I guess I'm in the mood for first interactions with Dazai. This one is with Oda, this time. There are some details that I fudged (like "Sensei's" role in this story), but I mainly tried to capture the atmosphere that a first conversation between Oda and Dazai might be like. I think I got it mostly in-character, with one minor issue: Dazai acts more like his older self. In the Mafia, he was more subdued. Still, I think this came out okay. I'd love to hear any thoughts.

Oda Sakunosuke sighed and rubbed his shoulder, trying to soothe away the dull ache that persisted there. He'd had to guard his boss' daughter today while she went shopping, and lo and behold, some bold assassin from a rivaling group tried to shoot her. He'd managed to get her out of the line of fire safely and took care of the threat without too much issue. The problem came after the police had come and hauled off the culprit.

He and the girl were watching from a few feet away while it happened. The daughter asked him why he spared the man, and Oda had simply replied that he no longer killed anyone. That had earned him a strange look, then the girl simply wound up and punched him on shoulder with no warning. He had seen it coming, of course, but decided it really wasn't much of a threat and would probably make her feel better. So he purposely didn't dodge and let the hit land. What he didn't anticipate was the years of self-defense training the girl had been put through. It was surprising just how long the pain has lingered.

Rolling his shoulder, Oda suddenly felt in the mood for a drink. The day had been long, and he had been anticipating some nice quiet time to read at home. But now he felt that a drink might make those plans even better. It was just a sudden whim, but Oda felt like it was almost more of a compulsion. Something interesting would happen if he went for a drink, he felt. It wasn't like his ability activated. There was no concrete image of what would happen next, and it would certainly be more than a few seconds into the future. But somehow, he was still just as certain. Instead of going straight to continue towards his small apartment, he turned off into an alleyway, a shortcut back to the main road to go the local bar that he always went to.

A flicker of movement off to his right caught his eye, and Oda glanced over to see a calico cat sitting regally on an apartment fire escape. It wasn't doing anything. Just watching with intelligent eyes as its tail flicked lazily back and forth. Still, it made Oda's hair stand on end. Its gaze was too intent, too knowing.

The animal studied him for a few more seconds before letting out a sudden meow and hopping down from its perch. Instead of running way, it stalked closer, moving gracefully and purposefully towards the man. Once it was only a few feet away, it paused again, daintily sitting back on its haunches and peering up at Oda expectantly.

Oda really wasn't sure what the cat wanted from him. He didn't have any food to offer it. It didn't seem to want attention. So the redhead simply stood there for a few seconds, trying to decide what to do.

"You wouldn't happen to know of any good bars around here?" he decided to ask, not really expecting a response.

The cat climbed to its feet and meowed lowly. It turned around and started pacing away. Oda was admittedly just confused by the whole encounter. He was about ready to continue on his way when the cat paused and looked back.

When Oda didn't move, the cat meowed again, sounding purposefully patient. When he attempted to walk past the cat, it batted gently at his ankles and let out a low growl.

Alright, so he was going to follow a cat. He supposed he did do dumber things in the past, though now he was kind of wishing he decided to just go straight home.

This time, he trailed behind the feline obediently as it led him along the streets. It led him in the opposite direction of his normal bar, back towards the Port Mafia headquarters. The cat never wavered in its path, never darted off to catch a stray mouse, never showed interest in anything around them. It expertly led Oda through small side streets, where people were few and far between (and getting fewer by the moment).

If he had been anyone else, Oda might've been concerned about the area the cat was trying to take him to. As it was, he felt mildly intrigued. Any time he paused or considered just going home, the cat always noticed. It meowed and batted his ankles until he complied.

Eventually, it turned him down another alley between two large abandoned apartment buildings. This alley was just as dingy and dark as the rest, except for the warm glow coming from a shop. Lupin, its sign read. It was evident that it was a bar. Huh, so the cat had been answering his question all along.

Somehow, he half-expected the cat to scurry off, like its job was over now that it had brought him to where he asked. But the cat was a cat, and it had its own motivations that were unbeknownst to anyone besides itself. It sat in front of the entrance to the bar and stared at Oda again expectantly.

He hesitantly stepped forward and grabbed the door handle that led into the bar. The cat had graciously moved out of his way as he did so. Once the door was open just wide enough, the cat darted inside.

Oda swore under his breath and rushed down the stairs after it. He hadn't meant to let it in, and it would probably disrupt the bar's operations to have an animal loose in the store.

However, before he'd managed to get halfway down, he heard a delighted voice cry out "Sensei!"

He slowed and took the rest of the stairs cautiously, curious. The inside of the bar slowly came into view. It was an elegant and decadent place, full of warm lighting and rich tones.

There was a small area of tables in front of the bar, all abandoned. Shame, because the hanging lights and well-cared for furniture gave a glimpse into an earlier time. The smooth wooden bar only had two occupants: a young man who looked no older than fifteen at the most (who was now petting Oda's calico guide), and the old barkeep silently wiping down glasses with a small smile on his face.

It was peaceful here. Already Oda decided that he liked this place better than his usual bar. Even at all hours of the night, there could be a belligerent guest or two. Plus, it didn't hold the same warmth and atmosphere that this place had. This bar seemed predisposed to secrets and good company.

Oda took a seat next to the kid at the bar, eyeing the boy curiously. He was obviously too young to be in a place like this, yet here he was with a drink sitting in front of him. He wore a long black coat as well as a dress shirt and pants. There were bandages visible around his neck, wrists, and right eye. A gauze pad sat firmly affixed to his left cheek.

From the way he was dressed, it was evident that this kid was somehow with the Port Mafia. He was just too well-dressed for a common kid. Plus, he had to have some sort of backing in order to boldly get drinks at a bar when he was obviously far too young. So this kid being part of the mafia made sense. Orphans often got roped into the mafia since they were easily disposable. That's how Oda had gotten sucked in.

Plus, with all of those injuries…Oda might be a low-ranking member, but even he had heard rumors of the newest executive. A young man covered in bandages, with a terrifying intellect and a brutal personality. Even though he had only joined a short time ago, his track record with missions has been flawless (pun not intended). Oda had never seen the kid in person, but it was hard to deny that this kid drew a striking resemblance to the rumors. Still, it was hard to believe that this kid was the terrifying Port Mafia executive that everyone feared when he was petting a cat with a silly grin on his face. When he smiled like that, he looked like an ordinary kid. (Granted, maybe an ordinary kid who was unordinarily clumsy.)

"What can I get for you?" the barkeep asked, breaking Oda's focus and drawing his attention back to the reason he was here in the first place. He looked up and saw the wide selection of drinks adorning the wall, but there was really only one drink he was interested in.

Seconds later, the glass of whiskey was slid in front of him on a glass coaster and Oda took a sip. Perfect.

"So Sensei brought you here, huh?" the kid suddenly asked, surprising Oda into almost dropping his drink. The cat had left the counter and sauntered off to who-knew-where.

"Sensei?"

"The cat. He looks wise, doesn't he?" Dazai said, not looking at Oda as he clinked the ice in his drink.

"Sure," Oda agreed easily enough.

"He brought me here a few days ago, too," Dazai continued, not seeming too interested in his response. "I got a bit lost after floating down the river for a while."

"Which river?" Oda asked curiously.

The kid just blinked at him for a second before bursting into laughter. "You're a weird one, aren't you?" he said, still chuckling. Oda frowned. What was so funny? "What's your name?"

"Oda Sakunosuke."

"Well, Odasaku, it's nice to meet you. I'm Dazai Osamu," the boy said, sticking a bandaged hand out.

Odasaku? "Likewise," he replied, taking the hand.

"So you're a part of the Port Mafia too?" Dazai asked, focusing on his drink again. It didn't really sound like a question. The boy took a sip of his drink and made a face before setting it back down.

"How did you know?" Oda asked, curious.

"The guns under your jacket," the kid replied simply. "It's pretty hard for civilians to get ahold of guns, and you just don't look like police. Plus, you probably would've said something about me being here if you were."

Oda was shocked. His guns shouldn't be visible at just a glance. It was pretty hard for most people to spot them. Still, if this kid really was the demonic young executive, Oda guessed it made sense.

"What if I was undercover?" Oda challenged. "Or from a rival gang?"

"You're not," Dazai replied easily, completely confident. "Otherwise you would've chosen another spot to get you noticed faster. This bar doesn't really get a lot of traffic, even from the mafia. Far as I look to anyone else, I'm just an average kid. Plus, you wouldn't suggest that if you were."

Fair enough.

"I'm just a low-ranking member," Oda admitted, sipping his drink calmly. "Boring jobs, mostly. Nothing compared to the famous youngest executive."

"Oh, so you've heard of me?" Dazai said, puffing up with exaggerated pride.

"Everyone's heard of you and your reputation."

"Oh, stop. You're going to make me blush!" Dazai gushed, waving a hand at him in faked embarrassment.

"Why are you drinking whiskey if you don't like it?" Oda wondered.

"Well, it's a well-known fact that many people drink themselves to death. I was kind of hoping for the same results, but it turns out that that alcohol has a strong taste that burns on the way down," the kid answered matter-of-factly as he took another sip. His face twisted up again. "I think I'm starting to get used to it though."

"So you're drinking it with the intention of dying?"

"Yep," Dazai responded quickly, popping the p.

"It might take awhile at the rate you're going," Oda pointed out.

"You think so too?" Dazai asked, finally scooting the glass away from himself. "Hm. I was hoping for something a little more immediate, but the barkeep here says that he doesn't have any poisons." Dazai pouted at the older gentleman behind the counter, who just serenely ignored the boy's antics. The man was a real professional.

"That's unfortunate," Oda offered.

"Indeed," Dazai lamented.

They fell into a comfortable silence. Oda enjoyed his drink and Dazai went back to absently petting the cat called Sensei. When had it jumped back up onto that stool?

Oda took his time, enjoying the calm that wasn't afforded to him during the day. Yes, this really was going to become his new haunt. It was hard to find places like this nowadays. It was strangely comforting, this place. Oda mentally called up a map of the area to mark this location for future reference.

Even Dazai, a man ordinarily described as a demon, was friendly and interesting company. He added a splash of eccentricity to the refined bar that only made it more inviting. Oda wasn't sure if the boy came here regularly or if he'd be here after tonight, but the redhead wouldn't mind having him for company again.

By the time Oda reached the end of his drink, he almost didn't want to leave. But there was a book that he wanted to finish tonight, and the night was already well on its way when he arrived here. By his estimate, it was probably about midnight by now.

Oda drained the rest of his drink before placing some money down onto the counter. Dazai looked over as he stood from his stool.

"Aw, leaving already?"

"Yes. I have a book I'd like to finish reading tonight, and I have to get up early tomorrow."

Dazai blinked at him, the same flabbergasted expression from earlier. Then he chuckled again, finding some strange humor in their conversation that Oda had missed. "You'll have to let me read it sometime," Dazai demanded playfully, stroking Sensei's head with a featherlight touch. "Goodnight, Odasaku."

Oda just waved as he climbed the stairs out of the building. As he walked back to his apartment in the quiet night, feeling peaceful and content, he had no way of knowing that this strange encounter signaled the beginning of the end of his life five years down the line.