Jokes, Whims, & Coincidences
Chapter Four, Continuing
Orihara Izaya: Definitions of Occurrence
"So what are you typing away at there, anyway?"
Sosa had taken up a position leaning against the back of my chair. This resulted in me being made to tilt slightly back since the chair had gone that way, and I looked up to her expectant face. I hadn't necessarily seen the action coming because she was pretty stealthy in her movements, but wasn't really surprised. She had done this a number of times over the previous days she had been here, so I was fully prepared to take it as a norm.
"That doesn't look very official, you know," she commented, squinting at my screen. "Hey, who's this 'Magenta-san'?" I sighed and sat up, taking the chair with me. Sosa stumbled, but only came back to rest at her former station. I read over the newest line of text that appeared on the email's interface and typed out a response.
"It's not official; it's for fun," I remarked. However, Sosa remained undeterred from figuring out what was happening, her eyes scanning the screen when I looked back up to her.
"You're honestly going through with this scheme again?" Her voice was incredulous, and I sighed. "I'm in for replay value and all, but doing something like this twice in such a short amount of time just seems boring. I mean, yea, in a few months feel free to go for it, cause then it'll be fresh. Eh, you're not gonna listen to me, so why am I bothering? Hey, what are you gonna do if you get another heretic like me on your hands, huh?"
I didn't really listen to her small tirade, though I understood the sentiment. Sosa was only a bit more impatient than me on certain aspects, seeing as I had the tolerance to go through with a plan more than once if it didn't work out the first time. Sure, my plans usually did work out the first time, but there was an exception to everything.
Last time, that exception had been her.
"Well, considering you decided to change things around a bit, I figured I'd give it another shot." Sosa giggled lightly above me. I continued my correspondence as I explained. "There's a whole other half of the game to be played. I'm sure you had similar intentions."
"Well, yea, I had other plans, but I'm quite satisfied with the detour," Sosa agreed, laughter evident in her tones. "You didn't answer my other question, though." She paused to think it over. "Ah, never mind. The fact that two people like us came together in the first place was an extreme coincidence; the chances of it happening again are minimal. Besides, I doubt the world can host that many highly deviant minds at once, anyway."
I looked up again to see Sosa smiling, though she seemed highly serious at the same time. Her logic was correct, of course, but she had flipped between the two points without as much as a glance back. I didn't let it slip from my mind, though, because previous conversation from her had yielded the result of jumping back to a prior topic when you least expected it. I soon realized I was staring, and my focus had been the impossible orange color of her eyes.
"Don't you ever get tired of wearing those contacts, or do you actually need them?" I asked, meaning no harm. Sosa found reason to frown, though, and I'll admit I didn't expect her response in the slightest.
"I don't wear contacts," she stated, all playfulness gone. I typed out another response as a space filler.
"So you're telling me that's natural," I deadpanned. "I know your parents are in the medical field, but pulling that off couldn't have been easy. How much bribing did it take to convince some underground genetic specialist to do that for them?"
"You're so skeptic! I swear I was born this way!" Sosa whined, slumping down on the back of the chair in exasperation. I had wondered when one of her mood swings would happen, and there it was. "And don't pester me about my parents' eye colors and all that junk. I'm quite aware of how genetics works and apparently it's some weird insistent recessive deal. Hey, you think I could get a chair like yours?"
"Can you afford it?" I went along with the change in topic because it was fun, in its own way. The unpredictability of the situation kept things interesting. That was why I was willing to put up with her mood swings as well. I would get into experimenting with her later. For now, I had other priorities.
"That's not fair. Can't it just be an office gift? Oh, that's a new lie." Sosa's hand appeared in vision and pointed to my newest words on the screen. "I was dating this girl and… She hooked up with my dad…" she read off, sending another giggle through the air in the aftermath. "That's a real good one, too. Speaking of this game you're playing, what exactly are you gonna do? I mean, you're gonna go through the kidnapping thing again, right? Are you gonna save her? You gonna just let her rot? You're pretty horrible, Izaya-kun, you know that?"
"To be fair, I wasn't exactly planning on saving you, either," I commented. "Well, not personally. There's an associate of mine that will run pickup if I ask them, though she won't know exactly what I'm planning. She wouldn't agree to help if she knew."
"Wow, there are people who you haven't scared away? I'm surprised." I ignored the comment. I had put effort into keeping certain people around me, even if it was only for my benefit. "You keep leaving questions unanswered. That's just bad taste. Never mind, don't tell me. I want it to be a surprise. Can I watch? Promise I won't get in your way."
I sighed and spun the chair around. Sosa backed up and gave me a curious expression. "Will you actually get some work done if I say 'yes'?" The next thing I obtained from her was a nod. "Fine, if you want. Just take note that I only started talking to her about a few days before the incident with you. This might take a bit of time."
"If you were talking to her while you were still getting ready to play with me, does that count as cheating?"
"Sosa, get to work…" I commanded, trying to keep my tone steady. For some reason, even though I was enjoying myself, I could feel the beginnings of a headache forming in my skull. Sosa, on the other hand, was far more alert than she had been previous, a smile forming on her lips.
"Yes, sir, yes, sir!" she sang.
The situation could be defined as thus:
I had come across a woman named Tekichu Sosa who was clearly not bound to the normal perceptions of society. Not only was her mindset similar to mine (didn't that say enough), I could definitely pick out some psychological afflictions she possessed. There were the mood swings, though that didn't exactly classify one as mental. The way she jumped from topic to topic implied some form of ADD, but I wasn't convinced on that one. She could just very well be thinking far too much for her own good.
It wouldn't have surprised me if there was some other ailment running around in that head of hers.
But I didn't care. As said, I found it to be fun. And I wouldn't have held it against her even if it wasn't. After all, I did love humans, and she had given me no reason to hate her. Only one person had really done that, and I still put up with him, even if his death wouldn't affect me in the slightest.
"What's got you grumpy?" A giggle followed the question as Sosa observed me. I realized I must have frowned at the thought. I didn't elaborate like she requested. She would find out about Shizu-chan when the time was right. Warning her would have just taken away the fun.
The current position could be defined as thus:
We were out and about as I made my rounds. Sure, I could work everything from my office, but going around gave things a more personal touch. Not to mention you could find things you didn't even expect on accident in reality. I had chosen today to bring Sosa along in my trek through Shibuya, figuring I'd introduce her to clients in the process. That was more of a professional action. When you came down to it, people didn't give their information to those they didn't know, supposed informants or not. Not to mention most people knew my reputation, and it wasn't like someone hadn't tried to pretend to be my associate before in an attempt to learn new details from their enemies.
Sosa's last question left us standing in the middle of a sidewalk, as we traveled between two locales.
"I'm not grumpy," I declined the concept. "You need to better your skills at determining emotions, Sosa-chan; otherwise I may have to reconsider your employment." Sosa only stuck her tongue out at me, to which I chuckled. "By the way, have you ever deconstructed your mentality?"
"What kind of question is that? Of course I have." Sosa opted to propping herself against one of the trees that lined the sidewalk. "Through that I have found that I clearly have Antisocial Personality Disorder, which I doubt I need to explain to you of all people, I also hold a case of something terribly close to OCD." She paused in her words to spin around the tree. "You just haven't seen it 'cause nothing's set me off, but I can be real anal about the positions of chairs and stuff like that. I'm just a few disruptions of functionality to qualify for a proper diagnosis. I can kind of put myself in an ADD state, too, 'cept that it's not real."
I raised an eyebrow. Sure, it went along with my own theories, but I was still skeptical about the concept. "Either you have ADD or you don't, Sosa. There is no in-between." She laughed.
"No, no, no." Sosa shook her head as the resumed her lean, arms crossed behind her head. "You must've noticed, Izaya-kun. I'd be disappointed if you didn't. I've been playing leapfrog with subjects of conversation. I just haven't been around someone interesting on so long that I keep thinking about all the things I wanna say. I can't keep it all bottled up, so all the things just spurt out." One finger rose into the air, and her head tilted to the side. "So it's a self-induced mental condition that resembles ADD, got it? Oh, I guess if it makes you feel better you could count it as manic episode, too, cept I lack the 'depressive' end of that agreement to be considered bipolar."
"Most people don't take having mental issues so lightly, but I suppose you are a bit odd," I commented.
"Only 'a bit,' Izaya-kun? You insult me."
I was about to respond when a sound resounded through the air. It wasn't loud, simply distinct above the chatter of the masses. A sound that I would know anywhere. The sound of a horse braying, echoing almost unnaturally. Sosa's expression read "What the hell was that?" though my own face formed a smirk. I ignored her desire for information in favor of retrieving my cell phone.
I skimmed through my contacts, stopping on the number I desired. I placed the device next to my ear and listened to the rings. There was the sound of the line being picked up, but only silence afterwards.
"Hey there, Transporter," I greeted. "You should have told me you would be in Shibuya. Have time for a visit? There's someone I'd like you to meet." The silence persevered, but I continued on, undiscouraged. "We're a couple streets over from you, you know. It'll only take a few minutes." The line stayed connected. "Is that a yes? You're so difficult to talk to like this. Well, I'll be expecting you anyway."
I slid my phone shut to disconnect the call, paying no mind as Sosa's expression screamed for details. Only when I had returned the mobile to my pocket did I turn back to her. She waited patiently, which I hadn't expected.
"Sosa-chan, I assume you've heard of the Black Bike, correct?"
Her face flashed from waiting to confused, though it settled out quickly. "Is this another one of those questions that is capable of terminating my employment?" she asked, serious, at least in terms of tone. I considered it. That hadn't been my intention, but I supposed it was a fair consideration. If you lived in Ikebukuro and didn't know about said bike, you were either a shut in or far too oblivious to the world around you. Those weren't exactly qualities one wanted in this line of work.
Sosa continued without any feedback from me. "The Black Bike is a motorcycle often spotted throughout Tokyo, mostly Ikebukuro," she explained. "The bike itself has no headlights and makes no noise. According to the few threads I went through on the Dollars' forums, rumors state that the rider has no head. Satisfied?"
"Quite," I confirmed. "So, do you believe these rumors?"
"Rumors are often stemmed off of truth," Sosa stated. "While I'm a bit skeptic, it wouldn't surprise me if it were true." She gave a wry smile. "Of course I'd have to see proof first."
Sosa didn't see it because her spot against the tree left her back to the road. However, since I was facing her, I could see the Black Bike and its rider pull up next to the sidewalk. "It's nice to see you, Transporter. Is business treating you well?" I only caught a glimpse of the surprise on Sosa's face before she whipped around. She hung off one side of the thin tree, and I could only imagine her face.
The rider herself (for she was female; you couldn't hide gender with a tight suit like that, despite how people always missed it for some reason) had settled her bike and was tapping away on the touch screen of her phone. I walked up to stand beside Sosa.
[What do you want, Izaya?] the screen read, and I chuckled. Sosa continued to stare down the rider, expression mixing awe and consideration together. I could understand her feelings: seeing the rider clad in black with the slightly contrasting yellow and blue helmet topped by cat ears was an interesting experience fully capable of inspiring amazement.
"I thought I said what I wanted: a mere visit, then you can be on your way," I assured, though the rider didn't seem convinced. "I simply wanted to introduce you to my newest employee. It's quite possible that I'll send her to execute business in my place."
Sosa seemed to realize I was talking about her because she took initiative to introduce herself. "Hello. I'm Tekichu Sosa, you are?" There was no hesitation, but it was such a lifeless delivery that I suspected she was feeling slightly nervous. She ignored my glance in favor of watching the rider type up her response.
[Celty Sturluson. It's nice to meet you.] Sosa muttered as she read the words, testing the name on her tongue. The next line of text was obscured from my view by the angle at which the screen was presented, and I had a feeling that it was on purpose.
Sosa laughed, grinning. "Don't worry, Celty, I'm well aware that this man is nowhere near safe. That's what makes him interesting." Celty cocked her helmet as a form of questioning. Sosa dropped the overabundance of amusement from her tone. "I know what he's like. I think I can handle myself. Fire with fire, and all that."
Celty shook her head and turned to me, and all I could do was smile. [Is this really all you wanted me for?] I nodded, saving the sarcastic remark. Sosa bristled with excitement beside me, and I was personally looking forward to explaining this. [Then I'm going. Try not to burn Tokyo to the ground, would you?]
"How rude, Transporter, I have no such intentions," I protested. "Have you no trust? I haven't even done anything yet."
"You not doing anything seems even scarier than you doing something," Sosa commented, resisting the urge to laugh. "At least then people have something to react to."
The headless rider drove away without commenting further. Apparently my employee had taken the words out of the former's nonexistent mouth.
Her expression could be defined as thus:
Sosa positively beamed at me, grinning exceptionally. I could see the excitement dancing in her eyes at the realization of what had just happened. I could also tell that she was trying to dissect my intentions, as if knowing about the existence of Celty was enough. Even more than that, she was trying to build her own plan for amusement, because who wouldn't want to play with a "toy" as unusual as that? Celty was a one of a kind model.
"What is she?" Sosa asked. She had probably been trying to figure that out, too, just wasn't patient enough to conclude it for herself. Her expectant face requested answers.
"I expected more eloquence out of you, Sosa-chan," I chided. "Saying it like that makes her sound like a thing. She isn't human; she's not your toy." Sosa frowned, wanting to challenge me, but instead took the abuse for the sake of knowledge. "She's a type of fae, the British fairies if you're unfamiliar with the term. To be specific, she's a dullahan."
"If she's a fairy, why is she acting as a human?"
"Are you familiar with the concept of a dullahan?" Sosa's head moved in the negative. "I guess it is one of the more obscure legends," I conceded. "Dullahans are specifically Irish fairies, though some say Scottish, ones that visit the dead. They carry their heads with them as they are pulled in carriages by their headless horses." I moved my hands in the air, imitating playing with the handles of a motorcycle. "You already saw her horse…"
"She's missing her head…" Sosa muttered. She took a few more moments, though I wasn't sure exactly what she was thinking about. Eventually she tilted her head, and I could see the question coming before her lips even started to move. "So she's looking for it?"
"Atari."
Sosa nodded, accepting it on the spot. I suddenly felt satisfied with my choice in a worker.
The situation could be defined as thus:
Tekichu Sosa was nowhere near knowing the full extent of the possibilities this opportunity presented.
Well, I certainly made some interesting narrative decisions with this chapter.
Putting that aside, though, a huge thanks to erza scarlet of fairy tail, Riyeko, alwaysblu, PheonixBreaker90, Jacob Fern, Lazy Historian, Lexiful Sunshine, Epic Jello, MikoSaseko, and Sasax3 for your respective follows, favorites, and reviews! I'm glad to see that everyone seems to be enjoying what there is of the story~
But seriously, try not to think too hard about the structure of this chapter... it just sort of happened.
To be honest, some of Sosa and Celty's reactions are my favorites just because of how different they are. You can definitely look forward to more of them together at some point in the future.
Next time, Sosa gets lost and meets some new faces. Please look forward to it!
