Open RP in the Great Hall!

[gamerspy.livejournal.com]

Matt looked at the plate in front of him.

A thick, succulent, home-made burger lay in front of him. It was laid reverently between two slices of freshly-baked bread roll and garnished with a perfect combination of sauces and vegetables. The plate was also covered in thick, crispy and golden looking potato fries. There was even a little silver server with ketchup, barbeque sauce, a glass vinegar cellar, an antique pepper grinder...

Which was fair enough, but all Matt had asked for was directions to the nearest McDonald's. His junk-food cravings were apparently going to go unanswered for some time.

Sighing - and perhaps a little wary - he picked up the masterpiece of a burger and took a bite.

Comments

[cardarchitect.livejournal.com]

"Of course you are. I don't think it's possible to come out of Wammy's and not be nerdy about at least some things."

[gamerspy.livejournal.com]

"Nerdy, or incurably and overbearingly intellectual," Matt agreed with a laugh.

"Incidentally, I hope to god you've either let the SPK or whoever know that you're alive. Or at least chosen a definite successor. I'm getting horrible visions of the worst parts of my adolescence happening all over again."

[cardarchitect.livejournal.com]

"I've sent them a message," Near said curtly. He didn't want to touch on his growing distrust of the whole setup.

[gamerspy.livejournal.com]

"Well, thank fuck for that." He gave Near a curious glance. "Do you have a successor picked out?"

[cardarchitect.livejournal.com]

"There isn't anyone who really stand out yet." Which was true... but not yet the whole truth. "And I really don't like the thought of doing to anyone... well, what was done to me."

[gamerspy.livejournal.com]

"... what, you mean holding off actual decision and sparking off a whole stupid grudgewar that got a couple of bright young things killed?" He jabbed a fry in the air as he spoke. "Dude, they're already at Wammy's. It's getting done to them no matter what."

He was aware he was kind of being a dick, but fuck it. He wasn't saying anything that wasn't true.

[cardarchitect.livejournal.com]

God, Matt, if you only knew the half of it... He didn't want to talk about it. He didn't, because that would mean he accepted it. And if he accepted it, he had to accept the implications, the knowledge of just how thoroughly he had been used.

He wasn't supposed to care. Wasn't supposed to care about Matt's opinion of him. That was why his natural tendency to detachment had been encouraged.

It had, he realized. Thinking back, he'd been subtly encouraged to isolate himself since earliest childhood. The idea sent a sudden, uncharacteristic spark of rage through him.

"I... heard a few things from Mello after he arrived here," Near said quietly. "Some things he's seen. He has some suspicions about Wammy's."

[gamerspy.livejournal.com]

Matt blinked. "Suspicions? Like what?"

[cardarchitect.livejournal.com]

"...maybe you'd better ask him. I don't... I don't know if I'm ready to talk about it without proof." You certainly can't 'distract' me to calm me down afterward.

[gamerspy.livejournal.com]

"... just tell me it's not to do with a fucking pedo ring or something."

[cardarchitect.livejournal.com]

"No, no, not that."

[gamerspy.livejournal.com]

He relaxed a little, and laughed. "Good. I probably would've known, actually - if it was web-based at least."

[cardarchitect.livejournal.com]

"If not directly." He grimaced with distaste.

[gamerspy.livejournal.com]

"... yeah, I guess. Ugh."

He chewed thoughtfully on his hamburger for a moment. "I did that for a living, for a little while. Pedo-busting. Fuck knows what they did with the information - probably sent it to Kira or something." Matt shrugged. "Some people deserved it, I guess."

[cardarchitect.livejournal.com]

"I didn't know that." Near looked at Matt with new respect. "I really can't condone that sort of vigilantism, but I'm inclined to agree."

[gamerspy.livejournal.com]

Matt shrugged. "A job's a job. At the same time I was getting paid by some businessmen to keep their names off those pro-Kira sites. I turned down the really fucked-up ones, but that whole Yotsuba thing had a lot of people on edge."

[cardarchitect.livejournal.com]

"Mercenary," Near said with what he realized was a fond grin. "At least you had values."

[gamerspy.livejournal.com]

"I prefer chaotic-neutral, but I guess mercenary fits. Dunno about values, though. Not covering up for rapists seems... basic-human, to me."

[cardarchitect.livejournal.com]

"And now we're back to geekery."

[gamerspy.livejournal.com]

"Yep. Everything goes back to geekery, Near."

[cardarchitect.livejournal.com]

"Because you're a geek," he teased shyly. "Therefore it's only natural."

[gamerspy.livejournal.com]

"Got it in one," Matt said solemnly. "I knew you were always top of the class for a reason."

[cardarchitect.livejournal.com]

"Merely a manifestation of my godlike intellect," Near replied with the same exaggerated seriousness.

[gamerspy.livejournal.com]

"More than godlike. L-like. L is the Objective," he intoned.

[cardarchitect.livejournal.com]

"I'm more than L-like, though."