|
|
Post by Shiki on Oct 31, 2011 16:49:42 GMT -5
She glared at him, not happy in the slightest with his answer. "You seem to be the guy with all the answers. Tell me this then," Her tone of voice raised, "Why would I make a deal with someone I don't trust in the slightest and follow exactly what my parents did? I can live without answers, what I can't live with is being like them.
|
|
|
|
Post by Izaya Orihara on Oct 31, 2011 16:55:55 GMT -5
He smiled, a smile that read 'checkmate' all over it.
"Because the only way out of the deal your parents made is the information I can provide - and I'm the only one who knows the details of what happened that dark night, so long ago, when your parents gambled your freedom away to a man they barely knew."
He chuckled, a dark, evil chuckle. "I doubt you could ever be like them, Miss Misaki. To be honest, you don't have the stomach to gamble with the lives of others... and, as I said before, I don't deal in cliches." He turned to stare out the window.
"No, I can assure you that that is a darkness which will not stain a soul like yours... and as much as many of my kind would love to have such a prize jewel in their claws, my collecting days are over. My fees are much less chancy these days, for both creditor and debtor."
He turned to glance at her from the corner of his eye. "I'm a busy man, Miss Misaki. Would you like my help or not?"
|
|
|
|
Post by Shiki on Oct 31, 2011 19:57:04 GMT -5
She looked him in the eye, her tone serious, "I'm not a fool. Either name your price first, or I walk out now." The way he spoke told her he wasn't faking. But she wasn't going to follow her parent's example, not completely. Shiki wanted to know the price, otherwise she was out.
|
|
|
|
Post by Izaya Orihara on Oct 31, 2011 20:04:06 GMT -5
He nodded.
"A shrewd businesswoman. Alright, I'll bite." He held up three fingers. "Three favors, non-negotiable. I give you the information you're after, and I get to have you at my beck and call a total of three times. After that, you and I are square. Non-negotiable means that I can't negotiate for a fourth unless I provide extra goods, and you can't squirm your way out of the third unless you provide service above and beyond the line of duty."
He sat, leaning forward, hands steepled in front of him.
"For such expensive information, it's a fair price.... and I swear that I will not ask you to do anything that you would be unable to carry out, physically or mentally. Do we have a deal?"
|
|
|
|
Post by Shiki on Oct 31, 2011 20:15:24 GMT -5
There goes the temptation. Her first thought was maybe she'd do it. Get Sora out of the mess she'd put him in and get the answers she needed. And it was fair. But Shiki had her changed her outlook, "I'm nobody's puppet, Izaya. This isn't a deal I'm going to make. Whether you're the only one that knows or not, I'll let the answers rot my soul before I agree to this."
|
|
|
|
Post by Izaya Orihara on Oct 31, 2011 20:25:14 GMT -5
"Agree to what?" he asked, smiling. "A simple exchange of favors, like would happen between friends? Honestly - you're treating me as if I'm the Devil himself." He chuckled. "No, our King drives a much harder bargain than I do."
Strategically retreating, verbally, was the best thing to do here. Let the girl think she was winning by getting the admission out of him once again. And then....
"Just as he did with your little friend."
|
|
|
|
Post by Shiki on Oct 31, 2011 20:35:39 GMT -5
Her eyes widened, and she stood up angrily. "You are a demon. And you know.." Shiki clenched her fists, "He has nothing to do with this. How dare you even say that."
|
|
|
|
Post by Izaya Orihara on Oct 31, 2011 20:46:09 GMT -5
"How very flattering...." He stood, skipped over behind her, leaned on her shoulder.
"...how utterly naive." He grinned, stepping back out of harm's way, knowing that she would likely attempt to strike him - not sure, but not willing to be wrong. "You think there is anyone, I mean anyone, involved in your life who has 'nothing' to do with it?" He stroked her cheek, let go, once again stepping away.
"You misunderstand us. When we want something, we stop at nothing to have it. Pathetic, how well you've lied to yourself - telling yourself that this is only your problem, that he can't do anything to hurt anyone but you." He was grinning like a madman now, eyes ablaze, showing her a glimpse of his true nature. He spun in place as he spoke on the nature of demons, doing his best to scare her - scared humans made deals that comfortable, arrogant humans would never dream of. At his last three words, he took a step to accent each syllable; on 'you', he did a sarcastically flourishing bow, indicating the girl in front of him.
"You're a fool if you think that I am the worst thing that hunts this city; you're an even bigger fool if you believe your uncle to be the lesser of the two evils you face." He spun, turning his back to her.
"But it seems, the naive will inevitably stay that way. You've wasted enough of my time; go now. Condemn yourself to a life of servitude to a Hell worse than any you can imagine," his head turned slightly, just enough so that one gleaming, blood-red eye could gaze into hers, "and condemn your friends to their deaths when one by one they fall trying to prevent that sad little fate."
What would she do, he wondered? Take his offer? Leave it and disbelieve, do nothing? Or run away, condemn herself to loneliness until Hell itself came for her?
The honest, bitter truth was that the being which called itself "Izaya Orihara" cared not, except as a passing fancy, a flight of whimsy. He had played his cards and played her emotions like puppets; how would this member of the race he so adored deal with the inevitable, horrid truth which faced her?
|
|
|
|
Post by Shiki on Oct 31, 2011 21:02:11 GMT -5
She attempted to hit him each time he got too close to her, but missed every chance. His voice nailed into her head, his words echoing. He was wrong, he had to be. Shiki wouldn't believe it. He's a liar! But what could he have to possibly lie about? But her voice held both anger and fear, "He has nothing to gain, I'm the one he wants. Lesser of two evils? You're talking about Ifrit aren't you?"
She glared at him, "They won't die. I won't let them get involved." Even as she said it, who knows if it were true. She'd spilled it all to Sora. Who else was going to find out? I should have just kept my mouth shut.
|
|
|
|
Post by Izaya Orihara on Nov 1, 2011 9:37:16 GMT -5
He chuckled.
"Ifrit? Now, there's an interesting possibility. Just why did you bring him up?"
Honestly, he'd been talking about himself, but as long as she was disoriented enough that she didn't realize it, the better for him. He returned to his desk, half standing, half-sitting on the edge, hands behind him to support him. Again, he was glancing at her from the side, and his fingers drummed into the corner of his desk. Thump-thump. Thump-thump. If she watched closely, he was drumming her heartbeat.
His smile was predatory and excited. He never had this much fun with his purely human clients.
|
|
|
|
Post by Shiki on Nov 1, 2011 14:51:01 GMT -5
"Don't act like you have no idea what's going on. As far as I see, him and my uncle are the only problems I'm dealing with. Unless you would like to add yourself onto that list."
She noticed the way he was tapping and stared at his fingers. He wants this, doesn't he? I'm falling farther into his trap the longer I stay here. But she didn't leave.
|
|
|
|
Post by Izaya Orihara on Nov 1, 2011 14:58:05 GMT -5
"I wouldn't dream of being a problem for you," she said, still grinning; the tempo of his tapping increased. Excited? Or frightened? Perhaps, he thought, a little of both. "I'm offering my services; would I do that if I wished to create problems? That would be bad for business."
|
|
|
|
Post by Shiki on Nov 1, 2011 15:20:37 GMT -5
She looked at him, "By asking me to repeat a mistake that my parents made? Having me do all the dirty work for whatever you want? I'd say those are problems." Shiki resisted the urge to pry his fingers off the desk and break them. He'd probably find another way, by using his toes maybe.
|
|
|
|
Post by Izaya Orihara on Nov 1, 2011 15:37:17 GMT -5
"I told you, I wouldn't dream of aking you to make the deal your parents made," he said. "All of my dirty work? Hardly. I did say I wouldn't ask you to do anything you were mentally incapable of doing, and three favors is hardly 'all' my dirty work." He sighed, waving one hand in the air. "You simply don't listen. That will be a major block in this budding relationship."
He sighed.
"I suppose that there is... another option, one you might find more to your liking, though it would be decidedly longer-term."
|
|
|
|
Post by Shiki on Nov 1, 2011 15:52:31 GMT -5
She looked to the side, frustrated. Just walk out now, Shiki. He's not worth it.Her mouth had a different idea though. After moments of silence she looked back at him, "Name it."
|
|
