[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]

[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]

[concertmaster]

[how many pcs is this. idk]

I'm going to remind you that I was dumped in a sorry excuse for a summer camp scam because my parents couldn't wait to be rid of me, and also that that incident wasn't the first child death that camp had seen.

[so you know. it's definitely not most of it]

[purrtagonist]

[many. I need another. to ask about Noise]

Got me there, and if that's true then I'm glad your Composer isn't running summer camps anymore.

[. . .]

And, you know. If I survive this, and you need my help dealing with him--

[Akira Kurusu is against murder except when it is committed on shitty all-powerful god-like beings who make people miserable, honestly]

[concertmaster]

You kill the Composer, you get their job. Not an option.

[akira, please.]

Besides, the whole between universe travel is definitely not for baby Reapers.

[purrtagonist]

I won't be much of a baby Reaper anymore when this is done.

[:/]

Never said I'd kill him myself, either.

[just that he'd help]

[concertmaster]

What is this, like, your first Game? It's still baby Reaper even if you last the whole eight weeks.

[purrtagonist]

So how many Games would it take for me to shed that modifier? Two? Ten? Fifteen?

One hundred?

[concertmaster]

You're considered still new as a Reaper after two years, so, you know. It's more about the passage of time.

[purrtagonist]

[huh]

Does time really mean anything to an immortal being?

[. . .]

How long have you been working for these Games, anyway?

[concertmaster]

Considering how quick the Reaper lifespan can end? It sorta does.

[... he shrugs]

It's a lot funnier if you don't know.

[purrtagonist]

Got me again.

[he's still new to this :c]

I get the feeling it'd actually be a lot funnier if I did. Will you tell me if I guess?

[concertmaster]

Sure. I mean, you won't, but sure.

[purrtagonist]

Ten thousand years?

[STARTING HIGH]