004 // survival

[sucre-justice.livejournal.com]

[L is on the scene; he glances left than right before assuming his preferred crouching position, palms laid out upon his knees. He waits a moment before lifting a hand and chewing thoughtfully on his thumb.]

B, are you here? Mr. Fang King?

Comments

[sucre-justice.livejournal.com]

I'm glad that you do, B.

Are you sure that nothing is wrong, in that case?

[b-ittersweets.livejournal.com]

Nothing...is wrong. [Pause.] But B knows things. [This is the absolute closest he's come to telling anyone about his eyes since he was very young.]

[sucre-justice.livejournal.com]

'Knows things?'

[B most definitely has L's interest, now.]

[b-ittersweets.livejournal.com]

Yes...well, B used to know more. But...but no one wanted to believe him. Not even at Wammy's House.

[He's sort of evading answering. He actually does want to tell L, and he does trust him, but he's so used to keeping it a secret.]

[sucre-justice.livejournal.com]

I trust B would not lie to me. [L lays both his hands out on his knees, looking directly into the other's face.]

[b-ittersweets.livejournal.com]

[B smiles faintly. Then his smile fades, and he says:] B's eyes...are not normal. They - see things. [He's a bit jittery; his eyes dart to the side as he says this, and the teeth chewing on his thumb rattle a little.]

[sucre-justice.livejournal.com]

See things...? [This was not what L was expecting, but he listens carefully.]

[b-ittersweets.livejournal.com]

See...[He pauses - waits, as if the fact that he says it slowly makes it okay.] ...names. I see names, true names...just by looking at a person's face. [He looks up at L's face.]

[sucre-justice.livejournal.com]

[That's all it takes - considering the investigation, it's no surprise at all what the immediate conclusion L draws is... His eyes go wide, and he's staring at B with a look that suggests that something has just clicked.]

...You... have the eyes...

[b-ittersweets.livejournal.com]

The...the eyes? [B is confused that L seems to know something about them.]

[sucre-justice.livejournal.com]

The... Shinigami eyes...

[L's face suddenly takes on a look of disbelief, of misunderstanding, intense thought. How was this possible? Had B come in contact with the Notebook, somehow? No, he couldn't have. How could he have made the deal for the eyes, otherwise?]

...how...?

[b-ittersweets.livejournal.com]

Shinigami...? [B knows what that means; he speaks japanese. But it doesn't make any sense to him. The only thing that would connect to a death god, he guessed, was the ability to see lifespans. Did L know about that? He held off asking, instead addressing L's "how?"]

I was born with them. I don't know why I have them.

[sucre-justice.livejournal.com]

...

[This makes no sense to L. He thinks upon the implications - B has known L's true name for all his life, in that case. There's only one way to find out if it's true.]

What is my true name?

[b-ittersweets.livejournal.com]

[B looks at him for a moment, then twitches his head to the side, checking for any sign of other life. Then he takes a step forward, closing the distance between them, and says the words in a low voice in the direction of L's ear.] You are L Lawliet.

[sucre-justice.livejournal.com]

...that is... correct. [quietly]

[L is obviously at a loss. He stares off into the distance for several long moments before saying:] There is... this is a key component in the... [trails off]

[b-ittersweets.livejournal.com]

[B puts his finger up to his mouth. After a moment:] In your investigation? [He realizes that his ability would be useful for someone with a notebook of death.] Does Light Yagami have eyes like these...as well?

[sucre-justice.livejournal.com]

[L pauses a moment before shifting his eyes back to B's face.]

No. But, the Second Kira... Amane Misa, she has... and Higuchi... [It's obvious L is half-thinking aloud.]

[b-ittersweets.livejournal.com]

[B has never heard of anyone else having eyes like him. He is quite surprised.] ...Are Shinigami eyes also able to see lifespans?

[sucre-justice.livejournal.com]

Lifespans?

[Another complication, and this one something the Shinigami had not divulged; perhaps it was different, a variable? No, too coincidental, and L did not believe in coincidence.]

B can see lifespans...?

[b-ittersweets.livejournal.com]

[He looked away.] B could. Before he died. Numbers, floating under names... Now there are only letters.

[sucre-justice.livejournal.com]

B saw L's lifespan.

[And it suddenly makes sense. B knows, as L knows, he's meant to die soon. His suspicions prove true. B has known his name, known his lifespan, for so many years; L never knew. This bothers him, somehow, as if he should've known.]

I...see.

[b-ittersweets.livejournal.com]

[He's looking down now. He doesn't say anything; he doesn't want to. He almost feels like he's done something he shouldn't have. He fidgets his feet, watching them as he waits to see if L has anything he wants to say.]

[sucre-justice.livejournal.com]

...Thank you for telling me what was on your mind, B. Would it bother you if I asked you more about this at a later date? I'd like to do some thinking on this, in my world.

[b-ittersweets.livejournal.com]

[He looks up.] L can ask me anytime.

[He considers asking L what the date is, in his world, just to make sure it's not already November 5th, but that would give away the fact that he dies in 2004. So he stays quiet about that. He doesn't know if L wants to know.]

Thank you...for asking.

[sucre-justice.livejournal.com]

[L gives a small smile, and then is gone.]