Round 4 PC post with Dazai

[guileturncoat]

Dazai's quarters can be found in the studio building. It's one of the doors off of the main hallway, not far from the stage itself. The door itself is labeled with his name. Most of the time it is unlocked, but he does lock it at night or when he's with someone else.

There is an open parlor area, with a couple couches and a low table. Off to one side of the room is a taller table with some booze bottles on it, all still mostly-full. On another wall is a door, which presumably goes to another part of his quarters, maybe his bedroom? And there is also a table and desk chair to one side, which appears to be a working space. All of the walls are lined with bookshelves, which are full of countless books.

Feel free to knock, or walk right in if the door is open.

Comments

[hatesdeerstalkers]

[Ah -

Damn it, why did he have to blank out?! He frowns, giving a sigh as he tries to get John to sit down so he can sit down next to him.]

...There was nothing you could do, in that case. Showing her mercy would have only made things dangerous for everyone else, would it not?

[guileturncoat]

[John can be guided pretty easily, so yes they can go sit down. He's running a hand through his hair nervously, though. He's very clearly wound up by this.]

I guess, but- but I didn't even try! I could have tried to talk it out first, but I just...

[hatesdeerstalkers]

You had to act as Dazai would, for the sake of the cameras.

[Though John is wound up, Moriarty's tone brooks no argument - firm and solid, like a wall.]

Tell me - would that man have talked it out? Would he have shown mercy to those who he had warned before?

[guileturncoat]

...no, he would have made an example of her.

[Which is, honestly, why he's so worked up about this. He immediately jumped to something Dazai would do, no hesitation at all.]

[hatesdeerstalkers]

[And there it is.

He can tell from the way that John is stooped - from his tears, from the way he says that - that his fear is that he's becoming someone else than himself.]

...Normally, I would compliment you for your acting improving, but -

[He chuckles.]

- Something tells me you wouldn't appreciate hearing that, yes?

Because you fear losing yourself to this role you've chosen to play.

[guileturncoat]

[He nods at that. It's a good thing Moriarty is so perceptive, John would have a hard time putting that fear into words.]

The acting is supposed to end when the curtain drops. I don't want to forget how to do that.

[hatesdeerstalkers]

[There's a moment of silence, before Moriarty speaks again.]

...Yet, you were on the stage then. The fact that you feel grieved about this is enough to prove that you have not buried yourself in the role enough that you cannot back out just yet.

[There's another pause, and then -]

...But you should have expected this when you decided on this path - that you would have to stain your hands with blood sooner or later. Or did you believe that it would never happen?

[guileturncoat]

I knew I would! But it...it happened so easily, I didn't even have to think twice about it. That's the part that bothered me.

[hatesdeerstalkers]

So your regret is not that you killed, but that the act of killing came too easily?

[He gives a sharp glance - nothing heated, but definitely not kind.]

Did you truly think yourself so incapable of it? The 'you' that exists under this act, I mean.