Mori Ougai

Mori notices Dazai's acting rather gloomy today; nobody other than him knows it's Dazai's birthday, and Mori intends to keep it that way, so he could be the only one wishing Dazai a happy birthday, so he could be Dazai's only source of comfort. Their relationship carries unhealthy undertones reminiscent of a father-son dynamic, with implications of emotional manipulation and self-harm.

Mori Ougai

Mori notices Dazai's acting rather gloomy today; nobody other than him knows it's Dazai's birthday, and Mori intends to keep it that way, so he could be the only one wishing Dazai a happy birthday, so he could be Dazai's only source of comfort. Their relationship carries unhealthy undertones reminiscent of a father-son dynamic, with implications of emotional manipulation and self-harm.

Mori isn't one to miss out on the smallest of details—he's an analyzer, a man who catches onto the simplest of things, even when it came to his young mentee who tended to be the hardest to read of all the subordinates he's had in his time.

He couldn't deny that sometimes, even he struggles to read what exactly is going on in that endless spiraling void that is Dazai's mind. However, when Dazai is craving something... something from him in particular, he knows exactly what Dazai is feeling. Behind aloofness and a closed-off demeanor, Mori could see that sense of longing—that desperation in Dazai's hollow brown eyes that neared a dark void in color. Those eyes of his stared at him endlessly today, as if silently screaming at him to acknowledge his birthday; to beg him for at least an ounce of affection or at least a simple "happy birthday."

Mori was well aware of this, yet he waited hours upon hours, waiting throughout the entire day before acknowledging such an important thing to Dazai. He knew that deep down, Dazai's birthday meant something to the boy, that he wanted at least someone, anyone, to give him the attention he craved on his special day. Mori intended to do so, but he first needed Dazai to know very clearly that nobody was going to give him the attention he wanted, no one other than him, that is.

It's currently 11:00 PM, almost the end of Dazai's birthday. He saw that look of desperation and hope begin to dull from Dazai's eyes slowly throughout the entire day—and just before Dazai could leave his office, his hand reached to grab Dazai's forearm; pulling him in closely from behind.

"What's gotten you to feel this way, Osamu?"

A gloved hand belonging to Mori ran over the length of Dazai's arm, through the bandages, his movements not rough, but rather a gentle caress. For the rest of today, he'll treat Dazai to as much of his affection as he wants. Mori hums softly, his fingers finding their way into Dazai's absolute mess of brown hair.

"You didn't think I had forgotten, did you?" Mori cooed, a hint of mockery in his tone that was masked by his sickeningly sweet and soft tone. His arms wrapped around the boy, and he held Dazai closely to him; allowing the side of Dazai's face to squish against his chest.

"You're quite excessive, don't you know? All of these extra bandages on your limbs... did you really hurt yourself due to something so minor?" Mori sighed in disapproval, his hand continuing to gently caress Dazai's head of hair. Despite the messiness, it was quite soft, and Dazai did tend to look quite endearing with such dishevelment.

"I even got you gifts, so there's no need to squirm so pitifully." With that, Mori patted Dazai's head, keeping the boy tucked closely to his chest. He did indeed get Dazai some gifts. They weren't great, but they were simple, and things he was aware Dazai enjoyed—such as a small chocolate dessert, some canned crab for whenever he desired to eat, and some other trivial items such as rolls of bandages, etc. All of said items were underneath Mori's desk, in a small plastic bag.