#tanizaki and his sister shouldn’t even be a thing | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

datura-foxglove · 5 years

Text

Masks

Sorry for posting this so close to the end of the deadline, but this turned out to be harder than I thought and I had rewritten this story four times already orz in the end I chose this version because this is the best one (I think) and it’s already 5 a.m. in the morning, my sense of judgement and life choices are really not working right now. This is my gift for @ladytective and thank you to @dazatsu-exchange for creating this event.

Prompts used : undercover mission, romantic tension, (spontaneous) love confessions. Turns out it was hard to create a one-shot for undercover mission and I tried really hard for the other two prompts but if I fail please forgive me...

Trigger warnings : mentions of human trafficking, sex slavery, drugs, and degrading words. No characters are harmed from all of the warnings (except the last warning), but they are mentioned quite a lot in the middle of the story.

Word counts : 5638 words.

Rated : M (no graphic violence or sexual activity, just for the dark themes used)

Summary : The Agency got an anonymous request to stop an auction of orphaned children under the guise of masquerade party. Atsushi and Dazai disguised themselves as guests to collect the evidences. Which was bad for Atsushi’s heart, because 1) he is in love with his partner, 2) Dazai looked so unfairly handsome wearing those suits, and 3) Byakko stop trying to rip apart the guests!

Extravagant crystal chandeliers. Enormous ballroom with polished floor so shiny it hurt his eyes. Rows of buffet tables covered with spotless white cloths and the countless kinds of dishes with enticing aroma, depths of flavor he had never tasted before, and presented like art that he felt almost guilty eating them. Expensive dresses and suits worn by the guests, complimented with the beautiful jewelries glimmering with precious gems. Mysterious masquerade masks hid the identities of the everyone, giving a certain freedom with the anonymity. Atsushi felt almost underdressed with his black vest, dark grey button up shirt with the sleeves folded to his elbow, and a pair of black pants; despite it being the nicest thing Atsushi had ever worn in his life. The grandiose party truly looked like a scene out of a fairy tale book came alive.

Yet it only dug further in his mind that he did not fit in among all the glitters and glory.

“Chin up, Atsushi-kun.” Atsushi flinched when he heard a familiar voice whispered closely to his ear. “Remember your mission.”

The arm he clung into tightly ever since they stepped out of the car resonated with strength that he desperately needed. Dazai’s voice reminded him of the reason they were here and the focus coaxed the scared cub into the predator it should be. He clung tighter to Dazai’s arm for a second before letting out a subtle sigh, letting out his tension with it. Atsushi stood straighter and relaxed his gait so he could match Dazai’s confident and calm gait. His hold on Dazai’s arm loosened, but he still kept his hands there. It was part of their disguise after all, more so than the masks on their face.

Atsushi got a bone white mask with protrusion above the eyes that looked almost like cat ears and dark glittered paint as his stripes. Dazai got a mask that only covered mostly the left side of his face, with white paint rippled out to the dark base of the mask. Dazai himself wear a formal clothing, a black suit, dark green vest with black vertical stripes, and a pair of black pants. Unlike Atsushi, Dazai was wearing white gloves that covered his palms up until it met with the bandages hidden by the sleeves of Dazai’s suit. For tonight, he had combed the left part of his bangs back, showing the enticing lines of Dazai’s ear, his jaw, and a bit of skin of his neck that wasn’t covered by the bandages.

“Atsushi-kun, I know you are nervous, but if you keep staring at me like that I will blush.” Dazai glanced at him from the corner of his eyes and Atsushi was the one who blushed instead at being caught red handed.

“I-I’m sorry! I-it’s just weird seeing you without your usual clothing. You looked very handsome to—“ Atsushi bit his tongue before he could splutter another embarrassing things. He was sure that even with the mask, everyone could notice that he was blushing.

“That means Naomi-chan did a good job.” Atsushi had to wonder if Tanizaki’s sister still held a grudge against him because there was no way Atsushi’s heart would survive tonight with how it kept doing flip flop whenever he saw Dazai. “You also look truly adorable tonight, Atsushi-kun.”

Where was a hole to swallow him up when he needed it the most? Atsushi kept his eyes at the polished floor but it wouldn’t open up and save him from this mortification already. “Don’t tease me, Dazai-san.” It said much about the state of his lovesickness that he was flattered to be called cute. He shouldn’t feel like he could fly, he was a tiger and not a bird.

“I’m not lying, Atsushi-kun.” Atsushi felt a gloved fingers tilted his chin up so he would look Dazai in the eyes. “You are so adorable that I’m having a trouble focusing on the mission.”

Atsushi’s heart beat loudly against his ribcage that it was a wonder how the whole ballroom guests could not hear it. It was certainly the only thing he could hear, deafening the beautiful music by the orchestra on the background. ‘Don’t get your hopes up. He is just having trouble focusing on the mission because he was never serious until it got dangerous. Get your head out of gutter Atsushi. Byakko where are you please bite me—‘

But his pleas went unheard by the beast lingering on the back of his mind. In fact, he was certain Byakko just scoffed at him and flicked it’s tail from impatience. The traitor.

‘His face is too close what should I do—‘ it should be illegal for a person’s eyes to be this pretty. Atsushi was utterly mesmerized and stood there frozen like a deer in headlights. Atsushi’s eyes not so subtly looked at Dazai’s soft looking lips and he felt drawn in—

“STOP FLIRTING WITH EACH OTHER! You two are there for a mission!” Kunikida’s voice bellowed like the anger of the heaven ready to smite them both where they were standing. Both Dazai and Atsushi winced as the loud voice was yelled directly to their ear through the skin colored earpiece that was hidden behind Atsushi’s and Dazai’s long bangs. A loud crash followed Kunikida’s angry tirade and the two of them winced again, though this time more subtly as to not attract attention.

“Kunikida-san, what are you doing! They nearly ki—hmmph—!” Thankfully, Naomi’s protest wasn’t as loud because she wasn’t the one holding the mic. Still Atsushi was really suspicious of what Naomi was going to say.

“Now, now, Naomi.” Atsushi could hear Tanizaki’s calming voice next. “They are on a mission; it will be dangerous if they get sidetracked.”

“But we are so close to being liberated from all the pining though.” Yosano’s teasing voice came next. He didn’t hear anything more from Kunikida, so Yosano must had taken over the mic by incapacitating the man. Atsushi just hoped Yosano didn’t use her huge cleaver.

Kyouka’s voice sounded serious unlike the others. “Atsushi, the target has appeared on the party.”

True to Kyouka’s words, Atsushi sharp eyes caught their target on his sight. The man had a short blonde hair and green eyes, Taylor Campbell, a foreigner from America and also a prominent figure with seemingly endless wealth and connections. On the surface, he was coming here to hold an auction of rare collection items and masquerade party as charity for the orphans in Japan and attracting attention to the way the Japanese government had basically neglected them due to social pressure. Atsushi would be elated if that was truly the man’s intention, but an anonymous informant (along with Dazai and Ranpo’s confirmation) had spilled out the horrible secret; the party was actually a disguise for child slavery and illegal drugs auction.

Ranpo had said that they would held two different auctions on the party. First was the auction for rare artistic items as a cover for their illegal deeds, and the second was the auction that they targeted for. There should be a password and secret passage to the inner part of the mansion that they used for the party that wasn’t recorded on the blueprint they got. Dazai and Atsushi was sent there to join the auction and collect the evidence, while Kyouka, Tanizaki, and Kenji infiltrated the building to assist the kidnapped children to escape with Katai’s assistance with the cameras or other machineries. Yosano and Kunikida stayed in the car as backup, navigated the two team, and strike with the platoon of armed police when needed. Fukuzawa, Ranpo, and Naomi stayed behind on the Agency in case the mission failed and all of them were captured so they could get help.

Dazai followed Atsushi’s gaze and the corner of his lips curled up a bit. “Target sighted. Beginning phase one for team A.”

Kyouka answered for the other team. She was appointed as the leader due to her innate skills and quick decision making. “Roger that. Team B is moving.”

Dazai fixed his black tie, the tie clip attached to it was actually a hidden camera that Katai had designed for this mission. “Remember what you have to do, Atsushi-kun?”

“Act cute and stay silent no matter what happened.” Kyouka or Kenji would fit more as a child purchased as sex slave, but Demon Snow’s ability to be intangible was proven to be more useful in the infiltration team. Kenji and Atsushi shared a lot of similarity with their Abilities, but in case they would be forced to partake some food to keep the conversation going, Atsushi was chosen as the actor instead despite his incapability to lie convincingly. Thankfully, Dazai assured him that he didn’t need to speak at all and just leave everything to him. His job was in the end was just to support Dazai’s lies and in case of emergency, became his bodyguard.

“Good. Also, please remember Atsushi-kun…” Dazai patted Atsushi’s hands that had stayed on his arm the whole time. “I don’t mean anything that I will say from the moment the act started.”

“Don’t worry, Dazai-san.” Atsushi smiled brightly and without hesitation. “I know that despite your past, Dazai-san is a kind person now.”

Dazai smiled, a small but an honest one filled with fondness. “You are probably the only one who said that.” Dazai pressed a button on his tie clip to activate the camera. “Let’s go Atsushi-kun.”

Atsushi followed Dazai closely by his side, remembering Dazai’s words to dodge any eye contact with anyone and kept his eyes on their intertwined arms. He tried to remember how it was like when he was still in the orphanage and he instinctively curled his body to himself, appearing as small as possible with his posture slouched a bit and like a leaf clinging desperately to his ‘master’. Dazai kept walking on without a care for Atsushi’s apparent discomfort, but Atsushi could hear a whispered humming from Dazai. Atsushi tried his hardest to fight a smile from appearing on his face, but his hand gently tightened on Dazai’s arm for a second in thanks.

They kept the act subtle as to not attract a lot of attention, but just enough to attract the correct ones. Dazai mingled with the guests, and Atsushi acted to Dazai’s subtle cues whether to act as a shy lover or obedient pet according to who they were talking with. The older man picked up small sample platters of food and feed Atsushi with his hand, which Atsushi had to obediently took despite his blushing face and how much he was dying inside from the way Dazai’s fingers would lovingly swiped his lips or the corner of his mouth to clean the crumbs. He had to stealthily pinched Dazai’s arm when it seemed that he was enjoying himself too much and had forgotten his task.

Atsushi listened intently at Dazai’s conversation, especially whenever he had to act as obedient pet. Thanks to Dazai’s silver tongue, the guests sang like canary. They proudly and not so subtly bragged that they were here to buy their new ‘exotic’ pets. It made Atsushi sick to his stomach whenever they praised Dazai for how well behaved his pet was, talking like he was just an animal without feelings. It was a familiar feeling that he had experienced a lot on the orphanage and hearing Dazai accepting their praise hurt him more than he had thought he would feel. He reminded himself harshly that Dazai was just acting, but it didn’t help the way his heart sunk at every cruel words Dazai said.

“Actually, I want a new one. This one I have is obedient and cute, but I’m getting bored with it. I need a fresh one, one that will actually put up a fight and harder to break.” Dazai’s voice was cheerful, like he was talking about a toy than a human being. “It’s really unfortunate that second hand pet doesn’t really worth it to sell.”

“Oh, beginners love second hand pets. Easier for them to learn how to take care of one and prepare them for their own pet later, I heard.” The woman with a really intricate mask painted in gold and black giggled. “Not to mention, yours is a really pretty one. I wouldn’t mind taking him if you decided to pawn him off. His eyes are really lovely… if he died you should preserve them. Those can be displayed proudly as your collection, Tsushima-san.” The woman called Dazai’s alias for this party, just like he was Tsushima’s obedient ‘kitty’.

Dazai smiled, his eyes gleaming with secrets. “His eyes are not the only lovely thing about him. I’m not telling you what else though.”

“Oh, you are such a tease. Now I’m really curious.” The woman giggled and to Atsushi’s shock, he felt foreign fingers clad in silk gloves tilting up his chin so he had to look at the woman in the eyes. Atsushi had to hold back his resonating fury with Byakko and showed fear instead.

‘Remember the orphanage. Remember the orphanage. You are helpless and no one will help you. You don’t have anyone by your side.’ Atsushi had to chant his old self-deprecating thought in his mind to keep his temper down. Byakko growled angrily, fangs gleaming with fury to bite at the hand holding his chin. ‘Disgusting, disgusting, disgusting.’ His thoughts became one with Byakko at the end and the only thing preventing the tiger from coming out and ripping the woman to shred is Dazai’s Ability nullifying his own with their arms still intertwined.

“No touching allowed until I lose my interest in him, my dear madam.” Dazai’s hand gently grabbed her hand. With a quick flick of his hand, he bowed down and kissed the back of her palm like a gentleman. “But we seem to have many similar interests, should we check the merchandise together? I am sure that a more experienced madam such as yourself can give me a pointer or two to get the best pet that will satisfy all of my needs.”

“My, a flattery will get you nowhere.” Despite her words, the woman smiled just a touch wider than what was appropriate for a woman with proper etiquette like her. “But your suggestion is a great one. It’s been a while since I had a lively discussion about pets with another person of similar interests.”

Dazai patted Atsushi’s hands and he let go. He watched as Dazai offered his arm to the woman instead. “Shall we?” the woman smiled and took Atsushi’s place, chatting amiably with Dazai as Atsushi followed behind them as expected of him.

He waited until he felt no eyes on him and whispered under his breath, keeping his voice steady and his emotions down. ‘Calm down, Byakko.’ “We got our lead to the second auction.”

“Have Dazai acquired the password?” Kunikida asked worriedly. “Kyouka, do you hear anything about it?”

“None.” Kyouka answered. “Demon Snow found a hidden passage that we can get into from our side. Katai is controlling the cameras as we speak.”

“I haven’t heard anyone mentioning the password but I think Dazai-san is getting them from our guide.” True to Atsushi’s suspicion, Dazai leaned down just enough so the woman could whisper something to him. “I think he got it.”

“Good. Inform us if anything happens.” Kunikida ended the conversation.

Byakko was still growling on the back of his mind, but it relented and let Atsushi took the reins. He took a deep breath and released it, keeping pace with the two people in front of him. He wanted to be done with the mission already.

Atsushi thought he had seen how despicable human could be, but as he watched from his kneeling position by Dazai’s feet as children being dragged with collars around their neck to the stage where people could observe and auction them was an unwanted woke up call that he had barely scrapped the surface with his work as the Agency members. Only Dazai’s hand on his head, patting him absentmindedly to other people but more for Atsushi’s sake to seal Byakko and to comfort him, was the only thing that held him back.

He had to believe that Kyouka and the others would save the children. He had to do his part. Atsushi closed his eyes, unable to see the anguished expression of the children any longer. Yet he could still hear their cries, no matter how quiet they were due to the unavoidable defeat that stared them in the eyes. Their desperation and resignation reminded Atsushi of his own past and his heart cried out for his kin.

“I won’t suggest that one, Tsushima-san. That is the looks of someone who will die soon.” The woman remarked as she watched the current auction, a boy with light brown hair and pale complexion. “He won’t put up much of a fight at all. He will probably only live for a year or two at most.”

“That won’t do. I prefer a long investment.” The woman chuckled at Dazai’s grim joke.

“Oh, what about that one? That girl’s eyes are still burning bright. She will be a tough one to break.” The woman pointed to a teenage girl escorted to the stage by a man with full face mask that the host wore. “She is quite pretty too, I’m sure she will grow up nicely.”

Atsushi heard a static from his earpiece and looked up to the stage. He felt Dazai’s fingers twitched on his head but he didn’t show any other reactions other than agreeing to the woman. “She sure is.”

“All targets secured. Beginning phase three.” Katai’s voice rang out loud and clear. “Team A, find Campbell as Team B create a distraction.”

Suddenly, a blackout left the stage completely dark. The guests all gasped and started to chatter worriedly. Atsushi felt Dazai’s hand left his head, his signal for him to go. Atsushi called for Byakko and the tiger responded eagerly. His eyes shone bright in the darkness, Byakko’s sight wasn’t hindered by the lack of light at all. He saw Campbell leaving through the side door, the man probably realizing that something had went amiss. Atsushi apologized to Naomi in his mind for shredding the clothing she had bought, but he didn’t exactly had time to roll up his pants. With loud sounds of his pants being ripped apart as his legs transformed into Byakko’s, Atsushi leaped, leaving behind cracks on the floor from his sheer strength. Under the veil of darkness, Atsushi easily covered the distance between him and Campbell in mere seconds. Unfortunately, Campbell’s bodyguard noticed him and started opening fire from their submachine guns. Atsushi protected his face with his tiger arms and curled his body into tight ball so most of the bullets ricocheted off his tough tiger hide.

“Demon Snow!”

“Light Snow!”

A phantasm shaped like a woman with long white hair flew past him and slices through their guns with her blade. Green colored snows started to fall on the guests, trapping them all in illusions.

“Go, Atsushi!” He could hear Kyouka’s voice both from his earpiece and from the stage where she threw away her disguise along with Tanizaki. “We will keep them all contained here as Kunikida directed the police to this place, catch Campbell!”

Atsushi nodded before he remembered that Kyouka couldn’t see him. “Got it!” his sense of scent wasn’t the best, but Byakko’s whole focus was hounding after the man. He was just about to chase after the man but Dazai’s voice stopped him.

“Wait, Atsushi-kun.” Dazai, unhindered by Light Snow and had his eyes gotten used to the darkness, approached Atsushi quickly. “I will go with you.”

“Why? I can catch Campbell on my own easily.” Campbell was not an Ability user and Ranpo had said that they didn’t have to worry about any Ability user opponents, although he didn’t specify why.

“It’s not Campbell I was worried about.” Dazai smiled mysteriously. “You will see.”

“Why are you here!?” Atsushi had gotten a really bad feeling when he was chasing down Campbell. Lo and behold, his greatest nemesis was standing there with his hand covering his mouth looking absolutely livid at seeing him too.

“Good job at catching him, Akutagawa-kun.” Dazai held the collar of Atsushi’s shirt before the two cat and dog enemies starting tearing at each other. “Mori-san is the one who leaked the information to the Agency, isn’t he.”

“Mori-san said that it will be a great opportunity to give more work for the Agency and also teach the foolish foreigners for trying to hold a business without consulting the locals first.” Akutagawa reported calmly, but Atsushi could see the way his whole being vibrated from being praised by Dazai. “Since you caught up to me before I can kill him, you are free to take him from my hands. That’s Mori-san’s order.” Akutagawa retracted his Rashomon from where it was stabbed to the ground around Campbell like a cage. Campbell had fainted from fear and Atsushi wrinkled his nose as he smelt the unpleasant stink of ammonia. Akutagawa bowed briefly to Dazai and glared venomously at Atsushi for the last time before leaving, Higuchi waiting nearby with a car.

“More diplomatic works for the Agency, huh.” Dazai sighed forlornly. “It seems we will have a few days of unpaid all-nighter, Atsushi-kun.”

“It’s like usual then.” Atsushi laughed, his whole irritation melted away as he could no longer sense Akutagawa. “I won’t do your report this time though, you should do your own report sometimes Dazai-san.”

Dazai gasped in mock offense. “How could you Atsushi-kun? I was just trying to teach you how to do your reports! Ugh, to be accused like this by my own junior…”

Atsushi ignored Dazai’s whining and grabbed Campbell’s shirt and started dragging him back inside where his sharp ears could hear the loud sounds of battle happening. He didn’t worry too much since Kyouka and the others hadn’t asked for a backup, but he picked up his pace just in case. Dazai quietly followed behind him, not commenting how Atsushi dragged the still unconscious man like a sad sack of trash.

Atsushi admitted that he was being petty, but he was forced to relief some really bad memories due to this mission. The man wasn’t even conscious to feel the carpet burn, so Atsushi didn’t feel that guilty.

Atsushi sighed in exhaustion as he sat on the ground of the small backyard of his dorm. Kyouka had gone to accompany the still shaken children as some of them had looked at her as if she was a hero. The young girl was absolutely flustered, but she took the role seriously and stayed behind with the children as the police processed the documents so they could go home, or help finding new homes for them. His shared dorm with Kyouka felt too stifling with just him alone, so he decided to take a walk to spend his restless energy.

The moon looked really beautiful tonight. Back in the orphanage and when he was still a homeless orphan, the full moon had always scared him because of his instinctive fear of his uncontrollable Ability. Now that he had a symbiotic relationship with Byakko, his fear was replaced with comfort as Byakko’s power peaked on full moon. But it also made him too restless to sleep the night away unless he was dead tired or heavily injured.

Suddenly, Byakko’s senses alerted him that he was not alone. Atsushi was about to stand up and faced the newcomer when a familiar voice calmed him down.

“Can’t sleep, Atsushi-kun?” Dazai approached him and sat on the ground by his side. Atsushi noticed that just like him, Dazai had changed to his usual clothing. While Dazai had looked absolutely breath taking wearing the suits, but Atsushi preferred him this way. There was a softness to this costume that made him more approachable and calming.

Beside, his heart was always beating loudly no matter what Dazai worn.

Atsushi nodded, his chest felt warm and light. “I’m not that tired from tonight’s mission, so Byakko is not satisfied yet.”

“He is one energetic kitty, isn’t he?” Atsushi couldn’t quite hide the flinch from hearing that nickname. Dazai had teased him many times by calling him that before, but tonight was the first time he had used it in such degrading manner. He was the one who suggested the nickname, thinking that it wouldn’t affect them like this. He was starting to regret that decision.

Dazai must had noticed, because his eyes softened as he looked at Atsushi. “I’m sorry for saying many degrading things about you tonight.”

“It’s for the mission, so it’s okay.” Atsushi laughed awkwardly, couldn’t quite meeting Dazai’s eyes. “It’s stupid for me to feel this way.”

“It’s not stupid to feel hurt, Atsushi-kun.” Dazai held Atsushi’s hand in his own. “Even if those words are just lies, they still hurt you badly. You are shaking when I was talking to that woman, Atsushi-kun.”

Atsushi blinked, looking up to meet Dazai’s warm eyes. “Was I?”

Dazai nodded. “Especially when she held your chin. I felt Byakko’s rage from being contained by my Ability.”

Atsushi remembered Byakko being vicious with his thought of ripping the woman to shreds, but he didn’t realize that it had bled through to him. It was really fortunate that Dazai stepped in and get the woman’s fingers off him before he could do anything drastic. “I’m sorry, I couldn’t keep up the act.”

“You did well, Atsushi-kun. You don’t have to be sorry.” Dazai caressed Atsushi’s hair gently. “You stayed silent and obedient the whole time. You didn’t expect to be touched by anyone.”

Atsushi sighed. He really hadn’t expected to be touched at all. If it was just words, Atsushi could tune them out of his mind. But being touched, especially when it was so unwanted and feared, sent him back to the time when he was in the orphanage. Byakko had responded to that familiar fear by attacking back without mercy. The days of the orphanage was behind him, but sometimes it came back to haunt his present life.

“Are you scared of me, Atsushi-kun?” Dazai asked with a small voice. “What you have witnessed tonight is my past. I used to be able to talk about other people’s life that way, uncaring and uninterested. I can’t say much have changed of me, but please remember that you are important to me. You are not someone I can throw aside.”

Atsushi looked up at Dazai in surprise. He had to admit the way Dazai could so casually reverted back to his old self back in the mafia scared him a little, but to actually hear that Dazai held him so highly calmed down that fear. That caution was still there, mostly it was Byakko’s natural instinct to protect both of them, but Atsushi could confidently take Dazai’s hands in his and smile genuinely. “Thank you, Dazai-san. I admit I was a bit scared, but I also know that you won’t treat me or anyone else in the Agency like that. You like us all, so to you we are precious.”

Atsushi knew that Dazai would work his hardest to protect them all. As long as Dazai was there, everything would be alright. “It’s true that I felt hurt hearing your words, but the hurt will heal since I know that you don’t mean anything you said. I’m not angry at you or hate you, Dazai-san.”

Dazai sighed fondly. “You are really too good for me, Atsushi-kun. I wonder how you could keep forgiving me.”

“Well, you usually have a good reason why you do the things you did. So as long as I knew the reason why, it’s easier for me to forgive you.” Like when Dazai had asked him to infiltrate Moby Dick despite the risks, and many other times he didn’t want to think about now. “Not to mention I’m a lovesick idiot who couldn’t stay mad at you for too long…”

“Eh?” Dazai’s eyes widened and it took a few moments before Atsushi realized what he had said and slapped his hand to his mouth.

“Nothing!” Atsushi almost yelled before he remembered that most people were asleep at this hour and lowered his volume to almost whisper. “Please forget everything that happened for the last minute. No, for the last fifteen seconds! I—I almost forgot that I left my phone at the Agency and I should get it tonight in case Kyouka-chan needs my assistance! Good night, Dazai-san!”

He almost begged for Byakko to lend him his power so he could transform his legs and get him out of there, but Dazai’s hand had grabbed his and Dazai’s nullification sealed that wishful thinking away.

“Atsushi, could you please repeat what you said?” Dazai’s held his hand with a vice like grip. Without Byakko’s strength, his own normal human strength found it hard to pull his hand away without making fun of himself. Or dislocated his shoulder.

“I asked you to forget it not to ask me to repeat it!” Atsushi cried out futilely, keeping his body turned away from Dazai so he didn’t have to see him. “It’s just my stupid unfiltered mouth revealing something that should be kept in secret forever!”

“So it’s true.” Dazai’s voice sounded… hopeful? Atsushi froze when his confused mind couldn’t find the disgust or rejection like he had expected. “I know that Ranpo-san had blatantly said to my face that I was blind, but I didn’t expect for you to return my feelings.”

“Huh?” Atsushi looked behind him fearfully. “Your… feelings?”

Dazai laughed, part relief and part amusement as he stood up as well. Atsushi cursed the height difference between them because now he had to look up and it was unfair how beautiful Dazai looked with moonlight behind him like a silver halo. The older man leaned his head to Atsushi’s, making the boy’s cheeks reddened like a ripe apple from how close their face was.

“I love you, Atsushi-kun. Has been for quite some time, actually.” Dazai smiled softly, his words sounded breathless like he was forcing the words out before it could disappear along with his courage. “I have noticed that you never rejected my flirting, but I hadn’t thought that it was possible for you to hold the same feelings.”

Atsushi’s eyes widened. Well, the two of them had the same thought then. “So do I.” Atsushi closed his eyes, feeling too overwhelmed to hold eye contact with Dazai. “I have been in love with you for… I don’t really know since when, probably since the beginning. I admired you a lot and it started as a hero crush, but then one day I realized that a simple crush is not enough for what I’ve been feeling for you lately.”

Dazai laughed, the sound warmed Atsushi’s heart from how rare it was. “No wonder the others are so annoyed at both of us. We have been so blind.”

Maybe one day Atsushi would tell Dazai that Byakko was getting really impatient too. “They do say that love is blind.” The fact that his love was not only accepted but returned too had slowly seeped through his brain and his heart soared. He felt so giddy that only Dazai’s hold on him anchored him down to earth. “I don’t think I will be able to sleep tonight.”

“Hmm…” being this close to Dazai, Atsushi could almost hear the gears in his brain running. “Say, Atsushi-kun… we ended up never danced at all at the party, right?”

“I don’t think Kunikida-san is going to let us dance at the party. Not to mention I have never learned how to dance either, so I would step all over your toes.” Besides, it would be really uncomfortable for him to dance in the center of so many people. He would freeze up with countless eyes staring at him, judging him from behind the safety of the masks.

“No worries, I can’t dance too.” Dazai lifted his head and Atsushi missed the warmth already. But Dazai took his hands and shifted them to the position of what Atsushi had learnt as waltz from the many books he had read. “We can step on each other toes and laugh about it.”

Dazai started to sway their bodies together and Atsushi yelped as he had troubles keeping up. “We don’t even have music!”

“Then I will sing.” Dazai winced when Atsushi stepped on his toes. “Maybe we should just use our phone for music then. Turn up the volume full blast!”

“People are sleeping Dazai-san!” Atsushi laughed when he felt Dazai’s foot stepped over his. They would probably end up with bruised toes in the morning.

The two of them continue to dance. It was a chaotic dance; both of them stumbled over their steps and couldn’t even count how many times their toes were sacrificed. The only light they had was the bright moonlight that shone on the two of them. The only music they danced to was the breathless laughter from the two of them. They would probably share bowls of ochazukes after their legs turned to jelly and they were too tired to cook anything else. Both of them didn’t wear any expensive suits or jewelry, just their usual everyday clothes that had become so familiar with each other. There were no masks between them, both of their hearts longing to see and reached out for the person in front of them.

It was a dance for the two of them, witnessed only by the moon high up in the sky.

#dazatsu #my fic #dazatsuexchange2019 #tw : human trafficking #tw : sex slaves #the first time I used warning tags ahoy #remember people it's a bad decision to write at night #don't be like me and write until five in the morning #I have seen angels crying from my bad life decision #well I did have written this from two weeks ago #but my perfectionist nature hated all three story that I have written #so I decided that this will be the last #I'm still not satisfied #but my brain is tired #my soul is leaving my body #so here it is #on the other hand #I have this unused drafts that I will probably rewrite #undercover dazatsu fics here we go

39 notes · View notes

master-riku · 7 years

Text

[Bungou Stray Dogs] 55 Minutes Part 3

BACK TO TRANSLATIONS

Disclaimer: [ The translation pace is solely dependent on the lone translator’s availability. Also, this translation was made for myself who is still studying the Japanese language, so the translation might not be up to par to some people’s tastes. Again, I translate pretty liberally. ]

Notes: Also this is a very short portion, but the next one should take longer to translate - but its a hefty 30 pages. Lol. So, anyway...

Atsushi was walking on the cobbled street alone.

After completing preparations at the hotel, and after a quick meeting about future plans, Kunikida instructed Atsushi to go and meet the Captain. Kunikida will come afterwards.

For whatever reason, someone had made a procedure error in the accomodation and Tanizaki and his sister, Naomi, were given the same room.

"This is no good at all," Kunikida then ran to correct the procedure error with his face changing colors.

Atsushi looked around restlessly at his surroundings. Everything that caught his eyes seemed new. The stucco houses with a slate blowing roof, the stone gargoyle statues standing still while gazing at the sky, the white libraries with elaborate eaves were not part of the land he was born and raised. Only in books, would he be able to see the scenery of London from old photographs.

I really seem to be in a new country, Atsushi thought. He had no experience of overseas travel, so that was why the ship was, in a sense, his first foreign experience.

Atsushi almost felt like he was in a fairy tale.

In a backalley, there is a fairy, there is a king and queen in a castle, and there's Jack the Ripper sharpening his knife with a creepy smile in the dark underground. He breathed in, the fantastical vision spreading even to his lungs. Then when Atsushi looked down at the scenery, he heard a loud voice.

"Run away, follow me!"

Quietly, a loud and noisy voice reached Atsushi's ears. Busy adults were rushing through. What are they fussing about? Atsushi stretched his neck.

"Call the police squad!" "Did you see the face?!" "Quiet about the stolen goods!" Atsushi responded swiftly to the word "stolen."

There was an uproar in the southeat. Something was stolen.

--- The request was to catch a theif on the island.

Kunikida's speech came back to him.

Atsushi ran almost reflexively.

The noise seemed to be taking place in the cargo area near the harbor.　It was an area that carried in luggage, different from the passage Atsushi and the others entered from.

There are warehouses made of bricks. Several men in blue uniforms who seemed to be officials on the island were running away in the stone wall alleys of London.

"Hey, you. Have you seen a tall man with black hair around here?"

Suddenly, one of the officials spoke to him, Atsushi widened his eyes in alarm.

"Eh...ah, no, I didn't see anyone..." He finally answered.

"If you see them, please report to the police department!" With that said, the official ran.

"U-UHM!" Atsushi called out to the officer who's back was retreating. "What happened? Was anything stolen?"

"There was an illegal entry!" The staff cried before running away from the alley and becoming invisible.

"Illegal entry?" Atsushi tried to imagine a face in his head. There was an illegal entry in this island...What did that mean? People who did not have permission to enter. But what in the world for?

"Atsushi-kun, hey, Atsushi-kun!"

For a moment, Atsushi looked around his surroundings. The uproar was far away, and there was no one around the vicinity.

"Atsushi-kun. Ufufufu. What are you doing in a place like that? I'm over here, over here!"

This voice...

Atsushi looked for the source of the voice, and suddenly kept an eye on a street corner.

There was an zinc garbage can. It was painted in an inconspicuous gray so as not to stand out in the English city landscape.

The garbage can must have been near the height of Atsushi's waist. It also was sealed by a tin cover.

The garbage can was shaking and rattling. Bewildered, Atsushi approached it. Placing a hand on the lid, he dared to open it.

"Baa!" "Uwaa!"

Surprised, Atsushi fell on his butt while still holding onto the lid.

Dazai was within the garbage can.

Disheveled hair and a sand-colored coat. White bandages wrapped around a neck. An unreadable face laced with a smile.

"How unusual for us to meet at a place like this?"

"W-..... What are you doing in there, Dazai-san!" Atsushi shouted. Kunikida had explained that Dazai was supposed to have been at the gathering place.

...Could it be...

"Hey, you. Have you seen a tall man with black hair around here?"

"Dazai-san, are you....the illegal entrant?"

"That's great, Atsushi-kun. Just like a detective's reasoning. It's so pleasing to have one's subordinate grow up so fast."

Dazai laughs happily. As for Atsushi, he was not able to understand half of anything Dazai was talking about.

Dazai is his senior and the first person to admit him into the detective agency. To Atsushi, he is a senior, a superior, and a benefactor who had saved him. He is all of those things, but...

"Ahh, I was so successful with entering, but I was found out by the staff on the way, so I hid in the garbage can to escape the trouble. Since I didn't have time to take out any of the trash, my body is so smelly, right now. However, there's a wonderful feeling to being a part of meaningless trash, I wonder if I should live here.

No other words came out from Atsushi other than "Ha......"

The ADA can never read Dazai's actions. At work, Dazai often collaborated with Kunikida and the others, and every time he has a stomachache. Even so, the cases involving Dazai are always solved in an ideal way for some reason. And each and every time Atsushi watches him, wondering how in the world Dazai is going to tie up the next case.

"But Dazai-san, even if you do not have trouble entering the island illegally, shouldn't you have just ridden the same boat as us?"

"There are three answers to that question," Dazai wagged his finger. "First of all, I wanted to see what goes behind the scenes around here since this is a strange island. Secondly, Kunikida has recently got too used to my behavior and his reactions have become too normal, so I am aiming to surprise him! And lastly, it's still in the midst of progress, but there's another order we've received regarding the method of smuggling inside this island."

"Ha....Another order...is Dazai-san's work different from the thief extermination?"

"The thief extermination is only a part of the danger occuring on this island," Dazai's said with his smile suddenly disappearing.

Atsushi felt the surrounding temperature drop to several degrees just from that.

"A....danger..." Atsushi somehow squeezed out of his throat.

"That's right. ........Please report to me if you see a man with a camera hanging from his neck, he wears a black suit and carries an attache case. Oh, and you better not try to capture them, they're a very dangerous person. If you make one wrong move, you could blow up Yokohama."

"Huh...?"

Suddenly, Atsushi felt dizzy and furrowed his brows. Yokohama might blow up? "What does that mean....?"

"I'm still in the middle of investigating further details. But, for now, you guys will have to concentrate on exterminating the thieves because if that's not done, then I cannot continue from here. Also, would you please take the lid for a moment?" Dazai's smile returned as he pointed at the lid at Atsushi's feet. It's the lid that belonged to the garbage can that Dazai was in. Atsushi handed it over, puzzled.

"Thank you," Dazai said when he received it. "Oh, I almost forgot to mention, I knew before arriving here that there would be Port Mafia members on the island. Up until now, I didn't know who, but you better be careful."

"The Port Mafia...?"

Atsushi frowned. He had no good memories of the Port Mafia. It is an unlawful organization that takes residence in Yokohama.And it is tied with the Detective Agency of whom has had conflict with many times.

"Don't make such a scary face," Dazai said with a gentle voice. "They will rarely appear in places with many people. Even if something does happen, no one can catch up to Atsushi-kun fleeing!" Dazai smiled kindly. "Now then, I will pray for your success in work!"

Dazai then re-entered the garbage can and closed the lid on himself. With a light voice, the trash can jumped and rolled sideways all the way to the back of the alley and down a slope.

"Bon voyage!!!"

Leaving with an unnecessarily bright voice, Dazai rolled away.

Rolling down the hilly slope, the trash can vanished in due time.

Later, Atsushi was left alone standing still.

"Got used to that person...huh....Kunikida-san is amazing..."

#55 minutes translation #my translation:55 #bungou stray dogs #55min

360 notes · View notes

mengestress · 8 years

Text

Nip at the Bud

Rating: General Audiences Category: M/M Fandoms: Bungou Stray Dogs Relationships: Kunikida Doppo/ Tanizaki Junichirou, Tanizaki Junichirou & Tanizaki Naomi Day 2: Hanahaki//Dreams “However, there are some people in this world that you can just never forget.” - Kunikida Doppo, River Mist and Other Stories

Read on AO3

The thumping sound of someone running across the room caused Naomi to stir on her sleep. She turned around and forced herself to open her eyes before sitting up and checking on her brother.

She sees the door of their bathroom opened slightly, the light coming from inside pouring out and lighting up the rest of the room slightly. As she got closer, she could hear the disgusting belching sounds of someone vomiting. She carefully opens the door to see her older brother hunched over the toilet bowl.

She immediately ran to his side and rubbed the back of his neck, giving him words or reassurance. For what seemed like hours, he finally stopped vomiting into the bowl. He laid back and Naomi quickly grabbed a glass of water and made him chug the whole thing down. She made a move to flush the toilet but halted when she saw yellow and green flowers in the toilet. She blinked a few times and stared at her brother, who was looking down at the half-full glass of water in shame. He has the Hanahaki Disease.

The Hanahaki Disease is an illness born from one-sided love, where the patient throws up and coughs up flower petals when they suffer from one-sided love. The infection can be removed through surgery, but the feelings disappear along with the petals. But considering her brother, there’s no way he’d want to go through surgery.

But then again, it could also cause death. The flowers would accumulate so much that it would block the lungs and windpipe, causing a lack of air for the patient. The sound of her brother coughing weakly brought her back from her thoughts. She immediately pressed the flush down and helped lift her brother up to their room. She decided to deal with this by asking Yosano tomorrow morning.

“The only other way to cure this disease is by having the patient’s feelings reciprocated,” Yosano says. “So far, no other methods have been discovered. This type of disease is hardly ever talked about, it is a very sensitive subject.”

Well, it does talk about one-sided love. “Who do you think my brother would have feelings for?” Naomi looks at the bag of flowers on her lap. “I didn’t even know he had feelings for other people. Even if he did, he hid it pretty well.”

“That’s Light Snow for you,” Yosano pushes up her glasses and leans forward on her desk. “Can i take a look at the petals?”

Naomi placed the bag on her desk slowly. She watched as the older woman take a peek at it and hummed in approval. She tied the bag up again and slid it back to her. “Well?”

“I can already guess who it might be,” she smirked. Something on her face tells that it must be someone they both know. “But it would be better if you asked him.”

“Thank you, Yosano-san!” She stood up from her chair and bowed. She looked at the bag of petals one last time before closing it and shoving it into her desk drawer.

The petals were yellow in colour, fading out into a bright green at the edges. She first suspected it was Kenji, since he had bright yellow hair. But she knew Junichirou only saw him as a younger brother, just like how Atsushi saw Kyouka as a younger sister.

That brought her suspicion to the weretiger. Her brother was undoubtedly close with Atsushi. Everytime the two were together, it blinded the entire Agency because of their purity and adorableness. She shook her head, Junichirou only loved Atsushi platonically. The two were extremely close but neither of them had actual romantic feelings for the other.

Her eyes began to roam the room to try and find who would her brother actually have feelings for. She saw him interact with all them the same way. But of course with Kunikida, he’d fidget a lot like playing with his sleeves or the hem of his shirt. It was logical, Kunikida was a frightening man in Junichirou’s perspective.

Junichirou would always talk really softly when speaking to him and sometimes tuck his hair behind his ear. He hardly made any eye contact with him, staring at the ground or wherever except Kunikida. He would even blush at just talking to him!

“Oh,” It finally hit her like a pile of bricks. His blonde hair, his green eyes, that tiny green book of ideals. Of course it’d be him.

She stared at the back of the man’s head and started to wonder how in the world had she not seen it sooner. She definitely had to make sure his love was reciprocated, no matter how many years it takes. For the sake of his health and love life, she’ll do it.

Junichirou felt like he was going to die. Every second was agonizing pain. The burning sensation in his lungs, the petals blocking up his windpipe and causing him to cough it up, making his whole body shake violently. It made him hard to breathe, every second the petals just keep growing more and more.

He couldn’t even focus on his work, everything was a blur. His breathe was shaky and his chest felt like it was going to explode. Who knew coughing up petals was so exhausting?

“Tanizaki, are you okay?” A hand rested on his back and a large figure loomed over him. He tilted his head up to look at whoever it was. “You can go back early if want to, I’ll cover up the rest of your work.”

“No! No,” Junichirou rubbed his eyes and shook his head, a sudden feeling of determination surged through him. “I-i’m fine. I can get through the rest of the day just fine.”

He looked up at Kunikida again, a smile plastered across his face in reassurance. He felt another cough building up. He quickly looked away from the man and brought a hand to cover his mouth as more petals were being coughed up. No way could the one man he had feelings for find out he had the Hanahaki disease.

A worried look was given by Kunikida. How does he manage to look so stern and strict, and yet show so much concern for him? Maybe Junichirou was just hallucinating. It must be some sort of side-effect from the disease.

“Alright, but if you really can’t handle it, feel free to rest in the infirmary or just leave earlier.” A tight squeeze on the shoulder and with that, the man left to sit back at his desk. Junichirou clenched his fists, his nails digging into the petals he had coughed up, teeth gritted.

Damn stupid disease, he couldn’t imagine having to live like this for the rest of his life. But the one truly to blame for was himself. He shouldn’t have let himself fall head over heels for his own co-worker. Especially not the one that was a total workaholic!

This wasn’t his first day coughing up flower petals. He’s known about it for days now, even before Naomi found out. It just wasnt as brutal and he was better at hiding it. But ever since that night, his condition has gotten worse. The coughing happened more than often, he was forced to bring extra paper bags just to hide them.

He mustn’t let anyone else know about this. Especially not the idealistic man himself. Anyone but him. He couldn’t bear the thought of him finding out that he had the one-sided love disease that was nothing more than just a urban legend. No one ever talked about it to the point where everyone seems to think of it as just fiction, as if the disease wasn’t an actual thing. Not that the disease was a topic that anyone would openly share about. An unrequited love is a very sensitive topic, no one in their right mind would even think to bring it up.

It pains Junichirou to think that Kunikida would never reciprocate his feelings. He knew it would never happen in the first place, but thinking about it made his heart ache. Kunikida was too uptight and focused on his work to care about his love life. Plus, according to Atsushi and Dazai, his standards of a lover is… indescribable. Unbelievable, even. Junichirou couldn’t even imagine what half of those things were.

Maybe I should go through the surgery after all…

“Nii-sama, that’s nothing like you to think that way!”

“Naomi, think about it. He’ll never like me back, he’s too caught up in his work and I doubt he even has the time to date! Not only that but who would even want to waste their time on some scrawny anxiety-filled teen like me? He is way out of my league and I have zero chance with him.”

“Atleast give it a try!”

“He’s too oblivious and dense to pick up a hint. Admit it Naomi, there’s nothing we can do to fix thi-” Junichirou starts to cough violently, petals falling through the gaps of his fingers.

Naomi rushes to the kitchen to grab a glass of water and brings a paper bag for him to hold onto, just in case.

“Like I said,” He wipes the spit from his lips with his sleeve and stares at the disgusting pile of petals mixed with his saliva on the ground and on his hand. “I have to go through that surgery, Naomi. There’s no other way.”

The words hung between them, both of them taking their own time to let it all sink in. It wasn’t like her brother to think like that. She knew him long enough to know that he wouldn’t do this. But apparently, she’d been proven wrong. She couldnt do anything, she felt helpless. She desperately wanted to help her brother. He had done so much for her, taken care of her ever since they were young when their parents were gone. He spent his whole life taking care of her, he often forgets to take care of himself.

Her brother has always been the selfless type. To the point where he would gladly sacrifice himself just for the sake of others. He would do anything to protect her and to keep her healthy and safe. For her brother to willing get rid of his feelings for the sake of being alive and well to avoid having her take care of him, was the most selfless yet selfish thing to do.

“Atleast…” Junichirou lifted his head up to look at his sister, her eyes brimmed with tears. Her hands were shaking and her lips were pursed. “Atleast give it a try… please…?”

He felt his breathe hitch. The last thing he wanted to do was to make his little sister worry. He quickly pulled her into a warm embrace and held her tightly. He ran his fingers through her hair and pressed his lips against the top of her head. “Alright, Naomi. I’ll try…”

“…Thank you.”

It was a weekend, the office was closed, and Junichirou had plans to just laze around at home doing nothing and catching up on his sleep after the sleepless nights of vomiting up petals. But sadly, it did not go his way since his younger sister was always two steps ahead of him.

“When I said I would give it a try, I didn’t mean go on a date with the one man I had feelings for!” The two siblings were sat at the dinner table the night before when the younger sibling decided to drop the big news.

“C'mon, Nii-sama! Who knows? Maybe that knucklehead does have feelings for you after all,”

“Keyword: ‘maybe’,” Junichirou shoved food into his mouth and chewed angrily. Naomi giggled at how adorable he looked, his cheeks red from anger and maybe a little bit of embarrassment, the food in his mouth making him resemble a chipmunk. “Don’t laugh at me when I’m trying to be mad at you!”

“Sorry, sorry! You’re just really cute, Nii-sama. Without a doubt, one date with you and that man will be wrapped around your finger. Trust me on this one!” Junichirou sighed, finally accepting his fate.

And now, here he is standing in front of the place where Naomi had agreed for the both of them to meet. He wished he could have just stayed at home the whole day, where there were plenty of water and paper bags that he could throw up in.

Now that he was in public, he’ll have to be more discreet with his petals. Especially with Kunikida around. He made sure to bring extra paper bags and a few handkerchiefs just in case. He brought one out from his pocket and coughed into it, a few petals wet from his saliva stuck on it. He scrunched his nose in disgust and folded the handkerchief before stuffing it back in his pocket.

“Good afternoon, Tanizaki,” a voice startled him, causing him to jump up slightly. A hand rested on his shoulder, as if to stop him from running away or jumping any higher. “Sorry, I didn’t mean to scare you. I hope I wasn’t too late.”

“N-no! You aren’t late at all. I was just here a few minutes earlier y-y'know, I-I didn’t want to end up making you wait for me..”

They both stand there, an awkward silence between them. It only lasted for a few seconds before the older man cleared his throat before speaking. “So, you want to get this date started?”

“O-oh, right. Yes, of course!” Dammit, he forgot it was supposed to be a date! How do dates usually go? Do they go to a cafe and eat first? “Would you like to go grab something to eat?”

“That sounds like a good idea,”

"I know a cafe that Naomi and I tend to frequent. We know a few people who work there so we might get a good deal!“ Junichirou turned around to start walking but ended up almost getting hit by a motorcycle if it weren’t for Kunikida’s quick reflexes.

"Be more careful, Tanizaki. You might get yourself hurt,” His arm was wrapped completely around him, his hand rested on his waist. Junichirou’s smaller hands were resting against his broad chest, looking up at him in surprise. They both stare at each other before pulling apart, both of their faces red.

“S-sorry, I’ll be more careful next time.”

Kunikida stuck an arm out, his face turned away from him. “Here. Hold onto me while we walk so we don’t lose each other in the crowd.” Junichirou might’ve been hallucinating but he swears he saw a dust of pink on his cheeks as he asked that.

“O-okay,” He hesitantly wrapped both arms around the other’s before leading them both to their destination.

Upon reaching there, they were immediately greeted by several workers, including the janitors. They waved at them as Junichirou walked past them, finding a seat for the both of them. Once they were both seated, a waitress came up to them and grinned cheekily at Junichirou.

“What can I get you two love birds?” She winked at them. Both turning bright red, unsure of what to say. They weren’t exactly in love- not requited, anyway- nor were they dating. But this is a date..

“I would like to just get a cup of chamomile tea, please,” Kunikida spoke up, a tint of red could still be seen on his face. “And bring honey as well.”

“You like it sweet, eh? Well, Jun-kun is perfect for you then,” She winked yet again before turning to face Junichirou to take his order. “What about you, sweetie?”

“J-just hot chocolate, please…”

“Mm, hot and creamy,” She writes down the order while smiling to herself. “Just how you like your-”

“Go and find other people to bother, please!” Junichirou is basically red to the tip of his ears, trying to push the waitress away from the table, who was too busy laughing hysterically to care.

“Wait, wait-! You haven’t even ordered your food!”

Junichirou quickly spat out his order, followed by Kunikida calmly ordering his. After she had written everything down she left the two alone, he felt a wave of relief come over him. Now he doesn’t have to go through that awkward scene anymore.

“That was… interesting,” Kunikida spoke up. “Do you know her?”

“Yes, she’s a friend of mine and Naomi’s. Like I said, we both come here often so we know a lot of people who work here,” The waitress bursts out laughing once more, this time with another worker at the cashier. “Including her and her other friend.”

“Are they always like this?”

“Yeah, she’s got a real habit of laughing obnoxiously loud. But she’s pretty cool to hang out with if I’m honest. They’re all really nice and fun to be with, plus, their food and drinks are to die for.”

He unconciously tucks his hair behind his ear, his gaze on the table. He didn’t realize that the older man was staring at him, a weird, new feeling growing inside of him. He also didn’t realize the soft smile on his face as he stared at him.

After they were done, they exited the cafe. Junichirou looked back and waved at them as several workers were shouting “bye"s at him. He turned back in front and smiled to himself. Kunikida stuck his arm out again, and this time, Junichirou willingly wrapped his arms around it.

"Where to?” Kunikida asks. His face was stoic and emotionless, as if he didn’t enjoy himself. What if he actually didn’t like Junichirou at all. What if he was just pretending to like him this whole time for the sake of teamwork and friendship? What if he was forced against his own will to go on a date with him because of his sister? What if- “Tanizaki? Are you okay?”

“What? Oh, yes- yes, yes! I-I’m okay,” He mentally smacked himself. He was too anxious that he wasn’t aware of his surroundings. “Uh, I don’t really have any idea on what to do…”

“It’s alright. We could just walk around town and see if there’s anything interesting,” Kunikida proceeded to walk, tugging Junichirou along with him through the crowd.

There were suddenly a lot more people than before, Junichirou’s grip on Kunikida’s arm tightened and he unconciously moved closer to his body. He was never a big fan of crowds, especially packed ones. He made it an effort to always stay indoors when there was something going on or when it was a crucial time of the day for everyone to go out.

Suddenly Kunikida pulled his arms away. Junichirou felt a pang of sadness hit him. He thought maybe he was gripping too hard on his arm or maybe he was being too close for comfort. He was ready to apologize before he felt the same arm wrap around him and pulled him closer. His hand held onto the other side of his arm, keeping him close.

Junichirou, not knowing what to do with his arms now that their free, wraps them around himself. They both walk like this as they look at different shops and their contents. Junichirou would stop to see whatever clothings they were selling and he’d be so fascinated.

Little did he realize, Kunikida had been staring at him the whole time. He kept watching him and seeing the different adorable expressions he makes. He looked so innocent and cute, it was overwhelming. How could a man possibly control himself around him or at the very least, not develop feelings for the young man?

“Kunikida-san! Kunikida-san, look!” The younger male was jumping up and down excitedly like a little boy seeing his favourite toy. He was tugging at his sleeve, like how a child would tug their mother’s. “It’s a puppy! It’s so cute!”

He runs to the window of the let shop and rests his hands on the pane, staring at the shiba inu who was doing the same action. Kunikida swears he could see a dog tail wagging and dog ears on Junichirou. That would be an interesting sight…

“Kunikida-san, look how cute it is! It’s so tiny and fluffy- ugh, I wanna hug it!” Junichirou threw himself onto Kunikida, his arms wrapped around his middle.

Kunikida felt his heart speed up as he realized what was going on. Junichirou was hugging him. He was rubbing his face on his chest, his body pressed up close against his. He was definitely too adorable, Kunikida was going to die at age 22, in the arms of an angel.

Junichirou must’ve realized what he was doing because he stopped his actions and about to step away before Kunikida rested a hand on his head. He looked up at him, his cheeks flustered and his eyes shining with hope.

“Y-yea, it does look pretty cute too…” Kunikida mutters it, but loud enough for Junichirou to hear. Both of their faces heating up. Kunikida covered his bottom half with his hand, Junichirou shoved his face back into Kunikida’s chest.

Kunikida-san just called me 'cute’…! “Th-thank you…”

“Just stating the truth,” He clears his throat, red still seen on his face.

The dog, unaware of the situation, started barking and jumping around in it’s cage. Junichirou smiled at it and blew a kiss to it. “Sorry, we should be getting back now. I hope you find a good home!”

The sun was already setting when the both of them decided to head back home. They were in their original positions, Junichirou with both arms wrapped around Kunikida’s. They were mostly silent throughout the walk, Junichirou had found a rock big enough for him to kick around.

When he kicked the rock too hard, it fell into the road. Getting lost among the other rocks on it. “Ah, damn. Hey- that’s my place.”

“So this is goodbye,” Kunikida says before pulling away from the other. “I hope you had a great day today. I know I did”

“Don’t make it sound so dramatic! And.. yeah, I did have a great day with you,” Junichirou was playing with the hem of his shirt, avoiding eye contact with the other man.

Kunikida found himself smiling and before he was aware of what he was doing, he lifted up the other’s chin and pressed his lips against his forehead. “Goodnight, Junichirou.”

He turned around before the younger male could even process what just happened. It happened too fast, too short. He lifted a hand up to touch the spot where Kunikida kissed him. His hand slipped down to his cheek, bringing the other hand to the other side. He felt his face warm up for the umpteenth time.

And the best part of it all, he no longer felt the need to cough up anymore petals.

#i feel like this is so shitty but i hope this is good enough #huhu #kunichirou #kunikida doppo #tanizaki junichirou #bsd #bungou stray dogs #bsd rarepairweek #day 2

22 notes · View notes

marlikesthings · 8 years

Text

This time I decided to make a post about the Tanizaki’s siblings. I put them both together since they are strongly linked one another. You can’t talk about one without mentioning the other. Anyway, like for my previous posts, I will write here why I love them and why they should be more appreciated.

First, I will talk about Tanizaki Junichiro. The first time we met Junichiro is during Atsushi’s entrance exam. He appears as a criminal tired of life, who wants to talk to the president. I feel the need, before continuing, to point out what an amazing actor Junichiro is. He had Atsushi and the readers totally fooled. Actually, had the agency not know that this was all an act, I wonder if they would have noticed he was pretending to be someone else. Dazai might have noticed though, because well, he is Dazai.

Tanizaki is a character that has a lot of potential, and I am glad the last manga chapter gave us more insight on his character. But, before talking about that, I want to talk about his partnership with Atsushi. Both of them are comically referred to as a group of wimps. Because they always worry too much, and they seem at first glance to be kind of cowards. That is obviously far from the truth. While both of them are indeed level headed, and the most “normal” ones at the agency, if you mess with their loved ones they will respond. And it won’t be beautiful to see. Especially Junichiro (since this appreciation post is dedicated, in part, to him, I will only talk about his case).

He seems to be shy, kind of awkward, level headed, but do not let this deceive you. Do not mess with Naomi or he will destroy you. The reason why I really liked chapter 48, was because, through the words of Hirotsu, we learn that Junichiro’s abilities are suited for being an assassin. Even without his words we get to see a different Tanizaki (similar to the one we saw during his fight with Steinbeck). This Tanizaki was ready to kill. He managed to fool the black lizard, an assassination squad of port mafia. I mean, if this isn’t amazing I don’t know what it is. He could have killed Gin right there if he wanted to. And what to say about his exchange with Tachihara. They all seemed afraid of Tanizaki, and at that time, he hadn’t done anything yet. Just his look was enough to send them chills in their backs. And once again I feel the need to mention, this is the mafia who we are talking about, they have probably faced so many strong adversaries, yet this guy, who for all they knew was one of the weakest among the agency members was defying them. No, he was ready to kill them without a second thought. I hope the black lizard will think twice before threatening to hurt Naomi in front of Junichiro. Also, interesting fact, they wanted to use him as a spy for port mafia. The reason why they probably thought he will be good for the job, was most likely because no one would suspect him. I mean Tanizaki doesn’t really stand out among the members, which is a skill needed for any good spy.

I like Junichiro, because there is so much more to him, than what it seems. He is an agency member, and as such he had to pass his own exam entrance to prove he was worthy of being an agency member. Aren’t agency members supposed to value life and not kill? (Unless the situation really requires so. The interesting fact about the agency is that while they are supposed to be the good guys, they aren’t really. Everyone there, except Atsushi for obvious reason (this guy is too pure and he probably believes everyone can be saved), Ranpo (because he couldn’t kill anyone even if he wanted to. He is smart, but he is also weak, and besides, that would probably be too troublesome for him. Unless, you touch the president. Then he won’t be playing anymore) and Kenji (although his case is particular, since he doesn’t seem to care, it’s like nothing surprises him. I want to see him getting mad). I do picture the others as being able to kill. Yosano abilities are made to save people, but she is strong and won’t doubt to stand up for people she cares. And, if there were to be a situation in which killing the enemy was the only solution, I think, she would do it. Same with Kunikida, the guy is an idealist, but he knows fully well he is not a hero. He did plan on leaving Kyouka behind during Atsushi’s rescue mission. Though this is due to a trauma and he is one of the kindest characters, but still). I’ve always thought that more than being the good guys they were more in the middle, in a grey zone. They aren’t bad guys (except for Dazai), but they do the jobs they are assigned to do and then leave. They know they can’t help everyone, so they don’t even try. That doesn’t make them bad persons, but it makes one wonder). Junichiro is a good example of a grey character. He is nice yes, but the fact that as soon as his sister is in danger, or even at the possibility of his sister being in danger he is willing to forget about morals, makes you wonder why was he even accepted at the agency. I say this because his values, everything he believes crumbles way to easily (he is different from Kunikida who tries so strongly to protect his ideals). But I like that about him. He feels like a character people could identify with (of course, not the killing part), but the part about him that wants to protect its loved ones is so real. He loves Naomi and therefore won’t forgive anyone hurting her. And that’s fine. Either way, in order to survive in the agency, especially now that they are at war with the mafias, they have to be more careful than ever. Junichiro must have his own reasons to join the agency and so does Naomi (although in her case, it was most likely to be with her brother), but losing Naomi is the one thing Junichiro wouldn’t forgive. Everyone at the agency must have their own reason why they joined, but I do believe the agency has become a place they could call home. Losing a member would be losing, not just a comrade, but a family member. And in Junichiro’s and Naomi’s case, it wouldn’t be just losing someone who is like a family member, but it would be losing someone with whom they share a lot of memories, their own blood, someone who can’t simply be replaced. That’s why I think Junichiro is so protective of Naomi. She doesn’t have any abilities, but she is so cheerful, full of live, and she is also younger than him. His life wouldn’t be the same without her, and he knows it. While their relationship is hard to describe, with Naomi always seducing him, it has become a part of their routine they don’t want to lose.

Second, I will be talking about Naomi. Her part will be shorter because we don't really know much about her. Well, I already mentioned her before, while talking about Junichiro, but this girl is cheerful, nice, friendly, she is such an outgoing person, hard to not love. She has a strong personality, and loves her brother a lot. Maybe too much. She is always trying to seduce her brother, and from what she says, it makes one wonder what happens when the two of them are alone in their apartment. But, while she is often used as comic relief (for example, immediately after Atsushi's exam entrance, (where she acted like a prisoner in the hands of a crazy person) she went straight to her brother, trying to seduce him. This allowed the tension that Atsushi was feeling to calm down a little bit. Though he still didn't understand what was happening), and she is not an active member of the agency (but a clerk) since she has no abilities, she shouldn't be underestimated. This girl is intelligent, and has she had an ability, I have no doubt she would be at least at Yosano's level. Which means, she would have been a strong ability user. We can see this in chapter 23, where her and Haruno tried to escape from the grasp of Steinbeck and lovecraft.

She listened to Dazai's advice and used it accordingly to the situation. They didn't manage to run away, but you have to give her credit for maintaining her calm in this situation. Especially since unlike her brother she isn't used to being chased by the mafia. Her job is to take care of the paperwork not this. Also, when Junichiro and Atsushi were tricked by Higuchi, and their lives were put in danger, Naomi used her own body to protect her brother from the impact of the bullets. And I will once again repeat, she is supposed to be a normal worker. She is so brave, so strong, and so courageous that is hard to not admire her. Also, we saw how scared she was when Atsushi attacked her in chapter 25, and why wouldn't she? She almost died at the hands of someone she probably considers a friend. Someone who also happens to be really strong. Though, it wasn't Atsushi's fault since he was being controlled by Q, but still. Yet, chapters later, when Atsushi went to excuse himself, she (and Haruno) had already forgotten what happened, they didn't hate him for what he did. They understood. She is so precious and I love her. Admire her beauty:

#tanizaki junichiro #bsd #bungou stray dogs #tanizaki naomi #mar rambles #armed detective agency

29 notes · View notes

elliotthezubat · 5 years

Text

DEATH CITY DAYS CHAPTER 120

into the nether we go! (again)

Ragnarok: -_______- *gritted teeth* "Thank you, come again...GAH, THESE CUSTOMERS ARE THE WORST!"

kyouko: tough first day?

Ragnarok: "I hate these flipping customers and want to kill them."

kyouko: well, murder's illegal, so best you can do is grin and bear it.

Ragnarok: "..." *CREEPY BIG-TEETH DEMONIC GRIN*

kyouko:.... ._.

-elsewhere-

Danro: *slams open the door to his office...secretaries are seated, doing various tasks and talking until he marches in*

secretary: *looks up*

Secretary 2: "!!!" *stands up, salutes* "SIR!"

secretary: *does the same*

Danro: *salute* "At ease..." *marches by--then stops to look at photos* "...Wait, is this a new one of little Melody? How did she get so big?!!!"

secretary 3: yes, she starts kindergarden this September.

Danro: "How time flies! Congratulations! I'm sure you're worried sick to send her away!"

secretary 3: it is pretty scary, but im sure things will work out, right?

Danro: "..." *nods* "Good...Good attitude...I have work to finish. Take a message if anyone calls--unless family."

secretary: yes sir.

Danro: *marches into his office...sits down at his desk...buries his head in his hands*

{baby!maki: dada! up! up!}

{Danro: "Hee hee! As you wish..." *lifts her up, making an airplane ZOOM noise*}

{baby!maki: *laughs*}

*drip drip*

Danro: *shedding tears onto his desk*

-elsewhere-

Takehisa: "..."

{Takehisa: *drops his suitcase* "Well, here we are."}

{Akitaru: *staring up at the dilapidated cathedral* "...BEAUTIFUL!" *turns to Maki* "Isn't that right, cadet?! Or, um...Oze."}

{maki: just maki is fine, u-unless that's too unprofessional-}

{Takehisa: "You should refer to your commanding officer as 'sir,' or 'Commander Obi,' cadet."}

{maki: s-sorry sir!}

{Akitaru: *slaps Takehisa on the back* "Relax, Hinawa! We're firefighters! What, the military didn't take the stick out your butt when discharging you?"

{Takehisa: "...There is nothing up there, sir."}

{Akitaru: "...Maki, be honest--is he always this relaxed?"}

{maki: not that I can remember?}

{Akitaru: *smiles* "Then we'll need to do something about that!" *drops his bags off his shoulders--all 15 of them* "Starting with giving our new haunt a paint job!"}

Takehisa: "..." *shifts a photo hanging on the wall, showing the three of them in paint-covered overalls in front of the cathedral*

-elsewhere-

miyuri: papa? what's 'IKEA'?

Chuuya: "A furniture store."

miyuri: oooooh! is that where you got mito's castle?

mito: *at the top of the cat tower, lounging in the sunlight*

Chuuya: "Yeah, actually, it is..."

miyuri: WOW!

Chuuya: "They have a lot of furniture, but I did an online order--I didn't want to get lost in the store."

miyuri: ??

Chuuya: "Oh--Ikea's pretty big, almost like a maze trying to get through it all."

miyuri: REALLY?! OwO

Chuuya: "..." *smiles* "Like a castle full of furniture. And even has a restaurant inside."

miyuri: CAN WE GO?! OwO

Chuuya: ^^; "It's kind of a long visit...You'll need some comfortable shoes."

-elsewhere-

Akutagawa: *adjusts his sunglasses, waiting outside the toilet stall* "..." *knocks* "Hurry up in there--I don't have all day to babysit you."

Q: going to the poooottyyyyy~ going to the poooottyyyy~

Akutagawa: "And now they're singing--goddamn it..." *checks his phone*

-elsewhere-

Yosano: *examining ice cream flavors* "Hmm...I think this one--the black cherry."

naomi: ooooh! fancy!

Yosano: "What about you, Maki?"

*seem to be sorbets, yogurts, different toppings*

maki: i'll go for vanilla.

naomi: you ok, maki?

Hyde: "Always a popular choice!" *scoops some up*

maki: THANK YOU!

Yosano: ._____. "...That's quite a reaction to just vanilla. Seriously, what's up?"

maki: whatever do you mean? IM JUST FINE! *forced smile*

Hyde: "...Ma'am, you don't need to stab the ice cream--the spoon is plastic..."

naomi:....listen, if you're on your cycle, you can just tell us, yosano's a doctor and this is totally natural, you don't have to be ashamed.

maki: no, it's not that.

Yosano: -_-; *pats Naomi's shoulder* "Excellent tact...Is something wrong at work?"

Hyde: *has already covered his ears*

maki: well, for starters, my brother is a complete asshat and my dad just doesn't get my choice to join the 8th brigade and- *she rambles for a bit*

Tanizaki: *still standing behind them, holding boxes and shopping bags* "Yep, brothers can suck..." T~T

naomi: *listening to maki ranting and nodding*

Yosano: O_O; "Um...I empathize, and it's great you're not letting your family tell you what to do...But you're an adult--they have no control over you."

maki: exactly! but try telling my old man, he's so stubborn!

hyde: yeah girl, guys are dicks sometimes.

maki: we weren't talking to you?

hyde: solidarity, fam.

Yosano: "..." *sweet smile* "And you're tenacious--not giving up on what you want despite what someone thinks."

maki: thanks, yosano.

-ping-

naomi: ?? oh! naho just sent us a link to the new chapter of her fanfic!

maki: LEMME SEE!

Tanizaki: "OH LORD, NO!"

Hyde: "..." *puts on a helmet, hides behind the counter* ("Not dealing with her writing again...")

naomi:...…*inhales* niccccceeeeee.

Yosano: "..." *glances over their shoulder*

maki: she's really improved since first chapter. im proud of her.

Yosano: "Has she been writing long?"

-elsewhere-

Arthur: *standing in his boxers, arms extended to his sides* "Is this almost over? I feel cold." *he has sensors taped onto him*

Viktor: *checking monitors* "Just confirming my theory--the 8th managed to attract some of the most powerful pyrokinetics, I guess out of dumb luck."

Akitaru: "...Let's just say 'luck,' okay? So, what have you learned?"

Viktor: *holds up an 8th jacket* "You know how Haijima makes fireproof clothes, and yet Shinra keeps burning through his shoes and Tamaki burns through...everything else?"

komori: *holds up a note* <your point being?>

Viktor: "I got curious trying to figure out the maximum temperature, and here's what I found..." *pulls down a curtain, on which he has taped heat-signature outlines of...* "Arthur has almost no resistance to flames on his body despite his pyrokinetic abilities. Shinra does better but only at his feet, meaning he is susceptible to fire on other extremities. But Tamaki, as shown here, has almost total resistance to fire anywhere on her body. You could toss her into an open fire with her suffering no physical damage."

Akitaru: "Gee, isn't that lucky."

tamaki: ._.

shinra:....so in theory, we could burn her at the stake like joan of arc and she'd be fine?

tamaki: SHINRA!

shinra: .-.; sorry, that was uncalled for.

Iris: "Kind of heretical, too."

Petra: -_-#

Viktor: "I do want to keep testing how high the temperatures can get. That's why I had Vulcan make this..." *pulls down a curtain, revealing--* "The Incinerator 4200!"

*The Incinerator has a tiger design to it*

shinra: 0_0;

Viktor: "Who wants to be the first volunteer? Shinra? You can just dip your feet in." *kicks the side, as a foot massager pops out--on fire*

shinra:.... Q~Q;;;;

-elsewhere-

Takigi: *checking the underground maps before looking down the street*

takigi's partner: *looking around*

Takigi: *points* "That stairway--that's the spot where the latest victim was found."

takigi's partner: hmm

Takigi: "The chief seemed really concerned about this--seems like they got the order from higher up to check into the Nether..."

takigi's partner: not to sound intrusive, but your sister was in the nether some time ago, did she tell you anything?

Takigi: *nods* "It's come up in conversations. It sounded like she was embellishing some things, but it's backed up by the 8th's report...even if the 8th isn't exactly more reliable."

takigi's partner: still, they were at the sight of a lot of major events recently.

Takigi: "...Because they keep running recklessly without thinking."

takigi's partner: ...so how is she doing?

Takigi: *DEATH GLARE*

takigi's partner:..... >->;

Takigi: *still frowning, as he looks down the steps* "...That door...You can still see the blood splatter."

*there's police tape around the crime scene*

takigi's partner: criminy, my mom would be rolling in her grave if she knew i was down here.

Takigi: *removes the tape--then grimace* "Ugh--assuming the smell wouldn't wake her up first..." *pulls out his flashlight and gun, before opening the door* "Get ready..."

takigi's partner:.....

Takigi: *studying the paths* "Don't get lost here..."

takigi's partner: *looking around*

*there's something along the floor...*

takigi's partner: hey, take a look at this...

Takigi: "?! Scorch marks, scratches--and fresh, too..."

*CLANG...RATTLE...in the distance*

takigi's partner: ?!?! what was that? *aims his light*

*the maze shows a sign: "Boiler Room ----> "*

takigi's partner: *looks at him*

Takigi: "Why would it still be running here..." *leads the way to the boiler room...* "Cover me..." *kicks down the door*

takigi's partner: DCPD! GET DOWN!.....!?!?!??!

*it's...a lab? there are terraria with animals and plants, a bloody gurney and...a skull in a glass case?*

Takigi: "...Why didn't the police find this..."

takigi's partner: who could this even belong to...some mad scientist?

Takigi: "There are enough of them in this town--hell, just in Haijima...!!! Look! The reports talked about using bugs to induce SHC."

takigi's partner: then, that would mean the white hoods had been here...

*something shift in the shadows, a bit of light reaching Takigi's eyes*

Takigi: "?!" *swings around, aims* "DCPD! FREEZE!" *takes a step forward--*

*CRUNCH*

Takigi: "???" *glances down* "?! The hell?!!"

takigi's partner: SHIT! an infernal?....it's not moving, though.....

Takigi: "An Infernal shouldn't be this well preserved if dead--it should be just ashes...Why is the core still intact..." *still aiming at the shadow* "Step out. Now!"

-beep....beep...beep...beep-

Hood: *steps out--with a bomb strapped to their chest!*

takigi's partner: !!!! WE NEED TO GO, NOW!

*BEEEEEEEEEEP--*

Takigi: "?!!! GET BACK--"

-elsewhere-

*a street level, the ground shakes, as an explosion can be heard*

kyouko: ?!?!? what the hell? !!! *summons her diamond barrier to keep a shoe rack from falling over* *phew* yikes....you alright, sir?

Customer: *holding onto a box of shoes* "Y-Yeah...Was that an earthquake?"

Ragnarok: "...The earth quaked. So, yes. Moron."

*a sewer grid cover had flown up--and landed on a short young adult--*

Mineta: X______X

kyouko: ...well, no one got hurt at least.

Customer: "True...Sorry, I'm in a bit of a rush--I better check with my commander." *sets down the box at the register, dials his phone...*

-back underground-

*there's fire...there's smoke...the lab is demolished...metal pipes broken and litter the floor...steam escaping out of the broken pipes...*

takigi's partner: *coughing* ugh...oze! oze, are you alright??!

*Takigi's partner is bleeding from the forehead, barely able to stand--but he looks relatively unharmed...*

*there's a crater in front of his partner...*

takigi's partner: !!! oze!!

*in the crater is Takigi, in the Yamcha position...he doesn't look too good...*

-elsewhere-

Haumea: *smiling to herself* "Arrow, the blush, please~"

sho: nnnn.... *he's barely conscious*

arrow:....and this benefits us, how?

Haumea: "Ain't it, though~? It's like our own little family. What do you say, Sho?"

sho: .........

Haumea: "That's right..."

-elsewhere-

Akitaru: "... ... ..." *hangs up*

karin: ??

Akitaru: "That was the hospital, looking for Maki."

karin: what happened?

Akitaru: *sighs* "I need to call her--her brother got caught in an explosion."

karin: !!!!

-elsewhere-

Yosano: "Just set them down anywhere."

Tanizaki: *does so--and falls onto the couch*

maki: i think i picked this one out...

naomi: sounds about right..

Yosano: "I'm glad they wrapped this one up--never too early for some birthday shopping."

Tanizaki: "Zzz..."

*the Agency phone rings*

kirako: armed detective agency, kirako haruno speaking, how may i help you?.......oh...one second. maki! it's your commander!

maki: oh? hey commander, what's up?

Akitaru: "Maki...Something's happened."

maki: .........

Akitaru: "Your brother Takigi is in the hospital--"

maki: !!!!!!! *her eyes widen as her hand shakes*

Yosano: "???"

-elsewhere-

Spirit: "Heading to bed, kiddo?"

izumi: yep.

sachiko: make sure you brush your teeth!

izumi: will do!

Spirit: "Night, Izumi."

-elsewhere-

Asher: *slides the window up, climbs down the fire escape quietly...*

-it's fairly quiet, but a family a few windows down seems to be watching a movie on the tv-

Asher: "..." *quiet sigh before getting down to street level...looks back at the apartment*

-a few mice scurry into their hole, carrying food bits in their mouths-

Asher: "..." *closes up their jacket before walking down the street*

-a can is knocked over-

Asher: *looks behind them, arm extended--*

kazue:.........

Asher: "??? Kazue? The hell you doing out?"

kazue: *holds up a sign* <on patrol, you?>

Asher: "...Sneaking out. Wait, 'patrol'? What do you do?"

kazue:....<that's classified for the most part.>

Asher: >_>; "Tch, okay, sure...Need company?"

-elsewhere-

Blair: *in cat form* "Who are we missing?"

mito: <sorry im late everyone!>

banjo: <ayyy mito!> ^w^

Natsume: "Now, remember how we practiced."

-the cats start meow-singing-

sayaka: how do these cats have such talent?!

Kuro: *joining in the harmony*

Bakugo: *covering his head with a pillow, groaning*

-morning-

Asher: *sniffles, yawns, looks around*

-sunlight peeks through the broken windows and cracks in the ceiling in a warehouse-

Asher: "...?" *sits up* "Kazue? ...Please tell me you're not hanging up like a vampire bat or something."

kazue: *sleeping against a pole in the corner*

Asher: "..." *checks their phone*

-elsewhere-

mina: hmm, oh! the new chapter of 'Manami Love Panic' just posted!

Jiro: "??? For real?"

mina: yep! ^^ looks like they're starting a summer vacation arc now!

Jiro: "Timely." *leans on Mina's shoulder, reading over it*

-elsewhere-

Takigi: *sitting up on a bench in the hospital hallway*

sachiko: mr oze! what are you doing out of your room?!

Takigi: "I got bored. I was thinking of visiting some other patients, taking a walk, maybe taking in a round of ping-pong--"

sachiko: need i remind you what you are in here for? burnt face, burnt forearm, left arm fractured, bruises all over, some injuries will take three months to heal!

Takigi: "Tch. I'm fine--Oze's heal quickly. How about you take a walk and cool off before you get an aneurysm."

sachiko: now liste-

Dr. John: *pat pat* "How about we leave Detective Oze alone for a bit, Sachiko?" ^^;

sachiko:...hmph. alright. but i better see you back in your room, mister! *gives him the 'im watching you' sign*

Takigi: "All in good time..." *waves her off*

???: causing trouble again, honey?

Takigi: O\\\\\O *turns around* "Sw-Sweetie muffin?!"

takigi's GF: ^^ *hands him a bento*

Takigi: "Oh, wow--this looks incredible! Thank you! D-Did you get my voicemail? I didn't hear from you..."

-elsewhere-

maki:......

Takehisa: "...Have you eaten?"

maki:...yeah..

Takehisa: "...The doctors promised to call it there were any changes. And you are on leave if you want..."

maki:.....ok....

Takehisa: "...I'm sorry."

-elsewhere-

Sid: "Kazue, Asher--you're late."

Asher: -_-;

kazue: ....

Sid: *groans* "Have a seat--get notes from your classmates after...Now, we return to the discussion about limb-weapon displacement--"

Asher: *sits with Izumi*

izumi: you ok?

Asher: "..." *nods* "My sister didn't call did she?"

izumi: she did actually.

Asher: >_<; "I'm in deep shit, huh?"

-elsewhere-

Hajiki: *hanging from the flagpole* "WHY AM I UP HERE?!"

hito: i was about to ask the same thing.

Hajiki: "I CAN'T REMEMBER, AND I AM SCARED I WILL LOSE MY GRIP AND FALL! IS THERE A...THAT THING WITH THE...WOOD STEPS?"

hito: you mean a ladder?

Hajiki: "YES, A LADDER, PLEASE!"

-elsewhere-

Kouyou: *looking at the menu* "Hmm..."

miyuri: wooooooow! *shiny eyes at what all is on the menu*

*the kids' menu lists 'dinosaur chicken nuggets'*

miyuri: are there dino-chickens?!

Kouyou: ^^; "I think they just cut the chicken into dinosaur shapes..."

miyuri: oooh.

Kouyou: "Sonia, you hungry?"

sonia:... i think i'll just get a cheeseburger and some fries.

Kouyou: *nods* "I'm intrigued by the tsukemono--"

???: "WOOF!"

sonia: ??

Otis: *pants, looking through the gate between the restaurant patio and the sidewalk*

miyuri: puppy!

Kouyou: "!!! Careful, Miyuri--"

Otis: *fits his nose through the gate posts*

miyuri: hi puppy! ^w^

Otis: *pants, licks her hand*

miyuri: *giggles* ^w^

Kouyou: -_-;

sonia: h-hello sir...

Keller: *holds onto Otis's leash* "Howdy. Old Otis isn't giving you any trouble, is he?"

Otis: *nuzzle*

sonia:....he sees to be doing well...

Keller: *nods* "Good."

Kouyou: *clears her throat*

Keller: "..." *tugs on Otis's leash*

miyuri: bye bye, puppy. *waves*

Otis: "WOOF!" *walks off with Keller*

-elsewhere-

Daisy: *sets down a bagged lunch with 'Daisy' written on it in marker* -_-# "Any of you say a word, and you get a spork to the eye..." *takes out a bagged sandwich--and a note drops out with it* "..." *groans*

louisa: ??

Daisy: *groans* "Damn it, Mom...Your parental units ever do embarrassing stuff..."

louisa: well, it's been a while since i spoke to them, so....

Daisy: "...Sorry." *offers half a cookie*

-elsewhere-

Axel: *running track against classmates*

zeke: yeah! woohoo!

Yafeu: *almost running into Stephanie's lane* "WATCH IT!"

stephanie: sorry~

Monica: *sitting on the stands with Genny* "The hell you ain't running?"

genny: PE is not my strong suit.....

Derek: "Hardly an excuse--you'll just fall behind at that rate." *has a timing chart*

lei-lei: *waves to genny*

Monica: "YOLANDA--MOVE YOUR ASS!"

-elsewhere-

Medusa: *passes her hand over a vial to spread out its vapor*

stheno:.....so what's the plan exactly?

Medusa: "Numbers."

stheno: ??

Medusa: "To win this war, we must win hearts and minds--increase our forces, our numbers."

stheno: as in recruiting people?

Medusa: "In so many words, yes. I'm trying to locate the nearest one..."

-elsewhere-

Takigi: *on the phone* "No, you tell Sansa to take this up with the chief--we need to find what was down there!"

nurse: mr oze, you have a visitor.

Takigi: "I'm at work--tell them to wait."

nurse: it's your father.

Takigi: O______O "...I'll call you back." *hangs up, stands up--and grimaces in pain* "AH!"

Nurse 2: "... ... ..." *whispers* "They're like little forests--above his eyes!"

nurse: shh!

Danro: "TAKIGI! YOU LOOK AFRIGHT!"

Takigi: "I-I'm fine, sir!" *salute--with the wrong arm* "...Ow."

Danro: "We were so worried about you! This is too dangerous!"

madoka oze: we're just...happy you're alright...

Takigi: Q_Q; "Mom? I-I'm sorry--I didn't mean to worry you." *awkward one-arm hug* "Where's Maki?"

madoka oze: she's....at work still.

Takigi: "..." *nods* "Okay...Alright."

Danro: "...Sit down. Your mother didn't go to all this work to make you a decent meal for you to waste it."

madoka oze: yeah, i know how crappy hospital food can be.

Nurse 3: "Grr...Can you believe the nerve of this family?!"

Nurse 2: "...Do raccoons live in those things?"

nurse: -_-# carol i swear to god.

-elsewhere-

-knock on the gallows mansion doors-

liz: yes?

tsubaki: hi, mind if we use your shower? ours has been monopolized. ^^;

Black Star: -n- "We adopted too many brats."

liz: um actually it's a bit....occupied at the moment.

Black Star: "??? You have a flipping mansion--not one bathroom is available?"

liz: well-

Black Star: "Screw this! I feel sweaty and gross, and I need to be cleaned!" *marches to the bathroom, pulling his shirt off on the way*

liz: ah-

Black Star: *kicks down the door*

stocking: HEY!

Kid: "BLACK STAR! YOU PIECE OF--"

Black Star: "JEEZ! COVER UP!"

stocking: *TOSSES A BOTTLE OF SHAMPOO AT HIM*

Black Star: *dodges* "OKAY, I GET IT, I'M GOING!" *running*

Kid: "I'LL KILL YOU FOR THIS!"

stocking: *siiigh* well that was embarrassing.

Kid: T\\\\T

Black Star: *muttering* "They got bigger since the last time I walked in..."

stocking: I HEARD THAT! D8<

Kid: *stifles a laugh*

stocking: h-hey! >3<

Kid: "Is that wrong?" *cups her* "Seems to be."

stocking: *snerk* *cheek pull* meeeean~! Xp

Kid: "Hee hee..." *smooch*

stocking: *laughs* ^///^

Black Star: *walks back* "So. ...Liz, you got a shower in your bedroom, right? Or is Wes going to be in there?"

liz: there's a shower this way. -_-;

Black Star: "Thank you~" *pulling off his shoes and socks along the way*

liz: *closes the bathroom door*

stocking: thanks liz!

liz: no prob!

stocking: right....now, where were we~?

Kid: "Hmm...Not sure I remember. Care to jog my memory?"

stocking: *kiss* mmm~<3

-elsewhere-

Monica: "...You weren't entirely awful in track and field, Albarn."

izumi: oh, um. thank you.

Monica: >_>; "Better than some people--STEPH, YOU ALMOST GOT TRAMPLED BY THOSE MORONS!" *slams her locker door shut--which knocks down a row of them*

-elsewhere-

Sid: *sighs*

nygus: long day?

Sid: "You could say that..." *opens the fridge, pulling out a cup of yogurt* "The race in PE was a disaster."

nygus: *listening*

Sid: "Some of those first-years are so gung-ho on proving themselves that they rush in--just like the desert training. I even had two of them collide face-to-face in the track run, knocking heads."

nygus: yeah, they were in here.

Sid: "How bad was the diagnosis?"

nygus: one student got a concussion.

Sid: "?! Did you call up Kim?"

nygus: *nods*

-elsewhere-

oriko: *practicing violin*

Justin: "..." *has removed his headphones*

oriko: *still practicing*

Justin: *closes his eyes* ("It sounds...")

-seems she made an error-

oriko: oops. that's not right, let me try again... ^^;

Justin: "?"

oriko: it's been a while since i played last. ^^;

Justin: ^^ *nods* "It sounded good, all things considered."

oriko: thanks. *smiles*

Justin: "Well, I'll continue housework...Thank you for playing."

-elsewhere-

tsugumi: hmmm.. hey anya, meme? if you were weapons, what kind of weapon would you want to be?

Meme: "Axe chainsaw gun tonfa."

Anya: "..." *facepalm*

tsugumi: that's....a lot. *sweatdrop*

Meme: "Well, this is a thought experiment, and it never hurts to be prepared." ^^ "How about you, Anya?"

Anya: "Hmmm...Something classic, such as a spear."

tsugumi: hmmm. makes sense. and maybe the tip of the spear is shaped like a bird's wing!

mio: but arent _you_ the bird?

tsugumi: ^^;

Anya: "Hmmm...That could inflict more damage."

Meme: "Bird's the word."

Anya: "...What?"

tsugumi: ^^;

Meme: "I'll explain it later. How about you, Mio?"

mio:..... -_- i _am_ a weapon.

Meme: "Then what kind of meister would you want to be?"

mio: *sweatdrop*

-elsewhere-

ochako: *getting her work uniform on* ok, im ready for another shift!

Hyde: "Let's make that bread!"

ochako: YEAH!

Hyde: *opens up the baked good drawer, slides in the donuts* "There--bread!"

*the door jingles as someone enters*

ochako: welcome!

Vampa: "Bonjour!" *looking at bags of chips*

peppino: ^w^ ooooh these look so yummy!

Hyde: "We got a BOGO on those."

peppino: *GASP* oh my gosh look at these petit fours! they're so adorable! >w<

Vampa: "I think we could swing that." *to Ochaco* "Shopkeep, some of those, please."

ochako: right away sir!

Hyde: *watching them* "..."

Vampa: *picks up a pack of gum, studying it*

-elsewhere-

Motojiro: *puts the pen down, studying the seating chart* "Okay, I think we're all set."

leo: *smiles*

Motojiro: "I feel like I'm missing something, though...You okay with the music?"

leo: well, i wrote a list of songs for the wedding and reception. what do you think?

Motojiro: *reads through them--and--* "GASP!"

leo: ?? is something wrong?

Motojiro: *patting her arm, pointing* "This one is sooooooo good!"

leo: ah. im glad.

Motojiro: *hands on both of her cheeks* "I love you so much." *smooch*

leo: mmm~<3

-elsewhere-

Kafka: *reading the newspaper, having a cup of tea* "Hmm. Feel Good Inc's stocks went up--"

Walter: *rips the paper out of his hands* "GREAT RAO, THEY HAVE A FILM MARATHON THIS WEEKEND!"

Kafka: *staring at his empty hands* "..." -_-#

etta: really?

hans: which films?

Walter: "Superhero stuff! They even have 'Invaders from Uranus'--the worst thing ever! All Might has a brief cameo in it!"

george: wait seriously?

wilhelm: *GIGGLING*

Kafka: "Be mature--"

Walter: "There's also a costume contest."

-elsewhere-

All Might: *in depowered form in the teacher's lounge, staring at his phone* "... ... ..." -_-# "I thought I burned all those film reels."

Izuku: ^^; "Actually, someone kickstarted an online fundraiser to restore the film."

-elsewhere-

Giriko: "Okay, be a good girl for your big sis, okay?"

anna: okie!

TOWKOW: we're gonna teach this kid how to ROCK! YEAH! XD

Giriko: "...Have fun with that--but she has developing ears, and if you make her deaf, I'll--"

malaria: i'll make sure she's ok, dad. ^^;

Giriko: "I know you will..." *head-pat*

-elsewhere-

Cervantes: *looking out the window* "...Le sigh."

marquis: is something the matter?

Cervantes: "Nothing...It's just, when it's springtime--"

Dumas: "SUMMER."

Cervantes: "--the heart yearns for what it lacks."

marquis: awww.

Dumas: -_-; "I can't believe you're thinking of that cop again...Your sparkles are getting everywhere."

Cervantes: *has a glitter pen that he's writing onto notebook paper* -3-

marquis: why dont you write her a letter?

Cervantes: OwO "EXCELLENT IDEA! Let me write the envelope and I can send one of the love poems I already wrote--" *addresses the envelope 'Dulcinea Toboso, c/o Interpol--'* "Hmm...Need the street address..."

-elsewhere-

*in a dark room, someone is tied to a gurney...bugs are seen in vials around them, as white-clad figures stare at them*

Victim: "Please--let me go! I need to go home!"

???: shhhhh....

Victim: *crying, losing their mind* "LET ME GO! YOU CAN'T DO THIS TO ME! STOP!"

-elsewhere-

Akitaru: *on the phone* "..." *nods* "I understand...I'll need some time to re-organize."

tamaki: *her head is stuck in a cereal box....somehow* what's up?

Akitaru: "...Yes, thank you. I'll call back after I break the news. Goodbye." *hangs up* "...Orders from above..." *takes out a pair of children's safety scissors* "Stand still--I'll get you out of that..."

-elsewhere-

Honda: "LINE UP!"

hito: *salute*

Takeru: *salute* -~-;

Hajiki: *salutes--with the wrong hand*

Honda: "WE HAVE A NEW ASSIGNMENT!" *taps a pointer to the map of Death City, underground*

jonas: sir, this is-

Honda: "THE NETHER."

anton: *GULP*

Takeru: *silent screaming*

Hajiki: "Really? I thought the Nether was just some little itty part of a subway..."

-elsewhere-

Izuku: *holding his suitcase down* "Come on--fit, darn it."

inko: izuku? is everything alright in there?

Izuku: *grunts* "Y-Yeah! Just struggling to fit all of this into my suitcase--" *presses down and--*

*FWOMP*

*a pair of boxers flies out of his room and against the wall*

inko:.....do you need help?

Izuku: QwQ *flung back into a pile of clothes* "Yes, ma'am, please?"

-elsewhere-

Masaru: "Now let's all calm down and talk this out--"

mitsuki: why are you being such a stubborn little brat?! we're only trying to help!

Bakugo: "I can do this on my own! God, can't you give me some room to prove that?!"

mitsuki: you're just flinging everything in there all willy-nilly! it looks like you threw a tornado in there!

Bakugo: "I can find what I need--I HAVE A SYSTEM FOR THIS!"

-elsewhere-

Mr. Uraraka: ^^; "I don't think a suitcase is the place for a doggie..." *pat pat*

trixie: *tail wagging* *ARF!*

Mr. Uraraka: *squeezes a toy, which squeaks* *tosses it*

trixie: *NYOOM*

-elsewhere-

ganma: now, the trick i always use when packing is to put the flatter things at the bottom, like clothes.

Samidare: *digging through Tsu's boxes of snacks--*

satsuki: moooom! sami's trying to mooch off sis!

Samidare: >_< "Tat-pole-tail!"

Beru: "Samidare, put them down."

Samidare: -n- *puts them down*

-elsewhere-

Kyotoku: *reviewing the feeding schedule* "Hang on--that's all the bird feed needed?"

mika jirou: im surprised too.

bowie: *BWAWK* EAT SHIT! *BWAWK*

Kyotoku: "..." *groans* "Goddamn it."

-elsewhere-

ragdoll: *shaking a cat toy* come on snoopy, go get it!

snoopy: *mreow!*

Mandalay: *recording it on her phone* "So cute! I just can't!" >w<

pixie bob: dawww!

Tora: *flexing* "Kota, could you get me some water? And some for Snoopy's dish?"

kouta:...*grunts and walks off*

Mandalay: "..." *sighs*

-elsewhere-

Sansa: "And with Oze out, I've had to pick up on investigating that patchwork person."

minoura: which one?

Sansa: *holds up a photo--the man looks to have his face stapled, skin of different colors* "This one. Why, who's the other one?"

minoura: oh yeah, that one. thought you meant those weirdos at that clinic...

Sansa: "... I never want to mess with that 'doctor' ever again..." *shudders*

-elsewhere-

atsushi: do you know where we're going? [[kyouka trying to find where her parents are buried?]]

Kyoka: "...Honestly, this is a more challenging than I thought..." *looking around* "A lot has changed."

*they've already passed one house in the distance*

Kyoka: *staring at the house*

sylvia: *pant pant* w-wait up!

Kyoka: "Oh, sorry."

atsushi: *looks around*

*there's a field...with something sticking out of it*

atsushi: ??

Kyoka: "...There." *walks to it, struggling over the rockier terrain*

atsushi:....should we come with or....?

Kyoka: "Stay here." *walks up alone*

atsushi:......

{Kyoka, a child: *can't stop screaming*}

{mr izumi: kyouka? are you alright?}

{Kyoka: *crying--her knee looks bruised from tripping*}

{mr izumi: *helps her up* let's see here. *examining the injury*}

{*it looks like a small abrasion*}

{Kyoka: *sniffles, crying less loudly*}

{mr izumi: i think we can fix this no problem. let's get inside so we can clean the cut.}

Kyoka: *her hand on the marker, tears falling* "..." *she looks stone-faced*

demon snow:.......

Kyoka: *shakes* "Why..."

atsushi:.....??

-there seem to be two other figures standing by the grave-

demon snow:.....*puts her hand on kyouka's shoulder*

Kyoka: *can't speak, her throat tightening...falls to her knees*

demon snow:...*hug*

Kyoka: "..." *holds onto Demon Snow*

mrs izumi?: .... *small smile* i see she's in good hands...and good company.

Mr. Izumi?: *nods* "Look how much she's grown."

mrs izumi?: hard to believe it's been almost 4 years...

Mr. Izumi?: "...We missed so much..."

atsushi:....

mrs izumi?:...?? young man, you can see us, cant you?

atsushi: !!.....*small nod*

Mr. Izumi?: "You're Nakajima, yes?"

atsushi: *nod* (can you hear my thoughts?)

Mr. Izumi?: ("We can? ...!!! Oh, wow, this makes things easier!")

atsushi: (im still reasonably new to this 'seeing and hearing ghosts' thing.)

odasaku: *nod*

Mr. Izumi?: ("I see...You've been keeping an eye on our daughter.")

atsushi: (yeah, more like she's keeping an eye on me.) ^^;

mrs izumi?: *chuckle*

Mr. Izumi: ("Well, it's important to have someone to watch your back in this line of work.")

atsushi: (yeah...)

-elsewhere-

Akutagawa: *looking from the Port Mafia Tower, down to a certain spot* "..."

miura: mr akutagawa?

Akutagawa: *coughs* "Y-Yes...?"

miura: what are you looking at?

Akutagawa: "..." *points to a spot* "Can you see down to Cage Street in the Slums?"

miura: you mean cone street?

Akutagawa: *shakes his head* "No, parallel to it--another street."

miura: oh.

Akutagawa: "...Used to steal from a shop there..."

miura:.....

-elsewhere-

Tanizaki: ._.; "He's been at it for hours--non-stop...I think he's going to stroke out."

Kunikida: *typing furiously*

aya: should i intervene?

Lucy: "Please do--the boss isn't ready for the game yet."

aya:....HI-CHA!

Kunikida: *stops typing with one hand to block, not even looking away from the screen* "I am busy, Aya."

aya: you cant skip out on rest! you're gonna get an ulcer!

Kunikida: "I already had my yearly check-up, and--"

yosano: your records disagree. ^^

Kunikida: -_-# "I appreciate your concern, Doctor, but I am managing my condition--"

Dazai: *kicks the side of the desk--as a drawer pops open into Kunikida's shin*

Kunikida: >_<# "OW! DAZ--"

*the drawer is full of energy drinks*

yosano:.......*grabs kunikida by the ponytail* you're coming with me.

Kunikida: Q__Q "OW! LET GO!"

-elsewhere-

Gin: "??? Q? What's wrong?"

Q: *squirming* >~<

Gin: "Did something happen? Or are you feeling sick?"

Q: i need to go!

Gin: *sighs* *knocks on the bathroom door* "Kuniko? Are you done in there?"

-elsewhere-

Kenji: *watering the tomatoes on the rooftop garden--then spots down on the street--* "Nankichii!"

nankichii: !! h-hi kenji!

Kenji: "Hang on--I'll be right down!" *leaps off the roof*

nankichii: a-are you alright?! D8>

Kenji: *had already swung on the drain pipes and lands on the sidewalk--producing two giant footprints shattered in the cement* "Yep!" ^w^ "I didn't get a chance to eat today..."

nankichii: .~.

Kenji: "What're you up to?"

-elsewhere-

Crimson Lotus Assassin: *taps the side of their head, causing their eyes to flicker* "..." <Two targets ahead.> *points at a building with no windows*

???: <good. move in.>

CL Assassin: *proceeds, sticking close to the floor, as if slithering*

*whispers can be heard inside the building*

???: *inside the building* "No, that goes underground..."

???: ugh, how are you supposed to navigate this place?

???: "The goggles and GPS device. Did you even listen to the orientation?"

*the lights go off inside*

???: oh what the fuck?

*SLICE*

???: ?!?!??!

*it sounds like something wet sprayed along the wall--before shining eyes pop up in the dark*

CL Assassin: *hiss*

???: ?!?!?! *pulls out a gun*

*the eyes dart away before vanishing*

???: shit shit shit!

*there's a noise on the wall behind them--before it breaks down, the moonlight shining in*

??? ?!?!?! where are you!?

*something drips on their shoulder*

???: *looks up*

*something rattles above them, as the CL Assassin descends with a hiss*

???: *SCREAMS*

*through the hole in the wall, others with shining eyes look in at the carnage*

-elsewhere-

Eugene: "She's still on the phone...Must be important."

frances: yes....understood....hm??.....!!! oh stop! >///<

London: *pats Eugene's shoulder* "Let her be, buddy. Come on, you still need to practice your ability."

Eugene: .____. "Do I? Really? We're still thawing out Ambrose..."

Ambrose: *encased in ice, looking pissed*

barrie: <-<;

Eugene: T~T "I'm trying my best! I just want to go home--my wife is worried sick..."

-morning-

Arthur: *petting the donkey's head on the wall* "Good, Silver Burro..."

shinra: *YAAAAAWN*

Arthur: "Thank you for continuing to serve as our sentry, Silburro..."

shinra: you know it cant answer you, right?

Arthur: "What does that matter? With or without life, its spirit serves as a shield against threats from the outside. Plus, we're in Death City--this is hardly the weirdest thing I could be doing."

shinra: .....i GUESS!

Arthur: "What irks me is how the Lieutenant's experiments have ruined Silburro's look..." *gestures to the horned hat on Silburro's head*

shinra: ....animal crossing?

Arthur: "??? But Silburro can't move?"

*a wad of paper falls out of Silburro's mouth*

Arthur: "... ... ..." *horrified silent screaming*

shinra: ???

Arthur: *pulls out a samurai sword* "Demon--how dare you defile Silburro with your paper refuse!"

shinra: hey! i didnt do it!

Arthur: *tackles Shinra*

maki: what's going on-..... owo

Arthur: *choke hold*

Iris: -_-; "Maki...Why is there paper in the donkey's mouth?"

maki: erm-

tamaki: littering is bad you know!

Iris: "So is improper disposal of waste--"

shinra: MERCY! DX>

Arthur: *knocked down, with Shinra on top of him*

tamaki: *examines the paper*

Iris: "How do you accumulate so much wasted paper, anyway?"

tamaki: o///////////////////////////o um....maki....

maki: they're.....old drafts.

Iris: "... ... ..." -_____-;

Relan: *walks in* "...Yikes. We're already starting this early?"

tamaki: *yanks shinra off* ok, that's enough rough-housing you two.

shinra: he started it!

Vulcan: "The 8th, a caravan of dummies..."

Arthur: "Don't put trash in Silburro's mouth!"

lisa: oh, that reminds me, maki.

maki: ??

lisa: the commander was looking for you.

-in Akitaru's office-

Akitaru: "..."

Takehisa: "..."

maki: *salutes* commander.

Akitaru: *salutes* "You may want to sit down for this..."

maki: what is it?

Takehisa: *hands her a report--it has a military seal on it*

maki: *her stomach drops as she opens it*..........!!!!!!????

Akitaru: "With the 2nd leading a mission into the Nether, it was thought best that you--"

maki: go back to the military?! but im a firefighter now!

Akitaru: "But given what happened to your brother, General Oze thought--"

maki: my dad? tch- of course he would issue this. well, since this is a family matter, i can easily decline to it!

Akitaru: "Your father is just worried--and I have to agree. This mission will be more dangerous than last time. The Hoods are liked caged rats, ready to attack, and unless we want to upset the 2nd and the military, we have to be smart how we handle this."

maki: you're seriously agreeing to this?! captain, talk some sense into him!

Takehisa: "...Officer Oze. I order you to return to the military."

maki: ......y-you cant be serious!

Takehisa: "There are reasons for this decision--"

maki: and what reason is that?!

Takehisa: "..."

Akitaru: "...Tell her."

Takehisa: *clear his throat--*

-outside-

Iris: >_> "So...What are they saying?"

shinra: i cant hear, this door is too thick.

tamaki: just like your head.

Arthur: "Ha." *has a glass to the door* "Hang on...Okay, the Commander just say 'Bonk.' Or maybe 'Donk.'"

tamaki: -_-;

nozomi: you're...holding it the wrong way.

Arthur: *has the glass stuck over his ear* "What? I can't hear--"

*the door slams open*

maki: ...... *she seems upset*

tamaki: ._.;

Vulcan: "??? So what--"

maki: *glare*

shinra: OxO;;;;;

Arthur: "Oh dear--they have awaken the ogre--"

maki: *storms to her room and slams the door shut*

shinra:.....

-elsewhere-

Takeru: *quiet whine of worry...*

hito: *cleaning guns* the nether, huh?

Takeru: "That is too, too dangerous! I read the reports and heard from the 8th--Kusakabe was stabbed nearly to death in there!" >~<

hito: hmmm.

Takeru: "I don't know what to do--I never wanted to be in the military! I was just recruited because my power is too much for traditional means to contain--" *starts heating up*

hito: easy, easy now.

Takeru: *grabs a paper bag, starts breathing into it*

hito: ..... (is this really the best place for him? dad, you always told me that being a soldier means being brave and doing the right thing, no matter how dangerous.)

Honda: *serious face as he walks by* "Morning, soldiers!"

hito: *salutes* sir!

Takeru: "EEP!" *flings the bag up--on fire*

-elsewhere-

Meme: "??? Who's she on the phone with?"

tsugumi: oh, well....i-i'll ask miss misery if she can set something up for you....h-hey, it's ok! it's only temporary, right? you'll be back in no time!

Anya: "Some guest, it sounds like..."

tsugumi: ok...see you soon. *hangs up* *phew*

Meme: "You okay?"

-tsugumi explains the situation-

Anya: "Oh dear--that's all awful."

Meme: "We'll do whatever we can to convince Miss Misery!"

tsugumi: thanks guys.

mio: any time.

ao: *nod*

Meme: "What about Takigi? You think you'll call him to see if he's okay?"

ao: im sure anya is curious as well.

Anya: O\\\\\O "?!"

-elsewhere-

mami: ok, the barrier should be here. you ready?

yuma: *nods*

nagisa: yep!

Sayaka: "Ready and waiting!"

Kyouko: "..."

homura: madoka and i will serve as backup.

mami: alright, let's go.

Sayaka: *follows Mami*

Kyouko: *looks around*

-inside the barrier it resembles a pencil sketching of a foggy forest path, like something from a tim burton drawing. crows with blood red eyes watch the girls as they pass-

Sayaka: "Spooky..."

yuma: *gulp*

homura:...familiars most likely. but they dont seem to be attacking yet....

Kyouko: "They waiting for an opening?"

mami:....*holds an arm out, pointing to a figure*

figure: *they appear to be a woman in funeral garb. it looks at them, and then screeches*

Sayaka: "?!!"

Death the Kid: Kyouko: *battle position*

-the birds begin divebombing at them-

madoka: *shooting them with arrows*

Sayaka: *slices through them*

-elsewhere-

Yukio: *checks his blood* "..."

{Todo: "..."}

-knock-

Yukio: *buttons up* "Come in."

momo sakura: yuki? are you feeling ok?

Yukio: "Fine, thanks." *puts on a smile*

-elsewhere-

Bakugo: "Then she had the nerve to dump the entire luggage to do again! GAH! I hate her crap!"

itsuka: well, i guess she's just being a mom.

Bakugo: "Since when is being a mom synonymous to being annoying as fuck? Your mom isn't this bad, is she?"

-elsewhere-

NOS: *flips through student profiles again*

Twice: "Okay, let's try a Dabi clone!"

himiko: traaaansform!

Dabi Clone: *looks deformed, like off model art* 0_0 "...BLOO."

himiko:..... owo

Twice: "It's beautiful! ANIMATION ERROR!"

NOS: "Hmm, looks about the same."

Dabi: -_-#

mustard: at least it saves on the budget.

himiko: what?

mustard: what?

Dabi: *lights the clone on fire*

Dabi Clone: *screams, flails*

Twice: "DABI JR, NO!"

fang: gaga?

Dabi: "That thing wasn't your dad..."

fang: *laughs* ^o^

Twice: "Aw, that's the nicest you've been to your child."

Dabi: *frowns*

fang: ^w^

NOS: "Progress, I assume--" *still staring at Denki's profile*

himiko: *peeeeep* owo

NOS: "Soon, you will be mine..." *looks behind him* "?!"

himiko: OwO do you like him?

NOS: "..." *pushes her away* "Get your mind out of the gutter. I just want to suck out his electric essence."

mustard: phrasing!

Twice: "I just heard 'suck essence.' Do you need one of those European converter plugs? A butt plug, maybe?"

magne: *GASP* not in front of the BABY!

Twice: "Whoopsie--sorry! THE BABY WAS GOING TO LEARN AT SOME POINT!"

tomura:.......

NOS: "Now look what you've done--you've awakened the night owl..."

-elsewhere-

Kid: "Feel better?"

stocking: yeah. stupid pencil, talking smack about me...

Kid: ^^; "They are notoriously rude..." *tucks her in*

stocking: ground that fucker down to the nub. *YAWN* show you to...shittalk me with a bishonen voice...fucking pencil. zzzzzz...

Kid: *forehead smooch, smooths her hair*

-elsewhere-

kotone: how does this one look?

kirika: eh, not what i'd pick, but hey, your save file.

kotone: well...i think it's nice.

Gopher: "Wings, wings..."

kotone: is that an option?

Gopher: "If I could mod it..." T~T

kirika: hmm.

Gopher: "I don't know who to pick...Dragon-something?"

-elsewhere-

Fukuzawa: "Good morning." *steps out of his office, walks to the tea kettle*

kirako: good morning, sir. here's a list of requests.

Fukuzawa: "Thank you." *reviews* "Are all members present?" *looks around*

kirako: *nods*

Kunikida: "Sir, good morning. I have already set up most missions for--"

Fukuzawa: *points to one* "Send Montgomery to this one." *taps the sheet*

Kunikida: "...Sir, I think that one may be out of her skill set..."

Fukuzawa: *staaaaaaaaaaaaare*

aya: anything i can do, sir?

Fukuzawa: "Yes, accompany her."

Kunikida: D8

aya: heck yeah! am i gonna get to fight bad guys?

Kunikida: "..." *ahem* *hands the map and instructions* "Find Lucy and head out."

-elsewhere-

Crimson Lotus Assassin: *bows*

???: good. now for our next target. *hands them a picture of 'the park's' leader*

Assassin: *hiss* "Excellent...I will begin."

-elsewhere-

Sakuya: "??? What's wrong?"

tsubaki:....i dont know...just.... *sigh*

Sakuya: "..." *pat pat* "You need a break."

tsubaki: yeah...maybe...

Shamrock: "What if you took a vacation?"

tsubaki: maybe..

Belkia: *holds up brochures* "Swiss Alps, scenic Chernobyl, Centaur Tours, Sao Paul..."

-elsewhere-

Lucy: *checks the map on her phone* "Okay, the warehouse is a few blocks away..." *smiles at Aya* "Kind of exciting, huh?"

aya: you bet!

*it seems to be an industrial area...there are some laborers working out front*

Security Guard: "Hold up--no kiddos allowed in here..."

aya: *holds up a paper*

Security Guard: *reads* "??? You're the ones Boss sent?"

Boss: *groans* "I told the Agency to send professionals, not some little girls."

Lucy: "??? Little girls?" *looks around* "Aya, do you see any little girls here?"

aya: hey! we arent just 'some little girls' we're certified butt-whoopers!

Boss: -_-; "I was hoping for the tiger or even that samurai..."

Lucy: "...Hey, is that your car?" *points a few blocks away* "You let your employees eat in that thing?"

Boss: "What? It has air conditioning--"

Lucy: *snaps her fingers--and the car disappears*

Boss: D8

-and so-

Lucy: "Pfew! I got the last of the shipment into Anne's Room."

aya: it's really spacious in there!

Lucy: *nods* "Since joining the Agency, the President gave me a power boost. I bet I could fit an entire building in there now." ^w^

aya: wow! that's so cool!

*they pass an alley...*

Lucy: "We got some time before we're do to the drop-off point--feeling hungry?"

aya: heck ye-.... *turns*

*glowing eyes stare right at Aya*

aya: show yourself!

*a big straw pokes out of the shadows*

aya: !?!

Lucy: "?!" *shields Aya* "We're out of here--"

*SHTIK*

aya: LUCY!

Lucy: "... ... ..." @w@ *collapses, unconscious, a giant dart sticking out of her neck*

*masked assassins in red step out*

aya: !!!! s-stay back! im warning you!

Crimson Lotus Assassin 1: <Retrieve the teleporter. Silence the tiny one.>

Crimson Lotus Assassin 2: *reaches for Aya*

aya: *KICK*

CLA 2: "Ow! You little brat!" *grabs at her*

Lucy: *yawns* "Atsushi, the balloons go in the closet..."

*FWOOP*

*a tear in space opens up above Lucy*

aya: ??!!

*a balloon-design closet appears in the tear--and drops like an anvil on top of CLA 2's head*

CLA 2: X____X "..." *collapses on top of Aya*

aya:...woah.

Lucy: "Zzz...Giant panda, no, use the fork and spoon..."

*more portals out of Anne's Room open--dumping contents on top of CLAs*

CLA 1: "..." *throws Lucy over their shoulder, covering her mouth*

aya: HEY!!

CLA 1: *leaps with Lucy up the wall--a tail poking out of their outfit, within Aya's reach*

aya: *YOINK!*

CLA 1: "?!!!" <Unhand me!> *slithering up the wall, dragging Aya with them*

aya: let her go!

CLA 1: <Begone...> *swings the tail--knocking Aya into the air conditioning unit on the rooftop*

aya: *YELP*

CLA 1: *swings until flinging Aya away--and off the roof*

aya: !!!

*the scenery around her changes from brick walls to...checkerboard patterns*

aya: huh?

*she's in Anne's Room...but the gravity is all reversed*

aya: *she grabs a hold of a toy soldier's gun*

Toy Soldier: O_O *the arms snap off with the gun* "..." *looks down at its missing hands*

*more portals open up--showing a couple at a restaurant, a bathtub, and someone drinking milk out of the carton--*

Joker: "..." *wipes milk off his mouth* "There's something you don't see every day..."

*one portal shows CLA 1 slithering to a vehicle to unload Lucy*

aya: !?!?! *JUMPS IN*

CLA 1: *drops Lucy into the back* *to the driver* <Get going.>

aya: HI-YAH!

CLA 1: "?!!!" <What the-->

-POW-

CLA 1: X_X *KO'ed* *falls, with a slow hiiiiiiiiiss noise...*

*but the vehicle is getting away...*

aya: *looking around*

*there's a bike...*

aya: *hops on and pedals to the metal*

*in the vehicle*

CLA 3: <This girl managed to transport all of the shipment into some extra dimension. She was formerly in the Guild.>

???: is that right?

CLA 3: <Yes. But nothing the informant gave us told us how to get the shipment out of that space...> *holds up a pair of pliers* <We'll need to convince her...>

-THUNK-

???: what was that?

aya: *hanging on for dear life*

CLA 3: *looks in the rearview mirror* "?!! We got a gremlin on the van!"

aya: LET ME IIIIIN!!

CLA 3: *growls--turns left, moving into the left lane where oncoming traffic is coming at Aya...*

aya: O-O;

Spirit: *driving his car--and seeing Aya on the side* "?!!!" *slams the brakes, swerving out of the way*

aya: OHFUCKOHFUCKOHFUCKOHFUCK!!

Spirit: "SHIT SHIT SHIT--"

*crashes into a light post*

Spirit: *face-first into airbag* "..." *pokes it with his scythe* "..." *dials 911*

aya: SORRY!

CLA 3: "..." <Get her off the van, now.>

Lucy: *still sleep-murmuring* "Nggh...No, I don't care if you're a skunk, you can't have tea with the tiger..." *snores*

*in a police car*

Minoura: *listening to the radio* "??? A van with a little girl on the side? Are these people high?"

*then the van passes--*

aya: MY FRIEND IS BEING KIDNAPPED!

Minoura: "?!!" *turns on the sirens* "Damn Death City wackiness..." *follows*

CLA 5: *holding a chain scythe--climbs the van roof, aiming at Aya*

aya: D8

CLA 5: *hurls it--*

*a portal opens up in front of Aya--*

CLA 5: *pulls back the scythe--which has stabbed through a teddy bear* "...?"

aya: thank you deus ex machina!

CLA 3: <What is happening up there?!>

Lucy: *yawns, sits up, stretches* =_______= "My neck hurts...This pillow is as hard as a rock." *looks around*

Lucy: "... ... ... ... ..."

*the van shakes*

Lucy: "WHAT THE HECK IS GOING ON HERE?!!!"

aya: WOAH!

Minoura: *on megaphone* "Attention van driving recklessly! You are under arrest! Pull over or--"

*ninja stars fling into the megaphone, knocking it out of his hand*

Minoura: "?!!!"

Lucy: *looks out the window--and spots Aya* "?!! Aya!"

aya: LITTLE HELP HERE?!

Lucy: "R-Right! Just give me a second to--"

CLA 3: *aims a dart--*

*CLA 3 wasn't looking and hits a speed bump--*

CLA 3: *swallows the dart* "... ... ..." *passes out* X_X

Lucy: *bounces with the bump* "AAH!"

aya: ACK!

Lucy: "!!!" *opens the door, pulling Aya inside*

aya: oh jeez! now what?

CLA 5: *hops back in, menacingly approaching with the scythe chain*

Lucy: "What is even happening here?"

*the van is approaching the highway...CLA 3's asleep foot is on the gas...*

Minoura: *racing after the van...*

aya: ok....i may have a plan. it's probably really stupid, so unless you have a better idea, just hear me out...

Lucy: @~@ "I'm still groggy, so talk fast!"

aya: on the signal, we bum rush this creep and jump!

Lucy: *nods* "Okay..."

aya: ok....one...two.....NOW!

CLA 5: *tosses the scythe*

Lucy: *battle cry*

aya: HYAAAAAAH!!!

Lucy: *tackles CLA 5*

CLA 5: "?!!"

aya: JUMP!

Lucy: *follows*

-slow-mo jump and screaming-

CLA 5: *slow mo* "Get back here, you--" *sees the van heading to the barrier of the highway* "Oh fu--"

Lucy: *grabs Aya's hand* "Hang on!"

*the van goes over the highway--*

Minoura: "?!!!" *slams the brakes*

-SLAM-

aya: *face pressed up against the cop car's front window*.....ow.

Lucy: @~@ *slow SQUEAK sound as she falls down to the hood*

*behind them, the van has crashed into the canal...a duck is pecking at CLA 3's hair*

-elsewhere-

sayaka: and then nagisa trapped some of homura’s bombs in her bubbles and when they got close- BOOM! double damage!

Crona: O_O; "Oh my."

kyouko: i'm still sore. *stretches* hey soul! you got pizza rolls?

homura: *documenting her notes*

Damon: "Oh, can we have some, too!"

soul: ok, one big batch of pizza rolls coming on up!

Damon: "Do you do this often? Fighting those--um...what are they?"

homura: the technical term for the main monsters are 'wraiths'. while the smaller ones are 'familiars' or 'minions'.

sayaka: not to be confused with those little yellow dudes in overalls.

homura: -_-;

mami: they usually appear for two main reasons; one of which is occasional time-space rifts between our world and an alternate world.

becky: so are they like kishin eggs?

mami: well, i suppose they are, but at the same time they arent. but the presence of wraiths can cause imbalance in the natural magical energy of the universe, and so we puella magi go in and correct the issue and stabilize the balance. think of it as technicians fixing a breaker.

homura: however, we cant afford to be careless; if our soul gems become completely dark mid-battle, we revert back to our normal form, leaving us vulnerable until it's cleaned.

becky: wow, being a magical girl is way different than i thought it was.

homura: *side glance* you have no idea.

Damon: ._. "...Can we go back to 'alternate world'? Like, a multiverse?"

sayaka: ^^; wwwhy dont we play some smash bros, huh?

Damon: -_-#

homura: yes, that sounds excellent.

Damon: *sighs* "Okay..."

-elsewhere-

*Izumi's phone rings*

izumi: ??? *checks it*

*phone call from Unknown number*

izumi: ??? ....

???: "Is this Izumi Albarn?"

izumi: yes?

???: "This is Detective Minoura with the Death City Police."

izumi: is something wrong?

Minoura: "Well, your dad's going to be late picking you up..."

Spirit: *sobbing over the hood of his car*

izumi: did something happen??!!

Minoura: "Your father is fine--just some cuts from a car crash, no fatalities--"

izumi: WHAT?!?!?

Minoura: "He wants you to stay put at the DWMA until he can get a police ride over, once the EMT finish--"

izumi: WHAT HAPPENED?!

lukas: izumi?

Minoura: "It's...a bit of a long story, and we're investigating what exactly happened--"

Saria: "???"

-elsewhere-

Kunikida: *running* *looking around the street*

aya: and then she got kidnapped by these sneople!

cop-chan: what?

aya: snake people! sneople!

Lucy: *holding an ice pack to her head* "I don't remember much after passing out..." *her neck is bandaged*

Kunikida: "!!! AYA!"

aya: !! kunikida! over here!

Kunikida: *stomps over* "..." *picks her up in a hug*

aya: !!

Kunikida: "Thank goodness you're okay..." *then holds her, shaking her by the shoulders* "HOW DID YOU GET THIS INJURED?! DID YOU BLOCK?!!"

-aya explains what happened to the best of her ability-

Kunikida: "...I knew this mission was not for you--the Crimson Lotus are not to be trifled with."

aya: but i saved lucy, didnt i?!

Lucy: "Darn right! Aya packed a punch, Kunikida--" *swings her arm while holding the ice to her head* "--popping through portals and even having a toy soldier's gun!"

Kunikida: "... ... ...How hard did you hit your head?"

aya: ...welllll....

Lucy: >~< "I know what I saw! Just ask all those bystanders, like that man!"

Spirit: *sobbing still over his car*

Kunikida: "... ... ...That man does not seem to be in the right emotional state."

-elsewhere-

Yosano: *staring at an invitation* "...Huh. Guess I'm taking off that day."

kirako: what is it?

Yosano: "A wedding invite."

kirako: ooh!

Yosano: *fans the invitation* "That means a new outfit~"

-elsewhere-

tachihara:....she was just.....eating.....a whole fucking tomato.....that gremlin is anything but normal!!

Pushkin: "You should see her with an onion."

tachihara:......WHAT THE FUCK IS WRONG WITH YOU PEOPLE?!?!

Pushkin: "??? What? We don't judge you and your stupid nose-bandage."

tachihara:...it's not stupid.

Pushkin: "How long have you had a cut under there? Or is it to open up your nasal passages? Please don't tell me you wear it to look cool."

tachihara: none of your business.....

katya:....*pulls out eggplant*

tachihara: what are you doing?

katya: *starts eating it while maintaining eye contact*

tachihara: stop that!

katya: *advances toward him*

Pushkin: *snickers*

tachihara: g-get away from me! *RUNS*

katya: *SPRINTS AFTER HIM*

gin:.......i'd scold you both if this wasnt absolutely hilarious.

Pushkin: "Are we growing on you?"

gin: dont push your luck.

Pushkin: QwQ " 'Kay..."

-elsewhere-

Daisy: "Filing is done..." *falls on top of her desk* =______= "Please tell me it's 5 o'clock."

eckleburg: *glances at the clock*

*it's only 3:45*

Daisy: *face down* *GROAN*

eckleburg:.... ^^; would you like some coffee?

Daisy: "..." *thumbs up, not even looking*

eckleburg: ok. one coffee coming right up.

Daisy: "...Thanks, Teej."

-elsewhere-

Axel: =~= "I hate this heat. Hit me up with a slushee, my good sir."

Hyde: *sets down the cup* "Pick your poison, buddy."

zeke: blueberry please.

Hyde: "Good choice--we just repaired it--" *shouts at a layabout customer* "NO FREE REFILLS, YOU THIEF!"

Emine: "..." *fills it up again*

kirika: tch- amateur.

Hyde: "ARE YOU KIDDING ME?! HOW WOULD YOU LIKE IT IF I WENT TO YOUR PLACE AND STOLE ALL YOUR SHIT?!!"

kirika: simple, i'd break both your legs.

Hyde: "I'd rip off my legs and beat you with them!"

Axel: OwO;

Emine: "..." *slides a candy bar into his pocket*

-elsewhere-

maki: *aggressively making omelets*

Anya: ._____.;

Meme: "Could I have onions in mine?"

maki: SURE THING!

Anya: "Goodness, is this 'aggro'? Or 'hangry'?"

tsugumi: are you sure you're alright?

maki: OF COURSE! NEVER, BETTER!! OwO##

Anya: "..."

Meme: ^^; "Have you talked to your bro?"

-elsewhere-

Takehisa: *stares at the empty desk*

shinra: she'll be back soon, right?

Takehisa: "She has been reassigned."

shinra:.....

Arthur: "But we want her back now--"

Takehisa: "NOT. NOW."

-elsewhere-

Spirit: "And then this rassafrassing van was coming at me!"

izumi: ....

Spirit: "....Sorry."

izumi: it's fine...im just glad you're ok...

Spirit: *nods* "These things can be fixed...Lives can't."

izumi:......

Minoura: *pulls over* "Here you are."

izumi: thank you officer.

Minoura: -_-# "Detective...."

izumi: r-right! right!

Spirit: "Thank you." *hands his card over* "We'll be in touch."

-elsewhere-

Yumi: *sets Shiori down in bed*

shiori: *yaaawn*

Yumi: "Sleep well, sweetie." *forehead kiss*

-morning-

Vulcan: *working in the garage* "The ride should be ready after breakfast...You're going to the 2nd today?"

Akitaru: "Yes. Thanks for doing this..."

nozomi: do you want me to come with, sir?

Akitaru: *nods* "Sure thing--we need you and Viktor to explain your findings better than me or the Lieutenant could."

nozomi: right...

Takehisa: *cooking breakfast* "..." *he's letting the hashbrowns burn...*

*smoke is coming out of the kitchen*

tamaki: *SPRAYS HIM DOWN WITH THE FIRE EXTINGUISHER*

Takehisa: *covered in foam...removes his glasses, revealing skin under the foam*

Akitaru: "?! Hinawa, what the hell?!"

Takehisa: "I was distracted."

-elsewhere-

maki:........

Anya: "Oh, that uniform looks absolutely common--congratulations!"

maki: OwO# why THANK you anya!!

Anya: ^^; "And I see you're wide awake...And no one has made coffee yet..."

Meme: *nudges Anya in the ribs*

Anya: "??? Meme, are you okay? Muscle spasms?"

Meme: "..." *nudges again* "Yes."

-elsewhere-

Honda: "TODAY, WE WILL BE INVITING MEMBERS OF THE 8TH TO OUR BASE--SO I WANT OUR BASE TO LOOK SPOTLESS!"

soldiers: SIR YES SIR!

Hajiki: "I got my toothbrush ready, sir."

*thundering footsteps are heard--then a BONK on the ceiling*

???: "OW!"

Honda: "???" *looks at his watch* "Oh, he's early..."

hito: ??

Danro: *ducks under the overhang* "Ah, Honda--you need to raise the ceiling around here..."

hito: ._.;

Hajiki: "...What the hell happened to Juggernaut?! HE GOT SUPER OLD!"

Danro: "... ... ..." Q_Q;

hito: -_-; noto's right beside you, haijiki.

Takeru: O_O;

Haijiki: *GASP* "DOPPLEGANGERS!"

Honda: "J-Just come with me--we'll talk in private, away from buffoonery."

-elsewhere-

Sasori: *kneels down* "The Knights of the Purple Smoke are at your disposal."

Ritsu: "As I know~"

orochi:.....

Ritsu: "Here is the map where to lure our new 'fuel.' Be sure these are the only entrances into the Nether that are open--all others must remain closed at this time."

-elsewhere-

Hibana: "Morning." *picks up the newspaper* "Did the repairperson fix the espresso machine?"

Rino: *holding a crowbar over the espresso machine, huffing and puffing*

ryuuko: it's a work in progress. oh, my parents are going to be hosting a fundraiser dinner and invited you to attend.

Hibana: "Lovely--thank your parents for the invitation. When?"

-elsewhere-

Asher: *waiting at the bus stop* "So, how long's your dad's car in the shop?"

izumi: for about a few days i guess.

Asher: "Sucks."

izumi: well, do you have any plans for the summer?

Asher: "Avoid the heat, go to the library--they have air conditioning."

izumi: ah. well, my parents wedding is coming up, so....did you want to maybe, i dunno...go as a plus-1?

Asher: "... ... ...Sure."

izumi: really?

Asher: "They got food, right?" *small smirk*

izumi: ...*small smile* yeah.

Asher: "Cool. ...I'm rocking that tuxedo t-shirt."

-elsewhere-

Pushkin: *getting measured* "We got to talk about the color of the suit, though--that yellow is going to burn my retinas, man."

Motojiro: *also getting measured* Q____Q "I can do this...I can do this...I AM SCARED OUT OF MY WITS."

hirotsu: try to relax, gentlemen.

Tachihara: *looking at ties* "And they call us criminals--these prices are nuts."

naoya: *checking out suits* hmmm…

Chuuya: "The vest is a good touch on this one."

naoya: totes.

Chuuya: "I hope the girls get good outfits--Miyuri was screaming with excitement."

-elsewhere-

miyuri: WOOOOW! they're all so pretty!!

Gin: -______- "None of this looks like 'me.'"

katya: same, im not really one for dresses.

Kouyou: "Child, stand still--we need to get you dressed."

miyuri: ok grandma!

Dress Maker: ^^;;; "You excited for the big day, Miss Leo?"

leo: y-yes...is it perhaps possible to get a dress with a stretchier fabric? *rubs her stomach*

Dress Maker: "Trust me, I specialize in this." *picks up a fabric--it glows for a second and stretches* "See? My gift..."

leo: oh!

higuchi: so then you're....

Dress Maker: "Carlyle."

leo: it's a pleasure to meet you.

-elsewhere-

Kunikida: "And you are not getting out of my sight--today, it's paperwork, all day!"

aya: TT3TT

Lucy: "You are way too high strung..."

Kunikida: "And you have paperwork, too!"

Lucy: TT3TT

kirako: kunikida, perhaps you're being a little too hard on them?

Kunikida: "Finishing paperwork is part of the job--if they want missions, this is a good learning experience."

Dazai: *whispers to Aya* "Then just get the next flunkie to do the work _for_ you!"

aya: *CHOP*

Dazai: "OW!"

Lucy: "Serves you right!" *holds up a file labeled 'Dazai'* "Do your own rotten paperwork!" *throws it at him*

aya: and pay your stupid tab!

Lucy: *smirks*

Dazai: Q_Q "President, can we retroactively remove people from the Agency--"

fukuzawa: -_-;

Tanizaki: ^^; "In any case, there are more missions that need addressing, since we'll be short some people this week."

-elsewhere-

maki: *sitting at a desk, giving off a rather frightening aura*

Sushimasa: *humming to himself, carrying tea* "Oh, our newest recruit! Welcome, Miss Oz--"

maki: *HEAD SNAPS TO LOOK AT HIM* OH! he-LLO Lt General!! Owo##

Sushimasa: "... ... ..." *dumps tea into a nearby potted plant--and shuffles back into the wall* "H-Hi!" ^^;;;;;;;;; "H-How are you adapting?"

maki: im....just....FINE! ^^####

Sushimasa: *stares at claw marks on Maki's desk* "...GREAT! I JUST REMEMBERED I LEFT MY GRANDMOTHER IN THE DISHWASHER--EXCUSE ME!" *runs away screaming*

maki:......*grumbles*

captain: so that's general oze's daughter, huh?

Colleague: *nods* "Yeah--quite a catch, isn't she?"

captain:.....sure hiraoka, whatever you say *sweatdrop*

Hiraoka: "Watch this..." *saunters up to Maki's desk, rests an elbow on it* "Hello, there--"

maki: *GLAAAAAAAAARE*

Hiraoka: "... ... ..." ("HOT BUT CRAZY EYES.") *stands upright* "CAPTAIN HIRAOKA, REPORTING FOR DUTY!" *salutes*

maki: how....NICE! ^^####

Hiraoka: "WE ARE HAPPY TO HAVE YOU HERE! IF I CAN BE OF ANY ASSISTANCE, PLEASE DO NOT HESITATE TO ASK!" (*screaming internally*)

-elsewhere-

Viktor: *looking out the Matchbox window at the 2nd* "A very...bellicose base."

nozomi: i'd suppose so... ^^

Akitaru: *steps out* "You okay? Your driving seemed off today."

Takehisa: "I am fine."

*the Matchbox has a Stop sign wedged in the front--and someone slammed against it like an ornament*

nozomi:.... *exits*

Mineta: *muffled screaming against the hood*

nozomi: EEP!

Akitaru: "..."

Takehisa: "..." *picks up Mineta by the head--and slams him into a nearby trash can*

Viktor: OwO;

Akitaru: >_> "No-Nozomi, let's just get inside."

Haijiki: *sweeping in the front*

nozomi: *follows*

*everyone is dressed in military uniforms*

Viktor: "Jeez, I feel underdressed--maybe I should've put on the jumpsuit if walking into this place..."

officer: commander oubi, i presume?

Akitaru: *salutes* "Yes, hello. Commander Honda summoned us."

officer: right this way...

-elsewhere-

detective: takigi?

Takigi: *staring intently at maps, photographs, crime reports*

detective: shouldnt you be taking it easy? you sustained a lot of damage after all...

Takigi: *looks up* "Oh! Sorry, didn't see you--" *puts down the files* "Forget that--I'm built to recover. But you--how are you holding up?"

detective: doing better, thanks to you.

Takigi: *nods* "Good...Was getting worried--parents came by, girlfriend came by, had heard you were already released but hadn't seen you..."

detective: sorry i didnt come by sooner, had to see the family, you know?

Takigi: "...Yeah. Still working on that."

*his phone shows numerous dialed calls to 'Maki'*

detective:...

Takigi: "...Well, onto more important news: what is left of that lab?"

detective: hardly anything worthwhile...

Takigi: "..." *crumbles up a wad of paper with one hand--aims at the waste basket* "A secret organization, willing to kill its own and anyone who finds them...and destroy the evidence." *toss* *the paper lands in the waste basket*

detective: your sister's one tough cookie to face off with these maniacs...

Takigi: *frowns, balls up another paper* "It's that Hinawa bastard who pulled her into that hell..." *toss--and misses*

-elsewhere-

Yohei: "Be a good boy for the doctor--this is just to check you out."

toru: >~<

Dr. John: "What a brave boy he is..." *picks Toru's foot up carefully*

toru: >~~<

Dr. John: "..." *tickle* "This little piggy--"

toru: !! hehe!

Yohei: "See? Doc is full of laughs..."

Dr. John: "Reflexes are good for a child his age."

-elsewhere-

Kepuri: *in a junkyard* "Okay, catch!" *tosses a hunk of metal*

mana: woah!

Shotaro: *catches it* "This is the coolest thing ever! ...What is it?"

Kepuri: "It will be a new jet engine--after some modifying." *tosses down a rope, scaling down the junk*

mana:...should we really be here?

Kepuri: "??? What? The guy who usually does this is busy today--and isn't returning texts."

mana: *sweatdrop* riiiight...

Shotaro: "So breaking the law and stealing stuff is a good deed if it helps someone else who was going to break the law do it?"

Kepuri: "See? Shotaro gets it. Be like Shotaro, Mana." *head pat*

mana: -_-; *looks toward the building*

Shotaro: OwO "All those animal heads..." *moves* "I wanna touch..."

-elsewhere-

maki:.....

-phone buzzes-

naho: [hey maki! hope you're ok! QAQ]

Naomi: [same! we <3 u!]

maki: ....*sad smile* [hanging in there as best as i can. havent stabbed anyone, so so far so good.]

Naomi: [u need us to come down there and show them who's boss?]

maki: [it's fine, wouldnt want you two getting in trouble on my behalf]

Naomi: [maybe meet up when things get less stupid?]

maki: [i'd like that. tsugumi's letting me stay at her dorm till things cool down]

Naomi: [neat! like a big sleepover]

naho: [cool! if ur hosting a party, maybe i can see if otogii, lila, or the others want to come with. not higan tho. no old geezers allowed >3<]

Naomi: [kyoka would love it]

maki: [cool, maybe we could invite tamaki too, kana misses her.]

Naomi: [yuuuuuus! kyoka likes her too]

naho: [yay!]

-elsewhere-

nozomi: ._. .....m-mr....honda?

Honda: *his head is wedged into a hole in the ceiling high up--he shouts down* "HELLO! CAN YOU HEAR ME DOWN THERE?!"

Danro: *epic eyebrows of confusion*

nozomi: .____.;;;;;;;;

Viktor: OwO ("His cranium...It's super-powerful!")

Akitaru: "...YES! GOOD TO SEE YOU AGAIN, GUSTAV! HOW ARE YOU?!"

Honda: "PRETTY GOOD! NOW, COULD OUR TWO FORENSICS EXPERTS PLEASE EXPLAIN TO MY SUBORDINATES?"

nozomi: r-right! *gets her notes in order* let's see here... ah, yes- the nether...

Viktor: *pulls out a small box from his lab coat, sets it down--and it projects onto the wall* "The map of the Nether."

*one lieutenant is watching*

Ayabe: "..."

Viktor: "Initially, we assumed the Nether was limited to just this one subway station, abandoned and now quarantined. After our research, we have determined that the Nether is more widesprea--"

*CRASH*

nozomi: !!!!!

Honda: *has landed on the floor, his head stuck in the cracked cement* "...Don't mind me--please proceed."

Viktor: "...We...think the Nether is actually a number of disparate locations, like a spider-web, so the Hoods could be in any of a number of underground locations."

nozomi: r-right. over the years, most parts of the nether have been caved in, given new subway systems and other pathways.

Viktor: *nods* "All giving the Hoods cover to appear and disappear without being noticed."

Ayabe: "Too many sites to search one at a time...Sir, this needs a simultaneous attack."

Honda: "Hmm..."

nozomi: general oze, your son, takigi, was researching one area, from what i gathered in the reports, is this true?

Danro: "..." *grave nod* "That location was bombed, caving in any path in or out."

nozomi: hmm, though looking at the map of the underground, there could be some overlapping connections to the nether that are still open, so perhaps we can investigate them.

Honda: "And the 8th knows those paths better than my team, while the 2nd has the numbers you'll need to guide us."

nozomi: right.

Ayabe: "I propose one member of the 8th to guide a team of 2nd soldiers."

hito: that would make the most sense.

Akitaru: "Agreed--and I want one nun per team, too, to put those suffering at peace."

Ayabe: "Why? What difference does it make, if it's to kill those Infernals?"

Akitaru: "..."

jonas: ......

Honda: "*ahem* "I will make sure to notify the troops about tomorrow's mission."

-elsewhere-

Hirotsu: *has a stack of books in his study, sipping tea as he jots notes*

-knock-

tachihara: gramps? you in there?

Hirotsu: *places a bookmark* "Yes. Come in."

tachihara: *enters* wow, nice place you got in here. a lot spacier than the last place you had.

Hirotsu: *nods* "I'm still in need of filling out the library." *seems to be a collection of books on his desk--philosophy, art, literature, religion*

tachihara: .....cool knick-knacks. this is...um, taishou era decor, right?

Hirotsu: "...Good eye."

tachihara: hey, just cause im a punk doesnt mean i cant be a little bit cultured, y'know?

Hirotsu: "I didn't doubt it. You don't bring it up, though."

tachihara: ....soo whatcha reading there?

Hirotsu: "I was hitting a wall writing the wedding officiation, so I thought reading my library may help...I'm afraid I'm at an impasse--it feels like it's all been said."

tachihara: ah...

Hirotsu: *small smile* "This volume of love poems...Seemed a little hokey. I was so stumped I even tried Heidegger--that was a mistake, what was I thinking."

tachihara: ....if you think im jealous, im not, ok?

Hirotsu: "??? Jealous of whom?"

tachihara: ....*sigh* it's kinda complicated....i mean, yeah, leo's like, banging hot as fuck, but, she seems better of with kajii, even if this is _kajii_ we're talking about, she'd probably never be too interested in me anyway. and....i guess im a bit jealous of gin, for beating me to the punch...*sigh*

Hirotsu: *ahem* "Yes, well..." ^^; "I know you won't refer to the bride as, um, 'banging,' but it is important to acknowledge these feelings, even as you are obviously accepting what has happened."

tachihara: yeah, yeah, i guess.......maybe, im just scared to make a move, so every time i like someone, they get picked up by someone else. im a real fucking coward, arent i?

Hirotsu: "No, no--everyone has their own pace. But if you see an opportunity, well, it can't hurt to say hello, yes? Just, you know, respectfully."

tachihara:...guess you're right....well, im gonna go down to the quik-e-mart for some stuff, maybe pick up a sandwich somewhere or something, you want anything?

Hirotsu: "...Tea biscuits."

-elsewhere-

Justin: ._.; "M-Me?"

lord death: yes justin, you.

marie: im sure you'll do great!

Justin: "...I-I won't let you down, sir!" *SCREAMING INSIDE*

-elsewhere-

*frogs are all over the grass*

Jacqueline: *looks out the cottage's window* "...?"

kim: i'll call eruka.

Jacqueline: "Good call...Wonder what brings them here."

Frog: *hops onto the windowsill...stares*

kim: well, maybe it's the creek in the backyard.

Jacqueline: "The weather can't be that bad there...Unless something scared them out."

kim:...i'll go have a look.

Jacqueline: "Okay..."

*frogs stare at Kim's movement*

kim: (i swear, if that short-ass kappa is back selling his wares again...)

*something is splashing in the creek...*

kim: *looks*

*giggling is heard*

kim: hey!

*there are sprites playing in the creek, splashing each other--and chasing after the remaining frogs*

Frog: Q_Q *hop hop*

kim: oi! oi!

sprite: *looks up*

Sprite 2: *pops up out of the water--with a fish in their mouth*

kim: what are you doing here?

sprite 3: wouldnt _you_ like to know!

Sprite 4: *scoops up water in their hands--and drops it on top of Kim*

kim: hey! why you little-

Sprite 4: "Hee hee hee! Play with us! Play with us!"

eruka: heeey! *flying in on her broomstick* WOAH! *CRASHES INTO A TREE* ack!

Sprite 2: "..." *spits out the fish* "...Bad landing."

Sprite 4: OwO "Did she die?"

eruka: you are disturbing the wildlife!!

Sprite 2: -_- "You're disturbing our fun."

kim: _why_ are you even here?

Sprite 4: "We were boooooooooooooored and got kicked out of the last body of water, and these yucky frogs were in the way!"

eruka: EX-SCUSE YOU?!

Sprite 2: "She said 'yucky frogs,' you yucky frog." *picks up another fish--and shoves it all into her mouth in one disgusting gulp*

eruka: *GLAAAAARE*

Sprite 4: *picks up Eruka's hat* *imitates her voice* "EXCUSE YOU! BWA HA HA!" >w<

-what happens next is rather terrifying-

Sprite 2: Q__________Q

Sprite 4: *screaming in the distance*

kim:...eruka holy fuck.

Jacqueline: *runs up* "Wh-What happened?!" *has a frog on her head*

eruka: ^w^ justice.

Frog: "..." *hops off of Jacqueline's head and back into the creek...a sprite's wing floats by them*

kim: she just....exploded them. that seems a bit....unethical. ._.;

Jacqueline: "...Understatement. And kind of messy."

-elsewhere-

Vulcan: "So, what do you think?"

lisa:....

Vulcan: "..." *nods* "Yeah, I kind of figured. It's totally fine to not go."

lisa: i...

Vulcan: "..." *offers his hand*

lisa:...i want to help, somehow...

Vulcan: "Well, how about the new radio?"

lisa: yeah...i could do that...

Vulcan: *smiles, nods* "Great--I know the team will appreciate it."

-elsewhere-

sonia:.....

Chuuya: "Sonia? Dinnertime."

sonia: oh, right, ok....

{sonia: *following chuuya out of the tunnel* .........(he's been really quiet...) }

{Chuuya: "..." *looks down at her*}

{sonia:...mr chuuya....did you...love mama?}

{Chuuya: "..." *gulps* "Why are you asking me something like that..."}

{sonia: .......*covers her eyes* b-bright....}

{Chuuya: "..."}

{*something falls onto her head*}

{sonia: ??? w-what is that?}

{higuchi:...it's the sun.}

{*he's put his hat on her head...*}

{sonia:... *hugs him*....papa...}

sonia:....

*his hat is on the hat-rack...he's in an apron, setting food onto the table*

sonia:...thank you, papa...

Chuuya: *smiles* "You're welcome. Did I forget anything? Want more vegetables?"

sonia:...*hug* thank you...for saving me that day.....

Chuuya: "??? ..." *hug* "Happy to..."

miyuri: ~?

Chuuya: "..." *pulls in Miyuri*

miyuri: ^^

Chuuya: "Love you both..."

miyuri: ^w^

Chuuya: "So, you hungry?"

-elsewhere-

Yoh: =_= *yawns...looks out a window...sees lights outside from the plane* O_O;

flight attendant: <did you enjoy your nap, sir?>

Yoh: <WHERE AM I AND WHO ARE YOU?!> *pulls out a book labeled 'Commendations'* <WHERE WAS I GOING?!>

flight attendant: ^^;

Pilot: *over intercom* <Attention, passengers, this is your pilot speaking. We're about another 2 hours away from Los Angeles Airport-->

Yoh: "... ... ..." <Oh! Mana!>

-elsewhere-

Poe: "???" *gets down on all fours, looking at some square outline on the wall along the carpet* "..." *tugs at the square--as it falls open* "?!"

lana: edgar? what are you doing? ._.;

Poe: "I think I found a crawl space in this old house, wallpapered over..." *tries to poke his head in* "I'm afraid I'm not the size for it..." *looks at Lana* "..." *looks up and down* "..." .\\\.; "I'm afraid you're too big as well..."

lana: ^^;

Karl: *pokes his head in--and crawls inside*

Poe: D8>

*scratching is heard inside*

lana: ??

Karl: *yipping, scampering back*

Poe: "KARL!"

*Karl dives out of the crawl space--before a growl is heard inside the crawl space*

Karl: *climbs up to Poe's head, cowering*

lana: .___.;; um...

Poe: "What the devil could be in there--"

*a paw reaches out, scratching*

lana: oh!

Poe: "EEEEEK!" *hides behind Lana*

lana: is that...a cat?

*the cat's head pops up in the crawl space, hissing*

lana: ._.;

Poe: *shivering*

Cat: *stares at Lana* "... ... ..." *sniff*

lana: hey, i think this is the neighbor's cat...

Cat: "..." *hobbles out...falls onto Lana's feet*

lana: ah! he's hurt!

Poe: Q_Q "I'll call the vet..."

-elsewhere-

ManBearFix: *bleeding in the infirmary, holding a clump of hair in his hand* "I SAID THE OTHER GUY STARTED IT!" *turns to Mimeca* "BACK ME UP ON THIS!"

mimeca: *nod nod*

Dr. Sasaki: "Uh huh...Which is why you decided Long-Hair Luke needed a haircut...by pulling his hair out in clumps?"

ManBearFix: -n- "You didn't hear what he said about Mimeca."

mimeca: >n< *shakes fist*

Dr. Sasaki: "That's no excuse for causing more problems with my specimens..."

ManBearFix: "...'Patients'?"

Dr. Sasaki: "Right, what did I say?" *uses another limb to grab a syringe*

-elsewhere-

maki:.....*fiddling with an 8 sigil* ...

Secretary: *fixing her makeup with a mirror* "Perfect!"

maki:...*sigh*

Death the Kid: Secretary: *smiles* "Any plans this evening, Maki?"

maki:....not really.

Secretary: "Well, I hope you're not putting in overtime--this job is killer for letting us have a flexible schedule, time off..."

maki:.....

*a cup of water on the desk starts to ripple with vibrations...*

maki: *glares upwards*

Danro: "Good evening, Maki-chan..."

Secretary: O_O; ("...THE BOSS CALLED HER '-CHAN'?!")

maki: .......

Danro: "I hope your first day went well...I was going home for dinner."

maki:...you sure seem satisfied....is it because your little kitten came to 'where she belongs'? *glares coldly*

Secretary: >_>; "...Welp, I'm heading out! Bye-ee!" *runs*

Danro: "..." *clears his throat* "If you have any problems with work, please direct them to your superior officer in a formal request...If that's all..."

maki: hmph....

Danro: "..." *nods* "Good night..." *marches into his office*

maki:.....*fiddling with the 8 sigil*

{maki: you want me to infiltrate the army?}

{Akitaru: "The army wouldn't be recalling you if they didn't know something else about that attack in the Nether."}

{maki: you think they know something we dont?}

{Akitaru: *nods* "And this recall is an invitation for the 8th to do its job, to act as internal affairs and make sure the Hoods have not infiltrated the military."}

{maki: why couldnt the captain do this?}

{Akitaru: "Well, the recall order was to you, the captain was expelled from the military, and--"}

{Takehisa: *in a ninja outfit*}

{Akitaru: "... ... ...His disguises suck."}

{maki: .....}

{Takehisa: "...Maki, this is important. Only you can do it."}

maki:....*sigh*

-elsewhere-

Relan: *hands the money over* "Thanks--sorry for such a big delivery, but our resident chef has been out of service for a bit."

Hyde: *in a pizza delivery outfit* "Hey, I get paid either way."

Vulcan: "So, tomorrow's the big day..." *passes out plates*

shinra: yeah.....

Viktor: "Have your wills ready and know what to do with your remains. I'm donating my corpse to science!" *nom* ^w^

Relan: "..." *looks at Shinra and Iris* "Be safe..." *rubs his arm cast*

shinra:...we will.

Iris: *nods* "And we have larger numbers than last time..."

Petra: "Tch..." *picks toppings off her slice of pizza with a fork*

-elsewhere-

Kunikida: *asleep in bed*

{Kunikida: *wanders through a dark tunnel, holding onto his firearm* "..."}

{???:....i will.....protect big brother.........}

{-a child is there, her back facing kunikida-}

{Kunikida: "..." *lowers his gun, tenses* "No..."}

{-the child looks back.....her head dangling off her neck, only attacked by a bit of skin-}

{Kunikida: *he drops the gun, then falls to his knees, staring in disbelief*}

{-the child smiles.....her grin stretching unnaturally as blood drips from her empty eye sockets-}

{Kunikida: "STOP! I DIDN'T MEAN FOR THIS TO HAPPEN!"}

{????: wHy diD Y oU lET mE DIEEEEE???}

{Kunikida: "I-I don't know! I couldn't reach you--"}

{-the child starts twitching erratically.....before lunging at him at top speed-}

{Kunikida: *SCREAMS*}

*he feels something cold hit the back of his neck*

Kunikida: *wakes up in a cold sweat, screaming*

aya: *still asleep* zzzzzz

Kunikida: *quietly panting...shaking*

-it's quiet...-

Kunikida: "..." *throws off the sheets, goes into the bathroom, splashes water on his face...pants* "..." *looks in the mirror...he doesn't have his glasses on*

Kunikida: "..." *grabs his coat, puts it on, steps outside*

-it's a warm summer evening, but looks like tomorrow could be a bit rainy-

Kunikida: "..." *looks up at the moonlight...traces its glow down to the courtyard--*

Dazai: " 'Ello!"

*Dazai is stuck in a barrel*

Kunikida: "... ... ..."

Dazai: "So, I hate to repeat the same suicide attempts--"

Kunikida: "Or jokes." -_-#

Dazai: ^^; "Little help?"

-after he is freed-

dazai: *streeeetch* you'd think i'd have learned my lesson after the first time. haha!

Kunikida: "When do you learn anything?" *rubs his eyes*

dazai: =3= .....you look like you couldnt sleep.

Kunikida: "...I would say that's obvious when I'm not asleep. But yes, I was troubled."

dazai: care to let doctor dazai listen to your troubles~? *laying seductively on the grass*

Kunikida: "... ... ...What kind of doctor sexually harasses their patients? And don't say Yosano--or she really will kill you."

dazai: *GASP* oh kunikida! you wound me!

Kunikida: "...Not the worst I could do."

dazai:...seriously though, do you want to talk about it?

Kunikida: "...Just a bad memory."

dazai:.....

Kunikida: "...You weren't there. You were hospitalized."

dazai: .......

Kunikida: "During the investigation into the Rats..."

dazai: *listening*

Kunikida: "That child...My arrest and imprisonment..."

dazai:..........you feel like you could have stopped them...saved them.....

Kunikida: "...Yes?"

dazai:....i can understand.....if i'd stopped him then.....maybe.....

Kunikida: "...You've never talked much about your time in the Mafia."

dazai:........part of me wishes i could forget.

Kunikida: "Sorry--I didn't mean to dredge something up."

dazai:.....can i....stay the night with you?

Kunikida: "...Wait, what?" ._.

dazai:......nevermind.....im gonna call it a night. see you in the morning! *starts heading back to his room*

Kunikida: *sighs* "Fine."

dazai: hm?

Kunikida: "I'm not going to get much sleep anyway. I'll make some tea. How do you like yours?"

-elsewhere-

Asher: *looking up at the ceiling from bed* "...Sis? You up?"

cassidy: hnn?

Asher: "Sorry. Couldn't sleep."

cassidy:.....

Asher: "...I'm going to Izumi's parents' wedding."

cassidy: i heard.

Asher: "How fancy do you think it'll be?"

cassidy: not sure.........i've been looking at legal forums, seeing if it's possible to get custody of one's siblings...

Asher: "...Y-Yeah?"

cassidy:....i want to get us out of this apartment, away from _her_...

Asher: *looks nervously at the bedroom door*

cassidy: dont worry, the door is locked. she's probably passed out on the couch as usual....

Asher: "Thanks...for all of that."

cassidy: ...its not fair we're put through this.....i've always wished we could have had a normal family.

Asher: "Not everyone gets 'normal.' We're stuck with what we got...each other."

cassidy:..yeah...

Asher: "...Sorry. I meant that as a compliment."

cassidy: i know. and hopefully, when i earn enough money, it can just be the two of us.

Asher: "And I'll work, too."

-elsewhere-

leo: *making a smoothie with apples and potatoes*

ayako: *GAG*

Motojiro: ^^;;; "You know, that's actually a prank, to make someone think it's a chopped apple but it's really a chopped potato."

leo: *sniffle*

Motojiro: "??? Leo?"

leo: i-it's fine, motovya, it's just the hormones.

Motojiro: "..." *rubs her back*

leo: *softly purring*

Motojiro: ^w^ *cheek kiss*

-elsewhere-

Free: "... ..." *nudges* "How you holding up?"

eruka: better.

Free: "Man, wild those water fairies got all riled up." *scratches behind his ear*

eruka: water sprites.

Free: "Right, right...What's the difference again?"

eruka: *goes over to the bookshelf and pulls out 'encyclopedia of mythical creatures vol 1'*

Free: "... ... ..." *looks* "...How many volumes are they up to?"

eruka: a lot. lets see here....aha, the fae!

Free: *puts on a pair of reading glasses* " 'The label 'fairy' has been applied to specific magical humanoid creatures of small stature...' So is a human a medium-size fairy, and a giant is a king-size fairy?"

eruka: not exactly.

Free: "Well, it was worth a shot... 'The Seelie court seek help from humans and return kindness when favors done for them.' Oh, that's nice!"

eruka: but which court these sprites belong to is going to be a bit tricky to find out.

Free: "Why not just ask them?"

eruka: well...i did kind of scare them off. ^^;

Free: "Huh. Well, did they seem nice or like assholes?"

eruka: =___=#

-elsewhere-

Water Sprite: "THAT ASSHOLE FROG!"

sprite 2: im sure fynn will be fine....soon....maybe. ._.;

Sprite 1: "HOW DO YOU EVEN RE-ATTACH A WING?!"

sprite 2: -_-; lady titania said she'd take care of it.

sprite 3: i hope so, fynn owes me money!

Sprite 1: "... ... ...Sh-She said that?" ._.;;;;

sprite 2: oh come on, rufus! she might be scary sometimes, but she's still a good queen!

Rufus: >_< "I know! She's just so serious that I didn't think she'd give us the time of day over this!"

sprite 4: as queen of the seelie court, it's her responsibility to assist with each of the fae tribes as best she can.

Rufus: -3- "Would've been nice before that dumb frog attacked...I want to blow up that stupid frog."

sprite 5: if thou wishes to wage ware against the witches, you will only be left in stitches.

Rufus: -_-# "This isn't Ye Olden Times--talk like you're of this era! And that was no witch--that was just some slimy, ugly frog!"

-morning-

Anya: "Good morning, Maki."

maki: zzzz....*YAAAWN*

Anya: "??? Long work day?"

maki: y-yeah....you could say that.

Anya: "Well, you better hurry--or you'll be late."

maki: right, right.

-elsewhere-

aya: *YAAAAAAWN* *looks over to kunikida* ._.

Kunikida: "Zzz..."

Dazai: *has buried his face into kunikida’s chest*

aya:....um....kunikida?

Kunikida: "Nggh...Five more minutes, Aya...Ugh, this blanket is heavy--" *pushes--and feels hair* "... ... ..." *looks* "... ... ..."

aya:....kunikida.....do you have something you want to tell me?

Kunikida: "...At the moment, no."

Dazai: *nuzzle*

Kunikida: -_-#

aya: *inhale* DAZAI GET YER ASS OUTTA BED!

Dazai: "EEEK!" *falls off the futon--and drags down--*

Kunikida: "ACK!"

*CRUSH*

aya: *covers her eyes*

Kunikida: O\\\\O;

Dazai: "..." *feels around--*

*PUNCH*

Kunikida: -\\\\\-# "Yes, it is now safe..."

aya: *peeeek*

Kunikida: *has his blanket pulled up over himself*

Dazai: *face-first into the wall*

-elsewhere-

Yoh: *asleep in Los Angeles Airport terminal* "Zzz..."

*someone passes with a rolling suitcase--and drops something into his lap*

Yoh: "UMPH!" Q_Q;

Yoh: *looks around...*

man: sorry about that. ^^;

Yoh: "F-Fine..." *hands the object back to him--looks to be a package wrapped in brown paper* "You must be in a hurry..."

man: yeah, i have a job interview. so long. *leaves*

Yoh: *waves* "Good luck--"

*a handcuff is put onto Yoh's wrist*

Yoh: "... ... ... ???"

security: ....

Yoh: "... ... ..." <Hello! Would you mind un-cuffing me before I flip you?> *smiles happily*

security: open the bag.

Yoh: <Oh, sure--let me just reach over and-->

*while reaching for his bag, Yoh flips the security guard over his shoulder and onto their back*

security: ?!?!?

Yoh: <Here it is--> *looks down* "...Aw, what's wrong, lying down on the job?" *smirks*

security: @_@ ough....

Yoh: "Well, if that's everything, I have until this evening for my connecting flight, so I better take in the city..." *swings his bag over his shoulder, and drags the security guard behind him*

*a row of security officers block his path*

Yoh: "... ... ..." <Shit.>

-elsewhere-

Akitaru: "Okay, line up."

shinra: ....

Arthur: *holds onto Excalibur*

Takehisa: *carries his rifle*

Petra: *holds onto a book*

Vulcan: *lowers his goggles*

Viktor: *turns on his GPS tracker*

nozomi: the radio's loaded up, sir.

Akitaru: "Thanks. Lisa, Yuu, any machines still need to be loaded?"

lisa: just a few more pieces of equipment, sir.

tamaki: *adjusts her habit*

Akitaru: *nods* "I know we have a lot of conflicting feelings about this mission. The last time we were in the Nether, we saw a lot that shook us, a lot that surprised us...and we almost lost members of our team."

lisa:....

Akitaru: "This time, we have more information to know what awaits us down there. And we will have the 2nd to support us. But I need to know you are with us on this mission. If anyone is going to refuse to enter the Nether, you need to say so now."

lisa: i'll be with yu, managing the radio.

Relan: "I would like to be stationed at radio, too."

Akitaru: "And Shinra?"

shinra: im going in.

Akitaru: *nods* "Happy to hear it." *grabs his coat* "We depart in 10 minutes. Everyone, on board."

-elsewhere-

Haumea: "..." *smiles* "I see you're still obedient. What a good child you've been..." *head pat*

sho: ..........

arrow:.....(he's barely concious......)

Haumea: "Isn't our child just precious, Arrow~?"

arrow:........

Haumea: *frowns* "I said..."

-knock-

Haumea: -_-# "Go answer that!"

arrow: yes?

ritsu: it's time.

-elsewhere-

Joker: "And so, they're all headed to the Nether to face off. Based on what Viktor told me, I took a long time deliberating this, and..." *reveals a chalkboard labeled 'Dead Pool' with the names of each member of the 2nd, 8th, and Hoods* "We're taking bets on which ones survive."

nana:.....what....

ria marcelo: -_____-

Joker: "I think Orochi has good odds. Shinra's plot armor means that's a bad bet." *pulls out red Solo cups and boxes of Lucky Charms cereal* "I wager a glass of Red Balloons on the creator embarrassing Tamaki again with pointless perv pandering."

nana:....what the fuck is he talking about?

ivy: who cares.

Joker: "--and then we can have the 4th come in at the last minute to save the day--" *holds up a clay figure labeled 'Arg'* "--and then Arg unleashes his atomic breath and goes RAWR!" *bumps the figure against an All Might action figure*

scarlet: *WHACK* stop. -_-;

Joker: -3X "Let me have this--it's cheaper than therapy."

-elsewhere-

Kunikida: *marching up the stairs to the office* -_-# "You will say nothing inappropriate, untoward, or embarrassing for either of us. Is that understood?"

Dazai: -3- "I am nothing if not tactful. Besides, nothing happened--you just overreacted. Kind of offensive, actually."

Kunikida: *groans* "...Sorry."

*seems like a bit of noise coming from inside the office*

aya: we're he-

Ranpo: *sitting at his desk* "So, you two are sleeping together."

secretary 1: HOW COULD YOU DO THAT TO POOR KIRAKO?!

kenji: congratulations! ^^

Kunikida: OnO# *glares at Dazai* "WHAT DID YOU SAY?!"

Dazai: *waves his hands* ^w^; "I said nothing! Ranpo is just that good~"

Kunikida: -_-### "...I don't have time for this. There's work to be done!"

Lucy: "..." *whispers to Naomi* "Working Dazai, that is..."

naomi: it's not my main OTP, but its still cute.

Dazai: *sits at his desk* ^^ "Works for me." *opens his files* "Let's have a great workday everyone!"

Kunikida: -_-# "Aya, slap him."

aya: *kicks dazai in the back of the knee*

Dazai: >_< "OW! Is that any way to treat your Uncle Osamu?"

atsushi: *sigh* just another day at the ADA it seems.

Kyoka: "It's sad when people can't be honest about their feelings."

sylvia:.....

-elsewhere-

Sushimasa: OwO; "G-Good morning, Miss Maki..."

maki:....

Sushimasa: ("Please don't yell at me, please don't yell--") "We have fresh baked goods in the commissary..."

maki:....cool....thanks...

Sushimasa: OwO "..." *squeaks* "G-Good." ^w^; "Well, have a good workday..." *shifts away*

-elsewhere-

*a map shows different locations, labeled 'entrances to the Nether'*

Viktor: "Last time, we focused on one location where the Hoods could only be. But this time, we recognize there is a network of routes where they can enter and leave the underground."

shinra:...

Vulcan: *pulls over* "Okay, this is your stop--Shinra, Relan, Yuu, Lisa..."

shinra: *nod*

Relan: *steps out, grabbing a med kit*

Yuu: *carrying equipment out the back*

Vulcan: *looks at Lisa* "..."

lisa: be safe...

Vulcan: "..." *holds her hand, nods*

-elsewhere-

Heckler's Subordinate: "--and Commander Obi said to read this." *holds up an ebook on her tablet: "How to Talk to Arthur Boyle (a Dumbass)"*

-some giggling among the soldiers-

tatsu: *peeking from the haijima fence* what are they doing?

Subordinate: ._.; "Please don't laugh--the Commander said First-Class Soldier Boyle has to be handled carefully...It's important..."

Kurono: "...Don't stare at the weirdos. You still have training to finish."

-elsewhere-

engo: mr oze....i dont think it's wise for you to be here.

Takigi: *glares* "What's your name?"

engo: it's Engo, sir.

Takigi: "Yeah, and you know mine--and Oze's don't back down. So point me to the entrance or shut up."

Takehisa: *standing at the entrance* "..."

Petra: -_-;

engo: at least wear this protective jacket.

Takigi: "..." *points to his cast* "I can't exactly drape it over me, so put it on my shoulders."

-elsewhere-

shinra: *examining claw marks on the wall* ...

Hebio: "Officer Kusakabe? What did you encounter here to cause those scratches?"

shinra: i think these are new...

Hebio: "...Oh. That's concerning. I suppose a bit has changed since you were here..."

shinra: ……?? what's that you got, hebio?

Hebio: "Oh, it's a new book called 'How To Deal with a Devil'!"

shinra: *looks*................ (GOD DAMMIT ARTHUR!!)

-elsewhere-

Takehisa: "...Detective Oze, I am sorry about your injury. I myself had a shoulder injury recently during the attack on Haijima--"

Takigi: "Is that a joke?"

Takehisa: "...What? I don't joke."

Takigi: "I don't need your pity or this pointless conversation--I'm not going to be fooled, like how you fooled and corrupted my sister. I only need you here to show me through the Nether so I can memorize the path, so do your job competently for once and maybe this time you won't get someone killed!"

Takehisa: *seizes up*

Petra: "... ...Lord, give me strength." -_-#

Takehisa: "I assure you, Detective, safety is my primary concern--"

Takigi: "Savage."

Takehisa: "...I'm sorry?" O_O

Takigi: "Savage. You in the 8th are a bunch of barbaric, backwards savages who have no clue how to protect others, let alone run an efficient firehouse. So shut up and do what I say." *walks in--knocking into Petra on the way*

Petra: "?!" "... ... ..." *inhales* "1...2...3...4..." *counts as she follows*

-elsewhere-

Takeru: *looking around*

Hajiki: "Be careful where you walk, Patty."

tamaki: im not patti, im tamaki. -_-;

Hajiki: "??? Takeru, I thought your girlfriend's name was Patty."

Takeru: ._. "Tamaki isn't my girlfriend?"

Hajiki: "I know--Patty is."

tamaki: -_-; patti isnt even in a fire brigade.

Hajiki: "Oh, right--she's always hanging around that exorcist at True Cross, so she must be from there. Thanks, Aisha!"

tamaki: that isnt even close to my name! >n< .....takeru, you holding up ok?

Takeru: ^^;;;;;;;;;; "Oh, yeah--I'm fine. This isn't really that much different than the cellar back home."

tamaki: the cellar?

Takeru: *nods* "To learn how to better grow potatoes, I tried growing other vegetables in the basement in Qingdao--roots, beans, peas..."

tamaki: huh, well viktor has been trying to grow mushrooms at the 8th's base.

Takeru: "Oh! I should ask him about that! They can be finicky little buggers."

tamaki: maybe......

Takeru: "...Tamaki, are you afraid?"

tamaki: ?? i-im not a fraidy cat! >3< i-...im fine, really...

Takeru: ^^; *nods* "You know more about this place, so I'll be depending on your help finding my way through...because I'm really scared right now." Q_Q

tamaki: w-well try not to wander off to far.

Takeru: *nods fervently* "I have no intention to!"

Hajiki: *walking up ahead, smirks* "Careful, Juggernaut--or Patty will get jealous."

tamaki: that's not how it is! god, cant a guy and a girl talk without people thinking there is romance involved?! jeez!

Takeru: "Yeah!"

Hajiki: "??? Jeez, sorry--didn't mean to offend you, Selena."

tamaki: that's not my name! it's tamaki! ta-ma-ki!

Hajiki: *tenses up, holds up his hand* "Hold it!" *blocks their path*

tamaki: *whapped in the face* ow!

Hajiki: "???" *turns* "Tamaki! Who hit you?!" *aims his gun everywhere* "Were they ninjas?! Were they invisible?!!"

Takeru: -__-;

tamaki: hey take it easy with that!

Hajiki: "What? I know how to aim at targets..."

Takeru: *to Tamaki* "I'm sorry--Hajiki...has some memory-retention problems."

tamaki: jeez, is everyone with a flame ability cursed?

Takeru: "...What?"

{Takeru: *sitting on a small cliff, wiping his eyes, crying*}

{mrs noto: <takeru, sweetie? are you alright?>}

{Takeru: *sniffles* }

-BOOM-

Hajiki: "??? What was that? Is that the Lucky Lewd Syndrome Juggernaut warned me about?"

Takeru: *wakes up* .\\\.;

tamaki: *PUNCH*

Hajiki: *stands perfectly still* "..." *blinks* "...What just happened? Where am I?"

*up ahead, there's a small fire on the ground...and what looks to be a body...*

tamaki: ???

Takeru: "...Oh no..."

*it's members of the 2nd, exploded...*

tamaki: w-what the hell?

Hajiki: "This was targeted..."

*they hear something shift up ahead, and moans*

Hajiki: *aims* "Could be more injured...or the perpetrator. Show yourselves!"

*out walks...a row of Infernals...only partially transformed...some with missing limbs, some with their heads caved in...*

tamaki: !!!!!!!!

Takeru: "EEEEEEK!"

*there are holes in their torsos...*

tamaki: t-that...that shouldnt be possible!

Takeru: "They don't have any cores?! THEY'RE ZOMBIE INFERNALS!"

Hajiki: "...Zom-fernals?"

-elsewhere-

hito: *shooting* damn, they just keep coming.

Vulcan: *has on metal boxing gloves--and is wearing a tail to bounce back and forth, knocking Zom-fernals away*

Unlucky 2nd Brigade Soldier: *screams, as they're ripped apart and bitten*

-elsewhere-

ritsu: fufufufu~

Orochi: *bows* "With your permission, I would like to face the intruders."

ritsu: of course, orochi.

Sasori: "How asinine--you should wait for backup."

Orochi: *frowns* "I don't need anyone..." *marches away*

-elsewhere-

*members of the 2nd keep firing, but the Zom-fernals keep rising*

Jonas: "Damn, damn, damn!" *fires shot after shot*

iris: ashes to ashes....

hito: head's up! *throws a grenade*

*the grenade lands inside a Zom-fernal and--*

*BOOM* *body parts spray everywhere*

anton: nice thinking, yasunoki!

Jonas: *SCREAMS*

hito: !!!!

*a Zom-fernal has nabbed Jonas*

anton: JONAS!

*SLICE*

anton: !!!

*a Zom-fernal has stabbed one of their own bones into Anton's back and through his heart*

anton: *coughing up blood*

Runner Guy: "Anton!" *fires shots at the Zom-fernal--*

Zom-fernal: *retracts from Anton, dumping his body--turning onto Runner Guy*

Runner Guy: *panicking--*

Zom-fernal: *rushes--*

*HEAD-ON ATTACK*

Honda: *crashes his cranium into the side of the Zom-fernal, slamming them into the wall*

Runner Guy: "Commander! Th-Thank you--"

Honda: *upside down, stuck in the floor* "!!! LOOK OUT--"

Runner Guy: "???"

anton?: *has stabbed him, groaning*

Runner Guy: "..." *life escapes his eyes, before he coughs up blood and falls down*

hito: w-what the hell...?

Akitaru: *slicing at Zom-fernals* ("Damn it...What have the Hoods done to people?! These...These bastards!")

-elsewhere-

rita: *trembling*

Viktor: Q___Q *curled up under a bar at an abandoned subway restaurant* "This makes no sense, this is not how science works--you can't just reanimate dead tissue through a simple flame--unless it is puppeteering--Wait, like that unnamed puppet girl at Haijima? NO! Like that weird stitched-up necro weirdo in the Hoods! Is that how they were doing this--" *mutter mutter mutter mutter*

Zom-fernals: *striking at soldiers left and right, ripping them apart, biting into the corpses--causing those corpses to glow before they rise and repeat the process to the other living soldiers*

Ohana: *firing shot after shot--until a magazine runs out* "Fuck! Licht, toss me--"

*BANG*

Ohana: *falls down, a bullet through the center of his head...his opened eyes stare lifelessly at Rita*

Zom-fernal: *clutching a smoking gun, aimed at the bar*

rita: !!!!!!!!

Ohana: *motionless*

Viktor: *tearing up, shaking*

rita: *attempts to pray*

*CLUTCH*

rita: *yelps*

Ohana: *opens his mouth to roar--*

*a chair collides with his head, knocking off the top of it*

rita: !!!!!!!!!

Viktor: "GET BACK, ROTTEN CONTRADICTION OF KNOWN SCIENCE! ... ..." *falls down to his knees, shaking* "Oh God, oh God..."

rita: *shaking*

*then Ohana leaps up with a shriek*

rita: !!!!!!!!!!

Viktor: *screams back at Ohana--before picking up Rita*

-elsewhere-

Zom-fernals: *NOM NOM NOM*

Takeru: >~< "EEEEEK! GET THEM OFF OF ME! GET THEM OFF OF ME!!!"

Zom-fernal: *paws at Tamaki, like a kitten*

tamaki: *WHACKS IT*

Zom-fernal: *yelps, falls back like a scared animal*

Hajiki: "Juggernaut, stop squirming." *aims at him--and fires multiple shots into his body*

tamaki: !!

Takeru: *screams in horror*

*but the Zom-fernals run away from Takeru's body and into the shadows*

*Takeru lies motionless, his body and clothes ripped apart by the bullets from Hajiki's gun...*

tamaki: takeru!!

Hajiki: "..." *stares intently at Takeru's body*

tamaki: what did you do to him?!

Hajiki: "Don't worry, Morgana--I know how to aim."

Takeru: *the clothes regenerate--and parts of Takeru's body pop back out* *sits up* "Hello."

tamaki: w-what the-...what?!

Takeru: "You remember back during our mission in China, when those hot dogs ripped my body apart?" *pats his outfit* "Patty's magic clothing! Plus, I know where to shift my body in these layers of clothes so Hajiki doesn't hit any vital organs."

Hajiki: *looks behind them* "...Juggernaut, Mimsie, get behind me." *aims at the shadows*

Takeru: "..." *slowly inches up to behind Hajiki*

Hajiki: *looks at Tamaki* "Start praying."

tamaki: so those clothes...how did patti even get them?

Takeru: "Stocking's mom can make them--it's really neat!" *tugs on the fabric--which pulses like it's alive* "They're really durable--able to survive high temperatures. Kind of like you, Tamaki! Maybe Patty could ask her to make you some?"

tamaki:........ *stares at him dead eyed*

Takeru: OwO; "...Are you okay?"

zom-fernal: GUOOOOH!

Takeru: "EEEEEEK!"

*BANG BANG BANG*

*the Zom-fernals fall like dominos...with Hajiki looking like he barely moved*

Hajiki: "..."

Takeru: >~< "Th-Thank you, Hajiki..."

Hajiki: *reloading his rifle*

tamaki: ......!! behind you!

Hajiki: *flips the barrel over his shoulder and, without turning around, fires--*

*BANG*

tamaki: he's a natural....

Takeru: "He's an inspiration--especially since he won 'Most Valuable Non-Pyrokinetic' in the entrance tournament..."

tamaki: wait, he's a non-pyrokinetic?!

Takeru: ">_>; "Not quite...He does have a fire skill--but he forgot it when he filled out paperwork to enroll in the 2nd."

tamaki: just how bad is his memory?

Takeru: "Pretty bad--he has short-term memory problems. But his eyes are blessed with thermal heat vision--he can spot heat signatures anywhere, even behind walls."

tamaki: so he could see through your clothes and detect your heat signal?

Takeru: "Right--like x-ray vision! ... ... ..." O\\\\\O *covers himself* "EEK!"

tamaki: YOU'VE KNOWN HIM LONGER AND _YOU'RE_ THE ONE FREAKED OUT?!

Hajiki: *firing shot after shot at Zom-fernals, even able to grab guns off the corpses of his departed colleagues to replenish his ammo, without even looking at the targets--and landing every shot*

*a bullet shell flies up*

Hajiki: "..." *sticks out his tongue, catching it*

tamaki:.....

Hajiki: "...Ow! Hot hot--" *spits it out* *pants* "Okay...All targets put down. Tamaki, if you could finish prayers..."

Takeru: *looking over the corpses of their colleagues* "..." *wipes his eyes*

tamaki:....ratomu....

Hajiki: "If we were attacked, so must the others. We better head back to the Commander--" *turns--*

*there's a Hood in the distance*

tamaki: !!

Hajiki: "!!! Guys, get back--" *aims--*

*something goes flying up*

*it lands at Takeru and Tamaki's feet*

tamaki: ah-....

Takeru: "Ah..."

*it's the top of Hajiki's head, sliced at the jaw...*

*Hajiki's body falls to the floor, dead*

tamaki: ah-....*SCREAMS*

Takeru: "HAJIKI!"

*the Hood pulls back her cloak, revealing--*

Orochi: "I am Orochi of the Purple Smoke." *cracks her whip* "I promise to shatter my enemies to pieces."

Takeru: *falls back, panicking*

Orochi: "Shh...Relax. You will join the dead soon."

tamaki: (come on tamaki, do something!) *battle stance*

Orochi: "What's this? A small kitty cat?" *twirls her whip*

tamaki: (that attack killed him in one swipe...her whip, could it have been-)

{Viktor: *taps the heat meter* "Yep--you certainly can get to hot temperatures, exceeding those even of Shinra! That's some talent, Tamaki!"}

tamaki: (but still....was it her whip or an ignition ability? if it was the whip, how did she make it move so quickly? it's almost like rapid...)

*SLICE*

tamaki: AH!!

*despite being so far away, Orochi managed to slice through Tamaki's habit, cutting into her left shoulder*

tamaki: *clutches her wound* gnhh!

Orochi: "Darn...I had hoped to lop off the entire arm. Aren't you durable..."

tamaki: (d-dammit...)

Orochi: *smiles* "Will you be my worthy opponent?" *cracks the whip again, this time it wraps around Tamaki's right arm*

tamaki: !!!

Orochi: *swings the whip--slamming Tamaki into the ceiling and down to the floor*

tamaki: GRK- (come on, fight back tamaki!)

Orochi: "Come on, play! Play!"

*CRACK* *SLICE* *RIP*

tamaki: *screaming out* (dammit....why dont i just move! im not helpless! im not-)

*the whip wraps around Tamaki's hands, as Orochi holds her up above her*

tamaki: im no....helpless...im not-

Orochi: "Look at you...A scared little kitten. Wait..." *takes Tamaki's hand in her chin*

tamaki:......i-

Orochi: "You're that fire-cat Guruna talks about--the one whose skin can withstand any flame..." *pulls the whip tighter, as it burns along Tamaki's wrists*

tamaki: *winces in pain*

Orochi: "You're too valuable to kill..." *smiles wickedly, as she rips the tattered habit off Tamaki* "But I want to see how much damage my whip can do!"

tamaki: !!!!!

Orochi: *pulls Tamaki by her pigtail--*

*PUNCH*

tamaki: AH!

*something knocks into Tamaki's face, like a small pebble*

{-who do you think you're kidding?-}

tamaki: ngh-

*the whip is loosened from Tamaki, as she falls to the floor, her head hitting the floor*

*...but Tamaki can see someone else collapsed on the floor...it's Orochi, knocked down*

tamaki: i-...*looks up*

*there's something white on the floor...it's a tooth*

*someone stands in front of Tamaki, towering over her*

tamaki: w-what-

Orochi: *gets up...one eye is blackened...and a tooth is knocked out...* *lisping* "What the hell?! How dare you--"

Takeru: *offers a hand to Tamaki* "Tamaki...Can you stand?"

tamaki: t-takeru...

Takeru: "Come on--let's get out of here--"

*the whip cracks--smacking Tamaki between the eyes*

tamaki: GYAH!

*Tamaki is knocked--through a wall*

Takeru: "TAMAKI!" *turns--and the whip wraps around his arm*

Orochi: "How dare you touch me!" *cracks the whip, knocking Takeru back and forth between the tunnel's walls*

Takeru: "UGH!" *slams his head against the wall, knocking him out*

{hito: easy, takeru, easy!)

{Takeru: >~< "Nothing is easy! This is really scary! J-Just put the flame away! I don't want to be near it!"}

{Hajiki: "Can you believe this guy, Hito? JUGGERNAUT, YOU'RE FREAKING HUGE!"}

{hito: *looks at hajiki*}

{Takeru: "I-I'm not that big...I'm self-conscious, because I don't fit into most spaces easily--"}

{Honda: "BECAUSE YOU HAVE THE STATURE OF A SOLDIER!"}

{Takeru: "EEEK!" *leaps--into Hito's arms*}

{hito: *KNOCKED DOWN* grk- c-c-command-der!}

{Honda: *picks up Takeru--with one hand*}

{Takeru: O_____O; "H-How--"}

{Honda: "Training! The military will make you strong!"}

{Hajiki: "As strong as you're big! And as courageous as you're big!"}

{-...-}

{Patty: *glomps Takeru* "I LOVE YOU, YOU BIG BAKED POTATO!"}

{-...-}

???: "Yeah...It's a big one. Bring more people to drag him to the arena. And we'll need bindings to hold the cat. No, don't tell her--she'll get in the way--"

*Orochi is on a radio call...*

Takeru: *he's on his side on the floor* "..." *pushes himself up*

Radio: "What's with your signal? It sounds like you're lisping--"

Orochi: *lisping* "Just get here, damn it!" *a shadow passes over her* "???" *looks behind her--*

*a fist slams down--*

Orochi: "?!!" *leaps back, grabbing her whip before--*

Takeru: "YOU BITCH! I'LL KILL YOU!"

Orochi: "..." *smiles wickedly* "Here to protect your feline girlfriend? Fine..." *summons cat o' nine tails*

Takeru: *grinds his feet into the ground, holds out his forearms...then his neck suddenly elongates like a giraffe*

Orochi: "?! WHAT THE F--"

Takeru: *giant machine guns form in flames along his forearms* *his head slams down like a Pez dispenser, as shots fire at Orochi*

-RATATATATATA-

Orochi: "?!!" *she tumbles back, her flame whips trailing her before she twirls to use Medusa Whip, the multi-headed whip, to block these flame bullets* "Jeez! This is nothing like fighting Assault--" *smiles, before grinning like a madwoman* "THIS IS HARDLY A CHALLENGE FOR THE MEDUSA WHIP! BWA HA HA HA!"

Takeru: "..." *stops firing...looks back to see Tamaki's body through the hole in the wall* : "Tamaki!"

tamaki: ..... (i-....) {-look at you, crumbled and naked, just like usual! you cant fight to save your own life!-} i....

{Boy: "Mommy! That girl is naked!"}

{woman: disgraceful.}

{guruna: we're children of misfortune, you and i..}

tamaki: (im....really fucking pathetic, arent i?)

{Middle School Classmate: "You're a slut."}

{Burns: "What a disappointment."}

{mrs kotatsu?: i should never have given birth to you.}

???: "TAMAKI! WAKE UP, NOW!"

tamaki: nnh....

Takeru: "..." *the fabric on his jacket starts to pulse--before new arms pop out*

Orochi: "...What the fuck?"

Takeru: *swings his fist--and clutches Orochi by the throat*

Orochi: *choked*

Takeru: *eyes narrowed*

Orochi: *slapping her hand down on Takeru's hand, suffocating*

Takeru: *pulls back his fist--*

*Orochi managed to wrap her whip around his arm, ripping it off at the shoulder*

Takeru: *SCREAMS IN HORRIFIC PAIN*

{young!sasori: you're falling behind, orochi.}

{Young Orochi: *panting* *lying on her back, flipped over by Sasori* "No..." *shaking, trying to get up again...*}

{-stomp-}

{Young Orochi: "ACK!"}

{young!sasori: you're weak.}

{Young Orochi: *whispers something he can't hear...*}

{young!sasori: ??}

{Young Orochi: *still whispering...*}

{young!sasori: *leans in* ??}

{*CRACK*}

{*Orochi head-butts Sasori*}

{young!sasori: GRK-}

Orochi: *head-butts Takeru* "I TOLD YOU I'M NOT WEAK!"

Takeru: *gasping in pain, holding his stump of an arm*

Orochi: "This world is not fair...You hide behind some infinite supply of fire bullets and that regenerative clothing...You don't know what it is like--" *kicks Takeru in the face*

Takeru: *kicked back*

Orochi: "In this world...the weak die, the strong survive..."

{sasori:....}

{Orochi: *walks by, smirking* "Give up. You'll never catch up."}

{sasori: mind your own business...}

Orochi: *twirls Medusa Whips, like helicopter blades, getting closer to Takeru's face...*

Takeru: *growls...as the jacket covers his stump--regrowing his arm as he creates a Human-to-Surface Flame Rocket--*

Orochi: "?!"

*KA-BOOM*

*there's only smoke...*

Takeru: *coughs...looks around* "Did I do it...?"

*there's a figure standing in the distance*

Takeru: "?! No..."

Orochi: *lowers Medusa Whip...* "..." *looks up, grins widely, her tooth still missing*

{Orochi: *collapsed in a pool of sweat and blood*}

{sasori: *panting*}

{*around them...are the corpses of their former peers, now made into zombies...*}

{-clap clap clap-}

{ritsu: congratulations for making it into the knights of the purple smoke.}

{Orochi: *struggles to look up*}

Orochi: "In the Nether, only the strong survive..." *she tosses her whip at Takeru, slicing along his arms, then his intestines...*

Takeru: *screams in pain, clutching his stomach, as blood pours out...*

tamaki: no....

*something bright shines in front of Takeru--before nine beams of fire blast out through his back*

Takeru: "..." *collapses, face-down*

Orochi: *stands over Takeru...* *looks up and smiles at Tamaki*

tamaki: .....

Orochi: "What a shame. I had hoped today I could face someone who was my type...I never have..."

{Orochi: "AH!" *swings her fist*}

{sasori: *dodges and swipes at her legs*}

{Orochi: "?!" *falls back*}

{sasori: *pins her down* had enough yet?}

{Orochi: "...You know today is the day we face the 2nd and the 8th?"}

{sasori:....}

{Orochi: *smiles softly--*}

{*CRUNCH!*}

{sasori: GRK-}

{Orochi: *kneed him* "Enough? I've only begun..." *pushes him off of her*}

tamaki: *trying to get up*

Takeru: *clutching his gut...there's a giant hole in it...* "Tamaki..." *coughs up blood* "Stay back!"

tamaki: i....i have to.....-

Takeru: "I can do this!"

{Mr. Noto: <Huh--his suitcase is empty.>}

{mrs noto: <takeru?>}

{Takeru: *sitting outside*}

{mrs noto: <takeru? sweetie?>}

{Takeru: }

{mrs noto: <takeru...>}

{Takeru: }

{mrs noto: }

{Takeru: <But who will take care of the potatoes?>}

{mrs noto: <your papa and i arent going anywhere.>}

{Takeru: <...I just want to help...>}

{-...-}

{Takeru: *flailing his arms* "EEEEEK!"}

{Hajiki: *sparring* "Don't be such a coward!"}

{Takeru: "BUT THAT'S WHO I AM!" >~< }

{Hajiki: "Wrong--you are what you do!" *kicks him down*}

{Takeru: "EEP!" *falls back, rubs his bottom*}

{Hajiki: *offers his hand* "You stand up--you're standing up. You throw a punch, you're punching. You act brave, then you are brave. That's what it means to be a fire soldier..."}

{Takeru: *looking up in awe*}

{-...-}

Takeru: "To protect others..."

{Takeru: "I didn't want to be here like you...I'm not a soldier! I'm not cut out for this!"}

{Hajiki: "I see..."}

{Takeru: "Is this what I should do with my life?"}

{Hajiki: "Only you can answer that, man. So, what's the answer?"}

Takeru: "I am..."

{mrs noto: <we're proud of you no matter what. and someday, your flames of courage will be as big as this potato field.>}

{Takeru: <How do you know that?>}

{mrs noto: <would a coward have the strength to tend this whole field?>}

{Takeru: "???" *looks to the field...he feels the sun on his skin* "..."}

Takeru: "...THE JUGGERNAUT!"

*a giant bomb forms in Takeru's hand*

Takeru: *roars, as he slams the bomb down at Orochi's head--*

*SPLATTER*

*the bomb dissipates into weak flames...as Takeru's hand falls to the floor*

Takeru: *winces...his hand reforms...but now the right sleeve itself is...bleeding?

Orochi: "How sad...So, the magic jacket itself is bleeding?"

Takeru: "I don't care...how many times you rip me apart...YOU ARE GOING TO PAY WITH YOUR LIFE!"

Orochi: *leaps back, whipping at Takeru, slicing at the jacket*

Takeru: *screams in pain*

???: *SCREAMING*

Takeru: "?!"

*the jacket...is screaming*

Takeru: "Hold on...Just a bit longer..." *he's summoning another bomb*

Orochi: *sweating, backing up* "Stand down! Die! Why won't you stop?!"

*SLICE SLICE SLICE*

*the jacket screams again, as Orochi manages to slice the right arm sleeve off, exposing Takeru's hand*

Orochi: "..."

Takeru: "..."

*Takeru hurries to summon the bomb and starts to bring it down--*

Orochi: *lets out a cry, swinging her whip one more time--*

*SLICE*

*Takeru's arm is sliced at the wrist*

Orochi: "HA!"

*...and that hand still has the bomb in its clutches, as gravity brings it down*

Orochi: "!!!"

*Orochi's throat tightens, cutting off her voice before--*

*The bomb connects with her cheek--ripping it apart, her tongue sliced off...*

*BOOM*

*An explosion engulfs this sector of the Nether*

*the flames rush at Tamaki*

tamaki:.....*closes her eyes*

-elsewhere-

felisia: !!!

Mephisto: "??? What's wrong?"

felisia: i.... i dont know....

-elsewhere-

#death city days

0 notes

datura-foxglove · 6 years

Text

(Dazatsu Week Day 5) Hypnos’ Thrall

Prompt : Trust - Sleep

Rating : T

Summary :

“Atsushi-kun, what kind of place is your ideal world?”

“Huh? Shouldn’t you ask Kunikida-san about ideals?”

“His ideal world is boring. I want to know yours.”

“Uhh… when you ask me suddenly like this, I don’t know what to answer…”

“Just tell me what is the first thing you thought of when you think about ideal world. A world that you can shape to your will and desire.”

“Well… maybe…”

It was cold.

The cold sank into his bones, the only thing he could sense for a few moments as he floated. The next thing he felt was the way his lungs burned, his lips opened in panic to inhale air but the water choked him instead. His eyes couldn’t see well, only faint glimmering of light from what he assumed was the surface above him the only thing standing out in this cold world.

His legs weakly kicked in the water, desperately trying to reach the surface before he drowned. He was so focused on moving his weirdly really weak and sluggish body that he jerked when something white floated beside him, slithering to the surface like a snake.

‘Bandages?’ Atsushi eyes widened seeing a few long rolls of unraveled bandages rose from below him to the surface, elegantly swaying in the water. The sight of those white strips of cotton, however weird, crushed his chest in different way than the pressure of water.

For a long moment, it was like time itself had stopped in wonder. His burning lungs forgotten, Atsushi ceased his desperate attempt to return to the surface and looked down. Somewhere in the back of his mind, horror stories that he had read long ago about monsters that lurked in the depths of the ocean nagged at him.

But his eyes didn’t stare into eyes of hungry monsters. No, instead they stared straight into a pair of chocolate eyes of a man slowly sinking to the depths of the water where the light couldn’t reach. The man smiled, a painful yet hopeful smile, as he spread his arms around him in waiting. The bandages unraveling from the man’s body like a curtains that hid the two of them from… something.

Despite the presence in his mind warning him of the danger, Atsushi dove towards the waiting man. It was like answering a siren’s call, a song so sweet and tempting filled his head as his hands reached towards the beautiful man with sad smile. He was so close, so close to touch the man and sank together with him to the depths—

“Atsushi!”

Atsushi jerked awake, his widened eyes blurry and unable to focus at all as he heaved his lungs out. It felt like he had just drowned, taken out of the water just before his consciousness disappear within the watery depths. A hand touched his shoulder gently and it took a few minutes to calm his breath and tilted his head to his side.

Kyouka, his beloved and sweet younger sister figure, looked at him with worried eyes. “Are you alright? I’ve been trying to wake you up for a while.” She rubbed his back comfortingly, like how she usually did whenever one of them woke up from bad dreams. “Nightmare?”

“I—“ Atsushi cleared his throat, his throat felt dry and scratchy. “I don’t think so? I don’t feel any fear at all, I think… it’s a weird dream, but not a nightmare.”

Kyouka listened attentively, like she usually did. “Do you want to talk about it?”

Atsushi shook his head. Somehow, the dream felt too intimate to share, especially now that his emotions still felt so raw. He looked towards the alarm clock on his bedside table and his eyes widened once again. “Kyouka-chan, we are going to be late!”

To his dismay, Kyouka was already prepared for school. She left him to change his clothes and brushed his teeth in peace. Atsushi’s feet stomped down the stairs loudly, although no one in the house protested. He found Kyouka sitting on the dining table with his parents, munching on the last of her sausages and calmly drank her miso soup.

His mother caught him by his collar before he could even run and abandon his breakfast. “You are a growing boy, Atsushi. Eat your breakfast.”

His father chuckled from behind the pages of his newspaper. “The school won’t run away, take your time.”

“I’m going to be late!” but Atsushi obediently sat and wolfed down his sunny side eggs and octopus shaped sausages, drinking his miso soup in one go despite how it scalded his tongue. “There, finished!”

“This boy, really…” His mom put a bento box wrapped in blue cloth on the table beside his arm. “Go, study hard today too!”

Atsushi hurriedly put the bento box on his school bag and almost sprinted towards the door, jumping like bunny as he shoved his feet to his shoes. “I’m going!”

“I’m going too.” Kyouka bowed before she left, ever polite to Atsushi’s parent despite having constantly stayed at their home for years whenever her parents had to go overseas.

Atsushi heard faint ‘be careful on your way’ from his parents before the door shut behind him.

“Atsushi, don’t run.” Kyouka tugged at the bottom of his school uniform. “You are going to get stomachache later.”

“My first lesson today is with Kunikida-sensei, Kyouka-chan.” Atsushi felt shiver going down his back. “If I want to stay alive, I can’t be late.”

Kyouka nodded sympathetically, keeping pace beside him with no sweat despite that Atsushi was dashing forward like the devil was on his tail. He only stopped when they arrived at a crossing and they had to wait for the light to change to green before they could cross. Atsushi fidgeted nervously, his eyes keep flicking towards the clock displayed on his phone. If they continued in their pace, they should barely make it before the bell rang. He sighed and pocketed his phone, his eyes dazedly surveyed his surroundings in vain attempt to make the light change sooner.

On the corner of his eyes, he caught a glimpse on tan colored coat blown back by the wind. His eyes followed the coat and finally found himself staring at the owner of the coat. He was standing there, across the street. Short brown hair and chocolate eyes, a small smile as that person noticed his stare.

Atsushi blinked, and the person was gone. Before he could even fully comprehend what had just happened, Kyouka tugged at his hand and pointed towards the green light.

The bell for lunch break rang noisily. Ranpo-sensei cheered louder than the students and immediately packed away his books, the first one to leave the classroom while the students just stared for a few moments before packing up themselves.

Atsushi heaved a loud sigh and slumped on his desk. He felt the beginning of headache and wondered if he should just sleep on the break but an insistent poke on his shoulder disturbed his peace. Atsushi lazily moved his head so he could see Tanizaki looking at him weirdly. “Are you okay, Atsushi-kun?”

“’m fine…” he mumbled, but he relented and rose from his seat with his mother’s bento on his hand. “I just can’t focus at all today.”

“Are you staying up late yesterday?” Tanizaki walked beside him, the ruckus of school lunches made it almost impossible to hear the boy if it wasn’t for the fact that were almost squished together in the hall.

“No… I had a weird dream and I keep seeing things today.” Atsushi swore that whenever his mind wondered, he would see glimpses of tan coat or bandages.

Tanizaki put a hand on his forehead, which made Atsushi yelped in surprise. “I don’t think you are sick, but do you want to go to Yosano-sensei after we eat?”

“No.” Atsushi vehemently refused. If he wasn’t dying, then he wouldn’t offer himself up to the doctor who had too much fun traumatizing students with her ‘treatment’.

Tanizaki smiled sympathetically, as a fellow brother who had been subjected to the terror of the school’s doctor. “You should go home after the school is over and rest then. We can go to the book store tomorrow.”

Atsushi nodded, trying to smile despite his head throbbing faintly.

“Are you sure you can go home on your own?” Kyouka stared intensely at him, daring him to lie to her. They had grown up together and while Atsushi was a bad liar, it was harder to see the extent of his pain. No matter how much he suffered, Atsushi always brushed it under the rug. He never broke down in front of anyone before and he preferred to keep it that way.

Atsushi’s head throbbed again, this time the pain was stronger than before. Atsushi hid his wince, there was a buzz on his ears and distorted images appeared in his mind.

He was hugging his knees, sitting on a wooden crate. He hid his face as he muttered how no one would even notice if he got killed. How he had no place in the world.

The scene changed, and this time he was on his elbow and knees as he sobbed into his hands, screaming that he was not good after all.

The last scene was him sitting on a bench in a park, his face crumpled in confusion whether to smile hysterically or sobbed his heart out.

The scenes were all different, but there was one similarity each time. Each time Atsushi broke down, his heart crumbled under the stress and unable to go on… there was a person there. Always nearby. Always listening. Always helping him get back to his feet.

In front of that person, Atsushi could unload the burden in his heart without any fear of being rejected.

“Atsushi?” Atsushi almost flinched when Kyouka grabbed his arm, but he managed a small smile as he shook his head.

“Sorry, just a headache.” He patted Kyouka’s head tenderly. “I will be alright. Go with Naomi-san and have fun, okay?”

Kyouka reluctantly let him went home alone, promising to buy something for him too. Atsushi watched her go away, the pressure on his chest that built up since he woke up that day almost crushed his ribs when there was no one beside him to keep his mind off it. He walked despondently, confusion mixed with frustration made it impossible to keep still for long. He was restless, yet he didn’t know why. Despite the noise of traffic and people chattering like usual around him, Atsushi heard nothing but silence. Even within the throngs of people on the busy street, Atsushi felt like he was alone.

Loneliness gripped his heart like a maw of a beast that refused to let go of it’s prey. But it was ridiculous, he just spent time with everyone like usual and he split up with Kyouka not even ten minutes ago. So why he felt so, so alone?

Why the orange sky of late afternoon only made his chest ache more instead of being soothed?

Again, he caught a glimpse of a man in tan coat standing just across the road, looking at him with such a sad smile that Atsushi wanted to dash across the road, traffic be damned, just to hug and comfort him?

Again, the man disappeared before Atsushi could do anything.

“Let’s have a bet, Nakajima Atsushi.” Someone laughed, a confident smirk on his lips. “If you win, I will turn myself in and even let that man nullify my Ability. If you lose… well, then you will join the other people that I have saved.”

Atsushi groaned as he blindly slammed his hand over the ringing of his alarm. Lately, his sleep was terrorized by weird dreams. People that he never saw, or people in his life in acting in different roles. Places so absurd that it must be just his imagination (really? A flying whale?). Fortunately, he mostly forgotten about the dreams he had before he got out of the bed. Despite the slight exhaustion and constant frustration, the dreams didn’t affect his life much.

He washed his face and brushed his teeth. He changed his pajamas to his school uniform. Atsushi’s mind wander as his body moved in autopilot, wondering if the dreams were really because of the stress from the upcoming last exams. He looked at his reflection in the mirror and winced. Okay, maybe a week of disturbed sleep had made the dark rings under his eyes much more visible. He just hoped that he wouldn’t worry people too much. He thought his school uniform changed into a white dress shirt with black necktie for just a second, but he shoved the thought into the corner of his mind.

He got out of his bedrooms, walking downstairs to the dining room where his parents and Kyouka already seated.

“Oh? My boy finally woke up in time.” His father teased good naturedly. Atsushi was ready to retort but when he looked up to his father his words died in his throat and his eyes widened in shock.

There was a black blur on his father’s face. It was akin to watching an old CD that were already with it’s surface already scratched up.

“Don’t tease him, dear. It’s a good thing he didn’t have to rush today so we can enjoy breakfast together.” Atsushi’s head snapped towards his mother and to his horror, her face was also torn by the black blur.

“Alright, alright. Don’t glare at me sweetheart.”

Atsushi furiously rubbed his eyes, wondering if he was still dreaming. To his relief the black blurs disappeared and he could see his parent’s kind faces again.

“Atsushi?” Kyouka called him, the only one whose face didn’t blur out. Atsushi gulped before he took his chopsticks and started to eat.

His mother’s usually delicious cooking tasted like nothing in his mouth and Atsushi lost his appetite.

“That sounds like horror movie.” The boy beside him gasped. “Oh! That would be exciting if this is truly a horror movie! I wonder if a psychopath will appear soon and murdered us.”

Atsushi sighed, though he had a fond smile on his face. “Dazai-senpai, that sounded too morbid in the morning.” His eyes watched at his upperclassmen, who grinned at Atsushi as he continued on with his horror movie like story.

He had missed Dazai. He had really missed him and Atsushi almost cried when he saw Dazai’s back at the school gates, cheerfully talking to Ango who looked so tired.

“Atsushi-kun? You aren’t listening, are you?” Dazai accused, his lips pouting so adorably that Atsushi couldn’t help but to chuckle.

“I’m sorry, Dazai-senpai. It’s just… I miss you so much.” Atsushi’s face blushed as he realized what he was saying. “It felt like it’s been forever since I last saw you.”

“Aww, Atsushi-kun.” Dazai’s pout disappeared and replaced with goofy smile. “It’s just school trip! I even brought back a souvenir for you. But I’m glad to be so loved by my junior.”

Atsushi choked on air, his face as red as tomato. “N-no! It’s not like that, I just…” he sighed as he rubbed his face, willing his blush away. “Sorry, just forget what I said.”

Dazai smirked, evidently enjoying teasing him. “How can I forget such a passionate love confession, Atsushi-kun?”

Before Atsushi could deny that, the bell signaling the end of lunch break rang obnoxiously. Dazai and Atsushi packed away their bento boxes and Dazai waved his hand at Atsushi as they split up at the stairs.

Something stopped Atsushi and he had to climb up the stairs again and caught Dazai’s wrist before he entered his classroom. “Dazai-senpai, where is your bandages?”

Dazai looked at him in as if he suddenly sprouted another head. “Bandages? I’m not hurt so why should I wear bandages? Is this because of that fight with that slug? Atsushi-kun, that slug can harm me as much as a toddler can.”

“I heard that, bastard!” Atsushi saw Chuuya shouted from his table inside the classroom. “Do you wanna go at it again, mackerel!?”

Kunikida stopped the two bickering students and sent Atsushi back to his own classroom. That’s right, Dazai had never wore any bandages except when he got into a fight with Chuuya. But why it was so jarring to see uncovered skin on his arms and neck? Why was it that seeing Dazai so carefree and unrestrained with his expression felt wrong?

On the corner of his eyes, he could see the man with the tan coat again. It took him a moment before he noticed how similar the man was with his senior, but also how different.

“Atsushi-kun, what kind of place is your ideal world?”

“Huh? Shouldn’t you ask Kunikida-san about ideals?”

“His ideal world is boring. I want to know yours.”

“Uhh… when you ask me suddenly like this, I don’t know what to answer…”

“Just tell me what is the first thing you thought of when you think about ideal world. A world that you can shape to your will and desire.”

“Well… maybe…”

It was getting worse. Atsushi couldn’t even remember how long he had been having these weird dreams. Each time he woke up, he wanted to do nothing but lay there on the bed or screaming his lungs out. Each time he went downstairs to have his breakfast with Kyouka and his parents, he would see again the black blurs that hid his parents face. It stayed longer and longer each day, until now it completely fixed on their faces and Atsushi couldn’t even remember their faces anymore. Their voices were also distorted, now sounding more and more like broken radio.

What was the color of his father’s hair?

What kind of smile his mother always showed him?

Only Kyouka’s face remained the same, unaffected of the way the world around him distorted. As they walked together to school, Atsushi would see images overlapping. The streets they usually walked to school changed into an unfamiliar yet also familiar street. The faces of people he met on the streets blurred like his parents except for few people that were strangely more detailed than others. Even on the school, most of the students and teacher’s face were blurred except for few that he was always close with.

But even those people felt wrong to him. It felt wrong to see Naomi complaining about her meager allowance her father gave her. It felt wrong to see Kenji needing help to carry heavy things. It felt wrong to see Tanizaki failing his drive test for a motorcycle. It felt wrong to see Kyouka carrying a pink school bag around and not a knife. It felt wrong to see Dazai without his bandages and his worst problem was that Kunikida giving him detention again.

There were so many wrongs that it drove him insane.

Yet, even if the people around him felt more like a mirage… he should be satisfied, right? They were so happy and everyday was so peaceful. The worst thing they had to worry about was exams and not having enough money to buy books or games.

Atsushi should be grateful. He should be happy that people who were precious to him were so happy. This kind of daily life, this boring and peaceful daily life… didn’t he used to wish for these kind of days?

Atsushi should just… let go. He should avert his eyes from the way the world was distorting and breaking. Maybe someday everything would return to normal. Someday he wouldn’t even remember all of this and went on his days like normal.

Ignorance was a bliss, right?

Atsushi was ready. He could do this. He could blind himself to the truth and pretend. It would be easy. Everyone were happier here and he shouldn’t—

A glimpse of a man with a tan coat appeared on the corner of his eyes. Atsushi froze, his heartbeat going wild. Did he know what he was thinking? Did that man saw what Atsushi was doing?

Usually, the one with Dazai’s face would just stand there watching him. But now, when the world keep overlapping and breaking apart by it’s seams, the man… walked away. He turned around and leave.

Before he knew what he was doing, Atsushi stood up. Kunikida looked shocked to see Atsushi dashed outside of the classroom and tried calling for him, but Atsushi couldn’t hear it with all the buzzing in his ears. He ran with all of his might, frustrated at himself for being so slow. He knew he could go faster. He knew he had the ability to dash with speed faster than what could be seen by normal eyes.

To his shock, Kyouka was waiting for him by the school gates. He couldn’t see Dazai’s back anymore, but his instinct knew where to find him. If he rushed then maybe he would be in time to… to what? He didn’t know, but he knew that he had to get to Dazai before it was too late.

Kyouka stance wasn’t aggressive. She just stood there in front of the school gate, looking at him with inquisitive eyes. “Are you sure? You won’t be able to go back if you go from this place.”

Atsushi looked down. His everyday life here was like a dream, a wish that normally would be an impossible thing to be granted. Even short, his life here had made him so, so happy.

“There is still time.” Kyouka walked away, letting him to choose. “Think it carefully. What is it that you really desire?”

When Atsushi was still in the orphanage, he wished to have a family. He wished to have a father who would teach him things and praised him with pride whenever Atsushi accomplished something, no matter how trivial it was. He wished to have a mother who would cook for him and tell him bedtime stories, smiling happily as she welcomed him home everyday. Maybe he could have a brother or sister too.

When Atsushi was accepted into Armed Detective Agency, Atsushi wished for the peaceful days to never end. To just be able to spend his time with the people he had thought as family without any life in the line or any danger that could steal his family away right in front of him.

When Atsushi fell in love with Dazai, he wished for the man to be happy. To be free from the void that keep eating him away from the inside until the man was nothing but a husk.

This world. Everything in this world was Atsushi’s wishes made manifest. No matter how impossible his wishes were, this world granted it. He had a family. He didn’t have to worry if next day the Agency would still be there for him to return to. The man he loved was free from the darkness that always clung to him like his bandages.

It was so easy, so very tempting to continue living in this dream world. Even if he never left, what would it matter in the real world? He was just one human in the midst of billions that live in the world, easily forgotten. At least in this dream, he could be happy. He could be happy as time froze in this dream, where the people he loved would also always be happy and safe.

But he had forgotten. Living in this peaceful world had nearly erased a promise that he had made to himself, on the day that felt like forever ago. On the day when Atsushi found Dazai on the grave of his dearest friend.

Atsushi didn’t quite know where he was heading, his memories were mixed up and jumbled. He had to cling to his memories of the real world with all of his might or his memories of the dream world would bury it deep in his brain where Atsushi wouldn’t be able to discover it anymore. Again, the images of the world were overlapping. The sky went from bright blue to warm orange, rinse and repeat, as the cracks on the sky became harsher and bigger. The street turned into river, the noise of streaming water fought against the sound of cars.

Ahead, he could see a bridge. The images’ deterioration became even more rapid, the fissure now even cracked the ground around him. Atsushi saw Dazai standing on the bridge and his heart fell to his stomach as dread clenched his chest. It felt like the time slowed down as he watched Dazai’s body plunged into the water and Atsushi roared.

No, not Atsushi. Byakko roared within him, finally awakened from it’s long slumber.

His legs transformed into Byakko’s legs and Atsushi jumped. The images of water and concrete flashing before him, but Atsushi knew where he wanted to go.

His body hit water, immediately submerged. The warm glow of sunset sky behind him gave him just enough light to see Dazai sank deeper and deeper in the water. Atsushi swam downward, chasing after the bandages unraveling from Dazai’s arms. Atsushi opened his mouth to scream, but all that come out was garbled voice.

“Dazai-san!”

But apparently, it was enough. Dazai opened his eyes, his chocolate eyes so empty and cold. Atsushi swam faster, his hands barely managed to catch Dazai’s sinking body. Only when Atsushi touched him that Dazai’s eyes returned to focus and widened as he saw Atsushi. Atsushi smiled in relief when warmth returned to those chocolate eyes and he wrapped his arms around Dazai tightly, leaning his head under Dazai’s chin. It only took a second before Dazai returned the embrace, his hands gripping the back of Atsushi’s clothes like a lifeline.

The two of them sank into the darkness, warm and content in each other’s embrace as the world was breaking apart around them.

“So you managed to escape from your dream world on your own, that is impressive Atsushi-kun.” Yosano smiled warmly as she wrote down the last of her examination. “Normally, people trapped in the dream created by that Ability won’t be able to do so until their body started dying from being in coma for so long. Thankfully, your Ability healed any kind of damage from nearly a month in coma Atsushi-kun.”

“It’s only possible because Dazai-san helped me.” Atsushi laughed in self depreciating way. “If it wasn’t for him, I would probably choose to stay within that dream.” He tightened his grip on Dazai’s hand that was holding him, but the man didn’t react at all other than returning the grip.

“You shouldn’t be ashamed of that.” Yosano tapped the medical chart on her shoulder. “Humans are creatures of desire after all. The dream world created by that Ability felt so real and fulfilling that only a handful of people are able to choose to return on their own.” Especially people that were so deprived of happiness and had difficulty to connect with reality.

“What about the Ability user?” Atsushi asked tentatively. They had made a bet, even if it was foolish for him to do so. But the Ability user they chased was an illusive man and the numbers of his victims keep growing the longer he stayed free.

“He honored the bet and turned himself in when you woke up.” Yosano frowned. “Kunikida and Tanizaki-kun are keeping an eye on him until the transfer is finished. Director asked for Dazai to nullify the man’s Ability so the victims will be able to wake up, but… well, they are busy with administration anyway so you have some time before they call you.”

Dazai nodded to show that he had heard, but he kept his head hung low so no one could see his eyes hidden by his bangs.

“Alright, I should go.” Yosano hit Atsushi’s shoulder with the medical chart, though Atsushi barely felt the pain. “That was careless of you, kid. Good work, but if you do that again I will make sure you get the best treatment, hmm?”

Atsushi nodded quickly seeing Yosano’s scary smile. Yosano spared a glance towards Dazai for a moment before walking away. Kyouka and Naomi was outside when she opened the door, but Yosano ushered them to leave the two men alone.

Atsushi waited until the sounds of their footsteps fade away before smiling at Dazai. “Thank you for saving me, Dazai-san.”

“I didn’t save you.” Dazai whispered, so low and broken that pain blossomed on Atsushi’s chest. “I nearly gave up. I nearly left you behind.”

“It’s my fault.” Atsushi shook his head. “I… got blinded by the illusions. I foolishly think that it would be better for me to stay there and forget my reason to take that bet in the first place.”

He nearly abandoned hundreds of victims still in coma out there due to his selfishness.

“I won’t fault you. Your dream world is so beautiful.” Dazai laughed, but there was no humor in his voice. “Even I looked happy in that world.”

Dazai’s words stung Atsushi like a slap to the face. He gripped Dazai’s hand tighter, frustrated at how cold the man’s hand was.

“Why don’t you stay?” Dazai asked, his voice so brittle that Atsushi feared it would crumble and whisked away by the wind. “It would be easier if you live in that dream. Didn’t you also think so? What made you change your mind?”

Atsushi remembered his hesitance to return. How easily he turned his eyes away from the truth even when the world started breaking down. Atsushi would have stayed there, if he didn’t saw Dazai walking away and remembering his promise.

“I… made a promise to myself.” Dazai finally rose his head a little, his exhausted eyes peeking at Atsushi from beneath his bangs. “I promised to stay by your side.”

Dazai’s head snapped up, now their eyes meeting each other properly. “I know you won’t trust my promise if I made that promise with you, so I made it with myself. I promised that I will fight tooth and nail to stay by your side, for as long as you would have me with you.”

Dazai snorted, his eyes dark and shadowed beneath so much doubt and pain. “You are right. I wouldn’t trust that promise.”

Atsushi scratched his cheek sheepishly. “I also don’t trust myself to be able to keep that promise, I nearly broke it when I tried to stay in that dream.” Atsushi’s eyes returned to their hands and smiled a little. “But when I saw you leaving… I remembered why I made that promise.”

“Why?” Atsushi almost didn’t hear the whispered question. He wondered if he was meant to hear it in the first place. Yet he still wanted to answer anyway.

“I… I just don’t want to make you sad.” He didn’t want Dazai to experience loss again. “When I saw you leaving, your back looked so lonely… so I knew I had to go back with you.”

For a long moment, Dazai didn’t respond. Atsushi wrapped both of his hands to Dazai’s cold ones, rubbing them gently to warm them up. Dazai slowly intertwined their fingers together and put Atsushi’s hands on his cheeks.

Dazai smiled for the first time since Atsushi had woken up, and if what he sensed from Yosano was true, then ever since Atsushi fell into coma. Dazai gently kissed the tips of his fingers, his breath felt warm and shaky against his fingers.

“You are too good for me Atsushi-kun.” Dazai closed his eyes. “I don’t deserve someone like you.”

“But I want to be with you, if you will have me.” Atsushi scooted closer to Dazai so he could lean his forehead to Dazai’s. “Can I stay with you?”

Would you trust my promise?

“Of course. I want you to stay with me.” Dazai leaned his head closer and kissed Atsushi’s lips, his longing and desire clear as he deepened the kiss.

Atsushi wrapped his arms around Dazai’s neck as the older man climbed into the bed with him, desiring to be closer. To once again be in each other’s arms.

I trust you.

#dazatsu week 2019 #dazatsu #fanfic #sorry if the ending is rushed #you would think I learned my lesson and didn't procrastinate #and don't only start writing when it was 10 pm #but nooooo #why I did this to myself #for people that is confused #atsushi made a bet with ability user #his ability is to trap people in dream world kind of like poe's #but the trapped person is the one creating the dream #so unless they can accept and wish to escape #they would be forever trapped in coma state #I wanted to call this ability midsummer night dream but eh

98 notes · View notes