Lumière's flames were brighter than usual. The magical candelabra spun around, happily dancing as he passed the other cursed servants. He exchanged meaningful eye contact with each one of them. All of them had the same glimmer in their eyes, the glimmer of hope.
One of the servants overhead Shizuo talk to (the only human guest the castle ever had) Shinra a few hours ago. From that conversation, the servants drew the conclusion that someone who wouldn't be scared of Shizuo would be coming to the castle.
The conversation occurred when Celty was distracted. She was trying to pet the footstool (which used to be a dog before the castle got cursed).
The trio were in the garden, so Shinra and Shizuo stood leaning against the castle wall.
Shinra started the conversation.
"I've had a stupid idea for a while. Do you remember my 'friend' whom I told you about?"
"The human-loving prick?" Asked Shizuo. He couldn't see where this was going. "What about him?"
Shinra watched what Celty was doing. He laughed when he noticed how much fun she was having playing with the playful, barking footstool.
Shinra knew that just as much as she wanted to find her head, she wanted her 'fellow monster' to be turned back into a human. And Izaya could possibly do so.
"Well, out of all the criminals I treat, he's the only guy I know who wouldn't be scared of you." Shinra went on." He is someone you can't break. Believe me, many have tried, but he keeps on coming back."
Shinra tried to hint that maybe, just perhaps, Izaya could break the curse. However, Shizuo didn't seem to recognise the hidden meaning.
"Sounds like a flea to me. Insects keep on coming back and aren't scared to annoy the hell out of me either."
Shizuo adjusted the position of his sunglasses. He knew that without them on, Shinra wouldn't be able to look him in the face. Shizuo's eyes were said to be the scariest part of his beastly form. He wore the sunglasses when he was around his servants, too, since they were less likely to run away whist he hid his eyes.
"If he's all that brave, why don't you bring him here?" Shizuo chuckled, without actually meaning it.
"That's what I wanted to ask you. I mean, erm, let's make a deal."
Shizuo raised an eyebrow as Shinra continued to stutter.
"Erm, how about I'll try to persuade Izaya to come here... And if he manages to keep an eye contact with you for longer than five seconds you let him stay here for two weeks?"
"For what reason? And what about when he fails to hold the eye contact?"
"He's rich, so if he loses, get him to buy you a cigarette company so that you get free cigarettes for the rest of your life or something. I don't know."
Shizuo didn't ask why Shinra dodged his first question.
"Didn't you say that he's an informant and can find people?"
"Yeah, why?"
"Good. When he loses, he'll find me my brother."
Shizuo stood at the gates, watching as Shinra and Celty got onto the motorcycle. The wave of loneliness (which he constantly felt) reappeared.
As he watched the motorcycle ride away, he heard howling and trotting of hooves nearby.
Shizuo walked back into his territory and started closing the gates with his super-human strength (which he possessed even before he got turned into a monster). As he finished shutting the gates, a cart and horse rode past his castle.
There were three males on this cart; they were howling and laughing. However, when one of them noticed the beast, his facial expression was filled with fear.
Shizuo rolled his eyes and that reaction and walked towards the castle interior.
The cart kept on moving and it took a while for the 'wolf' (who noticed Shizuo) to get his thoughts straight again.
Further away from the castle, the motorcycle came to a halt.
Celty quickly typed an explanation on her PDA:
[I noticed an animal trap nearby. I'll quickly get rid of it.
Shinra groaned but didn't say anything. He knew that whatever he said, Celty would not listen since she was already on her way.
He felt abandoned.
A moment later, the cart rode past Shinra and Celty's motorcycle. After taking one look at Shinra's lab-coat, one of the travellers shouted:
"Mornin' doc!"
Shinra realized how weird he must have seemed. A doctor in a lab-coat standing next to a motorcycle (and not even riding it) in the middle of nowhere.
The only thing that the scene was missing was Izaya taking pictures.
When Shinra and Celty entered Izaya's apartment, Izaya was very, very willing to listen to what the doctor had to say. He got himself comfortable in his swivel chair and nodded for Shinra and Celty to sit on the sofa opposite his desk.
When he sat down, Shinra decided to start talking about the castle's history. He spoke for a while before he looked at Izaya who gave him just as much of a response as the wall behind them.
Finally, Izaya sneezed and spun around in his chair for the extra effect.
"So." He began. "You're saying that there's a castle which is full of cursed servants. You're also saying that they got turned into things such as furniture, all because the prince screwed up with the Enchantress' daughter by telling her he's gay. The Enchantress turned him into a hairy monster, turned his servants into objects and gave him a rose. If all of the rose's petals fall before he gets a male to fall in 'love' with him, he and the servants stay in their forms forever." Izaya exploded with laughter. "Am I wrong to find this hilarious?"
Shinra laughed along, then, when both of them stopped laughing, Shinra muttered:
"Die."
"I'm sure that you didn't come here just to tell me about the castle which you were at this morning. What's the favour which you are dying to ask of me?"
Shinra didn't wonder why Izaya knew where he was today. He didn't question why Izaya knew that Shinra would ask him for a favour either.
"I was just about to get to that." Shinra grumbled. "You know that you owe me a favour for saving the life of some gang leader which you wanted to question?"
"Yeah, I remember. But he could've died; he didn't know what I thought he would." Izaya shrugged.
"Anyway, I want you to stay at that castle for two weeks without doing anything shady there."
"Okay." Izaya yawned and stretched. "Is that all?"
"..." Shinra looked over at Celty who seemed just as confused as he was.
"Could you pack your bags and be ready to go there tomorrow night then?"
"Okay." Izaya yawned again. This time he faked it.
"What's your hidden motive?"
"Hidden motive? I just need a vacation and going to a cursed castle for two weeks will do the trick. I can't wait. It'll be very interesting."
Author's notes:
Sorry for the unsatisfactory chapter and thank you for the seven follows and a review. It means a lot. :)
