A/N: Brain empty, only Tosa trio. Don't ask how this bad mix got cooked in my brain, I have written it now. OOC and unbeta'd. Suspension of disbelief is very much welcome.
Pairing: Sakamoto Ryoma (Rider)/ Oryou-san, hints of Sakamoto Ryoma (Rider)/Okada Izo (Assassin)
1- nothing new under the sun
A generation goes and a generation comes but the earth remains forever (Eccl 1:4)
Normally Tsukauchi didn't frequent this part of Tokyo, the part of the metropolis that retains a more traditional Japanese feel that has older, and more sacred air on its streets. Maybe it's the older buildings, maybe Tsukauchi is just used to the hustle and bustle of his police job that any semblance of silence is welcome.
The detective stops by a more modern-looking building in a traditional neighborhood, an open store labelled "Oryou's" stood with no one attending to it. It operates on honesty basis where the store is left open and unmanned with all the goods left for the taking. There's a price list and people are expected to list down the things they took and leave their payment in an open box. (Miraculously, the concept hasn't led the store to lose money. On the other hand, Tsukauchi has met this Oryou-san and she isn't really someone you sic to ordinary customers). Tucked into the side of the building is a set of stairs towards the upper floor of the building.
He strode upwards and knocked on the wooden door. Tsukauchi heard someone scrambling, then the door opened to a man who looked like fought perpetually with a hairbrush, and the hairbrush always lost. The man had shaggy hair and sharp golden eyes like a falcon's, he always thought that the man's similarities to Eraserhead was a bit uncanny.
"Oh, it's ya detective", said the man.
"Let him in, Izo-san", said another man's voice from inside the office.
"Ain't like I'm leavin' this poor bastard outta here, Ryoma"
Izo gestured for Tsukauchi to enter as he opened the door wider. The office had a vintage interior and warm-toned walls. A… black thing was floating like an ethereal piece of laundry, someone who looked human enough wearing a black sailor uniform and long snakeskin scarf.
"Do you have frogs for Oryou-san?", asked the floating woman, a mysterious beauty with long black hair and red, red eyes. Tsukauchi put down a paper bag blotted with oil from fried frog legs.
"Oryou-san appreciates the tribute to her majesty", the beautiful woman said giddily as she zoomed towards the bag.
"Get a plate' ya nasty snake", said Izo looking at the so-called snake with disgust.
"Get one for Oryou-san, mangy dog", replied the woman.
Izo looked like a Pomeranian with its hackles raised with how pissed he looked. "Go on an' repeat what ya said jus' now."
"Now, now. We're all friends here, right?", interrupted a man sitting by a large wooden table. ("No", the two chorused. Tsukauchi could hear). "I apologize for this slapstick routine, Tsukauchi-san. You took your time to visit our little detective agency. How can we help you?"
The man had all of Tsukauchi's attention, he could also hear Izo and Oryou stop their squabble and directed their focus to the table's occupant. Sakamoto Ryoma (like that textbook historical figure) is quite easy on the eyes with his dark hair, dark eyes and healthy complexion. It was easy to overlook this man but his presence was on another level, the detective felt like he would listen and obey whatever Sakamoto would suggest. The man by the wooden desk had charisma and presence rivaling All Might.
"I'm supposed to inform private firms like yours to let the police know about possible leads on the League of Villains". Tsukauchi handed over a flash drive and a manila envelope as he sat down on one of the vacant chairs before Sakmoto's work table.
"I'll keep an eye around", said Sakamoto as he accepted the items. "I suppose this villain group isn't the purpose of your visit right, detective? Their attack on UA was all over the media and you could've called me or sent this on email. That League alone doesn't warrant a personal visit."
Tsukauchi sighed. Sakamoto wouldn't have ran a successful private eye without seeing through Tsukauchi's true purpose. "It's about Stain."
The private detective shifted behind his desk, "Ah, what about him? He resumed his crusade against the so-called fake heroes though the media haven't really picked up and ran away with it just yet."
"We may need more than your investigative skills for this one."
Sakamoto raised an eyebrow. "You want our help to apprehend this villain. Whose suggestion is this?"
"Eraserhead's, he said that the two of you and Izo-san know your way around swords and would be our best choice among private firms. We consulted with UA's principal and the Board approved of this as well."
Quirks scrambled society as a whole ever since a luminescent baby heralded a new era for humanity. The introduction of pro-heroes as idolized, flashy civil servants sprinkled with popularity contests means that law enforcement had to adjust with this new system. Though the police force had to do most of the heavy lifting of planning, interrogation, incarceration, etc., of villains, it's the pro-heroes who get the credits for the capture of criminal upstarts and thus, a face to remember by the public.
Private investigators like Sakamoto's agency are hired for reconnaissance and similar endeavors in certain cases when the police or hero agencies don't have the resources or skills to spare. Tsukauchi knows that Oki Mariner's agency is buddy-buddy with Sakamoto and his two companions (?) since they latter often take care of the follow-up for the hero's marine operations. Of course, there's always the cheating partners, the insurance fraudsters, the con-men, the land disputes that practicing attorneys love (but the police don't) that may need a private detective's specialty.
In short, private detectives fill in the obscure parts of law enforcement that the police and the heroes couldn't bother with, mostly white-collar crime and personal affairs. Their work extends to private clients as well.
"That's a tough one, detective. What I'm hearing is you getting me and Izo to fight Stain himself under Eraserhead's request. We may have a fancy license for Quirk use and for our weapons, but we're not civil servants like the pro-heroes are." said Ryoma.
"Oi Ryoma, jus' get this job from the good detective. We don' renew that license thing for our swords to use 'em as house decor.", drawled Izo.
"Ryoma is forgetting Oryou-san. Oryou-san could snap all of you like twigs."
Sakamoto let out a deep sigh. His dark gaze assessing wandering to Oryou-san and Izo before settling onto the police officer. Tsukauchi didn't know the man personally but he's known enough that Sakamoto was a man who was very careful with his words. "If we're taking this job Tsukauchi-san, I'm expecting the police to be the ones to make a press statement. Stain has taken down many pros already, it'll be bad if someone like us would be the one to take that villain down. We don't want attention to us."
"You're confident.", replied Tsukauchi as tension was lifted from his chest. "I don't know much about fighting but like you said, Stain has already taken down many pros and the only reason we're bringing you into the fold is because we need your help with certain details. You're just as fallible as the 23 injured and 17 dead from Stain's blades."
"This is more complicated than our usual arrangement.",said Sakamoto tiredly, as if he could already feel the legal gymnastics and complicated cover-up he would be going if this arrangement would go through. His sharp gaze shifted to Izo who was grinning like a madman and looked at Tsukauchi again. "It's the systemic circus of the hero system that I'm worried about. I have full confidence that we'll be able to take Stain out with our own skills as swordsmen."
"Oi, Ryoma.", interjected an annoyed voice.
"...and Oryou-san's great transformation", added the man.
Sakamoto steepled his fingers, his dark eyes firmly planted at the police detective. "We'll likely accept this offer, Detective. But we still have to talk to your superiors about the details. Of course, nothing's final until we get the preliminary paperwork out of the way. We'd ask for the paper trail about our involvement to be kept in private in case we succeed and the journalists would ask about a record."
"Thank you for your consideration, Sakamoto-san. Do finalize your answer before Thursday so we could start planning for your possible involvement", Tsukauchi stood from the chair. "Have a nice day."
"You too, detective", the other detective replied with a cool tip of his white hat.
Tsukauchi went out of the vintage office, he could feel Izo's and Oryou's eyes follow him as he exited. Sakamoto is a fine fellow but his companions (?) looked at all the other humans as if they're determining how much blood would pour if a person would be cut from chest to hip, a barely restrained bloodlust that only Sakamoto could control for the two to appear human.
Speaking of which, Sakamoto was also terrifying in a way that the police detective couldn't get a good read of the man. Sakamoto was unreadable and cunning, he reminded Tsukauchi of a dragon for some reason. Maybe Sakamoto Ryoma of this Tokyo detective agency had a Presence to him like his namesake, the Hero of Restoration. Maybe he's thinking too much of it since his sister never shuts up about the Ryoma primetime drama. If the private detective has secrets to keep, it isn't his business to prod. He descended the stairs of the private firm's office. He was on the ground when...
"Wait a minute, Tsukauchi-san!", speak of the devil. And the man was at the foyer of upper floor while Tsukauchi was about to get into his car parked on the street.
"Thanks for the frog legs!", Sakamoto yelled happily. "Oryou-san really enjoyed them!"
The police detective just waved at the man, a goodbye. Perhaps he should bring frozen frog legs for Oryou-san, she's less terrifying when given an offering.
"You gon' get this job with this Shitstain, right?", asked Izo the moment he stepped back into their office.
Ryoma sighed. "I'm only doing it because you're tired of me being your only opponent with swords. It's a nice break from the divorce courts."
The ambassador turned detective, once dead now alive, was tired of answering personal questions of more annoying clients who asked which between Oryou-san and Izo was the homewrecker. He's sure the three of them didn't materialize in this strange world by whatever unknown force (the Grail? Alaya, the counter force?) just so he could put a label to his relationship with his two companions.
"Not a single shiny motherfucker in spandex would give me that kin' of satisfaction as killin' a schmuck back in Kyoto. Shitstain might gimme that feeling."
"Izo should just shut up", Oryou added as she floated to the table and inspected Tsukauchi's dossier. "Oryou-san will just eat this Stain person"
Ryoma sighed, "I'll call the Police HQ after lunch to accept their offer. Izo, what would you like to eat?"
"Not frogs", the assassin answered blandly.
Ryoma smiled. He may not know the reason why he's here when he's been dead for centuries, his role long since done and recorded in history. He's a relic of ancient times in this Quirk-filled world. Still, Ryoma's grateful to whatever higher power placed him here, with two of the people he feels closest with. Not many dead people, Heroic spirits, get to be this free when life's over and all that remains of them, their remaining proof of existence in the past are skull and bones.
He took out his phone and placed an order for some French cuisine. Now, they only had to wait for the delivery person.
...
edit (01/12)- some punctuations, added "-san" when Ryoma refers to Izo verbally.
(02/28)- corrected some grammar and punctuation, added some stuff.
end notes: purely self-indulgent. leave your thoughts and comments in the box! thank you for reading if you've reached this part! 3