#Smart Balancing Systems
Explore tagged Tumblr posts
datastring · 17 days ago
Text
⚙️ Tool Balancer Market Forecast to Reach $762.8 Million by 2035 Amid Growing Demand in Manufacturing & Automotive Sectors
The global Tool Balancer market is poised to grow from $358.7 million in 2024 to $762.8 million by 2035, reflecting a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 7.1% over the forecast period.
Detailed Analysis - https://datastringconsulting.com/industry-analysis/tool-balancer-market-research-report
Tool balancers are vital in reducing operator fatigue and improving workflow efficiency across applications such as manufacturing assembly lines, automotive maintenance, warehouse operations, and biomedical equipment handling. The report explores market expansion across dimensions like Product Type, Application, Technology Integration, and Load Capacity.
🔍 Competitive Landscape & Industry Trends
The Tool Balancer market is highly competitive, with top players focusing on innovation, durability, and ergonomic safety. Leading companies include:
Ingersoll Rand
Carl Stahl
Gleason Reel (Hubbell)
Conductix-Wampfler
Tractel
Aero-Motive (Woodhead, A Molex Company)
Hangzhou Tangcheng
POWERMASTER
James Walker
Fasten Enterprises
NAC-InterCom
TE Connectivity
Key drivers fueling market expansion include the evolution of Industry 4.0, growing automation needs, and heightened emphasis on operator safety and fatigue reduction.
🌍 Global Outlook & Demand Hubs
Major growth opportunities lie in:
Rapid industrialization in emerging economies
Technological innovations in smart lifting systems
Strategic partnerships for equipment standardization
Demand is particularly strong in the U.S., Germany, China, Japan, and the UK, with Indonesia, Chile, and South Africa emerging as attractive markets for Total Addressable Market (TAM) expansion.
🔄 Supply Chain Evolution
With North America and Asia-Pacific leading in adoption, the Tool Balancer market’s supply chain—ranging from raw material procurement and precision manufacturing to global distribution—is expected to grow in complexity and resilience.
Challenges such as limited awareness in smaller markets and high upfront costs are being addressed through educational outreach, cost-competitive innovation, and after-sales support strategies.
🧠 About DataString Consulting
DataString Consulting delivers actionable market intelligence through tailored B2B and B2C research projects. With over 30 years of combined experience, our experts track and analyze fast-evolving segments across 15+ industries worldwide to help clients navigate strategic decisions with precision and confidence.
1 note · View note
greatlobbyis123 · 1 year ago
Text
0 notes
electronalytics · 2 years ago
Text
Distribution Feeder Automation Market Business Research, Types and Applications, Demand by 2032
Market Overview: The Distribution Feeder Automation Market refers to the market for advanced technologies and systems that automate the monitoring, control, and management of distribution feeders within an electrical distribution network. Distribution feeder automation improves the efficiency, reliability, and resiliency of power distribution by utilizing sensors, communication networks, and automation software to monitor and control power flows, fault detection, and restoration. These solutions enhance the performance of distribution feeders and enable utilities to deliver electricity more effectively.
Feeder Automation Market is projected to be worth USD 7.85 Billion by 2030, registering a CAGR of 8.2% during the forecast period (2022 - 2030)
Demand: The demand for distribution feeder automation is driven by several factors, including:
Distribution feeder automation solutions help utilities improve the reliability and resiliency of their distribution networks. By automating fault detection, isolation, and restoration, these systems minimize outage durations and enhance the overall performance of the grid, ensuring a more reliable power supply for customers.
Distribution feeder automation systems streamline operations by reducing manual interventions, optimizing power flow, and enhancing network monitoring capabilities. These solutions enable utilities to manage distribution feeders more efficiently, reduce costs, and improve the overall operational performance of their networks.
The increasing integration of renewable energy sources, such as solar and wind power, into the distribution grid presents operational challenges. Distribution feeder automation helps utilities manage the intermittent nature of renewables, optimize power flow, and ensure grid stability, facilitating the integration of clean energy sources.
Latest technological developments, key factors, and challenges in the Distribution Feeder Automation Market:
Latest Technological Developments:
Intelligent Sensors and IoT Integration: Distribution feeder automation is leveraging intelligent sensors and Internet of Things (IoT) integration to monitor real-time data from various points along the distribution feeders. These sensors provide insights into voltage levels, current flow, fault detection, and other parameters, enabling quicker fault localization and resolution.
Advanced Communication Protocols: Modern distribution feeder automation systems are adopting advanced communication protocols like for seamless data exchange between field devices and control centers. This facilitates real-time monitoring, remote control, and efficient data transmission.
Decentralized Control and Edge Computing: Distribution feeder automation systems are moving toward decentralized control and edge computing. This allows decision-making and control to occur closer to field devices, reducing latency and enhancing responsiveness.
Distributed Energy Resource (DER) Management: With the integration of distributed energy resources like solar panels, wind turbines, and energy storage systems, feeder automation systems are being developed to manage these resources effectively, ensuring grid stability and optimal energy distribution.
Advanced Analytics and AI: Distribution feeder automation is incorporating advanced analytics and artificial intelligence to analyze data from various sources. AI algorithms can predict and prevent potential faults, optimize energy flows, and enhance overall feeder performance.
Key Factors:
Reliability Enhancement: Distribution feeder automation improves the reliability of electricity distribution by enabling quicker fault detection, isolation, and restoration. This minimizes outage durations and enhances overall grid reliability.
Efficient Grid Management: Feeder automation allows utilities to manage the distribution grid more efficiently. Load balancing, voltage regulation, and fault management can be automated, leading to optimized energy delivery.
Integration of Renewable Energy: As the penetration of renewable energy sources increases, distribution feeder automation becomes crucial for managing the intermittent nature of these resources and maintaining grid stability.
Grid Resilience and Outage Management: Feeder automation systems enhance grid resilience by providing real-time data on grid conditions and faults. This facilitates faster response and restoration during outages, minimizing customer impact.
Challenges:
Interoperability: Integrating various devices and protocols into a cohesive feeder automation system can be challenging due to the need for interoperability between different vendors and technologies.
Cybersecurity: With increased connectivity and data exchange, distribution feeder automation systems face cybersecurity threats. Ensuring the security of these systems is paramount to prevent unauthorized access and data breaches.
Cost and Infrastructure: Implementing distribution feeder automation can involve significant upfront costs, including hardware, software, and training. Retrofitting existing infrastructure for automation may also pose challenges.
Complexity of Data Management: Feeder automation generates vast amounts of data that need to be effectively managed, analyzed, and acted upon. Handling this complexity can be demanding.
Change Management: Transitioning from manual to automated processes requires change management efforts to train personnel, address resistance, and ensure smooth integration.
Maintenance and Upgrades: Ensuring the proper functioning of feeder automation systems over time requires regular maintenance and potential upgrades to keep up with technology advancements.
Distribution feeder automation is at the forefront of modernizing electricity distribution networks. While it offers significant benefits in terms of reliability, efficiency, and resilience, addressing technical challenges and ensuring a smooth transition is crucial for successful implementation.
By visiting our website or contacting us directly, you can explore the availability of specific reports related to this market. These reports often require a purchase or subscription, but we provide comprehensive and in-depth information that can be valuable for businesses, investors, and individuals interested in this market.
“Remember to look for recent reports to ensure you have the most current and relevant information.”
Click Here, To Get Free Sample Report: https://stringentdatalytics.com/sample-request/distribution-automation-solutions-market/10965/
Market Segmentations:
Global Distribution Feeder Automation Market: By Company
• ABB
• Eaton
• Grid Solutions
• Schneider Electric
• Siemens
• Advanced Control Systems
• Atlantic City Electric
• CG
• G&W Electric
• Kalkitech
• Kyland Technology
• Moxa
• S&C Electric Company
• Schweitzer Engineering Laboratories (SEL)
Global Distribution Feeder Automation Market: By Type
• Fault Location
• Isolation
• Service Restoration
• Automatic Transfer Scheme
Global Distribution Feeder Automation Market: By Application
• Industrial
• Commercial
• Residential
Global Distribution Feeder Automation Market: Regional Analysis
The regional analysis of the global Distribution Feeder Automation market provides insights into the market's performance across different regions of the world. The analysis is based on recent and future trends and includes market forecast for the prediction period. The countries covered in the regional analysis of the Distribution Feeder Automation market report are as follows:
North America: The North America region includes the U.S., Canada, and Mexico. The U.S. is the largest market for Distribution Feeder Automation in this region, followed by Canada and Mexico. The market growth in this region is primarily driven by the presence of key market players and the increasing demand for the product.
Europe: The Europe region includes Germany, France, U.K., Russia, Italy, Spain, Turkey, Netherlands, Switzerland, Belgium, and Rest of Europe. Germany is the largest market for Distribution Feeder Automation in this region, followed by the U.K. and France. The market growth in this region is driven by the increasing demand for the product in the automotive and aerospace sectors.
Asia-Pacific: The Asia-Pacific region includes Singapore, Malaysia, Australia, Thailand, Indonesia, Philippines, China, Japan, India, South Korea, and Rest of Asia-Pacific. China is the largest market for Distribution Feeder Automation in this region, followed by Japan and India. The market growth in this region is driven by the increasing adoption of the product in various end-use industries, such as automotive, aerospace, and construction.
Middle East and Africa: The Middle East and Africa region includes Saudi Arabia, U.A.E, South Africa, Egypt, Israel, and Rest of Middle East and Africa. The market growth in this region is driven by the increasing demand for the product in the aerospace and defense sectors.
South America: The South America region includes Argentina, Brazil, and Rest of South America. Brazil is the largest market for Distribution Feeder Automation in this region, followed by Argentina. The market growth in this region is primarily driven by the increasing demand for the product in the automotive sector.
Click Here, To Buy Report: https://stringentdatalytics.com/purchase/distribution-feeder-automation-market/10966/?license=single
Reasons to Purchase Distribution Feeder Automation Market Report:
 Comprehensive Market Insights: Global research market reports provide a thorough and in-depth analysis of a specific market or industry. They offer valuable insights into market size, growth potential, trends, challenges, and opportunities, helping businesses make informed decisions and formulate effective strategies.
Market Analysis and Forecasts: These reports provide detailed analysis and forecasts of market trends, growth rates, and future market scenarios. They help businesses understand the current market landscape and anticipate future market developments, enabling them to plan and allocate resources accordingly.
Competitive Intelligence: Global research market reports provide a competitive landscape analysis, including information about key market players, their market share, strategies, and product portfolios. This information helps businesses understand their competitors' strengths and weaknesses, identify market gaps, and develop strategies to gain a competitive advantage.
Industry Trends and Insights: These reports offer insights into industry-specific trends, emerging technologies, and regulatory frameworks. Understanding industry dynamics and staying updated on the latest trends can help businesses identify growth opportunities and stay ahead in a competitive market.
Investment and Expansion Opportunities: Global research market reports provide information about investment opportunities, potential markets for expansion, and emerging growth areas. These reports help businesses identify untapped markets, assess the feasibility of investments, and make informed decisions regarding expansion strategies.
Risk Mitigation: Market reports provide risk assessment and mitigation strategies. By analyzing market dynamics, potential challenges, and regulatory frameworks, businesses can proactively identify risks and develop strategies to mitigate them, ensuring better risk management and decision-making.
Cost and Time Efficiency: Conducting comprehensive market research independently can be time-consuming and expensive. Purchasing a global research market report provides a cost-effective and time-efficient solution, saving businesses valuable resources while still gaining access to reliable and detailed market information.
Decision-Making Support: Global research market reports serve as decision-making tools by providing data-driven insights and analysis. Businesses can rely on these reports to support their decision-making process, validate assumptions, and evaluate the potential outcomes of different strategies.
In general, market research studies offer companies and organisations useful data that can aid in making decisions and maintaining competitiveness in their industry. They can offer a strong basis for decision-making, strategy formulation, and company planning.
About US:
Stringent Datalytics offers both custom and syndicated market research reports. Custom market research reports are tailored to a specific client's needs and requirements. These reports provide unique insights into a particular industry or market segment and can help businesses make informed decisions about their strategies and operations.
Syndicated market research reports, on the other hand, are pre-existing reports that are available for purchase by multiple clients. These reports are often produced on a regular basis, such as annually or quarterly, and cover a broad range of industries and market segments. Syndicated reports provide clients with insights into industry trends, market sizes, and competitive landscapes. By offering both custom and syndicated reports, Stringent Datalytics can provide clients with a range of market research solutions that can be customized to their specific needs
Contact US:
Stringent Datalytics
Contact No -  +1 346 666 6655
Email Id -  [email protected]
Web - https://stringentdatalytics.com/
0 notes
astrologydray · 30 days ago
Text
Ruler of the 7th through the houses
The ruler of the 7th house through the houses is all about your relationships, your mirror, your soulmate energy, so when we look at where the ruler of your 7th house is placed, we’re seeing where love leads you, who you’re drawn to and why, and how you balance “me” and “we.”
7th House Ruler in the 1st House
You attract what you are.
You’re your own soulmate first. People project their ideal partner onto you, and you likely pull a lot of romantic attention. Relationships play a huge role in shaping your identity. Attracts: Partners who reflect YOU. Love lesson: Don’t lose self in other’s gaze. “When I know myself, I attract the right one.”
7th House Ruler in the 2nd House
You crave stable, sensual partnerships.
Relationships are deeply tied to your values and self-worth. You’re drawn to partners who offer security or help build your sense of value — emotionally, physically, or materially. Attracts: Loyal, resourceful, dependable partners. Love lesson: Avoid transactional dynamics. “My love is worth investing in.”
7th House Ruler in the 3rd House
Love begins with conversation.
You’re drawn to witty, curious, communicative partners. Mental stimulation is non-negotiable, and you may meet lovers through local events, online, or your immediate network. Attracts: Smart, talkative, adaptable partners. Love lesson: Say what you actually feel. “We flirt with our minds first.”
7th House Ruler in the 4th House
You want roots, not just romance.
You crave emotional depth and soul-level safety in relationships. Family, home life, or ancestry may play into who you choose. Love must feel safe before it feels exciting. Attracts: Nurturing, nostalgic, homebody types. Love lesson: Don’t hide from growth for comfort. “Build me a home, and I’ll give you my heart.”
7th House Ruler in the 5th House
Love = play, passion, and performance.
You’re attracted to romantic, expressive, fun-loving partners. You may meet lovers through creative or artistic spaces. You seek chemistry, spark, and someone to make life feel alive. Attracts: Bold, magnetic, attention-giving lovers. Love lesson: Don’t confuse drama with depth. “Love me loud or leave me alone.”
7th House Ruler in the 6th House
You fall for devotion.
You’re drawn to reliable, humble, helpful lovers — or you may end up in relationships through work or health settings. Acts of service are your love language, and routine = romance. Attracts: Hard-working, grounded, supportive partners. Love lesson: Don’t make love a duty. Vibe: “Love is in the little things.”
7th House Ruler in the 7th House
You’re born for partnership.
Relationships are central to your life path. You likely attract a lot of attention — and may idealize partnerships as the key to your happiness. Balance and harmony in love are your life’s art. Attracts: Magnetic, equal, romantic types. Love lesson: Don’t abandon self for the other. “You + me = magic, but I must remain me.”
7th House Ruler in the 8th House
You want soul-merging love.
You attract intense, transformative, karmic bonds. Relationships are portals for your deepest evolution. Love may involve shared resources, secrets, or deep emotional alchemy. Attracts: Deep, passionate, complex partners. Love lesson: Don’t cling to chaos. “If love doesn’t change me, I don’t want it.”
7th House Ruler in the 9th House
You fall for minds, missions + meaning.
You attract lovers from different cultures, philosophies, or belief systems. Your ideal partner expands your world. You may meet them while traveling, studying, or seeking truth. Attracts: Free-spirited, wise, idealistic partners. Love lesson: Don’t escape reality for the fantasy. “My love story is a journey.”
7th House Ruler in the 10th House
Love shapes your legacy.
You may meet partners through work, status circles, or shared goals. You’re drawn to ambitious or “high-value” lovers. Your relationships may be public, or part of your career path. Attracts: Successful, authoritative, respected people. Love lesson: Let love in without needing it to look perfect. “Let’s build an empire together.”
7th House Ruler in the 11th House
You love like a rebel.
You’re attracted to unique, unconventional, or freedom-loving partners — maybe even meeting them online or in friend groups. You want romance that respects individuality + vision. Attracts: Eccentric, visionary, community-driven types. Love lesson: Detach without dissociating. “Let’s love like it’s the future.”
7th House Ruler in the 12th House
Your love life is spiritual, secret, or karmic.
You may be drawn to unavailable people or soulmate-type connections. Love is healing, mystical, or even hidden. You might need solitude to sort through what love really means to you. Attracts: Dreamy, mysterious, spiritual partners. Love lesson: Know when love is real vs. illusion. “My heart speaks in silence.”
769 notes · View notes
mehtallee · 2 months ago
Text
Pumping Dumb
Tumblr media
Troy wasn’t exactly the sharpest guy when we first met, but back then, at least he could form full sentences. He was my college roommate—a six-foot-four, gym-obsessed wall of muscle who somehow balanced his protein-shake-fueled lifestyle with being a student. Well, tried to, anyway. It didn’t take long before he started asking me for “help.”
“Bro, I need to get bigger,” he had groaned one night, staring at himself in our dorm mirror, flexing his arms. “But, like, I dunno, bro… I feel like I ain’t doing enough, y’know?”
I adjusted my glasses and leaned back in my chair, hiding my smirk. Oh, I know. I had been waiting for this moment.
“You need a system, Troy,” I said. “Someone to guide you. Someone… smart.”
His eyes lit up. “Like you, bro?”
I nodded. “Exactly like me.”
And just like that, I had him.
Tumblr media
The plan was subtle at first. I started with supplements—my own special mix, designed to boost his energy, accelerate his gains, and, well… gently suppress his higher thinking. The changes crept in slowly, so Troy never noticed. But I did.
He stopped questioning things. If I told him to do something, he’d do it—no hesitation.
“Drink this.”
“Okay, bro.”
“Do one more set.”
“Hell yeah, bro.”
“Skip that lecture. You don’t need it.”
“Yeah, bro, waste of time.”
Each day, he lifted heavier weights while his thoughts got lighter. His sentences got shorter. His vocabulary shrank. But he felt great, and that’s all that mattered to him.
----------------------------------------------
At first, I had to be careful. There were still traces of thought left in that thick skull of his. I learned that the hard way when I got too bold too soon.
One day, while he was sitting on his bed scrolling through his phone, I took the opportunity to get a little… hands-on.
“Damn, Troy,” I murmured, moving closer. “You’ve really packed on some size.”
He smirked, flexing his arm. “Hell yeah, bro. Feels tight.”
I reached out, letting my fingers graze over his biceps, testing their firmness. Perfect.
But then—
Tumblr media
“Uh, dude?” His expression shifted, uncomfortable. He pulled his arm away. “Kinda weird, man. Like, chill.”
I forced a laugh, raising my hands. “Hey, just admiring the work, dude.”
He gave me a wary look, then shrugged it off, going back to his phone. But I made a mental note. Too soon. There was still something in him that resisted. I’d have to fix that.
---------------------------------------
By the time we hit week three, Troy was skipping every single class. His idea, of course—or so he thought.
“Dude,” I said one morning, watching him struggle to put on a tank top that barely fit his swelling torso. “College isn’t really for guys like you, y’know?”
He frowned, his thick brows scrunching. “Huh?”
Tumblr media
“I mean, look at you, Troy. You were born to lift, to grow. You really think wasting time in lectures is gonna help you get swole?”
His lips moved slightly, like he was trying to process what I’d said, but I could see the gears in his head turning slower than before.
“Uh… yeah, bro,” he finally said, nodding. “Yeah! You right! I gotta, like… focus, bro. Just—just LIFT. Get BIG.”
I grinned. “Exactly.”
And just like that, Troy stopped attending College entirely.
-----------------------------------------------------
By week five, he had completely surrendered his decision-making to me without realizing it. He thought he was in control.
“Bro, should I eat this?”
Tumblr media
“What do you think, Troy?”
His blank stare lasted a second too long. Then: “Uh… I think… I dunno, bro. You think for me.”
“I do, don’t I?”
He nodded, beaming, completely unaware of how empty his own head had become. I had done it. Troy wasn’t just dumb anymore. He was mine.
------------------------------------------------
Tumblr media
6 months has passed since then, and now? Now I could touch him as much as I wanted.
“Hey, Troy,” I murmured, running my fingers along his thick arm. “You cool with this?”
Troy blinked, his dopey grin unwavering. “Huh? Uh… yeah, bro. I don’t mind.”
I squeezed his bicep, watching the way his muscle flexed under my grip. Perfection. “Why’s that?”
He tilted his head, slow to process. “’Cause… uh… I’m just… muscle, bro.”
I smirked. “That’s right. You’re just muscle. Just a big, strong body. No need to think, right?”
Troy’s lips parted slightly. “Yeah, bro. Just… body.”
I ran a hand down his chest, pressing into his pecs, feeling their firm weight. No resistance. Nothing but dumb compliance. My fingers brushed under his arm, grazing the warm, musky skin of his armpit. The scent hit me instantly—strong, masculine, overpowering.
“Man, you really are just a muscle,” I murmured, inhaling deeply. “Crazy, right? You used to think this was weird.”
Troy’s slack expression didn’t change. “Huh? Uh… nah, bro. Ain’t weird.”
I chuckled. “Oh, but you did think it was weird before. Remember?”
His forehead scrunched slightly, trying to think. “Uh… nah, bro. I don’t… remember.”
Tumblr media
I grinned, giving his pec a playful squeeze. “Of course you don’t. Because a muscle doesn’t need memories.”
Troy nodded slowly. “Yeah, bro… just muscle.”
“Just a muscle that belongs to me, huh?”
There was a pause. Then, with a slow, stupid nod: “Yeah, bro. Yours.”
I smirked and grabbed the hem of his shirt. “You don’t need this, do you?”
Troy blinked, watching as I pulled it up over his head and tossed it aside. His bare torso gleamed under the light, thick with sweat, pulsing with heat.
“Just a big, dumb toy for me to play with,” I murmured, trailing my hands across his chest, his stomach, his arms. “And you’re fine with that, aren’t you?”
Troy’s lips curled into a mindless smile. “Yeah, bro… fine with it.”
“Good boy.”
I dug my fingers into his flexed bicep, relishing the way he didn’t even flinch as I placed my fingers dip into the crevices of his bicep to his armpits...
This dumb muscle hunk is really far gone. all his work, all his excursion, all his efforts to build this majestic body, all of it is all mine.
766 notes · View notes
deadsetobsessions · 1 year ago
Text
Summonings
Ever since Danny Phantom became the Ghost King, he’s had to deal with an endless amount of crap. An eternity of it, actually, and it was constantly causing him unending amount of existential crises and stress.
First, there was the paperwork. Pariah Dark, the incompetent asshole, had left him decades worth of bureaucracy to painfully sift through. He ended up hiring some ghosts with paperwork obsessions to sort some of that out. Who knew ruling the infinite realms would require this much paperwork? He’s lucky each section of the underworld had their own systems to report to their own rulers who, in turn, report to him.
Secondly, there were the Observers. And other ghosts, like his own rogues, but they were the main issues. Eyeball menaces. They protested his appointment, something he actually agreed with. Putting a fifteen year old on the throne is rarely a smart decision. But the Infinite Realm values strength, the only type of currency that matters in the land of the gods and the dead. Danny? Phantom? He’s got strength in spades. With only a few months of being a ghost, Danny had managed to defeat Pariah Dark, who had cowered gods and struck fear into the hearts of ghost heroes.
But Danny hasn’t quite realized the significance of that yet, too focused on the realization that he was about to be in charge of the infinite realms. The Observants, since his reluctant and extremely limited coronation, has been up his ass about doing things the “proper way.”
Danny’s main problem lies with the ridiculous amount of paperwork though. It’s fine. Tedious. But fine.
But if he gets one more fifteen page essay style complaint form about some guy named Constantine, Danny might seriously reconsider donning Dan’s ruthlessness and offing the guy himself. Perhaps grab the man by his shoulders and shake him like a rag doll and ask who the fuck told him it was a good idea to sell his soul out like that? Danny eventually just sent out Skulker to hunt down the contracts and trade minor services for them. He owns most of the soul now, and perhaps he’ll hunt this guy down and force him to do paperwork.
Regardless, paperwork was just often tedious. He’s worked out a system for himself. The halfa, true to his teenage form, had better things to be doing. His homework, for one. Hanging out with his friends and logging in hours for Doomed 2 would be another. But no, he’s here, twirling a pen as he glared down at a stack of forms for a zone expansion. What the fuck does Zeus want to expand his zone for? The current share space of the sky domain is literally a perfect balance with respect towards the other gods. For the love of- Danny slams down a red ‘REJECTED’ stamp on top of the stack. His hair flickers wildly in annoyance, the iced over Crown floating above his head emitting concerning levels of frost. To anyone else but himself, of course.
He then feels a soft tug on his core.
Right. The third most annoying thing about becoming King: the fucking summoning. Danny taps his pen against his lips, clicking it against his fangs, as he considers the summoning circle that calls him. Huh. Desperation. Mildly bloody. Fear. Resignation- ah, fuck it, it’s not like he’s too enthusiastic about staying to do work with the Observers poking around. He takes the summoning, allowing his regalia to overtake his normal hazmat-clad form, and approves the summoning.
Oh hey, Danny thinks he recognizes that ugly ass trenchcoat.
—-
John Constantine has had more than enough practice summoning things that would give people nightmares. But there are things he normally refuses to touch, refuses to even entertain the idea of trying. As usual, desperation made John its bitch and the Justice League’s battered and bruised faces tugged on his shriveled heart.
He’s going to summon something from the Infinite Realms. Oh, but he wasn’t just summoning any old ghost. No, he thought, I’m just going to summon the one being that’s guaranteed to be able to crush our universe without breaking a sweat. Bollocks.
“Is it ready?”
“Untwist your pants, spooky,” John snaps, wishing he had a crate of whiskey he could down. “We’re trying to summon the Ghost King, not your average demon.”
“What do we know about him?” Batman’s gravelly voice demanded.
“Powerful enough to take us all out without even breaking a sweat. Defeated the bloody tyrant who ruled over the Realms last I heard.”
“That’s it?”
“You could ask Deadman, but I heard he’s on the outs with the Infinite Realms on the fact that he’s made of pure magic, not ectoplasm.”
“There’s no guarantee the king will work with us.” Zatanna says, pressing her fingertips together tiredly. She had been at the forefront of the battle and had paid the price for it. “But he’s supposedly more benevolent than his predecessor… and we’re out of options.”
“Hm.”
“Just make sure to shut up and let me do the talking.”
“Hn.”
John rolls his eyes and takes a fortifying breath, something that does not go unnoticed by the League. They all tense up, preparing themselves for a battle. Another one, seeing as they all got their ass kicked by a ghost only ten hours ago. The League is spread thin, running interference to distract the ghost in question and evacuating civilians.
John Constantine started chanting, the glow of his magic lighting up the circle as he spills his blood into the circle.
He waits, heart in his throat, for the summoning to work.
“Is it supposed to take-” Red Robin asks, only to cut himself off as the circle flares once more. Power pulsates outwards from the circle. Frost crackles on the frost resistant floors, spreading outwards as a green portal rips open the fabric of time and space. Long, spindly imitations of a hand grabs the edges of space and pulls, heaving the rest of his celestial body out of the tear in reality. John does not look away. He can not look away, not from the eerie green pallor of the King, not from his torrential white wisps of hair, not from the black-hole like material of his outfit, not from the nebulas and beginnings and endings tailored onto the King’s cape. John could not look away from the ice crown that floated like a bastion of power above the king’s head.
His mouth is dry. What price will he have to pay to save the world? What price will this being demand of him, of the Justice League, to save the world?
John desperately needs that drink.
—-
Oh! He’s in his home dimension! His core purrs at coming home, at the close proximity to his first haunt.
He was expecting cultists, or even the Winchesters again, but this is nice.
The Justice League- summoning him. Sam and Tucker are going to flip when they hear about this.
They’ve been staring at him in silence for a bit now. It was getting awkward.
“Why have you summoned me?” He asks, softening his tone. By their winces, he didn’t get it as well as he thought. Danny grimaces. At the first sign of discomfort though, the man in the trenchcoat- is that fucking Constantine?!- launches into a nerve filled tirade.
“Your, uh, Majesty.” He starts. “One of… One of your subjects is wreaking havoc on the world. We would be extremely grateful if… if you could reign him in?”
Danny’s face sours, only to quickly clear his expression as he realized how much even a small hint of displeasure causes the jumpiness in Constantine and the others.
“To do that, I will have to make a contract with you, seeing as you’ve summoned me.” Danny drawls, letting his overly long digits wave at the summoning circle in question. He could break it, of course, but Danny’s bored and trying to draw this out. He’s not saying he’d take a batch of cookies as payment but that’s exactly what he’s saying.
“The price… you could always have my soul?”
Danny pauses. “Your… soul?”
Oh, he did not say what he just said.
“Yes. My soul.”
Oh, he did.
Fuck it. Danny’s flashbacks of suffering through the reports pushes green into his irises and urgency to his action.
He breaks out of the circle, hands lunging and gripping Constantine’s jaw tightly. Danny ignores the shouts of alarm as he allows the thrown weapons to pass through him.
John Constantine is panicking now, struggling in the air as Danny lifts him an inch off the floor in agitation.
Good.
“Your soul, little wizard? The one you’ve split eight ways till the thirtieth of February? The one that caused,” he tightens his grip, no doubt bruising the man. “An insane amount of paperwork that I’ve had to suffer through. Your soul, John Constantine?”
Danny hisses his name. The man makes a warbling noise that Danny takes as acknowledgement. Danny bats away the weak spell Zatanna sends at him with a hand.
“You’ll find that I am in the possession of most of your soul contracts. To simply put,” he grins, teeth made of dying stars on display. “I own your soul. My soul, now.”
He drops the wizard who collapses onto his knees to stare up at him in horror, eyes flicking between the circle that was meant to contain him and Danny, who is very much not contained. He crouches down- something necessary but disjointed as he’s not used to this taller form- and speaks to Constantine in a slow, dead serious, drawl.
“If you ever sell your soul again, you and I are going to have issues. Is that clear, John Constantine?”
“Uh- yeah, yes, yes, your majesty.”
Patting his cheek condescendingly, Danny gets up and sighs, stress relieved. He’s starting to feel bad, though, so he allows his form to ripple back to his normal teenage Phantom self.
“Well, it’s not like anyone will buy it, since they know they’ll have to go against me.” He chirps, flipping 180 from his terror inducing eldritch voice. “So, what’ll you pay me to get rid of whatever ghost you’ve got?”
“…. Nothing?”
Red Robin holds out a bag, eyebags betraying his exhaustion. “I’ve got fifty dollars and a bag of cookies.”
Phantom beams at him. “Throw in a couple of autographs and you’ve got a deal.”
“That’s- yeah, okay.” Red Robin says, inching forward cautiously to hand him the bag.
“Great. I’ll be back for them later. You can call me Phantom. ‘Your Majesty’ gets annoying after a while.”
“Thank- thank you for your mercy, Your- Phantom.” Wonder Woman says.
“Sure. Make sure this idiot doesn’t make any more deals with demons while I’m out, yeah?”
With that, Danny Phantom grabs the bag of cookies and fifty dollars and flies through the wall to do his job.
John slams his head onto the space station floor.
“Fuck.”
—-
Danny: lol I’ll do it for the shits and giggles
Constantine and the League: he’s terrifying, a bastion of pure power and authority
Red Robin, Young “we commit war crimes bc it gets shit done” Justice leader and fellow gremlin: he’d probably do it for cookies. I would.
4K notes · View notes
khattikeri · 3 months ago
Text
admittedly shen yuan was super lucky to be transmigrated into an adult instead of as a suffering child who'd struggle with forming their own golden core. but even if he had been, i think he'd be really capable. like, disturbingly. he's no luo binghe, but he's genuinely good at what he does.
shen yuan is more of an all-rounder intellectually than we often give him credit for, with keen observation skills even without the system helping him out. sure he has his own interests (worldbuilding connoisseur -> obviously in-depth knowledge of culture and ecosystems). but he's smart and capable in a balanced way.
he doesn't flounder to come up with strategies. he takes to swordfighting with surprising ease. he excels at virtually every challenge on his own, and loves being occupied and having things to do. if he were transmigrated into someone more close to luo binghe's age, i can easily picture shen yuan as the genuinely kindhearted shixiong whose tragic fate encourages others to live on and fight in his memory...
also: that stern, serious face of his is equal parts Lofty Mean Facade and an honest part of who he is. shen yuan hates emulating shen jiu so much that from the beginning everyone realized (despite the inability to confirm their suspicions) he wasn't the same person!
even when the ooc lock is lifted, he continues to behave in a dignified, refined manner, whose emotions are kind of hard to read! but he is earnestly kind to others instead of catty or cruel, and that's the biggest difference. shen yuan does cares about appearance and image; it's not all an act. he's just easily embarrassed and doesn't like people drawing attention to whether he's done a good deed.
all that to say, if shen yuan were transmigrated as a disciple, i can easily see his personality being roughly the same: a bit more relaxed since he doesn't have the responsibilities of a peak lord, but still endearingly kind, a nurturing nag to his shidimei, with eloquence and elegant poise that makes everyone go crazy for him.
730 notes · View notes
hxney-lemcn · 10 months ago
Text
When You Nerd Out (Biology Edition) — Overblots x gn! reader
Tumblr media
summery: the overblots find out you're more of a nerd than they realized...
tw: mentions of bugs (not really but I digress), mentions of arachnids (literally just the name of one lol), mentions of reptiles (idk maybe people are scared of them), mentions of snakes.
a/n: a reptile show is happening soon and I've been looking into so many reptiles/invertebrates/amphibians I had to get this out of my system somehow. What better way then to ramble to fictional characters? (Help me)
wc: 1.2k (~180 per character)
Master List
Tumblr media
❥ Riddle Roseheart
When Riddle first met you, you were downtrodden, having just been thrown into a new world filled with magic and flair that yours didn’t. Your grades weren’t the best (but far from the worst), and you always seemed tired no matter what. So when your eyes lit up when he showed you the flamingo and hedgehog cages/pens he was surprised at the amount of facts that spilled from your lips. From how flamingos get their color to how hedgehogs are carnivores. Or how you could even ramble on about flowers and plants, like how tea garden roses are the most short lived species. From then on, Riddle would come to you for even the smallest of things. Did you want to feed the animals with him? This rose bush is wilting, are there any tips to bring it back? Do you know the meaning behind the colors of roses? No particular reason for that last question…just don’t question the bouquet of white and red roses mixed with baby’s breath that show up on your doorstep the next day.
❥ Leona Kingscholar
It was hard not to notice when you seemed to be on the brink of exploding. How you’d stare at awe in Leona’s presence, as you should. But your eyes would always wander to his ears, teeth, tail, nails. It got to a point that he felt like you were mentally dissecting him. It was his downfall to growl out a short “what”, as you started to pile on questions to the beastman prince. “Are your nails sharper than a humans?”, “How much better can you hear?”, “Does your tail help you balance?” All Leona could do was stare at you with boredom. Who knew his herbivore was a nerd? He supposes he could humor you for a little bit. Press his sharp nails lightly into your skin, a teasing smile as he asks if you’d like a test. Perhaps a nibble to show you how well his canines work? It all goes awry when you start taking interest in other beastmen, who cares about the cheetah or leopard bestmen when you have a lion prince right here?
❥ Azul Ashengrotto
Azul never thought twice about where he’s come from. He’s seen many kinds of merpeople, many kinds of fish or crustaceans or sharks. But he knew land dwellers didn’t have that, which is why he has the giant aquarium in his lounge. He got used to the awed expressions as well, more focused on swindling the poor souls. So when your jaw dropped and how you clearly restrained yourself from running up to the giant aquarium, Azul felt giddy. He could offer you something most couldn’t. He’d watch as you’d point out a fish or ray that you saw and explain how much you loved the color or how magnificent it looked. When you brought up how smart you thought octopi are, it was over. His heart couldn’t take it. You know he was an octopus merperson right? You were basically complimenting him without realizing it. He couldn’t get over how you stared in wonder at the blue ringed octopus that was waving back at you. And oh sevens you were giggling at it? He wasn’t getting jealous over another octopus, no way…
❥ Jamil Viper
Jamil noticed the excited look in your eyes when you learned his last name was Viper, but nothing had happened at the time. It wasn’t until Kalim had you rambling about animals did Jamil realize just how much you seemed to love snakes. How you named your favorite in a heartbeat to how you scrutinized the ones you looked into as pets. It wasn’t until Kalim started to offer to buy you all those snakes and more did he have to step in. Yet Jamil felt flustered when your gaze landed on him, your eyes that had been filled with fondness while rambling about snakes had only seemed to get brighter when looking at him. Reluctantly, Jamil let you drag him to a reptile show, something Kalim had pushed him to do. For his own sanity, Jamil ignored the giant pouch of money Kalim tried to stealthily hand you, instead, focusing on your awed expression at the variety of animals. He couldn’t help but watch the snakes in awe with you, and when you asked him if he wanted to help you set up an enclosure for one…who was he to say no?
❥ Vil Schoenheit
Vil is a busy man. With photo and movie shoots to interviews to taking care of himself, there isn’t much time to stop and smell the roses. But with you, he tries to make time, and it's like a breath of fresh air every time. It was nice to sit outside and bask in the sun (with sunscreen of course) and talk with you. Something had clearly caught your eye when you dropped from the bench to scoop something off the ground. Vil thought he knew you well enough…apparently not. He hadn’t expected to see you shove a rolly polly, pill bug, potato bug, whatever you want to call them into his face…okay maybe he’s exaggerating. You held the little thing far enough away that it wasn’t all too startling. He swore he never saw you so excited about something, or how you rambled that they weren’t bugs, but crustaceans that live on land. The way you gently held the critter to how fondly you looked at the curled up thing made Vil’s heart flutter. You always seemed to find beauty in things most would shudder at. How odd.
❥ Idia Shroud
Idia had no idea how you managed, but you had convinced him to get a plant. You had called it a zz plant, and thought it would be perfect to liven his room up as it didn’t need direct sunlight. He watched the plant as it sat next to a grow light, it needed something since he didn’t have any windows. The dark purple leaves were pretty, you were right. As much as he tried to keep up with watering, he would forget, but Ortho seemed to have it covered. When little leaves started sprouting, Idia felt proud, a weird feeling he wasn’t used to. When you came over and saw how well it was doing you beamed. That stupid fluttery feeling filled him as you praised him, not to mention it mixing with feeling proud. Not a good combo, as now he was thinking of asking you if there’s any other plant you may recommend, just to get you rambling once more about different plants that could thrive in his little cave of a room.
❥ Malleus Draconia
Although Malleus loves to hear your voice, you always seem content to hear him ramble. The way your eyes watched intently, trying to find what he was pointing out on a gargoyle, or how you’d ask questions about the differences of a gargoyle and grotesque. At first, he was concerned when you gasped, had you gotten hurt somehow? Yet he found you excitedly pointing out a house gecko that stood near the gargoyle he was talking about. He watched you in awe as your eyes glittered, and how you were basically jumping up and down. Then you started going on about geckos, reptiles, and all sorts of odd things people keep as pets. The way you basically swooned at the thought of owning a crested gecko or a crocodile skink, Malleus was ready to hand you all the money you needed. He is the best and worst, as he’ll never tell you no and fund your hobby till your heart’s content. Just make sure to pay attention to him too, yeah? Unlike skinks or tarantula’s, he likes your affection. Plus, he’s the best reptile of them all, no? He’d gladly show you his dragon form.
Tumblr media
2K notes · View notes
honeytonedhottie · 6 months ago
Text
celebrity energy⋆.ೃ࿔*:・👛🐩
Tumblr media
i've written a post about celebrity energy before and in this post i kinda wanted to add onto what was said in that post and incorporate new info and sections…💬🎀
Tumblr media Tumblr media
THE IT FACTOR ;
the it factor is the ability to capture people's attention. its about ur aura, ur identity, ur PRESENCE. you dont have to be "born with it" like a lot of people like to say, it is something that can be achieved.
so essentially ur gonna wanna get into a state where there is no fear. literally eliminate it. use the alter ego effect, affirm until ur fears dissipate, WHATEVER works for u but u just wanna get into a state where there is no fear because thats when ur truly magnetic.
MORE ON SELF CONCEPT ;
we've been conditioned to believe certain things about ourselves, whether its negative or positive and its our responsibility to rewire our brains and form those new assumptions so that then we can get back to our it factor and our hyper identity.
to get to a state where there is no fear you must also be able to hack ur nervous system. aka nervous system regulation. aka the best thing EVER…💬🎀
♡ breathing exercises and deep breathing ♡ humming to stimulate ur vagus nerve
THE TRIPLE C'S ;
while making the notes for celebrity energy (the big C) and i was able to umbrella it to three main points. those points being confidence, cuntiness, and charisma. 💕✍🏽
Tumblr media Tumblr media
♡ confidence ; celebrities need to have undeniable confidence in themselves and their abilities. they're famous for a reason and they know that. work on ur self concept and watch ur confidence sky rocket.
♡ cuntiness ; to be cunty is to be feminine and aware of urself. be cunty in the things that u do and the way that u handle urself. to be cunty is to find the perfect balance of inner strength and delicateness. cunt = refined.
♡ charisma ; authenticity is the heart of charisma. be authentic and dont be afraid to take up space.
PERSONAL BRAND AND REPUTATION ;
to further touch on those points ur social media IS your brand. this section kind of ties in with the next but im trying to distinguish between the two. so ur personal brand is what u do. so lets say ur rly SUPER smart and ur known for getting A's on like everything.
that is ur personal brand and that comes with a reputation that u may or may not feel obligated to uphold. but its important to uphold a reputation of some sort. with that being said be careful of what u post on ur social media because DIGITAL FOOTPRINT IS REAL. and when people look at ur social media they're seeing a representation of what ur putting out to the world so always be mindful.
832 notes · View notes
agirlwithglam · 1 year ago
Text
🎀 The It Girl Lifestyle Guide 🎀
Tumblr media Tumblr media
hi girlies! this guide is a part of the big series: The Ultimate It-Girlism Guide. in this mini guide i'll be including all things health, morning/nighttime routines, and more!
Tumblr media
How to create your ideal morning / night / any other routine:
Here’s a mini step by step guide to curating a routine that works specifically for YOU, tailored to your own needs and wants. This can be for any routine u wanna create: morning, night, after school, after work, before school/ work, etc etc.
Tumblr media
Apps / things needed:
ChatGPT (or an AI like that- it’s not completely necessary but it’s useful)
Notes app / docs app. (Or a pen and paper- this will be to write down the routine!)
Calendar app (optional tbh)
Ok so first off: decide what you want in your routine. Make a list in no particular order of what you need/ want in the routine.
Some examples:
Tumblr media Tumblr media Tumblr media
Once you’ve created this list, you’re pretty much half way done. In this next part you can use chat GPT to make it easier, or use your own mind.
The next thing to do is: ask chatGPT to make a routine with the steps u wanted.
Make sure to mention what time your routine starts and ends. And if there’s anything you want to change, you can just ask the AI or make those changes yourself!
The last step is to write it down!
You can either write it down on the notes app, docs, on a journal/ piece of paper, anything that’s easily accessible to you. I heavily recommend writing it down somewhere, but if you dont want to you can…
Put it into your calander. This can help you be a bit more organised, but it’s not completely needed. As long as it’s written down somewhere- so you dont need to always remember it- you’re good.
Tumblr media
Health and wellness
In this section, i will be talking about fitness, mental health and physical health. I will mention some useful tips to finally start, how to overcome procrastination, and how to take care of that area of your body.
Tumblr media
1. FITNESS.
Numero uno: fitness! I’m not going to go yapping on about how fitness is so important- im assuming you all know that by now. But let me just remind you that staying fit is not only exercising or going to the gym everyday. It can be: running, going for a walk, playing a sport, yoga, pilates, dancing, cycling, and THE LIST GOES ON. DO anything that moves your body and gets you fit!
Here are some tips to help you get started:
Start small. Set small goals first. Set SMART goals
Choose the activities you enjoy. Like i mentioned earlier, there’s tons of ways to stay fit- cycling, running, swimming, yoga, dance, sports, etc. etc. (if you like, joining a class or working out with friends can help you stay motivated!)
Stay consistent. I know i know, this is said everywhere. But there is no progress without consistency. Even if you can’t do a whole workout one day, try and do 10 jumping jacks, or 5 pushups. Do whatever you can. Remember: 1% is better than 0.
Create a vision board. You can create one yourself, or find tons of them off Pinterest. Vision boards will make the process so much more fun and will certainly motivate you.
Set a reward system. Tell yourself: if you do this high intensity workout now, you can go to the spa later or watch tv.
Find a why. This goes for like everything tbh. If your why is big enough, you are capable of doing anything (even finding that lost book that you owe the library!) basically, are you doing this to get ripped? With tons of abs, or to get strong and impress people? Or are you doing this to boost your self esteem and improve your health?
2. FOOD & NUTRITION.
Balanced diet: eat the rainbow! Meaning- eat meals with a variety of different colours. Fruits, vegetables, proteins, carbohydrates, etc. it’s completely alright to eat a chocolate, but remember: EVERYTHING IN MODERATION.
Hydration: aim for at least 8 glasses of water a day. Trust me, drinking the magical potion that is water will help you SO much! It can help you clear your skin, have pink uncrusty lips, keep you fit and soooo much more.
Mindful eating: in the book IKIGAI it is said that you should only eat until you’re 80% full. Not 100%. Why? Because the time it takes for you to digest the food will have already made you extremely full. You may even have a stomachache. Studies also show that cutting back on calories can lead to better heart health, longevity, and weight loss.
Here are some tips to manage cravings:
Find healthier alternatives. If you are craving something sweet like chocolate, have something like a sweet fruit. If you crave something salty, try nuts. If you can’t think of any, search up some healthier alternatives to it!
Create more friction for junk, and less friction for healthy. This concept was said in the book Atomic Habits by James Clear. What does it mean? Make sure that it takes a lot of energy to get the unhealthy junk food. Maybe keep them high up in a cupboard so whenever you want it you have to go get a ladder, climb up, and then get it. And keep the healthy food in easy reach. Like some fruits open on a table, etc. (also remember to keep some actually yummy healthy food like Greek yogurt or protein bars.)
Distract yourself. Go do a workout or engage your mind in a hobby that you enjoy. Basically take your mind off food.
Yummy water. Make some lemonade for yourself. Or perhaps add slices of lemon, cucumber, mint or strawberries to it for some flavours. I’d do some research on this cus i know that some combos can rly help for things like clearing your skin, boosting energy, etc.
3. MENTAL HEALTH
Taking care of your mental health is just as important as taking care of your physical health. It affects how we think, feel and act and also determines how we handle stress, relate to others, relationships, etc.
Of course there will be ups and downs for our mental health. It’s not something that you can just fix once and it’ll be good forever. No, it’s a rollercoaster. But having a “good” mental health is really important for a successful lifestyle.
Here are some tips to help you improve your mental health:
Meditation / deep breathing. I can’t emphasise how important this is. Even 1-2 minutes a day is good. Start small. You dont even need to be sitting crossed legged for this. Whether you’re in class, on a vehicle or in a stressful situation; just breathe. Take a deep breath, and out. Do it right now.
Journalling. Write. It. Out. Writing your problems and worries out is SOO therapeutic, especially when you want to calm down. There are SO MANY benefits to journalling. But remember that once you’ve ranted on the paper, tear it, rip it, and watch it burn. (Don’t keep a journal for this unless you KNOW 150% that no ones ever gonna read it. Trust me, it’s terrifying knowing that someone’s read that.) other things you can do is create a gratitude journal, so whenever you’re feeling low you can just go to it or write in it.
Self careee!! Create time for self care in your week. Because if you do that, it’s gonna be that one thing which you’ll be looking forward to each week, which will make life SO much more fun and bearable. For me, my forms of self care are watching thewizardliz or tam Kaur, reading, watching a movie at night, etc.
POSITIVE. SELF. TALK. Need i say more? What you say to yourself, is what you believe. And what you believe reflects in your external life.
Sing your heart out to Olivia Rodrigo. I swear this is actually so calming and therapeutic. Basically: express your feelings. If you’re angry at someone, feeling grief or really hurt by someone, screaming to Olivia Rodrigo songs in my bedroom is my go-to (i just make sure not to do it when others can here hehe). You can punch your pillow, scream, cry, etc.
Remember honey: this too will pass. Repeat that over in your head. This will pass. This will pass. This will pass. I know you may be going through the toughest time ever, but this too will pass. Nothing is forever. You’ve gotten through so much worse. You’ve got this.
!! Girls, please remember that these are just some tips. I am NOT a professional. If you really feel horrible every single day, go to therapy or counselling. Also contact mental health hotlines or emergency numbers if needed.
Tumblr media
Mkay thats it! I hope this was of some value to you, and stay tuned for the next guide in the it girl series!
2K notes · View notes
tallaennatargaryen · 3 hours ago
Text
Wife Speak
Tumblr media
Bucky Barnes x Wife!Reader
Synopsis: You asked Bucky to install the security camera a month ago, and he still hasn’t done it. You take matters into your own hands, to his vexation.
Warnings: Bucky's been too busy to do what you asked, you put yourself in slight peril, worried!Bucky, gentle manhandling, protective!Bucky, mention of previous injury, my own lack of construction know-how so I apologize for any inaccuracies, no use of Y/N
This is my first time writing in second person so hopefully I did okay! This was inspired by this short I saw on YouTube.
You were good at a lot of things. The team’s go-to “girl in the chair,” there was no one better at intel, strategy, quick escape plans, and getting into just about any system you were presented with. You’d had the Avengers’ lives in your hands countless times, and never led them to put a foot wrong. Somehow, you, a girl with just a bachelor’s degree, a–perhaps excessive–perfectionist streak, and a mini fridge full of energy drinks to help you stay sharp on overnight missions, had become indispensable to the Earth’s mightiest heroes.
But you couldn’t install a security camera above your front door.
As smart as you were, you were probably equally as uncoordinated. All the bruises in odd places told the tale of your frequent misfortune. Walking by itself often presented a perilous challenge, so standing on a ladder, balancing precariously with expensive equipment and sharp objects in your hands seemed like a perfect recipe for a trip to the ER and a costly bill for tech replacements.
Which was why you’d asked your husband, a super soldier with a metal arm and a keen eye for home repairs, to do it.
A month ago.
And three weeks ago.
And two weeks ago.
And last week.
You were tired of waiting. Bucky, of course, was busy, and often away on missions, but you only ever asked him to do it when he had a moment to spare. He’d said he would, every time you’d asked, but there was still no camera above your front door. On top of it all, the camera had been Bucky’s idea, a little extra security for when he was away on missions; it was one of Stark’s smart cameras, which could differentiate between a mailman dropping off a package and a criminal about to break into the house. Bucky didn’t exactly know how all of that worked, but he was good with the installation, and you both knew better than to assign the job to you. But the camera had sat there for a month, collecting dust on the dining room table, and despite all his promises, you knew it was time to take matters into your own hands.
And maybe get a little payback while you were at it.
It was a warm spring day, and the front door was open to let the breeze in but the screen door was in place to keep the bugs out. Bucky was in the kitchen, making lunch, so he’d be able to hear everything easily, between his proximity, the open door, and his enhanced hearing. Smirking to yourself, you set up the ladder as quietly as possible, knowing that that alone would tip Bucky off and make him come rushing out before you were ready. If this was going to get done today, you needed to execute the full plan.
Picking up the electric drill and the mount for the camera, you put one foot up on the ladder, and held down the trigger of the drill for a few seconds, causing a loud whirring sound to tear through the quiet midday air. Just as you took another step up and held down the trigger again, Bucky’s voice carried out from the kitchen.
“Doll?” he questioned, and it took everything in you not to laugh. You gave no answer, instead only whirring the drill once more as you climbed to the top of the ladder. “What are you doing?”
You might have felt bad about the panic and concern in his voice, but if he’d done this a month ago when you’d asked, you wouldn’t have to go to such lengths to have it be done. Natasha had called it wife speak, when women use their sly little tricks to get their husbands to do what they need to. She used it with Banner, Pepper used it with Tony, Wanda used it with Vision; it was a universal language amongst women when requests and orders just weren’t cutting it.
Holding the mount up against the wall, you furrowed your brow in concentration as you tried to figure out how to hold the mount, place the nail, and drill it in all at the same time with only two hands. Judging by the purposeful footsteps pounding towards the front door, you knew you wouldn’t have to keep trying to figure it out for long. Still, you kept up the ruse, because he needed to think you were serious about doing it yourself if he was going to get it done right this minute.
“Baby, what are you doing?” Bucky asked, voice raising with alarm as he found you balancing precariously on top of the small ladder. Paying him no mind, you decided to just wing it and put the screwdriver into the head of the nail, pulling the trigger to send the nail spinning into the wall. For extra effect, you added a little wobble, just enough to make Bucky worry more but not so much that your uncoordinated self would actually fall. “Honey! Stop! What are you doing?”
“What?” you responded innocently, still not turning around. “I’m putting up the camera.”
“Why?” His hands grasped at your waist, but you pushed him away as you continued your ruse and placed the next nail.
“Because it needs to go up?” you said it as if it was the most obvious thing in the world, because it was, hello, and you’d asked him to do it so many times. Once more, you placed the drill into the nail head and let it rip, watching the nail spin into place. Maybe you could do it yourself. Maybe impatience was all it took to overcome your incoordination. 
“Baby. Baby, baby, baby.” Bucky’s hands were on your waist again, this time with a firmer grip so you couldn’t brush him off so easily. “Come off the ladder.”
“It needs to go up, Bucky,” you insisted, milking your moment of acting for all it was worth.
“I know, so I’ll do it, okay? Just please, come off the ladder.”
“I’ve asked you a million times over the last month to do it and you still haven’t, so I’m gonna do it and then I’ll know it's done.”
The drill was slightly stuck in the nail head once it was screwed all the way in. You gave it a tug, and the force of it combined with the resistance of the drill to come loose caused you to tip backwards slightly; for a moment, you thought you might fall, but you regained your balance after a second or two. Still, it was a second or two too long for Bucky, who’d had enough of asking nicely and being patient. 
“Alright, that’s it,” he declared, using his strength and his grip on your waist to lift you off the ladder and set you on the wooden boards of the porch like you were little more than a doll. You almost grinned at the move, as being on the receiving end of his enhanced strength and fierce protectiveness always made your stomach do somersaults. By the time he spun you around to face him though, you had regained your self-control and regarded him with a displeased scowl. “What are you doing, huh, doll? You know I don’t like you up on that thing.”
Crossing your arms over your chest, you huffed, “Well, someone has to put the camera up, since you’ve proven yourself incapable.” You turned to step back onto the ladder, but Bucky grasped your arm gently and pulled you to him, maneuvering at the same time to take the drill and the remaining nails from you. You resisted, but even when he was diluting his strength, you couldn’t hope to best him, so instead you started to complain, “Bucky-”
“I know, doll, I know,” he said, voice soft as he pried the drill and nails out of your hands. He pressed a kiss to your forehead and then your nose for extra contrition. “I’m sorry. I should’ve done it when you asked me to, but I’ll do it right now, okay? Just…please stay off the ladder?”
“Why? ‘Cause I’m a girl?”
Bucky chuckled in amusement, his free hand rising to cup your cheek and pull you closer so he could press a sweet kiss to your lips. You melted against him instantly, as you always did, because Bucky always kissed you like he was trying to transfer his heart from his body to yours, deeply and wholly and with every ounce of love that he had. After a moment, he pulled away, though he kept his nose touching yours as his twinkling eyes gazed at you adoringly. “It’s not because you’re a girl, it’s because it’s you, doll. The last time I trusted you with a drill and nails, you drilled your sleeve into the wall and broke your finger trying to pull it free.”
Nose scrunching and lips pouting, you did your best to fight off a smile, trying to lay it on just a little thicker to make sure you would get what you wanted. “Promise you’ll do it right now?”
“Pinky promise.” Bucky held up his pinky finger between you, and you locked yours around it. “You can stay and watch if you want, just to be sure. I think you’ll like the view.”
Rolling your eyes, you gave him another quick peck before stepping back and nodding for him to climb up the ladder. Once his back was turned and he was on the top step, your mischievous smirk returned in full force, not only because of your triumph, but because you really did like the view.
174 notes · View notes
soleauclub · 10 days ago
Text
The Clean Girl’s Guide to Eating Out Without Giving Up Your Goals
by Soleau Club
Tumblr media Tumblr media
Just because you’re prioritizing your glow, your gut, and your goals doesn’t mean you’re suddenly gonna start skipping dinner dates and living off steamed kale and sad vibes. You’re a clean girl, not a prisoner.
This guide? It's your permission slip to be social, sexy, and still on track. Because we believe in glow-ups and guac.
1. Pre-Game Like a Wellness Pro
No, not with tequila (yet). Pre-game your dinner with:
A tall glass of water with minerals or lemon
A protein-rich snack (think: boiled egg, collagen shake, a few bites of chicken)
A little mindfulness moment to ask: What do I actually want to feel after this meal?
When your body isn’t starving and your nervous system isn’t shot, you make chic choices—not chaotic ones.
2. Scope the Menu Like It’s the SAT
Before you even slide into the booth, check the menu. Think of it like studying the vibe:
Look for keywords: grilled, steamed, baked, roasted
Watch out for the red flags: creamy, crispy, smothered, battered (aka delicious, but sabotage-coded)
Find your balance: protein, fiber, healthy fat Clean girls don’t obsess—they optimize.
3. Make the Clean Swap Without Making It Weird
Want fries? Order the salad and ask for a side of fries to split. Want a cocktail? Get a tequila soda with lime. Want dessert? Get one for the table, have a few blissful bites, and move on like the hot girl you are.
You don’t need to explain or defend your choices. You’re just out here eating cute and feeling cute.
4. Use the “Plate Method,” Hot Girl Edition
You don’t need to track macros to eat smart. Just scan your plate like this:
Half veggies
A quarter protein
A quarter carbs or starch
Add healthy fat (olive oil, avocado, etc.) if it’s not already there
If your plate looks like something your future self would post on Stories with a glowy skin filter… you’re doing it right.
5. Be Social, Not Stressed
Remember: one meal won’t ruin your progress. One night of sodium won’t erase your abs. What actually isn’t hot? Obsessing, guilt-tripping, or spiraling over sushi rice. Ew.
Clean girl energy = grace + discipline, not all-or-nothing.
6. Move On with Main Character Energy
The next morning? Hydrate. Move. Re-center. You don’t need to punish yourself for living your life. You’re not “off track”—you’re in flow. Real wellness includes date nights, margaritas, and food that makes your soul sigh.
You can eat out and still eat like the version of you who’s balanced, glowing, energized, and snatched. The clean girl doesn’t restrict—she curates.
Follow @soleauclub for more wellness that works in real life (and real outfits).
168 notes · View notes
hellomissella · 1 month ago
Text
manchester animal hospital and emergency
simon riley x vet tech reader
CONTENT WARNING: veterinary work and mentions of animal injury and illness.
working at an emergency veterinarian hospital means your days are, essentially, split into four stages:
if you work in the morning (i.e. 7AM-3PM), your day looks like most typical vets. you enter the office, change into your scrubs and fasten your ID badge and smart watch. because you’re smarter than some of your colleagues, you stretch. your job requires a lot of movement, a lot of lifting, a lot of restraining things that don’t want to be restrained. you slip into your comfiest running shoes. then you sign in. review the upcoming appointments — yearly check ups, inoculation, basic grooming, relatively minor illness or injuries that still need to be looked at, follow-up appointments, neutering or spaying. you attend the vet visits themselves and interact with pets with a variety of reactions: immense fear or unbelievable elation to meet more friends. you fill prescriptions (and split those pesky pills) and explain to pet owners how to administer them. sadder but necessary days have euthanasias.
sometimes you’re gifted the tedious job of assisting in major surgeries. always a pleasure. and sometimes you’re lucky and you don’t have any emergencies bursting through the door, demanding all hands-on-deck, regardless if you’re on break or not.
if you have to express another pet’s anal glands, it’ll be too soon —
if you work in the evenings (i.e. 3PM-11PM), you know the appointments set in the system are likely to be more pressing.
“my dog ate my chocolate cake!”
“my cat is straining when she’s in the litter box and peeing blood.”
“my dog just ripped his dew claw out.”
hoping there won’t be catastrophic emergencies is naïve, but if the gods of veterinary medicine smile upon you, you might just get your wish. more often than not, you get pets hit by cars, pets who have been seized by a rescue from abusive owners, pets who are experiencing seriously worrying signs and symptoms. you’re working with other veterinarian hospitals because your hospital has specialized services, specialized doctors. you obtain vet records, set up files, meet with the referred patients.
lots of blood/urinary/fecal testing. x-rays. ultrasounds.
working night (i.e. 6PM-2AM) means more support work than anything else. keep the place from burning down and make sure the till balances at the end of the day. the unsung heroes (or maybe sung, depending how conscious everyone is by the end).
working overnight (i.e. 11PM-7AM) is always the calmest… until it’s not. those shifts are often filled with paperwork, and caring for inpatients. if anyone is coming through your hospital doors, it’s a life-or-death situation, every time.
it’s during one of those overnight shifts — at 6:45AM, just as your calm shift is coming to its end — when simon riley bursts inside, carrying an unconscious german shepherd in his arms.
“somebody help me!” he shouts.
you burst through from the back doors. there are no receptionists until 7:00AM. you and one of your vet assistants (carrying a stretcher) accompany you as you spot the massive man holding a bloodied german shepherd. the man falls to his knees, his breathing escalated as his eyes flicker back and forth on the black and brown dog.
“what happened?” you ask, as you place the stethoscope to your ears to listen for a heartbeat.
“i was walking him—” the man says, panting. with a brief flicker at the floor-to-ceiling windows, you see no car outside. he ran here, carrying a 40 kilogram dog. “someone else was walking their dog off the lead. it freaked and then attacked booker.”
“this is booker?” you clarify, referring to the bleeding dog. you place pressure on the wounds as the vet assistant straps the dog to the stretcher. the man nods. “okay. stay here.”
you and the vet assistant begin rushing into the back as another vet assistant moves toward the man so he can begin filling out papers — his name, contact information, and information about booker. you, in turn, are shouting information and instructions to the rest of the team, shouting down the hall as the veterinarian on staff (who has been preparing for emergency surgery for booker as you obtained the necessary information) is ready to go.
you’re calm. focused. you don’t blink, you don’t flinch. this is what you do.
instead of signing out at 7AM, you’re still at the vet hospital, changing from blooded scrubs to fresh ones. there’s blood in your hair but there’s no time to wash it out; you need to talk to the man and relay some information. you walk into the exam room where he has been patiently. but patient does not mean calm. he sits on one of the chairs — almost too small for the bulk of him — and cradles his head in his hands as his leg bounces up and down, trying to soothe himself. he’s quieter than most pet owners during these types of situations, but no less stressed.
“mr. riley?” you says softly as you open the door. he looks up at you, his eyes glassy from unshed tears. you can tell he’s examining you: his gaze immediately catching the blood in your hair.
“how is he—?”
“he’s going to be fine,” you say, lifting a hand — pause. “we’ve stopped the bleeding and he’s now stable but he’s going to need some time to recover here. some of the wounds were substantial.”
he nods, and he lowers his head as he sighs. he’s still on edge, so you take the other chair opposite him and try to help him come back down.
“you did good, getting him here as quick as you did,” you says. you notice, as you study him, the blood on his own dark clothes. the way he flexes his hand, you can tell that’s what he’s looking at, too. so you ask, “booker… is that from—?”
“bioshock infinite,” he confirms. then he nods.
a small smile curves the corner of your lips.
“so you could say, ‘booker, catch?’”
his whole body goes still before he huffs. maybe his version of a laugh? but he nods and looks back up at you with his striking eyes.
“…yeah, actually.”
you offer a full, warm smile, accompanied with a little chuckle. he doesn’t smile but he’s not bouncing his leg anymore. that’s some progress.
the both of you share a comfortable silence before you look down, looking at your shoes. they have blood on them, too. damn it.
you take a deep breath, clear your throat, and look back up, resetting yourself.
you go over the details of what has happened in the last little while: what the damages were and the consequences, and emphasize that they were all lucky and booker will not suffer from nerve damage. just tearing into skin, muscle, bone. no tendons. the surgery was successful and they closed off all wounds. he has been given the proper vaccinations and will undergo a round of powerful antibiotics. simon will need to bring booker in a few more times in the future for blood work, to ensure he hasn’t contracted any infections, especially from the other dog.
“can i see him?” simon asks, perking up.
you nod.
“he… he’ll look a little funny,” you say as you stand up. “we had to shave him all over the place to get to the wounds and stitch him.”
“that’s fine,” he says quickly.
you lead him to the back where the kennels are, and booker is on the floor, on a big heating pad. simon’s eyes soften as he spots his furry friend, and he bends to his knees as he whispers “hey, buddy,” is a delicate voice. booker, who is exhausted from surgery and a little woozy from the anesthesia, still wags his tail as he recognizes simon.
“i’ll give you some privacy,” you say as simon properly sits, cradling booker’s head in his arms to gently soothe him.
by the time simon emerges from the back room, you’ve changed into your regular clothes and have secured your bag on your person. you’re headed out the door — and into the bright, sunning morning and busy streets — when he calls out, “hey, wait!”
you turn around, eyebrows raised.
he walks up to you, his brows furrowed, his eyes soft. he looks almost excitable, like he’s searching for something to say now that he has your attention.
“i… wanted to thank you,” he says, he voice lower. “for everything. for acting as fast as you did. for letting me see him. so, thank you, doctor…?”
“i’m not a doctor,” you say, chuckling. “i’m a vet tech. like a nurse.”
he nods once. ah.
“then, thanks, nurse,” he says, a small smile at the end of his lips. “thank you for saving booker’s life. and mine.”
and mine.
and mine?
you don’t ask what he means by that so you nod instead. then you check the time on your watch and you wince at how late you’ve stayed at work. and him? he looks exhausted.
“get some rest,” you tell him. “they’ll call you when you can pick him up.”
he nods and he clenches his jaw, like he wants to say or ask or do something. can i buy you a coffee? can i take you out to dinner? as thanks, not as a date. wait — actually, yes, as a date.
“i’ll see you around,” you say, opening the door again. all you can really think of is your bed calling to you. “maybe next time we’ll meet under nicer circumstances.”
you nod at him one more time as he continues to stand where he is, watching you leave, his gaze following you until you turn the corner and toward home, to sleep.
you don’t get to see him smile.
-
this may be the start of a new series of one shots of simon riley x vet tech reader. lemme know if this is something you’re into reading.
-ella
check out my other fics
178 notes · View notes
princessleiana · 2 months ago
Text
astrology moon sign observations 💋ྀིྀི
segment two
Tumblr media
princess leiana astrology xoxo ⋆. 𐙚 ̊
11th moon house natives
A lot of people don't talk about how 11th-house natives actually have not the best relationship regarding their mother. I noticed that a lot of times with this placement people can have mothers who prioritize friendships, gossip about a child's business, aren't completely aware of how to emotionally support a child, or even have a child unexpectedly resulting in negative outcomes as it connects to a child's upbringing. Their relationship can also be good one second and the next it's crumbling. This also contributes to why an 11th house native can be isolated when it comes to dealing with emotional turmoil and actually begin to not like being around people who are very unpredictable as it resembles their mother. If you have this placement it is very important to understand your circumstances in your childhood and know you are not alone. And it is completely normal to go through ups and downs but it is very important to not pick up on unpredictable or unpleasant traits from your mother/mother figure. I also noticed with this placement a lot of people intellectualize their emotions and try and give solutions to themselves often not letting themselves feel the emotion in the given moment. Childhood may have brought you to an understanding of emotional connections early on in life. Many outcomes regarding relationships with the native mother are either absent, close relationships after childhood, or resentment. There is often an untraditional relationship between the native and the mother's relationship. Your friends may look to you for support and think you have great knowledge regarding emotional connections. You may consider your friends closer to you than family members and even feel more comfortable expressing yourself to your friends. These natives may also have a friendship relationship with their mother or have a mother who often treats them like a friend.
Leo sun + Aquarius moons
This is such an interesting combination people don't talk about enough. I think with every sun sign we get a different version based on your chart especially with your moon sign. The Leo sun and aquarius moon combination is a leo that embodies the energy to want to be seen & wants to be heard but values the connection within others. These people are incredibly smart and love to debate and share ideas amongst people. There is a calling to be seen when embarking on your independence but you don't sway away from human connection. These people are really aren't afraid to be themselves. I find with this placement these people do good in pop culture. These people love drama lowkey but in a way where they love breaking it down especially when something looks dumb. They aren't afraid to share their opinions regarding the population and topics the collective gravitates to. But these people do struggle with finding balance between creative expression and putting their self-expression outward vs being detached and rebellious. I find people with placement have a magnetism to them that compels people to always want to get their opinion regarding them or caring what this native might perceive them as. There is a certain magnetism to these natives people catch on quite quickly and every person with placement is a person who has a splash of uniqueness in their character It is pretty amusing and bold. But these people struggle with acceptance at times. Having fixed energy in the sun & the moon makes this native quite stubborn at times, especially in debates. But these natives are so loyal to friendships and literally are the best support system. They love being around their friends and watching them be together and feeling like they can make people unite. These natives loved to feel belonged and wanted.
Cancer moons with a 10th degree
These natives may have experienced a lot of emotional events in their lives that will forever stick in their paths and have shaped them into who they present themselves to be. There is a strong relation to how structure was represented in your home life as a child and that is often a theme. I think with this placement some one may have tried to guide this native to be conscious of how they represent their emotions in public or something even regarding that. These natives can be conscious of expressing themselves in public nature. These people are very good for comfort emotionally and can give a sense of authority in comfort. They may have played a mothering/fathering role or this can be in relation to having to grow quickly regarding home life and emotions. These people are actually more patient and observant with their emotions as cancer moons feels things quite often but these natives may have taught themselves the skill to be patient or observant with their emotions and the emotions of others. These natives are more susceptible to catching on to depression so I would be wary or they struggle with feeling sad. This placement can indicate this person being able to bring stability to home life especially when parenting. Tradition may be a theme in this native's life. This native may have had to play some traditional role within their home or even expectations. These natives have a lot of resilience.
written originally by me, don’t not steal writing.
let me know your opinions, did this resonate? :)
252 notes · View notes
killerlookz · 1 year ago
Text
Olive Green Couch | Spencer Reid
Tumblr media Tumblr media Tumblr media
description: when your best friend drags you to a party to meet a boy she's been fawning over, you find yourself completely bored and unimpressed- good thing you've stumbled upon a strikingly handsome (yet awkward) young graduate student named Spencer who seems equally as unhappy to be there to share your misery with.
pairing: grad school! spencer reid x f! reader
content: uhh mostly fluff, drinking, reader is described as wearing a mini skirt and wearing high heels.
word count: 4,242
Tumblr media
If I have to hear one more Weezer song I'm going to be sick. You think as the slow drums of Undone pour out over an all too expensive speaker system for a frat house.
The MIT frats were nothing like you experienced before, they were- for lack of a better term- a complete and utter sausage party. You can't remember the last time you'd seen this many men in a single room. If you weren't so bored maybe you would appreciate this as a reprieve from the usual maintaining "ratio" of the state school frat parties you'd been to. But even now you'd prefer that if it meant you wouldn't have to deal with another sloppily drunk man explaining the plot of The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy to you. Rich, pretentious, too smart for his own good MIT frat guy or dude-bro, alpha male, business major state school frat guy- it didn't matter; they were the same side of the same misogynistic coin.
You look down at the shot-glass sized solo cup in your hand, staring at the clear liquid inside. Maybe just one more shot and you'd finally start to enjoy the state you were in. You hoped maybe six shots would be the perfect number of drunk to enjoy yourself. You screw your eyes shut and throw back your head as you lift the cup to your mouth. The cheap vodka burns the second it touches your tongue, and you wince as you feel it travel down your throat and to your stomach. Your body shivers involuntarily as the warmth in your belly grows.
You face forward again, looking across the living room for your best friend- the one who dragged you here in the first place. You had suggested bar hopping or trying to get into a club, you didn't buy her a fake ID for no reason. But she insisted on coming here instead. Here- to this sweaty house filled with... well... dorks. She came here looking for some guy- Michael... Matthew... Miles.... shit, you couldn't remember. It didn't matter, you were here now, and she had ditched you to fend for yourself.
You take a step forward and all the alcohol you had drank prior seems to hit you a once, "Woah" You can't help but say out-loud as you catch your balance and wait for the room to stop spinning.
You take a few more wobbly steps forward before acclimating to your new, tipsy state. You make your way through the dimly lit house, trying to find your friend amongst the crowd and rowdy conversations. Observing the bodies that populated the house you suddenly felt insecure, and insanely overdressed- why was everyone wearing jeans and a t-shirt? Maybe a mini skirt was the wrong choice for tonight.
You make your way to a back room of the house, occupied by maybe only 10 people by your inebriated brain's estimate. There's an ugly looking olive green couch in the middle of the room- it' had obviously been through a lot but and you hated to imagine what had happened on that couch over the years, but right now it looked like the most comfortable thing in the world. You walk over and plop yourself over onto the couch, the cushions having a lot less give than you expected.
The beginning riff of Someday by The Strokes plays just outside of the room, and you groan- turning to the guy who you had just realized was sitting next to you.
"Do you know who's Dj-ing this fucking thing- can you tell them to play some Britney or something?" The words fall off your tongue, sloppily.
The boy sitting next to you turns to look at you, a confused look drawn upon his face, "Huh- me?"
Shit. He's kind of cute- In a dorky sort of way. His brown hair is perfectly unkempt, and small curls form at the back of his neck. His jawline is sharp, and his hollow cheeks accentuate his prominent cheek bones. His eyes are dark, and he looks a like he hasn't slept in years- you figured with the workload MIT students probably have- it would make sense if he actually hadn't slept since getting there. Truth be told, all things combined he looked a little sickly- he was obviously lanky maybe scrawny was a better word- his button up shirt seemed a little ill-fitted for his body, and his tie poorly tied. Still- you couldn't help but notice he was hot. The first hot guy you'd seen all night.
"Yes, you, pretty boy." You smirk.
His face reads as even more confused upon your clarification.
"Oh um," He looks down at the half-drunken beer that sits between his legs, shakes his head before looking back up at you, "I-uh I don't know the DJ, and I- um, also don't know who Britney is." He responds, a small nervous tremble in his voice.
"Spears?" You let out a small laugh, "You know like- Hit Me Baby One More Time." You half sing.
"Oh-" He looks off to the side, "No" he faces you again.
"Go figure," You scoff, still, keeping a smile on your face. "Say- are you in this frat?"
He shakes his head, "Oh- no, I'm a grad student."
"A grad student?" You respond, your eyes widen in shock no shot the man you were looking at right now was any older than you. "How old are you?"
"21" He responds, almost nonchalantly- like it wasn't some insane feat. "Well," He clarifies, "I'm actually in my third graduate program, I already have a PhD in mathematics and chemistry, from Cal Tech. I'm working on my engineering one now."
"Jesus," You smile, "So what, you're like some sort of genius, huh?"
"Well, I don't believe that intelligence can be accurately quantified- but I do have an IQ of 187, and an eidetic memory, and can read twenty thousand words per-minute."
You stare at him in awe for a moment, "So, a you are a genius?"
He gives you a small smile in response, "Yeah- I guess." He nods.
You're suddenly intrigued, only twenty-one years old and already a doctor twice over.
"So what brings you here Doctor...uh..."
"Reid," He nods and presses his lips into a line. "Oh! But, don't call me doctor you can call me Spencer."
"Well then, what brings you here, Spencer?" You correct yourself with a smile.
"My friend- uh he wanted me to come with him, he's meeting some girl here and he didn't want to go alone. I kind of got dragged along."
"Well," You grin, "It must be fate that we're here together on this ugly green couch, because if you could believe it- I'm here for the exact same reason except my friend- she's uh, meeting a guy here."
Spencer takes a small sip of the beer he had been holding, wincing as the liquid touched his lips. You figured he probably wasn't much of a drinker, he probably had things much more important on his plate than getting drunk and partying.
"Not much of a partier?" You ask to confirm your suspicions.
"Mhh," Spencer hums, mouth still full of beer, he shuts his eyes tight as he swallows thickly. "No." He shakes his head violently. "What gave it away?"
"Oh!" You bite your lip... "Nothing!" You say, innocently, voice steeped in sarcasm.
"It's okay," He laughs, "I know I look like a dork."
His laugh is infectious, and you can't help but smile in response. And Damn- he's really cute.
"Oh! Don't say that," You swat your hand at him, "I'm sure you get tons of ladies."
Spencer tilts his head to one side, in obvious disbelief of what you just said,
"I don't really appreciate the sarcasm," He says, his eyes narrowing at you.
"Sarcasm?" You pout, "No- I mean it Spencer, what you're like a genius. And I mean- you're not bad to look at," You bite your lip, "Not at all."
Spencer shook his head, "I was a child prodigy in a Las Vegas public school, and until now, I've always been way younger than everyone in college- my experience with girls is practically in the negatives."
"Oooh!" You smirk, "Vegas," You raise an eyebrow.
"Mhm," He takes another sip of his beer, his face more relaxed this time.
"You think I'd make a good showgirl?" You wink
"Oh- um," Spencer is suddenly blinking rapidly as his head scans you up and down. You can't help but feel a little bad at the way you have him flustered,
"I'm kidding! You don't have to answer that." You reassure. "Negative experience with girls, hm?"
"Yeah- I-uh, I haven't even had my first kiss yet." He says, looking down at his lap, refusing to make eye contact with you.
"No?" You say, still shocked, even given his prior explanations of his experiences with women, "Well..." You start, pausing for a moment, "If you ever want that to change let me know." Maybe that last part was meant to be a joke, but truth is you kind of really hoped he said yes, right there, right now.
"What?" He looks back up at you, eyebrows furrowed, "No- I don't need a pity kiss. I don't even know who you are."
"It is not a pity kiss, and I'm y/n, I go to UMASS, the Boston campus- like 15 minutes away. I'm 20, and uhhh... Well, the rest you can find out later." You wink, "Now you know me!" You smile, perking up from your spot on the couch.
"Well- uh. Nice to meet you y/n" He gives you an awkward tight lipped smile. "Are you- um- enjoying your night."
"God no," You scoff. "Does that make two of us?"
Spencer nods, side moving his eyes to look around the room. It had gotten significantly more crowded since you'd came in here, you hadn't noticed, you'd been too focused on getting to know Spencer that you kind of forgot you were at a party to begin with. It didn't seem to matter now anyway, you were intrigued beyond belief and wanted to know more about Dr. Reid.
"So, why'd you leave Caltech? The weather is certainly a lot nicer than it is here," Your body physically recoils at the thought of having to go back outside to the brisk New England fall after the party was over.
Spencer shrugged, "You can only get so many degrees at one place before you need a change of scenery. I've been at CalTech since I was like- fourteen."
"Fourteen?" Your eyes widen, thinking about what you were like at fourteen. You certainly weren't CalTech material, that's for sure. "When did you graduate high school?"
"1993," He smiles and nods, "Twelve years old"
Spencer had a charming humility about him, he was the smartest person you'd ever met but he spoke in a way that made it feel like it was every day that someone could graduate high school at 12 and have two PhDs by 21.
"What do you plan on doing after college with that pretty head of yours?" You ask, your slightly intoxicated brain unable to stop you from instinctively reaching out and fluffing his hair. Spencer's eyes flick up towards your hand and he gives you an awkward smile paired with a small laugh.
"Well- I uhh... I've been in contact with this guy- well from the FBI, the BAU... Behavioral Analysis Unit. We came into contact after my second dissertation, he was shocked at how young I was, having done so much- he suggested I come to the academy when I was done with this one." Spencer explained, he talked in a way that made him seem unsure of himself, like he, himself didn't fully understand how it happened.
"God," You muse, "The fucking FBI? Could you get any cooler?"
"You know," Spencer remarks, "I think that's the first time anyone has ever used to word "cool" to describe me." The tone in his voice is light, it's clear he's happy about that fact, but you can't help but feel your heart break at the statement.
"Cool even sounds like a little bit of an understatement to me. But you know... I think I'm a little too intoxicated right now to think of a synonym, so cool it is!"
"Do you have any plans for after college?" Spencer asks, nervously running a finger around the rim of the glass in his lap.
"Nothing as cool as the FBI," You shrug, "Actually, nothing concrete, really. Has me feeling a little inadequate in a room full of geniuses."
"Oh trust me," Spencer scans his head around the room, "Not all of these guys are geniuses."
"Well- they're complete nerds at the very least." You giggle.
"I think I qualify as a nerd too." Spencer smiles back.
"Oh you definitely do," You say, scooting closer to him, taking the beer glass out of his hand, "But you haven't tried to talk down to me about some movie everyone's seen, or some album everyone's heard like I'm some dumb idiot bimbo yet." You huff, finishing what was left of the liquid in the glass with a single gulp. You slam the cup down on the coffee table in front of you, "And even if I was a dumb idiot bimbo- what makes them think I'd care about whatever they'd have to say about OK Computer. We've all listened to Karma Police, big deal!" You realize you're getting a little heated over this and cut yourself off, "Anyways," You smile, "What I mean is you don't seem like some self important loser."
"Oh," Spencer furrows his eyebrows, "Thank...you?"
"Do you want to get out of here?"
"Y-Yeah, Yeah we can go." Spencer nods.
You stand up from the couch, wobbling a little bit as your legs lift you up. The room, is blurry, for a moment all you can see are vague blobs of color instead of people. You shut your eyes tight, blinking them open to fix your blurry vision. You glance over toward Spencer, who's grabbing a tan suit jacket that had been draped over the back of the couch. He slinks the jacket on over his thin frame.
"You alright?" He asks, concern in his eyes. He must have been able to read the drunk all over your face.
"Y-Yeah I'm fine, lets go," You nod, reassuringly. You could handle your liquor, besides you hadn't drank that much tonight.
The two of you head for the door, wherever it is. Spencer was leading the way, and you hoped he had a better sense of direction than you did. The music is suddenly a lot louder as you exit the room you were in, and you suddenly feel a lot drunker. The sudden change in feeling causes you to stumble a little, bumping Spencer in the back. High heels and alcohol were never a good mix.
"Oh- hey," Spencer stops suddenly, turning around to smile at you, "Are you sure you're alright?"
You look around the room, at the hoard of people, the room thick with a combination of weed and cigarette smoke. You've never felt so lost in your life when did it get so crowded in here? The obnoxious yelling of frat guys mixed with the music turned to a volume you were sure would get the cops to show up is absolutely ear-splitting.
"Can you hold my hand?" You ask Spencer, needing his guidance more than you realized.
"Uh, yeah, yeah." He nods. You reach your hand out for Spencer to grab, and it takes him a few times to correctly slot his fingers between yours. You smile a little, watching him try to figure out the perfect hand-holding position. He couldn't be more pathetic if he tried- it was kind of adorable.
Spencer's hand is warm, a little sweaty against your palm. But his grip is tight and reassuring as the two of you walk the rest of the way out of the house.
As soon as the front door opens a brisk wind hits you, nipping at your exposed flesh. Goosebumps already dot up and down your skin, the only warmth you feel is Spencer's hand wrapped around yours, and you knew that warm sensation would end as soon as his hand got cold too.
With a little hesitance, you step outside to brave the cold. Your heels click as you carefully make your way down the concrete steps in front of the house. You stare down at your feat as you make each movement, fearing accidentally rolling your ankle or falling. You'd probably take end up Spencer down with you.
"Hmm," Spencer hums, noticing your trepidation, "Here," Spencer untwines his hand from yours and places an arm around your back, reaching to your other side, but barely touches your other arm, just holds firm enough for you not to fall.
You reach the bottom of the stairs, thankful for Spencer's help,
"You don't have to hold me so far away you know, you can pull me a little closer." You turn your head to look at him, "I mean it is kind of chilly out."
"Oh-uh," Spencer's arm pulls to hold you just a little bit closer, "Better?" His grip is still pretty weak around you, and you sigh.
"You know, Spence, I'm still pretty cold." You frown, staring down the suit jacket he was wearing.
"Do you want to go back inside? I didn't even have a full beer the entire time I was there- I can go get my car real quick and drive you home if you want. It's only a block or so away." Spencer responds, his voice quick, and nervous- it was obvious he was eager to solve the problem of you being so cold.
"No," You laugh, shaking your head, "I'm cold is kind of girl-code for, you should give me your jacket."
"Oh!" Spencer laughs, "Oh- I'm sorry, yeah- here, here have it." Spencer speaks earnestly as he slips the jacket off of his shoulders. He shivers as the loss of the fabric leaves him in only a thin button up and you can't help but feel a little bad for asking him to give it to you. But he hands you the jacket with a smile on his face, which lingers even after you put it on. It provides a marginal amount more of warmth than what you felt prior.
"Better?" Spencer asks.
"Mhm," You nod, "Thank you."
Spencer only gives you a tight lipped smile and a nod in response.
"So," Spencer starts as the two of you begin walking, his hand slipping into yours almost instinctually, it catches you a little off guard, and you feel your cheeks run hot at the gesture. "Where are you headed?"
"Oh- uh, back to Boston I guess," You squint your eyes, thinking, "I usually take the bus, the stop is up that way." You point up ahead in front of you.
"Let me go with you," Spencer says quickly, "I mean- not to your place, but let me ride the bus with you, I don't want you going by yourself."
"Why not? I'm a big girl, I can take care of myself." You retort, trying to hide the fact that secretly, butterflies are growing in your stomach at his eagerness to take care of you.
"I just want to make sure you get home okay." His hand grips yours tighter.
"Okay," A small smile draws at your lips, you don't want to fight him on it anymore, truth was you'd love nothing more than to spend a little bit more time with him, even if it was a short bus ride.
The streets of the city are utterly dead, not a sound to be heard except the whistling of the wind and collision of your high heels and the pavement. You wonder what time it even is, how long had you even spent at that stupid party?
The bus is just as empty as the rest of the city. When it arrives, nobody but you and Spencer are on, the two of you sitting patiently under the bright fluorescent lights for the bus to move. The lights are straining on your eyes, and the horrendously carpet-patterned seats might hurt your eyes even worse.
"What stop do you get off at?" Spencer asks, being the one sitting the closest to the button to let the driver know when it's your stop.
"University Drive."
The lights dim as the bus driver pulls away from the stop you'd been picked up at, and you're able to relax your eyes once more. You let your eyes relax until all of a sudden they're closed and then-
"Hey," You feel your head being jerked, "We're here."
"Hmm?" You grumble, slowly opening your eyes.
Your stomach drops, and you're absolutely mortified to see your head is rested on Spencer's shoulder. You whip your head off from where it laid and quickly stand up from the seat.
The bus ride was fifteen minutes, you couldn't believe you fell asleep. Much less fell asleep on some guy you barely knew. You're a mess of worry as you exit the bus, thinking about how awkward you probably made Spencer feel. You're so caught up in your thoughts you barely notice how cold it is as you step outside.
"Hey, look, I'm right over there." You say, pointing to the large dorm building behind you.
"I'll walk you to the door." He smiles, and your panic immediately slides away.
You walk with your head down, looking intently at the sidewalk under you as you head forward to your building, trying your best to keep in a straight line. You had to admit, you were pretty upset your time with Spencer would be ending in just a few short minutes from now. You tried to scheme up a plan to get Spencer to stay longer, but no ideas would stick to your brain. You sigh, crossing your arms across your chest as you approach the front door.
You whip around to look at Spencer who's trailing just a few inches behind you.
"Well," You sigh, "I guess this is it." You pull your mouth to one side in a small pout.
"Yeah- I-uh, I guess so," He shrugs, "I had a nice time tonight, thanks for, making my first party experience a lot better than i was expecting." Spencer's hands are shoved into his pocket, and he rocks back and forth while he talks, unsure of himself as his eyes dart all around you.
"Of course," You grin, letting your hands drop down at your sides, "Say," You cut yourself off, and shove your hands into the pocket of Spencer's coat, fishing, until you find what you were hoping for. You pull out a pen from one of the coat pockets, and grab Spencer's hand. "I want to see you again before you become some big tough FBI agent." You smile, scrawling the digits of your phone number on the back of his hand. "Call me sometime?" You hold his hand up for an extra moment, before letting it drop back down.
"Mmmhm, yeah," Spencer bobs his head up and down vigorously.
"Okay, good. Goodnight Spencer," You smile, giving him a small wave.
"Goodnight y/n" He smiles back, as the two of you turn around to go your separate ways.
You notice as you turn back around that you're still wearing Spencer's jacket, part of you has the urge to call out to him to give it back, the other part of you wants to keep it- if he wants to get it back, he'll have to come see you again.
"Wait! Y/n!" You hear Spencer from just behind you. You frown a little, thinking your plan to keep Spencer's jacket had been foiled and he was calling to get it back from you.
"Yeah?" You whip your head back around.
"Did you mean it when you said to let you know if I wanted to have my first kiss- and that you'd change that I've never um-"
"Uhh..huh," You responded, a little to eager as an uncontrollable smile began to tug at the ends of your lips, "Are you asking me to kiss you Spencer?"
"Maybe," His voice breaks, unable to look you directly in the eyes.
You raise one eyebrow, "Maybe?"
"Ahem. Uh- I mean- yes."
Before you know it, you're tugging at his tie, pulling him close to you. Your lips are on his, just a peck at first, Spencer is hesitant. He is unsure of what to do with any part of his body, his lips move carefully, his hands unsure of just where they should be, they rest on your hips- before they move right under your shoulders. You make the decision to tilt your head and deepen the kiss. Spencer's lips are soft with inexperience, he has absolutely no clue what he's doing, yet you can't get enough.
The two of you pull away slowly, neither one of you wanting to give up the kiss- but you eventually have to surrender to the night and to the cold. You place one final peck on Spencer's lips.
"Now you have to call me." You giggle, unable to hide your excitement.
"Yeah-yeah," Spencer nods, eyes wide, his lips are shiny and his cheeks a pretty shade of pink. "Absolutely."
"Goodnight Spencer." You say once more, before turning around to head inside.
Tumblr media
A/N: whew! when I tell you I spent all day writing this i mean all day! that's okay though... im obsessed with grad school! reid. anyways..... thinking about making a (potentially smutty) part two to this ;-)
742 notes · View notes
incognit0slut · 11 months ago
Text
Tumblr media
Much Ado About Nothing (Act II, Scene I: The Suspicious Scheme)
The three times you sense something strange when everyone pairs you with Spencer, and the one time you understand why.
Part warning: Definitely inaccuracy in autopsy procedures and Spencer’s educational background, it’s hard writing a genius Words: 5.6k (not proofread, I’ll do it when I have the time so please excuse me if you see any mistakes) A/n: I tried to make this part shorter but I gave up. I hope you don’t mind reading more😌
SERIES MASTERLIST | MAIN MASTERLIST
Tumblr media
I. The Forced Partner
There was usually a system when Hotch paired the team up, a method to his leadership that balanced skills and personalities to get the job done efficiently. But as Spencer and you were directed to the autopsy room together, you couldn’t help but wonder if Hotch was pushing his luck—or preferably yours.
It was weird. Two weeks had gone by since the last case where he had to witness you both sparring, and you would’ve thought he’d keep you apart. Yet here you were, together again, stepping into the cold, sterile room. 
The faint smell of antiseptic filled the air as you pulled on your gloves, the latex snapping against your wrists. A woman in blue scrubs, her hair pulled back into a tight bun, turned to greet you and Spencer. She extended a hand. 
“I’m Dr. Nina Patel, I’ll be overseeing the autopsy today. You must be from the BAU.”
You nodded, shaking her hand firmly. 
“Agent Y/N Y/L/N, and this is Dr. Spencer Reid,” you introduced, gesturing towards Spencer, who offered a brief nod and a tight lip smile in greeting. Dr. Patel returned the gesture and motioned for you both to approach the table. 
“Our Jane Doe was found early this morning in an alleyway downtown," she explained, pulling back the sheet to reveal a woman appearing in her late thirties. "There are no apparent injuries, and no ID was found with her.”
Spencer stepped closer. "Any indication of the time of death?" 
"Preliminary estimates put the time of death at approximately eight hours before she was found."
You watched as she started pointing to various parts of the body. 
"She was also found with her clothes in perfect condition. It’s possible she was placed there post-mortem."
Spencer raised an eyebrow. "Could suggest transportation from another location.”
You moved to the head of the table, examining Jane Doe's hands and nails. "No defensive wounds," you added. "She didn't fight back, or more likely, wasn't conscious during her final moments."
Dr. Patel nodded as she considered your observations. “It’s plausible that a strong sedative was used, which would leave minimal to no struggle marks. We’re running some tests as we speak.”
Spencer chimed in quickly after that. “The Unsub might have used succinylcholine, or even benzodiazepines,” he suggested. Then, turning toward you with a condescending tone as if simplifying it for your benefit, he added, “They’d metabolize quickly and would require a toxicology screen to detect definitively.”
You rolled your eyes.
“That’s impressive, Dr. Reid,” Dr. Patel remarked, her eyes lingering on him a moment longer than seemed strictly professional. You narrowed your eyes at her. “Did you study pharmacology formally, or is this a passion of yours?”
“I actually did a bit of formal study during my Ph.D. programs.”
“Oh, really? What did you study?”
“Chemistry and Engineering. Pharmacology intersects quite a bit with those fields, especially when looking at biochemical reactions.”
Dr. Patel seemed genuinely impressed. “That’s quite a formidable educational background. No wonder you’re so thorough with your analyses.”
You could feel a knot tightening in your stomach. Her admiration was professional, sure, but the way her eyes softened when she looked at him, the way her voice dipped just so—it was a tone you recognized all too well.
She was flirting with him.
You watched them, your gaze sharp and assessing. Although it wasn’t like Spencer to notice her advances; he was smart, yes, but his brilliance often left him oblivious to the layers of personal interaction that didn’t involve textbooks or theories. And Dr. Patel, with her easy smile and obvious interest, seemed to have her focus on him rather than the body lying between you.
You cleared your throat, louder than necessary.
“Can we continue?” 
Dr. Patel seemed to catch your eye, her expression shifting back to professional as she nodded. “Of course.”
She resumed her explanation, detailing the various findings and pointing out subtle indicators on the body that might have otherwise gone unnoticed. Spencer listened intently, his gaze shifting between Dr. Patel and you, noticing the subtle tension in the room, but didn’t comment.
It wasn’t until you had all the information you needed—and after you caught one last flirtatious look from Dr. Patel directed at him—that Spencer finally spoke up.
“She seems nice,” he remarked as you both stepped outside the building, heading toward the parking lot.
You shrugged. “Sure, if you say so.”
Spencer glanced at you, a hint of curiosity in his eyes. “Am I missing something?” 
You looked over at him, debating whether to explain, before you finally sighed. 
“It’s just... she seemed a bit more interested in you than the case,” you said, trying to keep your tone light but failing to hide your slight irritation.
And then he noticed it. The subtle tension in your voice, the way you avoided his gaze, the underlying frustration—it clicked. “Wait, are you... jealous?”
“No, I’m not!” You replied quickly, then softer, “I’m not.”
“You sound like it.”
You scoffed. “No, I sound like a friend trying to remind you that we have a case to focus on.”
“Oh, so now we’re friends?”
“I meant that in the broadest, most professional sense of the word.”
“Right,” Spencer replied sarcastically. “I didn’t realize jealousy was part of professional behavior.”
“I wasn’t jealous,” you snapped. “Stop making it into something it’s not.”
“Sure.”
“Reid.”
“Y/L/N,” he shot back in the same flat tone.
Dear God, why was he so infuriating? How he had this ability, this perfectly annoying talent to get under your skin without seeming to try was beyond you. You both stared at each other for a while, until finally, you broke the silence with an exasperated sigh.
“Let’s just go,” you muttered, brushing past him.
You walked a few steps ahead, trying to shake off his words. It was absurd. The very idea was ridiculous when you were focused on the case, on solving the mystery—nothing more.
You were not jealous.
II. The Unavoidable Flight
“I’m telling you, she was definitely flirting with him,” you said, your voice a mix of disbelief and annoyance as you and Penelope made your way toward the plane. “It was so obvious, the way she kept looking at him, the tone of her voice. I mean, does professional decorum mean nothing anymore?”
“Why are you acting so surprised? Wonder Boy is actually quite the catch,” Penelope responded. “He’s not my type, but he clearly has admirers.”
Your eyes involuntarily drifted toward the man in question, who was walking a few paces behind, engaged in conversation with JJ. He was casually gripping the strap of his satchel bag, laughing at something JJ had just said. You narrowed your eyes.
“Well, I don’t understand what they see in him.”
“It might be that genius brain of his—totally irresistible to some.”
“It’s annoying, is what it is,” you grumbled, quickening your pace as the plane came into view.
Penelope responded with a sly grin. “You know what you sound like?”
“What?”
“Like someone who’s maybe a little jealous.”
You frowned, hating how she was the second person to conclude your irritation with something else. “Absolutely not.”
“Oh, come on. You seem unusually focused on how others interact with him.”
“I’m focused on maintaining a professional work environment,” you defended, trying to keep your voice even as you approached the steps of the plane. “Not about… whatever you’re implying.”
“Fine. If Dr. Patel makes her move and actually calls him, what would you do?”
Your eyes widened. “What? Who did you hear that from? Did he tell you? When did she call him?”
“Hypothetically, oh my god,” Penelope laughed, stepping onto the plane as you followed, slightly flustered. “I’m just saying, hypothetically, if it happened, what would you do? How would you react?”
You paused at the entrance, processing her question. “I’d do nothing.”
“Nothing? Really?”
“Yes, I’d do nothing because I’m not jealous.”
“That’s what any jealous person would say.”
You narrowed your eyes at her as you walked past the entrance, and when you caught her making herself comfortable on the long couch by the front, you quickly made your way to the back of the plane.
“Hey! Where are you going?”
“To find a spot where my supposed jealousy isn’t your inflight entertainment,” you replied, your voice dripping with sarcasm.
“I knew you were jealous!”
“Supposed jealousy!”
Her laughter trailed after you, ringing down the narrow aisle as you navigated through the plane, bypassing Rossi, who was typing away on his phone, and Hotch, who sat across from him with his eyes closed, leaning back against his seat. You walked further down the aisle until you spotted an empty spot at the very back of the plane, looking very isolated and inviting.
It was perfect.
“Garcia! That’s my usual spot,” Spencer’s unmistakable voice echoed through the plane as you made yourself comfortable in your chair.
From the corner of your eye, you could see him standing over Penelope, a hand gesturing toward the seat while his other hand clutched his bag.
“But it’s so comfortable,” Penelope responded, settling deeper into the plush seat. “Come on, Reid, I don’t travel as much as you do. Let me have it.”
Spencer paused, his initial protest fading as he took in Penelope’s exaggerated comfort. “Where would I sit?”
“You can sit…”
You quickly closed your eyes. Don’t say it. Don’t say it. Don’t say it. Don’t–
“Over there! There’s an empty spot in front of Y/N.”
You were going to kill her.
You sank deeper into your chair, hoping to avoid any forced small talk or, worse, awkward silence with him. Maybe if you were lucky enough, he’d pick another chair—perhaps next to Hotch, or Rossi, or—
A cough interrupted your thoughts.
“I know you’re pretending to sleep.”
Reluctantly, you opened one eye, peeking at him.
"Mind if I sit here?"
For a moment, you considered ignoring him, but the look on his face told you he wasn’t going to let it go. You rolled your shoulders, giving up the pretense, and sat up straighter.
“Actually, yes, I do mind.”
He raised an eyebrow but lowered himself onto the seat anyway, clearly unfazed by your objection.
"Reid,” you warned him. “I’m serious.”
"I know you are.” His eyes briefly swept around the cabin as he settled into the seat across from you, placing his satchel bag on his lap. "But every other seat is taken. Unless you want me to stand in the aisle for the next few hours?"
You rolled your eyes, letting out a resigned sigh as you crossed your arms. "Fine, but I'm reserving the right to nap, and you're reserving the right to not disturb that nap."
“I don’t think that’s a good idea.”
“Why not?”
He leaned forward in his seat. “Do you know that you snore when you sleep?”
You gasped. “I do not!”
“You do. You sound like a little chainsaw.”
You gaped at him. The idea of a rough, grating noise being associated with you was almost laughable, and yet here he was, completely serious. You were unsure whether to be amused or offended.
“A chainsaw? That’s what you’re going with?”
“Well, considering the average chainsaw operates at around 90 decibels, I'd say it's an appropriate comparison."
“Don’t make me throw you off the plane.”
He shrugged, leaning back in his seat. “Just so you know, certain sleep positions can actually help reduce snoring. Maybe you should try—ouch!”
You nudged him with your foot, not hard enough to hurt but enough to make your point clear. He rubbed his leg and glanced up at you with a wry expression.
“Consider that your first and only warning,” you stated firmly before closing your eyes, signaling the end of the conversation.
“See, your position is all wrong, if you slightly elevate your—”
“Good night, Reid.”
There was suddenly a moment of silence, the kind that feels almost tangible, stretching out in the small space between you. Then, you heard it—a slight, barely audible chuckle.
You wondered if your mind was playing tricks on you, the sound so faint that it seemed it could easily be a figment of your imagination. But no, there it was again, a soft, amused sound that had you frowning even with your eyes closed.
“Good night, Y/N.”
Maybe you were already dreaming.
III. The Lock-in Incident
“Y/N,” JJ’s voice chimed from behind you while you were gathering a stack of folders on your desk. “Can you take these down to the filing room? Spencer’s already down there reorganizing some of the older case files.”
You eyed the thick folder in JJ’s hands. When there wasn’t an active case, the team often spent time organizing and maintaining the archives. As tedious as it was, it was a necessary task, and normally, you wouldn’t mind lending a hand.
But the sound of his name made you pause because working with him in a confined space seemed very much unappealing.
“Why are you asking me?”
“Aren’t you going there?” She asked, her gaze shifting to the folders in your hands.
Internally, you groaned. Yes, you were headed there, that had been the plan. But now that you knew Spencer was there, every step towards that cramped, paper-stuffed room felt like walking into a minefield.
“Maybe you should go down there instead.”
“I can’t,” she responded, already adding her folders to your pile. “I’ve got to finish my other reports before the end of the day.”
Your eyes glanced over to Derek’s desk across from you. “Morgan?”
He turned over a page in the file he was reading, not even looking up. “Sorry, Pretty Girl, I got my hands full with this case report.”
“Oh, come on.” You stormed over to him, desperation edging into your voice. “I’ll do you a favor—anything you want.”
Derek glanced up, finally giving you his attention, a smirk playing at the corners of his mouth.
“Anything I want?”
“Within reason.”
He chuckled, shaking his head. “Sorry, but I really can’t. This report’s due in an hour.”
Frustrated, you glanced over towards Emily’s desk, hoping for a backup, but groaned when you saw it was empty.
You finally sighed, feeling the weight of your options—or lack thereof—settle on your shoulders. You gathered the heavy folders in your arms, the paper edges digging slightly into your skin. It was just a few hours, you reasoned; you could manage Spencer. He could be insufferable, but you had your own ways of being equally annoying.
With a deep breath, you headed toward the filing room, mentally preparing yourself. He was already busy sorting through a pile of disorganized paperwork when you got there, his brow furrowed in concentration.
“I have more work for you,” you announced in a sing-song voice.
Spencer looked up, his eyes scanning the sight of the hefty folders in your arms. “Nope. They’re yours, not mine.”
You paused, leaning on the table filled with sorted files. “Are you sure you want me to do this by myself? Because, you know, I might just rearrange what you’ve already organized here. It would be a shame if all your hard work got… scrambled.”
“Don’t even think about it,” he quickly warned. “Hand them over. I’ll do it myself.”
You moved closer and placed the folders next to his neatly arranged stacks, deliberately nudging them just enough to seem accidental.
“Really?” he said, a hint of exasperation in his tone as he carefully realigned the folders you had nudged. “You know, we could actually get this done much faster if you’re not acting like a child.”
“Oh, please. Like you’re the mature one.”
“At least I’m trying to get the job done, not make it harder.”
“Maybe if you weren’t so uptight about every little detail, it wouldn’t be so hard,” you shot back, grabbing another stack of files to sort.
“I’m not uptight. I’m precise. There’s a difference.”
“Sure there is.”
Spencer opened his mouth to retort, but before he could get the words out, the sudden sound of the door clicking shut echoed through the cramped room. Both of you turned around simultaneously.
“Did that just…?” He began, stepping towards the door and trying the handle. It didn’t budge. He jiggled it again, more forcefully this time. “Great, it’s locked.”
“What?” You walked over, a sinking feeling in your stomach. “Who the hell locked it?”
“I don’t think anyone did. These old doors… they stick. It’s probably just jammed,” Spencer explained, though his voice carried a hint of doubt.
Yeah, right, you thought, your skepticism growing. Despite his logical explanation, you couldn't shake the feeling that this was more than just a coincidence. The timing was just too perfect, and you had a sneaking suspicion that someone might have been behind this.
But then the reality of the situation sank in. Your immediate concern shifted to the fact that you were trapped here, with him, until someone realized you were missing. The prospect was both frustrating and daunting.
“Look, let’s just keep working,” he suggested. “The sooner we finish, the sooner we can figure out how to get out of here.”
You nodded, though a part of you wanted to argue. “Fine. But if we’re still stuck here by the time we’re done, you’re explaining this to Hotch.”
“We’ll get out, don’t worry.”
“Let’s hope you’re right.” You picked up a folder from the pile, flipping it open to look over its contents. “How do I do this?”
“Sort them by case type first, then by date within each type.”
“So, this one would go under…?”
“Unsolved homicides,” Spencer replied, taking a quick peek at the document you held open. “And make sure it’s in chronological order with the others.”
You moved to the designated shelf, sliding the folder into its appropriate spot before returning to grab another. “Wait,” you opened the file, your eyes scanning the page. “I think this was my first case.”
You read through the document and nodded.
“Yes, look, it’s the one where the Unsub was targeting families with children,” you reminisced, your mind going back to the time when you were still new to the job. “That was such a hard case. Remember how I couldn’t stop crying? And how Hotch had to debrief me because I was still shaking even after we made the arrest?”
When you were met with silence, you looked up to see his back facing you, seeming too busy as he organized his files. You closed the document in your hands and walked back toward the shelf.
“Of course, you don’t remember,” you muttered under your breath. “Why would you even remember?”
A twinge of disappointment settled in your chest, even though you hated to admit it. It was stupid, really, to expect him to recall every little detail from the past, especially when it had to do with you. But just as you turned to grab another file, Spencer’s voice stopped you.
“October 19, 2011.”
You paused, turning slowly to face him, your brows furrowing in confusion. “What?”
“The date you started working here,” Spencer said, still focused on his task. “You wore a black blouse and the brightest shade of red on your lips.”
You blinked, trying to understand what he was getting at.
“The case was in St. Louis,” Spencer continued, now looking up to meet your gaze directly. “Your first field assignment. You told Hotch you were ready, but the case really got to your head.”
You found yourself at a loss for words, realizing what he was trying to do.
“You cried when you came back from talking with the victim’s family. You cried when the second victim was found. You cried when we finally caught the Unsub.”
You continued to stare at him, not knowing how to process his words.
“You also cried when I sat beside you on the plane.”
He remembered.
The realization struck you hard, almost like a physical blow. A part of you had convinced yourself that he barely noticed you, that any memory involving you was erased from his mind. But here he was, recalling not just any memory, but your first week when you joined the team, right down to the color of your lips.
“You…” The frown on your face deepened. “You remembered.”
There was a pause as he looked at you, his eyes carefully assessing your reaction. “It’s hard not to."
You held his gaze. Sometimes you wonder what would happen if you were still on good terms. Would you smile at him now? Would you tell him that, yes, you also remembered how he allowed you to lean on his shoulder during that flight back home, despite the awkwardness of your first meeting when it seemed he’d rather keep his distance?
You shook your head, looking away from him. It was wishful thinking. Letting yourself dwell on what could have been would only lead to another heartbreak. You had learned to protect yourself, to keep your distance, because hoping for a return to those days would only make the present hurt more.
“Right,” you said, trying to keep your composure as you gripped the folder in your hand. “I forgot you have an eidetic memory.”
Spencer didn’t say anything, but you could feel his eyes on you, a quiet, lingering gaze that you felt more than saw. The room suddenly felt incredibly small, the walls seeming to close in around you as your fingers fumbled slightly with the papers, grabbing another file.
You needed to get out of here. You needed to regain control. The faster you finish your work, the sooner you can escape him.
IV. The Table For Two
“You did it on purpose, didn’t you?” You pressed, arms linked with JJ as you both walked down the sidewalk, your stride matching the quick tempo of your rising irritation. The accusation in your voice was clear, but JJ just offered a casual shrug, avoiding direct eye contact.
“I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
“You expect me to believe it was an accident?” Your skepticism was palpable, and you watched as a small smirk played at the corner of her lips. “That the door coincidentally locked itself when we were both inside?”
“The doors are old,” she said, keeping her gaze forward, her steps even and unhurried. “You know how it is, sometimes if you even just shut them too hard, they jam. Could happen to anyone.”
Her tone was too nonchalant, too practiced, and you tugged on her arm, pulling her to a stop. “Right, and I suppose it was also just chance that the door closed by itself?”
JJ paused, finally facing you with a raised eyebrow. “I didn’t do it.”
“Then somebody did.”
“Y/N,” she replied, her smile broadening in a way that only heightened your irritation. “Nobody did.”
You groaned, resuming your walk as you pulled her along. “You guys are so annoying.”
JJ laughed. “How did you get out of there anyway?”
You sighed, the memory of the escape bringing a frown to your face. The entire time you were locked in that room, you had done everything possible to avoid talking to him, focusing on shuffling through files and pretending to be absorbed in the work.
After what felt like an eternity of awkward silence and strained small talk, you both gave up trying to ignore the situation and started moving around the cramped space, phones held high, desperately trying to find a signal. When you finally managed to get a single bar, you quickly dialed Penelope, who answered with her usual upbeat tone, clearly amused by your predicament.
"We had to call Garcia to let us out,” you said, your tone dry. “She found the whole thing hilarious."
JJ's laughter grew as she imagined the scene. "She would have loved that. Probably made her day to rescue the two of you."
“She’s already teasing us about it.”
Her laughter slowly died down as she gave your arm a light tug. “Did anything happen while you two were in there?”
You hesitated, recalling the awkward silence, the shuffling of papers, and that brief, tensed exchange. “Not really,” you admitted. “We just tried to organize the files without screaming at each other.”
“But did you talk at all? I mean, really talk?”
“Jennifer,” you warned, the tone of your voice hinting that she was treading on uncomfortable territory. The thought of delving deeper into what had—or hadn’t—happened in that room was not something you were eager to talk about.
“I know, I know, it’s complicated,” she conceded. “Just thought it seemed like a good opportunity to maybe clear the air between you two.”
“Well, you thought wrong. There’s nothing to talk about.”
JJ looked at you skeptically, her eyes narrowing slightly as if she could see right through your defenses. She seemed on the verge of pushing further, but then her phone rang, interrupting the moment. She glanced at the screen and sighed, giving you an apologetic look. "Hold on, I need to take this. It's Will."
You nodded and watched as she stepped a few feet away to answer the call. You waited and tried to give her privacy, but it was hard when her words were clear as you listened to her talk, and the more she spoke, the more you narrowed your eyes at her.
“…right now… sure… no, it’s fine… I can be there in ten… of course, honey...”
You crossed your arms when JJ finally ended the call and turned back towards you.
"I need to head home,” she said, a bit too casually. “Will got called into work unexpectedly.”
Suspicion started to creep in as you processed her words. The timing was impeccable—a little too perfect. You both were supposed to meet up with Penelope and Derek for dinner, and it was almost guaranteed that Spencer would be there too, considering Derek had taken it upon himself to drag him along at any given chance under the pretense that ‘the kid needs to go out more’.
But the thought of JJ bailing on you on such short notice seemed out of pocket, even for her.
"Really, right now?" you asked, narrowing your eyes slightly. She shifted on her feet, her smile a bit forced. “Is everything okay?”
JJ nodded, but there was a flicker of something in her eyes—something that looked more like amusement than guilt. "Yeah, I just need to get home to the kids. I'll see you tomorrow, okay?"
The more she spoke, the more your suspicion grew. Her demeanor seemed too casual, almost rehearsed, as if she was trying to assure you while simultaneously eager to leave. It felt like she was in on some inside joke that you weren't aware of.
“Well, if you really have to go…”
“Don’t worry, you’ll be fine.” JJ flashed a quick, almost relieved smile and gave you a hurried kiss on the cheek. “Have a good time tonight, and fill me in on all the details later.”
“Details? What details?” You called after her but she was already walking away. “JJ! Why do I have to fill you in the details?”
She simply waved a hand without turning back, leaving you standing there with a growing sense of unease. You slowly resumed your walk, taking out your phone to call Penelope but stopped in your tracks when you saw a message from her, sent five minutes ago.
Hey, Sweetie, so sorry I can’t make it to dinner tonight! Something urgent came up. Have fun without me :)
Your stomach dropped as you read the message. First JJ, and now Garcia? It was starting to feel like you were being abandoned, or worse, you were being set up. You glanced around, half expecting to see Derek lurking in the shadows with a mischievous grin, orchestrating this whole fiasco.
It wasn’t until you arrived at the restaurant and spotted Spencer alone at the entrance, trying to avoid any immediate contact with the other patrons, that you realized your suspicion was confirmed. The pieces clicked together almost too neatly, and the man seemed as surprised to see you as you were to see him.
His discomfort was evident as he adjusted his stance, gripping the strap of his bag, eyes darting to you as you approached him.
“Morgan’s late,” he announced as a greeting.
“He’s not coming,” you said, unable to keep the annoyance from creeping into your voice. “And neither is JJ or Penny.”
“He told you that?”
“No,” you replied with a sigh. “But it’s pretty obvious now, isn’t it?”
"What is?"
“That we’ve been set up,” you shot back, crossing your arms. “They’re not coming, and I’m willing to bet they never planned to.”
He frowned, his brows knitting together. “You think they did this on purpose? Why would they—”
“Come on, Reid,” you interrupted. “They’ve been nudging us to talk for weeks. What better way than to leave us no choice?”
Spencer’s gaze hardened slightly. “I don’t need to be manipulated into having a conversation,” he said sharply.
“And you think I do?” You retorted. “I’m not exactly thrilled about being tricked into a dinner date either, if that’s what this is supposed to be.”
“It’s not a date,” Spencer replied quickly, almost defensively.
“Well, that’s one thing we agree on,” you snapped, then sighed, trying to rein in your temper. “Look, I don’t want to argue. Let’s just forget this ever happened and go home.”
There was a pause as Spencer looked around, his eyes settling back on you. “You want to go home?”
“You don’t?”
He hesitated, then shrugged. “I mean, we’re already here. Might as well stay and eat. It’s not like I have any better plans.”
You blinked, taken aback by his response. A part of you had expected him to jump at the chance to escape, but here he was, suggesting you to stay.
It seemed like a bad idea. The tension, the potential for awkward silences, the possibility of yet another argument—it all pointed to leaving being the better option. But against our better judgment, you found yourself considering his suggestion more than you wanted to admit.
Maybe it was the hunger gnawing at your stomach, or perhaps it was the realization that leaving now would only make things more awkward the next time you saw each other. Dinner with Spencer was the last option you’d choose, but it was better than coming home to an empty fridge.
“Fine,” you finally said, brushing past him. “But you’re paying.”
Spencer looked momentarily surprised but then nodded. “Fine.”
“Fine.”
“Fine.”
You rolled your eyes as you walked into the restaurant, but immediately stopped in your tracks when you took in the setting. This wasn’t just a restaurant, it was a place designed for dates. The realization made you pause as you looked around the room in horror.
The dim lighting cast a soft glow on polished wood and fine china, while a gentle melody played subtly in the background, setting an unmistakable romantic mood. Just as you were taking in the scene, a hostess approached with a warm, inviting smile. 
"A table for two?" 
You felt a flush rise to your cheeks as you realized how the evening was poised to look. Turning slightly to gauge Spencer's reaction, you found him even more flustered, his face turning a shade redder as he stammered a response. "Uh, yes, that's—um, that will be fine."
The hostess nodded and led you to a small, intimate table near the window. Spencer fidgeted with the strap of his bag as you both sat down, his eyes darting around the room before finally settling on you. "This is... not exactly what I expected.”
You took the menu from the hostess before she left you both alone. “I’m going to kill them,” you muttered, shaking your head.
He raised an eyebrow. “That’s a bit extreme.”
You sighed, flipping through the menu without really seeing it. “They’re always meddling. They don’t know when to stop. I'm also convinced that being locked earlier was also part of their plan. And this—this is just so...” 
“Annoying?” He offered.
“Infuriating,” you emphasized, throwing your hands up. “It’s infuriating. And embarrassing. And—”
“And yet, here we are,” he cut in, feeling the same way. Spencer paused for a moment, then leaned in slightly, sending you a pointed look. “You know, maybe we should just give them what they want.”
You blinked. “What do you mean?”
“Well, it’s a fact that humans are generally satisfied when they get what they want. And since what our friends want is for the two of us to get along, maybe we should just... pretend that we do.”
“Reid,” you pressed, mirroring his posture as you leaned forward. “They don’t want us to just get along. Look around us. They want us to really get along.” 
Spencer paused, considering your words, his gaze lingering on the candlelit table and the other couples around, deep in conversation. He seemed to realize the full extent of the setup, the romantic undertone that wasn't simply incidental but intentional.
“You’re right,” he finally responded, leaning back in his seat. “Forget what I said. It was stupid.”
You studied him as he opened the menu, the candlelight casting a soft glow on his face. He was right. Not only was it stupid, it was crazy. Pretending to be civil with him was one thing, pretending that you shared some kind of unspoken, lingering feelings was another thing. The mere thought of it made your heart race, but you couldn’t tell if it was from anxiety or nervousness.
You quickly shook your head. It was ridiculous. How could you even begin to pretend to have feelings for someone with whom you shared such a complicated past? How could you act like there was something more between you when the reality was so different?
The whole idea was far-fetched, almost laughable. You couldn’t imagine yourself romantically involved with him, even if it was just for pretend.
726 notes · View notes