• Chapter Twelve

    Otaku

    I closed my eyes last and opened them first. And the first thing I saw was a pair of wide black eyes just inches from my own. I blinked and screamed. The eyes above me screamed too, and pulled away. I then realized (stupidly) that they were attached to a round face, outlined in thin black hair.

    “Matsuda!!” I heard a loud voice roar. “Quit messing with that poor girl! Has she finally awoken?” Matsuda! Matsuda Touta!! So that’s who it was! I knew there was something familiar in those dark, laughing eyes.

    “Yup!! She’s awake, alright!” Matsuda answered as Chief Yagami entered the room. “And she can really blast someone’s ears out!” he added with a broad smile. I smiled back at him and pulled myself off the couch I had been lying on. Wait, wait, wait. Hold the phone. Matsuda?! Chief Yagami?! What, was I hallucinating?! My knees felt weak, and began to cave beneath me. Both men’s eyes widened as they lunged to catch me. I felt their arms underneath me as they caught and gently laid me back down on the couch.

    “No,” I protested groggily. “What about L, I mean, Ryuuzaki? And Hattie? Wh-where are they?” Chief Yagami gently pushed me back down to the cushions against my struggle to stand. “Don’t worry about Ryuuzaki and your friend, did you say Hattie was her name?” I nodded weakly.

    “But, are they awake yet? Where are they?” Yagami sighed. “No, they haven’t woken yet. Really, this is the first time I’ve EVER seen Ryuuzaki asleep,” he added under his breath, but I caught it anyways. “I know! So unusual, but I’m sure it’s good for him…” I muttered. “Yes, yes, I’m sure,” Chief replied soothingly. “If you are feeling weak, please continue to sleep. Ryuuzaki and Hattie are in good hands,” He didn’t need to push, I was half-asleep anyways. My eyelids were heavy, and my mind foggy, I gave up and relaxed up against the couch. “You know,” I added sleepily before I drifted off again, “I don’t even know where I am.”

    * * *

    The next time I woke up, it was L hovering, ghost-like, over me, instead of Matsuda. He smiled upon seeing my strange-colored eyes opening. “Good afternoon,” he greeted me. I laughed then lazily I sat up, propped up on my elbows. “Good afternoon.” Then I realized something. He was actually smiling! Not a full-fledged smile, not yet, but it was closer!!!

    “So, where am I?”

    “The task force’s building!”

    “You mean the one with all the cameras and the big TV’s in one room?” (Wow, how stupid of me)

    “I suppose one could describe it like that, so, yes, the building with all the cameras and big TV’s,” Another smile, a bigger one this time. He was happy!!! I leaped up, giddy with the pleasure that radiated from L now and looked around myself.

    “YAY!!!” I cried, flinging my hands in the air and swirling around. “We did it!!!! We did it!!! We did-WAIT a minute” I stopped, my hands dropping to my sides. “Where’s Hattie?!” As I spoke her name, memories of the world-transport rushed back to me. (So… I wasn’t crazy?) Anxiously, I spun around myself in an effort to find my friend. My ears picked up the sound of someone breathing softly on the other side of the room. I rushed over to the couch, peering over the side to find eL sleeping peacefully on her side. I reached over and shook her shoulder gently.

    “Haaaaaatie!!!” I called to wake her. She didn’t even stir. “HAAAAAAAATTIIIIEEEEEEE!!!!!!” I tried again, hands cupped around my mouth. “The effort is futile,” I heard L’s voice behind me. “She’s been asleep this entire time, no matter how many times Matsuda tried. I assume that she will be asleep several more hours,” I sighed.

    “What do we do now?” I asked dejectedly. He paused, the shrugged. “I suppose Hattie would want us to wait for her to regain her strength, but… I can show you around?” A smile grew on my lips, hands clapped together in pleasure. “YAY!!” I cried happily.

    So we walked through the rooms, L introducing each one and pointing out everything special about it. I was enthusiastic during every room, the places I’d seen only on pages truly in front of me. Once the ‘tour’ was over, it was late. We returned to the lounge room, where we found eL, still deeply asleep. I began to collapse on the couch opposite her, exhausted, when L grabbed my arm.

    “You don’t think you’re sleeping THERE, do you?” He asked, eyebrow rose in suspicion. I blinked. “Well, where else will I sleep?” he smiled, amused, and took my wrist, guiding me out of the room. “This is one room I haven’t shown you yet,” he said mysteriously, smiling eagerly and still gently grasping my hand, pushed open the double doors in front of us. I gasped in surprise at the magnificent room that awaited me inside. The walls were painted green, several of the most beautiful shades, dabbed on delicately and each spot of color thrown casually together and just barely blended perfectly. Two windows were open on the wall to my right, exposing a brightly starlit sky. A round, soft, white and green rug sat in the middle of the room, next to the two mahogany canopies, colors matching the rest of the beautiful room. A white wicker amour stood in between the two windows, the top covered in books. I gasped and ventured carefully into my dream room.

    “This is-this is so beautiful!!! I love this room!!” I cried happily. L chuckled softly behind me. “I’m glad you like it, because this is the room you and eL will be sharing,” I almost didn’t hear him because I was so busy rushing around the room, touching everything to make sure it was really there and that I really wasn’t dreaming. I threw myself on the nearest canopy bed, sinking into the yielding mattress. My eyelids were heavy as I pulled the heavy covers over my head. I was lazily drifting off to sleep when I heard L quietly reenter the room, carrying Hattie. The canopy bed next to me groaned slightly as L rested Hattie’s body gently on it, and I heard the quiet rustle of the sheets as he pulled them over her. He began to walk away, but stopped and backed up, hesitating in front of our beds. I listened harder, for his breathing or him whispering. But, minutes later, I only heard his retreating footsteps. With a subtle click, the lights above my head flashed out and I was plunged into the enticing darkness that pulled me into sleep.

    * * *

    I opened my eyes to the top of the canopy bed, and rolled over, still comfortable under the warm sheets. I noticed Hattie’s bed, abandoned, the covers thrown recklessly aside. “Oh yeah,” I yawned, still half asleep and began to close my eyes again as it hit me. My eyes flashed open and I sharply pulled myself up. “We’re in the Death Note world.”

    I threw off the covers to find I was still in my old jeans and t-shirt from the other day. Wanting to go into public presentable, I hesitantly made my way over to the amour and opened a drawer, not truly expecting anything, but wanting to check anyways. I gasped in pleasant surprise to find, filling one drawer, several neatly folded pairs of blue jeans, the perfect size to fit both Hattie and I. The next drawer held quite the array t-shirts, once again, just the right size. I shut this drawer and opened the third, the last one; and I swooned over its beautiful contents.

    Four colorful, silk kimonos, each adorned with delicate stitching in several patterns or pictures. I lifted a black one from the amour, indulging myself in the lacy, thin fabric. Golden butterflies winged their way across the dark silk. I held it up by the shoulders against my body to check for size. The exaggerated sleeves reached the middle of my thighs, and the bottom of the kimono stopped just below my ankles. It seemed to float in my hands, it was so soft. Gently, as though if I handled it too roughly it would vanish, I pulled the black sleeves over my arms and let the rest of the kimono drape over my body, swirling delicately as I waltzed confidently across the soft mahogany flooring.

    I stood in front of a long mirror, standing on the far wall, and pulled the golden and black wrapping around my whole waist, tying it in a large, exaggerated bow in the back, so that you could see the edges of it when I lifted the sleeves. Feeling magnificent, I swirled in place, letting the bottom of the kimono dance around my bare ankles.

    With an airy, dream-like feeling, I strode from the room into the lounge, just a door away. L turned to see me and smiled softly. He walked over to where I stood and gently fingered the collar of my kimono.

    “You look beautiful,” he said softly, simply. Ecstasy arose inside me at the sound of his words. “Turn around so I can see you in the whole thing,” he requested, his voice merely a whisper in my ear. I backed away a step for room and raised my arms, turning slowly, a calm action, feeling the smooth cloth on my skin.

    As I twirled around, I saw out of the corner of my eye a tall figure, blonde hair,white and bluet-shirt-Hattie! I stopped to see her, then excitement pulsed through me. I clasped her hands and bounced around screaming with joy.

    “You’re awake, you’re awake!!!”

    “Yes, yes, Otaku, I’m awake!!” Hattie joined me in my hopping little circles. And then, L laughed.

    I froze. L… laughed?!?! He actually LAUGHED?!?!!? I dropped my hands and turned to stare in wonder at him. The beautiful, broad smile that brightened his face faded from his lips. “What?” Now, I ran over to HIM, grabbing HIS hands and leaping around, ecstatic. “What?!” L demanded louder now.

    “You actually LAUGHED!!! L, the greatest detective in the world, Mr. Mysterious-Quiet-Mystery-Serious-Guy actually laughed and smiled!!!” My shock brought more happiness to his face. He laughed more, harder. Soon, I was laughing with him, L clutching his side, me kneeling on the floor, head thrown back with laughter. Hattie wasn’t long to join us, and I assumed, to the rest of the task force in the ‘room with the big TVs’ thought we had literally lost our minds. After about a minute, we regained our ‘composure’ though still giddy and light-headed from laughing so hard. I thrust my right fist into the air.

    “To the cake!!!” I cried. “Yes,” Hattie agreed with me as we paraded from the room, followed by an eager L, “To the cake!!!”