Welcome to Ikebukero

Orihara was too confused to deal with this, but he played along. Of course not. While I may not know if there is a true God, I also couldn’t care, Orihara answered, Besides, humans always cling to some greater power to make them feel as if their pitiful lives have meaning when they really don’t, he continued, shrugging.

I see, the old man stated, so you believe you yourself are equivalent to a god, yes? Orihara had no reply to this. Your silence speaks volumes. Well, I suppose it makes sense that you of all people would believe that, you dog. Izaya snickered at that nickname.

A dog, yeah? What a lovely nickname, Orihara stated sarcastically, Now i must ask that you leave my house. The old man started slowly towards the door, but before he exited the room, he gave Orihara a firm pat on the shoulder, and quietly stated, You better watch yourself. Angering the wrong people may leave you in deeper shit than you ever were before.

Orihara felt weird after that shoulder pat, but he couldn’t quite explain it. The old man exited the apartment, leaving no trace of ever being there. Orihara could not find what made the loud crashes, as there was nothing displaced in his room. He cursed quietly then went to bed, as it was rather late.

Orihara doesn’t dream normally, and this couldn’t be considered a dream either, according to him. While he slept, he heard the old man's voice ringing in his head, echoing the same statement over and over again.

You better watch yourself.

Better watch yourself.

Watch yourself.

Watch.

Your.

Self.

Morning had finally come after a long night. Orihara’s eyes opened and immediately knew something was different about him. Mainly because he was a dog. Apparently it isn’t that difficult to tell that you’ve become a dog. Did he even want to question it at this point? Not really. He got up from underneath his covers and trotted over to the closest mirror. He seemed to be a gray Akita. Quite ironic, as the 8th of April was coming up in just a day. The celebration of Hachiko, the Akita who waited for his deceased master by a train till death.

I suppose this is my punishment from the old man, he thought, as he no longer had the ability to speak, perhaps he was some form of a god. That would explain how he got in. Izaya didn’t quite know what to do, so he waited for Namie’s arrival. When she arrives she’ll probably act like any typical human would react to seeing a dog, pet it, make those weird squeals, and think that I’m some loyal companion, he imagined. He could not have been more wrong, as soon as she saw him she kicked him out, into the streets of Ikebukuro. She was thoughtful enough to give him a ‘Lost Dog’ box for him to sit in.

He decided to see what he could possibly do while like this. Perhaps it would be interesting. Maybe he would be taken in, since he didn’t know how long he would be like this.

Throughout the course of the day, he was yelled at, gawked at, and even chased by some little brats. The van gang wouldn’t stop calling him a… good boy. Simon even tried to give him a flier for his restaurant. HE also called Orihara a good boy. Everyone called him a good boy. Those words were getting sickening at this point. Currently he was hiding in a shaded alley, as the day had gotten too warm for his long coat.

Hey, is that a dog over there?, someone wondered. Looking over to who was talking, he spotted those kids from Raira. The girl with the glasses was the one who pointed him out, looking directly at him. The other two boys seemed to have noticed him now, too. No point in hiding anymore. He trotted out, panting from the heat.

Poor thing, she added, she must be so warm, should we take her to a shelter? Maybe to that doctor……nevermind, not there. But somewhere out of the heat at the very least?

Sh…she…???

The blonde one wrapped his arms around Orihara. Ah, so soft!♡

The shy looking boy started listing off the nearest places that will allow dogs. They brought him to many different places that wouldn’t take him. By the end of the day, it had begun to rain, making for horribly humid temperatures. While the trio were talking with a young lady who ran a shop, he decided to run off. The trio had noticed he was gone too late, and had to give up their ‘quest’. How boring, Orihara thought, shivering in an alley. It was so humid, yet he was shivering. I suppose I’m ill, he concluded, I will most likely die here. He curled up on the ground, accepting his new fate.

He felt every raindrop on his face, how it quickly plopped onto his body, then soaked through his fur. It was an interesting feeling. Perhaps this is what death feels like. One large drop from a wire above consistently dropped on his nose.

Plop.

Plop.

Plop.

…

No plop.

He looked up, and saw him standing above him, with an umbrella. Shizu-chan?, he thought. He instinctively tried to get back, but was too sick to move. Poor dog. People who let their animals wander don’t deserve them in the first place. Heiwajima picked Orihara up, and carried him someplace that was presumably his house. Oh the irony, Orihara thought, If he knew who I was, I would be dead already.

When they got inside, Orihara had already begun to feel better. Perhaps he was just being overdramatic. (Author Note: He was just being overdramatic.)  Heiwajima set him down on a wrinkled blanket, and went into the kitchen. When he came back, he had a small bowl of brown rice, and another bowl with water. (Author Note 2: Yes, Akitas can eat brown rice) Orihara was so distracted by the whole day, he hadn’t even thought of eating or drinking. He was hesitant to take the food at first, but eventually took it.

He expected much less than this, especially from the monster. He looked up at Heiwajima, as they were both eating their respective meals. Perhaps… He actually had a heart after all. Perhaps he had the minimum amount of affection that a human being could have. Perhaps…