week 1 ( saturday )

[subordinacy]

[HAHAHAHAHA THAT ENTIRE TRIAL OH GOD.

... Which is to say that Shinssin is one of the people at the forefront of Setz's mind tonight, and so he finds himself seeking him out. (If you'd asked him last week, he definitely would not have pictured himself doing that, let alone twice in two days.)

When he finds him, he does his best to keep his expression neutral.]

I don't have any food for you this time. Sorry.

Comments

[shinssin]

... That's fine. I don't feel like eating.

[That's when you know things are bad. He's just in a corner, standing around by his lonesome. He figures he should get used to it. Well, he already is...]

[subordinacy]

[...

Setz is quiet for a few moments, as he watches Shinssin, before:]

You don't think much of yourself, do you?

[shinssin]

[He snorts—a reflex.]

What? I'm the best at everything I can do.

[subordinacy]

Yes, you were certainly the best at being surprised that people wanted to save you.

[shinssin]

Is that so strange? This is a death game, isn't it? You shouldn't trust everyone you meet here.

[subordinacy]

Maybe. However, plenty of people prefer not to get what they want by walking over the corpses of others.

[shinssin]

You have so much faith in people, Setz. It's not like you don't know what they can do.

[subordinacy]

I'm well aware. [And maybe it's naive, considering he grew up under the "care" of someone opposite to what he just described. But still—] However, will you deny that there are several people here who would like to see you survive?

[shinssin]

[His lips part but the words never make it.]

... I don't get it. They don't even know my name...

[subordinacy]

... I know names are important to you, but for many people, it's the person past the name that matters.

[This is technically a lie, because a hell lot of people won't look past a name, but.]

[shinssin]

[ Thanks for the bullshit! ]

And what do they see? Haven't I been the worst so far?

[subordinacy]

You're a highly frustrating individual with questionable mental and emotional stability, and I don't doubt that your moral compass is skewed.

So far, though, you are far, far from the worst.

[shinssin]

... Haha. I don't know if I should take that as a compliment.

[ Or if he should say anything to that at all. ]

[subordinacy]

It's just an observation. [...] And you've done nothing but prove my original point.

[That Shinssin doesn't seem to think much of himself.]

[shinssin]

... What do you want me to say, Setz? That I grew up without receiving any praise or trust? That I lived all my life looking for that?

[subordinacy]

[For a moment, it's uncomfortably like looking in a mirror. Surprise flickers across his face, before it settles back into his usual passive expression.]

... While I didn't necessarily want you to say that, as I wouldn't wish that life for you, that does explain a few things, actually.

[Like Shinssin's constant need to boast.]

For what it's worth... although the realm of the dead is probably an odd place for it, you have that now. Like I said, there are people who care about you here. You saw how many people were willing to defend you during the trial.