The Brighter the Light, the Darker the Shadow

[dead_black_eyes]

Who: Lazarus and Fuyuka
When: July 10th
Where: Espresso Yourself
What: Fuyuka goes straight to the source and has some questions for a certain evasive proprietor.
Warnings: Mehhh? Will update if necessary



Given L's recent unfortunate echo, it was difficult to look at very much without seeing all sorts of unpleasant ways for them to push others to their will's limits.The hollow upside was that he didn't have to study torture methods to successfully masquerade as a specialist; the downside was that his fatigued brain danced with possibilities, from medieval to modern, given even the most mundane item to ruminate on.

Hot coffee. This broom closet gets pretty soundproof. That rope.

He didn't think that he was excited by the grim prospects; sadism, to his knowledge, wasn't a part of his heroic detective philanthropist ideal. If he had to put a name or a label on how the echo made him feel, it wasn't so much "horrified" or "troubled", as much as strange, cold, unsettling

...indifference.

And then his mind, and what he knew of morality, took over, and then the young detective panicked.

Patrons would be advised to approach the counter with caution, today. Here, there were demons, and quite possibly, monsters.

Comments

[seed_of_memory]

And yet, someone with demons of her own elected to do so... a Japanese young woman, whose face was marked with a few bruises, burns, and cuts and seemed to be carrying herself in mind of an injury on her torso.

"Mister Lazarus Lawliet?" she said, trying to appear as serious as possible.

[dead_black_eyes]

When the battered-looking young woman entered the coffee shop, L was momentarily out of sight, kneeling to adjust the rug over the person-sized hole under the counter that had saved his life such a short time ago. The sound of his name on unfamiliar lips, though, gets him to straighten, looking attentive and wary.

"Who's asking for Lazarus Lawliet?" he asked guardedly.

[seed_of_memory]

Fuyuka stopped before the counter, her expression as steeled and serious as before.

"My name is Terasawa Fuyuka," she said. "I'm a private investigator."

[dead_black_eyes]

A private investigator? Really...

"Would you like to sit down? I could get you a glass of water," L offered. "It's just that you look like you're in pain, and I hate to make you stand at the counter when you've clearly been through something trying."

[seed_of_memory]

Fuyuka was about to protest... when it became apparent that she had no good reason to.

"... That would be fine," she said, nodding as she eased up a bit. "Forgive me... I'm struggling with a workplace injury..."

[dead_black_eyes]

"Are you one of those industrial private investigators?" L asked, using glibness to conceal his knowledge that even just an ordinary PI had a lot of on-the-job risks.

He shuffled off to get the water, returning with it held awkwardly in both hands, setting it on the table in front of Fuyuka.

[seed_of_memory]

"Mmm. I've taken a good number of jobs," she said, reaching forward to take a sip of the water. Afterward, she let out a satisfied sigh.

"But I will cut to the quick, Mister Lawliet. I am aware you are a numbered. And before you ask, I know so from the network. I have not been spying upon you."

[dead_black_eyes]

If L was surprised at all by the girl's directness, he didn't indicate it, merely taking a seat across from her and assuming his best poker face.

"I'll save us some time, then, and assume you're here to ask about what I haven't shared over the network. When did you receive your first pulse?" he asked, the subject change perhaps a tad abrupt.

[seed_of_memory]

"That's a bit much to ask someone on their first meeting, isn't it?" Fuyuka asked, with a bit of a smirk. "But it was during the attack of that monstrous serpent. And you are correct about why I am here."

[dead_black_eyes]

"Perhaps. So is what you intend to ask, though, so I think it's only fair," L replied levelly. "And your answer is actually very valuable to me... it tells me how long you've been receiving pulses."

As well as what she likely didn't know about L... specifically, that he was, himself, a somewhat serious detective who was far less eager to share this tidbit casually.

"Wise Snake was the first time this coffee shop got trashed. Interesting factoid, that."

[seed_of_memory]

"Mmm, it has a bit of dramatic irony, I suppose," she replied, looking to the side for the moment.

"And what about you, Mr. Lawliet? How long have you been a numbered?"

ACK I thought I answered this. I'm so sorry D:

[dead_black_eyes]

"Since November," he answered softly, glancing in the direction of the door and the soft light coming through the tinted glass. "And as it happens, there's quite a lot I haven't shared over the network. My face. My real name. My other profession."

[seed_of_memory]

"I see. Well, you certainly have the right to your privacy."

She straightened before looking back to him.

"Though I think it would be in our best interests if the two of us were honest with one another, at least."

[dead_black_eyes]

"It wholly depends on what you want me to be honest about. I think this happened to my shop because the wrong people knew too much about me. You understand that privacy has become more important than ever now."

[seed_of_memory]

"Of course," she said. "But at the same time... I'm not your enemy, and I'm determined to be as transparent as I need to be in order to prove that."

[dead_black_eyes]

That was probably the best thing she could have said, regarding the strange little impasse L's paranoia had brought them to. A slow smile tugged at the corner of his mouth.

"That's certainly appreciated. I believe you," he added, as a sign of good faith. "Your willingness to be transparent is honestly proof enough for me, so... before I shoot you down, I might as well at least hear what you want to know. I'll answer as completely and transparently as I can, if you would indeed do the same for me."

[seed_of_memory]

"What do I want to know? Very well. Hmm..."

She thought for a moment, before nodding. "I want to know what you know about what the mafia is doing."

[dead_black_eyes]

It was a good question, and one that L couldn't answer as completely as he'd hinted he would. He was, after all, currently posing as a Sicilian to a few go-betweeners in an attempt to get close to Moises.

"I know that I am not an informant, but that do have at least one. Otherwise it's unlikely that they would have known me by the name 'L'. I only use that on the network."

[seed_of_memory]

"I see," Fuyuka replied with a nod. Nevertheless, she wasn't ready to discount the fact that he knew more. But whether it was for malicious or benign purposes, she had no way of knowing.

It was best not to assume the worst.

"I've suspected there's an informant. The attacks are too narrow in their scope, to be frank."

[dead_black_eyes]

"Far too narrow," L agreed, chewing on his already ragged thumbnail. "There's simply no way to know that some of us are numbered... while it's obvious if someone is sprouting feathers or scales or wings, it's not for those of us that pass as normal. So... it's not unreasonable to assume that someone from the inside is slipping information under the table. In fact, there's no other possibility, unless someone not numbered can access the network. There's been no indication of that whatsoever."

[seed_of_memory]

Fuyuka nodded.

"At the same time... the list of possible suspects is far too broad, isn't it? In truth, it could even be someone at this table..."

[dead_black_eyes]

"It could be, but you'd be pretty stupid to return to the scene of the crime, and I'd be pretty stupid to trash my own shop," L said bluntly. "So I'm pretty certain that's not the case."

[seed_of_memory]

"Indeed," she said with a sigh. "Alright. We can rule each other out, then."

A joke? Maybe.

[dead_black_eyes]

"I think it would be a safe assumption. Normally, I don't like making them, but when there's a less than 5% chance, it's silly to entertain a notion too seriously. So that narrows down the suspects a fraction, anyway."

[seed_of_memory]

"Indeed. Though it'd certainly be a dramatic twist."

A thought. "We can't really investigate most of the Numbers, can we? So our options are quite limited."

[dead_black_eyes]

"Dramatic twists work better in stories, or so I'm told. I'm not much of a writer, so I wouldn't know," L said. Ironically, his first interaction on the network had been regarding his own terrible and derivative mystery novel, but she didn't need to know that.

"Limited, but not as much as you might think. People talk when they're afraid, and who's not afraid, right now?"

[seed_of_memory]

"This is true," she replied, before nodding again. "I suppose it's best we be vigilant, and keep ourselves aware. I've managed to set my sights on more suspicious individuals at least."

[dead_black_eyes]

"Is that so? Which individuals do you, personally, consider suspicious?" he asked, tilting his head sideways.

[seed_of_memory]

"... to be honest, a fair number of people," she said with a sigh. "I'll compile a list, but it may be too broad to be helpful at this present point in time."

[dead_black_eyes]

"I can make it a little simpler, perhaps... for me, it's everyone involved with the Blood Keys and Thundercorps. Whether or not they've made this information public, there are potential conflicts of interests at every turn."

He paused.

"At this point, I think it's appropriate and safe to mention my other job. I am also a private investigator."

[seed_of_memory]

"... Then we have something in common," Fuyuka said with a small smile. "Though to be fair, that's actually what I already suspected."

[dead_black_eyes]

"Did you suspect as much?" L asked, looking surprised and more than just a touch impressed. "May I ask what tipped you off? It's something I attempt to keep relatively quiet these days."

[seed_of_memory]

"Your demeanor," she replied without much hesitation. "Your inquisitive nature. You strike me as someone who seeks the truth."

[dead_black_eyes]

That seemed to please him. Of everything he's been working toward in terms of emulating his previous incarnation, that's probably the most important thing.

"Well. I guess I should work on that. Wouldn't want to blow my cover, in the future, but... thank you."

[seed_of_memory]

Fuyuka chuckled.

"Don't worry too much about it. It's a demeanor shared by writers, scientists... all manner of people really, as well."

[dead_black_eyes]

"I'm not worried. Actually, I can say, for the first time in weeks, that I actually feel somewhat reassured as far as recent and potential events are concerned."

[seed_of_memory]

"... I see. Well, then... I suppose I'm glad I could help you arrive at this feeling."