starmods | ODE TO JOY

[Your team stands in a solid glass rocket-looking elevator, which lunges upwards at the speed of sound before stopping to suspend you in the colorful galactic sky usually lingering above. you can see the rocket-elevators of the other teams around you. the Outer Lord's deep voice comes in on a a scratchy intercom.]

I believe I once read on the internet that the greatest fear associated with elevators is plunging to the lowest floor. That is and isn't the case for you today. This elevator will raise you to the starry heavens that I adore nearly as much as the palace.

—but you don't want that. The higher you go, the less oxygen you have. These elevators aren't sealed as tightly as they ought to be, so you will lose oxygen—which you need to live, in case you were not aware.

However, should nobody reach the top, I will simply plummet the teams that are quite low back down to the planet. Don't worry, my palace will survive.

To summarize my point, you want to keep your elevator as low as possible and other elevators as high as possible to live past this trial.

[★ Every round teams can choose to raise any team 3 levels, including their own team.
★ Every round teams can choose to lower any team 1 level, excluding their own team.

IT'S OPPOSITE OF USUAL ELEVATOR GAME! No matter what, two teams must suffer.

higher = bad! unless you hover below the top long enough for teams at the bottom to plummet, then yay!
lower = good! unless you reach round 5 with 0 teams at the top, then oh no!]

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

YOU ARE CURRENTLY AT ZONE 5. The air is breathable and tolerable.

THE TRIAL ENDS AFTER TWO TEAMS REACH ZONE 15 OR FIVE ROUNDS. If 0 teams reach Zone 15 by the fifth round, the two lowest teams are instead plummeted to their death. If only 1 team reaches Zone 15, only the lowest team will be plummeted.

RAISE 3 LEVELS: O Fortuna
LOWER 1 LEVEL: --

[ ... oh, ]

W-wait, that's not-- you can't expect us to...

...So this is what it's going to be like.

[ a pause, steeling herself ]

Which of the teams here is currently the largest threat?

-- what?

[ hers is an obviously artificial calm, but she's maintaining it perfectly ]

The standings. In the previous trials which I was not here for, which teams were the highest-performing?

We can't-- sentence people to die, because they also want their wishes granted.

So we sentence ourselves to death instead?

Tanuki, the trial's rules are clear.

Re: DISCUSSION

kitsunebi - 2021-05-16 23:40 (UTC) - Expand

figureheart - 2021-05-16 23:42 (UTC) - Expand

kitsunebi - 2021-05-16 23:43 (UTC) - Expand

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figureheart - 2021-05-16 23:46 (UTC) - Expand

figureheart - 2021-05-16 23:47 (UTC) - Expand

1/2

kitsunebi - 2021-05-16 23:52 (UTC) - Expand

kitsunebi - 2021-05-16 23:58 (UTC) - Expand

figureheart - 2021-05-17 00:03 (UTC) - Expand

kitsunebi - 2021-05-17 00:06 (UTC) - Expand

figureheart - 2021-05-17 00:12 (UTC) - Expand

kitsunebi - 2021-05-17 00:22 (UTC) - Expand

YOU ARE CURRENTLY AT ZONE 4. The air is breathable and tolerable.

THE TRIAL ENDS AFTER TWO TEAMS REACH ZONE 15 OR FIVE ROUNDS. If 0 teams reach Zone 15 by the fifth round, the two lowest teams are instead plummeted to their death. If only 1 team reaches Zone 15, only the lowest team will be plummeted.

A hologram appears, depicting everyone's location and the log of previous choices after round 1.

raise 3 levels: O Fortuna
lower 1 level: Pathétique

[ ... ? ]

Who lowered us...?

[ looking across at the other elevators, just as shocked ]

I... I don't know—

[HEY TANUKI, YOUR BODY IS BEING JACKED. it's not painful just suddenly you're watching someone else talk and be you from inside your own head. You can talk to him and he can hear you]

That would be me.

[ oh,

Can someone mentally scream. She's doing that.

-- what are you DOING?! ]

[how could it be this good fox has no liar smile icons]

Sorry, this is the only way for me to talk to you? I'd like to work together.

[ every smile is a liar smile if you're not a coward

... together? ]

First, I'd like you to vote to lower us. I don't think it will save us from dying at this point but you never know.

Second, I'd like you to vote to raise Fortuna again. Most likely this will end next round with both my team and Fortuna's dying. You win.

(no subject)

kitsunebi - 2021-05-17 00:46 (UTC) - Expand

thefaultinthestars - 2021-05-17 00:52 (UTC) - Expand

Ah—

[ wait, what ]

[ it's like you can visibly see the gears in her head turning as her expression goes cold ]

..."Me"?
Tell me who and what you are, now, or I knock her out for her own safety.

My name is Jae. I'm on that team. [points to Pathique's elevator, they are probably too high for her to see him passed out on the floor tho]

We voted to lower you last round and can do it again, though I don't think you need the help at this point.

I want your assistance in raising Fortuna again.

Re: /2; continued in reply

figureheart - 2021-05-17 00:40 (UTC) - Expand

thefaultinthestars - 2021-05-17 00:44 (UTC) - Expand

figureheart - 2021-05-17 00:47 (UTC) - Expand

thefaultinthestars - 2021-05-17 00:50 (UTC) - Expand

kitsunebi - 2021-05-17 00:51 (UTC) - Expand

figureheart - 2021-05-17 00:55 (UTC) - Expand

figureheart - 2021-05-17 00:54 (UTC) - Expand

thefaultinthestars - 2021-05-17 00:56 (UTC) - Expand

kitsunebi - 2021-05-17 01:06 (UTC) - Expand

figureheart - 2021-05-17 01:09 (UTC) - Expand

kitsunebi - 2021-05-17 01:14 (UTC) - Expand

figureheart - 2021-05-17 01:18 (UTC) - Expand

kitsunebi - 2021-05-17 01:25 (UTC) - Expand

figureheart - 2021-05-17 01:36 (UTC) - Expand

YOU ARE CURRENTLY AT ZONE 3. It's somehow easier to breathe at this altitude than before, even though you weren't having any issues earlier.

[BING BONG~ ♫]

"The trial has ended. You will be evacuated safely to the palace in approximately five minutes."

The hologram appears, once again depicting everyone's current location and the log of the last choices.

R1

DECISION

Re: DECISION

DISCUSSION

Re: DISCUSSION

Re: DISCUSSION

Re: DISCUSSION

Re: DISCUSSION

Re: DISCUSSION

Re: DISCUSSION

R2

DECISION

Re: DECISION

DISCUSSION

Re: DISCUSSION

Re: DISCUSSION

Re: DISCUSSION

Re: DISCUSSION

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/2; continued in reply

Re: /2; continued in reply

Re: /2; continued in reply

FINAL RESULTS