[They've both been taught how to read people, how to use them, and regard it as acceptable behaviour if it advances the goal. Anyone halfway intelligent -- and therefore, even the lesser Wammy's children -- should not have missed that they need to be wary of it happening from any of the others. It had been a competition with a clear goal. Out of the dozens of children, only one could be chosen to succeed L. Schoolmates were more often than not opponents, using their learned tactics to defeat rivals. At the lower ranks, with no real chance, the stakes had been lower, perhaps.
[But Mello and Near had been singled out by L himself, cream of the genius crop. If one could take the other down, they could win the most important game of them all. And perpetually second-place Mello? Of course he would do whatever he could. And if he gets ahold of the right information, Mello is very dangerous.
[It is, perhaps ironically, one of the reasons that Near likes him.
[Whether or not Mello still wants to win almost doesn't matter. Near is hardly ignorant of all the pain and frustration he's caused his rival over the years while seeming impervious to reciprocation. Is it so unnatural to believe that, given the chance, Mello would take advantage of a revealed weakness to finally hurt him back?]
You could have been seeking confirmation of a theory.
[He winds a finger into his hair, doesn't bother to comment on the statement that his sentiment isn't a new development. It's correct and they both know it; there is no need to restate the obvious. What he does need to think about is how to respond to all of this.
[Does he say why? Does he tell Mello that he can do whatever he wishes with the information? Which answer is going to settle them into something more stable? So often, if he expresses a wish or an opinion, Mello takes the opposing side just to be contrary. At the same time, the whole air of this conversation is different than any other they've had in their lives.
[And perhaps, Near doesn't want to have to waste time repeatedly talking Mello down from ledges.] You've developed a pattern of regarding your life too lightly as of late.
[The words could be taken clinically. They're certainly stated that way. But given all other recent clues, he thinks Mello might catch on to their real meaning.]
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Date: 2016-09-03 10:31 pm (UTC)[But Mello and Near had been singled out by L himself, cream of the genius crop. If one could take the other down, they could win the most important game of them all. And perpetually second-place Mello? Of course he would do whatever he could. And if he gets ahold of the right information, Mello is very dangerous.
[It is, perhaps ironically, one of the reasons that Near likes him.
[Whether or not Mello still wants to win almost doesn't matter. Near is hardly ignorant of all the pain and frustration he's caused his rival over the years while seeming impervious to reciprocation. Is it so unnatural to believe that, given the chance, Mello would take advantage of a revealed weakness to finally hurt him back?]
You could have been seeking confirmation of a theory.
[He winds a finger into his hair, doesn't bother to comment on the statement that his sentiment isn't a new development. It's correct and they both know it; there is no need to restate the obvious. What he does need to think about is how to respond to all of this.
[Does he say why? Does he tell Mello that he can do whatever he wishes with the information? Which answer is going to settle them into something more stable? So often, if he expresses a wish or an opinion, Mello takes the opposing side just to be contrary. At the same time, the whole air of this conversation is different than any other they've had in their lives.
[And perhaps, Near doesn't want to have to waste time repeatedly talking Mello down from ledges.] You've developed a pattern of regarding your life too lightly as of late.
[The words could be taken clinically. They're certainly stated that way. But given all other recent clues, he thinks Mello might catch on to their real meaning.]