Chapter Text
There was only so much a person could know before they were considered no longer human.
Ranpo had learned this at an early age, The world was a frightening place for people like him, But he was no longer a child who was confused by the stupidity of those around them, He was a grown man who was well aware that he held no special ability, and that those around him were just as stupid as he had assumed they were pretending to be.
As a child, with his parents, It was easy to be convinced that everyone was just like he was, Capable of seeing things the way he did. His parents had no problem keeping up with him. His father could solve a problem faster than he could, and his mother could guess just what anyone was thinking by looking at them. They never treated him as strange. Never tried to convince him he was special either. He was special only because he was their son.
His mother didn’t waste time on silly little children’s books once he was old enough to understand what the words on the page meant. She easily swapped to more complex tales with vast vocabulary and distant adventures. His Father in turn never seemed bothered by Ranpo’s constant stream of ‘whys’ or his questions, though the questions became fewer as he grew older. In a household where everyone was a genius, there was no genius. Why use words when you could guess the person's next action instead?
To go from that, a safe and secure place in which he was no different, to a world that was suddenly full of so many face’s with scribbled out eyes, eyes that could not see the things he so clearly could. It was no wonder Ranpo turned to need some sort of illusion to keep himself sane, To make sense of this world that no longer made any sort of sense to him, and so he lived with that lie. Lived with it as a truth he would never acknowledge, Because when the world offered him some sort of excuse to explain this horrifying world to him, who was he not to listen? Even if it made him seem like a fool, The cases he solved would allow him that privilege.
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He had met him by chance, A chance meeting that felt more planned than chance, yet a surprise all the same. An late evening when the sun kissed the water and dyed it an ominous red and orange as he over looked the Yokohama river, Bags under his dull eyes as he watched the water roll far beneath him, Standing up on the railing of the bridge, His eyes briefly closing for a moment as a breeze kissed his skin, blowing his hair gently as they did. His already loose bandages twisted in the air as they unraveled from his eye, The dull light of evening making the sudden lack of bandage easier, he took a breath and looked down once again, the water looked welcoming, it would surely be a beautiful way to go, and if he was lucky he would hit his head on the way down so he wouldn’t feel the slow escape of air from his lungs, He considered, but then, all of a sudden, a voice spoke, far to close for comfort and yet board in it’s tone.
“The drop isn’t high enough for a concussion.”
Dazai froze, he hadn’t heard someone come up to him, hadn’t even sensed it.
“If you're planning on jumping you’d be better to do it from a tall building, Then again it be a pain for crime forensics to scrape you off the ground, then i’d be bothered with it” The voice sighed, Finally dragging the head of the port Mafia’s attention to him.
Before stood a man, Much the same as his own age it seemed, nothing particularly special about this man in particular, not breathtakingly beautiful, or heart stopping handsome, Yet there was something about the way he carried himself, something that exuded confidence. He stood at 5ft 6. And in the bleeding light of evening the shadows cast against his cheeks showed a fullness, but a sharp nose and jaw, eye’s that couldn’t be seen due to the tilt of a brown paper boy cap.
He recognized him, After all how could he not? He would be an awful Port Mafia leader had he not.
“Edogawa Ranpo.” He spoke, voice teetering into amusement, “To what do i owe the pleasure? I don’t suppose your’e also here to marvel at the perfect suicide spot?” The brunet mused, “Though. That would make my job easier” he claimed, tone taking on something darker.
The two had never met in person, Despite the various classes the ADA and Port Mafia had had, particular in the recent months, Some issues with not respecting territory lines, and disagreements on a possible trade between the two protectors of the city, However Ranpo had been in quite a few news papers, and had become quite the thorn in the port mafia’s side ever since the Armed Detective Agency was created. All it took was a little bit of digging to find out everything he could about the famed detective.
The only child of the famed ‘Clairvoyant’ Kicked from school for ‘Disruptions with staff members’. The facts of that interaction never stated. Ability ‘Ultra deduction’ and countless account’s on cases solved by the man.
It seemed rather late to only be meeting the enemy this late into the game, But Dazai was a busy man, and Ranpo never seemed interested in joining the meetings that Dazai in particular was apart of, Which is what made him curious. What brought Ranpo to him now?
As Dazai stared down at the man, Ranpo spared him a brief glance before turning around, his Back no longer pressed against the railing and instead racing the same way that Dazai was,
“Im here because I want to be. “ The detective claimed, unwrapping some candy from his pocket and popping it into his mouth, without much care that he was currently in the presence of ‘The demon prodigy’ Dazai Osamu. Let alone, with-in deadly distance of him.
“I've been curious about you, thought i’d come and meet you myself” he spoke between the candy, Obnoxiously not caring for manners in this moment in time.
This perked the brunets interest as he let out a low hung and spun on his heel, careful to not fall backward as he crouched down to be facing Ranpo while still on the railing. “Oh? And what do you think so far? Great detective? Be honest-” and quickly reached out, and with speed and ease had Ranpo’s chin between his fingers,pinching hard enough that Ranpo wouldn’t be able to pull out of the hold, “And be honest. The ADA sent you didn’t they?”
Ranpo appeared undisturbed by the blatant aggression, having seen it coming seconds before it happened, He noticed the slight twitch in Dazai’s fingers, the quirk in hisbrow.So slight that had Ranpo been like the average person, he would of missed it. But he hadn’t, But he had allowed it to happen none the less.
“I don’t pick up job’s I don't want to do. I was board and thought- hey, there were rumors of the Port Mafia leader hanging out around Yokahama Bridge more than usual the past few weeks, thought i’d come and see what the fuss was about. If anyone sent me here it was myself. Honestly if Fukazawa knew I was here, He’d be pretty upset”
Ranpo watched as the port mafia leader scrutinized his answer, Yet there was something in the other’s eyes that he couldn’t quite decipher like riddle Ranpo had yet to solve, and if there was one thing Ranpo enjoyed it was solving some sort of riddle.
“Well then you would go back shouldn’t you? Hate for the esteemed president to blame us if you didn’t make it back to him in one piece, which is looking more and more like a possibility” Dazai claimed, he grinned, all teeth and no joy, malice leaking from each and every pore, To which the detective, Opened his eyes, An awe inspiring green stared back at him, reflecting the fading light of day, and bleeding into reflections of the river. Giving pause of Dazai’s thoughts temporarily, He took back what he said, Perhaps there was something at least slightly pretty to look at about the cocky detective.
“You won’t hurt me.” The older of the two claimed, ever so calm even in the face of someone who could snap his neck in this very moment.
Surprising the mafioso with his answer, The banadaged leader found his brows raising upward, and if the chill brushing his neck was the wind or intrigue, he wouldn’t know.
“Oh? And how do you know that?” Dazai asked, glancing briefly to where his bare finger tips pressed against Ranpo’s skin. No Longer Human doing his job, and yet- he felt a strange sense of-...nothing. Typically no longer human when in action felt like some sort of pressure against his hand. Like pressing against flat glass. But touching Ranpo- There was- Nothing. Not a single thing- almost as if-
“Because you're curious about me too.” Stated as a fact. Not a question, this was something not even worth debating to the detective, it was clear from his expression that this was his belief, and that his belief was absolute. Because his words had to be the truth.
For the first time in years, Dazai felt something. Some sort of spark, a sharp intake as he realized- This was no ability. This was all Edogawa Ranpo. The Ace of the ADA, Had no special ability, other than his very brain. And such a realization was as frightening as it was exciting. Someone who his ability didn’t work on. Someone who matched the best without need for a gift. That was Edogawa Ranpo. That is who the ADA were keeping under lock and key, and for a moment Dazai wondered if Ranpo’s absence at these meetings weren’t his own doing but rather the doing of Fukazawa, Who surely would of know the interest Dazai would of shown had he learned this.
And the assumption had been correct. Ranpo could of been to these meetings had he wished, they were not exactly secret, However in the face of Fukazawa personally asking him not to go, when he so rarely bared Ranpo from doing much of anything. Who was he to refuse the man he trusted? If Fukazawa said not to go. Then not go he would. However he never said to never meet the famed Dazai Osamu and so here he was.
Dazai’s lip twitched, a small ‘heh-’leaving him much to their own shock, followed by another round of slowly more loud noises that trickled into full on belly laughs, rocking back and almost
slipping if it weren’t for him moving his hand to grip a pillar of the bridge, he laughed. Good and hard, before he looked back to the detective, his dull eyes now twinkling with brief amusement,
“Am I?”
“Am I wrong?” Ranpo’s tone not questioning, more sarcastic than anything which only led to Dazais lips quirking in amusement again.
“...Not a bit”
How long has it been since he felt this amused in the presence of another? There was of course the constant amusement that came with teasing Chuuya, But the amusement was brief and left left him feeling emptier than he had been prior once the shortie left the room, However here there was a pleasant buzz through his veins, as though his mind was telling him that this was someone his mind games wouldn't work on as easily, as though this was someone equal to him in wit. Someone who would be a valuable asset to have.. But one look at the detective and it was clear. That would not be happening. Edogawa Ranpo was a creature of light, There was something just below the surface however that spoke otherwise however, Something that could switch to darkness if he wanted it too, If he acknowledged something he wished to avoid, But Edogawa Ranpo seemed to have his own faults, Ignoring the truth unless he wanted to see it being one of them.
Dazai’s lips quirked up again, Fingers moving back and barely brushing against the skin of Ranpo’s cheek, His knuckle itching to be something other than gentle, Gentle wasn’t something he was capable of, but it was something he had to be in this moment.
“Hm~” He hummed,
seeming to think something over, What it was? Not even Ranpo could tell..This man, The head of the Port Mafia was a mystery, something Ranpo was transfixed on figuring out.
It wasn’t often a mystery walked into his life that was hard to solve, Not often someone stood before him and he couldn’t tell what they were thinking. It was something that intrigued him.
It was the same for Dazai, The people who stood before him day after day, All seemed to blur into one being. The day’s that were once black and white, blurring into a gray blob, As the faces of those around him appeared more and more scratched out as time trickled onward, It was exhausting to keep push forward.. Which brought him to the bridge. The last place he and Odasaku had spoken before… Before it all went to shit. Then along came the green eyed detective, With his confidence, his casual conversation that swerved Dazai’s entire routine.
He could kill him right now if he wanted to. Take the thorn out of the port mafia’s side.
Ranpo was the cause of many of their exploits being exploited, He caused more problems for them than it was worth. Even without his name there, The very existence of ‘The world's
greatest detective’ haunted the plans of the Port Mafia. But where would the fun be in that? It had been so long since Dazai had met someone he could consider an equal.
And even longer since he saw the familiar gleam of uncertainty in another persons eye’s. Uncertainty about the world, This cold glaze that didn’t see those around them as fully human. Or at least some what below them, and it made him wonder, Could this detective of been like him? Unsure of what to make of the world? A prodigy among prodigies who couldn’t quite grasp what it was to be human.
“Im not one to offer this to men, But~ Every so often someone will cross my path that i’d consider, Why don’t you join me in a double suicide detective, We could escape from this world full of monster’s together” of course he knew the answer already, But a hand smacking his own away from the other’s face alighted something excitable with-in him.
How long had it been since someone was so casual with him? So unafraid of laying a hand on the head of the port mafia?
“No thanks” Ranpo’s tone was neutral and board, seeming to look past Dazai rather than towards him. “Someone has to protect the idiot’s of the world, Speaking of idiots. Your’e going to fall.”
The mafia leader stayed put, not expecting the last bit he blink “Eh?”
Ranpo reached out, and with his palm, pressed it against the chest of the mafioso, It was enough to throw the leader off balance, as he fell backwards to the water below, A brief flash of panic shot through his heart, but then he remembered- Ah yes. The water, He most likely would of taken a dive at some point this evening anyway. He just wasn’t expecting the law abiding detective to be the one to push him. His lips curled as he tilted his head back. But suddenly it was all too bright, and it was then he realized, his bandage was loose. Loose enough that it no longer blocked his left eye to darkness. That for a brief moment, As the detectives' form shrunk from his vision, He saw light. Before being submerged in water.
He entertained the thought of allowing himself to drowned then and there. Seemed like a nice way to go, would most likely cause problems between the detective agency and the port mafia as well, But then again, That would mean problems for Oda, and Friends or Enemies. He had done this all for him. So that he may live his dream and walk in the light.
As he pulled himself to the bank of the river that same evening, his lips were curled into an amused grin. Looking up through water blurred eyes, that eventually focused. He noticed a figure still standing on the bridge above, Relaxing against the railing, arms folded, and looking down to Dazai,only lifting his hand to tilt down the brim of his cap in some form of goodbye, grinning past the stick of a lollipop. The detective disappeared from Dazai’s sight.
He stayed on the bank of the river for a moment more, eventually standing up, Slipping off his coat to wring out the water, he reached into his pocket, Sure that his phone was broken which would mean no car ride back. But in pulling out his phone, He pulled something else out. A wet folded up paper that certainly wasn’t there before. With careful fingers he slowly peeled it open. Written in marker the word’s were bleeding down the page, red ink running like fading ribbons, Still legible lucky.
And all it said was one thing.
“Fukiyama”
He paused. Then laughed. And laughed again.
…Of course. He tapped the corner of the paper against his chin, ‘Strange little detective’ he hummed to himself and began his walk back up the bank, a small spring in his step.
Fukiyama… Now that’s someone he never considered. The past 2 months the port mafia had been plagued with the death of quite a few members, all found in similar ways, Alone in their homes, Hanging from the ceiling by their feet, signs of torture evidant, But all done after their death. Chibi had been put in charge of finding the responsible party, But with barely any leads or even evidence left, This was proving to be a slightly more difficult case than usual, And just as he came around to the idea of trying to figure it out himself, The ADA’s very own detective comes along and gives him a name he had not heard of in a long time.
Fukiyama.. An ex-member of the port mafia, A member from Dazai’s time, He remembered the name, an assassin who worked under Mori before Dazai took over, He had been killed 2 weeks into Dazai’s time in the mafia, it never occurred to him that Fukiyama could of faked his death, But why comes back now? Such a curious thing.
He found his way to a pay phone, and digging out some change he called up a familiar number. Not giving the receiver time to speak as he interrupted.
“Dig up what you can on Fukiyama, The Reaper’s aid. An assassin from 8 to 30 years ago. Find out everything you can about his assassination methods”
“Idiot, I could of been anyone on the other side of the line” A familiar voice hissed, “What brought on the sudden interest in an old assassin anyway?”
“Are you ignoring orders your higher up Chibi? Be like a good dog and do as master says” he could practically hear Chuuya’s teeth grinding at that comment, and looked down to the paper between his fingers, twisting and turning it. “And just a tip from a new ‘friend’, Just look into it. OH! And send someone to pick me up! Im by Yokahama bridge~”
“WHAT WERE YOU DOING TH- nevermind i have good idea of what you doing.” the expiration in his voice was mildly entertaining, however Dazai had much more entertaining things to think about. “Yes boss. I’ll send someone right away”
“Good. Oh and Chuuya?”
“What now?”
“Have a florist make a bouquet for me. Im thinking of Begonia’s and Clematis …Hm~ have them throw a Belladonna in there too”
“Never took you as someone well adverse in flower arrangements, trying to impress someone?” Chuuya muttered with a snort.
“ Perhaps, I feel like they will…Appreciate the extra effort” with that the phone went dead, Seems like his time was up. Dazai let out a sigh and leaned against the phone box. Now to wait. As he waited he began to rewrapped the bandages around his own, lost in his own thoughts after the day he had.
A detective who helps solve port mafia crimes? He must of really been board then, But Dazai was nothing if not the leader of the port mafia, Sending a gift to their new ‘acquaintance’ seemed like the right thing to do~ and if he was lucky, perhaps he would get something back. Even if he didn’t there was nothing stopping him from sending another till he got some sort of response.
The detective had changed his routine, and for that. He has to expect Dazai’s unwavering attention.