• Chapter Thirteen

    Otaku

    “So, what exactly just happened?” I asked before spooning another bite of chocolate cake into my mouth. Hattie glanced over at L, who was also eating cake, and said; “I have absolutely NO idea, but I doubt it will EVER happen again,” I blinked. “Huh? Wait, you mean-no, no, no, silly!! I don’t mean L actually expressing happiness!! (At which point L glanced over and stared at me, slowing his chewing to a painstaking pace as he glared. That laughing/smiling incident was probably a minor relapse of the mind; he’ll get over it.) I mean, why are we here in the Death Note world with Matsuda and Chief Yagami and all them?” Hattie put down her fork, a calm, thoughtful expression taking over her pale features. After a few minutes, she replied.

    “When I spoke those words, just those simple little nonsense words, it was like this powerful force suddenly hit me, like, I dunno, a truck full of bricks. And then I was exhausted. I could barely keep my eyes open, much less remain conscious. I still remember the time, in the middle of the world-traveling, you woke up. And even though I was too tired to really move around or see anything like you could, I discovered I could speak to you through my mind,” I shivered as her words drew back the awful memories. “I was so afraid…” I murmured timidly.

    Hattie nodded understandingly. “I know.”

    “You said something, about being human? What did that mean?” I added. eL glanced over, her eyes flashing. “What are you talking about?” she asked through clenched teeth. “I didn’t say anything of the sort,” L looked up at her, confused, in his eyes I could see him contemplating whether to say something or scoot away slowly. He compromised by shoving another piece of cake into his mouth. I blinked in surprise.

    “Erm. Okay. I must have dreamed that part,” I covered quickly, but made a mental note to delve further into the subject when L wasn’t around. Awkwardly, we sat in silence and ate. My eyes flashed between the two. L had his eyes trained on one particular spot on the table as he slowly spooned a piece of strawberry into his mouth. (Okay, this is CHOCOLATE cake; what’s he doing with a strawberry?!) Hattie’s eyes were wide, almost in fear, I’d say, but I couldn’t be sure. She was probably just zoning. She wasn’t eating, either. Looking down at her plate, I realized she hadn’t eaten ANYTHING yet. ‘What a waste of cake.’ I thought with a smile. But as soon as I opened my mouth to ask for her cake, another voice beat me to it.

    “Are you going to eat that cake?” L asked. I suddenly burst out laughing at the sound of L voicing my exact thoughts, slapping my hand on the table and struggling to catch my breath. Both Hattie and L turned slowly towards me, perplexed looks on their faces. “I-I was just about… ah.. ah hahahahahahahaha!!!! I was gonna ask f-for the cake… HAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!!” Hattie, still staring at me with a troubled look her face also began laughing. “Okaaaaay,” she giggled as she slid the plate across the table to L. Then, L used his fork to cut the slice of cake in half, gently placing one piece on my plate. I had gotten a hold of myself, and, even though I really did want the cake, I wanted to be polite.

    “Oh, you really don’t have to; I’ll eventually just finish off the whole cake at one time or another. I mean, when I find out where you hide it,” I said with a smile and pushed my plate in his direction.

    “Don’t worry, I don’t need TWO whole slices of cake after sleeping for a full day,” ‘Liar,’ I thought to myself with a smile. “And, you will never find out where I hide my cake. It’s too secret,” A mischievous grin tugged at the corners of his lips slyly. Oh, so it’s war, now, huh?

    “Oh, I can find your SECRET cake,” I taunted.

    “I’d like to see you try.”

    “Try and succeed.”

    “I doubt it.”

    “You doubt my magical cake-finding skills?”

    “I do.”

    “Then its war,” I declared simply and pulled back into my seat, smirking.

    “War,” L agreed, matching my confident smirk with one of his own. I leaned back in my chair, certain that I would be the one to come out with the cake in this fight of intelligence (okay. I’ll admit. On the intelligence part, L wins. But, you know, over me, even Matsuda would find it an easy win!!) and magical-cake-finding-skills (hmm… maybe L will win this one, too… Saying as, my magical-cake-finding-skills happen to be nonexistent. Sigh….)!!

    L stood, and Hattie scooted out of the bench to give him room to leave. He picked up his now-empty plate and walked out, throwing a smug smile over his shoulder, directed at me. Hattie also began to turn to leave when I grasped her wrist and pulled her back down to the bench.

    “Okay, tell me what’s wrong. What the crap were you saying about us not being born human?” A mixture of shock and fear flashed across Hattie’s face before she shook me off of her and backed up. Her voice was abnormally high-pitched when she answered.

    “I-I was just playing with you, really! It was only a joke, quite making such a big deal out of it,” she tried a smile, but only mustered half a grimace before she gave up and bolted from the room. “Oh, how convincing!” I called after her, loud enough for her to hear. Suddenly in a bad mood after feeling like I was just dissed by my best friend, I solemnly finished up the half of cake, which now lacked taste, and cleaned up my and Hattie’s plate (just a habit I’ve picked up over the years), which she had abandoned in her sprint for the nearest exit. I carried the dishes to the kitchen, which still surprised me at its size. The kitchen was the only room in the whole building that wasn’t being recorded by video cameras, L had told me. I stood at the huge sink and carefully (carefully, as to not spill ABSOLUTELY ANYTHING on the kimono L had basically given me) rinsed off the two plates and set them on top of L’s, which was sitting next to the sink, still wet, placing the silverware next to the three other dishes.

    I returned to our room to find our bed’s neatly made, each wrinkle smoothed out perfectly and each pillow sitting in the right order. Watari, definitely. I decided. That reminded me, I hadn’t yet met Watari. But I absolutely adored him. He was so sweet, even though he rarely had much to do in the book, and I only knew that he had taken care of L when he was little in Wammy’s House, and suddenly became L’s butler. Don’t ask me how THAT happened. L certainly doesn’t seem the type to go up to his fatherly-figure and the man who raised him and ask ‘Hey, do you want to be my butler?’ But, is Watari even considered a butler? If he isn’t, then what is he? Okay, so Watari’s whole position in life confuses me; when I meet him, I’ll ask.

    With a small smile meant only for me, I stood, a little bored, to wander around and see what was new. First, where everyone was bound to be; the investigation room.

    The halls were completely empty and silent. I wondered where eL had gone after she bolted dramatically from the dining room. I could hear the task force’s voices behind the investigation room door. I pushed open the door. The talking ceased instantaneously, and everyone looked up to see who had just came in. When they saw it was only me, they bowed their heads down and returned to their discussions. I stepped in and surveyed the room around me. The TV’s dominated one whole wall, with control panels and a swivel chair (L’s!!) beneath them. On screen was Misa-Misa from all different angles, sitting at a mirror and doing her hair. A couple chairs had been pulled up into a lopsided circle in the middle of the room with Chief Yagami, Matsuda, Light, L, Mogi and eL. ‘So, that’s where she ran off to!’ I thought. I ventured further into the room, hoisting up a chair from the corner and setting it down between L and eL, leaning into the conversation.

    Chief Yagami looked up at me and smiled politely. I smiled back and Yagami sat up in his chair. “You know, I don’t think we’ve all been properly introduced!” he cried and leaned forward to shake eL and my hands. “I’m Chief Sorichio Yagami,” he introduced himself needlessly.

    “I’m Matsuda Touta!!” Matsuda piped up, his black hair falling in his face as he leaned forward to attempt to shake our hands, trying to act polite and dignified in front of the other detectives, but I assumed they knew better.

    ‘Mogi,” Mogi grunted and roughly grasped our hands to shake them, also trying to be polite but probably more for our sake than everyone else’s. “I’m Otaku!” I announced proudly. “eL, with an ‘e’ at the beginning,” Hattie added, smiling and returning each person’s handshake.

    “And I assume you know Light, Misa, and L?” Yagami asked. I nodded vigorously. “Yup!!” Yagami smiled at me, obviously amused.

    “Oh yes,” Yagami added. “You ALL have failed to fill us in on the details of your unexpected trip! And how you ended back up here!” Frantically, I glanced at L for support, but he was already talking.

    “I had been planning to take a trip to London, I’m sorry I must have forgotten to tell you about it. Light, though, found out and wanted to come along. And,” with this he sighed, sounding exasperated, “Light and Misa are a package deal, so Misa came along, too. While we were there, I ran into Otaku and eL. I’ve known them for some time now, and invited them to come back and stay here with us. I certainly hope that you won’t find that they interfere too greatly with your work, but they are guests here and my old friends and have access anywhere they want to go. But, that is all that happened, nothing more of interest,” L’s eyes flashed from face to face, daring them to challenge him or his story. No one did.

    Matsuda leaned forward, a curious, excited look coming over his face. “What kind of things did you see in London?!” he asked. L nodded over to Light.

    “Don’t ask me; Light did most of the sight-seeing,” L responded. Light glared over at L, then made a big fuss over how his imaginary camera broke when they left and he couldn’t take any pictures at all-sorry, Matsuda. Matsuda looked dejected, but cheered up when L said he’d take him to London one day. Maybe.

    Then they continued talking about the Kira case. I glanced over at Light and smiled at the irony of him avidly participating in the conversation. Then I remembered; at this part of the book, he didn’t know who he was. But, by listening to them talk, they were getting pretty close.