Transgender
strider
No mourners, no funerals
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Post by strider on Sept 18, 2021 1:53:25 GMT -5
Orpheus didn’t mean to tug against the handcuffs. They knew L was right, but… it was hard to have their hands stuck together. It was hard not to yearn for the freedom to move them freely, and their instinct was to try to pull them free. They knew that wasn’t possible. They knew that the handcuffs would likely never be coming off unless they were behind bars or dead. That… that was the future they were going to have to get used to, though they hadn’t taken the time to try to come to terms with it. It was easier to pretend that it was one day at a time. That there might be some kind of future for them. “There are a lot of important things,” Orpheus admitted after a moment, glancing down at the ground and trying to organize their thoughts. They needed to tell L about the planned attack first. Everything else… everything else could wait. “I guess…” they breathed again, wondering how best to start their explanation. “I was working a job,” they began, lifting their gaze to meet L’s eyes. “I don’t know all of the details, but I know enough. It was going to be tomorrow at four in the afternoon, sharp. If they find out before then that I was arrested, they’ll move it. I don’t know when. It’s best for them to believe that I’m just preparing. I… your people confiscated my cell phone. You can use it to contact the gang and reassure them that I’m free and alright. So they don’t change their plans. Anyway…” they were getting off track. “They’re planting a bomb. They’re trying to get in to rob the mall, but… they don’t care how many people die because of it. They figured that four was the best time… before cash registers were emptied out, and after people have been spending cash all day. We’ve killed before. They’ll kill anyone who gets in the way of the plan.”
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Post by ®Hawkpath® on Sept 20, 2021 7:41:14 GMT -5
L was used to dealing with criminals. So used to it, in fact, that he struggled to deal with ordinary people. Criminals were much easier. He knew how to speak to them, and he knew what his relationship to them was. Regular people were so…nebulous. He had no purpose when he was talking to them. He had no goal in mind. Besides, it was always possible they’d turn out to be criminals anyway, which meant he had to treat them with extreme caution no matter who they were. It was just overly complicated. He listened as Orpheus began. A job…yes, that added up. A job would explain why Orpheus had been in contact with their boss, right before L had apprehended them. It would also explain why their information was urgent. “I see,” he replied quietly, processing the information. They could take steps to control the situation immediately, such as clearing the civilians out of the mall, perhaps making sure they knew everyone who was supposed to be there, so anyone unauthorized could be arrested on suspicion of being a part of this. If they moved it ahead, as Orpheus was right to think they might, that meant they needed to act fast, while making it look like they weren’t acting at all. It would be tricky, but L was currently allowed enough resources for him to feel confident they could make it happen in time. “I’ll take care of it,” he told him, leaning back a bit. “What else?”
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Transgender
strider
No mourners, no funerals
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Post by strider on Sept 21, 2021 21:50:45 GMT -5
Orpheus, similarly, knew how to deal with criminals. The difference was, L was forced to assume that criminals were always out to get him, but Orpheus had been taught that the only place that was safe was with criminals. Of course, that was backed up by the knowledge that criminals (even the group they were part of) would always be out to get them. It was odd, not trusting the people you had to thank for your continued existence. Orpheus had to keep being useful, or else they would be killed. It was no way to live, but it was the only way Orpheus had ever known. There was no getting out once they were in, and they hadn’t been given a choice as to whether they were in or not. They didn’t feel too bitter about that. They would rather be alive than having died at age six. At least now they could start making up for the harm they had helped cause. “Thank you,” Orpheus breathed, relaxing back against their seat. They knew that this questioning was far from over, but… they may have just saved some lives. “I… know I’m not in a bargaining position,” they managed after a moment, searching L’s gaze, “but… will you tell me if you’re successful in stopping them? I guess… I wanted one last chance to do something good. I need to know that those people… the ones who get unlucky enough to go to the mall tomorrow… I need to know that they’re okay.” They searched L’s expression for a few moments, then, finding nothing, looked away. “I… would be happy to give you my confession, by the way. As long as you promise to stop the attack tomorrow.”
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Post by ®Hawkpath® on Sept 24, 2021 21:22:52 GMT -5
L wasn’t trying to relate to Orpheus. He didn’t see any point in it…he wasn’t trying to be Orpheus’ friend. Becoming that would be a hindrance to them both, not a help. If he ended up relating to Orpheus or feeling attached to them, he would be biased, in which case he wouldn’t be able to do his job, in which case someone else would be assigned to Orpheus. It wasn’t ego that made L think that would be bad for Orpheus. It was just the fact that he knew he could do this. He didn’t know that about anyone else. Then again…if Orpheus turned out to be a perpetrator themself…if they had participated in this as much as it appeared they had…then it probably would be beneficial to them to have someone not quite as good at their job as L happened to be. L let the thought cross his mind without following it. If they were planning on trying to get L off the case, they would fail. L wasn’t in the habit of letting his emotions interfere with his work. He tilted his head a little, observing Orpheus quietly for a long moment as he decided how he wanted to respond. Assuring Orpheus that he would tell them what happened might increase their cooperation, but withholding that information could be used as leverage later if they became uncooperative at a bad time…of course, he doubted that they genuinely cared for the people in danger, so their motivation for asking was probably that they wanted to know how worried about their former gang they should be. If the attack was a success, they were safer. If it failed because of their information, the chances that they’d be blamed were higher. Most people, especially criminals, were almost always used to thinking in terms of what would most benefit them. Orpheus was almost certainly trying to play both sides of this, to make themself seem useful to L without making the other gang members more likely to strike than was necessary. It was a precarious sort of game…and one L was content to leave them at, for the time being. He could use it if he needed to, but it wasn’t hurting anything, and it was keeping them busy, which could be useful. “Yes,” he decided, making his move. “I will tell you what happens if I’m able to do so. Your confession will be needed, of course, but my priority is catching the people who are still a threat. Do you have any more information about them?”
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Transgender
strider
No mourners, no funerals
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Post by strider on Sept 25, 2021 0:35:33 GMT -5
Orpheus had never been very good at the games people played when they were trying to manipulate each other. They were familiar with the fact that those games existed, of course, but there was a reason they were scarcely the one chosen to go undercover on missions. They didn’t know how to manipulate people (they hadn’t tried very hard when they had been taught, to be fair), and they weren’t good at lying. They didn’t want to be a bad person. The things they did for the gang were bad enough, but if they were to be used to make people question things as basic as their reality… if they were to make people believe things that weren’t true? The only thing they wanted to make people believe in was hope. That was hard, knowing that they weren’t sure they believed in hope themself. The gang was part of crushing hope. The point was, Orpheus wasn’t saying anything to manipulate Ryuga. They knew how this was going to go. If they were convicted by L and the court, they would be killed. If they weren’t, they would be killed. They were dead the moment L had realized who they were, and they were just trying to do the best they could to save lives before their own was over. They had spent most of their life afraid of death. If they messed up on a case or told anyone what was being planned, they would be sold out to the police. The police would be cruel. The police would ensure they got the death penalty. If they had to, the police would torture them. Orpheus had been faced between the end of their life and the possibility of saving others. They hadn’t been strong enough to choose before now. Ryuga had chosen for them, and secretly… they were grateful. Death was coming no matter what they did. There was nothing to be afraid of anymore. Nothing stopping them from doing what they had known was right from the beginning. “Thank you,” Orpheus whispered, the relief evident in their tone. They couldn’t fake that, though they knew Ryuga likely didn’t believe it. It didn’t matter what Ryuga thought of them. They were going to tell the truth now. Except… the people who had raised them… they didn’t have to die. If Orpheus kept their mouth shut, they wouldn’t have to die. How did they choose between their family and the lives of countless others? “I… I can’t give you names, I’m sorry,” Orpheus managed in a quiet voice, staring at the ground. “I can give you mine, though… you probably already know that, don’t you? And I can tell you how many of them will be at the attack tomorrow.”
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Post by ®Hawkpath® on Sept 25, 2021 16:38:59 GMT -5
L was very good at this game. He had been playing it for a very long time now, and he had always had a knack for it, even before he’d needed to for his own and everyone else’s safety. The downside was that he couldn’t help second guessing everything he heard. He couldn’t afford to just trust that Orpheus wasn’t trying to manipulate him. He couldn’t even trust that he wasn’t missing something, which just meant he tried to be suspicious of everything, so missing something would be less likely. He watched them, trying to catch anything in their expression that could help him figure them out. He didn’t have enough information to make any judgements about them yet, which meant he was inclined to start by preparing for the worst. He was a lot safer that way. And then it was there, and his eyes narrowed. He didn’t want to give the names. Of course…giving the names would mean he could catch the others. Which would, of course, but problematic… If Orpheus was a spy. He didn’t know for sure. But it seemed like a theory worth considering, which meant he had to think about what they could stand to gain here. Whether the gang planned on rescuing them in the end was worth considering, as well. They likely wouldn’t risk it, but did Orpheus know that? “If you’re telling me how to stop them, then there’s no point in protecting their names,” he told them, watching for any sort of reaction to his words. “Stopping them means catching them. At that point, I can find their names for myself. Of course, I could move faster if I have them now, which could save more lives.”
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Transgender
strider
No mourners, no funerals
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Post by strider on Sept 26, 2021 0:04:52 GMT -5
Orpheus hesitated, eyes narrowing a little as they looked at Ryuga. They knew he was right. If Ryuga was able to arrest the rest of the gang, they couldn’t hurt anyone anymore. What would Orpheus’ loyalty mean? A lot more death. But… how could they betray them all like that? Discomfort wormed its way through their stomach. Hadn’t they already ruined things for the gang by selling out their plan? They looked up at Ryuga, eyes wide and scared as the options weighed themselves out in their brain. The gang was still their family. They couldn’t change that. They would have been dead a hundred times over without them, so how could they just… give them over to the police? How could they do that to the people who had raised them? “I’m sorry,” Orpheus breathed, hanging their head as he tried to figure out what the right thing to do was. “You already know where the attack will be carried out. I don’t know where any of them will be tonight, so I don’t see… I don’t see how my giving you their names now could help you save more lives. If you arrest them tomorrow, then… then it’s not my fault they got caught. It’s just my fault you got there a little bit earlier than they were expecting.” Orpheus hadn’t meant to be quite so open about that, but there it was. If the gang were arrested and put on death row, then… their deaths wouldn’t be entirely Orpheus’ fault. “I promise you,” Orpheus whispered, their voice sounding seconds away from breaking, “If you don’t catch them tomorrow, I will give you their names.”
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Post by ®Hawkpath® on Sept 26, 2021 0:21:46 GMT -5
Well…that was interesting. L narrowed his eyes, giving the suspect a long, thoughtful look. They almost seemed to be…conflicted? Was it an act? There were two main possibilities. It could be an act, in which case L needed to figure out what their true goal here was without falling for it, but also without letting them know he hadn’t fallen for it. If he could catch them off guard, or get them to contradict themself at some point, that would have been ideal, but he would settle for keeping them on their toes long enough to gather the evidence he needed. Or it could be genuine, in which case L needed to figure out why they felt conflicted about the names. If they were on the gang’s side, they would already know they couldn’t give up the names. If they were genuinely attempting to save lives…no, then they’d just give the names. Wouldn’t they? There was a human aspect here, he mused, a bit of annoyance creeping into his mind, though he didn’t let it show on his face. There was a human aspect here, and he wasn’t quite getting it. Well…it wasn’t urgent. Maybe he could consult Watari later, or even push Orpheus enough to make them explain, whether they meant to or not. “It would be your fault if I caught them,” he replied, a bit of surprise in his tone. He didn’t mean to be blunt, but it was true, wasn’t it? Or was this why he wasn’t the one to carry out most interrogations…? “I don’t understand the distinction you’re making between giving me their names and telling me their plans. Both are just different ways for me to catch them.”
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Transgender
strider
No mourners, no funerals
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Post by strider on Sept 26, 2021 0:40:30 GMT -5
Orpheus paled, L’s words striking true. The gang was well prepared. They would have an escape plan at the ready. If Orpheus hadn’t warned Ryuga that an attack was imminent, would they have all escaped? It wasn’t a sure thing, but they were good at what they did. They had escaped from bigger jobs before. Orpheus looked down, trying to calm their thoughts. If they were caught, it was their fault. They couldn’t distance themself from that. They couldn’t distance themself from the deaths they had caused, either. How old had they been the first time? Seven, maybe? They could still remember the way the gang leader had slapped them so their tears were convincing when they lured the woman away. She wouldn’t have died if not for them. She wasn’t the last. There were so many, even after Orpheus had been too old to play the role of lost, scared child. “I suppose it would be,” Orpheus breathed, something constricting in their throat. They… they needed air. They tugged almost desperately against the handcuffs, though they knew that wouldn’t make any difference. “I… I would still prefer to give you my confession first,” they admitted keeping their gaze firmly on the floor. They could tell L everything they had done. Everything the gang had done. There were things even they didn’t know. Things that had been kept secret from them, either because they weren’t trustworthy or because they weren’t yet old enough to know. Or because the gang knew there were some lines Orpheus wouldn’t cross, even on pain of death. “If that’s okay,” they added, hand tightening into a fist at their side as they tried to fight the tears pushing at the back of their eyes.
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Post by ®Hawkpath® on Sept 26, 2021 0:53:05 GMT -5
L watched Orpheus carefully, even though he knew he wouldn’t be able to trust what he saw. It was still helpful to have that information on top of the rest, though…clearly Orpheus was involved, but to what degree? And had L caught them because they’d imtended to be caught, or had it been a mistake? They did seem to be responding to his words, though. L didn’t trust it, but he wasn’t opposed fo using it as much as he could with that in mind. He wasn’t sure why Orpheus wanted to confess before he gave up the names, but…he didn’t think it could hurt. He was half inclined to push for the names, if only because it seemed like a weak spot and he wanted to know what would happen if he pressed down, but he did need the confession too. He hesitated, conflicted. Names, or confession? It probably didn’t matter, since Orpheus was going to be stuck here anyway, as long as things went well, but of course, there could always be something happening behind the scenes. He knew better than to make any mistakes. “Will you tell me the names after your confession?” He asked finally, narrowing his eyes at them. “If you want to save lives, that’s the best way to do it.”
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Transgender
strider
No mourners, no funerals
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Post by strider on Sept 26, 2021 1:00:02 GMT -5
Orpheus hesitated. People were going to die regardless of what Orpheus chose here. He had found a philosophy book once that had posed the question of what you should choose if there was one person you cared about in danger, and you could only save them by killing five strangers. Orpheus hadn’t known at the time what they would choose, but they figured now was the time to make that decision. If they sold out the crew, how many lives would be saved? All it took was betraying the only people who had ever been in their corner. “I can’t promise that,” they managed, head hanging as their eyes slipped closed for just a moment. “I will tell you their names – the names I have, at least – if you don’t catch them tomorrow. And I will give you my confession today.” They knew that cooperating didn’t necessarily make things better. For them, it almost certainly wouldn’t. They didn’t actually know what L had arrested them for – there wasn’t enough evidence to convict them for anything. They would have to be let go unless a crime came to light. Just associating with a gang… that wasn’t a crime, was it? That was the other thing. There was no lawyer present, though Orpheus knew they were entitled to one. They hadn’t asked. They weren’t planning to. What did it matter when they would be dead at the hands of the gang in less than a week anyway?
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Post by ®Hawkpath® on Sept 26, 2021 1:18:09 GMT -5
The names would be useful, L knew. Did Orpheus realize that? They had to…they had to know that stopping the attack would be much harder for L to pull off if he didn’t know who he was looking for. Maybe that was the missing piece here. Maybe Orpheus didn’t really want them to be caught, but they were trying to placate L, trying to keep themself safe as well. That would indicate that their capture hadn’t been planned and they were just winging it now, trying as best they could to make sure they played both sides long enough to either be rescued or have somewhere to go once they escaped. Which, in fairness, was what L would probably have done under the same circumstances. It was a fairly good strategy. But is it your strategy…? Well, if it was, they’d made a mistake. They had tried to say they cared about saving lives. Maybe… Maybe he could try calling their bluff. Which was a bit dangerous without their confession. He hesitated, the words at the edge of his lips, as he thought that part through. Without their confession, he wasn’t sure he had enough to hold them. With it, he had a much better grip. If they slipped through his fingers now, he had nothing. Maybe he did need that confession after all. “Alright,” he agreed, tapping the table as he watched them. “Then whenever your ready, I will take your confession.”
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Transgender
strider
No mourners, no funerals
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Post by strider on Sept 26, 2021 2:49:58 GMT -5
Orpheus breathed out. They didn’t know how to begin, but they had promised their confession. That was exactly what they were going to give. They glanced up at L, trying to figure out how best to start. Did they go in chronological order, or did they start with the worst things first? It seemed easiest to start with the most basic things. “My name is Orpheus Chrysáor.” It felt odd to say it out loud. They hadn’t told anyone their full name since they had first joined the gang. Or… could they say they joined it? It hadn’t exactly been a conscious choice. Since they had been left on the gang’s doorstep. Nobody had asked for their name since. Well… if they had, it was when Orpheus had been instructed to give a fake name. Their full name almost felt like a stranger’s now. “I have… done a number of things that are against the law. I have done a number of things that I regret.” Should they present it factually, or should they let their true feelings about it shine through? They weren’t sure it really mattered. They weren’t doing this to get an easier sentence. They were doing this so that the families of the people they had hurt could get some semblance of justice. “The first crime I was part of was in 2008. November 3. Aisling Dan. I… I lured her behind a building where she was mugged and killed. I… believe her case is still unsolved. We covered our traces well. Her right hand was burnt with the mark of our gang. That year we also robbed the bank on East Walnut Street and set fire to a hotel downtown. I’m sorry, I don’t… remember dates. It was after the murder. February 27, 2009. Simon Stefan. He was driving home when I ran out into the street in front of him. He was forced to stop the car. It was stolen from him and he was left to bleed out.” If Orpheus felt anything about the cases they were describing, it was locked away from view. They remembered every moment vividly. How crimson the blood had been against the snow. The strength of the push behind them as they were forced into the way of the moving car. Watching it all fade behind them from the rear window as the car drove away. It was hard to remember, but… it must have been harder for the targets. “That same year, three robberies and one bomb incident. I would have been active in more, but we were on active watch after the murder. August 18, 2009, Kamal Kester. Shot. 2010…” Orpheus took a breath, readying themselves to continue. “January 2, Vivian Piper. I lured her to the gang’s home base. She was killed there, and…” they squeezed their eyes shut, the memories almost too vivid. “I’m sure the records show how her body was found. July 31, Chie Feidelm. Shot. December 9, Mika Aeliana. Shot. I don’t remember how many robberies and muggings that didn’t end in death. 2011, the explosion at Town Hall. Ridley Charlotte, Ramiz Jun-Seo, Eli Arif, Martha Nele, Graham Rufino, and Julius Jemima all killed.” The confession continued like that, Orpheus careful to keep their voice even so they didn’t break down before the end. Everything they had been carrying on their shoulders since they were seven years old. They made no distinction about the fact they were never the one to do the killing. As far as the law was concerned, they didn’t believe it mattered. And L was right. It was still Orpheus’ fault they were dead. With the confession out, Orpheus scarcely had enough energy left to keep themself propped up. It was out there, now. All of it. A stain that was impossible to wipe out. Orpheus’ cheeks were wet. They weren’t quite sure why.
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Post by ®Hawkpath® on Sept 26, 2021 14:09:40 GMT -5
L didn’t speak. His response wasn’t needed here. It would only get in the way. It was long. L had expected it to be long, true, but he hadn’t expected it to be quite so…detailed. Maybe it was because he thought Orpheus wouldn’t remember the details. Or maybe it was just because he didn’t think being more specific than absolutely necessary was in their best interests if they wanted to try and escape. The less L had on them, the safer they would be. But they didn’t hold back. The crimes, at least some of them, were ones L knew of. He could tell they weren’t lying about those ones, because the details were the same, and those details hadn’t been released to the public for the most part. Orpheus couldn’t have gotten them very easily if they hadn’t been involved. Besides…why would they lie about it? There was no motive. He would need to look into these to see if it fit, but…it seemed like a real confession for the time being. Interesting…did Orpheus know how hard that would make it for them to slip away? They seemed almost as if they regretted the things they were telling L, though it could have been an act. A convincing one, if so. He waited until he was certain Orpheus was done before he even moved. They had it recorded, now…his memory would have been enough, but legally, they needed the record of it. Besides, if Orpheus tried to pull back on it later, they wouldn’t be able to, now. He had them. Now he just needed the rest of them. “Is that everything?” He asked finally, his voice quiet. He didn’t want to press on before Orpheus has finished, even if they did need to move quickly. It was much better to be as thorough as possible.
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Transgender
strider
No mourners, no funerals
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Post by strider on Sept 26, 2021 20:22:11 GMT -5
There were some things that Orpheus didn’t know in as much detail. There were some dates that didn’t stick in their head, because a mugging was just a normal thing to them. The ones that fought back, or the ones that could cause trouble for the gang… those were the ones Orpheus remembered best. The people who had lost their lives just because they had been in the wrong place at the wrong time. The people who would still be alive if Orpheus had thought to act, even once. If they had called the police before a mugging. If, that first time, instead of doing what they were told, they had run off and tried to find someone to actually help them. They pushed that thought away. Those lives may have been on their hands, but… they couldn’t really blame themself for the very first one. They hadn’t known what was going to happen. They hadn’t understood just how dangerous the gang really was. “That’s most of the major things,” Orpheus said after a moment, forcing themself back to reality. “There were any number of muggings and pickpocket incidents among that, but… I don’t know how many. I don’t know dates or times. I don’t know the names of the victims. I don’t think adding a few dozen accounts of pickpocketing to my charges would change the verdict much, though.” They weren’t trying to be funny. In truth, they were scared. They had just sealed their fate. They could have continued to lie. They could have forced L to do the hard work and find out everything they had been involved in on his own, but… they were going to die anyway. If L understood exactly what the gang was capable of, if he was able to study their patterns by looking at the past cases they were most certainly implicated in… then he might be able to stop them with more efficiency. Even if Orpheus couldn’t bring themself to give L the names. “There were a number of other lives, too,” Orpheus added after a long moment. “Deaths I wasn’t there for. Nobody told me their names, but… there were seventeen nights where there was a little too much blood on the clothes I had to wash.”
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Post by ®Hawkpath® on Oct 26, 2021 3:15:11 GMT -5
Orpheus was probably right. Though the thefts, if they’d all been reported, might have changed the sentence, L doubted it really would have. The confession Orpheus had just given was complete, and since the evidence seemed to point towards everything they’d said, and L saw no motive for them to lie…the case for Orpheus was all but closed. It was the rest of the gang L was worried about now. Catching them would prove a little bit harder, he knew. But that had always been the goal. Orpheus was not the main threat here. And to L, that meant they were no longer the person he needed to be talking to. Well. Almost. “You say you want to save lives,” he said, leaning forward just a little, dark eyes unblinking as they held Orpheus’ hazel ones. “And you’re willing to give yourself up to do it, even though without a confession, there’s always a chance I wouldn’t be able to catch you specifically. You’ve also given me the plans of the people you’re working for, which means I’ll be ready when they strike. Giving me their names will make it far more likely for me to save lives. If I know who to watch for, I can act before they do. If not…then I have no choice but to wait until they make their move, which could easily end in a hostage situation.” He wasn’t good at being convincing. But he wasn’t trying to be. He was just saying what he knew to be true, and seeing how Orpheus would react. “They will be arrested either way. But it would be much easier to stop any casualties from occurring if I knew who they were beforehand.”
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Transgender
strider
No mourners, no funerals
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Post by strider on Nov 3, 2021 2:49:13 GMT -5
Orpheus started at L, trying to make it fit into their mind. The gang was their family. The gang was the reason that Orpheus had survived in the first place. They had raised them, so didn’t Orpheus owe them their loyalty? Discomfort squirmed in Orpheus’ stomach as they tried to process L’s words. It was manipulation, Orpheus knew it was, but that didn’t mean it didn’t have merit. If L knew the names of the gang members, then he would be able to arrest them before they caused any actual damage. Nobody would be in danger at all. If people got hurt… it would be entirely Orpheus’ fault. They stared down at the ground, head hanging as they tried to make their decision. L hadn’t made it easy, but that… that was the point, wasn’t it? “I do want to save lives,” Orpheus managed after a long moment, trying to buy themself a little bit of time to think what to do. It would be much easier if they didn’t care about the gang members. It would be much easier if they weren’t certain that the rest of the gang would be killed if they were caught. But… hadn’t they already sold them out? They were going to die anyway. “They’re going to die if you arrest them, aren’t they?” Orpheus asked dully, not quite able to make eye contact with L. “Just like I am. And… if they die… I’m the reason.” Orpheus winced. “No matter what I do, people are going to die.” The only difference was whether those people were good people, or whether they were just going to hurt more people if they were allowed to live. “Okay,” Orpheus managed, hating the words as they left their lips. “I’ll give you their names.”
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Post by ®Hawkpath® on Dec 26, 2021 21:51:15 GMT -5
L knew he was being manipulative, but he didn’t mind that. Orpheus was a criminal, and if he refused to give their names, then people could die. People could die anyway, but they were less likely to if he had all the information he could get. It was manipulation, but it was also truth. No matter what Orpheus thought, no matter what sort of person he was, he was responsible for the lives he’d taken, and he would be responsible for any that were lost because he hadn’t done everything he could. Besides…it didn’t matter, logically. Either Orpheus would give up the gang, or he would sentence the people they killed to death. He couldn’t have it both ways. “Yes,” he replied. There was no point in lying about it. “People are going to die, no matter what you do. I’m sorry.” He meant it. He didn’t think Orpheus was innocent, and he didn’t think that there was any way holding back the names was the right thing to do, but…he’d been in that situation too many times, himself. Forced to choose between lives. It never got easier. He wouldn’t have wished it on anyone. “Thank you,” he added, and he meant that, too.
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Transgender
strider
No mourners, no funerals
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Post by strider on Dec 27, 2021 2:52:16 GMT -5
In an ideal world, Orpheus wouldn’t be responsible for any deaths. The ones they had already played a part in lay heavy on their conscience, though they hadn’t wanted to be part of any of those. They had committed those crimes under duress, though they didn’t know there was a legal defense for that. They had been too young to understand what was happening the first time, and by the second time, they understood that if they didn’t play their role, they would die. As much as they had abhorred playing a role in ending other lives, they didn’t think they were strong enough to risk their own life by not doing what they were told. They had done what they were told. That was all the court cared about. Orpheus had confessed to all of it. It wouldn’t be difficult at all to convict. Orpheus breathed out, trying to get their thoughts in order. This was monumental. They were going to sentence the people who had raised them to death, and they had to be certain that it was the right decision. That the lives they were going to save would be worth it. They didn’t know why there were tears burning at their eyes, but they turned their head to try to prevent L from seeing it. Quietly, voice dull, Orpheus gave the names. They kept their eyes closed and tried to pretend they didn’t care, but they had never been a very good liar, even to themself.
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Post by ®Hawkpath® on Apr 29, 2022 23:38:55 GMT -5
L watched, eyes narrowed as Orpheus seemed to think it through. He knew it wasn’t an easy request to ask of them…of course he did. These were people Orpheus knew, no matter how horrible they were. It was one part of L’s job that he despised. There were always situations where there was no perfect solution…situations where someone would be hurt, no matter what happened. But he understood his role in it. His job was to save the maximum amount of life possible, and to minimize the harm done. And he needed the names in order to do that. He wrote each one down as Orpheus gave it. When they finally finished, he looked up, about to ask them if there was anything else. And paused. He had never been the best at reading faces, perhaps. But it was difficult not to see the pain written across Orpheus’ now. “Thank you,” he said quietly.
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