Hello Tali! I’ve just finished reading “Focused” and I’ve some questions… you say in your commentary that Hotch feels something for JJ (in the part where she tells the team she is pregnant), but what kind of feelings you think he has?? Platonic, romantic or…? I like to think that he said what he said bc he worries for her a lot bc she is young or smth, but it’s interesting to analyze it from another perspective. What are your thoughts? What’s their relationship in canon and in the ajf fic? ☺️
heya! i love meta questions like this so i definitely want to give it due time and attention. see below the cut!
i absolutely adore jj/hotch as a concept and i think i would totally regret it if i didn't include a whisper of it in ajf. i think their dynamic is different because of their respective positions outside of the "rank and file" team. he's the unit chief and she's the media liaison - roles that put them on the fringe of the group dynamic and force a kind of kinship between them.
hotch never says no to jj. no matter what it is she asks for, big or small. i started paying attention to that after the case with the soccer players pretty early on?? i can't remember the episode off the top of my head, but it got me looking at them closer throughout the seasons.
@jenn-ifer-ja-reau made this beautiful gifset (and also this one) that demonstrates the thing between them that is both expressed and left unspoken.
thomas gibson also gave us a very.... interesting acting choice with the "jj, you could have told me" line. i think i mentioned it from reader's pov/interpretation, but he sounded so hurt! i think that speaks to something deeper. while i may not be able to articulate what that "something" is more accurately or confidently, i think it is something exciting to play with in the world.
i think it's meaningful that aaron and jj are the only parents in canon (until we get matt, of course), too. I'm sure there's analysis for that somewhere but to me, it just adds to the list of things that they have in common, the things they understand about each other that the other team doesn't experience.
Ohhh and also, I’m soo curious about Derek and Hotch’s relationship, I’m still on season 4 and I feel like the team has a really close relationship with each other, but on ajf, I feel like Hotchgan relationship is very uhm… how to say it? They’re just not in the best terms, I think Derek once says that he doesn’t even like Hotch? But why? Why do they disagree a lot with each other? 🧐
another great question! see below the cut:
the hotch and morgan dynamic is one that is beyond fascinating. i think there is a fundamental disconnect between the two of them that isn't resolved until MUCH later.
derek, more than once, expresses his lack of fondness for hotch's personal style, all the while respecting his leadership. i think of the episode where spencer is taken hostage - derek calls hotch a "drill sergeant" then. the episode where it becomes clear hotch may leave the team, derek calls him "a pain in [his] ass" and mentions that while he doesn't want to hang out with him, he does want him to lead the team.
derek is inherently skeptical and generally pretty distrustful (with a few exceptions, of course) - just look at how he treated and talked about gideon when he returned to the team in season one. he did the same thing when hotch loses it in season 5 (keep an eye out for that one). there's also this huge thing that happens in season 6-7 that destroys any tentative trust built between them in that time.
in focused, there's a lot of tension between hotch and morgan in regard to kate joyner. hotch has a lot of trust in morgan's capabilities as a team member, but expresses explicit concern for his leadership ability in regard to his stubbornness and tendency to bypass the chain of command/work as a lone wolf. hotch cites derek's general lack of trust in people as one of the reasons for this tendency.
the two men have entirely different skillsets and styles as both team members and leaders, and i think those two can clash kind of spectacularly in the subtext of canon.
as for ajf specifically, i wanted hotch and morgan to create relationships with reader that would bond them by nature of the mutual friendship.
season 4 is a fantastic season for many reasons (and one of my favorites) and i think it offers lots of opportunities to explore the team dynamic in a nuanced, subtext-driven fashion. that's the avenue i've chosen to take with ajf, as most of what i write is just an extended character study :)
there is a point, though, where it clicks in for derek and he finally understands that fundamental thing about hotch that he was missing all this time. however, that does come in season 11 - a long ways away from where you are now.
i hope that answers your question! i love these! let me know if anything else comes to mind.
let’s be real. this piece makes your chest feel too small for your feelings, it makes you feel like a superhero, it makes you smile.
the brass in the very beginning has big jack energy for me. we know how much punch ajf!jack has - he’s straightforward and observant, cheeky and kind. this march ticks all those boxes. this opener is unapologetic, percussion and strings underscoring the high brass carrying our melody, just like jack. he’s got that kind of gentleness to him that his father does, but it’s under this brave, quippy exterior that’s just perfect for this march.
while being generally noble as hell, the strings we go into the softer melodic section that guides us into the main theme - which is just a banger, objectively. jack has huge main character energy. this piece gives us that and so much more with that melody we all know and love.
the low brass is so consistent!! it’s so loyal!! ahh!!
the march kind of gives way as the piece moves along, delivering something softer and less rigid, something lighter. as type-a as jack is (he’s his father’s son, after all), he’s really able have some fun.
leia’s theme sneaks in around the 3:20 mark, which exemplifies (to me) the connection he has to the rest of his family. but it dives right back into the main theme again - all strong brass that would be harsh if it wasn’t so well-adjusted. it’s exciting!!
there are so many layers to this piece. it travels so far and brings us back to somewhere we recognize.
the almost mournful, clear french horn that stands on its own after the woodwinds lull us into this place of understanding and peace. this melody always makes me weep, for some reason. not so much because it’s sad, but it’s so full of connection. isaac’s spirit is so wound into that beautiful clarity of a well-played french horn for me - there’s something so deeply special about it.
and it’s different from the other brass instruments! it’s harder to play and it looks different. i don’t think we have to stretch too far to see how that applies to isaac. metaphorically, he’s still a brass instrument, but he operates in a way that is fundamentally different than people around him.
and then we get the strings and the woodwinds taking over that same melody, building on it and making it rounder and fuller. it’s hopeful, it’s complex, it’s so gentle.
because this is luke and leia’s suite, there’s a conversation in the music - one that turns into a conflict. we can hear that in the strings around the two minute mark. isaac struggles. he sometimes has a hard time, but just like that high brass, he pushes through in a way that just makes your heart swell.
the final bit carries us out the way we came in - a little bit of magic with that motif, leaving us with something that almost feels like the answer to a question. yeah, i’m crying. why do you ask?
not only is caroline aaron’s little princess, there’s a connection to the piece i chose for isaac - their motifs complement each other, just like they do as siblings. we have some french horn in here too, delivering a melody that is delicate, feminine, but not weak. it’s so clear!! such a bright tone.
there’s a little bit of uncertainty that sneaks in there in the beginning, but the flute comes in at about the 1:30 mark to remind us of that light, that something that is difficult to articulate or understand. it’s taking us somewhere - the melody line feels meandering and lilting, like a breeze. i always think of caroline as a breath of fresh air in many ways.
and then you get those STRINGS oh yeah okay i’m crying. we have this melody again - this motif that is so recognizable - building in, layering with the entire orchestra until it just tips over the edge in a way that’s absolutely breathtaking. caroline is both predictable and unexpected in this way - we know it’s coming, we know that the music is going to hit that precipice and blossom, but when it does whooooooo boy is it powerful.
but i didn’t want to pick a theme or a suite for sophia - i needed a piece that makes you want to move. this one underscores a battle in the film, and i think it’s just perfect for our soph. it’s got these lilting strings and woodwind sections and then it dives into something intense, maybe even a little masculine.
but it’s hurried!! you gotta go!! where??? i don’t know! and then there are these little breathers built in. just like sophia, it moves and watches and moves and watches. these little breaks always take us somewhere surprising. it could get darker, maybe even a little scary, but it’s always moving. this reminds me of sophia’s bravery. she pushes through - often with grit and raw energy.
around the 3:40 mark we get the main theme motif back - this reminded me of her connection with jack. this rushed, intense piece becomes something that sounds hopeful and heroic with bars we’ve heard before.
this piece also travels, like luke and leia, but there’s a sense of urgency. there are always stakes for sophia because she bets big or not at all. she throws herself into everything she does with zeal and enthusiasm.
even when the imperial march makes an appearance, it’s faster than the original, still upbeat and exciting to experience. i love this piece because no matter how many times i hear it, it has me on the edge of my seat.
i can’t get over the whimsy in this one. it’s unexpected and a little magical in all the right ways.
we start with the woodwinds and a kind of plucking underscore - elements that remind me of elliot’s go with the flow kind of attitude. he just plots along, adding something curious and youthful to those around him.
the range on this piece is super wide - we go very low and very high. we’ve got low brass creeping in with these trills just to keep it a little spicy, just like our favorite youngest sibling.
and then of course the french horn shows up. both john williams and i love a french horn and a repeating melodic motif.
this song is so confident!! and so triumphant. like i get big self-satisfied vibes from this song and that just...is elliot to a T.
okay yall i spent the last couple of hours doing data deep-dives into ajf. are there any correlations, stats, etc. y’all would be particularly interested in?? i’ve got a couple of graphs under the cut to give y’all an idea of what i’ve been looking at.
(this data includes fics that have been finished but not published)
Now that I've started putting words to paper, I've come to realize that keeping the timeline of Criminal Minds straight is a massive headache. I'm cursing getting inspired to try a reader insert across the show. How the heck did you go about the planning for your own timeline?
it’s a pain in the ASS and i LIVE AND DIE by my spreadsheets. i have a bunch of them that i use to keep track. i have some screenshots and more explanation under the cut. this turned into.....a Lot and this is definitely not necessary, but all tools that help my little brain!!
here are some spreadsheet samples!!
^^^ this is my master calendar. i have a printed copy on the wall of my bedroom that i annotate frequently, and it’s my favorite excuse to get out of my writing chair when i get stuck. this also helps me visualize “dead space” where fics are just...absent. like in 2019, for example. which is, rigth now, totally empty.
it’s organized by week, with the usual month placements marked out. the blue ribbons mark ongoing things i need to consider when writing - mostly for continuity
^^^ i fondly call this one “kid sheet” because it’s a master of all the kids and what the fuck they’re doing. aimz helped me build this and it’s been a lifesaver because there are SO MANY OF THEM and they do DIFFERENT THINGS
(sometimes i curse myself)
^^^ this is the MASTER master of all the fics. i use different colors and conditional formatting (which is a lifesaver) - the dark purple/pink is for stuff i’ve already posted, blue is for finished and scheduled, green is for WIPs, and baby pink is for not started. all i have to do is add a row and fill out the “status” column and the conditional formatting does the work for me.
the far columns are something i added later, when i realized i needed to keep track of revisions.
fuck that was a lot i’m so sorry pls let me know if you want any more info on any of these sheets. i have tabs for the idea form and the tag list that auto-update whenever someone fills out the google form :) i also have a fun one where i put all the data so i can look at the pretty graphs!!
ALRIGHT SO NOW THE TIMELINE
the way i started was kind of haphazard. i hadn’t finished the series when i wrote what would become the first installment (day off) so i had to kind of retcon it when it became a big thing. here was my (not so) quick rationale:
reader (who wasn’t called ‘mom’ generally yet lmao) wouldn’t be much more than 40 for the last kid (that didn’t exist yet - elliot was a creation of the ajf ‘verse along the way) so i wanted to give myself a little wiggle room
so i decided mom would be born in 1982, because that would put her at about 25 joining the bureau in 2007, which is about the time jj joined, so it was already plausible. in a perfect world, i would have mom from the beginning of the series, but i just couldn’t swing it.
than i said “okay there are three extra kids. there has to be time for those pregnancies, plausible dating/marriage/misc courtship timeline, also accounting for haleys death.” those were....some variables to figure out and i took pen and paper to it for HOURS
so i worked out the birthdays in 2016 and 2018 for isaac and the girls, figuring hotch started dating beth about two years and change after haley died (so late 2011, early 2012), a long dating period where they could really get married any time, and then a baby. whcih would put day off in about 2020. that was my benchmarker for a while.
i also had to fuck around with aaron’s age because in canon his birth year is sus (could be 1971, could be 1966. both are on papers somewhere), so i pushed it to 1968 (which is still pushing it to the younger side, frankly, but whatever) and called it a day
the rest of it just kind of came up as i went through it? that’s the nice thing about writing out of order - i can push and shove and wiggle things where i want them most of the time. i also!! stopped doing fics that cover huge swaths of time (for the most part) because i always want to give myself space to add stuff without a full-on revision.
whew. okay. so god bless you if you managed to get this far. i am more than happy to elaborate on anything if you have more specific questions, and i hope i answered this in a... i dunno... helpful way??
In Weird what did Jack wish for?? Was it sisters?? 🥺
honestly?? no clue. that’s up for yall to decide because i had not one (1) critically rhetorical thought on that one
(this reminds me of the post that’s like ‘sometimes the curtains are just blue and they dont mean the protagonist is depressed.’ i mean this with all the love in the world - i am simply head empty no thoughts. @ssaic-jareau is the one that points out the rhetorical motifs throughout the series most of the time and they just fly over my head)
I know you leave room for us to interpret things on our own! However, I really would love your take on the following - in Tell Aaron tells mom “to stay here” and I believe it’s right before they are sending Will into the bank. My take on that was so Aaron wouldn’t have to actually visualize/put himself in that same situation he was putting JJ in. But honestly idk. Could you pretty please tell me your through process or your take away for that portion? 🥂
that’s a GREAT interpretation of it!! when i was writing, i was thinking more about culpability than facing fear. i was thinking about how upset jj was, and how aaron definitely wanted the decision to be on him and strauss, not anyone else. if mom stayed in the mobile command center, she couldn’t be held accountable for something that would hurt jj.
i linked it to the way that aaron does his best to protect people from the fallout of his decisions (eg “if you want to be mad at someone be mad at me” about emily, to reid). i think he would be especially protective to keep mom from questions like “did you know he was going to do this” or “why did you let him go that far/make that choice/etc.” if that makes sense
