001 Beyond Birthday [Audio]
[Had Beyond Birthday cared to put in the effort, he could probably name the exact genus and species of the prehistoric flora that surrounded him. He did not care. The only thing that matters at the moment is that this place is not Room four-oh-four. His thoughts are scattered in chaotic disarray, an unpredictable, teeming mass of anger, annoyance,
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If this was the same case, shouldn't B be aware of his previously established reputation at the manor? Could he really be so careless as to blatantly blurt out his existence to those who both fear him and want to hunt him down? Or was he faking stupidity, no, insanity?
Even more disturbing was the fact that the previous B had certainly come from a time where he was very close to his attempted suicide as far as Naomi could tell. Had he been gone for this long, assuming time worked the same between worlds, shouldn't he be "saved" by now? There was no way the wounds could have healed that quickly that the man could be able to speak so clearly and seemingly effortlessly.
Then perhaps time didn't work the same. Perhaps he was not even from the same kind of world. Perhaps not even the same B.]
I assume this kind of setting isn't normal for you then. Where were you last?
[Perhaps you should just get run over by the dinosaur your using as a beanbag and put all of us out of our impending misery. But she knew she couldn't just let someone die.]
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Had he not already spoken to L, he may have guessed it was him. The paranoia and the authority fit. By now, however, it's obvious that it's someone else. Hanson had alluded to him being here, wherever the hell here was before. Had his not-self made an enemy? But surely, someone else would have responded to the name Ryuzaki. None of the others had. He can't imagine a clone of himself- inferior clone of himself!- introducing himself as Beyond Birthday.]
Somewhere else. Where is this?
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Not where you're from obviously. If I have more information to go on, I might be able to help you.
[A time, a place, a particular event. Anything!]
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Who are you?
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You don't want help then? I can at least tell you how to get to safety. But first I must make sure you aren't a threat yourself. You understand.
[Very similar to what Yagami himself had said to her when she had first arrived, trustful of no one. Naomi bit her lower lip in disgust. To think having to resort to Kira-style tactics in order to fish for information.]
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You know of me.
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Not necessarily. Is it so odd that I am suspicious of someone who insists on behaving in a suspicious manner?
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I propose a show of faith then. This device has video capabilities. I'll show you mine, if you show me yours~
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I apologize if I offended you earlier, Mr. Ryuzaki. So I ask that you please refrain from making fun of me in the future as well. You know very well why I spoke the way I did and asked the questions that I did, and you know very well that simply showing yourself on video won't do anything to clear my suspicions. You may look like someone I know, but that doesn't mean I know you. Revealing both of ourselves would clearly benefit you more than it would me.
[To B, there are only two kinds of people in the world, L and not L. The sudden shift from his roundabout, suspicious way of phrasing things to such a direct, no-nonsense approach was enough to convince Misora that she had already been placed in the latter category.
Here he is in an unknown environment and here is a stranger who somehow seems to know him, a comfort that's not bidirectional. Such a stranger is not L, and he cannot waste any time playing games with a not-L. Although difficult to tell through text, this B ought to be desperate for information on what exactly happened to him. Could he bear the thought of someone else knowing something he didn't? To waste his time talking with a not-L or someone he has no way of knowing whether or not even related to L.
He must be serious now. Well then, so should she.]
Let me explain. A version of you has appeared in our world before, and he did not exactly give himself a very good reputation. It is therefore natural for anyone who have met the previous Ryuzaki to be suspicious of this new one.
If you have done nothing suspicious in the past, then you should have nothing to worry about, but so far, your persistence in circumventing any of my questions and meta-questions prove otherwise.
[A simple warning. You better watch what you do in this new place, because others will be just as watchful of you. But Naomi can't be sure whether or not that would be enough. She goes on.]
If you really want to know who I am, I'll do you one better. I will volunteer to meet you face to face and explain everything. The network via this device is not always so secure. In person is always better. Although of course you must know that I will certainly not come unarmed.
[Whether or not she actually plans to stick to her word and meet, though, Misora herself isn't even so sure. If anything, she could just stall him from doing anything rash for the time being.]
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Despite the sender's best effort to convince B that he may not know him or her, the continued lack of a name in return does them absolutely no favors. If B wouldn't know them, then why not allow him to judge for himself? Or offer a fake name? Unless....did they know fake names were meaningless before B's eyes? His interest begins to pique again, ever so slightly. Whoever this is, isn't up to L's standards yet, but... would be given at least a smidge more consideration.
The news about a version of himself appearing in the Manor previously, doesn't surprise him as he's spoken to Tom, though it doesn't stop him from feeling distinctly filthy. His suspicions are confirmed by hearing of his supposedly poor reputation. Not that B cares for such things, but it did make information acquisition more challenging than it ever needed to be. Especially if it meant he first needed to find out exactly what his previous self had done first. Knowing his own methods and preference for grandiosity, that wouldn't be so difficult...
But this is annoying. He didn't have time for this. Even with L here, there is still the feeling that he had failed. He isn't supposed to be here, he's supposed to be dead. The gasoline had been right there...so why then, is he here sitting on a dinosaur, playing an annoyingly one sided game with a person who clearly knew exactly who he is? There's no fun in this, there will never be any fun in this if the information is so one-sided. He texts back.]
Give me your name.
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A name. Why a name? Anybody could give an alias, after all, and that would be the simplest way to go of course. However ...]
I don't believe that was one of the options I offered.
[Naomi has no doubt that B will eventually hear her name from someone or see her face somewhere. An alias might be enough to satisfy him for now, but that's not her main priority. Right now, she needs to stall, keep him on his toes, deter him from doing anything too foolish too quickly. God knows how this guy thinks, though ...]
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And there's still no name. A cold thumb is placed on his lip as he sifts through the possibilities. The reasonable explanation for even a lack of alias is the knowledge that B would find out one way or another, but is this the conclusion they reached because of his not-self's previous escapades, or again... is it knowledge of the Shinigami eyes? Under what circumstances would he reveal his final trump card? Not death, not the prospect of torture. The loss of a raison d'etre?]
What's in a name, Juliet? A rose by another name would smell just as sweet.
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Good, then we both agree it's unnecessary and you won't be needing it after all. Now are you going to accept my offer or not?
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