#v. sigma; main; tag tbd.

[strayslost]

Sigma has never met Kyouka before, but... he knows of her.

Fyodor didn't tell him everything. But the fact that there's a member of the ADA who used to be part of the Port Mafia - an assassin - is something he's familiar with. An assassin, at such a young age... whenever Sigma thinks about it, his heart twists with an emotion he finds it difficult to identify.

Maybe he can relate to her, just a little. Sigma by now has worked for more criminal organizations than he can count, and he can't imagine that the Port Mafia saw Kyouka as anything other than a tool to use for their benefit, either. But... there's one difference between them.

Because now, in theory... Kyouka is free from all that...

It's actually her who notices him first- by the time he becomes aware of her presence, she's already looking at him, though Sigma doesn't know for how long she's been doing so. He feels strangely self-conscious under her gaze, but forces his voice to remain steady as he speaks.

"You're... Izumi-san, right...?"

@starsoath

[strayslost]

He just needs to hold on a little longer.

Right now, Sigma is a nobody. He has no home, no family, no life - and that's given birth to a loneliness that he's sure no-one else in this world can fully understand. Even the name he gave himself still feels strange in his thoughts; on his tongue. But what does it matter? No matter where he goes, it's always the same. People use him again and again, manipulating and hurting him for their own ends, because that's the nature of this world. Use or be used.

But Fyodor has promised him a home. ...Sigma is no fool. He's sure any other ordinary person would laugh at him for believing in the words of a terrorist - but those people could never understand his desperation. Even if it's all a lie, no matter what he has to do to attain it... isn't this his only chance? Is it really too much to ask for a place to belong?

The Casino doesn't exist, not yet, so no-one on these streets recognizes Sigma. Even if his appearance makes him stand out from the crowd, no-one seems to be paying him much attention, all too busy with their own lives and worries. Instead, Sigma is the one to stop short as he notices a child standing still on the street - and what strikes him before anything else is the two contrasting tones of their hair, just like Sigma's own.

It creates a strange, uncanny sensation in him. It's not uncomfortable, but it's distracting enough that it takes him a moment to realize the more concerning absence of the child's guardian. ...It's not his problem, but they suddenly notice him staring, and so Sigma is suddenly forced to speak-

"Ah... Are you alone?"

@theircurse

[strayslost]

"Atsushi...?"

It's not like Sigma hadn't known that Atsushi was part of the Armed Detective Agency. Logically, him showing up isn't unexpected at all.

But... Sigma still finds himself at a loss for words when he spots Atsushi walking in the direction of the Agency's building. Maybe it's because of the last time he saw him - Sigma still remembers those shouted words, the desperation in Atsushi's voice and the tight grip of his hand as he'd tried to stop him from falling to what should've been a certain death...

He didn't need to do that. No, more than that- he put himself at great risk by trying to save Sigma at all. Despite the fact that they were enemies, and Atsushi could've been killed himself, he still tried his hardest to save him, and... that's how Sigma knows his kindness isn't fake. As hard as it is to believe.

Dazai insisted that there were more people like that than Sigma thought; that he'd find them in the Detective Agency. Of course, shaking off a lifetime, no matter how short, of lessons learned about humanity's cruelty, isn't easy at all... but that doesn't stop him from feeling a surprising amount of nerves in his gut as he's suddenly faced with Atsushi, sooner than he thought.

"I..." asking if Atsushi remembers him would be ridiculous, but what is he meant to say? "You're going to the Agency...?"

@atsushima ( starter! )

[strayslost]

"You're-"

Ahh. This isn't good! That's Ranpo, the Armed Detective Agencies' greatest detective!!

Sigma is well aware that this could be a serious problem. After all, he's part of the Decay of Angels, and is planning along with that group to start a plan to destroy the Agency in only a matter of weeks. If this kid figures out Sigma's identity, what might happen then? Could their plans be derailed entirely!?

...No, he's thinking too hard about this. There's no guarantee that anything is going to go wrong. Besides, he hasn't actually done anything yet, right? There's nothing for Ranpo to deduct, no crime that Sigma's committed at this point! It's fine. Sigma is an expert at putting on a calm face, after all.

Though he still can't help but wonder to himself why he even decided to come down from the casino to begin with, today. Either way, in a inquisitive, detached tone, he asks-

"Did you need something from me?"

@sleeplesswork ( starter for ranpo! )

[strayslost]

Jono Saigiku. Elite member of the Hunting Dogs. ...Sigma has never met him before, but he knows well that he's someone to be feared.

But why is he visiting the casino now of all times? When Sigma thinks that he may have been exposed, anxiety makes his heart skip a beat - but it's overpowered by the burning determination he feels rising within himself. Of course, it's possible that Jono could be visiting for any number of benign reasons - but regardless, Sigma knows that he'll raise hell for his casino if he has to.

After all, even an ordinary man with no hope of winning can fight until the bitter end.

"I'm honoured to receive a guest of such high calibre like yourself." Sigma's tone is no-nonsense, and he radiates a sense of confident detachment to go with it. But despite how effortless his countenance might appear, it's something he's worked to the bone to achieve.

"You're welcome to entertain yourself here until your heart's content, but... I have to ask. Is there some other reason for your visit?

@moonhund ( starter for jono! )

[strayslost]

There's something distinctly unnerving about this child.

Maybe that's an unfair thought to have. As far as Sigma can tell, the kid hasn't done anything wrong, but in spite of that... Sigma can't shake the eerie unease in his stomach as they look up at him with that intense gaze.

But they're just a kid. ...Swallowing down his guilt, Sigma asks in a tone that's only slightly more gentle than usual-

"I'm... sorry. Did you need something from me?"

@memoryoflost ( starter for kyusaku! )

[strayslost]

Sigma stands with poise. Both calm and confident, as he walks to Kunikida, each step has purpose- he's the very picture of a man who's sure of himself.

But truth be told, that's just how he looks. ...Inside, Sigma's thoughts are racing, and he has to resist the urge to swallow nervously as he locks eyes with the other man. This is Kunikida, Dazai's partner, after all. Dazai may have been the one to invite Sigma to the ADA, but nobody in the Agency has actually agreed to him joining yet - so more than anything, Sigma wants to make a good impression.

He's afraid, though. He was a terrorist working for the Decay of Angels, after all, taking part in the plan to frame the Agency - and aside from Atsushi and Dazai, that's all that any of the ADA members really know about him. Can he really find acceptance in a place like this? Dazai thought it was possible, but Sigma...

"You must be Kunikida-san, right?" As he speaks, his voice is smooth and professional. Ironically, after speaking, he wonders if he might've made a better impression if he had shown how nervous he actually was... but the habit of hiding his anxieties took control before he knew it.

"My name is Sigma. I... believe Dazai told you about me?"

@bemuseing ( starter for kunikida! )

[strayslost]

"The job requires a lot of hard work. I've been told that I'm exceptionally talented, but really..."

Sigma trails off before he can finish his thought, uncertain if it's something he really wants to share. With the Sky Casino being so high-profile, most would expect it's manager to be someone impressive, and he's sure they're aware that the position is a demanding one - but quite how much work has gone into it is something he doesn't think people fully understand.

But Sigma is no man blessed by talent. Sometimes in the past he's felt like he's being torn by the seams, with the desperate lengths he's been driven to in keeping his home. And that's only within the short frame of it's existence, in spite of the world believing it had been around for years...

"...Well. I'm sure you must be a hard worker, too. Have you ever gambled yourself?"

@lunargifted ( starter for atsushi! )

[strayslost]

Sigma didn't know that his feelings on a person could change so wildly over the course of only ten or so minutes. Dazai is... almost impossible for him to comprehend.

He was so sure that the man only intended to use him, and truth be told, he still doesn't think he's entirely wrong in that assessment. Dazai is a wickedly clever man, one who knows how to make a chess piece out of everyone he meets, and certainly not someone Sigma should ever underestimate. But even so... why can't Sigma hate him?

Is it because Dazai saved his life? ...What a foolish reason. He only needed Sigma to save that agency of his, nothing more. But... Dazai nearly sacrificed his own life to do it. In the end, in spite of everything, he had something - someone, who he was willing to give up everything for, despite the fact that if he died he'd get nothing in return. Maybe that's why Sigma is so drawn to him. He wants to know more- about that kind of desire. Because Dazai isn't stupid - he's the smartest man Sigma knows, and yet he'd decided that trusting in others was worth it...

There's far more to thoughts than just that, but right now, Sigma's head is racing enough already. Most of all, though - when he looks at Dazai, he can't help but feel an overwhelming sense of shame. He wishes he didn't... he knows he might be being used again, fooled again, and yet- he can't help but hate that he let Dazai down.

"Dazai... why are you here...?"

@hopesprung ( starter for dazai! )

[strayslost]

Sigma can't even look him in the eyes.

How is he supposed to do anything, when he's this afraid? The weight of the secret he's keeping is too much for him to handle - because no matter how hard he tries, Sigma will never understand Gogol. If he finds out everything Sigma knows - that he's from the future, knowledge that he shouldn't have packed away in his head, who knows how he'll try and reach inside?

He can't predict what'll happen. But Sigma's anxiety is telling him that everything will fall apart if he's not very, very careful. And Sigma is a man of many anxieties, but this feels like more than he's ever dealt with before... is it because it's not just his life on the line anymore? After finding people he wants to protect - the Agency is counting on him...

"G-Gogol. You look... well, the same as always." Sigma coughs, and gives him a somewhat judgemental look. He never knows what to say to this one.

@aeternussilere ( starter for nikolai! )

[strayslost]

Osamu Dazai.

The first time Sigma met him, a chill had run down his spine. He'd seemed far too similar to Dostoevsky, both in intellect and nature, and Sigma had been convinced that Dazai was just another person who wanted to use him as a tool to his own ends.

But... Dazai had saved Sigma that day. He'd told him there were no such things as 'superhumans.' He hadn't understood it then, but now...

Dazai is human. No matter what anyone else might say - even the man himself - Sigma is sure of it. Yes, he can be ruthless and often cruel, and there's a darkness to his nature that still sometimes shakes Sigma to the core. But he'd saved him that day, and it's all because of him that Sigma had been able to join the ADA at all. Recognizing Sigma as someone who'd only ever been thrown away, and promising to help him escape... those actions weren't empty, and they weren't lies.

As time passed, and Sigma grew accustomed to the detective agency, Sigma likes to think they've even grown somewhat close. He doesn't know if he has the right to call Dazai his friend, but... truth be told, that is how he thinks of him. Either way, he'll never stop owing him for what he did.

...Which is why he has to withstand it. It hurts, to see Dazai looking at him now with the cold eyes of a stranger. In this past, Dazai doesn't know him at all. He might even recognize him as a member of the Decay of Angels - Sigma honestly doesn't remember how much he'd known at this point, but Dazai is a frighteningly clever man. But even if it hurts... he'll keep going.

"You're Dazai-san, aren't you?"

@nonhumen (time travel starter for dazai!)