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Post by Behax on Apr 28, 2020 10:01:20 GMT
Chuuya looked at the gloves a little dubious. Was it a desire to hide? Or just a desire to feel human? Keeping his hands out of a fight was a way to handicap himself. He only relied on his hands when he really needed to, like in his fight against Randou. He put the gloves on anyway without much of a comment, flexing his fingers inside the leather.
He wasn’t sure how he felt about Dazai referring to him as a god on earth, even more so that he couldn’t sense even a hint of sarcasm in the statement.
“Easy for you to say, you didn’t grow up on the streets….” Keeping your head down, not standing out, that was how Chuuya and the Sheep had had to grow up. It was easier to steal, pick pocket, and generally skulk around if you didn’t stand out and looked pretty nondescript. It also meant that people often underestimated you because it was behaviour that also made you look vulnerable. Chuuya’s hair also made him stand out in most crowds which was why he wore hoods so much. Not standing out had been the goal up until this point, and now Dazai wanted him to do the opposite.
Chhuya lost count of how many times Dazai made him start over. He was trying to unlearn a lifetime of habits and behaviours designed to make it easier to survive on the streets. Even with the gloves he had to actively stop himself from putting his hands in his pockets out of sheer habit.
After about an hour he was starting to get twitchy for a whole other set of reasons. Though he had been put through so much of Dazai’s bullshit throughout the day, Chuuya was actually surprised it took that long for his stress cravings to start creeping up on him.
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Post by quinnlocke on Apr 28, 2020 12:28:18 GMT
A knock on the door was all that saved Chuuya from another walk across the room.
"Come in!" He yelled, gesturing to Chuuya that he could sit for the time being and only giving him a minor raised brow for slumping in the chair like a hoodlum.
"Hirotsu-san!" He chirped, skipping over to give the old man a back breaking hug. "You're back."
Hirotsu smiled fondly and ruffled Dazai's hair. "You told me to come back Boss-kun."
"Good to know I'm still the boss after you've retired."
Hirotsu shook his head, but his gaze was drawn to Chuuya where he sat slumped on the couch. The look on his face would cause any underling to sit up straight and not look lkke a thug.
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Post by Behax on Apr 28, 2020 13:31:49 GMT
He was glad to finally get to sit down, after having to pace the room back and forth so damn much. The only reason he wasn’t complaining more was that he could understand Dazai’s reasoning. It was just difficult trying to undo years of learned behaviour.
Chuuya raised one of his eyebrows at the way Dazai greeted the older man, even more so when it transpired this man was apparently ‘retired’. Not many people got to actually retire from the Mafia, at least not in the traditional sense. Hirotsu was luckier than most.
Chuuya couldn’t help but straighten up under the man’s gaze. He just nodded his head in greeting, well Dazai had told him not to speak to anyone he hadn’t been told to after all.
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Post by quinnlocke on Apr 28, 2020 14:12:11 GMT
Dazai went off to make Hirotsu a cup of tea, chattering away about the business deal he was attempting to put through.
Hirotsu took stock of the young man Dazai had chosen to be his guard. The same one who had broken Tachihara's nose. He'd already given the boy an earful about being more aware of the person he was attempting to keep subdued.
The boys leg kept shaking and Hirotsu had a feeling he knew why. He pulled a pack of cigarettes from his pocket. "Do you want one?"
Chuuya's swallowed hard and his eyes went over to where Dazai was in the kitchen and then back to Hirotsu.
Odd...
There was a strangled whine as Hirotsu went to go smoke on the porch drawing Dazai's attention.
He started laughing, because of course Chuuya would follow the rules to the T. He hadn't given Chuuya the okay to talk to Hirotsu and from the looks of it, he *really* wanted to ask for a smoke.
"You know those things will stunt your growth," he said. "But if you really must, Hirotsu-san please give Chuuya a smoke. You two can converse on the patio."
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Post by Behax on Apr 28, 2020 14:56:45 GMT
“Do you want one?”
Christ did he. But he looked to Dazai first, and god he was going to hate himself later for letting that noise escape his throat, but he really needed one after all the bullshit he’d already had to put up with.
“I’m 22, I’m not getting any taller.” Chuuya was loathed to admit it, but he’d already had to face that hard truth. He wasn’t going to get any taller. He supposed that was at least one benefit to not slouching so much…..It gave him a small increase to his perceived height.
He got up from his chair and went to join Hirotsu outside, which was fine by him. He didn’t particularly like smoking inside anyway.
“Thanks...Uh..Hirotsu-san?” He said, a little uncertain as he took a cigarette from the older man, and lit it. It seemed that despite not wanting people to speak to him formally, he had no issues with talking to other people that way. Except maybe Dazai. He took a drag and relaxed a little the moment he exhaled out. It felt a lot better, like blowing his stress away.
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Post by quinnlocke on Apr 28, 2020 15:38:21 GMT
"just Hirotsu is fine," he said, voice gravelly but smooth. He stood lkke a man who'd long learned to hold his own. The frown lines around his eyes made him look both old and wise.
"You're Nakahara aren't you?" He blew out smoke. "The sheep's scapegoat."
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Post by Behax on Apr 28, 2020 16:13:43 GMT
Chuuya nodded when told not to worry about honorifics.
He sucked in a breath at the way Hirotsu called him Sheep’s scapegoat.
“You…..Don’t pull your punches do you…..But yes. You can just call me Chuuya though. I’ve never been particularly good with all that formality shit.”
For a moment Chuuya was quiet, just enjoying the quiet company the older man provided. There was something nice about it.
“So you know Dazai well then?” He asked eventually.
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Post by quinnlocke on Apr 28, 2020 16:24:32 GMT
"You could say that," Hirotsu sighed, looking into the penthouse where Dazai shifted from foot to foot watching the kettle. "But I doubt anyone actually knows him."
Hirotsu handed him the rest of his pack. "Until you can get more. You're going to need them watching over him."
Before Hirotsu walked back inside he turned to Chuuya, a serious and somber look on his face. "He has enemies, plenty of them, but his worst enemy is himself. Keep that in mind."
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Post by Behax on Apr 28, 2020 16:30:54 GMT
Hirotsu’s comment made chuuya raise a brow. Not that he was surprised to learn it, he already got the impression Dazai was a man of manipulation and misdirection. He frowned a little when Hirotsu handed him the rest of the pack, warning him he was going to need them.
“Thanks…..”
When Hirotsu warned him that Dazai was his own worst enemy, Chuuya’s mind went back to that first day, where Dazai had called himself a suicide enthusiast. He felt himself grow a little cold. How much of his job was going to be protecting Dazai from other people? And how much of it was going to be protecting him from himself.
With a sigh he finished off his own cigarette before putting it out and finding a bin to deposit the remains in. He walked back inside weary of what he might have gotten himself into yet again.
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Post by quinnlocke on Apr 28, 2020 16:40:14 GMT
The first thing Chuuya would notice when he came back in was that Dazai was 'animated', talkative even; a completely different person from the cold and calculating boss persona he'd been using all morning and afternoon.
"Gin-chan will be back soon, I'm sure she'll be very happy to see you."
Compared to everything else in the penthouse the tea set Dazai brought out was shockingly simple, and inexpensive. Dazai poured tea for all of them offering a cup to Hirotsu first in deference. As though he was the boss and not Dazai.
"How was Osaka? Did you enjoy the hot springs? Kouyou-san reccomended them."
"They were adequate. When were you planning to tell me Randou was killed?"
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Post by Behax on Apr 28, 2020 16:48:07 GMT
Chuuya felt like he was watching a completely different person as Chuuya bantered with Hirotsu. It was a little jarring.But he supposed someone couldn’t really be that cold all the time. He added relatively little to the conversation, but did take as much information from it as he could.
When Randou was brought up however, Chuuya suddenly felt a little uncomfortable.
“About three days ago,” Chuuya answered, not waiting for Dazai to throw him under the bus. Besides he wasn’t one to shy away from his own actions anyway. He and the man had clashed, one of them had to come out alive….Chuuya just made sure it was him.
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Post by quinnlocke on Apr 28, 2020 16:55:21 GMT
Dazai sent a cold look Chuuya's way and just like that, the Boss was back.
"I was informed a week ago that Randou had been stealing information from the archives. Nothing major, but little bits of Intel were missing and always seemed to be found again conveniently. When his home was searched copies of all the missing files were there, catalogued with his vast collection of files from before the Suribachi explosion." His gaze turned to Chuuya, daring him to drop in on that bit.
"I'm still weeding out his accomplices, but no one in the direct circle is complicit. Kouyou-san has birds in the teahouse listening. If anyone so much as whispers betrayal they'll be dealt with."
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Post by Behax on Apr 28, 2020 17:41:31 GMT
Ah so saying that had probably been a mistake then. Well Chuuya couldn’t take it back now, and it didn’t change the truth. Randou was dead, and Chuuya had killed him 3 days ago. After that he let Dazai do the explaining, letting him have control of the narrative. Chuuya met Dazai’s gaze with narrowed defiant eyes, he didn’t look away, but he didn’t take the bait either. He saw no reason to add any information there unless asked, especially if it was about himself.
Admitting to having killed Randou was one thing, but explaining why was another. He hadn’t even told Dazai all of it. What Randou’s ability could really be used for. Part of that was because it still made him feel sick. Just the idea of it and being used that way if he hadn’t been the one to triumph.
All throughout the conversation he had to keep reminding himself not to slouch.
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Post by quinnlocke on Apr 28, 2020 18:47:37 GMT
Hirotsu listened and his expression never faltered, not even when Dazai mentioned the agent Chuuya had killed when they'd collared him.
His gaze turned to Chuuya every time it looked like he was sinking into the chair.
When Dazai was finished he leaned back and looked to Chuuya once more. "What did he want with you?"
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Post by Behax on Apr 28, 2020 19:01:58 GMT
Being reminded of the aftermath of his fight with Randou was a little uncomfortable. He’d put down a few of Dazai’s men, and injured many others. He didn’t like being reminded that he had been quite literally collared.
Fuck. He’d been foolish to think Dazai wouldn’t ask him that eventually. Of course He’d want to know what Randou wanted with him.
Chuuya cleared his throat, sitting up a little more before explaining.
“Allegedly Randou was actually a foreign agent called Arthur Rimbaud, he and a partner of his tried to steal something from a secret facility after the abilities war….” The next part was the bit that made Chuuya uncomfortable, it meant confronting an unpleasant truth of his own origins and how little he really knew about it. “That ‘something’ was an entity known as Arahabaki…….It was me. When I clashed with Randou…..Rimbaud three days ago, he was trying to reclaim me. His ability had a rather….unpleasant side to it. His subspace can hold on a person's corpse. A corpse that Rimbaud could then puppeteer as he liked. He wanted my power for himself without my sense of self attached to it.”
Just thinking about what could have happened made Chuuya feel sick. The idea of being puppeted like that….It was part of the reason why the state of Mori Ougai bothered him so much.
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