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secretshinigami · 3 years

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Masterlist of Near’s Birthday Finale Prompts

A compiled list of everyone’s prompts from this round of our exchange – thank you for letting us post them, and we hope you guys enjoy them!

Prompts are organized by their submitter, so feel free to ctrl+f to find character-specific prompts.

Anonymous

Light is a vampire.

Light doing the Hamlet Post (with the skull)

Light and Near kiss.

L commits tax fraud and Light is an IRS agent.

Light didn't read the fine print on the death note and now everyone he killed using it has turned into a zombie.

Light and BB are two ghosts sharing the same haunted space.

college au w lawlight, rem/misa, and matt/mello/near and ryuk hanging out (shinigami as humans)

near, mello, and matt all being disgustingly in love with one another.

afab non-binary L or near(specifically w/ long hair)1. lawlight canon divergence where, in the helicopter, L snatches the notebook back before light has the chance to write higuchi’s name.

fun and sweet found family w the wammy’s kids (including beyond and a) + light.

au where mello his death during the kira case and is finally coming back to near. hurt/comfort.

Young Mello and Matt hugging each other

Roger Ruvie and Quillsh Wammy examining a frog together

Roger playing the piano(or violin)

Matt, but he is young and wears round glasses, like Harry Potter style glasses.

Roger Ruvie visits Quillsh Wammy in a hospital after the latter nearly dies(Something to do with some kind of case maybe? Or with his background in espionage? Assassination attempt?) and basically says "Hey dumbass I love you very much, don't you dare put your life in danger again"

Mello, who has been in Wammy's house for like 6 months, gets a roommate named Matt

Young Quillsh Wammy and Roger Ruvie try to repair a car together, and take it for a very unsafe ride.

Misa and Rem on a date!

Naomi just being herself, maybe working?

If possible, someone's take on the shinigami king (again)

This is how Misa and Takada can ditch Light

What if L was the one who got the death note instead?

Instead of a death note, Ryuk decides to drop the shinigami deal onto someone withought asking

Resilicns

1. Young or post-one-shot Near (Long hair Near) knocking over a lego/toy brick structure with a toy airplane / 2. Near braiding their long hair or their hair already in braids (whatever is easier for the artist) / 3. Near hugging a plushie of Mello1. Near reflecting on their relationship with Wammy's and L's reputation / 2. Light's monologue/breakdown but from Near's perspective / 3. Moon River (Light/Near) where Light was a Wammy's kid, some drabble where a fight between them ends in a cute, romantic interaction.

lightsturtleneck

1) Lawlight fluff, 2) Near making a giant lego sculpture, 3) Misa studying lines for a movie 1) Lawlight hurt/comfort, 2) Mello/Matt live AU, 3) Any scene from DN that isn’t from Matsudas POV from Matsudas POV

fandom-fae

1) misa standing in front of a burning house (either alone or with mello and/or beyond birthday) after committing arson

2) misa and fem!light and/or fem!L on a date/chilling in a café

3) misa falling off a building (maybe the one she jumped off at the end of the anime), viewed through the shinigami eyes1) an au in which misa somehow knew the wammy’s kids (including L, beyond birthday & a) before the kira-case and how that would affect the investigation (and how that would change that scene at the college when misa & L first met)

2) a college au where misa, fem!L & fem!light all live in a dorm together, the story would take place during the first week of them living there & getting to know each other and so on

3) an isekai au where light is the one who gets sent into a fantasy world & there he meets misa & L and they go on some adventure together! maybe to save the world, maybe just to have fun & maybe to find a way to help light get back home (ur choice!!)

4) linda lives in LA & has a rly successful art studio. three years after the kira case, on the death anniversary of mello & matt, she gets contacted by near & he tells her that he needs her help for a new case. linda had never really wanted to be a detective, but who wouldn’t help an old friend? especially since she hadn’t seen him in so long..

5) an au in which misa is the first kira, and light (maybe fem!light (ur choice!)) is in love/obsessed with her. maybe the story could focus on L’s reaction to finding out that kira is most likely a girl (since he’d previously assumed that kira was a guy).

jam-knife

1. L and Light all tangled in the chain (you can choose whether you want it to be funny, shippy, edgy or a combination of the above xD) / 2. A close-up of Beyond's face in which you can see letters and numbers floating in the reflection of his eyes. You can make it gory if you're comfy with that but it's not necessary / 3. Some angsty Lawlight coupled with lyrics from a song of your choosing1. High School AU Halloween costume party? Is that too much? xD You can choose which characters hook up (if any do) / 2. Any scene from the main series, but narrated from Ryuk's perspective / 3. Light and B join forces to bring L down. How does that work out? Your choice to make it Blight or keep it platonic

izaori

1.) Light and Mello sharing or failing to share a milkshake / 2.) Near in a magical girl outfit like ojamajo doremi or something like that! / 3.) Misa Misa but she looks like a total dweeb. Like it’s nerd day and she’s ready for it1.) Light and Mello on a fake date because Mello was pulling some stunt and it took a wrong turn / 2.) Story of how Soichiro and Sachiko first met!! :) Doesn’t have to be romantic, just thought it would be cute for Sachiko to tell Sayu about it or something. / 3.) Ryuk and Rem shinigami shenanigans. Maybe expanding on Rems growing interest in Misa/humans, or Ryuks antics getting around shinigami laws without actually breaking them

beyondplusultra.tumblr.com

1. mello with even longer hair, braided in some cool style. / 2. matt, mello, & near but they're posing like charlie's angels / 3. biker chick misa amane1. a mello x near reunion fic post-kira. (ship) / 2. mello x matt x near college AU shenanigans (can be ship or gen) / 3. the origin of the 'dear mello' photo

yagami-raito-kun

1. Light as a supervillain, Near as a superhero / 2. Young Light and Sayu playing together / 3. I will never say no to fan art of any of my fics...1. Light as a Wammy student (bonus points if he interacts with Near) / 2. Mello kidnaps Light instead of Sayu / 3. Near is a superhero, Light is a supervillain, they get set up on a blind double date and have to roll with it to protect their secret identities

jeevas-exe

1. A polaroid of Matt and Mello having fun, being kids 2. 80s fashion spk 3. mello and matt, moments before they depart on their separate missions in canon 1. an 1800s au, where L, a detective, is trying to figure out why the people of london are dropping like flies. 2. lidner and takada, but one of them borrows a book from the library and doesn’t return it so they have to find each other au 3. a small town au, where matt meets a stranger (mello) who he doesn't recognize.

realtruesuccessor

1. Sayu Yagami dressed in some of Misa's clothes / 2. Light and Mello meeting face-to-face, and they do not like each other / 3. The Wammy Boys playing video games together1. Post-canon Light (and any other characters you want to add), from the afterlife, watch Near and live-react to Near's daily life in the living world / 2. Light's perspective and reaction to having another man confess feelings for him (can be any other man character, an OC, or genderbent Misa idc) / 3. Fluffy moments between Matsuda and the other investigators during the Yotsuba Arc, with a focus on Matsuda/L interaction if possible

Dillyfirestarter

1) Those Who Stand 2)Make Obha cry sexist tears: turn one of the competent men into a competent woman 3)L/Misa cuteness 4)if we want to something more specific: Misa has made a healthy dessert for herself, but L is allowed a forkful.1)Let’s be mean to sexist Light: how does he react to L being female/female presenting during their first encounter? 2) Oh no, oneshot Near has a lego tangled in his very long hair. SPK caring/hairbrushing time 3)L/Misa: she decides to help Light by coming on to L, L knows what she’s doing but goes along for the ride 4)L/Misa: L tells Misa she can help Light by being nicer to him, Misa discovers that having someone respond positively to her, even weird Ryuzaki, is filling a hole Light’s coldness has left

fogspecs

L and Light redesigned in a fantasy / medieval setting AU.

Light sick with a cold.

L hanging out with with Aiber and Wedy.

Higuchi and Demegawa painting the town red in their younger playboy days.

Halle Lidner in her favorite dress.

A day in the life of domestic MikaLight.

Sci-fi or cyberpunk inspired AU where Light is a robot, but L isn’t.

L (“Hideki Ryuga”) visits the Yagami household for dinner as a guest while still in college.

Epilogue that shows what happens to Sayu after the events of the manga.

L decides to get his first pet.

Misa and Takada have romantic tension between them.

hazblogs

Light’s mind-shelter, the place in his head he retreats to when the pressure of being Kira becomes too much and he starts to doubt his own actions (extremely early in the manga or post L’s death) /

Your take on A (please not as a cishet man, bonus points if they're not white) /

L and Light with religious imagery (Christianity would be an obvious choice but I'll let you pick any other myth you'd want to draw !) /

Matt alone at Wammy's house, after Mello and Near have left, feeling very lonely and missing them

L wins AU, where Light never recovers his memories, but Misa did (following canon up to that point). explore how L, knowing that Light is Kira but being unable to prove it without making Light a criminal, deals with the whole “Light is Kira but he genuinely doesn’t remember it” situation (lawlight if possible, but if not it's fine too !) /

The origin of the “Dear Mello” photograph, from either Near or Mello's pov, or maybe set after the end of the manga when Near finds himself all alone /

Your take on a soulmate AU (ideas could be: "red string of fate", shinigami eyes related, the name of the person appears on your body... lawlight or nearmellomatt would be my preferred ships but I'm open to other pairings !) /

Mello character study, focusing on anger or inferiority complex, extra mega bonus points if Mello isn't cishet + if you add Christian imagery or Catholic guilt

Ironblowtorch

L and Light sitting on the edge of a balcony looking out to the horizon!!

I love beyond birthday! What would it be like if he was in the musical? Lol

I really love Rem and Misa !!! Maybe them on a date?

what is beyond birthday stayed at whammy’s and mentored the younger whammy’s kids?

l and light in a coffee shop au? I think it would be funny to see how they order different!!

rem and Ryuk as humans!! Rem has a crush on Misa? Or Ryuk being a trans man! :)

almostsane-things

Shinigami family portrait

Beyond Birthday and Candy Guro

A collage of memories through shattered glass

Death Note as a video game (visual novel, rpg, arcade game, etc)

AU in which Light still owns the Death Note but never used it and takes a personal interest in hunting down Kira (Misa) once mass murders start.

Shinigami history lesson- Go wild with worldbuilding, ruling hierarchy, how new shinigami are born, how rules come about and how they're enforced, etc

The forgotten characters corner (minor characters venting or responding to the events of canon)

lightlessons

Light and L in a Hogwarts AU. Light and L can be Slytherins or one of them can be Gryffindor and the other one Slytherin. (Other characters can be included!)

Small kid!L before the Wammy's house in his usual crouching position and looking sad and/or scared.

The Wammy's kids (+ Light if alright!) around a campfire (A and B can be there too)

Human!Ryuk and Light as college roommates (can be + L too!)

Following from the last one Light and L in a college AU, kissing or being cute on a tiny bed with typical college kid stuff strewn around the room.

Light and L being friends as children.

Light and L as students in a hogwarts AU.

Light and L as college roommates.

L's childhood either with Watari or before Wammys's house.

sketchyspirit

L and Light on a tropical expedition (for inspo: I'm thinking of Alexander von Humboldt, preferably also that era, 19th century)

Death Note au your favourite fairy tale but only if its a funky one!

Any classical painting death note "immitation" you know just like there's a "der Kuss" (Gustav Klimt) version in every franchise/ship I'd wish for such a fanart of whichever painting you fancy. Can be shippy or not

L and Light on a tropical expedition (for inspo: I'm thinking of Alexander von Humboldt, preferably also that era, 19th century)

University au (dark academia if you wanna) where Light and/or L and/or Beyond share a dorm, how are they getting along?

Death Note au your favourite fairy tale but only if its a funky one!

L and Beyond meet in heaven/nu and watch Light proceed with his canon activities. How do they discuss him/L's and B's deaths respectively/their past etc etc

baranedizille

L and Light as students, doing asignments together

Sidoh and Mello spending time together

Light meets Beyond Birthday

Armonia Justin Beyondormason in all his beauty, writing names or just being bored1. Light and Ryuk playing videogames while they're alone at home, Ryuk is interested in human culture and asks stupid questions.

Light lives with Mikami instead of Misa (or he lives with Mikami after defeating Near). Daily Kiras' routine.

Anything about Shinigami living in their world, maybe talking about humans or gossiping about each other

Humorous AU where Light isn't Kira but L suspects him anyway, preferably from Light's POV. Timeline is set before Yotsuba arc

Matt and Mello get drunk during their time in America and wake up somewhere in Arizona deserts

A story about how Naomi and Raye started dating

L won but Watari's dead, so Light is given a chance to "redeem" himself by working on L as new Watari (it may be lawlight or not (yes, it was inspired by one of already written fics))

pinkmalus

Beyond Birthday at home or shopping/

Misa with their bird (when they move in together, they got a bird. I don't remember it ever being mentioned but I think Light had Misa get a pet so she would stop bothering him about how lonely she was. There's the symbolism of her also being a bird in a cage, which I like :) ) Mello chilling with Sidoh

Vacation at the beach for team Kira Misa waiting for Light to come home Beyond Birthday's day off

transbb

Gevanni on an secluded island holiday (preferably wearing a Hawaiian shirt and drinking out of a coconut)

Naomi kicking L down the stairs

Anything angsty that includes Drama!L

The conversation that Watari has with a very young L, where the purpose of Wammy’s House (and what he’ll become) is explained to him for the first time

Mikami reflects on his regrets while in prison

Anything Beyond/Light!!

whitespottedfox

Misa and Mello doing a fashion photo shoot (gothic lolita or punk fashion or a mix)

Long-haired Near and a Mello who was able to age as well :(

Near (preferably the long-haired version) having tea with Rem which makes no sense at all but would look cute

Mello is a model AU and has to work together with Misa; hilarity ensues (not as a ship)

Naomi survives AU

Mello decides to work with Near AU

complicatedmerary

Demegawa as a family man who loves his wife and kids very much

Light and Sayu riding on a roller coaster

Takada fixing Mikami's tie as he reluctantly agrees with her help.

A day in the life of trashy journalist Hitoshi Demegawa as he ponders what should be his next big story; bonus if he suffers a lot of consequences for it

Light receives an unexpected "Happy Birthday" message from his old friend Yamamoto. Since he is not in love with Misa at all, he continues their communication with the hope of spending less time with her; bonus if they start an affair

TV drama setting: A further elaboration on Shoko Himura and L's relationship and how they began to trust each other.

danthegeek

Soichiro Yagami chilling on the beach in shorts, a hawaii shirt, sunglasses, holding a drink.

Light and L playing Beach Volleyball.

L and Light on the beach, L has buried Light in the Sand up to his hips.

AU Light is a popular Collage Student and invited to a beach party. He is having a lot of fun, is flirty and arrogant as we know him. He is dancing with Misa, who is not his girlfriend but has a crush on him. Then, L joins the party, somebody brought him along. He is chilling awkwardly by the buffet when Light takes notice of him and joins him at the buffet. He has seen him before a couple times on the campus, but never talked to him. What happens next is up to you...

(Kinda AU)Fashion Show in Paris, Light is one of the male models, his father Soichiro being his agent. Light is still Kira but also an international fashion model. L is on his trail and sits in the audience to observe him. But that's when he realises how devilishly handsome he is and he loses focus on his mission a bit...

Soichiro, Matsuda, Light and L in Las Vegas, gambling. Light and L get a little too competitive.

auncade

misa amane at a photoshoot and modeling in different outfits! could be any fashion style

misa amane having a sleepover with rem

matsuda striking a cool pose

misa amane spending the day with rem, maybe they can have a sleepover or a picnic with cute desserts

misa, light and L somehow find themselves vacationing at a campsite or lake house? 😳 i’d love to see more of their bantering

matsuda character study

misa writing in her diary about her day after coming home from a photoshoot

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solotheloso · 7 years

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A Rash Decision - Ch. 2

This one feels a little short. Might fold more into it or continue into a new chapter. Depends on how it flows. Additionally, pasting text into Tumblr’s text editor screws it up to high hell and I have to make fixes manually. If you spot what looks like a formatting error, feel free to let me know.

Roruvi’s day began like most others, save for the fact that he rose well past noon. The sky was cloudless and the sun hung high to the west, sending a blazing pane of light through his window to illuminate the whole room in a soft glow. He trudged sleepily through his study– past shelves stacked high with documents and books and practically groaning under the weight of it– and into what served as his bathroom, a small space with a rudimentary toilet and a copper basin full of water for washing. Folly’s plumbing system was primitive but it was heads and shoulders above what most smaller villages had to work with. He had taken pains to maintain his washroom, as he was a stickler for hygiene when possible. He made it a point to thoroughly scrub himself every rising, a habit that some of his peers found quite amusing.

The first sight he was greeted with on descending the stairs from his living quarters was the haggard face of his niece, Tovana. The girl had handled the bar admirably in his absence, but he still ended up having to tend the fungus in the greenhouse before collapsing into bed, a task she rarely seemed to remember. He had applied the usual punishment, having her rise at dawn to open the tavern and serve the morning crowd. Consequently, she seemed about ready to collapse into the nearest chair– or perhaps the floor. The place was empty now, but he imagined he would be able to hear the clumping of departing boots if he listened hard enough. He chuckled quietly to himself as he watched her sweep the last of the dirty mugs and plates onto a bussing tray. “Such a beautiful morning, is it not?”

Tovana glared fire at him for a brief moment before remembering herself, tamping it down to a dull simmer. “Uncle. It’s well past mid-day.”

“Ah, that it is!” He sauntered around the back of the bar and filled two small wooden mugs with a light wine. “Then I suppose I should begin my day. How did you fare last night?”

She snatched the second mug with a huff and knocked it back before he had even taken his first sip. “Last night wasn’t the problem. I don’t know what happened between then and this morning, but I must have served a battalion of humans in the last six hours, all wanting a full plate breakfast.”

“Then you should have remembered to tend the shrooms! I swear, it’s as if you try to forget your duties.” He sipped delicately at the wine, savoring its mild sweetness. “And they were here because it’s the first day of spring. Any sailor or longshoreman worth his salt knows that now’s the best time to find honest work down at the docks, since the weather’s at its kindest. I’d considered lending a hand, but you need to be able to handle these crowds yourself.”

She blinked at him deliberately, in a way that implied deep boredom. He knew that her sour mood would make her deny her interest, but she often professed that she hoped to own a tavern herself some day. She would soak this fact up like a sponge, just like every other bit of wisdom he spouted. “Your ranger friend is unconscious at the corner table.”

Ruvi barked out a short laugh. “Of course she is!” He left his niece to her work and walked over to the corner of the main floor, where Lika was passed out with her upper body sprawled over the table surface. Golden sunlight poured through an adjacent window, spilling over her and making her short shock of black hair glow at the fringes like a wreath of flame. He stopped for a moment, absorbing the sight. In his younger days, during training with their master, he had entered a brief fit of infatuation with his partner. He had pined for weeks in uncomfortable silence before propositioning her for a relationship, only to be utterly shot down. She had little interest in romance so far– either physically or emotionally– but it had pained her to reject him like that. Their friendship eventually recovered, but some small part of Ruvi had never healed and he occasionally found himself confronted with momentary pangs.

“Lika,” he said, gently. He didn’t touch her in his attempts to wake her. It would be foolish to do such a thing with any ranger. “Lika!” She only groaned in response, mashing her face into her arm. “Wake up. We’re out of cheeses and I could use your company in the market.”

She shot up suddenly, blinking rapidly with bleary eyes. “Huh? Oh, yes! Cheese.” Ruvi smirked at that. He had his ways after all these years. “How’s Tovana doing?” she asked, stifling an enormous yawn. “I offered to lend a hand when I came in, but she was weirdly insistent on doing everything by herself.”

“Uh, she’s fine,” he replied. “Nothing she couldn’t handle.” Despite Lika’s skill as a ranger, when it came to more domestic activities she was utterly hopeless, somewhat resembling a natural disaster. Tovana was wise to refuse her “assistance”.

“Alright, then. Shall we go? You’ve gotten me hungry, and you know I don’t like being hungry.” They left the tavern together in high spirits.

–

Folly’s market was arguably its biggest draw. Its position as a hub for shipping and importing goods ensured that a vast medley of artisans and merchants passed through every year while seeking their fortune, whether from sea or further inland. With them they brought a higher variety of goods than most people could ever claim to see, let alone indulge in.

Luckily for Lika, this afforded her the opportunity to satiate her seemingly bottomless appetite with something new almost every day. She and Ruvi walked through the market at a leisurely pace, passing fishmongers, jewelers, spice dealers and every other sort of stall or booth one could think of. The crowds parted around burro-drawn carts hauling goods by the ton. Merchants crowed and crooned at passersby, each of them assuring that their prices were the best and only a fool would pass them up. The odors of smoke, fish, cooking food, spices, musty textiles and animal dung mixed together in a chaotic storm that felt almost intoxicating with every breath. Lika found that she often missed the sensation when she was away, as it had come to represent the comforts of civilization that she so enjoyed– and, in no small part, her friendship with Ruvi.

The dwarf stared at her in fascination as she munched on a wax paper-wrapped ball of brined cheese with a steady pace he could barely muster for his favorite foods. She didn’t seem to notice, her eyes already busy scanning the stalls for her next prey. “Are you even enjoying that?” he asked, slowly.

“Huh? Affaloofly!” She swallowed and cocked an eyebrow. “Why do you ask?” He shook his head in exasperation and changed the subject.

“So… I went through the archive last night.” Some years ago, Ruvi had come to inherit their master’s small collection of books. Composed of various tomes and documents detailing encounters with beasts, monsters and unidentifiable creatures, the collection had come to be his most prized possession, and he had taken care to expand it as much as possible while still maintaining what credibility its contents had.

“And?”

“Nothing. Absolutely nothing.” He took care to step around a group of silk-robed merchants locked in a shouting match. “Or rather, no complete matches. There’s no creature I’ve heard or read of that has the strength to inflict that kind of damage and can move unhindered in this terrain.”

She shook her head, exasperated. “Nothing. It’s not often you’re stumped, Ruvi.” He waved a hand dismissively, grumbling to himself.

“I’m thinking we might need to pay a visit to Eland after our errands,” he said. Lika groaned in response, an almost instinctive reaction on her part.

“Please, no. I know she means well, but I just– I can’t.”

“I still have no idea why you have such a visceral reaction to her.”

She shrugged and sighed. “Neither do I. She just… something about her rubs me the wrong way. She’s so positive!”

Ruvi laughed. “One might think you were allergic to positivity!” he exclaimed. She merely scowled at him in response. Lika had never thought of herself as a particularly dour person, but she had to admit that excessive cheeriness left a bad taste in her mouth. A dark thought occurred to her: was this her inheritance, as the books were Roruvi’s? She couldn’t help but let a wry smile creep onto her face.

They reached their destination, a large set of stalls set into the wall of a seaside warehouse. The row was sheltered from the sun by half a dozen massive tarpaulins, their corners elevated on narrow wooden beams anchored crudely to the boardwalk posts beneath by heavy iron nails. Cheese of every shape and size was stacked and packed on the stall counters in large quantities, shielded from the elements and errant insects by thin layers of wax paper. The aggressive stench of the market proper was well behind them at this point, leaving only the soft pungency of herbs and dairy to mix with the fresh salt breeze of the ocean. In a strange way, it was calming. This was only complemented by the presence of the rotund man sitting placidly on a stool at the end of the row. He was known to the pair only as Severo. An experienced and charismatic man with a thriving career, he was well-liked by the locals and most sailors alike. Officially speaking his business was cheese and dairy, but the rangers had an inkling that he dealt in something else besides. Every so often, rumors reached them of Severo’s involvement in less-than-legal affairs such as smuggling and forging, but they never reached any solid conclusions and thus decided to do little but keep a close eye on him. The city wasn’t within their jurisdiction, anyway.

Severo looked up as they approached, his face immediately adopting a beaming smile. “Lika! Roruvi! How good it is to see you today!” He stood with a grace that belied his size, his flowing white and gray robe rustling gently in the breeze. His body still bore the remnants of what may have been an athletic build, his forearms especially; lined with pale scars and corded muscle, they betrayed a past of either heavy labor or consistent violence.

“Ho, Severus,” Ruvi replied. Lika nodded politely and approached the booths, her eyes roving over the selection. Her companion was the one who had business with Severo. She was just here for the view. “How’s the cheese trade?”

The man barked out a short laugh, as if Ruvi had just told a passably funny joke. “Just this morning I wrote a sales note for sixty-five pounds of mountain rock bleu, so I suppose I can say I’m doing quite well! What brings you here today?”

The two haggled over prices for the next twenty minutes while Lika browsed and made mental notes of things to try in the future. When the deal was done, Severo was a pouch of silver richer and Ruvi gained ownership of an entire barrow of cheeses, to be delivered to the tavern later that evening.

Just before they were about to leave, Ruvi turned back to the merchant, one finger in the air as if he had just remembered something. “Oh, Severo… “ he said in an offhanded manner. “Have you heard tell of any land-bound shipments being disrupted recently? Animal attacks, perhaps?”

Severo shrugged. “None that I can think of. Aside from that silk trader two days past, but I imagine you already know about that. Ranger business, as always.” Lika frowned and turned away, gazing out over the water. Was Severo having her followed? Or did he have sources in the Guild? The possibilities troubled her.

“Yes, it is,” said Ruvi. The ranger huffed out through his nose, slowly rubbing his scalp.“But we still don’t know what did it, which makes us quite uncomfortable. Considering the target, the possibility of a repeat occurrence should make you uncomfortable as well.”

Severo grimaced for a moment, then tilted his head in a small nod. “I suppose that’s true enough. But I’m not sure how you expect me to help.”

“We’re not looking for financing, Severo. Just information. Keep your ear to the ground.” Ruvi stared at him pointedly. “I know you have your ways.” Lika forced herself to suppress a chuckle. A part of her enjoyed needling the merchant now and then, making him sweat a little. From all indications he wasn’t a bad man, but she found his less legitimate business to be distasteful, and reminding him that they could investigate at any time kept him honest… or at least honest enough for their purposes. She wasn’t worried about ruining their professional relationship. Severo was a businessman first and foremost, and much of their dialogue in the past had been respectful sparring, little games of cat and mouse.

The merchant feigned an innocent expression, raising his eyebrows and stroking at the scruff of his goatee. “I haven’t the slightest idea what you’re talking about. But I’ll keep you in mind if I hear anything.”

“That’s all we can ask,” Lika replied. The pair left the merchant to his own devices and headed deeper into the city. As little as she liked it, they had a scholar to see.

#writing

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