[ senri & ray are not okay ]

[usogi]

Comments

[usogi]

... if the people closest to me can get their wishes, I'd be the happiest. I want it to happen for as many people as possible, of course.

But if even you, me, Sasuke, Shishimaru, Ishirin-san, and Zo can all agree on someone... that's not a number to sneeze at.

[selfimmolates]

What if one of us dies or gets hit by Advancement Opportunity?

[usogi]

[senri shakes his head]

I think it's smart - to not go to the god you want to win until the end. I'd... rather not think about any of you dying either.

But if it comes down to needing more numbers... do you want the list of people I think I can convince or rely on?

[selfimmolates]

Yes.

[mainly he's here to play devil's advocate to make sure senri has a plan.]

[usogi]

[he hums thoughtfully]

Then add... Madopyon, Ogou-san, Sieg-kun, Luke-kun, and Jude-kun.

I think... they trust me enough, and it'd still mostly require Piety to be able to really convince them of his world, but I think they all want to both leave behind a good world, as well as get their wish.

It'd take a little more work, but I think I could also convince Connor-san, Mizuki-san and Guy-san. Yu-kun I would ask the people closer to him to do the convincing for me.

[selfimmolates]

I thought Mizuki didn't trust you?

[usogi]

Mizuki-san might not trust me, but they trust my information. They seemed a little more interested in the idea of everyone defecting to one god in the name of peace toward the end when I mentioned it. I think it can happen.

I don't... think I can convince everyone that fast. There are some people that I don't have strong relationships with.

But.... I want to try. It's... It's not perfect - because I still want Cheri to win. I want Beauty to be happy. Love, Justice, Merriment, Dizzy, Bambi... All the gods matter a lot to me. But I think Piety is the way to make as many people happy as possible. I do think balance is the best option... so that's what I'll suggest.

[selfimmolates]

Perfect solutions don't exist. Just about everything is built on sacrifice.

What's important is knowing what it is and that you can accept it.

[usogi]

... I have a little more time. As long as I have a little more time, I think we can do it. I know that it's not just on me - and if people end up not agreeing, we'll have to switch plans and pick someone else. But... this is at least an idea, and some things have no hope if they aren't said out loud.

[ . . . ]

I'm okay, not getting my wish. I want it. More than anything. But I'm still going home after this, and I'll still want my wish more than anything once I'm home, where I get another chance at it.

If that's a sacrifice I have to make, that's okay. I can't decide other people's sacrifices for them, but I can at least try to aim for a way so that less people have to make those sacrifices.

[selfimmolates]

[isn't this familiar.]

As long as you're sure.

[usogi]

I am. I know I can't count on you to actively help me until I get at least a few more of these numbers secure - you, me, Ishirin-san, and Bakaomi are at least in agreement that Piety is best suited to lead. Luke-kun won't be leaving him anytime soon either, obviously.

I think I can talk to Zo... and maybe she can talk to Connor-san.

But if you can just tell people that you think Piety is the best suited to lead, that'd be enough for me.

[selfimmolates]

[he shrugs.]

Sure. It's not a secret that he's the favourite among the gods to win, at least.

[usogi]

That doesn't mean anything if we can't get people to defect to him at the end... I know 1 isn't a super exciting number right now, but I also don't want to risk anyone getting hit by Advancement Opportunity at the last stretch.

[selfimmolates]

I was part of the faction that hasn't managed to ever get a single new follower. I don't know why you'd expect me to be any good at convincing people to defect.

[usogi]

I just figured you weren't trusting people with your alignment so you couldn't reasonably convince anyone to join you. Then Love fell out of the lead so it was even harder to make an excuse for it.

[senri shrugs]

Sasuke's only with Sincerity to help protect all of you this week anyway.

[selfimmolates]

And he'll be going back to Justice if you can't convince him.

[usogi]

He might be doing that anyway. He really likes him. I'm still going to try....

But I'll see how he feels about his wish. If he... really changed his mind about it, I don't know if I'll be able to get him to go to Piety.

[ . . . he sighs quietly]

That's up to him. I'll still do my best, though. I can't ask him to keep making sacrifices for me anyway.

[selfimmolates]

[...]

Good luck with him, then, and don't make me regret not killing him.

[usogi]

Oh, you don't have to worry about him betraying us.

He's given up on pretending like he's the harbinger of chaos, at least.

[selfimmolates]

I'm going to maintain a certain level of skepticism until the end of this competition, regardless.

[usogi]

Yeah, but I figure you'll do that with anyone and everyone.

[selfimmolates]

Sasuke in particular. I've already told you: he and I are too similar.

[and ray himself is one of the least trustworthy people he knows, really.]

[usogi]

I guess so. I think he's gotten softer - at the very least, he wouldn't do anything that would put the people I care about at risk.

[senri is at least vaguely aware that sasuke has gotten kind soft for him]

But we'll see.

[selfimmolates]

That's a low standard.

But yeah, we'll see.

[usogi]

[senri shrugs idly]

I don't think anything's going to happen to me... but if something does, that's the plan I'll have been moving toward. As long as you all know, I hope it can come true.