006 // rebirth

[sucre-justice.livejournal.com]

[L appears, eyes abnormally wide (even for him).  He takes a step forward as soon as his form coalesces upon the Plane, sinking into a crouch hastily and fisting a handful of the front of his shirt at his chest.  He says nothing.]

Comments

[b-ittersweets.livejournal.com]

[Hey look, it's L. The man he's been constantly searching for for days. Is it his L? Has L died? B doesn't know for sure. He calmly approaches him as soon as he spots him, standing and staring down at him when he gets there. Why is he gripping his shirt? B senses that there is something wrong. He is 90% sure that this is the L he knows.]

L.

[B marvels at the fact that he can pour so much emotion into one letter. He's not sure any of it audible, but it is there; it makes it momentarily difficult to say.]

[sucre-justice.livejournal.com]

[L doesn't respond. He's staring off into space with a distant look in his eyes. He's obviously out of it.]

[b-ittersweets.livejournal.com]

...

[It isn't like L not to respond, B thinks. He crouches down and sits right in front of him, facing him. Staring at him.]

L?

[sucre-justice.livejournal.com]

[the repeat of his alias with B directly in his line of vision seems to jar him from his state of spaciness, and he looks into the other's face, almost as if surprised. he stares at him for long moments without saying a word, before dropping his head.]

[b-ittersweets.livejournal.com]

[B is...surprised. Isn't this completely opposite to how it should be? L, the calm, all-knowing comfort. B, the unstable, disturbed mind. And yet, B finds he does not hesitate for a moment in stepping into this new, unfamiliar role.]

L. What - What has happened? What...? [He eyes L's hand, still clutching his shirt.]

[sucre-justice.livejournal.com]

[as if realizing for the first time he had grabbed at his shirt in such a manner, he releases it slowly and smooths out the fabric before lifting his head, a finger finding his mouth. he seems to be resembling his normal self, now.]

I lost.

[b-ittersweets.livejournal.com]

...

[And so it all makes sense. His absent stares, his unresponsiveness. He is acting in an unfamiliar way because he is in an unfamiliar situation. One that he does everything to avoid.]

L doesn't - lose... [He knows it's true, though. With the Kira case, the notebook of death, and Light Yagami - an apparently intelligent rival - B doesn't feel that he even needs to ask the specifics.

Very quietly, almost in a whisper:] L doesn't lose. [But B doesn't know how to phrase this without making it sound like he doesn't believe it, or like he's scolding him. Though, perhaps the former is part of it. B does not doubt the truth, but he finds it unbelievable. Loss? No. Not for L. Not when B himself had so directly proved it.

But B is attempting neither of these things. He is trying to eliminate the finality to his tone. He is trying to help him.]

L - L may have lost the battle, but he will win the war.

[sucre-justice.livejournal.com]

[L considers this in silence for a moment.]

If that is true, then it's a shallow victory at best. There is no finality in ...'death' for me, but the same is not true of Light Yagami. If he loses, there are no second chances, no returns from the grave. [mumbling:]...or so I'd hope.

[his childish immaturity is showing. he wanted to win - no, had to win. he's lost, and there is no way to sugar coat it in his head.]

[b-ittersweets.livejournal.com]

[B nods absently. He understands this thinking very well. Still, the Astral Plane may be supernatural, but nothing about the Kira case, from what B understands, is natural.]

L...Light Yagami is using a notebook of death. That, in itself, defies all logic. It is not fair. Such a method...[B voices the thoughts he'd had earlier. Thoughts that were never meant for L's ears, but now seemed necessary.] ...it is cheap. It gives him an advantage he should not have. Perhaps...[He gets quieter.] ...like the advantage you should not have. [It hurts him to say this, given that B is eternally grateful for the advantage that L should not have.]

So, Light Yagami has the notebook, and L has the Astral Plane. You are even.

[seventhcoil.livejournal.com]

[frowns, walking forward] Are you all right?

[sucre-justice.livejournal.com]

[L looks blank for several seconds before registering Fumie is addressing him. He lifts his head up, pausing a moment before replying:] Yes, thank you. Fumie-san, right?

[seventhcoil.livejournal.com]

[nods!] I am. You're sure, ne? You looked sort of... [not sure what the word is]

[sucre-justice.livejournal.com]

Yes. I was put off my guard by sudden events. Everything is fine, now.

[seventhcoil.livejournal.com]

Well, all right. How is everything, then?

[sucre-justice.livejournal.com]

Thank you for your concern, Fumie-san. You're a very sweet girl.

[seventhcoil.livejournal.com]

[blinks, blushing a bit and standing taller] A-Ah, well, I am generous...

[sucre-justice.livejournal.com]

I suppose I'll have to return that generosity sometime, hm?

[miseardae.livejournal.com]

[the Doctor keeps his distance, for a bit, just watching him, before walking forward and sinking down beside him]

Something terrible has happened, I assume.

[sucre-justice.livejournal.com]

[L stays quiet for a minute before raising his head, staring into the Doctor's face.]

I lost.

[miseardae.livejournal.com]

[he frowns; quietly]

Never enjoyable. Especially when the stakes are high.

[sucre-justice.livejournal.com]

[L nods slowly; he seems somewhat distant as he says:]

Yes. Veritably high.

[miseardae.livejournal.com]

[tilts his head, slightly]

Of course, you've not lost completely.

[sucre-justice.livejournal.com]

By the grace of the Astral Plane alone. [L is obviously not happy with this as he chews his finger.]

[miseardae.livejournal.com]

[a wry smile]

All the same.

[sucre-justice.livejournal.com]

[L watches the Doctor but says nothing.]