Hadriel IC Contact

[solvethepuzzle]

"This is Near. I assume you know what to at this point."
Text | Voice | Video
(Good luck ever getting video from him. But if you want to . . .)

Comments

Permavoice - during Silent Hill event

[outermirrors]

[ After the near miss of her most recent run in with Mello is it any wonder at all that she's calling him. Or well she thinks she is anyway her finger slipped in the address book and hit the name nearby which ironically happens to be the pajama clad boy she saw in Mello's dreams. ]

Okay Mello time for a little repayment for me not talking about your subconscious with the majority of the population. Keep the stuff that thing said to yourself. It was private.

Also permavoice

[solvethepuzzle]

[Well. This is clearly a misdirected message. And certainly intriguing. 'That thing'? She's among those with her own personal monster, perhaps?]

That's an interesting conversation starter, Miss Ebihara.

[outermirrors]

[ Crap, there's an odd coughing sound as Ai goes from annoyed to nervous in record time. Her silence stretching for a minute before saying anything at all again. ]

Wrong number.

[ Obviously. ]

Just forget I said any of that.

[solvethepuzzle]

[It's very, very hard for him to forget things, Ai.]

I'm sure it must be a very unpleasant topic if you wish it to be kept quiet. I assume the two of you ran into some trouble outside?

text

[outermirrors]

Next time you talk to Mello, tell him to stop calling me.

audio. (backdated)

[torrefied]

[The call comes much later in the day after Mello's dramatic exit - it's nearly dark, in fact, only the last glimpses of twilight illuminating the city. Mello sounds tired, even hesitant. Everything is different now, and he's uncertain whether this is even a remotely good idea.]

Can you come outside?

[And he pauses for a moment, then decides to add, quietly:]

Please.

audio. (backdated)

[solvethepuzzle]

[He's not surprised that the call turns out to be from Mello; there aren't many that would call him. What surprises him more that it's come so soon. He isn't sure what exactly he would have expected from the tone, so there's at least nothing unexpected from that.

[It has to be too early for Mello to have recovered properly. For him to try and turn this around and manipulate or harm him with it. Doesn't it? Maybe. Maybe not. Regardless, that this is happening at all at least intrigues him. He should investigate the matter, but keep himself on alert.

[After a moment:] Alright.

[He hangs up after that, goes through all the necessary steps of preparing to go out. Which means putting on the shoes, his coat, and tucking his knife up the coat's sleeve. He does not believe he will need the weapon in regard to Mello; it's just part of leaving the house anymore.

[Quietly, he undoes the security measures, and puts them all back in place once he's out.]

action.

[torrefied]

[Part of Mello wonders if this is maybe the biggest mistake he's ever made in his long and varied history of making mistakes. It isn't his habit to return to a place once he's so suddenly and violently left it behind. And he thought he knew Near, just as Near knows him; they've always been too close, despite the wide gulf that separates them. For all that distance, Near is still the one person who knows Mello best, and Mello thought he knew Near well too - he was sure of it.

He doesn't though. The earlier revelation proved that, and if he doesn't know Near as well as he thought, Mello also cannot predict what his actions will be. Mello doesn't know if Near will ignore his call, refuse to meet him, refuse to let him back in - hell, maybe he'll even come out of the front door swinging at him. Anything, he supposes, is possible at this point. Mello just doesn't know.

He's surprised at how relieved he feels when Near both answers his call and agrees to his request.

The wait between when Near hangs up and the front door opens feels like a stretch into infinity. Mello has parked himself on the front steps, his back against the handrail, one knee bent. His gloves are off, and he chews nervously on the nail of his index finger. The hood of his jacket is pulled up over his head - unnecessarily, perhaps, given his location, but it makes him feel better to sit underneath it, as if that piece of fabric can protect him from the disaster he feels has been raining down on him since he started putting the pieces together to make a picture that he should have seen years ago.

Mello doesn't bother looking up when Near walks through the door; he knows the unmistakable cadence of his footsteps well enough by now. He hesitates for a moment before speaking, quashing the impulse to get up and get running before the next wave of disaster can catch up with him. He wraps his arms around himself and takes in a deep breath.]

What do you want from me?

[For once, there's no hostility - it's an honest, uncomplicated question.]

action.

[solvethepuzzle]

[Ignoring the message or delaying -- but not denying -- the meeting had occurred to him. This is an entirely new situation and he's not at all sure that he's worked out how to handle it yet. He could have waited until he'd had more time to think. But here he is.

[Near's collar is about as necessary as Mello's hood at this point in time. No one -- save for their mystery visitor a few weeks ago -- knows they live here. Keeping their faces hidden while on the stoop of their own house is probably ridiculous. But taking precautions is deeply ingrained. Once one leaves the shelter of four walls, steps must be taken to preserve safety.

[He's never seen Mello curl up like that. Whether it's an act, a new habit or simply one Mello hadn't dared show him before, he can't be sure. Regardless, it's an obvious expression of vulnerability, pulling himself inward to protect himself. It isn't out of any sense of fairness or reciprocity that Near crouches on the porch while Mello gathers himself. He just feels like it, left leg tucked to his chest as has been his habit almost since he can remember.

[That the question comes out with no hostility is remarkable; it's the kind of thing that Mello would normally scoff or hiss in his direction, less a question than a demand. And it's anything but uncomplicated. They're raised to be dishonest creatures, to hold no stock in personal bonds. Make allies, not friends. Replying to this would be easier if Mello had continued to be ignorant of the fact that there is a personal factor involved for Near.

[But he isn't anymore. And that's why it's being asked in the first place. What does he want? And does he dare say so?

[In his normal tone, no defensive hint in his voice:] What is it you think I want? [No, it's not an answer. He can't be certain this isn't a trap of some kind, or if Mello won't use this later even if it isn't. Mello has ample motive for wanting to use the truth against him and Near would be an idiot not to consider the possibility. He'd deliberately let his guard down this morning. Now, it's back up.]

text 10/7

[unitas]

How long have you and Mello known each other? [ she's both curious, and just trying to keep her mind off of fear. ] Wait, better yet, how old are you?

[ because this is how a normal person starts a conversation. ]

text

[solvethepuzzle]

[Who even knows how normal people start conversations? Near certainly doesn't.]

Are you bored, in need of a distraction, or simply curious? [See, he can't even answer like a normal person. He'll get to it, just not immediately.]

text

[unitas]

The last two. [ there's no reason not to answer honestly ]

action; sometime after confusion's revival nonsense is over /vague hand gestures

[torrefied]

[Well, they probably have some things to talk about, don't they. Mello's fairly certain he can talk in a way where he'll be easily understood again, so he knocks quietly on the door to Near's room.]

It's me.

[solvethepuzzle]

[It can be only one of two people, of course, and even between the options, Near would have assumed Mello more likely anyway. He's the most sociable . . . though that isn't saying much.

[He's in the midst of the puzzle that Hope gifted him. In the midst of it for the fourth time, as a matter of fact. And no, he is not bored of it. Thus he remains crouched on the floor, sliding pieces into place instead of doing what a normal person would do and answering the door properly.]

Yes?

[Alliance or not, he is still himself.]

[torrefied]

[Mello isn't surprised that Near speaks to him through the door instead of opening it. That doesn't mean he isn't still irritated by it.]

There's a matter we need to discuss.

Nov 20th | text

[unitas]

Mello's dead. [ It was necessary, she knows that, but sending the text makes it real. Mello is dead. It's not the first time he's died, and it probably won't be the last (he'll have his last, but it won't be here), but this hurts more than it should. ]

text

[solvethepuzzle]

[There's a long pause before this reply. He's hearing this for the third time in his life and for some reason it's hardly any easier than the first. It still hurts, even though Mello will be back and he knows it.]

I see.

text

[unitas]

That's it? [ She's not in the best emotional state, and his reply manages to infuriate her. Or upset her. Maybe she's just hurt and taking it out on him now. ] Do you even actually give a shit about him? Do you have any idea what I had to do to him?

action/text. let's say a day or so after sharon's message.

[torrefied]

[Mello fucked up. He fucked up bad, with this whole demon possession nonsense. Come to think of it, this is probably the single worst mistake he's ever made, because not only did he put himself in danger (an acceptable risk, in his opinion), but he also put Near in danger, too, and that's not acceptable, by his standards. This is different than Near possibly being compromised by proxy with Mello's actions - he (the demon, but in his body, with his hands) caused Near actual physical harm, and that's something Mello is having a lot more trouble accepting than most of the other questionable things the demon did.

He doesn't immediately return to the house. The impulse to run far away from his mistakes is a strong one. But there isn't anywhere to run, really, not in a place this small. He tried that once, before Bianca caught up with him.

When Mello does finally talk himself into making the trek to the house, he knocks first on the front door, and then sends Near a short message right after.]

I just came by for my jacket.

You don't have to let me inside.

[solvethepuzzle]

[Near is very unaccustomed to being injured, and with painkillers in short supply, it's even less pleasant than it could be. He spends as much time as he can sleeping, frankly.

[But he's awake at the knock, and the alert on his phone. He just stares at it for a moment, then closes the phone and gets up, holding his right arm still and close to his body. And he doesn't move to collect Mello's jacket for him. He moves for the door.

[Removing the ward is fortunately a task that hardly requires much physically. It's no effort at all and always done with one hand anyway. Inwardly, he fights down the little twitch of lingering alarm in the back of his mind at what he's doing. It's instinctive. It's natural. And it's stupid. So he is trying not to give it credence.

[And he opens the door, again fighting down the worry behind a completely blank face when he sees Mello standing there. Near had never minded the scar anyway, but seeing it now is almost a relief.]

And you don't have to stay out. [Flat and disaffected as always, but that he says this is significant.]

[torrefied]

[He's standing a few paces back from the door by the time Near opens it, looking off the porch into the distance of the rest of the city, weighing whether he should stay any longer or leave. His phone's in his hand, tapping nervously back and forth against his arm, both of which are crossed tightly over his chest. Reflexively, he turns to face the door when he hears it opening, mouth drawn into a worried line that pulls tighter still when his gaze falls on Near. He can see, quite clearly, how Near is holding the injured shoulder, just as he clearly remembers twisting and pulling Near's arm hard and wrong enough to dislocate the bones. Mello has perhaps never felt a stronger wave of shame and regret than he does right now, and his gaze drops from Near to the surface of the porch at his feet.]

I won't take long.

[Mello unfolds his arms long enough to slide his phone into his pocket, quickly drawing up a mental catalogue of the belongings he's here to retrieve. He has even less to pack this time than the last time - five years ago - when he left the place where he and Near both lived: a single book, a bottle of nail polish, his pistol, the spare clip, half a dozen knives. Almost all of that can be tucked away in the pockets of his coat. There are extra clothes and a second pair of shoes in the closet, but they're not important - he can always find others in the shops. The hula girl in the window can stay. A pair of novelty sunglasses on the desk, but why bother hiding his face anymore? Misa disappeared weeks ago, and the demon made sure everyone in this place saw his face.]

audio; whenever the network's back up again /shrug

[torrefied]

[Is it your imagination, or does it sound like Mello's placing this call from the bottom of a well?

... Does Hadriel even have a well? Not really what's important at the moment, is it. What's important is that the network's been offline for a while and Mello has been doing his best to stay calm about being out of contact with Near and L - which means, of course, he's been dialing and dialing until the call actually goes through. There's static and garbling that distorts and hides his voice, but there's no question - it's Mello.]

Are you there? Near? Come on, pick up.

audio; whenever the network's back up again

[solvethepuzzle]

[He listens intently, just as much out of habit as an effort to understand through the interference. He even manages to pick up on the hint of desperation.

[His own voice carries none of that, of course. Even if it weren't broken up and half-muffled by static.] I'm here. [No admonishment for Mello to relax, no explaining the poor state of the connection. He assumes it to be obvious.]

[torrefied]

[That's a very audible sigh of relief from Mello's end of the call.]

Where - [hisss] - you? On the other side, right? [hissss hiss] - Luke with you?

voice; backdated to after the stepford event is done & he's done having it out with sharon & beyond

[torrefied]

[Welp, he's probably put this off as long as possible.]

I need to talk to you. It's about B.