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Yosano was only 11 when she was dragged into the Great War by a military doctor. In a candy shop to the front lines of a war.
The blood stained walls loomed over the girl and the man dressed in brown. In the doorway was a blonde girl, blank faced as she held a clipboard to her chest. Golden curls falling from her bun framed her face.
“Hey Elise!” Yosano waved, hand coated in blood.
“Ah, Elise, hello.” The military doctor said, resting a pristine gloved hand on Yosano’s shoulder.
“Doctor, the next patient is ready,” Elise droned, eyes almost completely void of any life. It makes sense though, she wasn’t a real person, the young doctor thought as the man was brought in. Luckily for him, he wasn’t awake.
He probably wouldn’t be as quiet, or be having much fun if he was awake.
Blood seeped from a few bullet holes littering his body, and legs twisted in strange angles. Yosano clapped her hands, a few spots of crimson flicking onto her face, which she ignored.
“Get out, the both of you! I’m working!” She shouted, hands on her hips, further staining her formerly clean dress. Yosano reached for the medical table as the door shut with a heavy thud. She ghosted her hands over the assortment of tools, deciding what to use to push this man onto the brink of death. Fingers hovered on a glittering scalpel, missing the splatters of blood the other instruments had, mind flashing briefly to Mori’s scalpel and how it went perfectly through the skin on her thighs and hips, as he watched in fascination as her skin slowly healed itself.
Yosano only ever watched in a mixture of morbid delight and fear.
Blood was kind of pretty though. Maybe that’s why Mori always told her she was when she was bleeding.
She didn’t pick up the scalpel, instead hoisting up a chainsaw with a vague grin.
“Alright mister, you’ll be back on your feet in no time!” The machine revved and more blood coated the room and the girl, this time some of it landed on the scalpel.
☩☩☩
A couple months later, the strange man with silver hair that sometimes followed Mori talked to her. She didn’t know his name. Sometimes he gave her candies or played games with her. Mori always laughed around him, but she wasn’t sure why. The silver haired man never laughed, he only ever looked vaguely annoyed.
The man had handed her a bright red lollipop a bit earlier, and she felt his eyes on her every so often. “How does he treat you kid?” The question was rough and blunt.
Yosano cocked her head. What a strange question. “Fine I suppose, but he likes to try things on me, because my ability would heal me anyway.”
His eyes widened ever so slightly.
“Now it’s my turn to ask you a question mister! What’s your name and why do you follow Mori?”
“Its…not important, i’ll bring you something fun tomorrow.” He stood up and began walking away, despite Yosano’s calls.
A couple days later her world came crashing down, and a golden butterfly sat atop her dark purple hair. Soon after, she was ushered away into a new doctors office. Elise took a new shape too. She didn’t see the man with silver hair after that, but she certainly saw a lot more of Mori.
And lots more scalpels and hands and blood.
☩☩☩
Yosano easily walked into the basements, having been there so many times before, the medical bag held tightly in her hands as she avoided near dry puddles of blood. Mori pulled her from working in the infirmary, though she suspected it was because she was berating some of the male staff.
She had been tasked with finishing the day in the basements, or the torture rooms.
The bag bumped her thighs and she winced. She’d need to be more careful. Blood seeping through her clothes wouldn’t bode well for both her or Mori. Her hips and chest ached too.
Taking care to avoid bumping her body again, Yosano made her way to the back of the basements, the light fading more and more as she reached the back wall.
A man stood slumped, only supported by the thick metal chains on his hands and ankles. He didn’t move as she dropped the bag with a resounding thunk. She poked his face, hand coming back bloodied.
He wasn’t dead enough for her ability to work. Yosano sighed. She didn’t really want to do this today. At least in the end she was saving someone for a little while longer, right?
She tilted his head, brown hair matted to his face in blood. A few teeth appeared to be missing. No matter, he’d get them back when she was done. It’s probably painful to regrow teeth all at once, Yosano thought to herself as she dug through her bag for whatever seemed most appealing to use.
She chose the scalpel.
She thought of Mori as she sliced through skin, turning the man into a bloody mess with flaps of flesh hanging off.
The man woke up at some point. Yosano ignored the begging, pleading, and screaming though, in favor of pretending she was cutting up Mori instead.
Based on how the man acted when her ability set in, growing your bones and teeth back in only a few seconds does hurt.
☩☩☩
Ranpo was only 14 when the police academy kicked him out.
The rain beat down on him as he sat dejectedly on a park bench, moonlight the only thing illuminating the sky and nearby buildings, a yellow candy in his mouth. He had heard it was the mafia’s territory, but he couldn’t muster up the energy to care. Besides, why would the world's next great detective need to be careful when he could tell what would happen?
The brunette stared at the ground for what felt like hours, the ocean hitting the shore could be heard from where he sat with his knees to his chest. Somewhere there was a few gunshots, but it didn’t matter.
What did matter was the fact HE, Ranpo Edogawa, is technically homeless, kicked out of the school of his dreams, the desire to solve cases crushed, and no fall back as both of his parents were unfortunately dead. To make matters worse, his candy dissolved about two hours ago.
A bit in front of him he heard light footsteps approaching. Betting it was someone mostly well dressed due to the sound of the shoes and the rustle of the coat. It most likely wasn’t someone telling him to leave as he had been there for hours, the sun beginning to filter through the trees, whoever it was wanted something.
He looked up with a bored expression, a middle aged man in a white lab coat greeted him.
“Hello there, i’m Mori a doc-”
“A doctor,” Ranpo cut off with a wave, “I could tell. What do you want? Do you have any candy on you by the way? I’m not answering questions without snacks.”
The man paused for a moment, before lightly laughing. “Clever boy,” Mori shook his head and patted the inside of his coat pockets, producing a handful of brightly colored sweets. Ranpo raised his eyebrow at the candies, silently wondering why he had so many on him, but took them anyway, figuring he must give them to whatever crying child he needs to shut up.
“Alright, talk,” Ranpo gestured as he unwrapped a blue hard candy. The man opened his mouth but Ranpo held up a hand. “Why do you have a gun, aren’t you supposed to be a doctor?” He pointed an accusing finger, eyes scanning the man for more clues.
A couple flecks of blood on his right sleeve
The outline of a scalpel in his front coat pocket
A seemingly faked aura allowing him to blend in easily with the pedestrians beginning to filter through the streets.
“Wait..” Ranpo tapped his chin in thought before snapping. “You’re mafia, aren’t you?”
Mori blinked, before a grin split his face. “My, you’re smarter and more observant than I thought.”
“Smarter than you thought? Of course I am! I’m Ranpo Edogawa, the best detective!” The brunette boasted, waggling a finger. He wondered if the man followed him here and was simply waiting for the best time to approach. He didn’t feel a presence with him, but then again he wasn’t really paying much attention to his surroundings.
“You certainly are, I actually have a request for you, if you’ll hear me out.” Mori put his hands up with a smile. Ranpo tilted his head in mock thought, mind rapidly flipping through what this underground doctor could want from him. He came to two conclusions rather quickly.
Experiment or recruit, it likely being the latter.
He nodded his head for him to continue.
Mori smiled again. “Let me re-introduce myself for starters, yes?” Ranpo blinked, which Mori took as a yes. “My name is Mori Ougai, i’m a doctor with the Port Mafia, and I would like to offer you a job, we- I could really use your talents-”
“How would you know my talents anyway?”
Mori merely smiled. “Think about it, i’m sure you have some ideas.”
Ranpo huffed and sat his chin on his hand. “Why should I join you?”
“We could offer you a place to stay, plenty of snacks, and eventually a steady income-”
Ranpo cut Mori off yet again. “Would I be able to solve mysteries and the like?”
“Absolutely, and that talent of yours could be used in the fullest potential.”
He turned it over in his head. Join the criminals that run a decent chance on turning on him, solve mysteries, be able to use his talent, have a roof, money and food, or stay out on the street and test his luck.
Well, he didn’t really care about morals, part of the reason the academy kicked him. He really just wanted to solve things. Decision made.
“Fine,” Ranpo agreed, standing up. He’d be able to figure out if anything was going to happen anyway. What kind of detective would he be if he couldn’t?
“Splendid,” Mori clapped. “Let’s get you dried off.”
☩☩☩
The doctors office was cluttered with papers, and two girls sat off to the side playing some card game. One seemed to be 12, the other near 16. The older girl brushed violet hair from her eyes, glaring at the doctor as he walked in.
“Rintaru!! Who’s this?” The younger one whined, tossing her cards down. “And where’s my cake? You said you’d get me cakes!” She stood up and shoved her chair backwards, it screeching as it moved across the floor.
“Sorry Elise, i’ll make it up later, how about a tea party?” Mori hummed. “This is Ranpo, he’ll be staying with us.”
“Fine,” Elise huffed and turned to Ranpo. “Do you like tea parties? Candy?” The younger one-Elise- pestered, poking at him.
The older girl sat in silence, sitting her cards down. “Can I dissect him?” She stood up as if her legs hurt, but her face betrayed nothing but a grin.
“How about we don’t do that Yosano~” Mori said easily, as if that sentence was a common occurrence. It probably was. Ranpo’s eyes flickered to the small spots of blood on Yosano’s collar, and the bandage that was hidden under her skirt, only revealing itself when she shifted before her skirt fell again.
“The names Ranpo Edogawa, it’s probably not a pleasure to meet ya,” Ranpo said and tossed another sweet in his mouth.
Elise frowned and disappeared briefly, before appearing directly at Mori’s side. Either she had an ability, or she was one.
“Rintaru! Why did you do that!” Elise’s shrill cry pierced the room. So she was an ability then. How interesting.
☩☩☩
Ranpo flicked through a stack of police cases he had copies made of. Nothing looked worthy enough to solve. He tossed it back down.
“How boring!” Ranpo whined, plopping down in the office chair.
Three quick knocks came from the door, and Ranpo didn’t move. “Come in~”
The door clicked open, revealing one of the mafia’s messenger boys with a small brown package in his hands.
“This was addressed to you, the guy had short cropped silver hair and wore a suit, he said it was urgent,” he quickly said, setting it down on the desk. Ranpo noticed the slight shake in his hands.
“Oh!” The boy said, cringing when Ranpo frowned at the noise. “Sorry…” He reached into his bag for a moment and pulled out a small bag of multi colored candies. “He said to give this to you.”
“Huh,” Ranpo drummed his fingers and looked at it. “Do you remember anything else about him?”
The boy thought for a moment before nodding. “Yes, I think he spoke with an English accent, but that really is all I know sir.”
Ranpo waved him off. “Alright, get out.” The boy was gone faster than light.
The brunette gingerly picked up the bag of candy, spinning it in his hands. Whoever wanted this delivered didn’t sound like one of his regulars. They obviously did their research to know to bribe him with candy.
Sadly, it was probably drugged or poisoned. He could always call someone up and have them eat one, but that would be too much work. Going to Mori would just be headache inducing.
He dropped it in the wastebasket. “What a pity,” Ranpo sighed as it dropped on the wads of paper.
He directed his attention to the package, noting the way it was wrapped.
Very carefully.
It got all the way up here without exploding, and whoever sent it likely wouldn't know where he was or how long it would take to get to his office, so it wasn’t a bomb.
A recorder or camera wouldn’t make sense.
He peeled the wrapping off, revealing a white box with a bright red ribbon. Odd choice but alright. If he recalled correctly, red typically equaled power, anger, danger, and passion, He wondered if that had anything to do with what was in the box.
Probably not, he doubted whoever sent it would be clever enough to check color association.
With nothing to lose, he lifted the lid. A pair of bright green eyes stared back at him.
Ranpo paused for a moment, taking a pen and prodding an eye. It certainly looked real. It probably was.
How disgusting. Why would anyone send this?
He noticed a slip of paper shoved to the side, and avoiding touching the eyes, he pulled it out and flicked it open.
Dearest Devil of the Underworld, I hope you like your gift. Are the eyes familiar? They should be.
Don’t be selling out my secrets to this countries underbelly. Missus isn’t too happy about the Orders information being given out.
Best wishes.
He turned the note over, no signature. Glancing back at the eyes, they did look familiar.
Who had he sold information too with green eyes anyways?
Then it hit him, it was from some woman that went by ‘Kobayashi’. Not her real name of course. He remembered she was an informant of the mafia based in Britain. The underground there seemed to have gotten to her.
Shame, she was quite good at her job too. But obviously not good enough, if the severed eyes were anything to go by.
Any other informants around Britain might end up with a similar fate. Not that he cared about them, it was just another mystery to solve.
As he shoved the files off to the side, he laughed to himself.
The ribbon made sense in a way. A promise of war.
He’ll have to take these eyes down to Yosano, maybe she’ll want them for something.
☩☩☩
Tsuuji was only 15 when he woke up in the mafia’s clutches.
The first thing he registered was the pain. His whole body ached, and feeling pain meant he was still alive. He could feel a bed underneath him, and then an IV in his arm. How annoying. He cracked an eye open, his head throbbing. Bright light assaulted him, and he shut his eye again.
A moment later when he opened it, a blonde girl was inches from his face. “Oh, he’s awake,” was all she said before walking off, the sound of heels clicking faded as Tsuuji tried to figure out where he was. It appeared to be a hospital room. Someone must’ve called the police after seeing him floating in the river, because when he threw himself off that bridge, no one was around.
Attempt foiled.
As he adjusted to the light and the pain became a dull throb, Tsuuji noticed something. His vision was off. He blinked. No change. Shut right eye. No change. Shut left eye. Nothing.
He couldn’t see anything from his right eye. That was bad. Pretty bad.
A new set of footsteps could be heard as they approached Tsuuji. Tsuuji turned his head to look at him. A black haired middle aged man checking his vitals. “Elise told me you were awake,” he said pleasantly.
“Unfortunately,” Tsuuji sighed. “Tell me, what hospital is this, and what happened to my eye.”
The doctor laughed. “You took quite a nasty fall, but i’m pretty sure that wasn’t any old fall was it?”
Tsuuji stared at him.
“Right, not a smiler.” The doctor shook his head. “I’m Mori Ougai, and this isn’t really a hospital.”
Tsuuji stiffened slightly. Not a hospital? What could that mean..
Then it hit him. He jumped in mafia territory.
“You’re a mafia doctor...aren’t you?”
“Bingo!” Mori clapped, setting down his clipboard. “Now about your eye..”
“It’s gone, isn’t it?” Tsuuji said, gingerly reaching up to prod at the hard marble in place of his eye.
“Yes, but most people would be worried about being with the mafia, don’t you think?”
Tsuuji shrugged. “I don’t really care.” He looked to the side. “Why’d you save me? I wouldn’t have minded if you let me die. It was my original intention anyways.”
“The doctor that originally was going to work on you almost killed you,” Mori laughed. “We didn’t realize you were an ability user.”
The brunette sighed. “They couldn’t have finished the job?”
“Nope, you’re quite valuable.”
“To you.”
Mori didn’t deny it, instead revealing a predator's smile full of teeth. “Our resident devil said a lot about you while you were asleep you know?”
The doctor looked down at Tsuuji. “How strange a prodigy from such a rich family flung themselves from the highest bridge in Yokohama.”
Tsuuji kept his face blank, mind running on who could have figured that out. His family hardly let the public know of his existence.
“What’s your name? I never asked,” Mori tapped his fingers lightly on the table.
“Dazai. Dazai Osamu.”
They looked at eachother, Tsuuji- no, Dazai stared at Mori, daring him to say a word. Mori smiled, sharp eyes revealing they both know it’s a lie. But what better place to lie than in the belly of the underworld?
“Well Dazai, I hope you don’t mind the new scars on you, they make a nice addition to your old ones. My treat.”
Dazai’s heart sank as Mori shut the door, feeling as if he signed a deal with the devil.
☩☩☩
Dazai watched in disinterest as Mori slit the old bosses throat, thick crimson spraying the wall.
Mori never wiped it off.
He had a few ideas why, but he’d rather not confirm any of them.
The next few days were a hectic blur as Mori was appointed the new boss of the mafia.
Dazai tried to hang himself. He’s sure Mori would want him to anyway, to secure his silence. The violet haired girl, Yosano, cut him down.
He introduced himself with Ranpo to a young woman a little older than Yosano. Ranpo grinned as the not lie slid off his tongue with ease. Ranpo knows about his lie too. It doesn’t matter though. Nothing does.
Elise throws fits and breaks things to cause Mori trouble. The man always acts strange when she does this. He walked in on Mori trying to get Elise to change her dress. Dazai tried to jump off a building later. He only woke up in the infirmary, new marks littering his body. Everything was a little too blurry and dizzying and sickening. He closed his eyes again as Mori approached with a grin and a scalpel.
He woke up sore and with a few new stitches on his stomach,
He really hated his ‘training’. On the bright side, Dazai now knows which bones to break to cause the most pain.
Dazai tries mixing two medicines together for a painless death. Mori tells him the old boss is back. He promises Dazai something to kill him easily if he gets to the bottom of it.
He takes an old man with a monocle with him to Suribachi, making sure to secure a carefully crafted mask in place.
☩☩☩
A sickening crunch echoes the dim basements as Dazai wiped his bloodied hands on the wall. The man he was interrogating had his mouth open in a silent scream. It was always nice to imagine these people as Mori, and that's exactly what he did. Being needlessly cruel always had been his chosen way to cope.
Another snap, this time a finger followed by a string of pleas. Dazai ignored it, instead leaning over the man tied to the chair.
“Are you willing to talk now? Because if not, no worries!” Dazai smiled, the words from his mouth a stark contrast from his face. “I still have plenty of other methods if need be!”
His smile was equal to a demon.
“I’ll talk! I’ll talk! Just please...no more!” Dazai tapped his chin thoughtfully.
“Well, shoot,” he produced a pair of pliers. “But remember these are calling your name.” He gestured to the mans fingers, nails gone leaving only pools of blood.
The man shook at the implication. “I don’t know who gives the orders! But tonight at 7 they’re supposed to-”
“He’s lying, try again Dazai.” Ranpo sang.
The man paled and turned his head to look over to the shadowy area, Ranpo mostly covered in darkness as he sat against the wall, hat covering his face.
“Shame, we really could have been done,” Dazai drawled and tilted the mans head back, forcing open his mouth. “Lets try this again, shall we?”
☩☩☩
Chuuya was only 15 when his organization betrayed him and the mafia sunk their claws into him.
The chair he was trapped in was hard and cold, glowing yellow boxes firmly around his hands and feet.
“You gave us quite a show Chuuya,” the boss says, a crimson scarf draped around his neck.
The floor cracks under him as the mafia begins to reach for him.
Dazai is infuriating to say the least, always keeping information just out of reach. Calling him ‘Chibikko’ or ‘chibi’ was also enough to have the red head think about murdering Dazai at least twice a day.
Doing so would most likely result in his own death though, and he can’t do that yet.
He kicks a gun from Dazai’s hand as the brunette laughs as he shoots a dead body over and over. It’s quite frankly a little disturbing. The teen is obviously messed up, but it’s not Chuuya’s problem.
Dazai smiles as he reveals Chuuya at the arcade, and in the same breath releases the hostages. Of course Chuuya knows the Sheep are using him. How could he not? But they’re his family, how could he leave?
Chuuya and Dazai make a bet. Chuuya eagerly accepts, claiming Dazai will be his dog.
Glass shatters as the redhead kicks the mansions windows in, glinting shards scattering. He notices some go into the cake. Dazai’s already there, so is Rimbaud.
Which means he lost.
A fight breaks out. Dazai reveals his cast as a shield. How odd.
Chuuya’s hair flutters slightly as he glares, fully engulfed in red light. “I’m Arahabaki.”
The Sheep betrayed him. Anger courses through him as Dazai arrives with mafia goons.
Rat poison and stab wounds hurt just as much as the betrayal and knowing that the mafia got him.
☩☩☩
A red haired woman watches over Chuuya, her kimono always pristine and not a hair out of place. She tries to teach him grace. He masters it pretty well. He doesn’t really use the part about not swearing.
The woman's name he learned was Kouyou. She dresses him up and teaches him the way of a courtesan. He’s decent at it, but it’s not fun. He makes a pretty woman though.
At least thats what Dazai says.
Kouyou’s love feels stifling. Chuuya spends a couple hours a day alone, away from her and the rest of the mafia. Dazai or Ranpo always finds him.
He started calling Kouyou ‘ane-san’. She seems to have mixed feelings about it.
Chuuya and Dazai get themselves trapped on a mission, surrounded by machine guns and ability users. “Stop me when they’re gone,” Chuuya mutters and pulls off his gloves.
“Oh granters of dark disgrace, do not wake me again.”
With that, Chuuya is gone. Arahabaki replaces him, red patterns covering the expanse of his skin.
The enemy is annihilated quickly.
Blood seeps from Chuuyas eyes and dribbles from his mouth as Dazai watches in horror and fascination. Panic only starts to set in when Chuuya collapses, blood spilling from his mouth as he laughs.
Dazai almost doesn’t make it in time.
“The enemy’s annihilated Chuuya, you can rest now.”
“Shitty Dazai..” Chuuya slumps forward. He doesn’t wake up for a couple of days.
Yosano ended up kicking Mori out to heal Chuuya. When Chuuya woke up, he noticed how she was always in the hospital room with Mori, eyes piercing him.
She never does that when Dazai’s the one with 4 IVs sticking from him.
He wonders why.
He’s not sure he wants to know.
He’s up and moving after a week. Mori calls him up to his office.
Ranpo sits off to the side, pictures of a crime scene spread on the floor. He doesn’t acknowledge Chuuya. Chuuya doesn’t acknowledge him either.
Their meeting feels like it drags, and Chuuya knows he’s walking on a wire.
Ranpo glances at him a few times, but he can’t read him.
The boss berates him for not letting them know about this side of his ability.
Chuuya apologizes.
“Well, tell Dazai to come up here by 6, I have something to attend to,” Mori says with a wave of his hand
He can see Ranpo frown ever so slightly from the corner of his eye, but he can’t tell if it’s due to the boss’s statement or what he’s working on.
He nods and shuts the door behind him.
The knowledge he’s going to have to use what he dubbed ‘corruption’ in his mind again made him feel sick.
Chuuya spent the rest of the day letting Ane-san dress him up.
☩☩☩