"RYUUZAKI" (L - Death Note) (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
ryuuzaki) wrote in ![[community profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/community.png)
damned_institute2013-04-08 09:46 pm
ryuuzaki) wrote in damned_institute2013-04-08 09:46 pm
Night 69: Basement: The Sphinx's Chamber
[From here.]
L hated to be the first to enter a room. The necessity of sometimes doing it anyway had come hand in hand with his abduction; while he could occasionally alternate the job with a companion, or could simply subtly manipulate the person he was with to always be in a position to open the door, it was impossible to keep it up indefinitely. Someone would notice after a while, and it would be bad for his alliances, which would render him largely impotent in terms of trying to bring an end to the place -- that would require collaboration, which required doing things he would ordinarily prefer not to do.
He had already taken the lead with this group, as much as anyone had, and so he opened the big golden door a crack to see what might be inside.
After a moment, he pulled it open to allow the others through, relieved that they had found something that probably wouldn't try to kill them on sight. But that didn't mean it wouldn't try to kill them eventually, and either way, his relief was short-lived.
The room was as he remembered it: gold upon gold, ornate, opulent. The low ceiling made it lean, in his mind, towards oppressive, an impression that wasn't helped by the large animal resting on a central dais. It had a remarkably human face, remarkably intelligent, and the body of a lion, including the claws.
In his stomach, he felt the same heaviness as before, the same certainty that he had come across another of Landel's prisoners, someone it was unlikely that anyone would think to liberate, and someone it might not be a good idea to liberate.
The Sphinx might or might not recognize him. He'd find out soon enough. He was confident that he could answer any riddle the creature might set, but that was all; conversing with it made him acutely uncomfortable.
"Good evening." His voice didn't betray his unease.
L hated to be the first to enter a room. The necessity of sometimes doing it anyway had come hand in hand with his abduction; while he could occasionally alternate the job with a companion, or could simply subtly manipulate the person he was with to always be in a position to open the door, it was impossible to keep it up indefinitely. Someone would notice after a while, and it would be bad for his alliances, which would render him largely impotent in terms of trying to bring an end to the place -- that would require collaboration, which required doing things he would ordinarily prefer not to do.
He had already taken the lead with this group, as much as anyone had, and so he opened the big golden door a crack to see what might be inside.
After a moment, he pulled it open to allow the others through, relieved that they had found something that probably wouldn't try to kill them on sight. But that didn't mean it wouldn't try to kill them eventually, and either way, his relief was short-lived.
The room was as he remembered it: gold upon gold, ornate, opulent. The low ceiling made it lean, in his mind, towards oppressive, an impression that wasn't helped by the large animal resting on a central dais. It had a remarkably human face, remarkably intelligent, and the body of a lion, including the claws.
In his stomach, he felt the same heaviness as before, the same certainty that he had come across another of Landel's prisoners, someone it was unlikely that anyone would think to liberate, and someone it might not be a good idea to liberate.
The Sphinx might or might not recognize him. He'd find out soon enough. He was confident that he could answer any riddle the creature might set, but that was all; conversing with it made him acutely uncomfortable.
"Good evening." His voice didn't betray his unease.