human ~ dazai osamu

23 : the inaccessibility of affective memories

A/N: hi everyone i hope you're all okay!! just a quick warning that this chapter involves ⚠️ child abuse (or mentions of children being hurt with intent!!) ⚠️, as usual i'll put a warning before it comes up!

this chapter is VERY long by the way!!

thank you for your patience once again <3

~

(third person pov)

The children's facility Y/N's father and uncle had mentioned was a government-run holding area for young children who, like Y/N, had dangerous, or unusual abilities – ones which required monitoring and observation, for their own safety, as well as the safety of the outside world.

It was a desolate place. Though being a child, one would think not a lot of it and focus on the large space in the centre of the facility. The verdant, but almost plastic looking grass, stretched to the space of a football pitch, the trees that blew in the wind – stiffly – as a gail of wind swept through their branches sat scattered around the field.

I say field, and you may think I'm talking about rolling countryside hills and flowers, the freedom to roam and play. Unfortunately, the place Y/N was put in was no such thing.

Four large, grey, concrete buildings, around the size of high school's surrounded the field. The children couldn't see over them – but they didn't care – not when this facility had a swing set and slide! The location of this facility is unknown but judging on its affiliation to the government and The Special Division for Unusual Powers, it is most likely to be found in the desolated suburbs of Yokohama – out of reaction from the public's eye.

From a child's perspective, you wouldn't have thought anything of the towering grey buildings, the guards standing by the doors of a certain crimson door that lead towards the biggest and eery building, not a lot of notice would be offered to the particular colour coded arm bands each of the fifteen children were wearing.
And that only two of the fifteen had a different coloured band than the other children.

~

It is early November. Three months since Y/N tried to tear out her own eyes to gain the trust and kindness back from her discriminating classmates. Since then, she had settled in well in the facility – she had it easier than most of the children there as her father and uncle were almost always around to lend a reassuring head pat or a few words of affirmation. The young girl played with the other children with ease, knowing that they would never harm her, as they were the same.

It was a delight to have her named called out of joy and laughter, rather than disgust and fear.

Slowly, the grin of delight soon started to come back to her face – her e/c eyes shined with a gleam that had once been blighted with dullness.

Shota and Mori would meet Kimiko in the play area sometimes on their lunch break and the three of them would just watch happily as their young girl giggled with the other children.

Y/N is currently sitting on a swing, watching the leaves blow on a nearby tree as she gazes with a docile impression. Her e/c eyes then wander from the emerald branches to a flicker of auburn hair beneath them.

The ginger tresses belonged to a boy that had moved into the facility only a week ago. He was rather quiet, his expression only ever changing slightly from a frown to an uninterested glance. The boy hadn't uttered a word since he arrived and refrained from interacting with any of the other children.