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Post by JoyTheBard (Slezak) on Jun 20, 2023 5:03:06 GMT
"I'm glad." Josephine visibly relaxed. Regardless of what happens, Josephine had once again positively affected someone. "We're not getting anything new from everyone voting the same. The apostles have sure figured out they gain nothing by standing out." The workers for the day seem to have been decided, so Josephine had started crunching some numbers. "I do hope there's enough energy in the pool to keep the Information department running. I don't want to think about how this place might be affected by the department losing power, let alone being purged . . . ."
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Post by JoyTheBard (Slezak) on Jun 21, 2023 0:20:43 GMT
"18 energy! So that means--" Josephine began, before Andrea's speech on-screen interrupted her.
". . . Yeah, what she said. Though there is one alternative," Josephine fiddled with a few strands of her hair, "Someone in the group could alter the amount of energy that's being produced. There could be multiple in fact, and perhaps some are even capable of altering the amount of energy a worker would normally produce by visiting them beforehand.
That said, Andrea's explanation is the Occam's Razor in this scenario, so let's go with it until we prove otherwise somehow."
Josephine glared at Saber from behind, though, having found out that he had been collecting secrets on everyone, though it softened a bit since Hephaestus was the one who created the interface which would allow said secrets to come to light. She was unsure how learning an employee's 'sin' could help narrow down the Apostles, but perhaps she'd come up with something once the information is out there.
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Post by Planetbox on Jun 21, 2023 0:46:40 GMT
“I still don’t understand what’s going on with the energy,” Osborne scratched his chin. “I simply detest mathematics, you see. So hard for me to visualize. What do those energy values say? How many are we supposed to get normally?”
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Post by satan on Jun 21, 2023 1:16:17 GMT
Scott fingered his chin, thinking. "From what I remember, it was two energy per worker per work cycle. Given that we have eighteen, there are multiple people modifying the end result. Rather simple addition and subtraction once you get down to it."
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Post by notbadplayer on Jun 21, 2023 1:17:55 GMT
A little late, Greg appears in the theater with his hands up, screaming " -EEEEELLLLDDD!" His most recent memories are of going back to the break room for another orange, upon which he is promptly punched in the gut. Hunched over, he suddenly feels arms wrap around his chest from above, where he is raised above his adversary's shoulders and powerbombed into the break room floor. With the crowd going wild, a second apostle walks in, holding a folding chair and the championship belt. As they beat Greg to death with the former, he let out his last words: "NOOOOOO! I YIIIIIIEEE-His face is stuck in that evil expression it's been in since Finn died, but upon seeing everyone alive it almost immediately reverts back to the smile that everyone knows and loves."Hiiii Finn!" No response. That's SO Finn! "Hiiii Saber! Hi Josephine! Hi Scott, um sorry about the um.... Hi Fran! Hi Osborne!11!! Hai Alune!" He takes a seat next to Saber with a bowl of popcorn generously topped with melted butter. "Does this happen every time I die? Do we lose our memories of it? Is this what the afterlife is?"
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Post by JoyTheBard (Slezak) on Jun 21, 2023 3:04:59 GMT
Josephine was happy to see more people talking in the theater. She turned toward Osborne to address his question.
"To elaborate on what Scott said, we expect 24 energy; 4 workers over 3 sessions producing 2 energy each. Somehow, we know that if an Apostle works, they'll keep their earned energy for themselves and it won't be added to the pool. Since we only got 18, that means 6 energy got lost. Since Legion worked 3 times, it could be just her hording all the energy. Otherwise, Greg worked once, and everyone else who worked did so twice. So if Legion isn't an apostle, then Greg is, along with one of the other four twice-workers; Delta, Enid, Finn, or Father Pliny. I hope that makes sense."
"Hi, Greg!" Josephine greeted on impulse when he was rapid-firing his own greetings. "Um, I was disoriented for a bit when I first got here, but it didn't take long for my memories to come back, though it took me a bit to realize I was in the afterlife and not post-revival . . . ." Josephine gave a sheepish grin.
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Post by notbadplayer on Jun 21, 2023 3:19:46 GMT
“When you’ve been revived as much as I have, you know that it’s done one-person at a time.” He gives a proud? grin and shoves a fistful of popcorn in his mouth.
“I think your deduction is right, Legion is probably an apostle unless someone has messed with our energy reserves, then it’s one of the two-timers. I think we can safely say Saber, you, me, Osborne, and Finn aren’t apostles, it’d be very counterintuitive for them to murder their own” He looks towards the remaining people.
“We can’t say the same about lynched people. Um, I still like you guys though!”
He’s tempted to just ask Saber for all of the role information but he knows he’d probably forget everything he learned when he got revived. Not if, when.
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Post by satan on Jun 21, 2023 6:14:03 GMT
"Nah, we're good, Greg. After all, I even agreed I deserved it. Don't mean I got a problem with you.
"As for Legion being apostle..." Scott considered it. "It is the most likely answer. After all, like you said, our only two options are either Legion or Greg with one of the two-timers. Eugh, that sounds bad."
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Post by JoyTheBard (Slezak) on Jun 21, 2023 14:48:47 GMT
"The important thing is that we finally have a lead," Josephine asserted, fidgeting with her pen again, "Which is more than we've had over the course of this incident, considering there's not really an incentive for people with special skills to come forward as that would make them a target by the Apostles. And on that note, they can kill SIX people in a cycle!? But only four died by their hands . . . . Do you think some people were prevented from dying? And then the question is, what does it mean by 'cycle'?" Josephine's head was spinning a bit.
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Post by notbadplayer on Jun 21, 2023 15:37:32 GMT
Greg ponders ponderously. "There IS a role that visits 2 people. Do you think that's the one that could lead to the extra 2 kills? It probably needs some really specific circumstances to be met first, though."
He begins sweating as they discuss buying his and Legion's info. "Oh boy... I hope they don't buy my info. I think Saber knows about a few skeletons in my closet, ehehehe..." He takes a bite of popcorn with a slightly shaky hand.
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Post by satan on Jun 21, 2023 15:51:12 GMT
"The important thing is that we finally have a lead," Josephine asserted, fidgeting with her pen again, "Which is more than we've had over the course of this incident, considering there's not really an incentive for people with special skills to come forward as that would make them a target by the Apostles. And on that note, they can kill SIX people in a cycle!? But only four died by their hands . . . . Do you think some people were prevented from dying? And then the question is, what does it mean by 'cycle'?" Josephine's head was spinning a bit. "Undoubtedly, some were protected. After all, wouldn't it be in the Apostles' best interest to murder as many as they can in an attempt to end it quickly? Just find the Keyholder and take them down, simple as that. Then they'd be significantly ahead, while we're still in the dark."
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Post by notbadplayer on Jun 21, 2023 18:50:10 GMT
"I didn't see any roles that mess with the energy! So unless that super secret role does something to it, I'm in the clear!" He jumps out of his seat, spilling some popcorn, and starts doing the Friday the 13th taunt colloquially known as the "California Girl's Dance", while somewhat quietly singing the chorus to the aforementioned song. His limbs move fluidly, perfectly in rhythm, as if he's done this thousands of times before. He speaks again, still grooving. "Oh, and I guess Finn, Enid, Delta, and Pliny are in the clear too." He starts doing the part where you spin your arms like a windmill. It's really, really badass.
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Post by Planetbox on Jun 21, 2023 19:53:01 GMT
“That’s simply divine if we’ve confirmed that many Employees from the start!” Osborne smiled. “I think it’s possible the Apostles could kill their own, purely to stay under the radar, though likely not immediately. I think Josephine is safe. Though perhaps it doesn’t matter since we’re all dead.”
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Post by JoyTheBard (Slezak) on Jun 22, 2023 6:35:12 GMT
"Indeed, it is a great relief if we can confirm five employees innocent," Josephine commented, "But yeah, being dead means we can't exactly use that information to help the others. Good to know most of what's at play though. That '???' role is still scary though.
"Anyone have any thoughts on which roles benefit the apostles most? It feels like the action blocker (cat) and 'power sniffer' (wolf; how appropriate) are the obvious choices, the former because we have two protector roles (though that might mean one is for the apostles) and the latter because we can already do that with enough energy, and it really feels like it'd benefit the apostles more than the employees."
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Post by satan on Jun 22, 2023 11:11:57 GMT
Scott considered Josephine's question, staring at a paused screen of the role list as he thought.
"It'd be easier to determine which ones wouldn't be helpful. The protector roles, for one, wouldn't be. Unless the Parrot gets unreasonably lucky and manages to target an Apostle, there's no use for protecting themselves. The Monkey, for two. Redirecting actions, while useful on its face, would easily lead to the Apostles destroying themselves from within. The Lamb, for three. It possesses no stand-out abilities nor useful interactions, beyond being immune to all actions. Obviously, the Keyholder. I highly doubt that an Apostle would also be the Keyholder, for I imagine the Apostles are fully aware of who is and isn't one of them."
He leaned forward, templing his fingers.
"With that in mind, we have a narrowed list: Cat, Wolf, Eagle, and the vaunted mysterious final role. Now, let us also keep in mind that this does not mean the Apostles have these roles, just that the Apostles would be far more grateful for these roles in particular."
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Post by Kachu on Jun 23, 2023 4:05:46 GMT
The dead employees continue to watch the horrible scene play out in front of them. Watching the walls and workers melt into a green paste, wincing or retching at the sight.
But only moments later do they feel a heavy pulling in their chests. Lifting up their bodies and whipping them against the walls, eventually tugging and dragging them into the big screen across the room, sucking them in.
It seems as though everyone was dragged back into the realm of the living...
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