[Week 1, Friday: Setz]

[purrtagonist]

[another week, another dead body, and Akira's head is absolutely spinning. it's less of a punch to the gut then Utena was, if only because he didn't know Lion at all. but even so, it causes something uncomfortable to close up in the back of his throat. something hot and fiery to spark in his gut]

[. . .]

[he needs some air]

[he wanders for a bit, but unlike last time? he's specifically looking for Setz, a book pilfered from the McDonalds trash tucked under his arm]

Happy Friday, huh?

Comments

[subordinacy]

Or until we're all erased. [a beat] But yes, until we can figure out how to end everything.

[purrtagonist]

Morbid.

[and pessimistic, geez]

Hey-- I found something today, actually. The cover kind of reminded me of you.

[IS THAT AN INSULT]

[anyway, with that, he's holding out the copy of Midnight Sun he picked up from McDonalds]

[subordinacy]

[..........

Setz just stares.

BECAUSE WHY THE HELL IS THAT BOOK BACK.]

[purrtagonist]

[because it's here to haunt you]

Ah. . .

[???]

Is something wrong? Or are you just not much of a reader?

[subordinacy]

... I'm going to hazard a guess and say you went to McDonald's.

[purrtagonist]

[giving him the kind of look that's like, yyyyyes? how did you know???]

Secret telepathy psych. . .?

[subordinacy]

I wish. [IT SURE WOULD BE USEFUL.] Alexandra and I found that on Wednesday, during the mission.

[purrtagonist]

[. . . ooooooooh]

And you threw it away instead of keeping it?

Waste of a trashy read.

[subordinacy]

Alexandra insisted it belonged there. [...] She used the same word, calling it... "trashy vampire romance"?

[Which is still, uh, super weird to him, as a vampire.]

[purrtagonist]

[. . . soft snort]

Even trashy vampire romance novels can be a good read, depending on how you approach them.

[subordinacy]

... I don't think it'd really be something I'd enjoy. [a beat] Also... why did it remind you of me?

[internally sweats???]

[purrtagonist]

[HE FIGURED OUT YOUR SECRET SETZ--]

The guy on the front cover has floppy hair like you do.

[. . .]

[okay]

[subordinacy]

... Um, Noctis has the same hairstyle as I do.

[purrtagonist]

I've only talked to him once.

[compared to the many times he's spoken to Setz]

[subordinacy]

... Still, I don't think I'm going to read the book...

[Admittedly, he's kind of curious as to how humans view vampires, but.]

[purrtagonist]

You could always use it as a paperweight instead.

[#helping]

[. . . listen, someone just died, he should be more serious, let him cope tho]

[subordinacy]

... For what papers?

[purrtagonist]

. . .

It's a joke.

[ah, well. tucks the book back under his arm]

[subordinacy]

Oh.

[... Setz is not great with jokes, as Akira may or may not be coming to realize.]

... What are you going to do with that?

[purrtagonist]

[he is, but hey, you know. it's fine]

Keep it. And maybe breeze through chapter one when we next have some downtime.

[subordinacy]

... Apparently, Monika has some sort of Literature Club here. You might want to speak to her about that.

[purrtagonist]

Ah? She started one here?

[oh Monika]

She did tell me about her club back home.

[subordinacy]

[...]

She told me that she wanted Lion Ushiromiya to join it. It's part of why their death is a blow to her.

[purrtagonist]

[ah. . .]

[and they're back here again. of course they are. as light as Akira was trying to be, even he can't ignore the thick tension that hangs in the air, like smog]

[he closes his eyes. lets out a small breath]

I wish there had been something more we could have done. As a group. Some way to. . .

[he trails off, not sure where he's going with this. some way to stop the game before more people were killed? Erased? whatever? what wishful thinking]

[subordinacy]

... Mm. I wonder why the Reapers selected them for erasure.

[It might seem a bit cold to say something like that in response to Akira's words, but Setz does better with focusing on business rather than emotions.]

[purrtagonist]

[Akira is somewhere in the middle-- right between business, and emotion. he doesn't deny his own feelings, but he does know when he has to pull himself up and do what is necessary]

[Setz's question is met with a nod, his eyes snapping open, more focused now than before]

I don't know. I can't answer that question.

Why are they doing this, period?

[another question he doesn't think either of them can answer, but hey. it's out there]

[subordinacy]

[He shakes his head.]

On a personal level, I don't understand why someone would become a Reaper, if it's their choice at all. Given our host, I assume that like him, they died and then...

[Well, the rest is more ambiguous.]

[purrtagonist]

And then. . . [. . .] Decided to become full-time killers in the afterlife, for some reason? I don't know.

But on that note, there's something I've been wondering for a while now. Does this mean Max himself is a Reaper?

[subordinacy]

... He's been deliberately vague on what exactly his "job" is, outside of being the host, but... maybe. He's confirmed that he's dead, if nothing else.

[purrtagonist]

I wonder if there's a reason for his vagueness? You mentioned hidden caveats earlier.

[and now he can't help but wonder if Max is tied to one]