Chapter Text
There he stood, in the dark alleyway, only illuminated by the dim moonlight. He was simply leaning against the wall without any care in the world. He ever so slightly turned his head towards her, his eye glinting in the cold light. "Ah, did you see me?" He almost sounded disappointed.
She nodded, quietly stepping over the body on the floor. She wasn't necessarily scared of him, knowing she would be able to flee in a matter of moments.
"That's too bad. I would let you go, but..." He looked around, his eye only momentarily pausing on the corpse. "Oh, well. Chūya should be here soon; he can take care of you," he smiled, almost cheerfully.
"Ah, that's quite alright; I can care for myself." She stopped in front of him. "Thanks for the offer, though." She had slept quite well and long. Long enough to activate her ability, and so she wasn't really scared of the dangerous man in front of her. "You wouldn't happen to have a cigarette on you, would you?"
He tilted his head, hair falling into his face. He seemed... confused, though it was hard to place his emotions. He seemed to only act out his emotions, not really feeling them. "No. But if Chūya's in a good mood, he might give you one. Though that shortstack is never in a good mood."
Someone was behind her. She evaded the first hit, spinning around to face the other boy. "Whose fault is it that I'm always angry?!" He had fairly short red hair—both the hair and the boy.
"Ah, would you be Chūya? Would you give me a cigarette, then?" She was quick to shift her weight, spinning out of the way of another hit. He stopped attacking for a moment, looking at her in bewilderment. She had her own cigarettes; she felt them in her pocket, but she would rather get one for free. They tasted better that way.
Slowly, a red hue outlined his body. She cocked her head. She had seen countless abilities, but this one... she had never seen it, but she still felt the power radiating off of him. She took one step back. "Y'know what? I just remembered I have my own cigarettes." She activated her own ability, quickly changing forms. She was quick to move away, out of range—at least that's what she thought.
She wasn't sure what happened, but as quick as she ascended, she was on the ground again. "That's quite an interesting ability you have." He stood above the girl, reaching out to touch her. She tried to resist, but couldn't. Being stuck in place was... horrifying. She tried so hard to move her muscles, straining to avoid the soft touch of the boy.
"Ability: No Longer Human." A blue glow emitted from him, and she could feel her bones breaking, reforming into her human body. It was way more painful to be forced to shift.
"What the hell, that hurts!" She stood there, clutching her head. She glared at the brown-haired boy in front of her. He looked back, untamed fascination in his dull eye. "I'd like to leave. It's very rude to keep a lady captive."
~~~
She had been shoved into some cell unceremoniously. She sat there, handcuffed and incredibly irritated. She didn't fear being killed. If they wanted to do that, they would've already done so in a heartbeat.
Finally, the door opened slowly and dramatically, the light soft but still blinding. "Ah, you're still awake, I see." It was the brunette from earlier.
She looked him up and down. "You know, if you hadn't taken me prisoner, you would definitely be my type." It was true, with his chin-length wavy brown hair and all those bandages, he made for quite an intriguing man. Just how she liked them. Though she did wonder why he kept his one eye covered by bandages as well. Didn't that hinder him?
A low chuckle emitted from him, and he sat down on the floor across from her. "I'm honoured. So, tell me, what's your name, my Primavera?"
"Bold, aren'tcha?" She fiddled with her handcuffs. "If you uncuff me, I'll tell you." She gave a hearty smile, and her pink hair fell into her face. She blew it away, only for it to fall back into place. The boy across from her reached out, carefully tucking the loose strand behind her ear. "It's too short to hold like that."
There was a moment of silence. "My name is Miyabe Miyuki," she finally admitted, growing tired of the silence and his intense gaze.
"I'm Dazai Osamu."
A pretty name to a pretty face. "Why am I here, Dazai-san?" She finally asked, curious why she was being held captive instead of already dead in a ditch.
His eyes were dull, yet there was something shimmering beneath that emptiness. "Your ability would be quite useful to us, so I brought you here."
She sighed heavily, leaning back. "I don't necessarily enjoy being used by people, Dazai-san."
He tilted his head slightly, unsure of what to say. "It's either that or you'll be killed," he explained. Sadness twinged his voice, but she simply shrugged. She didn't hold much regard for her own life, and she really couldn't care less if she was threatened with death.
"Sure, go for it. I don't really like being threatened either."
"Is there anything you do like?"
"Alcohol. And cats," she immediately answered. It was true, though she liked any kind of animal. Cats were simply the superior creatures. "You?"
"Suicide." That was all she got, and she nodded. She too had an inexplicable obsession with death, though not her own.
~~~
She had been left in that cell for god knows how long, and she could slowly feel her sanity slipping. The only semblance of normalcy was Dazai's occasional visits. Every few days (at least she thought it was days), Dazai stepped into her cell, asking if she had reconsidered. Every time he asked, she denied. He would stay for maybe an hour or two before leaving her all alone again, telling her that he wished she could come with him.
"You're not Dazai," she said before the door had even opened completely.
"Indeed not." A black-haired man stepped into her prison, and she had to look up at him. "It seems you've grown quite accustomed to Dazai-kun."
She scoffed. "So? He's the only person who even talks to me!" Her handcuffs rattled, and she groaned deeply. "Who are you, anyway?"
"Mori Ogai, the Boss. I'm sure Dazai told you a lot about me." His voice was dripping with honey, and she shuddered.
She might be going insane, but she wouldn't go down without a fight. "He did. Told me you wanted me to join the Mafia. As if I'd do that," she scoffed, subconsciously pressing herself against the wall behind her. "I'm not like you."
"No, no! You're not," he pacified, his voice calming and soft. "No one ever said you were like us, dear. You're much, much better as a thief than a murderer, aren't you?" Her eyes widened, glaring at the man that was towering above her.
"What would you know about me? You don't know who I am." There was something so unsettling about the smile that never left his face. It propelled her into fight or flight mode, and if she had slept enough, she would've chosen flight as soon as he stepped inside the cell.
"Miyabe Miyuki. You're 16, a mere child, and yet you've already stolen millions, haven't you?" A sick pleasure shadowed over his face when he noticed her distress. "Your mother disowned you and your father..."
"Don't talk about my father," she almost begged, her voice shrill.
"But you're not scared of death, are you? You're just a child, and any child would be afraid of being alone."
"Shut... Shut the fuck up! You don't understand me." If she could, she would clutch her head, trying to blend out his voice.
"But you don't have to be alone. You could stay with your friend. You just have to join the Port Mafia," he persuaded, his voice so alluring in the midst of her racing thoughts. Safety. She would be safe and with Dazai. "You wouldn't have to kill anyone, Miyabe-kun. You wouldn't have to worry about your next meal."
"Not... worry?" She mumbled, feeling numb. "Dazai..." She looked up, an indefinable emotion swirling in her brown-reddish eyes. "I would stay with Dazai?"
Mori nodded enthusiastically. "Of course! It would be so cruel to tear you two apart." Suddenly, the smile on his lips didn't feel so unsettling, and his tone so fake.
"I'll get out of here?" She was trying to think it over as best as she could, her head spinning from whatever Mori had done to her. He nodded again, holding out his hand. A small key was in his palm, and suddenly she knew.
"I-... I'll do it."