Between Dazai and the Flags they probably managed to introduce Chuuya to Dumb Teenager Shit™ right? Because I doubt the sheep did all that much kid shit, sure they had the arcade but other than that?
Dazai dragging Chuuya to the movie theater and pausing outside and saying something like "Oh no they don't allow dogs, too bad let's go home" and Chuuya being like "Fuck that, we are watching this movie"
Albatross telling Chuuya that it is necessary for Mafia members to know how to play Go Fish and Spoons and Old Maid and Garbage and other dumb card games.
The Flags playing Never Have I Ever with Chuuya and then Albatross dragging him out the next night to "give him a fair shot at winning next time"
Parkour attempts. Chuuya getting told using his ability i cheating. Chuuya telling them they're just mad they suck.
Sticking Chuuya on a skateboard, handing him a jumprope and pulling him down a street in a car. Letting Chuuya drive next and pull someone else.
The Flags piling into the back of a truck and fucking gunning it down a road bc one of them knows a spot. They come back smelling like weed and having learned Chuuya gets drunk very fast.
Them playing Mario Cart with shopping carts in a parking lot. Chuuya being told if he keeps making people lighter they're gonna make him play with Dazai.
Chuuya picking up random skills because his dumbass friends coworkers kept getting him into situations where he needed it.
Chuuya finding out that a lot of the flags know how to play at least one instrument and deciding to learn how to play two. Drums and guitar.
Of course now most of the city is covered in memories that make Chuuya remember that his friends are gone.
The stark difference between how the sheep treated Chuuya and how the flags treated him will always get me.
The sheep used him & he was strong and they took advantage of that. Made it his responsibility for carrying such power and they didn’t care enough to also see him as a person. Maybe it wasn’t intentional. Maybe it wasn’t always that way. But that’s how it ended up.
The flags, however, knew Chuuya for a year and they knew without even asking that Chuuya doubted his own humanity & they fought like hell to get evidence of it. Something Chuuya could have and couldn’t doubt. And all against Mori’s wishes on top of it.
Yeah, Pianoman knew his background already and that helped understand no doubt. But the sheep found Chuuya starving and missing memory and still took advantage of him in the end. Still never saw him as one of them. Hell, Shirase never saw Chuuya for the *kid* he is until his clone tries to kill him in front of him.
Yes, the sheep were kids but they never saw Chuuya as part of them. They all protected each other but always Chuuya was excluded from that. He was separate. They never thought to think about protecting Chuuya or even checking on his well being. Because it was Chuuya’s job to protect. He was a guard dog. A weapon.
The flags on the other hand, who arguably had even *less* reason to see Chuuya as one of them since he was an enemy of the mafia before as well as being there mostly against his will, THEY actually *did* see him as one of them.
He was a flag, a member of their little family. Period. They protect him and he protects them. They take care of each other because that’s what friends/family does. They were truly friends and Chuuya only realized that right before they died. So he didn’t even get to enjoy that feeling he never had with the sheep.
Anyway, I love Chuuya Nakahara and I love the flags. Thank you.
hc the Flags are obviously very close and love each other a lot but Albatross is particularly vocal about his affection...one of his habits is saying “love u bro!” (note: he always looks expectantly at Chuuya and Iceman to say it back. they pretend they don’t notice.)
Albatross: ‘kay I’m heading out! see u in a few days! love u my bro
Chuuya: yeah safe travels
Albatross, stopping at the door: I said LOVE U BRO
Chuuya: yeah I heard. stay safe
Albatross: SAY IT BACK
Chuuya, flustered: GET GOING
Albatross: gotta dash— let’s meet tonight. love u guys
Pianoman, Lippmann, Doc: love u too
Chuuya: see ya
Iceman: be careful
Albatross:
Chuuya & Iceman:
Albatross, mimicking Chuuya’s voice: love u too bro~
Albatross, switching back to his own voice: ahhh thanks! bye!!!
Chuuya:
forever torn between the correct(?) translation of Adam telling a silent room not to clap and the fan translation of Adam saying "some praise would be nice"
My new favourite lil headcannon is Atsushi and Piano man being related.
And I get why this exists because Piano man looks similar to Atsushi. He's dressed completely in black and white. And his hair is white with a streak of black.
Even on the same side as Atsushi's own black streak.
And it's a fun headcannon, imagining Atsushi getting adopted or taken from his parents to live with his eccentric relative.
And gaining a family with the Flags and Chuuya.
Or angst ridden where Atsushi was happily living with them only to be sent back to the Orphanage.
I just love people's versions and interpretations of Atsushi's past, particularly his family. And this might be my favourite concept.
Also it means more Flags and more Atsushi, two things I will always want more of personally.
I have the image in head of Atsushi being taken to live with Piano man after his parents abandon him and him introducing him to Chuuya.
Chuuya despite being the former King of a gang full of children not knowing how to interact with Atsushi.
And Atsushi hiding behind Piano man's leg who pats his head and leaves them to it.
Next time he walks in Chuuya's telling Atsushi some story, Atsushi's curled up beside him listening to his every word and Albatross tries to sneakily take a photo of em together.