Author'sNote: Hello. First of all, I wanted to say that yes, I'm starting a new story while my first one isn't completed, but I'm doing it in order to once again put myself in the habit of writing regularly, so I would be able to end Playing the Odds as well as this story about Shizuo and Izaya. It's just that... I had to get myself some rest from Death Note to clear my head. Affections in Richter's Scale is something of a vent for me, but not less important. Hope you'll like it of course. On the margin, Izaya's words aren't meant to offend anyone, it's just how I think he is... End with my bubbling and start with the story's prologue...
Sia – I'm in Here
"I'm in here.
Can anybody see me?
Can anybody help?
Stuck inside these walls, tell me there is hope for me.
Is anybody out there listening?
Can you hear my call? Are you coming to get me now?
I've been waiting for you to come rescue me. "
It ended almost as soon as it started. Living where I live and more so, being who I am, there was no reason for me to give it something above a flash of a thought, a kind of an absent acknowledgement. After all, minor earth tremors were a normalcy in Tokyo (as it's intensity definitely wasn't what one would call an actual earthquake, in my opinion at least), something one should get used to as a lifelong citizen of that enthralling city.
That was why I didn't stop the meeting with one of my clients, hurrying home like some kind of a scared schoolgirl. I am the main informant of this city, the best one might I say, and it takes more than an earthquake less than a four in Richter's magnitude scale to startle me – and believe me that I learned to qualify them more or less accurately during my life.
After about ten minutes the meeting came to an end. I got my money and the client got his information, which wasn't even that hard to stumble upon by the way. Though, who was I to pinpoint that to him? Most of my beloved humans' weren't the brightest in the art of perception, not to say awfully lazy at times... Again, as I said, I am not the one to try and change it. Actually, that certain trait was a mother to many interesting situations and so how could I possibly do something about it and deprive myself of the little entertainment that I had from observing them...? It was not me who was at fault here, now was it?
I was on my way from Ikebukuro to my flat, constantly aware of the possibility that my persona can become a target for an array of varied objects sent flying into my direction with obvious deadly intentions by no one other than the so called 'fortissimo of Ikebukuro', that is Heiwajima Shizuo aka Shizu-chan. Not that any living and sane person in Ikebukuro and it's neighbourhood would try calling him that... and survive without any injuries... except me of course. But that wasn't the main area of my focus...
So, I was on my way to Shinjuku when it started again that day – the tremors under my feet that is. I planned to ignore them, like most of times, but it didn't go according to my plan to my distaste. The tremors started to gain on strength and then I had no choice but to wait them out in a nearby building. The most solid looking nearby building. Not that I was afraid of course... It was just a reasonable decision made in order to assure my own safety. Izaya Orihara is a perfectly reasonable man who treasures his life. Nothing strange in that... After all, I wouldn't want to leave my beloved humans to suffer by themselves!
By that point the earth started to act as if it was suddenly woken up from a forced slumber and now wanted to announce its mighty awakening with a deep, overpowering rumble coming from within its depths, not caring for the damage that it could eventuate in.
I could hear people shouting and crying, frightened for their and probably their loved ones lives. Some of them were hidden under the few desks that were in the room that I've chosen as my momentarily hideout – a figure of speech of course – and others held onto what else was visible for support. I could spot out a few specimens that were actually praying, not sure if it was for mercy or some kind of a late confession. Oh, what an ideal moment for observations! A dangerous, live-threatening situation and a small crowd of humans – each with a number of reactions and emotions to mull over to my own amusement! And maybe even of later use, who could know...
However, my musings were interrupted when the earthquake intensified and I myself had to clin-... keep myself steady. My ears didn't like the clatter of shaking and falling chairs, moving cabinets and books and papers falling of every possible surface they were earlier stuffed into or onto. Lights buzzed and finally went off, two or three fell to the ground with a loud crash, followed by a sudden cracking sound of a breaking window, causing even more commotion between the present people. I could feel the whole building trembling strongly in its foundations. I believed it would endure, though, as it was one of those especially adapted to Japan's geological location. I had bits and pieces of knowledge about many things after all.
Everything started to calm down after several more minutes, but I felt the uncertainty looming over the room. Who knew if there won't be any major aftershocks? That's what they were probably thinking.
Ah, well... There was no reason for me to stay in there any longer. I needed to check in on my apartment, make sure nothing of importance was damaged, which I highly doubted, and then log on one of my usual chats, see if anything interesting happened due to the earthquake. Funnily, that was sometimes the best source of information...
I left the building not even casting it a second glance. Effects of the earthquake were plainly visible on the streets. Cars standing in the wrong places, their alarms wailing along with the fire brigade's vehicles audible somewhere not far from here. Branches from nearby sakura's, a shop shield and other garbage thrown about the street. People slowly coming out from some of the other buildings, focused on reaching their houses as fast as possible, their hands and voices shaking during the calls they made to their families. It was all trivial, insignificant. Silly how they all cared... It made them only more vulnerable and still... I have sisters myself, Mairu and Kururi and it would be the last thing they would do – calling their brother. What for...?
I took some shortcuts in order to reach my condo faster, remembering which alleys won't be accessible for some time because of the destruction they suffered from. I learned to have a mental map in my head, just to help me during my little races with Shizu-chan. A little advantage here and there was a good idea when dealing with that protozoan... Without it I might have not beenso eager in challenging him. But I loved the adrenaline rush...
One would think that I had enough adrenaline for one day, after that potentially dangerous catastrophe, but here I was on my way home, coming as near to the dragon's den as possible. It somehow intrigued me if Shizu-chan's poor substitute of an apartment withstood today's happenings. It never looked particularly solid. It wasn't that big of a surprise actually. With the range of damage that Shizu-chan's rage caused, he must have had some debts and not enough money to afford something more presentable. If I were someone else maybe I would feel even a little bit of guilt, I was one of the main reasons for his rampages, but I was Orihara Izaya... No reason to feel false remorse...
To my surprise the building itself didn't look horrible!. Two of the windows on the first floor were cracked and all the flowers form the windowsills fell down, now laying lifeless on the pavement, but all in all, it wasn't too bad. Shizu-chan should be thankful for his luck...
I wasn't knocking at the brute's door any time soon, only taking a look at his house, so I made my way to the alley next to it, my mind already fixing on things that I should be doing tomorrow, when I stopped dead in my tracks. If what I was seeing before me wasn't the surprise of the year I don't know what could be...!
There, right in front of my eyes, in a crumpled mess of partially rusted metal, bits of crumbled concrete and bruised flesh was Heiwajima Shizuo...
