Day 26: Cafeteria, Lunch

[right-handed.livejournal.com]

Scar felt cold and sick, though more the latter than the former. As he rose from his bed, he didn't quite know which way was up, and the artificial light coming from overhead seemed as hot and as blinding as the Ishbal sun.

His head hurt, but that was nothing new. After all, the last thing he remembered from the night before was fighting a homunculus off of Lust and then having a conversation about events best left forgotten. The man hadn't been his brother. He just hadn't. And if what Lust had said they'd done to her was true...

Scar stood with shakiness that he wanted to attribute more to a bizarrely weakened physical state than a mental one. Had he been knocked out by some kind of lurking monster before the morning had come? He felt as if he had been out for days, being a veteran of such circumstances, though as he took the practiced role of being an obedient follower behind the nurse and orderlies that came for him, it didn't seem as if much had changed.

This place was probably just playing tricks on him again, and he was tired of being the man left out of the loop. He grabbed some food he didn't really care for and sat down, not seeing anyone he knew already seated. On one hand, he wished he had someone to talk to, and on the other, it scared him that he was no longer used to being alone.

He dug his fork into his food and tried to block out any related thought.

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[godhood.livejournal.com]

Slightly difficult had to be an understatement, but even knowing that didn't affect Light's feelings on the matter. He had what he wanted, and with future meetings ensured by their deal, everything was going according to plan. The only hitch was making sure L wasn't around to eavesdrop on those conversations when they happened. Given that Artemis had agreed to meet with him separately, it probably wouldn't be a problem, but Light had the sneaking suspicion the detective would be asking for every detail of those meetings anyway. He'd certainly do the same for him, but it was much more difficult on his part when he considered what questions might arise if he appeared too curious.

There was also the fact that L would be able to confirm whatever Light told him about Artemis on his own, and depending on where he decided to take this plan, that could complicate things considerably. Artemis's untrustworthiness also had to be brought into consideration, and with the conflicting information he could deliberately end up feeding both of them, well, Light had his work cut out for him. It was possible he could use this excuse if L did end up hearing differently from the boy, but that did not eliminate the possibility that Artemis could find out that he was using that tactic.

The best way to circumvent all of this would be to win Artemis's cooperation somehow, but again, he couldn't do so without letting the boy know that the upper hand was his if he chose to take it. If L chose to make a similar move, it was possible that Artemis could end up manipulating both of them, but Light was certain that both he and the detective would find out soon enough if he tried.

What he needed was a bargaining chip capable of demanding Artemis's attention and his loyalty. Something powerful enough to counter whatever schemes the boy could come up with without earning his anger or resentment. His options were sorely limited in this department-- coercion wouldn't work, and it was incredibly unlikely that he could get either Artemis's file or his box from the Patient Possessions room without getting himself killed-- but he had to think of something if he wanted this to work at all. If not, Artemis would merely serve as a source of information on the institute, and while that would be fine if L wasn't around, it simply wasn't good enough now that he was.

Until he came across a solution for his dilemma, he'd just have to work on establishing himself as an indispensable business partner. That on its own might not be enough, but trying to cultivate a friendship with the boy would yield even less results. He didn't seem the type to trust easily at all, and with how little his earlier attempt to manipulate them seemed to bother him, Light doubted he had very much experience with on the matter. A business relationship would be more beneficial for both of them anyway.

With that decided, Light nodded at Artemis's explanation and the statement that it was "just business." Professionalism was important here, but playing the role to a tee would alert L to what he was up to and possibly give Artemis the impression that he was trying too hard. That was the last thing he wanted.

Accepting the folded piece of paper, Light smiled gratefully and said, "Yes, it's reasonable. I'll do what I can to get those items to you quickly, but depending on the type of metal you have in mind, that may take even longer." Damn L for bringing that up. If Light had ended up collecting the wrong sort, he could have always used the fact that Artemis had never specified what type to retrieve to his favor, but now that the question was out there, he could hardly ignore it. Interesting that he was now the one looking for loopholes when he had warned Artemis off doing the same.

The fact that Artemis had singled out L as the intelligent one also annoyed him, but playing into that belief would only end up hurting him. Light doubted that Artemis would care to ally himself with someone he viewed as intellectually inferior after all, so it would be best to disabuse him of this notion as quickly as possible.

[byname-bynature.livejournal.com]

"Why didn't I specify?" Artemis repeated with a grin, "There isn't much metal here that is unsuitable to my purposes. Suffice it to say, I need something sturdier than tinfoil, and I haven't heard of much of that being found in the kitchens." The boy put a finger to his lips in thought, "However... even if it was aluminum, if one was to re-arrange the molecular structure..."

He stopped and shrugged, "I did not specify simply because it does not matter what kind of metal I receive--as long as it is metal. And Yagami-san seems bright enough to know what that is, wouldn't you agree Ryuga-san?"

At that moment, the intercom signaled the end of lunch. Artemis sighed and gathered up his journals. "Time to waste more time," He muttered with a sigh. Before he stood though, he offered his hand to Light.

"It's a pleasure doing business with you. Let this be the beginning of a profitable relationship," And with that, he shook Light's hand, smiling up at the teenager.

Pawn to King's four...