(太宰治) Dazai Osamu | Bungou Stray Dogs (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
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starsand2022-06-17 05:44 pm
bluemackerel) wrote in starsand2022-06-17 05:44 pm
End of June Wrap-Up/Mingle/Plot Overview/ADA Meeting
Despite the beginning of June being active, the middle and end of it was perhaps even moreso. Dazai, knowing this, had once more gathered the Fallen Stars for a meeting - this time at the ADA Cafe 'Shayou'.🗈
[The closed sign on the door of Cafe Shayou didn't stop it from being an active bustling place - though, this time, it was only filled with Fallen Stars. The group had been gathered once more for a meeting held by Dazai and the Armed Detective Agency - this time in a more secure location. He'd still gotten Dimitri to help with a barrier just in case, but as for now...Dazai rose up from his own seat, tapping his glass with a spoon to get everyone's attention.]
Hello and welcome, one and all, to Cafe Shayou! This will be our new Fallen Stars meeting spot from this point on, as far as official meetings are concerned. So. Let's start with a brief introduction for those of you who may be new in town. I - [he gestured to himself] - am Osamu Dazai. I'm a Fallen Star like the rest of you, a professional detective, and I run a little organization here known as the Armed Detective Agency along with my subordinates. [He gestures to the three nearby him.]
Their names are Atsushi Nakajima, Fauna, and Ryunosuke Akuwagata. [He didn't fuckin' stutter.] They're also quite reliable - please refer to them for any questions or concerns if I'm not available. We'll be at the center of any incidents here trying to solve them.
That having been said, welcome to Starsand. Let's go over what we've experienced recently, shall we?
Starting from the top, we had a small rumor incident with a couple of ghosts. However! That incident has since been resolved quite cleanly. Congratulations, all! Give yourselves pats on the back. It's always nice to see a happy ending.
So. There's our good news. Onto the bad news! 15 of our number were recently held in confines in a certain facility. Luckily! One of them was me! [A beat.] Akutagawa was also there. [now he's saying it correctly?!] Aaaaaaaaanyway. I'm not certain what happened to Akutagawa after we were split apart, but I was placed inside a room with Ryoma - Ryoma, please raise your hand - and Miss Inaba. Inaba, if you would-- thank you. [He gestures to them both.]
We were given an assignment. A test. One to prove our potential as a Kami. Unfortunately, the requirement to become a Kami in their eyes was murdering! And that's nooooo good! So obviously we refrained. Our test, however, led us to be in contact with a girl known as Theta. She introduced herself as the Kami of Willpower, and she seemed to favor me for the test - and Ryoma as well after a bit of minor convincing. Naturally, I was flattered, but she disappeared after a bit and left Ryoma and I to escape. Long story short, we did!
The rest of you who partook in the tests are encouraged to share your stories as well after this, by the by. But let's go over some minor objectives first.
First off. We don't know where the three Kamis have disappeared to. Theta, the Kami of Willpower. Mu, the Kami of Emotion. And Zeta, the Kami of Knowledge. All three have gone missing. It is our responsibility to track down - and furthermore, rescue these Kami. They may be hostile upon approach, but they have been misled. Their status as 'enemies' of us is not of their own desire, but someone else's. That's another priority to be looked at.
We've heard a name be tossed around - that being Therel - who is stronger than a Kami and seems to act as an overseer to the girls. However, I have reason to believe that even he isn't at the apex of this organization. It goes deeper. It is our responsibility to find how far down this rabbit hole goes, find the creature dwelling within, and show them justice, whoever they may be.
Secondly, the organization simply disappeared. It didn't seem to be destroyed in its entirety. It simply disappeared. This is not enough. It may appear somewhere else, and we must be ready. Please keep this in mind.
Thirdly. We've come upon a concept that I'm not too fond of. Theta mentioned this, and it is almost certainly something to worry about. According to their organization...no two Kamis can exist of the same concept. They are disposing of any others. Of children. And they do this regularly. So none of my suggestions come with anything but a heavy heart - apart from this last one.
Fourth of all...I'd encourage recovery. You need a healthy work-life balance, all of you, and that includes from incidents and rumors! Maybe we'll all do something fun next month. But as for the rest of this month, I do believe Miss Hanyuu's Watanagashi festival is soon, so I'd personally encourage giving that at least a bit of your time stopping by, since it's for one of our own.
Now, all of you are encouraged to share any extra information you may have on your tests, the overview of the facility - whatever you may know. Thank you for attending. Please feel free to give your patronage by buying drinks or food while you're here, and we'll be happy to serve you! Let's hope July is a little more relaxing, yeah~?
[Perhaps he was hoping for too much, but...]
no subject
You're the Kami of Love. [Not who he expected to be approaching him, seeing as she's one of the most powerful people here, but he doesn't mind. He's just surprised.]
They haven't, no. But I haven't asked for anything. I might, though. I probably should, so I can have stuff to take home for Loafy...
[Not that Loafy can really eat it, but their senses are connected, so Loafy likes experiencing other foods.]
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[She offers a weak smile; Sincere, but also sincerely tired. Though her heart aches for him and she really wants to worry about his coat, Satou reminds herself to take this slowly. Kokichi may not want to bring it up at all.]
Loafy... Oh, yes. Shugo mentioned you. You're... Kokichi-kun, if I remember correctly? The one who formed a spirit contract? He was very excited to hear you'd managed the first week.
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[He smiles weakly.]
Yup. Kokichi Oma, at your service. Shugo helped me a lot, so I'm grateful for him. I've made some good progress with Loafy, too.
[Of course, if there's one thing that Kokichi can pride himself on, it's being perceptive.]
You seem pretty exhausted, if you don't mind me saying. If you want to take a seat, I don't mind you joining me for a little bit.
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[Oh.
Oh, better not call a kami "Shoes," huh? She's so tired that his nickname slipped out.]
Ehehe... I would appreciate it. Thank you for putting up with me~ [She slides into the seat,] Let's order you something small, hm? You all have had a long day.
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And you don't have to thank me. It's an honor, y'know. [He sips his coffee.] But that sounds good. I like sweets the most. Anything grape-flavored.
[He presses his sleeve against his mouth, thinking.
Is now a bad time to remind of the galaxy pattern inside the coat. That might make this all worse.]no subject
Alright. A dessert sounds good about now, actually. I'm sure Loafy will like the taste as well.
[She's shy about being told it's an honor. And reminded to behave more like a kami than a mother.]
... How are you feeling otherwise?
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I hope so. He likes picnic food the best, but...it's hard to say what the tastes of a sentient loaf of bread will be at any given time.
[Hm.]
I'm...well.
It's been a long day. Not really a good one, either. But I guess that's a given, since I was one of the captured ones along with my classmate.
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"Well" is already more than we can hope for... Your classmate too, huh? No one hurt you there, did they? [She can't help but fret,] I know that place is awful... It gets under your skin.
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Mentally, it kind of sent me back into a dark place, but...it's, ah, just some...surface-level stuff, probably. A lot of bad coincidences? ...It might not be.
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[Satou instructs a spirit to find them something sweet to eat, then leans slightly across the table when focusing on Kokichi.]
Do you want to talk about it? Sometimes... and of course, only sometimes, it helps to dislodge those thoughts from your head, ne?
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[He sighs.]
This...might be kind of heavy.
Unlike a fair amount of people, Ryoma and I don't have anything to go back to at home. The last thing that happened to me was the inevitable. To most people, anyway. And it was because of some sadistic freaks running a kill-or-be-killed game at home. 16 kids gathered up in a school and told to kill someone and get away with it.
So I woke up there, heard all that, and...I had to go back to a pretty grim place. I had to be the bad guy. To buy time. Because that's what I usually always do. It's the only way to get reason into some people, and I had to do it again today to try to protect people I ended up scaring. I let them know what I did - but I still...
I don't like going back to that place.
[He glances to his coat.]
....this doesn't belong to me, either. The guy who it belongs to isn't here. I wish he was. He doesn't have anything to return to either, and he'd be way better at being optimistic right now than me.
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You won't be going back. I won't allow it.
[A stern expression softens,] ... But for now. You have a home here, Kokichi-kun. You're alive and we will protect that life.
[Ah, the coat... She smiles sadly.] I see... What do you imagine he'd tell you right now, then?
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...Thank you. I...I'll try to trust in that.
[He's usually terrified when he gets a 'home' of any kind.] And that, too. I'm not really used to it. But I know that no one back home would forgive me if I wasted my second chance.
[When Satou asks what the coat's owner might say...Kokichi chuckles softly.] I can estimate a reasonable guess. Probably something like -- [he clears his throat, taking a gruffer tone] 'Why are you letting the past overwhelm you, Kokichi? You're not the type of guy to do that, I know it. You're the type of guy able to make your falsehoods into reality! If you told me I could touch the stars with my hand right now, I'd believe you, that's how strong you are! The impossible is possible if you believe it's so, so...don't give up on anything or anyone, alright? And that's actual facts from the galactic-bound hero, Kaito Momota, Luminary of the Stars!'
...
He was kind of a dork. [But his emotions are a bit transparent there.]
no subject
... It sounds like you have a strong optimism in your own heart, Kokichi-kun.
That's how it is when we meet people and care about them. We brush against each other so much that we leave scratches and change each other's shapes. Kaito-kun, hm? It sounds like he shaped you into an optimist, if you're able to pull such bright words from his memory like that.
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...I've never really considered myself an optimist.
We were actually constantly at odds. I was a realist, he was an idealist. I was the villain, he was the hero. But...ah...perhaps so. It's a poor imitation, at any rate. He kind of had the composure to make anyone like him. I'm...
[...Well.]
...trying to be better. It's rough. I don't really want to be a villain ever again. And I don't want anyone else to suffer, either.
[That's naive and he knows it. But it's what he truly believes.]
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You're in a new world now, you know. You could choose to be someone new.
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I guess so. It's just...hard to start over when you're used to being seen as something else for so long.
Then again, I 'spose it's in your nature to give loving answers like that. Neeheehee.
[He's just scared, deep down. He's alone here - apart from Ryoma. He's trying to find his footing. He can only rely on himself for the most part - so he thinks - and fears that might not be enough. And he misses everyone.
But at least the Kami of Love seems to want to reach out to him.
It's not unexpected. It's probably very expected - her whole thing is caring, after all - but he's still trying to cope.
He's someone else now.
Who that someone is, he's not sure.]