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.]

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[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!

I didn't say so earlier because it's an extreme way to get the wish you want, and I don't marry people to grant wishes anyway.

[So yeah, quashing that down right away. Though there was still a tinge of pink to his cheeks as he spoke. Even at over 100 years old, some things he never outgrew. Tsundere tendencies being one of them.]

It's also to illustrate how much work a workaround like that is. Stop fake-acting like a lovestruck schoolgirl, it's not a good look for you.

So you do think there's a look that's right for me? Sweet of you. Do spill!

[Dazai did drop the act though, pouring more alcohol. His hands were steadier this time around.]

Oh, fine, I can chalk this up to my personal wishes being hard to grant. [It was easy to hide the history of that statement with how buoyant his mood was.] How about this: I'll hold of my actual request until I can think of something. Normally, this approach is both risky and counter-intuitive, but the nature of your inherited ability relies on equity.

That, alone, is insurance that there will be compensation, one way or the other.

[He didn't know what the exact consequences were for Watanuki. This particular conclusion was drawn from Abilities usually having a particular set of limitations to work in]

No.

[That was his answer to the first part. Sorry Dazai, Watanuki was firmly in 'tsun' mode. The 'dere' mode would have to be unlocked first before he would spill any mental images of what Dazai should be like.

The second part was also a no, but it would get a lengthier explanation.]

That won't work either. My ability does rely on equity, but another part of it is that both sides of the exchange must happen within a very short amount of time. If one side or the other remains unpaid, then my ability will take the payment by force. Usually in the form of 'accidental injuries'.

[Which may explain the cuts on Watanuki's body, actually.]

[That did explain a lot, actually.

Dazai clutched his chin, considering this twist.]

Then, shutting off my ability is the simplest solution.

Shall we trade on the basis of time? The hours I spend on those assignments, for your thirdwheeling.

[He was tempted to say no, but he actually stopped himself to think about it. It would be a fair balance of prices, and no extra cost would be taken from him as a result. It also didn't make it a permanent trade, which was probably healthier in the long run since Dazai would probably just leave and not come back once Odasaku passed on from this world. It was better not to be married to someone who was only using you to see someone else. He would just get teased about it for the next century or two, knowing the spirits who visited him frequently.]

Alright, we can do that. Let's say both amounts of time must be completed within a week of each other?

[Normally his magic would take the price within a day, but if the wish was set up to allow for a week to find time to do it then it should be fine.]

Two weeks? Or if that's stretching it, a week and a half?

[He smiled apologetically. This was a touch delicate, knowing what backlash Watanuki got from delays.]

I'd hate to land you in a situation where you can't call for a doctor. Imprisonment and hiding, I'm afraid, are occasional hazards of my usual job, and I'd also rather avoid calling attention to my trips here.

Though I've no doubt you can give him a taste of his own medicine, my former cellmate's still rather unpleasant to deal with.

[That bit on marriage, too, was something that also wouldn't sit well with Dazai. In his view, getting hitched and not having the consequences limited to paper wasn't something he could actually arrange with his usual candor. On top of being a private person, he also had a certain amount of budding respect for a shopkeeper who actually valued and stuck with a fair deal. It was kind of like Dazai's fondness for Kunikida's perpetual chasing of ideals.]

[That was fair. And if feelings grew between them, Watanuki would revisit the idea later. But for now, this was a better arrangement.]

Two weeks, then. Also, giving you the sight will have to come here at the shop. Outside of the barriers it is too dangerous for me to be without my ability. I have many, many enemies who would take advantage of that. Not to mention all of the people in your world who would take advantage of it too. There's one witch in particular who I know can see my presence, and I'm not looking forward to meeting with her.

[At least Dazai had a warning that there was going to be trouble in the future? Because there was definitely going to be trouble in the future.

Of course, Dostoevsky promised to be just as much trouble as that witch would be. Dazai's world was a hazard in of itself. As much as Watanuki wanted to go out and see things, he was still wary of the trip.]

We also need to sort out a weapon for you and have it fitted to accept your power. You had something in mind, yes?

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