#creantzy

#2 (tied)

Fyodor Dostoevsky / Nikolai Gogol - Bungo Stray Dogs

I know I've done my top #10 ships, but TO BE FAIR, I did the list before I finished watching the Decay of Angel's arc so I wasn't privvy to the absolute brain rot of the ship that is: Fyolai.

Starting off with my strongest canon point: Nikolai harbours big big feelings for his Dos-kun. Evidenced by literally all his interactions with Fyodor, how he talks about him to other people, and the actions of LITERALLY HOLDING THE HANDS OF DEATH to express his intimacy.

Speaking of intimacy... Nikolai refers to Fyodor as his 'intimate friend', I mean... c'mon now...if it quacks like a duck..

With how fractured Nikolai's psyche is, it seems logical that he wouldn't be able to experience things like love the same way a normal person would. All he understands is that Fyodor has (probably knowingly) infested Nikolai's brain with intimate emotions, thus tethering the bird to the rat. Naturally, in true Nikolai fashion, this must mean that he needs to kill Fyodor, thus cutting free from that tether.

However, when Fyodor dies at the conclusion of his Meursault game, Nikolai is immediately grieving. Even Dazai is like, "imma let this be" because he recognises that Nikolai is mourning the loss of someone important to him. ALL WHILST HOLDING THE ARM TO HIS HEART AND FACE I MEAN HONESTLY NOW.

As for our rat king, I similiarly believe that he doesn't understand the feelings of love as everything this man does is carefully calculated by that big greasy analytical head of his, leaving no room for emotions.

Saying that though, he canonically demonstrates a fondness for Nikolai. Even when the clown disobeys his plan with the chainsaw cutty-cut, he's pleased to see him in Meursault, and doesn't even question how he's alive (almost like he predicted that Nikolai wouldn't actually follow through with his self-sacrifice, which y'know, he probably did).

Essentially I think that Fyodor has as much feelings for Nikolai as he is capable of. It's easier for them to continue their games of wanting to kill one another than to be vunerable and say "hey, you are my world."

Finally - THE OFFICIAL ART (this one too) seriously, I don't know how they expect us to believe this is a platonic partnership jfc.

I'm sorry this was so long, I just have a lot of feelings and they are two entirely too complex characters to briefly summarise.

BSD dark era fanart!!! In honor of Dazai being unkillable