So, Some Notes About Shizuo And Izaya.

So, some notes about Shizuo and Izaya.

A. In the beginning, Izaya does NOT keep close tabs on Shizuo. In fact he must practically be avoiding information about him in order to miss that Shizuo was fired from that bartending job.

B. Izaya doesn't actually run away all that much. Sure he avoids being hit (the heck else is he gonna do, let Shizuo behead him with a lantern pole?) But he actually doesn't run, and instead fights back fiercely and aggressively.

C. They actually talk pretty calmly most of the time. Izaya pisses Shizuo off, but it's not in the blind, trashing in anger kind of way and it probably never was. If anything I kind of think Izaya is the angrier one.

D. As he doesn't run, the reason most fights end is actually not because he gets away, but simply because other people interfere and stop them; in most cases, Simon. And as illustrated by the April's fools story, sometimes Kyohei.

E. Izaya actually doesn't come to Ikebukurou often, he really mostly just comes for work, or for personal projects; certainly not to bother Shizuo. At least at this point in time the 'entertainment' definitely does not outweigh the risk of brain damage.

F. Shizuo supposedly hates Izaya because he talks too much, but considering Shinra arguably talks more, I'm gonna go with the other side; He hates Izaya because Izaya is too logical and rational. And on his part, Izaya hates Shizuo because he doesn't listen to reason- at all. Kind of obvious, that one.

G. Shizuo knows perfectly well that Izaya is lonely and longs for connection just like he does. It doesn't inspire any kind of pitty or care, and doesn't make him any more reasonable about it.

I. Izaya doesn't normally even have time to play around even if he wanted to. This may be subject to change once he has Namie working for him though.

I can't remember the specifics of when Izaya started getting access to the underground but I'm guessing it was pretty young for normal standards...actually given the common trend of gang warfare maybe not. But I feel like he got a little more deep into it than any of the colour gang leaders did. Like didn't he get recruited by Kine?

Anyway, given that and his apparent brilliantness its no wonder so little was done about his delinquency. Even his fights with Shizuo. Like imagine being a teacher for him, and trying to inforce the rules, only to have the knowledge that some yakuza guy has got this kids back for whatever reason. "Oil barrels? I don't see no oil barrels?"

On one hand, no wonder he comes off as a little bratty, but can you blame him? You try being a teenage guardian to two younger sisters. I can see why he might have signed up for an easy route too. I know his parents might have sent him money, but how much of that would really help him? He's a student, if something else came along that allowed him to afford a babysitter I wouldn't blame him for taking the deal.

And imagine growing up where some of the only adults in your life were criminals.

There are so many things that tie into how fucked up he is.

honestly, looking at izaya's life from a third person pov, it's just... sad? like.

here's this guy who touts himself as something akin to a god and a master manipulator and someone to be feared, and he IS very good at what he does, except... when you take a look at the rest of his life, you see a mid-20s man who has no friends, nobody who really likes him- his clients fear him, his secretary isn't fond of him, and the one friend he DOES have is honestly kind of a garbage friend. and when people draw attention to this, izaya goes on this spiel about how this friendship is so intricrate it can't possibly be understood by an outsider, but what's REALLY happening is that shinra routinely doesn't care for izaya on a personal level via ignoring and ostracizing him, and izaya kind of just. takes it up the ass

he sees everyone around him as an object and the sad thing is everyone, in turn, sees HIM as an object- less an actual living being and more an abstract concept, or at least something that only exists for others to gain something from. it's this vicious cycle of izaya keeping everyone at arm's length and denying his own humanity, which in turn leads to people also denying his humanity, unknowingly feeding into this fucked up cycle of self depracation that most likely started when he was a child- his parents didnt see him as a person, just a mouth to feed and later, a way to have the life they wanted while still appearing respectable- they had kids, just like society said they should, but theyre not obligated to care for them.

and the one person who DOES notice there is something unhealthy going on can't be assed to do anything about it- in volume 9, shinra explicitly says that he doubts izaya expects to live long enough to die of old age- celty actually agrees with him! celty not being assed about it i'd expect, she already hates izaya and doesn't actually know all that much about him, but shinra at least should realize that there's something off about the whole situation. wether thats out of apathy or he just genuinley doesnt believe izaya is being unhealthy, i don't know.

but as it stands, here's a man who insists he can't be manipulated and that he's in control, who's... routinely mistreated by his only friend whom he still talks to and expects some sort of closeness from, and who ultimatley not only loses control, but loses it so spectacularly that he ends up disabled, possibly permanently. i KNOW the spinoff novels said he couldve walked if he went to physical therapy, but "ability to walk" does NOT equal "not disabled anymore."

like... it's just. a sad life! it's a horribly sad existence of a perpetual misery cycle that izaya not only doesn't pull himself out from but actively perpetuates via constantly giving in to his worst impulses and keeping everyone away from him via said impulses, ensuring nobody will notice anything wrong, and that people who DO notice and DO realize its unhealthy, won't give enough of a shit about him to help

Can we talk about the fact that Odysseus probably wouldn't have slaughtered the suitors or kill the maids the way he did if they were actually respectful? He specifically killed all of them not just to show that he is the true king of Ithaca but because the suitors and the maids that helped them were assholes. The suitors disrespected his wife, his son, his home, ate and slept there for 20 years and showed little to no respect while talking big game, and the maids not only weren't doing any better but decided to help plot the family's downfall with the suitors. It was the fact that they all disrespected his home and family for 20 years, specifically, that really pissed Odysseus off.

Ithaca's major rule is to show kindness and respect to everyone around you, no matter their status. If you are staying with them you are treated and respected as a guest and the same amount of kindess and respect is supposed to be shown to the host as well. If they had done that then Odysseus probably would've went with his usual mercy and understanding route but this time, this time he rightfully had no room of mercy for these people that not only posed a major threat to his family but treated his family and home badly for 20 years, after everything that has happened he was just done with everyone's bs.

i think this is my favorite book so far 

god i cant stop talking about shizaya it's 1:51 am

shizaya was literally built for outsider pov fics like their impact on ikebukuro is so huge in both izaya's behind-the-scenes manipulations and their blatant fucking destruction

i read a fic where kasuka described them as a tourist attraction which is the funniest shit ever

anyway you could like. walk down the street and see a knife embedded in some street sign and be like welp that's shizaya for you

there's so much you can do with outsider pov. obviously there's shinra who unfortunately is very aware that they're in love with each other but it's not like either of them would ever listen to him

but shinra can see the quieter ways they express their affection (established relationship, mutual pining OR mutual oblivious pining) in throwaway comments or furtive glances and stuff like that

like shizuo gets a phone call from someone while he's getting treated at shinra's and shinra can immediately tell it's izaya just from the way that shizuo's body tenses up with a weird sort of both aggravation and anticipation and he doesn't even realize that he's smiling and waves it off as one of those annoyed grins

or how izaya just doesn't stop talking about shizu-chan and is always planning something new to fuck him over

as opposed to erika who can see like. the clear glee in izaya's phase whenever he gets a rise out of shizuo + the fact that shizuo chases him so persistently and izaya will sometimes stick around instead of just taking off and continue to tease shizuo until he's caught his breath

kadota is more in the shinra category and celty is in the "god im so homophobic (but only for those two)" category and then you can have like the raira trio with their shallower but not unobservant perspectives

shiki is like izaya. bro. you had a job to do for me today so what is this?? and turns on the TV and it's just footage of izaya flirting with shizuo on main and izaya is like uhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh not my fault that protozoan won't stop chasing me

and the tv shows shizuo getting hit by a billboard and izaya stopping and leaning over him and poking him in the cheek

and shiki just looks at izaya deadpan and izaya's like. well. id get in trouble if i killed him in the streets dont look at me like that shiki-san

OH AND SIMON simon is so unaffected i love whenever he's like "oh you're friends now? sweet come have some sushi" in fics as if he hasnt watched and prevented their beefing for like 10 years

it's just so good ugh the way their relationship is on clear display but also so hidden and instinctual but intentional

they are made of contradictions and opposites but that's what binds them so tightly together and that's why they try to keep their distance but can't help chasing after each other anyway GFJFDKHKHHSJSKHGKGDKJSD