Prologue – Blind Anger
In the middle of the night, in some random street devoid of any sign of life, was walking a lonely figure with accentuated steps.
It was a young woman in her early twenties. Her clothes consisted of bartender-like attire, suited to her feminine build. She wore a black, sleeveless buttoned vest over a white buttoned shirt, which hugged her rather voluptuous chest. A black bowtie completed the top half. A black skirt was tied with a black belt around her waist, and stockings covered her legs up to her thighs. Finally, black heels completed the outfit.
The most probably shocking characteristic about her was her wild, long blonde hair, which fell down her back like a cascade, with many bangs falling on her forehead and rosy cheeks. Dark blue shades covered her eyes.
Her appearance was nothing short of stunning, not to say beautiful, as it was quite the sight to behold. She did look like some kind of waitress, but she didn't exactly behave like one at all. Not to mention she was far away from any bar or restaurant.
Of course, anyone with a bit of local knowledge about the streets of Ikebukuro would know much better than to even gaze with bad eyes at a weird woman with a waitress outfit. The name of Shizuka Heiwajima was already too well known in the district for the most frightening reasons, and anyone with a bit of brain would think two times before confronting her.
It was to be expected. For the common folk, she was mostly seen as a violent monster with a pretty face. For the ones who actually knew her personally outside of her angry fits, she was just a debt collector's bodyguard with a short fuse -that is to say, minuscule fuse - and a lot of strength to make it even worse.
But today… today she was none of that. Today she was just Shizuka. She already managed to complete her normally insufferable daily routine with the private property damages to the minimum. She didn't break much things, or people, for that matter.
It was supposed to be a peaceful day, more or less. It was the kind of days she liked. It was the kind of days she yearned for.
But even then, she couldn't help but to scowl at nothing.
She went for a night stroll, and then, she suddenly developed a bad mood.
She didn't know why, but she was angry already. And that sole fact pissed her off even more. She was getting angry because she was getting angry, for absolutely no reason. The hairs on her nape stood up, and chills ran down her spine.
"Tsk… there must be something in the air, or the water," she contemplated as she pursed her lips. "Or maybe this damn city is just too eager for me to topple it to the ground…"
Shizuka couldn't help it. It was easy for her to get mad. That didn't meant she liked it. It was even more frustrating to not know why she was mad.
"Ok, ok…" the blonde said to herself, bringing one hand to her chest. "Calm down, Shizuka. It's just your unhealthy environment that's making you angry. Remember the breathing exercises…"
She tried to cool off. She read about it on the internet. Just breathing deeply and counting from one to one hundred would make her stray away from those thoughts.
After a few seconds, she decided to pull out her trusty box of cigarettes with her slender yet somewhat calloused fingers, courtesy of punching a lot of things. Although her breathing exercises were still in development, smoking did actually allow her to let out some steam.
She lighted it up using her lighter, quickly placed it between her lips, and filled her lungs with the harmful fumes.
Once she took a few puffs, her shoulders slouched a little.
"Ah… that's very darn better."
A faint smile formed on her face, which embellished her already beautiful features.
Just as she found out her possible solution for a very stupid problem-
Bzzzt-! Bzzzt-!
-Her phone began buzzing.
"Huh…?" She took another puff, before searching for the device inside a pocket in her vest. "Who's calling at this hour? Maybe Tom-san?"
'Tom-san' was her employer, so Shizuka was bound to be called by him every now and then.
However, the words 'Private Number' displayed on the yellow flip phone's screen made her quickly dismiss that thought.
"…I hope this is just one of those dumbasses who sell products nobody wants through phone calls. It would be annoying if a lot of people got my number."
With reluctance, she accepted the call.
"Hello? Who's this?"
…
…
…
"SHI-ZU-CHAN~!"
Crack-!
"Now, now, Shizu-chan," cheekily said the voice at the other end of the call with an appeasing manner. "Don't break your phone like that. I know you're excited to hear my wondrous voice, but phones can be expensive."
Shizuka's breath hitched for a second.
"WHAT… What do you want?"
Was it a premonition? She wasn't exactly sure. But now, she was aware of the cause of her bad mood. Yes, it was too peaceful a day to be true. She was anticipating something like this.
The blonde tried to control herself. It was a herculean task, truly. She could never completely control herself when there was an absolute cunt talking to her like she was some kind of clown for his sick entertainment.
"Ah, that's cold of you, Shizu-chan. Not even a 'good evening', or 'how have you been'? Can't you see a dear, beloved pal of yours is going through the trouble of calling you just to check up on you?"
"You're worse than cancer and nobody would want to be your pal. Pease die as soon as possible, flea."
Almost automatically, the words came out of her mouth. Her entire thought process concerning the 'flea', as she had called him, could be summarized in that simple phrase. Everything else she said after that was just an addition for a message that was clear as water.
"Such sincerity, Shizu-chan!" chirped the annoying voice. "You're just adorable. Even though you act all tough and moody, you still have the consideration to say 'please'. What a well-mannered girl~"
The woman was already gritting her teeth with frustration.
"Quite the contrary, flea, I am in a good mood today. So instead of the usual, I'll be direct and ask: what the fuck do you want from me?"
She knew the conversation would go nowhere. But she also held onto the hope that he would get bored and maybe, just maybe, if the possibility ever arose and the planets aligned, he would disappear permanently.
"Ah? Now, can't you just imagine the answer yourself, Shizu-chan?" inquired the voice as if it was something even a child would know. "I just want to piss you off!"
Crack-!
"Hmm, but that's still no good. I cannot just sit still and watch as you destroy a perfectly functional phone, Shizu-chan. That's disrespectful to the people who made it, to yourself who earned the money to buy it, and to all of other humans who can't afford for a phone-"
"Now that's so damn funny," muttered Shizuka, cutting off the flea's rambling. "Tell me, in details, in what year, month, week, day, hour, minute and second have you ever cared for anyone else and made sure to not disrespect them, eh?!"
The flea laughed. "Shizu-chan, before judging anyone else, you should judge yourself. Have you seen how much destruction you cause whenever you get all hissy at me? A woman as beautiful as you shouldn't be throwing things around like a monkey. It doesn't suit you~"
"Shut up. You're the dog who barks annoying sounds all day. It's not my fault you're so killable."
She was developing a migraine. She started chewing on her cigarette out of pure anger, not noticing about it.
"Oh, there was another reason for this call, now that I remember," he spoke immediately. "Shizu-chan, smoking is a no-no. Don't you know how bad it is for a woman to smoke in such great quantities like you do? I see you absorbing those toxic clouds like candies and I can't help but to get worried for you. It'll rot your lungs and give you a bad smell. Also, I know you think your shades are cool and all, but wouldn't it be better if everyone got to see your cute eyes?"
The blonde thought of it as infinitely ironic for him to chastise her for her unhealthy addiction when he enjoyed ruining other people's lives and use them like toy just to discard them afterwards.
"I'll stop smoking cigarettes when you stop smoking lives, you sick fuck, which, as far as I'm aware, will never happen until I completely murder you," she snarled hatefully. "Now stop bothering me and die or something."
And just like that, she hanged up.
There were a number of things she found annoying, but if there was one thing, one person she couldn't withstand until he was absolute destroyed and erased from the known universe, it was the 'flea'. His snarky attitude was just the tip of the iceberg. He was a beacon of problems. It wouldn't be surprising if he was just hanging out with the mafia in his spare time or selling information to a renowned hitman for shit and giggles.
He was just the worst. A scumbag with no redeeming qualities. And Shizuka just happened to be the person that hated him the most, indisputably.
The flea always ruined every single chance she had of having a normal, peaceful life, and at this point in time, she just wanted to rip his heart out and smash his head with it. And that was being merciful with him.
"…Dammit. I'm already getting furious from a simple phone call."
She tried to push the thought of him aside.
This was her peaceful day. An insignificant flea shouldn't be able to ruin it.
Shizuka kept walking, blond hair swaying from a side to another.
Yet, with every single step she took, a very disturbing swirl of negative emotions and thoughts filled her mind to the brim. Her heart thumped loudly, and her chills were even worse.
"Wait a second…"
I cannot sit still and watch you destroy a perfectly functional phone.
Don't you know how bad it is for a woman to smoke in such great quantities like you do?
I know you think your shades are cool and all, but wouldn't it be better if everyone got to see your cute eyes?
It could be a possibility, but by the way he phrased it…
"Don't tell me…"
Shizuka began looking around frantically, throwing her cigarette away.
'…He's watching me?!'
Bzzzt-! Bzzzt-!
Quite coincidentally, her almost shattered phone buzzed again.
Shizuka quickly grabbed it and accepted the call without looking who it was.
"I have to say," started talking the same voice from before, "your sharp instincts are something else. Have you noticed yet? That weird feeling that you're being observed by someone? It's really annoying, isn't it Shizu-chan?"
"You bastard flea, stop stalking me or I'll split your skull in half!"
She heard an exaggerated gasp from the other side. "Shizu-chan, my skull protects my poor, innocent brain. Do you know how embarrassing would it be if someone saw what was inside? I can't just simply allow you to commit to such violence when other people's innocence is at stake with all of the sensible information that's stored in there."
"Don't worry, flea. After I open you up, I will crush your horrendous brain into a bloody paste. No one will have the opportunity of seeing how wretched and disgusting you truly are."
"Hahaha, no can do, Shizu-chan. After all, even if I don't want to hurt all humans with all of the embarrassing information I have about them, I still need to have some fun from time to time. Knowledge is power, after all. For example…"
There was a pause, as if he was remembering something. Shizuka tried to not crush her phone, giving him the benefit of speaking his mind. It was, admittedly, a bad idea.
"…Ah, yes. It's 98, 63, and 95. Am I wrong?"
Her eyes narrowed. "What the hell are you blabbing about? I don't know what those numbers mean."
"Isn't it painfully obvious, Shizu-chan? Those are your three sizes!"
The world came to a standstill as she processed those words.
There was heat. Heat rushing to her cheeks, mainly. There was also heat rushing into her brain as the thought of 'kill' became especially prominent. The hand that wasn't holding the phone clenched to the point of turning white, and her nails dug into the palm of her hand.
"You… You…!"
The flea giggled. "Shizu-chan, believe it or not, it's easy to have an approximation of a woman's three sizes by analyzing every single piece of clothes she wears, and quite fortunately, your clothes are very easy to access! You should lock your apartment better."
"Gaaaaaahhh!"
A pained whine was heard from the phone.
"Ouch! Please don't yell so loudly at the phone, Shizu-chan. The phone hasn't done anything against you."
"I hope you have a religion, because you'll have a lot of praying to do once I find you! I'll fucking strangle you, you perverted shithead!"
"That idea sounds quite distasteful, Shizu-chan," answered the flea with the same nonchalant tone of voice. "But if by strangling me you mean strangling me with your big chest, then please do so. It would be quite the arousing death, you know? Besides, you gotta start using those womanly charms of yours-"
He couldn't finish. Shizuka hanged up the phone a final time.
She breathed heavily. Her cheeks were red, product of shame. Her eyes, covered by the blue shades which also hid her overwhelming emotion, were tearing up.
That was the reason she didn't like him. He played with people, pitted them against each other for his own amusement, and talked about their secrets as if it was just silly gossip.
He wasn't humane. He was sick in the head, and he celebrated over that sickness, saying stupid things as 'loving humans' like he was some kind of god who was too entertained with his flawed creations. He rejoiced in conflict, and a stupid conversation like this was just a way to pass the time before he started planning his next attempt at burning down the whole city in one way or another.
He loved to be hated, as hate brought conflict, and conflict brought him fun things to watch. But what about the people he damaged? He never thought about them as more than playthings. Playthings that could be broken and replaced.
Shizuka Heiwajima was diametrically opposite to that scum. As per her name and surname, she disliked conflict and preferred to live a peaceful life.
Izaya Orihara, the flea, being the personification of conflict itself, would never be liked by Shizuka. Ever.
- ~DRRR!~ -
He smiled gingerly from the top of the building as he looked down.
Nobody would notice him at all. His dark palette of colors was enough to blend him with the night. His clothes gave off a simple yet mysterious air around him. A long black coat that reached his hips with fur lining served as the first cover, and beneath, a long sleeved V-neck shirt of the same color. His pants were dark too, and his brown shoes couldn't be more mundane.
His dark hair swayed with the wind. His brown eyes, which had a red tint on them, stared with satisfaction at the distant people and architectures.
The building had a nice view of the city. The beautiful lights of the urban atmosphere of Ikebukuro could truly be appreciated from a height like that. It wasn't too tall so as to not distinguish what was beneath, but it wasn't too tiny so as to not allow the observer to glance upon the true beauty of the place.
Of course, he had little to no interest in the city itself. For him, it was just a gigantic chessboard, full of pieces that moved by themselves unpredictably. It was a game that played itself, the ultimate enjoyment for someone who can't move the pieces directly yet yearns to watch will happen once they do by some fateful whim.
He didn't care about the lesser pieces, though. His focus now was on the piece that brought him the most excitement.
With the use of binoculars, he could glance upon a specific blonde woman that stood out like a sore thumb in the nightly place, either because of her gorgeous body, her extravagant attire, or her personality altogether.
Now, she was another piece in the game. But she was slightly different. Whereas he could influence other pieces into doing something without actually moving them directly, she was not the same.
That woman, Shizuka Heiwajima… she was one of a kind.
Her single-mindedness prompted her to do the same exact thing every single time. She was just like a unicellular being, really. There was no unpredictability, no uncertainty about her actions. She was a being of violence. A rabid animal who wouldn't listen to anyone, as she had no personal agenda outside of pure, unfocused violence.
Her course of action always was 'if there's something I don't like, I destroy it'. As simple as that.
The man considered her as less than a human. Again, she could be compared to a rabid animal. In contrast with the multilayered facets of the humans he so dearly loved, Shizuka was motivated by a primitive instinct that dominated every single one of her aspects. A normal human would probably think of 'fight or flee'. Shizuka, on the other hand, was just full of 'fight'. A cornered beast that would fight with claws and fangs for her life, even if it wasn't at stake. It's all she could do.
He found it cute, but at the same time, it was almost disgusting to see her.
There was no complicated thinking, no tactics, and no real matured emotions behind. She was just there, doing stuff, openly claiming she despised violence while using it in great amounts just because her brain didn't catch up to her body until it was too late.
She was a creature of instinct. The difference between humans and animals was that one could feel, could deeply think, could deeply intertwine with other humans in so many interesting ways, and the other could not. The other was limited.
Shizuka was like a dog… No, actually, it would be more accurate to call her a bitch. Her mentality was that of a mad dog, but calling her a bitch was funnier, not to mention ironic. That didn't stop her from acting like a monkey sometimes.
In summary, she was just an animal. And really, wouldn't anyone get tired of seeing an animal all the time? Watching a documentary about wildlife can be entertaining for a while, but after you have learned that the animals follow a similar pattern of action that their peers abide to, it gets really tiring. It's just the same thing over and over again, but it's not the animal's fault. The animal can't help but to act like an animal; it's in its nature to do so. Shizuka was the same.
That was another interesting piece of information. Despite being an animal, Shizuka wasn't seen as a menace. Humans tended to humanize certain characteristics of animals to understand them better, despite being different in essence. Shizuka was fortunate enough to look like a human, so her animalistic behavior was just seen as something she couldn't control. Something unique to her, as she was an irreplaceable 'human' like everyone else.
Conditioning wasn't beyond her, either. Teach the bitch that something is bad long enough and she will treat it as bad for the rest of her life without giving it a second thought for a moment.
Izaya Orihara used himself to demonstrate how right he was. After all, even a friendly call where he only complimented her and cared about her wellbeing was seen as 'annoying' by Shizuka, because she couldn't do anything about it. Her simple brain was fixated on making him appear as the bad guy, so she would never be able to sympathize with him.
It was truly sad. Even with his intense attraction to her, he wouldn't be able to change her mind about him. Even though Izaya was madly infatuated with her, at the same time, he couldn't treat her like a human being. His inability to pardon a fatal flaw in her nature made him unable to treat the woman he desired as more than an animal.
Beneath that unbridled instinct, there was a woman. Beneath the animal, there was the person. And the person is what Izaya truly loved, even though she rarely showed up.
He despised the animal because he couldn't read it. Despite its single-minded way of doing things, Izaya had a hard time understanding it, even if he predicted it.
He could understand and predict humans, as he was thoroughly versed in their way of thinking. But an animal with a potentially similar gift to act like a human was beyond him, and he hated it with rare passion. In his seemingly infinite affection for someone that wouldn't probably rear her head from her animalistic prison, Izaya could only treat her differently.
But it's not like it was a hopeless task. If he could reasonably influence humans with ease, he could do the same with a savage animal given enough time.
That's why he enjoyed her while she lasted. Sooner or later, as the days passed, he would chip away her resistance, break apart the violence and rage that consumed her, and force her to show that human inside of her that he so desired.
He anticipated with glee. He wanted to see what else hid beneath that pretty face. And most of all, he wanted to have it all for himself and enjoy it like fine wine.
"Aaaaah, I can't wait for that day!" he cheered as he jumped like a little kind, arms extended as if he was flying. "Keep showing me how angry you can get, Shizu-chan. Be the monster everyone thinks you are. Destroy and rage even more! After all…"
Izaya approached the edge of the building again, and searched for Shizuka with his binoculars once again.
"…I know that's not the full extent of your person. There must be something else you're not showing, right? Something I really, really want. But don't worry. Even the wildest animals can be civilized and tamed, and you're no exception."
He smiled again, showing his teeth like a beast faring his fangs against another.
"Let's see how long it takes for you to break, shall we?"
Hey, Rosso Angelo here.
This is just an idea I had there in the back of my mind, and I wrote it for fun. If the dear readers find it enjoyable enough, I'll probably write longer chapters with more juicy content. Note that while it may not look like it at first, this story is going to be tilted towards romance. A weird one, but romance nonetheless.
I thought that Shizuo and Izaya's dinamic relationship was fascinating in the source material, and although there are some stories that do have the same theme as this, I haven't seen much of a female version of Shizuo a lot. I decided to take upon myself that idea and expand it as much as I can.
Tell me what you think. Be sincere and concise! Better reviews make for a better story.
Also, in the case you're wondering, I update whenever I want. I won't promise anything. Sorry if it is disappointing, but taking my time writing allows me to ensure a good product at the end.
See you later, hopefully!
(14/2/2020)