#reid is in the story too but he's not a main character so i'm not actually tagging him

[masterwords]

adding it all up

Summary: Hotch follows Reid and Jack into a haunted house. Inside he meets a ghost and stumbles right into some unexpected arms.

Pairing: Hotch/Will

Words: 3.2k

Warnings: nightmares, ptsd, minor injuries, panic attack

Notes: I formally submit to you my entry for @imagining-in-the-margins Meet Cute/Ugly Challenge with the prompt: Character accidentally gets hurt in a spooky attraction and a scare actor breaks character to help. To the surprise of no one at this point, I took some creative liberties with the prompt. There isn't much to the plot, it's pretty simple and we mostly just have an excuse for kissing. As with everything I've written so far about this pairing, we live in a universe where Will is a DC Metro Detective but he is not nor has he ever been with JJ because we don't have time for that kind of backstory in these little one-shots. Thanks for reading yo! Let's show this incredibly rare pairing some love. (And now I return to writing about hotchgan...I can only stray for so long.)

**

“Pleeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeease dad!”

“I’d rather not,” Hotch said, as if it was going to change the mind of his six year old son. And maybe he didn’t really want to because his argument was pretty flimsy. It wasn’t that he didn’t want to go in, or that he didn’t like Halloween. “I don’t like to be scared.” That was a lie and Reid saw the opening, poking a huge hole in it immediately.

“You get scared for a living,” Reid pointed out from behind him and Hotch groaned. He’d been hoping Reid would take his side. “Come on Jack. If your dad is too chicken I’ll take you in. I’m kind of an expert.”

“You are?!”

Reid crouched beside Jack as best he could, favoring his still sore (always sore) knee and leaned as close as he could to the child. His whisper smelled like kettle corn and candied apples and cotton candy, that’s what Jack thought anyway. Reid smelled like a carnival. “I’ve already been through it three times. I bet you could find some people in there you know. Like playing a really big game of Where’s Waldo…”

“Who’s in there?!”

“You’ll have to come in with me and see.”

“Can I dad?!”

Hotch sighed and nodded reluctantly. “I’ll be right behind you.”

“You don’t have to if you’re too scared! You can stay out here! I’ll be tough.”

“I know you will buddy.”

Hotch looked at Reid and then at the doorway. He wasn’t scared, it wasn’t that. He simply didn’t care for jump scares or people being that close to him, close quarters, being vulnerable. Not in control. In the dark. Worse than that, he didn’t want any of that to be witnessed by a man he’d just begun seeing just a couple of weeks prior. Because that would be embarrassing. Big strong FBI Agent can’t handle a clown yelling boo in his face.

He always knew this was a possibility. Jack had never wanted to go into the house of mirrors or the haunted house before, he preferred to stick to roller coasters and prize games when they came to the carnival. He thought he’d be safe, especially this year. They were coming up on one year since Haley died and he thought for sure Jack wouldn’t want a thing to do with fake blood and jump scares but here he was practically dragging Reid through the entrance. Dutifully he followed them in, staying a few steps behind. “See you at the end dad!” At the entrance he was asked to wait. Reid and Jack got shoved in with another group and he was about to be sorted with the next when he asked if he could go through on his own.

“I don’t have a guide for a solo trip,” the young man at the door said. “You good at following directions? There are little green glow in the dark arrows along the ceiling that point you the direction you’re supposed to go. Keep an eye on them and you’ll find your way. Don’t go too fast or too slow. There are little red lights on the walls where there are emergency exits if you get hurt or lost or too scared to finish.” The young man flushed a little as he said the last part, Hotch didn’t look much like the type to get scared of anything but he still had to say it. There was a script and he followed it. He liked his job.

“Got it. Follow the green. Red means emergency exit. Thank you.”

Great. Alone. Jack didn’t even care to walk with him, too enthralled with whatever whispers and promises of adventure Reid was feeding him. He didn’t even turn around to see where Hotch ended up. He moved at a relatively quick clip, barely looking in the direction of the sets or the mini scares. Up ahead he was sure Reid was peeking at all the details, getting the most out of everything and helping Jack do the same. He was barely paying attention to any of it. Occasionally he found himself jumping when a clown popped out with a hatchet. That was natural, his heart thumped a little harder, but he smiled and thanked the volunteer in costume before stepping around the corner into a room that was filled with spider webs and hissing sounds. He’d never been afraid of spiders, in fact as a child he’d found himself collecting them in little mason jars and feeding them for a week or two before releasing them back out into the woods. He batted at a piece of cotton webbing that tickled his ear and frowned, not caring much for that feeling. It was worse than the room full of animated spiders.

The haunted house wasn’t huge but it felt like it lasted forever, twisting and angling and collapsing in on itself until he really did feel dizzy. His senses had been warped by the strange dark shafts and violent twists and hanging bloody sheets behind which shadows lurked.

Was he lost or could it really be this long? He glanced up as if to assure himself that he was going the right direction, and squinting into the dark he was able to make out one small green arrow.

There was only one way to go, really. He could hear Jack’s chirpy little voice up ahead and Reid’s surprise, maybe real or maybe an act, and there were voices not too far behind him but he was otherwise completely alone in the maze. The ceiling ahead dropped until he was hunched over in a sort of soft, undulating tunnel. It was pitch black, with only a foggy red light to guide him from what looked like miles away. Hunching like this hurt his back. Up ahead was a pinprick widening to an opening he had to step through into what looked like a torture chamber with bodies hanging from the walls. He’d seen this in real life, this wasn’t entertainment. This was work. Well researched, too. He recognized bits that had been pulled from crime scene photos, small elements not many would recognize but they made his breath catch in his throat more than once. People’s fascination with serial killers would never cease to worry him.

“I’ll gut you like a fish!” growled a man in a grisly voice from the shadows beside him. Hoarse from saying his line so many times, Hotch knew, but something about it still made him flinch away. There was a strangely familiar quality to it, something ghostly and pale, dry leaves rustling in the chilly October wind. “You should have taken the deal…” the voice whispered in his ear and he froze. His legs wouldn’t move. A flash of muzzle and the smell of gun smoke, steel bright in the dark and then pitch black.

“What?” he asked, ashamed of the fear that welled up in his chest. There was a vague pain where his heart should be noisily thumping but was making not a sound. “What did you say?” (He knew, somewhere deep inside, that the man hadn’t said that. There was some still quiet voice of reason in there, it was just disappearing second by second as fear seeped in.)

No reply. He had to be hearing things. There was no way. (Someone could have read the book. He told Colson what Foyet had said to him. He'd been on pain medication, heavy stuff, when he talked to Roy...he should have said less. He knew it but Roy had been so good to him, he found it hard to hold back.) He squinted into the dark where he stood motionless, breathless and saw a black mask coming toward him, outlined by a sickly white fog. Hovering there, not attached to a body for the longest time, and then around him materialized a hooded sweatshirt. Foyet’s mask. He knew it wasn’t Foyet, he’d seen the autopsy report, Foyet was dead. But the mask still startled him, and when it came closer (the person now muttering their actual lines and not something his frightened mind invented on his behalf) he found that his legs did work. They just didn’t obey his commands. He stepped backward, his heel catching on the curtain separating the two rooms and he managed to pull part of it down on top of himself. The feel of the fabric against his neck sent him into a tailspin and he lunged forward past the man in the Reaper mask (now reaching for him and asking if he was alright) until he stumbled into the next corridor where he narrowly missed stepping on a body on the floor. One of his victims, presumably. Hotch glanced down at her, stabbed repeatedly (do you have any idea how long it takes to stab someone 67 times?, he thought) and felt his blood run cold.

Was this some kind of a sick joke? Did someone know he was coming today? (Someone aside from Will? Will would never…he’d been there that day, that was how they met.) As he stepped around the woman on the ground with her guts strewn all around her, he slipped in the gore and took a header down the small flight of black and white checkered stairs. The sound his body made as it hit the wall was horrifying – he wouldn’t doubt if the people outside waiting in line had heard. He groaned and tried to push up to standing but he knew right away that he was hurt. Or just about ready to pass out. His head swam and he collapsed in a heap. “Dammit,” he mumbled. His chest was tight and there was a pain, a burning and squeezing that ran through his left arm. He couldn’t catch his breath.

“You okay mister?”

He recognized that voice, that molasses drawl he’d been hoping to hear in any way but this. Never this. Slowly he looked up, taking the hand of a werewolf who helped him stand. He was dizzy after hitting his head and his ears were ringing. Most of the time his tinnitus was manageable, background noise, but when he was around loud noises or when he hit his head it made sure he remembered it was with him forever. Now it was screaming so loud he felt like his head might burst.

“Will?”

“Hotch?”

“Yeah,” Hotch replied, slipping back against the wall when the group of people who had been a few turns behind him made their way curiously down the stairs. They looked perplexed, probably wondering at all the commotion a few turns ahead of them. Waiting to see a body on the ground. Will quickly maneuvered them until they were part of the exhibit, pretending to eat Hotch and to his credit, Hotch moaned because...well he really felt like it, his head hurt that bad. Once that group passed, Will lifted his mask and eyed Hotch in the dark. There was only a dim foggy glow from the previous room but even in then he could see that something was wrong.

“Are you hurt?”

“No.” Hotch swayed where he stood and watched as an ominous gray cloud crept in at the edge of his vision. He felt foggy and wrong, his heart had slowed to a syrupy thump in his chest. He thought he might pass out. There had been such an immediate feeling of panic and now his heart felt like it might give out entirely. “Maybe.”

“What happened?”

Before he could answer, another group came around the corner and they slipped back into their role of werewolf devouring a poor innocent man. It wasn’t exactly what Will’s job was supposed to be, he was supposed to jump out from around the next corner howling and chase the passersby to the next room but it beat not doing it all or having undue attention paid to him.

Hotch swallowed hard. Was he really about to admit he’d been frightened in a haunted house? Really truly scared? And now he probably had a concussion to take home as a souvenir once this panic attack left him alone? “I don’t know,” Hotch said quietly, incapable of finding the right words. He couldn’t admit what he saw. Was it real? Had his mind played tricks on him? “The last room got to me.”

“The torture chamber?” Will asked, his hands gripping Hotch’s waist to steady him. “You seen stuff like that a hundred times…I guess the mad scientist was kinda creepy, I just thought he looked like Doc from Back to the Future.”

“Mad Scientist?” Hotch asked, gripping Will’s forearms. “I didn’t see a Mad Scientist.”

“Huh. I coulda sworn today was Mark’s day. He loves that damn wig. Who was in there?”

Hotch swallowed hard. His throat was dry and clicked painfully, and for a split second he questioned not only his hearing but his eyes...had he just made it all up? Before he could answer another group came around the corner and Will pulled his mask back down and once again set to devouring Hotch’s jugular. Hotch was happy just to stand there pretending to be eaten, it beat the hell out of exploring the caverns of his mind. Of wondering what happened. Did he invent it all? It was possible. He’d been having nightmares again as the anniversary crept closer but he thought he had a pretty good handle on them.

“You want me to get you outta here?” Will asked when they had a brief break. “You’re still shakin’ and you're breathing all funny. My shift is over in fifteen minutes, I can meet you out front when I’m done. We can talk then.”

“Jack is with Reid,” Hotch whispered. “Can I stay?” He didn’t think he could walk. One step and he had the distinct impression he’d be face planting. Maybe if he stayed until this silent panic attack passed – this panic attack he was so far not admitting to – it would be okay.

“Yeah. Sure. But I gotta do my job so you think you can help me out?”

“I’ll try.”

Will smiled from beneath the mask and let it fall back over his face, taking Hotch’s hand and leading carefully, slowly down into the hallway. He kept his arm around Hotch’s waist, walking with purpose. “Right here, lay down.”

“Lay down?” He liked the sound of that. His head was swimming and his legs felt like they’d been poured with concrete.

“Down.”

Hotch eased himself down until he was on the oddly soft fake grass, and Will nudged him until his body was flush with the wall painted with a glowing full moon and pitch black trees. It looked like something painted by children. “When people come, I’m gonna pretend to be eating you. Then I get up and chase ‘em down the hallway and come back. You just lay here. Close your eyes. Play dead.”

“Yes, sir.”

Hotch had no complaints about closing his eyes, it instantly made the pounding in his head quiet to a dull throb. Will shifted above him, and he heard the distinct sound of a howl. It was low, gutteral, almost sexy. Hotch shifted where he lay when he felt a heat growing in his belly. This was not the time, but it did settle the racing of his heart, and the ache in his chest. There were footsteps beside him and Will was panting, chasing a family who giggled and squealed at him, and then he was dropping to his knees over Hotch.

He expected the fur from the mask against his neck again, but instead in the blind darkness he felt the soft flush of Will’s lips against his own. The mask bobbed against his nose, obscuring both of their faces as Will drew him into a kiss. He was breathless from running, Hotch’s chest was constricting like his heart was going to give out, and suddenly the world around him erupted in kaleidoscope colors behind the black of his eyelids. He sucked in a deep breath, a wanting breath as Will stood and chased a couple past them. And then a group of teenagers, one of whom kicked the bottom of Hotch’s shoe before Will returned.

Another kiss. And another. Hotch had rolled over enough that he could press his thighs together to stop his body from responding in ways that would be wholly inappropriate in a haunted house. Every kiss brought him back to the surface for air, and slowly the panic in him drained to quiet nothing. He forgot, briefly, about Foyet’s mask. He’d been caught up in the moment, that was all. Just his mind taking the haunted house a little too seriously. The nightmares seeping into reality. The handle he thought he had on them was weaker than he thought.

Fifteen minutes later they emerged into the glaring daylight. Hotch had almost forgotten it was just barely afternoon, the sun was still overhead bathing everything in its warm glow. Will held his mask beneath his arm, the sweat on his brow making the strange mix of facepaint he’d had on beneath clump and smear. His eyes were blackened, his lips gray and lifeless. Reid smiled and nudged Hotch, handing him a paisley print silk handkerchief from his pocket.

“You uh...you’ve got something right….there…” he said, indicating his lips. Hotch glanced at Will’s smudged gray mouth and frowned, realizing what he must look like too. “Did you need CPR?”

“Something like that.”

“See ya LaMontagne!” an officer yelled as he exited the haunted house, his black hoodie tied around his waist and a mask dangling from his arm. Will glanced at the mask, and then at Hotch, and then back at the mask. He doubted it was intentional, at least not aimed at Hotch. How could it be? Probably just a practical joke, trying to get the best out of a local legend. Still, he was angry and embarrassed. This was one of his guys. Not a great look.

He didn’t even need to say it and Hotch wouldn't want to hear it. Likely he would argue on behalf of the officer, make an excuse for his poor judgment and lack of taste, and maybe he'd be right too but Will didn't want to listen. Roy Colson's new book about the Reaper's last stand was studded with Hotch's own memories, a gift to his friend for keeping his promise during the initial investigation, and the entire squad was in the process of reading it. They knew, they all knew. He couldn't believe one of them would think this was appropriate. Hotch turned away and wiped the grease paint off of his lips while Reid followed Will’s gaze at the officer and the mask. “Is that…”

“Yeah,” Will grunted. “I’ll handle it.” The guy was going to be seeing a lot of paperwork and grunt security jobs in the near future.

“Who wants a funnel cake?” Will asked, changing the subject abruptly.

“I do!” Jack had never turned down an offer of sweets in his life, and even Hotch could hardly say no to an offer of deep fried batter covered in powdered sugar.

“Well lets go find some grub then!”

#aaron hotchner #will lamontagne #hotmontagne #criminal minds #criminal minds fanfiction #hotch x will #reid is in the story too but he's not a main character so i'm not actually tagging him

[enthusiasticharry]

© 𝟐𝟎𝟐𝟑 — 𝐀𝐔 — 𝐑𝐈𝐆𝐇𝐓 𝐏𝐄𝐑𝐒𝐎𝐍, 𝐖𝐑𝐎𝐍𝐆 𝐓𝐈𝐌𝐄 — 𝐎𝐍-𝐆𝐎𝐈𝐍𝐆

𝐏𝐚𝐢𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐠: Fem!Reader x Harry | 𝐓𝐨𝐭𝐚𝐥 𝐖𝐨𝐫𝐝 𝐂𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐭: 51.1k

𝐑𝐄𝐆𝐑𝐄𝐓 𝐌𝐄 𝐀𝐒𝐊𝐒 | 𝐓𝐀𝐋𝐊 𝐓𝐎 𝐌𝐄 𝐀𝐁𝐎𝐔𝐓 𝐑𝐌 | 𝐈𝐍𝐒𝐏𝐈𝐑𝐀𝐓𝐈𝐎𝐍 𝐓𝐀𝐆

YN spent her life believing that she had to be perfect. As the daughter of a Senator and a Socialite in 1970s Los Angeles, she had to live her life to their standards of perfection. Their perfection wasn't the perfection that YN wanted in her life, and after spending eighteen years in their grasp, one night she finally snaps. It was that night that she met who would soon become her best friend, Vivienne, and the man who would change her life forever. He was the biggest rockstar of the century. Those who didn't want to be him wanted to be with him. YN wanted both of those things. Unfortunately, there are things that no one speaks about when it comes to life as a rockstar, and those were the things that split the two of them apart, no matter how much they tried to prevent it.

1970

1971

1972

1973

1974

1975

1976

1985

𝐃𝐈𝐒𝐂𝐋𝐀𝐈𝐌𝐄𝐑𝐒: 𝟏. This story contains adult themes and language, such as sexual scenes, drug and alcohol abuse and cheating. If you are uncomfortable with any of those, please do not read. 𝟐. This is inspired by Daisy Jones & The Six which is a book by Taylor Jenkins-Reid, but I have tweaked it to match my own ideas and Harry's likeness (a great read, would highly recommend it). 𝟑. This a right person, wrong time storyline meaning that it is probably quite frustrating to read, but all of the best books are. I do fix it in the end, so don't get yourself too frustrated. 𝟒. This book is set throughout the 70s and 80s (what a time to be alive, am I right?) and it will try to make it as historically accurate as possible which shouldn't be too difficult because I am quite obsessed with the 70s. 𝟓. Obviously, I am not a rockstar in the 70s (hopefully I was in another life) but I have done as much research as possible to try and make it accurate. 𝟔. The main thing that I'm asking is for you to enjoy it and let me know what you think. Likes and reblogs are appreciated (as always). Tell everyone you know will enjoy Regret Me, about Regret Me! I'm sure they'll enjoy it too! 𝟕. So sorry, I know I always ramble in these but there are just so many things to say and you guys need to know before you enjoy Regret Me.

𝐖𝐀𝐑𝐍𝐈𝐍𝐆𝐒: This story includes explicit language, sexual content, alcohol abuse and drug addiction. There will also be other triggering topics, such as character death, so please be aware of that. There are only so many warnings I can give!

Please let me know what you think of Regret Me HERE! I would love to talk to you all about it, just makes me so excited!

#harry styles #harry styles one shot #harry styles imagine #harry styles fic #harry styles fanfic #harry styles fanfiction #harry styles x reader #harry styles x yn #harry styles x you #harry styles angst #harry styles fluff #harry styles smut #harry styles smut fic #harry styles writing #harry styles series #harry styles masterpost #series

[reiderwriter]

Hello!!If you were part of the writers on criminal minds,what would you have done differently when it came to the romantic relationships of it all and whats your opinion on some of the ships?Which would you erase and which are your favorites?I'm willing to read as much details and analysis you are willing to give on this lmao😂I loved the analysis on Reids sexual evolution season by season and am really curious on what you think on the ships like Reid and JJ,Reid Lila,Reid and Maeve,Reid and Elle😂Personally I would have created a diffrent character as a love interest for him all together.

This is practically an essay so I'm just going to apologise in advance of this. I'm not going to say I'd change much because the end product we got is my favorite show for a reason but yes, here is me talking about all the romantic relationships I can think of in CM and my opinions on them!

(Spoilers for season 1-15 of CM, CME, and season 8 of NCIS - yeah that's how long this post is).

Reid Ships

I think Reid ships are the ones most people have issues with in Criminal Minds so I'm going to start here with personal headcanons and my personal highlights. It's going to become clear that my biggest pet peeve in CM is when the writers want to give the characters a love interest and then just gender-bend their personalities, so let's start with Maeve and Spencer.

I've already talked at length in other posts about how I think the Maeve/ Zugzwang plotline wasn't my favorite. It was some amazing acting from MGG and Beth Reisgraf, but personally, I think it suffered from "serialized cop drama" plot line status. This show airs week after week with another case to solve in 45 minutes and they don't have the time or the format to pause through moments that in a standard drama would be very impactful.

To go on a slight tangent, that is partially why the relationships between the main cast are usually the only ones developed very well over extended arcs (I'll return to this when I talk about Jeid).

So, when you're trying to have an emotionally resonant moment, and you only have a handful of cold opens and one full episode to do it, you're going to have to make the characters motivations, personalities and back stories mesh in a way that makes you think: "holy shit they're perfect together."

Maeve and Spencer aren't that. I hate to use this term, but Maeve is like a manic pixie dream girl for Spencer? She's written as if she's too good to be true, which is why we're supposed to feel so sad when she dies. But they also tried to make her a complex character and didn't have the time to really do it, which is why we're given a back story that makes no fucking sense (as Spencer's DOCTOR no less) and some hints that she probably doesn't feel the same way as Spencer does for her (fiancé she never told him about etc.)

When Spencer's character starts evolving in later seasons to being more than just a genius, but a genius with trauma, they pull a similar stunt with Cat Adams/ Max

The show runner Erica Messer did mention that the Maeve plotline was always designed to be a three act plot: she's introduced, Spencer is in love with her, she dies. But, in my opinion, we didn't get enough of an introduction to her for me to feel really all that bad about it? They banked a lot on the audiences attachment to Reid, so when you feel bad about Maeve's death it's all about Reid - why do bad things keep happening to HIM, I wonder how HE will get through it - when she is the one who was just murdered. Those kind of dynamics always kind of throw me in romantic relationships.

I'm going to be clear, I do not ship Cat Adams and Reid either and I have pretty much no opinion on Max other than that if she were real I'd probably avoid her (teachers who hate teaching and blame the kids are weird! And I'm a teacher so I can say that I think lol).

Cat Adams is girl-Reid if he had a villain arc. She's 100% again there to push Reid's character development, and she's used as an action rather than a character. Max is the same. In season 15, with the entire team at a crossroads, they have to allow Reid two outs: one villain arc where he gives into his lust for Cat Adams, and one happy ending where he gets to start something with someone who is totally normal and a way out of the BAU the way Savannah was for Morgan. But it can't be as easy for Reid, and that's why we're left with the Cat/Max dilemma because he is really attracted to Cat, despite the fact that she was threatening to end the lives of members of Max's family.

By the end of the show, Reid had been actively on the team the most out of all the cast members (bar Penelope, but she wasn't out on cases first hand, so there's not as much emotional baggage there for her). He can't have an easy exit, so I kind of view this "love triangle" bullshit as a metaphor for Spencer choosing a normal life vs a continuation with the BAU.

Which is why I think that if CME continues, I think we're unlikely to see or hear from Max, because that means he's picked the BAU.

Okay now, not to sound like a broken record but, Jeid:

Before Truth or Dare, there is one single suggestion of Jeid being a possibility and it's a suggestion, from Gideon of all people, in season 1. It is CRAZY to me that after thirteen seasons they just decided to develop that one plotline again because jesus CHRIST.

My main problem with Jeid is that, actually, I think it had a lot of potential. Like I said, serialized dramas only have time to develop relationships between their main cast members, which is why we end up with a pseudo-found-family vibe no matter who happens to be on the team at any given point. A lot of similar dramas go down the route of coworker/ team mate relationships (think Ziva and DiNozzo in NCIS or Mulder and Scully in The X Files).

There was absolutely the potential for an opposites attract relationship with Jeid, but I think the minute they abandoned that after that small dialogue we got something WAY FUCKING BETTER. Their friendship is entirely underrated, Spencer regularly babysits her kid, she comforts him after Emily "dies," enough for them to have arguments about it after the fact. Your honor they are SIBLINGS. That is UNCLE SPENCER. Not your future step-dad.

When they decided to commit to JJ and Will, they should've stuck to it, and as a big fan of the Season 7 finale + Hit and Run it is very shitty seeing them trying to retcon both of these characters amazing developments and growth over 14 seasons and have them regress to shit tier versions of their Season 1 selves.

"But Kacie, there must be some Spencer relationships you like," I hear you ask. And there ARE:

Lila Archer is a great foil for Spencer. She has a happy, glamorous life until their paths cross, and then we can assume from dialogue in season 6 that she continues having a pretty fucking glamorous life after everything goes down. I don't think Spencer works best with characters that are traumatised or overly smart the way he is, because he needs something to return to after the cases that switch off that part of him, to help him forget the horrifying shit he sees on the job.

So Lila Archer was kind of a great love interest.

Another one that I'm so annoyed they didn't explore more is Austin. She's the bartender in the Season 4 Episode "52 Pickup" that is charmed by Spencer's card tricks. She is never mentioned again, but they had a great chemistry, she was quick on her feet and managed to spot the unsub first, and she was a really great foil for Spencer as well; it was a street smarts/ book smarts kind of dynamic. If they'd carried that character forward and had her reappear a few times, it could've been a great romantic plot.

I will just quickly note that the reason we most likely didn't see many romantic plots for Reid was because Matthew Gray Gubler didn't like the idea of giving him a romantic plotline, stating that there were so many more interesting things to do with the character - and he's right!

I'm a fanfiction writer, and the allure of characters like Spencer Reid is they are mostly romantic clean slates - you can write whatever you want for them within reason without having to disregard canon relationships. This is why similarly, Steve Harrington, Eddie Munson, Venom, and young "Marauders" fanfictions are pretty popular here imo too - canon compliance isn't disregarded, the reader is just written in. So I don't think I'd change a thing for Spencer to be honest (apart from maybe not kill Maeve off and give her the actual villain arc, but I say that so regularly I'm beginning to sound like a broken record).

Also I'll just quickly mention Elle because you mentioned her - outside of fanfiction there are literally zero hints (imo) of a thing between Elle and Reid lmao there's more of a case to be made for Elle and Morgan, but for some reason, writers and fans alike don't like committing to giving Morgan more than simply platonic connections. THEY SHOULD!! THE MAN IS SEXY AS HELL!!!!!!! GIVE ME A MORGAN WHO IS REGULARLY FUCKING!

Hotchner Ships

Speaking of characters that have a long time where they are single! Aaron Hotchner is another fandom favorite to write self-insert fanfiction for, because of the gap between Haley Hotchner's death in 100, and the introduction of Beth in season 7.

In general, I like the way Hotch's relationships play out on screen. Let's start with Haley:

You can tell that the writers really enjoyed the dynamic between work Hotch and home Hotch, because they played on it so much across the four first seasons. The very first time he is introduced he's in his bedroom picking out baby names with his childhood sweetheart, so any further scenes of him being more stern or serious are always in contrast with that introduction. It's a cold open to his character that immediately let's you know that there is more going on in his world than just the BAU, and he is the only member of the season one team that has that.

Then, they really LOVE taking that shit away from him. I'm not going to go into detail here about how fucking wack the time line is for Criminal Minds, but it is stupid and that's important here because:

I think Haley's reasons for divorcing Hotch are stupid.

She says that she married a man who was a prosecutor, not a man that was an FBI Profiler but realistically by the time of their divorce, he'd been in the BAU like 10 years. They rely more on the audiences sense of time (we're two years in, so they've all been on the team two years etc) to push this character motivation off. And for a while it makes sense that they were separated, until the events of 100. But also: in sickness and in health, for better and for worse, you literally signed up for whatever the FUCK happened, that's what a marriage vow IS.

Now I'm a sucker for the angst of 100,but would it not have felt 10x more emotionally disgusting if Hotch and Haley were talking about reuniting? If they had never celebrated in the first place, and had just finished working through their marital issues when Foyet comes back into their lives and Haley has to be whisked away again? Yes. Yes it would.

There's an episode in season 9 that really pisses me off, and it's the one that Hotch passes out from an old tear in his Foyet stab wounds and he goes into surgery and talks with Haley and Foyet in heaven while watching the rest of his life after the events of 100 on a cinema screen. It's cliché and also has no pay-off because it doesn't change the way he views his relationships after that, and it's not like he's at a crossroads at that point, so it means nothing to the audience except as a remembrance of an issue and an episode so far in the past that it feels like flogging a dead horse. They do this twice, btw, and this is the more successful use of this plot (the first time they do it to Elle in Season 1/2 during the events of The Wicker King - she talks to the father we didn't even know was dead, who died decades ago in an unrelated time. Not to keep bringing NCIS up, but I think the only time I've seen it done well is whenever Gibbs kept seeing Mike Franks in the diner scenes). They do not out enough effort into these plots to achieve the emotional resonance they are aiming for in my personal opinion.

I'm not entirely sure, but I think this could've been the beginning of the era where Gibson was having a lot of issues with the cast, because it just felt like they didn't want to use him in the on-location shoots for a while lmao. Anyway, all that to say, Haley should've stayed dead, and not come back as a stupid phantom.

After the dust has settled on Haley and Hotchner though, we get Hotchner and Beth:

This is going to be a short note, because I actually really like the relationship between these two characters. They have the very slow cold-open build up that Maeve and Spencer get, but there's a lot more and a lot less to Beth's character that makes the dynamic between them really enjoyable to watch.

We're once again treated to the out-of-work Hotchner that had been missing since Season 4 (his in between scenes with Jack are cute but there's always the tragedy hanging over them). Beth is running a marathon in honor of her dad, Hotch is doing something similar for the FBI Triathalon, they train together the tension builds, they start dating. Now obviously it wasn't the purpose or aim of this character introduction to build to tragedy, and I think they just genuinely wanted to show a happy Hotchner again, but its still a valid criticism of the weird voyeuristic Maeve build-up that they literally succeeded a more sympathetic and audience engaging late minor-recurring-character EARLIER THAN THE MAEVE ARC.

I'll shut up now, but yeah, I like Hotch and Beth.

Penelope Ships

This post is getting ridiculously long, so much so that I'm even contemplating adding a fucking word count, but let's continue and dive in to my next issue.

Penelope's romantic life is used as a punch-line for the first 11 seasons and I HATE it.

There is no easy short to say this, but I despise Kevin. He is stupid, and a joke, and I hate him and I am SO HAPPY that she dumped him. They made her really pathetic about him for a few episodes, and then he kept fucking coming back too which was even worse.

Kevin is literally male Garcia but with all the worst attributes. He's clingy, and needy, and he may be smart but in a very "incel" way. In my opinion, Kevin is less a fully fledged character and more a joke line/ convenient plot point for when they need more tech analyst work. The best moment in the Kevin/Penelope arc is during the The Gathering, where she really lays into him and tells him off for being jealous of her ukelele instructor AFTER THEY'D BROKEN UP.

Penelope deserved so much better than what they gave her romantically in these seasons. First, her date tried to kill her, her boyfriend was a joke, etc. She never gets the serious romantic plotline that her other teammates do (Hotch/Haley, Spencer/Maeve, Derek/Savannah, JJ/Will, Emily/being a big old lesbian etc). Penelope is really great levity for the rest of the cast because she is happy and she is positive and she is unapologetic in her positivity. It's annoying that they don't let her be more than that in the romantic relationships they give he during these seasons.

Then Luke Alvez is introduced and there is some hope! Galvez truther's please, rise they are so adorable.

Anyone involved in the writing of CME - what the hell was that? Now I haven't seen it myself, to be completely fair, but I know enough to ask the question - really what the HELL was that?

Tl;dr Penelope's sexuality and romantic relationships should not be used as punchlines.

The Aversion to Homosexuality

This is just a general note, but the writers originally did plan to have Emily Prentiss be gay - amazing, great, it's a completely different time now, please let her have a gay awakening soon. It was obviously scrapped early in, but there's a lot of subtext that can be interpreted in that way.

They did commit with Tara, and she gets a gf in CME, so I want to see some Temily in the future if we do get more CM seasons.

So just so you know, everytime I mention Emily flirting with someone in my fic, assume it's a woman if you aren't already, lmao.

(They did also talk about making Reid bisexual as well, which would've also been great, but again, I don't think we're ever getting any more romantic plotlines from Reid).

Other Characters

Here's just a rating and short mention for all the other character couples I can think of in Criminal Minds, because this is already thesis length lmao:

Morgan + Savannah - 8.5/10, no notes, really just the gender bent love interest but done right.

Alex Blake + Husband - 7/10, solid couple, very much enjoyed when they started bringing in the people in established relationships again lmao.

Kate Callahan + Husband - 5/10, same as above but I wasn't as attached to her character rip.

Matt + Kirsty - 10/10 really no notes, I too would be called a breeder if I managed to lock that man down, damn.

Rossi + His 3 Ex-Wives - Make total sense for his character, very enjoyable to me, love that he has a nice moment with most of them again throughout the series, not going to rate it lol.

Rossi + Strauss - 3.5/10 - Last ditch attempt to make Strauss a sympathetic character, but I felt more attached to her growth after being called out by Derek rather than the effect that her death had on Rossi.

Gideon + the friend of his who is murdered by that Frank guy at the end of season 2 - stupid, worst way to go out, made no sense for the character, but I know Mandy Patinkin wanted OUT and honestly, anything for you Inigo Montoya.

Why I think Criminal Minds is Better Without Romance

Generally, I really do agree with Matthew Gray Gubler when he said that there were more interesting things to explore with these characters than their romantic attachments. It does frustrate me to no end that they focused on some of them more than others, and that post Henry, most of JJ's big moments are tied to motherhood and being a mother/ wife, but that change in her character is still amazing and leads her to a lot of growth (not mentioning Truth or Dare again, sorry it doesn't exist at this point in the post)(also I didn't have much time to mention Will and JJ, but I do love them).

Their best moments are the ones we get of them together as a team, saving people and putting away murderers for life, it's a perfect Found Family!!!

Also, no more romance = Spencer Reid can be mine. In conclusion, I am delusional. Thank you for reading this far.

#reiderreplies #reiderthoughts #spencer reid #criminal minds #aaron hotchner #penelope garcia #derek morgan #tara lewis #emily prentiss #jennifer jareau #alex blake #matt simmons #maeve donovan #cat adams #david rossi #Lila Archer #Bro I talk about so many fucking characters in this post #I'm sorry #The tags are a bit stupid #But I guess they're all relevant? #elle greenaway

[natashasfilms]

Chapter Two - Compulsion

Summary: FBI agent Leila faces a profound life change after giving birth to a baby girl, supported by her loving husband. Despite the challenges of motherhood, Leila returns to her role as a dedicated agent a few months later, ready to confront gruesome and haunting cases with the BAU team.

Pairing: BAU!Fem!OC x Male!OC , EVENTUAL Aaron Hotchner x BAU!Fem!OC (Like much later)

Warnings: This story contains mature themes such as sexual content, strong language, violence, mentions of alcohol and drugs, blood, gore, and death. All the usual Criminal Minds stuff. And there is NO CHEATING.

Note 1: I imagine Leila Kade as South Asian but I have decided to let you, the reader, imagine her appearance, hence the reason why I have not given her a face claim. However, her race does not affect the story, whatsoever. You, as the reader, are free to imagine her however you want. If you don't see her as South Asian, then that's fine. It won't affect the storyline. I also imagine the OC!Male as South Asian, but again, it won't affect the storyline.

Note 2: The team will consist of the main cast (Emily, Derek, JJ, Spencer, Penelope, Aaron, and Rossi) but will also include Elle Greenaway and Jason Gideon because they were some of my favorite characters and I wanted to include them with the rest of the team. Basically, Elle and Gideon never leave when Emily and Rossi join.

Note 3: There will be multiple time skips throughout this series. For example, the first chapter will begin on the first season and episode of the show but then there will be a time skip to later episodes (because there are obviously way too many episodes to write this series on and I wanted to include specific episodes that would help the plot of this story). This means that this series will be a slow burn romance but I believe it to be better this way. This will also stray from the actual show a lot, so don't expect it to follow the plot precisely.

Series Masterlist

Season 1, Episode 2

Sitting in her office, Leila heard a knock on the door. She looked up from her paperwork to see a familiar brunette. "Elle, hey. How can I help you?"

Elle walked inside, looking around her office. "Cool office." She said, her eyes landing on the photo of her, Zaid, and Jasmine on her desk. "Like much cooler than Hotch's."

Leila laughed, amused at her comment. "Of course mine is cooler. Aaron's way too boring." Elle chuckled, agreeing. Leila's eyes followed Elle's, landing on her family photo, and her heart instantly warmed at the sight. "Oh! Did you need something?"

The brunette hummed in realization, turning to face her again. "Oh, no. I just wanted to come up here and chat. I just talked to Gideon and went back to my desk, but then I felt kind of bored."

"What? Tired of Reid's random fact of the day? Or Morgan's attempt at flirting?" Leila said jokingly, ushering the chair in front of her desk for Elle to sit. She complied, pulling out the chair to sit down.

"Just a tad bit." Elle replied, holding out her hand to indicate a small gap between her thumb and pointer finger. "Thought I'd see a fresh face who isn't in the cubicle. So why not check up on the only other woman profiler?"

Leila grinned, pushing aside her paperwork to give Elle her undivided attention. "Well, you came to the right place. I can only assume it gets much boring down there with just guys."

Elle raised her eyebrows in agreement. "Oh, yeah. You're lucky to have your own office. How come though?"

"How come I have my own office?" Leila asked.

Elle nodded. "Yeah. I mean, I understand Hotch because he's Unit Chief and Gideon since he used to be Unit Chief and now he's Senior Agent, but—" Elle stopped. "Wait, that sounds wrong. I didn't mean for it to sound like I'm questioning your qualifications."

That made Leila laugh. "Oh, no. Don't worry. I completely understand where you're coming from." Leila told her. "I'd honestly have the same questions if I were in your position, so don't feel bad for asking."

The brunette smiled, relieved that she wasn't taken the wrong way.

Leila paused for a moment, a fond smile crossing her face as she recalled the past. "Funny story, actually. There was a time when Gideon had to take a temporary leave, and I stepped in as the interim Unit Chief. It meant having my own office for a while, and when Gideon eventually returned, he insisted that I keep it. He said that since I've been a part of this team for so long, I've become a trustworthy and valuable member, so I deserved to have my own office."

Elle nodded, intrigued by the story. "That's pretty awesome. You earned it, though."

Leila's smile widened, appreciating the support from her colleague and new friend. "Thanks, Elle. It's been my little sanctuary ever since. Gives me a bit of space to think and work."

Elle leaned back in her chair, crossing her arms. "Well, I must say, it suits you. And it's a nice change from the cubicle chaos."

Leila chuckled. "That's for sure. So, tell me…" She began, leaning forward and crossing her arms on top of her desk. "How have you been managing with the team, so far? Anyone giving you trouble? Cause if so, I can take it right up to Aaron and Gideon. Unless it's Aaron or Gideon who's giving you the trouble."

Elle waved a hand, laughing. "No, no, no. Everyone's been so kind. I feel like I was able to fit in so quickly. You all are such great people and the environment is super friendly."

"I'm glad to hear that." Leila replied. "You've been a great agent and team member so far, and you've been doing pretty well on the cases, so I have no worries about you."

Elle opened her mouth to speak, hesitated for a moment, and then decided to share her question. Leila gave her a reassuring look, indicating that she was all ears. "I have a question." Elle began.

Leila raised an eyebrow, interlacing her fingers and resting them under her chin, inviting Elle to continue. "Go ahead." She prompted.

"The Footpath Killer. Why did he stutter?" Elle asked, her curiosity evident in her tone.

Leila couldn't help but grin, finding Elle's curiosity endearing. A chuckle escaped her lips as she responded. "I asked Gideon too, but he wouldn't tell me." Elle sighed, clearly eager to know the answer. "Did you ask the others?"

Elle shook her head. "I wanted to hear your take on it first before asking them."

Understanding her reasoning, Leila nodded and rose from your seat. "Alright, then let's go find out together." She suggested, exiting her office with Elle.

As the two women descended the stairs, Elle couldn't hold back her curiosity any longer. She directed her question to the guys at the cubicles. "Question for you."

Derek glanced up, his eyebrows raised in interest. "Shoot."

"The Footpath Killer." Elle reiterated, coming closer to Derek and Spencer, with Leila walking alongside her. "Why did he stutter?"

Derek reclined in his chair, a knowing smile on his face. "Come on, Elle, we've all asked him that, but he won't tell us. He wants us to figure it out."

Leila perched herself at the edge of Spencer's desk, laughing. "The number of times I've tried to get it out of him, he simply wouldn't tell me."

"Well, okay. I'm up for a challenge." Elle said, settling at the edge of her own desk.

Leila observed a familiar blonde approaching, files in hand. "Good. Because these go to you." She said, placing the files on Elle's desk and offering a handshake. "Special Agent Jennifer Jareau. JJ if you like."

"Elle." She responded, reciprocating the handshake.

"Greenaway." JJ nodded with a friendly smile. "Highest number of solved cases in Seattle three years running. Specialty in sex offender cases."

Elle's eyes widened, impressed, and she glanced at the rest of the team. "Not bad."

JJ then explained her role as the unit liaison and her expertise in untangling bureaucratic knots. "You'll probably be talking to me a lot. My door is always open. Mostly because I'm never in my office. So just call me on my cell. Okay? We'll talk." With that, JJ headed upstairs towards Aaron's office.

Leila was on the verge of speaking when Aaron's voice called out, beckoning the team to gather in the conference room. "BAU team, can you meet me in the conference room, please? I need to show you something."

Without hesitation, the team swiftly rose from their seats and made their way upstairs, situating themselves around the conference table. They eagerly awaited the unveiling of the new case as JJ distributed the files, and everyone delved into the contents.

"This is from the Phoenix office. Bradshaw College in Tempe. Six fires in seven months." Aaron explained, the team listening intently as they searched through the files of the new case.

"Who recorded it?" Gideon asked, pointing towards the video on the TV screen that had yet to be played.

"A student with a digital camcorder." JJ responded, looking at everyone. "He was watching a fire in the building across from their dorm. The other person you'll see is his roommate, 20-year-old Matthew Rowland."

A video began playing on the large screen, captivating the team's undivided attention. The chilling footage showcased a horrifying act of arson, where a college student was set ablaze after the unsub poured gasoline under the crack of their dorm room door.

"There are two common stressors for a serial arsonist." Spencer chimed in, absently fiddling with his chess figures. With urgency in their movements, the team settled into their seats on the jet, knowing they needed to reach the college as quickly as possible to prevent further tragedies.

Elle continued to provide answers. "Loss of job, loss of love."

"When was the first fire set?" Derek inquired.

"March." Aaron responded. "The next one was in May. And the third one wasn't until September. Then, two weeks later, there were three in one night."

Leila raised an eyebrow thoughtfully. "He's speeding up; the fires are becoming more frequent and closer together."

Derek typed on his computer, briefly looking at Spencer before turning back. "Hey, Reid, you got a statistic on arsonists?"

Spencer immediately knew the answer. "Eighty-two percent are white males between 17 and 27. Female arsonists are far less likely, their motive typically being revenge."

"Sounds like our boy's a student." Derek remarked.

"Oh, don't be so sure," Gideon responded, looking up at Derek briefly. The seasoned profiler continued to look through the file. "You rely too much on precedent, you never allow for the unexpected. If he went from setting one fire to three in two weeks' time…"

"Rapid escalation." Aaron interjected.

"He's gone from the power to damage a building to something far more satisfying." Gideon continued, and Leila had a feeling she knew what he was going to say next. "The power over life and death."

The jet finally touched down, and the team swiftly made their way into the waiting SUVs, headed straight for the college. As they arrived, they exited the vehicles, with Gideon striding purposefully ahead.

"No badges." Gideon insisted firmly, walking with urgency. "I don't want to satisfy the UnSub's need for attention by letting him know he got the FBI here. Try not to look official."

The team paused, glancing at one another and adjusting their attire as soon as Gideon's words registered. Clad in all-black professional suits with sunglasses shielding their eyes, they looked ready for action.

Gideon cast a quick glance back at them before resuming his path. "Try to look less official."

After making an effort to appear "less official," the team shed their suit jackets and sunglasses, determined not to play into the unsub's desire for attention. However, Aaron still chose to keep his jacket on. They caught up with Gideon, who was engrossed in conversation with the headmaster of the college. She seemed adamant about evacuating the entire campus in response to the ongoing fires.

"You may not want to do that as it could bring in even more problems." Leila suggested as they continued walking. They reached another building, Gideon and Aaron opening the doors for them all to enter. "If you evacuate the campus, you might evacuate the arsonist as well."

"When the case goes unsolved, the campus is re-opened, but the fires start up again." Elle added.

"Wait, Hotch, Gideon. Hold on a second." Derek said, causing them to all stop. He turned to the Fire Inspector, Zhang. "You said the chemicals went missing today. It says here that one of the previous fires was set with diesel fuel that disappeared from the grounds-keeping facility. How long after it disappeared was the fire set?"

The headmaster's eyes widened in realization. "One day."

Upon hearing this revelation, Aaron and Gideon exchanged a knowing glance before walking away together, engaged in a serious discussion about the new information they had just received.

Leila, Elle, and Derek strolled around the campus, discreetly observing the students and taking in the overall setting.

"I just don't get it." Elle admitted, the three of them descending the stairs. "Why start fires when you can't even watch them?"

Leila pondered for a moment before responding. "Maybe the unsub gets a thrill from the screams without having to witness the actual devastation. But it still doesn't entirely add up."

"And why is he escalating so rapidly?" Derek chimed in, and Leila nodded in agreement. "The fires used to be months apart, and now there are multiple on the same day."

"God, he could ignite another fire any time, and we might not even notice until it's too late." Leila exclaimed, stepping off the last few stairs when suddenly, the fire alarm blared to life.

"You were saying?" Derek quipped, prompting the three of them to dash towards the smoking building.

Leila sprinted as fast as she could, with Derek and Elle trying to keep pace. Her background in martial arts and high school track made her an agile and swift runner.

They urgently shouted at students to clear the way as they charged into the building. Inside, Leila spotted Gideon wielding a fire extinguisher, attempting to douse the flames. Derek swiftly moved to restrain him, fearful that the fire would escalate further.

With combined effort, they managed to pull Gideon away from the dangerous situation, though he resisted fiercely, still shouting to be released. "He was a teacher!"

"Just let it go! He's already gone." Derek implored, keeping a firm grip on him.

Leila glanced back at the burning building, her heart pounding in her chest at the tragedy that had unfolded. It was as if she had predicted what would occur, even before it happened.

Elle diligently captured images of all the students outside, their eyes fixed on the blazing fire. The team meticulously scrutinized the photos, hoping to identify anyone who appeared suspicious. However, it proved to be more challenging than they had anticipated.

Leila leaned back in her chair, putting on her glasses she rarely used, aside for detailed examinations and paperwork. Letting out a sigh of frustration, she set aside the photo she was holding and took off her glasses, gently massaging her temples to try to alleviate the growing headache caused by the intensity of the case.

"Look at these expressions." Derek exclaimed, a tinge of irritation in his voice. "We've got fear, a touch of horror, even a little bit of panic. But where's the guy getting off?"

Spencer interjected with a crucial piece of information. "When asked about his motives, Peter Dinsdale said, 'I am devoted to fire. Fire is my master.'"

Derek moved closer to the crime board, brandishing a lighter. "Okay, so who is our boy's master? Ten-thousand-plus students, and one has a serious fascination with fire."

Leila hummed thoughtfully, bringing her hands down from her face and crossing them against her chest. "Fire-starting is one-third of the homicidal triad, an early predictor of adult dissociative criminal behavior."

"I think if we looked into his childhood, we'd probably find all three." Elle added, nodding in agreement with Leila's earlier statement. "Bed-wetting and cruelty to animals."

"Absent or abusive father, trouble with the opposite sex, chronic low self-esteem." Gideon elaborated, pacing around the room. "MO will be dynamic. Evolving. As fire-setting escalates, they thrive on panic, fear. It's just the standard profile of a serial arsonist."

"Based on hundreds of interviews." Spencer added.

"Based on precedent." Derek chimed in.

"Everything the UnSub should be according to research." Leila sighed.

"But we're off the mark." Aaron said, his expression filled with concern.

"Because of two missing elements." Gideon answered.

"Sex and power. The two motives that drive a serial arsonist." Derek responded.

"And without them, we do not have a profile." Gideon stated, leaving them all stressed and worried.

Leila, Aaron, and Spencer made their way to the chemistry lab to speak with the students who claimed to have knowledge of how the unsub created the fires. As Leila entered the lab, she carefully examined all the equipment and chemicals, trying to gain any insight into the arsonist's methods.

Aaron approached Spencer and suggested he take the lead in the conversation with the students, considering he was closer in age to them and might establish a better rapport.

Spencer looked up, a little nervous, but he cleared his throat, ready to talk. "Hi guys. My name is Doctor Spencer Reid. I am an agent with the BAU, Behavioral Analysis Unit of the FBI, which, it used to be called the BSU, the Behavioral Science Unit, but not anymore. They changed it to the BAU. It's part of the NCAVC, the National Center for the Analysis of Violent Crime, which is also part of this thing called the CIRG, the Critical Incident Response Group and—"

Leila could tell he was getting anxious, causing him to ramble. She stepped in, putting a reassuring hand on his shoulder and giving him a small smile before taking over. "What Doctor Reid is trying to say is that we would love to know how you can help us."

The only guy from the group of four stood up, walking up to Spencer, pointing at the lightbulb. "May I, please? Thank you." He took the lightbulb and held it up for them to see. "See this? Drill a hole in the side, fill it with gasoline, or whatever is good and flammable, turn the light on, boom." They all looked at him, and Leila made a mental note to do a background check on him. "That is what went down, didn't it?"

"This stuff's all over the Net." One of the girls spoke, causing all of them to turn their heads her way. "Wanna know how to make a Molotov cocktail that sets itself on fire?" She held up her hand, counting the items on her fingers. "Potassium, sulfur, and normal sugar. Sugar. Sugar, which is—"

"Not exactly plutonium." The guy said, cutting her off. "You could get the stuff anywhere."

"Sugar from the supermarket."

Leila and Aaron glanced at each other before he spoke. "But you don't need to be a chem major to know that."

"Do you think it's a chem student?" Zhang asked the students.

"You wanna know what I think?" the guy asked. Leila looked at him as he walked up to Spencer once again, holding the lightbulb over his forehead before giving it back to him. "I think it would be a good time to take the semester off."

With that information, the three decided it was time to leave the lab. The guy offered to take them to the elevator, and they all entered as Aaron pushed the buttons.

"Hold on, you need a key to get it moving after 10:00PM." The guy told him, inserting a key.

"So what are you still doing here?" Leila asked him, her arms crossed.

"I can't leave. We've all got projects. You know how to solve the three-body problem?" he inquired.

Leila, Aaron, and Spencer all looked at each other, some ideas already swarming in their heads.

They received an audio recording of someone speaking, the voice distorted. The recording sounded like someone was saying, "I do this for Karen," however, it was difficult to decipher what the person was saying.

Derek asked Penelope to filter the audio to get it as close to the real voice. Leila paced around the room, trying to think about what they could be missing. She usually needed some alone time to think, as it helped her relax and clear her mind. Excusing herself from the team, they all understood she needed to be alone to think.

The person in the audio sounded like they were saying they did it for "Karen," but Leila knew it was a bit of a stretch. There were hundreds of Karen's on the campus, but the audio sounded much more like it was a different word.

She paced around the empty room, thinking of words that started with a K sound, similar to Karen. After a few minutes of pacing, her eyes widened slightly as she went over all of the evidence in her head. Suddenly, a realization struck her, and she quickly ran back to the team in the other room, noticing Gideon running in as well.

"Charown." Leila and Gideon said at the same time, Leila furrowing her eyebrows but not surprised that Gideon figured it out too.

"Charown?" Spencer questioned, turning to look at the two.

"'I do it because of Charown.'" Gideon repeated.

"That's Hebrew."

"It's God's burning anger." Leila explained.

"Yeah." Spencer acknowledged, as the pieces of the puzzle started falling into place.

Elle walked up to them, furrowing her eyebrows. "The motive is now religious?"

Gideon began to write on the whiteboard while Spencer explained the connection between religions and fire. "Well, you know in a lot of religions, God is related to fire."

Aaron chimed in. "Agni is fire in Hinduism, and the Jews see God as a pillar of fire. Christians also worship God as a consuming fire."

"Okay, so we're looking for a theology major." Derek suggested. "Maybe he's punishing the other students for their sins."

"What's the most sinful place on campus?" Elle asked, searching for potential targets.

"Come on, Elle, when I was in college, it was everywhere." Derek responded with a hint of humor.

"Fraternity?" Aaron questioned.

"Campus bar?" Elle suggested.

Leila shook her head, looking at them all with a thoughtful expression. "No, because that's not consistent with the previous targets."

"What about the idea of baptism by fire?" Derek added. "Aren't we all supposed to be tested through fire in Revelations?"

Gideon turned away from the whiteboard, facing them all once again. "Look, it's good, it's good. But, listen, please do not jump to conclusions. Religion might be a part of it, but it's not necessarily the prime compulsion."

Elle and Derek responded a bit angrily back to Gideon, claiming they were running out of time to figure this out.

Leila closed her eyes, thinking back to the video they first saw of the three fires in one night. "I need to see the video of Matthew again."

Spencer looked at her, nodding his head. "I'll watch it with you, I need to see something."

Leila and Spencer played the video in another room, trying to examine if there were any clues they may have missed. They replayed the video over and over again, but Leila noticed something strange. "Hey, wait. Zoom in on the door knob."

Spencer pressed one of the keys to zoom in on the door knob and played the video once again. They noticed how the door knob twisted three times.

"We need to see any other signs of three during the other fires." Spencer stated, and the two of them rushed to Professor Wallace's office, the teacher who died in the fire, and checked his schedule. He was in office number three.

"Tuesday, three o'clock." Leila mumbled, showing Spencer.

The two of them immediately went to the team to inform them about what they discovered. Spencer closed the door and began speaking. "Leila and I know why the profiles never fit. You were right to tell Morgan not to rely on precedent. The fires thus far have been completely task-oriented."

"So once they're set, the unsub is done?" Aaron questioned Spencer.

"Exactly. The UnSub is not a classical serial arsonist. He's someone who uses fire because of a completely different disorder." Leila explained, grateful that they finally understood why the unsub was doing what he did.

"Which is?" Gideon tilted his head.

Spencer began to explain. "An extreme manifestation of OCD, obsessive-compulsive disorder. He does everything in threes. And if we're right, he'll have to kill again."

Leila and Spencer showed the video to Aaron and Gideon, zooming in on the door knob. As Spencer talked, Leila thought back to the girl in the chemistry lab.

"Aaron, remember that girl from the lab?" Leila asked him, and Aaron turned to look at her. "Clara, I think was her name?"

Aaron nodded his head in realization, who furrowed his eyebrows in concentration. Gideon looked at him. "What is it?"

"I think I know who it might be. And it's not a he, it's a she." Aaron said. "Clara Hayes. When I was talking to her and her classmates, I noticed something. A ring on her finger and she kept turning it."

Leila pointed at him, nodding her head. "I noticed it, too. She turned at intervals of three."

"And she counted off the ingredients of a light bulb bomb." Aaron continued.

"And the word sugar." Spencer realized.

"Yeah, and she kept repeating it. Once she started, she couldn't stop."

Leila hummed, fiddling with her ring on her ring finger. "Mhm, I have OCD. I always have to do everything in even numbers or else I'll be uncomfortable."

"I've always noticed that." Spencer said, looking at her. "You always keep everything so organized and do everything in an even set of numbers. It's like you have to do it."

Leila tilted her head, smiling. "It gets a little annoying."

The fire alarms went off in the campus, all of them searching for Clara Hayes. Leila got ready to find Clara, along with Aaron.

Gideon looked frantic, about to rush out of the room when Aaron stopped him. "Jason, wait. Wait, wait, wait, wait. Clara Hayes is very likely a good person. Someone who never wanted to do anyone any harm, like any other rational person. But there's nothing rational about obsessive-compulsive disorder."

"Research suggests OCD involves problems in communication between the frontal part of the brain and the orbital cortex. Plus deeper structures, the basal ganglia." Spencer explained OCD.

"You can't reason with her because you can't reason with a physiological problem." Leila continued, while Gideon looked confused. "She's not setting these fires because she wants to, but because she has to."

"What are you trying to say?" Gideon asked, eyebrows scrunched.

Leila looked at him, her gaze stern. "Don't try to convince her to stop. Because you won't be able to."

Leila and Aaron ran to the third floor, where they found Clara kneeling on the ground in front of the elevator, holding a torch. "Clara." Aaron said aloud, causing the girl to gasp quietly.

"I have to do this." She told them, breathing heavily.

"You know it's not rational, Clara. You were trying to tell me."

"God chose me to be tested." Clara insisted, a tight grip on the torch. "And now he's chosen them. If I don't do this, something terrible will happen."

Leila quickly tried to stall her. "What will happen, Clara? Is it a flood? An earthquake? What is it? You know this isn't rational."

Clara squinted her eyes, her face in concentration. "I know, I know, I know."

"Then resist." Aaron told her.

"I can't! They must be tested. God's wrath."

"Clara, you told me it was a chemistry student." Aaron pressed further and you slowly walked closer to her while he distracted her. "You left the message about Charon."

"Charon, Charon, Moloch."

"You want to stop."

"Father, Son...Holy Ghost." Clara inched forward and was about to throw the torch into the elevator when Aaron shot her leg, making her drop it onto the ground. As she was close enough, Leila quickly stepped onto it before it fell into the elevator.

Gideon ran up to them, looking at Aaron. "I thought you said not to reason with her?"

The team made it back to Quantico, entering the BAU building as they all were ready to head back home. Leila walked up the stairs, opening her office door when she saw two people.

Her eyes widened in surprise but then she squealed, running up to them. She took her little girl into her arms, spinning her around.

"Wow, and I don't even get a hello?" Zaid crossed his arms, only sarcasm laced in his voice. "After everything we've been through."

Leila scoffed, turning back to him. "My little Jas is the most important person in my life, it isn't even a competition."

Zaid laughed, wrapping his arms around her body, careful not to squish Jasmine in the process. "If that isn't the truest thing I've heard all day."

Leila looked up at her husband, grinning. She leaned into him, initiating a kiss to which he obliged quickly. "We need to go home right now. I'm so tired."

Zaid hummed, grabbing your bag from when you dropped it onto the floor. "I cooked your favorite. Thought you'd be hungry."

She grinned in excitement, planting another kiss on his lips before she started rushing out of her office. "I'm starving." She looked at Jasmine, who started giggling as her mom ran down the stairs. "Yeah, baby? Let's go home, okay?"

The team looked over at the three, warm smiles on their faces as they watched them leave.

"That's so cute." JJ said, who came up to the team once they arrived. "They look so happy."

The team nodded in agreement, still grinning even after the elevator closed behind the three as they got on it.

#angst #fluff #criminal minds #aaron hotchner #fanfiction #aaron hotchner x female reader #aaron hotchner x original female character #original female character #original male character #aaron hotchner fanfiction #criminal minds bau #criminal minds series #revelations series #aaron hotchner x bau!reader #fanfiction series

[thelioncourts]

Hello. first of all I'm so sorry to read about your sad loss. Sending you love x

Youre so lovely with anon asks, I just happened to see in a blog that Jacob said in an interview, he cried bts in the final scene as he said "he got freaked out by it all ending, and doing this to Sam, the dynamic changing next year and its going to be different". That's kinda my worry is that we'll get barely if any Loustat for a few seasons, and viewer numbers could drop a lot as they'll miss Jacob and Sam together and we might not get to see a reunion season, years down the line if its cancelled 😞 Plus seeing Jacob doing promo with the guy who plays Armand and if they have the same amazing best friend chemistry that he and Sam had, will (in the nicest way possible) make me sad and miss Sam. What do you think?

Oh, thank you ❤ Charlie was the best girl. I think about her an obnoxious amount and hope, with all that I am, that she's playing in endless snow piles and taking the longest naps on comfy couches and eating the largest amounts peanut butter treats.

Now! That Jacob interview and Loustat speculations and everything else:

So obviously a lot of what I'm going to say is going to be pure speculation because I have no actual idea at what is going through Jones' mind and this particular story, this second interview, is not something that exists within the books.

First thing is that one thing the writers of Interview have already promised that is significantly different than the books is this promise of more Louis. For anyone not familiar with the 13 TVC books, Louis disappears significantly throughout the books, all before finally coming back in a real and lovely way in the last three, the last three that cement him in the vampire world and as the love of Lestat's life. (I've said it before, but if anyone ever wants to talk about Anne and her relationship with Louis, etc. I'm always down because it's sad and understandable and yet had such a horrible impact on Louis as a character, something I'll, selfishly, never get over). By adding Louis back into the narrative, I think we're going to see a (imo, necessary) shift in certain aspects of the book, namely Lestat's jumping around, especially given the insignificance of several of his partners, partners that would take too long in a show to build up as anything other than a weird one-nighty-stand kind of thing (another thing I could talk about all day is that I don't hate the idea of Lestat with others, to a point (okay, that's a lie, I kind of do), but Lestat needs stability in love and he could have had that had Anne kept Louis in, etc. etc.). As the narrative of the show will eventually be focused on Lestat as our main character, the promise of more Louis means that we will see Louis, predominantly, in how he interacts with Lestat.

Second thing is that while the show is inspired by TVC, it's obviously its own creation. I genuinely do not believe TVC would not do well as a show in exactness, for a multitude of reasons, and one of those is the lack of stable romance. Television audiences, fandoms, they thrive on romance. And I think Interview is very obviously setting up the entirety of the show to be focused, to some point, on Louis and Lestat's romantic relationship. I think if season 3 comes around and Louis and Lestat are still incredibly separated, people that are not TVC book fans (because if they are just trying to appeal to a book crowd, they're not going to stay on air, that's not how things work, and they are, obviously, not appealing to all book fans given the backlash they've gotten from some lol) are going to start falling off.

Third thing is that the #1 consistent review that has come from Interview's first season in all of the publications and whatnot is that Sam and Jacob's chemistry is an ultimate selling point. Like, every single thing I've read is stuff like "Only Sam Reid and Jacob Anderson and their sizzling chemistry could make the ethics of blood drinking believable," or "Sam Reid and Jacob Anderson are breakout stars, both for the individual performances they display as Lestat and Louis and also for the portrayal of their romantic, and doomed, relationship." Interview is too smart to not capitalize on that. They know that.

All of that being said, I think we can fully expect some Loustat moments next season, but I also do believe next season will be the hardest season re: Louis and Lestat, because of separation. There is a line in one of Claudia's diaries that we see, something about how Louis was acting like Lestat's ghost was around every corner and/or something about his constant mourning of Lestat while they're in Europe. And I think we may get flashbacks because of that, stuff like Louis dreaming of Lestat and waking up to realize he's not there, Louis discussing how, in his grief, focused on the happiness he missed, on the happiness that was once there. I also think Daniel is going to call him out on a lot of stuff and that's a whole different thing. I have this hope that we won't just get flashbacks though, but that we'll get Louis, so caught up in his grief, so in his head, that he hallucinates Lestat there, alive and full of golden life and just -- ugh. And I also think, if the show is, again, smart (and I do think they are, this set of actors and crew and writers and everything very clearly love these characters and love the world they're writing in), they will introduce Lestat into the modern world at the end of season 2 as to allow us a smooth transition into The Vampire Lestat for season 3.

Now, as for Jacob and Sam and promotion and stuff !! They will most definitely have them do promotion together, even if they'll have Jacob do a decent amount of promotion with Assad for obvious reasons. I think we'll get a lot of Assad and Eric interviewing together, for Armand and Daniel nightmarish shenanigans, I think we'll get a lot of Jacob and Sam because Louis and Lestat are still going to be considered the main characters of the show, I think we'll get a lot of Jacob and Bailey for European adventure interviews, I think we'll get a lot of Eric and Jacob for the actual interview portions, etc. etc. And! I do fully believe that they will let Jacob and Sam do a lot of promotion together simply because they want to. I won't get into too much because some people get weirdly uncomfortable talking about it (I'll save it for another post lol), but Sam and Jacob feel safe with one another. They truly love one another in a way that is glaring obvious, and beautiful, to audiences and to the cast (specifically Eric, who calls them out 24/7). They will fight to do things together, and it would only make sense to let them anyway, so I fully anticipate seeing plenty Jam Reiderson <3 (I selfishly demand it, too, Jam Reiderson is my entire life right now.)

So. After that essay, what I will conclude is I am not too worried. I do think next season is going to have its pain because there will be inevitable separation, but I truly believe, in my heart, that the show will have Louis and Lestat together much quicker than the books and that it will be, for lack of a better word, permanent. And I think Jacob and Sam will have plenty of time to be...them <3 and I think all of that is beautiful.

#interview with the vampire #iwtv #amc iwtv #loustat #jam reiderson #louis de pointe du lac #lestat de lioncourt #sam reid #jacob anderson #long post for ts

[akajustmerry]

hi merry! hope you are enjoying malta ♥ i finished season 2 of the newsreader today (instead of doing school work) and it was intense. i don't remember last time i was this stressed ! in a good way ofc. so i was wondering what your thoughts were, especially on dale and helen's arcs as well as noelene rejecting helen's offer to produce for her. have u been listening to the companion podcast?

hello! I finished it yesterday 🥰

I haven't been listening to the podcast (I'm a fake fan, I know 💀), but I have so many thoughts! these are mostly raw and half formed but anyways:

I see Helen and Dale's plot lines as very nuanced takes on walking the line between being damned if you do and damned if you don't. sometimes to get what you want, especially if you're marginalised in any way, there are no good choices or options. I think Helen and Dale's plot lines show what it is to come face to face with that reality and how soul crushing it is to navigate.

Noelenes story was honestly my favourite of the season even if I'm not the biggest fan of her n Rob as a couple. I loved seeing her thrive in the producer role and talk with Helen more. Loved watching her juggle the ethics and demands of producing as a woman of colour. "the landscape is different for me" >>>> baller line. Very much about how for women of colour in journalism, there's much less freedom to turn down stability to just run off to do gigs in say, America. But also she loves Rob and her family and has obligations in the way Helen as someone who's estranged, single and white does not. It was a great arch and Noelene advocating for herself is huge growth for her. I loved to see it.

I will say Helen's plot line was my least favourite only because I DESPISED seeing her hook up with Lachlan Murdoch Ordered On Wish™. That's not to say it didn't make sense or it was bad. It was compelling and so in character for Helen to always be looking to be with people who make her feel in control, but I STILL did NOT want to see her fuck proxy Lachlan Murdoch. I was so happy when she dropkicked his ass. I don't think she'll go to America. I think she'll back out, come back to Aus, and realise she needs to get hired as an anchor on a rival network and her n dale will be rivals of news reading. That's how she'll get back at Lindsay too. I hope that's where she'll channel that new-found independence.

Dale's monologue to Donna at the end >>>>>>>>>>>>>>> AHHHHHHH I was vomiting blood but he DID IT. HE BECAME THE NEWSREADER. what did it cost? Only everything :(((( but I did really like how Dale's first (??) sexual experience with a guy was not with any of the main characters. I think it showed how isolated and compartmentalised that part of himself is from what he sees as his "real" life. But Sam Reid's performance of the shame, the repression of it (when he was brushing his teeth 😭) and how that shame mutates into just being ice cold with Gerry and Donna. And how that fear and shame driven persona gets him what he wants? Perfection. I cried for 10 minutes.

Deah and i are working on a @gayvclubpodcast ep about gender and sexuality in news drama stories so I'll have more coherent thoughts then 💕

#the newsreader #srdcovka

[ruvviks]

– OC TAG GAME.

TAGGED BY: @aragorngf, @devilbrakers & @aartyom, thank you so much!! TAGGING: @reaperkiller, @faarkas, @morvaris, @cultistbase, @swordcoasts, @katsigian, @ncytiri, @adelaidedrubman, @henbased, @strafethesesinners, @shellibisshe, @dickytwister and YOU! – picrew director's commentary: did this one without including ocs from original stories because those guys go waaayyy back LMAO so i'm only including (semi) familiar faces here :D

– FAVORITE OC.

vitali dobrynin [cp2077]

alright fine you got me i KNOW vincent is the main character but this cunt has bewitched me body and soul officially now. sexy as hell in both the past and the present, gives me gender envy on a daily basis, i need to study him in a petri dish i need to wrap him in a blanket i need to pick him apart like a little lego figure i need to bend him over the nearest surface. do you understand me. he is fucking everything to me

– NEWEST OC.

kitty bennett [cp2077]

i create new guys so often but i think she's the newest one! kitty is reid's older sister and she recently FINALLY divorced her piece of shit husband and now she's showing her face in night city again to bother the shit out of her younger brother :^) she's got twins and they're taller than their uncle at the fresh age of 11 and that will forever be hilarious to me. i'm still spinning more ideas around for her but she's also very tall that's one thing i know

– OLDEST OC.

rafael rodriguez [jc3]

i don't actually know if he's my oldest oc of all of them but i feel like he is?? very self indulgent one because there's no fandom here but i loved the game so i made a little guy for it :^) most tired little man in all of medici and he hasn't changed all that much since i created him i just made him More tired over the years. someone please let him take a nap he's been awake for three consecutive days now

– MEANEST OC.

michele diaz [cp2077]

the baddest bitch out there in my honest opinion but also all she's ever done is constantly manipulate everyone around her so. hee hee!! she will make you feel so so safe around her until she doesn't need you anymore and then she tears you apart and you'll end up in shambles for the rest of your life. if she even lets you live in the first place. so yeas definitely not one of my nicest ocs i shan't lie!! cold and ruthless and likes ordering people around and doesn't care about the consequences of her actions. turned into a monster by militech and now she's constantly showing everyone her teeth but what can you do other than play the cards you've been given

– SOFTEST OC.

luna serratos [cp2077]

this one was difficult because a lot of my ocs have a very big soft side but i think luna is one of the few of them who's actually like. more than 95% soft. mostly because of the fact they're not a mercenary of some sort like most of my cyberpunk ocs LMAO luna is the one who patches everyone up after the gig is done and they're always so gentle with those around them even if they're complete strangers. that's how she met cassidy and by definition the rest of the gang too :^) throughout the entire story she remains a constant in everyone's life and despite all the horrible things that happen, not at any point does luna turn to the mercenary life themself. they have this very strong belief that they can make themself the most useful as a medic and as a friend, not as a fighter or an enemy

– MOST ALOOF/STANDOFFISH OC.

nathan dixon [tew]

man who will just stand there and autism stare at you until you start talking to him. and then he continues to do that actually he just occasionally says some words back (if you're lucky). he's mostly just distant because a lot of people have hurt him in the past so he doesn't warm up to others well or quickly, and he tries to look at everything very objectively so a lot of people would think he just doesn't care. which is honestly true a lot of the time actually. elevator music playing in his brain on loop

– DUMBEST (AFFECTIONATE) OC.

aubrey valentine [cp2077]

where the fuck do i even begin mein fucking gott aubrey. he's so. <3 like genuinely he is in fact very intelligent and capable he's running a fixer business and a club right now with the same kind of job guarantee + safety levels as vitali's business so he's got it all!! but he's also just dumb as bricks!!!! his siblings (three sisters and a trans brother) have successfully managed to convince him he will get his period at some point in his life. any day now aubrey. he eats crayons. sand. anything really he's eaten glass before (the counter is on five. he's still alive somehow. don't ask) and he'll do it again. will confidently use a random word in a sentence believing he's used it right but by god he is not right. he can drive but he also can't drive but he also can't not drive. he doesn't know what a horse is

– SMARTEST OC.

vatha nefiti [d&d]

this one was very difficult because vatha is in a party with artyom (nuclear artificer), lorelei (chronomancy wizard) and sascha (cthulhu warlock) but i think she (cryogenetics sorcerer) can be considered the smartest because she's got like. Everything. the high wisdom high intelligence high charisma kind of stat combination. they love reading books and learning things about the places they visit and have all this information stored in their memories but at the same time she also knows a LOT about surviving and living on the road, and she's usually the one to handle business with people they help. beacon of knowledge but also very passive in it, they're not someone who would rub it in your face but the party knows that if they need any sort of information, ask vatha LMAO

– OC YOU'D BE BEST FRIENDS WITH IRL.

reuben de la rosa [cp2077]

the sweetest little guy ever to exist he would be SUCH a nice friend to have. excited about basically everything, gives great hugs, always has Something to talk about and he will include you in Everything so you'll never ever feel left out or lonely basically. i wouldn't let him cook for me though he exploded an egg in the microwave once 🥚🤯

#tag games #ask:aubrey #ask:kitty #ask:luna #ask:michele #ask:nathan #ask:rafael #ask:reuben #ask:vatha #ask:vitali #yeah that's all of them i think LMAO hiii #yeah i'm normal about my ocs why do you ask

[cadybear420]

If all the other Choices Books were tv shows/books in the HSS universe, which ones would Evie and Aiden watch/read together?

For the life of me I have never quite been able to make headcanons for these until now, let's fucking goooooo

(For the purpose of these headcanons, I'm going to assume all the TV/book versions of these stories use the MCs, LIs, and other choices that I used)

TCATF, it's basically canonically a TV series in the HSS universe itself with the MC's bedroom even having a poster of it. It would definitely be something Evie is very fond of, especially for characters like Kenna, Val, and Sei. Although it wouldn't be as big of a favorite to Evie as she gets older, she'd still hold it dear to her and she and Aiden would love watching it together as a comfort show.

ATV, the whole futuristic scifi vibe is something Evie would adore and they would also looooove the soundtrack. And Aiden would have a crush on Kepler.

The Phantom Agent, they both (Evie especially) love the secret agent genre, James Bond films included. And they would both rave so hard over the opening music. And they'd especially love a wlm take on James Bond adventures. They'd definitely try and roleplay the dynamics between MC and Nurse Lou + Alexis Reid hehe.

BOLAS, Evie would love the adventure. Also Aiden would have the biggest crush on Imtura (and f!orc!MC, but I'm probably gonna have multiple MCs that I love equally) and Evie would be like the biggest "Imtura is goals". IIRC BOLAS was confirmed to be an actual game/TV series in AME Book 3, so there's that.

DLS, for... many reasons. One, Aiden would go feral for that absolute cunt-serving opening theme. Two, "Hey the main leads kinda look like us". Three, "OMG cunty genderfucking bottom dude and a tough masc buff GNC top lady". Four, it would spark Aiden's interest in trying sheer tops for when he wants to dress a little more cunty/GNC. Five, "heehee pegging coded innuendos everywhere". For all these reasons they would 100% try to roleplay the steamy scenes, or at least the steamy scenes would definitely inspire Aiden to get a little more initiative/controlling in the bedroom with Evie. Like there's one scene where the MC can make Charlotte suck his nips and be more commanding to her and I can definitely see Aiden trying that too, especially when he notices how much Evie loves seeing it happen on screen. So needless to say, she would GREATLY enjoy it.

BaBu, Evie may have negative-infinity interest in becoming pregnant, but that doesn't mean she and Aiden can't enjoy a cute pregnancy story every now and then.

It Lives, Endless Summer, TH:M, MAH, They're my other top tier favorites along with HSS and so I think Evie and Aiden would love them too. They'd quite enjoy imagining themselves in those adventures. Although I feel I should discount TH:M because I've been liking the headcanon that my f!MC Otto is an estranged maternal Aunt to Evie. And MAH because I headcanon Evie and Aiden become neighbors to and befriend Tyler and my f!MC Peggy when they move temporarily to an apartment in SF a year after they marry.

#choices stories you play #choices #choices stories we play #high school story #choices stories we play fandom #choices game #hss #choices hss #aiden zhou #choices high school story #aiden x mc #mc x aiden #hss aiden #high school story aiden #evie x aiden #aiden x evie #evie ayana (og hss mc) #cadybear's hss headcanons #cadybear's headcanons #hss headcanons #hss mc #og hss f!mc #hss f!mc #og hss mc

[vole-mon-amour]

8x01.

Oh, this sunshine. <3

Dave and Aaron so casually arriving at work together? Okay then. Work husbands, real life husbands.

That very quick little smile and the nod at Dave's remark.

Husbands are, like always, positioned together. <3

A quote at the beginning that Aaron says: "As I grow older, I pay less attention to what men say. I just watch what they do." — Andrew Carnegie

Aka Hotch watching David and noticing and appreciating his love for him?

And at the end: "A man is known by the silence he keeps." — Oliver Herford

That is so... Aaron. And Dave, sometimes, too. I'd love to write for them. Just gotta know the whole story.

Husbands sitting together? I am digging this beginning.

Another season, another "I love it when parents and their son work together".

When the killed talked in sign language with Blake, I felt for him. The pain he felt. Yes, not an excuse, but the horrendous things his mother did to him & turned him into a killer. He just wanted silence and peace. And for his mother to love him. I'm sad for him. I would've expected them to arrest him, take out the implant to give him some peace, and maybe it would've been a bit better. Even though in prison, a place where he didn't want to be. :( Either way, I have feelings about this case.

Also, I think it would've been nice to have a mute/deaf main character on the team. To see how everyone else would communicate with them and. Embrace that disability & learning how to make the environment more friendly for their friend.

Dave is IMMEDIATELY out of there. Honestly, I'd say he deserve his retirement, but he's such a workaholic, he wouldn't be able to settle down for years to come. Dave, I love you, with/despite all your quirks. Also, Spencer's smile. Seriously, he is Dave and Aaron's son. <3

Overall, I didn't see anything criminal in Blake. However, I did dislike how she cut Morgan short when giving the profile, "Dr. Reid and I are coming up with theories, you're welcome to join us." You're working in a team now. You should share with the team and share the information that might help to catch the killed with the police. Dave, too, was working for himself only at first, but I hope she changes her ways.

She's like... way too official and trying to show her skills? I know Spencer does it too, but he does it because that's how his brain works. He focuses on things he's interested in and he reads a lot because his brain forces him to. She's different in that sense. I hope she doesn't turn out to be the annoying Know-It-All.

Again, overall, she isn't as bad as it could've been. I miss Emily, but I like that it's another woman in at least her mid forties (and Emily has her own team to rule?? You go, queen!) She doesn't seem to be arrogant. She's smart (not like Seaver, lol, I wouldn't be able to stand another Seaver). I'll see how it goes, but that's definitely not the worst addition to the team. And I'm glad she speaks sign language.

#cm #natiswatching #spencer reid #hossi #david rossi #alex blake #anti ashley seaver

[ram-de]

[read] all of our demise thoughts vomit

The last post is getting far too long so I'm making a new one. I'll be treating this like this is my private Twitter account whatever💀

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

No way they're becoming a local teenage celeb, I guess it's not far too removed from reality that a murderer (no matter how justified) would gain some large number admirers😭

Sure the Grieves had it bad but man Gavin... HE'S GONNA WIN THIS GAME. (and by win I mean snatching Lowe and lived happily ever after somewhere in a place that does not send kids to murder games). The story too, surely he's not going to die at the end right... R-RIGHT....

When the characters written that they cried or teared up rather easily I felt like it's a nice reminder that beneath all that curses and fights they did they're still like 16 years old kid being put in a murder game which most of them participate by the nature of tradition...

Someone save my girlie Isobel from the harassment💀 AND THAT INCLUDES HER SLIMY FATHER... Wait. His father steals from small shop... That shouldn't surprise me since this family vultures on dead people's magick...

My girl Isobel is also quickly flippant and impulsive, now that's a good traits for a champion. She's so self-important and annoying hsgshsjsh

"Maybe it's because of the curse breaking," UGH SHUT UP FINLEY... MAKE UP A BETTER REASON... /something that's deviate from the rules happens/ "oh maybe it's" OKAY SHUT UP... I GET IT THE FIRST TIME AROUND... if they want to remind me of how everything can be explained with "curse breaking" then at least try to make it sound interesting wtf....

Hm.. They're pairing Isobel and Reid. I frankly did not care enough for both of them. It's eh I guess. Talk about Reid, I also think for how much they hyped Reid and made him so important in the first book, the way he's dragged to the tournament because Isobel maced him to the head when he sleeps is vastly underwhelming. What do you mean in this age and era they would set some kind of protection shield when they sleep with danger around.

Why do I feel like there's isn't gonna be any more champion death after this? Leave it to Darrow and Payne because they're not the main cast in the first book. The main four isn't gonna die for sure. Maybe Gavin. Okay, wait. HENDRY. He's gonna die (again), so that Alistair can properly grief, move on and stuff. Reid may die by the end since he tampered a lot, though a glimpse of his motivation, using high magick for the better of the living condition of the people, highly naive makes me think there's gonna be a background story and he's gonna live.

So who's dying?

---------

Alistair is gonna be fold again hsgshsjsh my man...

NOT AGAIN STOP WITH THIS PAIRING I DID NOT LIKE THEM ONE BIT STOP INTERTWINING FINGERS YOU HERETICS

Why did the "Heroes" faction kept thinking of themselves as victim, all of those three have doubted another champions, some betrayed (and Reid is just slimy). When you corner the other two to their limits, of course they're gonna retaliate. You guys attacked them for goodness sake don't act surprised when they hit back💀

Isobel's "Who did this to you?!" to Briony when just few hours ago she planned to murder her and Finley in their sleep. She's so, uh, I'm sorry but, fake😒

Finley as a character seems so flat hsgshsh he's like the golden boy. Perfect, charming and is Briony's boyfriend. He sticks to his values and that's it. WE NEED HIM AT THE STAKE... NEXT VICTIM.

---------

Another day another session of procrastination. IM SO EXCITED.

ALRIGHT. Briony is kinda real for her decision. They can break the curse /the wrong way/ although that'd means all champions will die. She's still a /hero/ through and through. When the hero complex paying off👍 The kiss in the rain is very dramatic lmao

"Don't die, I'm the one who gets to kill you, okay?" PEAK ROMANCE‼️‼️‼️

For such grave injuries, a single spell surely saved the day just like that. That was very, anticlimactic idk😭

Isobel/raid pairing chapter... Snooze... Briony/Finley however, is starting to grow on me.

How many times are they gonna kept reusing the same Isobel's betrayal plot again SIGH ITS GETTING TIRING NOW MAKE UP YOUR DAMNED MIND GIRL URGH the only one who actually cares ending the damn game is Briony and she's carrying a lot here💀

Briony is such a girlboss she's so cool

Reid is such a loser I NEED HIM GONE😭 HE KEPT STOPP LOWER I NEED HIM BURIED SIX FEET UNDER... SCREW U REID. Even I wouldnt pair this slimy ghoul with Isobel gosh poor her😭 I know he's probably gonna have another one of these "my childhood so tragic uwu" but I'd he's a slime

Hsgshsjsh the satisfaction I felt. The build up to that hammer slam is SO GOOD. there's so a fluff moment I'm cryinf😭 (they were about to torture a slime) oh goodness I should be sick but then again they're torturing a slime so I don't feel as bad

After a while I just realized Reid is written as a classic villain cartoon character, he's just like Spandam from OP hsgshshs

Another Isobel/Reid chapter and slime flirtation PACK IT UP I DON'T HAVE TIME FOR THJS wait briony/finley is a power duo

"You're welcome," OH SHUT UP YOU SLIME ughj knowing he has a romance plot line soon makes me repulsed SHOVE IT AWAY KEEP IT HIDDEN GET IT OUTTA HERE

briony girlboss but also innes deathflag😭

STOP IT WITH ANOTHER SLIME GERMINATION URGHH WE NEVER REALLY NEED A REID MACTAVISH IN THE SECOND BOOK I HATE SLIMES URGHH ugh it's been like 2 pages but it felt so long IS THIS WHAT HAPPENS WHEN YOU READ A BOOK THROUGH A CHARACTER YOU HATE

one good thing about this chapter is them picking up the pace. get over it whatever I'm tired of reading you slime ass flirting and calling eachother darlings GO MERGE SOMEWHERE ELSE

Huh at least the slime had some self-awareness. Good enough, I guess. Still a slime though. OH SHUT UP YOU DON'T GET TO WABBLE ABOUT DOING GOOD AND JUSTICE AND ALL SHUT UPPPP

Ugh when will this chapter end I miss my clumsy son Alistair

Okay finally isobel FINALLY SHE MADE UP HER MIND though she ended up confiding with a slime ykw good for her whatever PACK IT UP I WANNA SEE ALISTAIR

Now why is Gavin's chapter a measly 8 pages while Isobel got like 14?! I'm so close to doing a kpop stan ramble about song line distribution hsgzhsjsjhs but also only 4 chapters of Isobel left (which means less slime appearance and mention) I CHEERED

_----------

O-oh... Gavin's family is TRASH. GARBAGE. UTTER STANKY PILE NON-RECYCABLE WASTE. I need them gone. I need Gavin to pull an Alistair....

Fergus you're in THIN ICE right now.

I teared up just a bit shgshsjsahah Gavin you deserve all the world and a half😭

I just realized Alistair (Cottage, Crown) have mismatched Relic and Landmark with Gavin (Castle, Shoes) THAT'S... THAT'S CUTE

Hendry's life wishes broke me too HELP ILVERNATH IS ABUSING CHILDREN SEND THEM ALL TO THERAPY (except maybe the slime he should've went to therapy FAR AWAY from the OG cast)

GAVIN IS CURED THSI IS THE BEST DAY EVER

____-------_

"The slime has changed" LMAOO just like all the other two pairs of course everyone changed once they meet their partner Isobel and the slime, Briony and Finley, heck even Gavin and alistair too (on progress) but WELL WHO CARES once a slime forever a slime, PLEASE PERISH IN THE NEAR FUTURE

I'm cryinf Alistair is such a dramatic guy😭 you've been in dungeon for like 14 hours my man hsgshshhs

HWNDRY😭 THE FAREWELL MADE ME WEPT it happened so fast shgshah I don't know what happened but ;-; PLEASE HAVE A GOOD LIFE YOU TWO 😭

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

Each time the slime said the word 'darling' my will to read depletes by 1% SHUT UPPP

Briony's redemption arc is done so beautifully, she let go of the burden and her own expectation of being a /hero/😭

I really can't take anymore of the slime/sobel flirting scene... WRAP IT UP.... CRAFT THE DSMN CROWN‼️

I'll give them props for not putting the slime in a rosy tinted glasses through Isobel's perspective. YOU STILL MANIPULATED A LOT OF DESPERATE KIDS THAT'S ABOUT TO DIE YOU SLIME... like yucky murky mud slime.

I never want to read about slime mating ritual😭 please don't put that in the story ever again...

AAAAAAAAAAAAAH the fakeout death... I don't know if it's fake but I'm sure he's gonna heal one way or another. Alistair needs to LIVE...

ALISTAIR ON HIS TIPTOES... HES ADORABLE AND CUTIEFUL (he has a kill count of four people)

-----_--------

Another day another aood reading sesh

IM SO WEAK WITH FAMILY REUNION AAHH it's fine Isobel hsgshsj now who invited her slimy dad to this party

Of course the slime will slither into the most slimy role at the end of the story. He's a slime guys... Don't trust slime... I THIS HOUSE WE DETEST morally ambiguous (not really but like u get it) character like REID MACTAVISH

Though if he actually commits to his slimy role and be the villain he ALWAYS IS I'll actually like him a bit better. Like, he's not halfassing things. If that's the case then he's cool. NO SILLY PLOTLINES LIKE isobel's convincing him out of love or like friendship power bullshit (that's only reserved for characters I like so that I can look past some plot conveniences like Alistair and Gavin hsgshsjsh love u two) alright give me the slime show reid I'm prepared

AUGH whatever he's not that interesting😒 he's not even deserving the title of slime anymore whatever

BRIONY SACRIFICE??? HWGATSGWHHWGSYSY THIS IS NASTY THAT was so grotesque😭 GIRLIE I'M SORRY AAAHH her whole story of being set up as a hero but when she ended up having a dream and wishes past hero complex, they killed her off like😭 I guess it's like thematic in how she's ended up as the hero, something she always strived and chased to be, who also sacrificed her life but come on😭 she's been the one who's actually working her ass off trying to end the tournament and like she deserves better, at least like SURVIVING

Omg fuck im not even attached that attached to her character😔

The funeral is is a nice closure😭

Ugh the slime is crying, fine, he's okay. That makes him a bit human. I'd pat his head once or twice. I'll probably still think of him as a slime the next time I reread but for now he's just a guy.

J-jawdrop... Am I not getting my Alistair/Gavin happy ending😭 O-oh a long distance is good enough I guess

THE ENDING😭 AHHHHHHHH MY HEART IS FULL THAT WAS A RIDE. I NEEDED A LONGER EPILOGUE because what was that shgshsjshhsh everyone sort of get their closure except maybe Finley because he's not the main cast. Grieve's parents not mentioned anywhere (as they should but also I need them gone), Marianne Jr. Sort of handled to Calista (whol also is a Grieve and she's been so shitty to Gavin this is like the least she could do to help him like seriously screw her and her parents SHE NEVER APOLOGIZED TOO I think or if she did it doesn't leave an impact coz I didn't remember). Then again Alistair does really need a thorough therapy away from Ilvernath (everybody needs to actually) and I doubt he can take care of a kid that reminds him of murder house sjgzhzjs

AHSGUSGSGSH ALRIGHT ALRIGHT I REALLY ENJOYED THE READ THAT WAS ALL OF US VILLAINS (I think the slime Reid is the only one deemed to be villain but he also switched lädt minute, the others aren't really villainy except when they kill. Alistair is a clumsy short king, Briony is literally a hero, Gavin brought up to be the sacrificial sheep, Isobel may or may not have a teensy bit of villainy a.k.a but also that's her being a survivor, Finley sticks to his moral code and even after abandoning it he's still a hero by Briony's side, Elionor is unhinged and a girlboss and Carbry I forgot about who are you son)

#readingrams #aouv #all of our demise #Reid mactavish slander #As I should #He's a slime #Proud slime hater

[nalyra-dreaming]

Re: tTotBT, Rolin said they'd do something 'more elegant' than actual body-swapping. Maybe a spell could render Lestat human somehow? I suspect they'd be wary about replacing Sam Reid as Lestat for a full arc. They may start cherry-picking plots by that point and straying more from the books' structure. I predict David will feature, but they'll diminish his role in favor of Louis. Many fans seem to hate David, and RJ has been very upfront about centering Louis/Loustat in the future.

Hey nonny!

Yeah, I remember that too... It would indeed be very weird to replace Sam for the arc.

I could imagine that a spell would indeed be an "elegant" solution. I just finished rereading Merrick, and... I'm not so sure anymore they'll keep her out of the story (in fact I now wonder if she isn't around in Dubai). And she would definitely be powerful enough to "make Lestat believe" he is mortal again (for example). Or pull Amel out of his body for a while and thereby rendering him quasi mortal (Come to think of it, now THAT would be cool^^). Because yes, at some point they definitely have to pick the parts of the story they want to show... and not all of them transport properly imho, especially not without the main character, even if that other character would then... enter the story.

And I agree, David will likely feature not as heavily, but as I said in other posts, I cannot see him removed from the tale completely, because he is simply too important as a link to the Talamasca. (So is she btw, to the Talamasca, the Mayfair Witches AND to Claudia... come to think of it there likely is no way that they omit her). David is like... 50:50 to me. I love to hate him (later on) *laughs*... and you gotta give it to Anne, the way he narrates is so very different than Lestat and the others ... guh. The "old man" shines through so much you want to slap him. Impressive, isn't it :))))) (Still, his dynamic with Lestat is very interesting, especially later on in Prince Lestat.)

I do believe Loustat is the given, especially after that... chemistry display. (Don't take me wrong here, I do think Loustat always was the backbone to the story, but I wasn't so sure about Louis' involvement tbh. Coming from the books his role is severely diminished in parts. NOW however, for them...^^)

I'm really looking forward to what they'll make of it. Obviously the show is it's own thing... but they were so conscious of picking up the themes of the books... quotes, references, items... rereading after the first season is actually quite amazing^^.

I cannot wait :))

#asks #thank you nonny #iwtv #interview with the vampire #the tale of the body thief #merrick #prince lestat #lestat de lioncourt #louis de pointe du lac #loustat #david talbot #merrick mayfair #ask nalyra

[thealmightyemprex]

A look back at 1990's Stephen Kings It

Its almost October,so lets talk about one of the 90's biggest contributions to horror,the two part miniseries It .I had recently rewatched (PRobabbly third time watching it) and have recently twice watched the excellent documentary Pennywise the Story of It so it is on my mind

Now I am NOT going to talk about the book cause I havent read it ,nor am I going to talk much about the two recent film versions cause I have only seen the first one .This also isnt going to be the typical review I do,cause while I will discuss my oppinions ,more of a ramble about my personal journey with it ,and discussion of its legacy

For those who dont know what It is about,it follows a group of people who defeated a monster 30 years ago ,who have reunited to face it again

Now if you want my oppinion :Its good if a bit uneven .The cast is all pretty settellar from a talented child cast that includes Johnathan Brandis and Seth Green ,to the adult actors which include Annette O Toole ,John Ritter , Harry Anderson,Tim Reid ,and Richard Thomas,the effects are pretty fun,the drama and humor work and its got a great score .Where it falters is the first half is REALLY strong but the second kind of falters ,especially with a bit of a unsatisfying finale ,and some scares wotrk some dnt

However what really makes the movie stand out ,is its villain/secret weapon :Tim Curry as Pennywise the Dancing Clown,the humanoid personification of the monster .Other actors like Roddy McDowall,Alice Cooper,Harvey Fierstine and Malcolm McDowell were considered ,but for reasons I will go into why later ,I think Curry was the best choice

Now the miniseries was a success and usually thats that for a miniseries .....But It has had an afterlife

When I was growing up it was considered one of the SCARIEST movies ever ,it wasnt even seen as a TV thing ,just a scary movie.I also happened upon my dad watching it when I was very young ....Specifically the scene where Pennywise lures then kills Georgie ,the brother of the main character....And it freaked me out

I was actually afraid to watch the movie until Nostalgia Critic did his review of it,and it seems in the 2010's there was kind of a backlash to the movie ,that its not as scary as people thought ,that it was corny and cheesy .Now there seems to be more of a reappraisal after the recent It movies ,with a bit more affection

As for why it has lasted so long I have two answers .One is the story this is tale about not only childhood but looking back on it the good and the bad and what becomes lost in our memory

However the main answer is simple.....Its Tim Currys performance.Put simply he is a perfect boogey man .Curry is a bold dangerous unpredictable performaer ,and instead of being a standar "GRr I'm gonna eat ya " monster.....He is a fun clown ,who is a monster underneath .Its why I am baffled by the backlash of people who say he is TOO goofy:No shit,hes a CLOWN ! The point is he makes you drop your guard cause he is funny and when he grts mean its even scarier ,hes a very unsettling monster ,and I would put Curry's performance up there among the great horror villains

So what do you think of It and why do you think it has lasted over the course of 30 years ?

@ariel-seagull-wings @metropolitan-mutant-of-ark @the-blue-fairie @themousefromfantasyland @amalthea9 @angelixgutz

#it 1990 #Youtube

[mingi-bubu]

Fic Updates~

CDrama Fics

I finished the Love O2O Meng Yiran x Yu Banshan fic, “even when i call you, it doesn't reach”. It's only 6.3k total words for all 6 chapters, but I'm finally done with it after several weeks past where I had wanted to finish it by.

I am so rewriting “bold and reckless, talk your way out of it” because I just have. No inspiration with where I had taken the story. So it's going to be redone. I think I had tried too hard to write something that is outside my wheelhouse. I'm good, I like to think, at writing angst. However, I don't think I'm good at writing angst when I'm forcing myself to write something the story isn't. If that makes sense.

Non-Cdrama Fics

I am still elbows-deep into my Criminal Minds au, but I am jumping between “collection: elle” and “The BAU Traumatized Kids Club”. Of the two, only “collection: elle” has been published. I think after three more chapters, I'll be able to get to the actual TKC story. The current chapter I'm writing now is focused on Elle and Tony meeting during free period, so she can be “Miss Student Guide”. The other three that are left, until we have her interludes in the main story, are a slice of life from college, Lola and Cindy's wedding, and when she and Tony part ways.

In the actual TKC story, I have several chapters that are currently being written. I fully expect that the chapters I have that are further down the timeline currently will change as I develop the universe more. I do like how I've developed Tyler and Sara's characters more. Carrie's is a bit more difficult, but considering it's still early doors and that she's dealing with the direct aftermath of her family's murder, I get it. I also like the handful of OCs I have that are literally just here in the story as background fluff, such as Carrie's friend in high school who thinks Reid is hot. She's a riot.

In my Derry Girls au, “you fancy you're a rebel”, I am currently one down, two to go on the three-split POV of the “first” chapter. James is done, but I'm in the middle of David's. I haven't gotten to the part where he gets attacked, but I did lay out more characterization for my OCs, who are David's bandmates in Nether Regions. I have a Pinterest board for the fic here if you want to see it!

This is part of #3, I just want to talk about my OCs a;ldsfkjsa Conor O'Carrol is the drummer and his FC is Andrew Garfield. His older brother Ciarán was the former drummer before uni that took him away from the lads. His FC is young Robert Sean Leonard. The O'Carrol's are Clare's cousins on her mom's side. Michael Connolly is the bass player, occasionally guitar when needed. His FC is young Takashi Kaneshiro. Jamie O'Neill is their frontman and de facto leader of the band. He can play guitar. His FC is Im Changkyun.

Still part of #3 & #4, but Clare is dating Mae, who is the accountant of NR.

There's probably something I'm missing, but I'm like. So tired rn a;flkjsadlkjf

#updates #jae.writes #fanfic

[elliotapricot]

The Inheritance Games Book 1 Review

Update 08/26/22: I fucking lied. No I didn't finish the book, I only got 56 percent through TBH 😭😭😭 It's just when I wrote this review, I thought I'd have finished it and edited it with a better understanding of the story by the time I uploaded this post. But I never finished it, I couldn't bring myself too. Point still stands that it's not the worst book I've read. It's not a bad book. Just couldn't convince myself to keep reading/I did try to keep reading but at the pace of like a couple pages a week 😔 I think I couldn't finish the story cuz it feels TOO high school/wattpad in a way that makes it feel unrelatable to me??? In my full review below, you'll see more of what I meant. Maybe if I feel bored, I'll try to finish the book, but I got other books on my Kindle I think I'll prioritize first.

The vibes are like a mishmash of The Westing Game, Knives Out, Umbrella Academy, and a wattpad story, more specifically a bts/kpop fanfiction or "I got sold to 1D" wattpad story BUT IN A GOOD WAY I SWEAR. Like make the grammar worse and add more spelling errors, and I deadass could imagine this front page of wattpad. It's because, let's be real, this story ain't literature and that's perfectly fine. We're here to watch this girl become a Crazy Rich not Asian be surrounded by four cute equally not Asian and unequally Rich boys.

I thank the advent of booktok and the resurgence of YA/NA literature because I have so many books to read now and I'm out of my reading stump, but I wish this book (amongst others) was written a few years prior. Because, I'm not getting any younger. I'm 22, which to some is a baby age, and to others, is ancient *shudders* so unfortunately YA main characters are now outside of the age range that I find to be attractive. Luckily, I like to read stories as if I'm the main character (a consequence from my obsession with otome games and interactive fiction) so I just imagine myself in her shoes if I was the same age. But since ya know REALITY is older, I found myself attracted to NASH of all people in this book lmaooo. I'm an unfortunate sucker for bad boys, and he was the only age appropriate boy to lock onto lmaooo.

If I read this book at 18, I would've ate Grayson and Jameson UPPPP. Jameson weirdly and vaguely reminds me of Albert Moriarty specifically from the Moriarty anime and is crossed with Benedict from Bridgerton. IDK I think it's the more cheeky/sly vibes while still being kinda emo. Grayson's personality is typically more my type and yet I found him to be kind of a shit IM SORRY. I think it's cuz the story suffers a tad bit by the wattpad-esque vibes in that the characters need to drive the point home that "this is my character and my personality!!!" Xander's personality was very Honey-senpai/BOY vibes so I'm not even gonna comment on him, in my eyes he's a child and nothing else.

Now the female lead. Avery, Avery, Avery. The girl who is constantly getting her name said wrong. I have a friend in real life named Avery, but her personality is so different from this story's Avery that I can't imagine them being remotely the same. Avery here is ... she's Y/N and I think anybody reading this story can see what I mean, in the nicest possible way. She was THIS CLOSE 🤏 to me calling her a pick-me. THIS CLOSE MMKAY 🤏 but she never quite reached that point so I can forgive her. Avery is on THIN ICE for me liking her. I give her a lot of benefit of the doubt cuz she's 17 and she's proven over and over in this book's universe that she's a bonafide GENIUS. But I live in reality, and to me, she's just a smart cookie, genius being a stretch. I just have a personal pet peeve with geniuses in media, specifically that I've yet to read/watch a character I've felt was truly a "genius" by real world standards. And yes, this applies to even my precious baby Spencer Reid. And yes, this applies to Benny Cumberbund's Sherlock Holmes. I solved every episode before him except for the Hound of the Baskervilles episode cuz of the whole psychedelic trip thingy going on + the later end episodes where there's no case just *plot*.

Now if you couldn't tell I'm a sucker for escape rooms, murder mysteries, puzzles, riddles, etc. but surprisingly I don't read too much of the mystery genre. But what frustrated me a tad bit about this book is that the mystery is contrived. There's a mystery cuz the dead man orchestrated it all and laid out clues. I feel like I would've enjoyed a more organic mystery, like a case (Sherlock Holmes, The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, etc). The story is in first person, so you can only rely on what Avery finds out herself and from other people, and I guess I'm just a mystery fiend who wishes to solve everything herself. It's not the book's fault but just a personal nitpick, that I have to wait for Avery to figure something out for the *plot* to progress.

Idk, overall not a terrible book. I don't love it, but it's decent and I'll probably read the 2nd and 3rd books as well. Is it crazy amazing and a page turner? No. But did I stop reading it? Also no. And there are books I've quit right away (These Violent Delights. A Fate of Wraith and Flame <- SO BAD) so this book automatically beats those!

#the inheritance games #the hawthorne legacy #book review #fiction

[livingwithsinzine]

Hello!! I was wondering, if this interest check... checks out (I'm sorry I promise I'm not Cress behind the anon), is this an event for only the Crestoria cast, or are we allowed to create content for/include the crossover characters from the game who participated in any capacity in the story (like how we got Luke, Reid, Leon etc)? I know since the manga got rid of the crossover part that it would make any content with them game specific.

On that note, I am curious about how content would work for this event since the game and manga are very different in some parts (like moving Orwin's stuff up so it happens way sooner, or completely changing some aspects of Aegis and Yuna's stories, to use examples without manga spoilers). Is there anything the mods have decided on in that regard?

Hello~ you say you're not Cress but now I just want to call you Cress anyway because he was in the game after all LMAO

These are two great questions, though, and I got answers.

Crossover content/crossover characters will be accepted. Since this was a mechanic that was highly hyped and enjoyed by many of the game's players, not to mention integrated within the game's main/side stories, we're not gonna disallow it. There should be a good mix of the Crestoria-original characters and legacy characters where the latter won't take a way from the former.

2. Talked this one over with the whole mod team just for clarification on both our ends. We will be accepting submissions that are based both on the game and manga. We did base our 16+ rating on the games because - and since I'm assuming you've been keeping up with the manga because you're referencing it - the manga uh. can get sometimes excessive with creative liberties. which includes Rebecca's sexual assault and the excessive violence that happens in the Medagal arc.

So the rating is based on the game because these graphic depictions can be triggering and we just want to have an overall good time. It's just a safety net while still keeping the overall Crestoria themes in check.

But you wanted to explore a topic that was in the manga that wasn't in the game that'd be fine, like Aegis or Yuna's canon divergences or any of the character explorations with the new knights or whatever's going on with Orwin's arc (new chapter tomorrow).

I know you didn't bring this up specifically but all manga content besides the graphic stuff is fair game too, including spoilers that'll happen from now/tomorrow to when the zine drops. Since the manga's currently ongoing, it'd just be harder to keep track of what spoilers are/aren't allowed. (If/when you sign up/join the discord, we will ask for you to be mindful when you're talking about manga spoilers outside of zine work).

Depending on how many people are interested in manga-exclusive content, we could probably discuss putting spoiler warnings within the zine too, but that's future discussion.

This is a bigger explanation than I anticipated I'm just covering all my thoughts I swear LMAO SO. TLDR.

crossover content allowed yay

game and manga content are allowed but any manga content has to reflect the game's rating (no sexual assault, no excessive violence, etc)

manga spoilers for the zine ok, spoiler warnings may be discussed for the zine depending on what

If you have any other questions, feel free to continue asking. (I personally would love to see more crossover/manga-specific content-)

#asks #questions

[justmybookthots]

18 Dec 2023

I read a bunch of books for the past few weeks and I mostly disliked them so I'm just going to make this wrap-up as quick and painless as possible.

Six Crimson Cranes

Honestly? The writing isn't half-bad. The premise and storyline was a whole lot of fun, and I adored most of it. The saving grace / highlight of this entire story? Raikama. This woman made me cry. Yes, I actually ended up shedding some tears for her at the end of the story. I loved her character tremendously, and I just… felt she deserved the world.

I only WISHED the rest of the main cast was as interesting. I'm furious that Seryu isn't the male lead. We were fucking robbed, y'all. He is a gazillion times more interesting than Takaan. Oh Gawd. The romance is the worst romance I've ever read. I don't buy anything here. I don't care. 

Unfortunately, Raikama wasn't enough to save the story for me. If I don't care about the leads, then I don't care about the book. While I don't follow this rule for thrillers, books of that genre are the only exception to that rule. It's that simple. 

Silence of the Lambs

It's funny because this book is the total opposite. I was extremely fascinated by Hannibal and I thought he was the highlight of the story. However, I didn't care for the rest of the thriller. I'm not the biggest fan of books—in fact, I hate it—where the killer's identity is revealed at the start. I don't mean Hannibal, by the way; I'm talking about Buffalo Bill. That's what the majority of the plot circles around. It sucks out all the tension for me, and I need to say that even for a police procedural, this was a very dry, very tedious read. There was just too much detail on extraneous parts of the book. 

Okay, it wasn't entirely extraneous, but it might as well have been. I didn't need chapter after chapter of the police people doing police things in excruciating detail before finding out something mildly important. I have read A LOT of police procedural thrillers, and this is by far the worst. Most of it just involves you sitting there waiting for the main leads to connect the dots that you... already know.

City of Glass

I finally read this! I preferred City of Ashes, but it wasn't a bad book. I think out of everything in this wrap-up, I liked this book the best. After watching the paint dry with Silence of the Lambs, reading a storyline that actually gripped me and kept me turning the pages was MOST welcome.

I do think, though, that Sebastian was quite wasted of a character and he died too easily. But the twist with how Valentine broke through the city's wards was AWESOME. (And also the Hodge twist? *chef's kiss*)

In my opinion, the series should have ended here. I really am hesitant to continue with the rest of the Mortal Instruments series. I know the next three books go to shit, and I... do not know if I want to waste my time with the brain rot. This would have been quite satisfying as an ending, and we REALLY don't need any more existential drama from Jace.

(Also, I still think Simon is garbage and I wish he didn't exist.)

Juniper and Thorn

Ava Reid, you are my mortal enemy. YOU are the reason I'm in a slump right now.

I think a lot of people would like this book, and I don't blame them. The fantasy elements are beyond fascinating, and I think that the story is far superior to Six Crimson Cranes. I couldn't put the book down. I think the level of darkness is just enough for me—any more and it might feel too much. (I was actually expecting more.) The ending twist was pretty good, and I wished A Study in Drowning had produced some kind of twist in its conclusion too.

That said, the heroine is an idiot who does idiotic things, and if this wasn't fiction, she'd be pregnant, duped by a man and even more fucked over than she already was… which is saying something, given her familial circumstances. But because this is fiction (but a very unconvincing one), Sevas, the hero, is a decent man. I do not know why he liked her, I do not know why this romance had to happen, and I do not buy any of this charade with its insta-love and lack of chemistry. I still think Takaan and Shiori were a smidgen worse, but this is a close second. 

Marlinchen is the type of foolish, sheltered heroine you'd read in The Only One Left by Riley Sager, the one that makes horrible mistakes and meets a horrible end. I can stomach characters like that in thrillers, because it's not romanticised and you see the ugly reality for what it is. But in this story, it is completely romanticised, and I just… I don't want any part of it, and I'm annoyed that this is the aftertaste I'm left with after reading three unsatisfying books in (almost) a row.  

I'd hoped this could redeem the author after A Study in Drowning disappointed me, but I know better now. To the Blacklist you go, Miss Reid!

(Also… Ava, there is such a thing called 'female orgasms'. Feel free to Google this phenomenon, because I don't think you've ever known about their existence. We do not exist just for male pleasure. Just a heads-up!) 

#book blog #book review #ava reid #six crimson cranes #elizabeth lim #silence of the lambs #shadowhunters