[Video] 007 ☽

[lunateclock]

[When the SFC clicks on the first thing to be seen is a Zorua peering curiously into the screen; it would appear we know the culprit for turning it on.]

--Benzomaru, come on.

[The Zorua moves away cheerfully to show a blue-haired protagonist sitting at what looks like the Welcoming Committee desk, if the papers and the pictures of a cheerful

Comments

[lunateclock]

Minato was forever observing the people around him. People-watching was a skill the two of them shared, and for that reason he had forever been watching Izaya. Each thing he saw that was new he did not forget; he stored it in his memory to ponder at a later time. For he might have been inexpressive and he might have been quiet and he might not have talked very quickly...but Minato was sharp.

There was very little he missed about people at this point, after the long Journey he'd been through himself. Each step, from Fool to World, had imparted something to him.

Minato wasn't about to waste what he had been given. Here was a man before him who did not need anyone and yet...wasn't that a very lonely existence? That wasn't good enough for Minato.

And so he responded simply. "I don't have any plans for Christmas yet, no. I will probably spend Christmas Eve at the dorms..."

He paused, hesitating, considering his options. It was true that this could be misconstrued in any number of ways, that he hardly celebrated Christmas as it was and Izaya wasn't the sort to be swayed by sentimentality--

And yet. And yet.

He asked quietly, "Would you like to do something on Christmas day with me?"

[thetrollprince]

"The dorms? Ah right, yes." Of course Izaya knew where they were. He had kept a very tight record on where most of Vatheon's foreigners resided. Especially the ones he was interested in. Like Minato, for example. Not that he had yet used that information to his advantage but it would come in handy for the future.

Izaya almost expected the conversation to mostly come to an end there. He examined his well-kept nails for flaws when Minato asked- catching the informant uncomfortably off guard. His brows rose and he looked at Minato, his expression slightly surprised. But only for a few seconds.

"Eh?" He frowned. Minato. Minato, Minato, Minato. What was he supposed to do with this kid? He was disgustingly unpredictable and yet...Izaya couldn't find it in himself to hate him like he did Shizuo. Well, he hated Minato but not quite in the same way he hated the blonde. He hated Minato's simplicity and his way of being so horribly forgiving.

Izaya speculated if there was anything he could ever do to Minato to throw him off. For now though..he didn't worry about it. Having realized how much he had been quiet for, he shrugged and spoke up.

"Well I suppose so. I don't know what you'd want to do though. I didn't have much planned for myself," he said and- what was this? He couldn't help but...feel...excited? He had never had anyone want to spend a holiday or a special event with him.

And yet, here was Minato, wanting-

"Wait." He bent over the desk and looked at Minato in the eye. "Why are you asking to spend Christmas with me? Me? Don't you have friends or something to spend Christmas with?"

[lunateclock]

A reaction like that...The surprise was more than enough for Minato. He lifted his chin to meet Izaya's eyes, even as the other leaned over the desk and bent closer.

Their eyes met firmly then, as Izaya spoke and Minato listened, as it so often was.

He listened and to him, this was what he was meant to be doing. He was no longer "living"; he no longer had a place, a home to return to. He had accepted that.

But just like at home, here there were people who he could help. People that did not necessarily need him but that did, perhaps, need some different company. A listening ear. Someone who would not judge, who would not condemn. Perhaps that was all...But it was something Minato could do, and it gave someone without a life any longer a purpose.

And he wanted to understand Izaya more than anything.

So he met his eyes firmly, lifted his chin, and responded, "Yes, that's what I'm asking. And yes, I have friends I could spend Christmas with, but I am asking if you would be willing to spend Christmas with me regardless."

Because some things...some things were important to the messiah. That much was certainly without a doubt.

[thetrollprince]

Izaya leaned away from the desk and stood straight, his hands slid into his pockets. He made something of a sour face but eventually it faded into yet another blank expression. A part of him felt like there was more to Minato digging under him like this. However, his more logically aware self was pretty convinced that Minato was just sincerely a nice boy. Something that irked Izaya a little more. If Minato had just wanted to mess around with him then easily Izaya could play back.

Kind people had never made Izaya hold back from hurting them. Saki was his godchild practically and a sweet girl, tender and nice at heart, and he had happily corrupted her life to the roots, crippled her for quite a long time physically, and managed to destroy her boyfriend's life just as well. And Izaya found it all so amusing.

He could break Minato's legs. He could deceive his friends and destroy the kid from the inside out. He could at least try to. And part of him really did want to do that. He wanted to see Minato break down and fall apart. To Izaya, it would be an absolute, perfect example of why he loved humanity.

"I want to see you cry one day," Izaya said suddenly, lowly. "Really cry."

He looked away from Minato, his smile easy. "And I hope it's because of me."

He wanted to hurt this boy. This boy who tried so hard to understand him. This boy who tried so hard to be kind to everyone. Sickeningly enough, Izaya didn't even think he tried that hard on the latter. It just came naturally.

Either way...

"But sure. I'll spend Christmas with my Minato-kun. It might be fun. My apartment's not really decorated though." He hadn't bother to go out and buy a tree or anything. Not even the stocking that the locals were pressing for. His apartment was plain and simple as ever. The only decorative thing seemed to be the small fox Minato had made him and quite a lot of dried out roses from some select people.

Other than that..."Unless Minato-kun wants to have Christmas at his home?"

[lunateclock]

Of course, Minato's intentions had never been to "mess with" Izaya at all. He was sincere, he was truthful, and he was truly kind--all he wanted was to be able to understand and give Izaya what he wanted. It was the exact wish he had for everyone. He just wanted to let people make their choices and give them the best opportunity to make "good" ones.

That was all he had ever asked of people, out of his very short life.

Izaya's words did catch him off guard, entirely for that reason. They had had little to do with the conversation thus far--at least, as far as Minato could tell. But...see him cry, huh?

Minato couldn't remember the last time he had cried. It certainly hadn't been when he was six, standing amidst the wreckage of a car accident alone and changed. No, he had not cried then. And he had not cried since.

He doubted Izaya could make him cry. He did not doubt that Izaya could make him hurt; he did not doubt that Izaya was a man to, perhaps, be feared (only he was not afraid of him). But he doubted that Izaya could make him cry.

So he didn't respond to that. By the time he had thought it through, Izaya was already speaking again, and thus he did not need to respond. But he did not forget it, the words tucked in the back of his mind, his Personas humming warnings and reassurances in his head all at once.

And his words, when Minato did speak, were simple, straightforward. "It would be more peaceful elsewhere, to be honest; I'm sure there will be a lot of people at the dorms. I don't have a preference, though. It's up to you."

After all, Minato had never really had a preference. Not on anything.

[thetrollprince]

Izaya didn't expect Minato to answer him. While the boy did more often than not, it was also pretty obvious that silence was quite a part of his personality. Something Izaya was fine with enough. Usually anyway.

"Hn..Okay, we'll do it at my place then. I have a spare room you can sleep in even. Three, actually." He did love the pent house. It reminded him very much of his old home in Shinjuku- somewhere he missed just as much. He had far too many prized possessions there that he sometimes couldn't get off his mind. And these prized possessions weren't something as replaceable as a pair of headphones. Unless you could by severed dullahan heads and years worth of individuals' information at the store.

Izaya doubted that.

"I'll find some time to decorate it." It's not as though he volunteered anyway like sweet Minato did. Izaya had much more interesting things to do. Although the welcoming committee had always been something he wasn't too against. After all, Izaya had picked up on the habit of sitting around the fountain during the time of the new arrivals. Just to see who came through.

And harass- of course.

"Ah..I have some shopping to do now I suppose," he said, looking over his shoulder and at the Plaza. Christmas. It wasn't so bad. But now he had to think of a gift to get Minato. That would be the appropriate thing to do.

"Well, Minato-kun, if there's anything else.." he trailed off, "I'll see you on Christmas?"

[lunateclock]

Minato was silent, of course, in response to the answers. A spare room to sleep in...? He doubted that would be necessary. He trusted Izaya, but he would not sleep in his home. Was that wrong of him, or just sensible? It was hard to say, so Minato didn't think too hard on it.

It hardly mattered anyway. Right now.

Decorations as well were not necessary--but Minato didn't say anything. After all...it was Izaya's choice, whether he decorated or not. There was no reason for Minato to interfere in that, unnecessary as it was.

So he responded to what was truly important. He looked up at Izaya and answered easily, "Yes, I'll see you on Christmas, Izaya-san."

A nod--that took care of that, didn't it? Now he had plans. He wouldn't miss them (because missing plans meant reversed social links and reversed social links, reversed arcana--those hurt and were wrong). He would be there.

At least Christmas promised to be interesting.