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Entry tags:
Child of Misfortune
Title: Child of Misfortune
Fandom: Bungou to Alchemist
Character(s): Dazai, Odasaku, Librarian
Pairing(s): None
Genre: Angst
Word Count: 505
Rating: PG
Warnings: Suicide mention
Summary: There's an author that Dazai won't help summon.
Notes: Featuring no actual appearances by the more-recently-alive.
“Well, let’s hop to it then!” So Dazai said, as always, and disappeared into the book.
The librarian expected to see him back in twenty minutes, and let out a sigh once he was safely out of earshot. Kobayashi again, most likely… or, even if Dazai did bring back an author the library hadn’t seen yet, they would be an author of very little notability.
It was only five minutes before Dazai returned, alone, looking pale.
That shouldn’t happen. Once she’d sent a writer into a book to fetch an author, they should be committed for the duration, unless she intentionally sped things up. Something was wrong. “Dazai? What happened?”
“I won’t do it,” he said, and raised his voice. “I won’t - I can’t do it! There’s no way you can make me do it, I won’t!”
“Calm down,” she answered, her alarm only growing. “Did something go wrong in there?”
He gave a jerky shake of his head. “No, it’s… it’s just like any other book. Nothing happened.”
“Then…?”
Dazai looked away from her before answering. “...Mountain of Fire: Account of a Wild Monkey. By Tsushima Yuko.”
There was, technically, nothing that prevented recently dead authors from being incarnated. As long as they were dead, anyone was possible. They were more strongly attached to their books if they were famous in life, but there was no hard and fast minimum of notability, either.
The librarian understood with sudden clarity just why Dazai wouldn’t, couldn’t pull this particular author out. “I see. You’re dismissed. ...I won’t try to summon this writer again.”
Dazai slumped in relief, and headed for his own room.
About an hour later, an insistent knock finally got Dazai to uncurl from the fetal position on his bed and open the door for his visitor. “What do you - Odasaku.”
“Heard ‘bout what happened,” said Odasaku. “Mind if I come in?”
If it had been nearly anyone else at his door, Dazai would have kicked them out. Instead, he only sighed and returned to sitting on the bed. Odasaku joined him, and for a minute or so there was quiet.
Dazai was the one to break the silence. “Do you think she hates me?”
“I couldn’t tell ya,” Odasaku said, and knowing Odasaku was enough to tell Dazai that he was genuinely not sure rather than just avoiding answering.
“She has every right to.” Dazai stared at the floor. “A father who abandoned his family to go kill himself with another woman - who wouldn’t hate someone like that?”
“...I’m not gonna say it was okay, what you did,” Odasaku replied, and even with his gentle tone Dazai flinched. “But that was all a long time ago. What’s done is done, yeah? No point thinkin’ too hard ‘bout your regrets.”
“I can’t face her, Odasaku. I’ll die of shame if I have to see her again.” After a moment, Dazai leaned against Odasaku’s shoulder, and Odasaku wrapped an arm around him.
Dazai wasn’t put back on summoning duty for a long time after that.
Fandom: Bungou to Alchemist
Character(s): Dazai, Odasaku, Librarian
Pairing(s): None
Genre: Angst
Word Count: 505
Rating: PG
Warnings: Suicide mention
Summary: There's an author that Dazai won't help summon.
Notes: Featuring no actual appearances by the more-recently-alive.
“Well, let’s hop to it then!” So Dazai said, as always, and disappeared into the book.
The librarian expected to see him back in twenty minutes, and let out a sigh once he was safely out of earshot. Kobayashi again, most likely… or, even if Dazai did bring back an author the library hadn’t seen yet, they would be an author of very little notability.
It was only five minutes before Dazai returned, alone, looking pale.
That shouldn’t happen. Once she’d sent a writer into a book to fetch an author, they should be committed for the duration, unless she intentionally sped things up. Something was wrong. “Dazai? What happened?”
“I won’t do it,” he said, and raised his voice. “I won’t - I can’t do it! There’s no way you can make me do it, I won’t!”
“Calm down,” she answered, her alarm only growing. “Did something go wrong in there?”
He gave a jerky shake of his head. “No, it’s… it’s just like any other book. Nothing happened.”
“Then…?”
Dazai looked away from her before answering. “...Mountain of Fire: Account of a Wild Monkey. By Tsushima Yuko.”
There was, technically, nothing that prevented recently dead authors from being incarnated. As long as they were dead, anyone was possible. They were more strongly attached to their books if they were famous in life, but there was no hard and fast minimum of notability, either.
The librarian understood with sudden clarity just why Dazai wouldn’t, couldn’t pull this particular author out. “I see. You’re dismissed. ...I won’t try to summon this writer again.”
Dazai slumped in relief, and headed for his own room.
About an hour later, an insistent knock finally got Dazai to uncurl from the fetal position on his bed and open the door for his visitor. “What do you - Odasaku.”
“Heard ‘bout what happened,” said Odasaku. “Mind if I come in?”
If it had been nearly anyone else at his door, Dazai would have kicked them out. Instead, he only sighed and returned to sitting on the bed. Odasaku joined him, and for a minute or so there was quiet.
Dazai was the one to break the silence. “Do you think she hates me?”
“I couldn’t tell ya,” Odasaku said, and knowing Odasaku was enough to tell Dazai that he was genuinely not sure rather than just avoiding answering.
“She has every right to.” Dazai stared at the floor. “A father who abandoned his family to go kill himself with another woman - who wouldn’t hate someone like that?”
“...I’m not gonna say it was okay, what you did,” Odasaku replied, and even with his gentle tone Dazai flinched. “But that was all a long time ago. What’s done is done, yeah? No point thinkin’ too hard ‘bout your regrets.”
“I can’t face her, Odasaku. I’ll die of shame if I have to see her again.” After a moment, Dazai leaned against Odasaku’s shoulder, and Odasaku wrapped an arm around him.
Dazai wasn’t put back on summoning duty for a long time after that.