#But also of him settling into the parent role and being confident in places that others aren't

[sysig]

Second request: baby todd and Jake fluff perhaps? 💖

Day 12 - Little hands, my one weakness

[oncomingnight]

Yandere! Horror Film Director x Fem Reader ˖ ࣪⭑

❝Nothing can get a look in on my baby.❞

Javier has always had a lingering interest in the subject of film but especially the progress of their creation. His parents and him would always have movie nights that consisted of stories of romantic comedies and doomed lovers. Though he enjoyed this particular activity he got to partake in with his parents, another movie genre truly caught his eye.

The major role that film played in his childhood assisted him in settling what he was truly meant to do.

Javier is incredibly well known for the anxiety inducing cinematography that's carefully placed into his movies, his character representing color coding, high brow dialogue that leaves audiences conversing in whispers as they leave the theater. But you can never forget the most important component of a film made by one of the most influential directors. The nightmare producing death scenes and how his characters with motives to kill always have chilling patterns in which they choose their victims, pushing viewers to deadbolt their doors and windows at night.

Though, no one could be stupid enough to believe he just pulls inspiration for those characters out of nowhere, right?

When Javier first saw you, he knew he needed you to be beside him forever, eternity. He disregarded everything and everyone that he saw as below you, to him, his attention was meant to be directed onto you and nothing else. He's the farthest thing from being shy and that is incredibly relevant when it comes to the way he shows his love to you.

He is an incredibly confident man and it's not a surprise to anyone considering the way he presents himself and the extremely public career path he chose. When he entered a room, his cologne spreading the smell of dark leather and amber, everyone stood up, smiling, to shake his hand. He was wanted by everybody he crossed paths with, men and woman, his past lovers having to live with a permanent hole in their soul due to his absence in their life.

But, who could blame them? Javier was a magnetic force of a man that could pull that ache for his touch out of anyone, it was almost dreadful.

Though, he was also unapologetic. He never regretted leaving any of them as he was now tethered to you, his other half that he'd been searching for, oh, so long.

When you're with him, you never have to worry about anything else that is happening in your life. He makes you feel as though you're the only two people on earth and you were placed here to simply love each other.

As he's able to, you better expect him to use his money to benefit you in every way he can. Javier takes any opportunity he can to take you on a trip to a completely different country, spoon feeding you Mediterranean cuisine, taking you to several seaside boutiques, driving through cobblestone alleyways, purchasing antique trinkets for you to place in your shared room.

Javier also enjoys assisting you in getting ready for a day/night out, he deems this time you spend together as precious and calming. He'll clasp a gold necklace with a delicate charm around your neck, carefully buttoning your dress as he brushes his fingers against your silky skin, softly wetting & brushing your hair, applying skin creams onto your skin with his own fingers, sometimes even drawing the shape of a heart onto your cheek with the product.

He has a knack for drawing you in live time and at times referencing a candid photo he took of you, which he cherishes deeply. The sketch is filled with swirls of meshed colors, your hair being drawn with patterns of slightly different shades. When he finally finishes his drawing, he'll purchase a frame for it and place it in a special area of your shared home.

On a much more serious yet realistic note:

If you were to ever catch Javier in the middle of getting rid of someone that has caused you stress or any sort of problem, he'd immediately resort to comforting and reassuring you.

He knows you'd never leave him but he just couldn't imagine how scared his precious baby was after witnessing such an incident.

"Lo sé, mami, sé que tienes miedo. Lo siento, cariño, no necesitabas a ver eso. Pero dime, ya sabes que nunca te haría daño, ¿verdad?"

[jarofstyles]

Oh Baby, Baby! Five

Series masterlist

Patreon for 100+ exclusive writings and early access

Warnings- Pregnancy, hormones, etc.

WC- 2.3k

---------------

Y/N was certain that she was going to kill someone. 

This was why she normally had Harry go to the shops by himself. Her non pregnant self could barely deal with a Saturday crowd. Pregnant Y/N? She was homicidal. 

People didn’t know how to walk. How to say ‘pardon me’. How to talk at a normal volume. Her eye was twitching as her hands tightened on the stopping trolly, taking a deep inhale as she watched Harry place a bag of cucumber into the basket. “Think that should be good in the Veg.”   He chirped, looking at the list on his phone. She could see the little bubbles being filled in and going down each time he checked off an item. Thankfully he still had a functioning mind because hers was feeling like TV static as she tried to keep herself calm.

Her belly had begun to show a bit more and she was extremely protective of her little bump. Hand rested on it, she self soothed by rubbing over it, her stretchy cotton tee shirt dress moving with her hand. She’d chosen the green because Harry specifically liked her in that color, but she was more than aware of how she had begun to stress sweat and he would more than likely be exposed to the stains it would leave behind. 

“Hey..” His hand on her shoulder startled her, making her jump. When had he even approached her? “You okay, love?” His hand shoved the phone into his pocket, instead gently tilting her head up towards him. The look of true concern made her soften her tense shoulders a tad, sighing as she nodded. This newer side to him, having to admit that she was his and he was hers, that they were an actual item, was still somewhat new. It was a weird mix of things that still was hard to understand. On one hand, it spooked her when he was openly affectionate like this, but the bigger side felt like it was natural. Settling into a place it always should have been, perhaps this aspect being the piece she felt somewhat missing in their friendship prior to this. 

Harry wasn’t just her best friend anymore. He was her lover. The fucking father of her child! They were going to be around each other forever. 

“Yeah.” She said tiredly, letting her face fall into his hand. “I’m a bit overwhelmed, honestly. Knew I needed to get out of the house but I forgot what a madhouse the store turns into on weekends.” A weak smile was pulled to the corner of her lips as his brows furrowed at her answer. Yes, it had been her idea to go. She had been holing up inside of the home and she needed to get some more fresh air and stimulation, but the grocery store was proving to be a bit much. 

Pregnancy was a lot more strenuous than she had imagined and she knew it wouldn’t be a walk in the park. Mentally it had been taxing, worrying about her abilities to be a mother and also cultivating and nourishing this new relationship with Harry, she had been anxious for a while despite it all. She was hopeful, anyways, because there was no one else she would ever dream of having a baby with. 

With all that was going on, Harry had been a saving grace. A shoulder to lean on and a confidant, now that the layers had been shed and she knew that her feelings for him were not at all one sided. He seemed to thrive, actually, by feeling needed. It was something that had initially shocked her because he used to run away or pull back in the face of commitment, but he was already talking about what they’d make a tradition for their baby's birthday, how they were going to do the holidays, if they’d request their families to come together or split their times… It was incredible but also a bit weird to see. He had slid into the role like he had been born for it. 

He’d even suggested they attend birthing classes together. Picked up more parenting books than she had. Gave her the prenatal vitamins and changed all the coffee in the house to decaf, much to her dismay. He was excited and happy and it felt bad that at times she felt a bit like a grinch. To which he would remind her that she was the one growing a little baby inside of her and had her body changing. That it was his job to do the other preparations because she needed to focus on keeping herself and the baby healthy. He was infuriatingly understanding.  

“M’sorry. I forgot a bit, I kind of space out in my own head.” He mumbled. “Do you want to leave? I can come back later and get some of the stuff.” See? How was he being so good? 

“No, no. That’s ridiculous, we’re halfway through the list. I’m just adjusting, I think. Hyperaware.” She laughed. “Just need to get through it. We’re getting lunch after so I can unwind there. The Bluebird Cafe still okay with you?” She asked, letting his hand fall back to her arm. 

“Anything that’s good with you. Y’know I’m not picky, babe.” He chuckled. “They’ve got the good sandwich and salad combinations. I’m not on the cleanse anymore.” She had forgotten about that. A juice cleanse was a little ridiculous to her but apparently he said it helped his gut. To her that meant his bowel movements must be incredibly unpleasant. “Let’s power through the other half of the shopping, I’ll stop home and run it up, and then we can go fill your hunger. All good.”

“Okay.” It wasn’t much to argue, instead letting him pull her in for a quick hug and a press of his lips on her head. She really didn’t know what she would do without him.

—----------------

“So.” Harry’s hands folded against one another. Their food order had been taken and Y/N was sat comfortably in the booth across from Harry, her feet tangled with his. He’d ordered for her, being all too aware of what she had been prattling on about in the car, along with a smoothie he just simply knew that she liked. It was little things like that that caught her off guard. How much had he always been paying attention to that she didn’t even realize? 

“Yes?” She asked, amused as she ran her hand absentmindedly over the growing swell of her stomach. The habit was human nature and Harry expressed jealousy sometimes that he couldn’t always be stroking over their growing baby, but he wanted to remain somewhat normal. He was already so fastidious about everything else, something neither of them had anticipated in this whole journey, so he didn’t want to smother Y/N with his eagerness. 

“How are we….” He leaned on the table on his elbows, hands clasped. “How do we tell the parents?” It was a loaded question considering they really did need to tell them, sooner rather than later. Neither knew Harry and Y/N were even together, let alone that he was fathering a rapidly growing child inside of Y/N’s tummy. They’d kept it quiet for Y/N’s sake and superstition, wanting to make sure she made it into a safer part of the growth to tell people. It had been Y/N’s idea to have a child, even if she had been a bit impulsive, but she was trying to keep this intimate piece just to themselves for as long as they could. What had started as something off the cuff had become even more important to her than she had anticipated- and that was saying a lot.

“I mean, they’re going to be thrilled.” Harry started again, seeing the little wrinkle between her brows that always formed when she thought too hard. “They’ve been rooting for us to get together since we met. I know the baby part is going to kind of… throw things off, but I know they’re going to be overjoyed to learn that we’re havin’ our little Sprout.” The fondness could be seen physically on his features, like he was floating when he spoke about them. Their little baby, the sprout he was keeping track of every week on an app on his phone. He had quite a few downloaded, actually, but one in particular had been purchased with the premium membership. 

‘Might be useful after Sprout, too.’ He had simply shrugged when she asked why he bothered paying for the lifetime membership. It still set the butterflies in her stomach on flight whenever she thought of that little instance. 

Her bashful smile was his response, brushing imaginary lint off her dress before daring to meet his eyes. Harry had been more confident about this whole thing even though she had been the one to say she wanted it, and it had been like they sort of switched places. His confidence was starting to be a bit infectious. 

“I think we should tell them together.” She finally conceded. “I have no idea how, really. We can check pinterest or just tell them? I know it's the first grandchild for both of them so I want it to be special but I don’t want to overdo it. You know?” Y/N knew Harry would get exactly what she meant. “We can do ultrasound pictures in gift bags, or the tee shirts that say grandma on them? I’ve never done it before.” She peeped, flushing to herself. No shit, this was their first child. This would all be a learning curve for everyone involved. 

“No, no. I understand, pretty.” He reached out to grab her fingers that had been fiddling with the edge of the paper napkin, ripping it up slightly. A nervous habit. Instead he spread her fingers out and curled his around hers, running his index finger down the middle of her palm. “I think the ultrasound frame would be the best option. A keepsake that they’ll both like. Maybe we can have them over for a spring dinner, do it then?” The calming touch had it’s intended effect, Harry’s sharp eyes watching as her shoulders relaxed slightly and she nodded at the idea. “Perfect. I don’t mind keeping it to just us for a bit but, you know how gossipy people are. They’re gonna start talking about us going to the appointments and shopping. Don’t want to get everything online.” Harry had been a big advocate for them going out to have the full experience. He wanted to help her choose a crib, a playpen, a baby monitor- all after scouring the safety ratings and reviews, obviously- He wanted to be the one who put together the crib, the one who helped build the nursery. He’d expressed how involved he wanted to be not only in the baby’s day to day, but her pregnancy. How could she say no? How could she not lean all the way into it when she saw just how incredibly happy it made him? 

“I know. Everyone is nosy.” Her nose wrinkled in distaste. “It’s okay, though. I just want to make sure random people don’t come up and feel my stomach. Maybe get me a sign that says ‘ask before touching’ to put on me.” Her joke made him chuckle but it was a real concern of hers. Y/N liked to keep her physical touch to a minimal with strangers. Harry wouldn’t stand for her being uncomfortable. “It’s different around family, like if we go to family stuff, but a lot of strangers just go up to people and touch and it’s weird.” A fake shudder exaggerated her disgust. 

“Yeah, m’not sure why that’s a thing, my love. I’ll work something out.” Knowing him, he may very well get her a sign to stick on her tummy, but she would see. “We’ve got the telling our parents squared away, so I suppose my next question is when would you like to go shopping?” The eagerness for that was not well hidden, if he was even trying to hide it. Y/N doubted it. 

“Probably soon after we tell them? We can start looking online. You’ve already got the baby locks taken care of.” Her eyes rolled in her head, making him pout. That was still something that he took seriously! He’d seen too many horror stories. “When Sprout, y’know, Blooms, we are going to be overwhelmed and probably busy. I don’t want there to be an accident and we just forget to babyproof something because we have other stuff going on.” He paused, bringing her hand to his face to kiss the knuckles. “I want this to be as stress free for you as possible. Just want you to focus on growing our baby, taking care of yourself. So m’gonna try and take care of stuff in the background so there's no worry, or sudden panic for you.” 

Harry truly managed to blow her mind every day. Little things like this, his pure thoughtfulness made her a bit speechless. How she’d managed to snag the best baby daddy of all time, she didn’t know, but it would be something she was always thankful for. There wasn’t enough time to thank him for it, their food approaching as she was trying to find the words, but she was quick to squeeze his hand back and snug their legs up a bit more as she brought the straw of her smoothie to her mouth. 

Life had somehow stuck her with the best person to grow with. 

[solemn-marauders]

Personal Sebastian Sallow Headcanons (pt. 1/?)

◆ He's an October Scorpio - The characteristics line up so well and I really like the idea of him being one of the older students in his class ◆ Is the younger twin - Anne never lets him forget it. ◆ Sebastian's looks favor his father's - This plays a role in Solomon's hostility towards him. ◆ He’s Scottish and was born and raised either in New Towne Edinburgh or on the outskirts - Edinburgh in the 1800s was a foul place to live, at least in the city center, Old Towne. - I see his parents being drawn to Edinburgh. It has such a vast history and holds a lot of knowledge, but they knew they wanted to start a family and decided to settle down away from the city proper. - I don't see them having a grand mansion, more so a comfortable townhome ◆ His parents are published authors - The funds from this is what allowed them buy property in New Towne. - They left a modest inheritance to the twins that they will receive when they turn 17. ◆ After their deaths, Solomon sold the house and most of the items within to gather money to afford to care for two children. - Sebastian and Anne were able to stow away some of the parents' belongs, such as; their favorite books, jewelry, pocket watch, photo albums, and letters. ◆ His parents have portraits at Hogwarts - After the portrait versions of themselves learned of their real-life deaths, they asked to be stowed away when it came time for Sebastian and Anne to attend Hogwarts to avoid a possible unhealthy fixation on the paintings. (Imagine a scenario similar to when Harry found the Mirror of Erised and visited it every night to stare into it.) ◆ He's a virgin - Since I've given them an October birthday, the Sallow twins were 14 when Anne was cursed the summer before their 4th year. After she was cursed, the entirety of his focus and drive went into Anne and finding a cure. The only exceptions to this, pre-5th year, were his academic studies and his friendship with Ominis. - In his 3rd year, a 5th year girl took an interest in Sebastian and propositioned him to teach him the ways of physical pleasure. She was pretty, older, and he liked the attention. She thought he was cute and liked the idea of being the one in control. He was 14, she was 16. It never went past oral though. - Sebastian didn't like the idea of "ruining" (using era-accurate verbiage here) a girl because he would kill anyone who did that to Anne. - The 5th year girl played a role in giving him the confidence (charm, flirtation, etc.) we experience later. This led him to snogging other girls while in his 3rd year, but only those in years above him. He cringed at the thought of Anne hearing firsthand about his escapades from someone in their own year. - He had his first kiss at the age of 12 though. A traveling merchant's daughter who was the same age and visited Feldcroft for a few days before moving on to the next town. It was extremely awkward but also adorable. - Sebastian is canonically very well-read. That does not exclude literature on the topic of intercourse just because he's a virgin. He's read everything he's been able to find and has his own hidden copy of the Kama Sutra stashed away. ◆ He's naturally athletic - Working in the Feldcroft fields while growing up has kept him healthy and in-shape. Being an avid dueler has also helped. - He tried out for the Quidditch team his 2nd and 3rd years, but lost out to older students. He had planned to try again, but Anne's curse changed everything. ◆ He becomes a Beater for the Slytherin team his 6th year - You cannot tell me that this man doesn't become more broad and muscled as he grows. With shoulders and arms like that, his competitiveness/prowess, and his desire to impress Thea (MC), he becomes one of the best Beaters Hogwarts has ever seen.

[princess-ibri]

Decided to do some more Disney Villain Backstories, this time featuring our first male Villain, Gaston!

(Well, first Male one I've done anyway, not necessarily first Male Disney Villain )

Gaston was the younger of two sons of the Legume family, his elder brother Avenant died in war when he was small, causing both his parents to become bitter and distant, not sparing much care for their younger son

Was actually fairly weak and scrawny as a kid, his family was poor and so he was undernourished

His physical weakness caused him to be  picked on a lot by the other stronger boys in the village, as well as being shamed and beaten by his father for being so weak and unsatisfactory next to his beloved and seemingly perfect older brother

He wanted to be seen as strong and brave though, which lead him to once try and defend a young LeFou as he was also picked on by the town bullies for his small stature 

They both still got beaten up badly but this lead to Lafou devoting himself to Gaston in genuine gratitude, and his friendship and admiration lead to a boost in self confidence (and ego) in Gaston

LeFou's family owned a large chicken farm, (it's LeFou's older brother we see driving the wagon with the birdcage on back of it in "Bonjour" and his father selling the eggs) and once Gaston befriended LeFou he started eating dinner (and many eggs) at their house, which began to improve his health/strength 

This lead him to begin a training regime to continue improving his strength, during which he discovered he also possessed a talent for tracking and hunting, which also improved his fortunes 

By the time he was 15 Gaston had become bigger and stronger than any other boy in town and he made sure that all of his former tormentors knew their place

Your basic 'bullied becomes the bully take'

When war rolled around in his 17th year, Gaston was eager to sign up and further prove his metal/that he was just as good or even better then his brother--and his ruthlessness and cunning served him well on the battlefield (though his nose did get broken). He came home a decorated hero, richer and more respected than ever.

His parents had both died by then, a fact he found bitter as he wanted his victory to cause them to finally acknowledge him

But the townsfolk lavished him with the attention he sought, seeing him as their own personal Hometown Hero, and he was happy to settle in and play the role. He bought the tavern and began decorating it with his trophies as his home away from home (to the delight of the tavern keeper's three young and very besotted daughters)  and continued to be top dog of the town in all physical pursuits, 

When he was 20, Belle (14) and her father moved into the town, seeking a new start after the death of Belle's mother and younger sister, Clarice, from illness

Gaston didn't take much notice of Belle until a couple of years later, when she began to start really coming into her full beauty and he started feeling that perhaps it was time he settled down and brought some more Gaston's into the world…

[doriandrifting]

A Science Fiction Double Feature (or Jancy and Byler as Rocky Horror Picture Show)

(This is all for fun. I don't think this was a major inspiration. I just think they share some thematic elements and that damn bowlcut. Although, Tim Curry was the original Pennywise so...*suspicious face*)

Season One:

Steve and Nancy as Brad and Janet, stereotypes of the "All-American Couple":

Mike and El assume their roles as Brad and Janet, as well, but it never seems to fit them quite comfortably either. They find themselves in a storm late one night:

Brad and Janet stop by a Castle where everything changes…

In ST we have Castle Byers and the Wheeler's house, which is referred to as "the Princess' Castle" by Steve's friends.

Season Two:

Nancy accepts that she can't and doesn't want to fit the mold of the "All-American" couple. She doesn't want to end up like her parents. She said that last season, but this season she puts those words into action by ending things with Steve and pursuing things with Jonathan, a boy who is poor, unpopular, and was taunted as being "queer".

Jonathan is tempted by Frank n Furter at a party, but leaves to take care of Nancy. (You say Siouxsie Sioux. I say otherwise. I'm joking, but Samantha Stone's costume could also be a reference to the "Spellbound" ending of S4.) Anyway, Jonathan gets Nancy back home to her castle, and they end the season together.

Season Three:

Another storm, but our Brad is not looking to apologize to Janet. Mike finds himself at the castle looking to apologize to Will.

Season Four:

Brad and Janet get stripped down physically and emotionally. Their relationship isn't working. Both of them are hiding things from one another.

We find out that Mike and Frank n Furter have a friend named Eddie:

In Rocky Horror, Eddie's uncle turns up asking questions about his nephew's disappearance and trying to gain information about the aliens. In ST, Eddie is raised by his uncle who becomes aware of the supernatural elements at work in Hawkins when his nephew disappears. Frank borrowed half of Eddie’s brain for his creation. Mike takes inspiration from Eddie as he searches for his sense of identity. Both Eddies give a dramatic instrumental performance before dying.

Brad's reluctant "love" confession during a funeral in a graveyard vs. Mike's reluctant "love" confession while Max is dying in a graveyard:

"Janet catches the bouquet and from here Brad proposes to her because, well, that is what people were expected to do – get hitched, settle down and have kids. But it is clear that Brad and Janet hardly know each other (later we learn Brad doesn’t even know her last name) and it is more than clear that these two aren’t even in love. Brad begins his proposal by pointing out that it will help him in getting a job promotion and advance his career and by the end of his proposal, Brad’s true motives become clear. The straight-laced couple represents the American, white middle-class Christian boy and girl and we are blatantly reminded of their status for the entirety of the film. Brad is confident and cocky, placing his arm around Janet and assuring her that he will keep her safe, leading Frank-N-Furter to sarcastically remark, 'How forceful you are Brad, such a perfect specimen of manhood.'" source

Frank n Furter Vibes:

"… A weakling, weighing 98 pounds Will get sand in his face When kicked to the ground

And soon in the gym with a determined chin...

He'll be a strong man...

In just seven days

I can make you a man."

"Take Frank-N-Furter on his own: his persona borrows heavily from David Bowie’s creation of Ziggy Stardust, about a bisexual alien rock superstar sent from another planet."

"[Mike and El] are in love!"

"No, actually, they're not. They don't even exist on the same planet!"

[cuzimmortal]

DOSSIER UNLOCKED :: PARK, MI-RAE

eyes that have seen the world through a stain colored glass window ;; looks of a pretty angel that hide mischievous thoughts ;; vulnerability hidden beneath layers of confidence and intelligence. 

— I’M AESTHETIC NOW I GET IT;;

quick look into current playlist :: little bird by jonas brothers, drama’ by aespa, i got you by twice ft lauv, morally gray by april jae, tattoo by loreen, arranca by becky g, mi ex tenia razon by karol g

as described by others :: music always playing on a speaker or headphones, twilight is when you come alive, always feeling cold even when everyone around you feels warm, untouched acoustic guitar that is just begging to be played, always have to coffee in the morning as part of a routine, a thin silver necklace with small sparrow charm dangling, lingering scent of smoke on your jean jacket, fake sunflowers in glittery vases, the ability to dazzle those around you and play the role perfectly, sarcasm was always your best friend, fiercely loyal until trust is broken, always having to be the loudest voice in the room even though has nothing to say.

— WANNA TAKE IT TO THE BASICS;;

NAME : mi-rae park

NICKNAME : mimi

AGE : 27, August 8th

GENDER IDENTITY : cis woman (she/her pronouns)

SEXUAL/ROMANTIC ORIENTATION : pansexual pan romantic

SPOKEN LANGUAGES : english, korean

WORK LIFE : employee at tiny tots, works on the side as a private tutor

POSITIVE TRAITS : charming, out-going, comedic

NEGATIVE TRAITS : sarcastic, blunt, dramatic

FACECLAIM : bae suzy

RELATIONSHIP STATUS : complicated, single.

FAMILY LIFE : only child. currently lives in Staten Island. has a white & black corgi named Miles. shares a 7 month old boy named Hendrix with PAOLO "PAULY" PARKER

— THE DEEP DEEP DEEPER WE GO;; (still have to add more)

Mi-Rae, or Mimi as she likes to go by, was born on a hot summer august day where it says to have rain just a bit that a rainbow came out for a few seconds, or at least that’s what her father told her growing up. Mimi grew up in Los Angeles, California living in a house with her father, a music teacher, and her grandmother. her own mother not in the picture after leaving the family and this making Mimi vow she'll never turn into her mother when she has her own family.

currently has a degree in early child development & child education after wanting to be a kindergarten/preschool teacher. after a meet up/hook up with Pauly at a party she ended up pregnant. she was all for being a single parent but decided not to. after their child was born, she began the search, finding him in New York after reading an article on his work, and making the decision to go look for him. She's been living here for about four months, using the time to get settle with her child: has a place at Havenwood Suites in Staten Island & getting a job at a daycare called Tiny Tots while also working as a private tutor.

TBA.

— FREE INFORMATION;; (DRINKING & SMOKING TW)

Personality wise, Mimi is your typical social butterfly who enjoys her job of working with kids. can talk your ear off about music like no other. is a secret music nerd having hidden in her closet an acoustic guitar that she hasn't touched in months. she is always down to party or going out for drinks just let her find a sitter first. has a few small tattoos scattered on her body. has a nasty habit of smoking but says she can quit anytime. enjoys reading all genres of books and listening to all types of music, using them as an escape when she needs to have her mind occupied. She can be a bit vain, maybe it comes with being an only child or the fact that everything has somehow always been in her favor. Mimi can be very blunt as she isn’t one to sugar coat things ( if you’re straight with her, she’ll be the same with you ). always longing to go on adventures.

Ships came natural to her, whether being able to make friends real easy or jumping straight into a relationship with someone. with friends, she’ll be loyal, the one to take care of you when sick, the one you should def call to bail you out of jail or if need a reference for a job. though the minute you cross her, its over between you both.

with love, she loves the idea of love to a fault, maybe it comes from listening to too many love songs or reading books but she loves the chase. once the fire dies down, she’ll either dip before it gets serious or does something dumb to mess it up. just know that once its over, she’s on to the next hot person she finds with thoughts in the back of one day finding something true.

— CAN I GET A CONNECTION;; 

filling PAOLO “PAULY” PARKER - BABY MAMA connection.

roommate wanted connection on the main.

RIDE OR DIE ( open to one ) ;; the bestie, the platonic soulmate, the one she would do anything for, maybe they have pet names for each other, etc. they are the best of friends and no one can tear them apart (maybe?).

CORNERSTONE/CONFIDENT ( open to a few ) ;; she always has her door open to anyone really. if someone ever needs a place to crash - no questions asked, they are welcomed as long as they don't mind a baby and a dog. or maybe they meet up to talk, eat or maybe no talking happens and they enjoy the company while each does their own thing. possibly also act as confidents for each other

EXES ( open to two ) ;; honestly, i just like exes. bonus points if there’s still tension and hook up but then regret it or if they’re just really good friends now with no tension at all. maybe they hook up here because tension is there. i love all options.

WILL THEY, WONT THEY ( open to one ) ;; essentially a flirtationship. no harm, no foul - is the mantra aka its all just easy fun. they flirt too much that others assume that they are dating, already dated, or are going to at some point. maybe even the idea has been on one of their mind but they are too good of friends to ever cross that line.

ONE (OR MORE) NIGHT STAND/ FLING ( open to many ) ;; one night, she was maybe a little bit down and needed something to pick her up. this worked. or maybe they met up at the bar or a party and it just happened. whether it’s turned into a regular thing or was just one night can be determined later. they could even be friends now.

OLD FRIENDS ( open to a few ) ;; maybe they were friends early in their lives from back in California or met when arriving in new york, but somehow, they fell apart. maybe she did something stupid and drove them away (could be fun for plotting purposes).

NEW FRIENDS ( open to a few ) ;; met when she arrived in new york. maybe are regulars at same coffee shop, going to the same gym, crossing the same path at the park she takes her child, etc. she just needs friends since arriving.

PARTY BUDDIES ( open to a few ) ;; she isn’t one to say no to a night of drinks and partying that leads to her regretting in the morning. just know she is ready for night 2 if they are prepared.

ENEMIES / FRENEMIES ( open to one ) ;; however these enemies/frenemies became known to each other can be determined later, but either way they dislike / hate / talk about each other behind their backs.

honestly anything else you can think of, i’m down for!!

[banschivs]

⧖.* 𝙽𝙿𝙲'𝚂 𝚈𝙾𝚄 𝙼𝙰𝚈 𝚁𝚄𝙽 𝙸𝙽𝚃𝙾...

Below is a list, that's likely to be added to, of possible characters you've got a good chance of seeing on this blog who aren't Nix. Largely these are written in for the purpose of continued expansion for Arthur and Nix's little world. Many are key to establishing some realism in interactions, and were either created/developed by Jessie and myself or aren't available in the rp-sphere. You may very well bump into any of the below...

𝙶𝚁𝙰𝙽𝚃 𝙳𝙴𝙶𝚁𝙰𝚅𝙴𝚂.

Nix's 'estranged' father and Arthur's father-in-law. He's GCPD's Chief Inspector and so tends to be Arthur's ticket out of any trouble he might possibly get in. Before now he's been actively working against the police trying to snare and trap his daughter, Nix, to send her back to Arkham where she 'belongs'. Largely corrupt, with a herd mentality that puts his interest solely on his family, Grant is never far away from any trouble linked to Nix or Arthur. He has personally broken Arthur out of Arkham before, allowing at least two of his officers to be killed in the process.

A wildly traumatised man who lost his entire family to Skizm's founder, Riktor, when it was barely a decade old, Degraves has had to watch his daughter be trafficked and abused for years on years, without having a means to help her. Now that Arthur's a member of what Grant sees largely as the Degraves pack, he's settled some, knowing Nix is in the best possible hands and loved more than anyone else one the planet.

Often times he's transporting his son-in-law from the confines of GCPD's headquarters, handcuffed if he's annoyed him or kept him up too late. He also takes care of his three grandchildren often, and takes the place of Arthur's confidant. While still largely estranged from Nix who suffers a trauma response to being near him, he's very a key figure in the family.

𝚃𝙷𝙴 𝙲𝙷𝙸𝙻𝙳𝚁𝙴𝙽.

Evelyn, Lilac, and Ivaylo show up often, of course, given that they spend the majority of their time around their parents. Arthur is most likely to have them, as a lot of his daily rituals are a little less risky than Nix's, but often times she will have one or more of her children with her in more docile circumstance. They each actually have a seat on the Court of Owls (or highchairs, I suppose) and so are likely to be with their parents at odd hours day and night, given the lack of choice Arthur and Nix have when it comes to Court meetings.

23.05.18 Evelyn is a bright, shy girl with emotional intelligence far beyond her years. She suffers from Primary Immunodeficiency Disease due to the circumstances surrounding her birth and wears an N-95 mask whenever possible outside of their home. She's not Arthur and Nix's biological daughter, but was in fact adopted by Arthur before Nix re-entered his life. Evelyn and Nix fell in love almost immediately, however, and her father decided that he wanted Nix to be her mother. Legally, and on any conceivable documents, Evelyn was born to Nix and Arthur. Nobody knows she was adopted. This for her own safety, given the evil means through which she came into the world. Her biological and abusive parents who sought to abandon the baby girl on the streets are long dead. Evelyn only knows her parents as Arthur and Nix, and so does the rest of the world. It's information anybody would know.

18.02.21 Lilac is the exact mirror of her mother. She's wacky, she's bold, she eats the spiciest pickles known to man and drinks the juice right after. She the spitting image of Nix; enormous blue eyes, the upturned nose, the penchant for gargoylesque expressions. Now that she's learning more words and partaking in further conversations, she's quite likely to lead a conversation with just about anyone. No judgement from this little girl, no 'ews', no obvious fear in her eyes. She's the Berserker of the three. As she grows older it's quite likely she'll take on the 'protector' role for her siblings, reflecting that instinct from her father. Though she looks like her mother, and acts on the same wavelength, the gentle and thoughtful nature comes entirely from Arthur. In repose, she also most resembles him; the softer edges of her features are Arthur's.

29.01.23 Ivaylo is a baby, spitting image of his father. His enormous green eyes are the first thing you see whenever anyone walks into a room with him. Born premature, he struggles with some breathing difficulties and snores whenever he sleeps. Mostly he's just getting used to having a head on his shoulders and figuring out what hands are.

𝙶𝙰𝚁𝚈 '𝙶𝙰𝙶𝚂𝚆𝙾𝚁𝚃𝙷'.

One of Arthur's only friends who isn't his wife, Gary used to work with Arthur at Ha-Ha's, but has since retired from his profession as a Harlequin. Since then he's gone from then-escaped Arthur's accidental roommate, to his friend, to his accomplice. When Evelyn first came into the picture, it was two men and a baby. Gary helped take care of her, dress her, feed her, and ultimately aided in saving the little girl's life. He's known as 'Uncle Gary' to all their children, and solidified his loyalty to Arthur and those he loves by aiding in the disposal of Evelyn's birth parent's bodies. He has told no one what he did with them, and will not, either.

While Nix was pregnant with Lilac and Arthur was incarcerated in the wake of the Skizm Raid, Gary spent a majority of his time in the then ground-floor flat the Flecks called home. He aided Nix in her continued struggle with sobriety and made he life far easier than it would have been were she truly alone before Arthur returned home.

Since then he's solidified his place as a partner and loose member of the family, re-entering Arthur's life (he never left Nix's) in the wake of the Riddler streams, eager to clear his old roommate's name. Now he works alongside the two of them, managing the Whisper Gang's arms trading and generally keeping tabs on what comes in and out; arms, rumours, anything. You'll typically find him while 'working' in a deep green three-piece suit with purple accents. Nix spends more casual time with him than Arthur necessarily might. He's one of the only people who isn't Arthur who saw her as a person from the moment he met her.

𝙱𝚁𝚄𝙲𝙴 𝚆𝙰𝚈𝙽𝙴 '𝙱𝙰𝚃𝙼𝙰𝙽'.

Arthur's younger brother. Their sibling relationship is admittedly rocky due to the circumstances of their relation. Thomas Wayne met Penny Fleck, then Panya Flerko on a business trip to Russia, and supposedly fell so in love that he couldn't bear to return without her. Bringing her home to Wayne Manor as a maid, the two continued their affair up until Penny fell pregnant, at which point, and the subsequent birth of Arthur following, the coverup began. Bruce grew up without the knowledge of his older brother who once shared his bedroom before he was born while warded to the Waynes. A short visit from Arthur, during which he throttled Alfred in front of the boy's eyes, is the sole memory he has of his brother from when he was a child.

Their relationship and shared parentage was revealed during the infamous Riddler streams, which painted Arthur in particular as a fraud and liar, scamming the masses he never actually wanted behind him in the first place. This not being the typical means by which one's reunited with a long-lost sibling, means both men struggle with the overwhelming sense of familiarity, love, and the bond they've shared their whole lives in secret. Bruce is a stoic and lost soul who, while not uncaring, suffers with the same anxiety and loss Arthur does by sinking into himself, as opposed to opening up.

In some circumstances he acts as his brother's protector, and in others it's the opposite way around. Particularly when the two are working together, or partnered up, they function almost as one. That and the shared support necessary between the two of them is why it's important that Bruce is here.

𝙰𝚁𝚃𝙷𝚄𝚁 𝙵𝙻𝙴𝙲𝙺.

Big mention to the man himself; Nix's husband and sole tie to humanity and love. In circumstances (because it's roleplay) where Arthur would be present, I'll likely write him in, even as a small presence. The two spend virtually all their time together and so often it makes the most sense that Arthur's never far away. They're also exceedingly protective of one another, and worry for each other often. Even if it's something smaller like a string of text messages, or a quick phone call, Arthur is never really far from Nix, nor she from him.

Typically Jessie and I will write each other's characters, to each other. When it's most important for conversation to flow and for continuity to work best. So, if you are reading our threads and wonder, that's why. We're partners in real life and trust each other with one another's muses without hesitation.

[neonbitemarks]

Character Sheet

repost, don’t reblog !

𝐛𝐚𝐬𝐢𝐜𝐬 !

FULL NAME.  Mason Bowie James-Miner NICKNAME. Usually gets called Mase for short, though Nik calls him Puppy (and is mostly the only person allowed to do so) GENDER.  Male HEIGHT. 6′0" AGE. 20ish - actual exact age unknown as his date of birth is also unknown ZODIAC. No idea SPOKEN LANGUAGES.  English, ASL, and some Spanish and Greek he picked up from Nik and Cy

𝐩𝐡𝐲𝐬𝐢𝐜𝐚𝐥 𝐜𝐡𝐚𝐫𝐚𝐜𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐢𝐬𝐭𝐢𝐜𝐬 !

HAIR COLOR. Brown EYE COLOR.  Hazel SKIN TONE. Tanned BODY TYPE.  Broad-shouldered and a little stocky VOICE.  Mid-range kind of tone, laid-back, doesn't really have a strong accent but does clip consonants sometimes (like "g" off the end of "ing" words) DOMINANT HAND.  Mostly right-handed but is ambidextrous on some tasks POSTURE. Slouches slightly SCARS. None TATTOOS. Several - mostly on his arms and chest. Has a few piercings too. BIRTHMARKS.  None MOST NOTICEABLE FEATURE(S). His smile

𝐜𝐡𝐢𝐥𝐝𝐡𝐨𝐨𝐝 !

PLACE OF BIRTH. Unknown HOMETOWN.  Ruby Hill, Nevada SIBLINGS. Jesse, Dyson, Brielle, Ara PARENTS. Judas Miner and Chayton James

𝐚𝐝𝐮𝐥𝐭 𝐥𝐢𝐟𝐞 !

OCCUPATION.  Mechanic/Maintenance CURRENT RESIDENCE. Still lives on his families property in Nevada CLOSE FRIENDS. Nik, Cypress, and Ilias are his closest friends, though he's also on decent terms with a couple of his other cousins RELATIONSHIP STATUS. Technically single but has a friends-with-benefits kind of arrangement with Nik, Cy, and Ilias FINANCIAL STATUS. Comfortable enough DRIVER’S LICENSE. Yes CRIMINAL RECORD. Never been caught VICES. Weed and sex

𝐬𝐞𝐱 & 𝐫𝐨𝐦𝐚𝐧𝐜𝐞 !

SEXUAL ORIENTATION. Bisexual - leans more to masc. attracted, polyamorous PREFERRED EMOTIONAL ROLE. submissive | dominant | switch PREFERRED SEXUAL ROLE. submissive | dominant | switch LIBIDO. High TURN ON’S. Oral (giving and receiving), edging (receiving), being tied up, pain play TURN OFF’S. People who get controlling in a non-sexual context RELATIONSHIP TENDENCIES. Not really cut out for monogamy, definitely not ready to settle down with anyone yet

𝐦𝐢𝐬𝐜𝐞𝐥𝐥𝐚𝐧𝐞𝐨𝐮𝐬 !

CHARACTER’S THEME SONG. Throne - Bring Me The Horizon HOBBIES TO PASS TIME. Getting stoned, playing videogames, fixing cars LEFT OR RIGHT BRAINED. Left-brained PHOBIAS. Does commitment count? SELF CONFIDENCE LEVEL. Decently confident VULNERABILITIES. Doesn't trust easily

[blackflamemax]

INTRODUCING… billy dennison, child of max dennison !

it took a while for MAX DENNISON to feel comfortable settling down, but when he did, it didn’t take long to fall in love. billy’s mother was a whirlwind of a person, she reminded him allison. billy was born in new york and as he grew, he loved the atmosphere of the city. a theatre nerd, his goal has always been to be on stage, even if it’s taking some time to get there. even though their parents are no longer together, billy and his new sister almost immediately bonded. 

trigger warnings: bullying, transphobia (mentioned), religion 

PAST ! 

Billy was born with passion in his heart, the idea that he was born to be something great if he only got the chance. Max and his mom were always those parents that wanted him to be able to do what he wanted to do. They encouraged him and he was raised in a fairly positive household. His mom was a scientist and eventually started teaching at NYU, where as Max owned his own business. Billy was surrounded by two parents that were successful from their own paths, but Billy always seemed different because where his parents had their smarts, he was all about passion and emotion. 

Religion tw: While his mother was not much of a devout Jew and Max wasn’t religious as all, Billy liked the community and therefore has always been a person who has found joy in that part of their identity. He isn’t as involved with the community these days because he’s got a lot on his plate with school and a job, it’s still important to him.

Billy has always known that he wanted to be a Broadway actor. From the first time he saw a show on stage (Wicked), he knew that it was the place he needed to belong. Community has always been something important to them. They took singing lessons, dance lessons, and even learned to play a few musical instruments. While neither of his parents really understood their love of Broadway, they always encouraged and respected it. In fact, his mom’s favorite thing is to take him to shows and Max never missed a performance.

While at home things always seemed to be okay for Billy, school had always been an issue for them. Being small and shy, Billy didn’t have a lot of friends or people that liked him. They struggled with making friends and the bigger and older children seemed to make fun of him, especially as they got older. Billy had a reputation for being a crybaby among the other students. It got so bad that his parents eventually moved him from a public school to a private one. 

He was eight when his parents divorced. It wasn’t a big thing, they just... fizzled and were in different places in life. A year later is when Max met Poppy and Morgana. Billy immediately liked Poppy and the two of them became friends. And moving to Elias was also a nice pace for the four of them. Even if it meant leaving NYC for a bit, Billy constantly got to go home to see his mom. 

Elias was much better for Billy in a lot of ways. With a sister that was protective and parents that were equally as nice, Billy felt much more at home. He’s always appreciated that Morgana is an artist and while he never gets to go with her on her trips, he loves talking photography with his mom. He and Poppy have bonded over not really “understanding” their parents, as Poppy is not artistic and Billy is not good at math and science.

Now, Billy is trying to get a master’s degree in music theory and Fine Arts and stick around in Elias for as long as possible because going back to NYC seems very intimidating at the moment. Their confidence is shaken after being rejected for a few roles they auditioned for, even if their family has been supportive. Billy does do local productions and school sanctioned performances. 

FACTS ! 

His dream role is Tevye in Fiddler on the Roof. 

Billy uses both he/they pronouns, feeling uncomfortable with the concept of gender for himself. 

More of an action “man” than anything else, something that he gets from his dad. 

Billy loves his aunt Dani and will take any chance he gets to spend time with her.

He flunked chemistry two times in high school and is sure the teacher just took pity on him the third time.

 They used to play chess in the park with an elderly man until they moved to Elias.

He can speak Hebrew and is learning Yiddish. 

Their hair color changes often, from brown to bleach blond and back, they love to change it around ever so often.

[solitaria-fantasma]

Guess who! But question, what if Gawain showed himself to his family before Arthur met Vivi and Lewis and joined the justice league early? Just a thought I had.

((*slams open the door hard enough to break it off its hinges* A chance to talk about the Super Ghost AU????))

Picture: Gawain never tried to hide from Arthur, but because he didn't spent ten years trapped in a ley line-covering forest, he didn't have enough power to reveal himself to their parents. Arthur could see him only because kids can just Do That at a young age, and because Tempo is itself a town steeped in supernatural things, Gawain still slowly absorbs power from the area for some twenty years.

By the time he's even strong enough to interact with the world beyond pulling a few books off the shelf when Arthur can't reach/turning off the lights when his parents forget, Gawain has watched his parents grieve by neglecting their surviving child, and slowly lost interest in appearing to them. Instead, he made sure to counter every dismissal Arthur got from their mother or insult from their father with something positive.

When Tom and Elaine inevitably decided to abruptly move out of Tempo, Arthur was already living with his uncle Lance, and while he was sad, the loss didn't hurt him as much as it did in the main timeline.

In this timeline, Lewis and Vivi would know about Gawain from the get-go (or at least as soon as Arthur worked up the courage to introduce them to his semi-secret ghost brother. By this time, Gawain has revealed himself to Lance, as well, and when Arthur gets the idea to build a robot body for Gawain to inhabit (with Vivi volunteering to help place Gawain's spirit inside it, though they kept this from Lance), it becomes a fun little family project that spans several years. The design goes from simplistic to sci-fi to hyper-realistic and back to sci-fi, and finally settles on what will become recognizable as the superhero 'Gawain'.

And speaking of League stuff, Gawain would still join the League and participate in its founding during the Imperium invasion, but rather than being an unknown hero coming out of nowhere, he's an established name with an existing reputation, having been operating in the Tempo/Sigil City area for only a little less time than Superman in Metropolis. He's a lot more confident in his 'resident supernatural expert' role on the team, and has a lot more adventures with other heroes such as Zatana, Dr. Fate, Etrigan, and John Constantine under his belt.

In this timeline, the Knights would also become active a lot earlier, as Arthur, Vivi and Lewis convince him to reach out to his old friends (even just for closure), and they all make the same decision to not let their friend save the world on his own.

[edwardofcleves]

Introducing Edward of Cleves, House of La Marck, Duke of Cleves. 

BULLETPOINTS:

NAME: Edward Frederick 

AGE / D.O.B.: 36

STATUS / RANK: Duke of Cleves 

COUNTRY OF ORIGIN: Germany in the Holy Roman Empire 

PLACE OF BIRTH: Schwanenburg castle

BIRTH ORDER: First born son / heir to the Duchy of Cleves 

MOTHER & FATHER: Lady maria of house bassewitz  ,  duke frederik of cleves ( of house la marck )

SIBLINGS: Two younger sisters - tbd of Cleves and Elisabeth of Cleves 

SEXUALITY: Heterosexual

HOROSCOPE: Leo Sun, Leo Rising, Taurus Moon

VIRTUES: Enigmatic, Brave, Charming

VICES: Stubborn, Reckless, Aggressive 

MARITAL STATUS: unmarried - aware that he should find a wife. 

ISSUE: n/a

RELIGION: Protestant 

ALLIES: the Royal Family 

ADVERSARIES: tbd 

TIMELINE:

1519  -  lady maria bassewitz and lord frederik of cleves marry in a lavish ceremony. ( both aged 17 ) 1523 - their first child , Edward,  the future duke of cleves , is born 1527  -  their second child , lady of cleves , is born 1530 -  birth of lady elisabeth, lady of cleves on december 15th. 1531  -  lady maria bassewitz and lord frederik of cleves die within months of each other. investigation occurs.  1531 - Edward takes over his father’s title and becomes the Duke of Cleves  1532  -  investigation is ended after no avail. 1557  -  Edward and his sisters accept the invitation to English court. 

BIOGRAPHY:

Edward was a curious and adventurous child, always diving head first into anything he wanted to do, his family protecting him from ever really worrying about consequences, he was able to do as he pleased. It was his childhood that really formed his brave and reckless personality, but that was all cut short with the death of his parents. He was only eight years old but he remembers the heavy feeling in the room as he was informed of his father’s death and his new title as the Duke of Cleves.  From then it was like his childhood was cut short, he had the weight of the world on his shoulders and between tutors and training to fight, he was always kept busy, though he retained his attitude of not being able to do any wrong, He is a confident person and that can be good but it can also be a fault at times as it makes him reckless and the decisions that he makes as the Duke of Cleves have more significant repercussions. 

One thing that has never changed has been his love for his sisters. Because there were only three of them in a time in Germany when it was common to have large families of eight to ten siblings, they always remained close, and the death of their parents at such a young age made them even closer. While Edward assumed all the responsibilities of being a Duke, he also embraced his role as the head of their household, and had a large part in raising his sisters. Even now, he is fiercely protective of them, and would much rather see them strong and independent, than demure and obedient - no matter how much of a headache they cause him when they do show off their more rebellious sides. 

When they received the invitation to English Court, Edward was inclined to decline it. He had no desire to remain in England for an extended period of time, but he is faced with the very real and pressing need to arrange suitable marriages for his sisters, and even for himself, and he knows that the best way to do that is to be present in matters of Court with the most noble families also joining English Court. 

ADDITIONAL INFO 

heavily inspired by edward iv from the white queen 

Does as he pleases, and often causes his advisors to freak out and scramble as a result of his spontaneity and decision-making 

somehow turned out to be a good politician, but he’s just as skilled with a sword. 

not uncommon for him to have a new woman in his bed every night, but hasn’t settled down and is looking for a wife. 

has a grey dappled stallion called delmira 

[episkykid]

"Aurelius Dumbledore" is Ariana Dumbledore's Obscurus, not Credence Barebone.

Why I think this is the case:

-While the Fantastic Beasts films have played with continuity, the timelines are too off. We know when both Dumbledore parents died, and it was wildly before Credence's birth. Credence would have to be in his mid-thirties for that to be possible, and he isn't.

-Ariana having an Obscurus fits what we know of Dumbledore's backstory. I think it probably developed (or at least significantly worsened) during the time when Aberforth was gone at school and Albus was being neglectful due to his "greater good" plans with Grindelwald. The new films even highlight that they're a result of a lack of love and care, paired with abuse due to the child's magic. It calls the Obscurus a sibling--like a twin--created to fill that gap. That's very specific language to drop in there.

-Ariana already faced abuse at the hands of the muggles, but when Aberforth was gone and her mother had died and Albus was the only one there--I think this was the first time she was truly without the love and care that she needed. The COG even has a line where Dumbledore mentions how he didn't love Ariana as he should've, when Leta and him speak about her brother.

-It's been foreshadowed through the first two films. We've got the bit of conversation between Grindelwald and Newt, when Newt explains that the Obscurus cannot survive without its host, and Grindelwald makes that remark about it being "useless," and Newt is horrified that someone would look at the situation in terms of use.

-We know that Credence's Obscurus is far more powerful than usual.

-Clearly, Grindelwald had no idea that Credence was the host. He thinks Credence is a squib, initially. I think before obtaining the Obscurus, Credence might've been one, actually. But he knew the Obscurus was somewhere. I think it's because he witnessed it at Ariana's death.

-Since the Obscurus is more powerful than usual, I think it's highly likely that it's been jumping from host to host, feeding on them and avoided detection in America. And I think Grindelwald sees this parasite as a full-blooded Dumbledore. (Or at least, he's acting as such to get its allegiance.)

-It would explain why he calls Credence Albus's brother, even though that's basically physically impossible without a major fracture in the canon lore (which, I admit, they could choose to do). But I think this development makes far more sense and fits within the hints they've dropped and the way we see Grindelwald manipulating people, as well as the themes explored thus far.

-It could make sense that Newt will play a role in "taming" or calming the Obscurus. The films continue to place him before dangerous, raging creatures that he somehow settles. Leta even tells Newt that he's never met a monster he couldn't love. This seems to be pretty blatant foreshadowing, and why Newt's at the center of this series as a protagonist, rather than Dumbledore. Because if Dumbledore was in the agent seat, I think he'd have carried less guilt during the time we see him with Harry. Instead, I imagine he foists or neglects some of that responsibility to Newt--either because he is afraid, or because he can't (due to the blood pact). Maybe both.

-It also casts a more serious light on Dumbledore's neglect of Ariana, as well as Aberforth's continuing grudge about it. It could be used as a story device to drive home the potency of Albus's neglect by manifesting that emotional damage into a physical shape that viewers can see and connect with. It also fleshes out the Dumbledore family's backstory.

-Also, the idea of Ariana's "evil twin" created by Albus's mistakes, coming back to fight him? That seems like a character beat that would fit the tone of these films.

I could be wrong. [Disclaimer: I watched both films for the first time this week.] But I'm pretty confident I'm right. Suppose we'll see.

Bonus theory: I think Tina's largely absent from the Secrets of Dumbledore trailer because she gets partially attacked by the Obscurus and has hints of the particular markings on her face. That would explain why she's not listed as part of the official "team," [if she's fighting off some sort of partial, viral/parasitical/secondary condition from an unsuccessful transfer of host or Obscurus attack, she wouldn't be able to fight as much]. It would add greater stakes to the situation. It would also put Newt's love of creatures and his philosophy of gentleness to the test. If the Obscurus hurt Tina--the person he loves--then wouldn't he have more reason to lash out against it? Just a thought.

I think this complication might also provide some internal tension to Credence, who would remember Tina from her intervention into his life. If Grindelwald's goading to unleash the Obscurus for vengeance caused Credence to hurt Tina, I think that would chip at away at Credence's resolve in Grindelwald's mission.

Either way, I think we're going to see a good deal of expansion to Ariana's lore in particular, and to the Obscurus mechanics, at least.]

Bonus-bonus theory: I think there's a chance that Ariana's Obscurus will turn into a Phoenix after Newt settles it, and we'll get a Fawkes origin story, along with a helping of "redemption/forgiveness from the ashes" theme.

And since Phoenix tears have super magically healing properties, I think it's likely that if Tina is somehow infected, maybe that could be an avenue there.

If the Obscurus does somehow turn into Fawkes, it adds even more significance to the dual wand core situation that happens with Tom Riddle and Harry Potter, since Fawkes is the source of those wand cores. If that's the case, I think we'll see those feathers drop during an emotionally significant moment (potentially close to the end of the series), and that would be right about on time for the moment little Tom gets his wand (1938).

"Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them" would also take on an entirely new meaning because Obscuruses and Phoenixes are both powerful creatures, and very much opposites of each other. When you look at the core of what Phoenixes represent (starting over, rebirth from ashes), it's a counter narrative to the themes pertaining to the Obscurus (self-destruction and destruction of others, toxicity, childhood abuse and neglect as hopeless cycles). It also fits the key conflict of values between Grindelwald's rhetoric (justification of harming others because of prior hurts experienced) and the ones Newt embodies (gentleness, compassion, looking to truly see others and appreciating differences).

Some of these theories are far wilder than others. That's just where my thoughts went after seeing the films.

[cosmicgrapevine]

Not Another Teen Ensemble

The ‘Wake Up, Go to School, Save the World’ trope is one of my creative darlings, and, despite its ubiquity, will feature heavily in this work. After Mel, Tabby, and Lind escape the first round of danger, they settle into Gala Hills, the upper-class Tampa suburb founded and funded by Melanie’s mega-rich grandfather. The school itself is a glitzy, peppy sort of place, the building less than ten years old and the students and staff more Disney Channel than Hogwarts.

I’m trying to be creative with the setting where I can, but I feel this part of the book will ride or die on the strength of its supporting high school cast, which I am far less confident in, both who they are and what they might do, than I am with my main cast or the big-picture plot. What I’m trying to avoid, in other words, is a cast where you can read a few words or lines of dialogue and determine that they are The Awkward Nerd, The Bitchy Cheerleader, etc. Worst case scenario, I have to rely on B-list stereotypes instead of A-list ones. Best case, I manage to make my main characters’ journey through this part of the book mean something other than a checklist of tropes.

You can help, if you like, by telling me what you think of some of the supporting cast listed below, namely what I could potentially do with them in-story and, out-of-story, if they seem fleshed-out enough to be interesting.

Main Characters:

Melanie, junior. While she’s always been ambitious, having a rich grandfather who all but runs the town is more of a burden for Mel than anything. Also, her previous school was a small Catholic girls’ school in which everyone knows everyone else and the mood is generally dour and cold; the opposite in every way of her new school.

Voted: Most likely to pretend everything is normal. C’mon kid, give me more to work with here. You’re a tritagonist, not a supporting character.

Tabby, junior. Melanie’s friend since age 7. While Melanie struggles with her new environment, Tabby adapts quickly; she still doesn’t like school, but at least this one has boys, and you can wear a damn pair of pants if you want. While the Red Ribbons (see below) try to recruit Melanie based on her family lineage, they judge Tabby as too reckless and spurn her.

Voted: Most likely to have friendships tested over dirty rumors being spread by parties unknown.

Lind, "junior”. Lind, of course, is not of our earth or species, and spends much of the early part of the book butting heads with various demons. However, curiosity and a need to actually learn a few things about the world he’s traveled to both induce him to enroll, where he quickly becomes an...interesting part of the social fabric. 

Voted: Most likely to pull some dumb reverse-isekai-hero bullshit with at least one of these girls.

The Red Ribbons

The Red Ribbons are a ‘student auxiliary’ of Florian’s main, adult-staffed demon-hunting squadron. The program is very exclusive, usually ten students or so at a time in a high school of 2,000+, carefully handpicked by Florian and his people. As such, it’s relatively low-resource and informal, with the ‘club leaders’ wearing many hats. As he puts it, “Someone has to train the next generation”, and it’s either this or the old combo of inherited obligation and grueling apprenticeship.

Brandon, senior. The student leader of the Red Ribbons, both of whose parents have been in the life since their own teenage years. He’s been raised for this sort of job, and as such is quite serious, even staid, and is seen as an annoying teacher’s-pet type by most other students. I’m not sure what his powers are, but I’m more sure he’s the only team member capable of genuine cold-blooded violence if needed, in a way that unnerves the others. Something of a cautionary tale of what Melanie would be like if she was raised in the life. In addition to his leadership role he is the most well-read in the theory and applications of magic.

Voted: Most likely to bite off more than he can chew and die as a direct result.

Sydney, senior. Student VP of the Red Ribbons. The in-group disciplinarian and logistician, as well as a student of some sort of offensive magic, probably lightning or fire themed. High-strung and demanding, she is respected but not liked among her cohort, and seen as a bitchy overachiever by the school at large. Her father and Florian go way back.

Voted: Most likely to join Team Evil out of resentment.

Yordano, senior. A legacy like the first two, the nephew of one of Florian’s best agents, as well as a talented baseball player who is following family history in that profession as well, and soon must choose between them. Real Big Man On Campus Type, nice in a smug way (smug in a nice way?) as well as the school’s most eligible bachelor whenever he’s between girlfriends.

In one arc I’m 95% sure is happening, he gives it a shot with Melanie, but eventually he admits he just wants to to notch Big Papi Florian’s granddaughter on his belt and she doesn’t take it well.

Like many men in his family, Yordano has the gift of bonding with and fighting as one with a captured animal, ritualistically tamed and bound to its master. In his case, a large crocodile named Jaws.

Voted: Most likely to prevent this book from getting published.

Miloslav/Milo and Stanislav/Stan, seniors. Twin brothers and Serbian war refugees, who provide most of the current lineup’s raw muscle, for when magic just won’t do. Both see their work as a grim necessity, a holy vocation of sorts, and are broadly contemptuous of those who don’t share their struggle. That, plus their unkempt looks and general quietude keep them squarely in the out crowd at school.

Voted: Most likely to be killed off by their lazy hack author.

Mindy, senior. The last of this year’s senior class. Like the Bukvic brothers, she found this life by accident; unlike them, she thinks it’s cool as shit, styling herself as a badass warrior/skater chick hybrid. Tabby instantly idolizes her, which Melanie and Sydney resent, but Mindy herself is too blithe to take sides. She specializes in both spying (”no one suspects the Dumb Blonde” she says) and some kinda girly magic thing idk. Magic guitar maybe.

Voted: Most likely to Not every quirky chick has to be a lesbian you guys, Jesus Christ.

These are the ones who will most likely be featuring in either the first arc, or not at all, given they’re all in their last semester at this school.

[hualianff]

Ice Skating AU

The road to the Olympics was quite lonely for figure skater XL. XL’s parents supported his dreams at the expense of his health and mental wellbeing. XL’s coach, JW, purposefully isolated XL from other competitors, which further distanced XL from the peers who were envious of his talent and achievements.

After the Olympics–XL winning silver, much to the public’s pride–he suffered from detrimental injuries as a result of being overworked and malnourished; JW had put him on a strict diet and training schedule that was ultimately unsustainable. It took over a year for XL to successfully settle a lawsuit with minimal media coverage and monetary consequences. 

Three years have passed since he retired. XL currently owns his own rink, teaching kids and adult skating classes on the side.

When XL competed, everything was so stiff and uptight. It got to the point where he wasn’t enjoying it and came to resent the sport in the end. When XL teaches, however, he gets to laugh with his students. He happily lends them a hand when they need it (unlike JW, who was harsh and trained him as if he were a machine). He celebrates with a student every time they land an improving pirouette, relishes in the pure joy in their eyes. 

That’s how ice skating should be. Challenging but always fun. 

Now, XL truly loves the managing and teaching aspect of the new role ice skating plays in his life. Owning a rink also allows XL to occasionally indulge in his old skills and routines. With no pressure to perform for anybody but himself, XL is free.

HC, a film grad school student, is forced to take a skating class after losing a bet with HX. HX’s partner, who had come up with the consequence on HX’s behalf, suggested a place called Wings, claiming they are “just trying to promote a fellow friend’s business.”

HC almost didn’t follow through with the penalty. He already knew how to skate. (His natural ability to quickly pick up any athletic activity is envied by all his friends.) Upon seeing just who the teacher was, however, HC reconsidered.

After all, losing a bet is no joke.

HC attends the evening class. He wears tight-fitting jeans and a maroon, long-sleeved shirt with the sleeves rolled up to expose his forearms. The film student asks for extra help on his form despite knowing there’s not much to fix. 

Understandably, XL is a bit baffled how this one tall, handsome stranger keeps asking to be guided into the correct position and spotted while skating across the rink when it seems he’s capable of balancing on his own. But XL is in no way complaining! And if XL happens to stare directly at HC’s small yet perky ass as he skates behind the taller man in case HC crashes, no one has to know. 

One week passes. Then another. And another. 

One month later, HC keeps coming back for classes.

“San Lang, you don’t have to pay for any more classes. You already skate well enough on your own!” XL informed his newest regular with a knowing smile. 

“But then I won’t get to see Gege as often,” HC insisted with that charismatic smirk of his. XL hoped his face didn’t give away how flustered he was on the inside.

“W-well, the rink is not very busy one hour till closing time. You could always come in to practice. And I can watch you from the side!” XL said, looking off to the side. “Free of charge,” he added.

HC tilted his head, pondering. “Hmm, that sounds lovely. You’ll skate with me too?”

“Haha, sure! If there’s no one else on the rink,” XL laughs. 

HC nodded. “Fair enough. However, I will be paying the amount I owe Gege. You cannot convince me otherwise.”

“San Lang-“ 

“No exceptions, Gege!”

They’re so close, XL realized. HC leaned forward on the counter which is the only barrier separating them from touching chests. XL allowed himself a couple glances at the muscled pec straining against the fabric of HC’s shirt.

“Well, San Lang can pay me back in a different way, m-maybe?” the former Olympian suggested. HC quirked an elegant eyebrow. He really was too pretty for XL’s poor heart to handle. 

“Oh? What does Gege have in mind?”

Ignoring how suggestive HC sounded just then, XL built up the courage to utter one word: “Dinner?” 

Much to XL’s surprise, HC visibly malfunctions by choking on his own spit, as if he hadn’t expected XL to be so forward. HC clears his throat right after, sputtering a measly, “O-oh?”  😳

XL doesn’t say anything else. He stands motionless while waiting for the younger man’s answer. 🥺

Luckily, XL doesn’t have to wait more than ten seconds before HC composes himself, standing back and placing his palms on the counter, satisfied.

“Dinner is perfect.”

XL: 🥰

HC: 😇

Things only got better when HC came around. Suddenly, XL wasn’t alone every night he closed. HC diligently visited every night he could when school and work permitted. They skate together as promised, HC commenting how generous XL is for offering special “private lessons.” XL is positive HC makes these innuendos on purpose and selfishly hopes HC doesn’t say them to anyone else but XL. 

Funnily enough, XL has made his own fair share of innuendos–though completely unintentional. 

(XL while skating with HC: “You’re doing so well, San Lang. Go faster!”

HC, raising an eyebrow: “Gege likes things faster?”

XL: 😳😳 “EEEK, I mean the speed you’re going at. I-it’s too slow-“

HC: *nods* “Whatever Gege wishes.” *winks at XL before zooming away*

XL, chasing HC: “Wait, how are you moving so quickly!?”)

(HC falls ill on a Friday when he would normally visit the rink. With no meds and a killer headache, HC texts XL to cancel their lesson. 

XL: “San Lang, do you need medicine? I’ll come for you”

HC: “Gege 😳😳😳”

XL: “TO***** My finger slipped 😅”

HC: “Gege is getting quite bold now, isn’t he?”

XL: “San Lang!”)

***

It all boils down to a game of tag that got a little too competitive. It’s HC’s turn to tag XL. They’re zipping around the rink like flashes of light, the sound of their laughter echoing throughout the open space. Where XL is elegant yet sharp as he evades his pursuer, HC is aggressive and heavy as his skates dig into the ice in his haste catch XL. 

“Gege is too fast for this poor San Lang. It’s too unfair,” HC complains, though he has no reason to as he gains up on XL for the third time.

“Ahhh, no no noooo!” XL shrieks as he’s chased into a corner by a sneaky HC. In his attempt to turn around to escape, XL is crowded against the clear divider between the rink and the lounge space by a smirking HC. One last duck is countered by HC rushing forward to lightly secure his hands around XL’s waist. 

XL’s breath quickens as HC slowly leans down, a certain tenderness behind his eye that makes XL positively melt inside. 

“Caught you,” HC mutters, his long braid falling haphazardly down his right shoulder. XL shyly looks down, pinned by HC’s inquisitive stare. A large hand comes to gently grip his chin, lifting his head to meet HC’s face. “Do I get a reward?”

“What does San Lang desire?”

HC’s eye flickers down to XL’s lips. XL’s eyelids lower in understanding. And relief. Then, under some unknown source of confidence, XL lifts his chin invitingly. 

“It's your reward to claim,” he whispers. HC’s face splits in shock before morphing into an awed expression. He cautiously nudges XL’s nose with his own, making XL instinctually smile. 

“Gege has indeed become bolder,” HC utters.

He promptly seals their lips, which curiously meld together before separating. A tentative peck. XL is the one to slant their mouths together again, pulling HC down by the lapels of his jacket. They experiment as they press together, pull apart, then meet once more in delicious bliss.

XL hums as HC takes control of the pace. The taller man holds XL close, caressing his waist as they languidly make out against the divider. XL whimpers as HC cups his cheek lovingly. There’s a warm brush against the seam of XL’s mouth. He gladly parts his lips, welcoming the sensual slide of HC’s tongue inside. HC doesn’t let up, eagerly licking along every hollow and crevice of XL’s mouth.

When XL playfully nips at HC’s upper lip, HC firmly presses XL against the divide, grunting as he’s provoked. Another cheeky nibble has HC pulling away, raising a challenging eyebrow at XL. Using the diversion to his advantage, XL surges up to wrap his arms around HC’s shoulder, running the flat of his tongue over HC’s lower lip before coaxing him into another sweet kiss. HC smiles approvingly, allowing XL to lead. 

HC gradually shifts their weight so he skates backward, guiding them around the rink as they unhurriedly explore each other’s mouths. The scuffling of their skates paired with the slick sounds of their kissing serves as their own music and rhythm. XL surrenders to HC’s movements by resting most of his weight against the taller man. 

“I knew you knew how to skate this whole time,” XL murmurs against HC’s lips. HC chuckles as he traces XL’s cupid’s bow, then places a chaste kiss to XL’s cheek.

“Always so perceptive, gege.”

“Hmm, it’s hot,” XL says without thinking. HC smiles in amusement as he switches to skating in circles, gaze never leaving XL. 

“What is?”

“You skate with the confidence of a pro,” XL answers. He steals another kiss to HC’s lips, eyes crinkling as he smiles happily.

“Good thing I had the best teacher.”

“Oh, stop it, San Lang-“

“Make me.”

XL puffs his cheeks out in faux annoyance. But he can’t hold back a beaming grin as HC mimics his expression, over-exaggerating the pout that makes him look like a child whose candy was snatched out of his hands.

“If you insist,” XL sighs. He gives no other warning as he pounces, winding his legs around HC’s waist. HC effortlessly catches XL by underneath his thighs, pliant as XL crashes their lips together, hungry for much more. 

(Brainchild with @no-one-says-hi)

[moon-light-jukebox]

Learning Styles - [Reid x Reader]

Summary: Reader has worked hard to get to the FBI, but a misunderstanding has her feeling insecure. 

Pairing: Spencer Reid / Fem!Reader

Word Count: 2.5k

Genre: Fluff

Rating: PG

Content Warning: Mention of normal criminal minds stuff briefly. 

A/n: I got these two requests and they were so similar I decided to combine them. I hope that’s okay, but I feel like the stories would have been almost identical. 

Requests:  - I have a fic suggestion. Reader pretends to be dumb but is actually really smart. I’m thinking of that quote about marilyn ”you have to be really smart to pretend to be dumb”. One day spencer realizes that reader is smarter than she lets people know.

- Hi! Can I request a spencer reid x reader fic where reader isn't great with numbers but brilliant with behaviour and humanities (i.e. literature, history, sociology, up to you)? Maybe a dash of insecurity to spice things up?

-- Learning Styles -- 

My favorite professor in college told me that everyone learns differently; what works for one person won’t work in the same way for another. We are all different human beings that are shaped in different ways.

I had always been oddly insecure about my intelligence level. One of my earliest memories was my mother yelling at me while I sat at the kitchen table when I was in first grade. I was the only kid in my class who still hadn’t learned how to read. I just didn’t understand. All of my friends were progressing so much quicker than me and my mother was losing patience.

It wasn’t until my grandmother stepped in that everything changed. My elementary school teacher was training children to read by memorizing sight words, a concept I didn’t understand. When my grandmother sat down and taught me phonics. I distinctly remember everything snapping into place.

I was in 1st grade and reading at a 7th-grade level by Christmas. Once I finally understood my learning style, I really began to thrive.

But no matter what I did, I could still hear my mother yelling at me, telling me I was stupid.

In my line of work, I see just how much the throw away comments that parents make can shape a child’s development. Luckily, those comments just made me a bit insecure, not a murderer.

Up until I was 22, I wasn’t really sure what I wanted to do beyond this desire I had to help people. SSA David Rossi had come to guest lecture in one of my abnormal psych classes during undergrad. After I heard him speak, I was done. I couldn’t have done anything else with my life. I had obtained my master’s in psychology before I joined the FBI.

It took some time, but I was finally assigned to the Behavioral Analysis Unit at Quantico. I was so excited on my first day that I remember my hands physically shaking.

Until they weren’t.

I can still remember my first day so clearly. SSA Hotchner had introduced me to the team, saving the “best” for last.

“And this is Dr. Spencer Reid,” he had said. “He’s our expert on…well, everything.”

Reid was my age and he had his Ph.D. I remember feeling awed by him.

Until I didn’t.

"I hold 3 Ph.D.'s in Chemistry, Engineering, and Mathematics. I also have BAs in psychology and sociology."

I remember my jaw almost hitting the floor. While I was impressed by him, I wasn’t insecure about my place on the team.

Until I was.

My grandmother may have helped me master reading, which opened the door to me mastering anything else I put my mind to…except math.

I was fine at statistics, luckily. You couldn’t get a psych degree without a ton of statistics work. But statistics was different, I could see the practical use of statistics. I just couldn’t wrap my head around calculus or algebra.

On my first case with the team, Reid had calculated some insane mathematical equations on the whiteboard, running down the probabilities and applying a mathematical formula to the unsub’s behavior.

It wasn't until later, after the case was solved when I was standing in front of the whiteboard that my confidence was hit. Reid had come into the room and saw me looking at his work.

“Don’t bother trying to understand it,” he had said. “You’d have to be a genius to understand what I do.”

I didn’t have a word to describe the feeling that settled in my stomach at his words, I wasn’t sure such a word existed. The feeling was cold and heavy, but also made my body burn with shame.

I had just offered him a tight smile before I left the room.

On the plane home I had made a decision. I was no match for Dr. Reid, I doubt anyone was. So, I would take myself out of the competition. I couldn’t get hurt if I wasn’t playing the game.

And that is how the next year of my life went. I allowed Dr. Reid to explain things to me that I was an expert in, never saying a word. I acted like I didn't understand concepts that I had written papers on. The only thing I didn't dumb down was my profiling skills. Those were necessary for my job and for saving lives.

I don’t think anyone realized what I was doing.

Until they did.

--

The team had been called to Colorado to assist in capturing a serial rapist.

All of our cases bothered me, every last one…but something about ones with this vile element really struck me.

We had the unsub’s name, Tyler Childress. He had spent time in prison for sexual assault and burglary. It seems while he was in prison, he spent time perfecting his methods; it was only by pure luck that we found his fingerprint inside the victim’s house, making him the main suspect.

When we paid Mr. Childress a visit, he had managed to get the drop on Prentiss and Morgan, allowing them to escape. Morgan was furious.

All of us were sitting around a conference table in the local prescient while we let Dr. Reid talk.

I was trying to be calm, I was, but my nails were digging into my palm so deeply I was worried I was about to draw blood.

“Guys,” the expert on everything said. “He has to have some sort of accomplice.”

Rossi just sighed. “But the profile doesn’t point to him being the sort to do well with others; he’s a narcissist.”

Reid wouldn’t budge. “I know that, but he isn’t intelligent enough to pull this off alone. He’s just not. He had an IQ test done when he was 20. He scored in the mentally handicapped range. I’m telling you he has to have help.”

“Are you sure, Reid?” Hotch asked.

“Positive. I have his results right here.”

“IQ tests aren’t a good measure of intelligence on their own.”

I was so startled that someone had contradicted Dr. Reid that it took me a second to realize it was me who had contradicted him.

He turned to face me; his brown eyes wide. “What?”

Well, in for a penny, in for a pound. “IQ tests aren’t a good measure of intelligence.”

Dr. Reid laughed. He laughed at me like my comment was funny. “I don’t know where you heard that,” he began.

But I interrupted him. "IQ tests are classist and oftentimes racist. The man who invented the IQ test never intended for it to be used as a complete measure of intelligence. He regretted making the test.”

Reid sputtered. “You…it’s not racist!”

“Yes. It. Is.” I ground out. “If it wasn’t it wouldn’t be illegal to administer an IQ test to a black child in the state of California.”

"Wait, it's illegal to do that?" JJ asked, her brows drawn together.

"Yes. There was a court case in the 1970s over it. Teachers were using tests to separate white children from black children. The black children were put into special education classes they didn’t need to be in. Just because the teachers didn’t want those children in their classrooms.”

I should have stopped, but I was on a role. “They’re also inherently classist. How can you expect a child to answer a question about Romeo and Juliet if they haven’t heard of it?”

That had Dr. Reid scoffing. “Everyone has heard of it.”

I shot to my feet, unable to hold back anymore. “No, they haven’t. Children in underfunded schools that don’t have access to resources might not have heard about the most famous play in history because their school wasn’t able to provide the materials to teach them about it. There was a study done in a remote part of Russia right after the IQ test was invented. Every. Single. Person. Scored in the mentally handicapped range. Because they didn’t understand.”

I knew my voice was rising but I couldn’t stop myself. “Once the researcher took the questions and applied them to things they understood, they all scored as above average. They didn’t understand math as an abstract concept, but they understood it when it was applied to their businesses, to something they actually knew about.”

I cleared my throat. “The test isn’t fair, it’s not equal. Tyler Childress didn’t go to a good school and he didn’t have a stable home life. You can’t use one measure to calculate his intelligence. He’s gotten away with 7 assaults so far that we know of. He’s not stupid.”

The entire room was silent once I had stopped speaking. I couldn’t bring myself to regret it though. What kind of person was I if I played dumb because I was afraid of being mocked when a monster was out there attacking women? No, those women deserved to have me at my best.

And I’ll be damned if I wouldn’t give it to them.

Rossi spoke first, his eyes twinkling when he looked at me. “Took you long enough,” he said. “But y/n is right. We trust the profile; we don’t let personal bias cloud the way. That’s how we catch this bastard.”

--

Later that day, we were cleaning up the conference room while the local police processed Tyler Childress.

Pathological narcissism is a complex disorder, but we followed the profile and Rossi was right. Hotch set up a press conference in which JJ and Prentiss took center stage. They tore Childress’s ego to shreds on live television.

His narcissism wouldn’t allow that to slide. He got angry, he made a mistake, and we got him before anyone else got hurt.  

While the cat was out of the bag about my intelligence and that made me nervous, I couldn't regret any of it. I got to be the one to tell our last victim that we got him. I got to hug her while she cried because now that he was locked up, she felt like her healing could begin. I wasn’t sure if my rant about structural racism and the classism of IQ tests actually helped anything, but that didn’t really matter. There was one less monster in the shadows.

Today was a good day.

I was alone in the conference room, untacking photos from the evidence board when I heard someone clear their throat from behind me. I turned my head to meet the wide, honey brown eyes of Dr. Spencer Reid.

Oh boy, I thought. “What’s up, Reid?”

He shifted from foot to foot, his hands twisting in front of him before he crossed his arms over his chest. “I asked Garcia to look into you.”

My eyebrows drew together. “I’m pretty sure any nefarious things I had done would have popped up on my initial background check.”

“Right, I didn’t mean like that,” he mumbled, the apples of his cheeks turning pink. “I asked her to look into you academically.”

Shit.

He went on. “You double majored in psychology and sociology before you got a master’s in cultural psychology. She pulled your thesis. I just read it.”

“I see.” I turned my attention back to the board.

“You also guest lecture on cross-cultural psychology at Georgetown several times a year. And you’ve co-authored two papers since I’ve known you.”

Meh, it’s three. But that doesn’t matter. “Did you read those too?”

I took his silence as confirmation.

He was so quiet I almost thought he had left, but the crackle of energy I felt in the air told me he hadn’t. “Do you need something, Dr. Reid?”

"Why didn't you get your Ph.D.?"

I had answered that question many, many times. “I didn’t need a doctorate to do what I wanted to do. I didn’t want to waste time. Once I figured out what I wanted, I charged at it.” Which was a far more honest answer than most people got about that from me.

“W-why did you pretend to be dumb?” he rasped out, causing me to look back at him. “32 days ago, you let me explain the long-term effects of gerrymandering and the complex causes of poverty.”

“Of course, I did,” I said, frowning. “Why wouldn’t I?”

“One of the papers you authored was about generational poverty.”

“Just because I know a lot about something doesn’t mean I can stop listening to information. That sort of thinking breeds ignorance.” I smiled, unable to not tease him just a little bit.

Reid took a step closer to me. “You didn’t answer my question.”

I just shrugged my shoulders. “I don’t have a good answer.”

In all the months I had known him, Spencer Reid had never touched me, not even so much as a finger brushing against mine when he handed me something. That fact is why I was so startled when I felt his hand on my upper arm, turning me towards him.

He licked his lips, his eyes darting around. “Did everyone else know?”

I shook my head, my teasing mood long gone. "No. I mean, clearly, Rossi suspected but…No, I didn't tell anyone else."

“I just don’t understand. You’re brilliant.”

I scoffed. “No, I’m not. I’m decent a psychology, sociology, stuff like that. I can’t apply math to behavior to find patterns. I can’t even calculate how much something is gonna cost when it’s on sale without a calculator half the time.”

‘What do you…” Reid trailed off. “Wait. The very first case. You were looking at the evidence board.”

Goddamn eidetic memory.

The boy wonder was on a roll now. “I told you that you’d have to…is that why you didn’t tell me?”

What else could I do? I just nodded.

Those brown eyes closed, and he let out a groan. “I said that because I thought you were going to…I was worried…” He huffed out a breath and opened his eyes. “I wanted you to like me. I didn’t want you to think I was just a nerd.”  

Now I was confused. “Why?”

Spencer Reid’s blush went all the way down his neck. “Well…I just…Morgan said I should just talk to you. But I’m not…I’m not good at that. I panic, then I start to ramble. Like I’m doing now…”

“Reid,” I interrupted. “I’m not playing dumb now. I really have no idea what you’re talking about.”

“I like you,” he blurted out right before he smacked both of his hands over his face. “Oh my god. I sound like a child.” I thought I heard him mutter idiot under his breath. “Emily says that my IQ gets slashed to 60 whenever I see a pretty girl.”

Much like that moment all those years ago when I was a child, I felt everything click into place. Oh.

I couldn't suppress my smile any longer. I rose up on my tiptoes and pressed a kiss to his cheek. "Well, we've already gone over how IQ tests aren't a good measure of overall intelligence."  

With that, I quickly stepped away and hurried out of the conference room, leaving a stunned genius in my wake. When I turned back to look at him, I saw his fingers brushing over the place where my lips had just been.  

--

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