#if anyone has anymore thoughts on this id love to hear them

[astrocarbon]

my department just hired a new faculty and he seems fine and all but of course I got curious what information i can get from his CV that shows his character

so i went down to the service and outreach section and it was just...... basic? like ok you mentored a few summer research students and you served on some department committees... but nothing that showed deep investment in DEI issues.

and again, this is just his CV and this guy is obviously a complex three dimensional human being whom I have yet to meet. nothing against him. but it was just a reminder that as long as you're clearly not an asshole, it really is just the research and the science (and institutional elitism.....) that matter. all this DEI service is just a distraction if your real goal is tenure track.

and of course DEI is good of course I'll continue doing it. i am a minority, so of course i'll do what I can to help other minorities there's no question about it. but I guess i don't like the reality that trying to be a good person wont help my career. it'll hurt my career if i spend too much time doing service for others. If my number one goal was to become tenured faculty, I would not do any DEI work at all. At least not any meaningful work.

[pluckyredhead]

“I have larger thoughts about how DC has kind of written themselves into a hole with Jason and now he's stuck in this limbo that's unsatisfying to everyone which is why so many Jason fans are mad all the time, but that's for another ask.”

🤓 Do tell…

Okay, let's see if I can do this in less than a thousand words!

So Jason, at his core, represents a challenge to Bruce's ideology, right? Bruce's #1 rule is No Killing, and Jason's basic idea is: "That doesn't work. Some villains are bad enough that they have to be killed for the greater good." (There's something very funny about Jason, famously undead, thinking killing stops ANYONE in the DCU, but we'll leave that aside for now.) This is a really interesting ethical quandary to throw Bruce's way, and by having it voiced by his beloved son, his greatest failure, his second most profound tragedy, it becomes a deeply thorny emotional problem as well as an ethical problem. That's all great.

The problem is, DC can't allow Jason to be right, for two reasons:

Batman must always be right and must always win.

...I mean, come on. They can't actually publish a story advocating for a traumatized 19-year-old with assault weapons to be the arbiter of who lives and who dies, that's nonsense. I love Jason but really.

The problem with that is, Jason is a major recurring character.

UTRH works great in a vacuum. But if Jason is showing up in a comic every month, or even just a few times a year, this central conflict has to be addressed, and the options for doing that are limited:

Bruce and Jason fight and Jason wins. DC will never let this happen. (And what would "Jason wins" even look like, honestly? He's not going to kill Bruce.)

Bruce and Jason fight and Bruce wins. They've done this a bunch (sometimes with Dick in place of Bruce), but Jason fans don't want to see him repeatedly getting his ass kicked while being lectured, and frankly it doesn't make Bruce look great either.

Bruce allows Jason to kill people. This can't happen either; it would be wildly out of character for Bruce, not to mention literally everyone in the Batfamily. They are all canonically pretty opposed to murder.

Jason continues to operate however he wants, but outside of Bruce's reach/jurisdiction. As wretched as RHATO was, I actually think it was a smart decision to keep most of the action outside of Gotham, because then we can pretend Bruce doesn't know what Jason's up to, just like we pretend Clark couldn't super-hear everything in Gotham and save Bruce's ass every single night without breaking a sweat. The problem here is that it means Jason is unavailable for the kinds of casual team-ups and crossovers that fans of all stripes crave - plus, every time he comes back to Gotham, he and Bruce have to relitigate their entire relationship AGAIN.

Jason compromises and agrees to follow Bruce's rules in order to have a relationship with the Batfamily. This is basically where DC has landed, and I understand why they did, because it's the option that allows them to publish the most comics with Jason in them, which they want to do because he is an immensely popular character who makes them money. However, it leaves him in this awkward position where instead of being a tragic villain/badass antihero, he's just...the sassiest member of the family, while simultaneously always being available to be treated like shit because he's Bad. He gets punished without even the fun of doing the crime anymore.

So what's the solution? I don't know. Theoretically, DC could try to do what Marvel does with the Punisher. People always get mad when I say Jason is DC's Punisher, but he kills pretty much indiscriminately in UTRH and RHATO, for pretty much the same reasons. ("Dudebros think it looks cool.") And Marvel heroes inexplicably let Frank just kill however many people he wants unless they're appearing in a Punisher comic, at which point they go "Frank, you naughty boy, I shall stop you!" and then Frank kicks their ass and makes them look like an idiot. DC is never going to let Jason do that to Bruce, plus it would put a real damper on the Wayne family Thanksgiving dinner.

Alternately, they could make him a Nightwing villain. Dick has spent 40 years fighting inconclusively with Deathstroke; he's much better suited to go endless rounds with Jason without either of them Always Triumphantly Winning than Bruce is. I don't personally want this option because I just don't care that much about Dick, but it could be really interesting, though it would limit Jason to fewer appearances and primarily in Dick's book. (Jason would have made a superb Red Robin villain 15 years ago for similar reasons.)

My vote, I think, would be for a really good (god, if only), really thoughtful Jason series where he has reason to seriously reevaluate his philosophy towards crime - something that reshapes him into a character who can still challenge Bruce's entrenched ideas without being so diametrically opposed to them as to make him a villain. He needs to be close enough to Bruce's rules to appear in crossovers, but far enough and specific enough that he's not just Meaner Nightwing. Jason is a passionate character; DC needs to find a new way to let his passion work for him, because right now he doesn't have anything driving him, and it's satisfying no one.

(900 words, BOOM!)

[inoreuct]

zosan with abba's super trouper.

is this essentially a pop star au? yes. bear with me anyway.

so the entire vinsmoke family are pop stars and they're perfect in the public eye but actually toxic as HELL, and sanji's sick and tired of it— so he breaks away from them and joins another agency, and zoro's assigned as his bodyguard.

they fight SO MUCH at first. i'm talking screaming and yelling and throwing things across the room (mostly sanji) and being stubborn and straight-up refusing to talk after a certain point (also mostly sanji) and then apologising with food and gifts and not words (mostly, well, both of them). they're like flint and steel; putting them together is just asking for trouble, but the years pass, and somehow through the endless bickering they end up best friends. who would've thought? their sharp edges have softened just enough and they're both too old and too tired and too busy to have cold wars anymore. they know more about each other than perhaps anyone else, and they care.

(they're also both in love and refuse to admit it. idiots.)

and then sanji goes on tour, and zoro has to leave for a training refresher course thing, and sanji's MISERABLE. luffy's with him as a bodyguard instead and it's fine, he's great, sanji loves him— just not the way he loves zoro. he feels fucking homesick in a way he never has because he's never really had a proper home and he knows, he knows it's because zoro isn't here with him. sanji turns around to tell him something and is met with empty air. he keeps trying to order double portions of food and booze before he catches himself and maybe he's being dramatic, but it feels like he's missing a fucking limb.

nami, his manager, has to yell at him to stop moping because all he's doing is eating chocolate and binging french soap operas in his hotel room and huddling up in the big leather jacket that zoro left behind. he just wants to get back to his tiny apartment and curl up on his shitty couch to eat pizza and watch Mean Girls for the hundredth time as zoro complains and gets invested in the drama all over again anyway.

he's nearly dead on his feet as finishes yet another exhausting show, trying to take comfort in the fact that it's his second last; his shoes are kicked off to the corner, his makeup barely removed, and just when he's about to turn in for the night his phone rings and when he sees the caller ID he SCRAMBLES to pick up.

"hey," zoro says, low and rumbly and so achingly familiar that sanji doesn't know whether to laugh or cry.

"you have no idea how good it is to hear your voice," he breathes, and he means it. he means it more than he even knew he did and it hits him all at once as soon as the words leave his mouth. he misses his best friend, no matter everything else that zoro is to him.

zoro's chuckle is a balm to his soul. "i'm coming to see you tomorrow."

sanji sits bolt upright from where he'd been laid back against the pillows, eyes going wide. "are you serious?" he can't help the hope and excitement that unspools in his gut, the warm rush in his blood as zoro laughs.

"yeah. i'm done with the course. speedran the fucking thing and scored so well they had no choice but to let me go. couldn't miss the last chance i had to see you on tour, could i?" sanji can hear his grin through the phone. "i'm flying in tomorrow morning."

"i'll come pick you up from the airport."

"like hell you will," zoro retorts immediately. "you have a press conference at ten."

shit, he'd forgotten about that. "how'd you know, huh?" sanji counters, faux-petty and reclining back against his plush bedding. god, if there was one good thing about being on tour, it was the fancy hotels.

"been talking to nami," comes the reply, amused and teasing, and sanji groans. "what's this i hear about you acting like a widowed husband?"

"you fucking wish, you moron," he snaps, curling up on his side and hugging a pillow to his chest. the bed is awfully big and awfully cold.

zoro sighs, and there's the sound of something zipping up briskly. "missed you too, curls. look, listen— i gotta get to the airport. see you tomorrow night?"

"...yeah," sanji says, because there's so much he wants to tell zoro and no idea how. he doesn't know where he'd start. he doesn't even know what he wants to say. "yeah, i'll see you. you'll be in the crowd, right?"

"mhm," zoro confirms, accompanied by what sounds like the chirp of an electronic lock. "you just sit tight, curly. i'm coming home."

they exchange a few more words before the line cuts off, but sanji's mind is stuck on three specific words and the possible space for three more after. i'm coming home. but he isn't home right now; he's in a foreign country, in a bed that isn't his, and zoro's flying to him. this isn't home to either of them. unless... and that silence afterwards, like zoro had wanted to say something that would have fit right in. something that would have been a natural end to that string of syllables.

sanji takes a deep breath and does his best to push all thoughts of i love you, spoken or not, to the back of his mind.

still, he can't help but let it all boost him up like a buoy bobbing merrily on the sea. one call from zoro, one short conversation, and he's fucking effervescent; he wakes up smiling and breezes through the press conference with effortless charm. he's bouncing on the toes of his heeled boots even before he steps onto the stage, thrilled by the thought of zoro being in the audience. thousands of eyes on him, thousands of people screaming his name, and he only cares about one. he takes a deep breath as the lights change and the platform he's on begins to rise, fingers tightening around his mic. it's his last night here. he's doing it all for zoro.

it turns out to be the best performance of his life, if he does say so himself. he powers through the entire two hours with ease and hits every note perfectly. he enjoys himself for the first time in a long time, soaks up the glitter and glamour and blinding lights, lets the atmosphere wrap him up and tousle his hair, and he wonders just how it's possible that one person's presence could change so much.

(he doesn't need to wonder. he already knows.)

when he says his final goodbyes for the night he's breathless, heart pounding, anticipatory. the hands patting at his back in congratulation backstage are superficial compared to who he knows is here, and he spares nami a few seconds for a rare squeeze, pausing for a few more when she whispers i'm proud of you in his ear.

and then sanji sees him, and nothing, nothing else fucking matters.

he sprints forward and they crash together and something slams into place inside of him. zoro sweeps him off his feet, squeezing him tight enough that he laughs, bright and merry and real as they spin around and around and he's so dizzy when he's set back down, light-headed and his heart full. he doesn't care where he is, he's home.

zoro takes his weight as easily as anything, tucking sanji to his chest. "god, fuck, you were amazing up there," he says breathlessly, the words pressed into sanji's bejewelled hair. "you were incredible."

the words rumble through his chest and sanji clings tighter, holding zoro desperately around the waist and taking in deep lungfuls of laundry detergent and the fancy pine-and-sandalwood body wash he'd given zoro for christmas. "you're here."

"'course i am," zoro replies, matter-of-fact. "said i'd be here, so i'm here."

his earrings press against sanji's cheek. "can we go get pizza?" he asks meekly.

zoro's answering laugh pours into the horrible aching pit that's been gnawing away at him, fills it up with liquid sunlight as he answers, "we can do whatever the hell you want."

they get pizza. sanji lets zoro pull him around town swearing at the Google Maps on his phone before he finally takes pity and steers them towards the little pizzeria he'd found when he'd snuck out with luffy on their first night here. the tongue-lashing from nami had been worth it, but even so the experience back then had been dull. muted, at best.

now it's like he's seeing the whole world through a whole different lens; the fluorescent sign in the window beams charmingly as the bell above the door chimes, and sanji doesn't even care about the raised eyebrow zoro gives him when he wiggles into the booth seat with undisguised glee. between them they put away a large four-cheese pizza and a frankly massive slice of apple pie à la mode, and sanji's feeling pleasantly stuffed as he finishes up his vanilla milkshake and successfully fends zoro off from stealing sips when he isn't looking. he has plenty of experience with that, after all.

the walk back is filled with comfortable silence. sanji doesn't need anything else— zoro here with him is more than he could ask for. scary dog privilege aside, the man next to him is sanji's best friend, and he loves zoro more than he can, or will, ever say.

zoro drops him off at his room and hugs him goodnight. sanji strips down, blasts the shower as hot as it can go, and scrubs the gel out of his hair along with any of the remaining dregs of emptiness he resolutely tells himself are not there right down the drain.

it can't stop him from thinking, though. of zoro. of compression shirts and cargo pants and worn black boots. of the nights zoro had taught him self-defense and the time sanji nearly broken his jaw with a roundhouse kick neither of them had known he was capable of; the other had grinned up with him with blood all over his teeth, proud and raring to go, barking again! and sanji had glowed. his mind swims with it all even as he towels off and slips into his silk pyjamas— memories of late-night talks with wine and beer, sometimes tea, quips all around, beds shared back-to-back under unspoken agreements when neither of them wanted to sleep alone.

three knocks sound on his door.

sanji hates the way he rushes to the peephole and yanks it open as soon as he confirms who it is. zoro stands there, one hand on the back of his neck, looking bored yet unsettled in his baggy tee with his damp hair sticking up everywhere. "jetlag?" sanji asks, raising an eyebrow as zoro grunts.

"you could say that."

he steps aside in a silent invitation, and zoro looks around as he goes in. sanji topples onto the bed with a sigh of relief and crawls under the blankets, patting the space beside him as he switches on the television. "mean girls?"

"god, i fucking hate you," zoro groans, but he settles in anyways, and sanji grins triumphantly.

it's still not his apartment or his shitty couch— but zoro's here, so it's the next best thing.

they make it through the movie without incident. zoro parrots the dialogue and cheers when regina gets hit by the bus like he does without fail every time. sanji knees him in the thigh for it with a scowl like he always does and it starts a fierce kicking battle under the sheets that results in zoro dangling half off the mattress and sanji laughing so hard he can't breathe.

when they've mostly calmed down, sanji sighs out one final chuckle and sinks back into the pillows. "think you can fall asleep now?" he murmurs, turning to look at where zoro has his head propped in one hand.

"maybe," the other allows, and sanji swallows before he smiles.

"goodnight, marimo."

"goodnight."

the flick of the light switch feels like finality. in regards to what, sanji doesn't know, but now that they're in the darkness and zoro begins to get comfortable behind him he cannot deny that he wants.

he wants those arms around him. wants to sleep even better than he does when they're back to back, wants to fit within the circle of zoro's embrace like he belongs there. wants to belong there. wants zoro as his best friend and everything more. it manifests as a tight ache in the centre of his chest, a knot around his heart that he knows he cannot untangle by himself. sanji curls up into a ball and hugs a pillow to his chest, biting his lip— because zoro is right next to him instead of thousands of miles away, and he's still untouchable all the same.

he's on the cusp of restless sleep when he feels zoro shift, and he prays that the hitch in his breath is unnoticeable. he forces the rise and fall of his chest to stay even as the blankets are smoothed securely around his shoulders, a callused palm brushing his hair away from his face; a soft kiss is pressed to his forehead, a hand cupping his face tenderly and trailing away with the brush of a thumb over his cheekbone. "sweet dreams, curls," zoro whispers, before light cracks in from the hallway as his room door opens and shuts.

the electronic lock beeps, and sanji's eyes fly open. the white ceiling swims as he stares at it, unseeing, and the sheets on the right side of the bed are still warm. there's an indent where zoro's body was and sanji gasps as he drags himself into it, huddling down and pulling the covers over his head until all he can smell is zoro.

his heart stutters, mind racing, fingers tightening in the plush duvet. he's confused, so confused. hopeful. a little mad, if he's being honest, and his next breath trembles out of his lungs. mostly still confused, though, because what the fuck did that mean?

he'll find out, he swears. he will. he'll storm his way to zoro's room and break the damn door down if he has to. but for now, if he hides for a little while until he stops feeling like he's about to cry—

well, that's a secret for his hotel room to keep.

[pumpkinsy0]

Now I see a lot of Dallas with Tim or with Johnny content. But y’know what is would like to see? Dallas and Sodapop as a couple. I love tropes where one person isn’t use to genuine kindness and falls head over heels over the one person who is just that..

So General Headacanons for Dallas and Sodapop? (Whatever their ship name maybe because I refuse to call them Dallypop)

ive actually heard about this ship a bit but never read content for em, so this is a moment in history☝🏽☝🏽, ship name wise, off the tope of my head is like texas coke, cause soda in texas is called coke and yada yada yada, but booooo, and then there was fizzy state, but that sounds stupider, so listen i swear ill have a better one one of these days i swear

•as soon as i read this i thought “soda has no room to talk about pony and curly anymore”, if ur dating dally, ANY advice u have about dating should b thrown out the window and ur voice should fall on deaf ears

•theyve made out on someones car before, i wouldnt put that above them, especially if its someone who dally doesnt like

•dally makes comments about soda right in front of pony and pony hates it so much, he wants to rip his ears out hes not trynna hear that

•man even steve is like “??????” cause how did u guys get together what could yall possibly have in common enough to date each other for

•soda likes hearing about dallys nyc stories, some of em r fucked up, but others r pretty funny, like a coin toss when he asks him to tell him one

•dally cant rlly get THAT mad at soda, annoyed??? sure, but soda just has that face u cant get mad at, dallys not feelin 100% better, but he is rolling his eyes and letting whatever happened slide

•dally strikes me as a jealous/possessive partner he hates when soda gets hit on by anyone, he doesnt make it OBVIOUS that theyre together, but he does push them away

•yes, dally is staring while soda is working on a car, he would b staring harder if he saw soda at a rodeo

•getting drunk still isnt sodas scene, but dally does sneak soda over into bucks to party from time to time

•darry doesnt,,,even know how to go about this one, like at all, like yea, nothin BIG has changed but those two????rlly??????

•id like to think dally is more attentive to pony bc of soda and how important he is to him, kinda the same w soda and johnny

•it would take a while for dally to get used to how soda flirts bc how soda flirts is just not a way that dally is used to at all, but he doesnt let that show

[storiesbyjes2g]

3.165 Trap

Our trip back to San Sequoia was quiet, as one could imagine. My feelings were raw, like fresh sunburned skin, but there was an odd sense of calm too. I didn't realize the dark cloud that hung over me while I stalled to lay Mama to rest. Now that we've done it, a weight has lifted. Hopefully I'm through the worst of it and things will begin to look up.

We all needed dinner, and Sophia volunteered to cook and get Desiree squared away. She said I'd been taking care of them all this time and asked to let her take care of me. It's not unusual for her to do things like that, but...I don't know. In the moment, I felt so loved. Naturally, I tried to compromise, offering to take one of those tasks while she does the other, but she declined and told me to take some time for myself. That wasn't something I had done much since—honestly, I don't think I've ever really been good at that. Ever since we started dating, much of my life has been about her, and now it's her and Desi. I don't mind serving and making sacrifices for them, but I recognize wisdom when I hear it, so I go upstairs to run a bath. I'm not exactly a bath guy, but I wanted to do something different to make this "me time" special. Besides, I had a lot of thoughts and feelings I wasn't ready to let go, so mulling them over in the tub sounded like a good idea. Just as I'm about to turn on the water, my phone rings. Since not many friends call me, I answered the phone without checking the caller ID, assuming it was Alessia. I was very wrong.

You can imagine my shock when I heard Yasmine's voice instead of my sister's. It sounded very despondent, honestly. I mean, Yasmine isn't the most cheery sim, but there was such pain and weariness in her voice. Naturally, I asked if everything was okay. Last time I asked, the answer was no, and it seems the answer was still no.

"Look, I know we're not friends," she said, "but I don't have anyone else to talk to. I really need to talk to somebody!"

We're not friends technically, but there's no bad blood between us, and honestly, I still see her like a friend. I only let go of her for the sake of my relationship. My protective friend mode still booted up at the sound of her desperation. I wanted to know names and where to meet, heh. The old Luca would have run right over to her house to see what was wrong and how I could help, but I can't do that anymore. I still care about her, but I love my wife, and she is not a fan of Yasmine. But, if I can help, I have to try so I ask what she wanted to tell me, but she said she didn't want to talk about it over the phone. I couldn't deny that it felt like a trap at first, but when she mentioned it involved her children, all my alarms went off. Apparently, she had twin girls. What is up with all these multiples around me? Anyway, I told her I wanted to help, but I could only do it if Sophia could be present. Part of me felt like she would decline because her plan to get me alone failed, heh. But she was desperate and accepted. She said I am the only one she trusts, and if having my wife present is the only way to have my attention, so be it. She lives in Oasis Springs now, and I told her we were practically neighbors and that Sophia and I hang out there a lot. If I could get her onboard, I told Yasmine I'd call tomorrow to set up the details.

We hang up, and I run my bath water. I slide into the tub, my mind reeling, trying to figure out what in the world has her so frantic and desperate to speak to me. And what is wrong with the girls? Hopefully, nothing serious. She agreed to wait to hear from me, so it couldn't have been that serious. Sophia had been around me and Chi Chi and Maira enough to know I only have eyes for her, so hopefully she's had enough time to get over whatever hangups she had with Yasmine. True, I recognize that finding out I had been with someone else while we were talking could be shocking and upsetting, but she knows me. I technically did nothing wrong, and I would never entertain doing that again. Just in case she's still caught up, I'll have to be really sweet to her tonight so she'll be in an excellent mood in the morning when I present this to her. She is being really sweet to me, so rewards were already on the agenda, heh. I'll just have to put in some extra work.

[urfavouritegirlie]

Hi! I don't know if you accept requests or not (it's cool if you don't!) But do you have any hc about Aaron discovering he has a daughter? Lol. And what would be Miles reaction. Okay, thank you. Bye :D

Hi Anon👋, I’m not really taking requests but I had to jump on this one. However I can't promise all future requests being answered quickly because I've got studies to focus on but I will try and do as best as I can. I feel like this request was made based on the headcannon I had made up. Absolutely love love love it and I'm happy to write it. Now let's get on with it shall we.

Oh and btw, He would be a Girl dad right. I can't see it any other way.

"Girl if you don't call this man now, I will track him myself."

"Ok I heard you, I'll call. Just in my own time. I promise I will call."

"Fine. Gotta go now but he's got to know now ok. You can't do this alone."

I mutter under my breath something she can't hear. "Psh yes I can."

Homegirl leaves and I'm stuck here with a phone number struggling to call it. It's been long. Will he even remember me? Why I am scared? I'm a grown woman for goodness sake, just do it.

"Fuck it."

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

Aaron arrives at his place at the early hours of a new day. However he just wants to collapse in bed and forget about yet another near death experience. All gear on the floor only left in boxers and bandages and dried up blood. He escaped gunshots but not the sharp end of the blade. A non life threatening gash on his arm and the side of his abdomen. Chugged a few pills and was ready to get knocked into sleep.

Not even five minutes into sleep, his phone vibrates on his night stand. Great another thing to do. He semi consciously picked the phone and answered without looking at the name id. Not that there was one.

"Hello," he answers. Not a word back. If these scam callers where trying him he was going to find whoever they were and end it there.

He kisses his teeth and no longer wanting to entertain whoever disrupted his not so deep sleep.

"Is this Aaron?" Hearing his name got him into defensive mode but relaxed a bit when it was from a feminine voice.

"Who'er you?"

The woman tells her name and it rings a faint bell in Aarons head. He's heard the name before. Where though?

"Do I know you?"

She seemed a bit hesitant to tell but she spit it out anyway after taking a deep breath. "We've hooked up a few times many months ago."

In his head he's thinking it's another chick wanting to see him again or wanting to move things further by being in a relationship with him. Makes it clear to them from the start that it's not like that at all then blocks them. It boosts his ego a little.

"Look, I thought I had made it clear that it was a two-three time thing then we don't talk anymore. I'm not looking for relationship or sum," he said immediately to clear any confusion.

"What? That's not it. I have something very important to tell you," she says.

Nothing could have prepared him for what she had to say next. She sounded nervous before she took a breath to speak.

"Well...... I ended up pregnant. I gave birth to a healthy baby. I found your number and called to let you know. Listen and listen carefully. If you want nothing to do with the baby, that is fine. I just thought you should know. I didn't say anything while I was pregnant because I was focusing on me and my baby and in case something might have happened. And I didn’t have it in me to get an abortion," she said so clearly and calmly.

He heard right? Oh he heard right. Was he too tired and drugged up to believe it or was this for real. She gives him the time to process the news. Once all her words were digested he asks…

“You sure it’s mine? How do you know it ain’t anyone else’s?” He asks confidently.

She takes some air in quickly as if being accused of whoring around. She wasn’t gonna let that slide.

“You’re that last person I slept with. Even then I wasn’t hoe. Never was, never will be ok. Look we were both careless. We didn’t use condoms but I was on birth control which ultimately proved that it’s not as effective as I thought it would be. I’m giving you the choice to come see the baby or to leave the matter completely.”

She was serious in her tone. So believable. Maybe it was the tiredness causing him not to think straight but…..

“Send me your address.”

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

I could not sit still. Walking back and forth trying to find something to do to distract me. It's still early morning, slight heavy rain falling and sliding from the top to the bottom of the window. The baby was ok, asleep in the bouncer, slowly rocking. I try to sit on the sofa but my leg just keeps bouncing, with the tv on but not my attention on it.

That dreaded call ended about an hour ago and by the sound of his voice, he was serious.

I flinch at the sound of the buzzer. “Hello?”

“It’s Aaron.”

With not many words I buzz him in. Now in a few moments things could go right or left. This is right, right? I gave him options. That's a good thing right? I definitely didn't want to be one of those women who don't let fathers see their child for no reason. Thoughts stop swirling when there is finally a knock on the door. No more time for hesitation but the doorway felt so far.

Aaron POV

I'm soaked from the rain. It took me being inside the apartment complex to realise. All this time it wasn't on my mind that it was pouring outside. There's an elevator but the stairs seem quicker. I skip a step each time until I'm in front of her door. No time to hesitate. I put my fist against the door to knock.

The door opens with her standing behind it. I most definitely remember now. I’ve been with her more times than I’d like to admit honestly. Can’t lie it was the best, not that I’d admit it to her face. Now seeing her, she has a glow that I hadn't seen before.

"Hi"

"Hi umm sorry bout being soaked, its raining like shit outside."

She gives a small laugh and tells me to come in. I remember I've been here before a couple times. Her place always smelt nice and looked clean. I take my jacket off and hang it by the door. I follow her down the short corridor to the living area. We both turn to the living room.

"Well. Here she is."

In the corner of the room, a baby swing with the smallest human possible as cute as can be a sleep, protected from world. I sit on the sofa before my legs give out. She said 'she'. A girl. I have a daughter. I hold my head in my hands. She sits next to me and put a hand on my leg to calm me down.

"I know it's a lot to process. Believe me. I had the same reaction when I found out I was pregnant. All the worries left when I first held her. It was instant love. Sorry I kept it from you."

"Nah I get it. Whats her name?"

"Her name is Tiana."

"Its a beautiful name."

I don't know what came over me but the need to protect her came out of nowhere. Protect her from every evil out there. It's crazy to think she is a part of me. But what about me? It on dawns me that I hold the role of prowler. Am I good enough for her? Am I strong enough to protect her? Am I man enough to be her father. Am I going to end up abandoning her like my father did? All these thoughts consuming me all at once.

"Would you like to hold her?"

I look at her and she has a reassuring smile encouraging me to hold her. "I don't know how."

"Neither did I but I learned."

She stands and walks over to this sleeping angel. She picks her up and walks up to me. I hadn't met Miles until he was a couple months old, so I have no experience in holding a newborn. I sit up and back and open my hands. She's so small. I don't think I've seen something so precious in my life. My hands are almost the same size as her.

"Don't be scared. Here, move your arm to support her neck and then your other hand holds the side."

She helps me hold her comfortably. With all this fuss she moves around waking from her sleep. Shit here it comes. Big brown eyes stare at me with a twinkle in them. We are both strangers to each other but she has to have trust in me and I never would dream of breaking that trust. A grown man like shouldn't be feeling emotional but here I am. She was right. It was love at first sight.

"She's so beautiful."

"I know right. Big eyes, a cute nose and a head full of hair. She got that part from me."

We both break out into a short laugh.

I hesitate to ask the following questing seeing as we are not together. "What's her last name?"

"I put mine and your last name together hyphenated. If you don't mind."

"It's nice."

We spend the rest of the day just talking, actually getting to know each other. She works as a nurse at a hospital, I told her I do engineering which isn't a lie. I use it as a cover up from what I do other times.

"I have a nephew, my older brothers son. His names Miles. He probably would wanna meet Tiana. Is that cool."

"I don't mind, it's cool she has cousin."

We met at a diner, we talked and it seemed like we were both after the same thing. No relationship but a stress relief. Semi strangers with benefits kinda thing. No personal questions and no feelings.

Looking at it now, that might change now that she had birthed my daughter. Speaking of her she starts stirring in my arms and looks like she's about to cry. Her lips quiver and starts crying. It's hasn't even been ten minutes and I've failed.

"She's probably just hungry. Let me feed her."

I slowly had her over to mom. All of a sudden she lifts the side of top and puts a boob in her mouth. This looks private so I look away to the whatever was playing to the tv. She starts laughing at me though.

"What? It's not like you've never seen them before."

True. I can't look at breasts the same. All this time they were just sexual thing to me but its not even like that. It's a personal connection between mother and child. I change the subject. I ask her how old Tiana is and she tells me only four days old.

"So you're fresh out the hospital then? Was it not hard?"

"It was hard. I couldn't drive because I was still sore from giving birth, so my friend drove me back home. She's been such a help these past few days. Cooking and cleaning for me but she does have a job and her own family to take care of."

"Hold on. Don't you only get a few weeks off work before you have to go back."

"Yeah. Around twelve weeks and then I have to go back to work. Some weeks are even unpaid."

"Well that's stupid."

"Tell me about it but hey, I didn't build the system. Here burp her."

She hands her to me then leaves.

"Where you goin. I don't know how to do this."

"Relax I'm just getting her cloth so she doesn't throw up on you"

She can back as fast as she left, put a pink cloth on my shoulder and move her to my shoulder.

"Just pat her back until she burps."

She gets up to leave and looks like she's heading into the kitchen.

"What you bout to do now."

"I'm a bout to cook. You've got her so I have the time to."

"Nah order some food. Get some rest."

Took some time going back and forth but she sat down. Same time as Tiana finally burps. I move to get my wallet and hand it over to her.

"You know you have a lot of faith in a stranger."

"Same stranger that birth our baby."

"Hilarious."

She orders some food. Time goes by and it eventually comes. We ate, talked. Looking outside, I realise time has gone by fast. Looks like it time me to leave. I get to lay her down back to sleep in her swing.

"Looks like I gotta go now."

"Oh umm thanks for stopping by and seeing her. You make a great father you know."

Her words struck me to my heart. I want to be the best dad to her. Better than my father ever was to me and Jeff.

"Come by anytime. Oh here's your card."

"You hold on to that."

I grab my jacket, say my last goodbyes to both of them but man I so don't wanna leave. I might come back tomorrow. I grab my phone and start calling.

"Hello?"

"Jeff. I need to talk to you."

"Talk."

"I have a daughter."

"That poor woman."

"Ay now ain't the time for games. Me and her we cool. Yeah we were irresponsible but I stepped up. Think about it, you're an uncle now."

"I've been an uncle. Rio has siblings that have children."

"On our side stupid. Anyway can I take Miles to see her tomorrow?"

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

*The next day*

Jeff has allowed Miles to come with me to see Tiana. But he doesn't know that. I'm trying to surprise his since he wanna keep asking questions talking bout 'how come I don't have a cousin on your side?'.

"So what spot are we painting today."

"We're not doing that."

"We've been walking for so long. Where are we going?"

"You'll see man, just be a little patient. Don't wanna ruin the surprise."

"Surprise!?"

We arrive at apartment complex. I ring up and I'm let inside. The confused looks on his face makes me just wanna laugh but I can't give it away. We get to the door, knock on it and wait.

"Hi guys, come in."

Miles walks shyly behind me until we turn the living room.

"Miles meet your baby cousin, Tiana."

The look on his face is just priceless. Ain't never seen him so confused. He looks at me then at her mother then at Tiana again.

"You have a daughter. Wait does that make you my auntie?"

"Umm well..."

"Yes it does. See I told you. All those questions bout 'how come I don't have an auntie'. Well you got one now."

"It's nice to meet you Miles. Your uncle has told me a lot about you."

He breaks into a nervous laugh. "Unfortunately I haven't heard about you but it's nice to meet you. So uhh how you guys meet?"

Silence

"That's not important. Here come hold her."

Needless to say besides Miles being so puzzled, he was so happy that he has a little cousin. Since then Miles had come to visit and see her many times after school and during the weekend and has seen her grow. Rio and Jeff came later on with gifts. Rio was beyond excited. Jeff was just as surprised as Miles.

"Your family is really nice, I like them a lot."

"Yeah. I've got a present for you too."

I take her down stair to the parking area. Her eyes could have popped out their sockets. Her mouth open so wide, you'd thing her jaw dislocated. In front of us a white Range.

"Oh my gosh Aaron wha- what's this?"

I dangle the keys infant of her and drop them in her hands.

"People call it a 'push present' if I'm correct. Oh and that card, spend it on our daughter."

"You are spoiling her to the core and she doesn't even know what money is."

"Only the best for my baby girl. Besides I wanna try this mom and dad thing. That's if you want to?"

"We could do that."

A/N - Honestly, I'm not to sure I did a really good job on this one I can't lie. I might have to reread it again like ten times and make tweaks to it. But let me know in the comments.

[jampookie]

🎸⚡ Max Trio Headcanons Time!!!! Yay!!!!

IF YOU HAVE ANY OF YOUR OWN PLSSSSS TELL ME OMGOMG

Jaime:

- SHE DATED MARIA IN MIDDLE SCHOOL: IDC. THEYRE MIDDLE SCHOOL EXES what evidence do I have?? uhhh,,,.......none but i pinky promise they are.

- She's Chinese and Freeeench!!! : Chinese from her Mom and French from her Dad. She knows both languages fairly well and her favorite hobby is to say random things to Max in them that he will never understand (and loses his mind over~)

- She used to have medium length hair but cut it in freshman year: New Year New (Jai)Me!!!

- This is even more random than the Maria one but I hc her to be siblings with the spinoff ep 2 nurse: hear me out okay i just.........idk i think it's probably the lack of max trio content that's getting to my mind.

and it's just nurse lady has the same color palette as jaime ssss...sso...so....WHATEVER

- ⬆️ Adding to thisssss:

When she was a kid her sis was goth (liek as a teen? 10 year age gap between them im guessing) and mini 5 year old Jaime always felt INSPIRED🪄🪄 so she got alot of practice as a kid by stealing makeup hehehe and now she has a PhD in dressing goth! huzzah!

...most of her clothes are hand me downs but atleast she got a starter pack of some sorts 😾

- Whenever she's bored she practices her makeup-ing on Damien,: Since he can actually sit still. She tried it on Max but he either fell off the chair or subconsciously rubbed it all off when his face got itchy....whoops.

- She playssss....keyboard 🎹! I think! And she probably sings sometimes too. Lalalala 🎤🎤

- After Ep 11 events she made pretty good friends with Jake!!!:

Fun Scenario - One day Jaime just so happened to not have makeup on so she was just walking around with her natural BEAUTAY but Jake didn't recognize her like that so he released a quite high pitched SHRIEK and fell backwards thinking she was someone else. They were both quite confused.

- DAMIEN AND MAX CALL HER 'JAY' AS A NICKNAME: Change my mind😈😈😡🤑

- She's not very good at facial expressions:

If she's having the time of her life she'll slightly smile. If she fell off a cliff and lost a few limbs she might slightly pout. The other 99.99% of the times in her life are just a deadpan expression, 😐.

Max:

- MAAAAAAX MY MAIN MAN!!!!!: Before I FULLY start up abt him I just wanna blab a lil on how I think him and Jaime met.

In either Freshmen or MS (I can't decide) Jaime was just listening to music in art class minding her own business till a red and orange gremlin invited himself into her personal space. "WHAT THE HELL DUDE YOU LISTEN TO (certain cool band) TOO!?!? WHAAAAT!?!?" shrieked the gremlin, unaware and uncaring of the other 30 people in the room.

And there you go. Jaime Max friendship. Huzzah!

- Half Brazilian Half Mexican!!: Mexican from his Mom so he knows his Spanissssh!!! I've never thought about Max's dad so lets say he's fatherless. Good for him.

⬆️ - ONTO THIS: I also headcanon Drew as half Mexican (and half Filipino if anyones interested) so so so so SO me thinks Drew and Max are cousins! Teehee!

They used to get along. They fell out. Or the two sides of the family fell out? Can't decide but I will agree with any theory that suggest DRAX ENEMIES GAAAHHHH DRAX ENEMIES!!!!!

- He plays guitar, drums and also sings: Triple cool 😆

- His eyebrow piercing got irritated alot. Like ALOT:

He forgot to clean it. Damien tried endlessly to tell him he'd end up with a tomato brow if he didn't take care of it. He didn't really listen but hey it worked out in the end!! happy days!

- He has BIG mood swings BIG: This is canon but WHATEVER. I like to imagine some of the hangouts he has with his friends go like:

5 minutes in: Oh yay! This is a fun hangout!

10 minutes in: I HATE THE FLOOR AND I HATE THE TWO OF YOU GO AWAY LEAVRMA,LEN,ENNOW

12 minutes in: I love you guys pls neevrbr leavemr idk what Id do without u ❤️❤️ group hug guys group HUG❤️

13 minutes in: we're not hanging out anymore

13½ minutes in: NO COME BACK IM SORRY I DIDN'T MEAN IT

- He laughs either like a hyena or like Peter Griffin: he's either "SAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHGKAKLJJABLJAHLJIBJAKLBJAKLLJABJKBJAIBZIBAIJBIABJLIBIAIBJLIBJLALBJAJLBIKABJLIKBMAL" or "nyeheheheheheh...." depends if he's feeling BIG AND BOLD or mischievous cheshire cat 😈

- His love language is pacing around the room and telling you his grand bizarre plans and interests. Just endlessly talking....:

Me too Max. Me too.

- Sport is one of his other hobbies besides music he definitely loves the competitiveness part in sport class:

Half his classmates want him blown to smithereens, but hey he's a really good player so the sporty ones like him! He LOVES to win AND WON'T ACCEPT A DRAW EITHER HE WILL NOT

every time a draw happens he grabs the nearest ball and throws it at the nearest person while shrieking in agony

When his team wins hes like ☝🏻☝🏻☝🏻☝🏻☝🏻☝🏻🤡😂🤡😂🤡😂🤡😂🤡🤣🤡😂🤣🤡😂🤡☝🏻☝🏻☝🏻☝🏻☝🏻☝🏻☝🏻☝🏻 nanananananananan hahahahahah

- He has ALOT of his freckles because he's always outside:

It's the only reason Jaime and Damien have an ounce of Vitamin D, cause Max always drags them outside to hang out!

- TOOTH GAP. CANON. CANON. DONT CARE:

😁😁😁

- Him and Damien love South Park!!:

His favorite is probably Cartmannn..... He likes to imagine himswlf and Damien as Cartman and Kyle. He's very sad Jaime doesn't really watch it though.

- All 3 of them love Homestuck though!!!! When the 4th member of their band didn't DITCH THEM YET (🙄) They all cosplayed the Beta kids:

Max was Dave, Damien was John, Jaime as Roseeee.....and Loser Traitor 4th member was Jade. Screw you LT.

Damien:

Damikins Damikins Damishminkywins my little shmitten kitten booboo snooky cookie🥹🥹🥹🥹

HE HAS STRETCHED LOBES.: IM TELLING YOU.

He also has lazy eye: if you don't know what that is it's basically One eye is great and does it's job. Second eye sucks and goes loosy goosey (up down left right instead of centre we'll say.)

HE'S GERMANNNN: I can't decide if he actually speaks German though idk....hmmmmmmm yeah maybe actually

Likes to paint 🎨🎨: AND HE'S DAMN GOOD AT IT TOO 😈😈 He mainly does objects but sometimes people!

HIM AND HAILEY MAKE THE BESTEST FRIENDS!: They're both physically 17 but internally 97. They stand together, deeply sigh together and criticize the hideously idiotic people around them. Damiens the more talented one at it though.

⬆️ wait this just occured to me. Hailey Damien and Zander as a trio would be so great?? OMG

New HC!!!! Him and Zander both wear alot of jewelry (bracelets and rings and stuff) so they might trade some 🤔🤔: hmmm

He's one of those people that's naturally very good at Math: so he's always the one his friends (or just random classmates..) go to for either answers to steal or just for help. He doesn't really mind either, how kind of him 😁😁

Basic Stuff..

..like bdays and heights!!!

🎁

Max: December 3rd 2003

Damien: January 17th 2003

Jaime: October 31st 2003

📏

Max: 5'7 idk (170cm)

Damien: 6'3 (190cm)

Jaime: 5'3½! (161cm)

OKAY THERES THAT DONE. idk if you can edit posts i forgor but hey if i think of any more hcs or see any from others I like I'll come back and update. TY FOR READING ALL THIS BABBLING HELPME

[dr-spencer-reids-queen]

Hopeless: Part Two

Pairing: Spencer Reid x Female!Reader

Word Count: ~2.3k

Summary: You and your lawyer try to fight your unlawful arrest but it's not looking good. The entire team feels your loss and tries to concentrate on the case at hand. None of them can predict the outcome.

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

Season Five Masterlist

Author’s Note: I do not own anything from Criminal Minds. All credit goes to their respective owners. If there are any warnings that exceed the normal death/kills from the show, I will list them.

x

The talk with your lawyer has taken up almost an hour but you're not getting anywhere you thought you'd get. You see all the evidence piled up against you such as the weapons that came from your home. All the murders happened when you weren't out of state with the team, so you can't use that to back up where you've been. Whoever did this must have been watching you for a long time to know when you were home and when you weren't. Even when you were without Spencer. You're completely alone in this. No one is going to help you.

"I'm going to say this again. I didn't do this. I am an FBI agent who swore to protect people. I put everyone before me. I am an empathic psychic. I am surrounded by death every day. I see things no one should see. I use my gift to help others and to bring justice to those who deserve it. Why would I go out of my way to take lives when I promised to protect them? Why would I put the man I love through that pain?"

"I hear you. Based on what you're telling me, it sounds like you didn't do it. However, a jury isn't going to go off your word. They're going to go off the evidence. The evidence all points to you. I don't want you to panic. I'm very good at my job. All we have to do is find inconsistencies with the evidence to sway the jury into looking in the opposite direction."

"How likely is it to be declared innocent?"

"I'll do whatever I can to make that one hundred."

"What's the best case scenario? I need to know all my options." Steven looks a bit apprehensive so you try to convince him. "Please, Steven. I have to know."

"The best case scenario is you get to go back to work, and they try to figure out who did this. This becomes an active investigation, one which I believe they'd ask the FBI for help. A less fun option would be you're proven innocent, but you lose your job in the process." 

Your bottom lip trembles at the thought of losing your job for something you never did.

"What's the worst case?" you whisper.

"The worst case is you go to prison for a very long time."

You put your head down on the table and just sob. Meanwhile, there is another murder so the team heads over there to check it out. There are more victims in a public place this time instead of in someone's home. These unsubs don't care about anything or anything. They will slaughter anyone they want and ruin everything in the process.

"Did anybody see anything?" Hotch asks the detective.

"It's in the middle of the damn parking lot. The security camera only shows the door."

"Who's the lady over there?" Derek asks.

There is an older woman talking to an officer about what she witnessed or found.

"A manager. She discovered the bodies when she came by to open up for the breakfast crowd."

"I'll go talk to her," JJ says and leaves.

"Any idea who the victims are?"

"Judging by the driver's license, one of them's a waitress here. It says Jessica Miller, and the other one's probably Doug Taylor."

"You can't tell for sure?" Derek asks the detective.

"Honestly, you can't make an ID by looking at them."

"They're definitely getting bolder. These kills were in public. If this is supposed to be about symbolism, it's not anymore. This is a blue-collar restaurant and the victim is a waitress. There's no ideology behind this. It's about violence and power."

"They actually sat here and drank beer after the murder," the detective says in disgust.

"They're telling us that they don't care. They're like those outlaws that ride into town and let you know the only way to stop them Is by killing them," Spencer says.

"If that's what they want, I know plenty of cops who'd be happy to oblige."

"Detective, we need to keep our heads," Hotch sighs.

"Meaning what?"

"Meaning that this level of nihilism, this randomness, it can have a mirror impact."

"Are you warning me not to go after some kind of revenge?"

"All I'm saying is this level of brutality is almost like a challenge from the unsubs and trying to drag everyone down to their level. It's a natural reaction."

"I'm just doing my job."

"Let's head back. We've got our profile."

The team and the detective head back to the BAU so that the team can give the profile. Penelope greets them as soon as they step out of the elevator but her eyes are drawn to Spencer in the back. His eyes are cast down and he looks so sad. He hobbles past her and she looks at Derek and Emily with concern.

"How is he doing?"

"Not good."

"You have company, Derek."

There is a woman off to the side looking at Derek eagerly. He breaks off from the group to talk to her while the rest enter the bullpen to give the profile out.

"These men are completely disenfranchised. They feel like they have nothing to live for, and they're looking for anyone or anything to blame. There's a lot of anger out there. Times are tough, but even so, these men will stand out. They'll look to provoke confrontation. They don't steal from their victims. They don't sexually assault the women. This is about violence for violence's sake," Hotch begins.

"It's almost contagious. It's twisted, but it's got its own momentum. What we need to do is figure out how these men came together. We feel certain that they have some connection to Southeast D.C. They go unnoticed and don't seem out of place. We have no prints from the crime scenes, so we believe the unsubs wear gloves. DNA testing could take weeks, and we don't have that kind of time."

"The majority of the population of Southeast D.C. is black, but if the unsubs work in this area, they could be any race. Because of the physical nature of the murder and the amount of control these unsubs exert over their victims, we believe that these unsubs are large or at least extremely physically fit. They have a pack mentality. Canvass the local bars and restaurants and see if there's a group of men who fit this description," Rossi says.

"These men will be obsessed with the media coverage for any chance to relive their crimes. So, stake out the past crime scenes. There's a good chance that they'll revisit them. They most likely come from troubled backgrounds like broken homes, or youth detention centers. They probably bonded over their anger, and now it's like they've become one person. It's their whole identity."

"See, these guys, they think of themselves as some type of gangsters, like society's rules don't apply to them. They equate violence with power and respect, and that goes for self-respect as well," Emily says.

"What could they possibly get out of killing innocent people for no reason?" a female officer asks Emily.

"People like this, they're not like you and me. They don't feel empathy. In a way, they only feel alive when they're creating fear and chaos."

"Thank you," Hotch concludes the profile. He ushers the detective to the side to speak to him privately. "Detective. I just wanted to say that at the crime scene, it was not my intention to accuse you of being unprofessional."

"Yeah?"

"It's just that I know what it's like to work a case that makes you question humanity, and it's not the worst thing to remind yourself to rise above it a little, or we lose ourselves."

"I appreciate you giving my team the profile."

Things aren't going as smoothly as Hotch had hoped, and things aren't going smooth for you either. Once you and Steve were finished talking, two officers came in to talk to you with Steve present. You're trying really hard not to show signs of anxiety, so you sit on your hands to prevent them from tapping the desk, and you cross your legs so you don't bounce your legs. Steve is here to prevent you from answering certain questions that can incriminate you or make you look bad, so he'll jump in when he needs to.

"Where were you on the night of September 2nd?" Officer Sparks asks.

"At home."

"Can anyone confirm your whereabouts for that night?"

"No, I was home alone. My boyfriend was out with his best friend, Derek Morgan."

"Where were you on the night of September 4th?"

They keep asking you where you were on each night of all seven murders, and the only answer you have is that you were alone for all of them. Some nights you were at home, some nights you were taking a drive, and one night you were at the gas station. You paid cash, so there is no receipt showing your card number or anything.

"So, you're telling me that you were alone for all seven murders with no one to back up your whereabouts, and we found your DNA on all seven victims. Your hair and prints were found not only on the victims but on the murder weapons as well. You're sticking with the story that you don't know who these men are?" Officer Arnolds asks.

"The murder weapons are items that she owns. Of course, there will be prints on them. Are you not ruling out that someone could have stolen those items from her place of residence?" Steve jumps in.

"Oh, we're keeping all our options on the table. I'm just confused as to why Chase Williams has her hair on him when she claims she never met him. Do you think the wind just blew her hair from her hairbrush to his body?"

You can't say anything about that.

"Don't you think it's convenient that the murders took place when she wasn't out being an FBI agent?"

"The murders and her whereabouts are a coincidence."

"A coincidence? That's the story you're sticking with?"

"It's not a story," you blurt. "It's the truth. I didn't kill these men."

This isn't going well, and you're not sure if these officers are going to listen to reason. It seems to you that they have everything they need to make this a closed case. A closed case with a potential suspect is better than an open investigation with no suspects. It's hard on the team since Penelope can't look into your case. She has all the details on her computer which is just a click away, but she hesitates to open the files. Hotch's words come back to haunt her so she turns away from your file and focuses on what he asked her to do. Once she has the information, she leaves her office to go to his.

"Sir, I've got something. I've been monitoring social networking sites to see if the unsubs communicate electronically. There's a text that's blowing up. I sent it to your phone. There are over a thousand hits already. It's a plan to vandalize cars and restaurants around Dupont Circle."

"When does the text say this is supposed to happen?"

"Tonight at nine."

"Dupont circle's not in the unsubs' usual comfort zone," Rossi says.

"It's not like these unsubs to share control," Hotch calls the detective to warn him of the attack. "Detective Andrews, this is Agent Hotchner. I just sent you a text to which we've been alerted. ... Right. Absolutely. ... We're on our way."

The riot happened at nine as the text predicted, but it's not the cause or the works of the unsubs. Police were out tackling people and arresting those left and right for participating in the riot. A lot of fights happened between local police and the rioters. Detective Andrews at officers at every entry point who were filling their wagons faster than they could bring them to the holding cells. When the people started resisting the law, Andrews ordered his officers t start making arrests.

A lot of people got away from that riot but more ended up in jail. The events bleed into the next day where the officers are still in the midst of going through the families and processing the rioters.

"Did Garcia come up with anything?" Hotch asks.

"Yeah, she was able to isolate the first two cell phones in the chain."

"Detective, we don't think our unsubs are in there, but we'd still like to interrogate the possible ringleaders."

"I don't think so."

"We need to eliminate them as suspects."

"We can handle it on our own."

"We're not saying you can't--"

"Is there a problem?" Hotch cuts off Rossi.

"You guys had my men out there canvassing bars looking for adults when I could have been doing gang sweeps and going through juvenile records."

"That would have been a waste of your time."

"In case you hadn't noticed, those are kids out there. We don't believe last night's riot Is connected to the murders."

"How could it not be?" Andrews asks Emily.

"Because the unsubs we're looking for are older. They operate entirely out of Southeast D.C. They exercise extreme control over their victims, and violence is up close and personal. None of what happened here last night fits the profile."

"Enough with the profile. I got probably a million dollars worth of damage. I got two cops injured."

"Which was probably made worse by police overreaction."

"Meaning what?"

"I warned you. With cases like this, people get too emotional."

Andrews steps closer to Hotch but the younger man doesn't back down.

"You're here as a guest of my department. If you're so sure none of those kids are the killers, why bother interrogating them at all?"

"Because we need to be certain. If we're right, if this is just some sort of teenage dare, I guarantee you that the unsubs are going to respond very quickly."

"I appreciate your insight, but we'd like to take things from here on our own. Thank you for everything you've done."

If local police kick the FBI out, then they have to leave. Hotch doesn't like it but he doesn't start something he knows he can finish.

"You're gonna want to start with these two names," Emily says and hands him a piece of paper.

x

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

[fan-a-tink]

Young Royals S3 thoughts

EP5

Even just hearing this scene’s echo was horrific. It must have been so much worse to actually go through it. 

It must be so hard for Wille to reconcile how he knows Erik which what he now knows about him. And he is not here anymore to defend himself. Uuuurgghhhhh!

Please talk to Simon. Please talk to him. Shutting him out will not make anything better.

Sara and Felice doing desserts together, that’s the best idea anyone has ever had :) A chance for them to talk, yay!

This Micke is starting to be a dad too good to be true. This is sketchy behaviour. He is too happy, this is going to spiral out of his control. Oh Sara I am worried for you….

Ok, I am just going to say it (even 2021 me would judge me so hard for this) but August „redemption arc“ is working. Like I honestly believe that he is trying to be a little bit better as a person. I want him to be alright. And yes, I am shocked that I think this. 

Whose locker is number 60? Is that Sara’s? 

Wille once more calling his parents because he needs support. And his dad once more not stepping up. Nobody is perfect, not even Kronprins Erik….!

Edvin Ryding, the actor you are…

This episode it’s Wille’s turn to look as if his soul has left him. 

Oh shit this will be the music room fight. I am not ready. I am not ready. No no no no no noooooooo.

RIP Wille in the choir. Those scenes in episode two were worth it though :)) 

It is so typical for Simon to think that he has done something wrong. Simon, my love, you are not ‚difficult‘ for asking questions!! You are wonderful. 

Wille, those are your thoughts, not Simons. They are your fears, your doubts, your anxieties. And they are completely valid. But please don’t put words in Simon’s mouth and push him away like that. „Maybe he gave in to peer pressure. What do you know?“ Like, Simon is trying to help you here, he’s trying to talk it through with you and help you out. Nooo, don’t walk out on him?!!!

Simon being left behind in the music room is just as devastating as Wille being in there after their fight last season. I am done with this music room. 

The 36 on Simon’s locker is now always going to remind me of that fan exam :)) I was sooo unsure about that question haha

So she takes the letter, but is she reading it? Should we assume she read it? Or is she just not going to read it? I am confused…

Oh no. Micke has forgotten. The hope and desperation in her voice that she’s trying to conceal while leaving these voice messages for her dad is killing me. Also, ruuuuuun! You can still make it :) 

Why is Wille only ever with Felice when he’s had a fight or something with Simon? Like, when they’re good, he never hangs out with her. 

I also do believe he would have accepted and embraced Wille’s queerness. But I guess it’s the fact that we’ll never know that is so hard to deal with.

Purple nail polish ✨ slay :)

Sara made it :) But also, it’s stressing me out that she just puts her id back into her bag and doesn’t close it properly. It could fall out!

That is so heartbreaking seeing that Micke is falling back into the habit of drinking with his friends. And the worst possible moment for Sara to find out, mid-driving test, in the middle of the road. 

Linda giving Simon the long overdue hug and telling him he’s not doing anything wrong. YES!

„Love shouldn’t be this difficult“ - Linda, I trusted you!!! Don’t give Simon ideas.. 

Sara turning up at the house, breaking down. Simon hugging her. Forgiving her. I am in actual tears now. Can’t handle it. I’m sooo glad he is forgiving her. This was soooo necessary. Finally some healing…. 

That’s a decent apology text, Wille, I’m proud of you :)

The nail polish looks sooo good!!

And its off 😂 That was shorter than Wille’s career in the choir..

The Happy Birthday Song Scene will forever be my favourite Wilson scene. I am crying my eyes out because I know it’s all going to go wrong soon, and this might be one of the last moments of happiness. And it is SO BEAUTIFUL!!!!! 

Also I am sooo glad the ‚Is everything ok between us?‘ line happened here and now was immediately answered with a ‚yes‘ - that takes away one of my biggest fears from the trailer… 

Also, he made him a sandwich? Asjdnä oajbef lskdfb .sjdnfsldnf lsdn 💜

I like Farima. Also her green suit is gorgeous :) 

They are holding hands in the car !!!!

„Maybe it was stupid to tell you that thing about Erik. I get that it must’ve been tough to hear.“ Yeah, no shit, August.

Simon is just chilling, living his best life eating cake :) 

„Cause there’s a risk of poisoning.“ Oooff. Simon’s expression is golden :))

I think Simon will never get used to having staff to take care of everything. And to Wille being absolutely ok with that and not even noticing it. 

Spotted Lisa Ambjörn, hihiiiii :))

Please make Simon feel welcome. Please. 

Why are they all pretending like everyone’s happy and fine? 

August is just so happy to be near Sara, it is actually adorable. 

Felice and Sara working side by side. I have so much hope that they can find their friendship again. Like, they are both loving being in each other’s company..! And Felice wanting to be a chef? I am here for it!!!! That whole little scene was beautiful :))

That is the most awkward dinner conversation ever. Poor Simon. Poor Wille. And they really don’t make it easy for anyone just bringing everything back to Erik. Like, that just adds so much pressure on Wille, and also this is such a vulnerable topic for him right now… 

Class Bad Boy. Lol

I love that he hates the title. Like, season 1 August would have loved it! That is GROWTH, ladies and gentlemen!

„It’s not very long. I’ll read it to you“ - dude, she can read, she just didn’t want to! 

His voice breaking up a little while he reads the letter. Malte is really on the next level this season…

The way he leans his head into that hug…! I have so much hope for them…. Please, please, please!

Yes, I can see that from Frederike’s point of view this looks bad. But you don’t know anything about the situation. And you’re just going to cause problems. But of corse she runs straight to Felice. Uuughhh, and things were just starting to look like they could be friends again someday. 

Wille playing a bit of the school song. Is that the only thing he remembers how to play, because he taught it to Simon? 

Wille, you’re being unfair. Yes, it’s hard for you. But Simon is also allowed to find it hard. And he is only trying to support you.

I’m sorry, but Wille’s parents could not be more useless right now. I am so glad Wille is finally speaking his mind. Maybe the delivery is not the most productive, constructive, diplomatic, but a child should not have to beg for his parents to be there for him. And they should not just leave the room when he does. Like, I understand that you are ill and struggling and that it must be absolutely terrible to deal with your eldest son dying tragically in a car crash, but Wille is right, you still have a son, and he needs you!!! 

The way Simon looks horrified and genuinely scared when Wille smashes the gifts. Like, he looks kind of scared of Wille. I bet he witnessed these kind of violent outbursts from his dad when he was younger. Oh Simon….

There it is: „Love shouldn’t be this hard.“ And it hurts just as much as I thought it would. 

Wille’s cheek is so wet, he must have been crying a lot already. 

Simon’s voice cracking when he says „Maybe it just can’t work.“ - he is breaking his own heart admitting this. 

The lyrics just before the cut „I got addicted to a losing game“ - KILL ME NOW!

I am in tears. Like, I knew they were going to come to a point like this, but that doesn’t mean it’s ok!!!

[gracefulblabber]

I'd be down to hear you out on why you consider "gender critical" different from "gender puritanical". From my experience with the GC movement, a lot of it is very motivated by transphobia.

Id be more than happy to explain my perspective! For a bit of background: I used to be very anti-terf and would have agreed with your statement several years ago. I changed my mind due to reading what radical feminists actually thought, since prior to that point I had not really engaged thoughtfully with anyone deemed transphobic. I will NOT attempt to change your mind with my words, however, and it is not my goal to convince you of anything. Rather, I want honesty and clarity, since throwing barbs around on the Internet is totally useless.

I consider myself a feminist and rather gender critical, although I don't like labeling myself as a radical feminist in order to avoid the possibility of group think. Rather, I like to develop my beliefs and opinions based on what I learn and read, and allow them to change if necessary.

To your question: how is gender critical different than gender puritanical?

Being gender critical means being critical of gender roles and the concept of gender identity. People who are gender critical do not believe in gender identity, full stop. Some are transphobic and reinforce gender roles while claiming to be gender critical. These individuals are usually conservatives and are not feminists.

I do not believe in gender identity because I do not believe in souls, spirits, or integral aspects of the self that are not tied to the body. When I considered myself non-binary (for approximately 2 years), it was due to internalized misogyny and the belief that my lack of adherence to gender roles made me not a woman. I do not believe this anymore. I believe that "gender" is solely gender roles and socially enforced expectations based upon a person's sex. Most of what I see on the Internet about gender identity seems to be an expression of personality (clothing, hairstyles, etc). My belief is this: a woman can wear whatever she likes, act however she likes, engage with whatever hobbies she likes, fuck whatever sex she likes. None of this makes her less or more female. I am not less of a woman (less female) because I am child free and engaged to a woman: I am just as female as the most feminine straight woman. When I used the non-binary label it felt cloistering, like another set of standards and expectations I had to fulfill so people wouldn't recognize my sex or enforce gender roles on me. I am gender critical in the same way I am an atheist: I do not believe in it but do not get angry with people who do.

A person's sense of self and identity is very personal and I would never tell someone how they must think about themselves. But just as I have never seen proof of God, I also don't see proof that gender identity is anything more than personality and reactions to the pressure of sex based stereotypes.

The inevitable followup to this is, of course, what about trans people?

I believe in bodily autonomy for every adult. The trans people I know personally (who I love and care about!) express deep distress about their sex characteristics or gender based stereotypes, and seek to get rid of it through medical or social transition. Whether it helps their distress is not my business, I just want what's best for them

On the whole, I feel trans people deserve the same rights and freedoms as every other person. Violence against trans people is unacceptable, and I (along with every radfem I've ever heard from) thoroughly reject it. I believe that a person's sex is usually unimportant but occasionally has a meaningful impact. Someone who has gone through male puberty, for example, should not compete in the women's sport category because of the impacts of testosterone on skeletal and muscle growth. But these aren't issues of life and death for trans people.

I hope you were able to get through my massive wall of text! I tried to be as comprehensive as possible. As always, I'm happy to clarify any points or have further discussions.

[call-of-ishmael]

Canto V and Ishmael's suicidal ideation

When the trailer for Canto V came out the narration over it and the tone gave me a lot of vibes of themes of suicidal ideation.

It wasnt present in the way id expect, but it was there and id like to talk about it

1. Her days prior to the Pequod

Ishmaels life before being a sailor isnt talked about much in her Canto, what we see though is pretty interesting

She expresses how she has come to hate the expectations, you work your ass off studying, getting degrees, applying to offices, to net you the job and life everyone says you should have.

A very interesting point to make is how she talks about it. The dread she feels as she expresses that thinking ahead thinking how this is gonna be her whole life, makes her feel empty.

"I didnt know if i wanted to die or if i just wanted my life to be different" [paraphrasing here] is a line we hear in this scene, however its followed up by her saying if she had to die somewhere itd be at the sea. She is unsure if what she wanted was to die, but her actions and thoughts point us that way, she frames it as where she wants her final resting place to be

2. The Pequod

Ishmael is from Ucorps Nest, The Great Lake should not be uncommon knowledge to the residents, a place full of monsters, where its known sailors who cant take it anymore jump into the waves to be free. And this is the place she wished to go to. She makes a desicion to join a ship that would take just about anyone to hunt whales.

In that gesture we see more of the previously mentioned thinking, she says shes not sure she wants to die but jumped into one of the most dangerous jobs around pretty quickly

In the Pequod she also experiences more trauma that leads her downwards even more, a controlling figure, molding everyone there into who they want them to be, a constant fear of death, endless fights against monsters, and eventually the loss of who she loved.

But its also a moment where we are shown, once she found some support, once she and Queequeg started working together towards a life goal she became determined to survive, she had a clear idea of where to go, a compass to follow. Before it was taken away.

3. Limbus Company, and Canto V

During the events of Limbus Company prior to Canto V we see Ishmael as a pretty driven person, she doesnt wanna die, at first, shes kept alive by a singular goal to find Ahab

By 4.5 and V we see this is, again, a self destructive endeavor

Her unique status effect "Compulsion" during the chapter is a way to communicate shes hurting herself constantly during this Canto, her usual ability to keep calm to not be consumed by her fears, worries, obsessions and compulsions falls apart

Ishmael at many points doesnt seem like she wants to come back alive, she willingly enters into the body of the whale only knowing she has something that can delay pallidification, not having a good plan to escape. She constantly tosses herself into danger, not caring how she gets hurt.

One of the more interesting tidbits is entering the dungeon. The first EGO gift she gains, exclusively applying effects to her, is a noose.

Its a culmination of the message, shes been hurting herself this whole time, she charges ahead, to kill that bastard, to kill Ahab. If she dies, its fine by her

And then the turning point is on the CG used for this section, another blatant gesture of letting her own life go, letting the membrane form around her, letting herself be consumed.

When shes broken out out the membrane it mirrors queequeg saving her in the past, the person who made her think of the future for once, to WANT to have a future.

Its the moment she realizes the sinners have been there for her, she has blinded herself to not think of any of the good moments, not even the ones she had with Queequeg.

She realizes shes not alone anymore

And she wants to live, somehow, she might not know how, but that hasnt stopped her before

Her compass is curiosity after all, she will find her path.

[roombob]

I now give a hc that i have thought abt warden ingo. He doesnt seem to be loud anymore unlike his former self that we know and love

What if the reason for that is for the safety of the hisuians

Pokemon in pla are aggressive which makes people fear them, and being loud might or could lure in pokemon and could wreck havoc.

Just being told to shut up cuz you might harm people... He now simply talks in normal volume. We miss your loudness king

(This is the farthest i could think abt this so if anyone has concerns abt anything in this id like to hear it)

[cinamun]

TAGGED by @simmerstellar ! Thanks friend!

Come get to know me y'all!

1. What’s your favorite sims death? I haven't had a sim die from anything other than old age in a HOT minute but I saw a LP and the murphy bed death seems so unecessarily violent lmfao.

2. Alpha CC or Maxis Match? BOTH! I consider my style Maxis Mix. We love a nice combo of both.

3. Do you cheat when your sims gain weight? Not anymore but at one point I had to. Let me explain: I don't know if it was a glitch but like after every meal with grannie's cookbook, Indya would gain weight instantly. Didn't happen with anyone else (although everyone else are athletes of some sort). She's always and forever thick but something was definitely up with the food mods I was using. Anyway, we're good now since I'm not playing her HH exclusively anymore.

4. Do you use move objects? Absolutely. Its too restrictive! Gotta play test when I do though because routing errors make me irrationally angry.

5. Favorite mod? Wickedwhims. I don't care! If I want my sims to get freak-nasty I have a blog for that and WW never fumbles. If I want them to do cute little intimate things, WW is there. If you don't like the smut, I feel bad for you son.

6. First expansion/game/stuff pack you got? I've gotten pretty much ever iteration of this game except for almost all of the kits and the star wars pack.

7. Do you pronounce “live mode” like aLIVE or LIVing? ALIVE. I don't understand the other one honestly lol. We're going LIVE as soon as I press play so....

8. Who’s your favorite sim that you’ve made? Obvs Indya Drake!

9. Have you made a simself? Yes! But she needs help lol I'm not good at that at all so there's a resemblance but she doesn't really look like me. When I do gameplay with her I say she's my "sorta-kinda self sim" lol

10. What sim traits do you give yourself? gloomy, neat, loner, romantic

11. Which is your favorite EA hair color? Black but like BLACK Black, not the BLUE Black lol.

12. Favorite EA hair? All of the afro textured ones.

13. Favorite life stage? Young adults.

14. Are you a builder or are you in it for the gameplay? Gameplay mostly stories but I love to decorate!

15. Are you a CC creator? I will recolor the shit out of something! That's about it lol

16. Do you have any simblr friends/a sim squad? All my mutuals and anyone who reads my story! #Squad

17. What’s your favorite game? The Sims 4 is the only game I play. Don't @ me.

18. Do you have any sims merch? Nope.

19. Do you have a YouTube for sims? Nope, but I have been asked to make a channel and got that far at least. No videos lol.

20. How has your “sim style” changed throughout your years of playing? If anything, less alpha and more maxis match.

21. What’s your Origin ID? [redacted]

22. Who’s your favorite CC creator? All of the ones that do it for FREE and for the love of the game. I donate too because I understand its not easy, but also not worth a month long paywall or conveniently forgetting to publicly release something.

23. How long have you had a simblr? 2015 are my earliest posts I think.

24. How do you edit your pictures? Gshade and Photoshop Elements 2020

25. What expansion/game/stuff pack is your favorite so far? Cottage Living is the goat IMO even though I don't play it much anymore. I do very much enjoy Island Living and Growing Together will round out a nice top 3.

26. What expansion/game/stuff pack do you want next? I haven't really thought about it. I just figure the sims 4 is nearing the end of its era and we're gonna start hearing about project rene more and more.

oh! tagging @shesthespinstersimmer @bridgeportbritt @iplaysims4 @beebeesiims @thegloomiestwhim @hazelminesims @therichantsim @omgkayplays @softerhaze @crsentfairy

please ignore if you don't do these or already did this!

[just-call-mefr1es]

HELLO it’s anon again!!! (but i’m not anon anymore i came out of my shell hello.) i did in fact eat up the entire thg au. and if you don’t mind, i have a couple of questions :3

1. do you have anyone to take the place of president coin? in thg, snow was captured and kept in the “capitol” or whatever it was after the war (idk i haven’t read thg in forever excuse me) but you did mention the ghost gang killing him while he was still in power. which is definitely cool but idk id just love to hear more about that whole thing

2. and honestly don’t mind me but i do have a lil idea to incorporate tbosas with the au. i will not go into the extremities but

max = either tigress or sejanus … although tigress makes more sense i am leaning towards sejanus. i’d have to dm you to explain that in full detail which would include a LOT of ranting but. yeah.

lucy gray baird = no idea!!!😊💗 i’m just having silly thoughts and i’m dumping them here. i am so sorry.

i probably have more thoughts but uh. well. i forgor /hj

goodbye and thank you for listening??? reading??? idk i’m sorry i really am

rahh thankyou so muchhh😭💗💗happy to answer questiones:33

1. for coin- ive honestly tried to think over someone good to be in her place, but have gotten nowhere💀💀 i was just thinking of making someone random there but idk, so im probs gonna jafe to do a lil bit more timeline tweaking becus well times gonna time and i vhanged a lot of things compared to the og hunger games🤕 ill let u know if i made any big changes tho💞 ill also talk more about the og basement boys™️ killing pres sh@w more in some other post because i have other things to say and i think itll fit better in its own post:3

2. i have been thinkij about incorporating tbosas into the au and i am rlly loving ur idea for max to take the place of tigris or sejanus, but at the same time theres a shitoj of stuff that needs to be figured out regarding how im gonna fit the gr@bber into curl ur anus’ backstory and 😵‍💫 i will think into it further tho and id love to hear ur rants!!!!! feel free to flood my asks/dms<3

and no need to be sorry!! i love hearing other peoples thoughts on this au:D i mean, it has been stalking my mind for months so 🥲

[shiftingtomydrs]

I HAVE NO IDEA WHAT SHATTER ME IS BUT I WOULD LOVE TO HEAR ABOUT YOUR SHATTER ME DR

THANK YOUUU <3

shatter me is a dystopian book series btw, i can very much recommend it (i found pdfs online if anyone wants them)

spoilers under the cut as always :)

okk so i went into the general outline here and the introduction is here if youd like to read that first :)

here are some of my (fave) moments i scripted:

aaron giving me my name when we were 5 since evie couldnt be bothered to give me one (when i write it down it sounds weird but i promise its a cute moment)

ella and i meeting for the first time and not knowing were technically at least half sisters and just laughing about how similar we look

just everything to do with aaron istg that man is perfection

not a fave but adam ending up with ella (just thought id throw that in there)

also not a fave but in the original series ella cant be touched cos she obviously has lethal touch, my equivalent of that is that i merge minds with people i touch which can end up being lethal for them (inspired by samara from the ring? yes) and it mostly is cos i dont have any barriers at all (in the first book + pre first book at least) so the person is basically being hit with a whole life of memories and another conscience which is too much for most

i cant think of anymore rn but if i do ill add them :)

offing anderson (sorry but if youve read the book youll get it i hate that man with all my being)

Not a moment but I'm immune to emmalines mind control thing so I don't really understand why everyone is so pessimistic bcs to me the world looks different (literally cos if I remember correctly emmaline makes everyone see the world worse than it is due to her telepathy but it doesnt work on me cos mental barrier)

[dear-mahal-ko]

Next chapter of my life ✨

If anyone has followed me for a while, di ko ni akala, I’d see this day come forward. To see that before my 28th birthday I’d find out I am carrying a life inside of me. Purong excitement naman ako pero nervous but excited. I never thought na, id be so happy to be talking to this little strong baby who has a powerful heart of 135bpm 💕

I was worried because the last month, akala ko I lost it kasi I was bleeding-spotting pero bleeding off and on-though sabi nung doctor its normal. So na bigyan nya ako nang medication to help the baby stay with me. I kept talking to it saying to be strong for mama kasi i didn’t feel my stomach anymore although at that point i didn’t know how far I was with the pregnancy.

Not knowing when I got assaulted at Sunglass hut I was pregnant. I didn’t know na, it was God, my guardian angels and my baby telling me to leave that toxic job that became not safe anymore to work for.

Here I am rejoicing and thanking God for this blessing- knowing I don’t know how my parents will react to it.

I pray I find the right words and the direction to tell them. Though the angels has protect me from many tribulations and I am thankful for my guardian angel’s protection.

Little panda coming soon March 2023 🥹 and I can wait to see you and hug you and love you as much as I do after hearing your heartbeat. You are a warrior my panda 💜