@phantomasked // plotted
they called themselves the phantom thieves of heart— a name that struck near as particularly childish. ( though it did offer a welcome hint towards the kind of person he was looking for. someone idealistic. someone with a painfully naive sense of justice. ) they were quickly reaching celebrity status despite being faceless vigilantes, especially after the arrest of one junya kaneshiro. a crime boss even the police hadn’t been able to lay a finger on. it was little surprise that to the people who supported them, the phantom thieves had cemented themselves as heroes.
... however, the road to hell was paved with good intentions, and this one was headed down an eerily familiar path. ( mysterious powers. the ability to manipulate others. deliberately targeting criminals. the list of similarities went on and on. ) there was a sense of obligation that compelled near, the current L, to look into the matter. but even more important than that... they presented a puzzle just interesting enough to catch his attention.
and so, near did what came naturally to him— began to assemble the pieces.
❝ is this mister kurusu? ❞ his unfiltered voice fed into the phone for a change; there was no point in trying to conceal it. ❝ you can call me asahi oshiro; i’m a reporter for the observer tribune. it’s come to my attention that you’re a student at shujin academy— i was wondering if you had a moment to answer a few questions for me? before you make your choice, i should probably warn you... ❞ the detective paused to click a piece of the model he was assembling into place, conveniently leaving just enough time for the silence to turn uncomfortable. ( not that he particularly cared— if anything, it was deliberate. ) ❝ there is a reason why i chose to contact you specifically. i’ve been told some interesting things. incriminating, even. ❞
another brief delay, this time to curl a lock of pale hair around his finger. ❝ before i write this article, i wanted to give you the chance to prove your innocence. of course, you’re free to say no if you want; it’s all up to you... ❞
