[Oh, he sees it; reading inversely isn't a problem. L might wonder why Mello is staring at his cheek so intently; he'll figure it out when he makes it to a proper mirror.]

[And yeah, he feels it. Feels is strongly enough for it to jolt his insides in a bad way, has been feeling it for a little while, now. When he was alone, he'd coughed it up to being so close with Alex, considered that for in order for Bonds to be effective, they must all be interconnected in some way as a predisposition.]

[He thought he was beginning to feel the edges of her dread, but — ]

I feel it.

[Stoically, but there's no stoicism in this ravager of emotions and a pale psychological state, is there? And now that Mello and L are both here, he feels it like a shovel to his gut. Just — ]

[Loss.]

[A grief Mello can pick out better than the rest.]

And it's making me sick.

[Just about.]

Are you intending on telling me what it is, or is this gonna be one of those situations where I pester you until you drop me a hint, then feel like I'm pressing down on your shoulders?

[There are... downsides to being too close to his mentor. Sometimes, Mello wonders if the walls that were built so steadfastly were for the best.]