Author's Notes: Ah, it seems that work -is- good for something. I planned out some of a fic that I had -no- idea what to do with. This is the resulting insanity. I apologize for it. In fact, if I hadn't written it, I would attempt to claim that it isn't my fault. Alas, it cannot be so. ^^

Warnings? Yaoi implications. Less owls than the previous chapters. ;_; Finished at five in the morning. Like, stayed-up-all-night five in the morning.

Be afraid-- I know I am.

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The Incident with the Owl
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Chapter 3: Epiphanies
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Paperwork was proving to be difficult.

Not that it was generally something he enjoyed-- on the contrary, it was fairly often that Watari got distracted from the more mundane aspects of his job. Today, however, strange things were taking place all around, and gossip was running freely.

Or at very least, it was running freely outside the door to his office. Despite his best intentions not to eavesdrop, he'd heard most of the conversation that had been going on for the past half hour-- and Yuma and Saya certainly seemed to be keeping tabs on everyone who'd been affected.

As near as the scientist could tell, no one had escaped whatever insanity had descended into their workplace.

"...I've never -seen- Wakaba-chan so happy, and that's saying a lot." Saya's voice was glowing with joy for the girl.

Yuma joined in, tone more speculative. "What they need to do is work out a way around his transformations and take a few days off at a nice hotel--"

Fighting the flush the rose to his cheeks, Watari focused on the paper in front of him. The day's date became an overlarge scrawl. Frowning, the scientist scratched it out-- Tatsumi would complain if it was sloppy.

"And Tatsumi-san!" one of the girls was saying. The name echoing in his thoughts started the man into awareness of their words once more, and he couldn't help but listen. "He's just been wandering around. It's so -strange-."

"With Watari-san's owl!" her partner agreed. "I don't even know if he realizes it's there-- he seems so... so... not like himself!"

Frowning slightly, the blonde shinigami attempted to focus on filling out the forms spread on the desk before him. There certainly were a lot of them. With everyone acting so strangely, now would be the perfect time to catch up. As an added bonus, Watari reflected cheerfully, he could keep out of the rising tide of insanity beyond the walls.

"...Hisoka-kun did -not- need to say that," Yuma was consoling. "He's been in an awful mood since the meeting yesterday-- don't pay any attention to it."

"He's too cute to stay mad at," Saya gushed. And then came a pause, as though the girl was considering. "But do you think he meant it? I mean, truly. Honestly."

The revelation came down with the force of a collapsing building.

Before the implications could turn themselves over in his mind, the scientist was on his feet, propelling himself out the door and grasping the startled girl by the shoulders. "You're a genius!" he proclaimed.

And then he was tearing down the hall, two young shinigami staring after him in utter confusion.

* * *

"Tsuzuki!"

The scientist flung the door to the office open and was greeted immediately by two very startled pairs of eyes, one green and one violet. For a moment Watari stood in the doorway, panting and out of breath-- he never remembered to teleport when he needed the ability most-- posed in the most dramatic way he could conceive.

"Questions," he managed, when he could speak. "I want to ask you questions."

The older shinigami stared at him for a long moment, blinking. "About what?"

"Just questions!" Letting himself into the little room, Watari settled onto a chair, backwards. Golden eyes glowed with excitement; the puzzle was falling into place. "Are you ready?"

"I... guess." The two partners were staring at him as though he'd grown an extra appendage. Which was, he reflected, probably justified.

"Are there better things than cake?"

A startled pause. "Of course."

"Do you have nightmares? Often?"

He could read the change of emotions in expressive violet eyes: surprise, hesitation, the beginning of anger. Hisoka moved a few steps away from his partner, needing the distance to keep his feelings his own.

It was an answer the man didn't want to give. "...yes."

"What about bon?" Tact was a thing to be discarded in the noble pursuit of science. "Do you dream about -him-?"

Tsuzuki opened his mouth. Closed it. Blushed furiously, but couldn't stop the reply. "All the time."

If his partner was blushing, Hisoka was -creating- new shades of red. "Just what the hell do you think you're--" the boy began, but Watari was quick to cut him off.

"The truth!" The scientist had reached a frenzy of understanding. "Don't you see it? Look at everyone! They're telling the truth, plain and simple, the way they see it! Everyone is being honest, for good or bad!"

They were looking at him like he'd gone insane. Watari didn't care; he was right, and Tsuzuki had answered the questions, and that was proof enough to set any doubts aside.

Hisoka was the first to recover from his state of semi-shock. "Why?" he asked. And then, thinking the question over: "-How-?"

"That," the taller blonde admitted. "I don't know. It started yesterday, though. Or seems to have."

"That's right!" Smacking a fist into his palm, Tsuzuki turned huge eyes to the boy beside him. "You were being -really- mean last night after dinner-- and when I asked what was wrong, you -told- me!" The man looked like he'd seen the clouds open up and sunshine spill forth.

Hisoka spared his partner a sidelong glance, but once more the accusation of stupidity was missing. "Whatever," he opted for instead. Green eyes searched Watari's face. "So how do we find out how this happened?"

"Well," the scientist considered. "It seems to have affected the whole department." He rubbed his chin, thoughts scattering and returning, struggling to piece the mystery together. "So whatever it was, logic would suggest that it needed to happen while everyone was in one place.

"The meeting at Tatsumi's house!" Tsuzuki was catching on, violet eyes bright. His tail thrashed from side to side, almost violently, anger forgotten in the passion of the moment.

Hisoka had remained silent for a time, green eyes growing steadily wider as something began to take shape in his mind. It was not a pleasant idea. It was highly unlikely. It... would explain absolutely everything.

"The owl," the young shinigami sighed in resignation.

"Bon?" Cocking his head to one side, Watari considered the boy with rapt attention.

"Before dinner," Hisoka elaborated. "She had something on her feet-- she must have gotten it onto the counter."

"And into the food," the scientist breathed, golden eyes huge. "Gods... it must have been something from my lab! Do... do you two have any idea what this means?" When it was clear that his audience would remain frozen, waiting for the answer, Watari leaned in closer. The chair rocked dangerously on two legs as the blonde clenched a fist tight, making his decree. "I've created a truth serum!"

The response he got was far less enthusiastic than what he thought he deserved. It involved a few seconds of apprehensive staring, and after a few moments of unresponsive silence, Hisoka's quiet voice: "Can you -fix- it?"

"Of course," was the reply on the tip of Watari's tongue. The potion changed it a bit, though, and the reassurance in his smile was forced to make up for the rest. "I can try," he said sincerely.

"Aww," Tsuzuki pouted. "What's wrong with telling the truth? Nothing that bad's happened."

Watari didn't get a chance to answer. Hisoka did it for him.

"Think about it," the boy told his partner, tone matter-of-fact. "Just like you didn't want to answer Watari-san, other people don't want to talk about certain things." Green eyes were watching the older man carefully, waiting for understanding to spark in the emotions that he was giving off. "Like Terazuma-san didn't want to get so upset over Wakaba. And like I don't want to say that I love you."

Utter, deafening silence. Not a stir of breath.

Hisoka looked like someone had struck him; pale and shocked, mouth open slightly.

"Well!" The scientist shot abruptly to his feet, backing toward the door. "Looks like I ought to get started on the antidote."

Slipping into the hallway, Watari wisely made himself scarce.

~end part three~