Chapter Text
Joining the Port Mafia hadn't been as much of a choice as it was a necessity. Petty crime didn't pay bills and life in the Suribachi slums was difficult, filthy, and lonely.
By this point, I wasn't sure if my ability had an off switch... I'd been relying on it to survive for two whole decades so, perhaps I'd just never learnt how to turn it off. Either way, being invisible in this world had saved me from countless unpleasant scenarios, although it had also left me excluded from society. If I ever tried to speak or made too much noise, people nearby would be gripped with terror, howling out curses against spirits or ghouls as they fled.
The worst days were when it rained; it was all too easy for passers-by to see the ghostly footprints appearing in the sordid street mud or the puddles splashing for no apparent reason. I usually tried to find somewhere under cover to wait out the storm, but this time it'd been raining nonstop for two whole days so, I needed to leave my makeshift shelter to go find some food.
Just as I stepped out into the street, a rusted motorbike drove through a puddle and splashed me head to toe with the murky brown liquid. A man across the street started screaming as he saw my outline sculpted in drips of mud. A few other people poked their heads out of their hovels and joined in the slurry of fear-fuelled abuse as I tried to quickly wipe the tell-tale mire off my body.
Just as people started hurling stones, stale bread, or whatever other missiles they could find, I felt a tap on my shoulder and watched as the muck was engulfed in a glowing red light as it was lifted up into the sky, as if by magic. My body was left clean and dry by some marvel so, I turned to look at the source of my salvation.
A short red-haired man in elegant clothes was moving his umbrella to cover the two of us as he shouted, "Leave the poor girl alone!"
"What girl?" one of the bolder men replied. "There was nothing there except that phantom or demon or whatever the hell it was."
The redhead glanced at me, saying in a puzzled voice, "Phantom?"
He turned to look at the other people in the street and saw them all nervously searching the area with their eyes. Occasionally, one would throw something nearby where I'd been standing to try and pinpoint my location.
The redhead turned to me and murmured quietly, "They can't see you, can they?"
My eyes went wide and suddenly I became very conscious of the fact that I wasn't wearing anything. Usually, remaining nude helped me to stay hidden, but now this man’s blue-brown eyes were staring right at me.
"...you mean... you can?" I squeaked as I tried to cover myself with my arms.
A low chuckle reverberated through the man’s throat, and he put an arm around my shoulder, guiding me into a dark alley, away from the view of anyone else.
He undid the clasp on his overcoat, and I took an involuntary step back as I stammered, "Wha-what are you going to do?"
"Relax, sweetheart," he said as he took his coat off with a flourish. "I’m just giving you something to cover yourself up with."
He handed me the long and expensive-looking garment.
I thanked him as I put it on, tying the cord at the waist to secure it over my otherwise bare body.
"Hm," he grunted approvingly as he ran his eyes over me. "That’s better."
"Th-thank you, sir."
"Sir? Is that what you want to call me? I was going to suggest you call me by my first name, Chuuya… but now that I think about it, 'sir' does have a nice ring to it."
I looked at the ground, feeling my cheeks burn with embarrassment. This was the longest conversation I'd ever had with another person. It was... unnerving to have somebody look directly at me for so long.
"E-excuse me, Sir Chuuya," I began, my voice stumbling over words after spending so many years in silence.
"Yes?" he smirked as he heard the ludicrous title I’d given him.
"Can I ask you a question?" I asked timidly.
"Of course," he said softly as he leant forward to straighten my collar.
I swallowed and tried not to look at him as he untucked the fabric around the nape of my neck, his gloved fingers grazing the sensitive skin there and making the hair stand on end.
"H-how c-come you can s-see me?" I stuttered, becoming increasingly flustered as the redhead gripped my collar and pulled me closer to him. With his face so close, I noticed his eyes were different colours - one was blue and the other was brown. His multicoloured gaze languorously dragged across my features. I’d never felt so watched in my entire life.
He hummed, satisfied with his preliminary appraisal. After a moment, he released me and broke the silence, saying nonchalantly, "I have no clue. But… I have a theory I'd like to test out."
"A theory?"
He nodded. "Follow me. I'm taking you back to the base."