#VERSE ⁽ ☆ ⁾ DEAD TO SHAME‚ A LIVING CORPSE ⸺ ARMED DETECTIVE AGENCY.

[ninkaku]

  ▍ CASE FILE . . . KUNIKIDA, DOPPO ⤻ @doppogin . ❪ . . . ❫ “ IT'S BEEN A WHILE, DAZAI. YOU'RE STILL UGLY. ”

the chaos of a world near - ended wasn't to be missed, yokohama so very nearly reduced to nothing but rubble and ash, yet still standing, shining sun piercing through the clouds. their enemy defeated until yet another would arise, the sudden warmth of a reunion dazai found tucked close to his chest, their victory seeing the release of all souls released from the tertiary plane amenogozen had hidden them within in their cleansing the world of ability - users. curse kunikida for looking somewhat clean even after rising from the dead, standing only meters away but the distance a chore, dazai's leg caught in a brace and dust and dirt sticking to his clothes and looking a charming picture of exhausted dishevelment. still, he ignored the twinge of his injuries and instead rushed forward to fall to his knees at kunikida's feet, arms around his middle, cheek pressed to his hip and then squeezing.

“ KUNIKIDAAAAAAAAAAAAA !! ” raw joy in his tone as he then rose, climbing the man until they were face - to - face, dazai beaming wildly despite the insult, or because of it. that sense of normalcy sending a rush of relief through his blood and settling in it. “ thank you. you know, dying before me was a damn crafty move, even for you. ” head tilted with the scrunch of his nose, the words somehow pierced with a genuine worry not often passed between them, but perhaps the revelation that he'd never lost his faith. then holding his partner at arms length, auburns silently searching his form for any sign of injury and passing it off as his usual grievance against his person. “ what was it like ? white light ? heavenly chorus ? c'mon, don't be stingy, give me all the details. ” a mere distraction from what he'd truly wanted to say, but could feel the words lodged in his throat, waiting. a pat to his shoulder, smile growing smaller with the quiet release of a sigh. “ still so serious. it's good to see you haven't changed. ”

[osaumu]

he should've been concentrating, even without the immediate drop of at least fifteen floors beneath his feet, the stake - out should have taken precedence over the brimming desire to hear her voice. albeit, dazai could juggle many things at once, and atsushi had reported no issues on his own patrols on the lower floors, so a small break taken in the chill of the night air, the breeze tousling his hair as he danced a delicate balance on the ledge seemed appropriate, in his head. dial - tone echoing in his ear as dazai spun on his toes, one arm outstretched for balance whilst the other held the phone to his ear, he tipped just slightly in waiting for her to answer ⸺ away from the edge, if a certain scolding voice in his head would be satisfied by at least that.

⅋ @leventar, yosano akiko . . . “ if you called just to get off on my voice, i’m hanging up. ”

the crackle of the connected lines and then her voice, tone in the static of her words bringing a smile to his lips, though he pretended to be disappointed, tutting into a sigh that hissed into the line but the tails of it lilted into a quiet laugh. “ expecting me? ” amusedly inquired, dazai stopped his circus act to allow his fingers to wrap around the railing, letting the adrenaline simmer beneath his skin. “ where's your head, tonight? some of us take our jobs very seriously, you know. ” if he dared refer to himself, the lie would be so easily caught, statement shared with air of wistfulness for the truth. “ i actually have some urgent medical enquiries to follow up on, colleague to colleague. ” tests and theories he'd share just for the definitive answer she would be able to give, the questions themselves working like challenges, puzzles to be solved, yosano more often than not the missing component to the answers. a beat of silence, in which dazai climbed the railing with a short huff once his feet touched safer ground, phone shuffling against his ear before he spoke again, tone a hushed purr. “ why? were you going to do the same? ”

[blackwriath]

OSAMU DAZAI \ VERSES + BASIC DESCRIPTIONS.

⁽ ☆ ⁾ DISQUALIFIED AS A HUMAN BEING ⸺ PORT MAFIA.

pretty self-explanatory, follows dazai's time in the port mafia from fourteen to eighteen years old and in some cases beyond. for this verse age will always be dropped in the tags of the first post and discussed beforehand because there's no way i can make six different verse tags for the different ages. key ages of note are fifteen, when dazai meets chuuya. eighteen, the year in which dazai loses odasaku and leaves the port mafia. but like i say, age will always be dropped in the tags so that everyone's aware! these are dazai's formative years and something i'm interested in exploring.

⁽ ☆ ⁾ I HAVE NEITHER HAPPINESS‚ NOR UNHAPPINESS ⸺ UNDERGROUND ARC.

follows dazai's time underground from 18-20 until his record was cleared by ango sakaguchi and he could re-emerge under the armed detective agency. during this time dazai travels across japan, never staying in one place too long and trying to reconcile within himself the grief he feels over losing his closest friend, and grappling with the weight of the promise he made to him.

⁽ ☆ ⁾ DEAD TO SHAME‚ A LIVING CORPSE ⸺ ARMED DETECTIVE AGENCY.

exploring the current timeline from age twenty-two and in some cases from twenty, when dazai took his entrance exam and first started working with the agency. for this verse i ignore the canon timescale of the timeline, as it states that everything from chapter one to wherever we're up to has happened within 4 weeks, screw that. in my head i can stretch it out however far i like, and in some cases dazai may be twenty-three/four by the time we reach our current place in the manga. i just don't believe in squeezing it all into four weeks, so there's room in this verse for other things to occur! unless necessary, age won't need to be disclosed for this verse as it begins from age twenty. in some cases this verse might also include ages eighteen and nineteen and explore dazai's time underground, before he joined the armed detective agency.

⁽ ☆ ⁾ I COULD BELIEVE IN HELL‚ IMPOSSIBLE OF HEAVEN ⸺ PRIVATE.

private verses that don't necessarily require an entire tag! some of them may get a personalised verse tag if extended upon and built around, but sometimes these are short threads that are pretty self-contained, so i don't think they need one.

⁽ ☆ ⁾ FORESAW‚ MY LIFE ROTTING AWAY ⸺ BEAST.

this verse follows the timeline of the beast light novel, in which at age eighteen dazai has assumed the parent status over the port mafia, the boss. in this verse dazai holds his memories of his canon timeline, and as such does not take akutagawa under his wing but instead atsushi, akutagawa being picked up by odasaku in his youth and working to retrieve his sister from the port mafia. that's kind of all there is to that, dazai has this entire timeline wrapped around his finger so explaining it would take way too much time, but he dies at the end, after completing his goal of getting atsushi and akutagawa to work together and creating that world's next generation of double black.

⁽ ☆ ⁾ THIS VESSEL OF MY SUFFERING ⸺ JUJUTSU KAISEN.

in this verse dazai's canon ability which is ability nullification, becomes cursed energy nullification and works exactly the same way as his canon ability. he has strong cursed energy recognition and possesses a lot himself (they're still trying to figure out how), and his technique relies on touching the subject he intends to nullify. this stems from curses, to cursed tools to other sorcerers. dazai possesses domain expansion: no longer human which creates a vast void-like space in which inhabitants trapped inside it will cease to possess their cursed energy without dazai having to touch them. it has a strong outer barrier but a weaker inner barrier, but being that inhabitants have been rid of their techniques and cursed energy, it is hard to break out of in this regard. with the nature of his ability, dazai is considered an (unregistered - in some verses) special grade as it is undiscovered if he can permanently rid a person of their cursed energy by touching their soul. dazai's family reside in the north of japan and his great-uncle is one of jujutsu society's higher ups in most verses.  ⁽ ¹ ⁾ in this verse the armed detective agency and the port mafia still exist as they do in canon material. the armed detective agency work on cases for jujutsu society but as a branch off, investigating curses and incidents involving sorcerers. the port mafia exist in tandem with jujutsu society but on the spectrum of illegality. they have both regular humans and sorcerers in their leagues and those with cursed energy are set different tasks than those of the regular humans. dazai's journey in this verse follows much the same as his canon material, he was aligned with the port mafia after being taken in by mori, later he joins leagues with the armed detective agency. there is room in this verse for him to catch the attention of the jujutsu society higher-ups and be taken in to either school to further his cursed technique and/or use it to their advantage.

⁽ ² ⁾ in a verse primarily explored with kae (nvictive), dazai has been sent to tokyo jujutsu tech in an attempt to better manage him, after several attempts at running away. not a lot changes aside from the fact that he does not join the port mafia/armed detective agency and later instead becomes a teacher at the college. in his school years there is heavy focus on his existence as a direct counter to satoru gojo's own existence as the strongest sorcerer of their time, and dazai as the counter to this. it is explored by jujutsu society's higher-ups whether dazai can permanently rid a sorcerer of their cursed energy, thus rendering them a normal human being, and the effects this might have on the balance of their world.

⁽ ³ ⁾ this verse can also extend to the heian period, in which dazai is closely employed as an investigator for the reigning emperor of japan, investigating crimes both of the normal and curse variety.

⁽ ☆ ⁾ THE MIND OUR GREATEST ALLY ⸺ KUSURIYA NO HITORIGOTO.

set in ming-era china, in which the relation between japan and china relied on diplomatic engagement, trade, cultural exchange and military conflict. dazai, trusted advisor of emperor murakami and a member of a small royal investigative agency headed by fukuzawa yukichi, is on loan to the reigning emperor of china to investigate a series of crimes across the region. he is firstly assigned to the rear palace to give a verdict on a series of deaths and disappearances both within the inner and rear palaces and in the surrounding cities. in this verse, dazai possesses no abilities and is a regular human, though much like maomao he is immune to most poisons and in tandem, medicines, after so many attempts on his own life.

⁽ ☆ ⁾ LIVING ITSELF IS THE SOURCE OF SIN ⸺ KIMETSU NO YAIBA.

finding no happiness and excitement in average, everyday life, dazai became a demon some two hundred years before tanjiro's story takes place. in doing so, dazai thought he would find the meaning of life and find some excitement in exposing himself to the horrors that eternal life can grant, but the adventures he dreamt of were lacklustre in comparison and thus left him with a further depreciation for life, especially the one muzan kibutsuji had granted him. unaffiliating himself later in his years, dazai has a similar relationship with the demon slayer corps that lady tamayo has. as a demon, dazai has joined forces with a league of human detectives, headed by fukuzawa yukichi they investigate strange happenings across the region of both the demon and average variety, calling on the demon slayer corps for further help when necessary. the agency has good relations with the demon slayer corps - though, most upon seeing dazai aligned with a human agency will at first think he is the target of their operations, and it takes some explaining. from his human life, dazai still possesses a great number of scars, and so more than half of his body stays wrapped in bandages, similar to canon. as a demon, dazai possesses great strength and regenerative abilities but no singular abilities - only that no longer human presents itself as an invulnerability to demon slayer breathing styles, and as such he is virtually unkillable, if only by standing in sunlight will he meet his end. this vexes him as it is his intention to die peacefully, and so when he comes into contact with demon slayers he does indeed invite them to try their luck, but to no avail. among the detective agency dazai is a trusted friend and ally despite his status as a demon, and mostly he takes on the nightly investigations and works within the office during the day, interviewing potential case holders and evaluating case importance. it is important to note that dazai has not killed a person in order to feed on them in fifty years, and possesses great restraint in this regard. similar to kamado nezuko, dazai rests for long periods of time in order to regain his strength, but it is also known that coming into contact with water will help restore some of his energy.

⁽ ☆ ⁾ THE WORLD‚ A PLACE OF BOTTOMLESS HORROR ⸺ UNDECIDED.

what is says on the box ... where my undecided verses can go until i find a name for them / flesh them out. at the moment this just remains my kny verse and a blue eye samurai interjection of dazai's character.

[ninkaku]

  ▍ CASE FILE . . . DOSTOEVSKY, FYODOR ⤻ @starspurn .

the autumn chill meant that dazai had bundled himself accordingly, the gentle breeze filtering from the bay ruffling the scarf he'd stolen from the office and the blanket that one of the elderly had given him to drape over his legs before the start of the event. saturdays meant that the walkway of yamashita park became a spot for local chess fanatics to come and mingle, rain or shine, no matter the season. some professionals and some amateurs, dazai had started frequenting the spot some time ago, finding it the best way to fight boredom and entertain himself without the need for performance.

idly stretching, he checked the time before pocketing his phone, politely declining the offer to be joined by another of the players with a bow his head and a quiet, i'm waiting for someone. unlikely that his chosen partner would miss the opportunity to talk, and dazai had picked their meeting spot on the bothersome notion that he'd rather avoid a knife to the back, bullet to any part of him, non - vital or not. not that he underestimated the dramatic flair for attention that could inevitably present itself, the fearlessness of being caught. simply a deterrent, if nothing else. the people that would surround them free of sin, innocent bystanders to a cause they had no knowledge of.

at last spotting his approach, dazai's hollowed smile, though wide and crinkling at the corners of his eyes gave away nothing, asked for nothing in return. when fyodor was close enough, he lazily stretched out a leg to push the opposite chair out, somewhat inviting, and removed the blanket from his legs to offer it out. an enthusiastic wave to set the pace. “ fyodor! i was hoping you'd get my message. ” waiting for the friendly tournaments to start, he span the board back and forth, unsure which side to play, light or dark. he'd let fyodor decide. “ i come here most weekends. great place to make friends, inconspicuous of a meeting place, too. most of these people are strangers with nothing to talk about, it's funny how much of themselves people will give away when they think nobody else is listening ... no? ”

[ninkaku]

 ▍ CASE FILE . . . KUNIKIDA, DOPPO ⤻ @nightmaretv .

“ kunikida. ” dazai's voice, pitched into a pitiful whine as he cradled his jaw and slowly dragged himself behind his partner. no response. and so he would try it again, tone pitched higher, if even possible. “ kunikiiiiidaaaa. ” the slow drawl of his name only drowned out by the passing traffic alongside them, and anyone would have considered themselves lucky that the blow kunikida had delivered didn't knock them into the road itself, however dazai found himself forlorn with this realisation. “ kunikida has to be lying, ” he started then, airing out a grievance with the click of his tongue against the roof of his mouth as he nursed the sore spot burning on the side of his face. “ math teacher ... hmph. where did you get your degree, a juvenile detention centre? ”

[ninkaku]

“ would they be wrong ? to remind me how lucky i must be ? ” gentle jest, having taken the bait and tilting his head with the question, gaze washed in warmth settling over her features and continuing to perpetuate a devoted obsession for her, a painting in its own right. delicate lines of her body moulded against his, as she spoke dazai pressed a kiss to her hair and used the opportunity to look over their shoulders to ensure they were still being watched, three pairs of eyes averting their gaze too quickly to be innocent. “ just how obsessed do you want me to be ? ” fingers at her waistline trailing towards the curve of her hips for a moment before withdrawing, settling at the small of her back. “ if i steal you away now for a private tour, we'll miss our chance for a quick chat before the bidding starts. ” and perhaps the start of the bids themselves, if he took his time in admiring the art. “ everyone here can see what the sight of you in that dress is doing to me. that i'm behaving. ” lips meeting bare shoulder with a quiet hum of questioning, before back straightened as she took the glass from between his fingers and magentas turned their attentions from his words to the painting itself. his research had been quick, nothing of notable importance but the details in which the painting was born from, details he didn't care much for until yosano herself spoke them.

brows raising in acknowledgement, then a gentle furrow to her question. does it make you feel anything ? dazai had stared at it for some time, and in the moments that passed no emotion stirred within him, his soul unmoved by the imagery in front of them and the use of colour, the devotion in the brushstrokes, though careful and true, if speaking a language it was one he could not understand. as vibrant as it was, to him it was no more than an empty canvas that served to taunt his lack of understanding, looking within him only to the black hole existing at his very core. a breath sucked between his teeth and the subtle lift of his shoulder, his answer as quick as it was flippant. “ not a thing ... oh well. ” aired tone speaking words, ambers leaving the mess of shapes to settle on yosano's features as she pulled back, the ghost of her lips upon his cheek, hand lifting to tuck a loose strand of hair behind her ear. “ if all artwork posed to rouse emotion from everyone there'd be very little individuality left in experiencing it, no ? less so in designing it. ” fingertips brushing as he regained ownership of the flute, raising to take a sip and lips touching the stain of her lipstick against the glass. “ the lack of a reaction is still a reaction ... ” then hearing footsteps come to a stop just behind them, guests inspecting the painting for themselves in the time that remained before they would take their seats. the cadence, dazai remembered from their turnabout the room upon their arrival. their target, finally in place. speaking louder, tone lilting to catch their attention as though they hadn't wandered into their delicately set trap. “ maybe we should ask someone else. don't you agree, darling ? ” body turning, performance of surprise etched across his features as he interjected himself quietly into their conversation, yosano alongside. “ pardon the intrusion, ” head bowed a moment before continuing, inviting nature to his movements, the flicker of his gaze between the painting and their target, the incline of his head and softness of his tone. “ we were just discussing the piece, and i wonder if you can settle a debate for us ... ? ” gaze cast to yosano, lips twitched upwards, leaving space for her to fill the silence of his question. / @yoseno .

out of the corner of her eyes, she could spot the mantel of previous donors, almost like some prestigious version of a trophy. gold - plated and engraved, she could understand the success of such a gala, of its yearly anticipation. the wealthy would rather take a blade to their throats than partake in simple joys of the mundane, and instead create meaningless competitions akin to pissing contests, a show of who was more wealthy, who cared about their communities more than the other. who could shell out the most funds in the name of whatever charitable focus had gotten their attention for the time. it was enticing, a drug, and she couldn't blame them. she wondered if their stint would land them upon their hall of fame, pseudonyms engraved and forever etched into this false story they'd crafted — a mockery of their livelihoods, a breach in their gated society.

perfectly formed, endearing smile graced her features as she looked at him with stars in her eyes, as if she continued to fall further in love with him with every passing moment. he made it particularly easy to do so, the average women already fell for his whims when he played into his fabricated insanity ( but, who was yosano to judge ? she'd hardly seen him in practice outside of what he'd done with their interactions, she was no fair judge of the skills he, no doubt, had up his sleeves ). side of her body angled in his direction, comfortably flushed to his side as though fitted puzzle pieces. “ you could stand to be more obsessed with your fiancée, the men stared at me after your departure as though they wanted to ravage me. ” it was feedback, playful criticism, but the lilt in her words revealed another layer to them, she was hinting, baiting. “ the society here really value their gentlemen. i bet our target will talk primarily to you about everything except to tell me i'm stunning, and that you're so lucky to have me. ”

it was not rage, but resigned indifference. she was used to it, having grown well adapted to the weaponization of her standing, of her femininity. her attention fixated on the painting, slight nods to his explanations. she was no expert, but she'd visited enough galleries to identify the skill in craft, the use of lacquer to create a masterpiece. the name of the play stirred lost files of her knowledge that she'd forgotten she had. “ not sure the human aspect matters so much but i know this particular narrative contrasted the traditionalism of the time. it's very western in comparison, more direct and explicit in storytelling essentials. ” she'd gone through a phase, an obsession with the arts, and still tried to keep it in her life in some way or form. it was evidently coming to play when needed. she reached out to gently take his flute, bringing it to her lips to take a small sip. “ does it make you feel anything ? ” head tilted ot the side slightly as she inspected it further, as if it were supposed to instill something within her. it didn't. only awe at the skills it took to create such a piece. “ i've never understand when people get emotionally charged with most artwork. it happens very rarely for me. ” and head turned to face him, pressing a kiss to his cheek, lips lingering as she trailed over his skin before hardly pulling back, “ does it make me odd ? ”

[ninkaku]

  ▍ CASE FILE . . . BEI, USHI ⤻ @leventar .

something had to be said for the simple fact that the sky seemed to reflect the gravity of most situations. a dark cloud had settled itself above yokohama's skyline, swallowing the higher floors of the city's pillared towers in a dense fog, rain pooling in the streets mere hours into its stay. in the absence of a crack in the gloom, night fell quickly and only served to aid in whatever secret meeting ushi had taken it upon herself to orchestrate, a message of coordinates and timestamps having disturbed dazai's plans for a quiet evening pondering if the usage of cable ties made for a good enough method of strangulation. probably for the best, as the more he thought about it, barely seeking shelter from the rain as he hopped around puddles in the car lot, the more he remembered the irritating sensation of plastic rubbing against the skin of his wrists, which would be far less pleasant on the neck. another useless notion tossed out of the window as dazai located her car, the port mafia's licence plate all too memorable, and clambered inside, dripping all over the nice leather seats with an odd air of satisfaction and a squeak of his clothes as he settled. there was a reason he hadn't bothered to bring an umbrella. “ ushiiii ... ” blinking at her, the corners of his lips twitched upward in lieu of a proper greeting. “ looking well ... and dry. can't say the same for myself, or your car. ” a sad gesture to the puddle pooling beneath his form and a gentle shake of his hair, and if a few droplets managed to reach her, an added bonus. “ any reason we couldn't do this ... indoors? you know the ceasefire extends to cafes, yes? ”

[osaumu]

working side by side with the agency's doctor was an opportunity that presented itself far too little. or rather, for far less reasons than dazai's own pain and discomfort, patching him up after kunikida knocked him down yet another peg, or in the aftermath of dazai having attempted something wild and dangerous in the name of finding himself in an early grave. though, a courtesy call to a former client who had required treatment in their aftermath of their case saw them paired together, yosano to check the healing of their injuries and dazai in accompaniment to collect the final notes on the outcome of the case.

they should have driven, dazai had began to think he would rather have suffered behind the wheel or in the passenger's seat than where he'd truly ended up, standing at the edge of an alleyway whilst yosano cooed and fretted over a box of puppies further inside. he'd already made firm eye contact with the mother, had been unable to tear his eyes away from her lest she suddenly sprout up and attack him, but the longer yosano stayed crouched with her arms reaching into the box, the more he began to fidget.

⅋ @leventar, yosano akiko . . . “ they’re so cute, i could steal them and take them home. ”

“ mhm. ” a curt response, dazai uneasily shifting from left to right and heaving a sigh, head tilting towards the sky before he shook himself right again. “ it's not stealing if they're free to a good home. ” from his safe distance, he pointed to the words scrawled on the front of the box, then shifted his gaze to yosano's form with pursed lips, trying once again to see if he'd mastered mind control in an effort to silently make her move. “ we should go. ” he was forced to say instead, when that didn't work. not usually eager to work, dazai knew he would be only a matter of time before she questioned his true motives. the thought of having to admit his ... dislike for the animals in question forced a frown to take shape upon his lips. “ i'm sure some dysfunctional family on the brink of divorce will take pity on them thinking it'll save their marriage. let's go. ”

[ninkaku]

  ▍ CASE FILE . . . KUNIKIDA, DOPPO ⤻ @doppogin .

rock, then paper, then paper again, then rock again. scissors? no, paper again. five consecutive wins stacked against his already growing tally, dazai could practically feel the heat radiating from his partner from where they sat, facing each other with their arms outstretched and fists hitting their palms before taking one of few shapes designed to cast a win. “ heheh. ” his laughter forged from somewhere deep in his chest, truthfully amused by the display of disbelief and anger dazai anticipated would be quick to follow if the losses continued. “ it's like you're not even concentrating, kunikida. are your lenses outdated? should we book an appointment to get your eyes tested? ” a wiggle of his fingers in kunikida's direction, and what dazai forced to sound like a genuine enquiry, he knew kunikida would take for the jab it truly was, words falling from his lips at the same time a satisfied smile made home across his features, eyes narrowed menacingly. “ do you still think you can win? we should bet something on it. ” and there lay the true intention, the bet, a prize dazai wanted to win so badly that he had thought to make them play in the absence of having anything better to do during their half of the stake - out, not yet needed for surveillance and yet not ready to be dismissed, their presence a necessary assurance.

[ninkaku]

childish repetition of words leaving his tongue, muttered under his breath as eyes rolled. “ mrrmrrmrricouldtakeyou, whatever. chuuya hasn’t put me through enough today ? ” petulance laced in tone. “ take what i dish out … tch— i owe you four bullets and a broken leg. remind me when this is all over and i'll pencil you in. ” auburns turned to embers long burned out, empty caverns with playful nature not alight in their centre, the depth of thoughts that threatened to swallow him dark and bottomless. despite harsh warmth that settled somewhere between his ribs, pain ebbed that could not be relieved, not physical but of the soul. gaze settling on plastics glued to canines with inquisitive narrowing. a decently done job, amusing enough to rouse a huff of air through his nose as he poked at them, absently humming to words of idle dispute. “ huh ? what ? say that again, i don't speak idio—AAHHCHCH. ” twitch of dazai's lips that disappeared all too quickly in mild frustration at the bite to his finger, though deserved as it might have been. tongue clicking against the roof of his mouth as fingers withdrew from chuuya's mouth to instead manoeuvre him closer, forcing him into hovering over his lap instead and ignoring the twinge of his injured leg and any barked arguments in favour of once again bringing their faces closer. “ bad. i said don’t. ” taking in the warmth of chuuya’s cheeks and invading his mouth again. searching, searching ... until, pop ! a tab of glue at the back of his teeth acting as a releasing mechanism, fake fangs sliding away with an ease that finally brought forth a smug smile.

withdrawing, dazai spared a moment to look at the plastics settled in the palm of his hand, gaze scrutinizing. all pretend, and he hadn't been certain of it until the muted relief had settled heavy and dreadful in the pit of stomach as gravity cushioned his fall in the elevator. a sacrifice he hadn't yet been allowed to make. the thought that all the things he'd said over the swell of rushing water, chuuya had heard. every horrible word of it, solemn sacrifice for the betterment of their beloved city or not, he had heard it and dazai had spoken it not knowing it wouldn't be the last thing he would ever say to him. one thing he had been awarded in his failure to anticipate dostoevsky’s moves, time. arm raised, he disposed of the props by throwing them over the ledge of the helipad as if bidding them proper goodbye, then settling back on one of his palms. the weight in his lap withdrawing, free hand settled on the back of chuuya's thigh with a silent urgency, chin raising to allow auburns to settle on his features once again, dark and heavy under the close shadow of his form. earth meeting sea. “ i— ... ” ivories gnawing at the inside of his cheek in the mimic of a pout, sour taste falling on his tongue and making him grimace. “ for once, ” words spoken to the wind and distant, yet uninterrupted radio static with a deep honesty awarded to few, holding his gaze. “ i’m thankful chuuya isn’t some mindless dog. that he’s just chuuya. ” shoulders deflating with a weight lifted and the corners of his lips twitching upwards but falling short of genuine, a tried and trusted sadness at their edges. “ and maybe for the broken leg. you could have done a lot worse. ” he likely wanted to. an ode to weeks of hostile silence between them, to chuuya showing up just as he always did, no questions asked despite the words they’d spat at each other. dazai a risk he'd still taken. chuuya an everlasting trust - fall. even at his worst, even when his plans fell like water through his hands, he remained. “ thanks, partner. ” blinking his gaze to another direction, settling on the connection of thigh to palm and the warmth radiating from the touch, bridge of dazai's nose crinkling in something close to embarrassment, a quiet sense of undoing lingering in his chest. then peering at him with a hint of surrender, pushing himself closer with a twinge of pain in his bloodied brow. “ you should shoot me again now, before i start making all kinds of silly declarations. ”

“ i don't know if that was ever somethin' agreed upon. not my fault y'can't take what ya dish out. ” a beat. “ did y'even do your trainin'? so weak, still. could take you. easy. ” some foolish double entendre. he couldn't help the air of laughter building within, but none of it was particularly funny. perhaps, at first. perhaps, in the early stages of this hastily thrown - together plan to thwart a russian asshole but as expected with the conditions of most missions, it'd gotten too real. opened wounds that chuuya hadn't anticipated to expose, all the while playing the role of an unfazed vampire. sometimes he wondered if he would prefer it that way, the mindlessness of it all. to simply do without thinking or feeling a thing. he wasn't sure he could fully comprehend it without it being the antithesis of his being — always felt too much, mind full of everything he couldn't fully understand. not a second of silence, save for the quiet rumblings that reverberated within. he wasn't an idiot, he could feel the air of discomfort passing between the two of them, this awkward, stupid dance they were doing as though it could absolve the words said.

knee - jerk reaction to shout in alarm as he felt that familiar grasp over his face, brows furrowing and twitching with the natural instinct to defend himself. muscles tensing and fists forming as he fought the urge to kick him directly into the stomach just to escape his hold. “ hah ?! ” nearly muffled as his mouth widened for his inspection, storms flickering towards that wretched, wretched hand wiggling. definitely a rendition of what had to be his worst nightmare. “ an' y'think i' ng'n th'mood ? ” firstly delivered without his mouth fully shut, the fangs definitely not helping. his own hand was quick to swat at his chest, but it was meekly executed. he wanted the plastic out, and it clearly wasn't working when left to his own devices. he continued to glare at his ex - partner, releasing a stubborn huff before twisting in place, trying to maneuver his body so that he was comfortably facing him. shuffled closer, resting over his knees. “ no promises. ” struggled to emphasize the 'p', with a defeated grunt. cheeks were warmer now, slightly tinted to a light hue of pink. he'd decided if he said one word about it, he would punt him. it would have been more humiliating if they weren't alone, and for that, he was grateful that the damn helicopter was nowhere to be seen. / @ninkaku

[ninkaku]

  ▍ CASE FILE . . . KUNIKIDA, DOPPO ⤻ @doppogin . ❪ . . . ❫ “ I KNOW YOU NEED SPACE, AND I REALLY TRIED TO STAY AWAY, BUT I GOT WORRIED. ”

kunikida and dazai exist in much an endless cycle. dazai does the things that kunikida will scold him for and does not do the things kunikida asks of him. dazai pushes kunikida's buttons and forces him to take action against him and in most cases, thoroughly enjoys it. cherishes the rush that he gets from the lapels of his jacket being gripped, the disruption he causes to not only kunikida's day, but the entirety of the agency's office as a whole. where kunikida holds himself to a strict schedule, dazai makes it his mission to throw him off of his course in whatever ways possible. they bicker and dazai laughs, but at the core of this cycle lies their unfaltering ability to come together and solve whatever is placed before them. in this cycle they fight, they solve and they save, and above all, they do not fail. sometimes. as dazai has come to forcibly reconcile the fact of his own probable humanity under the president's watchful eye, failure exists in the corners of his existence and surfaces to mock him, wherever possible.

failure comes to him now in the shape of a failed assignment, a miscalculation sending their target wilfully over the edge of a building with a smile widened by a relief dazai recognised too late, propelling himself forward and holding onto her wrist with the feeble explanation that not all bad things need to end. a hypocritical notion from someone who spends so much of his time denying that very thought, and she must have thought so too, seeing the likeness in his own eyes, and then forcing her wrist from his grip and meeting the ground anyway. there one moment and dead the very next. slinking away from his case notes dazai had later taken himself to the quiet of the office's rooftop, cigarette crumbling to ash between his fingers a lifeline, as stupid as he finds it. a reminder of a promise made, to save people, never mind the subdued anger that not everyone, dazai himself included, wants to be saved. he's unphased by kunikida's presence, expecting the check - in as inevitably as he expects his own early grave, and simply huffs a laugh. “ space is for astronauts. ” words humourless, arms resting on the railings and his back still turned. “ kunikida can go where he likes, but he's stupid to worry. ” slight uplift to his tone, and as the other man joins him, he flashes a pressed - together smile in his direction before leaning his head briefly over to look at the ground, then bringing his gaze back as though asking kunikida to do the same. “ i've got no interest in jumping. this building isn't tall enough to cause any real damage, just a whole lot of pain i'm not too interested in feeling. ”

[ninkaku]

  ▍ CASE FILE . . . TANIZAKI, JUN'ICHIROU ⤻ @sekayuki .

most within the agency would agree that whilst working alongside dazai rendered terrific results, they would rather drag their bare feet over hot coals because his unpredictability, his complacence for acting without a script, terrified them. from where they stood at the doors to the auction, dazai could see the unease eating away at his partner - he couldn't remember the last time he and tanizaki had been paired together, likely because he and kunikida were joined at the hip, or more so ... hand to collar, as kunikida saw fit to drag him where he wanted to get the job down within his own standards. but in what he remembered, they worked well. “ something bothering you? ” the question genuine in its delivery, tone hushed though dazai was sure nobody was paying them any attention, disguised as servers for the event as opposed to attendees, designed to fit in and not draw any unwanted attention to themselves until the time was right. “ it'll be fiiiiine ... ” the idle flip - flop of his hand as though trying to wave away the concern he could see creeping its way forward, eyeing the crowds of peope finally taking their seats. “ want to go over the plan one last time? ” they had ranpo to thank for the brilliant design of the timeline, dazai there to fill in the gaps where necessary until the perfect scheme had been concocted, fool - proof if only they managed to stick to it, minute by meticulous minute.

[ninkaku]

  ▍ CASE FILE . . . AKUTAGAWA, GIN ⤻ @ephamerel . ❪ . . . ❫ “ i wasn't expecting you. ”

clouded sunlight struggled to reach through the narrow opening above the alleyway, two buildings sandwiched together so tightly it was any wonder anyone knew about the space between them at all. the only way out would be up, or back from the point of entry, and against the dampness of the dead - end stood dazai, hands pocketed and head tipped to the sky to watch the distorted shapes passing overhead - until footsteps broke the silence, glass shards crushed into concrete under the weight of them, and he lowered his gaze to meet her.

a gentle shrug to lift his shoulders, i wasn't expecting you, dazai feigned insult with a soft hum of acknowledgement and a shake of his head. “ only so many detectives the agency can spare, on the potential outcome that the port mafia betray us and try to dwindle our numbers. ” a long blink and the click of his tongue. “ i'm sure you understand. ” really, dazai had volunteered his time, the best person to meet with the port mafia being one of their own - as their figurehead had said dazai always would be, and dazai chose to believe him, knew it somewhere deep within his marrow that it was a sickness he'd never shake, a part of him so integral to who he tried to be outside of the web spun by his own hands. however distanced he kept himself, whatever ties he severed to make it so, he would always have been one of them in name and in blood. “ soo ... ” hands withdrawing from his pockets and clasping in front of him as he pushed off of the wall, no better way to show he had no tricks laying within them. “ i'm here. ”

[ninkaku]

“ it's in the fine print ! ” singing the words as he stepped further away. nobody ever read the fine print, not even dazai, so he couldn't be certain it said anything to that effect at all. watching him with eyes half - lidded in smug amusement, hands clasped behind his back and barely trying to suppress the smile twitching at his cheeks. “ oh. you're right ... ” widened eyes nodding in faux earnest, speaking between his sentences and looking between chuuya the body when the answer came to him. “ still you. ” then blinking innocently as chuuya stood, expression flickering into a performance of fear as he neared, and dazai took a wary few steps backwards. “ oh no, i'm sooo scared—ah, no no. wait. stop, why is your face like that. ” hand raising to wave in the opposite direction to chuuya's own, shooing him away, slow at first and then quickening in pace. “ chuuya, bad. bad chuuya. it's in the fine print. IT'S IN THE FINE PRINT. ”

“ ceasefire rules don't say shit about me not beatin' the fuck outta y'sorry ass ! ” he was certain they'd even encourage it. from the agency's standpoint, as well. fairly certain they would offer him up on a silver platter if it meant to witness getting his shit rocked. small tint of redness streaked over pale cheeks, eyebrow twitching with the most intense urge to carry him somewhere and drop him in a hole. “ don't tell me what to do ! ” slight growl in raised voice, foot stomping over the cement to further emphasize his point though anyone would see him akin to a chihuahua throwing a temper tantrum. storms flickered towards the body, sprawled out and positioned awkwardly, various rips in the shirts from stabbings, the bleeding long - stopped prior to their arrival, silhouette shrouded in deep crimson. chuuya stepped towards the body, just a tad closer, crouching down to inspect the hair, the clothes, and grimaced. “ it is very clear who's shorter ?! ” and stood right back up, walking towards dazai with determination, hand waving in his direction as though to gesture him closer, “ c'mere, i'm gonna make you shorter than him. c'mere. C'MERE. ”

[ninkaku]

 ▍ CASE FILE . . . NAKAJIMA, ATSUSHI ⤻ @byekko . ❪ . . . ❫ “ maybe we need, like, smelling salts or something. ”

osamu dazai could be labelled many things. heartless, cutthroat and ruthless, those were words that would be tacked to his name in his previous life. within the agency, those that hung above his head akin to lazy, irresponsible, and his personal favourite, waste of space and bandages. the placements changed daily. kunikida, upon dazai's fashionably late arrival to the offices that morning, had deigned to call him all three, and so dazai had taken it upon himself play the parts of the titles so graciously bestowed upon him, and in the following hours had planted himself on one of the couches and pretended to sleep away his responsibilities and tasks for the day. it obviously would work no further in his favour when the likes of naomi and kenji started to poke around his stilled form, trying quietly to rouse him from so - called sleep. if anyone dared extend a hand to test his pulse, dazai had already decided that he'd cause further mayhem by slowing his heartrate to an undetectable rhythm, just to get everyone's blood flowing and provide him with some much needed entertainment.

only at the addition of atsushi's voice did his plans shatter, and in remaining unmoving dazai cursed the fact that he hadn't heard his approach, annoying. maybe we need, like, smelling salts or something ... a perfectly innocent statement, tone perhaps imperceptible to everyone but dazai, who could hear the bored drawl, the poke of fun that only served to burst the bubble - atsushi had bore witness to the last time dazai had been subjected to smelling salts, knew all too well the visceral reaction he'd had, the hours after spent with his head buried in his arms and eyes stinging. sensing that the jig was well and truly up, dazai finally peeled open his eyes, feigning the exhaustion of someone who hadn't slept in days and meekly stretching out his limbs before casting his gaze to the three of them. “ oh? ” an owlish blink as he sat up, batting a yawn with his hands. “ hey, what time is it? did i miss something? ”

[ninkaku]

tags.

人間失格 ⁽ ☆ ⁾ TITLE.

FEATURING ⤻ CHARACTER NAME.

CONNECTION ⁽ ☆ ⁾ TITLE. ⤻ URL.

VERSE ⁽ ☆ ⁾ VERSE TITLE ⸺ SETTING.

⸌  ⋆  ooc.