#bsd flags

[obsidiankukri]

ahh... i feel like im forgetting something...

[steinbeck-vines]

The Flags' abilities: an attempted analysis

Conclusion: Iceman is most likely the only Flag not to have an Ability. Given what happened before and during the fight with Adam, Lippmann's enemy bloodlust reaction Ability either showed up as the spheres, didn't activate, or wasn't visible; Doc probably either has the dinosaur or didn’t use his Ability; Albatross has the quicksand, spheres, or dinosaur, or didn't use his Ability in a visible way; and Piano Man has the quicksand, spheres, dinosaur, something with wires, or soaring in the air (unlikely), or didn’t use his Ability in a visible way.

Disclaimer: I read the light novel and manga in translation, not the original, and no matter how good a translation is some things can't be conveyed the same way due to the change in writing systems, so I could be missing things as well as forgetting or misinterpreting them. I decided to make this analysis because I've seen it claimed as fact in multiple places that Lippmann's Ability forms the dinosaur but couldn't find any indication that that was canon. Others may have good reasons for that opinion, I don't mean to insult anyone who disagrees with my opinion, and I'd love to hear what others' rationale is. I just wanted to prevent something from being taken as fact for the sole reason that it was previously on the BSD wiki.

Rationale:

Technically, apart from Chuuya, the only Flag confirmed to have an Ability is Lippmann.

However, considering that the first rule of the Flags forbids using skills against each other (when Chuuya likely joined after the rule’s establishment and banning Lippmann‘s Ability specifically would be weird), that Piano Man addresses the group rather than just Chuuya and Lippmann to give Ability use permission and refers to “all of our skills,” that Albatross and Doc both seem eager and confident after being given Ability use permission (and Adam had already defeated Albatross when Albatross wasn’t using an Ability), that Iceman’s unusual talent but lack of an Ability is called out like it’s unusual (like Ranpo’s), that the only named PM members I could find apart from Iceman who definitively don’t have Abilities are named after characters from BSD authors’ works (like Gin), and that it wouldn’t make much sense for all the skill attacks against Adam to be Lippmann’s, it seems highly probable that all of them are skill users except for Iceman. A preponderance of evidence, so to speak.

There are three pretty clear Ability effects during the fight—the spheres, the quicksand, and the dinosaur—as well as some iffier ones, and four likely Ability users with unknown or vague Abilities who could be responsible for them.

The first Ability effect during the fight in the light novel is a group of heatless, weightless, glowing spheres which appear from nowhere to hover in the air and “revolv[e] around Adam like planets in a solar system.” Who does this is and what this is does isn’t clear. Either they make Adam stumble and then the quicksand begins or the quicksand-related Ability makes him stumble as the ground starts to destabilize. Weirdly, in the manga, there’s some sort of ribbony swirl around him instead of spheres. Either they’re moving really quickly, or it was changed.

The Ability which turns portions of the floor into a quicksand-like substance is probably the most straightforward one used in the fight, since how it works is pretty clear. It’s noted that the floor crumbles like sand rather than suddenly being replaced by a different substance from nowhere and that “the ground under the mafiosi was unaffected” but there’s no real indication of whose Ability it is.

Then, there’s the dinosaur. It “grow[s] from the back of Adam's hand like a plant,” tries to bite his neck, and is evidently at least somewhat tangible, not just an intimidating illusion, because the inertia of slamming it into the quicksand floor (where it shrieks and disappears) suffices for him to free a leg from the quicksand. 

After being given permission to use his ability, Doc says he “[c]an't wait to slice open [Adam’s] stomach." Of the Abilities used during the fight, the dinosaur seems most capable of doing that, though it’s possible that the orbs could do other things than they did or that Doc didn’t have a chance to use his Ability at all. He could also mean he’s going to dissect Adam or something, or even that he’ll defeat him with a bladed weapon (when the Flags turn their weapons on Chuuya, Doc’s is a syringe, so that seems less likely). Anyway, I’m putting the dinosaur down as “probably Doc’s but not definitely.”

Then there are the wires, which might be tied to an Ability and might not. To quote the light novel: “Another," said a voice. All of a sudden, another radial wire shot out of the ceiling, wrapped itself around Adam, then instantly began pulling him up until his body slammed against the ceiling. Beige sand scattered onto the floor; parts of the ceiling came crumbling down.” Piano Man’s piano winders guillotine devices are one thing; wires shooting out of the ceiling are on a different level. Either Piano Man has some sort of wire device installed in the ceiling which he has the controls for or the wires do that because of an Ability, and if it’s an Ability, it’s almost certainly his. The sand could be another use of the quicksand Ability or sand which was on Adam from it already. 

In the manga, there’s a moment when Piano Man soars above Adam, possibly suspended by the wires. As Piano Man lands, there’s what looks like the blast of an explosion, which might be Adam hitting the ceiling. I’m pointing this out because it’s something which looks connected to Ability use but well might not be.

That also goes for Lippmann and the helixes which fan out from him in the manga. In the light novel, it’s said that he’s “rapidly firing his machine pistols,” but from the manga alone, it could be misinterpreted as Ability use. It could technically be Ability use—if the spheres could be taken away, other things could also be changed—but my personal guess is it isn't.

Lippmann’s Ability is known to react to enemy bloodlust, but the enemy doesn’t actually have any bloodlust toward him, so it’s possible that Lippmann couldn’t activate his Ability. If he was able to, the only one which could fit the bill is the spheres. The spheres didn’t demonstrably do anything, which, if they were Lippmann’s, could be because there was nothing for them to react to. However, it is also quite possible that they were someone else’s Ability and that Lippmann’s Ability didn’t activate or isn’t visible when it does.

[qirongisabrat]

Heey! What about starfall wip??? Do tell, they need some love <3

Sorry mavis I'm soooooo late 💔🤧

Firstly thank you for the ask!!

Secondly I forgot I even put this one in the list thanks for reminding me lol.

So now:

Looks like the stars might fall any second now

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It's Canon divergence where stormbrinher doesn't kill the flags and they are alive and well.

The fic narrates how lippman and pianoman met and they started dating.

In this fic pianoman happens to be already a top memeber in mafia just close enough to finally be an executive. Just then lippman joins the mafia. In pianoman's mind this idea is just absurd because a filmstar would obviously attract unwanted attraction so he's not pleased with the idea of lipp joining.

Lipp on the other hand admired pianoman ever since he met him[I won't give a spoiler where and when] And he wanted to work together with him. Mori commands pianoman to show him the ropes and pianoman is alr in hell

To pianoman he can't waste his time in teaching an entitled bastard, to lippman it's a golden chance to spend more time with his favorite person in the mafia. Also tross making lipp join the flags wo asking piano is unacceptable as well.

The plot is highly based on senpai-kouhai tropes of major bls. And basically if you want to visualize I'll say it's bit like cherry magic main couple dynamics w adachi as pianoman and lipp as kurosawa.

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[kiqilinn]

*giggling intensifies* chapter in 4 days!

[melzooted]

Babysitting duty

[twilicidity]

The boys

[sandpiper-art]

My Stormbringer redraws so far

Day 729 crying over The Flags T_T

[angolicious]

Eat ‘em up…. Eat them.

[teaheecoco]

Albatross and Chibitross stressin

[anticidic]

The Flags all just standing there after Chuuya storms out, knowing he'd come back to play pool with them 😭 and Chuuya's lil pouty face

[obsidiankukri]

typical albatross behavior. the flags wonder how he's even alive half the time.

( video from my tiktok )

[valverii]

the flags cafe be so good until chuuya’s brother makes it go bankrupt (guys they all live prommy)

[amortemiux]

In honour of the storm bringer manga

(art is not mine)

[starlightshadowsworld]

I love when Chuuya’s the little brother of the group.

He was the youngest of the flags and the grumpy little gremlin they all adopted. Chuuya make glare at their head pats but he always seems to join in with their antics.

Half the time it seems like Chuuya’s babysitting Adam as much as he’s keeping an eye on him. But Adam sees him as his responsibility and will always protect him from harm.

Chuuya’s the youngest current executive and Kouyou’s exasperating yet sweet little brother that she would threaten to unleash hell if it meant protecting him.

Chuuya is someone who’s had to grow up quickly. He’s shouldered the many responsibilities as the King of the Sheep. He’s never had that many opportunities to let loose and be a kid.

So I love every moment that Chuuya gets to shed that responsibility and be the little shit of a baby sibling that he deserves to be.

[rewindthetimee]

Happy New Year! Five months later but HEY I posted it on time on twt (at 00:00, I'm a precise person)

you've also probably realized it now but artstyle consistency is not my forte at all. pls forgive me

[twilicidity]

Memories