Title: Inconsistency

Author: Cold Steel Night / Ami

Rating: G for small children, and cute little Near.

Summary: Just how did L's hair get to be that crazy? Young L at the Wammy House.

-Editing- this story now that I've discovered people are still reading it, hee. For the sake of the entire story, however, pretend that the ages are off enough for L to even be remotely little while Near is more than an infant, and that they attended one of the orphanages simultaneously.

"Your hair looks silly like that, Elle!" the ruler of the playground, Raki, announced, as though it was the most amazing thing yet. Such was his custom, because everyone acted as though everything he said was the most amazing thing yet. One of his devout followers spoke up while the others laughed quietly. After all, if something was silly, one laughed, didn't they?

"You look like a girl! Maybe Near thinks you're his mommy!" This boy was apparently a bit more observant than the others, having finally noticed the not-so-hidden form of Near clinging to L's arm, as was his custom. L's overly-wide eyes were narrower than usual, looking strangely deflated—his distinctive expression of annoyance. And displeasure. And anger, and…

"Yeeah! Near, Elle isn't your mommy!" Raki leaned down in Near's face, obviously invading the tiny one's comfort zone. Near, half-crouched on the ground, twisted around behind L, still attached to the older boy's left arm. L had learned to live without it by this time.

When Near said nothing, L decided to, though softly as usual. "It's only 'L,' you know. Just the letter." He spoke with the bland indifference characteristic to him, even at eleven years of age. However, something within him bristled at being compared to a girl. He did not look like a girl! Not that there was much wrong with girls, L just didn't understand them, and not comprehending something was entirely alien to him. And quite unpleasant.

He tended not to deal with girls, if he could help it.

"'L' isn't a name. It's a letter," Raki snapped back stupidly, not liking being corrected. Because it was such a rare thing. No one corrected King Raki, after all!

"Raki sounds more like the noise a choking cat makes; you can't say much about my name." With that, L turned and walked away, knowing he had won. Raki's followers attempted to make the noise, seeing if the unusually pale boy was really right, and Raki began whining loudly, trying to regain his control of the other boys. L entered the orphanage and absently lifted his right hand, raking his long, ever-soft ebony hair out of his eyes habitually. It always got in the way, but it was his only constant, aside from Near on his arm.

That night, when Near's tiny form had been pried from the older and unnaturally thin appendage and was finally asleep, L pulled his knees to his chest and sighed in relief. It was always hard to assure Near that his pseudo big brother would indeed be there the next day, but the young child looked so endearing when asleep. Not that he didn't all the time, though. With one hand attached to L and the other eternally playing with his hair, how could Near possibly get into mischief? But L had better things to do than think about Near, better things to do than sleep. That happened more often lately. Sleep was unnecessary by now. But L often found himself simply staring absently at the walls, thinking about everything his mind could possibly stumble upon. But thinking was much more worthwhile than sleeping. However, tonight, he had a mission. The wild-eyed boy padded silently into the bathroom and shut the door completely before flicking on the light, squinting as expected at the drastic change in lighting. He gave his pupils a moment to adjust and stared at his reflection.

The bathrooms of the Wammy house were super-white, the light bulbs were probably far stronger than was safe for the sockets in which they resided, and the rooms were always kept immaculate, though how that was possible in an institution full of young children L would never know.

This ultra-white almost made L's skin look human. Almost. L's enormous eyes deflated again. His eyes were another thing. They were the complete opposite of his skin, matching exactly with his hair. But they were nearly too big too seem human, and there were prominent shadows forming under them that, along with his slight frame, the caretakers and instructors had started to whisper about. His mouth shifted itself closer to one side of his face in a rare scowl.

He'd never really thought about himself enough to be displeased with what he saw, but he would not have people thinking he looked like a girl.

The boy genius looked up into the screen of hair above his eyes, and turned to the mirror to be able to see the rest of it. It fell down past his ears, often tickling his neck, and all this hair weighed itself down. It hung limply around his head, doing nothing, but existing simply because he did.

What if his hair was a reflection of himself, L wondered wildly. He knew he was being silly, and a tiny smile made itself known on his lips. But it was a decent enough idea. If his hair was the solidification of his personality, what would it look like?

With that inspiration, L pulled out the scissors he had smuggled from one of the many classrooms. He gathered his hair on the left side of his head, so he could cut it easier. His smile and eyes grew mischievous, something he rarely claimed to be, and he held the open blades to a lock of his hair, cutting without any more hesitation.

When he was finished, L discovered just how much his hair had been weighed down. He marveled at how it seemed to defy gravity, and poked in every different direction it could. The prodigy felt rather accomplished; his hair no longer tickled his neck, he didn't have to brush it out of his eyes any more, and it was just as unpredictable as he himself. And it bounced when he nodded his head vigorously or jumped. How cool was that?

The next day, he was scolded severely for cutting his own hair, and Near hid from him for the entire day. L scratched his new head of hair with his left hand, and looked around the playground for his little friend.

Reviewers get panda cookies! And my eternal gratitude! For pre-cut L hair you now have a reference; just think the infamous rooftop scene from the anime. XD Oh, soggy L, how we love thee.

And I'm thinking Raki makes "Elle" sound different than "L." Maybe French or something.

(By the way, for those semi-familiar with Japanese, write Raki's name and switch the characters. It was unintentional, I promise!)