Backdated to January 20, Early Morning

[dead_black_eyes]

Who: Lazarus Lawliet and Luke Kokiri
What: L's had two cases involving missing children echoed back at him, and lunges at the opportunity to look for one in Locke City while his worried therapist drives all over the city searching for him.
When: Backdated to early morning of Monday, January 20, before the Sun's up
Where: Outside Cinderella's stable
Warnings: Will keep you posted.




Justine Treble, missing two days, found in Calgary and returned safely to her parents.

Colin Adamant, missing fourteen hours, found in Mexico and restored, scared but whole, to his mother's arms.

The memories were as vivid as if L had personally lived them; he had lived them, the proof was in his boundless energy and singing blood. He had been manic before, but never like this. He had been drunk before, but never like this. Even cocaine didn't compare to the sudden rush of having a purpose. He'd fruitlessly pursued being a detective in this life, not knowing that he'd already been one, that he'd already succeeded where everyone had told him he'd fail miserably. Two cases were not a career, of course, but it was a beginning, and one he needed direly to justify his joyless existence.

The network had been more helpful in gleaning information than he could ever have hoped. Despite Belle's efforts to find out where he was going (likely so she could dissuade him from pursuing what looked like a psychotic break with reality), he had convinced a lot of people that he was, in fact, a detective, and many of Luke's friends and acquaintances had given him useful tips. One place of interest had been provided by Killian, saying that Luke liked horses (confirmed by several others, including the boy's grandfather) and that there was a numbered horse in a local stable. If Luke was out fighting Blood Keys, there wasn't much he could do... but children who ran away tended to gravitate toward what was comforting and familiar, and there was, in fact, a stable housing a horse named Cinderella in a swanky, wealthy neighborhood within the city.

Hopping the fence wasn't much of a possibility with hands that couldn't grip, but poking around in a neighbor's unlocked tool shed had yielded a lightweight, standard ladder. It was a simple matter to lean it against the fence, climb, step over the top, and hop lightly to the ground. He'd worry about getting back over once he'd determined whether or not Luke was actually here. Treading lightly on the well-kept grass of the spacious backyard pasture, he made his way toward the property's small barn. Once he'd reached it, he leaned against the side, running his tongue briefly over his pale lips and starting to softly whistle the song that Zelda had hummed for him.

While he didn't think that Luke would hurt him, he assumed nothing when catching a scared kid off-guard... especially a kid with bombs, weapons, and the ability to burn someone to death.

Comments

[songoftimaendtimeagain]

Luke was having some trouble sleeping. He'd been waking up every few hours ever since Friday. He didn't have a problem sleeping in a barn. He'd done it plenty as a kid, and hay is a lot softer than it looks if you just drape some saddle pads over it. The problem was not the accommodations, but his situation in general. He couldn't go home, but he most definitely couldn't stay here forever. Sooner rather than later he'd have to tell his friends what had happened to him but....

He hadn't checked the network since he'd run away. If people were looking for him, he didn't want to know. He didn't feel up to it. So he rolls over for what feels like the hundredth time in the last ten minutes, and tries to will himself back to sleep when he hears Zelda's Lullaby.

There's a spike of nervous energy that courses through him. How on earth did she find him? And how much did she know? Had she had an echo about Ganondorf's success too? He puts the questions out of his mind and scrambles as quietly as he can to the door of the barn, being careful not to wake Cinderella as he goes. As anxious as he is to talk to her, he's glad she came.

"Zelda? How did you-"

And then his sentence dies in his throat as he sees a gangly dark haired man who is most definitely not Princess Zelda staring at him.

"..."

[dead_black_eyes]

L experiences his own spike in anxiety as a much deeper voice than he expected answers. Getting busted for trespassing is not how he envisioned the night going, and he's about to flee... but then he sees a face that bears an uncanny resemblance to the one in the photographs and video footage he's seen of Luke Kokiri.

He could be a brother. Even a twin, but for the simple fact that he appears roughly a decade older than he should.

L swallows; if this is, indeed, Luke Kokiri, it certainly explains his need to put distance between himself and his unnumbered family.

"Zelda's worried. So is your grandfather, Phillip, and Toushirou... and not just because you're missing. I was hoping you'd humor me with a talk, since I came all this way and climbed over a fence to see you."

[songoftimaendtimeagain]

[Luke frowns, but doesn't make any moves to get back into the barn. He knew people would be worried. Toushirou's name on the list surprises him however, and his ears twitch just a little.

He gives the guy a long silent look, studying him for a moment. The initial shock of him not being Zelda combined with his somewhat creepy gaunt look had caught Luke off guard, but after closer inspection he looks pretty scrawny. And Luke's not all that much shorter than him now. Normally he'd shy away from a weird isolated meeting with a creepy stranger, but Luke doesn't feel that this guy is much of a threat.]

Okay. But. Who are you?

[dead_black_eyes]

[L's appearance seldom works in his favor, but in this case, it's probably a boon that he doesn't look threatening in the least. He's shabby, pale and skinny, and he's being careful not to make any kind of move to antagonize Luke.]

I'm a detective; my name is L Lawliet. Your grandfather hired me to find you, which is fortunate... I didn't want the police to get to you first.

[It's also a good thing that L has gotten to introduce himself to Luke before anyone who actually knows him. As they speak, after all, his therapist is frantically searching the city out of fear that he was psychotic, imagining the realization of his broken dream by recklessly masquerading as a detective.]

[songoftimaendtimeagain]

[Luke crosses his arms, but his frown is more of worry than anger now.]

And you believe that I'm Luke, and Zelda must have taught you that song, so you're a numbers person right? So you understand why I can't go back home?

[He doesn't like this much at all. He knows his Grampa must be worried sick, but he can't come forward like this.]

[dead_black_eyes]

Of course I believe you're Luke. You're older, but your features are impossible to mistake. Lynne... Zelda, if you'd like, did teach me that song, and I'm definitely a numbers person. And I understand why you think you can't go home.

[He leaned his curved back against the barn, sliding down to a crouch.]

I believe, however, that there are other solutions. Ones that you might not have thought of, and ones that I'd like to help you find. That is my goal, Luke... I want to help you, foremost, rather than let someone like Sherman get his hooks in you.

[songoftimaendtimeagain]

[Luke is skeptical, but hopeful. And hey, he has no idea what he should do right now, and following orders is something he's really comfortable with. He sits cross legged in front of L, holding his hands in his lap.]

I do wish I could let Grampa know I'm safe.

[dead_black_eyes]

[Despite Luke's now-adult appearance, he is still very much child-like. L senses that he's being looked to as an authority figure, which is extremely unusual for him, but he gamely accepts it, keeping his voice solid and stern.]

Your grandfather made it extremely clear that he loves you no matter what. As someone who talked to him as recently as yesterday, I can attest to the fact that his heart is broken. He even wonders if it's his fault that you've been distant. Luke... the nature of being numbered is that you have to know who you can trust, and in general, the people who love you are those people. It goes without saying that he must know you're safe... but he might be ready to know other things, too."

[songoftimaendtimeagain]

[Luke averts his gaze and fiddles with the hem of his tunic. This is a conversation that he's already had with Cinderella, but it doesn't make it any easier.]

You've met Grampa, so you know he'd do anything to keep me safe. He's already...

[Luke sighs here, but presses forward.]

He's already talked about moving back to North Carolina once when I got in trouble, but I talked him out of it. If he knew what I was doing, and what was happening he'd take me away in no time and then I'd forget everything, and I wouldn't be able to help anyone.

[At the end of his speech he glances up at L, the wide puppydog eye'd expression not really working so well on a 17 year old's face as it did on a 10 year old's.]

[dead_black_eyes]

[Though the puppy-dog look doesn't work on L, even when children affect it, he's pretty guilty of doing it himself every so often. And he is worse at it than Luke could ever be, because the best case scenario is that people assume there's something wrong with him.]

You look like an adult now. Even if you don't feel like one, as long as you're in this city people are going to see you as much older. If you're committed to staying, the first thing you have to do is understand that, technically, your grandfather can't take you anywhere against your will. If staying and protecting your friends is what's important to you, your first course of action should be making a strong case and standing your ground... not running away and hiding.

[songoftimaendtimeagain]

[For some reason, the idea of coming clean to his Grandfather, only to run away again when the man tries to keep him safe seems so much worse than just leaving him in the dark. On top of that, there's a number doubts Luke has about L's assessment of the situation. He squirms, trying to find how to phrase what he's thinking. He gets the easy part out of the way first.]

Well I'm only 17. Sort of? E-even if people think I'm older than I am I'm still not as old as they might think even though I'm not any older I'm only not really 7 years...older...

[Oh no he kind of confused himself. He hopes that made any sense at all. And if it didn't he's gonna just go ahead and move on to the next thing and hope he explains that one better.]

And if- when my Grampa does try to take me somewhere else and even if people think I look like an adult w-what am I supposed to do then? I can't go to the police or anything.

[dead_black_eyes]

No. You can't go to the police.

[L sounds especially forceful, regarding this non-possibility. He alters his tone to sound a little less harsh.]

Unfortunately, the news has already reported your absence, so the police are looking. My closed case remains open as long as I tell them nothing of your situation, which I intend to, but they'll catch on eventually if you don't accept the help of others... and continue the brand of vigilante justice you've been practicing, to the concern of many.