Damian: It Would Make My Grandfather Happy That We're Trying To Figure Out His Recipe. I Bet He's Looking

Free Art Commissions

Hey everyone! To practice my art skills (and create content) I've decided to open some free commission slots!

There will be 3 slots available every month that will be (hopefully) fulfilled by the end of every month.

The Rules:

This is a Fast & Furious fandom exclusive deal.

This is a one commission per-person deal. You can't take up more than one slot.

Since this is free, I get to decide if/when the piece is done. Trying to do 3 full-lineart full-colored pieces would be super exhausting. I'm going to let my energy and inspiration take the lead.

This will generally be a 1st-come-1st serve basis, but if someone requests something that squicks me out, I'm not going to do it.

There will be a 2-character max for these. Ideally I could do more, but I'm worried I'll quickly get burned out. If you *desperately* want more than 2, we'd probably have to start talking about actual paid commissions.

As of right now, my commission slots for July are open. So feel free to message me with your requests/ideas.

I look forward to hearing from you!

- Pogue

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

For brownie points: add why in the tags

(For context, Vivzipop did say in one of her lives that one of the main six would die)

Luke: What does “take out” mean to you?

Deckard: Food.

Hattie: Date.

Owen: Murder.

Magdalene: All three if you’re not a coward.

Happy Pride Month! I tried recreating the Shaw siblings with what I think would be their pride flags. 

Shout out to @possiblypogue for inspiring me to create with Picrew

and @omnivorousshipper for feeding my love for the Shaw Sibings

Au where Deckard and Luke are raising young Samantha together: Sammy learns her first bad word, Owen's laughing hysterically and Hattie's barely hiding her snickers, while Luke and Hobbs are trying to 1) find out who taught her that (spoiler: it was accidentally them) and 2) how to get her to stop.

😂 I love it!! And I love the idea of Sam being raised by the Shaws and her dad

~~~

Yawning widely, Owen stumbled towards the kitchen in hopes that Deckard had already made breakfast. He could hear several voices and assumed that Sam was just being fussy with her own food again

She had gotten to the age where throwing food was much more amusing that eating it

Owen remembered that age fondly

But, as he stepped into the kitchen, he was met with an odd scene

Both Luke and Deckard were standing in front of Sam, who was laughing and clapping her hands. She was innocently sitting in her high chair as they talked to her

Or begged, as it seemed

Hattie was leaning against a counter watching the whole thing and covering her mouth. But Owen could still hear her small snickers

"What's going on?" Owen whispered, sliding up next to her and watched the show

"Shit!"

Owen's eyebrows skyrocketed as his niece shouted the curse word

"Sammy, love, please don't say that word. It's a bad word, and we can't say bad words." Deckard explained and looked to tired to keep doing so to the toddler

"Shit!"

"Sam, that's a bad word." Luke weakly protested

Who knew their one weakness would be a two year old

Just the sight of the two strongest people Owen knew trying to convince a toddler not to swear was too much

Owen burst out laughing

"Hey! This isn't funny!" Luke barked. "Did you teach her that word?"

Owen took a gasping breath as he shook his head and continued laughing

"Hatts didn't teach her and Oh didn't, so where did she learn it?" Deckard huffed

"Probably from one of you two." Hattie drawled

"What? I don't swear in front of her!" Luke glared

"She's a sneaky little bugger," Owen pointed out. "You could have said it when you didn't know she was there."

"Bullsh-"

"Luke!" Deckard yelped

"Shit!" Sam happily finished for him

Deckard covered his face with his hands and let out a low moan of despair

"Sammy, if you stop saying that word, I'll give you some special chocolate." Deckard told the toddler with a defeated air

"Deck! You can't just bribe our daughter!" Luke scolded

"Got a better plan?" Deckard hissed

"Choco!" Sam whined and made grabby hands towards Deckard

"A true blackmail artist." Owen chuckled. "A perfect fit into the Shaw family."

Luke glared at him while Deckard left to retrieve a piece of chocolate from his secret stash

~~~

I hope you enjoyed friend!

Thank God it's Friday. So I have two requests. Request #1: Can I have a Rowen where Roman and Owen are secretly dating and get caught by Deckard with Deckard threatening Roman and Owen calling him out on being with Hobbs

Roman wiggled through the window and fell to the floor, letting out a grunt of pain

"Shh! Be quiet! I can't let Deck know you're here." Owen hissed at him in the dark

Roman simply rolled his eyes

Why did he have to get with a guy who was too lazy to find his own place and decided we to live with a brother that probably wouldn't approve of their relationship

Standing up, Roman groped around for Owen or anything to tell him how to navigate safely around the room. Feeling Owen's arm, Roman moved closer to him and whispered

"Tell me again why we aren't just staying in a hotel?"

"Cause most of my stuff's here and I don't want to leave wearing the same clothes tomorrow."

"I swear, I can just buy you new stuff. It'd be much better than us literally sneaking into your brother's apartment!"

Roman felt like a teenager again. Sneaking into his boyfriend's parents, well brother in this case, house just to see his boyfriend

"Stop whining. You get to sleep with me, what's a better reward than that?"

"Keeping my head cause you know your brother's going to kill me when he finds me here."

"He's not going to find you."

"And what about him killing me?"

"I can't guarantee that. But I'll try to stop him."

"Love you too, babe," Roman said dryly

Suddenly, he felt Owen's lips on his cheek

"Love you too. Now shut up and get in bed."

The sun was shining and Deckard could vaguely hear the cars down below as he woke up. He could feel Luke's arms still wrapped around him as he slowly got his bearings

Turning in Luke's arms, Deckard kissed him awake and smiled as Luke kissed back, albeit sleepily

"Monring, love." Deckard whispered

"Morning."

"Want a shower first? I'm going to make breakfast." Deckard said, kissing him again

Luke let out a moan and pulled from the kiss

"Breakfast sounds great."

Slipping out of Luke's arms, Deckard headed towards the kitchen and stopped dead in his tracks

There shouldn't be any dishes in the sink.

"Owen." Deckard hissed to himself

He had been hoping Owen wouldn't be back from his latest heist and would let him and Luke have their short time together

Especially since his little brother didn't know he was dating the DSS agent

Sighing, Deckard turned around and headed towards Owen's room. Better to make sure he was asleep so he coukr sneak Luke out

Gently knocking on the door, Deckard wasn't surprised to not hear anything. Owen could sleep through almost anything

Opening the door, Deckard peaked his head in and was met with the panic filled eyes of one Roman Pearce

"What the bloody hell!"

Owen jerked up, wide awake at Deckard's yell.

And just in time as Deckard seemed to pull a knife out of thin air and started advancing on Roman

"Deck! It's not what it looks like!"

Deckard glared at him and Owen cringed

"Ok, yes. It is what it looks like. But come on! He's not that bad!"

"Hey!" Roman shouted in resentment

"You, quiet." Deckard hissed at Roman and turned back to Owen. "I swear Owen, are you fifteen again? Hiding your boyfriends from me?"

"No! I just didnt think you'd approve!"

"And I don't!"

"Um. Is everything ok?" A voice asked from the doorway

Three heads swiveled to look at Luke, who was sheepishly looking into the room, a towel wrapped around his waist and body still wet from the shower

"I heard shouts and wanted to check if everything was ok."

"What the bloody hell is he doing here?" Owen rounded on Deckard

Head in hands, Deckard didn't answer. He was too focused on deciding on whether or not to laugh or cry at the situation

Roman and Luke could only share looks of sympathy as they realized what kind of hole they had dug themselves into

Hope you enjoy friend!

Luke: so, what do you look for in a man?

Owen: weaknesses I can exploit

Luke: that's exactly what your brother said

Luke: and your sister

Luke:

Luke: what the fuck is wrong with you people?

Honestly, I don’t think we appreciate the Arkham Games’ writing enough. Like. Okay. Jason’s backstory here really does have him sort of at fault for getting caught; it says outright that he turned off his trackers with the intent of hunting down and murdering the Joker. Regardless of his motivation, that…is not smart. I mean. You know I love him to bits, which is why I say, earnestly, honey, no.

BUT. Not one time do the general narrative OR the other characters pull the ‘don’t be like poor, reckless Jason’ card. (Granted, he’s not brought up, really, but Dick does allude to him a time or two.) Neither the flashbacks nor Hallucination!Joker’s comments regarding him cast him as anything other than someone who did not deserve what happened. Even when he’s actively attempting to kill Batman (and if he does take you out, he’s not sorry.), Bruce’s response is to double down on trying to convince him to come home; he disarms him, which is reasonable (two hits! that’s all it takes, what the hell!), but despite having a ridiculous amount of ranged weaponry, the only thing the game will let you do to him is pop up and essentially try to hug him. It won’t even let you try the disruptor on his rifle, even though it will let you jam (but not rig to blow, due to fatality likelihood) the mini-guns.

…

…

Gee. It’s almost like Joker is responsible for his own actions, and that those actions include the torture and (faked) murder of a teenager.