"Blonde Hair and Wet-Look Leather"

Fandom: Death Note
Characters: Matt (Misa Amane, Mello)
Prompt: #095: Advertisement
Word Count: 318
Rating: K+
Summary: Matt was too lazy.
Warnings: None.
Disclaimer: I own zilch. Not even the protagonist's opinions are mine.

"They disguise it; hypnotize it,
Television made you buy it."

-- System of a Down, 'Hypnotize'

The eleventh time Matt saw her that day, she was pasted onto the back of a bus. She was all blonde hair and black lace and wet-look leather, draped with chains.

Upon sight, the first thing he thought was not Mello, nor was it sex; it was chocolate-chip cookies, and how much he wanted some, because that's what the poster-girl was been flaunting.

A harmless looking biscuit, a blue-eyed wink, and Matt felt his stomach rumble uncomfortably as he stepped along the footpath.

Matt had a sort of respect for public marketing. By definition, advertising was unethical, and potentially 'wrong', but he was too lazy to hate it. He was too smart to think that it had no effect on him, though, too. He understood consumer psychology. He knew how it worked, and he was indolent enough not to resent the subliminal messaging that crept into the subconscious and planted ideas and obsessions that one could swear were their own.

Those marketing types were manipulative bastards.

Matt knew manipulation. Matt knew manipulation to the extent that it was the brink of hypnotization. Knew it, understood it, worked for it, and let it work for him. Mello, see. The best of the worst, that boy was.

Man, now, Matt supposed. The thought made him sick, for a reason he hated understanding.

A bell above the glass door tinkled irritatingly as he stepped inside the store. Cigarettes, a light bulb, Listerine (because that burn was so beautiful), a pack of double-A batteries and –

There were was a display, there, next to the counter. A lot of blonde hair and wet-look leather. Matt didn't really have to think about it, because there was a flimsy cardboard box added to the conveyer belt before he even felt the impulse.

Manipulative bastards.

Matt was too lazy to care.

Author's Note:

Yush. I like Listerine.

13th March, 2008