Disclaimer: I don't own Death Note.
Zen and the Art of Nintendo
"Please, please, please, please?"
"No, I've told you a hundred times, it would be an unnecessary distraction from your studies, now leave me alone!" Roger said in a tone of finality.
Matt had been following Roger around all day, begging him to get a television for the playroom. He had a small one in his own room with a ten-inch screen, which was barely big enough to play his games on at all, and he knew that everyone else would appreciate having a bigger one.
Besides, he'd been having these dreams lately, in which he was sitting in the playroom, surrounded by all the other children who were watching intently as he defeated bosses and rescued princesses and the like, all on a giant flat-screen TV.
When he won, everyone would cheer and praise him as a hero. He sighed as he remembered the dreams. But alas, they could never come true as long as Roger insisted on being stubborn.
The distraught gamer made his way back to his room. It was past bedtime already, but he wanted to talk to his best friend Mello, whom he shared a room with, in hopes of gaining an ally on this issue.
Mello tended to get what he wanted most of the time, unless it was to beat Near. But Matt could help him beat Near if only they could play Nintendo on a bigger TV!
When it came to gaming, Matt was number one. If only Mello could see that, he would be impressed. Yeah, Matt had a crush on Mello. Big time. And with the kind of certainty that can only be achieved by fourteen-year-olds, he believed he was in love.
Anyway, he found the blonde lying on his bed in pajamas, eating chocolate and apparently just staring at the ceiling. He sat up when Matt came in.
"Where have you been?" He said around a mouthful of chocolate.
"I've been trying to convince Roger to put a TV in the playroom." Matt answered.
"What for?"
"So I can play games on the big screen and everyone can watch me!"
"Matt, nobody wants to watch you play." Mello said, and it hurt Matt much more than it probably should have. Mello had to watch too, damn it!
"Aw, come on, you could watch movies too." Matt said. Mello seemed to consider this.
"That is true." He agreed. Matt wondered why anyone would want to watch movies when they could be playing video games, but to each his own. Matt wasn't the type to proselytize. He was sure that he and Mello could still make a relationship work, despite their differing faiths.
"And, it would probably really annoy Near…" Matt continued. Mello's eyes lit up suddenly.
"Yeah! There would be all kinds of noise in the background while he's trying to play with his toys…" Mello was smiling a wicked smile as he imagined this scene. Matt nodded enthusiastically.
"Yeah! So will you help me convince Roger?" He asked.
"…Alright." Mello said with that thoughtful look in his eyes that normally indicated plotting going on.
"Sweet!" Matt exclaimed, and started getting ready for bed. When the lights were out, he lay awake for a long while thinking of plans to trick Roger. He came up with nothing special, and he hoped his best friend would have more luck. Eventually he fell into a deep sleep and began to dream.
He was fighting Ganon at the end of Zelda: Ocarina of Time. He had just gotten the Master Sword back from the princess and was dodging blows from the gigantic beast while preparing to attack.
The other children watched in awe, holding their collective breath while Matt expertly maneuvered Link around the battlefield. Beads of sweat gathered on Matt's brow as he went in for the killing blow. Everyone cheered as Ganon roared in defeat, and Matt stood up to give a bow.
"How do you do it, Matt?" A little girl asks.
"Yeah, how did you get so awesome?" Says a little boy.
"So cool…" A child in the crowd says in a reverent voice.
"You're my hero!" Someone shouts. Then the crowd begins to stir as a blonde boy pushes through it to get to Matt.
"Alright, shove off! Leave him alone!" Mello yells at the other children. They obey, frightened, but not without giving Matt several worshipful looks on their way out. When Matt and Mello are alone in the playroom, Mello turns to him.
"Matt," He breathes. "That was the most amazing thing I've ever seen."
"I know." Matt replies confidently in his manliest voice, putting a hand on Mello's cheek. Slowly, they close the distance between them, and…
"Matt! Wake up!" A hand was shaking him and it was light in the room.
"What?" Matt grumbled, rolling over, away from the person who had seen fit to wake him from his wonderful dream, even though said person happened to be the reason that the dream was wonderful in the first place. Mello only shook him harder, and eventually he rolled back.
"Alright, alright! What?" He said, sitting up.
"It's time to begin our plan." Mello said brightly.
"What plan?" Matt muttered sleepily, rubbing his eyes.
"The one to make Roger get us a TV. My plan. It's awesome. Come on."
"Uh…okay. What's the plan?" Matt got up and started getting dressed. He was a bit worried about what Mello would suggest, as he had a history of being very destructive. In fact, he wondered why he had trusted Mello to think of a plan anyway, as the blonde would almost certainly suggest something ridiculous, like a crime spree or something.
"I think we should write a petition." Mello said instead. Matt blinked. This was unexpectedly…reasonable, especially for Mello.
"Really?"
"Yeah, and we could get all the other kids to sign it, except for Near of course. Just don't tell anyone that you're going to play video games on the TV."
"Why not?"
"Because nobody wants to see you play!" Mello said. Matt pouted. Then he watched closely as Mello bent over to reach the extra printer paper under his desk. He went and put it in the printer and jiggled the mouse on Matt's computer to get rid of the screensaver.
Matt's eyes widened when the desktop came into view and he ran over to push Mello out of his chair before he saw the monitor. He quickly closed out of Microsoft Word and then sighed.
He had recently begun keeping a journal of sorts on his computer in which he documented his thoughts about Mello. And they were mostly dirty thoughts. Dirty, dirty thoughts. And for some reason, he had stupidly left it up on the screen. Mello scowled up at him from the floor.
"What the hell did you do that for?"
"Oh, uh…there was, um…a spider! It was on the mouse. I just…didn't want it to get on you, um, because I know you don't like spiders…" Matt explained. Mello definitely did not look like he believed him. He had the most incredulous look on his face that Matt had ever seen.
"So, uh, what should the petition say?" Matt quickly changed the subject, opening up a blank Word document. Mello shook his head and got up.
"Well, just say something to the effect of 'we, the children of this orphanage would appreciate having a TV in the playroom and we promise not to let it affect our studies'. But, you know, make it sound more official and…better…than that. And move over so I can sit." Mello said.
Matt moved a few inches to the right and Mello squeezed onto the chair with him. Then Matt attempted to type what Mello had said, but he couldn't remember it while Mello was all pressed up against him like that.
He sat there and stared at the screen, unmoving for about ten seconds before Mello groaned and pushed his hands off the keyboard.
"Can't you do anything?" Mello said, taking over the computer. He wouldn't say that if he'd ever seen Matt play Nintendo on a real TV, Matt thought.
A/N: So, this story came about rather randomly, as is the case with all of my stories. Inspiration struck whilst I was reading a book on Buddhist philosophy. Anyway, should I continue it? (The story, not the book XD)