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skylarmoon71 · 10 months ago

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Luther Wainwright (The Mentalist/Arrow)- Extra

“Agent Queen, it’s good to see you.”

Lisbon’s greeting makes you smile.

“You too, I’m glad you’re still kicking. With Jane as a partner I assume that you guys are basically running for your lives every other day.”

“Hah, you’re hilarious.” He calls from his spot on the couch. You just look over with a grin.

“So are you here to help with the Tanner case?” Vanpelt asks.

“Yeah, Wainwright sent me the file. The FBI has been keeping tabs on him after he killed that gang member. We didn’t think he’d come back to California. I can’t say I feel sorry for some of the people he has taken down but we can’t have a citizen running around the country dropping bodies. They sent me over to help. Partly because I’m good at my job and partly because Jane pissed off Keller so he’s gonna be taking a break from the CBI for the next couple decades.”

Lisbon sighs.

“We appreciate the help.”

“Always down for an exciting case. I’ll go check in with Wainwright.”

“Alright.”

You wave as you walk out the bullpen.

It’s been a little over a month since your last case with the team. You have to admit that it’s never dull with this bunch. By the time you make it to Wainwright’s office you knock. He calls for you to enter and you do.

“Agent Queen, glad you could make it.”

You nod, walking to his desk.

“I did a brief analysis of what you guys have on the plane ride here. Have there been any more leads? Apart from his brother I see no reason for him to come back to California. As of right now his brother is in the wind, so what other angle do you think he’s working?”

Wainwright opens the file as he stands, moving around the desk as he hands it to you.

“From what we gather he’s going down a certain pattern. He’s targeting gangs by the level of violence. The Playboys were into trafficking. Wayman’s crew were recruiting kids and dealing in high schools. According to this he’ll be after this laundromat next. It’s a front for another gang that has recently started operating.” He points to the small map and you nod.

“Damn, this guy is efficient, I’ll give him that. Last week we stopped a major arms deal because of his little raid. I’d thank the guy for his help if he wasn’t just popping people.”

Wainwright nods in agreement.

“As noble as he thinks it is, citizens taking the law into their hands is dangerous. We need to stop him.”

Closing the file, you turn to him.

“Just tell me where you need me and I’m there.”

A smile makes its way on his face and the shift in his posture has you blushing just a bit.

“I admire how passionate you are, Agent, I would love to have someone with your skills in my department.”

You stammer.

“I-I’m sure that y-you already have a lot of qualified workers here.”

He’s still wearing that flirtatious smile. You’ve been talking with Wainwright back and forth for the last few weeks. Mostly over the phone. Given your workload and his, it’s hard to have regular visits. That’s why he’s always welcomed the interagency collaboration.

“Are you sure there is nothing I can do to convince you?”

He takes a step closer and you’re a little too distracted to answer the question.

The knock at his door interrupts and he shifts his gaze.

“Who is it?”

“Your favorite employee~” Jane calls. Wainwright just rolls his eyes.

“Come in.”

The door opens and he perks up the minute he sees you both.

“Oh, I hope I wasn’t interrupting anything.”

“What do you want Jane?”

“We just spotted Tanner, Lisbon wanted to know if you were interested in taking a little field trip.”

“Yes, I’d like to join. We’ll be out shortly.”

“Well don’t take too long you love birds.” Jane sends another smile as he leaves. Wainwright just grumbles and you smile.

“We should probably get going.”

Wainwright nods, gesturing for you to lead the way.

You all gather in the bullpen. You only slow your steps when you catch sight of a certain brunette.

“Barry?”

He turns and you’re smiling. You practically jump into his arms. He laughs, hugging you happily. Wainwright doesn’t miss the interaction, neither does the rest of the team.

“You two know each other?” Lisbon asks.

“Yeah, we’re good friends. What are you doing all the way in California Barry?”

“I was in the neighborhood shopping for Iris and then Joe told me about the case. The CBI contacted CCPD this morning. Since I was already in the area I told him I’d pop in and provide any help that I could with the forensics.”

You can’t believe it, this case is getting better by the second.

“This is great, it feels like old times.” You say with a grin. He nods, then finally turns to the expectant gazes. It’s clear that introductions are in order.

“Barry Allen, nice to meet you all.” He introduces.

Wainwright is the one who steps forward.

“Special Agent Luther Wainwright, it’s a pleasure to meet you Mr. Allen. We appreciate any help. This case has become a top priority. The more hands on deck the better.” He shakes Barry’s hand and your smile gets wider.

“Trust me, with Barry’s help this case is practically solved. At CCPD there was never a crime we couldn’t handle. “

You’re speaking literally considering some of the criminals you had to deal with.

Wainwright pulls his hand away.

“That’s great, we should probably get going.”

“Lead the way.” Barry says excitedly.

You giggle, locking elbows with Barry as you both head out. Jane rolls up to Wainwright's side.

“They’re close, I wonder what kind of relationship they have.”

Wainwright brushes it off, walking out. Lisbon just sends Jane an unimpressed look.

“Stop messing with him.”

“But it’s so fun.”

She just walks off.

The drive is spent with notes being exchanged about the criminal you’re about to face. Lisbon had advised Cho, Rigsby and Vanpelt to set up on the back entrance while the rest of you took the front.

“Apparently he’s been held up in this abandoned factory. We’re not sure what kind of weapons he has in there. The place could be booby trapped. We need to proceed with caution.” Lisbon informs. She looks around when she notices a person missing.

“Where did Allen go?”

“Right here, the warehouse is clear. I handcuffed Tanner to the back door.” He’s standing at the side of the car now.

They all stare at him in shock, but you just grin. He really couldn’t help himself. Lisbon reaches for her radio.

“I’m going in, Rigsby, Cho, cover me.”

“Yes boss.”

Drawing her gun, she heads off. You just smack Barry’s arm.

“Show off, we’ve been chasing the guy for weeks and you come in and save the day.”

“Figured the faster we got done the more time we could hang out.” He’s wearing a cheeky smile. Jane is smirking at Wainwright who hasn’t unclenched his jaw since Barry stepped into the car.

The front door of the factory opens and Lisbon comes walking out with a disgruntled criminal.

“We got him.”

Cho and Rigsby are behind her as she heads for the car.

“This was quieter than I expected. Jane usually causes some kind of chaos before we catch the perp. Good job Allen.”

He salutes.

“No problem.”

Wainwright is happy to report to the press that a killer is now off the street. He’s less excited when you all decide to go for lunch. You’re sitting in a booth with Barry. He’s sharing one with Lisbon and Jane. Rigsby, Cho and Vanpelt are at another.

“Iris misses you. We still have a replica of your suit at Star Labs. Just in case you wanted to come back for old times sake.” You appreciate the invitation, but you much rather chase regular criminals for the time being.

“Maybe when I get bored. Don’t forget that you still owe me for that gracious wedding gift.”

“What wedding gift?”

Barry looks confused and you just smirk. A certain memory seems to play over in his head and he blushes.

“T-That was you!”

“Yep, you’re welcome. Just ensuring Nora’s future is all.” His face gets a shade darker and you laugh. Barry would forever be a shy adorable little dork.

~Meanwhile at Jane’s Table~

“They look pretty chummy, and he’s blushing. I wonder what they’re talking about.” Jane says.

Wainwright just ignores him, but he keeps glancing in your direction. The way you smile with Barry, he can’t help but feel a little jealous. You haven’t left Barry’s side since he arrived. The fact that he was able to subdue a criminal they’d been tracking for a significant amount of time didn’t help either. The guy looked perfect from every angle.

Charming, attractive, clearly good at his job.

It was infuriating.

“If you keep grinding your teeth they might fall out.” Jane speaks casually.

“Quit it Jane.” Lisbon hits his arm.

They spend the remainder of lunch enjoying a meal. As that comes to an end, everyone starts dividing up into cars. Wainwright assumed you would join them, but you waved them off.

“Barry and I are going to catch up some more. I’ll meet you all back in a few hours.” Lisbon nods, jumping in. Wainwright joins reluctantly, sending you one last look as the van pulls off. Now that it’s just the two of you, your eyes turn to Barry.

“So what’s the real reason you’re here?”

He’s been expecting the question. You both start walking down the street.

“I saw Oliver a few weeks ago.”

You’re not surprised.

“I was in a tough spot and he should up, helped me see things from a different perspective. When I heard Joe talking about the case this morning I asked him to put me on it. I guess I just wanted to check in on you.”

“I’m fine Barry, really. He came to see me too.”

“Really?”

You hadn’t spoken much when he’d died, Barry understood. His death shook everyone.

“He visited me on the anniversary of his death. Thea, Felicity and I went to his grave. He was standing right there by the tombstone. For a second we thought it was a ghost, but then he told us, explained what happened, why he couldn’t stay. It was painful, but every now and then I feel him, he’s never stopped watching over me.”

Barry looks more at ease.

“I’m glad to hear that. I know he’s proud of you. We all are.”

He wraps a hand around your shoulder and you feel happy.

Visits like that are always welcomed. After Barry had filled out the necessary paperwork, he was off to Central City. You’ve decided to swing by Wainwright’s office after you've completed your own. Maybe suggest a date when he’s done with his work. He should be leaving soon.

When you step into the office, you’re a little surprised to see him staring off into space. There’s a few files on his desk, but it’s clear his focus is elsewhere.

“Everything okay?”

Your voice seems to bring him back.

“Yes, everything is fine. Where is Allen?”

“Just left.”

“I see. Well he really assisted in this case.”

“I told you, he’s good.”

You’re wearing that smile again and he feels that tinge in his stomach. Placing the pen down he stands, and you watch as he makes his way over to you. He looks troubled. You’re not sure why. After the bust he should be jumping through hoops. Especially with the positive publicity that came with it.

“I wanted to apologize for my behavior today. I have to admit that I was a bit riled up. You seem very close to Mr. Allen.”

His behavior?

Puzzled, you intend to ask, but when you study his face, it becomes clear.

He’s jealous..of Barry.

It’s a bit laughable that he thinks that there is even anything remotely romantic going on with you and Barry. You decided against laughing, because he must have been carrying this around all day. He just needs a bit of reassurance.

“Yes we are. Barry was really close to my brother. He’s basically family.”

Wainwright seems to understand now.

“I see, I apologize. I just made an assumption.”

You shake your head. You’d been so distracted that you hadn’t even realized that he was jealous.

“It’s alright. Honestly you have nothing to worry about. The only guy I’m crazy about is you.”

The words seem to leave before you can stop them. The minute your brain processes what you’ve said, you blush.

“I-I mean I..um well what I mean is..” You keep rambling and it only stops when Wainwright takes your hand.

“I’m glad.”

You stop your hurried speech altogether with a shy smile.

“Good.”

He suddenly looks a bit playful.

“On second thought I might need a little more convincing.”

His hand lifts and when he cups your cheek, you’re a bit unprepared. He licks his lips and you can feel your heart race.

“May I?”

It’s almost a whisper, and you nod eagerly. He closes the space instantly and your hands are quick to wrap around his neck. His hands settle on your waist, a soft hum leaving his throat as he holds you. You’ve been anticipating this for what feels like forever. Since you laid eyes on him you’ve been enamored. But you were on a case the very first meeting. You lectured yourself to remain professional. The more your paths cross the harder it is to deny that he’s attractive to you in every way.

Now you’re finally here, nothing separating each other but the breaths you need to take in between your desperate kisses.

All you can think is that this partnership is definitely the best thing to happen in your agency.

#the mentalist #luther wainwright #trust #feelings #oliverqueen #barryallen #crossover #arrowverse #family #love #wainwrightxreader #cute #humor #care

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grapefruitspit · 2 years ago

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In broad outline, my central intuition was that AI's whole mentalist foundation is mistaken, and that the organizing metaphors of the field should begin with routine interaction with a familiar world, not problem-solving inside one's mind. In taking this approach, everything starts to change, including all of the field's most basic ideas about representation, action, perception, and learning. When I tried to explain these intuitions to other AI people, though, I quickly discovered that it is useless to speak nontechnical languages to people who are trying to translate these languages into specifications for technical mechanisms. This problem puzzled me for years, and I surely caused much bad will as I tried to force Heideggerian philosophy down the throats of people who did not want to hear it. Their stance was: if your alternative is so good then you will use it to write programs that solve problems better than anybody else's, and then everybody will believe you. Even though I believe that building things is an important way of learning about the world, nonetheless I knew that this stance was wrong, even if I did not understand how. I now believe that it is wrong for several reasons. One reason is simply that AI, like any other field, ought to have a space for critical reflection on its methods and concepts. Critical analysis of others' work, if done responsibly, provides the field with a way to deepen its means of evaluating its research. It also legitimizes moral and ethical discussion and encourages connections with methods and concepts from other fields. Even if the value of critical reflection is proven only in its contribution to improved technical systems, many valuable criticisms will go unpublished if all research papers are required to present new working systems as their final result. Another, more subtle reason pertains to AI's ambiguous location between science and engineering. A scientific theory makes truth-claims about the preexisting universe, and so it is generally considered legitimate to criticize someone else's theory on grounds of methodological weakness, fallacious reasoning, lack of fit with the evidence, or compatibility of the evidence with other theories. Engineering design methods, on the other hand, make claims in the context of practical problems, and so the legitimate criticisms relate solely to issues of utility.

When I first started trying to reform AI, I believed in revolutions. It seemed to me that I could clear the ground completely and start over, working out a whole alternative intellectual system that would replace everything that was there before. The concept of a generative metaphor seemed to hold out particular promise in this direction, given that so much of the underlying substantive problem with AI really can be understood as expressing a single principle, mentalism as opposed to interactionism. It seemed as though one could throw away the old foundation, and everything on top of it, and start over.

-Philip E. Agre, Toward a Critical Technical Practice: Lessons Learned in Trying to Reform AI. 1997.

static online version here

#cyber life #AI #artificial intelligence

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wikipedie · 2 years ago

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jisbon and attachment styles and why the pike storyline actually makes a lot of sense despite us hating it*

(* and also why they couldn’t be together until after Red John was dead despite us preferring they were together earlier)

In this post I will talk about attachment styles, Lisbon and Jane’s traumas and the likely reasons that they developed their attachment styles and how they manifest in their relationships, including their relationship with each other. (+ the reason they’re still quite careful with each other in S7 and struggle to be vulnerable with each other) This will be a bit in depth so I ask you to be cautious while reading - do not hesitate to ask for help or support if you can. There is a risk in here, as I will be talking about their traumas (particularly their childhood abuse and neglect) so if it is a potentially sensitive subject for you, proceed with caution (or not at all, I suppose.)

All my thanks go to @chakramchaser, this would not have been possible without you being both willing to ramble with me and continuing the ideas and connecting some excellent dots. I appreciate you.

[Transcript - Discord chat:

wikipe: okay so teresa is disorganized style while patrick is avoidant most likely. Which makes their dynamic fascinating, now that i think about it. Teresa has moments when she’s anxious, but mostly she tends to avoid.

chakramchaser:

ITS WHY IT TAKES LITERALLY A DECADE

CUZ THEY JUST AVOIDDDD

Also the serial killer in the way blah blah ]

For the purposes of this post, I will only talk about the disorganized and the avoidant attachment styles. (https://www.attachmentproject.com/blog/four-attachment-styles/)

Disorgnized Style

The disorganized type tends to show unstable and ambiguous behaviors in their social bonds.

For adults with this style of attachment, the partner and the relationship themselves are often the source of both desire and fear.

Fearful-avoidant people do want intimacy and closeness, but at the same time, experience troubles trusting and depending on others.

They do not regulate their emotions well and avoid strong emotional attachment, due to their fear of getting hurt.

Avoidant Style:

The dismissing / avoidant type would often perceive themselves as ‘lone wolves’: strong, independent, and self-sufficient; not necessarily in terms of physical contact, but rather on an emotional level.

These people have high self-esteem and a positive view of themselves.

The dismissing / avoidant type tend to believe that they don’t have to be in a relationship to feel complete.

They do not want to depend on others, have others depend on them, or seek support and approval in social bonds.

Adults with this attachment style generally avoid emotional closeness. They also tend to hide or suppress their feelings when faced with a potentially emotion-dense situation.

Do these styles sound like some beloved characters we know?

Teresa Lisbon

(Season 7, episode 7 - The Yellow House)

[Transcript - Teresa Lisbon: Somebody had to be responsible.]

A disorganized / fearful-avoidant attachment style develops when the child’s caregivers – the only source of safety – become a source of fear. In adulthood, people with this attachment style are extremely inconsistent in their behavior and have a hard time trusting others.

"Driven to succeed to the point of developing an ulcer, no tolerance for superiors less sharp than yourself, shutting out girls that wanted to hang out with you, blowing off boys that want to get close. All the while, at every turn, wondering 'what is it I really want?' "

I will pull up her past with the help of the Mentalist wikia, since it is quite coherent and well said:

“Her mother was killed by a drunk driver when she was twelve (Red Badge). In the episode Red Tide, it is implied that she had to take over her mother’s role and care for her family at a young age. In Little Yellow House, Lisbon tells Jane that she had to be the parent to her brothers after the death of her mother. It is implied that her family life was not an easy one even before the death of her mother. Lisbon tells her brother Jimmy that someone in the household had to be responsible because, "You know what Mom and Dad were like." After her mother’s death, her father's drinking either started or worsened and he ended up killing himself. It isn't specified whether he did this accidentally or on purpose. Lisbon said that he “damn near killed me and my brothers too,” leaving both possibilities open. It may have been something like another drunken car accident, or simply neglect. In Red Badge Lisbon mentions that her father used to be violent, as he once beat one of her brothers half to death and didn't remember doing so. Apparently her father suffered blackouts when he drank.“

That is a whole load of “source of fear.” She lost the sense of safety pretty early in life and I argue that she no longer knows what safety feels like. On top of the trauma of losing her parents, there is the trauma of parentification that is implied she’s had to do from a very young age, taking care of her brothers to the best of her abilities.

This style shows up in simple ways: She both craves the intimacy of relationships and rejects it, fears it. Stability feels foreign to her.

She breaks off an engagement with Greg, and she does not seem to have any serious stable relationships during her time at CBI. (“You’re too intense and particular for a man like that.” “Whatever happened to that guy from Narcotics?” “Jeff? He bit his nails.” “That’s particular.”)

She is wistful for a good and loving relationship but she doesn’t know how to keep it, runs away at the opportunity.

Through these lenses, the relationship with Pike makes sense: She is tired of waiting for a man who might never actually love her, she finds a good man in Pike, she longs for the stability and beauty that a relationship with him might provide, while also being terrified of it (and longing for Jane, of course). She is absolutely terrified when Pike asks for her hand in marriage. Of course, you could argue that it is sudden, unexpected, too soon and any woman would panic. But I want to bring up the fact that she doesn’t say “No” immediately, though. She wants to make it work, or to think about it. Or to see if Jane would care. (And I am firmly convinced that she might have said no to the marriage regardless if she left with him to D.C.)

She says “Yes.” But she does it while running away from Jane, who lied to her and manipulated her again and hurt her again. She says Yes to Pike, but doesn’t even listen to what he says afterwards, just looks out at the hotel where she left Jane.

And then, in the end, she leaves Pike too. Pike looks at Jane in Season 7, tells him that he had a life and a family to offer to Teresa, but I think Teresa is just as afraid of them as much as she craves them. She does not know stability, she does not know how to accept to be taken care of or work through the issues of her relationships for most of the show. She also is not sure of what she likes or wants for most of the show. (Even as she seems that she does, burying herself in her work, the only stable thing for her.)

She learns how to do these things slowly in the relationship with Jane. In Season 7 she starts being more vocal about her likes and dislikes, even with minor things (such as randomly saying that she likes s’mores). Opening up also allows her to deepen her connection to her brothers, whom she had avoided as well for most of her life. She shares her struggles, realizes where she was short-sighted and tries to do better about opening up. At the end of Episode 7, she feels comfortable enough to tell Jane that she loves him, too. And at the end, she’s no longer running away. She’s waiting. “What do you need?” “Time.” “Okay, I can give you time.”

Patrick Jane

(Season 7, episode 3 - Orange Blossom Ice Cream)

[Transcript - Erica Flynn: Patrick likes to pretend that he's this lone wolf.]

Parents who are strict and emotionally distant, do not tolerate the expression of feelings, and expect their child to be independent and tough might raise children with an avoidant attachment style. As adults, these children appear confident and self-sufficient. They do not tolerate emotional or physical intimacy and might not be able to build healthy relationships. What’s more, in the workplace, they are often seen as the independent, ‘lone wolf’. It is, however, possible for these individuals to change and develop a secure attachment style.

There is less known about Patrick Jane’s past than about Teresa. Again, the Mentalist wikia says it better than I ever could:

“He had a rough existence with his father, the only adult in his life, whose treatment and use of him was tantamount to child abuse. When Patrick refused to scam a dying girl and her grandmother, his father threatened him and forced him to do it. Jane later said that he never went to high school, presumably due to the nomadic carny life. Alex exploited Patrick for his skills, since he was very young. In Red John's Rules it is implied that Jane spent some time in foster care as a child.

Alex had a wedding ring on his hand, but Jane's mother was not mentioned in any flashbacks, so it is likely that she died or abandoned them.”

Jane’s childhood is one of neglect and abuse, peppered with some happy memories. His father makes it clear that he views taking care of Jane as being Jane’s responsibility, and moreover, that Jane owes it to him because he’s taken care of him up until then. (“I’ve been carrying you for a long time and it’s not getting any easier, son.” - Season 2, Episode 10, Throwing Fire) He either helps his father with his schemes or he is on his own.

Therefore, in adulthood, he is on his own. He struggles to let people in, struggles to accept help and accept partnership. He considers himself the smartest person in the room because he has to be - it’s a way to survive and he has nothing else.

As seen when he loses all memory of his family, the original childhood trauma makes him more callous and uncaring, having no limits and no boundaries (nor caring about others’ boundaries). It’s only him and nobody else.

It is likely that Angela was his moral compass. (as it is implied a few times that she was done with the carny life and the tricks) Even so, chakramchaser made a very valid point: “he still ran from it then - why else would he be running an empire of psychic cons. bro had way more money than he needed he just was addicted to the thrill. i feel like he thrived on the unpredictability.”

Over the course of the show, we see that he begins to trust other people (mainly Lisbon and the main team). However, he still struggles to let them in, either in his life and in his plans. He goes by himself in most of his plans, informing the team of the minimum necessary for them to know in order to execute the plan flawlessly. He makes more of an effort towards the end of the show and especially after he and Lisbon get together, but his first instinct is still to do things by himself. He cares, but he struggles to convey this directly, preferring to buy them gifts (to show that he knows them), to offer compliments, help them or at the worst, con his way (tricking Lisbon into staying for longer instead of telling her that he doesn’t want her to go).

However, we can notice an important shift after Red John dies and especially after he and Lisbon get together. Despite the fact he still struggles to communicate his feelings, he tries. Opening up towards Lisbon allows him to open up more towards others as well. For example, he makes an effort to inform Abbott when he has a plan that could be dubious (and tells him that he won’t be informed of the specifics in order to have deniability).

Healing comes through the good relationships that we form and we can definitely see this with Jane.

Jane and Lisbon - their relationship

After more than a decade of a deep friendship, Jane and Lisbon decided to become a couple after Lisbon got engaged to another man and was about to be out of Jane’s life. The common perspective is that they could not get together until Red John was dead, because Jane was determined to kill him and in turn Red John was obsessed with picking on him.

That is half of the story. The other half is that they are an disorganized/avoidant couple, do not really consider intimacy safe and do not really know how to express it unless it’s in high stakes. (That being the main reason Jane confessed his feelings in a big “rushing-to-the-airport-and-telling-you-the-truth-as-you-leave” moment.) As an example, I will show the moment from S4 that everyone and their mother is familiar with. I will transcribe underneath the pictures and then I will write my perspective in regards to what they think and feel.

(Season 4, episode 24 - The Crimson Hat)

[Transcript:

Lisbon, not looking Jane in the eyes: So, that thing you said before you shot me.

Lisbon, looking down: What did you mean?

[Jane looks contemplative for a few seconds, before saying]

Jane, with a slight smile: What did I say?

Jane, no smile: I was kind of hyped up.

Lisbon, looking at him now and sounding relieved: Me too. I thought at any moment we were gonna get found out.]

My perspective is as follows: Lisbon has a disorganized attachment style (or should I say…Messy?).

(Season 1, Episode 14 - Crimson Casanova)

[Transcript - Patrick Jane: Messy women make good lovers.]

This means she desires both closeness and distance. She asks Jane what he meant by telling her “Take care, Teresa. Love you.”, but she cannot look him in the eye. She does not know if it’s a confession and she does not know if she wants it to be a confession. She is not ready for this.

Jane, who did not expect her to call him out on this, takes a while to figure out how to respond to this. He is definitely not ready for this kind of intimacy. Whether the confession was a slip or not, he did not intend to talk about this afterwards. Therefore, he decides to go with “I don’t remember what I said.” I think the presence of the smile and the serious face afterwards is indicative enough. He knows she will not say the words out loud.

And she doesn’t. Moreover, she seems just as relieved for this excuse, since she decides to look at him in the eyes now.

In the fanfiction that I’ve read, a lot of people interpret Lisbon as being slightly annoyed or even downright upset about Jane pretending to not remember telling her “I love you”, but I don’t think she was. I think the perspective was both enticing and scary for her (another example pinpointing this is Pike asking for her hand in marriage).

Now, how does this change when they are in a relationship? They start to communicate more and express their likes and desires more, as well as listen to each other. (“You wore a vest. I like it.”) Their early traumas still haven’t disappeared, but they work through them together: they still have a tendency to brush off their emotions and say “It’s nothing, I’m fine”, Jane runs away for a bit when he is trying to figure out how to deal with the idea of Lisbon dying, and Lisbon remains to be responsible and deal with their feelings. But - they talk. Jane confesses to being terrified of losing her, Lisbon remains clear that she loves both Jane and the job. What seems initially as running away turns out to be running towards. It is true that he could’ve told her before, but it’s likely that he didn’t know what was going on either until he found the house. Jane was trying to find a way to deal with his intrusive terror. And yea, my guy would’ve benefitted from some therapy, but a new hobby (such as renovating a house) is the next best thing really. He comes back to her.

In conclusion, I think a lot of their decisions and instincts and fears can be explained by their attachment styles. The way their relationship evolves is absolutely fascinating. Honestly I find it really beautiful that two terrified people used to running away decide to stay for each other and come back to each other and do better to each other and for each other. Their final perp catch is done as a team.

(season 7, episode 13 - White Orchids)

References:

https://www.attachmentproject.com/blog/four-attachment-styles/

https://www.attachmentproject.com/blog/disorganized-attachment/

https://www.attachmentproject.com/blog/avoidant-attachment-style/

https://thementalist.fandom.com/wiki/Teresa_Lisbon

https://thementalist.fandom.com/wiki/Patrick_Jane

#the mentalist #the mentalist meta #the mentalist analysis #jisbon #essays #mine #patrick jane #teresa lisbon #attachment styles #disorganized attachment #avoidant attachment #trauma #the mentalist ramblings #as ALWAYS i would love your thoughts!! this took several days to write #and some more to have someone double check it for consistency #chakramchaser #i am QUITE sure you also said the line about them running towards each other; or jane running to find a solution i think that was EXCELLENT #hope you don't mind that i added it there #I edited some things because it irked me how I arranged them initially - plus I missed some transcriptions sorry!

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enbyjane · 2 years ago

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I just want to talk about Grace.

Found this thing I said a while ago to a friend within the fandom, and I've been thinking about Grace for a while in these past few days

I feel like Grace got the short stick in terms of characterization, out of everyone from the show.

Regardless of how much everyone agrees that Grace is such a badass and awesome character, very kind and considerate and ambitious and so many more traits...She does not have a lot of depth as a character.

I'm sorry to all Grace's fans, I know it sounds pretty harsh. But at least that's my impression.

I don't even really know how to elaborate. But I'll try.

I don't mean that Grace is shallow or empty. She really has such fantastic lines, particularly within the first seasons. I mean that Grace is never really allowed to step past the "romance girl" role in the show.

I think it is a known thing within the fandom that Heller hasn't intended to make Jane and Lisbon a couple from the beginning. But he knew that romance drama sells. And it's quite clear from episode 1 that Grace and Wayne are planned to be a couple.

That's their role, to provide romance drama.

The thing is, Wayne also provides the comedic effect, usually paired with Cho, but by himself as well. (I'm not gonna say he's the clown because that's rude but you know what I mean)

Grace however? Has no further role. And it becomes further obvious when she and Rigsby break up. Her reason for breaking up is that she does value her job more than Rigsby (at least at that point) and she doesn't want him to end up resenting her for making him move away. She is also very adamant to join in on field missions and interrogating suspects and whatnot. You could glean from this that she is ambitious and cares about her career, right? Right.

Well, this never goes anywhere. Soon enough she meets some other guy whom she dates briefly (and who tries to murder Jane, but that's nothing new) and there's more Rigsby pining and Rigspelt drama. And then she meets Craig, with whom she has a serious relationship and almost marries (and who again is a homicidal guy helping a maniac. I think they made her only date homicidal maniacs just to show Rigsby in a fantastic light compared to them). The only time we actually see her do something for her career - which she shows that she cares about - is when she goes to that Hacking Program School Thingy or whatever it was and she returns with? *Drumrolls* A boyfriend!! (Who really is just a foil for more Rigsby pining I can't even remember his name)

Sure she is a great hacker and she is good with computers but this is never really explored.

And talking about things being explored...

Look at this!! "Deep trauma in your past that you haven't spoken of to anyone, not even yourself..." And well she continues not speaking of to anyone, not even herself!! This is never mentioned again!

Sure, sure, you can imply that it's the possible suicide of someone in the family that is the deep trauma. But the truth is that we don't know. We simply don't know.

The only things we see her truly grapple with is the PTSD from Craig's betrayal. And that's not a bad thing, nor a bad story, except that it doesn't really get anywhere in the end. It affects her on the moment. We don't really see which conclusions she's made from that situation. Although, perhaps, we can deduce that she is less trusting of people than she used to be.

The saddest thing is that we did have something that the writers could've used. They never did. They never really went anywhere with Vizualize either - there was a short moment when you were wondering if Grace was going to fall in the Vizualize trap, but, like most of her history, that was cut before it was really started. (I'm not saying that I wanted her to fall into the cult necessarily, but it would have been interesting to be explored more in depth)

I don't really have a conclusion here. Just that she deserved better. We never really see the conclusion of her PTSD with Craig either, apart from asking Jane what to do with her necklace. (and then keeping it, if I remember right). I would've liked to see her more mistrustful, or more conversations about that, or at least go to therapy to deal with that, if they wanted to get rid of the plotline. (though again, she's a wonderful character that deserved more)

#i'll end it here - i could probably say more but i'm running around in circles #anyways #grace van pelt deserved better #grace van pelt #the mentalist #the mentalist meta #my meta posts #the mentalist analysis

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kajaono · 2 years ago

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Remeber when I said the Red John smiley being painted in the sky was the best reveal of the Smiley ever?

I was lying. This one is the best reveal ever:

#red john #the mentalist #the mentalist season 5 #the mentalist 5x13 #I wanted to add some more analysis but this picture is already haunting on its own

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seherie · 3 years ago

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Seher do you have any kind of content recs? I'm really bored nowadays so...

OOOH MY TIME TO SHINE HAS COME

#content matlab i can give you so many different options #films i would recommend absurdist films like tag and wild night and ofc ghibli films if you want animation #similarly if you want to get into movie series then mentalist is pretty bingeable #also kdramas like hotel del luna and the devil judge are just cinematic masterpieces #mr sunshine too #books I'd recommend the jasmine throne series and for a novella you can try convenience store woman or conversely house of hollow #also indian tv shows i watched guilty minds and that was just amazing and even that new madhuri dixit show about a missing heroine??#chef's kiss #i dont watch animes but my friends tell me attack of titans is pretty good #graphic novels id recommend persepolis if you want something serious #AND PURPLE HYACINTH IS JUST BRILLIANT (a webtoon)#also music i really vibe with claire rosinkranz and ruel but lately ive been listening to grent perez and the marinas #i dont really listen to podcasts so i only know one which is ologies with alie ward #i think ive covered most of my tracks here but you could always get into yt channels as well #i personally enjoy video analysis so cj the x and yhara zayd are my go to and holy grail #just text me what you're looking for specifically and ill tailor my recs #dhira my fave 📼

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gorgeoussimplehousecat · 7 years ago

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what was lisbon going to tell patrick in the s5 finale?

#she said #i can't work like this #or something #the mentalist #theories #mine #q's #my shows #analysis #teresa lisbon

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footprints-and-tea-stains · 3 years ago

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A New Deductionist Paradigm

Sherlock Holmes and his successors are contentious points of discussion among fans seeking more than fiction. Mysteries provide thought provoking entertainment and a feeling of reassurance for nearly all who consume the genre; however, for a few it is not enough to simply consume the media presented. This uncontent viewer needs to become the superhero (or fabled detective). Unlike other kinds of fiction — as if to put gasoline on the proverbial fire — these superpowers seem tangible. Holmes may be fictional but surely his prowess can be learned. Whether it’s due to the “follow along format” of mystery or a personality trait of the viewer, there exists a cult following restlessly honing their craft of logic and deduction.

Many of these fans — which we will call “Deductionists’” — have taught themselves formal logic from a pastiche of well documented media analysis, criminology and forensic information available online, mentalist television performers, and an ever growing pool of arbitrary facts called a knowledge base. The unfortunate side effect of this inevitable approach is the deductionist gathers and processes new information through the lens of a writer, therefore producing something adjacent to fiction. On top of this complexity — which is an equally long and chaotic experience for most new deductionists — disagreements within the community creates divisions along the axis of “stage performances” versus “real deduction” separating further into Mentalists and Holmesians; which in all honesty is not always a helpful distinction. This can be uniquely difficult to sort through as a new member of the community.

However, the purpose of this blog is not to document the complexities of self driven education; it is to demystify and simplify the entire process. Deductionists' of the internet age memorize situations and series of circumstances as if drilling events in a martial art. Unfortunately they do not understand the core principles of the art they drill for, therefore learning entire swaths of information that may have been avoided altogether. The deductionist asks themselves "What does the discoloration of the fingernail mean?" but do not ask the more important and topical question "What is deduction?".

I present a new deductionist paradigm. A full knowledge base on deduction organized into one map without the situational complexities. This blog is a re-packaging of all the information I have taught myself over the past years. I will post everything I know about Holmesian deduction in the form of written lectures as if you were attending a university. After each lecture I will answer topical in a singular post. There are a few more overview posts I need to get out of the way (which I highly suggest you do not skip) and then we will go directly into the meat of deduction, beginning with formal logic.

-CM

#Sherlock #sherlock holmes #deduction #deductionist #deductive reasoning #mentalism

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notasapleasure · 2 years ago

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The Sarah Jane Adventures, S01E05-06: The Warriors of Kudlak (2007)

Uhhh warning I got super carried away screencapping this. It would be worthy of giffing if I had the capability, there’s a lot of campy gurning.

---

This is some....CBBC Doctor Who spin-off?

The 'Mistress' in a laser-quest style game is getting some alien bug guy to abduct children for her. Sjsjssjjddkffff OH my god, Mark Grantham owns the premises and is......seeking out kids on the street to come and play Mr Kudlak's game.

HEY KIDS. I'm a huge East End geezer brandishing a pair of pliers, come play my laser quest game!

Blimey he's had more to say in the first few minutes than he had in like. All seven episodes of Doctors? Mr Kudlak the bug alien guy has already told him to shut up :') Dork.

All the children in this speak like aliens what is going on

Shsjskjsffff.

He needs to find better grade children and stop mocking the mistress! No one is irreplaceable!

Sarah Jane and her weird child friend have made a Cloudbuster that makes it rain jelly beans. Wilhelm Reich would be impressed!

Making creepy sounds of appreciation about the 'mummy's boy' doing well! And apparently Mr Kudlak smells bad when he's happy, hence the chewing gum addiction?

Unfazed by the Star Wars reference, oily greasy awful vibes, but god we're all having such fun here :')

"Mr Grantham and his partner Mr Kudlak" THIS IS PUNISHMENT FOR ME AND ME ALONE FOR SUGGESTING BRASSO FUCKS ALIENS

"The ultimate warrior of the future is always on guard...for surprise attacks!" *wink* 💀💀💀

He catches Sarah Jane and her young assistant sneaking round his office:

"D'you know why people come to Combat 3000? They come for the GUNS."

Absolute mentalist. Love him and his alien bug boyfriend.

He's impressed that she's seen an alien gun before.

"Children. Adore. Wargames."

"A conscience is like a stone in your shoe. You cannot begin to imagine the relief once you get rid of it."

Unhinged. Fantastic.

Too unhinged to remember to...shoot Sarah Jane when she reaches for her lippy as a 'last request'. Oopsie, that's a sonic screwdriver! His little link to Kudlak is broken...

Part II

Episode preview looked mad I can't wait.

Uhhhh Mr Kudlak is unhappy. Screenshotted this moment entirely by accident:

Oh dear Mr Kudlak has turned rather mean. He thinks killing the useless Mr Grantham would do honour to both their species :')

Luckily for Mr Grantham, Mistress cares more about getting more children, and he seems to think he has a solution to their security problems....

It involves going to Sarah Jane’s house with his gun to kill her? Sarah Jane is happy for the opportunity to study new forms of human low-life - and he's into that.

"You are a cool old bird, I'll give you that."

Apparently trafficking children to warzones is what makes the galaxy go round :') who hurt you, Mr Grantham?

Outwitted by a child! How fitting.

Sarah Jane saying how Mr Grantham's going to help them: *brandishes cable ties with glee*

Uhhhhh why did they strip his jacket off, untuck his shirt and muss up his hair again?

Why does he enjoy the experience of being cable-cuffed and held at gunpoint so much?

"So you're going to tell the police that I helped some butt-ugly alien send kids to war in a galaxy far, far away?" He finds this very amusing.

"I don't think a man like you will fare too well in prison." Sarah Jane what's THAT meant to mean???!! This is a kids’ show??

Apparently that was enough to change his mind.

I wish you could all here the gleeful chuckle he makes when he promises to get Sarah Jane and her assistant up to the alien ship - "Why wouldn't I? You're never going to come back?"

The amount of fun this man is having should be illegal my god :')

Final analysis: "Worse than Kudlak" "He'll get what's coming to him. Eventually."

And we'll never know what that is! I had been hoping Kudlak was going to beam him up and recruit him into getting back all the child soldiers he’d already sent away, but I guess that’s another one for the fanfic I am not going to write.

Rating:

Dead? Probably not?

Evil? SO EVIL. Child trafficking. To a warzone. Fun FUNSIES.

Affects the plot? Well yeah, he’s abducting all those children!

Solid 4/5 again. I might have upped it if he’d had an epilogue. Awful man. Delightful. Keep doing those silly things with your face. Why are you so tall and such a pathetic meow meow all at once?

#adventures in joplin sibtain's imdb page #joplin sibtain #the sarah jane adventures

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scripted-downfall · 2 years ago

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Favorite books/t.v. shows/movies about zombies? 👀

Oh, a fun question! Also probably gonna be a bit of a long answer, but I feel like that's probably expected by now, so here goes :)

Definitely a The Walking Dead fan. I certainly don't pretend it's the highest-brow art ever, but I enjoy it nonetheless. I only started watching it last year or so, after most of the craze had died down, but I watched what was available pretty quickly once I got started.

I first came to know of Resident Evil through the films --- largely because that's what my family knew, and they hadn't played the video games --- so I liked them. (I know that's a bit contentious because they're nothing like the games, but I still haven't found the games affordably, so the films are my only point of reference. I'll play the games when I can, though, and my opinion might change.) The first one and the third one were my favorites, though I have a nostalgic tolerance for the rather-bad second one; Oded Fehr is just awesome, and he's only in numbers 2 and 3, so I take what I can get.

On a more humorous note: Zombieland (and the sequel, though I've seen the latter only once and the former many more times) is a personal favorite of mine. I don't know if the Evil Dead films/television shows count as "zombies", but a Google search includes them as such, so I guess I'll mention them; I have a fondness for Bruce Campbell, and I was surprised that the remake was as good as it was. (Same, btw, with the Cabin in the Woods: idk if it counts as a zombie film, but I love it to bits, so I'm mentioning it.) Dawn of the Dead/Land of the Dead are more films for which I liked the originals and the remakes. (The more modern Land of the Dead wasn't sublime, but a) I have a fondness for even bad horror movies and b) I liked Simon Baker in The Mentalist, and his LotD character was cool.)

If Heavy Metal counts as a zombie film --- there are zombies... ish --- then that's on the list. 28 Days Later is high on the list (and the sequel, though I remember it less well). If Slither counts, it's high, too. Shaun of the Dead is a more humorous example to be added. I Am Legend is one that I liked when I watched it but haven't seen recently enough to confirm one way or the other.

I haven't really read many zombie books, so I don't have any answers there; I think I read World War Z once, but I don't remember being too fond of it (in book or movie form). Then again, I was far younger when I both watched and read it, so my opinions may have changed/could have initially been swayed by the fact that I had still been watching it with my parents/siblings and they all hated it.

Side note: I've yet to find very much by way of fandom spaces for these media that fit my usual analysis-and-characterization-heavy style of participating --- especially true anent tWD stuff --- so I have many thoughts and nowhere to discuss them... Asks definitely welcome on this topic! (I say this knowing full-well that asks are pretty much always welcome, and it means close to nothing to say... but it bears mentioning anyway, I suppose.)

Thank you for the ask, and I hope the answer was decent! (I appreciate the emoji; it's my first, and it made me smile, so... Thank you :) ) I hope you're well!

#answered asks #scripted downfall asks answered

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writings-of-a-hufflepuff · 4 years ago

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The Portrait of Love

Fandom: The Mentalist

Pairing: Marcus Pike x Reader (Reader wears a dress, but other than that no gender sign posts)

Writer: @writings-of-a-hufflepuff aka @hufflepuffing-all-day-long

Rating: G

Warnings: N/A

Requested by @iamburdened: ‘Heart eyes when the other talks, sings, dances, argues, does literally anything especially things which others make fun of them for or find annoying’ with Pike because this baby boy deserves just the absolute best!! Cont.

Summary: When Marcus takes to you a work gala for the first time, he just expects a nice night chatting with colleagues and being proud to have his partner on his arm. He’s in truth a little bit worried that you’ll get bored hearing him talk about the latest art recoveries, truthfully, there’s nothing you enjoy more than listening to Marcus talk passionately about something.

Notes: Spent about 15 minutes just deciding which painting he should talk about in depth because research is important to me. Every time I write Marcus I just get this deep longing to curl up with him and express my love.

Archiveofourown

“Hey, honey, you ready to go?” He’s straightening his tie in your hallway mirror. Marcus had been predictably early to pick you up for this FBI Gala, but he didn’t mind waiting for you to finish getting ready. It gave him time to straighten out his tie, brush off his suit jacket, and check that his beard wasn’t getting a little too wild now that he’d decided it was staying for the foreseeable future.

The two of you hadn’t been dating long, four months at this point, and he’d never taken you to any of his work parties or events before. But, after a little bit of a pep talk consisting of talking to himself in his bathroom mirror one morning he’d decided to take that leap and invite you further into his life. Even if the possibility of getting hurt again gripped his heart with fear.

The gala was just the usual sort, schmoozing with officials and encouraging interdepartmental cooperation. There’d be alcohol, finger foods, some music, but mostly talking. He didn’t mind them, they usually meant he got to have a chat with friends in other departments and it helped to meet new people who might be helpful on a future case. He wasn’t sure, however, if you’d enjoy yourself at all. You weren’t a big party person, preferring to stay in with him and cuddle on the sofa while watching a movie and eating take-away food, and you didn’t know many people there. Conversation would be work based and he’s not sure how riveting talking about stolen art really is in truth. But, you’d agreed and he was at least proud to know you’d be hanging off his arm tonight. He usually went to these things alone and his team were starting to tease him about this mysterious partner of his that he never brought along, not that he was trying to hide you. He just...he just didn’t want to rush things, that had been his failing in the past.

“Yeah, sorry for making you wait,” You’re fastening the clasp of your necklace as you walk down the hall from your bedroom. When you’re greeted by silence after grabbing your bag off the sofa, you flick your eyes to Marcus.

He’s standing stock still in the hallway, hand still gripping his tie, mouth slightly agape as his lower jaw drops just a fraction of an inch. He’s handsome, always is, but there’s something about a well cut suit and crisp white shirt that looks especially good on his broad shouldered frame. He’s even trimmed his beard, just enough to neaten it up, determined to keep it’s length after you commented on how handsome he was with it one too many times.

“Marcus? Are you okay, baby?”

“Yeah...yeah, I’m...I’m fine. You just..” He takes a deep breath, stilling himself. C’mon, Marcus, this is your partner for God’s sake. “You look beautiful, wow, really, really good...wow, sweetheart.” He wants to kick himself for how inelegant that was, of all the things he could say and he’s stumbling over how radiant you look, practically effervescent, some sort of ethereal being that he’s lucky enough to call his.

The dress really does look beautiful on you, following the curvature of your body, the soft lines that he’s hugged close more often than not. He’s half tempted to just forgo the gala, grab your hand and tug you back to your bedroom where he can get lost in the shape of you. But, you’ve put so much effort into getting ready and there’s an excitement in your eyes that makes him think you might actually want to go to this thing. He’d never take that opportunity away from you.

You laugh at him, but it doesn’t feel mean or mocking, just the sweet humoured expression of enjoyment at his words. A wide smile, the one he loves the most, twisting at the corners of your lips and crinkling the skin by your eyes. God, he loves you. He’s not ready to say it and he’s sure you’re not ready to hear it. But, he knows he loves you and this time, this time he hopes that it’ll work out.

“Thank you, baby...you look very dashing. The picture of a handsome gentleman.” You walk up to him, hands smoothing out the lapels of his jacket, gentle touches over his shoulders, before easing his hands away from his tie and holding them in your own. The kiss you place on his lips is soft and chaste, but he can feel that warmth in the pit of his stomach, the longing for you that burns brighter whenever you’re around.

He’s sure there’s a hint of redness to his cheeks, he always burns brighter in the face around you too. You have a way of flustering him like he’s 17 years old again and not a fully grown adult with a house, a car and a proper and responsible job.

“C’mon, if we don’t go now we’ll be late and didn’t you say you wanted to talk to Andrews about that case you just finished up?”

“Yeah, yeah I did.” It’s the fact that you remembered something so minute, something so miniscule that has him smiling wider at you and holding your hand as he walks you to his car. Like always he opens the door for you and helps you get in, adjusting the bottom of your dress so that it doesn’t get trapped in the door, before even thinking about getting into the car himself. He’s a gentleman and it’s the thoughtless, unthinking nature of it that makes your heart jump the most. He doesn’t do it to impress you, he doesn’t even realise he’s doing it, he just...does.

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

The gala is enjoyable, it’s not some massively energetic affair but you like that, like that it doesn’t feel too overwhelming, that you can wrap your arm through Marcus’ and not fear losing him in the crowd. That you can chat with his colleagues, get to know the team mates who tease him about you saying ‘Oh, so this is your mystery partner!’, and enjoy the soft instrumental music that plays in the background.

Marcus practically preens every time someone compliments you on your outfit, there’s no jealousy, just pride and it amuses you to see him puff his chest out and stand a little straighter before looking over at you like you’ve got the world in the palm of your hands. You hope he sees you react in much the same way when someone compliments the cut of his suit or the trimmed beard. He’s a handsome man, a kind man, a good man, and everything about him makes you proud to say he’s yours even if you’re only four months into your relationship.

You’re just nibbling on some small pastries of some kind when a booming voice calls over the other people, many of whom turn to look before rolling their eyes as if they should have expected it.

“Pike! How’re you doing?” The man in question is older than Marcus by quite a few years, coiled grey hair and a warm smile on his face as he grabs Marcus’ free hand in a friendly shake.

“Hey, Andrews, not too bad, yourself?” It’s clear from the smile on Marcus’ face that he likes this man, but having heard him talk about Andrews in passing you knew the two were something of work buddies despite being in completely different departments.

“Oh, well given the amount of complimentary booze I’ve been throwing back, pretty good!”

“Andrews, this is my partner, Y/N.”

“Y/N, this is David Andrews he works in the Behaviour Analysis Unit.” Marcus introduces you to him, with an arm around your waist pulling you tight against him. The smile that beams down at you is nothing if not bright and proud to introduce you to his friend and you can’t help but smile back with similar ardor.

“Should I be worried that you’ll psychoanalyse me?”

“I’m a gentleman, Y/N, I’d never profile and tell.” It’s said with a wink, but that sort that’s more humour than flirtation. It puts you at ease and makes him seem more approachable. Unlike, some of the people you’d met tonight who were a bit stiffer in personality and harder to relax around.

“So Marcus, about that last case you mentioned? A Klimt?” You know Marcus has been dying to talk about the case too, always on the verge of bringing it up before telling you that he’s sure you don’t want to hear about it. He always ends up stopping himself and every time something distracts you from forcing the issue because there is nothing boring about Marcus’ work or anything he’s passionate about.

“You really want to know?”

“You know you’re the only one who’ll talk to me about art! Even my wife gets bored of hearing me talk about art and behaviour analysts are more interested in serial killers and their mummy issues!” David Andrews is a warm man and you settle yourself comfortably against Marcus’ side knowing he’s about to finally talk about his most recent case of art theft. You’re not an expert on art, not in the slightest and you’d never call it your calling in life or your major passion, but anything that gets Marcus to talk passionately is something you are enthralled by.

“The Portrait of Adele Bloche-Bauer I, this rich guy bought it a couple years back for $135 million dollars. Big money, big painting, and pretty interesting history too. You know it was stolen by the Nazis during World War Two? Adele had asked her husband in her will to donate the Klimt paintings to the Austrian State Gallery when he died. When the Nazis took over Austria, he had to flee to Switzerland and leave them behind. The Nazis confiscated them and it in 1941.”

You’re sure there are proverbial hearts in your eyes as you watch him, neck craning. His free hand moves as he talks, gesturing with each word and there’s a sparkle in his brown eyes when he talks about art, any art. Even art that he hates he talks about so passionately that you can’t help but enjoy anything he says. You lean your cheek on his shoulder as he talks and you’re sure it’s obvious in that moment how deeply in love you already are, even this early into your relationship.

“Now, this is a painting that’s over 100 years old, early 20th century, commissioned by a Jewish Banker, owned by a Jewish Banker and stolen by Nazis. The granddaughter won a legal suit to get the painting back and then sold it the exact same year.”

David’s listening to Marcus, he really is, but he’s also watching you. If there was ever a time when the expression ‘like sun shines out of his ass’ applied then it was now. You were so clearly in love with Marcus, the soft crinkle of your eyes as you listened to him, the way you wrapped both arms around his waist, the attentive way you listened. You weren’t fawning over him to distract him, you were fawning over him because you enjoyed listening to him. It made the older man smile, Marcus had had it rough and it was clear he was finally on to a winner in the relationship department. He briefly considers starting a betting pool on when Marcus will propose or if you’ll beat him to the punch. Now that would be a surprise.

“So this guy is sitting on this painting, he’s got it up in a gallery and it’s a Klimt, so you can imagine...It’s one of his last ‘golden phase’ paintings so all that gold has people flock to it and it’s a pricey painting too! Now we get a call a few months back saying it’s been stolen and it becomes a wild goose chase from there…” He’s too enthused with the art to really think about whether he’s boring you. It had been one of the most beautiful paintings he’d ever managed to recover and had he been dating you officially at the time he probably would have broken a few rules to let you see it.

The night continues much like that. Marcus tells you and those around you about the cases he’s recently done, the paintings and sculptures he and his team had recovered and the history behind them. His knowledge was bolstered by an Art History degree and personal interest and research. While he does this you spend your time listening, genuinely interested in all the knowledge he displays, curled as close to him as you can be at a formal party, and staring at him like he hung the moon and stars in the sky.

It’s not hard to stare at him like that. In the few months you’d been dating he had proven to be a wonderful boyfriend, the perfect partner. While he had expressed a desire to move slowly because of past failed relationships and clearly had reservations about how far to go with you, what to say, what to withhold, and what was okay and not, he was nothing but loving. He respected you greatly, something easy to see with every action he took and every word he said. He always made sure you were okay with a course of action, asked your opinion regularly and listened when you had something to say. The few times you’d raised issues in your relationship he’d listened and so had you, the two of you working through the teething problems together to come out the other side better and stronger. He was unfailingly kind and considerate to you, there was never a day he didn’t compliment you or send you a good morning text, in return you always let him know you got home safe from work and told him how wonderful he was. He made sure you were okay when you were feeling sick or under the weather, always popping round after a long day of work to care for you. He never made you feel bad for a single thing you did for him, like the time you brought him flowers, nervous he’d hate them because your past boyfriends had been less receptive to the thought of them. He always held doors open for you and offered to carry your bag if it was heavy. He always made sure to leave you with a smile on your lips and never made you feel silly when you were upset or panicked.

He had proven to be a wonderful person and wonderful boyfriend all on top of being so incredibly handsome that you wondered how you’d lucked out to find a man who was quite literally the whole package. If there was ever a man who screamed ‘I’m husband material, take me home to meet your entire family’, it was Marcus. He was mature, responsible, safe, and comforting. He wasn’t boring either, the whole concept of safe as a boring baffled you. There was nothing better than knowing you could rely on Marcus, that if he said he’d be somewhere he would, if he said he would do something then he would, that if he made a mistake or messed up he’d own it and apologise for it, that you could discuss problems and figure them out together. He made it all seem so easy and simple, he made the effort and the energy you put in worth it because it was appreciated and returned in equal measure. You never had to baby him or mother him, he was an adult who could look after himself.

“Did you have a good time, honey? I know I talked a lot...hope you weren’t bored?” It’s asked as your hands are clasped swinging between the two of you on the walk back to his car, footsteps echoing around the quiet car park.

You lean your head on his shoulder, turning your cheek to press a quick kiss there even though he can’t feel it through the layers of clothing. “I had the best time...I love listening to you talk, baby, I don’t think you could ever bore me.” You want him to believe you, to be confident in that. The hesitation to talk to you about his interests bothers you because you love him and his passions, because you don’t want him to ever doubt your desire to listen.

You pull him to a stop, both hands now holding one of his, forcing him to stop and look at you with raised eyebrows and a bemused smile. “I love listening to you talk about the things you’re passionate about, Marcus. Don’t hide it from me. Please.”

“You...you mean that?”

“Yes, I really mean it!” You say it with a laugh on your lips because how could you not love listening to him talk about the things he loves the most, the things he’s interested in. He had said on multiple occasions how much he loved hearing you talk about your interests, so why was it so hard for him to understand that you felt the same way.

There’s something blinding to him about your smile in that moment, about the realisation that you actually want to listen to him, that you enjoy listening to him, that his love of Art history, something that his past partners have had little to no interest in, is something you want to hear about. From him. It...it stuns him a little bit in the best sort of way and for a minute he thinks maybe this was supposed to happen. Maybe his ex-wife, Teresa, all of it was supposed to happen to bring him to you. Where he was supposed to be.

He kisses you because he can’t bring himself to say he loves you yet. He’s scared if he says it, this magic feeling, this peaceful place you’ve found yourselves in will shatter like a dropped mirror. So, the love he feels for you, he pours into a kiss, arms wrapping tightly around you, a hand cupping the base of your head. You open your mouth to his without a second thought, your hands trailing up over his arms and shoulders before diving into dark brown hair that had been combed neatly for the evening. Kissing him always brings a warmth to your chest, a sort of ache that makes you want to cry happy tears. There is something so safe and welcoming about his embrace, something so warming about the gentle slide of tongue against yours and the press of his nose into your cheek. It’s all consuming, all you can think about is his touch, his smell, his presence, his warmth. The outside world fades away and only Marcus exists.

“Can I take you home, Honey?” A large palm slips down low on your back as you pull away from each other, Marcus’ nose grazing against yours with a cheeky little smile and a familiar twinkle in his eye that means trouble.

“Only if you stay.” The twitch of one eyebrow and lopsided grin tell you you’re on the same page as you rush to his car like naughty children about to get in trouble and not fully grown adults.

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

He’s grabbing some shitty coffee from the little kitchenette on his floor the day after the gala, feeling like his heads too fuzzy after a late night with you and the horrible event that was forcing himself out of a warm bed next to a warm body, when David walks by and spots him.

Marcus is sure he probably looks as grumpy as he feels, he just...he really didn’t want to get out of bed this morning. Not with you there all warm, gentle and soft. Bedhead everywhere and a little, little pool of drool underneath your arm, not that he’d tell you about that. It’s easy to get up at his place when he’s alone, there’s no one drawing him back, no warmth calling to him.

“So, how’s the partner? Still hanging on your every word?” The grin of David’s face spells trouble, the sort of trouble that usually ends with Marcus bright red in the face and feeling less put together than he should be as head of a department in the FBI.

“What are you talking about?” The words confuse him...separately and individually they make sense. He knows David’s talking about you, who he left in your bed at 5am this morning to come into work early for a meeting. He knows he’s referring to something but not quite what, something to do with words and...and...did he miss something? He feels like he’s missed a whole chunk of a conversation. Marcus decides it’s far too early for this, especially after a long meeting that didn’t get anywhere.

“Last night.”

“What about last night?” He’s definitely putting more sugar than is healthy in his coffee this morning, mostly to combat the bitter fatigue and maybe the short sugar buzz would make his brain understand what the hell David Andrews was talking about. Though that seemed less likely by the second, maybe he’d call you later...you might know what he was getting at.

“Y/N, you did notice right?” The look he gives Marcus can only be described as shock turning to hilarity, as if Marcus had missed out on some obvious punchline to a joke. For a minute he wonders if he’s fucked up again...have...do you not like him anymore? Was this David’s way of warning him that he’d seen something in your face last night that spelled the end of his relationship? “Wait, you don’t...kid, you’re not seriously telling me you’re that blind?”

“I have no idea what you’re talking about, David.” He’s getting a little frustrated at this point. Usually not quick to get angry or annoyed, the thought that maybe you’d given some sign that you were ready to end their relationship was making him more irritable than normal. While he’d accept it if that was the case, he’s not sure his heart would survive another knockout in the love ring.

“The heart eyes Y/N was giving you all night? Hanging on every word you had to say about art? Looking at you like you hung the moon? Not leaving your side for more than a few minutes at a time? Y/N’s in love with you, kid.” The grin on David’s face is so wide that all of his shiny white teeth appear blinding. There’s a panic that begins to grip Marcus’ heart, an instinctive reaction to the pace at which everything suddenly feels like it’s happening.

Once upon a time he would have enjoyed the rush, ran head first into it, but after too many failed relationships, rushed seemed scary, fast was too much. It was too soon, you’d been dating four months, you couldn’t possibly love him. Sure, he loved you but...but he always fell in headfirst, too quickly

“No...no...I mean...it’s too soon, right? We’ve only been dating a few months and...and…” He thinks back to Teresa, their quick, fast paced romance, the ultimate end when she left him for another man. About his ex-wife, how they’d rushed into marriage young, how it hadn’t been enough to keep her attention, he hadn’t been enough. Then he thinks of you. Of your smiling face, the softness with which you trace your fingertips over his shoulders when he stays the night, the way you laugh at all his jokes even the bad one’s...how you said you enjoyed hearing him talk about his passions last night.

“Look, just because you’ve been burnt before doesn’t mean you’re going to get burnt now. Pike, I've seen love and that was love in Y/N’s eyes. Not attraction, not like, not a crush, love. Maybe you’ve finally found someone going at your speed? Think about it.”

He does. Think about it, that is. Takes his coffee back to his office and sits there for ages not looking at the files on his desk or the case work he has to get done, just thinking about you. He can’t really stop himself when he picks up the phone and dials your work number, knowing that you’ll answer, assuming something’s wrong most likely.

“Marcus? Are you okay? Is everything alright?” You’re worried and that worry adds to the pounding of his heart, the ache in his chest. You worry about him. You care about him. You barely let the phone ring before picking it up.

“Yeah, yeah I’m okay, honey...I just…” His eyes drift to the paper weight on his desk, the one shaped like Michelangelo’s David, that you’d bought him on a trip to an Art Gallery. It reminded him of you whenever he looked at it. His free hand scratches across his beard as he leans more comfortably back in his chair.

“Did...did something happen? Baby, are you…? You don’t sound okay?” You’re worried. Marcus doesn’t just call you in the middle of a work day, not unless something has happened. Despite his words he seems off, not his usual self and there’s an anxiety that fills your chest at the thought that something isn’t right, something isn’t like it normally is.

“I’m great I just...I wanted to say I love you. I don’t say it enough...or at all.” He bites the bullet, knows it’ll come out at some point because he very rarely has any sense of patience. He knows the moment David said you might love him, he was a goner, he wasn’t going to be able to contain his own feelings. Because he loves you. Loves you so much that it’s hard on a morning when he actually wakes up beside you not to tell you he loves you. It’s hard not to say it when he leaves for work or when he phones during a rough case.

There’s a pause on your end. He can hear your shaky breathing, the quick inhale of breath at his words. He has to close his eyes tight, just for a second, just to swallow down the feeling of nausea in his stomach at the thought that you might be about to tell him to take a hike.

“You...you love me? Really?” It’s said with a happy little laugh in your voice, the sort that comes from awe, shock, an unexpected happiness that fills your chest. You can see some of your colleagues looking at you funny from the corner of your eye, but don’t really care in that moment.

“Yeah, honey, I love you. So much. I just...it’s okay if you don’t want to say it, I...I don’t want to rush you or ruin what we have.”

“Marcus, how could telling me you love me ever ruin what we have? God, baby, I love you too. So much, so so much!”

He can’t help but laugh, it’s the relieved sort of laugh. You can hear the happiness in the breathy chuckle, can feel a few tears coming to your eyes because he loves you and you love him. Nothing could be better than that, then this feeling.

The two of you stay on the phone for longer than you should considering you’re both at work, but in that moment, revelling in the happiness that only comes from sharing a declaration of love and receiving that love returned, you can’t find it within yourself to care.

#marcus pike x reader #marcus pike #the mentalist reader insert #the mentalist readerinsert #the mentalist #readerinsert #reader insert #gender neutral reader

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