It's almost noon by the time Shizuo manages to get a hold of Celty, immediately informing her of the situation and asking if she could swing by. She agrees, arriving less than an hour later with a pair of child's pajamas she bought with some of the money leftover from her last job. [I got these for her... I figured they were better than dirty clothes or a strange man's boxer shorts.]
"Yeah, I didn't think about that. I just wanted to go the fuck to sleep."
[I guess that's fair. You said she was being followed?]
"I think so. There were these guys in all black that got in my face after seeing me talking to her - they learned their lesson real quick."
I bet... Celty thinks to herself. She doesn't envy them at all. Turning her attention to the girl, she takes a good long look at her; she's thin (malnourished, even), with stringy copper hair and a pale face full of freckles. [Can you read English?] She asks with her phone. The girl, looking almost offended, nods her head. [Oh, good. That makes things a little easier. Can you speak English?] The girl hesitates before nodding her agreement, making Celty wonder if she's self-conscious about her voice or something like that. [Can you tell me your name?]
This time, the girl shakes her head.
[Why not?]
Instead of answering with words, the girl pantomimes zipping her mouth shut.
[Will you tell me anything?]
The girl shakes her head again.
[So just yes or no questions, then?]
The girl nods.
[Were those men in black after you?]
Another nod, this one also hesitant.
[Is that why you're here? Because you think he can protect you?]
Another nod.
[You're not scared of him?]
Another shake.
The silent conversation goes on for a few more minutes, until the girl takes the pajamas from Celty and goes Shizuo's bathroom to change. "Learn anything?"
[Well, she won't talk for some reason... but I did manage to find out that it was because of her that those agents or whatever they were approached you. She thinks you can protect her.]
"So she's not scared of me?"
Celty shakes her head.
"Huh..." A smile tugs at the corner of his lips. "That feels kinda nice, actually."
[Do you think you can do it?]
"I don't see why not. Tom's out of town for a family thing, so my days and nights are free right now. Besides, if she ain't gonna talk, she ain't gonna piss me off."
[Fair enough. Do you want me to see if Shinra can swing by after work for a check-up or something?]
"Couldn't hurt anything."
[Alright. I'll try and pick up a few more things for her when I get paid tomorrow.]
"Thanks, Celty. You're a good person, you know that?"
If she could blush, she would. [Hush, you. I'm just trying to help.] The door to the bathroom opens and the girl comes back out, handing Shizuo back his clothes. The pajamas are still a little big on her, but they're definitely an improvement. [My friend has agreed to take care of you while we figure things out. His name is Shizuo. He can be scary sometimes, but he's a good person at heart. I'll be back tomorrow, okay?]
The girl nods.
[Do you need anything else before I leave?]
There's a pause as the girl seems to debate that question, eventually nodding once more and pantomiming taking a helmet off before pointing up at where Celty's face should be.
[Promise you won't scream?]
Smiling, the girl nods. Celty takes hold of her helmet, hesitating for a second before shyly pulling it off - but instead of screaming or running away, the girl's smile actually brightens, her hands reaching out for the helmet. Almost in shock, she gives it to her, watching as the girl giggles and plops it onto her tiny head.
"She's something, isn't she?" Shizuo asks.
Celty signs 'yes' with her fist, looking back at the girl. In a way, she looks even more like a fairy than Celty herself does. Gesturing for the girl to give her back her helmet, she puts it on and types up a goodbye for each of them. [I'll text you when I get an answer from Shinra.]
"Alright, drive safe." Shizuo says, waving before wandering into the kitchen to find something to eat. He still has a few boxes of cereal left, the kind with the strawberry frosting that melts in your mouth; it's not the cheapest, but it's his favorite. He pours some of it into two plastic bowls, adding milk and a spoon to each. Setting one down in front of the girl, he sits cross-legged on the floor and starts to shovel it into his mouth.
Starving, the girl follows suit.
11pm, in Ikebukuro...
Vincent Pierce-Montgomery sits in the empty karaoke booth, checking his watch for what seems like the hundredth time. The man he's supposed to be meeting is already thirty minutes late; if he wasn't such a patient man, he'd have left after the first five.
There's a loud knock on the door, followed by two more even louder knocks before it opens and a young, rough-looking local steps in. He's wearing a open sleeveless vest made of black fur, a pair of camoflauge cargo pants, and dirty black combat boots; if his skills as a hacker and infiltrator aren't any better than his sense of time or fashion, he's going to have a long, angry word with the man who referred him. "You're late."
"Way I see, you're early." He grins, looking more like a beast baring its teeth than a man with a smile on his face. Vincent is starting to understand why they call him Jackal. "But I'm here now, ain't I? So how 'bout we get down to business?" He takes the seat across from him, stretcing his feet out on the table between them. "What does a fancy American executive like you want with an unsavory man like me, huh?"
"An associate of mine says you're unrivaled when it comes to hacking and infiltration. There's someone I want information on."
"Oh yeah? Well, I'd hate to make a liar out of someone saying such nice things about me. Who's the target?"
"Have you ever heard of Izaya Orihara? He's an informant in Shinjuku I hired earlier today. I want to know more about him."
"An informant, huh? You ain't gonna hire someone to stalk me next, are you?"
"Don't worry, you don't fit the profile."
"I'll take that as a compliment. What do you want on him?"
"I want his school and medical records, as well as an I.Q test if he's ever done one. I also want to know if he's ever received any awards or special recognition."
"That's it? Just get you his records and we're done?"
"Hardly. I also want you to study him. Find out his likes and dislikes, his sleep patterns, behavior patterns, etcetera. I want to know him inside and out."
"You want the color of his underwear, too? Maybe a pic of his sleeping face for you to shoot your load on?"
"I assure you, my interests are purely professional."
"Sure they are, blondie. Sure they are." He stands up, offering the other man his hand. "Let's be real good friends, yeah?"
"Yes." Vincent responds, gripping the other man's hand firmly. "Let's."
The two men shake hands, then go their separate ways.