Is it okay if you could do an ability analysis on Poe please? I want you to know I love your ability analyses, they're so cool!
To anon : Thank you! I’m glad you like them!
Oh, Poe! My absolute favorite Ability! Alright, here we go. All images are from easygoingscans and @dazaiscans
Edgar Allan Poe, the self-proclaimed great rival of Edogawa Ranpo and also ex-member of the guild (and the introvert we all can relate) accompanied by his beloved and trusty sidekick, Karl! His Ability, Black Cat in the Rue Morgue (oh my god that is a long name, therefore from now on will be shortened to just Black Cat) is an Ability that can create a fantasy world, which he can use to trap the enemy with no way out unless they fulfilled the conditions set beforehand.
Poe’s Ability is the dream of any author that wish to experience the world they have created lol
With his Ability, Poe can create a singular world with the media being his own writings (he doesn’t have to write on a book or paper, even electronics such as messenger of a cellphone can also work).
Even though Poe said that he can brings his readers to the world that he has created, one doesn’t have to read his works to be dragged in. The only factor needed is close contact (doesn’t have to be direct touch).
(Yosano also being dragged in despite not touching the book)
(Chuuya being dragged in despite not reading the book)
In Poe’s created world, no Ability can exist. So even the strongest Ability user like Chuuya, Akutagawa, Atsushi, or even, probably, Fyodor, can’t use their Abilities. This creates a tremendous advantage to Poe since he is the one who can decide how the people trapped inside can get out. Most of the times, the needed requirement to get out is to solve the mystery of the case he writes. But he can also creates a not so brain power heavy requirement like just having a conversation with another person in his book (like when Ranpo asks him to trap someone in his world so Ranpo can intimidate them to surrender). Once inside, the people trapped can’t do anything but follow the rules to get out. It is unclear what will happen if someone kills Poe while he is trapping someone in his world or if Dazai touches the media. Will those people able to get out or disappear forever?
Poe doesn’t seem to have any restrictions in what kind of world he wants to create with his Ability. Although, Poe himself is never shown to get inside his own creation. It is unclear whether he doesn’t feel the need or he is incapable to. He also can choose who gets inside or who doesn’t, as when Karl picked up the book Ranpo uses to trap Chuuya, Karl doesn’t get sucked in (it can be because Karl is an animal, but this is unclear).
The other interesting bit is that, his Ability is one of the few that can be lent to someone else. Most Abilities are individual only, which means it can only be used by the owner of the Ability and can’t affect others. Even healing Ability like Yosano can only be used by Yosano even if the effect can be experienced by others. But Poe’s Ability, along with Kunikida and to some extent Akutagawa, can be lent to others and other people can use it to some extent as if it is their own Ability. This can be seen as to when Ranpo uses Poe’s Ability to trap Chuuya.
(It is unclear whether Ranpo is the one who activated it or Poe is waiting for when Chuuya fell into the trap and activated it from afar. Kunikida and Akutagawa’s Ability also show the same vagueness whether the wearer of their Ability is the one who uses it or they controlled it from afar while maintaining connection with their Ability)
Poe also can use his Ability from far away, which lessen the risk he has to taken as he has to only prepare surveillance while he waits for the enemy to get curious and check his book or get closer enough, or he can just send an email or message to his target through his phone.
While Poe is basically a god of his own world, he is also unable to affect things from the outside once the enemy is trapped inside (this is unclear as he never rigged the book from outside like changing the story so the enemy will only get confused or whatnot). He can only watch his targets run around like headless chicken while trying to solve the mysteries (of course, never Ranpo. In fact, Poe mostly uses his Ability for the sake of Ranpo. Aww, just admit that you want to be his friend Poe– *gets bitten by Karl*)
Poe’s Ability is not meant for combat and more suited to entertainment or to capture his targets. Of course, this is only temporary against opponents with sharp minds like Ranpo, Mori, and Fyodor who can solve the mysteries easily although it still can be used to stall for time or confuse them however briefly. His easy targets would be those gullible, not-so-strong-in-brain-department, or people who talk with their fists instead their mouth. So… Chuuya, Atsushi, Akutagawa, Kyouka, Kenji, etc. In combat if one can solve the mystery and get out quickly, they maybe able to catch up to Poe who is running away and defeat him easily since Poe is not a fighter. But if Poe is using his phone tactic, it will be harder to find him.
Of course, Dazai won’t ever enter the book. He is a master troll like always.
However, it seems that death is not permanent in Poe’s book. Yosano was killed in his book, however when Ranpo solved the mystery Yosano is not even wounded at all. I don’t know whether Poe never really intended to hurt anyone so he creates a limiter which will bring everyone dead back to life if his mysteries are solved, or it is his Ability’s limitations (what is in the book stays in the book. No items taken from the book will go back with them to the real world, as shown that the change of clothing Yosano and Ranpo had in the book return back to their original clothing once they get outside)
If Poe can create multiple world at the same time and then activate them all at once, he can create traps that will capture many targets at once. But so far he is only shown to activate one world at a time.
I think that’s all for Poe. His Ability is my favorite one because I want that kind of Ability lol too bad if Poe can’t enter his own creation, that will be so sad.
…basically, Poe’s Ability is to create an AU fanfics and forces the canon character to play by his rules. Poe is the entity we as a fanfic writers must build a shrine to and pray everyday for plot bunnies.
