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Optimist inclined her head at Nightingale. "I think I have more than said my piece already, in that case," she said. "Either way, I'm glad you're participating in the game beyond votes now." There wasn't much Optimist could say to convince someone who seemed dead set against her for little reason other than she talked a lot.

She nodded at Wild Cry. "That's a good point," she said thoughtfully. "But I don't think all of the wolves can be loud, either - there were five of them, at the beginning of the game. It'd be better for them to vary their strategy." Besides, maybe it was just because she could hear them reasoning, but there were more people she had opinions about among those who were talking regularly. "Either way, I'd much rather you voted for a kin you find suspicious through both their words and the fact that they're speaking at all, than simply pick someone who's talking."

She listened carefully to Kiss of Death, and then frowned. "I think there's still something missing," she said. "Hasn't there been four nights? If you can't save the same kin over and over, why do you claim to have saved only three? How did you save Eyes of the Night? He is, um, dead. In the game." The chronology of all of this was confusing. "I know I've been one of the kin least inclined to believe you of all - but I hope I'm not the only one who thinks what you're saying is strange, enough that it just sounds...well, made up."

She shrugged, stretched her neck, and continued. "Anyway, I think your other argument, about wolves leaving you intentionally alive, can easily be applied to anyone else who's attracting attention during the day - including myself. I think it's very possible that people who attract attention during the day are prey - but some of them must be wolves, or the predators wouldn't be leaving us alive. My argument is that one of those wolves is you." She paused, closed her eyes to collect herself, and continued. "That's why I'm voting for you again, Kiss of Death."

Then she paused. "Anyway, I don't think the game has stretched on too long. This is the fifth day, and with five predators to start, it's only really possible that all of them are dead once this day is over." She shrugged. "But I also don't think we're good enough at this game to have truly eliminated a predator at every single opportunity. I don't think there's any way of telling whether the game has gone on too long until it's over."

She nodded carefully at Wintershadow, and raised her eyebrows at Swmp Trees.

"I don't care how many day and nights have passed if every day still makes us remain clueless who the wolves are. I know your reasoning doesn't make sense either. A predator with an ability to save prey at night? What nonsense is that. Merry Wanderer might as well not have giving me this role.

Also, it's my choice to reveal who I have saved." She looked back at the talkative doe still accusing her of being a liar, and by now felt very appropriate to smile at her. "Don't worry, I will never save you at night, Optimist."

Wild Cry did not understand the concept of saving anyone. Has there truly been that many swing votes that one kin might have prevented a kill? Or os she implying she saved all of these names from the wolves?

He was still caught up on the distractions some gave. "my vote today is for Lost Apathy." he didn't follow the rest this day, he just had a feeling that was itching his ear.

Apathy frowned, a confused tilt to her brow. "There was only one other nickname. It was chosen quickly, yes, but that was because it was familiar. When it was declined, however, I knew I'd have to spend more time on the second." Spotty had not been a nickname, but a mishearing of the actual name. Dotty followed in its steps as the first nickname, with Stripey being the second.

She continued, her voice more quiet, controlled. "I welcome questions, but I admit I am not quite clear what you seek. I told you why I asked about Snake, and you asked about Trouble. I told you why I included Trouble, and you ask about nicknames. I told you about nicknames, and you question my ability despite having only two instances of nicknaming to go off of. Most of what I've said had already been explained earlier in the game; others, such as the timing with Trouble, were observable, and by asking me to repeat the obvious, I feel as if you are attempting to cast a suspicious light on them. I am beginning to get the sensation that you are grasping for reeds, for anything that will make me suspicious; and I find it particularly strange that you choose to do so at such a time as to be disruptive.

I also admit, however, that I may be missing something. My question to you is this, then: what is it that you seek from these lines of inquiry? Is there anything about Snake, or Trouble, or nicknames, that you feel would benefit the wolves in any way? If you think I've inadvertently helping the predators, then I would be keen to know, so as to prevent it from happening in the future."

She shook herself after that spiel, feeling a little crusty. It was, perhaps, due to the cakes of dirt that still covered patches of her coat. She was glad, though, that Kiss had spoken up. The doe looked more in her element now, and Apathy would continue to refrain from voting for her.

And she had not missed Wild Cry and Fire's looks, either. "You are free to direct questions at me, if you'd like," she said, with a flick of her tail. Nightingale was being interrogative, but at least she wasn't implying.

((Will see if I have time to vote in a second post; sorry!))

"I am also not opposed to letting Kiss live another day, but I'm not sure I would choose her over Optimist. I think it would be more of a detriment to us to vote off Optimist than if we were to vote off Kiss."

vote thing

Flesh listened carefully as a select few continued to speak- whether to save themselves like Kiss, or to try and forward their decision, like Optimist. He was suspicious of everyone, though. Without being able to concretely prove someone's role left Flesh wondering how he could believe Kiss about her declaration on being a healer. He supposed that the underlying tones of desperation in her voice rang true enough- for it was in those desperate times that an individual was most likely to display their truest colors.

But he had no concrete proof against Optimist or Apathy, either. Flesh had been tallying all the votes mentally and knew it was close. But he could not bite his tongue when it came time to cast his vote.

"Okay Is Wonderful is my vote. For starters, she talks entirely too much," and that was a selfish reason the dragon clearly indicated with a gravelly growl. "But also, I am inclined to believe her over there," insert head jerk here towards Kiss of Death, "about not being a predator. Something about her just seems too whiny. Why would she waste her breath to so vehemently declare she was innocent. This is supposed to just be a game, and it's not like she'd really die if we voted her off." So either she was being dramatic and that was her nature, or she really wasn't a predator. Flesh was willing to place a bet on the latter.

Optimist shook her head at Wintershadow. "I don't personally think we've been that successful - I don't think the Once and Future King was a predator, nor do I believe entirely in Sun Sinks Down's guilt." And her discomfort with Trouble was growing ever more.

She shrugged at Fire Made Flesh, though. "I'm glad you're finally speaking, but I think that's a little silly. I don't mind if I die, because our numbers are at least great enough that the death of one prey won't matter too much. I think her desperation is all the more an indicator of her guilt." If she were truly innocent, she'd probably try to find predators rather than blindly accuse people just because they'd voted for her.

She inclined her head at Doubleback. "I suppose I can see where you and Giveforward are coming from," she said. The does had been some of the more consistently active members of the party and she liked that they thought carefully about their votes.

"I don't think anyone's accused you of being a predator who saves prey, Kiss - I'm only saying I don't think you've been saving anyone at all." The amount of names Kiss had given hadn't matched the amount of nights where there'd been kills, was all - which meant that she was hiding something. "And my point is that the game has not indeed dragged on too long - in fact, it's impossible for the game to have finished before today's end, barring unlikely circumstances. I'll grant you that it's your choice to give us information, Kiss - but I suppose it's entirely your choice to lie, too."

Wild Cry shrugged, "It was nothing personal, nor is there any reason to question or defend. I only voted that way because it feels you misdirect the conversation sometimes. And if that is due to others' comments towards you, sorry."

"It is difficult to really determine how the group as a whole feels about each individual - especially when you think about just how many only voted with the majority each time." The buck gave a sheepish lop-sided smile. "I know I have done that a few times, just letting everyone else do the real work."