WEEK 4 - POST EXECUTION + WHATEVER THE FUCK THAT WAS

[chaoticlootral]

[ Well!

That was something truly terrible. But there's business to attend to, last requests and all that. Taako has ditched the veil and also most of the length of the skirt so he can actually move, and he and Magnus have somehow cornered Setz somewhere fairly soon after the spectacle.]

Hey, uh, homie, wait up. We've gotta chat.

Comments

[subordinacy]

[Well, Setz isn't going anywhere. When Taako and Magnus approach him—and honestly, he was expecting this at some point after that trial—he's finishing up with re-bandaging his wounds from Wednesday. (It's something else to focus on, rather than, uh, what just happened.)

He looks up, his expression blank.]

All right.

[ruffboi]

[Hey sorry about your choices Magnus but he's genuinely upset right now. Like yeah, what they just watched was horrific, but he also looks like he's been crying a little, and he's gripping the handle of his axe with slightly shaking hands.]

Would say it doesn't need to be right now, but it's important.

Did you know they were doing this?

[chaoticlootral]

[He's been tasked with - in Magnus' words - preventing him from fucking up, so just sort of, inserting himself between Magnus and Setz. Just in case. It's been a long day, and no one has any patience left.]

Monika, uh, sent us? I guess. Used her referral code.

[subordinacy]

What?

[That cuts through Setz's passiveness. If anything, he actually looks offended now—a rarity for him.

He doesn't move, but he tenses, and it's not from fear.]

Do you think I would've let them do this if I'd known!?

[ruffboi]

We knew. But there was no let. They made up their mind to do it, and they did.

[He's not angry at Setz. It's fine. He's just angry.]

It wasn't the way they made it seem.

[chaoticlootral]

[Taako looks kind of ill again, thinking about it. The way they made it seem.]

It all just happened, uh, kinda fast.

[subordinacy]

[...

Setz calms down—though his hand clenches into a fist—before looking away.]

Neither of them mentioned anything about it to me. What did they tell you?

[ruffboi]

I don't know.

[He'd cared about Monika. Maybe that's why she felt the need to tell them. But Setz obviously cared, too.]

Coulda been because I told her some things, about me. About my family. I couldn't have lived with myself if I thought she really decided to die for him, and I hadn't done anything to help her realize she didn't need to. But I think it was because she wanted us to talk to you.

[He's pulling out of his pocket a cell phone.]

I'm pretty sure you've already heard what's on here. They told us they wanted to, uh, cull the numbers. They said you were making plans.

[chaoticlootral]

[Letting Magnus take the explanation on this one - he isn't good with these types of things. Hard conversations and ugly truths. Pulling his hair around his shoulder to start rebraiding it. Back to business.]

I, uh, don't know why we're apparently trustworthy, but this is a whole last request thing. Can't exactly refuse last requests from someone who's so serious about their plans they'll skip right to ripping hearts outta chests. We'll help.

TUESDAY

[subordinacy]

['Sup.

When Setz finds them, he looks as flat as usual, but he's oddly tense now—and it comes out in his voice as well.]

Well, a bit of good news. Apparently, Jacopo wasn't, in fact, tortured.

[Three guesses as to how he knows this and the first two don't count.]

[chaoticlootral]

So he just, what, lost three fingers in a tragic anime sword accident?

[SETZ IS OBVIOUSLY SENSITIVE ABOUT THIS DON'T BE RUDE.]

. . . Sorry, habit. So who did it?

[ruffboi]

You figured out the killer, huh? They cut off the fingers to make us think it was uglier than it was?

[subordinacy]

I didn't ask about... that.

[He actually did not want to talk about how his partner died??]

... It was Newton. [...] You don't have to rough him up. I already punched him.

[chaoticlootral]

[hmmmmmmmmmm.]

Oh. I should probably talk to him. Considering I threatened to kill him if he did do it. So, uh, here's hoping he isn't going to try and kill me for saying I'd kill him? Hm. Complicated.

[ruffboi]

You aren't talking to him alone.

[He looks pretty furious. His hand is balled in a fist, trembling like he wants to punch something.]

You're fucking kidding me. He kept saying he was disappointed in me, and asking if I really thought he could kill someone. Why?

[subordinacy]

[...]

Because at the time, he decided that all Reapers were the enemy and he would do what it took to win. To an extent, he still feels that way—

[And his tone is bitter here, as he can't say he appreciated Newt calling Jacopo's death a win to his face.]

—though he showed some degree of remorse, as he admitted it may have been a premature decision. In any case, he confessed to me as a demonstration of goodwill.

[chaoticlootral]

[Crossing, then uncrossing his arms, not really sure how to react. He isn't much of a puncher. It isn't as if he doesn't still want to kill him? For what he did to Jacopo sure, but, selfishly, more than that, what he did to Monika. The both of you! So sad over little old me. Newt has more blood on his hands than anyone so far.]

Premature might be, uh, underselling it a little. What's the goodwill he expects? I suppose "not being brutally punched to death" is part of the deal, right?

[chaoticlootral]

[GUESS WHO'S BACK
BACK AGAIN
SHADYS BACK
TELL A FRIEND]

[subordinacy]

[Uh.]

... How are you doing?

[ruffboi]

I mean. Not the best we've ever been doing, but also, not the worst?

[They've been doing pretty bad before, though.]

How are you doing?

[chaoticlootral]

Taako's great, personally, uh, love being tormented by visions for hours and whatever, that's like, my favorite shit.

[But yeah I mean. They've had worse days. Maybe?]

Yeah, what's up? You got news?

[subordinacy]

[That

that doesn't sound even remotely okay, Taako. Setz looks a little caught off-guard, unsure how to respond to... that, but.]

It's about what I discussed with the Composer. And, to an extent, the Conductor since I met with them later, but for the most part, they had nothing to add.

... To begin with, I can't tell you their identities. [because the mods made ominous comments at me re: doing so.] There was nothing incredibly eye-opening, but I've learned a bit more about what's going on behind this Game.

[ruffboi]

Could you do charades? Or maybe we could just start guessing names, and you can cough a little if we're right? Dahlia. Ichigo. Chuchu.

[But he doesn't really...expect Setz to tell them. That's fine.]

We actually submitted a request to meet with them to Max, but we haven't heard back. Tell us what's up?

[chaoticlootral]

It's fine, we already know it's Chuchu and Akira. [The chickenpig.]

Yeah, we told them to meet us behind the bleachers, but I guess they didn't want to? [Sighing.] Just like prom night '57 all over again.

[subordinacy]

She took about a week to get back to me—and when I say "get back to me", I mean she suddenly teleported me elsewhere.

[Anyhow.]

We definitely need to be focusing on that other entity. Taako, you remember that Noise we fought last week, right?

That wasn't the Composer's doing. That was from them. [...] The Composer knew they'd be sending their own tests, but she thought she would be notified beforehand, and that they'd be less... life-threatening. Apparently not.