AN: Hello This is my first Death note, so... well, I hope it's okay? Haha, and disclaimer: Death note is not mine. If it was, L wouldn't have died.

Just a Touch of Makeup

Misa gets up at five every morning. She showers, changes, brushes and washes, and by the time it's five forty-five, she's already sitting on her dressing table, staring at her image in the mirror. Rows and rows of make up, and utensils; jars, tubes, containers and cases upon cases of brushes are aligned neatly against the wall, organized by colour and type of makeup. Misa heaves a heavy sigh at the sight of her face without makeup, and reaches for a chosen tube.

First is the foundation, to cover up the blemishes.

By far, Misa knows she's prettier than most girls are. She's not ugly without makeup; in fact, she's one of the few females who possess something considered to be 'natural beauty'. However, in Misa's mind, without the makeup on her face, she seems too weak, to vulnerable for her own liking. Makeup has always been there for her, ever since her mother taught her the proper way of putting such and such on; it's now her shield for the battles during every-day life and her only necessary costume.

Second is the eye shadow and mascara.

Carefully, Misa brushes her eyelashes upward methodically with the mascara brush. Her mouth forms a small 'o' shape as she struggles to keep her right eye from blinking. From the depths of her memory, she remembers reading an article saying that almost every woman cannot put eyeliner or mascara on without opening their mouths, and she smiles sardonically when she's done her right eye. She's just like every other woman out there, isn't she?

Once she was done with the mascara, Misa frowned slightly, staring at the choices of eye shadow colours she has, wondering which colour combination would work the best with her outfit for the day. All of Misa's fans were always in awe at how nicely done her eyes were all the time, and when asked why Misa paid so much attention to her eyes; she'll just smile sweetly and say that it's because the eyes bring out the soul of a person.

However, those who knew Misa since her junior high school days can tell you that the make up serves a higher purpose than to bring attention to the windows to her soul. They can attest to the fact that Misa hasn't cried (unless it's part of her script in a movie) ever since she began wearing makeup- not even when her parents were murdered.

Then comes the blush.

Blush was the easiest to apply. Just a bit of redness on the cheeks makes all the difference on a person's face, as Misa's mother had told her. And she was right. With just the small amount of rouge, even when she feels sad, and is frowning, Misa will still look as if she was happy and energetic. But of course, Misa knows it's bad to hide her true emotions to her friends, so whenever she sees herself in the mirror, her slightly pink cheeks jump out at her and reminds her to try and be as happy as she can. After all, if life gives you lemons, take the lemons and make lemonade.

And last is the lipstick.

Misa only has two colours of lipstick, but three shades for that colour. Red and pink, since she uses them the most. Picking a bright red tube, she opens her mouth and slides the lipstick over her lips. They became instantly vibrant, two rose petals on fresh snow.

Misa doesn't actually like to wear lipstick though, she's always been more of a lip gloss type of girl. But ever since she met Yagami Raito, lipstick had become her most useful weapon.

She figured if she can't leave a mark on Raito's heart, then at least she's able to leave bright red marks on his skin and his shirts.

--

Misa leaves her apartment at seven after her morning routine, careful to remember her purse that carried her three cellphones. As she walks past the doors, she heaves a heavy sigh and forms a smile on her face. No one would know the woman underneath the makeup. It's a sad thought but it's also comforting for Misa to know that no one has been able to see her in her weak state. She makes a right turn for the elevator, and suddenly decides to visit Raito before she goes off to work. She's sure that he wouldn't be pleased, but he'll hide his annoyance under a smile, as does Ryuuzaki.

"But Misa Misa's a better actress."

AN: The make up theme was inspired by a chapter title in another fic I've read, as well as what Kouchou says to Shuurei in Saiunkoku. I chose Misa to write, because not only does she fit the theme, but because I believe she's one of the few characters in Death Note that could've been explored further. Uh... the method of applying makeup is foreign to me, so I'm sure something technical would be wrong, but oh well.

Review please!