Transgender
strider
No mourners, no funerals
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Post by strider on Feb 19, 2021 1:32:20 GMT -5
If Orpheus could make the world safe for L, he would. No doubt about it. He would protect him from the criminals who wanted to hurt him, protect him from all of the evil doers, all of the people who targeted him because he was the only person kind enough and good enough to take them down. Orpheus didn’t doubt that there were others who were as kind as L was, they just… weren’t quite as competent. If you didn’t actually succeed in bringing down bad people, it wasn’t like the bad people were going to target you. Or… at least not as intensely as they targeted L. The way to know you were succeeding in changing the world for the better was how many wrongdoers were upset by your actions. Orpheus thought wryly of Hades’ anger. He had pretended to believe that Orpheus was impotent, but… he had known just how much damage Orpheus could do, otherwise he never would have tried to make an example of him. He didn’t know that L thought that Orpheus’ attempts had made any difference at all. He didn’t know that L thought his world could be crueler, that maybe Orpheus had managed to fix things if only just a little bit. If he did… he would have told L that he had too much faith in him. But… maybe faith wasn’t a bad thing. Maybe it just meant that one person saw what the other was too close to really appreciate. Orpheus shoved the thought away, sifting instead through the bag as he searched for a red gummy worm. He found one that was half red and half… was that yellow? Clear? He couldn’t quite tell. It didn’t look terribly different from the other one he had tasted, but he was intrigued by how they had managed to get so many colors in the food, and how the colors were as saturated. They had ways of dying things in Orpheus’ time, but it was scarcely ever used for food, and when it was it certainly wasn’t this bright. It almost made him nervous to eat it. Which was, frankly, ridiculous. L was the paranoid one between the two of them, and he had already eaten two of them. It was perfectly safe. Orpheus gave a small smile, biting off the red end and chewing softly for a few moments. “It is better,” he confirmed, smile widening just a touch as he swallowed and leaned against L’s shoulder for a moment. “Though it may just be… pla… placeba? Placebo? Effect?” Orpheus stumbled over the words for a few moments, trying to remember what L had told him. He assumed he got it close enough to be understandable, at least. He popped the lighter half into his mouth a moment later, sucking on it for a few moments before deciding that chewing was much more efficient. “Your words are more than enough,” he whispered, letting the breeze do the work of carrying his words to L. They didn’t have very far to go. “I’ve never had a hard time understanding you,” he added, gaze flicking up to meet L’s. He sunk into them, letting their locked gazes feel more like home than his world had in a very long time. “You’ve always been clear. And straightforward. Maybe… maybe it’s just because I prefer to be straightforward, too. Sometimes embarrassingly so.”
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Post by ®Hawkpath® on Feb 20, 2021 1:10:40 GMT -5
L believed in his work. He did. He couldn’t have continued otherwise, couldn’t have managed to carry on. It was hard to keep going, though he was much better at it than he’d used to be, certainly…a mistake like the one that had put him on the run wouldn’t likely happen now. He was older, he’d been through more, he was more experienced and he understood that you needed a balance of head and heart to do what he did. He knew he was making a difference. The criminals themselves told him that much, not through words but actions. Just as he knew Orpheus was capable of creating change, not only because he knew Orpheus himself, but because of all the ways the people who didn’t want change stood against him. It wasn’t that he thought either of them could change the world alone. One person couldn’t be expected to accomplish anything that enormous by themselves, no matter how incredible they were. But if anyone could begin the process, well...who else but Orpheus? He had faith in him. He did. He believe in him, had believed in him for years, and now he trusted him too. That trust had been hard earned, and once you had it, it was difficult to break. He watched as the other blinker eagerly, hoping he would find a red one, or at least one with some red on it...and then he did, and L smiled a little, pleased. He’d thought that there would be another one, but he hadn’t been sure...it was an older bag and a according to some people, he had a habit of picking out all the red ones first. Which he didn’t see how that was possible when he didn’t intend to, but he had been told it was true by multiple sources with no connection or knowledge of each other, which meant he was inclined to believe it was true. Still...strange he had no knowledge of it. He watched, waiting for Orpheus to eat his, curious to hear his reaction to it. He genuinely didn’t know what to expect. He smiled, happy as Orpheus confirmed what he already knew. “They are better.” He repeated, smiling as he took a drink of tea. The texture was different with all the sugar, but it wasn’t like he really knew that, since that was how he always drank it. It was at least half sugar, possibly more. He took a slice of carrot cake next, pulling it a little closer and then hesitating. “Ah…” he looked up, eyes wide. “I have...forgotten silverware.” He considered the cake for another long moment, then pinched off some and popped it in his mouth. It wasn’t nearly as good without the frosting...he elected to pluck a doughnut from the box instead. He could hear Orpheus perfectly. The quiet helped with that. So did the breeze. He didn’t know how Orpheus always understood him. He didn’t know how his words seemed to get his meaning across, when they so often failed him. He didn’t understand, but maybe that was okay. Maybe he didn’t have to understand to feel the same. “Straightforward is better,” he agreed softly, a small smile playing at the edges of his lips. “Telling the truth is refreshing. I wish I could always do it…” He couldn’t. But here, now, he could. Here, now, there was no need to lie about anything at all, because he was with the person he loved and trusted.
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Transgender
strider
No mourners, no funerals
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Post by strider on Feb 20, 2021 3:45:12 GMT -5
Orpheus had more or less fumbled his way into L’s trust. He had wanted his friend to trust him (how could he not?) but he had never set out explicitly to earn L’s trust. Which was probably part of how he ended up with it. He hadn’t pursued it, hadn’t pressured L into giving it. Now, now that he had it, now that he knew how much L’s trust was worth… he wasn’t sure he was deserving of it. He wanted to be. He did his best every day to be deserving of it, but… he had lucked into L trusting him. Although… he couldn’t say he had lucked his way into L’s love. And that was far more precious to him than L’s trust, if only because he remembered an L who hadn’t believed he would ever love anyone. “I think you’re almost out of the red ones,” he informed L, sifting through the bag to try to find more. He actually… wasn’t sure there were any left. “I’d feel bad if I ate the last one,” he admitted, taking a green and yellow-ish one instead. Well… at least he was fairly confident that L could find a new bag somewhere in his world. Or rather… that Watari could find a new bag for L somewhere in his world. Not for the first time, Orpheus wanted to meet Watari. Wanted to thank him for keeping L alive. To thank him for making sure that L was as happy as he could be in his world. Wanted to be nervous and uncertain as he met his love’s parents for the first time, wanted to ask Watari for L’s hand, even though he knew it wasn’t Watari’s to give. There was a perfect future that Orpheus could imagine for himself and L, and he knew L well enough to know that Watari would be part of it. So Watari got to play a part in Orpheus’ daydreams. And in the songs he wrote about what he wished life could be, if the House hadn’t made love that much more complicated. Orpheus lifted his own tea to his lips, breathing in the scent before he took a sip and swallowed. It was good – perfect, almost – with the little bit of sugar he had put in. As much as he loved L, he knew he’d never be able to stomach the sludge-like concoction L made with his own tea. “How many sugars did you put in?” he asked after a moment, letting the warmth of his mug spread to the hand that wasn’t holding L’s. He didn’t need the extra warmth given the sun shining up ahead, but he found it comforting anyway. There was no judgment in his expression as he searched L’s eyes for an answer. He might never be able to get up before L and make him his tea the way he liked it, but he might as well learn exactly how he liked it anyway. There was no harm in preparing for a future he wasn’t sure he would ever have. Following L’s lead, Orpheus pinched off a bit of carrot cake, lifting it to his lips and chewing thoughtfully for a moment. “That one’s good,” he decided, a smile crossing his face. “I didn’t think it would be.” Very gently, Orpheus reached across and brushed a piece of L’s hair out of his face. His fingers lingered against his forehead for longer than strictly necessary, but he found he doubted L would mind. “I know you tell the truth as much as you can,” he murmured, fingers tracing down to the corner of L’s eye, where he let his fingertips rest while his palm cupped L’s cheek. “I’d rather you be safe than honest.”
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Post by ®Hawkpath® on Feb 21, 2021 17:47:37 GMT -5
If Orpheus had pursued L’s trust, tried to force things...it would have either been longer or never. L worked with people who didn’t trust him every day. Who tried to win his trust. He didn’t give it to them, couldn’t give it when they seemed to want it. That meant they might have ulterior motives. Trusting Orpheus had some slowly, he knew. Slower than most people. Orpheus had trusted him long before he’d returned it, because that was what normal people did. L...L was paranoid. He knew that. But he was also alive, and those two things were not disconnected in his head. “I thought so,” he said a little sadly, watching Orpheus pick through the bag. “Apparently I eat them first, though I don’t mean to. Multiple sources confirm it though. And also the empirical evidence. That is, that I keep running out of the red ones first.” He gave a small smile. “It’s alright,” he reassured Orpheus, shaking his head a little. “I’m happy that you got to try it. Although I wish there were more for you.” Sharing food was not something L did lightly. He knew Orpheus was aware of that, and he hoped he understood what it meant that he was willing to sacrifice his last red gummy work for him. He didn’t do such a thing without serious consideration, after all. It was an important matter. He didn’t know what Orpheus imagined. Didn’t know how he thought of meeting Watari. What he did know was that he wanted Watari to meet the love of his life. He’d have been extremely excited if there was ever a way in the future for that to happen, and he knew Watari was curious about the person L rambled about so much. He watched Orpheus take a sip, then took a drink of his own tea - er - tea flavored sugar? It was more solid than other people’s tea. But it did still have flavor. This was obviously the correct way to drink tea, ans coffee for that matter. “203.” He answered promptly, knowing Orpheus wouldn’t judge him for it. Might not understand, of course, but he’d be supportive and he wouldn’t tell the detective off for it like some people would have. Not even Watari understood exactly, and he didn’t mind that Orpheus probably would have been unable to drink the concoction. He couldn’t drink Orpheus’ version, either. “147 is the amount that can dissolve in the average cup of tea,” he added, in case that was interesting. He preferred it with a thicker consistency, though. He smiled a little, happiness blooming inside of his chest like a flower as Orpheus confirmed he’d liked the cake. “Yes, carrots are bad alone.” He said earnestly, and took a finger full of frosting. “But like beets, they’re good in cake.” His heart seemed to stop, then race, as Orpheus’s fingers brushed his hair back and paused against his skin. His wide eyes moved to Orpheus’ face, searching his eyes, and he leaned into his touch just a little bit, eyes closing. For him, a sign of complete trust. He’d never dare close his eyes with someone else so close. “I love you.” The words slipped free without him meaning to. It was like a thought so loud in his head it could be heard, more than spoken words. He opened his eyes, meeting Orpheus’. “I know I said that already. But saying it out loud makes me feel very good, so I want to keep doing it.”
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Transgender
strider
No mourners, no funerals
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Post by strider on Feb 22, 2021 2:11:50 GMT -5
There had been a time when Orpheus had expected L to trust him. Not because he wanted anything out of him, but just because… well, he thought that was what friends did. He thought it was just a natural side effect. As soon as he’d found out that it wasn’t, at least not for L, he had backed away. It had taken him a day or so to come to terms with the fact that L didn’t want to trust him, but he had managed it, and he hadn’t expected it ever again. When he’d finally had L’s trust… well, he didn’t know he’d had it. Orpheus had come to terms with the fact that no matter how deeply he trusted L, no matter how he cared for him, he wouldn’t be trusted. It didn’t change anything. L had still been his friend, they had still done rooms together and shared experiences and stories… trust was a secondary thing. Eventually, Orpheus had stopped thinking about it. It had taken him a long time to figure out that L had decided to gift him with his trust. It was… well, it was something precious, and Orpheus had been determined not to let it be broken. He was determined not to betray L or hurt him, and then… well, then he’d stolen L’s heart, too. He hadn’t meant to do that. He wondered whether he’d been a thief first or the recipient of a gift first. Had love come before trust? That was a question he might ask L later, if it came up. “They should make a bag entirely of red ones,” Orpheus mused, a small smile touching his lips. “I have a feeling they’d sell more that way.” He had no way of knowing that the red wasn’t a universal favorite. If it wasn’t… he figured it should have been. “I’m alright with the green and yellow ones,” he added softly, meeting L’s gaze. He knew by now what it meant for L to be willing to share his food. One more thing to be grateful for, that L was willing to. He felt a little bit bad about eating the last red one, but L didn’t seem bothered by it, so he decided to push the feeling away. If he could have brought red gummy worms from his world so L could have some, he would have. “203?” Orpheus repeated, brow quirking up. He couldn’t quite hide his surprise. His own cup had two, and it was plenty sweet enough for him. A smile spread across his face as he considered that. 203 was very L. “Well… next time I have tea with you, I’ll have to remember that so I can count them out for you.” Would L notice if he miscounted to get 202 or 204? Knowing L, the answer was yes. He didn’t think L would make a big fuss about it, though. “Do you mind if I look at it?” Orpheus asked, raising an eyebrow. He could tell it was a different consistency than his own, but he couldn’t help his curiosity. He probably wasn’t going to offer to try it. Probably. He gave a soft smile as he set the plate down, looking at L through his eyelashes. He felt sparks dance through his fingertips as L shifted to be just that little bit closer. He let his hand move, fingertips lightly tracing the lids of L’s closed eyes for just a moment before settling back on his cheek. “I love you too,” he whispered, not so much a secret as something fragile and breakable. “I wouldn’t complain if you were to keep doing it,” he added softly, a chill racing down his body and lighting up every nerve as it seemed to realize how close he was to L, how much it meant. “It makes me feel very good to hear it, too. And to say it back.”
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Post by ®Hawkpath® on Feb 22, 2021 15:27:22 GMT -5
Truthfully, L had mostly expected their friendship to come to a sudden, dramatic halt when Orpheus learned L didn’t trust him. Most people were very offended when they discovered this, some yelled at him or stalked away or even just quietly retracted their friendship and shut him out. He didn’t understand...it wasn’t personal. He didn’t trust anyone. It wasn’t like he had singled them out. It made him sad, though. And also added to his belief that he shouldn’t try to make friends. No one wanted to be friends with someone who didn’t want to offer their trust up. And then Orpheus had accepted it and continued to be L’s friend. And that had been the first big step towards L giving his trust. He hadn’t expected it...he remembered being shy and uncertain, half assuming Orpheus simply hadn’t understood L. But time had gone on and Orpheus still had trusted him, been his friend, hadn’t seemed to judge him for his paranoia. And slowly, slowly, L had found he was ready to give the thing he’d held back for so long. Orpheus was so gentle with his trust. It was a fragile thing but once given, it was difficult to break. He wouldn’t have believed Orpheus had betrayed him unless there was irrefutable evidence that he couldn’t find any loophole to explain away, and even then it was a maybe at best. The thing about being sure you couldn’t trust anyone or anything was that, when you finally found someone who deserved that trust, you couldn’t just take it away. If there it was irrefutable evidence vs. Orpheus’ word, L would choose Orpheus’ word any day. He nodded a little, glad Orpheus seemed to like the other flavors too. Colors. They were all the same flavor. The red ones were merely better for some other indiscernible reason. “Yes, the other colors are also good.” He agreed, nibbling his doughnut thoughtfully. “If you eat a red one and then a yellow one and then a green one and then a blue one, it’s best in that order. Also Watari likes the blue ones better so perhaps the bag is mixed so everyone is happy.” He nodded seriously, unconcerned by Orpheus’ surprise. “203 is the best number.” He explained. Yes, he would notice if there was a different number, and he wouldn’t like it as much, but he wouldn’t make a big deal out of it. He would merely note it and then continue on. He never miscounted, though. He smiled a little at that. “Thank you,” he said sincerely, taking another sip of tea flavored sugar. Then he nodded and handed the cup over, his expression bright. It had been a while since he’d worn a mask with Orpheus and now was no different, his happiness at the other blinker’s interest clear on his features. “You can also taste it if you want.” He added. “I’d taste yours, only I already know it’s disgusting.” He didn’t want to move away. Barely breathed, and yet felt completely at ease. Odd, how the House, the most unpredictable of places, had come to feel so safe. Or perhaps not so odd. The person L loved was there, after all. “I wish you could come to my world,” he murmured, eyes opening a tiny bit to meet Orpheus’, gentle longing in his gaze. “I wish I didn’t have to rely on the House to see you.”
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Transgender
strider
No mourners, no funerals
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Post by strider on Feb 22, 2021 22:12:15 GMT -5
Orpheus had never found it difficult to trust people. Then again… he’d never been betrayed, except by himself. He had no reason not to trust people, no reason to be as paranoid as L was. He didn’t mind L’s paranoia. How could he mind something that kept L alive? Even when they were just friends, he had been grateful beyond words for who L was and the kindness he showed. Trust was icing on the cake, and it was a pretty delicious cake even without it. Orpheus pushed the thought away – he knew better than to take a metaphor too far. “I haven’t tried a blue one yet,” Orpheus murmured, picking the bag back up and sorting through for a blue one. He pulled it out triumphantly, looking at it for a moment before he remembered what else L had said. There was a proper order. He’d eaten the red one… then a green one… well, he’d already messed up the order anyway. Maybe it would be okay if he just skipped yellow. Without giving it a second thought, he took a bite of the blue one, struggling for a bit as it refused to break in two, then chewed thoughtfully. “They trick you into thinking they’re different flavors,” he said after a moment, nodding thoughtfully. “I know you said they’re all the same, but I can’t help but think this one tastes different than the red one. It’s still good, though.” Weird, but he didn’t say that part out loud. It wasn’t like anything in his world, and though that wasn’t a bad thing, the texture and intensity of flavor needed some getting used to. “203,” Orpheus repeated, committing the number to memory. He was determined to make L tea at some point, and if he put the wrong number of sugars in… well, it wasn’t going to happen, so he decided not to think about it. If need be he’d prepare them the night before and triple count them to make sure he had the right number before preparing the tea. Perhaps… well, perhaps L wanted to prepare his own tea. Perhaps he’d be upset by Orpheus getting in the way of it. Either way… it was one more thing to know about L, and Orpheus found he never got tired of those, no matter how many there were. Orpheus accepted the cup, frowning just a little bit as he looked in. It wasn’t really liquid anymore, as far as he could tell, but… well, if that was the way L liked it… hesitantly, he dipped his finger in and came away with just a little bit of the tea-flavored sugar. He lifted it to his lips, head tilting as the flavor burst into his mouth. “It’s not bad,” he said after a moment, picking up his own cup of tea. “I don’t think I could have more than a taste, but I can see the appeal.” He wondered if anyone else in L’s world had thought of tea flavored candy. He was sure it would sell well, if artificially flavored worms did. It was so easy to forget about overly sugared tea as he looked into L’s eyes. So easy to forget where they were and how much it had cost them both to reach this moment. It was so, so easy to just… sink in and hold steady to the belief that they were okay. “I wish that, too,” Orpheus replied breathlessly. “I want to fall asleep in your arms and know I’ll wake up in the same place.”
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Post by ®Hawkpath® on Feb 23, 2021 0:36:33 GMT -5
L had been betrayed, more often than not. People just did that. He was used to it. Interestingly, the people who got so upset with him about not being trusted often were the ones that ended up betraying him. If it could be called a betrayal when L didn’t trust them, anyway. The point was they tried to stab him in the back, only to discover he’d never been stupid enough to turn his back to them in the first place. Not Orpheus, though. He could close his eyes, relax, even sleep around Orpheus. There was exactly one other person in any world he could do that around, and he’d met them when he was eight years old. He watched as Orpheus searched, curious to see what he’d think of the blue ones. They weren’t as good as the red, but all gummy worms were good. Orpheus also wasn’t following the order, but that was okay. L didn’t mind. He followed the order, but no one else did, and the world still seemed to be hanging in there, more or less. “Yes, it’s the colors.” He replied seriously, nodding as Orpheus confirmed what he already knew. “Most food that’s a different color tastes different. It’s confusing when it doesn’t.” He reached forward, slipping his hand into the bag and pulling out a yellow one, then taking a bite, once again struggling a bit to make it come apart. “They are good,” he agreed, finishing it. Truthfully, L didn’t often make his own tea. Watari usually did. And now exactly three people, including L, knew how he liked it. “Yes, it’s annoying when there’s no sugar cubes, only sugar,” he explained. “But still workable. And smaller teacups make it harder because there’s less tea and it’s hard to tell how much sugar belongs in it.” It was an exact science, and not one L always succeeded at. “Sometimes if I get a small cup I end up losing the tea,” he added a little sadly. He watched closely as Orpheus accepted the tea, very curious to see what he would think...it wasn’t often anyone tried his tea. Would he hate it? Would he decide to start drinking tea that way? The possibilities were endless. He nodded, satisfied as Orpheus gave his verdict. Not bad was a fairly good result. “Yes, I’m not surprised. Most people who try tea this way don’t finish it.” He couldn’t see why, but then, other people were just confusing like that. He was used to it. He knew of tea flavored candy. Liked it a lot, actually. But he didn’t think to tell Orpheus that. And it all faded as he looked at Orpheus. He wanted to just exist, no fears, or worries, nothing but this moment. He wanted to stay here forever, make this last. Orpheus, sitting in the sunlight. Orpheus, hand against L’s skin, smiling, that soft look in his eye. He could almost forget this was the House, even. “Yes,” he breathed, “I want that, too. Perhaps the House will continue to be kind...perhaps we’ll get those things.”
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Transgender
strider
No mourners, no funerals
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Post by strider on Feb 23, 2021 4:02:48 GMT -5
Orpheus wished he could stop people from betraying L. He wished he could make everyone see the kind of person L was, wished he could limit the people who tried to be L’s friends to the people who deserved to be. There were more of those in the House than in L’s world. Or… at least the people L interacted with in his world (Watari excluded) weren’t exactly the most savory. He supposed it was just… part of the work for L, being betrayed. People trying to manipulate you, trying to feed you lies to get you on their side. That was what L was used to. Orpheus wasn’t sure he could do that to someone even if he was actively trying. He didn’t like the idea of hurting someone like that, of making affection a lie. That was why he had stayed with L even when he’d found out the detective didn’t trust him. That knowledge didn’t erase the fact that Orpheus liked him, that his life was almost certainly better with L in it than it was without, even if L’s trust wasn’t part of the bargain. Looking back, he had to admit he had chosen well. With L in his life, he was as happy now as he had been on what he’d once considered the happiest days of his life. Eurydice couldn’t be replaced. She was one of a kind, and Orpheus still loved her. He still remembered his days with her with fondness, still held them close to his heart. L hadn’t asked him to replace her with him. He hadn’t placed any pressure on Orpheus to enjoy his time with him more than he had enjoyed his time with Eurydice. Perhaps… well, perhaps that was a sign that they were good for each other. That they understood each other’s boundaries and knew exactly what lines they couldn’t cross. Somehow, the two of them understood each other better than most people did, even if they weren’t particularly good at understanding the people in their worlds. “How much sugar do you put in if there aren’t any cubes?” Orpheus asked, tilting his head a little bit. That seemed like quite a hassle to figure out. Then again… he didn’t really know how to put a normal amount of sugar in a cup of tea if the sugar wasn’t in cubes. He’d never needed to. He let his gaze shift from L’s eyes to their clasped hand, a soft smile coming over his face. It was a private smile, one not meant for anyone in particular. He didn’t mind sharing it with L. There were very few things he would have minded sharing with the man he loved. The breeze wafted over them, gently playing with Orpheus’ bangs. He didn’t bother to fix them. His own appearance didn’t seem to matter. He only had eyes for L. L, dark hair warmed by the sun. L, smiling like he didn’t care who saw. L, happy. Orpheus knew how rare a sight that was. Not that L didn’t experience happiness, just that he didn’t tend to show it often. Until his mask had dropped. “Perhaps,” he echoed, gaze shifting up back towards L’s face, where his hand still rested against L’s cheek. “Perhaps we deserve for it to be kind.”
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Post by ®Hawkpath® on Feb 23, 2021 5:01:34 GMT -5
Orpheus couldn’t stop people from being people. He couldn’t stop people from betraying L any more than L himself could. But he was used to it, and he just didn’t trust people, which solved the problem very neatly. If he didn’t trust them in the first place, then a knife in the back was to be expected. Part of the job. There was a reason he kept his heart safe, locked away where no one could touch it. There away a reason he didn’t let anyone get too close. Once he cared...once he cared, he suspected it would kill him. He knew Orpheus. He knew Orpheus so well, and he knew he wouldn’t have hurt anyone, not like the people L usually dealt with. Orpheus was proof that people could be genuinely good. Proof that humanity wasn’t the utterly shattered thing it sometimes looked like. He wished he’d trusted Orpheus sooner, though. Even if he knew he couldn’t have, realistically. He could have trusted Orpheus at the beginning, or after the snowstorm, or at the lodge, or during their first sparring match, or...well. He hadn’t. He supposed it wasn’t really going to help to wonder what would have happened if he had. L would never have asked Orpheus to replace Eurydice with him. She was important and special and L wasn’t upset in the slightest to know Orpheus still loved her. He wasn’t jealous or insecure about it. There was room in the human heart for more than one person, wasn’t there? And Orpheus had the biggest heart L knew of. If anyone could love more than one person, it would be the person whose heart was big enough to cover L like a blanket. “A sitar cube is equal to one teaspoon of sugar,” he explained. “So that’s easy. Measuring it isn’t difficult either, a regular spoon is close enough to a teaspoon to be acceptable in some cases.” He didn’t mention not how long it took sometimes to get all the sugar in. Orpheus would, hopefully, be able to find sugar cubes if he ever got to make tea. for them both. He didn’t pull away, the gentle touch of Orpheus’ fingers against his skin drawing him on and making him breathe easier. Did Orpheus realize how powerful his touch was? How happy it made him? Did Orpheus understand how deeply L loved him? It was hard to imagine anyone knowing that. Hard to imagine anyone being able to see in L’s head and get an answer. His mask was off. As if so often was, around Orpheus. He didn’t need it. He was perfectly safe. “Perhaps,” he murmured back, smiling a tiny bit. “Perhaps we do.” He couldn’t help but hope the House would decide to let them have this. Couldn’t help but hope that the bad rooms were a thing of the past, though he knew that wasn’t the case. Still...this room made him wonder whether Orpheus had already made the House better.
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Transgender
strider
No mourners, no funerals
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Post by strider on Feb 23, 2021 20:08:39 GMT -5
If Orpheus had his way, there would be no knives in the first place. Except, perhaps, as tools. Orpheus figured they were more than a little bit useful as tools. Still… if having no knives meant good people like L never got stabbed in the back, then it would be worth it. The thing was, he knew that L cared. He knew that L cared about people, he cared about every case he got involved with, he just… kept himself separate from them. He didn’t let people know he cared. Had he tried not to let Orpheus know he cared about him? If so, then he’d ruined that by giving him the salve for his fingertips. But… Orpheus supposed they were friends already at that point. If L had ever cared but pretended not to, Orpheus had missed it. Either way, he wasn’t ever planning on stabbing L in the back. He wasn’t planning on hurting him or becoming what L thought humanity could be. Orpheus shook his head of his thought. He didn’t want to imagine people hurting L, he didn’t want to imagine that there were people that would try to worm their way into L’s trust only to hurt him. It didn’t help that Orpheus knew L wouldn’t let them. It didn’t matter if the people who wanted to hurt L succeeded or not. It was that Orpheus didn’t want anyone to ever try. “203 teaspoons,” Orpheus murmured softly, searching L’s gaze. “I suppose that makes sense. Is that why they named it a teaspoon? Because it’s supposed to measure how much sugar people put in tea?” He was curious about things like that. Curious how language had formed long after he died. He supposed, if he succeeded in his goal… he might be able to watch language form in front of him as he waited for L. He knew what he was going to do when he died. He was going to spend as much time learning about L’s language and L’s world as he could. He was going to make the waiting worth it. Although it already would have been worth it if it meant seeing L again. Getting to have a future with him. Orpheus made a soft, contented noise, his eyes not moving from L’s. the blanket was soft beneath them and the sun made the air comfortably warm. He didn’t want to leave this moment behind, didn’t want to ever have to move away from this hill, foreign food sweetening his breath, L laying there beside him. “Λ,” Orpheus whispered, tasting the name for no reason other than that he could. There were no words that came to mind. Nothing he could say, because the moment itself was perfect as it was. He wasn’t thinking about the House anymore. Sure, it was there. It was always there. But this… this felt private. This felt like it belonged to him and L alone.
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Post by ®Hawkpath® on Feb 23, 2021 22:22:21 GMT -5
No knives. What would that be like? Well...there were still other things. He could be drowned. Electrocuted. Both at the same time. But that wasn’t the point. The point was that a world where he couldn’t be stabbed in the back was a world L wouldn’t understand. He didn’t know how to not be paranoid. Could he even exist in a safe world? He thought he he might not be able to just turn this part of him off. He thought he might not be able to feel safe, even when he was safe. Except, sitting here with Orpheus, he did feel safe. Orpheus had that effect on him, had for a long time now. He knew Orpheus wouldn’t hurt him. He knew Orpheus was genuine and he wouldn’t ever stab L in the back. He wouldn’t stab L at all, actually. The way he thought of it, people would always dangerous, but that was okay because there were now two people he trusted, two people who were not dangerous at all. And two was enough. “Probably,” he replied, shrugging a little at the question. That made sense, but people rarely did, and he wasn’t actually sure why it was called a teaspoon. “The other one is a tablespoon, and I don’t think that measures how much sugar you put in a table…” he added seriously. “So I don’t know. Language rarely makes any sense to me, anyway.” He knew Orpheus was curious about it, though. “I’ll look it up when I get back,” he promised, hoping that would help. Everything was so perfect now. The blanket was soft under him, the sunlight gentle against his skin, his eyes resting on Orpheus. His name on Orpheus’ lips brushed against his ear, and he closed his eyes again, contentment filling him. This...this was happiness. This was complete joy. Being with his love, being safe and at peace and having no secrets weighing him down. This was what it felt like to be where he belonged. Orpheus was home. When he was there, wherever that was, L was home. He’d learned that, a long time ago. Love is when home stops being a place and starts being a person. And with Orpheus, L felt alive. With Orpheus, the colors were bright and he remembered to look at the sky sometimes and he smelled the air and felt the soft grass under bare feet...he didn’t speak. But he did open his eyes so he could continue looking at the person he loved.
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Transgender
strider
No mourners, no funerals
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Post by strider on Feb 24, 2021 1:16:20 GMT -5
“Well,” Orpheus mused softly, thumb lightly brushing over L’s hand. “If teaspoons are used for measuring the sugar you use in tea, what is it that tablespoons are used for?” The softness of his voice suddenly sounded much louder as the field changed into the small room he was currently staying in. The warmth from the sun dissolved into the slight chill of winter trying to force its way through thin walls. Orpheus sighed – he had known it couldn’t last forever, but it still hurt when it ended. He was confident, however, that there would be more moments like that with L. This wasn’t the end, just a very, very good beginning. - Orpheus appeared mid-song. He was grinning widely as he sang, leaning forward as though to be closer to his audience. They were gone now, sadly. Orpheus stood up, shifting his guitar to his back. He’d be back soon enough – it wasn’t like the kids who were listening to him were going to go anywhere. They were fascinated by his song – they didn’t know the hero he sang of, he wasn’t a household name. Possibly because he wasn’t going to exist for several thousand years. And possibly because the song didn’t contain his name, just his deeds. There was no way Orpheus was going to risk putting L’s name out into his world, even if it was thousands of years before it mattered and would likely be forgotten long before L was alive to hear it. The room was plain enough. Not the living room, which put Orpheus a little bit on edge, but… it didn’t seem dangerous outright. That was a reason to be more cautious though, not less. There was a note pinned on the wall, the writing scrawled on a piece of paper that looked a little like it had been through a shredder. Orpheus frowned, taking a step forward to read it.
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Post by ®Hawkpath® on Feb 24, 2021 1:36:16 GMT -5
L was about to reply confidently that tablespoons were used for baking, which still didn’t make sense with their name, when he appeared back where he’d been standing in the kitchen when he’d grabbed the food. He sighed a little and put the basket down on the counter, then wandered back over to his computer and turned it on. Though he’d have rather stay with Orpheus longer...he hoped that wasn’t the last time. He never could tell. He immediately looked up why teaspoons and tablespoons were called that. Ah...so Orpheus had been right about the teaspoons. - L blinked in, nibbling a strawberry and staring at something in front of him. He shook his head a little impatiently and was leaning forward to reply when he realized his computer was gone. He looked up, noting that it wasn’t the living room, which meant either someone had already gone into a room, or the House wanted to make sure they couldn’t avoid this one. He nibbled the strawberry a little more before he noticed he wasn’t alone. Orpheus was there, stepping forward to read a note, and L moved to join him, still eating his strawberry. He lowered his hand a little and paused. Something...something shifted on his head a little, and he found himself wondering what he was doing. He frowned a little, confused by the thought but unable to answer it. He caught sight of Orpheus again, and tried to clear his head, moving forward again to read the note on the wall. He was fine. And Orpheus was there, so he was better than fine. He tried not to worry too much. When he got close enough, his hand slipped into Orpheus’ and he inspected the note, curiosity making it hard to look away, though he did glance at the other blinker for a long moment and offer a small smile.
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Transgender
strider
No mourners, no funerals
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Post by strider on Feb 24, 2021 1:48:42 GMT -5
Orpheus didn’t notice L at first – didn’t hear his near silent footsteps on the soft carpet. Open your mind. When things look most grim, make a wish, and I’ll let you in. Orpheus had no idea what that meant. He figured the House would probably show them eventually… L would probably have been able to figure it out, if he’d been there. Almost as though his thoughts had summoned him, Orpheus felt a hand slip into his. So L was here. A smile spread immediately across Orpheus’ face, and he raised his other hand in greeting. He leaned his weight gently into L for just a moment before settling back into a standing position. It was almost a way to say ‘hi, I love you, I’m glad you’re here,’ without actually having to give voice to the words. “Any idea what it means?” he asked after a short moment, inclining his head towards the note. It seemed ominous. “I don’t like the word ‘grim,’ especially not when it’s used by the House,” Orpheus admitted, shifting a bit uncertainly on his feet. The room was empty otherwise, which made Orpheus even more uncomfortable. The last time he had entered an empty room with a note… well, at least this one wasn’t asking him to kill anyone. “Whatever it is,” Orpheus added, pulling his full attention towards L, “It can’t be any match for the two of us together.”
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Post by ®Hawkpath® on Feb 24, 2021 2:09:00 GMT -5
L leaned back a little, smiling as he felt Orpheus shift closer. He understood the message perfectly, it was a very Orpheus think to do to send it like that, and he was used to feeling him close by now. He read the note. When things look most grim...he didn’t like that. He frowned a little. Didn’t like...didn’t like it because...he wasn’t actually sure. What are you doing? The voice in his head was clear, shockingly so, and he tensed a little trying to push it away. He didn’t know how to answer. He felt...odd. Off. He couldn’t place why, but he didn’t like it...he glanced at Orpheus, eyes wide and searching. “I don’t know,” he admitted, and tried to think of a theory. Tried to think of something more to add. Normally he would have things he’d noticed...right? He was still holding the strawberry, but he wasn’t thinking about it now. What are you doing? Ignore it. He didn’t like this...he felt uneasy, and he wasn’t sure why. He almost wanted to take his hand back. Why was that? He didn’t understand the impulse at all, but it was only serving to make him more nervous.
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Transgender
strider
No mourners, no funerals
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Post by strider on Feb 24, 2021 2:28:51 GMT -5
Something was wrong. Orpheus didn’t know what it was, but his attention was immediately locked on L. There was something about the cadence of his voice, the way he was looking at Orpheus. It was everything at once that made Orpheus’ rarely paranoid senses scream that he needed to be worried. Gently, Orpheus squeezed L’s hand, searching his expression. The note didn’t matter. The room didn’t matter. All that mattered was the small, confused expression on L’s face. “Hey, Λ,” he whispered, turning to face him completely. “It’s alright you don’t know.” Was that why L looked troubled? Because he didn’t have a theory. “We’ll figure it out. We always do.” Well… L was usually the one to figure it out far before Orpheus had even begun piecing together theories in his head. But L looked confused, and Orpheus didn’t want to pressure him into feeling responsible for solving this. Was it a riddle? They were both good at riddles. He wasn’t going to try to puzzle it out until he was absolutely certain that L was alright. It felt like he had only just gotten him back. He wasn’t going to lose him again. Calm down, he reminded himself, forcing a reassuring smile, He’s not dying, he’s just confused. And Orpheus didn’t even know what he was confused about, yet.
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Post by ®Hawkpath® on Feb 24, 2021 2:53:47 GMT -5
It was getting harder to pretend things were okay. To pretend he felt fine. He tried to think of something to say, tried to explain, but he didn’t know what to say. He couldn’t explain. He didn’t have any explanation. He opened his mouth to say something, then stopped as he couldn’t think what he’d been about to say. His head felt...foggy, his thoughts slow and also way too fast, he didn’t understand what was going on…. The strawberry slipped through his fingers and hit the carpet. He was gripping Orpheus’ hand too tightly, now, eyes wandering as he tried to take the room in, as though he hadn't seen it properly the first time. His gaze locked suddenly on Orpheus, and he tensed a little more, trying to fight the strange thing in his head, the way he couldn’t seem to think, the way it was hard to remember...remember what? He pulled his hand back and backed away, trying to think. “I think...something’s happening to me,” he managed in a small, frightened voice. “I don’t know...I can’t…” Sentences weren’t stringing themselves. He shook his head rapidly, trying to force away the cloud that had settled painfully inside of it. “I don’t know.”
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Transgender
strider
No mourners, no funerals
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Post by strider on Feb 24, 2021 3:18:05 GMT -5
“Hey,” Orpheus whispered, gaze raking across L’s features. He needed to know what was wrong. He needed to be able to help. He would be a lifeline if he could, he would drag L away from whatever was happening, pull him back to safety. He squeezed L’s hand back, ignoring the way L’s iron grip was starting to hurt. And then it was gone and Orpheus thought he felt something inside of him shatter. He didn’t move forward again, didn’t want to overwhelm L. Didn’t want to make him feel cornered when it seemed he was already trapped by something in his head that Orpheus couldn’t see. “We’ll figure it out,” he murmured, holding L’s gaze like that would help. “I promise.” What might fix this? He didn’t know yet what the House wanted him to wish for, but he had the sinking suspicion it had something to do with the panic smeared across L’s expression. “You know… you know, when you’re having a hard time solving a hard case, sometimes I’m able to help,” he said, taking a small step forward, slow enough that hopefully it wouldn’t startle L. He didn’t know what was happening, didn’t know what was wrong. Only that he was going to fix it, whether the House wanted him to or not. “You don’t have to agree,” he continued, trying to keep his voice more stable than he felt. It didn’t quite work. “But when I braid your hair, it increases your deductive reasoning. It might… it might help here.”
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Post by ®Hawkpath® on Feb 24, 2021 10:48:30 GMT -5
Staring at Orpheus while the thing inside his head continued to devour him was a strange sensation. First, it was comforting. Orpheus said they’d figure this out, and L couldn’t think clearly enough to say he was wrong. Couldn’t think. Couldn’t tell what was happening. Only that he needed his brain and he didn’t want the House to touch it. He hated this, he didn’t want to feel himself slipping away anymore, it felt a little like dying again. Then it was confusing. He didn’t understand what Orpheus meant. He didn’t want to flinch as he came a little closer, but he did anyway, uncertainty flickering across his expression. He was disoriented, he felt lost, he didn’t know what was happening. Then it was terrifying. “Who are you?” He managed in a sharp tone, shaking his head again in a vain effort to clear it. “Where am I? Why can’t I think?” Braiding his hair...that felt oddly familiar, and for a split second L thought he would go closer, stand next to Orpheus and close his eyes and hope it helped. But why would he do that? That sounded like trust, and L was far too terrified now to trust anyone. “I don’t like this…” he added in a strangled voice. Trying to think was about as easy as flying now. “Careful. I don’t think I’m me.” Was he warning the person looking at him in deep concern, or was he just saying that for no reason? He didn’t know. He couldn’t tell.
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Transgender
strider
No mourners, no funerals
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Post by strider on Feb 24, 2021 12:43:59 GMT -5
Orpheus did his best not to let his heart shatter. He took a gentle step back, trying to give L the space he needed. He didn’t want to scare him more, but it was difficult to stay away, difficult to just stand there and watch as something terrible was happening to the man he loved. “My name is Orpheus,” he whispered, wincing at the strangled sound of his own voice. He couldn’t give in to that now, he needed to be there for L. Needed to be strong for him, needed to help him… he took a deep breath, trying to steady himself. Trying to be there for L, no matter how hard it was. “It’s going to be alright,” he added, grateful that his voice sounded just a touch more confident than he felt. He didn’t want to think about the House’s note, although… this certainly qualified as looking grim. But he wasn’t going to take the House’s help until he absolutely needed to. What could he do, though? Tentatively, he shifted his instrument into a playable position. He began to softly pluck at the strings, trying to create as calming a melody as he could. Trying to soften the sharpness of L’s terror, trying to ground him at least a little bit. He didn’t sing to it, yet. He didn’t want to overwhelm L. The notes he played were soft – tentative, almost. “Look at me,” he whispered, staying a safe distance away. “You don’t know me right now, but that’s alright. All I need is for you to believe that I’m going to find a way to fix this. Alright?”
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Post by ®Hawkpath® on Feb 24, 2021 13:11:34 GMT -5
L couldn’t remember much now. He didn’t recognize the other person in the room, didn’t know where he was, only that he was very, very scared now. “Orpheus,” he repeated uncertainly, trying to commit the name to what was left of his memory. Which...wasn’t much, if he were honest. He felt...exposed. He felt unprotected, like his armor and mask had been stolen away from him, and he didn’t know how to get them back. He couldn’t seem to make his thoughts work. Trust didn’t come easily to him at all. Not even now, when his brain was faded and full of holes. He couldn’t seem to make himself see things the way he usually did, he didn’t know the chances of this being temporary… He glances at the note, eyes widening a little. It was torn, like his mind. Where had it come from? Where was he? What...what was this? He looked back at Orpheus sharply as the music touched him, then he relaxed a little, uncertain and scared but...also soothed, a little. The music felt like it replaced what he’d lost, almost. It made him want to believe Orpheus, even if he didn’t know how or why. He looked at Orpheus, eyes wide and scared, but steady and unblinking. “Al...alright.” He answered tentatively, hands in his pockets and shoulders even more hunched than usual. “Why can’t I think?” He added, shaking his head slowly. “My head feels...like clouds.”
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Transgender
strider
No mourners, no funerals
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Post by strider on Feb 24, 2021 13:22:35 GMT -5
Orpheus looked away, trying to hide the pain that flashed across his face at the way L said his name. Like he didn’t know it. Like he didn’t understand it. He took a deep breath, his fingers still moving deftly across the strings. He couldn’t afford to scare L any further. He couldn’t afford to be anything but what L needed him to be right now. He needed to have answers, but he didn’t know where to get them. He needed to be able to fix this. It wasn’t that easy. It wasn’t something he could just… sing into existence. He didn’t want to trust the House, didn’t want to have to rely on the note, but… he didn’t have any other options. The music was working, but clearly not enough. “I don’t know,” he managed softly, catching L’s eyes. There was clearly something wrong, something shutting down in L’s mind. He was never this vulnerable around people he didn’t know, and right now he didn’t know Orpheus. Open your mind. Maybe… maybe the note was addressed to the both of them. Maybe the first part was for L, the second for Orpheus. Did that mean…? Orpheus didn’t want to do that, especially not to an L couldn’t give him permission. Especially not to an L who wouldn’t want to give him permission. In this case, however… it was probably better to ask forgiveness than permission. “Okay, House,” he said, standing up a little bit straighter. “I wish to be able to help him. Now let me in.”
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Post by ®Hawkpath® on Feb 24, 2021 14:05:24 GMT -5
L was trying to remember, but it was slipping away from him, it was gone before he could touch it. He could tell he was hurting Orpheus, but he didn’t know why, he didn’t understand how. Something felt broken inside him, and he didn’t know how to fix it. He needed to understand what was happening. And he just...couldn’t. He didn’t trust Orpheus, but he thought maybe he should, because he didn’t really trust himself either at the moment. Orpheus was the closest thing to an answer he had, and though he didn’t want to come too close, he didn’t move back either. He didn’t look at the note again. He only looked at Orpheus, his expression small and frightened and he didn’t know what the note meant, he didn’t understand what Orpheus was thinking. He was completely vulnerable and didn’t even know enough to know how to begin to fix it. He raised a hand to his head, feeling it. Then froze as Orpheus spoke. “Who are you talking to?” He asked nervously, and he took another step away, then tensed as he felt something else slip into his head. “No...stop…” he managed, eyes widening as he fought the tired feeling spreading across his fragmented thoughts. He backed away quickly, hitting the wall and shaking his head rapidly. “I don’t want…” he managed as he slid down the wall, eyes closing in spite of his best intentions. He fought it as hard as he could, forcing them open for a moment to glare at Orpheus. “You did this,” he murmured in a betrayed, sleepy voice. His eyes closed again, and he slumped, the tension leaving his body. “Why…why….?” And then he was fast asleep, his breathing steady.
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Transgender
strider
No mourners, no funerals
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Post by strider on Feb 24, 2021 14:48:58 GMT -5
Orpheus gasped, watching as L tensed and stumbled backwards. He wanted to move forward, to catch him, but he didn’t want to scare him like that. He was completely powerless here, even though all he wanted was the power to help his friend. He took a deep breath, trying to ignore the sting of the accusation. “I did it to help you,” he whispered, squeezing his eyes shut. He heard L’s voice turn into steady breathing, heard the soft thump of his head falling forward. All he wanted to do was move forward and hold him until it became alright. At least… at least L wasn’t dead. He opened his eyes, moving towards L’s slumped form. And then he watched his surroundings change, found himself somewhere else, somewhere outside of the room. It was like the hallway, but… different. The walls were white, with neat text filling them from top to bottom. There were handwritten asides on what blank space was left. Orpheus moved forward, very gently tracing one of the handwritten notes. He recognized his own name in some of the handwritten ones, and he pulled away. This wasn’t his business. No matter how well he knew L, it wasn’t his place to pry into his thoughts unless he had permission. He was just here to undo the damage the House had done. Orpheus glanced down the hall, noting the way the hallway twisted and turned, the portraits on the wall, the endless doors. And the thoughts, covering every surface. He took a few steps forward, unsure where to start. He glanced at some of the paintings – photographs? He couldn’t tell. He recognized some of them, but there were many he just hadn’t been there for. Memories, then. Of the House. Of L’s world. It felt wrong to be here. What had been impacted? Memories, thoughts? All of it? Some of the thoughts written on the wall seemed to trail off, but… was that because of what the House had done, or was that just how L’s thoughts normally worked? He shook the thought away, instead decided to try a door.
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Post by ®Hawkpath® on Feb 24, 2021 15:12:26 GMT -5
L opened his eyes. He recognized this place...he knew he was in his own head before he knew he wasn’t alone. Then he saw Orpheus moving ahead of him and he tried to start after him. His feet were soundless...no, he realized in surprise as he looked down, his feet weren’t touching the ground. He was floating inches above it, his body pale silver and misty, see-through. He was...was he dead? He didn’t think he was dead, but maybe he was. He didn’t remember how to tell. And also he was inside his own brain at the moment, which didn’t help. He followed, not speaking. He wanted to see what Orpheus would do, before anything else. Whether he would try to change things, or read the walls, or…whatever the other options were. So this is what Orpheus had asked for. To get inside L’s head. He narrowed his eyes a bit, glancing at the wall, then pausing. He didn’t remember that thought. Or that one. He stared around, watching them all unfold. He remembered the text, but not...not the handwritten ones. He shook his head. This didn’t make sense… He sped up, trying to catch up to Orpheus, trying to ignore the pictures on the walls. “This is odd.” he murmured finally, looking at Orpheus. He was still scared, but he was also curious now. “You’re in my head. And I’m in my head. I didn’t think it would look like this, but then, I don’t know what I expected it to look like.” It made him wonder whether everyone’s brain looked like this. Did everyone scribble their thoughts on the wall? Enter sensitive information in neat text? There was no room for the things most people remembered, like their birthdays and such.
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Transgender
strider
No mourners, no funerals
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Post by strider on Feb 24, 2021 15:36:15 GMT -5
Orpheus didn’t notice L at first. He was trying to be delicate with everything there. If he so much as took a wrong step, he might have broken something. He was here to fix things, not break them. There were so many things that weren’t his to look at. L trusted him, he knew that. Trusted him not to hurt him, trusted him to not pry where he wasn’t welcome. He wondered if he ever would have been welcomed here. Right now, however… he knew he wasn’t. Orpheus almost jumped at the sound of L’s voice close by. He turned, giving him a small smile. “I’m sorry I ended up here,” he said earnestly. “I wish I didn’t have to… invade your privacy like this. But I want to help. I’m here to help you.” He glanced away from L, back into his head. If he had known L was worried about being dead… he would have tried to go through the logic of why it didn’t make sense if L was dead. If he were dead… they couldn’t both be in his mind. “I’m going to go through this door,” he told L, searching his gaze. “If you don’t want me to do something, I won’t. But I’m going to try to reverse whatever the House did in here. Alright?” If L didn’t want him to touch anything, though… well, he’d figure that out if it happened. “You can watch everything I’m doing,” he told L, trying to seem like he wasn’t terrified of messing it all up anyway. “That way I can’t do anything that will hurt you without you stopping me.” Orpheus glanced back at the door, then gently pushed it open. He held the door open long enough for L to slip in after him, then turned to look at whatever part of L’s mind he’d opened.
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Post by ®Hawkpath® on Feb 24, 2021 16:32:01 GMT -5
If L had been himself, he would probably have welcomed Orpheus there, if he wanted to go. He trusted Orpheus, and he would have been curious to see what he thought. He wasn’t himself. He still felt strange, his head not quite working that way it should, his thoughts trailing in odd places like a torn cloak. He didn’t quite smile back at Orpheus as he turned, instead stopping where he was. “You made me fall asleep,” he answered a bit accusingly, but his heart wasn’t really in it. He couldn’t think clearly enough to form some sort of reasoning behind Orpheus’ motives. Did that mean he’d just have to trust him? Something inside him resisted that, but he wasn’t sure he completely saw another option. “Yes. So you said.” The words were hesitant, and not a little bit a fear leaked in. He hated this, this feeling that there was something wrong with him. He hesitated, but didn’t object to Orpheus going through the door. He did follow though, heading through as Orpheus held it open. It was a police station, he realized as he turned to look at his surroundings. Sort of a waiting room, but not exactly. People walked by without noticing the two strangers, and on one of the chairs sat a small child with very messy soaked black hair that fell just past his shoulders. There was a blanket over his shoulders, and a blank look in his dark eyes as he stared straight ahead of him. He didn’t notice he was being watched, though since he wasn’t seeming to notice much of anything, that wasn’t terribly shocking.
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Transgender
strider
No mourners, no funerals
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Post by strider on Feb 24, 2021 16:54:07 GMT -5
Orpheus didn’t know what he was doing here. He didn’t know how to fix this, no matter how much he wanted to. He just… wanted to help L. He just wanted to make this okay, even if that seemed impossible right now. Although the House had seemed to imply that this was the only way he could fix it… he shook his head. He couldn’t give up now. He just… wouldn’t touch anything until there was something he obviously needed to touch. “I didn’t know you would fall asleep,” he told L gently, looking around the room. “I didn’t know this would happen, actually.” He didn’t say that L would likely have figured it out if he’d been himself. If it was Orpheus’ mind that had started to shut down, then L would likely have already fixed it. He would have known what the House’s note meant, and he would have known that he would end up in Orpheus’ mind, and he would have been able to figure out exactly where he needed to go to fix it. Orpheus… didn’t know. He was just doing what felt right, trying to help the man he loved. “Do you remember this?” he asked L, frowning a little bit at the scene laid out in front of him. He recognized L, of course, looking much like the small boy who had taught him about ballet. He wanted to go over to him, to promise that things would be okay, but… he couldn’t make that promise. And he wouldn’t change L’s memories. He refused to do that. Where to go now? He frowned a little bit, waiting to see if something would happen. There was another door on the other side of the room. If nothing happened here, he would go through that door and see if he could find wherever the House had messed with L’s mind. Would he even be able to recognize where the House had changed things?
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Post by ®Hawkpath® on Feb 24, 2021 21:51:10 GMT -5
L was suspicious, but something told him Orpheus wasn’t lying. Maybe he actually hadn’t known what would happen. Maybe he actually hadn’t expected this. L hadn’t, after all. And there was still something very wrong with him. It wasn’t like he could trust himself at the moment. He looked away, not liking the thought. “I...remember this, yes,” he admitted quietly, watching the small boy on the chair, who wasn’t moving a muscle. He was also not crouching the way L normally sat, now. He was staring at the ceiling, his expression blank, not seeming to notice the fact that he was soaked from head to toe and dripping a puddle on the floor. He didn’t shift as a couple people came over and murmured something to him, gesturing to the door. He didn’t seem to hear them as they spoke up a little. “Little girl, you need to come with us now, okay? We’re gonna take you somewhere nice,” one of them said, stepping a little closer. “Hey, look at me. Come on, we’re gonna go get something to eat, okay? What do you like to eat?” L didn’t react. He didn’t seem to hear them. He just continued to sit and stare unblinkingly at the ceiling. The lights, more specifically. “Are you listening to me?” The other person stepped closer, taking L’s arm. “Hey, look at me.” The moment they touched him, L jumped to his feet and yanked backwards, hugging himself and staring at them both, dark eyes wide and hair falling in his face, obscuring one eye. He backed away as they came closer, then turned and tried to walk away, fists clenched at his sides. The one who’d grabbed his arm followed, catching up to him and grabbing his arm again, patience clearly running thin. “Look, kid, you can’t go over there! Come on - ” L turned and sank his teeth into the person’s hand and they gasped in shock and pain and let him go, cursing a little as he immediately tried to walk away again. And immediately ran into a tall man who’d just come in the room. “Oh. Hello there,” Watari looked down at the kid, eyebrows raising a little as L stumbled back, trying to walk the other way, hands up and pressed over his ears. He turned, beginning to spin and place, completely ignoring the adults, eyes squeezed shut. Watari looked at the other two, then smiled a little. “I’ll take it from here. My name is Quillish Wammy, and I’m now responsible for this child.” The other two hesitated, then filed out, the bitten one muttering a quick “good luck with her” as they closed the door behind them. Watari turned to L again, then waited patiently as he continued to walk around the room, searching for a new escape now that Watari was blocking the only one he knew of. His breath came in sharp and fast, his movements sharper and faster, and every now and then he stopped and stomped his foot against the ground, spinning, eyes moving constantly, bumping against the wall, not looking at Watari. And Watari continued to not look at him, and every time he was forced to turn a corner his movements foot faster, his breath sharper, until he was pacing so fast he was nearly running and he was hardly breathing at all, it was so shallow. After about five minutes, he began to tire, his pacing slowing down. Watari didn’t move. Just sat still, watching him, then looking at the ceiling as though he’d found something interesting there. Finally he stopped moving, breathing hard, and stomped his foot one more time before sinking to the ground and giving a low, piercing cry as though of physical pain. Then looked up, surprised, as Watari began to sign to him. “My name is Quillish Wammy,” he signed slowly, lowering himself to the floor slowly to make himself less threatening. “You may call me Watari. What’s your name?” L didn’t reply. Just stared at the unfamiliar adult, unmoving, unblinking. Watari waited patiently. Finally, after a minute, L tentatively began to sign back. Just five words with shaking hands. “Stop calling me a girl!”
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