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letarasstuff · 3 years

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Can I stay with you?

(A/N): This is based on this, this and this post. I really hope you are ready for the feels, because they are there and they are heavy-

Summary: Following the events of Emily's death, how will Spencer and his daughter cope with it?

Warnings: Angst and lots of it, mentions of drug use, contemplations of drug use, mentions of needles, we also got some bittersweet fluff

Wordcount: 2.5k

✨Masterlist✨ _______________________________

A hospital is not a place where a child should be, Spencer knows that much. But he picked (Y/N) up on his way for two reasons:

The first one being the simple occurence that the babysitter is not able to keep her any longer, because she has classes in the next morning. The second one is selfish and the father knows that, but he needs her presence, the comfort she brings to him.

“Daddy”, the child breaks the silence in the waiting room, “Is Auntie Emily going to be ok?” She sits in his lap reading a book before looking up at him. Her eyes hold something he wishes to never see again: Fear. The fear of losing someone she loves dearly.

“I hope, Baby. But let’s not forget one important fact: Your Auntie Emily is one of the strongest women I know.” Spencer gives her a kiss on the top of her head and cuddles her closer to him, seeing (Y/N)’s eyes dropping. The rest of the team watches the interaction with aching hearts.

The girl is asleep for half an hour when JJ enters the room. Everybody gets up crowding her. Spencer is careful to not disturb his daughter as he moves her head to his shoulder and hooks his arm under her legs.

“She never made it off the table.” These words echo in the genius’ mind, seemingly being the only things he can think about. “I-I never had the chance to say goodbye.” JJ hugs him, trying to give some sort of comfort. In this process (Y/N) wakes up. As soon as she spots her father’s tears, she knows not to ask a question. Instead she loops her arms around his neck.

“It’s fine. It’s gonna be alright, Daddy”, the toddler recalls the words he says to her whenever she is upset in hopes to cheer him up.

The next couple days are hard on the whole team. They try to grieve together, especially while the funeral takes place. (Y/N) notices that the color black is fitting, since her Auntie really liked to wear it. She likes that they do the same to pay their respects that way.

“Auntie Penny, is she watching?” The blonde woman carries her while the casket is walked down the aisle. Since her death, (Y/N) doesn’t dare to say Emily’s name. She thinks if she avoids it, she is going to inflict less pain when she is talked about.

“Of course. Emily is in heaven and watches this beautiful beautiful ceremony we hold for her. So wipe that frown off and put on that smile she loved so much. Alright?” Confusing to her, the adults want (Y/N) to smile all the time. But they are frowning and crying more often than not.

“Can she hear us? Because I want to say I love her. I forgot to say it the last time I saw her.” Trying to distract herself from seeing the casket lowering into the grave, the girl plays with Penlope’s hair. She in turn has to fight tears back. Only now she realizes the impact the whole thing has on her.

“I’m sure she does. What about when the majority is gone, we go to her grave and talk to Emily? Do we have a deal?” (Y/N) nods.

As soon as the ceremony is over, Spencer takes his daughter, cradling her close to him. As if she senses his sadness, the girl is petting his back in a comforting way. He squeezes her closer to him, leaving her not much room to breathe.

“Daddy, I wanna talk to her. I need to get down.” (Y/N) wiggles in his grasp after she whispers this into his ear. Reluctantly Spencer lets her down and she toddles over to the freshly made grave. A little plastic card sticks out of the grass in place of a headstone.

The adults try to give her as much space as possible, they have to let grieve on her own.

“Hey, Auntie Emily. I-I wanted to say I love you, and I forgot to tell you this the last time so I say it a second time. I love you. And I miss you. I think Daddy misses you too. He is sad since you are gone. I’m too. I think it’s because we miss you. But I hope you like Heaven. Maybe you see my Mommy. When you do, can you say I love her?

“I’ll try to see you soon, Auntie. Goodbye!” (Y/N) goes back to her father and makes grabby hands towards him. Gladly Spencer picks her up again, putting a kiss on her head. “Wanna go home, Daddy.” The child mumbles, exhausted by all the stress and emotions from the day.

The father is relieved to have an excuse to skip the meal with the team. He is scared that the evening at the little restaurant is clouded by sadness and angst. Spencer doesn’t need that right now, a nice sit in with his daughter sounds way better.

After saying their goodbyes the little family sits in the car on their way to the apartment. As soon as Spencer starts the car, (Y/N) is fast asleep. He looks at her through the rear view mirror, happy to see her at peace. It gives the father time to sort through his own thoughts. Since Emily’s death (Y/N) tries to be around him constantly, which he is thankful for, because she keeps the darkness away.

Her last hours play again and again before his eyes. The different ways he could have stopped all of this. Why didn’t he say more when she began biting her nails? When she said “Laura Reynolds is dead”? Maybe all of this is his fault?

His forearm begins to itch. Exactly where Tobias Hankel injected the needle same as he did several times. Maybe, maybe it would make everything better? Just this one tim-

“Daddy? When are we home?” The small voice cuts off his train of thought. Spencer needs a few seconds to clear his mind. Did he really think that? Taking dilaudid while the reason he fought his addiction literally sits right behind him? “Just a few minutes, Sweetheart. Do you want to go to bed after dinner?”

As if she knows that the father can’t be left alone in this state, (Y/N) answers: “No, I wanna watch a movie with you. Can we watch Alvin and the chipmunks? I love Simon so much!” This places a smile on his face, the excitement in her eyes scare his dark thoughts away. “Sure, Peanut. We can watch whatever you want.”

It's the fourth evening in a row that the girl sleeps in her father’s bed. She either falls asleep there or climbs next to him in the middle of the night, so he figures he lets her sleep there right away.

“Good night, Sweetheart”, he tells her as they lay down. Even though it’s quite early for Spencer to go to bed it’s (Y/N)’s time. “Good night, Daddy”, she tells him while snuggling closer, “I love you. Soooooo much.”

The young doctor decides to take the next few days off from work in order to work through the events. The first one he spends coloring in books with her the whole day. While she works on her own books gifted by various members of the BAU, Spencer has his own extra made for adults. He can’t deny the soothing effect it has on him. The repeating moves calms the storm of thoughts inside his head.

The next day the two of them sit the whole day on the small couch in the living room, (Y/N) on his lap, and read. Sometimes they read for themselves, others the father reads outloud from his own or (Y/N) from her own. It’s kind of therapeutic to hear his child doing something he enjoyed his whole life.

“Daddy, do you think she feels lonely in heaven? There is nobody she knows, she has to wait for us to follow her, doesn’t she?” Not prepared for such a deep question, Spencer is caught off guard.

He clears his throat before answering. “Uh, Auntie Emily isn’t that lonely up there, you know. You can’t remember him, but Uncle Gideon, a friend from work and someone I looked up to, is there. He surely greeted her with open arms, happy to see her. And your Mommy is also there, she certainly asked lots of questions about you.” “A-are you sure? I told her to say Mommy ‘I love you’ when she sees her.” (Y/N) looks up to her father with big eyes.

He is not sure if he is lying right now to her, but he sees that his daughter needs the reassurance. “Yes, I’m sure.” To lighten the mood he begins to tickle her, which ends in a tickle fight which in turn ends in tiring the girl out and falling asleep while watching a Disney movie.

The next day is by far the worst since it all happened. Both (Y/N) and Spencer haven’t slept much due to nightmares from both sides (him comforting her as she tears him from his own), which results in a grumpy toddler and a non stop coffee drinking adult.

“Sweetheart, you need to put that shirt on. Auntie JJ is expecting us in ten minutes. Please, stop fighting me”, he begs, but she continues to cry. As Spencer tries for a third time to put it on her (Y/N) throws herself to the other side of the bed.

“I don’t want that, Daddy!” She finally gets out through her sobs. Spencer halts in his movements. “Why? That’s your favorite, Baby.” While (Y/N) begins to cry louder, he leaves the clothing article on the bed and gathers her in his arm, rocking her back and forth additionally to whispering sweet reassurances in her ear.

“She gave it to me. I don’t wanna make it dirty or ruin it”, the toddler says between shaky breaths. For what feels like the trillionth time, the young agent’s heart breaks over this statement. He has a bigger vocabulary than the average English speaking person, but at this moment Spencer is at a loss of words.

“Sweetheart, I apologize for not acknowledging this right away. I’ll get another shirt out for you, ok? Thank you so much for telling and helping me.” Just a few minutes later the little family is on their way to the next metro stop. It’s then that Spencer realizes his day won’t be any easier.

“(Y/N) you can sit in the seat next to me like you always do. Why do you have to sit in my lap today?” Normally he isn’t someone who denies his child physical contact, but the seating chart has a logical purpose. Being on a train with a child means you have some kind of luggage with you, which leads to occupying a four seats compartment. In order to prevent somebody taking the seat next to him, Spencer places his daughter there. It’s a win win situation for everybody, really.

Unfortunately for him (Y/N) is extra clingy today and won’t stop crawling onto his lap. With a sigh he accepts his defeat and tries not to think about the amount of germs that fly around.

Another problem that torments the father: Over the last few days his cravings grew. Especially today the feeling, the need, for another shot and another high is undeniable for him. As if sensing this (Y/N) sticks by his side throughout the whole time, keeping his mind off of the drug that changes him.

While they are at the Jareau’s and Lamontagne’s household, his daughter refuses to play with Henry. “I wanna stay with you”, she murmurs into his shoulder. Again Spencer accepts his defeat and sits down on the couch next to his best friend.

“Sweetheart, you need to let me go. I have to go to the bathroom, you can’t come with me.” This is followed by a tsunami of tears. While JJ tries to console her, he slips out of the room discreetly.

Due to (Y/N)’s current grumpiness and Spencer’s fatigue they quickly call it a night, even though he could use some more comfort from his friends.

“Good night, Sweetheart. Sleep tight and dream nice. I love you”, he says after tucking his child in and giving her a kiss on the forehead. “Night night, Daddy. I love you, too”, her small voice echoes back to him and makes him smile softly.

Spencer finds his way back to the living room and sits down with a book in his lap. As expected he doesn’t get much reading done, too distracted by his own thoughts. The events of the night of his colleague’s, his friend’s, death replay themselves over and over again.

What if he made his conclusions faster? He is supposed to be the smart one, the one the team relies on for making important connections. But he failed once so who knows what happens when he fails again? Next time it could be the whole team dying. He could die. He would leave (Y/N) alone with the team gone. His mother isn’t capable of caring for her and his father doesn’t even know she exists. She will go into foster care, into a home with too many kids. She will be looked over, too small to be seen. Her potential will go to waste and she will never achieve anything she is capable of. And all that because he hasn’t made a conclusion fast enough.

Spencer’s scars on his forearm itch worse than ever. One shot. Only one shot to make the thoughts go away. To make the guilt go away, the bad feelings. He needs it. He needs to cure himself from the symptoms of being a human.

Before the young doctor even registers what he is doing he already put his jacket on and looks for his wallet when a voice startles him.

“Daddy, i can't sleep. Can I stay with you again?” (Y/N) stands in the doorway, clutching her stuffed animal and her blanket, shielding her eyes from the light, oblivious to what her father was about to do.

“Oh Darling, of course. Do you want me to read to you? Or we drink hot chocolate and watch a movie?” He suggests, ready to distract himself from anything that’s going on in his mind. A few minutes later his daughter cuddles into his side while watching once again Alvin and the Chipmunks.

Spencer is just happy to have his light in his life all the time and is ready to tackle any task to keep her there, may it be once again the weekly visits for anonymous narcotics or time off from work to process the events together in therapy.

Taglist:

All works:

@agentshortstacc

Criminal Minds:

@averyhotchner @mggsprettygirl

Spencer Reid x child!reader:

@ilovetaquitosmmmm

#spencer reid x reader #spencer reid x daughter!reader #spencer reid x child!reader #spencer reid #criminal minds #criminal minds fanfiction #fanfiction #x reader #reader insert #x daughter!reader #x child!reader

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a-simple-gaywitch · 3 years

Text

Composed of the Elements

Spencer Reid x Reader

Summary: When a case takes the team to (Y/N)'s home town, her best friend Spencer helps her leave all the baggage behind.

Title Song: Sweet as Whole, Sara Bareilles

Word Count: 2705

Warnings: high school bullying, brief mentions of a case, smoking

“Behind every exquisite thing that existed, there was something tragic.” -Oscar Wilde

You walked into the bullpen with a coffee in one hand and your phone in the other.

“Morning, (Y/N),” your best friend, Spencer, called from his desk.

“Morning, Spence.” You sat down at your desk. Before you could get settled, JJ announced a case.

“We’ve been called in to a small town in Indiana,” JJ said, clicking on the slide projector.

“Wait. When you say small town…” you said, feeling your body tense.

“We’re going to (L/N)’s hometown,” Hotch confirmed. After going over the details of the case, he said, “Wheels up in thirty.”

Spencer reached for your arm, but you were up and moving to the bullpen before he could catch you. He watched as you grabbed your bag from your desk, ignoring Morgan’s attempts at conversation. Your usual peppy, outgoing self was gone, replaced with a stranger.

When the team gathered on the jet, they discussed the case together. You sat at the back of the cabin, staring out at the clouds, tapping on the table in front of you.

“Hey.” You looked up to see Gideon sitting in front of you. “Are you okay?”

You shook your head. “I never thought I’d be going back there. I thought I could leave and never look back.”

“Hey, I know it isn’t easy, but we need your help. You know this town and the people in it. That can help us.”

You sighed and stood up. “Fine.” Walking over to the team, you said, “One thing you need to know about these people: they don’t like outsiders. At all.”

“What do you mean by outsiders?” Hotch asked.

You scoffed. “Anyone who isn’t born and raised in the town. Even if you’ve lived there for years, if you weren’t born in Newton, you’re not to be trusted. You’ll see first-hand when we meet with the local PD.”

“What about the victims?” Derek asked you.

“I knew both of them in high school,” you said, flicking through the file. “But I don’t know what anyone has been doing with their lives.”

Spencer couldn’t help but notice the sadness in your eyes. Despite his aversion to touch, he reached out and rested his hand on top of yours. You were his safety net. He loved you, as more than just his best friend.

When the team got to the police station, you stuck to the back of the group while JJ and Hotch made introductions.

“Detective Miller,” Hotch said, holding his hand out. “I’m Agent Hotchner. You’ve already spoken to Agent Jareau. This is SSA Gideon, Dr. Reid, SSA Morgan, and SSA (L/N).”

“Wait. Little nerdy (Y/N) (L/N)?” the detective said, finally noticing you. “Wow, who would have thought you’d come back to Newton?” You swallowed hard, keeping your eyes down.

“Do you have a place we can set up a case board?” Spencer asked, noticing your unease.

“Sure.”

“Did you know the victims well?” JJ asked him.

The detective nodded. “We all do. Kelly’s my son’s teacher. Julia and I dated in high school. Our kids are friends.”

“Does everyone in town know each other well?” JJ asked as she helped you pin the crime scene photos to the board.

“Of course. We’re like a family. When your town only has 300 people, you have to look out for each other.” You couldn’t hold back your scoff. “You have something to say there, (Y/N)?”

“She’s Agent (L/N) to you,” Gideon interrupted. “JJ, Julia Coleman’s family is here.”

“You look different,” Detective Miller said to you as you worked late to help nail down the profile. “You look good.”

“Detective Miller-”

“Come on, you can call me Tim.” He stepped closer to you. “You don’t have to be so professional.”

“Excuse me,” you said, though it was no more than a whisper. You slipped out of the room and stood outside the precinct, leaning against the wall. You pulled a small box out of your jacket pocket.

“Since when do you smoke?” Spencer asked you, coming up next to you.

You lit a cigarette and took a drag before saying, “Since high school.” Seeing Spencer’s concern, you said, “Relax, I haven’t for a while. It’s only when I get really stressed.”

“You know, each cigarette takes about seven minutes off your life.”

“If it’s seven minutes I don’t have to spend with Timothy Miller or anyone else from this damn town, then I don’t care.”

“What did he do to you?”

You shook your head. “I don’t want to talk about it.”

“Come on, (Y/N), it’s me. Talk to me. Please?”

You looked at your best friend’s pleading eyes and sighed. You put out your cigarette and said, “You know I didn’t have a good high school experience. After my mom died, my dad moved us to his childhood home. I moved schools halfway through the first semester. I was the weird new kid who wore all black with braces and clunky glasses and was way too into Stephen King books. I was an easy target.” You cleared your throat. “Julia and Tim were my biggest tormentors. When they dated, it was worse.”

“What do you mean?” Spencer asked.

You chewed your lip. “Tim asked me to the prom when he and Julie were on an off period of their relationship. I got so excited, like an idiot. I mean, I knew he didn’t like me in that way. After all, why would he?” You laughed, but there was no joy behind it. Spencer felt his heart clench at how you saw yourself. He thought you were the most beautiful, amazing woman to ever exist.

“But I thought at least I’d have a friend, you know? I rented a dress and did my hair, all that stuff. Tim said he was going to pick me up. He never came.” Your eyes burned with tears at the memory. “The worst part was, my dad didn’t know there was anything going on. After-after my mom died, he gave up. When he wasn’t working, he was drinking and smoking.” You shook your head. “Tim just brought all those feelings back.”

Spencer reached out and wiped the tears off your cheek. “You didn’t deserve any of that. No one deserves that.”

“Carrie was my favorite book in high school. I wonder what that says about me.”

“Why don’t we head back to the hotel?” Spencer offered, holding his hand out to you. “Rest might help us with the case.”

The next morning, the team discovered there was another murder. Misty Lincoln had been killed in the same way as the other two victims. Spencer was graphing the geographical profile while you sat at the table, staring at the crime scene photos.

“You see something?” Hotch asked you.

“I’m not sure. Uh, could I- could I take like two hours? I think there might be something that’ll help us in my dad’s old things.”

“Sure. But you’re not going alone. Take Reid with you.”

You knew better than to argue with your boss. “Yes, sir.”

When you and Spencer got into the SUV, your fingers started tapping the steering wheel as you drove, letting muscle memory guide you. You pulled into the parking lot of a storage facility. Spencer followed behind you as you passed row after row of storage units. When you finally stopped, you flipped through your keychain until you found one you were looking for. You hadn’t spoken to Spencer since getting in the car back at the station, and he was starting to worry.

After you opened the door to the unit, you looked at Spencer. “After my dad died, I moved all his stuff here. I got rid of some stuff, of course. What would I ever do with an old couch that had more cigarette burns than upholstery?” You ran your hand over a white garment bag. The golden lettering was faded, but Spencer could still make out the word bridal, and what he could infer was the word boutique from the few remaining letters. “Some things I just couldn’t get rid of.”

“Hey, can I ask you something?” Spencer asked you, picking up a picture at the top of an open box. You were between who he could only assume were your parents, and you all looked happy. You looked just like your mother. The small you, who couldn’t be much older than 8, clung to the woman’s side. Your father had his arm around your mother’s waist. It all looked very domestic.

“Sure,” you said, digging through a box at the back of the unit.

“Why have you been acting so different since we got here? I mean, you’ve been acting so meek and timid, which isn’t you. I once heard you threaten a cop that you would, and I quote, ‘shove your foot so far up his ass that he would taste the mud on your shoe.’ What’s going on?” He set the frame back on the top of the box.

You shrugged. “I don’t know. I guess… I spent so long trying to distance myself from this place and when I came back, I was back to being a scared little 15-year-old.”

“But, you’re not, (Y/N). You’re strong and confident.” It was then Spencer heard you sniffle and noticed you were crying. “(Y/N)?”

You wiped your face. “Sorry. It’s just… I worked so hard for the image of me that you all see and-and I’m just so afraid that being here is going to erase all that. I worked so hard at the Academy to form an identity that wasn’t this and-”

“(Y/N), (Y/N), hey,” he said, taking your hands in his. “Breathe. Our image of you is not going to change just because your old tormentors are here. I- uh, we, the team, we love you. You’re our family. I think Garcia would riot if Hotch ever tried to get rid of you.” You chuckled at that and it made him smile. “Now, how about we get out of here and work more on our profile?”

When you got back to the precinct, Hotch asked you, “Did you find what you were looking for?”

“Yeah.” You pulled an old yearbook out of your bag. “All the victims are from the same graduating class, and they were all in the same extracurriculars. Look.”

“We’re ready to give the profile,” Gideon said after flipping through the book.

Your team gathered the police department to deliver your preliminary profile.

“We’ve come to the conclusion that our unsub can only be a local,” Spencer said. “He-”

“There’s no way,” Officer Miller interrupted. “No one in this town would do that. Besides, why would I trust this walking stick insect over the people I’ve known my whole life? You’re wrong, Stick-Bug.”

“How dare you,” you said, stepping forward. The rest of your team stepped away. They knew what was coming. No one would say it, but they all knew how you and Spencer felt about each other. “How dare you talk to Spencer that way. Captain Bell invited us here to help you find out who’s murdering members of your community. You have no right to talk to my family that way.”

“Your family? These people are your family?”

“A family is anyone who makes you feel loved, and by that definition, yes. These people are my family. And if you ever talk to any of them like that again, I will bring your life crashing down around you with one simple phone call.”

“Oh, look who’s finally got a backbone,” Tim laughed. “Little (Y/N) thinks she sounds all big and threatening.”

“It’s not a threat, Timothy, it’s a promise,” you said. “And I’m sure Captain Bell would take you off this case if I told him you have a conflict of interest. I’m sure he’d love to know you’d had an affair with one of the victims. You and Julia never could stay away from each other, could you?”

Spencer fought a smile at seeing you return to yourself, as well as seeing Timothy’s face pale. He chewed the inside of his cheek, trying to think of a way to thank you.

The case was finally over. Like always, Spencer had been right. The unsub was a guy from your graduating class who felt the women from your class shunned and mistreated him. Thankfully, you were able to sympathize with him and get him to come in without any extra violence.

Hotch was giving the team the night in the hotel before heading back to Quantico in the morning. You were flipping through the channels on the hotel’s TV, already in your pajamas by 8:30. You finally settled on some old reruns of Friends when there was a knock at your door. You groaned and extracted yourself from your blanket cocoon and trudged over to the door.

“Spence? What are you doing here?” you asked after opening your door to reveal Spencer, still in his work clothes.

“Come with me, I want to show you something.”

“Spencer, I’m in my pajamas-”

“That doesn’t matter. Just, come with me. Please?”

You tugged your old sweatshirt on and followed Spencer down the hallway, to the elevator.

“Where are we going?” you asked him.

“It’s a surprise.”

“A surprise?”

“You trust me, right?”

“Of course, I do, Spence. You know that.”

“Okay well,” he covered your eyes with his hands and guided you forward. He dropped his hands and said, “surprise.”

You were standing on the patio of the hotel’s restaurant, the tables had been pushed to the side and lights were strung up all around.

“Spence, what’s all this?” you asked as he gently pulled you to the center of the patio.

“A way to say thank you,” he said. When he saw the confusion on your face, he said, “For sticking up for me at the precinct. I know it must have been hard to stand up to Detective Miller. And-and I remember you telling me that you don’t have many good memories here, and then I thought about your prom story, so…” He held his hand out to you as music started playing. “May I have this dance?”

You smiled and took Spencer’s hand. He rested his free hand on your waist, and your free hand rested on his shoulder as the two of you gently swayed to the soft music coming from the patio’s speakers.

“How’d you pull this off?” you asked him.

His smile was a bit sheepish. “Morgan and Garcia helped me pull some strings.”

“Of course they did. Garcia is the all-powerful puppet master.”

Spencer laughed as the two of you continued to dance. When Spencer heard you sniffle, he stopped and pulled away.

“Hey, what’s wrong?” He brushed a tear off your cheek. “Did I do something wrong?”

You shook your head and smiled at him. “No. It’s happy tears.” When you saw that Spencer still looked confused, you explained, “I never thought I’d have someone in my life who cares about me this much. I mean, look at all this. You did this just to make me happy.” You rested your forehead against Spencer’s and wrapped your arms around his neck, your fingers playing with his hair. Spencer’s arms wound around your waist, pulling you closer.

“Of course I did. I love you. I-I mean, I care about you. Because you’re my best friend and-”

“Spence,” you said, stopping his rambling. You pressed a soft kiss to his lips, lingering for just a moment.

Spencer’s brain, which usually worked at three times the speed of the average person, slowed to practically a halt. You had just kissed him. The girl he’s been longing for just kissed him. She kissed him . You were about to say something to him when his brain finally caught up and he kissed you back.

When the two of you pulled apart, you said, “Well, I guess my prom was worth the wait.”

Spencer smiled at you and kissed your forehead before continuing to dance with you.

"Life shrinks or expands in proportion to one's courage." -Anais Nin

#spencer reid #spencer reid x reader #x reader #criminal minds

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singledarkshade · 6 years

Text

Under The Sea

Part Four

The deep blue he could see filled Rip with an odd sense of calm, one he only really experienced when he had first seen the temporal zone. He glanced to the side and saw Gideon watching just as amazed. This was a new experience for her also. It was nice to see her emotional capabilities clearly on display in this form. Gideon had always been unusual but it was only with him that she showed how different she truly was to the other AIs.

“Rip,” Kate spoke up after a few minutes, “You can swim, can’t you?”

He saw Tim and Miguel trying to stop their laughter, “Aren’t we so deep that the pressure would crush us?”

She nodded, “But there is always a possibility of needing to swim under here.”

“I can swim,” Rip replied, “I learned when I was six. I was thrown into a lake and left to fend for myself.”

The two men turned and Tim asked, “So literally sink or swim?”

Rip nodded.

“Who would throw a six-year-old into a lake and leave him?” Miguel asked horrified.

Shrugging Rip replied, “Someone looking to distract the police. Luckily I’d seen someone swimming once, so I mimicked the motions and managed to stay afloat until I was rescued.”

“That is horrible,” Tim noted.

“I hope you got him back,” Kate said.

Rip chuckled, “Let’s just say the police stumbled across him not long after that when he was unconscious.”

He turned seeing Kate grinning at him, amusement glinting in her eyes.

The Launch suddenly jerked, distracting them from their conversation and Rip frowned seeing Tim’s hands tighten on the controls. Reaching out to grip the handle beside him Rip grimaced, he could see the instruments bouncing up and down.

“Not good,” Tim grimaced, struggling to hold the launch on course.

“What’s wrong?” Kate demanded.

He winced, “Something’s caught us. I think it might be the forcefield the shard is emitting.”

“Can you wrench us out of it?” Kate asked.

Tim shook his head.

“Different frequency,” Rip spoke up, “If we can create an energy shield around the launch that has the same frequency to the shard, even for a few seconds, it might let us free ourselves.”

Kate removed her restraints, “Come with me,” she said before jumping down into the back section of the launch.

Rip followed her seeing Kate remove a panel from the bulkhead, he found some tools sitting at the side and studied the wiring before him as she moved further back and opened another one.

“Can you do it?” she called back.

Rip nodded, “No problem.”

“Captain,” Gideon said softly in his ear, “Be careful. If you push it too far you could electrify the launch.”

“Thanks, Gideon,” he muttered as he worked, “Your faith in me is touching.”

Rewiring the system he glanced over when Kate called his name.

“Ready?” she asked.

Rip nodded.

Kate climbed up the ladder again, “Tim, how are we doing?”

“Hurry up,” Tim replied, as he fought to hold the launch steady.

“Rip,” Kate turned to him, “Push the button on three, two…you’d better hold onto something, one.”

Hitting the switch Rip grabbed onto a handle holding on tightly as the launch suddenly started to dive. He lost his grip when they were thrown to one side and slammed into the bulkhead hearing Gideon call his name before blackness.

*********************************************

“Where are they?” Nathan demanded, “Have we heard anything from them?”

Tony grimaced from communications, “Nothing yet, sir.”

“Lucas?”

“I’m following their trail, Captain,” Lucas replied, “But the energy from Rip’s shard is distorting all readings.”

Nathan swore under his breath, it was almost an hour since he’d heard from his people after they received a quick message saying that they were in trouble. He trusted those three implicitly. They were his best people and when the three of them worked together they could do anything. But their guest was an unknown quality in all of this and Nathan was beginning to get concerned. Hearing noise from the pool he turned

“Darwin,” he walked to the dolphin and hit the vocorder, “I can’t let you out. We’re too deep.”

“Hunter friend,” Darwin told him, “Not bad.”

Nathan stroked his friend’s head, “You’re telling me I shouldn’t be worried about our guest?”

Darwin nodded.

“And I should be focussing on other concerns,” he chuckled when Darwin splashed him and nodded, “Thank you, my friend.”

Turning back to watch his people on the bridge Nathan walked over to the communications station, “Mr Piccolo, contact Kingsman and ask them for a status update. I want to know if they’ve found any changes to the barrier?”

“Yes, Sir,” Piccolo replied.

Motioning over to his second in command Nathan moved him back so they could talk in private without worrying the rest of the bridge crew.

“Have you heard anything from the other launches?” Nathan asked.

Jonathan grimaced, “Not yet. Dr Smith says she sensed panic before nothing else. She’s sure they’re alive but can’t give us anything else.”

Nathan sighed.

“Captain, we both know how good the three of them are on their own,” Jonathan reminded him, “Two of them working together can do anything. The three of them together…”

Nodding Nathan smiled, “Can do anything.”

“We’ll find them,” Jonathan said with conviction.

*********************************************

Rip stumbled back to consciousness finding Gideon leaning over him worriedly.

“Captain?” she asked.

“What happened?” Rip sighed, rubbing his hand across his eyes.

Gideon shrugged, “You hit your head.”

“That bit I know,” he forced himself to sit up, looking round he saw the three members of the Seaquest crew all looking a little worse for wear.

Tim had a large cut along his forehead which Kate was tending to while Miguel was on the radio trying to contact someone.

“Good you’re awake,” Kate said glancing round and finding him sitting up, “Are you okay?”

Rip shrugged, “I’ve been better. You?”

“We’re all a little banged up,” she replied, “Tim got the worst of it since he was driving.”

Climbing up to join them he grimaced seeing they had landed on the bottom of the ocean, at an awkward angle just feet from the shard. Almost within touching distance of his possible way back to Gideon properly.

Rip looked at the cut on Tim’s forehead, “That looks nasty.”

“But hopefully it shouldn’t scar,” Kate smirked to her friend, “We don’t want to ruin that perfect porcelain skin of yours.”

Tim frowned at her, “There are days I really hate you.”

“I know,” she patted his cheek making him grin despite himself.

Rip smiled slightly as he could see how deep the friendship between them was, a friendship that reminded him of his with Gideon in some ways. The teasing, banter and deep affection that ran through every word.

“If you two are done playing doctor,” Miguel spoke up with annoyed amusement in his voice, “I can’t get through to the Seaquest. I think the shard is interfering, Rip.”

Musing Rip leaned over to see the readings they were getting, “Does your grappler arm still work?”

Miguel nodded, “Yeah.”

“If we can dislodge the shard it should deactivate the forcefield,” Rip noted, “I hope. Which will then allow our call for help to get through as well as any rescue.”

“The one problem with that is where the shard sitting,” Miguel continued, “The grappler works but where we’re resting we don’t have a proper line of sight. It’ll be hit or miss and considering the energy it’s putting out we could make it explode.”

Rip grimaced before he heard Gideon’s soft voice in his ear, “Captain, I can guide you.”

Giving her a slight smile, he turned back to Miguel, “I can get it.”

“What?” the other man asked surprised.

“I have…” he hesitated trying to work out to explain without coming off as completely insane, “An affinity with the shard,” he finally decided on, “I’m sure I can get it.”

The other three occupants of the small ship looked at one another, silently conferring before Miguel nodded, “Okay. I’ll show you the controls.”

Gideon waited while Mr Ortiz went through the controls with her Captain. As soon as Rip was ready she started walking and stepped through the bulkhead into the deep blue of the ocean. It was even more beautiful than seeing it through the windows of the launch. Continuing forward to the golden glow of the shard she stopped and turned to look back at the launch, “Captain, can you hear me?”

The mechanical arm on the small vessel moved up and down as though nodding making her smile.

“Alright, Captain,” she said, “You can begin and I shall guide once you need me to.”

She watched the arm move slowly towards the shard of the time-core that was lodged in the soil at the bottom of the ocean. It stopped suddenly.

“Move three inches to the right,” Gideon said, waiting for several seconds before she advised, “Alright, forward until I tell you to stop.”

Gideon moved with the arm before saying, “Stop,” she studied the shard once more, “Turn the arm twenty-eight degrees to the left and then move forward again very slowly.”

She waited until it was in position before speaking once more, “Captain, stop moving. You are in position to take the shard.”

The moment he got the shard in the grip of the mechanical arm Gideon turned back towards the launch. Watching the shard being drawn inside she started back to the small vessel.

A flash in her peripheral vision made her turn and frown, “Captain, there is something coming towards you but it does not appear to be from the Seaquest.”

She started moving again only to turn when she sensed the disturbance in the water around her. A torpedo flew past and she cried out, “Captain!!!!”

Part Five

#fic #legends of tomorrow #rip hunter #gideon #seaquest #nathan bridger #tim o'neill

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lodane · 4 years

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[curated] Star Trek: The Original Series

KEY: {personal fave} = i like and remember this one [foundational] = lays down info that will come up again [three amigos] = kirk/bones/spock banter [famously bad] = everyone says it's bad but watch it anyway [meet XYZ] = usually accompanying "foundational" [much trek] = so star, very essence [much TROPES] = a pop culture icon episode [hugo] = nominated for a hugo award ★☆☆☆☆ = was listed as a "top 10" episode in 1/5 lists ★★★★★ = was listed as a "top 10" episode in 5/5 lists

SEASON 1

"The Cage" (Pilot #1)

"The Man Trap"

"Charlie X"

s01e03 "Where No Man Has Gone Before" (Pilot #2) ★★☆☆☆

s01e04 "The Naked Time" ★☆☆☆☆ [foundational] [three amigos] [hugo]

s01e05 "The Enemy Within" ★☆☆☆☆ {personal fave} [much trek]

s01e06 "Mudd's Women" {personal fave} [foundational] [famously bad]

"What Are Little Girls Made Of?"

"Miri"

s01e09 "Dagger of the Mind" [foundational] [meet the mind meld]

s01e10 "The Corbomite Maneuver" ★☆☆☆☆ [hugo]

s01e11 "The Menagerie" Part 1 [foundational] [meet Pike] [hugo]

s01e12 "The Menagerie" Part 2

"The Conscience of the King"

s01e14 "Balance of Terror" ★★★★☆ [foundational] [much trek] [meet the Romulans]

"Shore Leave"

s01e16 "The Galileo Seven" ★☆☆☆☆ [three amigos]

"The Squire of Gothos"

s01e18 "Arena" ★★★☆☆

"Tomorrow Is Yesterday"

"Court Martial"

s01e21 "The Return Of The Archons" [foundational] [much trek] [meet the Prime Directive]

s01e22 "Space Seed" ★★★★★ [foundational] [much trek] [meet Khan]

"A Taste of Armageddon"

s01e24 "This Side of Paradise" ★★☆☆☆ [three amigos]

s01e25 "The Devil in the Dark" ★☆☆☆☆

s01e26 "Errand Of Mercy" [foundational] [much trek] [meet the Klingons]

"The Alternative Factor"

s01e28 "The City on the Edge of Forever" ★★★★★ [much trek] [three amigos] [hugo]

"Operation: Annihilate!"

SEASON 2

s02e01 "Amok Time" ★★★★☆ {personal fave} [foundational] [much trek] [much TROPES] [three amigos] [meet Ponn Farr] [hugo]

"Who Mourns for Adonais?"

"The Changeling"

s02e04 "Mirror, Mirror" ★★★★★ {personal fave} [foundational] [much trek] [three amigos] [meet the goatee] [hugo]

"The Apple"

s02e06 "The Doomsday Machine" ★★★★☆ [much trek] [hugo]

"Catspaw"

s02e08 "I, Mudd" {personal fave} [foundational] [famously bad] [much TROPES]

s02e09 "Metamorphosis" [foundational] [meet Zef]

s02e10 "Journey to Babel" ★★★☆☆ [foundational] [three amigos] [meet Sarek]

s02e11 "Friday's Child" [more Klingons]

s02e12 "The Deadly Year" [more Romulans]

"Obsession"

"Wolf in the Fold"

s02e15 "The Trouble with Tribbles" ★★★★☆ {personal fave} [foundational] [much trek] [hugo]

"The Gamesters of Triskelion"

"A Piece of the Action"

"The Immunity Syndrome"

s02e19 "A Private Little War" [more Klingons]

s02e20 "A Piece of the Action" ★☆☆☆☆ [much trek]

s02e21 "Patterns Of Force" [more Prime Directive]

"By Any Other Name"

"The Omega Glory"

"The Ultimate Computer"

s02e25 "Bread and Circuses" [much trek] [three amigos]

"Assignment: Earth"

SEASON 3

"Spock's Brain"

s03e02 "The Enterprise Incident" ★★★☆☆ [more Romulans]

"The Paradise Syndrome"

"And the Children Shall Lead"

"Is There in Truth No Beauty?"

"Spectre of the Gun"

s03e07 "Day Of The Dove" [more Klingons]

s03e08 "For The World Is Hollow And I Have Touched The Sky" [three amigos]

s03e09 "The Tholian Web" {personal fave} [foundational] [much trek] [three amigos] [meet the Tholians]

"Plato's Stepchildren"

"Wink of an Eye"

s03e12 "The Empath" [three amigos]

"Elaan of Troyius"

"Whom Gods Destroy"

s03e15 "Let That Be Your Last Battlefield" [much trek]

"The Mark of Gideon"

"That Which Survives"

"The Lights of Zetar"

"Requiem for Methuselah"

"The Way to Eden"

"The Cloud Minders"

"The Savage Curtain"

s03e23 "All Our Yesterdays" [three amigos]

"Turnabout Intruder"

Additional Sources:

"Star Trek: The Ultimate Trip Through the Galaxies". Entertainment Weekly (Special Edition). January 18, 1995.

"IGN's Top 10 Classic Star Trek Episodes". IGN. http://uk.tv.ign.com/articles/973/973606p1.html

Baker, Tim (January 2, 2016). "The Top 10 Original Star Trek Episodes". Newsweek. http://www.newsweek.com/newsweeks-top-10-star-trek-original-series-410044

TV: Best Of/Worst Of (May 18, 2013). "Ranking All 79 'Star Trek: The Original Series' Episodes from Worst to Best". Hollywood.com. http://www.hollywood.com/tv/ranking-star-trek-original-series-79-episodes-best-worst-59094091/

Graeme McMillan (January 28, 2015). "WIRED Binge-Watching Guide: Star Trek". WIRED. https://www.wired.com/2015/01/binge-watch-star-trek-tos/

Juliette Harrisson (September 8, 2018). "Star Trek: An Episode Roadmap for Beginners" https://www.wired.com/2015/01/binge-watch-star-trek-tos/

#star trek the original series #binge watching guides

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fearsomesheep · 7 years

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#Fun Fact Friday

SMILES

Lucy. Beams! Inclined to get sore cheeks from smiles (worth it). Can fake smile on the worst of days but she's also easy to make genuinely smile.

Scott: Mischievous grins. Sly half-smiles. Eyebrow wiggles with his grins. Also pretty easy to get a smile out of.

Chrissy: wry smirks and big smiles that are all in the cheeks. Shy about her smiles but worth it if you coax them out of her.

Brad: small smiles that touch the corners of his mouth and eyes. Flirty knowing smirks for a certain Tim Baskerville. Rare smiler.

Paige: Big bubbly grins, open mouthed smiles. Face squishes to make as much room for a smile as possible; ergo eyes are closed. Smiles frequently.

Gideon: Bashful smiles and toothy grins. Can be tough to crack a smile out of him but it depends on who you are. Inclined to sad smiles.

Sierra: Subtle smiles. Ironic smirks. 'Come at me bro I will own you ass' grins. Only smiles if there's a 'decent' reason behind it. Hates fake smiling.

Gravitas: Unsettling grins. Rarely gives sincere smiles.

#bringing this back!#YIMWN #You're in my worlds now #FunFactFriday #Fun fact Friday #SMILES #agh will fix/add tags when not on mobile #-_-#also the formatting

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rhetoricandlogic · 5 years

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Sleeps With Monsters: Forthcoming (Queer) Novels Starring (Queer) Women (by Liz Bourke on tor.com)

A few days before I sat down to write this post, I asked a wide range of my acquaintance on the hellsite known as Twitter whether there were any novels or novellas featuring f/f relationships or starring queer women that they knew and were looking forward to in the second half of 2019 or definitely earmarked for 2020. It turns out that there are quite a few—forty-odd, in fact.

Progress is a fine thing.

Some of these novels were personally recommended to me by people who’ve previously had good form on telling if I’d like something. Some of them are sequels to novels that I deeply enjoyed, or from authors with a track record of writing things I enjoy. And some of them I know almost nothing about, besides their cover copy and the news that they’re queer. A handful I’ve already read. I’ll make it clear which is which, as I list them below.

Max Gladstone’s Empress of Forever (July 2019) is among the ones I’ve already read, and it is fantastic. Big and thinky and vastly full of space operatic madness. I’ve read The Hound of Justice by Claire O’Dell (July 2019) as well—it’s a satisfying sequel to A Study in Honor, her near-future Sherlock reimagining. And Fran Wilde’s The Fire Opal Mechanism (June 2019) is also a sequel of sorts, standing alone in the world of The Jewel and Her Lapidary, exploring love and growth, power and the tension between knowledge’s specificity and its accessibility, in a world threatened by totalitarianism. And Aliette de Bodard’s delightfully queer collection Of War, and Memories, and Starlight (September 2019) is a glittering group of stories that have a lot of queer women in them.

From friends who have been right before when they recommended me things comes word of A.K. Larkwood’s The Unspoken Name (February 2020) and Tamsyn Muir’s Gideon the Ninth (September 2019), space opera Seven Devils by Laura Lam and Elizabeth May (June 2020) and fantasy The Library of the Unwritten by A.J. Hackwith (September 2019), The Outside by Ada Hoffman (June 2019) and Steel Crow Saga by Paul Krueger (September 2019).

Sequels or new works from authors I’ve enjoyed before is a longer list. Of course I’m deeply eager for C.L. Polk’s Stormsong (February 2020) and Arkady Martine’s A Desolation Called Peace (March 2020), sequels to Witchmark and A Memory Called Empire respectively. K.A. Doore’s The Impossible Contract (November 2019) and The Warrior Moon by K. Arsenault Rivera (September 2019); The House of Sundering Flames by Aliette de Bodard (July 2019) and Floodtide by Heather Rose Jones (November 2019). But this list also includes Girls of Storm and Shadow by Natasha Ngan (November 2019), City of Stone and Silence by Django Wexler (January 2020), The Forbidden Stars by Tim Pratt (October 2019), Alex White’s The Worst of All Possible Worlds (January 2020), Moontangled by Stephanie Burgis (February 2020), Unsung Heroine by Sarah Kuhn (July 2019), Lost Boys, the new Laundry novel by Charles Stross (late 2020), Down Among the Dead by K.B. Wagers (December 2019), and A Pale Light in the Black, also by K.B. Wagers (March 2020), which will start a new series in a different setting.

There remain fifteen titles of which I know almost nothing beyond title, cover copy, and a promise that it fits the criteria. Here they are, in (alleged: we all know the 2020 titles, at least, may yet move around) publication order:

The Affair of the Mysterious Letter by Alexis Hall (June 2019);

Shatter the Sky by Rebecca Kim Wells (July 2019);

A Song for a New Day by Sarah Pinsker (September 2019);

Crier’s War by Nina Varelas (October 2019);

Tarnished Are the Stars by Rosiee Thor (October 2019);

The Never-Tilting World by Rin Chupeco (October 2019);

Sisters of the Vast Black by Lina Rather (October 2019);

Lady Hotspur by Tessa Gratton (January 2020);

Come Tumbling Down by Seanan McGuire (January 2020);

Upright Women Wanted by Sarah Gailey (February 2020);

Queen of Coin and Whispers by Helen Corcoran (2020);

The Dark Tide by Alicia Jasinska (2020);

Belle Révolte by Linsey Miller (2020);

When We Were Magic by Sarah Gailey (2020);

Witches of Ash and Ruin by E. Latimer (2020).

So tell me. What have I missed? Who else should be on this list? What are you most looking forward to?

#bookrec #long post #also #booksandghosts #look a new Max Gladstone

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djatoon · 4 years

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https://globalvisionuk.com/the-medias-proxy-war-against-boris-is-payback-for-brexit/

The Media's Proxy War Against Boris

By Tim Bowling

"It is eighty years since Winston Churchill became wartime Prime Minister. His “blood, toil, tears and sweat” marked decisively the turning point in the war against Hitler’s Nazi Germany. How ironic that wartime language has become the norm now with the “battle to defeat the virus” phrase common parlance.

The analogy of a silent war against a hidden enemy continues to hold. Yet in the background another battle is taking place. At present the news establishment is at war with Boris. In normal times this would not matter. But the conflict in which the Press is engaging has major consequences, influencing Government policy in a wholly detrimental manner. This proxy war is being waged by a resentful media, punishing Boris Johnson for his landslide victory at the December general election and as unexpected for a politician, delivering his Brexit promise a few weeks later.

Boris was always either going to be the Prime Minister for ten weeks or for ten years. And with a majority of this size… Brexit could just be the start.

Laura Kuenssberg, BBC

A documentary made just after the general election, “The Brexit Storm Continues”, closed with host Laura Kuenssberg visibly deflated with the outcome of events. She opined “…Boris was always either going to be the Prime Minister for ten weeks or for ten years. And with a majority of this size [80]…Brexit could just be the start”. The inflection of her voice and resigned demeanour spoke a thousand words alone.

Just a few months later the stick needed to deliver some hefty blows on the Government appeared suddenly. Coronavirus provided the perfect opportunity to enact revenge and bring to ground a Government riding high in the opinion polls.

There can be few qualms Boris has made avoidable errors during his campaign against Covid-19. Why was the lockdown-easing speech made on Sunday 10th May, rather than Thursday 7th May as promised? Why was the detailed guidance not released until twenty four hours after the speech? Why did Boris say the guidance should begin on Monday morning when the document itself specified Wednesday? Why has the Prime Minister continued to send out the same small group of charisma-free Ministers to sell the policy? Why is the Press Briefing still being held daily? Why do journalists continue to be allowed to ask “follow-up” questions on topics entirely unrelated to their previous questions? Why are the five tests trotted out at every press conference as though the British public are idiots? All avoidable.

Despite these mistakes few could argue the Government faces monumental difficulties. Never before in modern times has a fledgling administration been faced with solving a health crisis of such magnitude. To think it would be easy to “defeat” Covid-19 would be at best disingenuous and at worst hubris. Yet the Conservative party under Boris has allowed itself to fall into the traps laid by the media each day in their relentless crusade to kneecap this Government at every available opportunity.

The Evening Standard this week published an article claiming “Sir Keir Starmer overtakes Boris Johnson in approval ratings”. The headline was writ large and spelled out “the new normal” – Boris’s huge poll lead had been built on sand and had crumbled. Yet reading the piece itself told another story. The Prime Minister’s approval rating was still at 57% compared to the new Opposition leader at 40%. One does not have to pass GCSE Maths to calculate this gave Boris a lead of 17%. Nonetheless George Osborne, a perennial Boris enemy, had decided to use “net approval” as his yardstick, primarily as this delivered the headline he craved. With Boris recording a disapproval rating of 35% compared to Sir Keir at 17%, the Labour leader netted +23%, one percentage point ahead of the Prime Minister on +22%. Game, set and match to George Gideon Osborne. Other papers have followed suit. When even that beacon of Conservative support, the Daily Telegraph, is plastering pictures of Keir Starmer all over its front cover, and praising him in their editorials with undiluted adulation, you know something is awry.

Who knows what might have happened had Boris been at the helm throughout? Perhaps we might have seen less of the ineptitude demonstrated by his cabinet ministers. Who was in charge to castigate the various Ministers as they got caught in cross fire on the Today programme, were crushed by Piers Morgan on Good Morning Britain or fell foul even of the usually genial Philip Schofield on This Morning? With Boris fighting for his life in an ICU bed, one assumes Dominic Cummings was also side-lined. It is hard to believe he would have allowed the car crash in slow motion unfolding before our eyes.

Consequently the media has so far succeeded in sowing the seeds of doubt into a previously staunchly supportive electorate. Boris’s absence allowed them to outflank his team and turn the screw. Just as in the referendum, when Continuity Remain lingered on the Brexit battlefield long after the Leave campaign had tasted victory and departed, so the Press now sat quietly, waiting for its opportunity to pounce. Few expected it might arrive so expeditiously.

Media outlets chose their strategy carefully. Having spent years accusing Boris of selling off the NHS to private suppliers, they were quick to reprimand him for Britain not having a private diagnostics industry to fall back on with antigen testing. For weeks they scolded the Prime Minister for not implementing lockdown, yet as soon as he did, the Press lambasted him for wrecking the economy. They were swift to move on to the NHS being potentially overwhelmed and even swifter to train their sights on care homes when it was clear NHS beds were still in plentiful supply. Each time the Government, by now missing its magnetic leader, remained reactive rather than proactive, stumbling into each trap like a drunkard in a mine field. The Press wielded their stick with ever more substantial hits. At the daily Briefings journalists continue to trot out the same tired questions on Brexit and whether the Government will extend the transition period. Their aggrieved strategy could not be more transparent.

The dilemma for the Prime Minister has been worsened by an absent House of Commons for much of the crisis. The daily press briefing has taken over as a surrogate Parliament. Ministers doggedly repeat the same mantra every day, thus alienating exponentially their previous supporters. In the absence of Westminster, journalists portray themselves as the instrument to hold the Government to account. In actuality they are simply refighting old battles.

Boris has chosen well the text books to consult in his recovery and must surely analyse his old hero once again. Churchill fought valiantly throughout World War II and avoided many of the traps planted by the enemy. He was a master of military strategy whereas the Government knows next to nothing about virology. Even with his ultimate great victory, Churchill lost the ensuing general election as the electorate decided they aspired to something different. Never again to return to the pre-war health according to wealth.

With a serious Opposition forming for the first time in a decade, Boris must manoeuvre proactively, not dance to the perpetual tune of the media. If not, how suddenly in this pantomime his political future could be behind him."

Good article. I've been saying much the same for weeks.

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justanotherdumpingground · 5 years

Text

Chapter Reviews: February 5-9, 2019

Desire & Decorum Chapter 8:

Okay, the part where I get to joke about Duke Richards and Gideon being closet lovers is funny. I know it's supposed to be a joke, but I have no problems entertaining the possibility. Imagine the scandal it could cause.

Playing nice with the duke while acting snarky at the same time has always been my favorite part of this story, and the hunting season is no exception.

The love declaration with Hamid was really sweet, and I can't wait to see what kinds of challenges await them. But first, I need Duke Richards taken care of. This duel is making me nervous because they're life and death situations, though I'm confident Hamid will make out alive.

The Heist: Monaco Chapter 10:

The MC's disguise is so paper-thin that it shouldn't be a surprise Ansel will catch up to him. I couldn't afford the option to talk to Ansel about our time together, so not sure what to say. And why didn't Ansel off the MC when given the opportunity he has here? That would've been easy, right.

What Ansel said about Rye betraying was supposed to shake the heist crew's confidence, but I'm confident Rye was tricked, just as Myra and Tucker were blackmailed. However, I still need time to recover from all this.

Shame hanging out with Eris costs diamonds, and I couldn't afford them. Thoguh given the misunderstanding around Rye, I'm glad this crew knows how to stick together.

So Ansel has a private army, eh? Well, two can play the game. I'll just use the cooperation in my crew to beat that army.

America's Most Eligible Chapter 4:

I kinda wish the premium outfit for male MC consists of a tank top and short shorts because I think my MC would look good at them. I guess I shouldn't expect everything I want to happen.

Anyway, I paid for the premium option to get Vince to open himself to me, and I find it worth it. He talks about how a ruthless mindset is needed to win at all costs, allowing me to learn about his perspective. On the other hand, I still think his motives are shallow because he doesn't talk about what he would do with the money. It could be possible I missed a dialogue choice that reveals this, but still.

Anyway, Vince and I won, and I love the sandcastle. Even better, I sent my MC to spend some private time with his boyfriend Adam. They need to spend some time together. However, I'm pissed off that Bianca's not an option for the private moment. I may not be pursuing her, but it seems that PB is treating her as a secondary love interest again, which is a disservice to her character.

Speaking of Bianca, I'm so ecstatic she's my ally. It's been a long time coming.

Eden and Kiana are enamored with each other? I am so helping them together.

As for the elimination announcement on Bianca, Yvette, Ronan, and Kiana, that was really suspicious on Slater's part. I first thought he was cool for backing me up for standing up to Ivy, but now with his quick accusations of Ivy, he's becoming too fishy to my liking. Of course I could be wrong, considering Ivy's shadowy collaboration with Vince, but there's still room for suspicion.

Anyway, can't wait for the snorkeling date.

A Courtesan of Rome Chapter 14:

Honestly, I find Cassius too idealistic to my liking. All his talk about saving the Republic despite the selfishness of his fellow senators comes across as willfully blind to the reality of government. At least Antony sees things pragmatically despite the fact that the real Antony was much crueler than this one.

The scene where Aquila was forcing himself on the MC made me nervous. I though she won't survive the ordeal, considering what he did to her tribe and wife. It was a relief Sabina showed up and stood up to him by threatening to tell all this to Marc Antony.

On a side note, I kinda want to see Victus and Delphinia again. However, how will Delphinia reunite with her family when she's in Macedonia instead of Rome?

The Elementalists Chapter 17:

Holy cow! This is an exciting chapter! The fight against Raife is highly brutal that he essentially beats Griffin, Shreya, Beckett, Zeph, and Tim with little effort after his shadow minions have been defeated. This guys shows how much of a threat he is. Fortunately, I have all spells mastered and fought him with barely a scratch, even though I didn't grab the mace. Now it's just a matter of bracing myself and Atlast against the blood moon.

As for Dean Goeffe being his accomplice in the last chapter, I did not expect that, though I expect Raife to not keep his end of the bargain with her by killing her.

Despite my excitement over this chapter, I'm still concerned over two things. One: Aster is sidelined again, though with a somewhat justified reason because of the significant amount of energy branching consumes. It still annoys me that the writers still find a way to sideline her just because they wasted a lot of resources on more unnecessary scenes with Beckett. Two: While I acknowledge the significant threat Raife poses, his motives are... lacking. I mean, what is his end goal aside from wanting attunement to all elements? That just makes him no better than Rourke, whom I openly despise for his short-sightedness and utter blandness.

Anyway, thank goodness this chapter is released because it just reignited my appreciation for The Elementalists again.

Ride or Die Chapter 4:

Honestly, Colt and Logan's argument comes across as way more immature than Seth and Teja's in RCD Book 2. The difference is that Seth and Teja aren't supposed to behave this way because the writers decided to mess them up as part of their blatant ploy to set up Thomas Hunt as a forced love interest. In the case of Colt and Logan, their argument is consistent with their personalities, which I don't like.

As for Mona, I actually find her eh. I wish I could consider her okay compared to Logan and Colt, but her lack of personality makes me accept her out of pity. As for Ximena and Toby, they should've been somewhere else instead of hanging out with those bunch of losers that's the Mercy Park Crew. And why are we helping them escape, especially that creepy stalker that is Logan?

For this book, I'm focusing on my MC's studies and staying away from Logan as much as possible. Seriously, screw him. I bet he's gonna overtake Nick Peralta's spot as worst Choices LI ever. Not to mention Logan's creepy attitude towards the MC puts him dangerously close to the cesspit that includes Rourke, Duke Richards, Mallory, Markus von Groot, Viktor Montmartre, Nick Peralta, Lester, Priya, the Baron, and the Crandalls minus Skye.

You know, if I were the MC, I would team up with her dad and Jason Shaw to take down MPC. All their talk of being screwed by the system only to screw it again with their street racing makes them dumber than bricks.

Thoughts on Open Heart: This book has slipped from my radar since it was first hinted at. Now that the trailer is released, I need to keep a cautious eye on it, especially with the deteriorating quality of some series as of late. Hopefully it'll be much better than Ride or Die, and the ability to pick the protagonist's gender is a start.

#choices stories you play #choices desire & decorum #choices d&d #choices the heist: monaco #choices thm #choices america's most eligible #choices ame #chocies a courtesan of rome #choices acor #choices the elementalists #choices te #choices ride or die #choices rod #chapter reviews

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tormentedthoughtsonpaper · 6 years

Audio

Mashrou Leila with Roisin Murphy - Salam by Block9 Conceived after an extended period of covert operations helping Banksy produce the Walled Off Hotel art project in Bethlehem, London artists Block9 returned to the West Bank in February 2018 for "Creative Retreat at The Walled Off Hotel" which saw them host a musical creative retreat… with a difference. A twist on traditional, peaceful retreats for writers, musicians and painters in the Swiss Alps or the South of France, the retreat aimed to stimulate creativity and cultural connections, taking inspiration from the geo-political landscape of Palestine. The clichéd chalet with open fire and mountain views was swapped for "the hotel with the worst view in the world”, which sits in the shadow of the 25ft high concrete Israeli separation barrier. A group of select recording artists from across the globe were invited to take part including world renowned musician and producer Brian Eno, Beirut's much heralded Mashrou Leila, underground US DJ/Producer The Black Madonna, avant-garde singer/songwriter/producer Roisin Murphy, and Palestinian heavyweight Samir Joubran of Trio Joubran who joined fresh from recording with Roger Waters of Pink Floyd fame. Other artists included Palestinian violin virtuoso Akram Abdulfattah and up-and-coming Brixton lyrical gymnast EBS. Multi-talented UK musician and producer FRED also joined. FRED's behind-the-scenes credits include Ellie Goulding, Stefflon Don and George Ezra. Due to travel restrictions Mashrou Leila and Brian Eno worked remotely via live video link. Each artist was given a loose brief - to respond musically to their time spent in Palestine. All were given a month following the retreat to deliver. All have created incredible music. Gideon and Steve would like to thank: Banksy for trust and philanthropy. Holly: The godmother of everything. Paula, Leila for literally everything. Alyssa, Josh & Margy at Block9 for carrying this project all the way to the starting line. Ed Cartwright for spiritual guidance and mentoring. Adrian Meehan at Soho Radio for all his help, volunteering his time, studio and genius production skills. Lance DeSardi for his endless generosity, many many hours in the studio and his masters ears. Luke Solomon for being a fixer and a powerhouse. Above Board Distribution for out of hours help. Jo and Clare for Claridges crisis meetings. Aly at Bandcamp. Raoul at Soundcloud. Hoare Associates for free legal support. Nick Dewey & Emily Eavis. Jonathan Cooper OBE, Daniel Machover and Emily Schaffer for legal support in UK and Israel. Ray Hearn for his endless patience. Eleven Management for bearing with us. Tom Faber. Oliver and David at Nerve Management. Sandy at Coda. Midland, Prosumer, Andy Butler, Emma Eastwood, Robin Dundas, Mel Poluck & Joshua Fisher for encouragement. Ryan, Stevie, Amy, Ben and all at RA for the months of complicity. Avihay Partok, Roi Perez, Tim Rosenberger, Yoni Margulies, Eyal Shalom, Oren Marzam, Or Magal, Ori Druckman, Oded Ben Shimon, (Gay Jew Mafia). Matt Colton for gratis mastering. Wisam, Rasha and their beautiful girls. Abu Hassan & Bisher and all the wonderful people at the Walled Off. Esme and Olivia. Firas for Beirut based friendship and trust. Abed, Martin and Rami at PMX. John Humphrey & Nai at Higher Ground. Wolfgang Tillmans, Martin Perry photography. Karim & Mayte. And finally all the artists who worked tirelessly to make this thing happen. شكرا

#IFTTT #SoundCloud

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