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Apathy nodded her head at Peep, conceding. She did not necessarily agree, but Nightingale had already voted, no? The point was moot. Like Optimist, she felt that the doe's consistent voting would be detrimental to the game eventually, if it already was not, as it meant she did not contribute much to other lines of suspicion.

As for Doubleback, Apathy agreed that their situation was dire. The game still went on; that indicated that at least one wolf yet lived. And now they were nearing the turning point, to see if they had made even a dent in the wolves' numbers. Well, Apathy had given it her all throughout the days, and she would continue to do so.

With Optimist, Apathy didn't deny such reasoning; she had, after all, been the one suspicious of Wintershadow and Neither Nor's death for the same reason. Ah, but the possibility that Optimist still lived because she was inadvertently targeting the prey. Now that one hurt. Apathy knew that she, too, was one of the vocal, and Neither Nor's death still stung as a sign that she'd, without question, targeted one of their own. But what else could she do? To fall back, for fear of accidentally going after prey, would be the same as to willingly give up some of her power against the wolves.

She turned to Swamp Trees. "Well, I don't think random voting is the best course of action. In the beginning, such votes would have been more likely to hit prey than predator, considering proportions; and by now, with us nearly down to ten, it's more crucial that we're able to justify why we go after someone." She scratched an ear furiously. At another time, that reason alone would have been enough for Apathy to vote for her. But now, they did not have as many numbers. She would not vote for those considered to be noncontributing members for such a reason alone. Apathy would reserve her vote for someone she thought, with more confidence, was predator.

She thought Story mildly suspicious as well, largely because the past day or two, he had been pointing out ideas about wolves that she thought unlikely: first, that they may not know who each other were, when the details of the game stated they voted; and second that they would go after one another when their numbers were already low. But it could interpreted as a prey who truly did not know (after all, who would know for certain, but the wolves themselves?), as much as it could be for a wolf trying to spread ideas. But she was unsure how such thoughts would benefit the wolves, and now with him voting for himself, it felt a little awkward to follow that line of thought. It could have been a ruse to lower suspicion on oneself, she supposed, especially at such a time when he knew others suspected him but had not yet cast their votes. For this, too, she'd wait and see.

((Keeping the rest short due to lack of time.))

Bitter End and Look-See seemed to hold themselves distant from the group as a whole. Peep she agreed had been unassuming, but to the point of being guilty? She thought Giveforward and Wild Sage were even more unassuming, with most of their votes being for the majority, but she did not find either Give, Sage, Bare Trees, or Double particularly suspicious, despite the last receiving some votes to her name (although she was skeptical of anyone that did not seem particularly suspicious, for that exactly that reason). Peep's quickness to vote the past day or two was a little alarming, though, she agreed. Wild Cry's suspicions were strange, but were they a slip of the tongue or a result of hasty conclusions due to lack of time?

Wild Sage's winning smiles at Bare Trees were interrupted briefly by Story's vote for himself - an action that echoed his own endgame choice the last time he'd played. He barely registered Look-See reacting to his words, so intent on the buck's choice was he. Sage turned slowly to the bark-clad buck with a gaze of restrained empathy. "I understand wanting to end the game on your own terms," he started softly. "That's the same choice I made last game... when I was the last wolf standing."

Sage gave the fallout from that bombshell a moment to settle before continuing, "I will also vote for Story today. At the very least, I'll be helping a discontent player leave the game - but, if he's taking the same way out I did... It could spell our victory."

When Story voted for himself Optimist started. She'd found him suspicious but now just found him confusing. Of course it could be a ploy by a wolf to gain trust or to prevent a teammate for having to vote for him but she'd believe that he was just confused, too - especially since no one had even voted for him yet. "If you're prey, you shouldn't vote for yourself," Optimist said, shaking her head. "I think even a random vote is better than that - because there's at least a chance that you'll vote for a predator."

"Um...I don't remember a lot about Bitter End," she admitted. "E-except for the Wintershadow thing, and Fire Made Flesh yesterday, and..." And toward the beginning Bitter End had done a few silly things, hadn't he? She eyed the doe, who now voted for Peep. Hm...

She looked back at the pretty little acha. "Do you have suspicions yourself?"

Then it was to the matter of Swamp Trees, who everyone had left ignored for just a bit. "And, um, Swamp Trees." The doe had gasped and rolled her eyes, which had to mean she was paying attention. "You look like you're paying attention...I know you don't know anyone very well, but do you have any insights at all?" She was so confused by the normally silent doe. "And, um, Apathy...the same goes for you. I-is there anyone you're not willing to vote for?"

It would be easy to vote for Story as he no longer wished to be in the game. It was reasonable to be rid of him, too, but was it not better to vote for someone they thought a predator? She gave her head a shake, "Peep is more suspicious to me than Story right now."

"Voting for Wild Cry is an odd choice. I am not inclined to vote for Story. If Story were the wolf, just admit it. But since he doesn't want to play, it's not like he's forced to stay in this clearing either." Look-See's mind was whirling to remember how each kin voted. Their names were as long as the sky was high. Today would be an interesting one.

"If I survive tonight, I will be very curious on tonight's income. At this point, I feel like I've been stung by a bee, but it's good to see some passion coming through these votes."

Look-See stretches and flips her cowtail voting, "Peep."

Truthfully, Bare Trees would not exactly have voted for either of the top contenders. It was true that she had suspicions for Story's votes but -- voting for himself threw the doe off guard. The others explanations for Peep surely made her question the petite acha as well, to be fair. Though many didn't really like to vote first, someone had to do it. Neither of them also really were too vocal nor too quiet in the sway of conversations so it was hard to say.

"My vote is for Story." She looked over to the buck sympathetically.

"One of their number asked to be killed so perhaps it would be mercy to simply let him die. Still there was discussion--not all were eager to kill him if it meant culling the prey, but mercy or, perhaps suspicion, won out in the end and they killed Story." Merry Wanderer nodded at the buck to step back. "It did little to satisfy their prickling discomfort, their rage at the wolves that killed them at night. A willing victim was no fun."

"Still they needed their sleep so they succumbed to the darkness with rage and desire deep in their bones." He nodded at the players to close their eyes. "It was with this sentiment in the air that the wolves opened their eyes and began their hunt."


The 24 hour-ish night round starts now. This thread will be silent until Merry Wanderer begins the day round.