[Week 0, Sunday post-execution: Setz]

[purrtagonist]

[admittedly, he isn't exactly looking for Setz. not specifically. but there's so much on Akira's mind (murder, trial, execution, Anthy and Maya being taken down with their respective partners) that his idle wanderings around the available areas of Shibuya eventually causes him to cross paths with his fellow Player]

[he slows to a stop, tilting his chin up to address him with a casual greeting]

Setz-san?

Comments

[subordinacy]

Maybe. It's not that big of an issue, though. I've dealt with worse.

[Also, Setz is terrible at asking for help.]

[purrtagonist]

[are you a protag, setz]

Mmm. Maybe. But there's no point in dealing with the discomfort if you've got an easy fix.

[shrugs!]

It's up to you, though.

[subordinacy]

[he is actually not!! gasp

His voice gets a tad quieter.]

... People have bigger things to worry about right now, I think.

[purrtagonist]

[ah. . .]

[his expression softens]

You aren't wrong.

. . . but you should still take care of yourself.

[subordinacy]

[Setz is actually looking a bit weirded out at this point, because most people are... not nearly this invested in his well-being??]

... I'll manage. I imagine my partner would intervene if he thought I couldn't handle myself, at any rate.

[purrtagonist]

[listen Akira is just like this?? he's just like this]

I haven't spoken with him yet, but he seems like the type.

[just based on his behavior at the trial]

I'm glad to know he's looking out for you, though.

[subordinacy]

Well, I could do without the stubbornness, but as I was getting worried that he'd just be passive-aggressive at me for the remainder of the Game, I suppose this is an improvement.

[purrtagonist]

Aaah. . .

So he's a handful, too.

[subordinacy]

... He apparently doesn't like having his motivations questioned, even when it was only pragmatic to do so. I wanted to know exactly whom my life was tied to.

I learned that he's a bit petty.

[purrtagonist]

[the normalcy of this conversation is kind of a whiplash compared to their weekend but like, Akira will take it]

How'd you learn that?

[subordinacy]

[Things Setz is great at: acting as if trauma did not just happen!]

Because going by how he acted during the trial, he still held it against me.

[HE HAD THAT CONVERSATION WITH HIM ON MONDAY. MONDAY!!]

Not the ideal partnership, but it could be worse. How is your partner doing?

[purrtagonist]

He's-- [well]

A mess.

[PUTTING IT. . . MILDLY]

[subordinacy]

... A mess...?

[THAT. SOUNDS CONCERNING.]

[purrtagonist]

[. . . okay, he shouldn't be flippant about it]

From what he told me, his death was. . . extremely bad.

["extremely bad" seems like he's underplaying it, too]

So bad, that he actually doesn't want a second chance.

[subordinacy]

[...]

I see.

[Or, well, to be exact, he doesn't, but he knows it's not his business as to how Ichigo died.]

... I don't really know how to convince someone to want to live, but if there's anything I can do to help...

[purrtagonist]

Mmm. I don't think it's something that happens overnight.

[deep breath in, slow breath out]

He needs to find those answers on his own. All we can do is gently nudge him in the right direction.

[subordinacy]

... Yeah. Everyone has different reasons for wanting to live.

[purrtagonist]

They do.

[. . .]

Setz-san. . . what do you think of-- [gestures. vaguely] This?

[subordinacy]

... You'll have to be more specific.

[purrtagonist]

[his mouth twitches, smile wry]

This entire game. The rules, the setup, the ultimate reward.

[subordinacy]

... Out of context, the opportunity to get a second chance at life sounds benevolent. However, the way this game has been structured to this point leads me to believe that it was hardly done out of good will. So far, it all seems like it's for some kind of sadistic entertainment. To see what people will do for another chance; to survive.

[Lightly, his fingers curl into a fist.]

There's no satisfaction to be found in it. I would rather see people like Dahlia Hawthorne learn to better themselves, rather than be killed for their crimes—to say nothing of the people who were completely innocent.

[purrtagonist]

[Akira's arms are folded, and Setz will be able to see his fingers are gripping the sleeve of his shirt tightly, knuckles white]

It feels like they expect us to be thanking them, for this rare chance at earning a second shot at life.

But I feel toyed with. [now even more than he did when he first woke up] . . . I, too, would like to see people like Hawthorne pay for their crimes in less violent ways. In ways that don't make it feel like there's some higher cosmic being getting off to our misery.

[subordinacy]

Mm. Coming back to life may be appealing, but I have no intention of compromising who I am to achieve that. What would be the point?

[He glances at Akira's hands, though just for a moment before he looks back up at Akira's face.]

At least we know new pacts can be created, even if it only helps us if we have multiple [awkward pause] victims in one week. That's one step of progress... though it doesn't resolve the matter of dealing with the culprits.

[purrtagonist]

. . . I agree.

[something in him sags a little in relief whenever Setz says that. it feels like someone really gets it. a second chance at life is what Akira wants-- no, what he needs-- to protect the friends he left behind. but he needs to make sure he returns to them as Akira. not as someone completely unrecognizable]

[what Setz says next brings the tension right back to Akira's shoulders, though]

I was thinking that, too. Killers-- like Hawthorne-- know what risks they're taking when they decide to erase someone. But the partner connected to the culprit. . .

It isn't fair for them to go down, too.

[but how do they fight that?]

[subordinacy]

[The entire thing with Dahlia and Maya leaves a bad taste in Setz's mouth. For numerous obvious reasons, and ones that would apply to most, but also because what he mentioned to Eleanor in the trial was true. If Nil were here and his partner, then... well, Setz has no doubt that he'd try and pull something similar.

In a way, the most terrifying enemy is one who doesn't care what happens to themselves anymore. Ideally, Dahlia is an isolated case—though all things considered, it doesn't make much of a difference, when they're expected to go after Reapers one way or another.]

I imagine that's why they have this entire "partner" setup. I haven't really seen any other reason for it...

[purrtagonist]

[and if Akechi were here and Akira's partner, he has no doubt the detective would also try something similar. funny how that works]

[funny how Dahlia Hawthorne manages to hit a ping for both of them]

I haven't, either.

[another deep breath in and out]

What other purpose could it serve other than to needlessly increase the body count?

[subordinacy]

I suppose speeding things up, rather than dragging it out, could be considered a form of cruel mercy, but...

[purrtagonist]

How would it speed things up?

[a beat]

Other than ending the game with all of us dying, save for the reapers.

[but to him, finding and getting rid of the reapers is the fastest, cleanest way to end things]

[subordinacy]

There's that, compared to being picked off one by one each week. Or, if we're "lucky", it speeds up killing all the Reapers, since we could accidentally get one by proxy of their partner.

I didn't say it'd necessarily speed things up in a good way.

[purrtagonist]

[a bit wryly, with a hint of thinly-veiled anger in his voice. his eyes flash, not at all hidden by his glasses]

Point.

. . . that's a worst case scenario ending, though.

[subordinacy]

It is. I wouldn't be surprised if the Composer was going for that, though.

[purrtagonist]

Max says reapers are "usually sadists," but I'm guessing that applies to Composers too.

[he lets out a frustrated noise, lifting a hand to pinch his glasses and pluck them from his features, scrubbing at his eyes with one hand]

[subordinacy]

[...]

Dysfunctional servants tend to have dysfunctional masters.

[Don't ask him how he knows this.]

[purrtagonist]

[you sure ... at me a lot jan it makes me sus]

Mmm.

[his hand falls away, and the glasses return to his features]

Anyway.

Getting mad about it is fine. But at some point, that anger needs to turn into action.

[subordinacy]

[I ... ALL THE TIME, EXCUSE YOU!!]

... Yeah. In the end, what we do is what matters, rather than how we feel about it.

[He crosses his arms.]

That's still the question right now, though: what to do from here.

[purrtagonist]

[UH HUH!!]

The only thing we can do, until another option presents itself.

Find the reapers.

[notably, he doesn't say what to do when to find them. but that's because he doesn't know]

[subordinacy]

... Yeah. Let's hope the game really does come to that, though, and that there aren't any caveats we haven't been warned about.

[purrtagonist]

[Jan is also scarred by HIDDEN CAVEATS]

We shouldn't hold our breaths on that way.

[no trust]

But at this point, we just have to keep hoping that we'll get more information as we go along.

[subordinacy]

[JAN IS EXTREMELY SCARRED]

... If it really is meant to be a "game" at all, we should. Ones where the odds are completely stacked against one side aren't "entertaining", after all.

[purrtagonist]

[SAME FEEL, FAM]

[anyway also it was meant to be "we shouldn't hold our breaths on that" so thanks typos]

Less a "game". . . more a performance?

[WRY]

That sounds about right. Performances are always entertaining for those watching, no matter the results.