In A World Full Of Serena Van Der Woodsen's I Wanted To Be A Blair Waldorf, Why? Because Blair Waldorf

"Night has fallen, and morning will come too,"

Kenji said while gazing at the paddy field.

"Spring will arrive, and Autumn too. Everything is split in halves. The grass grows, trees wither, animals are born, and they die……when you live with the land, you slowly come to understand that nature is made up of halves. When something bad happens……when a storm or erosion happens, we feel like bad things will only continue. But in truth, the good and the bad, they are all part of nature……part of living. That’s how everyone in the village thinks."

"I do not understand,”

Akutagawa said, looking at the same scenery.

"So fortune and misfortune are equal halves? Do you want to say the same thing to my comrades who died in the slums?"

"That is why you’re the half that’s left, Akutagawa-san"

Kenji looked at Akutagawa.

"You survived. And with a very powerful Ability, too. Everybody passed on their good halves to you"

~Kafka Asagiri, Bungo Stray Dogs, BEAST.

I don't want a boyfriend (not yet; I am not emotionally mature enough to have one), I just want a guy I can drag around to everywhere I go without either of us getting romantic feelings.

Just pals being pals

Dazai saves Chuuya's number as "My financial help" because he borrows/steals a LOT of money from Chuuya. And one day Atsushi reads the call ID accidentally when Dazai is on phone and talking to Chuuya, and Atsushi only sees "My finance", which his brain interprets as "My fiancè".

And......

Atsushi with flowers: Congratulations, Chuuya-san on your engagement. I guess you are keeping it low-key now 😄

Chuuya, confused: what?

Dazai, gasps: woah Chuuya you are engaged? Who is it?

Atsushi: Oh come Dazai-san, you can't lie to me. You and Chuuya-san are getting married

Chuuya: WHAT???😨

Dazai: did you hear that Chuuya? We are getting married!!!!🥰

Yosano: congrats you two 🍷

Kunikida: at least tell your colleagues about your marital status...

Kyouka: I have to tell Ane-san this, she will be furious

Kenji: a wedding in the agency!!!! I'll bring a cow for the dinner!

Junichiro: I can't believe you two went through with it! Congratulations!

Ranpo: Will there be a huge cake in the wedding? Or else I won't come 🍭

Fukuzawa: does Mori know about this?

Chuuya: WE ARE NOT GETTING MARRIED. WHERE DID THIS COME FROM

Dazai: Chuuya now this is peer pressure, we HAVE to get married 😚

Chuuya: WHY THE FUCK ARE YOU SO CHIPPY

*ten years later*

Dazai: Thank you Atsushi-kun for getting Chuuya to marry me

Atsushi: Dazai-san, you two have divorced three times by now

Dazai: Fourth time's the charm!!!

BSD and Shipping

Since Valentine's day was coming I was interested in discussing a huge part of the BSD fandom: Shipping

( ⚠️ RANT INCOMING. DO NOT READ IF YOU ARE EASILY OFFENDED ABOUT OPINIONS ON SHIPPING. PLEASE BE RESPECTFUL TOWARDS OTHER PEOPLE'S OPINIONS IN COMMENTS AND REBLOGS. ⚠️)

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So where to start?

For a long time I have been noticing one specific trend in the BSD subreddit. And that are posts that talk about unpopular opinions/Headcanons/fav or least fav ships etc.

What I find interesting about these posts is that one thing is always in the forefront, and it's the debates about the sexualities of the characters in BSD. While Headcanons can be annoying and some people do push their opinions on others, there is nuance that is lacking in the community when discussing some topics. Finding posts about Mori being a pedo and how Dazai is unlikable or overrated is very easy and the discussions surrounding topics like that are always the same. People would pick sides and end up writing a lot about what their opinion is and while that's valid, it also ends up in fandom wars where it's hard to like or dislike something without your head being in the chopping block.

Now let's go to the original topic: shipping. To examine the environment of shipping culture in BSD fandom we have to start with the headcanons that people have adopted for sexualities of the characters.

1. THE PROBLEM WITH HETRO-NORMATIVITY

Now, the posts about shipping often contain a lot of people writing paragraphs and paragraphs about what ships they like or dislike.

One of the ships that takes the most bullets for its existence and popularity is Soukoku or Shin Soukoku. There are lots of comments about these ships that "remind" us that canonically Dazai, Chuuya, Atsushi and Akutagawa are all straight. They should not be shipped with each other because they are straight.....

Dazai flirts with women and wants to commit a double suicide with a beautiful woman. Atsushi is very clearly set up to end up with Lucy. Akutagawa couldn't care less about romance as we see how dismissive he is with Higuchi. And Chuuya.......wears fashionable outfits and has a slutty waist, but we won't comment on that.

Dazai and Chuuya have a lot of queer subtext that anyone can see. Akutagawa and Atsushi are pointed out to complete each other and complement each other several times. These ships don't exist out of thin air.

Now there is nothing WRONG with anyone having the headcanon of any of these (or any other) characters to be straight, after all we are not given enough information about their sexualities. But by stating "Dazai is straight, he likes women" or "this ship doesn't make sense because they are not gay" not only does it imply that characters can't have other preferences but also that being straight is the default, which it isn't.

This is coming from a straight woman from a very conservative country where we don't have exposure to queer media. It took me a long time to stop being so heteronormative. I think assuming someone is straight until they prove to you or tell you directly is just as bad and as assuming someone is gay. I think we have come far along as a community to understand that it shouldn't be our first instinct to assume everything is heterosexual until we get some sort of proof or stamp of approval from its creator.

Asagiri isn't going to stand up in a stage in front of the world and say "yeah Dazai and Chuuya have gay feelings for eachother" because the manga is from Japan. If there were explicit queer characters then BSD would no longer get the label of being universal because of certain censorship laws. Even if it's getting more acceptable in Japan to show queer characters in manga and anime, BSD isn't a romance or slice of life story. It's a seinen, not a BL/GL. Besides, Asagiri shows little to no interest in romantic relationships in his story.

So by saying "______ character is straight because we don't have any other information proving otherwise " isn't a valid excuse to tell shippers not to ship certain characters, it's making it seem like heterosexuality is the default state of being.

That also doesn't mean you can say "Dazai is gay, don't ship him with women" because that's the same thing. If you think Dazai is gay/bi/pan/etc. then that's your opinion, pushing that on others only worsens the rep of skk shippers especially.

You have the right to like or dislike certain ships or have your own Headcanons. This is why even feminising certain characters also isn't as problematic as people call it. It's just a different take on a character (but that time people were correcting those who called Sigma a "he" instead of "they" was genuinely wrong). Headcanons of some random online stranger doesn't make anything canon. So if you find yourself around annoying people like that, just leave the conversation.

2. WHY SUBTEXT MATTERS

Subtext is really important when discussing media; in case of BSD whether it is the anime, manga, anthologies or LNs. BSD is not new to subtext, even from the start of the story there is a lot of queer subtext that people can figure out easily.

When we are introduced to Dazai and Chuuya's partnership in the first season, it's clear as day to see the dynamic and its underlying tension. We can see how close those two are that their relationship can't be explained just as simple partners turned enemies. Time and time again we get so much queer subtext between Skk's interactions. The entire 15 arc and well as Stormbringer shows us the bond and trust between the two as well as the intense amount of gay scenes. At this point I am sure Hoshikawa is a hardcore skk shipper. All of their official art is also gay (that could be queerbating though). Asagiri must know what the public thinks about Skk and still writes subtext about them. It makes sense why this would be a popular ship; it's not made out of thin air with no context (*ahem* Kousano *ahem*) but has actual roots and the proof to back it up too.

SSKK is a similar story, it's not my favourite but it has been growing on me ever since S5. Similar to skk, we get a lot of subtext and homoerotic moments between Aku and Atsushi. They are yin and yang. They are enemies that sought to kill eachother but still team up to fight together. Atsushi is literally the centre of Akutagawa's life since the beginning. Atsushi and Akutagawa grow together as characters and as different as they appear are similarly looking for one thing: validation and acceptance. Their relationship is so compelling in so many levels that it too makes sense why their ship is as popular as it is (especially regarding recent events in the story)

Ranpoe.....let's be real, those two got married a long time ago. They are the definition of "be gay, solve crimes". They are undeniably a cute ship regardless of whether it's one sided or not. Fyolai as well makes complete sense with the context behind Fyodor and Nikolai's relationship, while I also consider it quite one-sided as it's mostly Nikolai that is fascinated by Fyodor (and wants to kiss kill him) Fukumori isn't my cup of tea but it too has enough subtext to back it up, same with FukuFuku.

While I would love to talk about other ships, I wanted to show the reasoning behind the most popular pairings.

Personally, as a multishipper, it's very fun for me to have so many characters to examine and spend time obsessing over.

Now, there are straight ships that I like too as well as ships I don't ship for myself.

The reason I don't like Yosano and Ranpo together is because I see them in the same position as Kyouka and Atsushi. The scene of Ranpo recruiting Yosano (who worked with Mori) into the ADA parallels Atsushi saving Kyouka (who also worked with Mori). I consider them siblings and like how they are platonic instead of it being the typical "a boy and girl can't be besties". Another ship I love and cherish is AtsuLucy because it's so adorable, Lucy is my fav Guild member and her and Atsushi are "Girlboss and Malewife". I ship Tachihara with Gin, Higuchi and Gin as well as Kunikida with Yosano (surprisingly I don't find the appeal of Kunizai; though I still like that ship from time to time, just don't ship it actively). I prefer not to ship Sigma with anyone (he is still a baby to me)

So it's not that BSD doesn't have straight ships, when you make a majority male cast and have them be rivals or enemies, obviously people will ship m/m more. Especially if there is more subtext and tension behind the male characters and they have little to no interactions with women.

And I might get some heat for saying this:

It is okay for most of the BSD characters to be considered queer because if comp het is so normal in anime/manga then why can't the opposite be the case? We already have enough series with little to no representation, so why can't we have a bunch of queer characters?

3. TOXIC SHIPPERS AND THE FALL OF FANDOM CULTURE

I have been raving for the past two sections and defending the shipping community. But it isn't a conversation with nuance if I don't address the problem of a small group of people that take shipping too seriously. The reason why fandom itself gets a bad rep is because of shipping more often than not. I will admit, it's not all sunshine and rainbows when people argue about their fav ships. And a lot of the aforementioned ships are to a point, toxic. Yes, some shippers are annoying and ruin everyone else's fun. There are ships that don't make sense at all.

But that doesn't mean that a small part of people should represent others who are just having harmless fun and don't even believe their ships to ever become canon. Let's be real it's highly unlikely we will have any couples by the end of the show (the closest could be AtsuLucy). Sometimes people are too intense about ships and that goes for both antis and pros. Both of the extreme are toxic. And instead of shoving down our opinions down other people's throats, we should be celebrating the very story that brought us together in the first place.

Yeah it can be hard for those who don't like shipping at all to enjoy the story and have discussions. But we have to remember the roots of fandom culture start with shipping. It's always been the case and it's always been the most popular way to discuss one's favourite fictional work. From Sherlock to Genshin to boy bands to streamers, everything has been shipped and will always be. There is a reason why AO3 works so well.

4. SO WHAT?

The ships are what brought me to BSD in the first place. I wanted to explore the world of BSD because of its characters and their dynamics. And a lot of other people have gotten into this fandom for the exact same reason. While there are unflattering moments in our fandom, that doesn't mean it's not a place for people to come together and have some fun. Whether you ship or not. Whether you like fanfictions or not. We have to accept that there are a lot of pros to shipping too. It brings our ideas together, makes us feel giddy inside or tears our heart apart, it produces beautiful fanarts and fanfictions, it makes us analyse characters, it makes us look deeper into the story....and it makes us wait for what's next to come.

And I want nothing more than to be able to enjoy shipping without the guilt that comes with it.

Shipping isn't free from its flaws, but it is not defined only by its flaws. It might not be for everyone, but it is someone's everything. So even if you don't like it in particular, let's not spoil other people's fun. One's trash is another's treasure.

~Peace out 🕊️✌️

Competed Gossip girl (the og series) yesterday:

Here's my thoughts (SPOILERS) and don't hate me plz for my opinions, they don't matter.

1. Serena: AHHHHHHHHH she is so.....infuriating, hypocritical and has no substance, character growth, ANYTHING. She is not even interesting like Blair or Georgina. I stopped caring about her mid season 3. I did not care what happened to her after that. Only Blake lively made her bareable enough that I rooted for her to end up alone in the series and actually learn that she needs no man to have a happy life. Also she married her ex-step brother with whom she shares a sibling. Yikes.

2. Blair: I love Blair. She is an icon, she is a legend, she is the moment. I know she has done some bad shit. But I don't mind that cuz all the people are shitty. She owns her evilness. She also is so entertaining. I know Blair can be immature and bratty at times but at least she has some ambition about unlike her bsf. The friendship between Dan and Blair was heartwarming. Her dreams of becoming a princess and yale are relatable. Overall there's so much in Blair that you can't help loving her. (I think her banning Jenny from UES was the worst thing)

3. Chuck: Hate him. Why? Cuz he is Chuck Bass. I don't have to say more then, I don't know: the pilot, Jenny Humphrey, selling Blair for a hotel, SA, hitting Blair etc.....etc. I can go on but I don't want to talk about him at all.

4. Nate: um. He is pretty. He can be charming at times. He dates older women (or younger women). He......is the good guy (?)

5. Dan: if we forget the STUPID reveal that Dan was Gossip girl. He isn't much of a complex person after season one. He was compelling in 1st season and when he was friends with and dated Blair. He has the Humphery ideal of pitying themselves and also makes terrible decisions, having Vanessa as a friend for example. I have no idea why Serena liked him at all except that Serena is into artsy-serious-fake nice guys.

6. Jenny Humphrey: I LOVE Jenny Humphrey. She is so hated in the GG community. She never did anything as bad as Blair, Chuck or even Dan. Her storyline about becoming a fashion designer, throwing a guerillla fashion show and constant butting heads with Blair was amazing. DON'T hate my girl. (Also Taylor gets a lot of hate for making Jenny's character worse, but it was the writer's fault). She got hate so much for the Chuck situation when HE was more in the wrong.

I read your theory!!!!! It was very well researched and well written <3 <3

I could never do that much research tbh 😂😂😂

So this might seem a bit "naive" when I try to use the argument of not liking the theory just because it doesn't sit right with me personally.

I have also written a theory about Richard lying about things to a degree that he might have made everything up. (He's like a self insert Y/N lol)

I am not Christian or know much about religion either way to comment on those types of things.

All I know from what I understood from the text is:

Bunny knew Henry was after him, he was completely paranoid about that. Him and Henry have a very complicated relationship that we see very little of.

To me Henry pushing Bunny will always be important--- cuz the idea of Bunny watching Henry kill him is just heartbreaking.

Bunny considered Henry his best friend, he loved him.

To see someone you care about so much END your life is tragic. Especially since Bunny wanted to live; he wanted to live forever. He wasn't even dead for ages, so he was lying there in the snow and if he could process things and think. Imagine how he must feel when his best friend killed him!!!!

Richard and Bunny have limited interactions and I do not find their dynamic as compelling as Richard and Henry's is. Richard spent more time with the rest of the friends than he did with Bunny.

Despite knowing Richard has more hand in the story, I still am in the minority of people who actually do NOT want Richard to have an active role.

I like how things are from his POV, he is so basic and normal (to a degree)

He's basically the audience surrogate; reacting rather than doing things actively for story to advance.

And I just prefer Richard that way!

This isn't trying to retract from your theory btw! I love when people have their own theories and discussions it's very fun to see and argue about.

I don't like that particular theory for personal reasons, but I did enjoy reading yours!

It must have taken ages 😭😭😭😭😭 (my old theories are still in the drafts lol)

Am I the only one who hates the "Richard pushed Bunny theory" (⁠*⁠_⁠*⁠)

I feel like it takes away sooo much from Bunny and Henry's friendship/relationship

Richard pushing Bunny does NOT have the same impact as Henry, Bunny's best friend pushing him to death.

Ik we want Richard to be more involved in the story but we don't have to take away from the huge implications behind Bunny's death at the hand of his FRIENDS

Richard just came into Bunny's life. Henry knew Bunny for years and was the closest to him in the group. I would rather someone he knew for years betraying him than a person who's barely a friend to him 🤷🏻‍♀️

NOW TELL ME THIS IS NOT AKUTAGAWA SIBLINGS CODED (specifically, Gin)

"We've taken different paths

And travelled different roads

I know we'll always end up on the same one when we're old

And when you're in the trenches

And you're under fire I will cover you"

"If I was dying on my knees

You would be the one to rescue me

And if you were drowned at sea

I'd give you my lungs so you could breathe

I've got you brother"

"We're living different lives

Heaven only knows

If we'll make it back with all our fingers and our toes

Five years, twenty years, come back

It will always be the same"

Richard : Why isn’t the statue smirking at me?

Camilla: It isn’t smirking at anyone, they’re all just imagining it.

Richard : Three of us saw it, Camilla. How do you explain that?

Camilla: *points at Francis* Sleep deprivation. *points at Charles* Paranoia. *points at Henry* Delusional personality disorder.

"There are many types of monsters that scare me: Monsters who cause trouble without showing themselves, monsters who abduct children, monsters who devour dreams, monsters who suck blood... and then, monsters who tell nothing but lies. Lying monsters are a real nuisance: They are much more cunning than others. They pose as humans even though they have no understanding of the human heart; they eat even though they've never experienced hunger; they study even though they have no interest in academics; they seek friendship even though they do not know how to love. If I were to encounter such monsters, I would likely be eaten by them... because in truth, I am that monster."

~L Lawliet, Death Note Relight 2.

I don't know about other characters but if there was a TSH adaptation on screen (which I hope is directed and written by Donna herself) then my fancast for Julian is Steve Carrel.

Julian is charismatic and friendly, all knowing or at least seeming so, a talker, a mystic type of person. He isn't young but has young features and greying hair but still handsome. He is supposed to make you want to listen to him all the time and Steve Carrel just exudes that energy.