A/N: So, 1 year and many introspective fics later, here's one with plot! It's a semi-sequel to Red Room, but no need to read that if you don't wantto. Might be some spoilers in here for it if you haven't read it though. Anyways, really just a semi-sequel so that I don't have to set up the relationships again. Hmm, I hope I don't just give up on this halfway or start an indefinite hiatus; two multi-chapter fics without stopping them is a record for me! Well, if it doesn't update in over 6 months, it's dropped.

Disclaimer: Yusei Matsui (who I really wish would come out with a new series or even oneshot already) owns all the characters.

---Chapter 1: Invitations---

When people went to the Fang Hair Salon for a haircut, they didn't just sit there for an hour or two silently. Somehow or another, haircuts seemed to loosen everyone's tongues. Everyone was saying some tidbit of gossip to someone else and someone else would be trying to have their say too. The deluge of voices completely flooded out the sound of elevator-esque music playing meekly through the speakers on the ceiling. Still, if one concentrated hard enough, strands of information could be extracted from the ocean of words.

Katsuragi Yako heard a few things here and there, many of them, she noticed with a grimace, involved her. One would think that normal, for she was once convicted of murdering her father (freed and innocent now), but it even wasn't of the murder that everyone was muttering to everyone else in excited tones.

Look! Look! Over there! The girl next to the red-head!

Oh, you don't suppose those rumors of her being willing to eat humans if she isn't appeased are true do you?

I heard she cleared out an entire restaurant once…

Wonder if this salon's going to be involved in a crime soon. That piggish detective always seems to be on the heels of a case…

Piggish detective. Yako supposed that it was better than murderess, but still, did piggish really have to be in there? She was no cannibal, and she only cleaned out half a restaurant! It was uncomfortable, being the center of attention. She had thought her life would calm down after being acquitted, but no, Neuro had to stay in it and keep it wild. Deep down, she knew she rather enjoyed the chaos, Yako just wished that it could come without crowds of people staring at her (and a certain fanboy who pestered her for autographs).

At least a few people at the salon didn't seem star-struck. One, of course, was Kanae, who had been friends with Yako for too long for that to happen, and the other was Mozu Takayasu, hair-dresser extraordinaire. He had proclaimed her hair too terrible to style at once and instead went to fawn over Kanae's hair, leaving Yako to be fought over by all the stylists still free of customers.

Not that Yako minded much. She found the way Takayasu fondled hair as he styled it disturbing and knew that she could never feel at ease having her hair cut by him. Kanae, meanwhile, seemed oblivious to his nearly insane expression. Yako sighed. Perhaps it was just she who was becoming more adept at noticing the signs of a deranged criminal, mostly thanks to Neuro. Neuro who solved her case and now enslaved her as his supposed 'teacher'. He was even more disturbing than Takayasu, inhumane. In fact, Yako doubted his status as humans sometimes (if that status was even true).

"Look at this, Yako," Kanae said, handing over a magazine to her. "Some foreign billionaire bought himself an island off of Tokyo Bay and built a mansion on it. Seems that it's only just been completed."

Yako took the magazine and glanced over the article. "Ugh, I wish I had a couple million lying around to buy an island with."

"Pft, more like you'd buy food. I bet you'd go through the money within a couple of years too."

"Hey! Now you're just exaggerating. Although," Yako paused, her eyes glossed over and a wide smile spread over her face, "I would so love to stuff myself full on those gourmet dishes. Just once. Just once…"

"You probably make enough from you detective business for that," Kanae teased.

Yako broke out of her reverie and frowned. "Please don't mention anything about being a detective to me."

"Aww, I thought you liked it, Yako."

"Hardly." She gave the article another glance. "It says here that the owner is a well known philanthropist who's given enormous amounts to some research facilities."

"Mmhmm, I know. Now look at the last paragraph."

A look of surprise came over Yako's face. "He's inviting ten people to stay a week in the mansion?!"

"Imagine if you were someone he invited."

Yako laughed. "You know the chances of that happening are almost none, Kanae. But it would be nice…"

Yako stepped off the train, unsure if she really didn't prefer the overcrowded compartments over the stifling, over-bright weather. It was only May and the sun already beat down upon her mercilessly as she made the five minute walk to the detective office.

It was better within the complex which housed the office. The rather dark, narrow stairwells did not speak of the prestige which 'her' little detective office held. Before entering said office, Yako took the mail. As a reward for her trek, a hand shot out and grabbed her head as soon as she opened the door.

"But I wasn't la—!" Her unheard protest turned to a shriek as she was thrown through the air and collided into the couch.

"I know, teacher!" The offender said happily, voice dripping with venom. "But that was simply too fun to resist."

"Why don't I report him to the police?" Yako grumbled as she righted herself.

"Because you know I could do worse."

"Right." She picked up the fallen letters, "Here's the mail for today," she said, tossing them towards the man.

Neuro (as was the inhumane man's name) caught them deftly. With his usual speed, he flipped through the letters, barely giving each a glance. On the fourth letter, he paused for a moment before throwing the rest of the mail over his shoulders.

"What's that?" Yako asked. It was rare that Neuro ever opened any letter. Bills were handled by Yako and junk mail fed into her mouth to be dumped into the trash.

"An invitation, it seems," he said. It only took him a second to read through it, and before Yako could ask as to its contents, Neuro had already slapped it into her face.

Irritated (although almost in a familiar sort of way now, Yako noted sadly), Yako took the paper off of her and began to read.

To Katsuragi Yako's Demon World Detective Office,

As you most likely know by now, I have recently built a new vacation home upon a private island I had bought a few years ago. It is with great pleasure that I wish to extend my invitations to both Miss Katsuragi and Mr. Nougami for a week's stay. All home comforts will be provided and you need only bring clothing or other personal belongings. Eight others have been invited to partake in this little housewarming I have arranged. If you would accept this invitation, I would be much obliged.

Please mail your answer to the above address. Should you decide to accept, wait for the ship which will take you to the island at Pier 32 on the sixth of the next month at 5:10.

Zodiar Kubrick

Yako's eyebrows shot further and further up her forehead as she read the letter. "Neuro!" she said excitedly, visions of delectable delicacies dancing in her head, "I can't believe we got an invitation!"

"Oh?" he replied calmly. "You've heard of this?"

"A lot of people have. Some rich philanthropist is inviting people to his new mansion, probably to show it off or something." Yako stopped and a worried expression settled itself on her face. "Although, it does seem rather strange," she said slowly, her visions of food fading somewhat. "Why would he invite strangers into his new mansion?"

Neuro smiled the dark smile which often made Yako doubt his humanity. "Ah, so even you notice this, cockroach. Not that it matters, we'll accept, of course."

"Eh?" Yako blinked, "But you just agreed that it's suspicious."

"Yes," glee slipped into his voice, "But I smell a mystery."

Yako looked back at the letter. He smelled a mystery? How could anyone smell a mystery? Probably Neuro's way of saying that he thought a mystery would form. She frowned, Neuro seemed to have a way with knowing exactly when and where a mystery (or murder) would form itself, and when there was a mystery, he dragged her with him whether she wished to go or not. With that, the last vestiges of the happy food vision disappeared. In its place, a red room appeared.

Somehow, even now, Yako couldn't quite keep that image from haunting her.

"Yuka, why didn't you tell us earlier that you've been invited to such a prestigious event?" The uncle of the rather glum looking girl was so excited; he was nearly shaking the girl by her shoulders.

"Prestigious? It's only some guy showing off his new mansion," the girl replied apathetically, blowing a bubble with her gum.

"Your uncle is right, dear," her hard-faced mother said, "this is a great opportunity. Mr. Kubrick…"

Yuka snickered at the name.

"…is one of the richest people in the world and his corporate empire reaches into areas we can only imagine."

"I still don't see why this invitation is such a big deal."

"You can't? Well, I suppose not everyone in the family can understand. I said that Mr. Kubrick's," another snicker, "business has a hand in everything, and I did mean it. If we could somehow make him a business partner, our current profits from Eshiya's old works could increases and perhaps we could find a new way of making money after that junk is cleared out. Be sure to make a good impression, Yuka."

"Dear, are you certain that I should go?" Ayumi asked nervously.

"I don't see why not," her husband replied, happily bouncing his child on his knee. "You need a break. I think the stress is getting to you, especially since you testified at that trial."

A glimmer of madness flashed in Ayumi's eyes briefly before fading away. "Of course…but don't you think that this may be some sort of scam?"

"Nonsense. Mr. Kubrick is known to be magnanimous like this." The baby laughed and her husband beamed. "Don't worry about the children. I can take care of them for one week."

"But…"

"Ayumi, relax. I know you're still worried about that, but I won't let anything happen to them."

Ayumi swallowed uncomfortably.

"Mommy, mommy!" The golden-haired little girl hopped up and down, the floppy ears of her stuffed rabbit flapping in rhythm with her. "I can go right?"

Her mother was reading the invitation over and over again, tight-lipped, trying to find a loop-hole. "…no other person but Miss Miyasako Mutsuki is requested to present…"

"Mommy!" The little girl tugged at her skirt.

"This is outrageous, Mutsuki, you can't possibly think that I'll allow you to go without adult supervision."

Mutsuki huffed and frowned her biggest frown.

"Mutsuki, be reasonable…"

"Ah, mommy!" Her face broke out into a smile, "Miss Yuka's going to! And you always let her watch me when you're away on business trips! And you've been away for longer than a week at once!"

"Yuka is going?" Her mother paused, considering this. "But this isn't in our own home…"

"Mr. Kubrick, the sender of this letter, has a good reputation throughout the world. Besides that, he could be an excellent business partner for the company, and it would not do to displease him," Mutsuki said seriously. "You don't need to worry about me."

Her mother sighed. "I'll think about it."

In the dimly lit confines of his messy room, Higuchi Yuuya looked through his mail aided only by the blue glow of his computer screen. A particular letter had caught his attention.

"What is this? A scam?" he muttered to himself. "…Zodiar Kubrick, hmm. His decisions did raise my stocks' values remarkably, and I suppose he's credible enough." Nonetheless, he checked repeatedly on his computer for any signs of a scam such as the one he might've received.

None could be found.

"Guess this is legitimate then," he rubbed his eyes, "and I could use a vacation."

Harukawa Eisuke sat in his spacious, though admittedly poorly lighted, laboratory. Many who wandered in felt that it was strangely reminiscent of the lairs of villains often seen on television. Of course, Harukawa wasn't a villain—although many thought he looked the part—and the lab was only dimly lit because if he used any more electricity, there would be a power outage. Few people knew just exactly what he was doing, and Harukawa preferred it that way. If people knew too much before he was ready, they would constantly pester him with comments doubting his sanity and the like.

He was doing well at the moment, and thus, hesitant as to whether or not he should accept Zodiar Kubrick's invitation. Kubrick was a well known financier who would very possibly be interested in Harukawa's discoveries once they came to light. This would be an ideal time to introduce the idea to him.

Yet…did he really want to cease his work for a week?

He decided to consult 'himself'.

"Well, 'myself', should I accept?"

"Yes, you admitted it too. Meeting that man would be beneficial for our goal in the future."

"True."

"And with 'me' in existence, I can continue with the calculations necessary even without your presence."

Andrew Sixson was tired, but satisfied. The trial which had been ongoing for months was finally resolved (with a woman convicted for poisoning her husband in a restaurant). Also, he had just taken a week off from his job, and was wondering how to spend it (he was thinking about a cruise). Lo and behold, an invitation had arrived inviting him for a week's stay at a mansion (which was confirmed to indeed be genuine)! What a good bit of luck (maybe even more that a bit)!

The letter had said that nine others had been invited aside from him, which only made him all the more excited. Strangers always made the most interesting new acquaintances (when, you know, they weren't serial killers).

Happily, Andrew sent an email to his old friend, Usui, telling him (or showing off to him) of his good fortune.

Usui curtly replied that he shouldn't use government emails to tell him that sort of thing. Andrew laughed his trademarked (by his acquaintances) laugh. Same as ever.

David Rice was puffed up with pride. Who could believe that he, he was the lucky recipient of the invitation thousands would die for? An entire week in a mansion would be heaven, he thought confidently. Only the best of dishes and of course, everything would be of high status. Perfect for someone such as he.

His 'travel buddies' had looked enviously at him when he had told them. They wondered what he had done to get this opportunity when they had not. David smiled. Obviously, Kubrick (as silly as his name was) had good taste.

He had accepted as once and was now busily stuffing all of his home comforts he had brought with him from America into his suitcase. Somehow, he doubted that all the home comforts were provided for.

It had been a long time since Aya Aizawa had received a request to sing and years since her last concert. She had supposed that there must still be fans of her, but she had never expected a rich philanthropist to be one of them. Her voice was still in prime condition since she continued to sing and compose music. Although now a days, she wrote for her private enjoyment and they were never released to the public.

Apparently, one of her fans was richer than she had ever been.

It wouldn't hurt to accept the request, would it? Aya wondered about that. It wasn't as if she had any desire to sing for anyone. The world of music she inhabited was for her only. Isolated and illuminated only by the cold light of her creations. She had once shared and let others like her into their own worlds, but after the invasion of her world, she had decided to cut off even that connection to others. No, she did not want to let anyone else into her world.

Still, one song wouldn't hurt, would it?

She could be unselfish and still remain alone, couldn't she?

All nine replies (for the one directed to the detective agency was replied through one letter) arrived within the week, and all of them, as Zodiar Kubrick noted contentedly, were acceptances. He had such a delightful week planned for his guests and was quite sure that every one of them would enjoy their stay.

There was a knock at the door.

A/N: A shortish chapter to introduce every one. Here's to not dropping out halfway. It should be pretty obvious who the main culprit is, but hope you enjoy it anyways!