The Aves of Maria

Morior Invictus or "Death Before Defeat."
***

"Good afternoon; are you Mashiro Maria?"

"Yes. You are?"

"Hideki Ryuga."

"Like the actor?"

"No relation."

"Oh. Can I help you?"

"Yes. I am here to talk to you about Yagami Light."

"Yagami-kun? Has something happened? Is he alright?"

The pasty-skinned youth lifted a hand, putting a halt to the woman's concerned words. "May I come in?"

"Oh!" Maria lifted a hand to her mouth, flushing with embarrassment. "Of course, how forgetful of me. Please do come in."

He slipped out of the sneakers with little hassle, eager to free his feet, not even muttering a "forgive the intrusion" as he shuffled across the threshold. Maria's eyebrow quirked, but she did not comment and led him to the sitting room. He paused in the doorway, his eyes darting about, every detail being sucked into their murky depths. Placing a finger in his mouth he walked over to her mantelpiece, looking over the photographs and knick-knacks placed there.

A photograph of Maria's wedding, her lips pressed tenderly against her husband's, Sakura petals falling behind them, her wedding veil caught in a slight breeze. An antique comb sat beside it, tarnished silver, colorless mother of pearl, and cracked jade. The same comb could be seen in the photograph-Maria's hair.

A photograph of Maria and her husband eating ice cream with a young Arabian girl. Melted vanilla was dripping down the girl's fingers, a striking contrast to her cinnamon brown skin.

A photograph of the couple posing more formally with yet another child, this time a blonde American boy. A seashell rested against the dark green frame.

A photograph of what could only be her parents, the two immortalized in black and white and shades of grey, unsmiling.

A photograph of Maria and her very-pregnant sister, smiling widely.

Maria holding a red-faced infant wrapped in hospital pink, her expression soft, the infant peaceful.

A pretty gold frame held a child's crayon drawing, poorly portraying Maria with an overly round-head, stick-like arms and a shapeless body. In the corner in an adult's writing said: "For Auntie Maria, drawn by Shiori-chan on the first day of Kindergarten."

Maria spoke up then, her gentle voice interrupting his inspection.

"What's wrong with Yagami-kun?"

He tore his gaze away from the photographs to look at her. "Ah, we are not sure."

"We?"

"His classmates and family have noted some odd behavior on his part. I want to speak with you hoping you might be able to shed some light on the issue. He seems close to you."

"I suppose we are, but I don't know what I might be able to tell you…"

"Anything, Mashiro-san, could prove useful. Even if seems like nothing, it may end up being a missing piece we need."

She pursed her lips. "I understand. Would you like tea?"

A childish smile curved his lips. "I would very much like some, if you don't mind."

"Alright. Make yourself comfy; I'll be back in a jiffy. Is Earl Grey all right with you? I am out of green, I'm afraid."

"Earl Grey is perfect. Thank you."

She nodded and slid open another shoji door, one that led to her kitchen. She left it open, giving him a clear view of the sink. He curled his toes into her thick, plush carpet as she filled an electric teakettle.

"How do you know Yagami-kun?" She asked, her voice echoing clearing into the sitting room.

"We're classmates. He and I both scored perfect marks on the To-Oh entry exam."

"Is that so? You must be incredibly smart. You take cream with your tea, yes?"

L paused, somewhat surprised. "Yes, I do." He heard glasses cling and clank as she shuffled around for something.

"Oh, good! I hardly ever have a visitor that appreciates tea with cream. As Japanese, they usually just give me strange looks whenever I offer." She appeared in the doorway, holding a tray on which balanced aforementioned drink as well as several varieties of sugary treats. "Strange, isn't it, how people can not bat an eye at coffee milk, and yet the idea of cream in tea completely escapes them? You're still standing there? Please, please, have a seat."

The dark-haired male did so, his wide eyes fixated hungrily on the pile of biscuits and sugar. His toes dangled over the edge of the couch and he rested his hands on his knees as Maria took her seat in a floral-cushioned wicker rocker. He waited patiently as she poured the tea.

"Observing that I do indeed like cream in my tea suggests that you do not believe me to be native to this country, doesn't it, Mashiro-san?"

She glanced up at him. "My late husband was an employee of the international student exchange program. We hosted a number of children in our home from various countries. He and I eventually learned how to tell what country a person was from by their name, facial features, and habits. Having a degree in anthropology helped, no doubt." She explained, handing over his teacup.

He wasted no time filling the liquid with half a dozen sugar cubes and generous amounts of cream.

"Really? And what countries do you think I am descended from, Mashiro-san?" He asked. He dipped a heavily iced biscuit into the tea.

The blonde woman quirked her head, lips puckered. "British I can say with utmost confidence. Your eye and nose shape is distinctly Asian, most likely Japanese, Okinawan perhaps. Your brow and jaw line strike me as Russian, while your mouth and ears… decidedly Roman descent. Definitely not Greek, and you're too pale to have Spaniard blood… French perhaps, or maybe Italian. And your hands…" she set down her teacup and reached out toward him. "May I?"

The black-haired man nibbled his thumb before hesitantly surrendering his fingers.

Maria cupped his hand in her palm, fingers caressing the lines of his hand and length of his fingers. Her eyes were lowered, pale eyelashes framing her eyes like moth wings.

"You have Marfan's Syndrome," she said softly.

He tilted his head, a hint of a smile playing on his lips. "Interesting. What brought you to that conclusion?"

She lifted her gaze to meet his. His fingers twitched of their own accord and she allowed him to take his hand back, unfazed when he began wiping at it vigorously with a handkerchief from his pocket.

"A number of things. Little things that, on their own, would just appear to be odd quirks." She picked up her tea and sipped, wetting her tongue. "I worked with special needs children for a number of years, Hideki-san. Though, like providing a home for exchange students, it too faded from my life after my husband passed away. The same way I picked up the ability to tell a person's country of origin, I learned to identify various illnesses and conditions. Your eyes are what I noticed first."

"My eyes?" He pressed.

"Your pupils, actually. You are nearsighted, aren't you?"

He made a vague noise neither confirming nor disputing her observation.

"You're also very long limbed. Not an altogether strange characteristic, but there's a thinness to you that suggests it's not just genetics stretching you out. The way you sit as well; people with Marfan's are generally said to be able to find relief from muscle pain by lying particularly flat, but it is not so out-of-range to consider that one might also find the same relief by curling up instead. You are also quite obviously flat-footed. And, from the way you insist on handling that spoon, I believe you may be double-jointed. Hyper mobile, rather. As well as something of a germophobe, perhaps?"

L grinned at her. "Very observant of you. You're a fascinating woman, Mashiro-san."

Color blossomed on the apples of her cheeks. "I hope that was meant as a complement! You're quite tactless, aren't you?" She laughed.

L thumbed his lower lip. "Yes. I apologize if I have offended you in any way."

Maria shook her head. "Not at all, Hideki-san. In fact, I find your bluntness very refreshing. It's rare that anyone speaks to me about something other than religion or my doves. Even Yagami-kun is so formal, sometimes painfully so. He speaks as if he is quoting a play. He doesn't even use conjunctions."

He perked up with interest. He had noticed the lack of "can't"s and "I'll"s and "you're"s and "it's" in Light's speech patterns, but had never before considered it as anything particularly noteworthy. "What do you mean?"

Maria sipped at her tea again. "Yagami-kun is very much the stereotypical, ideal student. The ideal son. He is clean cut, intelligent, hard working, and dutiful, he speaks well, he thinks fast, but… he worries me sometimes. I have lived in this neighborhood for five years, I have watched people grow and change and Yagami-kun…" she paused, shaking her head. "Forgive me, I am rambling."

"No, no, please go on. What do you mean Yagami-kun worries you?"

"Yagami-kun is too 'perfect' for a boy his age. I don't believe I've ever seen a hair out of place on his head. I understand that parents sometimes have unrealistic expectations of their children, but Sachiko and Soichiro have never been anything less then loving, devoted parents, and I'm sure they would love their son as much as they do now even if he failed every class he ever took." Maria sighed, running a hand through her sunshine hair.

"I like Yagami-kun, I enjoy his company, but he is not a normal boy. Normal boys argue with their parents and siblings on an occasion. Normal teenagers go through a rebellious stage in order to break away from their parents, a natural act that allows them to eventually fly the nest and live on their own. Yagami-kun has never rebelled against his parents, at least not obviously, and I would hardly call grumping about taking out the garbage part of a rebellious phase. Normal teenagers experiment, whether it is with drugs, sexuality, food, clothing, reading material, or religion; young girls and boys are encouraged to broaden their horizons and try new things. Yagami-kun has never been interested in such a thing and seems quite content in his own world, so very different from his sister."

"Different? Different how?"

"I should not be speaking to you of this so casually, it really isn't my place to speak of someone else's problems…"

"Don't worry, I am a good friend of Soichiro, I don't believe he would have any problem with it as long as you are not displaying his familial issues on a billboard. I promise I will not blab."

She smiled lightly then tilted her eyebrows in puzzlement. "I thought you were Yagami-kun's friend?"

'She is sharp.' "I am a friend of Light, but I've known his father longer. We've worked together."

"Really? Are you a policeman then?"

He shook his head. "Not really, but I do make my living bringing criminals to justice." He admitted, helping himself to another heap of cookies.

She smiled. "Something of a modern Sherlock Holmes then?"

"Something like that."

"If you already have a career, why return to college?"

He didn't miss a beat. "Refreshment courses. Textbooks are always being altered, classes cover new material, new discoveries being made. I like to stay updated and online courses aren't the same as sitting in a classroom."

"That is true," Maria said, refilling her cup. "More tea?" she offered.

The dark-haired man held his teacup out. "Yes, please," he said around a mouthful of crumbs. "You were saying?"

"About Yagami-chan? Sachiko-san has visited me several times asking for advice about Sayu. She and Soichiro don't know how to deal with Sayu's rebellious phases, since they never had to deal with Light going through them. Sayu's magazines, her clothing, her make-up, the books she reads, the TV shows she watches and so on, even boyfriend troubles. I don't believe Light has ever brought a girl home, despite how popular he was in High School."

"Never?"

"Well… no, I take that back. Sachiko was over for tea the other day and mentioned a girl. I… I shouldn't say anything, Light asked his mother not to tell anyone, though she spoke to me about it, and I in turn really should not divulge such information…"

L wasn't about to let such precious information slip away.

"Please, Mashiro-san, we are very concerned about Yagami-kun. Even insignificant bits of information might help in the long run."

She lowered her eyes. "Indeed. I understand. Sachiko-san said she was a couple of years older than her son, a model of some sort, dressed in that new trend—what is it called? Gosu Rori, I think. She claimed to simply be returning a notebook Light forgot at school, but Sachiko felt there was more to it than that."

"I see." There was a pause between them as L nibbled on another cookie. "I hope you understand how thankful I am that you've told me this information. Please do not feel guilty. You have no idea how much help you've been."

Her eyes brightened. "Really?"

He nodded. "Truly. I think I have an idea of what might be ailing him now. Forgive me, though, I don't think I ought to tell you until I'm sure."

"I understand." She sighed and sat back, looking much more relaxed now. She pulled her teacup into her lap. "To be honest, I've been a little worried about him myself. He and Sayu have taken a liking to me recently, Light especially, but it's strange. If I didn't know better, I'd think he had a crush on me. The idea is ridiculous, of course, but… There's just something off."

L was unsure how to respond to that. What was Light's relationship with Mashiro Maria?

"What would you do if it turned out he was romantically attracted to you?"

She looked up to meet his eyes unflinchingly. "I'd have to turn him down. Light is… no. He's young enough to be my own child. Such a relationship…"

His brow rose. "You're not that old, Mashiro-san. You're only in your thirties, aren't you? I suppose if you had been a teenage mother, then possibly, but really…"

"Hideki-san," she interrupted. He fell silent, thrown off balance by the sharpness in her tone. "I think… most people have occurrences in their past that they would rather not speak about. I… I may be a faithful Christian woman now, but I am far from a saint."

He bit his lip, eyes wide at the unspoken implications in her words.

"I see." He looked away, out the window. "…You know, I'm told I have a rather poor short-term memory. What was it we were just talking about? I was so distracted by the loveliness of the flowers that I seem to have forgotten completely."

A ghost of a smile hovered at the corners of her lips. "I'm not so sure myself, Hideki-san. You're right; the blossoms are terribly distracting this time of year.

"What does the younger generation talk about these days, anyhow?"

"Honestly? They all talk about Kira."

Her expression sobered, turning almost bitter. "I think Kira is a tragedy."

"A single death is a tragedy; a million deaths is a statistic." The man said a-matter-of-factly.

"Is it? In some ways I cannot help but feel that those who have been killed by Kira are, in a way, lucky. Even if they weren't ready to die, they do not have to live every day in fear of Kira. Death is a better, milder fate than tyranny."

L nodded sagely. "I have always found that mercy bears richer fruits than strict justice."

The woman snorted loudly and smothered a fit of giggles behind her hand.

He tilted his head curiously. "What?"

She shook her head, as if clearing cobwebs from her mind. "Oh, it's nothing, really. But, you see, I was once told something very much like that about raising children."

A wry smile tugged at his lips. "Indeed. I think Kira is very childish."

Now it was Maria's turn to be bewildered. "Really?"

"Yes."

"What makes you think that?"

"Do you remember when Kira killed Lind L. Tailor?"

"Who could possibly forget?" She countered with a grim smile.

"Kira obviously hates to lose. And the idea of 'killing criminals to make the world a better place' seems like a childish ambition to me. He thinks he knows how the world works and doesn't realize how much he is ignorant of. Older people know that it's not as simple as that. Also, since he apparently doesn't even need to be near his victims, he probably hasn't even felt the shock that other people have after killing someone; soldiers and the like."

Maria tilted her head and took a thoughtful sip of tea. "When you put it that way, I suppose it does make sense to think of him as childish. Indeed, it would probably affect a person much less if they didn't have to draw blood with their own hands. You never actually witness it." She stared into the depths of her teacup. "I hope L manages to solve it all soon."

He was silent for a moment, then: "So do I."