[OPEN] Feb 2012 Intro Log

[daddyscythe]

Characters: OPEN to new arrivals and NPCS.
Where: En route to Casualty Communal
Rating: Gen
Time: January 26 onwards
Description: Hello, everyone!


It was gloomy weather in Death City, made even gloomier by the state of the city and the tired silence of its inhabitants. Cleaning up after one disaster or another wasn’t cheerful work, anyway, and the commercial district was still muddy in places from the flood three days before.

Still, gloomy or not, everyone seemed welcoming of the new guests, from the heads of Shibusen down to the littlest girl in the pastry store. Even the sun had a smile just for them, from behind the occasional cloud.

Welcome to Death City, newcomers!

[ooc: Player characters will also be joining the log. Everything after the sub thread Soul Perception is open to all characters.]

Comments

L will be tagging along for the thread, just as a head's up!

[signhere]

Light progressed through the tour, quietly observing and listening to the questions the others asked rather than asking many of his own. Observational learning was the key here, especially with this nuisance who had handcuffed himself to his side. He didn't really want L interrupting things or even speaking to him more than necessary. It was bad enough to have him alive and breathing, talking didn't need to be added into the mix.

Finally, they had reached the end and perhaps the most important part. His eyes lingered on the shinigami of this world, much different than those from his own. Although he had some odd traits about him (stripes on one side of his head only?), this Death the Kid looked, overall, human. And he was much more formal than Ryuk, which was something Light could appreciate if nothing else.

Soul Perception reminded him of the shinigami eyes, and although both options were unsettling -- with L attached to him, it was probably just easier to have someone come to them rather than go to one of the machines. Light's free hand lifted.

[dead_black_eyes]

L certainly wasn't going to let Light out of his sight, now that he was present among the esteemed ranks of BREW's guests.

He trailed along throughout the tour, quieter and more content to listen and watch without comment than he had been when he'd first arrived. His petulant, snarky and occasionally frustrating questions and observations were kept to himself, and he didn't make an effort to draw attention to himself and Light. Beyond the whole handcuff thing, at least.

"You'll probably be a Meister," L said bluntly, as Light raised his free hand. "In fact, I'm 94% certain. With Kira's initiative and ability to manipulate others, I would be astonished if you were a Weapon. After this, we can go attempt Resonation right away. Unless you're hungry...?" L himself was too excited to eat, a rarity for the languid, sugar-addicted detective.

[perfectorder]

At the sight of the free hand and seeing the other volunteers already occupied, Kid walks over to greet the pair. Although having never really spoken with L, he at least recognized him from general network viewing.

But as he drew closer he noticed the handcuffs. ...Odd. Very odd. So odd he could not help but ask, "Is there a reason why you're wearing handcuffs?" as he glanced between the two.

[signhere]

Because L is a pain in the ass.

But Light was a bit more polite than that and came up with his excuse immediately, "Ryuzaki was just showing me how partial weapon transformations are possible. It really is unbelievable, the things your world has made possible."

He lifted his arm that was attached to the handcuff, the chain eventually bleeding into human flesh of his enemy's arm. Unbelievable wasn't even the word. A nightmare, more like it. Was it BREW's sick joke to make L a pair of handcuffs?

However, the more important thing was they had the attention of this world's shinigami. Perfect. "So if you don't mind me asking, is this 'soul perception' ability capable of seeing things beyond whether you're a meister or a weapon?"

(Like names and life spans, maybe.)

[dead_black_eyes]

Why, yes, actually. L was a pain in the ass. He held himself to very high standards, and wouldn't have been satisfied with merely being an annoyance.

"I plan on showing him a lot of interesting new things in the near future," he said, blatantly and unabashedly, and so seriously that one would be hard-pressed not to look for a second meaning in the remark. He tugged at the hairs on the back of his neck in a display of self-consciousness that seemed just a bit too deliberate. Unbelievable? Little old me? Oh, shucks, Light.

"The soul has a physical form of its own that the ability can detect right?," L asked Kid, tilting his head and bringing his hand around to chew on the end of his thumb. Nibbling and yanking at a hangnail until it bled, he found himself shrewdly curious about what Kira's soul might look like. Though L couldn't know it, the appearance of Light's red soul would provide a stark contrast to his own wandering, black-eyed, blue and grey sphere.

[perfectorder]

"...I see."

This was truly an interesting pair to say the least. Kid only glanced before answering the question.

"As to the soul, those who can perceive souls will be able to to detect the soul residing within the body and from there we can determine the type, how strong, weak, and even emotional states. The soul is like a fingerprint—unique to its owner. By knowing a person's soul wavelength you can easily determine and detect them by concentrating and focusing on it."

[signhere]

Light's annoyance wasn't visible on his face, but he certainly felt it the minute L spoke up about showing him 'new and interesting' things. Hell, if Kid could see emotional states, there was no hiding it -- which was a bit problematic. Light was as wonderful of a liar as they came, but no one had ever been able to look in his soul before. This was just another issue on a growing list.

"I see. It certainly sounds like a good ability to have on hand. Is it something you have to tap into or do you automatically see the souls of those around you simply because you were born with soul perception? I'm curious to know how I will be able to figure out my own meister ability, after all..."

Well, L said he was 94% certain he was a meister -- and loathe as he was to admit it, Light did know L was correct in his deductions 94% of the time.

[dead_black_eyes]

Light's questions were good ones; not idiotic the way so many other new arrivals' were. He felt a swell of something that was almost pride. My suspect. So intelligent. So shrewd, so clever... did I mention that he is my suspect?

"Yes... really, the sooner we can figure out his Meister ability, the sooner we can start training to take on missions," L said, his excitement contrasting Light's subdued annoyance. These two were really a study in contrasts, when it came right down to it. No one would ever guess, just by looking at the two, that they would ever be friends.

[perfectorder]

"A bit of both. While I can sense the general presence of souls, in order to actually fully perceive them I need to activate Soul Perception."

Kid paused and looked at Light. They were already assuming he was to be a Meister and he could see why just by the snippet of conversation they had. But things aren't always what they seem.

He could have easily used the ability right then and there, but he was going to be polite and ask, "Would like me to do so now?"

[signhere]

Light closed his eyes briefly. L was already deciding on a partnership and he hadn't even gotten settled in here yet. It was best to get this over and done with as soon as possible so he could at least get a small reprieve, as unfortunate as it was to let the shinigami out of his sight when he had gained his attention -- when it might be quite some time before he would be able to gain his attention again.

"Yes, please."

[dead_black_eyes]

"You'd better, yes," L added, in a tone that also said fine, whatever, just get the formality over with so we can move on with what matters.

[perfectorder]

Kid just arched a brow before closing his eyes. First he sensed the souls of everyone in the room, then it focused on the two in front of him. L was a Weapon as he had said.

Light on the other hand...

There was a slight quirk of the brow before Kid reopened his eyes.

"You may need to change your plans. You are a Weapon."

[signhere]

Light's brows lifted slightly. A weapon? Well, that was a surprise. He was half-tempted to ask Kid to double check, but considering this was this world's shinigami, it was unlikely he was wrong. Did it mean he and L couldn't partner?

Perhaps this was the best news he'd received.

"A weapon? Well this complicates things, doesn't it?" His tone was slightly smug -- in a 'guess-you-were-wrong-Ryuzaki' kind of way.

[dead_black_eyes]

Had L heard that correctly? It was subtle at first, but his expression changed slowly from a look of clear anticipation to the crushed annoyance of a child who's been told that his birthday party has been delayed on account of rain.

"I beg your pardon? Check again," he said icily, before adding "...please," almost as an afterthought.

[perfectorder]

There was a slight arch of the brow before Kid activated his Soul Perception again.

"There's no mistake. He's a weapon."

[signhere]

L, what are you doing? This is the world's Shinigami! Why are you questioning him??

Light shook his head, "Ryuzaki, don't be rude. I apologize on his behalf, Shinigami-sama. He was convinced BREW brought me in to be his partner, I'm afraid. So it must be a great disappointment to hear it's impossible."

[dead_black_eyes]

To be fair, even in their own world L had had few problems interrogating Shinigami. It didn't matter what something was; if they potentially had answers to a pressing question, they were fair game for pressing.

"Of course there's a mistake," he said. "If not yours, then BREW screwed up royally." He shoved his hands in his pockets, and when he took one out, a lollipop was pinched between a white-knuckled index finger and a tense thumb. A sign of mere annoyance, from anyone else... but a screaming indicator of sheer fury from L, if someone knew him well enough to read him.

"It's not a disappointment," he mumbled, words distorted due to speaking around the lollipop tucked in his cheek. "Just an inconvenience. We'll work around it until BREW fixes you." There was a crunch as L bit down on the hard candy, shattering it between his sugar-sore teeth.