No Longer Human

Three

It hadn't taken long to realize there was something strange going on. He was sure even if he wasn't as observant as he was, or as bored, he would have noticed. The first clue had been when Atsushi had returned. He had previously noted the oddness of someone having naturally white hair so young, the single black streak in it, also genetic, had been the cherry on top, but he hadn't been close enough or paying attention before to see the dual colored eye; each one containing a partial ring of purple and one of yellow, surrounding a cat like pupil.

  Then when he asked about the other's father, Atsushi had grown confused for a moment before stammering our denials. Dazai had found out that the boy's parents had been murdered, and Yukichi had taken him in when he was very young and raised him, seemingly because, while not related, they had the same- here Atsushi's eyes had widened and he cut himself off, refusing to say anymore no matter how Dazai had spoken around it. The fact that they had both been born with white hair, as he had also quickly found out, were not related, nor albino had struck him as odd. The house had as well.

Carved into a mountain that had been at least an seven or eight's hours drive from the village he had been staying at- if speeding.  He knew he hadn't gone that far into the forest, only a half mile or so, they didn't have a car, nor was there an unobstructed path through the forest.

      With the thick (but generally useless for suicide attempts) undergrowth further in and the deeper rivers that stood between them and the village (unfortunately much too far away to even consider walking to from the village for a good ole fashioned drowning), it would be hard to walk, and even more so to take a horse, car, or other transportation. On either side of the mountain home stood more mountains and eventually, on one side, a lake that stretched far out into the distant horizon. Furthermore there was the fact that it had been so perfectly carved into the mountainside. There was no way any machinery could have been brought to create it and yet there wasn't a rough edge anywhere.

It just wasn't possible.

He hadn't left his room much in the three days he had been there- he hadn't been allowed to as Atsushi spent so much time worriedly hovering over him- but it was clear there was a third person living there, and that Akiko did not live with them. While the one time he had left he hadn't seen any signs of others, it was clear there were many more people than just the two white haired males who were part of what was shaping up to be a cliche secret community. More than the short and black haired one who also lived with them. He hadn't seen them in person, but he knew as much from the signs he had seen in the common room. Short, with black hair, a sweet tooth, and childish. Perhaps there was an even younger child here that the two were protecting from him until they trusted him? It would fit the profile he had built, but it didn't seem to quite fit with what he had seen. That was all he could tell at the moment with what little information he'd painstakingly extracted from the nervous, dual-eye-colored boy who was surprisingly cagey about anything beyond the usual, bland likes and dislikes.

Like clockwork, six thirty came and Atsushi showed up, they had brought fresh, herbal tea and eggs today with a few slices of what looked like ham and berries. He smiled widely at the other, "If it isn't my favorite kidnapper, come to visit me at last!" As usual Atsushi nearly tripped over his own feet as he rushed to deny it, stuttering over his denials and what was (probably) meant to be placating words.

Atsushi collapsed limp onto the floor as he burst into laughter. "Why do you keep saying that?" The other whined like a kicked puppy, glancing up with wide, innocent eyes. Dazai only laughed more.

Atsushi ate his own meal with Dazai, a near match except without the berries- which Dazai was sure to make several jokes (that were most definitely not socially acceptable in any sense) about given how the other had found him, causing another near freak out and some unshed tears. After Dazai had taken his pill- and no he couldn't take both of that day's pills at once, who knew what that might do!?!- Atsushi escorted him to the bathroom, worrying the whole way if he was straining himself or if he needed anything, because the other could carry him if they wanted, and did they need to take a break? Or have a seat somewhere?