(after event chill out lil mingle) let's understand it

[nullificates]

(cw depression)

(he hasn't exactly been doing great - much to the opposite. he spent the week in bed, he hasn't taken care of himself whatsoever, and he's exhausted. either way, it hardly matters how he feels, does it ever?

so. let's go. a text message arrives to everyone's charms and tablets, and it reads:)

this is, you guessed it, osamu dazai. it's been a week since that stupid maze, so here is what we have:

1. i need copious amounts of alcohol and food. i'll bring some to the beach in 30, i suggest we all do the same.
2. i'd like to hear what your experiences were. it's important for data building - we have a few detectives in this place, some smartpants, and some go-getters. we need to take advantage of our only resource, which is ourselves. meet me at the beach, or send me anonymously. i don't care about your shit per se.

see you, or don't see you.

many words that mean absolutely nothing here,
dazai.

(to those that come to the beach, they'll see several cocktail possibilities laid in front of dazai, as well as a good number of the food they serve in lupin - mixed nuts, pistachio, cheese tables, chocolate, dried figs, potato chips, chicken snacks, boiled sausage, asparagus with sauces, and dried fruit. a bonfire warms his hands in the chilly breeze of the night - this feels awfully needed.)

Comments

[nullificates]

(oh, child. he'll pat the space near him, don't be lame and weird. dazai doesn't bite, nor does he feel like doing so. a drag blackens his lungs, and the smoke leaves through his nostrils as his toes move a little against the water.)

It was recommended, not mandatory. I don't eat that much, anyway.

[laserguy]

[At the invite, Scott feels a little more encouraged, and slowly sits down next to him. Maybe he can patch things up with him...? But he doesn't want to ask either. Instead, he pulls one knee up so that he can rest his chin on it.]

You need to eat man, you're fucking skinny as is. [Look, he's worried!! So worried that he frowns at him, his head tilted his way.]

[nullificates]

Yeah, yeah, I eat enough, rest assured.

(he does not, but that isn't here nor now. a peace offering is dazai's palm up, offered, so scott can rid himself of the glasses for a moment. it's probably been a while, he figures the boy might want a break.)

You good, kid?

[laserguy]

Yeah, I'm fine.

[It's sort of true? Probably as fine as anyone can be after the maze and he's probably doing better than some. Scott closes his eyes behind his shades, just remembering the trials he faced, but also everything that he saw about others. Dazai, Kotone, Jinx, so many... everyone is dealing with so much crap.

He sees the offered palm and he hesitates for a second, mostly because he thinks that he should really start accepting his powers. Would he be accepting them if he keeps on using Dazai's power to eliminate his own? Scott's not sure, but eventually, he places his hand in his, although he keeps his shades on.]

...So, you're not good, huh?

[nullificates]

(the hand is a beginning, but he sees the shades in place and he wants to smile a little. scott has so much to learn, so much to take in, that he can barely be mad that the boy has all these outbursts. it's a break, a momentary thing, a moment, rather than a refusal and hate of who he is.)

I'm alright! Just exhausted, these things are always so tiring. Whenever we have something like it at home, I sleep a lot!

(half-truths.)

[laserguy]

You're full of shit, you know that?

[Dazai really isn't acting all that much different and maybe Scott would've assumed that he was okay, if he didn't see him in the maze. But the older man witnessed Oda and his death again, not to mention that he probably dealt with a bunch of other shit in there. He wasn't there for any of those moments, but Scott can assume that it wasn't pretty.]

[nullificates]

Oh, yes, and we all know it! It isn't a lie, though -- it's not something unlikely to happen back home! In fact, all of us thought it was going to be something similar to what we were involved in a few years ago! You know, like your abilities becoming sentient and trying to kill you! Ah, wild.

(information in exchange for space to breathe, all in his usual annoying, obnoxious voice. it's real, but it also isn't. a mask, but also, a small part of the truth. he's rather childish inside, after all.)

[laserguy]

[What the hell. Scott feels himself sighing, but he tightens his hold in Dazai's for a moment.]

You're annoying. [He thought he wasn't going to ask, but it's been on his mind and everything. Maybe he'll at least pull off looking completely unaffected this time around.] Are we still sticking to professional terms?

[nullificates]

That depends on you much more than it does me.

(after all, the way he is painting it, at least - it is merely a reaction to scott's own.)

[laserguy]

[Man... why does Dazai have to make this hard? But Scott's about done staying truly angry at him, so he sighs and quietly answers.]

...I don't want that.

[nullificates]

Then you are welcome to stop being mad at me and go back to listening to my great advice! Welcome back, kiddo.

(the hand gets a little squeeze.)

[laserguy]

[Is it really that simple......

Maybe with Dazai it is? Probably best if he doesn't question it and so he nods. Definitely ignore how his lips quiver slightly because he's missed the stupid mafioso and being upset constantly sucked, even if he brought it upon himself.]

Okay...

[nullificates]

Ah, then wonderful! I'm really done playing the mean, indifferent person! Hope you've grown from all this! Ah, and you've also got to see my own redhead, so I suppose it's all interesting, isn't it?

(redheads :()

[laserguy]

[Hearing that, Scott can't stop himself from inching just a bit closer to Dazai, hesitating for a moment before leaning slightly against him. Hope he doesn't mind, but he just... wants to be close.]

Y-yeah, your own redhead... [He thinks for a moment about Kotone, but he focuses on what Dazai is saying.] You and him doin' okay?

[nullificates]

Oh, absolutely not! Nothing to worry, though. We've never been okay, so it's okay not to be okay.

(if it's confusing, welcome, that's double black. he doesn't mind the coming closer, it's in fact easier to wrap an arm around the other's shoulder in a hug so he doesn't have to hesitate again.)

And Koto-chan?

[laserguy]

[Scott tilts his head upward just slightly when Dazai just confirms that it's not going well between him and... Chuuya, right? He remembers the night at the casino at least. It doesn't seem okay that things have never been good between them and that he's acting all nonchalant about it.

Relationships aren't supposed to be super crap like that. Does he ask more though?]

Kotone...? [He smiles slightly when thinking about the redhead, unable to stop his reaction no matter what.] Um, she's okay, I'm pretty sure. We met at the maze and everything and we got closer from it.

[nullificates]

(dazai's a deeply broken man, naturally, he can't have anything normal. it's fine. they're fine with the fact they suck! all four of them do.)

Oh, I know how she is. I'm family! I'm asking how you two are.

[laserguy]

[...Huh? The 'two of them?' Does Dazai mean...

........

Scott finds himself turning his head just slightly, so that he can hide his flustered look. Kotone kind of kissed him at the maze? But they're still friends and stuff. They haven't talked since then.]

W-we're friends and everything. Really good friends. [He wants to be more than friends, but it's Complicated.]

[nullificates]

Ah, yes, so am I with the Russians. Great friends, aren't we? Just the best of friends.

(please, kiddo, he knows better.)

[laserguy]

[Scott finds himself almost pouting, not that he'd admit doing such a thing.]

Seriously, we're just friends. It's not like you and your Russian friend.

[nullificates]

Friends plural, please, respect the effort I pu into not running away from three people!

(DAZAI PLEASE.)

Ok, sure.

[fatalism]

[ it's almost as if the word 'russian' and 'running' summon this man out of nowhere; has he been watching scott and dazai? has he just passed by? who knows, but he is always, always, aware of dazai if they're in proximity.

he catches the end of that conversation. ]

Dazai tends to not exaggerate how close he is to his Russian friends, as well as miniminize how deeply he had to fight that running urge.

[laserguy]

[Three Russian people, right... Scott is just gonna leave that alone.

But as Fyodor pops into view, Scott scrambles to straighten up and put some distance between him and Dazai, mostly because he doesn't want to look uncool by seeking comfort and everything!! He's a totally independent teenager and all that.]

Oh, hey. [He greets, because despite how much he's sort of heard about him, this is the first time they spoke? He did see him those months ago with Dazai, but still not talking.] Uhh, Fyodor, right?

[nullificates]

Love of mine, dearest sunshine, Милый, would you like to sit? I see your ears are as sharp as ever. Look, not running away!!! Fufufufufufu...!

(honey, not in front of the children, don't snitch on him like that!! the child even stepped away, look!! he's even going to tap the space in front of them, so fyodor can sit.)

Fy, this is Scott, one of my protegés. Scotty, this is my partner, Fyodor Dostoevsky.

[fatalism]

[ fyodor would happily clarify that technically it is two, a ukranian and a russian and then, well chuuya, but, semantics. ]

You have a habit of collecting so many strays, beloved. [ he presses a kiss against dazai's fingers, where metal meets skin and smiles. sorry, scott, right in front of your salad.

then he turns his attention to scott, like he's judging or reading him, or seeing something...just, he's weird. ] My apologies, I did not mean to interrupt your mentoring session, Scott.