Coryssa: Wow, really? Gosh, you flatter me! Ah... the real people look so different now from what it's supposed to be in the story; hmmm. I know their descriptions are at the beginning of each story, but let's try this: Natalie has blue-grey-green (she doesn't even know their color) eyes, and very short, darkish brown hair almost styled like Light's. Sam is the tallest, and has long, dark brown, curly hair that she parts to the side and sometimes straightens. Her eyes are gold-green. Anna as medium to long, light brown hair parted down the middle that almost looks blond; it is slightly wavy. Sierra (who is actually taller than her aunt by a little) has shortish, mouse brown, curly hair and blue eyes.
Er, sorry if I got too detailed? Actually, it'd be fun just seeing your depiction, too. But there's that. Yosh, I look forward to seeing it-thank you so much! I'm so glad you like this series~
(I am quite happy myself the Task Force is back together. It just seems right.)
Light tapped his pen on the table absently, Anna glancing at him every so often as she stirred the chocolate syrup into her milk with a spoon. The metal made a small sort of clinking sound as she stirred. Light's pen made only a light tap, tap, tapping. Light's eyes stared vacantly out the kitchen window, his tie loosened casually in the August heat. I was currently upstairs vacuuming, because, you know, I liked things clean. It just irritated me to clean it. Oh well. Better now than later. If I did it later, I'd have no motivation and it would end up never happening. So… there we are.
Light halted in tapping his pen, then slowly set it on the kitchen table. Anna eyed his hand as she stuck the spoon in her mouth to taste the chocolate milk. "What're you writing, anyway?" she asked around the metal obstruction. She took the spoon out of her mouth. "You're not gonna kill people with that, are you?" she asked him scoldingly, waving her spoon accusingly at him.
He frowned slightly, his eyebrows coming together, but he did not look at her. "No, Anna," he answered, sounding only slightly irritated. "I'm not killing anyone."
She giggled. "Okay. So what is that, then, Light-o?"
"I was originally writing a note to my mother and Sayu…," he answered distractedly. "I just can't think of what to say, really. Maybe I'll just go to see them…." His hand fingered the pen again, and soon it had returned to his palm. He began to twirl it in his fingers.
Anna stared, sipping at her chocolate milk. "…How do you do that?" she asked incredulously.
"Hmm?"
"That thing with the pen…. How do you do that?"
"Hm?" Light responded, looking down at his hand. Then he looked back to beyond the window, smiling ever so slightly. "Skill."
"…Meh," Anna huffed, then took a few large gulps of her milk, downing it all and leaving only a drop. She set the cup on the table with a refreshed sigh. She eyed Light, whose smile had faded again to leave a vacant, thoughtful sort of look. The pen had been placed on the table again, and now his hand was to his cheek, holding up his head. She blinked at him. "Light?"
"Yes, Anna?" he asked without looking at her.
"What're you thinking about?"
Light seemed to come to, then, blinking twice and actually looking at her. He looked back to the window, though his eyes seemed more in-focus. "What if I did get to be your uncle, Anna?" he asked her.
There was a thump upstairs, and Light smiled ever so slightly.
Anna looked up to the ceiling bemusedly before she looked back to Light. She blinked. "Did you really just ask that?"
"Well, that depends. What do you think I asked?"
"What if you were my uncle," she answered.
"Then yes, I did," he responded.
Anna blinked twice, then grinned. "That would be great! Ooh, ooh, are you and Aunt Natalie getting married, then? When? Am I invited? I'd better be invited."
Light chuckled lightly. "Not yet, Anna; not yet. But I'm thinking about it…."
"Well, I think you two should marry and that's that," she huffed, frowning.
He looked at her, cocking an eyebrow. "Oh really?"
"Yes really. Just like Sam and L should get married, and Sierra and Mello."
"And not you and Near?" he asked, raising his eyebrows.
"I'm thirteen, Light."
He shrugged nonchalantly. "Well…."
"Stop being stupid," she scowled. "I just say you and Aunt Natalie are already married in my head, so you should just get married already." She beamed at him, her eyes glowing. "And then we can be family, and you can live here! Wouldn't that be great, Light?"
He laughed lightly. "Yeah, I guess it would, wouldn't it?"
"So propose or whatever soon," Anna said matter-of-factly.
"I told you, Anna," Light replied good-naturedly. "I'm just thinking about it. Maybe it will be sooner, maybe it will be later." He smiled. "Though I can assure you it will happen eventually."
"Yay!"
The sound of the vacuum upstairs stopped, but there were a few more thumps, courtesy of moi.
Light rubbed his forehead, laughing weakly. "Don't hurt us; jeez…."
Anna only giggled.
The task force would meet up again the next day, in the same hotel and the same room. L sent Aizawa a message saying that he had created the cover case, and that they would come at the same time in the morning as last time, in the same intervals but with different ordering of people. First would come Ide and Matsuda.
Apparently, Matsuda thought it necessary to enlighten Ide in all enthusiasm of Sam and L's marriage. ("Aren't their rings so pretty, though, Ide? It's all so sweet!") It irritated all three of those in his company, as well as made them all feel very awkward. Mostly Ide. Or perhaps it was Sam…. Hm. How to measure awkwardness, I wonder.
Well, in any case, Aizawa and Mogi would arrive soon after, and the meeting would commence.
"I have created the cover case that all of you will be filed to work on now," L informed the four of them. "Now we can all work together on the Kira case again. It is true that we once had eight members of our group. We no longer have Light or Natalie, and we've lost Ukita and Chief Yagami…. However, we do, at least, have Ide now. Eight to five isn't so bad as long as we try our hardest."
"…Does Sam not count?" asked Mogi.
"No. She and I have the same thoughts," L explained.
"But L is, like, ten people with his mind," Matsuda pointed out with a grin.
Sam raised her hand. "Can it be eleven with me in his head?"
"Sure!"
Ide frowned.
"Let's just move on," said Aizawa.
"Yes," L agreed. He looked around at all of them. "Near appointed me to the job of taking care of Mikami. I intend to do this.
"There were four sites throughout Tokyo that the police have investigated; abandoned homes or hideouts with the belongings still in them. It is speculated by the police force that these are refuges for convicts on the run. Criminals who are hiding from society either in shame or fear under the reign of Kira. And for three of those four sites, I do believe that is the case.
"However, I am under the impression that one of these abandoned hideouts belonged to Mikami. The chance of it is below five percent, but it is a chance I am willing to act upon." Sam placed a map of Tokyo on the table while L pulled out a marker from his pocket. "The four sites are here…" – he circled a place on the map – "…here, here, and here," he said, circling each spot. "I'd like you to search within a five-kilometer radius of a site…."
Aizawa held up a hand to stop him, furrowing his brow. "But that's…."
"…A lot of kilometers," Matsuda said blankly.
"About three hundred fourteen square kilometers for all four sites, yes," L responded. "Which is why I'd like you to go to each site and obtain DNA evidence. This way we know which site is our center point. Then there is much less area to cover, and there is more of a chance to find Mikami."
"And we'll know for sure Mikami was there, then!" Matsuda exclaimed happily.
"I'd like you to get on it as soon as possible," L added.
Aizawa put his closed hand to his chin to stifle a smile. He coughed. "It feels good to be back on the case, Ryuzaki."
"Yeah!" Matsuda agreed. "It's just like old times, right guys? It's just like it's the beginning of the Kira case again!"
"Just with a few missing recruits…," said Aizawa.
"And one new one," Ide came in.
"I agree," L concurred. "It is just like then. We've come around full circle; and though things have changed we have begun anew at the same point."
"Yet we're farther this time," Sam pursed her lips. "It's like the theory of history repeating itself…."
"…In a way," said L.
"Well, whatever it's like, I'm excited," Matsuda beamed. "We're back in the game, guys!" He held up his hand to Aizawa for a high-five. Aizawa quirked an eyebrow, but high-fived him anyway.
"I'm looking forward to working with you again, Ryuzaki," Mogi said to L, bowing his head slightly.
"As I with you, Mogi. I have always respected you," L responded in turn.
Ide offered a lopsided half-smile. "Let's hope we all get out alive this time, huh, L? I mean… Ryuzaki."
"Yes, Ide. Let's hope. I apologize I don't meet your standards."
"Mm…."
He smiled. "Now let's all prove Near that we are more efficient than he is. Let's prove him wrong."
"Yeah!" Matsuda cheered, and Sam grinned along with him.
"Noo, you can't come, you weirdo," Sara spoke to her brother Kenji. Sara Shizu – the girl that found Mikami and took him in. You know; the one with the dark hair and hipster glasses. Gotta love the hipster glasses. Kenji was her little brother, the one with the wide blue eyes.
Mikami could hear them speaking from the guest room he was given. He was currently making his bed. Everything had to be neat. Perfect.
"Why not? Are you conspiring against Kira?" Kenji responded.
"Where the hell do you learn those words, Kenji?"
"Books."
Mikami heard Sara sigh. "You can't come, Kenji, because I don't want you there."
"I'll tell mom."
"She already knows I'm going without you, idiot!" Mikami heard her footsteps, and turned to see her head pop into his doorway. "Mr. Mikami, you can come if you'd like," she smiled, and Mikami gazed at her.
"Where are you going, exactly?" he inquired.
"I'm going to my friend Shiori's," she answered him brightly. "She doesn't think that any criminal should die, just like me, so I'm sure she'll like you. I'm seeing her one more time before she goes off to America with her parents for a few years. I thought you might want to meet her."
Mikami frowned slightly. "Wouldn't it be dangerous for me to go outside in the daylight?"
Sara waved him off. "They have tinted windows on their car."
Mikami's eyes narrowed a bit. "Why?"
"I dunno…. Shiori's daddy's weird. Something to do with seeing others when they can't see you, or something."
He almost-squinted at her. "…Alright…."
"So do you wanna come? It's your only chance to meet her."
"Will she or her parents give me away?"
"What?" asked Sara, and she blinked. "Oh, no, no. She and her parents are all good with criminals. I mean, they don't love crime or anything, but they believe they should have a chance. I think one of her parents used to be in a gang, actually…."
Mikami gazed at her dully. Was she serious? Well, he just supposed this was an example of people who didn't quite accept Kira yet…. Maybe he could indirectly divert their views to Kira's side… or at the very least make sure they weren't planning anything. "…Fine, I can go if you'd like me to."
"Of course; that's great!" she exclaimed brightly. She ran forward and grabbed his wrist, pulling him forward. "Then I guess you're coming."
"Bye, Mr. Mikami," said Kenji, staring after them as she ran herself and Mikami down the stairs.
Mikami gave him a nod in acknowledgement, refusing to follow Sara at anything faster than a walk.
"Come on, Mr. Mikami, I hear their car in the driveway." She looked at him as she reached the front door. "Now, her parents are a little weird, so I hope you're okay with that."
"What do you mean?" he asked flatly.
"You'll see. Trust me, they're actually real nice," she beamed, leading him out the door. With a light sigh, he followed her out to a white car that had what was, in fact, tinted windows.
A man with dark hair and narrow eyes rolled down the driver seat's window. "Good afternoon!" he called up to them.
"Hey, Itsuo!" Sara called back with a wave. "I'm bringing my friend!"
"Oh?"
"Yeah!" She turned to address Mikami. "Move fast if you really don't want to be seen, okay?"
Mikami nodded and made his way into the car, sliding into the middle seat next to a girl with brown hair dyed a dirty blond, her mouth filled with braces. She smiled at Mikami and gave him a rapid wave. She then set her hand back down on the car seat. "Hi!" she greeted as Sara came in behind Mikami and sat down herself before closing the car door. "So, you're Mikami?" said the girl who was presumably Shiori. "I honestly didn't think Sara'd find anyone."
"Or save anyone," Itsuo piped up from the front. His hand gripped the lever on the side of his seat and pulled it up, allowing his seat to fall back. One foot remained on the steering wheel. The guy was staring at Mikami, and Mikami did not like it one bit. "So you're Teru Mikami. I guess the world's out to get you, huh?" he asked him.
"Shouldn't you be looking at the road?" Mikami answered flatly.
"Why? Does this worry you?"
"Yes," he frowned.
Itsuo laughed and brought his seat back up, putting his hands back on the steering wheel. "So what'd you do to get Near after you?" Mikami didn't know how to describe that tone. Cheerful? Playful? Mocking? It better not have been mocking.
"He framed me to be a murderer simply because I was suspected of being involved with Kira."
"Oh god," said Shiori. "You aren't, right?"
"Of course not. All of this is completely unnecessary."
"Life's not fair, Teru," Itsuo sang. "Can I call you Teru? I'm going to call you Teru."
Mikami frowned, but said nothing to protest. Sara and Shiori began to converse animatedly to one another, Mikami stuck in the middle. He decided he'd rather strike a conversation with Itsuo. He didn't know why, but so far he didn't really like him. "May I ask why you have tinted windows?" he asked him.
"Oh, I just find it fun to know that I can see everyone out there, but they can't see me," he answered in an almost amused tone.
Mikami furrowed his brow. "I see," he said. From there he just chose to remain silent. It didn't take that long to make it to Shiori's house, which was apparently an apartment building. Shiori and Sara shooed Mikami into the house, Itsuo walking behind at a leisurely pace. At the last moment he leapt in front of the three of them and spun on his heel to face them.
"Welcome to the Heiwahara household!" he hailed Mikami brightly, spreading his arms.
There was a low voice that permeated the air, deep and threatening. "Itsuooo…."
"Oh boy," said Sara, and Shiori giggled.
A tissue box sailed through the air, aimed for Itsuo's head, but Itsuo ducked with a "Whoops!"
Another man with blond hair came down the stairs in only a dress shirt, bowtie, and boxers. "Where the hell are my pants?!"
"Whatever do you mean, Shini-chan?" Itsuo responded in a sing-song voice. "I don't even—" He was cut off by a water bottle hitting him smack in the face.
"Like hell you don't know!" the man called 'Shini-chan' responded in all irritation, then finishing his entrance down the stairs to confront Itsuo.
Mikami watched the scene without expression.
"Don't worry; this is normal," Shiori assured him.
"…Are they a couple?" Mikami asked without much inflection.
"Oh, yeah," Sara answered. "They're gay."
"…Isn't it illegal for gays to marry?" Mikami frowned.
"Oh, we're not married," Itsuo came in, being held by the collar by 'Shini-chan.' Said blond ground his teeth. "Oh come now, be gentle," Itsuo sang.
"No one said they couldn't live together," Shiori shrugged.
Mikami watched the scene between the two men continue to be played out, unsure of what to think of it. Why am I here? he thought to himself in dull tones as he watched.
Today was going to be a long day.
Okay, so uh, that last scene was almost kind of a request; um, if you get the reference, I don't know whether to apologize, so...uh... Sorry?
Fun Fact: Big Durarara reference, though I don't even like the pairing displayed that much. It was a request by Real-life Sam, as well as Sarah, a friend of hers whom Shiori was based on.
Review? For tissue boxes, sailing through the air!