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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.]
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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[Dazai shut his eyes a moment as he let the post next to him take his weight. This was a very, very long day, and the modified gun in his coat pocket was heavy.]
To the point that he can be unintentionally funny, when he mentions the most unexpected conclusions taken from a direct path from A to Z. That's just how he is: doesn't let other people tell him what to do or how to think, even if his stubbornness indirectly cost him his life. His character is as strong as the curry he likes, really: it's the kind of spice that's hot in the mouth, but creeps up in intensity when you least expect it.
My former boss has no qualms in letting go of, oh, supposedly underutilized resources, if the manner in which they leave is still favorable to the Organization.
...Odasaku is very kind, too, you know? Not that it's a value the mafia can use without manipulation in most situations.
[Here, he said no more, though the thought of Ango's old reports lingered: without those, Mori wouldn't even have time to bother with people at the bottom rung.
Chuuya was one person who'd be able to utilize the additional information. Mori, on the other hand, probably had less than wholesome ideas when he got his hands on them.]
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He could also see the ways Oda and Doumeki were similar, and it made his heart ache with old memories of lazy summers spent on this very porch.]
It sounds like he was a good man, and he left a lasting impression on you.
[A comment, one meant to focus all of Dazai's given details to an easy-to-understand idea.]
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He had five kids, too. [Finally referring to them outside of the confines of that curry shop, after all these years, still felt strange. Old habits of secrecy died hard.] They're buried near him. He didn't have to adopt them, you know. I found it unusual, in fact, but that's Odasaku for you.
Sometimes, I wondered why he asked me to save orphans. Was it because of them? Or did he find out something about himself when he raised those kids?
[He shrugged, looking at the space where Odasaku's spot of cold air was. In a way, Dazai had done so through Atsushi and Kyouka, although his own manipulative nature already meant that whatever good will there was in the act was already muddled.
Really, he sucked at this whole "good for goodness' sake" kind of thing.]
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[Watanuki himself has never had blood-related children, but he's seen enough 'children of friends' and has taken in wayward teenagers for long enough to know that guiding youth does change a person. Maybe that was what Oda had wanted for Dazai, to find out who he really is through his actions with others.]
Or maybe he just saw your inner strength and wanted you to use it to help others.
[The cold spot remained silent, but it was there for Dazai to feel. Something about this conversation had to be correct, or else Oda would have made an effort to correct them.]
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Surely you jest! Not him wanting me to help, mind, but I'm still undoubtedly the worst person to offer direct aid to another. No, no, I'm sure it's something else. Thinking my way out of a paper box is what I'm good at, after all, and not setting any examples. Even the Buddha would cry tears of anguish if I tried!
[Ah, but perhaps that was enough for the day? Dazai made to pocket the gun, the slight trembling of his fingers revealing his exhaustion.]
Will you need me to carry these around often?
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[But yes, it was best to leave that until Dazai had a chance to discover who he was on his own. As much as Watanuki thought otherwise, Dazai still had a low opinion of himself, and he would need time to see anything other than the failure he expected to see.
So, in the meantime.]
You can carry them whenever you like, but it's not required. I'll let you know when you should be prepared for a fight.
[As it turned out, that time wouldn't be for another three weeks yet. It was early evening, probably around 7 pm or so, when Watanuki suddenly texted Dazai with an address and the warning 'come prepared'. There was work to be done.]
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I'll expect your call, then.
[The guns went back to their case and the knapsack on the way out, and would be kept in their usual hiding place when he got to the dorm. No need to lose them during his day job! Or get a million questions by bringing them to work, where people were still getting used to him without bandages.
By the time the call came, he'd secured himself a holster, hidden under his coat. Dazai brought only one gun when he showed himself into the gate, predicting there might be a good chance Watanuki greeted him from the front door.
Wherever he found the shopkeeper, though, he'd give a cheeky salute, mimicking a bright-eyed police cadet.]
Yo!
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Interestingly, he also had a lantern on a long pole, though the lantern was currently unlit. Hm. How curious.]
Hello. It's just going to be you and me tonight. I instructed all of our usual visitors to stay here for safety.
[This included Oda, who was vulnerable to attack since he was a normal ghost and all. He could stay at the shop and fret over Dazai until they both returned.]
Ready to work?
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[Wasn't this a pleasant surprise! Dazai vaguely recalled Watanuki mentioning he didn't ordinarily go out of the shop thanks to other elements seeking his power - did he really want to stick his neck out for a neophyte? Or was his presence a necessity for his task? In any case, it might give Dazai an opportunity to further observe the man's abilities, so he didn't mind.]
I am, yeah. [Dazai tried figuring out where the cold spot of Oda was, before waving in that general direction.] Gotta say it's pretty strange though, to actually be out with someone at this time. Maybe I'll encounter something that'll be surprising.
[Any assignments he had with Kunikida or Atsushi usually were in the daytime, unless there were other factors involved.
Not to mention... well. Having only the vaguest sense of what was up, and needing to rely on visual cues to figure out what exactly Watanuki wanted. For starters, Dazai peered at the lantern to make out any designs and signs of wear.]
I didn't know anyone still used these, by the way. Didn't they go out of fashion a good few decades ago?
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I sincerely doubt that you don't at least occasionally encounter 'something surprising' with that magnanimous personality of yours. Though I suppose you're not wrong in assuming that tonight is going to be different from your usual nights.
[That would become evident from the moment Watanuki stepped past the barrier. He was a little tense at first, like he was bracing himself for some kind of impact that only he was expecting. But after stepping through and experiencing nothing of note, he sighed and relaxed.]
Good. They haven't found the entrance to my shop yet. I thought I might have to move it already.
[Not that he gave any indication on who 'they' could be.]
I need to survey at least part of the city tonight, preferably on our way to our task. And if we can finish tonight's work without too much trouble, a grocery store stop might happen on the way back. I'm short on fresh vegetables and would prefer not to get into the canned supplies. I'll even let you pick our dinner, so long as you don't tease me for my outdated fashion sense.
[Yep. Just casually inviting Dazai over to eat once work was done, NBD.]
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Perhaps no one using traditional firepower. Otherwise, Watanuki would've warned him, or so Dazai estimated.]
Now, why should I tease you for your current attire? I daresay it looks flattering on you.
[Look - he, too, could be a gentleman! A flirtatious one when the mood struck, but a gentleman nonetheless.
Dazai gestured at their general surroundings - hell if he knew which direction they were going to that required that kind of lamp - and offered his arm. Might as well, and dinner later was a bonus.]
A pity it's this late, or I might've requested for crab. [If canned ingredients were out and all.] How does curry sound?
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Watanuki did preen a bit at the flirty comment, but otherwise left it at that. Flatter him all you want, Dazai. It just feeds his ego.]
Your request for crab would be denied anyway. I only cook with the real thing.
[No imitation crab sticks in HIS kitchen! That said, Dazai has just betrayed a like of his, and Watanuki will remember it. Be prepared for a dish made with real crab in the future.
But Watanuki, being Watanuki, will continue the discussion as they walk. He loved to talk, after all, and the chance to talk was not one he would pass up on.]
Curry sounds good. I suppose I can dig out the special ingredients so your friend can eat it as well. You know, that's what he usually requests when he comes over for dinner. He says I don't make it spicy enough for him though, which he will have to deal with since I'm not going to make a food that's all spice and no flavor. 'You can't taste it so it doesn't matter' he tells me, can you believe that? It doesn't matter if I can't taste it, it's the principle of the thing!
[And in turn, Watanuki ends up betraying a bit of his own secrets as well.]
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His amusement, however, was cut short when Watanuki let slip that he couldn't taste anything. Dazai's first thought, of course, was that it was a possible medical condition, and unless there were more signs that it was anything but, he'd look it up later to verify what that was about. In the meantime, he wasn't about to spoil his, well, new boss' mood.]
I've tasted the kind of curry he prefers. It's actually flavorful, but the intensity of spice makes it hard to appreciate all the other ingredients.
Oh, but did he ask for seconds or finish the pot? That's a good sign he likes your cooking, even if he complains about the lack of heat.
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Watanuki either didn't notice that pause or he glossed over it entirely. It was probably the latter, though. While Watanuki wasn't as perceptive as Dazai, he still wasn't a dunce either. He also had a habit of ignoring things that he didn't want to respond to, or things that would ruin the flow of the conversation.]
Last time he finished the whole thing and didn't leave seconds for anyone else. He had the gall to ask for a bottle of hot sauce though.
[He said that like there was no doubt at all that someone would love his food and eat it up. Perhaps he just had that level of confidence in his cooking. Then again, Dazai has eaten his food before, so he probably knew that Watanuki had the skill to back up his words.]
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The mental image of Oda asking for hot sauce made Dazai snicker though, and somehow the pang in his chest was a little less raw. He remembered a similar incident, too, when they had to have lunch out far on the other side of the city, and Oda was visibly judging his plate. Mind, the chef there was no Watanuki.]
Better get used to it. He'll speak his mind, or decline to say anything if he doesn't feel like it.
[Even if their conversation was light, Dazai also kept an ear out for any strange sounds, while tracking the route they were going through. He liked to think he was pretty familiar with this side of Yokohama, but this time around he tried to not get too attached to his knowledge of the area. Being around the shopkeeper, he learned, meant that the possibility of reality breaking was possibly just around the corner.]
Well, then. What's tonight's trip all about?
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[He liked the challenge, and while the demands were a bit annoying he didn't particularly hate them. He just liked to complain when he could.
Their path took them through a somewhat nicer part of Yokohama. There were still sprawling apartment buildings, but the buildings themselves were cleaner, newer. They had more amenities and fewer reports of crime. And in a nearby park, several small lanterns littered the path up to an old temple. Despite the late hour, Watanuki was headed right for the temple.]
There is a portion of Yokohama that is too dark. We will be taking some light there. But before we can do that, we must collect the light from the shrine. And since I will be carrying the lamp, I'll need you to defend me from any thieves.
[The air around them does grow lighter as they approach the shrine. It's like all the impurities are washed out of the very air itself, leaving behind clean air to breathe.]
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There are lots of spots in Yokohama that are dark.
[Either physically or metaphorically. Both, in some cases. Now, what glum spot might require fire from a temple? Dazai figured that this was somewhere along the lines of 'sacred fire to purify,' and wondered if they were headed to a previous execution spot.]
Will I be able to see those unwanted acquaintances of ours? Not to be rude in pointing out the obvious, but it will be hard to defend from what I can't sense.
[Never mind that, as he spoke, he gradually relaxed thanks to the lighter air about them. This was also one part of the city he didn't frequent (indeed, Watanuki might notice the curious edge Dazai took on while he looked around), but might consider visiting more often if it was this relaxing.]
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[Yep, Watanuki was a ray of sunshine like that. He's so sure of his solutions that he can't be discouraged from them.]
I will tell you if there is something that needs your attention. Possessed humans are a likely foe, and you will need to incapacitate them without killing them. Luckily, your weapon can do just that.
[So don't go putting regular bullets in it, Dazai.
Also, if Dazai was paying close attention, he would notice the presence of several foxes around them. They were all discreetly hidden and the foxes would move if approached, but they were Watching. And the air continued to grow lighter as they approached the shrine.
Eventually, Dazai would be able to feel a sudden chill run down his back. Proof of a ghoast? There were no physical clues of what had happened, and Watanuki was looking forward at the shrine.]
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Truly?
By any chance, have you heard of any particular incidents that occurred a few days before a mechanical whale got beached at the harbor?
[The whale made headlines since that was covered up.
Q's curse, however, was made out to bea result of some airborne chemical agent from a terrorist attack - that was the closest comparison he could think of to posession.
Before he could ask for a comparison between horror fiction and reality, however, the sudden chill had him instinctively reaching for his gun beneath his coat, though he resisted the urge to turn around. Not hearing anything made bodyguard duties diffficult, he noted with dismay, and Watanuki's body language made it difficult to discern if that chill was an actual threat, or simply foreboding.
Wouldn't the foxes he saw from the corner of his eye react differently if there was something terribly wrong? Or were they more the apathetic guardian type?
Dazai so hated not being able to properly anticipate what was coming next. Sounding ignorant was equally terrible, but better that than end up with a displeasingly painful manner of death.]
By any chance, is there something behind me?
[This wasn't a question he'd normally ask either because it drew attention to the fact that he noticed something was off, but he figured that spirits might be less interested in mind games. Probably.]
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[Watanuki was speaking calmly, but the crease in his brow betrayed the sadness he felt. There wasn't much they could do for the dead besides urge them to move on.
At Dazai's question, Watanuki glanced back to see what Dazai had felt. His frown deepened, but he ultimately shook his head.]
He's not a threat. But he's calling you 'that protege' and asking why you're so tall.
[And there was another grim fact about Yokohama: some of the ghosts wandering the city would be from a past Dazai had been trying to move away from.]
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[In a sense, that kind of reinforced Dazai's preference for having a painless death when the time came - being stuck in the hell Q gave people was a pain. More importantly, it was a sharp reminder of another aspect of his promise to Odasaku.
Saving a life was harder compared to pulling the trigger. Knowing an afterlife existed added to the weight of his task.
Not that his sober mood stopped the spike of irritation that ran through him when he heard Watanuki's description of who was behind him, and the corners of his mouth tightened marginally - can't the guy give it a rest?
(Actually, no, he wasn't able to. Dazai suspected that being death deprived one of certain perspectives - was that not why the legends of onryo were what they were?)]
What a strange question. It's a possible side effect of continuing to breathe past puberty.
[If it wasn't for the fact he was limited to three shots a day, Dazai would've considered using his shiny new gun, too, just to grant them both peace of mind. As it was, he couldn't afford to be distracted by his own ruminations and ambivalence on the subject, though it'd probably be something that might come up after dinner.
(If the sound of his shoes were sharper on the pavement for the next couple of steps, well. Deep down, he acknowledged the benefit of not being able to see what state the spirit was in. Not knowing the full identity of that person worked to help in suspending everything else that came with contemplating this encounter.)]
Will he a problem once the lamp is lit?
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Probably not. The light might even offer some bit of comfort to him and allow him to pass on.
[Speaking of which, they arrived at the shrine right about then. Despite it being night and very few street lamps around, somehow the area felt brighter than it should have been.
Watanuki set the staff aside and worked on lighting a small fire pit that sat at the entrance to the shrine. Interestingly, he opted for matches and kindling instead of magic. And as the fire grew, the warmth and feeling of peace seemed to spread out from it, covering the area and making it feel Safe.
Soon, the cold spot behind Dazai would shift and fade away entirely.]
Have you ever prayed at a shrine, Dazai-kun?
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The changes in the air were curiously helpful in that regard. Dazai couldn't help but notice how he was able to breathe easier, think clearer. The warmth seeped into his bones, bringing with it a sense of contentment so unfamiliar that Dazai briefly glanced at his hand and flexed his fingers - was this what not-miserable people felt?
No wonder even the shade stalking him managed to move on, even if he'd been stuck in that form for a good few years now.
(He wondered if he'd remember this sensation enough to miss it, once the night was over.)]
No. [He shifted his gaze from his fingers to Watanuki. This was probably the most relaxed the Shopkeeper would see him.] Never saw the appeal.
[Or, more accurately - that whole New Year tradition of going to shrines? By the time Dazai came to appreciate what the practice symbolized, the person he wanted to bring along was already gone.]
Why, is there anything special about it?
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[As he spoke those words, Watanuki glanced upward, his gaze settling on one of the pointed corners of the shrine roof. There was a small smile on his face, one that often appeared when he was talking about the supernatural. It was a look of nostalgia, one that someone might wear when talking about an old friend of theirs.]
The one who lives here is one of rest and peaceful passing. It likes to have its fire lit at night, so that wandering souls can find their way here and pass on before the morning light. It's a rather sad undertaking, but this one seems to like the job.
[Which was why Watanuki had insisted that Oda stay at the shop that night, incidentally.
And with the fire lit, Watanuki picked up the staff once more and held the lantern over the fire. As if by magic, a small bit of the orange flames poofed into existence within the lantern itself.]
Think of this as written direction to this location. Now we must give those directions to someone who needs it.
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