...

[beyond_boredom]

[There is an unattended child of perhaps 9 or 10 perched on a chair at the kitchen table, equally engrossed in both the open jar of strawberry jam and the stack of manga spread out on the table in front of him. It's B, obviously, and he's had an accidental encounter with the age reversal room.]

[[Fear, mansion. Or, come chat with tiny B.]]

Comments

[happy_irthday]

[ He's never seen himself this little before, so he wanders in and tilts his head, smiling at the little B with a sleeve hanging loosely from his mouth. ]

Oh, a little Beyond~!
... Oooooh, jam.

[beyond_boredom]

[He glances up from his book, staring intently at this alternate, and licks a bit of jam off his fingers.]

Please call me Ryuzaki.

[happy_irthday]

[ Blinkblink. But he continues to smile widely. ]

Okay. Sorry, Ryuzaki.
Beyond didn't know. But Beyond thought Ryuzaki was L's name?

[beyond_boredom]

It was my name first.

[He scoops a bit more jam out of the jar and licks it voraciously off his fingers.]

Why do you talk like that?

[happy_irthday]

Ohhh. That makes sense. Did L copy Ryuzaki?

[ He tilts his head, thinking for a moment, then shrugs, looking clueless. ]

Beyond has talked like this for a long time.
He forgets his name sometimes, if he doesn't, and that's one thing M can't take from him!

[ He smiles happily, pleased with his explanation. ]

[beyond_boredom]

[He stares, unblinking, for another few seconds, then licks his fingers again.]

You sound as if you have some sort of brain damage. Were you not given an alias?

[happy_irthday]

[ His smile slips a little. ]

Brain damage? Beyond doesn't...
Beyond was B. But Beyond hates that name.

[beyond_boredom]

There was a reason you were given that alias, was there not?

[happy_irthday]

Beyond-- doesn't remember. He thinks so?

[beyond_boredom]

You should probably use it, then.

[He reaches into the jar and scoops a bit more jam out, slowly licking it off his fingers.]

Don't you want to be like L?

[happy_irthday]

B-but... why would Beyond use a name he hates?

[ He frowns, now, chewing on his sleeve. ]

Beyond can't be L. L is God.
But red-sweater L said he's not and Beyond thinks he believes him.
So he's kinda confused a little.

[beyond_boredom]

Clearly.

[happy_irthday]

What's that supposed to mean?

[beyond_boredom]

Clearly you're confused.

[Said as if it should be obvious, licking another bit of jam off his finger]

[happy_irthday]

[ He isn't sure if B is making fun of him or not. ]

O-oh.