Show And Tell

[chilichoc]

When Mel steps into the room she thinks is the library, two ribbons appear in her hand. They're greyish-blue, and would probably seem insignificant to anyone else, but she finds herself talking about them

Comments

[baby_go_boom]

[He clears his throat, opens his palm and looks the little train in his hand. It's an old toy train piece. Percy.]

When I was a kid, we had a huge brio set up in the basement, she'd leave all of us down there and tell us not to get into fights. We always did. One day, I threw it at my brother because I was mad, and she grabbed me by the hand and pulled me over to him, and pointed at his cheek. She said 'you see what that is? That's a tear? You made him cry because what you did hurt him.' It was my job to protect him. I never tried to hurt him again.

[chilichoc]

You had a brother?

*If she sounds disbelieving, it's because siblings are in the realm of the exotic for her.*

[baby_go_boom]

Mel, right?

[Would she believe him if he said 'no'?]

[chilichoc]

Yeah. I haven't seen a boy-me in a while. Hi.

[saccharinesugar]

When Misa walks into the room, the crucifix necklace disappears from around her neck and reappears in outstretched palms, except now there are two roses made of metal coiled around the cross. She blinks and is overcome with the unexplainable urge to speak,

"My parents were Catholic. For my confirmation, I was supposed to choose a saint I had a special affinity with and their name would become my middle name. I chose Thérèse of Lisieux. I had this specially made for the day of my conformation. Roses entwining a crucifix is her symbol."

She holds out the necklace.

"Later on, when people asked me why, I said it was because she was beautiful and because she was French - before this crucifix I used to wear a Fleur de Lis every day. And of course, her patronage was the loss of parents."

She takes the crucifix and dangles it to the side of her face.

"When she laid on her death bed at age 24, her final words were, 'I have reached the point of not being able to suffer any more, because all suffering is sweet to meShe brings it towards

[chilichoc]

*Mel listens, and is surprised to hear that Misa's Catholic. She wants to tell her that's no way to live one's life, but they haven't even met.*

Hi. Misa, right?

That's a beautiful necklace. I'm Catholic too.

*And her rosary could easily have been the thing she was made to talk about. She holds it up to show Misa. It's an antique, with an ornate cross and red beads.*

[saccharinesugar]

"... Mero, you're a girl."

[chilichoc]

All my life. *This is one of her standard answers.*

And I go by Mel.

[gamerspy]

There's a small wooden instrument in Matt's hands. He turns it over a few times, blinking down at it.

"My parents and older brother were pretty musical. They were always trying to get me interested, but I just - wasn't, I guess. I turned down music lessons at the House, but once we snuck into town during the summer fair or whatever, and one of the stalls was selling all this hippy stuff. I grabbed this and ran back home - I don't even know what the damn thing's called. It's probably still back at the House, under my old bed or something."

[chilichoc]

Hey, Matt. I was just thinking about you.

*She looks at what he's holding.*

Do you know how to play it?

[gamerspy]

Matt gives her a quick grin - "All good things, right?" - and rocks the instrument between his hands when she asks her question. "Nah. I mean, I couldn't play anything on it or whatever. It just looked like the kind of thing they might have had, you know?"

[chilichoc]

Naturally. I was talking to a boy-me, and I think his Matt might have a similar situation to yours.

*She smiles, remembering when she saw him as a kid.* Yeah. I knew that was you, with the sweater and the stuffed goat.

[chilichoc]

Hey, Light. That's too bad.

*She shows him her hair ribbons.* I think these came from under a floorboard at Wammy's.

[chilichoc]

I was an angry kid. *But she smiles now.* My ponytails were always crooked.

I've seen a version of you as a kid, so I know you were cute.

*And this one has the added advantage of not being evil.*

[firm_detective]

*Masquerade is in L's hands almost as soon as he crosses the threshold of the room -- so quickly that it disorients him.*

*It came into the world at nearly the same time that he did, but he didn't discover it until he was around three years old. The thin picture book had been stuck between two fat academic volumes on his parents' sagging bookcase, almost obscured by their spines, belying the fact that it had been the focus of a treasure hunt that had captivated Britain while the two of them were too busy chasing after a precocious toddler. They were happy to let him have the book, but they were both pleased and unsettled when his fascination with it turned out not to be related to a story about a rabbit -- when he solved a puzzle that had kept intelligent adults busy for months in a matter of days.*

*He stares at the book with an odd expression on his face, then starts to speak.*

It is the first difficult puzzle that I ever solved. -- Of course, by the time I discovered the book, the jewel had been found -- "CLOSE BY AMPTHILL." I

[chilichoc]

*Mel never knew how her L was orphaned. She couldn't bring herself to ask, just like there were some kids at the House she knew would never tell their own stories. The book was well before her time, and she doesn't know anything about it.*

The jewel?

*She suspects they won't stick to neutral topics long, but she'll try.*

[firm_detective]

*He gives her a long, flat look; he doesn't seem overjoyed to see her. He has no memory of their previous encounter at all.*

Yes, there was a golden rabbit that was buried in a park. The pictures in the book are clues to its location -- obscure clues, but clues nonetheless. If you could work out the solution before anyone else did, you could dig up and keep the jewel. It was quite famous at the time.

*His tone is both erudite and clinical.*

[chilichoc]

*She doesn't remember either, of course. There's something in that look that seems enough like an accusation to her that she answers it.*

I thought it'd be best to keep out of sight for a little while.

I never heard about that. *She nods toward the book.* I must've been too young.