sheep_game | RITUAL 32 - never have i ever

WHO: you
WHERE: around the pasture
WHEN: morning 86

[so how are we doing, everybody? feeling a little more together? feeling a little furry, floaty, or both? well–don’t mind this newer Weed who’s just climbed up on a big rock, clapping his mildly bloody hands together to get your attention.

is that a new demon hovering around him? well–this might as well happen.]

‘Scuse me! I’m Father Argent, if we haven’t previously met. I know this is a little presumptuous and all, but it seems like most people could use a pick-me-up right now? So my friend over here and I have, well, arranged something. I hope you’ll indulge us today!

[and a little ripple of movement goes through the surrounding area, transforming it – the colours of this part of the pasture go pastel, and everything gets bubbly. rocks are now round and bouncy, the grass loses its edges and looks more like a carpet of fat succulents, fences look and feel kinda like pool noodles. you can bounce around without damaging anything, if you build up enough momentum, but even without doing that it’s just…nice to hang out on, soft and springy. there’s also some random clear spheres hanging here and there in the air, filled with small round crunchy snacks and drinks like popcorn, or pork rind and grain puffs, or gummies, or cold water, or weak beer. not enough to fill up on or really get drunk, but something to munch and keep you refreshed.

y’all are stuck here for a bit! and even if you’re not in immediate range or holed up indoors, you might feel the pull to come see what’s up – or simply be teleported into the ritual zone, in a bright popping flurry of bubbles.]

rules | turn-in | winners and prizes

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

Qualification clauses, boooo...

[ pops his bubble. enjoy a water cooler office scene but populated by jackalopes]

I've been through most of the pasture's vagaries, I didn't need to see a dozen reruns of them.

[my god]

Is your entire world populated by those like you?

Fair enough, but maybe you could have said something like "never have I ever grown up as anything but human child." Then you'd skip the vagaries and could have seen some adorable and possibly incriminating youthful scenes! Muffin as a chick, or me in that awkward juvenile time when my feet were too big for the rest of me.

[ like they aren't now...? ]

As for the entirely populated question, my world has its standard animal diversity, of course. Jackalopes just happen to be a social species. Office gossip is an easy way to get us to congregate, hehe!

I see.

You’ll forgive me if I’m not feeling terribly amenable to input and criticism from you on my approach right now, though.

Haa, really? And when forgiveness is in short supply right now.

It would depend on why you feel that way. Is it because I'm not a human, I'm a Weed, or I made a terrible imposition by implying you were once a child?

Because you contributed to the customized scenario that killed a member of Lily unnecessarily.

I did! I gave him a choice to tell a secret to escape torture. He didn't take it. We could argue about its necessity, but he had a choice in the matter, which is more than was given to Clover in the first round.

If you're mad that I was part of it, I accept it just fine. Here I thought you were going to be upset because I was trying to get him to tell me the color of your underwear, hehe!

Edited 2024-06-20 02:01 (UTC)

No one had a choice in the first round.

[quietly]

Think about such things a little more. The requirement was ‘a secret everyone in the room is satisfied with,’ apparently; it wasn’t so trivial. More than one Lily would rather die than confess something that fulfilled that adequately.

There was a maim or murder choice in the first round. Some of our group were very keen on murder...

[ manages to look a little indignant at "think about such things" more than the potential perma-grudge this may or may not have fostered ]

I know the requirement, that was why I wanted to lead the interrogation. Why do you think I asked about your underwear? Hmph, I'm not interested in the mental image! Jazz has a...sense of humor about things, and a joke would have satisfied him. Faith would accept something that humiliated the subject. And Flare would have agreed to anything that didn't result in a gore-filled display.

I put my reputation in front because I made the mistake of thinking Clover or Thistle would be the sacrifices we ended up with based on the first round. I have a much better understanding of their self-preservation instincts.

Well, now you know.

[shrugs, noting Faith being back in a mental file. great.]

Lily historically has been targeted by Weeds ever since Lethe joined us, so in some ways this was an expected culmination. Doesn’t make us any less happy about it, however.

And why would you expect it? Unlike sheep factions, the Weeds don't have some cult programming telling us to get along. We barely tolerate each other for the most part. And we have a lot of turnover.

Whatever happened historically has nothing to do with your buddy getting dropped on us randomly. Like I told him, if he has a problem with me he can bring a case, and I won't ask for forgiveness or excuse my actions. But if you think this is some reason to label all Weeds as out to get Lily, it's not.

It’s not the inciting incident, but it’s certainly the latest in a long pattern. Just because you don’t all get along don’t mean you don’t have influence on each others’ decisions in these stupid rituals.

[shrugs]

I’m not asking you to do anything. I’m not even asking you to be sorry or justify yourself—you’re clearly not sorry. Just remember that what seems light to you conditionally isn’t always so, if you’re not actually out to commit murder.

I gave the most even handed method of punishment I could, given the ritual. What do I have to be sorry about? But I am open to criticism! If you want to offer me advice how I could have strong-armed two powerful demons into playing nicely, especially since your flockmate refused to even negotiate his comfort levels, I'm all ears.

[ gives a little wiggle of his floppy ears for show ]

Despite my jovial nature, I do take murder seriously, you know. And the circumstances around it. Most would judge "being forced into a torture ritual" as undue duress and be a little more forgiving!

I mean, it's not like I advocated the slaughter of a whole flock in the third round...

By the third round our youngest member was playing alone because all his attending teammates had been slaughtered, and I’m fairly sure the reason he was in the position to murder was because a majority of voting teams decided we were the easier sacrifice if that final choice was leading to a death.

Lily doesn’t expect others to play nicely. The rules often prevent it anyway. Certainly we were all under duress. But there’s following the rules and there’s building fatality into something when it was entirely unnecessary.

I’m not really interested in a prolonged debate here—you’re hardly going to influence your fellows into behaving any better, anyway. I’m just angry with you and with all those who were in that room with you. That’s all.

Fine with me, like I said, I'm a professional! You're not the first one to self-righteously point a finger. Won't be the last either~

Blame Faith and Jazz as well. If anything, they were happy to take credit!

But anyone else in that room, any Weed? No matter what they did or didn't do? Well, if you as the shepherd are going to blame us all, don't try lecturing about better behavior. That kind of group condemnation is an unpopular rationale, it won't go over so well with the other flocks either, to be honest.

I know your youngest has an alter personality. In my case, I wouldn't simply blame "Lily" but take the time to mull over who was responsible for what, even when they're sharing the same trigger finger. But that's my personal standards...

[ moves to get up and see if he can move to another part of the bubble ball pit, since he's obviously not welcome ]

Hold onto that anger if it makes you feel better! But never have I ever let my personal biases get in the way of a judgement.

[snorts]

You’re one to talk about not lecturing, and you’re the only one talking about justifying anything to any other flocks.

Have a care where your judgements land you, and good day.

RITUAL 32 - never have i ever

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