[Closed]

[shiromadoushi]

Characters: Bakura & L
Location: L's office in Watch HQ
Rating: Uh... PG-13 depending on what they talk about?
Time: 5/12, evening
Description: After running into L's doppelganger, Bakura goes to talk to his friend about WTF is going on.



By all surface appearances, it was the same as the night before. Come home late from working with the police to find his friends, cook dinner, fill L's oversized bento, and head out to deliver it to the detective at the Watch.

But there was a distracted expression. He had over cooked the first batch of carrots and had spent far to long debating remaking them or just leaving them out. The fruit salad was far more haphazard and held none of the previous nights artistry. It still looked quite presentable, but anyone who was familiar with Bakura's normal cooking and style would realize that something was bothering the teen.

But the person who would be receiving the bento already would know that....

Still, Bakura did his best to be alert as he walked, not letting himself get distracted. It wasn't until he was at L's office door that he at all relaxed. "Ryuzaki? It's me..." he called as he knocked.

Comments

[shiromadoushi]

Bakura nodded, unfolding and getting to his feet, smoothing down his shirt before walking over. He glanced over at the fallen bento, thankfully still tightly wrapped, before carefully couching down to pick it up.

"You should eat while I'm gone... you'll need it."

[dead_black_eyes]

"Yes," L agreed noncommitally, watching Bakura pick up the bento. "I'll surely need everything. And hopefully, it will be enough."

[shiromadoushi]

Bakura held it out, eyes both worried and apologetic.

[dead_black_eyes]

L accepted it, setting it back on the desk.

"Try not to cause any more damage. I mean it. I'm trying to salvage this, but please understand that I might not be in a position to rescue you, should something happen as a result of your actions tonight."

[shiromadoushi]

Bakura nodded, looking down guiltily. "Is there anything I should keep an eye out for...? Or keep in mind? Just leaving... didn't seem to help..."

[dead_black_eyes]

L didn't look at Bakura, keeping his eyes on his computer screen as he settled into his chair, folding his wiry body up like a fortress.

"Marco's English isn't very good. So say Sono venuto per Ryuuga Candy Cane. Ordine consueto. La ringrazio. Don't stay long. And don't make eye contact with his friends."

He seemed unwilling, at least for the moment, to say anything more about Beyond Birthday.

[shiromadoushi]

...what sort of errand was he being sent on...? Still, Bakura simply nodded, doing his best to memorize the sentence. Spanish, was it? Aaa, he was no good at most European languages...! Hopefully he wouldn't mess it up...

"I'll be back soon..."

[dead_black_eyes]

Italian, actually. Not that poor Bakura had any reason to know.

"Yes. Nothing should happen to you on your way. Just to make sure, I'll keep an eye on your route."

Pardon any typos, spellcheck has abadoned this laptop

[shiromadoushi]

"Thank you..." Bakura smiled softly. It was sort of strange, having one stalker to counter another... But reassuring. Maybe it was because of how the Ring was always present, but the thought of L taking a similar position... it was a comfort. Especially with the current situation.

"I'm heading out..." He waved, heading for the door.

Re: Pardon any typos, spellcheck has abadoned this laptop

[dead_black_eyes]

"Marco" happened to live in the more affluent part of town, close to the financial district. His apartment was not as nice as the condos, but damn close.

If Bakura dared to knock on the door, he would be faced with a mountain of muscle.

"Cosa cerchi?"

[shiromadoushi]

... oh hell.

Bakura hesitated a moment before holding out the envelope from L and awkwardly stammering out the unfamiliar sentence he'd been told, likely mangling it slightly.

[dead_black_eyes]

The musclebound, swarthy man squinted at Bakura.

"Prego?"

A man inside the apartment shouted, and a flurry of Italian later, a suited man with a cigarette was at the door, taking the place of what appeared to be his bodyguard.

"Heard you. Your Italian, it is terrible. This is easy, first-timer. You give me the cash, I give you the bag, and then you? You scram." He plucked the envelope from Bakura's hand, opening it and giving a low whistle before barking something back into the apartment.

"Someone, he is burning the midnight oil? Sounds about right, considering who sent you. Good customer, when shit goes pear-shaped. And shit, out there?" He grinned, exhaling a cloud of smoke into Bakura's face. "Definitely pear-shaped."

[shiromadoushi]

The teen coughed at the smoke, trying to keep his composure while at the same time wondering what on Earth he was bringing back. He nodded nervously, keeping his head a bit low. "This sort of thing... he does it often...?" he asked, voice timid. He really wasn't expecting much of an answer, but still felt the need to ask.

[dead_black_eyes]

Marco raised his eyebrows, inhaling deeply.

"As far as we're both concerned, amico? He was never here."

The muscular man handed Marco a brown paper bag, which was immediately transferred to Bakura. It was light and felt empty unless it was shaken around a bit, in which case one could hear plastic bags rustling against each other.

"Now. Scram," Marco reminded him, closing the door in the teen's face.

[shiromadoushi]

Bakura didn't need to be told twice. Awkwardly stuffing the bag into his pocket best he could, he hurried back to the Watch HQ.

[dead_black_eyes]

When L answered his door for the second time that evening, he seemed to have calmed down, but then again, it might have just been the fact that he was tired, and possible to see just how tired when he wasn't animated and vicious. His frame wilted more than usual, his eyes were red-rimmed.

"I had worried that maybe he wouldn't give it to you. Did he?"

[shiromadoushi]

Bakura nodded, carefully pulling the bag out of his pocket to present to his friend. "This sort of thing... what is it...?" he asked, still a touch uneasy from the encounter and worried over his friend's appearance.

[dead_black_eyes]

"It has the same base ingredients of... ritalin, maybe, or adderall," L said vaguely, taking the bag and curling up in his chair, setting his mirror flat on his desk and deftly taking apart a ball point pen. "It's a stimulant. Very safe. Just an extra kick when caffeine isn't cutting it."

Judging by his appearance, caffeine was, in fact, not cutting it.

"I told you that I have a lot to do, didn't I?"

[shiromadoushi]

Bakura didn't look too assured. If it was safe... why all the cloak and dagger to get it?

"U--- un..." he nodded. "Will you be all right...?"

[dead_black_eyes]

"Of course I'll be all right," L said doggedly, the bag rustling as he dug into it for one of the plastic-wrapped packets, rubber band snapping as it was undone. "I'll call you if I notice anything suspicious around your apartment complex. I don't expect anything this quickly, though."

The repetitive clicking of metal against glass sounded, subtle scraping and pushing and spinning the hollowed-out pen in his fingers.

"You really can go. Staying here is going to help nothing. But if you want to help me more, for whatever reason, I have another errand I've thought of. You are aware that this person dresses like me? I need you to get me some new clothes. I don't like that it has to come to this, but I would prefer to short-circuit other misunderstandings and cases of mistaken identity if I can..."

[shiromadoushi]

Bakura nodded. "No buttons or layers, but maybe something with a pattern or colour to it?" he offered.

He'd given quite a lot of thought to differences that could be added to himself and the Ring's Voice, but never had pursued any of them out of an odd sort of stubbornness. It was odd to think that Ryuzaki would need those now....

[dead_black_eyes]

"I don't care what you get. Just as long as it's different, and people will be able to tell us apart," L replied softly. "That is what matters."

He bent his head, inhaling sharply, brushing off his mirror and leaning forward in his chair as he continued to watch the monitors.

"I realize you'e not the only one that can make this mistake."

[shiromadoushi]

Bakura nodded unhappily. "I'm sorry... I should have been able to tell sooner..."

If for nothing else than knowing that there could be a double, even if Ryuzaki was from a different world.

[dead_black_eyes]

L blew his nose and discreetly wrapped the white plastic tube from the ballpoint pen in the tissue, maybe quickly enough to hide the flecks of blood on one end.

"Again. It could have been anyone's mistake," he said, remaining turned toward his screens, eyes wide and riveted to their glowing images. "I was angry before because I've only felt this way once, and it was... well. My last day. I don't really know what to expect now, and I am afraid, but I don't think it was right of me to take it out on you. So. Please accept my apology."

Lucky for L, Bakura's too damned naive about drugs to get what's going on :)

[shiromadoushi]

Bakura nodded, a very faint smile on his lips. "I do. Thank you... I don't really blame you for it. I know I made a huge mess of things..." he acknowledged, fidgeting a little with his hand. "I just hope... I hope I can help put things right again. Anything I can do to help... even if it's just still bringing you meals. Just let me know... okay?"

FFS BAKURA

[dead_black_eyes]

"Food is fine. Clothes are better. At this time, there isn't much else I can do personally to avert the situation," L murmured, wholly engrossed in the screens as his focus began to drift from Bakura. "And nothing you can do, either. It's not good or bad, it's just what it is."

He was a sheltered kid, okay? :D

[shiromadoushi]

Bakura nodded, taking the shifting focus as his cue to get on with his errand. "I'll head to the store. Should I pick you up some pastry while I'm out....?"

yes yes yes yes

[dead_black_eyes]

"I'm not actually really that hungry. Too much coffee," L said, clearing his throat. "But perhaps I will be. If it's not too much trouble, you can certainly do so."

[shiromadoushi]

"Even if you don't think you're hungry, you still should eat," Bakura pointed out. After all, L had been the one who had said he sometimes couldn't tell if he was hungry, right? With how out of touch the detective was about his body and his needs...

"I'll get you a fruit tart, okay?" he promised, hand resting on the door knob a moment as he looked back over at his friend. "I'll be back..."

[dead_black_eyes]

"Yes, that's fine, of course," L said, indiffent and distracted and maybe just a ghost of agitated.

"I like blue."

[shiromadoushi]

Bakura nodded, waving before he took his exit.

Blue clothes, he could do. Easily.