week 4 ( tuesday )

[subordinacy]

[Is Max sick of him yet.]

First: could I make a formal request for an audience with the Composer?

Comments

[concertmaster]

[huh]

Yeah. Just write it down, it's a whole [vague, exasperated hand motions] ... process.

[subordinacy]

... Is there a specific way I need to word it? Do I just give you the note afterwards?

[concertmaster]

No and yes, in that order. I'll deliver it to the Composer myself.

[subordinacy]

All right...

[In tidy writing, he writes down, To the Composer: I would like to request an audience with you. — Sekreuz, before handing the note to Max.]

[concertmaster]

[he pockets it in his hammerspace hoodie]

I'll make sure it gets to them. And since you said first, I assume there's follow up?

[subordinacy]

Thanks.

[...]

You said "maybe next week" when I asked about saving the Erased.

... It's next week, so I'm asking again.

[concertmaster]

The answer's not as interesting as you think it is.

[he seems honest about that]

Usually, "saving" the Erased wouldn't be a thing in Games. Usually, Players who'd been erased would also not be hanging around in a manner that would make it even plausible for them to interact with you guys either. Even in that scenario, some Composers have been known to pick out erased Souls [can he hear the capital.] at the end of a Game. It's not done much, since those guys have lost their entry fee permanently, but it's happened.

[he's going somewhere with this i swear]

[subordinacy]

[They've lost their entry fee permanently, huh...]

... But in this case...?

[concertmaster]

Like I said. This case is different, because of the nature of this Game.

[which he can't go into still, but:]

The Composer can give a second chance to the Erased, same as any of you, without that problem. If they... let's go with want to, which you can probably guess depends on a lot of bullshit. There's nothing specific you guys can do for them besides play the Game to the best of your ability and impress the Composer.

[a beat]

Which at this rate might seem a lot more impossible than it ought to.

[he saw that letter discussion]

[subordinacy]

... Well, that's both good and bad, I suppose.

[That, in the end, there's no one correct answer.

... Also GOD. Setz frowns.]

I can't really blame their reaction, but... is it really that hard to believe that I didn't have sinister motives behind posting that letter...?

[concertmaster]

Apparently. [he's a tad judgmental there] There's not much else you could've done to convince them.

[except maybe tell akira not to add the second note]

[subordinacy]

... If it comes down to it, there's always revealing myself...

[Though he'd rather not do that unless he has to.]

The third thing I wanted to ask you: the kit and the knives from before. Are those related to the Players with advantages, since I assume those to be distinct from Reapers?

[Now that he knows Jacopo and co. don't belong in that category.]

[concertmaster]

Are you popular enough it'd change their mind?

[he's just. saying.]

Nope. It's unrelated to those guys.

[subordinacy]

No. [He really doubts he is.] But it'd be a show of good will, if nothing else.

... Then why did we get those things?

[concertmaster]

Wow. It's not a Player advantage and you know it isn't from the Reapers. I wonder who that leaves.

[subordinacy]

... Is there a reason they decided to...? Anyway, are the Players with advantages still active?

[concertmaster]

[he shrugs]

Yeah. Why wouldn't they be?

[subordinacy]

... Have their advantages had any obvious impact on the Game, or is this more of a behind-the-scenes kind of thing?

[concertmaster]

...Both, I guess?

[subordinacy]

[Damn it, he's going to be wondering about this forever.]

How important would you say they are to getting the outcome I want?

[concertmaster]

Their advantages wouldn't help you out there, if that's what you're asking.

[subordinacy]

So in that regard, their actions don't have the same direct level of impact as, say, the Reapers'.

[concertmaster]

They don't have a specific win condition, so I guess not.

[subordinacy]

... Your "I guess not" suggests it's more ambiguous than that, but I suppose that technically any Player, advantage or not, can screw everything up.

You can't give any other hint as to what their advantages are, I assume.

[concertmaster]

Bingo.

I can't, but you should be able to figure out at least one if you think hard enough.

[helping!!!]