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missromantic-x · 5 years

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Why

Fluff-ish, takes place in canon. The title is inspired by the Sabrina Carpenter song.

Shin Soukoku Week 2019 Day 1: Tickle a Dragon’s Tail

Rated K, no warnings apply

Once, Kunikida had told Atsushi to avoid a man named Ryūnosuke Akutagawa. That he should run away no matter the circumstances. The warning was more than sensible, considering that Atsushi’d almost died the day they crossed paths. The second day they met, he’d been kidnapped and thrown in the back of a cargo ship to be sold on the black market.

The third day was different. By then, both of their immense hate for each other had had time intensify to insane levels. But then, Atsushi was no longer afraid of Akutagawa. No, all he wanted was to understand the motives of such a terrible person. And somehow, both ended up surprising each other with words that told them how to help themselves.

“Jinko.”

Atsushi looked back at Ryū, who was sitting on the other side of the couch. “What is it?”

The dark haired man shook his head. “How is it that we ended up like this? Why, of all the people in the world, did we choose each other?”

“I was just wondering that myself. I think that it’s because when an unstoppable force meets an immovable wall, they’re sure to clash.”

“Then, how did I end up falling for you?”

The silverette smiled. “At first, being with you was like tickling the tail of a sleeping dragon. I always felt like I was walking on eggshells, and one wrong move would be the end of me.”

Ryū moved closer, confused but interested nonetheless.

“People told me not to play with fire unless I wanted to get burned. But if you’re fire, then I’m water. The two seem like they could never go together. In some senses, that felt true. But I realized that in the end, one without the other would result in chaos. “With only fire, the world would become dry, lifeless, and desolate. But with only water, the world would drown itself in the intensity of overpopulation and the coldness of isolation. And eventually, those worlds would harbor no space for living things.”

Ryū began to smile. “So though it feels like I’d cease to exist with you, I’d be miserable without you.”

Atsushi wrapped his arms around Ryū. “Yes, but I’m glad. That means that you’re perfect for me in every way.”

Tickling a dragon’s tail didn’t promise that he would be harmed. It just meant that there was a multitude of possibilities for how things could end. Sometimes, those endings required courage and a little bit of curiosity. And lucky for Atsushi, tigers had both of those.

The dragon wasn’t dangerous, it was lonely, and Atsushi had ended that.

#shin soukoku #shin soukoku week 2019 #sskkweek2k19 #sskkweek #day 1 #akaatstu #atsushi nakajima #akutagawa ryuunosuke

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missromantic-x · 5 years

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Oliver Twist of Fate

Day 2: Out of Character (taken very literally!)

This was supposed to be comedic, but it ended up sort of angsty at the end. I guess even the fic is following the prompt?

Rating: K+, warnings: none

It was a normal day in the agency. The sun was at a mild temperature, Dazai hadn’t done anything too insane (in fact, he was going on trip with Fukuzawa!), Kunikida’d followed his schedule almost perfectly (due to some small interventions), Yosano wasn’t in any of her rather violent moods, Junichiro was doing the usual with Naomi (Atsushi’d become mostly used to the oddity), Kenji had eaten his fill, and Kyōka was cleaning the office. Nothing notable in specific. The one thing, though, was that everyone was very busy.

Other than Ranpo that was, because Ranpo was Ranpo. He was just twiddling his thumbs, with a half eaten pocky stick in his mouth. He reached to pull another stick, then his hand slithered back in sheer horror. Candy wrappers crunched as he set down his cap. His smile faded. His head twisted around almost 180 degrees to stare right at Atsushi. “I’m out of snacks. Now what do I do?”

Atsushi stiffened, then placed a hand on Ranpo’s shoulder. “Ah-hah, don’t worry, I’ll go to the store right away!”

Rushing out of the Agency with three shopping bags in hand, he wasn’t looking where he was going, and crashed into a curly-haired blonde girl. Her briefcase and umbrella went flying, and the two fell backward into the ground.

“Oh my goodness, I’m so terribly sorry!” the girl exclaimed.

He shook his head. “No, no, it’s my fault I wasn’t looking where I was going.”

“Well, since we met, do you know where the market is?” she asked, visibly embarrassed. “I’m new here.”

He nodded. “Yes, in fact, I was on the way there myself. Why don’t I take you with me?”

She rose from the ground, brushing off her red polka-dotted dress. “Thank you so much.“

The two began their trek toward town. Once they reached the market, she thanked him again. “How can I repay your kindness? I would help you with a discount on something, but my uncle’s a detective, not a billionaire.”

“You don’t need to do anything, honest,” he assured her. He moved from booth to booth, placing what had to be a month’s worth of sweets into his bags. Out of the corner of his eye, a black and red form dashed behind a stand. It almost looked like…

“Here you go!” the shopkeeper said, handing the mafioso three lemons.

The hair on Atsushi’s arms stood on end. What was he doing here? Was he trying to cause trouble? Was there some new item hot on the black market that he was trying to sell? Or maybe not. Probably, he was just trying to get some food. But lemons? That sounded like the weapons Kajii favored. Was he really going to harm all the innocent customers and sellers here?

He took in a deep breath, and turned toward Akutagawa. He would have to figure out how to talk him out of whatever wicked plan he had set in place. The blonde girl followed Atsushi, likely assuming he was going to another booth. However, he did not pay too much attention to this.

“Weretiger,” Akutagawa acknowledged him aggressively.

“You can’t do this here! Think of all the innocents!” the silverette cried.

“I can buy myself things to eat if I so desire. Did the orphanage not tell you that was how things worked?” the dark-haired man shot back savagely.

“Oh, please don’t fight!” the girl exclaimed, drawing their attention to her. “You’ve been so kind today, Mister. I don’t want my favor to be one to take you out of prison.” She grabbed both their wrists in desperation.

There was a brilliant flash of green. Atsushi was blinded for a few seconds, then blinked away the light. What was that? And why did he feel so uncomfortable and sickly? Why was the person gazing back at him…himself?

He scrambled backward. “Why’s there another me?!”

The other Atsushi raised his hands to his face. “I’ve become the weretiger?”

The girl began to readjust her headband. The two disoriented men looked back at the girl. “I’m sorry, I’m sorry, I’m sorry!” she exclaimed. “My name is Charlotte Dickens, I’m a gifted person! My gift, Oliver Twist, allows me to switch the bodies of whomever two people I touch for a random amount of time. And, I haven’t mastered my control over it yet. That’s why I came to Yokohama to meet up with my second-cousin-in-law-once-removed Doppo, to see if he could teach me!”

“So what you’re saying,” Atsushi-now-Akutagawa summarized, “is that I’ve become him?” He pointed at Akutagawa-now-Atsushi.

Akutagawa-now-Atsushi crossed his arms. “We can’t get it nullified, either. Dazai left for Spain with Fukuzawa to speak to the gifted organization there. The trip is supposed to be a month long at most.

Charlotte winced. “Usually, the swaps last firm thirty seconds to three days, but the longest one that I’ve done lasted for two weeks.

The two were mortified. “I have to be him for two weeks?!” ———————————————————————————————————

Atsushi was beginning to realize where Akutagawa’s cruelty came from. The Port Mafia was bleak, at best. Every second he thought things would be calm, a gunshot fired, or a person got a death threat. It broke his heart every time Higuchi tried to speak with him. She looked at her feet, and addressed him very formally. And each time she tried to help him, he had to tell her off or physically harm her. It made him want to vomit. The boss couldn’t be any more different from Fukuzawa. He ran the mafia like a business, and every time someone did something he didn’t like, they were fired, quite literally. Atsushi couldn’t comprehend how one man could be so ruthless. The whole environment was so depressing. And to top things off, he was constantly coughing. He wanted to be free of his pain, but that wasn’t what Akutagawa did. Maybe he’d sneak out that night and buy some cough drops, since he didn’t know how long he’d be stuck like this. Speaking of night, he had no idea where he would sleep. Did Akutagawa even have a room of his own? Was he sleeping outside? If so, where was the warmest place?

The scary-looking slasher with the mask answered his question. “I know you’re not my brother.” She raised a knife to his throat. “You have three seconds to tell me who you are and where the real Ryūnosuke is.”

“Please, don’t harm me!” he cried. “An ability user made me and Akutagawa switch bodies!”

“Are you the weretiger?” she queried.

“Yes, just please don’t hurt me!”

She scoffed. “I’m not going to stab my brother. Now, if you’re going to deface him with every movement, you’ll need to stay out of sight from your subordinates and the boss.”

He nodded weakly. She began to walk away, motioning for him to follow. He did, albeit nervously. He likely was going to get sold out.

In a back corner of a hidden alleyway, she showed him a makeshift shelter. “This is where you’ll sleep. You are to pretend you have lost your voice. Maybe then the others won’t tell.”

She left the area, leaving him to his thoughts. He closed his eyes, sad for his rival. This was the kind of place he had to be in every day. It was downright depressing. When they swapped back, he wouldn’t be so judgmental. Instead, he’d try to fix his ways. With tose thoughts, he drifted off to a fitful and uncomfortable sleep.

He woke feeling warmer and more comfortable, as well as more healthy. Opening his eyes, he could see that he was back in his room that had been granted by the ADA. He rose to gaze at a mirror, and he saw his own reflection. One tear fell down his face. It was a strange tear, one that would never have been shed had today been even slightly different.

Through the experience, he’d become far more aware of how lucky he was. Perhaps, Akutagawa felt the same, but in a reverse sense. He had to reform him. He didn’t want Akutagawa to suffer like that for much longer. Somehow, he would fix things.

#shin soukoku week 2019 #shin soukoku #sskkweek2k19 #sskkweek #day 2 #atsushi nakajima #akutagawa ryuunosuke

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