paradisalost | [log] Past & Future

Entry tags:

mello,
near

[log] Past & Future

Who: Near (

dyna_m_ite)
What: Upon discovering that Near is from a short time ahead of him, Mello seeks him out to get some answers about his future.
When: March 6
Where: Near's room (room 919)
Rating: PG-13

Near sat in his room, absently curling a lock of hair around his finger. Mello would be arriving shortly, undoubtedly. The other would have questions about what his future held, and he would likely be rather demanding about trying to get them. Of course, no matter how insistent Mello was, it would hardly matter if Near had made up his mind not to tell the other. Near was stubborn enough to refuse to answer something no matter what force was behind the request.

Near had not decided exactly what he would tell Mello, however. Near had no personal reason not to tell Mello what his future held. It was his own future, after all, and by all accounts, it could not be changed based on information obtained here. Mello would still die no matter what Near told him, and the result of Mello's actions would be Near obtaining the real Death Note and overcoming Kira finally. The very Death Note that remained hidden away safely in his room was proof enough of that triumph. Because of the efforts of both of them, Kira had been defeated. It was a shared victory, even if it did come at a high cost.

However, Near doubted that Mello would see it that way. He would see it as Near's victory, most probably, and he would be unhappy about his demise. Near had not been happy about it either.

Near wondered how he felt about Mello arriving in this world. The other was alive here, rather than dead and gone forever. His rival. The one who would always resent Near's position as number one more than anything. There was not hatred on Near's part where Mello was concerned. Mello was someone important to him. The one always chasing after him, racing him to the goal that L had set before both of them. The only one in the world whose mind was so interestingly unpredictable. Someone Near enjoyed talking to, even though such conversations inevitably ended with Mello becoming angry. It was curious... there was some sense of happiness at the thought of seeing Mello again. Perhaps it was just that things felt more natural this way.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

Firm, borderline aggressive steps took Mello to the room he'd been told. He could feel his blood rushing, heart pounding inside his chest at every step he took. It was like walking to his own doom, a sensation Mello knew all too well.

His plan had been risky, the possibility of it claiming his life too high. Mello'd been painfully aware of this, yet his determined and stubborn mind had accepted the consequences: death for one, and the fact that Near was freaking number one for another. If any of them had to survive and take over L's role, that had to be albino brat.

And despite his initial acceptance, Mello was unsure of wanting to hear the results of his suicidal plan. What if he'd failed? What if he'd die for real and his life had been wasted? He was aware that his future couldn't be changed during the current circumstances, as he shouldn't be able to remember this place once he went back to his world. He'd be condemned to live in this castle with the knowledge of his failure and the impossibility to do anything to change it; that sure was a maddening and dangerous thought, one that could drive him more insane than he was already. But then again, the uncertainty was also driving him insane-- he needed to know.

The first thing Mello tried to do as soon as he reached the room was to try to open it instead of knocking, hoping to find the door properly locked.

((ooc: I'm following my own interpretation of Mello's canon motives, which are anything but clear. In fact, I'm discussing them in my journal (http://kurosaki-akane.livejournal.com/384057.html) right now with the hope to clarify them, but they're still so obscure that people can only make their own, personal conclusions. Mine is that, until proven otherwise, Mello did what he did to make things easier for Near, as this is the most plausible explanation I can find.
Also, I have no idea whether or not the door to Near's room is locked, so I left that part open~))

At the sound of someone trying the door rather than knocking, Near glanced over. It was certainly Mello on the other side. No one else even really knew him here, and the timing made Near confident that it was his rival out in the hallway. Near shook his head a little. While locking the door wouldn't keep everyone out, it helped with a good number of them. Many of whom happened to be quite noisy.

Near shuffled over to the door to unlock it and swing it open. He stood there in Mello's path for a moment, his eyes running over the other momentarily. "Mello."

Near then just turned around to walk back over to his bed. The room that was revealed to Mello's eyes was something of a paradise of toys. There was quite an assortment, and the room was now spacious enough to accommodate all of them. The majority sat on shelves or in toyboxes. A train set was currently covering the floor at the far side of the room, and several darts were sticking out of the dartboard on the wall. On the bed before Near were his collection of finger puppets. As he sat, he began to play with the 'Mello' and 'Near' puppets absently.

Just as he thought, the door was locked. He'd have been really pissed otherwise, but he supposed that Near knew how to take care of himself to an extent. There was no doubts about it as Mello stepped inside the room, now more similar to a toy store than a normal room; the brat sure had known how to make himself comfortable in this unknown place.

Mello secretly hoped that the boy was actually experiencing a lot of fear and inner conflicts at the premise of being alone for the first time in his life, with no agents or teachers to babysit him. The last time Mello had met Near and his agents, in fact, he'd been at the edge of piercing the boy's polished brain with a bullet. Near looked surprisingly calm right now, despite the risk of being alone with a dangerous and unpredictable creature like Mello.

"Where did you get those from?" the blond said curtly, not bothering to give his rival a proper greeting. Mello's guess was that the boy had gotten his toys through the 'wish system' he'd heard about.

At the sight of two finger-puppets that looked like possessed versions of Near and himself, Mello frowned visibly. Other than that, he leaned against the wall right beside the locked door, retrieving a chocolate bar from his pocket. Unlike his finger-puppet's, Mello's real rosary was missing.

Near had not particularly enjoyed being in this world thus far. He had been taken from their world in the critical moment of his victory over Kira, and Near would have preferred to have resolved the matter. It was also true that he had been quite alone here. There was no one he could trust at this point in time, and there were a wide variety of dangers present in this place. The Death Note was one thing, but super-powered individuals who killed with impunity, a castle that created life-threatening situations for all of its residents, and a constant influx of new residents created an environment with far greater potential for danger. One over which Near unfortunately had far less control.

Near also found himself wandering outside of his room with discomfiting frequency. It was something rather unnatural for Near, and he suspected that it was his loss at this point. He was planning to test it and see the exact nature of it over time. Better to know one's weaknesses than to live blindly and make a mistake. Near hated the loss of self-control that the loss brought, but it was something that he would have to learn to handle. It was altogether quite an uneasy situation for the white-haired male, but he was capable enough of detaching himself from his unproductive emotions when the need arose. Yes, he did feel fear, but he would not be governed by it. It was only rational to feel some fear in such a setting.

There was no fear at Mello's presence, however. The other was often irrational and could easily become angered by Near, it was true. On the other hand, Mello was familiar. Near could trust Mello to be Mello. And in their world, Mello was gone... It was strange how such an absence could be notable when they spent nearly all of their time in very distant, very different lives, but it was. And so Mello's arrival was also something that made Near feel something.

"I got them from the castle," Near replied, folding up one leg and curling a lock of hair around his finger as he played with the puppets. "It is quite accommodating. You won't be deprived of chocolate here, most of the time."

"So I just have to wish for it and it'll appear magically? Fantastic." Bitter sarcasm was all over Mello's words, his tension more than obvious. He was seconds away from knowing his fate, it was impossible for him to remain perfectly calm and composed. Aggressiveness had always been his defense mechanism to cover other weaknesses like fear or sadness.

And he really, really needed a damn chocolate bar, but as much as he wished for one, nothing happened. He supposed that he'd have to check his room later on.

"Let's get to the point," he added, predatory eyes boring into Near's now, even if the brat tended to always avoid Mello's gaze. "Tell me what the current situation with Kira is."

Near nodded his head. "Correct. It is rather fantastic," he said, though he knew that Mello did not mean it in that way. Near found it fantastic both in the sense of being supernatural and in the sense of being highly convenient. At least this place was accommodating when it came to giving Near the things he enjoyed having around him. That much was pleasant. Asking the castle for something was even more convenient than sending Rester or Gevanni out after it.

"The point," Near echoed, gazing down at the finger puppets even as he felt Mello's gaze burning into him. He could easily give the other the answers that he wanted. Or he could turn this situation to his advantage. He knew what happened, and Mello did not know. No one here could tell Mello what had happened in their world.

"Mello wants answers a great deal. I do not mind telling you, if you are willing to give me something in return," Near said, absently playing with one of those snowy curls of hair. "Otherwise, I might not feel inclined to tell you," Near said, meeting the other's gaze steadily for a moment.

He should have known that the little bastard would want to make the most of this situation. Asking for something in return was so like Near, really. Mello'd have done the same, had he been in Near's position, but that didn't prevent him from giving the brat a murderous look. Near had the lead here, painful as it was to accept. He'd had the lead for a while.

"Sounds fair," Mello said firmly, perpetual annoyance plastered in his features. "But first, you should prove that you did come from my future as you claim."

Mello'd stated that he came from January 25th, just one day before the date he'd chosen to kidnap Takada. Obviously, the plan had been drawn up already, waiting to be executed the next day. If Near knew anything regarding Mello's plan, the blond would have to accept that his rival was telling the truth when he claimed to have been taken from Mello's future. Not even Matt knew about the plan in detail yet, so no information could have been leaked out to the SPK.

Near knew that murderous look all too well. It was as expected. He had the upper hand at present, and there were few things that Mello hated more. He met it blankly for a moment and then turned his attention back to his finger puppets. In his way, Near understood that frustration. He hated being at a disadvantage as much as Mello did. And this place had all of its occupants at a disadvantage, really. Near would do what he could to nullify a little of the advantage that it had over him.

"That is fine," Near said, plucking a finger puppet of Takada from his pocket and placing it on one of his fingers. It was only natural to ask for proof, and Near could guess what Mello had in mind. He could prove it without revealing what the outcome had been.

"You kidnapped Takada," he said flatly. He put the two puppets together. "You took her away on a motorcycle and then drove it into a truck to transport her." Those details should be sufficient to convince Mello that it was not just some guess or deduction on Near's part. "Satisfied, Mello?"

[ooc: Near found a corpse yesterday. XD http://community.livejournal.com/paradisa/8112740.html]

Shit...

Not like Mello had honestly doubted that Near was telling the truth. Near was a liar - both of them were - but they wouldn't lie to each other, especially with such obvious and unbelievable lies. However, with people talking about different universes and different versions of themselves, Mello had pondered the possibility of Near being from slightly a different world. Or perhaps that was just what Mello'd hoped.

"........Yes," was his dry answer. There was no other choice but to follow Near's game for now. It'd be a fair exchange anyway. "Tell me what it is you want from me."

((ooc: Ohh, I'll check it now! Weekend has been kinda busy for me.))

Near gave a slight nod of his head. He had known that he was not mistaken, but it was a good confirmation that he and Mello did originate from the exact same world.

"This world has its fair share of dangers, and I am without allies in this place. Mello is more accustomed to handling physical danger than I am. If you agree to try and keep me alive while we are here, I will tell you. I do not expect you to sacrifice your life for mine. Only up to that point. It would not surprise me if you failed occasionally, but I would rather not die. It is just self-preservation," Near said, shrugging his shoulders slightly. He did not expect Mello to die on his behalf. Mello's death had already led to their shared victory in a far more significant way. That was enough. And the information alone was not worth that much, most likely.

"Most of the time, I doubt that this will require anything of you at all. During an event like the one that arose immediately prior to my arrival here, however, I would not likely survive if left to my own devices. I need to plan for such possibilities."

"In other words, you want me to be your guardian dog," Mello scowled bitterly. He'd imagined that Near would ask for protection, but the brat had his own special way to deliver his requests. And as much as Mello wanted to claim that he never failed, he had to bite his tongue back.

Mello wasn't planning, however, to let Near treat him like a damn piece he needed to solve his puzzle, a mere pawn that would make a nice human shield for his own convenience. Shifting from his position against the wall, Mello took a few steps to the bed and towered above Near, leaning in slightly in quite an intimidating fashion. Predatory eyes were fixed on blank ones, followed by a dark and twisted smirk.

"You have an interesting concept as to what danger is," he hissed, his tone sounding like a warning. "Are you sure that you want to put your life in my hands? I might well be the death of you someday."

How fucking ironic, really.

"If that is how you would like to term it, that is the case," Near replied evenly. He had not expected Mello to like the idea, but it did not seem like an unreasonable demand in return for the information Mello so desperately desired. After all, it would only be an occasional imposition at best, and it allowed Mello to put his own survival first.

Near turned slightly when Mello approached him, his eyes settling indifferently on Mello as the other towered over him. Mello's demeanor could be taken as something threatening, but Near was not one to show intimidation at such tactics. He was not particularly accustomed to such proximity from others, but it was not unexpected from Mello.

"If you wanted to kill me, you could do so right now," Near replied calmly. "It is true that Mello could make the agreement and go back on his word, but I do not think that will happen." Mello could lie just as easily as Near could, but there was a certain level of integrity to the competition between them. It would be a sign of weakness, in a way, if Mello resorted to such a thing. It was not as if Near would stay dead in this world. Near felt confident that Mello did not truly want him dead. He knew how it felt to lose his best competitor, and while Mello did hate him, that loss would hit the other all the same.

"I am sure about this." Near was not sure about much in this strange world, but he was confident that this was his best option.

And Near was so right in his claim. If Mello had wanted him dead, the Near from his future wouldn't have existed. Mello was fully aware that getting rid of Near would mean winning by default, leaving their race unfinished and himself as forever number two; it would also make the world a dull and boring place with nothing to strive for. As much as Mello had got to hate his rival, he was also too addicted to the competition with him. It kept his blood boiling, his senses sharp, and his reckless nature more deadly than ever.

As unnerving as it was to accept that no one knew him better than Near did, Mello was also kinda flattered that Near regarded him with a certain amount of respect, instead of taking him for a dirty liar. Mello leaned back from his position, giving Near some desired personal space as the blond took a few steps back.

"That's right," he said, hands resting in his coat pockets. "I'm not going to go back on my word with you, we both agree on that. Now, tell me the information I want to hear in exchange for my protection."

Near looked down at his finger puppets once more when Mello drew back. Just as he knew that Mello was not lying to him about keeping up his end of the agreement, Mello probably knew that Near was not going to lie to him about his future. It was pointless to lie or try to soften the truth, and Mello himself would not want such a thing. Even if this made him angry, it was better to have the truth.

"Very well," Near said, looking up once more to let his eyes rest on Mello for a moment. He often had a blank expression on his features, his eyes as indifferent as the rest of his features. Near's facial expression did not change. For just a moment, however, his eyes were focused, intent on Mello's face. Then, they were back to the finger puppets once more.

"You kidnapped Takada, as you know. Matt was killed as a result of the role he played in your plan, but you did successfully escape with Takada in your truck. Unfortunately, you did not manage much more than that. You took her to an abandoned church. In that place, I believe that she killed you using a piece of the Death Note. You certainly died there," Near said, stating it flatly.

Everything was blurry for a moment, the impact of reality sinking in Mello's mind. His eyes had opened slightly wider, frowning deeply, always betraying every single of Mello's emotions. Unlike Near, Mello was unable to hide all the turbulence seizing his mind and heart.

He analyzed the situation; no, he tried to. So Matt had died-- understandable. Mello'd considered that the boy wouldn't be able to make it alive; he'd warned Matt about it, in fact. And that didn't really stop the pang of guilt he felt at having gotten his partner killed.

Then, there was his own death... Albeit harder to accept, it was another fact Mello'd foreseen. What he didn't understand was how Takada had managed to kill him with a Death Note. Mello had planned to strip her out of her possessions and leave her naked inside the truck, merely covered with a blanket he'd procure. How could she still keep a piece of Death Note? Perhaps this was a mere assumption from Near, but the boy was from two days in the future-- he should have an idea of the causes behind Mello's death.

Fuck, he needed to focus. Inhale, exhale. Focus.

"...Did Takada survive?" he managed to ask as soon as he found his voice. Despite the knot in his throat and stomach, his voice came out as a firm, angry sound, every word coated by bitterness.

Near watched as Mello absorbed the truth, taking in the emotions that immediately washed over his features. He recognized several of them--shock, guilt, and anger. They were quite intense, most likely. Mello was not one to be calm in the face of such significant news. In that sense, he was the opposite of Near, whose features rarely ever betrayed too much.

Hearing that one was due to die imminently could not have been easy. Near could understand why Mello would find such a revelation distressing. Near would have felt the same way were their positions reversed. On the other hand, Near as not the sort to offer a comforting touch. Even had he wanted to, any such attempt would have felt strange and unnatural. So, Near just sat on the bed, remaining silent until Mello's question indicated that he was ready to hear more.

"Of course not. Leaving her alive would be far too risky for Kira at that point in time. She died after lighting the church on fire. Obviously, the Death Note was used to make certain that she would not be left as a loose end. Kira and X-Kira both shared that concern it seems," Near said, looping a lock of hair around his fingers as a smirk spread across his features.

"The move you made was critical to Kira's defeat. It yielded one vital piece of information that was lacking, and I capitalized on that. I was brought here from the moment of my confrontation with Kira, and now I can say with certainty that Kira will indeed be the loser.

"I would say that Kira was defeated by both of us. It would not be accurate to say that I did it alone. If not for Mello's actions, I would likely be the one who lost."

Although Mello was a very physical being, comforting touches weren't something he appreciated. They were pitiful, and they embodied the fact that Mello needed them, something he'd never accept. Furthermore, they hadn't been trained to need comfort during difficult moments; if their roles had been reversed, Mello wouldn't had offered it to Near, either. It was unnecessary.

So he remained firm and quiet in his spot, refusing to lower his head even if the weight of his fate was too heavy on his shoulders. If Mello hadn't been strongly pondering the possibility of his own death back in the other world, he might have snapped. As things were, he just regarded Near with fierce eyes.

The last revelation had been surprising, making Mello's eye twitch for a second. All things considered, hearing that your own death hadn't been wasted was something similar to a relief. Even better if your own death had turned out to be the last piece to make the biggest bastard ever fall. If Mello was going to hell, he'd always hoped to take Kira down with him.

However, his death had also been the last piece in Near's puzzle. In the end, Mello had become everything he struggled not to be, a mere pawn for his rival.

For a moment, Mello was torn, conflicting emotions sweeping his mind like a confrontation between a hurricane and a tsunami. He tightened his fists, sneering, disgust all over his features... and then it hit him, and his expression turned into a dark, borderline psychotic smirk.

"So..." he finally started, his voice almost a hiss. "Your plan was bound to fail, your calculations went wrong. If it weren't for me, you and your agents would be dead now."

Even in the most bitter of situations, there was something sweet.

"You owe me everything."

Near watched the various expressions play over Mello's features out of the corner of his eye. He had anticipated that Mello would be both pleased by Kira's defeat and irritated that his death had fueled Near's eventual victory. The other's eventual enjoyment of the fact that Near would not have likely won without him was also not a surprise. It was all very consistent with the way Mello tended to view things.

It was satisfying to Near, in a way, to be able to tell Mello this. The other had died before anything had been decided. In their world, Mello would never know what the results of his actions had been. He would never have that sweet moment of victory or see the look on Kira's face as his arrogant assurance of success at last began to crumble. It was fair that Mello have a moment of triumph for himself.

"It is true that we would probably be dead, if not for Mello's actions," Near agreed, giving a slight nod of his head. If things had remained peaceful in the time before he was scheduled to meet with Light Yagami and the members of the NPA, Near would not have been likely to take further action. He would almost certainly have missed the trap set by Kira, and they would have lost.

"As I said, it is only because both of our efforts that Kira will be defeated. I was in the moment of confrontation immediately prior to my arrival here. As expected, x-Kira--Teru Mikami--had arrived to see our names and write them down. In the seconds prior to our expected demise, Light Yagami proclaimed his victory. His role as Kira was made more obvious by Mikami's behavior as well as the fact that his name was the only one not written down in the fake Death Note that I had planted. No one whose name was written down died, and thus we remained alive and with requisite proof. I came here before the encounter was concluded, but our victory was obvious at that point."

Mello listened, picturing the encounter in his mind. Oh, how he'd wished to be there and watch that bastard fall, what sort of expression Kira would make at the right moment his divinity had been seriously compromised. Mello'd never have the chance to see it in the other world, but at least Near wasn't removing him from the case. In front of him, Near was admitting his own defeat, and the fact that he alone couldn't have taken Kira down. Now the question was, would he admit the same in front of their enemy?

Leaning against the wall again, Mello took a deep, slow breath, and then exhaled.

"Tell me more." His voice was raw, with a sharp edge of malice and satisfaction. "Tell me everything. I want to know what his expression was like, what excuses he made-- I want to know how pathetic he was."

Perhaps this place wasn't so bad. Even if Mello knew that everything he learned here would be lost in his world, this chance to hear about his victory was better than nothing. It was as if God had been watching him and decided to grant him a last wish. And although no one would ever remember him, Mello knew that his action alone had changed the whole world's fate.

A smirk appeared on Near's own lips in response to Mello's words. It had been quite enjoyable, seeing how certain Kira had been that they would all die and watching that certainty rupture. Near suspected that what had happened thus far was only the beginning. After all, a person with an ego large enough to view himself as a god would not take being brought down to earth well.

"Well, I suspect that the time of him behaving pathetically was just beginning. I was brought here while the encounter was still unfolding, but the victory was already clear.

"Once the time had elapsed after Mikami had written down our names and we remained alive, Mikami stated to 'God' that he had only done as he had wished. He could not fathom why it had not worked. I had him restrained while one of my men recovered his notebook. Written in it were the names of nearly every person present, including mine. All except Light Yagami. I showed this to all of those present and pointed out that Mikami's repeated comments to Light made it increasingly clear which person was Kira.

"Light began to claim that it was all a trap that I had devised to frame him. He stated that he did not know Mikami at all. A pathetic ploy, really. Obviously, he had not expected to have to explain himself. It was clear even to the NPA that it was no such thing. Everyone had already heard him proclaim his victory over me.

"So, the NPA officers went to put the handcuffs on him. He tried to flee them and actually fell over in the process. Quite a lack of dignity in how desperate he became..."

When the explanation was almost done, Mello licked his lips. His piercing eyes were staring at nowhere, displaying a light of satisfaction like that of a tiger which had just enjoyed its favourite dish. Mello's mind was busy imagining the situation created by Near's words.

After the whole story had finished playing in his head and he came down back to reality, Mello realized that he should say something that had always been difficult for him. The smirk was erased from his lips, and his eyes avoided Near's for now, focusing on a random, uninteresting spot instead.

"........You did well," Melo said seriously, and unlike those times when he was a kid, it was genuine and 90% devoid of malice. As if wanting to change the embarrassing subject before Near could say anything, Mello added. "And now... I suppose that you'll want me to live in a room close to yours, right?"

If Mello was going to offer Near his protection, he'd have to keep him under close surveillance. To tell the truth, Mello knew that he'd have tried to protect Near even if his rival hadn't requested so. Now that he got a second chance, he still had some fire left to fight for the number one spot; for that, it was necessary that Near would remain alive and well. Default victories weren't of Mello's liking, especially when killing Near was such an easy task.

Near was confident that Light's behavior would only continue to embarrass him when Near returned home. The matter was truly decided now, for the Death Note sat in Near's hands. "So, I was just beginning to explain how your actions combined with mine to yield victory over Kira. To reveal fully the tactics we employed," Near said.

He fell silent at Mello's words, his own gaze rising to rest on Mello's features. Praise from most people was fairly meaningless. Most people did not understand the level of the game. Coming from Mello, however, it meant something. It meant that Mello knew that his own death had not been in vain. Mello understood the precise nature of everything that had gone into the victory over Kira, and he knew the standards that they both strove to meet. Near gave a small nod of acknowledgment, but he did not press the matter. It was enough that Mello had said the words. While Near enjoyed provoking Mello on occasion, doing so when he was actually paying him a compliment was not such an occasion.

"A room close to mine would be preferable. There are too many floors here to make things very feasible otherwise. Sharing a room here is possible, but less desirable." Mello would probably want to kill him in a matter of days, and privacy was a normal thing for a person to desire. In addition, it made it far easier for Near to keep the Death Note out of the way. He had no intention of using it on anyone here, but it could be of use to him aside from that.

"You should be able to request a change of room from the castle if there are spaces available. Or we could both move onto a floor with vacancies," Near added, giving a small shrug of his shoulders.

The lack of teasing from Near was a relief, although Mello hadn't expected otherwise. He knew that his rival respected him as much as he did Near. Despite the huge abyss between them, their minds tended to work at the same level. Or almost.

To Mello, it was also preferable not to live in the same room as Near. This place had become a new race, thus scheming in front of his rival would make competition pretty pointless. A certain level of intimacy was required, and yet their proximity would be a good way to keep Near's movements under control. Mello was even considering the idea of sneaking into Near's room at night just to steal his journal and take a look at all his filtered conversations. Just like when Near was at the SPK, Mello would feed off the information the brat obtained like a parasite.

"That's fine with me," Mello said, shifting from his position against the wall to stand firmly. He turned his back to Near and faced the door; if the pale genius had anything else to add, this was the moment to do so.

"We'll keep in touch," was the first promise to fulfill his word, before he walked to the room's exit.

Near gave a slight nod at Mello's words. "It should be fine. Different arrangements can be made if that were to prove unsatisfactory." In other words, if Mello were of insufficient help when it came to keeping Near from being harmed, then he might have to just deal with them sharing a room. Near was not quite certain how dangerous this place was. It might just be the only way, given Near's tendency to leave his room whether he wanted to or not.

"Until it is arranged, however, you should sleep here." That would give Near a chance to test the parameters of what must be his loss. "It is a better temporary arrangement than to have you several floors away."

"............"

Mello stopped short at Near's words, his back still turned to the boy. It was a reasonable request, getting a room right next to Near's would take more than a day for sure. However, Mello couldn't help but frown at the idea of spending the night with his rival. Not even back in the orphanage had they been forced to share their personal space more than what was necessary.

Looking at the bright side, this might grant Mello the chance to study Near's sleeping patterns. If he wanted to take a look at his notebook without using violence against the boy, he better do it without Near noticing.

"You're at the edge of shitting your pants in this place, aren't you?" he said, finally turning to face Near once more with a teasing smirk. Either the idea of spending a single night on his own was too frightening for Near, or he was planning something-- perhaps something related to reading Mello's journal when the blond was asleep?

"Fine with me. You've fulfilled your part of the deal, so I can't refuse."

((ooc: *AMUSED* I assume that there are two beds?))

Near had no intention of explaining his loss to Mello just now. It would be difficult for Mello to figure it out quickly, and if Near played it off correctly, he could delay that for quite some time. He had no intention of showing that particular liability too quickly. This just happened to be the best way to test whether his loss related to him leaving his room or if it had more to do with human companionship. How many people did he need to see? Was one guest sufficient to prevent him from needing to leave his room? At least Near would begin to answer those questions that way.

Near had no doubt that Mello would seek to take advantage of the situation if he could. He was also confident that Mello would not find anything that Near did not want him to find.

"I believe my bowel control is completely in tact," Near replied dryly, curling a lock of hair around his fingers. "I value my personal safety, and this place is unpredictable. Temporary losses could strike at any given moment. You might benefit from the arrangement as well."

Near gave a slight nod in response to Mello's assent, playing with his puppets again. "Good. Return here when you are ready."

[ooc: LOL... not at the moment~ Though they can ask the castle for another one anytime.]

It was funny how Near acted as if Mello wasn't unpredictable himself. The ex-mafia member might be unwilling to hurt Near now as a matter of pride, but if any of those curses everyone kept mentioning hit him, only god knew what could happen with the remains of his precious self-control.

Seeing that there was only a single bed, Mello assumed that Near'd want him to sleep on the floor, the little brat. If it weren't because Near was younger and more fragile, Mello wouldn't have doubted to take the only bed. But as things were, he'd feel pretty stupid to do such a thing. Mello wasn't a delicate Princess like Near, he was supposed to be able to adapt to any sort of situation and sleep wherever.

Still, he didn't fancy the idea of sleeping on the floor right next to Near's bed, as if he were his dog.

"You better start wishing for a second bed while I'm gone," he stated with annoyance. "I want to see two beds in this room when I return, okay?"

This said, Mello made his way to the door again, hoping to find the chocolate bars he'd wished for a moment ago in his own room. If he was going to spend some time with Near, tons of chocolate would be required.

((ooc: I'm going to make Mello post today. Finallyyyyy!))

Near knew that there was risk involved for everyone in this place. Losses were unpredictable and caused behavior to shift. They were nothing that he could control, even when it came to himself or Mello. In the meantime, however, Mello was a known quantity. He was the only real known quantity in the whole place in spite of his unpredictable nature. There were still certain things that Near knew Mello would not do.

"Dear Mello does not want to share a bed?" Near asked, keeping his expression perfectly blank.

Near knew that he obviously would not be sharing a bed with Mello. That would have made sleeping uncomfortable, considering how rarely Near had physical contact of any kind with anyone. Other people in the bed probably meant kicking or shifting or a strange distribution of weight on the bed. Near would be requesting an extra bed from the castle as soon as Mello was gone, but he saw no reason to make it appear as if it were in response to Mello giving him orders.

"I will be waiting."

[ooc: There is a little sidebar on the ooc comm with upcoming events, but it's usually not done out a full month ahead. ^^]

((ooc: Where's the events calendar? I'm so clumsy and didn't find it in the wiki ><;))

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

[log] Past & Future

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