Chapter 14

Izaya twirled his pencil around.

Around and around.

Then he balanced it on his lips.

Then he put it on his nose and tried to balance it there.

It clattered to the floor.

He tried again.

It just wasn't coming to him. He didn't really know what to do to see more sides of the human race. He'd concluded that he'd gone too far before, but then, with another (after all, you need to do something several times to make sure it always has the same effect, right?) the person had acted completely apathetic. From one extreme to the next.

No, he needed to get more of a handle on these things. Otherwise, it would all just spiral out of control.

The pencil on his nose fell off again.

He jumped when there was a bang beside him.

"Will you stop that? I'm trying to do homework here! Celtyyy make him stop?"

The masked rider very pointedly did not pay any attention to the whining boy.

"Izaya, you heard her! Stop that!"

"She doesn't talk, Shinra."

"That doesn't matter! She wishes it in her heart! I can tell!"

"You're talking in exclamation points."

"Yes, yes, you're right. Calm, I'm Kokytos, I'm down, I'm depressed, phew. Deep breath."

"That might be going a bit too far."

He'd thought this before, but even from his outsider's point of view, Shinra was very odd. He always talked much more than he needed to, and it was always very flowery. Rich in detail … that didn't really mean anything. To be honest, most of it flew over Izaya's head. He also seemed only to have eyes for Celty. Rather, the only reason he himself had been taken in was because he knew Celty would approve.

As for the lady in question, she seemed oblivious to it all. To be more precise, she was more or less exasperatedly annoyed. Probably because she didn't understand it.

Not to say that Izaya did any more than she did.

Celty was odd too. She always had that strange device, the PDA, with her, even though he'd never seen anything like it before. She'd told him not to worry about it when he'd asked, that he'd eventually understand. He didn't see what there was to understand. He just wanted to know what it really was.

Then there was the fact that she didn't talk, and that even when she was inside, she was wearing her helmet. She always left for long trips outside, and when she came back she'd always give her bike a washing down. Sometimes he heard knickers of happiness coming from the thing. As far as he knew, bikes weren't supposed to make noise, though…

Add that to the fact that he always got the creeps around her, and he found himself always incapable of completely relaxing around the masked rider. They got along well enough, but she herself seemed to keep her distance more often than not, and he was on his guard. In addition, she didn't seem to ever eat or drink…

He wondered what was beneath the mask. Maybe she'd somehow developed a way to eat without a mouth, like a plant. He'd read that they made their food within their bodies. (The things he learns … but then again, plants would be absolutely boring to watch, even if they were really alive.)

"I don't like those eyes you're making at my Celty, Izaya. Are you planning on being the Iago?"

"Huh? Stop saying things I don't understand."

"Tsk, tsk, looks like you've got a long way to go, then." Shinra puffed his chest out.

Despite the occasional discomfort thanks to the female and the occasional utter idiocy from the boy, Izaya found himself settling nicely into this life. He should be moving soon, though. Soon he'd have learned all he could from this place, and then there'd be no purpose in staying here anymore.

But maybe just for a little longer…

Unfortunately, a large bang at the door announced the arrival of a typhoon that would completely change the Kishitani residence forever.

They weren't expecting any visitors. All three of them jumped, and Izaya leapt away from the table and withdrew his knife as he backed against the wall.

"Shinra, my dear son, how have you been? Celty, my specimen, what about you? Hm? A guest? Hmm…"

He wore a white coat like Shinra, but he was a head taller. Izaya couldn't tell how old he was because of the mask covering his face. Despite not being able to see his eyes, the former bird couldn't help but shudder as he felt a piercing gaze rest upon him.

Hm? A mask … the same feeling of discomfort…

"Mister, are you married to Celty?"