crowspace | For bandagedheart.

Entry tags:

c: ango,
t: thread

For bandagedheart.

[Of course, the attempted arson of Yokohama's biggest library makes the news. It's a huge library - not as big as the National Library, but certainly a sizable collection of books. It's 'attempted' arson because the fire was noticed quickly and put out before it could destroy more than a small section of the library.

The news reports the time of the arson, four o'clock in the morning, but doesn't specifically mention that this was long after library hours had ended - and that it would be strange for someone to be inside the library at the time, like there was.

Perhaps it's not surprising that someone walks in the detective agency the next day.]

Yooo. Got an arson job I'm looking to get detective-d.

[He looks like an asshole motorcyclist - leather jacket, fingerless gloves, and sunglasses that he's not going to take off when inside. He's not actually a motorcyclist, but he gives off that kind of air, all confidence and swagger.]

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[Boredom has become an everyday part of Dazai's life lately, so when this obnoxious looking guy comes strolling into the Agency with a request to investigate the attempted arson at Yokohama's largest library, Dazai is the first to volunteer for the job.

He rounds his desk, coat fluttering behind him as he saunters up to the leather clad stranger with a charming little smile. The others look on with raised brows, not used to Dazai volunteering for anything, let alone a job. But he desperately needs a distraction from the tedium, and what better opportunity than this??]

Why hello there! An arson you say? Could you mean the one at the library? I wasn't aware it was a matter that needed investigating, but I volunteer!

[Dazai offers up his hand to shake, looking far too pleased with himself right now.]

I'm Osamu Dazai, and you are?

[Ango's hand is already out to shake when Dazai gives his name, and someone as observant as Dazai will definitely notice the moment of hesitation and surprise where he freezes and his eyebrows raise, the 'there is something fundamentally weird about what you just said and I need to reevaluate what I'm doing' reaction.

Then he shakes Dazai's hand anyway, because what the hell.]

Sakaguchi Ango. Pleased to be working with you.

[Dazai does indeed notice the way Ango reacts to his name, and were he a believer in coincidences, he'd chalk the fact that this guy has the exact same name as his old friend up to that. But he doesn't believe in coincidences, and for Ango to look so bewildered upon hearing his name, he figures that he must know someone else named Osamu Dazai. What a strange world they live in!!

But he'll play it cool for now and act ignorant about the fact that this guy shares a name with his Ango.]

The pleasure is all mine!! Now, do you have a ride to the library? I can arrange for a taxi if not, but you look like the motorcycle type, and I'd be lying if I said I didn't want a ride!

Edited 2017-06-26 04:41 (UTC)

What do you need a ride for? It's in walking distance.

[It's a twenty minute walk, but some people aren't weenies and don't mind walking that far.]

Come on, I'll tell you the details on the way.

[He's not a weenie!! He just wanted a ride on a cool ass motorcycle!l]

Alright! Let's walk and talk!

[Dazai should probably question this guy more than he is, but he'll do anything to pass the time. It's funny; the difference in personality between this Ango and the one he knows is astounding. This guy is much more fun!

They arrive in front of the library and Dazai gives Ango a polite little smile.]

Might I ask how you got involved in this, hmm?

[He doesn't actually have a motorcycle, he just likes the aesthetic.]

Most people'll get mad if someone tries to burn their workplace down. Especially while they're in it.

[Ango pulls open the door.]

At the time of the fire, every window and door was locked, and there wasn't any evidence of damage for a break-in. But it was definitely arson with gasoline as fuel, and we don't keep gasoline in a library. So we're pretty stumped about a locked room arson.

[Ranpo will not shut up about the mystery, but he doesn't have any actual answers.]

[Too bad! Dazai is going to pout about it later!]

Ah, I see! A personal vendetta! Very well, then.

[Dazai saunters into the library, whistling as he takes a look around. He has a pretty good idea of how this happened; an ability user with a grudge against somebody somehow got in and did all this damage.]

An employee, perhaps? One with keys? They could lock the doors and windows and find some other escape route! It's very feasible!

[But probably not likely. Dazai isn't really trying that hard to figure this out yet; the answer is always ability users, but how much does this guy know about that world?]

May I ask what you do for a living? It's a relevant question, I promise!

Edited 2017-06-27 05:29 (UTC)

[The answer comes easily, and it's not a lie:] Repair damaged books.

[...it just doesn't mention that he does this by entering the books themselves and fighting the monsters that have tainted them so that the spread of corruption can be held at bay. Eh, same difference.]

Not too many ways to get out of the library without using the doors or windows. We don't have a way to access the roof.

[Somehow Dazai thinks there's more to Ango's job than just repairing books, but he keeps that to himself for now. But they aren't getting anywhere fast with this guesswork. Dazai already knows that the only way that this could've transpired is if an ability user somehow entered the library. He knows the Agency frowns upon talking about the existence of ability users with those who don't already know, but somehow he thinks this guy is already special, so why not ask him what he knows?]

I don't suppose you know what an ability user is?

Well enough. I'm not an ability user myself [he's something else] but I know a couple.

[Don't ask him to write a paper about how it works or anything, but he knows they exist.]

Good! Then perhaps you'll believe me when I tell you that this is 99.9% likely the work of an ability user! Perhaps teleportation or some other method of entering the library undetected with the materials necessary to start a fire!

[There's his poorly thought out theory. Hey, it could be plausible.]

It's not a bad theory, but how do you track down that kind of criminal? Don't suppose everyone's registered in a tidy database somewhere.

[He'd rather not, that sounds like a pain for people who don't like the government keeping track of them.]

Wouldn't that be convenient? It's much more fun to do some sleuthing, wouldn't you say?

[Of course Dazai would rather go take a nap now that he knows there's no motorcycle. But he promised to help. Sort of.]

Like, for instance, asking you about any unfamiliar faces that began frequenting the library days before the incident?

Edited 2017-07-02 18:21 (UTC)

[Sorry, Dazai, you're stuck with this job now.]

I don't work in the parts of the library that visitors are allowed into. And I'd definitely notice a new face in my wing, there's only about forty-five of us. Counting the cat.

[The cat is a legitimate government employee.]

Cat? How curious!

[Welp, that about exhausts Dazai's ideas. Some detective he is. But to be fair, there's not exactly a whole lot they can do without more information. Tapping his chin, Dazai hums as he tries to think of his next course of action.]

Are you sure it wasn't one of your coworkers? Did you piss anyone off lately, hmm?

[He wouldn't be surprised. The guy seems like he could easily rub someone the wrong way.]

I can't go a day without pissing somebody off.

[He sounds proud of this fact.]

-But, I'm pretty sure none of my coworkers can teleport, and it'd be suicide for one of us to set fire to the library while we're still in it. And even my Dazai's not going to kill the rest of us just to have suicide by fire.

[Not while he has friends in there. And Akutagawa.]

Hmm. What a mystery!

[He's really not helping at all at this point. He's here to kill time and maybe solve a mystery if things work out. He's also still intrigued that there's someone else named Dazai out there, and he can't help but want to meet the guy sometime.]

This other Dazai sounds quite interesting! But anyway, maybe the culprit had a teleportation ability and a really bad mean streak! You know, the only way to find out who it was might just be to wait around and see if they return to the scene of the crime! They didn't succeed in burning the place down, after all.

I'm not so sure. Doing it twice is risky, since we're on our guard now.

It's not actually better the second time.

[Even if you do get to do the weird stuff.]

Hmm...should we go out for drinks, instead? A little buzz could bring some revelations!

[Dazai that's not how alcohol works. You're not helping at all.]

Edited 2017-07-09 13:57 (UTC)

[That's not how it works at all-]

That sounds like a fantastic idea.

[Ango why.]

Got any favorites? I haven't been in the city that long.

Of course!

[Dazai grins from ear to ear. Now that's what he wants to hear! He takes Ango by the arm and drags him out of the library, whistling happily as he leads him down the street to one of his favorite local bars.

It's a hole in the wall kind of place where Dazai knows the bartender, and he orders himself a whiskey.]

Order whatever you want! My treat!

[Listen, a little booze could help them figure this out!!]

How generous of you.

[Ango orders a large quantity of sake, and once they both have their drinks, raises his glass in a toast.]

To solving mysteries?

[It doesn't matter what they toast to as long as they end up having a lot of booze.]

To solving mysteries!

[Dazai downs his whiskey in one go, not too worried about getting drunk. He's got a high tolerance for alcohol, and he prides himself on being able to drink just about anyone under the table. He orders another whiskey before turning to Ango, suddenly filled with nostalgia of when he used to drink with his Ango.]

So, I have to know about this other Dazai. It's not exactly a common name!

"Dazai Osamu" even less common.

[He'd figure anyone would have heard the name before, but... apparently not.]

We've been friends for a while. That guy doesn't have any stops between calling himself a genius author and running off to die somewhere because he's 'no longer human'. He's a handful, that's for sure, but he's not a bad guy.

Ah, I see. Sounds like we may have something in common besides a name, then!

[Dazai orders himself another drink, resting his chin on his hand. This is a lot more fun than actually doing his job.]

What about the other people you work with? Regale me with stories!

We~ll, you can't have me and Dazai without Odasaku.

[Sorry, Dazai, there's no other author who makes sense to mention first.]

The three of us, we're the school of irresponsibility and decadents. Troublemakers through and through.

Ah...

[His signature smile fades a bit. There's not a lot of subjects that bother Dazai, but the mention of Odasaku brings back unpleasant memories. He misses his old friend dearly, though no one would guess as much from his seemingly carefree attitude.

He downs another glass of whiskey, forcing a grin.]

Sounds fun! I don't suppose you know anyone named Chuuya, do you?

[There was a time where mention of Oda would get his Dazai to falter in a similar way, though not much time - because Dazai died not long after Oda did.

Ango elects not to comment on that part.]

Nakahara Chuuya, short, loud, constantly drunk? That sound familiar?

That's the one! Good to know he's the same in both worlds!

[He and Chuuya have an...interesting relationship, to say the least. Former partners in crime turned rivals and (occasionally) lovers; not exactly conventional, but it is what it is. He wonders if this other Chuuya would hate him on principle.]

And Atsushi? The one I know is quite adorable!

Nakajima and I aren't that close, but he's cute if you like the shy kind.

[...just not gonna mention the split personality issue, since it'd be hard to explain without going into more detail than he wants to go into yet.]

So, if you're a Dazai, then what do you think about Akutagawa?

Broody, grumpy, and a little bit needy? That's Akutagawa! He can be pretty scary too!

[Nevermind the fact that Dazai only makes Akutagawa's bad disposition even worse.]

You know, you're much more outgoing than the other Ango! I like it.

[Ango's eyebrows raise at the description of Akutagawa.]

You're a lot less obsessive than my Dazai can get, at least when it comes to- [he pitches his voice up a little higher when he's making fun of his Dazai] Akutagawa-sensei, practically a god, Akutagawa knows my name and I could just die from happiness~

That sounds completely opposite of how it is for me!

[Okay, maybe Akutagawa isn't that much of a fanboy, but still.]

Oh! What about Ranpo?

Annoying, but he's the best at mysteries.

[Pause, as Ango remembers that they were nominally here to solve a mystery.]

He'd be insufferable if he solved an actual mystery, so I didn't ask him.

Sounds almost identical to our Ranpo! What a coincidence!

[This entire situation is just downright bizarre, but Dazai is too buzzed to question it much.]

And what about you, hmm? Just who is this other Ango?

Me? I'm the grand delinquent.

[Said as if it was not an entirely stupid self-made title. He's very proud of it, thank you.]

Is that so? You sound like quite the troublemaker!

[Dazai is fairly certain that both of them are buzzed by now, which is not really helping them make any progress towards solving their little mystery, but hey, they're both relaxed and having fun, right? Why ruin it with work? ]

And just what kind of things did you do to earn that title, Mr. Grand Delinquent?

[Who wants to focus on work, anyway? This is a much better use of their time.]

Oh, lots of things. Running betting scams, getting into arguments with more politicians and 'respectable' people than I could name, taking every drug that was available at the time... Basically everything I've written has been censured by somebody or other. If nobody's going to complain about it, it's hardly even worth doing.

You sound like quite the bad boy!

[Dazai flashes him a playful little grin as he circles his empty glass with the tip of his finger. He'd also done his fair share of crime during his time in the Mafia, but he won't disclose that just yet. You must be friendship level six to unlock Dazai's tragic backstory. He will, however, pry into Ango's life as much as he possibly can.]

Anyone else you work with that's at least somewhat interesting?

[That's fine, Ango loves to talk about himself. Especially when he's drunk.]

'At least somewhat interesting', in this library full of weirdos? I'd have a harder time coming up with somebody totally boring. Even Shiga's not boring, he's just got a stick up his ass.

You should introduce me sometime. I like to think of myself as rather eccentric as well.

[Dazai is just buzzed enough to punctuate his statement with a wink, his glass of whiskey seemingly never ending.]

Are any of them attractive, hmm?

Besides me?

[Ango's self-esteem will never be in danger of being too low, that's for certain.]

Depends what kind of guys you're into, but there's somebody for everybody. Unless you're straight.

[Dazai Osamu does not give off straight vibes.]

Men and women both have their own unique charms!

[Dazai isn't straight in the least because he swings both ways, albeit he seeks out men far more often these days, it seems.]

You're quite handsome yourself! Of course, I don't have one specific type. Variety is the spice of life!

[Basically Dazai is a bit of a playboy.]

[That's one thing the Dazais have in common, though it's gotten his Dazai into a lot of trouble.]

Well, for pretty men, I don't think anybody's competing with Ozaki Kouyou...

[Who is definitely 100% a dude.]

I have to ask, just how many of your coworkers have you slept with, hmm?

[As if Dazai wasn't blunt enough, the booze flowing through him just adds a whole other layer of nosy.]

Hey, now, what makes you think I'm not a pure virginal flower?

[He is not a pure virginal flower and it's obvious that he's joking.]

Oh, trust me, I can tell.

Heh. You're not wrong.

Just Dazai, Odasaku, and Chuuya, so three of them. That's positively chaste, for me.

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For bandagedheart.

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