[Introduction] Last Laugh

[death_kl0wn]

The game is over. Nobody won, any more than anyone in the Shinigami realm really won those interminable rounds of gambling. As soon as he realizes the game was coming to an end, that Light's fascinating plan had fallen apart, Ryuk leaves the warehouse, leaving the humans to squabble among themselves and phasing through the iron roof before vaulting

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[emocaliban]

Sometime later, if Ryuk goes exploring, from a doorway somewhere a young man, slight, pale, dark haired, sidles out of an inconspicuous room, looks both ways, and promptly jumps, spilling a half a cup of coffee on his shirt.

"Fuck!" Caliban yells descriptively - that burns - and looks straight at Ryuk. "What the fuck are you?"

Polite can wait. He has hot coffee on his shirt.

[death_kl0wn]

He's slipping along a hallway, trying to sniff out some apples, when he almost collides with a dark young man who reminds him of L, only a lot more mouthy, given the way he cussed.

"Heh-heh-heh, that's gonna leave a mark," he snickers. Humans flailing are always good for a laugh.

[emocaliban]

Oh, a lot more mouthy. Caliban is pretty damn mouthy. Caliban shoots him a glare. "If you ruined my jacket I'm going to kill you," he says, absolutely humorlessly, and checks his gun while he's at it, just to make sure it didn't get wet. That'd be bad.

"And you didn't answer the question."

You're not half as bad as Abbagor, that's for sure, says Cal. And you smell a lot better too.

[death_kl0wn]

Ryuk laughs out loud, a harsh, unpleasant, raspy wheeze that somehow manages to be humorous and unsettling all at once. "Boy, would I like to see you try to do that: I'm a shinigami. I kill people, and there's really no way to kill me. Well, there is one way, but I ain't telling you that. Pretty dumb way to die anyway."

[emocaliban]

"Shini-"

Cal takes a moment to file through the dusty catalogues of lessons Niko's given. Asian, so he starts there. And shuffles through several (kappas, no, kitsune, no...oh, right.

"Ah," he says, giving him a bit of a sideways look. "Well, aren't most ways? On the other hand, I hope you're not planning on - uh, what was it. Stealing my soul? Because I'm not sure you're going to find much."

[death_kl0wn]

That gets another raspy chuckle from the thing, a bit louder this time. "Nah, I really don't steal souls, but you might say that I take names."

There's something really weird about this guy, but Ryuk somehow likes the idea of playing with him a little, just to keep him jumping. The first time was priceless and he wonders if he can get as good a rise out of him a second time.

[emocaliban]

"And kick ass, am I right?" Cal seems, thus far, unfazed. It might have something to do with his total lack of fear of death. Which, if your name is Niko, is kind of concerning.

He figures he's been through hell and back a few times already. What's a couple more between friends?

"Do you have a name, or is it some kind of unpronounceable, unknowable shit that'll drive me insane as soon as look at me? --not that you'd know the difference."

[death_kl0wn]

"Heh-heh, nah, nothin' that weird, and let's say I can kick ass just by takin' a name," he says. "I'm Ryuk. Nice to meetcha," he says, with an almost friendly wave of one pointy-fingered hand.

[emocaliban]

Cal waves back, in much the same manner. "Caliban," he offers. "Nice to meet you too, mostly. I'm sure. I mean, hey - I've met worse."

[death_kl0wn]

"Well, there is that sayin' about stuff that's worse than death," he says, with a raspy chuckle.

[emocaliban]

Cal's expression twists, slightly. "Yeah. I'm pretty familiar with that kind of stuff."

[death_kl0wn]

"Heh-heh-heh, what are yah, a monster-hunter or somethin'?" the thing asks, an ironic question, considering its creepy appearance.

[emocaliban]

"Yeah," Cal says, easily, looking up at Ryuk, "Basically. Exterminator's probably closer. Usually."

[death_kl0wn]

"Well, you probably won't have to exterminate me, and I'm tough to kill anyway. I mean, it's not impossible, I've seen it happen, but it's a boring way to go, if you ask me," he says, wierdly casual about it...

[emocaliban]

"Yeah - like I said, aren't they kind of all? Never got those people who talked about good ways to die. They all kind of suck, if you asked me."

[death_kl0wn]

"Yeah, the only ones who talk like that are the sentimental types who don't know jack about the whole thing," he says. That was the only thing he didn't like about Misa sometimes, how she could be so mushy-romantic about the weirdest things, but that still made her interesting.