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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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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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So the spirit here liked hanging out on the roof? Dazai wondered, perhaps cynically, if that invitation for spirits to move on was open to all, or if there were certain caveats. At some point, he really did need to separate his understanding of human behavior from a spirit's motivations.
Perhaps sooner rather than later. The leap of that tongue of fire was certainly not tied to any physics he knew of, further underscoring the point that the old logic he knew of didn't necessarily apply to wherever they were wandering off to this time.]
So it's a flaming carrot on a stick. [Dazai peered close, thumbing his chin as he examined the lamp, and nodded sagely.] Gotcha.
Mind, if this lamp's a sign post, what's stopping those who'd want to steal this from coming here directly? Do they want a special invitation of their own?
[Because that's what it sounded like.]
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[Congrats Dazai, you get to shoot any malicious spirits who might be looking for entry into a temple. Watanuki said that with a calm smile on his face too, acknowledging the danger while also not being afraid of it.
With the lantern lit, Watanuki lifted the staff up once more, holding it in a way that was more conductive to walking.]
Stay alert. We don't have far to go, but anything can happen in that time. We should be done by sunrise, unless something goes wrong.
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[Gun out! Or, more specifically, he tucked his hand in his coat, readying himself to whip out the pistol when needed - if they did come across anyone human on the walk, he'd rather not have to go through the song and dance of explaining why he held a gun and maybe passing it off as a well-made toy.
If they started walking, he'd check his watch to calculate how many hours were left until dawn broke. In this case, his usual insomnia and irregular sleeping habits worked to Watanuki's favor.]
Of course, anything and everything could always happen. Normally, that's what makes things interesting, but I think it'll be better if any gate crashers stayed away for now. Otherwise, I'll have to make them pay extra for keeping us away from dinner!
[Yes, he remembered that offer. Dazai might actually need it if he ended up draining himself tonight.]
Mind, if you're expecting that kind of probability, do tell: is that fire carrot actually that strong to attract a special kind of baddie? With the assumption that even the spirit world has some sort of structure to it based on power levels.
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There are those who consume the souls of the dead. They would love to find a steady source of human souls to feast on. They aren't special in the way you mean, but they can be troublesome and I don't want to bring misfortune to the spirit who lent us their fire.
[And, you know. Protecting the souls of the dead and all.
As they walk, Dazai will be able to feel a sense of anxiety start to creep up. It was like the two of them were safe within the light of the lantern, but if they dared to stray away from it then they would find something nasty waiting for them in the shadows. And indeed, Watanuki will comment on them quietly eventually.]
Pay no mind to the little ones, if you feel them. It's the big ones we need to worry about.
[Dazai will be unable to see these spirits, but Watanuki does look slightly paler.]
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[The warm tone would clue Watanuki in that it was a compliment.
It didn't take long for a defensive smile to appear on Dazai's lips as he subconsciously stepped closer to the lamp. Indeed, he hoped this errand didn't take long: eight hours of preternatural cold seemed rather uncomfortable.
At least they didn't risk the lamp itself going out with a puff of wind. Maybe.
It was with that thought that Dazai asked where exactly they were going, figuring that Watanuki would decline answering if that knowledge was detrimental to this assignment, before peering into the darkness surrounding them. All the while, his finger was on the pistol's trigger.
Watanuki's expression meant they might encounter bad news pretty quick.]
I presume the big hungry ones leave colder spots?