Hello.. humans. I am Ryuk, the Shinigami. I know you people love to use these.. social media, that's what 'he' told me. (Man, social media was so much more different last time I was here. Also do you like my 'username'? I think it's wonderful.. Hyuk Hyuk..) I don't know, I'm bored as hell, nothing to do. So I am allowing you humans to ask whatever weird questions you have to ask me, but here are the rules, you know, in case you humans say some real dumb crap.
1. No "sexual" or highly inappropriate questions. We shinigamis don't do those.. things you people do.
2. No hateful stuff. I know im a pretty neutral guy, but those questions are NO fun.
3. I have the right not to answer a question if I do not feel like it or just don't want to.
Other than that, you humans have fun... Hyuk Hyuk... Also, gift me apples! I barely have any at where I'm staying at... this human is a REAL bummer!
Extra info/ooc undercut.
Hello! I am @emily-the-shark , I decided to make this account and just have some fun! Ask him anything (as long as it doesn't go against the rules!) I try my best to have him be in character and canon but I may mischaracterize him at times.
Also another thing, this is for ALL ships (there are a few i do ship but I am keeping it to where ryuk is not gonna tell because he dont gaf,) if you ask a question involving a ship, I may not respond with the answer you will be satisfied with. Ryuk canonically wouldn't just tell others businesses for no reason after all. No hate to any shippers!
EDIT: Okay. So this is still an ask blog, I HEAVILY encourage asks! But this Ryuk is in a current universe with a bunch of roleplayers, sharing a story. I am their Ryuk for the story! ^^ It DEFINITELY reminds me of the layers amounts of planning that Death Note has, and these roleplayers are also super duper accurate!!
Check out our saga!
But i hope you guys enjoy!
If you want to look through only asks, look through #ask ryuk.
Other roleplay blogs you should interact with;
Light (God of the New World AU HIGHLY RECOMMENDDD): @god-ofthenewworld
You're perplexed when Lady Phantasme makes you crouch down in the car, but she placates you with a loose explanation of Slim's role: the munitions crew is on standby in the area, while the broader Masque is creating some stir in Nerima which, apparently, feeds into one member's ardent desire to have her favorite seiyuu tied up.
But having parked in a blind spot (about half a kilometer away), she looks meaningfully down the road and holds out her hands like a child asking for a piggyback ride.
Third door down in that complex... that's our place.
Let's get to the roof.
This time, when she said "we can get aerial," it turned out she meant we.
You sure? Again?
He chuckled, but a bit nervous like always having her on his back.. but he's gotta do what he's gotta do.
He stretches out his wings and allowed her to get behind him. As soon as she got on him, he proceeds to fly up. As he did that, he seemed to stumble a bit. Lady acted almost like Ryuk was a horse, shouting 'fly away!'. Not for long he fully got in the sky.
She was more than.. delighted. That's for sure.. almost like it was some kind of stereotypical villain scene of her clearly scheming something with a laugh.
. . .
As soon as they arrived to the roof, she got off of him, twirling around. He stretched ever so slightly.
Okay, now what's the pla-
Before he could even speak, she was already speed walking away from his sight, and he panics.
Lady Phantasme begins drilling holes in the ceiling.
Put it this way... threatening Montag with my blog was pure bluff. Under the hood, in the land of hidden comments, Montag's got a pretty high approval rating even with the Masque. The bastard's good.
Not Slim, Slim gets the picture, but when I told him everything I wanted to do to the creep, he asked me (a bit bitchily) to "keep it in my pants" till we get back to base... which we should be doing in fairly short order. Pants intact. He's being a whiny bitch, but that doesn't make him wrong.
After that... NHN won't do one thing about it, not over the box of salt I'm giving Bigwiggins his ears in. You'll see. ♪
She fills the holes with blasting powder, strings some marinated twine, and retreats ten feet to set the match. A nearly perfect square of flame blossoms into a ragged, smoldering hole.
She smilingly glances at you over her shoulder, tossing her favorite wig, and, without further ado, jumping into the hole.
Stone made the first line of defense. The closet wouldn't accommodate more than one, but he'd insisted on the post. His helplessness, as Bigwiggins saw his death in room 222 - well, on a lifetime scale, helplessness couldn't be helped. But in the particular case of Lady Phantasme, Stone wouldn't be put in that spot again.
Near had expressed a marked preference for Lady Phantasme being taken alive. But it was clear that he would settle for her death. Better to ask forgiveness than ask permission, but in truth, Stone tacitly had both. Officially, in fact, Montag's life was immaterial to the success of the mission... but only Montag and possibly Near actually believed that.
Without advance warning from the perimeter, Stone saw, through the crack of the closet, Montag tense up and raise his fingers to his lips.
She's above us, Montag quietly intoned. She intends to take me to her base, to brutally kill me, and foresees no--
The roar was deafening.
Without any warning at all, Lady Phantasme descended to the floor in a swift and workmanlike base jump.
And between what he'd heard and what had come, Stone choked at the trigger.
Ryuk decided it was the perfect time to say that as Lady made her grand and dramatic entrance. All eyes were on her...
I'm sure he has- AHH!
Before he could finish his sentence, one of them grabbed the trigger and shot- although they missed. Ryuk even though he can't even be shot dodged the bullet, scared out of his mind while Lady elegantly dodged. She looked at him, annoyed with how he doesn't exactly.. swiftly does it with much style.
Ehh.. hyuk.. my bad.
He awkwardly spoke. Meanwhile... the showdown was already in motion. The room was tense, and as he knew it, Montag and Lady was staring each other down, almost like a predator circling their prey..
Ryuk... Lady Phantasme jerked her head to the closet. Get both his arms. Because if that guy can't swat you incorporeal, who does that leave? Montag? (She smiled briefly at the attention-seeking jackass's struggles to sit up and face her.) I'll just...
Before he could be incapacitated, Stone made his shot... not at Lady Phantasme's head. At the space where Lady Phantasme's head had been a moment before.
Now occupied by Montag's left foot.
Montag closed his eyes momentarily, feeling the wetness but not yet registering the pain. The first line was failing. His chances of survival were now... well, he'd never had the knack of quoting percentages. Slim to negligible. And depending on the idea currently rattling about in Lady Phantasme's skull, the one which made her so sure his comrades would stand by...
Shinigami, said Montag, his left hand searching under the mattress. I can't say I require the same service as the last time. (And you will notice I didn't require it then.) But I trust you wouldn't object to the same payment?
It seemed like he was at a stuck in the middle. Again.
He thought he wouldn't be!
He did what Lady demanded.
He then paused, thinking about the situation with him and Montag as soon as he mentioned it. He remembered the last time the whole ordeal happened between him and Montag. The apples. But he mustn't! He won't fall for it like last time. Lady wouldn't give him more apples if he were to just openly accept it. He doesn't pick sides, and bribery won't work.
It is.. quite tempting. But I'm not going to just give in like that.
Montag's hand emerged from under the mattress with an apple-shaped handful of thin air. He grinned savagely.
Your services are not really necessary.
--
Montag had given them both precious time, and Stone hadn't paused to question the gift. As this exchange took walked from the closet behind Ryuk, secured a better angle, and fired on Lady Phantasme.
Hit to the thigh. Doesn't look like the femoral artery, more's the pity... but Near should be happy, anyway. Odds are she's not getting up on her own power.
Fuck! And just when he wouldn't choose sides. Well, he really WOULDN'T, necessarily. It's solely about the apples, and no apples from either side equals to him going insane. It's not like he will really give in.
. . .
Aaaand he gave in. While he was too focused on the apple, Lady had just gone down. To make matters worse, he threw it across the room, and Ryuk chases after it like a dog being given a treat.
Lady Phantasme clutched her wound, in sheer disbelief at how the world had just fucking flipped on itself. There's not even an apple, you feathered moron.
This is the kind of fuckery that explains why we don't let junkies into the Curtain Works. Coke, meth, apples... however you slice it, you end up with pawned equipment and jobs half-assed.
But now - ugh, and this is one of her best dresses, too - it was Lady Phantasme who was being pawned. Slim wouldn't help. He hadn't sent signal flares, or a radio, because he figured that if her "boob was in the wringer" at this early stage, it would be a trap. If he were really dumb, he'd have bailed as soon as the shooting started... and he'd have gotten away with it, too. Zero chance that he'd be exchanged for Kira now.
Fuck. They're probably going to call me a war criminal. Even these idiots wouldn't flinch at executing a war criminal... but even if not. My scrap of paper. They'll take it, they won't care that I've only got a week to live... and they control the apples. Ryuk won't be there for me.
Her right sleeve hung heavy about her wrist...
There was only one thing she came for that she could still get. Not the way she wanted, no... no protracted screams, no Polaroid selfies, no "proof of concept" to rub in the face of the gutless NHN worms... but if it was the only way she could--
She emptied the dead cop's revolver into the hospital bed above her and grasped for Montag's right hand.
Though the world had suddenly bloomed so profusely in pain as to fill an undifferentiated garden, the hand on his wrist stood out as the prime fact. The thumb probing the swollen mass for his vein – to feel the pulse fade from him, the hand cool and stiffen –
--premature of her. He remained alert. Breathing. But all this blood, dampening the sheets... the house medics didn't have blood in store. These injuries... the site wasn't prepared, it had only what he had needed on arrival. He needed... he needed intensive care.
Men with no name and five bullet wounds did not receive intensive care.
The hand began to twist, and he couldn't quite prevent a scream before he bit down.
Three gunshots. A screech, a thud, the clink of handcuffs.
It seemed his wrist was free.
Montag! A mask above him, blue, festooned with flat pebbles. We're surrounded, they're on stakeout, I can't--
Near may have been reserving the manpower elsewhere, but backup had certainly been anticipated. They haven't any medics. Universal opinion at Fukuchi sickbay. (And obviously, there had been no need for Stone to handcuff a dead woman.) Lady Phantasme's life, then... He shook his head. Stone had to be here to hear him. Near's bug didn't suffice, not for this. Stone – Bigwiggins. Make sure, as soon as possible... give it to him, save him. Save him, if...
If he isn't past saving. Kira hadn't taken the eyes in a year with L, and that meant he never would in a week with Bigwiggins... but if Kira is there, then Rem is almost certainly there also, and if she's seen his face... if Kira can speak freely... stop it.
If you can. Make sure.
And tell Scintillation... my face wasn't likely to win any beauty contests.
Montag? Shut up. Stone dragged Lady Phantasme to her feet. I'll get the medics.
Right, right, last words, peachy-keen, but who's that spilling your life's blood? Can't spare a word for her? Jackass.
Not that she could fully distinguish what blood was his. This situation was spoiling the whole aesthetic of the thing. The pain, especially... no, especially Ryuk's behavior. This was an entity that should be above all us mortals, and the guy is just... a bottom-feeder. Simple as.
Then the jerk on her chain-- she snarled long and loud. Let it all out, just so long as you've still got claws.
Ugh. And the heartbreak of it was that Montag had just handed her a top-notch weapon and she couldn't even use it. Not unless and until she could trust Ryuk...
So, she was at their mercy. The only consolation... NHN is just about up to their nose in mercy.
In this moment, reason had no part in Stone's mind. All that was, was that which came automatically.
What he knew by nature was the smell of Montag's blood still in his throat, the smell of Sugano's in his memory.
What he knew by second nature was that an armed man was, at this instant, threatening the life of a disabled woman.
In this moment, it was second nature that broke through. Stone stepped slightly forward, just enough to be an obstacle without it looking deliberate.
We're not fucking around. We're throwing away the key. He had no more room in his head for over-optimistic rationalizations. She's -- she's killed Montag.
With that name, it fell back into place: We... want her alive to take down Kira.
Many things danced momentarily on the tip of her tongue.
Loser, you just shot me for Kira's minion. Commitment issues, much?
Hey, Slim. I'm going to die in a week and they won't do anything to stop it.
Ryuk, why don't you go look for apples in the dumpster from here on...
Ugh.
...there just wasn't a helpful audience right now.
---
Kira's biggest butt-buddy too, huh...
Slim lowered his gun. Just enough to say "chill" without losing the edge. But what's there left to do here? Just get involved in shit too big for him. Never mind NHN. This "pantywaist newsies picking a fight with god" crap. Way over anyone's head.
...Fuck it. Do what you want.
"Do what you want." Masque motto, before milady lost her bananas. Yeah why not get back to that.
By the sound from the door, Stone was in a hurry, and not over-careful with Lady's wheelchair when it came to corners. She was being damned quiet. Unnerving; the woman never shut up. Hole in the jaw? He strained to look, but what he could see was a dim green, and black around the edges, and he couldn't swear it was the door.
Clear and stationed, Stone informed Near, panting. We'll need phlebotomy equipment, he's lost... a lot of blood. I'm A-positive, I don't know what type--
No idea. Montag thought he might be coming across as a bit drunk. The room was spinning and bobbing. He needed to hold himself together till they... ...Phantasme?
They'll see to you first, said Stone curtly.
No. The test, Montag reminded him, shivering. Why was the simple act of speaking such a labor? Your objections - obvious, I was there in the garage, too, but... doesn't matter about that. Only matters what'll work in future.
The mission... look, could you think a little past your newest attempt to get yourself killed for once? demanded Stone. You're damned handy. On a regular basis. I don't know if anyone's told you?
Yes, someone had. I needed you today, Bigwiggins had told him.
I needed Montag.
Given the subject that had been under discussion - and given that it was Bigwiggins - he had probably not been thinking of utility, per se. Montag, Matsui, Seiji Sako... simply bring your sweet self, stick around, and that's all he thinks he needs...
And it's the company of Sako that Bigwiggins has. Working on him, twisting him-- against Near (who needed others, in a way L never had, even if "apologies" and "thank you" were about the extent of his vocal expression of it; Near, too, needed Montag, not merely on immediate practical terms)--
--Bigwigs. Near. Tell them... very thoughtless of me. No long-term thinking...
Oh... oh, he was going down. Making an honest man out of this goon... I've killed him. I've killed him! So I don't get to revoke his mask privilege by cutting off his ears. Or take my mask back and paint it in his blood. Or... concentrate, through the pain. But those are extras. Check it, those lips are turning blue. This bastard is going down, and he is not coming back up.
Oh. Whistleblower said Near is Kira, by the way. And this scum was denying to my face that there was any such person.
She heard footseps behind her.
Oooh, must be triage. Save you time. He's black. I'm red. And I think the phrase here is you're welcome?
Nobu Orochi's her source on that whistleblower. 'Nuff said. I mean, if you still believe him... I'd say you deserved to have met, but... nah, they're saying you'd have died doing what you loved. At least... Check him.
We need unimpeded breathing... The lead medic paused on touching the edge of his mask. ...er. They're saying she hasn't got those eyes, right?
Stone patted his pocket, just to make sure that little laminate of scratch paper hadn't gone anywhere. ...Right.
They ripped away his mask.
Montag... he hadn't been kidding about his looks. With his wide-set eyes, those fleshy lips on that swarthy, narrow face, the wart on the cheek, he looked like a political caricature of a criminal. Like Kira's proper prey. Montag breathed now, a little more easily, but he wasn't conscious, and there was no sign of him. No hint of sentiment or sagacity to set him apart from any other dead crook.
Masks were a commendable choice, for ugly people of sterling worth. If you were willing to pay the price.
A second medic swore.
The bleeding at this knee... must've been a big bite out of the popliteal. If we were in a hospital right now...
...we'd all be dead. But everyone left that unspoken.
Without a word, they stepped back from Montag and gravitated toward Lady Phantasme. Hate this job sometimes.
So of course, the bozo who'd shot her was staying at the bedside. Unwritten social norm that someone's always got to stand around and watch 'em croak, except if that'd be any fun. So many social norms didn't offer consideration toward anyone.
Kept him from waffling back toward another attempt on her life, at least.
Wait a cottonpicking second... that guy pushing her to the next room had walked right through Ryuk.
Could any of them see Ryuk?
(...ugh, stripping off was tolerable in these extraordinary circumstanced, but she did not need to go through what it took to get onto that bed...)
...no, didn't seem so. She struggled into a position where she could look him square in the face.
He wasn't like he normally was. Sure, he could be a bit inattentive at times, but his vibes were eerily different from how it typically was. Lady could sense it, feel it..
'The eyes. Bet they heard it from Rem.'
He thought.
The snickering got louder, Lady slowly looked his way. His yellow eyes flickered. He knew this was about to be the end. And, with that information, any cries of help from Lady would fall on deaf ears from now on. Hey, at least he isn't fully attached to anything, amirite?
He knew she was looking for answers through him, and he would gladly share it. Besides, it's not going to affect him personally, so he won't care who may be mad at him as this point, he won't take it personal.
Nobody's backing her up here. Not Slim. Not Ryuk. Not these doctors, except on strictly Hippocratic terms, and for that matter they weren't quite that strict, if they flocked to the clearly dying traitor first. (Unless Ryuk stole her kill...? No. No, she can trust her own calls.)
(And Ryuk has enough to answer for.)
Kira hasn't got a database, she said listlessly. He just... looks at people's faces.
You're the death deity here. You knew that. You know how it's done, too.
Wild guess: you could have let me kill Kira all along. Couldn't you?
You know what, Ryuk... just get out of my sight. Permanently. Help yourself to the fucking apple subscription.
And for the first time since that train-wreck at the hotel, Lady Phantasme saw Ryuk as she had when they'd first met. Saw him plain as day, because it was simply what he was. An avatar of death. Chaos incarnate.
And she found she didn't like it at all. Death, chaos... those were forces that laughed with her. But Ryuk was laughing at her. Had been from the beginning.
Ryuk was -- he put Lady Phantasme on the same level as Kyosuke fucking Higuchi!
Only Higuchi had died in an Armani suit. And she was going to die in a crappy paper gown.
She was going to...
To...
...Fuck it. She was terminally ill to start with. And this was more of a bang than she was likely to get in NHN's padded-cell tea party a week and a half down the line.
Hey, idiots, she told the medical staff (who'd dropped examination like a hot rock the second she'd started in on Ryuk.) This worthless junkie of a death god says he's not on my side, or Kira's. Hold him the fuck to it. Because he has been taking his sweet-ass time before tossing Kira out like used tissue.
She laughed a little, madly. It was that or cry, and Ryuk wasn't getting that satisfaction.
At least I'm leaving behind a beautiful corpse. You'll see that my mask isn't compensating for anything...
I thought I told you I wasn't on anyone's side. But I've figured by now that humans only hear what they want to hear.
A rasping chuckle slipped out of him.
You thought because I stuck around, because I laughed with you..
He tilted his head.
That made you different? You weren't the chosen one. Higuchi thought he was special too.
There was utter silence, and suddenly Ryuk snorted.
You know what? You were way more fun to watch.
He could only stare at the mess that was displayed in front of him. Even his 'compliments' wasn't reassuring.. even thought its not meant to be. He wasn't trying to be intimidating, but you know deep down all of his words were true. Every. Last. One of it.
As for Kira.
If he stops being interesting, I'll throw him away too.
And if you die here, don't blame me because you started thinking a death god was your friend.
Though she squeezed her eyelids shut, Lady Phantasme couldn't help a couple hot tears slipping out from between.
...you... I give you new duds, arcade money, primo spectacle, pure freedom, all the apples, a taste of not fucking Kira... kill him if he gets boring my ass, how can that twat get more boring...
...you give me Kira-brand AIDS with an all-time limited supply of AZT and then... you...
She shook her head. Well, maybe lolled it a little. No matter what she said, she hadn't suddenly contracted amnesia.
...you gave me the time of my life, Ryuk. Even if you never meant it. You let me set the world on fire, literally. You let me fly... She nodded, feeling suddenly overwhelmed with dizziness. Flying. That was the best part.
'f all that was boring, should've killed Higuchi in like half a week.
He stood there idly, there was not much he could really say as he saw the scene unfold while the others watch in awe of Lady talking 'to herself'. But, they all knew he was there. She was right about a few things, Ryuk cannot deny it.. he did give more than he could chew. He enabled some parts and he was a bit uneasy over that...
The uneasiness, however, was more so to do with the fact he let himself get too involved than he'd liked. Most of what she said goes one ear out the other, he could care less.
And I enjoyed all of that. I enjoyed what you had to offer! Hyuk.. but.. I'm not one to be into that sentimental crap.
These humans are always trying to become something bigger than they are, and they fail.. every single time. It's funny, isn't it?
He pauses at her last comment. You could tell that someway, somehow.. it slightly got to him. He knew that deep down she was somewhat true.
You... had a pretty good run. I can't lie. I wasn't as bored as I thought I would be. The most action I have had in forever..
You're perplexed when Lady Phantasme makes you crouch down in the car, but she placates you with a loose explanation of Slim's role: the munitions crew is on standby in the area, while the broader Masque is creating some stir in Nerima which, apparently, feeds into one member's ardent desire to have her favorite seiyuu tied up.
But having parked in a blind spot (about half a kilometer away), she looks meaningfully down the road and holds out her hands like a child asking for a piggyback ride.
Third door down in that complex... that's our place.
Let's get to the roof.
This time, when she said "we can get aerial," it turned out she meant we.
You sure? Again?
He chuckled, but a bit nervous like always having her on his back.. but he's gotta do what he's gotta do.
He stretches out his wings and allowed her to get behind him. As soon as she got on him, he proceeds to fly up. As he did that, he seemed to stumble a bit. Lady acted almost like Ryuk was a horse, shouting 'fly away!'. Not for long he fully got in the sky.
She was more than.. delighted. That's for sure.. almost like it was some kind of stereotypical villain scene of her clearly scheming something with a laugh.
. . .
As soon as they arrived to the roof, she got off of him, twirling around. He stretched ever so slightly.
Okay, now what's the pla-
Before he could even speak, she was already speed walking away from his sight, and he panics.
Lady Phantasme begins drilling holes in the ceiling.
Put it this way... threatening Montag with my blog was pure bluff. Under the hood, in the land of hidden comments, Montag's got a pretty high approval rating even with the Masque. The bastard's good.
Not Slim, Slim gets the picture, but when I told him everything I wanted to do to the creep, he asked me (a bit bitchily) to "keep it in my pants" till we get back to base... which we should be doing in fairly short order. Pants intact. He's being a whiny bitch, but that doesn't make him wrong.
After that... NHN won't do one thing about it, not over the box of salt I'm giving Bigwiggins his ears in. You'll see. ♪
She fills the holes with blasting powder, strings some marinated twine, and retreats ten feet to set the match. A nearly perfect square of flame blossoms into a ragged, smoldering hole.
She smilingly glances at you over her shoulder, tossing her favorite wig, and, without further ado, jumping into the hole.
Stone made the first line of defense. The closet wouldn't accommodate more than one, but he'd insisted on the post. His helplessness, as Bigwiggins saw his death in room 222 - well, on a lifetime scale, helplessness couldn't be helped. But in the particular case of Lady Phantasme, Stone wouldn't be put in that spot again.
Near had expressed a marked preference for Lady Phantasme being taken alive. But it was clear that he would settle for her death. Better to ask forgiveness than ask permission, but in truth, Stone tacitly had both. Officially, in fact, Montag's life was immaterial to the success of the mission... but only Montag and possibly Near actually believed that.
Without advance warning from the perimeter, Stone saw, through the crack of the closet, Montag tense up and raise his fingers to his lips.
She's above us, Montag quietly intoned. She intends to take me to her base, to brutally kill me, and foresees no--
The roar was deafening.
Without any warning at all, Lady Phantasme descended to the floor in a swift and workmanlike base jump.
And between what he'd heard and what had come, Stone choked at the trigger.
Ryuk decided it was the perfect time to say that as Lady made her grand and dramatic entrance. All eyes were on her...
I'm sure he has- AHH!
Before he could finish his sentence, one of them grabbed the trigger and shot- although they missed. Ryuk even though he can't even be shot dodged the bullet, scared out of his mind while Lady elegantly dodged. She looked at him, annoyed with how he doesn't exactly.. swiftly does it with much style.
Ehh.. hyuk.. my bad.
He awkwardly spoke. Meanwhile... the showdown was already in motion. The room was tense, and as he knew it, Montag and Lady was staring each other down, almost like a predator circling their prey..
Ryuk... Lady Phantasme jerked her head to the closet. Get both his arms. Because if that guy can't swat you incorporeal, who does that leave? Montag? (She smiled briefly at the attention-seeking jackass's struggles to sit up and face her.) I'll just...
Before he could be incapacitated, Stone made his shot... not at Lady Phantasme's head. At the space where Lady Phantasme's head had been a moment before.
Now occupied by Montag's left foot.
Montag closed his eyes momentarily, feeling the wetness but not yet registering the pain. The first line was failing. His chances of survival were now... well, he'd never had the knack of quoting percentages. Slim to negligible. And depending on the idea currently rattling about in Lady Phantasme's skull, the one which made her so sure his comrades would stand by...
Shinigami, said Montag, his left hand searching under the mattress. I can't say I require the same service as the last time. (And you will notice I didn't require it then.) But I trust you wouldn't object to the same payment?
It seemed like he was at a stuck in the middle. Again.
He thought he wouldn't be!
He did what Lady demanded.
He then paused, thinking about the situation with him and Montag as soon as he mentioned it. He remembered the last time the whole ordeal happened between him and Montag. The apples. But he mustn't! He won't fall for it like last time. Lady wouldn't give him more apples if he were to just openly accept it. He doesn't pick sides, and bribery won't work.
It is.. quite tempting. But I'm not going to just give in like that.
Montag's hand emerged from under the mattress with an apple-shaped handful of thin air. He grinned savagely.
Your services are not really necessary.
--
Montag had given them both precious time, and Stone hadn't paused to question the gift. As this exchange took walked from the closet behind Ryuk, secured a better angle, and fired on Lady Phantasme.
Hit to the thigh. Doesn't look like the femoral artery, more's the pity... but Near should be happy, anyway. Odds are she's not getting up on her own power.
Fuck! And just when he wouldn't choose sides. Well, he really WOULDN'T, necessarily. It's solely about the apples, and no apples from either side equals to him going insane. It's not like he will really give in.
. . .
Aaaand he gave in. While he was too focused on the apple, Lady had just gone down. To make matters worse, he threw it across the room, and Ryuk chases after it like a dog being given a treat.
Lady Phantasme clutched her wound, in sheer disbelief at how the world had just fucking flipped on itself. There's not even an apple, you feathered moron.
This is the kind of fuckery that explains why we don't let junkies into the Curtain Works. Coke, meth, apples... however you slice it, you end up with pawned equipment and jobs half-assed.
But now - ugh, and this is one of her best dresses, too - it was Lady Phantasme who was being pawned. Slim wouldn't help. He hadn't sent signal flares, or a radio, because he figured that if her "boob was in the wringer" at this early stage, it would be a trap. If he were really dumb, he'd have bailed as soon as the shooting started... and he'd have gotten away with it, too. Zero chance that he'd be exchanged for Kira now.
Fuck. They're probably going to call me a war criminal. Even these idiots wouldn't flinch at executing a war criminal... but even if not. My scrap of paper. They'll take it, they won't care that I've only got a week to live... and they control the apples. Ryuk won't be there for me.
Her right sleeve hung heavy about her wrist...
There was only one thing she came for that she could still get. Not the way she wanted, no... no protracted screams, no Polaroid selfies, no "proof of concept" to rub in the face of the gutless NHN worms... but if it was the only way she could--
She emptied the dead cop's revolver into the hospital bed above her and grasped for Montag's right hand.
Though the world had suddenly bloomed so profusely in pain as to fill an undifferentiated garden, the hand on his wrist stood out as the prime fact. The thumb probing the swollen mass for his vein – to feel the pulse fade from him, the hand cool and stiffen –
--premature of her. He remained alert. Breathing. But all this blood, dampening the sheets... the house medics didn't have blood in store. These injuries... the site wasn't prepared, it had only what he had needed on arrival. He needed... he needed intensive care.
Men with no name and five bullet wounds did not receive intensive care.
The hand began to twist, and he couldn't quite prevent a scream before he bit down.
Three gunshots. A screech, a thud, the clink of handcuffs.
It seemed his wrist was free.
Montag! A mask above him, blue, festooned with flat pebbles. We're surrounded, they're on stakeout, I can't--
Near may have been reserving the manpower elsewhere, but backup had certainly been anticipated. They haven't any medics. Universal opinion at Fukuchi sickbay. (And obviously, there had been no need for Stone to handcuff a dead woman.) Lady Phantasme's life, then... He shook his head. Stone had to be here to hear him. Near's bug didn't suffice, not for this. Stone – Bigwiggins. Make sure, as soon as possible... give it to him, save him. Save him, if...
If he isn't past saving. Kira hadn't taken the eyes in a year with L, and that meant he never would in a week with Bigwiggins... but if Kira is there, then Rem is almost certainly there also, and if she's seen his face... if Kira can speak freely... stop it.
If you can. Make sure.
And tell Scintillation... my face wasn't likely to win any beauty contests.
Montag? Shut up. Stone dragged Lady Phantasme to her feet. I'll get the medics.
Right, right, last words, peachy-keen, but who's that spilling your life's blood? Can't spare a word for her? Jackass.
Not that she could fully distinguish what blood was his. This situation was spoiling the whole aesthetic of the thing. The pain, especially... no, especially Ryuk's behavior. This was an entity that should be above all us mortals, and the guy is just... a bottom-feeder. Simple as.
Then the jerk on her chain-- she snarled long and loud. Let it all out, just so long as you've still got claws.
Ugh. And the heartbreak of it was that Montag had just handed her a top-notch weapon and she couldn't even use it. Not unless and until she could trust Ryuk...
So, she was at their mercy. The only consolation... NHN is just about up to their nose in mercy.
In this moment, reason had no part in Stone's mind. All that was, was that which came automatically.
What he knew by nature was the smell of Montag's blood still in his throat, the smell of Sugano's in his memory.
What he knew by second nature was that an armed man was, at this instant, threatening the life of a disabled woman.
In this moment, it was second nature that broke through. Stone stepped slightly forward, just enough to be an obstacle without it looking deliberate.
We're not fucking around. We're throwing away the key. He had no more room in his head for over-optimistic rationalizations. She's -- she's killed Montag.
With that name, it fell back into place: We... want her alive to take down Kira.
Many things danced momentarily on the tip of her tongue.
Loser, you just shot me for Kira's minion. Commitment issues, much?
Hey, Slim. I'm going to die in a week and they won't do anything to stop it.
Ryuk, why don't you go look for apples in the dumpster from here on...
Ugh.
...there just wasn't a helpful audience right now.
---
Kira's biggest butt-buddy too, huh...
Slim lowered his gun. Just enough to say "chill" without losing the edge. But what's there left to do here? Just get involved in shit too big for him. Never mind NHN. This "pantywaist newsies picking a fight with god" crap. Way over anyone's head.
...Fuck it. Do what you want.
"Do what you want." Masque motto, before milady lost her bananas. Yeah why not get back to that.
By the sound from the door, Stone was in a hurry, and not over-careful with Lady's wheelchair when it came to corners. She was being damned quiet. Unnerving; the woman never shut up. Hole in the jaw? He strained to look, but what he could see was a dim green, and black around the edges, and he couldn't swear it was the door.
Clear and stationed, Stone informed Near, panting. We'll need phlebotomy equipment, he's lost... a lot of blood. I'm A-positive, I don't know what type--
No idea. Montag thought he might be coming across as a bit drunk. The room was spinning and bobbing. He needed to hold himself together till they... ...Phantasme?
They'll see to you first, said Stone curtly.
No. The test, Montag reminded him, shivering. Why was the simple act of speaking such a labor? Your objections - obvious, I was there in the garage, too, but... doesn't matter about that. Only matters what'll work in future.
The mission... look, could you think a little past your newest attempt to get yourself killed for once? demanded Stone. You're damned handy. On a regular basis. I don't know if anyone's told you?
Yes, someone had. I needed you today, Bigwiggins had told him.
I needed Montag.
Given the subject that had been under discussion - and given that it was Bigwiggins - he had probably not been thinking of utility, per se. Montag, Matsui, Seiji Sako... simply bring your sweet self, stick around, and that's all he thinks he needs...
And it's the company of Sako that Bigwiggins has. Working on him, twisting him-- against Near (who needed others, in a way L never had, even if "apologies" and "thank you" were about the extent of his vocal expression of it; Near, too, needed Montag, not merely on immediate practical terms)--
--Bigwigs. Near. Tell them... very thoughtless of me. No long-term thinking...
Oh... oh, he was going down. Making an honest man out of this goon... I've killed him. I've killed him! So I don't get to revoke his mask privilege by cutting off his ears. Or take my mask back and paint it in his blood. Or... concentrate, through the pain. But those are extras. Check it, those lips are turning blue. This bastard is going down, and he is not coming back up.
Oh. Whistleblower said Near is Kira, by the way. And this scum was denying to my face that there was any such person.
She heard footseps behind her.
Oooh, must be triage. Save you time. He's black. I'm red. And I think the phrase here is you're welcome?
Nobu Orochi's her source on that whistleblower. 'Nuff said. I mean, if you still believe him... I'd say you deserved to have met, but... nah, they're saying you'd have died doing what you loved. At least... Check him.
We need unimpeded breathing... The lead medic paused on touching the edge of his mask. ...er. They're saying she hasn't got those eyes, right?
Stone patted his pocket, just to make sure that little laminate of scratch paper hadn't gone anywhere. ...Right.
They ripped away his mask.
Montag... he hadn't been kidding about his looks. With his wide-set eyes, those fleshy lips on that swarthy, narrow face, the wart on the cheek, he looked like a political caricature of a criminal. Like Kira's proper prey. Montag breathed now, a little more easily, but he wasn't conscious, and there was no sign of him. No hint of sentiment or sagacity to set him apart from any other dead crook.
Masks were a commendable choice, for ugly people of sterling worth. If you were willing to pay the price.
A second medic swore.
The bleeding at this knee... must've been a big bite out of the popliteal. If we were in a hospital right now...
...we'd all be dead. But everyone left that unspoken.
Without a word, they stepped back from Montag and gravitated toward Lady Phantasme. Hate this job sometimes.
So of course, the bozo who'd shot her was staying at the bedside. Unwritten social norm that someone's always got to stand around and watch 'em croak, except if that'd be any fun. So many social norms didn't offer consideration toward anyone.
Kept him from waffling back toward another attempt on her life, at least.
Wait a cottonpicking second... that guy pushing her to the next room had walked right through Ryuk.
Could any of them see Ryuk?
(...ugh, stripping off was tolerable in these extraordinary circumstanced, but she did not need to go through what it took to get onto that bed...)
...no, didn't seem so. She struggled into a position where she could look him square in the face.
He wasn't like he normally was. Sure, he could be a bit inattentive at times, but his vibes were eerily different from how it typically was. Lady could sense it, feel it..
'The eyes. Bet they heard it from Rem.'
He thought.
The snickering got louder, Lady slowly looked his way. His yellow eyes flickered. He knew this was about to be the end. And, with that information, any cries of help from Lady would fall on deaf ears from now on. Hey, at least he isn't fully attached to anything, amirite?
He knew she was looking for answers through him, and he would gladly share it. Besides, it's not going to affect him personally, so he won't care who may be mad at him as this point, he won't take it personal.
Nobody's backing her up here. Not Slim. Not Ryuk. Not these doctors, except on strictly Hippocratic terms, and for that matter they weren't quite that strict, if they flocked to the clearly dying traitor first. (Unless Ryuk stole her kill...? No. No, she can trust her own calls.)
(And Ryuk has enough to answer for.)
Kira hasn't got a database, she said listlessly. He just... looks at people's faces.
You're the death deity here. You knew that. You know how it's done, too.
Wild guess: you could have let me kill Kira all along. Couldn't you?
You know what, Ryuk... just get out of my sight. Permanently. Help yourself to the fucking apple subscription.
And for the first time since that train-wreck at the hotel, Lady Phantasme saw Ryuk as she had when they'd first met. Saw him plain as day, because it was simply what he was. An avatar of death. Chaos incarnate.
And she found she didn't like it at all. Death, chaos... those were forces that laughed with her. But Ryuk was laughing at her. Had been from the beginning.
Ryuk was -- he put Lady Phantasme on the same level as Kyosuke fucking Higuchi!
Only Higuchi had died in an Armani suit. And she was going to die in a crappy paper gown.
She was going to...
To...
...Fuck it. She was terminally ill to start with. And this was more of a bang than she was likely to get in NHN's padded-cell tea party a week and a half down the line.
Hey, idiots, she told the medical staff (who'd dropped examination like a hot rock the second she'd started in on Ryuk.) This worthless junkie of a death god says he's not on my side, or Kira's. Hold him the fuck to it. Because he has been taking his sweet-ass time before tossing Kira out like used tissue.
She laughed a little, madly. It was that or cry, and Ryuk wasn't getting that satisfaction.
At least I'm leaving behind a beautiful corpse. You'll see that my mask isn't compensating for anything...
I thought I told you I wasn't on anyone's side. But I've figured by now that humans only hear what they want to hear.
A rasping chuckle slipped out of him.
You thought because I stuck around, because I laughed with you..
He tilted his head.
That made you different? You weren't the chosen one. Higuchi thought he was special too.
There was utter silence, and suddenly Ryuk snorted.
You know what? You were way more fun to watch.
He could only stare at the mess that was displayed in front of him. Even his 'compliments' wasn't reassuring.. even thought its not meant to be. He wasn't trying to be intimidating, but you know deep down all of his words were true. Every. Last. One of it.
As for Kira.
If he stops being interesting, I'll throw him away too.
And if you die here, don't blame me because you started thinking a death god was your friend.
You're perplexed when Lady Phantasme makes you crouch down in the car, but she placates you with a loose explanation of Slim's role: the munitions crew is on standby in the area, while the broader Masque is creating some stir in Nerima which, apparently, feeds into one member's ardent desire to have her favorite seiyuu tied up.
But having parked in a blind spot (about half a kilometer away), she looks meaningfully down the road and holds out her hands like a child asking for a piggyback ride.
Third door down in that complex... that's our place.
Let's get to the roof.
This time, when she said "we can get aerial," it turned out she meant we.
You sure? Again?
He chuckled, but a bit nervous like always having her on his back.. but he's gotta do what he's gotta do.
He stretches out his wings and allowed her to get behind him. As soon as she got on him, he proceeds to fly up. As he did that, he seemed to stumble a bit. Lady acted almost like Ryuk was a horse, shouting 'fly away!'. Not for long he fully got in the sky.
She was more than.. delighted. That's for sure.. almost like it was some kind of stereotypical villain scene of her clearly scheming something with a laugh.
. . .
As soon as they arrived to the roof, she got off of him, twirling around. He stretched ever so slightly.
Okay, now what's the pla-
Before he could even speak, she was already speed walking away from his sight, and he panics.
Lady Phantasme begins drilling holes in the ceiling.
Put it this way... threatening Montag with my blog was pure bluff. Under the hood, in the land of hidden comments, Montag's got a pretty high approval rating even with the Masque. The bastard's good.
Not Slim, Slim gets the picture, but when I told him everything I wanted to do to the creep, he asked me (a bit bitchily) to "keep it in my pants" till we get back to base... which we should be doing in fairly short order. Pants intact. He's being a whiny bitch, but that doesn't make him wrong.
After that... NHN won't do one thing about it, not over the box of salt I'm giving Bigwiggins his ears in. You'll see. ♪
She fills the holes with blasting powder, strings some marinated twine, and retreats ten feet to set the match. A nearly perfect square of flame blossoms into a ragged, smoldering hole.
She smilingly glances at you over her shoulder, tossing her favorite wig, and, without further ado, jumping into the hole.
Stone made the first line of defense. The closet wouldn't accommodate more than one, but he'd insisted on the post. His helplessness, as Bigwiggins saw his death in room 222 - well, on a lifetime scale, helplessness couldn't be helped. But in the particular case of Lady Phantasme, Stone wouldn't be put in that spot again.
Near had expressed a marked preference for Lady Phantasme being taken alive. But it was clear that he would settle for her death. Better to ask forgiveness than ask permission, but in truth, Stone tacitly had both. Officially, in fact, Montag's life was immaterial to the success of the mission... but only Montag and possibly Near actually believed that.
Without advance warning from the perimeter, Stone saw, through the crack of the closet, Montag tense up and raise his fingers to his lips.
She's above us, Montag quietly intoned. She intends to take me to her base, to brutally kill me, and foresees no--
The roar was deafening.
Without any warning at all, Lady Phantasme descended to the floor in a swift and workmanlike base jump.
And between what he'd heard and what had come, Stone choked at the trigger.
Ryuk decided it was the perfect time to say that as Lady made her grand and dramatic entrance. All eyes were on her...
I'm sure he has- AHH!
Before he could finish his sentence, one of them grabbed the trigger and shot- although they missed. Ryuk even though he can't even be shot dodged the bullet, scared out of his mind while Lady elegantly dodged. She looked at him, annoyed with how he doesn't exactly.. swiftly does it with much style.
Ehh.. hyuk.. my bad.
He awkwardly spoke. Meanwhile... the showdown was already in motion. The room was tense, and as he knew it, Montag and Lady was staring each other down, almost like a predator circling their prey..
Ryuk... Lady Phantasme jerked her head to the closet. Get both his arms. Because if that guy can't swat you incorporeal, who does that leave? Montag? (She smiled briefly at the attention-seeking jackass's struggles to sit up and face her.) I'll just...
Before he could be incapacitated, Stone made his shot... not at Lady Phantasme's head. At the space where Lady Phantasme's head had been a moment before.
Now occupied by Montag's left foot.
Montag closed his eyes momentarily, feeling the wetness but not yet registering the pain. The first line was failing. His chances of survival were now... well, he'd never had the knack of quoting percentages. Slim to negligible. And depending on the idea currently rattling about in Lady Phantasme's skull, the one which made her so sure his comrades would stand by...
Shinigami, said Montag, his left hand searching under the mattress. I can't say I require the same service as the last time. (And you will notice I didn't require it then.) But I trust you wouldn't object to the same payment?
It seemed like he was at a stuck in the middle. Again.
He thought he wouldn't be!
He did what Lady demanded.
He then paused, thinking about the situation with him and Montag as soon as he mentioned it. He remembered the last time the whole ordeal happened between him and Montag. The apples. But he mustn't! He won't fall for it like last time. Lady wouldn't give him more apples if he were to just openly accept it. He doesn't pick sides, and bribery won't work.
It is.. quite tempting. But I'm not going to just give in like that.
Montag's hand emerged from under the mattress with an apple-shaped handful of thin air. He grinned savagely.
Your services are not really necessary.
--
Montag had given them both precious time, and Stone hadn't paused to question the gift. As this exchange took walked from the closet behind Ryuk, secured a better angle, and fired on Lady Phantasme.
Hit to the thigh. Doesn't look like the femoral artery, more's the pity... but Near should be happy, anyway. Odds are she's not getting up on her own power.
Fuck! And just when he wouldn't choose sides. Well, he really WOULDN'T, necessarily. It's solely about the apples, and no apples from either side equals to him going insane. It's not like he will really give in.
. . .
Aaaand he gave in. While he was too focused on the apple, Lady had just gone down. To make matters worse, he threw it across the room, and Ryuk chases after it like a dog being given a treat.
Lady Phantasme clutched her wound, in sheer disbelief at how the world had just fucking flipped on itself. There's not even an apple, you feathered moron.
This is the kind of fuckery that explains why we don't let junkies into the Curtain Works. Coke, meth, apples... however you slice it, you end up with pawned equipment and jobs half-assed.
But now - ugh, and this is one of her best dresses, too - it was Lady Phantasme who was being pawned. Slim wouldn't help. He hadn't sent signal flares, or a radio, because he figured that if her "boob was in the wringer" at this early stage, it would be a trap. If he were really dumb, he'd have bailed as soon as the shooting started... and he'd have gotten away with it, too. Zero chance that he'd be exchanged for Kira now.
Fuck. They're probably going to call me a war criminal. Even these idiots wouldn't flinch at executing a war criminal... but even if not. My scrap of paper. They'll take it, they won't care that I've only got a week to live... and they control the apples. Ryuk won't be there for me.
Her right sleeve hung heavy about her wrist...
There was only one thing she came for that she could still get. Not the way she wanted, no... no protracted screams, no Polaroid selfies, no "proof of concept" to rub in the face of the gutless NHN worms... but if it was the only way she could--
She emptied the dead cop's revolver into the hospital bed above her and grasped for Montag's right hand.
Though the world had suddenly bloomed so profusely in pain as to fill an undifferentiated garden, the hand on his wrist stood out as the prime fact. The thumb probing the swollen mass for his vein – to feel the pulse fade from him, the hand cool and stiffen –
--premature of her. He remained alert. Breathing. But all this blood, dampening the sheets... the house medics didn't have blood in store. These injuries... the site wasn't prepared, it had only what he had needed on arrival. He needed... he needed intensive care.
Men with no name and five bullet wounds did not receive intensive care.
The hand began to twist, and he couldn't quite prevent a scream before he bit down.
Three gunshots. A screech, a thud, the clink of handcuffs.
It seemed his wrist was free.
Montag! A mask above him, blue, festooned with flat pebbles. We're surrounded, they're on stakeout, I can't--
Near may have been reserving the manpower elsewhere, but backup had certainly been anticipated. They haven't any medics. Universal opinion at Fukuchi sickbay. (And obviously, there had been no need for Stone to handcuff a dead woman.) Lady Phantasme's life, then... He shook his head. Stone had to be here to hear him. Near's bug didn't suffice, not for this. Stone – Bigwiggins. Make sure, as soon as possible... give it to him, save him. Save him, if...
If he isn't past saving. Kira hadn't taken the eyes in a year with L, and that meant he never would in a week with Bigwiggins... but if Kira is there, then Rem is almost certainly there also, and if she's seen his face... if Kira can speak freely... stop it.
If you can. Make sure.
And tell Scintillation... my face wasn't likely to win any beauty contests.
Montag? Shut up. Stone dragged Lady Phantasme to her feet. I'll get the medics.
Right, right, last words, peachy-keen, but who's that spilling your life's blood? Can't spare a word for her? Jackass.
Not that she could fully distinguish what blood was his. This situation was spoiling the whole aesthetic of the thing. The pain, especially... no, especially Ryuk's behavior. This was an entity that should be above all us mortals, and the guy is just... a bottom-feeder. Simple as.
Then the jerk on her chain-- she snarled long and loud. Let it all out, just so long as you've still got claws.
Ugh. And the heartbreak of it was that Montag had just handed her a top-notch weapon and she couldn't even use it. Not unless and until she could trust Ryuk...
So, she was at their mercy. The only consolation... NHN is just about up to their nose in mercy.
In this moment, reason had no part in Stone's mind. All that was, was that which came automatically.
What he knew by nature was the smell of Montag's blood still in his throat, the smell of Sugano's in his memory.
What he knew by second nature was that an armed man was, at this instant, threatening the life of a disabled woman.
In this moment, it was second nature that broke through. Stone stepped slightly forward, just enough to be an obstacle without it looking deliberate.
We're not fucking around. We're throwing away the key. He had no more room in his head for over-optimistic rationalizations. She's -- she's killed Montag.
With that name, it fell back into place: We... want her alive to take down Kira.
Many things danced momentarily on the tip of her tongue.
Loser, you just shot me for Kira's minion. Commitment issues, much?
Hey, Slim. I'm going to die in a week and they won't do anything to stop it.
Ryuk, why don't you go look for apples in the dumpster from here on...
Ugh.
...there just wasn't a helpful audience right now.
---
Kira's biggest butt-buddy too, huh...
Slim lowered his gun. Just enough to say "chill" without losing the edge. But what's there left to do here? Just get involved in shit too big for him. Never mind NHN. This "pantywaist newsies picking a fight with god" crap. Way over anyone's head.
...Fuck it. Do what you want.
"Do what you want." Masque motto, before milady lost her bananas. Yeah why not get back to that.
By the sound from the door, Stone was in a hurry, and not over-careful with Lady's wheelchair when it came to corners. She was being damned quiet. Unnerving; the woman never shut up. Hole in the jaw? He strained to look, but what he could see was a dim green, and black around the edges, and he couldn't swear it was the door.
Clear and stationed, Stone informed Near, panting. We'll need phlebotomy equipment, he's lost... a lot of blood. I'm A-positive, I don't know what type--
No idea. Montag thought he might be coming across as a bit drunk. The room was spinning and bobbing. He needed to hold himself together till they... ...Phantasme?
They'll see to you first, said Stone curtly.
No. The test, Montag reminded him, shivering. Why was the simple act of speaking such a labor? Your objections - obvious, I was there in the garage, too, but... doesn't matter about that. Only matters what'll work in future.
The mission... look, could you think a little past your newest attempt to get yourself killed for once? demanded Stone. You're damned handy. On a regular basis. I don't know if anyone's told you?
Yes, someone had. I needed you today, Bigwiggins had told him.
I needed Montag.
Given the subject that had been under discussion - and given that it was Bigwiggins - he had probably not been thinking of utility, per se. Montag, Matsui, Seiji Sako... simply bring your sweet self, stick around, and that's all he thinks he needs...
And it's the company of Sako that Bigwiggins has. Working on him, twisting him-- against Near (who needed others, in a way L never had, even if "apologies" and "thank you" were about the extent of his vocal expression of it; Near, too, needed Montag, not merely on immediate practical terms)--
--Bigwigs. Near. Tell them... very thoughtless of me. No long-term thinking...
Oh... oh, he was going down. Making an honest man out of this goon... I've killed him. I've killed him! So I don't get to revoke his mask privilege by cutting off his ears. Or take my mask back and paint it in his blood. Or... concentrate, through the pain. But those are extras. Check it, those lips are turning blue. This bastard is going down, and he is not coming back up.
Oh. Whistleblower said Near is Kira, by the way. And this scum was denying to my face that there was any such person.
She heard footseps behind her.
Oooh, must be triage. Save you time. He's black. I'm red. And I think the phrase here is you're welcome?
Nobu Orochi's her source on that whistleblower. 'Nuff said. I mean, if you still believe him... I'd say you deserved to have met, but... nah, they're saying you'd have died doing what you loved. At least... Check him.
We need unimpeded breathing... The lead medic paused on touching the edge of his mask. ...er. They're saying she hasn't got those eyes, right?
Stone patted his pocket, just to make sure that little laminate of scratch paper hadn't gone anywhere. ...Right.
They ripped away his mask.
Montag... he hadn't been kidding about his looks. With his wide-set eyes, those fleshy lips on that swarthy, narrow face, the wart on the cheek, he looked like a political caricature of a criminal. Like Kira's proper prey. Montag breathed now, a little more easily, but he wasn't conscious, and there was no sign of him. No hint of sentiment or sagacity to set him apart from any other dead crook.
Masks were a commendable choice, for ugly people of sterling worth. If you were willing to pay the price.
A second medic swore.
The bleeding at this knee... must've been a big bite out of the popliteal. If we were in a hospital right now...
...we'd all be dead. But everyone left that unspoken.
Without a word, they stepped back from Montag and gravitated toward Lady Phantasme. Hate this job sometimes.
So of course, the bozo who'd shot her was staying at the bedside. Unwritten social norm that someone's always got to stand around and watch 'em croak, except if that'd be any fun. So many social norms didn't offer consideration toward anyone.
Kept him from waffling back toward another attempt on her life, at least.
Wait a cottonpicking second... that guy pushing her to the next room had walked right through Ryuk.
Could any of them see Ryuk?
(...ugh, stripping off was tolerable in these extraordinary circumstanced, but she did not need to go through what it took to get onto that bed...)
...no, didn't seem so. She struggled into a position where she could look him square in the face.
He wasn't like he normally was. Sure, he could be a bit inattentive at times, but his vibes were eerily different from how it typically was. Lady could sense it, feel it..
'The eyes. Bet they heard it from Rem.'
He thought.
The snickering got louder, Lady slowly looked his way. His yellow eyes flickered. He knew this was about to be the end. And, with that information, any cries of help from Lady would fall on deaf ears from now on. Hey, at least he isn't fully attached to anything, amirite?
He knew she was looking for answers through him, and he would gladly share it. Besides, it's not going to affect him personally, so he won't care who may be mad at him as this point, he won't take it personal.
Nobody's backing her up here. Not Slim. Not Ryuk. Not these doctors, except on strictly Hippocratic terms, and for that matter they weren't quite that strict, if they flocked to the clearly dying traitor first. (Unless Ryuk stole her kill...? No. No, she can trust her own calls.)
(And Ryuk has enough to answer for.)
Kira hasn't got a database, she said listlessly. He just... looks at people's faces.
You're the death deity here. You knew that. You know how it's done, too.
Wild guess: you could have let me kill Kira all along. Couldn't you?
You know what, Ryuk... just get out of my sight. Permanently. Help yourself to the fucking apple subscription.
You're perplexed when Lady Phantasme makes you crouch down in the car, but she placates you with a loose explanation of Slim's role: the munitions crew is on standby in the area, while the broader Masque is creating some stir in Nerima which, apparently, feeds into one member's ardent desire to have her favorite seiyuu tied up.
But having parked in a blind spot (about half a kilometer away), she looks meaningfully down the road and holds out her hands like a child asking for a piggyback ride.
Third door down in that complex... that's our place.
Let's get to the roof.
This time, when she said "we can get aerial," it turned out she meant we.
You sure? Again?
He chuckled, but a bit nervous like always having her on his back.. but he's gotta do what he's gotta do.
He stretches out his wings and allowed her to get behind him. As soon as she got on him, he proceeds to fly up. As he did that, he seemed to stumble a bit. Lady acted almost like Ryuk was a horse, shouting 'fly away!'. Not for long he fully got in the sky.
She was more than.. delighted. That's for sure.. almost like it was some kind of stereotypical villain scene of her clearly scheming something with a laugh.
. . .
As soon as they arrived to the roof, she got off of him, twirling around. He stretched ever so slightly.
Okay, now what's the pla-
Before he could even speak, she was already speed walking away from his sight, and he panics.
Lady Phantasme begins drilling holes in the ceiling.
Put it this way... threatening Montag with my blog was pure bluff. Under the hood, in the land of hidden comments, Montag's got a pretty high approval rating even with the Masque. The bastard's good.
Not Slim, Slim gets the picture, but when I told him everything I wanted to do to the creep, he asked me (a bit bitchily) to "keep it in my pants" till we get back to base... which we should be doing in fairly short order. Pants intact. He's being a whiny bitch, but that doesn't make him wrong.
After that... NHN won't do one thing about it, not over the box of salt I'm giving Bigwiggins his ears in. You'll see. ♪
She fills the holes with blasting powder, strings some marinated twine, and retreats ten feet to set the match. A nearly perfect square of flame blossoms into a ragged, smoldering hole.
She smilingly glances at you over her shoulder, tossing her favorite wig, and, without further ado, jumping into the hole.
Stone made the first line of defense. The closet wouldn't accommodate more than one, but he'd insisted on the post. His helplessness, as Bigwiggins saw his death in room 222 - well, on a lifetime scale, helplessness couldn't be helped. But in the particular case of Lady Phantasme, Stone wouldn't be put in that spot again.
Near had expressed a marked preference for Lady Phantasme being taken alive. But it was clear that he would settle for her death. Better to ask forgiveness than ask permission, but in truth, Stone tacitly had both. Officially, in fact, Montag's life was immaterial to the success of the mission... but only Montag and possibly Near actually believed that.
Without advance warning from the perimeter, Stone saw, through the crack of the closet, Montag tense up and raise his fingers to his lips.
She's above us, Montag quietly intoned. She intends to take me to her base, to brutally kill me, and foresees no--
The roar was deafening.
Without any warning at all, Lady Phantasme descended to the floor in a swift and workmanlike base jump.
And between what he'd heard and what had come, Stone choked at the trigger.
Ryuk decided it was the perfect time to say that as Lady made her grand and dramatic entrance. All eyes were on her...
I'm sure he has- AHH!
Before he could finish his sentence, one of them grabbed the trigger and shot- although they missed. Ryuk even though he can't even be shot dodged the bullet, scared out of his mind while Lady elegantly dodged. She looked at him, annoyed with how he doesn't exactly.. swiftly does it with much style.
Ehh.. hyuk.. my bad.
He awkwardly spoke. Meanwhile... the showdown was already in motion. The room was tense, and as he knew it, Montag and Lady was staring each other down, almost like a predator circling their prey..
Ryuk... Lady Phantasme jerked her head to the closet. Get both his arms. Because if that guy can't swat you incorporeal, who does that leave? Montag? (She smiled briefly at the attention-seeking jackass's struggles to sit up and face her.) I'll just...
Before he could be incapacitated, Stone made his shot... not at Lady Phantasme's head. At the space where Lady Phantasme's head had been a moment before.
Now occupied by Montag's left foot.
Montag closed his eyes momentarily, feeling the wetness but not yet registering the pain. The first line was failing. His chances of survival were now... well, he'd never had the knack of quoting percentages. Slim to negligible. And depending on the idea currently rattling about in Lady Phantasme's skull, the one which made her so sure his comrades would stand by...
Shinigami, said Montag, his left hand searching under the mattress. I can't say I require the same service as the last time. (And you will notice I didn't require it then.) But I trust you wouldn't object to the same payment?
It seemed like he was at a stuck in the middle. Again.
He thought he wouldn't be!
He did what Lady demanded.
He then paused, thinking about the situation with him and Montag as soon as he mentioned it. He remembered the last time the whole ordeal happened between him and Montag. The apples. But he mustn't! He won't fall for it like last time. Lady wouldn't give him more apples if he were to just openly accept it. He doesn't pick sides, and bribery won't work.
It is.. quite tempting. But I'm not going to just give in like that.
Montag's hand emerged from under the mattress with an apple-shaped handful of thin air. He grinned savagely.
Your services are not really necessary.
--
Montag had given them both precious time, and Stone hadn't paused to question the gift. As this exchange took walked from the closet behind Ryuk, secured a better angle, and fired on Lady Phantasme.
Hit to the thigh. Doesn't look like the femoral artery, more's the pity... but Near should be happy, anyway. Odds are she's not getting up on her own power.
Fuck! And just when he wouldn't choose sides. Well, he really WOULDN'T, necessarily. It's solely about the apples, and no apples from either side equals to him going insane. It's not like he will really give in.
. . .
Aaaand he gave in. While he was too focused on the apple, Lady had just gone down. To make matters worse, he threw it across the room, and Ryuk chases after it like a dog being given a treat.
Lady Phantasme clutched her wound, in sheer disbelief at how the world had just fucking flipped on itself. There's not even an apple, you feathered moron.
This is the kind of fuckery that explains why we don't let junkies into the Curtain Works. Coke, meth, apples... however you slice it, you end up with pawned equipment and jobs half-assed.
But now - ugh, and this is one of her best dresses, too - it was Lady Phantasme who was being pawned. Slim wouldn't help. He hadn't sent signal flares, or a radio, because he figured that if her "boob was in the wringer" at this early stage, it would be a trap. If he were really dumb, he'd have bailed as soon as the shooting started... and he'd have gotten away with it, too. Zero chance that he'd be exchanged for Kira now.
Fuck. They're probably going to call me a war criminal. Even these idiots wouldn't flinch at executing a war criminal... but even if not. My scrap of paper. They'll take it, they won't care that I've only got a week to live... and they control the apples. Ryuk won't be there for me.
Her right sleeve hung heavy about her wrist...
There was only one thing she came for that she could still get. Not the way she wanted, no... no protracted screams, no Polaroid selfies, no "proof of concept" to rub in the face of the gutless NHN worms... but if it was the only way she could--
She emptied the dead cop's revolver into the hospital bed above her and grasped for Montag's right hand.
Though the world had suddenly bloomed so profusely in pain as to fill an undifferentiated garden, the hand on his wrist stood out as the prime fact. The thumb probing the swollen mass for his vein – to feel the pulse fade from him, the hand cool and stiffen –
--premature of her. He remained alert. Breathing. But all this blood, dampening the sheets... the house medics didn't have blood in store. These injuries... the site wasn't prepared, it had only what he had needed on arrival. He needed... he needed intensive care.
Men with no name and five bullet wounds did not receive intensive care.
The hand began to twist, and he couldn't quite prevent a scream before he bit down.
Three gunshots. A screech, a thud, the clink of handcuffs.
It seemed his wrist was free.
Montag! A mask above him, blue, festooned with flat pebbles. We're surrounded, they're on stakeout, I can't--
Near may have been reserving the manpower elsewhere, but backup had certainly been anticipated. They haven't any medics. Universal opinion at Fukuchi sickbay. (And obviously, there had been no need for Stone to handcuff a dead woman.) Lady Phantasme's life, then... He shook his head. Stone had to be here to hear him. Near's bug didn't suffice, not for this. Stone – Bigwiggins. Make sure, as soon as possible... give it to him, save him. Save him, if...
If he isn't past saving. Kira hadn't taken the eyes in a year with L, and that meant he never would in a week with Bigwiggins... but if Kira is there, then Rem is almost certainly there also, and if she's seen his face... if Kira can speak freely... stop it.
If you can. Make sure.
And tell Scintillation... my face wasn't likely to win any beauty contests.
Montag? Shut up. Stone dragged Lady Phantasme to her feet. I'll get the medics.
Right, right, last words, peachy-keen, but who's that spilling your life's blood? Can't spare a word for her? Jackass.
Not that she could fully distinguish what blood was his. This situation was spoiling the whole aesthetic of the thing. The pain, especially... no, especially Ryuk's behavior. This was an entity that should be above all us mortals, and the guy is just... a bottom-feeder. Simple as.
Then the jerk on her chain-- she snarled long and loud. Let it all out, just so long as you've still got claws.
Ugh. And the heartbreak of it was that Montag had just handed her a top-notch weapon and she couldn't even use it. Not unless and until she could trust Ryuk...
So, she was at their mercy. The only consolation... NHN is just about up to their nose in mercy.
In this moment, reason had no part in Stone's mind. All that was, was that which came automatically.
What he knew by nature was the smell of Montag's blood still in his throat, the smell of Sugano's in his memory.
What he knew by second nature was that an armed man was, at this instant, threatening the life of a disabled woman.
In this moment, it was second nature that broke through. Stone stepped slightly forward, just enough to be an obstacle without it looking deliberate.
We're not fucking around. We're throwing away the key. He had no more room in his head for over-optimistic rationalizations. She's -- she's killed Montag.
With that name, it fell back into place: We... want her alive to take down Kira.
Many things danced momentarily on the tip of her tongue.
Loser, you just shot me for Kira's minion. Commitment issues, much?
Hey, Slim. I'm going to die in a week and they won't do anything to stop it.
Ryuk, why don't you go look for apples in the dumpster from here on...
Ugh.
...there just wasn't a helpful audience right now.
---
Kira's biggest butt-buddy too, huh...
Slim lowered his gun. Just enough to say "chill" without losing the edge. But what's there left to do here? Just get involved in shit too big for him. Never mind NHN. This "pantywaist newsies picking a fight with god" crap. Way over anyone's head.
...Fuck it. Do what you want.
"Do what you want." Masque motto, before milady lost her bananas. Yeah why not get back to that.
By the sound from the door, Stone was in a hurry, and not over-careful with Lady's wheelchair when it came to corners. She was being damned quiet. Unnerving; the woman never shut up. Hole in the jaw? He strained to look, but what he could see was a dim green, and black around the edges, and he couldn't swear it was the door.
Clear and stationed, Stone informed Near, panting. We'll need phlebotomy equipment, he's lost... a lot of blood. I'm A-positive, I don't know what type--
No idea. Montag thought he might be coming across as a bit drunk. The room was spinning and bobbing. He needed to hold himself together till they... ...Phantasme?
They'll see to you first, said Stone curtly.
No. The test, Montag reminded him, shivering. Why was the simple act of speaking such a labor? Your objections - obvious, I was there in the garage, too, but... doesn't matter about that. Only matters what'll work in future.
The mission... look, could you think a little past your newest attempt to get yourself killed for once? demanded Stone. You're damned handy. On a regular basis. I don't know if anyone's told you?
Yes, someone had. I needed you today, Bigwiggins had told him.
I needed Montag.
Given the subject that had been under discussion - and given that it was Bigwiggins - he had probably not been thinking of utility, per se. Montag, Matsui, Seiji Sako... simply bring your sweet self, stick around, and that's all he thinks he needs...
And it's the company of Sako that Bigwiggins has. Working on him, twisting him-- against Near (who needed others, in a way L never had, even if "apologies" and "thank you" were about the extent of his vocal expression of it; Near, too, needed Montag, not merely on immediate practical terms)--
--Bigwigs. Near. Tell them... very thoughtless of me. No long-term thinking...
Oh... oh, he was going down. Making an honest man out of this goon... I've killed him. I've killed him! So I don't get to revoke his mask privilege by cutting off his ears. Or take my mask back and paint it in his blood. Or... concentrate, through the pain. But those are extras. Check it, those lips are turning blue. This bastard is going down, and he is not coming back up.
Oh. Whistleblower said Near is Kira, by the way. And this scum was denying to my face that there was any such person.
She heard footseps behind her.
Oooh, must be triage. Save you time. He's black. I'm red. And I think the phrase here is you're welcome?
Nobu Orochi's her source on that whistleblower. 'Nuff said. I mean, if you still believe him... I'd say you deserved to have met, but... nah, they're saying you'd have died doing what you loved. At least... Check him.
We need unimpeded breathing... The lead medic paused on touching the edge of his mask. ...er. They're saying she hasn't got those eyes, right?
Stone patted his pocket, just to make sure that little laminate of scratch paper hadn't gone anywhere. ...Right.
They ripped away his mask.
Montag... he hadn't been kidding about his looks. With his wide-set eyes, those fleshy lips on that swarthy, narrow face, the wart on the cheek, he looked like a political caricature of a criminal. Like Kira's proper prey. Montag breathed now, a little more easily, but he wasn't conscious, and there was no sign of him. No hint of sentiment or sagacity to set him apart from any other dead crook.
Masks were a commendable choice, for ugly people of sterling worth. If you were willing to pay the price.
A second medic swore.
The bleeding at this knee... must've been a big bite out of the popliteal. If we were in a hospital right now...
...we'd all be dead. But everyone left that unspoken.
Without a word, they stepped back from Montag and gravitated toward Lady Phantasme. Hate this job sometimes.
So of course, the bozo who'd shot her was staying at the bedside. Unwritten social norm that someone's always got to stand around and watch 'em croak, except if that'd be any fun. So many social norms didn't offer consideration toward anyone.
Kept him from waffling back toward another attempt on her life, at least.
Wait a cottonpicking second... that guy pushing her to the next room had walked right through Ryuk.
Could any of them see Ryuk?
(...ugh, stripping off was tolerable in these extraordinary circumstanced, but she did not need to go through what it took to get onto that bed...)
...no, didn't seem so. She struggled into a position where she could look him square in the face.
He wasn't like he normally was. Sure, he could be a bit inattentive at times, but his vibes were eerily different from how it typically was. Lady could sense it, feel it..
'The eyes. Bet they heard it from Rem.'
He thought.
The snickering got louder, Lady slowly looked his way. His yellow eyes flickered. He knew this was about to be the end. And, with that information, any cries of help from Lady would fall on deaf ears from now on. Hey, at least he isn't fully attached to anything, amirite?
He knew she was looking for answers through him, and he would gladly share it. Besides, it's not going to affect him personally, so he won't care who may be mad at him as this point, he won't take it personal.
You're perplexed when Lady Phantasme makes you crouch down in the car, but she placates you with a loose explanation of Slim's role: the munitions crew is on standby in the area, while the broader Masque is creating some stir in Nerima which, apparently, feeds into one member's ardent desire to have her favorite seiyuu tied up.
But having parked in a blind spot (about half a kilometer away), she looks meaningfully down the road and holds out her hands like a child asking for a piggyback ride.
Third door down in that complex... that's our place.
Let's get to the roof.
This time, when she said "we can get aerial," it turned out she meant we.
You sure? Again?
He chuckled, but a bit nervous like always having her on his back.. but he's gotta do what he's gotta do.
He stretches out his wings and allowed her to get behind him. As soon as she got on him, he proceeds to fly up. As he did that, he seemed to stumble a bit. Lady acted almost like Ryuk was a horse, shouting 'fly away!'. Not for long he fully got in the sky.
She was more than.. delighted. That's for sure.. almost like it was some kind of stereotypical villain scene of her clearly scheming something with a laugh.
. . .
As soon as they arrived to the roof, she got off of him, twirling around. He stretched ever so slightly.
Okay, now what's the pla-
Before he could even speak, she was already speed walking away from his sight, and he panics.
Lady Phantasme begins drilling holes in the ceiling.
Put it this way... threatening Montag with my blog was pure bluff. Under the hood, in the land of hidden comments, Montag's got a pretty high approval rating even with the Masque. The bastard's good.
Not Slim, Slim gets the picture, but when I told him everything I wanted to do to the creep, he asked me (a bit bitchily) to "keep it in my pants" till we get back to base... which we should be doing in fairly short order. Pants intact. He's being a whiny bitch, but that doesn't make him wrong.
After that... NHN won't do one thing about it, not over the box of salt I'm giving Bigwiggins his ears in. You'll see. ♪
She fills the holes with blasting powder, strings some marinated twine, and retreats ten feet to set the match. A nearly perfect square of flame blossoms into a ragged, smoldering hole.
She smilingly glances at you over her shoulder, tossing her favorite wig, and, without further ado, jumping into the hole.
Stone made the first line of defense. The closet wouldn't accommodate more than one, but he'd insisted on the post. His helplessness, as Bigwiggins saw his death in room 222 - well, on a lifetime scale, helplessness couldn't be helped. But in the particular case of Lady Phantasme, Stone wouldn't be put in that spot again.
Near had expressed a marked preference for Lady Phantasme being taken alive. But it was clear that he would settle for her death. Better to ask forgiveness than ask permission, but in truth, Stone tacitly had both. Officially, in fact, Montag's life was immaterial to the success of the mission... but only Montag and possibly Near actually believed that.
Without advance warning from the perimeter, Stone saw, through the crack of the closet, Montag tense up and raise his fingers to his lips.
She's above us, Montag quietly intoned. She intends to take me to her base, to brutally kill me, and foresees no--
The roar was deafening.
Without any warning at all, Lady Phantasme descended to the floor in a swift and workmanlike base jump.
And between what he'd heard and what had come, Stone choked at the trigger.
Ryuk decided it was the perfect time to say that as Lady made her grand and dramatic entrance. All eyes were on her...
I'm sure he has- AHH!
Before he could finish his sentence, one of them grabbed the trigger and shot- although they missed. Ryuk even though he can't even be shot dodged the bullet, scared out of his mind while Lady elegantly dodged. She looked at him, annoyed with how he doesn't exactly.. swiftly does it with much style.
Ehh.. hyuk.. my bad.
He awkwardly spoke. Meanwhile... the showdown was already in motion. The room was tense, and as he knew it, Montag and Lady was staring each other down, almost like a predator circling their prey..
Ryuk... Lady Phantasme jerked her head to the closet. Get both his arms. Because if that guy can't swat you incorporeal, who does that leave? Montag? (She smiled briefly at the attention-seeking jackass's struggles to sit up and face her.) I'll just...
Before he could be incapacitated, Stone made his shot... not at Lady Phantasme's head. At the space where Lady Phantasme's head had been a moment before.
Now occupied by Montag's left foot.
Montag closed his eyes momentarily, feeling the wetness but not yet registering the pain. The first line was failing. His chances of survival were now... well, he'd never had the knack of quoting percentages. Slim to negligible. And depending on the idea currently rattling about in Lady Phantasme's skull, the one which made her so sure his comrades would stand by...
Shinigami, said Montag, his left hand searching under the mattress. I can't say I require the same service as the last time. (And you will notice I didn't require it then.) But I trust you wouldn't object to the same payment?
It seemed like he was at a stuck in the middle. Again.
He thought he wouldn't be!
He did what Lady demanded.
He then paused, thinking about the situation with him and Montag as soon as he mentioned it. He remembered the last time the whole ordeal happened between him and Montag. The apples. But he mustn't! He won't fall for it like last time. Lady wouldn't give him more apples if he were to just openly accept it. He doesn't pick sides, and bribery won't work.
It is.. quite tempting. But I'm not going to just give in like that.
Montag's hand emerged from under the mattress with an apple-shaped handful of thin air. He grinned savagely.
Your services are not really necessary.
--
Montag had given them both precious time, and Stone hadn't paused to question the gift. As this exchange took walked from the closet behind Ryuk, secured a better angle, and fired on Lady Phantasme.
Hit to the thigh. Doesn't look like the femoral artery, more's the pity... but Near should be happy, anyway. Odds are she's not getting up on her own power.
Fuck! And just when he wouldn't choose sides. Well, he really WOULDN'T, necessarily. It's solely about the apples, and no apples from either side equals to him going insane. It's not like he will really give in.
. . .
Aaaand he gave in. While he was too focused on the apple, Lady had just gone down. To make matters worse, he threw it across the room, and Ryuk chases after it like a dog being given a treat.
You're perplexed when Lady Phantasme makes you crouch down in the car, but she placates you with a loose explanation of Slim's role: the munitions crew is on standby in the area, while the broader Masque is creating some stir in Nerima which, apparently, feeds into one member's ardent desire to have her favorite seiyuu tied up.
But having parked in a blind spot (about half a kilometer away), she looks meaningfully down the road and holds out her hands like a child asking for a piggyback ride.
Third door down in that complex... that's our place.
Let's get to the roof.
This time, when she said "we can get aerial," it turned out she meant we.
You sure? Again?
He chuckled, but a bit nervous like always having her on his back.. but he's gotta do what he's gotta do.
He stretches out his wings and allowed her to get behind him. As soon as she got on him, he proceeds to fly up. As he did that, he seemed to stumble a bit. Lady acted almost like Ryuk was a horse, shouting 'fly away!'. Not for long he fully got in the sky.
She was more than.. delighted. That's for sure.. almost like it was some kind of stereotypical villain scene of her clearly scheming something with a laugh.
. . .
As soon as they arrived to the roof, she got off of him, twirling around. He stretched ever so slightly.
Okay, now what's the pla-
Before he could even speak, she was already speed walking away from his sight, and he panics.
Lady Phantasme begins drilling holes in the ceiling.
Put it this way... threatening Montag with my blog was pure bluff. Under the hood, in the land of hidden comments, Montag's got a pretty high approval rating even with the Masque. The bastard's good.
Not Slim, Slim gets the picture, but when I told him everything I wanted to do to the creep, he asked me (a bit bitchily) to "keep it in my pants" till we get back to base... which we should be doing in fairly short order. Pants intact. He's being a whiny bitch, but that doesn't make him wrong.
After that... NHN won't do one thing about it, not over the box of salt I'm giving Bigwiggins his ears in. You'll see. ♪
She fills the holes with blasting powder, strings some marinated twine, and retreats ten feet to set the match. A nearly perfect square of flame blossoms into a ragged, smoldering hole.
She smilingly glances at you over her shoulder, tossing her favorite wig, and, without further ado, jumping into the hole.
Stone made the first line of defense. The closet wouldn't accommodate more than one, but he'd insisted on the post. His helplessness, as Bigwiggins saw his death in room 222 - well, on a lifetime scale, helplessness couldn't be helped. But in the particular case of Lady Phantasme, Stone wouldn't be put in that spot again.
Near had expressed a marked preference for Lady Phantasme being taken alive. But it was clear that he would settle for her death. Better to ask forgiveness than ask permission, but in truth, Stone tacitly had both. Officially, in fact, Montag's life was immaterial to the success of the mission... but only Montag and possibly Near actually believed that.
Without advance warning from the perimeter, Stone saw, through the crack of the closet, Montag tense up and raise his fingers to his lips.
She's above us, Montag quietly intoned. She intends to take me to her base, to brutally kill me, and foresees no--
The roar was deafening.
Without any warning at all, Lady Phantasme descended to the floor in a swift and workmanlike base jump.
And between what he'd heard and what had come, Stone choked at the trigger.
Ryuk decided it was the perfect time to say that as Lady made her grand and dramatic entrance. All eyes were on her...
I'm sure he has- AHH!
Before he could finish his sentence, one of them grabbed the trigger and shot- although they missed. Ryuk even though he can't even be shot dodged the bullet, scared out of his mind while Lady elegantly dodged. She looked at him, annoyed with how he doesn't exactly.. swiftly does it with much style.
Ehh.. hyuk.. my bad.
He awkwardly spoke. Meanwhile... the showdown was already in motion. The room was tense, and as he knew it, Montag and Lady was staring each other down, almost like a predator circling their prey..
Ryuk... Lady Phantasme jerked her head to the closet. Get both his arms. Because if that guy can't swat you incorporeal, who does that leave? Montag? (She smiled briefly at the attention-seeking jackass's struggles to sit up and face her.) I'll just...
Before he could be incapacitated, Stone made his shot... not at Lady Phantasme's head. At the space where Lady Phantasme's head had been a moment before.
Now occupied by Montag's left foot.
Montag closed his eyes momentarily, feeling the wetness but not yet registering the pain. The first line was failing. His chances of survival were now... well, he'd never had the knack of quoting percentages. Slim to negligible. And depending on the idea currently rattling about in Lady Phantasme's skull, the one which made her so sure his comrades would stand by...
Shinigami, said Montag, his left hand searching under the mattress. I can't say I require the same service as the last time. (And you will notice I didn't require it then.) But I trust you wouldn't object to the same payment?
It seemed like he was at a stuck in the middle. Again.
He thought he wouldn't be!
He did what Lady demanded.
He then paused, thinking about the situation with him and Montag as soon as he mentioned it. He remembered the last time the whole ordeal happened between him and Montag. The apples. But he mustn't! He won't fall for it like last time. Lady wouldn't give him more apples if he were to just openly accept it. He doesn't pick sides, and bribery won't work.
It is.. quite tempting. But I'm not going to just give in like that.
You're perplexed when Lady Phantasme makes you crouch down in the car, but she placates you with a loose explanation of Slim's role: the munitions crew is on standby in the area, while the broader Masque is creating some stir in Nerima which, apparently, feeds into one member's ardent desire to have her favorite seiyuu tied up.
But having parked in a blind spot (about half a kilometer away), she looks meaningfully down the road and holds out her hands like a child asking for a piggyback ride.
Third door down in that complex... that's our place.
Let's get to the roof.
This time, when she said "we can get aerial," it turned out she meant we.
You sure? Again?
He chuckled, but a bit nervous like always having her on his back.. but he's gotta do what he's gotta do.
He stretches out his wings and allowed her to get behind him. As soon as she got on him, he proceeds to fly up. As he did that, he seemed to stumble a bit. Lady acted almost like Ryuk was a horse, shouting 'fly away!'. Not for long he fully got in the sky.
She was more than.. delighted. That's for sure.. almost like it was some kind of stereotypical villain scene of her clearly scheming something with a laugh.
. . .
As soon as they arrived to the roof, she got off of him, twirling around. He stretched ever so slightly.
Okay, now what's the pla-
Before he could even speak, she was already speed walking away from his sight, and he panics.
Lady Phantasme begins drilling holes in the ceiling.
Put it this way... threatening Montag with my blog was pure bluff. Under the hood, in the land of hidden comments, Montag's got a pretty high approval rating even with the Masque. The bastard's good.
Not Slim, Slim gets the picture, but when I told him everything I wanted to do to the creep, he asked me (a bit bitchily) to "keep it in my pants" till we get back to base... which we should be doing in fairly short order. Pants intact. He's being a whiny bitch, but that doesn't make him wrong.
After that... NHN won't do one thing about it, not over the box of salt I'm giving Bigwiggins his ears in. You'll see. ♪
She fills the holes with blasting powder, strings some marinated twine, and retreats ten feet to set the match. A nearly perfect square of flame blossoms into a ragged, smoldering hole.
She smilingly glances at you over her shoulder, tossing her favorite wig, and, without further ado, jumping into the hole.
Stone made the first line of defense. The closet wouldn't accommodate more than one, but he'd insisted on the post. His helplessness, as Bigwiggins saw his death in room 222 - well, on a lifetime scale, helplessness couldn't be helped. But in the particular case of Lady Phantasme, Stone wouldn't be put in that spot again.
Near had expressed a marked preference for Lady Phantasme being taken alive. But it was clear that he would settle for her death. Better to ask forgiveness than ask permission, but in truth, Stone tacitly had both. Officially, in fact, Montag's life was immaterial to the success of the mission... but only Montag and possibly Near actually believed that.
Without advance warning from the perimeter, Stone saw, through the crack of the closet, Montag tense up and raise his fingers to his lips.
She's above us, Montag quietly intoned. She intends to take me to her base, to brutally kill me, and foresees no--
The roar was deafening.
Without any warning at all, Lady Phantasme descended to the floor in a swift and workmanlike base jump.
And between what he'd heard and what had come, Stone choked at the trigger.
Ryuk decided it was the perfect time to say that as Lady made her grand and dramatic entrance. All eyes were on her...
I'm sure he has- AHH!
Before he could finish his sentence, one of them grabbed the trigger and shot- although they missed. Ryuk even though he can't even be shot dodged the bullet, scared out of his mind while Lady elegantly dodged. She looked at him, annoyed with how he doesn't exactly.. swiftly does it with much style.
Ehh.. hyuk.. my bad.
He awkwardly spoke. Meanwhile... the showdown was already in motion. The room was tense, and as he knew it, Montag and Lady was staring each other down, almost like a predator circling their prey..
You're perplexed when Lady Phantasme makes you crouch down in the car, but she placates you with a loose explanation of Slim's role: the munitions crew is on standby in the area, while the broader Masque is creating some stir in Nerima which, apparently, feeds into one member's ardent desire to have her favorite seiyuu tied up.
But having parked in a blind spot (about half a kilometer away), she looks meaningfully down the road and holds out her hands like a child asking for a piggyback ride.
Third door down in that complex... that's our place.
Let's get to the roof.
This time, when she said "we can get aerial," it turned out she meant we.
You sure? Again?
He chuckled, but a bit nervous like always having her on his back.. but he's gotta do what he's gotta do.
He stretches out his wings and allowed her to get behind him. As soon as she got on him, he proceeds to fly up. As he did that, he seemed to stumble a bit. Lady acted almost like Ryuk was a horse, shouting 'fly away!'. Not for long he fully got in the sky.
She was more than.. delighted. That's for sure.. almost like it was some kind of stereotypical villain scene of her clearly scheming something with a laugh.
. . .
As soon as they arrived to the roof, she got off of him, twirling around. He stretched ever so slightly.
Okay, now what's the pla-
Before he could even speak, she was already speed walking away from his sight, and he panics.
Lady Phantasme has spent the last few hours doing web searches and calls, growing increasingly irritable with each. You haven't been helping; the only seeming reprieve has been when she went out to get the mail and made a show of not taking you. But this time, when she hangs up the phone, she's got that gleam in her eye.
Got it, Ryuk.
He got up quickly, and listens intently to the news she may have.
After her working hours... and Ryuk being Ryuk, making her frustrated by the minute, there had finally been something that would keep the ball rolling.
First: you should be made aware that narrowing locations down from the ass end of kanji is the kind of shit they save for kids in detention. But never mind. She throws herself jubilantly into her highly cushioned sofa. I've got him!
Small-time MRI clinic. "Closed for renovation" as of November sixth, no ETA listed. If you'd like to talk to a medical professional, fuck off because you're being disconnected now.
Oh and the injuries are real. I can tell because it's obvious he didn't get those in a fucking fight. Threw himself from the second or third story, maybe. For the clout. Too bad for him, wouldn't you say? ♪
Sooo... no point in you being an advance scout. Given what happened last time when he wasn't flat on his back staring at the ceiling. No, no, we're a pure team tonight.
He closely follows her from behind as she makes herself comfortable.
Humans really go through a lot of lengths just to prove a point. I wouldn't exactly be surprised if he were to push it any further... hyuk.
Well-! I had a sort of disadvantage! They could see me because they already had access to the Death Note! I'm used to others not seeing me.. me and 'sneaky' are not exactly the right combination apparently.
He was a bit embarrassed, almost seemingly trying to shake it off. You could tell he was thinking about those moments of pure disaster right then and there.
He tilted his head, a team. A lot will go wrong, he already knows, but...
He's not going to tell her. Just.. keep egging it on, Ryuk.
Oh? A pure team? Fine by me. I finally don't have to be confronted completely by them...
Lady Phantasme has spent the last few hours doing web searches and calls, growing increasingly irritable with each. You haven't been helping; the only seeming reprieve has been when she went out to get the mail and made a show of not taking you. But this time, when she hangs up the phone, she's got that gleam in her eye.
Got it, Ryuk.
He got up quickly, and listens intently to the news she may have.
After her working hours... and Ryuk being Ryuk, making her frustrated by the minute, there had finally been something that would keep the ball rolling.
Keeping up with the elevator was an adventure. The experience of seeing your own antics in the lobby on the monitor was also novel: the guard in the aviator mask expressed the opinion that you were "like a kid in a candy store," never suspecting that you were in the room.
But at this point, pleasure is giving way to business. The cadre is now headed to the parking garage in hopes of finding a full Death Note.
(tagging @peace-01 for good measure)
He was right behind, still making sure to keep level of distance to ensure he wasn't caught. Now having Lady on the phone, he did best to stay silent. He sure knows how to lurk now..
Could he successfully get through this time? Possibly...
Ugh. Such a bore. He needs to snack on apples for this show!
Switched to the tobacco with the extra advisory warnings, huh. "Will reduce your life expectancy to thirteen days, guaranteed." Kind of hope he's tried it, not gonna lie.
Returner handled a cigarette as though it were going to bite him. In retrospect: no politics, and to reinforce that, here are your new roommates who also aren't talking politics... that would have been the best approach. If not for the... cigarette thing.
But no notebook?
Yeah. Pretty sure--
He looks up in startlement: Ryuk's cell phone just rattled against the roof of the parking garage.
Lady Phantasme is sitting at the counter with a half-eaten mostly-molten bowl of ice cream. When she sees you arrive, she smiles broadly and makes a prompt beeline for the fridge.
It turns out she's gotten a whole box of Venus apples. Eighteen, not thirty-six, which goes to show this is the good stuff. She hands you two.
Double your task, double your fun. Gotta run to the computer now, but just as a test case--
She throws the ice cream at the wall.
Could you get a wet towel and clean that up? That's only worth a Red Delicious, but I've got a delivery service now.
You really want me to do the dirty stuff for you, aye?
He looks at the ice cream for only just a moment.
He's not even getting paid for this.. maybe with apples. But it's going a little farther than he's expected. Even he didn't do this much with Light! A shinigami gotta do what he gotta do.
Yea, yea. I'll get it.
'Sheesh.' He whispered under his breath.
Once he got it and cleans it up, he looks at you, and the apple. He holds out his hand. Errand boy is probably the best title for him at this point with how many side quests Lady has prompted for him to do, and he doesn't know how to feel about it.
Keeping up with the elevator was an adventure. The experience of seeing your own antics in the lobby on the monitor was also novel: the guard in the aviator mask expressed the opinion that you were "like a kid in a candy store," never suspecting that you were in the room.
But at this point, pleasure is giving way to business. The cadre is now headed to the parking garage in hopes of finding a full Death Note.
(tagging @peace-01 for good measure)
He was right behind, still making sure to keep level of distance to ensure he wasn't caught. Now having Lady on the phone, he did best to stay silent. He sure knows how to lurk now..
Could he successfully get through this time? Possibly...
Ugh. Such a bore. He needs to snack on apples for this show!
Switched to the tobacco with the extra advisory warnings, huh. "Will reduce your life expectancy to thirteen days, guaranteed." Kind of hope he's tried it, not gonna lie.
Returner handled a cigarette as though it were going to bite him. In retrospect: no politics, and to reinforce that, here are your new roommates who also aren't talking politics... that would have been the best approach. If not for the... cigarette thing.
But no notebook?
Yeah. Pretty sure--
He looks up in startlement: Ryuk's cell phone just rattled against the roof of the parking garage.
Keeping up with the elevator was an adventure. The experience of seeing your own antics in the lobby on the monitor was also novel: the guard in the aviator mask expressed the opinion that you were "like a kid in a candy store," never suspecting that you were in the room.
But at this point, pleasure is giving way to business. The cadre is now headed to the parking garage in hopes of finding a full Death Note.
(tagging @peace-01 for good measure)
He was right behind, still making sure to keep level of distance to ensure he wasn't caught. Now having Lady on the phone, he did best to stay silent. He sure knows how to lurk now..
Could he successfully get through this time? Possibly...
Ugh. Such a bore. He needs to snack on apples for this show!
You're blind and not too functional in the aerobics and coordination departments, but nothing's wrong with your hearing.
“Seventy percent. If that's how sure Armor is, I'd like to know where he was at the intake--”
“Less talking, more restraining--” A thump and a hiss: your foot's connected with the speaker's face. “Okay, that's... spicy. I might have to... ugh...”
“No, not that way, try--”
Someone's succeeded in chaining your right leg to a fixed object.
Nobu narrowed his eyes, shrugging his shoulder as if in a thwarted attempt to raise his arm. A moment ago, he'd wanted to make a joke by raising his fist, but now that joke would be impossible. He'd look pathetic, attacking blindly. His face twisted, but his muscles didn't tense. The pain was clearly still there, but he seemed almost unfazed by his new position. Honestly, he decided that the immobility wasn't his problem. The others would deal with it now. The only thing that triggered a reaction in him was the chain. At least, he was sure it was that.
Hey,
Nobu moved his leg. Then again, as if trying to test how tightly he was locked in. Then he began to move with all his might, his whole body, hoping it would have an effect.
The bed was inching from its former place, for sure, but not much more than that. Just get the other leg bound up, and...
At least he's made basically no use of this room. Just move him next door and give the place a good deep-clean... he can take his own shower, though. He's probably got the pride to see it through.
And there are the hands.
Right, next instructions. Take apart his shoes first, then examine the underwear, then the lining of his clothing, "in ascending order of stupidity." Armor didn't seem the type to dodge the blame, but that didn't sound entirely like a "mea culpa."
Nobu twitched for less than a minute before a thought stopped him. He suddenly froze, relaxed, as if completely resigned, and from that moment on, there was no sign of resistance. He simply realized that this was most likely a preparation for a meeting with Light. A very peculiar one. And even if it wasn't, well, that interpretation made him feel better.
There was nothing in his clothes. But in his shoe, under the sole, barely visible but palpable when pressed, another cigarette could be found. Its appearance left much to be desired. Not only because of the place Nobu had thought to hide it, but because it had been rolled by himself. It looked like he had hidden a small, thin piece of paper inside.
So that's... yesterday's eight-o'-clock special, right?
Just the footage from the lobby, I think...
Returner just leant back against the wall with a sigh of relief. If they didn't find anything on his person, one implication was that he would have made an assault. And personally, he didn't like his chances.
He... still didn't, actually.
I... brought my second mask, for what it's worth.
Under that? His colleague gave him a disbelieving look.
Sure, it fits. He raised his aviator goggles to reveal a dapper white eye-mask.
...Mortality zones, Mamoru Chiba. Look 'em up. He paused mid-eye-roll and gave the piece of paper a more thoughtful glance. You know what, I'll give the car a check. Just for the sake of thoroughness.
Sure. It's a lot easier to make a break if you just... write that it happened.
Returner came over in gooseflesh at how close the call had been. Not that he was about to let Bi-ki know about that...
So, in case you wondered, the answer's no. Bigwiggins was overruled. Also, from now on, we're practicing what we preach. No more talking politics, no more talking about your crime, and above all? No more outside deals.
Let's get you next door. Fresh clothes should come up during your shower. It'll be long and unpleasant, but it's the only cure there is.
After a little bit, as instructed by Lady from the phone call, he manages to get to the exact location she wanted him to be in. This time, Ryuk intends to be sneakier than last time. Last time was uhm.. a disaster. One that he does not intend to make again if he wants his hands on those apples.
Sure, he's being cornered and manipulated through means of apples, but it keeps the story going! So it's a win win for him.. amirite?
As he goes overhead, he peaks in from the conversation. He doesn't know when to exactly call Lady back without causing much noise.. guess he will have to be as quiet as a mouse.
After realizing they were moving yet again, Ryuk stutters in his movement, repositioning.
[The Masque Against the Red Death blog. November 7, 2008.]
Good morning, beautiful readers! You've heard the rumors, and yup, can confirm. Those kills are all yours truly. That Ken doll from Furansu Beat included. Someone out there is bound to understand... isn't that right, sweetie?
If you want the measure of NHN's continued circle round the toilet hole, note that their main response to forty of their supposed enemies meeting their fiery reward has been to go BAAWWW about the air pollution in Tokyo this morning.
Which brings me to Montag. Oh, Montag, you treacherous shitheel, you. I hope he really hurt you, when he found out I wasn't coming to the party. On second thought, maybe that little spat is better off as pure, bloodless kabuki. I've been boning up on Foxe's Book of Martyrs, just for our reunion, and a virgin field widens the possibilities.
Oh, but I forget I haven't let you in the loop, my lovelies. Yesterday morning? Turns out Montag actively conspired with Kira against me. See, a little bird told me: Kira's personally embedded with the network.
In short? Anyone who opposes Kira and thinks Bigwimp's scrawny little puppet body will save them is a drooling moron and ripe for another uptick in the air pollution index.
Slim! Call me!
---
Only the frosting on the cake was lacking. To wit: Guest038. Wherever he was, he sure wasn't in any position to read 'em and weep. Never mind crawl.
On the other hand... if Montag hasn't got everyone's short hairs in a vise by now, Lady Phantasme had a pretty educated guess as to where Guest038 would be...
His grin stretched slowly. After seeing the absolute disaster from Lady's post online, and it spreading like wildfire.. oh, so bliss. If only he could have the same feeling humans do in the thrill of it all. Of course, he feels the thrill, just.. on a different level from the rest.
I wouldn't mind. what's in it for me?
He wouldn't budge as easily.. unless. Lady may try with her dreamy appearance, but not today!
Uhh. Cheap thrills? That's your button, isn't it...?
Okay, maybe she should have fully acknowledged those apple symptoms for what they were.
...Venus apple. Buttery texture, bit of a tropical blend. Ready when you get back.
She holds out a burner. So, remember that place where I shot Higuchi in the brainpan? Go to the fifth floor. Knock on the windows. I'll call this phone now, just keep it running and on speaker.
You didn't even have to elaborate any further. He was already up and ready before you knew it. Now, with Guest038's reaction to a floating phone.. that sounds more than fun.
And with that, he was gone.
. . .
Time passed by, and a floating phone was definitely a weird sight for some who were unfortunate to see it. He did his best to remain out of the public eye. Soon enough, he was there, the building..
Ryuk always thought Higuchi was a funny guy. And, also funny looking, too.
With Lady nearby so he could be able to stay in her radar enough to go on his own, he held the phone as tightly as he could. She watched him glide in the air, and finally; to the windows.
You sure this is it?
He spoke over the phone for confirmation. He swore he heard her sigh in annoyance.
Nobu stared at the now-dark phone screen for a moment. Sure, he could relay the information directly, but any call or message would be scrutinized too closely. He could say, "Everything's going according to plan," or "It's over," and all those words would come back to haunt him. Maybe not the rhetoric itself, but who the message was sent to. Everything was important. He lacked the logic to put it all together correctly, and Kira hadn't given him any guidance. Well, let him just...
He froze upon seeing Ryuk. Nobu's expression barely changed, but upon closer inspection, his skin was noticeable in a couple of places, creasing into new wrinkles. He had seen Ryuk, that was certain, but he was also seeing him for the first time. And that distracted him from everything around him.
He says in the most nonchalant ways possible, like he didn't just scare the shit out of Nobu. To be fair, Ryuk is at least trying a little bit to appear as chill to make this somewhat comfortable for him. And also, he's just not one to purposefully make people scared of him.
He also forgets how ugly he appears. Guess the Shinigami's back in his realm were right, he really isn't that good looking..
Nobu blinked several times. This creature. Exactly. Without a doubt. He knew its name. He knew who it was. Kira had described it as a large, eccentric creature, black and gray. But there was no threat in those words. It wasn't a warning, more like boasting. Something like, "Sooner or later you'll see my purebred dog and be pleased with it." Nobu was more afraid. But his eyes also gleamed, which looked out of place on his still face.
And there you are! sang Lady Phantasme. My old drunk-dial... but lo and behold, look who's gone and sobered up! (While she shows no sign of being under the influence of any particular substance, this still doesn't seem entirely accurate. She's as giddy as a child at an amusement park.) Oh, I've had an excellent offer, but if you're able to counter it, all the better, not least for journalistic integrity... don't suppose you got any writing in during that little tiff? So sorry I couldn't attend!
Nobu chuckled. He bowed his head, though his whole demeanor suggested something between "I don't believe you" and "I'm glad to see you." Perhaps all these events were leading up to his death, but... he's a bodyguard. Death is a matter of time. Besides, he's ex-military, so death was already creeping up on him from other places. Or flying. Hello, Ryuk.
What exactly do you want?
He chuckled, crossing his arms. A little more and he'd be able to talk to Light, but it was too early to throw that information around. Lady would probably be pleased.
And would you look at that, we're in our first ever straightforward conversation! Oh this is glorious...
You want your tacks in brass for once, why, I can provide.
Sooo, Montag's telling me he'll send me a copy of your ID, if I only retract my nasty words about him. No idea if it's photo, but consider? You've got a seven-foot-tall death deity looking at you right now, and he loves me.
On the other hand. You're in prison. Montag's at large and in charge. And spewing Kira bullshit to my readership... sure, reasonable price for killing you, wanker, but only just.
Nobu chuckled. His face was hardly designed for such emotion, so his lips muffled the sound. Well, let Ryuk love her. So what? As if there was any point in wasting time on that.
I'm not in prison.
He shrugged lazily. Of course, this was the equivalent of prison, and Nobu was serving time here. But that's not quite what he had in mind.
I'm here to talk to the guy who knows where the Death Note is. I don't know exactly when I'll be allowed to. But after that, I'll have this information. And I'll pass it on to you. Not in exchange for saving my life, just because.
He starts to sweat nervously from Lady's words. He quickly regain his composure. After hearing them go back and forth, he couldn't help but put his two cents in..
Nobu chuckled. Kira had said Ryuk wasn't scary at all, but frankly, beyond that, the creature left a rather delightful impression. Something like the afterglow of a roller coaster ride. Nobu wiped his forehead, but it looked like he was smoothing his hair. Not that he had much hair, so the movement looked slightly comical.
Nah. It's okay. Lady Gold is just showing off. And I also know where Kira might be next. You're both kyōmigāru, I'm sure. Didn't you miss him, Ryuk?
And with that; Ryuk flew away in a heart beat, without even letting Nobu have time to register on what just happened. He even chuckled at Lady's vulgarity...
The last thing Nobu heard before he took iff though, was Ryuk mumbling about how much some apple was going to be worth it all.
