Chapter 69: Red
Onions, potatoes, zucchini- all kinds of vegetables found their way out of a rack of boxes as Maria started peeling their skin. Boxes that seemed to hold way more than a few people living at the monastery could possibly need.
"Do you prepare this much every day?" Izaya questioned and looked towards Leo. He had circled towards a fridge in the corner of the room and pulled out heaps of meat as well, only adding to the vast amount of groceries.
Looking up from cutting a wildly grown zucchini into mouth sized pieces Maria blinked before showing a gentle smile. "Ah, right, they didn't tell you yet."
Izaya disliked not knowing anything about the current situation and it seemed it showed on his face as Mairu was quick to interrupt. "Nothing bad." She assured with quick ease and the glare forming on Izaya's face let up.
Roy was the one to lift the mystery as he stacked the dried dishes onto the counter. "We are throwing something like a welcome party for you guys," and pulled a few skewers out of the bottom of one of the cupboards. "Not like you need it."
It was only now that Izaya noticed the smell of fire stemming from the garden.
They were preparing a barbecue.
"It's a tradition, don't get a high head or something," Leo spoke next and as if to confirm Izaya's suspicion he started stacking the pieces in varying degrees and mixtures onto the iron helpers Roy had provided.
A soft snort escaped Izaya's lips as Kururi steered for the door leading into the garden.
His curiosity got the best of him and so he followed.
Guarded by walls all around the garden proved not only a safe location, but also an exceedingly cozy one.
Lights made of glass bottles holding candles had been put up against the walls and served a pretty decoration. The statue on the right covered half by a weeping willow was holding her own share of ornaments and a table along with at least a dozen of chairs had been carried outside.
Having seen him not too recently preaching to old women and men Izaya was quite surprised to see the priest helping out as well.
Having tossed the robe across his shoulders and stuffed some of the elongated fabric into the top of his boots he proved quite the funny sight as he moved through the heaps of children trying to put up a wreath made of flowers. The way it loosely lost some of its petals and shape was enough of an indicator for Izaya to deduce that they had crafted it themselves.
As if having been issued some kind of order Mairu and Kururi made their way out of the kitchen as well.
Stepping aside Izaya served the space they needed and Maria as well as her two most dedicated henchmen followed with their hands full.
Within a second they had turned the round table into a symmetrical pattern of pretty dishes, baskets filled with bread and bowls filled with pieces of vegetables and meat.
It was when the flames Izaya had smelled earlier grew in intensity that he spotted a hemispheric iron casket at the back of the garden.
Standing in front like the devil himself the priest seemed to try his best to actually get the flames running and cheered with an exaggerated amount of joy when they did.
The child called Leo moved over to said man and seemed to spout words of scolding for some reason that Izaya couldn't discern and he smiled.
It wasn't until a full minute passed that Izaya noticed Shizuo had followed as well, and not only that.
Meeting a very amused glance Izaya felt his brows form a playful frown.
"What?"
A shrug was given and Shizuo showed his most innocent expression as he looked towards the garden himself.
"Nothing."
"You can't look at me like that and tell me nothing is up," Izaya snorted and Shizuo shrugged. The black hair Izaya's sisters had forced upon the former debt collector was slowly starting to fade as roots of brown emerged from above. It was a funny mixture but not unattractive.
A simple shrug was given and Shizuo met Izaya's eyes as he leant against the gray wall encircling the garden.
"You just look pretty happy right now."
Ah.
Blinking shortly, Izaya was met with a bit of surprise. A snort followed as he noticed the truth of Shizuo's words. "Might be because I am," he whispered. "I feel like for the first time in my life I have the chance to change their fate. And mine too while I'm at it."
Izaya was talking about his siblings. About the curse.
Looking at the girls and how they were helping Maria out, Shizuo had understood even without needing Izaya to tell him the reason. They looked happy.
Carefree.
And with the priest handling their energy business in such a pleasant fashion there was no downside to staying here at all. They seemed to get along with everyone residing in this monastery, making it a safe place to remain.
The slightest hint of regret and worry befell Shizuo for a moment as he thought about his own brother.
He had told him to leave the country. Not only that. By now Kasuka had probably seen the video of how Shizuo had killed Vincent.
He couldn't get it out of his head.
The moment his fingers slid through that bastard's skull like it was made of jelly. It was a sensation he was never going to forget and that was going to haunt him for the rest of his life.
Shizuo was aware that the officer had been a fraud when it came to his designated position. And an asshole on top. He knew he killed him in order to save Izaya and himself, and yet somehow every since that incident he felt as though something had changed.
Something about himself? His personality? He couldn't tell.
The only thing he knew was that looking at Izaya made him temporarily forget about all of that and so he sighed.
"You think you can figure out how to lift this curse?" he whispered and Izaya turned, with the brightest face and the confidence that Shizuo was currently lacking.
"You are talking to the greatest information broker of all time, if not me then who would?"
Right.
A quick snort escaped Shizuo's lips and before Izaya saw it coming he pulled him over into a quick hug.
A short yelp followed upon the unannounced action. "What are you doing?" Izaya snorted, but remained, not really seeing the point of resisting something he didn't dislike.
"Dunno." Shizuo sighed, and nuzzled into Izaya's neck. Izaya's hair tickled his nose and cheek and he smiled content.
"Are you coming?"
It was Roy who was interrupting the small moment of affection as he waved the two over to the table.
The sun was starting to set and Izaya realized with a bit of surprise that their session back at the altar and short interaction with Roy had actually swallowed their afternoon whole.
Colors of purple, red and orange painted the candle lit garden in even more beautiful lights as the two steered towards the large table.
Maria had already sat down next to the priest. Leo was right next to her along with the other kids. Mairu and Kururi had chosen the makeshift barrels left at the side of the garden as they were lacking two seats to fit everyone equally. But sitting there cross legged and with broad smiles on their face Izaya doubted they disliked standing out like that.
"Don't you belong to the kid's table?" Mairu shot quick jabs into Leo's direction as he sat down, only causing the young man to show the bright color of embarrassment on his face. "Oh my god can you stop please?"
Laughter circled the table like fairies dancing on the surface of a fresh pond.
It was an image fitting that of a loving grandmother's good night story. The one telling about a happy end, how all evil was defeated and everyone lived happily ever after, and Izaya sighed content as he let his head thud against Shizuo's shoulder.
Yeah.
This was a good place.
At least until he got rid of this curse.
It was funny, all life long, he had preferred to work alone. Preferred to stay in his office. Preferred to not even see his sisters in fear their connection might get them into trouble or worse cause Hachiro to take notice of them and start blackmailing Izaya.
Namie was the single entity he decided to add as his aid, but he had had to check even her before doing something simple like that.
Looking across the table he looked at the woman. Despite having been dragged here against her wishes she seemed awfully adaptive to the situation. A rare smile sat on her lips as she watched their welcome party unfold.
"Come on, eat." It had been Roy who reminded Izaya of the most natural thing to do at this table and so he did. Reaching for a skewer alternating between meat, onions and zucchini freshly pulled from the priest's flames he enjoyed what they had.
The sun lowered and their surroundings were dipped into an even deeper color of red. Words flew and wreathed conversations of various nature. Even Mairu and Kururi seemed to be having a good time as they kept teasing Leo with taunts too quiet for Izaya to hear. Meat was eaten and the bread disappeared slowly.
The kids especially seemed to be less interested in the food and happier to explore the unusually enlightened garden.
Like busy bumble bees searching flowers for nectar they traversed every corner as if they were looking for fairies or something of a similar size.
Everything about this place was simple, ranging from the people, to the meal they were having and Izaya rose from his seat as well after finishing his own.
Really simple.
But in the best way.
Circling to the statue he had seen Roy sitting underneath he took a similar position by leaning onto it. It irked him a bit, Roy's attitude.
It had been just a day before that he complained about the monastery and having to stay here, but right now he seemed quite content himself.
Looking at the culprit of badmouthing in question he watched the young man as he engaged into an eager conversation with Namie.
He couldn't quite tell what he was saying from this distance, but he knew Namie's expressions well enough to know she barely cared about his story.
And suddenly he noticed his glances.
Maria.
She was sitting opposite to Roy and talking to the priest and Izaya counted one and one together.
Roy's hate for the monastery didn't come from the place. It was probably triggered by the fact that Izaya and Shizuo had what he wished for so badly. It was just then, when Roy's attention shifted to Namie's face, that Izaya saw Maria's attention shift to Roy. He didn't notice of course and for just a few seconds too long her gaze lingered, causing Izaya's lips to form a smile.
Could it be?
For sure.
He didn't need to be a genius to tell when someone was in love with someone else as obviously as this.
Not like he was going to tell Roy, but like this it was just a matter of time until he was going to come to love this monastery with everything that came with it.
"Ah Shizuo, we need another."
Changing perspective he looked at Leo and the twins. Despite all the teasing and name calling they were helping him out it appeared as they moved over a couple of racks used to transport goods.
One after the other had been stacked, but lifting the last above their heads was a bit too much of a chore for them to achieve.
Pushing himself from the table, Shizuo was quick to lend them a hand and completed what looked like a very cheap stage.
It was the priest who seemed to have issued the order to create one as he quickly gathered his elongated clothes. Elegant like an oversized lizard with too short legs he pulled his body on top of his personal stage.
Even for Izaya the sight was quite funny and he made sure to hold back a laugh.
It was when the sun reached the brim of the walls surrounding the garden that the priest suddenly lifted a glass and spoon he had brought along.
Like a host of a first class dinner he brought the metal against the glass in quick succession as he called for their attention and stood straight.
"Seriously, a speech?" Roy groaned, but the slightest hint of a smile dragging the corner or his lips upwards gave away that he didn't dislike the priest's action at all.
A quick nod was given and a smile radiating nothing but the priest's good heartedness doused the people present.
"I welcome all five of you," the priest quickly announced and signed to all of them. Izaya at the statue, Shizuo next to the rack and siblings and Namie at the table. "New as you are, you might not like it here yet, but I promise if you give this place a chance it might become a spot for you to call home." Smiling into the direction of the familiar residents he addressed them next. Maria still sat in place, the children were rummaging the garden and Roy subconsciously nodded to every word spoken. "And you as well, I know I surprised you by bringing five people at once to this place, but I assure you, they are good people as some of you might have already noticed."
"They aren't, take them back!" Leo suddenly yelled and immediately received an elbow to his hip by Mairu. "Hey, hey, I have no idea what you are talking about," she feigned innocence and Kururi as well as the rest of the present people chuckled at the action.
It was obviously half a joke and half payback as Leo merely grinned at Mairu and she rolled her eyes.
Again the glass was raised by the priest, holding just a little bit of wine as he toasted to the newcomers.
"I hope you welcome them with open arms and-"
The words he meant to say were not hard to guess, but Izaya had wished to hear them nonetheless. Gaze looking up he wondered what made the priest stop and suddenly it was quiet.
Silent, beyond what was natural.
The children had stopped playing. Even Mairu and Kururui held their tongues as Leo looked towards the makeshift stage.
And even Roy had torn his gaze from Maria as his eyes widened with an emotion that caused Izaya's body to stiffen.
And suddenly there was the color of red.
Red, like the wine the priest was holding.
Red, like the sun that was setting.
Red, like the blood that suddenly sept through the priest's cloth where his heart was supposed to be.
The priest looked down, in a last effort to understand what had happened. Horrified faces met his own. Not everyone had seen what was going on, like Namie who searched for Izaya's face in a quizzical expression.
The priest's eyes rolled back and he fell backwards off the rack.
to be continued~
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Meanest cliffhanger of all time?
Maybe.
xDDD
See you next Saturday~