World building! Didn't know it would take such an effort. But the plot is moving forward... slooowly.
A lot of characters are being introduced but the idiots are just as always: idiots.

Have fun!

I created the sound of madness
Wrote the book on pain
Somehow, I'm still here, to explain
That the darkest hour never comes in the night

"I'm sorry that this had to happen to you."

Kunikida was in the process of showing Atsushi around, after thoroughly checking his throat at the medical bay earlier; despite his insurance that he was fine, the commanding officer insisted on a check-up, just to be sure that there would be no further damage. Supposedly Atsushi was lucky that the doctor in charge, Yosano-sensei, was momentarily not on duty. He'd meet her later on but Kunikida described her as a 'highly competent and highly scary person'. Atsushi was lucky that his throat was still intact, getting strangled could end much worse as Kunikida told him. Thankfully Akutagawa was already weakened due to earlier training and wasn't able to do much harm.

"Akutagawa is a… special case. I would love to spare you from being his partner." Kunikida was a really nice person. He had already shown Atsushi the shower rooms and common rooms for pilots and mechanics.

"He hates me."

"He doesn't hate you Atsu-… Never mind, yes he hates you." Hearing it from another person was relieving. At least the animosity was perceptible. "But he also hates me. And Mori-san. Basically, he hates everyone who isn't Dazai. Now that's a person he really ought to hate."

Atsushi hummed. He figured as much. As it appeared, the first and foremost reason that the older teen hated him was because Dazai took an interest in him. That wasn't his fault, right? Atsushi didn't even do anything special that would legitimate such an interest, it was just his unlucky run in with a Kaiju and the resulting consequences.

"What is he to Dazai-san? You said he's another stray?" If they really had to work together – not that Atsushi was that sure anymore after their first interaction – he'd better get to know and understand his partner. He wouldn't end up as a nuisance.

"You could say that. He was trained to pilot with Dazai but… things happened."

Could he be any more vague? Things… Atsushi scoffed. At least this wasn't also his fault if it happened earlier. He was just about to ask another question when Kunikida halted in front of a door. It was plain and looked like every other door in the corridor. Nothing special, just like Atsushi.

"This here," the officer turned around and smiled, one of the few honest smiles Atsushi witnessed in a while, "is your room."

My room. My. Room.

The other opened the door and motioned for the younger to go inside but Atsushi just stood there, rooted on the spot. His own room. They weren't kidding when they said he'd get to live here; it was no joke.

"I know it is not much and quite cramped, but it will do. Ah, you do not have any belongings, right? We'll have some clothes and toiletries for you arranged."

Atsushi was still speechless. He never had a room to call his own, in his whole 18 years of living. He felt the tears coming once again but this time he would suppress them; he didn't want to look like a crybaby even more. It did not work.

When Kunikida turned around to ask him a question he was tackled by a wailing Atsushi, who was frantically sobbing into his dress shirt. He would later deny it violently but Kunikida did return the hug, smiling softly at the smaller male. "It is okay. I know it's much."

After calming down and drying his tears (Kunikida as well as Atsushi decided not to talk about the hug), Atsushi inspected his little room. It had a single bed, a dresser, a writing desk as well as chair. Like all of the rooms in the Shatterdome, his room did not contain a window, Atsushi was more than glad about this. All in all, it was perfect. The white haired teen never had something to call his own and now all of this was his. He owned something and had a place to return to. It was like a dream come true.

Alone for this, Atsushi swore that he would repay everyone at the Shatterdome for their kindness. He would dedicate his all for their cause and was theirs to use.

Afterwards, they went to the cafeteria, since Atsushi was in the process of toppling over due to hunger and exhaustion and Kunikida was flabbergasted that he had forgotten that the younger had to eat. It was way after dinner time, so the room was mostly empty, safe for some stragglers and shift workers who only got off work now. Atsushi was seated and given a large jug of a sweet tasting kind of juice – soda as he learned from Kunikida – when he received his next surprise.

"Aaaand since I promised you and I'm very good friends with the female chefs, if you know what I mean, here we have something nice, especially for you Atsushi-kun~"

Dazai suddenly materialized between them and put a streaming bowl in front of Atsushi. "Eat up, you deserve it." He smiled cheekily at Atsushi, winking.

The teen eyed the bowl, pulled it closer and smelled. It couldn't be. He gasped.

"Chazuke…"

"Oi, don't sound so stoic! There's lots of love in it. If you don't want it-"

Kunikida elbowed the other man in the rips. "Shut up, Dazai," he whispered, "or he'll cry. Again."

In the bowl was indeed Atsushi's favourite food in the entire world and there was a whole serving in it. Savagely, never minding table manners or the higher-ranking persons next to him, he started devouring the food. It smelled like heaven and tasted like paradise. Of course, he didn't know what paradise tasted like and he'd never know, but that must be what it is like. Bowls of rice overflowing with tea. Atsushi could die in peace now.

"Atsushi-kun, please start chewing. There's more from where this came from."

Okay, this was paradise. Multiple servings of Chazuke? He needed this, now.

He held out the now empty bowl. "More, please!"

Dazai and Kunikida only looked at each other, dumbfounded, then at Atsushi.

"S-sure." At least he is not crying.

There was no time to cry, he had to eat. All of the Chazuke that was here was his. In the end he finished seven bowls and left his spectators lost in stunned silence.

"Hey Kunikida, do you think I could commit suicide by overeating on Chazuke?"

"Don't you dare trying, stupid Dazai. There isn't any Chazuke left, anyway."

It was nearing midnight when the three left the cafeteria, Atsushi's belly finally filled. Kunikida left them shortly thereafter, wishing them a pleasant night. Dazai later on told Atsushi that the other would probably go and work for another few hours.

"It is a tough job at the moment. The Kaiju keep coming in and we're short of pilotable Jaegers. He's negotiating with other defense stations for sending reinforcements, so far to no avail. We're all stretched thin."

Suddenly Atsushi felt very bad about the amount of food he just ate, the room and space he would waste. So much money spent on him and his selfish desires. Taking a nuisance like him in would only produce costs and he'd most likely fail anyway, so he could never repay-

A firm hand on his shoulder interrupted the reprimanding voice in Atsushi's head and snapped him back into focus. "Don't." Dazai was looking at him, earlier goofy smile gone and replaced by a serious expression. "Don't even go there. It's not true."

But-

"There is not but. We took you in and I know you'll do great. My calculations are never wrong after all."

They went on in silence, Atsushi pondering, Dazai also in thought, playing with his bandages while not looking at him. When they reached Atsushi's door, the elder informed him about his schedule tomorrow and that he would meet the rest of his team as well as the Jaegers. Just when Dazai turned around after bidding him goodnight, Atsushi couldn't hold his thoughts in.

"Akutagawa, he hates me. We can't drift together; you've seen how he reacted to me."

Despite everything, Dazai laughed. Loudly, fully hearted. It was a nice laugh. He turned around and wiped a stray tear away. "Oh yes, he hates you alright. But that's okay. You should've seen my former partner and me. We nearly destroyed each other, the base and our Jaeger."

What? Dazai could get angry at someone and fight them?

"It worked out in the end. Don't worry, the two of you will manage and come out stronger than you could ever imagine!"

This night Atsushi was tossing around on his new bed, the first real bed he had in years, on a pillow (the first he ever owned) and still couldn't sleep. It was just too much to grasp. So many changes, so many challenges. He wouldn't, no, couldn't disappoint. His tiredness caught up with him after a while.

For once he fell into a dreamless sleep.

Lying in an actual bed was a strange feeling. Not fearing potential robbers or worse, not shivering in the cold streets and not wondering if he'll ever wake up again was… liberating to say the least. Atsushi couldn't get accustomed to it. This heavenly situation wouldn't last, soon Dazai and the others would notice their mistake, that Atsushi was the wrong person and did not belong here and thus he'd end up on the cold streets, again.

Then there were the voices.

The white-haired teen violently shook his head, drowning everything out. There was no way he'd spend another moment in this unbearable silence. What time was it anyway? Getting dressed haphazardly – when did he receive new clothes by the way? – Atsushi made his way toward the canteens. Better spoil himself as long as this lasted. Dressed in a simple pair of black trousers and a white dress shirt he was at least not sticking out like a sore thumb. Also, those were the nicest clothes he had owned in years; how was he ever able to repay his rapidly growing debt?

Naturally, he got lost on his way.

It was not his fault that everything looked the same in this way-too-big Shatterdome. Every corridor, every door and floor was made of metal, there were no windows that filtered at least a little sunlight. When one fought against giant beasts, on their terrain at that, one couldn't expect that everyone wanted to be witness to it, Atsushi mused. He knew based on his own experience that a Kaiju up close was on the one hand the most terrifying and on the other the most wondrous sight one could ever have in his lifetime. Atsushi could very well do without ever seeing another one of those monsters again though. What a great thing that he would potentially face them head on in the future, huh?

In the middle of his wandering he suddenly stopped. It was very odd that he had not met a single person during his trip yet, right? When he was roaming the Shatterdome with Dazai and Kunikida only yesterday, the building was overflowing with workers, scientists and scarily looking important persons. Now? Nothing. Odd indeed.

After what seemed like an eternity he finally registered some noise. Another living being at last? Maybe he could finally ask for directions!

Smiling, Atsushi made his way into one of the spacious rooms he did not yet discover. It looked like a training facility. The floor was plastered with rubber mats, designed to cushion falling potential Jaeger pilots after getting thrown down. Attached to the side walls were large staffs, nearly as large as Atsushi's whole body, waiting to be taken into ready hands and used for combat. While looking really cool and interesting, Atsushi had to wonder what they were used for. As far as he was concerned, Jaeger pilots did not use staffs for fighting, right? Jaegers were equipped with far more spectacular and dangerous weapons than that. But who was he to judge?

At last his eyes fell onto the other person in the room. Why he hadn't noticed before, the teen did not know. This was a far more mesmerizing view than some staffs, he had to admit.

On the far corner of the mats stood Akutagawa, without his coat for once and in a formfitting track suit, performing what Atsushi made out as some kind of t'ai chi. He looked at peace rather than full of anger like he did last night, his face way younger, now that he wasn't scowling or glaring at him menacingly. Atsushi couldn't help but stop in his tracks and stare in wonder, unable to say a word. Akutagawa on the other hand was way too immersed in his practice to notice the newcomer. Eyes closed, he moved, slapped both hands together and slowly moved them over his head and back towards their particular sides, breathing calmly.

Later on, one could muse that this was the longest period of time that none of the supposedly partners acted hostile towards the other party, a really harmonious encounter indeed.

It lasted until Akutagawa opened his eyes. For a moment, the two young adults looked at each other without saying a word. Akutagawa blinked. Atsushi had a sudden realization. Wow, he really has no eyebrows.

While Atsushi still stared in wonder and asked himself how one can pull off no eyebrows so well, Akutagawa's face darkened.

"What are you doing here?" Well, that was as civil as the other could get, Atsushi mused.

"I uh, kinda got lost?" Don't make it sound like a question, you idiot. "And somehow there is no one around to help me out?"

Akutagawa's scowl deepened. "Naturally no one's around, you imbecile. It's not even five in the morning."

Huh? For real? Either the other was trolling him or the Shatterdome was in desperate need for either windows or clocks.

"And what are you doing here then this early? Uh... Akutagawa-san?" How was Atsushi supposed to talk to the other without it resulting in another fight? From what Dazai said they were supposed to be equals, not that the other even remotely treated him this way. It did not seem that Akutagawa even cared about his honorifics anyway, judging from the snide smirk the other was giving him.

"I'm training, of course. Normally, people have to earn their position and not just get it handed to them on a silver platter. You know, like you, trash."

Ouch. Now, that finally irked him. Atsushi was a very patient person under normal conditions. You see, he could take a beating, or getting his food stolen or even accept being harassed and insulted because of his appearance. But the other did not know him in the least, never had even one civil conversation with him and still thought that he knew even the tiniest sliver about his life. Handed something on a silver platter? Was he ridiculing him? Atsushi who had never had anything to call his own? No, just no.

In an act that was so out of his usual character and that he would be ashamed of himself for a long time to come, completely overtaken by instincts and rage, Atsushi suddenly lunged at the other, not even seeing the suddenly fearful look his not-partner was sporting, overthrowing him with his momentum and crashing along with him to the floor. The scene resembled their first confrontation from the night before, except that Atsushi was now on top of Akutagawa and instead of choking him, Atsushi held the other's collar, shaking him violently.

"What is it with you and assuming that you know anything about me?! Do you know how lucky you truly are? Living here and calling this place a home, getting proper education and training? Have people caring about you? I have nothing of this, I don't even have any self-esteem left that you can destroy. But you know what I have that you lack? Proper manners!" He was furious now, letting his suppressed feelings, insecurities and anger out, unconcerned if Akutagawa truly deserved any of this.

"I'm trash, you are correct but that's no reason to openly insult me. Maybe you got handed the silver platter, not me. Think about it!" With that he slammed the other's head to the floor; luckily for both of them they were still on the rubber mats, so the attack did not hurt his head too badly.

Akutagawa looked stunned, either because of the crash, because he was shocked that Atsushi managed to tackle him down or because some of his words actually went through. Atsushi hoped for the latter. Furthermore, the other was silent for once, no snide remark or crude smirk, just pure shock and an opening and closing mouth, unable to form any words.

Atsushi glared right into his eyes, not letting his grip falter, hoping to reinforce his standpoint this way. He did not know how long they actually stayed in this position, but it was long enough for Atsushi to discover that Akutagawa's eyes were of a very dark gray color, nearly bordering into black and that he had indeed eyebrows, only very thin and faint. Somewhere during this time, he must also have unconsciously lost his glare.

"Oopsie! Seems like you two partners already get along splendidly," a voice suddenly interrupted their staring. "I did not want to disturb you~"

Atsushi let go of Akutagawa's collar and turned his head to see Dazai standing there – of course, who else would find their predicament this funny – wide smile on his face, waving at them. The initial shock of seeing Dazai standing there soon gave way to spluttering and a very red-faced Atsushi who immediately jumped as far as way from Akutagawa as possible. Looking at the dark-haired male, he realized that the other reacted the same way, blush even more prominent on his pale face.

"D-Dazai-san," Akutagawa spluttered. "It's not what it looks like!" Atsushi could only nod in agreement, being for once unanimous with his adversary.

"Oh, I'm sure it is exactly what it looks like!" Dazai sang. "It looked like Atsushi-kun, a complete rookie if I may remind you, just kicked your ass~"

Great. Dazai surely only meant this as a joke, but from what Atsushi had gathered from his own experience with Akutagawa, is that he would hold this against him and only react more violently towards him from now on. Maybe Akutagawa's self-esteem was just as low as his own, after all.

"Dazai-san, this isn't what happened," Atsushi murmured, trying to defuse the situation. "I just reacted… violent and out of place." He turned to Akutagawa next and bowed to him. "Akutagawa-san, I'm sorry." Looking at those gray eyes he was surprised that the apology felt sincere and that he felt actually bad for assaulting the older teen. All of his earlier rage just seemed to vanish into thin air. Maybe he had needed to let this out.

Akutagawa only tched, eyes not meeting Atsushi's and dusted himself off. He then turned to leave the room, ignoring not only the white-haired teen but also the still beaming Dazai. Surprisingly, Dazai let him go without a snarky remark and only with a reminder to meet him later at the engine room.

Now left alone with the elder… what exactly was Dazai? The Generals said something about him being a pilot. For real? Somehow Atsushi felt not safe with the fact that one of the only defenders the country had and who went fighting against gigantic monsters was a lunatic that went on and on about how and with whom he wanted to commit suicide. But everyone else seemed to deeply trust Dazai and care about his advices and plans, so Atsushi should do the same. He had saved his life as well, technically speaking, the younger mused.

"Sooo." Atsushi could basically feel the Cheshire smile Dazai must be sporting. "You and Akutagawa, huh?"

"Hah?" What a remarkable answer, Atsushi, really well thought-out.

Dazai rolled his eyes, smile still on point. "Every time I see the two of you, you are touching and rolling on the floor. We have nearly to no children here that could get corrupted by you two lovebirds and the habitants have seen much worse, thanks to some drunk idiots, but maaaybe you should get a room."

And the blush was back, full force. "W-what are you talking about? He still hates me!"

Like last night when they had a suspiciously similar talk, Dazai laughed out loud.

"You two are really cute! Ah, young love, must be nice. Just wait until you drift with each other and form a neural handshake. You're in for a blast!"

Somehow that did not sound very promising. Adding to that, Atsushi was still not sure if they could even manage to drift together at all. That needed at least some trust and sympathy, right?

Suddenly remembering why he was even here, Dazai snapped his fingers and grabbed Atsushi's wrist. "Damn, I completely forgot that I needed to introduce you to some people. I came to your room to wake you up but you were already gone. Early bird, aren't ya?"

This whole situation pretty much reminded Atsushi of yesterday. Mostly him being pulled along by Dazai who murmured something about having to reread his suicide manual to himself, while getting completely lost in the multiple corridors they crossed. As long as it did not end with him on the streets again, he was mostly fine with it.

After a delicious breakfast – omelets were the best thing next to Chazuke, Atsushi decided - they stopped in front of a giant metal gate, Atsushi had to crane his neck to even see all of it. Dazai let go of his wrist and only continued beaming. "This here," he stated solemnly, "is where we keep our babies. You'll also meet most of the others."

The gate opened. "Um, please don't be too intimidated. They're kind of special." Can't be stranger than Dazai-san…

What greeted the pair when the gate finally opened to the fullest, was the biggest room Atsushi had ever set foot into, including the kind of bomb shelters everyone took refuge in when a Kaiju attacked. The first thing he noticed were the Jaegers. Of course. Who could overlook nearly 300 feet tall gigantic humanoid mechas that were menacingly staring at one, or so they seemed.

Atsushi only had a single thought while seeing humanity's last weapons. Beautiful. They were indeed a stunning view: The Jaeger closest to Atsushi was painted in a steely cold blue, accentuated with white highlights. It reminded the teen of snow on a cold winter day under a stark blue sky. The helmet was currently open, a myriad of technicians repairing or correcting smallest details.

Another Jaeger was apparently inspired by a reptile, not unlike most of the Kaiju it fought against. It was held mostly in the deepest black color, surely nigh invisible while fighting at night or in the ocean. The head was left on and Atsushi could figure which reptile it was inspired after. The sleek surface, snakelike eyes and protruding muzzle clearly looked like a lizard; the green streaks were a very fitting giveaway. Both Jaegers apparently utilized nuclear reactors if the core in the chest area was any indicator, which made the Jaegers one of the Mark-1 through Mark-3. Atsushi had heard of the newest Jaeger additions, Mark-4 Jaegers that ran on digital technology though he had only heard rumors about those and was not sure if they were even positioned in Hong Kong.

There was another Jaeger, although Atsushi was not able to see how it looked like, since it was covered with the most likely largest tarpaulin in the world. Was it still under construction? Or another one of the many casualties the Shatterdome had to lament lately?

Only when Dazai tapped his shoulder, Atsushi came back to reality. He hadn't even realized that he had spaced out, shocked into silence by the beauty and intimidation of those Jaegers. Out of his stupor, he only now registered the noises; the room was buzzing, dozens of workers running around, shouting, demanding supplies or yelling orders using technical terms Atsushi had never heard of. Others welded the blue Jaeger, applying its head back on, assisted by researchers who instructed them based on their calculations. It was so much noise, Atsushi's head started to spin while he tried to keep breathing normally.

Dazai, clearly seeing his protégé's struggle but thankfully deciding not to comment on it, lead him to a small group of people that were currently discussing the constructions on the Jaeger that were taking place right in front of them. When the pair neared them, the single head of a young woman popped out in their direction, a smile suddenly spreading on her face, beckoning them over with a laugh and a wave.

"Dazai-san!"

She had a rather nice face, Atsushi thought, her long dark hair flowing free, youthful face accentuated with a cute birthmark on her chin. She couldn't have been much older than Atsushi, if she was even older than him at all.

Noticing their arrival, the other people also turned around, most of them not even nearly as excited as the young woman. "You are late." A bespectacled dark-haired man grumbled. "I could already be out of here and do-" a beat "do some work actually." This was met with a simultaneous response of "Don't lie" by everyone else.

Dazai only laughed and waved at the man. "Oh Ranpo, aren't we dishonest today? You're most likely the only person who works even less than me~" Next to everyone else's wholeheartedly agreement even the man called Ranpo could only mutter under his breath that this was true.

The merry atmosphere suddenly changed when everyone set their gazes onto Atsushi, who could only shrink away and desperately tried to hide his eyes. If everyone reacted like Akutagawa he wasn't sure if he could handle this. They would see eventually, if he wanted or not, but the teen wasn't too keen on giving himself away right from the beginning.

"Oh, is this the new pilot candidate? Akutagawa-san has told me about him!" A blonde woman chirped, trying to inspect the newcomer. Great. What horrible things could have Akutagawa already told her?

"He is going on and on about him, apparently he is super special." She kept on in the third person. I'm standing right here…

"Special?" Both the young dark-haired woman and a redhead next to her asked simultaneously. Only now Atsushi noted that they had intertwined their arms, standing very close to each other.

"Guys, guuuys~" Dazai decided to intervene. At least Atsushi had one person who could speak for him. "Now, don't overwhelm poor Atsushi-kun. That's his name by the way. Uh, maybe you lot should introduce yourself first, he seems the slightest bit uncomfortable." Don't say it so nonchalantly! It was the truth though, but Atsushi could clearly do without the dumbfounded and pondering looks he was greeted with now.

"Honestly, where are our manners? Not everyone knows us after all, haha," that was the tall red-haired man who now outstretched his hand for Atsushi to shake. No one had bothered introducing himself or holding out his hand to Atsushi before. A warm feeling bubbled up in Atsushi's stomach, he gladly took the hand.

"My name is Tanizaki Junichiro, it's a pleasure to meet you, Atsushi." His hand and smile were so warm.

He motioned to the girl beside him. "And this here is-" "Tanizaki Naomi! I'm Nii-san's sister and partner. Hi hi~" She basically threw herself into their handshake, embracing Tanizaki and holding him close while laying her hand on top of Atsushi's still outstretched hands "We're piloting this beauty here. It's called Light Snow." So Atsushi wasn't that off with the blue Jaeger's name.

Returning their warm smiles, Atsushi tried to appear as approachable and kind as he could. Those people were real Jaeger pilots! They were the heroes that saved so many people while risking their own lives for the greater good.

"Nice to meet you. Please take care of me!" Naomi laughed, a youthful laugh, not unlike an ordinary teenage girl. "I think we'll get along splendidly. As long as," she protectively curled her arm around her brother, hand going deeper while Atsushi rapidly averted his eyes, feeling the incoming blush, "you don't come between me and Nii-san. Otherwise we're fine 3"

Uh hu. He'd remember that.

The blonde woman who seemed to be friends with Akutagawa approached him next, holding her hand out rather stiffly, so unlike the Tanizaki siblings before. "I'm Higuchi. Ichiyou. I'm piloting Black Lizard." Either Atsushi was really good at guessing Jaeger names… or the people here were pretty uncreative. Well, the Jaeger was black and it looked like a lizard. Of course, its name would be Black Lizard.

"So I heard what happened between you and Akutagawa-san. He's kind of my senpai, you know? I only heard his side of the story of course, so it's not my place to judge or form an opinion. But judging from his side of the story, you really-"

Dazai thankfully interrupted her before she could go on with her rapid talking about her senpai. For appearing so stiff at first, that woman sure could talk fast. Atsushi in this moment realized two things. First, Akutagawa actually had friends. Well, at least a single friend, but that had to count. Second, he really wanted to hear what his supposed partner said about him.

"Higuchi-kun, pray tell, where is your lovely partner? Atsushi-kun should meet all Jaeger pilots and get to know them before starting his training program." Dazai could be a decent person. If he wanted to at least.

Higuchi was taken aback due to the interruption, trying to gather her wits. "Uh… I'm not sure." She turned around and then spotted her partner. "Oi, Gin! Come here for a moment."

From the shadow of the Jaeger – and it was a really big shadow – emerged a small, lean person. They wore a completely black training attire, unlike the other Jaeger pilots that were currently dressed in everyday clothes, sans Higuchi who wore a suit. Their hair was bound back and falling wildly in front and all-around of them, mouth hidden under a shawl. Atsushi was weirdly reminded of Akutagawa - needless to say that he was intimidated.

The small person stopped next to Higuchi, giving first her a glance and then Atsushi. They regarded him for a long moment, slightly nodding their head and went back into the shadows. Euh, okay? Higuchi sighed. "Sorry for this. That was Gin, my partner. That was typical, don't be offended, okay?"

Atsushi guessed that he just had to accept that, just like the other antics the pilots showed in front of him, like Naomi now openly touching her brother, who only halfheartedly swatted her hands away while sporting a very red blush and Higuchi's anew rambling about Akutagawa and something Atsushi did not catch. If you take Dazai into consideration, one could only come to one conclusion.

These people… are really weird.

He couldn't help but smile.

Atsushi never felt this happy in all of his life.

"Ah, it's his eyes!" Ranpo suddenly called out, pointing his index finger just short of Atsushi's eyes. "Either he is some ridiculous sort of albino or…" a nearly diabolic smile spread on his face, "a beast." Beast? Now that was an insult he hadn't heard before…

"Oh he is, right Dazai?! Come on, I want to experiment on him!"

Not realizing how the happy atmosphere shifted with just this sentence, Atsushi tried looking anywhere but into anyone's faces. He knew that he wasn't allowed to have people liking him even the slightest bit and that they would judge and shun him immediately upon realizing what he was, but being called a monster, trash and now even beast in not even one day, now that wounded him deeply inside. Just because he looked different and was what he was, it was not that he didn't want to change that fact but couldn't. Am I no longer a human being?

A sudden shove startled Atsushi and he only belated realized that he was pulled into the arms of Naomi who fiercely embraced him and turned him away from Ranpo's leering gaze. "You are not experimenting on him! No!"

Unbeknownst to Atsushi the other pilots turned on Ranpo as well, only slightly masquerading their shock or anger at what was just said.

"No more, Ranpo," Dazai said, voice monotonous, look dark. "We're done with doing experiments on people. Don't even go there again." Even without seeing Dazai, Atsushi shuddered, never having heard the normally so cheerful man speaking in such a dark tone.

Ranpo sighed deeply. "Geeesh, you're no fun. It was a joke." He turned towards Naomi, who was still holding Atsushi tightly like a beloved doll. "A joke! Man, you're all so easy to offend. This child here can't teach us anything that I don't already know."

Still not getting the backing up he expected, Ranpo puffed his cheeks, unwrapped a candy he suddenly pulled out of the depths of his pockets and turned to go. "Sooo uptight. Whatever. I will go and see Poe, even he is more fun than you."

With that the older man went away and only after this, the group relaxed again. Atsushi still wasn't sure what just happened here. Was he being protected?

"Tch," Dazai scoffed. "Still a brat. That was our highly reputable chief scientist, by the way, responsible for Kaiju research, also known as Ranpo Edogawa." He told Atsushi. "Hope you never have to talk to him. Anyway," he turned to Naomi, who still hadn't let go of her apparently new plush toy.

"Yes, Atsushi has spectral bleed and yes, he is infected with Kaiju Blue. Just wanted to confirm this. So what? You've seen it before, now you know, it's not anything special to ogle over. Atsushi here," and with that he snatched the teen away from a protesting Naomi, "is a normal human. Pretty plain and meek if you ask me, but we can work on that."

It was probably the first time in his life that Atsushi thought being called plain was a compliment. These days where a lot of first times as it seemed.

"Although," Dazai chimed in again, "he is probably highly talented at piloting a Jaeger due to this. Therefore, I wanted him to meet you guys, maybe help him out a bit if you can, 'kay?"

Naomi and Tanizaki saluted immediately, both happy to help out; Higuchi frowned a bit, mumbling slightly about 'no special treatment, huh?' But not looking completely unhappy. Gin… stared.

Remembering his manners, Atsushi turned to the assembled pilots and bowed deeply, wondering how he did deserve to meet so many wonderful people.

"Thank you. I… just, thank you."

"You're very welcome!" Dazai grinned, putting his arm around Atsushi's shoulders and pulling him up again. "And now, why I originally brought you here!" He pulled the teen along, not bothering to say goodbye to anyone. Naomi waved and gave Atsushi an uncertain smile along with a shrug of her shoulders.

"Some sort of treat for you. And some sort of promise for you if you do well in your training and everything." They stopped in front of another huge door, leading to yet another gigantic dome.

"Your baby."

The door opened. Atsushi had to blink several times, unbelieving of what he was seeing. Not unlike a child seeing snow or the sea for the first time, the view that greeted Atsushi was utterly out of this world, a true form of beauty, painted in cold steal and a menacing glare.

A Mark-4 Jaeger. His very own Jaeger.

Without taking his eyes off the mesmerizing giant in front of him, Atsushi stepped forward, unable to suppress the shudder that went through his whole body or the bubbly feeling that made him tremble in excitement and worship.

He stopped just shortly in front of the Jaeger, still unable to say a word. It was kept in a stark black design, resembling Black Lizard in its color scheme as well as having Light Snow's white highlights. Only this mecha had white stripes instead that winded around most of its body. Atsushi tilted his head. It kind of resembled inverted tiger stripes, only reinforcing the impression of this Jaeger being inspired by a beast. Its sleek steely head had a muzzle and very impressive razor canines, truly a tiger, ready to hunt Kaijus at night as if they were mere pray. The only bout of color were those menacing eyes, glaring at everyone who dared to look at it with its crimson orbs.

Atsushi held its glare. There was no other way to describe it but calling it some sort of attraction, a pull leading him to this ostensible inanimate being. There was no way that a Jaeger could provoke such emotions. It was not alive after all… Right?

A sudden flash next to him made Atsushi break eye contact with the giant. Dazai did run across him and was now posing next to the Jaeger, patting a foot that was easily taller than himself.

"Isn't she a beauty? Our very first Mark-4! He is beauty, she is grace, she will punch Kaijus in the face! Ah… I think this slogan might be under copyright protection. Oops!"

Not quite understanding what was going on, Atsushi decided just to nod.

"She has two Plasmacasters instead of just one, a rocket infused in her elbow for enhanced punching power and," Dazai smile resembled a cat that just got the canary, "some special treats, particularly designed just for this Jaeger. You'll find out yourself if you're chosen to pilot her."

Dazai motioned for Atsushi to come nearer. Approaching the elder and the Jaeger, Atsushi gulped as he was swallowed under the Jaeger's immense shadow.

"She doesn't have a name yet since we're letting the pilots decide on the names. Haaah, just please… nothing with 'black' in it again. I know the design is inviting but… somehow our Jaeger naming gets ridiculously uncreative."

The older man grabbed Atsushi's hand and put it against the Jaeger's foot, letting him feel the cold metal.

A flash went through Atsushi's body, forcing him to shudder. The feeling he experienced was impossible to put into words but it resembled the first sudden plunge into freezing water. Like a caving in wave that pulled him under water, making it impossible to grasp for breath and pulling him asunder. After the first moment of initial shock the feeling changed; instead of feeling like he was drowning in a current, Atsushi suddenly felt a calmness that rivaled any other feeling of peace he ever got to feel.

And then he felt it pulsating.

A voice suddenly started screeching

Kill! Got to kiiill! KIIIL-

The scream was so loud it threatened to burst his ears. Atsushi near violently jerked away, tearing his hand away from the Jaeger in the process. A sizzling feeling first tore through his hand and then through nearly all of his body, Atsushi stared at his hand in panic – nothing. No charring, no injury.

Only when Dazai interjected, asking in a quizzical tone if he was okay, the teen was able to stop hyperventilating and tearing his gaze away from his hand.

"Atsushi, is everything alright?"

Was everything alright? He had clearly felt something just now, a feeling of a living being that tried to connect with him. A pulse, there was a pulse not unlike a beating heart, but that was impossible, right? The Jaeger was just an inanimate killing machine made out of cold hearted steel. It couldn't be a living being.

And still, this voice-

Atsushi jolted. Don't even go there.

"Yes," he mumbled instead. "I just had this feeling, like…" His voice died away.

"You felt a connection," the older man mused. "That's good. Very good actually, I think you're the perfect pilot for this baby here."

Atsushi regarded his supposedly future Jaeger skeptically, feeling its glare on his face again. "I suppose…"

He stretched out his hand, in dire need to touch the Jaeger again, to find out what just happened. At the last moment he pulled away.

"Dazai-san…"

"Hm?"

"Just now-" His gaze went between the Jaeger and the man, feeling not one but two judging gazes on his ever falling posture. "Ah, never mind."

He touched the Jaeger again. Nothing happened. On the one hand this was a relieving feeling, on the other hand though…

"It was just a fluke."

Being so immersed in the giant before him, Atsushi did not notice his surroundings. He did not notice the suddenly chilling atmosphere nor the dark scowl Dazai started to sport after hearing these words.

Dazai tched. It's always 'just a fluke'…

"Anyway!" An arm slipped around Atsushi's shoulders, forcibly pulling him away from the Jaeger. "I know you can do this. In fact, you will do great. And remember," Dazai smiled at him, and even though the other only knew him for a short amount of time, Atsushi could tell that his smile was sincere for once. "My predictions always come true. Remember that, okay?"

Leaving the menacing Jaeger to lurk in the dark again, the teen was only able to nod. Dazai might be always right after all, still, he didn't know about Atsushi's terrible track records with basically… everything.

He just couldn't help but have a bad feeling about this.

Dazai hummed. "Well, I know that you'll do great. About your partner though… hm, we just have to see how the building of your neural handshake works out later. I'm sure it will be quite the sight to see!" He laughed. "It will be so much fun!"

The positivity surrounding the older man nearly managed to engulf Atsushi, too. But only nearly.

A neural handshake? … With Akutagawa of all people?

Notes:

I know, not much happening here... and spoiler, this won't be the last time the cuties are fighting.
Bear with it!

I wanted to thank all the people who left comments on the last chapter. You rock!
Also it took a lot of effort not to post this chapter earlier, since so much is written down already... at least I have fodder for a long while. Eventually there will be even some plot! And a certain favorite redhead of mine in the next chapter~

Oh and I just realized that this here doesn't work like AO3 so if you wanna talk to me (I'm lonely!), I'm carlynagisa on tumblr or carly_nagisa on insta. Say hi!