Both movements were complementary. Izaya only discerned this vaguely as he sank into peace.
It had been so long since Shizuo had been to Izaya's apartment and so much had changed since then that this might as well be the first time.
"Come in, make yourself at home. Don't mind the screens, it's my surveillance system."
Shizuo was indeed staring at the many screens that showed apparently ever single angle of the building including emergency exits and stairs. He realized that Izaya lived barricaded behind all sorts of security measured. He also noticed a triple bolt on the door that looked made of titanium steel. A new door, Shizuo was sure.
"I got you milkshake, is chocolate alright?"
"Sure."
"Take a seat, Shizu-chan."
Shizuo was a bit afraid of sitting on the plush and very expensive looking sofas but he obeyed. Izaya skipped to the high resolution flat screened television and adjusted the sound surround system.
"This is Kurosawa's Dreams. It's a series of shortish montages that can be watched independently for the most part. So it's perfect."
Izaya did not want to overstrain his good eye. He sat very close to Shizuo.
"Will it be complicated?"
"Don't worry too much about trying to get 'the message', just enjoy the ride. The visuals alone are amazing."
Shizuo was more than a bit curious. As it turned out it was not at all what Shizuo expected. The first segment looked historical and followed a little boy who witnesses a marriage between fox spirits, ending in a sublime rainbow spanning the width of a magical forest. The next one threw a profusion of peach flowers at the viewer along with living dolls doing a slow dance that was hypnotic. The third was about a group lost in a mountain blizzard and painstakingly making their way through deep snow, deep silence setting a somber mood and then an almost random folkloric element with a spirit woman ghostly intervening.
At this point Izaya hit the stop button.
"So, what do you think?"
"It was…really, really cool. So different from the usual stuff we see on TV."
Izaya nodded.
"Yes, it captures the oneiric feeling of it all. The imagery is very strong but there is still a certain narrative to it. These were based on actual dreams that Kurosawa had."
"Really? There are more, right? Can't wait to watch them."
Izaya smiled and stretched.
"It's only just starting. It gets even better but I can't watch more for the time being. You can watch the rest if you want."
"Tomorrow. We can watch it together."
"I won't spoil it for you, then."
Izaya sat with his knees brought to his chin, comfortably nestled in the sofa.
"You really love this movie, don't you?"
"I never get tired of it. I've lost count of the times I've watched it."
Shizuo found it amusing.
"Kurosawa…I think I've heard the name."
"Not surprising. He might have been the best Japanese director of all time. It is a bit saddening that our cinema is known abroad for the creepy girls with long hair crawling out of wells and making groaning sounds instead. But I suppose it can't be helped."
"Have you ever been overseas?"
Izaya bounced to his superbly equipped kitchen and returned with tea for him and tea flavored dessert for Shizuo.
"I've been to a few places. New York, Los Angels, London, Hong Kong, Shangai. Mostly big cities. But in the end I belong here and I always come back to my dear Tokyo, a city of many cities."
"Thanks. It must be fun, travelling around the world like that."
Shizuo was touched by the simple fact that Izaya had bothered to get him a dessert that was a new favorite. He then realized that milkshake was not something that Izaya would normally buy either.
"It's interesting. Plenty of different people from all walks of life and from so many cultures. But in the end, the best thing about it is coming back home to this view."
Izaya gestured toward the panoramic window. City lights prickled the night with so many glittering points.
"Real pretty. Can't see this from my place, that's for sure."
"Speaking of that…I've been crashing at your apartment so much that I feel like I'm freeloading. Want to stay the night?"
"Sure."