Transgender
strider
No mourners, no funerals
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Post by strider on Jul 20, 2021 11:51:44 GMT -5
To nobody's surprise... we're back A detective. And a boy who doesn't want to hurt anyone.
Characters L Lawliet - ®Hawkpath® - Death Note Orpheus - strider - Hadestown
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Post by ®Hawkpath® on Jul 20, 2021 19:27:35 GMT -5
L hadn’t made up his mind just yet, though he knew time was running out. His choices were simple. Or…his decisions were simple, and his options were not. He could decide this person was probably guilty, or probably innocent. What he did next was the complicated part. He was tracking him at the moment. It was fairly easy to do, in a place like this…there were people, enough to hide behind, enough to make him look normal, but not enough to make it hard to keep his target in sight. He was aware he wasn’t particularly disguised, but he didn’t particularly care. A disguise would only make him stand out. He needed to appear normal. He wasn’t good at that either, in fairness, but he simply looked like an ‘exhausted college student with every vitamin deficiency possible’.” If that one person were to be believed, at least. It was good camouflage, at least, there were probably a lot of college students around here,
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Post by ®Hawkpath® on Jul 20, 2021 20:33:49 GMT -5
L watched Orpheus turn, his eyes narrowing a little. He didn’t know what to expect of this, really. Anything suspicious set off his alarm bells, and this certainly counted as suspicious. Did Orpheus truly think they were being careful…or was this a very poor attempt at a trap? In which case, L was left with a difficult choice. He could avoid the possibility of a trap. Or he could follow through and see where this led. He wasn’t letting Orpheus go. He wasn’t going to let this suspect slip through his fingers, just because he was paranoid. It had stopped him too many times already, even if it had also kept him alive. He moved, approaching the alley, trying to stay as quiet and out of sight and he could. It was times like this that made him wish his brain had picked a different color shirt…white was bad for hiding. He knew little about this person. And he wasn’t going in the alley, not unless he had to. He peered around the corner instead, dark eyes watchful and waiting for Orpheus to make a move.
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Transgender
strider
No mourners, no funerals
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Post by strider on Jul 20, 2021 23:45:08 GMT -5
Orpheus hadn’t noticed L. Well… they had when they had looked around, but L had just looked like a tired college student. Orpheus couldn’t help but feel a pang of jealousy. They had wanted to go to college, but they hadn’t even been allowed to go to high school. They had spent their high school years doing whatever it was the gang needed. They were the gang’s errand kid, and school? School was absolutely out of the question. It meant they wouldn’t be available for multiple hours every day – during some of the most important hours of the day, too. So Orpheus hadn’t gone to high school, and they would never be able to go to college, either. They had tried to avoid looking at the college kid. He looked… well, he looked tired. Orpheus could understand that, but they couldn’t help the small, desperate feeling that crawled at their throat that said they wouldn’t feel as tired if they went to college, because at least they’d be learning something and making something good out of their life that wasn’t just… hurting people. A sharp voice sounded from a few feet away, and Orpheus looked up, eyes wide. It was the leader of the gang. They drew closer, eyes wide as instructions were whispered into their ear. They gave a shaken nod, then backed their way out of the alley.
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Post by ®Hawkpath® on Jul 21, 2021 12:36:39 GMT -5
L had been seen, but he was okay with that. He was undercover, being inconspicuous. He could be seen. He couldn’t be seen as suspicious. As long as Orpheus didn’t run, he would be okay. He peered into the alley, eyes narrowed. Orpheus was certainly acting suspicious…but then, were they trying not to be suspicious? They certainly seemed like they were possibly doing it on purpose. He didn’t know. He had to be careful. Suspicion was what kept him alive. He watched quietly as another person joined the suspect. They also looked suspicious, though less so. It was as though Orpheus was broadcasting that they were under suspicion, and the other person was acting as though they were trying not to be suspicious in the slightest, which of course made L more suspicious of them. They, at least, were acting as he had expected them to. Orpheus…they were an enigma so far. He moved back as Orpheus approached the beginning of the alley again. Was it enough? He didn’t know, yet. Maybe it would be a good idea to talk to them, and see if he could make them say something. He let them leave the alley first. He didn’t want them to get in trouble with whoever that had been just yet. When they’d gotten a little further, he approached, catching up to them and slowing to walk beside them. “Hello. May I speak with you for a moment?”
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Transgender
strider
No mourners, no funerals
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Post by strider on Jul 21, 2021 17:22:15 GMT -5
Orpheus was doing their best not to look suspicious, and though they had practice with it, they weren’t the best. They had never been very good at lying, and though they had certainly improved over their time with the gang, they were still not going to win any acting awards. Besides, they were on edge. The gang knew he had certain morals that they did their best to follow through with, and they doubted they would have sent them away to spy on someone as important as the man they’d been watching if there wasn’t a reason they didn’t want him around. They were trying to get them out of the house, it seemed. Trying to make sure they didn’t hear all of the plans, so they could decide what to tell them after the fact. It gave Orpheus a sick feeling in the pit of their stomach – one they couldn’t quite escape. They started, then, at the voice behind them. Their eyes were wide as they turned around, gaze catching on the college student they had been jealous of. They tried to push that feeling away. It wasn’t this boy’s fault that they weren’t allowed to go to college. It wasn’t this boy’s fault that they had landed up in the life they did. They knew they should be happy for the people who had been given those opportunities. It was just that… it was hard, sometimes. “I’m… a little busy at the moment,” Orpheus responded, voice pitching up as they walked. “If… if you make it quick, I can speak.”
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Post by ®Hawkpath® on Jul 25, 2021 21:13:00 GMT -5
L could tell Orpheus was either very bad at this, or they weren’t trying, and he couldn’t tell which it was. He thought, maybe, Orpheus was trying to lead him into a trap. If that was the case…should he be after the person Orpheus had spoken to? Or was that the trap? Well…he’d already made contact, so it was too late now. He was fairly confident he could escape if he needed to. He didn’t know what Orpheus’ intentions were, but they didn’t look particularly strong…then again, neither did L. Looks could be quite deceiving at times. He walked alongside them, hands in his pockets and shoulders hunched forward, as usual. He was wearing shoes for once, in order to blend in a little, but he hoped to be able to take them off sooner rather than later. “Of course. I don’t want to distract you,” he replied, keeping pace easily. “I was just wondering who your friend back there was. They looked really familiar, but I can’t place it.” It was a lie, obviously, but it seemed a good way to start the conversation. His intent was to make Orpheus nervous, first of all. If they were nervous, maybe they’d slip up.
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Transgender
strider
No mourners, no funerals
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Post by strider on Jul 25, 2021 23:40:22 GMT -5
Orpheus had no idea who L was. Perhaps they should have realized. Perhaps they should have figured out that L was trying to figure something out, but they had never been the best at sensing traps. They had been taught to be suspicious of everyone and tell nothing about the group they were part of, and that had served them well. They weren’t going to give L any details, especially not any identities, but they didn’t realize they had any cause to be worried. After all, L was a good liar. Orpheus themself could scarcely tell a lie to save their life, though they had been working at getting better at lying for the better part of nine years. Or… how long had it been? They had joined the group when they were scarcely more than six. They didn’t remember much from before then. “I highly doubt it,” Orpheus replied, and it wasn’t strictly a lie. They glanced at L, trying to read the young man’s expression. Trying to tell if L was fishing for answers or if he really was what he seemed to be. The voice in Orpheus’ head told them to see L as a threat, in which case the sort of question he was asking was a leading one. He was going to ask about the group, soon, and if Orpheus wasn’t careful, they would all end up in jail. Orpheus would be killed first for being the reason they were there. They tried to settle their breathing, but it hitched without their permission. “He’s… well, he works in a butcher shop, but he doesn’t spend that much time with other people. He prefers to just go home when he’s done working. I… I worked with him for a time when I was younger. He was asking me if I had any time this week to work with him, but my schedule’s packed…” The lie wasn’t the worst they had ever told, and they had rehearsed it enough that there was no hesitation when it left their lips. They were getting better.
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Post by ®Hawkpath® on Aug 6, 2021 19:43:43 GMT -5
L walked quietly alongside them, his attention fixed only on them. Well…that wasn’t entirely true, his attention was split between them and his general surroundings, as well as his own thoughts. But he had a lot of attention, so the split didn’t mean he wasn’t focused on them. The nervousness wasn’t very necessary, he noted. He was intending to come across as a tired college student. Maybe a creepy one, to be fair, but he didn’t think he looked particularly threatening…jumping to conclusions wasn’t going to get him anywhere, but since he already suspected Orpheus, he felt comfortable thinking it likely they were nervous because they had something to hide, not just because they were nervous about talking to strangers in general. He needed to proceed with care. If Orpheus was jumpy, they might also be armed, and though attacking someone in broad daylight was undeniably stupid. He wasn’t going to risk it if he could help it. Usually, he’d have just sent someone else to do this part. Not because he wanted someone else to get stabbed, of course…his acquaintances just tended to be the sort that were good at avoiding that sort of thing. “Aw, that’s too bad,” he replied, shooting his target an amiable smile. “I’ve been out of work for a while now…hey, you wouldn’t have his contact info, would you? I’d love to see if he could fit me in sometime. I’m very diligent, and raw meat does not bother me.”
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Transgender
strider
No mourners, no funerals
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Post by strider on Aug 6, 2021 23:58:36 GMT -5
Orpheus didn’t think they would naturally be this jumpy if they hadn’t been raised the way they had. Anyone could be an enemy. They had learned to recognize undercover cops when they should have been learning their multiplication tables. They had learned how to avoid them even earlier, learned how to give answers that were vague enough not to be dishonest. It was about protecting the rest of the gang. Orpheus had grown up knowing that they were expendable. It meant that they weren’t often a target, but if the others needed someone to take the fall for them, it was always going to be Orpheus. They didn’t tend to trust other people, and they found they really didn’t trust L. It wasn’t anything about L in particular (although there was a pang of envy in their chest when they thought about the life he was likely living), it was just that they hadn’t expected to be pulled into conversation so quickly after discussing something highly sensitive with the man who held their life in his hands. “I’d be happy to put in a word for you, if you’d like,” Orpheus replied, voice high and reedy. They had no intention of doing any such thing, but they were trying to be polite, and they needed to get this man to leave them alone. “I can… give you his name and number, if you’d like.” Orpheus had an out of service number in the back of their mind. If L called, it was likely he would just think he had misdialed, or perhaps had copied the number wrong. That would work, right? That wasn’t too suspicious.
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Post by ®Hawkpath® on Aug 9, 2021 15:21:55 GMT -5
Truthfully, L wasn’t all that different from Orpheus. He, too, was paranoid, convinced that anyone at all could be dangerous. He didn’t trust anyone but Watari…but he thought maybe that was just how he was naturally. He had walked into this world. He had no one to blame but himself for the darkness he was surrounded with. The worst of humanity, and he was at its center. Maybe he’d done it to try and protect people, but he had still chosen this. He had no idea how Orpheus had ended up here. He had no idea what sort of hold the head of the beast had over them, if there was any hold at all. He wasn’t here to befriend them and try to understand where they were coming from, though. There would be time for that later. Right now…he just needed to try and use this person to take the rest of them down any way he could. And that meant catching them. He was going to do his best to slip some information out of them first, but he understood that wasn’t a guarantee. “Thanks, I’d appreciate that,” he replied, keeping pace, his posture hunched and casual. “You know how it is. A job is a job. I appreciate the help, though.”
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Transgender
strider
No mourners, no funerals
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Post by strider on Aug 10, 2021 0:26:06 GMT -5
“I do,” Orpheus replied, sympathy practically dripping from their voice. They would have given almost anything to have a normal job. They would have worked in a normal butcher shop no questions asked. They would have given a lot for the opportunity to get out of the life they were living. They didn’t care if they died poor and destitute because they couldn’t make enough to keep themself alive. At least others wouldn’t die because of them in that case. Orpheus may not have ever killed anyone themself, but they had certainly contributed to death before. The thought sent a shudder down their spine. They didn’t want to admit the role they had played in the past, but they had to. Otherwise they might lose what little humanity they had left. They were just trying to stay human. They were only trying not to get too sucked in. “Is… there a name and a number I can give him?” Orpheus asked after a moment, glancing up and catching L’s eye. “Just so he knows who he’s looking at, you know? And so you know if there’s any chance of a job opening?” It wasn’t the slickest Orpheus had ever been, but they figured their boss would probably appreciate having the information of someone who had inquired after him. It was possible that L wasn’t just an innocent student looking for a job. If he wasn’t, though, he was a better liar than Orpheus was. Not that the bar was high.
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Post by ®Hawkpath® on Aug 19, 2021 14:29:34 GMT -5
L could tell that Orpheus was nervous. Very nervous. It was hard for tell for sure, but L thought that they might be at least partially sincere about the job…not its existence, but that they understood where he was supposedly coming from. Which was interesting. Had they ever been a normal student somewhere? L wasn’t sure how old they were, but he couldn’t imagine it was that much older than he himself was. Which didn’t tell him much, as he didn’t know how old he was either. “Oh, of course,” he replied easily. “He’ll probably want to look me up and all that beforehand, I get it. Hideki Ryuga.” He rattled off a fake number easily, one that would lead to a dead end. It would be inconvenient, of course, if Orpheus chose to call it right away, but they’d have a hard time justifying that without making this supposed college student suspicious, so L wasn’t worried. Fortunately, L could think of an excuse. “Hey, while I have you here, I’m gonna go ahead and call,” he said, already dialing. He lifted the phone to his ear and met Orpheus’ eyes. “In case he wants to ask you anything.”
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Transgender
strider
No mourners, no funerals
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Post by strider on Aug 19, 2021 15:38:55 GMT -5
“Hideki Ryuga,” Orpheus repeated, then jotted down the number in their phone before they could forget it. They knew it didn’t technically matter if they had gotten the number right, but… they did, technically, have connections. If they could swing it, they would do their best to give this young man a job. Money was a concern for everyone, even if their lifestyles were as different as Orpheus’ and Ryuga’s. They wanted to believe that they could make Ryuga’s life just a little bit better by getting him a job. And then Ryuga was dialing, and every other thought slipped out of Orpheus’ head. They were just dealing with a college student, it wasn’t like they were dealing with law enforcement or anything, but they knew they needed to come up with a lie quickly. They needed to repeat it in their head until they could say it with a straight face, until their voice didn’t go up, until they could say it without looking away from Ryuga. Something believable, for when there was nothing at the other end of the line. Perhaps the butcher shop had moved locations? Perhaps they had changed phone numbers and Orpheus had forgotten to remove the old one from their phone, but they would text Ryuga the right number as soon as they had a chance. Would that work? Nervously, Orpheus waited for the moment Ryuga would realize the number was out of service.
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Post by ®Hawkpath® on Aug 24, 2021 14:44:57 GMT -5
It didn’t take long. L let the phone react to the numbers he’d put in, double checking that he’d gotten the right ones to make it believable, and waited, not looking away from Orpheus’ face. And there it was. The flash of panic in their eyes. This hadn’t been to get their verbal reaction, though L was interested in that as well. This had mostly been to catch them off guard and make them think fast, which was a good way to make most people mess up. Orpheus hadn’t verbally messed up, which was interesting, but L was good at reading people, and that had been real fear in their eyes. They’d known it wasn’t a real number. They were lying. “Hello? Hello?” He asked, frowning and pulling the phone from his ear to look at it. “Huh. Nothing there.” He looked back at Orpheus. “Did he give you a fake number?”
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Transgender
strider
No mourners, no funerals
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Post by strider on Aug 26, 2021 0:03:07 GMT -5
Orpheus knew they weren’t the best liar, but they were also not used to dealing with people who had spent most of their life catching liars in the act. Although Orpheus didn’t know it, Ryuga (L, rather), was used to dealing with people who were much better at lying than they were. If Ryuga really were a college student, it wouldn’t matter. It hadn’t even occurred to Orpheus that they might not be, though they had been trained to be suspicious of everyone. If anyone got the wrong information, they could go to the cops, and then it would be Orpheus’ fault that everything was ruined. Once the cops were aware… they would have to pick up and move somewhere they couldn’t be found. If it was really bad… Orpheus knew their life might be on the line. If the cops found them, they would be killed. If the crew found out that Orpheus had been responsible, they might kill them. “A fake number?” Orpheus asked, confusion leaking into their voice. “Oh… I must still have his old number in my phone. The… the butcher shop moved a few months ago, and I haven’t really been in contact with him since. I guess I sort of assumed he kept the same number when he moved.”
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Post by ®Hawkpath® on Sept 6, 2021 17:19:06 GMT -5
It seemed that the best liars also tended to be the best ones at catching liars. For L, at least, he used similar skills for both, only the lying itself was more internal. Most skills like that were interchangeable…he would, for example, also be an excellent criminal, if he wanted to be. Orpheus was not a very good liar. And L was trained to catch even people who really were good at it. He knew he was onto them. He just didn’t know how close he was. He had a backup plan if Orpheus caught on. They would eventually. It was only a matter of time. Would they try to run if there happened? Almost certainly. L would need to act before then, to make sure he didn’t lose them. They’d disappear and alert their friends that L was onto them, if that happened. It was definitely best to spring the arrest on them before they even thought of running. “Oh, yeah, that makes sense,” he replied, nodding seriously. “Well, that’s alright…you have my number, so you can call me whenever you get the real one.” He tilted his head very slightly, reaching forward, his hand moving for Orpheus’ wrist. “Oh, one more small thing I wanted to mention before we part…I’m investigating your gang and I would like you to come in with me for questioning.”
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Transgender
strider
No mourners, no funerals
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Post by strider on Sept 6, 2021 17:57:36 GMT -5
Orpheus gave a small nod, their smile genuine as they agreed to let Ryuga know about the phone number. They felt a little bit bad that they wouldn’t actually be able to call with the number for the butcher shop, but… the only upside to being in a criminal gang was having connections. They were fairly confident that they could get Ryuga a job that wasn’t illegal, even though they weren’t capable of doing that themself. They would be killed if they tried to get out of the gang. They knew too much to be allowed to live a civilian life. They were a bit jealous that Ryuga could, but they would still do everything they could to help him. Nobody had ever helped them except for the gang, and that was for selfish reasons. Maybe, just maybe, if they could make Ryuga’s life a little bit better… Oh. Fear flashed through Orpheus as their fantasy came crumbling down in less than a second. They tried to pull their wrist away, but Ryuga’s grip was vicelike. “I don’t know what you’re talking about,” they lied, hating the high pitch their voice took on when they were in distress and lying. “I… I’d appreciate if you let me go,” they added, searching Ryuga’s gaze for any chance they had misunderstood. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
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Post by ®Hawkpath® on Sept 6, 2021 18:34:31 GMT -5
L could see the moment Orpheus realized what had happened. The look in their eye, sort of thoughtful, but also nervous, had switched to pure fear. They knew they were caught, and they knew how bad it was. It was a good thing L was strong, or they would probably have wrenched their arm back. “I suppose you’re technically under arrest,” he noted mildly, eyes steady as he stared at Orpheus. “I would prefer not to use handcuffs, as I’m sure would you. They’ll find out soon enough that you’ve been taken in, but I think it would be better for everyone if they didn’t know immediately, as they will if they’re keeping an eye on you and see you being formally arrested. So, I’m going to ask you to come with me willingly. Please make your decision quickly.” He didn’t want to risk someone taking a shot at Orpheus to stop them from talking. Making this look casual was the best option.
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Transgender
strider
No mourners, no funerals
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Post by strider on Sept 6, 2021 18:41:36 GMT -5
Orpheus would have protested that they hadn’t done anything wrong, but that wasn’t the truth. They knew everything they had done to aid the gang. Their memory of it was likely slightly skewed from when they were little, but… they knew enough. They knew the punishment for being caught. They knew that the police were not kind, that they were cruel and that they wouldn’t believe the truth if Orpheus told them. Besides, it wasn’t as though Orpheus was innocent. Being a getaway driver and an accomplice to a wide variety of crimes was still a crime. Their chance to turn in the gang had expired the first time they had participated in criminal activity. Essentially, when they had aided the gang in scamming people when they were six. This was the life they were leading. The police were bad news. Jail was bad news. Perhaps the punishment for being caught was kinder. “Okay,” Orpheus breathed, entire body tense as they looked over at Ryuga. “Okay, I’ll come with you.”
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Post by ®Hawkpath® on Sept 6, 2021 18:49:05 GMT -5
There was one more thing L had been hoping to get out of this, and that was the final confirmation that he was right. Aid Orpheus was innocent, they would almost certainly protest, and try to explain that it was a mistake. If Orpheus was guilty and knew they could die from making it a scene…they were a lot more likely to come willingly. As long as they did that, everyone was a lot safer, including L. He gave a small nod, acknowledging the decision. He wouldn’t let go of their wrist of course, but at least they didn’t seem to want to fight…for now. They could be planning to catch him off guard, of course, but it wasn’t too likely. He turned and began to walk, still gripping Orpheus’ wrist.
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Transgender
strider
No mourners, no funerals
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Post by strider on Sept 6, 2021 18:55:49 GMT -5
Orpheus knew that protesting here could get them killed. If they saw Ryuga putting handcuffs on them… they would die. If they protested just enough, then Ryuga would die. Orpheus could tell that he wasn’t just a normal college student, but that didn’t mean they wanted him to die. In an ideal situation, nobody was going to die. Which meant… the ideal situation here was Orpheus dying when the gang figured out where they had been taken. It meant that Orpheus’ life was forfeit, but everyone else was going to survive. Silently, Orpheus followed, trying to keep pace so it didn’t look like they were being dragged. That would raise suspicion about as much as anything else. “I take it you aren’t actually out of a job?” Orpheus asked quietly, figuring that making conversation wouldn’t actually be an issue. It would make it more convincing that they were just walking away with Ryuga, and they doubted Ryuga would mind the chance to analyze them more closely.
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Post by ®Hawkpath® on Sept 6, 2021 21:15:46 GMT -5
L glanced at Orpheus, watching their expression closely. They did at least seem to know how dangerous it would be to be discovered by the gang, so L didn’t need to elaborate on that. They also seemed willing to let L take the lead here for the moment. As long as they weren’t trying to escape or hurt anyone, it would be fine. “No,” he confirmed. “I do have a job.” He didn’t feel the need to specify anymore than that. His job was probably fairly obvious at this point. Besides, he guessed Orpheus was trying to distract him more than anything else…a downside of trying to do this without drawing any attention was that if Orpheus managed to break out of L’s grip, all they had to do was run and there was a good chance they’d get away. He didn’t mind the questions. Even if it was a general rule that trying to hold onto something and talk at once usually weakened your grip…L was far from a normal person. He wasn’t concerned.
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Transgender
strider
No mourners, no funerals
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Post by strider on Sept 6, 2021 21:28:33 GMT -5
“Well… I’m glad,” Orpheus managed, their voice still incredibly genuine. “I… I was trying to think of how to help you find a job, actually. I’m… sorry… the butcher shop wasn’t true. But I was thinking of how to get you a job. Not… not an illegal job, or anything.” They felt their cheeks flush, though they knew mentioning legal versus illegal wouldn’t actually change the situation. They may as well have confessed when they had gone with Ryuga calmly instead of putting up a fight. They weren’t very used to the kind of thinking that was required to be a criminal, but they were aware that Ryuga had figured them out by their reaction. A normal person wouldn’t have gone calmly. A normal person wouldn’t have been afraid of being shot in the back if they raised a scene. Orpheus wasn’t trying to distract Ryuga. In fact, escape wasn’t really an option, in their mind. If the gang found out that they had been taken into police custody, even if it was only for a minute or two, they wouldn’t protect them. They would become a liability, and the gang couldn’t afford liabilities. This was it. As far as Orpheus was concerned, getting caught was the end of their life. There was still some good they could do, though, if they managed to survive through to an interrogation.
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Post by ®Hawkpath® on Sept 6, 2021 21:43:31 GMT -5
L glanced at Orpheus, blinking a little at the words. That hadn’t been anywhere near the response he’d been expecting…Orpheus hadn’t been trying to help him. They’d been trying to get rid of him. They’d had every reason to, being a criminal and not wanting a nosy college student getting too close to the fire, or possibly not wanting to look like they might be relaying information to anyone, but still…they hadn’t been trying to get L a job. Did they think they could make themself seem innocent by pretending they had? “Well…no need. My job is already very legal,” he replied after a moment, still watching Orpheus carefully. His grip was firm, but not painfully tight. He knew Orpheus could pull away at any moment, but he also knew his reflexes were good enough to stop them if they tried it, so it didn’t matter. At least they weren’t trying to threaten him into letting them go. He didn’t know they couldn’t go back now. He just knew that they could very well yank away if he wasn’t very careful.
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Post by ®Hawkpath® on Sept 6, 2021 23:40:16 GMT -5
L wasn’t upset with Orpheus. He did think they were guilty, but he had evidence for that. Besides, he didn’t know Orpheus, so he couldn’t be offended by his thoughts very easily. A very necessary part of being in a job like L’s was to realize that the person speaking made a very large difference when it came to what you should hear when they started speaking. If someone with very bad opinions told you they thought you were doing a good job, for example, that was more cause to worry than anything else. Not that there was anyone he didn’t listen to. He just had to figure out the chances of them lying to him before he did anything with what they said The point was that L didn’t know Orpheus, so he couldn’t very easily be offended by them. He didn’t know if he cared about their opinion yet. “Oh,” he replied after a moment, considering them for a long moment. “I suppose that makes sense…although, I’m probably more of an annoyance to you now than I would have been if I really were a college student…”
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Transgender
strider
No mourners, no funerals
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Post by strider on Sept 6, 2021 23:46:41 GMT -5
Orpheus blinked at that, not having thought about the way Ryuga’s change in identity had affected them. They knew they were in trouble because Ryuga was in law enforcement, but they hadn’t actually considered it an annoyance. More just… an unfortunate coincidence. If Ryuga had been a college student, they would have helped him get a job, and then maybe they would have grown into unlikely friends. Maybe they never would have spoken again. There was no way to predict the future, but that interaction likely would not have led to Orpheus’ death if Ryuga really had been who he had pretended to be. Which… made it very, very likely that Ryuga was a fake name. Well… if the detective wanted to give Orpheus a real name, he was welcome to. Orpheus wasn’t going to press their luck by inquiring after one. So far, they thought they were on the detective’s good side. As much as you could be while being arrested. “You weren’t an annoyance when I thought you were a college student,” Orpheus replied breathlessly, shaking their head. “I was just… concerned. I guess… you know the man you asked about isn’t the kind you want to get mixed up with. I suppose… it’s your job to get mixed up with people like that, but… if you were a college student, then that’s not the kind of person you would want to associate with.”
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Post by ®Hawkpath® on Sept 6, 2021 23:59:02 GMT -5
L frowned a little, looking at Orpheus, his eyes narrowing very slightly as he regarded them. Orpheus was a criminal, that was undoubted. Orpheus was working for a gang that had killed a lot of people, or L wouldn’t have even been involved in this. He was supposed to be the backup system. The thing that you brought in when you weren’t sure what else to do. The gang hadn’t been an easy decision to make, but he’d decided to because he thought it was high enough stakes to qualify for his intervention. Of course…at the time, he hadn’t expected to be doing the arrest personally, but here he was. “You thought I’d be in danger?” He asked, trying to make it work in his head. It wasn’t inconceivable…some criminals did have codes, of a sort. Maybe Orpheus was one of them. “I see. Has he hurt people like that before?” It wasn’t the best place for an interrogation, and L wasn’t going to pursue one, but he did want to know of Orpheus had been worried because he knew it was bad, or because someone else had learned it was bad the hard way, and Orpheus had seen it.
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