Desperate drought (Eleven days and counting)

[chilichoc]

*Mel's in the only kitchen she knows of with marble countertops. She's got the sleeves of her striped shirt rolled up, her dirty hair's pulled into a haphazard ponytail, and her leather pants are sitting low on her hips

Comments

[ciggy_plz]

[Of course, Matt never has any idea where he's going, or even what floor he's on, so wandering into this kitchen is completely accidental. Though he's sort of glad he did, because there's Mel, and he grins.

But when he walks up to her, the grin dies, and his greeting dies on his lips. Concerned, he approaches very carefully, knowing how Mello is and figuring even female versions are the same.]

... Mel?

[chilichoc]

Hey, Matt.

*It doesn't bother he that he's a version of Mail, because he's the wrong height.*

Want some soup? I made it, but it's pretty good.

[ciggy_plz]

[He has half a frown on his face, but he nods.]

Yeah, sure. Sounds good.
Uh, everything alright?

[chilichoc]

I lost Mail.

*She opens the cabinet where the bowls are, and just... stops.*

I looked everywhere. I don't know what to do anymore.

[firm_detective]

*L doesn't want to be away from his room for long, a day after his rearrival at the mansion. As it happens, though, the food situation there is dire; he's come to the kitchen in search of snacks for Misa and himself. He looks slightly more disheveled than usual.*

*When he steps into the kitchen, he stops short, with a slight frown.*

I can see that you are cooking, Mel, but -- what are you doing?

*Noticing the identical cookies, he gestures toward them and continues,*

Those look good.

[chilichoc]

I have to break it up to temper it.

*She gives a larger piece of chocolate an especially hard whack.*

That's what the cookbook said. Take as many cookies as you want.

[firm_detective]

It is exceptionally noisy.

*Ambling over, he plucks a cookie from the rack.*

What are you making?

*He bites into the cookie.*

[chilichoc]

It's satisfying. ...sort of.

*She frowns at the chocolate shards. It all seems pointless, suddenly.*

Mole sauce. I thought. I don't know.

[curtainwizard]

[The sound carries, a repetitive thud-thud-thud as if someone's being beaten to death with a hammer. Light is drawn in by it. Once he's down a couple of floors and listening in the corridor, it's clear the noise is coming from the fifth floor kitchen. There are no screams, no sounds of bludgeoning - yet - so he edges closer, catlike. Peers through the door.

...oh. It's you. Still dirty, thinner, wearing the same clothes as before, and ... cooking. Frantically rushing from one thing to the next. Piling up cookies as if it's going to bring Mail back from the dead.

Sketchbook in hand, he leans against the doorway, and watches you work. The deteriorating is marked, but the air he's giving off is one of nervousness. As if he doesn't know if he should come in - or not.]

[chilichoc]

*There's a flicker in her eyes, when she looks over at him, as if she's putting a check mark by him: if it comes to that, if there's no way to bring him back, you might have a way to make it permanent. Suicide is a mortal sin, but telling someone your name isn't. She touches her rosary with a fleeting brush of fingertips.*

Yagami.

[curtainwizard]

Mel.

[The calculating glint, the quick prayer, as you look at him. It's curious. What is there that she could ever want from me? Something she's afraid of, and prepared to ask for?

He steps inside, impassive, intrigued.]

You don't look well.

[chilichoc]

Of course I don't.

*Trying to blot out that moment of weakness. Even if there were nothing else she could do, even if she wanted nothing more than to stop, he'd enjoy it too much.*

[chilichoc]

*She's flinging her arms right around him, and trying not to outright sob.*

Little brother, he's gone. Eleven days and I've looked fucking everywhere.

[chilichoc]

It's something to do.

*Looking over at the ruins of the chocolate bars and sighing.*

I don't think he's here any more.

*She steps back and holds out her hand, like a child ready to be led.*

OK. I should be clean. I guess.

[terusagoodboy]

...Mel-san?

*She doesn't look well. Cue concerned Teru.*

[chilichoc]

Hey, Teru.

*She tries to put on a smile for him. It doesn't quite stick.*

Want a cookie?

[terusagoodboy]

...okay. Are you going to have one as well?

[chilichoc]

I'm not hungry. Take some for Mi- Miles, if you want.

*Frowning at herself for stumbling over the name.*