[Week 3, Tuesday: Max]

[purrtagonist]

[wherever Max is, someone is bumping the back of his head lightly with a cup of-- GASP-- coffee! it's Akira. of course it's Akira. who else would it be]

There has to be a better place to hide that coffee maker than in the McDonald's bathroom.

Comments

[purrtagonist]

[oh my god???]

How. . . does a scamming camp owner become something as powerful as a Composer?

[concertmaster]

The camp shit? That was one of his small misdeeds. The guy was a wanted criminal on a lot of counts. Prime Minister of Thailand at some point, sold platypus eggs on the black market, ran the fuck away to Russia a few times, wanted by the FBI, I'm not gonna gonna list all the incredibly illegal shit he talked about doing whenever he popped back into camp.

[purrtagonist]

[wow. huh. definitely a target for the phantom thieves]

On second thought, I can see how someone like that would lie and cheat and kill their way to the top.

[concertmaster]

Yeah. The guy died not too long before I did, in something called "Super Guantanamo"? I don't fucking know.

[purrtagonist]

[SUPER GUANTANAMO, FUCK]

That-- [hm]

Sounds like a fun story, but one that both of us will just have to continue wondering about for the rest of our un-lives.

[a pause]

He's the Composer who ran the Game you played in, right?

[concertmaster]

[ and he's back to hunching in on himself, glaring at the ground ]

... Yeah. He was. That guy-- I wasn't there. When he went to super guan or whatever the fuck. But it happened at camp. I guess partly because-- it's not like he remembered me on that front. But, uh.

[ he surreptitiously wipes at his eyes real quick, shaking his head ]

The camping accident that caused my death kinda got the whole camp. Ten kids, two counselors, and I guess the quartermaster lived? I don't think that guy can actually die. Anyway. We all ended up in the Game.

[purrtagonist]

[. . . the temptation has always been there. but for the first time, Akira actually reaches out to touch Max's shoulder. it's gentle. Max can push him off if he wants to]

[quietly]

And you had to compete against your friends.

[concertmaster]

Yeah, maybe two of those were my friends, don't get overemotional on me, Joker.

[ ... But he hasn't removed the hand yet. ]

I paired up with one of them. That's not the point. Do you have any idea how fucked up a Game gets when the Composer has it out for everyone participating?

[purrtagonist]

[as long a Max doesn't remove it, it'll stay there, warm and heavy]

Even more fucked up than this one has been.

[. . . he can't even imagine such a thing]

[concertmaster]

[ huffs ]

No shit. This is why I keep calling you all fucking spoiled babies.

[purrtagonist]

[a brief hesitation, before he presses]

What happened in the Game, Max?

[concertmaster]

Me and Nikki-- my partner-- made it. We... We were the only team.

[ he laughs, humorless ]

I mean, what a joke, right? We barely make it, and the only reason I fucking tried at all was out of spite.

[purrtagonist]

The only team. . .

[out of ten kids and two camp counselors. jesus]

. . . at that point, it doesn't feel like much of a victory. Does it?

[concertmaster]

Nope. It... It really didn't.

[ he sighs and shrugs off Akira's hand. ]

Anyway, that's enough bullshit. I want him dead but don't want the job OR any of his lackeys to have it, so. Grooming someone else for the position it is.

[purrtagonist]

[he pulls back, hand dropping back to his lap]

I can't really blame you.

[there's one other thing Akira noticed Max didn't bring up, though]

Where's Nikki now?

[concertmaster]

Oh, she got revived. The life long trauma didn't deter her, but I don't think she's gonna go to another summer camp any time soon.

[purrtagonist]

[oh :(]

You didn't go with her?

[concertmaster]

Yeah, we've already established my attachment to living was pretty low. I wasn't gonna just fucking let Campbell have his way so I could go back to, what, a life where I'd have the lifelong trauma AND be neglected by my parents? There's only do much shit a kid can take, Joker. I wasn't planning on being the next cover story for teen suicides.

[purrtagonist]

[and with the entire camp gone. . . god. man]

I'm sorry.

[he knew Max's situation had to be bad, considering how he withdrew every single time Akira brought up his past Game. but even he couldn't imagine it being this bad]

I'm so sorry, Max.

[concertmaster]

Don't. Fucking--

[he looks like he might tear up again]

You didn't have shit to do with it, so why are you apologizing, dumbass?

[purrtagonist]

It's how one shows empathy. That's why.

I feel for your loss. And it sucks that you had to go through that.

[concertmaster]

Never heard of it.

[:///!!!]

Save your fucking empathy for something that matters. This shit's done.

[purrtagonist]

It's done, but it still hurts, right?

[it's as he said before. . .]

You can always talk about it with me again, if you'd like. But we can move on.

[concertmaster]

I've done enough bullshit sharing for a lifetime, thanks. You got the context you wanted, that's all you need.

[purrtagonist]

[a nod, and he stops there]

All right.

[staring down at the paper in his lap]

. . . give me a few days for this, okay? I imagine you'd deliver it on Monday?

["a few days" means "time for Akira to talk to Setz and decide that Setz should write the letter instead"]