Tamamono

Santa isn't stopping at our tree this year.

Sounds fine to me.

There are a lot of people who jumped on his bandwagon around the 7-8 vote mark in a very suspicious way. If Alastair is town, there is definitely scum on his wagon. Not much, but it's something.

Eh, I know the feeling. I was a bit extreme earlier, I apologize. I don't agree with your decision to vote me (obviously), but I can respect that you're trying and that you're putting thought into your decision. I'm not making it out to be a slam dunk. I've made very clear that this is optimal, however. You got on my case earlier for ceding that Alastair might be town, and that we'll learn a lot from his lynch, and now you're accusing me of making his lynch out as a slam dunk. I mean, just think about the reasons why you suspect me. Write them down. More likely than not, they will contradict one another. In this case it narrows it down because it shows scum that he's not a PR, but eh, I think this was optimal. Berty's name came up a lot today, and if he's going to turn up Maple either way, the cop won't get anything from investigating him tonight.

What, everybody with only 2 or 3 votes? That wasn't going to happen. Nobody agreed on anybody else, and there likely wouldn't have time. If you think I have tunnel vision, you aren't reading what I'm saying, which wouldn't surprise me. The only reason he was able to give a call for help was because I went out of my way to consider an alternate possibility. Or am I supposed to say to every post "This could be scum... but it could also be town..."? That's not the way things get done. Then, referring to my last post, what am I supposed to do? I can't bring out suspicions in private. I can't bring them out in public. I guess the most pro-town thing to do would be to stop posting, wouldn't it? Manipulation is the wrong word. When I notice something deeply wrong in someone's behavior - like Alastair - it is my prerogative as an Oak to figure out what his deal is and, if he still seems like scum, vote for him. An Oak who just throws up votes to "take a stand" as it were, is useless. Oaks ought to actively rally to get those they believe to be Maple cut down. That's what I've been doing, to an extent. If you'll read my posts (please, read my posts - nobody else seems to want to!), you'll see that the majority of them involve questioning Alastair (and several others) - I honestly have kind of dropped the ball in the rallying department! This takes out your manipulation claim. Finally, I'd like you to explain in fine detail how voicing a suspicion to someone I wanted to suss out in private and being vocal about suspicions I have about people in public is manipulative. If we believe you in this completely unfounded claim, you're manipulative too. Let's all vote Lassie, she's trying to manipulate us by voting for me, which is clearly so scummy. You are a detriment to the town today for two reasons. 1. "Poke" votes to "take a stand", as I mentioned before, are not helpful. If you honestly still think I'm scum after this conversation, then you need to get me lynched. That is pro-town play. 2. I'm an Oak. I can understand not trusting me, like Simon doesn't, but overtly claiming that I am the least Oak around is honestly laughable. Hazel? Catarina? Alastair? The list goes on. Even if you don't trust me, I am more Oak today than quite a few trees here. I'm glad you're willing to see that. I look forward to having your trust when Alastair comes up Maple. Look - and this is to all who suspect me - I'm an Oak. Even if you don't believe my claims, believe how I have rebutted every legitimate accusation against me (William's doesn't count, his isn't legitimate). I'm not going to make you a friendship bracelet to prove that I am truly an Oak. I'm going to keep the course that I've been on, and I'm going to catch Maples. That's my job as an Oak. My job isn't to kiss up to everyone who gets uncomfortable because I'm trying to get who I suspect to be Maple lynched.

So am I not supposed to be a realist? Alastair is our best chance at not only a lynch but also a scum lynch today, but there is the ever-present unfortunate possibility of him being town. Am I supposed to ignore that? Or, if it does come up, no lynch? Let's never lynch. The only time we're allowed to lynch from now on is if we're 100% certain the victim is Maple. Let's all unvote and call is a Day. Lassie, these situations are about taking chances. Never once have I started in with tunnel vision. My read on William came early, and when he started Oak-telling, I reversed it. I have had Maple-reads on plenty of people today, and have thought through each and every one. I have thought this decision out through and through - that's why I PM'd Alastair. He is the one I am least satisfied with today. At this point I'm being accused of two contradictory things - giving out my suspicions in public (trying to "manipulate" everyone) and giving them in private ("Why don't you bring out your suspicions in public and help us, Alejandro?"). In this case it seems like the only thing I'm allowed to do without being Maple is to sit idly by like a vegetable. But I'm not vegetable, I'm a tree!! I'm going to keep on this course, because it's going to lead me to finding scum (or, quite likely, it already has!). If you don't like it, fine. You are allowed to go against me if you want. But know that you are not helping town in doing so.

Go ahead. I guess I could see this. I don't know, Alastair worries me. He's so desperate it almost seems sincere at times, but this is his Maple play... Plus, who else would we lynch at this point? I don't know. The end of Day One always weirds me out. I'm overthinking.

How would this catch anybody? We've got a blank canvas right now. Who jumps off the wagon first tells us nothing.

Why are people even calling me a leader? I don't want to be the leader.

I can see Alastair starting to give up a little in his "let Bruce get lynched instead" sheal, joke or not.

Oh woah, I didn't see that we can't quote what others send us. That's so weird. Oh well, give me my penalties, it doesn't matter. Thank you.

Well, let's look at it this way: the majority of your questions boil down to "I think you're scum... what do you think about that?" A short rebuttal was sufficient to give my answer - I think that's fine. You are entitled to your own opinions, even bad ones. I'm not sure who you mean by "our" - I'm being voted by you and William (who's just salty I called him a dick and was wary of him at Daystart), everyone else seems to trust me just fine. What am I doing to earn your trust, you mean? Nothing. I don't need your trust. I'm funneling my energy into catching scum - Alastair, Berty, and possibly Catarina (although it's looking slightly less likely for her now). You might try it sometime. And no, I've been in class. In a cage fight between tree situations and conjugating Japanese verbs, the latter will always win. Unfortunately for scum, the limelight is where I thrive, and when I have a free moment, you bet your roots I'll be here rooting them out. As for Alastair, his behavior is really troubling, yeah. Every word that comes out of his trunk uproots him even farther. However, I'd like to bring attention back to his cosplay phase, he used to dress up like a Ghostbuster or something? I don't know, it was wacky. Either way, his behavior there was very similar to how it is now. I talked to him a bit in private since I was having a few doubts (largely because of some of the people on his wagon), and he asked me to save him in a really desperate, scummy way. This grouped together with everything we've seen today plus the fact that this is Alastair's scum play makes me say - full steam ahead. Let's get this lynch. If it's wrong, oh well - we get a clue as to what the deal with Hazel and Catarina is as well as good reads from this very split vote tally. This is an optimal first day lynch, in my opinion. Also, that comment about me being Speedy. I'm a tree, trees aren't speedy!!

The way you handled me/William was town, and you've done nothing to deserve scrutiny at this point. My reads, as always, are subject to change as the Day goes on. Excuse me, as the *game goes on. Unless you claim scum today or something.

Chester's way too worried about bandwagoning.

I've been the strongest Oak here today. If for some reason you choose to view my uprooting the Maples as scummy, that's a choice you're allowed to make.

You have been in two situations. How can that ever constitute "too many times"

If you don't approve of it, why don't you vote her again?

I listen to you. Why else would I vote for you? Ok, you're saying silence is vote-worthy. Fine - not good play, but fine. She comes in, explains her silence. Your poke, however scummy it may have been at first, has been answered now. However, what she says is lame and useless. Is that better than silence?

Why is not talking worse than voting randomly? If she deserves your vote for not talking, and then she talks, ok, fine. But if she says nothing at all useful, and is instead offering to be a detriment to the town, how does that warrant a happy unvote?

Unvote: Berty Birch (Dragonfire) Vote: Alastair Pear (Brickelodeon)

So the fact that she has an excuse for being inactive means she doesn't warrant a vote anymore? Can Maples' intreenet not be down? What's more, when has inactivity in a vacuum ever been scummy? Most scum fly the middle road.

Quote the exact line that satisfied you.

Why can't we lynch two trees at once? Life is suffering. Alastair being satisfied with hazel showing up to just say "hey I'm here, I'll post again in a few days" takes the cake. I'm itching to vote Alastair, but Berty has been mega scummy - and he must be vanilla if he's town, so it's a safe lynch if by some stroke of misfortune he flips town. Why must we choose??

What is curious behavior? Am I being too curious? Where's the man in the yellow hat? Don't try to group what you do with what I do. I know you watched that tree tv show about the politicians. The bad guys in that show all "poked" the quieter representatives in hope of looking town. You weren't as bad with your vote in hazel as Berty is in his poke, but I fail to see how vying hazel at this point helps. Call her out, she's dropping the ball by not saying anything. But a vote is totally unwarranted at this point. (Although I reserve the right to take her to the cleaners if she pings me when she does speak up.) I on the other hand raised an important question about how useful it is to question the number or scum in the situation - an action even you were indulging in. I dont feel I did a good job explaining this difference, but I hope you will get what I mean, especially seeing the pokes of legends past Voting, not vying

Berty and Alastair are both doing the mega scummy poke thing. They're both maple. vote: Berty (Dragonfire) As for people voting/saying I'm scummy - explain why voting me is more beneficial to town than voting for someone else. For example, William, you say that Berty is also flailing - what makes keeping him around more attractive than keeping me around? Additionally, whats the problem with calling out people for being utterly useless? I'm fine with being under scrutiny, but those who suspect me will be held to a high standard as to why their actions are beneficial.