“It Starts With The Eyes. She’s Gotta Have Those Kind Of Eyes That Can Look Right Through The Bullshit,

Mori and Abuse

I’m making this because the BSD fandom has 2 modes for interpreting Mori and it’s either evil evil child abuser or spineless bastard and I HATE both of them.

Mori is an abuser, yes, but the way he abuses characters is very atypical, and not at all what most people expect. His abuse is almost all psychological, the only character we can say for sure has been physically abused by him is Yosano, and we’re only shown one instance of that.

For simplicity, I’ll be referring to his abuse of Dazai, Chuuya, Koyo and Yosano, but I believe it could be said that Kyuusaku and potentially the Akutagawa’s have suffered because of him.

To understand why Mori has abused certain characters, we must understand a bit about him as a person. This is potentially why Mori’s actions are so wildly skewed by the fandom, because no one wants to observe him too closely (but that’s a whole other post). Simply put, Mori is a military man. He does anything and everything to achieve the “optimal solution”, he has a plan and if he has to get his hands dirty to reach his goal, he will. Emotions and attachments go out the window for him, most of the time at least, because he would sacrifice anything, and anyone, to achieve his goal. Most of the time at least. That’s why he used Yosano, because what’s the life of one girl to the safety of his nation? That’s why he manufactured Oda’s and his orphans deaths, because the prize outweighed the cost.

Mori is logical and reserved, so we must observe all his actions with the lens that he has a reason for what he does, because he (almost) always has a reason.

I’ll start by referring to Mori’s abuse of Dazai, because he’s a bit of a special case and also the one that the fandom overall gets the most wrong. Mori’s abuse of Dazai is usually twisted to be sexual or physical, when there is absolutely no evidence of that. People like to bring up Dazai’s abuse of Akutagawa, or that one throwaway line from The Day I Picked Up Dazai as evidence, but neither of those hold up in my opinion.

Firstly, just because Dazai’s abuse of Akutagawa was partly physical, doesn’t mean he himself underwent physical abuse. Just like Mori, Dazai always has reasons for what he does, and his reason for what he did to Akutagawa was tailored to Akutagawa and his ability, therefore not something that Mori would have done to Dazai. Not to excuse Dazai’s abuse of Akutagawa, of course, but the fact of the matter is that Dazai’s abuse was a test of Akutagawa, and a punishment because Akutagawa didn’t adhere to Dazai’s standards. This abuse is the result of Mori’s own abuse, yes, but it’s not as straightforward as “Mori hit Dazai, ergo Dazai hit Akutagawa”.

The line from TDIPUD is also poor evidence, as all it is is Oda telling Dazai that what he’s doing won’t hurt and Dazai responding that Mori says the same about the needles he gives him. The fact that this is taken as abuse is really weird to me, why is that the assumption here? Mori is a doctor, there are multiple reasons for him to be giving Dazai needles. And the fact that Mori says it’s not going to hurt just sounds like the typical “doctor giving a kid a shot” exchange.

Dazai hates pain, so obviously Mori would lie and say that it isn’t going to hurt. Mori cares for Dazai’s well-being, which is what makes Dazai a bit of an outlier, as Mori shows care for him before he’s found a reason to justify that care. This is evidenced by their exchange in the beginning of Dazai, Chuuya: Fifteen, which is very important as it gives us an insight into Mori’s perspective during that time, where he panics because he hasn’t achieved the “optimal solution” by keeping Dazai alive, but then justifies that action by deciding Dazai is too good an asset to throw away.

And here-in lies the actual abuse that Dazai went through, not being hit or shamed or any of that, but emotional coercion, a slow cultivation of the parts of Dazai that Mori saw as useful, and a creation of the mindset we see Dazai use. This is most prominent with how Mori plants ideas into Dazai’s head. This is referenced in Chapter one of Fifteen as well, establishing that Mori has taken somewhat of an instructor role to Dazai, but that’s something Dazai rebels against.

This exchange is a perfect example of that conditioning, instead of giving Dazai information directly, Mori gets Dazai to deduce his answers using information he already has, something we see Dazai does very often in the current plot. But the main example of this conditioning comes in the form of Dazai’s plan to use the Sheep against Chuuya, a plan that comes DIRECTLY from Mori.

Mori makes sure that Dazai is in the room as he baits Chuuya, uses the weakness of the Sheep against him, and then breaks down EXACTLY what has happened for Dazai. “Just some food for thought” my ass.

Then when discussing his plan with Rimbaud, Dazai brings up a theory taught to him by Mori. 15!Dazai is such a little parrot, it’s all “Mori says, Mori says, Mori says”, just word-vomiting all the thoughts Mori puts in his head, there is a CLEAR influence here.

Just like Mori, Dazai uses the Sheep against Chuuya. Mori shows Dazai how to control people, how to make them listen and how to make them obey. The reason Dazai treats people like pawns, the reason he KNOWS how to manipulate people is because Mori taught him.

Just like so many of the characters, the fandom forgets that when Mori met Dazai, he was a child. He was a broken child who needed a guiding hand and the hand he got was Mori’s. Morí crafted the Dazai that we see, shaped the way that he thinks, THAT was his abuse.

Chuuya as well is a special case. Like Mori, he is a leader, and that is a quality Mori admires in him. In turn, Chuuya looks up to Mori, sees him as an inspiration for what it means to be a leader. This is another example of Mori’s manipulative abuse. To Chuuya, Mori makes himself out to be a saviour, someone who will teach him how to be better, how to protect the people he thinks he has failed. Mori takes Chuuya at his weakest point and gives him a new chance.

And with that, Chuuya is loyal to the mafia and Mori has Soukoku. Never mind that Mori was the brains behind Dazai’s plan that got Chuuya into the mafia in the first place, by getting Dazai to do his dirty work, Mori gets to appear to Chuuya with a halo and wings (I could also talk about Mori’s involvement with Stormbringer and how that locked Chuuya into the mafia, but that’s another tangent).

Mori has done the same with Koyo. She’s loyal to him, but clearly does not LIKE him, so where does that loyalty come from? It is because he has freed her. Koyo suffered under the rule of the Old Boss, she had no freedom, the man who cared for her was executed, she was restrained within the mafia. And then Mori takes over and she ends up an executive. Suddenly she’s got POWER, she can change things, under Mori she’s given the ability to change things and take charge. He sees a girl in chains and loosens them, not enough for her to escape, but enough that she can move. And having been chained up for so long, that feels like freedom. Koyo is loyal to Mori because he’s better than the alternative, because if she can’t be free, at least she can move.

I left Yosano for last, because again, she’s a wild card. Unlike all the other people Mori has coerced, Yosano’s abuse took place during a time where every second was precious. There was no time to do it delicately, the way Mori handled everything else, it was war, win or lose. Mori’s tactics were a lot more brutal, Yosano wants the soldiers to live, so Mori shoots the one she cares about so either she WATCHES her friend die, or she can save him. Unlike with Dazai, with Chuuya, with Koyo, Mori isn’t Yosano’s saviour, he’s her captor, he gives her a choice, but its one where neither option is made to look kind. He makes it clear, she heals them, or they die, whether it’s at his hands, or the hands of the enemy, and he knows she would never let them die.

Mori works through coercion and manipulation, he shapes the way people think of him carefully, moulding his appearance in the eyes of others. To Dazai he’s just an old man that Dazai has under his thumb, who tries and fails to manipulate him. But that’s not the truth. To Chuuya he’s a benevolent leader, someone so gracious as to grant him a place in the mafia. But that’s not the truth. To Koyo he’s the safest option, not someone she wants to follow, but someone she will follow, because at least she’s free. But that’s not the truth. To Yosano he’s evil, cruel and harsh and he takes lives as easily as he breathes with no remorse, he’s the God to her Angel of Death. But thats not the truth. To the audience, he’s a monster, a filthy pervert who is nothing more than a pedophile. Is that the truth?

Mori is like a spider, ensnaring people in his web with carefully constructed lies and appearances, his abuse is not physical or sexual, it’s a psychological coercion, careful at times and brutal at others, his abuse is a targeted attack of an individual’s weaknesses, and a cultivation of the parts he sees as useful.

Every person is his tool, and he likes his blades sharp.

@1seaweedbrain1 for you <3

Need help finding a fic.

The issue is I don’t remember the name or the plot, just one specific scene. Which doesn’t help as I can’t remember if it was a part of the actual plot or if it was some sort of flashback type of deal.

Anyway so the thing I remember is:

Chuuya and Dazai get into a fight after completing a job. Chuuya chooses to go back to HQ in a huff first, leaving Dazai there.

Oda (who was assisting or part of the clean-up?) was there so Dazai wasn’t too bummed out even as if he felt a bit bad about the fight and somewhat unsettled. Oda offers to make sure he gets back to HQ with Dazai being his annoying self to brush it all off.

His misgivings are not misplaced as Chuuya encounters Q when he gets back to HQ who wants to play with him as Dazai refuses to play with him. Q curses Chuuya and that inadvertently triggers Corruption (though they don’t call it that as this is the first time Chuuya shows that side of his power so this part at least is before DHC since I don’t remember if SB is mentioned later).

When Dazai arrives in a hurry, haven given into worry, Chuuya is wrecking everything and clearly not his usual self. Q is crying and hiding beneath a bench. Dazai at first orders him to stop using his ability as he doesn’t see the doll, but Q reveals he did stop using it but Chuuya didn’t stop being weird and destroying stuff.

So Dazai does end up nullifying Chuuya and they’re both left wondering what the hell all that was about (and there’s casualties as well - I think the fic implied that this was the incident that lead to the decision to lock Q up though that also caused more carnage).

Unfortunately, that’s all I remember so if you recognize it and know what this might be from I would be extremely grateful. I’ve been looking for it for days now but not knowing the title, tags, or summary makes it hard to find.

Hey Omni! After seeing your content and you mentioning Owen in physiotherapy.

I thought about maybe the crew and his siblings helping him through it!

Aww! That'd be really wholesome! And gosh, Owen would be so embarrassed having to be helped by that many people

~~~

Dom leaned against the doorway leading into the living room and watched as Owen sat with Jack, who excited talked to him. Owen was lifting small weights, working on his arm strength

Every day, Owen was getting stronger. But it also seemed like he was getting just as restless

Owen had been with them for a few months now, ever since they had smuggled him out of the hospital. It had been difficult to sneak out someone who could barely walk out of the country undetected, but they had

And Dom didn't really regret it

The whole time Owen had been in that coma, it had broken Dom's heart to see how much Letty struggled. She would constantly fly back and forth between London and LA to see him

He was family to her, and she wasn't going to let him go

When she had come back, a mixture of tears and a smile, Dom knew it was time to make a decision

They would take Owen in as part of the crew. Whether he liked it or not

Luck seemed to be on their side, because Owen didn't remember anything about them. The Nightshade heist was wiped from his memory and how he had ended up in a coma

Owen had readily accepted their help, especially when he saw how much Letty trusted them

Months later, it felt as if Owen had been part of their crew since forever. Brian and Mia had accepted him and enjoyed how much he and Jack got along. Especially when Owen helped Jack with his ADHD

Dom was just worried what would happen when Owen was completely recovered

Would he want to stay with them?

Dom got his answer a week later

---

"Dom, I keep telling you, you have to wash the pans before putting them in the dishwasher!" Letty complained as she scrubbed at a pan

Dom simply grunted as he worked side by side her to scrub another pan. There was a reason he hated doing chores

They were so focused on each other, it took them a minute to notice they had an audience

"Let? Nic?"

Shutting off the water, they both turned to see Owen standing in the doorway. He still couldn't run, but he was able to stand by himself and walk unassisted

"What's up, Oh?" Letty asked, drying her hands

"Do you remember my brother's number? Or my Mum's?"

Dom blinked in surprise. He didn't even know Owen had a brother

"I have your brother's, but I wasn't sure if he was in a safe place to be contacted." Letty quietly admitted

"Even if he's not, he'll take the risk." Owen nodded. "I need to talk to him."

"Sure, Oh."

Letty handed her phone over and they watched him leave the room, phone to his ear

"Deck?"

Frowning, Dom looked down at Letty

"Why didn't you tell me he had family?"

Letty was still staring at where Owen was, biting her lip

"Because his brother is on the run from the law. He's done a lot worse than Owen and doesn't want to lead that trouble to Owen. I didn't want either of them risking their lives for each other."

"And now?"

"Looks like they're going to do it anyway." Letty sighed

---

It was another two weeks when Deckard and Hattie Shaw showed up

They were having their weekly barbecue. Jack had dragged Owen around the yard, leaving him breathless. Dom had raised an eyebrow when he saw Roman being the one to rush to Owen's side and help him sit

He shared a smirk with Brian, both nodding in agreement about the hopefully, future couple

They were all sitting down to eat when there was a shout from the driveway

"Owen!"

Owen had shot to his feet, but wobbled for a second. The rest of the crew followed suit, Roman standing next to Owen to take his weight if need be

"Deck!" Owen called back instead, not even noticing the protective stance the crew was taking around him

Around the corner came a man and woman, both looking pissed off

"Hatts?" Owen blurted out. He shoved away from the crew and slowly made his way over to the strangers

Dom's eyebrows rose when the two wrapped Owen in a strong embrace. The man cupped the back of Owen's head and brought their foreheads together

It was honestly touching watching the tearful exchange

After a minute, Owen pulled back enough to whisper to the man and woman. He pulled completely away, one of their hands in each of his

"Guys," he called out to the crew in a wide smile. "I'd like you to meet my brother and sister. Deckard and Hattie."

Everyone was silent as they took in two more Shaws

"Fuck. There's three?" Han mumbled, speaking everyone's thoughts

~~~

I hope you enjoyed friend!

Oh, if the sky comes falling down, for you, there’s nothing in this world I wouldn’t do

(The evolution trigger is ✨Trauma✨)

Edit: since there seems to be some confusion about all the AU Jasons, here's a list of where they're from.

From Left to right Red Hooded Ninja: Young Justice cartoon Red Hood: Red Hood and the Outlaws (2016), DC comics Arkham Knight: Batman: Arkham Knight video game Red Robin: Death in the Family interactive movie Father Todd: Flashpoint: The World of Flashpoint #2, DC comics

Hobbs & Shaw

- OKAY I KNOW A LITTLE OFF BRAND BUT ALSO LIKE TOTALLY NOT WHEN YOU THINK ABOUT IT

Hobbs & Shaw idea.

Something happens. I don’t really care what it is but the result is that Shaw has to move in with Hobbs and his daughter.

Shaw says he hates it but it’s been a long time since he had anyone around like that. Like always there at the end of the day and in the mornings. It’s kind of nice.

They make fun of each others morning routines, they argue, they both make sure that Sam has her lunch for school. 

And Shaw absolutely wont admit it but he loves being the ‘bad influence dad’. 

Shaw takes Sam for fancy tea, and teaches her how to pick a lock and play poker. He calls her ‘Honey.’ At first in a ‘listen honey.’ kind of way but then like in an actually affectionate dad way.

He even has to pick her up from the principals office one time and the school is like… ‘oh. OH!’ and totally think that Hobbs and Shaw are together together.

And it takes them a while to realize that they basically are. 

They are husbands and dads and they save the world together but only if it doesn’t interfere with their obligations to Sam.

Sorry we can’t come save the world until after Sam’s flute recital.

I don’t even really care if they kiss or not.

(even though they definitely would. They would get in a fight and they would just like smash there mouths together and be confused and BOTH talk to Sam about their feelings because Hobbs is all about open communication and Shaw is new at this but she means a lot to him and he values her opinion. and she’s like… wait you mean you haven’t been like… together this whole time?)

Just give me this weird little family rom-com.

Hiya Omni! May I request young Owen & Hattie deciding to run away from home and Deckard has to go out and find them and convince them to stay (even if he secretly wants to leave too)

Awwwww! I can see this happening so many times when they're young. Deckard feels so bad because he wants to leave with them, but he can't

Warning: depictions of child abuse

~~~

Teeth chattering, Deckard walked through the empty streets of London. Pulling his too thin coat tighter around his body, he kept his head on a swivel, hoping to catch a glimpse of two little bodies

When he had come home from the late job his uncle gave him, he wasn't surprised to hear his father snoring in the living room, full passed out. But when he had gone upstairs, he hadn't seen either of his siblings in their bedrooms

Immediately, Deckard had panicked, worried that his father had gone too far. But then he had seen a letter left in his own room

It was the fifth time Owen had dragged Hattie out of the house, saying they were running away. Deckard couldn't help but wonder what made Owen snap this time. Whatever it was, it wasn't good

Deckard hoped his siblings were dressed warmer than him as he watched his breath swirl in front of his face

It was an hour later and Deckard could barely feel his fingers when he found his siblings. He should have known they would hide behind their favorite candy store

Stepping into the alley, Deckard shook his head as the two cuddled against a large garbage bin. Owen seemed to have enough sense to bring a blanket, which Hattie peeked her head out from under

"Oh. Hatts. What are you doing?" Deckard sighed, trying to keep his teeth from chattering too much

"We're running away!" Owen snapped and tried to scowl but looked more like he was pouting

"Why?" Deckard asked, moving closer to them. Without a word or gesture, they were pulling the blanket up to let him slide under it. Once he was, Hattie crawled into his lap and Owen snuggled against his side

"Da's a cunt." Owen grumbled

"Language." Deckard said tiredly. "And that's not a reason."

"Because he hurt Hatts!"

Deckard frowned at that

"Show me."

Hattie bit her lip as she brought her hands up and took off her gloves. Her hands were hastily bandaged and showed the blood skin and rash

"Oh, Hatts..."

"He made wear those bad things." She sniffed

Latex. Which she was allergic to

Cradling her hands, Deckard felt exhaustion settle deep in his bones

How many times was he going to let their father hurt his siblings? Could they ever escape that awful man?

"We need to go home and clean this properly."

"No!" Hattie wailed. "He's going to hurt us again!"

"Hattie! We have nowhere else to go!" Deckard said firmly

"I'm not going to let him keep hurting us!" Owen hissed, meeting Deckard's eyes. "Nobody believes us! Not even mum!"

Deckard bit back a sigh

Owen wasn't wrong. Their teachers, the doctors, neighbors, and their mother didn't believe that the injuries they got were from their father

"I'm sorry, Oh. But we can't leave."

"Why not?" Hattie cried, rubbing her face with her hand and smearing blood on her cheek. Grabbing her hand, Deckard shook his head

"Because... just because."

He could see that neither of them found that a good answer, but Deckard was too cold to come with a good lie

"Come on," he sighed. "We're going home."

Wrapping the blanket around Hattie, he picked her up. She was heavy in his arm, but he didn't dare let her down. For his comfort or hers, he wasn't sure

Sending Owen a firm look, he led the way back to their house

He had a feeling none of them would be sleeping much that night

~~~

I hope you enjoyed friend!

Red Dead Redemption 2: A Summary

There is something that really intrigues me about Damian Wayne's year by year development. Because every year, he's different from the last. Personality wise, his behaviour and his perspective of life changes irratically.

First there is his 10 year old self. Damian is very proud and arrogant. He doesn't care for any of his siblings or family one bit. Not even Bruce. What he cares about is Batman's mantle. He prides himself on being the son of The Dark Knight and Talia al Ghul. And that's why he wants his father to see his potential, and deem him worthy. He is cold and dismissive. He also doesn't understand emotions really well. Nor does he care for others'. He is unlikable and people tend to steer away from him. Damian Wayne doesn't get bothered by it. He hates stupid people anyways. It doesn't bother him. It doesn't. He is ignorant.

Then there is his 11 year old self. A few months after coming back from the dead. Yet he's still scarred, physically and emotionally. His mother's betrayal simmers inside his heart, throbbing. It's a new feeling for him, hurt. But he tries his best to ignore this feeling. He isn't very succesful. He has spent almost a year with Dick Grayson as his Batman, and took acting classes. He's better at showing his emotions, now. He has pets and he finds himself caring very deeply for them. Although he's still trying to adapt to his father's Batman. Damian feels... dissapointed. Bruce is very different from Dick and it shows clearly. He is anxious.

Damian is 12 years old now, and he has managed to create deep bonds with his family (some of them). He also has new friends now; Colin, Maya and Suren. He learned to have fun and find hobbies for himself. He is still distant with his mother. But he finds that best for himself and others around him. The hurt slowly dissolving, yet still there. He still fights with people and tend to keep away from them. At his last months of 12 years old, Damian gains a best friend. Jonathan Kent. He finds Jon to be a bit much but still enjoys his company deeply. It's weirdly endearing to be his friend. Life is going better than he ever expected. He is, for the first time in his life, happy.

On Damian's 13th birthday, only Alfred remembers. He bakes him a silly colorful cake and makes him wear a stupid party hat. He loves it. He thought he'd be sad or angry when his father, inevitably, forgots about it. He isn't. With each passing year he finds himself getting closer and closer to the old man. Damian finds him comforting. Alfred is always there no matter what. A constant in his life and although he'd never say it out loud, he thinks of Alfred Pennyworth a father figure. Jon and him now go by Supersons. A silly name that makes him smile just a little whenever he thinks about it. He now knows what love is. He loves Alfred Pennyworth, he loves Jonathan Kent, he loves Dick Grayson, he loves Stephanie Brown and he loves Maya Ducard. He sees them as not a family, but a part of himself. People actually start treating him well and seek out for him. It doesn't last long though. Alfred dies, and his family breaks apart. His father blames him, and so he leaves the manor. He now lives in a safehouse, and goes after criminals. He doesn't know what to do from now on, so he waits for the right moment. He is devastated.

A few weeks before his 14th birthday, Damian Wayne leaves Gotham. He no longer wishes to live in this hellhole that harbors the best years of his life. He seeks out his mother in an attempt to reconnect with her and finds more than what he asked for. He doesn't tell anyone of the hallucinations. No one. He is dead. It isn't real. Not anymore. His mother sends him to an island full of people like him. Murderers, psychopaths and assassins. He meets an unexpected old face. And surprisingly, he makes friends. After dying yet again, he finds himself drawn to it. The moment when Flatline ripped his heart out of his chest, he felt terrified. Not of death, but of Hell. That doesn't happen though. He doesn't go to Hell. He doesn't go to anywhere really. The death itself didn't even hurt. He feels... lighter. It might sound sick, but Damian feels better after coming back. Almost like a punishment of his past sins. It cleanses him inside out and he seeks for another. A few days later Hawke breaks his neck and kills him. Again. And Damian finds it hilarious, since it was the same way that Alfred had died. He doesn't care for the death. He finds himself not hurting anymore. Not scared. He makes even more friends. They have so much in common with him... Damian Wayne feels death, and finds it freeing.