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Who: Certain members of Hydra, Canis, and a bookman
Where: An unused cave beneath the dorm area
When: Day 145, shortly after lunch
What: A business meeting

[A thing is happening!!1 The cavern in question has been carefully selected for maximum privacy from interlopers of the Blank variety and structural stability. Scowl is looking . . . oddly relaxed, none of his usual tension present in his body language.]

Ah . . . should I get this started?

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[This is still the oddest thing ever... but for right now...]

Mmm.

Did he get bitten by the stresspire?

Not bitten exactly... but... yes.

Well, this will make things easier.

Somehow it feels like cheating, even knowing the situation...

... it's not like he drugged him, right?

Not unless there was... some vampiric backwash.

... I can find out later.

I'd never seen him this calm ever.

Find out?

[...staring at Scowl a little]

I'm ready.

[LOOK AT HOW CALM AND COLLECTED I'M BEING 8D]

Then I'll get things started.

[D..do I even know you anymore]

Okay.

[I AM TOTALLY STILL ME. Me without any cursing or accusing or even a grumpy face]

[STRIPPED OF YOUR CHARM POINTS]

*this is odd but a cautiously optimistic sign. Jace clearly hasn't been stresspired, but he's alone today (unless a tiny snuck out after him) and waiting calmly.*

Go ahead.

[TOTALLY AT EASE 8D]

Okay. Fang's going to be handling most of the talking on our side, but as the leader I should be laying clear exactly what it is we want.

One, we don't want you to have anything to hold over us. Not now or ever. That means that truce. Two, we want . . . your team with the exception of your kid and wolf to cut off any connection with ours. The kid and wolf just that so they probably aren't threats. Three, I want you to understand that I have never done anything to your team during a game because of any personal problem with you or your teammates. I never started anything in the games. Neither has anyone else on my team. We aren't going to stand for you accusing us of that after I've told you that much more than once. [. . . glances at Fang and Rain for approval]

[Nods]

[thumbs up]

I've heard and understood what you want. The only part I have a problem with is the second; Simba's a nice kid, and I'm not going to turn him away if he seeks me out.

This is what my team wants in return: I know you've spoken to several people that I'm aware of, and probably some I haven't, and painted me and mine in....an unflattering light. We'd prefer that that not continue, especially if we're going to go forward without ties. Let's make the slate completely clean, shall we? Likewise, I want you to understand that even if we intended to scare you, we had no intention of making anyone attack anyone in that game. I acknowledge that it was unnecessary and cruel, but just as you don't appreciate my assumptions about your intent in the game previous to it, I don't appreciate your assumptions about ours.

[considers this . . . and leans over to whisper something in Fang's ear]

[Vaguely lidded look at the mention of the game, but it passes quickly. Nods to Dera, frowning a little.]

He is a good kid, amazingly so. Which is why we really don't want him involved in this to any degree. If he seeks you out, that's up to him, but may we take that as a promise you will not seek him out?

As long as you acknowledge that what you intended to do, was dangerous as well as cruel. These are the sort of things that we don't want happening again... Nothing above and beyond what's necessary from us when in a Game, nor from you.

Within limits. I don't want you to think I'm breaking a promise if we're in the same area and I say hello. But I won't make a point of seeking him out.

*considers that briefly, then shrugs a little.*

The thing is? What happened in the wolf game wasn't necessary. The wolves were better served resisting, like Orion did, or fighting each other like Claude planned. The last wolves standing won; they didn't win as a group. It was unnecessary for my team to be slaughtered in that game, and for Scowl to form an alliance among the wolves for that purpose.

It's also a fact that those who were wolves in that game were under an altered mental state, and given most Judge inflicted aliments, there's no indication of any ability to resist. There is also the fact that you were not afflicted and have no idea what kind of mental pressure was involved.

From an outside point of view, that seems like a sane and logical point of view. However, during that game, the game was slanted against sanity and rational which was the intent of the game. There were no relationships anywhere that weren't strained by that game.

The assumption we were talking about is that this was done with any personal bias. The necessity we are talking about is completing the requirements of the game, as well as the game allows, not using the game's requirements to act upon another agenda or the past.

[Glances back at Scowl...]

[haha there is some tension coming riiiight on back 8D;]

That game wasn't going to end until five whole teams were killed. Claude tried to . . . kill me the first night. I had Blade with me in that game. I had a teammate to protect. What you're suggesting would have put someone I'm supposed to protect above every single other person here at risk. So I talked him into contacting the wolves so we could work together to remove teams quickly. I never thought they would all . . .

Every other person I cared about was a sheep. I even thought Orion were sheep until—that round. I wasn't going to attack the wolves when they all knew who we were. I wasn't going to . . . to kill people I cared about that way. You might not think it was necessary, but what other choices did I have? Five teams had to be slaughtered for the game to end. I did what I had to to make sure it wasn't mine or someone . . .

Just imagine you had a choice between risking the lives of one of your teammates, killing one of four people you want to protect, or killing a team you don't know well. What choice would you really have made?

I would have taken the risk, and trusted to my skill and my teammate's skill see us through. If it were one of the kids, I'd have had him stay close, but out of the way -- but in this situation, it would be closer to having Masamune with me, and there's no question that we would have gone wolf-hunting if we couldn't trust ourselves to resist the implanted mentality. For the record, I've experienced the mental state Fang's talking about secondhand, via someone's memories.

I accept that, at the time, you did what you thought was necessary, but I want you to understand why I thought differently.

[starting relatively calm, but he's clearly getting more and more upset as he continues on] Pretend for a minute that you don't have any of your extra abilities. No ice. No weird forces. None of your mind skills. Maybe you think you could have done something more, but we're normal! We don't have anything but our fists and our knives!

And fuck—fuck! Don't act like I wouldn't have fought it! It didn't even seem like something was wrong until it ended! In what fucking world would I ever—you know what happened at the dance! I was the original! I had to hear about all . . . Why wouldn't I have fought it if I could have?! What is wrong with you?!

[Puts a hand on Scowl's arm.]

Then we have irreconcilable differences, our standard approach to bad games is to get out, not win. There's no pushing forward unless we have to, it's a fall back. If we win, it's incidental to our actual goal.

By what you say, you see the endpoint as the important goal and your teammates will manage. It is a strategic viewpoint, but not one we can follow.

Neither will convince either side this is right.

[fffff sags and looks away, dragging his fingers roughly through his hair]

That's a mischaracterization, unfortunately, and not a particularly flattering one. I think it's more accurate to say that we're willing to risk ourselves rather than performing actions we find unacceptable, such as killing people who can't fight back effectively. You may find that difficult to believe given the circumstances, given Haunted's game, but I was acting under a severe misinterpretation at that time. I admit that I was wrong to do so, and the action will not be repeated, against anyone. The fact is, that kind of game isn't worth winning; our actions are intended to minimize overall damage, even if it means risk to ourselves.

Regardless, you're right; this particular point of philosophical difference isn't going to be resolved. Let's move on.

[Another lidded look, there and gone.]

What we want, that you have agreed to is:
Dissolving the truce, cutting ties between teams to reasonable levels, no more revenge through the games, and an attempt to understand our viewpoint

What you want, which we agree to:
We no longer discuss past events involving your team to others, clear the slate, do not restrict you from being polite to Simba, and an attempt to understand your viewpoint

Any objections or corrections?

[Glancing at Jace, Rabi, Shigure and Dera in turn.]

[shakes his head]

None.

[drops a hand on Dera's head, also shaking his head]

[shakes head no]

Then that's all we're here for.

[Squeezes Dera's arm and glances back towards Hydra's dorm.]

[starts leading his kids back to the dorms, but turns to Red very briefly]

Thank you.

Not a problem. Glad I could be of use.

[Imma just quietly go home |(]

[Following after both.]

*nods to Red, then waits for Hydra to leave before starting to head out himself*

Bye Jace.

[Imma wait for you all to clear the area before heaving a sigh and heading home to Cepheus]

See you around, Red.

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