Even if there is a god and I had his teachings before me

P L A Y E R;
NAME: Misty
AGE: Over 18
PLAYER JOURNAL: N/A
TIMEZONE: EST
CONTACT: cloudyskies
OTHER CHARACTERS PLAYED: Toushirou Hitsugaya

C H A R A C T E R;
NAME: Nate River (but he goes by the aliases of Near or N)
CANON: Death Note | Manga version
POINT IN CANON: End of the main storyline (Chapter 107)
AGE: 18
APPEARANCE: Here. Near is of small build, standing only 5'1. He has curly/messy white hair and pale skin. His eyes are slightly sunken and nearly black. His overall features are very youthful and it's easy to mistake him for a young child rather than a young man.
CANON HISTORY: Here

CANON PERSONALITY:

Near frequently comes off as almost robotic; he's quiet, steady, and calm, speaks in a monotone. At first glance, he appears eerily unemotional, unable to feel anything. This, however, is not true. While it's not specifically addressed in-series, it's implied in the series' encyclopedia volume that he's cut himself off from the world because he's too sensitive. What we see is the result of all that; he's cut himself off so far, repressed his emotions so much, that he hardly appears to have them any longer. Even when he does express something, it's typically rather controlled. When he's happy, he doesn't go bouncing off the walls; when he's angry, he doesn't raise his voice. He views being too emotional as a weakness, a prime contributor to stupid decisions. The feelings he does have do not dictate the actions he takes.

There are little things he takes pleasure in, that cause an outright grin to spread across his face. Like when he successfully deduces an important clue, or makes a big step forward in a case, or rises to a challenge from Mello, his old rival. He's been raised to do all of these things, and he finds it gratifying when he does them well.

He's very results-oriented and has little problem playing fast-and-loose with the law or ethics to get the job done. He has limits, but he sets those himself rather than let the dictates of those in power choose for him. Near doesn't believe in an absolute right and wrong, good and evil. They're subjective concepts that every human being decides for themself; he acts according to his own beliefs. When he is facing an ideal that fits his definition of evil -- like Light Yagami's goal of making a better world though the mass murder of the "evil" and imposing his standards on everyone -- his contempt for it is obvious.

He has a brilliant mind and is very aware of how smart he is -- he was the top student at an orphanage full of genius children; there's no way he could miss it. At times it comes through in his speech. He frankly sounds like a smug little asshole when he gets on a roll. He does, however, admit that he can't measure up to his predecessor's ability. So while he certainly has his pride, he knows there can be people out there who are better than him. He realizes that he can be beaten, gives due credit to those who aid him, and in the end, he acknowledges his own faults.

One of those being that he lacks dynamics. His way is that of patience and planning, and while there are high merits to that, it can make him predictable to a sufficiently intelligent enemy. In essence, Near is too passive, waiting for and engineering the perfect opportunity instead of taking a risk where great uncertainty is involved.

He spends nearly all of his time indoors. When he's in a smaller space, either alone or in the presence of relatively few people, Near is in control. The outside is a big, frightening place. Too much chaos, too much noise, too many variables to keep track of. Left to his own devices, he would be unable to properly function in everyday society, even if day-to-day living should be far easier than the things he actually does. Play passive-aggressive phone tag with the guy he openly believes is a supernatural serial killer? That's no problem. Make travel arrangements and get on a plane by himself? Nope, can't do that. He needs somebody with him.

Which is unfortunate for him, since his people skills in general are quite terrible. He makes no effort to foster friendships and is openly manipulative when it suits his purpose. A case is a puzzle, and everyone around him is a piece at his disposal. He's hardly above lying when he deems it necessary; he tells a nasty whopper or two in the series to help sow doubt toward his suspect (though to be fair, his suspicion is dead-on). But after the lie has accomplished what he wishes, he plainly admits to it and moves on as if it's unimportant. Naturally, the people he's used don't exactly find this endearing; they work with him, but they don't like him. When someone is no longer useful to him, he thanks them for their contribution and he states outright that they aren't necessary anymore. You've served your purpose, now stay out of the way so you don't mess things up for him. It's blunt, brutal honesty and he doesn't consider himself to be behaving in an offensive manner when he says these things. Essentially, Near can alternate between being so honest that people want to punch him and being so dishonest that people want to punch him. Tact is not something he's known for.

All this being said, after Mello's death, Near is saddened by it; there's a wistful quality to his words when he speaks of him and explains how his bold actions helped secure victory. They may not have liked one another per se, but he was probably the closest thing Near has ever had to a real friend. He takes up Mello's signature habit -- eating chocolate -- as a way of honouring his memory. So despite how terrible he is with people, despite how he uses them, it is possible for Near to care about somebody and he's come to realize that it's not always a detriment to do so. He won't form bonds easily or often, and he won't be overt about them if he does, but he recognizes there could be some value in it all.

Near has some very odd habits and compulsive behaviours of his own. First of all, he's rarely seen standing. He might be in a chair, left leg tucked up against his chest. Or, in the vast majority of his appearances, Near crouches on the floor -- also with his left leg against his chest. Always the left leg. Never the right. Never both. He twirls his finger in his hair when he has nothing to hold. He stacks things such as matchsticks or dice, creating towers or cityscapes out of them, and he's particular about the orientation of the dice he stacks. Later, he also takes to building intricate walls of tarot cards. He has several toy robots that he plays with as well, and he's so fond of them that he has to take them with him when fleeing an angry mob. To put this into perspective, let's remind ourselves that Near is eighteen years old. This is not normal.

There is a point to all of these strange behaviours, however. He uses his toys as visual aids to explain his theories. His simple play with those toys and his stacking habits help him stay focused and calm, even when he gets angry or on the one occasion we see him visibly upset. Who knew building a city of dice could be helpful when several people have just been killed around you? Just focus. Just build. Calm down. Think. Don't be rash. He finds comfort in the repetitive motion, in the state of order he maneuvers things into. He's back in control, just where he wants to be. Time to consider his next move.

POINT OF DEPARTURE: N/A
ABILITIES: Near possesses a genius intellect and superior observational skills, being able to differentiate a great deal of external stimuli that would be incomprehensible to most people. He can watch and listen to several things at once and still be able to isolate and understand each one. On top of that, he has an eidetic memory.
INVENTORY; His set of toy robots, a few decks of tarot cards
ANYTHING ELSE WE SHOULD KNOW? Nah, I think we're good.

S A M P L E S;
PROSE SAMPLE:

Generous of these Trumps to afford us such a convenient means of communication. [The mental voice is so utterly devoid of inflection that it's impossible to tell if the statement is sincere or sarcastic.] I'm curious as to whether any the more senior Travelers would be able to shed any light on how this connection has been set up for those of us who have previously had no predilection for such abilities. Also, if anyone has knowledge of its more advanced usage, capabilities, and limitations, I would very much like to hear your observations. My own ability to test these appears to be quite limited at this time.

If you decide that the Trumps listening to you through this network is something that you wish to avoid, you're welcome to come speak with me directly. I am in a back corner, behind a tower of cards. Do not knock it over. Do not even touch it. Thank you.

ACTIONSPAM SAMPLE:

The sudden cacophony in his head startles him; it might have made him stumble if he'd been standing in the first place. Fortunately, he's already in his usual crouched position on the ground, so the only indication of his surprise is a brief widening of his eyes. His hand instinctively clenches around one of his toys, something solid and familiar to anchor him in this moment of disorientation.

His surroundings are all wrong, but for the moment he's more concerned with voices not his own flitting through his mind. He catches them all, of course -- much of the chatter is scattered nonsense, but there are a few phrases that just feel targeted at him directly.

Fool. Welcome, fellow Traveler.

He sets his mouth in a line, curls a finger into his hair, forces himself to focus and shut down those extra voices. They must belong to the other people here, but how had they made it into his mind? Are his thoughts passing through theirs? What a ridiculous question, that second one. His own experience is confirmation enough. He doesn't like the idea that any thoughts he hasn't chosen to express are now privy to others, but there's little he can do about that right now.

So disentangles his finger from his hair and pulls out a deck of cards. He carefully and deliberately begins stacking them in a wall. Gradually, his agitation wanes. He'll figure out how it all works, and then he will protect himself accordingly. This is how it would be.

He at last takes in the setting: a museum of sorts, it appears. With the exhibits being constructed of candy and other sweets. Even . . . animals made out of chocolate prancing through the area; he abruptly wonders if Mello would kill them and eat them if he could be here. The entire scene is incredibly bizarre, makes no sense. Nothing about this place or how he's come to be here make any sense at all.

He finishes with the deck, fishes out another, and continues to build a card barrier around himself and his toys. A protection of sorts, as silly as that may appear. Nevertheless, when someone finally approaches him, he speaks in a perfectly level, monotone voice:

"Hello. I would like to ask you a few questions, if that's all right."