#they were fyodor fans so i don’t put it past them

[paytenphobic]

last night i was talking to some people in a server and they kept making kunikida death jokes every time i spoke (even if it was unrelated to kunikida) in the server and i eventually just said like “okay… the joke’s a bit overdone when you’ve done it every time i send a message.” and their response was to call me a pussy and immediately start insulting me 😭😭😭??? like dawg… god forbid i want to talk about something else for once.

[soryubear]

ANALYSIS & PREDICTIONS FOR THE NEXT CHAPTER

cuz asagiri loves to end on cliffhangers

!BSD CHAPTER 101 ONWARDS SPOILER WARNING!

i’ve seen some people say that dazai is gonna die, because there’s only so much plot armour u can give a character before it becomes annoying, and yes i agree it’s a possibility. but there is also the possibility of fyodor dying, even though there is still much to uncover abt/milk from his character (like his ability, true personality, literally everything abt him), he’s also been given a lot of plot armour throughout the series. the only difference is that we know slightly more about dazai, who is obvs a fan favourite.

realistically though, someone who’s free-roaming a prison vs someone who’s plummeting down an elevator, the likelihood of dazai’s survival is honestly in the negatives.

there was some sort of a reference to this in bsd wan! where they talked about a plummeting elevator and how the ground of it would give out from the pressure. that’s the first possible outcome of his situation.

second possible outcome? this is where chuuya comes in. during the drowning scene, before he was submerged, his eyes were notably more human like? which is odd since brahm’s ability changes the eyes of those affected to blank eyes. this suggests that chuuya has broken free from brahm’s ability, and is just playing along with fyodor’s plans as of rn. i don’t think this would go unnoticed by fyodor tho, since bro got his degree and thinks he knows every-fucking-thing.

where does sigma fit into all of this? well, i think he’s gonna have some sort of realisation of like “oh shit my new bro’s gonna die i gotta save him” and save the day, maybe by distracting fyodor for chuuya to go and save him.

keep in mind that they only have 30 mins to do all of this because of the poison nikolai made them take, which is very little time considering the situation they’re in. very much of a stretch here but i think fyodor might lose his mind even for a second due to desperation, because idk if he’s suicidal like dazai as well, he might wanna live.

also, considering the fact that nikolai does want fyodor dead, i wouldn't put it past him to rig the games for his own gain.

another thing i'd like to add! chuuya, sigma & nikolai aren't free from potential death yet, it might be one of them that ends up dying in the crossfire.

i'm just saying that anything could happen, and i'm ready to see how it'll go down. and has anybody considered the fact that ango might have sensed something was wrong? since his communication w dazai was abruptly cut off. or the possibility of dazai having contacted him beforehand because he knew this was going to happen?

conclusion, i hate this stupid series from the bottom of my heart. i hope asagiri doesn't sleep well tonight!

[killuwumi]

Christmas with the BSD Cast Pt2!

Manga characters under the cut! Please do not read past if you haven't read the manga!!

a/n! Another part to the mini Christmas series featuring the "villains" and a hunting dog of bsd! Requested by my dear friend Theo, who simps for villains on the daily <3 Two posts in one night I’m proud of myself lol

Christmas with the BSD Cast PT1

Includes; Fyodor, Gogol, Sigma, Tetcho

Fyodor;

-Lucky to be with the rat man himself! Very rare to almost never that he likes to spend time with someone.

-Doesn't get the excitement around the holiday, but is ALWAYS dressed to impress in cold weather.

-Very rarely will let you cuddle up with him in public when not many people are around because his clothes are fuzzy.

-Steal his hat, (a dazai move lol) he'll act angry but somewhere in that cold heart he thinks it looks adorable on you.

-Probably not out too often because he doesn't have that luxury like the others, but if you whine enough he will take you out to do something.

-Much softer at home however, likes to listen to classical music with you and just read. Sometimes even dance and laugh at how clumsy you are. (Or he'll be impressed if you're good at it!!)

-Even though its the holiday, his work doesn't rest, so if you catch him working, sit beside him or hang out in the same room, but for you're own sake don't look at his work.

-In terms of gift giving, he's pretty selfish so it could be something that is for you but caters to his likings. 

Gogol;

-Resident Clown Man™

-Definitely one of the more chaotic christmas celebrators. But he still enjoys spending christmas with you because he feels like himself when you're around.

-Do not let this man near stores unless you are prepared to act like you didn't see anything. He!! will!! steal!! to see the look on your pretty face, he loves the shock.

-He enjoys decorating the tree as much as the next person but honestly? Give him free reign to decorate the rest of the house and he'll have it looking so festive the tree doesn't even matter.

-Let him take you places on a whim, because he loves dragging you out on adventures. If some big christmas event is happening in the city, you bet he's going there no matter what.

-HUGE fan of New Year's Eve, so he is getting drunk and attempting to make moves on you at every turn, and desperately wants to see the New York ball drop with you.

-He is a good gift giver, but only because he can steal it. He'll buy you ONE genuine thing if you're lucky but that's it. Other than that its whatever he thinks you'll like. Probably takes a puppy for you ngl. (or just an animal you like).

Sigma;

-He's baby, don't try and change my mind.

-Adores the christmas season because the sky casino gets a lot of customers at that time. Bored people, lonely people, and open wallets for the holiday cheer.

-You are always in his office, at all times, he doesn't want to lose sight of you in the crowds because he gets separation anxiety. Holds your hand tight if you two have to go into the lobby full of people.

-Since all those people will be in there, decorations play a big part in the atmosphere of the casino! He often wants your opinion on decorations and sometimes the two of you put some up. But really he wants you to relax so he mostly makes someone else do it.

-When the two of you get alone time, he's a big cuddle bug, his job is so stressful and he takes so much pride in learning all the ins and outs of it, its exhausting. He falls asleep really quick if he's laying with you.

-Actually interested in watching cheesy christmas shows and movies with you, he likes the happy endings!

-Makes the both of you look super cute in christmas attire because it looks good, seriously he can't keep his eyes off you.

-He can afford to get you a better present, which his is very grateful for because he thinks you deserve the world. Really wants to get you something that you were lacking, whether that be a reliable car, a place in a better safer neighborhood. Hell, move in with him if you aren’t in a safe place. Oh god please he just worries about you.

Tetcho;

-Since he is the most domestic and tame of the hunting dogs, he probably keeps you as far away from the others as he can for the holidays.

-Likes textbook christmas! So, baking cookies, decorating the tree, watching movies, singing christmas songs in the car, working out constantly.. oh wait you're telling him working out isn't a normal christmas thing?

-Sometimes a chore to make him settle down from training and relax a little. But very effective because once he does, his attention is only on you.

-Loves walking through stores or streets with his hand around your waist and holding your hot chocolate. When the store fronts are all lit up and decorated he isn't even paying attention to them, he's head over heels for the way the light reflects in your beautiful eyes.

-While he enjoys strange food combos, he knows you aren't as interested in eating those, so instead of cooking at home he takes you somewhere nice. So both of you can order what you want!

-That also gives him an excuse to see you dressed up, no matter what fancy outfit you choose to wear, he'll constantly be telling you how incredibly beautiful it looks on you.

-Some of the best snowball fights ever. Even if he has an unfair advantage! Helps build the best snowmen.

-As far as gifts, honestly if the two of you have been dating for awhile I could totally see him proposing to you for christmas, with an amazing custom ring.

[cherryyharryy]

I’ll Be Okay

WC:1k

Warnings: Smut

The interpretations of Dreams, Sigmund Freud. Big Sur and the Oranges of Hieronymus Bosch, Henry Miller. The Grapes of Wrath, John Steinbeck.

It looks like the books are moving. The bed is creaking, an awful, rusted squeaking sound that I’ll remember for years. Sweat is building up in the same places as when I wake in the middle of the night in August. But I can’t get up to stumble across the room to turn the fan on. It looks like the books are moving, but it’s just me.

When I look down I can hardly see my body; he’s covering up so much. I wonder if my sweat bothers him. I guess not, because then he might get off.

Moby Dick, Herman Melville. The Order of Time, Carlo Revelli. A Journal of the Plague Year, Daniel Defoe.

It’s like the books are shaking now. And he’s grunting now. When he stops and pulls out, I realize how dehydrated I am, because it takes too long for relief to register in my brain. And then once it does, it’s too late. I’m flipped over like a doll.

It’s almost two AM. I watch the second hand for an entire revolution. What time was it when I got here? How did I get here?

He said, “I’ve been watching you all night.”

I said, “I just got here.”

I remember the drink he gave me. I poured it out. I pretended to take a sip and then poured it out. And you might think I was being too nice to a guy who thought complimenting my eyes was enough, but it was done out of habit. He couldn’t even see my eyes.

The Persecution and Assassination of Jean-Paul Marat as Performed by the Inmates of the Asylum of Charenton Under the Direction of the Marquis de Sade, Peter Weiss. The Hound of the Baskervilles, Arthur Conan Doyle. The Holy Bible.

He’s good at what he does. He’s patient. He starts with sweet names. Then it’s a hand on your knee. And you think, it’s just my knee, I’m okay. Then a hand on your back, rubbing your neck, thumb on your cheek. I’m okay, I’m okay, I’m okay.

He brought up his apartment like it was a new idea. Like people didn’t visit other people and he’s the first one to think of it. He tugged me off my stool, and I forgot how to say no.

The wallpaper is torn by the door. It’s some God awful print from the 70’s. I smell alcohol. His mouth is by my ear. No, I don’t like that you bastard. I’m okay. I’ll be okay.

And the Hippos Were Boiled in Their Tanks, Jack Kerouac and William S. Burroughs. History of the Rain, Niall Williams. Eleven Poems, Seamus Heaney

The lights are off and there’s a lava lamp on his desk. All my clothes are on the floor. His are still on. My arms are weak, and I fall onto his bed. My face is pushed into the sheets. Not even the pillow. I don’t even get a pillow.

More sweat, accumulating on my skin, like swarms of mosquitoes landing and sticking to me. More and more. I can’t breathe. It hurts. I hate him. I want to die.

He studies English. He wants to travel. He went to Japan three years ago and he’s never been the same. He’s thinking about going vegan. It’s amazing how many facts a man will tell you about themselves when they can’t take their eyes off your breasts. And apparently, I feel so fuckin’ good. I wouldn’t know

I like to read too. Why did I tell him that? Why did I offer anything up? Checkmate. He had me. I opened the door for him. He plowed through before I could step out of the way. You should come over and see my collection. I think you’ll like it.

The Hobbit, J.R.R Tolkien. War and Peace, Leo Tolstoy. Lolita, Vladimir Nabokov.

A very boring city sits outside the window; I have a view now. I’ve been placed ever so delicately on the edge of his bed. The squeaking is worse now. And the headboard bangs against the wall. It’s an old, chipped gold railing type. I’ve hit my head three times so far. I said shit each time and he said nothing.

It’s so dark out I can pretend I’m anywhere. Just a skyline of buildings. New York, London, Paris. I’ll be okay. Paris. I’m in Paris. If I squint, the water tower can be the Eiffel Tower. The power plant...the Leaning Tower of Pisa. I’m in Italy now. Maybe—

“I’m so close.”

Nevermind.

The sounds he makes when he’s finally finishing, are, without exaggeration, revolting. And then as he’s zipping his jeans he’s humming. Rocket Man. I’ll have to remember to delete it off my playlist. I’m surprised—dumbfounded—when he tosses the condom in the trash. I hate that I can’t remember him ever putting it on.

The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time, Mark Haddon. A Christmas Carol, Charles Dickens. Amusing Ourselves to Death: Public Discourse in the Age of Show Business, Neil Postman and Andrew Postman.

I pick up my clothes piece by piece. They burn when I slide them on.

Television: Seeing by Wire or Wireless, Alfred Dinsdale. Watership Down, Richard Adams. The Midnight Watch: A Novel of the Titanic and the Californian, David Dyer.

“You weren’t lying,” I say, scanning the bookshelf now that they’ve stopped moving.

“‘Course not.”

The Stories of Anton Chekhov, Anton Chekhov. The Sun Also Rises, Ernest Hemingway. A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man, James Joyce.

He moves past me, the bathroom door shutting a moment after. I step back to see the top shelves.

The Odyssey, Homer. The Brothers Karamazov, Fyodor Dostoyevsky. The Divine Comedy, Dante Alighieri.

I said yes. To everything. I can’t really blame him for hating myself. I reach up and slip Heart of Darkness, Joseph Conrad, off and fan the pages under my nose. The bathroom door starts opening, and I shove the book into the waistband of my pants.

“You wanna stay? Smoke a little?”

“No, I’m just gonna go.”

The Sound and the Fury, by William Faulkner. To Kill a Mockingbird, Harper Lee. The Trial, Frank Kafka.

He says something else, but I’m already passing by his couch. “Thanks for the book,” I whisper. “I’ll add it to my own collection.” You should come see it sometime.

[ktheaven]

I was tagged by @sometimeintheafternoon (thank you so much 💜)

how tall are you? 164 cm what color and style is your hair? long & straight dark blonde hair with blonde hair tips what color are your eyes? brown do you wear glasses or contacts? no do you wear braces? no what is your fashion style? depends, haha. i love wearing flannel shirts, chockers, leather jackets, sweatshirts 😎; but I also love light and colorful dresses and skirts and blouses 🎀. After practice at school I also loved official style. Usually it’s just something I’m comfortable in. when were you born? August, the 6th 🎈 how old are you? 21 do you have any siblings? no what school/college do you go to? Moscow State Pedagogical University what kind of student are you? When I’m with my friend who loves to do all the homework like immediately - I do the same, but when I’m alone I usually do nothing productive all day and then study at night 😄🌙 what are your favorite subjects? English, Literature and Russian (+ maths and geography when I was at school) what are your favorite shows? The only show I’m watching regularly is Weekly Idol and just everything with my favourite bands (or the ones @gwangjuhope advise me ❤ my guide to kpop world) what are your favorite movies? “The Maze Runner”, “The Chronicles Of Narnia”, “The Fast and The Furious” (so many tbh 🎬) but lately I only watch k-dramas what are your favorite books? So many. I’ll name my favourite writers - Leo Tolstoy, Fyodor Dostoyevsky, Jack London, E.M.Remarque, John Green & James Dashner what are your favorite past times? listening to music, watching videos\shows with my favourite kpop bands, handing out with @gwangjuhope , making stories in my head, draw in my notebook and write down lyrics, going for a walk, talking to my friends, playing with my cat, taking pictures do you have any regrets? Few months ago I’d say “yes” but now I moved on and realized that everything happens for a reason, so I’m okay with everything and hope for the best what is your dream job? bts manager There were so many options for me, I just wanted an interesting job with a possibility of meeting new people & communicating with them. I chose to be a teacher - right now I’m totally fine with my choice. 😊 would you like to get married? where? yes ❤ & idc where as long as I’m with the person I love & trust do you want kids? how many? yes, at least 2 😇 do you like shopping? yes, even though I don’t have enough money to buy everything I need at the moment & want, ahah how many countries have you visited? Ukraine & Turkey what was your scariest dream? when someone dies (including me) in my dreams; also sometimes the music from my alarm kind of sneaks into my dream (brain, explain 🙊), so I’m dreaming about sitting in the class & my phone rings and I can’t turn it off and everyone stares at me “😑” ahahahah but in reality it’s my alarm (i have issues with waking up in the morning when I’m alone, when my friend stays at my place - I wake up easily with the first ring of alarm??????) do you have any enemies? enemies? no do you have a boyfriend or girlfriend? i have 7 no

put your phone on shuffle. without skipping post the first 15 songs that play

1. 5SOS - Beside You || still one of my favourite songs 💜

2. Linkin Park - Leave Out All The Rest || probably the first band I have been a fan of since I was a kid 🔥

3. Ariana Grande - Focus || “let’s find the light inside our Universe now where ain’t nobody keep on holding us down” 🌌

4. The Weeknd - Reminder || I’ve not listened to that song for such a ling time - I forgot how it sounds

5. 5SOS - She’s Kinda Hot || “we are the kings and the queens of the new broken scene but we are alright though” 🔥

6. P!ATD - LA Devotee || i just love this song

7. Skizzy Mars - Crash (feat. Pell) || I stole it from Taehyung’s playlist ahaha 💜

8. Clean Bandit - Real Love ||

9. BTS - Begin || yay, our bun’s song 💜🐰

10. Sleeping With Sirens - Heroine || love this band

11. BTOB - Movie || three days ago I listened to this song on repeat 💗

12. OneRepublic - All Fall Down || one of my favourite bands

13. All Time Low - Therapy || omg I love this band and song like so much 🌙

14. BTS - Baepsae || YEAH THAT’S OUR JAM WOHOO 😎🔥💜

15. Blue - One Love || i stole it from Hobi’s playlist 💜

I tag @whytaehyungwhy @taekookl @7eon @gwangjuhope @im-choking-onmy-halo @kpopandchillx to do this (I know I tag you in so many stuff I’m sorry 🌷)

[mythril-mine]

001- Bungou Stray Dogs | 002- Soukoku | 003- Chuuya ( and Dazai? ) I want to know your answers to both | 004- BSD + Your choice

Ah, thank you for sending an ask, Haru~! Sorry it took me a couple days to answer everything!! I also got a little wordy where perhaps I had no business being on an ask meme, but I have So Many Feelings about Bungou Stray Dogs!! In fact, it’s under a cut because it got SO LONG. ;; So please pardon that~ Hopefully my rambling makes some modicum of sense. Here we go!!

001 | Bungou Stray Dogs

Favorite character: Chuuya! (And it’s going to show in these answers, so get ready!)

Least Favorite character: Le…mons?

5 Favorite ships (canon or non-canon): Soukoku, Shin-Soukoku, AtsuLucy, DazAtsu (sometimes), RamPoe (it was hard to narrow it down to five, I’m very much a multi-shipper for this fandom > ~

Character I find most attractive: ???? Chuuya is the most beautiful character second only to Kouyou, if I saw Kouyou in person I would tear up and be compelled to give her nine dollars.

Character I would marry: ………………? OdaSaku, I guess….?

Character I would be best friends with: I’d have a lot to bond with Poe and Alcott over hahah (I also want to be friends with Chuuya though I’m not even going to lie. I talk about this with friends a lot when the subject of ‘anime husband’ comes up. I don’t want to date Chuuya, I want to be his wingman and give him a high-five when things go well. I’d also want to be friends with Atsushi, Lucy, and Tanizaki~ and Gin!)

A random thought: I really want to talk about Fyodor but none of these questions really apply to him… ;; Second Random Thought: I think Kunikida/Atsushi would be surprisingly pure…?

An unpopular opinion: I’m not sure what’s considered ‘unpopular’ in this fandom anymore but I think Chuuya deserves some of the page time he’s started to get. ;; There’s a lot that can be done with his character with what’s been laid out so far, and if they’re choosing to make use of that as a reaction to his popularity, that’s okay! I’m sure they’ll do a good job with it! (Again is this unpopular? I don’t know because Chuuya seems to be slaughtering popularity polls lately, but I’ve seen him getting some flack on tumblr as well. Similarly I don’t think it’s so much that people dislike KunikiDazai so much as Chuuya is … disproportionately popular and the time people can contribute to fan works is limited.)

My canon OTP: There are no actual ‘canon’ pairings in BSD so far (I mean, if we don’t count Chuuya/Wine, Chuuya/His Hat, and Fitzgerald/Money, as you can see I take things Very Seriously). The ones I think are most heavily implied are Higuchi/Akutagawa (which I wouldn’t call my ‘canon OTP’ by any means because although I love both Higuchi and Akutagawa and want them to be happy he’s… not good for her currently), Mitchell/Hawthorne, and then Lucy —> Atsushi and Kyouka —> Atsushi. And… honestly Poe —> Rampo!? (While I highly doubt that was Asagiri’s intention, he has the same kind of fixation on Rampo that the girls do on Atsushi, pfft.) Of these RamPoe is clearly the Best but I’m very partial to AtsuLucy~

Non-canon OTP: soukokusoukokusoukokusoukokusoukokusoukoku

Most badass character: 560% Chuuya. (Do I need to explain why? I mean… look at him. /Jazz Hands)

Pairing I am not a fan of: Okay, I lied, there is one canon pairing and it’s Tanizaki/Naomi and I Am Not A Fan (I actually really like both of these characters in their own right and I’m even a fan of ships centered around devotion just please put them Very Ver Far Away from each other, they are siblings.)

Character I feel the writers screwed up (in one way or another): I always really hesitated to say ‘screw up’ with a series that’s ongoing — I think it’s unfair to the creators to call that when perhaps they’ve treated a character a certain way or put them in a certain scenario towards an end that would be compelling and make sense that we just haven’t seen yet. That said, of course I can’t pick just one, so here we go. 

Per Chuuya being my favorite character, I’m not 110% satisfied with how they’re handling him so far? I feel his character’s been shown to be a little inconsistent with regard to his abilities (both his actual Ability and also his faculties re: instincts, intelligence, and so on — even a bit of his personality when it gets boiled down to nothing but ‘Damn You Dazai!’ for comedic effect when he’s been hinted at being a much more complex person, as most people are). In part I think this also has to do with the fact that… Chuuya’s not… really a main character in anyway. They’re probably beginning to give him more of the spotlight simply because he’s such a fan-favorite, but — story wise, it doesn’t necessarily make sense to be their priority. (Even though /I/ want to see him treated consistently and given more on-screen depth and back story, and perhaps we’ll get that now that he’s featuring more!)

I think covering Dazai’s suicide-mania is important and I don’t even necessarily hate the light-hearted tone its given (I, myself, often cope with very self-deprecating humor), but I do dislike how often it’s treated completely flippantly. I could write a dissertation about why but… perhaps I shouldn’t have to.

Atsushi, Atsushi, Atsushi. Good lord. Not only is this kid screwed up from a physically and mentally absuve, isolated past, but the way he’s treated in the story, is just… He’s supposed to be our main character, and he has a lot of moments where he truly shines!! Atsushi is a wonderful shounen-type protag, especially in the climax of the Fitzgerald arc with how he gets through to Akutagawa, but damn is he inconsistent? Just when we think he’s gotten some character growth he goes right back to being a coward — and not that anybody can change overnight but the way it’s handled with him I feel is just… so stilted? Same for how development of his abilities is treated. We’re told it’s because of Fukuzawa’s ability, but that’s off screen and confusing for a reader. I… have extremely mixed feelings about how the chapter with his headmaster was handled, and what that means for his character and development as well. And — as much as I love sweet, pure, cinnamon roll Atsushi… I find myself thinking consistently “this scene would be more compelling for me if Dazai were actually the main character.” And I have very complicated feelings about Dazai, so that says something.

Favourite Friendship: I don’t think I can pick just one, actually…! Atsushi and Lucy’s friendship means a lot to me but actually I am HERE for Yosano and Rampo as well as Yosano with Kunikida. As much as I’m a Port Mafioso for life I do hope we see more of their interactions in the future. Also, nobody in the PM are really…. ‘friends,’ that I can tell? Though I want to see more Black Lizard interactions and also them interacting with Chuuya. And also Kouyou interacting with Chuuya! (Atsushi and Akutagwa are NOT friends but I’d like to see that…)

Character I want to adopt or be adopted by: I’m older than almost all of these characters so I guess I want to adopt Akutagawa and give him actual love and support because goddamn buddy you had it rough with Dazai as your mentor… ;w; (I’d be okay being adopted by Fukuzawa too, though!!)

002 | Soukoku

When or if I started shipping it. Hmm… definitely by Chapter 31 but I was curious about it when Chuuya first showed up, I think. I was ready for KunikiDazai, who are currently partners, so the whole ‘old partners’ thing piqued my interest. Chuuya comes off so much at first as ‘jilted, abandoned lover’ that I immediately want to know why or at least explore it in fandom.

My thoughts: THIS QUESTION IS SO BROAD, I could write a whole dissertation about this! How it’s great and interesting and also terrible and vague, how do I do the CliffsNotes version… we know so so so little about what’s implied to have been a terrifying and powerful partnership between Dazai and Chuuya. There’s just so much /potential/ there for how and why they came to know each other so well, for how Chuuya came to trust Dazai with his life despite knowing what a terrible prankster and liar his ex-partner is and how they two came to hate each other and bicker (or were they always this way?), and there’s of course the question of what lies in store for them in the future that makes the idea of the two of them together so fascinating to me. It’s an interesting ship for me especially because prior to BSD I’d be extremely hard-pressed to come up with a “hate ship” that I actually enjoyed. I tend to be more drawn to ships that showcase a typical ‘healthy’ relationship or positive emotions, signs of devotion, and so on — life’s angsty enough as it is, I use fandom and media to get away from that. But somehow that potential and both the humor and sadness of how Dazai and Chuuya interact and think of each other, and if they could reconcile (or not!), has been so compelling for me as a fan who likes to analyze and read into things too deeply. Soukoku is honestly just a really fun sandbox!

What makes me happy about them: Canonically, the humor in how they bicker and how frankly badass they are when they work together. In fandom, all the potential I mentioned earlier for them to reconcile, and also the idea of stolen warm moments and shenanigans together training and growing up in the Mafia, pre-Dark Era.

What makes me sad about them: How on earth did you guys hurt each other so bad!? What did you do?

Things done in fanfic that annoys me: Hmm… it’s hard for me to think of anything? I haven’t read anything in a while but when I first got into BSD it kind of drove me crazy that the entire fandom just collectively… made Chuuya French? Or Half-French. It’s not even a head-canon I’d be against, necessarily, I just didn’t get it, even with the actual author being something of a Francophile. (I’d be more interested to see that detail worked into his character.)

Things I look for in fanfic: Adhering to how they are in canon, hate and all, but analyzing in what ways they navigate around that to both be beneficial to one another and eventually even enjoy each other’s company. And the hurt/comfort thing. Also, Chuuya being intelligent in his own right! I mentioned earlier that the manga is kind of inconstant about this but I like the idea that Chuuya is not just brawn and I like when fic explores that in how he handles Dazai. Also I approve strongly of people covering Dazai being TERRIBLE and how he makes up for that — or doesn’t, and why.

My kinks: what. ….them both being… happy… together??????

Who I’d be comfortable them ending up with, if not each other: I think Dazai needs LESS VIOLENCE in his life but if Kunikida can set that aspect aside I think they’d be good together. (I also think Atsushi would be good for Dazai but it needs to be Just So… imbalance in power in a relationship that you sometimes see with mentors and mentees can not always be good for those involved /coughDaAkucough). For Chuuya I’m … not really sure. I think TaChuu is really cute and I’m on the fence about KouChuu? I see Kouyou as more an elder-sister or even Mother figure to Chuuya. based on how Mori was to Dazai since That One Chapter Cover is all we have to go on for Chuuya’s past and I am HERE for that type of interaction 560% and not really romantic-OTP about it. But to be fair she’s only four years his senior and they’d be quite the Power Couple, literally.

My happily ever after for them: They reconcile and talk out whatever it was they did to hurt each other, and recognize that they’re both hecked up but maybe they can be slightly less hecked up together if they try to understand one another instead of just insta-bickering. (They still bicker constantly, of course, but it’s a little more good natured, now.) Also, Chuuya joins Dazai at the ADA, where Fukuzawa can help him have better control of his power. His newfound lack of dependence on Dazai in that regard is one less thing for him to feel resentful over and can help him move past it. (That said I don’t think in any way this would be End Game for BSD and if you want to know my feelings on THAT I’d be happy to oblige — this is just what I think would be a sweet ‘happily ever after’ from where they’ve been.)

003 | Give me a character & I will tell you

Chuuya

How I feel about this character: I think about Chuuya every day and get emotional/angry about him almost as often, I Love Nakahara Chuuya a Lot. (Compared to Dazai’s analysis down below this probably seems really shallow but it’s more like I love Chuuya unconditionally? There’s nothing about his character I dislike.)

All the people I ship romantically with this character: Dazai. And, to much much lesser degrees: Tachihara. I’m not opposed to ChuuAku in any way I just… can’t think on my own what they can do for each other? and haven’t seen much fan work around it. I’m also here for ChuuAtsu but they’ve … never interacted, so.

My non-romantic OTP for this character: KouChuu!! I love Kouyou and I love the potential for family-style shenanigans with Chuuya!

My unpopular opinion about this character: Well, I guess I mentioned it above — I get why people don’t understand why he’s popular. /I/ don’t understand why he’s popular and I love him to hell and back, but — I think he deserves it. He’s spunky, sassy, badass as heck, incredibly well-dressed, appealing and compelling. And he has so much potential.

One thing I wish would happen / had happened with this character in canon: I want Chuuya’s backstory so badly!

My het ship: I can’t think of one?

My fem/slash ship: Soukoku

My OTP: Still Soukoku!?

My OT3: I could get behind Chuuya/Dazai/Atsushi or Chuuya/Dazai/Akutagawa or honestly all four.

My cross over ship: I don’t really have any but I played with a Tatara from K recently and their interaction was cute��

My kink: ??????????? Chuuya… smiling and…. not getting into a drunken stupor over Dazai????

A head cannon fact: Chuuya is Always Ready to Fight but he actually also likes ‘softer’ things like music and poetry quite well (they pair well with a nice glass of wine, after all). When not on the clock he dabbles in poetry and writing his own song lyrics (that, of course, would come out something like Darkness My Sorrow) and will practice singing them softly to himself, but although he’s not the nervous type he is way too embarrassed for anyone to know about this. It doesn’t fit his Big Bad Mafia image. Dazai is the only one who knows about this even a little bit, as some of their strategies are based on poems he either showed him when they were younger or things they co-wrote together while bored. (Another head-canon, because I’m weak – Chuuya knows his way around make-up, thanks to Kouyou, and because he’s all about looking Great regardless of whether it’s something ‘traditionally’ girly like that flowery hat he saw in the window in BSD Wan! He doesn’t wear makeup much though because he doesn’t think it fits his Big Bad Mafia image either, nor does he think he needs it.)  

My Gender Bend: Again I’m not entirely sure what this question means in this context? Like… is it how I think he’d look if he identified/was assigned another gender? Because I think he’d look… pretty much the same… appearance doesn’t signify gender in most ways… If it’s like, gender bending head canons from what we’re given in the series though I like the nb/transboy head canon for Chuuya, I think that’s a fair analysis in a lot of ways and valuable to explore in fandom/fiction.

Dazai

How I feel about this character: One time @annalaflame made the horrible mistake while we were in the parking lot at the end of the night, about to go our separate ways, of asking me “gin, do you actually like Dazai?” and she got to spend the next forty-five minutes in the front seat of my car as I sat there and explained how I felt about him.

The thing with Dazai is… he’s an asshole. In so many ways. I often compare him to Izaya from Durarara!! — which Haru, I realize that won’t mean much to you, but Izaya is like … he’s irredeemable to me? As a villain I love to hate him, because he’s horrible and manipulative and always seems to get his way but it’s to no end other than his character alignment being Chaotic Asshole.  Dazai, on the other hand…

Dazai is … such a multifaceted character. He’s horrible to people (and animals!) and manipulative and always one step ahead and is honestly, kind of a sociopath. He has no qualms at the idea of horrible things happening to his enemies be it by his hand or that of another, and he doesn’t seem to mind how his awful actions can affect those closest to him and at times even finds it humorous. Notice I didn’t say he doesn’t care — because I think he does, and this is where Dazai is redeemable to me.

I think, for someone so hyper-intelligent, scheming, calculating — Dazai was, and perhaps still is, a little lost. We see this in his lack of self-preservation and suicide mania, both in Dark Era and present, but also in the front he puts on, his bravado. He was something of a loose canon in Dark Era, very dangerous, and OdaSaku (from what I understand, having read summaries and watched the anime but not read the book itself) acted as his conscious and, with his death, became a guiding light leading Dazai towards being a better person by the work he — through a veil of On Brand complaints — now willingly does with the Armed Detective Agency.

Additionally, after the Guild arc, Hirotsu asks Dazai how long he’d been planning for Shin-Soukoku to happen, and Dazai answers from the Very Moment he met Atsushi. How can that be, if Dazai wasn’t acutely aware of exactly how he mis-treated Akutagawa as his now abandoned mentee, if that wasn’t something rather always on his mind? Dazai may not ‘care’ about people in the sense of always wanting to be helpful to them especially if he doesn’t get anything out of it — and in some ways this may be a product of his (lack of) upbringing and environment. But I do think he cares in the sense of perhaps, even retroactively, wanting to do ‘right’ now — and he’s still figuring that out for himself and how he does that. And that’s one of the things I find so compelling about a character that rubbed me such the wrong way at first — he may not be doing a good job, but Dazai is trying, in his own way. This is reinforced by how he treats Atsushi during our protag’s lowest moments of self-loathing and uncertainty, how he speaks to Kyouka when she’s given up, how he confronts Fyodor and defies him even in the face of their maniacally evil similarities. He’s a man that’s been terrible all his life, but is trying to be perhaps not good, but better. [Insert gif of Mal Reynolds from Firefly saying “well, I’m alright.”]

Anyway that got super long because I could go on about him for days, but basically I think Dazai is incredibly fascinating and easily one of the most compelling characters in the series, if you can get past the humor given to his suicide mania. But — even that is something that’s relatable to a number of people, which makes his character that near always has the upper hand in a situation very interesting to watch as he too grows and learns (even if he can be annoying too~).

All the people I ship romantically with this character: Chuuya! Kunikida, Atsushi (sometimes), OdaZai (sometimes)

My non-romantic OTP for this character: DaAku!! (T_T) I want to see them work stuff out. DazAtsu, too, always. Atsushi’s been a good influence on him. Also, the Buraiha trio was so good. (Also… maybe it’s just that I want Yosano to get more development as I keep mentioning her, but… I want to see her interact with Dazai more?)

My unpopular opinion about this character: I think his suicide-mania is important to consider and explore (I want to clarify though that I do hate how flippantly the series treats it, which is probably actually a popular opinion.)

One thing I wish would happen / had happened with this character in canon: I Really Really Really want the ADA to comment on afore-mentioned suicide-mania in a way that’s actually positive!? Like give this guy a support group, god. Yes, he drives everyone away and they don’t really owe it to him, but come on…

My het ship: I don’t think I really have anyone for Dazai either, actually…

My fem/slash ship: Soukoku?

My OTP: Still Soukoku, to the surprise of absolutely no one.

My OT3: Buraiha trio~

My cross over ship: Jury’s out on this, Dazai’s a hard one.

My kink: ???????????????????????? Actually my one fantasy of fantasies for Dazai was that I wanted to SEE HIM GET TAKEN DOWN A PEG because he was too ‘always right’ but then the manga happened and I DIDN’T WANT TO SEE HIM FALL LIKE THAT…. (Yeah hi I don’t really have ‘kinks’ really just… things I’d derive satisfaction out of seeing in canon RIP)

A head cannon fact: Actually this is sort of more soukoku-related than anything, but when they were kids and Dazai was still trying to figure out what exactly he was missing in order to look for it in order to be interested in continuing to shuffle along this mortal coil, he kind of voiced some of that personal angst to Chuuya while they were hanging out all partnered-up and Chuuya just … didn’t get it. It was not really in Chuuya’s wheelhouse to even consider wanting to die and he didn’t exactly… mock Dazai about it but brushed it off rather rudely without trying to understand it because from his perspective it was ridiculous. Cue ‘bandage-freak’ and ‘suicide maniac!’ insults. And Dazai was, understandably, hurt and insulted. But of course, being who he is he couldn’t show that and laughed it off with bravado as well, but it caused him to sink lower at the time and while he doesn’t really care because his capacity to feel things like that is abnormal, it was the major thing that really sparked some of the visceral resentment for Chuuya he seems to have in canon.

My gender bend: Same confusion on the question as with Chuuya. That said, Emil’s Single Dad AU has SLAYED me and I like their interpretation of trans!Dazai. I’ve also thought about the possibility of perhaps nb Dazai in general, in part because of his personal pronoun? But I don’t have the knowledge of Japanese culture in regard to non-binary genders to really say if that’s a fair analysis, since ‘watashi’ can also just be used when speaking slightly more formally.

004 | BSD + Your Choice

BSD + Fandom of my choice, hmm? I don’t know if these are really ‘crossover OTPs’ so much as just Imagine, If You Will, Come With Me On this Journey…. Chris and Kunikida having to deal with Rayflo and Dazai.

[chadnevett]

Books Read in 2017

Okay, I started writing up short blurbs a while back and never got back to it. So, here's the list with some blurbs for some. It doesn't matter. The blurbs are kind of crap.

1. LAPD ’53 by James Ellroy and Glynn Martin (January 1) This was a bit hit or miss, if I remember correctly. When Ellroy does true crime/history, he really indulges his over-the-top style. For novels, he tends to focus it and control is a bit more. On projects like this, he just lets 'er rip, and you can tell he's having a ball. The pictures are cool, too. It's nice to see the world that he's written about so much.

2. The Book of Basketball: The NBA According to the Sports Guy by Bill Simmons (January 14) This was an amazingly entertaining read. There are parts that didn't work so much for a casual fan like me (some of the history deep dives), but I was clamouring for an updated version by the time I finished.

3. The Only Rule is it Has to Work: Our Wild Experiment Building a New Kind of Baseball Team by Ben Lindbergh and Sam Miller (January 22) Two stats geeks are put in charge of a minor league team and learn that balancing the various factors in setting up a baseball team isn't as easy or simple as people like to think. It's not as simple to say "The stats show this, so do it," when you're dealing with real people who need to execute your vision. It's also a good window into the minor league system in baseball, and the various levels therein. How do you create a good team at the lowest level when your best players keep moving on to better things? What I really loved is that neither man ever saw that as a negative; they were both always so happy for the player.

4. Badasses: The Legend of Snake, Foo, Dr. Death, and John Madden’s Oakland Raiders by Peter Richmond (February 5) Lots of sports to begin 2017. This was a fun read. Lots of entertaining stories. Lots of mythology worship in the writing. I'm wearing a Raiders hoodie right now...

5. 4 3 2 1 by Paul Auster (March 8) The first bit of fiction for the year and it was a large read... It had been a while since Auster released any fiction, diving into his past in recent years, but it's easy to see why fiction was slow-coming when he drops this massive tome. The concept was that there is an introductory chapter of the main character's family leading up to his birth and, then, from that point, his parents move to one of four houses and we follow the four lives and how they differ and how they're similar. It's a lot of variations on similar ideas -- in each, he likes to write, for example, but different things (poetry, film criticism, journalism, etc). By the end, only one remains. It's kind of a summation of Auster -- he claims it's not as autobiographical as readers like to think, but... He's pretty good at taking parts of himself and giving them to each of the versions exclusively, and then bolstering with fictional elements. It's not his masterpiece and is a bit bloated at times. But, then again, I often found myself annoyed that he couldn't focus on just one of the versions -- usually whichever one I was reading about at the time. I think it could have benefited from smaller chapters, if only to establish the rhythm a bit better. By the time you get through the first round, you've forgotten what was so different/special about the first version...

6. The Great Derangement by Matt Taibbi (March 19) The first of four books I read by Taibbi this year and it's the weakest. It's hard to differentiate between them by this point. It's amazing to see how you can see the effects of what he's writing about still impacting the US so clearly...

7. Baseball Prospectus 2017 Ed. Aaron Gleeman and Bret Sayre (March 24) I've already pre-ordered the 2018 edition. My primer/get ready for baseball book. I read all of the essays and team profiles, and skim through player stuff.

8. Wild Time: An Oral History of Wildstorm Studios by Joseph Hedges (April ?) 9. Griftopia by Matt Taibbi (May 12) 10. The Divide by Matt Taibbi (June 2) 11. Insane Clown President by Matt Taibbi (June 12) 12. Trouble is My Business by Raymond Chandler (June 16) 13. The Simple Art of Murder by Raymond Chander (July 3) 14. The Big Sleep by Raymond Chandler (July 8) 15. Farewell, My Lovely by Raymond Chandler (July 16) 16. The High Window by Raymond Chandler (July 25) 17. The Lady in the Lake by Raymond Chandler (July 30) 18. The Little Sister by Raymond Chandler (August 6) 19. The Long Goodbye by Raymond Chandler (August 22) 20. Playback by Raymond Chandler (August 24)

21. Destroyer by Andrew Hickey (September 5) I got this for backing Andrew's Patreon. I opt for the level where he sends me a paperback copy of every book he does, which is awesome. This was a good, brisk read. Every chapter is around the same size -- two or three pages. It sets a good pace and makes it easy to read here and there. It's all about World War 2 and the occult and it's good.

22. The Gambler by Fyodor Dostoevsky (September 21) Funny, funny book. I mean, when the old lady shows up, I damn near lost it on the bus... Dostoevsky did this book by dictating aloud as the only way to get it done in time to pay off gambling debts. It's a 'minor' work, but it's also the one where he's clearly just winging it and maybe having a little bit of fun in the process and it's just a funny book.

23. The Force by Don Winslow (September 29) I wound up getting this in paperback, because it was released that way in Canada instead of hardcover? It was cheap, too, because of a Walmart discount. I'm not sure if the author made any money as a result. I loved his drug war books, but hadn't really gone beyond that. This one was immediately "Oh, it's like The Shield..." And it was. More focus on the post-exposure element than that show, which was more about their schemes and attempts to not get caught. But, really, if you saw The Shield, then you don't need to read this. It's not better. It doesn't add anything to that type of story. This is as good a way to kill some time as anything else.

24. Difficult Men: Behind the Scenes of a Creative Revolution by Brett Martin (October 8) I got this at a dollar store... It had some interesting bits, but felt lacking by the end. It never quite got into the depths of the various shows it was discussing enough for me. Maybe it was a matter of access? I don't know. It was a good overview...

25. Dostoevsky: A Writer in His Time by Joseph Frank (November 13) Every biography of writers should be this good. His life, the context, and some criticism of the works. Fantastic.

26. I Wear the Black Hat by Chuck Klosterman (November 16) 27. The Black Dahlia by James Ellroy (November 26) 28. The Big Nowhere by James Ellroy (December 3) 29. LA Confidential by James Ellroy (December 8) 30. White Jazz by James Ellroy (December 19) 31. If Life Is a Game, These are the Rules by Cherie Carter-Scott (December 21) 32. No is a Four-Letter Word: How I Failed Spelling but Succeeded in Life by Chris Jericho (December 24) 33. The Secret History of Twin Peaks by Mark Frost (December 30) 34. Chuck Klosterman X: A Highly Specific, Defiantly Incomplete History of the Early 21st Century by Chuck Klosterman (December 31)