Mona Vanderwaal always brings her A Game (heelsoverhoodie) wrote in thedoorway, @ 2015-02-28 22:09:00 |
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It was strange, being in this place, without having access to the Death Note and its powers. It was even stranger knowing that L was here and knew all about him, knew the truth at long last. He was only...well, if he had to put a number on it...65% surprised that L was so calm and collected about everything that they’d been through. Probably, it was 99% because the notebook wasn’t here and Light was harmless. Harmless, but still bored out of his mind. That’s what had started him using the notebook in the first place: his boredom. However, Light was making due here. He still wasn’t in school yet, but that could come in its own time. He had approached SHIELD, which he was familiar with enough through its fictional stand point. They seemed interested in having Light with them. All well and good. Maybe his boredom wouldn’t last forever, then. And then there was this girl, Mona. They’d only spoken via the network, but it was strange talking to her. Like he had a connection with her, like the girl whom he had dated back in university. They, at the very least, understood each other. It’s why he’d invited her over, choosing Saturday intentionally. It would put them both on equal footing, give them a reason to be seen with each other in public, and let them get to know each other better. Dressed more formally than not as he usually tended to do, Light chose to wear a pair of blue slacks, a blue suit and a white shirt. He also had a tie, though his hair was loose as seemed to be popular these days. He had a few things in mind, but he was curious to find out what Mona would want to do today. Things were working out well in this place. Better than in Rosewood by all accounts. Not one of those bitches had come through the Tesseract, SHIELD had accepted her, sure as a Comms Agent for now but she’d convince them to let her into Ops. She was good enough. She’d been born for something like this. And as she applied her lipstick for her maybe sort of date with Light, she smiled. Everything was coming up Mona. Like it always should. Like she’d always deserved. Light was interesting, she thought as she thought through the few items of clothing she had here. Skirt. Definitely, but did she go demure or not. It would take a little more thought. Light, just a guy from one conversation about SHIELD but upon investigation. Well, he was even more fascinating after that. The Death Note. Oh she knew he didn’t have it with him. People would have heard of the murders by now. But the idea of it. Oh she understood payback. Justice against true evil. Bitchy blonde devil bitch evil in her case but it was possible Light wa crazier than her. Fury had to know their pasts. It impressed Mona to think that he was taking a chance on them both all the same. She figured Light was taking this as seriously as she was. He was trapped here, same as her, and if they could help. Maybe it wouldn’t be such a bad thing. Finally deciding on her current outfit of red top, black skirt, slightly flared and black pumps Mona took a look in the mirror as she left her apartment. She looked good. Getting to Light’s room didn’t take long She was a couple of minutes late, but that was just social convention. She knocked sharply on the door and waited, mostly curious about the night to come. The man had secrets. Everyone did. And Mona needed to know if any of his were going to endanger her new position. Plus, he wasn’t half bad looking. Light understood people, and how they generally worked and operated. It was what had gotten him so far in his work as Kira. He wouldn’t have survived if he hadn’t understood people, been able to predict their every move and use it to his advantage. Granted, Light’s “people” was usually police detectives or government officials, and not young women. Oh, he’d had a few young women that he’d dated in his time, but none who he cared about who actually knew him. He’d used Misa, completely and fully. She’d let herself be used and had said as much to him. So when Mona knocked on the door, dressed as she was, Light had the decency to look surprised for the briefest second. “Good evening,” he greeted her lightly, then held the door open completely. “Come in, if you’d like.” A woman with intelligence who was also recruited by SHIELD. It would be interesting. Oh, he’d done his own homework on her, knew what she was capable of. He wondered just how much of him she knew, too. This would be interesting, that much was for sure. “I guess I should introduce myself properly. I’m Light Yagami,” he introduced, his English flawless and without an accent. Light hadn’t been top of his class even at university for nothing. “It’s a pleasure to meet you.” Mona was impressed. She knew well he’d have read up on her. He wasn't stupid and she knew he would expect her to have done the same. It gave them a nice balance to all of this, ironically there were no secrets between them right now, and for as long as that remained true it was fascinating. “I know you are. Just as I know you had another name back home just like I did. Seems we have some things in common but the night’s just starting and I really would like to see if there’s more in common than just our talent for revenge. And we’re both building back up from it aren’t we, both exposed in a world that knows all our stories. So here we are, even playing field and both curious. So, yes, its a pleasure to meet you. Now lets go, we have places to be.” She knew her outfit had been a good choice. Bold, but she’d gotten his attention with it. And so would the evening. “Any preferences for where we spend Valentines?” Light barely held the surprise in his eyes. He had guessed that she would have done her homework. What he hadn’t guessed, however, was how she reacted to the situation. So she knew who he was, knew about Kira, and her reaction was that they were just….going on a date? He had to admit, though, it was an interesting twist of events. She had done nearly the same things he had done, but for different reasons. He knew who she was ,as well. Of course he’d done his own research on her. “Mine wasn’t for revenge,” Light commented softly. Maybe she didn’t understand him as well as she’d come across. Is that what she’d gotten from his work? Kira was out for justice, to change the world completely. It wasn’t revenge. Or, so he thought. No. It was for far more than revenge. “If you know as much as you say you did, then you know that I sought to become the god of the new world.” Would she still be so nonchalant knowing that information? He did smirk, however. “I suppose, in a way, that you wanted something similar yourself.” Controlling and manipulating people, after all, was nothing shy of being a god. “To answer your question, no, there’s nothing in particular that I wanted to do. I saw it as a neutral opportunity to meet you in person.” He locked the door behind him as he stepped out into the hallway, then, and motioned forward casually. He wondered, briefly, what she would have been like with access to a Death Note. An equal? Perhaps. Not for revenge. Well that was one way to look at it but she of course held another view. It wasn’t strictly revenge, no, but it wasn’t for great reasons, so he could hardly judge her. “You wanted people that deserved it to suffer and to die. You wanted justice but justice wasn’t happening right, so you became the justice. But I guess the point is does anyone deserve to be judge, jury and executioner all in one? I guess not or it would have followed you here.” She didn’t care about his new world order plans. About wanting to be a god, there was nothing to being a god that appealed. “I think it would be lonely. Being all powerful like that. You’d have everything but nothing at the same time. Though maybe that’s the fate it had in store for you. You think you got it to change the world. But it changed you more I think. What I did I did for my own reasons. I did to watch a girl that deserved the world get it and a girl that deserved a hole in the ground get just that.” She wondered would Light have considered her evil. Would her name have wound up on that note one day if he’d had access to it. But then they weren’t here to discuss that, they were here for good wholesome neutral reasons. Or whatever. “Lead the way then. I’m sure there’s a lot we can find to entertain us in the city that never sleeps.” She really did understand everything that he had done, then, and still didn't care. Light studied her carefully, trying to wrap his head around the sort of girl that would think much like he did. Had he actually found an equal worthy of standing side by side with him? "You did much the same yourself, then," he remarked softly, giving her a studious glance. His hands went into his pockets to keep warm, wearing a similar jacket to the one he'd had in his own world--a tan long sleeve jacket that looked more sporty than fashionable, but still just on the edge. Around his wrist was the watch that he'd kept a piece of the Death Note hidden in, but that was no longer here, either. "Lonely? Funny way of putting it. It might be lonely, but I would no longer be bored." He shrugged. "Were you also not judge, jury and executioner all the same with those girls?" He turned the question back to her, curious as to what her answer might be. Regardless of what he thought of her now, no name would ever cross the Death Note because of him again. Oh, in their world, true, it was going to happen. They both knew the outcome. But in this world? As far as he knew, shinigami didn't exist, so therefore....nothing could come of it. It was a moot point, and Light was a powerless detective again. He might as well use his ability to think to do something to change the world. That's where Ryuzaki, L...and SHIELD came into play. "Well, if you insist." Starting forward, Light let his feet lead them initially. He had a few ideas in mind. There were some restaurants he wanted to try here, ones that he knew Ryuzaki would never want to go to. "What sort of food do you like?" Her show had been much about the other girls, with her being puppet master behind the scenes. Light didn't know too much about her personally, other than her brilliant mind. And, in Light's opinion, that was the most important thing. Well that was one way of looking at what she’d put those bitches through. In some ways, maybe she had been all he’d said. But it wasn’t how she looked at it. “I made them stronger.” she said simply. She knew on some level it had been cruel, but she’d needed to do it. For Hanna, and to make sure Ali stayed far far away. “I mean, look at them, look at Emily? Weak link written all over her, easiest to break and I made her so much stronger. The things I did, they had a purpose beyond revenge. Though Ali, I’ll grant you. That scheming cow deserved everything she got. That was justice.” What he’d done, yes, she understood it. She understood justice but she also knew she was no saint. She’d helped the girls in the end. Ali and A a bigger threat but she was who she was and she’d done things worthy of her name ending up in a Death note like that. But she found Light interesting for just those reasons. “Bring me for Mexican food and I’ll tell you exactly what my reasons were. And you can tell me then if I was in your world, if I’d have ended up in your new world order or dead at your feet. Call it curiosity because you might not be god here, but I can guarantee you you’re not going to be bored.” He needed someone, smart, capable, and not judgemental. He’d tried to save the world in his own way, and it was definitely more worthy of her interest than any of the loser boys in Rosewood. Light led them forward still, walking casually as if they were speaking only about the weather. His expression was a friendly and open one, looking the part of a barely into college boy out on a date for the first time with a hot girl. It was how he wanted to appear, and it was working perfectly, from what he could see. No one was looking twice at either of them. "You say you did it because you made them stronger, and maybe that was part of the end game," Light commented softly. "But you still did it out of revenge, from what I could tell." He shrugged. "Yes, you did find the weakest link rather easily. I see it didn't take you much to do that." Mexican food? Light could handle that. "If you want to know, why wait? Let's find a Mexican restaurant tonight then and see where the conversation takes us." He started walking towards what looked like a semi-decent Mexican restaurant. Money wasn't an issue for either of them, he guessed. Between himself and Ryuzaki, they could manage just fine. Mona was definitely not the average girl one would come by on the streets. She was sharp, and she knew where she stood on most issues. Many girls would waver or falter based on a simple smile from a boy. Mona was not that way, and Light appreciated that. She stood by what she wanted and knew exactly what she was after. As he approached the overly decorated restaurant, Light offered her a smirk. "After you, then” "Yeah well, it wasn't hard. Once you know how to read people, you can pretty much do whatever." she said, there wasn't pride in her voice or anything. It was just something she was capable of. And more than that she knew that Light knew it. But then that's why he was here, trying to figure her out. "If it was, it was on Ali. The others, they were just her pawns, her minions, I think she hated them nearly as much as she hated herself. But Hanna. I only wanted to help her." She let Light lead her into the restaurant and walked in the door ahead of him as he'd so kindly held the door open. It was showy. It was ridiculous. And she loved it. They were lead to a table, drinks ordered and then left alone to contemplate their orders. Mona skimmed the menu occasionally looking up at Light to see how he was reacting. Reaction was important. Told a lot about someone. "Reasons. Alison Di Laurentitis made my life hell. She was cruel, vain, self involved, vicious. I saw a chance to rid myself of her and it worked. It worked beautifully, few texts, few threats, and she practically begged me to help her save herself. And I did, I helped her leave town and told her I'd let her know when it was safe for her to come back. Never quite was safe." That was part one of the story. He got more of her motives if he played the game too. And she figured he could. She leaned in a little over her menu. "Now its your turn? Would I have wound up on that note?" Knowing and reading people were the most important things to understanding how they were going to respond to different situations. It was something that Light knew perfectly. He'd been able to work as Kira successfully because he knew the people involved. To those who he didn't know, he got to know them, and used that knowledge to his advantage. He fully understood the benefits of knowing how people were going to react to different scenarios. "And why was this Hanna special?" he questioned softly, almost knowing her answer, but wanting to hear it come from her directly. The underdog. It was why Light had chosen Mikame as his "successor" to Kira when he couldn't act as Kira directly after L had passed. He'd recognized something in the young man, along with the drive and determination, and knew he was the perfect candidate. Once seated, Light slipped off his jacket and hung it over the back of his chair. He then took a menu himself, looking over the options thoughtfully. Deciding on something more on the healthy side, Light turned his attention fully to their conversation. "Usually, when someone is that cruel, there's a reason they are they way they are. It's something I learned to use to my advantage." Never did he think he'd be sharing this much information with a stranger. Ryuzaki was one thing...but a stranger? Especially someone whom he'd just met in person for the first time? Not even Misa knew all of these things, and she'd been at his side through most of it. "Did you ever consider trying to find out why this Alison was as she was? She could have been a valuable ally." Now, on to the serious question that Mona seemed desperate to understand. He couldn't really grasp why she wanted to know, but she also deserved a response from him. He took his time to consider, browsing the menu again and feigning interest in it while he debated his response. Was she a criminal? Yes. Was she evil? Perhaps. Did she deserve to be written in the Death Note itself? That was a different question. She would be what he'd consider a petty criminal. Oh, not a thief or something like that, but she wasn't a murderer. Those were the truly evil criminals who went in his notebook. Even Ryuzaki had toyed with men on death row when dealing with Light. He gave her a look over the edge of his menu, choosing his words carefully before responding. "The simple answer? No," Light remarked softly, keeping his tones low to avoid being overheard by anyone. "Your crimes were small in comparison to the grand scheme of things. The criminals I sought were the ones making huge impacts on the world. They were truly, viciously evil, with no conscious at all. By asking this question alone that tells me that you have a conscious, Mona, and that you care what happens to you in the end. I may have even recruited you at one point, as I did a select few others." Light managed a small smile, now turning the game back onto her. What would her reaction be to this? That was the real test. He was curious to see how she'd reply. He did wonder, though, what answer she was hoping for. Why was Hanna special, well there was a question and a half. “She was like me, a loser, bullied by Ali but it was crueler than that, Ali pretended to be her friend, made her think she was helping her when she was doing nothing but screwing with her. When Ali was gone. I guess I helped Hanna. I made her someone better, someone special and I guess I just wanted her to understand what I did for her. How much I helped.” Though making an ally of Alison DiLaurentis? She shook her head vehemently. “No. Not a chance, girl’s a snake and nothing else and she is the last person I would ever want as an ally. Its all about her, always has been always would be.” She’d been accused once of becoming more like Alison, the new Alison, it was wrong. It was so far from the truth. She listened to him explain more of his reasons, about the death note and now he actually wouldn’t have considered her evil and yes, it mattered. She didn’t think of herself as evil and honestly didn’t want anyone else to. She wasn’t evil, she was doing what she had to, for the best. For Hanna. Oh he didn’t underestimate her, which was probably for the best |