"It was Kira, " Kurapika spouted one morning.
He glanced at Quwrof first, trying to gauge his reaction. No response at all, the death god remained floating before the bookshelf, just as Kurapika expected.
"The previous owner, I mean." He resumed.
A confirmation from Quwrof was what he only wanted. Not that the death god would actually answer him properly. But Kurapika still felt the need to open this topic, at least.
Of course, he had his suspicions. The moment he read through the 'How to Use it,' he was able to connect the dots right away. Rather, it was common sense that led him to a conclusion: 'supernatural powers' plus 'heart attack' would equate to 'Kira' right away. Because he was able to live during Kira's reign. He was the topic of conversations everywhere and Kurapika, even at a tender age of ten, was old enough to understand what was going on back them.
Oh, how he hated those days. Because a big portion of the population was glorifying a murderer. A criminal punishing another criminal. Especially in their neighborhood, anyone who would voice even the slightest refusal of Kira's power, or even the littlest misconduct, they would be threatened right away. 'I'll post your name and face on the internet so Kira can punish you!' They would say.
And it was just sad how his parents —always brimming with conviction, always fighting for justice, for the truth— would gently tell him to keep quiet and just ignore that folly. 'But you hate the bad guys! Kira is evil!' he would protest. 'Justice will prevail, Kurapika. Don't worry.' His mother would respond.
It had been a decade since Kira just vanished without any proper closure. Some said they were executed secretly, hiding their identity forever, while the others believed they would rise once again and give judgment to the world. There was news about Kira's resurrection months ago but they died right away. Kurapika wished it would stay like that.
No. I will make sure it stays like that. He thought to himself.
Quwrof's claws hooked on a book spine, and after the agonizing minute of silence he replied:
"Ah, yes. Kira. "
Kurapika watched closely as he took the thick volume out as careful as he could without any scratch. (Which was an improvement, because Kurapika couldn't afford to lose more of his precious books due to Quwrof accidentally ripping the whole book when the truth was he just had the bad habit of tightening his grip on a book when he got too absorbed. He was fortunate enough to have his Law books intact. He tried Kindle before but the whole thing was destroyed days afterward because it slipped from his hands while he read as he flew.)
"'The Legend of the Savior Kira' 'the messenger of hell.' The god-like figure who kills evil people as punishment for their sins," Quwrof said as he flapped his wings leisurely. (Because the bastard loved to show off his inhuman appearance despite the narrow restraints of Kurapika's apartment.) He floated around dragging himself beside Kurapika.
Kurapika handed the freshly brewed coffee to Quwrof. He eyed him, hoping that he'd have a good grip on the mug. And fortunately, he did.
"I remember the shinigamis gathering around placing bets on Kira and L." Quwrof took sips, probably halving the whole mug. He continued floating around until he reached the couch and decided to sit there as he hid his wings. "Of course, most of them were rooting for Kira."
Kurapika followed suit, sitting beside him. "So, the Death Note was Kira's murder weapon."
"Interesting. Indulge me with your theories, then." Quwrof crossed his legs, and Kurapika knew the death god would simply love to challenge his intelligence.
He almost rolled his eyes but decided against it. As if one had to waste brain cells on something as obvious as this.
"'How to use it' number 1, line 3," he began, his legs unknowingly imitating Quwrof's. He mentally cursed himself for that. "'If the cause of death is not specified, the person will simply die of a heart attack.' And everyone who had lived in Kira's era knew this was Kira's way of 'divine retribution' to criminals." Another sip from his mug and he continued: "A Death Note needs a face and a name to kill a person which is, coincidentally, the same with Kira."
"Oh?" A raise of his eyebrow with the undertone of 'not bad, human.' Quwrof sipped his coffee as he eyed Kurapika and asked: "A loyal follower, are you?"
"No," he replied, sharp and quick.
Kurapika could swear he almost threw his coffee to this death god. Stained couch and laborious cleaning be damned. Because annoying Kurapika was the top most priority in Quwrofs's daily to-do list. Not that he did anything else than reading, drinking coffee and observing the human world.
He took sips of coffee as his way of calming his nerves, gently placing it on his table before he stared at Quwrof and resumed:
"I am vehemently against their ideals. They are simply absurd. Childish, rather. If they really desired to accomplish the 'utopia' where bad people do not exist, they might as well annihilate the whole humanity because there's no such thing as pure good in a person. It's not just black and white, there's in between. He was mocking the judicial system, mocking the natural state of the world! And besides, what sickening hypocrisy they had for implying this while they, themselves commit mass murder? It was the largest mass murder ever committed, mind you. In the end, he was simply a murderer."
Kurapika breathed in, finished his coffee and then leaned his back on the couch and crossed his arms.
"I see," the death god replied.
"Quwrof," he called.
He was confronted by those eyes once again. He hated them because they were void of emotions, yet he'd be absorbed by them.
"You were trying to recreate Kira in me, aren't you?"
Silence.
It was heavy, it was uncomfortable and very dark. It was that fear again. Kurapika wanted to escape from Quwrof as soon as he saw his expression. His smile gleamed, his eyes twinkling with dark amusement.
"But Kurapika, the world is rotten. Haven't you ever thought, 'They should just die'? Those criminals who ran around and commit cold murder?"
He gripped the head of the couch to support himself because he was not confident that he'd maintain his balance. Quwrof leaned forward as Kurapika was moving down the couch.
"Those who do it without any remorse and even able escape your so-called 'justice'?
Rough fingers held his hand gently, caging it inside Quwrof's claws. He gripped the fabric besides Kurapika's thigh, and he could feel the subtle coarseness through his pajama pants. He was caged, he knew that. But Kurapika did not even try to struggle because, despite the raging warning bells on his head, there was this assurance inside him that knew Quwrof would not really harm him.
"Those lawmakers who are the source of corruption in this world? Wouldn't it be better if they just...ceased to exist?"
Quwrof's voice was deceitfully sweet against his ears, a poisoned honey that could trap him there, and render him paralyzed. Kurapika breathed in to calm his trembling nerves.
"Wouldn't you want to give justice to the weak? Isn't that what you have been living for?"
Kurapika scoffed, fighting those black nothingness of Quwrof with his fiery ones. "Was that how you seduced Kira into this tremendous power? Because Quwrof," —withdrawing his hands, sitting erect as he crossed his arms again—"you know better than using those petty words of temptation against me."
"I figured."
And then, everything simmered down. The atmosphere was back to its casual state. Quwrof was back to his laid back position, placing the book on his lap.
"Kira's legacy is done. I'm not interested anymore. But I must say, it was fun while it lasted, watching L and Kira as they destroyed themselves just to prove who had the right justice dragging the whole world in their little childish games—"
Kurapika stood up to gather the dishes. He had had enough of this topic anyway.
"—Oh, they both died in the end, by the way. And Kurapika, " Quwrof called. He looked back, bringing the dishes to the sink. " Rather than recreate, I felt Kira in you."
Kurapika was towering Quwrof as he stood behind the couch. They had yet another staring contest albeit this was less intimidating. He then grasped the sides of Quwrof's shoulders.
"Another comparison of Kira and me, I will ban coffee and books from you. I am not kidding, Quwrof."
Quwrof froze, conveying the simmering dread inside him at the thought and Kurapika knew he won this one.
It was truly peculiar that Kurapika actually found the shinigami's companion as calming. After all, he had a strong aversion to the invasion of personal space. There was just this tranquil happiness when he's left alone in his own thoughts. He'd always choose solitude than anything else.
Because he was not human? Because somewhere in his mind of logic, he still considered Quwrof as his figment of imagination? Once, he thought of Quwrof as his guardian angel. Because in a twisted way, Kurapika would feel protected in his presence. Because he was a creature of supremacy who would oversee him at all times? It might be. But when he opened up that topic to Quwrof, mostly to jest the death god (because it was truly ironic and Kurapika thought it would be interesting to see his reaction), Quwrof replied:
"Angels do not exist. Neither do Heaven nor Hell. They are all humans' funny way of embellishing the concept of death."
He paused, placing down the 'Bible' he was reading (which Kurapika thought was a more absurd sight than his globular earrings and fur) held his chin.
"But that is an amusing comparison. Because I am the messenger of the Lord, except I am a god himself, who delivered his message that you are given the life mission to change the world" —conveniently showing his Death Note— "with my notebook of justice."
"I am still not buying your crap, Quwrof." Kurapika replied. "Justice is never served by murder. And besides, I'm not Christian so I won't be swayed or appalled by those words. If you were simply trying taunt or tease me."
"I figured." Quwrof shrugged. "But it's just hilarious how a believer might take that bait if I appeared as an angel instead of a death god. What hypocrisy would it invoke to that person? "
"You are underestimating humans too much. A believer would know that you are an imposter right away. A demon trying to seduce them into sinning. " Kurapika eyed Quwrof from the other side of the table, "Not to mention your unfashionable gothic attire. Angels knew better than that."
Quwrof did not respond, instead, he resumed reading. Kurapika caught the slightest of a smile on Quwrof's lips before he concealed it behind the thick volume.
But Quwrof was silent most of the time, especially when Kurapika was at school. It might be because the death god knew better than talking to air. After all, ignoring one's presence was one of the master skills of Kurapika especially if he deemed it as a 'waste of time.' Kurapika could ignore him the whole day and the death god would just stay silent the whole time. Usually, he would just fly around the university, observing from the rooftop or from a post. Sometimes, he would be listening intently when the topic appealed to him.
"If the death penalty is imposed in Japan, then wouldn't you give the same justice if you just use the Death Note?" He asked one time.
But it was responded by Kurapika's silence who remained staring at the board, looking to the right because of this humongous obstacle in front of him.
"Kurapika, humor me. I am bored."
Kurapika continued to concentrate on the lecture but Quwrof was so intent on owning his attention. He flew left and right to mess around Kurapika's view. He surrendered, writing different words on his notes.
It's an entirely different thing. The penalty is decided in consideration of the degree of criminal liability and balance of justice based on a nine-point set of criteria ruled by the court and it is a long process before the court decides on it while using your notebook is simply MURDER.
Using bigger letters, he wrote with much more anger.
And besides, I DO NOT APPROVE OF DEATH PENALTY.
"Then what would be a better punishment than death for those irredeemable criminals?"
Life sentence in jail. Because that is the best place for them to repent for their sins.
"How naïve of you, Kurapika. Humans have endless potential to be capable of doing anything as long they are alive."
Jails are built to limit those capabilities.
And their little debate would continue until lectures had ended. As absurd as it was, Kurapika actually found these exchanges fun, because most of the people around him would just agree with him once they lost their point. Afterward, when Kurapika's classes ended, he would lend his books related to that topic to Quwrof. So they could have more substantial debates, during dull moments of lectures or whenever, just for the heck of it.
Kurapika concluded that maybe, minus the murder notebook, he did not really mind Quwrof's companion.
It was actually more fun when he's not alone.
YOU DON'T KNOW HOW SATISFYING IT WAS TO MOCK LIGHT YAGAMI AND HIS PURSUIT TO HIS SO-CALLED JUSTICE. MWAHAHAHAHAHA. Anyway, I know there are plot holes here but I've decided to go the 'feel good route' because Angelica's request was originally crack and fluffy. (*tomatoes this irresponsible author who yolo-ed her way to write this) I'm pretty sure both of them would suffer (esp Kurapika who would eat ALL his words hah. He'd destroy himself I'm telling you.) if I decided to take the plot seriously. (Not that I have the capability to write one atm) I could only think of tragic ends for them. Lol. Anyway I just love Shinigami Quwrof messing around law student pika's morals.
P.S. THERE'S MORE. THIS IS JUST HALF OF IT. (The romance-y bit will be there…I guess. I hope.)