mallowhallow | 001 [Action]

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001 [Action]

[Over a month has passed since Light has been trapped in Mallow Hallow. It's an unsettling degree of time for anyone who has been forcibly wrested away from their worlds by a megalomaniacal self-important Queen, but for a fledgling god who had been on course to purge the world of human rot, this is particularly devastating.

Light Yagami's extended absence from home means that Kira's punishment of criminals will have also come to an abrupt halt. While this remains, at best, circumstantial evidence to suggest that Kira's identity is that of one missing college student, there's no getting around the fact that L will have taken note of that pesky little coincidence.

And how much will his percentage have jumped up this time? Three percent? Ten percent? Fifty?

Only barely is he able to keep himself from scowling openly at the thought of Ryuuga/Ryuuzaki/L —whatever stupid alias the damn bastard wants to go by— leering at him from his own head.

No matter, Light has always been a suspect in the Kira case. As long as the task force can't get a hold of the death note, they won't have anyway of proving beyond a shadow of a doubt that he is Kira back home. And this, he knows, will prove to be impossible for them as he currently has both death notes, his and Misa's, in his possession.

So he'll probably have to adjust his plans. When he breaks out of this damn hellhole and returns home, he won't be able to resume the killings right away, but that's okay. This was never about winning the world overnight. it was always going to be a gradual conversion process, with or without L's interference. Light can still win this should he return home. This isn't an unsalvageable catastrophe.

Tucking his hands into his pockets, Light leaves his temporary home in Orlea to take a long walk to clear his head. There's no such thing as a fool-proof cage, but if on the off chance that there is one, Light refuses to acknowledge that Queenie could ever be its designer.]

((OOC: While this starts out in Orlea, Light will be walking all over Mallow Hallow, so feel free to bump into him wherever, just specify the location in your header.))

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[In the tech city of Crystalden there's a figure dressed like a typical doctor or surgeon but with very odd goggles on. Either way, he may seem a bit mad as he's muttering to himself as he perhaps walks by Light.]

The worldwide takeover will have to be postponed at this rate. Bah! Do I have to do all the evil things by myself?!

[Crystalden happens to be a district Light is fond of. It's the closest mimetic of Tokyo of all the neighborhoods available in this damn hellhole and despite his dislike of crowds, Light is quintessentially a city person. He emerges from the area's library holding a book open in one hand, appearing to be rather engrossed in the literature. It's a trick that he has picked up at home— look busy, and no-one bothers you. No one approaches you for directions or small talk. Not that he's adverse to social interaction per se, but he is irritated by people wasting his time as what time he does have needs to be spent judiciously. Going from having none to far too much is a shock, in and of itself. Light hates it.

That said, all of Light's careful machinations to ignore the idiots breathing the same air as him are thwarted somewhat when he happens to overhear a fragment of rather interesting monologuing. He pauses and very subtly glances at the guy through the corners of his eyes, taking in the man's unusual choice of attire.

He almost laughs. The guy is the very caricature of a mad scientist: a stereotype ripped straight from bad television. It doesn't surprise him, really. It's well established that Queenie has questionable taste.]

[It's a testament to how bored Light has become during his month long imprisonment here that he actually stops instead of ignoring the guy and going on his merry way. The knowledge serves as a minor irritant - a pinprick to his pride - Light Yagami, stooping so low? What a joke. His expression is wiped free of skepticism, an amused half grin has replaced it.]

That would depend, wouldn't it?

[There's no apology for eavesdropping. If the guy didn't want to be overheard, he shouldn't have been speaking out loud.]

[Light is very right in his first assessment of Insano. Sterotypical villainous mad scientist from something perhaps not meant to be taken seriously - although Insano oddly does have some talent in his chosen field.]

What?

[He turns his head toward Light. He might be staring but his eyes cannot be seen through the silver swirls on the goggles - like x-ray glasses you'd order from a comic book.]

Oh, doing things by myself? Well, I'm not having very much luck recruiting minions at the moment but.... there are still many places I haven't explored!

[The corners of Light's lips twitch - perhaps in amusement or perhaps with scathing disdain, it's difficult to tell. He glances down at the open book, memorizes the page number he was on then snaps it closed and tucks it into the crook of his arm to give the guy his undivided attention.]

Really? I can't imagine why you're having difficulty with that.

[It's stated with contrived incredulity to mask his sarcasm. It's damn clear why no-one wants to be associated with someone this ridiculous, but Light doesn't feel the need to point out the obvious any more than he feels the need to respect the sanctity of human life.]

What do your plans entail?

[Here, he does smile good-naturedly. This, he thinks, ought to be entertaining.]

[Insano glances at the closed book then back up at Light. He speaks as though the answer was obvious.]

Why, to take over the world, of course! My anti-magic field generator will dissolve all of the Queen's shields and while her defenses are down I will attack with science!

*Doll is out taking a walk somewhere too, exploring. What looks like a pale, skinny teenager-or-so at first is actually a human-sized doll of some kind (A shinigami, surely? Except others can see it too, by how they avoid walking into or through the big toy... yes, Light, puzzle that out!)*

*But Doll pauses outside a shop's window to peek in, curious, looking for something. It resided in the pillow-district, but maybe it would find what it was looking for elsewhere....*

[Even after a month, the ubiquitous pastel colored pillows that make up this area have not lost their stupidity. The part of his mind that wanted to reject this place as reality may have come to accept it, but he'll never lose his disdain for it. He's well aware that the natives here happen to be sensitive to that kind of judgment - because they know it's stupid - so he's learned to suppress it. It's the natives who are knowledgable about Queenie and her associates and it would be stupid to alienate them.

The teenager going window shopping, however, is most certainly not a native of Mallow Hallow based on the nature of their dress. But as Light walks closer, it's quite apparent that this person isn't really a person, but some kind of life size doll. Perfectly animate without any visible strings to manipulate it.

He's only slightly curious - not overly so. Based on what he's seen posted on the network, which he has been avoiding posting to specifically because he finds the existence of a network dubious, there have been other equally strange things from other universes. While it can't hurt to get to know the other "prisoners" trapped here, Light's wary about approaching anything distinctly non-human. As much as it annoys him, the death note has limits, and when your only potential weapon won't affect anything that isn't human, greater discretion is necessary. He too, looks through the window, a few feet away from... whatever the hell the thing is... examining the contents of the shop: unsurprisingly, it's an array of pillows.]

*Judging by the way its shoulders fell as it looked over the offerings, this place didn't have what it was looking for. Its smile faded, too, which might have been odd, considering that it looked to be made of hard plastic, but if it was moving about just fine on its own, who knew what it was capable of?*

*Its eyes (irises, really; glowing yellow things which hung in the empty darkness behind its eye-holes) traveled further, over to the side of the wide window that Light was standing by... and that's about when it noticed him. It stood up a little straighter, looking almost vaguely excited to see another person it might talk to. Well, communicate with, at any rate; it lacked a mouth entirely.*

*So it lifted a hand, and gave him a small wave. Hello there, brown-haired person!*

[Pharos has been doing his fair share of exploring the districts- mostly Orlea and Astralfield, because there seemed to be so much in Orlea and Astralfield was constantly changing. He was doing one such exploration now, following some creature he'd never seen before but by now he's lost sight of it. He's a little annoyed about that.

On his way to find something else to learn about, though, he spots a familiar face and smiles.]

Hello.

[The constant flux of Astralfield is something of an irritant. The place can't decide what the hell it wants to be, and the fact that the locals avoid the district had suggested to Light, that it would be prudent to emulate their behavior. There are reasons why people avoid going to certain places and while he doesn't have much faith in the collective intelligence of humanity, even rats run from danger.

He pauses at the outskirts of Astralfield, frowning slightly as a a phoenix flies up from the rafters of a nearby house. He watches as it bursts into flames with a piercing shriek. Distracted by this sight, the greeting comes as a surprise. He does recognize the boy he'd spoken to when he first woke up here, though. Never one to forget names and faces...]

Ah, Pharos-san.

[He smiles as he returns the greeting.]

You've been well, I hope?

I suppose so. ['Well' is a fairly relative term to him, and he hasn't quite figured out the subtleties of human conversation.] How are you?

[being an odd game/dream construct, Smile had less of a hard time wrapping his mind around suddenly being in a different place than normal. it happened all the time back "home" so there really wasn't much for him to panic over.

that and there were too many interesting looking people around here along with his always-favorite target. observing them, whether they wanted to be or not, was quickly turning into a hobby for Smile.

so while Light is out and about for his walk, he might start feeling like he's being followed. Smile is a few feet behind him, twisted smile, tattoos and all, if he wants to look.]

[Light never likes being in Astralfield. The constructs roaming the area are too unpredictable, ranging from tame to harmful. It's times like these that Light wishes he had Ryuk's company. The shinigami had never been much of conversationalist, but with the promise of apples, he'd at least circle the area for Light to report back with threats. FBI agents. Slouching oafs with dark circles under their eyes.

Raye Penber had made one lasting impression on Light's psyche- hed never been able to shake the sense that he was being watched and followed. Perhaps it was overly paranoid, but it wasn't unmerited. Light had every reason to suspect it. Who knew how many resources L had at his disposal? Of course, given that the bastard apparently isn't here gives Light, at least some leeway to breathe again.

Or not.

He changes his path, taking a right at the next intersection, subtly glancing over his shoulder as he does so to check behind him. What he happens to see is nothing short of alarming, delivering an instant punch of adrenaline. He picks up his pace slightly if only to see if he's going to be followed.]

Edited 2013-04-09 09:08 (UTC)

[there's an odd sort of laugh that comes from the person, a long one that ranges in pitch and seems to be...strangely distorted somehow, as if coming through a broken filter.

Smile isn't too particularly bothered that he was spotted (because walking behind someone wasn't exactly the best stalking method in the book) and instead matching his own walking pace to Light's.

honestly what has his attention right now is that this man seemed to want to to get away from him. not that anyone wanted to be around the grinning dream construct in the first place though. but Smile wanted to see how long it would take before he started running or turned around to ask what was going on. it was a thought that only he took any entertainment from.]

[Kristoph seldom leaves Orlea, and he has no real reason to. It's the district most like his own home, most orderly and to his liking. The people are polite, and he's had no problems. He doesn't deal well with problems.

When he passes Light, he's more than ready with a nod and a (fake but convincing) smile]

Good afternoon. How are you today?

[The cordial small talk comes as something of a surprise - not an unpleasant one, but a surprise nonetheless. Light vaguely remembers Kristoph making a video broadcast some time ago though he'd paid it little mind; he had bigger issues to mull over...say the sorry state of affairs he will inherit when (not if) he returns home following his prolonged absence

There was once a time and place when Light had no time for pointless conversation: when the use of his time had to be divided judiciously between college coursework, orchestrating the death of criminals across the globe and "helping" the very investigation meant to lead to his own imprisonment. He had been able to juggle those tasks perfectly at home, but now that he's been robbed of all three of those stressful tasks that once structured his daily routine, he's ironically become more agitated. Despite this tension, not a single trace of it shows. He returns Kristoph's pleasantry and smile with his own. It's every bit as disingenuous.]

I'm well, thank you.

[He nods, polite and well-mannered, if a little distant.]

I hope the same is true of you?

You're welcome. Oh, I'm quite well. Thank you for asking.

[Kristoph seems warm, but not too warm. He's had time to perfect the perfect balance of seeming feeling. Usually he brings his dog with him, to further the appearance and get others to warm to him, but at the moment, he's alone.

It is necessary for him to seem to be as pleasant as possible. It had helped him both as a lawyer and as a murderer. Not that he's a common criminal. Of course not. He only does what he has to do, to preserve order and beauty. That's something so few people are able to understand.]

Might I ask if you're a native or another recent transplant? [There's something about this young man and his manner that makes him ask. He doesn't quite seem native, though there's nothing in particular about him that stands out as foreign.]

[B's been in a similar predicament; having been pulled from home the night before August 22nd, the day of his final "murder", and having come far enough to realize that no, there is no way out and this is not an extremely long dream (despite the way living in Astralfield makes it hard not to insist as such, and the way he couldn't see the King and Queen's names and lifespan regardless of them being fully alive), he's come to Orlea with a clear mind to rethink his plans. However, he's still dressed and acting in his "Ryuzaki" persona. Can't let it get rusty.

If time passes on the outside, he's going to have to rethink another formula for "B" and possible future dates. If he can't have 9-4-9-4, then what else can he use? It's been two weeks. That means it'd be September 5 today... So the possibility of actually setting it on 9/4 has passed. He crosses that off the list he's already made, and takes a sip of a shake he got at a cafe. How far ahead should he plan before just giving up? This was truly disappointing.

Taking a bit of a break, he looks out into the crowd boredly. Maybe he'll find a B.B. here. Although without L's notice, it would hardly matter.

.... Though, Light's name sticks out thanks to its odd little spelling. The resulting headtilt could almost look like recognition, although he's not trying to make contact.]

[It's difficult to stand out in Mallow Hallow. Between unicorns, pokémon and other nonsense, there's a great deal of competition vying for attention that are walking the streets. One would think then, that the sight of an unkempt man with atrocious posture and ill-fitting blue jeans and white shirt wouldn't have the impact of a high voltage electric shock, but it does. Time comes to a grinding halt when Light happens to catch sight of a very familiar figure. His eyes widen in recognition before he can even think to suppress the reaction.]

[Only seconds tick by, but each second feels like an eternity. Light narrows his eyes, squinting slightly to get a better look at the figure standing in the distance to confirm his identity. He isn't positive - there are any number of explanations for this: an escaped construct from Astralfield, a body double wouldn't be impossible given the existence of multiple universes, or- or well, the least far-fetched explanation.

The bastard is here. And he's drinking a goddamn milkshake. Accompanied with the headtilt, it's an enraging innocent sight because it's exactly the kind of bizarre idiosyncratic bullshit L would pull to keep people on edge. The surprise is quickly drowned out by a tidal wave of seething hatred that has settled into his cranium. It's only for an instant, but unmistakable anger flashes in his eyes.

How long has the bastard been here? Was he here from the beginning? Does he know anything about my living situation with Misa? What the hell is he doing just standing there?

Light's hands itch with the desire to form fists, but he tamps down that particular desire. There still isn't any proof that this isn't some kind of trick being played on him by the Queen, after all. But even if this is L, Light shouldn't be be caught off guard by his appearance here. The Queen brings people here indiscriminately. For all Light knows, the entire task force could show up one day - which is why - he reminds himself -you've already taken all the necessary precautions to ensure that the death note won't be found.

In other words, this is a situation Light has already prepared for which eliminates any need to panic. What exactly can L accomplish if he can't find any evidence? And surely, L has to recognize the fact that the Kira case can't be the priority when they've been kidnapped?

Or rather.

I'm thinking about this from the wrong perspective. If L is here, then Light has won. Killing L here will be the same thing as killing L at home and with Misa's eyes the bastard won't stand a chance. In fact, killing L here will be even easier, as he'll be separated from all of his resources. It's nothing but advantageous for Light. Nothing to lose, everything to gain.]

[Feeling better already, there's only one task left to do and that's to confirm an identity. That's easy enough to do.]

Oi, Ryuga!

[The transition is seamless. Light Yagami is meant to be L's friend, after all. It's child's play to act the part. He waves, grinning as he approaches possibly-L. The closer he gets, though, the less likely it seems that he'd mis-seen, but that is perfectly okay.]

I had no idea you were here.

[ When Light left the apartment they were staying, she had decided to surprise him. She had already failed miserably at getting an audience with the queen. It was difficult, but she somehow did manage to not blow up at the queen then and there. Failing Light had been the most difficult thing to ever happen to her ...

... aside from Light saying he needed to date other girls of course. But because he loved her he forgave her. She wanted to repay him for his love by surprising him.

She decided to surprise him.

With her cooking. ]

[When Light returns to the apartment, he carries a set of books with him that were borrowed from the massive library in Crystalden. They may be stuck here, but there's no way he's letting his mind rot from disuse.

He opens the door quietly, hoping to avoid drawing Misa's attention. It's a pointless endeavor, of course. Misa Amane never gets the hint that he'd rather be left alone. When he'd agreed to live together, he assumed that it would be temporary - a few days at most - but unfortunately, he was wrong. They've been living this pseudo-happy domestic life together for a month at this point, and it's killing him slowly.

As the smell of cooking immediately dashes any hope of Misa's absence, he calls out somewhat resignedly as he walks inside:]

I'm back.

[ Of course, the moment Light said that she could stay with him she made herself at home. She was determined and convinced that she could change his mind. Now that she's been here a while, she came to the conclusion that she finally did!

Misa wins! Take that, Takada!

Yay! Yay! Yay! Light was home. She couldn't wait to show him what she made so far. She made a teeny-tiny mistake earlier with a pasta earlier ... well, maybe she did make it a little spicier than she intended but at least it was still edible!

She was not much of a cooke, but she was confident in the tiny cupcakes that she made earlier. She couldn't cook, but she loved to bake.

Misa was there to greet him the next second and instantly gave him a hug. He was home! ]

Welcome back, Light!

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001 [Action]

[In Crystalden]

1/2 I am so very sorry this is late, feel free to ignore this.

2/2

<3

<3

no subject

MH or wherever? Suggest someplace? IDK. :)

MH is fine! Sorry this is late, feel free to ignore

Why would I ignore it? I'm horribly late half the time myself! :)

[Astralfield]

Sorry this is late, feel free to ignore

no problem~

[Astralfield]

Sorry this is late, feel free to ignore

Not at all!

[Orlea]

Sorry this is late, feel free to ignore

no problem!

no subject

1/3

2/3

3/3

action;

action;

action;