sixth. video (i fought the war but the war won).

[torrefied]

[It's a video post from Mello, and that's a thing that just does not happen. The camera is propped up to face him, lying on his back with his eyes closed, drinking in the artificial sunlight on a patch of grass somewhere in the park.]

Don't you all just get tired of fighting all the time?

[A peculiar lilt colors his words, a slight discordance to his typical tone and a languidness that should be noticeable to anyone who has ever heard him speak. He opens his eyes and glances to the camera.]

I mean, I know you are - I can smell it on you. You all want, so much - you want to go home, you want to return to your normal, ordinary lives. You want an end to the struggles you face here in order to simply survive.

[He shifts onto his side, propping his head up in his hand to face the camera directly. This is something else Mello would never do - openly show his face. And anyone who has seen his face before, even just partially, will notice a key difference here - his scar is gone. He smiles deviously at the camera.]

Don't fight us. Join us. Let us help you. Let me help you. I can give you what you want. All you have to do is ask, and let us in.

[He gives the camera audience a one-shouldered shrug and smiles again, something that looks entirely wrong and out of place on Mello's face.]

Despite what you may have heard, we're not all bad.

(ooc note: demon-possessed mello can also be encountered in person pretty much anywhere in the city for the next few days!)

Comments

[wormintheglass]

You don't have a clue what I want.

[torrefied]

No? Well, you could always tell me. I'm a very good listener, and there's no need to be shy about it.

[wormintheglass]

I think not. I wouldn't tell Mello, and I'm certainly not minded to confide in you.

What are you, exactly?

[torrefied]

[He grins at her - sharp, all teeth.]

What do you want me to be, Bianca? I feel like there's probably some room for interpretation here.

[wormintheglass]

[She smiles back, thin and sharp and real. Dean's visit reminded her how well she usually gets along with demons. Those, she thinks, are the best kind of friends for her: no expectations, no disappointment.]

I want you to be in a body that isn't that one, dearheart. His face offends me.

[Audio]

[hearthebell]

[L usually defaults to text on the network. It seems like something a little more urgent is called for in this case, however.]

What are you trying to accomplish with this post? I know you wouldn't do this without a very good reason.

video for him because i'm awful

[torrefied]

[He sighs loudly and rolls his eyes.]

That's another thing that seems awfully tiresome - your lies and secrets and hidden agendas. I think what I said was pretty straightforward. Don't you ever get exhausted by all the mental gymnastics and second-guessing motives?

[Audio]

[hearthebell]

What I said was straightforward, too. I'm concerned.

Don't move from your current location.

[Because of course he's going to try to shut this down in person. His chances are better than Near's, if only because L's empathy is marginally better and his strength is sufficiently greater.]

[torrefied]

You're concerned?

[He laughs, an entirely unkind sound, sharp like the shattering of glass.]

I'm touched. Honestly. I never knew you cared.

[Audio]

[hearthebell]

I meant what I said.

[His intention is to keep the video, keep Mello talking. The quicker he can make it to where he is, the better.]

audio

[unitas]

[ The post knocks the wind out of her, a panic rising in her throat as realization dawns on her. She knows what this means and every fiber of her being screams no. Why him? What did that stupid fucking demon promise him? Why did he accept? She barely realizes she literally screams before finding the fury to drown out the fear and sorrow. ]

You asshole! [ The rage is obvious as is the emotional turmoil it's clearly throwing her through. ] I am going to kill you.

[ The demon. Mello. Both. How fucking could he? ]

sticking with video ;__;

[torrefied]

[He laughs cruelly, shaking his head at the camera.]

Oh, Sharon. [He clicks his tongue in mock concern.] I thought the story was that you wanted him to kill you. You do realize you're giving some awfully mixed signals, right?

audio because her heart is not ok nope

[unitas]

[ For a breath, all Sharon can hear is white noise, her mind blanking, the cruelty of the demon's words shocking her. This shouldn't be happening. This isn't right. He wouldn't say that to her, but he just did, and it's... Why bother having a heart if it can be broke with just a handful words?

She's breathless when she speaks next. It's almost difficult for her to switch from video to audio to reply. It's almost difficult to reply at all. ]

Yeah, well, you're not him. [ There's no reason to deny it. He's had the courage to do the things she hasn't herself more than once now, death included. ] I suggest you enjoy the body you have now because you won't have much longer.

[ It's an emotionally charged threat, one she can't be certain she has to guts to commit to, but she's not going to let some demon walk around in Mello's skin. He wouldn't let it happen to her. He'd do the hard thing, no matter how badly it might hurt, so she will too. ]

[torrefied]

[He seems entirely unperturbed by the threat, even taking a moment to stretch lazily before he responds.]

You just don't know him very well at all, do you, Sharon?

[He smiles deviously, like he's about to tell her the biggest secret of all time.]

He wanted this. I didn't have to fight him for it - he gave me this body. This is what he wanted - not friendship, not love, not acceptance - to be better.

[unitas]

[ That doesn't surprise her, but it angers her that the demon told her—it feels like hearing a person's wish out loud, all sorts of wrong. What he wanted doesn't matter to her, but the fact that he accepted it does. Cecily must be right about their skills in manipulation. ]

Do you want me to gasp? [ She snaps. ] I don't give a shit how you convinced him, or what you said. That doesn't matter. [ She knows what it's like when something comes and offers you your deepest, darkest wish. Luckily, the demon that came for her as a child was just a version of herself, a wicked piece snapped off due to suffering. ]

I know how you bastards operate, so spare me your bullshit.

[not here]

[synthedick]

[It doesn't take a detective to know what happened here. He's not going to bite, but somewhere, he's sighing.]

[beanstalk]

Do you honestly think the populace is that stupid? [ Well, okay, for some people the answer can be yes, because there was no getting around that, but from what Kanda's observed through the network thus far... Most here weren't.

So he's honestly curious why a demon would waste their time like this. ]

[torrefied]

Mmm, well, I don't really know you all well enough to make that kind of judgment, do I? Though I will say, this boy certainly seemed to think that much was true.

[beanstalk]

That kid looks just that - a kid who was in way over his head.

[torrefied]

Hmm, maybe so. He seemed to think he had it all under control, though.

[And he punctuates that observation with a vicious laugh.]

[beanstalk]

"Under control," right. A common mistake children who are in over their head make.

[ Because for all he knows that's exactly the situation right now. Not that he cares if Mello lives or dies after this. ]

I wonder how long you'll last before his friends decide to play hero.

video

[whichend]

I'll get tired of fighting when I'm dead.

[ Arya says, cooly. She doesn't need demon possession to be a danger.

But she also hates how the possessed man's words seem to resonate. She hates that demons make sense.

Even when not possessed, Arya wonders how far she really is from becoming a demon, at least figuratively. ]

video

[torrefied]

Well, with an attitude like that, I'm sure you won't have long to wait.

video

[whichend]

I've been waiting longer than anyone expected me to.

video

[torrefied]

Do you ever get tired of waiting?