my head is a messy place

They're gonna be ok right? They're just little guys, they'll be fine, Right????? :)))))

Just kill me it would hurt less

the fool reversed

I truly believe I have lost my reading comprehension.

Beast au continues to make me doubt what I think, and at this point, I'm frustrated. Like, how much can Dazai control, exactly? Is he altering events, and then they run their course, or does he literally write down what he wants to happen? When he left Akutagawa and picked Atsushi as his subordinate, is Akutagawa joining the Agency something he used the book for to make happen, or did he alter Oda's life, so that he joined the Agency first, and then of course he knew he'd pick Akutagawa up?

In one sense, I feel like he can write whatever he wants, because otherwise, how would Mori be, you know, a decent person??? But if he truly created everything, why would he make Oda not understand him, at the bar?

One more thing– I need a confirmation on this man's feelings regarding Akutagawa. Does he hate the kid, does he like the kid, or does he not care at all? Because that's a very wide spectrum. Every time I think he doesn't care, something pops up to make me doubt. Like that one official art of "Dazai's Memories"? Akutagawa is featured, smiling, in a big ass photo. Like. Please stop confusing me. What do you feel about the kid. What is he to you. What do you want for him.

Don't play games with me right now and answer, asshole 😃🔪

personally i understood it as, at some point dazai came into contact with the book and it created a singularity where he saw every possible future -- because of no longer human, he cant actually use the book, but he knows exactly what he needs to do to make this certain universe come about. so he cant manipulate people directly but he can plot things. like in The Day I Picked Up Dazai side B where he refuses to say a word to Odasaku because it'll mess things up, and then the end scene where he tells him to go to the agency-- effectively thats just anonymous advice, steering the beast timeline where it needs to be. from that point, akutagawa is just Absolutely the type of orphan Odasaku would pick up off the streets, and dazai makes sure to get atsushi & kyouka.

on mori's part i also dont really understand him in beast, but I think he just saw that dazai's plan was sensible & maybe he wanted to retire. who knows maybe running an orphanage made him normal. We also don't know the extent of the changes: maybe he and Yosano don't have that shared backstory, and that's why Elise is different, or maybe there's subtle differences in the background that mean he's different. That uncertainty is honestly part of the whole setup of Beast as a canon alternate universe/timeline: it's essentially about exploring what factors can change a character & how much. Beast is about nature vs. nurture essentially, and thats ESPECIALLY obvious in Gin's thinking. So basically Dazai is counting on the nature of the people he knows to make these connections themselves, but also nurturing changes (mainly with Akutagawa and Atsushi).

(and your last point about akutagawa, thinking the canon timeline at least; I personally think Dazai does care for him, but dazai, being the way he is, is a very complicated person. also a very plan-oriented person; we've seen him panic when fyodor throws off his plans. he values The Plan above all else which is why he was willing to do all those things -- not only because he was practically raised in the mafia and internalized that kind of attitude towards other people, but because he needed to make Akutagawa better able to survive in the mafia, in the environment he was in, in order to shape him into the kind of fighter/weapon he is today. But we do see him trust akutagawa for parts of the plan like coming to atsushi's aid, and at the end of the cannibalism arc he praises him. Bottom line he does care for akutagawa, but he cares about making sure everything Goes According To Plan more, and he's the type of person who would sacrifice people for the greater goal. although that might be changing thanks to the agency.)

Honestly, this was my general understanding, too. It was mostly Mori's deal that threw me off, because it's quite a drastic change, when you think about it.

Not quite sure I'm on the same page about the Akutagawa thing, but I do agree that yes, Dazai does have Plans and he does value them most. Like that man doesn't handle it well when things slip from his control.

I truly believe I have lost my reading comprehension.

Beast au continues to make me doubt what I think, and at this point, I'm frustrated. Like, how much can Dazai control, exactly? Is he altering events, and then they run their course, or does he literally write down what he wants to happen? When he left Akutagawa and picked Atsushi as his subordinate, is Akutagawa joining the Agency something he used the book for to make happen, or did he alter Oda's life, so that he joined the Agency first, and then of course he knew he'd pick Akutagawa up?

In one sense, I feel like he can write whatever he wants, because otherwise, how would Mori be, you know, a decent person??? But if he truly created everything, why would he make Oda not understand him, at the bar?

One more thing– I need a confirmation on this man's feelings regarding Akutagawa. Does he hate the kid, does he like the kid, or does he not care at all? Because that's a very wide spectrum. Every time I think he doesn't care, something pops up to make me doubt. Like that one official art of "Dazai's Memories"? Akutagawa is featured, smiling, in a big ass photo. Like. Please stop confusing me. What do you feel about the kid. What is he to you. What do you want for him.

Don't play games with me right now and answer, asshole 😃🔪

Wait wait wait, which official art???

This one