tainted snow

Most people would’ve headed towards the exit after the announcement, desperate to flee, but she— her feet lead her to stray further away. It is natural for her to worry about other animals ( even if she hadn’t quite entirely questioned how they had coexisted here in the first place and accepted it for what it was ), and when she ends up in familiar courtyard once more, it seems absent of most of the life that had previously inhabited it. Had they understood, perhaps, that their lives were in danger too? Had someone else already gathered them up to take them somewhere safe? Ahiru would like to imagine that’s the case, she doesn’t really want to think about what it would mean otherwise, but she can’t help but wander in a little; really reassure herself that no one had been left behind here.

That’s when she hears it: a faint, faint chirp that has her running to find the source as she responds with a sweet chitter of her own. Bird is spotted on its own and quickly scooped up into her arms with a soft reassurance that she’ll save them— left behind on its own like this, injured ( you try not to think on it too much, girl left behind and forgotten ). She’s barely made it a few feet out when the structure beneath her, and it’s with a scrambling yelp that she barely manages to move out of the way of something collapsing as she falls to her feet; an awkward twist of her body as she tries to avoid crushing feathered friend in her arms. “Ouch…Sorry. You ‘kay?” She murmurs, getting a soft tweet in response. Oh sure, she does not need to do this, risk herself for even one little bird, but who do you think she is? She’s never been good at doing much, even only saving this much is good enough for her.

This is an awful predicament she’s got herself stuck in; shifts her arm a little to find a position less straining on her body: unfortunately, Ahiru is pretty sure her braid’s snagged on something, so she’s stuck here. A soft sigh, that’s what she gets for straying out like this, right? She doesn’t regret it or anything, no! It just…reminds her of something else, in the depths of water like this, she wonders if she’d sink forever here too. It’s not such a scary thought ( okay, it’s kind of a scary thought ), but it’s not like there’s anyone depending on her this time— no, that’s wrong, little bird in her arm chirps at her as if to remind her of that fact. But the one ‘advantage’ that she’d usually use in a situation like this is of no help to her right now; turning back into a duck would only help herself. So child is stuck on what she can really do other than just stay here.

( You fool, familiar voice chides her in her head, and she’s inclined to disagree, as usual. She wouldn’t mind being told off for old times sake, if nothing else, but she’s only met with silence here as eyes flutter shut )

Noise. She’s not sure how long it’s been when she starts hearing something— yelling, but it feels almost distant; can’t quite twist her body enough to look. Nor can she bring herself to yell out a response, weighed down in her chest with fear: what if it’s something bad? She’d like to stay optimistic here, but she’s got no idea what she’s up against, so she can’t help but think about what’s possibly the worst case scenario here. She’s gotta do something, though, makes an effort to… Oh, wait. She knows that voice. Particularly, the fact that her name is being called helps her relax a little, does her best to try and peer, now that she’s a little more certain of the direction of the noise.

When Chuuya approaches, closer, she cannot help but flinch a little; not so much due to the…unrestrained nature of his being ( which, isn’t to say Ahiru isn’t maybe a little scared, but it’s not the first thought that crosses her mind— if she’s teary-eyed, it’s certainly not because she’s scared of him ), but child braces herself for a scolding that doesn’t come. Well, probably not the highest priority at the moment, she can reason for that much. When nothing else follows questioning, no stern remarks, voice is a tentative warble that eases itself out in parts. “Fine! I’m okay, just…” A pause, using her head as a way of gesturing, given that her arms are a bit occupied. “Stuck…? I can stand, a lil’ bit!” She should be able to stand, at least, and though she’s a little scraped up, she thinks she’s otherwise in pretty good condition.

From the context clues, Chuuya works out quickly enough why Ahiru is here; small girl is kind-hearted, giving and giving without even an an inclination to take in return. No surprise crosses his expression, some frustration — her safety is the most important thing — but he’s too worried about her to express it much further than a quick nip at his bottom lip.

Ahiru flinches back at his approach, and Chuuya notices, but he accepts it as par for the course. He was in work mode, far different than the faces he had shown to her before.

(Ah, perhaps, he thinks it deserves it somewhat. He can’t escape himself even here.)

He relaxes a bit when Ahiru speaks to him, relieved that girl’s not injured too much. Expression loses some tension, small smile— “It’s gonna be okay, Ahiru. You did good.” — though it returns to a more focused one soon after as he turns his head slightly, looking over the wreckage on top of the girl, making sure there’s nothing else that might dislodge when removed and injure the girl and bird further.

Luckily, it seems rather clear; eyes flicker from the rubble back to Ahiru, and Chuuya runs a gloved hand across the side of his face, pushing strands of hair backwards out of his face before he kneels slightly on one knee.

“I’m gonna need you to stay really still until I tell you to move, okay? Hold unto your friend tight, and keep your eyes closed.”

Was coming down here a good idea? Nope. In fact, he’s hating every second of it. Fire and water doesn’t mix, so his magic is very limited underwater. But all he can do is suck it up and continue– the main reason he’s here is due to morbid curiosity, after all. Chuuya offered to go with him, which is preferred than going with a stranger, so it could be worse. 

There’s a serious and mature air surrounding them, eyeing everything down with curiosity and hesitance. Anything can pop out and catch them off guard, Aya’s thing is expecting the worst out of every possible situation. It got him this far! 

He stays quiet, about to ask him a question… until he suddenly thrusts a rock in front of his face. He blinks for a few moments, before scowling.

❝ Excuse me? Why do I have to lick it? ❞

If anyone should lick it, it’s Chuuya! He’s adjusting to this way better than he is! Hmph. Not fair.

Was coming down here a good idea? Yes. In fact, he’s loving every second of it—

Ah, maybe he’s a bit amused by how much trouble Aya seems to be having, but that’s not the whole of it. He’d asked Aya down because Chuuya trusted him, enjoyed his presence, and it was a nice distraction from when he had to be keeping a watch out for anything suspicious; he wasn’t sure what the Belladonna Mafia suspected might happen, still too low in the rungs to be privy to that, but it was something big that meant he was stuck in Theorillia for the foreseeable future.

Serious aura of serious men falls to the punchline! Smile blooms on Chuuya’s face, and he turns the rock over in his hands a few times, only absentmindedly looking at it every once in a while.

“Why wouldn’t you have to lick it?”

“Ah… I think that was the last of my change,” Dazai sighed wistfully as the arcade cabinet flashed a bright “GAME OVER” screen at him, accompanied by a sad little chiptune song. He tapped a finger idly at the “START” button as he pondered what he would do next.

Perhaps he had gotten a little off track, he mused, observing his jacket pockets which were now stuffed full of arcade tickets. Could he consider this part of his personal reconnaissance mission?

Well, at least now he knew that the arcade machines worked. Check.

Dazai turned away from the blinking arcade screen and considered the prize counter for a moment before spotting an oddly familiar shape out of the corner of his eye. That hat- could it be…

Perhaps it’s just quieter? Lack of travel time? Well, he’s not going to question it. It’s definitely nice to just chill, whether it’s on his own, with his drinking buddies — Hawks, Nicolette and Aya, usually — or with any of the kids; Maki, Ahiru, Akira, Kyouka... Somehow he’s wound up looking out for a bunch of them, falling into the role almost naturally.

This time, it’s just by himself, though he has a particular place and goal in mind. He’d gone out with Nicolette, and instead of drunken brawls, they’d somehow found themselves... well, having drunken brawls. 

Super Smash Brothers Brawls, specifically. And Chuuya had lost spectacularly, bringing back sour memory — that bet, that man, the start of everything — that made him determined to get in practice alone so that he would never have to repeat that.

So far, it’s going... Decently? He hasn’t lost yet, a sort of groove, his tactics much advanced from his childhood — Mafia experience was good for something, it seems — but that streak is quickly interrupted by a sly taunt from across the arcade floor.

“Fuck you, mackerel, I’ll have you know it’s—”

Just a beat, Chuuya scowls, looks up from his game to respond, but in that short moment... He’s knocked off of the platform. And man slams palms down on the machine, a string of imaginative curses.

with the leviathans in a fitful slumber, it appeared a good number of civilians had taken this as their chance to escape on their own or in groups; if anything, it appeared that today was in his favor after all. despite the concern of time weighing heavily on his mind, he chose to do one last sweep of the area, just in case; if he ended up leaving someone down here… hawks didn’t want anymore unnecessary blood on his hands. after coming up empty, he made a mental note that he was probably down twenty minutes just from that alone and chose to withdraw from further searching; after all, it wouldn’t do anyone any good if he drowned mid fight.

he had to leave.

in his retreat, a familiar clash of red and purple entered his sight and with it resulted him being awash with an undeniable relief; apprehensions caused by the fear of running out of air immediately quelled, the reassurance of not having to go through this alone now was all it took to suffocate his unease. immediately joining their sides, he was even quicker to announce himself.

“ i thought you guys would’ve been outta here ages ago —— ! hope y’all don’t plan on having fun without me ! ” 

Quick scan shows that troublesome hero hasn’t been found yet, and Chuuya clicks his tongue, turning to Nicolette instead, looking over her for any injuries in concern.

“Nico, you run into any trouble...?”

Chuuya runs the back of his hand against his cheek, a streak of blood coming off of it. He had meant to clean it up, to shake off the sharks, but there hadn’t been any downtime. As well, since Nicolette’s powers were from her own blood, it would perhaps be a moot point... Still, the salt water strings, and Chuuya grimaces slightly.

“I managed to get a group together, and we managed to gather about... two dozen civilians. I left it to them to get to the top of the stairwell... We’re still missing a certain birdbrain, right?”

He teases, but the worry is evident. It’s completely likely Hawks has gotten out already, but, it’s also completely likely he’s gone and got himself stuck helping out other people. 

Chuuya watches Nicolette’s face, means to say, but luckily you speak of the devil and he appears—

Hawks enters the stage with a fitting tease, and Chuuya’s glad to see that there doesn’t seem to be any major injuries. Despite the serious situation, her lifts his chin, and meets Nicolette’s gaze.

“...Always has to be fashionably late, doesn’t he?” he says to Nicolette, a quirk of his eyebrow, expression like Hawks was late to group movie. Nicolette gives him a response, and Chuuya smiles, before he runs his hand over his hat and turns to look in the direction of the stairwell, more serious now.

“It might not be home, but I’m not going to let civilians get caught up in some bigwigs power struggle. They haven’t even deigned to make an appearance, relying on their monsters... It’s fucked up.”

send a symbol from your muse to mine.   add  ↪  for a reverse from my muse to yours !

🍳   :   cook breakfast in bed for my muse.

💝   :   give a box of chocolates to my muse.

🍿    :   watch a rom-com with my muse.

💐   :   give flowers to my muse.

👙    :   buy lingerie for my muse.

💌   :   leave my muse a card from a secret admirer.

🍽️   :   take my muse out for dinner for two.

❤️   :   give a gift to my muse.   (   specify.   )

🐶   :   surprise my muse with a puppy.

🐱   :   surprise my muse with a kitten.

💔   :   break up with my muse.

🏩   :   book a valentine’s trip away with my muse.

💍    :   propose to my muse.

🔥    :   flirt with my muse.

😳   :   confess your muse’s love to my muse.

😘   :   kiss my muse.

🐻   :   give my muse a valentine’s teddy bear.

💃    :   dance with my muse.

an unexpected surprise, but not an unwelcome one. knowing that this job was relatively important ( in the eyes of their buyer, of course ), dostoevsky assumed that they would purchase someone equally as expensive to protect them; however, said person bought being port mafia executive chuuya nakahara… now that had been an unforeseen change in pace— it almost was enough cause for him to turn the tides and murk their employer, but he held his patience close. the need for immunity within belladonna was far greater than his desire to watch the other’s face fall at his shortcomings. 

it was not as if it would be unwarranted. their employer, after all, was naught more than a BLIGHT upon this defiled city; a sinner that begged ( PLEADED ) to be cleansed——  ah, perhaps he would release him from his prison, after he had been paid. there was always personal gratification to be had in his numinous purpose; to stare upon his imminent, ignorant meal and enact his unfitting part as harlequin— it only made it more enjoyable, in the end.

they first were brought together to discuss their purpose here together— to get acquainted, in short; refraining from casting wayward glances his newfound redheaded coworker, dostoevsky finds that he had completely tuned out what had been previously said by their employer. it was drawn out and unnecessarily long; to expect him to listen to such prattling… 

ah, damn, it could not be helped, he supposed. this is why he typically worked on his own terms; it seemed, part - time, was not for him, either.

as everyone rose from their seats, dostoevsky took note of how they chose a partner to introduce themselves and could not cease the irked expression from flitting momentarily across his pale visage. what was this—— grade school? this was not his forte, but if he must, he would at least have a bit of fun with this childish activity; seeing as how no one had yet to approach chuuya, he opted on using this opportunity to formally introduce himself.

lackluster circumstances causing them to meet, dostoevsky could only now ponder on whether or not chuuya was aware, as well; while they had never met, the port mafia certainly was awfully guileful. if there was anything he was certain of, it was that he had heard of him before; there was no conceit behind that train of thought, it was a mere fact.

to test his theory, a hand was dumbly extended in a terribly awkward greeting ( he was almost impressed at his own acting ) and kept such an intolerable awkwardness in his demeanor that even the cruelest of folk would take pity on him. hopefully, he would not create a huge fuss at being tricked into touching him once he revealed his name; dostoevsky had not laughed in quite some time and he feared he would end up in a coughing fit, if that were the case.

❛ it is a pleasure to be working with you, er— ❜ a sheepish scratch at his neck.

That, at least, made some sense. Chuuya attending was mostly a formality, then, his experience at managing and overseeing others meant to provide a second opinion just in case. He wasn’t like Dazai, skilled in seeing through lies and tricks, but just from sheer experience he could generally place and understand how to best deal with and take care of groups underneath him.

So far, he hadn’t eliminated anyone as unsuitable, but he’s pegged a few antisocial types who he expects might disobey orders because of ego, and a few weaker links who have the skills but need to work alongside a stronger personality to shine—

Introductions took place, and Chuuya managed to avoid pairing up so that he could watch over the group without standing out too much, at least until one man approaches him.

First glance, something inside Chuuya blares a warning alarm, like there’s something strangely familiar and he stiffens almost imperceptibly, hands in his pocket clenching . Second glance, he can’t place it, and almost thinks that he’d imagined whatever strange feeling, because there isn’t anything outwardly threatening or suspicious... 

“I don’t think introductions are generally a job requirement, so you’re fine there,”  he responds, recovering quickly from whatever it had been. His tone is amused, and he quirks his chin over his shoulder with amusement, pointing out a group who had started their introductions with a lovely intimidation tactic, leading to an almost fight quickly broken up by the employer’s harsh glare.

“Better than some, I’d say.”

Strangely, Chuuya thinks, this one had managed to avoid his eye for most of the observation. Was it because he was quieter? They seemed... amiable, in their introduction, and awkward enough to be sincere, but...

     Maki finds herself wandering aimlessly through all the stand at the festival, taking in the sights and sounds. It’s well…different that’s for sure. She’s never really had experiences with this before in the past and it’s a change of pace from her normal day to day life.

     Though she’s…unsure of what to do with all this. She’s never really had the chance to just well, relax. Have time for herself without having to worry about anything, and just be free. Life has not been kind to her for as long as she’s known so it’s…a jarring change of pace, this and the past few months now that she really thinks about it.

     …Is this really the time for her to be so negative though? Shouldn’t she just be trying to enjoy herself and all that the festival has to offer? It’s hard for her to let go of those thoughts though, considering she hasn’t had the liberty of having free time that wasn’t spent doing anything that was meant to help keep her alive.

     Though it seems getting lost in thought wasn’t the best thing to be doing right now. There were a lot of people around because of the festival and Maki finds herself accidentally bumping into someone from behind. She steps back a bit, looking at him, surprised but also slightly embarrassed.

Chuuya wanders through the stalls of the festival, mind wandering over possibilities for souvenirs; one perk of his profession was that money was never an issue, so why not spoil the people he enjoys spending time with? 

Eyes glance between a stall carrying masks, and one carrying various clothes. Man stops, moves slightly to the side of the pathway out of general thoroughfare.

“Ahiru could probably do with a scarf,” Chuuya thinks out loud, head tilted, as with a decision and begins walking over there—

From behind, something bumps into him, and reflexes are fast. Chuuya turns on his heels, catches whoever it is by the shoulder, catching them but grip just a bit tight; both to steady them, so they don’t fall backwards, and so that he can react quickly if it turns out to be more than accident.

 Though, once he sees that it’s kid, his grip loosens; she apologises, it was an accident, they’re all good. 

“It’s okay, don’t worry about it,” he responds. “Could have been worse, right?”

He has tiktoks to prove it.