mindcracklove | Fic - The Irregularity of Death - Chapter Five

Here's this week's chapter :3 (also there's a couple cameos!)

Chapter Five: Invigoration

“A god of death must at least own one Death Note. That Death Note must never be lent to or written on by a human.”

“Aren’t you done yet? Lunch started like, five minutes ago.”

Vechs rolled his eyes, digging further and further into his locker, with its various supplies and papers flying out around him as he continued his furtive search. “And it doesn’t end for another forty minutes. You can wait it out - I need to find my list.”

“Of all people, I would’ve thought that you’d keep all this on a smartphone or something,” Etho replied.

“And risk it getting found? I can just burn a sheet of paper. Even I can’t afford burning a smartphone every couple weeks.” The back sheet of metal rung with a loud bang! “Found it.”

The teen pulled out a small purple notebook, much different from his Death Note in both size and appearance - notably, the girlish pink flowers adorning its cover. He flipped it open before reading aloud from its first page. “‘Blonde hair, blue eyes, five foot eleven - James Dallimore.’”

His companion removed his sunglasses with one hand, scanning the chattering crowd with care and diligence. “James Dallimore. 6-7-5-6-4.”

Vechs scribbled in his notebook for a moment. “He’s the one that mumbles a lot.” He flipped the book shut and slid back into his locker, hitting his head - “Ow!” - against the top of it before managing to fit in. “What’s that number all about, anyway?”

“It’s… nothing. Just a personal note.”

“Hardly sounds like it.” He pulled back out of the locker, slamming it shut and spinning the lock before getting up to stand next to Etho. “How goes things with your friends?”

“Pause and Beef?” Etho adjusted the bag on his shoulder as the duo started to walk. “They’re good. They seemed to think that you and I, well… nevermind. I told them we’re working on a school project and that it might take weeks, months, even. Gave some nonsense about research for a midterm chemistry assignment. Beef looked suspicious, but Pause seemed to roll with it.”

“Nice.” Vechs slung one arm around his companion. “Although, you really don’t need to act gloomy all the time. If you need anything - or, almost anything, if you know what I mean - I can get it for you. What are friends for?”

He grinned, continuing after a few moments of waiting for a response that never came. “I’d even go so far as to lend you my Death Note, if you wanna use it.”

Etho averted his eyes. “You’re bluffing.”

“No, really!” His smile didn't falter. “Granted, I do have a bit of a failsafe in place. If I die sometime in the future - heart attack, accident, murder, whether be it by your hand or naturally - Zisteau will write your name in his Note.”

“And what do you have to gain from telling me this?”

“Trust. Or, at least, obedience.” The teen plucked the sunglasses from Etho’s hand and studied them for a moment before sliding them back over his friend’s eyes. “And the intimidation factor doesn’t hurt, either.” He straightened up slightly. “Now, what do you want for lunch? We can eat the gruel here, but I know of a sweet restaurant a street or two away that I think you’d love.”

---

“Can’t believe you picked Chinese out of all foods to have for lunch.” Vechs angrily jabbed his chopsticks into the take-out box before pulling out a stray noodle.

“The place you wanted was barely half a step up from a McDonald’s.” Etho replied as he pulled out a piece of his chicken and took a quick bite. “This food is at least edible. Plus, we can eat it quickly inside the classroom before the teacher gets here.”

“Edible if you want diabetes.” He retaliated. “And it’s not like she’d care anyway.”

As the shorter of the two looked up from his chicken, he realized that someone else had joined them in the room - a new student, it looked like, as he’d never once seen him before.

He was a brunet, his brown hair cut relatively short but still thrown about as if it hadn’t been combed in some time. His eyes were such a striking blue color that they were almost violet, and cast a ghastly ephemeral glow in the dimmed light of the classroom.

His clothing more than made up for his initial “shaggy” appearance - he wore a grey vest over a black shirt, long-sleeved, and dark pants with a belt. Silver boots, the kind used not for weather but more for either fashion or comfort. A similarly colored backpack hung from one arm.

Etho idly tightened the scarf around his face. The instant he saw this newcomer he’d felt a heat rising in his chest, filling his throat until he felt ready to burst. It some sort of passion, yes, but not a romantic passion… quite the opposite. All he felt in that instant was pure, overwhelming, completely unbridled loathing.

Not to mention a vying hatred.

“So are you two going to keep staring at each other like that or are you going to introduce yourselves?” Vechs chirped. “And I’m Vechs, by the way.”

The duo broke their eye contact and each turned aside, subtly ignoring the staring contest they’d been having moments before.

“Etho Slab,” he said, keeping his eyes still averted and otherwise only acknowledging the newcomer with a nod.

He could feel the newbie’s gaze pass over him again before he finally spoke. “Nebris Cobberly.”

They each refused to speak any further, even after class ended.

---

As Etho sat at his desk, listening halfheartedly as Ms. Pastore droned on and on about some Chemistry nonsense he reaaaaally didn’t care about, something landed quietly on the edge of his desk.

A small sheet of lined paper, carefully folded thrice into an isosceles triangle.

He unfolded the paper, a few lines of writing scrawled down the page.

Heya, it’s me, the cute kid sitting in the row behind you.

I’m sure this looks like a love note to everyone else, at least :3

...anyway, this isn’t just to flirt. I hunted through the new kid’s bag while you two were having your little staredown. I only got a brief glimpse, but keep your eye out, okay, loverboy?

He’s got a Death Note, too.