Log - Ongoing

[onetruejustice.livejournal.com]

When; July 3, 9pm

Rating; PG

Characters; Radu Barvon flammenschwert and Yagami Light onetruejustice

Summary; KiraLight shows Radu the reason why it's dangerous to give him his full name~

Log;

The whole ice cream fiasco was getting annoying, and Light didn't appreciate tasting of chocolate chip whenever he licked his lips.

Emerging from the cafe where he'd had tea and cake with L not too long ago, Light idly adjusted the black, well-cut blazer he'd taken to wearing almost everywhere - he had no body heat to speak of, after all, and being chilly got rather tiresome after awhile. As a tribute to the general casualwear of the City, his suit was unbuttoned, and he did not take the liberty of wearing a tie. Glancing at his watch, he headed towards the fountain with an easy, elegant gait that had been a part of his mannerisms for so long.

A glance at his watch confirmed that he still had a good few minutes to go before nine, and he briefly wondered if Radu was going to be early, or late. The man was a cautious, curious one, and Light supposed that at least he had a measure of intelligence, unlike some of the people he'd been used to dealing with.

Comments

[flammenschwert.livejournal.com]

Radu had rarely been late to appointments in his life. It was part of the life as a lesser nobility to be available when needed, present when demanded, and ready when called. It had become a habit that had not even changed when he had learnt that other cultures found his being early just as impolite as being late.

For Light's invitation, however, he made an exception. There was no need to hurry, even if his feeling for time pressured him to, following a habit he could not get rid of - but he could betray it, at least, by convincing himself that the meeting had been appointed for ten minutes past nine.

And so he lit a cigarette without any hurry, and proceeded with determined slowness. The fountain was close by now anyway, and enough time had passed to make it likely that Light Yagami had already arrived, without a chance to secretly observe him before showing himself, if he wanted to be in time at all. It may have been an exaggerated caution, but after what he had heard, it seemed appropriate.

He had considered changing his usual Arabic attire to something more in common with what would have been casual clothing in his world, but the impression would likely have made no difference, especially for somebody from another world. A charade like this would have been unnecessary and easy to see through. And with this thought in mind, Radu crossed the place to approach the fountain, checking discreetly if Light had already arrived.

[onetruejustice.livejournal.com]

Light was already there, his back to the City as he gazed down at the fountain. More specifically, at the young, catatonic woman in a wheelchair. Radu had not been here when he arrived, but it hardly made a difference, truthfully speaking. Besides, it allowed him a little more time to gaze at his sister, seated in front of the daily nine o'clock news, her expression never changing.

Despite Light's megalomania and ruthless ambition, his sister Sayu had been the only one Light ever truly cared about - as much as he could bring himself to care. She could be sacrificed in a heartbeat if it was necessary, but he knew he would mourn her, somewhere in his dead, dead heart.

A hand in the pocket of his well-pressed pants, Light glanced behind him briefly, to see a vaguely familiar, good-looking man dressed in odd Arabic attire coming towards him. His stance relaxed, his demeanor one that revealed the fact that he was used to being in control, Light simply inclined his head.

"Good evening. Radu, I presume?

[flammenschwert.livejournal.com]

Radu answered the greeting with a short nod and added a slight smile of just enough professional politeness. Light Yagami had not made a too dangerous impression on him on the Network, had in fact appeared like so many of their customers who could hardly fathom what kind of a contract they had just signed by accepting the Orden's cooperation - but meeting him in person was another thing. There was nothing particularly threatening about Light. What Radu saw before him was a man only slightly older than him, dressed rather simple, and with a pleasant appearance and voice.

But Marionettenspieler's words had been serious, uncommonly serious in fact, no matter how fantastic what he had said may have sounded. It had been a sincere warning, and if the Puppetmaster warned him, warned him not only to not ruin a mission again but in fact to be careful for his life, then there was evidently danger lurking. A charming face could be treacherous, and combined with the knowledge he had, the natural, self evident authority Light's gestures carried were nerve-grinding because they did not seem fake as they should have.

And yet, a morbid curiousity let him almost anticipate to see this man's true powers.

"Correct," Radu answered cordially, before he took an insuspicious drag from his cigarette. "Light Yagami. It's a pleasure to meet you. I hope the late meeting is not an inconveniece for you."

[onetruejustice.livejournal.com]

Professional, despite the curiosity the other man displayed on the network when they spoke. At the other man's words, Light responded easily, his expression neutral. "It's fine; I'm used to worse timings."

And it was true, working on the police force had probably skewed his sense of time entirely, and a meeting at nine didn't rank very highly on the inconvenience list. Gesturing to the fountain, he continued, a ghost of a smile on his lips. "Would you like to take a seat? I'm afraid we don't have very much time before this particular segment ends."

[flammenschwert.livejournal.com]

Following Light's invitation, Radu took a seat. Something about his companion's smile was unsettling, or maybe his senses were just overly sensitive from caution. Light Yagami could kill and manipulate humans before their deaths, by - writing down their names? This was what Dietrich had told him, but even after the abilities the Orden members possessed, many of which could only be described as magic, this possibility was hard to believe.

"You wanted to tell me more about your abilities," he pointed out, doing his best to pretend not to know more than he had been told previously. "I'm curious to see what made the leaders of your world bend their will to you, as you claimed."

[onetruejustice.livejournal.com]

"I'm surprised Dietrich didn't inform you." Light responded. As far as he knew, one would logically keep the members of a faction informed of what a certain interested party was capable of doing. Then again, it didn't matter.

Taking a seat a little way away from him, he looked into the fountain, where the images on television Sayu was sitting in front of was clear and relatively large. Conveniently enough, the screen showed a criminal being led away by the police - surrounded by a mass of photographers, even.

Iwamatsu Toshiya.</i? Spotting the name, and the fact that said criminal was a child rapist, Light removed a pen and a relatively small piece of the Note on his pocket, smoothing the paper against his wallet as he set it on his lap, remembering the face and the name. "Tell me, what would you like me to have him do or say?"

[flammenschwert.livejournal.com]

Radu's eyes narrowed the slightest bit when he realised the stupidity of his statement and that he had probably been seen through. He lifted the cigarette to his lips once more and observed the sight in the fountain.

"Let him burn to death," he suggested at last. "Let him burn himself to death, and the people around him."

[onetruejustice.livejournal.com]

At his words, Light gave him a sharp glance. "I will spare the people around him." Kira only murdered criminals and those who stood in his way; not innocents, because that would defeat the whole purpose.

"As for your request..." Light had never employed this method of killing before, but he knew enough of spontaneous human combustion to know that it could happen to anyone. And as long as it was a possibility, the Death Note would make it happen. Writing down the unfortunate bastard's name, Light etched his next words neatly into the slip of paper.

Spontaneous human combustion as a result of methane reacting violently with enzymes in the body.

Looking back at the fountain, a precious few moments passed. And finally...

The criminal began to keel over, screaming in intense agony even as the people instinctively stepped away from him. Folding the note neatly, Light's gaze was cold and impassive as he watched his judgement being executed on the foul human.

Ten seconds...and there it was, the burning from inside out. And the screams...the screams were agonizing even as the surrounding people panicked, causing the camera to shake violently, almost blurring the picture, but not entirely hindering the view of the burning man.

And it was done.

[flammenschwert.livejournal.com]

Spare the people around him? Radu hid his surprise, except for a short glance at Light and a slightly raised eyebrow. What a weird concept for somebody who claimed to have the world's leaders in his hand, and obviously had high ambitions.

Nevertheless, he watched wordless at the spectacle, eyes widening further and further, and at last, he was staring at the fountain in disbelief, lips parted and a cigarette burnt up and forgotten between his fingers. The man was burning alive and from no visible source, from the inside out like a Methuselah whose Bacillus nanomachines were turning against him under the influence of UV-light. He understood enough of the science known to his world to have been considered knowledgeable during his education, but this was inexplicable to him.

Only after moments, when the man had already died a gruesome death, Radu could tear his gaze from the scene and face Light, staring at him as if the Japanese man was not human, but a creature as unnatural as the Crusnik of his world. "How...?"

[onetruejustice.livejournal.com]

Looking back at him neutrally - Light had killed too many for such a death to really matter - the brunet caught the other's surprise, as well as the way he'd looked at him. It was quite interesting to see the other man's reaction to that particular display.

That, and the commentator's disbelief in the news following that incident, as well as a remark wondering if Kira had returned.

However, dismissing the Fountain's images - he would have plenty of time to handle that later - Light delicately capped his pen, taking his time to respond to his question. "The person whose name I've written down will die in the exact time and manner that I specify. It's that simple."

Sorry for answering so slowly, I'm a bit all over the place today. ><

[flammenschwert.livejournal.com]

The calmness Light portrayed in the face of what had just happened was almost more disturbing than the event itself. Collecting his composure again, Radu lifted his hand to take a drag from his cigarette, only to realise he had left it to burn out in his hand. He tossed the stub away, lit a new one instead, took a casual drag and asked after exhaling, "Is that thing an invention of yours? Did you create it?"

Hee, it's okay! :D I had to go to bed, too ;__;

[onetruejustice.livejournal.com]

Observing him absently, Light was most bemused at his questions. As good as the questions were, did he really think that Light was going to reveal everything to him?

There were advantages to keeping a good few secrets, especially from allies he was not entirely trusting of, and it was with this thought that Light tugged on his own cufflinks casually, straightening them out before he calmly responded, a hint of a smile on his features. "I promised you a demonstration, but I did not promise you answers, Radu."

And there I had to go. D: Stupid timezones!

[flammenschwert.livejournal.com]

The answer should have been expected. Light had clearly proven that he was not easily fooled. Inside, Radu cursed himself for having let his shock slip so easily, but he would be more careful in the future. Taking another drag from his cigarette and pondering for a moment while he watched the smoke dissolve in the air, he decided for a last attempt.

"Then answer me one question, at least," he requested and met Light's look with a casual smile. "Why is somebody with your power searching for support, rather than keeping it secret? What do you think we can do for you?"

*gives you love* 8DDDDD

[onetruejustice.livejournal.com]

Registering that question, Light realized that Radu had been quite the shrewd one; he asked all the right questions, one that Light would not answer save for a few.

"I'm not the most powerful person in the City. Deaths in this place do not last forever." He looked back at him steadily. "The power of the Note alone was not what brought me this far, Radu. It's all just a matter of strategy."

*takes it all* >8D

[flammenschwert.livejournal.com]

Pawns. He wanted pawns to use? It was the only logical conclusion for somebody with power. He tried to hide his reaction behind an indifferent expression, and looked at the fountain instead.

"And what is it that you are willing to offer in return?"

Yay!! <3

[onetruejustice.livejournal.com]

In all his years as a brilliant investigator, Light could read people exceedingly well; every tic, every minute twitch. His answer had disturbed Radu in some way, and it was only in his next question that Light knew what it was.

Radu trusted him about as much as Light himself trusted him and the Orden, and to be honest, Light couldn't blame him. However, now was the time to gain some of that trust if he wanted this to work. The Orden had their pride, and Light was not stupid enough to think that he didn't have to stroke their ego once in awhile to get them to be more willing.

"I'm willing to offer my power and assistance in exchange for your Orden's help." Light responded calmly, his tone even.

[flammenschwert.livejournal.com]

"Your power would mean the ability to kill somebody from knowing their name," Radu pondered, eyes still focused on the fountain. He would not go for a direct provocation yet, and if he had tried, he would have been sure that Light, doubtlessly intelligent and dangerous, would have been able to see through him. But maybe, with just a little pressure, he could bring the man to spill some of his secrets. It was worth a try. "But as you said yourself, death is not permanent in the City. What could we possibly gain from a deal with you, except making it slightly harder for our opponents to return to our world?"

[onetruejustice.livejournal.com]

Looking back at him simply, unperturbed by the question, his hand slipping into the pocket of his well pressed pants. Was Radu testing him to see what he would say? Did the man really think that he was that desperate?

With a relaxed, even tone, he murmured. "Tell me, are you afraid of death?

[flammenschwert.livejournal.com]

This was in fact a sensitive issue and momentarily, Radu tensed. He was indeed afraid of death. He had died twice in his world, but each time had been a completely new kind of horror. He turned and met Light's look firmly.

"I'm ready to die for our purpose," he ensured more gravely than probably was necessary.

[onetruejustice.livejournal.com]

"You're not answering the question." He responded quietly, registering his answer.

"When you don't come back." He looked back at him, meeting his eyes. "The idea of staying dead forever. Does it scare you?"

[flammenschwert.livejournal.com]

Narrowing his eyes slightly, but coldly answering Light's look, Radu took a moment to choose his words, before he replied expressionless, "In our line of work you die early. I chose it, knowing this. No, I am not afraid of death."

He was lying, quite shamelessly, but what did it matter? Light was a possible customer, who should not learn about an Orden member's faltering determination. Leaning back and letting his eyes wander about rather casually, Radu lit another cigarette, disposing of the stub that had long since burned out in his hand. He had to remind himself to use a lighter instead of his natural power; there was not the time to expose too much before Light Yagami.

[onetruejustice.livejournal.com]

The other man's expression was closed off, unreadable, and Light simply nodded. Whether Radu was afraid of death or not was not of vital importance, and he was not willing to pry. At least, not this time.

Watching him light a cigarette absently, Light remarked. "Everyone's afraid of death, no matter how powerful they are. In this City, there's always a chance that you won't come back when you're killed. In this City, regeneration is not a hundred percent. It'll be ninety five percent, ninety eight percent?" A pause, then he continued. "The truth is, when it comes to certain death, people will not take chances. What matters is the five percent, the three percent. What if they're in that range, what then? What if they're gone forever? The fear's very much there.

"And fear, Radu, is a very powerful thing."

[flammenschwert.livejournal.com]

The direction their conversation was taking did not appeal to Radu at all. There was something nonchalantly dissecting about Light that reminded him more and more of Dietrich. That Light was already better informed about death in the City was one proof of that. And yet he was a terrorist, and a former noble; he was used to dealing with unspleasant situations, and people. He had been warned about his companion, and for a good reason as it appeared.

"It's nobody's first choice," he agreed calmly, without so much as throwing a glance at Light. "But there are worse things than death. I'd like to prevent it as much as anybody, but I'd prefer it to a number of other things. Powerlessness; to be powerless and dependent and unable to influence anything around you, that's a frightening thought. That's what people under torture feel. I think death is feared because it's the ultimate deprivation of any choice. But at least, you don't realise that you have no choices and no power anymore."

He turned his head and gave Light a short smile. "If you want fear, then death is not enough. Many people are more afraid of fear itself than of death."

[onetruejustice.livejournal.com]

Returning the smile with one that did not quite reach honey-brown eyes, Light nodded at his words. They made sense, of course, and both fear and the ability to mete out deaths was something that he possessed.

And, ah yes, Radu was indeed afraid of death; no matter the arguments to the contrary. Then again, Light didn't blame him, such a thing was what everyone - even him - was afraid of.

"Of course, Radu. I cannot deal out permanent death in this City, but as long as there's a small percentage, such a threat would definitely work without me having to lift a finger." Inclining his head very slightly, he continued. "That's why you're apprehensive of me, aren't you? That's why you did not give me your full name, even though I told you mine."

[flammenschwert.livejournal.com]

The relative security of deception was shattered rather unexpectedly by Light's words. Radu's eyes narrowed, and for a moment, he could do nothing but answer Light's look with a glare. He had been found out, and it had been foolish to assume Light would not notice the Orden's attempts to hide their full names from him.

At a second thought, his surname was known to quite a number of people, allies, neutral bystanders, and enemies. If Light had real interest in finding it out, he would be able to. It would involve more work and more possible suspicion for Light than Radu telling him directly, and in some moments the difference between knowing or not knowing it may be crucial, but- It was a hard decision to make. In the end, it could even be that Light knew his name already.

"You never asked for my full name," Radu explained calmly, eyes cast down and pondering. He took an instant to lift the cigarette to his lips and inhale, then looked up to Light's face again, and asked, "Do you want to know my surname?"

[onetruejustice.livejournal.com]

Light caught the narrowing of his eyes, and the brunet knew that his words had the desired effect. Yagami Light was an accomplished liar and actor, but even he was not beyond the occasional honest opinion, statement, and expression, especially when it served his purpose far better than any amount of delicate lies would.

"You're right," Light responded calmly as he watched Radu look back up to him, silently musing if Radu was buying time of some sort, especially during the pause when he lifted the cigarette and inhaled. To calm his nerves? There was no right answer; Light could only guess. Inclining his head slightly, there was an amused glint in his deceptively soft brown eyes as he remarked. "Why would I need your surname?" I already know your face."I'm not going to kill you."

If he wanted it, he knew that there were other ways of obtaining such a thing. Mikami had the eyes; and the man would see his full name in a heartbeat.

[flammenschwert.livejournal.com]

"To show that we trust each other," Radu offered. It was certainly not the wisest path to choose, and neither very promising to lead to success, but it seemed worth a try. Then again, many of the things that had seemed worth a try to him before, had led to particularly bad outcomes.

"I trust you're not going to kill me," he continued with an intent look into Light's eyes. "That's why I'll give you my name. If you want to return the gesture, you could explain how exactly this power of yours workd."

He smiled, and lowered his voice. "Barvon."

[onetruejustice.livejournal.com]

Radu Barvon. Light filed his name away carefully before giving him a casual, idle glance and meeting his eyes; it was easy to remember the other's striking face. So Radu was ready to risk his life for the secret? His determination was interesting, intriguing, and for a moment Light was reminded of Mikami Teru - a man who would almost do anything for his God. Who would Radu risk almost anything for?

He was not about to reveal the Note's weaknesses, nor Ryuk's specific ties to the Book and just what the shinigami served in the grand scheme of things. Precaution? Yes. There were others in the Orden, others that he did not know about save for snippets about the Marionettenspieler, and to reveal everything about himself...it was not a fair trade. And, most of all, Light played by his own rules; it was about time that the other realized this.

With a small smile on his lips, Light commented. "You're desperate to know if I have any more secrets, why?"

[flammenschwert.livejournal.com]

"Secrets aren't a good basis to start a cooperation from," Radu replied casually. Although his words were not unfriendly, his expression darkening the slightest bit. Light Yagami was defensive about his power, and with this kind of unwillingness to make compromises in addition to his unwillingness to kill the innocent, there might not be much to expect from him in terms of cooperation. Radu pondered if acting oblivious would do the situation any good. That Light knew his name was a certain danger, should they ever be on worse terms, but not for now, and there were other ways to find out about his identity, anyway. Better a direct attack, rather than waiting and hiding away. It was not as if he could die anyway; Dietrich would not let him.

Giving Light a considerate, only mildly disappointed smile, he added, "I'm curious as of what we are going to deal with, exactly. I gave you the power over my life. You could at least offer a minor hint. For example, how did you get this power?"

[onetruejustice.livejournal.com]

"How true." Light acknowledged that particular fact, but he did not miss the mild darkening in the other man's expression. So Radu was used to getting his way, then; that particular trait would probably be useful to him in future.

The power over his life, hm? It was an interesting way of putting things. A few milliseconds was all he needed to get his thoughts in order. Meeting the other's eyes, he responded evenly, smoothly. "You have nothing to fear from me, I don't see any advantage in going against you or the Orden like this, after all." Letting a thoughtful silence stretch between them for a few moments, he continued. If he wanted a hint, he would get one. "I was chosen for it."

It wasn't a lie, if one looked at it from a predestined point of view, but it was vague enough to mask how he really had obtained it.

[flammenschwert.livejournal.com]

This was hardly a satisfying answer, but Radu was experienced enough in deception to know when it was better to just accept what was offered to them, and be quiet. He only added one more question: "Chosen by the tool itself, or by a predecessor, like you chose Mikami?"

The answer did not matter so much. He had what he had wanted; even if not a real answer, a number of hints which Marionettenspieler would possibly find useful, and compared to the high chance of finding his name in other ways if needed, this seemed a rather acceptable price to pay. Death was not permanent in the City, he could not die of most things a Terran could die from, and Light Yagami had revealed two - even if minor - weaknesses to him.

[onetruejustice.livejournal.com]

"Hm, that's the question of the day, isn't it?" Light remarked enigmatically even as he glanced back at the fountain; the earlier images dissolving into nothingness.

Light was not affording him anymore answers - the clues he'd left behind were enough - and he made that sufficiently clear even as he adjusted the cuffs of his sleeves idly, meeting the other's eyes. "I'm afraid I'll have to cut this meeting short, Radu. There are other things that I have to focus on at the moment."

[flammenschwert.livejournal.com]

Radu answered Light's look for a brief moment, before he nodded and rose. There was nothing left to ask or say anymore now, and the hints he had been given were more than he had initially hoped for. Maybe Marionettenspieler could make more of the issue, but his work here was done for now.

"I understand. Thank you for the interesting show." With a light smile that was not all sincere, but had an earnest trace of satisfaction, Radu turned to leave. "Goodnight."