired of drawing boxes. Good thing she was still carrying that stick. She dragged it through the ultra-shiny moon dust...

Spoiler: If Sylveon is bad...

Spoiler: If Sylveon is good...?

[[Some thoughts:

1. Do we seriously think that town got four inforoles and mafia got none when rolecop is notorious for being a scumrole.
2. Do we seriously think that scum got only one power? It's looking somewhat likely that they never had a doctor (despite heAL CLASH). What else would even make sense? Bulletproof?
3. Have we resigned ourselves to Hazel being 100% scum? Because that's the only logical endpoint to town!Espy.

 

[Persephone]

[[ As I and others said yesterday, Espy’s searching for people he says may be guilty is a very weird way of handling that role for town. But targeting inforoles makes a lot of sense for a mafia role cop. Going to vote for SparklingEspeon. Really doubt my mind is changed on this. ]]

 

[SparklingEspeon]

[[I finally got a chance to sit down and actually read over everything here.

Read Clovis/Pixie last night. Turns out... I was wrong. Lovers.]]

 

[Fusion]

"Oh, my Voice has a thing to ask. Rolecops can only read one's role, not allignment, right? And as Ebony and her Voice suggested, Rolecop is, more often than not, a "scumrole." We shouldn't fully consider Sylveon as innocent yet," Reme said, absentmindedly floating towards the group. She might have been enjoying herself jumping this entire time. "Although, Jean's mud-throwing of their claims would naturally put a more innocent light on them."

There were only... seven of them left. One of which being a pair of lovers. Honestly, Reme didn't think Pixie to be Clovis' type, but alas. Regardless, the town had to play carefully, so...

"It may be for the best that my Voice and I keep our strategizing to a minimum once again, as to not get in anyone else way. We will, of course, speak up if we find something particularly interesting, that the rest of you somehow don't pick up first."

 

[Chibi Pika]

Read Clovis/Pixie last night. Turns out... I was wrong. Lovers.]]

Ebony tilted her head. "Wrong about.... what? Knowing that they're lovers doesn't tell us if they're good or bad."

 

[Persephone]

There were only... seven of them left. One of which being a pair of lovers. Honestly, Reme didn't think Pixie to be Clovis' type, but alas. Regardless, the town had to play carefully, so...

[[ Lies. Pixie is everyone’s type. ]]

 

[SparklingEspeon]

Ebony tilted her head. "Wrong about.... what? Knowing that they're lovers doesn't tell us if they're good or bad."

[[I mean, I guess they could be mafia lovers? My hypothesis was that if they were mafia, they'd probably be using it as cover. And if I saw them as a role that wasn't lovers, then they'd be clear mafia.

maybe I should shut up now]]

 

[Fusion]

[[ Lies. Pixie is everyone’s type. ]]

"Chaotic Neutral wrapped in the guise of lawful good is only the type of morally ambiguous individuals and..." Reme paused, hearing something from her Voice. Whatever it was, it made her grimace.

"And... Furries," she spat. "I don't know what that word is but I already despise it."

 

[Chibi Pika]

Ebony was pacing anxiously, finding it hard to think. Her Voice was telling her too many things and she didn't want to think about any of it.

"Okay, umm... everyone!" she called out, hoping to get everyone's attention.

"So, we all know we're going to vote for Sylveon or Ninetales tonight, right? But... I want to know which one everyone thinks is more likely bad. I need to know what everyone thinks before I decide."

 

[Fusion]

Reme, surprisingly still airborne, nodded. "Yes, we need to come to a decision."

"On one hand, if the Sylveon is good and we vote them, we're going to be down one of the rolecops. If Pixie is good and we vote her, then we lose her and Clovis..." Reme hummed, grimacing slightly. "It might be safer to target the Rolecop, as if we're wrong, we're only down one."

"But then, the Mafia could go after Clovis and Pixie in the night anyway..."

She rubbed her chin, then looked to the more silent members. "Would it be... a bad idea to pick one of the few silent ones? Like the other Frostpix? As far as I can tell, nobody as any clear reads on them, and I believe they claimed to be another Vanilla. At the absolute worst, we lose one of our own with now role, and the Mafia are stuck between killing either one of the rolecops, or the lovers."

 

[Homestar!]

Ebony was pacing anxiously, finding it hard to think. Her Voice was telling her too many things and she didn't want to think about any of it.

View attachment 1528 "Okay, umm... everyone!" she called out, hoping to get everyone's attention.

"So, we all know we're going to vote for Sylveon or Ninetales tonight, right? But... I want to know which one everyone thinks is more likely bad. I need to know what everyone thinks before I decide."

"If I had to pick," Mike called, bounding in the Houndoom's direction in long hop-strides, "I say the Sylveon is the more likely and more pertinent threat.

"The Mafia already knows most, if not all, of our team's composition. However, there's something for town to gain from either way they flip." Mike prepped himself before continuing, and pushed himself into a picturesque front-flip.

"If they're bad," he continued mid-spin, "they made an effort of finally 'exonerating' the other lovers. Which actually damns them." Mike stuck the landing, punctuating his point with a thud. "If Sylveon is bad, and the second lover pairs survive the night, odds are the lovers are liars."

"I assume that the Mafia is no longer concerned with finding out roles, given that there really aren't any harmful ones left to find." Mike shrugged, and centered himself. "Hana was right that the game was close to being solved, and both sides are aware of that."

"Now, if the Sylveon flips good," Mike flipped backwards on 'flip,' much less perfect, but not nearly as terrible as the first attempt, "then it turns out the lovers claim was truthful. And, if the lovers survive the night, we can continue to trust them."

He landed and stumbled, but recovered from it. "I vote for the Sylveon."

 

[Fusion]

"Impressive, Mike. My Voice didn't think of it like that," Reme nodded, finally landing on her feet. She then miraculously fell flat on her face.

She kinda just... stayed there. Sulking. Or was she seething with rage? Either or.

 

[Homestar!]

"Impressive, Mike. My Voice didn't think of it like that," Reme nodded, finally landing on her feet. She then miraculously fell flat on her face.

She kinda just... stayed there. Sulking. Or was she seething with rage? Either or.

"Reme," Mike asked, bemused but trying his best to be sincere, "aren't you psychic? Can't you just, you know..." Mike took a few quick loping strides before launching himself both forwards and up, fingers at his temples and face screwed up tight. As if that somehow said the unspoken end to his sentence.

For quite a while, it felt to Mike like he was gently gliding along under his own mental power. But he knew better to assume his mental powers were that potent. He remembered how he started this game.

 

[Fusion]

After a few more moments of seething sulkily, Reme sat herself up and dusted the space dust off. "Not at all, actually. I was born without powers, without aura. Infinity energy. Power juice. Whatever it is you want to call it."

"Which is why being a "Vanilla" with no powers, in a game about powers and deception, still hasn't sat well with me," she said. "My silence helps mask my irritation. And, also, conversing with interest characters such as yourself."

 

[Sinderella]

"If Sylveon is bad, and the second lover pairs survive the night, odds are the lovers are liars."

Clovis groaned loudly from his spot on the floor. He hadn’t moved yet. Physically, he couldn’t. Nor could he bring himself to open his eyes just yet. His stomach was still doing somersaults at the idea that the Earth was so far below them.

“Not to clear the Sylveon, but now that you said that, scum could play a gross game and leave Pixie and I alive and let you all sus-sac us.”

He brought a hand to his face and rubbed his forehead. Wes had suggested that very thing not too long ago, and now it seemed somewhat plausible. But… “Then again if they really are in end-game, there’s no real reason to draw it out, if they were bold enough to knock out the first pair…unless they’re straight up sadists.”

He really was having a hard time thinking here, because his brain simply wouldn’t stop screaming. Damn this advanced height.

“Nonetheless, this puts me in a bad spot, because you’re right. If that Sylveon flips scum, and I miraculously don’t perish in the night, surely you’re all going to want my head. And Pixie’s.”

He paused. “Let me make it clear that ‘lovers’ is too strong a word; it’s very much not like that. It’s certainly more of a platonic trainer-and-Pokemon thing, and not…whatever ‘lovers’ would imply.” He shuddered. “I like ice-types, but not that much.”

He was blabbering now. Well, at the very least, his stutter was gone.

“I’ll argue my innocence until I’m blue in the face, though.” He chuckled to himself, bitterly. “Or…I guess, in this case, green.”

 

[HelloYellow17]

Ebony was pacing anxiously, finding it hard to think. Her Voice was telling her too many things and she didn't want to think about any of it.

View attachment 1528 "Okay, umm... everyone!" she called out, hoping to get everyone's attention.

"So, we all know we're going to vote for Sylveon or Ninetales tonight, right? But... I want to know which one everyone thinks is more likely bad. I need to know what everyone thinks before I decide."

Wes nodded and was about to reply when a flurry of movement caught his eye. He stared, dumbfounded, as Mike performed all kinds of acrobatics through the air and Reme glided around like some eerie specter.

Reme nodded, finally landing on her feet. She then miraculously fell flat on her face.

Mike took a few quick loping strides before launching himself both forwards and up, fingers at his temples and face screwed up tight.

Oh, my gods, they’re all idiots.

Choosing to ignore their antics, he turned back to Ebony and tried to keep his eyes focused on her and not the unsettling emptiness all around him. It didn’t quite feel like he was high up, at least, but he certainly wasn’t eager to bounce around like a Drifloon, either. He’d keep his feet firmly planted on the ground, thank you very much—now if only he could see the damn ground, he’d feel a lot better…

He cleared his throat. “Personally, I think we should opt for the Ninetales. Don’t get me wrong, I still think that Sylveon is suspicious as all hell, but I’m just not convinced that they’d make so many mistakes if they had teammates backing them up. Plus, Jean’s Voice really wanted us to go after her yesterday, and I don’t think they would try to set us on another teammate just to take some heat off themselves.”

He shot another wary glare at the Ninetales, who was still and quiet as a statue. “I think they’re our safest vote.”

 

[HelloYellow17]

He paused. “Let me make it clear that ‘lovers’ is too strong a word; it’s very much not like that. It’s certainly more of a platonic trainer-and-Pokemon thing, and not…whatever ‘lovers’ would imply.” He shuddered. “I like ice-types, but not that much.”

Oh, thank the gods for that. Wes had given his best effort to avoid thinking too much about both lover pairs, as the implications had been…beyond disturbing. He’d had more important things to worry about, and he didn’t need one more thing threatening to make his head explode. He could finally put the horrifying idea of a Kent and Hana romance to rest and never have to wonder about it again…well, mostly.

 

[Homestar!]

"Not at all, actually. I was born without powers, without aura. Infinity energy. Power juice. Whatever it is you want to call it."

"Your brain is borked," Mike nodded sagely, "got it." Though he had heard some of those terms, none of them aptly described how psychic-types operated in his world.

“Not to clear the Sylveon, but now that you said that, scum could play a gross game and leave Pixie and I alive and let you all sus-sac us.”

"Ooooh," Mike bounced their way, careful to stay out of cigarette-burn-range of the sickly Kalosian, "I thought of that myself before saying things out loud. I decided that, were they to play that game, that's a one-for-two trade. Which I'm not entirely sure the Mafia would or should make. If there's only two left, they are dangerously outnumbered.

"Maybe they thought y'all were an easy two-for-one if they flipped guilty," Mike mused. He squatted deep and launched himself straight up. He could feel his legs becoming quite sore, and knew he would have to make his last few impassioned leaps count.

"I posit this solution," he called from on high, "if the Sylveon flips Mafia, Chibi should double-check the lovers."

He cleared his throat. “Personally, I think we should opt for the Ninetales. Don’t get me wrong, I still think that Sylveon is suspicious as all hell, but I’m just not convinced that they’d make so many mistakes if they had teammates backing them up. Plus, Jean’s Voice really wanted us to go after her yesterday, and I don’t think they would try to set us on another teammate just to take some heat off themselves.”

He shot another wary glare at the Ninetales, who was still and quiet as a statue. “I think they’re our safest vote.”

"Safest? Maybe," Mike landed quite hard, his lifelong fatboy knees not at all enjoying taking so much pressure, even in lower gravity. He crumbled into a heap, groaned, and almost lost his train of thought.

"But," he finally piped up, "we learn nothing-" pant, "by sacrificing anyone else-" pant, "tonight." Mike gulped down a few breaths, his exertions finally having caught up to him. "All of our remaining 'safe choices' border on shooting-in-the-dark. Right or wrong, the Sylveon offers us information."

 

[Fusion]

"Your brain is borked," Mike nodded sagely, "got it."

Some of that pleasant look Reme had before wavered. "I don't have a physical ailment or disability," she said, deadpanned. "If anyone of us here did it would seem to be you. I don't need to read your mind to see that it's hanging on by a thread."

"Regardless, a fair bit of tact would be much appreciated, Mike."

 

[Homestar!]

Some of that pleasant look Reme had before wavered. "I don't have a physical ailment or disability," she said, deadpanned. "If anyone of us here did it would seem to be you. I don't need to read your mind to see that it's hanging on by a thread."

"Regardless, a fair bit of tact would be much appreciated, Mike."

Mike found it hard to push himself to his feet in any sort of dignified way, and thus had a very hard time of recovering metaphorically in any sort of dignified way.

"Sorry, Reme," he spoke, in a much more controlled tone than before. "Where I'm from, it's- Psychic types, they're all about mental prowess. You're right, though, I need to- need to stop fucking bouncing Arc-dammit." He resigned himself to not moving at all, and once more found himself on his belly with a thump.

"I need to get it together," he muffled out from where his face pressed into the 'ground.'