A few days have passed since Ori met with L at the hotel, and she hasn't heard from him since. She hasn't seen him at school and he hasn't called or texted her. Classes were boring and Ori found her attention drifting to other places on a regular basis. It didn't help that her ADD had taken a spike ever since she met up with L, so she would find herself talking to someone, then going on a tangent about something entirely irrelevant. It didn't help her make any friends. Normally, Light put up with her random spouts about nothing, but she's found herself avoiding him. She knew it was stupid and he was too smart to not think something was going on. And with her previous behavior regarding Kira matching with her skittishness around him, there's no way he wouldn't think she was onto him. Ori usually had an easy enough time pretending everything was fine and hiding her emotions, but this was different. Every time she saw Light, she felt like she had to throw up. Whenever she saw him, she saw Ryuk hovering over his shoulder like a possessive demon. She didn't find Ryuk disturbing or disgusting in any way, but his presence was a slap in the face every time. He had refused to tell her who his possessor was, and here he was hanging onto Light like some sort of parasite. It was like he was flaunting Light at her, laughing at her inner torment. She wanted to stop seeing him. She wanted to forget that she ever saw Ryuk or knew him. It was all too much. So she stopped. The day after she went home from the hotel, she saw Ryuk hovering over Light with his wings stretched out. He didn't make any signs of recognizing her, but his appearance was enough of a mockery. It was clear that he was enjoying himself, that this was all just some game to cure his own boredom.
That day after she went to the hotel, when Ori got home, she went straight to her room. She didn't know whether or not the cameras were gone, but she didn't care anymore. She took her notes, papers, leads, all of it, and tore it all apart. She went on a rampage. A rage she hadn't known before gripped her heart and ripped at her soul. She had locked her door so Vivian couldn't come in and threw everything on the floor. Papers went flying as she swept everything off her desk. Her lamp and alarm clock went crashing to the floor. The shriek of glass shattering still rung in her head. All the while, Vivian pounded on the door, crying and begging for Ori to let her in and talk to her. When Ori was finally done, tears streamed down her face while she surveyed the damage of her room. Her desk was bare with notebooks and ripped pages littering the wood beneath her. The sheets and pillows had been torn from her mattress and spilled over her knees. She was such a moron. Not only had the truth been staring her in the face until it got bored and slapped her, but she also had the audacity to throw a fit when it finally did. Her body shook with sobs and rage. She had reached the point where she couldn't even move anymore. The pounding had stopped somewhere during Ori's rampage. It was eerily silent, too silent for Ori to handle. She took a few deep breaths, trying over and over again to calm her singing nerves. She climbed to her feet shakily, catching herself on her bed a few times to keep herself from falling. She sat on her bed for a while, tears silently dripping down her cheeks.
"I'm sorry, Mom." She croaked at last. "I'm sorry. I'm so sorry." She wasn't really sure what she was apologizing for between lying and sneaking out and destroying her room, but the words just fell out. She kept muttering apologizes under her breath, over and over again. She didn't even think that Vivian could hear her anymore.
"Oh, Honey. What's wrong?" Vivian's voice came floating through the door, sweeter than a siren's call. Ori wanted to open the door, hide in her mother's arms, and tell her everything, but she couldn't. She couldn't tell her about L or her finding out that Light was Kira.
"I-..." The words were like poison in her throat. They felt thick and gross and dirty; she was barely able to get them out.
"I-I can't... I can't tell you." She squeezed her eyes shut, a few more tears dripping out.
"Is it school?" Vivian asked. Ori shook her head, then remembered that she couldn't see her.
"No."
"Is it something about Kira?"
"No." Ori lied. The word seemed to burn her tongue and throat. She had to place a shaky hand over her mouth to stop the pitiful whimper that passed her lips.
"Can you open the door, Honey? Please?" Ori stared at the door. She didn't really trust her legs to get her to the door, but she stood anyway. She's gotten pretty good at using things she didn't trust, what was one more?
Ori grasped the cold handle and swung the door open weakly. Vivian was still standing on the other side. She put on a smile, but Ori could see the red that rimmed her pretty sea-green eyes. Vivian didn't look at the mess behind Ori, which she was grateful for. She just kept her eyes on her daughter.
"I'm sorry," Ori whispered again. Her throat felt raw and achy. Her knees wobbled and she fell to the ground again. Vivian gathered her up in her arms, squeezing her tight.
"Honey... you've done everything you could. You've been so strong. So so strong." That's what Vivian always said when Ori got upset. Sure, she's never been this angry before and she's usually so good about keeping her temper in check. She hardly ever got overly angry, but whenever she showed any signs of having negative emotions, she would curl up in Vivian's arms and she would whisper sweet nothings into her ears. Telling her she did a good job, that she did everything right, she did everything she could and she just had to try again, she was strong and had been strong for just a little too long, that she needed to take a break before she started over.
Ori sunk into her mother's arms even more. She was probably heavy, but Vivian hadn't complained. She just ran her hand through Ori's hair, brushing the bangs out of her face and massaging her scalp.
"I'm sorry about the mess in my room. I'll clean it up."
"Just wait a while. Give yourself a little more time to calm down." Vivian pulled her into a tighter hug, resting her cheek on Ori's head. They just sat there for a while, in Ori's doorway wrapped up in each other until Ori felt like she was going to fall asleep. And she did. Her eyelids drooped down and she snuggled into Vivian's warm embrace.
Ori huffed as she walked into class. Yeah, that was about four days ago. Vivian had woken Ori up so she could make dinner and Ori could clean up the mess she made in her room. She still hasn't replaced the alarm and desk lamp, but she could do that later.
The two hours of the lecture dragged by until Ori felt like her brain was going to explode. She wasn't in math, so that was good, but her English Professor's voice is so boring that Ori thought she was going to pass out. It wasn't like L's baritone voice, her professor's voice sounded far more... dead. When the class is finally over, Ori packs up her stuff and puts them in her messenger bag. She slipped the strap over her head and started making her way down the stairs. She steps out of the classroom and into the courtyard where she sees Light walking with Ryuk flying just a few feet off the ground. Her blood ran cold and she turned back into the hallway.
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"She seems to be a little wary around you," Ryuk said to Light for what felt like the millionth time. School was over and they were now in Light's room. Light was really beginning to think about investing in duct-tape.
'I know, all right? I'm working on it.' Light thought as he ran a hand over his tired face and through his hair. He could only assume that the cameras were still there.
Ever since they went to the café with L, Ori's been avoiding him. Whenever she saw him, her face would turn pale and she would take a sudden turn to avoid him. Did L say something? Did he tell her that he was their prime suspect? Why was Ori acting like this?
"My guess is that she's onto you," Ryuk said. Light ignored him, wracking his brain for a way to pull Ori back to him. He had to make her think that he wasn't Kira. Since Soichiro was in the hospital, Ori was the only thing keeping L from catching him. He had an idea, but he wanted to save it for when he didn't have any other choice. It was Wednesday, so if Light couldn't get Ori to stop suspecting him by Monday, he would go through with his plan. But how to make her think he was innocent? What if he invited her out? They could go to Spaceland or something. Not only would it ease Ori's suspicions of him, but he could also finally find a way to get that damn spy off his back. They could go on Friday, and in the meantime, he would back off of Ori, let her come to him, give her no reason to suspect him. Ryuk cackled from his spot on Light's bed. Light flicked his eyes over to the Shinigami without moving his head.
"Hey, Light. I got some good news for you." He said. Light doesn't say anything but tilts his head in Ryuk's direction to show that he was listening.
"All the cameras are gone." Were they really? He didn't think Ryuk had a reason to lie, especially when his apple crisis was still going on. Light spun around to Ryuk.
"Why didn't you say something sooner?" He asks in annoyance.
"Because you were concentrating so much. You were pretty in the zone." Light bites back a groan of annoyance. Were all Shinigami this irritating? Hopefully not.
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"Ms. Nanase, it's nice to see you again." Ori looked up to see L gazing at her with his usual blank stare.
"Hey, Ryuga. How's it goin'?" She had to remind herself that she couldn't call him 'L' out in public.
"I'm well. How are you?"
"I'm pretty good. I'm bored, but other than that, I'm healthy."
"That's good to hear, so where are you headed?"
"Home. My classes are over and my mom's making a sweet Italian pasta toss for dinner and I don't wanna miss that."
"Sweet, you say?" He's staring off into space, and Ori immediately knows where this is going.
"Would you like to come to my house for dinner? My mom always makes too much food."
"If it's not too much trouble."
"Not at all. I just have to grab something from my locker real quick." She made her way down the hallway with L following behind. After a few minutes of quiet, there was a question on Ori's ADD mind that wouldn't go away. She figured L would have an answer.
"Hey, Ryuga... can you milk a horse?"
Surprisingly enough, he didn't appeared at all fazed by the question. "Yes, you can. In fact, in Europe, mare milk has replaced cow milk for the protein and is said to be a remedy for skin and digestive problems."
"Wait, seriously?! That's awesome! Have you ever tried it?"
L hummed thoughtfully for a moment. "Can't say I have."
"Surprising. I would've thought you had it with your sweets and cookies."
"I'm not sure I know what you mean."
What, what? Had L never dunked a cookie in milk. That was absurd.
"When we get to my house, I'm having you dunk cookies in milk. Unfortunately, we'll have to do it with cow's milk."
"That's fine."
They had finally made it to Ori's locker. She opened it and reached inside. Her locker was almost too tall for her to reach, which was irritating, but she was able to grab what she came for. It was a binder for her psychology class. When she pulled her hand back with her binder, a pink envelope came fluttering out. Ori was putting her binder in her bag as L bent down to pick it up. He handed the envelope to her. It was bright, pastel pink with a red heart holding it closed. Ori chuckled at the cheesiness of it.
"A love letter, seriously? Are we in middle school or something?" Out of curiosity, she opened the letter. As she scanned over the words, she found that it was a sappy love poem.
With you brown hair shining in the sun;
I'm hoping we can have some fun.
Your smile is so bright,
It glows like a light.
So meet me on the roof at seven,
And we'll make our own heaven.
Ori read it over a few times. The more she read it, the more she had to fight off the laugh building in her chest. She handed the letter to L, chuckling.
"Get a load of this. Do you think they gave it to me by accident?"
"I don't think so. You do have brown hair."
"Yeah, just like over half the people here."
L handed the letter back to Ori and she placed it into her bag. It would be something funny to show Vivian. They left Ori's locker and stepped outside onto the cement pathway. Ori had her hands pushed into her sweatshirt pockets, her messenger bag hitting her thigh familiarly.
"It's six-thirty. You're not meeting them? Not even to deny their feelings?"
"Me not showing up will get the point across more than me actually saying 'no'. No, I'm more worried about how they got that letter in my locker. I'm not sure if they slipped it through the slot or open the locker by hand, either way, it weirds me out that they knew where my locker was."
"Maybe they were watching you."
"That's why it weirds me out." Ori rubs her head. "Geez, I can't believe people still do love letters, namely college students." They walked passed the entrance gate, now on the sidewalk by the main road.
"Speaking of watching, you got to cameras out of my house, right?"
"Yes, I had them removed while your mother was at work a few days ago."
"Thanks. You know what? I think you'll like my mom. She's a sweet lady."
"You look like her." L said absentmindedly. As they passed a café, he stared inside. Ori had to grab his arm to pull him away.
"You're about to eat dinner, and no doubt Mom will have a giant dessert waiting for after, so I think you'll be good." He finally let her pull him away from the window with an almost inaudible huff.
"Geez, you're like a little kid."
"As an adult, I take offense to that."
"How old are you, anyway?"
"Twenty-two." He was surprisingly patient with Ori's rambling. Even Light would've asked her to stop to take a breath at this point. At the thought of Light, Ori grew quiet. She thought back to her ravaged room. Hopefully, L had taken out the cameras before he saw that.
They were quiet the rest of the way. Ori led L until they were standing in front of Ori's warm and welcoming house. The blue-gray paint was a familiar sight that warmed Ori's heart. She walked up the steps and opened the door. The scent of cooking food drew her in like a moth to a flame.
"Hey, Mom. I'm home."
"All right, Honey. I'll be right there."Ori moved further into the house so L could come in all the way. Ori pushed her boots off with her toes after she unlaced them, walking into the kitchen where Vivian was stirring tomato sauce. Ori placed a chin on her shoulder.
"You'll never guess what I got today, Mom." Ori pulled away to fish the letter out of her pocket. She read it out loud, having to take small breaks to collect herself. Once she was does, Vivian was laughing along with her.
"I don't know how I feel about the letter. It sounds like they want to do the honkey-tonk." Ori choked on air at the words and laughed some more. She went to the fridge to pull out some milk. She grabbed two glasses from the cabinet and the package of Oreos from above the fridge.
"What's that for, Honey?"
"I invited my friend, Ryuga, over for dinner and he told me he's never dipped cookies and milk, so I wanted him to try it."
"You brought a friend? Why didn't you tell me?" Vivian cocked an eyebrow at Ori, hand on her hip.
"It was kinda last minute. Sorry."
"It's all right, Honey. Is this friend who's a little more than a friend?" Vivian wiggled her eyebrows suggestively and Ori took an unused spatula and lightly hit her mother on the head.
"Is this the kind of stuff they teach in America? Or is it a special kind of chuckleheadedness you've got goin' on in there?" Ori tapped Vivian's head a few more times until she pushed Ori out of the kitchen. She looped around to the other side where a square had been cut in the wall so that Ori could see into the kitchen.
"Excuse me?" She asked cheekily. "I may have left some things there." Vivian pushed the package into Ori's face.
"I could've sworn I grabbed some other stuff." Vivian passed the milk and two glasses through.
"Thanks, Mom." She went to the dining table and poured the milk. When she was done, she placed the milk on the ledge. She would take care of it in a minute. She ripped open the package and gestured for L was come closer. She handed him a cookie.
"Just dunk it in the milk until your satisfied, then eat it." She walked around him to grab the milk and went to put it in the fridge. Vivian already had bowls out, and she humming to herself as she put the pasta toss into three separate bowls. Ori went to see L inspecting the cookie. She pulled out the chair next to him and sat down.
"That's still the first one, isn't it?"
"Yes. I'm skeptical as to how it can be all that good. Wouldn't the milk make the cookie soggy?" Ori sighed in annoyance. If this guy analyzed everything like this, it made sense that he was such a good detective, but this was excessive.
"I'm really sorry, man, but this is for your own good." And with that, she pinched his nose. He didn't react for a moment, and when he did, it was to speak.
"I really don't see the ne-" She took the cookie from his hand and shoved it into his mouth. She let go of his nose and took a cookie for herself. She dunked it in the milk then popped it into her mouth. When she put the cookies back on top of the fridge, Vivian was coming out with dinner. Ori grabbed two bowls from Vivian and set one down in front of Vivian. Ori was glad that Vivian didn't say anything or even seemed bothered by L's strange way of sitting; it would have made things a little awkward.
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Even with all of his intellect and memories, L couldn't remember the last time he had eaten an actual meal. And despite his taste buds so fine-tuned to sugar and caffeine, Vivian's pasta toss was exceptional. L looked next to him to see Ori devouring the meal. He wasn't even sure if she was tasting it. When she caught him staring, she flashed him a quick smile then went back to her meal. Vivian leaned across the table with a spatula and smacked Ori over her head.
"Slow down! I'm not taking you to the hospital if you choke." Ori swallowed and pushed the spatula away.
"You Americans are so mean! I bet you Dad's mom never would've done that!" L expected an uneasy air to settle over the three of them with the mention of Ori's father, but the metaphorical mist never engulfed them.
"That just means she wouldn't care if you choked!" They continued to go back and forth while L silently ate. It was startling how much Ori and her mother looked alike. The only difference was Ori's narrowed eyes, but they were still wide by Japan's standards.
"You're from America, Mrs. Nanase?" He asked. Ori looked at him, seeming to know that he already knew the answer.
"Yes, but I moved here three years after I met Ori's father." She looked off into space with a dreamy expression on her face.
"Good job, Ryuga. Now I gotta listen to this story for the umpteenth time."
"It was winter when we met. I was going back to my car with some groceries when I slipped on some ice and tossed everything everywhere. Then he came to help me. I'd never seen a more handsome man..." her voice drifted off while Ori pretended to gag. When Vivian saw, she took the spatula and wacked Ori over the head again.
"Oh, don't give me that look!" It was easy to see that Vivian wasn't actually mad, and Ori was too busy laughing to even swat the utensil away. When Ori finally managed to get a hold of herself. She wiped the tears from her eyes and sighed.
"English was actually the first language I ever learned. My dad didn't want me to 'forget my roots' as he put it. I'm pretty sure he only said it because I look so much like Mom." Ori shoveled another bite into her mouth. As far as L could tell, Ori was polishing off her second bowl.
"The resemblance is startling." L said.
"Except for Honey's beautiful eyes," Vivian said. A smirk danced across her features when Ori's face grew a bright red.
"M-Mom! I really don't thi-"
"Honey? I wasn't aware that Ori had a nickname." That only seemed to make Ori's blush increase. It was amusing. Ori seemed so emotionally untouched by negative feelings that seeing her so flustered was almost like a present.
"Oh, so Ori didn't tell you? Well, I can't really say I'm surprised." Vivian's smirk grew into another smile, and L could've sworn there was a mischievous glint in her eyes.
"When Ori was younger, she was always getting stung by bees. Luckily, she wasn't allergic, but it happened so often that we came to the conclusion that Ori must've been as sweet as honey."
"That stories too lame for a nickname," Ori muttered, but Vivian either didn't hear, or she ignored it.
"Even the day during the entrance exams, Ori woke up early and wrote me a letter and signed it with her nickname."
"I was tired and wasn't thinking straight!" Ori tried to reason, but Vivian clicked her tongue. Ori's blush was beginning to fade into a small pink tinge that eventually faded into her warm ivory skin tone.
"Honey, I don't think you've ever thought straight a day in your life."
"You have a point. My brain was blurry."
"That's one I haven't heard in a while."
"Excuse me. I'm a little confused about something." L said. Ori locked eyes with him; the gold flecks seemed to glow and a slow smile stretched across her face. She knew what he meant. It seemed that Vivian understood as well.
"Ryuga," Ori said with a smile. "I'm bisexual." It made sense, Ori seemed like the kind of person who wouldn't restrict herself like that.
"Does that have something to do with you teasing Light Yagami about being gay?" Before Ori could even open her mouth, a laugh came from Vivian. It was a comforting sound full of joy. It gave L the chance truly to see how similar Ori and her mother really were. Not just physically, but mentally and emotionally too. Ori was like a little mini-me. It wasn't necessarily a bad thing, Vivian had the aura of a strong-willed and enjoyable person. Her joy was almost infectious and L found himself fighting off a small smile.
"You're still going on about that?" Vivian asked her daughter once she had gotten her laughter under control. "I bet you that one of these days he's going to get a girlfriend just to prove you wrong." Vivian took the plates off the table, including L, who hadn't even realized that he had finished his portion.
"Mom, I told you. If he gets a girlfriend for the sole purpose of proving me wrong, that will only spur on my thoughts of him being gay. " Awareness made Ori's face glow up with a Cheshire like smile.
"Oh... you should've heard what Ryuga said. I met up with him and Raito, and I called him Im-a-gay, which of course got him mad. I asked him why he got so upset about it, and Ryuga said the best thing ever!" Ori had to stop just so that she could let out a chuckle. "He said, and I quote, 'I, myself, am partial to the opposite sex, but if you are leaning towards the male anatomy, that's fine as well'." Vivian's laugh rang out from the kitchen, and when she came back, a sweet dessert was in her hands on a tray.
"I made a triple chocolate roll cake for dessert-"
"Yes please." L opened his mouth, but the words hadn't come from him. Ori was standing in front of her chair eyes wide and mouth open. Vivian gave her a motherly glare and Ori sunk back into her chair, looking like a sad puppy.
"Honey, you are as slick and cunning as a fox, but your appetite and sweet tooth are that of a monster."
"I'm OK with that," Ori said. "But Imma head to the bathroom first." She went to the stairs and jogged up the steps. Vivian stared after her with a suddenly wistful expression.
"Has she told you that she was selfish yet?" She asked suddenly. L wasn't ready for such a direct question, but he nodded.
"Yes, though she doesn't seem bothered by it."
"It's because she's not--selfish that is. She really is a sweet girl, with a big heart, and she's got the brains to go to any school she wants. But it's easy to convince yourself that you're selfish when you don't want to feel guilty for things, even when they're out of your control." Vivian cut a slice of the roll cake and placed it on a paper plate, passing it over to L.
"You'd never guess it, but she has a lot of self-esteem problems."
"Why? She's intelligent enough."
"Not with her logic or intellect, not even with her size, but with her personality. She's extremely ADD and tends to go on rants. It often makes it hard for her to make friends. The only times she doesn't stop herself is when she finds something she's exceptionally passionate about, that's the only time she can really focus."
'So that's how she was able to spend so many nights focus on looking for Kira without switching to something else? Because she wants to find him so bad?'
"It doesn't help that she's got insomnia. She gets it from stress and all the studying she does." Vivian moves over to a table covered in picture frames. She picks one up and showed it to L. It was a younger Ori. Her face was flushed and her hair was practically standing on end with frizz. She was grinning widely, a front tooth missing. She looked purely, innocently, happy. There weren't any of the dark circles under her eyes that now adored her face. The freckles splashed across her face were dark against her skin, where now they almost blended in with her skin.
"I don't know if it was because of the disappearance of her father, or if it was something else, I was never able to figure it out, but she's become more reserved. Her mood changes too swiftly for anyone to figure out what she's every thinking, though she's usually so cheerful and full of laughs. Even in my profession of being a therapist, she's an anomaly to me."
"You guys aren't sharing secrets, are you?" Ori came hopping down the steps. Her eyes locked onto the picture in L's hands and drew closer. She gazed at it for a second, drinking it in with her eyes.
"I remember that. This kid named Aito threw a baseball at me. I held up my glove, but the force of the ball hit my glove and smacked me right in the face. I ended up losing my front tooth." L put the picture down and propped himself up in front of his dessert. Ori plopped down next to him. Cutting herself a piece from the portion Vivian gave her. L never would've told Watari, but the flavors and textures of Vivian's food rivaled the skills of the old man. The chocolate was rich and moist, and the whipped cream coated his tongue pleasantly. They enjoyed the dessert until the sharp ring of L's phone broke through the comfortable silence. He fished it out of his pocket and held it to his ear.
"Yes?"
"Sir, I'm outside Ms. Nanase's residence. Next time you decide you walk from school, please let me know."
"Yes, thank you. I'll be right there." He ended the call and slipped it back into his pocket.
"I apologize for the abruptness, but my ride's here." He put his feet on the ground and pushed himself into a standing position. Ori stood along with him, forgetting her cake.
"I'll walk you out." She went over to her boots and shoved her feet inside without bothering to lace them up. He caught Vivian's eye, who smiled and mouthed.
"What did I tell you?" He assumed she was referring to her comment about Ori being kind and sweet.
"Thank you for dinner and dessert, Mrs. Nanase; it was delicious."
"I'm glad you liked it, dear. And please, call me Vivian."
"All right then. Have a good night, Vivian." L went to the door and pushed his feet into his shoes. Ori was already holding the door open for him. He walked through, thanking her quickly, and stepping into the brisk evening air. Watari was standing outside the door, arms neatly folded behind his back.
"Hi, Watari!" Ori waved as she shut the door behind her. The old man chuckled and waved back before putting his hand back.
"Good evening, Ori. I hope that Ryuga wasn't too much trouble."
"Not at all. He was surprisingly well behaved." They laughed as if sharing an inside joke. L bit back a retort about talking about him like he wasn't there. He stepped into the car, holding his knees to his chest. The windows were rolled down, and Ori stood outside the window, bent down a little.
"See ya later, Ryuga. I hope my mom was good to you."
"She's a very kind woman. You're lucky."
"Yeah, I remind myself of that every day." With one last wave, Ori turned and made her way back to the house. He could hear her grumbling about the snow sticking to her boots and kicking them off on the porch steps before opening the door and slipping back into her house. L rolled up the windows and slumped against the backrest.
"She's trying to convince herself and those around her that she's selfish, but when it comes down to actions, she's actually quite thoughtful." He muttered to himself.
"What was that, sir?" Watari asked from the driver's seat. L could almost hear the smile in the older man's voice.
"Nothing. Let's head back to the hotel; we have more work to do."