#nadir: okay i got his

[charlottedabookworm]

#2 - Horizon

feat Nadir

sticking with nadir for now lol. time will tell whether i end up writing with him the whole month or bouncing between multiple wols

The sky was on fire.

“First time seeing a sunrise, lad?”

Nadir tears his gaze away from the sky and directs it towards the man beside him. “I have seen many sunrises,” he says slowly, his heart beating a drum against his horns. He had taken the morning guard shift for half a decade, he had seen more sunrises than he could count but this… “But none like-”

The sky is on fire.

His hands shake at his side, each breath tinged with the scent of remembered smoke and iron, Yedlihmad is burning and there are screams in the air and-

“Ah,” the man - Staelwyrm? Stalwyrn? - says. “First time away from home? Never quite looks right when you’re starin’ at a different horizon, don’t matter how many different horizons you’ve seen.”

He breathes.

His gaze wanders back to the sky. It is a vivid, familiar shade of orange that sends a chill down his scales, but he forces his eyes to the horizon - to a sea the wrong shade of blue, to white sands and green fields. He lands upon the Eorzean city towering in the distance, the white stone a burnished orange. It still looks as if it is burning.

It is not his home.

This is not Thavnair.

“Everything is so different, here,” he whispers to himself, aching for his home. Nahbdeen would have nudged his shoulder and smiled, would have spoken endlessly of the beauty of the rising sun over Yedlihmad.

His brother isn’t here. He may never see him again and, even if he does, it will never been the same.

(Nahbdeen is alive to hate him and that makes this worth it)

Staelwyrn - he is certain that is his name - laughs softly. “Aye, it always is.”

Nadir stands at his side and watches the sun rise.

[sadquickchristmassnowman]

question for you all

(the husband is NOT abed. important info)

(read the tags for my “abbreviated” thoughts If You So Desire)

[saphhhiree]

hello!!!!!! i was wondering if u could write an abed nadir x reader mayhaps.. fluff or smut, i don’t mind !!!! i am so starved for abed content pleek.

HOLY SHIT HELLO MY FIRST FUCKING REQ????? HOLY SHIT YES OF COURSE ABED CONTENT IS LACKING!!! I WILL PROVIDE!!

introduction to art

abed nadir x reader

warnings: i’m very high so not proofread, nsfw, jeff’s ego, makeout, oral m!receiving, fingering, (in pt2) no pierce (i’m sorry but i won’t write anything pierce would do or say)

enjoy!! reader is afab if u didn’t want that i can change it if needed 🙏🏻🙏🏻 but gn prns!!! also! reader sits next to jeff in the open chair

“y/n? wake up!” opening your eyes while groaning softly “you can’t keep falling asleep, we need to keep studying” annie said rolling her eyes. “but this is borrrrriinnng” you yawn stretching your arms. “then leave, no one’s keeping you here yknow” annie crossed her arms while puffing her bottom lip. “gladly” you stood up but before you could pick your bag up, “you can’t.” you looked back up to the source of the voice, locking eyes with abed, his brows furrowed, “we have our art project due tomorrow.” he cocks his head slightly to the side awaiting your response. “so? you guys are studying for a class i don’t have with the rest of you, this is basically pointless for me. plus it’s almost 10, we all should be home right now.” you cross your arms, bag on your back ready to walk out. abeds mouth snaps shut as he looked to jeff as if he could stop you, jeff rolled his eyes saying “how about you and abed go to the other study room for your project and we can give him the notes tomorrow.” you practically wanted to murder jeff. 5 mins away from peaceful slumber yet now morally aware how unfair it was to leave abed to fend for himself. turning on your heels you walked to the opposite of the room “cmom im tired, let’s get this over with” tapping abed on his shoulder “aw, that’s nice.” shirley commented as abed packed up to follow you out in the direction of the other study room.

“what’s the assignment anyway?” you both put your bags down and sat next to eachother “expressing the human form and fabric texture” he pulls his notebook out, looking for the description of the assignment. “ah, okay…” you copy his actions, knowing you don’t have the notes because you fell asleep in the class. “since we’re partners on this one, you can be the model and i will draw it” abed says as he turns to you. “what? that’s not fair cmon.” you pout slightly, the thought of basically modeling for someone who you had feelings for was not something you wanted to do. “but you don’t have the notes” he points to your empty notebook then glancing at his notes. “fine.” you sigh and put your head in your hands awaiting further instructions. “it says arrange for a live model, examine the flow of fabric on the body while drawing it.” you get up, trying to hide the fact you were practically sweating, “draw me like one of your french girls, abed” you joke as he turns his chair around to look at you, “you have to be naked for that reference to work” he says looking down to start the sketch “what?? it was perfect timing, i think i hit the mark either way.” you groan back, “no, it doesn’t count, you can’t quote something that doesn’t apply to what’s happening. plus your not laying down” annoyed, you respond “yes i can! i can quote whatever i want! it doesn’t matter if i’m laying down naked or not.” you cross your arms. “yes it does.” he keeps sketching, “no, it doesn’t” “yes, it does.” “fine!” you yell, you’re tired and just wanted to make a joke, but now your irritated, you pull your sweater off, and next your pants. abed stares back at you, “you’re still not naked” he shakes his head almost burrowing it into his notebook, he’s seen half naked people before yea, but not you. you intrigued him, you never got mad at his ramblings, you watched kickpuncher with him when troy couldn’t, you’ve shown him movies you like, and he actually enjoys them. though you make crappy jokes about them, or *cough cough* quote them wrong *cough cough* something about you drew him in. he could read people so well, and he could read you too, but he still couldn’t figure out why he liked you so much. bringing him out of his thoughts you joke “why do you want me naked so bad?” “i don’t.” he lied. “so you think i’m ugly?” you push him further, “no” your laughter dies down, “oh?” you question, “wait. what’s happening? are you flirting?” he looks up at you, noticing that you’re a little too close than he remembers you being. “do you want me to be?” you ask looking down at your feet. he stands up, cocking his head to the side, looking down at you, “yes” he says.

PART TWO IS UP! NSFW! READ HERE, 18+ ONLY!

[grasshopperdoingdogpaddle]

Do you think Wuya and Hannibal mocked Chase about Omi's presumed death?

Oh they totally did, I have no doubt they had a betting pool going on it or something. The real question is did they manage to convince Chase that Omi really was gone for good? Was there a nadir where their words got to him and he had to accept that this was the end? Even if he was just wandering somewhere, 80 years is enough for a mortal human to just die naturally, right?

Chase was very concerned about Omi's sudden disappearance. I've mentioned it before, but Chase getting distracted by it probably played a role in his being defeated in the bad future. He makes the effort to keep tabs on Omi, and even Chase lost track of him.

But by the time he tells Omi that he was happy to see him safe and sound and he always knew their paths would cross again, I think he's being genuine and has already believed in that for a while at that point.

Hannibal and Wuya were taunting Chase on the matter while they were all trapped in the dungeon together, but that paradoxically solidified Chase believing that Omi really had to be okay and they'd see each other again.

One, out of pure stubbornness and spite for anything Wuya and especially Hannibal have to say. He's also extremely suspicious of everything either of them say.

And two, because it makes it increasingly clear that neither Wuya nor Hannibal nor Jack had anything to do with Omi's disappearance, so whatever it is is probably one of Omi's own antics.

Wuya's probably the one who would bring up the natural limits of a mortal human life, especially since Chase would probably lose track of such a short period of time in the grand scheme of an immortal life. But even then, Chase is so stubbornly convinced in Omi's potential and ability that he wouldn't even entertain the idea of Omi dying a quiet normal human's death.

[anghraine]

Sometimes, people suggest that Elizabeth is not truly romantically in love with Darcy towards the end of P&P, but just has a rational respect for his character (and property). Here are my three favorite pieces of evidence against it:

1- The coffee scene

When Darcy returns to Hertfordshire, there's a delightful period of frustrated pining between Darcy and Elizabeth. My personal favorite moment is at a gathering where Elizabeth is assigned to pour the coffee. She follows Darcy with her eyes, resents any not-her people he talks to, etc, and then gets mad at people for interrupting her by wanting coffee.

Absolutely top-tier content.

2- I do, I do like him; I love him.

Yeah, she does outright say she loves him.

There is something incredibly endearing about Elizabeth's struggle to defend her choice to her father—a choice that in this context represents many things, but IMO a big one is that she's both physically and emotionally moving beyond him.

It's also pretty funny that she has to wrangle with the legacy of Past Elizabeth's hot takes, it's bittersweet, it's a lot of things. But, ngl, my favorite part is when Mr Bennet concedes that the marriage is okay with him if she likes Darcy despite his pride and unpleasantness, and Elizabeth replies that she does like Darcy and she loves Darcy (both are important!) and it upsets her to hear him described that way. Just a lovely moment.

3- Lady Catherine v. Elizabeth

During Elizabeth's confrontation with Lady Catherine, she wonders how she could ever have thought Lady Catherine was similar to Darcy. I find this hilarious, honestly.

I mean, seeing Darcy's traits writ large in Lady Catherine is a perfectly natural and reasonable thing to do, even if it also flowed out of Elizabeth's prejudices at the time. Anyone would see the resemblance. But Elizabeth has got it so bad at this point that she's just like "how!!! could I have thought such a wrong and unfair thing." <3333

Honorable mention - Lydia aftermath

Elizabeth privately feels like she could have loved Darcy after he leaves her at the Lambton Inn post-Lydia disaster. It's only afterwards, out of scene and as the Lydia situation hits its nadir, that she realizes what her feelings for Darcy already are. It's a hellish time anyway, but she still owes half her sleepless nights to Darcy.

...out of dispassionate respect, I'm sure.

[borisbubbles]

Eurovision 2024: #36

36. FINLAND Windows95Man - "No Rules!" 19th place

Decade ranking: 143/153 [Above Nadir, below Let3]

Okay so, I promised in Saturday's post that I would try to be positive, but I may already have to rescind on that promise lol. (the "lol" is for punctuation because I definitely did not laugh.) "No rules!" stinks and has very few redeeming qualities. 🙂 Natalia was right, she WAS robbed by a Nudist Demon!

For real, does anyone over the age of twenty-five enjoy this dumpster fire? If so, fukk meee. LOVE YOURSELVES.

As I noted in my UMK review back in Feb:

I have difficulty buying into this hyperactive ball of bad taste. “Fuck The System” always feels like the go-to message of individuals that fail to fit into social structures that aren’t fully of their own shaping. For an entry that’s all “live as you like, there’s no rules!” in its messaging, these two look like they conform to just about every styling and behavioural rule associated with Zoomer culture: A total disregard for general aesthetics over a dumbed-down drone of a beat because everything is ironic and nothing is to be taken seriously.  It is a depressing take on life. Yeah sure, a bit of camp levity is welcome in this loathesome world, but any happy song that weaponizes irony like this one trends towards encouraging irresponsibility, cynicism and nihilism. Some things DO matter in life, you know? You need to afford your bills and groceries, charge your social batteries, cultivate your friendships, or else you’ll wind up living alone in a van, down by the river. But if the latter life appeals to you, then this is the entry for you, I guess. For me though; this contest is already has one Joost Klein. Let’s not add a second one from Finland.

Funny how I nailed that even before knowing the full extent of it. I ofc vastly underestimated how bad the live would be, and as soon as I'd seen it my scepsis immediately supernova'd into intense HATRED. If ONLY "Paskana" hadn't been weak as piss. Yes, the cringe in "No Rules!" is deliberate, obviously, I have a sense of humour. Having a sense of humour is why I hate it? How much "deliberated cringe" can one tolerate before concluding "nope, this is r o t t e n." Does it start with

THE BAD GUNTER IMPRESSION?

or

THE DONALD DUCKING?

or

CALLING HIMSELF" A QUEEN"?

or

screaming "SEE ME SLAYYYY" :proceeds to not slay: ?

It definitely ends in whatever this shot is supposed to be.

Humour is subjective sure enough, and Windowsninetycringeman's jokes fall flatter than a pancake á moi. Why is everything denim? Why is this THIRTY-NINE YEAR OLD MAN still engaging in toilet humour and internet speak? Grow the f up? The art lies in the execution and Finland showed neither. I do NOT like Europapa much, but having Finland and not Netherlands in the final vibes wrong on so many levels. Europapa at least had a clear plan and delivered its nonsense in contained, piecemeal doses? It was COMPETENT in what it attempted to be (A Televote Winner), not a lazy amalgation of simple-minded drunk jokes strung together over a Planet of The Bass megamix as some sort of a Hail Mary. Joost and Teemu represent the Expectations/Reality divide of Zoomer Nonsense and it was darksided that only the latter got to compete for points. But on top of that, Teemu was generally just full of shit? Hooray, an Old Millennial engaging in Zoomer Cringe who lets an actual zoomer do all the vocal heavy lifting, without giving him a single featuring credit. Yay! It's a painfully accurate depiction of what being a zoomer is like, but not an intentional one.

Also remember when Teemu said he would "try to discreetly approach the other contestants to find ways to show support for Palestine" (remember that this contest was supposed to be 'not political'?) Hm yes discreet. So discreet he declared his intentions to interviewers so that everyone would know it was HIS idea. "Discreet", human please. And the result of all that talk was...

(lol I'm SO making it sound like I care about what political standpoints any of these acts took, and I don't. But I do call out a fraud when I spot one.)

Yeah well thanks for trying, but I'd rather you hadn't. A statement you can apply to my feelings of the entry overall. Okay, we've reached full circle, time to move on to our designated palate cleanser because THIS page is a safe zone for people of good taste.

The universe where YLE overrules the results and sends THEM to ESC is the one where we head to Helsinki twice in a row.

THE RANKING

[transgenderswagcompetitions]

Okay! So I don't have an official bracket yet, but I finally got every character written down and determined who will be automatically going on to Round 1 and who will have to compete in preliminaries. Everyone automatically moving on to Round 1 had more than 1 submission, while everyone in the preliminaries only had 1 submission.

I will put together an official bracket tomorrow, but here's the list of competitors!

The characters automatically going on to Round 1 are:

Alex Fierro from Magnus Chase and the Gods of Asgard (4 submissions)

Shi Qingxuan from Heaven Official's Blessing (2 submissions)

Cheery Littlebottom from Discworld (2 submissions)

Nimona from Nimona (2 submissions)

Elle Argent from Heartstopper (2 submissions)

Eolo from The Raven Tower (2 submissions)

Anthony J. Crowley from Good Omens (2 submissions)

Kade West from Wayward Children (2 submissions)

Kel Brezon from Machineries of Empire (2 submissions)

The characters that will be competing in the Preliminaries are:

Rafe from Viscera

Rafe from The House of Whispers

Ash from DIE

Ash from Girl Haven

Jerico Soberanis from The Toll

Nadir from The Thirty Names of Night

Holly from The Mellification

Petrichor from Saga

Kazuhito "Kirito" Kirigaya from Sword Art Online

Aster Vanissen from Witch Boy

Sherlock Holmes from Sherlock Holmes

Vess from Invisible Kingdom

Tonkee Innovator Dibars from The Broken Earth Trilogy

Ben Van Brunt from Horseman: A Tale of Sleepy Hollow

Shuos Zehun from Machineries of Empire

Villy from Basil and Oregano

Valentine Weis from World Running Down

Howl Pendragon from Howl's Moving Castle

Hero from Something's Not Right

Dominic Seneschal from Terra Ignota

Firestar from Warriors

Enjolras from Les Miserables

Beatrice from Umineko no Naku Koro Ni

Axolotl from Wings of Fire

Isa from Transmuted

Inspector Javert from Les Miserables

Addy from Basil and Oregano

June Egbert from Homestuck

Alto from Your Mind is a Terrible Thing

David from Dark Currents

Monique from The Worm and His Kings

Viola Carroll from A Lady for a Duke

Will Avery from Names for the Dawn

Qven-and-Reet from Translation State

Syd from The Heartbreak Bakery

Claire/Claude from Baker Thief

Cersei Lannister from A Song of Ice and Fire

Will Treaty from Ranger's Apprentice

Starflight from Wings of Fire

Yadriel from Cemetery Boys

Zila from Aurora Cycle

Kaladin Stormblessed from The Stormlight Archive

AR/Lil Hal from Homestuck

Zoe from Sleepless Domain

Sera from Angela: Queen of Hel

Max Owen from Magical Boy

Jonathan Harker from Dracula

Diana Wrayburn from The Shadowhunter Chronicles

Abraham Van Helsing from Dracula

Never from Skulduggery Pleasant

Benji/Benjamin from Hell Followed With Us

Brick from Warriors

Sidra from Wayfarers

Sascha Vykos from Vampire: The Masquerade

Penfield from Future Feeling

Sallot Leon from Mask of Shadows

Ieshwi from The Stormlight Archive

Vriska Serket from Homestuck

Orlando from The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen

Spencer Harris from The Passing Playbook

Jane Crocker from Homestuck

Lupe from Four Leaf

Trina Goldberg-Oneka from The Seep

Cassandra Igarashi from The Wicked + The Divine

Aya Burnstein from Dancing in the Devils Auditorium

Lucus from High Class Homos

Merlin from The Left Handed Booksellers of London

Nightheart from Warriors

Sol from Dead Collections

Max from Magical Boy

Artemis Fowl from Artemis Fowl

Teo from The Sunbearer Duology

Wanda from The Sandman

Tal Smithson from Time to Orbit: Unknown

Petey the Cat from Dog Man

Captain Artemisia Blastside from Piratica

Rosa from Threads That Bind

Alter Boi from House of Whispers

Wegg from Be Kind, My Neighbor

Loki from Loki: Agent of Asgard

Scorn from Emergent Properties

Alanna of Trebond from The Song of the Lionness

Marcia Overstrand from Septimus Heap

Sage from Strawberry Seafoam

Jules from The Chromatic Fantasy

Peter Parker from The Amazing Spider-Man

Razia Khan from Stealing Thunder

Dipper Pines from the Gravity Falls comics

Mel from Something's Not Right

Hero Shackleby from American Hippo

Kino from Kino's Journey

The Marquis de Carabas from Neverwhere

River Runson from The Melting Queen

Jonathan Morgan from All the White Spaces

Leigh Hunter from Grey Dawn

Xada from LoveBot

Ienaga Kano from Golden Kamuy

Viola/Cesario from Twelfth Night

Silas Bell from The Spirit Bares Its Teeth

Let me know if I accidentally have a character on this list twice! Also let me know if you see anything misspelled or under the wrong book or series. Basically, let me know if I've screwed up lol

Thank you all for your continued patience!

[centrally-unplanned]

Okay so since we did Chinggis, how about the other Big Conqueror Generals? Alexander of Macedon, Attila, Timur, Napoleon?

(Several asked for some of these in other asks)

Alexander the Pretty Good: So at this point I think everyone knows that his father Phillip was the "state builder", who created the new systems of Macedonian drill and mobilization infrastructure, handing Alexander a strong army he did not build. And Greece really was hitting a nadir of power, the post-Spartan era fragmenting alliances and exhausting the stronger city states. So it is fair to say that Alexander is overvalued, any Macedon king probably could have taken over Greece at that time. Additionally, when you study his "vast" conquests, its actually really just Greece & then Persia like five times, its him beating one opponent and then mopping up, and having the material advantage most of the time once you get rid of the hagiography.

But starting from Alexander the Great's height gives you an extremely long way to fall; he is overvalued, but still incredibly high VOR. He has the irreplaceable synergistic value of ambition & charisma; he decided to conquer the world, and got a huge list of allies, often ones he had himself fought in battle, to help him do it. Most people never conceive of that as actually being possible - in particular Alexander was not provoked or forced into his confrontations with Persia (establishing hegemony over Greece was more of a coincidence, but I think he would have found an excuse). And while his military achievements are exaggerated he obviously was talented, particularly at logistics - projecting power that wide is a nearly unparalleled feat in his time, and not something Macedonia was built to do before him. So I will go with A+

Atilla is discussed here, weak, C-/D+

Timur - never studied him actually! Its my issue being a Europe & East Asia guy, I know Gengis/Temujin because he is tied up with the Jin, but Timur never quite got around to the Ming conquest

Napoleon: Very complicated, provisional opinions. The Napoleonic wars scope is in fact quite contingent; its a constant back and forth of revolutionary ambition from France to spread itself, reactionary forces in the monarchies to fight back, rebellions and opportunities. Napoleon was not someone who engineered the whole thing by any means, he was given a chance to shine and he took it. Revolutionary France, constantly at war, was pretty much always going to arrive at something like a military leadership.

Additionally, he often gets too much credit for civil reforms of things like the Napoleonic Code; the process for formulating the Code started in the first National Assemblies in 1791, and multiple drafts of a new, universal code had been made when Napoleon was in power. He ordered it to stop dillydallying and make it happen, don't get me wrong, that is points. But its also the kind of thing dictators can do, right? So its a bit of a question of how likely a military ruler centralizing authority at all in France was. I think kind of high? I don't view Napoleon as an Augustus figure. So I think his VOR would have had kind of similar power. Napoleon did not have grand insights into what the legal code should, from what I know. On things like these I think he is getting credit for the fact that his name in in the title that maybe he shouldn't.

But there is a reason he became Emperor of France - he is a grade A military genius. His rep here is deserved - of course he was taking advantage of smart officers, existing innovations, etc, dude ain't forging cannons himself. But he put it all together, truly did push the use of artillery forward, and he was tirelessly creative on the battlefield. He was a famous workaholic, memorizing every map and coordinating every part of the battle himself, in ways that just put him ahead of the curve of his opponents. He is a classic OODA loop guy - he is getting information, putting a plan forward, getting new information, and pivoting the plan faster than everyone else, and he keeps winning on the back of it.

And then the rep you get from that string of wins inspired morale, commitment, diligence, and more from his men and officers that compounds. That last part is important - making an army takes time, its about relationships. You couldn't just slot the Duke of Wellington in as commander of the French and expect it to work the same. Due to that, the VOR for having Napoleon leading your armies in 1805 is literally irreplaceable. There is not single other person in existence who can deliver greater value, and I think that is very clear - and at margins that are very rare.

But of course he has his share of mistakes, particularly in naval affairs, over time his enemies internalize his innovations, and his reach exceeds his grasp. In particular he had multiple opportunities to "settle" for gains where France is first amoung equals, and he doesn't take it, and it all comes undone. He could have been S tier if he learned that. But alas, I think it puts him at A.

[did-i-mention-the-shirt]

okay okay yes i KNOW i should be writing my fanfic BUT

Community characters as AJJ songs bc it's my favorite show and favorite band :] (If you want anyone added, feel free to ask!) Jeff Winger - Brave As A Noun. Okay, hear me out. This song not only applies to him lyrically but also shares the energy he has in the later seasons. He's just forcing himself to be satisfied with a life he doesn't really want, but also doesn't hate, is very season six finale. That is very much BAAN.

Britta Perry - Dissonance. It really has her energy. From the pilot to the finale, it fits her consistently despite her major character change. She is not put together. She hates herself because everyone's told her to. Britta is the best, but no one sees that. Not even herself. The only people who treated her with respect were the people she spent the least amount of time with! Think about it, she's had - what? - One touching scene with Duncan and Pierce each? She deserves more.

Abed Nadir - Goodbye, Oh Goodbye. Just listen to the song and you'll agree. This is mostly because of Troy's departure or in Abed's Uncontrollable Christmas. Whenever he has to confront his emotions, he has this distance between himself and everyone else. The opening lines, "I was thrown onto the ground/I was locked inside a basement/The guards went on vacation while I plotted my revolt." really, really, REALLY reminds me of 'Virtual Systems Analysis' when Annie's talking to Abed in the mind locker. It's a sad song, but it really fits him. The line "It's nothing like the nothingness that normally numbs one pain" is very clearly related to Troy. He got so used to Troy, and he never took him for granted, but Troy became a constant. He was Abed's anchor, and now he's gone.

Annie Edison - No one. This is Annie, particularly as the Ace of Hearts in 'A Fistful Of Paintballs'.

Troy Barns - A Big Day for Grimley. It's giving post-sea voyage Troy. He's changed, he's traumatized, and he's a little bit alone. He's proud of himself but is full of regret. What happened to Abed? He doesn't know.

Pierce Hawthorne - People Ii: The Reckoning. THIS IS PIERCE!!! Now, many of you know I love Pierce, so if you don't then you might not agree with this choice lmao

Pierce is sad. He is so sad. In Britta's words, he has spent so long looking out for himself, but he would give it all up for a shot at a family. He never gets that family. The study group never fully accepts him, despite his efforts and his becoming a better person with their help. Even Annie, the nicest to him in the group, seems to see him as a project or something. Like, he's just some old racist, homophobic old man, and not someone with 60+ years of trauma that he gradually works through with the help of his friends. He gains a brother. He defends the LGBTQ+ community. He wants nothing more than to be close to Jeff. And he dies alone.

So, yeah. "Here's to you Mrs. Robinson, people love you more, oh nevermind."

Dean Craig Pelton - Human kittens. No, I don't know why. Someone needs to give him a hug (Jeff).

Ben Chang - Dipping Things In Stuff. I don't know, he's batshit. He wants love though, just like the rest of us. This is very seasons 5/6 of Chang, I believe.

Buzz Hickey - Hate, rain on me. Tired, nihilistic, and praying for hope. I really like this song for him.

Elroy Patashnick - Normalization Blues. Don't ask me why. It works.

Ian Duncan - Fucc The Devil. Sad, distant, desperate, and hallow. But enough about Duncan. This song is the perfect example of, "I have what I want. Why am I still not okay?" which is what Duncan faces a lot. "I wanna go away for a while/Away for awhile/Because the things that I have seen/Are turning me into a shitty human being." Look me in the eyes and tell me that's not Ian. This man deserves so much more then people will let him have. Don't get me wrong, he's awful. But aren't we all, just a little bit?

Frankie and Shirley are too sane for this band im sorry to them

[couchcandy]

Psych x Community ??

I love psych and i love community so this vague concept of them existing in the same universe has been floating around in my head. 

The key connecting factor being the references to Shawn/Britta’s similarly eclectic off-screen pasts. They're close in age so I'm like okay - it would totally be possible for them to have known eachother/dated/whatever at some point before. 

psych aired from 2006 - 2014; Shawn born 1977

community aired from 2009 -2014; Britta born 1980

(Take these two quotes just as an example but it's referenced casually throughout both shows)

Britta’s Dad: I mean, every time we get too close, you run off. We sent you a birthday card to your apartment in New York, and the next week you’re setting fire to a Jamba Juice in San Jose.

Britta: How long is that gonna stick with me?

Britta’s Mom: Until arson is legal, sweetie.

Gus: Shawn, you’ve had fifty-seven jobs since we left high school.

Shawn: Yes I have. And they were all fun. But this one takes the cake.

Gus: Oh yeah? Better than the acupuncture clinic?

Shawn: I didn’t realize experience was necessary.

Gus: What about the summer you spent driving the weiner mobile?

Shawn: I did that for the hot dogs.

I think they fit somewhere in the ballpark of each other's types, both sluts(affectionate) and it makes sense for them to have crossed paths at some point during Britta's “anhercists” days. 

So that establishes a link between the groups, but what would it be like if they interacted? Take the arbitrary scenario; Shawn and Gus have gotten themselves and by extension the SBPD into another whacky shenanigan somehow who cares how i'm not writing this

I imagine initially everyone in the study group has a more or less positive impression of Shawn because he's charming, (with the notable exception of…you got it! Jeff)

JEFF

In typical jeff fashion is immediately threatened by Shawn because he has to be the coolestmostlikeabledude™ in the room at all times while simultaneously has to act like he doesn't care so he's quietly seething and - hey what's this new dude doing here making all my friends laugh that's my job! i must now make it my life's mission to prove this guys a fraud and reclaim my status no matter how much a fool i make of myself in the process (a la: advanced documentary filmmaking)

BRITTA

Normal standard “hey old friend” situation, remember when we *insane thing involving multiple felonies and property destruction* haha anyway let me introduce you to my friends - 

ANNIE

immediate skepticism that Shawn is able to sidestep pretty quickly by being charming/flirty (NOT in a gross way *hisses at the jeffannie shippers*) Her reaction being like when the dean “swaps bodies with jeff” or after abed’s don draper impression.

ABED

Knows Shawn isn't really psychic but goes along with it/doesn’t point out that Shawn’s hyper observant because he's invested in watching the psychic/cop show formula play out. He would! and I would too!

(quote from 5x03 Basic Intergluteal Numismatics):

Abed Nadir: [Pretending to read the crime scenes as a psychic] I see a man... using a social disorder as a procedural device. Wait, wait, wait, I see another man. Mildly autistic super detectives everywhere.

TROY

Obligatory: “you’re wrinkling my brain right now” and just general fascination, awe, and wonderment. Asks Shawn to tell him his future

SHIRLEY

Immediate judgment on Shawn's practices not being christian enough for her standards, but easily swayed to liking him once he picks up on something and comments on her ex husband being an idiot to lose her or something

PEIRCE

Does his peirce thing and tries to seem impressive and fails, something level five laser lotus blah blah - u get it thats enough on him 

THE DEAN

Is facilitating the psych crew being there because it might bring in good press for greendale and he def does the hand on shoulder thing when he meets him you know the one - omg and totally is into Lassiter furrowed brows “im packing heat” Carlton, please. – lassie is Not Amused™ 

CHANG

This depends on what point in community canon this interaction takes place because season 1 chang would prob be normal(for him), but like season 5 Chang would do/say something so insane and so chang that i can't even come up with it

As for our psych guys, Gus points out how weird and fucked up and bizarre Greendale is meanwhile Shawn is LIVING for it - signs them up for the Dean’s PA announcements class, and “Gus! buddy! I hope you don't mind. I used your credit card to sign us up for The History of Ice Cream. Come on, it starts in 20 minutes ! :D” Gus: “Shawn! >:0”

Lassie would just nonstop point out all the health and safety violations- he doesn't want to be here- calls a lot of people hippies, generally grumpy demeanor and we love him for it.

Starburns terribly hits on Jules - gets rejected, proceeds to try and sell her drugs - gets arrested.

[valentine-cafe]

Your scary characters' reactions to a (likely lost) kid approacing them and "adopting itself"? 😂

⊹ ۪ ࣪ ꒰ ALESSIO 781 ꒱ immediately goes with it. scoops you off and carries you off to the nearest diner to spoil you with all sorts of desserts or whatever it is you want. it’s only when rishen and talisen see him there with a kid that he informs them of their new child.

⊹ ۪ ࣪ ꒰ HERRERA HUSBANDS 209 ꒱ don’t even question. you’re their child now. immediately take you home, immediately give you a room. adoption papers? they don’t need that. it’s fine, rishen will pull a few strings and that’s done and dusted. you are now the child of two of the most dangerous people in the world — and they love you.

⊹ ۪ ࣪ ꒰ HAITĀO 209 ꒱ is concerned to say the least. will check in on where your parents are and if they’re good people. if they’re not - well, he’s sure his spectre will have a feast. but he can’t keep you so - he might hand you over to one of his associates.

⊹ ۪ ࣪ ꒰ PRIMORDIAL HUSBANDS 164 ꒱ also do not question it they are IMMEDIATELY stealing you away. through the forest and to the cottage. you’re their child now and as their child you need to eat because it’s going to be lunch soon.

⊹ ۪ ࣪ ꒰ ALESSIO 9948E ꒱ feels the last shred of his sanity slip away. also asks about your parents and discovers whether or not they’re good people. and if they’re not - well - “uh. . . I know a place.” and so mèng yáo answers the door to a knock and the sound of sprinting — only to find a child standing there confused

⊹ ۪ ࣪ ꒰ JINGESSIO 1311 ꒱ thinks that surely they can keep you - they’ve always wanted a kid. right? they quickly discover that it might not be the best idea BUT they’ll make sure that you get a good home.

⊹ ۪ ࣪ ꒰ RISHEN 1311 ꒱ takes you in immediately. no questions asked. yes he’s busy - it’s fine. he’ll make a plan. he’s not letting a child that seems to have nowhere to go alone. nope.

⊹ ۪ ࣪ ꒰ RISHEN 9948V ꒱ PANICS. he can’t look after a kid - especially not if that fucking phantom and bane of his existence has anything to say about it. “. . . okay - okay, I know a person.” let’s just say he transformed into 9948e rishen to sneak into nadir, and drop you off in a particular citadel. with a confused 9948e jìngyí who wakes up to a random child.

⊹ ۪ ࣪ ꒰ VALERIUS ꒱ immediately scoops you up and takes you to the material plane. straight to his girlfriend.

⊹ ۪ ࣪ ꒰ JÌNGYÍ VERSELESS ꒱ is more confused how the hell you got into the abhorration. picks you up and observes you. are you a demon? doesn’t seem like it. but he too knows a person - let’s just say that you’re suddenly in the 781 trio’s dorm

[mirasmirages]

Scars (part 3)

first previous masterlist next

Has: mentions of past trauma

James and his family belongs to @starliight-whump

~

Julia carried James's cup of coffee on the table for him. "I'll pick you up in twenty minutes, okay?"

James nodded. "Yeah."

"And if you need me, you can call. I won't be far."

She put the coffee on the table outside the small café, and James sat down across from Nadir, his high school boyfriend.

"Hey," Nadir said when Julia left.

"Hi."

For a moment, neither of them knew what to say. They hadn't stayed in touch after Nadir left for college, sixteen years ago. James was struck by how long it had been. Sixteen years since they dated. Half his life. He put his hands around his cup, but didn't lift it.

"So," Nadir said, hesitating to break the silence. "How are your parents doing?"

"They're good," James said. That wasn't entirely true. He had heard them talk when they thought he wasn't listening. He knew his mother would go down to the basement to cry so she could be strong in front of him. Not the best topic for catching up with a friend. James didn't know how much Nadir knew about what had happened to him, and didn't want to ruin this by bringing anything up. "Um. Julia says you're a fireman now?"

"I am!" Nadir said, smiling. Trying too hard to act normal, or just hard enough. Or maybe he was just being normal. Maybe James was overthinking it. "I really love it, helping people when they need it most. I never have to doubt if I'm doing something important, you know?"

James nodded. He had felt like that too, when he was in surgery. It was hard to argue he wasn't doing something important when he was fixing someone's heart after an acute heart failure.

"Or, at least, most of the time," Nadir continued, when James didn't say anything. "A few days ago, a kid called in for help, because his cat was stuck in a tree. It was a quiet day, so we went to save it. And the cat was furious, hissing and clawing at me, but I got it down, right? Handed it to the kid, and the cat twisted free and went straight back up the tree." He laughed. "At least I got a story out of it."

James laughed too, small but real. "I didn't know firefighters actually did that. I thought it was only on TV."

"Well, it's not exactly part of the job description," Nadir said. "But if we have the time for it, why not?"

James was looking for something else to say, to keep up the flow of the conversation, when Nadir looked at something behind him. He tensed instinctively, and turned to see Henry, the librarian, walking toward them, a hand lifted in greeting.

It was a coincidence, it had to be. There was no way Henry would know where James would be. There was no reason for him to care. And yet, James had that jolt of fear that screamed "DANGER!"

"Hey," Henry said, looking at Nadir.

"Hey," Nadir said, and glanced at James, which made Henry look at James, which made Henry recognize James, which left James completely unable to find his voice.

"Oh, hey," Henry said, still looking at James. Then he turned to Nadir and said, "I'm interrupting something, aren't I? I'll leave. See you Tuesday."

"Yeah, see you," Nadir said as Henry left, and then he turned a serious gaze on James. "Are you okay?"

James wanted to brush it off and pretend it was nothing, he really did, but the way he was shaking, there was no way Nadir would believe him. He buried his face in his hands.

"It just keeps getting worse!" he said, and slid his hands up to grip at his hair. Numb prickling radiated through his fingers, and he could barely put any force into the movement. "It's been two months, and I'm scared all the time, and it's not getting better, and I'm never gonna work again, and for some reason, every time I see that man, I think he's going to take me away and make me go through everything again!"

It felt good to say it, even if it ruined any chance of this being a normal conversation. James was exhausted with normalcy. He kept trying for it, and it never fucking worked. The best he could do was to hope the people around him believed it while he kept feeling as awful as always. He wiped his eyes on his sleeve, so Nadir wouldn't have to see him cry.

"Hey," Nadir said in a careful voice. "Can I take your hand?"

James sniffled and gave a nod, but didn't look up at him. Nadir took James's left hand, the one that could still mostly feel, in both of his.

"All of this is a normal reaction to what you went through," Nadir said. "It's only been two months. That's nothing. You're going to get better, you just have to give it time."

"You don't even know what I went through," James mumbled.

"Not the details of it, no," Nadir agreed. "But I know it was bad. I know you spent two weeks in the hospital after they found you. I know how scared Julia was when you stopped picking up the phone. I know about the trial."

James swallowed. The trial was one of many things he tried not to think about. In just a few months, he would have to testify, and he would have to see him again.

Nadir squeezed his hand. "We don't have to talk about it if you don't want to," he said. "I'm just saying, if you do want to, it's okay."

James shook his head. Talking about it would be a bad idea. Especially in public.

"Um," he said, looking for something else to steer the conversation toward. "How do you know Henry?"

"We were roommates in college," Nadir said. "How do you know Henry?"

"He's Oliver's favorite librarian. And, um." James hesitated. "And he kind of tried to flirt with me at a bar and I had a panic attack."

Nadir's eyebrows rose. "You went to a bar?"

James nodded. "Julia went with me. I wanted to see if I could do it, but it didn't go well."

"And when you said you think 'that man' is going to take you away … you meant Henry?"

"Yeah." James swallowed. "He took me outside when I panicked. I think he was trying to help, but at the time … it didn't feel that way."

"I'm sorry." Nadir's eyes softened. "If it helps, I don't think he would ever hurt you."

"I know that," James sighed. "I know most people are just normal people and aren't out to get me, I just- I just feel things, before I have time to think about it."

"You could ask him to keep his distance," Nadir suggested. "He would, if you asked."

James pulled his hand back so he could bury his face in his hands again. "That's not the point," he said in frustration. "If it's not him, it's someone else. It's walking in the woods and it's rooms with brick walls and it's men in suits and it's rain. It's not about him, it's about everything!"

Nadir was silent for a moment, giving James time to stew in his own thoughts.

"Do you want to meet him?"

The question surprised James into looking at Nadir.

"If you don't want him to stay away, maybe it would help to meet him in a safe environment. Maybe it will help you be less afraid."

"Maybe," James mumbled. He wasn't sure how he felt about his frustration being met with solutions. He wasn't sure he was ready for solutions. "Do you think he would do that?"

"I don't see why not," Nadir said. "I bet it would help him too, to know it's not his fault you're scared of him."

James nodded slowly. He hadn't thought about how Henry would feel about his panic attacks. He already knew he was making things harder for his family, but now he was doing it to strangers, too. That wasn't who he wanted to be.

"I'll try," James decided. "If he wants to."

next

[paperandsong]

I present a list of 16 Underappreciated fics with recommendations in the authors’ own words, taken from responses to this post: Unloved Fic Tag Game. Most are Phantom of the Opera fics, but there is one from Rebecca and another from Elisabeth. Take a chance on these hidden gems - many authors say these are their best work. They were written with love. 

Remember that it is never, ever too late to give kudos and leave comments on fics - no matter how old they are!

All Imaginable Pangs by @les-gnossiennes-fantomatiques​: It’s a pre-canon Leroux fic set towards the end of the 1860s, told from the point-of-view of a well-to-do Parisian courtesan. Do you like people talking about art and the nature of creating things? Do you like angst about growing older and not feeling at home in your own skin? Do you like lots of incredibly awkward smut and romance?

Annard Noz by @paperandsong:  Little Christine and Raoul roam around Perros-Guirec collecting stories until a vexed old woman frightens them with the legend of the Laveuses de nuit. I wrote this for the Légendes rustiques project which uses French legends recorded by George Sand and reimagines them as stories Christine and Raoul may have heard as children. If you like folklore you might be interested in this series. 

Beneath the Winter Snow by @pianomanblaine​: I wrote this story for the Advent Calendar a few years back. It was the first fandom event I participated in after picking up writing again a few months before, and the response I got made me feel very welcome here. It’s a simple and very fluffy oneshot, and I had a lot of fun writing it, so I hope people will have fun reading it as well.

The Day My World Crumbled by @nerdywriter36​: It’s a Nadir/Rookheya fic, which is definitely a rarepair only familiar to those who know Susan Kay’s book. It was basically just a way for me to flesh out part of their story that had been plaguing my mind for a while that needed to get let out.

The Dead Are Gone, They Don’t Come Back by @conquerthenight​: (Mind the tags) Normally I cringe when reading my own writing, but I have yet to do so for any of this series. I would recommend this series to: anyone who wants a reason for Ileana to be so unconfident and scared other than “she just is”, anyone who either wants Maxim redeemed or wants any insight into his POV because the fourth work in this series explores his POV, anyone who wants to read from Rebecca’s POV (the second work in the series is from her perspective), anyone who read the novel Lolita who would’ve rather read from Dolores’ POV instead of Humbert’s, and anyone who believes recovery fics help them cope with trauma.

Digging into the Youth that is you by @enigmawritesstuff​: What you get is a dynamic that deals with trauma in a healthy, heartfelt and loving way, that makes you feel seen and touched. It helps me feel that there is hope that one day you'll be understood as you need, or want, to be, and that's okay. To need someone to help you stand sometimes. Which is why this phic is actually quite dear to me.

A Fierce Inequality of Love by @shinyfire-0​: My most underappreciated fic is the first fic I ever wrote. I wrote it in the late 90s or early 2000s, back when fandom was brutal and people gave vicious reviews if they didn't approve of a fic. This was one was castigated because (spoiler!) Christine does not stay with Erik. I love the tragedy of the man, and so I LOVE a tragic ending for him. And maybe, despite the fact that she escapes him, it's a tragic ending for Christine, too.  Anyway, this one came straight from the heart.

Les Flambettes by @textsfromthefifthbasement​: I think it's probably not as popular due to the archive warning and the fact that it sounds like an R/C fic. But it is a horror story involving the trio with a braided structure alternating between past and present. Part of the Légendes rustiques project. 

Mirrorverse Addendums by @sarcasticdolphin: I know it is a bit dense - there’s a lot of history to cover, and I want to do it correctly. Elisabeth das Musical fandom as a whole lends pretty well or being fandom-blind as it is quite close to historical fiction. 

Notre Dame des Lorettes by @catcorsair​: This is a short prequel story centered on Erik that takes place during the paused construction of the Garnier amidst the fall of the Paris Commune of 1871. Just give it a shot! It’s such a short little one shot, and frankly, I think it’s probably my best fic in terms of writing.

Our Love Brings Ruin by @battydings​: For anyone who wants to read a story about the complicated feelings that revolve around validation and being wanted/needed, but don’t mind a bit of death, this story is for you. Because more than being a story about a couple who are complicit in murder together, it’s about a woman who is willing to step over her own personal values in the name of validation.

Phantoms of Paris by @lincolnlogger​: If you're looking for a story where Andre, yes Manager Andre, gets a lot of narrative POV privileges, you've come to the right place. If you want Erik facing his past head-on via therapy sessions, you've come to the right place. If you want Nadir hanging on by a thread, you've come to the right place.

Philia by @brendadaaedestler: One of the main characters featured in the one shot is a character from Susan Kay’s novel, which [you] not many have read, though you don’t need to have read Kay’s novel to understand the one shot. You would probably like [it] if you enjoy reading fluff content.

Unexpected Variables by @meilas​: Beauty and the Beast 2017. I thought it was funny when I came up with the idea. I actually don't care if anyone else reads it or not.

Vainement, ma bien aimée by @illuminaughti-online​: I think "Vainement" might be my best-written from a technical sense. Also? I genuinely like these kids, as well as the folklore and a nice creepy setting. Give Baby Raoul a chance and you might wind up rooting for him after all as he tries to come to terms with the fact that the world is a terrifying place and that Christine intends to plunge into it headfirst regardless. Part of the Légendes rustiques project. 

You are Music by @apileofpans​: If you like E/C/R getting together in a healthy way with a healthy dose of communication and understanding between the three of them, this is the fic for you! There is a scene between everybody one on one and I just… GAH!!!! It’s like a wonderful hopeful fic with promises to come, it’s just like. Comforting in a way!!!

photo by @shinyfire-0​

[gryfflepuffinthetardis]

Secrets and Lies

Season One Masterlist

Charm and Harm

Summary: The BAU are called in to investigate the CIA’s counterterrorism unit on a mission to save one of its informants and identify a mole in the unit while Zoe has to call in help from an old friend who the mole may had wronged.

Warnings: Killing, Mentions of terrorists; JD; Mistrust of the CIA; Mention of torture; Mention of sexual assault

"A wise man once said, 'be careful who you let on your ship because some people will sink the whole ship just because they can't be captain'."

Albert Einstein said, "Whoever undertakes to set himself up as judge in the field of truth and knowledge is shipwrecked by the laughter of the Gods."

Spencer, JJ, and Garcia walked out of the elevator

"We have a CIA escort, okay?" Garcia said, "It's weird and a little scary."

"What do you suppose this is all about?" JJ asked.

"Call me cynical, but considering it's 2:00 am, I doubt it's good news." Spencer said.

"You are a genius." JJ said.

They entered the briefing room where Morgan, Elle, Hotch, Gideon, Alexander, and Zoe already were.

"The CIA's counterterrorism unit is engaged in a mission to save one of its informants." Hotch told them, "They suspect one of their agents is a mole, and until the identity of that mole is discovered, they've locked down the unit."

"This gives us the opportunity to profile the UnSub up close. Go ahead."

One of the CIA agents spoke into his watch, "Start the video feed."

A man appeared on the monitor.

"John Summers was the CIA's best field agent in the Middle East. Three nights ago he was found in his home in Washington. He'd been tortured and murdered." Pictures of his body appeared on the screen

"CIA made it look like suicide." Gideon said.

"How'd you like to have that job?" Spencer said, grimly.

"Look at the wound patterns." Zoe said, "They come from two distinct angles. Different heights. One's right-handed and one's left-handed. He was definitely tortured by more than two people."

"Are you sure?"

"I've been tortured and seen torture enough to know." Zoe said.

"Hotch, what was Summers working on?" Elle asked.

"Aaliyah Nadir. Had been beaten and sexually assaulted at the hands of her husband, Hassan Nadir. That's how Summers flipped her and got her to work for the CIA." Hotch said.

"And what's the husband's story?" JJ asked.

"He's a diplomat for the Saudi government, but he's a fundraiser for major terrorist organizations." Zoe said and they looked at her. She just shrugged in that way she did.

"Aaliyah gave Summers intelligence on terrorist organizations the CIA had never been able to penetrate, organizations Hassan, her husband, funneled money to."

"And Hassan realized he had a leak?

"Yes, but he didn't know who." Hotch said, "For Aaliyah's protection, Summers never revealed her identity to the CIA until about eight weeks ago. CIA arranged papers for her and Summers brought her and her children to the US about a month ago."

"Only Summers knew where he hid her." Gideon said.

"What did Hassan think happened to his family?" JJ asked.

"Car accident. Bodies too disfigured to identify." Hotch said. "Only the CIA knew it was staged until Hassan arrived in Washington last week under diplomatic cover."

"Only someone in this unit could have given Hassan the information about his family." Spencer said.

"And now he's here looking for her." Morgan asked, "Why us?

"Over the years, I've conducted psychological evaluations on every field agent in that unit." Gideon said.

"You work for the CIA?" Garcia asked.

"Not officially."

"And I may or may not have been sporadically in contact with this unit before the BAU." Zoe said.

"You were?" Spencer asked.

"I didn't speak to them personally. It was more just sending them what I profiled. And then I was kidnapped by terrorists for six months and they really wanted to know about that but almost everyone in that prison ended up dead."

"The train's running and if we stop this mission, even for a second, Aaliyah and her children are as good as dead." Hotch said.

——————————————————————————————————————————————

They left the elevator in the CIA building

"Don't remove your firearm." Gideon told Spencer who was about to do so

"US soil. Federal building." Hotch said.

"Just your cell phones. Non-negotiable." Gideon said.

"The moment we walk in there, the UnSub's going to know we got him cornered." Morgan said, "We don't hand jack over."

They walked through the scanner, the scanner picked up, Hotch's hip gun and his ankle gun. Spencer's gun. Then Zoe's right hip gun, her left hip gun, her left ankle gun, her right ankle gun, her left thigh gun, her right thigh gun, the gun tucked into her front, the gun tucked into the small of her back, her gun concealed in her bra, the guns inside her jacket, and her micro pocket guns in her leather jacket.

The man behind the scanner gave her a look as she was carrying thirteen guns. She just nodded at him like, what's up?

They stepped through the unit when Bruno Hawkes who had called them on the case came out of his office

"Special Agent Hotchner." Hotch introduced himself with a handshake.

"Oh, I know who you are, and your team, too. Doctor Noble-Valdez. I am very sorry for the ordeal last year." He said.

"By ordeal, you mean me and my ex-boyfriend being tortured for six months by terrorists?" Zoe deadpanned.

"I'm afraid so."

"Well, that makes it better." Zoe had a bite to her tone and less professionalism in her eyes than usual.

"I've got the personnel files all set up for you guys. Video, whatnot, it's all there in the conference room. Now, if you have any questions, feel free to talk to my senior officers. This is Gina Sanchez. She's the Associate Director of Field Operations. And that guy up there is Kruger Spence, the Assistant Director of Operations. The lady with him is his second-in-command, Olivia Hopkins. And, uh, thank you for coming."

As he walked away, Zoe clearly gave him a sarcastic smile. People were looking at her. She didn't blame them. They knew things about her that were classified to the team. Including that she shouldn't be there. She was technically on a list...

"Neither of you ever mentioned Bruno Hawks." Hotch said

"You never asked." Gideon said.

"Eh." Zoe shrugged.

"How long have you unofficially been working for CIA?" Hotch asked.

"Long enough to know who and what we're dealing with." Gideon said.

They all entered the conference room and Hotch closed the door behind them.

"We're looking for what the CIA classifies a Type A personality. Overachiever. Highly adaptable. Well-educated. Virtually unshakable." Gideon said, " Manipulative enough to persuade a loyal foreign national to betray their country, a wife to betray her husband. Most importantly, this UnSub long ago accepted the reality they will be summarily executed if caught." He had looked out the window and then turned back to the team, "Life means nothing to this UnSub. Not his own life, not his family's, not his colleagues', certainly not ours, and certainly not theirs." He pointed the the missing family on the monitor.

"One of those agents turned against everything they believe in. Why?" Hotch asked.

"Well, they stopped believing. Maybe it was about ideology." Morgan said.

"We need to find the stressor. A major event that caused them to turn. Love. Revenge. Economics. Ideology."

"The intelligence community's mantra says, 'Increase the parameter of your enemies' paranoia.' Right now, we're the enemy. Whatever you see or are told, please trust no one but me."

"Gideon, you're going to want to take a look at this surveillance video." Garcia said, appearing on the monitor with JJ.

"What is it?"

"Uh, it's you. It's your name next to a whole slew of MPEGs. There's one that says 'John Summers.' It's three hours long.

The video showed Gideon in his car, talking to Summers through the window, but it was taken from a little bit away, hidden.

Shoot, go.

"When was this?" Hotch asked.

"Three days before he was killed."

"Who called this meeting?" Summers asked Gideon.

"Does that matter?" Gideon asked him.

"Every detail matters."

"Why?"

"It can only be one of four people." Summers told him.

"Why is that important?" Gideon asked.

"Whoever requested this wanted more than just an eval from you."

"Did you know they were filming you?" Morgan asked.

"I assumed they were." Gideon said.

"Taking in all factors discussed, age, rank and field status, and if you eliminate all non-field agents, we're left with a total of sixteen candidates." Spencer calculated.

"All of whom are in this unit." Elle said.

"We have to assume the mole has an exit strategy." Gideon said.

"Only now we're blocking the exit, and the only way out is through us." Hotch said.

"Zoe, we need all hands on deck," Gideon said.

Zoe raised her eyebrows as she understood his meaning. "I can call J.D., but I can't guarantee he'll cooperate."

"Why wouldn't he?" Morgan asked.

Zoe clenched her jaw.

"He's... different. He's impulsive, he has trust issues, he doesn't cooperate, I mean, he's my ex-boyfriend."

——————————————————————————————————————————————

Hawks presented the BAU to the unit, "Now, we all know why BAU are here. They have their job and we have ours. And we're down to the wire on this. Aaliyah Nadir risked everything, and now she and her children deserve our fullest attention. Let's find her."

It was four at night, so getting a hold of J.D. was difficult. Zoe was still on "hold" essentially, she had connected her phone to an earpiece that was in her ear now.

She stared at a video, "Hey, guys, take a look at something." She said when Gideon and Hotch returned. She pointed at the screen, a nearby car. "Right there. That's a woman sitting in the passenger seat of that car." She took the remote and the screen zoomed in and optimized the picture.

"Looks a lot like Aaliyah." Elle stated.

"Why would he leave them in the car, unless he knew he was being videotaped?" Hotch asked.

Gideon took the remote from her and played the tape, replaying the scene from earlier.

"Who called this meeting?

"Does that matter?"

"Every detail matters."

"Why?"

"It can only be one of four people."

"That's not true." Gideon said, "Anyone in this division could have insisted upon an eval.

"Why narrow it down to four?" Elle asked.

"Well, he rightly suspected Hassan came to the US because he knew his wife was alive." Morgan asked.

"And that someone in this agency was working for Hassan." Spencer said.

"If we don't discover who the mole is before they find her, she and the kids are dead." Morgan said.

"Zoe."

"Still on hold. I'm seriously about to go down to that prison and shove a pitchfork up their..." Zoe said, clearly very annoyed.

"Garcia." Gideon interrupted

Garcia and JJ appeared on the monitor.

"Right here, boss."

"How many agents in this unit were actually in Saudi monitoring US interests?" Gideon asked.

Garcia did some typing, "Uh, four."

"Let me guess. Bruno Hawks, Gina Sanchez, Olivia Hopkins and Kruger Spence." Gideon said.

"Four-for-four."

"See what else is on the tape.

"All right."

The two BAU blondes disappeared from the monitor and Gideron gently placed the monitor down. "John Summers would have only trusted seasoned agents, of which, in this unit, there are only four."

"So he guessed that the mole had to have been one of his four bosses." Zoe said.

"Before he put in for Aaliyah's extraction, he wanted to know which one not to ask." Morgan said.

"We need to match up with them, one-on-one." Gideon said.

"But there's six of us." Zoe said.

"You, sweetheart, will be switching between all four. You've seen the most darkness, you can recognize trauma." Alexander said.

"But..."

"Sweetheart, you have the best instincts the BAU has seen ever. You worked with this unit."

"Barely. I insisted on being as far away from the CIA as possible. I don't really trust them. They deal with politics more than the FBI and I think politics make people distrust each other. It breeds bad people like our UnSub."

"Exactly. There's a reason you're on a list and the CIA still had to let you in here because you're that good at profiling." Alexander said.

Zoe huffed, grumbling under her breath. Now she had to interview four CIA agents while she attempted to get her extremely uncooperative ex-boyfriend to cooperate and help the CIA of all people.

"Kruger Spence, assistant director of operations. Recruited at the age of eighteen after graduating from M.I.T." Gideon said.

"It says he had six years of experience as a weapons systems designer and an IQ of one-ninety-seven. He butted up against the system and didn't deal with authority. They moved him into field operations in China for eight years before transferring him here."

"Olivia Hopkins, divorced mother of two. She spent nine years in field operations in Europe. She also visited Riyadh with Krueger." Elle said.

"I got Gina Sanchez. West Point graduate. Black belt in two martial arts. Served in Iraq doing psychological operations with military intelligence. She joined the C.I.A. Speaks three languages, including Arabic." Morgan said.

"Bruno Hawks, deputy direction of operations. Extensive field ops in the Middle East and Europe. Did his military service with Jason Gideon." Hotch said.

"One thing I've learned over the years profiling CIA agents, spies are some of the smartest liars in the world. Be smarter."

Zoe suddenly slammed her hand on the desk. "Finally! I got through to you." She looked at the others. He picked up. J.D. I need your help... of course, you heard." She lifted her hand in incredulity.

"What?" Morgan asked.

"He's speaking in Old French for some reason. J.D. J.D.! Stop speaking like you're a Frenchman from the thirteenth century. You're from New York!" She looked at the others, "It's going take a while to get him to cooperate. Give me ten minutes."

——————————————————————————————————————————————

Zoe finally got him to stop speaking Old French and talk like a normal person.

"Why would I help them? They never helped me. The CIA is one of the reasons I'm stuck in the locked box in the middle of nowhere for the rest of my life." He argued.

"And the fact that we're trying to save a woman and her children's lives doesn't sway you?" She asked.

He didn't reply. She didn't think it would. He wasn't emotionless, he just... felt less for others... except when it came to her.

"Alright, how about this since the only thing outweighing your IQ is your egomania. We worked with this unit two years ago. That means it's very real possibility that it was this mole who informed the terrorists about us and got us kidnapped."

"You really think so?"

"Would I lie to you?" She asked.

"No." He admitted, honestly. "I hope you wouldn't. Will they pay for it? They work with the CIA."

"J.D. If they compromised us, then that means I will blame them for what happened as much as I blame myself." She said, steely cold.

Knock. Knock.

Zoe turned to see a more awkward-looking than usual Spencer. "Zoe, I'm about to talk to Kruger.

"Who's that?" J.D. asked sharply.

"No one." Zoe said. "Just a coworker. You're sure this line won't be compromised?"

"Are you doubting me?" He asked, cockily.

"Don't be cocky."

——————————————————————————————————————————————

"We can't circulate a photo of a woman who's supposed to be dead." Krueger told Zoe and Spencer.

"We realize that, but..." Spencer said.

"Look, I appreciate you have a job to do, but so do I." Krueger said and got to his team of agents

"All right, start looking at where Aaliyah would feel the most comfortable. Arab-populated areas...

"This guy sounds like a real numbskull when it comes to profiling. You sure he has an IQ of one-ninty-seven?" J.D. asked.

Zoe and Spencer exchanged looks at Kreger's strategy plan.

"Actually, you might wanna start by profiling Summers." Spencer said.

"Be my guest. Aaliyah's about to be brutally murdered in front of her children." He said, rather condescending to the two and he looked at Zoe. "Got nothing, sweetheart?" Zoe narrowed her eyes at him in a way that reminded him of so many of her female family members.

"Tell me this guys IP address, I'm gonna ruin his life." J.D. said but Zoe ignored him. "No one talks to you like that!"

Kreger turned back to his team, "Okay. Where were we? Let's put some teams together."

"John Summers was obsessed with his own security." Zoe said.

"Aren't we all?" Kruger groaned out, exasperatedly.

"Can you shut up for five seconds and listen to the actual profilers?" Zoe snapped.

J.D. clapped over the line.

"He didn't care about money, or possessions, or family. All he cared about was his job. He was a classic control freak, a meticulous paranoid." Zoe explained in a mocking somewhat condescending tone.

"A loner who chose to live outside the community," Kreuger realized.

"In an environment that he could control." Zoe said.

"All right. So he would have placed Aaliyah outside the community in an environment only he could control or have access to."

"May-maybe." Spencer stammered, "on the other hand, he might..."

Krueger held up his finger to silence Spencer, "Alright. New deal. I want you to search the areas surrounding Summer's apartment..."

"So, we're looking for industrial sights, uh, storage spaces, warehouses." Zoe cut in. "Basically anywhere that can hide a grown woman and her two children but still have the ability to keep them from suffocating."

The team moved out as if Krueger had given the order and he looked at the two young agents, impressed. "That's good. Thanks."

"Oh, and sweetheart? Don't ‘sweetheart’ or condescend me again. We may be young but we are geniuses, we're as successful as we are for a reason." Zoe growled.

"That was mucho sexy, Zoe."

"No, no, no, no. Don't do that." Zoe said and she turned to Spencer, "I'm going to Morgan and Gina."

She arrived to them and said, "Well, Kreger's a jackass. I set him straight.

"I commend you." Gina said, slightly deadpan, and said, "I don't think I could have a job where I had to sit and talk to people all day."

"Okay, wait a minute, it's not all psychobabble. Trust me." Morgan said.

"We get our fair share of action." Zoe said.

"I'm sure you do. Here's something you might find interesting." Gina said and spoke to her coworker, "Joystick, come around thirty degrees, fifteen by thirteen north. Zoom in two miles." The computer she was on zoomed in on the Earth and into Virginia, to a neighborhood.

Morgan frowned and leaned forwards, "Wait a minute. That looks like my neighborhood. That is my neighborhood. That-that's my house and that's my bike."

"What kind of bike does this guy have?"

"Something inferior to my bike." Zoe told him and Morgan gave her a look.

Gina zoomed in on Morgan's house and a white spot moved around the green-outlined furniture.

"You have a dog."

"Yeah, yeah, I got a dog. That's Clooney." Morgan chuckled.

"Well, it looks like Clooney's on the couch." Gina said.

"Okay, so you know where I live. I like that." Morgan said.

"Tell me does this guy ever flirt with you?"

"He knows how many guns I carry." Zoe told him and she looked at Gina, "- You also knew where Summers lived."

"That's my job." Gina said.

"Your job to make it look like suicide?" Morgan asked, "You stood over the dead body of a friend and a colleague, you stuck a shotgun in his mouth, and you pulled the trigger?"

"Yep." Gina said, but there was clearly not happy with it.

"Must take a psychological toll, no?" Morgan asked.

Gina turned to Morgan and Zoe. "Let's get one thing clear. We all write a letter just like the one Summers wrote."

"Yeah, I know. When the CIA joined my cousin's anti-terrorism task force, they tried to get me to do the same. I wasn't putting up with that shit." Zoe said. "Writing a suicide note is one thing. Shooting the brains out of your friend's corpse's head is another."

"That doesn't mess with your mind just a little bit?" Morgan asked.

"I'm neither disillusioned or confused about what I am, what I do or what I have done."

"Somebody here is. Why else would they rat out their own people?" Zoe asked.

"You'll have to ask them."

"Did it bother you what you had to do to Summers' body?"

Gina turned to her and countered, "Did it bother you when you had to do your job and arrest your boyfriend?"

J.D. grew quiet.

"Yes. But I didn't do it because it was my job, I did it because it was the right thing to do. I could've easily let him go but I didn't. I thought about it but I didn't. It only bothered me because I pushed him into doing it. It's my fault and if the mole here is the same, it's just as their fault. And they should remember what Maze was capable of before fucking with me." Zoe said with a cold danger in her voice and then she walked off.

——————————————————————————————————————————————

She joined Elle with Olivia who looked like she was being bothered by a child peppering her with questions when she was trying to work.

"CIA looks a lot like the FBI." Elle said, "This is a real boys' club. Must be tough being a woman here."

"Get to the point, Agent."

"Well, she's a real ray of sunshine, isn't she?"

"Divorced, lost custody of your kids." Elle said, "That didn't help your career, huh?"

Hopkins slammed the file she was working on shut and started to storm off, demanding Are you interrogating me?

"Just questions." Elle said.

"You're doing your job. We're doing our job." Zoe said.

"You want answers, look in my file."

"That's not how profiling works, agent." Zoe said.

"I did. During an operation in Europe you were taken hostage." Elle said.

"For which I received counselling."

"But it didn't help. Your marriage fell apart soon after." Zoe said.

"How does this help you?" Hopkins asked them, crossing her arms.

"It would take a major event for someone to turn against their country, don't you think?" Elle asked.

"A major event like what?"

"Like one that's not in any file." Zoe said. "I've was taken hostage too... multiple times and I know what does and doesn't go in files when it comes to that."

"What happened to you over there?" Elle asked but Hopkins didn't reply.

"I know what people like that do." Zoe said, "Did they attack you? Did they torture you? Did they rape you?" Zoe's tone didn't have the hostility that Elle's did. It was blunt yet... understanding of that the situation.

Hopkins didn't reply.

"Olivia!"

"That's enough." Kreger said, "This is in violation of her civil rights."

Hmm. That's interesting. Mister Condesending's ego isn't big enough to defend Hopkins.

"Until they find the sleeper and we find Aaliyah, all rights are revoked." Hawks said.

"And they wonder why we refused to work with the CIA." J.D. said.

"Where were you on the night that Summers was murdered?" Elle asked. The rest of the team and the CIA agents they were following had gathered around.

"I was with her in her apartment." Kreger confessed.

"Well, you're a married man. At some point you must have left to get back to your wife, right?" Gideon said. Kreger just looked at Hawks. "You wake to an empty bed?"

"Yes, I did." Hopkins said and looked back at Elle, "Are we done here?"

"My wife will testify that I arrived home at 1:30 am." Kreger said.

"We all know none of this'll ever reach a court." Hawks said.

"Look, if you want to arrest us for having an affair, be my guest." Kreger said.

"I'll deal with you two later." Hawks said and Olivia walked off.

——————————————————————————————————————————————

A few minutes later, Zoe noticed that the CCTV monitors were down and having a bad feeling, she went after where Olivia went to find Olivia's body. She was in front of a computer slumped over it. The bones in her neck were pushing against her skin in an unnatural angle. Her neck was broken... just like Summers'. She felt for a pulse but there wasn't one.

She fetched Gideon and brought him to the room.

"When I saw the CCTV monitors were down and Olivia hadn't returned, I thought I'd better come looking for her. Her neck was broken. She must've been killed just after we all saw her." Zoe told him.

"Have any agents seen the body?" He asked.

"No."

"Good. We can use this to our advantage. Get the others."

——————————————————————————————————————————————

They gathered the rest of the team, informing them of what happened and brought in the remaining possible moles: Hawks, Kreger, and Gina into the room the team had set up in.

"What? What's going on?" Hawks asked.

"What are we doing here?" Kreger asked. "You're pulling us away from our assignments? There's a woman out there whose life depends on us."

Gina looked around and asked, "Where's Olivia?" Kreger also looked around until Zoe spoke.

"I'm sorry but Olivia Hopkins was murdered ten minutes ago. Her neck was snapped. Just like John Summers."

Kreger scoffed, "What are you talking about?" Gina looked at Hawks. "You're lying. Where is she?" He looked around at them as Gina looked at him, "Look, people don't just get murdered inside the CIA." He turned to Gina to see her, looking at him, "What are you looking at?"

"I realize the enormity of this, but Hassan Nadir is still out there looking to kill his wife, and I need every agent on this." Hawks said.

——————————————————————————————————————————————

Zoe entered Hawks' office with Gideon as Gideon stared at Gina at her chair.

"What do you think it would take for somebody to betray their country?" Gideon asked.

"If I knew that, you wouldn't be here. Or is this the part where you two profile me?" Hawks asked.

"I've done that for over twenty years and for free.

"What'd you come up with?" Hawks asked.

"Well, you don't smile as much as you used to, but the Rogaine's working." Gideon said.

"You need to quit your day job."

"You've strived your entire life just to seek the approval of your father. Obsessively tried not to make the same mistakes he made. The emotional cost wipes the smile off your face." Gideon said.

"You know, my kids, they don't even know who or what their father really is." Hawks said.

"But they know there's absolutely nothing you wouldn't do for them." Gideon said.

J.D. scoffed, bitterly, "Wonder what that's like."

"Who says, you know, our kids need to know everything about us?"

"Or that our parents need to know everything about their kids." J.D. said but Zoe didn't quite know what he meant by that.

"Trust me, we're not that interesting." Gideon said.

"I beg to differ." Zoe said. Twenty years in and her parents and father figures in Rossi and Gideon were still her heroes.

"Who do you think it is?" Gideon said.

"I'm so close to it, Jason, I honestly can't tell." Hawks siad, "But I will say this, I'm glad you're here."

"You feeling okay?" Gideon asked and Hawks tilted his head, "I mean, you lost two of your people. Two colleagues. Two friends."

"I've lost plenty of those along the way." Hawks said, "I just feel pissed off." Zoe furrowed her brow, something didn't sit right with her. Even for a CIA agent, Hawks' emotions didn't quite fit his words. She had seen agents after they lost friends. She had seen anger... after a while, the anger's not as impulsive. It would've fit more to be tired with his reaction. Tired of it all. Tired of the guilt. But that's not what he said. The human response would be to feel guilty. "Someone is going to pay dearly for what they've done."

——————————————————————————————————————————————

Zoe had excused herself and joined Morgan and Hotch in following Gina, "You lined us all up to see how we'd react to Olivia's death." She said, "What did you see?"

"You stared straight at Kruger like you were trying to deflect blame onto someone else." Hotch said as Gina sat back down at her desk.

"You are wasting precious time. Time she doesn't have." Gina told them as she, "Now, unless you having something useful to ask, we're trying to save lives.

"So are we." Zoe said, "This is how we do it." J.D. said something and she said, "You're getting a call."

Gina furrowed her brows but then her phone rang. "It's our tech analysist."

Gina picked it up to see that she was right, "Patch her through. It's for you." Then she walked off and Garcia and JJ showed up on Gina's monitor.

"Garcia? talk to me."

"That virus that knocked out the CCTV."

"Yeah, what about it?"

"It was downloaded into the system three weeks ago."

By who?

"Kreger."

Well, that was easy. Almost too easy.

Morgan and Zoe went across the room to where Elle and Spencer were questioning Kreger. "Just because I lied about Olivia doesn't make me the mole."

"No, but the virus that took out the CCTV monitors does." Morgan said.

"It originated from your computer." Zoe explained.

"Then whoever put it in my computer is trying to frame me." Kreger exclaimed.

"Olivia was looking for something. She didn't find a thing. You know why?" Morgan asked, "Because all of your files have been erased."

"Do you really think if I was the mole, I would keep files that would incriminate me?" Kreger demanded, "Those files were erased to make me look guilty."

"It's what I would do." J.D. said.

"Looks like it's working." Elle said.

"Garcia's calling." Zoe said.

"Morgan, your girlfriend's back." Gina shouted.

They went back to Gina's computer. "Garcia, it's Morgan. Go."

"Can she not see that?" J.D. asked.

"Hey, listen, that virus left a back door into the CIA mainframe."

"Yeah, so?"

"So I sort of went ahead and used it to find out who ordered John Summers' psych eval with Gideon." Garcia said.

"Who was it?"

"Well, that's what's so weird." Garcia said.

"Who, Garcia, who?"

"John Summers." JJ said.

"Summers? Why would he order his own evaluation?" Morgan asked.

"So we'd ask that question ourselves." Spencer said, "Guys, we missed something on that tape."

"We better figure out what it was before Hassan's friend in here beats us to it." Morgan said.

——————————————————————————————————————————————

They watched another part of the footage, Summers was now in Gideon's car with him, "Presidents come, presidents go. One thing always remains: the people that run those presidents."

"People like you?" Gidoen asked.

"Me?" Summers laughed, ironically, "No. No, no, I'm an expendable pawn, but I got wise to their game."

"Game? What game?"

"Battleship. I'm the ship at sea. They try to sink me." Summers said.

"What the hell is this guy talking about?" J.D. asked in Zoe's ear and she shushed him.

"How do you cope?" Gideon asked in the video.

"Compartmentalization. Separate and seal every aspect of my life."

"How does that work?"

"One part of the hull is compromised, the rest of the hull remains intact." Summers said, "I stay afloat."

"Wow, he's really sticking to this ship metaphor, isn't he?" J.D. said and Zoe shushed him again.

"And what about a direct hit?"

"Then I have a box that I put the really important things in, a sort of insurance policy."

"Against what?"

"Sudden death. Keep it safe from those who appear to be friends."

"That's the only thing he's said that's made sense."

"I forgot how much you talked. Shush!" Zoe shushed him as Morgan paused the video.

"What?"

"J.D.'s yapping." Zoe said and then nodded to the video, "Summers was trying to tell you about the mole."

"If they were following Summers, how come they don't know where Summers put Aaliyah?" Morgan asked.

"You couldn't follow Summers through a desert. He was that good." Gideon said

"So they followed you." Hotch said.

"So Summers must have known they'd be filming him." Morgan said.

"They always are. Smile." Zoe said.

Garcia and JJ appeared back on the monitor.

"Garcia, let's review the tape again." Hotch said.

Garcia and JJ conversed amongst themselves.

"He sure likes boats." Garcia noted.

"He refers to compartmentalizing his life like the hull of a ship. Yeah, and then he talks about a box."

"And putting something inside the box as an insurance policy."

"He was telling Gideon how to find Aaliyah." Garcia said.

"Summers' cover in Saudi was for a shipping company." JJ recalled.

"Okay, um, what about a shipping container?" Garcia asked, "That's a box. That's a big box."

"Yeah, yeah, yeah." JJ agreed as Garcia typed, "The only shipping port near Summers' apartment in Baltimore, it's north up the I-95 from Langley."

"Garcia, I love you." Hotch said.

Zoe heard J.D gasp.

"J.D.?" She asked. "Guys, something's wrong?"

"Garcia?" Hotch asked.

"Someone just hacked into this feed." Garcia said.

"We just found out where Aaliyah is. But so did someone else." Hotch said.

——————————————————————————————————————————————

The office was as frantic as the CIA seemed to allow themselves to now that they knew where Aaliyah was

"I can have a chopper on the roof fueled and ready in two minutes." Gina said.

"Yeah, but there are thousands of containers at that port." Hawks said. "What makes you so sure Aaliyah's in one of those containers?"

"Why don't we send in a SWAT team? Split them up." Elle suggested, "Have them search in grids."

"Why? Because Hassan has diplomatic immunity, this mission can't exist." Hotch said.

"It's not Gina." Gideon said and Gina looked up at him, shocked.

"Yeah, obviously." Zoe said.

"Morgan, Zoe, take Gina with you." Gideon ordered.

"Wait, this is my command. These are my people." Hawks protested.

"We have jurisdiction here, and there's nothing you can do to stop us." Hotch said.

"This is my career on the line here." Hawks said.

"No, this is Aalyiah and her two children's lives on the line here." Zoe said, bluntly.

"You always trusted me, right?" Gideon asked and Hawks asked, "Trust me now."

Hotch and Elle approached Kreger, "Come with us."

"This is crazy. Bruno." Kreger protested yet he gave up his firearm anyways in resignation.

"Come on, let's get moving!" Zoe urged.

"Use the thermal imaging. Search every container for body heat." Gina said, "You can walk us in and direct us when we get there.

"J.D.'s doing that too." Zoe siad.

"What, how?"

"It doesn't matter! Hurry up!" Zoe shouted.

"Green, Adams, Duncan, come with me."  Gina instructed.

——————————————————————————————————————————————

"How'd you know I wasn't the mole?" Gina asked Zoe as they got on the chopper.

"Your profile. Highly intelligent, strong-willed. That's because of your dedication to what the CIA protects. You're a good person, you may do morally dubious things but so have I. When it comes down to it, you do the right thing even if it comes to disobeying orders, unfortunately that's not what the CIA likes to hear."

They arrived soon and ran through the port of shipping containers that kind of smelled like fish.

They're somewhere on the east side of this port." Gina said, "You guys, take that area over there. Morgan, Zoe, let's go."

They kept on running as they were informed Hassan had found them and was in the container.

"This is crazy, Gina. We're just running in circles."

"J.D., your directions are not helping at all, now stop screaming in my ear!" Zoe shouted and she touched her other comm, "Reid, come on, help us out here. Give me something."

"A hundred meters southwest of your current location." Spencer said.

Zoe took off running, "Come on!"

She came upon a particular container that caused both Spencer and J.D. to speak, saying different things in the other ear.

"Okay, you're both talking but I get the gist." She said.

"Make the arrest. It's FBI jurisdiction. You're in charge." Gideon said.

When they reached the container, Morgan, Gina, and Zoe pulled the doors open

"FBI!" Morgan shouted

"Let her go and put the gun down." Zoe shouted and he narrowed her eyes at him. He didn't obey, "I said, put down the gun or I will shoot you. I can still arrest you if I cripple you with a bullet!"

He let Aaliyah go and put the gun on the floor, holding his hands up.

"Diplomatic immunity, my friend." He said, smirking at her, she knew he recognized her, maybe not personally but from photos perhaps.

Zoe grinned at his underestimating her intelligence, "Uh-uh. You got it wrong, my friend. You see this container hasn't passed through customs." Hassan's smirk fell. "Officially, we're not on US soil. Summers was a smart man."

Suddenly Gina pressed the barrell of her gun into the back of Zoe's head.

"That he was. Drop the gun."

"Lower the gun, Gina!" Morgan shouted, now pointing his gun at her.

"No, keep your gun on Hassan! Do not give him the chance to hurt Aaliyah and the kids." Zoe shouted.

"Morgan, what's going on?" Gideon asked, the screen kept flickering to static.

"You still certain that Gina isn't the mole?" Hawks asked.

Crystal.

"Angel?" Alexander asked, pleadingly.

"Morgan? Zoe? What's going on?"

"Gina's holding a gun to Zoe's head." Morgan said.

"Well, get it away from her!" Alexander cried.

"When she drops her gun!" Gina shouted but Zoe didn't move.

"Zoe, just drop the gun!" Morgan shouted and J.D. joined in, she relented and handed Gina her gun.

"Gideon, we got a situation here." Morgan said as he and Zoe shielded Aaliyah and the kids and Gina held a gun at Hassan.

"Gina, don't do this. Gina, don't do this." Gideon said.

"I don't take orders from you. Bruno, what do you want me to do?" Gina asked.

"Cover their eyes. Cover their eyes." Zoe said, "he's a monster but they shouldn't witness this."

Aaliyah covered her children's eyes as she pleaded, "Please, please stop this."

"Bruno?" Gina asked.

"You know what to do."

"Say it." Gina requested.

"It's not your call."

"I told you from the start, this was strictly in-house." Hawks said to Gideon.

"This is not your call." Gideon gritted to Hawks.

"Gina, what are you waiting for?"

"An order." Gina said.

"Finish him." Hawks said and then he repeated it, "Finish him."

"Gina, don't do this." Gideon pleaded.

"You're going to cut the visual feed, right, Bruno?" Gina asked.

"Of course. Cut it, now. Cut it!" The visual feed was cut off, followed by four gunshots.

——————————————————————————————————————————————

"I want to thank you, Jason, for your help." Hawks said when he turned back to Gideon.

"Why?" Gideon asked, "Why'd you turn against everything you believe in?"

"What are you talking about?" Hawks asked.

"When someone asks you how you feel about losing one of your colleagues, the only human answer is, 'I feel guilty,' isn't it?"

"But as you so brilliantly deduced, Kruger Spence is the guilty one." Hawks said.

Elle handed Hawks a note they had handed Kruger earlier. It read: We know it's not you. Bruno is the mole.

He just chuckled, "Ridiculous." He scoffed, "Absurd."

"The only thing that's absurd is your arrogance." Gideon said, "to believe you could get away with this."

"Unfortunately, with Hassan now dead, you have no proof." Hawks said.

——————————————————————————————————————————————

They had turned off their microphones and arrested Hassan.

Zoe checked on Aaliyah and the kids.

"You're going to be all right." She reassured them. "They're a little dehydrated and malnourished but nothing a little hospital food can't fix. You should get checked out just in case. I don't see any signs but better safe than sorry."

"Sorry about that. I had to find out if I was right." Gina said when Zoe walked away from the kids.

"No problem, believe it or not, you're far from the first person to hold a gun to my head." Zoe told her.

"How'd you know it was Bruno?" Morgan asked.

"Because Agent Gideon believed in me, and there isn't a reason in the world to kill a man who knows as much as Hassan does." Gina said.

"Except one." Morgan said.

"The same one that made Bruno and Hassan kill Summers. Self-preservation." Gina said.

"Looks like Gideon was right." Morgan said.

"Yes, it does."

"He usually is." Zoe said. "Same as that eval. You disobeyed a direct order."

——————————————————————————————————————————————

Spencer put down the phone and said, "Actually, Hassan is alive and well." The smugness on Hawks' face falls. "He's en route. That's all the proof we'll need."

Hawks looked at Gideon and stepped closer to him, "You are a fool if you think they're going to put me in prison with all that I know."

"Why'd you have to kill Olivia?" Elle asked.

"Economics." Gideon said, "Olivia was looking into your financial records when you snapped her neck."

"So she knew your dirty little secret." Elle said.

"Which one? I have so many."

"You were looking to cash out using Hassan." Elle said.

"Mmm-hmm. Twenty million from Hassan will go a very long way to helping occupy my mind on a beach somewhere." Hawks said.

"The only beach you'll see is on a postcard I send you from my vacation." Gideon said.

"Did you tell them about my daughter?" Alexander asked.

"It was so I could prove myself to Hassan, so he could trust me."  Was all he said.

Alexander balled his fists and was clearly itching to empty his gun into Hawks so Hotch stepped in front of him.

"Let me have your gun." Gideon said.

"You know, I think the consequences of what you're doing to me, my friend, are going to be a lot harder to live with than you think."

"No, I think that's what happened when you gave my daughter over to those terrorists." Alexander spat.

——————————————————————————————————————————————

Zoe, Morgan, and Gina returned on the chopper. She was quiet as she gathered her things. An act of closure upon her while J.D. ranted in her ear.

"Thank you, J.D. For everything." She said.

"It's been a while."

"Yeah, it has. But we can't do this again. And you know why."

"Yeah, I do. Bye, my rebel love."  He said and he hung up.

Zoe took the ear piece out of her ear and looked down at it. She sighed heavily and pocketed it.

"What I don't understand is why he invited us here." Spencer said as they exited the conference room.

"He didn't. Summers did by asking for the eval." Hotch said.

"When I put the call in, Bruno had no choice." Gideon said, "He had to find outwhat I knew and keep me close."

"Bad choice."

"You said you'd send a postcard of a beach. You lie." Alexander said.

Yeah, you hate the beach." Spencer said.

"Beaches are for storming." Gina shrugged.

"Only if ordered to." Gideon said.

"Thank you." Gina said and shook Gideon's hand and the team went to leave while Morgan flirted some more with Gina.

"So how are you and J.D.?" Elle asked.

"Uh... I think I might visist him during our two weeks coming up."

Spencer frowned.

George Orwell said, "In a time of universal deceit, telling the truth is a revolutionary act."

*I actually quite like Kreger, not necessarily his character but the foil he is to Spencer. They're both stated to have exceptionally high IQs, they were both recruited to agencies at young ages from good colleges after skipping grades, and if you've watched half way through season twelve there's another thing they have in common. But Kreger is arrogant and condescending and rude to those who he thinks are beneath him, like he was to Spencer before Spencer proved to be just as smart as him. Spencer is kind to everyone, he values everyone's contribution, despite his intelligence he doesn't think his intellect is better than others, he knows he's a genius on paper but doesn't think that it can truly measured.*

*Gina originally knew Zelena but I feel like I already have too many cases that will connect to Zoe*

——————————————————————————————————————————————

[hardchoicespod]

How good do Spider-Man villains bang?

[We're not talking about hotness. This is only about what they bring to the bedroom]

Norman Osborn is a shit f*ck. FINDOM THIS DOOFUS 🤑🤑🤑 Unless you want to hear that screechy ass Green Goblin voice. You want to hear him tell you hard he's gonna nut in that voice?

2. Doctor Octopus? WHAT A F*CKING ROMANTIC! LOOK AT THAT FACE! Do you not think he brings flowers??? Man has trained each limb to make you scream in a different way.

3. J. Jonah Jameson. Not technically a villain, but like, don't you want to fuck this absolute smug asshole bastard? LEAVE THE CIGAR LIT, BABYEEEEE

4. Venom is the ultimate goo husband and will love you and keep you safe and eat pop-tarts with you at 3am, but also, he got that tooooongue 👅👅👅

5. Mephisto is gonna make you think he's f*cking you and then suddenly, from the mists of this incredible performance of raw sexual power, he appears and then does a comedy 💦 on you because motherf*cker can't resist. Do you want this dude to nut on your tits and then laugh at his own dumbf*ck genius?

6. Rhino is a problem. Look, is the dick trapped in the suit or not? If this is hardcore chastity play, okay. Okay, we can fuck like that Rhino. But don't you want this weirdo to just cut loose and pound you so hard the neighbors call your super? HE IS A FULL TIME FURRY AND ALSO DOES CRIMES! WHAT ARE YOU WAITING FOR?!?! Find out about that dick situation first tho, probably.

You want more lovingly horny takes about these dorks? listen to Hard Choices 26 - Spider-Man and get all the boners you can possibly handle. Episode description? Babe, I got you.

We all know that with great power comes great responsibility. You know what else comes with great power? Us when we think about Spider-Man! It's not just Peter Parker who makes our web-shooters go thwip, either; he's got a huge cast of friends, foes, and supporting characters to suit every taste, from monsterfucks like Venom, to adorable loser fucks like The Shocker, to the jackpot herself, Mary Jane. This episode, your friendly neighborhood MeganBob pushes DEEP into the Spiderverse to find the median, the zenith, and the nadir of its fuckability, all with the help of: The Amazing Annie Craton! The Spectacular James D'Amato! And Dan Mulkerin from an alternate reality where he never lost his Captain Universe powers! IN THIS ISSUE: Dan single-handedly promotes Tombstone from D-tier to Daddy-tier MeganBob discovers the only bad way to listen to "The Cruel Angel's Thesis" Annie lets Carnage's gooey appeal blind her to his, you know, everything else And James finally takes a public stance on whether eating boys is wrong!

Is this podcast safe for work? F*ck no it isn't. Is this going to make you laugh so hard you snort a cheeto? Yeah, probably. Jump to anywhere in the episode for takes that will make you go "Ya'll need god."

Big Sloppy Kisses, Hard Choices 💋🍆

Which spidey character's are your top three f*cks? We won't tell.

[selchwife]

idk if ive talked here about the. most of star war au tbh? hard to summarize. rambling incoming

essentially. pfeil was prince of zygerria, but it sucked for numerous reasons (terrible fascist hell culture, abusive family, etc). his mom was physically violent and during one altercation he freaks out and kills her with the dark side of the force. like jsut explodes her. obviously being like 15 he panics and flees the planet as a stowaway on the first ship he can find.

he ends up on this planet I MADE UP <3 called orphan, which is an orphan planet (hence the name). it's home to an imperial shipyard, and in essence it kind of functions like a prison colony and general shunting-off place for Undesirables. nothing grows there, it's all solid ice, its day-night cycle is managed by a big stupid orbital lamp and the ice crystals in the air cause a lot of optical illusions. the overseer lets him stay on the condition that he work, and everyone sort of quietly overlooks the fact that he gives a fake name and doesn't legally exist and the obviousness of like. i mean come on this little zygerrian guy shows up and then a few days later you hear on the news that their prince is missing and his mom is dead? DUH

anyway. orphan sucks, the optical bullshit and isolation and bad safety standards and all cause a LOT of industrial accidents and general malaise. pfeil just kind of absorbs this horrible atmosphere and gets mad about it and mad at the empire and it all sort of festers until someone Else gets into an accident and he's had Enough and steals a ship to go attack the first imperial operation he comes across and hopes he'll just get blown up. instead thrawn grabs him, and he does his typical thing of like "oh hmmm, he might be useful later," and essentially lets him go and leads him to the ghost crew.

i think pfeil meets up with everybody after the shit with maul, so between seasons 2 and 3. obviously kanan doesn't like him bc he's got the most rancid dark side vibes humanly possibly (felinely possible?) but ezra likes him. pfeil gets weird about kanan thinking he's ontologically evil since he's already got massive guilt issues and ocd also. everybody else is some level of cool with him though. he and zeb get along particularly well since they're the least humany of the crew i think, and obviously he has force shit in common with ezra and an interest in art in common with sabine. hera just kind of adopts him

i tend to imagine season 3 is kind of like...he has a lot of soul searching to do about his self destructive/suicidal tendencies and connection to the force and kanan really only makes it worse. i think a lot that pfeil would seek out the bendu and be like OKAY SO YOURE A GREAT AND WISE TEACHER. IM ALL FUCKED UP. HOW DO I STOP BEING FORCE SENSITIVE. and ofc the bendu is like Well you'd have to kill yourself (the living force is part of everyone, you can't not be alive unless you're dead, etc). and pfeil being pfeil takes this to mean "Ah, so i am morally obligated to kill myself then" which. Not what he said

the big battle at atollon is probably his nadir, really. i had been thinking he gets over his whole Thing before then but really his behavior ive written for it suggests he is in fact still up to his usual bullshit. snooping as usual i see. anyway. it is Terribly hopeless for the rebels so i imagine pfeil processes this as like "I can make a difference in the survival of the rebellion. By finally doing the moral thing and CRAZY DYING." and goes out there and fights like an insane scary reckless person until his ship does, in fact, get blown up.

i think this is where there are two sort of possibilities. either way he survives due to the horrible inside of him (dark side of the force). in an au where emet expy polydegmon is emperor, he gets scooped out of space and put in a bacta tank and shit, and there's an uncomfortable captor-captive romance thing that happens and whatever, i still haven't found a way to plot that out in my head to my satisfaction, i never like it. it's not interesting anyway.

the thing that i did this whole big long preamble for is that like. i started thinking "ok but what if i DIDNT replace palpatine with a cuntress. what would happen then." i don't think sheevy palps would scoop pfeil out of the space dirt, honestly. polydegmon initially wants to get in on that because he thinks his dark side echo bullshit might be useful and then falls in love with him and is like oh no oh fuck god dammit, but i think palpatine is too busy being palpatine to take much interest in pfeil, and beyond that i think he'd rather have pfeil be dead than potentially bring another apprentice into the stupid mix bc it's not like pfeil is as cool and badass in the force as luke or anything.

what i'm saying mostly is that i think it would be interesting if maybe in this timeline pfeil was stuck as a pfeilsicle out in space until like. idk. new republic times probably. fry from futurama ass situation