Fortune & Fortitude

II

She had no idea what was going on, but she wasn't concerned. Aya maneuvered her way through the mass of bodies, eager to escape the crowd and find herself a decent place to stay the night. She had little more than the clothes on her back and the bag slung over her shoulders, so her load wasn't too much of a burden. Still, she was anxious for a bed to throw herself into at this point.

Aya hit a dead end in her path and frowned, though the crowd started to separate from each other and move again not long after. She was caught in the bizarre ebb and flow of bodies as they continued on their way. Her foot caught on the back of someone's ankle and she stumbled, nearly loosing her footing completely. Aya winced as she rammed into another body, expecting that she would be apologizing to an irritated bystander when she looked up.

It turned out to be a tall, menacing young man with a full head of bleached blond hair and a disgruntled crease between his brows. Aya turned her eyes curiously down to his apparent source of irritation and saw a cigarette sitting in a shallow puddle of water near his foot. She reached into her pocket and produced a half finished pack, offering him one from the open end of the box.

The line in his brow vanished as he peered at the box, then the young woman from behind his shades.

"Sorry," she said. "They're probably not your brand."

He carefully took one from the packaging and nodded his head with a mumbled thanks. Aya only stuck around to watch him light the end of it before continuing on her way. She was gone by the time he looked up again and she exited the station to admire the neon light lining the wide city streets. Aya looked both ways and started walking, moving with a synthetic confidence that would make it appear as if she belonged there.

It had been a long time since she'd wandered the streets of an unfamiliar city, but she got the sense that this city was something else. Aya observed the multitude of people lining the sidewalks, finding comfort in the fact that this city felt slightly familiar. It was still alive and teeming with activity at this hour. Aya looked forward, scanning the signs and gazing over the darker corners with caution. Something was off and she only took a moment to figure out what it was. Still, she walked until the crowd tapered down and she found herself among quieter roads.

"You've been following me since I left the station," Aya said, stopping and turning on her heels to catch sight of the figure trailing behind her. "Is it out of boredom or is this about something else?"

He was a young man with black hair and a handsome face. He appeared to be of no immediate threat until Aya noticed the glint of his eyes. It was dark, but she could recognize that peculiar zeal he had with no trouble at all. The question was, what had she done to garner such attention from a stranger?

"You're good," he chimed, crossing his arms over his chest and tilting his head to the side. "You're more than I'd ever hoped for."

Aya shifted uneasily, paranoia prodding her conscience upon digesting his words. She drew a breath, biding her time and settled herself before she did something stupid and uncalled for. It was like a game and he was challenging her. Aya tucked her hands into her pockets and looked to him again, ignoring the amused smirk on his face and the almost menacing slant of his eyes.

"I'm glad you think so highly of me," she replied. "Maybe we can skip to the part where you tell me who you are and what you want from me."

"Izaya Orihara," he said. "I only wanted to give you a personal welcome to Ikebukuro and hope you enjoy your stay."

"Is this your city?" Aya asked.

"I like to think so," Izaya shrugged. "Might as well be since the entire city is under my thumb by now."

"Interesting," she said, nodding her head and glancing over the street. "Then you'll know where I can find decent accommodations."

"You passed a number of places on your way here," he said.

"I'm not looking to get snatched out of my bed in the middle of the night," Aya pushed her hair behind her ear. "Tell me a place and I'll tell you my name. That's how information dealing works, right?"

"So you have heard of me," Izaya's brows disappeared behind his fringe. "Very well then."

Aya watched as he approached her, hands in his pockets. Her eyes darted over each of his limbs in suspicion, but she made no move to run away. He pulled a pen out of his pocket and made a gesture, confusing her until she slapped her hand into his open one. Aya watched as he turned it over and penned an address into her palm, along with an odd drawing that resembled his head. She snatched her hand back and frowned at him, not appreciating the fact that he was doodling on her skin.

He merely watched her in wait.

"Aya Burnett," she said.

"Pleasure to be of assistance to you, Miss Burnett," Izaya said with a dip of his head.

"Good night, Mr. Orihara," Aya replied with a minor salute.

She turned and walked away, eager to leave him behind as continue on without someone riding on her heels. It was a mixed blessing to run into him tonight, though she'd hoped to remain under his radar in the entire time she would spend here. Izaya Orihara would have his uses, but he'd be nettlesome to deal with. Aya sighed, shaking her head because she knew it would take a good amount of effort on her part to keep the scales of this game balanced. She couldn't hope to gain anything over him, so the best she could do was stay out of the palm of his hand.

"Dammit," Aya growled. "It's always some sort of game."