reapertoire | week 5, thursday

[ newt will probably notice anthy watering some of the flowers. the dog noise who is usually hanging around with max is also here, and is also... watering the flowers. the watering can is in its mouth. what a good dog. ]

[You'd think Newt would get used to this teleporting this? But, nah. He stumbles as he's suddenly just in a new place, immediately on the defense because he's been jumpy all week, especially today.

But then, oh. What?]

Anthy? [He's confused as he moves to join her near the flowers. Wait, did he die? He doesn't remember dying, but then, he doesn't remembering dying the first time either. Shit, there was still some stuff he had to do before curfew...

It clicks after a moment.]

...You're the Composer.

It's good to see you again.

[ she remembers you calling her stupid you bitch ]

[tmw u accidentally called the person who decides ur fate stupid.

hm.

ic tho.]

Yeah, you too. [He means it.] Um... Thanks for agreeing to meet with me. Why did you, actually?

You sent in a request, correct? Of course I'd honor it.

[ ...

that's it. ]

I did, yeah, but I thought it'd be a long shot... Your identity is supposed to be secret, I assume to maintain the integrity of the game. The whole "judgment" thing.

[Which, actually.]

So you decide who lives and who dies at the end of this, right?

[Newt... might be a little fucked here.]

That's right.

[ it's fine. anthy has never held a grudge in her life (citation needed). ]

That time seems to be soon approaching us.

Do you think the game is going to end soon? Before the eight week limit, I mean. Um, how much can you tell me about your criteria?

[A beat.]

Is Hermann in the clear? He's been worried.

I can't say for sure exactly when it'll end, but I can confirm that you are all doing much better than you have been in previous weeks.

[ ... ]

Hermann is fine.

[He lets out a breath he hadn't realized he'd been holding.]

That's, um, good to know. Can you tell me how many people you're... Planning? Allowed? Are you functioning under some grand set of rules here too? I know there's a structure in place, but maybe you have wiggle room or something.

[Wait he was asking a question.]

How many of us get a second chance in the end? If it's just a limited number.

[ she's silent for a moment before she places her watering can down. the dog continues to water the flowers though. ]

I will be honest with you, Newt. There is a chance to revive everyone as long as it goes well enough. There are certain... rules, yes, that's probably the best word for it. There are rules I have to follow regarding revivals for this Game, so as soon as you all hit the criteria for one option, I'll be able to do it.

How close are we to reviving everyone, can you tell me that? And when you say "everyone"... Does that include the Reapers? What happens to them when this is all over?

I think you're fairly close, actually. We'll probably know for sure by next week.

... If the Reapers are revived, then they will continue to be Reapers.

[His eyebrows shoot up.]

Oh. That's, um. Well, that's good. [Here's hoping they can pull it out in a week...?]

So is reviving everyone still contingent on making it to the end, then? I was always under the impression it was more of, I don't know... A final judgment call once we get there than us checking off boxes.

I assure you, if any of you did extremely poorly you won't be revived.

[ look she's pretty nice on the scale of "how much of a douchebag is this composer" scale but like. she's still a composer. ]

But at this point it's easier to pick out who won't be revived versus who will be, if that makes sense.

So it's less of an "everyone" and more that you'd open up enough slots for everyone, though the judgment clause is still in effect. That makes sense, yeah.

[...]

Hey, uh, in that note or whatever that Taako was talking about. All of us were chosen based on our likelihood of winning our own game, right? But this game is different than the others, apparently. Longer, you and the Conductor have a bet going, and so on. But do the other games usually have this same set of rules? Regarding how to win, I mean.

Each one is different depending on how it's designed. For example, there are ones where all Players have to do is complete the kind of missions that you receive on Wednesday. And there are others that are far more harsh than this one is. However, normally, they tend to only have a single win clause. You either pass it or you don't.

How do you determine likelihood of success if the game isn't consistent, though? Unless the games we would've been part of were predetermined. Which means... Is this game designed to serve as sort of the Olympics of games? The best and brightest from all the different categories thrown in together. That would make some sense, I suppose.

[...]

Is that why there's "criteria" instead of a single win clause for this game?

I suppose it’s safe enough to say since some of the other Players have guessed correctly.

The idea for this specific game was not made up for me. I’m the one running it, yes, but it was not my idea to have it. You can say that this iteration of it serves more than one purpose. Because of the multi purposes, we had to do things differently, like bringing together so many people from different worlds.

The bet you have going with the Conductor, then. That's unrelated? I thought you two were supposed to be working together.

Hm. I wouldn’t say that any bet I may have going on is unrelated.

Are you betting on which side's going to win this? You have faith in us but the Conductor doesn't? Maybe that doesn't matter, I don't know. Just tell me this isn't some sort of, like, judgment system based on our quality as people. It can't be, right? You'd have known going in what kind of people all of us are. It wouldn't be fair.

I'm actually not the one who personally chose you all. And I will say that, based on your individual potentials, the reasons why each of you would have beaten your own Games would be different.

[He sighs. That doesn't really answer his question.]

So is anyone currently out of the running for getting revived at the end?

Hm... I suppose the safest one to say would be Tsubasa.

[Newt legitimately has to take out his rulebook to remember who tf that is.]

Uh... [Still fuzzy.] Didn't she die super early? Like she got mauled by Noise or something? I don't remember her, like, at all... Or is that the point? She did something stupid to get herself killed early on, and thus didn't actually, you know, play the game?

That is correct. It's why she's the easiest example that comes to mind.

[ since she was like. not around. ]

[Wow. Well, that's one puzzle solved.]

So that's what you meant by it being easier to determine who is out of the running as opposed to who's secured a spot in the winner's circle. There are people who haven't, I don't know, been trying hard enough to make up for their losses at this point, but things can still change for everyone that has been putting in the work.

[He has to laugh.]

Man, that's so... Simple. That's really all you wanted?

More or less. [ she can't. actually confirm, it's a npc thing. ]

We can only reveal so much information as the week progresses, so we could only vaguely hint to this before. While we still aren't able to be explicit with information, we can say a lot more than we were able to two weeks ago.

I get that. [And he does. He doesn't like it, but he gets it.]

Has anyone met with you before me? Are there other Players that know who you are? [...] And I'm betting that outing you would mess things up, so I won't do that, but, uh... Can I tell Hermann? We're, y'know, kind of in cahoots and all.

There's just a rule in place that you can't actually name me to people who haven't met with me yet. [ ... ] You're completely free to tell him all about this conversation, as long as you don't specify me.

If you would like to know who else has put in requests and spoken to me already though, I can tell you. It's been Setz, Akira, Magnus, Undine, and Taako so far. Word has gotten around as to how to get in touch.

[He nods. For, like, the first time in his life(?), he absolutely intends on following the rules here.

Also THAT IS A LOT OF PEOPLE.]

Would the same rules apply if I met with the Conductor? I could tell whoever about the details of our conversation, but not who they are? [A beat.] What do you think of the Conductor, by the way? Like, personally. Did you guys know each other before this game?

[ This is the most she has spoken to anyone in like five weeks??? ]

The rules would be the same, yes. As for the Conductor, no, we met each other before this Game started, but this has been the first time we've done a Game together. They're... nice. Cheerful.

[Hm.]

And can you tell me who has met with the Conductor thus far?

[i'm so sorry about his 2372792734 questions jfc.]

That I don't actually know, I'd have to ask them.

Right. Uh... Can you... I know you can't give me the specifications for how to win and save everyone. I get that. But is there anything you can tell me about it? Like, what's the nature of the criteria, exactly? Is it something we have to do or just... Understand, I guess? If it really is about just figuring out why this game is happening in the first place. And if that's the case, how many of us have to be in on it to clinch the win? If I, I don't know, magically figure out the criteria here and now, is it something I can pull off myself?

I guess... in the beginning you were given a certain narrative. We need to see you all, together, work away from that narrative and find your own solution.

But we were never outright lied to, right? This is more... We weren't given all the facts, but it wasn't necessarily deception.

[This game just got a hell of a lot harder if he's wrong.]

The Reaper teams were lied to in the first week because we had to give them a reason to believe why they would be against other Reapers. It wouldn’t make any sense otherwise. We did put enough holes in our stories so that they would realize they weren’t given the whole truth. Some of the Reapers notices and questioned it, and others did not.

But other than that, no. We’ll give you bits of information little by little. If you had theories, we couldn’t flat out confirm or deny them, we could only attempt to steer you in the right direction with small hints. All of what I’m telling you now I would have been unable to last week.

[Well, as long as he wasn't lied to...]

Good. At least we're close to solving this thing, I guess. [...] And thanks. For sharing all of this with me. I know it's, like, your job, but still. I appreciate it.

[And then he remembers something.]

...You decided to give me the hint for Jacopo, didn't you? That's what Max said. Why? And don't say because you knew I wanted to go after a Reaper. Jacopo was one of yours, wasn't he?

Because we told you when Jacopo’s group of Reapers were revealed that, for the Players, all Reapers were the same. And it’s true—his group could have just as easily had the other one’s job. One was not “more good” than the other. And if I only gave you a name from the other group, that would have been going against that rule. So we picked from a hat to make it fair between the remaining ones.

As for why, when Chuuya and Caren successfully pulled off their erasure, they wanted that as a reward: for a trustworthy Player to receive the information.

Picked from a hat. There's an upsetting amount of randomness to this game, y'know. Like, so I was just a random trustworthy Player?

[LAME...]

But that means you're ultimately the one in charge of the, uh, perks we get for pulling off an Erasure. That means it's within your power to send that message Hermann wanted to send. Can you... What do I have to do to convince you to do that for me? Outside of killing someone again. I can't do that. We have few enough remaining as it is, and no one here deserves getting murdered just because I screwed up the first time.

week 5, thursday

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