Dealing With Boredom [Death Note]
Fandom: Death Note
Pairing(s): None
Rating: G
Warning: Includes characters introduced after volume 7
Disclaimer: I do not own Death Note or any of its characters. Death Note belongs to Ohba Tsugumi-sensei and Obata Takeshi-sensei, the creator and artist behind Death Note whom we should thank for bringing us such a wonderful series. This is a non-profit fanfiction written by a fan, for the enjoyment of other fans.
This ficlet should take place a few years before 2005 in DN time.
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Near stared emptily at the floor. His fingers brushed slowly over the cold tile.
A minute ago, a "new" box of jigsaw puzzle had laid there. "New" not because it was newly purchased, but because it was one that Near had not attempted before.
It was gone now. A fellow child of the orphanage had snatched it away from Near's hands as Near was about to empty the contents onto the floor, laughing mean-spiritedly as he ran out of the room.
"Why do you look so sad?"
Near looked up at the voice and saw a pale, lanky youth standing before him, bent over slightly.
He stared into the youth's dark eyes, and at the dark eye bags under them, for a long moment before answering.
"Mello took away my puzzle." The child's voice sounded, a whiny tinge in it.
The youth didn't blink. "Why does that make you sad?"
Near looked at the youth, realising that he didn't seem to have seen him before. Furthermore, most of the children at the home were younger. Still, something compelled him to reply.
"There are no other interesting things that I can play with."
"Anything around you can be interesting."
The youth straightened, shuffled to the fireplace, and sat down by the basket of cones beside it. He drew his legs close to his chest, and picked up a dried pinecone, holding it between his thumb and finger with minimum contact surface area.
Near got up from the floor and walked to the fireplace.
The youth placed the cone on the floor and reached for another from the basket.
Near sat down.
The youth precisely balanced the second cone on top of the first and reached for a third.
Near watched for a few seconds then picked a cone from the basket.
Placing it on the floor, he took a second and placed it carefully on the first.
The third wouldn't stay on. Near set it on the second and it fell off. He tried a second time; the second cone rolled off after the third.
Near's eyes flicked to the youth who was reaching for his seventh cone. Then he picked up the cone and scrutinised it, noting the irregular surface, the rises and the dips.
"It requires concentration and precision."
Near looked up. The youth wasn't looking at him, but at the seventh cone as he added it to his tower, his other hand at his lips. "It helps focus."
Near looked down at the cones by his legs. Then he picked up one.
The warm fire cackled merrily.
"And it's something you can do anywhere to deal with boredom," the youth's flat voice sounded.
Near paused briefly as he placed his tenth cone on his tower, and smiled.
Date written: 15 January 2006
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Post fic ramble:
Inspired by how Near was stacking towers of dice and matchsticks and remembering how L builds towers of milk (as in those small cups of milk for adding to coffee). And though I don't know much about fireplaces and pinecones (>_< but I couldn't think of anything else remotely stackable in the room!), I charged ahead with the idea.
Pairing(s): None
Rating: G
Warning: Includes characters introduced after volume 7
Disclaimer: I do not own Death Note or any of its characters. Death Note belongs to Ohba Tsugumi-sensei and Obata Takeshi-sensei, the creator and artist behind Death Note whom we should thank for bringing us such a wonderful series. This is a non-profit fanfiction written by a fan, for the enjoyment of other fans.
This ficlet should take place a few years before 2005 in DN time.
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Near stared emptily at the floor. His fingers brushed slowly over the cold tile.
A minute ago, a "new" box of jigsaw puzzle had laid there. "New" not because it was newly purchased, but because it was one that Near had not attempted before.
It was gone now. A fellow child of the orphanage had snatched it away from Near's hands as Near was about to empty the contents onto the floor, laughing mean-spiritedly as he ran out of the room.
"Why do you look so sad?"
Near looked up at the voice and saw a pale, lanky youth standing before him, bent over slightly.
He stared into the youth's dark eyes, and at the dark eye bags under them, for a long moment before answering.
"Mello took away my puzzle." The child's voice sounded, a whiny tinge in it.
The youth didn't blink. "Why does that make you sad?"
Near looked at the youth, realising that he didn't seem to have seen him before. Furthermore, most of the children at the home were younger. Still, something compelled him to reply.
"There are no other interesting things that I can play with."
"Anything around you can be interesting."
The youth straightened, shuffled to the fireplace, and sat down by the basket of cones beside it. He drew his legs close to his chest, and picked up a dried pinecone, holding it between his thumb and finger with minimum contact surface area.
Near got up from the floor and walked to the fireplace.
The youth placed the cone on the floor and reached for another from the basket.
Near sat down.
The youth precisely balanced the second cone on top of the first and reached for a third.
Near watched for a few seconds then picked a cone from the basket.
Placing it on the floor, he took a second and placed it carefully on the first.
The third wouldn't stay on. Near set it on the second and it fell off. He tried a second time; the second cone rolled off after the third.
Near's eyes flicked to the youth who was reaching for his seventh cone. Then he picked up the cone and scrutinised it, noting the irregular surface, the rises and the dips.
"It requires concentration and precision."
Near looked up. The youth wasn't looking at him, but at the seventh cone as he added it to his tower, his other hand at his lips. "It helps focus."
Near looked down at the cones by his legs. Then he picked up one.
The warm fire cackled merrily.
"And it's something you can do anywhere to deal with boredom," the youth's flat voice sounded.
Near paused briefly as he placed his tenth cone on his tower, and smiled.
Date written: 15 January 2006
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Post fic ramble:
Inspired by how Near was stacking towers of dice and matchsticks and remembering how L builds towers of milk (as in those small cups of milk for adding to coffee). And though I don't know much about fireplaces and pinecones (>_< but I couldn't think of anything else remotely stackable in the room!), I charged ahead with the idea.