Yes--after taking a couple of weeks to observe how things were going, I realized that...one of the best things I could do to help all of us would be to appeal to the ones among our pantheon that have been under the most scrutiny.
[Piety adjusts his electric blanket.]
I try really hard to get to know everyone around me: the qualities that makes each and everyone something special. I haven't told too many people because I don't want anyone to misunderstand, but Cunning and I have very similar ideals for what we want the world to be, and how we want our pantheon to be able to coexist, once you boil it down. And where I've failed in this competition, he's made strides forward. I still want to win, on my own merit, but what's most important to me is not who wins but how that victory is utilized for the betterment of our world.
[for a second that's all he says, but then he shakes his head and admits softly - ]
... I don't want to say this out loud because I think... if people know that I'm not trying as hard, then maybe it'll make me an easier target. 'He doesn't want to win? Then he should die' sort of thing...
But I was looking for a family. I think... all the gods know that, right? I wanted to find those people who are supposed to love me unconditionally. I want what everyone else had... I thought. [ . . . ] But I came here and - ah, I was forced into it. I think I would've kept lying a lot more if I wasn't revealed in front of everybody.... but people stood by me anyway.
[and he just laughs softly - ]
... not everyone gets that, though. I almost didn't give Bambi a chance because she was mean to Shiks. Dizzy had to find me herself, but I'm glad I listened to her. I'm trying to talk to Cunning but...
I want what you want. A world where you can all be happy, and get along.
[Piety reaches out and takes Senri's hand, squeezing it gently, comforting.]
It's alright. Not everyone knows what they want right away...sometimes, you think you have yourself figured out, but people are always changing. That's normal. What's important is that you do what you can with what you've learned.
[senri will turn his hand so that he can just hold onto piety's because he's a needy bitch baby]
... yeah.
So I guess - do you need any help, Pippin? Ishirin-san seems to know who your last follower is, so I think he'll tell us if there's any chance of them having to defect.... but I still want to do what I can to reach the balanced world you're talking about.
Yes, he knows who my last follower is--they sought each other out quite quickly. It's not up to me to say who they are, of course, but I'm confident that so long as they don't become a target independently, there's no need to worry about them defecting.
[But Piety does pause.]
As long as I can just stay in the game with one follower, it's enough for me. Even with just one, I can do as much as I can to help. If you do find out who my follower is on your own, if you can help keep them safe in any way...be their friend or...try to keep Ambition's followers from forcing them to defect...that would be ideal.
[He sighs.]
I don't think Cunning has told Ambition or Disorder about our alliance--that's fine, I don't mind, because I think it might confuse them or cause conflict, knowing that he made any kind of promise to me without discussing it with them first. My only worry is, because they don't know that I'm not fighting against any of them, they may act against me because I'm an easier target.
I want to find Bambi's followers but... I only know one. It's a pretty smart strategy - the way they're making everyone scatter, you know?
But... do you think Dizzy would do that to you? Or Bambi? I thought you and Bambi were getting along.... I think she'd be pretty sad if she put you in a bad position like that.
Not necessarily. I'm only not sure that her followers are communicating about who they may be targeting, leaving gods vulnerable that they may not have intended.
Exactly. The best we can do is give suggestions on how we feel about specific names that are given to us--but even then, we can't express why we may feel a certain way about that individual.
[Piety nods in understanding.]
It's difficult. Especially now, with so many of us in low numbers, I'm sure a lot of people are feeling scared. Trusting someone can be opening yourself up to betrayal. But, still...you're a warm person. I think that you can do much more than you give yourself credit for.
... well.... if it's someone that Ishirin-san has known since the beginning of the game... that probably means that their coin is perfect, right? If I can figure out who it is... I'll see what I can do to protect them.
[oh god it's so complicated and senri is a fucking moron,]
I'll keep working... but I wanted to ask about something that Cunning told me too. About how a god's vision might not come out perfectly if not all of their followers believe in it?
I think what he might have meant is that...if one of us won, and the rest of us were aware that they won without having the genuine support of their followers, it would draw us only farther away from harmony.
[He can't help but sigh, thinking about it.]
After all, the point of having this competition in the first place was to have a third party come to a natural majority in favor of a single party. Some of us may not be opposed to underhanded methods to keep that majority, but I think after the idea was presented to attempt to end the game early by aligning everyone under a single god, it's put a lot of us on edge.
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[and he is really happy to hear that]
Bambi's really cute and well-meaning, I think a lot more people are coming to realize that now...
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[ . . . and he just hums a little laugh]
I heard that you're making even more friends too. Ishirin-san mentioned a deal that you have with Cunning...?
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[Piety adjusts his electric blanket.]
I try really hard to get to know everyone around me: the qualities that makes each and everyone something special. I haven't told too many people because I don't want anyone to misunderstand, but Cunning and I have very similar ideals for what we want the world to be, and how we want our pantheon to be able to coexist, once you boil it down. And where I've failed in this competition, he's made strides forward. I still want to win, on my own merit, but what's most important to me is not who wins but how that victory is utilized for the betterment of our world.
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Me too...
[for a second that's all he says, but then he shakes his head and admits softly - ]
... I don't want to say this out loud because I think... if people know that I'm not trying as hard, then maybe it'll make me an easier target. 'He doesn't want to win? Then he should die' sort of thing...
But I was looking for a family. I think... all the gods know that, right? I wanted to find those people who are supposed to love me unconditionally. I want what everyone else had... I thought. [ . . . ] But I came here and - ah, I was forced into it. I think I would've kept lying a lot more if I wasn't revealed in front of everybody.... but people stood by me anyway.
[and he just laughs softly - ]
... not everyone gets that, though. I almost didn't give Bambi a chance because she was mean to Shiks. Dizzy had to find me herself, but I'm glad I listened to her. I'm trying to talk to Cunning but...
I want what you want. A world where you can all be happy, and get along.
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It's alright. Not everyone knows what they want right away...sometimes, you think you have yourself figured out, but people are always changing. That's normal. What's important is that you do what you can with what you've learned.
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... yeah.
So I guess - do you need any help, Pippin? Ishirin-san seems to know who your last follower is, so I think he'll tell us if there's any chance of them having to defect.... but I still want to do what I can to reach the balanced world you're talking about.
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[But Piety does pause.]
As long as I can just stay in the game with one follower, it's enough for me. Even with just one, I can do as much as I can to help. If you do find out who my follower is on your own, if you can help keep them safe in any way...be their friend or...try to keep Ambition's followers from forcing them to defect...that would be ideal.
[He sighs.]
I don't think Cunning has told Ambition or Disorder about our alliance--that's fine, I don't mind, because I think it might confuse them or cause conflict, knowing that he made any kind of promise to me without discussing it with them first. My only worry is, because they don't know that I'm not fighting against any of them, they may act against me because I'm an easier target.
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I want to find Bambi's followers but... I only know one. It's a pretty smart strategy - the way they're making everyone scatter, you know?
But... do you think Dizzy would do that to you? Or Bambi? I thought you and Bambi were getting along.... I think she'd be pretty sad if she put you in a bad position like that.
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[He thinks about Fortune and sighs.]
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[HE DOESN'T LIKE IT]
And there's no way for gods to give us hints about who might belong to which god... ahh, I can't believe I haven't found even one of them on my own.
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[Piety nods in understanding.]
It's difficult. Especially now, with so many of us in low numbers, I'm sure a lot of people are feeling scared. Trusting someone can be opening yourself up to betrayal. But, still...you're a warm person. I think that you can do much more than you give yourself credit for.
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... well.... if it's someone that Ishirin-san has known since the beginning of the game... that probably means that their coin is perfect, right? If I can figure out who it is... I'll see what I can do to protect them.
[oh god it's so complicated and senri is a fucking moron,]
I'll keep working... but I wanted to ask about something that Cunning told me too. About how a god's vision might not come out perfectly if not all of their followers believe in it?
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[He can't help but sigh, thinking about it.]
After all, the point of having this competition in the first place was to have a third party come to a natural majority in favor of a single party. Some of us may not be opposed to underhanded methods to keep that majority, but I think after the idea was presented to attempt to end the game early by aligning everyone under a single god, it's put a lot of us on edge.