Chapter 5: Names

April 6, 2004; 18 00

Rae had been embarrassed at her crying outburst, but she'd quickly pulled herself together and requested writing implements from Watari through her walkie-talkie, along with a large teddy bear (unrelated to her endeavours, but she was used to cuddling a large stuffed toy while she slept). He'd delivered a laptop from Ryuzaki for her use, though its functions were, of course, restricted.

She'd spent almost all her free time drafting a rough timeline of Death Note events she could remember, from all Death Note releases, including what she'd heard about the light novels. She was, at this point, rather certain that this world would have to follow the manga's sequence of events as the anime (or at least, what she remembered of it) mostly followed the same plotline, with minor scenes added or cut. Unfortunately, she'd been less interested in the plot after L died, so that bit was hazier. It wasn't much, since she'd been a teenager when she'd last read the series, but she thought there might be enough for L to have a grasp of all the 'rules' of the cat-and-mouse game.

She wasn't sure whether Watari had passed her work on to L or not, for he had not contacted her in two months. In the meantime, she'd insisted that Watari bring her study materials to brush up on her Japanese. Hey, she'd done the best she could by them both, hadn't she? It was time to look out for herself, and she hated wasting time. She'd already lost 2-3 months of her life doing nothing but counting tiles and bodyweight exercises.

She'd already showered and changed into pajamas in preparation for dinner when Watari unceremoniously informed her that she'd be dining with L instead. She debated whether to put on concealer under her prominent dark circles (that were now darker from stress and from the months of not sleeping with a stuffed toy to cuddle), but figured she probably didn't need to impress him. It wasn't like he could talk; the man's coon eyes were the worst in the two worlds she's been in.

Watari brought in a full tray of tea things, along with a covered dish – her dinner, it turned out to be. She watched warily as the detective himself shuffled in, hands in his pockets. She would have preferred they had dinner outside, for it now felt as though her personal space was being encroached upon. L didn't say anything; merely perched on the other side of his bed in his characteristic owl-like pose, fixing himself a cup of overly sugared tea. She was conscious of the fact that she'd forgone a bra, and clutched her bear to her chest to try and hide it. Did she speak first, or should she wait? Perhaps she'd eat dinner.

"Rae Wong," L suddenly spoke. "Your notes, while incredible, demonstrate remarkable accuracy with regard to the events that have transpired thus far. If you are willing, I would like you to work on the Kira case with me." Yep, that was L: goal-oriented, clear… and most probably lying.

"How much doubt do you have towards me, Ryuzaki?" she could not help asking, though he noticed she'd gripped her teddy bear rather tightly. "I mean, I'm sure my circumstances are very unbelievable." She'd expected him to test out some of the claims she'd made in her notes, and perhaps to let her go. After all, she wasn't detective-police material.

"Just 3%," Ryuzaki says. "I am willing to slowly let go of these doubts as we proceed with the investigation."

Well, his 3% = 90+ % or something, right? At least, that's what the DN creators had said in an interview. He probably wanted to watch her or something, though she wasn't sure what value she'd bring in the investigation. Still, if it meant she'd be let out of this room… but she'd probably end up meeting Light and Misa… but if she could negotiate with him, perhaps… but she could die…

"Perhaps we could be of mutual benefit to each other," Ryuzaki ventured, noting her conflicted expression. He motioned Watari forward, and he opened the case he was carrying. "Amano Rui, twenty-one years old. Lived abroad for seventeen years, but you came back to Japan following the death of your parents. Seeking employment opportunities." The case contained a Japanese passport, birth certificate, and educational details. "You'll be allowed to attend university when you've mastered Japanese." Twenty-one? Damn, he sure knew how to flatter a lady, she thought vaguely, and almost giggled, but stopped herself as he continued speaking.

"Every measure necessary will be taken to ensure your safety. As far as the task force are concerned, you will be, simply, Rui."

But what did he deem necessary? How could he expect her to make such an important decision on the spot? "Could I be given more time to make my choice?" she tried.

"The Kira case is very crucial. As we speak, countless others continue to perish of heart attacks. Your cooperation is very much important and desired," he replied. Huh, Yagami Senior was right. Ryuzaki never says things directly. It was weird though, since she was, by all accounts, a civilian, and he already knew all she had that was useful to the case. Plus, it had to be expensive to keep someone in custody for this long. Wouldn't the logical thing be to let her go? Oh, DUH. He'd probably been lucky to have spotted her, and he could not let her fall into Kira's hands, especially since Kira could control the actions of his victims. Paying her off wouldn't do anything. Well, she wasn't about to overlook a gift horse in the mouth. Free meals, free board? Sign her up!

"Thanks, Ryuzaki," she replied. "I would be happy to join you! When is my involvement required?"

AN: Rae's Japanese name, Amano Rui, is written as 天野 るい. It's as common and unremarkable as I can make it.

I've been wondering: since Rae's got both an English and Chinese version of her name, which version would be necessary for the Death Note to kill her? Would both have to be written down, or just any one of them? I haven't decided.