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Entry tags:
memories should be sharp
Title: memories should be sharp
Fandom: Bungou Stray Dogs
Character(s): Atsushi, Dazai, Kunikida
Pairing(s): None
Genre: Angst
Word Count: 650
Rating: PG-13
Warnings: Canon child death
Summary: Atsushi advises Dazai on birthday gifts for people who won't receive them.
Notes: Name for Odasaku's youngest daughter taken from the translation by nkhrchy which took it from this comic by suzaku-strife!
Dazai remembers dates uncannily well. He’s one of those people who recalls when his appointments are without glancing at his calendar, who would always remember his anniversary if he was ever close enough to another person to have an anniversary.
He remembers birthdays. He rarely cares enough to acknowledge them without prompting, unless it’s Kunikida’s and he’s looking to start a game of ‘Get the Detective Agency to Try to Make Kunikida Take A Day Off Work’, but he remembers them.
Today he’s thumbing at his calendar and frowning. He and Atsushi are the only ones in the agency right now.
Atsushi doesn’t mean to take a peek as he passes by, really, he just accidentally catches a little glimpse of what’s written on the calendar: ‘Sakura’s birthday’.
Now he’s frowning, too, because he doesn’t know anyone with the name Sakura. Maybe it’s a woman Dazai tried to convince into double suicide with him? But, no, he hardly talks to those women more than once, it wouldn’t be worth writing down a birthday even if he learned it somehow-
“Peeking, Atsushi?” Dazai asks. He’s smiling in a way that doesn’t reassure Atsushi one bit.
Atsushi backs away. “I-I’m sorry, I didn’t intentionally - I’m so sorry!”
Dazai waves a hand dismissively as he says, “It’s fine. If I were hiding any secrets, I wouldn’t write them down in my calendar.”
‘If he were hiding secrets’, Atsushi thinks. No one has more secrets than Dazai.
“So… who is Sakura?” he asks, curiosity overtaking nervousness for the moment.
Dazai considers how to reply for a moment, before answering, “No one you would know. I try to get her a birthday present every year. Maybe you can help me decide what to get her this time!”
“Well, I can try… I don’t know a lot about getting women gifts, though.” Atsushi scratches the back of his neck. “Jewelry’s supposed to be a safe bet, but that’s expensive…”
Dazai’s smile grows, and Atsushi’s not sure why. “I fear she’s not that ostentatious of a person.”
“Okay. Not jewelry. Clothes?” Atsushi tries.
“I don’t know her size,” Dazai answers, with a shrug.
“Okay… What are her interests?” Atsushi asks.
“Dinosaurs and doll houses.” When Atsushi looks bewildered at him, Dazai chuckles and says, “She’s turning seven.”
“Oh! You should have just said so, Dazai,” Atsushi says. “There should be plenty of doll houses for sale at the department store… maybe even dinosaur doll houses, if you’re lucky. If you’re really good, you can get her an expansion to a doll set she already has.”
“I don’t know dolls that well and I don’t want her to complain if I’m wrong,” Dazai replies. “But everyone likes pterodactyls! Right?”
“Right,” Atsushi agrees. “But my personal favorite is the tyrannosaurus.”
“No way, they’re overhyped. I bet everyone else would get her T-rexes.”
Something about that phrasing is weird, but Atsushi doesn’t mention it, instead choosing to get into a discussion about the best kinds of dinosaur that lasts until Kunikida gets back to the office and promptly declares that “if you have enough time to debate whether apatosaurus or brontosaurus is a better name, you have time to be doing paperwork.”
A few days later, on Sakura’s birthday, Atsushi says to Dazai as the two of them leave the office, “I hope Sakura likes her present.”
Dazai gives a smaller smile than usual. “I hope so too. And whoever actually gets it.”
Atsushi pauses. “Huh?”
“Sakura died at age four. I donate her gifts to charity every year. ...I think he’d like that.”
Dazai sounds far away. Atsushi knows, instinctively, that even if he pushes he won’t get any more out of him.
Instead, he sets a gentle hand on Dazai’s arm. “I’m sure he would.”
It’s a purely selfless gesture from Osamu Dazai. No matter who ‘he’ is, if he’s anyone worthy of Dazai’s respect, he’d appreciate it.
Fandom: Bungou Stray Dogs
Character(s): Atsushi, Dazai, Kunikida
Pairing(s): None
Genre: Angst
Word Count: 650
Rating: PG-13
Warnings: Canon child death
Summary: Atsushi advises Dazai on birthday gifts for people who won't receive them.
Notes: Name for Odasaku's youngest daughter taken from the translation by nkhrchy which took it from this comic by suzaku-strife!
Dazai remembers dates uncannily well. He’s one of those people who recalls when his appointments are without glancing at his calendar, who would always remember his anniversary if he was ever close enough to another person to have an anniversary.
He remembers birthdays. He rarely cares enough to acknowledge them without prompting, unless it’s Kunikida’s and he’s looking to start a game of ‘Get the Detective Agency to Try to Make Kunikida Take A Day Off Work’, but he remembers them.
Today he’s thumbing at his calendar and frowning. He and Atsushi are the only ones in the agency right now.
Atsushi doesn’t mean to take a peek as he passes by, really, he just accidentally catches a little glimpse of what’s written on the calendar: ‘Sakura’s birthday’.
Now he’s frowning, too, because he doesn’t know anyone with the name Sakura. Maybe it’s a woman Dazai tried to convince into double suicide with him? But, no, he hardly talks to those women more than once, it wouldn’t be worth writing down a birthday even if he learned it somehow-
“Peeking, Atsushi?” Dazai asks. He’s smiling in a way that doesn’t reassure Atsushi one bit.
Atsushi backs away. “I-I’m sorry, I didn’t intentionally - I’m so sorry!”
Dazai waves a hand dismissively as he says, “It’s fine. If I were hiding any secrets, I wouldn’t write them down in my calendar.”
‘If he were hiding secrets’, Atsushi thinks. No one has more secrets than Dazai.
“So… who is Sakura?” he asks, curiosity overtaking nervousness for the moment.
Dazai considers how to reply for a moment, before answering, “No one you would know. I try to get her a birthday present every year. Maybe you can help me decide what to get her this time!”
“Well, I can try… I don’t know a lot about getting women gifts, though.” Atsushi scratches the back of his neck. “Jewelry’s supposed to be a safe bet, but that’s expensive…”
Dazai’s smile grows, and Atsushi’s not sure why. “I fear she’s not that ostentatious of a person.”
“Okay. Not jewelry. Clothes?” Atsushi tries.
“I don’t know her size,” Dazai answers, with a shrug.
“Okay… What are her interests?” Atsushi asks.
“Dinosaurs and doll houses.” When Atsushi looks bewildered at him, Dazai chuckles and says, “She’s turning seven.”
“Oh! You should have just said so, Dazai,” Atsushi says. “There should be plenty of doll houses for sale at the department store… maybe even dinosaur doll houses, if you’re lucky. If you’re really good, you can get her an expansion to a doll set she already has.”
“I don’t know dolls that well and I don’t want her to complain if I’m wrong,” Dazai replies. “But everyone likes pterodactyls! Right?”
“Right,” Atsushi agrees. “But my personal favorite is the tyrannosaurus.”
“No way, they’re overhyped. I bet everyone else would get her T-rexes.”
Something about that phrasing is weird, but Atsushi doesn’t mention it, instead choosing to get into a discussion about the best kinds of dinosaur that lasts until Kunikida gets back to the office and promptly declares that “if you have enough time to debate whether apatosaurus or brontosaurus is a better name, you have time to be doing paperwork.”
A few days later, on Sakura’s birthday, Atsushi says to Dazai as the two of them leave the office, “I hope Sakura likes her present.”
Dazai gives a smaller smile than usual. “I hope so too. And whoever actually gets it.”
Atsushi pauses. “Huh?”
“Sakura died at age four. I donate her gifts to charity every year. ...I think he’d like that.”
Dazai sounds far away. Atsushi knows, instinctively, that even if he pushes he won’t get any more out of him.
Instead, he sets a gentle hand on Dazai’s arm. “I’m sure he would.”
It’s a purely selfless gesture from Osamu Dazai. No matter who ‘he’ is, if he’s anyone worthy of Dazai’s respect, he’d appreciate it.