Lots of Girls Walk Around in Tears, but That's Not For You [Closed]

[hearthebell]

Who: L (Linden Tailor) and Alex, Later Mello
When: April 5
Where: Alex and Mello's cottage
What: Tutoring, and revelations
Warnings: Potentially sensitive subject matter? Will update if necessary



[L can be a strange and fickle creature, but in general, the rules of punctuality are ones he holds to, so long as he isn't trying to make a point of disrespecting a person. It's one of the simplest social rules to abide by, for someone who finds them otherwise fraught, and ultimately, L respects Alex for many reasons.

She cares enough to try to learn, though life dealt her a difficult hand and rendered her without a proper education. It had been surprising to learn, but it hadn't merited judgment, disapproval or dismissal. He'd worked her into his tutoring schedule and had diligently tried to catch her up with letters, numbers, and scientific principles that may or not matter in a world where magic reigns supreme.

He knows that things are different now that Mello is in Aefenglom. He knows that there's probably going to be tension; if Alex and Mello got along before, they can certainly manage it again, which might mean more close brushes with someone he'd rather not come in contact with.

He knocks on the door at the agreed-upon time. Subconsciously he moves the leather case he carries in front of his body.]

Comments

[sing_for_me]

[ Alex withholds a laugh, not so much because he looked weird, but there it was like seeing a baby try to copy someone else’s expression. He touched on her hardships from a distance, acknowledging what she might have gone through. It was considerate, she thought. ]

So...a famous detective whose name no one knew about?

[ Now that sounded like a story. ]

[hearthebell]

[It's a hell of a story. It's also one that L, Mello, and everyone associated with them is strictly conditioned to keep a secret at all costs. Some of that's relaxed in Aefenglom; some of it probably never will.]

I know it sounds strange, but that's how it was. I worked anonymously behind a code name; if I hadn't it would have gotten me killed a long time ago, because I put away a lot of high-profile criminals.

[sing_for_me]

[ Alex shuffles closer, leaning over the edge if her seat with a twinkle in her eye. ]

Like what kind of criminals?

[hearthebell]

[L cants his head; his returning gaze is so very lightless by comparison.]

I suppose... the worst kinds. At least the cleverest, that no one else had managed to track down. Killers, thieves and rapists, mostly, although... there is a lot of overlap in those demographics.

[sing_for_me]

[ Man, Linden would have a field day at Ergastulum. ]

Wow...I knew you were amazing but I didn’t think it’d be to that extent.

[ He was almost like a bounty hunter...that looked nothing like one. ]

And you did that all from your office...?

[hearthebell]

[A thin hand goes to the back of L's head to grasp self-consciously at the dark hair, there.]

I wouldn't go so far as to call it "amazing."

[Please don't call me that, goes unspoken but heavily implied.]

Others helped me gather the pieces. I just put them together.

[It's probably hard for her to imagine him literally fighting the people like the ones he described. They're hardened, wicked, tough; L is a spindly, frail-looking thing. His brain is his best, and possibly his only asset.]

[sing_for_me]

‘Just’?

[ Like that was something easy to do on its own. ]

Maybe it’s not legwork but, it sounds like something you’d still have to put a lot of effort into. And...you said you’re doing that here now too?

[hearthebell]

Mmhm.

[He nods. This is something he actually really does like talking about, a point of pride for him.]

My Bonded, Light, and I opened an agency together. Small cases, mostly... things like lost pets and cheating spouses, but... it's a chance to do what I'm good at, and miss.

[sing_for_me]

[ There’s a warmth in her eyes as she listens to him, some distant memories returning to her. ]

The people I used to work with, before I came here, did stuff like that. They weren’t a detective agency or anything, but we’d get cases like finding a missing cat, or gathering things for certain people.

[ A fond, nostalgic smile spreads on her face. ]

It might not be as thrilling as catching serial killer, but I’m glad you get to do something you like again.

[hearthebell]

It sounds similar. Even if you called it something different, that is what a detective agency does, you know.

[His own smile flickers a bit, brightens, in answer to hers.]

As for how thrilling it is, compared to catching a serial killer... you'd be surprised.

[He's working right alongside his own personal trophy, after all.]

[sing_for_me]

[ That sure was a smile on his face. ]

Oh yeah? Any fun stories?

[ Well, at least it sounded a lot safer? Exciting as it might be, if he was doing that over here, Alex might have some concerns. Like, him getting hurt or...what if people mistook him for the serial killer or something? ]

[hearthebell]

Well... once I saved someone's life with a handstand and a mattress. That was something.

[There's so much he's not at liberty to say, but this feels safe enough.]

[sing_for_me]

[ Well damn, Macgyver. That sure left a lot more questions than answers. ]

What?! How!

[hearthebell]

Luck, mostly. The fact that it worked at all was a minor miracle.

[But he's quite proud, actually, of having saved Matsuda with something that sounded completely insane in its makeshift inception.]

[sing_for_me]

Are you really gonna hold out on how you pulled that off?

[hearthebell]

There were a lot of moving parts... while it was exciting in the moment, I'm concerned that simply reporting the process would be exceedingly dull.

[sing_for_me]

Then...can you say it as a story?

[ That was very different from a report. ]

[hearthebell]

I... suppose there's not any reason I can't...

[He makes a low humming sound as he considers.]

But you really do have to tell me if you start to feel bored.

A man who worked from me went somewhere he shouldn't have gone alone. He overheard some information that was very useful to us... but in the process he was caught eavesdropping, by people who planned to dispose of him immediately. My associate... let's call him Asahi... managed to call me and explain the situation, and so we used everything we had, shorthanded and last-minute, to get him out of it.

[A pause.]

You can say, if you're bored.

[sing_for_me]

[ But Alex is still very much engaged. Tilting her head when he insists on her being bored. ]

But I’m not?

[ Sure they might have had some awkward pauses and moments here and there, but generally... ]

The things you talk about are really interesting to me.

[hearthebell]

If you're sure.

[He never is.]

My associate had to pretend to be very drunk, and attempt a handstand on the guardrail of a hotel room's balcony. He needed to slip at just the right moment, and make it look convincing. Two people used a mattress to catch him from a balcony on a lower floor, we threw a sandbag to imitate the sound of a body hitting the ground, and by the time his would-be killers looked, we had an actor in a dark wig lying where he would have fallen. We had an ambulance and a stretcher; my small part was pretending, with another associate, to be a paramedic. We printed an obituary in the coming days, and they bought it entirely.

[sing_for_me]

[ Alex is trying to take this all in, as unbelievable as the story sounded. ]

Did you guys practice that or just do it on the spot? And how long did your associate have to pretend to be dead? Did you catch the killers in the end?

[ If the barrage of questions didn’t show her interest, who knows what would. ]

[hearthebell]

We had one shot to get it right, or our man was dead. Fortunately, everyone did what they were supposed to. If even one thing had gone wrong...

[He shrugs.]

I'd look foolish, I suppose. And... yes. In a matter of speaking, we caught them.

[Just... not the big killer, is all.]