#THIS WAS WRITTEN SO LAST MINUTE

[umblrspectrum]

how do lighting and shading work

[hayaku14]

pushing daisies kaishin au #2

pushing daisies au where shinichi has been able to revive dead animals, plants, even people since he was a child.

kudou "i can literally talk to the dead" shinichi

shinichi's parents didn’t exactly encouraged him to use this power. especially not in public. they’ve seen him revive and re-kill dead plants and animals in the same breath, it doesn’t take a detective to figure out what could happen near a human corpse.

but a young shinichi is curious, a young shinichi admired his father, and a young shinichi wanted to prove himself a detective. but most of all, a young shinichi wanted to help.

so when he saw his father struggle in solving a particular case, a young shinichi figured that maybe asking straight from the source would help give them a hint.

the complete horror in yusaku's eyes shinichi saw that day made him promise himself to never do it again.

shinichi realizes later on that reviving someone just for a clue on the whos, hows, and whys of their death only to touch them again, to basically kill them again, is sick and twisted and the realization leaves him feeling raw and dirty.

he then decides that if he’s gonna find out the truth, if he’s gonna bring justice, it’s not by making the victims suffer a second death. he will unravel the mystery not by magic but by logic.

the curious case of kuroba kaito

hakuba immediately contacts shinichi.

“he was...a friend. if i have to gather all the best detectives to catch his murderer then so be it.”

hakuba goes on to explain.

it was a kid heist. shots were fired. snipers. kaitou kid was caught on camera falling, as if he’d been shot, but he appears a minute later flying away on his glider with not a speck of blood on his suit. all should be well however, a few buildings away in an alleyway, the body of kuroba kaito is found dead. gunshots through the heart and chest.

a simple explanation would’ve been that the glider was a fake activated by kid’s assistant as a last ditch effort to save his legacy and this kuroba kaito was kaitou kid himself. he would’ve said it out loud but by the look on hakuba’s face, he can tell that he already connected those dots long before shinichi even stepped foot in the morgue. that wasn’t what hakuba called him for.

“can i...take a look at the body alone?”

hakuba raises an eye at him but moves to leave without questioning. "alright then. i have to check on another friend anyway. she's been...distraught ever since she heard the news and..." hakuba's words trail away as his eyes unconsciously drifted towards kuroba kaito's covered body. shinichi patiently waits through the quiet pain that he sees on hakuba. the pinch in his brows, the tenseness of his body. he must've been a really good friend.

hakuba shakes his head and turns his attention back to shinichi. "sorry, i...its been a long day. i'll leave you here then. call me if you find anything."

left alone, shinichi carefully zips open the body bag covering kaitou kid's upper body. he looked eerily similar to himself and imagining his own body cold and dead in the morgue sent a shiver down his spine. shaking his head, he pulls a chair close and reads through the file hakuba brought him.

"no witnesses. no camera. not a trace nor lead to anything. just some reports on mysterious gunshots in previous heists that lead to nowhere." they were professionals, whoever did this, shinichi thought. it was not going to be an easy case.

he takes another peek at the body. so this was kaitou kid, huh. too young to be the same as the one before his hiatus. perhaps a successor? motive could be related to his predecessor. his mother hasn't said anything of interest. does she really not know or is she protecting him? he runs his hand through his hair. there's too little information to go on...unless...

temptation rears its head. the source of information is right there in front of him. one touch and it could open up new leads to the case. an immediate disgust twists deep into his gut. he promised himself to never use it on people. to never kill. his father's haunted eyes embedded in his mind. he shouldn't. he really shouldn't. but he remembers the anguished look on hakuba's face. if he was going to do it, this might be the only good time. any longer and his touch would not revive kid. and gone along with him would be vital information to catch his murderer.

shinichi heaves a deep sigh. he has never used his abilities on dead people since that one incident as a child but he couldn't shake off the look on hakuba's face. it was now or never. shinichi reaches for kid's hand.

---

pushing daisies au #1

[akirasstories]

Blue, Gold, Red

for @thiamficweekly week 13

WC: 3326 | rating: M | cw/tw: none | tags: idiots in love, liam dunbar true alpha spark, biting and kissing

🍀🍀🍀🍀🍀🍀🍀🍀🍀🍀🍀🍀🍀🍀🍀🍀

Just a milkshake. 

One of those ridiculously sweet, criminally overpriced ones from the 24-hour diner at the edge of town—the kind Theo pretended to complain about every time Liam insisted they stop there, which was often. 

But Theo always caved.

Because Liam liked them.

Because Liam always ordered the same thing.

Because Theo remembered.

And tonight was no different.

Liam sat in the passenger seat of Theo’s truck, legs spread like he owned the world, hoodie sleeves bunched at his elbows, blue eyes the streetlights through the windshield. He looked over and grinned, soft and boyish and unfairly beautiful, and said, “You remembered I like extra whipped cream?”

Theo, halfway into a sarcastic reply, caught the look on Liam’s face—sincere, surprised, pleased. And something in him faltered.

Because yeah. He had remembered.

Of course he had.

He always did.

What Theo didn’t expect—what completely derailed him—was for Liam to lean across the seat and kiss him.

Not a peck. Not a brush of lips.

A kiss.

Full. Certain. Stupidly soft at first—and then not.

Suddenly Liam was half in his lap, kneees awkwardly bumping the center console, milkshake long forgotten in the cupholder. Theo’s hands found Liam’s waist on instinct, sliding beneath the hem of his shirt like they’d been there a hundred times before.

Liam kissed like he fought—fierce and desperate, like the world might end if he didn’t give it everything he had. His fingers tangled in Theo’s hair, tugging hard enough to make Theo shiver, pulling a groan from somewhere deep in his chest.

The windows fogged. The world narrowed. They were making out like idiots in a grocery store parking lot, in a fogged-up truck, mouths hot and messy and frantic.

The air was thick with heat and breath and the low bass hum of a song neither of them were really hearing. Theo barely noticed the sting at first, the sharp scrape of fangs against his lower lip—but then Liam bit down, not hard, not enough to break skin, but enough to make Theo gasp and press closer.

It was chaos. 

Glorious, overwhelming chaos.

And Theo let it happen.

Let Liam lick into his mouth like he was trying to claim it. Let his own claws slide out a little when Liam rolled his hips down into him. Let his eyes flicker gold—just for a second—before he forced them back. He never let that happen.

But Liam was everywhere. 

Tasting. Biting. Grinding.

And Theo—control freak Theo—tilted his head back without thinking. He offered his neck.

Instinct.

And when Liam’s fangs grazed just below his jawline—when he bit down harder, not just playful but possessive—he didn’t pull away.

He let him.

 It hurt. But it felt right. Final. Like giving something away he never really owned in the first place.

And it felt good. 

Good enough to make Theo moan.

And when Liam finally pulled back, his lips were wet, his pupils blown wide, his breath ragged

His eyes weren’t gold.

They weren’t blue.

They were red.

Theo froze

His entire body went cold, his heart punching against his ribs like it wanted to escape.

Because that wasn’t a trick of the light. 

That wasn’t a glitch.

That was real.

—-

It had been nearly a year since the war with the hunters ended. Since the world didn’t burn, and Theo Raeken—former villain, genetic experiment, chimera freak—stayed.

Not like a ghost haunting the edge of town. Not hiding in tunnels or sleeping in his truck.

He stayed-stayed.

Got a job. Took community college classes. Helped Deaton. Slept in a real bed, under a real roof, not in his truck or some moldy abandoned tunnel. Got accepted into the local college, set to start in two months.

And somehow, despite everything, stayed close to Liam Dunbar.

Liam, with his righteous anger and his too-big heart and his fists that sometimes talked before his mouth could catch up. Liam, who flared gold when he was angry and still snarled at Theo like he might punch him just to make a point.

They grew closer.

That had happened slowly. 

In glances and grudging trust.

In stupid late-night drives, in silences they didn’t fill with apologies but with shared songs and milkshakes and sarcastic one-liners. 

Theo acted like none of it meant anything. Like he hadn’t spent months clinging to any excuse to stay near Liam.

But he did everything for him. Without hesitation. Without question.

Because Liam wasn’t like Scott.

Scott was perfect. Noble. Good. The kind of person people wanted to believe in. The guy who inspired others to be better. 

But Liam?

Liam was messy. Angry. Flawed. And still—still—he chose to be good, every single day. Even when it was hard. Especially when it was hard.

Theo thought that made Liam realer. More honest. Stronger.

That’s why the first time Theo noticed red flashing in Liam’s eyes—just for a second, like a glitch in a system—he didn’t panic.

He blinked. Tilted his head. Quietly stored it away.

Because he knew what it meant.

Liam Dunbar had the spark.

The potential.

The terrifying, impossible power.

Liam Dunbar could become a True Alpha.

Theo wasn’t surprised. 

He’d known for a long time that Liam had something burning inside him. Something bright. Something dangerous.

The kid who’d been dragged kicking and screaming into the supernatural world… and still fought to protect it?

Yeah. Theo had seen it coming.

But Liam hadn’t.

Which brought them to tonight.

To this moment.

To red.

Bright, real and so painfully vivid in the dark.

—-

Theo sat up so fast it jolted Liam, who blinked at him, dazed and flushed, lips kiss-bitten and cheeks red. His eyes had returned to blue now, wide and confused,like he hadn’t just shattered reality five seconds ago.

Still draped across Theo’s lap like he hadn’t just flipped the entire world on its axis.

“What?” Liam mumbled, voice wrecked from the kiss, already leaning in again like they could just keep going.

Theo slammed a hand to his chest, holding him back. “Wait. Liam. Look at me.”

“I am looking at you,” Liam said, frowning, like Theo had gone completely insane.

“No. Your eyes—” Theo exhaled, throat tight. “They were red, Liam.”

Liam stilled.

“What?” he asked again, less certain now.

“Red,” Theo said. “Not golden. Not blue. Red.”

Liam stared, brain clearly buffering.

“Like… like Alpha red?” he asked slowly, like saying it out loud might make it less real.

“No,” Theo deadpanned. “Like beta red. Yes, like Alpha red! Jesus, Liam!”

Liam blinked, still straddling Theo, shirt rumpled, hair a disaster from Theo’s hands. He looked like he’d just rolled out of a fever dream.

“They were really red?” he asked, genuinely baffled.

Theo didn’t answer. Just stared, heartbeat pounding, neck still throbbing from the bite. His brain had already sprinted fifteen steps ahead, making connections he didn’t want to make.

And Liam, sweet, stupid Liam, blinked again and said, “But… Scott’s alive.”

Theo let out a laugh that was more of a sound of disbelief than amusement. Bitter and sharp.

“Yeah. Scott’s alive. No one said you had to kill him to become an Alpha,” Theo said. “You just had to earn it. Which I guess you did. Somehow. Lucky you.”

Liam’s mouth opened. Closed. Opened again. “That’s not—I can’t be a—”

“You can,” Theo said, voice flat. “Because you are.”

And then, softer, mostly to himself: “Of course it happens now. Great. Just—fuck me, right?”

Liam just kept staring at him. Puppy-eyed and confused. “Wait, but… that’s not bad, right?”

Theo turned his whole body to face him, staring like he was speaking another language.

“Is that bad?” he repeated. “Liam. You kissed me—which, great, amazing, ten out of ten, would definitely do again—but then you bit me. While your eyes were red. While your Alpha spark was activating or breaking through or doing whatever the hell it does when that kind of power decides to claim a body. ”

Liam blinked again. Still so baffled. Still gorgeous.

Still sitting on Theo like none of this was world-altering.

Theo huffed. “And because you’re apparently too stupid to realize what that means, let me spell it out for you.”

Liam tilted his head, still playing catch-up.

“You bit me,” Theo said. Slowly. “As an Alpha. Which means you gave me the bite.”

Liam’s brows furrowed. “Okay, but… you’ll heal, right?”

Theo just stared at him for a beat. 

Then pushed Liam off his lap—not violently, just enough to make him tumble back into the passenger seat like a startled kitten. Theo grabbed the steering wheel, gripping it like it might keep him grounded.

“You gave me the bite, Liam. As in the bite that turns humans into werewolves.”

“But you’re not human,” Liam said, confused.

Theo let out a strangled noise. “Correct. I’m not. I’m a freaky science experiment built by psychopaths who rewrote my DNA until I stopped making sense. So this bite? This could either A) finally make me a real werewolf—like, an actual beta with a normal biology—or B…”

He mimed an explosion with both hands. “Kill me. Painfully. Within twenty-four hours.”

Liam’s jaw dropped.

He turned, leaned toward the rearview mirror, and flashed his eyes.

Golden.

Theo watched him in stunned silence as Liam muttered, “Huh. Not red.”

“Oh my God,” Theo groaned, smacking the steering wheel. “Are you seriously more concerned with your eye color than the fact that you might’ve killed me, you absolute dumbass?!”

Liam turned back, guilty and wide-eyed. “I didn’t mean to! I didn’t know!”

Theo threw his hands up. “Of course you didn’t! No one plans to activate their Alpha spark during a makeout session in a grocery store parking lot!”

He dropped back in his seat, rubbing a hand down his face. “This is just my luck. I finally get to kiss the stupid boy I’ve been pining after like a lovesick loser for months—and what do I get? A bite. An accidental bite. So now I either become a real werewolf, which would be wild and kind of poetic, or I die in agony by sunrise. Awesome. Fantastic. Love that for me.”

Liam blinked. “Wait… you’ve been pining after me?”

Theo froze.

His head whipped around so fast it cracked his neck.

“You’re stuck on that part?!”

“I mean, yeah?” Liam said,still wide-eyed.  “You said it. Like out loud. Pining. That’s… a word. With meaning.”

“Are you kidding me?” Theo barked, voice pitching up in disbelief. “I just told you that you might’ve accidentally killed me and that’s what you’re latching onto?”

“You said you were into me.”

Theo shoved the key into the ignition and started the truck. “We’re going to Deaton. Right now. Before I either die or strangle you.”

Liam, still looking dazed and awestruck, murmured, “Pretty sure you moaned.”

“Pretty sure you’re gonna walk home,” Theo snapped.

“You kissed me back.”

“I was concussed by shock.”

“You grabbed my shirt.”

“You bit my neck!”

Liam grinned, completely unapologetic. “And you liked it.”

Theo growled, actually growled, pressing harder on the gas like he could outrun the last ten minutes. 

“I’m dying.”

“You’re probably not.”

“You don’t know that.”

Liam paused, then offered helpfully, “Hayden survived the bite.”

“Hayden didn’t have her inside rearranged by science-worshipping psychopaths with God complexes, Liam.”

“Oh.”

A beat.

“…Right.”

Silence settled between them. Heavy. The low hum of the tires on asphalt the only sound.

Then, softer this time, Liam asked, “…You really like me?”

Theo didn’t answer.

He just gripped the wheel tighter. And drove faster.

—

Luckily, Deaton was still at the clinic when they arrived—probably finishing a late-night check on the animals. HHe looked up as they burst through the side door, eyebrows lifting just slightly at the sight of them: Theo with a fresh bite on his neck, and Liam looking like he’d been kissed senseless.

“Long night?” Deaton asked, voice annoyingly calm.

Theo didn’t respond right away. He perched on the edge of the exam table, avoiding Liam’s gaze and launching into the facts—mostly. He explained that Liam’s eyes had turned red, that he’d been bitten, and that, given his, uh… unique biology, he had no idea what it meant.

He very deliberately left out the part where Liam had been in his lap and moaning like it was a deleted scene from a very different kind of movie.

Deaton listened, hands tucked in his coat pockets, expression unreadable in that Deaton way—but Theo didn’t miss the flicker of realization that crossed his face when he glanced between the bite mark and Liam.

He knew.

Of course he knew.

But he didn’t say a word.

Instead, he hummed thoughtfully and said, “If Liam’s eyes are golden again, then the spark hasn’t fully taken hold. Not yet. Which means the bite wasn’t… complete. Not like it would be from a full Alpha. You should be fine.”

“So I’m not going to die?” Theo asked, voice flat, eyes narrowed.

“I wouldn’t expect that, no,” Deaton said. “But just in case, you shouldn’t be alone tonight. If your body reacts… unexpectedly, I need someone there to call me.”

He said it like it was a simple medical recommendation. But the look he gave them was pointed. Very pointed.

“I’m not going to tell Scott. Or anyone else,” he added, more quietly. “I think you two can handle this. And I trust you,” he looked at Liam now, “to stay with him. Watch for any changes.”

Liam nodded immediately. “I will.”

Theo rolled his eyes. “Fantastic. Bite someone once and suddenly you're assigned night duty.”

Deaton didn’t dignify that with a response. Just gave him a look that said, you’re not half as annoyed as you want me to believe, and disappeared down the hall, leaving them to see themselves out.

—-

Back in the truck, the silence was different now. Heavier. Not awkward—just charged.

Liam was watching him again. Quiet. Intent. Like he couldn’t help it.

Theo started the engine, eyes forward. “You’re still staring.”

“You still kissed me.”

Theo drummed his fingers on the steering wheel. “This conversation again?”

“We didn’t finish it,” Liam said simply. “And Deaton didn’t say you’re dying, so… we’ve got time.”

Theo let out a long breath through his nose. “You’re really gonna make me do this, huh.”

Liam shrugged, a smile tugging at his mouth. “You did say you’ve been pining.”

“I was emotional. Possibly delirious. Also bleeding.”

“Doesn’t sound like a denial.”

Theo shot him a sharp look. “I kissed you back because you caught me off guard.”

“You slid your hands under my shirt.”

“I was verifying your abs were real and not a product of Photoshop and fragile masculinity.”

“Uh-huh. You literally offered your neck to me.”

Theo’s lips twitched. Just barely. “Well, you do get bitey when you’re turned on.”

Liam flushed immediately, a red tint blooming across his cheeks like it couldn’t decide if it wanted to fade or deepen. Theo’s eyes snapped to the subtle shift in color, noticed the way Liam’s scent spiked—nervous, warm, and laced with a very specific kind of tension.

He didn’t say anything.

But he filed it away like he always did. Neatly. Precisely. Something to unravel later. Like a gift.

Liam cleared his throat. “I wasn’t turned on, I was just—okay, maybe slightly. But I was literally in your lap, and you—”

Theo held up a hand. “You really don’t need to explain how my entire existence overwhelms your teenage hormonal brain.”

Liam made a sound somewhere between a laugh and a flustered wheeze.

Theo smirked, eyes back on the road. “You’re enjoying this.”

“I’ve had a crush on you since, like… probably since you tried to kill me, which is weird and possibly something for a therapist,” Liam admitted. “So yeah. I’m kinda enjoying this.”

Theo finally looked over..

Really looked.

And Liam wasn’t grinning now. He was just… open. Honest. 

“You like me,” Theo said, testing the weight of it aloud.

Liam nodded. “I do.”

Theo narrowed his eyes. “And you’re not freaking out over the fact that you might be becoming an Alpha and your first move was to bite me like some horny werewolf-vampire hybrid?”

Liam leaned in, grinning. “I mean... no. Because I didn’t kill you. And also? You kissed me back.”

Theo rolled his eyes and stared out the windshield. “I’m going to regret telling you anything.”

Liam’s smile turned soft again. “We could go back to your place.”

Theo gave him a sidelong glance. “If you’re expecting sex, I’m still mildly traumatized and may or may not be partially infected with supernatural venom.”

Liam choked slightly—just enough for Theo to glance back over and smirk. Because yeah, there it was again. That scent spike. That warm flush. Nervousness tinged with something distinctly not nervous.

“Relax,” Liam said, recovering with only a hint of a crack in his voice. “I meant hanging out. Watching a movie. Maybe couch cuddling. I’m not that much of a perv.”

“Sure you’re not,” Theo said smoothly. “You only dry-humped me in a grocery store parking lot.”

“You were into it.”

Theo didn’t deny that.

And Liam knew it. Which is why he was smirking again.

Theo refused to let him win this round. So instead, he said coolly, “I guess I can tolerate your presence for a few hours.”

“Hours?” Liam echoed. “I was planning to stay all night.”

“You’re a menace.”

“You’re soft for me.”

“Lies.”

“You keep looking at my mouth.”

Theo stepped on the gas. “Say one more word, and you’re sleeping on the floor.”

Liam was still grinning when they pulled into the lot outside Theos place.

—

Theo’s apartment was small—barely lived in, borderline minimalist, but clean. It

Liam walked in like he’d done it before, kicked off his shoes, and sprawled across the couch like it was his. 

Theo let him. 

Mostly because it was… weirdly nice, watching Liam fit so easily into the space that had always felt too quiet.

Theo tossed him a blanket, then dropped down beside him. Not close. Not touching.

Not until Liam shifted closer without asking and slung his leg lazily over Theo’s thigh.

And then it was over.

The second kiss happened somewhere in between bickering about which movie to put on and Liam mumbling, “You’re just stalling because you want me to kiss you again.”

Theo leaned in and kissed him just to shut him up.

It was slower this time. Less chaos. More control. 

Lips brushing over skin like they had all night to get there. 

Fingers skimming ribs, threading into hair, slipping under fabric.

Warm. 

Steady. 

Intentional.

Theo kissed like he’d been waiting for months, because he had.

And Liam kissed like he wanted it to last forever

They didn’t go further than kissing. They didn’t need to. 

Touches lingered. 

Breath mingled. 

They stayed tangled together on the couch under the blanket, skin pressed to skin in slow-burning silence. 

Liam fell asleep eventually, one arm flung over Theo’s chest like he was trying to keep him from going anywhere.

Theo didn’t sleep right away.

He stayed awake, listening to Liam’s heartbeat, feeling his breath on his collarbone. Trying not to think about how much this already felt like a memory. Like something he wanted to keep.

—

It was almost dawn when Liam stirred, face buried against Theo’s neck, voice gravel-soft.

“You know,” he mumbled, lips brushing skin, “you’re lucky.”

Theo blinked, still wrapped up in the feel of him. “Lucky?”

“Yeah,” Liam said, pressing a lazy kiss to the edge of Theo’s jaw. “You got kissed and bitten by me. And you were very into it, by the way.”

Theo huffed, shaking his head but smiling anyway.

“I almost died.”

“You didn’t.”

“You almost Alpha’d me to death in a truck.”

“You offered your neck.”

“You growled.”

“You moaned.”

Theo sighed and rolled his eyes, a smile tugging at the corners of his mouth. “Yeah,” he said, voice low and full of fondness. “Just my luck.”

[citrusrosesstuff]

I love the unintentional implication that Mike actually is a “weirdo” but for reasons that have nothing to do with his disorder. He’s just… kinda like that

He gets distracted from saving a drowning person to flirt with a girl he likes, he says “sucktaculer” unironically, he wanted to dress up a three eyed frog for a fashion contest, he gave Zoey a pair of Brick’s unwashed rankass military boots to try to cheer her up, he vents about his internalized ableism on international television (IE calling himself a “freakish weirdo” in the confessional booth), he beats the shit out of his alters and says “there! That’s more like it >:)” afterwards, he has a necklace with his own face on it, he eats bacon with his bare hands, he gives Zoey an apple slice with a knife stabbed through it.

He’s the embodiment of someone trying so hard to be perceived as “normal” that it circles back around to being weird and offputting and I love him for it.

[20dollarlolita]

Something that I've used to judge my health, in more ways than one, is what I call the need-to-pee test.

When I'm sitting, wasting time, and I need to pee, healthy me will just get up and go to the bathroom. That's normal behavior.

Sometimes, however, elements of my health will make that very basic task difficult. When you recognize that you need to pee, but you have to have an internal conversation with The Vampire of Despair about if you needing to pee is a failure and a judgement on your worth as a human being, you need to reach out to someone about your mental health. Being too depressed to get up and go pee is a sign that something in your mental health is very wrong. It's a sign that it's "bad enough" to really need some help.

When you recognize that you need to pee, but you don't want to get up because your body will be in pain, that's a sign that your pain is "bad enough" where you should do something about it. If you've been sitting around your house telling yourself that shit's fine, but you also procrastinate on the basic duty of going to take a pee because doing that simple task is going to cause you so much pain that it's not worth the comfort you get from not needing to pee, your body is fucked, and shit's not fine.

Getting up and going to pee is a thing that should not take effort or be unpleasant. Having difficult getting up and going to the bathroom often means that your problem is actually pretty bad. If you've been ignoring the problem, it's a very good sign that you should stop ignoring the problem.

Needing to pee but not being able to get up and go pee because the cat is sitting on you, however, is normal operating procedure. How dare you move the cat for something as selfish as your basic bodily functions. You metabolized and you didn't even get permission? The cat does not approve.

[beneathsilverstars]

It's hard, taking care of a kid when you're still growing up yourself, but Pétronille does her best. She's not sure it's good enough, but what else can she do? A series of scenes following Pétronille and Bonnie, from the first time they ran away to the second.

Rating: Teen and Up Category: Gen Characters: Pétronille, Bonnie Tags: POV Second Person, Minor Original Character(s), Specifically various citizens of Bambouche, Child Neglect, Child Abuse, Bipolar Pétronille, Suicidal Thoughts, breaking the cycle, kitchen mishaps, Shoes both remembered and forgotten, Drowning imagery, Bonnie's protectee guilt, Bonnie's A+ spelling Words: 10,541

[mcybree]

I prepared this ask in the Notes app only for Tumblr to not let me copy and paste the text so here’s a screenshot bc I’m not typing all that again lol

there’s this funny trend i see in trafficblr art, in that, when there’s a lineup of every past winner, most players will be surrounded by symbols that were relevant to their POV, and perhaps drawn with the last emotion they’d felt just before death (or maybe just whatever emotion the artist most associates with the character). The winners might be doing something, or in a pose that reflects how they won—there are a million ways to make a life series winners’ piece. What’s funny about it is that no one ever seems to know what to do with Scott. He’s most often just standing there looking mildly disgruntled. And for the symbols he’s most depicted with, it’s typically poppies, which are only relevant to the first season; last life scott does not place any importance on poppies, poppies dont ever come up beyond a brief interaction in episode 1, and jimmy as a whole is less relevant to scott’s pov in last life than he is in every other season.

not that this is an issue with the art; the pieces are beautifully done, it’s just representative of how little fandom discussion there is about scott’s win thematically. Most discussion I see are about the watchers and how they hate scott for defying him or whatever, but watcher lore is not discussion of the series itself as much as it is a fan creation that is retroactively applied to create meaning.

Scott’s Last Life win, to me, was achieved through accomplishing what Third Life Scott could not.

Scott spent 3L waiting for his day one ally to die. He kept Jimmy at a distance, often fully gearing himself up first before backtracking to help Jimmy along. There’s a funny disparity in episode 5, where Jimmy spends the entire episode trying to get good enchants on his iron armor, while Scott sets up a villager and gets good enchants for the full diamond set that he’d already had in storage, in about half the time Jimmy took trying to accomplish his own goal, iirc. This disparity is also something scott acknowledges with the “I’ll always be more powerful than you” line, but it’s been a while since ive written a post like this so i unfortunately do not have the episode number memorized on that one anymore. But Scott goes on to explain that he’ll always have better armor and weapons, which is why Jimmy could never kill him. This is all to say that Jimmy and Scott do not stand on equal grounds in their alliance, and, more importantly, Scott does not depend on Jimmy. The progress Scott makes in Third Life is entirely his own, with Jimmy as more of an afterthought than a teammate.

This is what landed Scott his all time lowest placement. After Jimmy dies first, Scott loses sight of his priorities and dedicates his remaining time alive to avenging Jimmy, rather than focusing on his own longevity (like he’d go on to do in future seasons). And, in that way, Scott’s attitude towards Jimmy (disposable, going to die, unreliable) was an indirect contributor to Scott’s low placement.

In contrast: Scott could not have won Last Life without Pearl. Scott has to rely on Pearl from day 1, having only two lives to start with himself. Pearl gives Scott two lives total. Pearl and Scott are almost always together. They made it to the final four by each other’s side. And that forced day 1 reliance on pearl breaks down the role scott typically assumes (*he’s* supposed to be the person people rely on, he’s supposed to be the one bringing everything to the table) which curbs his tendency to see himself as above others, which then allows for the most genuine happiness i have ever seen him have in an alliance.

The comparison between the way Scott talks to Pearl and the way Scott talks to Jimmy is like night and day. Scott doesn’t compliment or otherwise say anything supportive towards Jimmy (save for the “I believe in you! MCC has trained you for this moment!” during Jimmy’s dare to flare attempt) until after Jimmy has already died. With Pearl, however, Scott is much more open about his care towards her, saying that she’s his best friend and that he loves her as early as episode 2. There’s more examples but between last life and third life, Scott’s attitude towards his primary ally is completely different, and i think it’s symptomatic of Scott allowing himself to love and be vulnerable rather than keeping himself at a distance. And i think that it’s so special that scott won the season where he was so close with his day one alliance, directly because of his day one alliance.

because, to me, one of scott’s defining characteristics is his self reliance. He will have allies, yes, but he often assumes a supportive role and acts as a supplier. He doesnt like taking things from other people. Last Life is different because Scott relies on Pearl, too. It’s also not a coincidence that last life is the only season where scott is normal about jimmy but that’s a different post

tldr yes scott won last life with the power of love but not in the way people say he did (ignoring the boogeyman curse was strategy ☝️)

I SHOULD NOTE, though, that the boogeyman curse was still a fail. Although purposeful, Scott receives the penalty and apologizes to his team. He says he just couldn’t bring himself to do it. I do think that his words here aren’t fully honest— he’d admitted earlier that this choice was fully for strategy. But I also think his apologetic attitude here is genuine. Scott is a perfectionist, he needs to succeed; failing, though purposeful, still hurts. He feels the need to apologize. It means so much to me that his win in last life directly follows the choice to fail on purpose. I’m insane though idk

third life scott embodies scotts flaws while last life scott is him overcoming them 👍 is what im trying to say 👍 last life scott is everything that third life scott could not bring himself to be, in allowing himself to love and depend on other people and overall just be a person.

[chirpsythismorning]

We never really left

[solasfenheral]

vg is a game where there a lot of parts I enjoy on paper and then you have to reckon w execution that keeps like. keeps immediately killing narrative tension before it can build

[danvillecheese]

the thing about a three way crossover is that the mml one was already so jam-packed with characters that plot points got cut and it was a hodgepodge of an episode and it was ending a story arc and also trying to squeeze in characters from pnf at the same time. imagine adding a third show full of characters to it could you even imagine the chaos

[rking200]

I can't believe it's Sunday again already! We've got a new chapter of The Red Room for you all to enjoy. Please give @connor-sent-by-cyberlife some love for the wonderful render in this chapter (as well as all the hard work they've put in on all the renders thus far!!)

The Red Room (45158 words) by rking200 Chapters: 7/? Fandom: Detroit: Become Human (Video Game) Rating: Explicit Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply Relationships: Hank Anderson/Connor Characters: Hank Anderson, Connor (Detroit: Become Human), Original Chloe | RT600, Markus (Detroit: Become Human), Elijah Kamski Additional Tags: Alternate Universe - Human, Stalking, Vomiting, Suicidal Thoughts, Top Hank Anderson, Bottom Connor (Detroit: Become Human), Connor is a Mess (Detroit: Become Human), Hank Anderson is Bad at Feelings, Alcohol Abuse/Alcoholism, Missing Persons, Abduction, Manipulation, Death Threats, Mental Health Issues, Zlatko didn't do it, POV Alternating, Slow Burn, Sex at some point Summary: Connor Stern is a law school dropout who dreams of making it big in the music industry. He manages to get into a special apprenticeship program with the musical genius Elijah Kamski and, despite working two jobs and struggling to stay afloat, feels like his dream is finally within his grasp. When Hank Anderson stumbles into the lounge Connor performs at, The Red Room, he becomes entranced with him. As Hank falls in love with Connor's voice, he ends up entangled with conflicting emotions and delicate situations. Slowly, his nights are filled with Connor's songs and his closeness, even if he feels he doesn't deserve it. They reach several roadblocks along the way of getting closer, some more dangerous than others. A collaboration written alongside Connor-sent-by-Cyberlife for the Reverse Big Bang 2024, told with a POV alternating between Hank and Connor. Chapters added weekly.

[s0fter-sin]

Chapters: 23/? Fandom: 僕のヒーローアカデミア | Boku no Hero Academia | My Hero Academia Rating: Explicit Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence Relationships: Aizawa Shouta | Eraserhead/Yamada Hizashi | Present Mic, Dabi | Todoroki Touya & Yamada Hizashi | Present Mic, Aizawa Shouta | Eraserhead & Dabi | Todoroki Touya, Midoriya Izuku & Yamada Hizashi | Present Mic, Aizawa Shouta | Eraserhead & Midoriya Izuku, Dabi | Todoroki Touya & Shigaraki Tomura | Shimura Tenko, Midoriya Izuku & Shinsou Hitoshi Characters: Yamada Hizashi | Present Mic, Aizawa Shouta | Eraserhead, Dabi | Todoroki Touya, Shigaraki Tomura | Shimura Tenko, Midoriya Izuku, Shinsou Hitoshi, Tsukauchi Naomasa, Kayama Nemuri | Midnight, Iida Tensei | Ingenium Additional Tags: Pre-Canon, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Angst with a Happy Ending, Enemies to Friends to Lovers, Case Fic, Deaf Yamada Hizashi | Present Mic, Villain Aizawa Shouta | Eraserhead, Parental Aizawa Shouta | Eraserhead | Dadzawa, Past Child Abuse, Canon-Typical Violence, Found Family, Slow Burn, Eventual Smut, Fights, Fist Fights, Hurt/Comfort, Yamada Hizashi | Present Mic-centric, Hurt Yamada Hizashi | Present Mic, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder - PTSD, no beta we die like sir nighteye, Implied/Referenced Child Trafficking Summary:

Hizashi is spiralling; his hero career is on the brink of collapse, no radio station will give him a shot and he isn’t sure how much more he can take.

When people start turning up beaten half to death, they lead him to an underground quirk fighting ring. Could it be the big break he needs to save his career or will the mysterious Referee show him something better?

[warlenys]

megamind 2 i will kill everyone involved in making that shit and then myself i do not have a notes app filled with essays about the perfection of that fucking movie just for some cunts who want money to turn it into a shitty low budget typical family franchise when i get my fucking hands on them

[mariyekos]

Thoughts on the new DMC trailer?

Going to be honest I haven't watched any trailers since the trailer at the Game Awards (or whichever one I have those 2 breakdown posts for) 😅 I keep seeing the trailer announcements when I don't have my headphones on me, and I've been behind on watching them once I have the time... maybe tomorrow I'll finally get to watching them! Tonight I'm dead tired so I don't think I'd be in much of a good mood and I don't want to start off on the wrong foot, so to speak. When I watch them I can make a write up on it though! Would probably be fun.

[mortysmith]

Fuck you season five episode nine genuinely some of the worst shit they clobbered together

[the-one-that-weeps]

I will genuinely never forgive Sega for making Mizuki a first year. 75% of their closest acquaintances are second years. Kanada might still be around but Mafuyu and Ena have to leave for uni. Also Rui