savetheearth | Entry #A-9: "Albatross" [Audio, Action for Employees or Anyone who would drop by ]

Entry tags:

Entry #A-9: "Albatross" [Audio, Action for Employees or Anyone who would drop by ]

[L sounds pretty calm and detached, as per usual. Rather than sounding natural, though, there's a vaguely forced quality to that calmness.]

Unfortunately, Espresso Yourself will be closed for the next few days, to reopen on Thursday of next week. I regret the inconvenience for employees and regular customers.

[He finishes recording the message, lowering his phone and staring at what happened to his business over the course of just one night. The espresso machine is smashed to pieces, and the cash register is open with the empty drawer chucked across the room. The mural painted by Solana is tarnished with anti-numbered slurs and threatening graffiti asserting the control of "Albero's Family" within Locke City.

Glass from the broken windows and the vandalized bar crunches under the soles of his converse sneakers as he drags a chair across the floor, grappling with a pair of wire cutters. It's enough of a problem that his grip is clumsy, but his hands are also shaking; though the features of the mannequin hanging from a noose in front of the mural are blank and generic, the large letter "L" carved into its chest is a message that's difficult to miss.]

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

[Affection isn't something L's used to; the only thing that assures him that the insult is not genuine is the sheer fact that he is fully aware of his intellect and "stupid" sounds absurd when applied to him.

As smart as L is, though, he's in over his head on a few counts, here. No man is an island, and though he bristles at it, he needs help desperately right now.]

If you insist.

[He draws his arms close to his chest, watching the mannequin swing from its noose and stepping back so Alexi can, once again, take care of cutting in his stead. Though L guards his emotions vigilantly, it's probably clear as day that he wants the hangman rig down, stat.]

[ Alexi steps up and begins work on cutting down the mannequin. It's less difficult that it probably should be, given his sports training and his recent sword-fighting training, which he's been working on equally frequently. One of his friends had offered up his basement for that, mostly because he liked to watch. That calluses on his hands improve his grip so that he could put the whole of his strength into the cutting and make considerable more progress than L was making on his own.

As he continues his efforts, he comments to L: ]

What's this all about anyway? Why're they after you?

Edited 2014-06-30 07:00 (UTC)

[If Alexi's relative ease is at all embarrassing to L, given his own inability after much exertion to bring down the rig, he gives no indication. He is not a weakling in denial, at the very least. Someone helping him was inevitable, making it almost a token effort for him to even attempt handling it himself.

The question about the Mafia is more direct than what L was prepared for. His gaze shifts away, a rarity for someone whose default gaze is a glazed stare.]

They shouldn't be after me. Not more than any other numbered person.

[As usual, L is saying less than he knows.]

I don't think they know L is me at this point. Whatever was going on yesterday, thank you for taking the hint and not outing me. His accent was a specific dialect of Sicilian that the Mafia tends to favor, so... I thought it would be wiser not to tell him too much.

[ He's making good work on the rig and has just about almost gotten through the whole mess, gritting his teeth to increase his focus. His voice is a bit strained when he responds. ]

They might not know it's you. But they're definitely after the person you are on the network. How else would they have known to search here?

[ At L's comment about not outing him, his cheeks heat slightly. He'd been pretty terrified during that whole encounter and had had just enough sense to know better than to ask L what was going on. He doesn't want to think about what might have happened, had he slipped up. Lying definitely isn't one of his strong points. And he's fairly sure the guy saw through that, even if he couldn't use Alexi's lack of decent subterfuge to pinpoint L. Alexi might've still ended up on his radar... ]

I just didn't want to mess anything up...

[ His tone is more subdued this time. ]

Edited 2014-06-30 17:45 (UTC)

They knew to look here because one of them is numbered, or because a numbered person is giving them this type of information. Maybe that's paranoia talking... I like to think that any numbered person wouldn't be so self-destructive, you know? It hurts all of us, not just... some guy who opened a business.

[With his ragged, chewed thumbnail, he starts picking at a particularly nasty obscenity marring the mural, AKA the only piece of art that's ever genuinely moved him.]

No one messed anything up. Not even Anthony, ultimately, who tried to fight them last night, if you can believe it. Thankfully... no one was killed, and I should focus on being grateful for that.

You're sayin' one of us is helpin' the mafia? Why the hell would they do that?

[ He sounds particularly anxious, as he finally manages to sever enough of the rig so that the mannequin's weight handles the rest and comes crashing down in a mess of splayed plastic limbs. Sheepishly, Alexi hops down from the stool to pick it up and cart it out of the way, his gaze still glued to the L carved on its chest. If they could get this far with just a nickname like that, how far could they get for someone who used his first? DM was right. He should really consider coming up with a codename or something.

But L's next comment catches him by surprise. ]

Anthony fought? How? He's fallin' apart everywhere. And why was there even a fight?

I'm saying that I don't know, but that's... unfortunately that's not unlikely. As difficult as it is to say, there really are people who would sell out their own. Maybe all of us would... we just have different thresholds for what it would take...

[His shoulders jerk as the mannequin comes crashing down; this is a guy who's been waiting all day for the axe to fall, so any loud, sudden noise is likely to elicit this response, even if he's looking directly at the source of it. Rather than stare at the cared L, he averts his eyes.]

Falling apart...? I mean... he has his problems, but...

[A sudden, odd laugh escapes L.]

I think you're talking about the other Anthony. I mean Tony... white hair, always insists on carrying things that are heavier than he can realistically sustain. He started working here recently. We were here after closing, and that's when the break-in happened. He tried to fight them and we barely managed to get out.

[ Alexi pretends not to notice that shoulder jolt. L's already on edge enough. ]

Is he any good at fightin'? Maybe you should get some security.

["On-edge" is certainly a way to put it. He's had a rough 24 hours.]

Better than I am. Not good enough to take on a bunch of... man-leopard hybrids, from the looks of it. But yes... clearly, more security is needed. I'll get alarm systems, cameras... I'll research all the latest and the best.

[ Man-leopard hybrids? What the hell sort of gang is this?

But he's soon distracted by the flurry of words leaving L. Something about them sounds jumpy, not the usual deliberate way in which L speaks. He sounds like he's panicking. It unnerves Alexi even more. He gestures to the mannequin in his possession. ]

Where do you want me to put this thing?

[ Before L can respond, he follows up the statement with a more cautious one. ]

I... can fight. I have a sword and... I found someone who showed me how.

And I also have a new... ability. If I get freaked out, I can... move things. Even heavy things. Like... cars.

[ He doesn't know why he always feels so nervous about admitting this stuff. Maybe it's because although he has the abilities, he's still not sure whether he'll be able to pull them off in a time of need. But with things as they now are, he has to at least try. ]

[L's definitely not his usual composed self. When Alexi asks about the mannequin, he rubs at his arm like there's a deep itch he can't hope to reach.

He's about to answer that the dumpster out back would be fine, and that he didn't think there was much point keeping the mannequin as evidence, since involving the police might not be particularly smart and he was still trying to figure out how to handle this mess.

But Alexi's next words catch him off guard, and his hairless brows shoot up.]

Are... you offering to protect this business? To protect... me? You should know that it's a lot to offer, and a lot for me to ask of you...

I can do it. I don't want anyone else terrorizin' this place.

[ He glances back at the mannequin and his tone grows strangely darker and more sure of itself. His expression reflects the same shift, losing much of Alexi's usual hesitancy in favor of stubborn determination and anger. ]

And I don't want any more of this. I don't want those assholes to think they have the power here.

[L's owl-eyed gaze flickers up at that dark edge; its chilling certainty has his attention. Either it's opposite day, with L losing his cool confidence and Alexi gaining smoldering determination, or this just means that much to both of them.

It's a humbling prospect that leaves L stunned.]

That... makes two of us, then. My mission statement was simple when I started this business: I want to help Numbered people, and if I don't have that, then...

[He kneels, tracing the "L" carved into the mannequin's chest with a slender fingertip.]

...I don't have anything.

[ Alexi places a hand on his hip in a terribly cocky bratty way. He stands straighter now, less trace of that tiny bit of shirking that's normally seen in his posture. He doesn't know why, but his previous fear of the mafia has been replaced by a fierce desire to make them pay for what they've done, to show them up. Something about L's devotion to his mission of helping people, in spite of everything, just sharpens that desire. He can't let him down and he can't let him lose.

And as scary as the new flash of confidence is, as much as he knows that it's more his other than himself, he can't help but embrace it. If it can make him stronger, it's worth dipping just a little bit into that guy's personality. ]

Then, let's make sure you keep it.

[ He leans down to take the mannequin away from L's line of sight. Part of him wants to hack it to pieces. But the less reckless part of him understands how unnerving that would probably be, given the situation. Either way, it needs to go. ]

I'm gonna get rid of this in the meantime.

Yes, that's probably for the best.

[He straightens, turning back toward the defaced mural as Alexi starts handling the unpleasant business with the mannequin.]

You know... even though the pulses we get are making us stronger, and better, and smarter... and even though they make us feel just a little bit invincible... times like this are pretty sobering reminders that eventually, even our others have their limits. I guess... I'm trying to figure out how to feel about that.

What's yours like?

[ Then, he remembers he's still holding the mannequin and that it's probably going to make this conversation even more awkward. ]

Uh... hold that thought.

[ He hurries away to dump the mannequin behind the shop, making sure to bury it underneath any other large debris around the dumpster. He definitely doesn't want to draw attention to it. Before he does so though, he also uses the wire cutters to deface the carved letter as much as possible, making it at least illegible. He probably presses too hard as the cutters and manages to end up with a plastic splinter for his trouble, but he doesn't really care.

When he's finished with that task, he returns to check on L, ignoring the new nagging point in his hand. ]

So what have your pulses been giving you?

[L asks a lot of questions, and he's fairly used to being in the driver's seat of any given conversation as a result. When it comes to answering questions, though, he tends to shut right the hell down; if gleaning information is becoming, somehow, more solid and complete, then giving it to others is the opposite. L's lived a life where those surrounding him have frequently been more aware of his status than he has, and the transparency it's resulted in is something he's always felt acutely. Keeping secrets is a new and exciting form of control for him. But keeping secrets has had a hand in putting him in his current situation, and the current state of the shop is anything but control.

Telling him to hold the thought is the best thing Alexi could have said, following the question about what L's other was like. It gives him time to collect and organize his scattered thoughts, deciding what pieces of information he's willing to part with.

He glances up when Alexi returns.]

I've been getting a... lot of things. Languages. Skills, memories... I think that whoever he was, he was... I'm in awe of him.

[It is the first time L has admitted this piece of information.]

He was brilliant, and he helped children, and I think he gave all of himself to everything he did. I... don't really know why someone like me is getting back someone like him, because he was so... good.

[He sighs, eyes glazing over to something dull and lacquered. The only thing that brings their sharp focus back is Alexi's hand.]

Oh, you're hurt... let me see that? It's not much, but we have a first aid kit, and miraculously no one messed with it last night.

[ Alexi is so caught up in L's fascination for his other that he doesn't really catch the offer at first. It's the first time he's ever spoken to someone who actually admired their other. Everyone else always seemed so uncomfortable when talking about them. Even he had his reservations about Setsuna, especially his aggressiveness. But hearing L, it's just really nice to hear that echoes could make someone happy for once. And L's other really does sound amazing! But with everything that L's done to make things better for the Numbered, couldn't he say that he's not that different himself?

But eventually, he catches where L's focus has shifted to and nervously covers the injury with his other hand. ]

Oh, it's fine. Don't worry about it.

The guy... he sounds really cool. Maybe soon, you'll be just as good at the other stuff.

[Unfortunately for Alexi, once L's focus has shifted to something, it's nearly impossible to shake it away. He's already going to get the first aid kit, dragging it out from under the counter and tucking it under his arm as he brings it out to the dining area, setting it on a table and motioning for Alexi to place his hand alongside it.]

It looked like a splinter. It'll only take a second to at least improve the situation...

[With any luck. The state of L's hands might make it a bit more difficult and slow, but it's still a project he can tackle to completion, unlike most of the ruin that surrounds them.]

I think that merely approaching the level of his quality would be the kind of honor I was never supposed to achieve in this lifetime. I would welcome it.

[ Alexi is probably going to hold extremely still since he doesn't want to impede L's efforts in any way. He's also probably watching that hand more. The splinter is thankfully thin and not much longer than a pinkie nail. But it does bleed a fair bit when removed so that first aid kit will definitely come in handy. Alexi does his best not too wince too much throughout the procedure. It's not like injury is unknown to him, given how much he used to get into fights. But it's weird to think how he can get so antsy over such a small injury, even knowing that major injuries are barely going to faze him for long anymore. ]

What do you think you'll do with it? All those traits?

[L's efforts are usually slower to account for the deftness his hands lack, but precise enough to get the job done. He tweezes the splinter out and is prepared with several pads of gauze to accommodate the bleeding; the scrutiny with with he works and regards his subjects is definitely enough to make anyone uncomfortable, even those who are accustomed to far worse injuries.

He glances up at the question as he begins to bandage the gauze in place.]

Leave the world a better place, if I can.

[ Alexi is going to continue not to comment on any of the attention since it's unnerving enough on its own, without more notice brought to it. ]

Thanks...

That's a pretty big goal.

[ He smiles a bit more gently when he says it. It's something he wants to do too, he realizes, even though he's never thought about it until now. It probably boosts his respect for L even further, despite all the weirdness around him. ]

[L's movements are stiff and awkward, but firm, as he finishes taping the gauze down. It's thick enough that no blood seems to be seeping through, and this satisfies him enough to let go of Alexi's hand.]

It is hard, isn't it? But most things worth achieving are. I'm the type who needs to dedicate his life to something, like I suspect my other was, so... that's the best thing I can think of that would probably please both of us.

[ Alexi takes a moment to check out the bandaging, mostly testing the flexibility and wondering why much it's going to interfere with practice later. Though really, he should consider himself lucky he's not dealing with his own mafia injuries, given how frequently attacks seem to be occurring this week. ]

It looks good.

It sounds like you've found all right thing to focus on, somethin' everyone can benefit from. I wish I could find somethin' like that.

[All things considered, the bandaging is far from perfect, but it's absolutely substantial. Even if it's not great, it's definitely, as Alexi puts it, "good."

At Alexi's wish given voice, he offers a tentative, soft answer.]

We all do our best, and you'll be no different. Thank you again for helping me today.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

Entry #A-9: "Albatross" [Audio, Action for Employees or Anyone who would drop by ]

action;

Re: action;

action;

Re: action;

action;

Re: action;

action;

Re: action;

action;

Re: action;

action;

Re: action;

action;

Re: action;

action;

Re: action;

action;

Re: action;

action;

Re: action;

action;

Re: action;

action;

Re: action;

action;