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apollyonsdarksecrets · 9 months ago

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The Fall

Part One, Part Two, Part Three, Part Four, Part Five, Part Six, Part Seven

Summery: She’s reserved, emotionally cut off, and spiraling down a dark path; one she can’t get out of on her own. Aaron Hotchner may be her only help, but at what cost? When he shows up to her hotel room, contact in hand, she realizes it may be more than what she bargained for.

Warning: 18+ Only MDNI SMUT. Language, BDSM, Dom Aaron, emotionally detached reader, typical CM violence, childhood trauma, abusive father figure, age gap (reader 25 Aaron 40) doesn’t line up with a specific time line, use of Y/n because story is set in 3rd person for the first half then switches POV, last name for reader is Smith,

Specific Chapter Warnings: David being a tease(?), blood, dog attack, robbery, Typical CM violence. Hospitals, (let me know if there is something I missed)

A/N: so these next two chapters are long because I had to take a SUPER long chapter and split it in two. So be thankful I could have just kept it all in one part 😂.

Present Day

The first few things you notice, as your conscious slowly pieces itself together, is that your face is unbearably cold. The AC unit under the window is humming loudly as it pushes the air around, chilling the room like you’ve left the window open. The next thing you gather is that every other part of your body is warm, almost burning. But with the soft pillow under your head, the weight at your back, and how your body has shaped into the mattress, you could care less. This is the most comfortable you have been in years, every ounce of tension smothered away by the heaviness above you.

Then that heaviness moves.

Your eyes snap open with the flood of last nights events, overly aware of who exactly lays behind you. Aaron’s head is pressed against the back of your neck, little puffs of warm air skimming your shoulder, his heavy arm wrapped around your waist and a thick thigh pressed in between your own. His breath is even and deep, seemingly still asleep, and you silently thank whoever is out there for the moment to collect yourself and figure out what you should do next.

What you should do is get up.

What you should do is get the hell out of this room with your tail between your legs.

What you should do is call everything off, the embarrassment you’ve endured enough to last you two life times.

You close your eyes, sucking in a deep breath, because as much as you should move you can’t force your body to do so. The smell of Aaron’s cologne is filling your nose with each breath, then just underneath is a hint of musk that is undeniably all him. It’s intoxicating, it makes you want to bury your face into the pillow and never leave.

“You’re doing a terrible job of pretending to be asleep.” Your entire body jumps at the sound of his deep voice, making Aaron chuckle behind you, a chaff kiss pressing to your shoulder. “I’m sorry.” He mutters warmly.

“It’s-it’s fine… I was just-.” You push the covers down, starting to get up when Aaron’s arm tightens around your middle, holding you in place as his lips find the smooth skin of your throat, right where your shoulder meets.

“Aaron…”

He nips at your skin and you suck in a breath, his hot tongue soothing over the tender spot before he repeats the process further up your neck. Aaron sucks at the soft skin just above your necklace, just where your pulse is and you whimper at the sensation, your eyes fluttering closed. “We-We need to get up… it’s probably time to-.” Your words are swallowed by a thick moan, your head falling back as he finally finds that sensitive spot just bellow your ear. Aaron takes advantage of this new discovery, sucking and nibbling gently as he rolls you onto your back. His large frame settles between your thighs, trapping you in.

Your hands find his arms, squeezing the tense muscles as his weight presses you down into the mattress, your mouth opens in a silent moan, your eyes fluttering against the pleasure clouding over your mind. “Aaron… we can’t do this.” Your words are half hearted, contradicting your actions as your palms travel up to his shoulders, pulling him in as his plush lips pepper the underside of your jaw.

“Why can’t we?” He mumbles, resting his weight on his forearm, his other hand finding your hip. His fingers dig into your skin, his palm pressing into your bone angling your hips to his liking. Aaron lifts his head at your lack of response to find your lips parted in a quiet pant, your eyes closed as you drink in the feeling of him. “Hmm?”

“We could… so much trouble if we keep doing this…”

Your breath catches in your throat as his hand slips under your shirt, smoothing up your side and spreading wide along your ribs. Aarons thumb just barely brushes along the bottom of your breast, all of your senses zeroed in on the small area as the digit rubs back and forth.

“Then stop me.” His voice is laced with a growl, his lips capturing yours in a kiss that can only be described as feral. Your front teeth clicking together, noses bumping, moans filling each other’s mouths as your hands find home in his hair, tugging at the short locks desperately. Clauses smooth over the hard peak of your nipple, sharp hips grinding down into your own, and his erection presses firmly into your mound.

Aaron groans loudly, the noise reverberating through his ribs and into your own. Your thighs squeeze his hips with each slow canter, dragging himself along your soaked core. Every sensation is building into a frenzy under your skin to the point you feel like you will burst into a million little pieces.

The shrill ring of a phone sends everything to an abrupt halt. Aaron is off of you and picking up his phone before you can even take your next breath. “Hotchner.” You blink drizzly up at him, the sudden change in everything leaving you with whip lash. Aaron stays seated between your thighs, one hand kneading and squeezing the soft fat, stroking your leg as he speaks. His voice nor his face give anything away of what just transpired, leaving you astounded as you’re left trying to catch your breath. The way he flips script so easily almost a little unsettling.

You can faintly make out David’s voice on the other end on the line, a breath you hadn’t realized you were holding blowing through your nose. You draw your leg up with the intention of leaving the bed but Aaron squeezes your thigh and he shoots you a glare, silently telling you to stay where you are.

Reluctantly you drop your leg back against his pajama clad thigh, tuning out most of his conversation with the older man as you fix your shirt, pulling it back down over your stomach where it had ridden up. “Right. We’ll be there in an hour.” He ends the call, tossing his cell onto the bed leaving his hands free to explore the outside of your thighs with a gentle touch.

“We need to get up.” Your voice is soft, low and thick, your eyes darting down to where his hands have come to a stop.

“Who did this?” His eyes, unusually dark, catch you by surprise when you look up at him in confusion. You’re about to ask him what he means when you feel his thumb rubbing back and forth around the jagged raised scars on your thigh.

Aaron watches how you mentally shut down, your features once soft and dopey now are stony, your gaze turning sharp as your eyes narrow. “No one.” You force yourself to sit up and move away, your back pressing into the cold, wooden headboard.

“You don’t fit the profile of someone who would have hurt themselves.”

You roll your eyes, your nose scrunching with disgruntled anger. “How would you know? Besides, Derek says we aren’t supposed to profile each other. So don’t.”

Aaron moves closer, the bed dipping in making you slip towards him as his hands land on your knees, balancing himself with a soft squeeze. “Those are Derek’s rules, not mine. You don’t seem like someone who would have hurt themselves because you continuously push through your problems, you tuck them away so that they don’t affect what you have set your mind to.” His hand slips down your thigh again, going for the scars that plague you endlessly. “So, I will ask you again. Who did this?”

Your pulse picks up, your breath sticking in your throat like a candy you forgot to chew, as his fingers brush your numb skin once again. “I don’t want to talk about it.” You push his hands away, and Aaron sits back on his heels as you scoot to the edge of the bed with a wince. The memories of last night aren’t the only reminder of what happened, a deep seated soreness is there too.

Aaron sighs, a bit of annoyance latching onto his words as he speaks. “How is any of what we are doing supposed to help if you won’t open up to me? It’s not a sin to show vulnerability, or emotion.” His fingers brush your wrist but you jerk away, spinning on your heel to level him with a rough glare.

“Yes it is. Showing those things, when you are a person like me who came from nothing, gets you no where in life. My emotions are not the reason I pulled my life around in high school, they are not the reason I received valedictorian in college. No amount of tears earned me my work ethic. That was done by me without any of those things. I was fine keeping my mouth shut, my emotions locked away, and going about my life as I should. It was you who decided otherwise!”

Suddenly your voice isn’t your own, it’s hauntingly familiar, piercing the back of your mind like talons from a bird who has caught its prey. You don’t see the room around you anymore, just the never ending darkness that suffocates relentlessly.

The brackets around Aaron’s mouth soften, his eyes turning pitiful and you think that’s the worst part of it all. “Baby…”

“I want to go home, Aaron.” It takes great effort to not let your voice crack as pressure bears down on your chest, making it hard to breath. You’re sure if you keep standing here it will all be for nothing.

“Okay.”

*~*~*~*~*~*

You’re the first to board the jet, the cabin is only a few degrees warmer that the air outside, making you pull the sleeves of your purple turtle neck down to cover your hands. Despite hardly saying anything else to each other Aaron still made it a point to pick out the clothes he wanted you to wear, then helping you carry your bags to the car. The ride had been silent and uncomfortable, the boundaries that you thought were in place are now blurred, and a new type of nervousness has burrowed into your bones.

You pick the couch at the far end of the plane, pulling out one of the blankets JJ keeps in storage for weather like this. You ease into your seat, a long sigh escaping as you drop your head back against the wall, mentally and physically exhausted.

“Well, good morning.” David’s chipper voice fills the cabin and you force yourself to lift your head and meet him with a smile. Aaron is on his heels with a new folder in hand. His work never finished.

“Morning, how was seeing your friend?”

“It was good.” David nods his head, stopping in front of you, smiling crookedly. “We had just enough time to catch up on life until the next time I am in town.”

“That’s great.” You say genuinely, your head tilting slightly. Your smile falters as his brown eyes narrow, your back stiffening as David reaches out, gripping your chin between warm fingers. He tilts your head up and hums softly, his grin returning at full force as his eyes gleam with knowing.

“Well, now isn’t that a pretty sight. Make sure not to get that snagged on anything, gattina.”

Unbridled embarrassment fills your stomach, spreading to the top of your head and down to the bottom of your feet. Your jaw slackens in David’s grip and he chuckles, squeezing your chin before stepping back. Aaron looks up his eyes darting between the two of you. “It took her a minute to agree to wear it. I think she likes it though.”

Your head snaps in his direction, your cheeks reddening with rage but David speaks first. “Oh I’m sure it did. The feisty ones always put up a little fight.”

The fact that they both are speaking as if you aren’t sitting feet from them has you seeing red. You jam the necklace under the collar of your shirt, pulling the blanket up to your chest with a huff. Your narrow eyes bore into Aaron’s who holds your challenging stare, an eyebrow cocking in question. You curse yourself repeatedly as you drop his stare, refusing to acknowledge him or David again for the rest of the trip.

When David sends Aaron a smirk he finds the raven haired man staring at you with a mixture of amusement and possessiveness.

*~*~*~*~*~*

Two and a half uncomfortable hours later you are finally dredging your way back into the bullpen. Your extra bags are packed into your small silver car, refusing the help of the two men, and as you surround yourself with the familiar sounds of rustling papers, ringing phones, and jumbled chatter; you finally feel some tension ease away.

Dropping into your chair at your desk you stretch out your arms, noticing the stack of folders on the corner by your computer. No matter how much you do, there is always more paper work.

“Hey, sweet cheeks.” Derek Morgan drops into his own seat across from you, dressed in a too tight white t-shirt and an impish grin on his face. He rests his elbows on the desk, his muscles flexing as he watches you drag your eyes from him to the folder in front of you. There was no denying he was a very handsome man.

“Good morning.” You singsong back, flipping through the manilla folder, eyebrows creasing as you scan the text.

“How was Jenny after we left?”

You take a second to respond, carefully choosing your words. “She was really good. She was open and talkative, I don’t believe there will be any psychological impact that will affect her life. I’m sure as she grows older and understands more and more of what happened she will seek someone to talk with but for now… she is doing very well.” You prop your head on your fist, your eyes rolling up to meet his. Morgan nods thoughtfully, rolling a pen between his fingers as he leans back in his chair, rocking slightly.

“That’s good. I couldn’t stop thinking about her after we had left.” Right there. That was what made Morgan such a good profiler to you. Not only was he the power of the team, no door standing a chance around him, but he also held a big heart which overflowed with compassion.

You nod, dropping your attention back to your folder when another voice joins in. “That’s new.” Garcia suddenly appears behind you, her bright red fingers plucking at the arm of your sweater. Everything in you stills for a moment, before you force yourself to react, licking your lips and turning to the bubbling blond with a smile.

“Oh uh yeah, it is.”

“And so are those pants! They look good on you.” Garcia’s smile has always been the most infectious thing, despite what comes across her many monitors daily, she always a is a ray of sunshine. Her quick wit and humor making it impossible to dislike her in the slightest. The cheerleader you all need.

You nod again, feeling your cheeks heat under both of their intense gazes. “I kinda did a little shopping after the case was finally wrapped up.”

Morgan makes a noise and Garcia shoots him a leveling glare behind her pink glasses. The color being the main theme of today’s outfit, from her pink 50’s styled dress to her pink heels and makeup.

“What? I’m surprised is all. But good for you, Y/n. You needed to treat yourself.” He holds up his hands in surrender, waving them slightly.

"Y-Yeah you aren't wrong." You amend, glancing up to the landing behind him as movement catches your eyes. Arron is watching the three of you with a slight smile.

*~*~*~*~*~*

The day felt as though it had dragged on and on, more and more profiles of children and young adults to sort through. Deeming who is top priority for therapy based on the severity of their cases. Finally you are able to close out your computer, leaning back in your chair with a groan. The office is shrouded in darkness, a few emergency lights humming lightly and the amber glow of the offices above you the only lighting.

You can’t help finding Aaron’s office, the door is open and so are his blinds, but there’s no way of seeing him from where you sit. You bite the inside of your cheek, wondering if you should just leave or if you should go to him. You had never discussed how things were supposed to be in the office asides from being discreet. Nothing can be more discreet than just leaving as usual.

Your cellphone suddenly vibrates on your desk, and you aren’t left to wonder any longer. A text from Aaron pops up on the small screen and you find yourself hesitating to answer, your eyes darting around the office to ensure your privacy.

Aaron Hotchner: “How was your day?”

You roll your lips together before typing back a quick reply, something fluttering in your chest.

Y/n Smith: “Same as always when we are in the office. Just paperwork.”

It’s not a forward answer and you find yourself chewing at your cheek again.

Aaron Hotchner: “Did you eat lunch?”

Fuck. Y/n Smith: “I didn’t … but I was planning on having a big dinner when I get home from picking up Bruce.”

You swallow thickly, your eyes flickering to his windows where you can practically see the pinched set to his dark eyebrows, his eyes narrowing as he reads your message.

Aaron Hotchner: “Make sure that you do. Remember some of our rules extend to the work space and that includes eating three means a day if you are able to. Now, are you going straight home?”

Your face flames with heat, again glancing around to make sure no one can see your mild embarrassment from being reprimanded.

Y/n Smith: “No, I’m going to go pick up Bruce first.”

Aaron Hotchner: “Call me when you get home.”

You take a breath, one you didn’t know you were holding and begin to gather your things.

*~*~*~*~*~*

Nearly two hours later you are finally pulling into the driveway of your small one story home, your car shaking with the force of Bruce’s excitement. You laugh as he whines, his tail wreaking havoc on the seat back behind him. You grab your keys and phone, leaving everything else for later. “You ready? Who’s ready to be home?” The high pitched toddler talk you reserve souly for your over grown puppy makes Bruce bark, the car shaking more as he shifts on his paws. “Let’s go then!”

You step out and he instantly follows, circling you before going ahead and running back, like he’s asking you to go faster. You both make your way to the front door, bantering one-sidedly as you unlock the door as you debate dinner.

“Chicken noodle?” He whines as you push the door open, letting him go in first. “No? Well then how about a pasta bake?” You toss your things onto the door side table, closing and bolting the door behind you. Bruce yips, his tongue lulling out the corner of his wide mouth, almost grinning as you lead him into the living room. “Ooo what about fish sti-.”

You stop abruptly, halting in the middle of your living room, as your focus lands on a man lumbering at the entrance to your kitchen. He’s shrouded in the darkness of the small area, his clothes different shades of grey and his face is obscured from a ski mask. In one hand he holds a large trash bag, in the other what appears to be your silverware.

Bruce’s growl snaps you from the impromptu staring contest you’re having with the man, the hairs on his body standing on end as his posture shifts. His stance widens, shoulders dropping , ready to protect. Though fear sizzles through your blood like acid you react before the intruder does, your hand snapping for the gun at your hip only to fumble over air. The realization that you have left it in your car knocking the air from your lungs. The man steps forward and Bruce’s growl intensifies, placing himself in between the two of you.

“FBI. You need to vacate before you do something you will regret.” You force the words out, your voice loud and stern, even as your tongue stick to the roof of your dry mouth. You hover your hand over your bare hip, hopping it will psych the man out as his eyes flicker between you and the dog.

He takes a step forward and you fall back one, Bruce retreating with you, the knowledge that you know he will attack on command giving you courage you don’t have. The giant holds up his full hands, his eyes darting behind you as he speaks. “We aren’t here to hurt you lady.”

“We?”

You don’t have the luxury to ponder what he means when something crashes over the back of your head. The sound of glass shattering fills the room, your knees hitting the hard wood floor soon follow. Black swims over your vision as you fall forward, barely catching yourself on your hands, the sting of glass cutting into your palms making your cry out.

A hair raising snarl rips through the room, Bruce launching himself at the man who just ambushed you from behind. Your ears start to ring and you gasp, trying to clear your vision as you sway on your hands a knees, you bloody palms slipping on the floor. A gut wrenching noise fills the air, teeth shredding through fabric and meat and a scream that makes you flinch.

Rough hands grab at your arms, hauling you up and the world around you swims and tilts, your head falling limply against your chest. There’s a thud and a whine that makes bile rise into your throat as you’re dragged towards your linen closet, mumbling negatives as you try to fight back.

“Shut the fuck up.” The man holding you shakes you by your shoulders, rattling you and your consciousness slips farther away. “Get the fucking door Mac.”

Mac. Mac. Mac.

Your sluggish brain chants the word as you’re hauled over to the dark closet, your body dragging across the floor. “Don’t… please…” With a loud sneer you’re stuffed in, unsure if the darkness surrounding you is from the door slamming shut or the last of your consciousness slipping away.

*~*~*~*~*~*

Aaron stares down at his phone where it sits on his desk, silently willing the screen to light up as he taps an uneven tempo with his pen against his thigh. The final folder he needs to go through is laying untouched in the small metal basket, his attention fixated on the out of date cell Garcia is constantly hounding him over.

It’s nearing three hours since you left the office, and an anxious feeling is bubbling in his chest, squeezing his lungs and heart. You should have called by now, the text he sent an hour ago never answered. Were you ignoring him? Had something happened on your way home? A million different outcomes are ricocheting off of each other inside his skull.

“Hotch?” David’s voice makes him jump, spinning around in his chair to face David leaning in his doorway. “Everything alright?”

Aaron rubs his thumb across his fingers, a comforting tic he developed many years ago when he still lived with his father. Sighing Aaron drops his gave back to his phone. “I think something is wrong.”

David’s eyebrows inch up and he takes a few steps into the blandly decorated office. The only personal touches are the awards lining the dark walls and a few pictures of Jack. “What do you mean?”

Aaron takes a deep breath, “Y/n… She hasn’t called and I’ve already messaged her once…” Aaron bites his lip, shaking his head. “My gut tells me there is something wrong and I can’t get rid of the feeling.”

David only takes a moment to contemplate, nodding his head as he grabs the door. “Then we need to go.”

*~*~*~*~*~*

"HELP!" Your fists pound into the door, desperation and fear cracking your already strained voice.

How long has it been? Minutes? Hours? The darkness surrounding you gives no answers away, and no matter how hard you push and pound on the door, there is no give.

It's all of those lonely dark years all over again, suffocating, hindering, debilitating. You scream for Bruce but there is no answer on the other side, no noises to let you know he is okay.

You’re cramped in the small space, the shelves above you preventing you from standing, the space becoming more and more claustrophobic. Tears choke your labored breathing, curling into yourself, deflating into sobs.

"Please... Please help me..."

*~*~*~*~*~*

It didn't take long for the two men to find your small white home, the faded numbers on your teal mail box still visible in the dying light of the setting sun. Aaron is overly aware of how the large black SUV stands out among the lower class suburb, but there doesn't seem to be a soul around to notice as he and David step out into the cold air. The house is dark on the inside, the front porch illuminated by the single strand of soft glowing Christmas lights that wrap the banister.

Aaron had called you once before leaving the building then again when they pulled onto your street, that creeping feeling of dreed now worming its way through the deepest parts of his guts. David glances to Aaron before leading the way to your door. It's painted the same sun-kissed color as your mailbox, but when David knocks it swings inward under his heavy fist.

Both men automatically draw their weapons, David glancing to Aaron who gives a curt nod before he pushes the door open all the way. In front of them is a long hallway, three doors on the wall to their left, an archway at the very end and another to the right. David gestures to the doors and Aaron veres to the right, noticing the small table with your cellphone on top. He turns the corner sharply, gun level and narrowed eyes scanning the dim room, the only light filtering in through sheer drapes.

The living room had been turned over, furniture pushed around or completely toppled over, once neatly placed books now litter the floor. There’s a pile of glass at his feet that looks like it had once been a vase, everything in his immediate vicinity is speckled with blood. A broken lamp lays on its side, the bulb flickering hauntingly, casting shadows about the room. Aaron can hear David on the other side of the wall, his steps just as measured and cautious in case someone is still lurking.

He makes it across the room, the trail of blood growing in volume, right at the entrance to your kitchen. It’s staining the walls and checkered linoleum floors, and Aaron can smell the copper tone in the air. His heart beats unsteadily, fear gripping him as he scans the trashed room spotting the blood soaked door. Making his way over he peaks out the window, finding a small, dark back yard.

“Clear!” He tells to David, who parrots the word back. Aaron’s heart is thumping wildly, his thoughts crescendoing, but as he is about to move away from the door a soft whine reaches his ears. He pears out the glass once more, this time a dog comes into view. He’s large, black and brown and Aaron can see blood covering the dog’s muzzle as he paces back and forth on the small patio, staring at Aaron expectantly.

Swallowing thickly Aaron looks around, grabbing a dish towel off of the counter and using it to turn the sticky door nob. The dog bursts through the door before Aaron can fully open it, bolting into the living room, David comes around the corner in time to see Aaron following the furry beast, his phone in hand ready to call the police.

The dog leads Aaron to a door tucked in the corner of the room, where he is pawing and whining at the white wood. There’s a china cabinet pushed tight against the door, bloody handprints smeared across the side and Aaron’s stomach drops with the realization. “Dave!”

The two men rush to the piece of furniture, heaving it away, Aaron’s hands slipping against the side of it. Once there is enough room Aaron throws open the door, his gaze meeting stacks of blankets and towels until his eyes drop to the ground.

You’re curled into the small space at the bottom, your arms thrown over your head, your shoulders shaking with each heaving sob. Instantly Aaron is taken back to just a few days ago when they found Jenny tucked into the crawl space. Bruce makes a gruff noise behind Aaron and the man drops to his knees in the doorway, relief and anger pooling in his soul as he takes in the state of you.

He reaches out, his fingers barely brushing your shoulder making your entire body jerk with a startled scream. Your head snaps up, eyes wild and unfocused as you press yourself further into the wall. Aaron holds up his hands, his voice taking on a soothing whisper. “It’s me, baby. It’s just me and David.” Tears relentlessly spill down your ruby cheeks, your chest rising and falling so fast and uneven that Aaron is afraid you are are going to hyperventilate.

Before he can say anything else though, you are scrambling towards him, throwing yourself against his chest with so much force you knock him backwards. His arms wrap around you and you let out the loudest sob he had ever heard, your fingers digging into his shirt, clinging to him like a lifeline and you were stuck in an endless dark sea. Bruce tries to nudge his head between your bodies, his tail wagging slowly, as David takes a few steps back dialing 911.

Aaron gently strokes your hair, his eyes close as relief washes over him. “You’re safe, everything will be okay. We’ve got you.”

A strangled noise leaves your throat as you press your face in closer, your fingers shaking around the fistfuls of his shirt. “I-I… I got jumped.”

“Shh, it’s okay, you don’t have to talk right now.” Aaron whispers, Bruce moving around to the other side, laying his head on Aaron’s thigh. Aaron drops a hand to the dog’s head, scratching him softly. “Good boy, you’re a good dog.”

*~*~*~*~*~*

The neighbors began to a merge when the police lights filled the night sky, whispering amongst themselves and speculating what could have happened to their most quiet neighbor. Inside, the house is consumed with near chaotic energy. Bright flashes of lights from cameras, men yelling back and forth to each other across the house. People getting samples of the blood left, picking up pieces of your home, your life, to place into evidence baggies.

And in the center of it all sits you. You’re curled up on the couch, Aaron’s arm wrapped around your shoulders as Bruce lays on your feet, a middle aged EMT checking your blood pressure in front of you. You hadn’t stopped shaking since you left the closet, the adrenaline pumping through your system making it impossible to sit still.

The woman in front of you, her black hair slicked back into a small pony tail, her flawless dark face scrunched in concern; shines a small light into each of your eyes. “Your pupils are dilating like normal, but I would feel more comfortable if we loaded you up and took you to the hospital for further evaluation.”

You stare at her blankly for a moment, trying to focus on her words as the rest of the officers clatter around behind you. Aaron squeezes your hand, making you look up into his pinched face. “Oh… yeah, yes.” You mange, looking back to the woman. She gives you a gentle smile, a smile she has probably perfected with her job.

“Alright hun, let’s get you up.”

*~*~*~*~*~*

It’s no secret that the entirety of the team hates hospitals. The fact that they are walking into the unknown of a sterilized building, with its overly bright lights and white walls, sets their nerves on edge. Everyone had gotten the same phone call from David, explaining that you had been attacked and were being taken to the hospital for further examination. Every single member of the team dropped what they were doing to get there, to get to you.

Morgan and Garcia are the first to arrive, having been just a few streets over at a local dive bar. The clicking of Garcia’s heels is loud in the otherwise quiet atmosphere. Morgan’s large hand rests on the small of her back as they follow the directions of the receptionist, the instant relief they felt learning that you were in a common room like a flood of cold water on a hot day.

As they round the next corner Morgan’s eyes land on an open door just down the short hallway. He drags Garcia to a stop, his mouth falling open in stunned silence. “What?” Garcia’s snaps, the incredulous look she gives him wiped away when he points.

Just ahead they can see you perched on the edge of a hospital bed, a white sheet pulled across your lap, your forehead resting against Aaron Hotchner’s sternum. He’s rubbing slow circles against your back with one large palm, and they are able to make out the slight movement of his lips as he speaks with you in a hushed voice. Your arms are thrown around his waist, bobbing your head to whatever is being said before you lean back to look up at the older man. Aaron leans down and presses a gentle kiss to your forehead and Garcia nearly collapses on the spot, her hand flying to her mouth to keep any noise from escaping.

“What in the…” David steps out of the room before Morgan can finish, pulling the heavy wooden door closed behind him as he spots his coworkers. A small smile tugs at his lips as he ambled over to them, meeting them halfway in the hall.

“What was that?” Garcia hisses, rushing up to the older man as fast as her heels will allow.

“That… was none of your business.” David says nonchalantly, shoving his hands into the pockets of his dark jeans.

Morgan scoffs, keeping his voice low in case either of you were to open the door. “That was most definitely something. How long has this been a thing? And with Hotch of all people?”

David finds it difficult to hold in his chuckle at the incredulous look the male gives him, even harder still when Garcia slaps Morgan on the arm. “Be nice.”

“Look. It isn’t my place to say anything, but,” He pauses to gage their faces. “It’s quite new. Now, coffee anyone?”

David strolls away without letting them get another word in, whistling a tune from an old opera. Garcia turns to Morgan with a bright smile, her excitement barely contained making her shoulders and hands shake. Morgan rolls his eyes and gestures to the door.

After Garcia is able to calm herself down Morgan pushes the door open with a soft knock. Aaron is now seated across the room, and you’re slouched on the bed with an ice pack pressed to the back of your head. You look up as they enter, your normally clear eyes red and puffy, your hair disheveled and your nice new clothes wrinkled. You looked shocked to see them, glancing back and forth between the pair.

Garcia rushes you, dropping her bag on the bed and swallowing you in a tight hug. The discomfort you would have felt just this morning at the sudden embrace isn’t there as you hug her back just as tight. “Oh my gosh… are you okay?” You nod as she pulls back, her eyes scanning your face.

“Yeah… just a slight concussion. They are bringing me my discharge papers soon.” You smile weakly up at Garcia, your eyes jumping to Morgan.

“Heya, sweet cheeks.” He says softly, Garcia moving to the side as Morgan takes a seat on the edge of your bed by your legs. He reaches up and touches your chin softly as he scans your face, looking for whatever it is he needs to be reassured you’re okay. “What happened?”

You fiddle with your ice pack for a moment, a knife of embarrassment slashing through you as your shoulders slump forward. “I got home and there was a man robbing my home. I… I left my gun in the car and since I was so focused on the man in front of me I didn’t see the other guy come up from behind. He knocked me over the head and…”

Aaron watches as you shift in your spot, your throat working as you swallow, trying to force the memories and emotions down. “I passed out. I know Bruce got one of them though, my house is covered in blood.”

“Bruce?” Asks Garcia.

“My dog.”

“That means he will be headed to one of the hospitals, a dog bite can be nasty and they might not be skilled enough to take care of it on their own depending on where he got bite.” Morgan nods his head thoughtfully, turning to look at Aaron.

“I already have the local police canvassing the nearest hospital and urgent care phacillities. We will have a blood match if he goes anywhere.” Aaron’s face is lined with worry and anger, a mutual feeling growing in Morgan’s chest.

“Good. Do you remember anything at all about the two men?” Morgan turns back to you, watching as you pick at the itchy blanket in your lap. It’s unnerving seeing your normal stoic persona cracked in half, and yet he’s relieved to know that there is some emotion underneath.

“I only saw one of them, and even then he was wearing a ski mask. His hands were white, his voice plain, he was very tall though, took up most of my foray into the kitchen… one of their names was Mac.”

“We can work with that.” Garcia reassures you, her hand rubbing your back. You nod, the door to your room opening at the same time to reveal a worried looking Reid, JJ, and Prentiss.

As well as they can, they try not to swarm you; each of the women giving you tight hugs and words of relief. When Reid finally makes his way to you, you pull him in for a hug, the shock on his face enough to make most everyone chuckle.

By the time the nurse comes to discharge you, she’s met with a room full of FBI agents. She smiles a little nervously at everyone as she makes her way to you.

“Here you go. Now, get a lot of rest, that means both mentally and physically. Come back immediately if there is any sudden change in your condition, vomiting, dizziness, strong fatigue.” Everyone is nodding along to the nurses instructions, as if they will be the ones making sure you follow doctors orders.

“Thank you.” You take the papers flipping through them as she leaves. Aaron watches you, your body still taught, despite the defeated set of your shoulders. He wants nothing more than to get you alone and finally talk about everything that had happened. To see if you will open up to him.

“Do you need a ride?” Garcia asks, standing up from her chair.

“Oh um no thank you. Hotch and Rossi drove me here, they said they’d take me back to my neighbors house who offered to let me and Bruce spend the night.” The lie that rolls off of your tongue is so believable even Aaron is questioning if that’s what you think will really happen once you’re out of here.

Garcia only nods, throwing an arm around your shoulders and hugging you once again.

*~*~*~*~*~*

ONE LAST CHAPER YOU GUYS 😭😭😭 it’s coming very soon. Like probably tomorrow or the day after I’m crying. 😭😭😭

Tag List: @kneelforloki @hmett20 @axionn @ncis0mrs0gibbs @morgthemagpie @zaddyhotch @little-miss-cherry-cola @fandomawesomness @heart-breaker8 @aad1993 @obsessed-oops @supercriminalbean @lex13cm @rosiehale23 @emptybagofchips77 @icarusgloom @imr0nni3 @cashtons-wife @mojo366 @mrsgweasley @hotchners-wifey @lelevs @normaltuesdaynight @tgskitten @char-jlhewitt @shinebrightlikeafanbase @emobabeyy @bunbunbl0gs @turtleshavesoulmates @mrs-ssa-hotch @balariie @eveyez-exe @nachofriess @aangell333 @wisdomcrys

#smut #apollyonsdarksecrets #aaron hotch fanfiction #aaron hotch fic #aaron hotch imagine #aaron hotch smut #aaron hotch x reader #aaron hotchner #aaron hotchner smut #aaron hotchner x y/n #criminal minds smut #criminal minds aaron hotchner #criminal minds #criminal minds fanfiction #criminal minds x reader #criminal minds fic

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weepingchoir · 4 months ago

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DOCTOR WHO SERIES 14: A FULL SEASON REVIEW

Another decade, another frantic Doctor Who resuscitation. (Not that there were news of potential cancellation, but things must’ve been dire for the BBC to sell one of their most storied shows to the Mouse.) Chibnall is out, Moffat on retainer, Russell “Thee” Davies is in. The theme song is the best since Matt Smith, which, through weird and inexplicable coincidence, was also the last time I watched Who with any serious interest. Good start.

The Star Beast

While not technically part of the season, the specials preceding series 14 signal the beginning of a shift in tone and rules for Doctor Who, including the introduction of the new Doctor. Not yet, though. First we get an OLD DOCTOR FUCK YES DAVID TENNANT IS BACK.

I already know Tennant won’t stick around, and I’m glad. That would’ve stunk of Disney nostalgia-raking. Nevertheless, as a returning viewer, I’m grateful for the breakfall. “The Star Beast” doesn’t yet carry the magic that’ll characterize Gatwa’s series. It’s a standard scifi monster of the week serial, and the monster rules. Looking for returning companion Donna Noble, the Doctor runs into the Meep, a no-pronouns gremlin-Yoda puppet living in Donna’s shed, under the care of her daughter, Rose.

UNIT comes under attack by Kamen Riders. The Meep tears off the blorbo mask to reveal a genocidal dictator on the lam from the Intergalactic Criminal Court. It’s a hilarious turn in an episode whose emotional core relies on Rose’s transgenderedness. Pronouns are a real-time strategy game and evil space aliens are better at it than humans.

Quick dustup on weird plot shit: if Donna remembers the Doctor she dies. She has to remember anyway, in order to stop the Meep’s ship from taking off. Turns out that she’s since become immune to Time Lord neuron overload by offloading it on her daughter. Donna and Rose expel the toxic memories by harnessing their feminine emotional intelligence.

I don’t want it to land. Facing the Doctor, who was a woman one episode ago, Rose says that a man could never understand how she just harnessed the divine feminine. Nevertheless it passes, maybe because any representation of a transgender woman as through-and-through female is a gasp of fresh air. For better or worse, this also cues the season’s cardinal rule: what you feel is true is more important than what makes sense.

Wild Blue Yonder

The TARDIS crashlands at the edge of the universe and disappears when it senses danger, one of those things that it’s never done before and will only do again if it’s funny or cool.

The “edge of the universe” is a spaceship floating in ink-black, with Marvin the Paranoid Timebomb making its way down the hall, one step at a time. This is a great opportunity to ease us into the budgetful new Doctor Who, with sleek but understated shots of the spaceship’s exterior. When the Doctor and Donna split up to fix the ship, they converse with each other’s doppelgangers: “not-things” from beyond reality, looking to assimilate physics. Communication with the not-things goes awry as an eerie set of medium close-ups pull back to reveal their overlong limbs.

Backed with half a decade of set chemistry, Tennant and Catherine Tate ace all four characters in this bottle episode. Much of the runtime consists of the Doctor and Donna’s mind games against each other. It’s less a restatement and more a self-justifying exploration of why bother with a last hurrah for two fan favorites. Well-earned, too, as the Doctor nearly leaves the real Donna to die in the ship’s explosion. It’s impossible to be done exploring the fullness of a relationship. But one day, and soon, we will have to move on.

The Giggle

Two crucial stopgaps against the not-things. One, a line of salt on the floor, which the Doctor tricks them into thinking they can’t cross, since they’re sorta vampires. Two, cognitive dissonance. It’s hard enough for the uncreatures to assimilate beliefs, let alone simultaneous contradictory ideas.

The Doctor fears that, by invoking fiddly rules at the edge of reality, he’s opened a door for fell mythos. This episode stars the Toymaker, a villain from a partially restored First Doctor serial. Originally a Fu Manchu caricature, the new Toymaker is Neil Patrick Harris putting on a German accent, which he can always do, it’s never racist.

The Toymaker has snuck a mind-warping signal into every screen, starting with the 1925 Stookie Bill experiment. Now mankind is mad , reacting with explosive hostility at any confrontation. Over the last decade, as writers have moved from mocking subsets of people for being on phone to everyone being on phone, we’ve uncovered more cohesive portrayals of what 24/7 connection is doing to us. Writ large, more and more of us are looking to win arguments. Even losing is a thrill.

It’s a contrived plan for a villain whose power transcends mere limitless control over physical matter. The only thing that binds the Toymaker is the rules of the game. We can trace the evolution of TV drama by comparing his first appearance to his last, William Hartnell’s almost congenial gotchas to Tennant’s panic at genuine omnipotence. The Toymaker traps the Doctor and Donna in a theater for a puppet play about the many deaths of the former’s companions. The Doctor, ever the hero, denies them three times.

Well, are they dead? These specials have proven that, even in the megacorp mines, fan favorite returns don’t have to be Rise of Skywalker gruel. Donna, and the Fourth Doctor’s returning Mel Bush, bring necessary continuity to the transition into new-new Who.

Not everything, at least, has to end in tragedy. When the Toymaker commandeers the giant laser gun the government is cool with UNIT keeping in uptown London, the Doctor bigenerates, splitting into straight Tennant (presumably) and gay Ncuti Gatwa. Together they beat the Toymaker at catch, which banishes him for good.

From here on, we follow Gatwa’s Doctor. Tennant stays with Donna. There is movement in rest, organic, within. Their relationship may continue to develop, just where we can’t see it. Not everything is for screen consumption.

The Church On Ruby Road

Every time I see this episode’s title I get Hüsker Dü’s “Girl Who Lives On Heaven Hill” stuck in my head, except the Inter Arma cover because that’s the first time I heard that. The Doctor is fortunate enough to run into one of the few actresses that can match his energy, Millie Gibson as Ruby Sunday: songwriter, orphan and ingenue. Ruby lives a zoomer kitsch apartment with string lights on the walls, alongside her adoptive mother and grandmother. She suffers from a curse of bad luck, bewitched by an airshipful of baby-eating goblins.

The Doctor and Ruby stop the goblins from eating a baby, to the tune of an R&B paean to Jabba-the-Hut, the only logical step from the Toymaker’s Spice Girls lipsync sequence. The goblins retaliate by traveling in time to eat baby Ruby, abandoned by her mother on Christmas day on the porch of The Church That Lives On Ruby Road. Watching Ruby’s mother go, Gatwa cries his series-first tear of silent grief. He’s very good at that.

The Doctor’s rule of no self-interaction has fucked his opportunity to let Ruby meet her biological mother. Pay attention, this’ll be on the test. Other than that, “The Church” is an easy, fun, low-stakes introduction to the Doctor’s companion and many of the season’s dominos, only some of which will receive a proper knockdown.

Space Babies

The first real ostentatious show of Disney budget is a quick but lush visit to James Cameron's Mesozoic. A CGI diplodocus doesn’t have to be bad. CGI baby mouths, on the other hand.

Budget cuts strand a colony spaceship, replete with babies in a bizarre state of semi-suspended animation: they’ve been toddlers for six years. Only accountant Jocelyn remains. The babies are terrorized by the Boogeyman, a snot monster generated by glitched-out educational software. Jocelyn almost airlocks the Boogeyman until the Doctor reminds her that it’s kind of her baby also.

The Doctor’s memory of Ruby Road changes to feature Ruby’s mother pointing at him. It starts snowing indoors, another magic plot puzzle piece. Cue tear of silent grief. There’s not much else to say about “Space Babies”. It’s a lot of terrible ideas, executed with functional neatness: quoting a friend, the platonic ideal of a Russell T 6/10.

The Devil’s Chord

1925 again! There’s a whole pantheon of Toymaker-type evil gods. This one’s Maestro, the god of music, played by a spectacular Jinkx Monsoon. Over the course of four decades, Maestro ruins music so thoroughly that even Abbey Road sounds like dogwater.

The Doctor and Ruby negotiate with the Beatles, who make dodgy gestures towards the whole of music being an embarrassing business. It’s never made clear how Maestro has convinced the world of this, or, like the Toymaker’s giggle, why they bothered when they have the power to eat music itself. We’ve crossed into the realm of magic. It’s not about the method, but the goal: within a hundred years, musicless mankind will self-exterminate to vent its anger, leaving Maestro to enjoy pure aeolian tones.

It’s hard to agree that music is the salve keeping mankind from abject violence when contending with the history of, Burzum, Chris Brown or Meni Mamtera. Nor does the idea that Maestro can be defeated by a seven-note scale available to basic Western music theory hold much water. “The Devil’s Chord” is an altogether less cohesive “The Giggle”, and only three episodes after its predecessor, too. On the other hand, as a piece of musical cinema, it’s a brilliant watch for Monsoon’s performance, the playful metanarrative gestures, and the closing number, ‘There’s Always A Twist At The End’.

Boom

On the ravaged planet of Kastarion-3, there is only war. A landmine vaporizes a guy, attracting an 'ambulance' automaton to euthanize his friend Vater by reducing him into an awesomely gross flesh tube.

Gatwa leaves the TARDIS in a super-sexy leather jacket and steps on a mine. What follows is ten agonizing minutes of the Doctor and Ruby figuring out the logistics of the situation. The Doctor can’t move off the smart mine or exhibit high emotion. On finding Vater’s tube, Ruby convinces the Doctor to let her hand it to him to use as a counterweight, in a move that almost kills them both. The pressure is immense, achieved with nothing but close-ups to tears of silent grief and a silly prop of a landmine with LEDs.

Vater’s daughter finds the duo, triggering the flesh tube to generate a grief counselor hologram of her father. Ruby gets shot while managing a haywire ambulance. The only way to get the ambulance to treat her is to admit that the Kastarians never existed. With a full third of characters dead, Cyber-Vater betrays its parent corporation to end the war. This is the most stressful Doctor Who gets, in all the best ways. For a second, and against all logic, I was even convinced it might be the end of Ruby Sunday.

“Boom” is the closest Gatwa’s Doctor has to a companion capsule episode. This focus on their relationship might’ve gone over even better if it’d been earlier in the run, especially given “The Devil’s Chord” has the opposite problem. I suspect the prime reason why it’s placed in an awkward middle slot is to not give away the game: “Boom” front-and-centers Susan Twist, who’s played minor roles in almost every episode since “Wild Blue Yonder”, as the face of the combat ambulance AI. There’s always a twist at the end, remember?

73 Yards

The Doctor’s always stepping on some bullshit. After intruding on a ritual circle, he disappears, leaving Ruby alone with a mysterious woman that’s always standing 73 yards away. Everyone who talks to the woman flies goes no-contact with Ruby: a hiker, a bar-goer, UNIT, even, in a harrowing turn, Ruby’s adoptive mother. So Ruby spends the next twenty years alone. Without her family, and also alone in this ethereal way where she’s meant to be on startlit adventures, not half-there on a wine bar date.

Gibson carries this mammoth episode on her shoulders, evolving from panicked 20 year old to middle-aged, purpose-driven mercenary. The closest thing to a co-star is the cinematography, following her eyes towards the woman-shaped hole in the near horizon. This is one of the subtler metanarrative moments of the season: the woman is impossible to photograph, blurry in pictures just as she’s never in focus for the camera.

Ruby makes up a mission: save the world from ‘Mad Jack’ Roger ap Gwilliam, a presidential candidate whom the Doctor off-hand warned would lead the world to nuclear ruin. Infiltrating, Jack’s presidential campaign, she maneuvers the woman into manifesting next to him, which makes him run screaming from office. The world is saved. Ruby isn’t. As she lays dying of old age, alone, the mystery woman is revealed to be herself, traveling back in time to warn the Doctor off the circle.

This is the furthest Doctor Who can stray from its own standards before becoming a different show altogether. The theme song doesn’t even play (shame). Not a coincidence, it’s also the episode to most demand that we trust emotion over logic, and it pays back that trust with dividends. It doesn’t matter that we never find out why there was a shrine to Mad Jack atop a cliff in Wales twenty years before his time, or the mechanism by which Ruby created a closed time loop. The important bit is the emotional resonance, the click of catharsis when we discover just enough details to let it rest.

Dot and Bubble

I feared, as “Dot” opened on a woman so dependent on social media that she can’t navigate her immediate surroundings without GPS, that this would be the Phone Bad episode “The Giggle” had managed to surpass. The truth is more complex: Finetime’s residents can afford to spend all day Whatsapping because they’re the offspring of another planet’s leisure class, here on permanent vacation.

Giant man-eating slugs have invaded Finetime, and the Dot-Bubble navigation system is walking people straight into their maws. Our lead is neither Gatwa nor Gibson, but Callie Cooke as Lindy Pepper-Bean in yet another of the acting masterclasses that characterize this season. An ongoing tension point is whether Lindy can keep her Bubble down long enough to string together two tasks. This means the season’s highest ratio of close-ups to other shots. Cooke carries this focus with recidivist disdain, processing the situation in arbitrary bursts only to default to anger at the Doctor for intruding on her groupchat, or elation at meeting a celebrity singer.

The slugs are an invention of the Dot, which, after years of servicing Finetime, has learned hate. Huddled outside the habitat dome, the all-white survivors reject the Doctor’s 'dirty' safe passage, and strike out to colonize the wilderness, ‘like their ancestors’.

Laterally to Phone Bad, an ongoing trend in wronghead fiction is Rich Bad. Movies like Bodies Bodies Bodies portray the bourgeoise as a self-obsessed bunch who will fall snarling on themselves at the first provocation. This is not what makes the bourgeoise dangerous, but in fact the exact opposite: because the rich have everything to lose, they will close ranks against you, no matter how much good you’ve done for them, no matter what you could yet do.

Rogue

Before the season ends, anybody want to defend England one last time? Playing nobility at a Regency London ball, the Doctor runs into Rogue, a bounty hunter who mistakes him (at gunpoint) for a shapeshifting, murderous Chuldur.

The Chuldur are fans of Bridgerton, on Earth to cosplay it to death. In order to lure them out, The Doctor and Rogue publicize their whirlwind romance. If “Dot and Bubble” was a response to the idea that Gatwa might run into racism if he travels to the past, “Rogue” is its inversion: the plan works because the modern Chuldur can’t resist the titillation of wearing a black gay man. They run after the hypervisible Doctor, while the white Rogue becomes “the other one”. He’s less problematized, less interesting, the one you get stuck with if you don’t call intersectional shotgun.

After the trap is sprung by accident, Rogue's banished alongside the Chuldur to a random dimension of nobody’s knowing. The Doctor declares it’s impossible to find him. We’ll see about that.

For all its nods towards fandom, “Rogue” isn’t a po-faced condemnation of fan culture. Ultimately, the Chuldur too are defeated through cosplay. Plus, it’s a straight beat-by-beat of the strongest points in Who structure: strong side characters, scifi logistics, a villain as goofy as it’s horrific. Whether its back-to-back placement with its thematic mirror, or as a segue to the season finale, is ideal, is anyone’s guess.

The Legend of Ruby Sunday

The Doctor asks for UNIT’s help in figuring out why Susan Twist follows him everywhere. On 2024 Earth, she’s Susan Triad, tech CEO on the verge of releasing some kind of Alexa thing. But before we get to that, the Doctor decides now’s the time to meet Ruby’s biomom.

Using a ‘Time Window’, Ruby visualizes The Church That Lives On Ruby Road. Ruby cries: the Window refuses to show her mother’s face. The machine goes all creepypasta on some UNIT boot. Panicked, the Doctor chases down Triad, who reveals she can remember her past lives in dreams.

Triad pulls away to her conference. Though she’s live worldwide, her soundstage is empty, the crowd canned. Where much of this season has dealt with the phenomenons of mass media and TV, “The Legend” digs into a grief specific to Doctor Who, an ill-kempt archive of decades forever on the verge of cancellation.

Little else happens, for two good reasons. First, this episode is a two-parter. Second, much of its runtime is dedicated to extracting maximum stress out of the situation. Ruby is too compromised to act, while the Doctor and UNIT are late from the start, only just figuring out the situation in time to witness it unfold. The big reveal paying off all this anxiety, crossed purposes, fear and despair is, unfortunately, a CGI dog with a hat.

Empire of Death

Sutekh is a Fourth Doctor villain who’s been locked in the Time Vortex for thousands of years or a dozen seasons, whichever’s longest. He has spawned harbingers like Triad in every planet that the Doctor’s visited, and his “dust of death” has the power to kill nost just everyone, but everyone at every point in time. In the era of streaming television (and stream-only television), the C-suite can overnight erase all evidence that a show ever existed.

Through a bit of absurd circular logic, the Doctor declares that the Time Window’s memory of a TARDIS is in fact a functioning TARDIS. The crew escapes to roam a deserted universe. The memory TARDIS begs to tie long-dangling plot strands into knots of neat logic. Instead, a bunch of nonsense dialogue happens. When Ruby asks the Doctor why Sutekh has a The Mummy thing going on, the Doctor answers “cultural appropriation”, and fails to elaborate. Laterally, when Ruby casually lists the chameleon circuit’s AOE as 73 yards, the Doctor asks how she knew that. She’s not sure. Nothing comes of this.

Because Sutekh is incapable of seeing Ruby’s mother, the Doctor decides it’s all tied together and heads to a government office in Mad Jack Britain, containing the UK’s forcibly harvested genetic data. Much more cohesive commentary on racism than reminding us cultural appropration is a thing Doctor Who has done. Armed with knowledge, the Doctor baits Sutekh into the Time Vortex, where he forces him to, like, kill death and then die in turn.

It’s a fantastic turn of character for the Doctor, who oft makes a spurious point of not killing in order to condemn villains to fates worse than death, or adopts a ‘War Doctor’ persona which kills a bunch of people anyway. It’s a matter of framing, but also a genuine point of no return. As for less satisfying character beats: Ruby gets to meet her mother, who’s just some middle-aged Instagrammer with a bad haircut and a passion for rocky beaches.

So why was this character immune to everyone from the Time Window to Sutekh, and the unwitting carrier of Ruby’s inherited power to make it snow? Because, the Doctor explains, we cared about her.

Which begs the question: who is we?

The easiest answer is: the last people left alive in the universe. But Ruby’s been making it snow since “Space Babies”. Not proximity to the Doctor either, else the Doctor himself would have magic powers: on the contrary, he’s spent the whole season grappling with his limited ratfic ability to deal with the supernatural. And there’s millions of orphans out there. Ruby is, in this regard as in most else, not special.

Taken all together along with the season’s metanarrative overtures, which keep going right up to the last second of “Empire”, the only answer is that we are the audience. Or the audience and the crew, anyhow: the camera, the screen, Ruby’s protagonism and the people that accept it. We have imbued Ruby Sunday with transcendental power, because we would like her to transcend.

This doesn’t work unless I am more emotionally than narratively invested in Ruby Sunday.

Not that I didn’t get torn up when Ruby met her mother. But that’s just cinema trickery. A season’s worth of promises, a bit of music, very good acting: of course I was going to care. Not more than I care about finding out what the fuck was going on, though. As an explanation, this all rounds out to: what was going on is what was going on. Ruby’s mom was important because she mattered to us, and it mattered to us because she was important. Me, I refuse to be complicit.

There is an unpleasant extreme to the logical lens, the CinemaSinners combing through scripts, sacrificing the greater story to the tendentious idol of Plot Holes. Doctor Who has long been plagued by these types, pitfalls of being an easy-watching BBC show with a large audience. Series 14 scans like a concerted effort to not give these guys an inch. In overcorrecting, it created a maudlin mess of unfulfilled promise.

That is as far as the season's connected plotline goes. Fortunately, most of the episodes are gems, directed with a sense of fun almost unseen in the revival series’ longstanding gloom. The Doctor has turned into a killer, maybe for good. We are promised that his tale will end in tragedy. I hold out hope that, next time the story tries to hit me where it hurts, it’ll follow through.

7/10

#mine #doctor who #not a spoiler free review

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goingbuggy · 3 months ago

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Crazy thought: is there any chance buggy will come into alliance with Blackbeard? I don’t know it’s just how luffy is paired with shanks for obvious reasons makes me wonder if there will be alliance like that in the future. Possible angst? I don’t knowoooow

I wouldn't call it an impossibility -- some crazy plot twists will probably happen as One Piece reaches what looks like its penultimate arc -- but given Buggy's past thoughts on Blackbeard, I doubt it would be by his own hand. Remember, Buggy was the one to point out how suspicious Blackbeard seemed to Shanks; he even went as far as to call Blackbeard a "monster." And that was when Blackbeard was still a kid!

Although it's been quite a while since then, it's safe to say that Buggy has never thought highly of Blackbeard. So, if we're brainstorming about a hypothetical alliance, I think it would only occur out of necessary-but-mutual gain. We don't know how many poneglyphs Blackbeard has currently, but it has been speculated that he might have taken Law's, and that he might have Big Mom's as well. It may even turn out that Blackbeard has/will have the last road poneglyph. In that case, a temporary, two-faced sort of alliance might occur. Or, in a more comical twist of fate, Buggy could be the one to get the last road poneglyph, and accidentally start a wild goose chase across the seas. Regardless of the scenario, I can only see the potential for a relationship that is strictly business and give-and-take.

To add to your idea, though, Blackbeard is similar to Buggy because they both take advantage of chaos for personal gain. Unlike Shanks and Luffy, Buggy and Blackbeard tend to slip through the cracks; it's not that they don't have presence, per se, but that they appear unassuming enough that others underestimate them. Shanks, Whitebeard, Ace, Law, Koby, Hancock: Blackbeard has a knack for catching powerful players on the world's chess board off guard, and this has always been his greatest asset as a pirate.

Buggy, too, flies under the radar. We see this most explicitly in his interactions with the marines; he lessens his torture at Impel Down because they don't realize he's a devil fruit user, and after Cross Guild successfully puts bounties on marine heads, Tsuru outright states that they've "severely underestimated him." Like Blackbeard, Buggy laid low and waited for his chance, spending his days in the East Blue before rapidly expanding his influence in the New World. However, unlike Blackbeard, none of this really seems purposeful on Buggy's part. This is what separates them -- Blackbeard is full of intent, but most of Buggy's future gains simply fall into his lap, where he then chooses to take advantage of the situation.

So, in that sense, I think Buggy and Blackbeard could have a very harmonious alliance, if they both unite to stir chaos, then split to reap the consequences as they each see fit.

#the best part about the four emperors is how they all compare and contast imo #as well as how all their narratives intertwine throughout the story #if anyone is interested i'd be happy to lay out the dynamics between all four emperors #maybe do a timeline of each relationship #how they foil each other... etc. etc.#let me know !!#ask #long post #buggy the clown #blackbeard #buggy #marshall d. teach #one piece meta #? i guess #yeah sure #meta #one piece

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cringecompanionapologist · 11 months ago

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Random Thoughts on a Very Specific Thing: When Companions Choose Companions

Okay, so, off the top of my head, this has happened four times in Doctor Who's televised run. I'm not familiar enough with EU companions to say anything about what happens there.

Companions have become companions for a variety of reasons. The new series has this idea that the Doctor only travels with "the best" and they usually choose their companions. The classic series had a lot of Companions via Circumstance. Dodo and Tegan thought the TARDIS was a real police box and just walked in at the wrong time. Ben and Polly saw the Doctor enter the TARDIS, got curious, followed him, and then he took off before noticing that they were there. Victoria and Nyssa both lost everyone close to them and became companions because they had nowhere else to go. Ian and Barbara were straight-up fucking kidnapped.

There have also been several stowaway companions. The Doctor didn't invite them, but they Insisted. There are very few classic series companions the Doctor chose. In Logopolis, Four even goes on a rant about it. It's actually a big stand-out moment when One invites Vicki to join him and this would go on to be a bit uncommon. Three had Liz and Jo basically assigned to him by UNIT. That's why companions were often called assistants back in the day. They were basically lab assistants. It was literally their job.

I could go on and on about this, but this thing is supposed to be about the four companions that were chosen by another companion: Jamie, Peri, Ace, and Adam.

Yes, I'm counting Adam for this, not because he completely counts as a companion, but because he was invited to be one and basically failed his test run.

Here There Be Spoilers for the episodes these companions debuted in and probably more.

It's funny how the four examples here are split down the middle. The blondes, Polly and Rose, chose companions to come with them, while the gingers, Turlough and Mel, chose companions to replace them. It also splits down the middle in that Jamie and Ace became the definitive companions of their Doctors, while Peri and Adam didn't work well with the Doctors the joined, with Peri not having much time with 5 before constantly bickering with 6, and Adam just failing completely.

I think some of the reason for this seems to be based on the mindset of the companions that picked the companions. Polly and Mel were mainly thinking of the new companion when they chose them. Polly realized that Jamie was in a rough part of history and maybe it would be nice to take him out of it. Mel spent a while bonding with Ace and realized that she could use a Space Dad.

Rose wasn't really thinking when she invited Adam along. She basically did it because she thought he was cute. 9 was never into it, just humoring her, and then they both sort of ditched him on his first trip to the far future. Look, Adam made his own bad decisions and shouldn't have been a companion, but he also shouldn't have been left completely unsupervised in an unfamiliar time period. He got that stupid computer thing in his head because it was basically required to do anything around there, and then decided to be stupid with it.

Meanwhile, Turlough was thinking of the Doctor. 5 didn't handle Tegan's departure well and admitted to being depressed. When he realized he was going to have to leave, Turlough was aware that the Doctor shouldn't be left alone while already feeling depressed and abandoned. So, he assigned Peri as a replacement.

The actual scene where Peri becomes a companion has 5 clearly reluctant. Either he's decided that he wants to be alone or he's just not that interested in her specifically. Turlough telling Peri to keep an on him probably factored in to him accepting her. Strangely, like with Adam, the Doctor took on a new companion whom he didn't like to humor another companion. The difference was that Turlough chose a better companion than Rose did, so Peri stuck around and the Doctor warmed up to her. That also connects to motivation. The reason Adam was the only truly bad choice is that it was made for stupid reasons. Polly and Mel were thinking "the Doctor would be good for this person". Turlough was thinking "this person would be good for the Doctor". Rose just didn't think.

This isn't me bashing Rose, by the way. Everyone's allowed to make bad choices. But, I admit, comparing her to three random classic companions in this situation doesn't make her look good. Rose was a good companion for 9. Her relationship with 10, no matter how much one might enjoy it, might not have been the most emotionally healthy for them. But, she still was a good companion for the most part. She just doesn't have very good judgement when it comes to who makes a good companion.

Also I did sort of accidentally parallel 9/Rose and 5/Turlough. I did not actually mean to do that.

#second doctor #polly wright #jamie mccrimmon #fifth doctor #vislor turlough #peri brown #seventh doctor #melanie bush #ace mcshane #ninth doctor #rose tyler #adam mitchell #the long game is one of those episodes where everyone's a bit of an idiot tbh #the highlanders #planet of fire #dragonfire #the long game #weird coincidences regarding hair color

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nonokoko-is-daydreaming · 1 year ago

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Post-graduation hcs part 1

I have been thinking about what might await the boys once they graduate, realistically speaking. I'm tempted to do another hc series similar but them as parents or with a s/o or something 🙈. Sorry, some are shorter than others. Hope you like them:

🌹 Riddle

He moved in an apartment with Trey and Chenya temporarily until he has enough savings to live on his own, alternatively moves in with his s/o, if he has one, ideally after graduation. He had been preparing for an independent life away from home post-overblot without telling his parents and when the moment arrives there's probably a big fight between them, especially when Mrs Rosehearts discover he won't study to become a magical doctor like she planned.

In his birthday vignette he shows interest in studying law, so I think he would be a judge. To me it's canon because it's a reference of how the Queen of Hearts was the judge in Wonderland trials.

Riddle disappointed his parents —more like infuriated Mrs Rosehearts— and had multiple arguments with his mom about what his future but he no longer cares what she says. He might like to continue being in contact if they come to terms he's free to do whatever he wants with his life; most likely only his father accepts this. #DisneyletRiddlehaveatleastoneredeemedparentchallenge

Riddle will need time to heal and accept this rupture is the best for him, but he'll still look at the past and mourn for the childhood and family he never had. He likes his job but sometimes he feels beyond exhausted after certain cases. Praying he gets the growth spurt or self confidence on his height he deserves 🙏

♠ Deuce

Deuce had one goal already in mind since his early freshman days, being a police officer, and by his determination you can bet he worked on it until the dream became a reality. Needless to say mama spade is super proud of her boy.

Oh the delinquent angsty teenager becoming a police. The irony. The amount of comments and stories his mom will share with his friends when they come to their hometown. They're not letting it live down.

Trey mentioned in chapter 5 that the best mages from fire and policemen are recruited by an international organization called Arcane Response Unit, which if I remember correctly it's the one that responds in OB cases when they aren't extremely dangerous. I find it sweet imagining Riddle and him keep seeing each other due their jobs.

❤ Ace

I'm sorry I have no idea which career he could be interested in (╥﹏╥) Maybe when we know his unique magic and more about him I'll write something else. But you know that joke shop the Weasley twins had where they sold magic artifacts and miscellaneous stuff?? Yeah, that could suit him. I believe he could have more ambition than just owning a shop though...idk

After graduation I can see Ace, Deuce, Grim and MC choosing to share an apartment while studying their major studies, if MC is still in TWST of course. Main trouble gang now as roommates, imagine the chaos.

♣ Trey

If he's roommates with Chenya and Riddle, they split chores: he's in charge of the cooking most of the time. He's also the one who keeps most contact with Heartslabyul classmates due his popularity as the "dad friend", but his closest relationships aside from Riddle are with Cater and Adeuce. Often reminds them via message to rest and gets upset if he finds out they have been slacking on a healthy lifestyle after moving away from home.

Either chooses to run his family bakery after his parents retire or becomes a chef in some restaurant. I imagine Azul would be interested in keeping Trey close or tries to hire him for his restaurant business.

♦ Cater

Your Cay-Cay keeps being fire on Magicam! ✧⁺ /hj

Just like Ace I believe Cater tried to make the most out of his school life, so planning from the start what he exactly was going to do wasn't in his top priorities. He knew he still wanted to have time for social media, and despite some minor existential crisis about his future he was realistically listing his abilities and cons in his search for okay-ish jobs.

Eventually he set up for working on social media management or marketing: him being able to read the room + being updated with the latest trends and internet language + meme culture + his obsession liking of Magicam + knowledge to make great pics to post = Best job for him!

In spite of the time being a publicist for brands and influencers take he still updates his Magicam account. Not exactly a worldwide star but I can see him having around +500K overtime and even hitting the million there or in his twst youtube channel. Because of his job and hobby he still cross path with Vil sometimes.

About his family... Just like Riddle I see him looking forward to move in #ASAP, but Cater kept in contact with his family because their relationship still could still be fixed. Therapy may be needed to further explore and heal his family issues and roots of his depression but eventually he's better, if anything still a bit salty with his sisters (don't get me wrong everyone here should go but Cater is in the list or easier to convince) Extra good sis points if they are the ones who talk with Cay-Cay about going to therapy and agree to go with him if asked <3

🦁 Leona

For a moment I wrongly thought "This man is filthy rich, I 100% can see him not doing anything with all the money he has if he feels like it." before the realisation that contradicts his character smacked me in the face. Seeing how he denied the idea of losing without a fight in the tournament I think he'll try to exit his title as being only the second born and make a name for himself.

Given he's a respected leader in his dorm and how he can put in work his leadership skills when the moment requires it Leona would want to be involved in his kingdom management.

Leona has a tattoo that resembles Scar's, and I think that was a symbol of the royal guard, so maybe he'd become royal guard captain. Something like an ambassador or related to military or diplomatic relationships, representing the royal family and travelling for politic reasons.

Knowing Leona he'd be keep ignoring his depression until others talk him out of that procrastinating attitude and force convince him to search help, most likely his s/o or Farena's wife scolding, since it seems he'd do what they tell him even if it's grudgingly. Cheka probably goes to RSA and by then any ill feelings towards his nephew are gone, although he'll always act like he annoys him.

🍩 Ruggie

In Ruggie SSR dorm card is shown Ruggie is fluent at Animal Linguistics. With his participation at the Animal Linguistics Speech Contest I'm positive he could find a job about it, perhaps work alongside Leona as the royal family interpreter.

Regardless of which career he chooses he'll make some good cash and after receiving paychecks he'll spoil his grandma and give small treats to his neighbours by buying a lot of food and making occasional meals for everybody when he visits.

🐺 Jack

Unless he marries somebody whose homeland is different I picture him living in his hometown tending to his cactus. He has a nice house, big enough to raise some kids, and space enough to grew his plants. Man has simple needs and he is content with it.

Definitely the most likely who ends up having a spouse out of all the students, closely followed by Epel and Rook imo.

At first I was blank about his career but thanks to a user on Reddit I agree with them that Jack could be a personal coach or some sort of athletic instructor, for instance ski/snowboard teacher since he likes it. Or a professional athlete.

🐙 Azul

Azul invests in the market and hit big numbers earlier than anybody else. Technically he doesn't need to work anymore or worry about making an income but he still runs a restaurant, expanding his empire as the owner of high quality restaurants both in land and sea. Chains like Applebee's are shit under his foot in comparison lol

Still trying to keep in contact with his dear classmates who he spent so many wonderful days Definitely not because he could use having the Asim new family leader or the royal captain or a honourable judge like Riddle or the STYX leader nono-

🐬 Jade & Floyd 🦈

The ones who mop the floor with Azul's competition

They are still by Azul's side, but they continue in their family business behind the scenes. Probably meet Riddle in the courtyard. Not because they are careless to leave traces behind mind you, Floyd just felt like squeezing some annoying dude and the law is being unfunny and charging him for aggression. Jade is never caught on the things his twin is accused of, but Riddle has the feeling he's never too far from the fights.

Each time the case is closed or paid with community services. Azul pays the penalty fees and the octotrio always act oh so casually about it while getting in Riddle's nerves. Poor golfishie thought he'd see the last of them after ending NRC and now he's near a mental breakdown when he reads "Leech" in his next trial file. Said trials must be a sight to behold, which is why Jade goes whenever he's not busy, amused.

👑 Vil

The octatrio preferably lives on land for different reasons: Floyd has an expensive and varied shoe collection he can't wear underwater, Jade happily built a greenhouse for his terrariums, and Azul has houses both in land and sea to supervise his restaurants and going on vacation when he feels like it.

Despite their shared shady business is likely the twins do secondary jobs to entertain themselves: Floyd keeps starting projects and dropping them once he gets bored, from modelling to participate in monster truck events. Jade studied economics and is in charge of the financial administrations of the business, but is member of a mountain lovers forum and its most active and enthusiastic user.

Vil had already planned his career since a child. However, he continued to expand his horizons: actor, super model, movie director, guionist, activist for lgbt rights and other causes, maybe helping Crewel to make a new fashion collection for upcoming seasons...you know, he takes Barbie's motto seriously. Probably loves being a director because he can envision and lead a movie while being on screen. He's Barbie because he can be everything he decides to be except being more popular than Neige

He keeps in contact with several classmates, including Rook, Epel, occasionally Cater etc. He has an online shop that sells products made by himself, except collabs he makes with other brands like Azul's moisturiser. Don't worry Floyd is okay, they found other merman to use :)

🏹 Rook

✨ Le chasseur de tes cauchemars ✨

Leona and company keep feeling observed, he has many people terrified. If hunter isn't his job then it must be related to beauty, but because he sees beauty in everything I'm not sure. Perhaps he has the same job as whatever his family worked to get all those villas but maybe they are just rich and inherited that CMON DISNEY TELL ME IF HIS FAM HAS A SHADY BUSINESS ALREADY! ARE THEY COPS?? WTF I NEED INFO

If he doesn't follow his family footsteps he could enjoy working as a photographer, capturing the inner beauty of the world both as a naturalist photographer and a fashion one. Hunting and stalking are his hobbies.

One of those who has higher chancer to get married at some point I think, but it's a bit tricky. He sure loves many things but something about it tells me in the present time he thinks he still has so many beautiful things and people to meet that he cannot imagine committing to somebody for the rest of his life yet?? Unless that person was fine he would marvel and compliment and stalk anyone he's around...

Open to having a longtime and stable relationship but it would make more sense if he waits until later in his life to get married in my opinion, realistically speaking at least. But be could also jump straight to marriage if his love for his s/o is that big, if his s/o is Neige, Vil or someone he adores as much as them.

🍎 Epel

Another student who had his future somewhat well thought out since he was a freshman.

Not long after graduation he studies a major degree and works in his family farm, trying to improve the Harveston farmers laboral conditions by implementing innovative methods to grow apples more resistant to cold temperatures...First he has to convince the skeptic elderly that technology and science can mesh together with tradition just fine. (This idea is from what he says in the Harveston event)

As weird as it sounds I can see Epel gaining more muscle after all those years working out. I'm divided between him growing taller or being ripped but continue being the shortest of the first year gang lol

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doomandgloomfromthetomb · 9 days ago

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Shellac - 7th. Street Entry, Minneapolis, Minnesota, October 29, 1994

Guest post! This one comes from friend-of-the-blog Xopher Besinger — a loving tribute to Shellac of North America and the late/great Steve Albini ...

When Steve Albini passed away this past spring the underground music world lost a champion and a crucial resource, both technological and philosophical. But he wasn’t only an engineer, studio owner, and opinionated online presence Albini was also a singular guitar player and for the last 33 years member of the power trio Shellac along with Bob Weston of Volcano Suns and Todd Trainer from Rifle Sport & Brick Layer Cake. The band carved out a special niche, where Wire and Gang of Four overlapped with AC/DC, shearing away all unnecessary elements until the music was compressed down to a single razor blade guitar spinning off coruscating shards of metallic sound over a massive, unstoppable rhythm section and sometimes some yelling.

They made several studio albums, but Shellac was primarily a live band, part comedy act, part blistering noise unit, always conducting shows with the laid-back ease of a long running house band. Toward the end shows were as full of familiar bits and gags as much as new songs but this show, from October 1994 in front of a rowdy home turf crowd (c’mon everyone knows the 7th St Entry was their home) approaching Halloween the band is still very new, a couple of singles had appeared the year prior and the first full-length, At Action Park, came out that month but not everything had completely settled just yet, even the infamous Q & A sessions appear here in nascent form as Albini just fields specific questions about Montana.

This show probably isn’t a holy grail to anyone except for me, I remember seeing the show flyers up around Dinkytown when I was briefly attending the University of Minnesota, but I was still 18, not old enough and without a fake id. The sound is a bit rough on this audience tape, plenty of dance music bleeding in from the First Avenue main room next door (a normal hazard throughout the 90s) and drunken crowd chatter but the band is clearly in their element, teasing Minneapolis icons Morris Day & Arcwelder’s Bill Graber and battering the hell out of the songs. Albini has obviously been listening to the also recently released Jon Spencer Blues Explosion album Orange as he exhorts “blues explosion! number one blues singer!” several times. The setlist draws mainly from the singles & first LP but there are a few surprises, such as the mellow coda to “Rambler Song” from their split single with P.W. Long, an early version of “Disgrace” and of course “Spoke”, which was the normal closer in the early years but didn’t appear on an album until 2007.

As always there is a healthy amount of back-and-forth between the band and crowd and even amongst the band onstage, but Shellac always made it clear that those interactions were as much a part of the gig as anything. This holistic view might be one of the reasons the shows were so memorable, it wasn’t just a band playing music to an audience, the talking, the tuning up, the waiting for the show to start, the lines to the bathroom, the obnoxious people in the crowd, the songs you had never heard before, were all given equal weight as components to the experience. And that to me is what this recording captures, the full weight of seeing them, with all those other things included.

I am going to miss seeing them dismantle the hecklers, I am going to miss the way they could flip from goofy to visceral to transcendent in the matter of seconds, but more than anything I am going to miss that biting, clanging guitar at the start of “Billiard Player Song” cutting straight through everything. Everything. So, grab a cigar, a match, and people who don’t care if you smoke it and loudest speakers you can find. Requiescat!

#shellac #steve albini

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isobug · 1 year ago

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Unit Aro and Unit Ace flags

Unit Aro : Umbrella term for an Aro identity experienced as a single unit

Unit Ace : Umbrella term for an Ace identity experienced as a single unit

Some examples are one who identifies as Aro / Ace and they do not identify with any other orientation type, identifies as Aro / Ace most, and so "Aro" / "Ace" stands for their experiences best, or they prefer "Aro" / "Ace" over other parts of their identity.

The flag colors are inspired by the original Aro and Ace flags, as well as the Aroace flag by aroaesflags. The gradient of the Green / Purple represents the entire Aromantic / Asexual Spectrum. The Aro Arrow and Ace Spade are optional but are there for those who enjoy the symbols.

The dark blue is inspired from the Aroace flag because it was designed with those Aroaces who do not split their attractions / identities in mind ( which lines up well with Unit Aroace ). Blue also shows up in many other Aspec flags ( ex. Fray, Quoi, Aymid ). It represents one's Aro / Ace identity as a " Unit ", whole as it is and unable to be split or separated.

( I cannot find the coiner of " Unit Ace " as it's wiki page seems to be gone / down / deleted? I believe it was coined by a FANDOM or Miraheze user but if anyone has a name I can credit please drop it in my inbox! )

Taglist - @revenant-coining, @radiomogai, @contracorvid

#unit aro #unit ace #aspec #aromantic #aro #asexual #ace #aspectrum #arospec #aromantic spectrum #acespec #asexual spectrum #mogai flags #liom flags #mogai pride #liom pride #mogai #liom #unit aspec

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hussainali-uae · 5 months ago

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Find the best AC parts in UAE on TradersFind

Explore a curated selection of best AC parts in UAE on TradersFind. Discover a range of reliable AC components, from compressors to filters, sourced from reputable suppliers. Ensure optimal performance and efficiency for your air conditioning systems with high-quality parts found through TradersFind, your go-to platform for all your best AC parts needs in UAE. Contact Now!

https://www.tradersfind.com/category/ac-parts

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izebanoori · 5 months ago

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Top quality AC parts in UAE on TradersFind

Find top-quality AC parts in UAE through TradersFind. Discover a range of essential components such as compressors, condensers, valves, and filters for both residential and commercial systems. Depend on reliable products to meet all your AC Prats requirements in UAE. Contact Now!

#AC Parts #AC Parts in UAE #AC Parts suppliers #AC Parts suppliers in UAE #AC Parts manufacturers in UAE #AC Parts distributors #AC Spare Parts #car ac parts #ac auto parts #split ac unit parts #vehicle ac parts

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liamthemailman · 7 months ago

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♠️♥️House of Cards♣️♦️

Act Two Part Four - Back Online

CW: Violence and injury, minor character death

“There it fucking is.”

Ace trudges forth into a small hidden clearing where a ground receiver sits, covered in snow and dead icy undergrowth. He holsters his gun and kneels down, feeling the ice melt into the fabric of his pants. He shudders, his breath fogging as they escape from his lips.

He reaches into his bag for the tools he brought along, his other hand brushing the debris off the satellite dish. Ace looks over the generator to assess for any further damages but it just seems like the signal was disrupted because the boom arm was dislodged from its place. It looked like the work of several people.

Hopefully it isn’t, Ace thinks. It would be another issue and a half if the enemy had stumbled across this site. He only figured they hadn’t because intel reports that none of the patrol routes were near this clearing but the prints in the snow didn’t suggest it was the work of a passing animal. Ace put the boom arm into place, giving the base unit a good pat as he hooked his laptop to boot up the software.

Watching the progress bar extend slowly was a bit of a bore. The flashing line seemingly taunted Ace as it slowed to a stop at about the halfway mark. He sighed, letting out a groan of frustration before turning his attention to look over his shoulder.

From the beginning of this mission, Ace had felt eyes on him throughout as he traversed the cold terrain. Again, Ace chalks it up to him being truly alone with no way to reach back to base but that didn’t really stop his mind from trailing as he sat and listened to the eerie silence of the environment.

Ace had never been one for the wilderness but he suspects something is lurking nearby. Mother Nature isn’t exactly known for her silence, especially in the desolate snowy landscape Ace finds himself in. A single cry of a lone crow shrieks overhead, tearing into the still air. Ace watches as the bird disappears between the towering peaks of the pines.

A chill causes the hairs on the back of Ace’s neck to stand. He shudders, eyeing the screen out the corner of his vision as he readjusts his scarf. The same heavy dread looms over his shoulders as Ace watches the progress bar inch closer to the end. He forgets the dread for a moment, readying his comm device to report back to HQ and call for exfil.

The line crackles to life as Ace powers it on again, static ringing in the air as Ace counts down the last few remaining seconds. He winces, busying himself as he fiddles with his GPS.

“HQ, this is Ace. Objective has been completed and requesting exfil.” Ace says, his voice rumbling into the microphone as he pushes down the push to talk.

“Roger, meet you at the LZ in ten minutes.”

Ace was met with the same irritating static for a second but he was back online and transport had been secured, allowing Ace to start to pack up shop.

He was met with silence again, the only sounds being the zipper of his bag as he finished up, securing his laptop back inside. This seemed easy enough, Ace thought to himself.

The crunch of snow doesn’t go unnoticed in Ace’s bustling actions, whipping his head towards the source quick enough for a bullet to just miss his face. The sound cracks through the otherwise peaceful scene, sending birds away from their spots in the trees.

Jumping back, Ace scrambles for his gun as his assailant takes aim again. Adrenaline rushes through his veins as Ace’s finger finds the trigger but it was a split second too late. Another gunshot is fired and Ace lands awkwardly, holding in his grunt as the bullet lodges into his knee. He grunts, pain searing through his body like fire.

His attacker mutters something into his jacket collar, possibly reporting back to his own men or calling for backup for whatever reason. Not to be beaten again, Ace points the muzzle of his gun towards his enemy. His finger barely squeezes the trigger before the armed enemy before him gets his head blown open.

Ace watches with wide eyes as the body descends with the red mist still hanging in the air, flopping sideways and sinking into the snow. He wasn’t the one with the smoking gun. Ace whips his head towards the side where the bullet could have some from.

There in the distant horizon where the top of the snowy hill was beginning to be bathed in golden sunset light, the glint of a sniper’s scope. It was small, almost unnoticeable if not a little annoying now that Ace noticed it, the sight almost familiar. He didn’t even know he would be getting sniper support, seeing that King had sent him on a solo mission.

The sounds of several men rapidly approaching his location brought Ace out of his trance. He stumbles to his feet, hissing at the sharp pain in his knee. The bastard could literally have shot him elsewhere. Ace doesn’t waste another second, limping towards the pickup point. Just when things were starting to look up.

Ace disappears back between the trees, weaving between the trees and crouching into bushes, careful not to leave a trail of red in his wake as he hobbles along. He watches as the earlier patrol passes his hiding spot, hand on his gun in case their mutt manages to sniff him out.

With bated breath, Ace stalks the enemies as they disappear from sight and from there makes a dash for the LZ. He turns back a final time just in time to watch the glint disappear from its spot just as the sound of a chopper overhead is heard.

“God,” Ace thinks to himself as he clambers into the helo, wincing as he assesses his injury. "I need a bloody break.”

Quicksaving...

#House of Cards AU #Act 2 Part 4 #cod oc #call of duty oc #oc: LT Ace #mailman rants #fanfic #fanfiction #Task Force Cards

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acshvacpro · 2 years ago

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Mini Split Air Conditioner Working And Its Functionality:

A mini split air conditioner, also called a ductless air conditioner, is a type of air conditioning system that does not require ductwork to distribute cool air throughout a building. Instead, it consists of an outdoor compressor and an indoor air handling unit connected by a refrigerant tubing conduit, drain line, and power cable.

The indoor air handling unit contains a fan, evaporator coil, and air filter. When the air conditioner turns on, the outdoor compressor pumps refrigerant through the tubing and into the indoor unit. The refrigerant absorbs heat from the warm indoor air as it passes over the evaporator coil, cooling the air. The indoor unit's fan circulates the cool air back into the room.

A mini split air conditioner functionality allows it to provide efficient and effective cooling without the ductwork. Because the air does not distribute through ducts, there is less energy loss, resulting in lower energy bills. Additionally, mini-split systems are easy to install and can use in various settings, including single rooms or entire buildings.

Some additional features and benefits of mini split air conditioners include:

Zoned cooling: Mini split systems can be installed in multiple rooms with separate temperature controls, allowing for zoned cooling and increased comfort.

Quiet operation: A mini-split system's indoor air handling unit is typically soft, providing a comfortable and peaceful environment.

Heating capability: Many mini split systems also have heating capabilities, providing year-round comfort.

Easy maintenance: Mini-split systems have washable air filters that can easily clean, and the absence of ductwork means less dust and debris buildup.

Overall, mini split air conditioners are a popular choice for their energy efficiency, ease of installation, and versatile functionality.

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