(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

[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.

[laserguy]

[Scott's face scrunches when Dazai starts being all... lovey-dovey with Fy. Look, he can bang whomever, but he's not getting in the middle of it. He has to make his escape now before it's too late...!

Even if he can't stop feeling just a little happy hearing Dazai call him one of his proteges. It's a nice affirmation, after the not talking and 'purely' professional terms for like a month.

Unfortunately for him, all his thoughts have prevented him from really escaping in time and now he's stuck in this super awkward position, with Fy staring at him and it's really kind of disconcerting. Maybe he can still make his escape...]

Nah, we're about done, in fact, I'm totally leaving now.

[nullificates]

No need, you get used to it. You're totally not going anywhere.

(there's a ring around his finger, even. that's how much fy tied him down so he's not running away and ghosting and shit -- if that works on the long run, to be seen. still, he takes fyodor's hand - they do have a quiet language, one created by assigning a code to words had in every conversation they ever had, scrambled, and then re-scrambled in morse. to them, it's as natural as their own language, and he'll tap against fyodor's hand: 'come on, don't scare the kid, be normal!', all while giggling.)

Fyfy here has the same level of brains than me, so if you find yourself in a pickle, and I'm unavailable, you can ask him, right, dearest?

( :) bitch you better say yes)

[fatalism]

[ if that works in the long run--well, fyodor has plans in case it does not and they involve a lot of bloodshed. but he also has faith in dazai. their hands entwined, even unspoken words passing in that simple gesture before they even get to their coded, on-going morse-code-nightmare-shenanigans.

fyodor settles, though he is still watching scott intensely. it's not unlike when he met kotone......................... what makes this one worthy of being picked by dazai? what is the criteria? or is there no pattern? ]

It would be rude to leave after we've just been introduced. [ fyodor agrees, a tap promising dazai that he's behaving, really! ] And of course, though my methods are a tad more...drastic than my beloved's.

[laserguy]

I-it's not rude wanting to leave when you guys are flirting right in front of me!

[Scott's voice rises slightly, both in volume and pitch, because he doesn't think he's in the wrong here!! Really, he doesn't need to see his mentor bat his eyelashes at another person and everything, it's like watching your parent do that or whatever. Or Alex maybe. Both is a solid 'no' from him anyway.]

Do you want me to agree going to you if something happens? Sure, fine!