On A Light Note
Chapter:6, Mad Brilliance
"No matter what you have to agree."
The jingle of a shop bell did not deter D from his speech.
The man merely raised an elegant eyebrow and leaned forward the very picture of refined elegance his words pointed cutting softly as velvet-clothed steel.
"It involves a blood sacrifice and satanic chanting."
L looked at him staunchly unimpressed.
"This is no joking matter."
Inside he hid a glimmer of amusement.
The count was, of course, serious( maybe not about the satanic chanting) but, the rest he definitely meant.
D. had the good grace to delicately muffle a chuckle in his tea-cup.
L graced him with a bland smile feeling a fleeting surge of happiness.
"Indeed." The count tilted his head curiously and called out presumably to whoever had arrived.
"I'm in the back, dearest."
Looking all too smug for a man sipping a cream whip drink D. settled back among the cushions.
Light footsteps barely muffled but falling with the presence of someone who was used to concealing them but felt relaxed in this space sounded.
A large blond man stepped into the room his shoulders were broad and held a definition to them.
The man carried himself in such a way with his tall height, that bespoke confidence of age and the belief in his ability to fight if needed, rather than run.
He prowled closer his movements a hybrid between D's Jungle cat like dancers self-assurance and a lumbering bear that somehow learned ballet.
It was not that he hadn't noticed L but more that his focus was directed solely upon the Count.
He has eyes only for D.
D's looked curious and expectant nearly vibrating with excitement body leaning towards the table.
The man looked like he might sigh and unceremoniously drew a white box from his coat and plopped it on the table.
The Count quickly popped open the box.
"Eclairs" He exclaimed by way of explanation face lighting up.
D. Snagged one carefully with his (today) red nails purring.
"My favorite, detective you shouldn't have."
D's pause to appreciate the Eclair showed that the man definitely should have.
The onyx haired man looked sharply at the blond and was halfhearted at best in his scolding.
"Mhm, delicious, Leon I thought you said the bakery on Frond Str. was all out?"
Inquired the Count.
The blonds outward expression didn't change but, he drew himself up in height and moved to sit, alongside D.
"The one on James is clearly not"
Leon replied with a slightly deep good natured rumble.
If asked to describe the man's expression L would call it preening.
Leon leaned back folding his hands behind himself for all appearances comfortable and relaxed beside D.
Hmm.
The count obviously had this detective wrapped around his finely manicured finger.
The best part he seemed oblivious, well L corrected noticing a certain tilt and expression on the store owners face he hadn't yet seen before perhaps not that oblivious.
"While Interesting, the state of your relationship or lack thereof is not why I am here"
L broke in ignoring the look he received from the other man.
It was as if he had stepped in on some great ritual or long practiced dance.
L had never been a great dancer unless it involved words and now watching the two he felt oddly displaced.
An unusual feeling for what was generally the most important man in the room.
If this feeling of displacement was making him hugely uncomfortable, then he could make everyone else hugely uncomfortable.
Mr. Blond near scowl could just deal with it.
L hadn't known eyebrows could scrunch and un-scrunch that way so quickly
It couldn't be healthy.
He decided to be proactive and laid out some photos from the crime scene along with his write up.
He snuck an Eclair.
The other two men did not appear to notice his thievery.
Leon was busy putting his grubby paws all over the crime scene photos while he murmured to D.
"What do you think?"
L prompted D after a moment of the man saying nothing.
"I think it's time we called your cousin"
Leon answered gently for D as the Count moved to an ancient box phone and started dialing.
"Lulu , it's D"
"Mhmm. Yes, I will."
"You too. I'll let Leon know."
"Thank you"
D disconnected eyes almost seeming to glow with eerie power from behind his thick curtain of short black hair.
L placed a 59% no 65%, growing steadily that the counts mismatched eyes had just flashed
"You can come out now" He called softly.
The sounds of shuffling feet and muffled cursing ensued.
"I told you !"
"Well excuse me I distinctly remember-
Matt, you said!
"I said?!"
"Mello, calm down- Don't tell me to calm down.
Someone cut in shrilly.
"I fail to see how this is pertinent " Brokered a dry voice that could rival L's own.
"SHUT UP NEAR"
Chorused the two other voices in perfect unison as they stumbled around the corner.
Everyone winced, L's ears rang he nearly dropped the third Eclair he had been pilfering while everyone was otherwise distracted.
Three teenagers barreled in and flopped down lounging about the room.
The faux redhead huffed " god when they argue it's almost the seven levels of stupid conjoined to equal the fight scene between Thorin Oakenshield and The white orc. Which, believe me, is master level stupid especially in that bit where Thorin follows him when he's under the ice."
He paused giving them a crooked smile
"Am I right mates?
Noticing all three parties looking at him blankly the boy-matt he assumes by the frequent pleas from the dirty blond to do something about Near already goddamnit matt!) rambles on seemingly undeterred by the apparent lack of knowledge.
"The hobbit battle of five armies? Pete Jackson, CGI everywhere. Come on guys get with the times.
Matt shakes his head and pulls out some sort of gaming contraption that looks like a Ps4 only with wires here and there. L feels with 80% surety that matt (100% on that not being his real name or any of their real names, who named their kid Mello when he was anything but Mello? Even more concerning who name their kid near? Had dutifully suffered his companions antics on multiple occasions.
L casts his gaze wistful down to the box of creamy treats, maybe a fifth?
D. bless him, scarcely arches a brow at this teenage invasion, "I will just go and fetch some more tea"
He comments with a small smile an undercurrent of smug amusement at L's expense (anyone's expense D.'s not picky lately L is getting the brunt end of it) evident.
To L's great chagrin, he feels as if maybe D. hadn't been so oblivious to the Eclair stealing as he first thought. .
"Come, Leon, I require the assistance of a big strong man such as yourself"
Nope, defiantly aware.
The blond detective dutifully rose from his seat. Leon laughed immediately lowering himself in L's regard. He wanted to mount a grand protest, to argue that he too is a big strong man and could he please oh please help D. fetch that extra tea set anything but this.
Don't leave me with them. He thinks eyes boring into D.
D's retreating backside was an answer all unto itself. L watched him go with grave sobriety. He was being left to the wolves or in this case teenagers.
Is there any difference?
The filthy redhead continued to provide a stunning display of multitasking.
His fingers fly across the keys as he brushes shaggy hair that borders on greasy. out of his face with the help of surprisingly shiny green goggles. The hair is greasy enough to make L's stomach queasy. (Perhaps he should have stopped at the third Eclair?)
This entire time Matt has kept up a steady flow of barbed comments with the equally grimy (possibly) blond who was bemoaning eyeliner and all its scruples.
"Mello does not possess any scruples, therefore, the use of the word is irrelevant"
The white haired kid fired back
Then white-hair proceed to sport a certain twitch in his lips that betrayed him as being particularly smug.
"Eyeliner is a bitch, Near"
The dirty blond- Mello snaps out. In this case the term dirty blond is completely accurate, he can smell the stench practically see it even. Mello huffs and glares sharply looking tempted to roll his eyes but doesn't deny his companions statement.
All of them simultaneously seem to reach a silent agreement to turn their attentions to the odd man out in the room.
Wonderful.
Then their eyes fall on the oh so carelessly left in plain view crime scene photographs.
The cafe evidence is in their hands before he has time to blink and it's almost unnerving the focused intensity that they emit. (Should not be emitting)
Matt cards his hands through the sheets not looking the faintest bit sick.
"This is brill" He finally remarks. This time, Mello does roll his eyes and looks constipated as he tries to be the mature one thank you very much.
"Yes." replies L his soft tones echoing.
Near tilts his head examining a photograph of the blood spatter that is a particularly violent red.
"I suppose there is a mad brilliance to it"
"We have some work to do but, I felt it best to let them play now rather than pay later, " D remarked.
"Oh goodie," The blond detective stated dryly.
Really, wondered the Count fondly as he slipped his hands behind a cushion fishing something out,
Why are all detectives so alike?
Even more mystifying why do I find it so endearing?
"Leon"
He beseeched jolting his detective from a deep thought of some kind.
Probably food.
"Let me make it up to you.."
D smiled all teeth and twirled the handcuffs about his wrist.
Leon eyed him warily with his own matching feral grin as he caught a certain spark in D's eye.
"Long as it's not..anything unnatural"
The detective remarked.
"Perfectly natural, I thought you liked Thai food"
He pouted.
Leon scowled and huffed out a laugh then grabbed his coat to hang it up somewhere, in D's opinion,
proper.
(Leon's the opinion of proper involved it hanging over the couch back)
"Take out it is."
I debated cutting this bit, but I couldn't bring myself to do that to my boys
This concludes Chapter six of OLAN Mad Brilliance aka D might be (is def getting laid
wow these just keep getting longer and I even cut this one