#Murder Case Solving Prize

[couldtheycatchkira]

Hello? Hello, can you all hear me? This is now a live broadcast. We are assembling, as you may call it, a suicide squad to solve the untraceable murders of the serial killer now known as Kira. It is your job to vet these candidates as a group, and determine if these individuals (or groups of individuals) could truly catch Kira, and bring an end to his reign of terror.

...Out of keyfabe, this is a Death Note fanblog where literally all I do is post a random character and ask you all to sort them into one of four categories:

Could catch Kira, would survive: This character has not only managed to determine Kira's identity, but also lived to tell the tale! This COULD imply arrest, but it's just as likely that Kira dies mysteriously as well.

Could not catch Kira, would survive: This character did not determine Kira's identity, but they survived regardless! Since this involves them being on the case actively, this could imply that Kira was not arrested and Kira died without any payoff... perhaps.

Could catch Kira, would not survive: This character was thorough in their investigation and managed to determine Kira's identity! Unfortunately, Kira cottoned on, and decided they were too much of a liability... Or perhaps they simply wrote their own name in the Death Note, to prove a point to a new investigator. Not all things are so simple, it seems...

Could not catch Kira, would not survive: Poor, guileless investigator... Kira remained out of their grasp, and they died for their trouble. People who sort their favorites into this group certainly are pragmatic, eh? Still, a sacrifice could galvanize an investigation...

The game is afoot, of course! There's not quite a prize for being in any of these groups, but it is a fun thought exercise, is it not? Feel free to reblog any and all posts, of course. Now, let's see who can catch Kira and live to tell the tale, eh? And let's see for whom Kira remains out of their grasp...

((Before submitting, please look at the linked spreadsheet below and the FAQ here!))

Edit: Due to a wide amount of duplicate requests (and a rather genius suggestion from @archerestarcher), there is now a Google Document archiving each and every poll on the blog! This list will be updated daily, so if a recent poll or results post is not reflected as such on the blog, it will happen soon regardless! Access the spreadsheet below!

[darkfictionjude]

I Just laughed to myself thinking that, in case the MC solved some supernatural problems, the headlines on the paper would say "The Crazy kid does it again!"

On a similar note, how would the cast react to this kind of publicity? I imagine Sal would die inside and I'm all for It >:)

Headline: “suspected murderer solves crime? Or did someone take the fall?”

Imre: he’s totally not jealous that mc is getting his recognition. Not at all. He’s smiling, look at that pearly smile. It’s totally fine.

Nia: she believes any recognition from the town is as important as winning a prize at a country fair. But it’s refreshing to see mc not be vilified for once

Lorcan: doesn’t give a fuck. Not in an asshole way, in a “I have no opinion on whatever goes on with these town people”

Sally: spoilers but you’re right in that he wouldn’t be happy

Percy: was their a prize you get? If so I helped a lot in the investigation. Actually mc couldn’t have done it without my keen intellect

[tinietaehyun]

The Case of the Detective’s Heart [7]

[Detective!Taehyun x Detective!Reader] [Part 7]

Pairing(s): Detective!Taehyun x Detective!Reader [ x Beomgyu?]

Genre(s): Mystery, thriller, (increasing!) romance, fluff, angst, lovers to enemies, friends to lovers

Contains: Lots of profanity, mentions of weaponry, blood, injury, implications of murder/violence, mention of su*cide, gaslighting, manipulative behaviour

Link: The Case Series Masterlist

Note: Would also recommend to listen to Woodz “Oo-Li” whilst reading. The entire album just fits the entire series perfectly!

Summary: His long brown locks, sharp eyes that stared at you with utmost softness accompanied with that smile which you sought more often than not. Your investigation progress was reaching its peak. It appears your feelings were also at their peak. Your feelings were beginning to mix into a messy concoction.

“Don’t you see the way I look at you, detective?”

————————-/////////////////////——————————

The young detective releases annoyed ‘tch,’ peering at the list of Police staff at the Seoul Metropolitan Police Station. What a bunch of incompetent fools!

He was sure to kill off the one that gave those two access to the files. No matter, whether they peeked at the files or not, it is no more than a mere hindrance.

Taehyun’s lips twitch, he was beginning to get agitated. Was everything going to plan (except gaining access to the files)? Indeed it was, after all, Taehyun was always one step ahead. He knew the investigation process like the back of his hand, he knew what step they’d take and which evidence they’d require.

His eyes scan his phone screen; he’d barely had a minute to himself, to unwind. He had to remain vigilant over these two pests. By instinct his fingers tap away into his camera roll to be bombarded with several photos of him and you together both on dates and within the office.

Taehyun ponders, he should have gotten rid of these ages ago. Why didn’t he? He smirks sliding through each image; he had to admit you were rather endearing back then. Hopelessly in love with him, looking up at him with the glittering eyes of adoration. You put him on a high pedestal and he thrived off it.

His grip tightens on his phone- now that was all gone. That pleasant relationship, that aura of fulfilment, being the treasure of someone’s eyes, all gone. All because you had to do some unnecessary snooping.

It’s always like this. It always ends up with him having to take out those he’s fond of. Yet he doesn’t want to stop, he doesn’t want to let go of the crown, he’s willing to sacrifice those just to sit on the throne of Seoul city as the prized, charismatic detective capable of solving any case given to him.

It had to remain that way, because whether the prideful detective liked it or not, he was nothing without his profession, his wealth and most importantly…his power.

His umber eyes peer back at your smiling face on the screen. A small laugh escapes his lips, it was adorable he thought. You going up against him. You had limited experience before joining his agency, though you were skilled. Though he thought you wouldn’t get far; that brat Beomgyu just had to join in, speed things up and ruin his entire image that he perfectly created for you.

He would never admit, that perhaps, he was a little fond of you. He liked seeing you so determined to take him down. Sickeningly, it made him feel more alive than ever. He knew he’d win but playing the game with someone as pure-willed as you with this pathetic notion of ‘justice,’ it was incredibly thrilling and amusing.

You were so predictable, the way you were so cautious around him. The way your walls were up. He even let you clear his desk despite your hesitance. Did you think he didn’t do it on purpose? Did you think he didn’t purposely leave a convenient map in the bottom drawer?

A laugh escapes his lips as he runs his fingers through his hair. It was all so charming. You were indeed making progress, but that’s because he allowed you to. However now, it was becoming a little alarming. You were getting law enforcement involved. The game has gotten more serious and he couldn’t afford to be too cocky regardless of the outcome he knows will happen.

He himself had been drafting up a little case of his own. Before you could pin anything on him, he’d use the media to his advantage. After all, everyone loved him right?

Both using forged evidence alongside your actions. He recorded your call, with your perfect insults aimed at him. His intention last time was to anger you and he got exactly what he wanted.

All he now had to do was carefully craft a story of an ex-girlfriend who wanted to bring him down in whatever way she could.

His lips curl into a dark smile; she’d be begging him to take it all back. To revoke everything. Her career would be basically over unless, he could…say, forgive her? Call it a misunderstanding? A moment of weakness.

Media play never fails, and he wants to take full advantage of that. In all reality all he wanted to do was scare you off so badly that you’d stop pursuing everything and hand over all the evidence to him.

Even if you stopped, he knew that insolent brat: Beomgyu would continue.

That’s precisely why he was going make sure that piece of shit was bleeding out on the pavement just like his friend. He re-started everything and Taehyun was going to put an end to it again.

He didn’t quite know why he was hesitant to kill you off. It was a mere matter of putting a bullet into your head and framing it as a murder or even a tragic suicide after not being able to handle a breakup.

His mind told him to wait, to keep it as a last resort. Surely after seeing your partner’s lifeless body on the news one day and seeing the case file land at the very agency you once worked at is enough to kill your motivation.

Taehyun can’t control the twitch of his lips curling into a twisted smile. He thrived on teaching others a lesson.

Oddly, his father would be proud of the monster’s he’s become. Not that’s he’s alive to see it, though.

His eyes gleam sadistically as he murmurs, “It’s my turn in this game, love.”

———-|||||——-

The crinkling of papers and plastic wallets resound out in your home. “Hand me that over there,” Beomgyu’s hums pointing over to the photos.

“This file’s kinda fat. I think the spine of the binder is gonna give out,” you grimace. You think you need to probably buy a new binder or file of some sort to encapsulate all this paper.

Beomgyu snorts, “Why are you body shaming the folder?” You scoff, “Shut the fuck up, I can’t believe you right now. You’re such a brat.” Beomgyu laughs maniacally.

Over the last few days, he had been coming over every day. He knew Taehyun was most likely trailing him and him coming over to yours was the perfect way to signal to Taehyun that you were making rapid progress. After all, you wanted all of Taehyun’s attention on Beomgyu, not you.

“We got everything yeah?” He asks and you nod peering at the checklist. You hum, “We need to take this to high court and re-appeal the case. With this much evidence, we’re bound to get this case-reopened.

Beomgyu grins, “Yeah, it’ll take awhile since the court system sucks with administration but yeah! With that, we can move forward and start linking cases and obtain a warrant to search Taehyun’s home. From there, it’s home run.”

You smile; “I’ll take it to court today. Thanks for the appointment by the way.”

You knew you would absolutely never get an appointment with a High Court judge with your measly position, though Beomgyu definitely could using his father’s influence. So…that’s exactly what he did. He got you bumped up for an urgent meeting with one of the high court magistrates!

Beomgyu winks, “It’s nothing really.” You roll your eyes, “Just be thankful for your dad’s reputation.” Beomgyu pouts, “Come on detective, you don’t think I’m a little more than what my father is?” You coyly smile peering away, “Mm, maybe…”

He bites his lip with a mischievous glint in his eyes, “You’re warming up to me, I still remember how mean you were when we first met.” You scoff, “What else was I suppose to do? Give you a hug? Take you out for dinner?”

Beomgyu leans his head against your shoulder making you stiffen awkwardly. You noticed these days he was more physically comfortable around you (ever since that first hug you game him.) “You never seem to push me away you know …Detective.”

You peer over seeing his eyes gaze up at you. Your heart rate increases and you stammer, “What…I..” He was right; you didn’t. You let him cross boundaries you wouldn’t let others cross. You let him cross boundaries that Taehyun once crossed with hugs and physical touch. Perhaps because you trusted him, because he resembled nothing more than a big fluffy dog whining for attention one second and then viciously barking to protect you another.

“My, have I made you speechless for once?” He teases. You shove him off you and he groans. You mutter, “You’re getting cocky, officer.” Beomgyu’s eyes sharpen and he hums with a smile, “Don’t tell me you don’t see the way I look at you, detective? Shouldn’t a detective be able to tell right away?”

Your heart stops and you splutter, “W-What? How you feel?”

Beomgyu goes quiet for a moment a his hand goes up to flick your forehead, shaking his own head, “Never-mind. Don’t get too flustered detective. You look like you’re gonna faint.”

What the fuck? Was he simply teasing you? Was he being for real? Your body felt warm and you have a sense of breathlessness. What was he doing to you?

“Now, get dressed. I’ll be off, you on the other hand have a very important meeting to get to. Send the judge my regards.” He grins. You smile back at him embarrassment coating your features.

You had to get this right. Stay focused.

With that you head off to the High Court. Nervousness eats you up from inside as you wait nervously and get escorted. You practiced what to say, and how to say in a manner which will get conviction and desperation across. You knew this judge was close with Beomgyu’s father and you had to use that to your advantage.

Thus, you enter the meeting room and begin your well thought-out speech showcasing all your pieces of evidence. You also point out the discrepancy in the previous case regarding the bullet making it your main point linking it to the previous case. You point out that you had no access to the bullet yourself. You passionately explain your need for a search warrant and how you wished for justice to prevail not only within Seoul but also South Korea itself. You believed it was a pure obstruction of justice.

With that done, you had to wait. To patiently wait to see if your painstaking work and argument convinced him to re-appeal.

Deep within yourself, you were proud of how far you’d come. You feel you could maybe, just maybe call yourself a proper detective.

——|||||——-

Using the boxcutter you open up the last of the supplies you ordered. You hadn’t really consulted Beomgyu about this, but hey, he wasn’t gonna be the only one in danger’s way.

You peer at the recording devices and the various wires. This was a recording device in which the cables could be hidden under your clothes. It took quite the fortune out of your bank account (worth it though!) You were now testing it out, recording your own voice and now sat partially shirtless in your own room attempting to seamlessly disguise it into your daily wear.

You think how insane you look but you knew your efforts would pay off. Taehyun would never expect this! He’d perhaps expect a microscopic body camera or an earpiece of sorts. Not this complicated contraption.

If you could get Taehyun to admit his crimes or at least say something undoubtedly incriminating it would be over for the ace detective!

Additionally, you’d researched how to smoothly record phone conversations and convert them properly into audio files the court would accept. So now, you were prepared to trap Taehyun with his own words.

Thus…even if he somehow escapes hard solid evidence, he’d get caught with a mere recording. Then again, he’s still always one step ahead…could he also predict this too? Surely he’s not that forward-thinking? Whatever, you needed all the evidence you could get.

You’d either have to instigate Taehyun yourself or wait for him to trip up yourself. You sigh frustratedly, you weren’t the most patient person. All this waiting for the court to respond and this, it irked you.

However, you didn’t want to rush things and undo all the progress you and Beomgyu made.

Your phone rings and your lips automatically form a smile seeing Beomgyu’s name. Your heart flutters thinking back. “Hey,” you coyly hum.

“Busy detective?” You hum, “A little.”

“Not letting me in on your work?” He teases.

“That’s confidential, officer,” you grin. You could almost imagine his beloved boyish smile right now at your answer.

“What did you call for?” You question. A moment of quietness passes and he hums, “I just felt like it.”

Your smile quivers. If he says things like this…you’ll really have to think that…he likes you. Were you ready to put your heart in someone else’s hands again?

“Yeah?” You softly murmur. “I was thinking, if the court approves our appeal. It puts us in extreme danger. If…If anything happens, I just, I just want to say you shouldn’t regret anything we’ve done.”

Your heart sinks like stone and you stammer, “Are you okay? Why are you talking like this? We’ll be fine.” Your eyes glaze over.

He chuckles into the phone, “I know silly, we will. Just…just in case. I don’t know, I think it’s just late night thoughts taking over. I wanted to hear your voice.” Your lips tremble and heart palpitates. You murmur, “Well, you’re hearing it now.”

“Yeah.” He answers seeming to enjoy the conversation. You tease trying to lighten the mood, “Rather serious today, huh?”

He hums amused on the phone, “Usually you’re the serious one.”

You wanted to ask ‘do you have anything you want to ask me?’ However, you hold yourself back.

You realise, it’s best not to mix work and feelings. Particularly now of all times. You hum, “Keep talking Beomgyu, till you’re satisfied.” “Really?” “Yeah.”

So you both do, you talk till the hand of the clock hits one and you pass out on your own couch with a dreamy smile on your face.

All of a sudden you’re ripped out of your reverie of sleep with the sound of your phone ringing. You scramble up trying to pry your eyes open and slide to answer. “Uh…hello?” You peer at the clock on the wall, it was around 09:30am. God, you overslept!

It was Beomgyu and you alert yourself, “Beom-““Check the fucking news, right now y/n.” You freeze as fear crawls up your legs and wraps around your torso tightly.

Who died? What did Taehyun do? Beomgyu was safe at least. You scramble to turn on the TV and switch to the first news channel you knew.

[DETECTIVE KANG FILES CASE AGAINST HIS EX- Serious controversy? ]

The young detective was seen walking out of the court alongside an anonymous tip believing the case to be about an issue with his ex-girlfriend causing huge controversy for the young detective!

“Y/n?” “Y/n? You there?” You don’t realise it but tears slip down your cheeks. The general public would tear you apart.

“Y/n!” He yells on the phone hearing you sniffle. “Listen, listen. We should’ve expected this. I just…didn’t expect him to go through with it now.”

This was gonna affect if the court’s appeal goes through, (well if they hadn’t approved it already of course).

Regardless, your reputation was for one, way more public. Secondly, it was going to be ruined. The ‘crazy ex-girlfriend’ was not something you could shake off. Even some of your colleagues back at the office said you were too clingy.

“Stay focused! Focused! This is a media ploy. This won’t affect our resolve. We just can’t remain as private anymore. The eyes of the public may be on you, that doesn’t change anything. You and I know the truth, after our work, your reputation will change for the better once we dismantle his lies!” Beomgyu passionately talks on the phone.

“Fuck it, I’m coming over there now. This is such bullshit-“ he cuts the call and you sit silently on the couch as the news runs in the background.

Oddly, your tears dried up as quickly as they were produced. You simply felt empty. This was your last straw. You knew your recent successes were too good to be true. Though you initially felt utter sadness, now another emotion fuelled you.

You didn’t care if you died, you wanted Kang Taehyun to go down WITH you. You’ll sink down to hell together. Rage enraptures all your senses. You didn’t care about what you had to lose. You pray that karma would be on your side.

You would not lose to this setback.

——-||||——-

Beomgyu spent the last day or two assuring the administration office regarding your public status to make absolutely sure they wouldn’t drop the appeal due to this. Just as you were about to give up hope, you receive a relieving call.

“Miss y/n, I’m calling to inform you that your plea to appeal the case has been approved. Apologies for the delay, though it has been told to me to advise you regarding your current public status. It endangers your appeal as to whether you’ll be taken seriously. Do still wish to proceed?” The woman drawls on the phone clearly not interested to talk to you.

Beomgyu is shaking you with all the joy he has upon and you murmur coldly, “Yes, of course. Thank you. Please send my thanks to Mr Kim.”

“Alright…we’ll send more forms shortly and will inform the Metropolitan police station to work with you. They’ll help in regards to forming the search warrants you requested. Also, please refrain from any further negative publicity, miss.” You grit your teeth at her snark, “Yes. Yes. Thank you.” You end the call politely and let out a long overdue breath.

“Fuck yeah! See! See our hard work doesn’t go without efforts. We still got this y/n.” He takes your hands in his gleefully smiling at you. You meekly smile back at him. You had to skip out on social media for the last few days from the sheer negativity on there and you barely go out of the house without either Press or passer-by’s peering at you.

His eyes soften, “I know it’s rough right now. I’m with you. You’ve got me.” You tighten your grip on his hands and pull him into a hug. Beomgyu places a hand on the back of your head cupping it. He felt so warm. Beomgyu was your one constant. Your ray of sunlight through the storm clouds.

No matter how down you felt, you were more ferociously determined than ever before.

So, you push through the negativity, you find yourself at the station with everyone looking at you crudely. Beomgyu was the only one capable of getting shit done at this point. Your publicity made it so much harder to get the officers to work with you. Beomgyu did most of the talking fortunately. You had to sit this one out but you were grateful.

The demeaning stares were getting to you but flitter away as soon as you see Beomgyu holding up a stapled group of papers. The search warrant! You knew Taehyun had eyes here and the news would soon go to him that you’d obtained a search warrant. You had to go before he knew.

Fuck that piece of shit! You were gonna visit his home uninvited and he was going to deal with it! “Ready to crash his home?” Beomgyu grins. You stand up anger lacing your eyes, “That pistol on his precious wall is gonna be his downfall.”

So with that you prepare everything you need and get designated officers assigned alongside Beomgyu to carry out a search of Taehyun’s home the very same evening.

Beomgyu presses the doorbell with anticipation and you try to contain your grin. The clicks of the door opening make your heart resound and the door opens revealing a disheveled Taehyun. He was dressed in a comfy matching blue set of trousers and a shirt.

The officer assigned to you both murmurs awkwardly, “Mr Kang, apologies for the interruption but…there seems to be a search warrant issued in relation to you.”

Your eyes scan the way his eyes pierce not into the officer but into you. Chills run through your body. Your eyes widen feeling Beomgyu giving your hand a comforting squeeze. He smiles warmly at you allowing you to calm down.

Taehyun finally speaks and you can tell his smile is forced. “Well, come in then.” You feel slightly triumphant; you believe he thought the news he dropped would stop you or hold you back.

He was wrong. No matter how dreadful your reputation was, no matter how much extra harder you’d have to work to get people to listen to you, you wouldn’t go down without a fight. You could take whatever knives he threw at you.

You begin walking around searching yourself. Beomgyu questions, “Detective, are you aware what the search warrant is issued for?”

Taehyun scowls, “Well, I wouldn’t know considering you all just suddenly appeared at my door.” Lies, lies, lies. He knew.

You murmur scouring the cupboards, drawers in the living room and under the cushions, “It appears there’s evidence that contradicts the previous case regarding Yeonjun’s father alongside your own father. We were hoping it would perhaps shed some light on the more recent cases led out by the Mafia groups present within the Seoul area.”

You see his jaws lock in irritation and he smiles taking you off guard, “But of course.” His eyes pierce into yours, “I have nothing to hide.”

You smirk walking into the hallway finding the pistol, “Ah, glad to see this here.” Taehyun glares, “My father’s pistol? You’re aware my father worked in law enforcement. I work in law enforcement?”

“She said nothing to suggest otherwise, Detective Kang,” Beomgyu hums standing beside you.

Taehyun raises a brow, “Weren’t you fired, detective?” His tone is mocking. Beomgyu pleasantly hums, “She’s my colleague, Mr. Kang. Please refrain from making unnecessary comments.”

You were gleaming at the pistol; he definitely wasn’t expecting your visit. You knew if you waited more than a week; he’d somehow find out when you were coming to his home and effectively hide his pistol or anything incriminating.

For once, karma had your back. You sneer, “We’ll be taking the pistol for further analysis, Detective.” Taehyun forces a smile onto his face, “But. Of course.”

Beomgyu murmurs, “We’ll continue a search of the rest of the house.” He’s bound to have something else in here!

With almost an hour of searching, nothing else turns up. You’ve almost turned his house upside down. You were beginning to get frustrated. You were sure there’d be something! Anything!

Sighing, you walk back downstairs to see Taehyun relaxing on the couch with a composed smile. You call out upstairs, “I’m finished, once you’re done, come back down and we’ll leave!” The two affirm with you.

Sure, you were irritated that you couldn’t turn up anything else but then again the pistol was the best thing so far. You expected as much, he was rather meticulous in his methodology. You smugly think, well except today. You caught him genuinely off guard.

His eyes meet yours holding a clear expression of suppressed rage. Taehyun stands and walks up to you. You shiver at his proximity. “You think you’ve won just because you got a search warrant. It appears I’ve been too merciful with you.”

Your eyes sharpen, “I never asked for your mercy.” Taehyun shakily sighs running a hand over his face. This was the first time you’ve seen him visibly shaken up. It sent waves of satisfaction through you. Now imagine him behind bars…

“God, you’re so fucking persistent,” he snaps lowly, “like an insolent pest.” He swore? That’s new.

You snort, “That all you got? Twitter has given me far more filthy insults than that this past week. Your fans are certainly something.” He lets out a sardonic laugh to himself, “Why can’t I just do it?” Huh?

Your smile wipes off your face. Taehyun leans in closer to you, “You’re so frustrating, god, I just..” You decide to push past him and wait at the door.

Suddenly he snarks, “I’ll make sure that your evidence never reaches the court. Along with any other pest.” As if on cue, Beomgyu jogs down the stairs giving you a smile. Taehyun darkly stares at him as he nonchalantly walks past him towards you.

“To think that I was actually fond of you…maybe even…” he bitterly laughs to himself.

What? You freeze, “What?” He shakes his head, “I need to focus.”

Finally you three gather up and leave Taehyun’s home. He gives you the most pitiful stare you’ve seen from him making your insides lurch. Was he finally realising the gravity of the situation? He looked honestly unhinged.

Regardless, with that done you wrap up the search and return to the station to submit the pistol. The officers clearly didn’t want to be involved with this case at all and it was extremely frustrating to get them to budge. Nonetheless progress was slow but still existent.

You’d have to wait for the bullet and the pistol to be analysed to see if they’re matching (you knew it was pretty much bound to be the same model). That’d allow you to pursue the case and implicate Taehyun. Beomgyu murmurs, “He probably somewhat expected us but definitely not so soon after obtaining the warrant. Explains how the rest of his house is squeaky clean. He probably doesn’t take down the pistol often or at all due to it being a fragile keepsake.” You nod in agreement.

You breathe uneasily. Taehyun seemed to be visibly upset. That was not in his character. His mental state must not be the best right now.

You knew that pistol getting matched meaning it would be a huge blow for him. Something he made sure to prevent for absolute years! You were undoing years worth of crafting his perfect persona and his deception of his crimes.

Finally, you reach home. Fear settles into the pit of your stomach. Anxiety envelopes you; you couldn’t quite celebrate such a success. It didn’t feel right.

You yawn, it was around 6pm. You wanted to nap so badly as fatigue grasped at your muscles. As yours eyes become heavier, your ringtone shatters your sleepiness. God, you had enough of your ringtone these days.

You peer at the caller ID: Kang Taehyun. You sit up alertly and pick up the call immediately pressing number 4 to record the conversation.

“Hello?” You murmur. You’re shocked to hear sniffling. What? “Y/n…y/n you’ve just had to go do it, had to do all this. When you could have just left it be?” His words were slightly slurred.

Was Taehyun…drunk? You knew Taehyun liked to drink especially whenever there was a successful case. He even held formal drinking parties at the nearest bar for the Agency’s anniversaries. He could hold his alcohol relatively well- well not always but still.

“My hard work is…is going down, down the d-drain. All because you couldn’t-keep your…nose out. That fucking brat, Yeonjun.. he started all this.” He proceeds to hiccup and you sigh. You never expected this. Your heart pounds, something doesn’t feel right.

“Taehyun, you’re drunk.” You mumble. “I fucking…I can’t seem to fucking hurt you.” Your heart pangs. “But him, I’ll get to him-oh yeah. Just…yeah…” he coughs.

“It’s so difficult to. I’m not…I’m not usually like this. You’ve…you’ve messed me up. I’m so attached-addicted to this game we’re-we’re playing.”

You sigh, “You don’t mean all this. Taehyun, I’m gonna hang up.” This was honestly a waste of your time. You didn’t think your poor heart could take it. He sounded so genuine. He couldn’t be…

“No-! No I want..hear your voice. No…come, come meet me.” You roll your eyes, you weren’t stupid. “Yeah…no.”

“Fuck you…then,” he mumbles and your eyes widen. “Mm…going home by myself then..” He wasn’t driving right in this state? That’s basically suicide!

How could you convict someone who’s dead? You couldn’t let him escape his punishment so easily!

“Wait-! Are you driving?” You stammer. He hiccups, “Mm..yeah. It’s close by to my home. I’ll be fine-“ You snap, “Don’t touch your fucking car, Taehyun.”

He lets out a manic laugh, “Worried about me? Have no one…to, to convict? T-That’s all you care about r-right!?” You begin to stand up rushing to change your clothes, and grab a bag. He groans into the phone, “I’ll be careful, no-no need to worry.”

You couldn’t risk it. “Stay there,” you order. “Don’t come here-!” He partially yells. “I don’t-I don’t want to look at you…”

You scoff, “I don’t care, sit at that bar.” You knew which bar it was. That’s where your office drinking parties were held.

“Go…away..i…I’ll do what I want…” the phone call ends abruptly.

Panic runs through you system. You were extremely nervous to meet up with him alone. You peer at your wires and cables on the floor. You hurriedly pick them up and begin running the wires under your shirt and clipping them to your shirt. You weren’t going unprepared.

This could be a vital opportunity and even if it meant risking your life, you certainly didn’t want your main suspect to do something irrational making all your progress and Yeonjun’s wish go to utter waste!

You sprint out of the door. He was being reckless and you didn’t want him hurting himself. You dial up Beomgyu and explain the situation to which he promptly yells at you on the phone. “This is insane! Why the fuck did you go out without telling me? What if you get hurt!?”

You snap, “I understand your concern. I really do, but I don’t think you turning up is going to be very useful when he’s called me.”

“Fuck, this- what the fuck? You’re being reckless!” You pant out, “Just trail me, I don’t want to be alone. This is valuable. Don’t come out of hiding until there’s danger or I tell you to! Trust me Beomgyu.” He sighs and you take it as a sign of reluctant agreement. “Alright, y/n. Fine. Please be cautious. I’ll be bringing my firearm.” You murmur, “Alright, do so.”

You reach the bar and realise he’s not in the bar which drives you insane. You ask the bartender which you knew well, he points you to outside and you run. You panically scour around and you finally spot him slouched against the wall staring up into the sky. You run to him and snap, “I told you to stay inside!”

His eyes meet yours and he pulls you into a hug placing his head onto your shoulder. Taehyun murmurs, “Mm..perfect. Perfect…” You shove him off. “Where’s your car?” He hums, “At the office parking lot.” Of fucking course he walked here; it was only a few buildings away after all. You sigh, “Let’s go then.”

“You actually came….” he murmurs.

You ignore him helping him to walk and you painstakingly get him to the parking lot. You peer at the text on your phone from Beomgyu: I’m here. Following. Don’t worry. Be brave. You feel comforted by the text.

You begin to walk Taehyun to his car and hiss when he suddenly grabs your forearm and pulls you to him. You couldn’t move; he had you locked against him with an excruciating grip on you.

His posture straightens up and his eyes meet yours. His lips form a smile, “Thank you for escorting me, my dear Detective.” His tone was much more coherent. Your eyes widen, “…Taehyun?”

It hits you just how empty this parking lot was at night. The murky clouds blur out the sparse stars above and the scent of rain cling to the air. “I’m glad you still care enough. Or were you scared I was going to do something irrational to myself?“ he chuckles.

You snarl, “I fucking knew something about this was off.”

“What? You didn’t like my act? I worked so hard whilst you ransacked my home too. I thought it was rather convincing. I mean it must have worked since I got you here.“ He hums. He never meant any of those words over the phone.

“I’m glad your emotions still haven’t faded away in your line of work.” You snark, “I’m surprised you know how to act considering you don’t have any.” He chuckles, “Let’s leave the petty insults out of the way for now.” You begin to tremble.

Taehyun’s lips curl into a deeply twisted smile, “I wanted to talk, so let’s talk, love. Let’s settle things, once and for all.”

You shiver on the spot as fear engulfs and you shakily murmur, “Let’s talk then.” A rain drop lands on your cheek. How odd, the skies were clear only minutes before.

You suddenly feel something cold touch you through the back of your shirt and prod into you harshly, “Perfect.”

——————

[PART 8 COMING SOON!]

[missanthropicprinciple]

ok no but seriously Benoit Blanc thinking that whoever solves the “murder” would get some sort of prize like an iPad isn’t off-base. Like, eccentric rich people would absolutely have a prize, like a case of champagne or a small jet or “whoever solves my murder gets to keep the villa”. Miles Bron is such a dumb-ass. He doesn’t even understand the kind of person he’s supposed to be emulating.

[reddpenn]

Just wrapped up the second story arc of my Pathfinder campaign!

The Deepwell Detective Agency is hot on the trail of a missing pet case, a supposedly domesticated mimic named Mimi. Eyewitnesses say she was stolen away by a mysterious woman in a glittering green dress, and the players suspect they know why.

The Extraordinarily Rich People's Exotic Pet Society is holding its annual pet show at the glamorous Hotel Stella, and the opening festivities begin tonight with a grand gala in the ballroom. The investigation brings the players to the party, where they mingle with the eccentric upper crust of society.

There's Rake Deepwell, charismatic gentleman thief and heir to the town's Mithril mines, and his clever lockpicking mockingfey Mischeif.

Lady Annabelle Carillon - an excitable high society lady whose father was a famous adventurer who claimed the treasure of the Dread Ziggurat of Ghanta - is the doting mother to a baby red dragon named Ghanta, whose egg was stolen from that very ziggurat.

Jean Applebottom seems like a down to earth farm girl, until you realize that she owns every farm for miles around the city of Deepwell. She doesn't seem to realize just how dangerous her gelatinous cube Billy-Blob can be, but it's already attempted to eat several of the hotel staff.

Of course there's blustering Colonel Bartholomew Blunderbuss, hunter and old war hero, and his aging but faithful companion Fang the dire wolf.

And last but not least there's Alexander, Lady Annabelle Carillon's mysterious Tiefling butler, who has a tendency to appear out of nowhere and is immaculately perfect in everything he does. Like, what's his deal?

But where is Mimi the mimic? Why, she's a last minute entry, brought in by a young woman in a sparkling green dress. Imatrice Voleuse, the daughter of famous alchemist and spellcrafter Mortimer Voleuse, the man who invented the spell "Transmute Blood to Acid."

The players confront her about the mimic kidnapping, and learn that Mimi came with Imatrice willingly, because Imatrice's family once bred and trained domestic mimics and Mimi played with Imatrice as a child. Mortimer used to enter his mimics into this very competition... until there was a horrible accident. At last year's pet show, his prized mimic Exemplar killed and ate him. The incident caused every Voleuse family mimic to be labeled as dangerous wild animals and euthanized. Mimi is all that remains of Mortimer's legacy.

But Imatrice suspects foul play. She stole this mimic for one reason: to get into the competition and prove that a member of the Exotic Pet Society - Rake, Annabelle, Jean, or Bartholomew - murdered her father and framed Exemplar for his death.

The players agree to let Imatrice keep Mimi for a single night, and moreover they agree to help her solve her father's murder.

There's only one problem. Before the end of the party, Imatrice winds up murdered too.

Exotic animals! Fancy outfits! A double murder most foul! That sexy, sexy butler! On this night of gore and glamor, the Deepwell Detective Agency faces its second case, in The Secret Heist of Pets!

[trulymadlydeeplyfest]

Feature #28

🖤Only Murders in the Ministry by @charingfae

🖤Pairing: Hermione Granger/Draco Malfoy; Hermione Granger/Tom Riddle

🖤Prompt: (Everything I Do) I Do It for You by Bryan Adams

🖤Link:

🖤Summary: As the top two Aurors at the Ministry, Draco Malfoy and Tom Riddle are in a constant (unspoken) war. The task? Solve as many damn murder cases as possible to impress their boss. The prize? Hermione Granger's affections.

Tensions rise as the two men battle it out, each of them willing to do whatever it takes to win.

...Including a little murdering.

[grendelsmilf]

okay i finally finished rewatching s1 of the afterparty (it took me so long bc i’ve been watching it w my dad and i haven’t seen him in a while) (will respond to whoever asked me about my thoughts on s2 once i get to it) so here are my thoughts (immediate spoilers btw)

yasper literally could’ve gotten away with it AND maintained his friendship with aniq if at the very beginning he had just said “i was up there talking to him and he accidentally slipped i tried to save him but i was too far away also it’s my birthday im a little birthday boyy” . and then even if danner had pressed him further bc she suspected foul play, aniq would’ve had his back bc he would’ve known that yasper was willing to take the fall just so that aniq wouldn’t be implicated. yasper rly fumbled that huh

that said, i don’t think yasper should go to prison because killing xavier is not a crime by any moral standards. in fact he should win the nobel peace prize

also yasper should win ANOTHER nobel just for being enmeshed in not ONE but two examples of toxic yaoi. he’s crazy for that

also i just love ben schwartz. who can resist his precious little punim

and his chemistry with sam richardson is amazing they should star in like a romcom or something

aniq and zoe are still cute together. sorry

on a rewatch the brett episode might genuinely be the funniest one. and the high school episode is still genuinely devastating

as for what I ABSOLUTELY CANNOT FUCKING STAND ABOUT THIS SHOW: it is a show fundamentally concerned with how the lens through which we view media shapes our perceptions of the world. it is a show about narrativization and the nature of propaganda. it is a show that continually lampshades the way in which our media is an inaccurate reflection of our material realities. it is a show that explicitly points out the harmful nature of copaganda, especially in terms of how it contradicts real-world policing…in an episode that simultaneously portrays policing in a fundamentally inaccurate way that plays into the exact same reactionary, harmful tropes it is ostensibly critiquing. and i don’t find this cute or charmingly ironic, i find this to be particularly insidious, because self-awareness without self-critique allows for the viewer (and the writer) to feel smugly satisfied while absorbing the exact same propagandistic tropes they somehow consider themselves immune to. the characters repeatedly emphasize that our perspectives are flawed as a way of gesturing to the failures of our criminal justice system, but the show ends with the same poirot-esque victory for our central cop heroine without ever actually taking into consideration the harm of presenting such a narrative. because the good cop gets to feel satisfied that she solved the case before the bad cop came and made a wrongful arrest, right? it’s especially insidious because they clearly imply that racism is a motivating factor in aniq’s status as the primary suspect as well as danner’s slower career trajectory (as well as misogyny, in her case), but acknowledging that there is racism and sexism embedded into these institutions of policing while otherwise upholding the work cops do as “solving crimes” and “serving the community” is an even more dangerous form of liberal copaganda in many respects. the way yasper’s arrest is framed angers me, but it’s not necessarily because i think ben schwartz is too cute to go to jail (although i still maintain jennifer 1 would’ve made for a better murderer if they had to go that route at all). it’s that the framing plays the assumptions of this fundamentally reactionary genre completely straight; the entire show continually lampshades many of the glaring flaws in this premise as it nevertheless upholds deeply harmful institutions. as far as s1 goes, it is an extremely entertaining piece of comedy with a great cast (although john early and tiya sircar were underutilized so what’s even the point), with an interesting premise and framing device, but completely ideologically abhorrent in a way that genuinely sickens me.

anyway watch gosford park

[wangxianficfinder]

In the mood for...

~*~

1. hello! as always thank you for the good work! I’m looking for ‘seraph of the end’ au fics or something that goes like that, specifically wangxian.

~*~

2. Hi! Any recs for arranged marriage fics, of the sort in which lwj marries a fearsome yiling patriarch but once he gets to know him he falls in love? Thank you!!!

Caught Between Sun and Shadows by Alliandra (E, 71k, wangxian, LXC & LWJ, grapshic depictions of violence, sunshot campaign, arranged marriage, YLLZ WWX, pining, battle husbands, versatile wangxian, falling in love, resentacles, sex pollen, fuck or die, golden core reveal, politics, hurt/comfort)

💖 love, in fire and blood by cicer (E, 360k, wangxian, immortal WWX, slow burn, pining, arranged marriages)

what price is duty, what cost is love by thunderwear (G, 18k, wangxian, canon divergence, WWX was never adopted to Jiang, war prize, YLLZ WWX, pining, first kiss, first time, falling in love, angst w/ happy ending)

holding hands with you in this rain-flooded street by puddingcatbeans (M, 12k, WangXian, Canon Divergence, Arranged Marriage, husbands to lovers?, LWJ Stays at the Burial Mounds, Angst with a Happy Ending, Fix-It of Sorts, Mild Hurt/Comfort, Everybody Lives)

~*~

3. For the next ITMF, I'm interested in people's favorite fics from the last six months (ish)! There's so much good fic in this fandom that it's hard to keep up with the new stuff. (I hope this kind of request is ok) @ehyde​

💙 Wish I could forget the taste of your skin and the feel of your hands pinning me down by KizuKatana (E, 63k, wangxian, WQ & WWX & WN, modern w/ cultivation, getting back together, BAMF WWX, BAMF LWJ, case fic, pining)

all the problems we could solve by Stratisphyre (T, 20k, wangxian, modern, getting together, somewhat non-linear, fluff, humor, violence, meet-cute, identity porn, thieves au)

born under unlucky stars by RoseThorne (M, 1k, JZX & MXY, JZX & QS, wangxian, WQ & WWX & WN, major character death, canonical character death, ghosts, brotherly love, spells & enchantments, MXY pov, anger, revenge)

Ominous by 3neetee (T, 5k, wangxian, pre-relationship, established relationship, character death, fae & fairies, changelings, dark wangxian, BAMF WWX, graphic depictions, suicide, implied/referenced domestic violence)

Hear a song this deeply by so_shhy (T, 87k, wangxian, modern w/ cultivation, academia au, kid fic, music, action/adventure, canon-typical violence, slow burn, fluff & angst, canon-typical JGY behavior, happy ending)

The Sculptor by Eleanor_Fenyx (M, 27k, wangxian, LQY/WQ, LWJ & WQ, SL/XXC, modern, lavender marriage, period typical attituted and terminology, mute SL, queer themes, queer families, slow burn, getting together, intimacy, artist WWX, professor LWJ)

For A Gentleman, Ten Years Is Not Too Long by Cerusee (G, 10k, NHS & WWX, JC & WWX, A murder mystery I guess, canon-typical ambiguity, Ambiguous/Open Ending)

What We Grew in this Forsaken Place by Admiranda (T, 27k, WangXian, Modern Cultivation, Shapeshifter LWJ, bottle episode fic, bunny crimes, WWX Has a Fear of Dogs, WWX is a genius, unexpected pet owner WWX)

Foxsong by Admiranda (T, 41k, A-Qing & WWX & LWJ, Yi City trio, WangXian, SongXiao, fox a-qing, Fox Spirit WWX, Dragon LWJ, Dragon LWJ/Fox WWX, XY causes problems, High Fantasy, mythical beasts in human forms, Found Family, background wangxian, married wangxian)

to explore strange new worlds...! Series by AlfAlfAlfAlfAlf, tardigradeschool (G/T, 44k, NieLan, WangXian, Star Trek Fusion, Vulcan LWJ, Vulcan LXC, Vulcan Culture, Child LWJ, Child LXC, Medical Procedures, Lán Family Feels, POV LQR, LXC Needs a Hug, Hurt/Comfort, Implied/Referenced Child Neglect, Hurt/Comfort, Angst, Bad Parenting, Chronic Pain, Disability, College/University, POV Alternating, PTSD, Mutual Pining, Friends to Lovers, Panic attacks, Vulcan mind meld)

Love Buns by Czeriahx (G, 2k, JYL/JZX, wangxian, fluff, cooking adventures with Jin Zixuan)

your bones don't rust by curiositea (M, 2k, wangxian, modern, established relationship, fluff, light angst, anxiety, panic attacks, kissing, hand-feeding, WIP)

when you love somebody, bite your tongue by sophiahelix (E, 17k, wangxian, cloud recesses study arc, first time, horny teenagers, sharing a bed, fantasizing, size kink)

A storm without a warning by Spodumene (E, 22k, wangxian, modern, compulsory heterosexuality, masturbation, eventual smut, pining, denial, drunkenness, jealousy, not actually unrequited love, angst w/ happy ending)

Fakespeare in the Park by Scrippio (T, 58k, wangxian, JC/WQ, JYL/JZX, modern, theatre au, fluff, accidental baby acquisation, light angst, WIP)

This Time Around by KouriArashi (T, 83k, JGY & NHS, NHS & WWX, JGY & WWX, time travel fix-it, kid fic, families of choice, angst, grief/mourning, class issues, past child abuse, politics, moral ambiguity, everyone lives, happy ending)

~*~

4. Heyy! For the next ITMF can you please recommend

A) some fics about wangxian friendly sparring where they are both equals in swordfighting.

B) fics with WWX sparring with Madam Yu (not Jiang friendly if possible). And WWX wins the fight (obviously).

Thanks for your hardwork! @iwhateveryou2331

4A)

somehow, someway, we all get to someday by Stratisphyre (T, 76k, CSSR/LQR/WCZ, WangXian, Canon Divergence, Role Reversal, Friends to Lovers, Slow Burn, Parenthood, Somebody Lives/Not Everyone Dies, Family Feels, Not JFM Friendly, Not Lan Sect Friendly, past emotional abuse, Demisexual Character, Inclusive discussions of reproductive rights) this one is strong with the ‘wangxian equality’ vibe; there’s a great wangxian sword fight somewhere in there, too

the earthquake in the room by phnelt (E, 39k, WangXian, College/University, Modern: No Powers, Canada, Getting Together, Mentions of lwj/others, inter-faculty romance, strangers to lovers to frenemies to lovers, mostly book characterisation) not swordfighting but martial arts however it is well done!

4B)

❤️ I Started From the Bottom/And Now I’m Rich by x_los (E, 57k, WangXian, WWX/Others, Mutual Pining, Marriage of Convenience, Arranged Marriage, No Sunshot Campaign, Fix-It, WQ Lives, Transmigration, Time Travel, Weddings, Sugar Daddy, Sugar Daddy, Black Widow, Protective Siblings, Dysfunctional Family, Family Bonding, Sugar Babyconsort, Politics, Implied/Referenced Sexual Assault, Crack Treated Seriously) can't promise not-Jiang friendly, but there's a great sparring session between WWX and Madam Yu.

~*~

5. Do you know any fics where wwx leaves the wen remnants after they go to the burial mounds to go back to yunmeng for something??

~*~

6. Hello! Hope you're all doing great so far this holiday season! I was hoping to make a request for a future itmf. Do you have any recs for some pokemon AUs?? I found my old copy of pokemon moon right before I bought pokemon violet, and now I'm playing both and have a huge craving for some pokemon crossovers! Preferably wangxian and it'd be great if it's completed but I'll be happy with anything! Thank you so much! @suibian800

This Tumblr post

A Journey in the Making by DawnCloud (G, 6k, wangxian, Pokémon au)

of ghosts and graveyards by DiRoxy (T, 10k, wangxian, Pokémon au, pre-relationship, case fic, ghost WWX, happy ending, LWJ & JC working together, depictions of science experiments on pokemon)

~*~

7. Have you come across any fics with lwj and wwx just. Adventuring and traveling post-canon? Like solving mysteries and maybe some whump and protective lwj when wwx tries to save the day? @shiro-tora3​

build me no shrines by occultings (microcomets) (M, 54k, WangXian, Slow Burn, Mutual Pining, First Time, Getting Together, Confessions, Sharing a Bed, Hair Washing, Sentient Burial Mounds, Case Fic, Post-Canon, CQL Compliant, Hurt/Comfort, Whump, Light Angst, Flashbacks, mild body horror, foot washing, Happy Ending, Non-Sexual Intimacy, …then sexual intimacy)

Wearing Down Every Bone by CSHfic & VSfic (E, 30k, wangxian, case fic, time loop)

爱不释手; never let me go by yiqie (E, 68k, wangxian, case fic, demons)

Linger in the Sun by etymologyplayground (T, 39k, WangXian, JC & WWX, Case Fic, Intimacy, Curses, Canon Compliant, Post-Canon, Cuddling & Snuggling, Getting Together, Romance, Sexual Tension, Scent Kink, m.. maybe??, its not as intense as a kink, Fluff, Scars, Sharing a Bed, Nonverbal Communication)

The envy of the world by vulnerable_bead (E, 48k, wangxian, LWJ & LSZ & WWX, LJY & LSZ, post-canon, case fic, smut, fluff, established relationship, wangxian as teachers, wangxian as musicians, spellweaving) poetic fairytale prose; a casefic of unfurling complexity with an intelligent, subtle, and tragic antagonist; mysterious uncharted musical magic; a climactic confrontation that deserves to be animated. And then there’s the famous Windowsill Papapa Scene.

~*~

8. Hi guys! Happy holidays, hope you enjoy them 🤗 I was hoping for the next ITMF post you could recommend some wangxian fics where they’re already sleeping together and WWX thinks it’s just casual and he’s very angsty about it because he’s hopelessly in love with LWJ. Bonus points if LWJ gets to do an epic love confession. 🙏

(our friendship) up against the ropes by daltoneering (E, 36k, WangXian, Modern AU, Friends to Lovers, Getting Together, lan zhan FUCKS, Fluff and Smut, Experienced LWJ, Oblivious WWX, Mutual Pining, Friends With Benefits, Pining while fucking, Oral Sex, Anal Sex, Masturbation, Spit Kink, Dirty Talk, Light Bondage, Praise Kink, Dom/sub Undertones, Kink Negotiation, Pride and Prejudice 2005 (dir. Joe Wright), mentions of Wei Ying/others and Lan Zhan/others)

You'd Break Your Heart to Make It Bigger by vesna (mrsronweasley) (E, 32k, WangXian, soulbonding, First Time, Case Fic if You Squint, Fools in Love, soul boning, soft fools in love, Pining while fucking)

Introduction to Floating by cupofwater (E, 13k, WangXian, Modern AU, Sex Pollen, Mildly Dubious Consent, Getting Together, Pining while fucking, Love Confessions, Modern Cultivation, PWP)

Treat you right by airinshaw (E, 20k, WangXian, Modern AU, Sex Work, Anal Sex, Getting Together, Pining while fucking, Consensual Non-Consent, Light Dom/sub, Sexual role play)

↑ these are tagged 'pining while fucking' , I can't promise a big LZ confession tho

~*~

9. Hello, I am in the mood for soft E rated fics! Please no fics where wangxian is not together!

Catharsis by sevenless (E, 3k, WangXian, Incense Burner, Post-Canon, Established Relationship, Porn with Feelings, Body Dysphoria, Body Worship)

~*~

10. Itmf civilian or rogue cultivator wwx (never part of Jiang or other sects) ends up at qiongqi wen prison post sunshot (Maybe he was minor wen or wen servant/civilian, or had wen friends or wrong place wrong time etc) and ends up escaping

~*~

11. ITMF some Nie Mingjue centric fics. Gen or slash, but no niecest, please!

shades of grey spill from my veins (bleeding ink all over the page) by Reverie (cl410) (M, 58k, NieLan, WangXian, SangNing, POV NMJ, Canon Divergence, Hurt/Comfort, Accidental Sibling Acquisition, Single Dad NMJ, Fluff, Humor, Happy Ending, Everyone Lives/Nobody Dies, Protective NMJ, Some angst, Blood and Injury, Kidnapping, Protective Siblings, Found Family)

Once Upon A Time in Qinghe by paranoid_fridge (T, 22k, NHS & NMJ, WangXian, NMJ & LXC, Angst, Humor, Spoilers, Post-Canon Fix-It, Sort Of)

The Quiet Room by nirejseki (T, 37k, NieLan, XiYao, Sensory Deprivation, Partner Betrayal, Consent Issues, Manipulation, Medical Trauma, Canon Divergence, not very friendly to LXC, Infidelity, Gaslighting, Mental Health Issues, denial of agency, Willful Blindness)

a *lot* of nirejseki’s stuff is nie mingjue heavy, and their nie bros stuff is familial

The Veil Between by staringatstars (T, 1k, NHS & NMJ, Character Turned Into a Ghost, Canon Divergence, Protective Siblings)

Empathy by clockwork_spider (M, 30k, JGY & NMJ, time travel fix-it, second-hand trauma, empathy, hurt/comfort)

~*~

12. Is there some good junior centric fics there? I’d love to read ones espescially with all four of them!

grow by cafecliche (T, 14k, LSZ & WWX, LSZ & LWJ, WangXian, Age Regression/De-Aging, Character Study, Post-Canon, [Podfic] Grow by jellyfishfire)

Time Travel, Obviously by nirejseki (Not Rated, 1k, Time Travel, Crack) short, funny, and very on point characterisation for all four of them

autonomous by captain_apostrophe (E, 34k, LJY & LSZ & OYZZ & JL, LJY/LSZ, scifi au, cyberpunk, polyamory negotiations, complicated relationships, developing relationships, tattoo as self-defense, epilepsy warning for flashing title gif card, on hiatus)

matchmaker, matchmaker, make me a match by mowochi (T, 21k, LJY & LSZ & OYZZ & JL, JC/NHS, post-canon, outsider pov, canon compliant, matchmaking, fluff, junior quartet dynamics, family bonding, JL pov, getting together)

~*~

13. Could you please recommend some angst fics? I want the most heart wrenching angst that will make me sob :)

We do actually have a Heavy Angst Comp that you can also look at ^^

~*~

14. IITMF request: A) are there any fics where WWX is not the son of Cangse Sanren and Wei Changze ?

B) fics similar to 'To the Heavens and the Earth'

Thanks so much!!

~*~

15. Hello! Thank you for your hard work getting fics for all of us deprived souls. I would like to ask for a few fics because I'm in the mood for fics where weiying got all the love he deserved, especially while growing up. I'd like for his childhood to be happy and loved by the family who get him out of the streets (either the jiangs or it can be anyone). Once again, thank you and have a nice day.

❤️ the thing with feathers by RoseThorne  (G, 43k, wangxian, Transmigration, Time Travel Fix-It, Illnesses, Family, Scars, Memory Loss, Angst, Fear, Recovery, Sharing a Bed, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Good Parent YZY, Referenced Sexual Slavery, Blood and Gore, Sexual Tension, Arranged Marriage, Grief, Adoption, POV Third Person, POV Alternating, Implied/Referenced Abuse, Implied/Referenced Child Abuse, Good Parent LQR, Clairvoyance, Butterfly Effect) sort of

somehow, someway, we all get to someday by Stratisphyre (T, 76k, CSSR/LQR/WCZ, WangXian, Canon Divergence, Role Reversal, Friends to Lovers, Slow Burn, Parenthood, Somebody Lives/Not Everyone Dies, Family Feels, Not JFM Friendly, Not Lan Sect Friendly, past emotional abuse, Demisexual Character, Inclusive discussions of reproductive rights) (link in 4A) canon divergent fic in which he gets all the love from his actual mom and dad (they don’t die)

Flowers Blooming by Ilona22 (M, 35k, WangXian, Adoption, Prostitution, Family Fluff, Family Drama, Growing Up)

~*~

16. Hi! For the next ITMF, can you recommend fics about wwx' genius? Like everybody realize and are in awe because of it? I mean, he invented a lot of things. Preferably post canon, but i'm open to anything. Thanks for your hard work♥

🧡 Stunted, Starving Juvenility by TomatenMark (E, 508k, WangXian, WIP, Fix-it of sorts, Talisman master WWX, Not JFM Friendly, Study Arc, Getting together, Fluff and Angst, Engagement)

Instead by apathyinreverie (T, 12k, WIP, WangXian, Fix-It, like self-indulgently so, by way of dark(er) gusu lan, manipulative elders, but in a good way?, Golden Core Reveal, Golden Core Transfer Fix-It, of sorts, not Jiang friendly, not really gusu lan friendly either, not particularly friendly towards anyone really, Cultivation World Critical, Sunshot campaign, Fluff, Politics, Courting Rituals, possibly implied mpreg, Genius WWX, Talismans, No demonic cultivation, Possessive LWJ, Protective LWJ, Canon Divergence)

The River Runs Forever by Cerusee (T, 136k, WIP, WangXian, SangLi, Badass WWX, Inventor WWX, Jiang/Nie sibling power quartet, Dead JC, Jiang Sect Leader WWX)

finding you always, all ways by BlueFrogs (T, 31k, WangXian, ChengQing, Reincarnation, Fix-It, Fluff and Angst, Happy Ending, Romance, Memory Loss, Age Difference, due to reincarnation)

~*~

17. Hello! I can't decide wether i should be proud or embarrassed of myself, i just finished your whole jiang bashing comp list and i crave some more. Can you please share some more? Thank you!!!

sukob by Anonymous (M, 7k, wangxian, JC/LXC, royalty au, revenge, banishment, forced seclusion, amanesia, running away, mpreg, miscarriage, concubines, not JC friendly, not LXC friendly, not gusu lan friendly, dark LWJ, happy ending for wangxian)

Lie for Love by sether1n3 (E, 65k, wangxian, LWJ/MXY, modern, secret (2013) au, angst w/ happy ending, hurt/comfort, mpreg, hit & run, WWX goes to prison, hurt WWX, depressed WWX, panic attacks, grief/mourning, not JC friendly, enemies to lovers, WIP)

Hua Xianle by Tiffany_Guinne (Not rated, 49k, hualian, wangxian, not jiang friendly, not YZY friendly, not JC friendly, not JFM friendly, WWX adopted by hualian, no golden core transfer, WIP)

One more time with feeling by Hauntcats (Not rated, 19k, wangxian, JYL/JZX, time travel fix-it, not JC friendly, not Jiang friendly (aside from JYL), angst w/ happy ending, no golden core transfer, WIP)

Attack a Bear In Its Den by Hauntcats (T, 6k, JC & WWX, wangxian, major character death, time travel, not JC friendly, no golden core transfer, angst w/ happy ending)

The Debts of a Child by Hauntcats (M, 115k, WWX & Jiangs, wangxian, not Jiang friendly, angst w/ happy ending, dark)

The Wei of family by HikariNoHimeWriter (E, 46k, wangxian, CSSR/WCZ, ABO, rogue cultivator WWX, everyone lives au, omega WWX, alpha LWJ, genius WWX, WWX & CSSR has ADHD, falling in love, hurt/comfort, fluff, eventual smut, not JC friendly, not YZY friendly)

Ad Oblivione by Baph & HikariNoHimeWriter (M, 71k, wangxian, time travel fix-it, temporary character death, canon-typical violence, multiple pov, hurt/comfort, identity reveal, golden core reveal, cultivation world critical, not JC friendly, not YZY friendly, angst w/ happy ending)

Turnabout by miixz (T, 32k, wangxian, time travel fix-it, post sunshot, fluff, not everyone dies au, outsider pov on time travel, parent wangxian, wen remnants live, misunderstandings, getting together, not JC friendly)

~*~

If you didn’t get an answer to your ask here, don’t forget to make use of @mdzs-kinkmeme and MDZS KINK MEME on Dreamwidth. Authors actually do use them for ideas. You may get what you order!***Your prompt doesn’t have to be kink! Fluff, crack, whatever - it’s all good!***

[conradscrime]

The Murder of Linda Agostini: Was She Really "Pyjama Girl"?

November 26, 2023

Florence Linda Agostini (Platt) was born on September 12, 1905 in South East London. She travelled to New Zealand at the age of 19, and lived there until 1927, when she then moved to Sydney, Australia.

Linda worked at a cinema and lived in a boarding house on Darlinghurst Road. It was said that Linda liked to drink and party a lot. She married an Italian man named Antonio Agostini in 1930, and it was not a happy marriage.

The couple moved to Melbourne, believing to be because her husband wanted Linda to get away from her partying friends.

In late August of 1934, Linda disappeared. A week later, an unidentified body of whom would later be dubbed "Pyjama Girl" was found in Splitter's Creek, near Albury.

The woman's body was found by a man named Tom Griffith, who was leading a prize bull along the road. Tom saw the body in a culvert running under the road and noted there had been a strong smell of kerosene present.

The body was badly burnt and had been hidden by a hessian grain sack, making it impossible for drivers to be able to see the body.

Pyjama Girl's head was wrapped in a towel, she had been beaten extensively, and upon an X-ray it was discovered she had a bullet in her neck. She was dubbed Pyjama Girl due to her wearing yellow silk pyjamas with a Chinese dragon motif. This clothing was known to be luxurious for the time.

It was determined that Pyjama Girl was petite and in her 20's, though her identity could not be found. The body was taken to Sydney, where it was put on public display. She was preserved at the Sydney University Medical School until 1942, where she was then transferred to police headquarters until 1944.

Some people suggested that Pyjama Girl could be a couple different women that had gone missing in the area, including Linda Agostini. Linda matched the physical characteristics as well as the age. However, New South Wales police did not believe Linda could be Pyjama Girl.

In 1944, 10 years since the discovery, forensic evidence was re-examined, and the body was matched to be Linda through dental analysis.

Linda's husband, Tony, had recently gone back to Sydney, after being held in internment camps from 1940 to 1944. Police commissioner, William MacKay, who had known Tony from before the war, interviewed him and noticed that Tony was quite nervous.

Tony then confessed to killing his wife, Linda, stating that he had accidentally shot her when they lived in Melbourne. Tony drove Linda's body over the state border to Albury, and had dumped her in the culvert. He set Linda's body on fire to destroy the evidence.

Tony was charged with murder and extradited back to Melbourne and tried for murder. He was acquitted on the murder charge but found guilty of manslaughter. Tony was sentenced to 6 years in prison but served only 3 years. He was released in 1948 and deported to Italy, dying in 1969.

While the case is technically solved, many doubt that Linda is the true identity of Pyjama Girl. In a 2004 book, written by historian Richard Evans on the case, he believes that Tony's conviction was the result of police corruption.

It was also stated that Pyjama Girl had brown eyes, while Linda had blue eyes and the two women had different bust sizes and different shaped noses. Richard Evans also claims that 125 women were on the police list of possible identities, and not eliminated or traced.

[theshampyon]

Holy shit, more Glass Onion thoughts that I have to purge from my brain. Some of these are things I saw others commenting on on other sites. Some are Shower Thoughts. (Can't believe I didn't notice the first one.) Possible SPOILERS ahead...

When we first see Miles Bron he's playing Blackbird on a white guitar. He says it's the guitar Paul McCartney wrote the song on. The guitar is right-handed. Paul McCartney plays left handed.

I think this is one of a bunch of things in the film Bron paid big money for, never knowing he was being ripped off. Blanc solves Gillian Flynn's Murder Mystery before it even begins because it's not hidden very well, but Bron isn't smart enough to realise it. The Puzzle Box features, in Blanc's words, "Children's puzzles", because the puzzle maker knew Bron wouldn't recognise a proper adult puzzle if he saw one. (So who knows, maybe that wasn't really the Mona Lisa after all.)

Everyone calls the chess puzzle an "endgame." It's not an endgame. It's a move called "The Fool's Mate," so called because it can only be achieved if the White player royally fucks up. Basically, it's the dumbest way to achieve mate. It's also not strictly speaking an endgame. But people who don't actually know chess (like myself, I confess) wouldn't know that.

The Fool's Mate is solved by... the fool's mates.

Back to Benoit calling the puzzles "children's games". They really are. None of require analytical thinking or deductive reasoning. Just recognising patterns that are familiar to their friend group and social class. Not riddles, just references.

The first being the most obvious - a Magic Eye, which some people are physically incapable of seeing and thus could never solve. And even those who can see them do not need wit or reasoning to solve it, just the ability to kinda cross their eyes a bit. In the 1990s, when these characters were teens, Magic Eye puzzles were literally sold as a child's puzzle.

And even then, they needed help. Without Duke's mother, none of them would have solved the boxes. Not even head Bron's main technology department head Lionel, who sure as shit should be able to recognise a Fibonacci sequence when he sees one. It's the kind of thing taught in High School. Yet none of these Special People, these brilliant Disruptors, saw an answer that a very pointedly normal older lady did. Because the movie is telling us right from the beginning that they're not special. All of then are in their positions due to Bron's money and influence, not their actual intellect and skill.

But Benoit didn't necessarily know that about the boxes at the time. He'd never seen the box intact, and he didn't realise Bron is actually an idiot until much later. Which makes me think Benoit said it purely to get Bron off balance. (Also, he may not have been able to solve the box if he had one intact, precisely because it's stupid. Benoit admits such simple puzzles are his Achilles' Heel, which is why he loses the Among Us game in the bathtub!)

This is all also why working class Helen can't solve them. She's smart - a better lateral thinker and riddle solver than any of the Shitheads - but she's not part of their social class. She doesn't know their rote cultural signifiers. (But I bet she would have solved the Fibonacci one.)

So she, in keeping with the Greek theme, cuts the Gordian Knot. Presented with the puzzle as barrier to a prize, most assume the solution is to solve it. Like Alexander the Great, she thinks outside the assumed constraints and simply removes the barrier.

The Greek theme, of course, including the naming of the characters. Andy a.k.a. Cassandra, who foresaw great peril but was not believed. Her sister Helen, whose coming brought about the end of an empire - "the face launched a thousand ships" (or in this case, a fleet of police boats).

I gotta rewatch this. There's bound to be a thousand more little details that I didn't catch the first time around.

[bracketsoffear]

Charlotte's Web (E.B. White) "The titular Charlotte saves Wilbur, a runt pig from slaughter by writing words in her web and making him famous. At the end of the novel, Wilbur wins a special prize at the country fair thanks to Charlotte, and she dies, leaving her spider eggs to Wilbur.

It's not just that Charlotte's a spider, she is actually a genuinely good web avatar. She manipulates a whole farm, and then a town into thinking Wilbur is something special so he doesn't get killed. She literally weaves a web. She is very dedicated to Wilbur's success, so much so that when she dies, it's sort implied that she kept herself alive until Wilbur was confirmed to be survive and the farm wouldn't kill her"

The Cinderella Murder (Mary Higgins Clark & Alafair Burke) "Actress Madison Meyer is obsessed with fame, to the point it's rumoured she helped cover up her friend's murder or even killed her herself to get her role, and she still has the nerve to act like a diva on Under Suspicion's set even though she hasn't had any significant roles in a decade and is supposed appearing on the show to solve her friend's murder. Actor Keith Ratner was a playboy with a drinking problem when he started out, though he's genuinely managed to clean up his act, albeit by getting involved with a shifty megachurch, and some people still think he murdered his girlfriend. Televangelist Martin Collins is a money-hungry Control Freak who rules his congregation with an iron fist and uses their donations to fund personal luxuries, and that's the least of his misdeeds. Frank Parker is known for being a demanding director who mostly gets involved in Under Suspicion because he doesn't want people to boycott his movies thinking he murdered a 19-year-old college student, although he did prevent his wife from starring in a sleazy movie that left the replacement actress humiliated and has stayed married for ten years (quite a record for Hollywood). And at the centre of it all is the so-called Cinderella Murder, with a young aspiring actress on her way to an audition ending up strangled to death and the crime going unsolved for twenty years, with all kinds of salacious rumours surrounding the case."

[chibitantei]

insert the 1493043902390th joke about Naoto's SL predicting P.5 here

Rank 4, or the beginning of the world's most low stakes phantom thief vs detective showdown ever.

Naoto has found another card in her shoe locker.

As a call back to the previous rank, Yu can ask if it's from a guy this time, which:

What did you expect.

The best option, of course, is the one where Yu is smart and accurately deduces the card this time is related to... the other card. Naoto then whisks you away to a very private location (the Samegawa again) and shows you what the new one said, which is:

Dear detective, Your prized possessions are in my hand. Can you recover them? The game is afoot. -The Phantom Thief

The official challenge is placed down, but while Naoto seemed giddy at Yu's little joke about the love letter being a challenge for a duel in the last rank, here, she clearly doesn't react that way after reading the challenge.

As usual, three choices, but they say the same thing, but in a slightly different font, especially the second and third ones.

In this one, Naoto provides an 'adult' reason for her dismissal of the card. Compared to the magic murder mystery, a petty little thief stealing items with zero value is nothing to fret over. Her Shadow makes it obvious that Naoto's been repressing a lot of her childish interests in favor of appearing more mature, and following what an adult is—according to her. While I say repressing, I also think she's been trying to discard this 'immature' side of herself, the kid who likes actors in silly spandex suits fighting against plastic monsters and other actors in monster suits with CGI explosions, among other things.

She's a detective and during her interview (in order to get kidnapped), the news anchor states that she's solved 24 cases by now. That is an absurd amount, especially for someone so young, which leads me to believe almost all of her time was spent working, and if she wasn't working, she was looking or waiting for another case to come by. A lifestyle like this doesn't lead to her having much of a childhood, and that's something Naoto intentionally took away from herself, in favor of looking and being 'mature'.

A 'mature adult' wouldn't take on a silly case, but it's clear Naoto still has it on her mind, especially when she says the thief "threw down the gauntlet". Even though it sounds silly, she has this desire to prove this petty little thief wrong.

Choice 2 hits the same beats as choice one, just not as obvious, but there's something here to point out, and it's how Naoto is "upholding the Shirogane name" and how if she were to leave this case to the police, the honor of her family could be jeopardized.

Naoto is 5th generation of Shirogane detectives (and currently the last in the family line). Her little backstory dump after you beat her Shadow has her state that she never felt pressured to follow in their footsteps, and she was even excited for the day she'd be able to solve cases on her own.

Much like Yosuke, she's aware of the reputation her family holds, but it extends much further than Junes and Inaba. While she isn't a household name, she is moderately famous. The police (reluctantly) ask for the help of a twelve-year-old because they can't figure out how to solve a crime.

She knows that without the efforts of the previous family heads, her family wouldn't be where they are today. Even though the first, second and fourth (oops) generations are dead, Naoto doesn't want her actions to reflect poorly on them, especially her parents because they were, well, her parents.

Handing this case over to the police may result in them mocking the Shirogane family for even allowing their house to be robbed in the first place, and things spread very fast. Soon, a good chunk of police stations will know and Naoto hates the fact that they may think and even bring this up, all because she left it to the police.

Even though it's a very childish case that she shouldn't be thinking about.

The third option is the same, except you can see that Naoto has a lot of pride stuffed into her little midget body. The thought of running away from a challenge, even a petty one, angers her so much. I wouldn't be surprised if that pride of hers is the reason why she put her life in danger instead of talking to the IT like a normal person.

After the illusion of dialogue choice, Naoto says this, which hits what I was saying.

But she changes tracks and decides to indulge in the phantom thief's silly little game. It's only a tiny little side quest, she can solve it easy peasy.

And it doesn't matter what Yu says, because like it or not, he's stuck with her until the matter is resolved, especially since he's the one who brought it up in the first place.

She makes it very clear that she'll only solve this case in their free time.

Either way, you're stuck with her, yippie!

[skepticbeliever-bookclub]

Hey there, shippers & readers!

Ever wonder about the fics that don’t make it through the final round of voting for the bi-weekly read in the book club? You’re in luck!

The book club is structured so that we solicit nominations from our members, either based on a theme or a trope or simply a request for their favorites, and develop a list of ten nominations, which are then narrowed down to a top three. The top three fics end up in our weekend vote and the winner of that vote becomes our book club fic for that week.

This past week was a bit special! We announced the winners of our Q1 participation raffle, and one of our prizes was getting to select theme of our next read. Our winner selected Case Fic, and our members combed the tag for their nominations. 

The following are the runners-up to our winner, and are excellent cases to settle in with while you wait to see who we’re reading as a group this week. 

The Thrilling Case of the Mysterious Five - MiraclesofPaul

Shane has spent the last two years arguing with Agent Bergara, a crazy conspiracy theorist and believer in the supernatural. When a woman goes missing, they hit the road to investigate The Five, a cult that chases UFOs around the country.

Or

An X-Files AU if Mulder and Scully initially hated each other and constantly got into unprofessional arguments.

The Private Detective’s Songbook - ma_malice

The man who had rented the room before him had also been a PI, and so Detective Shane Madej’s door still read CC TINSLEY & ASSOCIATES, PRIVATE INVESTIGATORS in peeling gold letters.

Along with the door, he’d inherited Tinsley’s desk, his reputation, and one badly-lit corridor’s worth of neighbors. These included a disreputable tattooist, an off-book accountant and, of course, The Mystic Oracle: Spirit Connexions and Communications.

LA, 1927 – Shane’s a jaded Private Eye. Ryan’s a two-bit Spiritualist. Together, they’re going to solve a murder.

WOULD YOU LIKE TO JOIN US FOR OUR NEXT DISCUSSION? CHECK OUT THE FAQ, AND SEND US AN ASK! IF YOU’RE LOOKING FOR FIC RECS, PLEASE CHECK OUT OUR READS, NOMINEES AND BOOK CLUB REC LISTS!

[jujuna-ffxiv]

Did a spooky dungeon and won spooky prizes.

Not actually spooky, but I did get some better gear! Who knew I’d be solving murder cases in Gridania?

Turning out to be a well rounded Warrior!

[hayateart]

The Eye of the Storm - part 1

My work for the KaiShinShi week by @kuroko99

Summary:  Shiho and Shinichi attend a KID heist. Shinichi loves the challenge, Shiho is there for research purposes and Kaito just enjoys messing with people.

Read on AO3 or under the cut:

As a detective, Shinichi was naturally interested in a wide variety of subjects. After all, you never know what kind of knowledge you’re going to need to solve a particularly though case. His greatest idol – Sherlock Holmes – was infamous for not knowing the earth revolved around the sun. Shinichi refused to have this kind of gaps in his knowledge, so he educated himself nearly in every subject.

Shinichi’s obvious main interests were crime and crime fighting techniques. He knew all about human body’s anatomy, weapons, and poisons which made him interested in botany, which even led to the language of flowers!

In his down time, he played football and followed latest sports events. He loved cars, especially the classic ones. He couldn’t sing but he had perfect pitch and was learning to play violin.

Still, it came as a great surprise to nearly everyone when after his great comeback, he showed an interest in Kaitou KID heists.

Even before his disappearance, Shinichi has been famous for his expertise in murder cases. In his absence from the crime fighting scene of Beika, he managed to almost single-handedly take down an entire crime syndicate! [He had help from FBI, CIA and secret police, but those organizations didn’t want to have people know they were so involved in Japan’s business, so most of the credit fell on Shinichi.] He never showed any interest in theft!

But there were people who knew better, like Shiho or Ran who were involved in most of his adventures as Conan and saw the glint in his eyes whenever the nefarious international thief sent a heist notice.

Besides, Kaitou KID was not only a thief – first and foremost he was a magician. And detectives, once you think about it, need to know a lot about stage magic to be good at their job. What is reading people’s behaviour if not mentalism? Closed room cases use tricks magicians often use to make their grand escapes. Not to mention how often criminals use palming or misdirection to hide evidence. Of course, Shinichi needed to have knowledge on magic! And who is better to study, to learn from, than the world’s greatest magician?

So yes, KID’s heists were Shinichi’s special hobby – sue him! Even great detectives were allowed to have some fun!

Besides, he had a score to settle.

Standing in the main entrance door to the art museum, multiple police officers milling around mixed with KID’s special task force, Shinichi could taste to excitement filling the air. His own bones seemed to buzz as a nearly gleeful smile crept on his face.

It was the first KID heist in months! First once since Shinichi got his body back. First one since they defeated the organization. KID helped back then too. Probably more than Shinichi and the agents involved were made aware – some information seemed to fall into their hand way too easily.

Shinichi had not been worried about KID – he knew the thief could take care of himself. Still, it was a relief to see the heist note delivered to his doorstep.

Shinichi could see Hakuba conversing with Nakamori, probably going over security points and discussing KID’s possible route of entrance and escape. Other officers were guarding doors and windows with a large number of them around the exhibit with the emerald KID was going to steal. The emerald, called The Eye of the Storm, was resting peacefully on its place in the centre of the main exhibit hall. Nakamori and his crew learned by now that hiding the prize from the thief only made them look worse in the eyes of the public and, more importantly, it never worked.

There was a legend surrounding the emerald, because of course there was. Shinichi knew KID has been looking for something specific this whole time and the gems he stole always had complicated history. And heists always took place on or around full moon nights. Like tonight.

Shinichi crossed the entrance hall and headed towards the exhibition. He was allowed near the emerald only after showing his badge of junior inspector and after a compulsory check if he had a mask on his face. After all he could have been KID in disguise.

He wasn’t.

Obviously.

The emerald looked inconspicuous but, honestly, all gems seemed the same in Shinichi’s eyes. Maybe he should take up gemstone appraisal as his newest hobby to fully appreciate them and their value.

He wasn’t standing there long when another person joined him.

“Looks beautiful, doesn’t it?” Shiho asked, leaning over the pedestal.

“It looks like an average emerald necklace,” Shinichi replied to which Shiho rolled her eyes.

“Of course, you would say that. Look at that unique cut of the stone, at the beautiful artwork of the necklace itself – the delicate stars that hold the gem in its place. And this was made centuries ago before the jewellery makers had all the tools they use today. No wonder it’s worth millions.”

“It’s just a necklace,” Shinichi muttered very, very quietly.

He could never understand the value some people put into accessorizing.

“We better get ready, the heist is going to start in five minutes,” he said louder.

“So, how are you going to catch him?” Shiho asked.

Shinichi shrugged his shoulders.

“I’m not,” he said. Seeing her supersized expression, he explained. “Don’t get me wrong. I want to catch him. I have about a dozen plans on how to do that tonight but…” he hesitated. Would she understand? Of course, she would, it was Shiho. “He’s looking for something. And, at this point I feel pretty confident to say that I know KID. He wouldn’t be doing this without a reason. A very good reason. Maybe… we should just let him?”

Shiho still looked at him sceptically.

“And you’re alright just letting him go? A thief. Stealing a gem? A criminal?”

“I…” Shinichi hesitated. Now that she put it that way… “Okay, no, screw this. I’m going catch him! Or at least try to. He’s very clever, too clever for his own good. But I’m not going to make it easy for him. You just watch me!”

Shiho just smiled.

“That’s the Shinichi I know. Have fun.”

Shinichi smiled back. “I will!” And with that he run off towards Nakamori and Hakuba, leaving Shiho behind.

Part 2

[gameshorizon]

Best Indie Games of All Time

Indie games step outside the norm and into a world of innovative gameplay mechanics, out-of-ordinary visuals, and engrossing stories. This list of the top indie video games is a celebration of creativity unrestricted by large budgets, commercial benchmarks, and corporate guidelines. 

These games are proof that you can create truly amazing gaming experiences without spending a big sum of money. Through these games, you can experience pixelated miracles, emotional roller coasters, and gameplay mechanisms that defy expectations on your adventure. Join us as we explore the indie video gaming landscape, where passion and invention mix to create gaming magic. 

Limbo

Limbo is a dark and unsettling side-scrolling puzzle-solving platformer title by Playdead and Double Eleven, and falls amongst the top indie games ever made. Although it can’t be categorized as a horror game, it definitely incorporates several scary elements as it takes place in Purgatory. You play as an unnamed boy, who has died in a car accident. Stuck between life and death, the boy wanders the dangerous realm of Limbo or Purgatory, confronting various life-threatening traps as well as deadly creatures. 

Key task of the players is finding the protagonist’s sister and the journey towards her gets treacherous minute by minute. Apart from its insane story, Limbo offers a fresh and unique take on life after death (a particularly favorite germ for indie game developers) using incredibly stylized presentation. The animation is simple, and actions minimal. However, as you progress in the game, themes of loss and human will to overcome obstacles shines through - motivating you to cross dungeon after dungeon, take on enemy after enemy.

What Remains of Edith Finch

This indie masterpiece by Annapurna Interactive tasks the players with exploring the hidden mysteries of the massive Finch mansion in order to figure out what happened to its generations of residents. You play as the titular character, the last surviving member of the Finch family, struggling to find out why and how every other family member met their demise. In essence, What Remains of Edith Finch is a game focused on finding the clues. 

There aren’t many actions you can perform but the true beauty lies in the game’s story. You explore the massive and painstakingly decorated (designed) Finch mansion- filled with countless trap doors and secret passages & rooms, looking for clues and unearthing memories. However, what happens in these memories takes the prize. Ranging from deeply sad to absolutely whimsical, outrageously complex to ineffably simple, the mysteries of Finch family are slowly peeled off and you are left with a massive cornucopia of fantastical lores. 

Disco Elysium

Disco Elysium by ZA/UM is a whirlwind combination of multiple fan-favorite gaming genres. It offers strategic gameplay like traditional D&D style RPGs and mixes in a plot worthy of Arthur Conon Doyle or Agatha Christie. 

The gameplay primarily focuses on various decisions you make as an Amnesiac detective struggling to solve a murder. Gaps in your memory and ghosts of the past frequently meddle and impact your decision-making ability and deepen the already complex case. True testament to innovative gameplay, Disco Elysium is not only one of the best indie games but also goes toe to toe with some of the best-selling AAA RPGs ever made. 

Journey

Journey takes you on a trip through the glistening desert, as you slowly uncover the mysteries of this ancient world. One of the best indie games ever developed by Thatgamecompany, Journey can be considered a masterclass in sound and graphic design for interactive media. At the core, as evident from the name, the game is about a traveler and their journey. 

With mesmerizing landscapes, fun and engaging puzzles, and exciting gameplay mechanics, Journey takes you on a rollercoaster of a story filled with emotions, exploration, and overcoming obstacles. The game can be played easily as a single player campaign and offers a rewarding experience. However, you can also choose to play online with another friend, deciding to progress in the game as you wish - together, apart, or mingling after brief progressions. 

Spiritfarer

Spiritfarer is one of those indie games that completely reimagines the adventure-simulation genre. Developed by Thunder Lotus Games, this indie gem is described as a ‘cozy management game about dying’. You play this game as a ferrymaster called Stella who’s tasked with releasing the deceased into the afterlife. You travel picturesque landscapes using your boat, slowly upgrading it to accommodate additional souls you collect along the way. 

At its core, it’s a management game, something akin to the widely popular Sim series. You are responsible to fulfill the needs of your dearly departed passengers while cruising the endless waters. The game addresses the intimate and scary topic of death in a relaxing and peaceful way so it makes for a fun game to play for hours on end.