foundfate | PSL (closed)

PSL (closed)

[The shop had finally settled again. It was a bit of a relief, because it hadn't anchored to a world in nearly two weeks, and Watanuki's food stores had started to run low. A shopping trip would be in order, mostly to replenish his nonperishable before the shop set out looking for another world in need of his help.

Usually Watanuki could guess when a move was about to happen, but sometimes it happened out of the blue. Like this last move, which had come so soon after arriving in the previous world. That usually meant that his services were in dire need and that people's souls were calling out to him, even if they didn't quite know it themselves yet. Watanuki would just have to wait for them to come to him.

His first visitor, at least, wouldn't take too long to get there. Watanuki always had a sense of when someone was to arrive, and as soon as the shop's gates had opened and revealed itself to the busy streets of Yokohama he had felt the impending arrival of a customer. It was enough to pique his interest, because he didn't usually get a visitor on the same day after a shop move. Someone was very perceptive, it seemed.

By the time his guest would arrive, Watanuki had already set up some tea in one of the sitting rooms. The summer was at its end, and the cool breeze felt nice enough that Watanuki had decided to open the movable doors to reveal the backyard, which was still bathed in the greens of summer. They could stay cool without the need of an air conditioner that way.

From there, he waited. He had a feeling that his guest was a particularly clever one, so he felt sure that they would find their way to the sitting room on their own.]

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

[Watanuki fell silent when he saw Dazai stand with the bow. He had expected a pull of some sort, maybe an itching irritation at most. But seeing Dazai, who was clearly not trained in archery, stand so tall and insistent even in the face of inexperience told him all he needed to know.

It was questionable as to if Dazai would be able to see his own ability trying to form an arrow shape in his hand. Power like that was never really a solid manifestation, and it couldn't even really be called an 'arrow' yet. It was more of a long, narrow blob of power, one trying to conform to the unfamiliar weapon. But Watanuki could see it just fine: a blank space, like a void that existed to suck up negative energy and cleanse the world.

He didn't expect Dazai to fire the bow, but when he did, Watanuki saw a flash of something else. Instead of a bow, it was a gun. And instead of a mass of void, it was a carefully-formed bullet, one aimed right at a short man surrounded by pure Chaos. The bullet was fired, and it went right through the man's heart. Except it didn't harm the man's body, he was left completely intact. But the chaotic energy surrounding him and marking trails up his arms and face broke away the moment the bullet pierced him. The man, now cleaned of that energy, staggered forward a couple steps until he passed out on the ground.

A vision of the future, Watanuki realized. A moment that had yet to pass.

In the present, Dazai's 'arrow' thunked into the wood of the fence, leaving a small round hole where it had struck. It was to the left of where Dazai had been aiming, too. And as soon as the 'arrow' hit the fence, it dissipated. The energy was gone, and it would slowly return to Dazai's body.]

...ah. This must be 'fate' too.

[This time, however, he didn't use the word 'hitsuzen' to mean 'fate'.]

[Watanuki might be interested to know that Dazai actually hadn't seen anything, when most of his focus was drawn inward, on the very motions involved in shooting... well. Whatever it was.

Neither was Dazai in any mood to appreciate whatever success he had in bending the bow, or to catch Watanuki's unusual word choice. Pain flared on his arms and shoulders the moment he snapped out of the trance, and Dazai collapsed to his knees, exhausted and breathless, sweating all over. One would think he just participated in a marathon without the right preparation, with how much he shook.

At the very least, he managed to spare both the bow and the porch floor. He still held on to it when he fell, however, and his thighs bore the brunt of the impact when the wood rapped above his knees, making him hiss.

That was going to bruise.]

Edited 2019-10-05 05:36 (UTC)

[Dazai would feel two sensations shortly after his collapse: a cold presence on his right, just barely hovering over his right shoulder, and the warm press of Watanuki's hand on his left shoulder. One sought to comfort, the other to steady Dazai and keep him from falling over.]

Careful. The first time is always draining.

[Whatever had just happened, it seemed as though it was not outside of Watanuki's expectations. There was still concern in his voice though, and after those words of reassurance he asked a rather important question:]

How are you feeling?

Deader than dead.

[Feverish, too, when the energy he just released crept back into his system, for all the good that did for his sore muscles. With a shaking hand, he fumbled with the collar of his shirt, grimacing at the sensation of cool air on his actual skin. Damn, he still wasn't used to that.

Dazai tried to lean on his right side, too. Save him from shrivelling up in the humidity, Odasaku.]

What just happened?

[He wasn't referring to how he just crashed to the floor.]

[The cold spot on his right side stayed close, but didn't touch Dazai directly. It was unknown if Dazai's touch would 'dispel' a ghost, and Odasaku didn't want to test that quite yet.

Watanuki, meanwhile, nodded to the space next to him. Once again an unseen servant of some sort opened a door and disappeared into the shop. Then Watanuki turned his attention back to Dazai, keeping a hand on his shoulder to keep him steady.]

You actively used your ability for the first time.

[Interestingly, Dazai hadn't quite made that connection yet. Thinking of himself as an exorcist, of all things, was yet another adjustment.]

As opposed to just touching people? [He grumbled, a touch dramatic.] All those broken bones could've been avoided. Figures this just happened now.

Sometimes it takes a bit longer to find the answers you're looking for, unfortunately.

[Since Dazai seemed to be fine, though, Watanuki would take the bow out of his hands and set it to the side. The bow was cranky about being used so roughly, but it would be fine. Just irritable.]

With a bit of practice we could find a weapon that suits you better.

[Well, bow, your very recent wielder was a noob.]

I might have one in mind.

[He glanced at the cold air to his right. If Odasaku had been around for his funeral preparations, he'd know what Dazai was referring to.

Also, don't mind him using the floor as a pillow. Dazai would've wanted to take off his coat, too, but the longer he lay there, the lazier he got.]

[Odasaku might know what Dazai was referring to. But if he did, Dazai wouldn't be able to hear the answer anyway.

And there's Dazai on the floor, looking ready to take a nap or something. Watanuki sighed in response before speaking again.]

We can discuss it later if you're that tired. And I have spare beds if you would like to use one.

[That not hearing part was something Dazai intended to fix, however temporarily.

As for that offer - Dazai waved a hand.]

Maybe later. I've every intention of finishing that.

[He pointed at the sake bottle.

Because priorities.

Rolling to his stomach was an easy way to get to it, too, even if his shoulders were aching.]

What sort 'f things d'you need an exorcist for, anyway? [He frowned at his hand. Stop shaking; the sake was gonna spill!] You can deal with whatever drops by, can't you? Or is it a payment issue?

[The equity aspect of Watanuki's inherited ability might be a factor, for all he knew]

[Hey now, no spilling the sake! Watanuki reached over to take the bottle and pour some more into Dazai's cup, so that if he did spill then at least he would only spill that tiny amount. ]

I am merely a shopkeeper. I am not suited for combat, nor is my power good for exorcisms. In fact, my power makes me a target. I haven't been able to leave the safety of my shop in years because of that.

Think of it as someone needing a bodyguard. I need to leave this shop and go into your world eventually, but doing so without adequate protection is foolish at best.

[Much obliged. Less sake spillage was always fantastic, and Dazai raised his cup in salute - or tried to, at least - before drinking.]

A caged bird, hmm? [Just calling it as he saw it, neutral and without mockery. Not being able to go anywhere was a sorry state of affairs.] I'm nowhere as good at that job as Odasaku was, but I can try.

[Or, more accurately, "do." Call it an odd quirk of perfectionism, but Dazai did so dislike not delivering results, no matter how tedious work in general was.]

A fair warning: I usually leave the heavy lifting to other people, myself. Let's just say your particular case will be the rare exception to my usual style.

[This, too, was a nod to his usual habit of working behind the scenes. Being thought of as reliable had its fair share of entanglements and obligations that Dazai wanted to lessen, if only to maintain his policy of attaining an unintrusive death.]

[Watanuki couldn't be mad, because it wasn't really that wrong. He really was like a caged bird while in the shop. It was safer, but ultimately unsatisfying. Watanuki longed to walk worlds again, and this one in particular was interesting. If he wanted to be able to see it, then this was the perfect opportunity. And Watanuki wasn't one to pass on opportunities like this.]

We could make it a contract, if you like. One of fair exchange, with a payment of your choosing.

[Not quite a wish, since Watanuki was the one making the initial request and Dazai was naming the price. Though Watanuki was curious to hear what Dazai would charge for his services.]

[Really, there was only one general thing he absolutely wanted.]

Maa. You do have me at a loss, you realize, when your trade has rules for bartering that are different from what I'm used to.

Is sight absolutely not possible? [Just testing! Dazai swirled his cup, already expecting that aspect to be declined.] In that case - how about being able to sense the presence and expression of just one particular person?

[Originally, he'd thought to ask if he could hear Odasaku, so at least they could talk. However, the more he thought about it, sensing the man's presence might be more appropriate. Odasaku, after all, was the type of person whose gestures and silences also spoke volumes, and...

...and.

Touch over sound, so to speak, might've played a part in this request.

After all, there would be times Dazai wouldn't be able to talk.]

[There was a pause, and quite a long one at that, as Watanuki considered his options. If Dazai was watching, he would see Watanuki glance down and to the side as he did some mental calculations. It wasn't an unusual look on someone thinking deeply, but for someone who usually had all the answers it might have been odd.

When he did speak up, it was with a touch less confidence than his previous words had carried.]

Under normal circumstances, what you want wouldn't be possible to do permanently. We could disable your ability and give you the chance to see and communicate with the dead on a temporary basis, but that is an either-or thing. Your ability is at odds with any ability that would allow you to see the dead. Even sensing their presence, beyond feeling a cold breeze, would be impossible with your ability active.

However, there may be a way to get what you're looking for. It's an old magic, but I think your ability would not prevent it from working.

[The way he said those last two sentences with a touch of hesitation, however, may have made it clear that there was some kind of drawback to it.]

[Dazai exhaled. Figured that anything he personally wanted would have its drawbacks.

He sat up for this, and ended up slumped on the pillar next to him.]

Let's hear it, then.

Is it on the same level as me leaving the Agency?

[It occured to him after he spoke that he could ask to learn how. Maybe later, depending on the answer]

Edited 2019-10-07 01:19 (UTC)

No, nothing like that. The price would be much more personal.

[Yeah, he was glancing away as he started to explain. He was sitting on his knees, hands in his lap, though those hands were fidgeting and picking at the edges of his sleeves.]

It is possible to do an 'agreed exchange', so to speak. You could make an agreement with someone to share your powers with each other. The person you agreed to share with would be able to use your ability when they felt like it, and you would be able to use theirs. Admittedly you would still have an easier time of using your own ability, but with time and practice you could use the other person's nearly as well as your own. The key would be finding someone with the ability you want. In this case, the ability to see the dead.

[And, well. Watanuki was right there, which meant the search for such a person was potentially a short one. But that didn't explain his hesitance at the conversation, so there was probably more he hadn't said yet. The way he was wringing his hands spoke volumes.]

[Hmm. So it was that sort of situation?]

What's the cost for you?

[Short, and straight to the point.

It was a reasonable guess, when he compared Watanuki's behavior now to how the shopkeeper managed Dazai's first request. Last time, there was sympathy.

This?

This was possibly dread.]

The cost is the same for both sides. Giving someone else even a little bit of your power is always a risk, and is one that shouldn't be taken lightly. Even now, I would need to see more of your character before I agreed to that kind of sharing on a permanent basis. While I will undoubtedly outlive you by many, many years, you could still do a lot of damage in the time you have if you really wanted to.

Plus, there's the, ah, 'ritual' needed to give that kind of control over to each other. It's a very personal one.

[Yeah. Yeah, that sounded like a huge leap of faith. Put like that, he could agree with Watanuki's trepidation, even if their own reasons might vary slightly.

It was easy to say 'I don't mean to harm,' but Dazai wasn't placing bets given his own track record.]

How personal are we talking about?

This request of mine seems to be rather troublesome for the both of us, so let me ask: is there a way to learn how to sense supernatural presences, or is this, at the moment, only tied to an ability?

It's not that you need an ability to learn it, most people can learn to pick up on something if they focus enough. Sounds, smells, sights, they can usually get at least one of them. However, you are at a disadvantage because your ability prevents you from experiencing any of those signs. That's why you need a workaround.

[Speaking of which, Watanuki had been beating around the bush for long enough. It was time to give more of an answer.]

It's a ceremony of sorts, one where you promise loyalty and devotion to each other. And there's a few specific components, like certain words, and some sake...

...

And...some rings...

[Ah. There it is.]

[...oh.

That kind of personal.

Not the 'I might need to give you my liver' personal.]

[Dazai covered his mouth with his sleeve. That did nothing to hide his amusement.]

You were saying about qualified candidates?

[Kufufufufu. Oh, but this was so funny. Here, have a look at his other hand. No rings there.

He'll even turn away like a stereotypical shy maiden, unable to face a suitor.]

Iyaaaan~! Why didn't you say so earlier, Watanuki-sama? [Dazai 'hid' his face behind both hands.] And here I look all sweaty in front of you - how embarrassing!

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

1/3

no subject

3/3

[1/2]

[2/2]