Chapter Text
Dazai stepped over the cat and knocked on the door, seeming far too casual for a crisis. He yawned, rolling his shoulders back, then seemed to settle for picking at the bright green paint until someone realized he was there. The cat started to wind between Atsushi’s legs, and from inside, he could hear a pair of footsteps approaching.
Before Dazai could even pull his hand away, the door swung open, revealing a tired-looking man wrapped in an oversized wizard’s robe. He was human, with dark hair pulled back in a bun, and his large glasses did little to hide the massive circles under his eyes. Dazai raised his hand to wave, but Atsushi could still see bits of bright green flaked under his fingernails.
“Ango! It’s been awhile!” he said. Ango narrowed his eyes, then let go of his far-too-official posture, slouching against the doorframe.
“Why are you here?” he asked, looking around the street as he pulled his robe tighter. For a second, his eyes met Atsushi’s, and he nodded. The cat purred, running to the door, but Ango didn’t pay it any mind.
“What, can I not take a day off and come see an old friend?” Dazai asked. He reached over towards a strip of loose paint on the door again, but Ango slapped his hand away with a glare. Then, Dazai took a step back, shoving his hand into the pouch on his belt. He pulled out a light purple ribbon, swaying it gently from side to side, and Atsushi was hit with the overbearing scent of lavender. “Also, I think someone’s trying to murder you,” he said. Ango looked back and forth between the two of them before beckoning them inside, closing the door behind him.
For a second, the only sound was Ango’s cat, tearing through the fabric of his robes as they dragged beside him on the floor. Then, he sighed.
“If you really need to talk to me, let’s go into the study. We should be safe from any kind of interference.” Ango said. “I was working in there before you came, so I assume it’s still safe.”
“Great!” Dazai said, clapping his hands together. “Ango, is anyone else home?” he asked. The wizard shook his head.
“No. A colleague of mine normally stays with me, but he’s been called away on work.” he said. He looked over at the staircase, and Atsushi could see his hands tightening around the book, turning his knuckles white.
“If it’s empty, I don’t think my new apprentice should have a problem standing guard.” Dazai said. “Right, Atsushi?” The cat jumped off of the tattered remains of Ango’s robe, rolling over in front of Atsushi’s feet.
“Oh– sure, I can do that!” he said, crouching down to run his hand through the cat’s fur. As soon as he reached its stomach, its claws shot up, hooking into the cuff of his armguard.
“Wonderful! We’ll just be in this room right here if you need us.” Dazai said, and he slammed the door behind him.
Finally alone, Atsushi took his chance to get a good look at the entire place. He’d never been in a city wizard’s house before, and he was surprised how much it reminded him of home. There were plants scattered around the entrance, with vines climbing the roof supports like a trellis. To the right, there was an archway leading to a small sitting area, with a fireplace crackling and a well-loved forest green couch. On the left, the door to the study was solid, but through panes of green glass embedded in the wall, Atsushi could see a messy room filled with books. There were maps haphazardly tacked onto the wall at crooked angles, and the closest desk was piled with scrolls. A cable-knit blanket was flung haphazardly over the chair, and a stack of unopened letters had grown so large it was toppling, all addressed to someone named Katai.
In contrast to the rest of the chaos, Ango’s desk was clean. Across the room, he sat on the corner of it, holding something in his hand. Atsushi couldn’t quite make out what it was, but it was golden and round, maybe some kind of compass or religious symbol. He held it close as he slid further back onto the desk, crossing one leg over the other. His mouth was moving, but through the walls, his voice became muffled. Atsushi couldn’t quite make out anything he said. Ango looked up, suddenly locking eyes with Atsushi through the window, and he went silent. He snapped his fingers, and a symphony of soft notes started to echo through the foyer, the plants glowing with a soft, teal light. He turned back to Dazai and continued whatever he’d been saying, now completely hidden behind the noise. It was obvious that he liked his privacy.
Nearby, Atsushi heard the cat meow, then the sound of claws scrabbling across a wooden floor. It shot out from the sitting room doorway, dragging one of the vines behind it like a snake as it immediately ran for the stairs against the back wall. As it ran, Atsushi could hear it slam into a door upstairs, then the incessant scratching of nails on wood. The cat yelped as it scratched at whatever door it stood in front of, until Atsushi heard the quiet creak of someone letting it in. That’s when he remembered that no one else was supposed to be home.
Atsushi immediately froze, looking over to see Ango and Dazai still deep in their conversation. Dazai slammed his hand on the desk for emphasis, and Ango crossed his arms. Whatever they were talking about, it was getting intense. For a second, he considered knocking on the door, but he stopped himself. He was a member of the Watchmen, he shouldn’t be afraid of a creaking door. The odds were that the cat had managed to shove it open, and even if there was someone up there, he was the one on guard. He shouldn’t bother the Lieutenant over his own shot nerves. As quietly as he could, he unholstered his staff and started to creep towards the stairs.
Looking up, he could see two doors. The first one was on the right, marked with a red sigil over the doorknob. As Atsushi crept up, he ran his hand across the glowing letters. For a second, they grew brighter, and he could hear a faint click. An arcane lock spell, the cat couldn’t have busted through that.
The door against the back wall was shut as well, though no spell was placed on it. Instead, a light pink ribbon was tied around the handle, and a string of dried flowers hung above the entryway. It must have been where the girl had been staying. Looking down the hall, he could see one more door.
It was tucked away in a corner, on an opposite wall from the others, meaning the room must have been situated above the library. It was cracked open. Inside, the cat was purring softly, and as Atsushi crept closer, he could hear someone whispering to it in a gravelly voice.
“Oh, you poor thing” the voice said, almost soft enough to be a hum. “Once I take care of your worthless master, I wonder what’s going to happen to you.” Atsushi stepped softly, creeping along the wall to avoid any creaking floorboards. It was a trick he had learned in the Lurkwood– the least trodden paths were always the quietest. As he grew closer, the voice became more clear. The cat started to purr again, obviously undisturbed by the ominous sentiment. “You know, my sister cares for helpless beasts. Maybe I can bring you home in all of the aftermath.” Atsushi finally got close enough to peer through the crack of the door, and inside, he could see a dark, armor-clad figure sitting on the bed.
The boy couldn’t have been much older than himself, though everything about him looked far more dangerous. His skin was a light gray, tinged with purple wherever his blood ran the thickest. Pointy ears poked out of a head of messy, shoulder-length dark hair, tipped with white and quickly falling out of a haphazard ponytail. He was obviously a drow. His armor was black, with purple symbols embroidered tidily along the seams, and Atsushi was almost close enough to make out what they were. In some odd way, they were familiar.
He leaned in closer, squinting to see, until he heard the dull thunk of wood hitting wood. Without realizing, he’d leaned his staff with him, hitting the door and pushing it open.
The drow boy shot up, and with a neon magenta flash, the image of a glowing rapier manifested in the air beside him. Atsushi stumbled back, and the boy’s eyes locked with his.
“Who in the Nine Hells are you?” he asked, looking at Atsushi with an empty gaze, his hand reaching for the illusion. As he pulled it out of the light, he squinted, and the blade began to turn from magic to metal, cold and sharp enough to cut. Atsushi grabbed his staff tighter, channeling magic into it to strengthen his blow before he leaped through the doorway, swinging for the drow boy’s head.
He dove backwards, falling on top of the bed. The cat yelped as he landed on its tail, running between Atsushi’s legs and out the door. The drow boy sat back up, furrowing his brows before he lunged at Atsushi, swinging his enchanted rapier with reckless abandon.
The first swing glanced off of Atsushi’s wrist guard, but the second slashed right across his cheek, sending blood dripping down his face. In a panic, he swung his staff again, this time hitting the drow boy square in the side of his head.
His combatant glared, flourishing his sword with a loose roll of his shoulder. Energy crackled around the blade, and Atsushi didn’t realize his swing had left him unprotected.
He lunged forward again, and the rapier cut through the air, impaling Atsushi straight through his shoulder. As it hit, he was surrounded by a magenta haze, sparks flying around his face fast enough to make him dizzy. The boy grimaced as Atsushi stumbled backwards, falling out the doorway as he tried to pull himself off of the blade.
As soon as his feet left the carpeted floor, each spark of magical dust surrounding him exploded with a flash of light and a deafening bang, making his head throb. Before he realized what was happening, the spell had knocked him onto his back, and the drow boy’s boot was digging into his chest. He pressed the point of his rapier against Atsushi’s throat, looking down at him with contempt.
“I’m looking for a man named Sakaguchi Ango.” he said, leaning down. “You’ll lead me to him, or I’ll slit your throat.” Atsushi tried to nod, but the blade pressed harder against his neck, and he winced. The boy grabbed him by the wounded shoulder as he picked him up, holding the rapier sideways. He spun him around and pushed his head up against his shoulder, and with the end of the blade up against Atsushi’s throat, he started to walk towards the stairs.
With every step, Atsushi stumbled, and the boy pulled his fingers through his hair to maneuver him in the right direction.
“Now tell me, Watchman.” he asked. “What is your name?” When Atsushi froze, he kicked his foot forward, forcing him to stay on course.
“Nakajima Atsushi.” he managed to mutter out. With every syllable, he could feel the thin blade against his neck, threatening to dig into his windpipe. The drow boy didn’t stop marching forward, not even taking a second to breathe before his next question.
“Did you come here alone?” he asked, and they finally made it to the stairs. As Atsushi stepped down, the boy leaned forward, fluidly following in his tracks without ever jeopardizing his grip on his sword. He held Atsushi’s head near the hilt, but the rapier was so long that the point scraped against the wall, making a sick, grinding noise as it left a line in the green wallpaper
“No,” Atsushi said, and the boy hummed under his breath. For a second, he stalled, looking out over the bannister to see the entryway, empty except for the cat crying at the study door. The soft music had stopped, and the vines rustled as a draft of wind swept through.
“Is Sakaguchi Ango still in the house?” he asked, and for a second, Atsushi went silent. He’d already revealed too much, if this was the murderer here to claim Ango’s life, he had to do something. However, before he could think of a way around the question, it answered itself for him.
The door to the study creaked open, and Ango stepped out, reaching down a hand to pet his cat. As the boys took another step forward, he looked over, straightening up so quickly that his glasses almost flew off of his face. He looked back to the door, but before he could even think about running, Dazai swung it the rest of the way open.
There was an odd sort of malice to him, as if whatever argument he and Ango had just been having had set something inside of him loose. He immediately looked over to the stairs, but his eyes passed over Atsushi entirely. The drow boy’s grip on him tightened, and Atsushi was so close that could practically feel every muscle in his body stiffen as Dazai locked eyes with him. Then, he smirked.
“Don’t worry, Ango. It’s just Akutagawa.” he said, pushing past the cowering wizard as he came to the side of the staircase. The drow boy, Akutagawa, had practically started to shake, though Atsushi couldn’t tell whether it was fear or rage.
“I’m assuming this must be your new assistant, then.” he spat, backtracking up the stairs and dragging Atsushi with him, taking a step back for every step Dazai took until he’d almost reached halfway up again. He must have realized he had nowhere to go, because he froze. Akutagawa pulled Atsushi’s hair harder, forcing him to look at the ceiling. From this angle, he knew Dazai must have been able to see every blue vein going through his neck. "Stay right there or I’ll slice this blade across his throat.” Even though Atsushi couldn’t see anything, he could hear Dazai sigh, and the soft tap of footsteps as he turned.
“If you kill him, you lose any advantage you have against me.” he said, and Atsushi could hear him take a few more steps toward the stairs. “I’ve told you a hundred times, but you always do something wrong, don’t you?” Aktugawa loosened his grip, and Atsushi cast a glance back down. Dazai was already almost to the bannister, and Ango followed close behind, almost as if he was using Dazai as a shield.
“Well, if I can’t kill him, then I guess we’re at a standstill.” Akutagawa said, pulling on Atsushi’s hair again. Whatever intimidation he’d been going for obviously failed, and Dazai shook his head.
“Really? Gods, Akutagawa. A negotiation is like a dance, it has steps, remember? Even you’re smart enough to know that.” he said. With his one hand, he conjured a ball of light, tossing it idly back and forth as he spoke. When Akutagawa didn’t respond immediately, he tossed the bright flash into the boys’ faces. Akutagawa flinched, and the rapier slipped in his hands. Atsushi pulled back before it could cut him, practically digging his head into his captor’s shoulder. He was close enough that he could hear it as Akutagawa blinked, and suddenly, the cut on his cheek began to burn. It was then that he realized how heavily Akutagawa’s eyes were watering, and remembered that drow were sensitive to bright light.
“Fine. I propose a trade, then.” Aktuagawa said, blinking away tears and shoving Atsushi off of him. “You get your assistant back, I get the wizard.”
For a second, everyone froze, then Dazai shrugged, still seemingly unbothered.
“Sure. I don’t see why not.” he said, and Ango looked up at him with fear in his eyes. He tried to take a step back, but Dazai grabbed his wrist. With his other hand, he grabbed a knife out of his pocket, gesturing at Ango with the point. “You’re lucky that Ango means nothing to me.” he said, shrugging as he looked back up at Akutagawa. Beside him, Ango tried to pull away, pushing his glasses up and failing to wrench his hand out of Dazai’s grasp.
“Dazai, I don’t think you know what you’re doing.” he said, looking between his old friend and the assassin on the stairs. “You’re making a mistake.” Dazai smiled, like he’d finally won some old game, and he laid his dagger against Ango’s collarbone. Atsushi blinked in surprise, seeing the shock and sadness that washed across the wizard’s face. Whatever argument the two had been having, it must have been enough to lead to this.
“I know exactly what I’m doing,” Dazai said, leaning in close. “Now just step twice and walk” Ango cast him another sad look, and though Atsushi didn’t understand what he’d said, it must have been enough to work. Ango started to walk towards the stairs without even being led.
Once he was close enough, Akutagawa took the blade off of Atsushi’s throat, pointing the tip of it at Ango instead. The wizard’s jaw trembled, and he looked back at Dazai, who shook his head. “Not yet. Wait until he lets go of Atsushi first.”
Akutagawa mumbled something under his breath, definitely some kind of curse, but he pulled his hand out of Atsushi’s hair and pushed him forward. Ango took one shaking step forward, then another, and Atsushi ran managed to make it all the way to the bottom. Dazai pulled him to his side as Akutagawa pressed the point of the sword against Ango’s throat, glaring down.
“Anything you have left to say?” he asked, straightening his shoulders. With his free hand, he shoved his hand into his belt, pulling out a near identical lavender ribbon to the one from before.
Dazai looked up, seeing his old friend held at the point of a blade, and nothing in his face showed any concern or regret. Instead, he grabbed onto the banister rail, looking back at Atsushi. He smiled, and from this angle, Atsushi could see his fingers twitch, glowing faintly purple.
“Yes.” he said, pulling out his hand again. “You’re even more useless than I remembered.”
With that, he screamed out a spell, and both Akutagawa and Ango froze. Their eyes glazed over, and in unison, purple tears started to run down their faces, flickering and burning like liquid fire. Their mouths went slack, and Ango started muttering senselessly as Akutagawa shook. Then, Akutagawa’s rapier crashed to the ground, and both took off in a dead sprint.
In one swift motion, Dazai pulled his foot back, and Atsushi realized he’d been standing on the edge of Ango’s robe the entire time. The wizard crashed down onto the stairs, hitting his head on the bannister rail as he slid down.
“Hold him down, I’m going after Akutagawa.” Dazai said, and he took off up the stairs before Atsushi could even react. Ango crashed back as he ran past, almost as if he were repelled by him. He fell over again, landing in Atsushi’s lap. He grabbed onto his shoulders, and the wizard struggled against him, but didn’t make much progress. Either he was weakened by the spell or he had never been very strong in the first place. It seemed like his glasses had cracked during the fall, and from this close, Atsushi could finally hear what he was saying.
“Why couldn’t you just wait for me,” he whispered, pulling one arm out from underneath himself and stretching out a hand towards nothing. He pressed himself against Atsushi, the purple tears running down his face like wax on a burning candle, trying to crawl down the stairs away from whoever it was he saw. “Gods, you never listen to reason do you? I’m sorry. I told you, I’m sorry!” he said, his voice rising as he cried out towards the top of the staircase. “No.. come back. Please. I can’t do this. Just give him back.” he said, ripping at his robes as he started to cry. He sobbed, wordlessly crying out as he watched whatever had been haunting him with horror. Atsushi pinned him down, trying to ball him up in the extra fabric so that he wouldn’t squirm away. He wrapped his arms around his shoulders and put his knee against his back, trying his best not to hurt him as he screamed, his convulsing threatening to push them both off of the stairs. When the wizard couldn’t make it out from under his grip, he curled up, muttering quietly to himself through gritted teeth. “Step twice and walk… step twice then turn,” he said, staring sideways into the empty entryway. He shook, as if awaiting a blow that never came. In the aftermath of the commotion, the cat peeked out of the study doorway, then immediately came scampering over, crying at Atsushi as it curled up next to Ango’s legs. His eyes squeezed shut, and his whisper was barely louder than a breath, almost inaudible over the cat’s. “I’m sorry I never learned how to dance with you.”< p/>
The purple tears started to dry, sinking into his skin. A few seconds later, he blinked, the color returning to his face. He looked up at Atsushi, dazed, but no longer trying to get away.
“What happened?” he asked, seemingly confused. He shoved Atsushi away, and this time, the boy didn’t stop him. Ango rubbed his eyes as he sat up, but the liquid fire was gone, leaving no traces behind. “I think I just had a nightmare,” he said.
From the top of the stairs, Dazai came running out, holding the assassin over his shoulders. By the looks of it, he’d managed to corner and hog tie him, and whatever spell he’d cast was just now wearing off. Akutagawa tried to curse, kicking his feet against Dazai’s chest, but he had a strip of bright blue fabric tied around his mouth.
“Any chance you wanna help?” Dazai asked, glancing down at where Atsushi and Ango were sitting. “He may be small, but he isn’t exactly light.” he said, struggling to not throw his new captive down the stairs as he squirmed. Atsushi looked over at Ango, who nodded slowly, taking off his glasses and trying to wipe away the crack on his robe as he waved him off. He ran up the stairs, and Dazai slouched over, passing Akutagawa's legs. The drow boy glared, trying to pull away as Atsushi grabbed him, but his mouth was covered and his magic rapier had disappeared. A spellcaster with tied hands was always an empty threat. Together, they lugged him down the staircase, passing Ango as he traced the crack, mending it with prestidigitation.
“Oh. Sorry about the fear spell, by the way.” Dazai said. Ango nodded absentmindedly, then got up and adjusted his glasses on his face. He grabbed his cat, still dazed.
Together, the Watchmen sat Akutagawa down in the entryway, dodging more kicking feet and muffled curses. For a second, Dazai disappeared into the study, coming back with another rope that he used to tie him to the bannister.
When Atsushi got closer, the other boy tried to lunge at him, only to be delivered a swift kick to the chest by Dazai. He started to cough, hard enough that it shook the stair railing. From this angle, he looked almost pathetic. Dazai crouched down in front of him, snapping his fingers to summon another ball of light.
“You know, if it had been anyone else, they might have had a chance. You really are useless” he said, near completely monotone. He got close enough to Aktuagawa’s face that their noses almost touched, and then he threw the light directly into his eyes.
As he turned to Atsushi, his demeanor completely changed in a matter of seconds. His shoulders slouched back down, and he ran a hand through his hair, back to the same disaffected Dazai that Atsushi was familiar with. He smiled, patting him on the shoulder as he unraveled another spare piece of fabric from his arm. The change was fast enough that it almost gave Atsushi whiplash.
“Great work today, Atsushi! Though, one word of advice.” Dazai said, using the rag to wipe away the blood on Atsushi’s face. “Next time someone has you pinned, just turn into a rat.”
Atsushi’s mind stalled for a second, freezing as Dazai poured water out of his canteen and wiped his face again. He still wasn’t used to the Watchmen’s brand of casual intimacy, and the feeling of another person bandaging his wounds still made him uneasy, especially someone as unpredictable as Dazai.
“What?” he asked, and as per usual, Dazai completely misunderstood what he was asking.
“Most people in cities aren’t used to fighting druids, especially in the ranks of the guard. If you wildshape into something small, you should be able to get away.” he said. Then, he chuckled, almost hollow. “Also, Akutagawa is terrified of them.” Behind him, Akutagawa tried to cuss again, but failed.
Upstairs, something crashed, and then the house was filled with the ringing sound of breaking glass. Four sets of eyes turned towards the stairs, and suddenly, Dazai was running for the door, shoving the dirty rag into his pouch.
“Look’s like you’ve got more company, Ango,” he said. The wizard froze in place for a second.
“Oh, f*ck-”
Dazai grabbed his elbow, dragging him towards the door as he tried to hold onto his squirming cat. He looked back at Atsushi, gesturing to the door with reckless abandon.
“Leave Akutagawa, we’ve gotta go.” he said, readying another bolt of light in his hand. He peeked out the door frame before he ran, throwing the blast of light as an arrow embedded itself in the doorframe. As Atsushi ran to follow, he could hear Ango muttering.
“Oh, this is bad, this is really bad…” Ango muttered, “I still need my spellbook.”
“No time for that, we’ve got to get across town. The others should all be waiting for us.” Dazai said.
“Aren’t they doing their own mission?” Atsushi asked, hiding in the door frame. Upstairs, footsteps crashed.
“Exactly.” Dazai said. Looking closer, Atsushi could see that the arrow was tied with a lavender ribbon. “This is all going exactly according to plan.” Then, he dove out into the city, leaving the others with no choice but to follow.
