[private]

[siafukira]

With Sayu long gone, Light is progressing down the corridor, checking doors. Most are open, like his backpack - though the flap's draped over the top. Occasionally one is locked, like the one he comes to now; crouching down, he removes the pack, produces a small torch and shines it into the keyhole.

[[OOC: private to righteous_pen.]]

Comments

[siafukira.livejournal.com]

Or perhaps she'd have better luck asking than either of us, isn't that right? And I sent her to bed. Still, it can't be helped.

[It's the mark of his face, nothing more. Light knows he's not Kira, even if he can't expect anyone else to.]

But those are our options. Either we recruit more people and expand the search - or we accept that given the size of this place, and the way it moves, we're unlikely to find him at all.

[His gaze is a little off-centre, shuttered and regretful. Bad news.]

[righteous-pen.livejournal.com]

[He goes to speak, pauses, and gives a quiet little sigh. Really, he's known the only possible conclusion since he started looking. It's just one he can never bring himself to accept, on his own. But now he has permission to say it at least.]

Honestly? We could recruit the whole mansion population, and we wouldn't find him if the place doesn't want us to.

[siafukira.livejournal.com]

[At Mikami's words, Light nods quietly in confirmation.]

No, that's clear. But still, we had to try, didn't we? She'd have no peace of mind if we hadn't - and you never know. We might have found him.

[righteous-pen.livejournal.com]

Someone had to do something.

[The undeniable truth. As always.]

[siafukira.livejournal.com]

Yes.

[It is undeniable. What more is there to say?]

Mikami-san, I'm going to check around here one more time. Perhaps it'll be more amenable to showing me; perhaps he's locked in somewhere. Fetch me if you find him. If I'm not here, I'll be in the main library, or my room's on the second floor - uh, a couple of junctions left as you come out of the kitchen. There's a chalk circle on the door.

[He gives his location as if he doesn't think he's in danger himself; as if it's nothing at all.]

[righteous-pen.livejournal.com]

[Teru nods, acknowledging. As if it's normal, to be talking like this, with him - it's not as though he can do anything else. He can't just ask, who are you and why are you treating me as if I'm human? Not now, anyway.]

Understood. I will.

[siafukira.livejournal.com]

[Light returns the nod, again, understanding - and misunderstandings - tripping back and forth. He knows exactly which doors he's checked, and before heading down to the closest one, he offers one more piece of detached advice.]

Get some sleep. You've done all you can.

[He doesn't think his world's Mikami would begin to hear it, but this one might.]

[righteous-pen.livejournal.com]

...all right.

[And he can say that, because it is advice. Not an order, or anything like one. (Vaguely, he remembers the other one telling him to sleep, and how he'd concussed himself in the efort to obey.)]

Thank you.