#in the same way mori did with yosano to her

[osarina]

honestly the most tragic relationship in civzai/pmreader universe is yosano & reader and i will stand on that hill forever.

like originally i was thinking maybe they only rarely interacted while on tokoyami island, but the more that i thought about it, the more i realized that they probably did interact frequently. mori would've wanted his "immortal regiment" as soon as possible and to have it perfected, he needed reader's ability to be able to "heal" the soldiers' minds. so mori would've likely had yosano try to help her figure out how to work her ability. they would have been friendly enough with each other, the only two young girls in the warzone, both dragged into this war in some manner or another, yosano probably saw her as a younger sister tbh being 3 years older, wanted to help her as best as she could.

and then mori does mori things. when yosano's help doesn't give him the progress he needs, he starts using other tactics to try to get her to develop her ability in the way he needs. starts comparing her to yosano, starts holding her place at his side over her head, threatens to send her back if she can't be useful. all things that a kid in her situation would be terrified of.

and like you guys have to understand pmreader does NOT have a reliable narration of those years. like we'll see it in the canonverse & the civzai verse (which is actually what stemmed this post), but her memories of those years are very warped courtesy of trauma & mori's manipulation. it all happens directly after she watches her entire village slaughtered in the crossfires of the great war so she's already very unstable, and mori gets in her head VERY quickly.

so she thinks back to these years and can only remember the threats of being dropped back off in the ruins of her village & the way mori held yosano as a type of idealized figure that she'd never be able to catch up to no matter how hard she tried. "be more useful like yosano and you can keep your place here" and stuff like that. she doesn't have like ANY memory of the months yosano spent trying to help her figure out her ability, doesn't remember how she would sit with her for hours and tell her that she's making good progress even when mori would give that disappointed frown, doesn't remember anything because its all been warped and twisted by moris' constant threats and comparison. so naturally she becomes resentful and hateful about it.

meanwhile, poor yosano only remembers the 7/8 year old girl she tried & failed to help, couldn't do anything when mori separated them and turned reader against yosano. yosano got off of the warfront and out from under mori's thumb, but reader didn't, and yosano has had so much guilt over it for years, living in the what ifs and wondering what ever happened to her.

and obviously mori's manipulations of reader never stopped after that—probably gets worse, even, because he would lament losing yosano while keeping reader, would've preferred the opposite. so when reader and yosano meet again years later, reader immediately rejects and spurns her, and yosano is just soooo distraught over it like the one person that could rlly truly fully understand her rejecting her in such a manner HURTS. hurts even more when she sees how reader has turned out so similar to mori bc she still remembers her as the kid she was and failed to protect.

i suppose while we're on the topic - i always get a lot of questions about reader and mori's relationship. dazai kind of mentions it in 'i laugh like me again,' but reader has like undying loyalty toward him that he definitely doesn't deserve. as shitty of one as he is, he's the only father figure she remembers, she still feels like she owes him her life for rescuing her from the warzone and has a VERY intense complex of trying to make him proud of her. i wouldn't say that mori doesn't care about her, he does in his own way, but whatever feelings he does have for her are overshadowed by his ambitions.

anyway tldr: yosano and reader are tragic, and mori is a cunt. i feel like im missing stuff concerning reader's and mori's relationship but that wasn't the point of this post anyway maybe ill make it its own post

[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.

[oompaloompadidu]

Can I ask for PM and ADA men with a reader who struggles with depression? feel free to ignore!

hi! Sure I can try!

PORT MAFIA

Chuuya

He'd try to make you happy, doing everything you ask him to

He'd buy you lots of gifts and put them on your desk without saying anything and buy you flowers everyday

He's so sorry for you and fears it might be his fault (pls tell him it's not, he's such an angel), and everytime something happens he gets really worried for you

He keeps you from taking any decision against yourself (he knows Dazai and he'd give his life for you to not become as desperate as him)

He puts his hat on your head when you get really sad and tells you: "keep it as a reminder that I love you. And it looks better o you, anyway."

Akutagawa

He doesn't know what to do, he's terrible at dealing with emotions

At first he told you that you were "too emotional", "exaggerating" and "weak" but when he realized you actually had depression problems he stopped

He buys you tea/figs when things get bad with your depression because he doesn't know what to do and since he likes those things he hopes they can help (help it's so cute-)

Mori

Like chuuya, he buys you everything, but not just what you ask, even what you just look at for too much time. He wants you to feel better but usually he doesn't worry for people, so he's not very good at it.

he lets you mimic him even if it could offend him a bit, because it makes you laugh and he loves it

You have lots of plushies that he bought you during your worst depression episodes

He always brings you at fancy restaurants and buys you dresses to cheer you up

ARMED DETECTIVE AGENCY

Dazai

Oh well. You two are in the same situation.

At first he always asked you for a double suicide but, after he discovered you struggle with depression as well, I think he would stop. He couldn't actually accept the fact that you could risk to die for his fault while he could survive at the attempt (he wants you to live as long as possible so that he can stay with you)

He keeps trying to find new ways of suicide, but a lot less than before

Still, if you asked him for a double suicide he would accept without a second thought

He makes a lot of jokes and try to make you laugh when you're really sad or tired

Kunikida

He'd have stress attacks every time you get worse

He never had a girlfriend/good friend so he doesn't know how to make you feel better

He tried to ask Yosano how to help you but she just said "don't know man, go shopping with her"

And so he did

Now when you get really bad and don't want to do anything/talk he makes you get out of the house saying that "there is 'shopping time' in his schedule and he wants to go"

You know he doesn't really like going shopping but you appreciate it

Atsushi

he buys you a lot of tea rice

And a lot of plushies

And everything that you like (even if it might means that he has to work twice because he doesn't have the money)

He tries to be always there for you and tells you that you are the most brilliant and fantastic person he knows

Ranpo

Girl you'll be COVERED of candies and chocolate and sweets of every type

He asks Poe to keep you company when he's obligated to go at meetings with the ada because he doesn't want you to be lonely

I hope you're good with orientation because you two will get lost a lot if you let him try to guide you (but it's okay he's a cute babyyy-)

Kenji (he's a minor I hope you are a minor as well pls don't do anything weird to him he's just my adorable baby)

He always offer you to visit his camps to cheer you up

His smile is contagious TRUST ME

my adorable little baby loves you with all his heart and he would literally rip apart everyone who dares to say something bad about so that you don't feel bad anymore ❤️

Junichiro

He tries to get off work earlier so that he can stay with you

He's scared Naomi will do something weird to him and get you worse but actually you two are friends and she likes you a lot

He asks Dazai and Kunikida for help about how to cheer you up but they both said "why do you think I know?" and he's very confused

He gives you kisses even in public sometimes when you're really sad but pda embarrasses him and also he doesn't want Naomi to see it

[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

[kaelohver]

@KAELOHVER☆

THEM WITH A S/O LIKE MITSURI KANROJI

•DAZAI OSAMU

-You met at a café where he caught you gushing at him quite loudly…

-He approached you and you both clicked immediately!

-Your personalities are similar yet so different but it seems to work even more because of that.

-He’d be surprised of your constant compliments towards others and him at first but quickly gets used to it.

-Might get jealous of you complimenting others so he’ll pester you a bit, but won’t let you know of his jealously (as you’re more than likely oblivious if you’re like Mitsuri).

-Might baby you a bit, but not in a way he’d act like you can’t do anything. He’d just be really affectionate!

-Extremely protective! He would already be protective due to his loss of people in the past but would be even more so if you’re so sweet towards others.

-If you have an ability then he’d get you into the armed detective agency for sure (if you’d want to join).

-If you did join the Ada then prepare to put up with Dazai clinging onto you when you’re doing paperwork whilst Kunikida yells at him to do his work..

-Overall, you two are definitely like besties & partners at the same time.

•DOPPO KUNIKIDA

-You two probably met through work, considering him.

-I’d guess that he heard you talking loudly about how smart and cute he is..

-Probably freezes up then checks if you really said all that for a second.

-Might go on a rant about privacy as he’s increasingly flustered at your words, might not.

-You two are the definition of one fell first and one fell more (though you could easily compete with him falling more).

-Would appreciate your compliments about him and wouldn’t mind you complimenting others (as he seems like he’s not often jealous).

-Would absolutely admire your physical strength, being extremely surprised when he first saw you fight someone.

-He’d appreciate that you’d probably try to work around his schedule (despite it being quite literally a whole day being planned..)

-Might invite you to the agency (with permission, of course) if you had an ability. Though he might possibly be unsure of this choice for a bit.

-If you did join then he’d quite literally go mad if you gush at Dazai (considering if you’re like Mitsuri, you gush at everyone). He’d throw him at a door (/hj).

-Overall, you’re an extremely sweet couple <3

•CHUUYA NAKAHARA

-Y’all probably met outside of work… I can’t rlly see a reader like Mitsuri being in the Mafia but I think it would be extremely funny if they were.

-If you met in the Mafia he’d kinda wonder how the hell you even managed to get yourself stuck into such an organisation.

-If you met outside of the Mafia, he’d be hesitant to have even friendship with you, considering his role at work.

-However you manage to charm your way into his heart, he’d enjoy the comments you make about him and would love you a ton.

-Is likely to get jealous but more on the insecure side and will only really stop sulking like a big baby when you give him one of those hugs that make everything better (grown man my ass).

-If you had an ability, he wouldn’t really care much for it. Like, he’d admire it and your strength but overall it’s just an ability to him

-Would put off using corruption even more when you’re around (whether Dazai is present or not, which he wouldn’t really like anyway) to keep you safe.

-Will go mad if you gush at Dazai… He will literally throw him at a tree.

-Would also probably heavily dislike it if you gushed at Mori… He respects him but there’s no way he wants him near you.

-Would love that you’re physically strong, it’s a good skill to have!

-Not joking, he’d seriously stop and watch you beat up someone brutally whilst he’s just ‘???’ with some dumb blush on his face.

-Overall, a sweet couple that will probably be together until they die! (Ignoring the manga rn)

•YOSANO AKIKO

-Y E S

-Definition of powerful gfs (or partners)!

-Wouldn’t be necessarily hard to get into her life but you’d have to be trustworthy in her books to not get a glare every once in a while.

-Wouldn’t really look for compliments but would appreciate them.

-Though she’d be a bit surprised on your constant praise for others, she’d find it endearing.

-Not likely to get extremely jealous but if she does she’ll just glare menacingly at the person she’s jealous of until they run off in a hurry before then turning to you with an innocent smile.

-Would be supportive of your strength for sure, she’s at the back whilst your beating tf out of someone, smirking proudly.

-You’d be a good team, healing and physical strength, whether you have an ability or not.

-Protective like most bsd characters but she’s not gonna stop you from doing things, she’ll just come with you if she can.

-Overall, probably one of the least-toxic & sweetest relationships!

•FYODOR DOSTOYEVSKY

-It would be extremely hard to get into Fyodor’s life and it might be even harder with your personality.

-I’d imagine that you’d have to either be his enemy or ally, not a random citizen, to be involved with him.

-However you manage to be aquatinted with him, he would find you particularly interesting.

-He would make a secret of his enjoyment to the compliments you give him, not visibly showing emotion when complimented apart from a possible smirk.

-He is a possessive man so it’s not far fetched to believe he’d be a rather jealous man at times.

-He would probably just do that thing where he smiles unsettlingly at someone if he’s jealous.

-Depending on what level he feels jealous, he might find where they live and resort to violence, though depending on who they are to you.

-His opinion on your strength with or without an ability wouldn’t change much.

-If you had an ability, he’d see it as a win due to the increased strength you’d have.

-If you didn’t have an ability, then he wouldn’t really care much. Seeing as you’re like Mitsuri, you’re strong physically and able to defend yourself either way.

-His opinion on your overall strength is that it’s a useful and impressive asset.

-Overall, a surprisingly non-toxic relationship for him but one that lacks affection. You’d be safe and cared for, so it’s basically a win!

•RYŪNOSUKE AKUTAGAWA

-Well…

-This man would be so hard to warm up to so it’s a wonder how you’d be able to.

-When you do, he’d still be a bit annoyed by your antics.

-He’d be fighting seriously and then there’s you in the background doing the splits & all that whilst somehow still winning in a fight by a mile.

-Would secretly seek your compliments and won’t be afraid to glare at someone when you compliment them.

-If your like Mitsuri and you meet Atsushi, he’s going to go mad.

-Would admire your strength and the fact that he doesn’t have to protect you.

-Please don’t gush over Dazai, he will be so sad.

-Would appreciate the fact you don’t start arguments & if he started any then you’d make an effort to sort it out before it got any worse.

-Keeps you away from most people in the Mafia unless you’re in there.

-Very protective, he wouldn’t want you hurt or sad, it completely ruins his mood.

-Overall, unbelievably sweet for a seemingly cold and ruthless Mafiaso!

[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.)

[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.

[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.

[starlightshadowsworld]

Moonlit Butterfly

Yosano stumbled into Anne's Room feeling like there was lead in her legs. She ignored the questioning looks thrown at her and made a beeline for Atsushi.

Yosano felt like she was going mad. Tears rolled down her cheeks and laughter was on her lips. She could practically hear the feared gasps of the nurses at the military hospital.

But Yosano wasn't there, she was here with her family. And her little brother only looked at her with concern.

"Akiko?"

Yosano strode forward and pulled Atsushi into a hug. Instantly Atsushi hugged her back. He was taller than her now, but it felt just like the old days back at war.

Speaking of the old days...

"One of the Black Lizards turned on us. Turns out he was the 5th Hunting Dog." Yosano said it loud enough for the others to hear her before dropping her voice to a whisper and looking Atsushi in the eye.

"He's Michizou Tachihara."

Shock bloomed on Atsushi's face and the gasp made it sound like he'd been stabbed. Yosano thought bitterly that it would've hurt less of he was. And than his ability or hers would be able to heal him.

But there abilities could do nothing for the shit they'd suffered.

"...Shunzen's baby brother is a Hunting Dog" said Atsushi in a haunted whisper. He was shaking in her arms, tears in his eyes as he thought of their old friend. "... He told us to look out for him and I..."

"None of this is your fault" reassured Yosano, her voice soft but firm. "The Hunting Dogs programme was made by those government jackass's." She smiled when he laughed at that.

"They did this to him, not you."

Somehow saying it out loud helped relieve her own guilt.

Just a little.

"I know" said Atsushi but it was clear he felt otherwise. "I got out, do you think...?"

Footsteps approached, purposefully making themselves loud enough to be heard. Atsushi and Yosano looked up to see Ranpo.

There was a determined look on his face. The same look he'd given Yosano before getting her away from Mori. The same look he'd given Atsushi before breaking him out of the lab.

"We'll get him out, trust me."

"Nothings impossible for a great detective." Said Yosano, repeating Ranpo's words from before. Atsushi lit up in remembrance and Ranpo grinned.

His eyes shining with confidence and pride at his siblings and how far they'd come.

Michizou Tachihara was going to get out from under the government's thumb one way or another.

"You got that right." Agreed Ranpo.

[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.

[iwritenarrativesandstuff]

I have a question for you guys.

I was rewatching Yosano's backstory episode (and cried again. what of it?) but something this time caught my attention.

In the scene where Fukuzawa and Mori are fighting and Fukuzawa angrily tells him his plans "lack humanity"... is the word they both use... not "kokoro"?

It would appear to be, from this manga translation. If that really is the choice of word, that's really interesting, because one of irl Natsume-sensei's most well-known books is the novel Kokoro.

What does this mean? Is Mori really following the plan Natsume laid out for them? Is he derailing from the initial plan with the exclusion of "heart/humanity"? Did Natsume intend for "heart" to be sacrificed in the name of defense? Or is this conflict, with "heart" at the center, exactly what Natsume needed for this plan to work?

And on Mori's end: this isn't his usual cold, impeccable logic. This is anger that Fukuzawa is getting in the way. More than that, it almost seems to me like Mori has a paranoid streak. Check this out here:

To be quite honest with you, Mori sometimes makes weird calls that imo aren't the best decisions - and they're all out of some fear he has, typically over the protection of the city and the country. Mori's takeover of the Port Mafia is seen as overall a good thing - because the previous boss grew increasingly paranoid and started ordering unnecessary violence, something Mori himself wishes to avoid whenever possible. Yet his projection onto Dazai causes issues during the Mimic incident - sure it was logically sound, but he lost Dazai for it. Was it really then the best solution there was? And what about Yosano - so caught up in what she could prove and what she meant for the war effort that he failed to consider her taking drastic action out of sheer despair? It's interesting that Mori, who advises others on not letting their fears and emotions get in the way of strategy, is prone to the same thing at times. Might he get worse at this kind of miscalculation? It'd be altogether kind of tragic if he messes up later in the story out of paranoia, considering his predecessor's legacy...

Edit: I changed the last bit, as it's left somewhat unclear if part of Mori's reasoning in the whole Mimic incident was to get Dazai away from him - in fact, it's likely that wasn't the case at all and Dazai was just saying this to intentionally get under his skin. Unfortunately I am a bit of dumbass who misinterpreted this line on first read, and now read it differently:

He's sticking with the logicality of it - one person's life for a gifted business permit is a worthwhile sacrifice, even if it drove away his right hand man. Either way, whether it's projection (Dazai is just like me, so he'll understand) or paranoia (he is going to inevitably kill me someday - which is still kinda projection imo) or some combination of the two - I think the original point still stands: maybe focusing all your efforts on ensuring you're always prepared for some eventuality or other means you overlook things you deem less important or irrelevant. Maybe removing heart from your decisions... isn't actually the best call in the end.

[osarina]

Heyy, i just reread the little world building post for pm!reader universe and it just felt good. (like the mention of Klaus and other small details that now make more sense)

So I was wondering if you have any more liltte fun facts or pieces of information about them? (where civzai or the regular universe)🥺🥺🥺

OMGGG STOP ILY YES OF COURSE I WILL U HAVE ME GIGGLING

take three more fun facts:

REDACTED

dazai and chuuya are THIEVES. every time they go to her apartment, they leave with something of hers and don't bring it back. she loses her mind over it.

canon universe pmreader did in fact successfully end the cycle of abuse with her ... civzai pm reader did not. it's reflected in her treatment of klaus and akutagawa—she frequently pits them against each other in the same way mori did with her and yosano. they're both very hostile w each other because of it. she doesn't realize she does it and blows chuuya off when he tries to bring it up

[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!!

[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.

[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.

[zukkaoru]

Hi, same anon as before haha, could you ever make a post about visually impaired/blind dazai?

ooo yes i do love the idea of dazai being blind in one eye/otherwise visually impaired. personally i am biased towards him having a prosthetic eye but this is just because of an inside joke with my sister sfdgfhj anyway have some thoughts (specifically based off dazai being blind in one eye/having one prosthetic eye):

for a while, ranpo is the only one in the ada who knows bc dazai is very good at hiding it. they don't say anything bc it's not their business, but they do try to make sure they either approach dazai on his left or make their footsteps loud enough that dazai can clearly hear them coming

yosano is second to figure it out bc she's a doctor. but she only catches on to the fact that dazai is somehow visually impaired and doesn't figure out the specifics until later

kunikida figures it out after a case where dazai gets injured bc the attacker came at him on his blind side and there was too much other commotion going on for him to hear them approach

obviously he's like why would you not tell me this!!!! it's KIND OF IMPORTANT!!!!!

dazai brushes it off like "haha i just forget everyone else has two working eyes :P" but really he. didn't want to expose any weaknesses to the agency members until he knew they could be trusted

after that it's treated sort of like an open secret at the ada. no one really talks about it, but yosano, ranpo, and kuni all do their best to cover dazai's blind side whenever they can. even if 98% of the time he doesn't need it

for a while, junichirou, kenji, atsushi, and kyouka have no idea. bc no one ever talks about it, the older ada members sort of. just. forget the younger ones would have no way of knowing.

so probably they find out when dazai makes some dumb joke about it. and they're all like HELLO????? WHAT DO YOU MEAN YOU ONLY HAVE ONE FUNCTIONING EYE!?

chuuya ofc knows and has known since they were like fifteen. they also always did their best to cover dazai's blind side when they worked with him (this i think is canon to some extent,, a lot of official art has chuuya on dazai's blind side during their pm days when his eye was bandaged)

most of the rest of the mafia had no idea what was wrong with dazai's eye (or if there even was anything wrong with it) but also,, no one was going to just ask. mori is the only other person in the pm who knows what happened

dazai likes to joke that he and kunikida have "one working eye total between the two of them" bc kunikida's eyesight is pretty bad without his glasses

most of the agency members walk loud enough that dazai can hear them coming so he isn't caught off guard regardless of which direction they approach from. the one exception to this is kyouka. she has scared him on multiple occasions by approaching from the right. once she realizes what the issue is, she does her best to approach from the left

ranpo does occasionally try to bribe her to sneak up on dazai bc they think it's funny to see him try to mask his surprise. she may have given in once or twice. but only because they promised to buy her crepes.

nikolai & dazai visually impaired worsties,,

^^ they both make jokes about it all the time, bouncing back and forth off each other. everyone around them is annoyed and no one thinks it's funny at all but neither of them care

okay this got longer than i was planning so i'll end here but. yes <3