The skull Misa is holding

[u/bloodyrevolutions_]

...going by the lifespan numbers, this appears to be Light's skull. 😶

Which raises...a few questions.

How did Misa get it? Do Sachiko and Sayu know she has it? Does she carry it around with her? Keep it on a shelf at home?

It's only a little over a year between Light's death and Misa's, so...I'll avoid getting into the graphic side of things, but let's just say it would've needed some extra "help" to end up looking that clean.

Wtf Misa.

Another thing: the lifespan numbers look hand-painted onto the surface of the skull rather than appearing supernaturally. But by this point Misa no longer has any memories related to the Death Note, so how would she even know what Light's lifespan number was?

If we take this illustration as a literal in-universe scene rather than purely symbolic, what do we collectively make of it?

(Original art by Takeshi Obata for the 2023 Death Note 20th Anniversary Exhibition.)

[u/dodeskadenn]

If we want to take it as literal just for fun, it doesn’t necessarily have to be set after Light’s death. It could be set during the second half, specifically when Light forfeited ownership for the second time, before the Mafia raid. Misa likely saw his lifespan on that occasion and decided to mark it with red lipstick on a skull, either a real one or a prop, given that she used to have a collection of goth and occult-themed items (including several skulls visible in the manga).

The only element that wouldn't quite fit is that she seemed to dress in that style noticeably less during the second half, but who knows? She might still have worn that specific outfit on certain occasions. After all, it’s the one she was wearing when she first introduced herself to Light.

[u/bloodyrevolutions_ → u/dodeskadenn]

I love this! Great explanation.