#in the same way mori did with yosano to her

[skk-fan-page]

What does this:

Mean in the context of skk, 15, stormbringer, and dazai acting like a lovesick puppy.

Well, the first thing I notice is that it's heavily implied that dazai didn't say shit and hasn't in his entire employment at the ada. Everyone talks about the mafia with a certain level of "hey I heard about you because my mom's dad's aunt's best friend's knitting club was talking about you and one of the members' dog's coparent said they saw you at Walmart."

Between akutagawa, higuchi, and now chuuya, it's like they know nothing that might help them with the mafia.

Why wouldnt yosano know though, she used to be mafia? Well that's what I thought at first too. I figured maybe rumors had just spread throughout the mafia in her time there.

But, at the same time, add up these numbers and then tell me if the math is mathing for yosano to know anything about chuuya

Chuuya is 22 and joined when he was 15, meaning he joined 7 years ago. 14 years ago (11 when she finally escaped) means not only would she not have met him, he would've been 11 by the time she left.

Not only that, but she was an 11 year old child-doctor, which means she would've had no contacts in the Mafia and no friends to tell her anything.

And, most damning of all, in 15 phase.02 mori says this when asked about suribachi city.

By the time chuuya was awakened, yosano was already out.

So maybe it's kyouka. But here's the thing: she doesn't seem to know shit outside of her (old) job description. She was in such an information silo that she didn't know what a crepe was. That makes her out of the picture for me, especially considering she was the subordinate of the subordinate of the boss's subordinate.

So that leaves 2 options: word on the street, and dazai.

If I can get information on the second highest ring of your underground murder organization by asking around, your organization is getting shit on by the feds in 4 seconds flat.

So that leaves one option: dazai.

But he doesn't seem to be much of a sharer, so why would he share about mafia things? Well we have precedent for it.

There's this incident, proving he's totally chill with sharing about the mafia. And then, there's something so gay it will make you want to claw your eyes out and join the witness protection program to get away from how single you feel

I wish someone would look at me the way dazai looks at chuuya's corruption form. And he's even bragging about him and how cool and powerful he is.

Regardless, this proves that he does totally talk about chuuya when he's not listening, and that he's not the inscrutable clamshell of a man he pretends to be.

Now: the other implication. Chuuya just assumes dazai was talking about him, meaning this was a pattern in the past. We can see this pattern manifest in the party that dazai tries to throw in 15, as well as the fact that ango knows chuuya in dead apple.

How many times do you think dazai genuinely set up challenges for chuuya back in his mafia days, to the point where upon being recognized, his first thought is "dazai did this."

Just put a ring on it already guys.

[obsidianstrawberrymilk]

Mori is not a child predator nor is he an intentional abuser; narratively, he's the representation of the way Ability users are dehumanized and the justification behind it. He prioritizes the 'optimal solution'; that means that Ability users, capable of so much more than the average person, must be pushed to their brink for the good of everyone else. Mori was not lying when he told Yosano that, ordinarily, he would never be able to resist the request of a little girl; as seen in Beast, he does seem to genuinely care for children specifically. The issue, however, is that he did not see Yosano as a child due to her Ability; she could not be a person, but an instrument of a greater good. This is the same way he treats Dazai, Chuuya, and arguably himself; as Ability users they must be organs of a greater good instead of people, not afforded the same right to childhood and protection or desires.

[starlightshadowsworld]

I get the comparisons especially with the theme of the cycle of abuse continuing on.

But I personally don’t see the way Dazai treats Akutagawa as being the same as to how Mori treated him.

If anything I’d say a more apt compassion for their relationship is in the way Mori treats Yosano.

And that’s because Mori has always treated Dazai as an equal. He sees Dazai as who is on even ground with him that could surpass him one day.

Mori has always asked if Dazai wished to return to the Port Mafia. He has never threatened him to return nor did Mori ever ever stop him from leaving to begin with.

It has always been Dazai’s choice alone on whether or not he returns.

Whereas Yosano and Akutagawa have always been seen as a means to an end to further a certain goal purely because of their usefulness to it.

Regardless if they went along willingly with it or not.

Mori has never given Yosano a choice in her participation in his plans. And has tried to manipulate her into returning to him.

Even with Fukuzawa telling him she would never survive as your assistant again.

And there’s a distinction to me made with the term assistant being used here.

Dazai shot Akutagawa and when his ability came to shield him he mused on it before saying he’d do it again.

Which despite her not being the one hurt, reminds me of when Mori shot a shoulder and told Yosano to heal him when she expressed not wanting too.

Both of them pushed them to the brink and expected them to carry on as they had no choice but to in order to survive.

It’s just that Yosano got away and Dazai was the one to leave.

But it didn’t truly end now did it?

[osarina]

I am very curious to know what the rest of the ADA crew think of pm reader especially atsushi considering how he looks up to dazai and kyouka did her and pm reader ever meet or hear of each other in the mafia ?

PFFF DUFHASUDFSH THEY DON'T LIKE OUR GIRL I FEAR </333 actually unfortunately i cannot delve into atsushi's feelings about her because there's actually going to be a fic about it that ive been slowly chipping away at. but as for the rest:

yosano - she does not hate her, she feels quite a it guilty about how things went down back when they were both with mori, but pmreader despises her LOL i ahve a whole post dedicated to her and yosano if you want me to find it

kunikida - highly detest each other. kunikida after the events of cannibalism, and pmreader after the events of dazai's 23rd bday

tanizaki - hates her, possibly more than kunikida because during the events of cannibalism, she sent her subordinate to hold naomi and haruno hostage until dazai agreed to set up the meeting between her and kunikida

kenji - does not hate anyone LOL i would actually love to have them meet at some point

ranpo - doesn't detest her the same way kunikida does, also isn't necessarily fond of her because of how she tried to convince kunikida to kill fukuzawa. i think he would tolerate her if anything, admires her wits - i dont think they would ever be friends, but they'd probably have the most cordial relationship of all of the ada (aka, she exploits his sweet tooth by bringing him fancy chocolates and candies from abroad LOLLL)

kyouka - she never knew pmreader while she was in the mafia, she HEARD of her ofc because she was an executive, but pmreader was abroad for the majority of the time kyouka was with the mafia. is not fond of her in the present for some reasons i cannot get into (has to do with the atsushi centric fic)

fukuzawa - actually feels similarly to yosano because he'd met her a few times when she was a kid and with mori. he feels like if hed done something different, he maybe would've been able to get both of them out from under mori's thumb. so honestly whenever she's brought up, fukuzawa is quite solemn

[usagi-chwan]

Mori x Reader - What is part of me

Mori is not a character I like, far from it, but I find him rather interesting if you leave out a few things about him... That is precisely what I have done in this OS, which is a request from AO3 ; I really hope it will please you, thank you for your request!

There will be no mention here of liking little girls or anything equally disgusting; if anyone was afraid to read because of this possibility, rest assured! As a result, Mori's character is a little OOC here, but only in relation to his dubious tastes present in the original work, which will be removed in this OS.

There are a few mature references, however, as well as a few ideas pushing the characters to harm themselves, but nothing too graphic. Also, it is essential to have seen season four to be able to understand this OS. I wish you an excellent read~

You had spent enough time together to know what his past was like, sometimes right down to the details, which he had whispered to you in hushed tones, as if he feared someone else might hear them, or that these few words were enough to bring back to life the harrowing moments of his chaotic childhood.

Mori had always had a strange, almost split personality. He could wear an expression that announced nothing more than disgust for the life he possessed, and for the people around him who were no exception to the rule; only to change radically, a few seconds later, suddenly becoming carefree, abandoning his torments for a moment.

You knew that this kind of behavior required help, which you could only provide in the smallest way. But how could you tell him that, when war was raging all around you, and had been for several months already?

Surviving on your own was a feat in itself, even if the presence of the one they called "the angel" lightened the casualties considerably. They were healed of even the slightest physical injury...

But what about their mental wounds?

You were second in command, just after Mori Ougai, with whom you had an ambiguous relationship. Were you certain that the dark-haired man's feelings were the same as yours, or were you unconsciously misinterpreting them, in order to hold on to something cheerful in the midst of this hell?

But were you really someone essential and important to him, knowing that you could not even scratch the surface of his suffering, which he concealed with all the dexterity in the world? How could you consider yourself even a friend, let alone anything more, if sharing his pain was simply impossible?

You did not really know.

Fighting raged on this day too, a macabre routine that had become yours over the last few months. You had searched every nook, every corner of your base for Mori, but had failed to find him.

This had happened to you before. And the deplorable state in which you had found Mori, each time you finally discovered his makeshift hiding place, came back to your mind with each new disappearance of the dark-haired man.

He relived scenes from his past, from his present ruled by war and blood, so faithfully that he found himself scratching at his skin, particularly that of his arms, to the point of bleeding, perhaps in the vain hope of ridding his soul of its darkest, most destructive demons.

But we cannot so easily get rid of what has shaped our entire existence, what has created the person we are today. You knew it too.

Even if the pain and despair you felt were nowhere near Mori's. His were so powerful and all-pervasive that you dreaded every day more and more that they would take your superior and friend away for good... And more than that, or so you inwardly hoped.

You had searched the base, without success. Even Elise, despite her peculiar nature but nonetheless endowed with an autonomy worthy of a true human being, had no idea where her boss had gone; in any case, she was busy tending to a few wounded soldiers at Yosano's side, so you left her alone.

You continued on your way, asking everyone you came across the same thing, again without any real success.

Then, as if on cue, the answer to that question came to you like it where handed on a silver platter: what was the one place you had not checked out yet? One that offered total solitude, sometimes indispensable, yet so dangerous in some cases?

The answer was simple: the boiler room, with its heavy, stifling atmosphere, where nobody ever went. And that was where you found him, seemingly impassive despite the abominable noise and heat emanating from the machines.

He was sitting on the floor, watching a cloud of smoke rise from a machine not far from him. His gaze...

It was both the emptiest and the most devastated you had ever seen. Today, more than any other day, something had happened, something that had had the effect of destroying the dark-haired man even more.

Approaching slowly, you were about to say something, before being cut off by none other than Mori, who, without turning his head and despite the unbearable din of the machinery, had heard you coming.

"I honestly didn't think anyone would come and find me here. You know me better than I thought".

He had spoken to you in a tone devoid of feeling, almost as if anaesthetized. But you could feel the pain behind his apparent indifference.

He had come here to hide in case, should he break, no one would be able to see him. And stop him. But you did not want to turn a deaf ear, or even play the blind one.

Without a word, you approached him and simply took him in your arms.

He was surprised at first, but then let his feelings speak for him, for the first time in a long time, without feeling the need to hide them from the world, and took you in his arms in turn. A tear rolled down his cheek, followed by a second...

It was just the two of you, here and now. Even though the environment you were in was anything but welcoming, Mori finally felt safe and confident around you, a feeling that was reinforced when you had started talking, not far from his ear.

"I'm not forcing you into anything. But know that I'm here if you need me. And I always will be, no matter what."

How long had he needed to hear those few words? He had no idea. Even if he did not have the courage to tell everything here and now, he was sure he could manage it in the future.

A future that no one could have predicted, even in the wildest of dreams. You, arms laden with perfectly classified files, confidently approaching your superior's carved wooden desk, in this magnificent office bathed in the orange glow of a full-moon evening, which passed freely through the immense bay windows overlooking the city of Yokohama.

Mori smirked at you, perhaps in thanks for your assistance, or perhaps for something else, you did not really know this time.

"And here are all the files you asked for, boss," you declared as you placed said files on Mori's desk, whose smile transformed somewhat, recalling a sketch of a grimace.

"Why calling me that when it's just the two of us?"

You had pretended to think, before dropping your answer, a big smile stretching your lips: "to enrage you, of course".

The sigh he let out, while shaking his head, was nevertheless accompanied by a chuckle. Then, in a tone of confidence and gratitude, he said:

"I don't know if I've ever told you this, but... Thank you for being by my side all this time. If it hadn't been for that... I sincerely believe that the battle against myself would have been largely lost years ago".

In response, you gave him a gentle smile. You did not really know what to say, slightly embarrassed by the sudden compliments.

Why was he thanking you? All you had done was accompany him on life's bumpy road, of your own free will. If necessary, you were ready to do it all over again, as often as Mori felt the need.

You had always put others, especially Mori, before yourself. If they were happy, you were happy. If they were sad, so were you. Perhaps a lack of courage was to blame in all this history of parapraxis and things left unsaid...?

The question was difficult, and finding the right answer even more so. But you did not lose hope.

Hope that one day you would finally be able to admit just how big a place Mori occupied in your heart. Far more than he could have imagined himself, most certainly.

The dark-haired man still had not healed from past traumas, and you could only understand: wanting to heal and being able to heal were two strictly different things. But you did know one thing, something you would almost never forget.

Whether he was ill or not had no influence whatsoever on the unconditional love you felt for him. For all these things, good and bad, were simply part of him.

[merriclo]

i know he’s a controversial character, but one thing i truly hope we see before BSD ends is a backstory for Jun’ichirō Tanizaki. it’s been said many times before and by many other people, but it really is one of the points i want to understand more.

obviously, both of the Tanizakis are rather mysterious in the grand scheme of things, with no backstory aside from being students, and.. this weird excerpt from the Untold Origins light novel.

(context: the members of the Agency are discussing ideas for Atsushi’s entrance exam.)

“Democratically, huh?” Yosano raised an eyebrow. ��How about we do the same thing we did for Tanizaki? How’s that?”

Yosano glanced in Tanizaki’s direction, and he instantly turned pale, shaking his head.

“I—I don’t ever…want to be reminded of that again.”

When Tanizaki was new, he had to pass what could be called a very harsh entrance exam. However, it was so harsh that all of Tanizaki’s memories of that day ended up buried deep in his subconscious. Remembering what happened would only bring underlying trauma up to the surface.

his entrance exam was so harsh and genuinely traumatizing that any and all memories of it were pushed into the deep recesses of his own mind.

and, granted, a harsh entrance exam isn’t exactly new for the Agency. Kyouka barely didn’t die, Atsushi fully thought he was, and Dazai’s was over an act of domestic terrorism. but none of them were so traumatized that their own mind refused to acknowledge it. and despite all of this, Jun’ichirō describes himself as more of an assistant at the Agency, not an actual detective.

he’s also able to?? casually fly a helicopter??? it makes sense, given his natural aptitude for reconnaissance and stealth missions (see: his ability Light Snow, his adaptability, and his skill as an actor.) he’s not exactly confident in his flying skills (literally being called the “wimpiest in the east” by the manga,) but he’s good enough to be trusted with discreetly flying Atsushi up to the Moby Dick, a risky and essential part of the plan to take down The Guild.

we know that Jun’ichirō is a competent and useful member of the Agency, and it’s clear that the others think so as well. but he’s constantly putting himself down, describing himself as average and using his own supposed mediocrity as a way to make Atsushi feel better about himself.

his fears and self-doubt seem to nearly vanish entirely, however, when someone he cares for is put in harms way. we see this first when Naomi is shot by Higuchi, and later on when he hears of how Atsushi attacked Naomi and Haruno while under Yumeno’s ability. it’s also displayed when he manages to almost assassinate Mori during the Cannibalism Arc (a moment that is not talked about enough as it should be.) and, most recently, we see him freak out after the death of Kunikida, threatening to rip an actual God limb from limb.

this is also seen heavily in the Beast universe. (minor Beast spoilers ahead!! skip this paragraph if you don’t want them!!) Jun’ichirō is the first to fully support Akutagawa’s pursuit of his sister, and even tells him to abandon all morals and forget about his place in the Agency should his sister’s life ever be threatened. he’s also the one who follows Akutagawa into the Port Mafia headquarters, and the one to guard Kyōka’s unconscious body while he waits for Demon Snow to potentially assassinate her. Jun’ichirō even says “[Akutagawa] and I are similar.” after seeing all of his violent outbursts and reckless behavior.

his moral code is genuinely fascinating to me: he won’t hesitate to act in a way that’s commonly seen as immoral, so long as it preserves the Agency. he’ll stop at nothing to ensure the safety of those he loves, not even at his own death. considering this, in terms of reputation and completing their overall goal, Jun’ichirō is honestly kind of a liability to the Agency.

and that’s. honestly all we really know?

it seems like a lot, especially when i’ve rambled on for this long, but it’s really just five things: he has a sister, he was a student before he was a member of the Agency, his entrance exam was incredibly traumatic, he has self-confidence issues, and his morals are rather gray. again, five things.

almost every other member of the Agency has an extensive backstory. Kunikida’s is still rather unknown, but even then we have a good idea of what he was doing prior to Atsushi joining the Agency.

we know nothing about Jun’ichirō. i really do hope that we get to learn about his entrance exam, as well as what made him, and his sister by proxy, the way they are.

[lukeria314]

“We are all alike, on the inside”

It amuses me how strangely the BSD fandom (especially the English-speaking side) treats two very similar characters. And similar not just in personality, but even in appearance. Mori Ougai and Fyodor Dostoevsky look almost identical—they have the same face, eyes, and hairstyle (if Mori let his ponytail down, he’d look exactly like him). Even their heights aren’t that different (based on my calculations from the available frames, Fyodor is approximately 168 cm tall). And in their actions and thought processes, they are quite alike as well.

The thing is, both of them find a unique benefit in every person they encounter and use those benefits for their own plans or for their organizations. However, while Fyodor’s entire plan relies completely on the people around him, Mori uses them as “additional tools”—only for certain parts of his plan, never fully depending on them. No matter what, Mori will achieve his goals using his own intellect, which already holds the blueprint for multiple possible scenarios. He is willing to go to any lengths to protect Yokohama and the Port Mafia. He treats his subordinates as auxiliary pieces, never letting them have full control over his plans, ensuring that nothing collapses unexpectedly.

At the same time, Mori Ougai shows a certain respect toward the people in his organization. Take, for example, his interaction with Tachihara—when he discovered that Tachihara was the fifth Hunting Dog, he still gave him a choice. Or his words to Kouyou: “You are free to leave, you know no one will dare stop you.”

Fyodor, on the other hand, relies entirely on people due to his “gambling nature,” inherited from his namesake. His entire plan is built on a chain of individuals who, at the end of the day, are still human—chaotic and unpredictable. In “Decay of Angels””, they were practically all ready to betray each other. One of his mistakes was showing understanding toward Gogol, which led Gogol to see him as a weakness. After all, Nikolai is constantly running from himself, ensuring that no one truly knows him—not even himself. Fyodor’s entire plan could have fallen apart if he hadn’t anticipated that Mykola would come to free him from prison. But how exactly? By attempting to poison him. What if the poison had worked earlier than expected? What if Fukuchi had suddenly come to his senses and refused to go through with it? There were many points where Fyodor’s plan could have crumbled.

Moreover, both of them use children in their schemes. However, Mori did not willingly exploit Yosano during the Great War, nor did he have much use for Yumeno beyond destruction. With Chuuya and Dazai, he made deals—offering Chuuya the safety of his “Sheep” and giving Dazai a painless way to die. Even his infamous joke about preferring younger children can be interpreted as an acknowledgment that they are easier to manipulate. Yet, at the same time, his character is full of contradictions—children are both his weakness and his soft spot. Deep down, he wishes he could be gentler with them and indulges their whims whenever possible.

Fyodor, on the other hand, has no qualms about using children in ways that lead to their deaths. Remember how mercilessly he killed the boy Karma after defeating Ace? Or the little sister of the “fake Pushkin”? He forced her, in order to protect her brother, to put on a necklace of grenades and pull the pin the moment the man with the notebook tried to use it.

In the end, Mori protects his city, Yokohama, his organization, and will do anything for its prosperity. But what about the crazed old man wandering the world, seeking to solve everything through war, blood, and nations—forgetting the will of God?

Executioners, cut off my head if you must, but I will won’t change my mind until the end.

[kaurwreck]

Oh I loved your post about the whole guild arc and ADA&PM complicated relationship, that was beautifully written and it captured everything that I couldn't put it into words myself.

And the way you talked about Mori? Thank you, thank you thank you! While I'm don't mind the fandom misinterpretation of characters, it was quite refreshing to see someone talk about Mori as a human being that's not purely evil.

Now if you if you don't mind.. I need to know your opinion on this hypothetical theory: that Mori regrets everything he has done to Dazai and Yosano (this is canon) and he is actually trying to change and do better (the hypothetical part).

This is why he wants both Dazai and Yosano back, other than the fact that he cares for them, he also wants to try again and do better.

My reason for saying this is:

Looking at chaptet 14, if everything is taken at face value, when Mori makes the strategic decision to sacrifice Akutagawa for avoiding an all-out turf and keeping peace, it's really similar with how he sacrificed Oda to avoid bigger conflicts in future**.

But while looking at the meeting Higuchi had with Mori at the start of the chapter, somethings bothered me 1) Mori's inscrutable stare at Higuchi's reaction when he mentioned the possibility of Akutagawa not recovering 2)how Mori specifically lets Higuchi to know what will becomes of Akutagawa's situation and what PM's solution for it would be.

This made me think Mori knew what action Higuchi would take later and was counting on it. Plus I'm pretty sure Mori knows Akutagawa and Gin are siblings, so he also knew Gin also would go save her brother.

And I find it odd how in this chapter everything got resolved with 1)PM winning and their enemies destroyed 2)PM managed to take back their stolen agent 3)the whole thing was in the end just a squabble between agents and nothing more.

What I'm trying to say is, I like to think Mori values his agents more now and wouldn't just sacrifice them in a cold and calculating scheme. Maybe I'm reading to much into things here...

(**I know comparing the dark era situation with Oda and chapter 14 like this isn't quite right but that's the only frame of reference I could think of)

anon thank you <3 I don't get why people want him to be pure evil. it's so much more fucked up and richly acidic that he loves fiercely and jealously and feels their loss like a brain bleed.

i don't think he regrets it though. he says as such to hirotsu with regard to dazai while staring at the old boss's bed. he'd do the same, again and again and again. what he did re: the great war was try to stop war; and because of what he did re: mimic, yosano and dazai live in a world where they are safe and loved and driven to save and love others. mori may want them back, but mori wants lots of things he can't have (control, ango's head on a spike, verlaine to stop smoking indoors). he can live with want. it's senseless loss of life that won't do.

also, re: akutagawa, yeah, i have no idea why people think mori would sacrifice akutagawa. like, even if you think mori is evil, like. why would he do that. to what end.

but!!!!!!!!!! anon, you've misunderstood our wife. mori didn't make a strategic decision to sacrifice akutagawa either. mori made the strategic decision to surround akutagawa with people who won't let him self destruct. mori is aware that akutagawa is a horse hellbent on breaking his own legs, and he accounts for it.

and it's not because he's changing. he doesn't need to change, there isn't anything wrong with him. that is how he loves; he meets the needs of his people by placing with others and in positions where they have a support network. this is literally canon, like, it is both illustrated and exposited in stormbringer, and also literally every arc.

mari mori wrote about this trait of irl mori's btw:

"It was not his fault if his love, despite its depth and greatness, lacked warmth. Like a creature carrying its shell, he had this lump inside him and yet he loved people. I can see this clearly in my mind's eye."

he's also always valued his people. when the flags were killed, mori attended their funerals with their families. re: oda, mimic was destabilizing the city and killing his people. mimic was an existential threat who wouldn't stop until they got what they wanted. the special division backed mori into a corner by predicating legitimacy and his capacity to realize the entire point of him spending years in the grime and bloodshed that was seizing control of the port mafia on him demonstrating that the port mafia could contain the violence. and they had JUST started to recover from the dragon head conflict. it wasn't cold or calculating, it was a trolley problem and mori doesn't love it when the french kill his people en masse, which is a thing that keeps happening to him.

anyway, below i explain why mori was livid at higuchi. it has to do with higuchi being a horse girl.

Akutagawa kills the way pet dogs and cats do when allowed to free roam, which is superfluously and way outside of the scope of necessity. He quite literally violates his express orders from Mori so frequently that Mori says, "Besides, Akutagawa-kun has always been that way. Going rogue, destroying everything in his path, and contributing the most in the end. One could say he has a knack for it. There's no need to punish him as long as he keeps succeeding."

Consider what "succeeding" means in the context of that particular quote from Mori— Akutagawa has both protected the city and himself survived it. The only time Mori has remarked that Akutagawa failed, it's not only that Akutagawa did not traffic Atsushi, it's that he lost himself, engaged in relentless violence without any regard for his own life, and blew up in a ship because of it. And he did it for nothing. Nothing was gained from him nearly self immolating. There was no purpose to it. Not only has Akutagawa potentially rendered himself permanently comatose, but he did so in such a way that invited others to come finish the job, and Mori can't act to protect him without risking greater escalation.

Mori is furious, not because he considers Akutagawa expendable, because Akutagawa treated himself as if he were. He doesn't even call Akutagawa a liability; he says being retaliated against is a liability, Higuchi accuses him of calling Akutagawa a liability, and he affirms that Akutagawa is talented and his violence (their currency) outclasses anyone in the Port Mafia, and then asks her, "But what about you? Have you ever thought about whether you are suited for this work?"

Mori knows and values Akutagawa for who he is, but because he knows who Akutagawa is, he knows Akutagawa is prone to and invites violence onto himself. Higuchi has a skill, but not one that is apparent or combative. She is clumsy, not particularly skilled at fighting, and hopelessly silly. She also adores Akutagawa, she looks at him like he hung the moon, she trips over herself to attend to him. And, when she thought Byakko was about to kill Akutagawa, she intervened to draw it away from him, and when Akutagawa thought Byakko was about to kill her, he did not hesitate to lash out to kill before it could. He does not instinctively protect himself, that's much of what Dazai's acts of violence were meant to build from scratch, but he does instinctively protect Higuchi.

Mori is angry at Higuchi when she wasn't even on the ship with Akutagawa, and he remarks with utter disdain on the choices they made that led to that moment, including the raid on the Agency. He tells her Akutagawa is good at violence, but does she really think she's suited for it? Gin holds a knife to her throat, and Hirotsu reminds her that while she has the authority to command them, it isn't their titles that command their loyalty, it's their reverence for Akutagawa, and she should consider what there is for them to respect with Akutagawa unable to move. It's easy to construe this as suggesting they don't respect her or would be quick to kill one another if given the opportunity because they're scary, violent mafioso. Then, she flashes back to Akutagawa's deranged bombing of the smugglers. Which he did without her, she was running to catch him and insisting she was supposed to assist him, he tells her he doesn't need anyone, and then he scampers off to go make terrible choices. She reflects to herself that she isn't suited to the Mafia, that she sought to leave it but then stayed, evidently because of him. In the end, it's her stubbornness and willingness to rescue him that compels Black Lizard to not only join her but give her deference as their commander.

She is not suited to violence, but her authority in the Port Mafia is such that she only answers to Mori and Akutagawa.

irl!Higuchi added a special awareness of suffering and sensitivity in her exploration of low-life characters. That's what she's good at. She shouldn't forget it, those low-lifes need her.

(but also, literally, yeah; Gin is his little sister and Mori has ALWAYS trusted his silliest, most idiot babies to Hirotsu. Hirotsu is like that elderly gray wolf in yellowstone who just gave birth for the 10th time and uses her aged sagacity to keep the other wolves out of trouble. just like that wolf, Hirotsu is old as shit by Port Mafia standards. and has shown no evidence of menopause.)

[axo-wisteria5]

BSD Age/Role swap au

Here’s some fragmented notes of this au I came up with a few days ago:

First off, a few characters ages and roles would stay the same; such as Fukuzawa, Mori, Oda, etc.

Second off, I say that certain characters take each other’s places. However, I don’t mean that their roles completely switch or their abilities do. More so I mean that they simply take a certain characters place in the story, but their personality and ability don’t change.

ADA:

Kyouka would take Ranpo’s place in canon and become the driving force for the ADA. In the origin novel she would be part of the PM and meet Fukuzawa. I think Fukuzawa and Kyouka would have an interesting dynamic. In the Origin novel Fukuzawa cut off using his sword because he was afraid that he enjoying killing to much, and that he was craving for the feeling he got from it. While, Kyouka in the first arc was groomed into thinking that the only thing she was good for was her talent in assassinations and her ability. I think their similar personalities and circumstances would make for a good story.

Later down the line they would take in Kenji. Kenji would take Yosano’s place in canon, however how Kenji joined the ADA would be entirely different. Both Kyouka and Kenji would be 27 in present time.

Tanizaki and Atsushi would join when they were both 18, and their stories would stay the same as in canon. Except that Kyouka would be the one to recruit Atsushi and not Dazai.

Kunikida’s age is sorta hard for me to follow in canon. However, in my au Kunikida would be recruited by Atsushi when he is 18 and Atsushi is 22. Then a few months later Dazai would also be recruited by Atsushi.

Dazai’s story in the mafia would change a little, however how he left the mafia wouldn’t. So, the dark era novel plays out almost exactly the same with a few minor tweaks involving Dazai backstory. Anyway, after Oda is killed Dazai is found by Atsushi. Atsushi was sent out by the agency where the mimic fight was going on either because of the fight or for another reason. Either way, he finds Dazai a few hours after Oda is killed and Dazai is still sitting with Oda’s body or Dazai is cleaning up the fight. Anyway, Atsushi finds this 18 year kid having a mental break down and is like yeah I can’t not do anything about this. That’s basically how I want Dazai to be taken in but I obviously have to work out a few things to make Dazai in character.

Ranpo would join the agency at around the same same as Kunikida and would take Kenji’s place; so he would be 14. Yosano would take Kyoka’s place and be the one to break free from the mafia.

Port Mafia:

For most of the characters of the port mafia I don’t have an idea of how I want their stories to play out, except that Kouyou would be the same age as Yosano and Ranpo and Hirotsu age would stay the same. Although, I know how I want Akutagawa, Chuuya, and Dazai to play out.

Akutagawa would be the first one to join the mafia and garner a name for himself before he meets Chuuya and Dazai. Mori would still be the one to recruit Dazai and execute his plan with him. Although after, he would put Dazai under Akutagawa’s care when he officially joins the mafia. This is where Dazai story diverges from canon. So, I want Chuuya to be the one to take up Akutagawa’s place in this au. Meaning that Akutagawa is the one who finds and recruits Chuuya like Dazai did for Akutagawa in canon. So this would stop fifteen from happening or at least it would happen at lot differently. Either way this would cause Dazai and Chuuya to meet while they’re both under Akutagawa’s care. They would also gain the names of demon prodigy and gravity manipulator for themselves during this time. At this point, Dazai and Chuuya are 15, and Akutagawa and Atsushi are 19, with Atsushi being at the ADA for a year. Akutagawa and Atsushi met each other at 18, with the Guild incident acting as their Dragon Head’s conflict.

The Guild battle happened sort of the same way as in canon. With Atsushi having a bounty placed on his head, and the port mafia going after him. This is how him and Akutagawa met. In this au the three way battle still happens and it is how sskk forms their partnership. At the start they begrudgingly work together because they’re both on opposite sides, and Akutagawa tried to kill Atsushi a few months prior. However, over the next four years they become better partners after the ADA and PM continue to form flimsy alliances.

During this time Akutagawa is still looking after Chuuya and Dazai, however they have never officially met Atsushi. They have heard of him because at this point Atsushi and Akutagawa have garnered names for themselves. Anyway, throughout Dazai’s time in the mafia he still meets Oda and forms a bond with him. When he dies and Oda tells him to live on the side of good, he meets Atsushi and thinks this is probably a good chance to fulfill Oda’s wish. Atsushi takes him in and he becomes his protege. Atsushi is also aware that Dazai is PM either because of Akutagawa or he has heard of the demon prodigy but that doesn’t deter him. Flash forward like 6 months, and everyone is confused where Dazai is. Some think he is a traitor and others think he got killed or kidnapped. Atsushi decided it would be better for Dazai to stay low and take on more concealed missions in the ADA. However a mishap happens and now everyone is saying that Dazai has been spotted working for Atsushi of the ADA. That’s when the plot gets kicked off, where it would follow a similar storyline to canon. Where Dazai gets a bounty placed on his head from the port mafia and Chuuya is the one that goes after him.

Anyway this is just a rough draft of this au, and it is subject to change. Sorry for my ramblings I just love age and role swap au’s. Also side note, I am not good at creating older/younger versions of characters so I didn’t change to much about their appearances expect try and make them look their new ages.

[hopefull-mindset]

Finally understanding Beast Mori (as Asagiri intended)

Hello everyone, I am hoping you’ll be nice about me talking about Mori for two seconds and express my thoughts about such a guy like this. This isn’t going to be some fancy analysis picking apart stuff like I’d usually want to or even me addressing every trait he has because I definitely don’t go into everything. This is me finally being at peace with Mori’s humanity.

Before you say anything, I’d just like to share my own peace of comprehension. So if you were similarly confused the way I was, I think you’d appreciate this (Or if you’re looking for a different approach on Mori).

Im sure most of you have read the manga adaptation, so just to let you know, I am going to be using passages from the official Light Novel translation and if anyone needs it, I can send it to them!

For anyone who’s decided to read, hello! Nice to meet you. I’m sure we’ve all shared the same confusion when confronted with Beast Mori’s difference in personality and approach. Thoughts like “Why is he so much nicer?” Or “Why does he care much more about how kids are treated, when he himself has treated kids the same way he describes in the past?”

How could this person be the same guy who was Mori the Port Mafia Boss? The war veteran who used Yosano the way he did? So we came up with many idea of why he’s different to justify it, but here’s the thing: Mori is the same person he always was, this is a universe where everything is the same, but different where Dazai chooses to intervene.

After a few days, I was able to recognize it but I couldn’t hold myself to acknowledge it. It’s hard to see a man who represents the dark, the Port Mafia, to the Armed Detective Agency’s light. I couldn’t wrap my head that such a controlling, manipulative man could have humanity like the rest of the characters.

Why was this so hard for me to see? Well two reasons— the fandom and how the anime cuts down Mori’s emotions when adapting canon material. This happens to Dazai too, but people are much more willing to talk about it compared to Mori. Now the fandom really does love blaming everything on Mori and that’s not the most constructive thing to do when talking about abuse narratives. I can’t blame anyone for taking this route when it came to Mori because of Asagiri’s poorly thought out choice with him…. we all know what I’m talking about. Elise.

However, I need some of you to understand that abuse narratives are never as simple as “oh, it’s all this persons fault because they’re a horrible person, so [character] is resolved from any guilt or responsibility”. This not only dumbs down the situation and seriousness of it, by mischaracterizing the abuser, you’re also mischaracterizing the victim as well and what they’ve gone through. You’re putting their story in jeopardy.

Bungou Stray Dogs is a story about human beings, morality, and what it all means. Mori, and in turn Fukuzawa, are important to understand Bungou Stray Dogs because they are in two pinochle positions that start this discussion of Morality. I am baffled that a story like this, one that approaches these topics with so much appreciation for humanity and nuance, has a fandom that doesn’t want to talk about what it has to offer.

Asagiri’s poorly thought out writing decision of a joke is going to have lasting effects with how Mori is going to be approached forever and I see this, but I think the little girl jokes are the least important thing to talk about because they have as much impact as the Tanizaki siblings do. He’s also written to be not a good person either, so you can dislike him easily, but how many of these characters are traditionally good people? Kouyou, for example, is not a “good person” and emotionally abusive in example to how she treated Kyouka. That doesn’t stop people from liking her friendship with Chuuya and making content with her.

So this attitude toward Mori had me lost when it came to him because I could see how much thought Asagiri puts into writing him the same way he does with so many, but I’ve seen so many disregard his humanity that I had no way to express any of my thoughts to sort out what to think about through anyone else when faced with Beast Mori. Everyone was as lost I was, and the people that weren’t never explained it in a way I could break that barrier.

So what finally made me wrap my head around Mori? It was exactly one conversation I had with a friend and it wasn’t even about Beast Mori in particular, it was just about Mori and his poor humanity while navigating how to lead. Everything just clicked with that.

(Dazai, Chuuya, age Fifteen)

This right here is where Mori tells us what he thinks his position means after the struggling we visibly see him go through. Is it an inherently correct conclusion to make? No, but does it make sense as someone who’s a leader of a huge, dangerous underground criminal organization? Yes, it does.

We have no backstory on Mori, but his poor humanity is easy to explain when he’s been in positions that require him to disregard his own and everyone else’s humanity for years now. As someone who’s seen war up close and a physician, these jobs require him to take control of the other person. Well in his mind at least, he sees these jobs and chooses to the route that’s most efficient.

It’s never positioned to be for himself though, he doesn’t take glee in what he does for self serving purposes, it’s always for the country, the city, the organization. His thought process is never the power hungry yearning we see everyone mistake it for. It’s never that he wants it, it’s that he needs it for everything to go well.

That’s exactly how he treats Yosano because even though it’s creepy to base your abilities looks on a little girl, that doesn’t stop him from seeing her use before her age and humanity.

His clinical utilitarianism is his core trait but also most disliked one from what I can tell in the fandom, and people tend to misinterpret it to make the more non-favorable view of him. But again, he’s not supposed to be the greatest guy ever and you can understand where these traits started forming. And again, to paraphrase another’s words: he’s cunning, but not power hungry.

He’s also not disliked by his subordinates and actually respected, he respectively enjoys the company, but there’s a mixed answer to that and that it is… nobody is going to listen to you if you don’t treat them with decency. Why would you expect a tool to work if you break them? One of his earliest lessons he learned with Yosano and leadership.

(Dazai, Chuuya, Age Fifteen)

For example, we all know this scene is manipulation. He’s baiting Chuuya with information while still treating the teenager with respect and enough honesty to form a bond. Chuuya is perfectly aware that he’s being used in the present and in the past, but he respects Mori as a leader objectively after his own considered failure and lack of control over the sheep, even if he didn’t consider himself one. I don’t think this honesty comes from nowhere because that quote, “only a Diamond can polish a Diamond”, came from Natsume in reference to himself and Fukuzawa.

He sees himself and Fukuzawa in Soukoku fondly, but I tend to rethink this quote time to time because at first it comes off as a quote about partnership and building off of each other’s good qualities to perfect their own, but the way Mori uses it here feels as though it’s positioned to mean that one of them comes out perfected and the other weared down. Pretty competitive if you think about it.

(Bungou Stray Dogs BEAST)

We’re finally at the part you’ve been waiting for guys! So what was my point for analyzing canonverse Mori? So as I said before, these are the exact same guy and all that word jumble? That was an extended version of what was communicated with me to finally get what was going on with Mori in this universe and why he’s suddenly in an orphanage.

Now I couldn’t tell what was going through Beast Dazai’s mind and where this decision came from instead of actually killing him like the rumor’s implied, but I can come close. I think that Beast Dazai recognized this potential of change either from the multitude of universes he was able to witness or recognized it in his own considering canonverse Dazai never does anything against Mori (even if he visibly dislikes him).

Possibility is one thing, the why is another. It was either that he saw potential and good that could come out of this in the long run, Mori’s intelligence and expertise still proves usefulness, less dangerous for Oda in the long run if he let Mori stay there instead of the Mafia, or all three.

I can say for sure though that this is better for Mori because after the years of being in atmospheres that require so much of him intelligently and exempt of any emotion involved for the sake of efficiency, being able to rekindle his humanity where nothing is expected of him except to raise kids in a non-exploitative context sounds really freeing to me. Considering he’s been there for 4 years, I find the development understandable.

Okay I’m hearing what you guys are saying again, “What about him saying he wanted to save Dazai? That doesn’t seem like typical Mori.” And I’m gonna say something really controversial: Well maybe he did.

Really though, I think he did care about Dazai and not because he saw a child struggling (think about Yosano and Q for 3 seconds), but because he saw himself in Dazai, which ultimately changed way more about their relationship than you guys think. There’s a lot of comparisons to Yosano and I understand where they come from because I think there’s a lot you can see similarities in, but Dazai is not purely a tool for Mori the way she was.

The avoidance of letting him die do come from his use and overall importance to the original plan of becoming the new boss, but I don’t think he would’ve left Dazai alone like that for 4 whole years after leaving the mafia if he didn’t care in some way way. What strikes me the most is how Asagiri decided to add “the man who raised Dazai”.

For Beast Mori, I think he’s had enough time to actually feel guilt and regret for Dazai as a person like a normal human being does. Oh I guess Elise is important too. Her aging up just meant that Mori has become less controlling and not like the little girl who he literally sees as a tool since kids are easier to manipulate. Can’t bring that energy to an orphanage, nope!

There’s better stuff out there about Mori that I think if you’re more open to thinking about Mori after this, you should check it out, these are just my thoughts recently. To end this off, here are two links to Asagiri’s own thoughts on Mori.

[youroriginalsublimecupcakestuff]

Warning it's full on rambling and maybe many mistake too :

I though that in fanfiction and in canon even in work like beast kyouka and atsushi are always together, it's an inevitability best friend or siblings no matter what , no matter the universe power or no power even with differents backstory they will always find a way to each others.

But i did my research and from what i found irl kyouka and atsushi never met , i don't even think that they have a connection which link them together unlike akutagawa and kyouka which while i think that they never met , akutagawa read kyouka work and was inspired by or admired kyouka ( i read that akutagawa worked hard in order to have Kyoka’s complete works published.)

( but maybe they did have a connection i just never found it ( same for nakajima atsushi and akutagawa ryuunosuke by the way i searched if they have a connection even if it's small but i never found it ( except that nakajima atsushi was nominated for the akutagawa prize in 1942. ( And i just found from bsd-bibliophile that akutagawa ryuunosuke and nakajima atsushi we're compared ( in one of they post they have an extract from the Afterword of The Moon Over the Mountain and Other Stories we're they're compared).

( I didn't found that either for fukuzawa and ranpo or yosano and ranpo ( and i can be wrong for what i say about akutagawa and kyouka i found that they never meet but in others hand i also found a picture of akutagawa ryuunosuke and izumi kyouka together).

And by connection i mean even something like one of them read the others work or admired the others, it don't even mean that they have to have met each others even once, i was just curious one two author who seemingly have no connection ( from what i know, i don't read japanese and never went to japan so maybe i just missed it and they're a connection) are so much linked together in bsd ( it's also why i rambled about akutagawa and kyouka connection it's because i can understand kyouka and akutagawa connection in bsd but i'm clueless for atsushi and kyouka) .

Maybe they're just no need, they're relationship is cool anyway but it make me think that they're so much possibility for angst, i plan to write it better later this post is just rambling :

For exemple What if chuuya is hit by an ability unlike irl all the characters live in the same time but they have the same relationship that irl, he call kouyou ane-san and she doesn't know him or dazai oda is somehow hit by an ability oda is alive but who is kazuo dan and why does he act like they're close also why don't he find any information about the armed detective agency and the port mafia, tanizaki jun'ichiro or akutagawa ryuunosuke come to a world we're gin or Naomi doesn't exist or mori ougai is swapped with author mori he can't feel elise and he don't understand why they're no hostility in yosano behavior toward him ( plus the whiplash when he find that he have children).

But my initial idea was atsushi is hit by an ability , his lung hurt, he find that he can empathise with akutagawa about that which he try not to think about, the first things that he did was search for the ada but it's like it never existed, he also feel empty, he can't use his ability, but what hurt him was when he finally found kyouka she act like she never met him, they're not any sign of recognition in her eyes .

He though that it was a joke at first even if it wasn't like her to play prank like that but then he saw her with ozaki kouyou following her and he though that it understand what happened that the other woman was fooling them all when she appeared like she let kyouka go and that it was her fault why kyouka acted like he was a stranger.

So he confronted her but what happened hurt him to his very core he have never seen kyouka look at him with so much hostility, she was acting like she needed to protect ozaki from him like he was crazy, they're was none of the usual warmth that kyouka have towards him.

So he ran , he searched the others too but when he found them, it was weird everything that wrong, he have never seen a picture of oda sakukonosuke but he remember the name from when he was with dazai san when he visited his grave, he also remember the quiet and rare moment when dazai san would mention him but here he was alive with sakaguchi ango from the special ability division and a man that he never met but was obviously close to the others three especially to dazai san, but what shocked him the more was the expression that he saw dazai san make, he never once have looked like that with them.

So he gave up talking to his mentor and went to ranpo he must know what to do, ranpo san know everything or so he though because this ranpo san looked at him weirdly when he talked about him as being a detective, like kyouka chan he looked at him like he was mad, so he tried to mention the others in the ada to get his help but he didn't even seem to reconnize the name of the president and yosano sensei.

So he ran again even if his lung we're killing him, he went to find yosano sensei to find her laughing with the port mafia boss, he don't know their relationship but from what the others say when he noticed that she was never in the office when he was here it's that yosano sensei doesn't like him and it have something to do with her past so seeing them laughing together was wrong, the blond girl that was always with the port mafia boss wasn't here too.

So he went the others way again, kunikida san was the least diffents to him but it was obvious that he didn't reconnize him, so he left, he saw tanizaki without naomi so when he asked him he was shocked again when he learned that they're no Naomi in this world, his personallity was so differents too everything here was weird, so he ran again and later saw akutagawa and tanizaki acting friendly debating about litterature, he was also shocked to see dazai san intensely watch akutagawa but hearing dazai call akutagawa , akutagawa sempai was his last straw.

Before coming back he talked with akutagawa and even he was differents, everything was wrong.

When he came back he avoided everyone to their surprise and they reassured him that everything was fine, he hugged kyouka and kunikida san and even was weirdly understanding to akutagawa which making look like he was losing it when he talked about his lung.

[fanaticly-chaos]

Abilities as trauma

So, it is more or less widely known that abilities are somehow connected to the user's soul and will. (Since we see Yosano's ability specifications change after the war.)

My personal theory is that abilities, much like coping mechanisms, are a way of the mind to take form in whatever it's user thinks will help them most. This would make abilities a direct parallel to trauma.

This would explain such abilities as beast beneath the moonlight or Anne's room. They are both, diffrent types of responses to early childhood trauma. While Atsushi wanted protection from something stronger then himself, that can keep him safe and shoulder the memoriesof his abuse. This reminds me of dissociative disorders, mainly DID, since the tiger seems to have a mind of its own. Atsushis arc, very clearly centers around coming to terms with the abuse he faced, accepting and understanding the tiger that kept him face throughout.

Lucy on the other hand escaped into a playground in her own mind. A friend in her minds cape that she controls to keep her company. This displays both themes of escapism and lack of agency. Unlike the tiger, Anne doesn't seem to have its own will, instead being a direct extention of Lucy. Someone who can't hurt her because Lucy is in complete control in her own mind, unlike the outside world.

Similarly this is applicable to Yosano herself, as a child during war times with a strong need to help those around her, she developed an ability to keep the people around her safe. We don't know much about who Yosano was before being drafted by Mori, but since they crossed paths, it can be assumed that Yosano came into direct contact with the war, almost loosing those around her to it.

Teruko, also being a child in war times was drafted very young. We don't know if her ability developed before or after being involved in the war, but it can be assumed that it is quite litteraly a visualization of her growing up too fast and later in life displaying themes of age regression due to this fact.

Akutagawa had to keep himself and his family safe while having nothing to his name other than the clothes on his back. Being one of the oldest in his family group, it was on him to protect the others in a hostile environment, so he made the one thing he had into his weapon. (It also does not display defensive traits untill being shot at by dazai, suggesting akutagawa did not see himself as worth protecting before that)

Fyodor's ability is likely (without going into spoilers) stemming from a need to survive in spite of those wanting him dead. Perhaps tied to religion in some way aswell.

Tachihara's ability is an interesting one since it mimics the one his brother had. An ability that developed to live up to the constant comparison to his dead brother. A brilliant hero of war, that died despite it all. A memory he could never live up to, even if he mimicked the ability that made his brother into the hero he was.

Demon snow in this context can be classified as generational trauma. Perhaps it wasn't actually transfered from her mother to her, but instead she developed an ability mimicking that of her mother's since that was all she knew could protect her. At the same time she cannot control it in the beginning, because the trauma she bears wasn't hers to begin with. She does not understand it or know what it was made for, so she struggles with accepting it as her own.

Dazai's ability in this context is an odd one too. It is an ability to protect itself from other people's trauma. A trauma developed through others in a very direct way. Perhaps it is metaphoric, trying to distance himself from others and the human emotions that come with it. Perhaps very physical, if dazai had grown up in an environment where other abilities often paused a threat to him and his wellbeing. (This does tie into some other theories I have about him)

This explains also some of the more... odd abilities, like the lemon guy. Instead of finding out that he is immune to lemon bombs, he built a lemon bomb and when it went off, his ability adapted to keep him safe.

Now, just like trauma, some of the reasons for developing abilities are very clear due to the violet nature of their necessity. Other coping mechanisms are less obvious, unconscious even to the users themselves.

Fukudzawa's ability stems from the fear and need to protect those closest to him. Give them the ability to use their powers to the fullest while keeping them safe from the downsides, like he did with Ranpo.

Some abilities seem trivial in comparison, like Kunikida's or Kenji's abilities. They can be likened to simple convenience, but I suspect that while they may not have obvious causes like some others, there still are mental strains associated with them. Such as Kunikida's will to bring his ideas to reality or Kenji's need to be strong enough to help in the village (tied to his hunger perhaps for the reason that he needed to work to keep food on his plate).

Tanizaki's ability is directly tied to deceit. Making others see and perceive this differing from reality. This does tie into his and Naomi's relationship quite well, though there might be many reasons for it to have happened.

Mori's ability, that I suspect reflects his guilts and failings. Mimics all of that he could not do right by. Haunting him, forever unsatisfied for his efforts, while also being loyal to him in similar ways most the people he hurt were. Protecting him despite their hatred for him. (It is a hard one to understand, mainly because mori himself is so often lying about it and how it works)

Some traumas on the other hand leave no memories in the users mind. No hint of why the came to be or what their purpose is. Due to Chuuya's story it is quite unclear how exactly his ability developed and whether or not it changed aside from the singularity he can now cause. It is entirely possible that his original ability had a much more specific connotation that was artificially removed to make him more broadly applicable.

It is quite fitting for bsd, which ultimately is a story about how different people coap with trauma, to have its central magic system tied to exactly that. But I have seen very few people actually discussing the parallels or it and the implications they bring.

I can probably talk for hours about any ability in bsd and how it connects to this, so it anyone is interested in my ramblings, I can do deepdives lol.

//tldr: abilities show striking parallels to real life coping strategies usually caused by trauma.

[obsidianstrawberrymilk]

Anyways I'm bored BSD no nuance hot takes

Yosano could probably beat pretty much everyone in the series with the exception of Fukuchi bc. Y'know

Dazai's not that hard of a character to understand if you've had depression from a relatively young age

Chuuya's not an alcoholic

He is gonna have heart problems when he gets older though

Kyouka's mischaracterization is so blatant in fandom but basically never bought up

Naomi and Junichiro have relatively equal amounts of focused screentime and development and in fact Naomi shows more initiative separate from Junichiro than he does from her

Also the theory she's a manifestation of his Ability has already been disproven

idk if this is even a hot take. Mori's not a predator. It's annoying and inaccurate and also boring as fuck to insist he is.

People write Ranpo too nice. Ya'll he's an asshole let him act like one.

Any problems people have with how Kunikida 'treats' Dazai are the same as how Chuuya treats Dazai and there's like zero argument there

Dazai wouldn't self harm

Atsushi's a great main character, one of the most interesting in the series, and does his damn job AS the main character

Chuuya's a good character, yes. There are also other fucking characters in this damn series than him and Dazai

Oda and Dazai pedestalized one another; this wasn't a healthy dynamic. However Oda really did understand Dazai in the end of Dark Era and WAS the reason Dazai was able to better himself and move away from a path that was gonna kill him and was one of the only people who could have convinced him to better himself.

The ADA-PM trade isn't gonna happen

Kunikida is both a well developed and fascinating character who's behaviors stem from stress, trauma, and likely high functioning mental illness, and is not as predictable as fandom makes him out to be

Also this isn't even a hot take but neither he nor Teruko are perma dead

Akutagawa did in fact Do That Shit. He did in fact Think That Way. He's having development but he does still believe the weak deserve to die and is only now learning not to have his instinctive reaction be murder. Like he can do what he wants but the fact his development is so good is undercut if you ignore how he started.

Also the PM is like. Not a good place? For anyone? Like the characters are sympathetic and we've been made aware of the complexities surrounding how it benefits the city but also as an organization and structure it's not at all healthy and BSD is. Pretty clear about that.

This fandom is like definition of "why are you going for moral simplicity in the nuance store" or however that post goes credit to the postmaker

[starlightshadowsworld]

I don't think it's gonna be Dazai transferred.

Because of the way his and Mori's relationship is. Mori has always treated Dazai as more of an equal than anything else.

In the Port Mafia Dazai had orders of course. But everything Dazai does and did was all on his own accord.

Dazai let Ango go free. Dazai left Mori's office to see Odasaku. Dazai left the Port Mafia of his own accord.

Everytime Mori has tried to have Dazai return, he asks him. Mori has never ordered Dazai to return, never threatened him to return.

Dazai got captured on purpose in season 1. Q was sent free and used his ability on Atsushi. Higuchi and Gin were there to protect Dazai.

Mori genuinely acts like Dazai never left the Port Mafia. Dazai does whatever Dazai wants, he always has and Mori has always let him.

I can't see Mori making a deal and demanding Dazai return. It just doesn't fit how their relationship has always been framed as equal.

That same partnership doesn't exist between Mori and Yosano.

To Mori, Yosano is a tool. He wants her for her ability, that's what he's always wanted.

Yosano didn't leave like Dazai did, she was stolen by Fukuzawa. At least that's how Mori sees it.

They had a whole fight over it.

Dazai is also asked if he would consider returning. Yosano is not given such a choice, she never has.

[musicalmoritz]

Do you have any Kousano headcanons?

YAYYYYYY FINALLY A BSD SHIP ASK :D SAPPHIC BSD SPECIFICALLY YES :D

• Okay since BSD isn’t my current hyperfixation this might be tricky BUT I was hyperfixated on it for like half a year not too long ago so I still have loads of info stored up in my brain to be dumped out

• Their first time meeting was when Kouyou was held captive by the Agency during the Guild Arc. They had heard of each other prior to that and being from rival organizations, they went in expecting to be enemies

• Their first impression was a rough one, but there was an underlying thread of chemistry. They matched each other’s banter very well, despite being used to having the final word at their respective organizations. It was a welcomed change

• And they’re both raging lesbians so like…hot lady who is my enemy…many thoughts occur

• It’s very much an enemies AND lovers dynamic, they meet up for secret rendezvous and then fight each other during times of conflict

• The tragic part is that they both like each other, that’s why it’s become an ongoing thing. That’s why they start going on secret dates in disguise, although they both claim to not enjoy it

• In another life they would’ve been soulmates, but their conflicting ideologies and rival positions force them to be enemies (because I like to make things overly romantic, sue me)

• They have a lot of insignificant things in common- favorite desserts, favorite books, etc. Those are important, but they’re also similar personality-wise and with their backstories

• I imagine Yosano dates around a lot and this makes Kouyou insanely jealous. They aren’t official so she technically can’t have a problem with it but it still gets under her skin

• So Yosano’s like “hey if you want to be exclusive just say that, there are no rules to this secret relationship thing” but Kouyou is too stubborn to admit she likes Yosano that much

• Yosano initially takes a very “your trauma is not my business” approach to their differing jobs but as things get more serious she starts to develop a slight savior complex. She goes from being completely unattached to way too attached. She wants to show Kouyou the light the way Ranpo and Fukuzawa did for her

• Speaking of which, there’s only one person who knows about their situationship and that’s Ranpo. He figured it out himself and mentioned it casually to Yosano one day, nearly giving her a heart attack. She knew he would find out eventually but it was very sudden. At least she has someone to vent to when things get especially confusing

• Higuchi and Gin eventually find out too because they catch them at the same lesbian bar

• Pretty soon it becomes an open secret

• I like to imagine there’s a big moment of confrontation between the PM and Kouyou that goes down exactly like the “how long have you been fucking Nate Jacobs?” scene from Euphoria

• Kouyou addresses Yosano as “Doctor” in public and “Akiko” in private

• Kouyou likes to use her mafia money to send Yosano anonymous gifts on a whim. Yosano always knows who they’re from

• Yosano’s favorite physical trait of Kouyou’s is her hair, Kouyou likes Yosano’s sadistic smile

• Speaking of which, Yosano definitely appreciates having a relationship where they get to beat the shit out of each other on occasion. It keeps the spark alive

• But on dates or in settings that are generally more intimate, Yosano is a total gentleman. She def gives all her girls the princess treatment. Kouyou is used to being the one to spoil women so this makes her very flustered

• They had one big fight about Mori and ever since then they made a silent agreement never to bring him up. When things are tense he becomes an elephant in the room

• In traditional “ADA member has a PM-related secret” fashion, Kunikida was the last to find out about their relationship

• This is so completely random but they remind me of Kermit and Miss Piggy. Yosano is Kermit

• Kouyou pretends to be severely injured every time the PM and ADA team up so she has an excuse to see Yosano

• Yosano sends Kouyou pictures of particularly bad crime scenes or injuries at random to jump scare her

• Kouyou likes classical music and Yosano is a metalhead

That’s all I can think of for now, thank you for the ask!!

[seaskate]

I know that it's been theorized who from the ada is going to the PM because of the deal and everyone has been drawing parallels and ideas on who it could be, but one thing that I dont see may people looking at is behavior.

Personally I think that it will be Dazai that will go, he's the logical choice and would act as the best bridge between the ada and the pm, especially since Kunikida was named to become the next president and Dazai is his partner, so if Dazai were to go back and become boss at some point then that relationship is already there and is better than Mori's and Fukuzawa's from the start.

There has been a lot of points made about Dazai not being with the Agency when they are all gathered together (like that one manga panel or the party after the Guild or Kyouka's party) and how he appears more with or parallels Mori more in the intro than before (all of which is true) but we dont talk enough about how his behavior had been changing since episode one.

Dazai in episode one was only serious for maybe a small handful of seconds of screentime during the tiger debacle in the warehouse, when no one else was around to see. We can easily assume that home acting like a class clown happened more often than not from the way that he acts in the series. However, ever since the introduction of Atsushi and the Port Mafai in the series, Dazai has been slowly acting more serious than before.

In the first season alone, He sets it up so that the Azure Poet is killed and doesnt show any emotion when Kunikida tells at him for it. He bugs Higuchi and listens in on her and then basically goads Akutagawa into declaring war. Small instances, but close together.

When the Guild came there were more. There was the Q incident at the train where he all but threatened to kill the child and then slapped Atsushi out of a panic attack (which pain is actually one of the easier ways to remove someone from a panic attack, which is why people often dig in their nails or snap bands at their wrist when they feel one coming, but that's another argument to be had) which was effective but anyone else in the ada would have attempted another method. There was the Moby Dick and how he acted with Akutagawa there. And the meeting between the Ada and the pm where Dazai talked about war strategy. He blew up Lovecraft and allowd Chuuya to kill countless Guild hired guns when they ambushed him during that same instance.

None of those actions were things that someone at the ada likely would have done before the current arc. But now Dazai is continually acting in such away more often. Acting less like a detective and more like a mafioso.

He's relying on the mafia more often too.

Dazai had gone two years without any mafia contact while at the Agency, but now he's going to art museums with Hirostu and met with Akutagawa in the woods. That's not counting Chuuya and how they have worked together three times now in as many months, if you count Dead Apple, this current time in which Mori even helped with the fake vampire teeth. Not only that, but Dazai still calls Chuuya his partner. Not former partner, current.

Dazai dances on a fine line between good and evil, even as he believes in neither, but if it means that he could save those that he’s come to care for then he doesn’t hesitate to cross it (murder isn’t exactly condoned at the Agency, yet that’s exactly what he did to Fyodor - I know that he came back, but still - and has set up for Chuuya to do to those that had stood in their way since reuniting. Like the prison guards). Mori - who still has the executive seat waiting for Dazai to reclaim it, and had told Oda four years ago that Dazai would likely be boss in a few years time - knows this.

Yosano thought that this deal was a ploy for Mori to get her back, but she wasn’t the only child that he lost to the Agency. If we adds this to the paraless in the opening that exist and the fact that Dazai had been acting more and more like the Demon Prodigy with each season, Chuuya, and his place as an executive, it wouldn’t be surprising if he was the one chosen.