[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

[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.