#some fbi level shit

[berlinini]

Louis at the airport in Bilbao, September 30, 2023

Nike Zoom Vomero 5 Sneakers Vast Grey

ID by @bbrox

[ms-demeanor]

any thoughts on the new post that staff went scorched earth on which is now making the rounds abt tumblr live? it basically screenshots all the tos and claims if you've ever opened the app (or in some rbs, unsnoozed live) tumblr has gotten your data. on the one hand i feel like this is fearmongering, but on the other its true that MOST sites have your data as is so its pretty standard. you seem pretty knowledgeable abt data gathering so i was wondering abt your take

This is going to be pretty unkind but watching tumblr users interact with staff and live is a great primer on how conspiracy theories happen.

Nobody on this fucking website knows how to read a ToS, nobody on this website knows how anything fucking works (sorry, this is not a dig at you but how would tumblr "get" your data from you clicking or unclicking live; the only data that tumblr has on you is the data that you have put on tumblr what data do people think that clicking the "new" button is scooping up that is anything beyond interactions or posts or IP addresses which are the things that tumblr already has information about like you do not introduce new information into the tumblr ecosystem by clicking a button you haven't installed anything you haven't changed permissions on your browser if everyone is so goddamned scared about live stealing their data i strongly recommend they stop using anything but public internet through an anonymizer and making sure location data is shut off on all of their devices and anyone who is flipping their shit about the type of data that live is collecting but who is using chrome on any device needs to chill the fuck out about live and flip the fuck out about google)

this is like that post about twitter's content policy that circulated the other day or that post about deviantart's content policy that circulated ten fucking years ago nobody knows how to read legal documents and nobody knows how to read technical documentation and this comes together into unholy matrimony on the no reading comprehension at all moral panic website

live never violated the GDPR it was just rolled out in the US first but the entire userbase decided that because it hadn't been rolled out simultaneously in the EU and the US that it was SO UNSPEAKABLY PRIVACY VIOLATEY THAT THE EU HAD BANNED IT FOR ITS CRIMES with, like, nothing whatsoever backing that up because, again, even at its most intrusive Live collects about as much data as Twitter or Yelp, both of which are *capable* of meeting GDPR standards with that level of data collection (even if musk sometimes makes decisions that violate GDPR).

Live is significantly less intrusive than any facebook product, than Amazon, and than any Google product. If you use youtube logged in, don't worry about live, the horse is out of the barn and tumblr is the least of your worries *regardless* of live. If you regularly use Google as a search engine please god learn how to evaluate and compare risks across platforms because Live is like a coughing baby compared to about a dozen things that most highly online people interact with every single day.

If you don't want to use live don't use live. Clicking the button doesn't magically transfer your secret FBI file to tumblr and even agreeing to the ToS doesn't share anything that tumblr doesn't already have if you don't continue to interact - if you don't interact with live after agreeing to the ToS it's not collecting any data except your non-interaction.

For everyone who is losing it over Live just turn off your goddamned location on your fucking cellphone and turn off your location on your goddamned computers and that's it, you're good, you're fine, relax. If your response to "turn off your location" is "but I need it for _____" then don't worry about Live, whatever "_____" is was already collecting and selling your data.

Do you use an activity tracker? Congrats, you have much, much bigger privacy issues to worry about than tumblr live.

Okay but also I yelled about that post and the very many ways in which it was incorrect in January.

And I happened to take an archive of the page at that time because I'm a paranoid motherfucker.

And if you want my guess as to why staff went "scorched earth" on that post it's probably because if you scroll down to the bottom of the page on the archive, OP calls on everyone looking at the post to send a kind fuck you to the CEO then tagged his tumblr.

If you look at the other posts that went scorched earth in relation to tumblr staff they were also posts that very pointedly directed a lot of ire at a single staff member.

I don't think that any individual tumblr staff members are above criticism and I don't think that staff as a whole is above criticism but part of learning to read a ToS is understanding that someone can be shitty and vague and use TERF talking points and skirt the line and be technically okay under the ToS while someone can have a legitimate gripe about another user being horrible and manage to violate the ToS by accidentally spinning up a harassment campaign or suicide baiting someone.

Shitty people like nazis and terfs thrive on being edge cases. They are very good at finding a boundary and standing juuuuuuuuust on this side of it and going "la la la I'm not violating the ToS, you can't stop me!" and that blows and it leads to a lot of people encountering a lot of shitty stuff on a lot of websites but personally I'm pretty glad that there's a lot of gray area because when you cut out gray area that's when you see things like It's Going Down getting banned as extremist content alongside white supremacists. Please continue to report nazis and terfs, and when possible go deep into their pages to report because a pattern of behavior is more likely to get recognized as hate speech than a single post that gets reported a hundred times. Please block as many people who it's harmful for you to interact with as possible because it's clear that staff is not going to do the kind of work protecting users that users would like staff to do.

However I just can't get angry on behalf of a blogger who got nuked for saying "Hey everyone who hates this feature that we all hate please go tell the CEO to fuck himself at this URL specifically" - that is an extremely clear violation of the ToS because it is absolutely targeted harassment.

So now tumblr-the-userbase is going off on its merry conspiracy way skipping through fields and lacking reading comprehension and saying "users are getting banned for reporting the crimes of tumblr live and its gdpr violations" and ignoring the fact that the post was nuked because the last line was saying "hey everyone, let's all individually tell the CEO to fuck off in messages sent directly to him that are certainly not going to include any threats, exaggerations, gore, etc. etc. etc."

If I were to make a post that had 50k notes and the last line was "and while you're at it, please send tumblr-user-ms-demeanor a personalized message telling them why they're a terrible person so they know what we think of them" it would absolutely be reasonable to say that was harassing that user. And that post did it with the CEO. Who is not above criticism (and I have my criticisms! I don't think he really gets tumblr and that's a problem!), but jesus fucking christ don't tag the goddamned CEO or any other staff member in a call to action asking users to send them messages saying "fuck off" this is literally the stupidest thing I've ever seen a tumblr conspiracy theory coalesce around.

Anyway thank you for giving me a place to vent i've been getting more and more pissed about this for three days. Everyone feel free to kindly tell tumblr user ms demeanor to fuck off.

[happiest-hotch]

Why did i think of Aaron with this? Like imagine him and reader (who's younger) decided to have a baby... Then a few years later they're like, jack it's almost a teen and he loves his little sibling so why not have just one more? But then this happens 😂😂😂 imagine Aaron's face!!!! He'll be like "what you mean there's three???? Babe, i'm too old for this shit!!!👁️👄👁️" And when they tell the team?! OH MY GOD. The teasing would be endless!!!

omg i had to write this asap, i love any expecting!dad!aaron/spencer

Aaron doesn't stop at the FBI offices once the team gets off the jet, and it's almost seven. He knows he'll get caught there for two hours, minimum, and with how tired you've been this pregnancy, you're likely to be asleep by the time he gets home. Plus, he hasn't been so wrapped up in the case the BAU just closed that he's forgotten about the all-important ultrasound you had scheduled.

He gets home just after 7:30, thanks to traffic and some speeding through empty streets. He dumps his go-bag in the laundry room, checking all the doors are locked out of habit.

"Y/n?" You hear Aaron's voice travel down the hallway as he assures you that it's not an intruder.

"Kitchen." You call back, snapping the lid on a container of leftover mac and cheese. Both Jack and Daisy will happily eat it the next day.

He wraps his arms around your waist from behind and pulls you into his chest, tucking his head into your neck. "Hi, honey." He hums.

You turn your head to kiss him for the first time in a week. "Hi, handsome, welcome home."

"Glad to be back." He sighs, breathing in your scent in a non-creepy way. "Kids okay?"

You reach for the baby monitor in Daisy's room, holding it up so he can see the live feed. Jack is crouched at the end of the crib, puppets on his index fingers, while Daisy stands with the help of the rail and watches his puppet show. He's always been an amazing big brother and he loves making up puppet shows for her.

"They've been good." You tell him as you watch the sweet interaction.

He hums in your ear. "So, what's the verdict? How are you?" He doesn't waste any longer than necessary to ask for the results. His wide hand travels down to rest over the little bump that's already appeared. "How is the little raspberry?"

You try not to tense too much in his arms. It would be far too easy for him to notice as your husband and a profiler. So you step away from him, still holding his hand. "Are you hungry?" You ask.

He frowns. "You're deflecting." You narrow your eyes at him, and he folds quickly, answering you. "I ate lunch."

You laugh, handing him a prepared plate. "You're meant to have three meals a day, Aaron."

"I'll eat, but please start talking because I'm getting worried." You can sense the fear in his voice, justified.

"Couch?" You offer before quickly squashing his worries. "Everything's healthy, the OB/GYN isn't concerned."

He lets out a deep breath, taking his plate from you with a 'thank you' kiss before sitting on the couch. You take the ultrasound pictures out of your handbag, sinking down next to him.

"Let me see, let me see." He cheers eagerly. You hand it over, biting your bottom lip as he flips it open. His eyes fill with tears in the most precious way as he gently traces over the glossy picture. "Wait." You know he's caught the descriptor at the bottom. Last time, it was just Baby Hotchner, but things are a little different this time. "Wait...Baby A? Is this a joke?" He turns to you with a playful expression, wrinkling his nose, but he lets a level of concern slip through.

You shake your head. "Not joking. There's a Baby B."

"There's a 'B'?" Aaron repeats, shocked. For someone who's an expert in maintaining an emotionless expression, he's struggling. His eyes look like they could pop out of his head. He takes a look under the first ultrasound, finding another, slightly different ultrasound with a different name at the bottom.

"There's a 'B'." You confirm, knowing he needs to hear it out loud, probably more than once, like you did earlier that morning.

He turns to you with raised eyebrows, letting out another breath. "Two babies." He states- incorrectly- although he's yet to be made aware of it. "Shit." He mumbles.

"Aaron, there's a 'C'." You break the news before he can accept that it's twins.

Aaron's shocked expression gets impossibly more prominent on his features. "Holy shit. Triplets? Oh my- fuck."

You chuckle softly beside him. "Yeah, triplets."

"Wow." He gasps finally, sitting with the news for a few seconds as he looks at the third ultrasound. "That's- wow."

"I know." You agree with his shock. "Crazy, huh?"

He nods slowly, looking at the final ultrasound which is a picture of all three of them. Then he turns to look at you all of a sudden. "This is real?" He asks and you nod. "You're incredible."

You laugh softly. "So you're okay?"

"Are you?" He asks, fully concerned again. "I mean, do you need a higher dose of vitamins? And you need to be eating more. And drinking more. And-"

You cut him off before he can spiral, just as you had. "I'm good, baby." You assure him. "Got it all under control, but this is quite a shock, huh?"

He nods. "We said one more and now we're going to have three more." His eyes fill with tears. "We're so lucky."

"We are." You agree. "There's lots to do though."

He cups your cheek, thumb stroking over your skin. "Tomorrow, baby. And I'll be the one doing everything. You're growing those perfect babies."

"I've got your first task." You tell him and he waits for it, no doubt going to do whatever you want. "Kiss me." He chuckles softly at what is a really easy request to grant and he leans in, kissing you gently.

[stevieschrodinger]

I really want to write this as like a fully fledged, 100k word fic, but I just do not have the time. I need to get the idea down so here it is.

So modern AU. Steve is an Alpha, always known he wanted to help people, little boy who wants to be a police officer or a firefighter, that sort of thing. Mother humors him, Dad is disinterested, both parents are hands off to the point of being borderline neglectful without actually crossing the line - the second Steve can legally get out, he goes to college. Ends up taking an interest in Omega studies, of all things - which leads neatly into the career choice that Steve didn't even know he needed.

By the time Steve is 23 he's leading his own little team under the watchful eye of his superior - Jim Hopper. They're a special branch of the FBI, geared specifically to finding and breaking up illegal Omega abduction and trade rings. Steve's good at what he does - really good - top of his class for firearms, has an affinity for the Omega he comes into contact with, and his control over his Alpha is pretty second to none. Steve can radiate comfort in the middle of a firefight if he has to - if it means keeping these people safe.

Steve sees some pretty horrible shit - he's miraculously well adjusted, goes to his mandated therapy sessions like a good boy, and gets on with Hopper surprisingly well for how surly the guy can be.

Steve's worst attribute is that he's a workaholic - he has a history of failed relationships, so he gives up entirely and has no social life to speak of.

And then Steve's out with his team - it's taken months to track this down. Steve's been supervising undercover agents, starting with a tip off about illegal drug trades that pinged Steve's radar as Omega hormones. So rather than heading in and arresting at base level, Steve, with Hopper's nod, pulls the thread.

They assumed the hormones were heat inducing - they were wrong, and what they find is horrifying. The drugs have been used on un-presented kids. Stolen kids, as young as 11, to try and force them into presenting as Omega. These kids have been abducted from everywhere, no sense to it that anyone can see - except that these kids all come from poor families. Marginalized by society - in a lot of cases, kids that haven't even been reported as missing.

To top it off - the kids are being abused. Neglected, starved, left in filthy conditions and being regularly sexually assaulted. It is by far the worst thing Steve, or even Hopper, in his long carer, has ever seen.

They go in, break up the ring, the perpetrators are either killed in the ensuing firefight or captured and brought in.

Steve sustaining only minor injuries in the altercation, continues on with his job to clear out the kids and get them to safety- in his haste to get to where the final group of kids are being held, sets off a booby trap of some sort.

Steve is badly injured- his lower left leg taking the vast majority of the damage- for the first time in his career, Steve panics. But then he has a kid with him, big brown eyes and a mop of curly hair, skin too pale and drawn, dirty fingers and bare feet. And this kid is trying to comfort Steve, obviously understanding that this is a rescue. By the time the rest of his team get to him, Steve is finding comfort in the scent of un-presented pup - the little guy curled up right against Steve.

The pup is, evidently, also finding comfort in Steve, both of them locked together, faces buried in each others scent glands.

They wont let go of each other, even in the ambulance, and it's decided pretty quickly that if they're keeping each other calm, to let them stay that way. On arrival to the hospital, they're both sedated for their own good - Steve wakes up to find he's missing his left leg from the knee down, and Hopper asleep slouched in the chair next to him.

The first thing he does is ask about the pup - Hopper tells him what he can, the kid is called Eddie, was small because he was starved and actually was thirteen years old - and he's safe and well, already reunited with his uncle.

Steve can relax. But not really. Because once his leg heals, he's in physio, and then learning to regain his mobility with a prosthetic, also dealing with the deafness the explosion left him with in his left ear, and the scarring that stretches all the way up to his left hip.

Hopper is determined not to loose Steve off his team - he basically invents a roll for him, if he wants it - Steve is too good to be wasted, so he goes back to work for Hopper in an investigative roll. He'll never work in the field again, but he becomes the brains behind a lot of successful operations.

But still, he's listless, missing the hands on aspects on his roll. He treads water for nearly two years, before he happens to have a conversation in the office break room, with one Robin Buckley.

Steve's known Robin for years, she's an Omega behaviorist, and works a lot with traumatized Omega, rehabilitating, therapy, that kind of thing. She's always been there, on the periphery of Steve's team, taking the Omega off their hands. After Steve's rescues, it's with Robin that the real work often begins. From the conversations they've had previously - Steve handing over information about conditions he'd found Omega in, likely what they've been put through, and anything else that will help Robin do her job, he's always found her sympathetic but no nonsense. He's always respected Robin.

And maybe that's why their conversation easily slips into Steve confessing his listlessness - and what prompts Robin to suggest he retrain. She's heard herself how bombproof Steve's Alpha is in the field - would he be interested in a day or two a week with her team? Positive Alpha exposure is often a vital step in the reintegration process.

Steve thinks about it. He talks about it with Hopper. Between them both, Steve figures he has nothing to loose, and Hopper agrees to release Steve a day a week to Buckley's department on a trial. Steve takes on extra training - bolstering up his Omega Studies qualifications from College. Steve loves it. it's fulfilling. It gives him the hands on aspect of his job he'd been missing.

And then Hopper lands a file on his desk - it's come to them via unorthodox means, through a local doctor, then a hospital specialist, then flagged by Buckley's team as it's an old rescue case. A closed case. And Steve opens the file to find a picture of himself, grainy, black and white, but unmistakably Steve. He's sitting on a gurney, someone desperately doing something to the mess of his leg, but in his lap, the curly haired pup he hadn't let go of that day.

The pup who, apparently had presented an Omega. Steve reads, doing the math, reading the hospital records from that day. The kid had presented basically the second he'd woken up. He'd presented, most likely, while Steve was in surgery still.

That stirs something in Steve. Something a little unfamiliar; the feeling that he hadn't been there and he should have been.

There's another picture, Edward Munson, the kids put on weight, he's grown some. Still has big brown eyes looking out of a very pretty face; and that stirs something in Steve too.

Munson basically hasn't been okay since the rescue. At first they put it down to the usual stuff, the kid had survived being abducted, drugged, sexually assaulted, physical harm, that kind of trauma can take years to work though, decades, a lifetime. But everyone is maintaining there's something a little off with this kid, something else wrong, something hindering his recovery that really shouldn't be; it's like he's mate sick.

But he doesn't have a mate.

The one time they tried to expose this kid to an Alpha, it ended so badly he became aggressive. And then someone dug deep enough to find this photo, to read this file.

Steve's standing up before Hopper gets to the end of the question, yes, he wants to see the Omega, yes, he's going to work with the Omega.

There's a frustratingly long song and dance around it - Buckley wants to follow protocol to the letter, so their first meeting is in one of the Omega work rooms, just Eddie and Steve, very calm, very controlled, with Robin and Hopper observing from the other side of a one way glass mirror.

Eddie backs away at first, is dubious of Steve, but Steve has a worn shirt with him and leaves it on a chair within reach, and once Eddie, finally scents it, he bursts into tears, "is it really you?" he sobs, and Steve confirms that it is, and Eddie is climbing into Steve's lap, still sobbing, "I thought I'd never see you again."

And they stay like that, until Robin finally breaks them up, but Eddie will not let go of Steve, not completely, and Steve doesn't want to let go of Eddie either, but he has to.

He has to make his case. He has to explain that that sixteen year old Omega, a decade Steve's junior, is without doubt Steve's mate. There's a lot of back and forth, they need the uncles blessing, which after a thirty second conversation with Eddie, Wayne doesn't hesitate.

Steve takes Eddie home, with instructions from Hopper to take all the time he needs.

This is where the real work starts, Eddie is traumatized, has been mate sick since the day he presented, and needs a hell of a lot of work. Their bond is solid, but formed in trauma, so the attachment issues become almost immediately apparent.

They put in the work - Eddie has a therapist who is not Steve, and Steve still goes to his own therapy sessions like a good boy. They deal with a lot of things, Eddie's night terrors, his awful relationship with food, his inability to settle, the panic attacks. Eddie's first heat, where nothing happens because Eddie is still terrified of sex. They work through Eddie's confused feelings; Steve falls utterly and completely in love.

Eddie slowly picks up his reading - the education he's missed - starts gently with a distance learning course. Steve goes back to work, a gentle three half days a week to start with.

They get through it all, and make a life together.

[clairenovakz]

desperation (sam winchester x reader)

pairing: sam x reader, kind of dean x reader warnings: canon-level violence, obsessive behavior, dubcon (maybe? you and dean are under the effect of a curse) summary: after heading to a small town in montana, dean isn’t himself. sam saves you when you need him the most. word count: 4.2k a/n: i have some requests to do but i really wanted to do something like this! i love tropey shit, and evil witches. and maybe after this i’ll write some dean x reader where he isn’t completely insane lol

“Get this,” Sam said, almost slapping the paper on the table of the bunker as you and Dean had walked in. Dean was carrying a pumpkin pie in one hand and a canister of whipped cream in the other, looking cartoonishly idiotic. “The FBI agents sent in to investigate these supposed ‘new age serial killer’ kills in Montana literally murdered each other.”

“Hmm.” You leaned over Sam’s shoulder to peer over the newspaper. Their grisly deaths were painted in an eerie shadow of blood over the page. “That is weird.”

“That’s not the whole story,” Sam raised an eyebrow at you and when you turned you realized you were barely a hair away from him. You stumbled back, muttering a soft apology. “They murdered each other right after they had an impromptu wedding.”

“Wedding…?” Dean had set the pie down and he picked up the paper, squinting at it.

“They married each other.” 

You and Dean looked at each other before returning your gazes back to Sam. 

“Sounds witchy to me. I’m in.” You said, snagging the whipped cream canister from the table.

Sam broke into a wide grin as you smiled back, before shooting whipped cream in your mouth. 

x

The drive to Montana was uneventful. You’d always let the brothers sit with each other in the front, mostly to save yourself from getting mixed up in some stupid argument. You’d fallen asleep quickly after the first hour, and when Dean stopped for gas, you stepped outside to stretch your legs. Sam followed behind you, affectionately touching your shoulder before going into the gas station store muttering something about getting a drink.

Dean gave you a shit-eating grin and you hit him in the arm. “Hey!” He protested, mockingly rubbing his arm. “What was that for?”

“Nothing, asshole.” You narrowed your eyes at him.

“I didn’t say anything, kid.” He teased, but then emphatically glanced towards where Sam had gone. “But you gonna bang him or what?”

You hit him again. “Jesus, Dean, shut up!”

Dean burst into a fit of laughter as he pumped gas into the Impala. You tried to hit him again but he held you back easily, neither of you really putting in that much effort to wrestle properly. “I’m just sayin’, I know I’d hit you up if I knew you were into me. He doesn’t know what he’s missing.”

Your whole face turned bright red. “I appreciate the sentiment, dude. Now shut up for real or I’ll kill you.”

“Hey!” Dean laughed again. “I’m just saying, Y/N. You got a bangin’ bod!”

It was at this moment that Sam had decided to return, appearing behind you like some kind of ghost. You nearly screeched when you felt a hand on your shoulder, and your blush intensified.

“What are you two talking about over here?” Sam handed you your favorite soda, and you couldn’t find the words to speak.

“Just about all the hot dudes Y/N’s got lining up to hit her up.” Dean barely reacted as you hit him again.

“Hm.” Sam gave you an amused look, but didn’t seem to want to elaborate.

“Thanks for the soda, Sam. I appreciate it.” You tried to pivot the conversation, opening the car door to get back inside.

“Dude, you didn’t get me one?!” You laughed at Dean’s annoyance, and then shut the car door shut. Through the window, Sam gave you a cheeky grin.

x

The motels you tended to stay at were somehow always the dingiest. This one smelled distinctly like mildew, and you had a feeling there might be a mold problem somewhere. That, however, was distinctly not your problem. 

Dean held out credit cards to you like he was dealing you cards, and you flicked one up that read ‘Polly Pocketson’, which was about the stupidest name you think you’d ever heard. Not like the guy behind the counter cared, anyway, when he rang you up for two rooms. The boys had once insisted you guys all stay together in one room, but you’d always counter-insisted on being on your own. You didn’t need them to coddle you, not when you’d been hunting on your own for a long time before you’d ever even met them.

After you’d dropped your stuff off in the other room, the three of you suited up to do some investigating. As you stepped outside, Dean suddenly appeared next to you. You started, slightly, not expecting him to stand so close. Sam came out a moment after, looking sharp in his suit and you had to pull back a bit of drool.

“Lookin’ spiffy, Y/N.” Dean winked at you. You looked down at your slightly rumpled FBI attire and wondered exactly what had compelled him to compliment you.

“Uh, thanks…?” You smoothed down your shirt and gave him a half smile. “Should we split up? I can hit the morgue to check out the FBI guys if you guys wanna case the town.”

Sam opened his mouth to respond, but Dean spoke first. “I think I should go with you, Y/N.”

You gave him a confused look. “Oh, sure, I mean, I don’t mind looking at some dead bodies on my own. You guys are way better at the investigating part, anyway.”

Dean suddenly grabbed your arm. “No. We should stick together. Sam can investigate alone.”

There was suddenly a tense silence as you looked at the way Dean was gripping you. You gently shook him off. He seemed slightly confused at his own behavior as well. You and Sam made eye contact and he shrugged, not understanding either. You just nodded. “Sure, Dean. Let’s get going, then.”

Sam patted your shoulder again, as if reassuring you things would be okay. You felt slightly better after that, heading into the Impala with Dean as Sam disappeared down the sidewalk. 

You and Dean had always been close - like family. You and Sam had been even closer, at times, but you’d never wanted to breach the perfect dynamic you had with them. The three of you had been through some truly insane things, and maybe you couldn’t help but daydream about making out with Sam sometimes, but daydreams were only daydreams. You’d never thought you’d ever feel less at home with them.

But as Dean pulled away from the motel, there was a tension hanging over you you’d never felt before. Dean would never do anything to hurt you, you thought to yourself. He was your best friend.

“You okay, Dean?” You asked quietly, looking at the way he was gripping the steering wheel.

“Fine.” He grumbled, casting a strange glance at you. “Headache. I dunno.”

You remained silent as the two of you drove to the morgue.

x

“Good lord.” You murmured under your breath as you pulled the body out in the morgue.

A pasty, white man - formerly known as Hank Jenkins, FBI agent - laid before you, body torn up and bloodied. His right hand, which still had a very new looking wedding ring on it, was bruised and completely purple. His chest had been ripped open, no heart to be seen. Beside him, you and Dean had pulled out a second body, a woman named Alyssa Hardwick. She was his partner.

“Apparently his heart was ripped out.” Dean said, matter-of-factly as he raised his eyebrows at the scene. He used a pair of silver tongs to pry open the chest cavity a little more, whistling at the damage. “Little more intense than the usual werewolf, though.”

“Yeah, I can tell.” You responded, peering at the bruised hand. You prodded it slightly, and then gently used your fingers to pry at the ring. It wouldn’t budge. In fact, upon closer inspection, it almost seemed welded to the finger. “Christ. How did this even happen?”

Dean leaned down beside you and you brushed shoulders. You stepped back from him slightly, but he followed you, keeping your shoulders touching. You gave him an odd look but he wasn’t looking at you, just intently looking at the ring.

“Nice ring, right?”

You frowned at him. “I guess?”

He hummed to himself as he touched the bruised skin. “It’s almost like the hand was being drained of its blood.” The fingers were weird and wrinkly, almost decomposing, and he squished one slightly. “Or something. Definitely not a natural bruising.”

“The other agent…” You motioned to the other body you had pulled out, this one’s twin killer. “I have a feeling it’ll be the same.”

Dean stood to his full height and gently took your wrist in his. “Yeah, I’d say.” 

You stared at the way he was holding you. Were you seriously overthinking this, or did he just need a crutch right now? You decided not to question it. “We should talk to Sam.”

At the mention of his brother’s name, Dean’s grip on you got just a bit harder. He clenched his jaw. “You’re really obsessed with the guy, aren’t you?”

“What?” You couldn’t even comprehend what Dean was saying. 

“Nevermind. Let’s go.”

He didn’t let go of you as the two of you put the morgue back together, exiting back to the Impala. You felt unsettled as you sat beside Dean, uncertain of what had changed in your dynamic in the time you had entered Montana. He was gripping the wheel even harder this time, and you swore you could see him twitching. You almost felt like he could’ve been drugged, but the three of you hadn’t really eaten since getting here. Last meal you had was a big breakfast a few miles out of town, before you’d stopped at the motel. You thought briefly about that- maybe Dean just needed a good meal?

You’d dealt with hangry Dean before, though. And it wasn’t like this.

You let the car ride sit in silence before you couldn’t handle it anymore. “Dean, is there something on your mind?”

He suddenly pulled the car over. The two of you sat on a random side street. It was afternoon now, and even though it was bright out, you suddenly felt very cold.

“Y/N, I need to tell you something.” Dean looked at you with cold eyes, although his expression seemed soft. He reached a hand out and placed it on your thigh. You resisted the urge to recoil.

“Um, yeah?”

“I don’t want you to be with Sam.” He nearly growled, coming closer to you. “I want you to be with me.”

You actually leaned back this time, visibly confused. “What the hell are you talking about?”

“You belong with me, Y/N. Don’t you see?” Dean furrowed his brow. “Sam isn’t ever going to see you like that. But I do. And you’re perfect. You’d only be more perfect if you would be with me forever.”

You swallowed thickly. This was unexpected. Dean was, certainly, easy on the eyes. But the way he was leaning towards you, hand gripping your thigh - it was making you sweat. You felt a nervous laugh come from the back of your throat that you tried to hold back. This had to be some kind of sick, cosmic joke.

“Dean…” You started, trying to quickly think about how you were going to phrase this rejection. But before you could say another word, your phone rang.

The two of you stared at each other before Dean leaned back, and you pulled out your cell. It was Sam.

“Hey.” You answered, not looking Dean in the eye. “What’s up?”

“Come back to the motel. I’ve got a lot to show you guys.”

“We’re on our way.” You motioned to Dean, and he started the car. The trip to the motel was set in an uncomfortable mood. But Dean didn’t say anything, so you didn’t either.

x

You hurried back into the motel room to greet Sam. That scent of mildew hit you again, and it only served to ramp up your unease. Dean seemed to be acting more normal now, or at least, he wasn’t openly coming on to you. There was something unreadable in his expression that you didn’t really want to dissect right now.

“Hey,” Sam smiled at you and you felt a familiar dust of pink bloom on your cheeks.

“Hey, Sam.” You played it off, real casual. Nothing weird happened in the car, don’t worry! 

“So, I spoke to some of the people related to the vics. Looks like all the vics had ‘twin kills,’ just like the FBI agents.” Sam opened up a small notepad he had evidently taken notes in. “And a lot of them tried to elope. But the weird thing is…” He paused.

“Stop with the cliffhangers, Sammy.” Dean joked, but for some reason he didn’t sound as playful as he usually did.

Sam gave him a confused look before continuing. “Look, every pair of vics tried to elope. In fact, they all bought wedding rings. And every pair was also not in relationships or in other relationships with different people. The weird thing is, every person I spoke to that knew the victims claimed that none of them were having affairs.”

That gave you pause. “Wait, so you’re saying… Alyssa and Hank, the FBI agents, weren’t cursed to kill each other because they were cheating on their partners with each other?”

“It’s a theory,” Sam said. “When I talked to Ben, brother of that college girl vic? He said she was so madly in love with her boyfriend that it didn’t make sense for her to run off with another man.” His expression became a straight line. “Much less, kill each other for it.”

“The agents, their hearts were ripped out.” You said, beginning to pace. “And their wedding rings were sucking the life out of them. Almost making them decompose faster than they normally would, although from what we saw it had only spread up the arm.”

You stopped. As you looked at the decrepit motel wall, you could see almost a thin line of mold running down the cracks. That mildew smell; it was fucking everywhere. 

Dean had only started acting weird after you got to the motel.

You turned very slowly, trying to still your beating heart. But when you turned, Dean was boring his eyes right into you. “Sam,” you said, quietly. “Did you investigate the jewelry place they’d gotten their rings from?”

Sam looked at you oddly. “No, but, good idea…” He couldn’t seem to decipher why you were acting so strangely, until he looked at his brother. 

Everything happened so fast. One second, Dean was staring at you like you were a wild animal, and in the next, he pounced. He was on top of you suddenly, pinning you to the ground crazily. “Y/N, you don’t fucking deserve him!” He yelled, hands grabbing your hair and slamming you hard. Your head was spinning, unable to process what was happening.

“Dean, what the fuck!” Sam was suddenly upon him, trying to rip him off of you. You grabbed at him wildly as he moved his hands down your face, his legs trapping you beneath him as you tried to fight him off. His hands closed around your neck.

“You’re gonna love me fuckin’ forever, baby.” Dean whispered, coming in close to kiss you. You saw, then, that when he opened his mouth, tendrils of something fungal were coming out of him.

Ah, you thought, I’m going to die because of some idiot men. 

That’s the last thing you consciously thought before everything went dark.

x 

When you woke up, you were tied to the motel bed. You immediately tried to sit up and get your bearings, but you found you couldn’t move. Sam was nowhere to be seen, but you could see a large stain of blood across the floor, and dragging marks towards the closed bathroom door.

Oh god. You felt sick at the thought of Dean killing his brother in some deranged act of love for you. 

Speaking of, Dean was sitting next to you on the bed, softly stroking your hair. “Hey, you’re awake.” He smiled at you, and you saw that same fungal mold sprouting from his teeth. “You should feel the mold taking effect soon.”

“Wha…” You tried to speak, unable to form words for a bit. “Wait… you know… what’s going on? And you’re… letting it happen?”

“Y/N,” Dean cooed, coming closer to you. “I know this isn’t how it was. But if this is what it feels like to love you, I don’t want to know anything else.”

Now you were really going to be sick. 

“What… did you do… with Sam?” You rasped, feeling faint. Dean seemed to catch on to your dizziness and held you closer to him.

“Don’t worry about him, babe.” You could feel Dean smile as he pressed his nose to your hair. “I got rid of him for us.”

You felt tears welling up in your eyes. You knew there was no reason to believe this twisted version of Dean, and that Sam was plenty capable on his own, but your heart couldn’t take it. Your Sammy… gone? All for some twisted version of love?

You remembered last week when Sam had gone on a grocery run, he’d left your favorite mug out with coffee for you in the morning so you didn’t have to make it yourself. You remembered a little bit before that how he’d spent time with you looking at dogs to adopt, just for fun because you knew you wouldn’t really want one right now. And you remembered how he curled into you when he had a nightmare and how you would do the same.

Dean was your best friend. But he didn’t have anything on Sam, not to you, at least.

“Dean…” You felt a soft cry come up in your throat. The dizziness was coming over you now. You could feel the mystical mold taking hold in your heart. 

“Yeah, honey?” He looked at you with adoration in his eyes.

You smiled. “I love you so much.” You leaned up and kissed him. And it felt so right and perfect and beautiful and you loved him so much you just wanted to eat him whole. 

He kissed you back fervently, the two of you growing ever closer. He undid your bindings and cupped your face, unable to stop. You didn’t need to breathe anymore. 

A loud BANG rudely interrupted you. You separated quickly to see Sam shove in through the front door.

“How the fuck are you alive?” Dean yelled, standing up and immediately grabbing his gun off the nightstand.

“Dean, I know you don’t really want to do this.” Sam said evenly, immediately recognizing the puffiness of your makeout lips. “But you really need to ask for consent.”

“He has my consent.” You said sharply, standing up and sliding behind Dean. 

“Y/N,” Sam’s expression dropped. “Fuck.”

“He gave me what you never could, Sam!” You yelled, pointing at him aggressively. “A beating heart. The real love of a man. And…” You saw it in Dean’s pocket and pulled it out. A small box bearing two rings. “The promise of forever.”

Sam shifted his stance. You could see his expression was heartbroken, but you couldn’t understand why. Sam hadn’t loved you enough. This you were certain. 

“Y/N, I promise, when this is all over, I’ll make it up to you.” Sam said softly, hazel eyes quivering slightly as he drew a small vial from his pocket. “I paid a visit to our witchy friend at the jewelry store.”

“We don’t want whatever the hell you’ve got, Sam.” Dean said, stepping forward and cocking his gun. “Don’t you understand real love when you see it?”

“She’s dead now, but she told me how to reverse the curse.” Sam was unphased, stepping forward as well. “All I need to do is give this to you guys. Then we’ll all go back to normal and this will be a bad dream.”

“Sam, this is our normal! Loving you was a mistake. It always was.” You said harshly, still sticking by Dean.

Sam sucked in a breath. His eyes trailed over you with desperation. “Y/N, please, you have to know.”

“Know what?”

“That I always loved you. Every moment of our time together. That was love, to me.” He shuddered, slightly, as he struggled to get closer to the two of you.

You were at a loss for words. Somehow, you could remember the moments you had together, but they didn’t feel meaningful at all. There was a great fog clouding your brain and you stopped for a moment, confused. At your hesitation, Dean turned to look at you.

That moment was enough for Sam to charge. 

Sam leaped onto Dean and punched him square in the jaw, fumbling the gun and throwing it to the ground. Dean and Sam wrestled for a moment, and you jumped in, trying to pull Sam away. He punched you too, hard, and you flew back for a moment clutching your nose. It was bleeding.

Sam grappled with Dean and held him down as he forced his mouth open, dumping part of the contents of the red liquid inside. Afraid, you backed away from him, not wanting your love to be changed. “No, Sam! Don’t! Don’t!” Dean was knocked out cold, eyes shut.

Sam didn’t say anything as he forced you down too, pouring the liquid into your mouth. But he had a sad expression on his face as your swallowed every last drop, falling back into a deep sleep.

x

When you woke up, you were on the bed.

Dean was on the ground, sitting up slightly and looking around. Again, there was no sign of Sam, but you had a feeling you knew where he was. Groaning, you sat up and rubbed your eyes.

“Y/N.” Dean said softly, and you turned to him with a sheepish smile.

“Hey, Dean.”

“Look…” you could see a thousand apologies on his lips, and you shook your head.

“Dean. It’s okay.”

Dean flinched at that. “How could it be? I forced myself on you, Y/N. It was disgusting.”

You almost laughed at that. Only self-sacrifical Dean Winchester would apologize for something out of his control.

“It’s really okay, Dean.” You both stood up and he seemed to make himself smaller.

“I hope you know I don’t mean anything I said,” he said, pursing his lips. 

“Oh, what, you’re not madly in love with me?” You elbowed him, still trying to break the tension.

“God, shut up. You’re never gonna let me live this down, are you?” He groaned. There he was- your regular Dean was back.

“Nope.” You smiled at him, then started for the door. “But I need to talk to Sam, like, now.”

“Yeah.” Dean was close behind you. “I think I need to detox from this fucking gross mold. I’ll see you lovebirds in the car.”

The two of you separated as you headed to your separate room. You saw Sam standing outside already, leaning against the door in thought.

“Hey, Sammy.” You said, leaning beside him.

“Y/N.” Sam breathed a sigh of relief as he saw you, and then glanced at his brother getting in the Impala. “Are you okay?”

You looked at him a long moment before throwing your arms around him. He stumbled, slightly, before squeezing you tightly.

“Yeah, thank you.” You replied, not wanting to let go. You wanted to memorize the shape of his hands on your back and the way his jacket smelled. 

“Look, about what happened…” Sam started, pulling back from you slightly. He looked a little dizzy from your close contact, and you felt satisfied knowing you had the same effect on each other.

“Sam,” You said seriously. “You have to know.”

“Know what?” He looked at you, confused.

“That I’ve always loved you, duh.” You smiled at him, remembering what he said to you earlier. “And that none of what I said under the influence of the mold was true.” You squeezed his sides again, trying to retain that closeness. “You’re the only one I’ve ever wanted. I’m sorry you even had to see me with Dean.”

He was at a loss for words. You squeezed him again to pump some life into him. 

“Still with me, Sam?”

“Yeah, Y/N. Always.” Sam swooped you up and hugged you tight, laughing. “Thank god. I was afraid…”

“I know.”

“But…”

“Yeah, I know.” You laughed, too. “I promise, you’re the only Winchester for me.”

Sam pulled away from you just enough to lean down and kiss you, sweetly. You kissed him back with ferocity, and he grabbed at your waist and pulled you in close. You felt sparks as you kissed, the way his hands grabbed at you and the way his hair felt under your fingers. This was everything you’d ever wanted, and more.

“Fuck,” he mumbled, pulling away just to go back for more. You smiled into that kiss, half-giggling as he kept pulling you in, his strong hands keeping you tethered. God, you wanted to be close to him.

“Hey, losers!” The two of you separated to hear Dean honking the Impala at you. “We’re wasting daylight! Hurry up already!”

You smiled at Sam, and he smiled back. Some things would never change.

[rhoorl]

Delta Landscaping: Chapter 15 Lucky Strike

Series Masterlist | Chapter 15 A03 Link

Word Count: 4.4k

Previously on As the Mule Falls: The neighbors met at David and Ty’s house for a Fourth of July party. Despite the guys having a lot of anxiety about it, they ended up having a pretty fun time thanks to all of their new friends. We ticked a few boxes off of our bingo card and laughed as David finally let the intrusive thoughts out. We also got a shy, nervous Benny and some meddling from Will and our favorite FBI agent.

In this Episode: We’re heavy on the Benny in this episode with little sprinkles of Frankie and a flashback of sorts for Santiago. Also, I’m trying to get to fight night so there are some jumps in time. In case you missed it, here is the moodboard for this chapter.

Chapter Warnings: A shoe goes flying at Santiago’s head. There’s some fluff and rom-com vibes and we finish with a little bit of angst with Frankie as he reaches one year of sobriety.

*Cue the theme music and roll opening credits*

Four weeks to fight night

“Good, Ben,” Frankie panted backing away and leaning against the ropes of the boxing ring, “we can take a break.” 

“C’mon old man, don’t slow down on me now!” Benny flashed a lopsided grin as he worked the boxing gloves off of his hands. 

“It’s not that I’m slowing down…you just seem more…focused.” He eyed Benny with a smirk.

It’s true. Benny had an extra pep in his step today. He got to the gym well before Frankie, claiming he needed to “burn off some energy.” When Frankie arrived, he found Benny in the corner of the gym jumping rope, his shirt discarded nearby on the floor. During today’s sparring session, Benny was on a different level. Every punch connected and he anticipated everything Frankie threw at him, causing Frankie to wince at a few well-placed jabs to the ribs. With the fight only weeks away, Benny was well in ring shape and nearing his peak, which made Frankie breathe a sigh of relief.

Tossing the boxing gloves to the side, Benny reached down to grab his baseball cap, eager to get the hair out of his eyes. “Just feeling good…yesterday was a lot better of a day than I thought it’d be.”

“I’m sure it was,” Frankie crossed his arms in front of his chest, watching as Benny grabbed a towel. “Any word on your date?” 

“Thinkin’ Saturday…since we were planning on taking Sunday off anyway, figured I could be out late and it wouldn’t be a problem…” Benny’s eyes didn’t quite meet Frankie’s.

“Ben, we can take whatever day you want off,” Frankie chuckled before furrowing his brow at the sight of Benny chewing on the inside of his cheek. “What? What’s wrong?”

“Nothing I just…I didn’t want you to think I wasn’t taking this seriously and getting distracted or anything…so I was just waiting I guess until a day I already was free.”

“Hermano, do I think Vanessa is a distraction? Yes, but in the best possible way,” he clasped a hand to Benny’s shoulder. “The past week you’ve been a nervous wreck, timid, and not yourself in here. But today? Today man…you’ll whoop anyone’s ass who steps up to you,” he laughed, seeing the corners of Benny’s mouth curl up. “So she’s distracting you from the bullshit in your head and I think that’s great. She seems like a really sweet girl, Ben.”

“Yeah…I…I really like her Fish,” he rubbed the back of his neck. “I don’t wanna fuck this up, you know?”

Frankie tilted his head up and laughed, “Trust me, I get it.”

“Oh shit, sorry man. Ah…how’re things with you?”

With a deep breath through his nose, Frankie took off his hat and ran his fingers through his curls, before putting it back on again. “Well, I was actually wanting to see if I could take next weekend off. Had a thought to surprise her and fly up there.”

“Hey isn’t next week….” Benny trailed off seeing Frankie gaze down to his feet. Making the realization, a huge smile came across Benny’s face, “I think that’s a perfect way to celebrate Fish! I’m proud of you man.”

“So, you have a good night last night? You left the party pretty early with Katie,” Santiago’s eyebrows waggled at Will as they loaded up a wheelbarrow with soil. They’d come up with an agreement with Frankie and Benny to work on Melissa’s backyard, executing their design and giving Benny the chance to concentrate on training. 

“We’re just friends Pope…and yes we had a good night, did you?” Will looked over as he set down the shovel.

“Just friends? Wow, you know I kinda saw that comin’ not gonna lie,” he shrugged.

“Fuck off, don’t you have a shoe to dodge or something?” Will snapped as he walked into Melissa’s backyard.

“I guess I deserved that,” Santiago muttered to himself, realizing that Frankie must have spilled to Will that Amaryllis was back in the picture.

To say Santiago and Amaryllis had a dramatic situationship would be putting it mildly. They grew up together in New York as family friends. Neither made a move, although they heavily flirted with each other by the time they got to high school. Santiago had to endure her shitty boyfriends who never treated her well and she had to see him run through every girl in their grade and the ones above it too. She’d finally mustered enough courage to tell him she had feelings for him but it ended up being the same night he told her he was enlisting. 

They exchanged letters for a few years, but those eventually stopped. He lost track of her, hearing that she’d gone off to Los Angeles to try her hand at acting or modeling. She landed a couple of small roles here and there. A falling out with a boyfriend caused her to move back to the East Coast, where she reconnected with a couple of Santiago’s cousins whom she was close to growing up. They shared that he was back in town and invited her out. It had been years since they'd seen each other, but her heart raced a bit at the thought of seeing him again.

When she walked into the bar, his eyes immediately met hers and he felt like he’d been run over by a train. She was confident, commanding the attention of everyone as she walked over to him. He longed for some comfort and she did too. The two found themselves locked away in her apartment for the next few days getting reacquainted.

Still, they were both too stubborn and headstrong to admit their feelings. What came next was a tumultuous and dramatic series of back and forths, neither one wanting to make that next step, that commitment. Instead, they found it easier to get underneath someone else rather than face their feelings head-on. They did try to have more, but it failed miserably each time with one of them retreating like a scared dog, unsure who to trust. 

The pull to Colombia made for a clean break, at least that’s what Santiago thought. When he came back, he went home for a short while to see his mother and couldn’t help but pass by Amaryllis’ apartment. He sat on the stoop for what felt like hours, debating whether to knock on the door or just send a text. A sudden slam of the door made the decision for him.

“Hijo de puta, how fucking dare you show up here. After three fucking years?” She yelled as he got up and backed away from her. He tried to say something but he couldn’t get any sound out. Next thing he knew he was dodging a well-thrown sandal to the head as she continued to call him every name in the book both in English and Spanish. It was the last time he saw her. 

But a couple of weeks ago, he noticed a Facebook message. She made the decision to move down to Florida and wanted to see if he was still there. He debated opening up the message or just deleting it but opted to read it and then go to her profile. She seemed happy, really happy. And noticeably single. So one thing led to another and she made the drive over to Tampa so they could meet for coffee and talk. He knew the guys had their opinions so he opted to keep a low profile about it for as long as he could.

“This is good practice Vandy, I get to do the whole dad spiel about being home before midnight and all of tha- ow!” Marcus ducked as Victoria threw a dish rag at him. 

“Leave her alone, mi amor. Come back whenever you want Nessa, or don’t,” Victoria winked as her sister rolled her eyes. “So, what did you guys decide on?”

“I suggested Splitsville. Figured we could bowl and maybe eat, I dunno seemed like a good choice. He was excited about it.”

“C’mon admit it, you also picked it because it’s ‘Insta-worthy’!” Marcus chuckled as he made air quotes with his fingers.

“Oh my god, you’re such a dad,” Vanessa groaned. “Please don’t ever say Insta-worthy again, Buck.”

“Ooo, are you starting up your foodie blog again?” Victoria rubbed her hands together. “You always find the best places.”

“Excuse me?” Marcus brought a hand to his chest, “she’s not the only foodie in this family.”

“Of course, mi amor,” she kissed Marcus on the cheek as he plated the kid’s dinner. “Between the two of you, we always have the coolest spots to check out.”

“Are you sure this looks ok Vic? Not too casual?” Vanessa did a little twirl as Mariella clapped in her high chair. 

Figuring out what to wear was always a chore for Vanessa, especially in recent years when she didn’t really care to shop for clothes…or look in the mirror for that matter. She’d changed outfits about 15 times, completely ransacking her closet. The final winner was a pair of dark wash jeans and a well-worn Tampa Bay Rays t-shirt, topped with a flannel. Victoria thought it was a bit unnecessary to wear a flannel in the middle of summer, but knew it was a security blanket for her sister. 

“I think you look great, Vandy,” Marcus winked with a soft smile. 

Will sat on the couch playing a video game, trying to hide his smile as Benny paced around the living room. “You excited?”

Benny stopped and looked over as he finished buttoning up his sleeve. “Yeah. J called a little bit ago…thought he was going to give me shit…” Benny trailed off rubbing the back of his neck.

“We’re excited to see you out there again Bean,” Will paused his game, putting the controller down to walk over and assess his brother’s outfit. “You look like….me…why’re wearing this?” Will grabbed at the front of Benny’s button-down shirt. 

“I dunno…I wanted to look nice,” Benny pouted looking down at his outfit. 

“Wear what makes you comfortable Ben. C’mon,” with a reassuring pat on his brother’s shoulder, he led him back to the bedroom. He sat on the edge of the bed as Benny went through his hangers. 

Without saying a word, Benny changed out of his long-sleeve button-down shirt and slipped on a fresh white crewneck t-shirt and black jean jacket. He switched out his boots, put on some sneakers, and grabbed a baseball cap. 

“There’s my Bean,” Will smiled. “Feeling better?” Benny nodded as the corners of his mouth turned up. 

“Tia Nessa? I wanna see Bunny!” Mariella waddled over to the couch where Vanessa sat. 

“Si mi vida, Bunny is coming over soon,” she moved over so Mariella could work her way onto the couch next to her. It was so cute how quickly her little niece had taken to Benny. The past couple of days she’d managed to get home from picking up the kids around the same time Benny was finishing up his run. Mariella would squeal when she saw him and he’d do something silly to make her laugh.

Nico sat quietly coloring with Victoria as they all heard the doorbell ring. Vanessa went to stand up but Marcus intercepted since he was already up. Opening the door, he found Benny shifting from foot to foot with his hands in his pockets. 

“Hey there Benny, good to see you, come on in,” he held the door open for Benny to pass through.

“Bunny!!” Mariella quickly got herself off the couch and rushed over to Benny, nearly tripping over her unsteady legs in the process.

“Hey baby girl,” Benny smiled, whisking the little girl off of her feet as she giggled. 

She started to babble and Benny looked around the room in the hopes someone could translate toddler. 

“She asked if you’re taking Vanessa ‘bye bye’ in the car,” Victoria’s heart melted seeing Mariella bond so quickly with Benny.

“Ohh ah yeah, I guess. Yeah, we’re going to go ‘bye bye’ in the car. But I’ll bring her back, I promise,” Benny winked.

“You, ah, ready to go?” Vanessa got up, grabbing her crossbody from the counter.

Seeing her about took his breath away. She looked effortlessly beautiful, and he suddenly felt less self-conscious about his casual attire. 

“Yeah. I…um…can I put you down so I can take your um…Tia…out?” Benny raised his eyebrows waiting for a response. With an enthusiastic nod, he set Mariella down and she ran to Marcus and hugged his leg. “Ah, after you,” Benny put his arm out, gesturing for Vanessa to pass, while wishing the Pikes a good night. He could feel Marcus’ eyes on him so he tried his best to not let his eyes wander as she walked by him.

“Don’t keep her out too late now,” Marcus winked as Vanessa groaned, grabbing Benny’s hand to quickly lead him out of the house before Marcus had another chance to embarrass her. 

“Sorry about him,” Vanessa quickly dropped Benny’s hand once he closed the front door. “Buck looks for any chance to give me shit.” She furrowed her brows as Benny followed her to the passenger side of his car.

“It’s alright, hell I’ve done worse to Will,” he chuckled, opening the door for her. 

She quickly got in and sat a bit dumbfounded as he sprinted around to his side of the car. It’s not that she hadn’t ever had a man open a door for her, her sister was married to Marcus “Mr. Romance” Pike after all, but it still gave her butterflies and made her even more excited for the night to come.

“So, I have a confession to make,” Frankie said as he sprawled out on his bed, propping the phone against a pillow.

“Ooo mysterious. Tell me more Morales,” Jo quipped. She was nestled underneath a fluffy blanket on her couch for what had become her favorite part of the day - her nightly FaceTime chat with Frankie.

“So, what would you say if I ah,” he ruffled his hair and took a deep breath, “what if I came up there next weekend? I know you’re busy with work and stuff, but I’ll be out of your hair by Monday. You can drop me off at the airport before you go to work, or I’ll take an Uber.” He waited for what felt like an eternity for her to respond, wondering if his Wi-Fi crapped out because she was stuck looking at him. “What do you say mi cielo? I, I don’t have to, if you already have plans-”

“No! I mean yes….I mean, no I don’t already have plans and yes I would love for you to come up here. Are you sure? Doing this so last minute?” She couldn’t help the huge smile that stretched across her face. Being away from Frankie for the past week was torture and the idea of getting to spend a couple of days with him, being wrapped in his arms and hearing his laugh ring in her ears made her downright giddy.

“I’ve been thinking about doing it since you left, so it’s not as last-minute as you think babe,” he winked. 

“Well, I am clearing my entire schedule. We can play tourist for a day and then maybe hang out…be lazy, order some takeout, cuddle, ooo and we can watch movies in person rather than one of us being on a delay,” her eyes twinkled as she started to race through various ideas.

Frankie chuckled, he loved it when she got excited and started to ramble. “Whatever we do, I’ll be happy because I’ll be with you.”

“I’m so excited! This next week is going to go by even slower now that I have something to look forward to,” she beamed.

“Are you serious?” Vanessa shook her head, dumbfounded that Benny casually threw a perfect game. Trick shot after trick shot, it didn’t matter, he always got a strike.

Benny didn’t even watch his last shot. He had his eyes on Vanessa as he put his back to the lane and released the ball behind him. Hearing the pins knocked down, he sauntered back over, flashing a boyish grin.

“Ooo yay, the food is here,” he rubbed his hands together, looking at the spread. All of his training had made him build up quite the appetite these days, so he wasn’t shy about ordering his fair share.

“Wait wait!” Vanessa put her hands up to stop him from taking a mozzarella stick. “Sorry, I um…one sec,” She bit her bottom lip, pulling out her phone and then rearranging the plates. Benny looked on confused but also amused, admiring how her brows furrowed as she concentrated on getting everything to look just right.

Pleased with her setup, she started snapping photos. “Sorry…I am one of those people, annoying I know, but I figured tonight was a good excuse to start up my account again,” she didn’t look up from her phone as she took a couple of videos too. “Phone eats first,” she winked before motioning that the coast was clear.

“What kind of account you have?”

“Oh, it’s just on Instagram…I started it a few years back…it’s a fun way to explore the food scene and…sorry this is all boring I’ll stop,” she laughed to herself as she grabbed a few nachos.

“No, no, it’s not boring, I like it. I like food, clearly,” he motioned to the four plates in front of him and she snorted. “Lemme see, I wanna follow.” He motioned toward her phone with his chin.

She reluctantly handed him the phone and watched as he scrolled her account. After a few moments, she saw his forehead scrunch.

“What? I know, I don’t always have the best lighting, I’ve been meaning to buy myself a little light thing and  - “

“No, hey,” he put his hand on her forearm, which sent an electric pulse up her body. She suddenly felt like it was way too warm for her flannel. “No this is great, these photos are beautiful…I just was wondering where you were.”

“What?”

“I don’t see you in any of these photos. Maybe your hands every once in a while, but how come you’re not in these?” He shook the phone as he turned it back to her.

“Oh…I…um…I dunno I guess I’d rather have the focus be on the food,” she looked down, playing with the straw of her water. The truth of the matter was she was tired of dealing with the random trolls who would end up making a comment about her body or how much she went out to eat. She deleted everything off of her account that had her face in it, opting to showcase the food instead.

“Hmm…” Benny nodded, handing back her phone. He pulled his out and started typing as she looked on with inquiring eyes. “There, you have a new follower,” he winked.

She looked at the notification, trying to steady her breath at how hot he looked in his profile picture. “Holy shit, are you like an influencer or something?!”

Benny looked a bit sheepish, “I started the account when I got into fighting…a way to promote them…and then I just kept posting gym stuff and it grew from there.”

“Well, you have a lot of very loyal fans it seems,” Vanessa smirked as she scrolled through some particularly thirsty comments on his account. Normally something like this would be a complete red flag, especially given her ex’s history, but there was something about Benny’s shy smile that put her mind a little more at ease. 

“Pope used to date a girl who did social media stuff for her job so she set it up for me. I don’t post a ton, but it’s there. I’m mostly on there to help keep an eye on my niece, lord knows her dad is a lost cause when it comes to anything on his phone that’s more than making a call,” he chuckled to himself. “But now I’m excited to see your food stuff on my feed,” he smiled.

“Well thanks…I started the account when I lived in Charlotte…gave me an excuse to get around and explore,” she gave a tight smile as she bit into a slider.

“Maybe we can explore some stuff…together?” Benny’s hopeful eyes found hers as she slowed her chewing.

“Um…ok, yeah sure, that’d be fun,” she smiled back. “Although you may regret what you’re signing yourself up for,” she winked.

He regarded her with a lopsided grin. “Oh, I don’t think I’m gonna regret it at all, boss lady.” 

Three weeks to fight night

Things around Mule Fall Court settled into an easy routine the following week. Benny and Frankie kept a consistent schedule at the gym. Sometimes Connor would tag along too, although he was trying to soak up the last bits of summer before he and Aria had to head back to school. Meanwhile, Will and Santiago were nearly done with Melissa’s backyard and already looking for their next project. One day as they were cleaning up, Victoria stopped over and they talked about her lawn. They all agreed that it would be a good project to tackle once Benny’s fight was done.

Will found himself hanging out with Katie a few nights so they could finish up the last season of The Mandalorian. He had to admit, he actually really enjoyed it as much as the company he had while watching it. Ever since they established their boundaries as friends, it felt like a weight was lifted off. They were able to just relax and found themselves opening up in ways they hadn’t with another person in years, or ever. Will also decided to treat himself a bit and got a motorcycle. He found riding around, feeling the wind in his face, to be calming.

Katie and Megan made a vow to restart their weekly wine night, adding the usual suspects to the mix. New to the group was Katie’s coworker, Miranda. Like Megan, she was a single mother and rarely took time to do anything for herself. It had taken a few weeks of coaxing but Katie finally convinced her to take Aria up on the babysitting offer and come over for a night of laughs and girl talk – yes, David included himself in that.

Benny and Vanessa hung out a few more times. Thanks to some good-intentioned meddling from Marcus, he recruited Benny to come over and keep Vanessa company while he and Victoria enjoyed a night out to celebrate their anniversary. They played with the kids all night and ordered pizza. Vanessa was thankful to have Benny there since he was able to run around and tire the kids out. 

Mariella was adamant that Benny tucked her into her crib and Benny and Vanessa stayed in her room for a while until she went to sleep. Vanessa learned that Benny had a beautiful voice. He sang a lullaby to Mariella to finally get her to close her eyes and drift off to sleep. Settling back on the couch, Benny dutifully listened as Vanessa showed him a few restaurants that recently caught her eye online.  

He was still nervous about pushing things too far, but couldn't help but flirt with her. What made him even more nervous was he felt like she was flirting back. He so badly wanted to kiss her, trying his hardest to keep his eyes from drifting to her lips. She moved closer to him, crossing a leg on the couch to face him, laughing at a joke he made. When the laughter died down, she looked at him, trying to steady her breathing. He licked his bottom lip and her eyes betrayed her, looking down as she sucked a breath in. At the same time, they both leaned forward, he brought his hand up to cup her cheek. His lips were near to hers when they heard the garage door, pulling them both away from each other like two teenagers who had gotten caught almost making out by their parents.

With a deep breath, Frankie looked at the calendar hanging on his fridge by a single magnet. This date was one he’d been equally dreading and looking forward to – a year since he flushed the last bit of his stash down the toilet and decided to start the journey of putting all of the broken pieces back together again. It hadn’t been an easy year by any stretch of the imagination, but quietly and steadily he made it to milestone after milestone. 

Valeria was the first person to text him this morning. She knew her brother shied away from attention, so she acknowledged the day with a simple I’m proud of you Paco. Love you. She followed that up with a picture of his niece and nephew smiling at the camera, Antonio proudly showing off the gap from the tooth he lost this week.

Jo texted him this morning none the wiser about the significance of this day other than the fact that it meant she was going to see Frankie. It had only been two weeks since their shared flight down to Tampa. Lucille and Valeria had both separately referred to it as the “flight that changed your life” but Frankie hadn't fully embraced that moniker. It had been so long since he’d opened up his heart in this way. He battled with a constant inner struggle between wanting to guard his heart and wanting to jump head-first into this. 

This weekend’s trip felt momentous for several reasons, but the biggest was that Frankie planned to tell Jo everything about his past. Although it was under different circumstances, opening up to Lucille and having her embrace him with love and compassion did wonders for him. For so long he’d been in a spiral of self-loathing, thinking that everyone was disappointed by him and that he was a failure. But Lucille cracked the door open and shined some light and he was hopeful that Jo would kick it wide open. The idea of sharing the darkest parts of himself and his past terrified him more than crash-landing a helicopter, but it was something he had to do. He wanted more with Jo and if he had any chance at it, he had to be honest with her.

Next Time on As the Mule Falls: We get closer and closer to fight night. The neighbors host a party to welcome the Pikes to the neighborhood. A little bit of pining and angst. More Cousin Joel phone calls. 

A/N: Hi! First, I hope you are still enjoying this series. We have SO many storylines in play with several more to come, I do have a plan for all of this I promise. And all of those eagerly awaiting Cousin Joel (me included), he’s on his way soon. That’s part of the reason why we had some time jumps in this episode. With that being said, I’m going to try something new and do some extras in addition to the episodes. Consider it your extended or deleted scenes if we were watching the box set of DVDs of the season (dating myself with that reference). I’m already planning an extra to show more of Benny and Vanessa’s bowling date along with a one-shot of Frankie’s trip to Atlanta. 

Thank you as always for reading, sharing, or sending me a message about this story!

Taglist: @goodwithcheese / @gemmahale / @trulybetty / @noxturnalpascal / @periodtsparadox / @ramblers-lets-get-ramblin / @maggiemayhemnj / @mysterious-moonstruck-musings / @avastrasposts / @meveispunk / @chaoticfestninja / @beboldbebravethings / @casa-boiardi / @katw474 / @linzels-blog / @laughing-in-th3-purple-rain / @pimosworld / @lynnchun / @anoverwhelmingdin /@lilmizmoz / @pedrit0-pascalit0 / @titlee78 / @noisynightmarepoetry / @inept-the-magnificent / @perennialdoll247 / @for-a-longlongtime / @readingiskeepingmegoing / @harriedandharassed / @musings-of-a-rose / @anavatazes / @sherala007 / @midnightraain / @partyofone3414 / @inthedarkestnight / @millennial-teenybopper / @csarab615 / @darkheartgatita / @southernbe / @weho2kcmo / @itspdameronthings / @mclibs23

[sanctum-of-ramshackle]

Behind The Screen

[TWST AU]: Self-Aware AU, but with logical takes.

[Synopsis]: In this timeline, MC/Yuu/[Y/N] was playing TWST one day and then something off-putting happens.

[TW]: Mild cursing

[(A/N)]: I know. This AU has been done multiple times with most of them being…possessive. I decided to try the concept, but with my own take on it. Also MC/Yuu/[Y/N] is around 16-18 years old in this AU.

MC/Yuu/[Y/N] is just your ordinary gamer who loves the game, Disney: Twisted Wonderland.

They played that game almost everyday ever since it was first released.

They get to experience everything from leveling up the characters (especially their favorites who may or may not be bias towards) to collecting items.

MC/Yuu/[Y/N] fell in love with the storyline and laugh at the humor whenever something ironic and sarcastic happens.

All fun and literal games until one day something happens.

As MC/Yuu/[Y/N] logs into TWST and expected a character greeting them with a gift each day, there wasn’t anybody on the screen.

They thought it’s probably a glitch. It happens.

Shrugging off the weird occurrence, they continue the game as usual, leveling up the characters and winning in battles.

As they were reading through a chapter, something slips up.

Ace Trappola, everyone’s favorite little bastard accidentally mentioned how MC/Yuu/[Y/N] look stupidly cute today with their new haircut.

They freaked out a little.

MC/Yuu/[Y/N]: Okay. I may need more sleep or did I hear Ace right about my looks for today?

Ace: *Sweatdrops*

Deuce: *Whispers* Ace, say your line. You’ll blow our cover.

Ace: *Whispers back* You too, Dunce-face. You’ll get us in trouble.

MC/Yuu/[Y/N]: …I’m not dealing with this shit.

Ace: No wait-

They exit out of the game and starts texting to a friend of theirs asking advice on what to do with a possibly possessed app game operated by the Japanese branch of the huge corporation.

[MC/Yuu/[Y/N]’s Bedroom]

MC/Yuu/[Y/N]: Okay, that’s it. I’m reporting this to the development team and possibly FBI because what kind of sick game is this?

Riddle: No wait! Prefect!

MC/Yuu/[Y/N]: Don’t “Prefect” me! I know how this shit goes, and it ends badly.

Lilia: Oh dear. You read too many Yandere fics, haven’t you.

MC/Yuu/[Y/N]: …How do you know that?

Ace: Duh! It’s obvious. We’re in your phone. We sometimes sneak into your search history.

Jack: I’m afraid to ask questions about your…free time.

MC/Yuu/[Y/N]: You don’t have to know, Jack.

Vil: You need a better wallpaper, honestly. Who edited this abomination?

MC/Yuu/[Y/N]: Uhh…I did the wallpaper.

Vil: …You need to work on your photoshop skills.

[MC/Yuu/[Y/N]’s Bedroom]

MC/Yuu/[Y/N]: You’re telling me you listened to everything I spoke about this past year?

Riddle: Unfortunately, yes.

Leona: You cursed at us for being “too handsome” and “how stubborn” we can be.

Azul: Let’s not forget you spilled some secrets nobody else would know. You still sleep with a stuffed dolphin after 4.

MC/Yuu/[Y/N]: Luckily nobody ask for my phone.

Kalim: Your world sounds a lot of fun to learn about. I always wonder what it’s like outside with no magic involved.

MC/Yuu/[Y/N]: Believe my words, it’s not pretty.

Vil: I heard you talked about some fashion brands. Louis Vuitton?

MC/Yuu/[Y/N]: Yeah…That and other brands are expensive as Hell here.

Idia: I was wondering about your Otaku culture…

MC/Yuu/[Y/N]: Oh! There is enough to talk about with new anime and manga coming out everyday.

Malleus: *Peeks into images of Gargoyles*

MC/Yuu/[Y/N]: Tsunotarou? What are you doing on Google Images?

Malleus: Oh. Forgive me, Child of Man. I was curious about your device.

MC/Yuu/[Y/N]: Nah, it’s fine. Just be careful when you’re searching for something.

[MC/Yuu/[Y/N]’s Bedroom]

MC/Yuu/[Y/N]: *Fanning over a character* Jesus Christ! I can’t with this guy!

[Insert an image of Yoru from Valorant.]

[(A/N): I couldn’t help myself.]

Deuce: Huh? Hey, isn’t he from-

MC/Yuu/[Y/N]: Oh, yeah. I sometimes dabble into Valorant and he’s one of my mains.

Ace: So your type is the edgy bad boy type~?

MC/Yuu/[Y/N]: Don’t even try, Ace.

Ace: *Threw his hands up in defense* What? It’s not like I can leave here.

MC/Yuu/[Y/N]: Touché.

✨[Reblogs helps creators and creates for more content]💫

[coltrainbat]

the reader and chris meet for the first time at a dinner with shared joy. the reader notices chris directly and would like to get to know her better. the reader just thinks he is from the market since she heard the news that he is dating alba. only his family and friends know that alba and chris only have a personal relationship. chris tries to explain that to her

Pork or Pasta?

Disclaimer: All characters, mentioned and referred to even those based on real people are entirely fictional. All characters and events are entirely works of fiction for the purpose on entertainment. I make no comment on those mentioned within the request or story. (Can't sue me now baby I'm a law school drop out 😘 )

Fuck fuck fuck. You were late, sooo beyond late for the Charity Gala. Security were mulling outside and in an attempt to save face and avoid having them open the large and very loud doors for your entrance you ripped off your heels clutching them in your hand with your bag as you raced up the stairs. 

“You’re late…” Tommy, the security guard who got rostered on all the events in your city was at the door, eyes honed in on you with a devilish smirk. Tommy had gotten you out of many difficult situation and in return you’d sneak him beer to drink out the back. 

“No shit Tommy.”

The security guard laughed “Don’t worry no one’s taking your spot, get in there.” 

“You’re the best.” Giving him a quick hug

Muffled conversation filled the room as you made your way to your seat in between your work bestie, Nigel and… who the fuck was that?

“Always making an entrance.” Nigel leaned over to the mysterious stranger with dark hair who you couldn’t see the face of but you swooned at his booming laugh. 

“I’m here! I’m here! Don’t fret!” You slid into your seat with a huff causing your bangs to raise slightly from the sudden gust. 

“Omg when did you stop wearing shoes that’s not chic.” Nigel faux gasped. Realising you were still clutching them you quickly tried to manoeuvre your foot back into the all too expensive, uncomfortable heel under the table. 

“I ran here.” You huffed at Nigel.

“That’s great sweetie good for you! Smashing those New Year’s resolutions! Now turn around and meet Chris.”

You were finally able to look up at the handsome celebrity, who looked thoroughly amused by your grand entrance and clunky movements.

The event was held annually to raise money for the arts and your work was a key sponsor but occasional celebrity appearances were nothing to make your jaw drop like this. 

“Be nice…” Nigel whispered swiftly in your ear before he pranced off to socialise. 

“I’ve heard lots about you.” He held out his hand for you to shake

“Good stuff I hope.” The corners of you mouth raised slightly as you returned the gesture. You never saw Chris Evans on the guest list and Nigel always handled the table seating, it was starting to became incredibly clear that the man who had listened to you rant on and on about your relationship status for years had pulled off the mother of all blind dates. That sneaky, conniving little bit-

“Nigel was telling me about how much you do for the artists you work with and quote how ‘You’re their God’…” You were pulled out of your train of thought by Chris smirking at the last line. 

You finally were able to look at his face properly, the small signs of ageing present in the specks of grey in his beard and the wrinkle on his forehead. He was a borderline silver fox, still in his prime with obvious experience present in his face and demeanour.

But you weren’t going to let yourself swoon so easily. Memories flooded in of your recent girls night, as you all huddled around Instagram reading about his newest girlfriend who was conveniently not present. 

She was young which was fine but your FBI level investigator friends were intricately telling you about her background like she was some girl from college. Her horrid behaviour towards waitstaff, her lack of work ethic and how little she cared about her projects, the tweets of her shaming anyone who wasn’t skinny and white - those ones hit hard. You were never the beauty type but that didn’t stop you from gaining the attention from men. But the idea of another woman shaming another for their looks made your skin crawl. She was the antithesis of everything you ever believed in; good manners, kindness and hard work. You believed people were a reflection of those who they surrounded themselves with. And as the memory recalled in your head you couldn’t help but feel icky at the man who while nice and polite probably felt little of you. 

You felt to get through the night you’d definitely need a little help. 

“Well not really, I just listen. People like when you hear them out. I feel like today that kind of personal aspect is lost in interactions.” 

Great answer. Professional. Clear. Nailed it. 

“Well I think they’re lucky to have someone like you. It’s great to see someone give people a platform to share their art.” 

Your eyes diverted from his intense gaze as he spoke sincerely at you to one of your favourite people walking past with a large bottle of wine, the condensation on the sides told you it was white. Your favourite.

“Yeah it’s great, sorry just a second… pssst Geraldine!”

The elderly woman looked at you with a beaming smile on her face, immediately shuffling over to you. 

“Hey! how are you girl?” You took her outstretched hand, squeezing it with happiness. 

“Good! So happy to see you here - I’ll get you the good stuff this stuff… it’s no good!” She waved her finger at you, sticking her tongue a little. 

“Thanks Gerry.” You smiled at her, appreciative of her and the gifts she brings. She was your version of God. 

“You’re welcome darling!”

“You know the waitstaff by name?” His eyebrow raised and you prepared yourself for a snarky comment. 

“They’re human too aren’t they?”

“No I agree I just have met very few people at stuff like this who aren’t so self absorbed with themselves to notice the people who are doing things for them.” You heart pinged a little at that comment, you started to soften in his presence. Catching yourself, you readjusted your posture, pulling your shoulders back. 

“I dont believe you should treat people on their perceived importance, besides kindness pays and now we are all gonna be drinking the good stuff.” You raised your empty glass up, ready to receive the tasty confidence from a bottle.

“I’ll drink to that.” He raised his tumblr of dark liquor, clinking it to your now full glass, making eye contact as you both sipped.

You had nothing to lose and decided to have fun with this, already planning how you are going to recount this epic story of ego takedown to the girls. 

“So Evans right?”

“Yes ma’am.” 

“Huh didn’t recognise you without your bucket hat.”

Chris scoffs “So you saw that huh?”

“Against my will but yes.”

“Well it was complicated.”

“Yeah I imagine hanging around models and c list celebrities all day is “complicated”.”

“I’m hanging around you aren’t I.”

“I’m not a model and I’m not complicated.”

“That surprises me.”

“You don’t know me near enough to be surprised.” You shake your head. 

“No but I would like to.”

“Now THAT surprises me.”

“Seems you don’t like me very much based on what you’ve read.”

“I never I said I didn’t like you I just believe you are the company you keep and I don’t like your company.” 

“That’s still an assumption.”

“Well screenshots live forever don’t they?” You gave him a sarcastic grin.

“You think I would know about those and still continue to hang around someone?”

“How could you not know, do you not know how to use Twitter?” 

“During all your research I thought you would of realised I’m not the best with social media.” He laughed awkwardly.

“I didn’t research you, as I said ‘against my will’”

“Well we are both here now so ask away.” He gestured his drink outwards.

You bit your lip trying to decipher the bullshit from reality but every word he spoke sounded so earnest.

“Why do you date the same skinny actress just in different fonts every time?”

“Who said I dated all of them?”

“Fair enough.”

“Not every woman I’m pictured with I’m necessarily dating.”

“Why would you chose to hang around someone who is so…”

“Horrible?” He interjects 

“I was going to say repulsive.”

“I don’t always have a choice.”

“That’s ridiculous you’re in your 30s.”

“40s… thank you but it’s the way of the game.”

“So you’re a coward?”

His jaw tightened at the suggestion and his playful gaze fell from his face.

“No I just haven’t found the right one.” 

“Maybe because you’re going for the wrong ones.”

“Do you know what this industry is like? I’m constantly getting pushed into being around people that I don’t particularly like.”

You gestured around you with obviousness apparent on your face. 

“Your job is different.”

“So now you’re saying my life is easy?”

“No I’m saying you don’t have 50 cameras in your face at once and people usually aren’t using you for what you have.”

You pursed your lips realising you’ve hit a nerve,

“You really didn’t know did you?”

“Nope. If I did I wouldn’t of taken it as far as it got. People are damn good at hiding their true-selves when it’s convenient but something tells me, you would never understand that.”

“Why wouldn’t I?”

“Well for starters, you came in late, expensive heels in hand - tells me you have good taste but are practical when need be.” 

You nodded at the analyse. 

“You’re nice to everyone you meet, I think about 50 people have walked past beaming at you which is a nice change to have the attention off me for once.” 

“I’m just good at my job.”

“I don’t doubt it but you give it humility. Nigel told me all about what you do and he didn’t understate it.”

You blushed at your accolades particularly coming from the handsome actor.

“I think you can’t help but be anything but yourself and why would you when you’re so great? It’s endearing and a little bit intimidating.” He chuckled out that last line. 

“So I’m asking, can we start over?” He leans in a little closer, placing his hand on your knee like it was nothing out of the ordinary. 

“Yes.” You place your hand on his.

“But first… what if your type?” You quizzed.

“I’m looking at her.” He smirked at you.

After many speakers, more glasses of wine and an unspoken plate swap with Chris who graciously gave you his pasta after you starting drooling over it, the night was starting to become less formal and performers started to play covers of songs you couldn’t help but bop and sway to.

“Do you dance?” Chris asked casually

“Well yes but-.”

“Great!” He interjected, pushing out his chair and holding out his hand.

“Dance with me.”

“I don’t think that’s a good look, there’s photographers around and I know-“

“Omg woman just shut up and go dance with him!” Nigel nudged you out of your seat with Chris quick to steady you.

“You’re an asshole.” You faux sneered at him.

“And you’ll thank me Monday.” He gave you a smug smile.

Chris walked you both to the makeshift dance floor. Wrapping his arm around your waist as you swayed softly.

“So what do you think?” He quipped

“The Gala is going great, no major issues everyone looks like they’re having a good time.” You looked around nervously at a few curious eyes on you two.  

“About me I meant.”

“Oh! Well… I’m 80% convinced.”

“Convinced of what?”

“That you’re not an ass.” 

“That’s promising.”

“Well I’m not easy to sway.”

“Didn’t think you would be.” He purred at you.

You bodies were moving in a slow sway, Chris taking the lead as you melted into his arm as he moved you around the floor. 

“Do you know what you’re doing?”

“Dancing?”

“No being seen with me.”

“What’s so wrong with it?”

“People still think you’re dating her.”

“And? Now they won’t and for good reason.”

“And I was the perfect choice?”

“You weren’t a factor in the plan but if you must know a news report from a “close friend” is due to come out in…” He checks his watch behind your shoulder. 

“12 hours that her and I called it quits.”

“So how do I come into it?”

“You’re just the beautiful woman I met at a charity ball days after a break up that turned out to be my future wife.” He was grinning now. 

“You’re ridiculous you know that?”

“Maybe, but I still want to see you again.”

“80% Evans.”

“Well do you think it’ll be at 90% by next Wednesday?”

“Possibly why?”

“Cause that’s when I’m taking you out… lean back.”

He dramatically dips your body down near the floor never letting an inch of hair even come close to the ground, pulling you back up slowly so your bodies are closer than ever.

You were slightly panting now as he eyes raked your face for a sign of agreement.

“You’re a little too good at this aren’t you?”

“I use to do Tap.”

“No with swooning women.”

“Well if it helps you’re harder to crack than most.”

“Keep it that way.”

He spins you out, only for you to spin back in, your back towards his chest as his arms wrap around your stomach securely. His nose dragging along your cheek.

“So Wednesday?”

“It’s a date.” You move around, hands now landing on his strong chest, his arms clutching your waist protectively, scared if he loosens his grip you’ll somehow disappear into thin air. 

“Would you mind being the front page of a gossip magazine?”

You looked at him confused “Yes why?”

“Because I really want to kiss you but there’s a guy with a camera just over your left shoulder.” 

“Can he see my face?”

“No.”

“Is he filming?”

“Photographer so don’t think so.”

“Could you make him delete it?”

“Definitely.” He grinned.

With that you leaned up a little closer, putting your weight on your toes and placing a soft kiss on his warm plump lips, seeing a sudden flash of white light through closed eyelids you pulled out a little flushed, biting your lip as brush rose to your cheeks. 

“Make him send that to me before he deletes it.”

“Whatever you want.” He leaned down for another kiss.  

[ohtobeleah]

Jake Seresin

One-Shots

Best Worst Christmas// After some life altering news. You confide in Hangman which leads you to ticking off something incredibly important on your bucket list.

Roughing It // Jake Seresin begged you, his best friend to go camping with him and Bradley Bradshaw—but not for the innocent reasons you might think. A simple camping trip turns into something much more unholy.

Concussed In Love // When Bradley & Jake take their playful banter to a new level, Jake ends up with a concussion. Bradley knows all to well the hell he just created when he knows there’s a pretty good chance you’ll be your fiancés attending ER nurse.

GQ— Man of the Year // After the events of TopGun, Jake Hangman Seresin finds himself being awarded the prestigious GQ, Man of the Year award. With his best friend in toe—Jake finds himself in a whirlwind of confessing his undying love for his best friend.

Way Down We Go // Burnout isn't an academic exercise. No. It's an all-consuming, systemic condition. It's your entire body sending you one clear message. Something has to change and it has to change now.

Scream // When home alone on Halloween Eve, someone keeps calling you from an unknown number. As fear begins to consume you and panic builds as you run for your life, the masked stranger really takes advantage of the pretty girl he’s decided to hunt down. (Halloween Special)

Series

Was It Over? // When Jake is tasked with taking his kids this festive season, he never though he’d get a call in the middle of the night that would change his life. Marriage is tougher than it seemed on paper—but whats harder than accepting your marriage is crumbling around you is watching you ex wife slowly fade away.

Secret Sacrifices // Jake’s got his eyes set on the new Hard Deck Bartender who seemingly appeared out of nowhere. With a traumatic past and hundreds of secrets to keep close to your chest—it’s hard to play ‘pretend’ when everything feels so real with a certain Naval Lieutenant who won’t take no for an answer.

Bruises // After a mission goes south, Jake finds himself captured by insurgents that show no remorse. But what’s worse than knowing he failed his mission? Knowing that the Weapons Systems Officer who trusted him to bring her home safe was in the same cell as him. Collecting bruises that match his own. (Complete)

To Have & To Hold // Jake Hangman Seresin had been called a lot of things. But a good husband? Wasn’t one of those things. Being called back to TopGun has him trying all over again to win over the love of his life. His ex not yet divorced wife. You. Lieutenant Commander Y/n Seresin. (Complete)

I.R.I.S // When Jake Deadman Seresin spilled some drinks on you at the Hard Deck, the last thing he thought would come of that would be an entanglement that could ruin his entire career.

Father, Son & The Holy Shit // Jakes son, Kian Seresin is dating Y/n Y/n, or to be more specific, Y/n Bradshaw. Bradley Bradshaws estranged daughter from a relationship that past him by. What happens when Jake starts to develop an extremely dangerous kink that may involve messing around with his son’s girlfriend.

Roll Of The Dice // When Jake ‘Hangman’ Seresin is brought back to TopGun, he ultimately has to face the gut wrenching truth that the woman he loves is never coming back. (On Hiatus)

Minimal Losses // A suspected serial murderer is posted abroad. Liaising with the NCIS, special agent Y/n Y/l/n is tasked with an undercover investigation after the FBI uncovers that her killer is…Navy. With the help of the Navy’s finest special detachment crew—Lieutenant Jake ‘Hangman’ Seresin soon meets his unlikely life partner.

Two Part Series

Nosebleed Section // Jake ‘Hangman’ Seresin & Y/n ‘Brawler’ Abbott have only one thing in common. They suck at communicating their feelings. So when a bar fight breaks out? Things start to bubble to the surface. (Complete)

Kink.com // You’re offered an opportunity you just can’t refuse ~ To shoot a kink .com video with Jake Seresin and Bradley Bradshaw, two of the worlds most renowned BDSM dominants. (Complete)

[vitospaghetta]

How do you imagine Leon's place to look like and where do you think he lives? Some flat?

Also alaooo what do you think he does in his free time?

You have no idea how much thought I've put into this over the years.

Let me preface this with the fact that I'm specifically talking about original continuity Leon post-RE6 here, where he's a seasoned adult and has been in his career field for a while.

Leon more-than-likely lives in D.C. (he could also live in VA or MD but he strikes me as the kinda guy who would rather eat glass than commute, especially with D.C. traffic being absolute bullshit) in an apartment somewhere in the city.

As a federal agent, he makes a salary, which is something that is determined by things like the amount responsibility you have within the agency, your credentials/experience, your skillset, etc. Given his role and responsibilities within the D.S.O., he's easily a top earner. The top earners within the FBI make $153,000 annually, but it looks like top earners within the CIA can make more — like with all things, every agency is different. The D.S.O. obviously isn't a real agency, but as one that is held above all others (as far as authority within the criminal justice system is concerned), Leon probably receives a pretty cushy salary. Around $200,000 annually, easy. Income tax would fuck him over, but he'd still walk away with a reasonable amount per month to afford a $4,000+ per month apartment or to buy one and pay off a mortgage.

He can easily afford a one or two bedroom apartment in the city is what I'm saying. And I mean a nice apartment. We're talking granite countertops, stainless steel appliances, washer and dryer in-unit, floor-to-ceiling windows, in a modern building in a nice area of the city. An area that consists entirely of nice apartment buildings like the one he lives in. There's actually an area just outside of NYC that reminds me of the kinda area I can see him living in. I was there to take the ferry over into the city for a memorial/organ donation event I was attending last year.

The pics don't exactly encapsulate the full vibe, and these apartments probably go for millions due to the proximity to the city and being right off the Hudson, but it's quiet, safe, and filled with sporty people. Lots of folks walking dogs, jogging after work hours, and a sense of community amongst people that seemingly have their shit together.

He strikes me as the type to have a two bedroom apartment just for an office that he's hardly ever in. He'd want to live in a building that has a gym as an amenity because it's easier than hoofing it to a gym elsewhere, and a garage for him to put his car and the crotch rocket he's currently mourning courtesy of Maria.

As for the apartment's interior, I feel like it would completely lack personality or cluttered charm. There's a level of almost sterility to it, in that it's devoid of knick-knacks, personal photos, and encompasses a strong aesthetic of maturity. Everything in it is nice. There's tasteful artwork on the walls, and it's furnished with well-made and sometimes expensive furniture and appliances, because, as a childless adult, if Leon's going to spend money on only himself, he's going to spend it well. You get what you pay for, after all. There are obviously some traces of Leon's personality strewn about — skin care products in the bathroom, boots and leather jackets by the door, some books, laundry crumpled at the foot of his bed and piled by the washer/dryer, maybe a single sarcastic coffee mug somewhere in the cabinet — but there's no novelty.

Due to his constant bouncing around, he isn't home enough to put too much effort into it, and he hasn't had the luxury of certainty or normalcy in so long that all he wants out of his home is for it to look nice and be a comfortable place to sleep. He appreciates coming home to a place that is his, but it doesn't need to be a display of everything he's ever enjoyed. Even when he is home, he strikes me as the type to start going stir crazy when he sits for too long. The most amount of time he probably ever spent at home was when he was self-isolating and hitting the bottle really hard. There's also the generational element of Gen-X'ers being extremely lowkey about shit.

As far as what Leon does in his free time, I feel like he enjoys doing things that are out of the house due to the aforementioned inability to stay alone with his thoughts for too long. The man is constantly trying to distract himself to place distance between himself and his trauma, so where he might have been able to sit and watch a movie alone before, he struggles to now.

Leon's very extroverted, likable, and adaptable, so he probably enjoys being around other people, even if he's not actively talking to them. Though he appreciates silence as well, when he's kicking things around in his head and is trying to find some semblance of peace and a means to calm the noise. He might get a coffee at a shop right by his apartment where he's a regular and everyone knows him by name, or go for a run, or go shopping. Maybe he tries to make plans with those he cares about to go out for dinner, like he did with Claire in Infinite Darkness. Maybe he tries to catch a good sunset over the Potomac River. He goes to the gym, he rides his motorcycle around the city or takes a scenic route on the outskirts just for the hell of it, he meets up with a fellow agent and they do shots at his favorite bar.

I don't think he has hobbies, as in crafting or gaming or being too involved in any specific interests, but everything he does is fueled by his love of people, his appreciation for what good he has in his life, and his need for escape.

[shuihuzhuan]

ive been rooting against avatar in the poll bc i only know about it but like the stuff you and dante have been saying . make me a utena hater too

avatar shouldn’t have made it that far believe me i’m an avatar the last airbender hater to my core but being told for years that utena is up my alley because i like women and weird metaphors and symbolism and then finally watching it and basically being hit with “hi! my name is kunihiko ikuhara. i hate women and lesbians and brown people and ESPECIALLY when little girls get to have fun!” felt like i was getting punched in the gut. everyone who likes utena loves making jokes about sex pests who prey on middle school girls because. er. the main characters are middle school aged. they’re thirteen to fourteen. you get to see their whole asses and titties out in “symbolic” shots nearly every episode. trying to watch it made me feel like i was gonna get put on a fbi watchlist. the sole brown girls gets beaten every episode and at the end it’s actually like “oh she was putting everyone in the timeloop because all girls suffer like her” WHEN ON SCREEN THEY. DONT? YOURE JUST TOLD THAT EVERY OTHER GIRL’S PAIN IS SUPPOSED TO BE COMPARABLE TO THE SINGLE BROWN GIRL THE WHOLE SHOW HAS BEEN FIXATED ON BEATING THE SHIT OUT OF? and that’s somehow supposed to be cathartic. and i guess it could be if you’re a stupid white woman, which is the brand of person who makes up half this site. i don’t think i’ll ever forgive these ugly motherfuckers for trying to make me watch a show that makes me feel like i’m watching some black and white silent film levels of racism towards the evil (singular, again) brown man who is Mystical and Barbaric, look at how he rapes his sister! We, the glorious japanese empire i mean yamato ethnostate i mean utena have to SAVE her from this barbaric practice. but it’s not like she wants it, the ungrateful bitch . so we make her seven shades lighter in the movie, okay? watching utena and then looking into anything else this guy has ever said or made is like “oh well i undersfand everything” because i don’t think the guy who made uh (looks at smudged writing on back of hand) at least two lesbian incest sexual assault joke shows is going to have anything interesting or nuanced to say about lesbians to be quite honest. the guy came up with the idea for utena because he decided that sailor moon was too much fun for little 14 year old girls. AND DO NOT GET ME STARTED ON HOW THE FUCKING FANBASE LOVES TO BLAME THE SINGLE WOMAN ON THE BE-PAPAS TEAM FOR ANYTHING EVERYTHING THEY DONT FUCKING LIKE ABOUT THE FRANCHISE

[dr-spencer-reids-queen]

Pleasure Is My Business: Part Two

Pairing: Spencer Reid x Female!Reader

Word Count: ~2.3k

Summary: You’re brought back to your high school days with this case. You put that behind you when you graduated, but life has a funny way of bringing you closer to the person who made your life miserable back then.

Warnings: canon violence, canon language, canon talk of death, methods of kill

Author’s Note: I do not own anything from Criminal Minds. All credit goes to their respective owners. If there are any warnings that exceed the normal death/kills from the show, I will list them. If you’ve seen the show, then it’s the same level of angst unless otherwise stated

x

Larry was reluctant to send everything over but he did it. So, when you walk into the police station the next morning, Hotch already has all the files on the desk. Spencer is in the break room getting some coffee and you join his side to get the day started with some caffeine.

"Tonight is the first night of the reunion," he says.

"Fine, I'll go for a couple of hours and say hi to everyone. I don't know why they deserve it since all of them treated me like shit. I'm pretty sure they still hate me."

"You're an FBI agent. It doesn't matter what they've done with their lives. You're helping so many people despite what they've done to you. Nothing else matters."

"You're absolutely right," you grin and kiss him.

You two grab coffees for everyone before heading over to the empty conference room. Hotch is already on the phone with Penelope as everyone shuffles into the room.

"This guy is richie-rich. Eighteen cars, six houses, and three boats. Can you even boat in Dallas?"

"When you're talking about that much money, ten grand for a call girl is like deciding where to go for dinner," Emily says.

"I have half a million over here for something called the bat cave, and here's a picture of him as fetish Batman. That is wrong," JJ shudders and shows the picture.

"Is there anything this guy didn't like to spend money on?"

"Yeah, his ex-wives. Fielding was married four times. He didn't have prenups in the first two, but he did everything he could to cut off his ex-wives."

"Are there children involved?" you ask.

"Yes, with three of the wives. Hoyt Ashford was married a few times, too, wasn't he?"

"You know, considering that when Kevin takes me to dinner and a movie, he defaults on his student loans," Penelope divulges. "This amount of money is sick."

"What did you find?"

"All three of our dearly departed rich guys were embroiled in bitter court battles over how much to pay in alimony and child support, and even when the court ruled in the wife's favor, these three charmers just decided not to pay."

"Garcia, can you generate a list of high-profile Dallas CEOs who are holding out on their ex-wives?" Hotch asks.

"One loaded losers list, Dallas edition, coming at ya. Penelope out."

"So, why would a prominent businessman who could easily pay child support refuse to?" you ask when Penelope hangs up.

"For this type of overachieving personality, paying money after the marriage ends probably offends him."

"They're spending tens of thousands on an escort, but they won't drop a dime on their wife and kids? That's cold," JJ shakes her head.

"Meanwhile, most prostitutes come from broken homes and she's listening to pillow talk. That could serve as some sort of trigger about how their ex-wives are cheating them out of money, and how their kids are nagging them. It's everything that these men take for granted that she never had."

"Should I assemble the police for a profile?" JJ asks.

"I don't think it's gonna help. She lives in a completely different world than they do. The same thing goes for the news-watching public. The CEOs who sleep with her won't admit to it."

"I couldn't even get past the team of lawyers protecting them," JJ says.

"What if we give the profile to the corporate lawyers? They've cleaned up after her even if they don't realize that they've seen this woman," Hotch suggests.

"Every time we've approached them, they've circled the wagons. What makes you think this is going to be any different?"

"She's putting them at risk, too."

"I'll gather the lawyers."

As soon as JJ gathers the corporate lawyers, your entire team stands in front of them to deliver the profile to them. There are about three dozen lawyers in the room of all different backgrounds. You scan the entire room only to stop at someone you recognize. This man used to go to the same high school as you in Dallas. He ran in the crowd that bullied you the most, though, he doesn't seem to recognize you.

"We're looking for a white woman between the ages of twenty-five and thirty. She's being paid between ten and fifteen thousand per session, and she's very well versed in the world of money and privilege."

"Even though she's a call girl, she doesn't look like one. She could pass as a businesswoman or a co-worker. You've probably written up her personal expenses as losses such as shoes, jewelry, and clothing. Your bosses pay her in cash, but they may also be paying her in other ways like taking care of her, getting her a new car, and even paying for her medical bills."

"She probably didn't grow up with a father figure, and she is now turning that rage toward clients who walk out on their families," Emily adds.

"What's going to happen once this woman is caught?" one of the lawyers asks.

"She'll be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law."

"What about the other men she's sleeping with, the ones she doesn't kill? Will they be prosecuted?"

"Right now we're concentrating on stopping her from killing again."

"That's all well and good, but our employers are going to ask us about the risks involved In cooperating with an FBI investigation," another lawyer asks.

"Tell your employers that the risk is not only a physical one. She's compromising privileged information as well. After she sleeps with these men, they talk to her. It's part of the release they get in seeing her. All that dirty laundry you've worked so hard to cover up, she knows it. As long as she's out there, it's not just your clients that are vulnerable. Your firms are, too," you warn.

"Excuse me," a young woman speaks up from the back. "I'm Allison Barnes. I'm a lawyer at Webster Industries where Joseph Fielding worked."

"This is really not the time," Larry tries to stop her.

"We'd like to hear what she has to say. Go ahead, Ms. Barnes."

"A while back, I looked at some paperwork that Mr. Fielding filed about a penthouse downtown. I asked him what he'd be using it for, and he just kind of chuckled and said it was for a friend. Is that the kind of information you're looking for?"

"Do you have an address?" JJ asks and walks over to her.

"Please heed our warning. We're doing our best to get to her before she strikes again. Thank you."

Before the man you recognize can leave the meeting, you walk up to him with a friendly smile on your face.

"Jason? Jason Gavins?"

"Yeah? Don't tell me I'm in trouble," he jokes.

"No, nothing like that. I'm Y/N. We went to North Dallas High School together. Do you remember me or am I just coming off as creepy?" you chuckle.

"No, I remember you. I'm just shocked that you're here. Wow, it's been a long time."

"How have you been?"

"Good. I can tell by your badge that you've been good, too. Wow, the big FBI, huh? I always knew you'd do something special like that."

"What do you mean?"

"Come on. I'm assuming abilities like yours don't go away over time."

"You're right," you chuckle. "This might be a stretch, but did you happen to get a reunion invitation?"

"Yeah. I think it'll be fun to go for a night. Are you going?"

"Maybe for a few hours."

"I hope to see you there," he flirts.

He leaves just as Spencer joins your side.

"What was that about?"

"He and I went to high school together here in Dallas. He ran with the crowd who bullied me, but I don't think he remembers it."

The penthouse that Allison gave JJ is definitely home to the unsub. She must be staying here in between kills. You enter the penthouse knowing you're going to see the same blue energy, but it's driving you crazy not remembering who it belongs to. This place is too clean to have someone live here, which means she might have a different place to live. An initial sweep doesn't come up with anything out of the ordinary, but after spending some time in the bedroom, a few things pop out at you.

"Do you have anything?" Derek asks.

"No, and she seems too smart to leave a receipt lying around."

"Check this out," you say. You open a jewelry box that houses expensive rings and bracelets. "She's got a lot of high-end designer jewelry here, and then this." You pick up a small ring that's not like the others. "It's way too small to be an adult's. She probably kept it from her childhood."

"It's a purity ring. By wearing it, you promise to save yourself for marriage," Emily explains.

"She broke that promise a long time ago." Derek opens her closet doors only to find a leather suit used for sex. "Hey, Y/N, got a whip?"

"Nah, I'm not into that," you laugh.

"There are antique first editions on the bookshelves," you hear Hotch say from the living room.

"There's nothing identifiable. No pictures or sense of personality. Her lifestyle is completely disposable."

"Well, these aren't just for show." Hotch points to the books. "The spines are cracked. Somebody's been reading these. You know, we profiled that she learned to fake privilege. What if she's not faking it?"

"You're saying maybe she came from money the whole time?"

"Maybe."

The living room phone rings, and for some reason, you know that the call is meant for the FBI. It's like someone knows the FBI is in this room right now.

"Y/N or Prentiss should answer. If it's a customer, she'll get more information out of them," Spencer suggests.

"Unless she's calling in for her messages."

Derek takes out his phone and gets Penelope on the line.

"Yeah, Garcia, we're getting a call to this line. Can you work some magic?"

"I don't have a trap-and-trace in place yet. Give me a few."

"Prentiss, get ready to vamp. She's gonna work it."

The machine picks up the call, patching in whoever is calling.

Hi, it's me. You know what to do.

"Aaron. I know you're up there," the unsub says. "Pick up. Aaron Hotchner."

How the hell does she know who Hotch is? He must have run into her without knowing she was the unsub. Hotch looks at everyone before answering the phone. The machine is still on, so you're able to hear her side of the conversation, too.

The thing is, you've heard this voice before. You know this person. At some point in your life, you've either run into this woman or knew her, but where?

"Hello? I'm at a disadvantage. You seem to know my name, but I don't know yours. Can we start there?"

"I thought I could trust you, Aaron."

"Who says you can't?"

"I want to. I even looked you up online. Is that strange?"

"No. It's flattering to be noticed by a woman like you."

"I thought you were so upstanding. I watched the presentation you gave on school shootings. I found it posted on YouTube. For a moment, I actually thought there were still good people in the world."

"I've disappointed you, haven't I? Just like all the other men in your life who've walked out on their families, who deserve to be punished."

"Did you walk out on your family?"

"No, my wife left me."

"Do you have kids?"

"I have a son."

"How often do you see him?"

"I try to see him every week."

"Do you see him every week?"

"No, I don't get there as often as I want," Hotch sighs.

"I believe you, but don't compare yourself to the men I see. You are nothing like them. You're just another whore."

"How am I a whore? You come when called. You do their bidding. In hotels, you take the side elevator to avoid crowds while the men who pay your salary walk across the ivory marble foyer into their cars, but I'm just frustrating you, aren't I?"

"Garcia, anything?" Derek whispers into his phone.

"I'm on the landline, triangulating the cell. Give me sixty seconds."

"What do you mean?" the woman asks.

"You want to show the world all these bad me, and my investigation's just getting in your way."

"No, Aaron. You're not doing your job!" she yells. Your eyes widen in recognition at the exact moment you figure out who this woman is. You cover your mouth to keep your gasp from getting out. "You don't want to arrest me and don't want me in custody because you're in their pocket. You just want me to disappear, just like they do."

"Truthfully, I'm only interested in finding you. You've been betrayed so many times. You don't know who to trust, and that's why that first murder felt so good. However, each one since has been less and less satisfying. You know that's going to continue. Am I right?"

"Yeah," she whispers.

"Come to me and turn yourself in. I will make sure that you get the help you need. I won't let you disappear.

"If we met under different circumstances, I could believe that. I won't let you cover this up."

A gunshot goes off on the other line before she clicks off. She's killed another man, another victim in her pocket.

"Garcia, talk to me," Derek says.

Penelope got the location of the phone call, but as you suspected, the man, Trent Rabner, was already dead inside his car. The only thing to go off of is the phone call she had with Hotch, and it's only until everyone is back at the station do you reveal where you know her from.

"I know who our unsub is."

"You do? How?" Hotch asks.

"The first time I saw her energy at the office firm in the elevator, I recognized it immediately. I came across this woman at some point in my life. The next crime scene only made me realize not only did I come across her, I actually knew her. Then, I heard her speak over the phone and when she got so angry, it clicked in my head.

"Her name is Megan Kane, and I went to high school with her here in Dallas. I caught her and a teacher having sex which resulting him getting fired. She became the laughingstock immediately. Everyone was talking about it. She got so pissed at me, but our unsub is her. My high school is having a reunion, and I'll put all my money on her being there tonight. One of the lawyers we talked to will also be there. He might have seen her or talked to her. He was one of her best friend's boyfriends in high school."

"Have Garcia get us everything she can on Megan Kane," Hotch says. "Morgan and Prentiss, go talk to the lawyer and see if he knows anything."

x

Follow my library blog @aqueenslibrary​ where I reblog all my stories, so you can put notifications on there without the extra stuff :)

[canonmisogynyvictimstournament]

PROPAGANDA

NAOMI MISORA (DEATH NOTE)

1.) I know everyone is gonna submit Misa but honestly she had it worse.

She gets introduced as this competent lady who’s gonna help find Kira but then she just, decides to show some teenager her real ID as a show of trust and whoops that’s Kira.

Also part of her introduction was her fiance going “You don’t need to worry about this tracking down the killer nonsense, you’re gonna be my wife, you should just be worried about raising kids in the future :)” or some shit. And it’s barely addressed, because she just fucking dies.

2.) She was the only woman in the series to show any level of competence. She figured out more about how the death note works from some small context clues than L did in considerably less time. She was apparently so competent that the author decided to kill her off despite initially planning to make her a main character, fearing she would distract from the L and Light rivalry.

3.) the victim of “writer doesn’t understand women and also hates them” disease. Like, seriously, the author of Death Note could only imagine a female FBI agent as the fiancée of another, more senior FBI agent. The main character Light kills her fiancé Raye Penber (in honestly a really tightly written and cool episode) and so she tries to figure out who killed her husband. Unlike Raye who only figured out that Light was Kira as he was dying because Light basically told him, Naomi figures it out a lot sooner so oops guess she’s gotta die because she’s too good at her job.

ORIHIME INOUE (BLEACH) (CW: Child Abuse, Ableism)

1.) Her powers were incredibly versatile but only ever used for healing or defense. She had offensive capabilities too, but as she isn’t an aggressive person, they were barely ever used. Her healing power isn’t so much healing as it is “rejecting” the existence of something. This power could have been so insanely strong, to the point that even one of the show’s major antagonists remarked on how frightening it was, but as I said, it was only ever used for healing, and her personality held her back from using it as an attack. She was kidnapped by said antagonist for an entire arc. I’m not even going to get into the amount of times she was used for fanservice. Fandom opinion on her varies WILDLY.

2.) I realized I hadn’t added enough the first time, but I also don’t know how much I added the first so:

She’s introduced as a character to be saved. Most are, though, even the boys and men in this arc It’s also mentioned in the manga that she had horribly abusive parents, to the point the second her brother turned 18 her grabbed her and ran. This fact is removed in the anime. The evil ghost attacking her turns out to be the degraded ghost of her brother.

She in general, in light hearted moments, spends a lot of time being sexualized. Of the minor characters (as in under 18), she is the one that is sexualized the most. Usually against her will, with people making creepy remarks (despite not wearing very revealing clothes… Which Is true to life. It’s because she has big breasts).

She then gets cool abilities, but she’s the only one of the group not to get a big fight in the Soul Society arc.

She is then the SECOND female character in need of a big rescue arc (while I agree with how it was written for both female characters, intertwined with the other ones’ ingrained following of a horrible system and neglect by her adopted family and for Orihime a desire to prevent any friends from dying, the fact is the third major arc like this has a male character “defect”. So rescued are only for the girlies). During that arc she goes through a lot of psychological horror and pain that I will defend her choices in to the end. She is built up, in that arc, however, as someone whose healing abilities aren’t really healing and instead rejection of reality/rewriting reality. She is also built up as the person who may be able to destroy the Nebulously Powerful artificat that was at the center of this arc and the twist motive of the antagonists in the previous arc. And… Nothing happens. She doesn’t get to do it.

She gets some cool things in the next smaller arc, but also gets psychically fucked with (while all of them do, she doesn’t get to have the power ups or later fights. And her previous arc was her just… Being psychologically tortured).

The end arc is complex because, yes, it was rushed because the creator was injured. But her “cool” moment -while a triumph and circling back to character development - is that she gets to be in a duo-fight briefly with the main character. Not the last fight against this boss. And she never gets to do anything cool with objects or breaking things, both which would fall under her being a pacifist still.

I disagree with a lot of discourse about her being infantalized, because she seems very ADHD-I coded, as someone who has that. That doesn’t mean the author meant her more than just a “weird” girl, especially with how the state of ADHD treatment is in Japan . So we can throw in some ableism. Which gets me to the anime adaptation.

The anime was made by Studio Pierrot, which has a reputation with adapting female characters from manga to anime. Esp cially in shonen anime.They DID infantalize her (ex, changing a daydream comment from about the main guy to pee and poop??), including removing many of her daydreams and context, changing her intro scene, removing more introspective moments (she is very emotionally intelligent in the manga), and removing moments with the main protagonist. The latter is an issue because they added moments with another female character, which implies their attachment to either is solely in favor of romantic scenes with the male lead

[Description ID: Manga page. Panel 1: Ichigo looking to the side. Someone off screen says "I… Ichigo!" Panel 2: Someone standing in front of Orihime between her and some shadows indicating people. There is a sound effect "SHOOM". Panel 3: Orihime smiles. There is a sound effect "SHOOM". Panel 4: A close up shot of Orihime's breasts. There is a sound effect "ZOOM". Panel 5: A character (Ichigo?) with stars for eyes blushes, clasps his hands, and shouts "Heaven!! I'm in heaven!!" followed by a heart. Panel 6: A distant shot of Orihime and the person standing in front of her. There's a mark of action off to their left and the sound effect "FWUP". Panel 7: Two other characters say "He… flew?!" Panel 8: A close up of a shoe as someone lands on something with the sound effect "TUMP"]

[Description ID: Manga page. Panel 1: A shot looking down at Orihime from an angle. She's dressed in a baseball uniform and shouts "Yeah! C'mon, Tatsuki, give it to me!" followed by a heart. Panel 2: A shot of stairs with an arrow pointing to someone labeled "Kon". Kon is Bleach's mascot character. Someone off screen says "Th… …That's!" and Orihime says "Hey!" Panel 3: On the left is a close up of Orihime's breasts with an arrow pointing to them. In the bottom center right is Kon with his paw over his mouth. He thinks "Orihime!!!" There is a sound effect "BOOM" behind Kon. Panel 4: White text on a black background. The text reads "target 1: Orihime Inoue". Panel 5: A distant shot of Kon going down the stairs. He thinks "Yes! I'll play the innocent stuffed animal that just happens to be lying on the ground in front of her. Panel 6: A close up of Kon with his paw in front of his mouth. He thinks "She's got the heart of the Virgin Mary, so… …She's bound to pick me up and hug me and nestle me in the valley of paradise!!"]

(Cleanser that isn't relevant to propaganda that follows up on the previous:

[Description ID: Manga page. Panel 1: The mascot character Kon is blushing and is in front of a large soccer ball. He thinks "And then I'll be umm-ummm-umm…" Panel 2: Kon gets hit by the soccer ball with the sound effect "WAP" Panel 3: On the right is a character after they kicked the ball. They're shouting "Dragon Bazooka!!!" There's a note by the speech bubble that that's the name of the shot. On the left is Kon getting hit by the soccer ball with an arrow pointing to him. There's a sound effect "THWAK". Panel 4: In the foreground is the soccer ball driving Kon forward. In the background is Orihime standing at home base of a baseball field; she's standing with a baseball bat ready to swing. Action lines indicate that Kon and the ball are moving toward her. Panel 5: A close up of a distressed Kon. Panel 6: A close up of a smiling Orihime. Across panels 4 to 6 is a speech bubble of Kon's saying "AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH"]

yes she hits him with the bat in the following page)

[Description ID: A character hugs Orihime from behind and grabs breasts while shouting "Morning, Orihime!!!" and while Orihime gasps. Orihime kicks said character in the face.]

[Description ID: A panel of Orihime; someone off-screen says "Her powers violate divine law."]

[Description ID: Manga page. Panel 1: Orihime stands in front of a dark doorway with hands reaching out of them. Panel 2: Close up of an eye. Panel 3: A woman with black pigtails grabs Orihime from behind and covers Orihime's mouth with her hand. There is a sound effect "WHAP".]

[Description ID: Manga page. Panel 1: Woman with black pigtails tells Orihime "You're finished."" Panel 2: Close up of woman's face. She says "I'm going to take back everything you took from me!!" Panel 3: The woman tears off Orihime's sleeve with the sound effect "SRIP".]

(Had some supposed Orihime fans - saying that as a huge Orihime fan myself - claim this wasn't misogynistic as hell because "girls do that in real life")

[Description ID: Manga page. Panel 1: A man with a bucket tells a distressed and blushing Orihime "Oh. Be careful with that dress. It's designed so that when you close the middle, they pop out from either side." Orihime shouts "WAAAAAA!!!" Panel 2: A character shoves their hand upwards through Orihime's cleavage so that it's sticking out from between them. The character says "Okay, it's okay. Don't cry, don't cry." There is a sound effect "SHPA." Orihime has tears in her eyes and is blushing in a distressed way. Panel 3: Orihime shouts "WAAA!!!" off screen. Ichigo has a distressed or shocked face with a blush and says "Y…".]

(How an antagonist in the Hueco Mundo arc restrains her)

And one of those scenes weirdly changed and infantilized from manga to anime (these are both the official releases, not fan translations). They're not the only one but they're the easiest to show:

Manga:

[Description ID: Manga page. Panel 1: POV shot of Ichigo looking down at presumably Orihime. Panel 2: Orihime blushes with closed eyes and says "Oh no, Ichigo!! Close-quarters combat!!" There are two sound effects: "WHOMP" and "ZING" Panel 3: A shot of from behind Orihime stands on her knees and shouting "Ow!!" A man in the foreground asks her "Orihime! Are you all right, Orihime?!!"]

Anime:

[Description ID: Anime screenshot. Orihime is lying on the ground asleep while a man looks down on her. She says "No… Not Poo-san, it's Pee-tan…!"]

3.) In the arc that literally centers around her, she is described as having a power that infringes on the territory of God because she can Reject events from happening (this usually manifests in her "rejecting" people's wounds giving her pretty much The Perfect healing ability). There is a lot of emphasis placed on this and on her personal arc about how she feels pretty weak and useless compared to her friends, so she figures out that there is something that Only She Can Do! Which is, Reject the Macguffin from ever existing. And guess what she never gets the opportunity to do? And instead watches her LI (the main character) fight multiple people on her behalf and literally die in front of her and resurrect himself through sheer force of HIS will, not hers? (Like, OK, granted that sheer force of will was born out of his strong desire to save her, but it still isn't anything SHE did.)

In later arcs, she does get more of an upgrade power-wise but it's nowhere near the scale that was implied earlier on. (this might be more because it's a difficult thing to write around if it's really that OP, but I still side-eye it a bit) And in the final arc, she's given a pretty sexualized outfit that's both given explicit attention and also played for laughs, but in a way that feels very much at HER expense.

[gaynaturalistghost]

hello there!! i really enjoy your art and your cool informative posts about plants! :) your depiction of poison ivy is one of my favs ever. this might seem pretty random, but I'm working on a harlivy fanfiction, and i was wondering if i could consult you regarding some of ivy's character details, her ecoterrorism and the like? if you're okay with paypal, i'd be happy to pay you for your time. but no pressure, of course! have a good one!

Ah thank you! <3 and yeah feel free to send me a message! I’ll put some stuff here others might be interested in.

There’s a good piece on the history of ecoterrorism, an era known as ‘The Green Scare’. Here’s a link to that piece you can also find under the title ‘THE GREEN SCARE: How a Movement That Never Killed Anyone Became the FBI’s No. 1 Domestic Terrorism Threat’.

So as you may have inferred ‘ecoterrorism’ is a complicated topic. Most people get branded as ecoterrorists for really dumb reasons (or very upsetting reasons, like LEGALLY protecting the rights of indigenous peoples and their land). In that paper a few people broke into an office and left a gigantic tree stump. which is… kinda funny tbh. Low-level Shenanigans.

In one case, two people hung up 2 posters in the lobby of a oil and gas company’s building. There was glitter on it, some glitter fell off, so they took the posters down after a few minutes and apologized to the janitor. They were charged with a “terrorism hoax” which has a max penalty of 10 yrs. The cops kept saying there was a “panic” that this glitter was a biological agent and that the 2 people were covered in shit which I can not figure out why they lied about that? Possibly to corroborate that they looked “homeless” (one was just a grad student. Super weird).

So yeah I 100% believe Ivy would be branded as an ecoterrorist the moment she did something slightly inconvenient or impolite. Which is part of why I don’t like her depicted as a genuinely misanthropic villain bc that’s more of what “ecoterrorists” are painted to be by the FBI and other groups, and not what they really are. I think it’s really damaging propaganda that especially hurts indigenous people who are worried about the health of their communities. Indigenous rights and science are intimately tied to botany and the way we study it.

[struggles-and-prose]

WTF is wrong with Hamish Linklater

Ok, so when I discover a new actor or actress that captivates me, I binge watch a bunch of things they've been in. Lately, it's been Hamish Linklater.

Although this 6'4" tall dude looks pretty sweet and innocent, do not let that fool you. Oh no, that was a HUGE mistake on my part ! Saw him in Midnight Mass 1st, and though he does do some pretty fucked up shit, he seems pretty oblivious to what he's actually doing to his community and what is actually happening around them all. So, in my opinion, that innocent looking face of his fits pretty well with the character, even adding a pinch of creepiness to Father Paul's persona. He thinks he's doing the right thing and is so passionate about it, but yet, too much of a blind fanatic to even notice the harm he's doing to others.

I mean come on ! Does he look like the type of dude that would even hurt a fly ? XD He's only trying to do good in his community, that's all ! x)

He welcomes them with open arms and says good morning, ...

he's a good listener,…

he preaches about love and loves to sing,...

he ask's if they need help and tells them when he's proud of them,...

he promises shit he can't but apologizes,...

he's up and about and wants to be left alone,...

he lies and apologizes again,...

and they all live happily ever after-ish. XD (Yeah, i had to put a crap tons of Gifs XD) You know, normal creepy pastor type of shit ! XD Doesn't change that he's trying to be a good man even if I found him to be a bit dumb on that part, but still. But not before being an absolute creep of a man. XD

Da fuck are you trying to do there buddy ?! :D Wtf is wrong with your dumbass ?! :D You disturbing fuck ! XD

All jokes aside, I absolutely loved him in Midnight Mass and I'll have to watch it again, because, that shit was amazing.

Though he was perfect for Father Paul's character, his innocent face does a better job in an innocent role like Andrew Keanelly in the mini series The Crazy Ones, playing along side this legend of a man, Robin Williams (miss that man honestly <3). Better job as in his innocence fits much more for this nerdy dude. Don't get me wrong, it added the perfect amount of creepiness to Midnight Mass.

Look how charming he is lol. I liked him in this role, since it's suits him so well. The perfect innocent nerd.

I mean come on, look how adorable he is lol. Who doesn't love a handsome nerd !

Another role that fitted him well was the one and only Jeb Magruder from the mini series Gaslit. His innocence, mixed with this long legged idiot is perfect lol.

Though is blue contact lenses did kinda give me the creeps. XD But hey, he does the role perfectly and I thought he was hilarious. I still can't get over his face when he tells those FBI agents that he's gonna "fuck them". XD Just look at this nervous fuck ! XD

But then, upon his numerous perfect performances, I stumbled onto this mini series called Tell Me Your Secrets. And holy mother of God was he ever so excellent there.

Look at this fucking creep spying on you through your window. And yeah, I hear you say "But Chloe, look how adorable he looks!" Yeah, no ! This twisted little fucker may look handsome when he's not a fucking psychopath, but this, this is a whole new level of fucked up. I just feel like punching him in the goddamn throat ffs ! XD

"But Chloe, he's so sexy !" Nay nay I say ! XD What the fuck kind crack are you on ? XD (Yeah, sorry, I'm getting a bit overwhelmed over here XD) Regardless of the fact that some women fantasize about this, Idk why, you do you, he creeps me the fuck out.

That fucker looks like an absolute psycho with that twisted smile and still, his damn so innocent looking face ! I literally can't get over this shit honestly. XD It just works so well with the character. A bit too well if you ask me !

Da fuck are you doing there man ?!? Why must you destroy your friendly innocent self like this ? Why you do this to me Hamish ?! XD Plus, that fucking spit scene made me fucking gag. XD I hate spit on a whole new level, or any bodily fluids for that matter, that it made me vomit a bit in my mouth. Yeah, that sounds lovely doesn't it ! :D XD

Anyways, I'm getting a bit carried away now lol. But needless to say that I've watched TMYS twice so far and will probably watch it again, because I thought this was his best role yet. Despite the fact that this fucker creeps me the fuck out, like dude gave me nightmares ffs. XD I just think he does it so well and that, again, repeating myself, his innocence and his friendly looking face adds a lot more creepiness to the character and that's just fucking amazing if you ask me. I think any role he does is perfectly made to be fair. In Dead For A Dollard for instance, with that sick look mustache lol. He wasn't there a lot, but he was awesome.

I rarely get obsessed like this over actor's performance. Yeah, I have actors that I love and admire and love what they bring to their characters. But nothing like what Mr. Linklater over here. The fact that he makes every role he does fit so well with him is just, wow ! He brings a whole new level of fucked up to fucked up in TMYS.

Look at this SOB. XD He's fucking creeping me out for the love of God ! XD Honestly scares the shit out of me. ! I think if I'd meet him irl, I'd freaking shit myself ! XD I've never been so creeped out by an actor like this before ! XD

Anyways, hope y'all enjoyed my massive review/rant on Hamish Linklater. Love the dude, he's amazing. Scares me, but still amazing lol.

[lobotomyladylives]

funny story so watch out on those promises-if btw because mormons (and most of utah by proxy) and scientologists make for great cia and fbi recruits.

vulnerability to cult tactics pays.

I know how cults operate but I still will never understand how anyone fell for L Ron Hubbard's repurposed scifi novel or the Joseph Smith story. Like it's all just so absurd that I can't imagine all these otherwise normal people getting sucked into it without some kind of illuminati tier mind control shit going on.

Don't Mormons believe indigenous Americans are demons and humanity originated in Utah with white people or smth?? Lunatic levels of racism & delusion. Plus the usual misogyny and homophobia and the bigamy. Idk why ppl seem to think they're so nice, it's obviously just surface level considering the shit they believe in. I have been praying (literally, one of the perks of pretty much inventing my own religion is I get to make the rules and my rules say violence is fine if they deserve it) that those tlc sister wives all conspire to murder their shared husband.