purrtagonist | [Week 5, Friday: Max]

[ he doesn't look like he knows what to say at first, just kind of. gaping a bit at the coffee cup. jfc. ]

... You don't have to keep bribing me. It's... contract fulfilled or whatever the fuck.

[yeah. jfc indeed]

Not a bribe. A gift.

[a. reoccurring gift]

. . . I think some time drinking coffee with a friend is what I need right now.

[yeah sorry Max, you are a friend]

... Yeah, okay.

[he takes the cup. this is how awkward he is feeling right now: he doesn't even object to that. the sky is going to fall?]

... I'm really not, though.

[false alarm]

You know Players have to come to me for that stuff.

Of course you're not.

[of course. he takes a sip of his own coffee, gaze flickering up and out, to stare at nothing in particular]

Mmm? For gifts? Or bribes?

For murder, Akira.

[well. not erasure and not joker. that's a twofer.]

The same way you go to Maya with your plans, Players have to come to me. I knew. About your Partner, about Makoto.

[. . . . . . . .]

[he takes a sip of his coffee, and shrugs]

Yeah. I kind of figured.

[ah]

[he doesn't sound upset, or angry, or sad, or rueful, or. . . anything. just. accepting]

"I kind of figured"? That's it?

[hey max you're not the one who should look mad]

I shot a woman in the head last night, Max.

[just. throwing that out there, voice neutral and even. another sip]

Not because I wanted to, but because I had to

[. . .]

We're both kind of stuck, aren't we?

Yeah, talk to me about that after trial.

[??? anyway. he kicks at the ground]

... I guess. It's not like I complained any of the other times. Or this one. I'm not-- you've obviously been messed up about this shit from day one. I didn't want to be in this fucking Game, but at least I knew what it was about.

[. . . ?? after trial? well, he files that away for later, to focus on what Max says next]

That doesn't mean we're both not stuck in a shitty position with a shitty narrative hanging over our heads.

[one that Akira's fought to change since day one]

. . . mmm. Actually. . .

Why did they choose you to judge this Game, Max?

[as always, he's gonna answer that with a question:]

What do you think this Game is being played for, Joker?

[and we're back to that.]

[. . . . . .]

[it always comes back to that, doesn't it? the question of the hour. if they had the answer, everything would slot neatly into place]

To prove that we're all worth it.

[that's the question Anthy had asked him when he had tried to get the answer from her, after all]

[he doesn't say yes or no to that, as usual]

In that context, what's a neutral party for? What is it you think I'm judging?

. . . a neutral party is someone who has no biases nor opinions on the inherent value of our worth. So, if my supposition was correct, I'd assume you're judging whether we're worth it or not.

[he pauses]

You told me Nikki deserved her second chance. You told me to rewrite my narrative, if I really didn't like it.

So I don't really know how neutral you are on that question.

So if I'm not judging the people, what am I judging? Come on, Joker.

[there's something almost urgent in his tone]

[with a hint of frustration]

I don't know! I don't know, all right? Six weeks later and I still don't understand everything you and Anthy and Maya have been telling me!

[it isn't Max's fault, truthfully. Makoto and Ichigo are dead, and in the most disrespectful, horrifying way possible. he's. . . kind of a tightly wound canon of emotion]

If it isn't the people, then is it the Composer herself? The Conductor? The Game?

Yes! Fucking finally!!

[what]

[looking kind of shocked??]

You're judging the entire system? [. . .] The Game and it's. . . effectiveness?

[ he looks like he regrets the yes to be fair, just kind of hiding his face in a facepalm ]

That's not gonna go over well. Fuck.

[ just... rolls with it ]

Obviously I can't do details.

Obviously.

[but he's. . . rolling this over in his head now, calming down as he focuses on something that isn't Makoto and Ichigo being hung from the McDonald's arches]

But if it isn't the Players who are being judged, but the Game itself. . . [he recalls, now, Taako's report]

Taako found a report from you the other day, that was obviously not addressed to the Composer. Was it written to the higher agency?

I've written all my reports for the same recipient every time.

Not an answer to my question.

[turns to face him, frowning]

"Whatever obstacles it is you’re bringing to this party." Does that mean whoever is on the other side always intended to interfere with us?

Letting the Composer play out her plan with no change wouldn't prove anything to anyone. They'd just be watching a weirder version of the Game.

[ ... ]

Both sides of this conflict made up their minds long before this Game ever started. This scenario-- it's the Composer's last and only shot to prove anything.

To prove that we're worth it. That the Games are worth it.

[. . .]

That's why they chose you to judge. Because your Game was absolute shit.

[and while Akira knows he believed Nikki deserved a second chance, if it's the Game, the mechanics, the worth of same that he's judging? he can absolutely see why Max was picked]

And because you have a knowledge of a vast variety of Games, too.

[that special skill set he told Akira about, so long ago]

Close. Anyone in my position as a wide knowledge of Games. It's necessary for the job. I was chosen... Because I didn't have an opinion on this.

[ ah ]

... The bias from the Composer side was presented as inevitable, since they're an intricate part of Games. Everyone else in my position was given that role because they fit with the Games, so their opinion is also considered biased. Never mind anyone on the other side of the issue.

At the time the discussion was taking place, I was pretty much the only neutral party on the entire thing.

[ he shrugs ]

I don't believe in the Games. But I didn't care for the other option either. So, here I am. My particular skill set was not giving a shit.

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