middaeg | Trust in me; trust

Entry tags:

death note: mello

Trust in me; trust —

Who: Mello, Alex
When: 3/2/21; one day after Mello's re-arrival
Where: The Sly Seadog Tavern, near the Harbor
What: Remembering Mello's previous time here; attempted proof that this is not Hell.
Warnings: None as of yet aside from language. Will change as needed

[All are the Devil; nothing yet has convinced Mello differently as of yet. But there's one person (thing) who (that) has made him feel more curious than the others. One who offers information that no one else has, and he's dead already, isn't he?]

[So what does it matter.]

[The water of the nearby harbor echos off of buildings and through alleys, and he walks with a King's grace even if his scars and defeat show differently. He's armed — of course he is — and fuck if he even knows what the girl looks like. She's a source of information, nothing more.]

[Breezes are wispy and cold — reminds him of Jersey City — and he tucks his black leather close around him as he walks, eyes darting all around him (and why the fuck is he bothering to be so paranoid?) until he sees the sign for the Sea Dog. He won't go in.]

[Not yet.]

[For now he'll just lean against a wooden outdoor space, wait to see the girl; he doesn't even know what to look for. Won't put his face on video; wouldn't take that chance. If she knows him like she says, she'll know him.]

[God, he's so hungry. Do the dead even eat?]

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[ And recognize him she does, even with her poor eyesight, she recognizes the blonde’s figure from afar. She’d steeled herself to be ready for anything, what with how their conversation went. But the moment she catches sight of him, the relief of seeing a friend she thought she’d lost forever washes over her.

She picks up the pace, not even realizing she’s running as she comes up to him, her hands taking a hold of his arms as she smiles up at him, eyes glassy as her emotions surface now that she’s confirmed it. ]

It really is you...!

[ At this distance, it’s hard to miss the most obvious difference. Her smile falters, concern starting to take over as she reaches up towards his face. ]

What...what happened, M?

[And Mello...freezes. He's heard about it. He's seen it on the way, but.]

You're not human.

[Monotone. How does this 'girl' know him? She's off in every way; something Mello wouldn't adjust to without must coercing. What did they have in common? Nothing.]

[They had nothing in common.]

[He shakes his head, shrugs away from her touch. It's off-putting, to say the least. His features are grim; his eyes wary.]

Nothing.

[Her enthusiasm puts him off. He is himself... a fish out of water. New location. New people. People who fucking know him, which gives them an advantage. He slides slightly to the right on the wall, making sure no further contact is made.]

[What happened. That's both a short and long story, isn't it?]

What do you want from me?

[Furrowed brows, hand ready to pull his gun if needed.]

[ The way he pulls back, eyeing her suspiciously , ready to pull out what she can only assume is a gun...Really was a lot like their first meeting in the room of mirrors. There was no recognition in his eyes, only caution.

Alex doesn’t push it, her smile more melancholy. Her finned ears fold down as the fact that she’s a stranger to him sinks in.]

I just...wanted to see you.

[ To see it was really you.

Her hands fold over one another, fingers fidgeting awkwardly. Now that she was here, knows he’s back, and sees that he doesn’t know her, she’s not sure what to do. It was difficult to be truly happy about a one sided reunion. ]

Do you want to look over the texts while you eat?

[If he's eyeing Alex with a morbid, guarded curiosity, it isn't meant to offend. What the hell are you is on the tip of his tongue, but she already looks far too uncomfortable for his liking. He came here to see the texts; he came here to see if this is Hell or if there's something bigger.]

You know me.

[He trusts very little, but he knows when someone (something) is lying. And Alex isn't lying, is she? Yes, he's hungry. Yes, he wants to see the texts, but she seems ready to settle in like they're old friends and Mello — crosses his arms over his chest. Assesses her further.]

[Say this isn't what he think he is. Say she does know who he is. What's to say she's not working for someone? And he'll go out on a limb, because that's what he does.]

My name.

[Not M. Not Mello. He's watching her like prey, because that's waht he does.]

Do you know it?

[Signs of tension. Her eyes. Her jaw. Her hands. Her breathing. If she feels pressured, it's because he means to put the pressure on an individual he's just met who looks like she's known him for a lifetime.]

I'll know if you're lying.

[And if she knows him, she'll know that's the truth.]

[ She exhales slowly, having expected something like this. Her eyes meets his, confident that she didn’t have anything to hide when it came to them. ]

You didn’t tell me. You just said to call you M.

[Sounds about right. Doesn't mean anything, though. Mello is going to take a lot of convincing. He gives a curt nod, stares this monster back in the eye. There's nothing malicious there, no. It's just. Off-putting.]

We worked together you said, yea?

[Shrug.]

Order my meal, then.

[And pay for it, but he won't suggest that. He has no money, or whatever accounts for money around here. With that, he turns towards the entrance. Albeit foolish of him to allow a monster to walk behind him. Either way, Alex gives off no intention of slitting his throat from behind. She's good, or she's genuine. He'll find out soon enough.]

[ Alex watches as he makes his way in, about to call out to stop him, but decides otherwise. Maybe it might help him jog his memory.

She follows him inside, the regulars that notice looking up to greet her, though they stop at the sight of Mello. ]

Look what the cat dragged in!

Must’ve been one nasty cat to leave that on his face.

Bah, he looks a lot manlier like this!

We better drink up before the prices hike again.

[ She takes them to a corner table, going ahead with ordering the Shepherd’s pie and his ‘usual’. He rarely actually ate there after that time, unless he was desperate enough. ]

Does any of this feel familiar to you?

[So Alex isn't the only one who recognizes him, then. It makes him cringe; it makes him suspicious, and that comment about his scars? It makes him want to jump over the fucking counter. But he just gives a fiery glare to the peanut gallery; it'll do him no good to cause a scene now. Maybe later.]

[Definitely later.]

[He follows and takes his seat without a word. No, nothing here seems familiar. Not a fucking speck of dust. A long exhale as he settles into his seat with his customary sprawl and listens intently to what she orders for him. Right, then.]

Give me your device.

[It's not a request.]

[ The demand doesn’t make her move as quickly as it normally would have, but she does set it to their messages before handing it over. ]

[He snatches it without a word.]

[What Mello sees makes his brows furrow. This is him, isn't it? When will he stop believing that this is Hell and his current reality? His written tone, the way he changes it in an attempted act to remain anonymous even if it caters to the one he's texting to recognize him. Fuck.]

[A glance at Alex. He really remembers nothing about her.]

What were we?

[Whether or not he believes it remains to be seen.]

[ What were they indeed. ]

I like to think we were friends. But...I don’t know what we were to you.

[ Which wasn’t a lie. Her smile fades a little as she glances to the side. Things had gotten a bit strange later on, even if she tried not to think too much on it.]

[All right, then. Judging from her reaction: nothing isn't the answer. Mello slides the device back across the table, eagerly awaiting his food.]

[He's so fucking hungry.]

Fine.

[Clipped, impatient.]

Let me rephrase. [And he doesn't do this. There was never time.]

Did we fuck.

[As straightforward as he can be. He glances at the bar impatiently. Where is the food?]

[ It’s a good thing he looks away, her ears flaring as her she startles at the blunt question. ]

N-no!

[ That may have been too defensive. Alex collects herself, though her gaze is anywhere but on him as she recalls certain incidents. ]

I mean, we didn’t.

[ Though they almost did.

With perfect timing, his food arrives. Along with a mug of hot cocoa. ]

[You would think the question offended her or something. Mello could read it as a defensive lie, but more likely: the humiliated truth.]

[The food here smells awful (Of course it does; didn't he smell it when he came in?)but it's the usual bar fare. Overcooked, over-fried. Grease dripping from it to the point where it makes Mello's stomach turn to see. He would push it back at the server if he weren't so hungry.]

[Even the cocoa looks watered down.]

So why'd you look like you'd seen a ghost when you saw me?

[He barely gives her time to answer before he digs in.]

've worked with a lot of people. I don't react that way. [He points his fork at her for a brief moment, eyes set firmly on his plate.]

Edited 2021-03-03 00:47 (UTC)

[ She watches him pick at his food, a hint of amusement in her smile. It was a similar reaction to the first time he ate it.

Her eyes lower to her hands as they fidget with each other on the table. ]

Because you were gone. It’s been a year.

[Mello doesn't like being watched; never has. He pretends not to notice in lieu of eating...whatever they think this is. Alex says they've worked at a tavern together; he sincerely hopes it wasn't here. The cooks should be ashamed, really.]

I know where I was a year ago.

[Chicago, New York. He'd been moving along.]

Wasn't here.

[And why is she fidgeting instead of eating?]

[ Now that’s just one more thing for Alex to be confused about. If he knew where he was, was it really a case of forgetting? ]

What...Where were you then?

All over.

[Paranoia runs deep in his blood. Mello wouldn't reveal information like that, even if he did end up dying in the end.]

[The food is terrible, but it's doing the job, so he eats. Pauses. Looks up at Alex. This concern is also genuine; he can see that much.]

Look.

[He'll be straight with her.]

I don't know you. But I can tell you're not fucking with me.

[So.]

What was our deal? I don't have friends.

[ Vague, as usual. ]

Like I said...you might’ve not felt that way, but I did. It’s not like you give me a straight answer often...

[ Although at that time, he was pretty straightforward about what he wanted. ]

Is it really so bad that you might’ve had friends here?

[But, of course. If she 'knows' him, why would Alex expect otherwise?]

So you had a thing for me, yea?

[A cheshire grin between bites, which. He won't be taking many more of. Fuck, this food is bad.]

I've told you. I don't have friends. I have acquaintances.

[Sharp. Absolute. He had one individual he would have called a friend back in his world, but that went to shit, didn't it?]

[ Her brow creases, but she bites back a comment. ]

You didn’t like it the first time either.

[ He must be starving if he was willing to eat that much, but it clearly wasn’t enough to trigger any memories. Though now she wonders if he even has any to begin with. There have been odd instances her before with those that came back. ]

Then maybe that’s how you saw me... It doesn’t really affect how I think of you either way.

Couldn't tell you.

[Honestly, he's got no clue. Nothing here rings in the slightest. Not the shit food, not the rowdy, over-talkative crowd (he's listening in for info; it's present here and there.), not the people who seemed to have recognized him when they walked in.]

[He pushes the plate away half-finished, pulls the cocoa over instead. Mello doesn't expect it to be any good.]

But I know you don't come off as threatening. That tells me all I need to know.

[Did he trust her with...anything? No. There's no way. But. He has to ask.]

Do you know a Linden? [Sip.]

[ Her shoulders sink again as what seems to be the inevitable continues to prove itself, but her ears perk up, her head snapping up when he mentions Linden. ]

You remember him?

[Well, there's his answer. He's looking straight-on, now. This is serious.]

I know something that contacted me who claimed to be him.

[Reveal nothing.]

Can you tell me what you know?

[Gentle, gentle. He needs this information.]

[ It throws her off at first, but from how he described Linden before, she could only assume they came from the same world. ]

You were bonded to him before. I don’t know what your relationship was like exactly...

[ It seemed complicated. ]

But you said he was someone you really looked up to.

[ She’s not sure why, but it didn’t feel right to get into their troubles from before. She didn’t even know all the details either. ]

It...really seemed like he meant a lot to you.

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