[She takes her cup in the other hand, humming contentedly to herself. There's no ulterior motive, no overarching plan. There never is, when she's spending time with people; she tilts her head when he laughs, smiling herself in return.]
It's a lot of food. If you're okay with it, I'd like to actually bring what we don't eat to Fyfy, Nikol and Chuuya.
(fyfy. yes.
the tea is good, he gives out a very satisfied sigh at the taste and warmth, both hands touching the cup for comfort. it's been-- tough. not that he'll talk about it at length, or at all, but just existing is fine.)
I expect we will find more people from my world to appear, and if we do see them, I'd like to pair you with my mentees, if that's alright with you.
[Fyfy... surely that's not Fyodor, but alright. She just shrugs without losing her smile. It doesn't make a difference to her whether or not Dazai eats all of it, or if he gives it to his people. Although--]
Only if you promise me you'll actually tell them it wasn't you who made it so they eat it. [She remembers the pastry incident! And takes another big bite of her sandwich as if to add a period to the end of that sentence. No arguments!
She tilts her head again, this time with more curiosity.] Why do you expect more of them to show up?
(he's holding it out, as if he wants to seal a deal. it's a bit of peacekeeping on his end, considering the agreement that is holding all of them together. fickle, fragile. sometimes, little gestures like these can help relieve some of the tension.)
Simply a matter of mathematics. We're in four, so I don't see why this world wouldn't pull more of us. One of my mentees is in the Mafia still, so his crime list should be enough, I believe.
[She has to set her tea down to get a free pinky, but she does it! And she'll have to remember to check on the others to see if Dazai actually held up his end of the deal. Maybe she should nag Shinji to help her make extra so she can just bring it to them directly...
There's a lot of ask about that, and for a moment, she doesn't know where to start. Eventually she decides on the most pertinent question at the moment to ask,] You... want to pair me up with somebody in the mafia? Why?
[There's no concern, just the same curiosity as ever.]
Because I think you can show him things I couldn't.
(just these things, doing something for someone, being kind without expecting anything, being gentle, these were things that both dazai and the mafia ripped out of akutagawa when he was still under dazai's wings.
he knows for a fact it won't bring her any danger. it takes just a command from dazai for akutagawa to pipe down, after all.)
Besides, there's me and Chuuya here, too. You'll be fine.
Oh, I don't think you'd put me in any danger that I couldn't handle.
[That's a weirdly broad statement, but it's true, at least in her opinion. Dazai can stop abilities, sure, and he can read faces, but there's no benefit to him in hurting her. If anything, it would just cause him more trouble than it's probably worth.
But the idea that he thinks she could help one of his "mentees," whatever that actually means, makes her feel a little good. It's not like she sets out to try to do things like that, but she certainly wouldn't be opposed.]
But sure, I don't mind. I still can't tell if you like Nakahara-san or hate him, though...
(kotone. KOTONE. he's choking on his tea, coughing as he puts it down, disgust printed all over his face as the words echo into his brain, 'like nakahara-san'????? why????? WHY???????)
Ugh, gross, Kotone. Absolutely gross.
(he's even red from all the coughing, and he breathes in, his nose scrunched at the bare thought.)
[Oh my god, isn't she the high schooler here?? She can't help it -- she bursts out laughing while he's choking, because that's one heck of an extreme reaction. Worse than any member of SEES accused of something so heinous as liking a person.]
If you don't like him, why do you want to bring back sandwiches for him?
[Her eyes are sparkling with mirth as she asks her question, munching the last few bites of her sandwich.]
[She can't help it; she's still giggling at him. At least if he dies from this, it's with the knowledge that it made Kotone laugh and not feel bad about it at all.]
Uh-uh, dying isn't allowed on a picnic. [She crumples up the paper wrapping and reaches into the bag for one of the jars of water, passing that across to him to help clear his throat.] Sounds like a lot of work for someone to be incrementally less annoying. Don't worry, I won't tell him.
[She's got your number, mister, even if you don't.]
(oh, please, thank you, this will wash that awful taste in his mouth, bless her.)
Thing is, Kotone-chan. He's infuriatingly annoying, but we've been partners for years and years and years and years. Having him in my corner is a good thing, and he needs me, too, as much as we both can't stand the other, so sometimes being nice is advantageous. I haven't told you his deal, have I?
[She hums and takes another sandwich for herself, settling in for the story. If they've been partners for so long, have they considered... being nice to each other...]
You told me he walks on the ceiling, but that's about it.
(no chuuya can die on a ditch and chuuya is responsible for many contusions on dazai thanks but no thanks)
Ah, yes. 'Upon the Tainted Sorrow'. He manipulates gravity, and for specifics on what I'm going to say, it's up to him to tell, but if he overdoes it, he for sure will die, you know. He needs me to touch him if that happens. It's always been me strategizing, and Chuuya being the muscle, so. It's an awful, disgusting prank of fate.
(he's not telling her that out of a need to share. he doesn't know this place. he doesn't know if anything could mess with their abilities, if it could bring 'corruption' out of chuuya against his will. it's a matter of prevention, a gazillion plans in his mind for each contingency plan.)
[She hums again, not sure she follows. It still sounds like a 'doth protest too much' kind of thing, but it's not her business to tell Dazai how he should live his life. The obvious answers are, "get new muscle and get rid of Chuuya" at the very extreme and the very basic, "just live somewhere else," but again: not her business.]
I've never had a partner for "years and years and years," so I guess I don't really get it, [she says instead, returning to her teacup without losing her smile.]
(can't, kotone!! chuuya is an ultimate muscle dazai can manipulate very easily and shares a hivemind with!! it makes plans and schemes easier!! and he can't live somewhere else, because he sort of sold chuuya and himself to fyodor. so.)
That means you're living well, if you don't have a partner like that. We were half the profits of the Mafia in two years, that is a lotta work. I don't even have a high school diploma! Or a middle school diploma! Or a college diploma! Zero diplomas.
I don't have a high school diploma, either, [she points out with a shrug. It would have been nice to get one, but that's still a year out and not something she'll ever see, so! At least Akihiko and Mitsuru got theirs.] I'm surprised, though. You're really intelligent, so I figured you'd want to go to school.
[She wrinkles her nose a little bit at that. What's the point of giving one to a second year? It's not like it would make any of her friends feel better, and she certainly wouldn't be able to use it.]
From those bits of information and what I see in front of me, I think you would have fun in gastronomy, wouldn't you agree?
(kotone's little cafe. maybe that could happen here. feeling sorry over the fact that there might not be a future is a recipe for failure, isn't it?)
I was either hospitalized, home-schooled, or in the Mafia! Right now, technically, it wouldn't be the best time for me to go to school either! I'm busy with Detective work, you see?
Mmm... it might be fun, but I don't know if I want to turn my hobby into a job. Besides, Aragaki-senpai is the one who's really good at cooking. You should have some of the stuff he makes!
[She can do some basics and repurpose ingredients pretty well, considering she's had to prepare her own food for a long time, but as a job... eh. Maybe. She likes listening to music, too, but not enough to make that into a job, either.]
What would you have wanted to study if you could? [She doesn't know if he was hospitalized from his own attempts or from someone else, and that isn't her place to pry into.]
(he remembers too much, from the little details she drew, to how focused she was. his hands find the back of his head as he rests his back on the towel. ah, nice. being tall makes lying down heaven.)
Definitely not. This time last year, I'd never even held a weapon. It's nice being able to fight and make a difference, but for the rest of my life...?
[She wrinkles her nose again. It's hard to think about the future in those kinds of terms, doubly so since it's just a thought exercise. She'd figured when she was a third year, she'd start really looking into that, but... well.]
So you're happy being a detective? What kind of cases do you solve?
I'm not saying you'll fight for the rest of your life. You should look at that as a way to provide tools for those who need them... Or nice pieces of decor! That works too! Mhm, if not... Let's see... Kotone-chan... Fashion designer!
(she has a look to her, ok, he's sure she has a good sense of style. again, here's a taste of some sort of freedom. they should look into what she can do to make herself happy, here, for as long as she can.
being stuck on it isn't helpful. he can attest it from experience.)
As much as I can be, yes. We solve cases the police aren't able to, usually too delicate or those that have Ability-users. They range from capturing a man-eating Tiger that just happens to be a kiddo, to, mhm, saving the world!
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[She takes her cup in the other hand, humming contentedly to herself. There's no ulterior motive, no overarching plan. There never is, when she's spending time with people; she tilts her head when he laughs, smiling herself in return.]
What's so funny?
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(fyfy. yes.
the tea is good, he gives out a very satisfied sigh at the taste and warmth, both hands touching the cup for comfort. it's been-- tough. not that he'll talk about it at length, or at all, but just existing is fine.)
I expect we will find more people from my world to appear, and if we do see them, I'd like to pair you with my mentees, if that's alright with you.
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Only if you promise me you'll actually tell them it wasn't you who made it so they eat it. [She remembers the pastry incident! And takes another big bite of her sandwich as if to add a period to the end of that sentence. No arguments!
She tilts her head again, this time with more curiosity.] Why do you expect more of them to show up?
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(he's holding it out, as if he wants to seal a deal. it's a bit of peacekeeping on his end, considering the agreement that is holding all of them together. fickle, fragile. sometimes, little gestures like these can help relieve some of the tension.)
Simply a matter of mathematics. We're in four, so I don't see why this world wouldn't pull more of us. One of my mentees is in the Mafia still, so his crime list should be enough, I believe.
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There's a lot of ask about that, and for a moment, she doesn't know where to start. Eventually she decides on the most pertinent question at the moment to ask,] You... want to pair me up with somebody in the mafia? Why?
[There's no concern, just the same curiosity as ever.]
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(just these things, doing something for someone, being kind without expecting anything, being gentle, these were things that both dazai and the mafia ripped out of akutagawa when he was still under dazai's wings.
he knows for a fact it won't bring her any danger. it takes just a command from dazai for akutagawa to pipe down, after all.)
Besides, there's me and Chuuya here, too. You'll be fine.
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[That's a weirdly broad statement, but it's true, at least in her opinion. Dazai can stop abilities, sure, and he can read faces, but there's no benefit to him in hurting her. If anything, it would just cause him more trouble than it's probably worth.
But the idea that he thinks she could help one of his "mentees," whatever that actually means, makes her feel a little good. It's not like she sets out to try to do things like that, but she certainly wouldn't be opposed.]
But sure, I don't mind. I still can't tell if you like Nakahara-san or hate him, though...
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Ugh, gross, Kotone. Absolutely gross.
(he's even red from all the coughing, and he breathes in, his nose scrunched at the bare thought.)
He's a cockroach I can't get rid of. That's all.
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If you don't like him, why do you want to bring back sandwiches for him?
[Her eyes are sparkling with mirth as she asks her question, munching the last few bites of her sandwich.]
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(his voice is even hoarse from all the coughing, please, kotone, PLEASE.)
Because I live with him. If I'm nice once in a while, he's zero zero zero zero zero zero one percent less irritating, Koto-chan.
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Uh-uh, dying isn't allowed on a picnic. [She crumples up the paper wrapping and reaches into the bag for one of the jars of water, passing that across to him to help clear his throat.] Sounds like a lot of work for someone to be incrementally less annoying. Don't worry, I won't tell him.
[She's got your number, mister, even if you don't.]
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Thing is, Kotone-chan. He's infuriatingly annoying, but we've been partners for years and years and years and years. Having him in my corner is a good thing, and he needs me, too, as much as we both can't stand the other, so sometimes being nice is advantageous. I haven't told you his deal, have I?
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[She hums and takes another sandwich for herself, settling in for the story. If they've been partners for so long, have they considered... being nice to each other...]
You told me he walks on the ceiling, but that's about it.
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Ah, yes. 'Upon the Tainted Sorrow'. He manipulates gravity, and for specifics on what I'm going to say, it's up to him to tell, but if he overdoes it, he for sure will die, you know. He needs me to touch him if that happens. It's always been me strategizing, and Chuuya being the muscle, so. It's an awful, disgusting prank of fate.
(he's not telling her that out of a need to share. he doesn't know this place. he doesn't know if anything could mess with their abilities, if it could bring 'corruption' out of chuuya against his will. it's a matter of prevention, a gazillion plans in his mind for each contingency plan.)
Ugh, stuck, stuck, disgusting.
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I've never had a partner for "years and years and years," so I guess I don't really get it, [she says instead, returning to her teacup without losing her smile.]
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That means you're living well, if you don't have a partner like that. We were half the profits of the Mafia in two years, that is a lotta work. I don't even have a high school diploma! Or a middle school diploma! Or a college diploma! Zero diplomas.
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I don't have a high school diploma, either, [she points out with a shrug. It would have been nice to get one, but that's still a year out and not something she'll ever see, so! At least Akihiko and Mitsuru got theirs.] I'm surprised, though. You're really intelligent, so I figured you'd want to go to school.
[Why Crimes, Dazai?]
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(when. well, someone dies before they manage to get it.)
I wouldn't have had time. What would you have liked to study, Kotone-chan?
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I don't know, [she admits honestly, washing down another bite of sandwich with a sip of tea.] I worked part-time at a café, at a movie theater, at a healing accessory shop, we did work experience at a burger chain... they were fine, I guess. Not something I'd want to do forever.
[She glances back up at him.] What were you so busy doing that you couldn't go to school?
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(kotone's little cafe. maybe that could happen here. feeling sorry over the fact that there might not be a future is a recipe for failure, isn't it?)
I was either hospitalized, home-schooled, or in the Mafia! Right now, technically, it wouldn't be the best time for me to go to school either! I'm busy with Detective work, you see?
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[She can do some basics and repurpose ingredients pretty well, considering she's had to prepare her own food for a long time, but as a job... eh. Maybe. She likes listening to music, too, but not enough to make that into a job, either.]
What would you have wanted to study if you could? [She doesn't know if he was hospitalized from his own attempts or from someone else, and that isn't her place to pry into.]
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(he remembers too much, from the little details she drew, to how focused she was. his hands find the back of his head as he rests his back on the towel. ah, nice. being tall makes lying down heaven.)
Mhm. Good question. Foresincs, maybe?
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Definitely not. This time last year, I'd never even held a weapon. It's nice being able to fight and make a difference, but for the rest of my life...?
[She wrinkles her nose again. It's hard to think about the future in those kinds of terms, doubly so since it's just a thought exercise. She'd figured when she was a third year, she'd start really looking into that, but... well.]
So you're happy being a detective? What kind of cases do you solve?
1/2
(she has a look to her, ok, he's sure she has a good sense of style. again, here's a taste of some sort of freedom. they should look into what she can do to make herself happy, here, for as long as she can.
being stuck on it isn't helpful. he can attest it from experience.)
2/2
(VARIETY IS THE SPICE OF LIFE.)
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cw suicide mention
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cw self harm/suicide attempt mention
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