Entry #A-9: "Abundance" [Audio, January 27]

[dead_black_eyes]

[L's typical monotone is still clipped and precise, but unusually breathless and animated today.]

I want a job.

I have never interviewed for one, but I've typed up a resume and I am a very fast learner. There are too many hours in the day, I've found, and as soon as I possibly can, I want to start working.

Also, I want to take on a mission with my partner before mid-February, so any guidance in that department on a regular basis would be much appreciated, in addition to the regular training that Shibusen offers.

[Coded Privately to Mello and Near]

Thank you both for everything. Your kindness and hospitality have been exemplary.

I'll be moving out in the next few days, but I will visit frequently.

[/End Private]

Comments

[action]

[dead_black_eyes]

[L's smile fades, and for a moment, he does look angry, and like he does hate Light.]

Yes. You killed me, or at the very least, you took actions that led to my death. But it was a risk I was willing to take from the beginning, Light, and there hasn't been a moment since my arrival here that I have regretted my involvement with the Kira case. Because... in truth, I've come to realize that I relied on the case. It kept me interested in a world that I'd been growing increasingly detached from. I needed it, and I still do, which is why your arrival here is a genesis.

[He pulls himself up, leaning a shoulder against a nearby window frame as Light goes to make some tea.

Tea sounds good. L can get behind tea. He shuffles over to the kitchen to watch, observe, and make sure that no rat poison goes into something Light might have anticipated that L would ask for.]

I felt very much the same after I arrived. Disinterested in the war, and so forth. But if you still claim to have any greater ideals of a better world, Light, it's really in your best interest to fight the Witches. Their goals and designs are not unlike those of the very worst criminals that Kira executed in our world. Granted, killing Witches and Kishin eggs won't be quite like writing names in a notebook, but you could take some satisfaction in knowing that you were really, truly fighting an evil and destructive force and protecting the innocent. At my side, cooperating with me, I'd protect you and expect the same in return, and there would be no suicide missions.

[He sets his cup and saucer on the counter, a small nudging reminder that he, too, wants tea.]

I already have. I put in a request for an apartment in Death City Heights; Building 7, because 7 is a very beautiful number, Floor 3 because it's the highest, and unit B because I noted that you chose a unit B in this complex. You see? I do consider your preferences and tastes, when making these decisions.

[action]

[signhere]

[ Light gives L a very flat look when he comes sauntering in the kitchen, expectantly setting down a cup for some tea. The expression becomes even more annoyed at the explanation of the apartment. His fingertips move up, pinching the bridge of his nose. ]

This place wasn't a preference, it was a random selection.

[ The hand lowers as he considers everything else L has said to this point. His eyes settle on the pot, as though he can will it to boil faster. ]

No, the circumstances here aren't the same. And fighting by your side doesn't sweeten the deal any more. While I can get behind the cause of this war, the fact of the matter is kishin eggs are corrupted souls of criminals who harmed innocent people well before their rise in power. Preventative measures could have stopped it from reaching this point. This world is far more corrupt than our own.

[ Is it a lost cause? Possibly not. Now that he's here and if he can figure out a way to handle things without getting his hands dirty. Or he could just force L to take on the role of the meister, but between the two, Light is the more athletic. It's an unfortunate circumstance he's landed himself in. And he'll really have to think of his next move.

The kettle whistles, cutting his thoughts short. He takes it from the stove and pours the water in both of their cups, plopping the tea bags into each. ]

The Kira case has ended, Ryuzaki. You may want to cling to it and to me to regain some of the excitement and exhilaration from home, but it will only bring you disappointment. In this world, I'm nothing more than Light Asahi. And you -- [ He pauses, lifting his tea cup and smirking at the detective over the rim of it. ] -- are just cheating death. [ Siiip. ]

[action]

[dead_black_eyes]

You have to stop thinking in terms of the hypothetical past and start thinking in terms of the future, Light. It would have been nice if those souls could have been prevented from growing corrupt, of course. But that's done with, and preventing future death and corruption is the aim of Shibusen.

[He glances sideways at Light, pausing a beat before responding to the barb. Then he laughs abruptly, the sound unpracticed and strange.]

Oh, Light, you give me so little credit for my ability to find excitement and exhilaration in the seemingly mundane. Because while you might just be "Light Asahi" to most of the people here... to me, you are Kira, and as long as we're all just cheating death, I won't let you forget it. The only thing that could disappoint me would be your humiliating suicide or easily escapable murder.

Such is friendship.

Is that Earl Grey?

[action]

[signhere]

[ L is exhausting. This whole conversation is exhausting. From the arguments to the irrational logic to the jovial and almost domestic questions. It's hard to keep up with one turn to the next. Light is convinced L's doing this on purpose, and the only thing he can be grateful for is he doesn't have to pretend to care or feign interest or hold back his irritation. ]

I don't think I've ever seen you so pleasant. [ He deadpans after his adversary laughs. How many laughs is that in one evening? Probably more than L ever had in his lifetime. The first one, anyway. ]

A humiliating suicide and easily escapable murder seem to both be what you're pushing toward in insisting on this partnership, you know. I don't know what makes you so certain we'll even be able to resonate. Your percentages seem to be a little off in Death City. 94% certain I would be a meister, if you recall.

[ His eyebrows raise as he openly mocks L. And although he didn't answer it, no. The tea is some generic brand of regular, boring tea you find cheap in America. ]

[action]

[dead_black_eyes]

[In all truth, L likely would have been immensely disappointed with Light's deductive abilities if the young man hadn't reached the conclusion that L was doing all this on purpose. The detective was notoriously deliberate; even if the things he did seemed illogical or childish, there was usually a reason for them.]

Good news has a way of bringing out a person's happier side, Light. I've been so bored here without you. Now that you're here, I anticipate some thrilling opportunities.

[He notes that the tea is generic and bland, and he takes a moment to stick a note to Light's refrigerator with a magnet. It is a shopping list, and "Earl Grey Tea" and "sugar" are written at the top in L's nearly illegible hand.]

Your death is the last thing I want. It's illogical to think that I'd push for either when I've been waiting so long for you to show up in the first place, Light. And regarding that percentage...

[Which he is still sulking about, by the way]

...I am convinced that it is an error on the part of BREW, and that it will correct itself eventually. You aren't a Weapon, any more than I'm a hat.

[He pauses, seeming puzzled and mildly amused by the abstract absurdity of the statement.]

I would be a bowler, don't you think?

[action]

[signhere]

[ L was bored without him here, huh? Well, Light can't say he feels any pity for him, but he does understand the boredom. He does understand that until the Death Note came into his life, things had been increasingly dull. And only when he had L locked in the biggest challenge of his career, only then did the boredom leave Light, morphing into schemes, plots, and the eventual death. And while he's satisfied temporarily, he has to entertain the thought of if things will get boring now that they've become so easy back home. ]

I'm not entertaining such a pointless conversation.

[ Light retorts after L's remark about hats and which type he'd be. (He'd see L as more of a worn-out fedora himself.)

After finishing off his tea, he drops the cup in the sink, filling it with water to soak. While Light is tempted to rub his sore neck from L's handcuffed grasp, his pride keeps him from doing so. He's not giving that bastard any more satisfaction than he already has. ]

What do you mean by it 'correcting itself?' Are you saying it's possible for BREW to change a person from a weapon to a meister or vice versa?

[action]

[dead_black_eyes]

I mean that I think the fact that you are a Weapon is a mistake, and it's more than possible. It's happened, and I've waited long enough for you to arrive, so I can wait for you to become a Meister. In the meantime... it is possible for Weapons to work together. Not recommended, but certainly possible. If anyone can make an unorthodox partnership work, Light, I'd say it would be us.

[He sips his tea more slowly, as if to drive home the point that he's in no rush. He is going to enjoy every moment he's within strangling distance of Light.]