whiteofcrime | [ryslig] IC inbox

Entry tags:

!ic,
@ryslig

[ryslig] IC inbox

WELCOME TO YOUR PRIVATE CHANNEL, CRIMINAL-MISCHIEF. FOR SECURE COMMUNICATION, USE 110.14.968.12 * CRIMINAL-MISCHIEF has joined 110.14.968.12 <LindenTailor>** I'm in need of someone who is both skilled and discreet for future investigations I cannot personally attach myself to. Do you fulfill both requirements?

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

Of course I remember; there is a reason I'm contacting you in the first place, you know. Taking on work that leads to death goes against what my prison stands for fundamentally. I can assure you that no such work would be involved. Even remorseless murderers are treated humanely within its walls.

Good. Then I'll be happy to work with you.

[ 'With' not 'for' - an important distinction. ]

You mentioned investigations earlier, yes? Who or what would I be investigating?

[It's a distinction that L will just have to be happy with for now, even though he'd probably prefer the one Kaito isn't so keen on. Small steps.]

There's nothing specific on the table right now. I'd want to keep you on retainer for instances when your skills are needed.

Alright. Contact me here when you have something. Or if you need to pass a message on in public for whatever reason, please use the name 'Crow'.

Now, I believe you promised me a summary of events?

Understood. I'll type up a summary and send it to you. As you can imagine, it's quite a lot, but none of it should particularly surprise you since you've been here before.

[Offscreen, though. Cough.]

I wonder what it WOULD take to surprise me at this point.

Thank you. I know this is merely a transaction to you, but I appreciate it all the same.

I appreciate your confidence, but that's a dangerous thing to say when the gods seem intent on proving the statement wrong at every turn. What makes you think it's merely a transaction? Do I seem so cold to you?

Not cold, but having met my fair share of detectives in the past, I know better than to trust every word they say.

After all, you used the information of the past two years to barter for my services rather than request them upfront. That isn't the action of someone looking to be friendly, now, is it.

Then you believe detectives to be untrustworthy? We're lawmen; it's surprising that you'd hold that opinion.

[Not so surprising. Kaito has, after all, gotten a chance to know L, which is a little more important. He's not exactly always scrupulous.]

Everyone wants to get ahead in the world. You can do that while still being friendly; I could have shot down the request purely out of spite, or sabotaged your efforts to get information. I didn't do either of those things.

[You're welcome?]

Look at it from my perspective, detective

I am a thief. Magician, first and foremost, but a thief nonetheless. It's the job of people like you to catch me.

I've been pulled up short by a fair share of tricks and traps from you 'lawmen', and it frankly wouldn't surprise me if you had a cell in your prison waiting for me.

Don't feign ignorance either. I remember the way you looked at me the first time we met. You were analysing me even before you knew.

That said, I believe in being courteous even to my rivals - which is why I thanked you.

So you consider me a rival?

Considering our choices of professions, that would be the natural assumption, wouldn't it?

It could be, if one made the choice to see it that way. But I maintain that it does not need to be so.

...You're a strange one.

Well, for obvious reasons, there is no chance of seeing you as a colleague... But I can't wholly consider you as a friend either.

You are something in-between.

Not so strange, surely. You can undoubtedly realize what could be gained by two separate skill sets joining to work together toward a common goal; I've never shirked it just because morals might not perfectly align.

[It helps that L's morals aren't particularly upstanding. Quite a lot. He's worked with career criminals before many times.]

Let's not worry about labels at present.

Edited (edit for hilarious inappropriate icon) 2019-02-18 04:48 (UTC)

Hah. If you say so.

You wouldn't happen to be from England, would you?

[ No basis for this question - just a point of amusement depending on L's answer. ]

I lived in England for about five years when I was younger. Why do you ask?

Your words reminded me of someone. That's all.

Maybe that country breeds a certain kind of lawman, hmm?

Not someone I know, I assume.

If you didn't know me then you certainly wouldn't know him. He's made quite a name for himself in the police force.

If he ended up here, I could have met him independent to his association with you. That's really what I was trying to gauge the potential for.

Ah, I see.

No, he isn't here. If he was, I would know by now.

[ One way or another... ]

Perhaps you wouldn't know, if he's as good at what he does as you say he is.

[ That honestly causes him to burst out laughing where he is. ]

He wouldn't have hidden from me when I introduced myself. The urge to keep an eye on me would have been too overwhelming.

You mean the urge to be close to you. You don't have to make contact with a person to monitor them, and sometimes, it's actually more illuminating not to.

<LindenTailor>

<criminal-mischief>

<LindenTailor>

<criminal-mishchief>

<LindenTailor>

<criminal-mischief>

<LindenTailor>

<criminal-mischief>

<LindenTailor>

<criminal-mischief>

<LindenTailor>

<criminal-mischief>

<LindenTailor>

<criminal-mischief>

<LindenTailor>

<criminal-mischief>

<LindenTailor>

<criminal-mischief>

<LindenTailor>

<criminal-mischief>

<LindenTailor>

<criminal-mischief>

<LindenTailor>

<criminal-mischief>

<LindenTailor>