Chapter Text
PREVIOUSLY, ON LOVE NOTE:
“So, (Y/N), how have you been feeling?”
“You know damn well what you did.”
“They did this after I tried to break out of this dump. It’s not a big deal, I’ll probably get out of it in a few days or so– (Y/N), what’s that around your neck?”
“She’s never loved anyone.”
“I love you, (Y/N).”
“I love you too, Mom.”
“I can’t agree with someone who sees fellow people as less than human.”
“…”
“I just don’t know what to do.”
In all her nineteen years of life, Kiyomi had never thought that she would be venting to a pig, of all things. Yet, in this tumultuous time, it would seem that Spiderpig was the only person in the world who understood what she was going through in that moment.
“She just seems…off. Like, it’s not anything she’s doing or saying,” Kiyomi rambles, “but…something about her is just…you know what I mean? On guard. Even more than usual. She’s scared of something.”
Spiderpig nods enthusiastically and lets out a loud ‘reet!’
“You understand!” Kiyomi’s face lights up. “I thought it was just because of…everything, but it’s not because of that, is it? It’s something worse.”
“Reet!”
“…” Kiyomi sighs. “She’ll never tell me. I know she won’t. Ryuzaki seems to know something, but I’m not going to ask him, no way in–”
“Ryuzaki says (Y/N)’s suffering from some sort of mental disease.”
Kiyomi freezes.
Turns around.
“Misa?”
Misa Amane is standing at the doorway, an oddly melancholic look on her face. “Apparently her mother and all her aunts have it. Or at least, that’s what he said at the meeting.”
“…” Ah, that was right. Misa went to the meeting. “Did they say anything else?”
Misa nods. “Yeah. (Y/N)’s mother killed Watari’s son-in-law, and then tried to kill Watari.”
“…What?” Kiyomi thinks her head is spinning. “Are you…sure?”
“They definitely weren’t lying. Watari looked like he was in such pain…” Misa frowns with thought. “Though, if it counts for anything, they said it was Watari’s daughter’s idea to put the collar on (Y/N).”
“So what if it was her idea,” spits Kiyomi, and Misa jumps a little. “They still did it.”
“…”
“…sorry.”
“It’s alright. I understand.” Misa smiles a little, love rising in her eyes like a fog. “I would feel the same if they did it to you. Worse, even. I think I would want to rip their throats out.”
“…” Kiyomi swallows and averts her gaze.
Misa’s eyes widen, and she shuffles her feet a little. “I…I’ll go.”
Misa leaves, her footsteps growing fainter and fainter as she walks back to her room.
Kiyomi looks at Spiderpig, and sighs once again, closing her eyes.
She wonders what she did to have this sort of luck.
…
AT THE MAIN ROOM
…
“Hey, Ryuzaki.” A brief pause. “Hey, Light. Hey, guys.”
“Hello, (Y/N),” says Light.
“Hey,” says Matt.
“Hey,” says Mello.
Near gives (Y/N) a brief nod of acknowledge.
But L doesn’t say a single word.
“…Listen, Ryuzaki.” (Y/N) sighs. “Could you and I talk? In private?”
“…Why so, (Y/N)-san?”
“Look, it’s about Celia.”
L stands up. “Mello, Matt, Near. Please keep an eye on Light-kun while I talk to (Y/N).”
“Sure,” answers Mello.
L unlocks the handcuff, and it falls to the floor, clattering.
“Let’s go, then, (Y/N)-san.”
“Listen.” (Y/N) folds her arms together. “I know pretty well that you’re not gonna believe jack about what I say about Celia, so I’m gonna stop with that." (Y/N) leans over the table, closer to L. “So, L. Tell me. Do you trust Celia because she’s Watari’s daughter, or for some other reason?”
“…” A smile appears on L’s face. “I never said I trusted her.”
(Y/N)’s eyes widen.
“I know she has been telling the truth so far, simply because she has no reason to lie. That doesn’t mean I think she can’t lie. I just simply think that what she has said so far is probably the truth, due to the evidence behind it. After all, if you are suggesting that she is lying about everything, and is truly trying to paint you as insane, then your hypothesis leaves one gap.”
“…What gap?”
“Dr. Vsevolod.”
“…Celia didn’t love him,” (Y/N) says.
“I’ll take that. You never know what a person really feels about their spouse. But they had been married for six years by that point, meaning that Celia clearly found the marriage useful enough to keep up the farce for that long. So why would she orchestrate her husband’s murder purely for you?”
“…she’s obsessed with me,” (Y/N) says quietly. “Always has been. She wants…she wants to drive me crazy.”
“And why would she want that?”
“Don’t you think I’ve been wondering about that?!” snaps (Y/N). “I’ve been thinking about it every night for six whole years, and even then, I haven’t got a goddamn answer!”
“…”
“…sorry.”
“…To give you credit, (Y/N)-san, you have no reason to lie either. If Celia is indeed lying about you, everything you say and do is simply in self-defence.”
“Then what’s up with this, then?!” (Y/N) points furiously to her collar. “If you’re telling me, you don’t trust Celia, then why the hell would you go along…”
Her voice trails off, as she remembers the words L said to her once before.
“You’ve already hurt the person I love.”
“…Ah.” She chuckles. Then full out howls with laughter. “AHAHAHAHAHAHA!”
L doesn’t even flinch, even as (Y/N)’s laughter grows louder.
“AHAHAHAHAHAHA! Ha, ha…ha…” She takes a breath. “It was stupid of me to warn you. I get it now. You're too scared to escape your strings. Just like me.”
“…You understand, then.”
“I do.” (Y/N) chuckles. “My strings are my mother. Celia’s got her all locked up, and she’ll do god knows what to her if I don’t do what she wants."
"..."
(Y/N) tilts her head to the side, and smirks. “Fellow puppets, huh? Who’da thought?”
“I think it would be in my best interests if I were to free you,” L says. “Light, Matsuda, the successors have all handed in their remotes, and expressed their displeasure at your treatment. If I were to continue with the whole collar business, then they’ll turn even more against me. But I’m sure you understand why I can’t stop.”
“'(Y/N) (L/N) might not be infected, but if she is, then Watari might be killed by her.' I get it,” (Y/N) replies. “That’s just what she does. And hey, I’d be afraid of me if I were you too.”
“…I hope that you’re wrong, (Y/N) (L/N). It would be irritating to discover that I was being manipulated the whole time.”
“Eat crap, you motherfudger.” (Y/N) smirks. “For now, we’re both dancing to her tune, so we may as well make the most of it. So what do you say to a game of Scrabble, Puppet Two?”
“Scrabble?” L blinks. “You’ve forgiven me that easily?”
“I haven’t forgiven you; you’re the still the same bastard as five minutes ago.” (Y/N) rolls her eyes. “But hey, you’re a fellow puppet. Gotta cut you some slack.”
“…I am not a puppet.”
"Sure, that's what they all say." She stands up from her chair.
“Oh, and by the way,” and here, she grins, “it’s one point to me.”
Then she leaves the room to get a Scrabble board.