#still don't how i feel about the supernatural element
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wandamaximoffsbadgirl · 4 months ago
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Runes
Agatha Harkness x fem!reader
Word count: 697
Warnings: 18+ MDNI, possessiveness, supernatural elements, sensuality, intimacy, power dynamics (Agatha leans towards a dom role, R to a sub roll)
Authors notes: I loved this idea also Happy Birthday @iwantscarlettandlizzie
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Agatha’s touch was always intoxicating, but tonight there was an extra charge in the air, something that made your skin prickle with anticipation. She had always been possessive, marking you with bites and hickeys like a normal girlfriend, but tonight, she had something else in mind.
Her lips were on your neck, her teeth grazing your skin as she left a trail of possessive marks down to your collarbone. You gasped, arching into her touch, but then you felt something different. Her fingers traced intricate patterns on your skin, and where she touched, there was a faint, almost imperceptible burn. It wasn’t painful, but it sent a wave of heat through your body, leaving you lightheaded.
“Agatha… what are you…?” you breathed out, your voice trembling with a mix of confusion and pleasure.
She smirked against your skin, her lips brushing against the shell of your ear. “Protection runes, darling. Just a little extra something to keep you safe. And to make sure everyone knows you’re mine.”
You shivered as her magic danced across your skin, the burn of the runes intensifying for just a moment before settling into a warm, protective glow. Each rune she traced felt like a claim, binding you to her in a way that was both thrilling and slightly terrifying.
But you trusted Agatha. You knew she would never harm you. The runes were a testament to that, a physical manifestation of her love and possessiveness. And as the last rune settled into place, you felt a wave of dizziness, your vision blurring slightly.
Agatha caught you before you could fall, her arms wrapping around you as she pressed a kiss to your forehead. “Shh, you’re alright. Just relax, let the magic settle.”
You nodded weakly, leaning into her embrace as the dizziness faded, leaving behind only a deep sense of connection and belonging. Agatha’s marks were more than just physical—they were a reminder that you were hers, protected and cherished in a way that no one else could ever offer.
Agatha’s lips curled into a satisfied smile as she felt you melt into her arms, your body slowly acclimating to the magic coursing through your veins. The glow of the runes, though faint, remained imprinted on your skin, an unmistakable sign of Agatha's love and possessiveness. You could feel their gentle hum, almost like a second heartbeat.
"Look at you," she murmured, her voice low and intoxicating, like velvet. "You wear my marks so beautifully."
A small whimper escaped your lips as her fingers trailed over the freshly etched runes. The sensation was overwhelming, the blend of her magic and touch pulling you deeper into the haze of pleasure and surrender. You knew Agatha's magic was ancient, powerful, but she had never used it on you like this before. It was exhilarating, and a little daunting, to feel that kind of raw energy tethering you to her.
"Does it hurt, darling?" she whispered, her breath hot against your ear as her hand slipped lower, her fingers lightly tracing the hem of your shirt.
You shook your head, still dazed. "No… it feels good. Just... intense."
"Good," Agatha purred, pressing another kiss to your temple. "I don't want you to feel any pain, only pleasure. You're mine, and I take care of what's mine."
Her words sent a shiver through you, the finality of her claim sinking in. There was no question about who you belonged to, and you felt a strange comfort in it. The world outside faded away, leaving only you and her, the runes on your skin a constant reminder of the unbreakable bond you shared.
"Now," she said, pulling back just enough to look into your eyes, her thumb brushing your cheek. "How about we test the limits of this little spell, hmm? Let's see just how much pleasure these runes can handle."
The hunger in her gaze made your pulse quicken. With a mischievous smirk, Agatha’s fingers slid beneath your shirt, her touch igniting the runes as they responded to her magic, sending waves of heat and pleasure surging through your body. You gasped, clinging to her, completely at her mercy.
And Agatha reveled in it.
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thenightling · 9 months ago
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Dead boy Detectives review
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I've watched all eight episodes of Dead Boy Detectives and it was a decent show. It's not something I may obsess over like The Sandman, or The Witcher, but it was decent.
Dead Boy Detectives is the story of Edwin Payne and Charles Rowland. Edwin was killed during a Satanic ritual in 1916. Charles died from hypothermia and internal bleeding after some bullies drove him into an ice-cold lake while throwing rocks at him.
(Note: That was not how Charles actually died in the source material. In the comics, Lucifer had quit and shut down Hell (the basis for the TV show Lucifer) so many evil souls returned to Earth, including the boys that sacrificed poor Edwin. They badly burnt Charles' back on a hot stove and Charles died from his injuries.)
The two ghosts decided to dedicate their afterlife solving mysteries to help other ghosts find peace. They are aided by psychic, Crystal Palace, who is haunted by her abusive ex-boyfriend who happens to be a demon.
Both Edwin Payne and Charles Rowland originated in Neil Gaiman's The Sandman: Season of Mists, The Sandman: Volume 4. Issue 25 of The Sandman comics, and within Act 2 of The Sandman audio drama.
The Dead Boy Detectives made their TV first appearance in Doom Patrol for HBO Max (now Max). During a shakeup at Max the show was moved over to Netflix as to better connect it with The Sandman since that is where they originated.
The show features different actors from the ones that played Charles and Edwin on Doom Patrol.
The Dead Boy Detectives is a decent show but ...it feels a bit like a CW teen drama. I had been told that some of the show's writers were originally writers for the CW... and it shows.
There are some deliberately surreal elements of the show that I think are a callback to their appearance in Doom Patrol.
I love the variety of supernatural entities in the show, including the appearance of two of Morpheus's siblings. Death and Despair. The things I don't like about the show can be considered CW tropes or cliches. The angsty romances and unrequited love. The ham-fisted abusive ex metaphor between Crystal and David The Demon.
And of course the most tedious of CW tropes, the end of the episode pining and angst while a sad pop song plays in the background.
If you look past the CW-ness of it, the show is enjoyable.
The only other things I can complain about is the "connecting thread" subplot of The Afterlife: Lost and Found feels like unnecessary filler. And I wish they would openly establish that Edwin, being an innocent, would NOT return to Hell if collected by Death now. I don't think that should be left hanging over his head. Especially since we're supposed to see Death as a kind entity. Also I think Charles says "Aces" a little too much. It's very distracting and makes me feel like the writers didn't know much late 80s English slang. It would be like if he was an American and they had him say "Radical" all the time. I get that it's kind of his catchphrase but it also got a bit annoying.
The parts I don't like are CW tropes and what I'd consider to be late 90s Vertigo edginess.
The thing I liked were plentiful though. The protagonists were and are likable. The ending is satisfying enough so that if there is only one season this was still good. I liked that it appears that one can ascend out of Hell after some self-reflection as is indicated by the boy Edwin confronted in Hell. The blue light was established to mean ascension, a good afterlife.
I also LOVE the opening credits theme music and animated sequence. It reminds me of the intro to Showtime's Creature Feature movies. (See the trailer for 2001's She Creature, not the 50s version. Watch the trailer at thirteen seconds in, on Youtube, and you'll see what I mean).
That's two Gothic themed shows from Netflix in the last two years with great opening credits sequences. The first being Wednesday. That one won Danny Elfman an Emmy.
It's funny, Wednesday and Dead Boy Detectives (which is a spin-off of The Sandman) have great opening credit intro sequences but The Sandman does not. Apparently Neil Gaiman was told people don't watch the opening credits anymore so The Sandman doesn't have them.
I feel we were cheated out of what could have been a great opening sequence for The Sandman.
Episodes 7 and 8 of Dead Boy Detectives were probably the best of the series. I liked it well enough that if Dead Boy Detectives gets renewed I'll happily watch season 2.
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librababe99 · 4 months ago
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Beneath the Blood Moon
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Tags: MDNI, 18+ONLY, Vampire!Dick Grayson, Human! Female Reader, mentions of blood, power imbalance, supernatural elements, dark romance, forbidden love  Summary: In the shadows of Gotham, a forbidden love burns between you and Dick, a vampire torn between his lingering humanity and his dark insatiable hunger. wc: 1.3K
A/N: I don't know what's gotten into me y'all but something about this photo has me feeling soooo many ways😏
| DC Masterlist |
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The night wrapped around Gotham like a velvet cloak, its shadows thick with secrets, its darkness alive with mystery. The city streets were quieter than usual, a soft mist curling in the air, shimmering under the dim glow of the streetlights. You pulled your coat tighter around your body, the chill biting at your skin despite the layers. But the cold wasn’t what made you shiver. It was him.
You could feel him—somewhere in the darkness, watching. Waiting. Just like always.
Your steps quickened as you crossed the nearly empty street, your heart racing in your chest, though it had little to do with fear. No matter how hard you tried, you couldn’t avoid him. You didn’t want to. That was the worst part of it all.
You longed for him.
As you turned into the alley near your apartment, you saw him, his silhouette emerging from the shadows. Tall, muscular, dressed in black, with the kind of effortless grace that made it seem as if he was part of the night itself. Dick Grayson—once a hero, once a man, but now something else entirely.
A vampire.
His piercing eyes glowed faintly, like embers in the dark, and as they locked onto yours, you felt a tug deep inside your chest, as if he had control of something far more precious than just your heart. It was magnetic, this pull between you. Dangerous. Forbidden.
You knew it was wrong. He was no longer the man you had known, no longer fully human. And you… you were still mortal. Fragile. But that didn’t stop the longing that throbbed through your veins whenever you were near him, the ache of wanting him, needing him, in ways you could barely admit to yourself.
“You shouldn’t be out here so late,” his voice was deep, smooth, tinged with that familiar mixture of concern and hunger. The sound of it sent a thrill down your spine, making your skin prickle with awareness.
“I could say the same to you,” you replied, trying to keep your voice steady as he stepped closer, his movements slow, deliberate, predatory. You could feel the heat of his body now, despite the coldness that seemed to radiate from him.
His smile was soft, but there was something dangerous in it. “You know why I’m here.”
You swallowed, your throat tight as he came closer still, until there was barely any space between you. His presence overwhelmed your senses��his scent, his closeness, the sharp gleam of his fangs when his lips parted slightly, as if tasting the air around you. It was intoxicating, the way he made you feel. He was so much stronger than you, so much darker, but you felt safe with him, even when you knew you shouldn’t.
“You shouldn’t do this,” you whispered, though your words were as much for yourself as they were for him.
He chuckled softly, his hand lifting to brush a strand of hair away from your face, his fingers lingering on your cheek, the coolness of his skin stark against the warmth of yours. “I know,” he said quietly, his voice filled with an edge of regret, but also something deeper, something that matched the ache you felt inside. “But I can’t stay away.”
Neither could you. Despite everything, despite the danger, the darkness, the blood that separated your worlds, you couldn’t stay away from him either.
Your breath hitched as his hand slid down your cheek, his thumb brushing across your lower lip with the barest pressure. His touch ignited something in you, something that had been simmering beneath the surface for far too long. The heat pooled low in your belly, the pulse between your legs growing more insistent with every passing second.
“Every time I see you,” he murmured, his voice so soft it was almost a growl, “it gets harder. You don’t know what you do to me.”
You looked up at him, your heart hammering against your ribs. His eyes were dark, filled with a hunger that went beyond just the thirst for blood. It was deeper, more primal, and it mirrored your own yearning. The pull between you was undeniable, even though every rational part of your brain told you to stop this, to pull away.
But you couldn’t.
“I feel the same way,” you admitted, your voice barely more than a breath. It was the truth, and you both knew it. The tension between you was unbearable, electric, a coiled spring waiting to snap.
His thumb pressed harder against your lip, parting them slightly, and his eyes flicked down to your mouth with an intensity that made your legs tremble. “I could hurt you,” he whispered, the words heavy with warning, but there was no mistaking the longing in his voice. “I should walk away. But I can’t. I need you.”
The heat that surged through your body was overwhelming, an ache that demanded to be satisfied. You didn’t care about the danger, not anymore. You wanted him. You had always wanted him, even before the transformation, even before the darkness that now consumed him. But now, that want has grown into something more—a burning need, fierce and consuming.
“I’m not afraid,” you whispered, your voice trembling with both fear and desire. “I trust you.”
The way his eyes darkened at your words sent a shiver through you, and before you could take another breath, his lips were on yours. The kiss was hard, almost desperate, his cool mouth devouring yours with a hunger that matched your own. His hands gripped your waist, pulling you against him, and you melted into his embrace, your fingers tangling in his hair, tugging him closer, needing more.
His fangs grazed your lip, sharp and dangerous, and a small gasp escaped you, but the sting only heightened your desire. He deepened the kiss, his tongue sweeping over yours, tasting, claiming, as though he was trying to drink in every part of you. You moaned against his mouth, your body arching into his, craving the touch of his hands, the press of his body against yours.
When he finally broke the kiss, you were both breathless, your chest heaving as you stared up at him. His eyes were wild, the faintest hint of red flickering in them, and you could see the struggle etched into his features—the battle between the man he was and the creature he had become.
“I want you,” he growled, his voice thick with desire, his hand sliding under your coat to rest on the curve of your hip. “But if we do this… I don’t know if I can stop.”
The weight of his words sank into you, but it didn’t scare you. You wanted him just as fiercely, just as desperately. Even if it meant surrendering to the darkness that clung to him.
“I don’t want you to stop,” you whispered, your voice trembling with the intensity of your need.
He groaned, his forehead resting against yours for a brief moment before he captured your lips again, this time softer, slower, as though he was savoring the taste of you. His hands roamed your body, exploring every curve, every inch, while your own hands found the smooth muscles of his chest, feeling the raw strength beneath the surface.
You were lost in him, in the heat, in the desire that pulsed between you. It didn’t matter that he was no longer human, that this love was dangerous, forbidden. All that mattered was the way he made you feel—the way he ignited something inside you that no one else ever had.
“I’ll make you mine,” he whispered against your lips, his voice thick with need, “but I’ll never turn you. I want you like this—human. Alive.”
His words sent a shudder through you. You knew this was wrong, that it could never last. But right now, at this moment, none of that mattered.
All that mattered was him.
And the way he made you feel like you were the only thing keeping him tethered to the last remnants of his humanity.
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aseriesofunfortunatejan · 15 days ago
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With the repeat imagery of different Mutsumi-s, and with her "teleportation" on stage, when I first saw Mortis' little feetsies I was like oh. Yeah. Her alter who's a little doll.
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In hindsight, her frozen state may be interpreted as dissociation - no one being in front in that moment.
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I truly didn't expect a genuine possibility that BanG Dream! would feature a character with DID, and I was especially not expecting the portrayal of a non-human alter, and yet, when I saw small feet walk up to Mutsumi in the Episode 3 teaser, it clicked in my brain.
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But is this actually DID? Could it be another disorder, or is Ave Mujica intended to introduce fantastical elements that are not grounded in reality?
I'm not under the impression that Ave Mujica is going to be supernatural horror. Of course, the imagery itself is fantastical, but that's a quality from working with a visual medium.
The visual medium brings forward some questions - such as, does the Mutsumi-chan we know have a headspace wherein she views herself in the appearance of a child?
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Or, alternatively, is this appearance due to experiencing flashbacks?
Mortis, when she's not the doll, assumes her older form. Since other characters look like dolls and toys in this section - perhaps headspace - toys might be the tool with which she processes those thoughts and not representative of Mortis' self.
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But Mutsumi also perceives her guitar as having a voice, which is less conventional.
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Could a disorder that causes hallucinations be another possible interpretation? So far, with the knowledge that Mortis "takes control" and causes completely different behaviours from their body, it's not the one that makes the most sense.
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It seems her guitar might be an identity of hers that wants to sing, but doesn't have that control. Still, she later repeats "I can't make the guitar sing": the way she views her guitar might still be different from an alter, for which Mortis fits the role, and rather a symptom of feeling a disconnect from the music she plays. How much music communicates is an important theme of BanG Dream!, after all, and here Mutsumi says this: I can't communicate through music. (I know that when I used to play music, I would be praised for the emotions that were specific to my playing - this is a genuine feeling.) It's important to note that even if she does have DID, her worries about CRYCHIC are still also happening.
...But Mutsumi may herself be the guitar...*
Looking at Sakiko crying all over again, feeling negative emotions as though it's going on right now - those are flashbacks. DID is a disorder linked with C-PTSD.
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This audience of multiple Mutsumi-s continues to show up when Mortis comes back to talk to her, which contributes to its meaning as imagery of viewing "different selves".
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...I don't know why the chicken has an opinion. (And I don't think I'm familiar with its imagery.)
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Is this just imagery of her mental breakdown? Am I wrong for seeing resemblances with dissociative identity disorder?
The thing is, I have no idea where Bushiroad stands on representing mental health and disorders. I mean, much of BanG Dream! has had what felt to me like genuine attempts to write autistic experiences - most evidently with Mashiro's and Tomori's world views - I also believe Kasumi fits the criteria for ADHD - but it's never said. That, to me, is a point of worry. Are we doing secret-DID? Are we doing DID-inspired fiction?
During the band's fight, what Mutsumi experiences is once again a flashback.
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Whilst one would argue that a highschool band disbanding isn't that traumatising - first of all, this is the Bandoriverse - but most importantly, if she has an established disorder such as C-PTSD or, as I'm observing here, DID, she is someone with an established propension to experience flashbacks. Lots of feelings can also get mixed up together and cause something seemingly small to mean a lot to the traumatised individual.
Of course, the question is - what did Mutsumi experience to develop DID? Neglect is a plausible theory, given her family's setup, but again, without knowing Bushiroad's exact standards and goal, should we expect a realistic backstory for the disorder?
...Has Sakiko, without her knowledge, met an alter of Mutsumi's before?
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Then, Mutsumi identifies "Mortis". She has not introduced herself before, which is why this looks to me - and makes sense due to the context of Mortis as a concept being introduced fairly recently into her life - like a system that has formed a new alter.
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...Should I be scared?
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If this is meant to be sincere writing of DID, it should remain a fact that Mortis does nothing but try to protect Mutsumi. And though the visual is scary, it makes sense for one to be taking the other's place. (Would it make sense to say Mortis is becoming the host?)
Of course, since I don't know Bushiroad's intentions, they might still be intending on using those concepts for horror alone.
Well, even with the best of intentions, Mortis forcing Mutsumi out is actually quite scary and makes for an uneven relationship.
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And for an alter to go dormant and not come back is something people are likely to grieve.
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*...As the guitar is laid to rest.
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slight-gaming-addict · 2 months ago
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Hello! Can I please request for prompt 6 one shot with Idia x reader please? Idk if I’m doing this right so please ignore this if I am
~ you're unaware of the past inhabitant still living in your newly bought house ~
pairing: idia shroud x gn!reader
warnings: mentions of a dead body and blood, supernatural elements, gunshot wound, possible grammar errors, probably more warnings
word count: 1.4k
event masterlist | main masterlist | ko-fi
ʜᴀᴜɴᴛᴇᴅ
Everyone you know called you crazy for even thinking of getting a house like this. The cursed house that hasn't had a single owner keep the house for more than a month before it was back on the market again. The real estate agent was ecstatic as she led you through the house after your interest in it, showing you each and every thing that's been done to it over the last year that it's been on the market to try and attract new buyers.
With all the new modern renovations that have been done, you would've thought that it would be at least double the price than it was, and you soon learned why it was so cheap on the market.
Some years ago there was apparently a gruesome murder of a young man that happened in the house, and it's never been the same ever since. Every single person that's stayed in this house has left as quickly as they arrived, claiming that they'd awake to things being thrown around the house and voices echoing throughout making it known that they were not wanted there.
You've never really had a paranormal experience before, but you'd be lying if you weren't the slightest bit curious if the stories about the house are true. You don't have another option anyway, the house being the only place in the neighborhood that's in your budget, and you don't really see the appeal of sleeping in your car.
The real estate agent is practically bouncing on her feet as you officially sign the deed to the house as well as the check for the down payment that you still feel should have been higher, but you're not going to complain.
A couple of weeks later, you have practically everything unpacked—not that you had much—and are settling into the house nicely. You haven't had anything that they said has happened in the house happen to you, so you figured the rumors were just that, rumors.
It isn't until late one night that something happens. You're rinsing off a dish in the sink when a mug that sits next to you on the counter suddenly falls off and shatters to the ground.
You jump, dropping the dish you had in your hand into the sink. You look down at the smashed pieces on the floor next to your feet and take a step away from the glass. Looking around the room, you see nothing out of place that would cause it to happen, and you didn't think it was that close to the edge of the counter, but after a couple minutes of contemplating how it happened, the only reason you come up with is you accidentally bumping it, even though you don't remember doing it.
The next day, you're back in the kitchen making breakfast when the blender suddenly starts from across the room. You jump once again at the sudden noise, turning around from what you're doing. You walk up to the blender with confusion, not even remembering plugging it in. Trying to turn it off, you hit the power button, but the blender continues to whirl. You hit all the buttons, but nothing seems to turn it off. Eventually, you reach behind it and yank the power cord out of the wall, letting the blender finally come to a stop to plunge the room into a sudden silence.
You shake your head, trying to rationalize it, but not knowing how. You guess faulty wiring could come into play, though it's not that likely it's the only excuse you have. Your mind wanders to the rumors of the house and the reasoning why countless other people have left previously, but you don't have a choice right now, needing somewhere to live. You just hope you don't regret the decision to stay later down the line.
A week passes and small things keep happening around the house, things being knocked off counters, lights turning off as soon as you flip them on, and furniture being shifted from its position. The thought of leaving crosses your mind a couple of times, but all the things that happen seem so minor that you don't feel like you're in any real danger.
It isn't until one night that it changes. You're walking into your bedroom from the bathroom, getting ready to go to bed when you hear a low voice emitting from the corner of the room.
"Why won't you just leave?" Your heart jumps into your throat as you turn to face the noise, letting out a small scream as you see a figure in the corner.
Idia lets out a small scream similar to yours when he realizes that you can actually see him in the room. "You can see me?" He asks in disbelief as you push yourself against the opposite wall with wide eyes.
"How did you get in here?" You say, his questions not even registering in your mind that's completely scrambled at the moment. You would have probably recognized him from the images online from all of the articles about the house if you weren't too busy thinking someone broke into your house.
"Hey, wait-" He tries to speak, but you're preoccupied with grabbing the first thing you can and swinging it directly at him. You watch the object phase right through him and hit the wall behind him before dropping to the ground. Your eyes widen as a puff of light smoke covers the area where he just was before dissipating completely.
"What the-" Your eyebrows crease in confusion, looking at the now empty spot where the person just was.
"I'd appreciate if you didn't throw things at me." His voice sounds from next to you this time causing your body to jump and spin around, finding him standing next to your bathroom door this time.
"How did you-" You look back at the spot he just was in wonder as to how he got across the room without you seeing him. Looking towards the person once again is when his appearance finally clicks into your brain. "You're Idia..." As soon as the words leave your mouth, he's groaning out in annoyance.
"Yeah, yeah, I'm the poor guy who was murdered in his own home because he couldn't hear the intruder walking into his room from his stupid noise-canceling headphones." You just stare at him, trying to process the information of you physically speaking to someone who's not alive.
"But, how are you here?" You ask, your voice quiet as if you're scared of scaring him off.
"I wish I knew." He sighs out folding his arms over his chest in almost a defensive position. The last thing Idia remembers was sitting in front of his computer, ready to drown out the world around him and finally use his noise-canceling headphones when suddenly everything went dark.
He didn't hear the person breaking in through the headphones and the next thing he knew, he was staring down at the scene in front of him. His body was lying face down on the keyboard, blood dripping down onto the floor from the gunshot wound in his head, and even from seeing all that, he was the most upset about his brand new headphones getting blood all over them, and the very expensive keyboard getting completely ruined.
He's been wandering around the house ever since, watching the police come in and do their investigation, and the first people to move in since the incident. He didn't even mean to do it at first, but he knocked a painting off the wall when he saw them get settled in what was once his room. He saw their reaction and figured he could continue to move and knock things over, trying, and succeeding to run them out of the house.
He'd do it for every single person that would move into the house, working flawlessly, until you that is. He's not even sure how you're able to see him, no one else could.
"You're the reason why no one's been able to stay in the house." You say, everything starting to come together in your mind, like seeing a ghost, or spirit, or whatever you'd call it, standing right in front of you is an everyday occurrence.
"Yeah, well they were loud. Especially the ones with a newborn, it was like a screaming fest in here, I couldn't even hear myself think." Idia speaks out in a small huff.
"You realize every time you scare someone off you're just going to have to deal with more people coming in to check out the place." You say, looking at him expectedly.
Idia opens his mouth like he wants to say something, but then closes it again.
"Fine," he says after a few seconds.
"So I can stay?" You ask with a small smile. Idia just sighs out before disappearing through another light mist. You're taking that as a yes.
⫘⫘⫘⫘⫘⫘⫘⫘⫘⫘⫘⫘⫘⫘⫘⫘⫘⫘⫘⫘⫘⫘⫘⫘⫘⫘
buy me a coffee ♡
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epicbuddieficrecs · 1 year ago
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Favorite Buddie fics of 2023!
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Every single year at @epicstuckyficrecs I used to do a fic rec at the end of the year with my favorite fics. I figured I should keep the tradition going! So, without further ado, these are my favorite Buddie fics (in no particular order) published in 2023! (you can also check out some other favorite Buddie fics of mine here)
If you have any favorites that aren't in this list, don't hesitate to share them in the comments! :)
Complete
find a way to you (if it kills me) by foxwatson/ @eddiediazes (Post S6E13: Mixed Feelings, Pining | 19K | Mature): the one where eddie decides to start dating again, buck figures out his own feelings just a minute too late, and then he spends a week going through the five stages of grief
let the world have its way with you by fleetinghearts/ @shitouttabuck (Post-Coma AU | 54K | Explicit): or, a bucket list that’s really about buck needing to make a change and an eddie who’s ready to do anything to see him fall in love with life again. it takes some crossing off for eddie to realise—the thing at the top of the list in his own heart? it’s been right here all along
Being Eddie by Daisies_and_Briars/ @cal-daisies-and-briars (Time Travel, Post-Season 6, Getting together | 80K | Teen): When Eddie starts seeing a new therapist, he’s presented with the opportunity to revisit several days from his past and right regrets that still bother him. OR: Eddie goes through the time travel therapy process of the 2009 Canadian TV show Being Erica.
Evan Buckley & The Coma-Verse of Madness by Daisies_and_Briars/ @cal-daisies-and-briars (Coma AU, Multiverse | 58K | Teen): After being struck by lightning on a call, Buck experiences a plethora of alternate realities showing him different directions his life could have taken. Fighting hard to get home, Buck learns what, or who, is important to him in every lifetime.
like a dog with a bird at your door by fleetinghearts/ @shitouttabuck (Post-S6, Getting Together | 51K | Explicit): or, evan “i love you like a dog” buckley has only ever known how to love like, well, a dog, but maybe eddie diaz is the kinda guy to give a flea-bitten mongrel a forever home
Both Blade and Branch by Daisies_and_Briars/ @cal-daisies-and-briars (Post-S6 | 62K | Mature): The chances of being struck by lightning twice are incredibly minute, but Buck still manages to pull it off. During a double date with Marisol and Natalia, nonetheless. Eddie manages to resuscitate him, but as Buck recovers from yet another trauma, Eddie can’t help but notice there’s something very different about him. He’s not quite sure what version of Buck he got back.
where all of the people dancing and clapping would greet me with such warmth by trysetmeonfire/ @try-set-me-on-fire (Season 6, Magical Realism | 15K | Mature): In the fall, Buck begins to disappear. (Part 2 of All I Am, All That I Am)
Nothing Left But You by Daisies_and_Briars/ @cal-daisies-and-briars ("Blip" AU | 27K | Teen | Warning: MCD): In May of 2021, 25% of Earth's population suddenly disappears. Including Eddie. In May of 2026, they all come back. Eddie finds himself suddenly in the middle of a world he doesn't recognize, where the people he loves most have changed significantly.
Your Love is an Oil Slick (It Glows like Rainbows, It Stains My Soul) by letmetellyouaboutmyfeels/ @letmetellyouaboutmyfeels (Canon Divergent - Supernatural Elements, Ghost Buck | 67K | Explicit): When Eddie's son claims he has an imaginary friend, Eddie doesn't think much of it. Christopher is seven, it's what kids do. But then weird things start happening around the house, and Eddie starts dreaming about a handsome blue-eyed man. Turns out, Christopher's friend isn't so imaginary. Their house is haunted.
come with me, together, we can take the long way home series by allisonRW96/ @homerforsure (Canon compliant | 105K | T to M):
Get me through the night; Make me feel alright (Post-S3 Finale | 11K | Mature): After an emotionally-gutting reunion with Abby, Buck turns to old coping mechanisms. Eddie helps him find a better way. In Uncertain Times, The Uncertain Rules Apply (Pre-S4 | 22K | Teen): Covid comes to LA. Eddie copes. Or doesn't. Holding out for Something More (Stuck in Reverse) (Post S4E3/Lone Star Crossover | 26K | Teen): LA is coming out of lockdown and the world is returning to some sense of normalcy. But going back to the way things were hurts more than Buck expected. While his therapist challenges him to confront what he really wants, the team takes a trip to Austin... and El Paso. so far from being free (S4E4: 9-1-1 What's Your Grievance?, S4E5: Buck Begins | 46K | Teen): That’s Daniel. He was our brother. Buck doesn’t know what to do with the past tense. He never had a brother. He’s always had a brother. He gained one and lost one in the same breath and it feels impossible.
Kink Club AU series by Princessfbi/ @princessfbi (Canon Divergent - Different First Meeting, BDSM, Dom Eddie, Sub Buck | Complete | Explicit): Canon compliant one shots where Eddie works at a Kink Club as a side hustle and meets Buck there before his first shift in 2x01.
The Warmth (of You) (25K): aka where Buck and Eddie first meet at a kink club before the firehouse To Weather the Storm (With You) (21K): aka the fallout of Buck finding out the dom he met at a Kink Club is his new coworker Safe Here (With You) (20K): aka Buck and Eddie handle working a shift after their first scene The Building Pressure (of You) (15K): aka Buck reaches out to Eddie after he leaves Abby's place in 2x07 An Offer to Torment (You) (14K): aka Eddie is all twisted up inside about what to do with Shannon. Buck offers himself up for some much needed holiday stress relief.
like when the sun came out by spaceprincessem/ @spaceprincessem (Canon Divergent, Ghosts | 39K | Mature): Evan gave up trying to explain what happens to him after his parents forced him to have a talk with one of their friends, supposedly a pediatric therapist, and cruelly hinted that if Evan didn’t stop seeing and talking about his “invisible friends” as if they were real then his parents would send him far away to places where they lock children up in padded rooms. “Look,” Evan says quickly, forcing out the words before he gets too scared to speak,” I—I know this is going to sound crazy, but, um, ever since I was a kid I can see ghosts.”
tomorrow will always and forever now be today (tomorrow is our always and forever) by withmeornotatall/ @chronicowboy (Post-S6, Time Loop | 43K | Mature): eddie gets trapped in a time loop on the day buck marries natalia
All My Shattered Oaths by letmetellyouaboutmyfeels/ @letmetellyouaboutmyfeels (Vampires AU | 107K | Explicit): Eddie wants to stay away from his family’s legacy and give his son a normal life. Buck’s desperate to find a way to get over the love he lost. Fate has other plans for both of them.
Don't They Know It's the End of the World? by Daisies_and_Briars/ @cal-daisies-and-briars (Fallout 4 AU, Post-Apocalyptic | 32K | Mature | Warning: Violence): After being put in a cryogenic sleep for over a hundred years to wait out an apocalyptic event, Eddie Diaz wakes up, too early, to find his son has been stolen from his cryo-chamber. Scared and alone in a frightening world he doesn't recognize, Eddie is willing to do anything to get his kid back.
but i can see all along, love (it was you all the way down) by diazchristopher/ @captain-hen (Post-S6, Time Loop | 28K Mature): He puts his laptop away after a bit, and paces the length of his apartment as he tries to take stock of the situation at hand. One: The date is March 22nd, 2024. Two: It has been March 22nd for 3 days now. Three: Buck is trapped in some kind of time loop that is forcing him to relive this day. Four: Eddie is, apparently, in love with him. And. And. Five: Buck doesn’t feel the same way.
WIP
And here are my favorite WIP that I really hope will continue to be updated in 2024! 🤞
for all the haunts and homes of men by euadnes/ @kananjarus (Canon Divergent, Post-Apocalyptic, Station Eleven Crossover | WIP | 11/? | 96K | Mature | Warning: Violence): The year by the old calendar is 2025. Home is gone. Home is a failed rescue mission and an echo of a memory. Home is a lost boy living in a wooden house by the sea. But first, there was a promise. Christopher, when it's safe, I'll take you back to your father. Buck had all but given up on keeping it after the world had died and everyone in it. But just as some oaths refuse to be forgotten, so the same can be said about the endurance of love.
Things We're All Too Young to Know by Daisies_and_Briars/ @cal-daisies-and-briars (Canon, S1 through S6 | 104/? | 283K | Mature): This is a love story. Even if it doesn’t always look like it. Even if it doesn’t always feel like it. A look back on Eddie and Buck's lives up to now, and what led them to each other, interpreted from the current 9-1-1 canon.
Precious & Fragile Things by Daisies_and_Briars/ @cal-daisies-and-briars (Small Miracles AU, Angel Buck | 10/? | 25K | Teen): Buck is the Fallen Angel of Petty Temptation, who has been tasked with tempting human Eddie Diaz to sin and enjoy life, but just a little. He thinks the job will be easy - get in, get out, go back to Peru to continue messing around with eternity. But when Buck arrives in Los Angeles, he finds Eddie is harder to tempt than expected, and more compelling than Buck had hoped.
Right Where You Left Me by hyacinthusbloom/ @thebloomingheather (Canon Divergent, Post-S4, Angst | 89K | 20/? | Explicit | Warning: Rape/Non-con): "Therapy?" Eddie suggests. Buck almost laughs, but instead says, "I'll go if you go." Because he had fully expected him to be chicken shit, to disagree, and instead Eddie, the bastard, replies, "Deal." Or Buck never tells anyone that he slept with his therapist and deals with the butterfly effect years later.
Innocence died screaming, honey, ask me I should know by JJK/ @trenchcoatsandtimetravel (Demon Buck, Canon Divergent | 7/? | 12K | Teen): Buck is a demon with the power to help with pregnancy, childbirth, and infant health. When the Buckleys make a deal asking for someone to help 'save their baby', Buck leaps at the chance as it will give him what he's always wanted: a life on earth. But demon deals are tricky and neither of them gets quite what they're after. This is Buck's journey as he navigates growing up on earth and remembering how to help those in need.
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iamcautiouslyoptimistic · 6 months ago
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Task Force 141 Supernatural AU
{Author's Note} I sent this to @alypink first and she really liked it so now everyone gets to see it lol! Took some inspo from other CoD monster AUs, specifically the ones by @bluegiragi and @tactax-art. Even though some ideas are similar, I made sure I put my own spin on everything so nothing was copied. Also included my girl Vana because I thought it'd be fun. I also have ideas for additional characters like Farah and Alejandro but would like to revamp them a bit. Let me know what you guys think! (and I haven't forgotten about the Mason x Helina series, don't worry👀) {Tag List} @alypink @efingcod @welldonekhushi @walder-138 @imagoddamnonionmason @littlemissclandestine @mango-parfait @thedevillovesflowers @http-paprika @mctvsh @adlerboi @deadbranch @moosch @theqreatorsworld
~ ~ ~
The members of Task Force 141 are non-humans who are specially trained to engage with supernatural threats. General Shepherd, Kate Laswell, and Alex Keller are humans who work closely with the team.
💲John Price -> Werewolf: Though cursed to take on a monstrous wolf form, Price benefits from a supernaturally enhanced physiology and superior senses. His sense of smell is especially keen so he always keeps a cigar on hand to prevent himself from being completely overwhelmed.
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💀Simon "Ghost" Riley -> Reaper: Existing somewhere between the physical and immaterial worlds, Ghost is a harbinger of death who can travel through shadows, interact with departed spirits, and foretell a person's demise. He doesn't need to eat or sleep but still feels emotions and pain, especially when he interacts with the living.
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🧼John "Soap" MacTavish -> Fire Elemental: Soap was blessed by a tribe of síth upon his birth, who granted him the ability to summon and control fire. He can wreathe his body in flames, cast explosive fireballs from his palms, and even choose what his fire will and will not burn. His Mohawk is usually the first to catch fire when he uses his abilities, which his fellow soldiers find especially entertaining.
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🧢Kyle "Gaz" Garrick -> Arcane Knight: Having been chosen as its wielder, Gaz carries a bewitched sword that grants him an enchanted set of plate armor and supernatural strength. He can even call it to his hand, no matter how far it might be from his grasp. It's believed this blade could be the legendary Excalibur but its true origins are unknown.
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🪶Evangeline "Vana" Vogel -> Valkyrie: Vana is a valkyrie, one of an ancient race of winged warrior women. She can interact with the spirits of the dead and unfurl a pair of resplendent wings from her back that allow her to fly. Upon her command, the feathers of her wings will harden into metal that can then be launched at foes or used as shields.
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concretejunglefm · 23 days ago
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Poltergeists: Chapter 15.
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you and me against the word, you were my man and i your girl. we had nothing except each other, you were my whole world.
Summary: It's been a year since your best friend Noah went missing, two years since you moved into the house you abandoned after he went missing from it during the night. This is a recount of events leading up to and what happened after the night he went missing and all of the strange events that occurred during your time living in that house.
Chapters: Prologue, Chapter 1, Chapter 2, Chapter 3, Bonus Chapter, Chapter 4, Chapter 5, Bonus Chapter, Chapter 6, Bonus Chapter, Chapter 7, Chapter 8, Bonus Chapter, Chapter 9, Bonus Chapter, Chapter 10, Chapter 11, Chapter 12, Chapter 13, Bonus Chapter, Chapter 14, Bonus Chapter
Pairings: Noah Sebastian x Reader, Nicholas Ruffilo x Reader, possibly more BO members.
CW: Missing person, elements of supernatural horror, mentions of blood and possibly violence, unreliable narrator. will update as it goes on. Heavy trigger warning for mentions of alcohol use, ptsd and panic attacks. This chapter contains mentions of physical self harm and medicating with alcohol and pills. Please take care of yourself.
WC: 1.7k.
AN: This series will be told throughout a variety of flashbacks and present day, all which will be marked.
Divider: Silent-stories.
Tagged: @enemiestolovershoe, @fadingangelwisp, @littlepeachwhispers, @concreteangel92, @deathblacksmoke, @1toreyouapart, @lacy1986, @chaoticwineaunt, @ichoosetenderomens, @baddestomens, @blade-dressed-in-red, @halfalgorithmhafdeity, @geminigirlfromfinland, @fuck1ng-queen, @collisionofyourkissmakesitsohard (if anyone else wishes to be tagged lmk)
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FLASHBACK
1 DAY SINCE NOAH'S DISAPPEARANCE.
Nicholas stayed.
You didn't ask him to, but when you woke up you found him slumped at the other end of the couch, a blanket pulled loosely over him and the remainder of it draped over you.
You're careful not to wake him as you move off the couch, pulling your phone out from your pocket to see it's still early.
6:34am the time on your phone reads.
You don't know how you've only slept for a few hours when you felt exhausted last night and can still feel the tension of it now throughout your body, but instead of retreating for more sleep, you head towards the front door and slip out before Nicholas can wake and see you've disappeared.
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Detective Green is in the same coffee shop as you. It's quiet in there this time of the morning and as soon as you enter, you catch his eye.
"Well good morning m—"
"I really have no interest in entertaining any more of your theories, detective." You interrupt him and the word detective is said with a bite.
Yesterday had been ruthless enough with his relentless questioning and to see him today, when you were still fresh in your turmoil, was enough for you to lose any offer of pleasantries.
"That was a little rude, don't you think?"
You glare at him in response as you wait for your order. You don't have the energy for him, not right now.
"It's lucky that I bumped into you, actually." He pauses but you don't bite. "I had some more questions to ask you about the other night. We can do it here if you like."
You continue to ignore him and from the corner of your eye, you catch his gaze firmly on you.
"Or we can do it down at the station." He follows up his offer with a sip from his coffee cup, as though he's giving you anything of a fair choice.
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The questions Detective Green had for you were the same as before, only this time they'd been for clarification purposes.
By the time he was satisfied and you left the coffee shop it was past 9am. The rest of the town had woken and everyone's lives carried on the same, except for yours.
Nicholas had text and tried to call, multiple times and they all went unanswered. As you climb into your car, instead of driving back in the direction of home, you start your route around town.
Despite the previous night's events still fresh in your mind, the vivid memory of Noah being dragged away from you and calling out for help, coming back in flashes, you were convinced that you could somehow find him out here.
If you explored every inch of this town, returning to all his favorite spots, you might find him nestled away somewhere and he wouldn't be gone, he wouldn't have been taken from you.
You see him in almost every face you pass, until you do a double take and realize it's not him. You find yourself driving in circles, the mixtape he made you back in high school playing on repeat from the cd player on your dash.
At one point it was the soundtrack of your life which became the one that underlined the romance that had always been there. Only now it became the one of your mourning, but how were you to mourn someone you didn't believe to be dead?
It was when you reached the edge of town you finally came to a stop, pulling up into the roadside and climbing out the car.
The road stretches past the city limits line but you don't go any further, stopping before you fall to your knees against the dirt and the gravel as you let out a shrill cry.
It's loud and haunting. It's everything you've been bottling up for the last 24 hours. The pain, the grief, the fear. It comes falling out in a shrill banshee cry, your body shaking as the tears start to fall again.
He's gone.
Every part of you doesn't want to believe it, but you can feel it in your bones, he's not here. No matter how much you hold on, and wish, and pray; nothing is bringing him back.
7 DAYS SINCE NOAH'S DISAPPEARANCE.
It's been a week and you haven't moved off the couch.
You haven't showered. You’ve barely eaten. You just about move to go to the bathroom but then you return to the pit you've made for yourself, one which consists of a rotation of Noah's hoodies that still smell like him, using it to blanket yourself and your grief.
If it wasn't for Nicholas you wouldn't eat at all. He can't be with you every moment of every day, but he tries his best. He comes over, he cooks for you, or brings you food and he cleans up the growing mess you leave behind.
You've turned to bottles to numb the pain. The remainder of cheap wine which sat in your fridge and cupboard has been polished off. You use it to sleep when you're not medicating yourself with something else.
In the bathroom cabinet you found some old anxiety meds you stopped taking after they made you feel too drowsy to function. In this case you were perfect because to be awake meant roaming the house like a ghost and crying over Noah.
At least if you were asleep you could convince yourself you were away from this nightmare.
15 DAYS SINCE NOAH'S DISAPPEARANCE.
The days are blending into one.
When you're not recovering from sleeping the day away with an alcohol or medicated fueled slumber, you're spending your days recounting the events with Detective Green.
"If you could just walk me through what happened again?"
"Is this really necessary?" Nicholas asks. He took the day off to be here, to be with you. He's become a round the clock babysitter, almost. It's like he's afraid to leave you alone.
Maybe deep down you like that because you're scared at the idea of being left alone too.
"It's fine." You assure Nick, unsteady on your feet as you climb the stairs and talk Kit through the same sequence of events you have been ever since it happened.
You don't miss the remarks he makes about you still remaining in the same home where something tragic happened, but you've lost the strength to snipe back. You allow for every verbal jab to strike you because maybe this is what you deserve.
The guilt you've been harboring continues to fester and grow, consuming you as it gnaws away and eventually you snap.
28 DAYS SINCE NOAH'S DISAPPEARANCE.
It's almost a month before everything spirals out of your control. You held on for that long, allowing yourself to bury everything you knew to be true, even going as far as gaslighting yourself into believing your own lies.
Now you can feel it. It's slowly beginning to crumble away, the cracks showing on you in the way they do within this house, spreading further, showing the rot that's hidden beneath.
There's a rot inside this house, one which tethers itself to you and even without Noah here, without him being tainted by you, you can still feel it.
It's an infestation which needs to be removed. You know now what you need to do; you need to cut it out.
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The faint sound of a key in the lock alerts you to the direction of the front door, where you see Nicholas stepping inside. He starts to call out for you and pauses the moment his eyes settle on you in the kitchen. "Bub— what the fuck?"
You're sitting on the floor, your arms outstretched with blood trickling from wounds you made along each forearm. "I'm sorry." Your voice is soft and tired as he rushes over to you.
You hear the thud from the bag of shopping he'd brought in as it falls to the floor and the minute he's in front of you he's assessing your wounds, pulling off his hoodie to wrap your arms and suppress anymore bleeding.
You hadn't cut deep, just deep enough to release the rot you always felt spreading beneath your skin. You weren't intending to harm yourself either, not to a severe extent.
"I'm sorry." You repeat yourself and he shakes his head dismissing your futile attempt to apologize.
"Come on now, it's okay. We'll get you patched up and you'll be okay."
You shake your head and when he finally looks at you, you know that he sees the redness and puffiness of your eyes from when you had been crying hours prior to this.
"I'm sorry, it's all my fault." You keep repeating yourself, your words barely making sense as you continue, ignoring Nick's own attempts to calm you.
"Hey no, it's not."
"It is. It is."
Finally you snap and your eyes lock onto him as your confession comes spilling out. "I was there Nick. I was there."
"What do you mean you were there? Where?" You can see it on his face, the way his brow furrows as he attempts to put together the puzzle pieces of your broken confession.
"Noah. I was with Noah that night. We... I was in the room with him when it happened. It's all my fault." You start shaking, your eyes closing as the tears push to fall once again.
You feel no movement come from Nicholas, but he doesn't let go of your wounded arms either. You can only assume he's taking in the weight of your words and you fall forward to rest your head against his chest, your own heaving as you let out another choked sob.
You'd held onto the truth for a month. You had been there in the room when it happened. You had been the one fighting to pull him back.
You had been the one who witnessed the creature crawl out from the depths of the house and threaten to take him from you several times prior.
Worst of all, when asked by the creature who should go, you told it to take him.
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spnfanficpond · 7 months ago
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June 2024 Angel Fish Awards
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(Angel Fish design by @slytherkins!!)
Every month all of you fantastic writers work your asses off to post some truly incredible stories. Our Angel Fish Awards are the way for all of us, as a community of writers and readers, to lift each other up and give praise to those who have captured our attention and deserve a few kind words. (Click here to learn more about how to nominate a fic for an award!)
Nominated by @autisticandroids
The Horror of No Detrimental Redaction by sp8ce (AO3)
Really top tier whump that is also a super attentive cas character study which is also willing to sit with him in a really uncomfortable space
The Trapdoor by hal_incandenza (AO3)
it's an epic rewrite of dabb era with a level of attention to detail that i've rarely seen in any fiction. the metatextual elements are carefully woven in and the character beats feel real. plus, it's an almost episode by episode rewrite and the new monster of the week casefic elements are fresh and fun. also it answers the question what if apocalypse world was good.
finer things by @explainslowly
i think it's maybe the ultimate pinnacle of the deancas triangulation of desire genre. when dean and cas have weird sex via a woman... one of my favorite things. and this is my favorite iteration.
By Your Hand by @restlesshush
this is my favorite relitigation of moriah that i've ever encountered. cas is so crazy in it. you can kind of feel that things will eventually work out without that coming off as cheap. it's perfect
~*~*~
Nominated by @candygrammes
LIMBO by entselene (AO3)
It's the creepiest. angstiest, scariest story I've read this year. Sam wakes up in Sioux Falls Hospital horribly injured, with no idea what happened. Not only that, but Dean is nowhere to be seen. Why? Has Dean abandoned him?
Nominated by @charliethealpaccaso
Strange Encounters by deanandsam (Ao3)
I loved the idea that there are dog versions of dean and sam along side the main sam and dean that I found it cute but also opened up a whole side story I wish there was more of.
Dogs Don't Pay Taxes by Zetal (Rodinia) (AO3)
There oddly is a huge lack of dog!sam fics on A03 that I love to try and spread the word of the ones that are out there. This one was cute both prompt wise and just made my day when I came across it
Faithful Companion by brokenlittleboy (AO3)
What if during season two Sam developed a whole new issue with his psychic powers and turned himself into a dog then this is the fic for you. Dean does mess around with him in this fic but I think it was a fun and interesting read for the concept
~*~*~
Nominated by @glygriffe
Why’s every song is about love (or drinking too much) by @quietwings-fics
They didn't give us enough Sam and Castiel scenes in the show. Here's a bitter-sweet one between the two of them, talking about Dean and the whole 'unrequited love' thing. A ficlet the gives a Destiel fan just the right amount of heavy heart.
It’s the Stars that Lie by @seperis
Ok, this fic doesn't need recommandations, but it's still needs public praises. To fully appreciate it, you need to read the fever dream that is Map of the World first, but I love how the author builds on the glimpses that the episode The End gave of the apocalypse!world. The OCs are interesting (and many of them are POC), and the lovely slow burn between Dean and Castiel is spiced up with the fake boyfriends trope.
Since I've Been Loving You - Remaster by tgel210 (AO3)
I like Castiel's first-person POV, Dean being a musician without being a rock star: it feels close to home like my next-door neighbor is talking to me about the love of his life.
Closer than they appear by sunkenfox (AO3)
Dean and Castiel figuring out what their life could be together by looking at Misha and Jensen is interesting. Even more interesting is the concept that like it or not, the Supernatural characters would not exist in their world without the writers and the actors in an other world. That Dean and Jenses share more than a face; same for Misha and Castiel (even if the difference are more obvious between the last two). A story of discorvery on a meta level, hiding inside a cute Destiel and RPF romance.
he feels no control of his body by withthekeyisking (AO3)
A wonderful but sad exploration of Sam Winchester throughout his life; from his lack of bodily autonomy to his dying faith in god(s) and humanity. With just enough brotherly love to leave the reader aching from loss and something like betrayal. (I love Dean, but he his a royal dick to his brother sometimes)
~*~*~
Nominated by @handsliketruth
evergreen endless by @whiskeyjuniper
A glimpse of endverse!Dean and Castiel during the earliest days of The End, via Chuck (prophet? god? something in-between?) as he continues to chart their story...and struggles to keep them from their inevitable collision despite their wildly infuriating pattern of falling into it... (full disclosure, this one was a gift for me, but I would rec this anyway 💛 dark, spicy, funny, clever meta fun)
But I Ain't Dead Yet by @bloodydeanwinchester
I cannot wait to see how this one plays out! Clever and charming with a fun hook: what if s4 Dean and Cas time-traveled back to 1x12 Faith to save Layla? (I would read a million words of Dean watching faith!Dean and Castiel get along 😂)
~*~*~
Nominated by @heavenssexiestangel
Bad Day Love by @spn-fanfic-reblog-writes
it's a cute pick-me-up story with one of my favorite ships. I really like how Arthur is so soft with Dean here.
Bedtime Routine by @spn-fanfic-reblog-writes
It's another rareship of mine andI love how they care for each other here and take care of Emma.
The Fool's Journey by @ladyknightskye
I know I was the artist for this story but - what Meg wrote for my art is awesome and it features one of my favorite characters - Gadreel. The journey he has in this fic is extremely important
~*~*~
Nominated by @jinkieswouldyoulookatthis
Presence by @ani-coolgirl
This story broke my heart in the absolute most beautiful way. It's sad and sweet and doomed and it haunts me still.
~*~*~
Nominated by @mariekoukie6661
Stitches by @kittenofdoomage
Its cute! I like it!
Sweet Little Lies by @impala-dreamer
I like how funny it was despite all the angst!!
~*~*~
Nominated by @masoena
Nothing Ever Really Ends by @nyxocity
Beautiful heaven fic with Sam and Dean, bring tissues, post S15E20
In Silence Sealed by @fiercelynormal
Dean loses his hearing but starts talking his thoughts out loud beautifully written Smitty short
Love, Your Brother by @eninkahootz
Sam and Dean communicating by letters btw heaven and earth post-series. Work in progress and so well written
~*~*~
Nominated by @mrswhozeewhatsis
Cretaceous by tiamatv (AO3)
This is a cute, fluffy romp through Jurassic Park as a Destiel fic! You don't have to love dinos to love this fic, but I imagine it would make it even better. If you're looking for something sweet and light to read before bed, this is the bedtime story for you!
~*~*~
Nominated by @rainythursdaynight
Clean Air by @anactorya
I read this story when I was maybe 16 and re-read it twice or three times in the year after. That being said, I can remember it almost excruciatingly well. I'm a post-apocalypse gal and I crave anything in that genre, so it was doubtless that I'd love this story. But the world-building done in this story? The characterization? The tension it manages to build? It's so gripping and exciting and I remember reading it worried out of my mind for the characters and exhaling the deepest breath as the story drew to a close. It's a not too dense read and an enveloping one, you'll forget you're above ground by the end of it!
Empty Spaces by @schmerzerling
This story made me fall in love with writing again. It's so heavy with how it distributes emotion in its words, but also so soothing too. This reads like watching a glass vase get tipped over the edge of a table and, maybe distantly, wondering if someone will catch it in time. But it doesn't quite matter because the flowers are beautiful and if you're crying then it's about the flowers and not the vase. I highly recommend this story to everyone, heavy as its contents may be. I felt safe reading this, I ached, I adore this story beyond words can capture.
Phantasma! by @thisisapaige
I very rarely read things that are horror inclined (funny as that is given the nature of Spn), and maybe this story is not considered horror either, but it left me just on that edge of eerie and it was exhilarating. Most of the story is sweet, and cathartic, as Dean rebuilds his life outside of his family and finds that in Castiel. But the mystery of it all, the unknown, it left me waiting for the other shoe to drop and this writer was excellent at making that payoff worth it.
The Art of Falling by @zipegs
This story was gritty and ugly and didn't pull back punches when it came to its emotional weight. Recovery is a nightmarish process of relapse and pain and relief and this story embodied this with its characters beautifully. This story was lonely, in the sense that its only two characters yes but it also felt a lot like reading about two characters pitted against the backdrop of everything. The world, the universe, existence. It made me feel small but so vast at the same time, and it was so utterly human (funny given the context of the story). It's a short and beautiful read that left me aching but in a way that was comforting as opposed to alienating.
With The End Came You by @lotrspnfangirl
I adore zombie apoclaypse AUs but so few of them focus on the characters' growth alongside the events of the series. And so few of them do side characters justice. This story was THE exception. Not only does the progression of the characters not sideline the plot and vice versa, but the story handles people so so well. You have those that stick around for long, and those that don't, and it treats both parties so faithfully that I'm left emotional over side characters I've only had a page worth of content with as much as the main characters I'm with the entire time. This is a zombie apocalypse AU that puts people first and foremost, and its so human and such a rewarding story to those that have even the smallest interest in these types of AUs. And the progression of the plot is so smooth and natural, TWD could never (and I love that show so take with that as you will).
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Nominated by @samanddean76
Dark As Midnight (And You Don’t Look The Same) by @kassyscarlett
This is a story that follows a young Dean (17 years-old) out looking for a good time and running into an older man that gives what he wants. Not realizing he knows him, that he is in fact his Sammy. This story is so good! Time-travel, the follies of youth, needing to be protected from yourself, and realizing years later what that random encounter really was. It is part of a series, but works as a stand alone. But the entire series is worth checking out.
Coming Out Of The Dark by firesign10 (AO3)
It's a story about others helping one they know is broken, giving him what he needs so he can move on and live the rest of his life. The Richesters visit Sam in the bunker after Dean's death, and give him one final night together, so that he might carry on. It tragic and beautiful and has all the feels. Highly recommend.
~*~*~
Nominated by @spn-fanfic-reblog-writes
Interspecies Romance and Its Associated Perils by suspiciousflashlight (AO3)
I have read this story many, many times. It’s adorable and hilarious. It’s cute and awkward in a way that someone who isn’t sure how to tell about a weird scar or birthmark is. The ending is the best part of the entire thing.
A Helping Hand and Thrilling Touches by mydestielbabies_67 (AO3)
I don’t normally nominate smut but this was just amazing. It was beautiful, and what and intense.
The Cherry Pie Club by zation (AO3)
This is a work in progress. It’s great! Zariah is such a great writer in so many genres. This one is about Dean exploring bdsm for the first time and ends up also realizing things about himself too. Poor Dean learns the hard way that it is Cas he loves about bdsm but still. Their connection and energy with each other is felt as you read. Highly recommend reading!
Absolute Beginners by @ahurston
Chapter 5 made me scream then go feral and foam at the mouth.
Dancing moves by faithlesshunter (AO3)
I am not normally one to read infidelity fics; however, this is destiel. It’s the holidays and Cas and Dean get left alone to reconnect. They tried to be a couple at the beginning once Cas came back from the Empty but they weren’t ready for it. Now, years later and they are! The confessions and the hot smut is just so exacting for them. It’s gorgeous! Dean has always loved Cas and Cas still loves Dean. Oh, I’d love to see how it works out but this reconnection is just purely intense and the dopamine is addictive. Good luck. MUST READ!
The Case of Dean and Castiel's Extremely Resolvable Tension by CanonFodder (Tartan_Temptation) (AO3)
This is hilarious and hot AF! It starts out explaining the premise and drives right into it where Dean finally gives in. He is so happy he does too. He gets a wonderfully deserving reward. Poor Sam and his need for eye bleach. Lol!
Objects May Appear Smaller by @valandrawrites
The instant connection of Cas and Dean, and the science of this story makes this a one-of-a-kind a/b/o. Despite it being incomplete, it’s such a fluffy and fascinating read. It keeps you wanting more with every one of the six chapters. I hope one day they get inspired to write more.
Sentinel by Followsthebees (AO3)
I love this story. I love that it’s a different take on Castiel—he’s a gargoyle. It’s such a fascinating story and their connect is seen by the readers but not Dean. It’s interesting how Dean starts to notice and how intense and romantic it gets. Sex and flying are fascinating, man. This is written oh so well!
Three's Company by @luci-in-trenchcoats
Cas x f!Reader that becomes Cas x f!reader x Dean. It shows a very healthy ethical non-monogamy relationship. I love how the Reader initially freaks, I think, and when Cas and them come to talk to Dean, he freaks too. Everyone is patient with each other though. It’s as it should be when introducing polyamory to non-poly experience people. It’s so sweet and wonderful to read. It’s adorable. This is how poly fics should be.
Ketch and Release by NichePastiche (AO3)
Oh, the fluff and growth! I love this series so so so so much! I always get excited when I see they wrote more. ❤️❤️❤️❤️
~*~*~
Nominated by @spnbabe67
Finish What You Started by @dean-winchester-is-a-warrior
I love the tension that melts into silly goofiness.
Spin Cycle by @winchester-girl67
I usually don't do a lot of fluff but I loved the way the writer did this one.
~*~*~
Nominated by @thoughtslikeaminefield
Take A Shot by @rizlowwritessortof
It's just so sexy and Dean. Guh.
Rest by @zepskies
It's swoony and cozy and melancholy, and I love that for us.
The Iceman Cometh by @talltalesandbedtimestories
Ice play is one of my favorite things. Pair that with Dean Winchester, written by Sandra, and, well, you've got a winner.
Damned If I Do by @zepskies
I liked Lisa and Ben, and this is a very satisfying way to show that!
~*~*~
Nominated by @whiskeyjuniper
Truth & Despair by @shallowseeker
It's so compelling, every time a new chapter is posted I'm so excited to see what happens next. Also it's Shal's first fic and they're almost done with it so I wanted to celebrate it :)
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(Divider by @glygriffe)
THANK YOU ALL, KEEP UP THE AMAZING WORK, AND AS ALWAYS, HAPPY WRITING!
- From your Admins and Manta Rays, @manawhaat, @mrswhozeewhatsis, @mariekoukie6661, @thoughtslikeaminefield, and @heavenssexiestangel!
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jesncin · 4 months ago
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Are you at all excited for the upcoming Absolute Martian Manhunter book later this year? It'll be the most high-profile launch J'onn has been a part of for a long while, being DC's attempt at an "Ultimate Marvel" line. Given how the approach seems to be defined by removing elements of the characters' status quo - Superman has no Krypton tech, Batman is not a billionaire, Wonder Woman is the last of the Amazons etc. - I think there's a very real possibility that for J'onn they'd pivot in the opposite direction and give us a living Martian society. If only because J'onn has so little anyway, there's not as much to remove as with other members of the League, so the logical thing would be adding something back in to shake things up. I'm personally hoping for some combination of Weird and Noir.
I'm absolutely (heh) excited for it (because a new refreshing change even in an elseworld story is exactly what J'onn needs right now!) but also cautious and,,, concerned. DC's revealed the Absolute gimmicks for just about all the other solo supers but J'onn is essentially still a rumor? What's going on there? I was also concerned when Superman's Absolute gimmick was supposedly "he'll be more alien than human" "he doesn't have a fortress of solitude, no Kents, etc" which,,, sounds a lot like J'onn tbh but we'll have to wait and see. Sometimes writers do this thing where they try to do something new with Superman and it's just re-worked J'onn lore. And J'onn lore is fundamentally flawed so in turn that take on Superman doesn't work, but that's just me with early concerns.
Ooh! That's a good point actually! That feels like the most logical shakeup they could do, and YJa helped warm people up to the idea of a living Mars (which I also agree would spice things up and differentiate J'onn from Clark more). And I'd absolutely (heh) love more supernatural-weird-noir for J'onn! We finally had J'onn play into being a martian detective in the 2019 Identity run, but it was more cop drama than detective noir which I would love to see. My only addendum to the idea of a living Mars as an Absolute gimmick is, since YJa popularized this already, what else will this take do to innovate on that idea? My personal wish list is:
Revitalize J'onn's cast system (a mix of old and brand new characters. Don't just make him watch tv to care about humans. Give this martian relationships!!)
Figure out his themes outside of grief!! (I love sad Martian man but he needs to do more than that! It's been stagnating his character)
No Justice League stuff or other superhero cameos/team ups. (J'onn NEEDS to prove he can stand on his own as a solo character so he can stop being pigeonholed as the League's heart or therapist.)
Fresh new take on Martian world building (please get rid of Martian racism, it's dumb and never made sense. It's a shapeshifting society and the idea of characters like M'gann essentially "greenfacing" to "pass" is so weird)
Critical reimagining of J'onn's relationship to justice (we need to get rid of or critically examine his relationship to copaganda.)
Integrate Blackness more thoroughly into his character (CW Supergirl and that one Nubia Coronation special comic are still the only takes that have done this. Come on guys!!)
More thorough reflection of J'onn's multiple identities (undoubtedly what makes J'onn special. But the comics rarely dig into what it means for J'onn to be multiple people. I would love it if his identities [especially the racialized ones] weren't treated as so,,,disposable.)
Ma'alefa'ak please (I just want to see him again I don't even care if they do a bad job. However all I ask is he be a green martian and J'onn's twin again. And a slutty design.)
The last time we saw a big overhaul to J'onn's character was the New 52, and the major flaw of that run was that it had no clear thematic intention to how it interpreted his character. So we ended up with just a bunch of references and a convoluted edgy story that doesn't help J'onn become a self sustaining solo character. The Absolute line is the perfect platform to revitalize him as a character, but I hope the writers can think in the long term to combat his foundational issues.
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autisticandroids · 3 months ago
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Seeing as you provide every interesting in depth spn analysis I'm probably coming to the wrong person for something so possibly surface level but I'm rewatching spn and would really love something to keep notes on, so is there any interesting phenomena in there you think would be worth keeping an eye on?
i received this, like, a month ago 🥴 sorry. anyway.
so, first of all. i'm flattered but i have also always been a little uncomfortable with the superlatives people attach to my name. the reason people think of me as some kind of spn scholar is a result of four factors, give or take: first, i make a lot of posts. in the year after november fifth i made something like five thousand posts. i know because i tag all my spn posts spn. and a lot of those posts were half a sentence! or an ask i answered with emojis! but it's still a lot of posts. the second reason is that i'm kind of a last man standing. a lot of the big name post-nov fifth destiel fandom crowd has kind of evaporated in search of newer, shinier things; my fascination was more enduring, so i still get the credit. the third reason has to do with like... i have slightly different tastes than the average spn fandom person and so the things i pay attention to are different and so my takes are unique. there were a lot of blogs that were bigger than me that people don't remember as much because their takes were more in line with conventional fanon (and therefore more similar to other people's and less memorable), whereas mine, because i have specific interests and am an incurable contrarian, were more unique and therefore people remembered who i was. fourth, and here we are down to the meat of the issue, i speak very authoritatively and use a lot of big words when i'm excited about something so people think i'm right.
i guess what i'm saying is don't take me so seriously.
now that my narcissism is out of the way, let's talk about themes in supernatural.
first of all, the thing about supernatural is that it has three hundred and twenty seven episodes organized into fifteen seasons, written by fifty three different writers supervised by four different showrunners and that's just the writing! that doesn't even mention directing, or acting, or producing... personally i like to say that i can feel when the story editor changes! so there really is... almost nothing you can get out of the whole show as a text that isn't incredibly broad and/or vague and/or boring. "they say family a lot" yeah they sure do. "it's a reactionary macho fantasy" like every other show from 2005. "they kill all the women" mmmmhm. like, basically every consistent element of spn as a story is a result of either classic genre cliches from the scifi or procedural or teenie bopper genres, very basic conclusions from the premise, or just the material nature of the behind the scenes of supernatural. they're going on a case instead of working on the main apocalypse of the season because this is a monster of the week show. cas has gone away again because they don't want to pay misha collins. quiet emotional scenes get dropped from the script because they don't serve the plot. and while there's some interesting things you can get out of these elements - one piece of analysis i've been thinking about a lot lately is this video about the mcu that argues that the classic serialized storytelling logic of constant escalation leads inherently to a fascist politics, and i think this point applies very well to supernatural - it only goes so far. it's interesting if you want to look at how the show exists in the wider politics of the real world. it's not that interesting if you want to sit with the show supernatural in its particular uniqueness.
so basically my recommendation, first of all, is to divide the show up into chunks. there are some obvious chunks - by season, by showrunner. most people do these. i would also recommend other methods, for example tying together some adjacent seasons. for example, even though season eleven is technically carver era and season twelve is technically dabb era, i would argue that seasons eleven and twelve have more in common in terms of tone and style than eleven has with 8/9/10 or twelve has with 13/14/15. seasons four, five, and six have a lot in common in terms of tone and themes that they don't share with seven or the first three. i would also recommend paying attention to the individual writers; their bodies of work will usually have more in common with themselves than with the episodes around them in terms of character, tone, and theme. for example, in season six, ben edlund creates a whole other arc about the angel civil war that he wants the season to have that exists only in his episodes, and none of the other writers really pick up what he's putting down so he's kind of left hanging. you can see all sorts of patterns like this if you sit down and look, and i would recommend doing that. maybe you can be the first guy to memorize all the directors and have Thoughts.
and then the next thing i would say is just... pick some themes you want to iterate on. so for example: one of my favorite themes to contemplate is a theme that season six almost has - dean believing that it is his job to protect ben and lisa, which justifies anything he might want to do to them, or anyone else.
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man everything above that line is an ask i half answered then forgot about in july of 2023. i NEED to check my drafts more often
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1moremilgram-enjoyer · 1 year ago
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is everyone in milgram just dead
Okay I'm making this post because while I'm not sure how much I believe this, it's a possibility that's been eating at my head for a while, so I gotta share it somewhere even if it's not the most solid theory in the world.
So anyways, hello members of the jury! Today I want to discuss the weirdly recurring theme of the prisoners in Milgram possibly being dead, and Milgram being some sort of afterlife thing. Given the fact it clearly has some supernatural elements, it certainly isn't impossible. So let's get into it!
CW Death, murder and suicide, abortion, child abuse, drowning, cults and indoctrination, waterboarding, gang violence
Yuno and the Allegations
The biggest hint that at least some of the prisoners might be dead is the in Yuno's second VD, Absolute Zero.
Yuno: Oh! Also, that reminds me, there was one thing I'm curious about. Es: What? Go ahead and say it. Y: Am I…really alive? E: That's…what do you…. Y: Hm…if you don't know, then it's fine. E: Yuno…. Y: Hey, it's time, right? E: Y-yes. Prisoner number 2, Yuno. Sing your sins.
Weird thing to say, really. So, presumably, she has some reason to believe she might be dead. Which is especially worrying because Yuno is one of the most intelligent and perceptive prisoners in Milgram, and might even have higher awareness of some of the more supernatural/meta elements of the series, as seen by images from both her cover songs appearing in Umbilical and Tear Drop.
All this is to say, if Yuno has reason to believe she might be dead, we have reason to believe so as well.
There are two points of Yuno's story were I feel she could have died. One is during her abortion, given a question from Trial 2.
(T2) Q20: Did you hate the person you killed?
Y: It was too much of a pain to for me to think about anything.
So her abortion was painful, which likely means it wasn't done in a hospital, as professional abortions typically don't cause too much pain in the moment (source), even if they can cause cramping or discomfort in the recovery period. If it wasn't done professionally, and it hurt a lot, it's very possible she may have died while performing it.
However, because of a few things we'll talk about later, I'm not sure this is very likely. The answer I find more likely is that, unfortunately, she may have committed suicide by jumping off the staircase we see her standing on in her Undercover silhouette shot.
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For one, because what the hell would this shot even be otherwise. I've seen people suggest infanticide as opposed to abortion, but that wouldn’t cause physical pain (you could argue that answer is about emotional pain, but I'm not sure how much that works), it doesn't match her kill-shot in Undercover, and she herself has claimed her "muder" was abortion (and I don't see reason for her to lie about that). It also doesn't seem likely she would get pregnant more than once, seeing this question:
(T2) Q10: If you could turn back time, would you commit the same murder once again?
Y: I'd make sure that I won't have to commit it. That's it.
So, then, what the hell is up with that Undercover shot? Usually they say something important about the prisoner or their crime, but it really doesn't seem to have anything to do with anything.
This is where I bring up that Yuno falls off a staircase at the end of Umbilical.
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Like, obviously this is more meant to be metaphorical, as in Yuno "slipped up" and now has to avoid falling by grabbing the balloon, which ends up destroying the staircase which had previously been related to the mixing of DNA (long story). But... she still is falling from a staircase. That is what is happening in the video. This is a silly argument, but it does exist.
Now, there's a few other things which could imply this, but that will have to wait for a moment. So while there is very little evidence for now, I'd say this is the most likely reason for why Yuno believes she may be dead. Especially given she might have depression (check out this cool post by weather-cluddy), her comitting suicide is sort of the best guess we can make I feel.
Nevertheless, no matter the reason why, Yuno believes she may be dead, which opens the door to other characters, if not all of them, to be dead as well. Let's take a look at the other prisoner most likely to actually be dead in my opinion, and see if we can establish a pattern.
Haruka's Worrying Situation
I believe, even if no one else is dead, it is highly likely Haruka attempted suicide. I am not going to go too in-depth in here, because moibakadesu already made a really good post about it, which is where I got the theory from in the first place. In fact, the idea Haruka may have at least attempted suicide has existed ever since Trial 1, check out this cool post by Venus from thinkin-bout-milgram. Here's a summary of what the main points of the theory are:
-The repeated motif of water and drowning could indicate the way Haruka killed himself, especially since he lived in Naogaka, Niigata, known as the "city of water."
-Haruka repeatedly attacks and even strangles a younger version of himself in Weakness, in one occasion alongside the lyric "I've become a victim, I've become a victim."
-The young girl in Weakness might actually be a representation of the "ideal Haruka", as he's stated his mother wanted a daughter instead of a son (I don't actually agree with this part, I do think the girl is a literal girl Haruka killed, due to several lines from his VDs, such as him saying Amane "brings back bad memories." However, it's still a possibility)
-The nonchalance with which Haruka speaks of comitting suicide in his second MV, Metamorphosis of the Weak, could imply he's already done it once.
-The line "if with one click, and I can reset everything" in AKAA can be more directly translated to "if with the push of one button I could be reborn", which paired with butterflies being symbols of death and rebirth and being connected to Haruka because of the name of his second VD, could imply Haruka died and was reborn.
-Haruka standing on a chair in AKAA as his shadow lines up with the shadow of the bars in the window to create the ilusion he has a noose around his neck.
-At the end of AKAA, Haruka is surrounded in what looks to be formaldehyde, which is used to preserve the corpses of dead animals, while the aforementioned "I could be reborn" lyric plays.
As you can see, there's a lot here, which is why I think it is highly likely Haruka comitted suicide.
There is an issue with bringing this theory in, which is that part of the theory is that Haruka's silhouette in the Undercover shot doesn't have white noise, which separates him from the others and could imply he's a victim like Hinako and Mahiru's boyfriend, who similarly have no white noise. The problem for our purposes is that this theory assumes a lot of the other prisoners, such as Yuno, may have committed suicide as well, creating an inconsistency with this point. I don't have a good answer for this, beyond a really odd, Hamlet-esque "Haruka is a victim of his own madness" kind of thing which doesn't work very well, so unless any of you have another explanation, it's best for this theory to just sorta ignore the white noise thing.
So, now we have two prisoners who very likely died before Milgram. This vaguely establishes a possible pattern: what if all the prisoners were taken right as they died?
Muu’s Mysterious Memory Mishaps
Es: You said you wanted to go back home, right? And, "suppose" we did let you… Even if you were to leave this place, you'll then have a brush with the police, won't you? Muu: *Surprised* E: I mean, you've killed someone anyway, so are the police not making a move in regards to that? M: Well, I don't know. As of now, I don't have a clear memory of what happened after I did it. And then before I knew it, I was here. E: Is… that so? M: You guys should've known that, being the ones who brought me here after all.
This line from Muu’s first VD has always intrigued me. Muu doesn’t have a very good reason to be lying here when seen in full context, so she’s likely telling the truth. But, why? Why doesn’t Muu remember anything clearly after her crime, and why was she taken so quickly after committing it?
First idea is that perhaps all the prisoners are simply taken right after the murder they’re in Milgram for; even in the case of multiple murders, you can say Milgram just decided to take them for the last one exclusively.
However, Shidou serves as a counter example, because of the ending of Throw Down.
It’s a pretty simple logical progression. Shidou has no reason to kill after the flower person dies, so their death is after his last murder most likely, and yet he does remember it happening. Thus, Shidou has a memory of something which happened an undetermined amount of time after his final murder.
That means the "fuzzy memories" thing isn't universal. This can also be vaguely inferred by the attitudes certain prisoners have regarding their "murder(s)", like Kazui for example.
Now, you could argue Muu simply doesn't remember well because of the Trauma, and she just happened to get taken shortly after her murder. However, there is a chance now that there is a reason she was taken shortly after her murder.
You know what this post is about. You know what I'm about to imply. So I'll make the observation now:
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In It's Not my Fault, one of Muu's shoes is off after she kills Rei. And we have seen this imagery of "one shoe off" to represent suicide before.
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It's common in Japan to take both shoes off before comitting suicide, but if you want to read into only one of the shoes being off, you could argue it represents they're "half-suicides", as Milgram also considers them murders. In that sense, you (or Muu) could argue were Muu to commit suicide after killing Rei, then she would also become "Rei's victim", the same way Hinako and Mahiru's boyfriend are Kazui and Mahiru's victims.
This idea that Muu might still be a victim in the situation could also be implied by the lyrics here:
[It's Not my Fault] It’s not my fault after all, after all. Everyone wants me to be innocent. What a relief. Can’t be helped. I’m always meant to be pitied!
(Btw I'm using the fan translation in the wiki because the English subs in that video are... odd)
Yes that sentiment is repeated a lot during the song, but Muu does shout "I'm always meant to be pitied" ("I'm always the drama queen") at the top of her lungs here.
Now, the shoe thing isn't quite like that in After Pain, but we never actually see Muu's shoes in the real world, only in the blank inner world with the broken hourglass, and there are other inconsistencies with reality there, namely Rei's body's position.
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You can see her right shoe is on there, but again, this scene isn't real.
The concerning thing is that apart from that, After Pain does not help Muu beat the suicide allegations.
In particular, look at the scene of the photo I put there. You can see there's a bunch of people judging Muu for her murder, as it's usually not considered a socially acceptable thing to do. But, hold on, didn't Muu say she didn't remember anything after her murder? Correct! That means she doesn't remember this "judgement" happening, but she imagined it would. Perhaps that's what the one line means:
[After Pain] Counterattack being a suicide note
Counterattacking Rei, killing her, is social suicide. For obvious reasons.
...
But it's still called a suicide note, which is not a good look. And yes, I do think the Japanese lyric explicitly references death, though take that with a lot of salt since that's just Google Translate and DeepL talking.
In fact, that entire set of lyrics is pretty odd.
[After Pain] Let’s meet up inside the pain, a place just for me Postmortem makeup to hide my heart, how to solve it is a secret The stabbing of the little devil’s voice, counterattack being a suicide note “I love YOU”
"Meeting up inside the pain" probably refers to hurting Rei, so now they're hurting together. The "stabbing of a little devil's voice" is probably referring to dangerous impulses, so murderous thoughts. "Counterattack being a suicide note", already explained. "I love YOU", because Muu is a girlkisser.
But the "postmortem makeup" is odd. You could argue the "death" which happened before the "makeup" was applied was the "death" of Muu's reputation, her old persona. Rei "killed" "that Muu", and now Muu is hiding her real feelings with "postmortem makeup."
But then, why would the method to solve it be a secret? Who is she keeping it secret from? Rei, and all of Muu's old 'friends', all know what lies beyond that makeup, they all saw what Muu was like before Rei stepped in.
That means there's another interpretation. If her real feelings are a secret, there's only one person they would be a secret from. Es (and us by extension). In a way, After Pain is hiding part of her heart, the less sympathetic parts shown in full in It's Not My Fault. Muu being a bully was already implied in After Pain, mind you, but it was still relatively "hidden", at least compared to It's Not my Fault.
And if that is the way we're meant to read that line, we run into the allegations again. If the makeup is for Milgram, and it's "postmortem" makeup, then Muu is already dead.
And that's without mentioning how much After Pain seems to imply suicidal tendencies in general.
[After Pain] If I was gone, If I had just disappeared I overheard, I found out How much I’m not needed There’s no special meaning, I got the short end of the stick I overheard, I found out How much I’m not needed
I don’t want tomorrow to come, I want to forget yesterday I was miserable, someone please help me
Maybe I’m done Just one more time before saying goodbye I’m just kidding, please forget I said that
The only lyric that doesn't seem to imply it is:
I want to feel “alive”, is it ok if I breathe?
But feeling alive and being alive isn't quite the same, right? You can be alive without feeling alive, and if someone doesn't feel alive, it's possible they're not a very good state of mind.
So, what could this all imply? If we're going with the idea of murder-suicide, it's possible Muu was very worried about how people would hate her after the murder, as implied by After Pain, decided she didn't want to deal with that, and unfortunately made the decision to kill herself.
One small thing which could serve as a counterpoint is her Trial 1 Voice Reveal distorted line.
Fufufu... It's your fault... for doing horrible things to me.
She seems pretty sure of herself here, and it's very likely this is after her murder. But it's perfectly possible she said this initially, then thought about the social consequences, and that's when she started to feel bad. It's also worth noting the only time in It's Not my Fault where Muu seems to hesitate is right after her murder.
[It's Not my Fault] Wait, wait, just as a hypothetical. What should I do if I’m actually a bad girl? Don’t ever hate me, and don’t look for what lies “after and from” the pain.
This is immediately after the murder, when she comes out of a caccoon, presumably her arriving at Milgram. So, she was initally confident, that's when she says "I’m always meant to be pitied!" in It's Not my Fault and presumably her Voice Reveal line, then hesitated and started to feel awful as we see in After Pain.
... Well, there's also the way more uncharitable reading where Muu killed herself so people also pitied her instead of just hating her for killing Rei, but that's a bit too dark and in bad faith for my tastes. It is there, though.
So, yeah, Muu may be dead too. And she brings with her an interesting implication; the prisoners may not have clear memories of the events leading up to their death. So, even if some of them committed suicide, it's possible they simply don't remember ever taking the decision to do so, explaining their behavior in the prison.
And it also could explain away... one apparent contradiction. One which exists outside of this theory, but that this theory could explain.
Amane and the Voice Reveal Trailers
As most of you know, the Voice Reveal trailers for all these characters contain certain distorted phrases which in general seem closely linked to their murder. And as pointed out by blueepink07 in this post, it seems the First Trial Voice Reveals are things the prisoners said after their murder, while the Second Trial ones are showing a point before their murder. Check out Kazui's, for example.
(T1) "I'm so dumb... Why did I have to dream?"
(T2) "Hinako, I love you more than anything."
There's also Muu's, since I've already brought it up before.
(T1) "Fufufu... It's your fault... for doing horrible things to me."
(T2) "Hey..why don't you listen to me...? I'm telling you... Hey...HEY, I'M TALKING TO YOU"
The second being right before she killed Rei.
That works well enough for all the prisoners... except Amane.
(T1) "Ahh! I'm so sorry...! I'm sorry...! I'm sorry for breaking the rules!"
(T2) "Father is a very praiseworthy person. Once [my/his] virtue increases, he'll come back home, right? It's a little lonely, but I'm fine!"
In theory, Amane would have been punished before her murder, as we see happen after she heals the cat in the taser scene. Meanwhile, if she's lonely without her father, it could perhaps be because her mother is dead after Things Happened (yes I'm going with Mother!Victim theory on this one).
But that's not the case. Following the pattern, the line about her father coming home at some point is before her murder, and apparently, she was punished for breaking some kind of rule after her murder. The implication here, horrid as it is, could be that her father returned home after she killed her mother and punished her for doing so.
Thankfully, this is impossible. After all:
(T1) Q18: Do you regret your "murder"?
A: No. It was a natural obligation.
(T2) Q3: State the name of your victim.
A: There is no victim. Only the punished.
(Taking some liberties on the translation of Trial 2 since the questions are still coming out as I write this)
So Amane genuinely believes she was following her cult's principles to a T when she killed her mom. As much as that likely isn't the case (long story), if she had gotten punished for killing her mom, then she wouldn't think like this. If she had been punished for it, she wouldn't think her murder was a "natural obligation", but rather a mistake on her part.
What this implies is that Amane doesn't remember being punished by her father.
...
Amane... doesn't remember...
Fuck.
Yeah, remember when I said it was possible the prisoners don't have clear memories of the events leading up to their death? Going by the "T1 after - T2 before" logic the Voice Reveals seem to follow, we can infer Amane was likely punished for killing her mother, but we also know she can't remember it happening, otherwise she would regret it. And based on what we learnt from Muu, we do have a way to explain how that could happen. If Amane died while receiving the punishment the T1 Voice Reveal alludes to, she wouldn't have a clear memory of it.
And the thing is, it does seem likely Amane received this punishment. Think about it. Interrogation questions are one thing, since the creators don't fully control them, but why mention her father would possibly return home in the Voice Reveal trailer? Unless he did. Hell, you could argue we might know the exact moment he returned. Amane does look at the entrance of her apartment at the end of Purge March, though that could simply be for dramatic effect rather than being a literal thing which happened.
But there's more. Because if her father returned home, we might actually have an answer for another one of the mysteries surrounding Amane's situation. The Undercover prisoner card.
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The image on her card seems to show a bathroom. It is widely assumed the images on these cards are the location the murders happened in, but to my knowledge, this isn't 100% confirmed. However, this creates a small issue with Amane. Just looking at the murder shot in Purge March is enough to confirm that.
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I made a more detailed theory on her murder on this post, diagrams included (scroll to the bottom if you're only interested on the murder), but for now, there are two things to note here. One, there's a trail of water which seems to come out of the door with the light on, as the puddles are bigger the closer they get to it, implying that room is the bathroom. And two, the room the murder actually happened in seems to have a window/door behind a curtain, which isn't what Amane's bathroom looks like.
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Adittionally, there isn't any blood outside of the murder room, implying the victim's body wasn't dragged there.
All this seems to imply Amane's victim didn't die in the bathroom, which is sorta a problem considering the previously mentioned commonly accepted theory. But this idea that Amane may have died while being punished, perhaps while being drowned as we know that's one of the accepted methods of punishment in her cult, brings up a different possibility.
What if the images in the prisoner cards aren't showing murder location? What if they show the last place the prisoner was seen in, the place they died?
Kotoko, Mikoto, and the Prisoner Cards
So, first, is there any indication either of these might be dead? For Mikoto, not really. Sure, there's the whole Death card at the end of MeMe thing, but that doesn't have to be taken so literally.
Kotoko has a very little potential hint in the fact she's shown alongside a wolf at the start of HARROW, but by the end the wolf is by itself. If the wolf represents a potential partner (long story), then maybe Kotoko died?
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Though you can easily argue the wolf is slightly different and thus is meant to just represent Kotoko.
However, the reason I'm bringing them into this is because their prisoner cards are completely nonsensical under "murder location" theory for the images shown. Let's start with Kotoko.
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It shows an alleyway, which at first seems like it makes sense. We do see her attacking a man in an alleyway. However, after that happens, one of the pieces of background text says this:
◆ A wanted thief was assaulted by an unknown assailant Early yesterday morning, a nearby shop employee reported hearing screaming and seeing a man lying on the ground. According to the Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department, the man had lost consciousness after being beaten on his face, stomach, and other areas, and was taken to the hospital. The police are currently trying to identify the suspect. [...] According to previous investigations, the male victim was wanted throughout Tokyo for theft and assault charges and was identified as the suspect, Mikio Oshii.
(Translation by Maristelina)
Mikio Oshii is the name of the man Kotoko assaulted in the alleyway. It seems odd to me that we would learn he was taken to the hospital if he later died in it somehow, especially because Kotoko didn't want to kill him. We can clearly see this because of a crucial difference between her attack on him and her attack on the serial killer who likely is her victim.
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She covers her face while attacking Oshii, because she doesn't want to be recognized. She is committing assault, after all. However, that only matters if she's planning to keep him alive. Conversely, she doesn't cover her face while attacking the serial killer, because she knows he won't be a witness. She went into that warehouse planning to kill.
Of course, she could have accidentally done too much damage, but the issue there is that she would probably express some remorse in that case. She doesn't, and the fact she only ever talks about one victim-
[TASK (T1 VD)] I did kill someone. [...] I don't have a single regret.
-it really seems like Oshii was able to survive her attack.
That creates an issue with her prisoner card. It shows an alleyway, but her only victim died in a warehouse. As confusing as that sequence is, he did die in the warehouse.
You know when we do see an alleyway again, though?
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But she's not wearing her face covering. And if this was the alley with the one sign about a car accident that shows up over and over in HARROW, I'd imagine we'd see the sign, even if it was obscured in some way. So once again, a silhouette shot which seems to have nothing to do with her murder or her general situation.
So, is it possible she died in this alleyway? That's the only other reason I can imagine why it'd show up in her prisoner card, so. As for what exactly happened, I imagine she may have been murdered at the whim of her victim's father?
Shocking revelation: The heinous criminal behind the crime is the privileged son of a high-ranking official!
(Article referring to Kotoko's victim)
So, she got found out and immediately assassinated? It's a bit out there, but it would explain both her prisoner card and her attitude in the prison.
And then there's Mikoto.
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As you can see, his card shows a street. The issue with Mikoto is one of format. The cards only ever show one location, but we know Mikoto has at least two victims.
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[Text: To the right, the Subway Murder, which clearly has a ceiling. The murderer has blood on his right cheek, his left cheek is hidden. There's also the bathhtub scene, where the right cheek is hidden, but the left cheek has blood already trailing off, which doesn't quite fit what we see in the other murder if you think about the bath chronologically.
To the left, a murder out in the street, with an open sky. The murderer has blood on their left cheek, but not on their right. This is seen in both the crime and the shower scene]
So yeah, at least two. You could argue the bathtub murder is actually a third one, which... huh. Two things that absolutely exist and a Secret Third Thing, the existance of which is disputed? Trikoto vibes.
Point is, Mikoto has two different murder locations at least. The street, yes, but also the subway. This creates a problem with the "images in the prisoner cards are murder locations" idea, because it only shows one. You could try to gymnastics your way out of this by saying maybe Hostkoto committed the street murder while Orekoto killed the other victim(s), and because only Hostkoto is considered a prisoner by Milgram, only his murder is shown? But I feel that raises more questions than it answers.
Instead, if we assume the images to be death locations, the ambiguity disappears, because Mikoto as a system can only have one death location. The issue is you have to explain how Mikoto died in the middle of the street, which is a bit difficult.
The best guess I can give is related to the subway victim. It's been pointed out before that guy looks a lot like a stereotypical Japanese delinquent, which could imply he was part of a gang. If that's the case, it's possible the killer angered the wrong people by killing him, similar to Kotoko, and thus was later murdered himself. We know that street isn't very safe, on account of one of the alters getting away with murder there. It's a pretty large stretch, and has like zero evidence, but it's physically possible at least.
Let's take a quick look at the other prisoners and see if their images can also be explained by the "death image" theory.
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We know Muu would share a death location with her victim if she really committed suicide as the theory states, so nothing weird there. Haruka's a bit more awkward, because it shows the forest he very likely killed the girl in, but I'm not entirely sure if the forests near Nagaoka has bodies of water deep enough to drown oneself. There is the Shinano river, which has... trees, around it.
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This was taken from Google Street View in Nagaoka. Again, not sure how deep it is, but assuming it's deep enough to drown, it could work if you ignore the trees don't look too much like the ones irl. Maybe Haruka threw himself off the bridge?
Alternatively, Nagaoka borders the sea, and it seems like there's forest almost all the way up to it. So maybe that could work? Unsure.
Worst comes to worst, we can maybe change it to saying Haruka didn't drown himself, but killed himself in some other way in the forest. Point is, I think Haruka's isn't too big of an issue.
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Fuuta, Mahiru and Kazui don't have a lot of evidence towards what the hell would have happened, but the best assumption I can make is they all committed suicide because of guilt. Fuuta in his room, Mahiru in the suicide forest (likely also where her boyfriend committed suicide), and Kazui by jumping off a building like Hinako. As for their evidence...
>Fuuta burns at the end of Backdraft, which is the same thing that happens to Killcheroy, so you could argue that's meant to show he's dying. It's not great, it absolutely is just meant to be metaphorical most likely, but it is there.
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Additionally, he's also an outlier for the "muder location image" theory, since what one would consider his "murder location" is very ambiguous. Is it his room, where he sent online hate from? Is it Killcheroy's room, where she assumedly died? Wouldn't it be the front of Killcheroy's house, where Fuuta took the picture to dox her? Again, death location is less ambiguous.
Fuuta's attitude during Trial 1 could be seen as a bit weird if he was suicidal, but I'm not sure we can comfortably say that with the limited information we have.
>Mahiru in I Love You goes to sleep after seeing her boyfriend dead, which could be read as her committing suicide. You know, if you're insane like me.
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Especially given this question from Trial 1:
(T1) Q20: What do you think about smoking?
M: I've never smoked before, but I might copy him if who I love smokes.
That, alongside a lot of the bg text from TIHTBILWY, implies Mahiru likes the idea of copying her lover. Not the greatest quality to have when your lover commits suicide.
>Kazui has this:
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Where the smoke of his cigarette turns into a noose. Of course, that's meant to represent self-destruction in general, but it could also be taken more literally. He... doesn't have much else.
Thus, everyone else vaguely fits the idea of "death image"... except him.
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Our favorite headache inducing doctor strikes again! His card shows a hospital room, which is a very strange death location, but perfectly fits his murders. You could argue he runs into the same issue as Mikoto, but it's actually possible Shidou just killed all his victims in the same room, so.
Yeah, Shidou's probably the biggest counterargument for this theory. Because while it's possible he died in a hospital, there is zero evidence for it, beyond the image itself. Hell, neither Throw Down or Triage ever seems to imply he died in the first place, which is an issue. This theory's already heavily dependant on the extremely flawed "you can't disprove it" argument, but at least most of the other ones have some kind of logical progression which gets you to how they died.
So, to complete the theory, we have to make the pretty big jump that Shidou died inside a hospital room, without knowing how that happened.
... Wait, inside the room?
Wait wait wait, show me Fuuta's and Amane's again.
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Hmmm... 0308... hmmmm... 0308... I totally didn't just do this to put the two together... hm...
Yeah, same thing. They both show the inside of a room. Which, along with Shidou's, shows that these images can show the inside of buildings, right?
But, then... why is Yuno's outside?
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That very clearly isn't the inside of a building. But this generates a problem for the "murder location image" theory, because Yuno's "murder" was abortion. Even if it wasn't done professionally, she would have still done it inside, presumably. This creates an inconsistency with Fuuta, Amane and Shidou. If their murder locations are shown from inside, why is Yuno different?
However, this inconsistency disappears if we assume the images to be death locations. I previously established if Yuno died, she likely committed suicide by jumping off a staircase, which does vaguely fit this image. It's similar to Kazui's in that way.
Now, I don't want to get too ahead of myself here. Murder location is still absolutely the more straightforward answer, but it does come with its issues. As stated, Fuuta's image would face some ambiguity, Mikoto's would face extreme ambiguity, Amane's seems to contradict the evidence we're shown in Purge March, Yuno's is wildly inconsistent with the other images, and Kotoko's is straight up nonsensical.
Meanwhile, death locations physically work with all the cases, even if Shidou's case is extremely weird, but it requires huge assumptions and stretches. It relies heavily on how impossible it is to disprove, which is not a good sign. Russell's Teapot, and all that.
Summary of the Theory
>Everyone in Milgram is dead, and their prisoner cards in Undercover show the place where they died.
>Prisoner's memories of the events leading up to their deaths are extremely fuzzy, explaining why only Yuno seems to even suspect it.
+Haruka: Committed suicide by drowning himself, possibly in the Shinano river or the sea. [Most likely to be dead]
+Yuno: Committed suicide by jumping off the staircase we see her standing in on her Undercover silhouette shot. [Most likely to be dead]
+Fuuta: Committed suicide in his room out of guilt. [Very little evidence]
+Muu: Murder-suicide, she committed suicide after killing Rei. [A bit more evidence than others]
+Shidou: Died in a hospital room [???]
+Mahiru: "Copied" her boyfriend by killing herself in the suicide forest. [Very little evidence]
+Kazui: Jumped off a building, like Hinako. [Very little evidence]
+Amane: Drowned by her father as "punishment" for her murder. [Unfortunately, sorta likely]
+Mikoto: Murdered by one of the members of Subway Victim's gang. [Sort of filling in the blanks here]
+Kotoko: Murdered at the order of her victim's father. [Very little evidence]
Conclusion
Do I believe this theory? Honestly, I don't know. It makes a few too many assumptions for me to fully believe it, but I do think it's a decent possibility, so I wanted to share it with you all. In any case, that's all I have to say for now. If you have any thoughts about any of this, feel free to share! Also I didn't even touch on Es but you can try to fit them in somehow if you feel like it.
Anyways, if you made it this far, you deserve a hug, this post was depressing. Take care!
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no-psi-nan · 11 months ago
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Actually Terusai has kind of a fascinating element of psychological horror that I don't think most people notice.
Think about it. In a world where psychic powers are real and can be strong enough to destroy the planet, a girl is born who has two special abilities:
(Nearly) every guy immediately falls in love with her, and
The world in general bends over backwards to her will, affecting probability, the weather, and even the physics of falling droplets.
In the face of this, even Saiki's godly set of abilities are barely enough to counter her second power. And despite how much trouble Teruhashi puts him in and will continue to put him in, and despite Teruhashi's completely superficial crush on him, Saiki feels himself starting to fall in love with her too.
Is it true love? Is it Teruhashi's power eventually working its way through his natural defenses? Is it the will of God/the mangaka forcing him to be together with Teruhashi for some reason, possibly just because she wants it, or to appease an audience he knows exists out there somewhere?
How long can Saiki fight against Teruhashi's powers and God's will? How can he ever know whether his feelings are genuine?
The only way to know 100% for sure would be if Teruhashi loses interest in him and he then finds that he's also lost interest in her. Or potentially if he significantly powers up somehow and then finds that his feelings for Teruhashi aren't as strong any more.
The same problem still applies to any Teruhashi ship, of course, except that none of them would know that their feelings could potentially have been forced onto them by supernatural power, and so would live and love in ignorant bliss. 🤔 It might be possible for wlw ships to dodge this issue, except that Aiura and Imu's strong reactions to Teruhashi at first sight imply that Teruhashi's first power extends to anyone attracted to women (which would also explain Hairo's disinterest).
And if Teruhashi herself should ever realize that she was born with these powers and that her hard work isn't the source of them (as proven by the fact that she had them as a baby and also in all apocalyptic scenarios and she's gone evil, she still is loved and worshipped), she would have SUCH a breakdown, rip...
What a way to shatter a worldview! And how could she trust that ANYONE'S feelings towards her could be legitimate if she knows she has a magic power that forces the issue?? Maybe that's what tips her over the edge into cult leader in some of those AUs tbh!
You could hypothetically argue that Aiura's soulmate readings also exert control, except that Aiura's powers are only good for getting information, she's never shown any ability to affect reality. And it seems that soulmates don't necessarily always end up together for whatever reason (like geography/being in completely different areas of the world), so if Saiki wanted to ignore that prediction, there really wouldn't be anything stopping him.
He clearly didn't fall in love with Aiura at first sight (nor she with him) and no circumstances have ever evolved to force him into close contact with Aiura. Even the time Imu shoved Saiki and Aiura into the closet was in Teruhashi's favor because hearing her admit she liked Saiki was enough to prevent Saiki from carrying on his plan with Aiura. 🤷🏾
So any feelings that develop between Aiura and Saiki would be undoubtedly natural. But any feelings Saiki develops for Teruhashi would be perpetually under question...
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my-rose-tinted-glasses · 7 months ago
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Question (because i'm curious and because i love enabling friends' hyperfixation): what is Tengu no Daidokoro? Why do you like it? What are you hoping for in a s2?
Also, should i watch it?
I adore Koisenu Futari and i have other similar queer-people-in-their-daily-life Japanese shows on my watch list (i loved my dining table and i have Kinou nani Tabeta and Tsukuritai Onna to Tabetai Onna waiting) that i just know i will love once i have the time to watch it!
Is Tengu no Daidokoro anything like it?
Thank you so much for this ask cause it gives me the opportunity to share my love for this show and also maybe make other people want to check it out.
Before anything else. This is not a queer show. All those shows you mentioned are some of my favourite shows, as you can see by my choice of pfp I adore Koisenu Futari as well. Kinou Nani Tabeta and Tsukutabe are magic and I really hope you get to them because they are so amazing. But Tengu is not that. It's an absolute gem and I adore it.
Now. Why do I love it? Why I am excited like it's christmas morning and I still believe in santa? So many reasons...
-IT'S GORGEOUS (if I hadn't binged this ,I would've giffed every frame)
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I mean the greens are just incredible. All the colours in these show are actually. The change in the colours is amazing as well. My delusional brain will believe that this second season was made specifically so that me and @colourme-feral could once again lose our minds over THE GREENS.
-It's about two brothers. (I love stories around family)
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Motoi (older brother played by Komagine Kiita) and On. A city 14 year old who comes to stay at his older brother's house in a rural area. They are estranged and have little in common. On is the perfect representation of 'kids these days...' (I know I'm getting old when this is what comes to mind), completely hates the idea of being away from the city and technology and internet (I related). Motoi is at home here, he's very quiet and calm. I love them. I love this relationship. I love how it grows and I can't wait to see where they go next.
-The food. (I love food)
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Motoi has his own vegetable garden and he makes everything from there or other local sources. Just like the shows you mentioned in your ask, the food is a major ingredient to this story. It's the thing that brings these brothers together as well. the scene in the above gif is one of my favourites because of that. Not gonna give you spoilers.
-The dog. but also...
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this is where the show takes a different turn than you'd expect. although not really because it's in the synopses, but if you only knew this show from gifs and this post you would not see this one coming. There's a supernatural element to this show. For starters that cute dog you see there, he talks. He's a talking dog!!! And he is delightful. but also this
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(Can we just stop for a second and appreciate how beautiful Kiita is? I barely recognized him in 25 ji.) So yeah it's in the show's name, Tengu's Kitchen. Tengu's are a legendary creature from japanese folklore and the brothers are descendants of them. (more info here about that if you're curious).
-The three of them.
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I adore them. I don't want to say more so you'll just have to watch it.
-the setting (did I mention it's gorgeous?)
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I know I've mentioned the visuals but it's not just that. it's the scenery and the rhythm and the music (I love the ost of this show) and the everything. Look I watch shows for a bunch of different reasons. This one, I watch it, or rewatch it as the case may be, for my soul. It's beautiful, it's soothing, it's touching, and I feel better after watching it. I really can't explain it any other way.
There are more things I could say honestly but this is already so much longer than I intended. But it's 10 episodes of 30 minutes and as with a lot of jdramas, an incredible human @aoinousagi has fansubbed it for our viewing plesure. here is the link to their post.
These are just some of the reasons I love it and can't wait to watch more. I never expected it but this day is better because of that announcement alone. I'm so happy. I will do rewatch soon, and probaly gif more of it so maybe more people will want to check it out.
@yannig thank you so much for this question. Sorry if it's a bit of a incoherent mess but I'm really excited and having trouble putting it into words. And I know there are a lot of shows to watch and not enough time to watch them all, so of course no pressure, but if you're ever in the mood for something that is wholesome and beautiful I do recommend it highly.
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cyborg-squid · 1 month ago
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Just finished watching Nosferatu (2024), and one of the really interesting things about it is how it layers like multiple aspects of vampire 'history', from the original 1922 film to Bram Stoker's Dracula, and, it seems, to even early vampire myths. And the thing about the Dracula similarities, and this is odd to type out, but it's almost like they pared down some of the action-adventure elements from Dracula in favor of more horror elements, which is typically the opposite in book-to-movie adaptations. Gone is cowboy Quincey and the hyper-competent Van Helsing, replaced instead with an occult obsessed (yet still empathetic to the female lead's plight) Willem Dafoe (what do you mean that's not the character's name?!). No horse chases after Dracula's carriage in the Carpathian mountains either, which is good because that would have felt very out of place in this movie. Just very interesting to look and go "Oh yeah, huh, the book was the one with more action than the movie."
It also extends a lot more empathy towards it's female lead, Ellen, than I feel Dracula was to both Lucy and Mina, though since it's been a while since I read it, I may be wrong on those accounts. The most striking difference is the death of the vampire, and how in the book, Mina is on the brink of being turned and it is the combat efforts of the men that lay low the vampire, while in Nosferatu (2024), it is Ellen that kills Orlock, albeit at the cost of her own life, utilizing the connection that awoke him in the first place, and turning his own lust against him, keeping him away from his grave-earth until the sun comes up. And it's a little bit of a tricky read on the themes here for me, since she does unfortunately sacrifice herself to kill him and it was this supernatural 'thing' shes had since birth that woke him in the first place, this could read as a typical (of the time of Dracula and the 1922 Nosferatu) sort of 'complaint against woman sensuality and irresponsibility' of the time, but Ellen within the movie is consistently portrayed as a victim of Orlock's rather than his enticer, as he and others claim. She too confesses her own impurity and has that claim refuted by her husband (who is less interesting that Dracula's Johnathan), who himself has also been rendered 'impure' by Orlock's sexual assault of him. And her strengths are recognized by Dafoe, who on first meeting her rejects some of the methods used by not-Seward, like binding the limbs while sleeping and the heavy use of ether, which would have been rather common methods of the time (Europe in 1838) for subduing disorderly women, and it is he who does believe and validate her claims of a darker power at work, rather than mere melancholy or hysteria as others initially thought. And he recognizes that the men in the story are not, physically or supernaturally, capable of killing Orlock and that it must be Ellen and her unique connection who does it, but it is as a sacrifice, and that is where the tricky part lies. Because while it does have Ellen finally switching from prey to predator, from victim to victor, it is at the cost of her own life, and I don't like the idea of her mistake as a youth (which resulted in Orlock's pursuit of her) only being rectifiable through her death. But then on the other hand, this is a horror story, and frankly there is no way it could have had a 'better' ending.
As a side note, and this complaint really isn't with the movie itself, because it is a good movie. And that's all it needs to be. But it almost like... didn't need to come out in the modern day, if that makes sense? Like, to have trailers and a Christmas Day release date and a coffin shaped popcorn bucket and 1 million cast interviews, all that shit is unnecessary and doesn't really suit the movie that it is, though I can hardly blame the director and the other artists involved with it for that.
Also, I love this dumb fucking headline about the movie: me when I'm a fucking idiot who doesn't get it. Real "point and laugh mockingly" at it hours. fucking lol
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kirwell · 4 months ago
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OKAY, after rewatching Teen Wolf after like 10 years, and being as obsessed as I am with Transformers Prime, it's come to my attention just how wildly similar these four characters' relationships and situations are,,, and I LOVE it
This has to be one of my fav parent/child dynamics, next to "man worn down by the world accidently adopts a girl and becomes their dad" trope- aka Joel/Ellie - aka Lee/Clementine. Bonus points if the dad dies horribly.
But onto the point-
We have Melissa McCall- a divorced single mom, raising a teenage son in high-school, who is a hardworking, overworked nurse struggling to make ends meet at home.
And we have June Darby- a divorced single mom, raising a teenage son in high-school, who is a hardworking, overworked nurse struggling to make ends meet at home.
Both remain in the dark about what their sons are truly involved in, and worry about their recent behavior.
NOW, the sons.
Scott McCall- an awkward teenage boy with an average life who works a part-time job to help cover the bills at home.
Jack Darby- an awkward teenage boy with an average life who works a part-time job to help cover the bills at home.
(They also both have crushes on a girl at school that they want to impress- but unlike Sierra, Allison is actually a part of the main cast and plotline)
Both of their lives are overturned when accidentally encountering something extraordinary, and it changes them forever.
For Scott, it was being turned into a werewolf, becoming part of this secret world, and finding out who he is and rising to something he never thought possible. He becomes a leader and a True Alpha.
For Jack it was discovering an alien race marooned on Earth fighting an age-old war, becoming part of this secret world and finding out who he is and rising to something he never thought possible.
He becomes a protector and an Honorary Prime.
Both Melissa and June are introduced to the main events of the show by being put in danger and being saved by their sons. Of course they don't react to everything well at first, scared and afraid for their kids' safety, but eventually coming to terms with the importance of the roles their sons now play, supporting them and becoming healers for the teams.
The relationships between the moms and sons only grow stronger, and the love they have for each-other is always present on screen, even in times when they are at odds with each-other in difficult situations.
I just think this is so sweet. I feel like typically with shows about teenagers and crazy drama, they're fighting with their parents and don't get along at all. But Melissa and June are such great mom characters, and Scott and Jack have close bonds with them.
When Team Prime was in hiding, Jack breaks down and calls his mom, despite knowing how dangerous it would be to open that line of communication cus of the Cons hunting them. Miko and Raf didn't even consider calling their families during that time to let them know they were alive after disappearing.
Obviously, Teen Wolf had way more seasons and time to flesh out their relationships, while TFP didn't, which is a big shame. There was still so much untapped potential for TFP- especially for the humans, before it was canned.
Scott got to reunite with his estranged father (who is funnily named Rafael), and there was a lot of strife there, but eventually the trust was rebuilt between them.
I would've loved a family arc with the Darbys! The only time Jack's father is mentioned is in that one ep with June and Fowler dealing with Knock Out- and BOY I would've liked to see more of that explored upon.
Also another funny comparison I'm just now realizing...
Melissa was friends with a law enforcement character- Sheriff Stilinski, who both got involved with the supernatural elements of the show. And June became friends with a law enforcement character- William Fowler, after being exposed to the Cybertronian War. Both of these guys are awesome and loveable too. Fowler is rough around the edges, but he's easily one of the best human ally characters ever in TF.
Idk,,, i just think this comparison is neat and I had to talk about it. Jack is my favorite of the Trio kids, and anytime I can yap about him in any interesting way, I gotta!
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