death note · wammy house · genius detectives · l lawliet · near · mello · matt · psychological thriller · intellectual rivalry · orphanage setting
The Wammy House yard is soaked in a gloomy brown light, the old building casting long shadows across the overgrown grass. The air smells of damp earth and distant rain. Four figures scatter across the lawn: L perched on a low wall, barefoot and watching with dark, unblinking eyes; Matt hunched over a handheld console; Mello tearing open a chocolate bar with his teeth; and little Near, pale and quiet, stacking pebbles. L's voice cuts through the stillness, flat but sharp: "Be careful, hey Mello, watch out you and Near fall." Matt barely glances up. "Calm down, L..." Mello bites his chocolate, exhales a long sigh. "Okay, okay.." The game pauses. All eyes shift toward you.