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(Look at them, alone at last. Izaya's been rather busy, trying to clear the red in his eyes from seeing his precious humans turned into creatures he barely even recognizes. Lucifer said he'll talk to Mammon, so hopefully, such a thing doesn't happen again. It doesn't mean Izaya isn't thinking about war, though.

Not like he hadn't spoken to Barbas himself. Oops.

Either way, being quietly closed off for a while should do him some good, with his... What are they, again? In his arms, resting against his chest like this. It's almost too nice, and he can't stop himself from pressing a kiss to her cheek.)

Still awake?

Mmm, yes.

[She was just savoring the feeling of his chest rising and falling, his heartbeat its own lullaby. After the carnival turned sour, emotions were high for everyone. Belladonna, too, was struggling with what to do, feeling powerless to help the people she'd already come to feel so close to.

Now she turns her face up to give Izaya that smile of hers.]

What are you thinking about? Is it something quite awful?

I'm thinking about war. In Ikebukuro, it was quite easy.

(It's not a lament, it just happens to be a fact. A hand runs against her back as he thinks it over, fingers following the shape of her spine directly over skin. She feels goddamn soft for someone who yearns to watch the world burn.)

Kida-kun, his best friends, the Yakuza, Shizu-chan... It was easy when I was already established. Here? Here I'm building myself from scratch, and that in itself has been a lot of work.

Edited 2021-06-23 23:10 (UTC)

You started a war involving Masaomi...?

[She frowns, but it's more thoughtful than judgmental. It explains some of Masaomi's attitude toward Izaya, and even some of his other behaviors. Isn't that a bit cruel? She knows she wouldn't hex her loved ones, if she was able to hex anyone. But maybe Masaomi likes it? Maybe it's common in their world? She'll have to think about it.]

What's the Yakuza?

[She's unfamiliar with most terms from his country, but it's all so fascinating. Belladonna smiles again.]

But are you having fun, having a new challenge?

(Bella has the wrong idea if she thinks Izaya and Masaomi are friends. Masaomi hates his guts, and with good reason - he did ruin his life on several occasions.)

I wouldn't say I started it. I only pushed it around a little bit. Didn't he tell you anything at this point?

(The kid is so stupid and so smart at the same time. Has he already caught that by warning Bella of the awful human being Izaya is, the more enchanted she'll be? Probably. What he does is simply to pull her closer, enough so that she's on top and he can admire the smile she gives him.)

Yakuza is the mafia in our country. Great clients of mine.

(Having fun doesn't cut it. He's overjoyed, if we're ignoring Mammon's acts in their entirety.)

It's been great, Mammon aside. I've got a customer, would you believe that?

Edited 2021-06-23 23:51 (UTC)

[Truly, it's hard to understand exactly what she doesn't know and what she's misunderstood completely. But there's an excited gleam in her eyes at the prospect of him having a customer.]

Oh, how lovely!

[Or is she talking about the mafia...?]

Tell me all about it!

Masaomi, mafia, or the new client?

(It's hard to tell with this chaos-loving monster. Well, either way, his hands set on her waist as he hums.)

I can tell you about all these things, but one at a time, mhm?

[Belladonna giggles, propping herself up on her elbows, hair cascading around both their faces.]

Okay. Let's start with the client? I'm so curious!

(It's golden, a golden curtain surrounding her and he can't help but take a strand into his hand, curling the tip around his finger.)

Nothing too big - he simply wants information on someone named Henry. Have you met? I'll probably trail him for a few days, have you befriend him for a while. Would you be so willing?

(Ah, but the best part:)

Money doesn't mean anything here, so he's promised to check out security around the Hotel and give me access, if he can, once we're back to Penance. Of course, you shouldn't tell anybody this. It'll scare off people from doing as they normally do.

Edited 2021-06-24 00:27 (UTC)

I can't recall meeting anyone named Henry, no...but of course, I'd be happy to introduce myself!

[And really, who can resist Belladonna's unassuming offerings of friendship? She's such a delicate little heathen.]

Oh, I wouldn't tell anyone at all! That sounds absolutely wonderful! What an excellent resource!

(His thought exactly - it does him good to have a girl such as her on his team. Very carefully, he flips them over so he can find himself on top, delicately brushing some hair off her cheek.)

Glad that you're as hyped as I am! We still have to see how that goes, but either way - he's a good pawn to have.

Well, of course I am!

[From their new position, she smiles up at him, shimmering as ever, leaning into the trailing of his fingers, her own hands coming up to loop around his neck.]

I can't wait to see the extent of the chaos you can cause.

(What is he, to be able to spend an entire day in bed? Someone who temporarily can afford it. For now, it puts a bandaid in the crater that is his heart, soothes the loneliness quite a bit, and it pushes him into getting each time more confused.

Well. He's got a chance to make her angry, doesn't he? She likes Masaomi. With his lips touching her neck, pressing kisses until he finds her collarbone, he looks back at her with that twisted smile she doesn't seem to get over.)

I guess neither of us have told you then. What happened in Ikebukuro, with the gang wars.

(Otherwise, she'd know how far he's willing to go.)

[Ahh, that smile. Whenever he gives it, her heart beats faster. He's so, so beautiful. she runs a hand through his hair.]

I don't believe so...will you tell me?

[She just adores his stories.]

Ah, where to begin? Would you believe if I told you Kida-kun is the leader of one of Tokyo's color gangs? Gangs were like that, then. Wearing a color to distinguish themselves from one another.

(It's his turn to use his elbow to prompt himself up in order to see her a little better.)

You've heard us talk about Saki-chan before. I asked her to like him, be with him. Like a cute love story, isn't it? Well. The Yellow Scarves and the Blue Squares were rivals, always beating each other up - and Saki? Saki told him to come see. Where do you think this story is going, Bella-chan?

[A cute love story? Well...she's not really sure. Can you just ask somebody to like somebody else? Not that Belladonna should really talk, the choices she's made romantically, current party included. Nonetheless, she brushes her fingers across his cheek, considering the scenario he's laying out for her.]

Well, I suppose...she must've brought him to see something frightening?

(He sure can. It's simple - Izaya has such a power on vulnerable girls, look at Bella herself. He's sure she'd do anything he'd ask at this point.)

Mhm, not exactly. That was my job. When the Blue Squares began to pose a serious threat and started a gang war, Masaomi was forced to rely on me. I've given him information on their whereabouts, how to beat them, and Masaomi started to trust me unconditionally. Of course, I was playing both sides the entire time.

(A nibble on her fair skin, just to hear a giggle. It'd go nicely as punctuation to his words.)

Except, well. I told Saki that if she got herself kidnapped, it'd end the war. Masaomi would understand the weight of what it means to be a part of this world, and he'd disband the Yellow Scarves. So I arranged that - ah, she ended up with two broken legs and in a coma, and Masaomi? Masaomi called me and I didn't pick up, so he froze on the way to rescue her. He was just a kid, after all. Ah, I also told her to pretend to not be able walk for a while, so he had guilt on his shoulders for a little longer.

That's one of the few reasons Masaomi hates me.

[It's all a much more specific scenario than she was expecting. Still, she watches him speak with a riveted expression as he continues, giving him all the little noises and reactions as he plays her body like a mastered instrument.

For the most part, she seems more excited than concerned about the story...at least until the bit about the broken legs. She frowns, seeming to replay the words in her head, thinking.]

Why didn't you pick up when he called?

[The rest is still processing.]

Why should I have?

(A more interesting question than straight-up providing an answer. His reddish eyes watch her expression, see the frown, and await to see what other reaction that may arise. Slap or kiss? Slap or kiss!!)

Well, there's certainly no particular reason you should or shouldn't have.

[Because it's just a phone call, right?]

But since you'd set up such a situation, I'm wondering what your motivation was, at the time. Didn't you want to hear his reaction? Or were you more interested in how he would handle it alone? It just seems so strange, to me, to ignore it.

I saw him not too long after that. He had the information on where she was and what he had to do, my job there was done, you see?

(And a myriad of other reasons. If he picked up, he'd probably ruin the authenticity of Masaomi's behavior. He wanted to see him wallowing in guilt, trapped in his hand and unable to turn a blind eye to the situation. Why should he have helped? The list goes on.)

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