Bandages and Salt (PJO X BSD AU)

Chapter thirteen

"I'm so excited," I said in a monotone voice that contradicted the words spoken. Randou was seated at the head of the table opposite to mine, watching as I sat down at the other end with a slightly nervous look. "I bet Chuuya's gonna be thrilled once he sees the huge party we're throwing him to celebrate his newfound freedom from the Sheep."

"I don't know, Dazai," Randou said, shivering in his seat despite the layers of clothing that the man was wearing. "I think that most people would want to kill you over something like this..."

"What? It's just a party," I said coyly.

Of course the boy is going to want to kill me. I'm the one stealing a loyal dog away from the ones he's summited himself to being controlled by.

"By the way, Dazai... you said you found out who's behind the whole Arahabaki ordeal," Randou started, gracelessly changing the subject. It was a change that I'd been waiting for since we came to be in this room together almost two hours ago. "Is that true? Or were you simply trying to tourment Chuuya?"

I smiled cruelly at the fidgety man. "Both," I told him flatly. "I brought it up infront of him so that he'd make a bet with me. But I really do know who's behind this."

The bet was a scheme that'd I've been working itself out in the back of my mind since the fight in the yard... No it was before that... Since Mori threw us together in his office.

"Oh..." Randou said nervously, leaning forward in his seat. "And who is it?"

I leaned forward, enjoying the dread in the other man's eyes. Randou was still confident he was fine, but anyone that'd spent enough time in the underground knew that becoming cocky was a sure fire way to get yourself killed.

My mouth curved into an inhuman smile. "You, Randou."

Silence rang through the room. It was the absence of sound, a vortex consuming it.

"You impersonated the old boss and spread the rumors about Arahabaki," I continued, watching the way that Randou seemed to be fortifying his mask. Really his whole scheme was something worthy of the gods, that saying that they wouldn't smite him for it. "Anything you want to say for yourself?"

Randou scratched his head as if he thought me accusing him of this was extremely vexing. "I must say, I've never been called a criminal before."

I laughed slightly. "How amusing. You've been in the mafia longer than I have. Well, I guess there's a first time for everything after all." I watched the way he composed himself and thought through all the things that he could say. Really it was all too predictable. "Here, let me tell you from personal experience how it would go. First, you'd deny it. Say, 'I'd never do that,' or maybe, 'funny joke, you had me there for a second.' Anything to make the accuser second guess themselves. Then I'll reply, 'but you are the criminal.' That's when you get heated, when you get mad. It's one thing to be falsely accused, but the guilty ones always get overly angry trying to mask their fear of being caught. Maybe something along the lines of 'that's crazy! Why would I try to destroy the mafia? I'm indebted to them, I owe Mori for my position.' ...Are we good so far?"

The man looked at me, fear increasingly slipping onto his face. "I suppose so... you've said everything that I would've said," he told me uncomfortably. "For the sake of learning, what would be your rebuttal?"

"Simple," I told him, leaning back in my chair. "I'd say: 'your debt to him means nothing to you, Randou. Because attacking the mafia isn't your goal, just a byproduct of it.' Would you like to take over now?"

"I suppose... I don't particularly like being called a criminal, so I should probably take your claim seriously... What evidence do you have? Because you have shown no-"