deer country contact

[worldcleansing]

Text/Voice/Action

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Text; un: enpawnsant [Private]

[hearthebell]

Has Never Mind reached out to you?

un: L.Yagami

[worldcleansing]

[ Light chose his username to make him easier to find instead of more anonymous. Light Yagami was always more of a public figure, anyway. It was 'Kira' who was hidden. ]

No, I don't recognize the name. Should I be expecting a message?

[hearthebell]

[L stares for a moment at Light’s user name, and his decision to use his initial instead of his name.

It makes him feel some kind of way.]

Perhaps you should. I just heard from him for the first time. It seems like he’s looking for strong and clever people to help The Tower.

[worldcleansing]

Did you give him my name? I plan on creating a group to help, but I haven't been here long enough to be well known.

[hearthebell]

In fact, I did.

Groups are already assembling, and I wanted to know your thoughts on throwing our lot in with an existing one. Our Omens can protect us from monsters, to an extent, but it would be better if we weren’t on our own, for safety’s sake.

[worldcleansing]

How well do you know him? I agree there's safety in numbers, but we should know what to expect if things get dangerous.

[hearthebell]

My housemate Sansa has put out a call, and I happen to trust her. Any muscle she assembles, along with weapons and people who are skilled at using them, will only help us stay alive.

[worldcleansing]

Then she knows him?

[ It's a very indirect trust. They're trusting that her trust in him is founded. ]

[hearthebell]

She knows all of the Pthumerians better than I do. I've always gotten the sense that Never Mind, in particular, just doesn't care for me.

[Game recognizes game, and there were probably enough arrogant know-it-alls in Trench even before L showed up and put it to critical mass.]

That being said, doing them good turns usually doesn't go unappreciated. Having the favor of a god can be quite the advantage.

[If Light catches his drift.]

late january | text | un: sds

[fogsong]

Hey. Hi. I'm bad at things like this but... My name's Sharon. I went by Alessa when we met. I wanted to thank you for being so kind to me and not just, I dunno, leaving me there or being a total creep.

Like, really. Thank you.

un: L.Yagami

[worldcleansing]

[ Light can't see that 'Alessa' is now grown, or closer to it, but there's a definite change in her tone. Still, his immediate assumption isn't age regression. ]

I'm glad to hear from you. It's hard to trust the safety of kids in this kind of place, but you don't need to thank me. It should be the expectation.

How are you doing?

[fogsong]

Should be but it isn't. [ She learned a lot of hard lessons as a child, lessons that have embittered her. ]

I'm not a nine-year-old anymore so... Not bad. That's pretty good for Trench given all the batshit crazy that happens here. What about you? You one of the lucky ones that avoided the shed?

[worldcleansing]

[ De-aged or aged up? Light assumes the former since the child didn't remember anything about the Trench, and Sharon doesn't sound too shaken by suddenly gaining... how many years? ]

I'm glad to hear it. I feel a little better knowing you're not forced into this world so young. I hope you've become more fond of coats.

[ There's a little context lost in text, but Light assumes she can guess it's a form of gentle teasing. ]

I'm fine. Unless you're new to Trench, you probably know that we bounce back quickly. It was a busy month. I went on an exploratory mission after leaving here.

[fogsong]

[ She does not have the heart to tell him that her life might have turned out better had she wound up here that young. In a lot of ways. ]

You wish. I'm a Coldblood, I have no need for such things as coats. ;) [ She wears a coat all the time. More to avoid corruption due to blood pollution exposure than cold, though. ]

Oh shit, I must've missed you. I headed out there, too. You visit the other reality?

[worldcleansing]

Is that why you weren't cold that day? You were cold to the touch, but you kept insisting you didn't feel it. I thought it might have been shock.

As busy as I was there, no, I stayed in the one reality. I've heard of other people being pulled there. I assume you were one of them?

[fogsong]

I don't think I'd have been as chatty if I were in shock. Still, glad you didn't assume. Appreciate it.

I can't see a weird, glowing hole in the wall and not test my luck. Seriously, though, it's just a mirrored version of this world. I documented a lot of it if you want to see the videos sometime. Were you working in the library?

[worldcleansing]

Our bodies are different here in Trench. It's why shock was so unlikely, but I didn't have any other explanation for your lack of cold when your skin felt like it was freezing.
[ He should have thought of Coldbloods, but the environment seemed so dangerous for a child. ]

And, I had the extra rice soup.

I'd like that. I've heard stories but nothing that thorough. I could use the time to also explain why it would be a bad idea to investigate glowing holes, but something tells me you won't listen.

[ She's a friendly enough girl and seems to have grown a bit more comfortable in her skin. ]

I was doing research in hopes of finding information about the new town and what's going on here. The Pthumerians were already acting strangely when I came here, but I've learned enough to know it is strange instead of their normal behaviour.

Action, sometime in February

[hearthebell]

[While L lives at the Rookery with a few housemates, it's common for him to go days or even weeks at a time without dropping in at his own residence. 2L Investigations, along with his engaging roster of nemeses, have kept him busy and happy enough lately.

The downside is that he's started to treat their agency like a home away from home instead of a proper workplace, and while this makes sense for someone used to both living and working out of hotel rooms until the fancy catches him to build a skyscraper, it's bound to grow exasperating for others.

This morning, Light would have arrived to find a pair of rumpled trousers in the lobby with suspenders still attached, a wool suit jacket tossed over a lamp, and a toothbrush dunked into a mug containing the remnants of cold coffee. There's evidence under the desk that someone slept here the night before, and when L returns mid-morning with an overcoat over the undergarments he slept in, it's with a box of donuts, a new coffee pot so he can avoid washing the one they have already, and a box of chocolates that he seems to have started eating on the way back.

He drops it unceremoniously on the reception desk.]

Has anyone been by? I wanted to focus on Pearson today, but that one's close. Something new would be really motivating right now. Breakfast?

[It's an invitation. He pops open the box of donuts, nudging one of the chocolates inside of its gooey center before taking a bite and closing his eyes.

Bliss, apparently.]

[worldcleansing]

[ Nothing has been cleaned. While the mess does dig at Light throughout the morning and he does worry about customers coming inside, he's prepared to spin the story of late nights spent working in the office. If he cleans after L, there'll be no reason to change. Instead, he'll nag. While there's not a lot of expectation for improvement on that front, he isn't going to reward the bad behavior. ]

We had a few people drop by. One was confused and apologized for walking into a private home after seeing the mess, but I was able to convince them we were worth hiring when I pointed out that you seemed to have managed to teleport out of your trousers.

[ The real answer is no, no one has been by. They're only a month in and still trying to earn reputation.

At least Light doesn't nag L about the terrible food choices. Instead, he looks up from his notes and eyes the chocolates. ]

Did you get a Valentine's from somebody?

[hearthebell]

[L doesn't seem embarrassed about the mess, nor does he react to Light's veiled suggestions. He actually steps over the trousers on his way to the coffee station.]

John sent his compliments, of course.

[Even with L's typical flat affectation, it's an obvious joke. He seems to find the suggestion absurd enough to meet it with absurdity.]

Help yourself if you want to. I had some of these last year, and I've sort of been thinking about them ever since.

[They are, in fact, the creamiest and richest chocolates he's ever tasted, in spite of the drawbacks. L's still young, but if he can weather the other drawbacks of subsisting mostly on sugar and caffeine, plus maintain a high threshold for embarrassment, he can suffer a few inconvenient side-effects.]

[worldcleansing]

If you lead with that, I'll think you're offering me poisoned chocolates.

[ If they were from John, surely they wouldn't be safe to eat. But, Light does understand the joke though he no longer assumes its absurdity. L's gained more popularity here than Light initially suspected.

For now, he reaches for the chocolate. Eating healthy and taking care of yourself doesn't mean swearing off everything that isn't a healthy food. ]

And it's not getting you out of picking up your clothes.

I'll work a bit more on outreach today while you finish up. We're making fast work of the cases we do get so it shouldn't be long before we get more of an inpour.

[hearthebell]

Poisoned chocolates.

[He takes another bite as though relishing more absurdity.]

None of us would resort to something that easy. More credit is really due.

[L doesn't pick low-effort enemies, Light. Nor does he pick up his clothes at the first, second, or third hints.]

This is taking some getting used to. I used to rely on word-of-mouth to get cases, and they'd have to find me through someone they knew. People seem to value well-kept secrets more in matters like these.

[There might just be the hint of a sulk to his tone.]

[worldcleansing]

[ L, direct requests aren't hints. However, Light can be just as stubborn at insisting.

As L explains, his partner focuses on a piece of milk chocolate. Always conscious of manners, the bite is small enough for him to bite and chew before his turn in the conversation. ]

This might not feel as mysterious to you, but it's going to be better for business. We're doing well for a new business, and word of mouth still helps. We got the Kelson cause because of the Bentley case.

Tomorrow, we'll branch out and go to less respectable parts of town, but it's reckless to do it alone when we're going to be actively approaching people.

[hearthebell]

Respectability has never been a concern of mine.

[He takes another bite of his chocolate-in-donut, an uncharacteristically impish lilt to his tone.]

Will you be alright slumming it? If we're going where I think, you'll stand out in all of your clothes. That's not smart, especially if we're going to collect intel.

[He slips out of his boots, using his toes to pluck up an edge of the dropped trousers.]

You could get into my pants, if you really wanted to.

[worldcleansing]

I'm not worry about being disrespected there, but I want to be cautious about possible danger.

[ It's less respectable because the people there are more dangerous. Light has out an emphasis on his lessons so he's skilled enough on blood magic, but it's safer to go as a pair.

The sneaky attempt to have someone else move the trousers earns a smile. ]

There are other ways to handle your laundry than to make someone else wear your clothes.

[ As if that's a legitimate method, anyway...

Light reaches for the next chocolate. ]

Especially since you're aware I'd have steakout clothes.