[Closed] Oh, let the bullets fly, oh, let them rain

[mobileforces]

⌛ Who: Higuchi Ichiyo and various
⌛ What: After facing weeks of harassment and hazing from higher-ups in the Port Market, everything comes to a head in the worst way possible for Higuchi
⌛ When: Early March
⌛ Where: Tokyo, Yokohama
⌛ Warnings: graphic violence, drugs, mentions of sexual assault, forced prostitution, disassociation, death

Comments

[thesettingsun]

...Maybe you could get a job that isn't this upsetting?

[mobileforces]

But... I can't just give up? If I can't even handle something like this... what will Akutagawa-sempai think of me?

[Whether it's been obvious or not -- the nigh-obsessive way Higuchi craves Akutagawa's approval isn't really all that different from Akutagawa's obsession with Dazai. After all, she's only ever spoken about him positively so far, even when their relationship could at times be far from it.]

[thesettingsun]

[He can tell. It's why he doesn't even consider telling her that Akutagawa probably doesn't care that much whether she makes it through this or not - he's already broken one person's heart this month by letting them know the approval they sought was never going to come, he's not interested in making it two for two.]

What exactly are they having you do...?

[mobileforces]

...it's nothing too bad. They aren't making me do anything I don't want to do. They're just... unkind. And unforgiving. And not just the customers... this mark on my face was from the store owner, after she accused me of messing up a meeting with one of their clients.

It's not like I'm not used to it, but... it feels so different from back home. More... malicious, I guess.

[She didn't get a lot of respect back home, and Akutagawa treated her like shit. But she was never made to feel like she was lesser as a human being for it.]

[thesettingsun]

...The difference between being treated poorly because that's how they treat everyone in the mafia and being treated poorly because you're not 'one of them', I'm guessing.

[They are outsiders here. In some businesses, that's not a big deal, but in something as hierarchical as crime...]

Has it gotten any better since you've started working there?

[mobileforces]

...that's hard to say. They've had me working so many odd jobs here and there that I haven't really been in one place long enough to tell. Some are nicer than others, but....I feel like they aren't letting me get comfortable anywhere.

[She did say it felt malicious. Like a coordinated effort to make sure she has a hard time of it. So it's harder for her to prove herself or her skills.]

[thesettingsun]

You can't really prove that you're good at anything if they don't let you do the same thing for very long, huh...

[Definitely malicious.]

[mobileforces]

[She nods. It's clearly the intent here, but she doesn't really know what to do about it. At least -- outside of just quitting. But she's too stubborn for that.]

...honestly, I almost feel bad complaining about it. It's obvious what I should do... I've never really been suited for this kind of work, but...

[She doesn't really have a point to end that thought on, and ultimately just trails off, shaking her head.]

[thesettingsun]

[He squeezes her tight.]

You can always vent to me if you need to, I promise I've complained about much more petty things.

[One of the good things about being a dramatic bitch is that it's hard for someone to go 'oh no this is such a minor complaint'.]

[mobileforces]

[She squeezes back now, taking a calming breath. This time, when she speaks, there's a more defined smile in her voice.]

...I don't know if I've ever had someone like that before. Usually I just... keep it all to myself.

[Tragic things said casually.]