Application for A, DEATH NOTE: Another Note

[i_am_an_hero]

[[okayed by other DN muns]]

The young man who stumbled into the sorting room is acutely awkward. Tall and gangly, he moved as if his joints were too loose, and he looked around with exaggerated, almost overstimulated curiosity. His eyes (what could be seen of them behind a shock of tangled hair) were wide and wild.

Comments

[gamerspy]

Oh holy fuck.

This was what Matt was talking about, when he said Wammy's was possibly a little fucked-up. The kids who took it too seriously...

"They're not testing us here, y'know. And there's no ranking system, as far as I've been able to tell."

[i_am_an_hero]

"System, system," A sing-songed. "There's always a system. Didn't you know? Things must be categorized, phenomena and anomalies noted. Case histories taken, specimens analyzed..."

[gamerspy]

"If you like. But you don't need to pay attention to it if you don't want to."

[i_am_an_hero]

"But I do, I do. There's nothing else, you see. Tests and puzzles and problems to work through, chances and chances to prove myself, if I can only ever be good enough." His tone was mournful. "I try so very hard, you see, to be good enough."

[justabluelizard]

Ssil was very newly sorted, and still a little shocked by the Hat's declaration that she should apply for a teaching position. Before leaving the sorting room, she glanced over another applicant's application, out of sheer curiosity.

"Who iss him?" she asked, pausing for a moment at question 5D. "Why iss it sso important that you be him?"

[i_am_an_hero]

"He is the original," A laughed. "So special, so important, and so, so secret... with a name never to be spoken, do you see? I am the Attempt, the would-be facsimile. I do try, try so very hard..."

He looked at her closely. "You're different. Is this a scenario? Posit: the discovery of the existence of alien and/or supernatural beings and the destabilization this might have upon various world civilizations. Oh, but give me time, just a little time to work it out...!"

[justabluelizard]

"Are you ssome ssort of automaton, then?" she asked tilting her head to one side curiously. "If you are an imitation, I mean? Or are you ssimply a persson trying to imitate another?"

[i_am_an_hero]

"Almost Automaton," he giggled. "Attempted Alternate. Made to emulate, you see? There must be another, in case, in case. One is too fragile."

[red_eyed_l]

Ohohohoho, this was too perfect.

"Attempted Alternate. How delightful to see you."

[i_am_an_hero]

"...Backup?" A raised a hand to his mouth. "Did they tell you what sort of test this was? Or am I meant to figure it out?"

[red_eyed_l]

"No, dear Attempt, this is no test. This is an application. You and I both died to come to this school, make the best of it."

[i_am_an_hero]

"Died? No... did you have a vision? You never believed in my visions, B, never never..."

[vislor_turlough]

"It's only an attachment if you let it be. Otherwise it's just a fling with some random stranger."

Not that Turlough would know. Or admit that he knows.

[i_am_an_hero]

"To harass... that implies interest. Of a direct and personal sort. Too much involvement, too too much."

[vislor_turlough]

"Interest only goes so far as 'hmm...that person's attractive, I'll bang that one!' Once you're done, you can forget about that person."

[i_am_an_hero]

"Then why bother?"

[ijk_mno]

L has learned that when you don't understand something right away, it often pays to stay silent and observe.

Which is why the detective is to the side, slouched by a pillar, chewing the pad of his thumb and watching the proceedings with interest.

[i_am_an_hero]

Glancing around the room, noticing, noticing... oh, A had been taught to notice!...

Was it?

Was it really?

There had been videos, short videos, each shown only once. Far too precious to keep, to be burned into memory. What he was to emulate.

Was he having a vision? He had before. B had said, hallucinations.

He flung himself at L's feet.

"Am I good enough yet? I've tried so hard. You know I have."

[ijk_mno]

"Please stand up."

He has no idea what, precisely, is going on here, but this man seems upset enough that it is fair to say that no more information will be gleaned from him until he is not... not this, any more.

It prompts him to say, though he knows the words are empty and technically meaningless,

"Everything is alright."

[i_am_an_hero]

If it were possible, A's eyes would have opened wider. He rocked back on his heels and stared up at L with a beatific smile.

"You approve? A is acceptable?"