Awww, every one is so nice to my! I love you all! I do, I really do! You make me want to cry! Thank you!
Now, I said this in my profile, but I'll tell you now. Don't be afraid to point out mistakes in my work. I have dyslexia, and trust me; there will be millions of them. You should see the chapters BEFORE I use spellchecker. It might as well write in red there are so many underlined words… so please, if there is this one word that is really bothering you I'll go and correct it. Trust me, it is better you tell me as soon as you can so I can correct it and every thing will be lemon ice cream, and apple pie…hmm lemon ice cream… so yah, I don't bite and I'm very open to any help I can get
I also got my self a new beta. My dear friend decided my story was too much work to keep up with so… give a warmer welcome to my new wonderful beta: MelonBread of Doom! YAY. For with out her my spelling would be a train rec…
The chapters are getting bigger… hmmm, well anywho, if any one wants to guess the whom next personality will be and their color feel free!
Pink
At Peoples plaza.
One of the reasons Raito hated children was because of their bottomless energy. He had propped himself against the wall after his little run with mini L. the boy wasn't joking when he said he could run fast. However when he was just about to pass the boy, he was tripped by the little pipsqueak. Now he was sulking. Of course, if he had actually past mini L he would most certainly had gotten hopelessly lost, and they would have a repeat of what happened to Mogi. That was what pissed him off the most. The little devil knew he couldn't win and he him self had taken the bait. Stupid L.
Now that child-ness had his fun they were waiting for the others to catch up.
"How will they even know we are here? You didn't exactly leave them a route to follow, and I'm pretty sure we left them behind miles ago." Raito huffed; he was still pissy about what just happened.
"Don't sulk Raito. That kind of behavior is not becoming on you." Child-ness hummed as he tinkered with an open trap door on the floor. Raito was still wandering what the hell he intended to do with that. However, he was still mad and his pride impeded him from asking
Minuets ticked by and the curiosity was eating away at the back of his head making his fingers twitch, so he crossed his arms. Slowly, oh so slowly he inched closer to child-ness as he worked with the wires in the trap door. He was just about to pear over the boys shoulder, just a little more…
"Done!" Mini L cheered. Raito quickly rushed over to where he was before and started checking his nails. Hoping the kid hadn't noticed his interest. There was a sparking sound and the building behind him suddenly lit up with a flash of light. Raito just stared up at the building, then at the boy.
"There, now they will be able to find us just fine!" Child-ness gave a cute little smile. All Raito could do was nod his head in agreement.
And he was right; it wasn't long before the rest of the men found them.
"Ah! There you are! Have fun while we were gone?" Happiness said cheerfully as he bounced towards them (the Team walking behind him like normal people).
"Great! I won!" Childness said happily, arms up in the air. Raito stayed quiet but he was sure his gall showed on his face.
"Ok, Great… can we go now? How far is the plaza any way?" Aizawa grumbled. Raito wondered if the man was always in such an iffy mood and he never noticed or if today was just an exemption. Not that he was too pleased him self…
"Oh yes! I would say we only have three more blocks to go." Happiness said, completely ignorant of Aizawa's bad mood, flashing the man his 100 Watt smile. Then walking up ahead of the group humming another song (Raito thought he heard candy man). Raito was starting to wonder if happiness was really a part of L. he just couldn't accept it, not when that man bounced, hummed and smiled.
His musings where interrupted by a tug on his pant leg. He looked down to see mini L looking back up at him. He then lifted his small arms flexing his fingers. "Carry me?"
He wanted to say no. Oh how he wanted to say no. But it was like looking at your pet and refusing him food. He gave a deep sigh. Before giving in and picking the boy up and following the group.
As he walked (behind Mogi and in front of his father) he felt a pull on his hair. His head wiped around and faced the child in his arms.
"Did you just pull on my hair?" Raito asked.
"No."
"No, I'm sure you just pulled my hair."
"Did not."
"Yes you did."
"Nope."
Fed up, Raito freed one of his arms and pulled on the boys' hair. Hard.
"Ahhh! Joy, Jooyyy! Raito pulled my hair!" Childness cried, holding his head with his tiny arms.
"Now why did you do that Raito-kun?" Happiness said, all the way from the front of the group.
"Hey! He did it first!"
"That doesn't matter son. He's the child and you're the adult. You should be more mature then that." His father murmured from behind him. He couldn't believe this! Raito was about to reply when mini L cut him off.
"Actually Yagami-san, I am only a figurative representation of a child with all its features, but I am not, in fact, a child." Mini L piped up, leaning in closer to Raito.
The men where silent for a moment as they walked.
"Soooo, what's in this plaza we're are going to?" Matsuda asked, twiddling his fingers.
"Why don't you see for your self?" Happiness said, a big grin on his face.
The man stopped when the sea of buildings came to an abrupt halt and a giant clearing came in to view. It was circular and so wide in diameter and out of place it looked as if a meteor had crashed and made it. You couldn't even see the other side of the circle.
Like the road they where on, the entrance floor of the plaza was made out of white marble. But what really caught all eyes attention was the fact that the plaza was filled with statues. All organized in straight lines that went from the middle to the circle to the outer part of it, giving you just the right amount of space for you to pass through them to the middle.
There where hundreds of statues. But what differed them the most was what they where made of. Gold, silver, copper and wood. Most of the wooden statues where busts that sat on rectangular pillars, so they where able to reach up to a grown man's chest. All the others where full blown statues.
The team and Raito all turned in unison to Happiness for an explanation.
"Well the name is peoples plaza. So what did you expect?" Happiness shrugged and started to weave himself between the metallic humans.
The group looked at each other and like so many times before had no choice but to follow.
Raito looked at all the still faces in wonderment. He wondered who all of these people could be. They had to have some connection to the detective right?
Mini L snuggled closer to him. Raito looked at the boy out the corner of his eye. Mini L had his head down on his shoulder with his arms still tied tightly around Ratio's own neck. He wondered about the boy. He was probably one of the biggest part of L they would find. Maybe that was why it was so easy for the boy to rile him up. It was like fighting with L, like being with L again. Only he was smaller and cuter version. Maybe that was also why it bothered him when the boy got so close to him or played around like he did or when he asked to be carried or held. It felt like L wanted him to do that to him… Okaaaay, this was starting to go down a dangerous path…
But what did that tell him about himself? He didn't refuse… he couldn't resist… but the boy was just so cute! Like a panda (funny, because every time he thought of the detective, he always pictured a raccoon… with the black circled eyes and the way they hunted through garbage all night long…) did that mean he thought L was a cute cuddly panda? Wait! No! What? Argh! He knew this kid was going to drive him insane! L didn't look like any animal; if he looked like something it would be the living dead. Yeah, that settled it. L, the greatest detective looked like something that crawled out of a horror movie. Not a panda or a raccoon. He wasn't even human.
Satisfied with where he managed to drive (force) his thoughts to Raito focused back to his surroundings. Most of the outer part of the circle was filled with a variation of statues from wood to silver spread out randomly. Only when you began to reach the center did the statues begin to become all gold.
The men finally reached the center. The middle had a small open space. It was ten meters in diameter and right in the middle, the core, the heart of the whole plaza were four gold status. They where the largest ones in the whole plaza.
It was Watari.
The figure of Watari was the biggest of all of them (3 meters in height, not including its stand). Around the back there where statues of three other people. Raito imagined they were kids by the size and shape.
Child-ness wiggled himself out of Raito's arms and sprinted towards Watari's statue. Going around a simple metal bench that sat in front of Watari.
Child-ness placed his hands on the stand holding the figure up. He had a small happy smile on his face. Happiness followed him, and patted his head as looked up at the sculpture, and for some reason Raito felt something burning in his chest at the very family like sight. Like an older brother and younger brother together under a father figure.
Happiness turned around, mini L having to tear him self away and he was picked up by the yellow-eyed man.
"Well, you are all wondering about the plaza right?" happiness asked. There was a murmur of agreement. "Its quit simple actually. Every single one of the figures you see here are all a replica of the originals. They are all people L has meet or seen in a lifetime on earth. This included random people of the street you see passing by." Happiness said, as he switched mini L from one arm to the other. The men looked around with interest.
"But why are there statues made of gold and such?" Matsuda asked as he approached one gold figure of some unknown women who had her hands on her hips and a scrawl on her face. The young cop touched the base.
Raito had a thought full face a moment before asking. "It a ranking system right? I'm assuming the gold are the most important people while the wood would be random pass byes, correct?"
"Yay for Raito! He got it right" Child-ness cheered, throwing his hands in the air. Raito couldn't help the tiny smile that crept on his face as the kid began to bounce up and down in Happiness's arms.
"Yes, correct.. Gold is for the most important people in L's life at the moment.. Silver, the most important contacts or people of great power and high rate murderers. Copper is mostly victims, eyewitnesses, low ranked police officers and low rate murderers. Wood being people with hardly any importance but the fact that they existed and L just happened to see or bump into, almost no influence at all, really…" Happiness said as he ticked off the points with his fingers. Which was rather impressive considering he had a kid sitting on his forearms.
"Why don't you look around?" mini L asked, cocking his head to the side.
The team looked to one and other before slowly, hesitantly, separating and having a look around.
Raito went around Watari's figure to have a look at the other people that shared the spot light with the detectives trusted partner. He never imagined Watari had such an important part in L's life. Really, all he ever seen the man do was serve L like a butler… he wondered how deep their relationship was. By the sheer size of the sculpture he probably meant a lot…
Behind Watari, the other statues where of three children. The all seemed to be around the age of 7. The first was a boy standing up. His head was down as he watched intently the screen of his game boy. Because of the gold color of the sculptor Raito couldn't tell the much more about the boy. He did have goggles over his eyes though, much like the ones child-ness was wearing when the group met him a while ago.
The next child appeared younger. He sat with one knee pulled under his chin and with the other leg lying by his side. He looked incredibly bored with the toy car in his hand, but what really perturbed Raito was the incredible similarity his eyes where to L's. A rather chilling thought of the detective having kids ran through Raito's mind. But he quickly desecrated it. Who would sleep with the extrinsic man anyways? Raito felt a hot blush spread across his nose. He really didn't want to think about the detective in any sexual way. He felt the blush grow bigger, spreading all the way to the tips of his ears. Sex and L shouldn't be in the same sentence, shouldn't be in the same paragraph…
Raito shook his head, trying to shake all mental images of L doing anything that would produce him any offspring's. And chucked the funny feeling he had at the pit of his stomach from nausea. Yeah, nausea…
The teen cleared his throat and turned this attention to the last sculpture. The last child was a girl. Her hair reached her chin and she was in rather tight leather for some one of her age. She was clutching a bar of chocolate her right hand and had a nasty sneer directed at little boy on the ground next to her.
Raito scratched the back of his head. He wondered what it would be like to meet them personally. The girl looked like she would be a hand full. Raito sighed. He would never really like kids, would he? (That is, until he had some of his own).
There actually was a plaque underneath the sculptures on its the base. Raito crouched down to read what was inscribed on them.
MATT, NEAR, MELLO.
… What type of names where those? (Like "Light" was any better). They where probably aliases. Still, the plaque's where rather large, but all it said on the three of them where the 'names' and nothing else. It was like some one had erased any other information the plate had to offered.
"Did you really expect to find any other information?" Raito almost yelped, jumping at the sound of Happiness voice from behind him. He spun around to find the two personality's looking at him curiously. Mini L had climbed down from Happiness's arms and was now only holding the man's hand.
Raito clutched at his chest trying to calm down his pounding hart. "What?" he said weakly.
"You really didn't expect there to be any more information displayed there for you? Right?" happiness asked. Raito just gave him his best blank gaze. Happiness smiled softly. "Raito, you are still the number one Kira suspect. We can't just give away such personal information, such as names, to some on that can easily turn that data against us." Happiness smile became rather sad.
That made sense, but for some reason it upset Raito. "You can censer you own mind?" the teen asked.
"It's not quite censuring. The information is there but you just can't see it. We can only do very little though. Only very few plaques can be covered. It's not much, only being able to block some information here and there from paring eye's, but it helps." Child-ness answered. He leaned his messy haired head against Happiness's thigh, looking up at Raito.
That sounded like censuring to him. Raito didn't like this, he didn't like this one bit. The whole reason this little trip would be worth his while was the fact the L couldn't hide anything from him. This made him angry. Angry and sad, but he didn't know why he had this slight filling of melancholy. So he concentrated on his bitterness. He turned to the statues again. This time with a glare. And that's how the trio stayed. Raito glaring at the sculptors, lost in a mental rant about this whole situation not being fair, and the two personality's simply standing next to him. Letting him have his space.
"Hey! Hey guys! Look what I found!" Matsuda's exited voice broke the silence, bringing Raito to his senses.
"Ooooh, It sounds fun! Lets go, lets go, lets go!" mini L jumped up and down on the spot, before grabbing Raito's and Happiness's fingers in his tiny fists and dragging the bigger men across to Matsuda.
The man was hiding way between a group of gold sculptors. However, when Ratio saw whom the statues where he wasn't sure if he should be snorting or surprised.
It was the team. Matsuda, Aizawa, Mogi and his father. There was even one of himself. All immortalized in gold.
Matsuda was standing underneath the sculptor of himself. The statue looked exactly like the young cop. It was standing with one hand rubbing the back of his neck nervously and a sloppy smile on his face.
Perfect Matsuda.
The team all gather round. Going towards there own statues in amazement.
Aizawa's sculptor had its hand grabbing at his hair and the other was on his hip, looking rather annoyed.
Mogi's sculptor was simply standing with his arms crossed over his broad chest.
And his father was the most eye gripping to Raito. He was in a position with a gun in his hand and a determined look on his face.
"Oh looky here. There is something written about us!" Matsuda said excitedly. Now this got Raito's attention. He turned to Happiness and Child-ness, who just shrugged.
"Toda Matsuda, Birth date: 14 of December of 1978, Height: 174 cm, Wight: 59 Kg, Blood type: B." Matsuda read out loud, he made a thoughtful face before containing. "Profile: described in one word, the man is a sheep, he likes following trends and has difficulty keeping up with the other members of the Task Force. Many times I wonder why he decided to become a policeman. He is naive and too trusting. I have come to question why I have him on this Task Force." Matsuda cut himself off. He had a hard bricking expiration on his face; his lower lip was quivered a bit. Mogi walked over to him and put a hand on his shoulder.
Still, Matsuda went on. "However, I have come to see great potential in the man. He isn't too smart but incredibly loyal and is not afraid to act. This, at times, will lead him into great dangers, but his 'act now think later' reaction may save lives. Giving him a few years and I see him becoming a very good policeman… " Matsuda, now, had his mouth half open. He blinked a few times. The Team blinking with him. He touched the base of the sculptor, and then trailed his fingers throw his hair, and just stared at the plaque.
Aizawa tuned to his own statue and read out loud. "Shichi Aizawa, Birth date: 11 of May of 1969, Height: 183 cm (with hair), Weight: 70Kg, Blood type: B. Profile: his short temper and bad habits of assuming things with out proof is what hinders him most in his work. It is very difficult to work on the case with his constant nagging and doubt towards my methods and almost every move I make. His little self-control over his tongue will land him in great trouble anywhere he goes!" Aizawa's voice kept getting higher and higher as he read out loud, his fury growing with every word. "Well, if he didn't use such unorthodox methods and maybe told us things more often, then I wouldn't need to be questioning his 'every move'!" the man gritted out. Raito couldn't help but agree with Ryuzaki, it didn't take much to push the mans buttons…
"Is there any thing else their Aizawa?" Soichiro asked hopefully. He really didn't need this be added to Aizawa's list of 'things that make me respect Ryuzaki lesser and lesser every day'. Together with playing with his food, and no respect for human right's or personal space, the list was growing rather big. He didn't need 'no respect for my own personal opinion' added on…
Aizawa cooled down enough to nod his head and read the rest of the plaque. "However, I have great respect for his strong integrate and unmoving personal opinion. Moreover, to me, the fact that he put his family over all else is most impressive. He is a good man, and some one that I can rely on. I have grown to respect him. " Aizawa mouth opened like he was going to say something, but all that came out was a gargling sound. He was absolutely speechless, with good reason too; no one saw that one coming.
Soichiro had to smile. Maybe this would help the short-tempered man's and Ryuzaki relationship …
He hoped…
Mogi looked at his own profile. He hesitated a mint, looking back at the Team, Aizawa and Matsuda where still staring at there own profile, probably tuning what they read in their head.
"Kanzo Mogi." He said. "Birth date: 13 of September of 1973, Height: 188 cm, Wight: 81 Kg, Blood type: O. Profile: hardly contributes to the case verbally. He easily takes orders with out question. I ask my self if this will hinder him in the future, his rather mindless obedience. On the other hand, he is the most productive team member in almost all arias. It almost comes down to an art. Strangely, he doesn't seem so happy with his own work, and this only drives him forward. I read his cooking is good and find myself wondering at times what it would taste like. With the way he pushes him self forward in something he thinks he isn't good at. Maybe he has a good raspy for cheese cake?" Mogi finished talking slowly.
"You cook?!" Matsuda burst out. He had no idea the barley man cooked. In fact, no one did.
"Uh, yes, yes I do. Drowning my free time. Its rather relaxing…" Mogi admitted.
"How come you never told us?" Matsuda asked, getting exited.
The man shrugged his shoulders. "Its not a topic that really comes up in conversation you know…" Mogi replied.
Matsuda hopped over to the large man, chatting a mile a minute about just how much he wanted to taste one of his dishes.
Soichiro look down at his own statue. To him, he was portrayed rather heroically. He thought it to be a bit much. "Soichiro Yagami, Birth date: 12 of July of 1955, Height: 181cm, Weight: 68Kg, Blood type: A." he read out loud. "Profile: The one with the most intelligent of the men in the Force. A good father, but a man who spends too much time trying to make the world a better place for his children, making him neglected the very thing he is fighting for. Rather ironic really. I have worked with many men and women over the years but never had I seen some one with such an unsatisfying want for Justice. Someone is willing to put his family through surveillance and mental trauma to prove their innocence. Never had some one gotten my respect as fast as he did. I do not remember much of my own father, but I hope he was 1/10 of the person Soichiro Yagami is " Soichiro stood there staring a his profile. What could he say to that? What could he say to any of this? But one thing he knows for sure. What they read today would have never, EVER, been said out loud to any of them under any circumstance by the detective. Ever. The feeling of digging where they shouldn't came back, hitting Soichiro full force.
The men where quiet for a while.
"Is all of this true?" Soichiro questioned, tuning to Happiness and Child-ness. Mini L was hanging off the yellow-eyed man's shoulders peering out from behind the man's back in piggyback.
Happiness leaned his head slightly to the side, eyes almost closed, with a small smile on his face. "You can hide many things from the real world, but you can't hide from your self. The mind is the only place some one can be 100 % truthful." Was all he said. Mini L nodded his head in agreement, staring at them with big eyes.
Through out all this, Raito stayed deathly quiet. He was absorbing all of this like a sponge. He never imagined the detective had such a view on the team, especially his own father…
All the other men had gone back to staring at there own frozen image. Raito when to look at his own figure. The resemblance was frittering. It was like looking into a gold mirror. His hands where digging into his pockets, his back straight and his head turned to the side. Looking like someone who didn't have a care in the world. He frowned. Was this really how Ryuzaki thought of him? Aloof and uncaring? He moved his eyes to the plaque at the base. He didn't read it out loud like the others. Instead, he kept it all to him self.
Raito (Light) Yagami
Birth date: 28 of February of 1986
Height: 179 cm
Wight: 54 Kg
Blood type: A
Profile: Kira. (He had to hold back a snarl at that) Raito hands to be one of the hardest people I have come across to read. I can easily see through most of his lies. But I feel I am playing a game in which I don't know the rules. And the closer I get to the answer, the closer I come to my end. I see the difference in the boy, from now compared to before his imprisonment. How before his eyes shine with schemes and so unreliable. Now it's like he all but a mass murderer. It tires me, I have to put so much though into every little word that comes out of his lips. Still, at the same time, I have never felt this sort of connection to some one so close to my age range. I said Raito Yagami was my first friend and I meant it. I have made connections with him I haven't done white any one else. And …
…
…
Nothing, the sentence was cut off mid line. They had wipe out the rest of the paragraph. The teen clenched his fists. And what? What was he going to say! Why did they censer this? The more questions the more his curiosity grow. He swigged his body around to demand that they reveal the rest of what was inscribed, but the moment he turned they weren't there. Happiness and Child-ness where gone.
He twisted around, trying to find where they had gone, but all there was where frozen figures. The Team now where huddled up by the bench, discussing something he probably wouldn't care to know.
He made an impulse designee and took off. Determined to find the two personalities who hide themselves from his eyes.
He walked in long strides, poking his head between statues. Raito couldn't help but be impressed with some of the powerful men and women present there. From presidents to vice-presidents, all had their place. Frozen in silver. He passed lesser figures in wooded and criminals and there victims in copper.
And as he wavered the sculptors, his feet began to slow down and he looked more closely at the metallic faces he passed by. Until his eye caught a familiar figure.
Misa.
His feet took him to the girl. She was in gold, a sharp contrast to the surrounding copper and wood. She was leaning forward (exposing too much cleavage) in her typical Lolita dress with her hands behind her back. It was her trademark 'cute' pose. He wrinkled his nose. Deep down, he was rather indifferent when it came to Misa. He didn't particularly like her or dislike her. She had the ability to lift his mood as easily as to plumber it in to the ground. He wondered what L thought of her.
Misa Amane
Birth date: 24 of December of 1984
Height: 142 cm
Wight: 36 kg
Blood type: AB
Profile: A.K.A second Kira. Though her IQ is low she isn't afraid to take action, making her very reckless. She also has to be one of the strongest willed people I ever seen. Able to withstand torture. She is charming to every one making it hard for any one to suspect her of any thing evil. However, she seems to suffer the same change as Raito-Kun has. Unfortunately, if she ever becomes the second Kira, I fear for the safety of the team and myself, for she will stop at nothing to get what she wants. I afraid what will happen to Raito-Kun if he ever ended there relationship. Because of the death of her parents her mentality has been off at best…
None of this ever crossed Raito's mind. To him, Misa was a naïve girl who let here feelings manipulate her actions. To him, she just managed to rope him in to a relationship, which he never had the courage to get out of. (Though ever time he did think of trying, a faint voice in the back of his mind whispered to him to stop. And he always did) the idea of Misa ever being any thing other then a sickening sweet girl or a slit pain in his ass never occurred to him. Much less a potential ruthless murderer.
He looked at the blank eyes of the statue. How could some one like her be dangers? How could some one like you be accused of being the most wanted mass murderer, the faint voice asked evilly in the back of his head. The teen shook his head at that, suddenly feeling uncomfortable in his own skin. With one last glance at 'Misa-Misa' he went on walking.
As he walked, more familiar states he saw passing by. Aiber (gold), Wedy (gold), Ray Penber (silver) and Naomi Misora (gold). He stopped at her sculptor. Now that he though about it… he hardly remembered anything to do with the day he meet Naomi. He felt like his memory was full of holes.
He growled. This little trip was making he question himself instead of getting answers about the detective.
He started to walk briskly once more. This time with purpose.
That is, until another two figures got his attention.
This one or should I say these two where different from the others he had stopped to look at. Nether of them where people he knew or that he was familiar with. They probably went even all that important to the detective, since both figures where made of wood.
It was a man and a woman. The man was in his early 30's and the women in her late 20's. Different from the other wooden statues these two weren't just busts. They had a head and torso. The women was missing one of her arms and the man his nose, not to mention the wood it self was extremely weathered.
Both of them had this eerie resemblance to the detective. The women had long flowing hair that stuck up in odd places. The man had death fish eyes. All in all, they look like L's parents. It was funny; L having parents never passed his mind before. To him the detective had just popped out of thin air a fully-grown adult. With no past, just now. He barley thought of L as human… but seeing people that looked even slightly like L, well, it was weird at best. No one should look like L. but for some reason, for a reason he couldn't explain, L being human made him very happy.
He continued musing over all of this for a while. Before he rubbed at this face. He could muse all he liked, he'd never know what was true. The didn't even have a damn plate at there base, for crying out loud! Shouldn't L's parents be more special to him? Shouldn't they be in the center of every thing instead of Watari and throws strange little children? Well, his father did read out that L didn't remember much from his father… Agh! He decided he had enough of all this foolishness. He would just go back and join the Task Force. Why did he leave again? Oh, yes. His strive for knowledge… after his little trip he would just wait for twiddle Dee and twiddle dumb to come back. Looking for them hadn't been his smartest move.
Raito made his way back too the center. But when he finally got back there was no one. He wanted to slap him self. Of coarse there was no one! All of them must have gone looking for him. Raito held back a sigh. Well, he might as well wait for them here. They would probably never find each other if they kept playing this game of cat and mouse. Wasn't there a bench around here somewhere?
Raito made his way to the only bench in the whole plaza. But as he reached Watari's statue, he found there to be some one else already there.
Raito creped closer. The stranger had wiled raven hair and was his size, so it probably was Happiness. Oh, was he going to give him a piece of his mind…
"He's a great man you know." The stranger said. His voice soft, low and calming. Completely different from Happiness, who was full of energy.
"Who is?" Ratio couldn't help but ask.
"Watari, of coarse." The man replied softly, as if it should have been common knowledge to the entire world. He got up to his feet, turning around to face Raito.
Raito gave a sharp intake of berth at the sight of the new comer.
Just like Happiness and Child-ness he was a different version of L. but this version didn't have only minor differences. No, these differences where huge. The shirt he was wearing was of a very faded pink. Like it went through the washer too many times. It was rumpled and faded and could hardly be called a shirt any more.
But that wasn't what surprised Raito. No. It was the man's face. Thin scares marred all of his face, making it look like a map. They where light and ran over his nose, over his eyes and down to his lips. But not over them. The flesh of his lip was intact and the scars just jumped over it and contained on his chin. However the scares didn't go down his neck. They stopped just at his jaw line and jumping there too to contended along his collarbone and under his shirt.
If Happiness looked malnourished, this man was on the brick of death. His hair was just as untamed and lively as the detective's. But his eyes, his eyes different then the other two personalities' who had their eyes mach their shirt, his didn't. His where fogged. Milked over so that not even his pupil was visible.
The man was blind.
Raito couldn't comprehend this man's appearance. He could have never imagined the detective with out his large blank stare, which tolled nothing but every thing at the same time. The eyes that looked like thick oil but held the spark of knowledge.
Raito let his breath go in small puffs. The man gave him a smile. It was a weaken one. Like it came from some one on his deathbed. A terminal illness smile.
"Who are you?" Raito managed to get out. His brain had come back on line after its aborted halt.
"Love." Was the simple answer.
Love? Love? Raito's brain went into over drive. The detective could love? Up until recently he thought the detective was just born the way he was now. All hunched back and with a sweet tooth. (And brain that can light up a city on its deduction power alone.) He had just come across the idea that maybe, just maybe, the man could be somewhat human enough to possibly have parents, and now, now he could Love.
"You can love!?" Raito burst out, but quickly covered his mouth. That didn't come out the why he wanted it to…
Love gave a chuckle. This made him look less ill.
"Of coarse. All humans love. Isn't that a basic human standard?" Love said quietly, but still loud enough it couldn't be classified as a whisper.
Raito had never really thought of L as, well, anything really. Much less human. However, there was small warmth in this body at the idea that L could love. It was rather creepy, the idea of L loving anything. (Other then cake of coarse) He imagined the blank faced men having dinner at candlelight. With some mystery women. His faced broken by a lovesick expression. His mouth twisted at the corner. He really couldn't imagine it.. The man was hardly sweet. It bothered him too. The idea of the bizarre man sharing a romantic relationship with some unknown women.
His inner ranting where cut short when he heard chains rattle. For one heart pumping moment it was like he was chained to the detective again, and they where at HQ. It turned out that the rattling came from the ball and chain attached to Love's ankle.
For the second time in the last 10 minutes he felt his eyes widen. He guessed this is what Happiness meant by truly locked away…
He felt cold hands on his face and almost fell backwards. It took all he had not to slap the hand roaming his face.
"What are you doing?!" Raito said between his teeth (if not slightly panicky).
"I'm blind Raito-kun." Love said simply. Continuing touching his face.
Raito shifted from one foot to the other, feeling very unconformable. The blind did do this right? Feel the face of some one new to image there face? But L know how he looked like…
L had never violated his personal space this much. He lifted his hands to try and grab at the man's wrists and yank the fingers away from his face. But every time he got close, he dropped them back down before they reached their aim. This went on a few times, before he just gave up and let the other do what he wanted. He still felt like bolting away from the hands on his skin, if only his legs would carry him.
The hands where cold but soft. Raito imagined if the real detective hands where the same. The back Love's hands where just as scarred as his face. The tips of the fingers ran over the bridge of his nose, over his cheeks, under his eyes, along his jaw bone… even though this was probably the most awkward moment Raito had up to date (and the most surreal), it did feel really nice…
Raito's eye popped open (he didn't know when they closed) and he shoved Love away. Now that was just too much.
Love drew his heads close to his body. "I'm sorry. I must have gone too fair. I didn't mean for this to make you so uncomfortable." Thin man said faintly.
Raito felt slightly guilty now, but no one should invade his personal space like that (even if it was rather nice… really nice…)
"I might have acted a little hasty. Uh, sorry." Raito replied, Picking at his sleeve.
Both man stood in silence. Raito started fiddling with the hem of his shirt. He didn't remember the last time he was in such an uncomfortable position. This personality was making him feel completely out of his safety zone. The other personalities might have gotten him off geared, but this, this was completely different.
"So… has, uh, Ryuzaki, uh, loved many people, uh, women?" The teen asked. Any thing to brake the suffocating silence.
Plus, he was dying to know.
"I find it rather funny that so many people, when thinking of love, always think of it as romantic love. Never as platonic love. Love doesn't always have to be love between couples. And why would Raito-kun be so interested?" the scarred man asked, weak smile coming over his face. (Completely avoiding the question.)
"It's just so hared to image Ryuzaki loving anything…" Raito trailed off.
Love gave him his terminal illness smile "It is rather hared to be present in the life of some one that smothers you away whenever you try surface. But emotions can only be covered. Hidden. They will never acutely go away." Love answered, voice calm and soothing. Filled with a warm tone. A chilling difference to the original detective, who was aloes so cold…
And for some reason Raito felt happy again. If a bit creped out at such actions from the detective's distorted copy.
The situation continued being very awkward.
There was the sound of footsteps in the distant and chatter. The Team was coming back. Raito did his best not to seem eager to get away from the personality; doing his best not to take off running to his father side.
The first one to appear was child-ness. Upon seeing the teen he eyes lit up and he sprung forth with a battle cry of 'Raaaaaiiittoooo', slamming him self to the bronze haired teens leg.
Raito patted him on the head. He wounded if Sayu was ever this clingy when she was small. Mini L looked up at him cutely. However, Love seemed to catch his attention. He detached him self from the teens leg and ran up to Love hugging him. Raito pretended not to feel put out with how easily he was forgotten. He wondered if the kid had to hug everyone.
"Love! Where have you've been? It's been so long since I last saw you…" Mini L pouted, looking ten times more adorable then he already was. Raito had to wonder how something like that was part of Ryuzaki. He had to wondered how any of them was part of Ryuzaki.
"Always locked but never gone." The other simply said.
"Son?" Raito turned away from the two. It seemed like the rest of the Task Force had finally shown up.
The men came in as a group, Happiness leading the way. However, the moment they coat sight of Love, ever one stopped short. Bodies going rigged and eyes growing wide. A look Raito imagined was on his own face when he first saw Love.
"Ah, Love! Long time, no see!" Happiness trotted over to the to the personalities side.
"Love?" the Task Force corset. Every bit as surprised has Raito had been.
"Ryuzaki can Love!" Matsuda blurted out. Aizawa hit him on the back of his head. Matsuda gave an embarrassed grin. Raito would have done the same to Matsuda if he, him self hadn't said the same thing only moments ago.
Love only surged. His terminal illness smile back on his face. This made many of the Task Force members look away, scratch their arms.
It seemed that Love didn't only make Raito uncountable…
The blind man was about to open his mouth when Happiness jumped in "If you are going to ask why the members of the Kira case are here, well, we have some hypotheses but in the end we are looking for a way to get them out. So we are going to the Hall, to talk to you know who." Happiness rolled his eyes at his own statement. An inside statement that had the other man wondering what the relationship between the personality's had with 'Logic and Reason'. Mini L nodded from behind the yellow-eyed man's leg.
"Oh." Love said. He blinked. His sightless eyes moved over the Task Force, lingering on Raito (who coughed, and inched closer to his father)
"May I come along? It's been a wile since I have seen the light of day, and I must admit I have been feeling rather lonely" Love quested softly.
"Sure!" Childness cried excitedly, running over to Raito and grabbing his hand. "Come on Ratio!" The boy then started dragging the teen by the hand towards (what Raito assumed was) the direction of the Hall.
"Well, come on then. You'll see, all of you'll be out of here so fast this will seem to be but a bitter dream." Happiness said cheerfully. He ran behind the Force and started pushing them forward, as if he was herding cattle, in the same direction as Raito.
"A man can only hope…" Aizawa grumbled under his breath. But cleared his trout when Love looked over at him kindly.
Yes, a man could only hope…