purrtagonist | [Week 1, Wednesday: Max]

Yeah, you probably saw that one coming. [there's a look there] You sure are obsessed with knowing what the Composer's up to. You gunning for a promotion?

[gunning, ha ha]

[gunning. ha ha]

[completely level]

Maybe.

Huh.

[...huh.]

[huh!!]

Don't misunderstand. I'm not gunning for the kind of promotion where you take out the guy above you to make room at the top. That isn't how I work.

[. . .]

[he thinks back to the Phantom Thieves, who had to reform society outside of the system, because the system was too corrupt to do it from within]

[but he also thinks of Yoshida, who worked so hard to spread his message, to get elected, to inspire change from within. he thinks of Sae, who chose to dedicate her life to defending those wronged by powers that be. he thinks of Makoto, who wishes to chase her own justice as a police commissioner. he thinks of himself, his wish to pursue politics to continue his attempts to revolutionize he world, even without the Metaverse]

But tomorrow night, I'm going to help a fellow Reaper Erase one of the Players, after I adamantly refused to do just that last week. It's going to compromise a piece of myself. It's going to compromise my personal sense of justice.

. . . I want to change that, so no one else has to compromise themselves for the sake of a second chance again. So Games can be what I think they should be-- challenges to inspire growth and development.

And sometimes, to change the rules, you have to be part of the rules themselves. Right?

[. . . ]

If getting promoted gives me the chance to convince the Composer that there are better ways to do this, then I sure as hell am going to try for one.

[anyway someone please stop his intensity before the Composer hears him and strikes him down for being. . . like this]

[Max listens to this all without interruption, and stays quiet for a bit after even, finishing up his coffee.]

... Do you know why entry fees are a thing?

[well. that seems out of nowhere.]

[WELL]

[he'll go along with it]

No. . . I don't.

There's no need for a price tag for the Game. I mean, sure, it's a nice way to guarantee people are fucking serious about this, but it's not a huge loss if they aren't. And if we needed the fee, we wouldn't fucking give it back if you won. The actual reason the fee's taken and chosen that way is to make people think about why that's their most important thing. That kind of thing forces people to self-reflect and understand themselves better, which triggers growth.

[he deposits the cup besides himself and shoves his hands in his hoodie]

Here's the deal. The intention behind is it good. It helps out Players and makes them stronger candidates for that second shot. Does it make it any less cruel to the Players themselves?

[folds his arms, head tilted back, letting out a thoughtful "hm"]

Not if you take it from them without even asking.

[. . .]

Edited 2018-03-15 21:20 (UTC)

Even if you ask, they don't get a choice. They lose what's most important or they die. That's not in my definition of a fucking good time.

[he shrugs]

That's the true nature of the Game. There's some good things at the end of it, sure. For some people. But the vast majority is messed up shit meant to challenge people to see who's actually worthy.

Edited 2018-03-15 21:24 (UTC)

[clicks his tongue and frowns, dissatisfied with that response]

Are you telling me I need to accept that fact?

If you can't accept that a Game like this is always gonna be fucked up, you won't make it a day as Officer rank, never mind anything above that. Anyone Reaper class is directly responsible for who lives and who doesn't. Even if it's just by blocking a path.

[. . . hm]

[a deep breath in and out, eyes slipping shut, as he lets those words sink in. that isn't wrong. as helpful as support class Reaper NPCs were in his game, as nicer as the setup was compared to. . . this, they still created the deadly puzzles and Noise that killed some of its Players]

Is that why you were surprised when I answered your question with "maybe?"

Pretty much. You don't strike me as the type to want what comes with promotion.

[snort]

Then what's the type you do peg me for?

The type who gets Erased by an overenthusiastic Player because he signed up for some shit he shouldn't have.

[... yaaay]

[ALL THIS FAITH]

[but you know, he just laughs]

Back home, I wanted to be a politician. Funny, isn't it? My life was almost destroyed by one, and I still wanted to dip my toes into that world.

So it's that you're a masochist, got it.

[EXCUSE YOU]

Nope. That isn't it.

[pushes his glasses further up his nose]

One of my Confidants was a politician, too. He wasn't very popular, but he fought long and hard against the grain to spread his message. Even though he was never elected, even though people frequently gathered at his speeches to heckle him, he refused to stand down and be silent.

I learned a lot from him. [how to give speeches. to negotiate. ~~to brainwash and mug shadows~~] But most importantly, I learned that sometimes, the pursuit of your goals is worth gritting your teeth against the things you hate.

[. . .]

So you're right. I probably wouldn't like, or necessarily want, what comes with a promotion. And maybe I won't be able to change the fact that there will always be something fucked up about these Games.

But if I can put myself into a position to at least try, or to at least inspire someone who comes after me to try, then it'll be worth it.

[the look on his face translates very easily to "I didn't fucking ask", but hey, at least he doesn't say it! progress!!!!!]

Honestly, I admire your spirit of rebellion in the face of authoritarian bullshit, Joker. I really do. When I was younger, that's definitely the kind of thing I liked to see. I wasn't gonna surround myself with sheep. [HE'S TEN???] But the whole working through the system to change it is way too fucking passive, even for a younger me. I was way more into bringing the whole system down.

[STILL TEN]

[YOU'RE FUCKING TEN, MAX]

[not that age matters to Akira]

Believe me, it's way too passive for me, too. I'd rather tear the whole thing down myself, piece by piece.

[but when your options are between "change it from within" or "get yourself killed butting your head against a brick wall because you aren't powerful enough to win a fight against The Man" or "just sit around and take it without trying to do anything," you obviously choose the option that has the most likely chance of success??]

[also. . .]

Actually, has anyone asked your opinion on this whole system? If you could change how the Game works, in any way, how would you do it?

That's a great question.

[... is he going to answer it, or...?]

I'm not supposed to influence shit in this Game, though, so come back to me when it's done.

[cop-out!!!!!!]

That's a cop-out response.

I'm not asking you to influence the Game. My mind is already made up.

[he's starting to understand where he needs to go from here, thanks to his chats with Max and Maya. they're good NPCs]

I'm asking for your opinion.

[a long, drawn-out sigh]

My opinion is what I've been telling you guys from that start. I don't give a shit. Anything I would change is stuff to make shit easier for me when I have to deal with... everything that comes with the Game, I guess. The whole rebelling against the system shit was fun when I was alive. That's about when it stopped too.

. . .

Why did it stop?

[will he ever stop asking questions]

Will you ever stop asking questions.

[you knew this was coming]

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