[Week 4, Monday: Max]

[purrtagonist]

[well]

[it's been a kind of exhausting Monday, but Akira is seeking Max out nonetheless. why? because there's an arcade here, and someone made him a promise, all the way back during week 0. he's got coffee, too! as usual. and this time he made it in the Maid Cafe kitchen]

Okay, so this place doesn't have Gun About.

But we can play Dragon's Lair. Or even Dragon's Lair, if we're feeling adventurous.

Comments

[purrtagonist]

[HA HA. . .]

[a bit wryly]

Where we can only trigger certain dialogue options at certain points?

[a pause]

Many of which are necessary for us to reach our good ending?

[concertmaster]

I wouldn't say necessary.

[he shoves his hands in his pockets]

There were a lot of choices you guys could've made before we ended up at this point. For just one example, the "other Reapers"... any one of them could've come to talk to any one of your team before it got to this point.

[purrtagonist]

[. . . yeah. they could've. but they didn't. not until Akira reached out first]

It's kind of pointless to think about what's already happened, isn't it?

[at least in this context]

We just have to keep going forward.

[concertmaster]

Unfortunately, the Game goes on.

[deadpan]

[purrtagonist]

Unfortunately.

[or. fortunately?]

Do you know what Anthy told me? She said we'd have a better chance at achieving what we wanted to achieve the longer the Game went on.

I still think hitting the time limit is the right answer. But maybe it isn't just about making it that far. Maybe it's about making it that far so we can unlock the information we need?

[concertmaster]

[shrugs]

Maybe. Or maybe it's not about information at all. Who knows.

[purrtagonist]

What would it be about, if not information?

[concertmaster]

Is that a serious question, or are you fucking with me?

[purrtagonist]

Serious question.

[stares at him]

[expectantly]

[concertmaster]

You talked to Anthy about shit, and you think getting all the info is what she cares about?

[purrtagonist]

Of course not.

[he also is pretty sure she cares about communication!! and proving that Games don't have to be cruel!! and also reviving the Erased, and all sorts of other good things. listen his talk with Anthy was good, he gets her now. sort of. anyway he doesn't want to kill her anymore]

I think she cares about a lot of things. I'm just. . . still trying to figure out how extending the Game plays into that.

I had a theory-- [about the wagers]-- I just still don't know how right it is.

[concertmaster]

The only thing any of us can do is nudge you guys in the right direction. Maybe she hinted at shit when she talked to you. How the fuck would I know, we haven't been in contact with each other that long.

[purrtagonist]

[gives him a look]

Maybe not. But she'd have to let you in on stuff so you could answer our questions.

[folds his arms, leaning his hip against]

Taking what she said in conjugation with the answers she gave on the Reaper Creeper board. . . I still don't think I'm too far off in concluding she wants us to communicate and work together. Towards some end. A positive end. An ending that isn't cruel.

[. . .]

For now, that's what I'll push. But I'll keep asking the both of you questions to try and narrow things down, so long as I can.

[concertmaster]

[he doesn't comment on Akira's guess this time, just gives out a shrug. He does, however, comment on the last part:]

So you've said. You don't have to repeat your interrogation goal every single time, you know. I get it.

[purrtagonist]

I'm just trying to drill it into your brain.

[he says in a dry, deadpan]

[. . . and maybe repeating it just. . . makes him feel better. like he's. . . actually doing something? helpful and good?? despite the role he was forced into upon arriving here]

[concertmaster]

[that's gay, joker]

My brain is already full of enough garbage without adding yours on top of it.

[he doesn't sound half as aggro about it as usual, tho]

[purrtagonist]

[MAX IS TEN]

Is it, now? [extremely amused] What kind of garbage?

[concertmaster]

[having an emotion is gay? max has nothing to do with that???]

The vast knowledge of Games and how they're made up, mostly. Who the fuck needs to know half of this shit? Also all the bullshit I had to learn in school. Turns out I didn't need a terrible public education in the first place.

[a beat]

I guess knitting camp and knot tying camp were okay, but I'll fight the first person who tells me magic camp was necessary.

[purrtagonist]

[max it's okay to have emotions :/ i promise]

Knitting? Huh. Could you teach me sometime?

[concertmaster]

[fake.]

I guess? I don't know why you'd want to learn, but sure.

[purrtagonist]

I like picking up new skills.

[it's his thing. as a wild card. why do you think he words 108340998 part time jobs. beyond the Confidant thing]

[concertmaster]

[ugh]

You would've done great at Camp. [...] Before it, y'know, blew up.

[purrtagonist]

[RIP CAMP. . .]

Do you miss it?

[concertmaster]

[honestly, if he'd asked that a few weeks ago, it'd be a full on "no". but at this point in this social link...]

Parts of it, I guess.

[...]

Mostly the parts where I wasn't involved with these stupid Games, let's be fucking honest here.

[purrtagonist]

[what is this rank 8 or 9]

. . . yeah.

[these Games are terrible]

But that's most of it, isn't it? You didn't get involved in the Games until after the camp exploded.

[and Max himself died]