[He mostly expected this kind of reaction. It was probably too much to hope that she would believe him outright - Kira, shinigami, and the killer notebook all would sound like nonsense to anyone who doesn't have the frame of reference Mello does. This is confirmation enough for him that her world doesn't have Kira, hasn't experienced long years under his reign of terror.]
I only half believed the notebook was real, until I got my hands on one and saw my men test it out. I wouldn't have believed shinigami were real, either, unless I'd seen one for myself. But look around at where you are. We've been taken captive by gods, in an underground city that shouldn't be possible; these gods are powerful enough to put us inside each other's dreams and even bring us back to life if we're killed. Is it really so hard for you to imagine something like a shinigami's notebook might exist someplace else?
[Mello folds his arms over his chest, still holding his sunglasses in one hand. He's frankly a little disappointed that he has to work this hard to convince her that what he's saying is true.]
I have no reason to make up such an outlandish story. Lying about something like this doesn't benefit me at all. Everyone knows that the best lies are ones that seem most believable.
[Near hadn't even been this hard to convince.]
I need you to understand the context here, because I need you to understand why it's so important that you keep your mouth shut about what you saw.
[Mello's jaw tightens; his gaze drops to the ground.]
What I said in that dream about it being a plan was true. It hasn't happened yet, but it will. Kira is going to write my name in the notebook. [And he's going to die. That part doesn't need to be said.] That's how he's going to be defeated, in the end, but it has to be a complete surprise. He can't know I'm coming.
[Mello presses his mouth into a thin line, then he echoes what he'd thought and said in the dream:]
[ Yeah it was kind of a lot for him to just expect her to take that at face value. And that was with knowing what she did about Yu's after school activities. Granted she believed him more than Mello because there was a well defined foundation of trust between them. But he's right Kira isn't a figure in her world. ]
Kind of hard to forget where we are. [ For all the reasons he's already explained. And she isn't being difficult on believing him just for the hell of it. And her ability to reason works just fine so she's able to realize that his story is just a little too elaborate to be a lie. The details too complicated for him to reliably recall without being a practiced liar or the truth.
And she has a difficult time convincing herself that it's all lies with what bits and pieces she's already seen and the explanations she's gotten him to share in that cab. ]
You really think Kira is here? Watching and listening to everything you do here?
[ She sighs heavily and shakes her head. She voiced every opinion she has on his plan already. There's only so many times she can repeat herself before even her ability to chatter endlessly falters. Not that it stops her from leveling another judging stare in his direction. She might not be saying it, but she definitely thinks he's an idiot.]
[It's a small chance. From what he's been able to observe, people here are from all kinds of worlds, and though he hasn't been able to definitively conclude that no one from his reality is here, he can't discount it altogether.]
But if there's any chance that he is, or someone who works for him, or even someone sympathetic to his cause - even a small chance - I can't risk that information getting back to him. Do you understand? It's too important.
[She can judge him all she wants; she's already made her opinions clear to him. It doesn't matter to Mello what she thinks of his plan, so long as she respects what he's asking her for - secrecy.]
[ She frowns. Really he's getting all strung out when he doesn't know one way or the other. Paranoid much? ]
Oh for heaven's sake, I'm not an idiot. I will humor your paranoia.
[ At least for the time being anyway. However long that actually turns out to be in reality is something that only time has the answer to. But she'll keep her mouth shut and her ears open for others from his world. She has questions after all. ]
[Paranoia is irrational. Mello can't by definition be paranoid if his caution is justified - and it is. Mello unfolds his arms and hastily slides his sunglasses back over his face.]
I need better than you simply humoring me, Ebihara. I need your word. Not a peep about this, to anyone. Ever.
Then it doesn't matter if I give it or not. You already have an answer.
[ And to her mind the discussion is pretty much closed. And she actually believes him about not trusting her, it isn't like she trusts him either. With a shrug she turns to head back to the apartment. ]
[His mouth purses tightly as he watches her walk away, but he can't really argue with her logic, even as much as he wants to chase her down and insist she submit to his demand. It would be pointless, though, a waste of energy - she's strong-willed, and he has no way to coerce her into complying. And he doesn't need a reputation for causing trouble here (yet, anyway - maybe later, if it suits his purposes, but there will be time enough to cultivate that reputation if it becomes necessary).
So he lets her go, making his final mental calculations as to how this outcome rates in his risk analysis. It's acceptable, though not ideal. But things so rarely are ideal. In a place like this, acceptable will have to suffice - for now.]
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no subject
[He mostly expected this kind of reaction. It was probably too much to hope that she would believe him outright - Kira, shinigami, and the killer notebook all would sound like nonsense to anyone who doesn't have the frame of reference Mello does. This is confirmation enough for him that her world doesn't have Kira, hasn't experienced long years under his reign of terror.]
I only half believed the notebook was real, until I got my hands on one and saw my men test it out. I wouldn't have believed shinigami were real, either, unless I'd seen one for myself. But look around at where you are. We've been taken captive by gods, in an underground city that shouldn't be possible; these gods are powerful enough to put us inside each other's dreams and even bring us back to life if we're killed. Is it really so hard for you to imagine something like a shinigami's notebook might exist someplace else?
[Mello folds his arms over his chest, still holding his sunglasses in one hand. He's frankly a little disappointed that he has to work this hard to convince her that what he's saying is true.]
I have no reason to make up such an outlandish story. Lying about something like this doesn't benefit me at all. Everyone knows that the best lies are ones that seem most believable.
[Near hadn't even been this hard to convince.]
I need you to understand the context here, because I need you to understand why it's so important that you keep your mouth shut about what you saw.
[Mello's jaw tightens; his gaze drops to the ground.]
What I said in that dream about it being a plan was true. It hasn't happened yet, but it will. Kira is going to write my name in the notebook. [And he's going to die. That part doesn't need to be said.] That's how he's going to be defeated, in the end, but it has to be a complete surprise. He can't know I'm coming.
[Mello presses his mouth into a thin line, then he echoes what he'd thought and said in the dream:]
It has to be me. It's the only way.
no subject
Kind of hard to forget where we are. [ For all the reasons he's already explained. And she isn't being difficult on believing him just for the hell of it. And her ability to reason works just fine so she's able to realize that his story is just a little too elaborate to be a lie. The details too complicated for him to reliably recall without being a practiced liar or the truth.
And she has a difficult time convincing herself that it's all lies with what bits and pieces she's already seen and the explanations she's gotten him to share in that cab. ]
You really think Kira is here? Watching and listening to everything you do here?
[ She sighs heavily and shakes her head. She voiced every opinion she has on his plan already. There's only so many times she can repeat herself before even her ability to chatter endlessly falters. Not that it stops her from leveling another judging stare in his direction. She might not be saying it, but she definitely thinks he's an idiot.]
no subject
[It's a small chance. From what he's been able to observe, people here are from all kinds of worlds, and though he hasn't been able to definitively conclude that no one from his reality is here, he can't discount it altogether.]
But if there's any chance that he is, or someone who works for him, or even someone sympathetic to his cause - even a small chance - I can't risk that information getting back to him. Do you understand? It's too important.
[She can judge him all she wants; she's already made her opinions clear to him. It doesn't matter to Mello what she thinks of his plan, so long as she respects what he's asking her for - secrecy.]
no subject
Oh for heaven's sake, I'm not an idiot. I will humor your paranoia.
[ At least for the time being anyway. However long that actually turns out to be in reality is something that only time has the answer to. But she'll keep her mouth shut and her ears open for others from his world. She has questions after all. ]
no subject
[Paranoia is irrational. Mello can't by definition be paranoid if his caution is justified - and it is. Mello unfolds his arms and hastily slides his sunglasses back over his face.]
I need better than you simply humoring me, Ebihara. I need your word. Not a peep about this, to anyone. Ever.
no subject
[ If it walks like a duck and talks like a duck, she's pretty sure it's a duck. ]
Because you'd trust my word even if I gave it to you?
no subject
[Because what is actually trusting people.]
But it means something to people like you. I trust that.
no subject
[ And to her mind the discussion is pretty much closed. And she actually believes him about not trusting her, it isn't like she trusts him either. With a shrug she turns to head back to the apartment. ]
no subject
So he lets her go, making his final mental calculations as to how this outcome rates in his risk analysis. It's acceptable, though not ideal. But things so rarely are ideal. In a place like this, acceptable will have to suffice - for now.]