Thursday afternoon: revividus

[firm_detective]

L is still resting in bed. He's recovered from the shock of the hallucination he experienced earlier that day, and has been turning the problem over and over in his mind, considering Mello's suggestions carefully.

The particular difficulty of the dilemma is not its strangeness: he finds that if he broadens what he's willing to accept, it simplifies things drastically. It's that, once again, he's sure the puzzle is missing a few crucial pieces. He can guess at what they might be, but there are several possibilities, and he can't yet be sure. He worries that his time will run down to nothing before he works them out.

There's a knock at the door.

[[This thread is private to firm_detective, lastrunnerup, coordinated_n, and misamisal, when she "returns from getting lunch."]]

Comments

[lastrunnerup.livejournal.com]

The theory's next to perfect thanks to this, Ryuuzaki. It's-- that's what it is. That's why it depends on them, and you. They need to apologize. And what B wants from you... he wants you to realize that you've done wrong by him. That's what this is about.

[firm-detective.livejournal.com]

... Except that if that's the case, he wants reassurances I may not be able to give him. I don't -- I don't know what wrong his L might have done by him. Some seem -- very different from me, in one way or another.

[lastrunnerup.livejournal.com]

But you're L, Ryuuzaki. You're... so much like ours, and the story's so much the same, and it... it fits.

[coordinated-n.livejournal.com]

It fits. Unless you're carrying some other momentous guilt.

[firm-detective.livejournal.com]

Have you met the L who arrived the other day? He's American, and -- almost nothing like me. He -- waits tables, goes to college -- his parents are alive.

The three Bs who arrived recently -- there's the one who seems to be the ghost, another one who was beaten and abused by his Mel--Mello if he looked at their L, and the one called Cipher, who has been abused -- I think, maybe, by his L, but I wasn't able to get enough infor--mation from him. He knew me as Ryuuzaki.

The best argument for this theory -- really, the only good one -- is that this B has chosen me as the -- focal point of whatever he's doing. It follows that he must see something in me.

[lastrunnerup.livejournal.com]

It's that you're like his L. That has to be it. You're... there's no one more like L than you are, Ryuuzaki. You are L. That's just how it is.

[coordinated-n.livejournal.com]

He's right. I was never allowed to meet ours, and even I can tell.

[firm-detective.livejournal.com]

*A sigh and a frown.*

Even if that's so, it doesn't explain what he wants from me. I imagine the apology -- if it would even work, in my case -- must be... specific and sincere.

It may be that what he wants from me is not what he wants from anyone else.

[lastrunnerup.livejournal.com]

I... Try talking to him, Ryuuzaki.

Near's apology to me was kind of specific.

[coordinated-n.livejournal.com]

And it came really naturally.

I believe you'll just know.

[firm-detective.livejournal.com]

Conversations with him are -- strange -- vague.

It's possible. It's certainly worth a try. But I've already dealt with my B, and I did not have much to apologize for. He -- did not understand. But then --

*He looks troubled.*

[lastrunnerup.livejournal.com]

...Yeah, that one sounded mystical, Near.

Ryuuzaki... if you need someone-- with you when you talk to him, to make sure you're all right, you know I'd...

[coordinated-n.livejournal.com]

Do it before you go under. Believe me.

[firm-detective.livejournal.com]

I have the feeling he will be finding me again, if I don't find him. He got into my room through what I'm almost com--completely sure was a locked door, the day after I collapsed, you know.

[lastrunnerup.livejournal.com]

Do you need someone here who won't leave the room? I don't know if you should be alone with that possibility.

[coordinated-n.livejournal.com]

It might not come for him while he's with others. Just a thought.

[firm-detective.livejournal.com]

It seems that he likes to speak to me alone. Of the three times, only one -- the first -- was with Misa.

[lastrunnerup.livejournal.com]

Oh.

I'll... keep checking up on you as I have been, then? Just in case.

[firm-detective.livejournal.com]

Yes, it's been very helpful.

[lastrunnerup.livejournal.com]

I'm glad.

[coordinated-n.livejournal.com]

I'm glad the end of this is in sight.

[firm-detective.livejournal.com]

You've missed most of it.

I've been -- completely sure I was going to die. The pain is unbearable.

[coordinated-n.livejournal.com]

It's not a relief.

[firm-detective.livejournal.com]

Mello, earlier today -- there was something about B, about my potential successors -- that you were reluctant to say.

Can you tell me now? It might be relevant.

[lastrunnerup.livejournal.com]

It isn't relevant, Ryuuzaki. Really. It's not about the successors, just.