Author's Note: Welcome, my dear Wastelings. This is another side story to the Wonderland series. I decided to try something different this year. For all of the Durarara characters' birthdays, I am going to write a short piece that will add to the Wonderland universe. I can't help it! I just love writing for this series in the Wasteland Project. First up is Walker's birthday. The next one will be Shizuo's birthday. I already have something planned for that. For now, enjoy this first Wonderland bite.

Wonderland Bites

The Art Exhibit

Shhh! You are invited to a private gallery. The showing will take place around midnight in Purgatory. Mikado and Setsuko walked up to the glass doors. Both were dressed in fancy kimono.

"Thank you for coming out with you," she said.

"Sure," Mikado said. The tadpole boy felt a little bit odd with his attire. When was the last time he wore a kimono? Last year? It felt like so much longer. This wasn't even his kimono. No, Setsuko was the one who loaned it out to him. In fact, this was her idea. Setsuko got the invitation last night. How could she say no to something so classy? And she could take a plus one too? Nice! She already had her first pick.

Setsuko walked up and opened the door. There was no one in sight.

"Hello?" the woman asked. "We're here for the gallery viewing." Mikado looked uneasy.

"Is anyone even here?" he whispered.

"Be patient," Setsuko whispered. She stepped in a little bit further. The woman reached into her black and red kimono and pulled out a black envelope.

"We have an invitation to this private viewing," she said. The dim lights flickered on. Setsuko looked over her head.

"Ah," she said. "Looks like someone is here." Mikado stood next to her. The room suddenly got colder. The sound of footsteps filled the air. The tadpole boy narrowed his eyes for a better look. He could see anyone but he knew they weren't alone.

"Welcome," a low, elegant voice said. "Thank you so much for coming out here tonight. We invite you to view the art of Oze Juzo. You have been selected to indulge for the night." Mikado looked confused. He had never heard of this artist before. The boy was going to have to look him up later.

"You must follow these rules before you enter," the voice said. "There are no pictures or recordings allowed in the building. All cell phones must be turned off. There will be no talking in the gallery. Any violation of these rules will get you kicked out of the gallery. Is this understood?"

"Yes," Setsuko said. Mikado nodded once.

"Follow me," the boss said. "My voice will be in your ear the whole time." The footsteps slowly backed into the darkness. Setsuko turned to Mikado.

"Ready to go?" she mouthed. Her companion nodded once. Setsuko held out her hand. The pair followed the bodiless entity into the gallery.

The room was dark. Only candles on the wall became the source of light. Mikado and Setsuko followed the sounds of footsteps. They came up to a glass door. It slid open as they walked up closer.

Several pictures covered the walls. A sign stood at the entry. "Beware! You can't unsee what you once saw," it said. Mikado didn't have a good feeling about this. But he just had to see. Who was this Oze Juzo?

Item #1: By Her Hand. Painting of a feminine hand reaching for a bloodied knife laying on its side. The background is in darkness except for a single light shining down on the hand. A single silver ring with a small heart diamond on the band.

"This painting is called By Her Hand," the voice said in the guests' ears. "This is estimated to be painted around 1968. This was commissioned from an unknown source. This was suspected to have been painted during Oze's fallen period. We don't know who the subject's hand is in the painting. Many speculate that the hand was his mother's."

Item #2: Bliss. A naked woman covered in a red wash. She sits on a rocky hill. Her head is thrown back as she moaned in ecstasy with her eyes closed. Her mouth is slightly parted open. She touches her throat as knives pierce her body.

"Bliss is one of Oze's famous works. This has been believed to be dated about to be painted between 1966 and 1969. People have said that it has popped up in random art collections from time to time. There was even one time that it appeared in Russia. The woman is in ecstasy. There's something sensual about this piece. It almost feels forbidden the more you look at it. The more you stare at it, the more you are drawn in. Collectors have desired it for years. Many believe that the piece is cursed."

Item #3: New Madonna. A naked woman is nailed down to a black cross. Various naked, headless corpses kneel before her. The woman looks up at the sky with blood running down her cheeks. She had on a crown of black thorns. Her face is filled with bliss.

"New Madonna was painted in 1977. Oze was in a religious phase in his career. He painted many religious-themed paintings. Most of them are believed to have been lost. This was one of the few paintings that had been recovered. Oze was no stranger to adding depravity to his religious paintings. Something about corruption in the church seems to have fascinated him. New Madonna reflects this love. Many have found this painting polarizing for a host of reasons. Some found it too shocking even for Oze's brand of artwork. Others found New Madonna to be mesmerizing. This piece ranks up there along with Bliss as one of Oze's most sought artwork."

Item #4: Hanako Beach. A dark beach scene. The sky and the sea are a deep red while the sand and setting sun are black.

"Hanako Beach is said to have dated back to the earlier years of Oze's career. The earliest is said to have been 1955. However, there is evidence it might have been earlier than that. Not much is known about Oze's childhood. They say that he showed a talent for art at the tender age of nine. He hadn't found his style or voice yet. So it would be common for him to paint something like Hanako Beach. This piece was entered into an art contest at the Tokyo University of Arts and won first place. Looking at it, you can imagine why. Just staring at it puts the viewer at ease and unnerves them at the same time."

Item #5: The Widow. A faceless woman is all dressed in black with a long black dress and a black veil. She has her head down. Even without a face, she looks like she is crying.

"This painting was dated to have been painted in 1977. It is said that The Widow is supposed to be his mother or sister when died when she was younger. There seems to be a sense of heart put into this painting. Something about The Widow seems to be personal. You can feel the woman's sorrow even without a face. Her melancholy reaches your heart. You ache for her. You feel her loss. The Widow is another highly sought painting in the underground art world. The last time it appeared was around 2006 in Germany."

Item #6: War of Horses. Black and red horses run across the black sand. Only one white horse stood out in the middle of the canvas.

"This painting is said to have dated from Oze's earlier years as an artist. This is one of his least favorite works. In an '87 interview, Oze declared War of Horses to be garbage and said he regretted painting it. I don't think that it is too bad. He said that he only painted it because he needed the money at the time. Oze wouldn't go into detail about what or why. Most of his fans don't hate it as much as he does, but it isn't a favorite in the fanbase. It isn't really my favorite. Still, War of Horses wasn't a bad painting. I told Oze as such but he didn't believe me. War of Horses was thought to be lost until recent years. The painting was found in a bank vault. Many weren't sure if this really was by Oze. But after many tests, it was confronted to be the real War of Horses."

Item #7: Sketch #360. An unfinished sketch of a pair of gloved hands sitting in a lap. The right hand is holding that was starting to be sketched but was never finished.

"This sketch was dated to be from 1959. There wasn't any known reason why this wasn't finished. What was meant to go in those hands? Some say that it was supposed to be the dead pigeon his sister was holding. This sketch was supposed to be a gift to said sister before her death. This piece alone last sold for 25,911,000,000 yen in 2006. Since then, it has been resold many times."

Item #8: Suffering in a Box. A stone statue of a man sits in a wooden box. He has his head down to his knees.

"Suffering in a Box was created in 1989. This was Oze's only attempt at sculpting. He's never tried it since. Suffering in a Box took him two years to complete. On the surface, it doesn't look like much. You can clearly see all of the flaws of the man when you first walk in. The surface isn't as smooth as how he wanted. When you get closer, see more of the flaws. Like why does his left hand have six fingers? Why is his left middle toe shorter than the rest of his toes? You can feel the man's agony every time you see him. Looking at this statue hurts me. I can feel something twisting in my chest every time I am near. Several other viewers have felt the same thing. You have to ask yourself: why did Oze decide to try sculpting? He said in one interview he always wanted to try it on a whim. Looking at the outcome you can see why he didn't attempt it anymore. There are two other smaller sculptures but they have been lost to time. Though, one of them might have turned up in Egypt three years ago. There is no way to confirm or deny this."

Item #9: Sketch #22. Two men sit at a table facing each other. They are bald and stare at each other. They both wear long black coats with no arms. There is an open door in the background.

"This was another sketch from his early days. We suspect that the earliest was in 1954. This has been dated back to Oze's college days. Many believe that it wasn't supposed to be seen by anyone. Oze just gave this to a friend at a party one night. The friend sold this little sketch in 2009. Sketch #22 has been on display in Paris, London, and Berlin. It's not really much to look at but because it has Oze's name on it, the fans will do anything to get their hands on it."

Item #10: Kotoko. A woman in her twenties leans forward, winking. Her black hair is pinned back into a messy bun. Her shoulders are bare and you can see down a lacy red and white top.

"This painting is a little out of place for Oze's work. It looks too poppy. Even with that, you can still see elements of his touch. Kotoko was Oze's third wife. They had a rather roller-coaster marriage. She was in her twenties and he was about thirty. Kotoko wasn't exactly popular with Oze's fans. They called her the Yoko Ono of the art world. His inner circle couldn't figure out what he saw in her. They felt she had a negative influence on his artwork. It showed in his artwork. Fans would say that this was during his Pop Icon Era. Many would like to pretend that part of Oze's career doesn't exist. This painting was dated about 1979. The bright colors are enough to blind you when you lay eyes on them. Critics found it crass for Oze's taste. This painting was created during the honeymoon period of his marriage to Kotoko."

Mikado looked at each art piece with a confused sense of wonder. They looked a little bit unnerving but that wasn't really on his mind. Who was this Oze Juzo man? He was going to have to look him up when he got home.

The whole time, the tadpole couldn't help but notice a large monster-like creature walking by the window. He was used to guardian spirits walking or flying by the windows. This one looked like a skeleton made of wood with antlers on its head. Occasionally, Mikado would glance out the window at the guardian running by.

Mikado and Setsuko were led to the end of the gallery.

"Thank you for coming out to the exhibit," the voice said in front of them. "We hope that we will see you again soon. Enjoy the rest of your morning." The voice went quiet and vanished. Setsuko turned to Mikado with a big smile on her face.

"So, what did you think?" she asked.

"I don't really know what to think," Mikado said. "But the artist sounds so familiar."

"You have heard of him," Setsuko said. The tadpole gave her a curious look.

"Huh?" he asked. Mikado started to have more flashes of memory about the name Oze Juzo. Now, he had to go and look up the artist.