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

[chaoticlootral]

Yeah, what the fuck! No! No killing! Good gods. We just want to help - uh, you know, in a sane plan? Or an insane one, we're not above it. Just not a killing people one.

[Muttering another FUCK under his breath, because he didn't want to come across as! Advocating murder!]

[subordinacy]

[Setz stares at them both for a moment in utter shock, before he buries his face in his hand—namely out of sheer relief.

When he speaks, he just sounds very, very tired.]

Thank you.

[He lifts his head.]

The recording's a little outdated, but you can trust everything Akira said on it. I know you're... not particularly inclined towards the Reapers, but he genuinely wants to save everyone—and as he said, he's willing to die if that's really what it takes.

In any case, I wouldn't be surprised if half the Players know his role by now, so his chances of survival are slim regardless.

[After pausing for a moment, he takes out a longass note (or who knows, maybe it's two notes, we'll see how Zia formats it??) and hands it over.]

... Sorry, but I don't have a plan yet. I did tell you most of everything I know at the trial, barring Reaper identities. However, this is just about everything else—I'm planning on giving it to Max so that he can post it for everyone next week.

[So, uh, please don't damage it and make him write that all over again.]

[ruffboi]

...I've got some info to add to that, Setz.

[Pulling a sheet of paper. It's actually a sheet of paper in Magnus' handwriting, so, scratchy, with a few misspellings.]

Makoto has the original. We found it in the treasure chest we got exploring the bookstore. It didn't make any damn sense to me, but now it kinda does, right? It's not that they don't want to revive everybody, it's that they can't. It takes too much energy or something.

[chaoticlootral]

[Yoinking the paper over to read it over again quickly before Setz does, rudely :) Mostly just to fuck with him a little. It's been a long day. ]

This, uh, writing. Kinda sounds like Max, right? Am I just making that shit up? [Waving a hand. Maybe something to ask him about.] Maybe that's why they have to extend the game, and we gotta make it to the end. More time to build up power. Like in Wonderland. Had to extract all they needed from us.

[subordinacy]

[Wow??]

Yeah, it's Max's. [No need to ask him!] We found a report from him in the live house as well, which is how I knew about the Conductor. Thanks for sharing this.

That they need to gather up the energy is a possibility. That, or the bet they're involved in has something to do with it. Where exactly that power comes from is the question...

[He's quiet for another moment, before:]

Earlier this week, I put in a request to meet with the Composer. According to Max, I'll learn on Monday whether or not they've chosen to accept it.

... From what I know, they aren't—or can't be—necessarily forthcoming with answers, but we'll see.

[ruffboi]

Well, shit. Maybe we shouldn't have been sending them envelopes full of old rancid sauces this whole time...?

[They're the worst.]

Maybe they gotta win their bet to afford the cost. I dunno. Your ideas make sense - a game to prove we won't be jackasses to each other no matter how cruel the game is. Uh, but I kinda fucking hate it. You gonna torture people, like with Miki - dangling the chance for her to save the girl she loved, and then taking it away, to see if she's a good person? Fuck that. I haven't killed anyone, but it's not because I'm a better person. If I thought my wife would have wanted that, I'd take the Composer's bullshit deal in a heartbeat.

But if there's a higher authority than the Commuter, guess that's who we have to stop.

[chaoticlootral]

I don't feel at all bad about the sauce, and my Sauce Gun plan still stands, homies. Social experiments are still bullshit even if you have, like, good intentions or what the fuck ever. What they did to Miki and Alex and Jonas is fucking bullshit.

[Get sauced, fucks.]

Yeah, gotta go for the head honcho. Sounds like they're the ones with their hands on the second life tap. There's also the guy - mentioned in trial he'd been getting messages in his head. Worrisome direction. Might want to keep an eye on him, or it's some sort of, uuh, indicator they're messing with us. Could be random, or not.

[subordinacy]

... Why...

[That's, uh, about sending the Composer envelopes full of old rancid sauces. Why would you do that.

Anyhow.]

I don't like it either; however, my first and foremost concern will always be getting everyone out of here.

[Anger can play second fiddle to that.]

... I asked Max about it, and he just said I should try asking around to see if anyone else felt something similar.

If something is messing with us, I wonder why Mutsunokami in particular, though. Nothing about him seems to stand out to me.

[That's mean, Setz.]

[ruffboi]

Okay. I'm angry, but you're not wrong.

[Sighing, fiddling with the cell phone in his hands.]

You talk to the Composer, give us updates. As for me...it sucks, but we have to try and keep Akira alive, don't we? Caren put a target on his back today. I think I should talk to him.

[chaoticlootral]

Maybe it's because his head is kinda empty, acts like a satellite dish.

[SORRY THAT'S MEAN TOO.]

Should do some sort of public call, right? Put a sign out: If you're having weird-ass thoughts, bring 'em here. No point in beating around the bush trying to gently pry it out of these dingdongs. Done with that shit.

As for Akira, I agree. Think the, uh, danger, is if what he's saying is right, then he'll have to kill someone this week. This isn't me volunteering, by the way.

[subordinacy]

You can try that. You two will probably be more persuasive than me, at least.

[Regarding Akira, he nods slowly, looking grim.]

... Mm. I'm not sure if certain Players will even wait for the trial to go after him, but...

[Well, either way.]

If you plan on talking to him, keep in mind that he can't be open about everything—the Reapers seem to have certain restrictions in place, lest they face erasure. With that said, as long as you go with the intention of a civil discussion, he does want to share what he can, if it'll help everyone.

[ruffboi]

Yeah. Someone will try to kill him this week. If not the other Reapers, someone like Miki, or Jonas - a person with a boon they want, but they've thought it would be wrong to try and get it. And then here's a Reaper Caren identified, you get your boon, no harm, no foul. Can't let it happen like that.

[He's starting to get an idea of how to help, though.]

Yeah, yeah, more mysterious bullshit. Speaking of which, Setz, do you know who all the Reapers are? Not just the, uh - okay. We need a better name for these teams than the good Reapers and the bad Reapers. How about if Akira's team is the Bad News Bears, and Jacopo's team is the Mighty Ducks. You know the roster for the Ducks, buddy?

[chaoticlootral]

[Okay, now is probably not an appropriate time to lose his mind giggling, but that's a great bit.]

Yeah, pal, you know the Ducks lineup? At least a push in the right direction. Who's the kid with the killer slapshot?

[subordinacy]

I actually don't know who the other... Bear [why] is. Akira is my only point of contact with them.

But yes, I know who all the Ducks are, and I have no idea what you mean by the "kid with the killer slapshot".

[ruffboi]

[Thank God Setz is going along with the bit.]

Think that was probably Jacopo. Or Izaya? Izaya was a Duck, right? He was faking his entry fee. You don't have to name them, but how many are left?

Also, which team is which? Composer and Conductor, which one is Emilio Estevez and which one is Billy Bob Thornton? And don't get at me, I know the remake was shit, but Billy Bob is objectively a funnier name to drop.

[chaoticlootral]

Izaya had to be a Duck. I think? [He sounded so confident for a second.] And yeah, we've got to skew our references to a younger audience, you see. Considering the age range here.

Just have to keep track of numbers, since we have to worry about, uh, keeping Player population up, right? Can't help but think that's going to come up as an issue at some point.

[subordinacy]

[What the heck are you two even talking about.]

Yeah, Izaya was one. There are three Ducks left, and two Bears left. When Max said there were seven Reapers left, both factions were included in that count at the time.

The Bears answer to the Conductor... Well, indirectly, I suppose the Composer is in charge of them all, but the Bears don't have any unique means of contact with them. The Ducks, on the other hand, are managed directly by the Composer from what I understand.

[ruffboi]

So the Composer is Emilio Estevez. Got it.

[It makes sense to these two, and that's all that matters, right?]

I kind of feel good that we don't know who the last Bear is. It makes things risky, but it also means they're playing it close to the chest. Seems like Jacopo's shop had a lot of leaks. I might have a lead on the last one, but I'm not sure. And I'm not ready to say a name, because I'm trying to build trust.

One more question. Do you have a suspicion as to who killed Jacopo? Monika was certain it was Newt. I'm not so sure. But whoever did that seems like one of the biggest threats still around, don't you think?

[chaoticlootral]

[Listen, it's a better naming scheme than Composer and Conductor, okay, those are WAY too similar. Anyway, doing math . . . ]

Uh, so, seven Reapers, 16 players. Going to get tough to juggle that if we're losing people are the rate we currently are.

[subordinacy]

[...

There's an undercurrent of fury in Setz's eyes, because hahaha guess who's still really upset about his partner—]

I have no idea. I didn't even realize how much he was sharing with others, given how long it took for him to trust even me.

[ruffboi]

Hey, it's okay. We'll figure out who we think it is, and I'll rough 'em up a little.

[Might be nice to have an extra vote at trials.]

I think not just protecting our Reapers, but we need to work on stopping Player kills. We're wracking up bodies now.

[chaoticlootral]

[Mmmmmm feeling a little guilty looking at Setz like this. He doesn't want to upset the dude, but it feels inevitable.]

Yeah, homie. Whoever it is, uh, isn't getting away with it. I mean, there's killing people, and then. That.

[subordinacy]

... Yeah. I don't actually wish death on them, but...

[or well tbh there are some homicidal feelings in there but he's restraining them.]

Not that Player kills were ever a good idea, but at this stage, they're even worse.

[ruffboi]

I've kind of got a thought. What if someone could wake me up as an accomplice? A Reaper, probably. Someone who has to kill anyway. I'm no good asleep, but if I could be awake on the murder night I feel like I could keep the death toll down.

[chaoticlootral]

Oh, great, great, great we're both going to die.

[Just. Holding his temples.]