'Humans, humans, humans! They're so hypocritical they're hysterical! Humans indignantly think they're so different from everyone else, somehow getting it into their heads that being different makes them special! Ah ha ha! Though, even their stupidity is fascinating.'
This is what Izaya Orihara thought as he sat by a cafe window with a smug sneer, eavesdropping on a table of high school girls as one of them cried incessantly, "I love him so much! I confessed and he said he liked Yui-chan! What does she have that I don't!? I'm so much prettier, nicer, and smarter than that witch! That's it, she's not my friend anymore! Tomorrow we'll start with her gym clothes, I know her locker combo..."
Izaya chucked to himself as he finished the last of his black coffee, paid the bill, and left to stroll around Shinjuku. He could see straight through every one of them, he always could.
Humans. They were his line of work, his reason for existence, his passion, his love. Quite simply, they were his everything.
Why? He'd never let himself ask that.
Suddenly, his phone beeped. "Hello-"
"Izaya, I need to see you straight away. Go to meeting room #3," said a low, feminine voice he recognized instantly.
Izaya grinned. "I'm on my way."
Now, what could be so important that his boss had called him directly, instead of her secretary?
As he walked towards his workplace, he took a moment to bask in his magnificence.
Izaya was the top anthropologist working for Japan's most prestigious scientific research corporation in Anthropology, Sapien, making him one of the best anthropologists in the world.
An anthropologist. The job was so perfect for him, he could never imagine being anything else. Though, he supposes, if anthropology didn't exist then he would be an informant, spending his life manipulating people for his own amusement.
His ascent to the top had been a cakewalk. That was thanks to a sizable amount of small new discoveries, numerous papers, and consistently crushing all competition in the company because he was head and shoulders above them all in both intelligence and skill. Sapien had multiple branches located all throughout Japan, but it was headquartered in Shinjuku, so being their top anthropologist, Izaya was stationed here.
Of course, Izaya made sure his boss never forgot just how valuable he was, and she didn't, judging by his enormous salary, a very flexible schedule, and other numerous perks his co-workers could only dream of. It was all to make Izaya stay at the company, and Izaya had to admit, his boss really was a smart woman, as she knew Sapien would suffer if he were to leave and work for a rival company.
Fifteen minutes later he arrived at the doors of Sapien. It was an impressive skyscraper, 150 stories high covered in reflective Daytime Privacy glass, where employees could see out but no pedestrian could see in. Reflecting the sky, it painted the structure in blots of creamy white against a backdrop of blue.
Izaya went inside, crossed the polished gold marble floor of the lobby, and headed straight for the elevator. He pushed the Up button and stood patiently in front of the elevator.
Ding! The elevator slid open, but before Izaya could take a step, something huge and heavy slammed into him like a bullet train, sending him crashing to the ground with a loud Thump!
Aching all over, Izaya's head snapped up to glare at his assailant, expecting at least an apology, and was shocked to meet murderous eyes staring down at him.
Everything about the offender screamed pissed off, from their knuckle white fists, ape man like stance, and lion-like growls.
'Monster' was Izaya's first thought about this infuriating beast.
"Watch where you're going damn it!" shouted said monster, as he whipped out a cancer stick from his pocket, lighted it, and wasted no time in sticking it in his mouth to inhale toxic death.
Izaya's shock was wearing off, quickly being replaced by annoyance, "It was you who tackled me! Do you have any idea who I am-"
"SHUT UP! I don't give a rat's ass who you are! You're lucky I have to be on my best behavior, or else I'd have killed you the second you touched me!" the monster growled.
Izaya could feel his annoyance boiling into anger. 'Calm down, don't lose your cool over a beast like him.'
Taking a deep breath, Izaya got up from the floor, and pressed the Up button again, mouth forming into a condescending smirk.
"Of course a monster like you wouldn't understand who is at fault here. Animals, they leave a mess and claim no responsibility, but what more can I expect from a beast?"
The monster exploded. "I'LL KILL YOU!" he roared, scaring everyone in the lobby, prompting the receptionist to call security.
Ding! "I'd love to play with you some more, but my boss is waiting for me. Have fun with security! Ta ta~", taunted Izaya as he swiftly stepped into the now open elevator, closing it before the monster could react.
Directing the elevator to meeting room #3, Izaya took another deep breath, taking the time to reflect on what just happened. He had never met anyone, no, anybeast like that before.
The brute wore a bartender uniform along with blue designer sunglasses, was tall, muscular yet slender, with a mop of dyed blonde hair.
It did not escape Izaya that this beast was the most striking creature he had ever seen.
'Maybe I'll use my connections to find out who he was, and then-!' Izaya was shocked yet again. 'Why do I care so much about some thing I met once for what, two minutes!?' Izaya shook it off, 'I'll never see that brute again, so whatever.'
Ding! Izaya stepped off the elevator and promptly walked to the meeting room.
Meeting room #3 had blinds over tinted glass, a rectangular table with 13 chairs, and it was sound proof.
It was used exclusively for secretive meetings, and being on the top as he was, he used this room often. As he walked inside, he immediately focused on the two other people present, who simultaneously turned towards Izaya.
They analyzed one another, calculations whirring softly to the hum of the air conditioner.
'So this is a group assignment. Fine. They'll know soon that I call the shots.'
Both skinny young men, one had black hair, gray eyes behind black rimmed glasses, and had on a white lab coat along with a creepy, knowing smile. Izaya didn't recognize him, but he guessed they were the same age.
'He must be the brainy type. Jeez, the way he's looking at me, it's like I'm some insect he's dissecting...pervert.'
The other man he knew.
A lot younger, he had shaggy blue hair, brown eyes, and a happy smile. He'd seen him in a meeting once a while back, sitting on the side, taking notes. He was probably an intern back then.
Izaya had immediately disliked the kid upon laying eyes on him. He saw as clear as glass, that behind that sick syrupy, friendly facade, lied a predator, waiting to devour his prey.
He was a shark, whom gazed at him coolly, smile twisting into a knife edged smirk, as if he could tell exactly what Izaya was thinking.
It was the creep who spoke first.
"Hello! My name is Shinra Kishitani! But you can call me Shinra!"
Izaya sighed, "I'm Izaya Orihara, call me whatever you want."
Shark boy jumped in. "I'm Aoba Kuronuma, nice to-"
CRASH!
Everyone jumped. "What the hell was that?!", exclaimed Aoba.
Suddenly the door opened and closed, revealing the boss.
Suki Hanatori was a middle aged woman, every bit the professional she ought to be, with her purple pant suits and formal demeanor. Never married and childless, she was dedicated to her job as CEO of Sapien, having sacrificed her personal life when she decided to pursue a real career decades ago.
Izaya snidely wonders if it was worth it.
"Greetings everyone," Said woman was frowning, she hated tardiness.
A sigh. "We must wait until the last member arrives-"
SLAM! The door smashed into a wall, cracking both as someone stood in the doorway, huffing and puffing. Izaya turned, excited at whoever it must be, eyes widening in shock at the sight before him. The person standing in the doorway, was none other than that blonde beast.
The monster blurted, "Sorry I'm late-" The monster locked eyes with Izaya.