[Week 2, Monday: Max]

[purrtagonist]

[just like last week, Akira approaches with his specially brewed coffee made out of stolen beans from Wildkat in hand! for the record, he made this ~super stealthily~ in the McDonald's bathroom so no one would see him at work and question his entry fee. just saying]

[he holds the drink out to Max and starts things off with a simple question]

Want to go see a movie?

Comments

[concertmaster]

[it's in the Mop of hair now and Max is just gonna struggle to get it out for a bit. thanks akira. thanks]

No one said you had to do as you're told. I know you're a baby Reaper, but I did tell you rebellion is the number one cause of promotion, right? It's not always just about power. Not agreeing with how the upper echelon is doing things and Erasing them is classic Reaper move.

[purrtagonist]

[hehehe]

When you say it like that. . . it almost sounds like you actually want me or someone else to chase that promotion.

[concertmaster]

I'm a neutral party in this shitshow. I don't care one way or another what happens.

[how many times does he have to say it!! g o s h ]

[purrtagonist]

He says, after writing a scathing report criticizing the inhumanity involved in taking entry fees and not telling Players what they're missing.

[he doesn't think you're as neutral as you act, Max]

[concertmaster]

Yeah, you forget the part where I told you I think entry fees are fucking bullshit in general.

[purrtagonist]

They are. But that's still not a neutral opinion.

[hmmmm]

One more question. Well, two, but this is the last of the ones I don't think you'll answer.

Makoto said you told her you made a mistake in your last Game. [a beat] Is. . . that something you would ever want to talk about?

[concertmaster]

I'm neutral over everything having to do with this Game in particular.

[it's? an important? distinction? anyway.]

You'd have to be more precise. My entire Game experience was a fucking mistake.

[this is slightly harsher than usual in tone]

[purrtagonist]

[UH HUH]

[noting that harsh tone, but pushing anyway, unfazed until Max tells him he's done]

You could just start at the beginning, and tell me what happened in it.

But only if you want to.

[concertmaster]

Mistake number one: I decided to play instead of just letting myself be erased. How's that for a backstory drop? Is that the kind of shit you want to hear?

[he's more than a little defensive, face flushed with anger]

I'm not going to tell you more about the Game because you think prodding me into talking about myself makes us fucking friends, jackass. Your manipulative bullshit is noted and taken into account!

[purrtagonist]

That's not it.

[still calm, even in the face of defensive anger, gaze affixed on his half-empty box of JubJubs. but he definitely isn't pushing any more]

Sometimes, talking about the stuff that upsets us lets us. . . alleviate some of the pressure. That's all. I just wanted to help.

[and Akira is used to being that sounding board, when other people decide to use him as one. he's never been one to force it, though]

But if that isn't how it works for you. . . then I won't ask again.

[. . .]

[offering him a JubJub :x]

[concertmaster]

[Max deflates at Akira's calmness, and he shoves himself deeper in his hoodie, curling in on himself.]

Fuck, you even sound like him.

[he sounds a bit choked up and he angrily wipes at his face]

There's nothing to talk about. I meant it, I shouldn't have played at all. That's all there is to it.

[purrtagonist]

[like who? but he doesn't ask, knowing he pushed too much already. there's also the urge to reach out and rest his hand on Max's head to try and comfort him, but he's pretty sure he'd just slap it away]

I'm sorry.

[for bringing it up. for the fact that his game was so shitty]

Whatever happened. . . you didn't deserve to go through it.

[concertmaster]

You don't know that. You're assuming a lot of shit.

[he wipes at his face one last time and jumps off the counter]

Whatever. This never happened.

[purrtagonist]

What never happened?

[he's gotchu Max]

The movie? It wasn't that bad. I liked the part where the guy jumped over the helicopter with a motorcycle.

[concertmaster]

[Max Will Remember That,]

I'd have liked it a lot better if he hadn't made the jump, personally.

[deadpan doing a "blowing up" motion]

Pow.

[purrtagonist]

[HOPEFULLY NOT IN A BAD WAY]

Then who would've shot the fake president in the last five minutes of the film?

He needed to make the jump in order to save the day.

[concertmaster]

[o3o???]

The president was right under the helicopter, just make it crash and end our misery early.

[purrtagonist]

But then the main character would've died. That would've kept him from hooking up with the redhead later on in the movie.

[REDHEADED ADMISSION IMPOSSIBLE GIRLS]

[concertmaster]

Heteronormativity in movies is what causes kids like me to not question their sexuality and perpetuates a cycle of uncomfortable self-doubt and angst before an eventual coming out that's then celebrated with fake pride parades while people complain about how straight people don't have anything.

[slurps from his forgotten slushie. its all liquid.]

Also she never showed her boobs, so what's the point.

[purrtagonist]

[. . . . .]

You're ten. You're not old enough to see that kind of movie.

[no!!!]

[concertmaster]

Turn safe search off and let me google boobs!!

[purrtagonist]

Nope. Denied. Google ten-year-old things instead.

[HE REFUSES]

[concertmaster]

This is ageism, Joker, and I won't stand for it. You can't stop me. One of these movies has got to be R-rated.

[purrtagonist]

How about we go play with a kitten at the pet shop instead?

[distraction techniques 101]

[concertmaster]

[squiiiiiiiiiiiiints]

Yeah, okay. Acceptable. But I want to squish a pawpad.