Near was currently having a very bad day.
After leaving the kitchen area he had headed straight for his room, sat down amongst his toys, and pondered for the remainder of the morning what had just transpired.
Like a tower of cards needed to be built one card at a time, Near had taken the first word that Kiyoshi had spoke, laying it down as the foundation for the rest, all the way to the ending word that was still maddeningly echoing around in his head.
He studied as he built, the simple but effective post-and-lintel design of the cards that was comparative to the straightforward manner that Kiyoshi had chose to convey himself. He noted as he built higher up that everything was more prone to fall apart, but for the cards to cease ascending would be like going against their purpose for being; they needed to rise in order to fulfill their roll. He studied the implicit rules that came with making each card stand, likened to the insults from Kiyoshi that held their own unsaid qualities.
That was what Near had concentrated on as he left his room and headed down to the room across from his own. Kiyoshi had been blatant and told him in so many words that he was sleeping with L. An intimidation method, yes, but Near was more concerned with the fact that he had told him in the first place. Why would he tell him? He wanted him to spread it around? But he knew he wouldn't -- he couldn't for that matter, because that would be like admitting it was the truth.
Kiyoshi's claims were not verified; as far as Near was concerned they were lies that he was using to mess with him. Did he take into consideration that Near would have that reaction? Probably. It was most likely the reason why he had told Near and not someone else. He knew he would keep it to himself. But that was where Near ran into problems, particularly in confirming the truth. If he kept this to himself then he would not be able to find out the reality of the situation.
He could possibly go to L, but Near would rather pour molasses on one of his arms and stick it in a fire ants nest than be left with that option. It would be much more convenient to have L clarify, but Near just did not have it in him to endure the awkwardness that would result from such a confrontation. Neither did he feel that embarrassing himself would yield any discernable answers. L would undoubtedly not give him anything as definite as a "yes" or "no" and would probably play dumb, even if the answer was a negative one.
Near knew everyone at the Institution, but he did not talk to any of them on a regular basis. Maybe a word here or there when they asked him a question, but that was as far as his conversation skills went. He was alone and that was how he liked it, but he needed answers, and with him not willing to go physically looking for them himself, that only left him with one person he could turn to.
Knock. Knock.
When he didn't hear an answer, he tried the knob unthinkingly and was surprised to find it opening without resistance. He had only been in this room once in his life, and a long time ago at that, but when he entered it was like stepping into the past; nothing having changed, except maybe for the black-clad figure lying on the bed, limbs grown-out as well as the blond hair tossed across his pillow.
"Matt" Mello called and did not turn around to confirm who he thought it was, as someone other than the redhead entering his room so casually was probably unthinkable to the blond. "Can you switch on the fan? It's always so hot in this room for some reason," he muttered, burying his head in his pillow and searching for a cool spot.
Feeling that he had lost the chance to speak up, Near walked over to the nightstand and did as requested, the soft hum as the fan oscillated further robbing him of his nerve to voice himself.
Diverted, he looked around, his eyes centering on the desk that was in the upper left corner of the room, books littering its surface and even spilling over onto the floor space. The shelves where Mello most likely kept his books were practically empty, a sign that no collection of text was safe when the blond wanted to study it.
Near heard Mello murmur into his pillow, half-asleep but somehow finding the breath to call out: "Wake me up in an hour." Near watched him go absolutely still, certain that he had already fallen asleep, so it startled him considerably when Mello then added in a loud voice, "I need to study; don't forget to wake me up like the last time." He then became motionless again and Near wondered how a person could fall in and out of sleep like that.
But then again this was Mello, who probably took a few catnaps a day, who spent the rest in books, and who could probably not bring himself to think about anything other than achieving his goals. So focused he was on attaining first place that he probably dreamt about it.
As he turned to gaze at the blond face down in his bed of books, Near felt his world also narrowing to a single focus. His sole existence in life was to become the next L. He was here because life had put him in the right place at the right time. It had brought Wammy to that orphanage in New York and had taken him across the Atlantic to another.
Born a genius, he saw it only as natural to ascend the ranks. There was just no other way for him to live, no other path for him to walk but this one. He believed in going with the flow, of meeting your destiny halfway and, if it was meant to be, letting the rest take its natural course. Never had he viewed L's position as a goal; in his mind it was something that would either be gained or lost by the end of his years here.
But Mello was different. He viewed the acquisition of L's title as a goal that would not be accomplished short of him pouring all his blood, sweat, and tears into it. Mello had not been born a genius. He had been given talents early on, but had maintained them only through years of diligent study, had refined them only through sheer will. That second place which he was currently holding onto was the outcome of years of determination and anger, of an inferiority complex that had turned him both vicious and sensitive.
But say whatever you wanted about Mello, his presence at the Institution seven years ago had transformed Near's unattested hold over first place and had finally given it the feeling of being a contest between two. And despite being mired in second place for, all the ferocity he had brought to the race had made Near no longer prone to look forward, but back.
So for Kiyoshi to enter into a contest that he had deemed theirs long ago bothered Near more than he liked to admit. If he was going to say who offered him the most challenge it would undisputedly be Kiyoshi. The brunette had all the grace and poise of a born-winner, not like Mello who half the time could not contain his emotional outbursts. Mello was a ball of insecurities, and yet Near would have it no other way. He had no problem going after Kiyoshi, but he would not accept his presence in a race that had always been and would continue to be between him and Mello.
Fingers separating from the lock of white hair it had been curled in, Near touched his hand to the edge of the bedside table, dragging them over the grainy wood and fingering the small trinkets that he encountered along the way: a hair brush, the rosin case for a violin, the beads of a rosary…
Near picked it up, curious as to why Mello had something like this. Was he religious? For some reason that struck him as… oddly fitting. He did not know anyone else who could so effectively turn their suffering into both a pillar and a cross. Mello had a habit of punishing himself. Every time he failed to meet the standards in his head – certainly he would turn his anger outward, but Near believed that the brunt of that rage was turned inwards, towards himself. That anger pushed him onward, made him stronger every day. But as much as it helped in achieving his goals, it was also the very thing that kept him from surpassing Near. That anger made him too emotional, too self-conscious, and with something like that holding him back, he was never going to live up to the person that he wanted to be.
And as Near turned the rosary over in his hand, it made him wonder what the blond would meditate upon when he reached the larger beads, where the burgundy color was more faded. The image of Mello worrying it between his fingers gave him the distinct impression that his meditations could only be about the more Sorrowful Mysteries – the Agony in Gethsemane, the Scourging, the Crowning, and the Carrying of the Cross…
What use would he see in the others?
Absorbed as he was in exploring the contents of the nightstand, Near only realized after a compulsory turn of the head that he had woken what he rightly deemed the slumbering beast, those impossibly light green irises watching him through the cascade of blond hair.
"Drop. It" Mello growled, his voice hoarse with sleep, but his movements anything but sluggish as he shot forward and snatched the rosary away and at the same time grabbed him by the front of his white shirt.
"What the hell do you think you're doing?" the blond demanded. He tightened his fist in the fabric by his neckline and pulled him forward until Near had a close and rather intimate view of his face, the move done purely in the spirit of intimidation, but for Near not very successful in that right as it was in another.
Mello grabbed the front of his shirt with his other hand, jostling him further. "You have three seconds to answer or I'm throwing you out that window and we'll see just how good you are at flying as you are with everything else."
It was at this point, with Mello staring him down and Near about to explain, that Matt decided to show up, the redhead opening the door without knocking as he was accustomed and coming to a standstill when he spotted them by Mello's bed.
"I don't know what's going on here," he said, taking in Mello's tousled hair and the way he was breathing erratically, "but this is not cool."
"Matt, go open the window for me," Mello said while keeping an impressive glare trained on him. "Near's going to be showing himself out now."
Matt looked uncertainly between them, the situation now dawning on him. "Maybe you shouldn't throw him out that way. It'd be messy."
"I won't if he tells me what the hell he's doing sneaking into my room."
"I came to talk," Near clarified.
"Talk?" This answer perplexed the blond, and if there was one thing Near knew about Mello it was that confusion and him did not go well together. "I don't want to talk to you. What the hell…don't just wonder in here because playtime is over. Do I look like a babysitter?"
Near curled a lock around his finger – "If you wore pigtails and a dress then you could probably pass for one" -- and then uncurled it with the same ease.
There was a terrible silence following Near's words, like the world had suddenly opened up and had proceeded to suck all the sound in the universe into a giant void of doom and teenage awkwardness.
Though some noises seemed to be excluded from the above, as a snort escaped from Matt, quickly followed by all out laughter. The air around Mello, on the other hand, was still as heavy and muted as ever, though that could be explained by his preference to let his fists do the talking for him, the blond raising a hand to strike Near.
Sobering up quickly at that sight, Matt grabbed the blond's arm before his fist could connect. "It was a joke. It's no big deal; just a joke. Don't hit him over something like that; you'll get into a shitload of trouble from Roger if he finds out." Mello never pulled his punches, so it would be obvious to anyone with two eyes if his blow landed.
"Did you hear what he just said to me?!" Indignant, Mello yanked his hand away and went for Near, but Matt grabbed him again, this time with both hands because as girly as he looked, Mello was no sissy.
"I came to talk to you about something important." Near knew that for all his posturing, when those words came from him, the blond would at least not immediately throw him out, though the way he was pulling away from Matt to get to him, that appeared to be the least of his problems. "If you have to hit me then do it after I've said what I need to say."
Fortunately for him, the immediate danger of violence was tempered by his use of the word important. Mello slowed to an almost stop, his anger both yielding to hisresponsibility as one of L's heirs and the revulsion that he was forever letting Near get under his skin. As much as he hated anyone hurting his pride, there were obviously more at stake here.
Studying him with a wary look, Mello moved towards his bed. He had dropped his rosary when he had grabbed hold of Near, the dark color standing out amongst his white sheets like a blood stain, and without a second thought Mello picked it up and shoved it under his pillow, like he didn't want anyone to see that he had such a thing.
"What is it then?" Mello turned to face him, but Near did not attempt to further explain. He was now looking at the other boy in the room and waiting for the redhead to get the hint that three was a crowd. He had come here to speak to Mello, and sharing with anyone else could very well turn into a liability for him.
"That looks like a 'get-out' face," Matt remarked while staring back at him. "You don't want me to hear what you have to say?"
"It's none of your concern," he told him frankly.
Near had nothing against Matt and he suspected the boy, more or less, felt the same. Though they had never once made an attempt to speak to each other – even with the amount of years that had passed since their arrivals – their avoidance was not colored by dislike, but simply by an extreme apathy towards the other's presence. Near only knew Matt as the boy that hung around Mello and he was quite certain that he was viewed similarly unremarkable; probably given the title of "boy who Mello competed against…"
He might have some bad thoughts of him now, but Matt seemed to be a generally easy-going person, who held grudges as long as it took him to press the start button on his Gameboy. Near was confident that by the time he picked up said handheld, he would forgot that this had ever happened.
"Screw this," Matt said and turned to leave. Mello frowned at this reaction from the redhead, but watched the door close all the same. "This better be good," he said after a moment.
Near could not promise that he would like this, but it was something he thought the blond should know. Though to suddenly drop this news on him might not be the best approach. He should at least ease into the topic to not startle him, since he knew what to expect when that happened. There was also another matter that he thought, if known, would shed some light on these events.
"What did L say to you yesterday morning?" He had an idea, since L had given one of the other boys strange advice that said boy had loudly shared with the rest of the class. It made them all think the detective was having girl problems, but maybe there was some truth to that.
"Why do you think L said anything to me?"
The dazed and confused expression you wore, Near wanted to say, but a slip of the tongue might mean a swift punch to the face for him. It would also not be a good move on his part to remind Mello of the expression he had worn as well. It was rare for the guard over Near's face to slip like that, though imagining Mello having an awkward conversation with L seemed to do the trick. There was nothing wrong with showing Mello that face sometimes. Of course it only antagonized him more, but if it was going to remind Mello that they were the ones competing, then what did he care.
"A guess."
"Well you guessed wrong."
"I'll only share my information with you in exchange for what you know." He knew Mello would only continue to be difficult if he didn't make that clear. Paranoid as the blond was that he would take advantage of him -- though in this case he was right to think so -- Near could not insist for an answer without the reminder of equal compensation.
"Then you go first."
Unless Mello wanted to save himself from being rightly freaked out, he would let him go second.
"Was what L said to you that surprising?" he asked, knowing the blond take the bait.
"No" he said defensively, not happy in the least that Near thought he was being reluctant because L's words were a shock to him. "He just told me that… everyone should be more cautious in who they choose to be with."
Everyone? Near studied the blond. Was he giving him the wrong pronoun, because "everyone" wouldn't make him look so embarrassed.
"Can you be more specific? I can't tell anything from that."
Mello turned his back to him, all that blond hair covering the margins of his face so not even the hint of an expression could be gleaned. "He said…" Clearing his throat the blond then went onto recount in detail the words L had spoken to him, and as he progressed further into his account, Near could feel his ears going warm.
He was thankful Mello had the foresight to turn around.
"That's it?"
"Mmhm."
An awkwardness had descended on the room. Near could recall no moments in his life where he even felt slightly abashed, but there was always a first time for everything, he supposed uncomfortably.
L had obviously not been thinking when he said this to Mello. What worried Near the most about his words was the suggestion that he, himself, was having a hard time forming a relationship with someone of equal or quite possibly higher intelligence, and that this person and him did not get along because they always knew what the other was thinking. The only person that Near could see as fitting that description would unfortunately be…
Kiyoshi.
Dominant societal perceptions dictated that Minako should be the one L was referring to, and Near would have rather that be the case, as in comparison to anyone at the orphanage, she was not the brightest. If L was pursuing Minako then that would be harmless.
If on the other hand he was pursuing Kiyoshi then that would be a problem for anyone concerned with L's title. He had a healthy amount of respect for L to know that the man would not simply give his title to anyone sleeping with him. But the fact that Kiyoshi was smarter and ultimately more qualified than them – "covering all his bases" as he had put it – made that situation more ambivalent.
Near could call his tactics dirty, but then that would be going against everything he had ever been taught at the Institution, for if there was ever a motto for Wammy House, it would be "secure the win by any means necessary, and Kiyoshi obviously understood that concept -- maybe a little too much.
"What do you think of Kiyoshi?" Near asked, as it would help to guide Mello into the right state of mind before he dropped that bomb on him. Surely that little awareness would go a long way.
"He's a nuisance. How am I supposed to think of a guy like that?"
"You noticed how L treats him?"
Mello said nothing but Near knew he was only sore over the matter of L spending an inordinate amount of time with the brunette. Though still considered the favorite amongst the children, Mello most likely felt annoyance that a person who he had come to view as an enemy had filled a position that none of them at the orphanage could ever fill for the detective.
Because despite how casually L spoke to each of them, he was not their friend. A mentor or a brother-figure, but not a friend. Even Mello, who had grown close to L in the short months that he would visit, had already drawn that mental distinction between himself and the detective. Upon his arrival at the Institution seven years ago, he had even taken to calling him "große Bruder," both as a sign of affection and respect. That had probably struck a cord with the detective because he had no family to speak of, so Mello's openness to see him as a brother was probably one of the reasons why L had taken to spoiling him.
L gave them advice and was in charge of each of their futures. Their relationship with the detective was based on a hierarchy, one where he was at the top and he looked out for their best interests. Ultimately, one of them would be benefitting him in the future, but that did not change the fact that their relationship with him was still a one-way street. Communication did not go both ways, because while L possessed a great amount of influence over their lives, they had no sway over his. They were not his equals and consequently they could not possibly be considered his friend either.
In contrast Kiyoshi possessed a great deal of influence over L, causing the usually unaffected detective to engage in heated arguments with him. Near wanted to believe that nothing was going on between the two other than an odd rivalry that leaned towards friendship some days and fighting the next. He wanted to believe that L was not letting something as trifling as emotions get the best of him and in effect jeopardizing their contest. And though Kiyoshi was a particularly heinous breed of mind-fuck – the likes of which Near had never had the pleasure of encountering before – he would hope that L was not letting someone like that walk all over him.
"So are you going to tell me what all these questions are about?" Mello turned around to face him.
Near nodded, thinking that he could not dawdle any further. He would simply come out and say it and hope for the best.
"I think there's a chance that Kiyoshi's sleeping with L."
Five seconds into it and Mello had remained mildly calm, but once his words sunk in Near watched as his jaw dropped and he gapped at him with that fishbowl expression.
"When you built your last model, did you take in too much paint fumes?" he asked, looking on in complete disbelief.
"I chose not to paint the last one," Near told him, very matter-of-fact. He had used magic markers.
"Jesus Christ, I don't care if you painted it or not -- you're calling L a faggot!"
Near had never said anything about sexual orientation; he had simply told him what he had heard.
"And I can't believe I listened to you!"
If Near were to judge how angry Mello currently was, he would say it was greater than that one time the blond had run through the front entrance-way and someone had accidentally slammed the door on his hair, but considerably less than when exam results came out.
"Where the hell did you hear this from?"
It wouldn't exactly hurt to tell him, as either way Mello would go in search of his own answers. He would hate to depend on him for anything, and Near had factored that stubborn personality into the equation when he had decided to approach Mello.
"Who said this?"
Knock. Knock.
Both boys turned to look at the door.
"Hey Mello, I'm coming in," Linda called and popped her head into the room. "L's calling for –" she stopped when she realized who else was in the room with Mello.
"Near? What're you guys doing? Having a party for 'most likely to succeed'?"
"Linda," Mello practically growled, "What were you about to say?"
"Oh, L's calling for you on the verandah." Then she turned to look at Near. "He's calling for you too."
"He wants to see both of us?" and the distress in Mello's voice could not be anymore apparent if he suddenly broke down in front of them and started to cry. "How did he put it? Did he sound angry?"
"Angry?" Linda giggled. "Don't tell me you did something that L's not going to like? I definitely want to hear this."
"No way, you blabber-mouth. You're just going to tell everyone."
"Fine. I'll go find out from Matt," she called as she ran out of the room.
"Ask him all you want, he doesn't know anything either," Mello shouted after her. "Nosy girl," he grumbled when he turned back around to look at Near. "And you're a hundred times worse.
"For your sake, you'd better pray that L doesn't find out about what you're calling him behind his back."
The first thing they saw when they arrived on the verandah was Kiyoshi seated next to L. With knife in one hand and an apple in the other, he was coolly slicing the fruit into wedges and slipping each piece into his mouth as the knife severed it from the core.
And for all the domesticity that such a scene should have evoked, there was something very disturbing and admittedly intimidating about the repetitive 'shck' sound that Kiyoshi made as he methodically sliced away at the fruit, lodging the knife deeply into the flesh of the apple and then carving upwards with two clean strokes.
As Near and Mello drew closer they heard him offer L a piece, but the detective, surprisingly, gave him a somewhat spooked look and then declined rather quickly, saying that it was too bitter for his taste. The brunette stared at him blandly, said nothing, and continued to eat.
Turning to them with what could be described as an air of relief, L pointed at the chairs across from him and Kiyoshi. "Please take a seat," he said and waited for them to do so before explaining why he had called them here.
"I've been talking to you both for the past few months, and while it's been helpful to a degree, it cannot give me an accurate picture of your abilities.
"Fortunately, Kiyoshi-kun," both Near and Mello looked at the brunette, "has proposed that I hold a small contest for you two." L tapped his finger against his bottom lip. "Though I would rather look at it as an interview. It is nothing drastic, but please answer my questions to the best of your abilities. There is no pressure here."
It could be that when L said "no pressure" they should take it at face value. But for the person chosen as the next L, he could just as easily fall into a false sense of security with that kind of thinking, and as a result, not take the appropriate measures to keep himself safe. There was no such thing as "no pressure" in L's line of work, so for them to take this lightly would be the first error they could make in this contest.
"I very rarely speak to those involved in my investigations. Usually I can study the crime-scene evidence and reach a conclusion in a short time. Most cases are that cut and dry -- however much the criminal attempts to cover it up.
"Since I don't interact my suspects and cannot ask them questions of my own choosing, I usually obtain interrogation videos from the police station where they are being detained and study those. My question to you is very simple – since I cannot ask them questions of my own choosing, what might be some signs that indicate they are lying?"
Mello straightened in his chair to show that he wanted to go first. It didn't seem like L favored a precise order, turning towards the blond to show that he was listening.
"There's the obvious one of avoiding eye contact, but there's other things like when a person's lying they tend to blink less than they normally do. They'll limit their hands gestures, and the few they make will be stiff and controlled. They'll also avoid pointing at the other person, and might even cross their arms over their chest to subconsciously make a barrier between themselves and their interrogator. Or they'll fidget with any nearby object, and if seated at a table, they'll place the object between themselves and the interrogator, again, as a sort of subconscious effort to put up a barrier and escape the person that's putting them in an uncomfortable position.
"It's not a textbook trick," Mello continued, "but some detectives will place a glass of water on the table before the suspect arrives and then as they question the person, they'll observe the amount he drinks. When people lie they tend to swallow, clear their throats, and lick their lips more often, so they'll subconsciously go for the water as it helps with all those."
When it was Near's turn, he made no outer effort like Mello to appear serious, still twirling a lock of hair between his fingers. "Liars," he started up rather boldly, "will expand their contradictions, so instead of saying 'didn't' they'll use 'did not' to come off as sincere. Qualifiers and modifiers like 'however,' 'sometimes,' and 'generally' will also show up a lot in their conversation because they feel a need to explain themselves more. They generally feel pressured and uncomfortable in silence, so liars like to hear themselves talk."
Kiyoshi had left the room halfway through Mello's answer, returning only now with a tray in his hands. Near had not looked in his direction when he made that statement, but he thought he didn't have to with such a convenient entrance.
"They won't put emphasis on pronouns and will drop them due to feelings of guilt. Also, if you change the subject, liars will more readily go along with you."
As Kiyoshi took his seat next to L, he cleared his throat, adding, "I read somewhere that toe-curling is also considered a sign of lying."
L turned to look at him. "Now you are just pointing fingers."
The brunette said nothing and instead set the tray down; there was a slice of cake on it, double-layered with whipped frosting in between, blueberries dotting the sides and a generous amount of strawberries heaped on top.
L looked down at it. "Your apology is duly accepted. By the way, where did you find this? The bakery that Roger frequents only changes their selection every Sunday; this was not on the menu."
"I made it," the brunette responded casually.
There was a short pause. "You can bake? …This is quite a surprise. Why did you not inform me earlier that you possessed such a skill? The hiring process would have been much quicker."
"I've never baked before," he told L. "This is just the result of me following the recipe to a T. Though I'm confident it turned out as it should. My Home Economics teacher said that my preciseness with measurements made the other students food taste like mud."
L touched his finger to his bottom lip, staring at the cake with fascination and possibly a bit of awe. "They do say that cooking is a science, so I suspect that you would be very good at it."
"Go ahead, I'll take over for you in the meanwhile," he encouraged, pouring L more tea and even handing him a fork.
"Since you are also a candidate," L's fork hovered over a particularly plump looking strawberry, "it would be wrong to not test you as well. Yes… I don't see any problems with this," he concluded and seemed to have also made up his mind on what side he wanted to start on. "And since this is your first ever cake, I should give it the proper reception it deserves. Do not worry, I will treat it very nicely."
This was such an obvious tactic, and L no doubt knew that once he gave Kiyoshi the opportunity to ask them questions, the brunette would attempt to show them up in front of him. It was so obvious what he was going to do and yet so effective at getting L to back off. Not only did it appeal to the side of the detective that was interested in seeing how they fared in competition, but it appealed to his stomach as well.
Kiyoshi was apparently an expert at handling L.
"Every case," the brunette started, "has a basic structure that's defined by a criminal perpetuating an action and the detective attempting to close that action. Studying that structure, it's evident that once the criminal is a repeat offender, he's also trapping the detective in a circle with him that continues as one side eludes and leaves behind evidence and the other side collects and analyzes that evidence to break the cycle. Since both sides are dependent on each other -- one to provide evidence and the other to acknowledge his crimes -- it goes without saying that when one makes a decision, it will greatly affect the other, and the outcome can be judged as a result."
"Near." The boy stopped playing with his hair when he heard his name called. "What am I referring to?" Kiyoshi asked, suddenly.
"Game theory," Near answered. "It's where a person's success depends on the choices of others, and visa versa."
"And an outcome if we were to apply it to this definition?" Raito glanced in Mello's direction.
"…zero-sum" the blond responded after a pause. "The philosophy is no two sides can win. One must lose in order for the other to triumph. If it's possible for both sides to benefit from a choice then that makes it non-zero-sum."
"So in accordance with these definitions, it's reasonable to say that for either party to win, whether it be the detective or the criminal, manipulating the other side to make a choice that will hurt their chances of success is the best course of action to take."
With guidelines to follow, this sounded like the beginnings of an application problem; and as Near had predicted, the brunette began to introduce them to the actual scenario at hand.
"Let's say that our detective and our criminal are faced with pursuing each other or retreating. There are obvious rewards for each choice, but the rewards are not made equal. Death will mean failure, but both detective and criminal value their reputations to chance it.
"Now for the first scenario: if neither chooses to pursue then they're assured to stay alive – a major plus. However, this result comes about at the expense of pride and reputation, an even greater loss.
"This case is an extremely volatile one where the more you participate, the likier you are to be killed. For the second scenario: since both parties will be taking the lead for their respective sides, if they choose to pursue then there's a good chance that they will both die. But as a result they have defended their pride.
"For the third scenario: if one pursues and the other decides against it, that results in the eventual capture and death for the chased, since to run means you are giving up the chance to learn about your enemy and counter-measure his attacks. In this case the pursuer reaps the full rewards of victory – he stays alive by killing his enemy and in effect defends and bolsters his pride."
"Now my question to you is out of these three scenarios, which would be the best choice, assuming that both criminal and detective would like to walk away with their lives and pride intact."
L opened his mouth to say something but Kiyoshi poured him more tea, his equivalent of "shut up and eat your cake."
"Wouldn't it be best to manipulate your opponent into a situation where he has no choice but to run? That way you can be the one to chase, and since there's an advantage to being the pursuer, you can kill your enemy and defend your pride. It should be scenario three," and though this was Mello's conclusion, he still had an unsure look to his face, his answer so obvious that he was hesitant to take it. But to him there was just no way the other choices were more acceptable.
Near wavered between Mello's answer and the first one. The third scenario was clearly the ideal here. "Since both detective and criminal are strictly competing, that is, one has to lose in order for the other to win, then the solution should be in accordance with zero-sum. Scenario three is the only answer that has one winner and one loser."
Near stared at Kiyoshi and then answered unexpectedly, "I choose scenario one."
L raised his hand halfway, as if he wanted to be included in the 'answering' fun, but Kiyoshi immediately slapped it down, shattering any hope of that happening.
"You're both wrong," the brunette pointed out casually, while totally ignoring L who was holding onto his mistreated hand and giving him a sulky look.
"To arrive at the right answer you have to keep in mind that your choices will manipulate the outcome for your enemy. Mello did that, however he didn't take into consideration that the other person has equal influence over your own choices or that both parties might suffer the same fate.
"For instance, when faced with options, a person will always pick the choice that is most beneficial to him or her. Since the two mentioned above are looking out for their best interests, their best interests would undoubtedly lead them to both pick scenario three, killing the enemy and defending your pride. However, scenario three only works when one person picks it – it's a disguised scenario two – so in selecting the best option they are in fact making the worse choice and setting themselves up for death.
"And as for you," the brunette turned to Near, "it was a good move to avoid scenario three. Even though it can be considered the best answer, it can be considered the worst as well. This makes it a contradiction, and contradictions should be avoided at all cost.
"However, while picking the first option will not lead to death, that in itself can't be considered a victory when you have fled. It is not much better than scenario three, because just as nothing is accomplished with three, so too is nothing accomplished with one.
"To sum it up," Raito made a motion with his hand, "there is no solution for this problem."
Well, they'd been made to look stupid, Near thought rather sedately, twirling a lock of hair around his finger and watching as Mello grinded his back teeth in frustration.
Sensing that the mood had gone sour, L tapped his finger against the table, bringing their attention back to him. "I think now would be a good time to evaluate yourselves and point out things that you may need to work on."
Unlike Kiyoshi, L seemed to be taking the straightforward approach to his inquiries -- whether to balance things out or he saw this as a good lead in, since Kiyoshi's last question had done an excellent job of pointing out their character flaws. Though Near sensed that he was also doing this to give them time to prepare for the next question that Kiyoshi would see fit to ask.
"I'm too emotional and quick to act," Mello blurted out, seeing it better to go first than second. For Kiyoshi's question he had gone directly for the choice that would enable him to take immediate action. It was a lack of confidence on his part that always caused him to leap forward like that. He felt that if he didn't take the initiative then he would have no advantage over his opponents at all.
Near was on the other spectrum of that extreme; his instincts had made him go for the answer that would take him out of harm's way. He was reasonably confident of his ability to make snap decisions, but sometimes that feelings transferred over into some areas as over-confidence. His problem was that he tended to fall back on that comfortable feeling because he was not used to putting much effort into his decisions. He supposed that this all had something to do with how easily things came to him, unlike Mello who was always struggling when it came to his decisions.
"I'm too slow to act and that also keeps me from seeing the whole picture," he admitted, seemingly more tolerable of his mistakes than the blond was for his.
L received their answers silently and then for some reason turned to the brunette beside him.
"What?"
"You must add something as well," L told him.
"About Near and Mello?"
L gave him a strange look. "No, about yourself. I did not invite you into this consultation so you could only make comments about others."
Offended was how Near would have described the expression the brunette currently wore, but then again there were better words like miffed too.
"Add something about yourself," Kiyoshi responded curtly.
"Are you forgetting that you are a candidate just as they are, and that as the person giving away his title, I have every right to inquire about your weaknesses." Then L added pretty underhandedly, "Though I cannot say that I am in the dark as to what they are."
"I have my shortcomings," Kiyoshi admitted, though a tad high-handed. "But what's most important is that my shortcomings won't come in between me and my duties.
"However, their deficiencies in personality," he made a gesture towards Mello and Near, "are things that can directly affect an investigation. To ask me the same question is unreasonable because they don't have the experience of working on a big case; they haven't been given the chance to analyze themselves in that context and resolve their tendencies to the best of their abilities. They still have a lot more growing to do as people, so you can't expect them to know any better."
As L continued to sip from his tea, Near noticed he was staring at the brunette rather crabbily.
"Somehow you have managed to provide an answer for everything except the question I asked you. It shows -- and please listen closely because I am providing you with an example that you can repeat after I ask the question again -- your evasive nature and how out of touch with reality you are when it comes to your own personality. If you had answered something along those line then that would have stopped me from bringing up your other faults, which include arrogance and your very bad habit of making yourself out to be the victim when things are not going your way."
L then took another sip from his tea, this one more controlled. "I also left out that you are mean."
Near sensed that an argument between the two was quickly forming. He had wished that they could hold off until him and Mello were done with them, or at least out of the room.
"It's better than being a big-mouth jerk that doesn't know when to shut up and can't understand that certain topics should be discussed behind a closed door. I might be mean to you, but it's always intentional and well-deserved," Kiyoshi said, done with ambiguity, "unlike how insensitive you can act towards me simply because you're too socially oblivious to know any better."
"You will take that back," L said, insulted.
"Well you need to learn how to speak to others without bossing them around every second."
This sounded like the continuation of an argument, probably one they'd started this morning and had prematurely dropped.
"Because this is a simple evaluation, it is impossible to fail at it, and yet here you are, proving yourself an exception to the rules yet again."
Kiyoshi glared at the detective, rose up from his seat and promptly left. L watched him go and then turned back around, stubborn. He had begun to tap a finger against his knee, the other not long in following so it sounded like a horse at trot. This went on for some time until he noticeably slumped to one side, then the other, then back again, as if all this shifting would help him think.
"I will be back," L told them suddenly as he stood and left to, Near suspected, apologize to the brunette or argue with him some more.
Near and Mello who had remained quiet throughout the scene finally turned to acknowledge the other, each hesitantly made eye contact and then just as hesitantly looked away because this situation was awkward enough without them adding to it.
"Will you at least hear me out now?"
"Don't talk to me," Mello quickly dismissed. "Things are bad enough without you and your confused crap adding to it." He crossed his arms and settled back into his chair, preparing to wait for L's return.
"You don't even have any proof," he criticized a second later, invalidating his own warning to Near to shut up. "Where did you hear this from anyway? I doubt even you could make something up like that, so who's spreading these stupid rumors."
Near gave him an assessing look, a quick up and down that made Mello's temper flare up again.
"Don't look at me like that and answer the question."
"It's Kiyoshi," he said after a pause.
"Him?" A strand of hair fell into his line of sight and he brushed it to the side. "Don't tell me you'd actually believe anything that guy has to say."
It's wasn't that Near believed, but he wanted to be certain. Mello was waiting for him to respond, but Near saw no reason he had to defend himself and gave the blond another one of those blatant assessing looks, longer this time, knowing how much he hated it but using it to provoke him nonetheless.
"I don't get you at all," Mello grumbled. "Why are you being so stubborn about this?" Then when he was not met with an answer, he cast his eyes sideways, pondering. "How sure are you, anyway?" he suddenly inquired.
Near shrugged, because that was essentially where he stood on the matter of proof.
Mello snorted at him dismissively, but despite his curt attitude towards him and a deep-seethed belief that L could do no wrong, Near sensed that the blond was starting to question the situation -- that indecisiveness causing him to glance over at him again and then lower his head in contemplation.
A/n: the definition list has returned – and it has brought friends. On another note, MGS4 has come out and all I have to say is that it is beyond cool.
1. Rosin is what violinists apply to their bows to ensure that it can effectively grip the strings and produce the desired sound. They can either come in stones or mounted in woodblocks. The dark stickier rosin will better grip the strings and therefore the player can produce a wider array of sound, so the more proficient players may use this type of rosin.
2. Rosary, which means "rose garden" in Latin, is both a devotional device (the beads) and a prayer. The prayer consists of the Lord's Prayer, ten Hail Marys, and one Glory Be to the Father. On the completion of each set or decade, the person must then meditate upon a Mystery. The beads are used so the person can keep track of their prayers and better concentrate while mediating; for instance, the small beads are used to count out the hail marys and the larger beads are where you meditate upon a Mystery.
3. The Mysteries as mentioned above are events in Christ's life, as well as his mother's, the Virgin Mary. They are separated into four categories: Joyful, Sorrowful, Glorious, and Luminous. For instance, the "Sorrowful" that Near alludes to are five instance in Christ's life that show his suffering: the Agony in the Garden symbolizes his sin; the Scourging on the Pillar, his mortification; the Crowning of the thorns, his contempt for the world; and the Carrying of the Cross, his patience. Near leaves out the Crucifixion, as this symbolizes salvation, and he believes that Mello, in his current state of mind, would only know how to identify with suffering without any escape in sight.
4. Großer Bruder (Grohser bruda) -- "big brother" Thanks to phini, teteiforever2002, and tsinogatna for correcting me on the german pronunciation and the word itself.
5. There are 23 "clinically practical" physical and verbal signs of mendacity (the physiatrist's term for lying) that a psychiatrist and neurologist by the name of Alan R. Hirsch defined; and which is used by the FBI and other policing organizations for interrogations. For Mello and Near's answers, I alluded to some from Dr. Hirsch's list, but for the rest I consulted other lists and took many liberties.
6. I strangely read somewhere the toe-curling is considered a sign of lying… I don't trust the source though, but it is interesting to think about, since in practically every scene that L is in we see him toe-curling away.
7. Game theory "attempts to mathematically capture behavior in strategic situations, in which an individual's success in making choices depends on the choices of others. While initially developed to analyze competitions in which one individual does better at another's expense (zero sum games), it has been expanded to treat a wide class of interactions." Basically it can be used to predict and explain behavior. The problem that I have Mello and Near attempt to solve is based on one of the games under this field and is called the "Prisoner's dilemma." The "Prisoner's dilemma" is considered "non-zero" sum, meaning that both can win or lose, while an example of a zero-sum game would Chess or Go.