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

[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? ”

[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 . . . 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]

  ▍ 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? ”

[ninkaku]

chin lifting with the tip of her pen, gaze once pleading turned to something disappointed and dulled, narrowing at her briefly. “ you're enjoying this far too much. ” the image of him beneath her and pleading, not as though they hadn't been here before. then leaning forward and lifting his head from beneath her desk to rest his chin on yosano's knee, head tilting pathetically to the side and lips pouted. “ so cruuueeel, as if it's my fault you lacked security measures for your inventory. if anything, i did you a favour ! you should thank me. i can already think of several ways you can start. ” bringing his arms to rest in her lap and lashes fluttering, at this point whatever reaction he pulled from her would be preferable to an hour spent face - down in an old, smelly gym mat. and kunikida would be sure to give him the rattiest one, right from the back of the storeroom. fingers toying with the button of her coat, wistful sigh heaving from his lungs before dazai met her gaze again, burnt ambers flickering with something darker, quiet tut echoing between them before he spoke. using up all of his charmless wiles in an attempt to get her to do something, anything to keep him from the painful fate awaiting him beyond the doors to the infirmary. “ you call this begging ? you know i can do better. save me, and i'll demonstrate ... ”

in the distance, dazai could hear the low growl of kunikida's voice and stilled. he had begun his search, knowing he had dazai pinned like a mouse in an endless maze, no way out and nowhere to hide. gaze flickering to the door in his peripherals, his lips twitched with the sudden lightbulb that should have signalled above his head. looking up at her, he tapped her thigh gently. “ no ? ” he asked her, as though answering a silent question he hadn't needed to ask, you aren't going to help me ? before beginning to stuff himself back under the desk, using their precarious position to make it look as though yosano herself was trying to hide him away beneath the expensive oak. “ that's too bad ... hey, yosano ! ” spoken loud enough that anyone in the hall would be able to hear, teasing lilt to his voice disguised by performative noises of disagreement, pretending to push back against hands that had not ushered him either which way. “ no way, hide under your desk ? and miss kunikida's dedicated training session ? how bold of you ! ” footsteps approaching, loud and belonging to only one person. “ you'll COVER for me ? uwwwaahhh, you truly are a mastermi— ... ” enter: kunikida doppo, bursting through the door as though to say gotcha ! and then letting his analytical gaze flicker between them with the answer that dazai's shrill protests had already implemented into his mind. “ there you are. ” a cold look to dazai, kunikida's gaze narrowing as he watched him drape himself again over yosano's lap with a slow wiggle of his fingers in greeting, trying to climb out from the desk, albeit very slowly. then his gaze slid to the doctor, features twisting into a confused frown. “ what's he saying ? you were trying to help that vagabond skip out ? ” / @yoseno .

everyone had been prepped a month in advance the second kunikida had conjured up his contingency plan, after numerous attempts of getting dazai to show up to regularly scheduled training sessions and failing miserably. yosano cared little for the office shenanigans, simply showing up to complete the necessary paperwork, patch, and occasional case should it require her expertise. other times were spent at the clinics, with her colleagues, pretending as if she did not have the chaos of the agency to return to each day. but she couldn't lie and claim that it didn't amuse her the slightest, even now as she sat there looking down at the person in question. the agency's most wanted, and kunikida's ever - growing thorn. he was lucky she didn't have much to focus on, or perhaps, unlucky in this instance, allowing her the luxury of time to play with him when she would've otherwise ignored his presence. forced pout formed over her lips, brows furrowing as he flicked her shin, but it was mocking, taunting. “ was there loyalty when you ransacked my supply cabinet ? that now has to be kept locked because of you ? ” it was ages ago, it hardly peeved her, but she would bring it up as she deemed fit.

head cocked to the side as if inspecting him with scrutiny, with false pity, just as he requested. “ you had to have known you were just biding time. the man knows how to get results. ” the doctor crooned, leaning forward in her seat easily, end of her pen reaching just to be placed under dazai's chin, gently lifting up so that she could meet his gaze better. the agency had one job today and that was to ensure dazai would not miss another session, and it would be fairly easy to discern who gave in. it would not be yosano. magentas narrowed, maroons pursing in faux thought. “ you know i'd love to help ... ” tongue clicking over the roof of her mouth, defeated sigh leaving her lips. “ but my hands are tied. ” she really did not want to help. the condescension in her tone was evidence enough. “ begging doesn't really do it for me at this time. ”

[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]

  ▍ 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]

 ▍ 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.

[osaumu]

it could never be seen unless someone looked truly into the depths of all that lay between them, but the same tragedy bound them together in tightly woven strings. dazai would think of it more like a leash, in his palm held a direct tether to ango, and in ango's own hand lay the same. over the years they had become each other's safe insurance against enemies, a wildcard kept in their pockets only to be used if left with absolutely no other hand to play, without anyone else to turn to. their bond, whatever it might have been, now only knew debt and repayment ⸺ ango owed dazai the apology he'd never give, and dazai owed him the forgiveness he'd never feel and couldn't provide even if he forced it.

⅋ @gyofukuki, sakaguchi ango . . . “ i don't have a problem. you do, otherwise we wouldn't be having this conversation. ”

sitting across from him in a bar, anywhere but the bar lupin and without the company of old ghosts, dazai twirled the melting ice in his glass absently, the perfect sphere diluting the whiskey with each turn of his hand. “ you're smart, ango. don't insult me now by pretending you're not. ” a drawn out sigh, light and caught in his throat on its tail, the subtle roll of his eyes as dazai drew back to lean against the booth. “ my problems are created by your problems. ” dazai always repaid the favour in that regard, serving as the world's great distraction, a chaotic puzzle of pieces that never quite fit together. in the dim lighting, blackened gaze settled on ango's form, the words spoken as though he needed him, but the truth of worked out that it was only ever fair for the both of them to keep the other close, even if it served as a bitter reminder of all that lay between them, broken trust taped together by transactional moral similarities. their severed friendship held together by one thin string, the memory of someone they had both lost. odasaku would have put an end to their childish bickering at least ten minutes prior, so dazai would do so in his absence, just this once. “ but this one ... the least you can do for me is give the agency what they need to resolve it. ”

[osaumu]

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.

⁽ ☆ ⁾ 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, 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. the technique creates two other mirror images of dazai of his different formative ages, fifteen and eighteen, alongside his basic age in this verse of twenty-two and onward. this is set to confuse inhabitants and keep himself from harm. with the nature of his ability, dazai is considered an unregistered special grade as it is undiscovered if he can permanently rid a person of their cursed energy by touching their soul. 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. 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 ⸺ APOTHECARY DIARIES.

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]

ignoring the direct insults to his person, dazai took the moment to bow his head towards himself, one armpit and then the other, sniffing and then looking back with a shrug of indifference. “ smell's fine to me. must be you. ” then his gaze softened in ushi's direction, cooing spoken words. “ i've missed you too ! ” shifting to better face her, pants squeaking against the leather in a way that amused him, yet he ignored with a passive smile. catching the handkerchief and dabbing his face with it before flicking it back into her direction, watching it land in her lap with a satisfied hum. then their attentions turned to the files she procured, burnt ambers flickering over the pictures and typed notes, narrowed with both minute scrutiny and the inability to properly see using only the car's dimmed lights. taking them from her, dazai held them at differing odd angles to better make out the words. it was all coming together. he had already advocated to the agency that it was unlikely the port mafia would turn their back on a ceasefire they agreed to, pride one of their deadlier sins, much less instigate a very public shoot - out resulting in the kidnap of one of the agency's clients. a hard - won battle, but most had been agreeable considering dazai had strategized many of their contingencies still set in place, that he could put himself back in that mindset to think it through clearer than anyone else. somehow, the outcome that forced them to face the fact that a third - party sought to have them at each other's throats instead of looking for them was a far worse alternative, and unfortunately required a lot more work. work he had hoped to avoid as a result of this meeting. “ forgot to report ... ” the words a silent question, gaze sliding to the images depicting the unsavoury questioning of the poor doofus that made the genuine mistake. one that would likely never be made again. “ there's nothing else. ” he stated, bringing his gaze back to ushi's face an imploring tilt of his head, fingers absently flicking at the pages of the file with a muted expectancy to find more. “ they only took the car ? don't tell me you wanna leave out the juicy details. aren't we friends ? ”

the sound of rain pattering over the roof of the car would have been relaxing if not for the lack of steadiness in its descent, the rhythm off and akin to nails on a chalkboard. no story or rhyme to their dance, simply chaos. and it did nothing to settle the unease in her chest, that pesky organ beating and twitching as though it struggled to break through the cages, rebellious in nature. slender digits twirled the ends of teal locks, watching as the dim lighting of the car reflected off the tips, other hand comfortably placed over the flat of the concealed folder, silver tassel looped around securely. she'd rather not be out and about, away from the home base, despite being under the port mafia's care, meeting time and location under her control. how generous. she hardly reacted when the guff of wind hit in her face at his entrance, car shaking as he adjusted and settled, ignoring the sounds of wet fabric rubbing over the leather, the scent of wet dog filling her nostrils. “ dazai. ” almost a whine, caught in her throat. “ you didn't try to keep yourself dry, from the looks of it. or the smell of it. ” she blinked, finally shifting her gaze to focus on him, taking in the wet locks that'd curled from the rain, some droplets still sliding down his face. releasing her hair, she lowered her hand to subtly flick away stray droplets that'd landed over her arm. ivories bit down over crimsons as she pulled a handkerchief from her pocket and tossed it in his direction. “ cafes have big windows. and i don't want to be stuck with the bill for whatever you get. ” shifting in place, legs crossed at the knee as she undid the loop of the tassel to pull out one of the files from the folder. “ wasn't us — ” photographs attached to the page, license plate numbers, the lot of it. “ some doofus forgot to report it to inventory that one of the cars weren't logged after check - in. ”

[ninkaku]

dazai expects that dostoevsky will not share in his sentiment for simple conversation. still, he tuts as though to chastise him, eyeing his darkened pawns and already deciding his first move on the basis that he has studied his adversary enough to predict the likelihood of his own. “ it's only meaningless if you choose to ignore what it is they're really saying. ” a tap to the side of his nose as though sharing a secret between them, when they both know all too well that none remain. dazai is no stranger to the gathering of truths with means bloody and brutal, those that break the human psyche and revel in the futile attempt to put it back together whilst trying desperately not to allow a person's mind to be picked apart, piece by agonising piece. they just don't serve him, anymore. not like they used to. meeting his opponent's gaze, he jerks a thumb over his shoulder and indicates to two elderly women sitting behind them.

“ himari there, she just sent her grandson to university. tohoku. ” the slight widening of his eyes and a slow, quiet whistle, enunciating its importance, next words uttered on hushed tones between the pair. “ there's no way she could afford it, but the truth is that she's a rotten gambler. once we exchange partners, she'll watch your movements like this is a casino and most likely try to place a bet before remembering where she is. ” for all her efforts and intelligence in reading people, she still has never won against dazai. he gestures for fyodor to begin, leaning back in his own chair slightly, a show of relaxed ease despite the nature of their meetings. “ you've become very popular. the division for special abilities has taken a particular interest since that beautiful little stunt you pulled. ” a change of subject, down to the heart of their stances against one another. “ but i'm a little surprised you came, i figured you'd think i lead you into a trap as payment for that bullet you gifted me. ” the delicate wash of his hand through the air, the click of his tongue against the roof of his mouth. as if to say, you and i are both too clever for that. “ recovery was great, if you found yourself at all interested. have your man aim higher though, next time ? was a little inconvenient. ”

   ―   a waterfront park serves as a sufficient enough meeting place, one populated enough to lower the possibility of foul play by just a fraction.  it remains feasible, but he knows dazai's actions to be calculated : he'd have known his choice speaks of a desire to avoid confrontation, and he'd have known fyodor would gather as much.  he could have refused to meet anyway, left dazai to enjoy an afternoon of chess among the crowd drawn there  -  he considered it, weighed the option.  ultimately, what decided him was that he hasn't played a game in quite some time.  

the ever-present white ushanka hat cloaks his ears and head from autumn's chill.  he feels the cold rather keenly, an annoyance he combats with the liberal application of warm and fur-lined attire.  a scarf is drawn tight around his neck, thick enough that his chin nestles into it when he tilts his head down.  his hands are gloved and thrust into the pockets of a winter coat.  he returns dazai's smile with a thin, seemingly sincere reflection of the expression.  ❝ thank you for saving my seat. ❞  he indulges in meaningless niceties, speaking as if it had always been planned that they'd meet here  -  like two friends.

as he settles into his chair, the accepted blanket strewn across his legs with yet another delicate flutter of a smile, he leans forward.  his hand slams down, palm first, halting the board's spinning.  he shall play light.  

❝ so, that is what interests you about this place?  meaningless prattle with strangers? ❞  a light chuckle.  ❝ there are other methods of encouraging people to give themselves away.  but, alright.  let's say i'll indulge this.  it's been quite some time since i had a decent chess partner, after all. ❞