So I’m gonna cheat and do Days 1-6 prompts in flash fic format. I should have prepared even a draft or wrote something ages ago, but I’ll never stop being myself if I did, right?
Title: Midnight Stroll
Summary: Just two kids visiting a graveyard.
Prompt: Port Mafia / Childhood Memories / “Once upon a time on the same side”
"Does Chuuya not believe in ghosts?"
"As if such a thing exists."
"But didn't you cry when we sneaked out to watch The Exorcist? And then you kept asking Kouyou-nee if ghosts can possess people?"
"I-I-Idiot! I didn't cry! And I was just curious!"
"Mm. But in this cemetery, perhaps there a few stray souls looking for a body to take over."
"W-What. D-Don't j-j-joke around!"
"Ehhhh. I'm not joking around Chuuya! I'm only worried for you!"
"Hah?!"
"With that ginormous hat sitting on your head, you're like a walking target for these spirits!"
"What?"
"Don't you know the ghosts are more attracted to people who stand out? Because they're dead, they want people who are full of life!"
"T-That is a s-stupid lie!"
"Don't worry. If you hold your breath, then maybe they will pass over you and move on to the next person."
"..."
"Anyway, ghost stories are totally baseless most of the time, but you never know right Chuuya?"
"..."
"Chuuya?'
"..."
"You're turning blue."
"..."
"Ah? You're actually holding your breath? Will you continue if I told you I made all that up?"
"...what."
"You were obviously scared so I wanted to distract you. And it worked~ We made it to the other side, didn't we?"
"I'LL KILL YOU, YOU FISH FACED BASTARD!!!!"
Title: let’s get to know each other
Summary: Dazai and Chuuya first meet.
Prompt: Down Time / Hanging Out / “Time flies when we’re together”
Notes: Inspired by 31′s title page. You know the one.
Dazai tended to view puzzles and people in the same light: as things to be met, resolved, and passed by. Granted, with a mentor like Mori around, passing one molehill generally meant there was a mountain looming just over the horizon.
Well this mountain was small.
And with a hat.
The child blinked blue eyes at him, lips pressed into a firm, thin line. He had asked a question, and Dazai was too distracted by this guest's foreign looks to properly hear the question directed at him. "Pardon?" he just said when he heard a growl.
"I asked," his voice was high-pitched, like a girl's, "what do you do for fun around here?”
A laugh almost escaped his throat. Dazai Osamu, the demonic prodigy widely believed by everyone will one day inherit everything in Port Mafia, being asked boldly by a kid he had met only a minute earlier what his idea of fun is. Not that he minded the question. This boy just seemed terribly uninformed of the difference in their standings, that's all.
"Are you asking me if we should hang out?" Dazai asked, trying to sound as pleasant as he could.
"There are barely any kids around here," the hat wearing child complained, pouting. "It's nice seeing someone your own age."
"But not of the same height?" Dazai couldn't help but wonder out aloud.
The boy's face turned beet red in an instant. Dazai thought the boy would fly into a rage, but Ozaki came just in time to lead the boy away. No words were exchanged. It seemed like Ozaki was determined to keep Dazai away from this child. Half a second later, Mori appeared, along with a disheveled looking Yumeno. Even as Mori put a hand on his shoulder to steer him away, Dazai’s eyes never left the boy; he was rewarded a second later when he turned around to throw Dazai a genuinely perplexed look.
---
Dazai tended to view puzzles and people in the same light: as things to be met, resolved, and passed by. Granted, with a mentor like Mori around, passing one molehill generally meant there was a mountain looming just over the horizon.
This boy won't be different.
He'd know his name, even if it was the last thing he would do.
Title: wash away your sins
Summary: In which Chuuya is the youngest boss in mafia history.
Prompt: Parallels / Role Swap / “We could have been so much more”
Notes: Ummmm sorta deals with a more mature topic but it’s not that bad. I think.
And then Dazai couldn't see, because Chuuya had taken off his tie and tied it around his eyes and wow, this is brand new because usually he's the one doing the abducting. Chuuya wasted no time in stripping him and the next thing he knows his bare feet were walking on grainy sand, the sea was calling and Chuuya, oh the next boss of the mighty Port Mafia, with his violent mouth and his ink dark heart, this was the most honest he had been in a long, long time. 'Don't betray me,' he had hissed against Dazai's ear, 'or even think about betraying me.' He proceeded to greedily capture Dazai's mouth in a hungry kiss, biting his bottom lip hard enough to draw blood, before dunking his head under the slushy surface. 'I'll hollow out your heart myself if you do, you hear me?' Chuuya had warned as the tides crashed against their chests, injecting ice water into their veins.
Later on, Dazai would wonder if he should have asked Chuuya if this was a failed double suicide attempt.
Title: good things come to those who wait
Summary: You are not allowed to fail. Only in succeeding will you know you are needed.
Prompt: Going Back / Train Station / “Welcome home, Dazai”
Notes: Much sad.
The Agency's existence can no longer be ignored. The night before your most important solo mission, you receive a Chateau Margaux 2009 Balthazar from the boss of Port Mafia.
Mori does not hand out gifts easily.
Dawn arrives and you activate Corruption. A wave of a hand here, a snap of a finger there. Inhale (your obligations), exhale (your regrets). You feel the life being choked out of you, and you know there is no going back. You orchestrate the destruction of about half of the city of Yokohama before your body gives in and tears you apart from inside out. The heavens turn a deaf ear as you scream out in agony, your voice dying to become a broken whimper.
But before that, you had waited...
Waited and waited and waited.
Until your last breath.
(He won’t come.)
You had waited.
---
Somewhere in Okinawa, Oda gets back to his temporary home, a little hut he lives in with five oprhaned kids and one Dazai Osamu. He keeps a straight face as he places a carefully folded newspaper on the windowsill. Dazai stares impassively at the headline and then turns back to his book.
He does not recall asking anyone to wait.
Title: Snow White and that One Dwarf
Summary: Once upon a time, in a land far away, a prince met... a dwarf. No, a human you could easily mistake for a dwarf? No, seriously, what are you?
Prompt: Fantasy / Curse / “We could make it reality”
Notes: There’s a shiptease of another pairing at the end. :))
"And let me guess," Dazai ventured smilingly, one finger tapping the hollow of his cheek, "you're Grumpy."
Chuuya stomped his feet as a vein popped out of his forehead. "Don't call me that!"
"No? Then are you Sneezy? Dopey? Doc?"
"Where the hell do you get all those names from, you waste of bandage human scum!"
"Why, the names of the dwarves of this area from the census!"
"Census?"
"Could it be that your hat ate your brain and now you don't even know what a census is?"
"Fuck you to seven hells and back! And I'm not a dwarf, dammit!"
"Can you prove it?"
"What is there to prove, how the hell am I a dwarf when I'm only a few centimeters shorter--- Hey, what's that disgusting look you're giving me, hah?"
"I got it! Your name is Chewy!"
"DIE HUMAN TRASH!"
As the two bickered back and forth, the fairest prince of the land was awoken by a kiss from his true love: Nakajima Atsushi.
Title: old memories
Summary: Every once in a while, Chuuya sees him.
Prompt: Armed Detective Agency / Conflict / “Cut every tie I have to you”
"Well, Chuuya, much as I enjoyed spiting you this evening, I must be off.
Chuuya watched as the bastard touched the brim of an imaginary hat and executed a courtly bow as he turned to leave. Though he would have rather had his tongue nailed on a table than admit it, Chuuya knew there really was no way to make this man stay now. He was at a loss, and this stupid guy with the stupid face and the stupid smile had way too many tricks up his sleeves.
"Wait one darn minute, I'm not yet through!"
To his open amazement, the figure paused.
He hesitated, then decided to bite the bullet and ask a question that had been haunting him since the past few weeks. "Why do you always bother me?" he demanded, eyes fixed on the man before him. "And who the fuck really are you?"
There was a long moment of stillness before the figure turned back to face him fully. "How hurtful." The bandaged man's smooth tenor carried easily across the gap between them. "They really found a way to cut me off from you, huh?"
"What are you talking about?"
Dazai offered a pained smile, looking much like a ghost trying to summon up the living.
Wait, who's Dazai?
There was a sudden blaring from up above and Chuuya is jolted awake, pulled back to the real world. After a few minutes of staring blankly at the ceiling, he realized there were tears running down his cheeks. He wiped them with the sleeves of his shirt before getting up to start the day.
Title: Viva Forever
Characters/Pairing: Nakajima Atsushi, Dazai Osamu, Akutagawa Ryunosuke, Izumi Kyouka
Summary: Joining the student council was Atsushi’s best worst mistake.
Notes: A bunch of interconnected drabbles, basically.
The wind was blowing.
As boys and girls gathered to attend their respective after-school clubs, a lone student wandered around the halls with his shoulders slumped, a crumpled piece of paper clutched on one hand. His expression became gloomier when he reached the door of the room farthest to the west building's staircase.
"Move, you're blocking the way."
It was the second year representative, Akutagawa Ryunosuke. Atsushi was so surprised that he ended up tripping all over himself. Before he could get up, he heard the sound of the door being clicked open.
"You are not suitable to be Dazai-san's subordinate. Get out of my sight."
Atsushi hung his head low as the cold words of his upperclassman echoed in his head.
.
"So," Naomi said, swirling her sashimi in the soy sauce. "What's it like being in the student council?"
"Umm... I don't really know," admitted Atsushi as he stared at his half-eaten bowl of chazuke. "I'm still wondering how I got in there in the first place."
"Isn't it because the Dazai-senpai randomly singled you out back at the school ceremony?" Tanizaki helpfully pointed out. "I won't forget that, because he was talking about how leadership wasn't about being skilled or accomplished but about staying motivated to reach your goal."
Atsushi thought of the number of times he caught the president slacking off on his duties and subsequently made a face.
"Ah, as usual, niisama has good memory!" Naomi cried out before Atsushi offer his opinion on Dazai. "Now open your mouth. Ahhh~~"
"N-N-Not here, Naomi!"
.
"Then it's decided."
"What exactly is decided, Dazai-san?"
"That we'll convince that Fitzgerald guy to sponsor our school festival!"
"Wait a moment... Ehhh???"
.
Awaiting the first year representative were not the ordinary, peaceful days he had been looking forward to, but rather an extension of the busy, lively days that had begun prior to the school festival.
But what a blunder he made today. He had to tell Yosano-sensei and Mori-sensei that there was a mix-up and he switched their two deliveries. He quickly walked down the platinus tree pathway after scurrying under the main gate, ignoring the other students milling about. Just when he was about to round the corner, he caught sight of a familiar-looking girl standing near the staircase. As if sensing eyes on her, she automatically looked up.
"Um, eto... Kyouka-chan, right?" A nod. "What are you doing here?"
The girl named Kyouka presented a bento, catching Atsushi off-guard. Seeing this reaction, the girl took a step forward and extended her arms further.
"...I don't think I deserve this."
"This is to show my gratitude for the help last time," Kyouka clarified.
Izumi Kyouka was a middle schooler who got lost and was almost kidnapped by a local gang. Thanks to Atsushi and Kunikida-sensei, not only was that plan thwarted, they even managed to locate and report the gang's headquarters and arrest their leader.
He didn’t know he could become useful like that.
"Don't you like it?"
Kyouka snapped Atsushi out of his stupor, and judging from the tone in her voice, she must've thought he was disappointed. But it was the opposite. For you see...
"You know, this is the first time someone made a bento for me." He gave Kyouka a warm smile. "So thank you, Kyouka-chan!"
.
Atsushi steeled himself, forcing his muscles into action. The gangster roared out in frustration, swinging a heavy fist towards Atsushi. The bloodied and beaten-up freshman dodged to his right, pushed the gangster's punching arm downwards, and aimed a kick at the guy's cranium. The gangster fell to the ground, bleeding in the head, unconscious.
"You shitface!" One of them cried out from behind.
Atsushi was saved by Akutagawa swooping in to deliver a solid roundhouse kick to the attacker. He then landed on all fours, coughing violently.
"Akutagawa!" Atsushi yelled, rushing to his side. His eyes widened when he saw blood. "You can’t go on anymore! Let me handle this!"
The gangsters regained their confidence when they realized their opponents' handicap. They've meant to ambush a bunch of Yokohama Gakuen kids as retaliation for what happened last month, but they didn't expect these two scrawny kids to give them this much trouble. It was nice playing around, but it was time they get serious. Swinging metal baseball bats and broken bottles, they surrounded the highschoolers, making sure they would have no route for escape. It’s all one-sided now, Atsushi grimly concluded. Even so, he placed himself in front of Akutagawa, not wanting to put the boy in any more danger.
A horrible high-pitched scream pierced the air all of a sudden.
The thick tension in the air rose. Atsushi could hear the beating of his own heart in his ears. He forced himself to continue staying alert, even when he was as distracted as the rest of the gangsters.
"Kimura!" One gangster ran as if his life depended on it, his eyes bloodshot. "Let’s bolt! They're here!"
"The police?"
"N-N-N-No..." There was such a deep-seated fear in his eyes that even Atsushi, watching the exchange from a few meters away, couldn't help but be equally terrified. "It's them.” His lips trembled as he spoke his next words.
“The double black."
.
Dazai-san had more secrets than they thought, Atsushi mused as he blankly stared at his hospital room’s ceiling.
.
"Join the basketball match this Friday?!"
"Maa maa Atsushi-kun, there's no need for you to be loud. I understand you're excited and all, but keep that energy until you get to the courts."
"But Dazai-san, I don't know how to play basketball!"
"Don't be so negative~ You have an entire week to train, after all!"
"It's the regional finals!"
"You'll be just fine~♪"
"Dazai-san!"
"Anyway, since it's Akutagawa-kun's fault too why our players won’t be able to play, it's only fair he comes with you, right?"
There was a loud thud! heard in the office.
It was the sound of Akutagawa's body hitting the waxed floor.
.
The wind was blowing.
As boys and girls gathered to attend their respective after-school clubs, a lone student trudged through the hallway, balancing a tall stack of papers. His expression brightened when he reached the door of the room farthest to the west building's staircase.
"Jinko."
It was his fellow student council member, Akutagawa Ryunosuke. Atsushi was slightly startled, but he recovered long enough to avoid dropping the papers he carried with him. It was always like this, Atsushi thought in resignation. At least Akutagawa wasn't snarling or comparing him to rotten broad beans or mandarin oranges. Maybe this was a good sign? Hope rose in Atsushi's heart when Akutagawa turned the knob and wordlessly entered the room.
Title: outside these walls
Characters/Pairing: Ozaki Kouyou
Summary: it was foolish to hope.
Notes: 100 words.
--
she wakes up with a sharp arch of her spine and a sharper gasp, inhaling too much air and forcing her lungs to fully expand. the woman beside her waits before gingerly handing over a small clay jar. grief stabs at her heart as realization sinks in.
(demons do not cry.)
a single tear streaks her pale cheek.
---
above, the sun is bright and warm, the kind that reddens the skin and burns. she takes one, two delicate steps.
there is no funeral.
she’d already buried him in the darkness, hand-in-hand with the foolish child who believed in love.
Title: Rivalry
Characters/Pairing: Nakajima Atsushi, Akutagawa Ryunosuke, Tachihara Michizou
Summary: Gryffindor vs Slytherin matches never get old.
Notes: Set in the HP AU. I know I loosely interpreted the theme, but I couldn’t write anything else. Sorry?
"The Quaffle is in Slytherin's possession, but they are struggling to score. We are seeing some great defense from Nakahara and Takahashi here folks— no, wait, the Gryffindors have taken back possession, with chaser Miura gaining the Quaffle. Off he goes! Slytherins hot on his trail and— ouch! Even the Gryffindors groaned in sympathy there as a Bludger hit Slytherin chaser Sakai hard on the ribs. That's the work of Gryffindor captain Nakahara Chuuya, he looks damn smug about it. Can never relax with a Beater like him around the pitch! Now where were we? Oh oh oh! Miura is diving— GRYFFINDOR SCORES YET AGAIN! 210-30!"
Atsushi put his hands on his ears as Gryffindor cheers filled the air, with howls and moans erupting from the Slytherin side. For around 30 minutes, he's been hovering way up above all other players, squinting about for some sign of the Snitch.
“Nice intercept by Slytherin Chaser Kimura,” Tachihara was saying, “he ducks two Bludgers and speeds toward the—wait a moment—did Akutagawa just see the Snitch?”
Sure enough, Akutagawa was speeding towards something, arms outstretched. In alarm, Atsushi hurtled himself downwards, sweaty hands tightly gripping the broom Dazai had lent him. He had put on an extra spurt of speed to catch up to Akutagawa when chaser Miura swept by and blocked him on purpose. The Gryffindor Seeker spun off-course, almost falling off his broom.
"That is obviously a foul!" Tachihara cried out from the commentator's box. "Nasty Slytherins who can't play a fair game!" Ravenclaw House Head Fukuzawa gave him a warning look. "Sorry professor. I meant, that one Slytherin and the coughing eyebrowless—"
Atsushi didn't get to hear the rest, because the Snitch whirred past him, Akutagawa following furiously along. They made brief eye contact, and determination roared anew in Atsushi's chest as he pulled to Akutagawa's right.
"Nakahara sending another Bludger— What's that? There's something interesting going on over there— Hey, they’re restarting the Seeker battle! Hell yeah!"
A murmur ran through the crowd as they watched the two fly across the pitch in breakneck speed, racing side by side. It was a competition, with both of them switching to take the lead. Even the other players hung silently in midair, having been transformed to awed spectators.
"Out of my way, mantiger!" Akutagawa yelled imperiously as the two made a vertical dive.
Atsushi barely heard the other boy's words, choosing to focus on the Golden Snitch. He could already see the little round ball, wings fluttering, darting up ahead. He reached for it, but Akutagawa blurred past him. Seconds later, the boy raised an arm in triumph, the Snitch clasped firmly in his hand.
There was silence.
And then an uproar.
"Akutagawa caught the Snitch but he made his team lose! Gryffindor wins! Shit is gonna hit the—"
"Language."
"My bad, professor.
Atsushi did the math in his head: the Golden Snitch was worth 150 points, and the last time he checked, they were ahead by 180. In disbelief, he turned to Akutagawa. "You made your team lose," he said, eyes wide. He could clearly hear the Slytherin side jeering and throwing insults at their Seeker.
"It is my victory," Akutagawa proclaimed in a self-satisfied tone. A gentle wind swept across his face, blowing strands of hair. "And this little ball? It is not what I aim to capture in the first place."
Atsushi immediately understood, but he told himself he didn't want to.
Title: High Tea for Two
Characters/Pairing: Higuchi Ichiyo, Dazai Osamu.
Summary: Well, she reasoned to herself, it wasn't like they were in a proper date, whatever this meeting was. As Dazai pointed out, there was nothing stopping her from getting up and leaving.
Notes: [spoiler alert] no one ends up with anyone.
.
They'd found each other accidentally; she was visiting old classmates in this unfamiliar place, and he was doing god knows what. Against her better judgement, she agreed when he offered to spend an afternoon with her. They ended up in a charming little café with round French tables and red and white wicker chairs. When their eyes met as they took their seats, it dawned on her that he was clearly waiting for the move she would make.
How the hell was she supposed to approach this?
She was still collecting her scattered thoughts when the waitress ambled over, pad in hand.
"Ready to order?"
"I hate you," Higuchi just blurted out.
Awkward silence. The waitress looked back and forth between the two before mumbling weakly, "I'll come back in a few."
Once the waitress was gone, Higuchi slammed her hands on the table and spat out, "Let’s cut to the chase! What do you want?"
Dazai tilted his head minutely, as if studying her. "Why, I merely want to be by the side of a beautiful lady."
"I don't believe that."
"If you hate my company that much, you are free to leave anytime you want."
"I should probably kill you first."
"Wonderful!" Dazai made a signal with his hand. "Have a go at it after we’re done here."
The waitress came back, expression wary. Right away Dazai asked for something called High Tea for Two, making Higuchi annoyed because he didn't discuss the order with her. Well, she reasoned to herself, it wasn't like they were in a proper date, whatever this meeting was. As Dazai pointed out, there was nothing stopping her from getting up and leaving. But then she consulted her emotions, and so she came to the conclusion that there must be a reason why she automatically agreed to come to this cafe in the first place.
"Ish Akushagava-kun, ishin eet?"
She almost jumped out of her seat as she stared up at him with wide, panicked eyes. Aside from his nullification abilities, can he also read minds?
"Ish obvioush." The waitress has just returned with an assortment of ribbon sandwiches, petite sweet treats and hand-made scones, and already Dazai was stuffing himself. "You wanna–" He got a glass of water and downed it before continuing, "You want to talk about him." His gaze softened. "I think it’s fortunate he has someone as considerate as you around."
She would have blushed at the compliment, but she held herself back and cleared her throat. "The only reason I came here was because I was curious. After all, the one person who understands senpai the most is probably you, Dazai-san."
"Is that so?" Dazai was smiling again, his smile deceptively sweet and genuine as he looked straight into her eyes. "That kid's always followed me around back in the days, come to think of it."
Higuchi frowned as the usual impassive, bored arrangement of her senpai's perfect features flashed in her memory. As far as she can recall, the only times he showed the briefest of emotions were when Dazai was involved. "Then why won't you come back to the mafia?" she asked out loud, surprising even herself. It crossed her mind that maybe she should stop, but there might not be any good opportunity in the future to convince Port Mafia's former youngest boss. "For senpai's sake, as well as the organization's... Don't you think your skills are being wasted in the Detective Agency?"
"Again with that joke!" Her plea was met with a small laugh. "This offer is as flattering as the last time, but I see no appeal in returning. If I go back, I'll be bombarded with so much work." He took a bite out of his scone, then added, "Maybe I'd consider if Chuuya is kicked out of the mafia."
"Don't say the word!"
"Chuuya?"
"The 'm' word."
"Mafia?"
"I said don't say it!"
"Mafiamafiamafiamafiamafiama–"
"Dazai-san!" Higuchi hissed, standing up and leaning forward to cover his mouth with her hands. The commotion made the other customers look in their direction. Feeling all eyes on them, Higuchi quickly withdrew back to her seat, face scarlet. At this point, all this conversation had brought her was a throbbing headache. She massaged her temples, then huffed out, "Forget it. I don't even know why I'm even trying."
"Like I said, you are a considerate person."
"Considerate, huh?" She repeated, eyeing her untouched cup of tea. "I don't know if being that is enough."
"It should be," Dazai answered back in a sage-like tone. "The enemy of the world is apathy. If you care about Akutagawa that much, that's more than enough."
"Do you care about Akutagawa-senpai?" was how she would've countered, but she faltered at the last moment. Pressing her lips together in a tight line, she watched as Dazai chewed on his snack, his cheeks swelling like hamster pouches. To think that this was the sort of man her Akutagawa-senpai admired above all.
"Your tea's gotten cold," Dazai commented once he was finished.
He was watching her, Higuchi realized. Slowly, she lifted the cup to her lips. She inhaled deeply, the smell of the strong Assam tea wafting through her nostrils. Closing her eyes as she took a careful sip, she recalled how Akutagawa never cared much for black tea. Behind his back, she even joked with the others that he was a green tea loyalist. "It's not that cold." Higuchi said after a while, a smile tugging at her lips.
She looked back up... only to find out that no one was with her anymore.
.
When Dazai told her she was considerate, did he say it because he was leaving her to pay for his order? Higuchi wasn't sure, but she felt played all the same.
Notes:
- Outside her mafia work, Higuchi is actually BSD’s answer to a shoujo protag. (Talking about volume extras and the recent chapter 41.)
- I know that the snacks served in the fic wouldn’t qualify for what would be considered High Tea, but this was what I got when I visited a rather quaint tea place around here last March.
- I WANT TO DO CRACK BUT I CAN’T THIS IS FRUSTRATING
Dazai's eyes landed on him, and Akutagawa wasn't sure if he wanted to find out what was behind that quicksilver mind of his. "You came back," he just whispered, more softly than he intended. "Dazai-san," he added, almost as if he couldn't help himself.
I did. Dazai's fingers whisper over his hand, and Akutagawa could only stare at his mentor. Shock, gratitude, and overwhelming relief gushed from within. For a moment he felt he was in a universe in his own right, accepted and unashamed.
Akutagawa steadied himself, then renewed his determination. He can't – won't – fail him here.
[6] it wasn't supposed to happen like that // shitenhouji
This, Zaizen Hikaru grumpily thought, had better be good.
“Aww, relax Hikaru-chan!" Koharu chirped. "Let's live a little!"
"I wanna die," the secondyear deadpanned, but the sarcasm was lost on his teammates.
They soon got to the clubroom. Zaizen raised a brow when Yuuji pulled out a key. He wasn't meant to have that, but then again Zaizen wouldn't be surprised if the people in this school were taught how to be kleptomaniacs. Gods. Why did he enroll here again? The door was then opened, and Kenya rushed to the PC. He turned it on and–
"...What did you do now..."
Koharu and Yuuji looked at each other guiltily, then turned to Kenya, as if passing on a baton. "Well," the speedstar coughed, "the three of us... the last time we were here..."
"I don't wanna hear it." He glanced at the PC, its monitor screen still black even with the lights and fan still running. Turning back to see the three's miserable expressions, he sighed and decided to take a look at the damage they've caused. After a few minutes, he said, "No use. Can't get it back up. You must've done something, like looked up some nasty shit and gotten a virus."
The three were silent.
Hikaru's eyes bulged out at the realization.
"It wasn't supposed to happen like that," Kenya offered weakly.
Zaizen could feel himself shaking. That's it. He's leaving this school this week. Tomorrow. As soon as possible.
[13] have you ever wanted to hate someone // soukoku
Right now, his number one priority was getting the bandage wasting device rolling around and choking in his own laughter to shut up and finally die.
As for the reason of this reaction, it's because he, Nakahara Chuuya of Port Mafia, was going to have to be a girl for 48 hours in order to seduce one of Osaka's most notorious oyabun. It was a prospect that immediately sent Dazai to a laughing fit. Chuuya kicked his partner hard in the ribs, but to no avail. It took a slap to both cheeks from Ozaki to get Dazai to finally calm down. Chuuya was thankful, but then the woman turned back to him with a stony look.
"Why me?" Chuuya asked once again, voiced tinged with desperation. The thought of traipsing around in a miniskirt and bellybutton baring shirt made him want to... eat his hat. "Why can't it be someone else?"
"Because I trust you."
That shut Chuuya up. He wavered, torn between his sense of duty to the mafia and his own pride. With a deep sigh, he finally gave in, bowing his head to Ozaki and mumbling, "I'm in your care."
Dazai, the insufferable prick, chose to appear right beside Chuuya again, ruining the moment. Bright eyes promising mischief, Dazai confidently assured as he slid an arm around Chuuya’s waist, "It won't be that bad. You can finally get close to girls without having to be yourself! Isn't that convenient, Chuuko?"
Have you ever wanted to hate someone so hard you would stab them with a three inch stiletto heel? Because that was what Chuuya tried to do that afternoon as he ran around the entire headquarters, shouting over and over again for his partner to hurry up and die.
[16] i did a pregnancy test // yosanoranpo (yosaran?)
"I did a pregnancy test," Ranpo announced, straight-faced, "and it came out a disappointing negative."
Yosano didn't bat an eye. She did, however, had the grace to look up from the medical magazine she was perusing. "Ah. Is that it?" She flipped a page. "And what made you decide to do a pregnancy test out of the blue, Ranpo-san?"
"You see, a revelation came upon me last night."
"Oh?"
"Like how if I don't procreate, I can't pass on my genes to the future generation. Do you know what kind of sad and desolate place our world will be if denied of the genius of my offsprings?"
The doctor stayed silent. After a beat, she put down her magazine, went to the door, then locked it. "Ranpo-san," she purred, "it seems you need to learn a few things about your anatomy, yes?"
A bloodcurdling scream was heard from inside Yosano's office ten minutes later.
[4] i’m flirting with you // MayuAka
Kagura was about to told by the Eyeless about her celestial heritage when Akashi, having impeccable timing as usual, asked with perfect nonchalance:
“Mayuzumi-san, have you ever been kissed?”
He almost dropped his light novel.
“Mayuzumi-san, have you ever been kissed?” Akashi repeated, his eyes focused on Mayuzumi.
The senior’s mouth was hanging open, but then he realized that it was an extremely out of character moment for him so in less than a second he was back to his perfectly expressionless self. Everything would’ve been fine, but then Akashi just had to be a dick and quickly followed the question up with, “The blush on your face says no.”
“Wha– ” His mind was breaking down, no good. “I’m not– I don’t blush.” He didn’t. Of course not.
Akashi nodded. “Ah, of course.”
Mayuzumi could feel his face heating up. “What about you, Mr. Absolute? Bet you haven’t been kissed yet.”
“I haven’t,” Akashi replied in a deceptively good-natured tone. He inspected his fingernails. “As my boyfriend, shouldn’t you fix that?”
....
...
...
“Damn it you emperor brat,” Mayuzumi put aside his light novel before aggressively slanting his mouth over the redhead’s. It shouldn't have surprised him that he was met with an eager response, with Akashi twining his hands in his hair and pressing himself closer against his chest. When they broke the kiss, Akashi looked his usual smug self.
“What was that about?” demanded Mayuzumi, feeling as if he had just stepped out of the wildest rollercoaster ride of his life.
Akashi picked up Mayuzumi’s light novel and handed it back to him. “I’m flirting with you.”
Title: Homecoming
Characters/Pairing: Dazai Osamu, Oda Sakunosuke, Akutagawa Ryunosuke, Kunikida Doppo, Nakajima Atsushi, Nakahara Chuuya
Summary: Dazai loses his way.
Notes: Explores a dark theme. Contains implied character deaths.
Moscow, 2011. Unlike the other bullheaded goons sent by the organization, this one did not object to carrying out the orders of a proud seventeen year old. His competence in his job pleases you, and soon you also learn to appreciate the sharpness of his voice, the stubble on his chin, his aftershave (patchouli and leather), the way his quiet demeanor hides his unparalleled brutality. In Russia, the winter is particularly harsh. “There’s a snowstorm.” Your hand brushes against his. “Stay a while longer.” In your greedy mouth he tastes like hot molten lava. It crosses you mind that being consumed by fire won’t be a bad way to go, but the next day all you hold are hands so lifeless, so cold.
‘This work was his to choose, and his choices have never been limited. Should we even call this a tragedy?’ — Sakaguchi Ango, February 2011.
Bangkok, 2013. When you pick up a boy who threatens to claw your eyes out, you decide to keep him on a strange whim. Back then he was all bones and rough edges. Pitiful, but not too pitiful. You offer no kindness as you press the boy against walls, beds, bathroom stalls, floors. This is a recipe full of only dark ingredients. What else is there to say? He is your possession. You can do whatever the hell you want. And when he turns to cast a hateful glare at you, there is a demon staring back, probably your own twisted reflection. It matters not. Kindness is a weakness that killed you once, and you won’t allow yourself to repeat the same mistake twice.
'Let me see his face. Let me see my brother.’ — Unnamed girl from the slums, January 2014.
Liverpool, 2014. He reads with excruciatingly affected slowness, letting the gloss of the page rustle in his hand as he turns it. “Are you an old man?” you ask out of the blue. You count it a victory when his intelligent eyes squint in your direction, the Giorgio Armani glasses sliding down his aquiline nose. How dull and uninspiring his perfectly structured life must be. You want him at his most primal– heady and alive and pulsating and screaming your name until it is only a small prayer. “What game are you playing here?” he asks later that night, rightful caution in his voice. See, you’ve never straightened out iron before, and you have never been more desperate to try.
’He was one of our more capable men.’ — Fukuzawa Yukichi, September 2014.
Fujian, 2015. “It is a man-eating beast,” a shaking villager whispers in a thick accent. You do not find a beast; instead you meet a boy –not a beast, just a boy– and it is like being handed a second chance straight out of a silver platter. You take him home, feed him, give him clothes. Redemption is a lullaby you sing as you hold him in your arms. “Why did you save me?” the boy asks one humid afternoon, his head cradled on your lap. “Do you want to know?” you murmur, stroking his neck, your index finger lightly pressing on his jugular. His eyelashes flutter. You fight the urge to turn away because he is dazzling, this boy whose innocence threatens to suffocate. Does he not know who the beast truly is?
‘It was a full moon when I saw from afar the figure of a beast. I couldn’t have been mistaken. Mayhaps that was the night that missing boy met his unfortunate end.’ —statement from a Fujian local, July 2015.
Yokohama, 2016. Here is where you return, back to your first. Despite the number of times you’ve professed your hatred for one another, you don’t mind feeding him your obsessions, anxieties, confessions. “I’ve always had a good sense of balance,” he says in a smug, superior tone as he adroitly weaves through the blood-stained landscapes of your dreams. He does not comfort you when he learns about Oda Sakunosuke. He gives a look of disapproval after finding out Akutagawa Ryunosuke’s sad fate. He helps cover your tracks once the police got involved in the search for Kunikida Doppo. He lets you drown in his flesh after your failure with Nakajima Atsushi. You have always been two halves of a whole, a tainted miracle. But there is only so much he can do. And as you watch him undulate beneath you, realization hits that you can never be through with desiring. He is the first, so it is only fitting he should be the last. This is your darkest black.
'Perfect killing machines, those two. I’m not surprised they’d choose to go that way. Hm? One survived? Now isn’t that an interesting development.’ — Mori Ogai, April 2016.
In writing this I realized:
1.) The plot of my fics never go anywhere;
2.) I love being fake-pretentious, so I write what sounds good although I know when I construct sentences they never make an iota of sense;
3.) All the people who’ve read my other works know I recycle lines from my previous drabbles;
4.) Don’t involve me in ship wars. I never really know which side I should be fighting for; and
5.) This isn’t even angst. It’s just… weird.
