| ability: the moonlit road |

The Moonlit Road is the ability of Cèdre Sterling, inherited from their father Ambrose Bierce upon his suicide.The Moonlit Road allows Cèdre to trigger a crippling mental breakdown in up to three people as the victims are overwhelmed with their deepest-seated guilt. The ability can only be activated at night and Cèdre must be able to see their targets, but speech is not required.Once activated, the ability can be nullified either by Cèdre themself or through Dazai's ability.Of note, Mori seems to be immune to this ability; instead, Cèdre got a vicious kickback, presumably from his own ability, when they attempted to use The Moonlit Road on him. Likely due to the similarities in the kind of mental damage they inflict, Cèdre seems to be immune to Q's ability.Interaction between the abilities of Cèdre and Lovecraft is unknown but presumed dangerous.

| backstory |

Cèdre Sterling (born as Day Bierce) is the eldest progeniture of Ambrose Bierce and Mary Ellen Bierce. Their early years were spent being homeschooled while moving all over the United States due to their father’s military background granting him a prominent government position. Home life was tense, however; Cèdre’s father was a pacifist and despised his job as a result, meanwhile Cèdre’s mother was caught having an affair. Many of their early memories are of confrontations between their parents, as they tried to shield their younger brothers from the fighting as best they could.Cèdre was ten when their parents’ divorce was finalized, and their mother took them away; however, Cèdre’s brothers stayed with their father. Mary Ellen relocated the pair of them to France, trying to refine the child she’d been able to keep into a fine lady of society in the hopes that Cèdre would attract the attention of a wealthy man. Cèdre, however, cared little for their mother’s attempts - a small part of them wanted to believe they’d someday find true love, but the louder majority of their mind had decided there was no such thing. It was also not long after coming to France that Cèdre took on a new name, as did their mother, in order to avoid any contact from their relatives in the United States.At the age of thirteen, their ability - The Moonlit Road - awakened; unbeknownst to them, this was due to their father committing suicide and the ability passing on to them. Said ability rapidly caught the attention of the French government as a viable interrogation tactic. Cèdre at first considered it an honor to help their country, but they were already beginning to show signs of mental trauma before the Great War broke out. They began to be monitored by a handler to ensure that they wouldn't flee; Cèdre's mother was rather neutral on what was happening, as she had begun avoiding the teenager once the ability had manifested.At sixteen, they were enlisted by the government as part of France’s ability user forces sent out in the Great War. They were shifted from regiment to regiment, dependent on where torture/interrogation was expected to be needed for their time of serving in the war. They happened to be with Mimic when the Great War ended, and as a result they were also driven out of Europe by the Order of the Clock Tower. Cèdre drifted aimlessly with Mimic until the group was smuggled in Yokohama.At twenty-four, they attempted to blend in with Yokohama rather than staying with the rest of Mimic. Unfortunately for Cèdre, they stood out rather strongly as a foreigner and it didn’t take long for word to reach Mori that one of the members of Mimic had broken off from the others. He read over their file, and he decided that he wanted their ability for the Port Mafia. Not wanting to potentially compromise the remainder of his plan already in motion, he sought out Cèdre alone.Cèdre tried to use their ability on Mori to distract him so they could run away, only to find for the first time that it didn’t work. He immediately recognized the anxiety that plagued them, and he presented himself as a solution. In exchange for agreeing to use their ability should he ever call for it, the Port Mafia would grant safety and stability to Cèdre. Despite not trusting the offer or him at all, it was still the most logical thing to Cèdre; after all, they were considered a war criminal throughout Europe and they’d entered Japan illegally. And so they accepted his offer.Cèdre’s introduction to the Port Mafia was a slow and shaky one as they were recruited the day before Dazai left. Mori kept their existence a secret from the other members for several months as he taught Cèdre how to use a gun and some improvements to close range fighting for their own safety. Once they were known to the other members, he still kept them primarily at headquarters. If they left for an assignment, it was under the protection of the Black Lizard.

| moridre dynamic |

Cédre is a subordinate of Mori in the Port Mafia. Originally from the United States, they relocated to Marseille, France as a teenager, and they now live in Yokohama. Cèdre appears to be a quiet and studious individual that dislikes attention and affection on the surface. At their core, they have crippling anxiety and fear of abandonment due to their upbringing and the lack of chances they had to properly form connections with others. Underneath this defensive shell, Cèdre is an individual eager to dote on and protect the people they care about. They tend to get flustered rather easily if they are the subject of gifts or attention, but they do secretly enjoy it. They are easily bored, only maintaining effort in things that they find challenging. They possess the ability The Moonlit Road, which is most useful as an interrogation method.

Mori assumed the position as the leader of the Port Mafia after assassinating the previous boss; he also has a notable history as part of Japan's medical unit during the Great War. He often hides his true nature under the guise of an ordinary and clumsy man, but it is a ruse for public interaction. He is a ruthless leader who heavily weighs options in order to choose the most optimal solution for the organization as a whole, though he rarely takes emotions fully into account. He takes no time for guilt or regret, considering only what will benefit the organization as a whole. He possesses the ability Vita Sexualis, which allows him to manipulate a summon named Elise who acts as a typical young girl until the need to save him from danger arises. He seems to keep the true nature of his ability secret from all but his most trusted associates.

Elise is a physical manifestation of Mori's supernatural ability, and she masquerades as his daughter. Elise is almost always either annoyed with or ignoring Mori, but she adores Cédre and will happily play the part of a loving daughter to Cédre; she comes off more as a spoiled brat when with Mori alone.

Relationship: Mori is protective and possessive of Cédre. Both of them put up a dangerous front to the outside world, but they can be vulnerable and affectionate with each other when alone. Mori especially likes to take Cédre shopping and to the theater, eager to show them off and dote on them. Cédre is more reserved and likes it best when they play chess together in private or if they go on a walk in nature together. Also likely to be seen together at holiday parties or Japanese festivals. Somewhat co-dependent, but they manage to bring out each other's best sides. In spite of their obvious affection for each other, the two are not officially together.Aesthetics/Themes: cherry blossoms, chess, chrysanthemums, dancing, freesia flowers, mafia, masquerade, music, poppy flowers, tea parties

| port mafia dynamics |

Ace almost immediately attempted to get close to Cèdre in a plot to gain insight to Mori's weaknesses upon first acquiring his spot in the Port Mafia; however, Cèdre immediately saw through him and avoided him at every opportunity. Their relationship quickly turned from neutral to hostile, as Ace saw them as Mori's pet and Cèdre saw him as untrustworthy.Chūya Nakahara does not often get assigned to work alongside Cèdre, but he is rather protective of them and always happy to accompany them when the occasion arises. They get along well, with Cèdre always eager to ride on his motorcycle whenever he is escorting them somewhere. The two share a strong love of fine wine and music.Elise was initially jealous of Cédre for the attention they stole away from Mori, but Elise has come to be quite fond of Cédre. She plays up pretending to be Cédre's daughter in public, amused at the rise it gets out of Mori as well as how easily it gets Cédre flustered. Always eager to drag Cédre to sweets shops and loves trying to drag Cédre out of their introverted shell.Gin Akutagawa briefly trained alongside Cédre under Verlaine. They are aware of Gin's softer, more feminine side as a result, but it is a closely guarded secret between the two of them. Cédre will sometimes accompany Gin and her brother on outings in the city.Ichiyō Higuchi immediately was reminded of their sister when they met Cédre and saw them as someone to protect. She takes Cédre out regularly to lunch as well as shopping. The pair will often will matching or at least coordinating events at Port Mafia holiday gatherings. There's a strong unspoken bond between the two, with both of them wanting to protect the other.Kōyō Ozaki was in charge of Cédre for their first year in the Port Mafia. Even though Kōyō is a little younger than them, Cédre still considers her to be an older sister because of their relationship. Kōyō taught Cédre how to better manage their composure and carry themself in public, and Cédre knows that the only reason they fit in well in Japan now is because of her tutelage.Kyūsaku Yumeno absolutely adores Cédre, who hates their ability almost as much as they hate their own. Cédre visits Q and plays games with them, helping pass the time and giving the teen a chance to actually be a kid. As both of their abilities are similar and they are immune to Q's, Cédre is one of the few people trusted to act as a handler for Q if he is sent out in public.Michizō Tachihara is typically nervous around Cèdre; he is well aware of their ability and their knack for reading people, and he worries that they will realize he's a double agent. This is a rather unfounded concern as Cèdre knows he's as loyal as the other members of the Black Lizard and trusts him as a result despite the lack of communication between them.Motojirō Kajii doesn't interact much with Cédre, but he seems to have a respect for them due to their closeness to Mori. In his unconventional nicknaming way, he dubbed Cèdre The Grand Marshall's Guiding Star.Paul Verlaine provided some training to Cèdre, but they were not cut out to be an assassin like him or the others he trained so their time together was short lived. Cèdre respects his talents, but they are a bit uneasy around him.Ōgai Mori is protective and possessive of Cédre, seeing them as one of the Port Mafia's most precious assets and potentially something more to him. Despite Cédre not being an executive, Mori trusts them as part of his inner circle. Cédre is fiercely loyal to Mori, willing to put his interests and the overall good of the Port Mafia before themself.Ryūnosuke Akutagawa begrudgingly does not complain about their company due to how important they are to Mori as well as how adored they are by the other members of the Black Lizard. He finds them a fragile, brittle thing; he's amazed that they haven't gotten themself killed or left the Port Mafia. In spite of this, he does spare some appreciation for the friendship Cédre has with his sister.Ryūrō Hirotsu acts as another mentor to Cédre when they first are recruited into the Port Mafia. It always fascinates him how Mori manages to pull people with temperaments so ill-suited to the mafia and yet they become vital pieces within the organization; Cédre is certainly no exception to this rule. He is fond of them and content to watch them grow into a more confident individual.

Bungou Stray Dogs Regular Design (Desk)

Bungou Stray Dogs Regular Design (Field)

Evening Wear