A/N: A little later than usual, sorry about that! Hit a writer's block plus got a sudden inspiration for another story... Worse combi ever.

As always, thank you all so much for supporting Gameplay! :)

April 27, 2013

In the late morning, just like it had been for the past week, Ikebukuro found herself in a state of sluggish peace.

With most of the few people that occupied the streets being the housewives slowly making their way to the supermarket and their toddlers happily waddling along, the town was no longer as bustling as it usually is in the early mornings and evenings. Very few cars were in sight, and the shops were relatively quiet despite the early Golden Week sales.

In contrast to the tranquil pace all around the town, there was a motorcycle cruising along the roads at an almost dangerous speed. The motorcycle was completely black, and lacked the licence plate and headlights as required by the law, but the people of Ikebukuro who were present didn't pay much attention to the motorcyclist who was breaking traffic rules and regulations. Some treated the offender with apprehension, and some looked upon the rider with indifference and mild boredom, while others waved excitedly as the motorcycle drove past by.

The Black Bike was on the move.

But even with the appearance of Ikebukuro's most famous urban legend on the streets, the peace was not disrupted. The reactions of the townspeople simply reflected the normality of the sight, so deeply assimilated into their everyday lives that such reactions became reflexes. The anomalous existence of the Headless Rider was, in the eyes of the people, a terrifying myth yet common knowledge at the same time.

As she rode her legendary motorcycle across this city she looked upon as her home, Celty Sturluson tried to bask in the glow of Ikebukuro's tranquility. She had been called to perform her usual job for Shingen's wife Emilia, and was now returning to the apartment she shared with her beloved with an envelope containing her well-earned pay. Celty remembered her euphoria the first time Emilia gave her this much money, and the subsequent times when she continued obliging Emilia's requests.

However, Celty couldn't bring herself to feel any joy this time.

The recent incidents were weighing heavily on her mind as she and Shooter took the short route home. In spite of the disturbances, Ikebukuro was at peace, and that was precisely the source of Celty's uneasiness, along with the fact that Shinra and Shizuo - the two people she held most dearly in her life - were currently in some unknown dimension.

'...Something isn't right.'

Celty thought to herself, parking Shooter in the garage.

'There's something...strange about the town today.'

She stroked her horse tenderly, eliciting a somewhat pleased neigh which also carried a tint of worry. Shoulders sinking in a sigh, the Dullahan headed for the elevator.

She entered the apartment, feeling slightly hopeful about Shinra's return from the TV world, but only met with disappointment when she saw that the apartment was as empty as when she left it. Setting her helmet on the dinner table slowly, Celty stared at the blank television screen; she could imagine it rippling to life, with an unscathed Shinra crawling his way out and flashing her his sly, cheerful grin right now.

Celty shook her "head". Thinking about it was only going to make her feel more anxious.

'Well... I guess I should do some household chores while waiting. It might take a load off my mind.'

Deciding it was probably the best way to spend the time, Celty was about to start with the master bedroom before stopping at the door of the treatment room. She stared at it sympathetically, her fingers curling into a loose fist.

Izaya had been in this room for the past week, constantly walking on the thin line separating life from death - or, at least, that was what Celty and everyone else had been led to believe. But, as Psyche pointed out, there was some degree of truth in the illusion Izaya's Shadow had casted, which meant that Izaya was still tiptoeing on that line; he was simply in another place all along.

The thought unnerved Celty. The idea that she had been looking after someone who was never really there in the first place was creepy enough by itself, but then there was also the fact that whatever medical attention that had been given to Izaya was ultimately of no significance at all.

At this point, Celty was uncertain if she should blame the Shadow or the person who, for some reason, thought it was a brilliant idea to toss Izaya into the TV in the first place.

'Maybe the latter,' she decided as she opened the door to the room. It was a good starting point, Celty felt. On one hand, it had been in use for the past week - even if the patient was never truly present - so it could use a bit of tidying up. On the other, she wanted to see for herself if it really was just an illusion of Izaya from the beginning.

'Come to think of it, only Shinra had- OH MY GOD.'

The shadow trailing from Celty's neck turned into an arrowhead that nearly pierced the ceiling.

'I-I-Izaya?!'

If Celty had a head, she would've surely yelled the man's name when she saw the apparent illusion still lying on the bed, as still and pale as he had always been for the past week. Instead, she raised a shaky finger at Izaya's frail figure, internalising her shock and confusion and disbelief that a fleeting hope - it really was just a fleeting thought, a mere silver lining in the clouds that went as soon as it came - had, in fact, turned out real.

The Dullahan rushed to Izaya's bedside. Then, after some initial hesitation, she reached for Izaya's hair and began stroking it. 'Smooth,' Celty thought distractedly. Her hand moved downwards to meet Izaya's cheek. 'Cold.' She held Izaya's hand in her own. 'Even colder still.'

But, it didn't dismiss the fact that Izaya was here. Solid, tangible, and very, very much real.

Whether he was alive, however, was a different matter altogether. One that Celty did not feel like exploring and discovering for herself, no matter how necessary it seemed.

As she pressed two fingers against Izaya's wrist while recalling what Shinra had once taught her about taking somebody's pulse, the Dullahan tried to feel for whatever fluttering beat of life that could've still been remaining in Izaya's body, but she found none. Shaking her neck, Celty hurriedly placed a finger below Izaya's nostrils, and silently commanded him to breathe. He didn't.

'H-he can't... He can't be... No, he just...can't...'

Letting Izaya's hand hang limply, the harbinger of death stepped away from the lifeless body until her back met the wall.

'No matter what he did... Izaya most definitely...doesn't...deserve...'

Celty's thoughts were interrupted her PDA's vibration within her sleeve. As she slowly slid to the floor, her body unable to maintain its balance and her mind blank from confirming Izaya's death, she shakily brought the device out.

I see. So Orihara Izaya has been in that apartment this entire time. You must've been surprised, Celty Sturluson "Setton"-san.

Celty would've squinted if she could. Instead, she could only catch a glimpse of the text message to the best of her current ability, and eventually registered the fact that some stranger whose number was not in her contact list somehow knew her name and online handle, and had mentioned something about Izaya.

Who are you? Celty didn't stop herself from replying the first thing that came to her mind. It wasn't exactly the wisest thing to do, she realised as she waited for the stranger's answer.

Let's just say... I'm an acquaintance of Orihara who's in the same line of business as he. Lately, for the past week or so, nobody has been able to locate or even contact him. And, well...You know how it goes.

The next message came as soon as Celty finished reading the previous one.

And now here he is: in Kishitani Shinra's apartment, as dead as the nearest non-living thing you can find whilst proof of his existence in this world is being eroded as we speak. This has proven to be an interesting turn of events.

Whoever this person was, Celty didn't think she'd like him very much.

Izaya is not dead. She didn't know what compelled her to write that, and even feel convinced of her own statement, but in response to this heartless stranger who seemed pleased with the passing on of another person, it was the only thing she could think of saying.

Going into denial, I see. I wonder, does human psychology apply to a non-human creature like you? Can I safely assume that you are lapsing into the five stages of grief that humans normally undergo in the face of their relative or friend's death?

I don't know what you're talking about, Celty lied. She had heard the term from Shinra before, who wondered about the exact same thing. Celty couldn't give him a definite answer because, thankfully, she hadn't experienced something like that since losing her head and memories, so she couldn't be certain of how she would feel.

Until now.

[I'll be sad, of course.] She remembered what she told Shinra. [Who would be happy about death anyway? And if it's the death of somebody I know, then all the more. I don't think I'll be able to handle it.]

"Haha, so I'll just have to find a way to live forever, then. So that Celty won't ever have to deal with the pain of losing me."

Celty remembered changing the subject.

But now, in the face of the death of someone she knew, even though that person wasn't exactly someone she would call a friend or even someone whose character she regarded as good, her heart ached all the same. There was a heavy weight in her chest which all the power in the world could not possibly lift, not even if it was a Dullahan like her.

The device vibrated.

Well, regardless, I'm glad to be the bringer of good news to you, then. Unfortunately, time is not on our side, so you'll have to forgive me if what I'm about to tell you is going to be too much to swallow all at once. I simply don't have the luxury to wait for your reply.

True to the stranger's words, the next message came in before Celty was even done reading.

I'll start off by telling you this, Celty Sturluson. You are not entirely wrong in denying Orihara's death.

'What-?!'

Yes, Izaya is still alive. In a way, I must add. You've already met the proof of this last night. Psyche, if I'm not wrong. He's the manifestation of one aspect of Orihara's personality...or should I say, a facet of his potential.

Anyway, the fact that Psyche exists means Orihara's not completely gone yet, but it also means Orihara isn't going to be able to come back. You've heard of the other facets from Psyche, haven't you? The facets that go by the names Hibiya, Hachimenroppi, and Sakuraya.

They're Izaya's true Shadow, torn apart into separate pieces after the Shadow's failed attempt to devour Orihara's mind. Unless they're pieced back together and defeated as a unitary whole, you can forget about Izaya ever recovering from that state he's in right now.

I won't go too far into explaining Orihara's current condition. To cut the long story short, our villain of the month has decided to make his flashy return and thought it would be a great idea to wipe the existence known as Orihara Izaya off the face of the planet. That, coupled with the escalating temporal and spatial instability, has resulted in the mess you see today.

That's where you come in, Celty Sturluson.

It wasn't for a minute or two before the next message came in, but Celty didn't realise the momentary pause in the flow of the text messages. She was re-reading the previous messages and trying to make sense of them, but as the sender had warned, she couldn't fully understand.

There were too many gaps, too many loopholes to form a coherent picture. Why couldn't Shinra see Izaya? How could Izaya be dead and yet not at the same time? Why would Izaya's Shadow attempt to consume Izaya's mind? In the first place, what did that even entail? And more importantly, why Izaya in particular? What was it about Izaya that spurred this so-called villain into going so far as to erase his existence?

'...I-is it really an alien invasion after all...?'

As loathe as she was to admit, the likelihood of that happening was growing stronger and stronger the more Celty thought about it. The whole thing was fitting far too nicely into the picture of a possible alien invasion. Simply name the aliens "Shadows" and everything would fall in place. Celty shuddered at the thought and felt the desperate urge to run and hide in her closet.

When the onslaught of messages resumed, Celty nearly dropped her PDA as kanji, hiragana and katakana flooded the screen.

H-hey hey, slow down, I can't even read anything you've typed!

The anonymous sender replied, Oh so you haven't read through the walls of text yet? Good. You can leave them till later. I'm sure you can get more details from Seta and his friends when they return. For now, just do as I instruct you to.

Celty hesitated. No doubt this stranger knew much more than she did, but should she really trust them? After all, if what they said was true, then didn't that mean Psyche was lying? Wouldn't that mean Shinra and Shizuo weren't as safe in the TV world as she thought?

It's fine if you don't trust me, the following message said, as though the sender had read her mind. I'm merely informing you of what you can do, as I should. Whether you choose to follow my instructions is not for me to decide.

'...'

Now, look through carefully.

Sturluson, if you want things to return to the way they were…

Then too bad for you, but you're gonna have to leave the human world.

CHATROOM

Setton has logged in

Tanaka Tarou
Oh! Setton-san, good afternoon.

Setton
A-ah, yes, good afternoon to you too, Tanaka Tarou-san.

Setton
It's just you and me today, huh? Everyone must be busy...

Tanaka Tarou
? But hasn't it always been just the two of us in this chatroom, Setton-san?

Setton
...Eh?

Tanaka Tarou
Oh and our admin Tsukumoya Shinichi-san too, but Tsukumoya-san rarely pops by...

Setton
H-hold on, isn't Kanra-san the admin of the chatroom?

Tanaka Tarou
"Kanra"...? I'm sorry, but I don't remember seeing that handle before...

Setton
You don't remember Kanra-san?!

Setton
T-then, do you at least have an impression of the name Izaya?! Orihara Izaya?

Tanaka Tarou
Umm... No, I don't think so.

Tanaka Tarou
Is something the matter, Setton-san? You're asking strange questions today.

Setton
Mikado did anything happen at all two years ago?! Like...like the Dollars gathering o-or the Yellow Scarves or the Slasher?!

Tanaka Tarou
H-huh? Um, nothing special really happened? What are the Yellow Scarves anyway?

Tanaka Tarou
Wait! Setton-san how did you know my name?!

Setton has logged off

Tanaka Tarou
Wait, Setton-san...?

"...You've got to be kidding," Shizuo said, his voice barely above a whisper. "You've just...got to be kidding..."

"I'm afraid it's true," Sakuraya replied drily.

The Malevolent Entity cracked a satisfied, intensely unsettling smile. It had just delivered the truth that the group had been wanting to hear, and now they were reeling from the consequences.

"You're saying that the world is forgetting Orihara-san ever existed because of what his Shadow did to him? And on top of that, you're saying Orihara-san wanted this? That's just insane," Chie exclaimed, shaking her head.

"Kishitani-san, could it be because it's been so long ago that it slipped your mind?" Rise suggested, trying to remain calm.

"That's impossible, it's Izaya. No matter how much you try, it's near impossible to forget a person like him," Shinra said, features pulling into a frown - a rare expression from the underground doctor with a sunny disposition even in the face of gunshot wounds and vivisections. "But...it's really strange. It's not like I've forgotten him completely. It's just that my memories of him are a little fuzzy."

"'Tis the workings of the Shadow world, Kishitani Shinra," Hibiya explained. "In a realm where time and space become irrelevant, the laws governing your world can no longer be applied here."

Naoto reached to the top of her head, making a gesture that looked as if she was tilting an invisible cap down. When she realised her own error, she quickly rested her hand against her forehead, but remained silent despite looking as though she had something to say.

Psyche was still on his knees, a torn and horrified expression clear for all to see on his face. Then, as small beads of tears dripped from his eyes, he buried his face in his hands. "I don't know what's real anymore..."

"Izaya's still alive, that's what," Shizuo was quick to reply.

"Ohh? That's strange, haven't you always wanted him gone? And yet, even though I've just told you that your wish has come true, you're not even the least bit happy about it?" the black mass questioned arrogantly.

"Say all you want, the flea's not dead till I see him."

The Malevolent Entity shook what could be called its head. "I didn't say he died, Heiwajima-kun. I said he was gone. He never existed in the first place, so what death can there be when he was never even born in the eyes of the world?"

Shizuo was about to yell back when something suddenly clicked in his mind. His frown smoothened, and he blinked slowly as he kept his gaze on the creature before him. There was silence on both sides, save for Psyche's quiet sobbing, the atmosphere thick with suffocating tension as the weight of the truth grappled the present Investigation Team members and Izaya's acquaintance from middle school. Hibiya and Sakuraya merely watched on with similar unreadable expressions.

"...You chose the flea for a reason," was what Shizuo said, breaking the silence.

"That I did. I thought I already told you."

"Not the bullshit about him being unstable. It's the flea, of course we know he's a little screwed up somewhere." The former bartender placed his hands in his pockets. "There's something else you're not telling us."

The creature did not reply, simply allowing the smirk plastered on his face to widen and widen.

Before Shizuo could say any further, a serpentine being came crashing into the snow where the imposter Shadow was standing. Grunting, the blond instinctively held up both arms to shield himself from the snow flurry bursting in all directions from the massive impact. The ground beneath him shuddered, as though having a rude awakening from the sudden disturbance.

When the diamond dust cloud cleared, Shizuo and the others brought their hands down, taking a better look at the source of the tremors. There they saw that same reptilian creature, its long and slender body of navy blue scales lying horizontally across the river banks. Its eyes looked like ruby cabochons of superior polish, while its claws glistened like the best quality ivory. From the nostrils of this majestic dragon expelled its misty breath as its quiet growl rumbled from its throat.

"...Huh? Doesn't this look like a Persona Seta-kun has used before?" Chie wondered aloud.

Yukiko nodded, though she couldn't be completely sure. "Let's see, I think its name was-"

"Tsu-chan!" Psyche called out. He leapt back on his feet, his earlier worries and grief wiped clean from his face. "Tsu-chan, Tsu-chan, it's Tsu-chan!"

"...Tsugaru Kaikyou Fuyugeshiki, huh?" Hibiya muttered. "So he has arrived to amend for his tardiness in getting here."

As if in response to the little commotion over its arrival, Seiryuu raised its head and turned slowly in the group's direction. Its crimson eyes stared at Psyche intently.

Kanji blinked. "Wait, where did that bastard-"

"Ahh so you've finally caught up, I see," the familiar multitude of voices said. The misshapen mess on the snow wriggled into the basic shape of a human body, but kept its outer appearance completely black, hissing as it erupted soot-like smoke. The progress of its transformation was put to a halt when Tsugaru, as Seiryuu, kept a claw against its body. "Well, it matters not. I only came to have some fun, after all."

"What the hell do you-"

"Heiwajima-kun," the Malevolent Entity drawled playfully. "Earlier you said that I chose Orihara Izaya for another reason, right? Do you have any idea what it might be?"

Shizuo didn't reply.

The Shadow chuckled. "Well, allow me to clear up your doubts, then. Yes. I did choose Orihara for a number of reasons. The first is, as I mentioned, his unstable heart. And the second... I wanted to do what Izaya-kun did. I wanted to declare war - but not against Saika. No, I wanted to declare war...against Persona-users like you. Against your blind ideals of truth and hope."

Psyche's body trembled without him feeling any sense of fear. It was like he was detached from his own physical body, and it was trembling for a reason that he could not give himself. Tsugaru, in the form of Seiryuu, let out a gentle cry, setting Psyche's heart at ease almost instantaneously.

The open declaration of war did not sit well with the others, either. They tried not to let their apprehension show, but the atmosphere surrounding them was as tense as a rubber band on the verge of snapping.

"And the third," the entity continued, "is you, Heiwajima Shizuo-kun."

"...What?"

"That's right. I wanted to see if you would produce the same, if not better, results that Labrys did, considering your partially awakened potential. And the only way I could do that, along with satisfying my other purposes, was to make use of Izaya to lure you in."

While Shinra and Shizuo only frowned slightly, the four Persona-users' eyes widened. "You don't mean...?" Yukiko said.

"I wonder." The Malevolent Entity gave a menacing chuckle. "Well, ultimately I just wanted to see the results of one mere boy's death. I must say, I'm impressed at the ruckus the loss of but one life out of countless others in this city is capable of causing. To think, if it wasn't for Yagiri Seiji's death, all of you wouldn't be here right now, and Orihara Izaya would surely still be in existence."

"Bastard...!" Kanji, Chie and Shizuo seethed. Yukiko and Naoto kept silent, but their expressions alone spoke enough of the anger and disgust boiling beneath their skin. Shinra was frowning, and while the same sort of anger wasn't rolling off from him, it was clear that he too did not think well of the anonymous figure who enjoyed sowing destruction more than Izaya himself did.

Being parts of Izaya's personality, Hibiya and Sakuraya were clearly displeased with what the Malevolent Entity had claimed, and their displeasure only grew when the black mass went on to say:

"Ahh, poor Izaya-kun... He's like that helpless princess from one of those games you humans are fond of playing, don't you think? Everytime you believe there's a chance of saving him, that chance slips away the moment you get close to it. What a pity~!"

"I won't forgive you," Psyche spat before anyone else could, surprising everyone with the venomous edge to his voice. His eyes blazed bright neon pink as he glowered at the unknown figure, fists clenched and trembling by his sides. The cord of his headphones flashed dangerously.

The entity chuckled. "Is that you talking, Psyche? Or is it simply someone else's fury that you're acting as nothing but a mere vessel to lend a voice to?"

No matter how true it might be, however, unlike the previous occasions, Psyche did not back down or allow himself to reel back out of uncertainty, fear, and lack of conviction. He stood strong and steady before the imposter, the con artist who dared take Hibi-kun and Icchan's forms to screw with his head in order to trick Sou-chan and everyone else into coming here and exposing themselves to unnecessary, unwarranted danger. The con artist who dared to treat Iza-chan so badly and then turn around and say it loved him; who dared to kill someone just so it could do the same to Iza-chan.

This was an injustice that Psyche was certain came from him. The others had their own reasons for hating the entity, but Psyche's entire being was charged with terrifyingly spontaneous anger at how the entity had used him like some kind of puppet.

The next thing everyone knew, the heart of the forest flashed blue, just as it had when Hibiya and Delic turned into their other forms. But when the blinding light died away, Psyche was still looking like himself, and was just as taken aback as everyone else was, his surprise quickly replacing his anger. Having been silent all this while, Hibiya took one knowing glimpse and sighed.

"I thought better of your capacity to be patient, Sakuraya."

Another flash of light coming from behind caught everyone else's undivided attention. Hovering about two feet away from the mess known as the Malevolent Entity was a tall, slender woman with pale grey skin and long, glossy black hair that flowed past her waist, with some of her hair bundled in two by hair accessories alternating between gold and purple. She had barely any clothing on - only enough to cover a female's most private areas - and her eyes were veiled by a light beige paper fan bearing a purple circle in the middle of a purple ring hanging from the hair bun on the top of her head. Her thighs and feet were each patterned similarly to that of the fans she carried not only on her head but also in her petite hands, which were directed towards the pile of shadows that had done nothing but mock the group ever since it made its appearance known. Seiryuu was nowhere to be seen, having escaped the attack in time to revert back to his original form as Tsugaru and wrap his arms around Psyche gently.

"T-Tsu-chan..."

"Shh," the blue-eyed blond whispered, "I'm here, Psyche-san. I'm here."

Psyche remained still for a moment before allowing his eyes to close as he let out a shaky sigh and nodded.

Ame-no-Uzume kept an indifferent expression even as the Malevolent Entity laughed at the failure of her Hama spell to exert its intended effect, and shifted back to the form of Sakuraya as the raven lowered to the ground.

"Oh shut up," he spat behind his sleeve; nobody knew if he was saying it to Hibiya, or the entity who was still shaking with malicious snickers.

Nevertheless, Hibiya stepped up. His expression was as indifferent as ever, a picture perfect example of a true poker face. "And I thought better of your temper as well. Do consider taking up the necessary training for that."

"What does Izaya-san have you for again?" Sakuraya said with mock sweetness.

Hibiya smiled one of his rare smiles: soft, slight, but the hint of amusement did not go unnoticed. "Whatever it is that you, Psyche, and Hachimenroppi lack, I suppose."

Sakuraya almost snorted and continued to eye Hibiya with disgust before giving the Malevolent Entity a similar treatment. He made no comment about what Hibiya said and was silent, however; a stark contrast from his usual chattiness where he could at least poke some fun out of.

"As for you," the prince said, folding his arms, his smile now gone as he casted the black mass a nonchalant look, "I will have you know, we do not take kindly what you mentioned about Orihara Izaya. However, I believe you are not without your motives when you said that, and so I shall repay your efforts by asking you this: what are your true intentions concerning Psyche?"

The Malevolent Entity's laughter died down, but the smirk was still clear for all to see. Psyche gently motioned for Tsugaru to accompany him as he approached the imposter, along with the others present.

It was only until they had gathered close enough that the entity spoke, its voice going quieter and colder as the seconds passed, "Why don't you ask him yourself?"

Then, before anyone could react, the misshapen figure faded away, leaving behind yet another message that sent Shizuo's mind reeling:

"And while we're at it, Shizu-chan... Have you told anyone about the present I gave you last night?"

Making a disgruntled neigh as he failed to shake the persistent butler off, Alfred stomped his front hooves into the snow and wasted no time in shifting into his human form. Shitsuo, who had been holding onto his mane earlier, was now grabbing a fistful of Delic's unkempt blond hair, and refused to let go despite the latter's evident displeasure and frustration.

"Ow! Don't mess up the hair!"

"Ah. My apologies." As quick as lightning, Shitsuo released his grip on Delic's hair and grabbed the collar of his suit at the same time to Delic's chagrin. "You should not have any complaints about this, then, Delic-sama?"

"...You call me 'Delic-sama', but...you seriously don't treat me with respect, do you," Delic sighed. "And stop holding me by the back of my collar as if there's a missing leash there. I'm not a damn dog, Shitsuo."

Shitsuo blinked slowly; it was impossible to tell if he was genuinely confused by the figurative speech or trying to put up the most innocent-looking facade he could muster. "Well, I can clearly see that, Delic-sama."

"Duh, of course you can." Delic facepalmed and shook his head. "Why do I even bother with you?"

"I believe that is a line that is more appropriate for me," said Shitsuo blandly with a face so straight Delic thought it was no wonder Hibiya and Shitsuo got along so well.

'Hmm well, not that I can really blame 'em. Hibime-chan has Psyche-chan, Roppi-chan, and Sakuraya-chan to deal with, after all, and Shitsuo's got someone worse in addition to me on his hands. Gotta give him the BOD for being so annoyingly twitchy.' The edges of Delic's lips curled slightly at that as he suppressed a snort.

Shitsuo raised a brow. "May I ask what is amusing you so, Delic-sama?"

"Ah, nothing at all, nothing at all." Delic waved it off casually.

The butler only shot Delic a wary and disapproving look in response.

"No, seriously, don't go having wrong ideas. I'm not up to anything," Delic reassured, but it didn't lighten Shitsuo's suspicions any. So Delic smiled and, deciding that no matter what he did wouldn't change Shitsuo's opinion of him, drove the final nail in the coffin. "Unless you count thinking about how good it feels to have Hibime-chan ride on your back."

This time, Shitsuo did not hesitate in glowering at Delic, his intense gaze burning holes in Delic's high-quality suit. The anger was subdued and well under Shitsuo's control - something Shizuo himself lacked most of the time - but it was by no means any less scary than an outburst from Shizuo.

"You are nearly as impossible as Sakuraya-sama," Shitsuo whispered, his voice as cold and biting as holding dry ice with bare hands.

Now Delic snorted. "Aww, c'mon Shitsuo, just admit that you love the guy already."

"Love," the butler enunciated carefully, as though he was speaking a tongue that was completely unfamiliar to him, "is not one of my concerns, Delic-sama."

"Not even platonically?"

"Love, in any form, does not matter to me," Shitsuo amended.

"...I'm starting to think you're the impossible one. Damn, it's a good thing Sakuraya-chan ain't around to hear that. You'd break his heart, ya know. That is, if he has one." Delic rolled back his shoulders smugly.

Shitsuo evaluated that comment for a good amount of time, enough to get Delic antsy, and then he sighed and released his grip on Delic's suit. Delic dusted his clothes as he awaited Shitsuo's answer.

"It matters not," Shitsuo concluded from his brief introspection. "Emotions on a whole are of little significance to me."

"Ah-" Delic looked surprised for a moment before he considered this and his eyes flickered in recognition. "-Right. I forgot that Tsuki-chan exists."

"How very convenient of you to forget, Delic-sama. Tsukishima-sama would most certainly not take lightly that convenience."

"Shuddup. It's not like I meant to."

Delic folded his arms across his chest and fidgeted, shuffling his feet in the snow. He didn't care that Shitsuo was looking at him funny. He probably wouldn't care if Shitsuo didn't spare him a glance, even. Tsukishima had always been a sour topic of discussion among them - Delic, Shitsuo, and the caretaker of all caretakers Tsugaru - and while Tsukishima was by nature a really nice kid overall, it didn't change the fact that he was quite literally a walking time bomb of emotions that can explode over and over at any time it wanted to, and that was what set the three of them, especially Shitsuo, a little on edge when it came to Tsukishima.

The relationship between the four of them bordered on being complete polar opposites to one another, with the most obvious being Delic - the facet who didn't give a damn about rules and regulations - to Shitsuo - the facet who was obsessed with establishing and maintaining peace and order - as well as Tsukishima - the bundle of insecurities and emotional vulnerabilities - to Tsugaru - the epitome of all things zen and serene. But even between Tsugaru and Shitsuo, and Delic and Tsukishima, their differences were clear for all to see.

Like how in times of a crisis, Shitsuo would be the first of the two to snap under the pressure to keep things under control, while Tsugaru would remain perfectly, supernaturally calm and focus on comforting troubled souls instead of focusing on the chaotic situation itself. For Delic and Tsukishima, making the distinctions was an even simpler task; Delic was spontaneous, preferred having a more positive and lax outlook on life, and loved the thrill of taking leaps of faith, while Tsukishima was emotionally volatile, reserved and jittery to the point of being too fragile for anyone's liking. And when Tsukishima broke, he broke hard, and the task of picking up the pieces would be left to Tsugaru; maintaining the glasswork that was Tsukishima, however, fell to Shitsuo's responsibility.

It was why Shitsuo didn't particularly like Tsukishima, and why Delic was uncomfortable with bringing the kid up in their current conversation. Delic didn't mind Tsukishima, generally, but sometimes Tsuki was just so depressing that being around him too long would dampen Delic's own mood as well. Delic believed it was even worse for Shitsuo, who could only recognise frustration and nothing more; being around an emotional time bomb like Tsuki only compounded on that.

"By the way, Delic-sama."

Delic perked up at the mentioning of his name.

"I realise I have yet to punish you for your misdeeds."

Delic deflated.

"Way to go ruining the mood, sour plum. I was on a roll in my head, y'know."

"Ah, yes. Delighting yourself with inappropriate visual imagery of Hibiya-sama, I believe?"

"Totally off, but hey that's not a bad idea."

Shitsuo shook his head. "Honestly, you and Sakuraya-sama bring me so much trouble."

Delic didn't miss the unspoken "Tsukishima-sama" in there, but grinned all the same. "Meh, it's not like I have some kind of reputation or image to maintain. Besides, what's wrong with being me? No point in holding myself back just to gain somebody's approval if it's gonna make me upset, after all."

Shitsuo made no comment and his indifferent expression didn't change, but somehow Delic got the feeling that Shitsuo was the slightest bit impressed with what he said.

Delic's smile widened. "So, yeah, that's what I think. Being together with those other kids made me realise...or more like, remember that. Oh, especially with that Tatsumi Kanji fella. Guy doesn't show it, but he-urk!"

"Delic?!"

Delic gave a violent jerk and groaned as he clutched both sides of his head, particularly covering his headphones. "...Okay, shit," he wheezed, "that...was beyond normal."

"What happened?" Shitsuo's brows furrowed.

"Ugh... Shizuo, he's..."

"Ah! There you are!"

Shitsuo swiftly turned in the direction of the new voice and instinctively got into a protective stance in front of Delic, reaching into his suit for his hidden knives when an unfamiliar creature came running towards them. It had a body that looked like a disproportionate, overturned eggplant, and a crown of blue fur framing its face. It was wearing something similar to the uniform of a circus performer, and its feet squeaked with every step it took. Its eyes were wide and sparkling with what looked like happiness and hope, just like the smile on its face.

Shitsuo maintained his indifference. "Who are you?" he questioned harshly. Behind him, Delic was still moaning quietly in pain.

"I-I'm Teddie!" the creature stammered, as though it had sensed Shitsuo's hostility. "I was with Tsugaru until we were forced to split up. He told me there are others like him in the forest, though, so I've been wandering around looking for you."

Shitsuo withdrew his hand, but kept a defensive stance regardless. "'Forced to split up'? By whom?"

"It's... It's Tsuki..." Delic answered for Teddie.

Shitsuo whipped around. "What?"

"Yeah, I think I heard Tsugaru say something like that! We were trying to find our way to the heart of the forest, and then we bumped into Sensei and someone who looks like you. We were gonna talk to them, but that Tsukishima guy suddenly got all mad and sent us flying!" The bear gave a shudder as his ears lowered. "Teddie doesn't like flying..."

"Delic-sama, what is going on? What are you sensing?" Shitsuo asked, trying to sound as polite as he could.

"I don't really know myself..." Delic hissed as another migraine swept over him. "But whatever it is, it's pissing Shizuo off. And, uh, well," he paused as a slightly bitter smile found its way to his features, "whatever pissed Tsuki-chan off earlier? Yeah, whatever's pissing Shizuo off now...is making Tsuki-chan tick even further."

Shitsuo's expression remained unchanged for a few seconds. Then it darkened, and he reached for his knives again. He pointedly ignored the yelp of surprise coming from the bear behind him when Teddie saw the glint of the blades.

"You lot," Shitsuo murmured dangerously, all hints of politeness no longer present in his speech and composure, "are truly nothing but a handful."