purrtagonist | [Day 2, daytime: Dazai, Ichigo]

[. . . yeeeeeeah that's not a good sign. Akira's about to say something else when Dazai interjects, and he winds up letting out a soft, amused snort in the end]

I'm not exactly sure what dirty qtips have to do with anything, Dazai-san.

Edited 2017-12-11 05:49 (UTC)

Huh, looks like he still remembers the first aid kit he was lying on.

[Yes. It was FULL OF Q-TIPS. It was awful and it might still be in the kitchen, actually.

After a second, he looks towards the book still on the nightstand - the one with the burnt cover - and he picks it up, flipping through it again.]

...Still can't believe the protagonist in this is called 'Nasty Crimeboy.'

[... peeks eyes open to squint at Ichigo.

then patting at the bed because he wants his book but like hell he's sticking out his bare arm to get it himself.]

[. . . . . . . . . . . . . NASTY CRIMEBOY]

[there's a few moments of silence, gaze flickering from Dazai to Ichigo and back again. and when he speaks? it's in a bit of a grumble]

That's-- seriously the main character's name?

[Dazai, use your words. He doesn't know why you're patting the bed?? He just. Pats back.

As for Akira, Ichigo just. Blinks. Is there an issue with this character and his weird name?]

What? I just thought it was a joke, or something. I haven't really gone through this yet - I only had enough time to skim it.

[... that is somehow really adorable????

kind of stares at Ichigo's pats with some kind of fuzzy surprise before patting the bed again.]

Book.

[because it was safe on the bed but then a lot of things happened, so... lost track of it.]

. . .

[he lifts a hand, fingers sliding underneath his glasses, to pinch the bridge of his nose. he'd grab Dazai's book for him, but. he doesn't know where it is so that's unfortunately going to have to be something Ichigo does]

If it's a joke, it's a stupid one.

[he says bluntly. and, after only a moment of hesitation. . .]

That book-- [jerks a thumb towards the one in Ichigo's hand] -- is why I came to see Dazai-san in the first place.

...Look under your pillow.

[He's pretty sure it's still on the bed??? somewhere??? Give him a second Dazai, he needs to talk to Akira about this other book he's still flipping through.]

Ah? Really? Why would you -

[Pauses.

Thinks it over.

Hands over the book to Akira.]

Sorry.

[AH, NO?

actually darting hand out to grab Ichigo's wrist before he can hand it over completely. it's uncomfortable. it'd be even more uncomfortable if he weren't drugged up, since there's marks all up and down his arm, but also.]

Akechi-kun was gonna spare it. But set it on fire when I caught him.

[which is why he took it. and why he's not gonna allow someone to destroy it because it means someone's trying to hide something incriminating.

which he can't really. word. words are hard. look, he's doing his best. and Akira had better explain why the hell that kid tried that.]

[a look of relief flashes on Akira's expression as Ichigo starts to hand the book over. but then Dazai stops him, and that expression vanishes in an instant]

[. . .]

[a small sigh. Akira leans back, folds his arms, taps his foot against the ground and affixes the older man with a steady, even gaze]

Why don't you just ask me what it is you want to know? Then you don't need a book.

[better to hear it all from Akira himself, rather than a neutral, dispassionate source that can't explain the complexities of everything that happened back home]

[WHOA OKAY

He definitely didn't expect to be grabbed, but he stops all the same.]

...Should I leave, then?

[Because, you see, Ichigo knows about not intruding into someone's heart. At least, not until they're ready to tell you themselves, and his comment was aimed at Dazai.]

[hush a moment, Ichigo-kun, there's only so much he can process right now.

first and foremost, a blunt question for Akira-kun:]

Are you taking responsibility for him?

[to Ichigo:]

No. You can stay.

[he's already skimmed the book. he's already a part of this. and then, to Dazai:]

And, yeah. I am. I'm also telling you I know what's contained in that book-- about him, about me-- and I'm willing to tell you all of it.

But only if we can make a deal, first.

[ah. the caveat. words from a kid who is far too used to negotiating, far too used to getting what he wants through bartering]

[Ichigo will remain silent for a bit, because he'll let Akira make his deal. It's the least he can do, after all.]

[those words do little to get any kind of change from Dazai's expression. making deals is his forte.

including analyzing where the possibility of traps are.

... though being ill and drugged definitely has him at a disadvantage]

Your conditions?

Edited 2017-12-12 02:30 (UTC)

[they're Akira's forte, too. Trickster that he may be, however? his deals don't usually contain traps or misdirection. not unless he's trying to get out of one himself, first]

. . . everything that I say in this room today stays between the three of us, and only the three of us.

Nothing I'm going to tell you is relevant to the game we're playing, and none of it will put anyone else here at risk.

Of course.

[He says it with no hesitation at all - after all, whatever it is, it's Akira's choice to share it with them.

The least he can do is keep it quiet.]

[the bleary stare of someone who expects another item]

... is that all?

[he's almost? disappointed? meh.]

[sorry Dazai, he doesn't want that much!!]

[he also gives Ichigo a grateful nod, the flicker of a smile appearing on his lips. then? bac to Dazai]

I'd like to keep the book too, if you'd let me. But that's negotiable, while the rest isn't.

I'd be fine with handing back over, but it's really up to Dazai.

[He did get stopped when he tried to hand it back, after all.]

[... this kid could just feed them lies tho.

question is: does he care enough?

not really but also--]

After you explain, I'll make that call.

[seems fair to him, since obviously there are things they dont want to reveal and he has skimmed it so if Akira lies, he'll know its a deal made in bad faith]

[. . . okay. that's fair. even if he still feels like this deal is skewed a bit too much in Dazai's direction? he'll take it]

[with a nod, Akira flaps a hand at the book, before he folds his arms again. and, with the deepest of sighs, he begins]

Well, first things first.

[makes. . . a face]

There's a 90% chance that I'm Nasty Crimeboy.

[Well that's gonna get... a blank look at first, and then ramp up to something between humor (because holy shit that's amazing) and empathy (because holy shit that's not even anywhere near his actual name, at least his book just made an apple pun), and you can clearly see that he's fighting to hold in his laughter while also feeling bad about the fact that he wants to laugh so badly you guys

Finally, he manages to squeak out something]

I, uh...I see.

[NO REALLY DUDE HE'S SORRY BUT THIS IS FUNNY AS SHIT]

[drawing his arm back under the blankets because like. reasons. also still drugged and thus shutting his eyes.

but not looking especially surprised. HE KNOWS PROTAGS.]

Ah, is that so.

[god maybe Dazai won't even remember half of this conversation because he's TOO DRUGGED TO FOCUS]

[to Ichigo]

Please don't ask, I don't have an answer.

[RUBS HIS TEMPLE. . . another sigh, and he continues]

Anyway. Before coming here, I was the leader of a group of-- thieves.

[there's a brief pause before he says "thieves," only because he was trying to think of a more delicate way to put it before he realized there wasn't one. ah, well. they were thieves, and thieves they would always be]

We took it upon ourselves to steal the distorted desires of the wicked. Change their hearts so they would confess to their crimes with their own mouths and spend the rest of their lives carrying their guilt on their shoulders. It was our. . . justice, you could say. Our way of reforming a society in which the powerful took advantage of the weak.

Goro Akechi-- [wags a finger at the book again, since he doesn't know what Akechi's dumb alternate name is] Was the detective that opposed us.

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