that1notetaker

[that1notetaker]

[that1notetaker]

Near (from death note) is a character that makes me so insane even after like six years since the first time I read the manga because. Imagine.

You're an orphan that grew up idolizing a person you never even spoke to and you liked him even more when he said that "he's a cheater that doesn't like to lose" and you found out that is not the embodiment of justice but just a man like you that liked to solve puzzles. You two even look so alike! And then he dies. And your rival/foster brother/ guy with whom you have this weird religious coded tension says that you're better suited for the job anyway, you've always been smarter than him anyway, and leaves you alone at THIRTEEN to solve the world's most dangerous case. And you don't even hate said guy, you kind of respect him and want to work with him but he makes his life purpose to beat you at this game. And you're the younger in this case but you're the less childish (emotionally speaking) and you are probably the character that expresses more vocally his dislike of Kira, that has not even a little bit of admiration for his intellect or motivation, and that's the reason why you're the one destroying his pathetic ass in the wharehouse. And then you spend years of your life alone because your "rival" put aside his fatal flaw and decided to die (knowing he will die) to save you and your team, because winning didn't make sense if he couldn't wait for you on the finish line. But they are the martyrs, and you are the one that put together their merits. So you let your hair grows like L's and you try to solve every case like he would, fulfilling the role of a dead person. Keeping L's and Mello's dolls with you even years after everything ended.

I always get annoyed when people accuse Near of being less smart than L ,of "not caring" about the Minoru case, of being a "bad copy" because he and L are identical. Babe. That's the point. He's not L, and he's not superior to him unless him and mello cooperate. Near himself aknowledges that the case was solved because of him and mello. Of course he doesn't do a big move (like shutting down sakura tv) to stop Minoru. That's something L (or even more, Mello) would do. Of course adult Near and L look so similar, he's trying to be him!!

(Honestly I wonder if him saying he wasn't very L- like in the C- Kira oneshot was the moment in which he chose to follow his own path, since in Minoru oneshot he doesn't seem as worried about acting like L as in the C-Kira oneshot or in the original series)

He is a bad copy. He's also just a half of the whole. He's not a copycat, he is haunted.

[that1notetaker]

Just a little PSA for all our mental health (and chronic pain*) spoonies out there! A lot of doctors neglect to mention this little side effect, which means a lot of us are suffering extra from the heat without knowing why.

*Many psych meds are used to treat chronic pain as well, if you didn’t know!

[that1notetaker]

y'all it's about to get really fucking humid and hot

[that1notetaker]

I'm keeping an eye out for heat stroke in my area and I can't figure out what a full body flush would look like on dark skin since all the pictures are just fake training pictures. Anyone have video/pics of a heat stroke flush on black skin?

[that1notetaker]

Hijacking your post momentarily to talk once again about the way Near interacts with his toys/cards/etc tends to be a metaphor for what he's feeling or the way a case is being planned out.

(Because that's how he thinks. Personally, I think Near is a visual thinker. He needs to have something to metaphorically express what's going on in his head. It doesn't need to be with words, it just needs to translate)

Which makes me think...can we mention how fragile these towers are?

Card towers like these can only be properly maintained in closed spaces with little movement, no people...in isolation. But you make one wrong move and it all comes down.

That's what 'L' means here. That's who Near is trying to be, sustained in self-contained captivity. But Near isn't L, only a copy. He's been trying so hard to be L's shadow, but that's all it is...a copy. And he knows this. He forgets that technically, he IS L now. In title, at least.

Speaking of copies, how many L-towers you see here? A lot, a lot of towers that keep going into the background. Copies of the same thing, again and again. ANd just how LONG has he been building these? How long has he been trying to be L, trying to erase who 'Near' is? Because in truth, who WANTS Near? The world doesn't, the world only needs L. Without L, Near Is a nobody. That's why Near needs to be L. Because maybe he wouldn't know what else to do with himself without L's shadow pressing down his shoulders.

Near might not be happy or content, but Near is SAFE. Like this place, like these towers. And that's always something he's been known to prioritise, most of the time.

It's so cool, because all these, these cool towers, theyre visually explaining Nears situation without saying a word. But no one, in the story that is, ever mentions it. No one tries to interact, or break, or understand what Near is doing, WHY he is doing. And those people that might have understood are already dead.

APPRECIATION POST:

Near's creations

Near peeking has got to be one of my favorite things ever!

I've just recently noticed these being shaped like an L, and I thought their size alone was a thing to be impressed about.

[that1notetaker]

the holidays are never officially here until i see the christmas light extension cord of death by electricity and I have yet to see it.

[that1notetaker]

HEYYYY guys… uhhhh

So this isnt exactly an emergency (right?? I hesitate to ever say omg guys its a crisis!!!),

but I’m dangerously close to cutting into my rent and i need to pay for therapy this week, as well as legal documents, and my wi-fi,,,

basically, i got sick like twice in a row and had to pay for a bunch of medication, and Etsy is also withholding my funds from me but i still need to send out deliveries which,,,

the shipping can still cost a surprising amount in some occasions (because they put me on reserve, of course they did HAHA) and i am yet to.

find a day job, unfortunately. so if you ever wanted to commission me, now might be the time… and if you can’t! thats ok! I appreciate a reblog! I do most stuff (including nsfw) barring anything illegal or hate-speechy, but i dont think my gang would trouble me like that anyway … thank you guys!!

Payments taken via Square Invoices, so you’ll never need to have any kind of account when buying comms from me! Just a valid credit/debit card and an email!

[that1notetaker]

Do not think for a moment that this admin is only going after trans folks. They are ultimately going after the whole LGBTQ community. They start small, like getting rid of a hotline option, then go BIG.

[that1notetaker]

Did anyone ask for... *squints* ...a domestic Death Note fix-it in these trying times with Near at the center of my rotating mind? No secondary intentions I swear

they're people-watching you rn

[that1notetaker]

For all of the northerners that stood up for Texas during our freeze and said, "Don't make fun of them, they've never dealt with this before. Their infrastructure isn't made for snow and freezing."

This one is for you.

Where I live 108°F with 80% humidity with no wind is normal.

Pacific North West is dealing historic best waves 35-40°C or 95-105°F.

First of all. Don't make fun of them for bitching about the heat. Just like Texas isn't built for a freeze and our pipes burst, Pacific North West isn't built for heat and a lot of their homes don't have AC.

If you live somewhere with a high humidity like 80+ HUMIDITY IS NOT YOUR FRIEND. The "humidity makes it feel cooler" is a lie once it gets beyond a point.

If you live somewhere with a lower humidity, misters are nice to cool off outside.

Once you get over 90°F (32°C) a fan will not help you. It's just pushing around hot air. (I mean if you can't afford a small AC unit because they're expensive as hell, by all means a fan is better than nothing).

If you have pets, those portable AC units aren't safe. If your pets destroy the outtake thing, it'll leak CO2. Window units are safer.

Window AC units will let mosquitoes or other small bugs in. Sucks, but that's life.

Now is not the time to me modest. If you have to cover for religious reasons, by all means. If you don't, I've seen people wear short shorts and a swim top. It's not trashy if it keeps you from getting heat stroke.

If you do have to cover up for religious reasons, look for elephant pants or something similar. They're made with a breathable material.

Shade is better than no shade, but that shit it just diet sun after some point. Don't think shade will save you from heat stroke.

I know the "drink your water" is a fun meme now, but if you're sweating excessively you need electrolytes. Drink Gatorade, Powerade, or Pedialite PLEASE. I don't care if you're fucking sitting in one spot all day. That shit WILL save you from heat stroke.

Most importantly. RESEARCH THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN HEAT STROKE AND HEAT EXHAUSTION PLEASE!

If you're diabetic and can't drink Gatorade, mix water, fruit juice, and either lite salt or pink salt

If you can afford it, cover windows with thick curtains to insulate the house

If you have tile floors, lay on them with skin to tile contact. If you don't, laying your head on cool counters works too.

If the temperature where you're at is hotter than your body temperature, don't wear heat wicking clothing. Moisture wicking is safe though.

Check your medication labels. Many make you more susceptible to sun and heat

-Room temperature water will get into your body faster. This is something I learned doing marching band in high summer in Georgia, and it saved all of our asses. Sip it, don't gulp it, especially if you're getting into the red; same goes for whatever fluid you're drinking. And just in general drink during the day.

-If you are moving from an air conditioned space to an un-air conditioned space, if at all possible try to make the shift gradual. When my dad and I were working outside and in un-ac houses a few years ago, he'd turn the air down to low in the truck about ten-fifteen minutes before we got where we were going. This way your body doesn't go from low low temps to high temps. S'bad for you.

-If you can, keep your lights off during the day. Light bulbs may not generate a lot of heat, but the difference is noticeable when it gets hot enough. I literally only turn my bedroom light on in the evening when it gets too dark.

Don't be afraid to just like... pour water on yourself if you need to. The evaporation will cool you off.

Put your hand to the cement for 15 seconds. If you can't handle the heat, it'll burn your dog's paws. Don't let them walk on it.

Dogs with flat faces are more prone to heat stroke. Don't leave them out unsupervised.

Frozen fruit is delicious in water.

Wet/Cold hat/handkerchief on your head/neck will help you stay cool.

Pickle juice is great for electrolytes! You can even make pickle juice Popsicles!

Heat exhaustion is more, "drink water and get you cooled off." Heat stroke is more "Oh my god call 911."

Image Description provided by @loveize

[Image description: an infographic showing the difference between heat exhaustion and heat stroke. The graphic is labeled "Heat Dangers: First Warning." Signs of heat exhaustion: faint or dizzy, excessive sweating, cool, pale, clammy skin, rapid, weak pulse, muscle cramps. If you think you or someone else may be experiencing heat exhaustion, get to a cool, air-conditioned place, drink water if conscious, and take a cool shower or use cold compress. Signs of heat stroke: throbbing headache, no sweating, red, hot, dry skin, rapid, strong pulse, may lose consciousness. If you think you or someone else may be experiencing heat stroke, call 911. End description]

Be safe.

-fae

[that1notetaker]

Did anyone ask for... *squints* ...a domestic Death Note fix-it in these trying times with Near at the center of my rotating mind? No secondary intentions I swear

they're people-watching you rn

[that1notetaker]

Did anyone ask for... *squints* ...a domestic Death Note fix-it in these trying times with Near at the center of my rotating mind? No secondary intentions I swear

they're people-watching you rn

[that1notetaker]

Did anyone ask for... *squints* ...a domestic Death Note fix-it in these trying times with Near at the center of my rotating mind? No secondary intentions I swear

they're people-watching you rn

[that1notetaker]

You know, funnily enough, if there was someone that might be able to tear Near out of his L-induced-persona (AKA the one in which Near cannot let himself see himself as his own person, only a shade of someone hes already overridden long ago), it might be Matsuda.

Matsuda, who seems to really hate Near. Not L, but Near. Or at least the version of Near that he thinks Near represents. Even in misguided anger, he doesn't think of Near as a puppet or someone above high-heaven (like he does with Light), but a person capable of cheating, making mistakes, someone that's not untouchable like L was, once, also thought to be.

In the right (or wrong) circumstance, it would be interesting to have these two pit against each other as real people and not the shadow that Matsuda is defending/The shadow that Near is casting under.

Now, Near doesn't have much against Matsuda specifically, but that's even more ironic, because WHO else used to have a one-sided beef with Near that Near was mostly chill for? That's right, the burnt chicken nugget.

Matsuda: Near I hate you and everything you stand for!

Near: Sounds familiar, say it again for nostalgia's sake.

Also, these two might as well be mourning two deeply fucked up people. Matsuda grieves Light, grips to the idea he thought of Light and not this person that Kira had the full ability to be. Near, who grieved Mello (see: his shadowed eyes and stutter during his speech at the warehouse when Mello came into the topic/the chocolate he ate and the way his toys were poised in defense, with Near at the center, as if metaphorically protecting or hiding himself/and also the subtle tells that we had of Near every time Mello was mentioned or interacted with throughout the first Kira case.) and their odd commaderie and sense of understanding in spite of their rivalry.

Speaking of the rivalry between Mello and Near. I don't think it was one-sided. Of course, Mello was the one to insist on their mutual dislike, which Near never really showed any indications of--but Mello definitely spurred Near on. Mello ALSO saw Near as a person. Not dainty, not fragile, not superior, not untouchable, but NEAR: A funky fellow with full capacity to be a menace.

So yeah. Love the parallels. The parallels being:

-Near and Light being left without their Core Opposites + them being the reason why they died. (Near didn't kill Mello directly like Light killed L, but Nears actions led to Mello to take dangerous countermeasures that resulted in his Death)

-Mello and Matsuda see Near as Near, both blinded by their own sense of self-protection.

I'm sure I'm missing something, but yeah. Food for thought. Thanks for the post OP, and Sorry for overriding it :))

Matsuda still holding onto so much hatred of Near years later because of his subconscious desire to still care deeply about Light despite everything… oaughhhhh

[that1notetaker]

SAY IT LOUDER FOR THE ONES IN THE BACK

‘near is a cheap copy of L 😡’ yes and he knows it. He knows it in his fucking bones. That’s the worst part, right? He was trained to be another person. And he’s not. There is no way for him to ever fill that role because L, more than being a job, is a human. Who can never be replicated. Who died at 25 years old and left no instructions on what to do after. Near had no interest in Kira really beyond that L must solve the Kira case; he doesnt even really seem to like solving detective cases in general. When all is said and done, Near is a cheap copy of L. Because the tragedy of death note is that no character can ever exist alone, but they all will be when it’s over.

[that1notetaker]

spoilers for the death note audio drama

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so what if ...what if.... yeah. (dies and turns into dust)