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REAPSODY Week 1 - Makoto and Akira

[On Wednesday, Yusuke is waiting for his fellow Thieves on one of the benches in the park, their agreed meeting place. He's making the most his allowance and has changed outfits since arriving, and is gazing up at the cherry blossoms with a contemplative expression.]

I suppose even this place cannot tarnish nature's beauty...

[As usual he's just talking to himself, regardless of whether he has company. Though when he realises Makoto and Akira have arrived, he manages to drag his attention away for a moment.]

Ah, there you are. Would you like to join me to view the cherry blossoms? They're quite lovely.

[...orrrr they could have an actual strategy meeting like they'd agreed...?]

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[Akira, on the other hand, is still dressed in that same old Shujin uniform. perhaps with the sleeves rolled up and the blazer unbuttoned and the suspenders hanging from his belt, but ya know. TELL THIS BOY TO BUY MORE CLOTHES]

[the purpose of his meeting aside, he gazes up to watch the cherry blossoms wave gently with the wind, flashes of pink occasionally breaking free of the branches to waft through the air. considering their circumstances, maybe taking a moment to enjoy some peace and quiet isn't a bad thing]

It was too early for cherry blossoms back home.

[he comments idly]

I wonder if this means it's spring here?

[BUY MORE CLOTHES, AKIRA???

Yusuke nods, thoughtful.] I imagine it is. This is not truly our Shibuya, so it stands to reason it would not follow the same date nor season. If only I could paint it...

I appreciate that a coat is only necessary at night, at least.

[she offers easily, before looking up at the cherry blossoms. She does have some information to share, at least...]

[that makes one of them. all Akira has is more of the same-- pent up frustration with no outlet, and ideas without any way on which to act upon]

If we had camping supplies, sleeping outside wouldn't actually be that uncomfortable. . .

[to Yusuke, though]

Why don't you paint it?

[Stiffly:] I cannot. It's humiliating to admit, but anything I produce is uninspired drivel; it would only be an insult to such a beautiful spectacle.

Yusuke... I'm sure you'll find your inspiration soon. [unless it's his fee, but makoto doesn't know that]

[Akira doesn't either, but after talking to Makoto. . .]

Ah. . .

Was your inspiration your entry fee?

[because that's just as cruel as taking Makoto's sense of justice]

Edited (yo who can't html, it's me) 2018-03-17 18:48 (UTC)

It isn't merely my inspiration... but my ability altogether. Anything I produce may as well be childish scribbles.

[Still humiliating to admit, but if there's anyone he can confide in about this, it's Akira and Makoto. He breathes a sigh.]

I suppose the two of you must be experiencing similar losses as your entry fees?

... Yes.

[though talking it through with Akira helped, she still feels a little lost to admit it.]

My sense of justice is gone.

[there's an awkward pause as Akira takes a seat on the bench next to Yusuke, hands still tucked in his pockets]

I can't drink coffee anymore?

[. . .]

[that sounds so. trivial? compared to the other two. but he knows his sudden distaste for coffee is linked to something-- something that has only come up in small flickers here and there-- and he isn't really sure if he's ready to talk about that. yet]

[or ever]

Makoto... [Yusuke looks shocked, though of course he shouldn't be.] Whatever happens, we won't let you lose your grasp of right and wrong. Just as you were able to help your sister when she lost sight of her justice, we'll help you.

[Hes's sure they can do that much, even if good and bad are going to get more complicated the longer this game goes on. Then he shifts as Akira speaks, frowning--]

Coffee...? I noticed you were no longer interested in it, but I'm not sure I understand why it would be your fee.

Thank you, Yusuke. If we get through this, somehow, we should get everything back. That's what Max told me when I asked him.

[though, she does seem to be a little concerned about Akira's. Hers and Yusuke's were deeply personal, and while she knew coffee was similar for Akira, that doesn't seem right either.]

Are you certain that's it, Akira? [to play the game, just to get back your life and your ability to get coffee...]

[Akira smiles a bit when Yusuke offers his encouraging words to Makoto. it was basically the same thing he had said to her when they discussed her entry fee last week, after all. and as suspected? Yusuke feels the exact same way he does]

[it's comforting, to know they're still on the same page. even if--]

It isn't important.

[that's in response to Makoto's question. not an outright denial, but it is a bit dismissive]

We should talk about the things we've learned in the past week. [and a subject change] Do either of you have any new information to share?

[Taken aback at the subject change, though for once, Yusuke does have enough tact to recognise he shouldn't press the matter for now.]

Very well. Let's see... The mission I assisted Mary with today yielded some interesting information. She found a note in Wildkat, and though I do not have it with me, I can roughly summarise its contents, if you would like to hear it.

I also found this. [He pulls out a folding kunai to show them both.] I'm rather relieved not to be wholly reliant on my psych to fight, to be honest.

[magic was never his strongest suit anyway...]

[she misses her gloves now, honestly. But, in the meantime, she gives one last hard look at Akira... before shifting her attention to Yusuke.]

What did the note say, Yusuke?

[perks up a bit when Makoto asks that question, falling silent to let Yusuke answer]

The letter was anonymous, so I can't be sure of the author, but the recipient is clearly the Composer. In the letter, the writer described how in most games, Players are informed of their entry fees immediately. The writer expressed concern with the change for this game, that Players must figure out their fees for themselves, and argued that it was cruel and unfair... even arguing that the Composer is lacking in humanity.

The letter also went on to mention Reapers lack entry fees... I suppose it seems obvious, in hindsight. They're not truly players, so there's no reason to pay the fee.

As for the identity of the writer, I thought it might be Max, considering they described themselves as being tasked by the Composer to oversee the game. However, from what I've gleaned from speaking with Max, he's only been here a few days longer than we have. This individual has clearly observed many games, and I assume must regularly write to the Composer of their findings.

I wonder just how many individuals there are involved in this game that we simply aren't aware of...

The reapers don't have entry fees... And there are certainly more than one composer...

[she pauses, and presses a hand to her chin.]

Max has also played in a game before-- though he wouldn't say whether he'd won or not, just that he'd made a bad decision.

[Akira listens to all of this quietly, a frown chiseled on his features. when Makoto speaks, he turns his attention towards her]

The lack of entry fees. . . that might be one way for us to tell who and who isn't a reaper.

Did he say what the nature of his bad decision was?

But how do we determine who would be lying about their entry fees, and who isn't? For example, if I were a Reaper, I could simply draw poorly and convince everyone my artistic skill had been taken from me.

[He won't press the point further than that just yet, though, as he's also interested in what Makoto has to say about Max.]

I think relying on being told outright is not going to help us in discovering the reapers. There's so many different ways to lie-- especially if they know that we do not know what our entry fees are.

And... it can be hard to face what you've lost.

[she pauses, and then considers her next words.]

No. He wasn't specific-- but you can rest assured, I plan on speaking to him more. I think I understand him a little bit better now. And I know that he knows far more about us than what is in our profiles.

He was quite open about calling me 'queen', though my profile doesn't mention anything about the phantom thieves... or anything about my double life.

[what she's getting at is: all anyone knows is that she's a nerdy student council president. That could be useful one day.]

Edited 2018-03-19 00:03 (UTC)

We'll have to watch people carefully. A lie can only hold itself together for so long. Eventually, someone has to slip up.

[that's in response to Yusuke. and in response to Makoto. . .]

He actually told me about that. [guess who else has been cozying up to Max, it's Akira] They have profiles on us that go more in depth than what's found in our rulebooks. It's to help them choose entry fees.

He's never really been able to tell me much, but I don't think he'd mind if all three of us bothered him a little more.

[no Max would definitely mind, Akira just wants to give him a hard time]

Ah... Max called me "Fox", as well. It makes sense that they'd need to know so much more about us than the average Player.

But if Max truly played the game before as you say, then perhaps the letter really was written by him. The crude language would certainly seem to match.

[Yusuke pauses, thinking hard.]

... And if that's the case, it would seem his antipathy towards the Composer is rather immense, while he sympathises with us. Perhaps there is some merit to spending more time with him; it may work to our favour.

He called me queen in the context of wanting to fight our captors. So... it's definitely the sense I get.

But I think he's limited in what he can and can't say. We'll have to be discreet...

And he's called me "Joker," so he probably thinks he's being cute.

[""cute""]

Max once told me that he is a "neutral party" meant to oversee the players'-- our side-- of the game. But when he said that. . .

[hm]

I felt like there was something more there that he wouldn't tell me. I didn't know how to get him to expand on it.

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