#( i. lori spencer )

[samuel-de-champagne-problems]

Down Bad — Spencer Reid x Fem Reader (Smut 18+)

Summary: After seeing that her ex boyfriend is engaged to his “rebound girl”, Reader finds herself missing the comforts and pleasures of sex.

Notes: ahh!! @reidsbookclub thank you my absolute love for reading this ahead of time. your enthusiasm and support and love is so so so appreciated <3 and this is my piece for @imagining-in-the-margins Friends with Benefits challenge

Word Count: 6 K

Content Warnings: Alcohol consumption (not drunk), oral sex (female receiving), p in v sex, (kinda) dom Spencer ( hopeful ending?), unprotected sex, some negative self body image (reader), finishing inside with birth control, breeding kink, possessive language, dirty talk/crude language (I know Spencer's probably a tab bit OOC but this is me trying here)

Down Bad

There was no way for my situation to turn crappier. My finger stood, haunted and frozen above my phone screen. The bathroom sink ran unattended as I attempted to defrost my heart. It had dropped to my stomach as my eyebrows shot up.

I still followed Lydia, my ex's younger sister on Instagram and Facebook. Her brother might have turned out to be a terrible communicator, but she was cool.

Just a couple of months ago, she was a student in Geology and the last time we spoke she was writing a paper on Ancient Rocks in communities that used aqueducts systems. What you could do with a Master's in Geology was beyond me and my office job. I'm sure she hears too many "you must live under a rock" joke from her dad. He was always cracking the most dad jokes that have ever dad-joked; I missed it. And Lori's South Chocolate Gravy Pie. I didn't even want to know how many sticks of butter it took.

Lydia had her arms thrown around a tall, leggy, blonde girl that looked like her name was Sarah or Hannah. The post was in black and white and Hannah/Sarah showed off her gorgeous ring.

lydia-nielson99 The best honorary sister ever <3!

When my ex and I dated, the idea of fine dining was a night out at a movie sharing a bucket of popcorn and an honest-to-God-attempt at moving hopping. We talked about marriage; he'd slip on fake rings made from grass blades braided together meticulously on my finger, kiss it, and promise me that he'd earn me something worthy of my finger.

The post had only been up for 43 minutes and already had gotten a hundred or so likes. I scrolled the comment section, ignoring the rushing tap, to read the comments from my friends, our couple friends. They must've liked Sarah/Hannah better, or at least liked her and Shane better together then Shane and me. I haven’t heard from them since the breakup.

Aren't most geologists analog? I slipped my phone back into my pocket and washed my hands, wishing that I could crawl under a rock, one of those ancient ones that Lydia studies.

I couldn't decide. I couldn't decide between a red that would give me a headache I could feel in my teeth or straight gasoline that would make my face, and heart, as equally numb.

I wanted something quick and something strong. I was so, so, so over Shane it wasn't even funny. But that didn't stop him from being the love of my life, to the loss of my life. I just wondered, as I roamed the supermarket with my metal carriage holding tequila, limes, Kraft Mac and Cheese, and frozen pizza bagels, if he told Hannah/Sarah the same things.

If he would sit across from her, now probably able to splurge on a dinner fancier than Taco Bell or Denny's, and hold her hands. Would he move her ring from her middle finger to her ring finger like he did on mine?

God, I cringed, dropping in a box of Double Stuffed Oreos, I let him, shit talk me under tables with promises of rings and cradles in the other breath.

I reached for the pint of strawberry as another text pinged. Internally I knew that I would soon face an onslaught of future wine moms just jumping at the chance to "check in with me" during "such a challenging and emotional time" for me. I ignored the message, but it pinged again.

Spencer: Penelope said that the new season of that show you like is on. We can watch it tonight. I think that Hotch is actually gonna let us out at a normal time.

Spencer, my roommate, always texted with formality and correct grammar. I actually think that it would be impossible for him to do anything, but use proper spelling and grammar.

Unlike certain geologists, Spencer is actually analog. When I was searching for a roommate after my break-up, our mutual friend Penelope put us in touch. And just mere months later we've formed a friendship that most days is closer to a partnership than it is to anything else. Friends were hard for me, and relationships even harder. Looking back, I think that allowed Shane to bulldoze through boundaries I didn't even know I should have.

Spencer, a certified genius and self-described technophobe, couldn't tell me the purpose of Instagram, let alone that my ex-boyfriend's sister posted a picture with her newest soon to be sister-in-law, Sarah/Hannah.

I dropped a pint of Rocky Road ice cream and looped around for an extra box of Kraft Mac and Cheese before replying back to Spencer.

Me: Worst. Day. Ever!!! Ice cream & carbs @ 7

I stared at the bottle of tequila, understanding that ever since my 31st birthday, me and excessive drinking due to external crises would result in bloating, headaches, backaches, anxiety, and an entire weekend of recovery. Maybe instead of several shots, but I already finished half of the bottle of red I bought as a bottom of the ninth decision.

"Tequila?" Spencer mused, dropping his bag on the table. "This must be like Defcon 4? And I should know, I work in national security."

I grunted, my fingers drumming against the table. The cheap speaker connected to my phone plays sad breakup music. I saw Spencer's wheels turn as he sat down with me at the table.

"Want boxed Mac & Cheese?" I asked, standing up to scoop some of the dinner into a plate for myself. I didn't seek it out often, but there was something familiar and comforting about Kraft Mac & Cheese. "I know it's got a lot of shitty stuff in it. But I'm actually going to lose my mind tonight."

My voice turned shrill and unsteady. And my eyes flooded with sharp, salty tears. Spencer stood and then backed away, his eyes and face melting in mutual pain. "What happened?"

"Shane's getting married."

"That explains the tequila."

I laughed. Spencer didn't offer any condolences as the seconds ticked and ticked. Instead he looked at me. He must've noticed the groceries. The Oreos, ice creams, and boxes of incredibly processed macaroni and cheese all screamed classic crisis for me. Being as smart as he is, Spencer could probably have told something about me within weeks of meeting me.

"Well, I already drank some of that red wine." I said. "The tequila doesn't sound like a good choice. But bad choices can be fun choices when you want to hide under a rock for the rest of your life."

Spencer still didn't offer anything, he kicked off his shoes and grabbed a bowl from the cabinet. "No tequila."

“You’re no fun." I huffed, grabbing my bowl and heading to the living room. "You promised me new episodes of The Queen's Court."

Spencer still frowned, his arms crossed as his steaming bowl of processed cheese pasta sat to his side on the counter. "I didn't think that Shane still was someone you thought about."

I sighed.

“It’s understandable. He’s marrying the girl he started dating right after breaking-up with you.”

I didn't think about Shane, not that often though. But he still was my first love. The love I shared with Shane was something he stole from me. I had given him all that youth for free; now I was thirty-one. Don't get me wrong, thirty-one is young, I don't feel old. But it's this weird, almost off-putting subliminal feeling when all of my friends either smell like weed or little babies.

"I don't love him. I don't want to be with him."

Spencer had rolled up his sleeves, revealing his forearms. He had a couple pictures of himself when he was younger. Him with his mom at one of his many post-graduate celebrations. One with his co-workers at a bar. He changed a lot; in pictures of the past he was thin and lanky. But now, when he would wear pants or cardigans or button downs with the sleeves rolled up, I found it difficult to not stare in appreciation. My sex life with Shane was good, consistent, and effective. While it might sound clinical to some, I think we both enjoyed knowing that we both knew how to, simply, get the job done for each other. I must be missing sex an awful lot to be getting flushed at the sight of Spencer’s arms.

Two years older than me, Spencer had had a life harder than most people. Penelope explained to me that he was finding it hard to live alone after he was falsely incarcerated. And working the hours he did at the BAU, he found it hard to find someone okay with someone coming home all hours of the night.

Like Spencer, I hated living alone. So together, we built a little home as roommates, as friends, and somewhere along the lines, as partners. And over the last couple of months, Spencer had never brought a date home. I had one hook up about two weeks after we moved in together. It was fine, but not enough to tempt back onto the horrid, vapid, devoid of anything promising landscape that was Bumble and Hinge.

"I just..." I bring my face into my hands in embarrassment. "I miss having someone to come home to who wants to see me."

Spencer crossed through the living room, bowl in hand. He sat criss cross on the floor like he did most nights. "I want to see you. I always want to see you, Y/N."

"You know what I mean, Spencer…And if I'm being honest...sex. God, I miss sex. Good, consistent, effective sex from someone that knows me."

Spencer and I never talked about sex. When we would watch movies that had sex scenes in it, neither of us would talk. One time we watched a movie starring whatever current Hollywood Pretty Boy had captured the hearts of the Internet at the time, and I commented that I would "ride that cowboy into the sunset." I remembered looking at Spencer for his reaction. Usually he would blush or roll his eyes or kick me playfully in the shin for being crass.

But that time he didn't. Instead, his jaw set, grinding firmly and unyieldingly. After that I didn't make sexy jokes or talk about sex in front of him. I thought it made him uncomfortable, till now I suppose

The music changed, and the breakup anthem of the century played. I stood up on the sofa, solo cup in hand and swayed to the music as Spencer stood below.

"You want sex?" Spencer asked. "We can have sex on this sofa right now if that's what you want. I mean, how much wine have you had?"

I busted out laughing, sipping the red wine from my solo cup. I didn't bother for a fancy wine glass. Besides, it was cheap and . And clearly it was working if it made me imagine Spencer Reid, my hot, stoic roommate with dreamy brown eyes, offering me sex.

"Spencer! Come, dance. Please!" His eyes shifted over my body. And he must have noticed the way my knees wobbled under the insecurity of the sofa cushions or the way my eyes must have been glazed and sparkly.

He obliged me, and his hand wrapped around mine. He raised my hand above my head to twirl me and then walked me down from the couch. "Let's get you on level ground. I hurt my leg a couple years after I started the BAU and it's no fun healing up."

He sat me down on the couch and placed a throw blanket on my lap. My bowl of Mac & Cheese was missing, but returned back to my lap, reheated. Spencer also replaced my solo cup, cutting me off, thankfully, from alcohol for the time.

"Peach flavored electrolyte water. And tomorrow I'll make you breakfast." He offered, sitting down on my right as he started the show.

"I didn't mean to be annoying and buzzed. I know you don’t like it" I said, not looking at Spencer. "I don't love him. Or like him. Or even want to be with him. Ugh. No, I just...I want…sex."

Spencer nodded, not even looking at me as the scene between the Queen and her lady's maid wore on. I kept trying to convince Spencer that the Queen was actually the villain and the warring clan would take over and let the series run on and on for an infinite amount of seasons. But it was campy and dramatic and exactly what I needed as I licked my, apparently, very open and painful wounds.

"What's the matter?" I asked, pausing the television. "You look pissed off."

"You know that he was the one that lost out when you guys broke up." Spencer's eyes didn't meet mine, even though the television remained paused. "He didn't deserve you. Not if he didn't know how goddamn lucky he was when he had you."

I don't let my heart think this means anything."What?" But I feel my cheeks prickle with

heat, just like they did when Spencer, albeit jokingly, offered to have sex with me.

"I said, it's his loss. If I had you, I wouldn't ever lose you, Y/N."

"I'm nothing special." I admit. I wasn't the most positive or confident girl, in my mid twenties I went to therapy for a good three years to sort out some baggage from my childhood. We all have something and mine was having a hard time seeing myself. I couldn't maintain positivity, to my brain it was better to remain neutral than to jam positivity down my throat that I couldn't honestly accept.

"You're not nothing special, Y/N." Spencer's voice cut through, sharp and confident. He sat up, his body sliding so close to mine that his knees touched my thighs. "You're the most beautiful woman I have ever seen. And you're smart. And funny. You make me laugh like no one has during a time in my life when I was convinced no one would be able to."

Our apartment isn't big, but it's enough space for Spencer and I to feel like we're could interact when we wanted, which was most of the time. But there was enough space for us to find our alone time when needed.

As Spencer's knees rubbed against mine and his soft eyes met mine, the room seemed to collapse. It was as if all the air was sucked out.

“And I am so...I've never been happier to have you be the last person I see before I go to sleep and the first person I get to see when I wake up. And if I...and if I had that with you the way he did? I wouldn't have messed it up."

"Spencer…" He raised his hand, showing me his palm, a sign that I think signified he meant no harm, but as he words, heated and charged sliced through me, I could feel them ricochet upon impact.

"I know…But, when I said I would fuck you on this couch, Y/N, it wasn't an empty promise. I meant it. And it wouldn’t have to mean anything.”

Spencer shifted on the couch. It creaked with his weight. The bowl of Mac & Cheese burned against my leg— even through the throw blanket. My heart was racing and racing till it skipped a beat. It nearly stopped. He sounded so sure of himself. I wanted to laugh it off again, as if the thought of me and Spencer hooking up…no fucking on the sofa was something comedic or entertaining.

“Are you…Spencer…are you sure?”

I tried to keep my voice steady, unwilling to let him know that the thought of his hands on my body lit a fire inside of me, a fire that I had yet to challenge. But God do I want to tame it. Sex with Spencer would be messy and complicated.

Spencer’s eyes narrowed in on my face. I would’ve thought that being stared at so intensely would have made me want to sink into the couch so I’d be as forgotten as stray hair ties and pocket change. But I wasn’t. Spencer’s brown eyes, liquid bronze bore into me. I felt a hot excitement wash over me that I knew was arousal.

“Yes.”

“Is it bad that I want you to kiss me?” I sighed. “It’s bad timing for either of us. But…”

“But you want me to kiss you?” I nodded and Spencer moved closer to me on the couch. “You want me to help you forget how that man has made you hurt.”

“Spencer…” Before I could rescind my desire, not that I would ever think about it, his hand cupped my cheek. Spencer’s thumb brushed against my jawbone as his eyes scanned my face. I could smell his lavender mint body wash; crisp and clean.

His mouth was anything, but crisp and clean. It was hot and dirty. Spencer kissed me with a hunger that couldn’t be sated with just one kiss. I knew for the moment his lips touched mine, I was done for. I wasn’t a whiskey drinker; I hardly knew what it even tasted like. But Spencer’s kisses felt like it. He doesn’t drink, but his warm body was flush against mine and I tasted the heady, smokey warmth of a strong cocktail. His arms and torso were thick and solid.

I brought my hands up to his neck and carded my fingers through his scalp. He groaned, the vibrations tingled against my lips as he kissed me. Spencer’s teeth tugged at my bottom lip, pulling it out before he kissed it again. He shifted so his back was against the couch and I was hauled up to his lap.

“There you go, baby.” Spencer said. His hands were large and imposing against my back and I could feel their heat through my shirt.

My muscles and resolve transformed to liquid when he called me that. I could feel my heart surge and lurch and leap as Spencer’s lips nipped against my skin. It was so good, so warm, so achingly wonderful that I felt myself wondering if I could do this over and over. I loved my vibrator and I would continue to love my vibrator long after this once-in-a-life-time situation with my roommate would end. But there was nothing like straddling a man’s lap.

And Spencer Reid was a sight to behold. I knew he used to be skinny, but in the years that I didn’t know him, Spencer had grown up. He filled out his pants with his strong thighs and softer stomach. His pants were strained and tented. I grinded down, enjoying his haughty moan in my ear.

I arched my back, exposing my neck as Spencer’s wet, hot mouth pressed kissed along the column of my throat. Feeling him grin as he kissed me I tugged at his hair sharp and hard. His grunt is a mixture of surprise and pleasure. I didn’t think that he’d be this vocal but with me writing in his lap I felt him try to hold back.

“Just touch me.” I whined, kissing Spencer. “Please just touch me.”

His pants tented against my core. I tensed at the feeling of his erection. My pajama pants and underwear, though thin, offer only a sliver of the friction I desired. Spencer’s fingers, quick and nimble, didn’t hesitate to undo the drawstring bow.

“I know, sweetheart. I know.” Spencer murmured, kissing my temple. His lips are like a tattoo kiss as he resurrects something inside of me that I had long buried. “Sit on the couch.”

I scrambled to sit, my body acting of its own accord as Spencer’s words rattled through me. He was so confident, so sure, so certain. And his hands never left my body. It was as if there was some internal pull between the two of us. He sank to his knees and swung my right leg over his shoulder. I lifted my butt and he slid my pajama pants off my legs. Tossing them to the floor, Spencer licked his lower lip and looked at me as if I was good enough to eat. I supposed that we were about to find out just exactly how good I was.

“Open up for me, baby girl.” Spencer whispered, his breath landed on my skin and made me jump. “Let me see just how pretty you are.”

Spencer Reid had a dirty mouth. My cheeks and chest and belly burned with arousal. He kissed along the edges of my panties. Spencer’s middle finger dragged along my underwear, teasing my clit through the cotton fabric. With the patience of a saint, Spencer tormented both of us. He looked at me as if he could commit me to memory. His eyes were heavy with lust and something that I swore could mean something more. But that line of thinking had red wine written all over it. It wasn’t drunk. Hell, I wasn’t even buzzed anymore.

“Jesus, I’m a lucky fucking bastard.”

Yet, I sat there. With my legs spread, held open by Spencer’s large hands, practically humming with need and desire.

“Please. Please. Just touch me.” I begged, beyond caring if I sounded wanton with need. Spencer smirked as he hooked a finger underneath my panties and slipped them down my legs. And there I sat, legs spread. Finally he obliged. With two fingers, Spencer dragged them up my exposed core. The heel of his hand brushed against my clit. His skin was soft and his fingers deft and skilled. I closed my eyes as the pleasure took control of my body.

Spencer slipped a fingertip inside of me. He could feel the wetness dripping from my cunt. I grabbed his wrist, forcing him to hold his hand against my core. Our eyes met and I could not tell which one of us decided to let his finger sink inside of me. I watched as he slipped inside and released a throaty moan. My cries were extinguished by Spencer’s unyielding mouth. He pumped in and out, in and out, before slipping out of my cunt all together. I lunged forward at the sudden loss and was met by Spencer’s wry chuckle.

“I am going to eat your pussy. And you are going to cum against my face with your legs around my shoulders.”

I groaned. It’s as if Spencer knew that my brain needed to be switched off. He nipped at my inner thigh. Blood rushed throughout my body and I felt my pussy heat at the sensation. Spencer’s soft breath was hot against my skin as he kissed. He licked a line up my aroused core before flicking his tongue over my clit. It was a teasing, tormenting motion that coaxed a wave of pleasure to build. He’s a man possessed, so far gone that I didn’t even attempt to hold back as a moan rises in my throat.

“Jesus. You are a sight to behold. I’m going to show you how a man takes his time.”

As if he could possibly spread me apart even further, Spencer squeezed my thighs. Clearly he wanted to see all of me. Taste all of me. I could feel a coil tighten in my lower stomach and as Spencer lowered his mouth to my core, I felt the coil snap.

His licks aren’t shy and timid like I imagined. They’re purposeful and powerful. And threaten to melt my carefully crafted guard. He’s already gotten me well past the point of foreplay. I’m so wet that I’m sure cock that tents his pants can slip inside without much resistance. But he didn’t stop. His tongue continued lick and nip and suck against my most intimate area.

“Is this all for me? So wet. So pretty, sweetheart. Your cunt is dripping for me.”

I panted, unable to form a coherent thought as Spencer’s heated gaze spread over me. “All for you. Only for you.”

“Well in that case, I think I have a job to do.

All I could see was red. His hands gripped my thighs. I hated my thighs, usually. They’re too soft and squishy and usually ruin most pairs of pants eventually.

“Fucking hell.” Spencer cursed as he sunk two fingers into my needy cunt. “You’re so hot and tight for me, Y/N. Look at you. All splayed out. All for me.”

“You don’t have to do it until I finish.” I blurted out. ���I—I know this isn’t….I want tonight to be for you as much as it is for me.”

Spencer’s eyes shifted.

“Ssshh, shhh,” He cooed. He looked up at me with his eyes big and blissed out. It was almost too much for me to handle. I watched as he kneeled in front of me; pants had become too tight from the moment my fingers groped him. At this point it was nearly impossible to withstand.

“I’ve thought about this way too much for us to rush this. I’m going to take my time with you, baby. You are going to ride my face like a good girl.The only thing that’s keeping me from cumming in my pants is the thought of burying my face into your pulsing cunt followed by my fucking you raw with my leaking cock.”

I yelped as he and sucked along my inner thigh. My skin was impossibly soft and tempting. “Fuck. Fuck, baby. You’re perfect. You are a fucking dream.”

I fisted his hair, feeling the familiar rush of pleasure from my head to my toes. For a while it only set my own bedsheets ablaze, but now it spread to Spencer. He groaned against my core, still lapping me up as the wall of pleasure threatened to come crashing down.

One second I was moaning, feeling myself toe the precipice before I teetered over. The feeling built and crashed before I could even enjoy it.

“Fuck! No. Damn it.” I cursed myself for not being able to climax, despite the down right sinful things Spencer was hell bent on doing between my legs. “I’m sorry. I’m so sorry. I can’t…sometimes I have a hard time.”

“Don’t worry,” Spencer assured, his thumb brushing against my kneecap, “We’ll find our rhythm. Together. Anything you want. And I think I might actually die if I don’t get inside you this second.”

I laughed, dragging Spencer up by the shirt collar. He placed his hands against my hips and pulled me forward for a kiss.

I tasted myself against his lips and it turned my on beyond belief. “I want you. I’m on the pill and I want you. It’s awful timing because I don’t have any condoms and it’s a terrible idea but—”

I’m cut off by Spencer’s lips again. His mouth seared against mine, hot and needy. “I’m clean. I want this. I want you. So badly, sweetheart. So bad.”

I nodded, my mouth unwilling and unable to leave Spencer as he knelt in between my legs. He stood to his full height and took my hands. “I know I have promised to fuck you on this couch, but I have a bad knee and once I’m buried inside you, baby, I don’t think I’ll be able to hold back.”

“My bed’s made.”

Spencer’s hands didn’t leave my waist as I walked him to my bedroom. I should’ve been more embarrassed as I walked with him, considering I looked more akin to Winnie the Pooh than a sexy hook up. But once I felt a sharp sting on my ass, I quickly realized that Spencer thought the opposite.

“Don’t blame me.” Spencer said. “With that ass you’re lucky I haven’t had the sense to take you over my knee already.”

I turned, facing Spencer and standing with just an oversized pajama shirt covering my chest. His hands hovered over my waist, pulling me towards him by the fabric of my shirt. “I need to see those tits, baby. They drive me fucking wild in the morning. When you’re sitting on that damn counter with your messy hair and no bra. You’re a sight to behold, baby.”

“On one condition.” I presented, attempting to act as if the dirty words that fell between us had no effect on me. “Those pants? They find their way to the hamper. And fast.”

Spencer chuckled as his fingers brushed stray pieces of my hair away from my face. He touched me with such tenderness that I could feel myself craving it long after it was gone. He dropped his pants, followed by his boxers. I meant to tease him about the mini double helix DNAs printed all over his boxers, but I was effectively silenced by his erection.

I felt him the entire time I sat and made out with in his lap. I could feel how hard and thick and long he must be, but seeing him out in the open made my body lurch with need. He devoured me with his lips, pushing me down into the bed as his quick hands rid me of my shirt. Spencer’s teeth met my nipple, nipping and twisting it to elicit the dirtiest moans from my lips. He smiled, sucking marks into my skin that would last even after all what stood between us shattered.

Licking my lips, I could still taste myself from his kiss. Never feeling anything quite this intense with anyone, I suddenly felt so naked and bare. But Spencer’s calm hands, big and gentle, soothed me wordlessly.

“I need you.” I begged, wanton with need, “I need your cock so bad.” I wasn’t a begging woman, but as Spencer pressed the tip of his cock at my entrance I figured that anyone can learn how to relent now and again.

Sweet kisses to my sweaty skin replaced his dirty words that made me flush. As Spencer hovered above me, I drank him in. His eyes were hazel, but sometimes, depending on what he wore, they were brown or green. I quickly unbuttoned his top, eager to have his warmth spread all over him. He was thick and solid— all man. From the muscles in his back to the furrow of his brow and the slight curl pattern to his hair, Spencer sucked all the air from my lungs.

I was weightless. I was floating. I was soaring.

When he finally slid into me it was with an excruciatingly slow speed. “Don’t wanna hurt you.” He mumbled, a hand brushed my hair and a pair of lips kissed my forehead. “Give ya a chance to see what you can handle.”

Emboldened, I wrapped my legs and interlocked my ankles around Spencer’s butt. He lunged forward and his forehead dipped towards my breast. His kisses were fast and erratic as I felt him sink deeper and deeper inside of me.

“You’re so thick…ah!”

“Oh fuck.” His voice was as raw and as affected as mine. “It’ll be fine, darling. You’re so perfect like this. Taking this cock like a good girl. I know how to make it better for you.”

His thumbs, rough and sharp, circled around my clit helping me to take his cock deeper and deeper. I whined, desperate for the relief and embarrassed at the way I’m at center stage. Spencer took me, made me his and I’m nothing but a mess for him. My bones are liquid as he reaches out for my hand.

It was like there was a blueprint to my body. I had it locked away somewhere. But somehow, somewhere along the way Spencer figured out where it was stored. He read the blueprint. And he knew exactly what to do to make my foundation crumble. With each stroke of his fingers against my clit or pulse of his cock in my pussy, he knew exactly what I needed.

Spencer’s lust filled voice rang clear. “You feel close. I’m so close. Can you come for me? Huh? Show me how you play with that pretty little pussy. How do you do it, Y/N?”

His hands and fingers dug into my lush body with an unrelenting desire I wasn’t accustomed to. Magic fingers. God. And I magic fucking cock. I grabbed his hair, dragging him down to my lips as I teased my clit. Looking down to where our two halves met nearly sent me over the edge. My cock swallowed Spencer’s thick cock, it was hot and erotic and I watched with my mouth hanging open in pure, unadulterated desire. My pussy, wet and hungry for more, begged him for more. I grabbed his ass with my unoccupied, dragging my fingernails down his skin as I begged for him to fuck me harder.

“Harder. Spencer. I need it.”

Spencer brought his face into my neck, kissing and biting my neck as he pounded into me. The angle set rockets of pleasure from my core to my toes, spurring me on as I practically chanted his name. Spencer moaned, his teeth sharp and mouth hot and heady as his kisses grew more and more frantic.

His thrusting was still sharp and calculated as his cocked continued to fuck me. “God, you look gorgeous when I fuck you. All fucked out from my cock. My girl.”

I liked the way he called me his. It was nice to be claimed. To be wanted and desired so badly that two letter little words were tacked on. It was a tiny word, but it changed the entire meaning. It was the sort of word that could make foundations falter and buildings collapse and roommates morph into something else entirely. Endorphins and hormones and who else knows what coursed through my veins.

It was just me and him. Together in a limitless space that neither of us would care to ever leave.

“So close.” I groaned and Spencer knew well enough to just continue rather than to change anything up. “That’s it, baby. Oh! Fuck. Spencer.”

My high came crashing down around me. I felt my cunt clamp around Spencer’s cock as he continued to thrust into me. His eyes watched me with an analytic level of observation. I knew he had a good memory; one that refused to allow him to forget much of anything. But as he watched me fall apart, naked and vulnerable and oh so aroused, it was like he was trying to commit me to memory.

“Come inside. Fuck! Spencer. Please. I need it. I want it.” I begged him, desperate for him to climax inside of me. I wanted to see what it would feel like to have his cum dripping from my needy, spent pussy. I wondered if it would feel different, if it would change something, something fundamentally.

His voice was hoarse and strained as he came, shooting spurts of hot cum into my cunt. It was unabashedly erotic, watching him fall apart with his bare cock stuffed inside me. “Fucking, hell. It’s never been like that before.” He kissed my jaw, holding me in place by my chin while still sheathed inside of me. It was a lovely feeling. Full and safe. I must have been so drunk on him because I thought I could stay like this forever.

The silence that fell between the two of us lingered for several months. Spencer’s fingers danced along my hip bone and up to my rib change. His eyes were closed and his hair was matted with sweat against his forehead. He had creases near his eyes and deep, well set-in bags under his eyes. I wondered how inappropriate it would be for him to spend the night with me. Naked of course. I don’t think either of us could handle having it any other way.

I never fucked my roommate. Nor have I been ballsy enough to have “feel better” sex with a friend. It’s not like I expected him to lay out a red carpet and get down on one knee after he gave me a handful of (earth shattering) orgasms.

“Y/N.” Spencer breathed. A beat passed before I dared to reply.

“Spencer.” He stirred beside me, his hand resting against my thigh.

“I think…I think we’re gonna need to try that again and again and again…” He rolled over onto me, kissing along my jaw. I felt the pads of his thumbs against my bare breasts and sighed.

God, help me. He’s my man.

Taglist: @foxy-eva @reid-ingandweeping @andiebeaword @boldlyvoid

(I know several people asked to be tagged, but if you didn't have that you were above 18 in your blog you won't be tagged in this one!

Please reblog, comment, and like! Feedback and encouragement and interactions are wonderful to receive. Thank you!

[virginsexgod69]

Masterlist ☆

TWD

★ Daryl Dixon

♱ 18+ Laundry Day - Daryl Dixon x f!Reader smut

summary A laundry mishap leads to dreams coming true

♱ 18+ Oasis - Daryl Dixon x f!Reader smut (requested)

summary Daryl makes you squirt for the first time

♱ 18+ V-Card - Daryl Dixon x virgin!fem!Reader smut (requested)

summary After relentlessly teasing him, Daryl finally takes your virginity

♱ 18+ Inked - Daryl Dixon x F!Reader smut (requested)

summary you and Daryl give each other matching tattoos after finding an abandoned tattoo shop

Dance with Me - Daryl Dixon x F! Reader

summary Daryl makes up for everything he wasn't able to do for you on prom night

Marry Me - Daryl Dixon x F! Reader (requested)

summary After tracking and killing a deer on your own for the first time, Daryl proposes to you.

★ Rick Grimes

♱ 18+ Here for You - Rick Grimes x f!Reader smut + angst

summary After Lori's death, you're there to comfort Rick in any way he needs. Set in season 3 in the prison after Lori's death

1.5k words

♱ 18+ Special - Rick Grimes x Reader smut (requested)

summary You give Rick a very special day.

1.3k words

♱ 18+ Sweetheart - Rick Grimes x f!Reader (requested)

summary 2 months after Lori's death, you and Rick start hooking up, but that comes to a stop when he calls you the wrong name. He does everything he can to be yours again.

4.7k words

★ Rick Grimes and Shane Walsh

♱ 18+ Bribery - Shane Walsh and Rick Grimes x f!Reader smut

summary Rick and Shane catch you stealing and you do what it takes to convince them not to arrest you.

2.8k words

★ Shane Walsh

♱ Taking Care - Shane Walsh x f!Reader (requested)

summary Instead of robbing you, Shane decides to bring you back to the prison to take care of Judith but you end up taking care of him too.

2.5k words

★ Negan

♱ 18+ Video Star - Negan x f!Reader

summary You and Negan make a sex tape

1.5k words

★ Series

♱ 18+ Yes, Professor Grimes -A college/ university AU featuring Professors Grimes and Dixon and Coach Negan

♱ 18+ Seclusion - Daryl Dixon x f!Reader series eventual smut + eventual romance + fluff + angst + hurt/comfort

summary Alone in the forest and separated from his group, Daryl comes across your cabin. To make up for accidentally shooting him, you take him in and patch him up. He sticks around to help you out after a storm does massive damage to your cabin.

TL;DR Just you and Daryl in a secluded cabin in the middle of nowhere. 

★★★

CM

♱ 18+ You're Under Arrest - Spencer Reid x f!Reader smut

1.4k words

summary Derek hires a stripper for Spencer's birthday party as a joke, but Spencer surprisingly ends up enjoying it.

Interested in joining the taglist? Fill out this form!

💬 Requests are open!!

!! If you want to make a request for twd, I JUST STARTED SEASON 9 WOOOO!!! however, I can't write for anything past that :,(

[multifandom-exe]

Characters i write for!

These are the characters i write fan-fiction for! I'm forgetful so if you don't see a character mentioned here, don't hesitate to drop a request anyway! Please drop requests! This may Get updated in the future

Actors

I write for any actors of the characters listed aswell!

MCU

Bucky Barnes

Sam Wilson

Steve Rogers

Natasha Romanoff

Tony Stark

Peter Parker

Thor Odinson

Loki Laufeyson

Wanda Maximoff

Pietro Maximoff

Bruce Banner

Clint Barton

Maria Hill

Nick Fury

Criminal Minds

Spencer Reid

Derek Morgan

Aaron Hotchner

Emily Prentiss

Jennifer Jareau

Penelope Garcia

David Rossi

Harry potter

Golden Era

Harry Potter

Hermione Granger

Ron Weasley

Draco Malfoy

Blaise Zambini

Fred Weasley

George Weasley

Oliver Wood

Cedric Diggory

Marauders Era

Remus Lupin

Sirius Black

James potter

Lily Evans

Severus Snape

House MD

Gregory House

James Wilson

Lisa Cuddy

Stacey Warner

Alison Cameron

Robert Chase

Eric Foreman

Remy 'Thirteen' Hadley

Laurence Kutner

UK Youtubers

Will Lenney

Arthur Television

James marriot

George Memeulous

George Clarke

Chris MD

Arthur Hill

Italian Bach

The Walking Dead

Rick Grimes

Lori Grimes

Carl Grimes

Shane Walsh

Daryl Dixon

Glenn Rhee

Maggie Greene

Beth Greene

Michonne

Dexter

Decter Morgan

Debra Morgan

James Doakes

Angel Baptista

Rita Bennet

Brian Moser

Frank Lundy

Sherlock

Sherlock Holmes

Mycroft Holmes

Jim Moriarty

John Watson

Euphoria

Rue Bennett

Jules Vaughn

Fezco

Lexi Howard

Maddie Perez

Kat Hernandez

Doctor Who

9th Doctor

Rose Tyler

10th Doctor

Donna Noble

11th Doctor

Amy Pond

That 70s show

Steven Hyde

Micheal Kelso

Jackie Burkhart

Donna Pinciotti

Eric Foreman

-

And anybody else you may like!

I have no specific rules on requesting, just the character, a prompt if you have one, and a little description

Find my masterlist here

[battyaboutbooksreviews]

💖 Sapphic Books Coming Out October 2024

🩷 Good afternoon, bookish bats. By now, you know that sweet, sapphic romance books have a special place in my heart. Here are only a few of the amazing sapphic books hitting shelves in October 2024.

💖 Which ones are you adding to your TBR?

Contemporary 💖 Stand Up! - Tori Sharp 💖 I'll Be Gone for Christmas - Georgia K. Boone 💖 Haunt Your Heart Out - Amber Roberts 💖 Most Wonderful - Georgia Clark 💖 Make the Season Bright - Ashley Herring Blake 💖 Make My Wish Come True - Rachael Lippincott & Alyson Derrick 💖 How Does That Make You Feel, Magda Eklund? - Anna Montague 💖 Turning Twelve - Kathryn Ormsbee & Molly Brooks 💖 Sweet Home Alabarden Park - T.J. O'Shea 💖 Lucy, Uncensored - Mel Hammond & Teghan Hammond 💖 New Horizons - Shia Woods 💖 Writ of Love - Cassidy Crane 💖 What It Meant to Survive - Mala Kumar

Fantasy 💖 Metal from Heave - August Clarke 💖 Whispers Most Foul - Emma MacDonald 💖 Fang Fiction - Kate Stayman-London 💖 House of Frank - Kay Synclaire 💖 The Ghostwing's Lie - Rebecca Mix 💖 This Dark Paradise - Erin Luken 💖 Chai Jinxed - Emi Pinto 💖 The Bloodless Princes - Charlotte Bond 💖 Skysong - C.A. Wright 💖 The Forbidden Book - Sacha Lamb 💖 Until We Shatter - Kate Dylan 💖 Witchwood - Kalyn Josephson

Paranormal/Horror 💖 Haunting Melody - Chloe Spencer 💖 All the Hearts You Eat - Hailey Piper 💖 The Bloodred Moon - H. Noah 💖 Strange Beasts - Susan J. Morris 💖 Feast While You Can - Mikaella Clements & Onjuli Datta

Historical 💖 Women's Hotel - Daniel M. Lavery 💖 I Shall Never Fall in Love - Hari Conner 💖 Outlaw Hearts - Lori G. Matthews

Mystery/Thriller 💖 Staying the Course - Rebecca K Jones 💖 Long Time Gone - Hannah Martian 💖 Johnny-Boy - A. F. Carter 💖 This Ends Now - T.M. Payne

Sci-Fi 💖 On Vicious Worlds - Bethany Jacobs 💖 Sargassa - Sophie Burnham 💖 Villain - Natalie Zina Walschots

[frenziedslashers]

You Drive Me Crazy

A/N: Self-indulgent Rick fic, whaat-- @joelsgeetar tagging you because I brought it up to you while we were chatting lmao

Pairing: Rick Grimes x GN!Reader

Warnings: Jealousy, Language, Spencer is a DickheadTM, Alludes to sexual themes but it's really only making out and slight grinding/dry humping whoowhoo, lmk if I need to add anything else

REQUESTING INFO || TWD MASTERLIST

Alexandria. A place of new, a place of light. This was your new home now - much to Rick Grimes' disapproval - everyone felt so much safer behind these walls. There were other people. People who were clean and neat. People who had friendly smiles. People who were old and young. Women, Men, Children. This had to be your new start. It had to. If it wasn't, you weren't sure if you even had faith in any other community. In the future.

Rick was the only one who seemed on edge with the whole situation. Everyone else was enjoying the scenery. The kindness of everyone within the walls. The safety. The house.

"I don't trust 'em," Rick spat, fingers pushing the curtains back so he could peak out the window. "Rick," you sighed, reaching out to rub his shoulder blade. Standing beside him while peaking through the blinds yourself. Just you didn't pry them open like he did.

You felt his muscles tense and then relax under your touch. A soft sigh left his lips before looking down and over at you. Waiting for you to continue. "Let's just give them a chance, okay?" He scoffed, shaking his head while looking back to the window before pulling his hand away. Crossing his arms over his chest. "What if they turn out like with the Governor. Or Terminus? What if we get hurt?" You shrugged, you had thought about that. That crossed all of your minds. "We're too tired to keep running, Rick. Just a couple days? That's all we ask, okay?" He sighed, looking back down at you. He hated how you could convince him to say anything with just that look in your eyes.

"Isn't it your turn? For the interview," you nodded with a sigh at his words. You knew he was just trying to get you to leave him be for a little while. He needed a moment to think. You didn't blame him. You watched as Carol walked up the steps to welcome herself into the house. "Yeah, guess it is." You muttered, letting your hand fall to your side.

Rick reached his hand out in order to brush his fingers against yours. The both of you stare with a needy glint in both of your eyes. "Don't let me lose you, I can't," He nearly whispered, and you chuckled, reaching up to give his shoulder a light punch. "Mr. Grimes, you ain't losin' me anytime soon. Who else is going to make sure you don't do anything stupid?" You snickered, and he laughed back. Light and breathy while his head dipped down to look at the floor. "Yeah," you hummed, patting his bicep with a sigh. "I'll meet you here after I'm done. Maybe we can check the place out together, yeah?" He nodded, "Yeah, I'd like that." And with that, you were heading for the door. Walking off to the building you were instructed to go to in order to speak with Deanna.

The interview wouldn't take too long, and Rick knew that. You weren't the most open person when it came to discussing your past or present. Hell, Rick still had a lot that he didn't know about you. He opened up to you like a book, telling you all about his past. Yet, you didn't. It worried him that something may have happened to you, but truthfully. It was just due to the fact that you would rather focus on the present rather than the past.

Rick took the time that you were away to tidy up. Taking a shower, shaving. It was like looking at a whole new man when he looked in the mirror. He was excited to see your reaction when you got back. See how you would react to seeing him without his unruly beard. He loved it when you seemed to notice a change in him. It always seemed to ignite this flame deep within him. A flame that he thought died with Lori, but you proved that to be wrong.

The knock on the door is what grabbed him from his thoughts. Stealing him away from memories and fantasies with you. Nothing sexual, not right now anyways. Just thoughts of you and him, being together.

He opened the door with a cautious gaze. A hand resting where his knife was tucked into his holster. He could never be too sure these days. A friendly-sounding knock could turn into a shit show in no time flat. Yet, to his surprise, once he opened the door, he was met with a friendly face... A woman that he recognized from the streets when he left the interview with Deanna.

"Hi," She spoke. Voice light and sweet - nothing like yours, though. All that he offered was a low "Can I help you?" Which only seemed to make the woman smile more. She continued her spill. She offered hospitality and a haircut, and he turned it down. Shaking his head with a sigh. "Look, you don't know me," "But I'd like to," she spoke, "I just want to cut your hair. We don't have to talk." He hummed, thinking. "Just a trim, nothin' too short." He muttered before allowing her to enter the house.

"So, anyone special in your life?" Rick didn't answer, only shooting her a glare before sitting in the chair. "Right, just the cut.."

The door opened and his head lifted, eyes scanning the doorway until you slipped through the frame. "Honey, I'm home," You called out in a sing-song voice, and he smiled, a small chuckle escaping his throat. He knew the term of endearment was only a joke, but he couldn't help but ponder if you meant it. It was sure to fuel his fantasies later. "In the kitchen," he called back out to you. Jessie was thankfully finished, running her fingers through Rick's hair once more before pulling the apron off of him. "All done." She smiled, and he nodded, standing to his feet while thanking her. "What do I owe you?" He asked, and she shrugged, peeking over at you as you stepped into the kitchen. Looking her over with weary eyes. "Nothing, I told you, Rick, it's my welcome gift." She added, cleaning up her workspace before leaving. Shutting the door behind her with a 'click'.

You watched her leave, but your attention was quickly drawn back to Rick. A soft smile graced your lips. "You clean up nice," he smiled back, feeling that familiar warmth within himself. "Yeah, ya think so?" You nodded, leaning against the frame of the entrance to the kitchen. "Yeah, now you don't look old enough to be my dad." He scoffed, rolling his eyes with a sigh. "Oh shut it, I'm only eight years older than you." You snickered, shoving his shoulder playfully as he approached you. "Uh-huh, anyways, you ready for that walk around town, Mr. Clean?" He sighed once more, nodding his head. You were always so mouthy, but he wouldn't have it any other way.

The two of you left the house together. Rick followed close behind until the both of you were down off the porch and on the sidewalk. The man towering next to you, sturdy frame walking close beside you. Both of your steps are in sync with one another. As if he were still protecting you from whatever monsters could lurk around the corner. You always felt safe next to him.

"Deanna told me about a party they're throwing for us." Rick's knuckles brushed the back of your hand, electricity shooting through the both of you. "Oh yeah?" He asked, looking over at you with a brow raised. "Yeah, I think it'd be nice if we went. For a bit at least. Maybe we could get to know the people better." You commented, and Rick nodded with a hum.

He licked his lips as he thought. Sucking his bottom lip between his teeth. Chewing it a little before allowing it to slide back out. "Maybe," you let out a soft grunt at his words, Rick smiling a little at your noise. "Come on, it won't be that bad. You could be my date, and we could get to know them. Maybe if they have anything worth taking if we do leave." He liked every word that fell from your mouth, but hearing you talk about being his date? God, he felt sick to his stomach, but in the best way possible. A nervous and giddy way. Like the words excited him more than your fingers that would ever so lightly brush his.

"Fine, I'll go," he said, and you cheered. "Sweet! I hate drinking alone anyways," he raised a quizzical brow once more. "You? Drink? Please, I don't think you'd last a shot." You scoffed, "I'd like you to know that I could drink you under the table any day, Rick." You spoke, and the way you hissed out his name in such a teasing manner had the hairs on the back of his neck standing on end. A light flush crept up the sides of his neck that he would definitely blame on the heat if you questioned it. He despised how you affected him, yet, he couldn't get enough of you. He never could and probably never would be able to.

The days that passed weren't as horrible as Rick thought they would be. Everyone seemed to get along well, or so he hoped. He was trying, but he just couldn't feel like he fit in. If it weren't for you and his kids, he'd feel like a total outsider. Plus, Spencer Monroe was slowly pissing him off the more he saw him, especially the way he looked at you.

He hated to admit it, but he was jealous. He didn't worry about you going out with the guy. He could tell you only interacted with him to be nice, but he hated the way he still seemed to try and get closer to you. The closer he got, the more of an urge Rick had to throw him up against a wall and tell him to leave you alone. He didn't have the authority to do that, though. You weren't his to make that decision for. His luck, he'd be reading your emotions and body language wrong, and you would have liked Spencer if he did something so stupid.

He didn't dare take his jealousy out on you, though. If anything, it only made him clingier.

The night of the party he tried his best to look decent. Wearing a nice outfit with his hair styled like it used to be. Before the apocalypse hit. His ring was still snug on his finger, but it meant nothing to him. Other than a reminder of the man he used to be.

When you came out of the bathroom, his reaction was priceless. He glanced over at you, looking back to the door, before turning his head to quickly look back at you and what you were wearing. You looked so... "Gorgeous," he murmured, and you tilted your head, unable to hear what he said. "What was that?" you hummed, approaching him. "Shit, uhm, nothin', I was just sayin' you look nice. You clean up nice, too." He muttered, wetting his lips again before his eyes wandered down your body. Taking in everything that he saw. Before they reeled back up to your own. You smiled, but before you could say anything Rick was quick to intrude. "We should get goin', we're gonna be the last ones there," he chuckled, and you nodded, motioning to the door with his head before the both of you left.

Rick couldn't explain how nervous he felt walking beside you. He wasn't used to the formality of this all. It was weird, unusual, and intimidating for the former sheriff's Deputy. He was so used to being covered in dirt and blood, being unshaven while wearing week-old clothes, and you looking just as disheveled and homeless. He had completely forgotten what dates were like. He forgot what feeling clean and nice felt like. What it looked like, even.

"Rick," you called out, noticing how he stared off into the distance as the both of you walked closer and closer to the house. He was so good at getting lost in that head of his that you often had to call him back to earth. "Rick," you spoke, voice more stern. Finally drawing him out of his trance. "Yeah, I'm here," he sighed, and you frowned, "If you don't want to go, we can go back to the house." You added, stopping in front of the porch with the man that you grew to love. He shook his head, reaching out to grab your hand with his fingertips. "I want to go, though." He assured you with a gentle grin, motioning to the door. "Now come on, before I do decide to take you back to the house," He spoke, eyes darting down your figure with a hungry gaze before tugging you towards the door. You didn't even have time to react to his statement before the door was opened and people were greeting you from all around.

It was easy to get separated from Rick. People pulled you left and right in order to get to know more about you. How you survived that long, where you were from... If you and Rick were dating. The last question was only asked by one individual. The man standing in front of you that seemed to have you blocked from the door and Rick. "Why does it matter?" You asked, trying to keep up a friendly demeanor, but it was running short with the Monroe. "Just curious is all, trying to figure out who all is on the playing field." The analogy he used had you scoffing. Your eyebrows furrow while crossing your arms. "Excuse me?" He opened his mouth to explain, but quickly closed it, chuckling before holding his hands up to show he meant no harm. You hardly took it that way, though. The way he seemed to stare at your body more than he did you. It made you sick.

"I just meant you're very intriguing. I'd love to get to know you more." You nodded your head reluctantly, giving him a cautious gaze. You hardly doubted that, but you hated being rude when his parents were so kind to you all. "I may not be dating Rick, but I don't want a relationship with you, I know nothing about you. Why would I trust you?"

Even if you were blocked from Rick, he could still see parts of you past Spencer. Your crossed arms and defensive posture. It had him clenching the glass in his hands. Staring at the both of you with a clenched jaw. The conversation he was holding with Spencer's father was long gone, and Reg could tell. He wasn't about to interfere though. If anything, he was rooting for Rick when he saw the way his son continued to pester you. Maybe the former cop could teach a lesson or two to his son. He was an adult now, he could care for himself without his father's help.

"See, I want you to trust me. I wouldn't hurt you, I could take care of you. We all could," He spoke, reaching out to place a hand on your shoulder, to which you flinched away. "Don't fucking touch me," you snapped, going to shove past the man. A hiss left your throat when he grabbed your arm. Slight panic settled into your eyes as you jerked back towards him. "Wait!" "Let go of me you asshole!" You snapped, people turning heads to look towards the two of you. "I just want to talk," he started, but he was quickly shoved away from you.

"They said don't touch 'em!" Rick snapped, pressing Spencer up against the wall. Breathing down the man's face with his chest puffed out. A hand gripping tightly at the collar of his shirt. He'd been wanting to do this to him since he met the guy. His ego only infuriated him more and more with each passing day he saw him. You watched, unsure whether to feel amused and honored that Rick was still protecting you. Or worried and scared with the way he clenched onto Spencer and the murderous intent you caught in his eye before he had the man pinned.

"Hey! I wasn't doing anything wrong!" "You grabbed 'em, they wanted to leave, don't do that shit," He snarled, "They say leave 'em be, you leave 'em be," He snapped, and Spencer only glared. "Who gave you the right to come into my house and tell me what to do?" "Spencer!" Deanna was quick to interrupt the quarrel between the two men. "I didn't-" "Spencer, you need to respect the newcomer's boundaries just as well as they need to respect ours. I raised you better than this. If someone asks you to leave them alone, you leave them alone." Spencer was quick to look back to Rick. Glaring while waiting to be let go, but Rick wasn't backing down. Hands lightly trembling out of frustration.

"Rick," God, the things he could do to this guy right now. All he could see was red. What gave him the right to be touching you in the first place?

"Rick..." He could snap his neck just as easily as a baby. Bite out a chunk of his throat, dig his fingers into his eyes so he couldn't even look at you.

"Rick," You raised your voice a little, but not too much. Hands gently settling on his broad shoulders. He flinched, head jerking around before he caught sight of you. His gaze softened and his grip released from Spencer's shirt. "Sorry," he spoke to you, but his gaze was quick to land back on Spencer. Hardening once more. "If I so much as catch ya lookin' at them. I'll make ya wish ya never did," he snarled, and Spencer didn't move. Only falling more against the wall when Rick let him go.

Rick was quick to grab your hand, looking you over with worrisome eyes. "Are you?" "Rick, I'm fine, thank you." You smiled warmly, and he did the same. Motioning to the door before looking around at the others. Everyone's eyes were on both of you. "We're gonna head back to the house. I apologize for the scene," Reg shook his head, smiling over at Rick as he approached the both of you. "No need to apologize, Rick. I'd do the same for my Deanna too if some other guy was making her uncomfortable." His eyes drifted over to his son with a disappointed scowl.

You and Rick felt your bodies go warm at what he was inferring. His hand squeezed yours while parting his lips. "Oh, we're not-" "Sure you aren't, Rick," Reg added, motioning for the door. "How 'bout you both leave now? Get some rest, we can finish our conversation tomorrow." You both nodded, thanking the family before departing out the door.

Spencer didn't seem to be done with what he started with you and Rick, though. Moving for the door after everyone went back to what they were doing. No one was watching him - or so he thought. "I'd reckon you stay back unless you really wanna find out how elastic those balls of yours are. They gotta be pretty big, at least, if ya think you'd get away with a go at Ricky." A voice chimed, and Spencer looked up at the ginger that blocked his path. "From now on, you got a problem with Rick, you come to me, yer ol' pal Abraham, at your service," he muttered, leaning down a little in order to get more in the brunette's face. Spencer was definitely nervous now.

Rick's hand didn't leave yours the whole walk back to the house. The both of you walking in silence once more. It wasn't unusual for the man to grab your hand, or keep you this close when he was worried, but it felt so different right now. Like the tension between the both of you was stronger than ever. Able to cut it with a knife if either of you really wanted to try.

You finally let out a sigh, breaking the tension between the both of you. "So, what do you wanna do when we get back? I think Daryl's with Aaron and Eric." You added with a light shrug, and Rick smiled, giving your hand a light squeeze before glancing over at you. "Are you suggesting something?" It was your turn to feel flustered, looking over at Rick with raised brows before furrowing them. "What? No! Of course not, I wouldn't suggest sleeping with you like that," you scoffed, and he smiled even more in amusement. He'd blame his overly flirty attitude on the whiskey coursing his veins at the moment.

"How would you initiate it, then?" He asked, climbing up the porch with you. Not letting go of your hand even as he opened the door and led you inside. "Not like that," you added, eyes avoiding his icy blue stare. "Too shy to say, huh? Y've never been this bashful before." He added with a light chuckle, and you gulped. Keeping your gaze away from his. Until you couldn't help but peek at him when he moved his body directly in front of yours once the door was shut behind you two. "You wanna talk big games, Grimes, how would you initiate it?" You asked with a lopsided smirk, and it only caused his mischief to grow. He was just happy you were playing back with his flirting. Glad he was receiving back what he was giving you.

You took a step back towards the couch when he stalked towards you. Noticing the way his pupils dilated the closer he got to you. One of his hands held at your waist when the backs of your legs hit the sofa. "Like this," he muttered, letting go of your hand in order to grab the side of your face.

You held your breath the moment his lips met your own. He was soft at first, testing the waters before he cocked his head to deepen the kiss. You both felt like you were on fire. Bodies heated up as his hand on your hip pushed you down to the couch. Maneuvering you so he could climb on top of you. "Rick," you muttered against his lips and he let out a soft grunt. His tongue ran against the bottom of your lip before sucking it in his mouth to bite on your lower lip. "Rick, what if someone walks in," you spoke. You wanted to move him to the bedroom, but your hands portrayed a different story. Your fingers hooking on his belt loops, pulling his crotch down to meet your own. Soft hums leave both of your throats. "Shit, no one's coming'," He muttered, head dipping down to kiss your neck. Slowly making your worries leave as he hungrily continued his action.

His hips continued to rut against yours here and there. Soft noises escaped your lips as Rick ran his hands under the dress shirt you wore that was now untucked from your pants. Calloused hands mapped out every inch of skin he could feel. A low chuckle left his throat when you scrambled to undo the buttons of his shirt. "Need help with that?" He asked, kissing over a mark he left under your ear. A shudder running down your body at the feelings. "Please? I can't get these damn buttons," you breathed, and he nodded, leaning back after pressing a chaste kiss to your lips once more.

He took his time undoing the buttons on his shirt, until there was only four left.

Three... Your breathing sped up as you watched his body expose.

Two... You'd seen it so many times before, but it left you in awe each time.

One... Then it was shrugging off his shoulders. Rick smiled as he leaned back down to pull you in for another, loving, kiss. His hands roaming, your hands roaming. You were both so lost in each other, it was intoxicating.

His hips lurched forward once your fingers danced closer to his buckle. He was aching for you more than he ever had, and he prayed that you would undo his belt fast, or else he might have to do it for you. "Dad?" Carls voice caught you both out of your act. Rick shooting up from the couch, you doing the same.

Both of you were disheveled and it was obvious what both of you were up to. The boy's smile only grew as he looked between the both of you with a raised brow. "I was wondering when the two of you were going to do something," Carl added, Judith cooing in his arms. "Next time, maybe go to the bedroom though. I support this, but I don't want to see it.." He added with a cringe before walking past the both of you to head up the stairs to Judith's room to get her ready for bed. The little girl was already nearly asleep on his shoulder.

Rick stood there, dumbfounded. Staring where Carl used to be. "I told you the couch wasn't a good idea," you muttered, fixing your shirt to look more presentable if anyone else came home, but with Rick standing beside you shirtless. Anyone could put two and two together. "Yeah, I know you did," he muttered with a sigh. Leaning down to pick his shirt up before slipping it back over his shoulders, looking over at you with an apologetic smile. "I'm sorry, I was just... Happy you reciprocated the kiss and all." He added with a light chuckle, and you chuckled back. "Rick, I'm not mad at you. I wouldn't button up your shirt if I was you, either." He furrowed his brow, watching as you stepped closer to him. Your hands resting on his chest. "We've still got the room option if you're willing to be quiet," you muttered, kissing the side of his throat. His eyes fluttered shut as he leaned his head back a little. "God, you drive me crazy, you know it?" "Rick, you've driven me crazy from the moment I met you back in Atlanta." You mumbled against his skin, and he smiled. "Now, room?" He nodded, "Room," grabbing your hand before leading you up to his bedroom. Both of you smiling like idiots.

[tenpintsof-sundrop]

ASK GAME ! ASK GAME ! ASK GAME ! which as I chant out loud sounds like I'm saying "ass game" ... same difference honestly sksksksk

Hiii for the violence ask game (love being a hater) I wanted to know 1, 2, 3 and 23 for whatever fandoms you feel the most passionate about

I wouldn't say that I love being a hater, but I do love being right lmao

also I am feeling spicy so these are gonna be for different fandoms

1 - the character everyone gets wrong

JASON. MOTHER FUCKING. TODD

especially the fandom interpretation Titans version, but like damn

(even other canons get him wrong, and Titans did him so right and people refuse to acknowledge it)

(I could also say Lori Grimes, and Andrea Harrison, and Dick Grayson, and Michonne Hawthorne, and even Gar Logan tbh but this is the rant I am picking)

white cis fanboys just see him as the violent revenge perpetrator - distilled rage, 'the bad sibling', the criminal, the cool one, the gunslinger. fucking whatever

but I am not even so big on a lot of women's interpretation of comics Jason - as some big soft cuddle bug who just needs to be treated softly and cuddled uwu, someone who rip out the throat of anyone who looks at you the wrong way and basically acts like a big bad doberman guard dog in your life (someone possessive and angry and jealous in a love life). again - no

Jason is one of the most emotionally complex characters and the only people who truly understand him are me and Curran Walters.

Jason is a wreck. he was set up to fail - his backstory of poverty and sadness isn't just about giving him some revenge to seek or making him a more conventional criminal, it's his emotional core. everything that has ever happened to him in his life makes him who he is, and so many people don't understand those layers. (so many people don't even acknowledge the differences between him and Dick before Jason became Red Hood). Jason is depressed, he's insecure, he thinks that he's nothing but a problem in other people's lives.

he uses violence as a tool because it's all he's ever known. in a relationship, he would be difficult to connect with because no one has ever truly tried before. he wouldn't be instantly loving - he would be guarded as hell.

I could go on a long time, but anyway - Titans Jason is largely a thing that the show got right and so many people refuse to acknowledge it because they just want to mock Curran's looks and it makes me want to bash my head into things

2 - a compelling argument for why your fave would never top or bottom

I have to do it to em - Spencer Reid would never be a fucking dom. NEVER

(also I know that bottom and top aren't synonyms for dom and sub but I think this ask game was created with mostly mlm ships in mind, so I am talking about this in a dom/sub context because I mostly write and consume x reader fics with bdsm dynamics)

Spencer is a sub. anybody who says that he is a dom, even a 'soft dom' is fucking lying to themselves because they have a particular fantasy that they want him to fit into. even later seasons Spencer would never be a dom

just because someone has rage and acts intimidating towards someone they consider an enemy doesn't mean they would ever feel the confidence to actually be dominant and in charge in bed. that man is walked like a dog constantly by other people in his life, and the only time he 'takes control' of a 'romantic' interaction is when he is with Cat - someone he also considers to be an enemy, an unsub that he can psychologically control. see the pattern?

3 - screenshot or description of the worst take you've seen on tumblr

I have discussed this before, and I wish I had a screenshot because without proof it almost doesn't seem real

someone saying that Spencer loves Henry more than JJ does - in a massive post where they listed all the reasons that JJ 'ruined' Spencer's life (which just gobsmacked me)

that post was a huge inspiration for the JJ/Spencer friendship scenes in [REDACTED]

I just cannot believe that the fandom is so fucking detached and unrealistic about JJ

23 - ship you've unwillingly come around to

...Richonne

this is in large part from what I have seen about The Ones Who Live spin-off, and I recently realized that the title of the spin-off comes from a scene where Michonne punches Rick in the head in order to literally knock some sense into him, so I fucking love that (and it seems like that's what the whole show is - her literally forcing sense into him after he's become detached from reality due to being held hostage by whatever the fuck that group's name is)

and I think The Thrifty Typewriter really put their relationship into terms that I was struggling with. so many Walking Dead ladies were relegated to nothing but being 'the love interest' once they became a love interest to someone. and if they were struggling with what to do with a female character, they turned her into a love interest for someone

Andrea being paired with a Governor, Rosita not getting more interesting storylines until after she parted from Abraham, Sasha being with Bob and then Abraham and then dying (although I think Sasha has a lot of interesting emotional beats, I see the point in saying that), Jessie (who could have had so much potential outside of just being a love interest for Rick, especially when they clearly had Richonne in mind), Lori's entire existence, etc.

So my huge problem with Richonne is that Michonne was so interesting before she got with Rick. And after she got with Rick, she lost all of her interesting traits, and she was stripped down to 'Lori 2.0'. Pregnant housewife character who stays at home and almost never fights. Rick was spotlighted and she was almost never around until Rick drowned. And I think I loved The Ones Who Live because it gave her back a lot of her fire and her autonomy as well as adding more to the romance, so it was the best of both worlds. (And it really made me come around to the pairing.)

And another huge problem I had with Richonne is the same problem I have with Dickkory - people who ship them act like the entire show was created to drive the ship. And the shippers get really annoying because they act like all the other interesting characters and plot lines do not exist. They act like the producers and writers made the show as a vessel to carry the single ship when that is clearly not the case.

For Dickkory, people boil Dick and Rachel's entire relationship down to 'omg, she is Dickkory's child' - which is very annoying. And for Richhone, people act like Andrea just does not exist, when she pulled Michonne out of a very dark place - Rick did not do that. Michonne said so herself. Andrea is a very important character in Michonne's story.

Anyway - I do like Richonne a lot now. More than I ever expected I would

[protege-not-protagonist]

Criminal Minds: The Protégé Chapter 8

Ch 8: The Mountain King- Pt. 1

Blurb: With Nathan Harris' death confirmed as suspicious, Grace and Spencer start work on the case. But there is another case in the Appalachian Mountains that requires the team's attention.

Masterlist

Previous Chapter

Audience: mature audience for depictions of violence and sexual references Author's Note: if you see a trigger warning that concerns you, you can scroll to end and I'll have a brief description what happens. And how to read around it. TW: violence, crime scene depiction, This case mentions sexual assault, horror, kidnapping, decapitation, reference to the infamous Bloodlines episode, Alzheimers.

Appalachian Trail, Wertzvile, PA, Friday July 7th 10:00PM

‘Help me!’ Her sister’s voice bounced off the trees around her.

‘Lori! I’m coming, hang on!’ she screamed back. Another disembodied scream echoed around her. ‘Lori!’ she called out again, frantically running towards the sound.

‘Please!’ her sister begged in response. She sounded closer. ‘Steph! Help me! I’m down here!’

She swivelled her head, scanning through the forest. She couldn’t see a valley or a cave. The ground was relatively flat. What did she mean down? Down where?

‘Stephanie!’ she cried.

She crept forward slowly.

‘Lori where are-’ There was a metallic click. The ground gave way beneath her. She screamed as she fell into the darkness. The solid rocky ground met her and she cried out at the impact. Groaning, she dragged herself to sit up. Thankfully, the pain subsided, and she released a breath of relief. Nothing was broken.

‘Lori?’ she called to her sister, crawling across the rough stone floor. The mineshaft she must have fallen into was cold, damp and foully metallic smelling. Shallow, stagnant puddles of water licked her hands as she felt her way in the darkness. Her hand hit something cold and fleshy. She jumped back and yelped before regaining her senses. ‘Lori? Is that you?’

‘Steph.’ A sob echoed around her. She reached out again and felt the softness of her sister’s hair under her hand. She ran it down her face to caress her cheek.

‘Hey it’s okay, you’re okay now, are you hurt?’ Steph felt around her own head for the headlamp’s on switch.

‘Please! Help me!’ her sister cried again.

Steph frowned. There was no relief or recognition in her voice. It sounded the same as the cries she had heard before. Exactly the same. Her finger found the lamp’s switch and flicked it. ‘Lori?’

The light turned on. Her eyes halted on her muddy red hand in front of her face. Blood. She gasped out panicked breaths as her gaze drifted to the other hand that held her sister’s cheek. Lori’s glazed over eyes stared unseeingly back at her.

‘Steph! Help me! I’m down here!’ Lori’s voice echoed around her, but her sister’s mouth didn’t move.

A strangled scream tore out of Steph's throat as the light of her headlamp revealed the extent of the horror.

Her sister’s head in her grasp was not connected to a body.

--------

Mt. Olivet Cemetery, DC, Monday July 17th 10:00AM

Spencer sat amongst the small group in plastic chairs at the graveside, listening as the celebrant’s words echoed through a cheap sound system.

‘Now, we have a few words from, Sarah,’ the man stepped away from the portable lectern next to the closed (and empty) casket as Dr Harris wearily stepped up to the microphone. Much like all 12 people there, including the funeral home staff, she wore black dress clothes.

She unfolded a piece of paper from her pocket and smoothed it on the lectern. Taking time to compose herself before she spoke.

‘First of all, I want to thank every single one of you for coming today. I know my son was a difficult person to love, but all of you saw past his troubles and …’ Dr Harris choked out, ‘Sorry.’ She glanced back down at the paper in her hand and folded it up, abandoning it. ‘You all saw the person he was underneath that. He was smart, very curious, and engaged in the way the world worked. I wished he got to enjoy it, but as we all know, He… I-it just wasn’t a possibility. But we all did the best we could. My son was my world. He may not have had the ability to be as kind and caring as most, but he tried his best. He wanted to be helped, and he wanted to get better. And I’m proud of him… He was many things, but one thing I can say with no convictions is that he was a good son. I love you Nathan, and I miss you so much.’ She cried and stepped away from the microphone.

The funeral assistant was there with tissues, giving her a reassuring hug as the celebrant spoke into the microphone. Spencer hung his head and let out a shaky breath. He couldn’t imagine what Dr Harris was going through. He also couldn’t imagine what it was like to pretend that this funeral was for your son that had taken his own life while knowing that, in fact, someone had taken it from him. Agent Matthews had a tox-screen run on Nathan over the weekend. It had confirmed what she suspected.

‘Sarah has organised a small tribute for Nathan that will play in a moment. We have some petals here for you each to come and lay upon the casket. We encourage you to take your time, reflect and say goodbye as the lovely piece, Ashokan Farewell, is played by Isabella Goodwin.’

A tall woman with blonde hair pulled into a French twist walked past them all from the back row, a violin in her hand.

It was a strange coincidence that the woman would share the same name as the NYPD’s first female detective. Even stranger was that when she stood at the front and played, she looked familiar. Spencer squinted at her. Slowly, he joined the short procession that passed the attendant holding the basket with white flower petals. He got closer and studied Isabella’s face.

She had smokey eye makeup, thick black glasses, large pearl earrings, and appeared to be in her late twenties or early thirties. Her face was expressive, scrunching up in an emotional stance that musicians adopted when playing. Did he know her? She caught him staring. Her eyes flicked to him and he saw it; recognition. Only for a second. Then her eyes darted back to a point near the casket where people were laying petals and wishing their condolences to Dr Harris.

He took a handful of petals and approached the casket.

‘Goodbye Nathan,’ he whispered. He thought of an accurate but poignant thing to say at his empty graveside. He settled on the words; ‘I’m sorry, we couldn’t do more for you.’ He scattered the petals and made his way past Dr Harris, offering her a respectful nod.

‘Thank you for coming, Dr Reid. I know things were difficult, but you saved my son, in more ways than you realise. Your visits meant a lot to him.’ She told him.

He didn’t know what to say to that. He murmured his condolences, sat back down on the plastic chair, and stared at the small selection of photos in the memorial program that had been handed out.

A boy smiling and playing with a train set, juxtaposed with a man in a psych ward rec room, using a plastic knife to cut a cupcake decorated with the number 30. What could have been done? What should have happened? And other ‘what if’s’ plagued him.

Everyone was seated again as Isabella finished the song. He didn’t know too much about violin playing, but she didn’t have sheet music, which means she had memorised it. She played in a way that conveyed emotion with her sound and movement. It must have taken skill. And to play a song for Nathan’s funeral seemed very personal. She must have been a close friend of the family. But her face frustrated him. How did he know her? Maybe he had seen her in a concert once? But if that was the case, why would she seem to recognise him too?

Isabella made eye contact again as she walked back to her seat, this time offering him a small, nervous smile. And Spencer recognised that expression immediately.

--------

After the ceremony ended, the guests, mainly family and a few doctors, left for the wake. He remained, feeling that attending the wake would be intruding. The violinist seemed to feel the same way. She approached him as they watched the funeral assistants winched back up the empty casket to move back into the hearse. Once Nathan’s autopsy had been completed, he would be buried, but for now, for the sake of the investigation, the funeral had to carry on as planned. If the unsub knew they were investigating Nathan’s death, one this elusive might disappear.

‘Isabella Goodwin, the first police matron to make detective, known for her undercover work. It’s a fitting choice. I didn’t recognise you.’ He said.

‘Well, that’s high praise, with your eidetic memory, Dr Reid,’ Agent Matthews smiled at him and removed the glasses.

‘How long have you played the violin?’ He asked.

‘Since I was 7.’

‘Wow, did you ever play professionally?’

She laughed. ‘That’s flattering, but no, never had the drive to be a professional violinist. To the untrained ear, I’m passable. I could never read music well enough, but to add to that, a while back, I had a wrist injury.’ She held up her right wrist and rotated it. It audibly clicked and groaned. He winced. That sounded like bones that hadn’t been set properly after breaking. He doubted it had received treatment at all, and if she had, she should sue. ‘Means I've finally got an excuse for the state of my handwriting, but unfortunately my bowing isn’t as good as it used to be. I can’t play for long periods time anymore.’ She shrugged. ‘I didn’t know if I’d see you here. It was good of you to come. I think Dr Harris appreciated it.’

‘I think she would have appreciated you offering to play for Nathan. To my untrained ear, it was very moving.’ He watched her eyes dart around, unsure how to take his compliment.

Who did such a number on you, Grace? He wondered. He wondered if she was like this all the time? She wouldn’t be in the field if she didn’t have a confident side. It must be her interactions with him, he concluded. She told him when they had met she admired him, and Garcia said she was more reserved around people she didn’t know or thought were superior. He didn’t want her to think he was like that. He enjoyed their conversation. It was nice to talk to someone who shared his interests.

Agent Matthews nodded and glanced down at her violin case. ‘Well, I’m glad it came across like that, even if I was technically only here for the investigation.’

‘Yes, I figured, given the disguise.’ He eyed her blonde wig. ‘Am I allowed to ask why?’

‘If I was an unsub, who was this good at getting away with murder; this is where I would be; among the victims, seeing the aftermath. This is where they would feel the most power. This is as close as they get to being caught. Here is where they'd feel the most satisfaction. They were here, I know it. No one stood out to me, but I’m hoping I caught a slip up from the unsub on camera,’ she explained, tapping the thick black glasses in her pocket. ‘I needed a vantage point that saw all the interactions with the casket and Dr Harris. I needed to be close the whole time and be in plain sight, but be unrecognisable to those medical staff I have already spoken to or end up interviewing later. Hence-’ She gestured to herself from head to toe. ‘-Isabella Goodwin, the violinist.’

‘You could have been a funeral assistant.’ he pointed out.

‘I could have,’ she agreed. But her eyes went to the grave open in front of them. ‘But when I discussed the plan with Dr Harris, I saw she was struggling with trying to make Nathan’s funeral special. I just really felt for her, you know? Having a good funeral is part of a good death. To be denied both is just… awful.’ Her eyes didn’t move from the hole in the ground. ‘I don’t know. Everyone has their thing. That thing that they can’t stand. Like JJ’s is when things involve kids, you know?’

Spencer nodded. He knew exactly what she meant. His was when a case involved bullying and highschool kids. She looked back at him and sighed, gesturing to all the surrounding graves.

‘I guess how victims are treated after is my thing. I wanted to help, so I gave Dr. Harris a list of traditional pieces I knew, and offered to play any she chose.’

Words failed him. It was such an unfathomably kind gesture. Agent Matthews hadn’t even known the Harris family until four days ago.

‘I also do birthdays and weddings, as long as I get cake.’ She added, attempting to downplay the action with a joke.

‘I think that was a very kind thing to do, Agent Matthews.’ He said. She shrugged and tried to stuff her hands in pockets but found none in her pencil skit. Instead, she clasped them together and stood there fidgeting, not sure what to say next.

Spencer opened his satchel and pulled out her pen and notepad, offering it back to her. ‘You left this behind the last time I saw you. I wrote out the list of unsubs I visited. Garcia has compiled a list of all the cases with potential victims. I think she sent it to you. I can help narrow it down. But I haven’t had time to sit down and look through it. I wanted to do it over the weekend, but…’ He didn’t want to think of it, but it came to the front of his mind; the blank look on his Mother’s face when he entered her room. ‘…I got held up with a personal matter.’

It was the second time he had visited, and she hadn’t recognised him for the entire time he had been there. The doctor had reassured him she talked to staff members about him. She remembered she had a son, even if she didn’t recognise him every time. It didn’t help take away the hurt and loss he felt, though. Never did he think he could lose someone who was still there, who hadn’t gone anywhere. It wasn’t death, but it was close.

‘Oh my gosh, thanks! I was wondering where these went.’ Grace startled him out of his thoughts. ‘I leave things everywhere. It’ll get me in trouble one day.’ She tapped the notebook to her head and flashed him a goofy smile, but it faded. Grace stared back at him with a tilted head. ‘Hey, I hope everything is okay with whatever’s going on. You don’t have to compile a list of anything for me. I mean, it’s my case. I hope you don’t feel like you have to. If you’re busy, don’t worry about it-’

‘Oh no, I settled it. It’s all fine now,’ he assured her. There really was nothing he could do. And that was the worst part. ‘I am happy to help. I have got little to do these days, anyway. Two days at Georgetown and two at the Academy a week, feels like a continuous weekend after 18 and a half years at the BAU. An occasional extracurricular consult will do me some good. So please, you're more than welcome to ask me anything. ’

‘Thank you, Dr Reid.’ She nodded, then seemed to pause as if in deep thought. ‘You know, if you’re looking for a hobby to try, let me know. I’ve tried tons of things, and well, I haven’t really stuck with many of them, but I’ve started a lot of them. I guess what I’m saying is I have a lot of recommendations, so-’

She was interrupted as her phone vibrated. She pulled it out of her suit jacket’s pocket. He glimpsed the caller ID and frowned.

Keep it PG

‘Hey Garcia,’ she answered.

Spencer stifled a chuckle. He got it. It was a pun with Garcia’s initials and the rating system for films. It was even more humorous knowing Garcia personally. The nickname suited her.

‘…I’ll be there in 20. Um, do you have any makeup remover? You did a wonderful job, but my face is starting to feel a little heavy. Yes… Awesome. You’re like my fairy godmother, thank you. I’ll see you soon.’ She hung up and turned to him and sighed. ‘I’ve gotta go. Thanks for returning this.’ She held up the notebook again.

‘Got a case?’ he asked.

‘Yeah, sorry, it seems like I maxed out my quota of non-work socialisation for today. I guess… I’ll see you around?’ she asked and looking at him expectantly. To him, it seemed Agent Matthews was testing the waters for something.

‘Of course,’ He nodded. ‘If I need a new skill to try my hand at, I’ll ask.’

She nodded and waved politely, but he read a bit of disappointment in her expression as she walked away. Then he realised; she had given him a subtle an invitation for friendship. ‘See you around?’ The way she posed it as a question; It was an offer to meet without an obligation to work.

‘Agent Matthews?’ he called after her.

‘Yes?’ She turned around.

‘Do you play chess?’

‘Not really,’ she admitted, but after a moment of seemingly debating with herself she added, ‘Not sure I’d give you a good game, but I’m happy to give it a go?’

‘Well, if you want, text me if you’re around the academy on Thursday at lunchtime. There’s a board near the cafeteria. I'll bring the pieces.’

‘Um, okay, fair warning though, I think I've only played once or twice,’ she admitted.

‘That's okay, I can teach you if you can't remember or we can just eat lunch if you find you don't like it,’ He said. Grace’s posture seemed to relax a little after that suggestion. ‘See you on Thursday?’

She smiled brightly, ‘Yes! Sure thing, Thursday, unsubs permitting.'

-------

BAU, Quantico, VA, 11:10AM

‘Who’s the consultant Rossi?’ Tara asked with a smirk as a blonde woman walked into the conference room.

Rossi smiled widely. ‘I don’t remember asking for a consultant. Must be getting old.’

‘Anyone seen Matthews?’ Simmons jokingly squinted and looked around the room.

‘Haha, hilarious,’ Grace said, taking a seat at the round table. ‘I’ll get changed on the plane. I didn’t want to waste time.’

‘Gone Baywatch Blonde on us, Five-O?’ Luke smirked. Grace screwed up her face at him and rolled her eyes.

‘Jokes aside Matthews, I Love your makeup,’ JJ commented with an approving nod. ‘You pull off the smokey eye well.’

‘Well, I can’t take credit for that. That was Garcia’s work.’ She gestured to the brightly dress woman standing by, remote and tablet in hand.

‘She’s my masterpiece,’ Garcia beamed. ‘Argh, she looks so good! Don’t you just want to take her out and show her off?’

Tara and JJ laughed. Grace frowned. Was that a good thing? What was she supposed to say to that?

‘That will have to wait till we’re back, I’m afraid,’ Rossi let a fond smile fade from his face as he prepared himself to start the meeting.

‘Unfortunately, Prentiss won’t be joining us for this one. She has paperwork to file and a conference to attend tomorrow, so this is us. Garcia, you ready to walk us through the case?’

Garcia sighed heavily at the tablet in her arms and pressed a button on her remote. ‘Unfortunately, my job isn’t just all smiles and makeovers. Three days ago, the bodies of two women were found on a creek bed by hikers just outside Werztville, Pennsylvania. “Which trail were they hiking?” you may ask, unfortunately it is one of our favourites, the Appalachian trail.’

‘Ugh,’ Tara remarked.

‘What so bad about the Appalachian trail?’ Simmons asked.

Rossi sighed, ‘Last case we had there was real nasty. Cormac Burton killed male victims that reminded him of his father and then, unknown to him, his mentally disabled brother would follow him, hide and dismember the bodies all the while convinced he was looking after a dog the boys had briefly in their childhood.’

Grace frowned. There were a lot more reasons to dislike the trail. The BAU didn’t have the best track record with cases on that particular mountain range.

‘I thought you’d say it’s because there were two unsubs we never caught, Shane Wayland, the paedophile and serial killer in 2010, then there was that case in 2014 where the unsub was the product of ince-‘

‘-Yep, we remember Matthews. Are there only two bodies?’ JJ asked, trying to change the subject.

Garcia clicked a button on the remote and a map of the area came up. ‘Local police have linked them with two other cases from the past two years. Harrisburg is the closest city centre just across the river and county lines, but they have the most resources, so they have coordinated the investigation. The first was victim was killed in mid January last year near Summerdale Cumberland county, then there was a similar scene in Marysville, Perry County in April 2022. All disposal sites close to the trail and near creeks that branch off the Susquehanna River but, the similarities with state the bodies were left in is what got them to contact us. All the victims showed signs of sexual assault and… were also left naked, wrapped in sheets and… uh, headless.’ Garcia averted her eyes from her tablet. ‘Which you can see from the crime scene photos on your tablets.’

Simmons frowned. ‘So no heads? No secondary disposal sites anywhere?’

Grace clamped her lips together. The “So no head?” Vine played in her mind involuntarily. Don’t laugh, not now, don’t laugh you sicko, don’t laugh. Please, for the love of your job, keep it together. Don’t think of the vine. She instead stared at the crime scene photos, at the pale corpses, and regained her composure.

‘Looks like we have a collector,’ Luke grimaced.

‘Have they been identified?’ Rossi asked. She clung to that. ID-ing was something she could focus on. It was something she was good at. She scanned the pictures, but whoever had taken them had seen to shy away from them. There were hardly any usefully close ups.

Garcia clicked to the next slide. ‘Victim one was Hope Freeman, 22, student at Central Penn College. Reported missing by her parents when she didn’t make it home from a new year’s party. Sadly, no ID for victim two, no one has claimed them. And the M.E. hasn’t finished with three and four but with no clothes or heads, it’s not likely we will get an ID if their prints aren’t on file or nobody’s looking for them.’

‘So this guy killed one girl, waited three months to kill a second victim, then went 15 months without killing to suddenly killing two victims on the same day?’ Tara pointed out. ‘That’s a weird cooling-off period. And two in one day, is that an acceleration or was it just that there was an opportunity for two victims at once?’

Rossi nodded along with a contemplative frown, ‘My question is; why the missing time? Was our guy locked up or are there victims we haven’t found? I don’t like the looks of this one.’ He sighed as he put his tablet down.

Grace felt it too. This was a bad one. All cases were all bad. But sometimes she felt like there were moments in her life where she was a character from a Star Wars movie saying, ‘I’ve got a bad feeling about this.’ This was one of those moments. But unlike a Jedi, this feeling came with no other helpful instruction other than; the vibe is off. And annoyingly, the ‘vibes being off’ was not a quantifiable or describable sensation she could tell her colleges to warn them of danger. All she could say was there was something real off about this one and hope that she could figure out what in time.

‘Wheels up in 20. Make sure you have good shoes. I got a feeling we’ll be hiking through the woods in this one.’ Rossi dismissed them.

------

Grace picked up the recorder glasses from her desk, grabbed her go bag and violin case and headed towards Garcia’s cave. She couldn't take her violin with her and it wasn’t good for the strings to be exposed to wildly varying temperatures it would experience in a car. So that left only one thing to do.

‘Garcia?’ she asked, immediately frowning when she realised she wasn’t that only one who had come to say goodbye to Garcia.

Alvez was there too. Which wouldn’t have been weird if it weren’t for the few steps back from Penelope he had jumped when Grace entered. Grace raised an eyebrow. Luke casually flicked one of Garcia’s bobble heads and watched it with way too much interest.

She felt Like she had walked in on something… but what kind of something?

‘Yes, Grace?’ Garcia asked, reminding her why she was there.

'I have the glasses and the footage for you. Can you send me a copy directly, please? Saves me trying to file it in the file system.'

'Yah okay.' she nodded. Her eyes flicking between her and Alvez. 'Anything else?'

'Also, can you watch Vincenzo for me while I’m gone?’ She asked and stepped in to the room fully.

Garcia lit up. ‘Absolutely. What does he eat?’ she asked excitedly.

‘Nothing,’ she held up her case.

‘Is that an assault rifle? Are you qualified to handle it?’ Luke asked.

Grace snorted, ‘No, to both.’ She unclasped the clips and opened it for them to see. ‘I can’t leave him in my car in the parking lot. He needs a steady temperature and to be handled with care.’

Both Luke and Garcia peered into the case. Garcia gasped, and Luke gave her a surprised look.

‘You are an enigma, Five-O.’ Luke shook his head and walked off.

Grace watched him leave, wondering what he was talking to Penelope about that he was not comfortable saying in front of her. She was forming a hypothesis, but she would need to observe more interactions to tell if it was an accurate one.

‘I will guard him with my life,’ Garcia promised.

‘Thank you so much.' Grace handed over the recording glasses. 'Now I’m sorry, I know I’m your master piece but I need the remover wipes before we go.‘ Grace asked.

Garcia pouted. ‘I was hoping you’d forget. Do you like it?’

‘It looks good, but it's not really my style.’ she shrugged. ‘Actually, you did such a good job. Dr Reid didn’t recognise me.’

‘Really?’ she beamed. ‘Cause you can totally pull it off. I thought you’d like being a mysterious-’ she gestured down at the violin, ‘-violinist. Showing up unannounced with your dark eyes, pearl earrings and heels. Straight from a mystery thriller, like all sexy-’

‘-No.’ Grace said more sharply than she intended.

She quickly back tracked seeing Garcia’s hurt face; It wasn't her fault. She didn't know that word was a sore spot for her. How could she? No one knew it was, well except Rossi, and he only knew because he needed to.

Grace softened her face. ‘What I mean is, I-I’ve read Agatha Christie novels, and I know what you mean… but it's not really a character that appeals to me. I’ve had a hard time being comfortable enough to be… just me. And I know what I like, what makes me comfortable and how I dress is part of how I be me. I’m not saying I hate it, the makeup and the heels. It looks good, great even, and I don't mind it occasionally, but it just doesn't feel like me, you know?’ she explained. ‘Plus, my face is itchy.’

Garcia gave her a heart melting look of understanding and opened the draw of her desk, pulling out some make up wipes.

‘Very well, my lovely, the clock strikes midnight, but this fairy godmother will be here whenever you need a transformation. Just say the magic words.’ She held out her arms, asking for a hug. Grace stepped forward into the embrace, stooping a bit to wrap her arms around her.

‘Thank you.’ Grace did her best to return the hug, trying to tap out after three seconds.

Garcia giggled and held on tighter. ‘Nope, you’re not getting away with less than five seconds after saying something like that gorgeous girl. Come here.’

--------

Next Chapter

Taglist: @bridgeoverstrawberryfields

If you love this story or even just like it, leave a comment, like, reblog, ask a question with Character Mail, whatever, it is much appreciated and it really motivates me.

if you want to be added to taglist please comment on this post.

Sexual assault: I will try not to be graphic at all in this story, this chapter just has it mentioned as part of what the unsub does, but later chapters will have a scene at the medical examiner’s office and the next chapters will also reveal that the unsub is a necrophiliac. I will try to bookend the scenes of time stamps if you don't want to read that scene.

Horror: this is supposed to be the MGG directed ep of the season, so… sorry. Maybe just skip the first scene straight to time stamp Mt. Olivet Cemetery, DC, Monday July 17th 10:00AM.

violence, crime scene depiction: cannon typical throughout this story

kidnapping: Unsub is implied to kidnap victims and hold them for a few days.

decapitation: this is part of the unsubs M.O. a graphic reference to this is in the last line of the opening scene.

Reference to the infamous bloodlines episode: it's just mentioned in passing, don't worry.

Alzheimer's: Reid visited his mum on the weekend and she didn't recognise him.

[shellibisshe]

–oc tag game

tagged by @corvosattano @jackiesarch @marivenah @nuclearstorms @leviiackrman @nightbloodbix @chuckhansen and @queennymeria thank you all!

i think this has made it's rounds but tagging @loriane-elmuerto @jendoe @florbelles​ @unholymilf @denerims @risingsh0t @indorilnerevarine @lizzywizzy @ladysanjo @teamhawkeye @benwishaw @ghostfvcker and anyone else!

buckle up yall im going to get sappy. also super ungodly long post under the cut IM SAPPY

– favorite oc.

spencer clarke [the quarry]

i say it a lot but. she is me i am her. like actually, spencer has only been an oc for like a week and she has taken such a tight hold on my brain. I pour a lot of myself into my ocs, but i think spencer is the oc that has really gotten the most. she is the closest to a self insert i think out of all of them, she shares a lot of my behaviors and such. but she is just so fun for me to talk about (im sorry to lori and aj) and figuring her out has been such a blast.

amara owens [infamous: second son]

MISS AMARA CELESTE OWENS. I've had her for as long as i've had the fc5 clowns, or maybe even longer. Amara is an oc that makes me really happy. for a while, i never knew where i wanted to put her; i tried making her a multifandom oc but it just didn't feel right. then i played infamous: second son and it felt like everything just clicked with her. she's one of my most important ocs, no one else have i played the same game 6 times for.

marian ramos de-león [red dead redemption 2]

ms marian is also one of my oldest ocs, she's a little younger than the fc5 clowns, but she's also one of my favorites. she's another really fun character for me to think about. it was so fun to play the game and know exactly where she would be and what she would say. while i haven't done much with her canon or sadie au, making this new, spooky au for her was some of the most fun i've ever had with an oc. using concepts that i've always been a fan of but never really used has been so fun and it all clicks so well with marian

sylvie green [call of duty: modern warfare 2019]

my child whom i share custody of with lori. she has been one of my favorites for almost a year now, another one that has helped me figure out some stuff about myself, and like spencer she truly did grab onto my brain and has not let go. i never thought i'd make an oc for cod, let alone like,,,22 including side characters. half the fun has been getting to bounce ideas off of lori, and sylvie is absolutely one of those ideas. most things about her-- her name, her face, her backstory, even her ship-- are all lori's amazing ideas and i am so happy to have both of them in my life.

honorable mentions: elenore parker, hanan shepard, iseul jeong, corinne sorrell

– newest oc.

spencer clarke [the quarry]

like i said! i've only had spencer for like,,,4 days i think atp. but i love her a lot. with it being summer time here, i started thinking about the quarry again and jacob those that have been here u know i see a himbo i have to make a partner for them and decided it might be fun to make an oc for a horror game for a change! and i'm really happy i did.

jackie castillo [marvel]

more of lori's influence, seeing them talk about Asra and the rest of their marvel ocs made me want to make my own. Jackie is still a bit of a wip, but i love her all the same and i really do need to do some development on her.

blake liu [marvel]

my other marvel girlie. even more of lori's influence. Riri's roommate turned fellow kidnappee turned girlfriend. Asra's adopted daughter. Blake is so many things but everything clicks so well for her. another one i need to develop more, but i am so happy to have her as well.

thalia [assassin's creed: odyssey/origins]

thalia's some kind of phoenix-rising-from-the-ashes deal, but in a like, i scrapped one oc and made her. when i was overhauling Amara, i decided her assassin's creed au didn't really work, but i wanted an oc for odyssey so bad; so enter Thalia. she's one of my more stick in the mud characters but i still love her a lot.

honorable mentions: daphne palmer, silas kane, noah callaghan, andy kwan, rhea dawn

– oldest oc. (also; the favorites pt.2)

elenore parker [far cry 5]

you all knew she'd be here. the blueprint. the very first clown. the batshit insane queen herself. the reason i made this blog. Elle has been through a lot. and i've been through a lot at the same time. she's been there for me as a creative outlet through a lot of bullshit and i am so thankful for her. making her let me deal with some of my own trauma in a way. she's one of the only ocs that i shove into different ships and aus, and every one just works so well for her. she's gotten a bit of an overhaul recently and i'm even more happy with her now.

emily parker [far cry 5]

i can't talk about Elle without Emily. Emily is also a very self inserty character but she's also someone i wish i could be somehow. I don't lean on her as much as i lean on Elle, but i enjoy messing with her every time i do. she's an older oc, but there's still things that are up in the air about her namely if i will ever commit to shipping her with Wheaty.

margo seed [far cry 5]

Margaret Elizabeth Seed, the only oc i have argued with someone about. she was the very first ship kid, such a commanding presence; ever since making her it almost felt like she made herself if that made sense? another one that things just really clicked with; she's also my first aroace oc, and that has become very important to me. she stands on her own, she's another one that i want to be like when i grow up.

daniel seed [far cry 5]

the second ship kid. Daniel almost didn't exist, but i decided Margo could benefit from a narrative foil of sorts. he was a bit of a hassle, he was my first male oc and as such i couldn't land on a face claim for the longest time which was really frustrating for me. he and Margo are both such fun characters to write for, i love how i've managed to make them so similar and so different at the same time.

warren armstrong [far cry 5]

Warren was made at the same time, or close to the same time, as Daniel. he's the first oc that I have actually come up with a family for though, and that has become somewhat of a trend because of him. Warren took a second to really figure out, but he fits in so well with the twins and their shenanigans once i did. I don't talk about him nearly as much as i should, but he is also one of my favorites.

honorable mentions: fern solace, ashlee burrell, katherine boyer, judith burch, kennedy ryder, amara owens

– meanest oc.

ines cousland [dragon age origins]

I have a lot of violent or manipulative ocs (i think, at least), but none of them are on the level that Ines is. Ines walks around with a sort of chip on her shoulder about the world she lives in. she's composed and calculating and power hungry. she makes a lot of cruel and sort of impulsive decisions as a warden, but she is always one step ahead of those that challenge her. she knows she has enemies and she will stop at nothing to ruin their lives just for the fun of it. she's also incredibly ambitious as well; she wanted to be one of, if not the most, powerful people in Thedas, and she would stop at nothing to get herself there.

rhea dawn [fullmetal alchemist: brotherhood]

Rhea is not nearly as malicious as Ines is but she has her moments. she's not technically a villain, but she's also not really going out of her way to help the heroes either. she's never really had any second thoughts about her actions, she will take her own side before anyone else's. she knows she's one of the most powerful alchemists in the world, and if that inspires some fear then so be it.

levi choi [call of duty: modern warfare 2019]

he has to be here, but he's not really that mean compared to the two above. Levi's that friend that is always brutally honest, the one that you just want to fight sometimes because of it. he's not afraid to say what he thinks, he never writes a check that his ass can't cash, and you will hear about it if you piss him or his friends off.

honorable mentions: raina hawke, scott ryder, morgan brooks, noah callaghan, althea elowen, minerva siobhan, katherine boyer, shannon turner

– softest oc.

melanie vargas [the last of us]

Mel is another oc that got somewhat of an overhaul. when hbo tlou came out, i decided i didn't like the direction i went with her, so i scrapped it and started over. she turned out a lot softer this time, being reworked to be one of the friendliest faces of Jackson now. she is a bit more of a background character now because of her role in the universe, but i think that works out better for her.

amara owens [infamous: second son]

my favorite daughter here once again. Amara is one of the softer characters in the main cast of second son but that's not to say she's a pushover either. she would do anything for her friends, she would give anything to help a stranger. she's just one of those ocs that radiates a lot of positive energy and light.

kennedy ryder [mass effect: andromeda]

another one that's soft but is not a pushover. Kennedy would do anything to help anyone in need, but she will not let her kindness be taken advantage of by anyone. she's seen a lot, she's been through a lot, but she doesn't let it get to her. she's also the resident optimist of the gang, which can be a blessing and a curse.

nettie hayes [red dead redemption 2]

nettie, however, is too soft for her own good. maybe. she's the most optimistic oc of mine, always has her rose colored glasses on. in her mind, her world is a lot more idyllic than it is. she is a bit of a pushover as well; she can recognize when she's being screwed over but she won't do anything about it. she wears her heart on her sleeve and is probably the most sensitive of my ocs

honorable mentions: veris lavellan, bea morgan, daphne palmer, taylor ross, daniel seed

– most aloof/standofish oc.

arden [potion permit]

she's quiet, she keeps to herself, she doesn't say much. Arden's not like this because of something that's happened to her, i think you could say; moreso, it's her line of work that made her like this. Arden tries to not get attached because she knows most people she deals with will only be in her life a short period of time. most people, not all of them.

honorable mentions: rhea dawn, spencer clarke, thalia, katherine boyer, ines cousland, nadine hayek

– dumbest (affectionate) oc.

veris lavellan [dragon age: inquisition]

Veris Rila, my first inquisitor, one of the dimmest lightbulbs in my chandler but she still shines. she is the very definition of 'just trying her best.' she's smart in her own way, one that does not make sense to anyone but herself. she's also impulsive, almost out of spite at this point.

honorable mentions: daniel seed, margo seed, blythe trevelyan, silas kane

– smartest oc.

gwen khoury [uncharted]

Dr. Gwendolyn Mila Khoury, Ph.D. Gwen learns shit just for the fun of it honestly, and she will spout off if given the chance. she is incredibly, and sometimes annoyingly, curious. Gwen will pick up a new language or skill just to learn something new.

hanan shepard [mass effect]

another knowledge sponge, Hanan loves to learn about anything she can get her hands on. ship engineering, biotics, alien languages-- Hanan will find something new to learn whenever she can. and she will not hesitate to info dump on the nearest person.

andy kwan [tomb raider]

Andy! another incredibly bright mind. she's working on her masters in ecosystems ecology for much of the tomb raider shenanigans, and she uses these trips for her own personal research. she's not quite on the 'learning something new just for shits and gigs,' but that does not stop her from constantly taking in some knowledge somehow

honorable mentions: amara owens, ethan moreno, taylor ross, spencer clarke, emily parker, iseul jeong, daphne palmer, nadine hayek, alicia rossi, jules rossi, blake liu, arden

– oc you'd be friends with irl.

spencer clarke [the quarry]

we're ending where we started. i put spence in this category because i really do mean it when i said she is me. her behavior and personality is so similar to my own. she's another oc that is really someone i wish i could be like.

honorable mentions: daniel seed, taylor ross, ethan moreno, veris lavellan, blythe trevelyan, amara owens, blake liu, kennedy ryder, bea morgan

[bluestrawberrys]

Carl Grimes was suicidal:

S3-4a: After Lori’s death we see Carl slowly start to become more careless with himself i.e. running into the walker infested tombs by himself to save strangers. While the pre s4 timeskip is without conflict and with Rick spending more time with Carl as a father rather than leader gives Carl time to heal and be a kid again the beginning of season 4 quickly gets rid of that progress.

While Patricks death itself didn’t send him back on it’s own Carl wasn’t given any time to process it with having to help take care of the younger kids in quarantine, having to fend off the walkers with rick when the fence fell, before having his entire home destroyed and finding his baby sisters carrier covered in blood. 

4x09: Couldn’t bring himself to shoot Rick when he thought he’d turned, just lay down and waited knowing full well what would happen. If Rick had actually turned Carl would be dead.

s5-6: Carl continues his reckless behaviour, sneaking out of the walls, confronting Ron on his own after he just tried to kill him, luring walker Deanna to Spencer. After losing his eye he starts showing clear self-worth and self-esteem issues with him not wanting to go to hilltop and 

6x16/7x01: Carl was leaning forward in the lineup trying to get Negans attention and apart from Abraham was the only person sitting up straight and looking directly at him.

7x07: Carl had no escape plan, I don’t think he even considered trying to make one. He snuck into the sanctuary to kill negan, Carl didn’t care what happened to him as long as negan was dead. When talking to negan later that episode Carl tells negan he should kill him.

7x16: There is a deleted scene of Carl talking to Rick while they’re getting ready to fight the saviours where Carl asks Rick if he would have chopped off his arm in the clearing and whether he’s be able to right now because he might have to. Once again putting Alexandria and defeating the saviours over himself.

When Sasha was revealed to be dead Carl was the first to act, there were several people with pointing guns at him just seconds ago, who were still right behind him, while they were distracted by Sasha he’s still demonstrating a lack of concern for his own safety

s8: Carl sneaks off on his own to find Siddiq, telling no one he’s leaving let alone where he’s going, in the middle of a war let alone an apocalypse. He also shoots himself, yes he was bit but he still shot himself. 

While Chandler Riggs was recently 18 at the time of Carl’s death, season 8 takes place in May 2012, less than 2 years since s1 placing Carl’s age at 14.

This isn’t very well organised so if anyone has anything else to add feel free to reply or reblog.

[backstage-if]

Hey fend I have a bone to pick with you!

I looked at the pintrest boards and although I love Em and Spencer is still and always will be life! (Good job on the boards btw you did well! Yay!! Go you! ♥️)

Also will you consider making a list of the Ros fav movies or fav plays for me plus why they love em... pretty pleasseee 💜

but

HEY! Don't distract me!!!!!

Why are you out here making side characters hot??? Kwan, Saint and Anton have no fucking logical reason to be that attractive. My eyes are ruined now. 🙄😭 thanks for that 😑

Sorry not sorry for making hot side characters 😌 (and you maybe be able to kissy kiss with Anton, who knows what the future holds)

BUT sorry sorry sorry for the delay on the ask.

Here it goes.

C

I think C looves Sci-Fi and fantasy movies, like Star Wars and Interstellar (also, they're definitely watching Dune 2), but I choose Watermelon Woman (1996) for Cassandra and Paris Is Burning (1990) for Callahan. I can imagine them age 14, starting questioning themself, hiding under the covers to watch these in the middle of the night and still considering their fav movie to this day.

For favorite play, right now I would say The America Play by Suzan-Lori Parks, because of its themes about living in your own shoes and also bc they consider it to be challenging.

Neil

I can see Neil saying his favorite movie is something classic like 12 Angry Men (1957) (why is he always telling half-truths?), but actually having a soft spot for The Sixth Sense (1999). I just imagine him putting it on TV the following week of his mother's funeral + after his grandma returned to her house and both of his siblings ending up in the living room watching it with him bc all three of them haven't be able to sleep well.

For a play, it's Death of a Salesman by Arthur Miller, because 1) he watched it once with his parents (it's also one of his dad's favorite plays, unfortunately), 2) the themes.

Joy

I don't feel like Joy has an actual favorite movie, I think it depends on her humor and changes basically every week bc she loves movie nights with friends and/or with her cat. The most recent one would be Boogie Nights (1997) because of vibes ✨️ and also Julianne Moore.

For play, it's The Importance of Being Earnest by Oscar Wilde. She wrote an analysis on it for college and now believes it's a classic for a reason. Same as movies, Joy's favorites changes for time to time, but this still holds the first place (for years now).

Spencer

Spencer has a lot of movies they consider close to heart, but some recent ones are Garoto/Kid (2015) and Sound of Metal (2019). They are captivated by the acting and the themes (they think a lot about feeling unnable to do what they love and about death, probably more than would be healthy).

I think Spencer likes a lot of plays, but never actually stopped to choose a favorite one. Right now, their answer would probably be Little Shop of Horrors, because of the combo themes + music + pratical effects + they did it once right after they started acting (as ensemble) and have good memories of it.

A

A watches a bunch of movies with their mom when she has free time, so they have multiple favorites to choose from. Right off the bat, Ameera would say Lady Vengeance (2005) and Adarsh would choose Memories of Murder (2003), simply because these are movies they really enjoyed and think about rewatching from time to time (unusual for them, who prefer to discover new movies).

Now, for play it would be Spring Awakening, because no one can convince A not to choose a musical. It's a dream role for them and one of the reasons they decided to quit ballet and choose theater (not as dramatic as it sounds, more like.... it help them realize it seemed interesting and challenging and captivating in a way they didn't feel like ballet did anymore).

[monsterkong]

Kimberly Spencer: How Changing Your Story Can Change Your Life

Hey Tumblr fam! 🌟 I just had to share this amazing episode from Business Story of the Week with you. Joshua Lori hosted Kimberly Spencer—entrepreneur, high-performance coach, and TEDx speaker. Her journey is truly inspiring, and she dropped some wisdom that’s too good to keep to myself!

The Story You Tell Yourself Matters

Kimberly’s story isn’t just about business success—it’s about personal triumph over adversity. Growing up, Kimberly faced a tough home life. Her father struggled with alcoholism, and by the age of four, Kimberly was already witnessing the harsh realities of addiction. Despite this, she was a creative, outgoing kid with a natural entrepreneurial spark (seriously, she sold glitter water! 💧✨).

But, as Kimberly shared, trauma took its toll. She suffered from selective mutism and spent years battling bulimia. It wasn’t until she left that environment and started building her own life that she realized the stories she told herself—about being broken, a victim—weren’t true. She could change her story, and by doing so, she changed her life.

Flipping the Drama Triangle

Kimberly’s philosophy centers around what she calls "radical ownership." 🚀 This means taking full responsibility for your actions, even when things go wrong. Most of us get stuck in what she calls the "Drama Triangle"—either playing the victim, the villain, or the hero. But Kimberly teaches her clients to flip this triangle, turning victims into creators, villains into challengers, and heroes into coaches. 💡

For example, Kimberly’s own story with her father is a powerful testament to this. After years of trying to "save" him, she set boundaries, and her father remained sober for the last four years of his life. It was a healing process for both of them, and it all started with Kimberly taking radical ownership of her role.

Rewrite Your Own Story

If you’ve ever felt like your past is holding you back, Kimberly’s message is clear: you can rewrite your story. It starts with owning your part and making conscious decisions that align with the life you want to live. You’ve got this! 💪

Want to learn more from Kimberly? Check out CrownYourself.com or CommunicationQueens.com for more on how she’s helping leaders flip their stories and transform their lives.

Let’s rewrite our stories together, one conscious choice at a time. 😊💖 #RewriteYourStory #RadicalOwnership #BusinessStoryOfTheWeek

[dear-indies]

Hello, I was wondering if you could help me with three fc's? They are Flora, Fauna, and Merryweather from Sleeping Beauty, and I am for a variety of races. In my mind, Flora would be in her late 50's to early 60's, Fauna in her mid to late 40's, and Merryweather in her 30's. Thanks a bunch!

Flora:

Elaine Miles (1960) Cayuse and Nez Perce.

Joanna Scanlan (1961)

Thembsie Matu (1966) Xhosa South African.

Ruby Rodriguez (1966) Filipino [including Spanish] - has grey hair!

Fauna:

Kaliko Kauahi (1974) Kānaka Maoli and Japanese.

Ty Alexander (1974) African-American - has grey hair!

Brooke Elliott (1974)

Keala Settle (1975) Māori.

Lori Beth Denberg (1976)

Michelle Buteau (1977) Haitian [African, some Lebanese] / French, Jamaican [African, Indian, possibly other].

Frenchie Davis (1979) African-American.

Fortune Feimster (1980) - is a lesbian.

Chrissy Metz (1980)

Merryweather:

Beth Ditto (1981) - is queer - has spoken up for Palestine!

JB The First Lady / Jerilynn Webster (1984) Nuxalk, Onondaga.

Meghan Tonjes (1985)

Essie Golden (1986) African-American.

Nicole Byer (1986) African-American - "doesn't identify as straight" but is uncomfortable with the labels.

Da'Vine Joy Randolph (1986) African-American.

Amber Riley (1986) African-American.

Aidy Bryant (1987)

Gia Sinatra (1987)

Shay Neary (1987/1988) - is trans.

Brooke Markham (1988)

Brittney Spencer (1988) African-American.

Britney Young (1988) African-American / White.

Rosey Blair (1988)

Melanie Field (1988) - is queer.

Sharon Rooney (1988)

Cai Cortez (1988) Filipino.

Mary Lambert (1989) - is a lesbian - has spoken up for Palestine!

B.K. Cannon (1990)

Steph Tisdell (1990) Yidinji - has spoken up for Palestine!

Sophia Nomvete (1990) Black South African and Iranian - has period resources in The Rings of Power.

Megan Stalter (1990) - is bisexual.

Jessica Torres (1991) Ecuadorian - has spoken up for Palestine!

Thais Carla (1991) Brazilian.

Raven Goodwin (1992) African-American.

Raini Rodriguez (1993) Mexican.

Natasha Polis (1994) - Instagram is full of her in pretty dresses!

Hey anon! Here are some suggestions of all the fat/plus people I know in said age range. 💌

[jackstanleyroberts]

The Cast of the Extended Cut of the Scream franchise Part 2

Aloha everybody, sorry for the delay because i was starting part 2 of the storyline of the Extended Cut of the Scream franchise, but i'll be starting part 2 of the Extended Cut of the Scream franchise. What if Neve Campbell is shown up the 6th installment without pay dispute? But if you liked part 1, here's part 2 of the cast of the Extended Cut of the Scream franchise.

Synopsis: The four survivors of the Ghostface attacks & their new friends leave Woodsboro & headed to New York for a fresh start. Soon they're all about finding themselves in the fight of their lives when a another killer starts a bloody rampage & the other survivors also find themselves in a plot where nobody is safe & beyond suspicion.

Scream VI (Extended Cut) Cast:

Melissa Barrera as Sam Carpenter

Jenna Ortega as Tara Carpenter

Mason Gooding as Chad Meeks-Martin

Jasmin Savoy Brown as Mindy Meeks-Martin

Jack Roberts (me) as Terrence William "Terry" Watkins

Chosen Jacobs as Lawrence James "Larry" Watkins

Meg Donnelly as Lexi Hicks

Olivia Scott Welch as Wendy Hicks

Jacob Bertrand as William "Will" Hicks

Jackson Brundage as Frederick "Fred" Hicks

Emily Rudd as Carrie Tatum Riley-Weathers

Isabelle Fuhrman as Rebecca "Becca" Bishop

Braeden Lemasters as Matthew Bishop

Deja Monique Cruz as Laura "Lori" Sanchez

Ysa Penarejo as Miranda Rodriguez

Joshua Bassett as Connor "Cash" Conway

Joey King as Yvonne Conway

Ross Lynch as Ronald "Rory" Williams

Jade Pettyjohn as Graceland "Grace" Prescott

Emily Meade as Elena Connors

Sophia Lillis as Grace-Lynn "Gracie" Moore

Kathryn Newton as Kathleen "Kathy" Williamson

Julia Rehwald as Katherine "Katie" Jones

Melissa Collazo as Isabella "Izzy" Yales

Hayden Byerly as Damien "Dame" Yales

Akiel Julien as Malik Hubar

Karan Brar as Craig Karbar

Odessa A'zion as Susan Winters

Violett Beane as Eleanor "Ellie" Winters

Madison Davenport as Gabrielle "Gabby" Stafford

Talitha Eliana Bateman as Yolanda Preston

Gabriel Bateman as Philip "Phil" Preston

Megan Stott as Kimberly "Kim" Watson

Charlie Plummer as Samuel Johnathan "Sam" Kincaid

Katherine Langford as Jennifer Annie "Jenny" Kincaid

Rachel Zegler as Emily Jones

Annalise Basso as Andrea Lewis

Jodelle Ferland as Joanna Thompson

Rachel Fox as Angela Stewart

Mackenzie Foy as Luna Stewart

Jimmy Bennett as Andrew "Andy" Anderson

Mickeey Nguyen as Sylvester Bradford

Brandon Soo Hoo as Takahashi Bradford

Courtney Cox as Gale Weathers

Hayden Panettiere as Kirby Reed

Neve Campbell as Sidney Prescott

Joe Keery as Johnny Landry

Jack Champion as Ethan Landry

Dermot Mulroney as Wayne Bailey

Liana Liberato as Quinn Bailey

Logan Lerman as Quentin Bailey

Judah Lewis as Derek Shepherd

Brec Bassinger as Lillian "Lilly" Davis

Jessica Stroup as Riley Davis

Michael Rainey Jr. as Anthony "Anton" Mercer

Peyton Elizabeth Lee as Susie Kayoko

Havana Rose Liu as Hannah Kayoko

Devyn Nekoda as Anika Kayoko

Josh Segarra as Danny Brackett

Kiernan Shipka as Danielle "Dani" Brackett

Anthony Ramos as Nicholas "Nick" Rodriguez

Rachel Sennott as Theresa "Tree" Hicks

Ed Speleers as Alexander "Alex" Miller

Madison Iseman as Alexandra "Allie" Miller

Spencer Locke as Ellen Hoffman

Brianne Tju as June Dawson

Denyse Tontz as Laura Morris

Holland Roden as Gloria Smith

Addison Rae as Natalie Foster

Emily Alyn Lind as Audrey Owens

Sarah Bolger as Simone Martin

Elizabeth McLaughlin as Jessie Crane

Finn Wolfhard as Stanley Lance "Stan" Williams

Natalie Alyn Lind as Natasha Longwood

Taylor Russell as Holly McDaniel

Paige Hurd as Hayley McDaniel

Logan Miller as Lincoln Jefferson

Emily Tennant as Cynthia Cooper

Tequan Richmond as Maurice Lakewood

Zac Godspeed as Tyler Ferguson

Daniel Sharman as Kurt Parker

Jordan Elsass as Taylor Ferguson

Emma Roberts as Jillian "Jill" Roberts

Samantha Boscarino as Elaine Williams

India Eisley as Alivia Williams

Milo Manheim as Zackary "Zack" Feldman

Stefanie Scott as Caroline "Carol" Feldman

Anna Sawai as Alexis Williams

Haley Lu Richardson as Bethany "Beth-Ann" Lewis

Mekai Curtis as Reginald "Reggie" Stark

Kaia Gerber as Taylor Swanson

Jeremy Ray Taylor as Maurice Thompson

Wyatt Oleff as Wyatt Matthews

Jaz Sinclair as Jordan Harris

Jaeden Martell as Landon Andrews

Skeet Ulrich as Billy Loomis

Benjamin Flores Jr. as Edward Baker

Fred Henchinger as Darren Blake

Tony Revolori as Jason Carvey

Samara Weaving as Laura Crane

Henry Czerny as Dr. Christopher Stone

Roger L. Jackson as the voice of Ghostface

The storyline of this (The Extended Cut of Scream VI) is coming soon after this.

Stay Tuned!

[dr-spencer-reids-queen]

3rd Life: Part Two

Pairing: Spencer Reid x Female!Reader

Word Count: ~1.8k

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 is 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

You quickly escape the corner you're backed into and see Rossi exiting the bedroom. You quickly get behind him, and this action does not go unnoticed by him. Derek and Spencer exit the bedroom a second later to talk to Jack.

"This doesn't look much like a home. State-of-the-art security system, but the furniture looks rented. The walls are bare of any real art. The shelves are devoid of any family photos."

"The spyware wipes your computer file history daily," you speak up and avoid eye contact with Jack.

"What are you getting at, Agent?" Pat asks.

"In the recording, Katie said what you'd expect of any teenager about to die. She begged for her life. Lindsey did exactly the opposite."

"Which is what?" Jack asks, his face stoic.

You're scared of Jack, but you know he won't try anything with four other FBI agents in the house.

"Lindsey's emotional response and the words that she chose to say in a situation as violent as the one she faced strongly suggests--"

"Look," Rossi takes over, tired of how you're dancing around the subject. "Lindsey was either coached or she's experienced sexual abuse before."

"You son of a bitch!" This is the first time you're seeing any emotion come out of Jack. He lunges at Rossi to attack him, but Pat holds him back. "No! Let me go!"

Pat and Jack struggle, causing the back of Pat's shirt to rise. There is a gun stuffed between his back and his pants, and everyone on your team takes out your own guns to get them to calm down.

"Gun! Put your hands where I can see them, both of you! Do not move!" Derek yells.

Pat and Jack freeze and hold their hands up, scared one of you might actually shoot them. Jack goes back to his calm and collected facade while Pat does all the talking.

"Stop! Okay? Okay, just calm down. I'm gonna reach into my pocket, and I'm gonna take out a badge. Just calm down." He does so and retrieves a badge to show. "United States Marshal. Jack and Lindsey are under my authority."

"Which is what?"

"Witness protection."

This is something new, so you have to call Hotch down so he can decide on what to do. He will be over as soon as he can, and you're not going to do anything until he gets there. It takes him an hour to get to Jack's house, and you can sense the panic coming from Lori and Bruce who live across the street from Jack.

"What's going on?" Hotch asks when he finally arrives.

"Jack's been in witness protection for the last ten years. Must be really important."

"Why didn't you tell us immediately?"

"Because he's a state witness whose identity needs to be protected at all costs," Pat answers. "You know, Jack, this may not have anything to do with--"

"With what? His past?" Rossi interrupts.

"Jack, every person in this room, with the exception of him, is here for your daughter."

"If this does have anything to do with me, they'll be coming out of Boston. Irish-American. Two or more men," Jack sighs.

"Let's get them back to the station and keep them there until this is over," Hotch orders.

"Hey, you know, you have no idea who or what you're dealing with here."

"Then enlighten me or stay out of my way."

Pat is at a loss for words at how Hotch is treating him. You and Derek escort Pat and Jack out of their home where Lori and Bruce can see them clearly. Because of this, they are upset at the fact that Jack might have something to do with their daughter's death.

"He's under arrest?" Bruce asks, first confused then angry.

"No, he's not under arrest. Mr. Owen, please don't make this harder than it is," Emily begs.

"You're lying to me. Jack?"

"Mr. Owen, please calm down."

You can feel how anxious he is, and it's not helping you. You have to take a few deep breaths and let it pass over you instead of letting it settle in.

"Let go of me. What's going on? I want to know what he did to my Katie."

"Okay, first you need to calm down--"

"Don't tell me to calm down. Why are you arresting him?" Bruce demands.

"Sir, we're just asking him questions. That's it."

"Jack! If you had anything to do with this, I swear, I will kill you!" Bruce yells, causing Lori to start crying.

Jack does the smart thing and doesn't say anything to him. Him and Pat are taken to the police station, and once you know that Bruce has calmed down, you head to the police station yourself. There is an empty conference room that Jack and Pat are staying in, and that's where they are going to stay until the morning. You need them to stew for a bit before talking to them.

Right before dawn, Hotch grabs Penelope on the line and joins you and Rossi who are off to the side watching Jack and Pat.

"Garcia. I need you to check flights for the last seventy-two hours into San Diego, Orange County, and private airports as well. We're looking for one or two men, possibly Irish, out of Boston."

"Got it."

"Check motels, hotels, car rentals, and everything you can."

"I've interviewed hundreds of killers," Rossi says when Hotch hangs up on Penelope. "All types of crazy motives for doing what they did. They all share one thing in common. All of them. It's in their eyes. Until what they hold most precious is gone, and then they're lost. Just like the rest of us."

You leave Hotch and Rossi to talk to themselves to join Derek and Emily who have walked inside the room where Jack and Pat are. You've given them enough time to think about what they're going to say.

"Who do you work for?" Hotch asks Jack.

Looks like he followed you in as well.

"The Mccrelan Corporation from Boston."

"I love how you guys sell that. By 'corporation', you mean the mob, don't you?" Derek asks.

"No one's been able to get anything on them," Pat sighs, answering Derek's question.

"That's because they murdered anyone who was a threat to them, civilians and cops alike."

"Is that what you did, Jack?" you ask. "Did you eliminate the threat? Do those pills help the memories, or do they just hide the real Jack?"

"The only thing that keeps me alive is Lindsey," he says truthfully.

"What they did to Katie, do you think that was a message to you?"

"If it is, it's working."

"Do you recognize the method?"

"I didn't send messages. I just went straight to the source."

"In two weeks' time, the Mccrelan brothers will face trial," Pat reveals.

The door opens and detective Payton pops his head in.

"You were right. We just found something in an abandoned house."

"Lindsey?"

"Where, exactly?" Hotch ignores Jack.

"Here. On the outskirts of town."

"It's still in the comfort zone. It means the unsubs are local. Still here," you say knowing Payton was going to ask about it.

"Let's go," Hotch nods.

"Agent Hotchner. Whatever you find, I want to see her," Jack says.

You leave with the team to head to the place where the body was found. It's in an abandoned town, not just a house. There are a bunch of buildings to search through, but you already know which cluster of buildings is the one that holds the body. You can see the energy in and around the houses.

"What is it to the dump site, five miles?" Hotch guesses.

"Six point two miles south," Spencer corrects.

"Why? Why didn't they dump Katie's body on the other side of town and risk heading out on the open road while everyone was out looking for the girls?"

"Something forced them to move on. Let's search the houses."

You lead the group to the cluster of houses you know the most activity happened in. Almost immediately, you can smell the blood as soon as you enter the house. It's carpeted, but the floor reeks of blood.

"Katie's cell phone," Emily says when she locates the phone in the living room.

"Look at the footprints here. It's two different kinds. Could mean there are more than two unsubs. Jack did say there'd be two of them."

"There's cigarette butts everywhere. For professionals, this is a real mess."

There are multiple beer and liquor bottles with DNA on them, no doubt. In the other room is a belt that you believe was used to strangle Katie. This could very well be the place where Katie died. Too much energy is lingering behind for you to make a definitive decision about that.

"You'd think they'd just want to do the job and move on."

"They're sending a message. Why obliterate the ID and hide the body? Why not go straight to the source?"

"Garcia checked all the names against the ICE database and nothing. Katie and Lindsey may have left the movie theater of their own free will, but they sure didn't count on coming here."

"So, this has nothing to do with the mob?"

The blood trail leads outside on the back patio, and you follow it outside.

"Hey, guys, this blood trail goes all the way out the back here. Must have run out this way."

"Maybe it was Lindsey," Emily suggests.

"It's not Lindsey," you state. In front of you is a man lying on the ground who is close to dying. He is clutching his side as he struggles to get away. "There's a man here. Looks like a high school student. He got stabbed based on how he is moving. He's around here somewhere, I can feel it."

"Okay, spread out. Search the grounds and every house," Hotch orders.

You already know he is going to want you with him, so you use that victim and let him lead you to where he is. You enter the third house down from where the blood trail is, and see blood on the carpet. The trail leads upstairs, and you're the one to follow it. At the top of the stairs, just right into the right bedroom, is a dead body. You gasp and walk inside carefully as if the body will sit up and talk to you.

"Guys, the last house on the left, second floor. We've got something," Hotch says.

The rest of the team joins you inside the house, and you examine the body in front of you. It's the same person as you saw outside the other house. He must have tried to run away but came inside a house when he knew he was dying.

"He was stabbed three times," Hotch says after loosely examining him.

"Look at the scratch marks on his face. They're also on both of his arms, and his hand has a bite mark. These are all defensive wounds. At some point for him, things got out of hand and he wanted out. Whoever he was with wasn't about to let that happen."

"He makes a run for it and gets stabbed in the process. It's dark. They can't find him. They think he's gone to the police and they have to think fast, so they take katie and they dump her across town."

"To maintain some amount of control, they take Lindsey. This is one of our unsubs. We just need to find his friends," you finish.

x

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

[twdmusicboxmystery]

8-Ball Symbolism and Daryl's Characterization

@galadrieljones

I was rewatching the fight scene from Still last night to try and grab some drawing references and I was reminded of Daryl’s pool references (left corner, eightball). Other than Spencer and Negan in season 7, are there any other pool references in the series you can remember off the top of your head?

@wdway

Nothing immediately has come to mind other than what you mentioned regarding pool. I'll keep it in the back of my mind in case something pops up. Refresh my memory would you, when in Still does Daryl say, left corner, eightball? In the game of pool isn't the 8 ball the last ball that goes in, it ends the game. If it goes in accidentally during the game then that's the game, it's ended. I'm just thinking that Beth was shot in episode 8, her game was ended and in many ways so had Daryl's. And if Daryl actually said left corner, well you know me, I'm always talking about left=Beth.

@galadrieljones

I think he says “Top Left, eight ball.” I’m pretty sure but I should go back and check. I know it was left, just not sure if it’s left corner or top left or too left corner.

And yeah sinking the eight ball ends the game.

Magic eight balls are also a thing, like telling the future

@twdmusicboxmystery

I remember doing a post forever ago about 8 ball symbolism. I believe Eugene makes an 8 ball reference in 6x01. It’s one of the black and white flashbacks and he’s talking about Operation Lead the Walkers Away, but I don’t remember his exact wording

Found it:

Eugene: “It’d help disperse the force of impact and direct the walkers clean. Like a pool table. Eight ball, corner pocket.”

@galadrieljones

Thanks, @twdmusicboxmystery, I’m gonna check this out asap!!

@wdway

Thanks for the link to your post on Eugene's 8 Ball reference. I always enjoy re-reading your posts. I also read bethgreeneprevails post that you gave a link to. I know you guys will be shocked at this, but I fell into a rabbit hole while reading her side tunnel rant about Beth's and Carol's conversation about Daryl in s3e9 The Suicide King. Over the years we've discussed this conversation between Carol and Beth many, many times. The general thought among TD'er is that it indicates that Beth might have had a crush on Daryl. I'm not saying anything new here.

What I want to talk about is that this time in reviewing the conversation it gave me major Deja Vu feelings about the conversation between Leah and Daryl in Find Me. In TSK Beth is upset at Daryl for choosing his brother over her/them/TF. In the next episode, s3e8 Home, Daryl realizes that he had made a mistake in going off with Merle and in the end, he realizes that he needs to go home, back to where he belongs, back to TF.

This is roughly what happened in Find Me. Leah is upset because Daryl is going to leave her and go search for his brother, she wants him to stay with her, she tells him he belongs with her. He leaves. At the end of the episode, he's rethinking what he has done, and he returns to the cabin, but she's just gone.

In Home, he returns to where he belongs with the people he belongs with. In Find Me, he returns but the person that he believes he should be with is gone. Is this a foreshadowing of him returning to the person who he truly belongs with, and that person will be there when he finds her, or she finds him? Is this what I call back shadowing, to remind us of where he does belong. The other thing about these two episodes from s3, TSK and Home, is that Rick is having hallucinations about Lori. He was seeing Lori, but he didn't see the true Lori, what he saw was a made-up version of Lori dressed in white. It wasn’t true to who Lori really was. We could say the same thing about Daryl not seeing Leah for who she really was.

@galadrieljones

Okay great catch on the parallels with TSK/Home and Find Me. I love that!

@wdway

The other thing that ties this all together with Beth is that this is the first episode that we see the same license tag number on the white and black jeep with the pink, yes, I'm Sirius, I said pink, dog carrier, strap to the top of the vehicle. The same license tag number that we saw on the black car, white cross that took Beth in Alone.

@galadrieljones

Also I read both posts as well and found them really interesting. The red cue ball being #3 was very interesting. I was also interested in the inverse red stripe cue ball being #11. I really love your analysis of the 8ball as being “endgame,” and all the 8s around Beth at Grady.

The ouroboros is also often depicted as an 8 in the series—re: Alpha’s belt buckle and the symbol on Teddy’s box—indicating the mantra “The end is the beginning” which is a thematic parallel to the notion of a coda. We see the ouroboros in the episode of Fear which revolves around John Dorie Sr. being unable to rest until he finds the body of a dead girl from many years ago which turns out to be essentially hidden in the walls.

When Daryl calls the 8ball in Still, he misses. He’s drunk and screwing around but still. Beth then immediately goes and kills the walker. Daryl is bummed out because “we was having fun,” and Beth calls him a jackass who’s running from his feelings and this is how the fight takes off. Because killing them isn’t supposed to be fun. If you call the 8ball, you better sink it. Idk what I’m saying other than that Daryl, despite calling the endgame, can’t finish the game by himself. Beth finishes it for him because he is for whatever reason blinded.

@wdway

The car was on the Yellow Jacket Creek Bridge.

@galadrieljones

So this is the first time we see it?

@wdway:

Yes, that is the first time we see that tag. On the Jeep with the pink dog/Sirius carrier. We saw the tag number in s3e10 Home, s4e13 Alone, s4e15 Us, s5e5 Self-Help (white school bus) and s5e7 Crossed.

In the post by Bethgreeneprevails she talks a lot about the numbers 8 and 3. She then gave a link to other people's thoughts on the 8 ball and the number 3. One of them, I can't remember which had talked about how they hoped that it was foreshadowing that Daryl and Beth would be reunited in s8e3. We know that didn't happen. I'm because I'm so excited to tell you about s8e3, I think you guys are going to love this I know I did. S8e2 Mercy and S8e3 Monsters were both written by Matthew Negrete and Channing Powell. At the end of the episode Mercy, we saw in the background the same painting with Rick in the frame as seen in the episode Still. We also saw a character that had gone missing/left in s1 return. He was also in a scene at the beginning of e3, just before Daryl killed him. By the way guess who wrote s7e8 Hearts Still Beating, that's right, Matthew Negrete and Channing Powell. The same writers that wrote Inmates and Slabtown. I'm sure it's all a coincidence and not related in any way. Not.

@galadrieljones

I remember the 8.3 revelation for sure, mostly via frangi and the painting with the cranes and how they communicate with the one/one t-shirt that Noah wore. To me that is a lot of intricate connection that cannot be coincidence alone. I love that Powell wrote Hearts Still Beating. She wrote it also with our guy Matthew Negrete. I actually love that episode even tho it’s a horrible turn for Daryl. It just seems like it’s embedded with a lot of important global imagery. We see the chess pieces and references that tie Dwight to the crusades and the Seventh Seal, a reference that comes back in Alaska when he is stricken with bubonic plague (and finds his true love). The peanut butter, too. Hearts still beating reminds me of Carol telling Daryl in Them “You’re not dead.” It also reminds me of Beth telling Daryl that he has to let it go “or it kills you…here” and touches her hand to her heart.

@twdmusicboxmystery

Wow! This is so great! I knew if I sent you guys that link, you'd find new stuff! I've been so tired the past few days (work has been crazy) my brain just hasn't been firing on all cylinders.

I had never thought to connect the events of Home (my fav episode of S3) to Find Me. That's genius. And it just goes to show that we're right about the writers revisitng earlier story lines and making them new and continuous for the characters. Gimple WAS working on the show in S3, but as mostly a junior writer, still. Even though I'm sure the show runner had some idea where he THOUGHT he was going with things, he was ultimately fired for cutting back and forth, killing off characters for no reason other than shock value, and basically giving everyone whip lash.

And it's interesting, because it just feels like fate. Merle was supposed to survive S3, originally. He was Daryl's brother. That's why they did this storyline. The actors, the network, and even the fans were way disappointed when he died, because he was just starting to finally get his redemption, and people were loving his character by that point. Both for himself, and for Daryl, I'm sure. But with Merle gone, they made the very conscious choice to make Rick "his brother" in S4. Ever since then, every time we see Daryl searching for his brother and changing his mind about something, it's always about Rick.

But throwing Leah into the mix shows that Beth will ultimately be in there somewhere, too. I think it's VERY possible that Daryl goes to France searching for Rick. As we've discussed, he has a specific mission, and maybe it's that he hears some hint of Rick and is following information to where he might be. But along the way, he runs into Beth. As someone pointed out above, that's exactly what happens in Find Me, which was clearly one huge foreshadow. He was searching, along a body of water no less, for Rick, and he found Leah. Via Dog (Sirius).

Anyway, I'm rambling. You both know all this. I just really love the connections here. Just working them out in my own mind. ;D Can't wait for October!!!

@galadrieljones

I read something about 18miles Out as being Gimple’s first real showing as a writer on TWD. The entire fight with Rick and Shane opposing the quiet action with Beth back at the farm was his idea. Homecomes just before Clear, which is all Gimple’s and definitely an early symbolism hotbed as well as the episode that establishes Morgan as Gimple’s “prophet.” Clear is also the episode when Michonne and Rick bring back Daryl’s new crossbow which I think has major meaning for his development.

Home I think shows that the writers had bigger plans for Daryl. He became a real lead. I definitely think it’s safe to say that Gimple was at least present enough at this point to have some ideas for what he wanted the future of his beats and of the show to look like. I am assuming that’s how you get made into a showrunner. You have a vision.

I really do like the idea that he’s looking for Rick and finds something else, which takes him on an unexpected journey to learn more about Beth and even find her.

We already have an indication that he’ll find another Beth lookalike, only this time instead of a mercenary psychopath who works for a “pope,” he will meet a nun. I can’t imagine that not being purposeful. Leah led Daryl down a winding path away from his family and his true mission.

Will Isabelle lead him on the path back to them? Will he finally learn his true mission? Many ppl in the GA do assume he is looking for Rick and they seem to view a reunion with Rick as Daryl’s ultimate endgame. But I don’t see that. Ricks endgame isn’t Daryl, it’s Michonne. Why would Daryl’s be Rick? That does a disservice to Daryl.

I think finding Rick would be important to Daryl but “he deserves his own happy ending.” I have to believe that doesn’t just mean finding Rick again. Rick is Judith’s happy ending, and I think Judith recognizes this when she says, “Thanks for looking for my parents but you need to find your endgame, too.” Daryl and Rick went their separate ways long ago. Finding Rick will only allow Daryl to bring him back to Judith. It won’t solve Daryl’s emptiness or unhappiness. He was empty well before he lost Rick. This discussion makes me start to understand the purpose of 10c much more and to see just how far out ahead of things they really were.

@wdway

Both Scott Gimple and Glenn Mazzara are listed as writers for 18 Miles Out. I know this is probably silly but it occurred to me last night that 18 Miles Out, was such a huge episode for Beth in her importance in the story going forward. 30 Days Without An Accident (another Gimple episode) was another beginning of a major arc for Beth. I'm thinking we need more episodes with numbers in the titles, haha.

@galadrieljones

(As I was typing endgame above I started thinking of the 8ball again. Getting to that 8ball.)

@wdway

Guys, I was excited to make the connection between Carol, Beth's conversation and the ties with the storyline of Leah. It definitely helped me with more understanding why Leah even existed. I can't believe we didn't see this earlier. You never know what's going to spark a thought, a connection, that's why going back and reading older post is important. I want to speak to both of y'all thoughts about Daryl initially searching for Rick in the spin-off. I am open to it although I don't have any strong feeling either way, to tell you the truth.

What I came away with after connecting Carol/Beth's conversation with Leah's and Daryl in both s3 Home and s10 Find Me, in both episodes it was about Daryl searching for his brother, his biological one and then his chosen one. He walked away from his family in order to do that. At the end of episode Home, Daryl comes to realize that he deserves his own life, that it is time to pursue his own happiness, his own destiny and by doing so he's not abandoning his brother's, he is simply putting himself first. That is how I perceive the storyline going in the spin-off. Daryl will finally realize he needs to put his own desires before that of finding Rick. I can also see Carol helping Daryl as a bit of payback for all the times that he had had Carol's back when she was trying to escape from her problems or situations.

@galadrieljones

It’s a perfect analysis of a Daryl’s character and I agree 100%. I think that if Daryl does go off in search of Rick it will end up like you said, which is very close to what I said I think, ie: he can’t make finding his brother be his entire life’s purpose and mission. He needs his own purpose and his own mission. The idea of searching is essential to who Daryl is and all of his struggles. It may even be that he needs to resist this time. And that it’s the moment he finally chooses to stop searching altogether that he finally finds what he’s looking for (love). In the teaser he says, “I went out looking for something, and all I found was trouble.” This is ALWAYS true. It’s true in Chupacabra, in Consumed, in Find Me, and now. Daryl’s story about how no one came to search for him in the woods when he was a kid is proving to be his most defining moment.

I wanted to quickly add to that I think a big part of Daryl’s characterization, that he is a compulsive provider, always worried about others and never himself, has in some ways colored the GA’s perception of him. They still see him as existing only in service to Rick. They can’t imagine him on an independent mission that revolves around finding something that’s just for him.

@wdway

Well put. I think we're all on the same page. I just wanted to point out that I believe a lot of the purpose of the episode Find Me was as a call back (which we totally did not get until now) to season 3 TSK/Home. That those episodes were not only foreshadowing to Find Me, but also to the spin-off.

@wdway

Daryl has always been the better friend, not only to Carol but to Rick than they have been to him. And they have come to really take him for granted that their needs and desires were more important than his. This is always been a pet peeve for me because Beth is the only one that we ever saw asking Daryl about himself, about comparing dreams, no one else has done that. That's why I hope with Carol joining him that the whole purpose would be for Daryl's goals and his happiness.

@galadrieljones

Well said. I couldn’t agree more.

[raedioactive]

(For Robin)

🎯 -What do they do best? 🥊 -What do they love to do? What do they hate to do? ❤️ - What is one of your OC’s best memories? 💀 - Does your OC have any phobias?

uhhhhh lemme see

1. She plays the violin. Like Lori, yes.

2. She loves to tease Spencer, play the violin, mess around like a silly little guy and A U T I S M, and she hates household chores, especially washing up bc of all the lil gunky food bits

3. Her childhood with her parents and siblings, before the SC.

4. Failure, claustrophobia and being watched.