teen reader.

bit nervous to post this because I dunno if there's an audience for it… jcc fandom do you exist 👀. I also haven't replayed jcc in a little bit so correct me if I'm wrong on anything here or mischaracterize. part 2 spoilers, cw for death and implied narcissism.

• I don't think it's crazy to say, Vega's main motivation (for her crimes especially) was validation and attention seeking. He seemed to have spent most of his adult life as a cosmologist, but completely gave up that path after he found his "true purpose." See this screenshot:

• Despite their assistance in the murder being solved, it seemed to be a complete coincidence that Vega was there at the right place and right time to witness it. She doesn't acknowledge this fact, however, and begins to get a lot of attention from it such as being on the cover of magazines and people asking them when they will solve their next crime. Despite the time that's passed, they still cling to the time in their life where this attention was given. In fact, they take it to heart so heavily that they reroute their entire career and life in order to obtain more praise. This leads them to fly to close to the sun.

• Along with this, she seems to view herself as 'different' from the other criminals, special, made for something more. She even denies being a criminal at all.

• Now, with all this being said, my first thought is that Vega would take a liking to someone who validates his paranoia or praises him.

• The train of thought goes something like this:

Before Bet and Forgive, after Vega helps catch that serial killer with their testimony, they begin searching for another criminal they can catch in the act, or even better, stop them herself. However, this backfires and they tamper with the evidence, disrupting and delaying the police investigation.

But I don't think Vega is a character that easily succumbs to things, so I theorize that Vega attempted to make a run for it here, and possibly even succeeded for a little bit.

Then he meets reader while on the run, who offers to let him sleep on the couch for the night, or adjacent. Your living situation is up to you.

At some point while he's hiding, he goes on a rant to you about his theories and plans, his perceived true purpose. She ends up roping you in by proximity, and possibly even landing you with a harboring or concealing a fugitive charge. Especially if you already knew he was a criminal.

Another thought is that this charge could land you in Bet and Forgive as well.

• Vega seems to have a hard time processing what's happening around her when reality comes crashing down. Even after Sandbag dies, she seems completely shocked, out of it and states that it changes nothing and tries to go back to the plan.

So I imagine he doesn't even realize the danger he's put you in until you're dead.