Please let me know if this needs TWs :)
Again, this is sloppy. I'll clean it up when I do another analysis, but I think it's alright, but it's not supposed to be academic -- it's just for fun! (◍•ᴗ•◍)❤
If you want something to listen to whilst reading this:
Kayden Break is taking over my simpery list- DJDJD
Look at these screenshots. LOOK AT THEM.
Remember when we thought he was okay
Kafka Asagiri, Bungou Stray Dogs / Dazai Osamu, The Setting Sun / Kafka Asagiri, Bungou Stray Dogs / Dazai Osamu, Blue Bamboo / Kafka Asagiri, Bungou Stray Dogs / Dazai Osamu, A New Hamlet / Dazai Osamu, Blue Bamboo / Kafka Asagiri, Bungou Stray Dogs / Dazai Osamu, Seagull (self translated from Chinese) / Dazai Osamu, On Love and Beauty / Kafka Asagiri, Bungou Stray Dogs
“Everything passes. That is the one and only thing that I have thought resembled a truth in the society of human beings where I have dwelled up to now as in a burning hell. Everything passes.”
— Happy Birthday to my darling, Dazai Osamu | 06.19
useful carrds to get educated on what's happening towards asian community:
I think the most solid thing I could find was Akutagawa's wiki, specifically on the section on Dazai — which states that he was taken in at 14 in The Heartless Cur?
Also, during the anime adaptation his outfit looks closer to what he wore during 14-15, which is the coat hanging over his shoulders but drooping down in front of him?^^
Age 16, during the Dragon Head Conflict, he was wearing a two piece suit, I think?
So I think 16 as the age Dazai took in Akutagawa is canon?^^ Of course, I might be wrong!^^
I've recently seen multiple people say that in the Heartless Cur Akutagawa was 14 and Dazai 16, but is there any source to that? I thought the timeframe was never explicitated, but of course I might be missing something.
All the elements that I can think of that we know for sure are:
It must have happened before they were 16/18 (their ages during Dark Era)
It must have happened after Stormbringer; in The Heartless Cur Dazai says that that same day he was promoted to executive, which is something (timeskips aside) he wasn't for the entirety of sb (correct me if I'm wrong).
Same as above, it must have happened after the Dragon's Head Conflict because I *think* Dazai still wasn't an executive back then (I may be wrong. I know nothing of the dhc).
I guess it all boils down to how old Dazai was when he was promoted executive, but I don't think that was ever stated, not even in Dark Era... ?
1. | 2. | 3. | 4. | 5. | 6. | 7. | 8.
Mine never wanted me.
My father is something of a dead myth, and my mother was a criminal.
A perfect upbringing for me really.
Li Jing looked to the unfinished diary entry, the words burning through her pupils. Her eyes constricted, as she cradled herself, shoving it away with her foot. She scrunched her raven strands in her fist, as she chewed on her lip.
XXXX
My dream got eaten last night..
But I'm recovering.
"Xiao wasn't responsible, was he?" She sighed, to no-one in particular.
That was the truth. The secret that she so desperately needed to tell him. To at least chip away at his guilt- even slightly - wasn't possible. He would never know, because she would never tell him.
XXXX
I don't want to stay with her.
The page lay unfinished.
The next week after the entry, Li Jing was alone.
Loneliness plagued her life without hesitance. She dragged herself through a path that only led to more loss. Yet if she stopped, she would betray her mother. Being loyal to her mother was the only thing she needed.
She wished.
Li Jing shuffled to the door, quiet as she looked to the dawn that was illuminating him. Xiao was perched there, like his usual self. His breaths paced, body stiffly stuck in one place. She sat beside him, watching the sun glide over the debris of the moon.
"You really need to relax sometimes." She glanced at him.
"Hmph. And where's the time for that? Liyue isn't a place for rest."
"Then where is?"
Xiao hummed, looking to her arms. Her arms, were probably warm. But they had also probably forgotten him.
"Well what about you then?"
"History doesn't rest, so I can't either."
"Promise me you'll rest." His eyes clicked with her own, his tone soft.
"I'll keep the promise if you rest as well."
"Fine."
He leaned forward. He hesitated. With her eyes screwed shut, a soft warmth was pressed to her head, his sleeve dragging across the wood as he retracted. Li Jing's cheeks flushed, as her heart was pierced with ache once more.
"What are you guys doing?" The Traveller looked up to them, sleepy and worn with leftover fatigue. Xiao arched his brow, gracefully landing infront of the Traveller. Li Jing took the stairs down.
She linked arms with the Traveller, leading them away from him.
"The book you picked wasn't easy."
"Why?"
"The memories of the author are dead. None of their memories were clear."
"Then what are you going to do?"
"I'll need to meet this village's historian."
She brushed her hair rapidly, taking her two hairpins out of her side pocket.
"Who gave you those hairpins?"
"These? Oh."
"One is from Xiao."
Her face flushed red with fever. Days were blurring together as she looked to the outside, which had a quiet pond. The only thing keeping the days apart was Xiao.
His eyebrows were furrowed. Xiao leaned closer, his lips pressing a soft kiss to her head. Her eyes were heavy with fatigue, the cold cloth on her head slightly aiding her.
"Get well soon, please." He murmured, placing a hairpin in her hand.
She held his hand, a soft smile glazing her face.
"The other is from my best friend."
The summer sun was set on the water, as they padded through the sand, their arms gritty with wet sand. She paused, dirting her dress as she searched for an item.
"Mei your dress!"
" My mom doesn't care. Here! I got us matching hairpins! "
"What'd she look like?"
"I can't remember."
-
"I remember you! You must be the village historian?" Li Jing quipped.
"Yes, it's an honour to meet someone who has been documenting for centuries."
Her chest creaked with unease. She looked at his dark eyes, chuckling lightly.
"You knew the author?"
"Quite well actually. She passed on just a decade ago."
"I hoped she lived well."
"She did, being the great- granddaughter of Honghui. "
"Honghui?"
"I'm going to marry Hui! "
"You're only ten!"
Mei huffed, crossing her arms.
"True love doesn't wait, does it?"
"I can't believe she's dead. She was only 18!"
"Honghui is so distraught, he won't even leave his study."
"Yeah, he's an old name now. His tale is quite sad- moving on, you needed information for the book?"
"Yes, thank you."
"Make yourself at home."
"I'll be leaving in fifteen minutes, it's really not necessary."
She shuffled, tucking her sleeves to her side. The man glanced at her, his eyes lingering on her. Li Jing let her eyes fall to the table.
"No need to rush."
-
Literary Stray Letters
Hello! Looking forward to Autumn leaves falling?
This series/collection is dedicated to the literary pieces that contribute to my characters. This month, it's for Lotte! There are three short stories for her, which are all set during the 1930s-1940s in Ghana.
The Intrusion of Ignorance
The Lover's Robe
The Gullible & The Guilty.
STOP ASIAN HATE
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UH - UHM uhm UHM I- UHM 🫶🏾❤️???????
yo.
My special space for dumping about OCs & Art :)
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