SEVEN VICES, WEEK 1, WEDNESDAY AFTERNOON

[takanome]

[Wednesday is when Takao really loses it and starts wishing he could have activity so much as to attend class. It's been bad. This is like the whole last part of ninth grade after getting back from summer vacation, all over again: Exercising alone and then nothing, literally no serious competition until he got into high school. There were trading cards and English lessons, sure, but that wasn't the same as something meaningful.

He's in his room after lunch, in front of the closet, wondering whether a hat will at all help his ears to stop ringing with the sounds that fill the spaces between seconds. This is stupid. He saunters into the hallway and leans presumptuously on the doorway right across from his. Bright colors. Visual stimulation. That's the best idea he's had all year... he means all day. He can't wait for her to correct him when he says shit like that.]

Whatcha doing on that thing, Miss Vice President?

Comments

[dereban]

[ She immediately stops her typing when she hears the familiar phrase of 'Miss Vice President', causing her to sigh. ]

... Oh, it's just you. Nothing much really, just taking down notes and keeping track of the time, just in case. Did you want to talk?

[takanome]

[He raises his eyebrows like, what's just you supposed to mean, but no, he can work with that, this is what Takao deserves for the choices he has made in his life. Here he comes.]

If you're up for it, yeah. At first I thought, "oh, leave the video games to the people who haven't seen electric screens in their lives before"-- [By tomorrow it'll have been his whole lifetime all over again since he played one so same difference, really] But your notes would be hella interesting too.

[dereban]

[ The disorientation is definitely hitting Inaba pretty hard, regardless of what she says otherwise. Mostly because she's looking at the various clocks and times and just goddamn it this is a pain in the ass. She needs things to do. ]

Well, I wrote a lot of it in code after I figured out the language barrier only works for, well, languages. I showed some people three lines in Japanese, English, and binary, but only the first two were able to be read - perfectly, at least. Except by Cheshire, who is apparently illiterate. [ Which she thinks is goddamn strange. ] I've also been trying to figure out who this motive is tailored to as well. While I don't know specifically who, I can surmise a guess as to "which group". Follow me so far?

[takanome]

[He nods his head from side to side.] Mm-hmm, that guy made me read his profile to him and everything. He has serious issues, acted like the three age numbers didn't even matter, really...

[A group. That's really interesting. He has been more on the denial train than applying critical thinking. Otherwise there's too much time to reach unpleasant conclusions - but with the trustworthy Inaba nearby, it's a little more like the spark of teamwork, maybe not so bad, and lights a little of the way.] Maybe that's sort of related to the "group" you have in mind, if I see where you're going with this?

[dereban]

It's possible that it has something to do with life experience.

[ Maybe people with ages 100+ are normal to him, she doesn't know. But she can definitely agree with the "serious issues" part. ]

Yeah. That's one thing I want to touch on. I was thinking that it would most likely be a motive tailored to those people who are over a hundred years old. But that's only one idea.

[takanome]

["Tried to tackle Miata" is certainly an issue qualification on its own. Anyway.]

There are a lot of them. Definitely enough to be considered a group.

[He puts his hands behind his head, purses his lips with thinking.]

Or maybe it's us who haven't lived forever, just normal amounts, that are supposed to be getting freaked out by so much time? [He doesn't mix all that closely with anyone who does live forever (who have it even worse from a certain point of view), so he doesn't know for a fact whether it's simpler, harder, or the same for them.]

[dereban]

If you want to lower the amount of suspects - I would say take a look at the members assigned to "sloth". But that all depends on how much time is disoriented for us and them, if it's different. I don't know.

[takanome]

Oh, maybe even the Sloth folks feel the time get sluggish worse than us? And some other motive will be like, you can read minds, that drives poor Envy players like me crazy. No food until somebody dies for Gluttony. [Rattling off the ideas as quick as he reasonably can, to reduce the impact of each one. He really doesn't want to think this will happen week after week.]

[dereban]

I wouldn't know; I'd have to ask them specifically... But those are good motives to remember, in case for the future.

[ If the motives do end up changing. ]

[takanome]

You're sure they'd answer if asked, and not deny it, like, "oh, it's just a random sin"?

[He hums loudly, each second separating the feeling of rise and fall in his throat.]

I guess I sort of am an envy instead of, like, Sloth. Does Miss Vice President feel like a wrath?

[dereban]

I wouldn't be surprised if they didn't. [ She shrugs her shoulders, not even caring that much. ]

To be fair, I'm going to tell the truth and say that I believe that I could fit most of the sins, in a sense. But... wrath fits me pretty well. But I'm not going to kill someone for a stupid reason, you know.

[takanome]

Yeah... There's no good reason to kill someone! I mean, even self defense or protecting someone else is...

[Takao falters for some time - he has never had to ask that question.]

Well, here, it doesn't even help anyone, so there's no good reason.

[dereban]

If it's to protect someone else, it may be a noble cause, but... it'll cause problems in the long run.

[takanome]

Maybe that's what we have to fear the most.

[it was a recurring theme in conversations Dhaos and Hinata led. Takao flicks away his eyes with the effort of recalling something so long ago.]

"I can't stay here and be killed if it will hurt the people important to me."

[dereban]

... Maybe. [ She says that in the most unconvincing tone, her eyes almost blanking over. ]

Someone dying means hurting not only them, but everyone else, too. And that includes their friends and family.

[takanome]

So... It's still a pretty bad reason. Even if those people are literally in danger without you coming back... how the hell do you know that nobody else is in the same situation?

Well, maybe that's what the "occupation" entry is for, haha.