I soon learned how to control my thoughts, how to keep them private and public. Sure, it took a bit of practice around the team, but I disciplined myself eventually. After a while, sharing and keeping thoughts became as natural and instinctual as a normal thinking pattern, and I didn't need to concentrate at all if I wanted someone to hear me or not. It just became easy, natural.
As soon as I walked into the room filled with laptops, large screens, and ex-cops, everyone's attention was on me. What did I do now?
"Demetra," L started, seated in his usual slouched, crouched stance. "I have a job for you. It's very important."
I nodded. I felt strangely bitter; I had a feeling that this wasn't really a mission to help the team, but to help myself be pushed into a corner.
"You are aware of Misa Amane being suspected of being the second Kira. For a while, a great while, as you know, she has been acting ignorant to this accusation. Though she no longer lives with us in our headquarters, it is wise to keep caution—" he plucked a cookie from a plate near him and talked with his mouth filled with the doughy sweet. "And girls will be girls, eh?"
Um, what?
"Could you further explain, Ryuuzaki?" I stepped forward, my hands at my sides, not wanting to seem afraid or eager to flee out the door.
"I'd like you to get to know Misa Amane better. I'd like you to go with her and her friends today. Make them relax around you. See if she has any evidence for the motives we suspected her of having for being the second Kira. You're very smart, very adaptable, Demetra. I'm sure you can do it."
I tried to appear innocent enough, not like I felt any resentment, a feeling that tugged me away from liking this idea. I took in more detail from the room, and I saw Light, now no longer chained to L, in a chair, slightly in the back of the tiny crowd of Kira-hunters, as smug as a house cat that just ate a pit-bull. His eyes had a reddish tint, a wicked sparkle that made me want to punch his face in. Adelle was standing behind him, her hands on his shoulders. Surely, he knew of her presence, and welcomed her plans, wanting to corrupt, warp, change and kill me? Of course he did, I could feel it, feel the heat of a demented plan radiating from the sincerity of his tiny, evil smile.
"When would you like me to…start?" I asked, attempting to advert my attention from Light.
"It will be one day. Starting today, ending today. Misa may be wary if you keep coming back." He shifted, still facing me…just like everyone else.
"I see. Do you know of their—Misa and her friends'—location, now?"
"Yes. First, however, you should fit the part. This has to be casual, as if you're a part of them."
This guy must have had too much sugar.
"All…right. I'll…dress in fashionable wear for teens."
"Yes. Be ready before nine this morning. You may bring Mika, as well, to make things even more friendly."
Not sugar. The stuff he's on must be acid.
"You may get ready now, if you'd like, Demetra. This is your mission, to go out, so you have no obligation to stay here today. Take this." He handed me a small device. "It's a wire-tap. Put it under your clothes so we can here her answers."
"Right. I'll do my best. Thanks." I muttered, scooting away from the scene, feeling the gaze of everyone's hot eyes, especially Light's mocking, scornful glare…
I plodded up the stairs and down the halls of the building to my cozy apartment. Mika was in the living room, watching television. It looked like some other corny soap opera.
"Hey!" Her head bobbed in my direction, her eyes alit with joy, reminding me of a puppy.
"Hey," I replied tediously.
"Why are you back so soon?
I plonked on a seat cushion next to her. "We're going to do something interesting, today."
Her entire body lifted with the force of her authentic smile. "Really? What? Where?"
"Ever hear of Misa Amane?" I asked, crossing my legs, my shoulders leaning on the couch's arm.
"Um…no." She said, sitting on her knees, biting her lip, embarrassed.
"Well…I'll introduce you." I shifted, feeling inept while talking about social gatherings with people I don care about, and the next subject of conversation…clothes…
"But, she's in…a crowd, sort of. You know how models are. They wear fancy clothes and stuff. You know, like Gothic Lolita stuff, or whatever."
"Hey, we should deck you out with that stuff—and me, 'cause I'm cool, too—and we'll fit right in! C'mon!" She pulled my arm so I was forced to tag along to her bedroom. She threw open the door to her closet, and I saw a utopia of expensive-looking clothes. "Dang, Mika…I don't even think I have as many clothes altogether as you have that is only Japanese-inspired. How could you afford all this? The elegant and cute clothes that Japan sells to women most of the time are very pricey." I tilted my head, still in a amazement that that many garments could even fit into her closet.
"Oh, yeah, Kyle bought me a lot of cool Japanese stuff since I wanted to come here and catcfh up with you." She glanced my way, a grateful smile on her face; she was thankful that she actually caught up with me in Japan.
"OK…let's get started."
"'Kay," She searched through her closet and threw pretty, lacey, racy items of clothes at me.
Another piece of knowledge—not really a vision, like a voice, and it sounded like Adelle's. He dresses her so prettily and exposed for himself. She snickered. For himself, his pleasure. But she hasn't yet. It makes him impatient. She was amused at her—my—our—situation. She thought it was funny that some criminal-somewhat-of-a-mastermind perv wanted to doll up Mika, and that she would let me borrow some of said items and look like a sexy yet elegant, cutesy doll.
Mika ordered me to get changed first. I had trouble figuring out how to put on a petticoat and a violet corset-like top, but after a few minutes of choking myself and endangering the sight of my eyes, I managed.
How could I ruin my eyeballs with materials like lace, silk, ribbons, and cotton and nylon? Well, the sight of the garments on my frame made me want to shut my eyes and hope that I was in a sexuality-discovering nightmare. I had a corset underneath a sheer, black seventeenth-century-European-inspired blouse, which, under the corset, is where I stuck my pocket knife and the wire tap. My skirt was made of purple silk, ended just above my knees, and bunched at the hem. There was a petticoat under it which made it puff out. I had black fishnet stockings on and had very shiny black ballet flats that were probably half a size too small for my feet, but Mika insisted that I wear them since they were hardly worn by her. I was head-to-toe in purples and black.
I was never one to flaunt my body, so it was scary and foreign to put on these items. I guess I would just have to tough it out.
"Omigosh," Mika gushed. "You look a-dor-a-ble! You're so pretty! You look so thin, but not like creepy-skinny! Oh, and you're just so cute! You should dress like this every day! And every day, I would do your make-up and your hair…and it would be so much fun!"
A smile formed on my lips. "Don't get crazy, now. You didn't even do my hair yet. Besides, this little Demetra can't do pretty."
"Oh, of course you can! You're the prettiest, cutest thing I ever saw!...Omigosh, are you blushing?"
Unfortunately for me, I could feel my face become beet-red.
"Aw, that makes you look even cuter! That's so adorable! You were always so kawaii when you blushed, but I never wanted to tell you 'cause you always had this 'it's impossible for me to be cute' attitude! Well, drop it, missy, 'cause I'm not even gonna put blush on you 'cause you're red enough already!" She pushed me into the living room on the sofa.
"'Kay…close your eyes, and don't open 'em till I say."
I closed my eyes and heard her walk in and out of the room, fumbling with various materials—probably different make-up stuffs and hair crap. After a series of pulls and tugs of my hair and touching and rubbing on my eyes and lips, Mika grabbed my hands abruptly, forcing me up. She swayed me to what I guessed was her room, and she commanded that I open my eyes. I saw a stranger gawking back at me. "Whoa," was all I could muster.
"I know! Ain't it great? And all I did was put on some eyeliner and mascara and lip balm, lipstick, and gloss! You look so pretty! Ooh, and your hair!" She admiringly traced a lock of my hair, which was up. My hair was in two high pigtails in the back of my head, but after they were twisted like buns, there were still two streams of my black hair flowing past my shoulders. "It's so cute! Do it more often! Now, study yourself and admire my work, and I'll get changed!" She raced to the closet and then to her bathroom.
I gazed into the mirror for a minute or two, simply trying to convince myself that the foreign young woman in the mirror was actually me. After I succeeded, I just sat down on Mika's mattress until she came out.
She was adorned in basically the same thing as me, except she took quicker to dress and she was in pinks, blues, and whites. It was almost as if she wanted us both to look gorgeous, but also wanted me to out-shine her. She apparently did her hair and face in the bathroom, too, for her hair and make-up was just like mine, her eyes a heavy black from eyeliner and her lips purplish from lipstick and shiny from gloss. "Wow, Mika! You look amazing!" I exclaimed.
She shrugged. "Yeah, but you're a tiny bit older, so you look…beautiful."
I waved it off. "I'm not talking about me, I'm talking about you! You look great!"
She took out some sticks form under her bed and handed a black one to me, keeping a white one for her. "Thanks. Here's an umbrella. They're all the rage here."
"So I've seen."
"Yep,"
We jetted out the door and walked to the park. Right when we hit the park, my cell phone rang.
"Hello?"
"Hey, Demetra, it's Misa-Misa! My friends and I are at this café thingy near the park! Come and join us! We'll have such a good time!" Click.
"Hey, Mika," I started. "Misa just called and said they're at some café near here. Let's look for it."
"Sure. Kyle and I have eaten here frequently, so I might know the place. Did she name it?"
"No,"
"Oh…then let's look."
Eventually, after hunting for the eatery, we found a cozy café populated with teens and people in their twenties, and people in their thirties that pretended to be twenty. I spotted Misa as she waved for us.
"Hey!" She greeted, Mika and me taking our seats.
I nodded politely and Mika waved shyly.
"So, how've you been?" She leaned her scary-stick-thin elbow on the table, acting interested.
"Oh, not much," I fibbed. "You know, same old, same old. Oh, and this is my friend, Mika. Mika, this is Misa…and her friends." I shifted my eyes form girl to girl. There were three girls plus Misa, and they looked like triplets with Misa being the dominant older, glory-seeking sibling, all dressed like Mika and me, except in black silks and laces.
They waved too-eagerly in return, false smiles plastered, their cheek bones squishing the hallows of their cheeks into sharp bumps on the sides of their faces below their eyes.
"It can't be same old, same old." Replied Misa. "I mean, with Kira and all. Besides, how is that, anyway?"
I paused. "Oh, well, we're getting closer, but as we get closer, we seem to get farther away, as well."
She froze. "I see." Then, a waiter came by and gave us all short cake with strawberries on top. "Oh, and I ordered and paid for you two. That OK? They have the best cakes in the world!" She nibbled on the dessert, and then placed her fork down. "Well, is there anything you can tell me about the Kira investigation?"
L wanted this to be casual. Ha! But I wondered what was going through Misa's head that all she could ask me about was Kira, Kira, Kira. I knew she loved Light and admired Kira for killing the guy that murdered her parents, but still.
Well, if you're so curious, why don't you ask her? Get in her head! Adelle's voice entered my cranium. Just get into what she's thinking. It's like talking to her, but not responding or starting any noise, unless you want to. It's like going into a conversation, acting like you have something to say, but are really just bluffing and you just want to eavesdrop. Like what I do with you.
I mentally jolted. Is that why, in the headquarters the other day I could hear their thoughts? I remember I could hear their thoughts of suspicion, mistrust, and betrayal screaming at me. Right?
I could hear her voice sneer. Yes. You actually couldn't always do this, I just let you that one time…give you a taste—
Shut up!
Her voice faded and vanished.
I really didn't have a refuge, not even in my own, not-so-personal thoughts. I thought about giving that eavesdropping thing a try.
Misa's thoughts flooded my head. This is a bit more difficult than I imagined, but I'll stick with it. L ordered me to get information from Demetra because he suspects her of being controlled like Light-kun and I were.
However, I refused because I had no need, besides, he used guards or something to tell me, and they said that it was from L.
Then, Light-kun told me to do it, and I embraced the task with open arms. He told me to think of it this way, if Demetra is working for Kira, she'll bring me closer to Kira and him! I couldn't ask for more! Especially since I know Light and Kira are the same, it makes me so happy! Light and I will live happily while Demetra does our dirty work!
She thought I was a servant. Gee, thanks, Light, that really encouraged me to team up with you. It was also pleasing to know that L was behind this. He fooled us both into thinking we were investigating each other, when really, he as making a sap out of both of us to get information from both sides. Smart L, sneaky L…
Well, I suspected it when he told me he had a job for me, I just didn't know how exactly it would happen. But it did. And I'm a little surprised. Good for him, that L, always being unpredictable and keeping me form being bored. I'll repay him later, if I'm able to properly express my gratitude. Yeah, I could swipe his candy and kick his back until it's straight. That sounded like a plan…
I took a couple bites out of my cake and after I swallowed, I asked, "Well, Misa, if you're so interested, have you found anything yourself?"
She looked like as if I had jumped out of a bush and screamed "Freddy Krueger's gonna get you!" She paled, and her voice seemed stuck in the same stutter. I cast my eyes upon her mates and they looked at my plate, of all things. They looked as if I were insane to consume the amount of the food that I did. I only ate half of it, and it was a small slice to begin with, so I stole some looks at their plates, and found that they each took a small timid bite and then abandoned it. They gave the same look to Mika, who I saw gobbled her whole slice. It was probably needless to figure out how those twigs ate, but I was just occupying my time as Misa tried to find proper words—actually, any words could have benefited her.
However, she finally discovered the ability to produce speech. "Well, no, I haven't, I thought that was your job and the team's responsibility."
I wished she'd kept quiet.
"Oh, well, look at the time!" Misa shouted with a hallow tone. "We'd better get going; we have our agents waiting for us to pose for pictures! Bye!" They stood simultaneously, then Misa turned before she exited the café. "Oh, and Dem, Mika, you both look great! Toodles!"
Bleh, toodles. What a dumb word.
"I hate those bakas." Mika solemnly declared.
"Me, too. Let's look forward to a hopefully long time of never running into them again." I said, getting up from the seat.
"Yeah. I think they're anorexic, or something. They barely touched their food! And that cake was amazing! How could they stand to just leave it there, and why did you have the urge to introduce me to those bimbos, anyway?" She followed my action, standing, as well.
I laughed. "Yeah, but maybe they got the jitters for their shoot. Besides, they're smarter than they look." I didn't believe the words myself, but I liked to think beyond what my dread of them swayed me to assume. However, Misa was fairly smart…just blinded by Light.
"Um, no. I really don't think so, Dem." She looked around the café. "This is boring. Let's go…somewhere else."
"Like where?" I asked her, walking to the door.
"I don't know…anywhere. Ooh! Like there!" She pointed to a store that sold jewellery.
"Think we could afford it?"
"Who said we were shopping? Just looking. Just killing time."
"Well, we could go anywhere…" I just really didn't want to go shopping, or just look around at stuff I couldn't even purchase. Anything. Just not shopping or gawking.
"Well, if you really don't want to, I'll go there, and you can…go do your thing. We'll meet back at our apartment thing in…two hours?" She already started inching her way to the store.
"Sure," I shrugged.
She bolted into the store without looking back at me. I shrugged again and walked toward the park. It started to pour, so I popped out the umbrella Mika gave me earlier. As the drops hit the brellie, I noticed that the material wasn't water repellent. It was lace and cotton. I realized that if I kept up the umbrella, water would eventually seep through and get me wet anyway, and end up smelling bad. I tucked the umbrella back into itself and went back to carrying it. I put my wrist through a loop at the handle of it and walked on.
Walking in the rain, people gave me strange looks. There were some that gave me sympathy through their eyes, and there were some who were actually checking me out, the sheer material wet, emphasizing the corset's presence. Those individuals really creeped me out. Were they so desperate for flesh that they would look at some soaked, random girl in high-quality clothes with interest? Sure, the garments were showy and pleasing to the eye, and made me pleasing to look at, but did they have to make it so obvious? Even though they were rushing past me, their eyes were just glued to me. Then again, how often did they see a woman in Lolita clothes, in the rain, with a useless umbrella, not making a fuss or scene about it?
Arriving at the park, it was deserted. I walked deep into its center and espied someone sitting awkwardly on a bench. The rain made it difficult to see, so I couldn't make out the details of the person. It was the only bench that was in the middle, the rest of the benches were circling the park's edges. I wanted to get closer to the person, interested in why they were just sitting there in the rain, no umbrella or coat to protect them. I would just walk by, quickly memorize them, wave in a greeting, and exit the park. Feeling my hair style drop from the constant, heavy rain, I took my hair down, and it was wavy with spirals and had bounce and lift from being up and twisted.
As I neared the person, I discovered it was a young man, he was tall, thin, and I could even have considered him handsome or cute. He had charcoal, chin-length hair and he had his knees curled up into himself, like he was cold. I couldn't make anything else out , like the smaller, more defined features of his face because of the weather.
I didn't really want to look like, to the man, that I was rudely coming over to him and intruding his privacy, just randomly checking up on him when I didn't even know him. So, I found a tree that was in the between me and the stranger. I leaned against the tree and stared at the sky. I squinted slightly, not wanting the fat beads to get in my eyes. The sky was pretty. It was a grayish blue. The color made me calm and happy somehow. Thinking of the man, I couldn't help but wonder I saw him somewhere. His features were familiar, but there were probably a million people in Japan that had black hair, or hair dark enough that looked black when they were soaked to the bone. I didn't feel as if the man was staring at me, but I somehow knew that the guy knew I was purposely ignoring him. I didn't even think it was the eavesdropping thing, for I didn't even think to do it. I liked that I had the power to do so, but it took some time getting familiar with to just think, "Hey, I'm special! I can read minds and tune them out! Whew!" At the right time. Thus, I was a rookie at superpowers and didn't bother to read his mind instead of spying on him. Besides, if he was curled up on the bench like that, he could have wanted someone to talk to…
Not wanting to be rude, I turned my head to face him directly to greet him. "'Lo," I said, nodding in acknowledgment, trying to act casual, but ended up muttering the greeting like I really didn't care.
And then I noticed something. I did recognize the man.
He was Ryuuzaki. L.
"Hi," he nodded in return. He acted like it was a real icebreaker, like he was grateful that I started to talk at all.
He performed his signature riveting of the eyes. I glanced back at the heavens again, not knowing what to do or say as I found him. I tried to ignore the silence, but found it un-ignorable. "So, what brings you here?" I spun my head to face him again, my hands limp at my sides. I walked to the bench.
"Well, since no one sees me as L, I can really go anywhere I want undetected and unafraid. I can escape from the computer occasionally, Demetra."
I smiled that he admitted to being a computer-geek. I looked down and saw that even outside, raining, in a public area, he still had no shoes. "I have no doubt that you can live outside of the darkness of the computer world, Ryuuzaki."
He smiled strangely, his lips curving upward, his thumb in his mouth. I then thought to read his mind.
Demetra must be Kira. The questioning with Misa and her didn't go far, if anywhere at all. They have something in common, something dangerous, and perhaps the deadliest and worst. Misa is a model and Light is clearly a good-looking young man…and Demetra…Demetra is beautiful…those three are very beautiful people. It must be a quality that Kira and those who aid Kira must have…
To seduce others to their will—ultimately the Kira's will—is what the beauty is for. They use it to whatever extreme they can, even if by the time things get dangerous, people are no longer swayed by their looks and alluring charm, but that they've gone too far…
Demetra is so beautiful. It is quite obvious by her above-average looks that she has allied with Light. Why else would she and Light have gone out into that hallway together, attempting to make it seem coincidental? And why else would Mika and Demetra act friendly and hostile while talking to and parting from each other?
They all share the same sort of beauty, too. Soft hair, a great body, a sweet face, sparkling eyes, and they all smell nice, too.
The last thought threw me off guard, so I tilted my head, but made it look as if I were waiting for him to talk back to me.
But Demetra, being American instead of Japanese, has blue eyes, which makes her very different…but very pleasing…a good weapon for Kira to use…
He stroked his smirk with his thumb. And since she has such jet-black hair and such bright eyes, it's different and rare to see, it could melt some people, warping their judgment…a very, very good tool for Kira.
I placed my hands on my hips, trying to act patient yet irritated…though it wasn't all an act.
And dressed like that…I bet she's been doing Kira's dirty work simply by catching peoples' eyes…or just their eyes catching her…but I mustn't fall under her spell…I made it this far resisting Misa and Light…
I couldn't take anymore. Was he freaking joking? How could he be so enthralled with me that my looks helped me bump up his suspicions for my helping Kira? I had to talk, cut off his thoughts. "Wearing the wrong attire?" I asked half-jokingly. I just realized that a smile was still visible on my face.
His smile grew, revealing his teeth. He looked me up and down. I chuckled almost silently. "I'm not mocking you, I'm just asking if you're in the same position I am."
"But you have an umbrella," He raised his brows, his eyes somehow growing larger from the expression.
"But it's useless," I opened the umbrella, it got wet anyway from water hitting it even though it was closed. Water spat out it all directions. I laughed, a little embarrassed that I flung water at us both. "Sorry,"
"That's all right. It doesn't make a difference because of how long we've been out here." He stood, making a slush noise as his bare feet smacked onto the drowning grass.
I heard other feet slapping the ground behind the bench. I focused my eyes past Ryuuzaki.
A bulky man with greasy black hair and was of average height. He stepped closer. "Oh, how cute, here's the little distraction my honey has been having."
Ryuuzaki turned slowly to face the outsider, his bent shoulders facing the man directly.
And I recognized the voice. But where? And what did he mean by "distractions" and "honey?"
"I've heard a lot about you, Demetra. Or do you actually prefer that cute little nickname, 'Dem?'"
Oh, no. Oh, no, oh, no, oh, no. Oh, no. I knew who it was. Kyle.
"Are you familiar with Demetra?" L inquired, his thumb still pushing on his bottom lip.
Kyle jeered. "Yeah, my fiancée's in love with her!" I could see his bright brown eyes with dark grey bags under them glisten with insanity. He cocked a gun at my direction. "Are you trying to steal her, or something? Butt out!"
Bang.
I was pushed by a force and landed on my back.
Bang.
I heard a thud following the shot.
Woohoo! Haha...love you guys....cliff hanger...ooohhh......reviews appreciated.....review...please.....you know you want to...thank you! :--)