[offline/text]supervigilanceSeptember 12 2011, 23:29:05 UTC
[Light studies the feed closely, carefully - there's something uncannily familiar about the child's appearance, and the name he identifies himself as, Ryuzaki - well, it's not a name Light's easily forgotten in the last five years.
But it has to be a coincidence. L is long dead and buried and rotting; Light is certain of this, as certain as any number of unshakable truths he's ever known, as certain as the sun rises in the east and sets in the west, and certain as the color of the sky and the written strokes of his own name. L is dead, Light saw to it himself. He was there when the detective breathed his last, felt the life slip out of his thin body. L is dead and this child, whoever he is, it has to be a coincidence. Or maybe a trick of the fae.
There's only way to find out for certain. Light readies his standard welcoming text and presses the button to send it.]
Please forgive the form letter.
Welcome to Demeleier. My name is Ryuga Asahi and I am a member of Demeleier's welcoming committee.
The purpose of this message is to greet you and to provide you with the necessary information to make your stay as easy as possible. You will find a helpful guide containing information regarding the circumstances of your displacement and the environment in which you've found yourself HERE. Although it is in the process of being updated, it is a highly recommended read that will enable you to better acquaint yourself with your surroundings and the general workings of the village.
Additionally, the Watch holds a meeting at Town Hall on the twenty-seventh of each month at one o'clock in the afternoon. Many topics are addressed at these meetings, which revolve around Demeleier's current affairs and concerns in all areas from safety to development to stores and trading to relationships and issues with the fae. It is open to members and residents alike and attendance is recommended as the products of these meetings influence the village as a whole. On a separate but related note, should you require wood for whatever reason, please take only from from the trees in the forest marked with a leaf to preserve the agreement between the village and the Ghillie Dhu. It is also advised you retrieve a link of iron from the forge for your protection if you have not.
If you have any questions, I will do my best to answer them for you, so please don't hesitate to ask. Alternatively, you will find many residents and Watch members alike will be more than happy to answer your questions, so please don't hesitate to ask them as well.
[L's expression darkens, and looks strangely out-of-place on his young face. The name, Ryuga Asahi, sets off warning bells; half of it is his own, a false moniker he picked up when he first started investigating Light, and the other half is one that was commonly used as a code by the investigators. It could very well be a coincidence... but L isn't prepared to assume that, not when all he has to go on is a rudimentary guide. He holds the screen out to Belphegor so she can read with him as he peruses the information behind the link (he hastily puts the Rowan crown back on his head when he reads about its importance), the whole time mulling over the significance of those two seemingly common Japanese names.
His face gets paler as he reads. The first mention of the Fae makes his blood run cold, and the communicator gets clenched more tightly in his hands. A world containing Pokemon was one thing. Pokemon didn't lie, but Fae, and everything they represented to L in the stories that were growing clearer in his mind the further his mind slipped toward childhood, the more he recalled that the Fae, like the stories, were cruel. L does not consider it strange, in the least, that they are to be considered enemies.
He glances over the list of residents (wondering if it's complete, so many seem to be "missing" or "vanished"), the descriptions of housing, and the locations mentioned in the information enclosed. It is much to absorb, but L memorizes it, verbatim, upon his first reading. It takes much less effort than it would if he were three times his age.]
I do have a question, as it would happen. Is Ryuga Asahi your real name?
[Light reads the words on his screen and the skin at the back of his neck begins to crawl. No one has questioned his alias in the time he's been here - why should they? Light seems perfectly normal; he's given the village's residents no reason to suspect anything he says or does. They should take his furnished identity at face value. The only reason anyone would think "Ryuga Asahi" is an alias is if they knew it from somewhere ...
No, no, this is impossible! This can't be happening ...
Light's hand trembles a little as he types out a reply, and it enrages him.]
I used to know an Asahi. Several, in fact. It was a very long time ago, and it's unlikely that you'd be related, but... why not? I might as well at least ask you about it.
[Light's heart freezes in his chest, seeing his name spelled out on the screen. How?! How is this possible? No one except L, Watari, and the team knew that alias even existed - he'd been sure to wipe all the files after L's death. Did he have another server somewhere that I didn't find? Did he find a way to send that information to someone else? No ... he would've heard about it by now if Mello or Near had been able to recover L's old files, Light was certain of it. All signs were pointing to the fact that this was L, and yet Light stubbornly refused to concede it was possible.]
The name's vaguely familiar, but I can't quite place it. Perhaps if you tell me who you are, that would help me remember.
[L is typing singlemindedly and quickly now; should Belphegor happen to glance at him, she'll see that there's an intensity to his features that wasn't there before, and she might actually recognize it from some of L's more focused moments. He's mastered the deceptively idiotic vacant stare, but a shrewd, calculating quality colors his expression when he forgets to maintain it.]
As anyone carefully watching that video feed could probably figure out, my name is Ryuzaki. But it's not like you're some sort of detective or anything, right? You could be forgiven for missing that detail.
Let me try to describe him for you; if I can jog your memory, all the better. He is a young man, an upstanding Japanese citizen, and he was a model college student, the last time we saw each other. He has his father's sense of justice and the kind of deductive process one doesn't forget. Does he sound familiar?
[The not-so-subtle digs, the air of condescension - even if they're only over text, Light finds them unmistakable, and unmistakably L's style, too. His hands clench into fists - how was it he'd somehow managed to forget just how impossibly irritating L was? Infuriating, even. Light has almost absolutely no doubt this is L, after the description of himself he's just been given. But it's impossible. How could it - ? The fae. They must be responsible for this!]
Yes, I did catch your name from the broadcast, but that doesn't exactly tell me who you are. Is Ryuzaki your real name? How do you know this other person?
[text] I am so sorry about the lateness of this tag. It's shaping up to be a difficult semester. > <youcanthearitSeptember 23 2011, 02:25:27 UTC
If my name doesn't tell you who I am, then I don't think there's much that would. A person's name is arguably the most important thing about them, isn't it? Aside from their face, of course. So by that logic, you actually know quite a lot about me already.
Unless, of course, Ryuzaki isn't my real name. Tell me, do you have reason to believe it isn't? I'm fascinated to hear it, if you do.
He was my classmate and my friend. I like to think that our relationship was colored by a deep sense of mutual respect and admiration that drove our shared efforts forward to eventual triumphs and successes.
[Now there's absolutely no doubt in Light's mind that this is L, the same L he saw die with his own eyes years ago, and there's a dizzying flood of emotions Light feels accompanying this realization: fear, disbelief, anger - no, rage, seething and white-hot. This will ruin everything! Light thinks for a moment about hurling his communicator at the nearest wall and smashing it to pieces.
No ... this isn't over! You can't defeat me, L. Sheer determination takes over, fueled by the anger, the indignation of having L brought back into his life. I won't let you win. Light's confident he can still turn this around, and he quickly types out his next response and sends it.]
A person's name is important, of course. [Light's not even going to touch the face comment. It's an obvious bait for Kira. If he isn't already sure that he knows who I am, responding to that will give him all the evidence he needs.] But I think a person's reputation is probably just as important, if not more so.
And I have no reason to believe anything about you, seeing as how we've just met. But you asked me that same question; I just thought I'd return the favor.
[voice - EXTREMELY HIGH FILTER]supervigilanceSeptember 26 2011, 16:58:02 UTC
[Misa? You idiot! There's absolutely no turning back now; Light has to make his gamble and stick with it. And there's really only one way to do it and make it seem convincing - Light switches over from text to a high security voice channel. He's confident enough in his own acting abilities to make this work.]
Ryuzaki ... it really is you. [His voice is quiet, even except for the carefully placed note of incredulity. He takes a breath and exhales, shakily, as if in relief.] Thank goodness.
[Text - hitching a ride on the EXTREMELY HIGH FILTER]youcanthearitSeptember 26 2011, 19:04:57 UTC
[L retains the text. He remembers being a child genius well enough to recall that, no matter how intelligent he proved himself to be, there was always some difficulty being taken seriously with a high-pitched voice and a tiny, skinny frame. He knew that being taken seriously was crucial now that he'd confirmed that Light was here with Misa. He would not allow Light to brush him off like some pesky insect. Even if they maintained their ridiculous facade on the surface, L had spent six months in another world that was not his original one. He had not come alone, either; he'd brought allies, and he'd had a lot of time in Johto to let his mind pace and ponder over the last steps of his final, unsolved case. In a deliriously unhealthy way, he'd desperately wanted to return to those moments, even though he knew that the chances were radically high that everything he was and knew would end abruptly, his mantle and reputation lying prone for Light to adopt as his own, as per L's insincere wishes. Now, he was being given that opportunity, even if Light had an edge simply by merit of having more time to understand their new environment. If Light had the notebook, and memories of L's real name? That could also prove problematic. For now, though, L sees the best approach in mirroring Light's own false relief.]
Hello, old friend.
I realize that there is a possibility that I am dead to you. That I have been. Please deny or confirm this, and tell me how long it's been the case from your perspective.
[voice - hooray for paranoia and EXTREMELY HIGH FILTERs]supervigilanceSeptember 26 2011, 21:43:54 UTC
I'm sorry about the false name and pretending not to know you. I had to be sure. You understand, right?
[Of course L would think he was dead. Light needed to figure out what the last thing he remembered of their time together was - for all he knew, L might even already know he was dead and have been brought back somehow by the fae. Best to just play along for now, he thinks.]
It's ... it's been five years since I saw you last, Ryuzaki. [Light makes sure his words come out slowly, as if recalling a painful memory.] A little more than five years.
[Text - EXTREMELY HIGH FILTERs are all the rage this season]youcanthearitSeptember 26 2011, 23:08:42 UTC
I understand, Light. I like to think that I always have, or at least, that I've always given understanding you my very best effort.
[L's world is the communicator in his hands. Nothing can distract him or pull him away from this. He will not let it.]
Five years since you saw me? Then I'm deceased. Either that, or you were proven innocent and we stopped corresponding. That seems unlikely to me, though, so... all right. Five years, by your count. That makes you... well, nearly my age, which admittedly will take some getting used to. Do you mind if I still add a diminutive honorific to your name? 'Light-kun?' Or is that officially condescending, now?
[The statement is a combination of L's typical stilted, inhuman formality and small but conspicuous barbs and insults. As if 'Light-kun' wasn't insulting back when they met, when L considered him an equal but still passed up no opportunity to show him who was really in charge of the investigation, who was really going to win the fight between L and Kira. I'll invite you to play my game, but I decide the rules. Even your own precise name is mine to choose.]
So much can change in five years. I'm sure that someone of your caliber caught Kira within the first two, certainly.
[voice- EXTREMELY HIGH FILTERs are the perfect accessory for any occasion]supervigilanceSeptember 27 2011, 20:10:01 UTC
It's not condescending. [It is, and it was even back then, when they first met.] And I don't mind. [He does.] But I'd rather you call me "Asahi-kun," if you don't mind. These people here know me as Ryuga Asahi, and I think introducing a new name for me at this point would be confusing, not to mention possibly dangerous. I'm sure you understand that, too. You're the one who insisted we use false names to begin with, after all.
[Light can pretend he's not bothered by L's endless string of irritations, but each one digs under his skin, stinging deep down. You won't win this, L. The tables have turned, and you're outmatched in every way. You don't have your resources here, or your reputation. I got here first, L, and I'll be sure to put you in the ground once again, when the time is right. I can wait, L. I have nothing but time, here, and time is on my side.]
The investigation is still ongoing. We're very close to uncovering something important, though - I think it could very well be the thing the cracks the case for us. [Light breathes a quiet, weary-sounding sigh, and his tone takes on a certain somber note.] I think you underestimate your own importance in the investigation, Ryuzaki. It hasn't been the same without you.
[text- EXTREMELY HIGH FILTERs go with anything, from chartreuse to beige to fuschia]youcanthearitSeptember 27 2011, 21:24:11 UTC
Asahi-kun? I understand. Of all people, I can certainly appreciate the wisdom in false names. And I am truly touched, Light, that you have honored my memory in such a way by choosing "Ryuga". Just knowing that I am still on your mind after all those years... forgive me. I am poor at expressing this type of gratitude.
[If Light took it for the same reason L has taken the bulk of his names, it is a trophy, not a tribute. But if Light is Kira, then choosing to view it as a tribute will serve to insult him further.]
Still ongoing? You mean to tell me that in five years, you haven't caught him? Light, I am... disquieted. If Kira could kill me, I have no doubt whatsoever of his cleverness and skill, but... it just seems to me like if you were really determined, you would have found him in two years.
Query. What became of the notebook, after I died? The plan to test the notebook, was that carried out?
But it has to be a coincidence. L is long dead and buried and rotting; Light is certain of this, as certain as any number of unshakable truths he's ever known, as certain as the sun rises in the east and sets in the west, and certain as the color of the sky and the written strokes of his own name. L is dead, Light saw to it himself. He was there when the detective breathed his last, felt the life slip out of his thin body. L is dead and this child, whoever he is, it has to be a coincidence. Or maybe a trick of the fae.
There's only way to find out for certain. Light readies his standard welcoming text and presses the button to send it.]
Please forgive the form letter.
Welcome to Demeleier. My name is Ryuga Asahi and I am a member of Demeleier's welcoming committee.
The purpose of this message is to greet you and to provide you with the necessary information to make your stay as easy as possible. You will find a helpful guide containing information regarding the circumstances of your displacement and the environment in which you've found yourself HERE. Although it is in the process of being updated, it is a highly recommended read that will enable you to better acquaint yourself with your surroundings and the general workings of the village.
Additionally, the Watch holds a meeting at Town Hall on the twenty-seventh of each month at one o'clock in the afternoon. Many topics are addressed at these meetings, which revolve around Demeleier's current affairs and concerns in all areas from safety to development to stores and trading to relationships and issues with the fae. It is open to members and residents alike and attendance is recommended as the products of these meetings influence the village as a whole. On a separate but related note, should you require wood for whatever reason, please take only from from the trees in the forest marked with a leaf to preserve the agreement between the village and the Ghillie Dhu. It is also advised you retrieve a link of iron from the forge for your protection if you have not.
If you have any questions, I will do my best to answer them for you, so please don't hesitate to ask. Alternatively, you will find many residents and Watch members alike will be more than happy to answer your questions, so please don't hesitate to ask them as well.
Reply
His face gets paler as he reads. The first mention of the Fae makes his blood run cold, and the communicator gets clenched more tightly in his hands. A world containing Pokemon was one thing. Pokemon didn't lie, but Fae, and everything they represented to L in the stories that were growing clearer in his mind the further his mind slipped toward childhood, the more he recalled that the Fae, like the stories, were cruel. L does not consider it strange, in the least, that they are to be considered enemies.
He glances over the list of residents (wondering if it's complete, so many seem to be "missing" or "vanished"), the descriptions of housing, and the locations mentioned in the information enclosed. It is much to absorb, but L memorizes it, verbatim, upon his first reading. It takes much less effort than it would if he were three times his age.]
I do have a question, as it would happen. Is Ryuga Asahi your real name?
Reply
No, no, this is impossible! This can't be happening ...
Light's hand trembles a little as he types out a reply, and it enrages him.]
Yes, of course it is. Why do you ask?
Reply
Did you know a Light? Light Asahi?
Reply
The name's vaguely familiar, but I can't quite place it. Perhaps if you tell me who you are, that would help me remember.
Reply
As anyone carefully watching that video feed could probably figure out, my name is Ryuzaki. But it's not like you're some sort of detective or anything, right? You could be forgiven for missing that detail.
Let me try to describe him for you; if I can jog your memory, all the better. He is a young man, an upstanding Japanese citizen, and he was a model college student, the last time we saw each other. He has his father's sense of justice and the kind of deductive process one doesn't forget. Does he sound familiar?
Reply
Yes, I did catch your name from the broadcast, but that doesn't exactly tell me who you are. Is Ryuzaki your real name? How do you know this other person?
Reply
Unless, of course, Ryuzaki isn't my real name. Tell me, do you have reason to believe it isn't? I'm fascinated to hear it, if you do.
He was my classmate and my friend. I like to think that our relationship was colored by a deep sense of mutual respect and admiration that drove our shared efforts forward to eventual triumphs and successes.
Reply
No ... this isn't over! You can't defeat me, L. Sheer determination takes over, fueled by the anger, the indignation of having L brought back into his life. I won't let you win. Light's confident he can still turn this around, and he quickly types out his next response and sends it.]
A person's name is important, of course. [Light's not even going to touch the face comment. It's an obvious bait for Kira. If he isn't already sure that he knows who I am, responding to that will give him all the evidence he needs.] But I think a person's reputation is probably just as important, if not more so.
And I have no reason to believe anything about you, seeing as how we've just met. But you asked me that same question; I just thought I'd return the favor.
Reply
How long have you and Amane been here?
Reply
Ryuzaki ... it really is you. [His voice is quiet, even except for the carefully placed note of incredulity. He takes a breath and exhales, shakily, as if in relief.] Thank goodness.
Reply
Hello, old friend.
I realize that there is a possibility that I am dead to you. That I have been. Please deny or confirm this, and tell me how long it's been the case from your perspective.
Reply
[Of course L would think he was dead. Light needed to figure out what the last thing he remembered of their time together was - for all he knew, L might even already know he was dead and have been brought back somehow by the fae. Best to just play along for now, he thinks.]
It's ... it's been five years since I saw you last, Ryuzaki. [Light makes sure his words come out slowly, as if recalling a painful memory.] A little more than five years.
Reply
[L's world is the communicator in his hands. Nothing can distract him or pull him away from this. He will not let it.]
Five years since you saw me? Then I'm deceased. Either that, or you were proven innocent and we stopped corresponding. That seems unlikely to me, though, so... all right. Five years, by your count. That makes you... well, nearly my age, which admittedly will take some getting used to. Do you mind if I still add a diminutive honorific to your name? 'Light-kun?' Or is that officially condescending, now?
[The statement is a combination of L's typical stilted, inhuman formality and small but conspicuous barbs and insults. As if 'Light-kun' wasn't insulting back when they met, when L considered him an equal but still passed up no opportunity to show him who was really in charge of the investigation, who was really going to win the fight between L and Kira. I'll invite you to play my game, but I decide the rules. Even your own precise name is mine to choose.]
So much can change in five years. I'm sure that someone of your caliber caught Kira within the first two, certainly.
Reply
[Light can pretend he's not bothered by L's endless string of irritations, but each one digs under his skin, stinging deep down. You won't win this, L. The tables have turned, and you're outmatched in every way. You don't have your resources here, or your reputation. I got here first, L, and I'll be sure to put you in the ground once again, when the time is right. I can wait, L. I have nothing but time, here, and time is on my side.]
The investigation is still ongoing. We're very close to uncovering something important, though - I think it could very well be the thing the cracks the case for us. [Light breathes a quiet, weary-sounding sigh, and his tone takes on a certain somber note.] I think you underestimate your own importance in the investigation, Ryuzaki. It hasn't been the same without you.
Reply
[If Light took it for the same reason L has taken the bulk of his names, it is a trophy, not a tribute. But if Light is Kira, then choosing to view it as a tribute will serve to insult him further.]
Still ongoing? You mean to tell me that in five years, you haven't caught him? Light, I am... disquieted. If Kira could kill me, I have no doubt whatsoever of his cleverness and skill, but... it just seems to me like if you were really determined, you would have found him in two years.
Query. What became of the notebook, after I died? The plan to test the notebook, was that carried out?
Reply
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