#mentions of mori

[magicofrobin]

jason todd did not pray. not seriously he wasn't religious, not really. he'd never believed in god before and now wasn't the time to change that but — as the numbers ticked down, creeping closer to zero & the blood started to fill his lungs, he prayed the hardest he ever had. begging who, or whatever was listening; please let it be painless, please let it be quick, please please stop the pain i don't want to die, please let him make it in time, please let him save me. he prays until it stops resembling anything close to what he learned the few times his mom took him to church and starts sounding more like what it really is: a scared little boy crying out to his father to save him.

the timer reaches zero. he only feels the blast of heat from the explosion for a moment before everything fades into nothing and the bird with clipped wings dies alone.

[neo--queen--serenity]

I’m personally devastated that Mori and Fukuchi never got to meet. Not only would it be THE pettiest bitch-off the world has ever seen, poor Fukuzawa would be just sitting there in between them with no expression whatsoever as the Hunting Dogs, PM, and ADA just watched them with growing horror, unable to look away.

[t4tadrienette]

I guess Aoko did appear in Detective Conan after all, would love an actual role in it though

[slash-neg]

Thought of this in the shower and had to make it

[jbwashere]

The Divine Angel and The Prósōpon Artist

Two reactions to demon possession

[anticidic]

I'd like to know exactly what went down and the conversation that took place while Mori was gluing in Chuuya's fake vampire teeth.

Like, there's no way either of them was able to take it seriously despite the overarching circumstances.

Chuuya's probably complaining that Mori's poking his gums too much or is getting glue everywhere, and because he's talking and fidgeting so much, Mori has to tell him to stay still or else he might accidentally superglue the fangs to the wrong teeth, and then the disguise will never work. But Chuuya's jaw is starting to ache from being left wide open for so long.

Mori says this with a serious face and a threatening tone, but can either of them really take it seriously. Yeah, it's important to fool Fyodor, but what about the fact that SOMEONE, probably Mori himself, went out shopping for a pair of vampire teeth, found the perfect pair like ah, yes, these will do.

Chuuya gets paid well, but is it enough to go around acting like a vampire out of season and making cute little growling noises?

Chuuya's ego took a blow that day, but it was for a good cause. He was picked not just because he's a great actor and has been applauded for his skills, but also because he's probably one of the only few that could go through with this and not blow his cover due to the absurdity of the situation.

[tulipe-rose]

Tiny theory that has so many plot holes and possibly makes no sense cuz I'm bored:

We all know the theory of Elise getting her personality from Yosano, and her hair type from Dazai, right? No? Well now you do, so I wanted to add a little part of my own onto it.

Elise is designed to look like a western looking girl, right? Well, I have a feeling that it has something to do with Higuchi, or maybe Higuchi's mother.

My theory is: Mōri knew Higuchi's mother–who could've been potentially a foreigner–on a personal level, might have even loved her, but she was forced into marriage with the some rich man. There was no helping it, so he let her go with grace.

Higuchi's mom dies during child birth (she was giving birth to Higuchi's sister, not Higuchi herself), and her Dad gets assassinated way later, like by the time Higuchi is 12 or even a bit older. That should be concurrent with Mōri's rise to the boss position, when his position is slightly more stable. The guy was a neglectful alcoholic, and was only going to lead the family to ruin. The kids that looked so painfully similar to their mother were suffering, so Mōri wasn't above, or more accurately couldn't help but leave him to rot. He becomes Higuchi's, and her sister's benefactor, gives them a new surname to keep the assassins off their back, and visits sometimes with gifts and makes sure they have all the basic necessities that a kid should have, he even lets them go to school.

He keeps both of them away from the underworld for as long as he could in tribute to their late mother. He was heavily against having Higuchi recruited into the Mafia, but she was so heavily insisting on joining for a reason he cannot stop after she found out he was the boss (read: Akutagawa).

He decided to make her hate the Mafia, to convince her to leave, even if it meant being hard on her. He was possibly trying to convince her, and those around her, that as long as she was a Mafioso, she'd be a target for assassination in an indirect, kind of “I never said that, they just jumped to that conclusion.” way. He was being the bad guy to make sure she was out of the Mafia. He was kind of indirectly convincing her into believing she wasn't suitable, or even useful for and to the Mafia.

I'm pretty sure Asagiri was still figuring out Mōri's character, but something that stuck with me is that Mōri might have a personal grudge against Akutagawa; he might've figured out that he was the reason Higuchi stayed in the Mafia, so he assumed that if Akutagawa was out of the picture in a way Higuchi could never save him, she'll have nothing left in the Mafia, and would decide to leave soon. This could be a secondary explanation, aside from the one we got in the manga, as to why he gave Akutagawa up so easily despite his worth to the Mafia, even going as far as to call him a 'liability'. However, Mōri didn't put Higuchi's determination into account, and Akutagawa ended up surviving.

The 'Mōri dislikes Akutagawa' theory could be debunked if someone brings up the drama CD, but like, pookie. Higuchi was going to take him to take care of his health somewhere either way, so I bet Mōri sent Chūya along with them to make sure that Higuchi doesn't have to be the one to bathe Akutagawa (inner protective father instincts are seeing the light of day, oh crap.). Also I guess Mōri eventually decided to leave Akutagawa to live out the rest of his days for Higuchi's sake, he was going to die anyway, and his reckless streak could serve to quicken that.

I feel like Mōri's treatment towards Higuchi in the manga definitely mellowed out later as Asagiri started to figure Mōri out better, and you can even see Higuchi being one of the first to come to his aid in the cannibalism arc. He would only call someone he trusted enough to see him in such a vulnerable position.

Along with that, just look at how freaking worried she is for him, if my insensible theory has any credibility, she knew this guy as the first decent father figure in her life, she definitely has feelings of attachment towards Mōri.

In wan, their shenanigans are so family coded. In her Mayoi beach card, Mori and Elise were standing behind her (they look like when your extended family turns up for events instead of your actual parents) while she was playing beach volleyball; with the way he looked all he had left was to wear "I'm not a stepdad, I'm the DAD THAT STEPPED UP" shirt istg. Chūya is there to make sure everyone retains their skin's health (except him). He looks happy though so it's alright, a tan would look good on him. Come to think of it, I feel like Chūya is always around whenever Higuchi is there, especially in wan... Could it be that Mōri instructed him to keep a closer eye on Higuchi...? To ensure her safety like some sort of bodyguard (when ironically she is the one who is supposed to be Akutagawa's bodyguard)...? Yk what I should probably stop before I come up with more conspiracy theories. At this rate I will be arrested for brain rotting too hard.

Bonus: Elise drew this, and Higuchi looks the prettiest out of them all, and the only one actually smiling, which could reflect just how much Mōri cares about her deep down. If this theory has any flicker of credibility, then beast would be a wormwhole to try and explore DJDJJDJ.

[stellartorment]

BSD lgbtq+ headcanons for pride month :3

ADA

fukuzawa - never gave labels much thought, he/him

ranpo - gay asexual demiromantic, he/him

yosano - lesbian demisexual demigirl, she/her

kunikida - bisexual trans guy, he/him

dazai - bisexual aspec transmasc agender, he/they

atsushi - bisexual transmasc, he/him (he/they is also okay)

junichiro - mlm trans guy, he/him

naomi - wlw transfem, she/they

kyouka - questioning, ace, she/they

kenji - never gave labels much thought either, he/they

katai - mlm demispec, he/him (he/they is cool too)

kirako - wlw, she/her

PM

hirotsu - peepaw doesn't really care, he/him

kouyou - lesbian trans woman, she/her

chuuya - gay trans guy acespec, he/him

ryuunosuke - gay transmasc aspec, he/they

gin - wlw nonbinary/genderfluid, she/he/they

tachihara - bisexual asexual trans guy, he/him

higuchi - bisexual, she/her

kaji - aromantic demiboy, he/it/they

Q - doesn't care, nonbinary, they/them

ace - unlabelled, he/him

karma - unlabelled, he/they

verlaine - gay, he/him

rimbaud - gay nonbinary, he/they/she

oda - greyromantic, he/him

+ The Flags

doc - gay, he/they

lippman - gay arospec, he/him

albatross - bisexual demigender, he/they/xe

pianoman - gay demisexual, he/him

iceman - aspec, he/him

The Guild

francis - trying his best (derogatory /lh), he/him

poe - gay asexual demiromantic, he/they

margaret - wlw aspec, she/her

louise - wlw transfem, she/they

lucy - bisexual, she/her

mark - unlabelled, he/him

james - questioning mlm, he/him

nathaniel - aspec, he/him

john - bisexual demiromantic, he/him

herman - gay demisexual, he/him

lovecraft - ???, ??? (yeah, good luck)

Hunting Dogs

fukuchi - aspec, he/him

jouno - gay, he/him

teruko - wlw, she/they

tecchou - gay, he/they

DOA

fyodor - gay aspec agender, he/they

gogol - gay, he/it/they + neopronouns + xenogenders

sigma - questioning, any pronouns (he/they/she)

bram - unlabelled, never gave it much thought, he/him, #girldad

Special Division

taneda - aromantic, he/him

ango - mlm ace, he/him

mizuki - bisexual, she/her

yachiyo - lesbian, she/her

aoki - mlm, he/him

Rats in The House of The Dead

mushitaro - mlm aspec, he/him

alexander - unlabelled, he/it

goncharov - doesn't care, he/him

extra

agatha - wlw arospec, she/her

natsume - unlabelled, he/they

sasaki - bisexual greyromantic, she/her

[yah1dka]

i'm so tired of this, listen

fandom loves to say that dazai had always hated mori, even in the mafia, and make his teen self act with fear towards mafia boss. but i don't feel that this is right, so now i would try to make some explanations

have you seen any of this pictures? "poor dazai's completely traumatized after seeing mori killing previous boss" except that's the scene before this event:

dazai tied to the table after suicide attempt, no light in the eyes and probably still wants to kill himself. do you get what i mean? people often act like mori was the one who broke him, when in reality yes, he added little more trauma but this wasn't fundamental (i want to see his backstory really bad)

usually it comes in a parallel with kyoka's and akutagawa's dull eyes and guess what? they're also not traumatized by mentor in this pictures yet, life just gave them enough to look like that before even meeting akutagawa/dazai

but also

here's dazai before mori said he knows someone exactly like him

that's after

mori wipes away this conversation and they loose their light again, but then, when mori finally responds with "myself, of course" light is regained

so, dazai is not uncomfortable to be compared to mori, at least not at 15. even more, i assume: he's feeling validated after hearing that mori may be experiencing same things as him. or this look could mean that boy heard something unexpected, but anyways i don't see him being scared of this or disgusted. his main beef with mori really starts after odasaku's death, before they share some weird form of bond, but not hatred.

you can say something if i'm wrong or made a mistake but not be rude<3

love you, bye!

[stinkypire]

my frustration with the bsd fandom is that their bias hatred towards mori causes them to be stubborn in not analyzing mori's character at all. yes, he has done bad shit, but 80% of the characters has as well. bsd is a morally gray world. they simplify him to "pedo sadist that fiddles children" like just wtf. the sa dazai headcanon and theories spread around and shown in the fics are just so disgusting and triggering. you're taking such an intersting, mysterious, and well written character and painting him as the source of every problem in the BSD universe (basically making him a scapegoat). it's illogical and stupid. you're allowed to dislike characters, just appreciate how well written they are and don't simplify them down/mischaracterize them due to your contempt towards them.

[coweggomelet]

gorthalax: you all said the name. that means i'm not covered by oblivati mori right now

me: HOLY SHIT *does a full three laps around my apartment* HOLY FUCK

[starlightshadowsworld]

When Snow Falls

Chuuya notices somethings off with Tachihara and learns the government's human experiments didn't end with him.

Spoilers for Stormbringer.

TW for child abuse, human experimentation and there's a mention of suicide (Tachihara brings up his brother.)

@tachiharastanacc An attempt was made 😅

........................

Chuuya knew this was none of his business, but when had that ever stopped him. The mission with the Black Lizards earlier had gone as smooth as ever. But there was something amiss.

The Black Lizards had been fighting their way out. But it didn't escape Chuuya they had been protecting Tachihara. Rashomon seemed to hover near the other boy when the bullets started firing.

Gin was at Tachihara's otherside and Hirotsu would look back at him often, with concern.

Chuuya had looked through Tachihara's files, there was no mention of prior injuries or incident reports. And the kid wasn't weak, far from it considering he made it to the Black Lizards.

And yet, Chuuya recalled Tachihara's performance on the mission. He'd executed his attacks well, but he moved slower than usual. 

Chuuya hadn't gotten a good look at him, but Tachihara had been pale. And when he thought no one was looking he'd wince.

And yeah maybe he was just sick and pushing through it to complete his mission.

But Chuuya's instincts screamed at him that was something wrong. Something beyond some simple sickness. 

His instincts had yet to fail him. With that in mind, and dread in his stomach Chuuya took off into the night. 

Finding Tachihara wasn't hard. It didn't take long for Chuuya to spot him sitting at the docks. Tachihara didn't notice Chuuya approach until he was right behind him.

Not a good sign for someone who's team mate was Gin. Someone who Tachihara frequently caught sneaking up on him.

Tachihara blinked, looking up at his superior. His legs were dangling off the edge and his arms wrapped around himself like he was cold.

Chuuya froze at the sight of him. He hadn't gotten a good look at him during the mission. But up close he could see just how bad the kid looked.

In the dim light of the docks, Tachihara looked like a corpse.

"Shit..." Said Chuuya, before he could stop himself. Tachihara's hands were at his sides, gripping the edge of the docks. They were shaking and it was clear he'd lost weight.

He smiled at Chuuya, and it made Chuuya sick to know that if he wasn't aware something was clearly wrong, he might've bought it. Just how long had Tachihara been putting on this carefree facade? 

"Nakahara? Hey, fancy seeing you out here." Said Tachihara, he was suprised to see the executive. The man would usually be having tea with Kouyou at this hour.

What was he doing out here?

"Tachihara" said Chuuya, making it very clear he wasn't going go entertain this sharade at all.

Tachihara's smile wavered, before it fell entirely. He was almost glad, because it meant he didn't have to pretend anymore.

He didn't need to keep lying to the people he loved. 

Tachihara smiled, it was genuine unlike the last one. It was wistful and sad as he looked to the moonlit sky. "I'm dying" It was said so quietly that Chuuya thought he'd misheard him. 

"What?! What do you mean?! Are you hurt?!" Asked Chuuya, he swore he'd not seen an incident report earlier. Had he been wrong? Why was Tachihara out here and not in the infirmary?! 

Tachihara shook his head, relaxed like he hadn't just dropped a bombshell. "Nah. There ain't a scratch in me. My body's just, shutting down." He debates whether to explain or not. "Might wanna sit, it's a long one."

Chuuya raises an eyebrow, but moves to sit beside him and gestures for him to go on. 

"When I was a kid I looked up to my big brother. He was the perfect model son and everyone wanted me to grow up to be just like him. I hated it, more than anything."

Tachihara snorted. The irony that he had tried everything to avoid being like Shunzen. Only to follow in his footsteps like an imperfect copy. 

"He was a soilder who got sent out the Great War. He didn't die in battle, not the physical kind that is... He killed himself."

Tachihara could still remember that morning. His dad had been hysterics and his mum was yelling at the medic on the phone for lying to her.

He'd just been sat in the middle of it all, forgotten and confused. 

Chuuya wordlessly took off his hat bowing his head in respect. Tachihara was suprised by the sentiment. And touched by it all the same. Chuuya didn't apologise to him, nor offer him empty words.

Not like everyone else had done.

Tachihara had to look away lest he started tearing up. "With him home, the pressure only grew. But instead now it was that it should've been me."

And maybe this was Tachihara's karma for being the brother who survived.

"I said to hell with that. I rebelled, I broke the rules, got into fights and my grades went down the drain. I got caught up in a bank robbery, there was an explosion... I don't really remember it, only that I should've died."

Tachihara took a deep breath that rattled his lungs. "My brother, he had an ability. He could turn metal into shapes from stories and poetry. I was jealous he had one, and that night I learned I had one too." 

Tachihara raised his hand and the metal chain on Chuuya's hat swung back and forth at his command.

He winces, putting his hand down, cancelling his ability. "He could make shapes but I can bend metal to my will. In the same way you bend gravity to yours."

Chuuya can only look at him in shock. To think Tachihara had an ability this whole time and no one had known.

The small show seemed to have sucked the energy out of him. But Chuuya could sense just how strong Tachihara truly was. "Why hide it?"  

Tachihara looks down at his now shaking hand, ashamed. "I'll get to it, I promise." Chuuya frowns, but let's him continue. 

"So I managed to save myself, but barely. I was crushed under rubble but I was saved by the police. When I woke up I thought I was in a hospital. But it only looked like one, it was a secret government lab."

Chuuya's blood ran cold. He swore his heart stopped.

Tachihara, didn't notice and kept talking. "The scientists saved me, but their was a price." Tachihara took another deep breath, it was painful to recount.

"They put me back together, but there was something different. My body wasn't as it was before."

Chuuya knows he should say something, anything. But he can't, his mind is blank. All he can do is sit and stare at Tachihara, at this kid with horror.

Finally, after only a moment but felt forever Chuuya managed to bring himself to ask. "Kid... What did they do to you?"  

Tachihara smiled sadly, closing his eyes. "You know, to this day I still don't know." He admitted, and if that didn't break Chuuya's heart, what would?

He knew, he knew what it was like to feel like your body wasn't yours. To feel like a microchip implanted into a robot, it was a pain he wouldn't wish on anyone. 

"What was their goal. Cause I'm guessing they didn't save you out of the goodness of their heart."

There was always a goal, always a project and a purpose that these sick bastards had in mind. 

For Chuuya it was Arahabaki, for Verlaine it was Guivre. He didn't think it was the same for Tachihara, to create an ability singularity.

The kid's ability was strong but not that strong. 

"Whatever they did it was experimental. It didn't save me completely, I'd need monthly "examinations" a touch up if you will, to keep me alive. They'd only do it though if I accepted the position to become the fifth Hunting Dog."

The Hunting Dogs were a group of elite gifted, hell elite didn't even begin to describe to them.

They were the top squad of the military police. It was said one of their members were equal to the strength of an army of gifted.

Chuuya didn't put much stock in rumours like that, but they don't come from nothing. "You accepted because without them you'd die."

Tachihara finally looks at Chuuya, his eyes shining with greif and shame.  

"Yeah, I did. I was trained, if you could call it that. I was cut up and put back together, over and over. I became what they wanted, and agreed to join the Port Mafia as a spy."

He doesn't let himself move, doesn't let himself look away. The shame weighs on his heart but looking away now would be the cowards way out.

But maybe he was already the coward, given Tachihara had intended on letting this all die with him.

"Tachihara, why are you dying?" Asked Chuuya, his voice soft and kind. The exact opposite of what Tachihara expected, he just admitted he was a traitor... Why was Chuuya being so nice?

"I... What?"

"You said they'd keep you alive so long as you did what they asked, right?" Summarises Chuuya, getting a nod from Tachihara. It takes all of his own training for Chuuya to stay calm. 

"So why aren't they doing that now?"

Realisation blooms in Tachihara's heart, because Chuuya figured it out. He laughs, he's not entirely sure why but he laughs. It rattles his entire body and it brings him to tears.

"I wasn't supposed to like you guys. It's the first rule of being a spy, don't get attached. But... Fuck I got attached, too attached. I gave a report, I missed some information that would've hurt the Port Mafia. It would've cost lives and I couldn't do it."

Tachihara wrapped his arms around himself. It took a lot of effort just to move them. It hurt so much, like his soul was on fire.

"They found out. Pushed my my maintenance day till end of the month. That's why I'm dying, Nakahara. Cause they know, and I know I can't wait that long."

Those bastards... Chuuya was going to kill them. Government or not, he was going to make them feel the pain of being crushed by gravity. Who forces a child to make such a choice?! 

Tachihara coughs, blood staining the floor before him. He smiles "they think I'll crawl back and beg for forgiveness but I won't."

There's a fire in his eyes, a stubborn determination even in his weakened state. "I cleaned their system of everything I ever told em. It's all gone."

This, this was strength. Chuuya could only marvel at the sacrifice Tachihara had made. And he wasn't the only one. 

There's a moment of silence before Chuuya holds up his phone. "Did you catch all of that, Boss?" He asks, Tachihara looks at him in shock.

He hadn't seen Chuuya subtly call Mori as they started talking.  

"Oh yes Chuuya, but Tachihara I have my own question. Why would you go so far for us? You know what the Port Mafia does to traitors." Asks Mori, his voice coming loud and clear from the speaker phone.

Intrigue colouring every word. 

And while he couldn't see him, Tachihara still bowed his head in respect.

"It probably sounds stupid but... Ever since that day, I was treated less than a person. I survived, but I wasn't human anymore. I was a government lab rat."

If Chuuya didn't want to kill them all, that certainty made his blood boil.

He's all too familiar with the craving, the dull ache in your heart as you wonder it that's enough to make you human.

To question whether you were the original. To think you were simply lines of code imbeded in flesh. It had damn near broken Chuuya, and he had people who loved him.

He had crumbled in the hands of those who believed, unwavering that he was human. Chuuya couldn't image thinking that for years, and suffering alone.

The fact this all was going on under his nose, pissed him off. Chuuya had swore to protect those he cared about, and he'd failed.  

Tachihara, unaware of Chuuya's turmoil, was turning over Mori's question in his mind. He chuckles but it's not funny. 

"I'm not even the first person to be the fifth Hunting Dog. I'm just the next one they picked up. That's, why I had to hide my ability, from everyone so no one would know I wasn't the first.

And I probably won't be the last. Being in the Port Mafia, it's the first time I've felt human. I couldn't let that be destroyed, no matter what."

"I've heard enough" Says Mori and Tachihara falls silent. "Chuuya, I trust you to deliver him to Infirmary 4B. It's the closest one to your location."

"I'm on it." Says Chuuya. Tachihara raises his head, confused. As if reading his mind, Mori chuckles.

"Oh Tachihara, the government might have decided you weren't worth saving but last I checked I was the Boss. And all you've done is prove you're truly one of ours. You're going to live, and that's an order."

Tachihara let those words run through him, he was shocked to say the least. "I... Okay" is what he ended up saying, because words were failing him. Mori just chuckled again, signing off. 

"Why did you...?" Trials off Tachihara, looking at Chuuya in shock. Chuuya smiles, it's sad as it is kind. "Cause I know what it's like, to be ripped apart and turned into a government lab rat."

He rests a hand on Tachihara's shoulder. "But kid, nothing they do takes away that you're human." 

Tachihara looks at him, akin to a starving man being handed food. He's spent so long questioning his own humanity.

And for someone to look him in the eye, and say 'you're human' with no hesitation....Tears well up in his eyes and he's powerless to stop them as they fall.

Chuuya hugs him close as Tachihara sobs. He let him down, he let him down and allowed this to go on. Not anymore, Chuuya was going to protect him. Just like he should have all along.

He helps him to his feet, practically carrying him to his bike. And from his bike to the infirmary.

"Could you..." Tachihara trials off, embarrassed and Chuuya chuckles ruffling his hair. It takes Tachihara aback at first, no ones done that since his brother died. 

It was nice. 

"I'll be right here when you wake up." Promised Chuuya, nodding his head to a nearby chair. Tachihara smiled "thanks, Nakahara, for everything."

Chuuya rolls his eyes with a fond smile. "Call me Chuuya, and kid you don't need to thank me for anything. The Port Mafia is my family, that includes you."

Tachihara chuckles "alright, but Akutugawa might be my cooler older brother." He narrowly avoids Chuuya's playful swat and laughs. Tachihara is eventually lead away as the Port Mafia's medical team do their jobs.

Unfortunately, Tachihara would still need the maintenance no matter what they'd do.

Tachihara's body had been fundamentally altered in a way that could not be reversed. But at least now, everyone knew and would make sure he could get through it all painlessly and humanely.

Less human experimentation and more regular surgery.

He wasn't a lab rat.

He wouldn't be ever again.

Not if Chuuya and the rest of the Port Mafia had any say in it.

Akutugawa had been livid, he'd berated Tachihara for being an idiot the moment he was cleared to go home. Tachihara just listened, suprised and was informed Akutugawa had stormed in and hadn't left his side at all.

Hirotsu had patted his shoulder with a kind smile. Higuchi had bought a basket of snacks and had chastised him for keeping it all a secret. Gin had been right there guarding the door.

Chuuya kept his word, having been fantasing what to do with the Government scientists involved. The rest of the Black Lizard chiming in their preferred torture method. 

And Tachihara? He had never felt more loved. 

[egotistic-queer]

being in the Moral Orel fandom (especially as a minor) is so insane because it's like oh yup, there's the 🌽 bots, there's the people who write smut of literally every kid x every adult in Moralton/srs, and then there's the little corner of people around my age who just want to enjoy this old adult swim show (bonus points if they're a tbom or falsettos fan)

[fudanshipoe]

bungo stray dogs, themes of trauma, the abuse cycle, and how ranpo's disability+autistic trauma is an integral part of untold origins ★

🦴 abilities represent trauma and trauma responses

🦴 trauma as a theme of cycles

- the abuse cycle

- the "savior" cycle

🦴 the government, war, and society

- yosano, mori

- verlaine, chuuya

- fukuchi, teruko

- the role of the government

🦴 untold origins

- ranpo's ability is autistic masking

- his trauma

- untold origins through the lens of autistic trauma

wc; 2.6k (Origins quotes included in pictures only but I explain them briefly)

(this is also crossposted on Twitter, this is a long read format)

In this I want to cover trauma, and by extent mental illness, as an overarching theme in BSD, and how it portrays the cycles and effect of abuse, war, and is an exploration of traumatized individuals operating in a world not built for them. Additionally, Untold Origins is about autistic trauma.

Despite the approach of supernatural themes, Bungo Stray Dogs lends itself heavily to the discussion of trauma, mental illness, and its effects. One of the most notable themes in Bungo Stray Dogs is trauma and abuse, but it extends beyond the main abuse chain that most recognize to partially originate from Mori and end with Kyouka (Mori, Dazai, Akutagawa, and Kyouka, to be specific). There is a large focus on the abuse cycle and how trauma affects people. Emphasis is also placed on the specific structural abuse and violence of society within the world of BSD. The complexities of the abuse cycle are highlighted in organizations such as the Port Mafia, which is by far the most recognizable example within the series, but the government as another authoritative state plays another role in the cycle. BSD shows its readers various depictions of how trauma will manifest or affect two people who encounter the same thing. BSD shows a very honest depiction of mental illness in general, but it's specifically in how trauma affects the characters that these themes become integral to the story.

To start off the actual analysis, abilities themselves are representative of trauma responses. They arise from high stress situations in order for the user to have a protective mechanism for themself, uncanny to how actual trauma responses develop. Whether you think it is non-exclusive because abilities are based upon literature, many if not all of the characters’ abilities parallel their trauma. This is highlighted with tons of the characters, obviously, but I'll only point out a few because a separate analysis would be needed for every ability in the series (I want to one day, but not now). Each ability exhibits what each ability user needed in order to survive. Atsushi was a victim of child torture from what could have been birth, or at least since coming into the orphanage, to young adulthood, and he needed to become something to combat it. Beast Beneath the Moonlight is an ability that allows Atsushi to become something near invulnerable, with his impenetrable fur, regeneration, and the claws that cut through abilities themself. No Longer Human reflects how Dazai never allows anyone to get close to him, how he always keeps his guard up, how he never allows himself the vulnerability of being seen or touched. Both literally and metaphorically. Akuatagwa, similar to Atsushi, growing up in the slums needed a way to protect himself, Gin, and the other children around him. His ability is one that I feel is the most obvious with its connection to his trauma, as it is so important in depicting his relationship with Dazai and his own ability, though that is more about his coat itself than explicitly Rashomon. He only had the clothes on his back to protect him, so that is what manifested, the ability to control and kill his enemies with what little shield he had against the world. These will be the only ones I highlight in this section as they're some “main” examples and this is not meant to be exclusively on what the ability represents for individual characters. There are also plenty of characters that we can only speculate on, as we don't know much about their past, if at all many of them.

The cycle of abuse is the main theme present under the topic of trauma and how it relates to BSD's story. The most notable abuse chain that runs from Mori, to Dazai, to Akuatagwa, and finally ending with Kyouka is easily the most recognizable example of this. Whether you believe Mori's relationship with Dazai, and affect on him, was inherently classified as child abuse is irrelevant here and up to interpretation, I suppose, as a lot of people seem to believe so for some reason. Regardless, you cannot deny that the lessons of optimal solutions, needing to live for a purpose, and harsh treatment runs in this line of mentor/mentee relationships.

This is also the case between Mori and Yosano, though I'm not sure how much Mori would constitute as a “mentor” to Yosano over just being her superior, considering his relationship and treatment of Yosano is vastly different compared to Dazai. The cycles of abuse is not only present within the mentor/mentee cycle of BSD either, another major example is how many characters treat others based upon how they would treat themself, and this treatment arises from a place of projection. In the Dark Era, Mori acts according to his own judgment, assuming that Dazai will not act adversely based upon the shared qualities he sees of himself in Dazai. A shared logistical, observant brain and their ability to navigate a situation through predicting and utilizing their pawns. Dazai trains Akutagawa the way he does because he believes it is what Akuatagwa needs in order to be successful and survive.

Kouyou is a very great instance of this, too. The Port Mafia is a root of much of the abuse taking place within the story of Bungo Stray Dogs, and Kouyou shows this the best, aside from characters like Dazai and Akutagawa. This is where I want to specify that Mori is not the root cause or direct start of the abuse cycle within the series, as the Port Mafia itself was a tool of organizational abuse from the start. The Port Mafia has always used tactics of aggression and suppression as an operation, however, there is a stark difference between the Old Boss and Mori on how this force is used. There is no real difference on how they affect the Port Mafia individually, except the methods used and the tighter reign of control Mori uses compared to the reckless abandonment for critical thought towards the end for the Old Boss. It's an inherently corrupt organization despite the importance it holds in the balance of Yokohama. Kouyou was in the Mafia from childhood, and when she lost the hope of being able to escape that world, she lost her trust in both the organization and the greater world of people. This is the reason that she pushes her own beliefs onto Kyouka and tries so desperately to keep her in the mafia. Her disdain for hope and recognition of herself in Kyouka is the causation for her to attempt to drill this mindset into Kyouka.

Kouyou isn't the only one who projects herself onto Kyouka specifically either, as Akutagawa follows the lessons he has learned and forces his beliefs of giving Kyouka's life a “reason” through her ability and killing ability. Which is exactly what he learned through his years in the Port Mafia as Dazai's mentee. Another example of a character projecting their own traumas onto someone they recognize themself in is very obviously Verlaine, through the events of him forcing Chuuya to his side because of his thought process.

There is a common justification that many of the characters make that they are doing what needs to be done. There are many other examples that could be made from the series, but all of this is to say that there is a large representation of the idea that “hurt people hurt people”. It's what the abuse cycle is on an interpersonal level. The actions taken are not excused by a victim’s own past, however it is a very real depiction of the abuse cycle and its effects in the series.

There is some hope to be found though as the parallel to this is being “saved”. Exemplified through the Armed Detective Agency as a whole, it ends up being essentially a safe haven for many of the members. Earlier I mentioned Kyouka, and she is specifically helped by Atsushi. I really don't want to refer to this as a savior cycle because it's really not, they're not all “saviors”, I just don't really have a better name for it.

The best examples for the roots of this cycle in the series are Fukuzawa and Oda, though they are naturally not the only cause for the chain of events within this cycle of influence. Fukuzawa brings me back to the topic of the Armed Detective Agency, which was established in the first place in order to help Ranpo and others. He left his influence on Ranpo first in Untold Origins, and Yosano when the two are able to get her away from Mori, but he also is the first in the chain that impacted Oda (though not the only), another important figure in this theme. He is the person that is able to plant a moral seed in Dazai and change the course of his life, and he was the only one able to do this. This brings me back around to Atsushi, who after being taken into the ADA by Dazai is able to save Kyouka, Lucy, and Sigma in one way or another.

It is important to highlight the Decay of Angels arc and portraying the tragic results of war. The ones I'm going to discuss are Fukuchi, Fukuzawa, Yosano, Mori, and Teruko as participants of war, Verlaine and Chuuya as the result of the government experimentation after the war, and then Tachihara from an outsider's perspective because of his brother. There is limited information that we have on The Great War itself, but what we do know is that it was a fight between ability user organizations and for the use of abilities in warfare. It is shown to be the cause of much of the suffering of many characters in the series, whether it is as a participant or a result of the inherent tragedy of war. Yosano was a child soldier exploited by Mori, who was able to use his position to prove his thesis for the beneficial use of abilities in warfare. It's unclear to me whether it was issued from upper levels, but his Infantry Division was for the purpose of proving what you could harness with abilities and warfare. This is not the only time that ability experimentation resulted during/from The Great War either, both Verlaine and Chuuya were a result of ability research and singularity creation. You could also infer that The Hunting Dogs project, though it is not confirmed (I think?), is a result of this as well. All of this to show the role that the government plays in the war, and alongside the damage that war already brings the government is shown to prey on the vulnerable within.

Fukuchi is probably the most noteworthy example of war and trauma in BSD, as he is the one who enacts the greatest damage in order to stop another war to his knowledge. His entire motivation for creating the DOA and bringing calamity was to prevent a repeat of what he had witnessed in the battlefield. Though he also has personal beliefs for world peace from the beginning, it grew to be more than that. The war intrinsically changed him due to the trauma, and soldier’s PTSD is naturally a common thing. The war changed Yosano as well, and while the two had very different circumstances, they carry the weight of their sins years later. Teruko was essentially born from war itself, and similar to Atsushi, she was forced to become something or someone that was able to fight, hence her ability forcing maturity and age. Teruko's ability itself is an example of how intense or prolonged trauma can cause a person to force self preservation in the face of it as a tactic to survive. Many of the characters show this, but it is especially prevalent with Fukuchi and Teruko because of the war. The entire arc brings into question the role of the government in war, corrupt power, the tragedy of war, and the point of it in the first place.

I'm making a seperate section to talk about Ranpo's ability, Untold Origins, and autistic trauma. Ranpo is the only character based on an author who does not have a literal ability, and I believe his lack of ability and insistence on keeping the illusion up is reminiscent of autistic masking. As to why I think he is autistic outside of the context of Origins, please refer to this thread .

Masking is camouflaging autistic traits in order to appeal to neurotypical or allistic (non-autistic) expectations. This could be internalizing discomfort, suppressing behaviors, copying others’ behavior in order to “fit in”, or an array of examples of forcing yourself out of your nature. Long-term masking can lead to extreme damage to your mental health, it can cause burnout, distressed behavior (meltdowns, shutdowns), issues with sense of self, etc.

Ranpo doesn’t mask very much in the present canon, he has a support system with his friends and family in the ADA where he is not judged for his autistic traits or behavior. Yet he keeps up the illusion of being an ability user partially for his own sake, but mostly to appear a certain way for the Agency and others. His ability is the only mask he keeps up, and the reason for this is the same reason he got it in the first place. Ranpo had to deal with the world outside of himself not accepting him for the way he is, and this is specifically because of his autistic traits. His false ability was essentially given to him by Fukuzawa as a way to quell his frustrations with the world, an explanation to Ranpo for why he is the way he is, because the world didn't understand the way he was and vice versa. He does seem to mask his autistic traits in Untold Origins, however, both due to his experiences he talks about and his parents. Masking can be traumatic, growing up in a world not built for you is traumatic, and the culmination of it all is what leads to Ranpo’s meltdown. Being autistic is not inherently traumatic, but the instability of day to day life can even be a causation for it, and this is the case for Ranpo. He goes about the story assuming that he will get adverse reactions if he speaks up or acts like himself, showing specifically his autistic traits, and this is the reason that he masks. Like any other autistic person, he masks in order to survive situations or to avoid confrontation over it when he never intended it. He was already a sheltered kid, and so he was raised with the deliberate suppression of his autistic traits, to which he cannot control and that cannot be separated from him. Even if it was an effort to protect him by his parents, it had negative consequences on Ranpo. Growing up that sheltered is damaging enough but it is dire to understand that this is in relation to Ranpo's being autistic as well, so he was thrust into a world that already did not understand him as a young autistic person after he lost his parents, an added trauma on top of the loss.

(below are the quotes I was referring/alluding to)

(In order is Ranpo's meltdown scene, an example of the double empathy problem (difficulties due in part due to a mutual lack of understanding when socializing between autistics/allistics because of the way we experience the world internally/externally) in which Ranpo looks at the same thing as someone else but they percieve it vastly different and Ranpo does not realize this, an observation from Fukuzawa on Ranpo's inherent difference, Ranpo's expectations of rejection, another observation from Fukuzawa on how Ranpo doesn't realize any of this, Ranpo expecting rejection based upon experiences in the past, and finally what I interpret to be an example of suppression of Ranpo's autistic traits (in a literal sense it is referring to his ability, which is representative of his autistic masking/really autism in general)

The manifestation of his ability is not a literal one like the other characters in the series, but it is an extension of his need to mask at times. Whether it is damaging or not, Ranpo clings to it because it is both connected to Fukuzawa and it is the first time he got an answer to why he is this way instead of being told to hide it for the convenience of others. When you grow up in a world that does not like you for what you are, it would only be natural for him to be desperate for the comfort of something after believing for so long that there was something inherently wrong with him.

There are definitely more thoughts that I have on this topic, such as poverty in relation to the Akutagawa siblings and Atsushi (Beast, specifically as well), but I want that to be a separate analysis.

[sskk-manifesto]

When Mori talks about Nash in relation to war strategy, it's because of Nash's contribution to game theory (the Nash equilibrium). Game theory is a model that helps interpret interactions between players, and while it can be (and is) also applied to analysis of war strategy, it is a bit of a stretch to say that Nash, who was a mathematician, studied war strategies (as far as I'm concerned, he very much did not. To say Nash was an academic who studied war strategy is inaccurate). It's still funny that Mori is bringing up game theory again after (inaccurately) talking about it in the last season 1 episode, he must really like it.

It's a bit destabilizing to see Kissinger being mentioned here– because differently from all the other authors and thinkers fleetingly mentioned in bsd, it's one that feels close in time and inseparable from our world's history (the fact alone that he was still alive when this episode aired is terribly disorientating for me). You can't think of Kissinger without thinking about the Cold War, but it's unfeasible to think the bsd universe experienced something akin to our Cold War. Anyways, he was one of the main enablers of the realist theory as an international relations school of thought, which I suppose is a theory that fits Mori to a tee.

[lnkedmyheart]

I dont really vibe with fics that present Mori as N lite. Like okay, you want a crazy man in power abusing and experimenting on someone? N is right there??? That's literally what happened to Chuuya??? Hell that's what Shibusawa did to Atsushi. Leave Mori out of this please. Mori definitely manipulated Dazai emotionally and psychologically by using his own desires and mind set against him, but Mori did NOT torture or abuse him physically. Mori actually likes Dazai a lot, enough that Dazai actually gets special treatment despite having turned on him and his organisation. And like...why do people feel the need to try and one up Chuuya and Atsushi's torture and backstory by trying to add experimentation with a dose of sexual assault to Dazai's backstory for absolutely no reason other than to make it angstier? SA, particularly CSA purely for shock factor and trauma olympics is the absolute worst angst trope, I'm sorry.