Not Again! With Dazai

[shortforever]

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[shortforever]

...yeah? You don't think so?

[Sorry Dazai, he's focusing on that first. ]

[shortfornow]

If they were here, we would have seen a hint of it or they would have already used it against us.

[ Pulling on his sleeves as he steps out of Chuuya's space. ]

What are your thoughts on Shadow, Heart, and Wizard?

[shortforever]

[And here he was almost ready to lean on Dazai. He'll straighten up though.]

They went quiet after those other three spoke. Either they're one in the same, or the three new people took control from them.

[shortfornow]

[ He can just grab the boy. ]

The doors are locked and no one is home in their cabin. That is a possibility. They may have been taken over and even borrowed voices from our memories to use.

[ Gaze flickering across Chuuya. ]

Hopefully next time they use someone else's voice. I already have one Chuuya, I don't want to hear another.

[ Since there will be a next time. ]

[shortforever]

What, worried he'd compare you to the future-you?

[Chuuya, voicing his own personal worries in a way that makes it sound like he's not talking about himself. He really doesn't want to be compared to older-him.]

[shortfornow]

Is that what you've been worried about? You'll be compared or people will expect you to be like that?

[ Watching him carefully. ]

While I'm surprised future-me might still be alive, I'm not really worried about it.

[shortforever]

[WELP]

Wouldn't anyone be bothered to see their older selves? Regardless of what they became, it's either going to be intimidating or a huge letdown.

[shortfornow]

[ He's already disappointed in life for the most part, so it wouldn't be any different besides seeing future him knows how to fake being people better ]

Whether he's a letdown or not shouldn't matter because you already are different from him.

[shortforever]

[Dazai's not wrong, Chuuya has already changed a lot compared to where he would have been if he had stayed in his world. That Chuuya probably wouldn't have made as many friends as he has, or be involved in as many messy emotion-situations as he is. That Chuuya wouldn't be second-guessing if he really wanted to be in the mafia anymore.

Still, he doesn't look fully convinced.]

Even if I'm different, that comparison is still gonna happen. And if we have to fight, he's gonna beat me.

[Chuuya has no doubt in his mind of that fact. Him, but older? Yeah, older-him will win that mirror match.]

[shortfornow]

[ ...sighing. ]

Chuuya would be the type to fight himself.

[ Don't trust anyone not even yourself. Time to pull up his hoodie before just leaning against him. ]

I guess I'll have lend a hand if you do wind up fighting him. He can't beat both of us.

[shortforever]

If we had our powers, he wouldn't be able to beat both of us.

[But if they had their powers, he would have them too. And his gravity might be stronger.

That just makes him think about all his problems again, and he frowns before he leans against Dazai in return.]

Think he ever made out with older-you?

[shortfornow]

Even if he didn't, he still wouldn't be able to. I still have some tricks up my sleeves.

[ Thought at the second question, he'll give Chuuya a look. ]

I can ask someone from the ship if they knew what he thought of me. Do you really want to know the answer to that though?

[shortforever]

I was gonna say we could use our cooperation to surprise him, if he and that Dazai didn't get along.

[To be fair, 15!Chuuya and 15!Dazai still have a very hot-and-cold relationship. But when united against a common foe, they work together really well. And this is definitely a common foe.]

[shortfornow]

That would work.

[ He was also thinking of pocket sand. ]

We were being split up by the boss. If that continued on...

[ They still fight now, but they had to keep working together and have a truce.

And now there's all of this between them and he couldn't predict any of it. ]

[shortforever]

You would have been trained up by the boss, and me by Ane-san.

[Actually, maybe that's why Chuuya is such a ho as an adult. Koyuou taught him how to charm others? Now he's considering that.]

[shortfornow]

[ There's a pause there before he sighs and puts his chin on Chuuya's shoulders. ]

I doubt he would approve some of my choices. He keeps prompting me to think and use logic.

[ Also keeps trying to give him books on war theories. ]

[shortforever]

He definitely wouldn't approve of most of the stuff we've done.

[How dare they develop feelings and romance a third boy.]

...the boss can't ever know about Reito.

[shortfornow]

He won't. [ He has no idea how that will go since it's someone who would do everything for the sake of the organization. What would he do to keep his protege relying on logic over emotions? ]

I know. I told Reito to stay out of the building if he ever comes to our world.

[ Guess what plan that Ayabe shared with Dazai? ]

[shortforever]

Che! Like he'll listen. He runs in and does whatever he wants.

[It might be part of what draws Chuuya to him.]

[shortfornow]

That's why you should take him to explore another part of Yokohama and I'll go in to read the files you want.

[shortforever]

Or maybe you should take him to another part of Yokohama while I steal the files.

[shortfornow]

I've been going in and out of the top floors for a year, Chuuya. They won't question me dropping in without an invitation.

[shortforever]

Yeah but you might not notice some important detail I would know to look for. At least bring the documents with you.

[shortfornow]

I won't forget anything.

[ Some day Chuuya will learn all of the bullshit he can do. ]

[shortforever]

What, you got some kinda photographic memory?