I search for each person and argue against the [Dragon]’s plan. But I always run into the same frustrating apathy.

The [Ox] I find snacking in the kitchen:

[https://i.imgur.com/TRTi07a.png]

[Ox]: Sorry man, I got to see my siblings back home. I can't leave them behind.

The [Rabbit], meanwhile I find resting on a couch in the lobby:

[https://i.imgur.com/AbljRe6.png]

[Rabbit]: Isn’t it nice just to stop thinking?

The [Rat], I can’t find. But I have the distinct impression that he already opposes the [Dragon]’s plan.

Lastly, the [Horse] is jogging outside the hotel. As she makes her laps I’m forced to join her.

[https://i.imgur.com/5UKiLjo.png]

[Horse]: His plan might be in bad faith cause it lets the Wolves win, but I’ll follow it if it means I don’t have to kill anyone.

[Yuri]: *huff* *huff* *huff*

[Horse]: What did you say?

I grab her sleeve.

[Yuri]: Just *huff*... one minute *huff*...

I wouldn’t have skipped gym class if I knew I’d have to persuade someone while running at mach speed. As it is, I can’t find the words to say because I literally can’t breathe.

[Yuri]: Ha… ha…

The [Horse] rummages through her duffle bag.

[Horse]: Here, drink this.

[Yuri]: Thank you.

Fresh water splashes down my throat. I’m refreshed, and I have enough air and energy to shout.

[Yuri]: The [Dragon] is going to kill me and the [Rat]!

[Horse]: Eh?

[Yuri]: They’re planning on killing me and the [Rat]! If you follow his plan and allow that to happen, it’s the same thing as murder!

[Horse]: Did he say that he’d kill you?

[Yuri]: No, but-

Mistake. I made a mistake; here I should’ve lied. If you want to persuade someone, talking nonstop can be surprisingly effective, but not if you talk so rapidly that you forget the logic of what you’re saying.

[Yuri]: He did tell me. He looked at me with a cold, calculating, expression, and said to me - “Snake! I’m gonna kill you!”

[Horse]: [Snake] - no, this is no good. You can’t tell me your name directly, but I want to call you by name.

The narrative has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the infringement.

There’s no rule against calling someone else by their real name, only against telling others who you are. I was able to call Lily ‘Lily’ and Lily could say ‘Yuri’ because we already knew one another.

If however the [Horse] wants to call me by name I don’t dare even give a hint, because I don’t feel like exploding right this minute.

The [Horse] fiddes with her ponytail. We have some time to spare before the trial, but not much. Hurry up and pick a name! I don’t care if you call me ‘Betsy’ or ‘Sara Chiduouin.’

Wait. Could it be that the [Horse] is actually some kind of genius? She sounds like a ditz, but maybe she’s someone who can name people correctly just based on appearance.

I certainly think it’s possible. For example - look at the two shapes. Which one of them is ‘boba’ and which one is ‘kiki’?

[https://i.imgur.com/w7Im1CD.png]

You’d name the blobular one boba and the jagged one kiki, right? There’s probably a long explanation about linguistic evolution that explains this in detail; but it comes down to ‘boba’ sounding like something round and ‘kiki’ sounding like something sharp. Just intuitively.

So when it comes to people, there must be names that make the most sense to have for our faces and bodies too. I think I’m very much a ‘Yuri’ shaped person.

[Horse]: Hm…

[Horse]: Iris. That’s your name.

Iris? Do I look like an Iris? Seriously!? Why can’t I ever get the name I want?

[Horse]: I think Iris sounds super cool!

After all that, she was just being silly…

[Horse]: Iris, are you sure that’s what happened?

She leans towards me. And in that rush, it doesn’t matter anymore whether her eyes hold any wisdom; just that they’re so close.

[Yuri]: He really said something like that. I swear that according to his plan, I will die.

[Horse]: I believe you. I believe you, but…

She frowns, then shakes her head furiously, pony-tail flinging every which way.

[Horse]: I still don’t think I can murder anyone.

[Yuri]: We’re forced to make tough choices in this game, Ana.

[Horse]: Ana?

This doesn’t come from any affection towards her. This comes from a technique called ‘mirroring’, used in sales, speeddating, and of course, social deduction. If someone moves a certain way, or talks a certain way, does a certain thing, you imitate it and that helps you build rapport.

[Horse]: Ana! Yes!!! Iris, I love that name you gave me!

It’s not from affection at all! I’m focused on persuasion, no matter how much her boundless enthusiasm makes her seem like a pet puppy.

[Yuri]: You could step away from your panel and I’d vote in your place. How about that?

She shrugs.

[Horse]: Maybe.

But I get the feeling that she just allowed those words to roll over her without considering it.

[Horse]: Are you really sure that the [Dragon]’s not picking randomly?

[Yuri]: Yes!

[Horse]: Are you absolutely sure he’s going to kill you?

[Yuri]: Yes.

She looks away from me, at the rough grass growing on the sand. We had jogged all the island’s farthest reaches, at a pier by a craggy beach. While the weather’s warm the wind still blisters our faces.

[Horse]: Even if I wanted to vote for the [Dragon], we’d need four people to murder him.

[Horse]: Would the [Ox] or the [Rabbit] really be willing to do that?

If she’s asking questions about how it might happen then she must be open to switching sides. But I had already tried and failed to persuade everyone else; unless the [Rat] is pursuing a plan that I’m unaware of, there’s about a zero-percent chance we have a majority.

I glance at our surroundings. There’s a dune tall enough that someone could hide behind it; and I climb the sand and see that the coast is clear.

[Yuri]: Listen closely.

[Yuri]: If you change your mind, then there’s a way to kill the [Dragon] with just three votes.

[Yuri]: You have to keep this a secret, but this is what we’d do…