come wake, in slow-motion

She/Her. Aussie expat. Fandom Old. Drummer. Multishipper. All up in Genshin/SGA/Criminal Minds/die ärzte/Mitch Pileggi/The X-Files/The Monkees/1960s in general/Random games/A lot of genre TV/Whatever takes my fancy.

[audioletter]

Across the Universe Em/Dave AUPalooza 2026

Words are flowing out like endless rain into a paper cup...

Scope (Assassin/Handler)

After All, It Was You and Me (Devil/Priest)

Plus One (Gigolo/Client)

The Girl I Knew Somewhere (1970s Timey Wimey AU)

Briarwood (B&B AU)

Blackbird Ink (Tattoo Shop AU)

33⅓ Revolutions (Vinyl Daddy Dave/Record Store AU)

(All fics have different ratings, so please check before you read :)

This little event started as me trying to clear some WIPs and ended up exactly that - words flowing out like endless rain into a paper cup. The paper cup being StimuWrite and AO3, but I defer to John Lennon's words, in that even in different universes? With Em/Dave, nothing's gonna change (their) world.

I have been Going Through It, so this also helped me through a tough time, as creative pursuits often do. I love our little corner of the internet - we may be a tiny, contemptuous rarepair, but by gosh are we mighty. Our pans and pots are banged (uhhhh) and our voids are screamed into. To the All In/Mantegna Cabal - you the best. 🧡

Some small facts about AUPalooza: - 53,799 words of Em/Dave being Em/Dave in other universes (AO3's slightly off word count used, total is actually more) - Music ended up being the weaving thread through the whole thing, which seems fitting for me. Mostly 1960s and 1970s music, and several fics harp back to the others (Baby the rifle, Baby the dog) - Vinyl Daddy Dave refuses to stock KISS for no viable reason other than he just refuses to, and he plays Piaf in the mornings for his mum - Yes, that's a clear 'Pretty Woman' reference in Plus One, but that's made obvious in the fic (I bloody well hope so) - The National's 'Slow Show' (aka the Em/Dave Thesis Song) finally appeared in Scope, after hanging on to it 'til the right moment - Blackbird Ink was the hardest to write as it forced me out of my spilling emotions style of writing into something more tactile. My brain really ruminated over that one, and I hope it landed lmao - The Girl I Knew Somewhere has been the one I gravitate to the most, but I think it's the romantic I am, frankly. Across the Universe indeed - Briarwood spilled out of me in around about five hours? The walk/condom reveal actually eventuated due to there being a gap in my Beat Sheet - thus, hilarity ensued - After All, It Was You and Me was intended to be longer but it felt bloated, so I trimmed it a lot. It did what it was supposed to, I feel - All in all, these fics prove that in character AUs are possible I hope, especially with Em/Dave.

As for 2027? Who knows, maybe Em/Dave in space (no)?

Thank you for reading, and now - Undercover Evo Era Shenanigans will ensue!

🧡

[audioletter]

me on my first day of work

me every day after

[audioletter]

BAM! tuesday 4-word prompt set!

projection

scrape

comb

slip

It's actually Wednesday a week later, but still! I wrote JJ/Reid, which is not a pairing I ever thought I would, but challenged myself to write this year.

An Archive of Our Own, a project of the Organization for Transformative Works

It's not my best work, but I tried and that's the important thing!

And I'm at a cafe with one of my closest friends and we are writing together and it's great. So JJ/Reid was in good company but no, probably never writing them again.

They are cutie pops though.

[audioletter]

Em/Dave Cabal, I need your help!

I want to make a Beginner's Manifesto for our baby All In ship, so:

notable moments

quotes

reasons why you should ship them

why we're so rabid for them

headcanons we consider to be part of our cabal

key fics to recommend

anything! gifs, screencaps, evidence

Any help is appreciated, the time has come to raise the flag! Inbox me or leave a comment or reblog whatever <3

[mostlyrossi]

Emily, your need for that cookie is showing ...

[audioletter]

Now AUPalooza 2026 Is Over

The important question: who was the hottest Dave?

Hottest Dave?

Scope (Handler!Dave)

After All, It Was You & Me (Priest!Dave)

The Girl I Knew Somewhere (1970s!Dave)

Plus One (Gigolo!Dave)

Briarwood (B&B!Dave)

Blackbird Ink (ClientWithIntent!Dave)

331/3 Revolutions (Vinyl Daddy Dave)

Voting ended onMar 15

These are very important statistics, people

(the real answer is All of the Above but)

[audioletter]

I forgot to check the results but a tie (with @fangirlsalad coming in sharp with Priest!Dave lmao)

I'm the tie-breaker as it's still the 18th somewhere so the winner:

AUPalooza Dave We All Wanna Bang Handler!Dave | Scope

Try to keep my distance Talkin’ of forgiveness

[spurious]

Whilst it is still the 18th, I come bearing @audioletter the traditional (if two years counts as tradition) offering: Criminal Minds/X-Files crossover slash that I got oddly invested in while writing

Benefits

David Rossi/Walter Skinner, 836 words, rated M

Dave has occasion to reflect on a longstanding friendship.

Happy birthday, my love, I hope the year is filled with joy as you deserve 💖

[audioletter]

THE LAST DON | Part Two

[audioletter]

Happy Birthday!!! Hope your day is awesome and you can do everything you love to do!!

(Sending this as an ask so it's a surprise 😉)

It was certainly a surprise considering!

Thank you 🧡

[audioletter]

JJ is the Queen of Chaos & Gossip, I adore your characterisation.

Dave may not celebrate his own birthday, but he sure as hell helps Emily with hers... thank you, JJ 😊

(And none for Mendoza, bye) made me cackle.

Happy Birthday for tomorrow, have a fantastic day!

🧡💛🧡

LMAO I was talking to a friend about the weird threesome shoehorned in conversation and it turned to "but what if Dave was there" and it was Birthday Eve so I could be as degenerate as possible. 💁🏼‍♀️

And thank you <3 You're a blessing, thank you for hyping me up when I need it, and for always banging pots and pans with me. And ogling the Old Man 😈🧡

[audioletter]

Truly @spurious knows me too well. Yes you better believe this old man is going on my bag 🙂😌

[audioletter]

[audioletter]

"It pisses him off because it was so unlike her, so obviously her not sure how to send the message, how to start it; he hates that she's at arm's length due to his own doing, "

"Emily has to wait. She would wait, and he almost feels bad. "

"...high-end location, wedding ring on his finger and his rumpled clothes still look expensive..." 

Chastity didn't suit him. 

"You don't have to fuck me like you mean it, Dave. Just fuck me like you need to."

"I feel you're not making it easy for her to care for you right now." 

There is so much going on for our sad boi, the pain, guilt, the loneliness, the shame... screaming into the void.

Thank you for the feels 🖤🩶🤍

You're always welcome. You know Sad Boi Dave is my bread and butter, literally the first CM fic I wrote was Sad Boi Dave! <3

I loved writing Alice too. And no National song lyrics, even though I wrote it while listening to them! A MIRACLE!

Thank you for always being supportive and screaming into the void with me <3

[audioletter]

An Archive of Our Own, a project of the Organization for Transformative Works

Emily/JJ/Dave Explicit Evo Era

It's Emily's birthday. JJ is an engineer of chaos.

it's my birthday tomorrow lemme just dump porn without plot because i can sorry mendoza but the correct man is here byyyeeeeeee

[audioletter]

An Archive of Our Own, a project of the Organization for Transformative Works

Sad Boi Dave/Other Female Characters Evo Era, Season 16 Mature

And if you go chasing rabbits And you know you're going to fall

No Nationals were hurt in the making of this Sad Boi Dave (although I did listen to them, natch). This might not be for every one, but I have been sitting on the idea for a long time and today was the day for it.

🧡

[audioletter]

I DARE YOU TO DISSECT THE EVO SCENE 🙂

Visit Original Link

The scene, if you live under a rock and missed the ROLLERCOASTER Season 17 was. Basically, Emily is benched, Dave is there, she breaks down, they hug, there's a long dramatic tracking shot.

Okay - they don't hug per se - she falls into his waiting arms.

I'M SERIOUS

I MEAN HE'S THERE AND SHE EXPECTS HIM TO BE AND HE MOVES TO HER AND YES I AM AWARE THESE ARE TWO ACTORS MAKING CHOICES BUT LET ME LIVE

Okay, okay. Oh girl~ /stream 'Two Years' by Sigrid

So Emily's all smoking and shit and Dave can read her like a book after almost two decades:

And Dave knows she's about to breakdown and basically says, "go 'head girl, go 'head get down." Because they're about trust, and understanding, and this shines in this scene.

So she does, because she feels safe - she cracks, turns, and he's just there.

See above gif, scroll up, I'll wait and be vaguely feral at 4:34am. /Jeopardy! music plays

Okay, so you saw it again? Good. Let's continue.

The absolute magnitude of trust these two have for each is palpable in this scene. He just catches her when she breaks, and she just knows he'll be there.

The kicker?

HE FUCKING CRIES TOO?????? Mantegna, sir, that was a choice you made and I am not okay.

Then we end with this long-ass tracking shot that may as well as have 'Light Years' by The National playing over it and is basically the foundation of an angsty romance movie:

Do not think I missed his hand going to her hair at the end, or her rubbing his back. Tell me this isn't in your head right now:

It's nuts and I am using bold and underlined so this isn't all italics or keyboard smashing.

It mirrors, of course, the scene in Season 16:

Where he falls to her. It's a beautiful call back and asspats for Erica Messer et al for doing it.

Basically, this breakdown scene (and Dave's) simply highlight the inevitability, the grown up romance of Em/Dave for me. Joe and Paget play it so well, with such strength and tension that it's just...how can you ignore it?

HOW??????

Where's Pedro

I mean, I could go on and on but the tl;dr is REMEMBER WHEN HE WAS HER FIRST CALL TO BAIL HER OUT OF JAIL YEAH GOOD TIMES

I'M WATCHING YOU, MS MESSER ET AL

/drops mic, takes a sip of her drink and bangs imaginary pots and pans while screaming into the void silently because it's not even 5am

[audioletter]

Now AUPalooza 2026 Is Over

The important question: who was the hottest Dave?

Hottest Dave?

Scope (Handler!Dave)

After All, It Was You & Me (Priest!Dave)

The Girl I Knew Somewhere (1970s!Dave)

Plus One (Gigolo!Dave)

Briarwood (B&B!Dave)

Blackbird Ink (ClientWithIntent!Dave)

331/3 Revolutions (Vinyl Daddy Dave)

Voting ended onMar 15

These are very important statistics, people

(the real answer is All of the Above but)