Chapter 20: Breakfast at Bancroft's

Notes:

I'm in the process of moving, and I've been rather busy unpacking in phases, even though part of the house isn't fully renovated. I really do enjoy replying to and engaging in discussion with readers, and I'll get around to it soon enough. I promise. I've just had a lot to do lately, and I wanted to work on the chapter before working on replies. I am impatient to get to the greater character development instead of this meandering prose but I find it necessary to set things up.

Thanks for reading, kudo-ing/favoriting, subscribing and commenting/reviewing!

Is there a situation or way of being strong that doesn't matter? It's a question Rui ponders in this chapter, and it's one I don't know how to answer, either. I say no, strength always matters, for good or ill.

IMPORTANT: If anyone knows how to better phrase an English gentleman's (Watari) speech, please do help correct me for greater authenticity in this fic! In canon, Watari is implied to know a lot of influential business partners; he definitely knows how to conduct himself in more exclusive circles. Thanks!

(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)

June 1, 2004; 18 00

Rui fished out Light's white dress shirt and black slacks from her bag, holding them out to the department store clerk, then pointed to the slim-cut, long-sleeved black crew-cut sweatshirt and trendy dark-wash jeans she'd picked out, indicating that she wanted them to be of the right size for one person. Light's old clothes still held the delicate aquatic-citrusy notes of his designer cologne*, and Rui hoped the salesperson wouldn't jump to some weird conclusion about the circumstances to which she had to procure more clothing.

Rui had to get her jollies where she could, and Light's current outfit was the dark counterpart to L's, since they suited each other so much. Slim where L's was baggy, and dark where L's was light. She was half certain Ryuzaki would pick up on this, but it would likely be too subtle for him to actually say anything or retaliate, unlike the Salt Prank. Subtlety with Ryuzaki was the key if she wanted to take the mickey out of him.

Thankfully, the hotel was only a couple minutes' walk from the station. Rui congratulated herself for this. Some time after the bathroom incident, Ryuzaki had entrusted the choice and booking of their hotel stays to her, although Watari was the one who decided which part of Tokyo they would be staying at. Rui had promptly chosen all the hotels that were located close to a major station and which were luxurious enough for Ryuzaki's taste. Well, that wasn't exactly right. Ryuzaki wasn't all that interested in luxury, but comfort. It just so happened that those two qualities usually went together, along with a hefty price tag. Rui wondered if that applied to Ryuzaki's clothes too. Maybe he had them made to order. Maybe Watari had invented a machine to make them for him. Rui could only guess.

In any case, that train of thought wasn't exactly relevant right now. Or at any time.

Misa had already been installed in the opposite room of the same hotel in confinement, and Rui was to watch her, too, though they didn't really expect Rem to come back. Rui wasn't sure where to buy the kind of garments Misa usually wore – they were probably sponsored by exclusive, made-to-order Lolita clothing companies. Instead, Rui put her in oversized dress shirts (because she couldn't find Misa's size and they were easier to put on her), stockings, and mini-skirts/shorts. Misa would look pretty in anything anyway, Rui reasoned.

While Light had been temporarily installed in the secure hotel room beside the one L and the task force were using, Ryuzaki had relayed his instructions to Rui.

Rui felt a little like she was being set adrift on a raft in the ocean. If Light were to be a permanent fixture by Ryuzaki's side in the foreseeable future, Rui couldn't directly ask for direction from him. When had she begun to rely so much on him for security? She was a full-grown woman. She didn't need anyone, least of all Ryuzaki, for her sense of security. Rui was a little mortified at just how desperate, how shrill she'd sounded in their phone conversation.

"Why did you even handcuff yourself to a serial murderer and manipulator?!" she'd demanded the moment she'd picked up his call. Ryuzaki was always the one who called if he needed something. It was a rule they'd agreed upon. She paused for a moment, then amended, "well, both of you are a match for each other and you're strong in all ways that matter, so I guess as long as you're careful, you'll be fine. But the rest of us- "

"Strong in the ways that matter?" Ryuzaki had interrupted, a slight note of curiosity in his otherwise smooth, nearly-monotone voice.

Perhaps that had been a weird way to put things. Was there a way to be strong that didn't matter? "Well, uh, you're a strong manipulator, and I'm sure that your high intelligence and years of experience solving case will have equipped you with the know-how to deal with one such as Light," she ticked off her fingers, "I'm pretty sure you know capoeira or something, so you'd be no slouch in a physical fight… you seem emotionally impermeable, so I'm sure you've got that covered too… and I'm sure Watari can cover all other bases if necessary since you guys have the moolah…" She finished lamely, knowing he was probably trying to distract her. The world could turn upside down, and Ryuzaki would still be an ass. He was at least constant.

"But what are you even planning?" she asked impatiently. "I won't be able to receive instructions from you since you'll be with him all the time. Are you guys gonna shower together? Am I still going to have to dress you in his presence? What if he tries to talk to me?" She was probably flattering herself with that last question. Light probably wouldn't pay much attention to her, a woman. Unless she was seen as being emotionally close to Ryuzaki.

There had been a subtle sigh from the other end of the phone line. What? Those had been valid questions. Even if they paled in significance to other matters at hand. "Contrary to your low expectations of me, I am perfectly capable of dressing without assistance," he had replied wryly. Rui noticed he didn't address the question about his plans, or less importantly, about he and Light showering together. Rui's eyebrows would have wriggled suggestively were she in Ryuzaki's presence, even as he'd gone on with the rest of his instructions.

Ryuzaki and herself were to minimize any interaction to the bare minimum, she was not to engage Light at all, and she was to watch them both even at night in their room. Well, not them. She was supposed to watch out for the Shinigami. The rest of the task force would not know of her role, nor would they know of there even being surveillance in L's and Light's room.

Rui had been resigned to the end of another cagey conversation that left her with more questions than answers. Instead, he'd gone quiet for a moment. When he spoke again, he had sounded… different. Kind of deeper. Quieter. Graver.

"I thought you might have had some concerns regarding the recent developments," he'd finally ventured to say. "Short of you taking Light aside and telling him everything you told me, there is not much that could alter this course of action to our detriment."

What, was he trying to reassure her? That was almost sweet. Or maybe she was reading too much into things. It's just, she would have expected him to have gotten impatient with this conversation way back. Or were her expectations for him too low, as he'd pointed out?

At her silence, he'd continued grudgingly. "Better security measures will be put in place for protection once the task force building is constructed."

Rui hated how whiny, how petulant she'd sounded. "And when will that be, Ryuzaki?"

"Its completion is scheduled to be on 1st August. Perhaps slightly earlier, if things go according to plan."

There was a finality and slight dissatisfaction to Ryuzaki's voice. It was likely that this was indeed the earliest they could complete the task force building within the realm of human capability, so they'd both just have to suck it up.

"…Do you have any more questions for me, Rui?"

This was weird. It wasn't like him to leave himself open to further inquiry from anyone. Rui hesitated. On the one hand, she could ask again what he planned to do. On the other, he'd probably continue to not respond. She frowned.

"Whatever you're doing… will innocents become casualties?" It was a direct question. Rui could probably go along with anything Ryuzaki did, as long as the innocent were spared. Rui may have had some sympathy for Misa, but nobody had made her kill, nor had she had to. Those who committed crimes should be punished by the law, with some exceptions, of course. But the innocent, like the run-of-the-mill passer-by, or the task force, had the right to remain safe.

"…No."

Was that a good enough answer? Rui had the sneaking suspicion that despite the simplicity of his reply, Ryuzaki had already thought of a loophole. But even the great L was human, too. It was far too much to hold him responsible for every single human, though she did think the lives of the task force, Watari and herself were most definitely partly his responsibility. She sighed. She'd let him off for now.

"Alright. How will we coordinate the move to the new headquarters you've commissioned?"

June 2, 2004; 06 00

Rui was rudely jolted awake by her alarm. Peering at the feed of Light and Ryuzaki together in their room, she gauged there to have been no new developments, for Ryuk was simply idly drifting about the room. He cast a particularly ominous shadow on Ryuzaki, but she would bet that he didn't notice anything. What did that mean, that only some humans could see Shinigami? Was it that Shinigami bodies emitted light in a very specific wavelength, and only humans who touched Death Notes had their physiology slightly modified to be able to detect these particular wavelengths of visible light? It would be pretty neat if they could take MRI scans of hers, Misa's and an ordinary person's eyes/brain, and see if there were any differences. What were shinigami made of, that they could choose whether or not to be physically affected by material objects? Could living humans enter the Shinigami world?

Those questions ran unceasingly through her hyper, exhausted mind as she proceeded to get ready for the day in a jiffy. She'd been up awake most of the night on surveillance duty, and had allowed herself an hour to dip in and out of the murk of sleep, snatching glimpses of half-forgotten scenes and impressions in her frazzled mindscape only for them to sink back into her subconscious by the time she fully opened her eyes, ready to face the day.

The situation was rather hilarious. Light and Ryuzaki were basically on day one-and-a-half of hanging out together by themselves, and so far they hadn't said a thing to each other. They must have already showered, for they both sported wet heads of hair. Rui would have liked to think more on the logistics of that, but she had work to do.

Ryuzaki had the screens on to monitor whether criminals were being killed, but he was mostly just staring at Light, who was stubbornly keeping his eyes on the screens after a night of fitful sleep. The task force would be coming in to break the awkward tension soon enough, but for now it was her job. Even amoral detectives and serial murderers needed their breakfast, after all.

Rui stared blankly at the breakfast things on the serving cart as she stood right outside their door, composing herself. She had to be careful not to make any eye contact with any of them, especially Ryuk. Taking a deep breath, she knocked on the door, then opened it without waiting for a reply. "I bring breakfast," she announced.

Gritting her teeth, she walked right through Ryuk, making her way swiftly to the table, and began setting out the contents of her tray. There was a traditional Japanese breakfast for Light and a large platter of dessert for Ryuzaki, along with his tea things. She inwardly cursed as she removed first the miso soup, the grilled fish, the pickled vegetables, the bowl of rice, the chopsticks and chopsticks holder… All the while, Light, Ryuk and Ryuzaki were observing her closely. Then she had to go around to Ryuzaki and repeat the entire ordeal with his tea pot (complete with tea cosy), coffee pot, cream jug, sugar bowl, teacup, teaspoon, dessert plate and spoon, and his desserts.

Inwardly, she breathed a sigh of relief as she was finally done. "I will be back to collect them later," she told the quiet room, then made herself scarce. Couldn't they have consumed something with fewer fiddly implements? And the washing! She groaned.

There was also Misa to tend to. Greeting Watari, who was already waiting outside Misa's room, Rui balanced a tray with a plate of baked sweet potato and black coffee, made sure her police helmet was fastened on tight, then knocked on the door as Watari unlocked it.

"Amane-san? I have your breakfast here," Rui called softly. Amane Misa was a night owl, but there was always the chance that she would be awake. Well, that chance did not come that day, for she found Misa still sound asleep. Mentally shrugging, Rui carefully placed the tray on the table, then gathered her discarded clothes for washing. Politely, she waited for Watari as he relocked Misa's room, then nodded to him before turning her back.

"A word if you will, Miss Rui," Watari's posh English gentleman voice rang out behind her, unexpectedly. Rui jolted in surprise, but composed herself by the time she turned to him with a polite smile. She thought she had masked her wariness well enough, but Watari must have been an expert at reading people, or perhaps she was slipping.

In any case, he wore a kindly, grandfatherly-looking smile on his face. "Do let me help you with that," he said, chivalrously taking the pile of stale clothes from Rui. "Might I inquire as to whether or not you have already eaten?"

He didn't seem at all fazed by Rui's muteness as she nodded.

"Well, then, perhaps we could have breakfast together! I know a place that serves a good British breakfast!" Watari went on pleasantly before Rui could say anything. Then he blinked, appearing to have caught himself. "That is, if you are amenable to British food? Or perhaps you would be more partial to other cuisines?"

Despite how charming he was being, Rui noted that he didn't give her the option to decline at all. But she was hungry, and she had always been curious to see what Watari ate. She'd never seen the man eat. And she wanted to know what he wanted. Mentally shrugging, she put on her good girl face. "British food sounds good, Watari," she smiled. "I'm not very familiar with British cuisine, but I'm always open to trying something new. Perhaps you could recommend something! But what about the rest of my tasks?"

Watari's eyes twinkled as he smiled. Rui blinked. She did not know eyes could do that in real life, and she couldn't help widening her smile. What was he, non-magical Dumbledore? "There is always time enough later." Waving off her concerns, he offered her his arm. "Shall we?"

"Certainly," she agreed, taking his arm.

June 2, 2004; 09 00

Watari had driven them both to a small, charming English-style café at least forty minutes away, complete with floor-to-ceiling windows that let in the sunlight, ecru wicker chairs, white marble tables and English garden-style floral arrangements tastefully placed here and there. He held open the door for her as the bell rang, announcing their entrance.

Rui was pretty taken with the décor, so much so that she was only mildly worried about being alone with Watari so far away from any place she knew. Was there even such a place in real-world Japan? She blinked in surprise as a menu appeared in her field of vision, and she followed the arm holding out the menu to the face of an elderly Japanese woman with a mild expression.

"Oh, thank you," Rui hurriedly said, taking and scanning the menu quickly. She was aware of Watari watching her. He must have already known what he wanted to order.

Making her decision quickly, she looked up. "I'm ready to order too, Watari," she told him, then turned to the woman. "Excuse me, may I have a vegetarian Full English, please?"

"Would you like tea or coffee?" Rui was not expecting fully British-accented English from her waitress.

"Tea, please! Thank you."

Watari and Rui were left in slightly awkward silence once the waitress left. At least, Rui did. Watari did not seem perturbed in any way. "I profess to have always had a soft spot for a Fry-Up," Watari began, conversationally. "There is much to be said about the appeal of comfort food."

"It seems that you are familiar with the café owners," Rui observed.

"As it was, I had been acquainted with dear Bancroft and his wife since the café's conception, and happened to be in the position to offer a little assistance," Watari replied warmly. Assistance? Of the financial nature? Was Watari in the habit of investing in small businesses he found promising? That might explain why he seemed so well-connected in the business world, as Ryuzaki had previously implied. In any case, Rui wasn't exactly sure what to say. She wanted to ask what he wanted so badly to discuss with her that couldn't be done in Ryuzaki's proximity, but that might've been too direct.

"Was that why you wanted to come here today?" There. That wasn't too direct, was it?

Oh, who was she kidding? That was super direct for an old hat dealing with Ryuzaki. Then again, tact wasn't actually Rui's forte. Keeping her mouth shut was. Or at least, it usually was.

Watari laughed. Even his laugh was pretty charming. "That, and to indulge in a fit of nostalgia. You wouldn't begrudge an old man that, would you?" Rui barely stopped her eyebrows from lifting; as always, the best course of action was to keep silent and listen.

Watari took his time with a sip of tea – Rui noted he took his only with lemon – then with what seemed like a non-sequitur. "Have you been to Paris, Rui?"

"No, Watari," Rui replied cautiously.

"I daresay nearly every visitor will find it to be a place of exemplary beauty in every visible way," he commented, smiling in a manner that indicated some inside joke she was not privy to. "And if one looks deeper into the unexplored, darker crevices of the city, one sometimes finds things more valuable than they could conceive."

"On my second trip to the City of Lights, I was lucky enough to come across one such hidden gem. A black diamond in the rough, so to speak. Easy to overlook by those not in the know, rarest of the rare, and filled with so much potential for greatness." Watari wasn't wearing a grotesque expression on his face or anything; it was a look of genuine passion, like a scientist talking about his life's work, intermingled with some restraint borne out of the ingrained refinement of the upper crust.

"He lay alone in his dirty crib, a little babe with a black mop of hair not unlike the one he has now, shriveled from hunger and shivering from weakness and the cold. And yet, his eyes still shone with a preternatural strength of will. Immediately, I found myself wondering what that strength of will could forge if fed and left unchecked." At this, Rui grew uncomfortable. Was he talking about… who she thought he was talking about?

"That black diamond proved my hunch right," Watari continued easily, in a manner that was at odds with the unpleasant roiling in her stomach. "With the right care, he grew stronger than all the other kids, and much, much smarter than even those who were three, no, ten or twenty times his age. Why-"

"Pardon me, Watari," Rui interrupted, uncertain in its manner but not its intention, "but I do think we should refrain from talking about someone if they haven't given their consent." As Watari fell silent, looking at her in an appraising way not unlike the person he was talking about, Rui hastily added, "Not that I'm not appreciative that you have elected to share these old memories with me, of course." She met Watari's gaze squarely, ruthlessly quashing the impulse to fidget like a little kid. She wasn't saying anything wrong; she had no reason to feel uncomfortable or cowed. Although she couldn't exactly be sure that Ryuzaki had indeed not given his consent for this discussion. Normally, as someone who didn't like to act without knowing all the facts, Rui would have just sat in her discomfort and continued listening with her mouth shut. She didn't know why she was feeling so protective over Ryuzaki, either. Perhaps it was Stockholm Syndrome. Ugh.

Watari suddenly laughed. Even his laugh was rather pleasant, a smooth but deep sound that reminded her of the finest cognac. "Fascinating," he mumbled, almost to himself. He then seemed to come back to himself and remember her presence.

"I would have expected you to jump at this opportunity to understand our mutual charge better, given your fascination with him," he said, knowingly. UGH! Why did Watari have to put it like that? Like, like some sort of idiotic schoolgirl crush? It wasn't weird for Rui to be fascinated by one of the most fascinating characters in one of her favorite fandoms, was it?

Rui winced. "Yes, but not like this, Watari," she managed to say.

"In what way would you prefer it, then, Rui?" Watari responded, a teasing look in his eye.

Rui burst out laughing. "Why'd you have to say it like that, Watari? You've gone and made it all weird, now!"

*A post on what Light's, L's and Misa's scents of choice would be: /c/death-note/amp/blog/the-fragrances-of-death-note/eYqR_vzpu3uK2zpe7PXeLw0r1r4x1YlkeKx. I agree with Light's choice of scent, though not necessarily Misa's and L's. I don't think L would even wear perfume – he just smells like his candy under very expensive fabric softener, methinks. He probably uses unscented soap.
I feel like Misa would wear something a little more gothic and sweet but not edible-gourmand, like Lolita Lempicka by Lolita Lempicka.

Yes, Watari appears to be a tad out of character. Watari, you old goat! What are you up to?