Bringing THIS post back because I have more to say. Want to apply this Attachment Theory (and be careful with and say that attachment theory is not a diagnosis or a set character trait but a description for a pattern of behavior) BUT-
I think if you look at their interactions especially in the first few years they've known each other Chuuya is Avoidant while Dazai is the DEFINITION of Disorganized.
Dazai knows Chuuya for like, a day, and yet throughout Fifteen he keeps ocilating between claiming to hate Chuuya and not want to be around him and yet finding every excuse to bother him, be around him, be close in some way. He ping pongs between being helpful and caring and being extremely antagonistic. Disorganized, or Fearful Avoidant people, see closeness as both safety and danger, hence why a pattern of affection and rejection the next moment is so common. We see in in the manga, too. Dazai's first mission after four years with Chuuya involved him antagonizing him one moment and showing affection the next. Dazai pretending he's dying so he could see Chuuya still cared about him. Dazai calling Chuuya "partner" after Corruption was over and then leaving him on the ground?? But weirdly folding his clothes for him? Definition of mixed signals common with Disorganized attachment. Dazai needs to feel close to someone but then needs to push them away the next moment, in order to feel safe.
Chuuya as an Avoidant is pretty self-explanatory, he cares deeply about the people around him, but also is incredibly uncomfortable with vulnerability and emotional intimacy. You COULD argue that Chuuya might also be Disorganized, after all, why would he be calling Dazai randomly to rant at him while drunk, or be so attached to people, but like. Avoidant people are not lacking in wanting companionship and intimacy, they just don't feel safe being too close too fast and need to maintain their boundaries. Honestly, Chuuya's most problematic Avoidant traits were a huge part of why the Sheep felt like they couldn't trust him and betrayed him: Chuuya didn't tell anyone shit about himself, partly as a source of responsibility and partly because he didn't feel safe too. His lack of explanation on why he was working with the Mafia, or even explicitly stating that the case mattered to him emotionally in some way, any expression of vulnerability and trust would have made his actions a lot more sympathetic and not confusing like they were for his friends. Chuuya's default mode toward anyone, even people he likes, is anger, because it keeps others at a distance and makes him feel safe. It takes a LOT for him to open up and admit to certain things, and he always prefers actions over words or emotional revelations.
And these two paired together? A mess but they also kind of get one another. They both need to pretend to dislike each other in order to keep a distance they feel safe with. Dazai's actions are seen as confusing and frustrating to Chuuya but he also kind of rolls with it most of the time. Like the random acts of vulnerability and affection paired with the classic "haha it was a joke" excuse angers him, but it's also familiar.
Go forth and write those fanfics, guys. Spread the canon agenda.
tangentwithtanner
germansingergirl
amandla
areudirty
titsay
