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our-wargame · 3 years

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I’m No Angel, I’m Just Me

Rating: G Pairing: Oda Sakunosuke / Dazai Osamu Major Tags: Fluff, Friends to Lovers, CAREFUL; Ango’s a Hero Summary:

Odasaku gets a box. A heart-shaped box of chocolates on Valentine's Day. Ango looks rather bored in comparison to his puzzlement.

"Who would send me-"

Ango stares at him like he can't tell if he's being serious or not. "Are you kidding me."

Alternatively: Odasaku is oblivious, Dazai is ridiculous, and Ango is a goddamn saint who deserves a raise.

Word Count: 2,432 AO3 LINK

It begins like this. He's just sitting at the bar with Ango, discussing the latter's latest reports on weekly finances, when the bartender speaks, "Ah, Oda-kun?" He raises his head. The bartender offers a small smile. "I had a special request to give this to you." He bends over his side of the counter and when he straightens up, he has a little box in red in his hands. It's a heart shaped box. In the mafia, Valentine's Day is a joke; Port Mafia has their own little running tradition/gag. Instead of giving gifts to the person you love the most, you send candy to the person you like the least. Every year without fail, Dazai gets two or three subordinates to help him lug the bags of Chuuya's treats to the bar. Ango and Odasaku will each take a single piece or two upon being offered, while Dazai pick out all of his favorites. Then he tells Odasaku to take as much as he can for the kids and then asks if he still has contacts with that orphanage in the west of the city.

That’s why he doesn’t really understand what's going on right now. The bartender passes him the box. The heart shaped box. Full of chocolates.

In comparison to his puzzlement, Ango looks rather bored.

"Who would-"

"You already know the answer to that," Ango rolls his eyes.

Odasaku raises a brow at him. "What are you implying?"

Ango glances at him. Then stares, like he can't tell if he's being serious or not. "Are you kidding me," he mutters, pulling out his phone, jabbing at the buttons with a certain kind of ferocity and then says into it, "...Dazai-kun?"

"Ango!" Dazai's chirp sounds through the loudspeaker. "How are we doing on this fine-"

"Did you know," Ango interrupts, holding the phone out a few inches from him like it's toxic. "That Odasaku received some chocolates today?"

"Is that so? I'm not surprised! Even though Odasaku isn't very well known among the mafia, he is an attractive, thoughtful, and intriguing single man! It's too bad he isn't actively looking, because if women knew about him they'd be stumbling over one another to give him things, and I don't think either you or I could stand the jealousy!"

"Is that so," Ango says flatly, and then barrels on. "Well. We're trying to figure out who sent them but we could use some help. When are you coming by?"

Odasaku is sure he looks completely bewildered but tries to focus when they get a hum from Dazai.

"Another hour or so! I bought Chuuya a gummy bear as big as him and I'm trying to figure out where to put it..."

"Is that so." Ango looks bored again. "In the meantime, will you share your brilliant deduction skills with us, Mister Executive? Figuring out Odasaku's secret admirer is some tough stuff. I'm stumped."

"I'd be delighted, Special Intelligence Officer! What do you know so far?"

Ango yawns. "Not much. The note-" Ango pauses, as if he's remembering something; still, Odasaku sure doesn't remember there being a note? "The note has neat handwriting so it's probably a woman's."

"Huh. Just to be clear," Dazai sounds very careful, all of a sudden. "There's a love letter? With the chocolates? Addressed to Odasaku?"

"Yeah."

"Huh. This is...interesting." Dazai says, not sounding particularly interested. "Ah, I've decided I'll send Chuuya his gift tomorrow, for the surprise factor. I'm heading to Lupin now."

"Alright, see you soon." Ango responds, promptly hanging up and fixing Odasaku with a look. "Well?"

Uh. Odasaku raises a brow. "Could I get a translation. What was all that just now?"

Ango puts his head down. "What am I going to do with you, Odasaku-san." he mumbles, before clearing his throat and fixing his glasses. "Okay. So. It may come as a surprise to you, but Dazai-kun is the one who sent you the chocolates."

Odasaku blinks. "What?" Why would Dazai do that? He's pretty sure Ango's quite off the mark this time. In fact, now that he's had a chance to think on it, it's more than likely it's an odd choice of prank from one of the other errand boys.

"Trust me," Ango interrupts his guesses as to whom it likely is. "It's Dazai."

"Why would Dazai-"

"I heard my name!" And the man of the hour walks in, with a smile as bright as the sun. "Let me get a crack at this-" His gaze shifts to the box in Odasaku's hand. "Oh. Odasaku really is popular. Is that a second gift?"

Before he can speak, Ango says, "Dazai, he knows it's from you."

Dazai opens his mouth. Closes it. "Oh."

"Yeah."

"Huh." Dazai says, scratching his head. "How did you know?"

This feels like a very bizarre dream, and it might be, because putting aside whatever is going on, it seems like the rules say he just doesn't get to speak. Again, Ango answers for him. "I'm a Special Intelligence Officer, Dazai-kun. Anyways, better question: where are my chocolates?"

"Your chocolates."

Ango looks at Dazai like he's the crazy one. "Uh, yes? My chocolates? I thought you were giving them to all your friends?"

Dazai breaks out into a grin. "Of course, I was!" He reaches into his jacket. Ango is handed a candy bracelet. "A friendship bracelet, if you will!"

"...is this Chuuya's candy-"

"I was kidding!" Dazai says, reaching into his jacket again. "You're no fun, Ango." And this time he pulls a little box the size of his fist, white with a little brown bow over the top. Now Ango wears surprise as he takes the box and examines the entire package before taking off the top. Indeed, there are chocolates there.

"...huh," says Ango.

"I know you didn't get me friend-chocolates back," he beams at Ango. "But it is okay, because I love you no matter what, Ango!"

"Thanks, Mister Executive," Ango stands up. "If you'll excuse me, I need to use the restroom." He disappears in an instant.

Dazai signals to the bartender. "Boss, will you get me a coffee? I'll need it to wash Chuuya's crap down. I should probably eat some, just to show him I appreciate how we maintain our mutual distaste for one another, right, Odasaku?"

Odasaku thinks about answering but then vetoes the idea, decides to ask, "Did you really send this?" with a little gesture to Dazai's apparent present to him.

Dazai clears his throat. "I did! Now where are Odasaku's other gifts. We'll figure out who sent them to Odasaku and then maybe we'll track her down, the two of you will go on a date and then kiss kiss, fall in love." Dazai's smile doesn't look very Dazai in the moment.

Odasaku makes an awkward shrug. "Ah...I'm not sure what Ango was trying to say but he made that up. Maybe he thought it'd be funny, or something?"

"Huh. Dazai says, pressing his lips together. "Did he."

When Odasaku does the same, Dazai's look fades away to a reassuring smile. This one's more real than the other one, Odasaku can see. But it's still not real enough for his preference.

He glances at the box he's placed on the counter, halfway between them. "Thank you, Dazai." He says. "No one's made me friend-chocolates before." And even though Dazai seems to be good at everything he does, he still took time and effort to make a gift for Odasaku. It's...really really sweet of him actually.

"Ah. They're not..."

"They're not...?" Made? When he'd looked at them, he thought they had to be made from an amateur's mold equipment.

Dazai doesn't reply. And when Odasaku looks at him closer, Dazai shakes his head and his bangs fall into his face, hiding his eye for a second. Odasaku feels an impulsive urge to reach over and tuck those strands behind his ear.

Head still down, Dazai talks to the floor. "Will you try them?"

Odasaku blinks. In the middle of Ango's enormously confusing behavior, he hadn't considered the idea at all but now there's no reason not to. He pops the lid off and places it on the side, then picks up a simple semi-sphere piece and brings it to his tongue. And. Wow. "It's...it's really good." He glances at Dazai, who doesn't look as pleased as Oda is used to seeing in situations like this, considering the occasions where Dazai makes him curry or the three of them hotpot, and a compliment sends Dazai into his little show of mock horn-tooting. "How...how long did it take you to learn how to make these?"

"Not very long." Dazai gives him a soft smile- this, this is the one Odasaku likes to see. Wants to see more often. "It was fun learning."

Odasaku nods his chin to the box. Dazai, agreeable and good-natured, picks up a triangular piece with rounded edges. His has caramel or something filling it inside, because a bit of sunset orange leaks out of the sweet when he bites down. It spills onto his lower lip before he swipes his tongue and licks it back into his mouth. Odasaku doesn't realize he's staring until Dazai glances at him, almost curious. Odasaku blinks, then gives the box on the counter a little push towards Dazai, who shakes his head a little. "I shouldn't spoil my appetite. Since Chuuya tried to outbuy me again...the least I should do is outeat him, right?"

"Do you ever let him win?"

Dazai grins again and then conversation about even sillier things breaks out.

A few hours later, Odasaku's in his study room when he gets a call that fills the entire apartment. It's Ango. "Hi, it's Oda-"

"Yeah, hey, so, uh? What the hell?"

He pulls the phone from his ear. "What? Also assuming your bladder didn't burst, next time let Dazai and I know you have to go. We were wondering where you were."

"You-" Ango exhales. "Odasaku-san. I." There's a muffled crackle and then a distant yell, like Ango covered the microphone to shout to the void.

"Ango?"

"Right. You listen very carefully," says Ango, in a rush. "I'm very tired of watching Dazai pine. It's not annoying so much as it is pitiful and if you show that guy pity, he considers killing you, so that's not very fun for me. Also since he's going to kill me after what I did today anyways, I just want to say: Dazai has a huge crush on you. He's in love with you. Has been, probably since forever. Please deal with him. When I die, buy me a grave somewhere I can overlook the sea okay, and on the headstone, it should say: Man Who Put Up With Too Much Shit. If I'm still alive after 48-hours, we'll go to the bar and I'll buy you all the scotch you can drink. Do not call me before then because you should be dealing with Dazai and I will be trying to avoid the inevitable hitmen. Goodbye, Odasaku-san."

Odasaku only catches the first half of his call. Dazai's...Dazai's what?

Ango's wrong. Dazai wouldn't...not with him. He's pretty sure. Pretty sure...

He thinks about every elapsed second when they were in the same room together, the warmth in Dazai's eyes when they'd parted a little past nine, the way he walked in and looked at Odasaku like-

Oh. Odasaku's stomach drops out of his body. The more time he spends reviewing, the more things starts to make sense. He starts turning the tape of his memory even further- last month, Tuesday, the Thursday before that-

Oh.

And then. He comes back to today. Thinks about orange caramel, pink lips, a smile of starlight-

Oh.

---------------------------------------------------------

Dazai's tired. Really tired okay. It's late and he's been working on a report that he actually planned to finish earlier. And it's been a long day. And last night, he stayed up kind of late to make sweets for people, including a friend (who no longer deserves to be named Such) and a silly guy who's as incredible as he is ridiculous and-

Bleh. This is getting gross. Frankly, he does not vibe with this.

So he pours himself a glass of milk and watches it go round and round in the microwave- radiation, what? -when his phone rings in the next room. The ringtone means it's Odasaku, he knows already, and thinks about pretending to be asleep. Doesn't really want to though, and so he takes the call, says, "Hi, it's Dazai."

"Are you busy?"

"Not really." Dazai drawls as best as he can. "Checking up on little lonely me, Odasaku?"

"Just wanted to make sure you were home."

A knock. At the door. Dazai turns and goes for it, working the latch lock at the same time he builds himself up for this. He pulls the door handle back. Odasaku stands there, filling the door frame.

"Hey," Dazai greets, smiling despite himself. "What can I do for Odasaku at this fine hour?"

"First of all, I've had to process a lot." Odasaku pauses. "And I'm as unused to expressing my shit out loud as you are, so fair warning but here it goes. I was going to try my hand at the making chocolates thing. I figured it'd show reciprocation? But it's even harder than I thought it was, and I didn't want to look like I don't care as much as you do." He puts his hand on the back of his neck, which Dazai has learned to mean equal parts sheepish and nervous- which in itself, rarely shows, but when it does, is Odasaku running a hand through his hair.

Of course, Dazai's not registering this at all. He's too busy trying to understand what Odasaku is saying, if Odasaku means...

"And I could learn and practice." Odasaku blinks at him. "But I didn't want to wait for White Day. I figured I've made you wait long enough."

Dazai laughs a little. Laughs a little more, and when he reaches for Odasaku's hand, Odasaku lets him take it, takes the encouraging pull for what it is and steps a little closer, still looking at Dazai like...Dazai is something he needs.

"Ango hasn't fully been pardoned yet," he tells Odasaku, after closing the door and leading them into the kitchen. The microwave shows the time. Dazai has a report to do that he minds a little less. "But I've decided I'll let Ango live a little longer. He's okay sometimes."

"Just okay?"

Dazai grins.

#odazai #odazai fluff #odzfluffweek2020 #please scream abt them with me #as always; reblogs are so dang appreciated #i crosspost; yes i do; im a sucker for validation #my writing

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suicidefrantic · 4 years

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Name: Chuuya Nakahara

Alias: Arahabaki, King of Sheep (Former), Twin Dark (former with Dazai Osamu), Slug, Ability User A5158 (Special Ability Department)

Hair Colour | Eye Colour: Orange | Gray (Former) , Bright Blue

Birthday | Birth Place: April 29 (Taurus) | Yamaguchi, Japan

Gender: Hermaphrodite (Identifies as male)

Age: 22 , Merged with Arahabaki at age 7

Height: 160 cm (5'3")

Sexuality: Pansexual

Likes: Hats, Fighting, Alcohol, Rock music

Dislikes: Claims to hate Dazai Osamu

Ability: For The Tainted Sorrow

Affiliation: Port Mafia, Sheep (Former)

The quest to find a vessel for Arahabaki….

Chuuya was born to two loving parents, they were accepting towards their child, and wished to give him the very best of the world. Chuuya showed no signs of being abnormal at his birth aside from him being born a hermaphrodite rather than one specific gender --- though his parents would have happily allowed their child to choose their ideal sex when the time came. However, that time would never come. It was all due to the appearance of Chuuya’s ability that began to draw unwanted attention to the small ginger who didn’t know much about the world. He was two years old when his ability first manifested itself. The ability was harmless, simply throwing small fits if he didn’t get his way and floating up to the ceiling and away from his parents--- sometimes just being found sleeping up on the ceiling rather than where his parents had left him (this was how they had discovered Chuuya’s ability.)

Chuuya’s parents had two names picked out for their child, for a boy Chuuya--- for a girl Chiyura. Though they had decided they would let the child choose once they became of a decent age where they knew what they felt most likely, but decided on calling their child ‘Chuuya’ until that time came. They were loving and accepting parents, but life wasn’t meant to be simple nor loving for Chuuya. By the time he turned five the government had set their sights on the young gray eye boy, seeing potential in him. In fact they had a firm feeling that this child was the one who would bond with the god, Arahabaki, in the future. They sought to make a deal with the child’s parents, offering to buy the ginger from them--- only for Chuuya’s parents to refuse. The government were forced to take the child by force instead and to do so they made sure they disposed of Chuuya’s loving parents. What was worst was the young child could only watch as he was carried away and the sound of gunfire was heard and the spray of blood. Something inside Chuuya broke that day , he couldn’t fight back as he was forced to sleep soon after he saw the blood fly up into the air.

When he awoke he found himself completely stripped of his clothes and in some weird testing chamber, submerged in water with a tube shoved down his throat. His body was pressed tightly into a ball and he couldn’t move. He continued to fade back and forth into consciousness,fluids were pumped into his veins to test his body to see if it was in fact compatible with Arahabaki. Chuuya was not known as his name but rather as Ability User A5158 . He was branded with that ID upon his neck , a fact that Chuuya was not completely aware of. By the time he turned six, that was when he began to hear a voice in his head. At first, he believed he was hearing the men in the white lab coats talking to him through some odd device, but it was different. He didn’t feel alone, it was like someone else was with him. Yet at the same time, they weren’t the same either. Though all of this changed when Chuuya turned seven and the entity got stronger.

His body couldn’t handle the sudden burst of power and the gravity manipulation only grew more and more until finally an explosion happened. Chuuya blacked out, though he could only vaguely remember being tricked into saying some passage or saying--- “ Oh, Grantors of Dark Disgrace, Do Not Wake Me Again.” That was enough for the small seven year old to break out of his prison and create mass chaos. Though since the merging was still new, Arahabaki fell asleep leaving Chuuya freed and very confused. Arthur Rimbaud was the one who had truly been responsible for trying to use Arahabaki--- thus freeing both the God and the child that was now his vessel. This is the main cause for why Chuuya and Arahabaki both lost their memories of anything prior to this--- though not many of Chuuya’s original thoughts had remained behind to begin with as Arahabaki had been feeding upon the child trying to absorb him and make him into his own body--- thus making the child’s existence fade away.

Chuuya could recall the existence of Arahabaki ,which was surrounded by blue-black darkness and sealed away-- though only vaguely. He however has no clue how the seal was removed, he could only vaguely recall someone’s hand pulling from the seal and freeing him (a thought that later appeared after he got over the shock of all that had happened prior to him being free.) Chuuya decided he would do anything in order to find the truth about his origins.

-Chuuya was brought in to Sheep by one of the council members by pure accident. It was a happy accident, especially once word got out of what Chuuya’s ability was. This led most of the Sheep members (who were old enough) to take turns raising Chuuya and training him how best to fight.

-Chuuya had no memories, but it was another happy accident that he could recall his original name, Chuuya Nakahara. This only happened after a nasty blow to the head during training one day. Prior to that, he was simply going by the name of “Lost Boy.” Chuuya didn’t really care for that name and honestly thought of just making up any name, anything was better than Lost Boy. He didn’t know why he hated it so much.

-He continues to claim he will grow, but deep down knows he most likely will not. He secretly hates himself due to his hermaphrodite status. Thus claiming he would rather not get too close to anyone, shamed by how his body didn’t look like what he believed a ‘normal’ male should. Yes, a little Chuuya was curious one day.

-He used to like milk, but now can’t stand the taste of it due to being forced to drink it so much . Milk did not help him grow.

- Being merged with Arahabaki is why he has such a low tolerance towards alcohol. He doesn’t understand such, though he loves the taste of wine and doesn’t consider himself a lightweight.

-Once when drunk he declared he was a God while standing on top of the bar. This did not go well for him in the end.

- He can sometimes hear Arahabaki and actually has conversations with him, or attempts to. The God is protective enough of his vessel to not allow him to die too easily. Though figures if he did happen to die within the right conditions, he could snag his body. Chuuya hates Dazai because he can easily allow Arahabaki the right conditions if he let’s Corruption last longer than fifteen minutes. Arahabaki’s strongest times where they can converse is when Chuuya is asleep.

-Chuuya’s dreams are typically filled with chaos and destruction. He however does wonder what the life he forgot was like.

-He has a collection of Fedora hats, because he has come to like the style. His favourite besides the hat that used to belong to Rimbaud is a white fedora with black around it.

-He feels most at ease around Kouyou (Ane-san), especially when she strokes his hair. It easily calms him down, even when he is in extreme anger like state. She is also the only one he has ever confined in about his ‘self image issue.’

- Chuuya was once forced under a psychiatrist’s care, prior to Mori stepping in to ‘sort things out’. Chuuya was diagnosed with paranoid personality disorder and antisocial personality disorder. Chuuya was not happy being held hostage. He was drugged and could not use his ability, and it was the only time he could not hear nor feel Arahabaki. He was there for exactly a week. He couldn’t help but feel like Mori might have done this on purpose, at first he had blamed Dazai though. He didn’t share either thought out loud.

-Chuuya’s eyes used to be gray, but upon being poked and tested on(not to mention merging with Arahabaki) they turned bright blue.

-He has a really good singing voice. He is typically embarrassed about it unless singing drunken karaoke.

- He is one hell of a cook, something he downplays a lot.

- Because he had no memories of his childhood, he tried to give himself a childhood (which he was robbed of). He came up with this on his own, and even kept it a secret from everyone (until later when he told Kouyou about it.) Growing up in Sheep was a blast, but he knew deep down that Sheep was not exactly a normal childhood.

- Since he lived like he did when he was in Sheep, he enjoys the finer things in life. He especially loves lobster.

-He does sometimes get lonely when he is in his place alone. He was used to Sheep for the longest time and sometimes this causes nightmares.

-He keeps a journal (diary) , as well as writes and sketches from time to time to center his mind.

-He once made a drunk video once and sent it out. He still doesn’t know who has the video and who has seen it. Dazai was the first person whom he sent it to. This was one of the very reasons why Hirotsu started supervising (babysitting) Chuuya when he went out drinking--- even taking his phone away when he tried to call Dazai.

- He is very competitive, especially when it comes to games.

-He has had some very interesting dreams, that were nightmares. He calls them the what if dreams or exploration. They make him wonder about his life, and his choices. He typically will begin to ponder about his life after waking up from these dreams.

-He has a strong fear of dogs, he doesn’t know why.

-He has a tendency to bite the inside of his cheek … a lot.

-He has slight issues with his vision. It isn’t anything noticeable as he has perfect vision--- though he believes it is a side effect from Arahabaki being merged with him. He sometimes gets dizzy spells and his vision gets blurry. He keeps this to himself , as he doesn’t need people to think he is weak.

-He wonders sometimes how long he has to live before Arahabaki takes over him and he dies. This is a recurring nightmare for him. He doesn’t allow it to change how he goes through life. If he dies, he feels like it might as well be going down fighting rather than sitting around doing nothing. At least he was free.

-He has a fear of enclosed spaces , thanks to certain flashbacks he gets from time to time in them.

-He has a tendency to break things he touches sometimes.

#I got a reason to fight (Chuuya Nakahara)#(He is finally here officially \o/ )#tw: long post #tw: death #tw: blood mention #tw: mental health #tw: human experimentation #tw: fears #tw: nightmare #tw: alcohol #tw: drugs #tw: self loathing

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yellowcanna · 4 years

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Two Sides, Same Coin

Summary: Since the beginning of Quirks, Yokohama has announced independence from Japan and closed itself from the rest of the world.

To this day and age, no one knows what lies within the city of Yokohama—or that was what the public was made to believe. In reality, Yokohama has long fallen into the control of the world’s largest criminal organization known as the Port Mafia.

Follow Class 1-A as their principal organized a field trip to Yokohama! In their short trip there, they must change their perspectives and learn exactly what it means to be justice and what it means to be villains.

Rating: T

Genre: Crossover, hint of shounen-ai (boy love)

Pairing: Contains mild Soukoku (Dazai x Chuuya) and Shin Soukoku (Akutagawa x Atsushi) if you squint

Author: Canna / Yellow Canna

Status: Ongoing

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◅ PREV MAIN NEXT ▻

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CHAPTER 7

SEA OF RED (DAY 1: SUNDAY)

SLAM

The table shook from the force as Aizawa stood there, ignoring the stinging pain in his palm as he glared at the blond man sitting across from them.

“We’re leaving. Right now.” He practically growled out, his tone leaving no room for argument.

Toshinori also couldn’t believe what he had just heard. A war? Yokohama wasn’t that big, and considering the density of the population, how many innocent deaths will be involved?

“Please calm down.” Kunikida sighed, already knowing this was how the two teachers will react when he tells them Yokohama’s current situation. He couldn’t blame them. It would be abnormal if they had reacted any differently. “Regardless of how it sounded, I don’t believe your students will be put at risk.”

“How do you know that for sure?” Toshinori’s expression was grim as he regarded the man.

“At the very least, I know that the Port Mafia won’t back away from any promises. Not their boss. He guaranteed yours and your students’ safety under the condition that your Quirks are not to be used. I can’t imagine that he’s unaware of the mess that he had caused.” Kunikida explained. “That and even if you want to leave, I doubt they will let you.”

“What do you mean?” Aizawa narrowed his eyes.

"I don't know for what reason the Port Mafia would let you and your students into our city at such time, but he is a scheming man. It's unthinkable that he would do something like this without a motive. So until the end of your stay, I doubt they will listen to your request to leave."

"You know the Port Mafia boss quiet well," Aizawa noted with some irritation.

“The Armed Detective Agency currently has a peace treaty with the Port Mafia. I have met him on two separate occasions. I can at least tell you that much.”

Toshinori thought back to the Port Mafia boss he had met so long ago. The man was indeed scheming, yet despite everything, Toshinori’s instinct still told him that the man wouldn’t lie on an agreement.

“If he’s a scheming man like you said, then doesn’t that mean there’s a reason for him to invite us here? Or to be precise, our students?” Aizawa argued, though he was much calmer than he initially was when the news was dropped over their heads.

“I’m sure there is.” Kunikida leaned back in his seat, drumming his fingers along the table edge. “But what will you do knowing that? This is Yokohama, you are in the Port Mafia’s territory. You are free to go to their headquarters, but you’ll be stopped before you can even get close, let alone meeting the boss himself.”

Aizawa gritted his teeth, unable to say anything to that. Even without Kunikida telling him, he knew the chances of them being able to meet the infamous Mafia boss was pretty much nonexistent.

The raven-haired man sat back down. He felt his head starting to throb just thinking of the rest of the week. For the first time in his life, Aizawa wanted to grab an electric razor and run it down a certain principal’s back. Perhaps he can consider doing some shopping later on…

“If a war breaks out…what will happen to this city?” Toshinori asked softly as he thought back to all the people he saw on the buses and the people he met fourteen years ago. What will happen to all of them?

“…Yokohama will be bathed in blood.” Kunikida replied with a heavy look. “As a general rule, the underground organizations wouldn’t attack civilians, as there is nothing to gain in doing so. The only thing they’ll achieve from that is getting the Port Mafia and government after them. However…the war this time is not only centered on Port Mafia’s successors, but also the possibility of bringing Port Mafia down. I doubt any of those organizations will care about the civilians’ safety. The government alone cannot protect Yokohama.”

“You said this time, has there been a war in Yokohama before?” Aizawa asked, sharply catching onto the man’s choice of words.

“Yes,” Kunikida didn’t bother hiding this fact from the two teachers. After all, they deserve to know what they will be dragged into. “Six years ago, in fact. We called it the Dragon's Head Conflict.”

“What happened?” Toshinori asked, feeling his heart skip a beat as he thought back to all those faces that flashed by his eyes as if it was only yesterday. Those children—all of them—were they alright? What of that businessman that bumped into him? What of that mother and daughter from the park? What of those elderly couples he met on his way to confront the Port Mafia?

“An Ability user died, leaving behind an enormous amount of fortune. Many criminal organizations with strong Ability users began a battle to claim it. The incident turned Yokohama into a bloody battlefield that lasted for eighty-eight days.” Kunikida clicked his teeth, obviously not keen on remembering the scenes of that time. “And now the Port Mafia started the Selection War. Those bastards!”

“Is that what you call it? Selection War?” Aizawa’s brows furrowed at the name they had given it.

"It's what the underground is calling it these days." Kunikida sighed as he rubbed the bridge of his nose.

“Those successors—who are they?” Toshinori inquired. He thought back to that young boy in bandages he met in the Port Mafia boss’s office that day…

Could it be him?

“As part of the agreement the Agency has with the Port Mafia, I am not allowed to disclose any information regarding the Port Mafia, including their members. Though there is one thing I can show you. Perhaps after seeing this, you’ll change your perspective on some things.”

With that, the blond pulled out his cellphone.

Aizawa and Toshinori thought the man was going to show them something on his phone…until his hand swiped over his screen. The two jumped up, eyes sharp and alert as the entire room began to change.

“Relax.” Kunikida’s calm voice echoed as darkness enveloped them. “I’m just turning on the television.”

◤◢◣◥◤◢◣◥◤◢◣◥◤◢◣◥

Screams and yelps resonated through the air as they were engulfed by darkness.

There were stumbling noises and sounds of chair legs scratching against the finely polished floor. There were gasps and yelps as the students bump into one another, trying to figure out why they suddenly became blind.

And then, the darkness gradually faded away, slowly letting their eyes adjust as they stood within a sea of white.

Lucy pulled her hand away from the wall, leaving behind a faint blue handprint that vanished as quickly as it had appeared. She walked over, hands on her hip as she gazed down at them as if they were idiots.

Which…they probably look the part at the moment, considering how most of them had fallen flat on their butt during the moment of confusion.

“What was that?!” Ashido gapped from where she sat, having stumbled over her chair in the darkness.

“Is this your power, Lucy-san?” Uraraka looked around the pure white space, unable to tell if there were any celling or walls around this place.

"No, we're still in the shop," Lucy replied. "I just opened up the TV, that's all."

“…TV?” Midoriya blinked. What does a TV have to do with turning an entire room black and white?

“Well, I suppose I can’t blame you. I was surprised at first too.” Lucy hummed. “Although our technologies back in America were also advance, it was always for weapons. We’ve never invested in luxury things like these.”

With a wave of her hand, a screen appeared in front of her.

“Is that a hologram?!” Kaminari gapped, jaw nearly hitting the floor.

“I told you, this is just a TV.” Lucy held up both of her hands. A keyboard materialized in front of her and she began typing. “Usually they’re only installed in homes, but a lot of shops also use them to decorate their interior. The entire room is built with some sort of micro…” She trailed off, seeming to have difficulties in coming with an explanation. “…Just think of this entire room as a projection—or virtual reality—whatever you want to think.”

“Then what about that other TV? The one from before?” Kirishima asked, stepping forward only to yelp as he fell against something, making loud clattering noises. To the other students, the blond looked extremely dumb standing there with his waist bent at a perfect ninety-degree. His arms were spread out wide and his face was smeared against an invisible object supporting his upper body.

“The table’s still there! If you break any you’re paying for them!” Lucy snapped.

The blond mumbled a weak apology.

“Your TVs are called Framed TV here. You can’t expect people to watch the outside channels with this kind of TV, can you?” Lucy retorted as if that was a no-brainer.

The white room changed once more and in a blink of an eye, class 1-A found themselves in the middle of a road. They couldn’t see the sky at all, as everything was covered in green mist. The entire street looked abandoned, with cars smashed into one another as if there had been a huge traffic accident no too long ago. Even one of the lamp posts was knocked over.

There wasn’t a single soul around. Not on the street, and certainly not in those crashed vehicles. There wasn’t even the slightest bit of sound. The only indication that time was even moving in this place was the eerie green fog shifting around them.

“What is this place?” Aoyama whimpered, face as green as the mist as he nervously looked around. He let out a rather loud sneeze, shivering as he rubbed his arms up and down for warmth. "And is it just me or is it cold?"

“Gero, it feels moist too.” Asui stared down at her hands. She could feel her pores opening up just to absorb the extra moisture in the air.

“Ah…that's just the AC and sprinklers," Lucy replied. “The room will create effects to replicate everything happening within the footage to make it seem more realistic.”

“It’s real enough as it is…” Sato muttered.

“Tokoyami-kun, will you be alright?” Shouji asked attentively as Tokoyami gave a shaky nod. The boy was still reeling from the sudden, unexpected exposure to pure darkness. Thankfully it had only lasted a short moment. At least right now, there were still light sources around, so he was fine.

“Hey, look at—ouch!” Kaminari fell over again, presumably tripping over someone’s fallen chair.

“I told you to watch it!” Lucy shouted.

“Sorry!” Kaminari rubbed his sore knees as he pointed at the cars. “There’s no one inside, but look at that.”

Everyone looked towards the nearest car. The seatbelt in both the driver and passenger seats were buckled. There was a spilled cup of coffee in the driver seat and a phone in the passenger seat.

It was as if the people in that vehicle suddenly vanished into thin air in the middle of driving down the road.

“Where is this place?” Tokoyami looked around before he spotted something across the street. It was hard to see through the darkness and mist, but his eyes were sharper than the rest of his classmates and immediately recognized the building.

“That’s…!”

“Everyone, you might want to see this!” Shouji called, having followed Tokoyami’s gaze and saw it as well. The rest of the class glanced over to where Shouji was pointing. It took some time, but eventually, they recognized what that building was.

“Isn’t that the library we were just at?” Midoriya gasped in shock.

“Yes. What you’re seeing right now is the Yokohama from one month ago.” Lucy replied calmly. "You guys wanted to know more about the Port Mafia right? I'm showing it to you right now. A month ago, all Ability users inside Yokohama were attacked.”

“Attacked?!” Kirishima gasped.

“Was it a Villain?!” Hagakure asked with worries.

“We don’t have Villains.” Lucy rolled her eyes. What’s with these kids and their automatic responses to Villains? “One night, I woke up and the entire city was covered in green fog. It was too quiet, so I went out and look around. Everywhere I go, the street was empty just like this one. I walked around but I couldn’t find anyone.”

The group swallowed hard as if they were listening to some horror stories.

“Then, one moment I was in the street, the next I was in Anne's chamber."

“What do you mean by that?” Iida’s eyebrows furrowed. From how the older girl had explained, it sounded as if her Ability activated without her consent.

“This weird fog made all ordinary people disappeared, leaving behind only Ability users," Lucy explained. "This fog was created by an Ability user with the power to separate us from our Abilities, giving our Abilities physical form. Everyone trapped in this fog was forced to fight against our own Ability. Basically, we're made to fight as normal humans against something not human. If we can't win, we'll be killed.”

A shiver ran down the student's spines as they took in the news. They have never heard of anything like it…nor did they dare to think about it. After all, how does a normal person fight against something like that? It was better for those who have supportive Quirks, but the destructive ones? They’ll die!

To Midoriya, this news also brought back memories of before his encounter with All Might. He remembered those bitter times, the despair he felt every single time someone reminded him of how he could never become a Hero because he didn’t have Quirk. Because a normal human being could never fight against someone with a Quirk…it just wasn’t possible.

“How did you do it?” Midoriya asked, his voice hush yet it successfully reached the girl.

"I didn't," Lucy replied, grinding her teeth in frustration at the memory. “I was only fortunate that my Ability is weak and wasn’t made for killing. The only way for my Ability to kill me was to strangle me to death. All I did was close my hands around my neck and held it out.” She said as she put her hands around her neck to show them what she did at the time.

That was when the students paid attention to the white bandages wrapped around her hands. They noticed her bandaged fingers before, but none of them thought much of it. At the time they were too busy fighting the older girl, then afterward they were too entranced by the stories the girl would tell them.

Now, with her hands lifted to her neck, the bandages perfectly mapped out the exact area of invisible hands trying to snap her neck off.

"Y-you're hands…!" Yaoyorzu brought her hands to her mouth, staring at the redhead’s fingers in horror.

“Oh, my bones were crushed from that time.” Lucy shrugged. Shrugged.

None of them know what to say, or how to react. They couldn’t even begin to imagine how Lucy must have felt, trapped inside her own dimension, completely alone and hopeless—yet she somehow endured it through.

And now, she was retelling them like it wasn’t a big deal.

“I told you before how ordinary people live a different life than us, right? Any houses and streets that were destroyed during this battle, the government covered it up with lies. Gas explosion, chemical hazard…whatever that sounds believable. After that, they will quickly reconstruct the destroyed part of the city and compensate the people for their losses. Those ordinary people never knew what had happened that night.”

“That’s…” Midoriya wasn’t sure how he felt about it. When Lucy had told them this at first, he just found it amazing how two worlds can co-exist together without interfering with one another. But now, it just sounded…unfair. Don't ordinary people have the right to know? What if they died because they were dragged into it? Would the government cover that up with lies as well?

And Ability users…to live in a world like this yet the people that walked by them had no idea to the danger they were exposed in...it sounded lonely.

“What happened next?” Uraraka asked softly.

“Well, the Port Mafia defeated this guy that created the mist and the people that survived got their Abilities back.”

“Port Mafia?!” Kirishima gasped.

“I’ve only heard about this from other Ability users afterward," Lucy explained. "I don't know the details, but there's a rumour going around saying that the ones that killed him were the Port Mafia boss's successors."

“Do you have pictures of them we can look at?” Midoriya asked hopefully.

“No, it’s impossible to find any video or pictures of them. That’s why I’m showing you this. It’s the closest thing I have.”

“This video?” Jirou looked around this place.

“This was taken with a tracking-cam—the camera that recorded all this.” Lucy waved a hand at their surroundings. “There were a lot of videos regarding this incident in the underground site, but this one went viral the moment it was posted.”

Lucy clapped her hands, and the world began to move.

They could hear the loud panting sound of a male against their ears, but no matter where they looked, they couldn’t find the source of the voice. They soon realized that this panting sound must be from the person recording this.

A loud, deafening roar shook the land, causing ringing in their ears as alarms went off in their heads. All of their hairs stood on its roots as the kids looked around, heart beating as they tried to find the source of that inhumane roar.

Everything felt so real that none of the remembered how this was all fake.

A blast of wind shot up from their feet and all of a sudden, they were flying towards the sky.

“KYAAAA!” Aoyama screamed, having fallen on his butt as he clenched onto the nearest leg he could find, which was Sato’s.

“Shut up, it’s just a video!” Bakugou shouted.

“AAAAAH!” Mineta joined in the screaming, having come back to his senses just as they were blasted into the sky. “W-what’s going on?! Why the heck are we in the sky?!”

“It must be this person’s Ability!” Midoriya shouted through the howling wind, being one of the rare ones to keep steady despite how everything around him was trying to indicate that they were airborne.

“Well, yeah, but…!” Kaminari wasn’t able to finish as another roar pounded against their eardrums. For a second they thought their hearts were going to stop.

It felt like forever before they emerged from the thick clouds of mist and into the night sky opened up before them.

The whistling of wind softened as their surroundings eased to a slow stop. Instead of relief, the kids' faces became drained of blood as they stared at what was in front of them.

In the distant, emerging from the thick green mist was a crimson creature.

That gigantic jaw parted, revealing sharp rows of teeth as that familiar roar along with pressure they’ve never felt before sent them collapsing onto their knees, unable to keep standing in the face of a foe that was impossible to beat…

◤◢◣◥◤◢◣◥◤◢◣◥◤◢◣◥

Toshinori’s lips trembled so hard that he had to grit his teeth and put a hand over his mouth to compose himself.

Aizawa was doing no better. His hands were rolled into tight, quivering fists as he stared at the thing below them.

The giant dragon slowly lifting its head out of the sea of green fog and let out an ear-shattering roar.

“The government called this the Dragon Breath Incident.” Kunikida explained. “That dragon was the result of the combination of all Abilities the Ability user—Tatsuhiko Shibusawa—has collected.”

Toshinori felt a bead of sweat rolled down his face. It was just a recording, but even if it wasn’t real, he could feel the pressure rolling off the dragon. He couldn’t imagine what it would be like if he stood in front of the real thing.

Even in his prime, Toshinori knew he would not be able to defeat this. Not a monster this size. No, he can’t even call it a monster.

This was a catastrophe.

And what’s more…this was just a month ago? How was Yokohama still standing? He hadn't seen anything that indicated a huge battle like this had taken place in such a short amount of time.

The world around them suddenly changed.

Instead of being in the sky looking down at the dragon, they were suddenly standing in the interior of a plane. The hatch was open, revealing the full moon and the thick green mist blanketing the city.

Standing before all that was a lone figure dressed in nothing but black.

He was a very slender man. His back was turned to them so they couldn’t see his face, but from those black suits and fedora—as well as the posture of his stance—he seemed very young. He stood before the open hatchet, hands tucked in his pockets as the wild wind blew around him.

On the man’s left wrist, there was an object flickering silvery light into their eyes every time the wind blew it into the right angle. When both teachers looked closely, they realized that the thing around the man’s wrist was a handcuff.

It looked new—the silver of the handcuff was polished so fine that it shone brighter than everything else on this aircraft. The handcuff had no chain, nor did it have another cuff that was supposed to come in pair with it.

It was an...unusual sight. Just as Toshinori and Aizawa began to wonder if this was a convict that just broke out of jail, a voice spoke against their ears.

“Are you really going?” It was a woman’s voice.

When they didn’t see another person, Toshinori and Aizawa guessed that either this camera—however it worked—recorded the scene around her or she was later edited out of this video.

Looking through the hatch, the two U.A teachers could see the crimson body snaking out of the mist as another mighty roar echoed across the sky.

“It’s no use!” The girl raised her voice firmly. “It’s an Ability against a human. That thing is a monster beyond human comprehension. If you get too confident and fight it…you’ll die.”

Both men could hear the urgency in the woman’s voice despite how well she tried to control it. Unknowingly, both of them were holding their breaths as they stared at the shadow of the man standing before the moon.

The man, without ever turning to look behind him, said this; “That’s not a reason to chicken out and go home.”

His voice was calm and smooth as if the subject they were discussing wasn't his potential death. If anything, he sounded more like a tired employee complaining about work.

“Do you know when it’s alright to chicken out and go home?”

There was no immediate response, but with how realistic their surroundings were, Toshinori and Aizawa were able to feel the tension. It felt as if they were really there when the recording took place. Although they couldn’t see the woman, they could hear the soft sound of her breaths carried to their ears by the wind and feel her struggles to come up with the right answer.

“…I do not,” She finally said.

The man didn’t show any reaction to that, as if he already knew this was her answer.

“There is no such time.” He replied calmly.

With that, the man dashed forward and jumped out of the plane without an ounce of hesitation.

Toshinori jumped forward, ignoring the clattering sound chair getting pushed away as he stared, eyes gleaming in awe as the camera changed once more, going back to the outside as they watched the man disappeared into the green mist, only to re-emerge with pieces of broken concretes.

Debris hovered all over the air, creating a platform that the man used as he dashed towards the dragon.

“What is that power?” Aizawa muttered, never once taking his eyes away from the scene. His eyes were very much mirroring Toshinori’s. At this moment, they were both feeling the same thing towards this unknown man.

It was the most common gaze a Hero would usually show another Hero—respect.

“...It’s gravity manipulation.” Kunikida replied after some thought. It was as if he was trying to judge whether or not such a small piece of information would go against the treaty with the Port Mafia.

Neither Toshinori or Aizawa missed how carefully he was threading this matter. The two teachers turned back to the battle between a man and a dragon.

They watched as both sides fired their attacks. Despite being so different in sizes, the reddish orb the man threw out apparently has the same power and force as the dragon. When both attacks collided, they mingled and merged, turning into a blue explosion that turned everything into white before their views suddenly changed.

Now, they were looking at the battle from an even further distance. Toshinori and Aizawa knew that the previous camera got destroyed by that blast. From a much further distant, they could see the explosion better…except it wasn’t an explosion like they thought it would be. There was no smoke and fire from the explosion. There was just the blinding orb of light, denigrating everything it touched as it expanded.

And then, as if out of energy, the blast began to shrink smaller and smaller until it vanished out of existence.

“What—!” Before Toshinori could finish whatever he had intended to say, a loud sound brought their attention downward as a…a skyscraper emerged out of the heavy mist.

The two stared, dumbfounded by the sight.

◤◢◣◥◤◢◣◥◤◢◣◥◤◢◣◥

BAM

The sound of concrete smacking against the head of the dragon made all the students jolted.

BAM

When the building smacked the dragon again, all of their jaws had met the ground.

When that building was being shoved down the creature’s throat, words could not describe anything of what they were feeling anymore.

It was amazing—no, more than just amazing!

Since they were so far away, they couldn’t see too clearly, but that black silhouette in the distance fighting with the dragon was definitely a person!

They all sat on the floor, staring into space despite how the room had long returned to normal after the video ended.

Lucy stood in front of the stupefied kids, waiting for them to snap out on their own.

She waited for one minute…then two��then…

“HEY!” She barked after five full minutes.

The kids nearly jumped out of their skins as they looked around, having no idea when the room had gone back to normal.

“Lucy-san, that was…?” Midoriya trailed off, not sure how to describe it.

“That person you saw fighting that dragon is one of the Port Mafia.” Lucy had expected some response to that, but when she got none, she looked down to see all of these kids looking to be in some sort of deep thought.

“So…that person was one of the successors?" Iida asked calmly, much to Lucy's surprise. She had expected bigger responses, but then again, it was no surprise these kids would think that way.

"No." Her response was short and simple. She waved her hand, bringing up another holographic screen as her bandaged swiftly glided over the keyboards. “I don’t know too much about the Port Mafia, but there is a saying around here. Those who oppose the Port Mafia will be crushed by vicious gravity.”

“Gravity?” Uraraka’s eyes widened in shock. Just as the brunette opened her mouth to ask, Lucy spun the holographic screen around, revealing a long list filled with the items they had ordered since arriving in the café—minus the Daifuku and cup of tea of course.

She held up her right hand as a credit card machine appeared out of nowhere and fell into her waiting palm.

“Card or cash?”

◤◢◣◥◤◢◣◥◤◢◣◥◤◢◣◥

The fight was completely one-sided.

From the beginning, there was no competition at all. Although they had no idea what happened after the dragon exploded—the man had won.

“Kunikida-san, who was he?” Toshinori had to know. He could feel his heart racing in amazement as well as respect for the man. When the other blond gave him a pointed look, the ex-Hero remembered what Kunikida had said about the Agency’s treaty of keeping silent.

Perhaps he looked a bit too dejected, for that Kunikida’s eyes softened and said, “I’m sure you can guess what position a person of his caliber would be.”

It was a hint.

With zero knowledge of Abilities or the Port Mafia, Toshinori and Aizawa couldn’t fathom what position this man would be within the world’s largest criminal organization. If Kunikida had told them that he was just a low ranked grunt within the organization, they would find it extremely hard to believe, but may still take his word for it.

By saying what he had said, Kunikida was hinting them that this man was very high up in rank. High up, but not yet the boss. That can only mean that he was someone in an important position close to the boss.

“The Port Mafia guards their secrets close. The only reason I am able to show you that video was because similar videos of this battle have been circulating the internet. The Port Mafia made no move to take it down, so it’s the only safe material I can use without violating our treaty.”

Kunikida leaned forward with his hands laced together on the table. He stared at the two teachers in front of him seriously.

“In a battle against that man, how do you think you will fare?”

How?

Against a battle with that?

Toshinori didn’t involve himself in this conversation. After all, he can no longer fight, despite how much he wished to test out his strength with that man, to see just how far apart they were.

Aizawa’s thought process was different than his companion’s. After all, if he could erase that Ability then there may be a chance…

“I know about your Quirk, Aizawa-san.” Kunikida cut in, as if knowing what the other male was thinking. “You are thirty-one this year. The legal age for Heroes to begin their career is eighteen. Let’s say you’ve begun at that time, you will have thirteen years of experience in combat.”

Aizawa stared at the man, wondering where he was getting at.

“In Yokohama’s underground, there are no children—especially Ability users.”

Toshinori’s eyes widened as he instantly understood where Kunikida was getting with this. After all, he had experienced that harsh truth first hand.

“The moment they are born, they are thrown into the world and have to fend for themselves. It’s a battle of survival for them. It wouldn’t be a stretch to say an actual thirteen years old would have the same amount of experience as you. Only idiots would fully rely on their Abilities, and the Port Mafia got no such idiots. Even if you are capable of erasing their powers, I can tell you that you will die.”

Aizawa’s eyes narrowed. If he was capable?

“You may have years of experience fighting against Villains, but unlike Villains, the criminals in Yokohama are trained professionals. Combat, stealth, assassination—these are the basic skills required for even the lowest rank within the Port Mafia. Above that, all of them have remarkable marksmanship—and you’ll find that firearms are extremely common here in Yokohama. As far as I understand, you are not bulletproof nor do you possess the speed to dodge them.”

As much as Aizawa didn’t want to admit, Kunikida was right. Against trained professional, his self-taught style was indeed lacking in many aspects—mainly because his fighting style was created for capturing his targets, not kill.

“Kunikida-san.” Aizawa looked up at the man. “You said if my Quirk works…”

Toshinori looked up in surprise, having not caught that small detail, unlike the raven. Both teachers stared at Kunikida who opened up his notebook and took out his pen.

“Use your Quirk on me, Aizawa-san.”

Aizawa looked at Kunikida, then slowly to the notebook in his hand. He closed his eyes briefly to moisten his painfully dried eyeballs before snapping them open as his hair fluttered into the air. Crimson light gleamed within his eyes as Kunikida who began to write something into his booklet. When he tore out a page, blue rings of light wrapped around the piece of paper and in a blinding light, a small teddy bear appeared in the man’s hand.

The blond set the toy onto the table and gently closed his notebook.

“This is my Ability: Doppo Poet.” He explained. “I can materialize anything I write within my notebook. However, the object itself cannot be larger than the page. Do you understand now, Aizawa-san? Your Quirk does not affect Ability users."

Toshinori stared at the bear in disbelieve. He was watching from the sideline and knew for certain that Aizawa had activated his Quirk. So how?

“Could it be?!” Toshinori snapped up as the answer suddenly came into his mind.

“So that’s it,” Aizawa remembered back to the quick lesson Nezu had given them on the differences between Ability and Quirk.

“…Abilities are different. These powers were not created through gene.”

“My Quirk stops the genes that make up another Quirk, but Abilities are not part of the genes.”

“Yes.” Kunikida nodded, confirming his theory. “Quirks that affect other Quirks cannot work on Abilities. Likewise, Abilities that affect other Abilities will not work on Quirks.”

“Kunikida-san,” Toshinori cut in, “what are Quirk and Ability?”

“…To this day and age, we still haven’t found the answer behind the existence of Abilities. However, I can tell you how Quirk came to be.” Kunikida leaned back. He looked like he was ready to tell a very long story when a ringing sound filled the room.

“Excuse me,” He stood up and pulled out a phone from his pocket. He didn’t leave like the two teachers thought he would and just picked up the call right in front of them.

“What is it?” That was the first thing he said, no greetings or anything. Whoever was on the other side, they must be close.

Toshinori and Aizawa couldn’t hear anything, but whatever the person on the other end was saying, it can’t be good considering how Kunikida’s face was getting redder and redder until veins stuck out from his forehead.

CRACK

The lens of his glasses cracked.

“WHAT DID YOU SAY?!”

At the same time, the door suddenly opened, revealing the secretary who jumped from the outburst she had walked into.

“Kunikida-san.” She called hesitantly, holding out a white envelope with a scarlet wax seal on it. “I found this letter stuck on the door. It’s addressed to you.”

◤◢◣◥◤◢◣◥◤◢◣◥◤◢◣◥

“Thank you so much, Lucy-san!”

The group stood outside of the café, bowing respectfully towards the red-haired girl standing by the doorway.

“Yeah, yeah, try to stay out of trouble.” The girl huffed, arms crossed over her chest as she stared down at them. Now that they were outside, they had to put back on their disguise. Lucy briefly wondered if these kids were even aware of how ridiculous they looked.

Then, green eyes narrowed into a malicious glare directed at a certain three-foot tall boy cowering behind Kaminari.

"If I catch you again, you are staying with Anne for the rest of your life, you hear me?!"

“Y-yes!” Mineta squeaked as he trembled even harder. As if he’ll ever gawk up this girl again!

“Thank you, Lucy-san!” Midoriya thanked her once more. Despite everything that had happened, the girl turned out to be very generous with them.

"Stop by before you leave," Lucy grumbled. “I’ll prepare some souvenirs you can take with you outside.”

“Really?” Yaoyorozu gasped with stars in her eyes.

“Gero!” Asui croaked happily.

"That's awesome! Thank you!" Hagakure cheered.

“Thank you so much!” Iida shouted off the top of his lungs, earning him funning looks from passing people.

“Now get out of here,” Lucy made a shooing motion with her hand as she turned to walk back into the café. “I still have a mess to clean up.”

With that, the door closed, leaving the kids with smiles on their faces.

“She was scary at first, but now she’s so nice!” Ashido squealed as they began heading down the street.

“Let’s just be thankful that she’s not mad anymore.” Ojiro sighed in relieve.

“All thanks to Mineta-chan.” Asui gave Mineta a sideways glance. Now that the petite boy was out of shock, Iida took it upon himself to give the boy a proper lecture.

“But Abilities sure are strong…to make a whole new dimension like that and even stopping time...what exactly is it?” Jirou pondered.

“Lucy-san’s power is amazing, but more than that, the video we saw…” Yaoyorozu said as silence fell over the students. Even Iida paused in the middle of his rant to think of that as well.

Yes, they hadn’t forgotten about that video. They don’t think they’ll ever forget something like that for as long as they live. To think such large scale battle had happened so close to them…and yet the entire world remained oblivious.

It didn’t matter if it was the man or dragon. Both sides were displaying powers beyond their wildest imaginations. On top of that there was also that strange Ability to make all normal people disappear from the entire city—separating the powers from the Ability users and making it go against the owner…it was unimaginable.

At that moment, during the battle between the human and dragon, one question crossed all of their minds.

Can they beat that?

They didn’t even need to think twice to answer.

No, they can’t.

“Lucy-san mentioned gravity…that power was gravity, wasn’t it?” Uraraka mumbled as she replayed the images within her head.

“Hey! Maybe that means Uraraka can one day pick up a skyscraper!” Kaminari joked, only to be kicked in the shin by Jirou.

“Sorry…” The boy groaned.

Uraraka smiled weakly as her gaze dropped to the ground. She knew—they all knew—that she will never be able to do that. She doesn’t have nor will she ever have that kind of power.

“If that person is in Port Mafia, what position would they be?” Midoriya couldn’t help but wonder.

“Of course it’s gotta be the Mafia boss! Look at that power!” Ashido announced her conclusion without even needing a second to think over it. Everyone easily agreed on that, because it was the only explanation behind all that power.

“Hey Bakugou, lighten up," Kirishima said as he fell to pace with Bakugou who was strolling at the rear of the group. The only response he got was a sharp glare before Bakugou was looking elsewhere again, deep in thought.

Todoroki glanced back curiously before the guys began teasing him over that free Daifuku and tea again.

They ventured down the street like a group of excited kids on a field trip—which would be what people see if half of them didn’t look like they were on the run from law enforcement.

After minutes of aimless walking, they eventually got tired. Those who were forced to wear more clothing than normal were sweating yet unable to take anything off. The sun was already setting when they came across the gate to a park. They had no idea where they were, but seeing how there wasn't anyone around, they decided to go into the park for a short break.

There were no pavements or signs inside the park, just a small dirt pathway leading them inside.

Having not met another soul as they walked into the forest, Hagakure and Ashido pulled down their scarfs and let out exaggerated gasps for air. The two girls were at the center of the group, so that the moment any of them detected another person coming, they would have time to put their disguises back on.

Since it was only early in autumn, the leaves were still green. However, as they entered deeper and deeper into the forest, they began to notice red Japanese maples mixing within with the green foliage. The crimson leaves were a sharp contrast against the lush green, making them extremely eye-catching.

None of them paid attention at first. But the further they walked, more and more red maples began to appear.

Before they knew it, the greens were all dyed in red.

The narrow dirt path was gone. In its place were fallen red leaves covering the ground like a grand carpet.

“Wow…” Midoriya couldn't help but stare in awe at the sight.

“It’s so pretty!” Uraraka reached up to brush her finger over a red maple leaf hanging over her head.

“Gero! Over there!” Asui pointed at something growing next to a maple tree.

It was a blood-red flower with vibrant green stalk.

“This is a spider lily!” Yaoyorozu hurriedly crouched down beside it. She carefully ran her finger over the delicate petal, a bright smile blossoming over her face as she admired its beauty.

“It’s so pretty!” Ashido swooned, joining the ponytailed girl in admiring the flower.

“There’s one over there too!” Hagakure waved frantically, pointing her gloved finger at another one just a bit further from them.

“Let’s keep on going, maybe there’s more!” Kaminari suggested.

The group immediately agreed.

It was just like Kaminari said.

The deeper they went into the park, more spider lilies began to appear. However, none of them had expected just how much there actually were.

The group came to a dead end.

They stood in the sea of flowers and gaze out to the open sea as the salty breeze caressed their faces. The sound of waves created a soothing melody in the air. The burning red sun was slowly sinking into the ocean, turning the water into a sea of fire. All around them were clustered fields of spider lilies with the crimson Japanese maple in the background.

It was as if their entire world had been dyed in red, as it was all they could see.

It was a gorgeous, breathtaking sight like nothing they’ve seen before.

At the same time, it also felt very ominous.

“Guys…wanna get out of here?” Uraraka suggested nervously, rubbing her arms that were filled with goosebumps. She wasn’t the only one; the others were having the same feeling. Despite how beautiful the scenery was, the lack of other colours made them strangely uncomfortable.

“Gero?” Asui froze when another breeze combed through her ink-black hair. She turned, looking back to the ocean where the sun was slowly disappearing into the line where the sky and water met. “Come to think of it…wasn’t there supposed to be a barrier around Yokohama?”

Her sudden question caused every single one of the students to freeze.

It took them half a minute to finally react.

Having woken up to be told that they were in Yokohama drew all of their attention to the city itself. None of them even remembered there was supposed to be a barrier over their head, since to them it was natural to see a sky, so none of them had given it any thought about it until now.

“You’re right! Where’s the barrier?!” Kirishima shouted as he gazed up at the sky.

“I don’t see it at all!”

“Are you morons?” Bakugou snorted. “It’s the same fucking thing as a one-way mirror!”

“But what about this wind?! Where’s the wind coming from?!” Hagakure spluttered.

“You’re fucking annoying!” Bakugou snapped, meaning that he didn’t have an answer either.

Creeeak

“Hey guys, did you hear something?” Ashido asked, looking around at the weird sound just now.

“Probably just the wind.” Kaminari dismissed.

“But…there’s no wind right now?” Midoriya pointed it out. Everyone stopped what they’re doing and realized that yes…the breeze had stopped.

“Could it be?!” Ashido’s sudden gasp has everyone turning to her.

“What is it?” Sato asked with worries lacing his voice.

“It was recorded in a book back at the library!” Ashido gasped, eyes darting around nervously with her hand gripping the scarf that was covering the bottom half of her face. “Fifty-year ago in Yokohama…there was this man who has the power—the Ability to reconstruct anything he eats. Every night when the moon disappears behind the cloud, he would sneak into his target’s room and devours them.”

“Wait! What do you mean by devour?” Uraraka gagged, going green in the face. “Y-you don’t mean—!”

“The police were after him for years…until they found him within a forest of red maples and spider lilies.” Ashido continued on, looking down at the spider lilies surrounding them.

“The murder was extremely ugly, and because of his power, his parents abandoned him. No one even wanted to go near him because of how he looked, so growing up, he never had any friends. Every day, he would play with himself in the forest until one day…and idea came to him—an idea to make friends.

During the day, he would go out into the street, searching for a potential friend he could make. Once he found them, he would stalk them, trying to find out everything about them. Their personality, their hobby, their family…he wanted to know everything. And once he does, he’ll eat them—flesh and bones. He even swallowed their teeth...one by one.”

“Hiiie!” The girls jumped back with shivers crawling down their spines.

“After that, he would go back to the forest where he lives and puke them back out. Since he ate them, the body parts were all in pieces and had become mushy, so he used his power to reconstruct them into how he imagined them to be. As time slowly passed by, he ate more and more people. The forest where it had always been only him were filled with people, all posed into different shapes like mannequins to suit his desire.

Fearing that his friends would be found and taken away from him, he would turn them into trees and flowers during the day. However, that would mean that even he can’t tell which plant was his friend, and good friends would never mistake their own friends, right? So, he turned them into bright red maples and spider lilies, so that they’ll be easy to spot in the green forest. It was only when moonlight shines over the land that the spell he put on the plants would break, turning them back into what they really looked like.

When the police were closing in on him, he knew it was only a matter of time that they find this place. He didn’t want his friends to be taken away from him…so, as the sun slowly sets, he hung himself on the biggest maple tree that he made with hundreds of crushed human heads. When he died, his power stopped functioning. Even as moonlight swept over the land, the blood-red plants stayed as they were, unable to turn back into flesh and bones. When the police finally came, they left only with the murderer’s body, not knowing the truth behind the trees and flowers around them.

From then on, whenever night came, the people who lived near the forest would hear crying sounds…pleading for someone to…”

Ashido trailed off, turning to the nearest person. Her blackened eyes dilated as she ripped her scarf down. Due to the heavy foundation, she caked over her face, her skin ended up looking purplish with dripping red fluid smeared all over her mouth.

“SAVE ME!!!!!!!!!”

“IYAAAAAAAA!!!!” Aoyama screamed off the top of his lungs, eyes nearly rolling into the back of his head.

The golden-haired boy wasn't the only one. Due to the heavy tension in the air, the moment he screamed, most of the girls and some guys ended up screaming as well, from both shock and horror.

Ashido was bent over, hugging onto her stomach as she laughed her head off.

“The looks on your faces were priceless!” She cackled as she wiped the red fluid off her mouth.

“What is that?” Iida coughed into his hand, acting as though he wasn’t the least scared despite how he had jumped at that last part.

“Strawberry jam of course!” Ashido showed them an open pack of strawberry jam that they recognized from Lucy’s store. The redhead had put a basket of these on the table when she brought out their cookies.

“So that was just all made up!” Uraraka sighed in relief, only to freeze up when that sound came again.

Creeeeeak

“Guys…” Jirou suddenly spoke up. “I think something’s here.”

“Not you too. It’s scary the first time but now that everyone knows it won’t—”

“No, I’m serious! Something is here!” Jirou snapped, cutting Kaminari off as she looked over the lines of red maples until her eyes landed on a specific one. “There!”

CREEEEEAK

It was as if knowing it had been spotted, the tree shook even more violently, creaking more creaking sound.

Everyone followed where her finger was pointing.

“What is that?” Sero squinted in an attempt to see through the thick leaves and find whatever it was that’s making the tree shake so much.

“A-a squirrel…maybe?” Mineta guessed.

“A squirrel won’t shake a tree that much though.” Ojiro pointed out.

“Then a cat?” Kaminari piped in on the guesses.

CREEEEEEEEAK

The protesting cries of the maple’s branch scratched against their eardrums as something came twirling out within a shower of crimson leaves.

It was literally twirling—leaving a blur of black and white against the red background. The thing was spinning so fast that none of them could make out what exactly was that.

Then, a white thing—a rope perhaps—that was unwrapping from the spinning top suddenly came to an abrupt stop. The rope stretched thin, pulling on the heavyweight below and the poor branch above, creating more creaking sound from the pitiful maple tree.

When the maple’s branch bounced back up, the force propelled the figure below upward.

Now that the thing had stopped twirling, they were able to make out arms and legs…and a mop of dark brown hair.

The spinning top had been a human.

They couldn't see his face, but the man was dressed like a typical businessman with black pants, shiny leather black shoes, a white dress shirt, and a tie.

They watched as the man hovered within the air for a few seconds of hang time before he dropped back down, pulled by gravity as the branch above him shook, letting down another shower of leaves. His long legs whipped down, breaking the beautiful flowers beneath him and causing a flurry of pedals to scatter into the air—mixing with the falling leaves.

The man made a strained choking noise as he was held up by the white rope around his neck. The kids couldn't see his feet in those red flowers, but the man was definitely not touching the ground with the way he was swinging back and forth.

His lips were slightly parted, letting out faint wheezes with blood as red as the spider lilies dribbling out of his mouth and down his chin. He stared—eyes budging from the sockets—at the group of teenagers whose eyes were budging out just as much.

“GYAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!”

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#soukoku #Crossover fanfiction #my hero academia #bnha #bungou stray dogs #bsg

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leonawriter · 5 years

Text

Life, The Universe, And Everything

Also on AO3

Fandom: Bungo Stray Dogs

Pairing: Dazai/Chuuya

Summary: Some people, Dazai had said once, said that the meaning of life was the number forty-two. Then again, he also wasn't quite sure where that had come from, and Dazai had been bleeding out at the time.

Chuuya isn't much sure prefers the answer 'yes', and doesn't understand how it could even be an answer at all until years later.

...

“You know,” Dazai says during an off moment, staring up at the moonlit sky, which is made harder by the fact that he only has one eye usable to do so. “Some people say that the meaning of life, the universe, and everything is a number. The number forty-two.”

Chuuya snorts, and then laughs.

“Where’d they get that from?”

“I’m not sure. I don’t think it’s a serious answer anyway. I just find it interesting how so many seem not to know, but prefer to rely on lies they know have no weight or meaning. I can’t imagine being the sort of person who would be able to be satisfied with an answer like that.”

For a moment, they’re silent again, until Chuuya pokes him in his injured side for daring to seem to doze off rather than stay awake while waiting for the ambulance. He hadn’t been, but it wasn't as if the loss of blood hadn’t been affecting him.

“So?”

“So what?”

“So, what do you think it’d be? Or, I guess... if you had a choice.”

“...you mean, the answer?”

“Sure, if you want.”

Dazai hums. Feels Chuuya next to him. The moon above. Thinks about how it looks like the charm on a dog’s collar, for a split moment.

“...Yes,” he says.

“Is that a ‘yes’ as in ‘yes, I’m gonna say’, or-”

“No, my answer is yes. You never told me you needed to know what the question was.”

He hears the way Chuuya opens his mouth, takes a breath, hears the pent up frustration he can’t take out on him right now because he’s injured already, it wouldn’t be fair if you hurt him while he’s injured already.

...

“Chuuya? Chuuya, are you- are you with me?”

He barely makes out the words, but he can just about make out what they mean, and what Dazai’s asking, even if it takes him a moment.

Seven years, and this is the first time he's ever heard his shitty partner that scared for him.

Taken him long enough, he thinks.

“Yeah,” he manages to get out. It’s slurred, and he doesn’t think he could say his words properly if his life depended on it. He feels drunk on exhaustion and pain, after all. “’m here.”

...

“...Chuuya?”

“What?”

He snaps the word out, and he’s surprised by how much he instantly regrets it. Dazai looks nervous - as much as Dazai can be, at least, which means that whatever he’s asking for isn’t something the former demon prodigy feels like he can accurately predict.

“I wanted to know if you could come to the Agency with me sometime this week.”

He blinks.

Dazai’s looking... serious, about this.

“I didn't think there was anything we needed to have any sort of meeting over, though? Unless something’s come up unexpectedly.”

“No.”

“Then why-?”

“I wanted to know if you could come to the Agency with me,” Dazai says, rocking back on his heels in what Chuuya knew to be one of his thinking habits.

Which just made the entire thing feel like a riddle, and Chuuya was better at riddles than he used to be, but he still didn’t like the things.

Then again-

It wasn't as though he hadn't worked with Dazai's Agency before. It wasn't like they weren't still in a truce, even if they both knew truces could get broken, just like it had been months ago.

It wasn't like Dazai hadn't started to reach out to him in ways that weren't so annoying, and... it wasn't as though Chuuya hadn't reached back.

They'd spent the last White Day together. They'd come up with excuses, both of them, why they were there and not anywhere else, but... they had.

And even now, Dazai knew more of the people he knew, than... the other way around. Chuuya knew hardly any of Dazai's closer acquaintances, and that's the way it'd always been.

Dazai was still stood there, waiting for an answer, hands in his coat pockets, expression guarded.

Chuuya sighs.

"You know what? Yeah, sure. Fine. I'm not even all booked up this week." It isn't even entirely a lie. "Just make sure your detectives don't try and arrest me on sight, you got that?"

...

"The moon is beautiful tonight - wouldn't you agree, Chuuya...?"

Everything stops.

For a single moment, he worries that his heart does, too, but there it is, beating away in his chest still.

The moon is beautiful, Dazai says, and what Chuuya hears in his voice and sees in Dazai's eyes is I love you, and when he says wouldn't you agree, it's Do you love me?

"Yes," he says, barely even thinking. Dazai blinks at him, wide-eyed. "I- I mean..." he could back out. He could pretend that they were really talking about the moon, and yet... there's a light in Dazai's eyes that he doesn't want to lose, like the moon itself is reflected in them. "Hasn't it always been?" he says instead, helplessly.

"Yes," Dazai breathes out. And then- "There it is again."

This time, it's his turn to blink, confused, at the apparent non-sequitur.

"There's what again?"

"The answer I've been waiting for."

"Answer...?"

"You see," Dazai says, no longer looking at him, eyes fully focused on the moon, "I found out what the question was. It took a long time, but I found it."

Oh, he thinks, remembering back. That one conversation when they were seventeen floats to the front of his mind, hazy and vague.

"So... what is it?"

"You've been answering it all this time, I should hope that you can figure some of it out, at least... but even then, the specifics are changeable. Atsushi... he would say that the question would be, 'Is it all right for me to live?', I think. I think he believes that everyone needs at least one person to tell them that..."

Dazai trails off, and the warmth from before has faded in the wake of his words, the implications.

It's a heavy weight, and with Dazai's ability, Chuuya feels every bit of it.

But at the same time-

"You haven't just got me for that, though," he says.

"No. I think - I think you might be right."

It's probably something he should celebrate, Dazai telling him that he was right, but instead he just feels a sense of lightness, of relief.

"Do you think we're all going to be okay?" he asks, because he thinks that's as good a question as any, in the light of all this.

Dazai turns back to face him properly, meeting his eyes again, and there's a smile on his face that catches his breath.

"Yes," Dazai says, and he can't help but understand exactly where that smile comes from.

"You know," Chuuya says, "that's not a bad answer."

...

AN: For reference:

The first question is "Are you you here with me?" and pertains to "Life."

The second question is "Will you be a part of my world?" and pertains to "The Universe."

The third question is "Do you love me?" and pertains to "Everything."

The fourth and last question, as Chuuya states, is "Do you think we're all going to be okay?" and pertains to all three.

None of them are necessarily romantic in nature, and they're all basically an extension of Atsushi's "Everyone needs to be told by someone else that it's okay for them to live."

#bsd #bungo stray dogs #soukoku #bsd dazai #bsd chuuya #Leona fic #atsushi is important for this one even if he never appears outright

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bungostraydoggos · 5 years

Note

Hi! I was wondering if you could write a story about a oc with the ability ('Hymn to Time’ Ursula K. Le Guin) to slow down time (that was my second choice instead of making people going to sleep). I m thinking about a oc that starting to get the attention of both the armed detective agency and the port mafia. And he/or she needs to make a decision to eaither join the armed detective agency or the port mafia. Characters that i like if you include would be Dazai, Atsushi and akutagawa and chuuya.

“So, let’s begin the meeting.” In the back corner office of the Armed Detective Agency, all present members were gathered. Although the president is currently absent due to other ongoing investigations, Kunikida takes the lead and shares a new case. He then turns on the slide show, showing a profile picture of a woman. “Recently, there’s been reports of a new ability user in Yokohama. Apparently, she can slow down time on people and objects...” The power point slide continues, “her name is Ursula K. Le Guin.” Nakajima Atsushi stares at the screen after reading through the reports, he gave Kunikida a puzzling look. “Slow down time? How does that work? Isn’t that a dangerous ability?” Dazai smiles and casually remarks, “it is but nevertheless, there’s always a counterpoint in every ability.” Kunikida furrows his brows in irritation. Even though what Dazai said is correct, they still don’t know the limits of Ursula’s ability and so, to do anything reckless is game over. The former math teacher clears his throat while adjusting his glasses. He continues on the report to its conclusion. “Anyways, we still don’t know anything about her. For all we know, she could also be an enemy. But with rare ability-users nowadays, it’s good that we know of her existence. If possible, we want her to be brought in for an interview. So, I would like Atsushi and Dazai to go investigate.”

As the afternoon sun shines warmly onto the city streets, the dark shadows enveloping the back alleys were as cool as a midsummer night breeze. Somewhere between the dumpsters and sharp corner of the pavement, Akutagawa stands on guard like a black dog while scanning the streets as well as the people of Yokohama. Akutagawa’s eyes were as sharp as daggers. His cold grey orbs were like deadlights barely flickering. One of his ear piece rings through his ears as he watches over the streets. “Krrr krrr krrr mic check one, two,---finally. Akutagawa, do you hear me? Answer me!” Without blinking and without moving, he responds curtly. “Yes.” Over the transmitter, Chuuya sighs at his subordinate hopeless coordination, but he continues to speak. “Argh, okay. Don’t forget you’re to take our target alive, do you understand? It’s the Boss’s orders. You better not do anything reckless.” “I won’t. I have Higuchi here.” Higuchi, who was watching over the other side of street, perks up after hearing Akutagawa telling the Port Mafia Executive that he has Higuchi by his side. She becomes elated but quickly returns to work mode. This is an important job specially assigned by the Port Mafia Boss so she cannot mess this up. As Higuchi continued to investigate, Akutagawa finally began to move from the shadows. “Found her.” Higuchi turns around in surprise and quickly follows after Akutagawa. He runs towards the woman who was walking near the shopping district. The outside crowd gasp in confusion, and the commotion has brought Ursula’s attention at the black cloaked man that was furiously heading towards her way. Naturally and instinctively, she makes a run for it. Akutagawa sees her silhouette fading at a distance and quickens his pace while activating Rashoumon. With no abilities or whatsoever, Higuchi falls behind as she desperately tries to catch up with her superior but to no avail. Ursula continues to run away from the shopping districts and within seconds, she enters the bustling business district. She keeps running and running until someone grabbed her hand and forced her inside a cute cafe. She finds herself seated at table with two strangers sitting in front of her. Of course, she was extremely frazzled and most of all, puzzled. First, she was being chased and now, she’s at a local cafe with two men. “Ursula K. Le Guin, correct?” The man in a brown trench coat takes a sip of coffee as he asks. His eyes were mysteriously entrancing. “Y-yes... but how?” “I apologize if we surprised you,. This person over here is Dazai-san and I’m Atsushi. We actually know who you are and that special ability of yours. All we want to ask of you is to come with us to the ADA.” Ursula was taken aback at Atsushi’s honesty, but she wonders what the point of all this. “Why?” “We want you to join the Armed Detective Agency!” Dazai grins but Atsushi scolds him since they weren’t supposed to say that until the ADA president and Kunikida interviews her. Ursula’s gaze looks away. “I-I don’t know...” “Well, it’s either you come with us or have that menacing black-cloaked chase after you.” Ursula gulps at the thought. She remembers the cat-and-mouse chase that happened a few minutes earlier. Although she couldn’t understand why that man was chasing after her, his aura did not feel friendly in the slightest and that was a red flag. “Hold it!” Suddenly, a young blonde woman makes herself inside the cafe while panting heavily. She treads over the brown table where Dazai and the rest were sitting and shouts declaratively. “Ursula K. Le Guin is to join the Port Mafia! I, Higuchi Ichiyou, was ordered to bring you over to our Boss!” The whole cafe stares at Higuchi’s disheveled state. Even Atsushi shrinks in awkwardness but only Dazai continues to playfully smile. He also breaks the awkward atmosphere. “Okay, well for now, let’s bring you over the ADA first since there’s Akutagawa running around like a madman and then you can decide yourself if you want to head over to the Port Mafia if you don’t want to join us. Just so you know, I don’t think you have much options here.” Dazai’s suggestion bewildered the three people. Despite Higuchi’s reluctance in letting Ursula go to the ADA, it seemed like Ursula had no choice but to go with Atsushi and Dazai while Higuchi regroup with Akutagawa. Ursula takes a moment to think before finally deciding to head on over to the Armed Detective Agency.

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swanfrcst · 5 years

Text

albatross around your neck

bungou stray dogs | no pairings | 1.2k | ao3 / ffn

notes: expanded from this drabble posted a few weeks ago. also, if you enjoy my work, considering donating to my ko-fi!

dazai, atsushi, and parallels of kindness

how can you be kind, dazai wonders, how can you be kind in a world made to destroy kindness?

odasaku takes a long, thoughtful sip of his whiskey. he doesn’t question why dazai is musing about such things out of the blue, doesn’t try to take apart the careful blankness on dazai’s face. it’s fitted together like pieces of a jigsaw puzzle, crafted to perfection for the outside world.

still, odasaku pauses before answering. “that’s up to you,” is what he settles on, an answer that doesn’t betray the honesty dazai expects from him, but vague enough for dazai’s face to twitch in equal parts amusement and equal parts annoyance. “after all, the world is what you make of it.”

at this, dazai’s face scrunches up in childish irritation. odasaku suddenly feels a sharp stab of guilt in his gut. dazai is, after all, really just a kid. even odasaku sees the way he seems to drown, sometimes, under the weight of expectations and emptiness.

“what’s this? is dazai feeling introspective tonight?” ango slides into the empty seat next to dazai, setting his briefcase on the table with a heavy sigh. “i’m sorry to have missed it.”

dazai shakes his head after a brief pause, as if clearing his mind of any remaining thoughts. the flatness in his eyes still lingers, but he gives ango a smile. small, thin, and — inexplicably sad, odasaku thinks.

“no more than usual,” dazai says with his usual faux-cheer. “so let’s just forget it, yes? that reminds me — i read a little bit more of 101 ways to kill yourself. how well do you think death by choking on toilet paper would work? i think chuuya would be absolutely pissed if i stole his toilet paper for it.”

“ah,” dazai says to the still air. his next breath slips gun-smoke into his lungs.

odasaku is a heavy, damning weight in his arms. the blood seeps through dazai’s sleeves, staining his skin. odd: he’s never had such an overwhelming urge to scrub his skin sleek and clean and bloodless before.

curiously, the warmth of odasaku’s hand on his cheek still lingers. the phantom press of the man’s palm against his hair. dazai stares and stares and stares and wishes —

odasaku dies with a smile on his lips and a whimsical wish on his tongue. dazai does not know of anyone else who could do such a thing, but odasaku was always different.

“i see,” dazai whispers into the silence. “odasaku, you found your own answer.”

odasaku had said, humans live to save themselves. what did that mean, then, for a man who walked into his own death and for a boy who wanted nothing more than to die?

atsushi is a boy who has every right to hate the world. he has suffered, has bled and cried and died, his body a sacrificial altar for other people’s fear. in accordance to all the karma in the world, all the laws of humankind that dazai understands, atsushi should have shanked him the moment he dragged dazai onto shore. vindictive violence is the language of the streets, and for someone with no food, no money, and nothing to offer, to not submit to the vicious, vicious cycle is akin to begging for death.

(dazai mentions this to kunikida, offhandedly, only to be met with a startled look. somehow, kunkida’s ire quickly slips into concern.

“you,” kunikida begins, sounding so consternated that dazai stops spinning his chair to stare at the other man.

“kunikida-kun?”

but kunikida only frowns harder, and after a moment’s pause, scribbles something furious in his notebook. then, he stands and leaves, but not before awkwardly patting dazai’s shoulder on his way out.

dazai can only stare after him, helplessly confused.)

but here is the thing, the truth that dazai has not yet dared to face: where you come from does not determine where you decide to set down your roots, and where you settle is not where you will stay forever. sometimes, you end up tearing up those roots with your own bleeding hands, in search of somewhere different, further, better, greener.

sometimes, you do not set down roots at all.

when dazai first meets the boy on the riverbank, as atsushi is dripping buckets onto the dirt and wheezing for breath, his first thought is not this is the weretiger we’ve been tracking for the past month but he saved me.

he does not think why hasn’t he tried to rob me yet? instead, he stares at atsushi’s shivering form and wonders how in the world is he still alive?

this starving boy, at the lowest of his lows, still bearing the skittish gaze and the tense shoulders of past abuse and present fears — this boy still made the choice to be kind.

on a whim, dazai offers the boy dinner. he does so with a flashy pose and a mysterious smile, as if he is putting on a performance, coating himself in a thin lie of altruism. he tells himself it is to get a rise out of kunikida and that he’s got a hunch about the weretiger, but as atsushi’s eyes gleam at the promise of free food, dazai feels something cold clench his stomach.

he orders only cup of tea, tries to calm whatever storm’s brewing in his subconscious. he very studiously does not think of children living above a small curry shop. well shit, now he’s got a headache.

it’s only later — way later, after atsushi’s been safely tucked into agency housing and kunikida’s complaints about his empty wallet have been appeased — that dazai allows himself to think about the day’s events. he stares at the cracked ceiling of his room. his breath evens. whispers of gun-haze and cigarette smoke linger on his lips.

he thinks and thinks and thinks about: atsushi’s quick, hesitant explanation of his background, the way his voice wavered when he choked out orphanage, headmaster, kicked out. the flat acceptance of his self-worth. atsushi parrots the word worthless like it’s the first thing he’d ever learned to be true; but it was the words of the only ‘parental figure’ he’d every had—how could he have denied it?

and in the midst of it all, dazai suddenly realizes that not once had the light in atsushi’s eyes faded. it had wavered, perhaps, echoing the ups and downs of self-confidence, of fear and discomfort. but atsushi never, not even once, had suggested that he was in danger of drowning from the weight of his demons.

maybe, dazai wonders, delirious and drifting asleep, maybe it’s the tiger’s doing. the beast that refuses to let its master die, because they are one and the same. vengeance, after all, has no place in a symbiotic relationship, no place in a cycle of growth. of survival.

the last thing dazai sees is the clear, bright gleam of atsushi’s gaze, fixated on the first kindness anyone has ever shown him.

that night, dazai sleeps, drowns in dreams of untouched whiskey and a lost photograph and odasaku whispering: save people. become a good person. i know this. i know you.

dazai wakes up. for once, the sunlight streaming through the open curtains doesn’t cut harsh across his sight. today, he looks out the window and basks in the light for a few, indulgent moments. an eternity.

#bungou stray dogs #Dazai Osamu #nakajima atsushi #Oda Sakunosuke #bsd #swankitty writes #tumblr get better formatting challenge...................#again...thinkin about how GOOD atsushi is.....im emo!

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elliotthezubat · 7 years

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DEATH CITY DAYS GAIDEN 23; The Struggle of Doppo Kunikida

an rp adaption of chapter 40/the OVA of bsd. enjoy

thanks @soul-dwelling

The Struggle of Doppo Kunikida

~sometime after the orphanage headmaster’s death…~

Kunikida: "..." *inhales* "Perfect." kirako: seems you have an even busier schedule than usual. Kunikida: "Yes..." *jots a note* "I almost forgot--we had another request to assign." kirako: oh? yosano: oh, kunikida great timing, I need you to come shopping with me- Kunikida: "No. I am sorry. Take someone else to go with you." Tanizaki: "We have inside information about a bomber. They hand explosive suitcases to bystanders which then detonate--" Kunikida: "Later." ranpo: kunikidaaaaa, we're out of snacks. Kunikida: "Cupboard." *starts walking to the exit* Dazai: "Of course, sir~" Kunikida: "..." *dramatic turn* "DO NOT. RUIN. MY. SCHEDULE!" atsushi: *looks at dazai, mildly worried* Dazai: *bishie sparkle* "I swear on my life~" Kunikida: "YOU ARE WILLING TO THROW YOUR LIFE AWAY AT THE DROP OF A HAT--" *a chime is heard from Kunikida's wrist* Kunikida: "! Oh. I'm 18 seconds late." atsushi: ._.; -on the way to the subway station- saleslady: we have new glasses in stock now! Kunikida: "I already have a good pair, thank you." fortune teller: *rapping* hey there peeps, come around, come around, cause ya boi the local prophet has come ta town. hey there blondie, guess what, very soon, a certain little lady's gonna give you trouble this afternoon. Kunikida: *keeps walking* "I already had a fortune told--didn't like it. Goodbye." -the station- intercom: attention. the subway train to mitakihara district now arriving. Kunikida: *steps up to the platform--* *A loud shriek emanates from his phone* Kunikida: "..." -_-# *looks at the phone--an image of a cartoonish Dazai hanging from a noose* "What is it, Dazai?" Dazai: "I am sorry, but you have a guest...None other than he, the one who designs your notebooks..." Kunikida: "..." *shiny eyes* "MASTER CARYLE?! Am I dreaming?!" Dazai: "No, you are not. He made a stop here to our office before he's off on his flight home to Europe--" Kunikida: "I am coming back immediately--" -bing- Kunikida: *the color fades out of him* intercom: the train has now arrived. Kunikia: "Dazai...You bastard..." Dazai: "I know...the torture of a choice, yes?" intercom: all boarding. Dazai: "It's all about the ideal choice. Right, Kunikida?" Kunikida: "...PLEASE TELL HIM I WILL ALWAYS ADMIRE HIS WORK!" *hangs up* Naomi: making a call to tell him a lie like that. that's pretty dickish, dazai, even by your standards. Dazai: "Oh no...YOU'RE RIGHT!" -at the station- Kunikida: T_T "Being so organized is a curse..." ???: you want me to return this to the lost and found? Kunikida: "???" *he spots a girl and a hooded person* Hooded Person: "Thank you." *departs* girl: *walking with the suitcase bomb* -the doors are starting to close- {Tanizaki: "--a bomber. They hand explosive suitcases to bystanders--"} Kunikida: "!!!" *leaps through the doors, runs at the Hood* Hood: "..." *turns* "!!!" *runs* Kunikida: "Shit!" *spots the girl* "..." *grabs the suitcase out of her hands* girl: !!! h-HEY! Kunikida: *opens the suitcase--to see the bomb* "Shit!" *runs up the stairs, pushing people aside* "Move!" girl: *chasing* GET BACK HERE, THIEF! Kunikida: *looks up to the sky* ("Got to time this...Counter should be at 6...5...") *throws it high into the air* -BOOOOOOOOOOOM- izumo: what the hell?! girl: ?!? -a few minutes later- officer: thank you for your statement, sir... girl: ...... Kunikida: *nods* "The Agency will offer any support it can." *looks at the girl* "Please follow this officer until your guardian--" girl: I...I CANT BELIEVE THAT JERK! *grabs him by the ponytail and drags him along* Kunikida: >xO "UNHAND ME!" girl: you're not seriously gonna let that buttface get away with this, are you? I saw his face, if we don't hurry, he's gonna get away! Kunikida: "Stop! You are a bystander in all of this--let the police handle it." girl: don't underestimate me! i'm a hero of justice, and for that, I've been practicing in martial arts every day! if I just ran away, I wouldn't forgive myself! Kunikida: "...No. Go home, child." girl: T~T fine. then i'll go by myself. you know, I don't know the subway layout very well. I could get lost, killed, or worse. and my fate would be on your conscious for the rest of your life. Kunikida: "!!! You can't do that!" girl: then you don't have much choice than to help me then, do you? Kunikida: >:[ Girl: ^^ by the way, I’m Aya Koda, nice to meet ya~ -at the agency- kenji: ...hey, who's 2nd in command at the agency? atsushi: why do you ask? kenji: the chief of police is asking for the boss, but he's out right now and I don't know who to ask. Tanizaki: "??? Hmm...I'd say Ranpo, given his experience and deductive skills--" ranpo: *playing pokemon* nah, I don't give a flying ant's ass about rank or leadership. Naomi:... (he actually named his rival in the game 'poe'...) *shiny eyes* Tanizaki: "...Okay. Dazai--" Dazai: *opening a window, stepping through it--* atsushi: *holding him back* DAZAI PLEASE! DX> Dazai: "I CAN'T LIVE WITH MYSELF! NOT AFTER WHAT I DID TO KUNIKIDA! I can't think of a way to top that prank! ... Oh, wait--I just thought of a way. =w= I'm good now." everyone: you're joking, right? -at the train station- -someone is running, as if in a hurry- Chuuya: "Goddamn it!" ("Overslept! I don't even WANT TO DO THIS!") -step step step- Chuuya: *still moving--but hears the steps* "???" -bump- ???: woah! *falls over, something escaping from their bag, disappearing into the subway* Chuuya: "Watch it!" *looks down* yana: sowwy, I was in a rush. guess I want paying attention to my surroundings, hehe~ ^^; Chuuya: "Watch where you're going, then." *looks at what fell out* -nothing there?- yana: well, I better get going. toodles~ *walking away, losing the opaqueness of one lens of her glasses to look back at him, still facing forwards* -in the tunnel- aya: ... Kunikida: "My ideal...schedule..." aya: you agency guys are actually pretty lame...im talking about you, four-eyed beanstalk. Kunikida: "It's Kunikida..." aya: ...well, if your schedule was so important to you, why did you come save me? Kunikida: *holds his journal to her face, taps the word on the cover* aya: 'ideals'... Kunikida: "I realized a world where people died in front of me was not ideal." aya: ........?? what's that? *pointing* Kunikida: "..." *approaches--* "!!! Not good..." -bombs are lined up along the tracks- Kunikida: "All it takes is one train to run over one of these to cause multiple causalities..." -...- Kunikida: "And given the motive...Yes...There should be a trigger nearby--" *turns* -no one...- Kunikida: "...Aya? ..." *removes a gun* -...- Kunikida: *walks forward, listening* "..." -beep....beep....beep...- Kunikida: "!!!" *turns a corner* aya: *trembling....with a bomb strapped her chest* Kunikida: "!!!" ???: "Please. Toss the gun." Kunikida: "..." ???: "Or do you want to see her head fly off?" Kunikida: "..." *tosses the gun* aya: ah- Kunikida: *gets on his knees, holds up his hands* ???: *smiles* "Very good...Kunikida." *CRACK* -and so- aya: ..... *Blackness...* *The sounds of pages flipping* Kunikida: *grunts...lifts his head...everything is blurry* ???: "A nice book." ???: "Write it down, it exists. Take it away, you're worthless." Kunikida: *looks up* "You've done your homework." ???: "Again you, I had to. For 2 years" Kunikida: "...2 years ago...when you were arrested for planning to blow up a school... Shousaku Katsura." aya: ?? Kunikida: "You planned this, then leaked information to arrive with my peers at the Agency for the sake of revenge." Shousaku: "..." *smiles* "That's not it. I don't want 'revenge.' I want to erase what you said. When you arrested me, you repeated, 'Do not yield to adversity. Be courageous. Discipline yourself for justice.'" *Shousaku picks up the metal bar* Shousaku: "Those ideals are rooted in my head..." *CRACK* *Kunikida's head is knocked down, blood swinging as the bar collides with his head* aya: !!!! Shousaku: "I...want it all gone." Shousaku: "You said those words to me--pitying me! Those words--'courage,' your ideals--mean nothing to someone like me! Do you think I wanted to be useless?!" aya: STOP IT! *Shousaku finishes clubbing Kunikida...then points the bar at Aya* aya: !!! Shousaku: "3 minutes until the train comes. 3 minutes until the train hits the explosives. And the signal to disarm can only be sent from here. You cannot do anything, Kunikida. They are going to die. Your ideals, the stubbornness of your Agency...all of it will go up in smoke. What do you have to say about that?" Kunikida: "..." *muttering* Shousaku: "I can't hear you." Kunikida: "...You're right. In fact, I already knew you would say that." Shousaku: "!!! How could you--" Kunikida: "Page 89." Shousaku: "..." *flipping the book* "You haughty conceited little-- ... What the heck is a--" *The page lights up* Shousaku: "!!!" Kunikida: *lifts his head* "STUN GRENADE!" -BWOOOOOM- yosano: ??!! Chuuya: "?!!! ...What the hell now?" *leaps up to the ceiling, starts running* Kunikida: "...Ideals do not depend on blind faith. I too have improved...Aya, are you okay?" aya: y-yeah...the train! you gotta stop it! Kunikida: *opens the laptop, pulls up the disarming program--and sees two entries* "...What the--" Shousaku: "...Hee hee hee..." aya: ??? w-whats so funny? Kunikida: "Aya! Don't move!" Shousaku: "Because if you disarm one explosive..." *looks at Aya's collar* aya:....*her stomach drops* Kunikida: *growls, goes to Aya's collar--* Shousaku: "Ah-Ah-Ah...Do it, and the collar explodes instantly." aya: *tears falling as she trembles* {aya: -I could get lost, killed, or worse. and my fate would be on your conscious for the rest of your life.-} Kunikida: "...You figured it out..." Shousaku: "Your ideal, 'Let no one die'--has been shown to be a failure. You either let the train die or save this girl. And you know that you won't sacrifice all those lives for one girl. And you have no time to figure out a new plan." aya: *shaking* ???: *walking along the path, finding kunikida's glasses* {-sasaki and rokuzo lay dead on the ground-} {Kunikida: "...This...did not have to happen!"} {Dazai: "Justice is a weapon. It can be used to harm, but not to protect or save."} Kunikida: "..." Shousaku: "And now we'll see, in red, how foolish your ideal is." Kunikida: "...Yes...You're right..." aya: kunikida.... Kunikida: "...Reality always butts against the limits of an ideal...but on this path...I WILL ALWAYS FIGHT FOR MY IDEAL!" -he presses the button- Kunikida: "..." *stares at Aya* "I'm sorry..." aya: I-its not your fault...s-sorry for calling you a four-eyes beanstalk... Kunikida: "..." *grabs her, pulls her close* aya: !!!!! -BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOM- Shousaku: "!!!" *watches the smoke* "..." *laughs...tearing up* "That idiot...To die with a child...!!!" -the smoke clears, revealing....- aya:.... Kunikida: "..." Shousaku: "!!! How are you alive?!" Kunikida: "You need to do more research...in the Agency...fatal injuries mean..." yosano: no injuries at all... *tosses kunikida his glasses back* Kunikida: *catches, puts them on* "I had marked in my notebook that the Doctor would be passing this way..." aya: so then....she saved us? Kunikida: "Any fatal injuries, she can heal immediately." Shousaku: "And the grenade was to alert her?!" -the authorities arrive- Shousaku: *in handcuffs*…. “Heh…” Kunikida: *sighs* -and so- aya: ....hey, kunikida? Kunikida: "Hmm?" aya: you don't go on many dates, do you? Kunikida: "..." *twitch* aya: so....if you aren't doing anything later....maybe we could...I dunno... 7///7; Kunikida: "..." *gets down to her eye level* aya: ah- Kunikida: "No." aya: ..... Kunikida: "I have 58 requirements for an ideal partner. You do not meet 31 of them." aya: *grips fist and PAWNCH* I was JOKING!! >A< Kunikia: *glasses smash* *slow motion--crashes onto the sidewalk* -at the agency- atsushi: ...dazai? Dazai: "Hmm?" atsushi: I cant stop thinking about it....if something did happen to the manager...who would take his place? Dazai: "...??? You didn't know? They were already chosen." atsushi: really? who is it? Dazai: "Someone who instills their beliefs in others, can handle affairs calmly, is unwavering, who understands their weaknesses. A role model. No one...but..." Kunikida: *stumbling* Dazai: *voice over* Doppo Kunikida. -on the roof- yana:.... *examining with the planted rat cameras* hmmm... Kunikida: *meanders down the street* yana: hmmm.... <so what do you make of it, bossman?> ???: *smiles* <Potential.> yana: <....this shousaku kid....I don't think he's that bad.....just a misguided sociopath with no direction in life....perfect recruit material if I say so myself...> ???: <Find where they hold him.> yana:....*smirks* understood.

#death city days

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winnieyylau · 7 years

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Reunited, for the last time

Characters/Pairings: Akutagawa Ryuunosuke/Nakajima Atsushi

Summary: For once, Akutagawa decided to strive for what's important to him.

The Shin-Soukoku ver. of this fic

~~~

“Dazai-san!” Akutagawa shouted as he entered the scene.

Both Akutagawa and Chuuya had rushed to where Fyodor Dostoyevsky―the culprit of all the disasters currently happening in Yokohama―is according to Dazai’s information. Expecting to simply act as a back-up, they didn’t bring more than a troop of men. After all, they were talking about Dazai, who might just be able to solve anything humanly possible.

But they were wrong. Never in a million years would they ever imagine that even the great Dazai Osamu would fail. The sight that welcomed them was quite a horrifying one. The brunet was unsteady on his feet, looking as weak as a kitten. On the other side of the room, there was the Russian guy they’re looking for, lying on the floor and laughing breathlessly. A book and some papers were scattered messily here and there.

The Mafiosos had yet to recover from their shock when Dazai suddenly collapses. Thankfully, the tall blonde guy next to him was quick to catch him. But that didn’t make them feel at ease at all.

Akutagawa was horrified. Though as much as he is concerned about Dazai, it was nothing compared to what the redhead beside him was feeling. Akutagawa glanced at Chuuya from the corner of his grey orbs. Chuuya was silent. He said nothing as he dashed to where Dazai was.

Akutagawa didn’t know why, but watching the side of Nakahara Chuuya that he had never seen before stunned him into silence as well. He stood there unmoving while listening to Dazai’s eplanation about their current situation.

The brunet’s voice was shaky and he was anxiously holding Chuuya’s hand the whole time. It was painful to watch, even for someone like Akutagawa who doesn’t seem to recognize how emotions feel like. But once again, he couldn’t even begin to fathom the pain in the redhead’s chest.

“Chuuya...” said Dazai, sounding uncharacteristically weak, tightening his grip on the other’s hand.

“What is it?”

“Dying alone is really sad, you see? But there isn’t any beautiful lady around.”

“What are you trying to say, mackerel-face?” There wasn’t any sign of venom in his tone.

“I’m thinking that even Chuuya will do for now.” Dazai chuckled. “So, marry me, Chuuya?”

The whole marriage proposal sounded like a joke. That is, if you can even call it a ‘proposal’. Normally, the redhead would shake it off since it’s stupid. But not this time. The look on Chuuya’s face wasn’t that of disgust. Akutagawa wasn’t sure how he’d describe it. All he could say is that Chuuya certainly didn’t seem to hate the idea.

“Say no more, bastard.” Said Chuuya in a voice so soft that anyone besides Dazai could barely hear. He then helped the brunet to stand on his own before giving him a ride on his back. Ready to set off before they were stopped by one of their forgotten spectators.

The dark-haired male was putting on an uneasy look. Seeing the heart-wrenching scene from both of his superior had suddenly reminded him of a certain someone. The person he’d least expected himself to think of in this near-death situation. The person that’s been getting on his nerve these past months. The person that has stolen the attention of his admired superior. The person he should be hating the most : Nakajima Atsushi.

“Wait, Dazai-san!”

“Yes, Akutagawa-kun?” replied Dazai with a limp voice. He gazed at the hand grabbing on his own arm. Then looked back at his ex-subordinate.

Akutagawa’s breathing was uneven. It was simple yet difficult to voice out his thought. But given the situation, he realized it was not worth wasting his time anymore. “Where is... Where is the Man-Tiger?”

Dazai didn’t answer immediately. He’s still as pale as ever, though amusement clearly showed in his eyes. Then a curve of smile formed on the brunet’s lips. “Atsushi-kun is still on the battlefield. No one could stop him so we had not other choice but to leave him behind.”

Akutagawa’s grey orbs widened in disbelief. He then uttered a quick thanks before storming out of the room.

Akutagawa ran down the streets, up the stairs, past the alleyways. Basically all around Yokohama, searching for the whereabout of the Man-Tiger, He didn’t know how long he’s been running. Nor did he care about his breath running out and the frequent coughing that’s been hurting his throat like hell. All those didn’t matter at the moment.

During all his running, various things related to Nakajima Atsushi flowed through Akutagawa’s mind. Such as what their first encounter was like. And then how Atsushi decided to face him head on for the first time. They beat each other up quite badly and had been on bad terms since then. When they met again after that, they were forced to team up, understand, and even fight alongside each other (though it was mostly schemed by Dazai).

Akutagawa almost laughed at those memories. Any good impression was almost nonexistant between them. So, why does Akutagawa have this kind of feeling toward the Man-Tiger? The kind of feeling which made him longs for the younger guy. Which made him think of what Nakajima Atsushi is doing, who he is with, and where he is when they don’t see one another.

The dark-haired male didn’t know emotions. He cared for no one besides Gin, his sister, and probably Dazai Osamu. But none of them showed Akutagawa how the world in the light looks like the way Atsushi does. That supposed-to-be good for nothing Man-Tiger taught Akutagawa Ryuunosuke how to love.

The Mafioso had reached the central of the town. He looked around. Finding out that the surroundings over there were much more horrible than the rest of the town. The buildings, cars, and streets were wrecked in havoc. Seemed like they were all destroyed with a great force.

Right before Akutagawa took a turn, a loud roar―most likely recognized of a tiger’s―was heard from nearby. The raven-haired speed up his own pace upon hearing that. A few more steps and he finally found what he’s looking for.

“Man-Tiger!” Akutagawa screamed his lung out.

The said younger guy turned around and what Akutagawa saw next broke his heart. All four limbs and the face of Atsushi had turned almost completely into that of a tiger. Ears started growing on top of his head. His teeth slowly turning into canines one by one. The dazzling light in those yellowish purple orbs had started to fade and replaced by sharp glint. He looked at the newcomer as if he wanted to devour him whole.

Without as much of a warning, Atsushi leaped from where he’s standing to Akutagawa. He was even faster than how he usually is on his best day. If Akutagawa hadn’t been quick to react, he might have lost his right arm.

“Get yourself together, Man-Tiger!” The dark-haired male screamed again. But it was futile. No words could enter Atsushi’s mind anymore.

The effect of the Book worked differently for each person. Atsushi’s Beast Beneath the Moon was making him stronger more than his body could handle before slowly turning him into a complete beast. Whilst Akutagawa’s Rashoumon was growing weaker each time he used it. It was already tough for him to keep up with defending attacks from Atsushi, let alone throwing any himself.

And the worst case of scenario just had to happen. Rashoumon stopped reacting all of a sudden. Atsushi took the chance when Akutagawa’s undefended to send him flying with a kick. Causing the older of the two to cough blood.

“Damn... Why does it have to be now?!” Akutagawa grumbled under his breath. At this rate he wouldn’t last any longer. Akutagawa gritted his teeth tightly. Wiped away the blood dripping from his mouth as he used up all the strength he could gather in his body to stand up. Meanwhile, Atsushi was bolting towards him, ready to finish him off.

“For the last time, listen to my order once again,” whispered Akutagawa before shouting, “Rashoumon!”

As soon as the words were spoken, Rashoumon was active again and back in action. It extended from Akutagawa’s coat and captured Atsushi’s limbs. At least he managed to stop Atsushi’s movement for now. Making good use of the little time he had, Akutagawa rushed to the younger gy and smashed him into a hug.

It wasn’t that easy though. Sure, the Man-Tiger is now in Akutagawa’s arms. But he tried to break free violently and roaring nonstop.

“Man-Tiger... no, Atsushi!” he exclaimed. And the said boy miraculously stopped moving. “Come back to your sense, you piece of shit! Who was it that had said he wanted to prove me wrong? That he’d make a bet with me of whether I’d like living in the light? That even someone like me could love like the way you do? You haven’t even seen the result yet and now you’re gonna leave just like that? Like hell I’m letting you do as you please!”

Silence filled the air between them. No one made a sound for god-knows-how-long until Akutagawa felt a stream of tears wetting his coat followed by a hoarse voice saying, “Aku... ta... gawa...”

Akutagawa felt like the burden on his shoulder was finally gone. He released the breath he’s been holding unconsciously. Rashoumon finally retreated and was gone for good. Leaving only the frail body of Akutagawa, who’s started coughing blood again.

“Back at last, huh, Man-Tiger?”

“Akutagawa... Akutgawa...” called Atsushi repeatedly. Tears streaming down his cheek nonstop as he hugged the older guy back.

A fit if coughs interrupted them. Akutagawa clamped one hand over his mouth―staining it with his own blood in the process―while the other stayed at Atsushi’s slender back.

“If I could, Man-Tiger,” said the Mafioso, releasing the younger guy from his hug and cupped his face with both hand. The blood on his hand mixed with Atsushi’s tears as he wiped them away from the latter’s face. “I’d like to see that stupid smile of yours again.”

It was pretty ironic how the usually cold-blooded Akutagawa could only be gentle when he’s on the brink of death.

Atsushi stopped crying and corrected, “Hey, my name isn’t ‘Man-Tiger’.” His tail and the ears on top of his head had grown fully. His face could hardly be called a human’s anymore. It was only a matter of time until he turns completely into a white tiger and dies. Even so, the smile he put on right at that moment was, by far, the most enchanting one Akutagawa had ever seen.

“Oh yeah, that’s right, Atsushi.” Said Akutagawa as he pressed their forehead together. A moment of silence again before the raven-haired’s leg finally gave out and he collapsed on the ground. Earning Atsushi’s worry.

“You alright, Akutagawa?!” Atsushi kneeled down as well to assist him.

“I’m just―” coughing again. “Nah, I’m fine.”

Concern hadn’t leave Atsushi’s expression, leading Akutagawa to find something to distract the younger guy.

“I can’t get used to you worrying about me.”

Atsushi was confused, but soon he realized what the other was trying to do. Having calmed down, the white-haired replied, “The same goes for you. You’re rather talkative today, aren’t you?” He adjusted their position so the both of them could sit comfortably.

“I told you before I’m not the mute type.”

“Still, you’re out of character.”

Akutagawa didn’t respond to that rightaway. His eyelids felt really heavy and his head was spinning like crazy. Though the Mafioso did a great job in hiding it. He kept quiet for a while before saying, “Lend me your lap for a bit.”

Atsushi had yet to answer when the raven-haired casually lays his head on top of his thigh. He might be hiding it well, but the other wasn’t exactly a fool either. Atsushi could, more or less, guess Akutagawa’s current condition already. The glow in his eyes softened as he placed one hand on Akutagawa’s forehead and played with his hair. Being extra careful not to hurt him with his claws.

“See? You’re at it again.”

“Yeah, whatever, Man-Tiger.” Answered Akutagawa, letting the former do as he likes and slowly closing his grey orbs.

“Why do you call me that again?”

“Can’t shake off the habit. So you’ll have to bear with it.”

“I wouldn’t want to get used to it if we have to stay together for a long period of time.”

Akutagawa was coughing up more blood again before answering. “Now that I think about it, I saw Dazai-san ‘proposed’ to Nakahara-san before coming here.”

“Wow, for real?” A look of surprise from Atsushi as he chuckled. “I don’t think they’d ever gone to such length given the normal occasion.”

Akutagawa snorted, eyes still closed. “I’d say the same for us.”

“Yeah, right. We’re nothing compared to those two though.” Atsushi moved his hand to stroke Akutagawa’s face. “All we’ve done is trying to kill each other.”

“I wouldn’t deny that.” Akutagawa’s voice sounded limp. Almost as bad as Dazai’s that he had heard a while ago.

“Oh, I should have finish you off just now. It was such a good chance.” Said the white-haired male jokingly.

“Shut up, Man-Tiger!” scoffed the older accompanied by another fit of coughs. “But I’d rather die by your hands than any other jerk though. Not even Dazai-san’s.”

“There you go about Dazai-san again.” Atsushi laughed. “I guess I’m kinda flattered to hear that?”

Akutagawa reached out his hand to hold Atsushi’s. “You should. Think of it as an honor.”

“Okay, okay. As long as you’re satisfied, yeah?” No answer. “Akutagawa?” Still no answer. No more answer from the Mafioso.

Akutagawa didn’t respond anymore. Warmth slowly left his body. His grip on Atsushi’s hand loosened gradually. Atsushi knew what was going on already. He kept calm and said nothing as he held the other closer to him. He stayed there unmoving as the time passed.

The next day, the government sent a team to Yokohama in order to investigate things regarding the incident. At the central of the town, they found the body of the lifeless Mafioso, Akutagawa Ryuunosuke along with an unidentified corpse of white tiger in his arms.

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#shin soukoku #akutagawa x atsushi #akuatsu #akutagawa ryuunosuke #nakajima atsushi #soukoku #dazai x chuuya #bungou stray dogs

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