Shizuo gave Izaya more than enough time to make a few brilliantly unnecessary moves.
"Aren't you missing something?"
"Such as?"
"For you to become a player, as in someone who moves the pieces, don't you need another player to play against?"
Izaya shrugged, nonchalantly.
"It's just a metaphor. Don't take it too literally."
"Still, if you're the only player you'll end up bored in no time."
Izaya stretched and yawned.
"Whatever. Anyway, I just won. Don't follow me."
"I won't. Just watch out for those windows-"
"I know that."
It was with an effort to Izaya walked away without casting at least a glance back. He tried to get some extra computer batteries and was again turned down. With a sigh he shuffled to a lobby where he found a newspaper that he read from top to bottom. As usual there was not anything worth knowing in standard sources of information. Izaya preferred to investigate shady rumors and not always for professional reasons. It was a hobby of his, to disentangle word of mouth from the facts, it any, underneath it.
He was left to wander from vast room to vast room, aimlessly. As large as the hotel was there was something stifling about being confined. He could sense a feeling of cabin fever brewing in the guests who gathered about as if afraid of staying in their rooms. Izaya did not blame them. He found a nook under a sweeping stairway and settled there to reread the Art of War.
Izaya emerged from complicated considerations much refreshed. Following intellectual twists and turns made him feel reassured of his competence. And Izaya was in great need of reassurance. He bought some condoms from a vending machine and considered his options. Maybe what he needed was some proper sex. Which was to say, without Shizuo. As soon as the idea occurred to him he rejected it.
Currently the hotel was sealed tight on a group of stressed out people. The crazy weather outside that forced them to remain indoors added to the built up tension. It was hardly the environment to select a random partner for highly casual sex. Izaya was very aware that sexual behavior was directly connected to surrounding elements and that it could very well have disastrous effects under pressure.
He decided to try the somewhat famous baths. Partially because these were underground and also because he wanted to enjoy this lease on time alone as well as possible. There was no one in the showers and that suited Izaya just fine. The place was semi traditional and luxurious. He was ready to step into the large opal colored pool in no time. Izaya tried the water with the tip of a toe first and only then did he happily enter. Steam hovered uncertainly so it took him a while for him to notice the shape amidst tendrils rising from the surface.
"Didn't you say you'd leave me alone?"
Shizuo shrugged.
"I was here first."
Izaya considered leaving but he was very comfortable in the warm water and more importantly he could not afford to allow Shizuo to have the last word.
"Fine. Just don't come any closer."
"This is neat, it's like there's no storm going on."
"'Neat'? Who uses 'neat' nowadays. What century are you in, exactly?"
"Twenty first. Are you running out of things to bitch about?"
Izaya humphed and splashed around some.
"How come no one's here but us?"
"I gave some money to the guys running this place to keep people out."
Izaya lifted an eyebrow.
"How come they let me in, then?"
"I told them that if this cute skinny guy with short hair a bunch of rings came round to let him in."
"Gee, so you wanted to have this place all to yourself?"
"People stare at me too much. I don't like that."
"Well of course they do. You're absurdly huge. How come you have no problems going to the beach, though?"
"It's not the same. Not naked there. Unless you're around and decide to, what was it called again, 'celebrate the human body' by prancing about in the nude."
Izaya smirked.
"It's called damage control. And I'm amazed you handled it so well."
"I was too busy checking you out to be embarrassed. How come they have pictures of Fuji-san around?"
Izaya glanced at the mosaic on the wall. Glad that attention was shifting from him for once.
