The Syndicate

If you guys would trust me just this one time, you would see that I am not mafia and Ben is. When I flip civ, go after Ben next. Don't let him weasel his way out of it.

If there's one thing I'm good at, it's winning coin tosses.

Can we please lynch Ben now? He is a baddie.

Please don't lynch me. I have a wife and kids.

I don't believe you, though.

Doesn't all this overanalysis from Leslie just a few hours before she might be lynched feel a little... phony? Instead of trying to save her own life, she's posting huge text walls of vote analysis. It just seems so "Look at me! I'm the civviest civ that ever civved!"

Also, Thanks Bobby Newport. I voted for you in the election.

Ron, we've been friends a long time and you know I respect you, but you're making a mistake. The reasons people are giving for suspecting me are not indications of mafia. I'm not making good enough cases or defending myself well enough? Why would I be so passive if I were in an outnumbered mafia team? I get that this is WIFOM but it's equally WIFOM to say I must be bad because I'm not being super analytical and proactive.

I've ben operating out of gut reads this game, because I don't have the time or inclination to do detailed analysis. Probably why I'm so inept at the office filing system too. I was right about Chris, wrong about others. Ben asked me for an honest explanation for my behavior. I gave it, and he ignored it, choosing to leave his vote on me. Leslie claims I could convince her to move her vote, but that's an obvious lie, since we are tied right now. She would never move her vote off me and secure her own death.

You want a case? There's my case.

Leslie Knope wrote: Like I've said and demonstrated before, my votes aren't set in stone. Give me one legitimate reason why I shouldn't vote for you.

That's a lie. Her vote is set in stone as long as she's about to be lynched. The only reason for her to pretend to be willing to change it is to trick people into thinking she is more reasonable than she is.

I am trying to stay relatively in character, yes. I haven't given up, but I feel like there is very little I can say in defense that will convince anyone. I was distancing from Chris? How do I disprove that? To me it seems clear that my suspicion was sincere, since I was advocating to lynch him and voted for him. Others don;t see it that way.

My case against you is flimsy? Of course it is. It's based on my gut read of your tone, plus you vote on Day One. Actually, your sincerity and honesty in these questions is making me rethink my read of you a bit.

I would say one final thing in my defense. You must see that I would be a very easy lynch at this point, and what would mafia like more than an easy lynch of a civilian who has been largely too busy to develop substantive cases or elaborate defenses? I'll admit that I haven't been the greatest asset for the civilians this game, but I fear that another mislynch will cinch it for the Mafia

It just seems so rude to argue with you fine people.

Leslie Knope wrote:

Jerry Gergich wrote:I don't elaborate. I'm just in charge of the filing. Mafia elaborate. Because their schemes are elaborate.

Still no argument or case for your innocence then? Mafia scheme, evade, and murder. Civilians reason and debate. Right now you're doing one of the bad ones with your evasiveness.

Mafia always evade and Civilians always reason? I guess you know best, Leslie.

Ron Swanson wrote:

Jerry Gergich wrote:I distrust Ben because he's from out of town, his ways are different from ours, and he comes across as fake and trying too hard (not something I'm likely to be accused of!) He is also freinds with Chris, who was bad.

Lynching me is the lazy option. It's what the mafia would want you to do, and it will give you nothing but a Vanilla Civilian.

Why is this argument of yours 80% lore garbage, and yet you speak of us being lazy in our suspicions and votes? The only bit that has anything to do with mafia content(that Ben is faking it or "trying to hard") is the stuff I don't recall you having elaborated in any significant way.

I don't elaborate. I'm just in charge of the filing. Mafia elaborate. Because their schemes are elaborate.

I think Ben is the killer, but I'll move my vote to Leslie for now in case I am not around for the lynch and need to save myself.

Ben Wyatt wrote:If Jerry doesn't actually address his accusers or actually describe his case against me, I'm just going to assume he's a baddie who has given up.

Until he decides to give playing the game a shot, he's where my vote's going to be.

I always distrust posts like this. "If you don't do X, I'll have no choice but to vote you. Then if I don't satisfy him and you guys lynch a civvie, he can say "well, it was his fault, not mine. He should have done what I said." It's a trap designed to duck accountability.

The accusation that I was distancing from Chris is absurd. I was one of the first to call out Chris for his phoneyness. Phoneyness I see echoed in Ben.

I distrust Ben because he's from out of town, his ways are different from ours, and he comes across as fake and trying too hard (not something I'm likely to be accused of!) He is also freinds with Chris, who was bad.

Lynching me is the lazy option. It's what the mafia would want you to do, and it will give you nothing but a Vanilla Civilian.

Aw c'mon guys. I know you like to tease me around the office, but lynching me is taking it too far.

It's awfully sad to see Ann go, but I don't feel too bad about Chris. He wasn't from Pawnee anyway. I think we should help his partner Ben follow in his footsteps.

Hey gang! Sorry I've been away, but I accidentally ran over myself with my car. I'm okay though, just bruises mostly. I have always though Chris' enthusiasm seemed phony, and I am happy to vote for him today.

Looking at these files all day, I have to say that I think the killer is someone who posts a lot, and that it's very likely that at least one voter for Bill was bad. Cross referencing the two leads me to Ben, Ann, Chris, or Ron. Ron is just such a great guy, and after reading some more of his posts, I think I have to trust him for now.

That means I think we should lynch Ben, Ann, or Chris. Ann used the word "interesting" in her second post of the game, which to me always seems like a fluff word that doesn't say anything but appears to say something, so she is definitely on my radar.

Ann Perkins wrote:

Ron Swanson wrote:

Ann Perkins wrote:Hullo how's it going friends

Aren't you paying attention, woman? This is the worst day since Charles Mulligan's Steakhouse was shut down. Show some damn respect!

I can't ask how my friends are doing during this tragedy? Interesting...

Anyone else have thoughts on these three? I'm so lucky to work with such smart people.

Chris Traeger wrote: The second one concerns me because it could dissuade people from trying to look for a connection or reason to look at who might kill Craig and why. Looking for answer can only be a good thing, at least that’s what my therapist, Dr. Richard Nygard tells me all the time.

I'm sorry if my work is not up to your standards lately, Chris. I ripped my pants somehow and had to spend most of the day sitting down to keep anyone from noticing. It was only a theory, and if you can see a connection between Craig and the killer, I would love to hear it! I just didn't see much in his posting to make me think of other people.

Ann Perkins wrote:

Jerry Gergich wrote:Oh geez, I can't believe Craig is dead. That's so sad! You know, when I'm feeling a little down, my beautiful wife and daughters always cheer me up. But right now all I really want to do is find the killer. Ben was awful quick to get in here after the kill. I wonder if he was expecting it.

Hello, I don't even remember you from yesterday. Can you give me a read on Ron please

Ron's my boss and he was good enough to give me a job, so I don't want to say anything mean about him. But his posts have seemed a little stilted to me. He's not as high up on my suspect tree as Ben and Chris, but he's not in the clear either.

I sure wonder why anyone would want to kill poor Craig. He barely posted, and only said nice things about April. If April was mafia, it could make sense for her to kill a defender, but nothing she has posted makes me think she would be so evil. I like to believe the best in people. Most likely it was a low poster kill designed to leave no clues at all. I guess I'd better step up my own game if I don't want the same thing to happen to me! It would be just my luck.

Maybe I'm just being a goofball, but it seems to me that a more active mafia is more likley to kill low posters than a more passive one, so I would want to look at higher posters. The highest posters so far are Ron, Andy, Ben, Ann, and April. I already know I trust April and already know I don't trust Ben, so that leaves me three more people to look at carefully before I vote. Just as soon as I finish this filing.

I agree with most of what April has said. She seems like a sweet kid. I will try to do a better job of posting more. I just get so forgetful. Chris would probably be my next suspect after Ben, as he shares the trying too hard vibe and helped kill the cop.

Oh geez, I can't believe Craig is dead. That's so sad! You know, when I'm feeling a little down, my beautiful wife and daughters always cheer me up. But right now all I really want to do is find the killer. Ben was awful quick to get in here after the kill. I wonder if he was expecting it.

Gosh, you are all so nice. I don't want to lynch any of you. But Ben and Chris are new around here, and Ben seems to be trying a little too hard, plus he didn't cry at L'il Sebastian's funeral, and he also made me play Cones of Dunshire with him.

Sorry Ben.

Hey guys, I'm here! I was late because I dropped my laptop in my soup. Butterfingers!