Just for Show
Raito stood before L's empty grave, smiling to himself, as if recounting a previous achievement. It was just for show. They pocky that he placed at the grave was also just for show. He had a feeling that Matsuda or some other members of the team would visit L's grave before long. If the pocky was brought up at headquarters, he would admit to cleaning the grave, despite how new it was, and further cleanse any suspicion as to him being Kira.
But then all that was just for show. By taking those unnecessary precautions, Raito allowed himself to grasp a rather frightful and raw part of his own desires. He did not have the time or incline to take unnecessary precautions, really. He went to the cemetery to visit L's grave, and that was it.
It had been rather difficult for him to come to that conclusion but Raito admitted it to himself.
Ryuuzaki's death had caused some unexpected changes in Raito's life. His life was almost dull—no, not dull. Devoid of prospect. No, not that either.
Raito decided that it was the thrill he missed, the cat and mouse chase. Now Ryuuzaki lay under his feet, where he belonged, Raito supposed but… it was dull. And what he couldn't admit was that he was unhappy.
Ryuk laughed. Raito looked up, smiling, and tossed the shinigami an apple. "What is it?"
"You're so sentimental."
Raito froze for a moment, bewildered and grinning. He laughed, pulling the death note out from inside his suit, along with a mini-television. He sat down against L's gravestone.
L, watching from behind another grave far away, glared. Raito was so immature, he thought, immature and stubborn. Ryuk grinned.
"I'm going to visit some people. See if I can remember any."
"Mmhmm." Raito didn't even look up from his work as Ryuk lurked off to look at tombstones.
L couldn't believe how simple it would be to gather evidence as things were. And he was so unprepared… He would have been happy with a video camera. With his watch, and news of criminals' deaths that he could get later, he could show the world who Kira was.
But he only had the watch, and Raito was taking a special risk by writing in the death note in public—no matter how isolated this "public" was. He couldn't be counted on to do it again, at least not for a long time.
How brilliant being overlooked could be, L thought, and what a pity. He stood, and since Raito was facing away from the path that led out of the cemetery, walked very quickly towards the gates.
"Hello there."
L leapt back silently, biting down any sounds of surprise, as Ryuk suddenly appeared before him.
"Can I talk with you? You're a very interesting human."
L glanced back at Raito, who, of course, hadn't noticed anything with his back towards the gate, and left the cemetery with the shinigami in tow.
On the street, L delicately wiped a bead of sweat from his forehead.
"I'm Ryuuku. I'm a god of death."
L smiled, his eyes appearing even larger than usual. "You're Yagami-kun's reaper because he has the death note that somehow corresponds with you… You know, I think I'm getting the hang of these ideas. But not entirely. I want to talk to you too."
"Good. I've been wondering why you're still alive. Rem wrote your name in her death note. Raito and I both saw it there."
"I thought she would, the moment Watari died," L admitted. "And I was scared after I faked my heart attack that maybe I shouldn't have and I wasn't meant to die. But then Yagami-kun seemed pleased, which meant that I should have… so something had gone wrong."
"What went wrong?"
"I don't know."
"What?! You didn't save yourself?"
"Well," L nibbled on a piece of pocky, "I didn't do anything but fake my death when I thought it was about time I would have died, just in case my death was planned and something had gone wrong. It turned out I was right, but I don't know how it went wrong… where is the reaper that killed Watari now?"
"Um… I shouldn't tell you anything. I'm Raito's shinigami after all."
"I would like to figure out what happened. It has nothing to do with proving that Yagami-kun is Kira. You're curious to know too, aren't you?"
Ryuk grinned. "I was right. You are interesting. Well, Rem died."
L's eyes grew wide. "Gods of death can die?"
"Yes, when they use the death note for the good of a human, to prolong his or her life, I mean. Rem died when she killed Watari… and you, I guess."
L made no reply. He reached inside his second box of pocky and realized that it was empty. He stopped walking.
"Watari's name appeared before mine in the reaper's death note, correct?" Ryuk nodded. "Then when he died, Rem was technically dead too, from the moment that she wrote his name?"
"Um." Ryuk scratched his head. "I don't know."
"Well then it's simple. She shouldn't have the liberty of writing a second name after being 'technically' dead. I imagine she may have only just had time to write my name… before dying." L smiled happily.
"I suppose so…" Ryuk admitted. "Aren't you afraid I'll tell Raito this?"
"If you planned on telling him, you would have done it already," L said with a shrug. "And you think I'm interesting."
"…"
"Unfortunately, I'm out of sweets," L told the shinigami cautiously. "So I'll have to go home. We'll talk more next time. Ok, Ryuuku-kun?"
"Wait, how can you see me?" Ryuk stopped L.
"I'm out of brain food," L apologized. "I'll probably figure it out the next time we talk."
"Oh… ok then." Ryuk grinned, thinking how similar Ryuuzaki was to Raito. Well of course he wouldn't tell Raito about him… out of curiosity if nothing else.