❮❮ 01; video. ❯❯

[godly]

[The video feed flickers to life, revealing the face of a young man decidedly still in his late teens. He's calm enough, almost professional, and his words will be spoken with the deliberation of someone who's put some thought into what they're going to say.]

I'm going to bypass what I assume are the usual comments concerning the... inconvenience of being brought here. I'm sure I'm not the only one who was either in the middle of something important or simply has more pressing matters at "home", so there's little point in being redundant.

[All-in-all, he appears to be taking this alright. There's only the slightest twitch, a furrowing of the brow -- but to anyone who claims to know Light well, this is merely an indication that's he a lot more irritated than he's letting on. (Consider it a blessing that no one really knows Light all that well.) He continues.]

My name is Light Yagami; I was a first year college student in Japan before my arrival. I understand that there are shared residencies here... in that case, if you happen to be one of my housemates, I'd appreciate you letting me know. I'd like to familiarize myself with your names, faces, backgrounds, personalities and et cetera, just so I can get a sense of [what he's getting himself into] who I'm living with and what daily life is going to be like. Just out of curiosity.

Secondly -- and this is directed to anyone seeing this -- I'd like some advice as to how to adapt here. This is a - [a pause because the notion sounds ridiculous but here he is] reality that isn't my own, so as far as I know, down could be up and up could be down. Explanations of do's and don't's are welcome, as is just general information if that's all you have to contribute. And yes, I know I've already been given a summary of what's supposedly happening; it's just that I wouldn't mind getting second opinions, or just meeting the people here.

[He looks as if he's about to end it there, and then, as if remembering something:]

Oh, and is the calendar on this thing right? February 26th? It's almost my birthday again.

Anyway, thanks for your time.

Comments

[godly]

You make it sound like I'm a lot older than I am. Believe me, I'm still just going to consider myself eighteen for now.

But thanks anyway.

[attractedtodarkness]

Hey, we're in the same boat. Just don't treat me like a kid and we're cool.

[godly]

I don't think I'm the one you have to worry about that from.

[attractedtodarkness]

I can deal with him.

[godly]

[He just nods.]

So, had you been given a job when you arrived?

[attractedtodarkness]

Yeah. Part time Real Estate Agent. [drily:] Fun.

What about you?

[godly]

Real Estate Agent? Are you... ah, familiar with the business...?

I'm apparently both a student and part-time Internal Investigations intern.

[attractedtodarkness]

Nope. I figure they just have a sick sense of humor. Yours sounds more intense.

[godly]

It aligns, vaguely, with my interests. Which is why I had asked if you had any experience in the real estate business. But I assume the assignments are all arbitrary, if you don't.

[attractedtodarkness]

My family moved once. That's about it.

[not even close to the whole truth but she's not saying more]

[godly]

[A small smile.] Fair enough. Wish I could be more help on the matter, but I wouldn't know where to start with real estate.

[Not without proper research on it, first.]

[attractedtodarkness]

Can't be that hard. Show them the house. Tell them what's good and what's shit about it and wait till someone says yes. Easy.

[godly]

I... somehow think it might be a little more complicated than that. Where I'm from, people can make a good living in that particular business; if it were so easy, everyone would be doing it, don't you think?

[attractedtodarkness]

I didn't ask for the job so they'll just have to deal with it.

wow sorry

[godly]

[That's true. As convenient as it is that they were offered such jobs, it doesn't change the fact that no one asked for any of this.]

I'm sure there'll be some sort of training. I wouldn't worry. Not that you are worrying.

no worries

[attractedtodarkness]

It takes a lot more than that to worry me. So are superpowers a thing where you're from?

[godly]

Not at all. I'd like to think my world is pretty normal -- almost boring in comparison to all of this. What about yourself?

[attractedtodarkness]

The only people with superpowers are cartoon characters, so the boring kind of normal.

[godly]

So then are superpowers an exciting prospect to you?

[attractedtodarkness]

If it didn't come with being a hero or getting kidnapped.

[godly]

Right. Glad to know I'm not the only one skeptical about this.

[attractedtodarkness]

Who wouldn't be? I didn't ask to be a hero. They could have found someone else.

[godly]

Well from what I hear, you don't have to be. You aren't required to proclaim allegiance to the military, though it seems like it'll make life more difficult if you don't.

[attractedtodarkness]

That's the catch, isn't it? Are you going to register?

[godly]

I haven't decided, though I'm leaning towards registering. I have my doubts about all of this, but there are advantages to being registered that I can't overlook at this point in time; being newly arrived and uprooted from home has me in a position where there's little alternative.