#c. verlaine.

[strayslost]

It's not often that Verlaine gets to meet young assassins - those who've followed a similar path as him, even if the destination never quite the same.

There's always something in their eyes, though. Sometimes it's hatred, sometimes sadism - but more often, a guarded kind of wariness; the look of men who hold no trust in the world or it's people and who understand well the meaning of kill or be killed.

Verlaine can't help but wish they understood... that they have more than they think they do. They have the privilege of being human, of having a meaning to their existence - something that no matter how much bitter envy he feels, he'll never gain for himself. Though they think they do, they don't understand the meaning of true isolation... but, to be fair, he knows that there's no way that they could understand such a thing. And it's not like they don't suffer, as well. Of course, sometimes, even that suffering... is something that Verlaine wishes he could reach out and take for himself.

But this boy seems different. When Verlaine looks in his eyes, it's difficult to see anything at all. As if he's looking out into an empty sea, it's impossible to make out what he's thinking... and that's enough to catch Verlaine's interest, if only a little.

"You have excellent technique." he offers his praises towards the boy's latest kill, unbothered by the danger that revealing himself might present to him. "It's not often that I see one with so much potential. Ah... but I apologize. Watching from a distance like this - I really ought to mind my manners, don't you think?"

@sunderedscript ( starter for oda! )

[vieaccorde]

As he watches the expression on Chuuya's face change, Verlaine smiles. It's only a slight smile, but while it's difficult to spot any warmth in it on the surface, his eyes shine with the kind of fondness that's reserved by most only for family - or those like them.

Whether or not Chuuya feels the same way about him... is ultimately irrelevant, at least in part. After all, that's his own decision to make - and Verlaine mustn't make the mistake of trying to take choice from him again. But the final words Verlaine had heard on the day when he had "died" for the first time... are ones he holds dear, whether Chuuya has forgotten them or not.

Still, though. Today is a day that's different to the rest.

"It seems to me like you're troubled by something." -little brother. Though he doesn't speak those words aloud, they echo in Verlaine's mind all the same. "It's lucky that I happen to be in a listening mood. Well? ...Don't hold back on me now."

@frost-eyed-autumn ( starter! )

[minimafioso]

More Old Beast doodles but this time add Chuuya's clone who did NOT die, was raised by Rimbaud and Verlaine, and finds his pitiful 'true' self wasting away and losing his mind imprisoned by the gov't

[comicwaren]

From Star Wars Vol. 3 #049, “The Path of Light”

Art by Jethro Morales and Rachelle Rosenberg

Written by Charles Soule

[bungostraydogs-nextgen]

aheem heem. tarot card for bspverse verlaine please ✒️

wheemper

BSPverse Verlaine is: The Hermit

In an obvious contrast to his canonical self, Verlaine's status in BSPverse is most often aligned with the basic meaning of the card: "looking within, introspection, soul searching, solitude". Minus the solitude, Verlaine's visible character arc from Hateful Eight onward focuses largely on how he becomes less focused on using his external relationships with others to affirm or reaffirm his humanity, and turns more inward. This same thing happens with Hugo, too, which makes sense, as their arcs and storylines are largely entwined.

I haven't plotted it out entirely, because I never really do (takes the fun and flexibility out of it for me and makes me less likely to do it), but I'm sure you and many others will enjoy the journey Verlaine takes in BSPverse ;)

[chocsra]

✧ "Salvation; Devotion"

16! stormbringer! Chuuya x fem! reader

✧ summary: being targeted by paul verlaine after being chuuyas friend, though when he comes to talk to you with a european detective, it seems to be more than friendship. ✧ content: small oneshot, fluff, angst (kinda), adam + angsty teenagers ✧ w/c: 1.4k

Chuuya - meaning "loyalty, devotion"

Nakahara - meaning "central plain"

His devotion was not only his strongest attribute, but his most tender weakness.

You knew a boy. He was young and short, but fiery and strong. He was mysterious, born with unknown origins, and walked the wrong path, that's why he's not only humanity's most destructive weapon but a lowly, pitiful, criminal.

It was something you weren't, though you didn't mind much.

But under the guise of celestial imperfections, Chuuya was a constellation falling into place. He was beautiful. Sunkissed with the kind of foreign beauty you’d see in actors that would play some sort of prince. Your first examination of him was his wealthy and neatly ironed clothing—the kind of blazers and shoes that you’d find in a modelling campaign. Even the accented cuffs of his clothing were underlined with emerald or other precious stones. Then, his silky russet hair, one thrown into a low ponytail—the hairstyle itself still retained a strong masculinity despite the length. Or maybe that came from the musky cologne he constantly wore. A hint of cigarettes, strawberries and that strong scent of virile.

The soft glow from his copper locks then shifted to the fitted collar around his neck—an odd fashion choice, but it really accentuated the ivory of his skin. Soft, sun-kissed skin that’d make its way to his face. A beautiful face, really. Delicate and angelic features with a permanent scowl tugging on his lips—soft pink lips. Chuuya's eyes reflected a fine smoky quartz. His cheeks and nose kissed with a few scattered freckles.

You wondered why a boy so sublime had the status of an onerous beast. Even he took the words that held the weight of a blade and cut himself until he was reduced to the slit of a knife.

You met that same boy, a masterpiece ripped at every edge, not in the dangers of the mafia, but where a silver line stretches to the sea. Where the sun meets the sky, where the light shines.

But even then, you treated him differently. You didn't treat him like he was something fragile. Neither did you treat him like the monstrosity he was sought out to be. You didn't worship him, nor did you greatly depend on him. Instead, you found his humanity and treated him as such. Once a stranger, then a friend, then..

Nevermind.

"Chuuya?!"

You heard the calamity of each step he took to reach you, the boy stopping to pant. "[Y/N].. we need to talk." next to the redhead, was a tall European man with short brown hair, he didn't look tired at all compared to Chuuya. "Greetings, my name is Adam Frankenstein." You cocked a brow at his monotonous voice, the way his mouth moved didn't seem in sync with his words either. "You're rather special, Master Chuuya spent almost 7 hours looking for yo-" Adam explained briefly, causing the redhead to grimace and cut him off, "Shut it, will ya?!"

...

You heaved a bothersome sigh, elbows planted on a cafe table as the two men sat in front of you. "So.. why do you need me, Chuuya?" you question, fiddling with your fingers, "And who's he?.." your gaze uplifts to the brunette foreigner, which the man carefully takes a pack of gum and begins to unfold it, popping a piece in his mouth, before swallowing it. Your eyebrows furrow in a moment of youthful distaste.

Chuuya clutches the cup of tea between his gloved fingers and murmurs something intangible, "Adam's a detective from Europole, investigating Verlaine. He wants to know more about him, which is why he's been following me around.." he finally explains, taking a calculated and almost frustrated sip of his tea.

"Verlaine. Who's Verlaine?" You ask momentarily, causing the redhead to part his lips to answer, but you quickly halt as the detective swallows another piece of gum down his throat. "And why is he chewing gum like that?"

"That's what I'm sayin'!" the teenager half-seriously slams the cup of tea on the table, "He swallows it like a nutjob. You need help, tin man." Chuuya scoffs, his Adam's apple bobbing in his throat almost nervously.

"You need help. You spent 6 hours and 47 minutes looking for h-" the brunette explains with a hint of sass in his voice, the redhead's eyes widening in shock, "I said shut up!"

You shuffle in your seat awkwardly as the two men argue. Scratching the back of your neck before Chuuya finally settles down, patting down the cashmere of his suit.

"So here's the thing about Verlaine.. he's this batshit crazy assassin, and uh.. here's the real kicker.." the mafioso mutters, fiddling with his gloved fingers uneasily. "You're gonna be the bait."

Your jaw immediately drops, a hand clasping over your chest in the offence. "Excuse me?! For what?.. to get killed?!" Chuuya looks distressed at your response, seeking Adam's gaze for at least a little help in his later response.

"Your safety is ensured. We just need to lure Verlaine out, so Master Chuuya can eliminate him." the detective explains rather calmly, fishing for something in the pocket of his suit before handing a chocolate bar to you. "Here, sugar helps with stress." the redhead smiles awkwardly at Adam's response, giving a nervous thumbs up.

You snatch the chocolate bar with a bit of attitude, eyes narrowing to Chuuya as the boy inhales sharply, "I thought I wouldn't get involved in your mafia affairs, now I have to die?" you ask with furrowed brows, anger cracking in your voice. Causing the teenager to gulp in slight fear, a rare sight to Adam, as he's never sensed fear from Master Chuuya. Especially to a young girl like you.

"Well, you won't die... More like, almost die." The detective explains, hoping he'd ease your nerves at least a bit. "Doesn't matter! M'not doing it!" You shout in vexation, hopping up from your seat as you pick up your school bag. "Plus, I couldn't if I wanted to, anyway," you murmur,

"Wait.. why?" Chuuya asks with conviction.

your gaze adverts to the different sights in the area: the park bench, passersby, and the cafe's menu. Anything but Chuuya's confused face.

"Uhm.. I have a project that's due tomorrow, and I didn't start yet."

"You can't be serious!"

The teenager runs up to you in frustration, you clutch your bag as you turn to him. "Oh, but I am!" you remark, walking faster as the brunette detective catches up. "I'm very serious! After all, this is a serious project!"

The redhead pants and wipes a bead of sweat off his forehead, "You're really gonna prioritise a school project over your own life?!" he cries out, still trying to catch up to you.

"Anything is better than being bait for the Port Mafia!" You yell out, settling your argument atop a bridge, ignoring how the sun was starting to set in an arrangement of oranges and pinks. "Shit- Don't say that so loud!"

"I'd rather finish a school project than become bait for the Port Mafia!!"

You repeat again, louder this time. Chuuya pinches his nose bridge in frustration, tilting his head up towards the setting sun. And upon you halting your swift steps, the redhead finally catches up to you, and to your surprise, he grabs your hand to spin you around.

"Look, I had a shitty week too!" the boy lets go of your hand, making you huff a little bit. But instead of letting you go, he cups both of your cheeks and pulls you close, his gaze never averting from yours. "People that mattered to me died, so many of them," the teenager explains, a melancholic glint lingering in his pretty eyes, you could see it all from the close proximity of his face. "and I'd do anything for you to not be one of those people."

You gulp hard as your eyes scan over the glass of his eyes, the once stormy grey now welling holding back tears.

Silence.

Adam clears his throat, standing beside you and the mafioso awkwardly, "Apologies for interrupting. But this whole exchange is very childish. Master Chuuya, don't you think there are better words to articulate your romantic feelings towards [Y/N]?.. Perhaps after this all over, you can solve this by getting into a relationship-" you and the boy both retort at the detective in unison:

"Shut up, Adam!"

...

"Okay, I'll help you." you frown with conviction, "You owe me a school project, though."

The redhead presses two fingers to his glabella, "I'll send someone to complete it for you."

✧ chocsra™

taglist for those who interacted in this post:

@loserzai @juice1231 @silverbladexyz @soleelia @cherylpoptarts @jackiepackiee @sapphire-tears013 @sstarshroom @n0thum4ny @roujira

[thepapersnail]

Maurice Denis, Sagesse: Ensemble De Quatre Essais Pour L’Ouvrage Sagesse De Paul Verlaine, c. 1889-1890

[nevertheblood]

um I finished reading stormbringer

[justcallmesakira]

Bsd men with a childish s/o pt. 3!

Sypnosis: How the people who are somewhat sane deal with you and your goofy goobers

Warnings: eyebrow less, wereballs, mentions of gaslight ING, mentions of turning into a gacha life demon form 2019,stealing glittery not pads, omori building reference, etc.

Genre: lowkey fluff, crack

A/N: bro this series is blowing up for real- Anyways heres part 2 andddd part 1!

Atsushi-

No guys hes not like you-😭

Sometimes he wonders if you were better suited with dazai then him (it's giving a certain emo Victorian kid kinnie)

But hey hey! Don't worry he will try to calm you down because he DOES NOT WANT YOU to follow dazai's steps! 😋😋

Dw atsushi! Reader is perfectly sane!!

He once came back to the agency from a mission only to see you see you eyebrow less

"Y/N! I am ba-AAAAAAAAAH-" "What, jinko, finally grew some wereballs"

HGYHFYG WERE BALLS-

Turns out you were cosplaying akutagawa and the eyebrowless thing was just a prank <3

Jizz man, give my pookie tiger

He's more scared of you then akutagawa 😨😨😨

You sometimes feel silly so you gave him cat food for lunch beacuse dazai convinced you with some skittles (he probably stole them from ranpo)

"umm, y/N.. WHY are you giving me cat food?" "because I felt silly lol"

I BET HE WOULD EAT IT BECAUSE HE DOES NOT WANT TO WASTE FOOD-

Kyouka had to stop him-

I am pretty sure you two speak in kaomojis like--

But he enjoys your presence, it's nice to know that at least your happy,Perhaps he can protect you and your happiness if he tries....

Sometimes he wonders how you have so much energy to break into his home with hello kitty pins just to wake him up

And go to an amusement park..

There goes atsuhis wallet! 😄💸

I think atsushi genuinely likes your antics.. Sometimes

But he would definitely keeps you away from dazai so you two don't pour Elmer's glue into kunikidas hair :3

Gin-

Uh oh... Gin can you really handle reader-

OF COURSE YOU Can!! You can do anything hahaha... (please help I am being hold at gunshot by rea-)

Since she's really shy and all you speak for her though you jumble the words sometimes

"she asked for no pickles ya dumb yard😡🤬😈👿" *turns into a gacha life 2019 demon*

Although she can't keep up with your energy you always understand what she says in a notepad

You even stole bought her a glittered kuromi notepad for you twos personal talking!

Sometimes she sees silly doodles on the corners of the pages

Gin thinks its honestly cute

However if akutagawa founds out about your silly antics around his sister he's gonna give you a death stare

Gin haded to reasure him countless times that you won't eat her whole

I would😋😋😋

After she calmed her brother you always greeted him with "yo bro wassup >:3"

Bad idea😨

It's true your the person talking for her and all but she's gonna go full assassin mode if someone even tries to hurt you

THAT'S MY Girl!!!!! 😍🤩🥰😝 *verlaine bcs he canonically trained gin I think

Anyways you and her share a cute Lil dynamic

Sigma-

T-that gif if him before finding out you were trying to eat the casino coins

"Y/N YOU CAN NOT EAT CASINO COINS" "why :(" "It's NOT FOR EATING" "why :(" "Well you ca-" ":c" "Why the sad face...wait did I shout too loud oh my god y/N I am so sorry.. You know what fine I will take you to the casinos play ground today" ":3"

Sigma.. That face is the face of someone who always gets what they want-😦

Also he sometimes questions how and why you speak in emojis like ":3" or ":("

Teach me your ways bestay😏

But please he's so insecure don't do that to my pookie😭🙏

He sometimes question if he has met your type before.. *flashbacks of Nikolai and dazai*

He's gonna go OUT of his way to keep you away from Nikolai bro

Sigma does not want to have a Nikolai dupe as his s/o

But still he might get a bit protective like "y/N be safe" "y/N don't go there" "y/N make sure to wear kneecaps before skating in the hallways of the casi- WAIT"

"don't worry I will be fine!" famous last words

*inserts omori reference here*

He's so tired bro but anything to keep you happy...

You somehow sometimes save him from Nikolai prank

But even so he tries protecting you...afterall no one wants to lose their only home.......

A/N: hope you enjoyed it! Sigmas one was my favorite :33 anyways I think I will do hunting dogs ver. If you guys want!

Divider creds: @junkyukim on pinterest

[whathorselegs]

An unnecessarily long ramble about Shirase's role in Storm Bringer - Part 1

Storm Bringer's Themes and Shirase

At it's core, Storm Bringer is about the many ways someone can be dehumanized and also the many ways a person can exhibit humanity without necessarily being 'human'. Nearly every major character within this book showcases these themes from Chuuya to Adam, to Verlaine, to Dazai.

And yes, even Shirase, however I think the way these themes affect Shirase's character is overlooked a bit, because compared to everyone else, he's ordinary and often times being annoying. The dehumanization he experiences isn't some Big Bad, but that doesn't mean it's not there. The way he regains his humanity is with an internal struggle. It's not as exciting as everything else, so it's no wonder it doesn't get talked about as much.

However, I'm obsessed with it, so I'm going to talk about.

The Dehumanization of Shirase

'The young man would then rivet, wipe, and remove its burrs. Then another part would come his way. Rivet, wipe, file. Rivet, wipe, file. Rivet, wipe, file. Rivet, wipe, file. He would do that as many times as it took until he eventually thought, I've had enough of this. After finishing the next metal part, he was going to quit and go home. He had that same thought every single time he worked until the bell eventually rang, letting all the workers know that their shift was going to end in five minutes. Only during those five minutes did the young man feel some what human.'

This is how we are introduced to Shirase and for me it's one of the grimmest passages in the book. There are certainly events that are more horrifying, but this is grim in such a mundane way, and its because this is how a lot of people spend their lives. This is the type of dehumanization real people can easily relate to.

Working day after day, hour after hour as a cog in a machine, loosing everything you are to your job that you hate until the end of the day where you can regain your sense of self.

Asagiri will often not use a character's name at the start of chapter to create some mystery as to who they are, specifically he does this a lot for Dazai. However it's still interesting me that in this whole passage, it's not until the last paragraph that Shirase is named. By Chuuya. Until then, he's nobody, just a faceless worker, only becoming a person once he's relevant to the plot.

In this passage it's also noted that some of the other workers try to invite Shirase to eat together, but Shirase declines. They are all older than him, it doesn't mention any names and there's no indication that Shirase considers them his friends. Why would he? This is a place were he doesn't even feel like himself, how could he possibly form friendships?

The most interesting way, to me, that Shirase is dehumanized throughout Storm Bringer is the way several characters treat Shirase as insignificant or as someone to be used/disposed of, despite those characters being ones who we root for.

The Port Mafia treats him as a hostage, all his friends had been shipped away to different parts of Japan. He has no support network anymore, he's alone. He lives with the knowledge at any moment the Port Mafia could decide to kill him.

Murase, despite caring for Chuuya and 'wanting to show him the light' does not extend that same kindness to Shirase. He uses Shirase as a means to get Chuuya to come to the police station. Murase even bullies Shirase whilst arresting him.

'Nobody cares about small fries like you, so you've got nothing to worry about.'

It's an off-handed comment and probably to be funny and out of the context of the dehumanization theme it is. But everyone in this story is telling Shirase the exact same thing. He's worthless. Shirase isn't worth Murase's time, he isn't worth saving. Whilst Murase talks to Chuuya about living in the light, he has Shirase locked away in a dark cell left to rot. Because Shirase isn't important.

Murase sets it up so Shirase's freedom is dependant on Chuuya's choice. If Chuuya agrees to be an informant, Shirase will be let go. He doesn't give Shirase the chance to fight for his own freedom because he has nothing Murase wants.

It might be annoying the amount of times Shirase claims he's 'the king' but when everyone else treats him like nothing, it's not surprising to me that he's so desperate to be recognized.

Adam, is perhaps the worst offender of this. He does not like Shirase and whilst I'm not saying he has to, he is also our main narrator through out the book. He interacts with Shirase the most. He also thinks Shirase lacks intelligence and is an annoyance. Despite being programmed to save humans, he treats protecting Shirase as a chore, even though, Shirase is the exact type of person he was meant to protect. An ordinary one.

When Verlaine attacks Shirase in the cells, Adam gives up and accepts Shirase's fate despite saying several times how terrified he is.

'Shirase's voice trembled with fear.' 'Shirase's voice quavered like never before. It took everything he had to simply stand on his own two feet.' 'He was too astonished and afraid to even to even yell out.' 'The worst thing that could happen right now would be losing Master Chuuya or me and being unable to follow with our plan to ambush Verlaine. He had two more targets remaining. There was still hope.'

He's as good as sentencing Shirase to death here because his life isn't as important as Chuuya's or his own. Shirase is disposable. Adam says as much when trying to convince Shirase to come with them. It's made all the more heartbreaking when Shirase is looking to Adam for help but Adam has ready decided he can't do anything.

He says that there was no chance of success at saving Shirase but as soon as Chuuya is in danger, Adam is able to break free from the wall he's trapped in. The possible outcomes don't matter anymore, Chuuya is in danger and he has to try and save him. Something he wasn't willing to do for Shirase.

After Shirase falls unconscious from being poisoned Adam leaves him locked in a storeroom and says he should be safe there. Despite the alarm system broadcasting that everything within the building is going to burned and everyone needs to evacuate. Implying anyone left behind will also burn. When Shirase wakes up alone, thinking he's been abandoned, he easily gets out of the storeroom, meaning anyone could have just as easily got in and killed him.

'The poison was probably meant for Master Chuuya while Shirase was merely collateral damage.'

This what Adam says about Shirase being poisoned and I can't tell if it's supposed to Adam saying how the military sees Shirase or how Adam feels about him. Because it's exactly how he treats him.

The dehumanizing way Adam treats Shirase affects how the reader views him too. Readers are already inclined to dislike Shirase after the events in Fifteen, now in Storm Bringer we spend most of our time with a narrator that also doesn't like Shirase. So when Adam exhibits a lack of care towards Shirase, calls him dumb, annoying and dismisses him, the reader is easily led into doing the same.

And it's sad because Shirase is genuinely scared and struggling throughout the story. But we almost only ever see this during the few parts that are narrated from Shirase's perspective.

Which I will talk more about in Part 2 when I discuss Shirase's overall arc and the ways in which he regains his 'humanity'.

If you read all of this, then thank you :D I hope you enjoyed

Disclaimer: This is not hate on Adam's character, I love him, however this post is about Shirase not him.

[2383-lines-of-code]

this isn’t a completely formed theory but I wanted to share with the class

facts that we know

a) fukuchi’s ability mirror lion can multiply the strength of a weapon by 100x its original power

b) mirror lion counts abilities as weapons (ex. Bram)

c) singularities are formed by self contradicting abilities OR an infinite loop created by an ability

d) in stormbringer the given example of an ability capable of creating a singularity is an ability the strengthens others’ abilities being used on itself

you see where I’m going with this?

what would happen if fukuchi used mirror lion to amplify mirror lion’s combat power? assuming fukuchi is a suitable vessel, would he obtain a second form such as corruption or brutalization? Although without the hat and/or a command sequence I don’t think it could activate at will, however Verlaine was able to open chuuya’s gate by causing him severe emotional distress, meaning it’s activation would still be a possibility just not an easily accessible one. If he’s not a suitable vessel would it kill him? could the singularity potentially take on a beast-like form such as Guivre, Arahabaki, and the dead apple dragon?

[strayslost]

To others, it might appear that Verlaine is "trapped" within the Port Mafia's walls. After all, he never leaves, and as an assassin deemed dead by the rest of the world, to do so would place himself in danger and catch the attention of forces that the mafia would surely rather avoid.

But to Verlaine, his self-imposed isolation is only natural - because to him, the outside world might as well not exist at all. What could possibly be out there for him? There's nothing to catch his interest, but besides that... the only thing he truly wants is something he can never have.

...Rimbaud... will never return to him... and without him, the world has become dull and lost it's appeal. So Verlaine stays, with the days fading from one to another so fast he barely notices it happening.

But there is, perhaps, one thing that sometimes makes that time slow down. If Verlaine were forced to identify what keeps him going in this wretched state... he'd first point to his own chest, remembering the sacrifice his dear partner made to save his life years ago. And then, he'd look to Chuuya. He's long since lost the right to call him his brother, yet Chuuya is still the one thing that anchors him to this world - as a person still existing in it that Verlaine still cares about.

With that said, he wasn't expecting to see him again for a long time. So when Chuuya appears in front of him on another seemingly ordinary day... Verlaine feels a tinge of regret for being so underprepared to greet him.

"For you to give me that look... something must have happened, I take it? ...Well, don't just stand there. Didn't you come here for a reason?"

@engravitons ( starter! )

[shirakumuluscloud]

Fyodor Will Activate Corruption (Ace, Mori, and Chuuya's hat)

Tldr at the bottom.

Fyodor let's himself get captured by Ace in order to steal a list of the PM's abilities. Seeing as it even includes Mori's, it most likely includes Chuuya's and possibly information about Corruption. Ace wanted to overthrow Mori. In order to do so, he would have had to get rid of Chuuya. Corruption would not only kill many, but it would also kill Chuuya, getting rid of many of Mori's strongest allies. What if Ace was planning on using Corruption to overthrow the mafia, and possibly had information about it's activation?

Fyodor also possibly witnessed Corruption due to the events of dead apple. Sigma also seems to know of Chuuya, possibly because he was important to Fyodor's plans (and was mentioned in passing to Sigma)

I am unsure of how Chuuya's gate works; Verlaine was able to open it, N was not able to open and tried tricking Chuuya into opening it himself, Dazai later claims that Chuuya cannot open it on his own with just the phrase, he needs the hat to do so.

However, because Fyodor is currently controlling Chuuya through the vampirism, it's possible that he may be able to activate Corruption.

Does the vampirism override the hat? Chuuya being mind controlled to use Corruption vs the hat which grants him free will over corruption. Should the hat not prevent this exact thing?

I think so, and I'll take it one step further and say that the hat can prevent vampirism/the mind control that comes with it

This is the description of Chuuya/Verlaine's hat:

"any interception of his consciousness by instruction from the outside". Bram's ability could fall into into "instruction from the outside", (as it's an outside source controlling the vampires actions/thoughts)

So then why is Chuuya a vampire? Why can Fyodor activate Corruption?

Because Chuuya isn't currently wearing HIS hat. He's wearing a hat that looks a lot like it, but it is not the hat that Rimbaud gave Verlaine.

Who has Verlaine/Chuuya's hat?

(from ch. 91, when Mori informs Kenji+Tanizaki to rejoin the agency)

(I just want to state that this is just a theory. There are other ways Mori could've escaped becoming a vampire, his subordinates sacrificed themselves for him, he planned his escape ahead, he foresaw all this)

Mori, the only (known) member of the PM who managed to escape becoming a vampire while everyone else is his organization did, shows up with a hat that looks a LOT like Chuuya's. A hat that prevents mind control, a hat that might prevent Bram's ability.

The hat Mori has looks extremely similar to the one Chuuya has on. One of these is that hat Mori has from ch. 91, one of these is the hat Chuuya is wearing in ch. 105.5. Need I saw more.

For more comparison, here is Chuuya's hat when he was rescuing the ADA from the Hunting Dogs (unvamped) and as depicted in a flashback

(very minor edits such as getting rid of Chuuya's chain and getting rid+drawing over where Mori's finger and Chuuya's hair was obstructing the hat)

We've never ever seen Mori wear a hat but now he suddenly has one that again looks like Chuuya's anti mind control hat? And he somehow managed to escape becoming a vampire?? That's odd

Mori currently has Chuuya/Verlaine's real hat, which is how he escaped/why he's not a vampire.

But that means that Chuuya does not have his hat, and cannot control the activation of corruption through his own free will...

...which means that Fyodor (with the help of Bram's vampire+control ability) will be able too activate it

(Dazai's dropped a lot of levels in Meursault, Fyodor is closer to the exit, they have a time limit, whoever gets there first recieves the antidote...) Fyodor just needs to slow Dazai down to win. Activating corruption would not only wreck havoc on Meursault (Dazai may be immune to abilities but he is not immune to giant slabs of concrete), Fyodor also wants to kill Sigma, but Fyodor might want to force Dazai to take a detour (saving Chuuya) (he learned corruption can kill Chuuya from Ace's files). Fyodor has been using Chuuya against Dazai, he would force Dazai to choose between saving his partner or getting the antidote/winning. There's also the element of how Chuuya trusts Dazai to stop corruption in time.

Fyodor's idea: He forces Chuuya to use Corruption, Sigma is killed during it, Dazai is either

1) killed during corruption. Chuuya also dies as Dazai didn't nullify it.

2) Dazai goes to stop corruption. Fyodor gets the antidote first, Dazai dies. (Fyodor would likely position Chuuya somewhere where Dazai won't be able to get to him in time/even if Dazai does get to him in time, he'd remain a vampire)

3) Chuuya activates corruption, Dazai is stalled by the attack. Fyodor gets the antidote first, Dazai dies. Chuuya also dies for the same reason stated in (1)

(Fyodor is okay with Chuuya dying as he's served his purpose)

Meursault's walls are anti ability, but we see that other things can be affected by abilities. Also Corruption is a singularity, and they might not be able to resist it.

Tldr: Fyodor stole files from Ace about the PM's abilities, he knows about corruption from them or DA/his weird stalking tendencies. Mori has Chuuya's hat (bc the hat prevents Bram's ability from working) which allows Chuuya to control the activation of corruption. Fyodor therefore can activate corruption. Fyodor will activate corruption to mess with+gain an advantage over Dazai and kill Sigma+Dazai.

[techni-kolor]

Meursault’s Origins

Hello everyone! (Or the approx 4 and a half people who will view this!) 

I was wondering recently why Meursault’s appearance in the anime/manga looked so damn familiar and it FINALLY clicked tonight! And I decided to share my likely insane revelation. Hint: It involves someone we already know.

My theory is that Meursault is an experiment that was based on Arthur Rimbaud’s ability “Illuminations” and then later perfected after the war had finished. From what we know about the Great War in the BSD Universe it involved a fair amount of ability users! From spies-- Arthur Rimbaud, Paul Verlaine, to medics-- Yosano Akiko, Mori Ougai, to soliders-- Fukuchi Ochi, Fukuzawa Yukichi, even experimental life forms designed to turn the tide of a war-- Nakahara Chuuya. Basically the whole war became a clash of abilities so strong and volatile that it nearly tore the whole world apart. And who do we know who is fantastic at containing volatile entities/abilities and served in the war on the side of France? Mr. Randou himself. 

Exhibit A: The location of the prison itself. France is the known origin country of Arthur Rimbaud. He served the DGSS in it’s field operations division for many years there and remained loyal to them until losing his memories. I always found it odd that Meursault was in Western Europe since most of the major conflict arcs take place locally in Japan but this could explain the significance. Meursault itself is also a French word which could be another tie or simply a clue to its precise location. 

Exhibit B + C: We know that Illuminations is capable of containing extremely powerful abilities within its hyperspace AND capable of restraining Dazai when needed. Rimbaud literally retrieved an entity who defies the laws of physics in the form of Arahabaki and was also easily able to work around the possibility of nullification when battling Dazai in the Fifteen Arc by simply encasing him within a sub-sub space of his ability.  

Exhibit D: French researcher Pan and the existence of Black No. AKA Paul Verlaine. We already know that experimentation was happening in France at the hands of a citizen and that when the DGSS became aware they halted it. However, we know that the information gathered by these trials was not destroyed as it falls into the hands of the Japanese Government a short time later leading to ...

(Suribachi City built in the aftermath of Arahabki emerging due to war time experiments.) 

We don’t know exactly why the information was never destroyed. Unless there was reason to keep it under government power rather than riding the world of unethical, immoral instructions on human lab rats. Something like using it in further experiments themselves? 

Exhibit E: This is likely painfully obvious but it just looks similar! The yellow, glowing, floating squares evoke the same imagery. Which I admit could be a coincidence and why the cells are rounded rather than squares in the anime ... but the yellow, shimmering look is interesting. 

Now ... why would such a thing be needed? And why would such a thing exist specifically in times of war? Well I thought about and decided that maybe Meursault has a darker history than we imagined. I wonder if Mersault was designed to house prisoners of war. A prison that could entrap any ability user for an indefinite period of time sounds rather helpful when the enemy has strong Gifteds, right? Imagine Mori’s troops without Yosano Akiko or Japan losing Fukuchi Ochi’s Mirror Lion ability for combat? It could easily turn the tide of the war if enough ability users were removed from the battle field. It’s only once the war is over that it is converted to a maximum security prison 

And maybe all the other sneaky experiments contained within its walls are halted ,,, dense water anyone? It would suck to be waterboarded with as an enemy spy or to surround important locations where you do not want enemy forces marching into. Interesting technology at the very least and quite possibly the result of another gravity manipulator? Someone else we know? Such as Paul Verlaine, another French spy who was involved in experiments himself? It’s all very intriguing, my friends! 

[merriclo]

this might be weird but the bathhouse episode of WAN really got me thinking about Atsushi’s hygiene because in it he said that he only uses a bar of soap to clean himself, a habit left over from his time at the orphanage. and now i can’t stop imagining Atsushi’s first solo-trip to the grocery store where he had to go and buy stuff for his hygiene

outside of the bar of soap, he does strike me as the guy who would use dish soap for his hair in a pinch because “soap is soap,” or he would buy the 14-in-one shampoo, conditioner, body wash, toothpaste, motor oil, etcetera is. tbh Dazai probably told him to use it (either as a serious recommendation or as a cruel bit, nobody knows). it also wouldn’t surprise me if he didn’t know anything about cologne either and (A) doesn’t wear any, (B) bought the cheapest most basic one available, or (C) was gifted some by Kunikida. tbh he probably smells like whatever laundry detergent he gets, cause that’s the only real scented thing he’s got T.T

but my main thing is.. what the fuck does he buy for Kyouka?? because they live together, and he’s pretty much her primary caretaker, so obviously he’d also be the one shopping for her. but this little girl was mentored by people like Kouyou, Verlaine, and Akutagawa, so obviously she’d have excellent hygiene. but what??? the fuck is he supposed to buy her??????

honestly he’d prob panic and call up like. Naomi or someone. and ask what to get her, to which she’d be like “uhhh shampoo, conditioner, and body wash?? some lotion if you’re feeling fancy???? Atsushi this is common knowledge why are you asking me this.” in the end he’d get her some sweet, cutesy scent like strawberries or cherry blossom, and bring it home and be like “hey!!!! i tried my hardest!!!!!!!!!” and Kyouka, used to the Port Mafia paycheck and Kouyou’s doting, would look at it like “what the fuck is this. thank you dearly but what the fuck is this.”

it’d be many moons until that girl got her hands on some nice perfume, either by getting Atsushi to buy it for her or getting it as a gift from a member of the agency. i could also def see her spritzing her stuffed bunny with her fave perfume

uhm. anyways Atsushi smells like laundry detergent and cheap cologne, and Kyouka, little miss spoiled-by-Kouyou, is surviving as best she can

[saaraofthesand]

Verlaine and N are Fucking Liars and Chuuya is NOT a Clone

So, it has come to my attention that there is a whole hoard of people who’ve read Storm Bringer or heard from people who’ve read it who think Chuuya is a clone. But he’s not.

For those who haven’t read Storm Bringer: Please do. I’ll do my best to contextualize stuff, but I’m not sure how it’ll turn out.

SPOILERS AHEAD

Exhibit A: The Photo of Chuuya as a Child

At the beginning of the novel, the Flags give Chuuya a photo of him at age five (along with a bunch of other documents). It’s a gift so they can put Chuuya’s mind at rest about him being human.

Later, Verlaine says the photo is fake, but guys, Verlaine is obviously lying. He offers no evidence other than saying that the Flags are trying to manipulate Chuuya. He’s saying this because he wants Chuuya to leave the mafia and come with him. He believes that if Chuuya doesn’t think he’s human, he won’t have a reason to stay. I don’t think Verlaine actually knows whether or not Chuuya is human.

When they go to N’s laboratory, Chuuya recognizes N as the man standing next to him in the picture, which, in my opinion, actually proves that the picture is real. It just suggests that the government had their eyes on Chuuya for Project Arahabaki from the beginning.

Exhibit B: N and Chuuya’s Clone

When Chuuya meets N in the lab, N takes him to a room with a glass tank. The glass isn’t black the liquid inside it is, and when the liquid is drained, it reveals… Chuuya. A second Chuuya.

N tells Chuuya that this is the original Chuuya Nakahara, and that Chuuya (OUR Chuuya) is his clone.

*Clears throat* this… is total bullshit.

Remember that N was specifically trying to break Chuuya emotionally and force Arahabaki out of him. It’s also why he tortured him.

He had guessed that Chuuya would be invested in whether or not he was a born-and-bred human. And he weaponized that against him.

N did nothing but lie the entire novel. He lied to Verlaine about knowing about The Secret of Gentle Forest, he lied about his own autonomy in conducting the experiments, he lied the second we met him by saying that he was Chuuya’s father. He had everything to gain by lying to Chuuya.

Exhibit C: Chuuya’s Parents

I rarely see this brought up, but we actually see Chuuya’s parents at the end of the novel.

Chuuya’s father is, you guessed it, some kind of doctor and is ex-military. Don’t forget that N was working for the Japanese government when he experimented on Chuuya. N was probably a colleague of Chuuya’s father and that’s why he’s in a photo with five-year-old Chuuya.

His parents think their son is dead.

Exhibit D: The Pencil Lead Scar

In the SB epilogue, it’s mentioned that Chuuya has a scar he doesn’t remember getting. One on the base of his right wrist.

In the backstory about his parents, it’s explained that when Chuuya’s parents’ son was in school, he got in a fight with another student. The other student stabbed him with a pencil, resulting in a scar on the base of his right wrist.

Mori explains to Chuuya that pencil lead will stay in the body for years. I can attest to this (I have a pencil scar on my foot from when I was 8).

This implies that Chuuya (OUR Chuuya) is not the clone, and really is this couple’s son. Asagiri took the time to point this detail out because he wanted us to have an answer to the question of Chuuya’s humanity.

In conclusion:

Now whether Chuuya is or is not a clone isn’t the point of his arc in Storm Bringer. It’s about him learning that it doesn’t matter if he’s a clone or not. I just don’t like that people are running around not actually understanding what they just read.