#ff x bsd astray in the black water

[kiwibeanv]

Astray in the Black Water: Prologue

Fatal Frame 5 crossover Bungo Stray Dogs + Fem Reader

Note: Reader not yet included in this chapter. Proceed to Chapter 1 if you would like to jump in.

Authorities couldn't find the missing girl. After weeks of searching, they left the case for the Armed Detective Agency to handle. Which was then passed to Kyouka.     She searched the mountain again for the missing person. Perhaps the police overlooked something. Rumors said that this abandoned temple was haunted and that this girl wasn't the only one who went missing. Stories of being pushed off cliffs, misty specters of drenched shrine maidens, and trapped souls trying to drag them to the nether world. Though, that didn't faze her at all.      Kyouka did manage to find a bracelet from the missing girl. Right in front of the temple up the hill. She gazed at it, thinking the girl went there. It was a large temple. Multiple floors, countless rooms, spiraling hallways, and some flooding underground. A phantom bell rung randomly, as if trying to call Kyouka. 

She entered a room flooded with water. It was empty and dark. Not even her flashlight could light up the big room. The water was too murky, but there was a chance for a hidden item. As she marched, her foot hit something in the water. She stared at the spot and reached for it. Within that same moment, a head of a woman emerged. Her hair covered her most of her face and she attempted to lunge at her.     Kyouka dodged and saw her robes. This woman rose but her feet levitated above the water. Other drowned women emerged. She never expected to be surrounded by spirits and fled the room. Kyouka isn't easy to scare, however this was a rare moment of her holding back her nerves. She attempted to go back but another spirit, a woman in a black kimono blocked her path. She went the other way and saw a room with light. A possible exit, she thought.

    The doors shut behind her and she stood at the top of the stairs. Again another flooded room but it was surrounded by shelves with pottery. In the center of the room, a light shined down on a black box. She had a moment of revelation, perhaps the girl could be inside that box. She started to make her way to the box. At the halfway point, the box suddenly opened. Black long hair slithered out and into the murky water. It wrapped around her ankles and Kyouka used her knife to cut it. However, her attention landed on the pale specter emerging. She started to panic and tried to tear the hair off.

    The spirit floated into the air. Her eyes were focused on Kyouka. Her arms reached out and she got closer and closer. And that was all Kyouka could remember.

    The ADA waited for her to return that night but she never came back. The morning came and Atsushi never saw her futon undone. Whispers of the news crept along to the café workers, to their friends, and ultimately the ears of the Port Mafia. Most members didn't care about the report. All but one: Kouyou. She couldn't bear the fact that someone had taken Kyouka and she felt the need to rescue her this time. Not Dazai. And just like before, she went to the mountains and underestimated the spirits. The Port Mafia didn't hear from her again. 

    These two events led to the ADA and PM sending out their troops to find their beloved members. Atsushi and Dazai, and Chuuya's party went out into the mountain. They explored the station, the inn, and the groups crossed paths in the forest. Dazai and Chuuya glared daggers at each other.  "Why the fuck are you here?!" Chuuya leaned forward with his hands on his hips. His squad of men stood back on guard.

"You weren't the one I wanted to commit suicide with," Dazai deadpanned.

"Well, I didn't want to do this anyways!" Chuuya snapped back.

Atsushi didn't want either side to start fighting. He took a step forward, asking, "Did you guys also lose someone here?"

Chuuya looked over to Atsushi. "And why should I give an answer to the Armed Detective Agency?"

"Because~," Dazai chimed in. "The Port Mafia wouldn't be looking into this unless someone important went missing."

"Well if you just kept an eye on your member, we wouldn't have been here to begin with!" Chuuya shot back. 

"You should have kept an eye too!"

    Atsushi let the two men bicker as he took a look of his surroundings while giving them space. He knew there was no stopping them. In the corner of his eye, he saw a white figure. He only got a look of the robes before it disappeared, and the chiming of a bell rung in his ear.

"Oi! Did anyone else see that?" Atsushi asked.

Dazai and Chuuya followed his gaze. They shook their heads.

"Do you really believe in ghost stories?" Chuuya scoffed as he put his hand on his hip.

"No, I really saw something," Atsushi argued.

"Really?~" Dazai crept up behind Atsushi. "There are a lot of stories about this place. A place to commit suicide, spirits drive you to death, or--!" He tapped his fingers along Atsushi's shoulders as if trying to make a crawling sensation. "The infamous hachishakusama is said to lurk here."

Atsushi shivered. "The eight feet tall woman?"

Chuuya rolled his eyes. "It's all stories! None of it is real."

"Because you refuse to admit your fear~" Dazai teased. 

"I'm not scared!"

    Atsushi sighed. He goes away from the group to continue his investigation. Though, he was wary enough to stay in sight, in case things go wrong. He comes across a broken bridge. Across was a shrine. He thought he saw something float in the water. He shook his head and saw nothing. Dazai would soon join him, after finishing his bickering with Chuuya. 

"Hah... Now I don't feel like doing anything," Dazai sighed and looked around.

"We have to look for Kyouka," Atsushi reminded him, turning his back on the river. "She could be stuck anywhere on this mountain."

Dazai hummed in thought. "Strange... Kyouka is not one who goes down easily. If nothing was on the mountain, she should have returned home. Even stranger when a Port Mafia executive disappeared shortly after too."

"So, there must be something that made them lost..." Atsushi added. 

"Now, I don't believe in ghost stories, however, locals say this mountain is cursed," Dazai brought up as he puts his hands in his coat pockets. "Others have disappeared here, and this is a hot suicide spot!" His eyes sparkled.

Atsushi gave him a look of disbelief. "Why would you commit suicide in a cursed mountain?" 

"Because if people succeeded here, then surely I will," Dazai replied. "I don't need you dying now," Atsushi rolled his eyes. "Look, let's check out that temple over there."

    They looked across the river were the temple sat, not noticing the sheer, pale hand coming from the water. Groans of pain were heard and it seized Atsushi's ankle and pulled him into the water. Atsushi let out a yelp. Dazai yelled his name and tried to get a hold of him. The figure that stood before Atsushi was a drenched man. His clothes stuck to his body, his hair fell down his face, and his mouth was wide open. He held onto him like a zombie. Atsushi attempted to use his tiger claw to cut his arm, but his hands went through the spirit.

  "I can't hit him!" Atsushi yelled out.

"You can't hit ghosts! Get out of there!" Dazai managed to grab a hold of his collar and reeled him in.

Atsushi wiggled out of the ghost's grasp. Though, the spirit followed. They fled from the river to get some distance. Afar, they heard some commotion too. A yelp familiar to Dazai before a log hits the ground with a loud thud. They heard commands to fire at will but the bullets only hit the trees and dirt.

"Sounds like Chuuya is figuring out he can't hit ghosts either," Dazai says as he looked at the direction of the noise.

"If our abilities don't affect these ghosts, then what do we do?" Atsushi asked.

"Find something that handles ghosts," Dazai replied.

In that same moment, Chuuya came to the same area panting, holding his hat. His men followed with goosebumps crawling on their skin. 

"Dammit! What the hell are we supposed to do against these spirits?!" Chuuya hit a tree trunk with his fist. "Oi Dazai, don't you know?"

Dazai shrugged. "Exorcisms?"

Chuuya scoffed. "Even those guys will run with their tails between their legs. Ain't there an ability user who can deal with this?"

The other two shrugged their shoulders. Neither of them knew anyone who had that ability. Even if they asked a psychic, there was a chance that they are not legitimate. However, Atsushi had an idea.

"What if we ask Ranpo for some legitimate users?" He asked.

"We could. He can narrow it down easily for us," Dazai agreed with a nod. "But who's paying?"

The ADA members stared at Chuuya, expectantly.

"Hah? Why are you looking at me?!" He snapped, pointing a finger to himself.

"Surely you have lots of money to afford your clothes," Dazai smirked.

"And surely the government gives you guys a good payout," Chuuya shot back.

"Well..." Atsushi raised his hands up to his chest. "We could split. Fifty-Fifty?"

"Fair enough," Chuuya nods. 

Dazai snickered behind him. "Yeah that works," He said as he hid his grin with his hand.

They all heard a bell ring and felt like someone was watching them.

"You guys settle that then and tell me who you got," Chuuya says as he was getting ready to leave. "The faster you get them, the better. I'm gonna need them too."

"Okay but we call first dibs," Dazai added.

  "It better be quick finding Kyouka." Chuuya turned away to mutter, "I'm worried about big sis..."

    The trio split ways. Dazai and Atsushi went back to Ranpo to figure out the best candidate. They compiled a list of self-proclaimed psychics and Ranpo would narrow down the options. A majority were not legitimate. Others were true, however their abilities were more about the future, past, or simply too weak. However, there was one name that Ranpo was certain of. (Y/N) (L/N). (Y/N) has a different practice of psychometry. "Shadow reading." However, her work was not solely focused on her job as a psychic investigator. She also owned a small café in a quiet part of town.

    With the right person to go to, Kunikida, Dazai, and Atsushi set out to meet her.

-> Chapter 1

[kiwibeanv]

Astray in the Black Water: Chapter 1

Fatal Frame 5 crossover Bungo Stray Dogs x Fem Reader

<- Prologue

It was another quiet day at your café. Just a small group of customers sitting with their warm drinks and your employees enjoying their break. Being a hidden jewel, the café had its perks. Slow days, memorizing the regular's usuals, and a small, reliable team.

However, this was only for a more consistent salary. Your other job, psychic investigations, was the one you focused more on. Seeing what others can't, visions of the past, and being able to sense traces of a person or object. Abilities passed down by your great grandmother, who was a former shrine maiden. Though, no one knew why she left her position and not much else is known about her past. A voice broke your train of thought.

"Hello? We are looking for (Name)," said a young man in white hair. Your coworker pointed to you. There you saw the newcomer accompanied by two others. One with fluffy brown hair and a long, tan coat and the other with blonde hair and glasses. The eyes of the brown haired man glimmered when his eyes landed on you. You got up from your seat to meet them halfway.

"Good afternoon gentlemen. Were you interested in psychic investigations?"

"Yes, we are," answered the man with glasses. "My name is Kunikida Doppo," he nods in your direction.

"I'm Nakajima Atsushi," the sectoral heterochromia eyed boy bowed his head and smiled softly. "It's nice to meet you miss."

"Dazai Osamu," the man with the fluffy hair pushed his two companions and gently took your hand.

"Oh my… so beautiful!" Dazai looked at you with eyes of adoration. Kunikida glared at him in the back. "Would you bless my ears by telling me the name of this fair maiden?"

You paused before awkwardly answering. "(Last Name) (First Name)… It's a pleasure to meet you too."

Dazai continues, "When I first laid my eyes on you, you seemed so deep in sorrow, yet that serene expression accentuates your elegance. Do you happen to want to end it all? To commit a double suici--!"

"Inappropriate behavior!" Kunikida slammed his fist on Dazai's head which made him let go of your hand. Everyone in the café looked in horror.

"Um… please take this outside," you say politely.

"Apologies," Kunikida dragged Dazai outside the café and proceeded to beat and scold him. Dazai let out some weird, comical moans. The customers looked out the window in confusion and murmured about the commotion.

To you, this was one of the very rare disturbances that happened in your café. Hardly anything ever occurs here, so this was rather shocking.

"Sorry about that," Atsushi rubbed his neck. "This is something they do a lot."

"Oh…" is all you can mutter. Really, you hope they don't make another scene.

"So, anyways… We need your help finding someone. We lost a coworker in Mt. Hikami."

Your heart sank hearing those words. It's tragic to hear someone's disappearance, however, you knew that mountain was known to be cursed. You had visited the mountain before looking for lost objects. But, when it came to people, nearly all of them met a bad end. From finding their corpses whether by accident or suicide. To see a vision of how they met their end. All their pains and emotions they went through. Worst yet, when you saw a high school girl jump to her death, you couldn't save her. There was only a few you can name that you found alive.

"I-I can help. Though, I can't guarantee if they are found… alive," you say hesitantly.

Atsushi widened his eyes. "You mean she could be dead?"

You nod. "I have found many who have passed. This coworker of yours, has she thought about suicide?"

Atsushi shook his head. "No! She was investigating a mysterious disappearance in the mountain, but she never came back to the office. It's only been two days."

"Then there may be some hope. All I require is either a personal item of theirs or a photo of them."

Atsushi took a moment to think. Kunikida reentered the café, with Dazai nowhere to be seen. Atsushi asked Kunikida if he had something of Kyouka's. Luckily, he had a photo of her.

"This is her, Kyouka," Kunikida handed you the photo. You took it and studied the girl on the photo. She wore a red kimono in the picture and looked young.

"It will do," you got up from your seat. "Let me get a few things and then I'll head to the mountain."

"We're coming along," Atsushi added before you disappeared into the diamond door.

Dazai rejoined the group rubbing his cheek. He whined to Kunikida that he shouldn't have made such a scene in a quiet neighborhood.

Finally, you came out and you all went to the mountain and you decided to use the cable car to reach your destination sooner. The power was still on and you pressed a button to get it moving.

"You mentioned you found many people already dead in this place," Atsushi brought up as he sat down on one of the seats. Kunikida and Dazai looked with interest. "Do you know why?"

Your lips curled into a frown and your eyes looked down.

"Most come to die when the sun sets. Sometimes people get lost and encounter spirits here," you replied.

"Nonsense. W-Why would anyone believe in ghosts?" Kunikida interjected but his lips quivered.

"Well…"

Before you could say anything, you felt Dazai's hand on your shoulder. "Oh you know, who doesn't like a good ghost story?" He grinned mischievously. "With so many people dying, lots of people would think their spirits could be bound here."

"We did have an encounter--" Atsushi said before getting cut off.

"With a familiar friend," Dazai winked at Atsushi. "Looking for a lost item~"

"Still… there are no ghosts. Right?" Kunikida asked.

"Nope!" Dazai smiled innocently.

You contemplated whether you should correct him or not, but you decided to trust him enough that things won't go too bad. You did notice how Kunikida's demeanor was more anxious when the topic of spirits came up. So it was probably best to not freak him out.

The cable car stopped at the station. You look at the photo of Kyouka again and you felt a trace. Only you could see a faint figure walk in the direction. So you led the way.

The sun shined on the forest and you weren't expecting that much spirit activity. You passed by the shrine of dolls which was long abandoned. There were a lot of dolls sitting on the shrine, old and weathered by time. Still, those empty eyes gave off eerie vibes, mostly to Kunikida.

"This is such a pretty place to die. Vast forests, running rivers," Dazai says as he looked around. "All I'm missing is a lovely lady to accompany me."

Atsushi sighed. "Please don't."

Your vision suddenly went colorless. Up ahead, you saw Kyouka heading inside the shrine of dolls. She took a right since the entrance was blocked by the dolls. In this moment, you took out the camera obscura to take a photo of the trace. Once taken, you saw color in the world again. Kyouka's figure disappeared as well, but now you know where to go.

"I didn't know you liked taking photos," Dazai commented with a smug grin. "Want one of me?~"

Your brow's knitted together. "This isn't for recreational use. The camera captures what you can't see with the naked eye."

"Oh…" Dazai glanced away with his hands behind his head.

You showed them the picture on the camera screen. There was Kyouka going in the shrine. Something they never saw.

"How is that possible?" Kunida inquired, with his brows furrowed.

"This camera was crafted with special lens to capture things not seen in our world," you replied, tucking the camera away. "A very rare type, so you can't purchase it easily."

"Then how did you get yours?" Atsushi asked.

"This was given to me by a local family. I use it for my investigations," you turned to the shrine. "Let's keep going."

You opened the sliding door on the right of the shrine to enter. You had to take out your flashlight since it was pretty dim in the shrine. The silence was too deafening. Nothing but the sounds of wood creaking and your footsteps were heard. You continued to follow Kyouka's trace through the shrine and lead the way. Dazai noticed how you were the one always opening the doors. For once, he offered to open the door first this time.

And through that door was the exit of the shrine that lead to the path. Dolls in kimonos hung from trees and swayed with the breeze. It was unsettling to see how they almost looked like corpses. Kunikida shuddered at the sight and gulped.

"I-I realized that I have neglected my reports, in which are required to be submitted by this evening," he said hesitantly.

"No you don't," Dazai smiled smugly.

"That includes your assignments as well," Kunikida looked at him blankly.

They heard a faint, childlike giggle.

"Are you finding entertainment in my misfortune?" He asked.

"I don't sound that childish," Dazai retorts.

You glanced at the sky to see that the sun was setting, painting the atmosphere in warm colors. The hanging dolls swayed with the chilly breeze. Then you turned your attention back to the boys. "We should leave the mountain soon. We will be more at risk in nightfall." They all nod in agreement. Kunikida was more enthusiastic about the depature than the rest of the group. You all went back to the cable car to descend to the bottom of the mountain. You gazed at the glowing sunset. How the sun colored the skies and clouds red-orange.

Atsushi looked over at the seats and noticed a woman sitting alone. He could only see the back of her head.

"Oh… We're not the only ones," he pointed out, feeling a chill run down his spine.

You and the others looked at the woman. She wasn't there before. Not even when you entered the cable car. Kunikida attempted to hide his expression and pushed his glasses up with his finger. Dazai had an odd smile. As if enjoying Kunikida's reaction while also blankly staring at the strange woman.

The forest was only getting darker as the sun sets. The woman turned around to face them. Her skin was pale as paper and her eyes were fully black. Kunikida shrieked, which also made Atsushi yelp. She stood up and started coming towards them. Kunikida backed away as far as he could. Dazai's eyes widened, looking mildly disturbed but he stayed a couple feet behind you. You took out your camera obscura and pointed it at the ghost.

"Are you crazy?! Why are you taking photos right now?!" Kunikida yelled out.

"Just trust me!" You replied, as there was no time to explain.

"(Name)! It's coming to you!" Atsushi shouted.

"I know!"

The ghostly woman reached her arms out to lunge at you. At the perfect moment, you countered her attack by snapping pictures of her. The boys watched in shock at how the ghost was affected by your camera. She stumbled backwards and let out screams of pain. She teleported behind you with her back towards the men. You had to repeat your tactic to take her fully down. Once she fell on her knees, you came forward to touch the spirit.

You froze in place as you saw a vision of her past. She came to this forest alone at night. Depression filled her soul and her only intent was to kill herself. However, in her final moments, she began to see the spirits surround her in the lake. Fear filled her mind and she attempted to flee. Only for the spirits to block her paths, and drag her under the water.

The cable car came to a stop and once the door opened, Kunikida bolted out of there in a flash. He wasted no time and fled as fast as he can. Atsushi and Dazai were shaken up, slightly trembling. You looked at the door incrediously and let out a sigh.

"Perhaps it would be best to not bring Kunikida tomorrow," you say, turning to them.

"Agreed," Atsushi nodded.

Dazai snorted. "That was the best reaction I ever seen," he giggled. "You should have taken a photo!"

You rolled your eyes and you all left the mountain. When you got to the city, night has fully settled. Street lights lit the roads and the sound of crickets sung for the moon.

"Say (Name), you should visit our office tomorrow," Atsushi suggested.

"Mmm," you nod in agreement. "I think I will take you up on your offer."

"Oh! Here's our office phone number!" Dazai took your hand and slids a piece of paper on your palm.

Atsushi glanced at the writing. "Wait that's not our number," he pointed out.

"My work number," the brown haired man let go of your hand.

"I recognize this as your personal number…" He raised an eyebrow. Dazai smiled "innocently."

"You forgot to write our address," Atsushi took out a pen. "Here, let me write it down."

You gave him the note and he wrote the address down. He scribbled out the number and jotted down the proper phone line of the office. Dazai's eyebrows furrowed. His one chance of giving his number to a pretty lady, all ruined! He crossed his arms with a small pout, but neither you or Atsushi noticed.

After that, you split ways from the ADA members to return home as they did the same. The night went by and in the morning, you got up to ready yourself to visit their office. You went through a café and up the stairs. There you opened the door and the office staff greeted you.

There you decided to....

-> Visit Kunikida -> Visit Atsushi -> Visit Dazai

This is purely a choice if you would like to read them all. No order necessary.

-> Chapter 2

[kiwibeanv]

Astray in the Black Water: Chapter 3

Fatal Frame 5 x Bungo Stray Dogs x fem! Reader

Prologue --- Chapter 1 --- Chapter 2

Notes: Mostly Chuuya chapter. Slightly OOC. You could read it alone. Terrorized by ghosts lol. Long chapter... Will update this chapter with post chapter content in these days.

6/4/2024: All post chapter content posted!

You managed to finish the written report in the afternoon. After collecting the photos from the printer, you compiled the papers together and went up to Kunikida.

“Kunikida-san, the paperwork is finished,” you say handing him the clipboard with the files.

He turns to you and takes the paperwork. He quickly scanned over it to ensure you filled out everything.

“Perfect. You are free to leave and thank you again for your assistance.”

You nod and turned around to the exit. Just as you were about to leave the office completely, Dazai's voice calls out to you.

"Oi, (Name)! Wait a minute!"

Dazai caught up to you with a smile. "So what kind of plans do you have? Anything tonight?"

"I will be busy. I have another request to search for someone," you replied.

"Oh... it doesn't happen to be with a certain ginger?" He stuck his hands in his pockets and leaned forward with suspicion.

"Uh... how did you know?"

Dazai pursed his lips. "Well he did approach you yesterday and asked how to get in contact with you. It's not hard to put two and two together."

You didn't think he would remember that detail. But then again, he knew Chuuya.

"If you're gonna go with him, keep your distance. He's loud, arrogant, and he's a brute! So be extra careful to protect yourself."

You blinked twice and realized how his words were much like Chuuya's. Aside from the different adjectives they used to describe each other.

"But," he leaned forward. "We might need you again."

You raised your brow. "What for?"

"Kyouka was searching for a missing girl, however with her condition she won't be able to get back to work right away. So~ I request that you search for the girl while with Chuuya."

"I can't promise I'll find her right away, but I will keep that thought in mind," you replied.

"Good! Just focus more on the girl than Chuuya!" Dazai beamed.

You sighed to yourself. "No promises," you mutter under your breath.

"Just in case you do," he pulled out a slip of paper out of his pocket, "Update me!"

He handed it to you. Inside was his phone number, the photo of the missing girl, and a little note.

Call me~ ;)

"Will do..." You say as you shoved his number in your pocket.

You managed to leave the Armed Detective Agency office and return to your district. Knowing that you had another object to repel spirits, you searched for it. That way Chuuya could have a way to push them back should the situation arise.

Later that evening, you waited in your cafe. You helped your coworkers clean and serve orders until the bell announced his presence. Chuuya walked in and looked around until his eyes landed on you.

"Oi, you ready?" He asked.

"I am," you nod.

Realizing that you forgot to mention to bring an item of the person he was looking for, you decided to ask now.

"Do you have a personal object or a photo of the person we are looking for?"

He tilts his head. "Huh, what for?"

"To have a trace. It would be easier to follow it than wander aimlessly," you replied, now feeling bad that you failed to mention it to him this morning.

"Shit, I wish you told me sooner," he sighed, rubbing his neck.

You frowned. "I apologize...I forgot."

"Do gifts count?"

You nod, since the object could have a connection.

"Got a knife she gave me, but I might need it if something happens."

"It's good enough."

He was about to turn to leave through the door when he paused and looked at you. "Just to make sure, you're fine with riding a motorcycle, right?"

You shrugged. "I'm fine with it. Let me get a few things first. I will meet you outside."

Chuuya nods, exits the cafe, and heads to his motorcycle. While he was doing that, you retrieved your camera, flashlight, and a few other items you need. Then you joined him, settling behind him, and he took off.

He drove you to Mt. Hikami. Curiosity crept in your mind. What sort of man was Chuuya? After all, he was dressed well with his suit. The cropped jacket, the long coat he wore as a cape, and the hat made him stood out more. You managed to see into Atsushi's memories, however you are aware of the possibility of seeing something more personal than you expected. This was a good opportunity to glance into his background. However, you decided against it, deeming this time to be inappropriate. After all, you barely met him.

By the time you reached to Mt. Hikami, the sunset had just begun. The red skies glowed, drawing your gaze in. The bike stopped and snapped you out of your thoughts and the two of you entered Mt. Hikami.

You held onto the knife to feel the trace. The trace was stronger with Chuuya, leading one figure to him. However, there was another figure, one of a silhouette of a woman. Her hair seemed to be in a bun and had long robes as if she wore a kimono. She walked to the path in the middle, the one that lead to the pool of purification.

You told Chuuya to follow you and you went up the path. Up the trail, you passed the waterfall. The skies were only getting darker at this point, the red hue fading into darkness. The two of you started to use flashlights. As you passed the waterfall, you heard a swoosh on your right and saw something falling. Chuuya looked over, probably seeing the same thing. Though, he saw nothing and figured it could have been a bird swooping down or a falling rock.

As you passed through the Pool of Purification and into the Unfathomable Forest, you could see more spirits wander. The infamous hanging tree showed brief flashes of those who hung themselves. There was still a lone hanging noose.

Proceeding further into the forests, you and Chuuya heard faint laughter in the distance.

Po...Po...Po....

Chuuya shined his light to find the source of the sound. It sounded like a woman's husky voice.

"What the hell?" He kept looking around and didn't see anything.

You remembered hearing that same laughter when you were fleeing with Dazai, Atsushi, and Kyouka the night prior. The pale woman in the trees that you thought you saw. Though, you don't have a clear image of her.

"I have told you before that spirits are more active at night," you remind him, turning to him. "But let's not let their presence distract us. We should keep moving."

Chuuya nods, his lips pressed tightly. You gave him an assuring nod and pulled out an adorned flashlight.

"Here, just in case," you held the fancy flashlight out to him. "Like my camera it can repel the spirits. Just press and hold that little moon button above the switch. You will know when to release when you see a blue outline."

Chuuya takes the flashlight into his hand, putting away his regular one. He studied the intricate designs. Above the switch, he saw the button you mentioned, shaped like the moon.

"So... that's all I do?" He asked, turning it on and moving the light around.

"Precisely. But only use it when a spirit attacks," you said as you led the path again. "Otherwise, you can use it as a regular flashlight."

Chuuya hummed and followed you through the forest. He felt better now that he has something to protect himself against the malevolent spirits.

The trace started to get weaker, the deeper you went into the forest. After all, the knife had a stronger connection with Chuuya. By the time you reached the Shrine of Dolls, the trace faded completely. You couldn't tell if it went further into the forest or into the shrine.

"The trace ends here," you say, turning to Chuuya and handing him his knife. "Our next best option is to see if the person dropped anything."

Chuuya took his knife and looked over at the Shrine of Dolls. He shined his light on the dolls, their dead eyes staring back at him. He can't imagine Kouyou checking out the shrine first.

"Hey, is there a map of the area?" He asked, hoping to get a reference of the mountain.

"I have one," you said as you reached for the pamphlet you brought.

He leaned close and observed it. He could see the other points of interest of the mountain. The Shrine of Ephemeral, cable car stations, and the House of Joining. He pointed at the Shrine of Dolls icon.

"So we are here. Have a feeling Kouyou--" Chuuya cut himself off when he heard distorted static.

In the trees, a tall woman in white walked out of the tree line and towards you both. She had a long dress, a hat, and a smile going from ear to ear. The closer she got, the bigger she was. The two of you had to look up and she was freakishly tall. Her arms and legs were abnormally long.

You can't escape.

The tall woman lunged and reached her arms out to grab you. As soon as she started moving, Chuuya screamed and stumbled to dash away. You take a few steps back and took your camera out. Your eyes darted between Chuuya and the woman before you looked into the camera lens to take a picture.

"What are you doing?!!" Chuuya screeched. "Fucking run!!"

You managed to take the picture before she hit you, winning a shutter chance. You took a chain of pictures, the tall woman crossing her arms over her face until you had to reload the film. Chuuya watched in awe as you managed to hold her off. He decided that this was too much and took a hold of your wrist, yanking you away to flee with him.

"Chuuya!" You gripped onto the camera and struggled to follow his pace.

But he didn't listen to you. He continued dragging you back to the base of the mountain where his motorcycle was parked. At that moment, you knew he wouldn't heed your words so you quickened your pace. You wanted to warn him that if you didn't repel a spirit, they might follow wherever you go.

Once you two were mounted on the motorcycle, he drove off. The drive calming his adrenaline down. Chuuya took you back to your cafe-residence. He cleared his throat, not wanting to meet your gaze after that incident.

"Um... You good?" He asked.

You got off the motorcycle. "Yes, but now we could be followed by that tall woman since we did not repel her."

Chuuya paled. "Oh... Do you know if... she's could follow me or you?" He asked with a shaky voice.

"Unfortunately, I do not," You shook your head with a sigh.

Chuuya considered the scenario. He came up with three possibilities. Either the tall woman haunts you and you have to fight her alone, or she haunts him but he didn't have the equipment to fight her off. Plus, he still had your flashlight but he assumed you wanted it back he goes home. The last scenario was staying with you, ensuring that the tall woman comes to you and getting the chance to take her down together.

"How about I stay the night here so you don't have to fight the woman by yourself?" Chuuya paused before adding, "You don't have to agree..."

You thought about his offer. There were more pros than cons if he were to stay the night. With that, you nodded your head.

You opened the side door that lead straight to your residence. Chuuya noticed that you set your shoes on a rack and did the same before both of you walked in. You led him to your office and turned on the computer. He raised his brow and set his coat on the couch.

"So... what's the plan?" He asked.

"We monitor the cameras and watch out for any spirits that could have followed us home. This way, we won't be surprised of any visitors," you replied as you opened the camera system application.

You and Chuuya scrolled through the cameras of your cafe-home. So far everything looked good. While nothing happened, Chuuya took a look at the bookshelf to your right. Until that faint familiar laughter came again.

Po...Po...Po...

Chuuya's gaze shot back to the computer screen. From the second floor looking down the stairs, you saw the tall woman walk down them. Both of you heard heavy footsteps hit the wooden floor. The two of you looked intently at the computer screen, waiting to see other sightings of her. You kept scrolling through the cameras and when you got to the same camera above the stairs, you were met with the pale woman's face. It was so close to the camera, her soulless eyes staring blankly at you. That same smile, from ear to ear.

I found you...Hahahaha.

Chuuya yelped and fell back onto the floor. Her face soon dissolved from the screen. He couldn't believe how pathetic he was over this ghost. Remembering the flashlight you gave him, he gripped onto it. He looked at the full moon button, remembering the directions you gave him.

"She's at the stairs... let's get her," he said as he fixed his hat.

You nod and took the camera. Chuuya opened the door, only to scream when the tall woman's face appeared in front of him. She was bending down and started to rise to her natural height. You got the camera ready. Since she was so tall, you took the bold move to step out of the office to get a good shot of the tall woman.

Chuuya wasn't going to let you take her down alone. Part of this was his fault that the tall women went after you...or him. He could see how you were suppressing your fear to take this malevolent being on. And he had to as well.

The spirit was getting more frustrated as you continued to drain her health. You were in the middle of loading new film and she took this opportunity to swipe her hand at you. Just a mere touch made you fall to your knees. It felt like your life was drained out of you, just barely holding on.

This was Chuuya's moment to take. You were struggling to get up and any moment now the tall woman could get you. He held the flashlight and pressed down on the button. It took a few seconds, the tall woman reaching to grab your arms, and the blue outline appeared. He released the button, the light harming the spirit. You managed to bring your camera up and take the final shot.

The tall woman screeched in pain. She leaned back, putting her hands on her head as she fell to her knees. You held your hand out to touch her spirit to see if she had a past, but your hand went through. No visions, no feelings, nothing... What the hell was she? She disintegrated into nothing, your home feeling warm again.

"(Name)!" Chuuya ran over to help you up. "You alright?"

You managed to get up on your feet, leaning on the wall for support. "I am...just... My energy's drained."

Chuuya took hold of your arm. "Here, let me help you lay down."

He guided you back into the office and set you on the couch. He took your camera and set it on the desk, also placing the flashlight with it. He retrieved his coat and draped it over your frame.

"Just keep it for tonight, I'll come back tomorrow," he muttered, turning and walking out the door.

Dazed, you stared at his retreating form and several seconds after he left, you blinked. I could have told him to get a blanket. Eventually, you succumbed to your slumber.

Nightmares plagued your mind for the second time. Faint voices call upon you to return to the mountain. Visions of the past.

You woke up to the sound of your alarm upstairs. The cafe needs to open. You went upstairs to turn off the alarm but you realized that you must have slept through the initial one. It has been over an hour and the cafe was supposed to be ready and open at this moment. You went down to unlock the cafe doors. You apologized and told your workers that you will have to stay inside to rest. A few customers were waiting outside too, however, you were not paying attention to their faces.

All you remember was heading back to the couch to sleep. You didn't wake up until noon and sat up on the couch.

"Oh! You're finally awake!" said a male voice.

You opened your eyes to see Dazai with a silly smile on his face. He was sitting on the chair on by the desk with the computer. He was currently scrolling through the camera footage of your residence. To the left, Atsushi sat on the floor where you had the TV stand.

"Good morning~" Dazai greets, not looking back. "You have a nice home by the way." He turns to look at you. "I see Chuuya left you a parting gift." His gaze shifted to Chuuya's coat.

"How did you get inside?" You wondered, your eyes darting from Dazai to Atsushi.

Atsushi averted his eyes, recalling the method. As soon as you opened the doors to the cafe, Dazai and Atsushi got in along with the customers. While your workers were getting the counter ready and taking orders, Dazai picked the lock of your door. Atsushi stood by him to hide his work. Really, he was dragged here by Dazai as an accomplice. Once he picked the lock, they entered and immediately found you in the office room.

"You had pretty good locks. It took me another five seconds to pick it," Dazai's smile grew.

Atsushi shook his head, sighing, "We didn't walk around your house! We found you here and... decided to wait for you to wake up."

You blinked a few times in silence, processing their words. "Please don't come in unannounced again."

"I was gonna wait in the cafe! But Dazai insisted," Atsushi raised his hands in defense.

"Hey, you wanted to see her too," Dazai pointed at him, accusingly.

You rolled your eyes and set Chuuya's coat on the side.

"So how was your little adventure with Chuuya?~" Dazai smirked. "Did you find who he was looking for?"

"Last night we made little progress..." You contemplated whether you wanted to say that Chuuya got scared. Though, considering their kind of relationship, they would probably make fun of each other. You refrained. "So tonight we are to go out again..."

Atsushi and Dazai noticed the bags under your eyes. Your eyelids covered your irises halfway.

"You must have come home late then," Atsushi adds as he got up from the floor. "We'll let you rest. Let's go Dazai."

"Huh?! But--" Dazai cut himself off with a sigh. "Fine..." He pouted.

"Kunikida will scold us again."

"I know, I know."

Dazai rubbed his neck. "I'll be seeing you later then."

You bid them goodbye and went back to rest. Hours passed, and you fixed yourself before Chuuya's arrival. Again you waited at the cafe for him. It wasn't until the evening, nearly the same hour he arrived. Dressed the same as usual, minus the coat.

You took the coat you had on the side and went up to him. Another day to search for Kouyou. This time, he brought a picture of her. The photo had a stronger trace than the knife. Chuuya brought a black car this time, as there was going to be a chance of rain at night.

The two of you returned to Mt. Hikami again. You remembered the trace ended at the Shrine of Dolls. Though, would Kouyou really end up there? You had a feeling that a woman like her could be at the Shrine of the Ephemeral. To make travel short, you suggested to take the cable car up.

Since Chuuya came earlier, there was a small grace period of less spirit activity. Once the cable car stopped at the next station, the two of you took the path to the large shrine. It was a bit of a long path, but that was the only route to take to reach the shrine.

Along the way, the sun was getting further down into the earth. Darkness laid over mountain. You started to see more spirits wander and you avoided their gaze so they do not know you can see them. As some spirits could be desperate.

Until you catch wind of a white figure in the forest. You turn and see the tall woman facing away from you. She isn't attacking, but what is she looking at? You raised your camera for a picture and heard the laugh you knew so well.

Chuuya heard it too and the hairs on the back of his neck rose. He gripped onto the flashlight you gave to him. Though, in the distance, the two of you heard a yelp. After snapping a picture, you decided to check it. There was the tall woman looking at a man in a tan coat fleeing. You heard a faint voice flirting in panic.

"Huh?... Is that Dazai?" You asked, trying to see if it was an illusion.

"Let me see!" Chuuya's eyes glimmered and took a look at the picture. He recognized the fluffy brown hair and started to snicker.

"And you caught that motherfucker on camera." Chuuya laughed aloud, easing his nerves.

You and Chuuya continued along the path. Kouyou's trace did not falter and you even caught a picture of her echo. You showed Chuuya the picture on camera.

"This is the same place where I found Kyouka," you add.

Chuuya knew that Kouyou had a soft spot for Kyouka and this was not surprising to him. It made sense.

"Then hopefully we find Kouyou here," He nods.

Her trace led the two of you down some stairs on the first floor. That part was flooded but still walkable. Her trace led you to a boat in the center of the courtyard. There stood a maiden in a white kimono and a veil over her head.

When a shrine maiden's heart is full of the pain of those she's glanced, she returns to the water.

The line echoed in your mind as you captured the photograph of the woman. She disappeared shortly after her words faded. Chuuya gave you a confused look on why you took a picture.

"Why the hell are you taking pictures?" Chuuya asked. "Was Kouyou in it?"

"Not this time. You did not see the shrine maiden on the boat?"

He shook his head. "No."

You showed him the picture on the camera. "This is what I saw."

Chuuya leaned in to see. "Huh, so you think that ghost can lead us somewhere?"

"I can't say..." You looked in the direction where the ghost was looking. "But her trace goes beyond the water... We will have to use this boat."

Chuuya raised his brow. "But isn't that a closed gate over there?" He points at said gate. "I could open it with my ability. We don't need to waste time."

"Very well," You got hold of the wooden canoe. "Let's go."

The two of you got on the boat and rowed to the gate. You felt your camera react but Chuuya moved the wood with his ability. Beyond the gate was a lake with thick fog. Chuuya trusted your abilities and soon, you arrived at the Shrine on the Water.

You and Chuuya got onto the shrine. The wooden floors creaked as you walked. Shrine maiden ghosts appeared. Two guardians and a regular. While Chuuya felt uneasy, this was not as bad as the tall woman.

"Chuuya, you take the drowned ones. I'll deal with the shrine maiden," you say, taking out your camera.

He nods at your words and took out the flashlight. He held the light and held down the button to wait for the blue outline to appear. The drowned guardian attacked and made Chuuya let go too soon. Still there was damage made since the guardians flinched.

Chuuya and you managed to take down these spirits. You decided to touch them before they completely vanish. For the guardian, you saw five maidens holding hands as they walked into the lake. Further and further, knowing that they will all die together. They looked up to the sky, darkened by a wave of black water. Swept by the tainted water, they all drowned.

The shrine maiden's memories showed her glancing into people's souls before their suicide. Taking on their pains, memories, and reading their thoughts. This one was swept away, just like the guardians.

"Black water overflowing...." You muttered, seeing the connection between the visions.

"Huh?" Chuuya narrowed his eyes.

"Something I saw in their vision... not related to the person we're looking for. Let's go."

He nods and followed you further in the shrine. You opened some doors and got inside a room. There was a black box, similar to where Kyouka was found. You opened the box and inside, you recognized the kimono and light-scarlet hair.

Chuuya's eyes widen. "Ane-san!" He grabbed her to get her out of the box.

You helped her out too and took this opportunity to peer into her memories.

I'm going to be the one to save Kyouka this time. Not Dazai.

Kouyou entered from the Mikomori Bridge and wandered the mountain. She found a few tracks of Kyouka and went through the Shrine of Dolls to the Shrine of Ephemeral. If only she knew, she was so close to finding Kyouka. Kouyou passed that door.

Spirits arose and Kouyou's first instinct was to use her ability to cut them down. The ghosts were unaffected. Startled, Kouyou did a few more attempts but more spirits emerged. One spirit engrained in her memory, a tainted bride in black. She had no choice but to run from the spirits. The front doors locked, and the last thing she remembered was the black bride catching up to her.

Kouyou's eyes fluttered opened. "Chuuya..."

The two of you managed to get her on her feet. Her eyes were foggy and there were strange, black stains on her clothes, perhaps from the black water in the box.

"Come on, we're gonna to get you home," Chuuya assured as he pulled her hand. He looked so worried, it was the softest facial expression you've seen from him.

Kouyou stayed silent and didn't move. Chuuya tugged on her hand. You noticed black hair crawling out of her sleeve. He felt the hair crept onto his hand and you two turned back to Kouyou, only to be met with her pale face. Her hair lost its vibrant color, her bun undone. Her robes became drenched, becoming very similar to another spirit you encountered with Kyouka.

"Kouyou!" Chuuya released his grip and his expression faltered. "No..."

"She spirited away. We have to repel her spirit," you urged Chuuya, taking his arm.

"No!" He yanked his arm away. His voice was shaky. "It's Kouyou... You can't do this!"

Kouyou's spirit floated in the air with a laughter that was not hers.

"Chuuya... I know it will be difficult, but we need to handle this."

The wraith charged towards the two of you. You grabbed his hand and pulled him away from the attack. Chuuya was still in a state of shock so you had to step forward.

Chuuya backed away to give you more space and into a corner, crouching down, holding his head in his hands. He refused to accept the fact that Kouyou became a phantom. But the evidence was all there in front of him. The flashes of your camera withdrew him from his mind. However, seeing you battle the specter alone, he couldn't sit on the sidelines this time.

With a new mindset he stood up, Chuuya wielded the flashlight. You saw a light shine on the ghost, and from the corner of your eye, he was holding the tool. Because your attacks combined, the spirit was swiftly defeated.

Kouyou returned to her initial form. Chuuya felt the urge to speed over and hug her, but refrained from doing so. He let out a sigh of relief.

The two of you brought Kouyou out of the storming mountain. Chuuya expressed his gratitude and took you home before departing with Kouyou.

Post Chapter Content:

-> Dazai -> Chuuya -> Atsushi

[kiwibeanv]

Astray in the Black Water: Post-Chapter 3: Chuuya

<- Chapter 3

It was the next day in the afternoon. You were updating your logbook about your recent requests, just as a record of your cases. The little doorbell rang and you looked up to see Chuuya enter. He came by to your end of the counter and sat down on the stool. 

“Hey, I wanna thank you for helping me find Kouyou. Without you, I don’t know what would’ve happened, but I don’t wanna think about it.” He crossed his arms. “How much do you charge for your services?”

“Depends, but I don’t have a concrete fee. Pay me however much you think is appropriate,” you placed down your pen and focused on him.

Chuuya got his wallet, took out all the yen, and started counting. He passed a stack of cash to you.

“195,000￥(~$1,250). I’ll come back tomorrow for the rest of the payment.”

You took the money with a look of surprise. “This is more than enough,” you stammered. “Thank you very much.”

Chuuya waved his hand in the air. “ ’S nothing.” He moved to stand from his seat so he can leave.

“Hey wait,” you quickly took his hand. “I figured you’d want this.” You reach for a photograph you had on the counter. It was the one of Dazai running away. You turned his hand over and placed the photo on his palm.

In that same moment, you probed into his memories. His mind was running with images of Kouyou and his time under her guidance. She taught him etiquette and style, precision in combat, and general Port Mafia standards. 

I should visit Ane-san soon. 

As you were looking into his past, Chuuya didn’t notice and took the photo, cackling at it. “You’re so good at capturing pics! That bastard had it coming!” 

His laughter brought you out of the vision. The man before you was part of the most dangerous underground organization. You retain your composure and kept your expression blank, however, your thoughts were running rampant. Despite his affiliation, he remained respectable and wasn’t involving you in illegal acts. As long as this kept up, you wouldn’t mind his background. 

“You made my day better than I thought,” he said once he calmed down. Chuuya checked his watch before sighing, “Better get goin’. I’ll see ya tomorrow.”

You watched him leave your cafe. You felt a sense of relief because now you can organize your thoughts. Looking back on your memories, you couldn’t believe this executive was the same man who cowered over a tall woman. The corner of your lips twitched upwards at the reminiscence. 

The following day, Chuuya returned to your cafe again. After some greetings and small talk, he pulled out a bigger stack of money and told you the total, that being three times the amount you received the previous day.

Upon hearing how much it was, your eyes widened. “This is too much, Chuuya,” you breathed out.

“Keep it all, doll. You deserve it,” He grinned. “I’d give you much more.” Chuuya pauses and realizes the possible implications. His cheeks flushed a little. “Wait! Forget I said that. Keep what I gave you.” He dipped his head down and put the back of his hand to his mouth.

You blinked for a moment before nodding. “Okay,” you muttered. 

“Hey, if you don’t mind… maybe we can meet up sometime?” His eyes flickered up to yours.

“I don’t mind. We can schedule a day when we’re both available,” you tilted your head.

Chuuya smiled and straightened himself up, dropping his arm. “Yeah, sounds good. When are you free?”

“Well, I still have some matters to tend to. I’ll call you when I’m finished.”

“Wonderful.” He was glad that you still kept his contact.

With that, you two conversed some more before he had to depart.

[kiwibeanv]

Astray in the Black water - Post-Chapter 3: Dazai

<- Chapter 3

Dazai came to your cafe at noon. He spots you behind the counter writing in a log book. A record of cases you took on and you were updating it with your recent ventures. 

“How is my beautiful maiden doing?” Dazai asked as he took a seat on the stool in front of you.

You looked up from your log book and rested your head on your hand. “Fair… Another request is complete and now I can focus on yours again.”

“Tell me all about your adventure with Chuuya,” his lips curved into a grin. “I’m sure you have pictures to recount the story.”

“Indeed I do,” you got your camera out and loaded the pictures onto the screen. You passed it to him so he could view them. “By the way, were you at the mountain last night?”

“Ooh! How did you know? Were you looking for me?” Dazai’s expression lit up.

“I think it will be evident once you come across a particular picture.”

Dazai snickered at the one picture you accidentally caught Chuuya in. The one where you took in the hall of your home with the tall woman. The office door was open and the photo managed to catch Chuuya’s fearful expression as he clutched the flashlight to his chest. He covered his mouth, giggling over it.

“Hmm~ Didn’t think ghosts can follow you home.”

Dazai shifted in his seat seeing the photos of the tall woman. He froze on that picture. The tall woman was facing away and he could see himself fleeing from her.

“Oh you~ How dare you take an unflattering picture of me!” He smiled menacingly. 

“I’m pretty sure you have the photograph of Atsushi and Kunikida huddled in the cable car,” you point out to him. “Can I not have one of you?” You tilted your head with a small smile on your lips.

“Well, when you put it that way…” He averted his eyes and pouted. He couldn't resist that uncommon smile. “Why don’t you take one of me now? Now that I’m all prepped up and pretty.”

“If you insist.”

Dazai handed you back the camera and you raised it to take a picture. Once you counted down to three, He shot you a sweet smile upon the capture. You decided to let him see so he could be happy with it.

“Perfect!” He paused and his eyes widen. “Oh…”

Dazai turned around to look at the window, as if paranoid someone was watching.

“Something wrong?” You asked.

“Let’s look at the picture again…”

You both took a look at the picture. It appeared normal enough with Dazai’s smile, but taking a look at the background, there was the face of the tall woman peering in. Her head tilted sideways and she had that menacing smile. 

“By any chance, is the tall woman following you?” You looked at him with concern.

Dazai let out a sigh. “I have a suspicion… I had a worse time than usual last night. I heard things in my home that didn’t sound normal. Doors closing on their own, misplaced things, and seeing her. A troublesome ghost. By any chance, do you do exorcisms?”

“I can help you out. Though, you can schedule an appointment now so I can handle it tonight.”

“So, are you able to?”

“Well, here’s the thing. Do you want me to come in the evening and do your request later? Or the other way around?”

Dazai paused to think. “Come tonight~” He winked.

He spent more time with you at the cafe. You relayed your story of Chuuya with Dazai. How the tall woman terrorized you both to the point she followed you home. You managed to find Kouyou in a reliquary in the Shrine on the Water and bring her back from her ghost form. Though, you did decide to spare some details of Chuuya. Only saying that he was startled by her appearance.

Later that night, Dazai took you to his apartment. There were things scattered about. Empty cans, a few random bottles, and newspapers. Sure, it was a little messy but it wasn't as bad as extreme hoarders. 

“Sorry about the clutter,” Dazai cleared the coffee table and threw away the trash. “Take a seat on the couch there, bella.”

You did as Dazai said and held your camera obscura on your lap. He came back to sit next to you. You decided to try to look in his memories again so you took his hand in yours.

"So... When did this tall woman start haunting you? Immediately?" You asked as you squeezed his hand. Though, when you tried to probe into his mind, nothing happened again.

"Yep." Dazai put his free hand over yours. "What are you trying to do, touching me like that?" He smirked.

You raised your brow at him. How is it possible that you can't see Dazai's memories?

"Well..." You averted your eyes for a moment. "You're an odd one."

"Darling, you're not telling me the whole story~" he sang.

Dazai had that knowing smirk. "Really, what're your intentions touching me? Is it like that spirit you touched on the cable car? You saw something, eh?"

Your eyes widened a little. He saw right through your facade and remembered those details you thought he wouldn't notice.

"And you're trying to see something in me, huh?" Dazai leaned in, his face close to yours.

You sighed and broke eye contact. "Fine... you uncovered my secret intentions." Though you didn't let go of his hand and you tugged it. "So, why can't I see your past?"

"My touch cancels abilities," he grinned. "That's why bella."

"Ah... makes sense now. What a pity. I would have liked to see a glimpse." You moved your hand from his own and gripped his thigh. Your eyes narrowed slightly as you looked directly into his eyes. "My curiosity about you is still not satiated."

"Oh, I'm about to satisfy your inquisitiveness," he gazed back at yours. He guided your hand to rub higher.

Po...po...po... You can't escape.

Your little moment with Dazai shattered at the sound of her husky voice. Despite your mood souring, you had to repel the tall woman again. You let go of his thigh and got your camera.

"Oh... I should have brought that flashlight..." You huffed about forgetting to bring the other flashlight so Dazai can help.

"Hmm? For what?"

You stood up from the couch, eyeing your surroundings. "So you could help, but alas I am here to save you."

"Quite literally."

Then the two of you heard distorted static coming from the front door. The tall woman appeared, having to hunch over since the ceilings were not high enough.

"Don't let her touch you," you warned. "She can drain your life if she does."

"Well, I'm not dying without you darling."

Having fought her before, you were able to predict her attacks better. As long you avoided her swipes, you could get away without a scratch. Dazai stayed behind you, just so he doesn't lure the tall woman away.

And being in a room that didn't meet her height was a disadvantage for the tall woman. Her movements were restricted and she knocked down a few furniture instead of you. So taking her down was easier than before. That final shot drove her away, fading into nothing as she screeched for existence.

"It's... over?" Dazai asked.

You nod. "Indeed. Hopefully sent back to where she came."

"And why didn't you touch her spirit this time?"

"I tried last time and I couldn't see anything. Truly a malevolent entity."

Dazai sighed in relief. "At least she is out of my hair." He turned to you with a mischievous smile. "Do you want to stay the rest of the night here? It's too late to walk you home now."

You turn to him, a smile finally gracing your lips.

"I do."

~~~

Small bonus. Stand alone fic if you want more Dazai. Wish I thought about connecting this oneshot to the whole fic. Oh well!

Cockblocked by a Ghost

[kiwibeanv]

Astray in the Black Water: Post-Chapter 2 -> Chuuya

Fatal Frame 5 x Bungo Stray Dogs Crossover x fem! reader

Flashbacks of dying shrine maidens plagued your dreams. A knife cutting into you, a man gouging your eyes, being forced into a reliquary, and seeing people commit suicide before your eyes. You woke up with a racing heartbeat. Those dreams felt too real. Not even the emptiness of your home could console you. Footsteps creek along the floorboards, yet you swear you lived alone. Random whispers that you thought were in your head.

A restless night was no excuse to close your café for the day. You at least let in your workers and made arrangements for your absence that day. With the warm sun rising, ghostly activity slowed down and you had a better moment of peace.

You didn't rise from your bed until your phone rang. It was your coworker calling you that you had a visitor who wished to speak with you. Assuring them that you will attend, you got yourself dressed and ready.

Emerging from the diamond door, you immediately spot the man with a hat sitting on his head. He sat on the stool of your counter, playing with the napkin on the table. Hearing the sound of the door opening and closing, he turned to you and you recognized his face. The same man Dazai was familiar with. However, you couldn't recall hearing his name.

"Good morning," you greet as you settle behind the counter at the edge where he sat. "I hope you did not wait long?"

"Mornin'," Chuuya crumpled the napkin in his hand. "Nah only a little." He studied your face. "You look like you didn't get your full eight hours."

"Ah, I did came home very late," you took a seat. "I never got your name."

"Nakahara Chuuya. You?"

"(Last Name) (First Name). A pleasure meeting you."

Chuuya nods his head and repeats your name in his head. "Likewise. So about my case..." He cleared his throat and sat up. "Need your help looking for a dear friend of mine. Last known location was in that same mountain you were in yesterday with those punks."

You raised your brow. "How long ago did she go missing?"

"Four days by now. The sooner you search, the better. I'd like to join you, but I got a busy day today. I'm available tonight, though."

"It's not safe going at that time. Just last night, I witnessed more spirit activity."

Chuuya frowned. "Shit... but don't you have fancy equipment to do something about those ghosts?"

"I do, however, it is still risky."

"I'm coming anyways. Four days is too long. I can't wait any longer."

"Alright..." You reached for a notepad on the counter. "So... where and when should we meet up?"

"I'm gonna see if I can make it at..." Chuuya paused to think over his schedule. Whatever he had planned, it really depended if the job gets done fast. "Put it down for 7PM. I might come in sooner. Oh and here in this quaint café of yours."

You wrote the note down with a nod.

"Oh! By the way," Chuuya rested his chin on his hand. "You don't... plan on visiting Dazai?"

"I do need to stop by the office for a report today," you replied.

"Look, hand me a paper and pen."

You passed the pen and the notepad to him. He wrote down his phone number and signed his name.

"Here's my number. Not just to contact you about this case," he slid the notepad back to you. "But I know a lot of things about Dazai. He's the worst person to be around with, let alone date him. So, if he happens to trouble you or you got any questions, I'm the guy you should talk to."

You studied his handwriting on the notepad. It was neatly written and his cursive signature was so elegant. "And why should I be concerned about Dazai?"

"I have a long list of reasons. He lies, he's manipulative, doesn't pay his bills. As soon as you are done with the ADA, ditch 'em. Mainly Dazai, but I think you get the point."

"I see..." you stood up from your seat. "Well, tonight we meet here again. I will finish my business and... see you then."

Chuuya got up from his seat.

"Mhmm. See ya."

He tipped his hat before leaving the café. Once he disappeared, you gathered your things before you left to the ADA.

Optional Post-Chapter Content: ADA (Go in order descending)

-> Kunikida

-> Atsushi

-> Dazai

Else, here is the next chapter link.

-> Chapter 3

[kiwibeanv]

Astray in the Black Water: Chapter 2

Fatal Frame 5 x Bungo Stray Dogs x Fem! Reader

Prologue --- Chapter 1 ←

Chuuya let out a frustrated sigh as he paced back and forth in his room. Dazai has not contacted him these past two days. Today will be the third. He was getting impatient and worried for Kouyo. The longer she is out there, the chances of her being found alive will shrink.

"That damned bastard," he cursed. "Never telling me anything!" He hit the desk nearby. "Guess I'll have to find out myself if he found someone. They have to be at the mountain."

With that, Chuuya departed to Mt. Hikami alone. Once there, he wandered around the Unfathomable Forest looking for any sign of the ADA. The forest was not as eerie as it was at night. Now that the sun was out, he could see much more of the area. The forest was so quiet, he couldn't even hear the freeway. He went from the Mikomori ponds, passing the Pool of Purification, the Shrine of Dolls, and ended up on the east side of the Unfathomable Forest. He did take his time to observe the structures, in hopes to run into Dazai. The hanging tree gave him eerie vibes and wondered if Dazai ever attempted to hang himself there yet. Something about the Shrine of Dolls haunted Chuuya. Lifeless eyes that stared at his soul as they stood still like a stiff corpse. He continued further into the forest.

Ending up on the east side, he gazed at the pond, looking at the reflection of himself on the clear water. His thoughts wandered from the beauty of the forests to self reflection. Then he heard footsteps and some chatter on the other side of the forest that broke his train of thought. He went back to the Shrine of Dolls and immediately recognized Dazai in the group. Atsushi was there along with a woman walking by his side.

"Oi Dazai!" He called out, glaring at the tall man.

The group turned to the sound of his voice.

"Ugh, the slug caught up…" Dazai grimaced.

You looked at Dazai with a questioning look. "You know him?"

"A little too well," he frowned. "Oh did I keep you waiting? You do know I am not planning to give her up until Kyouka is found, as we agreed."

"You were supposed to tell me who you found," Chuuya stuck his hands in his pockets. "Are you that lazy that you couldn't lift a finger to call me?"

"No, I just chose not to."

Their little argument went on and you turned to Atsushi. "Dazai-san does not get along with people, hmm?" You asked.

"Let's just say he rubs people the wrong way," Atsushi replied as a sweat drop rolled down his head.

"Sounds fitting," you say, looking back at the bickering men. You took his hand to take him through the two. Atsushi's eyes went wide and followed you.

"You boys may bicker if you like. Atsushi and I will be moving forward to the Shrine of Dolls," you say as you walked between them.

"Wait!" Chuuya called out. "Now that I found you, is there a way I can contact you?"

You paused and realized you don't have a paper and pen on you. However, you do have a cafe that he could visit.

"Consider visiting my cafe on 7th Avenue. My coworkers can give you my contact information."

"7th Avenue…" Chuuya repeats to ingrain it in his head. "I'll definitely stop by--"

"Uh, how about no~" Dazai put his arm around you and guided you forward, causing you to lose grip of Atsushi's hand. "We definitely don't need the likes of you stopping by to put your hands on her."

"I will not! You should be getting your own hands off her," he snapped back.

"He does have a point," you say politely to Dazai, taking his hand off your shoulder.

"Wha--?… My lady!" Dazai puts his hand on his chest in dramatic offense. "How could you agree with him?"

Chuuya snickered and smiled with triumph. "See? Even she needs personal space."

You don't respond to that, knowing this can keep going for as long as they want. However, you can't waste anymore time. Else, you could be exploring at night. That you don't want, especially since no one else had the means to fight off ghosts, except you.

"Let us go. We should not be wasting daylight," you say as you got ahead.

"I'll see you later miss!" Chuuya called out before leaving as well.

The three of you continued to re-enter the Shrine of Dolls on the right side. You felt Kyouka's trace go off track from yesterday, as if she got distracted by something. Curious, you took the opposite direction, leaving the two men in confusion.

"(Last Name)-san, didn't we go the other way yesterday?" Atsushi asked.

"I know that but…" You looked at the door. "Kyouka went off track here."

"It could be that of her searching the area," Dazai spoke up, putting his hands in his pockets. "She was sent to search for someone, after all."

"Makes sense… but let me see if there could be something."

The two glanced at each other before following you. You found yourself in a shrine room filled with dolls. They were on the altar, standing along the walls, and you saw an echo of the past of Kyouka looking at the dolls. She definitely looked intrigued by this distraction. However, there was nothing of interest in here.

"Nothing…" You sighed and turned to tell them that they should leave.

You passed the shrine but something white caught your eye. There, sitting on the shrine, was a girl with white hair and wearing a black kimono.

"She's not here," the girl said, looking up at you with her red eyes.

You took a few steps back and watched the girl hop down form the shrine. Atsushi and Dazai noticed you didn't follow after them and went back to check the room. They could see the girl too.

"You want to die, don't you?" The girl asked.

"Well of course I do," Dazai replied, but when he looked at the girl, she was still staring at you. "Oh…"

Your lips pressed tight. Not wanting to answer, you left the room immediately. The girl disappeared and left a cool breeze in the room. Neither of the boys wanted to bring up the question you didn't want to answer.

Internally, Dazai felt ecstatic after that brief conversation with the girl. The possibility of you wanting to die all sounded like his dream of committing suicide with a pretty girl was coming true. He started to daydream about the many ways he could die with you painlessly. Together in death... This is his chance!

As for Atsushi, he started to worry for you. Did you really hold such depressing feelings in you that you are inclining towards death? But you were so young. So gentle and polite. He couldn't believe someone like you had considered death. Hopefully you don't.

After passing through the shrine and the hanging dolls path, you got on the stone path and up ahead, a large shrine sat on top of the stairs, looking down at you. The path had stone lanterns on both sides and there was another dirt path right. However, Kyouka's trace didn't go there. It went up the shrine.

"Kyouka went in that shrine," you say to the two. But then a thought occurred to you. This could be a chance to teach them how to use the camera obscura you had. "Before we go in, I want to demonstrate how you can use my camera. In the likelihood I ever drop it for whatever reason."

Dazai and Atsushi glanced at each other for a moment.

"Yeah, that sounds good," Atsushi nods.

"You first," you hand the camera to him. "Essentially it's still a camera, just with special lenses."

Atsushi looked through and the camera looked ordinary enough.

"Expelling spirits isn't its only use. You can see things that are invisible to the naked eye. Perhaps you might spot a spirit, like I do without the camera."

Atsushi let Dazai hold the camera to get a feel of it too. They walked closer to the shrine. The world flashed before you and the color faded. You saw Kyouka's trace go up the shrine.

"Oh! I see Kyouka!" Dazai exclaimed and took a snap.

"Let me see!" Atsushi tried to get a peek and only saw a second before the color returned.

"What you saw was an echo. A vision of the past. Don't linger on the vision too long, else we could attract malevolent spirits." The two men pulled away, hoping they didn't stare for too long.

"However I must ask… what do you have of Kyouka's?" You asked, knowing that an echo can only be sensed if you had a token of the person.

"I have a pen she gave me," Atsushi replied.

Dazai dug in his pockets. "Oops.. I still have the wrappings of a treat she gave me."

"Oh… I see…" You looked back at the shrine. "Let's keep going then."

You went up the stairs with the other two men following. Upon entering the temple, you were surprised that the lanterns were still lit. Surely they should have ran out of fuel. Still, at least they illuminated the shrine. Kyouka's trace led you to take the right side first. The halls were empty of life. Nothing but the sounds of the creaking wood from your footsteps.

You did notice a few sightings of shrine maidens. Women who wore these white robes and a peculiar head piece. A veil that covered not only their hair, but a black one over their eyes. It was said that these shrine maidens could glance into your soul and see your memories. You had this ability yourself, albeit you had to touch the person. Strangely, you couldn't get a glance at Dazai's memories, despite wanting to take a peek when he touched you. Perhaps you could try touching Atsushi again and look next time, to ensure it still worked.

"Ugh, why is everything flooded?" Dazai asked, raising his foot from the water.

"There was a landslide that damaged the property years ago," you replied to him.

"Oh, no wonder…" Dazai eyed the rotting walls. "Obviously no one ever came in to repair…"

Then you passed through more doors following Kyouka's trace. Finally, you made it into another flooded room with shelves filled with pottery. In the center of the room, a black box sat on a small post. Her traced ended in this room.

"A suspicious black box. Let's open it!" Dazai beamed.

The water level reached above your knees and you had to push through. You tried to open the box but it was shut tight.

"I can't open this..." You said to them.

When Dazai attempted to open the casket, he moaned in struggle until he ceased his labor and called out, "Atsushi! Put your little kitty claws to work!"

Atsushi deadpanned and mumbled, "'M not a kitty..." He sighed and moved to the object on the stand, "On it, though."

He gripped onto the box, trying his own strength first. Again, it was too tight to open. Atsushi activated his ability, his arms transfiguring with more muscle, white fur, and claws. He pulled again and only managed to open a crack. You noticed someone inside the reliquary.

Atsushi let go. "Almost got it..." He tried again and struggled to get it open.

You felt your camera obscura react to the box. It vibrated and you saw the little red light flashing. However, Atushi managed to break it open but, a pale woman with long robes lunged out. Atsushi fell back onto the water while you and Dazai stepped back.

She floated in the air as if she was in the water. "It's over. It's over. The mountain's water are tainted." Her gaze turned to you. "The immortal flower will wither and the black water will overflow."

Atsushi peeked back in the box and saw Kyouka with her eyes closed. Inside, she was sitting in black water. Dazai rushed to her side to help Atsushi take her out of the box.

The spirit did not fade so you took out your camera obscura, ready to repel it. She disappeared shortly, until appearing near Dazai and Atsushi, laughing. Her figured was blurred by the orbs of her faces encircling around her hastily. You had to take two pictures to capture all the bubbles until her form was clear again.

"Dazai, Atsushi! Move!" You yelled at them.

The spirit spiraled around them and unleashed these blue orbs, following after all of you. The boys were trying to wake Kyouka up so she can get up on her feet. You snapped more photos of the spirit, sending her back. You all attempted to leave the room, having to march through the water while you kept the spirit back. Kyouka barely opened her eyes by the time you reached the door. It wasn't until then, you finally managed to take the spirit down.

Once Kyouka awakened, she managed to get on her feet, albeit she felt awfully exhausted. As you all tried to leave the shrine, another more powerful spirit blocked your path. This one wore a kimono black as the night, her hair covered her face, and red eyes glowed. The camera had no effect on her.

So you all ran, wherever to avoid this powerful spirit. More ghosts awakened and tried to hinder your escape. However, their attempts were futile. You all barely managed to escape the shrine and took the cable car down.

It was as if the mountain was enraged. Outside, there was a heavy downpour. The sun had already disappeared and you can hear the cries of the departed. Eerie callings that tempted you to lose your focus and follow the ghostly songs.

Po, po, po...

You could have sworn you saw a woman, tall as the trees watch you from the distance.

The cable car stopped abruptly, so you had to take another path down the mountain. According to the brochure, there was an old road that lead down through a tunnel. You encountered more spirits. A girl with a red umbrella who was harmless. The tainted soul of a man who had a car accident.

Finally, you all made it out of the mountain. You kept a thought to find an extra artifact that can repel spirits so you are not the only one dealing with them.

Post-Chapter Content:

*Note: This time it will be in order descending. Chuuya's chapter is required. As for the ADA, the short gist is visiting to submit a report of the case to them. Just with extra content.

! -> Chuuya!

-> Kunikida

-> Atsushi

-> Dazai

[kiwibeanv]

Astray in the Black Water: Post-Chapter 3: Atsushi

<- Chapter 3

It was another day after reuniting Kouyou with Chuuya. Another night where you didn’t get your full sleep. Though, at least the request was done and you can recover. At noon, you went through the diamond door to get to your cafe. There you saw Atsushi at the counter alone. It was a small surprise to see him.

“Good morning,” you greet as you got behind the counter, sitting at your corner. 

Atsushi says “good morning” back. “You look tired. Have you been up lately?” He asked.

You nod and took out your logbook and pen. “I have. Last night I was looking for a missing person with a client. Luckily we were able to find her and get her home.”

“Alive right?”

“Mhmm.” You opened the book to write about the recent case. “It's a miracle I have found two people in a row living. Mt. Hikami is known for deaths, mostly due to suicide. There are books about legends and the history of the mountain. Ever read any?”

Atsushi hummed to think. “Only about the past cases happening there. Suicides, missing people, and a couple accidents until the tourism company decided to abandon construction.”

You figured since Atsushi was working in the Armed Detective Agency, the organization had access to those cases directly. It was strange that they weren’t called to investigate if there was something else going on in the mountain. Perhaps the investigators had little faith that anyone could solve these mysteries. Blaming ghosts is not acceptable as a fact since most would doubt their credibility. Especially when the body went missing, there was nothing else to go on.

“So why hasn’t your agency investigated the mountain?” You asked.

“We were called to, but that’s when Kyouka disappeared.”

“Oh… does your agency intend to continue?”

“Yeah. I’ll say it’s putting everyone on edge. There’s no bad guy or organization behind this. Nothing makes sense. It might be one of those rare cases where we could blame ghosts. If so, we need to figure out a way to stop all these disappearances.”

His words made you think about reading those books again about Mt. Hikami. Perhaps these legends and myths could have some truth to it. You were aware of some of it’s history, the murder of shrine maidens and an old cult that used it as a place of worship. Though, it could be time to look for the finer details to put the story together.

“You might have to quietly solve the case. No news should come of it,” you suggested, for the sake of their integrity. 

“Maybe…” Atsushi averted his eyes and took a sip of the drink he had. 

“Going off topic, Dazai kept the photo of you and Kunikida cowering behind the ghost, no?” You asked as you looked for a photograph in the drawers.

Atsushi sighed. “Yes he does and it’s annoying how he reminds us of it. Why?”

You took a picture out and handed it over to him. A small smile graced your lips. “Game should be equal. I wouldn’t want Dazai to have the upper hand at teasing.”

Atsushi raised his brow as he took the photo from your hand. It was the picture of the tall woman spirit facing Dazai’s fleeing form. A chuckle escaped his lips.

“Dazai got chased by a ghost?” He looked at you with amusement.

“I can suspect he tried to follow me. He ended up running away from the same ghost that tried to chase us.”

“I guess he gets what he deserves. Thanks (Last Name)-san.” Atsushi smiled sweetly.

“And now you can tease him back with that. I can always print extra, should he ever destroy it~”

“Good to know,” he took another glance of the photo. “Do you think you can help us again? Investigate the mountain? Your abilities can really help us.”

You thought about it for a moment. Helping the ADA for a good cause? (It was better than associating with a certain mafioso…) Since you had the equipment to fend off the aggressive spirits, you could have a better active role.

“I’d be happy to,” you say with a nod. 

“Great!”

Atsushi was not only happy that the ADA could have a person that can help with the spirits, but that also meant he could get more chances to be with you. Sure, Dazai will attempt to steal your attention during work, but you weren’t easily giving into his advances. With that, he stood up from his seat to get ready to leave. He moved closer to let his hand brush with yours.

“You’ll always find us in our office. Stop by when you can,” a small blush tinted his cheeks.

“Will do,” you smiled as you watched him leave.

[kiwibeanv]

Astray in the Black Water: Post-Chapter 2 ->Dazai

Fatal Frame 5 x Bungo Stray Dogs x fem reader.

You turned to see Dazai behind you and Atsushi. Both of you moved to get his hands off.

"Just photos that (Last Name)-san took," Atsushi replied dusting his shoulder off.

"Ooh, let me see!"

You scrolled through the photos you had. The captured traces of Kyouka and the photos of the spirits you fought against. Dazai's eyes light up when he sees the one in the cable car.

"Ooh! Wait go back one!"

Returning to the previous photo, there was the spirit in the center of the frame. In the background however, there was Kunikida huddled with Atsushi at the back of the cable car. Dazai's face was half captured as he looked shocked. Dazai snickered.

"I like this one very much. You printing them all right?" He smirked.

"Um, yes? I was asked to print them all," you replied.

"Oh good," he rubbed his hands together. "We do need every single capture you took."

Atsushi narrowed his eyes at Dazai. "You're just getting the photos of us being spooked."

"Maybe~" His gaze was especially fixated on Kunikida's horrified expression. "Wish we had a photo of you though," he said looking at you.

"Another time," you sighed. "Anyways, this should be all of the photos to be printed. Go ahead and print."

Atsushi selected the print button and the printer began its work. He went off to catch up on errands.

As for you, this is a good chance to see if you can peek into Dazai's past. You know he will openly accept any touches from you and he might call you out on it. But again, you don't want to make it obvious you're trying to get a glance.

"So... Dazai-san," you got a little close and put your hand on his arm. "All these spirits haven't...disturbed you yet?"

You tried to probe into his past but nothing was working. No vision, no voices, not even sensing anything.

Dazai's expression gleamed at your touch. "A little, yes? I never really believed in ghosts."

"Is it really 'a little'?" You asked, squeezing his arm to try again. But nothing still.

"Gotta say this is the first time I saw a ghost face to face. But they don't look that bad. The shrine maidens especially."

Your grip loosened. "And how would you describe them?"

"Kinda pretty actually!"

"Oh... okay then." You let go of his arm, disappointed you couldn't see into his past. There was something about this man that was so strange.

"Jealous much? I bet you'd look gorgeous in those robes," he leaned in close with a smirk.

"Yeah maybe," you played along with the roll of your eyes. "I should finish that report."

"Kunikida-san already put you to work. How cruel!" He pursed his lips. "You don't have to finish~"

"I would rather finish it as I do have something planned later this evening."

Dazai groaned. "Oh fine."

-> Chapter 3

[kiwibeanv]

Astray in the Black Water: Post-Chapter 1; Dazai

Fatal Frame 5 crossover Bungo Stray Dogs x Fem Reader

When you entered the office space, Dazai looked up from his work and his eyes landed on you.

"Oh hi (Name)!" He beamed and got up from his seat to come over to you. "The fair maiden has decided to visit our humble office!" He took your hand, placed his other on top, and brought it closer to him.

"...Charming..." you commented, giving him an unsure look.

"Is there anything you are here for, or are you here for me?" He leaned closer with half lidded eyes and a smirk.

"I was here to ask if you were alright after last night's events," you gently pulled your hand back.

"Oh, I'm doing better now that you're here. Kunikida was freaked out when we returned to the office~" He looked at said man from the corner of his eye.

"Don't feed her any lies, Dazai," Kunikida frowned but kept his eyes on his screen.

Dazai shifted closer to whisper in your ear. "He was totally scared." He let out a small laugh as he straightened himself up. "Anyways! When are we going back? I wanna spend more time with you."

"Whenever you guys are ready. The sooner the better so we can avoid exploring at night."

"I"m ready! Let's get Atsushi!"

-> Visit Kunikida -> Visit Atsushi

Chapter 2

[kiwibeanv]

Astray in the Black Water: Post-Chapter 1; Atsushi

Fatal Frame 5 crossover Bungo Stray Dogs x Fem Reader

You went over to Atsushi's desk but you couldn't find him there. You decided to wait for him in the meantime. Just a few minutes later, you saw him come in carrying a box.

"Oh, good morning (Last Name)-san!" He greeted as he set the box on his desk.

"Good morning," you nod your head at him. "How are you doing after last night?"

"A little shaken up, but I have to find Kyouka. I can't let these spirits stop me, and with your help I think we will find her."

"I hope so too..." You glanced away. "For a better end than my last case."

"Oh right. You said you found people dead before," he frowned feeling sympathetic for you. "It's not easy looking at bodies right?"

"Gazing their final moments is harder," you replied shaking your head. "I can feel what they felt in that moment. Fear, depression, and the pain they went through."

"O-Oh... That doesn't sound pleasant." Atsushi paused to ponder if he was in her shoes. He can't get a full grasp but he had a faint idea of it. "But Kyouka is strong. I know she doesn't go down that easily."

You raised a brow at his optimism. "I see...Today we will continue to search. Her trace leads us to the Shrine of Ephemeral. Luckily we won't have to travel through the Shrine of Dolls as the cable car can take us there."

"Good. Let me finish with my errand. Then we can meet with Dazai and go back," Atsushi said as he opened the box.

You nod in agreement and stepped away.

-> Visit Kunikida -> Visit Dazai

Chapter 2

[kiwibeanv]

Astray in the Black Water: Post-Chapter 1; Kunikida

Fatal Frame 5 crossover Bungo Stray Dogs x Fem Reader

Kunikida was sitting at his desk and working on his laptop. He had his papers and files set neatly in his area.

"Good morning, Kunikida-san," you greeted with a nod.

"Oh, (Last Name)-san," he looked up from his laptop. "Good morning."

"How are you feeling from last night? You did run away before we could say goodbye."

His face flushed. "I apologize for my behavior last night. I wish you didn't have to see me like that."

"It's all right. Not everyone can handle spirits," you assured.

"I-It's not the spirits," he averted his eyes. "I wasn't thoroughly informed about the situation in the mountain."

"Well, there are books about the mountain if you want to research its history."

"I'll take that into consideration, thank you. Unfortunately, I won't be accompanying you for the rest of the case. However, please do keep me updated on the investigation."

You nod your head in agreement. "Of course."

"And if Dazai ever gets inappropriate with you, please don't hesitate to contact me to put some sense into him," he added.

"I will."

"Stay safe out there."

-> Visit Dazai -> Visit Atsushi

Chapter 2

[kiwibeanv]

Astray in the Black Water: Post-Chapter 2 ->Atsushi

Fatal Frame 5 x Bungo Stray Dogs x fem! reader

Atsushi came in to the ADA office late. With a yawn, he entered and went over to his desk. Kunikida scolded him for his tardiness. However, that didn't bother him as he was more happy that Kyouka was found in relatively good health.

He noticed you on the couch writing on the clipboard.

"Good morning (Last Name)-san," he smiled coming over to you.

"Good morning," you greeted, pausing your report.

"Is that a report Kunikida made you do?" He asked.

You nod your head. "It is. I need to get it done before I go. I have to search for another person after this."

"Oh..." Atsushi paused, remembering his encounters with Chuuya in Mt. Hikami. "Good luck with that. I am very thankful that we managed to get Kyouka-chan back."

"Your welcome," you scoot off to the side to leave room on the couch. "You can sit here."

Atsushi raised his brows at your gesture. He nods and comes over and made sure to allow room for personal space.

"I am glad that I could find her alive. It's a nice change for once..." you said, folding on your hands on your lap.

He nods in agreement and comments, "She is a very strong member."

There was a small awkward pause for a moment. You were deciding if and how should you touch him to see his memories. You don't want him to know you took a peek at his past.

"So... Kunikida asked if I could print photos from my camera. Is there a printer in this office that does that?" You asked.

"Oh yeah we do. I could help you."

"Great," You put your hand on his, making him blush. "Lead the way."

In that same moment, you looked into his memories. A brief flash of an orphanage flooded your mind. The younger Atsushi was struck by what looked like staff members. Degradation, physical abuse, and neglect was all you could see. You felt his pain, his depression, his loneliness.

Atsushi stood up and saw you frozen.

"(Last Name)-san?" He called.

You snapped out of your thoughts. "Oh...sorry." Then you got up. "Got caught up in my mind."

He looked down at your hand holding his. "Um... Alright. Follow me."

Atsushi felt uneasy about you holding his hand. Not that he doesn't like it but it was making his mind ask so many questions. Did you like him? Why are you only taking his hand and not Dazai's? It wasn't until you reached the printer that you finally let go. After extracting the photos onto the computer, the two of you carefully viewed the pictures you had on the computer.

"Ooh! What are we looking at here?"

Dazai put his hand on Atsushi's and your shoulder.

-> Dazai

[kiwibeanv]

Astray in the Black Water: Post-Chapter 2 ->Kunikida

Fatal Frame 5 x Bungo Stray Dogs x fem! reader

You went over to Kunikida's desk.

"Good morning," you greet.

"Good morning (Last Name)-san," he greeted back and turn his chair to face you. "I want to thank you for finding Kyouka. Your efforts are greatly appreciated."

You nod your head. "Your welcome. Is she all right?"

"She is still in a state of drowsiness and tends to stay in bed. I wonder if that Mt. Hikami had some sort of effect. Even Dazai and Atsushi are still absent," Kunikida's brow twitched.

You looked at the clock to see it was 10:23 AM. "I see... Now, about those reports?"

Kunikida pulled out a file and took out a form on a clipboard for you to take.

"Write everything that happened but, please omit the part where I left. It's not an important detail."

You took the page to scan the format.

"Oh, and is it possible to print photos from your camera?" He asked.

"Indeed. I can print every shot if you like."

"That would be greatly appreciated. Please finish the report by the end of the day."

You nodded and went to the couch to begin your report.

-> Atsushi

-> Dazai