#how to commit a hypothetical crime
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Apparently, the solution to my APWH writer's block was just opening up a new word document and rewriting the whole damn next chapter.
#I've been going back and doing some minor edits to older chapters recently- it's also been a necessary reread#because there are a lot of fucking details in this story#and it feels like i'm doing that thing where you spin plates on a stick but i'm spinning like 200 plates#just apwh things#this isn't just me being like 'i'm making progress again!!1!' for the thirty-fifth time either#like I have a full complete draft of chapter 16 that I'm about to start revising#shit's getting chaotic#there's not so much a chekov's gun as there is a chekov's whoopie cushion#i.e. a previously mentioned aspect of life at winterfell causes an objectively silly situation#but because this is me we're talking about- that silly situation quickly brings a lot of simmering things to the surface#there are a couple of fun mya conversations though which is good#sansa and mya's conversations are some of my favorites to write#because they're the only scenes where sansa isn't constantly second-guessing herself and kind of just is herself#the outside world is beginning to encroach on the Winterfell Bubble™ and ho boy is it a doozy#seriously i rewrote this entire fucking chapter and i'm so mad that THAT's what it took#anyways am definitely in the market for some beta-ing soon#and kind of need someone to bounce ideas off of because i am desperately trying to figure out#how to commit a hypothetical crime#and how to solve a cold case#send help lmao#I am prob going to make everyone extremely angry in a few chapters so enjoy the Winterfell Bubble™ while it lasts
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in a world where everything is okay, i can just imagine gojo being a horrifically great babysitter for megumi and being unofficially adopted into the fushiguro family like
toji hates his guts, and gojo hates his guts too—but fushimama is so nice and kind, and finds him to be an absolute darling, and toji will always fold to his wifes whims every time—so toji puts up with the annoying blue-eyed menace
at the very least, he can take solace in the fact that baby megs also hates him, and fushimama has never seen her boys so cooperative and together as a family unit before—despite it being at gojos expense lmao
as much as she wants to break up their mini-fights and bickerings, she doesn't because it is somehow enrichment for the three of them
she always manages to wrangle gojo to stay just a bit longer for dinners on the weekends, despite him insisting that he doesn't want to be a bother. the smile that spreads on her face when toji invites him to stay for dinner for the first time—toji would do anything for that smile. even put up with gojo teasing him for being so down bad for her LMAO
#wynn talks#damn my first non-nanago post#i am a fan of many faces#faces being obsessions with fictional characters and their relationships and their hypothetical happy endings and scenarios#but yeah—gege you didnt even give fushimama a nameeeeee#aUGH—I MEAN ITS NOT GONNA BE HARD TO GIVE HER A NAME#I CAN JUST GOOGLE SOMETHING BUT LIKE#GEGE JUST SAID 'lmao toji had a wife btw' and DIPPED#LITERALLY ZERO CHARACTERIZATION#NOTHING#NOT EVEN A NAME#IM SO FUCKING DISTRAUGHT#we dont even know how they met up or whatever#and like—im never gonna be over the fact that she didnt have a nameeeee#imagine being so important to a character that they fundamentally changed their entire life AND gave us another extremely important charact#bUT NOT EVEN HAVE A NAME#this is some motherfuckin genshin impact scaramouche backstory bullshit like cmonnnn#but yeah if i ever post abt them again ill have probably spent weeks agonizing over the perfect name for this woman that we barely know lma#also—this is a nanago blog so you bet ur ASS that ill be turning this into some nanago bullshit AHAHA#already the ideas are brewing in my mind...#jjk#jujutsu kaisen#jjk headcanons#gojo satoru#toji fushiguro#fushimama#toji fushiguro wife#bro i hate it here i had to fuckin look up the tags for her#because she DOESNT HAVE A FUCKING NAME IM GONNA COMMIT CRIMES#god the hassles and slight frustrations and i have to go thru to tag shit properly dfjknghlksd
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[SUBMISSION] feel free to delete this if it's too morbid: trans ppl who want top surgery, would you kill a random stranger for it? you won't get caught, and you can pick the method. 1) yes 2) depends (elaborate in a non-legally-actionable way) 3) never 4) not applicable (see results)
bruh. come on
#don't take this response as hostile tbqh like this is honestly hilarious to me#whether or not anon is sincere (and i'm inclined to think they are) this hypothetical poll would only serve to show:#how willing trans people are... specifically... to commit murder????#bc there are obviously already varying degrees to which any given trans person wants top surgery#and then getting into the 'extremely badly' degree there would still be diversity in what they're willing to DO for it#like this isn't a poll about trans demographics it's literally just way too specific. even outside of the fact that it's about a crime#it's like. such a bad poll that it's impressive tbh#that being said i think a lot of people would say yes and i think anon already knows this. you do not need a poll#anonymous#not polls
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The funniest part of the Menagerie is Spock single-handedly conducting his own court martial with complete sincerity. He might have betrayed everyone aboard to help Pike, but he’s going to be a gentleman about it if it’s the last thing he does
#and it will be the last thing he does hypothetically#since he’s committed the only crime punishable by death in the ENTIRE federation#he sure knows how to pick them#Spock: you’re going to arrest me now#McCoy: ?????#Spock: we’re putting this on record now#kirk: ?????#what a guy#s'chn t'gai spock#Star Trek#French Trek#Star Trek: TOS
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#. URGENT NONSENSE HOTLINE
featuring 𝗯𝗹𝘂𝗲 𝗹𝗼𝗰𝗸 𝘅 𝗳𝗲𝗺!𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗱𝗲𝗿 ıllı. itoshi sae, michael kaiser, oliver aiku, itoshi rin, shidou ryusei
fluff + slight suggestive. calling your cop boyfriend while he's in the middle of work, and he thinks it's super important, only for you to ask him the most ridiculous and random questions.
characters aged up to 21 and above. rin and shidou are fathers.

ITOSHI SAE
The police radio crackled in the background as Sae was sitting in his squad car, a rare moment of calm during his patrol. His phone buzzed, and the screen lit up with your name. It was unusual for you to call during his shift, so naturally, his heart skipped a beat hoping nothing happened to you.
He immediately answered, his tone calm. Your boyfriend was concerned more than anything, and if something was wrong, God forbid what was going to happen to the person who dared to hurt you. “What is it? Are you okay?”
You, completely oblivious to his worries, immediately started talking cheerfully and giggling “Sae! Do you think dinosaurs should still exist? Wouldn’t it be awesome if they came back? Imagine us walking a T-Rex like a dog!”
Sae blinked, deadpan. There was a long, heavy silence on the other end. You could almost hear the gears grinding in his head as he tried to process what you just said.
“...Are you serious?” he finally asked, his voice dangerously calm. Oh, no. You're obsessed with dinosaurs again, and that wasn't good…at all.
“Of course I’m serious! Think about how cool it would be—like, riding a Triceratops to work or flying with a Pterodactyl!” you babbled on, completely oblivious to his growing annoyance.
You couldn't see but your boyfriend rolled his eyes as he rubbed his temple, leaning back in his seat. His sharp tongue couldn’t be contained any longer.
“You know they made Jurassic Park for that reason, right? And spoiler alert: it didn’t end well.”
“But that’s just a movie!” you argued. “We could make it work this time! Think of all the science we have now!”
“You called me—while I’m working—to ask about dinosaurs,” Sae interrupted, his tone flat. “Dinosaurs. You’re aware I have actual, real-life problems to deal with… Like thefts and, you know, crime?”
“...So is that a no on the dinosaur pets?” you teased, voice now full of sadness and disappointment.
He sighed, muttering under his breath in frustration but unable to help the small, begrudging smirk tugging at his lips. “You’re lucky I love you. Now hang up before I block your number.”
As the call ended, he shook his head, muttering to himself, “Dinosaurs. Unbelievable.” Still, the thought of you having fun with what you will call your "pet" lingered in his mind for the rest of his shift—and he hated how it made him go to the nearest store to buy you a dinosaur plushie.
MICHAEL KAISER
Kaiser was in the middle of gearing up for an undercover mission, his shirt tossed over the back of a chair as he adjusted the strap of his tactical vest. When his phone buzzed with your name on the screen, he hesitated for just a moment before answering. Worry flickered in his eyes—it wasn’t often you called during his work hours unless it was important.
"Mein Schatz, what’s wrong?" he asked immediately, his voice laced with concern.
You, however, had other plans. “My love, if I hypothetically steal something, would you be the one to handcuff me?”
There was a silence as an answer when he blinked, momentarily thrown off by the absurdity of the question. A smirk began to spread across his face as he leaned back in his chair, half-naked and amused. “Engel, you’ve already stolen something very valuable.”
Your eyes widened on the other end of the line. You stopped twirling your hair, your voice suddenly tinged with worry as though you'd accidentally committed grand theft without realizing it. “I… I did? What did I steal?”
Kaiser chuckled, the kind of low, teasing laugh that made your cheeks heat up even through the phone. “Yeah, you already stole my heart.”
Your indignant sputtering was music to his ears. He leaned forward, propping his elbow on the table and grinning like the cocky devil he was. “And didn’t we test those handcuffs enough already?" he added, his smirk growing. "Remember last night? You were so curious if they were strong enough to hold you—"
“Goodbye, baby! Good luck with your work!” you interrupted, your voice high-pitched and flustered.
Kaiser laughed out loud as you hung up, shaking his head in pure delight. Tucking his phone into his pocket, he muttered to himself, “You’re too cute, mein Liebling. Too cute.” With that, he pulled on his shirt, ready to finish work and show you what happens to those who steal and don't admit it.
OLIVER AIKU
Oliver Aiku, a tall, well-built figure with a teasing smirk and hundreds of charms, was leaning against the desk in the bustling precinct. Talking with his partner Sendou, they were deep in conversation about the latest case—nothing too serious, just the usual for the two of them.
The Captain’s voice echoed across the room, pulling him from the moment. "Aiku! You've got a call!"
Oliver rolled his eyes, not exactly thrilled to be disturbed right now in the middle of his break, but he stood up anyway, still chuckling at whatever Sendou had just said about the girl he was trying to woo over. He knew exactly who was calling. A sly smile crept across his face as he picked up the phone.
"Hey, babe. Everything okay?" he said in his usual teasing tone, his eyes never leaving Sendou’s curious gaze.
"Oliver! There's a giant spider on the wall!" Your voice came through the phone and you were more than afraid and before he could even process the words, there was a loud screech from your side of the line. "AH!"
He couldn’t help but smirk. "Girl problems, you know..." he muttered under his breath, shrugging it off, but Sendou was already looking at him with a raised eyebrow. "What? What’s going on?" his partner asked, clearly intrigued by the other’s business like always.
The tall man leaned back against the desk, casually placing the phone on his shoulder. "It’s my girlfriend, you know? She’s having a bit of a crisis over a spider or something. It's all good, no need to panic."
He could hear you, being out of breath, obviously running away from the spider. "Oliver! It’s huge! What do I do?!" He couldn't help but laugh. It wasn’t that he didn’t care—he did, but come on, it was just a spider, you have seen bigger things.
"Doll," he said in a smooth, teasing voice, his grin widening. "Calm down. It's just a tiny lil' spider. I’m sure it’s probably scared of you."
He heard you scream again in the background, and he could already picture you manically pacing around, maybe already booking a plane ticket. “Just grab a slipper or something, take it down like the badass I know you are."
"I’M NOT GOING NEAR IT!" you shouted back, your voice full of distress. Oliver snickered, turning to Sendou, who was still waiting for an answer. "Listen to that. She’s on a whole new level of dramatic. Gotta love her."
He leaned into the phone, his tone turning low and flirtatious. "But, don’t worry, baby, when I get home, I’ll take care of that spider... and you, too."
ITOSHI RIN
It was supposed to be a quiet, ordinary day for one of the top detectives in the department. His desk was a mess of paperwork, and he was deep in the grind—cross-referencing statements, signing reports, and filling out forms. He hated the tedious parts of the job, but he was used to it. Nothing could disturb his focus; nothing but—
Vibration.
He glanced at his phone. Your name flashed on the screen. His first instinct was to ignore it, but a nagging thought held him back. You never called during work unless something was wrong. Still, with a sigh, he answered.
“Is it normal for Mommy to have blood on her stomach? Is my little brother a monster?”
Rin froze. His first reaction was to feel a pang of panic. Blood? His mind raced as he pictured the worst possible scenarios. He knew that voice—your child was watching too many horror movies again, getting himself all worked up.
“Calm down, okay? Where’s your mother?” Rin asked, trying not to sound too angry or demanding with asking questions, he knew how the suspects got away.
“She was in the kitchen and now she has red all over her stomach…” the child explained, sounding more frantic with each passing second.
Rin’s heart skipped a beat as he stood up from his desk, knocking papers to the floor. This can’t be happening, you were in danger and your child sounded more than scared. He needed to be back home immediately. “Stay where you are, do not move,” he ordered, his voice low and commanding. Turned to his boss, not waiting for a response. “I need to leave. Now.”
Without waiting for permission, he bolted out the door.
His pulse was racing as he sped home, each second dragging on longer than the last. His thoughts were consumed with worry for you and the baby, a fear deeper than any threat he faced in his career. When he burst through the door and rushed to the kitchen, his breath hitched. He saw you—sleeping on the counter, exhausted, a slight stain of red near your stomach. His eyes widened. Was she hurt?
But there was no blood. No danger. Just the remnants of a cake you had been baking, and the food coloring had created the illusion of blood. You’d passed out from exhaustion, nothing more. Your husband sighed in relief, but he heard a small voice behind him.
“Is Mommy alive?”
Rin turned to find your child, wide-eyed and still nervous. The detective gently shook you awake, his hand soft and careful to avoid disturbing the baby to pop out any minute. You blinked groggily, confusion was written all over your face, but then— “The cake!” you exclaimed, ignoring the love of your life entirely. Of course, your priorities had always been… unique.
"Yeah, the cake," he muttered under his breath, trying to keep a straight face as he helped you sit up, ready to take the blame for your child's next internet ban with the horror media.
SHIDOU RYUSEI
Blasting music in the police car, sirens wailing, Shidou Ryusei chased down some random robbers, caught them, and hauled them to the station. He was a man of contradictions—a protector of the law who lived for thrills. Sure, he’d had a rough past and even served time as a teen, but hey, life’s full of surprises. One thing was certain, though: not everyone could claim you as their wife, his beautiful partner who was currently calling him for the sixth time.
“Pick up the damn phon—” Your annoyed voice hit his ears as he answered. Meanwhile, he was busy munching on candy he’d swiped from the twins earlier. “What’s up, babe?”
“Shidou Ryusei, are you out of your mind?” Uh-oh, here it came. Normally, your calls were filled with anecdotes about your day, theories about the universe, or updates about the twins’ shenanigans. This, however, sounded serious.
“Hello, my beautiful, amazing, angelic wife~” he drawled, mouth still full. He could practically see your angry, adorable expression through the phone.
“I’ll show you what IS amazing... Are you crazy?!”
“Always. Why even ask?” he teased.
“Why did you took the kids from kindergarten, witht he police car while blasting Gangnam style?” Oh, that. Well, you asked him to pick them up since you were running late, “What’s the problem? Elaborate, doll,”
“The problem?” you huffed through the line, voice rising as he heard someone laughing in the background, probably your kids enjoying your reactions as much as your husband did—some genes are pretty strong. “You traumatized every kid at the kindergarten! The teacher called me, Ryusei! The teacher! She said she’s never seen a police escort used so... recklessly!”
He was still chewing the candy he so kindly borrowed, only half-listening. “Reckless? Nah, that’s called style, babe. They’ll remember it forever. They should thank me for making their day cool.”
“Style?!” you screeched, and he almost felt bad. “Blasting Gangnam Style, sirens wailing, and you had the audacity to throw candy out the window like some... cop Santa?!”
Now he did laugh, the sound loud enough to echo around the block. Some of the people nearby on the street gave him curious looks, but he waved them off. “What? It’s called multitasking. Besides, the twins loved it. They told me I’m their hero. How can I say no to my kids, huh? Their words, not mine, by the way.”
You groaned and for a second, he thought you might hang up. “You’re insufferable. Absolutely insufferable. And stop eating the kids’ candy!”
Caught mid-chew, Shidou smirked. “I have no idea what you’re talking about.”
“I swear, Ryusei, if you don—”
“Love you, babe!” he interrupted, his tone cheerful. “And the kids love me too. Don’t forget that part. Now, I gotta go, official police business calls. You know, saving the world, keeping our streets cool.”
“Ryusei—!”
Click.
He hung up, a chuckle escaping as he leaned forward, unwrapping another candy. Moments like these reminded him how much he adored you, his firecracker of a wife, and the twins' choice for sweet treats.
©2024 kaiser1ns do not copy, repost or modify my work
#✧* ꜝ on hiatus#✧* ꜝ blue lock#✧* ꜝ itoshi sae#✧* ꜝ michael kaiser#itoshi rin#oliver aiku#shidou ryusei#blue lock x reader#bllk x reader#blue lock#x reader#blue lock x you#sae x reader#kaiser x reader#rin x reader#oliver x reader#shidou x reader#itoshi sae x reader#itoshi rin x reader#oliver aiku x reader#michael kaiser x reader#shidou ryusei x reader#blue lock fluff#blue lock season 2#blue lock imagines#blue lock manga#rin itoshi#bllk x female reader#blue lock ani
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I simply cannot stand how current Star Trek treats Section 31 as some hypothetical moral quandary.
“What if we needed a secret extrajudicial organization to commit crimes to protect us?” We already had one, it was the Cold War CIA, and do you know what it did? It instigated holy wars. It installed dictators. It authorized kill squads to make goods just a little bit cheaper. You’re asking a question that has already been answered and the answer was “When you give people a lot of power, zero accountability, a mission statement of doing awful things for ‘the right reasons’, and a mentality that people are either sheep to be controlled or wolves to be slain, they do not protect anyone. They just kill and hurt and destroy, and even the people they claim to protect just suffer all the more for it.”.
Section 31 was created when CIA declassifications made clear what had been done in our name and with our money. That’s why in its native DS9, its primary purpose was to be rejected as a concept and defeated by our protagonists, why the Federation has to be saved from its rampant, thoughtless cruelty. Section 31 is not a sci fi concept. It is not a “what if?”. It is an allegory for a very real organization and ideology that has harmed billions of people, that will take decades to root out and further decades, possibly even centuries, to heal from. It is evil, it was modeled on evil, and the impulse to defend or lighten it is not a politically neutral one. It has no place in the Star Trek future, just as it’s real world equivalents have no place in our society, and anyone who says otherwise is deceiving you or themselves.
Portraying Section 31 as morally grey or worse, necessary, is a lie. It is repackaged military propaganda used to justify and whitewash its real world equivalents by creating a fantasy where such an organization is anything but evil, to make it easier to sell that same fantasy in real life. I can accept and even enjoy moral quandaries and flawed characters in Star Trek. I will not accept being lied to.
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Producer AU Headcanons
SAJA BOYS & HUNTR/X x Producer! Reader
I am mentally sane and definitely not in a hypothetical padded cell of this hyper fixation - have some headcanons I have and will eventually show more of maybe if people are interested
Will probably eventually expand even more on headcanons I have laying around if not just do drabbles / short scenarios for stuff I want to get out - probably extremely OOC of canon but this is what I picture everyone to be in this AU 😊
CW: relatively gender neutral here, the main series is insinuated fem!reader - just loose headcanons about the characters in this AU and how they interact or feel about you [NOT PROOFREAD]

General
The groups still fight because honestly, it’s hard to shake off that demon hate entirely but now it’s mostly relatively friendly sparring. Mostly.
Sometimes Romance plays with fire a little too closely and ends up getting his ass handed to him by Mira but he’ll say he loves it as she gets angrier, Rumi and Zoey finally having to play mediator and drag the taller girl away before she actually commits a crime against Romance
They all rely on you heavily for comebacks, you’re their favourite producer and they are terrified to try working with anyone else again after the last demos were leaked and they all sounded... horrible (thinking about EXO - Wolf where they tried to make it sound horrible so it wouldn’t be released)
You know their vocal strengths and weaknesses like the back of your hand, able to make them shine in whatever concept they’re aiming for so why wouldn’t they love working with you? Aside from when you get cranky because you didn’t get enough sleep and then it’s hard to talk to you because they don’t want you to start crying or yelling at them. Yeah you’re a bit of a wild card when you’re tired.... which is pretty frequently
The Saja boys often ended up on projects with your co-producer so over time you’d grown accustomed to seeing them in the building, which meant a lot more fleeting conversations between yourself and each boy - it broke the ice and it became easier to work with them over time

Saja boys
Jinu
Loser! (endearing)
He’s just a dork trapped in a hot body and I can’t unsee it, when he’s not in serious leader mode he’s just a goofball that likes to tease and poke fun at his friends or at you.
He tries to play it cool, he really does but he gets nervous and when he fumbles which makes him more nervous so he’ll go from “Hey..” to slipping or tripping over himself to stuttering to apologising and avoiding eye contact for the remainder of time together as he wishes he exploded in a dramatic display.
At first he was all about keeping things professional with you but it was hard to maintain a cool and collected image, when the other boys had stopped keeping up theirs. He steadily gave up and let his actual personality start to shine through when you poked fun at him, accusing him of not doing his best during recording sessions or even when he found himself at your place late at night just talking.
Talking about nothing in particular but everything at the same time and he just, couldn’t stop trying to come over to talk. If it wasn’t a bi weekly thing, it was a weekly thing and then nearly every other night he’d shoot a message asking if you’d want to come over to hang out with the guys (him) or if you wanted company while you worked.
Enjoys just being in your space, watching you work without you knowing (non creepy) and just the serenity of it. Kinda likes seeing when you get frustrated over a project and will try to help out by humming out the tune with you so you could hear it in a different key and if that doesn’t work, he rips you from your chair and says “Yup, break time.” and forces you to take a break by making you go out on a walk with him, a midnight food run, go to hang out with the chaos that is his boys, anything to get you to reset and refresh yourself.
Whenever he works on a project with you or stops by to hang out, he makes sure to grab you a couple of your favourite drinks and snacks to help get you through whatever grind you were locked in on and he’d sit back listening to you hum or record your demos and close his eyes to really hear you.. it was just pleasant and a highlight to his day when he could hear you sing.
Abs / Abby
I think he gets characterised as a meat head a lot but I think there’s more under the abs and muscles, seems like a big sweetie that struggles with being gentle sometimes.
During recording sessions it’s gotten to a point where you have to smack him and Mystery upside the head to stop roughhousing in the studio - the equipment is expensive and you are NOT paying for replacements.
He doesn’t exactly understand music on a technical level, completely going off of ‘vibes’ or whatever he thinks it is but he’s able to fix his mistakes with a few pointers and that’s it - probably one of the easiest out of the bunch to correct and he never takes offense to corrections.
He’s eager to work oddly enough? Likes to get things done and if he can help you with whatever projects you’re working on the side - hell yeah! he’ll show his dance moves if you want to see if a track is dance-worthy, he’ll provide backing vocals if you need a deeper voice on tracks and he’s happy to go buy you snacks too - just kinda a golden retriever with really nice muscles and a pretty smile.
You catch him looking at you when he thinks he’s being subtle but it’s never anything that really throws you off, he just seems intrigued by what you do - often asks questions about things about the hardware or software you’re using and when you’re in your personal studio you let him try and make a track himself, just a simple half minute track with samples you’ve already made and he’s so gentle with your equipment, worried he may not know how to handle the gear without breaking something but with your reassurance and guidance he makes a sample that he’s happy with and even goes to brag about it to the other guys.
Mystery
He’s quiet, holds himself surprisingly well as an idol aside from when he gets a little.. nippy - very prone to biting the other boys but he’s a softie towards you, the Huntrix girlies too even as they’re able to reel him in and make him stop trying to bite at fans.
He’s hard on himself - beats himself up a little more than the others do because sometimes it just doesn’t make sense and he feels dejected when everyone else is able to change things up on the fly without issue - words of encouragement mean something to him and sometimes when you’re really nice, you even pat him on the head or shoulder and he really melts for a second.
You’d gotten used to him being in your space, not in like an overtly invasive way it just seemed that he didn’t particular understand personal space - so used to latching off of his other members for promotional media or rough housing so he didn’t really get why at first you were jumpy when he leant in a little too close or if he leant on your shoulder or leg if it was available. He just kinda enjoys physical touch, not really knowing what it sometimes did to your heart.
He bit you once.
Yeah, he bit you once. He wasn’t in a particularly good mood and he had a need to bite something, anything, and you had happened to be the closest thing to him because the other guys were at the back of your studio whilst he was seated nearby you. You didn’t notice him when he crawled up to you, too focussed on the song you were mixing to perfection when you felt a sharp sting on your outter thigh and you yelped. Startling everyone in the room and even the culprit who bit you, you stared at him - he stared at you (you think) and then you pointed to the door wordlessly. He got up and walked out of the room in shame, like a scolded puppy.
Romance
Everyone agrees he’s flirty, but I feel like Romance is a bit more of the awkward flirt when you match his energy.
He’s so used to everyone backing off or getting flustered, so if you throw something back at him? He’ll fumble, stammer over his next words as he tries to catch his breath because he was NOT expecting you to match his tone. After that he’s avoiding eye contact, it takes him a couple days before he’s back to teasing you in a flirty way and sending “send nudes?” to you randomly through out the week.
There had been a time where you were left alone with Romance and he had let his guard down, turned off the flirty persona all together and he was a lot more.. approachable? Enjoyable to be around even as you two just made small talk and he wasn’t batting his lashes at you, wasn’t trying to force physical affection onto you and just simply enjoyed your presence for what it was. You had to admit when he was being him and not the flirty idol everyone wanted to see, he was pretty attractive.
He gives theatre kid when he sings, playing things up, somehow too emotive when he sings but he is willing to take feedback and correct himself when he goes too far or if you catch on that he’s straining a note too much because he wants to commit - wants to show he can do it - which leads to you taking him aside and quietly and gently reminding him that his vocal cords need to stay healthy if he wants to continue singing. To continue shining. And he takes that feedback to heart, doing his best to actually go through vocal exercises to warm up his voice and being more mindful of the steps he takes into hitting higher notes or notes just barely out of range until he’s able to comfortably undertake them and when he does hit that note? He’s got a smug smile on his face as he looks at you with the most excited and adoring eyes.
Baby
Ipad kid. I see him as the kind of person that may have a bit of ADHD. something that stemmed from his past life maybe - always on his phone or doing something to divide his attention because going all in on something is harder for him.
He can’t focus if he isn’t doing something - fidgeting, playing a game, evening snacking on something - he just needs some kind of stimuli to lock in and that’s just kinda how he is.
When he talks to you he’s usually flicking his eyes between you and his phone, but he’s listening - able to give full responses to questions you have and has no issues regurgitating the information back to you or whoever is there that doubts he was listening.
He’s got more technical skill in music than the others guys but still a few levels under Jinu, he knows what works for him and isn’t opposed to switching things up if you ask him to but it takes a few tries before he’ll get it. He’s actually assisted in writing bars for you and even critiqued lines you’ve written and fixed songs for you. His flow is a lot more natural than yours and you had to admit, he was good at what he knew.
You’d actually introduced him to a group of underground rappers that yourself and a few producers in your building knew, he hadn’t shown any interest until he showed up to an impromptu session and really enjoyed the cyphers they had to come up with on the fly. The second time he went he had asked if he could record the session and send it over to you - the others were happy for him to do that and you could hear the joy in his voice as he shared a craft with like minded people in the snippet he recorded for you.

Huntr/x
Rumi
She’s a little hard to talk to sometimes but it’s mostly because she can’t express herself earnestly, she tries but it’d be a lie if you and her hadn’t had misunderstandings here and there because of it.
As much as you love working with her, she loves working with you - absolutely bouncing off the walls when Bobby tells her and the other girls that they’ll be working on you for any project.
Also respectfully - girl failure when she isn’t putting up the perfect idol pretence because of her upbringing from Celine and often makes mistakes when its just the two of you, she feels comfortable enough to not force herself into a mould and has even had a voice crack here and there where you both laugh it off and let her redo the take.
You’d caught her when her voice was going through a rough patch, accidentally walked in when she was having a panic attack in the studio buildings’ bathroom and saw the patterns all over her arms - though you didn’t know what they were and complimented her ‘cool tattoos’ after you had held her in your arms and let her steadily calm down from her panic, after that whenever it had just been you and her she had become more comfortable with revealing her patterns to you. The comfort of you not knowing what they represented and treating her all the same was special to her, more than you’d ever understand.
Mira
She’s blunt, always has been but she likes to compliment you - not anything cheesy and over the top but just how much she appreciates your work and hopes that you’re doing well because even though you’re creating master pieces she’d rather you get rest instead of burning out
A bit rough and doesn’t always take well to criticism but is more likely to hear you out over anyone else, sometimes argues back but will still follow your guidance, gets embarrassed when you smile at her knowingly when you pick up on her following your advice
There had been a time where you got a text at 3am from her, asking if you were available for a call and you picked up only to hear her sniffly and gravelly voice as she just seemed to seek out comfort from your voice.. just something to help take the edge off of a fight she had with her parents over the phone over how embarrassed and disgusted they still were about her idol career. You let her talk before sharing your own insights, how your family felt about things and how often you’d feel insecure about your career path until you would walk down the streets and hear people humming along to a song you released and everything felt worth it again. How the right people could make everything feel worth it again.
You’d grown closer after that call and she had unknowingly became more attached, always opting to go to you to express her more vulnerable side when she couldn’t bring herself to open up to Zoey or Rumi.
Zoey
She’s so loveable it’s almost painful, often messages you to ask for critique on lyrics she comes up with and if you have time to give her feedback on what she could fix lyric or timing wise.
She respects what you have to say and doesn’t take any negative criticism to heart but occasionally you catch it, the way her eyes lose their shine for a second when you say you weren’t a fan of something she came up with and she shrinks in on herself a little - you try to be careful with how you word it whenever it does happen but sometimes you just talk her through what could change and potential ideas you have; that you still think it was a good idea just maybe could use some polishing and that normally does the trick to get her back to being her bright self.
Sometimes she gets a little overwhelming, so used to her hectic idol schedule that sometimes she forgets that production is a different trainwreck and there’s been a couple times where you’ve had to draw a line and let her know that please do not message you for a day or two while you crunch through the deadline. She understood, apologising and sending a cute little fighting..! audio clip for you to hear and you laugh it off, able to get through your project before reaching out to her and asking about what it was she wanted to share with you - this time it was turtle videos she’d found and another time it’d be seal videos she’d found and rabbit holed. Endearing, truly.
#kpop demon hunters x reader#saja boys x reader#huntrix x reader#kpdh x reader#kpdh x you#abs saja x reader#mystery x reader#baby saja x reader#jinu x reader#rumi x reader
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i wish viktor got a chance to interact with the zaun characters outside of his jesus state because like. dude he'd get along great with ekko
there's the obvious part where yknow, they're both genius inventors, they both start communes, and they're both working towards a better world for the undercity, but also like.
imagine the hypothetical timebomb jayvik double date.
like "so viktor, how'd you and jayce get together?"
"well i walked in on him about to kill himself and i talked him off the ledge, then we hung out for a bit and decided to commit crimes and do magic together"
"dude. you'll never guess how jinx and i got together"
#we've had viktor and jinx slinging slurs at eachother#we've had ekko and jayce as somewhat awkward teacher and student#all we need is viktor and ekko singing kumbaya while jinx bullies jayce#jayvik#arcane jayvik#jayvik arcane#timebomb#arcane timebomb#timebomb arcane#jayce x viktor#viktor x jayce#jinx x ekko#ekko x jinx#ekkojinx#viktor arcane#arcane viktor#viktor lol#jesus viktor#ekko#ekko arcane#arcane ekko#ekko lol#ekko and viktor#viktor and ekko
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"Israel is more LGBTQ friendly than Palestine."
Let's say, that hypothetically, Israel is the most LGBTQ-friendly country on the entire planet. I STILL would be against them committing genocide. What they have done to Gaza is horrific and we should be talking about a ceasefire to prevent more innocent people from dying. But nah, people would rather shift the conversation over to something that's completely unrelated away from the war crimes the IDF is committing.
As a queer person who has lived in Texas and Mississippi her whole life, it has always disgusted me how gleeful some of you "progressives" act when something horrific happens to places you deem "conservative." Do you people not understand that every place has diversity, every place has LGBTQ people? People deserve to live full and happy and safe lives regardless of where they were born. There is nothing in the world that could ever justify the mass killings of innocent people.
#free palestine#free gaza#something like this shouldn't need to be said#also fuck the people who argue that Palestinians can just leave#how braindead do you need to be to have that take#i'm begging you to read a history book
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look this site really is awful for ppl with OCD so i just wanna reassure anyone that you are not Tainted Forever for consuming a piece of media with questionable content. the fact that youre able to recognize it speaks to your critical thinking skills, which is good, certain depictions should be critiqued. but you dont need to ruminate on it to the point where you begin to feel guilty for simply witnessing gross or creepy writing choices. you dont have to vindicate yourself to the fictional tumblr discourser inside your head, saying that youre now a bad person bc you watched the wrong anime. your actual response to it still matters of course, but thats that and this is this. just seeing it is neutral, you didnt commit a thought crime. its literally fine.
IF YOU ARE USING THIS POST TO ONLY FURTHER YOUR STUPID PEDANTIC BLACK-AND-WHITE DISCOURSE TO GET A "GOCHA" OVER THE OTHER SIDE YOU ARE THE PROBLEM. DON'T USE OUR DISORDER TO VINDICATE YOUR BEHAVIOR. THOUGHT CRIMES ARENT REAL BUT ACTIONS STILL MATTER. PEOPLE WITH OCD ARE CAPABLE OF THINKING CRITICALLY ABOUT OUR ACTIONS AND RESPONSES, EVEN WITH INTRUSIVE THOUGHTS AND RUMINATIONS. TREATING US AS IF WE CANNOT, ONLY TO FORCE US TO USE YOUR STRINGENT UNNUANCED DISCOURSE OPINIONS ABOUT "PURITY CULTURE" (TRIGGERING TO THOSE WITH OCD) AS THE ONLY REASONABLE GUIDE DOES MORE TO EXACERBATE OUR OBSESSIONS THAN HELP US. YOU ARE THE ISSUE AS WELL. YOU ARE ALSO THE TUMBLR DISCOURSER INSIDE OUR HEADS. DO NOT USE US FOR YOUR DISCOURSE. WE ARE PEOPLE, NOT HYPOTHETICALS TO USE TO EXPLAIN IF YOUR FROZEN INCEST FANFICTION IS OKAY OR NOT. TREATING US AS IF WE CANNOT AUTONOMOUSLY HAVE OUR OWN OPINIONS ON WHEN MEDIA IS TANGIBLY HARMFUL IS ABLEIST. FORCING US TO ABIDE BY YOUR IN-GROUP'S SET OF UNEQUIVOCAL MORALS IS ABLEIST. ACTING AS THOUGH THE ONLY SOLUTION FOR US IS MINDLESS MEDIA CONSUMPTION IN WHICH "EVERY DEPICTION OF XYZ, NO MATTER HOW POORLY DONE OR EXPLOITATIVE, IS ALWAYS OKAY AND IF YOU DISAGREE YOURE ACTUALLY AN EVIL 'ANTI'" IS ABLEIST. THOSE ARE THE SAME BLACK-AND-WHITE MORALS THAT SEND US INTO OBSESSIVE SPIKES, BUT FLIPPED. A SET OF MORALS IN WHICH QUESTIONING THE IMPACT OF A PIECE OF WORK MAKES YOU AN "EVIL CONSERVATIVE PURITAN "ANTI"" DOES NOT HELP MORAL OCD.
YOU ARE THE DAMN TUMBLR DISCOUERSERS MAKING THIS SHIT WORSE FOR US! YOURE THE EXACT SAME BUT WITH FLIPPED BUZZWORDS! YOU'RE MISSING THE WHOLE DAMN POINT!
#the fictional tumblr discourser inside your head is like the opposite of critical thinking its just extremes#blocking that helps you form better thoughts and come to a better understanding of why said content can be harmful in said depiction etc et#and to be clear shutting off all critical thoughts is not the solution either bc then you end up with.... Those People#the ones who jack off to lolicon on ao3 and think its the same artistically as lolita x_x#this post is not a vindication for that sort of thing. or say like actively supporting an openly bigoted series or author#those are different things because they are actual choices and actions. you chose to respond that way#thats what i mean when i say your actual response still matters. as in your actions surrounding it
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Something that has been rattling around in my brain since Oct 7th and the responses afterwards (and, let's be honest, I've been mulling over cause of work foe years due to true crime girlies) is that I don't think the majority of the public understands how criminal and terrorist outfits actually function.
It comes across as if the majority of people just imagine some hypothetical caricature of a person sitting in their lair doing "evil villain" fingers and going "Oh, I'm going to be so naughty today and do so much terror and crime" when that's not the case.
These are sophisticated organizations that have existed for decades with their own infrastructures and support staff. These outfits have personnel that run the gambit from IT to soldiers to doctors to management to press and so on. Every single one of them can, at one point or another, become a soldier and fight, but none of them are one trick ponies.
No organization survives and thrives being made up of one type of thing. It takes a complex supportive infrastructure made of multiple roles to keep anything going. We see this with everything from businesses to charity orgs to militaries.
It just so happens that organized crime and terrorist groups work in the same manner, they just also happen to do, you know, violent criminal/terrorist activities.
Myself and my colleagues all have stories about cases involving criminal outfits where the defense was something along the lines of "I was just an IT guy!" or other "benign" sounding position. But the reality is that the IT guy is still part of the outfit, knows what is going on, has a specific role to benefit it, and can and will pick up a weapon and commit a violent act just like any other member if instructed to or in the opportune moment.
The inability of the anti-Israel activists to engage in this thought and rely upon the "but they were a doctor!" or "but they were press!" as if it's some sort of holy symbol that defends against the reality that the individual in question was part of or associated with the outfit either tells us they don't understand this concept or refuse to because it would undermine their position.
#jumblr#antisemitism#leftist antisemitism#intersectional antisemitism#i/p#activist antisemitism#This gets into the whole concept of complicity in the actions of a criminal or terrorist organization#Just because you're a doctor or in charge of shipping does not mean you're not complicit in the organizations activities#You are providing support and are likely aware and thus complicit
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So much of coach’s narrative comes down to agency and his continual loss of it and I find that devastating. His struggle to be autonomous is wrapped up in his rocky relationship to his identity which is why he chose nationals over Paul despite maybe knowing in the back of his mind that making the terrifying decision could change his life for the better, and assuming he is guaranteed return. He values what he perceives to be safety over happiness because it’s all he knows, only to be wrong, and ends up regretting it in retrospect. The crash puts him in a position where despite being able bodied his entire life, he suddenly has to rely on a group of teenagers, his students whom he’s expected to care for himself and feels a responsibility to, are now the ones taking care of him, and overseeing other survival tasks that despite his practical know-how, he finds himself unable to do.
As they spend more time in the wilderness it becomes apparent to him that the team doesn’t really want nor need his help or advice anymore and feeling, too, that he might be useless, he resigns himself to inaction and fails the team he was supposed to protect and support without meaning to because his control over them is fickle and dwindling anyway. He tries to intervene both times but is met with disagreement from the collective as two of his students die preventable deaths because what does he have aside from his words, and would they listen anyway? He falls into despair imagining what his life might have looked life if he had chosen himself, if he had exercised any agency, but hypotheticals are useless. He checks out entirely as Shauna is giving birth in the other room.
He takes his life into his own hands for possibly the first time by deciding to end it and is interrupted. He realizes what witnessing an event like that would do to Misty and chooses his responsibility to her instead.
He finally makes an autonomous choice again in leaving; wanting not to hurt them but to save himself and so he stays far away. He leaves behind the only person he can trust because she has made it clear to him that she isn’t so different from the rest of them, and not for the first time, he is left completely alone. He regains his will to live but not even necessarily because that’s what he wants and more because he’s afraid, and in his head, the alternative is dying and being eaten. He is hyper aware of the way his leg is a disadvantage to him in a survival situation. So he leaves.
He scavenges and starves but makes do on his own. He adapts. He kidnaps Mari and feeds her and fixes her knee because even after the fear that prompts his departure, she’s scared and she’s hurt and she’s his to take care of. He knows that even if it means he pays for it with his life, he has to let her go. He probably figures she will talk, what other choice does she have? Upon being found, he saves Shauna and Van and Akilah, only to be captured. He knows going into the trial that it won’t be fair. He has no other options. He has no agency.
He is sentenced to death for a crime he didn’t commit. He’s placed in an animal pen, his only means of mobility withheld from him. He’s dragged to a tree to be shot by his former team and isn’t even afforded the dignity of a look in the eye as they do it. He can’t do anything about it. An eleventh hour prophetic vision spares his life, but the severing of his Achilles as the newly settled upon punishment violently strips him of what mobility he had left, and he hadn’t been afforded agency since he was off on his own. He’s left immobile and he’s in pain and he isn’t even allowed to die of his own accord despite his begging and pleading. Even if he knows it’s selfish or horrible or irrational to ask Nat to help him do it, he keeps begging because he has nothing left. Not even choice.
To be allowed to die is the one thing he wants and in granting him his final wish, She gives him back his agency. It’s not what she wants for him and she will feel that guilt for the rest of her life. She knows it will get her in trouble with the rest of the group, but it’s what he wants. That means something to her.
#yj spoilers#yellowjackets showtime#Yellowjackets#natalie scatorccio#coach ben#ben scott#mari ibarra#I’m having so many feelings I don’t know what do with them all. I miss him so bad I’m crying.#I know it’s ridiculous but he means to much to me.#analysis
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Zoro as a romantic partner- My thoughts
Alright, hear me out.
Zoro, the stoic, sword-wielding badass of One Piece, doesn’t show the slightest interest in romance—at least not in any of the arcs I’ve read or watched. He’s far too focused on his goals, his loyalty to Luffy, and his never-ending quest to become the greatest swordsman in the world. But... what if?
I’ve been thinking about what kind of partner Zoro might have, and honestly, the idea that keeps popping into my head is less “typical romance” and more... Tatsu from The Way of the Househusband. If you’re unfamiliar, Tatsu is an infamous and feared yakuza boss, nicknamed "The Immortal Dragon," who (after literally defeating all his enemies) leaves the crime world to become a devoted househusband to the woman who once cared for his wounds.
Now, while Zoro definitely wouldn’t go full Sanji mode (because, let’s be real, Zoro cooking is a kitchen fire waiting to happen), there’s something about that protector-turned-househusband energy that feels surprisingly fitting.
Let’s pause for a second on the Sanji comparison. Sanji is all about charm, flirtation, and over-the-top devotion to every woman he meets. He’s a master chef who pours his heart into crafting meals and showering people with compliments. Zoro, on the other hand, would never lower himself to something he might see as “cooking duty.” It’s just not his style.
But here’s the twist: if someone did something genuinely kind for Zoro—like how Miku cared for Tatsu in The Way of the Househusband when he gets injured—I feel like Zoro would be smitten (or at least, as smitten as Zoro can get). He’d show his appreciation in his own gruff way, and his feelings would manifest through actions rather than words.
Zoro’s approach would be much more subtle, quiet, and honestly, a little rough around the edges—more of a “guard dog” than a “gentleman chef.” He’s the type of guy who lets you sleep on him, beats up Sanji to make sure your favorite meal gets cooked, and stares down anyone foolish enough to think they have a shot at you. It’s that unspoken but undeniable protection that makes the idea of Zoro as a partner so intriguing.
Zoro strikes me as the kind of person who wouldn’t even notice someone as a potential romantic partner unless they demonstrated qualities he deeply values—like loyalty, strength, or determination. He’s stubborn as hell, and most attempts at flirtation would probably fly right over his head. But the moment someone proved their worth to him in a way that resonates, those blinders would come off so fast, and suddenly... boom. Enter Zoro, househusband—but with a twist.
I see him as a fiercely protective presence—the ultimate guard dog for his partner. He’d be the type to wordlessly handle problems before they even reached his significant other, standing as an unshakable shield against the world. Whether it’s physical threats or emotional support, Zoro would embody dependability and unwavering commitment. And let’s not forget—if his partner is equally supportive of him, this man would be unstoppable.
In this hypothetical scenario, Zoro doesn’t lose his edge; instead, he channels his loyalty and protective instincts into a new kind of role. And honestly? That blend of strength, dedication, and quiet care makes for a dynamic that’s as compelling as it is unexpected.
What do you think? Could Zoro be the ultimate househusband in his own unique way? Or is he just too much of a lone wolf for any of this to work?
#roronoa zoro#one piece zoro#zoro x reader#tatsu househusband#ways of the house husband#ways of the househusband#one piece#opla x reader#opla
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Part 1: Sugared Coffee
Criminal Minds : Multishot
Spencer Reid x Reader
Word Count: 7554
Warnings: set around season 3 {aka 2007}, slow burn, strangers to friends, friends to lovers, pining on Reid’s part, phobia of needles, PTSD, usual criminal minds level of violence and creepy unsubs, mentions of serial killers and the sick things they do, panic attacks, statistics and quotes I can provide references for
Request: This just came from my own head ��
A/N: While taking a break from writing my Teen Wolf series, I stumbled onto this little idea 😅 I've been in love with Spencer Reid since 15 years old - and I still haven't written a series with him... WHICH IS A CRIME
Part 1: Sugared Coffee {You Are Here}
Part 2: Needles
~~~
The Quantico buildings stood out pale and dim within the autumn trees. The dead, fall colors of red and orange encased the sidewalks and scented the air with a farmstead crispness. It was a smell you knew you wouldn’t forget as you stood before the main building.
Dressed in a blue button down and a black blazer, you thumbed the plastic sleeve of your new badge. FBI, it said in blue block letters, Behavioral Analysis Unit. This was a step closer to your new life.
Maybe this will be your chance to catch the son of a bitch. Maybe this will be your chance to stop others in the meantime. Maybe this is your chance to stay safe with a new team and a new badge, stifling the feeling of fear that always rested in your diaphragm.
For now you know you will always remember that your first day at the BAU smelled like fall leaves.
~~~
The office felt slower than usual, which could be seen as a reprieve, but it made the team restless. Most of them were catching up on paperwork, or at least taking their time with details. Reid had flown through a list of research papers and true crime novels by the time lunch rolled around.
“I thought we all had paperwork to do.” Prentiss called over, rubbing an ink smudge on her finger, “How come you’re reading crime fiction?”
Reid’s finger stopped running midway through a page in his book. “It’s not fiction, this is a true crime biography written by O.J. Simpson about if he hypothetically committed the murders of Nicole Brown and Ron Goldman.”
Prentiss raised her eyebrows, tossing her pen onto her desk, “If I was found not guilty for a murder, I would try to put the whole thing behind me. Not write a book detailing what I would do if I actually did it.”
“You finished your paperwork?” Morgan asked, entering the bullpen with a yellow pad of paper. He tore off the top page and sat across from Reid. “I thought you were a speed reader, not a speed writer.”
“I have a lot of free time at home,” Reid said, looking down at his book again.
Morgan laughed, balling up the yellow piece of paper and tossing it at Reid’s head. “Pretty boy needs a pretty girl in his life.”
Reid swatted at where the paper ball bounced off his face. “Stop finding reasons to avoid your work.”
“Woah,” Morgan grinned, “Someone’s a little feisty today.”
“You would be too if someone kept interrupting you while you’re trying to read.”
“Hey, have you heard if that new recruit is coming in today?” Prentiss asked, laying back in her chair and massaging her writing hand.
Morgan shrugged, twisting around in his own chair, “Hotch said interviews ended over a week ago.”
“They’re being pretty secret about the whole thing,” Prentiss went on, “Makes you wonder who they are.”
“I heard Rossi had something to do with it,” Morgan said, “Persuaded Hotch to make the unpopular choice.”
Reid closed his book, unable to concentrate, “That would mean the new guy has a personal connection with Rossi.”
“New girl, it seems,” Morgan said, eyes moving to the office doors to find Hotch escorting a professionally dressed woman.
Reid looked over as well, noticing a few things immediately, profiler that he was. This new recruit held herself tall, speaking of her confidence entering the room. Although her eyes were open wide as if she were trying to see everything all at once. It gave her expression the look of being frightened.
But the hesitant smile on her face spoke of kindness.
She was a walking contradiction. Her handshake was firm, shoulders squared, voice steady and confident. But her breath was shallow, and her eyes gave the appearance of a deer stuck in the headlights.
The conclusion was that this new recruit was confident in her abilities and wanted to be there. But she felt like she had to prove herself, terrified that something would cause her to be kicked off the team.
“This is SSA Derek Morgan,” Hotch introduced, “And SSA Emily Prentiss.”
“Hello,” the new recruit said, shaking each hand.
“And Dr. Spencer Reid,” Hotch gestured towards him, “We’ve found you some competition.”
The girl looked at Reid with a wide smile and it struck him how pretty she was. He blinked dumbly a few times, face blank when he replied, “Competition?” His throat felt incredibly dry.
“This is SSA (Y/N) (Y/L/N),” Hotch continued, “I was just telling her how we had an early graduate already on our team.”
Reid cleared his throat to combat the dryness, “You graduated school early?”
She nodded slowly, “Highschool and college.” She was quiet – shy in stating her accomplishments.
Hotch continued for her, “Had her bachelor’s degree by eighteen.”
(Y/N) sucked in a breath, rushing out, “And my master’s degree by twenty-two.”
“Our genius beats you by a few years,” Morgan grins.
“The eidetic memory helps,” Prentiss scoffs.
(Y/N) smiled again, “It’d be nice to bounce ideas off another brainiac.” She regards Reid with a warmer expression.
He was suddenly overcome with a sense of familiarity, as if he had seen her face somewhere before. He ran her name through his mind, trying to remember if he had read it or just heard it before.
“Speechless, Reid?” Morgan asked, grinning like he knew something everyone else didn’t. “I guess there’s a first time for everything.”
Everyone laughed as Reid tried to clear his mind. (Y/N) was looking at him with such fondness, he hoped it wasn’t pity for his strange and endearing behavior. He surprised himself by realizing he wanted her to like him. Like him a lot.
~~~
You leaned into the cushions of the jet seats, fingers running along your ribcage, at the little scar you knew was there. You take a deep breath, reminding yourself that you could.
“Alright, so families are being targeted in their homes with variations of the anthrax bacteria,” Hotch said, leading the team in the next case. “What do we notice about these cases?”
“These don’t seem like full scale terrorist attacks that are usually associated with anthrax,” Morgan said, flipping through the files, “But these could just be test subjects before some biological warfare.”
“Being isolated to just families within their homes gives the appearance of a simple virus passing through,” Prentiss said, “Usually when one family member gets sick they assume everyone will eventually.”
Rossi sighed, “Which kept families from reporting to the hospital until it was too late.”
“It’s also interesting that the unsub is using different anthrax forms,” J.J. continued, looking at the case photos with disgust, “Maybe they’re testing the effectiveness of each.”
Reid had a few knuckles resting against his chin, “We’ve seen inhalation anthrax in previous attacks, which affects the lungs of the infected and presents as flu-like symptoms.”
“There’s also intestinal anthrax, which comes from ingesting the bacteria,” you say quickly, “As well as cutaneous anthrax, which only affects the skin.”
“But we all know that inhalation anthrax is the deadliest,” Hotch said, “It’s been reported as the most fatal.”
“So why is the unsub using these different forms?” Morgan asked.
You thumb through the victim photos, “Maybe the unsub isn’t testing anything. Maybe they just enjoy infecting the family and watching the chaos ensue.”
“What makes you say that?” Hotch asked.
You sigh, feeling the attention being placed on you. A few of your fingers search for the little scar against your ribcage, tracing the slightly raised skin beneath your shirt. “If the goal of infecting the victims is to kill them, then using cutaneous or intestinal anthrax isn’t optimal. As soon as a cutaneous rash or ulcer appears, then you treat it with topical antibiotics and survival is very likely. And the only way intestinal anthrax will kill is if it somehow enters the bloodstream.”
“They could be enjoying the panic of sick families,” Rossi muttered to himself.
“The unsub might be using those forms in addition to inhalation because they want to see ultimate suffering,” you continue.
Morgan leaned forward, “Start with inhalation to incapacitate the victims. Then infect them with the other forms later.”
Hotch nodded in agreement, “Good work, (Y/N). I don’t think we are afraid of a terrorist attack. This is an unsub that enjoys isolating and infecting whole families.”
You swallow hard, proud of yourself for having an idea that might be plausible. This only being your third case with the team meant still trying to find your place among them.
Morgan was relaxed across from you, watching you for a few seconds, “You okay?”
You snap your eyes to him, “Yeah, why?”
He shrugged, looking down to your hand, “You have a nervous tick.”
Your hand instantly left the little scar you often traced, “Don’t we all?” you try to smile, “This is a time sensitive case.”
“Most of them are,” Morgan said, observing you, “There’s something you especially don’t like about this one.”
“What gives you that impression?” you ask, monitoring your own actions to try not to give yourself away.
“I don’t know you all that well…” he said.
You shake your head quickly, “No, you don’t.”
“… but I’ve seen you in some high stress situations the last couple of weeks. And I’ve noticed when you’re a little shaken.”
You close the case file, staring down at it with some apprehension. “Another form of anthrax is injection.”
Morgan looked at you with confusion, “Like with a needle?”
“That’s enough,” Rossi said from a few seats away, “Isn’t there a rule about profiling each other?”
“Papa Rossi to the rescue,” Morgan said with a small smile. “I was just concerned, that’s all.”
You give him a little nod, “I get it.” You give Rossi a stern, knowing look and he waved away your glare.
“We should grab a drink sometime,” Morgan continued, flashing his eyes in Reid’s direction. “It’d be nice to get to know you more.”
You laugh, “The most exciting thing about me, Derek, is this job.”
“Still,” Morgan stretched, “Where you from?”
A little huff escaped your lips as the jet began its descent, “Arizona.”
“What part?”
“Flagstaff,” you say slowly, “Why does this sound like an interrogation?” You were smiling, almost encouraging Morgan’s teasing tone.
“Family? Boyfriend? Girlfriend?”
You shake your head, “Parents back home. And no.” You notice how Reid suddenly put down the book he was reading to give his undivided attention.
“Alright.”
A laugh escapes you, “That’s all you wanted to know?”
“For now, sweetheart,” he said, giving a wink to Reid when you looked away. “Prentiss and I can scope out the first victim’s house.”
Hotch nodded, watching the jet get closer to the ground, “Good. Rossi, you and J.J. can look at the second victim’s house. Reid and (Y/N) – you two can go to the hospital to get more information on the symptoms and treatment of the victims. I’ll set up base at the local police station.”
Morgan seemed pleased about something as he got ready for the landing. Reid gave a little wave to you but seemed embarrassed by the action as he looked away immediately.
~~~
You sit behind the wheel of the SUV, Reid in the passenger seat twiddling his thumbs in his lap. You could tell he wanted to talk but didn’t know what to say. If you had it your way, you’d prefer to keep your silence while he rambled on about whatever was on his mind.
That way you wouldn’t have to talk. The less you talk the less likely you’ll share something you would regret.
“I found out recently that there’s a stage theatre in Virginia that puts on Shakespeare plays,” you say quietly.
Reid turns to you with raised eyebrows, “The Blackfriars Playhouse?”
You nod, “I hear it’s the world’s only re-creation of Shakespeare’s indoor theatre.”
“Yes, it started out as a traveling troupe that performed in countries around the world. They were taken in by the International Shakespeare Globe Centre and featured in England. In 1999 they changed their name to Shenandoah Shakespeare and moved to Staunton, Virginia. It took two years for the Blackfriars Playhouse to be built, and since then they’ve rebranded as the American Shakespeare Center that educates aspiring actors and performs using Renaissance rehearsal practices to showcase Shakespeare’s greatest works on their Globe Theatre stage.”
You start to relax against the wheel, “I saw somewhere that they’re having a year long conference.”
Reid was getting all excited, sitting on the edge of his seat and smiling with his words, “They are! The ASC is partnering with Shakespeare’s Globe in London. You’re a fan of Shakespeare?”
You give a polite nod, “As long as it’s on the stage. Shakespeare was meant to be watched, not just read.”
“Exactly!” he was thrilled to find something in common with you. “What is your favorite play?”
“Probably Much Ado About Nothing.”
“A comedy,” Reid said, “It’s one of my favorites too. Did you know that Much Ado About Nothing is considered one of Shakespeare’s greatest comedies? Although a similar trope of a happy ending, united lovers, and a villain receiving justice is seen in both The Merchant of Venice and A Midsummer Night’s Dream. Much Ado About Nothing also features more prose than just about any other Shakespearean play.”
You smile, confused, “Prose?”
“Prose is the written or spoken language in its ordinary form, meaning without the use of a metrical structure. It follows the natural flow of speech and differs from most traditional poetry. Much Ado About Nothing is about 75% prose and only 25% actual poetry verse. Verse is used to express more emotional statements, so that essentially proves how much of a comedy the play is because 75% of the material is used to express whimsical thoughts.”
You kept smiling, turning to enter the hospital parking lot. “I had no idea.”
It was quiet for a second before Reid cleared his throat, “I was rambling, wasn’t I?”
“Don’t worry,” you say, “I like it.”
Reid squirmed in his seat, warmth blooming in his chest, “I’m sorry, I should give you more of a chance to talk. Did you bring up the Blackfriars Playhouse because you wanted to see a show?”
You open the car door, “Maybe. Let’s get this over with.”
He scrambles out of the car, readjusting his side bag. “Okay.” You could tell he wanted to continue your conversation, but you brushed it off as you both enter the building to talk to the chief of the hospital.
You held back a shiver as you meet with staff in the urgent care ward. They told you of the severity of the anthrax murders, the horrific symptoms presented in the victims. They confirmed how quickly the bacteria affects a person and travels to everyone within a household.
“It would be easily transmitted between family members,” the doctor expressed.
“We believe the man we’re looking for is entering the home and tainting their food, infecting their air conditioning units, and injecting them in their sleep,” Reid says.
The doctor nods, “I can say the inhalation infection was there the longest, meaning it was the first form used. Cutaneous infection through injections hasn’t been present as long.”
“Meaning the unsub is entering the house a second time to infect them with a different form,” you say, “This guy likes to stick around and watch.” You trace the little scar against your ribcage, fingers lowering to another pinprick scar against your abdomen.
“Thank you for your time,” Reid said, hands stuffed in his pockets.
“Of course,” the doctor said, “And before I forget, your unit chief wanted your team treated to prevent an anthrax infection.”
Reid nodded in understanding, but you start to seize, “How?”
A nurse leaves to grab some supplies as the doctor states calmly, “Antibiotics and the anthrax vaccine. We usually only recommend it for individuals that are at risk.”
“And that comes in a pill form?” you ask quickly. Reid looks at you suddenly from your tone of voice.
“The antibiotics do,” the doctor says, pulling out some paperwork, “But the vaccine comes in an injection.”
Pain enters your side. You know it’s most likely a phantom pain, but you can’t escape the feeling of terror bubbling in your diaphragm. It popped and sizzled into your lungs, bringing you back to the familiar sensation of your lungs being punctured.
You attempted to mask the reaction – hold back the sweat wetting your palms and creeping up your neck. You cooled your tone as you cleared your throat. You didn’t even want to see the vaccine.
Reid was being directed to sit down and roll up his sleeve, which he did while keeping his eyes trained on you. You didn’t want to see the confusion and worry in his face.
You run your fingers through your hair, holding back the shakiness of your hands, “I uh… I need to run to the bathroom real quick.”
You didn’t hear any response as you sped to the nearest bathroom. White noise was buzzing in your ears, dots of pain appearing across your front, like little beestings. You knew it was just a memory, and you clenched either side of the porcelain sink telling yourself that.
Of course you knew a spiral was going to happen. It was one of the main reasons Hotchner didn’t want to hire you in the first place. But you had hoped you’d be a few more cases in before it happened.
You breathed through the terror, splashed your face with cold water, and flexed your fingers. You grounded yourself with your surroundings: Tiled floors, white walls, soap scum on the sink, faint bleach smell, water dripping down the drain.
Straightening out, you took a deep breath, no sharp stabbing pain – the fear trickling back into its containment in your diaphragm.
You straighten the hairs framing your face, wiping the speckle of water against your chin. Your phone started ringing.
“Hello?”
“Hi, gorgeous,” came a bright sing-song voice, “How’s my new bestie?”
A smile finally breaks the grimness of your face, “Garcia.”
“Yeah, hi – Hotch is asking that everyone meets back at the station. We just found a connection between the families. They’re both customers of the same plumbing company.”
“Which would give someone access to their drinking water and air conditioning.”
“Oh, I didn’t even think about infecting the water supply,” Garcia said, a smile clear in her voice, “I knew boy genius was going to have some competition with you.”
“Thanks, Garcia,” you say, sliding the phone back in your pocket. You exit the bathroom and find Reid waiting by the front doors. His face was placid, but his brow furrowed upon seeing you.
His throat bobbed before he spoke. “You okay?”
“Yeah, Hotch wants us back at the police station.” You walked right past him and out to the parking lot.
Reid had to jog to catch up to you, pointing back at the hospital, “Did you get the vaccine?”
“I’m fine,” you say, getting in the car, “The team made a connection between the victims.”
It was obvious that he didn’t believe you, but he was too intimidated by your evasion that he kept his mouth shut. The warmth that bloomed in his chest at sharing a car ride with you was still there. He wanted it to stay – he didn’t want to jeopardize the possible friendship growing between you.
Looking at you drive, more tense than he’s seen you before, he was struck again with how familiar you were. Whether your name or your face, he didn’t know but he could’ve sworn he’d heard of you before.
It had only been a few weeks, but he knew he already had it bad. He was becoming infatuated with you.
~~~
The team had dispersed again, taking part in investigating new suspects at the plumbing company. (Y/N) and Hotch were in the next room interrogating a lead while Reid updated the geographical profile in their office.
Rossi was confirming their suspicions that another family might be targeted in the next 24 hours.
Reid capped a marker and cleared his throat, “You knew (Y/N) before she joined the BAU.”
“Yeah,” Rossi said, immediately suspicious, “What of it?”
“It’s just…” Reid continued, sitting down at the table, “I feel like I know her from somewhere, but I can’t quite place it.”
“I thought you remembered everything.”
“I remember what I read, but I think her name is something I’ve heard before.”
Rossi put his files down, giving his full attention, “Why don’t you just ask her?”
“Because I have a feeling she’ll deflect.”
“So you’re trying to go behind her back?”
Reid sighed, “No, I just… she worried me a little at the hospital. I know something is wrong.”
That sparked some interest in Rossi. He leaned forward, “What happened?”
“She basically ran away when the doctor said we needed to get a shot. She says she got one, but I think she was lying.”
Rossi was quick to answer, “A lot of people don’t like getting shots.”
“No, it was the way she reacted,” he said quietly, “It was more than just a phobia. And I know she doesn’t want to talk about it.”
“Then there’s only one thing you can do.”
Reid looked up hopefully, “What?”
“Be a good friend and respect her wishes.”
“You’re not going to tell me how you know her, are you?” Reid said, disappointed.
“It’s not my story to tell,” Rossi shrugged, “But if she’s lying about getting the vaccine, then I might talk to her. We don’t want her contracting anthrax because of a fear.”
Reid twiddled his thumbs, giving his best puppy-dog stare, “Not even a hint?”
It pulled a chuckle out of Rossi, “You like this girl.”
“Did Morgan tell you that?”
“It’s not so hard to figure out,” the old man smiled, “I’ll give you some advice. (Y/N) is a driven and stubborn woman. She’s never liked being told what she can and can’t do. But that’s only what’s on the surface. (Y/N) is one of the kindest, quirkiest, most considerate people I know. You just need to get past the hard outer shell.”
Reid nodded to himself, “We talked about Shakespeare in the car today.”
“You did?” Rossi seemed surprised, “That was quick.”
“What do you mean?”
“Well, you’ve already found a nerdy part of her. I thought she’d guard that for a while longer.” He was amused by the giddy happiness that entered Reid’s face, “There might be hope for you yet, kid.”
It wasn’t much later that Hotch figured out that you hadn’t taken any preventative measures against the anthrax. He ordered you back to the hospital or else stay off the case until they caught the unsub. He wasn’t going to take any chances when working with such a serious bacteria.
You, being the stubborn newbie that you are, bit your tongue and quieted the fear beginning to brew below your ribcage.
Taking advantage of the situation, Reid stepped up to escort you to the hospital. It was a quiet and tense ride to the urgent care, Reid attempting to find a way to express his concern.
“Not a fan of needles?” he asked with a lighter inflection.
You hold back a scoff, “Not really.” Your fingers are knotted and pressed tightly against your stomach.
Reid tried to keep his eyes on the road, “I don’t like them much either.”
“It’s silly, really,” you say, closing your eyes.
“No, it’s not. Everyone is afraid of something,” he rushed out, stopping you from diminishing your feelings. “I’m afraid of the dark.”
You swallow hard, “Really?”
“Some would say that’s ridiculous now that we’re adults. But you never know what’s lurking in the dark.”
It was silent for another minute before you took a shaky breath, “I have a pretty severe phobia.”
“Of what?”
You lick your lips, “Any kind of needle. Sewing needles, knitting needles, safety pins, thumbtacks, you name it. I can’t… they remind me…” You clamp your mouth shut.
Reid was hesitant but wanted to encourage you to continue, “You know you’re part of a team now. Whatever we share with each other is in confidence. We all have your back.”
I have your back, he wanted to say, You can trust me.
You tighten your hands, “They remind me of a dark place. I don’t like going there.”
Reid flexed his fingers against the steering wheel. He blinked hard before muttering, “I’ll be there with you.”
You both entered the hospital with Reid having a hand hovering against your back. He didn’t touch you, but he wanted to. He walked beside you, guiding you to sit in a chair. As soon as the nurse appeared with a sterile metal tray, you turned your head away.
Reid sat beside you, addressing the nurse.
“Afraid of needles?” she asked.
You didn’t respond so Reid said, “A little.”
“Don’t worry, honey, this will be over in a second. Just a little pinch.” She noticed how shallow your breathing had gotten, “Remember to breathe, sweetie.”
You nod, jumping when the cold wet of the alcohol wipe touched your exposed shoulder. Reid watched you tense up, gripping the armrests of the chair. He wasn’t sure what was overstepping boundaries, but he felt compelled by the concern eating him up to grab your hand.
His fingers wrapped around yours and he was relieved to find you clutching back at him. As soon as the injection touched your arm, a gasp escaped you. You were shaking in his hand and your face was screwed up against the sharp pain.
Reid never took his eyes off your face, worried at how severe your reaction was. He realized you were holding your breath as the nurse put a band-aid on your arm.
“Breathe, (Y/N),” he said quietly, “Remember to breathe.”
You inhale sharply, “Is it over?”
“Yes,” Reid said in his same calming tone, “And you’re okay. We’re all done.”
You open your eyes, finding Reid looking at you with a deep level of concern. He hadn’t let go of your hand yet and you found that grounding yourself was easier this time. No white noise filled your ears, no phantom pinpricks of pain stabbed your abdomen.
You focused on your surroundings: Reid’s warm hand holding yours, the smell of sugared coffee and mahogany on his collar, the slow breaths filling his chest, and the heat of him nearly pressed against your arm.
“Thank you,” you say softly, “That wasn’t so bad with you here.”
His heart soared out of his chest, a smile wide on his face, “Anytime.”
~~~
A month later you were settling into the team more and more. You had found little blossoms of friendship among your coworkers, except for Rossi who was determined to remain your second father.
You felt more at ease the longer time passed without suspicion about your hiring process. Though that could mean a higher chance of a slip up.
“You. Up. Drinks. Now,” Morgan had pointed a finger at you and gestured to the elevators where some of the team stood.
“Derek,” you sighed, leaning in your chair, “You know the club isn’t my kind of scene.”
He shook his head, smiling, “Not today, angel face. You’ve had an excuse the last four weekends and I know for a fact you were planning on spending your evening alone, reading and drinking your tea.”
You pursed your lips, eyes flickering to where Reid was talking to Prentiss. You had told him earlier that day of your excitement to have a free weekend to read.
“Is nothing sacred anymore?”
“Come on, pretty boy will only go if you go,” Morgan said.
And now you sat at a dimly lit table, waiting for your drink as Morgan was having a dance off with Prentiss out on the floor. She shoved him over and right into the nearest beautiful woman. Derek raised his eyebrows and sent Emily a little ‘thank you’ as he began dancing sensually with his new partner.
Emily rolled her eyes and went to find her own dance partner.
Over at the bar was J.J. and Garcia, no doubt discussing the latest Quantico gossip. Garcia, with a thin black straw between her teeth, slack jawed at the whisperings of J.J.’s news. It made you smile knowing that the analyst would corner you later to tell you what she had learned.
The low lights included a mixture of purple and blue, setting a cool tone around the people sitting at tables. You run your fingers along the table surface, noticing Reid making his way to you with two drinks.
“You look bored,” he said with a close lipped smile.
You accept the drink gratefully, “I told Derek I’m not a fan of drinks.”
“Then why did you agree to come?”
Because I knew you wouldn’t have a good time if I didn’t. You swallow, stirring your drink around with the straw, “My parents tell me I should go out every once in a while or I’ll never make any friends.”
He huffed a laugh, “You talk to your parents a lot?”
“I would every day if I let them have their way.”
“Are you close?”
You shrug your shoulders, “They worry about me.”
“Are you an only child?”
“Don’t start the profiling questions,” you say with a smirk, “But yes, I am an only child.”
Reid nods, his face heating up at being chastised. “There are a lot of studies on the effects of only children.”
“You going to say I’m a stereotypical only child that experiences overprotectiveness and spoiling from my two loving parents?”
“No,” Reid said calmly, “There are actually many studies that disprove that stereotype. Professor Toni Falbo from the University of Texas found that ‘across all developmental outcomes, only children were indistinguishable from firstborns and people from small families.’ And clinical psychologist Linda Blair wrote about how ‘parents can focus all their time and energy on an only child,’ which means they get valuable relationship time where ‘they just feel valued’, not just a sense of being overprotected. I think your parents might worry about you because of a different reason.”
You try to contain your smile, “No, they’re definitely just overprotective of me.”
“But then something must’ve happened to have them be overprotective of you. It couldn’t just be because you’re an only child.”
You take a sip of your drink, slowly nodding your head. Be careful. Don’t slip up. “A little bit of both.” You cleared your throat, “You know what show I just started?”
Reid took note of the change of subject, “What?”
“Doctor Who.”
His face split open into the biggest smile, “Really? The series from 1963 or the revamped series from 2005?”
“I just started the Tenth Doctor,” you say, matching his smile, “I think I like David Tennant more.”
Reid looked about ready to burst with the amount of information he knew about the topic. He started stuttering over his words, twiddling his fingers in the air as the words tumbled out of his mouth.
“My favorite is by far the Fourth Doctor played by Tom Baker. He’s the longest running Doctor on the series, having starred in seven seasons between 1974 and 1981. He is the most recognizable Doctor internationally with his famous multicolored scarf. I think his most popular companions are K-9 and…”
“… Sarah Jane!” you say enthusiastically, “Yeah, they were both in the last season with the Tenth Doctor.”
“Yes, yes!” he said happily, “That’s one of the greatest things about Doctor Who – they bring back timeless characters and stories through the years. It’s why you have to watch the originals!”
You laugh at his endearing blabber, “Go back to black and white television?”
“It’s classic,” he retorts, “Sure the BBC didn’t give them much of a budget at first, but the black and white helps hide the poor quality of the sets and costumes. And television back then wasn’t designed to be binged like today, so many of the stories aren’t cohesive, but that’s the beauty of it. It’s history in the making – you can see the progress of a single character and their life over almost fifty years! It’s fascinating.”
You nod slowly, tickled by Reid’s eagerness, “Alright. Maybe I’ll try to watch them.”
“Oh, I can’t wait to talk to you about the Master and the evolution of the Daleks and the effects of the Time War.”
Another laugh escapes you as you continue to stir your drink with the straw, staring at the ice cubes tink against the glass.
It got quiet as Reid stewed in the slight embarrassment that itched his stomach as his excitement wore off. “I’m sorry,” he said, “I rambled.”
“I told you I like it,” you say, finally looking at him in that dimly lit bar, “I like seeing you get all excited about stuff. It makes me want to get excited about it too.”
“Yeah, but you shouldn’t do things just because I like them.”
“Why not?” you say firmly, “What if I want us to share something?”
He was caught off guard by that, blinking hard a few times. “You want us to share something?”
You take another sip of your drink. It was getting watered down now by the melting ice. “I told you I need more friends,” you smile at him, “My parents are worried, remember?”
Reid’s throat bobbed, thoughts of spending long nights cuddled on the couch and watching old shows on a black and white television disappear in an instant. His hopes of taking her on a date to the Blackfriars Playhouse to see her favorite play were being diminished, the tickets of said show burning in his back pocket. The want to brew her a cup of tea and share an evening reading books together, maybe even holding hands across their reading chairs, ached in his chest.
“Friends,” he said quietly, “Right.”
~~~
Not long after the bar trip, you invited Reid over to your apartment for one of your reading sessions.
When you opened the door to find him with nearly ten books piled in his arms, you laughed. “You’re gonna out read me 10 to 1.”
He gave a close lipped smile, fighting back the embarrassment of his quirks. “It’s a blessing and a curse.”
You sat on one end of the couch, thumbing the edge of your fiction book. “I put a kettle on,” you said gesturing to the stove, “If you want to have a cup of tea with me.”
Reid took off his satchel, setting his books on a side table, “I’m more of a coffee guy.”
“Yeah,” you say smiling, “More like a sugar guy with some coffee beans on the side.”
You’re suddenly struck with another memory. Just like how you remember that your first day at the BAU smelled like fall leaves.
You remember that the first time you were able to easily ground yourself from PTSD, it smelled like sugared coffee.
As the kettle started screaming with steam, you went to stand until Reid started waving you down, “No, no – you’re already sitting. I’ll get the tea.”
And as he passed you by, it smelled like sugared coffee again, “But you don’t even want any.”
He didn’t respond, smiling to himself as he filled a waiting teacup with boiling water. A little cannister of teabags sat beside the stove. “Did you know that tea is the second most popular drink in the world? The first being water.”
“So my preferred drink is more popular than yours?” you say teasingly as he came around the couch with the steaming cup.
“That’s because the Asia Pacific is a dominant region for tea, and that accounts for over 4 billion people, which is around 60% of the world’s population. Not to mention that around 68% of people in the United Kingdom drink at least one tea per day, and that’s about 61 million people. That puts the tea industry slightly above the coffee.” He handed you the teacup, his fingertips burning where they brushed up against yours, and not because the drink was hot.
“You could just say tea is better than coffee, it’s okay,” you say, blowing before taking a sip.
Reid held back a smile, sitting on the other side of the couch, “Maybe not better… but more popular.”
You bickered with smiles on your faces for a couple more minutes before cracking open your books. You’re giggling as you toss your bookmark at him, “Just shut up and read your books.”
He laughed at you, trying to get comfortable on his side, crossing his spindly legs.
The pair of you sat in a comfortable silence as the sun dipped lower behind the blinds. Reid had blown throw two psychology textbooks and another true crime book written by a favorite author. You had gotten through maybe seventy pages of your adult fantasy novel.
Reid thought he would’ve gotten through six books by then, but he kept getting distracted by you. The thought of reaching over and holding your hand as you read was overwhelming. He wanted to sit closer, rub shoulders with you, peer over and read the same page as you, wait for you to finish before he turned the page for you.
He wanted to catch your eyes drooping with sleep and then offer to read aloud to you as you drift off against him. He wanted to drape a blanket around you both and help you sip tea so you wouldn’t have to take your arms out from under the warmth. He wanted to hear you read your favorite lines to him. He wanted to see you shift into a more comfortable reading position, grumbling about aching wrists. He wanted to read your book just so he could talk to you about it.
He wanted you.
It was getting painful how much he wanted you.
The bookmark he was using was the two tickets to the Blackfriars Playhouse. They blared at him like a beacon sitting on the side table.
But then something remarkable happened. From your scrunched up position on the opposite side of the couch, you crept your feet across the seat cushions until they reached Reid. You then tucked your cold toes under his thigh.
He abruptly looked at you with raised eyebrows.
You shrugged your shoulders, attempting to look innocent. “My feet are cold.”
He fought a huge smile, “And you don’t have a blanket?”
“Why would I need a blanket when you’re here?” You said it so casually there was no way you noticed how that made Reid’s heart leap.
“Fair enough,” he responded. He cleared his throat, flickering his eyes between you and his own book. “Hey, (Y/N)?”
You look up at him over the top of your book, “Yeah, Spence?”
Spence. He started smiling despite the nerves, “I couldn’t help but notice that the Blackfriars Playhouse is showing Much Ado About Nothing, and um…” he swallowed hard, unable to look at you. “… I just so happen to have two tickets to see it next Saturday.”
Your feet wiggled under his leg, and he squirmed, tickled. “Is that so?”
“Would you want to go with me… maybe?”
You could barely contain the excitement starting to course through your veins, “Are you kidding? Spence! I would love to go.” Your book fell from your fingers, “Oh my god, I’m so excited.”
The pride that swelled Reid’s chest could’ve made him float to the moon.
~~~
You could’ve blamed it on the case. On the method of killing. On the type of victim. But it was the fact that you didn’t have a handle on your emotions.
Girls around your age were being taken and tortured by having nails hammered into them. Sharp, pointed nails – stabbed into them. It was too similar.
You counted your breaths and stared at your desk. Everyone exited the bullpen before you, packing briefcases and emergency bags for the incoming jet flight to Missouri. You staggered on your way out, nearly collapsing into your desk chair.
You considered running to the bathroom like you usually did, dousing yourself in cold water and snapping out of it. Instead you closed your eyes and traced the little scars you could find against your ribcage and abdomen.
The smell of coffee wafted over you.
“Hey,” came a small voice, kneeling beside you. “Is it the nails?”
You try to swallow, but it’s thick and sticks to the back of your throat. You just subtly nod instead, slowly opening your eyes.
Reid is there, leaning against your desk and itching to touch you – to comfort you.
“(Y/N),” he said cautiously, “Is this more than a phobia?”
You attempt a deep breath, but it’s shallow in your chest, “I’ll be fine.”
“Maybe we should…”
“Reid,” you say more sternly, “I’m going to be fine. I’m not going to let this hold me back.” You brush him off, standing and straightening your blazer. “I’m gonna go pack.”
Reid let you pass but kept his gaze on you as you left the offices. It must’ve been too full of the longing and worry he felt for you because Morgan and Prentiss were quick to comment on it.
“Hey there, pretty boy,” Morgan said, setting his duffel bag down, “What’s got your attention?”
Prentiss gave a breathy laugh, zipping up her own bag, “Only the object of all his desires.”
“Give it a rest,” he responded, running his fingers through his hair. “You’re not helping.”
“Helping what?” Morgan folded his arms, “You getting out of the friend zone?”
“If she could see the way you just looked at her,” Prentiss sucked in a breath of air that sounded like a hiss, “Maybe she’d see how in love you are.”
“Those big old puppy-dog eyes,” Morgan smiled, “You’re irresistible.”
Reid grumbled, “Something’s wrong.”
“Yeah, the fact you’re wasting time pining when you could be getting some weekend sugar,” Morgan laughed.
“No,” Reid looked away, “There’s something familiar about (Y/N) and I don’t know what it is. Rossi refuses to say anything because he’s protecting her, but I know they have a past. That has to mean she’s been involved in Rossi’s career somehow, whether that’s from a case, or one of his lectures, or as one of his interns. But the fact he doesn’t speak about it means that it’s personal.”
“Okay,” Morgan said, the smile leaving his face, “What do you want to do?”
The corner of Reid’s lip twitched – it usually happened when he was thinking about something difficult, “I don’t know. I guess I hoped she would tell me eventually.”
“But now you’re impatient?” Prentiss asked, brow scrunched, “You want Garcia to look (Y/N) up?”
“No!” Reid said quickly, “I just… I want to help her, but I can’t do that if I don’t know what’s wrong.”
“I thought she just got a little squeamish around needles,” Morgan said, “She needs a second, but then she’s good.”
Reid shoved his hands in his pockets, “I think it’s a trauma response.”
“Well, don’t phobias come from past incidents or traumas?” Prentiss asked, “Couldn’t she have had a bad experience at the doctors as a child getting her flu shot?”
They clearly weren’t as concerned as he was, and Reid sat at his desk, knuckles covering his mouth as he thought.
Morgan shared a look with Prentiss before saying, “Look kid, we worry about (Y/N) too. We’re here for her if she needs it. But we’re not going to go snooping around in her personal business that she would rather keep private.”
“She’s not going to ask for help,” Reid said to himself.
Prentiss pursed her lips, “Then we’ll be here to catch her when she falls.” She gestured to Morgan and the pair of them took their bags to meet by the SUVs, all the while muttering to themselves.
Reid drummed his knuckles against his lips, staring at his computer screen and debating. He could do a simple google search himself, no need to bother Rossi or Garcia with it. With Rossi being involved in some way, there might be a news article somewhere that mentions you.
Hesitantly, looking around for any prying eyes, Reid logged onto his computer and typed in the search engine. He searched for your name. Your name plus FBI. Your name plus David Rossi.
And a string of articles popped up. Newspapers from Arizona, Nevada, and Utah.
Young girls kidnapped, held, tortured, and murdered in the desert. The murderer being coined ‘The Pincushion Killer’ based on his methods. Each victim was repeatedly stabbed with varying sized needles. Starting with acupuncture needles and growing to icepicks. He purposely stabbed his victims in nonthreatening spots of the body, avoiding large blood vessels and major organs. The purpose to draw out their suffering.
Until the day of the murder. He would then puncture an organ of his choice: lungs, stomach, liver, sometimes an artery.
He was never caught. But all nine of his victims were identified. Eight killed. And the ninth survived.
And pasted on the front of every news article said: Pincushion Killer – Victim #9 Survives; Killer Disappears.
Below was a picture of (Y/N).
The ninth victim.
~~~
Taglist: @caswinchester2000 @aria253264 @bippity-boppity-boopa @kaqua @cameleonfrenzy @shyposttree @thatdummy-girl @chiefqueef22 @nicole-survivor @murder-swan @nomajdetective @mxacegrey @cynbx @popeheywardssecretgf @futuremrsspencerreid @dilflover10 @mrskatpotter @holly-the-trash-writer @noakroontje
#criminal minds x reader#criminal minds#dr spencer reid#spencer reid love#spencer reid#spencer reid x reader#spencer reid fluff#criminal minds spencer#okayjhannah#fandomfantasia
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how would sasaki work in the dynamic of your afterlife au? i can’t believe we all collectively forget she committed first degree murder too, but adding her to the afterlife gang would be so hilarious……….. ken okazaki and sasaki……..
The thing is, I know it might be a controversial opinion and I'm not a judge or anything, but in my eyes Sasaki's murder is a second degree murder.
She was sleep deprived (which is literally a form of torture), kidnapped and forced to play violent games. So she snapped. Her only crime was that she did it first.
I think that if she truly wanted to kill Isono, she would cook up a proper plan, not just mash her head into the floor in a public space where people could see her. She fucked up. She didn't want that.
So in my mind she doesn't deserve to be locked up with these two little freaks, they've got each other and that's enough :P
Hypothetically thought, if she was with them, I think she and Ken would form a coalition against Okazaki but still lose to her every time because she would drive them both insane. Okazaki would have a blast though.
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How To Actually Keep People You Don't Like Away From Your Blog
and why DNI's don't work and are kinda... weird?
I see a lot of folks on tumblr (and sometimes other sites) so desperately try to keep racists or bigots or whatever off of their blog. But it's almost always in the form of a "DNI" (or "Do Not Interact") a small or sometimes huge list of descriptors of the kind of people the user doesn't want interacting with that blog.
But the issue is... 99% of the labels of people listed aren't concepts people self identify with.
People who are racist, xenophobic or commit crimes DON'T SELF IDENTIFY AS RACISTS, BIGOTS OR CRIMINALS!!!
Which then completely and utterly makes the concepts of DNIs pointless.
They will read that DNI go "oh! this doesn't apply to to me" and ignore it. Boom completely useless piece of text taking up precious space on your blog for no reason. And even on the tiiiiniest chance you list a label that someone might identify with... they can just.. ignore it if they like ur content..
so in short.. DNI's do nothing.. except they DO do one thing... They fill your blog, bio or intro post (or god forbid every post) with a bunch of potentially triggering words and tons of negative energy. For literally no reason. Nothing makes me assume a blogger is annoying or unfun to be around like seeing a DNI. And not to mention all the times i've had my day ruined by trying to enjoy scrolling thru a tag only to be constantly blasted with "HEY REMEMBER THAT [insert horrible thing] EXISTS???". It sucks. And it's driving me mad.
But I'm not just here to rant about it, about how awful they are and that noone should use them. I understand that people want to enjoy their time on their internet and curate your space, so i'm going to show you the SUPER easy SUPER effective way to actually do that. And it can go RIGHT where your DNI is!
HOW TO ACTUALLY KEEP PEOPLE YOU DON'T LIKE OFF YOUR BLOG IN ONE EASY STEP:
List the things you DO support.
That's it.
Take your DNI and invert it. List all the groups you support. Wanna keep terfs off your blog? say I LOVE TRANS PEOPLE!!! TRANS WOMEN ARE WOMEN! want to keep racists off your blog? I SUPPORT BIPOC RIGHTS. etc etc.
How does this work? Well lets go back to that hypothetical racist on the internet: They come strolling upon ur blog dum dee dum and now they see ur intro and bio. They see that you support bipoc rights, landback movements and insert other movements that support marginalized groups. Said hypothetical racists will see that, go 'ew' and then leave. Probably.
is it 100% effective? no. many ppl don't even read bios or intro posts and some folks follow ppl they disagree with. But for the most aggressive of these types? 10-20% of them going ew and leaving is better than 0% doing anything after reading a DNI they don't believe applies to them.
But that's not the only thing this method does. Because here's the thing.. I don't really believe people have DNI's to keep people off their blog. Shocking.. i know. For most ppl it's a list of their morals so they can show off how 'morally good' they are. Which is a whole can of nasty worms I'll go into in another post. But for now I'll take it at face value and go with it. And tell you that if you want to broadcast your morals, why do it with hate?? Because all that does is spread that hate and negativity, all it does is remind all the marginalized folks who you DO want around, of all the people who suck and hate them and making feeling like shit. But a support list? a list of groups you support? well now you just have a paragraph dedicated to love, the folks you actually want interacting with you will be like 'oh damn, they like and support my people. awesome :)'
and to me that is far faaaar more important than just listing down all the people you hate.
That's it for my ramble on this topic- "oh but mr throwawayblog what about [x, y, z] or people who disagree with me on [x stupid internet discourse topic]?" that is once again another nasty can of worms that I will be saving for future posts, either on this blog or another. But it's a lot harder pill to swallow then this. And I want this post to be shareable enough to spread at least somewhat and reduce the amount of DNI's im forced to look at. by idk, at least 10%?? at least?? please?????
thanks and good night.
*This does not apply to minor's DNI requests on 18+ accounts. While also not.. super useful.. it at least makes sense and has a precedent. This post is not talking abt that.
#tumblr#activism#social justice#pride#dni#politics#human rights#important#education#educate yourself#discourse#sorry just tryna think of tags where this will be seen by the folks who need to see it#i dont think im gonna tag spam unrelated tags tho#considered it#but it's a dick move#i will tag communities i see this in a lot tho#lgbtq#mogai#furry#artists on tumblr#otherkin#alterhuman#therian#agere#agedre#fandom#im in a lot of communities lol#its why this is so important to me#pls stop using dnis pls pls plspls#as an abuse survivor theyre constantly triggering/day ruining for me
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