[IC] Behavioral Analysis Unit: What's to come

[OddnessApproved]

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After 11:00 p.m. on the night of Memorial Day, Monday night 2022.

There were plenty of files to go through after a weekend of not working. The section chief decided to tell everyone to enjoy the three-day weekend they were having. Memorial day weekend, is a time to spend with friends and family. No one was at the unit of the B.A.U. the team worked in or had any idea that a small police department in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.
Unit Chief Neagoe received the report upon entering the office late on Memorial day since he forgot a few things in his office and the pile of papers was sitting in his fax machine. Deciding to not take work home with him, he read through the files to look it over.

Upon evidence and concern, the local sheriff has reached out to the B.A.U. to figure out why these incidents keep happening. The first victim is a woman in her late thirties, blonde-curly hair, caucasian, and petite. She was found around 3 p.m. on Wednesday deceased by a local strip mall. She was sexually assaulted and had lacerations around her wrists.
A second victim who is in their mid-thirties, dirty-blonde hair that is somewhat curly, caucasian, and petite. She was found around a national park entrance around 3 p.m. on Sunday. She was also sexually assaulted and had lacerations around her wrists and ankles this time.
Both women share similar lacerations, petiteness, blonde hair, curly, and they both had moles drawn right above their upper lip on the left side of their face.

The Milwaukee police are asking for help finding this individual and the sheriff believes that this is the same assailant. A lot of people are scared especially women of middle age who fit the profile. Police have been working overtime to keep their eyes on the streets and around neighborhoods.

Everyone ends up getting texted, individually, by Cheif Neagoe to come into the office as soon as possible. This text would have been sent and received between the time of 10:45 pm and 11:00 p.m. on Memorial Day, Monday night.

---

[OddnessApproved]

𝕃𝕦𝕔𝕚𝕒𝕟 ℕ𝕖𝕒𝕘𝕠𝕖

Unit Chief

---

Texting everyone was maybe a quick decision on Chief Neagoe’s part, but he felt like it was necessary in the sense of what the case file contained. This predator was sexually assaulting women who were around the same ages and appearances. He was targeting women who were in a time of grieving for their husbands during Memorial day - women who were widowed and left to carry on by their husbands who served. Allowing his callused fingers to slide down the paper, he couldn’t help the thought of why? Why was someone targeting mourning women and why was this character mutilating them in such a way. Different degrees of assault, specific lacerations on the wrists, and both women were left in their bathtubs which were full of water.

Gently rubbing his temple with his free hand, Lucian was deciding if he was going to tell his team that they were leaving tomorrow or not. This decision was made in his mind and he was planning for everyone to board the plane and get to Milwaukee, Wisconsin by tomorrow night.

Lucian was positioned in the cubicle area where everyone else had their workspaces, and he was leaning against Samantha’s desk. A cup of coffee beside him - a bad habit since he never slept correctly or at all, some would say. Taking a sip of the dark liquid, he didn’t put much in his coffee and dared not to use creamer.
“Why?” he asked while looking at the two pictures of the women. Lucian was definitely numbed to seeing these things. The gruesome truths of the world; what people could turn into.
Lifting his head from the papers, he was holding papers in one and the coffee in the other while he glanced around waiting for his team to show up. He knew that all of them might not even show because his message was on such short notice. Glancing back at the papers, he couldn’t help staring at the images. Lucian was trying to figure out what the lacerations on the wrists could mean, it wasn’t a common thing in serial rapists. Most people who took action in such awful situations would lean away from murdering the victim. This was because the law had the sentence worsen for manslaughter and rape. It wasn’t uncommon but not common enough to ignore.

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[Artemis Arts]

SSA Sam Stannis

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"I'm surprised that this is even happening right now Samantha...." Her mother softly chastised as Sam reread the text from her superior on her phone, glancing at the clock and then at her husband who was walking in from down the hall. He was just checking in on their two young children, looking just as tired as she must have felt after hosting both sides of the family and friends for the annual cookout. To be honest, this year Sam was just glad to be there, and no be on a job this time. She had missed her family terribly and needed this day to recharge and be with her little ones. Nate was so happy to have 'Mommy here all day long' and Jenny was practically attached at her hip, wailing tremendously whenever her mother took her into her arms, or if her siblings managed to steal her away. Typically Jenny loved being with Grandma, Uncle Dom or with her aunties but she must have known that this was a rare occasion to have Mommy home and just wanted to be with her. Sam couldn't wait to at leas tell her teammates about the trials of attempting to eat a meal with a one year old pulling on her shirt of hair. Her lips formed a small smile thinking about it as she half heartedly listened to her mother continue her quiet rant.

"Mom, don't start... Please. Ben understands what's going on, and he rarely protests when I get phone calls at four in the morning. I just make him send pictures of the kids to hold me over until I am back here- back home. I get that you have never understood why I left the firm but that was over a decade ago. Let it go." She sounded tired attempting to explain this once more to her irritated mother. "I'll be in touch okay? Just make sure Genevieve eats her veggies, she's against sweet potatoes right now." Her smile was now a bit sad as she laced her low heeled boots and stood up from the bar stool in her kitchen.

"Be safe, I love you. The kids love you." Ben reassured her, holding her face gently in his hands as he kissed her tenderly, making her smile a bit more- this time in a happier manor.

"I love you too. I'll call when I can." Sam nodded and touched her forehead to his for a few moments before stepping back out of his grasp. Reaching behind her, she grabbed her jacket and at home go bag, giving her family a wave as she left and made her way back to what everyone joked was her second home. Little did they realize just how right they were....

_____

After going through security, Sam made her way up to the team floor and walked in, seeing that Lucian was the only one here- not that it ws surprising or anything. If people thought that she lived there, then he was a permanent resident.

"Happy Memorial Day sir," Sam greeted, taking a good look at his serious and solemn expression as he leaned against her desk, looking at the papers in his hand. "Is there fresh coffee? I have a feeling everyone if going to want some for this one if you sent a late night text like that." She brushed a few stray hairs from her eyes as she walked towards him and placed her go bag on her chair and her keys on the desk. Her eyes darted from his face, to the photographs that she could now see and wow- they were something else. The details displayed on the bodies was shocking, and how they were positioned was going to lead to their signature.

"Lucian... What is it?" She softly asked, bringing her eyes back to look at him before glancing at the door. She ws the first one in, if he had something to say he should say it now before the rest of the team filed in.

---

Interactions: @OddApproved

[OddnessApproved]

𝕃𝕦𝕔𝕚𝕒𝕟 ℕ𝕖𝕒𝕘𝕠𝕖

Unit Chief

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Lucian took only a few seconds to acknowledge Samantha when she entered the common room and greeted him with a happy memorial day. He gave a faint smile to her comment, but he was not in the mood for happiness at the moment. His eyes were a little tired, and he looked back at the document.

“Do you think I wouldn’t make any and call all of you in at this time?” he asked in an attempt to lighten the mood. Though, he gestured with a move of his head to where the coffee pot and station were to the side of the room. The pot was practically full except for the amount he took for himself.

Glimpsing at Samantha when she asked him directly what it was, he glanced at the file. Inhaling in sharply, he looked around the room which was dim, showing the time of night, and he thought about his words. “What do you mean?” he asked in somewhat of a playing dumb concept. He wanted to know why she was asking the question. Is it because of his quietness? Is it the fact that he called the whole team in this late?

Lucian exhaled at the thought, he didn’t want to call the team in tonight. He argued with Kullins, the section chief about how this issue could wait for tomorrow morning and that he didn’t even want to be in the office tonight. Kullins thought that was a ridiculous response and demanded that the team be informed and in Wisconsin by late morning tomorrow. Should he be emotional with Samantha or more formal? He decided against it and would play dumb, so he knew what she wanted from him.

In Lucian's eyes, the only difference between calling the team in early tomorrow morning versus tonight was the lack of sleep and maybe a few more hours to be on the case. By calling everyone in, they were going to get a lack of sleep on the plane and not be their very best for this case.

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Interactions: @Artemis Arts

[Artemis Arts]

SSA Sam Stannis

---

Sam nodded at his coffee comment, glancing over to the food area of the office before looking over at him again and giving a small audile sigh. He had always been a tough one to crack, and everyone knew he was going to remain that way forever... "Alright, I'm getting myself a cup. You can ponder over my question sir." She arched a brow at him while taking a few steps back towards the coffee pot. It was late, and honestly, she wasn't sure how much he actually wanted to talk right now about whatever was written on his face when she entered the room.

"Will this be a tough one?" She made idle conversation, finding her usual mug by the front of the overhead cabinet and pouring a decent amount, adding the sugar and cream just as she liked. She remained over in that section of the room for a few minutes. If he called the team in at this hour then it had to be a tough case, he didn't want to wait until morning. But where was everyone's sense of urgency if it was so bad then? Sure, she only lived 15 minutes away but even then sometimes she was late.

"Oh, and before it gets too dark when we begin the debrief, Nathaniel wanted me to personally thank you on his behalf for and I quote- "letting mommy spend the day with us outside swimming"." She smiled a little as the brought the mug to her lips. Her son was only three, and he knew that she had an important job and that her boss kept her from home a lot. He made sure to extend a thank you for not calling them in during the day, but she knew he'd be a bit sad because she would have left whilst he was sleeping.

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Interactions: @OddApproved

[OddnessApproved]

𝕃𝕦𝕔𝕚𝕒𝕟 ℕ𝕖𝕒𝕘𝕠𝕖

Unit Chief

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Most people were going to be on the edge of their seats since he called them in at such an hour on a 3-day holiday weekend. He didn’t want to, but he wasn’t going to point fingers at Kullins was he? Nodding his head when Samantha said she was going to get herself a cup, he put the file down on the desk, since he was going to reread it for the 15th time in the last hour.

Thinking about it, he didn’t know if it was going to be tough, but he knew it was going to be sensitive, “I don’t know how organized this guy is but he seems to be evolving quickly. Two women showed up brutally raped and murdered with signature lacerations around the wrists and ankles. Along with both being blue-eyed, blonde, middle-aged women who would be mourning over their fallen husbands,” he said this sentence calmly - he has seen worse. Though, he couldn’t help with asking why someone was doing this all of a sudden. Attacking women who had families but lost their security when their husbands died in combat.

Sighing when Samantha brought up her son, Nathaniel, who wanted to thank him for not ruining their day. He seemed to force a smile, “I’m sorry, Sam,” he said with some hint of regret under his natural tone of voice. Lucian let his shoulders slump a little while taking another drink of his coffee and not looking at Sam; he was showing that he felt bad, but he was trying to distance himself from the situation, or at least his body language was emphasizing that.
“I didn’t want to call any of you in tonight,” he said while taking another drink of his coffee before putting it down on the side of the desk. “I had an argument with Kullins and I doubt he is going to let it go,” Lucian gave Samantha a true smile at this point even though there was barely a smile there. “I hope Nathaniel knows I try to keep his mother at home, but she is too good of an agent to not call in,” with that he went back to glancing back at the open case file he had.

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Interactions: @Artemis Arts

[Artemis Arts]

SSA Sam Stannis

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Pausing her actions, she listened to him explain what he had gathered from the case already. She glanced down at her cup, nodding to herself as he recounted details, thoughts, and it let her mind begin to form ideas on the case. Blue eyes, blonde, petite. He had an obvious type... Memorial Day, military widows, obvious torture- sadistic nature, but nothing too outstanding. Nothing new. But at the exact same time- nothing was coming to mind that screamed copy-cat either. He was finding his signature and settled on a few key points.

"Lucian," she raised her eyes to meet his, her calm blue against his tired brown and the corner of her lips raised in a slight hint of a smile. "Ben has it covered, and it won't be a serious issue until they're older and understand the job more anyway." She loosely explained, even though she knew that he ws already aware. When he averted his eyes and continued to speak, she closed the gap between them, reading his body language. His tone was literally saying one thing while his body was trying to be far from her, physical avoidance about having to call them in. It was part of the job, no one should be upset about it. They knew what they were signing up for- and if they didn't then they figured it out after the first trip.

"You made the call. You knew it had to be done, please don't beat yourself up over us losing a little sleep. That's what caffeine is for." Sam teased gently, trying to ease his troubles. "He knows what I do is important, that it keeps him, Jenny and Ben safe. For now that's all he needs to remember. I rather focus on making sure that he can use a toilet by the fall for preschool." She laughed out loud, hoping to break the tension in his mind as he looked down at the file once more. This one might be a tough one for him personally, and she hated seeing him in those tough situations. She may not know every detail about him, but she cared nonetheless.

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Interactions: @OddApproved

[OddnessApproved]

𝕃𝕦𝕔𝕚𝕒𝕟 ℕ𝕖𝕒𝕘𝕠𝕖

Unit Chief

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There was definitely a type for this attacker, petite, blonde, and blue-eyed along with them at middle age and widowed from soldiers. It was a very specific type that this person was going after, so much so, Lucian believed that this person had to have someone in their life that looked similar to these women. Though the team was waiting for the Milwaukee police the forensic examiner to tell the cause of death - they seemed to be very unsure on the phone call earlier.

Nodding his head, “I know he does, but I cannot imagine how it must feel to be away from them for days and sometimes weeks,” was this an ironic statement? To Lucian, this statement wasn’t false for him, since his family was deceased - Samantha’s was not. They might have a similar situation, but his emotions were different when it came to being away from his loved ones. His father was off the grid, his mother and sisters were back in Romania. His wife and children were deceased; he was used to being alone by now.
“Sam, I think they will understand when they get older. You have smart kids,” he commented while he began to walk around the open area. He was waiting for everyone else to show up, he understood there might be someone calling or texting him that they cannot make it.

Pacing slowly around, he was playing with different things on people’s desks. Primarily office supplies, he can quickly organize without disturbing the workspace. “Yes, caffeine is definitely a friend in this job,” he glanced over to his cup, which was stuck on the side of Samantha’s desk.

Chuckling when Samantha brought up more personal items in her life, like having the goal of Nathaniel being potty trained by fall for preschool. He went through that process three times, so he fully understood how difficult it could be. All his children had inconsistent difficulties when it came to potty training. “Have you tried any magic?” he asked in a more simple tone. “I know Roxana would only go if I put toilet cleaner or dish soap in the training potty or toilet. She liked to peek into the toilet after she was done and see how the color turned from blue to green or how it would fill up with bubbles - the bubbles got her comfortable with flushing the toilet too,” he explained. That trick seemed to work for his only girl, she loved ‘toilet magic’. For his eldest, Marin only wanted his dad in the bathroom, and he only wanted to use the grown-up toilet. His son wouldn’t dare try to use the ‘baby’ toilet and would get upset if anyone tried to make him use the baby toilet. There were a lot of small arguments between Lucian and Marin just because of the toilet, which would be used.

“I know, Marin liked to,” he paused while looking at the wedding ring he still wore. He was fidgeting with it and maybe unconsciously staring at it, “Marin only wanted me in the bathroom and he would only use the grown-up toilet. I had to crouch down and hold my arm out as a support bar, so he would go - he didn’t like using the baby toilet,” Lucian chuckled at that. He seemed to have some kind of faded love in his eyes, anyone could see he truly loved his family so much that he hasn’t fully moved on from them. “You just have to figure out what either gets them excited or most comfortable with the bathroom,” he shrugged while walking over and taking a drink of his coffee.

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Interactions: @Artemis Arts

[Artemis Arts]

SSA Sam Stannis

---

Sam broke out into a decent smile hearing Lucian speak about his family. She was aware of his situation, she had the unfortunate knowledge about pieces of his career before he became the unit chief- and couldn't do anything but respect his personal decision to speak about his family in the present tense. She wished she could have met them, they sounded like wonderful people and like her kids would look up to his.

"Toilet magic?" She chuckled, finally making strides to her desk and moving her go bag to the floor and gently placing the cup on her desk with a clink, her eyes drifting to the family picture that they had taken a few month ago. A smile formed on her lips, listening to him finish his thoughts and she gave a small audible sigh, but one of content, nothing negative. "To be honest I voted locking him in the bathroom but Ben reminded me that the method was frowned upon." She chuckled again, fixing her blue eyes on her superior as he moved around, seeing his mind begin to work away at possible motives, possible signatures.

She personally enjoyed being able to flip between talking about their children, and talking about the case at hand. It gave nice little pockets of respite to all of the gore and negativity that they were buried in day after day. "Um, going back to the case sir. I'm just brainstorming here until everyone else gets in- but it sounds like this unsub is new to this, you know? Like he's just figuring out his signature..."

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Interactions: @OddApproved

[evierose]

Chris Aguilar

Criminal Psychologist

---

Chris was in the bathtub, a half-empty beer in hand, when her phone buzzed beside her. She spent the rare break with her family. It’s been a few years since they warmed up to each other again, but there was still residual tension. It was especially bad during the Memorial Day long weekend. Adan used to make a big deal out of it. Rightfully so, too, as his best friend and Chris’ namesake, Christopher Aitken, lost his life in service. The Aguilars kept the same traditions even after Adan was gone. It was almost suffocating to be in that environment. Chris couldn’t understand why everyone else gasped at every little thing Adan had left behind. She chose to go home, though. Family was family.

There weren’t many people who had Chris’ number. She didn’t have any friends, nor did she have the time or interest to pursue romance. She was with her family until just a few hours ago, and it would be rare for Dr. Hodgson or Nina to contact her at this hour. It was almost definitely work.

No surprise, it was a message from the Unit Chief. They’ve got a new case on hand. No rest for the wicked, eh? Chris looked at her now-empty tub longingly. As much as she loved working and knew it was the nature of her job, cutting short her me-time was not appreciated. The dip in her mood did not leak into her pace as she got dressed. It would have to be something big for them to be this impatient. With haste, she made it to the office.

There were only two other people already present. Chris wasn’t surprised in the least who they were. Lucian was the one who called her in, and Sam was a well-known workaholic. She nodded to each of them. “Good evening. Chief. Stannis.” Her voice was just loud enough to be heard in the quiet room. She noticed the mugs of coffees in their hands. Ah, yes, “the long night ahead” warning.

Chris helped herself to the refreshment area after dropping her stuff off at her desk. She made herself a cup of tea instead of pouring the fresh-looking coffee. She needed the caffeine to wake her up, but coffee might overload her systems. “I had some beer earlier.” She explained, hoping not to offend whoever was gracious enough to make the coffee for not choosing it. Chris took her tea to Sam’s desk, where the other two situated themselves. There was an open case file with photos and reports, some were being examined by Sam. Chris started looking at the evidence too.

“More people coming?” Even when Chris was focused on learning about the new case, the office with only three people felt a little too intimate. It was too easy to start small talks. Lucian must’ve messaged everyone on the team, but whether they were able to show up is another question.

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Interactions: @OddApproved@Artemis Arts

[OddnessApproved]

𝕃𝕦𝕔𝕚𝕒𝕟 ℕ𝕖𝕒𝕘𝕠𝕖

Unit Chief

---

Lucian seemed to quiet down and think about how this unsub could be completely new to killing and trying to figure out his signature. There was a bit of differentiation when it came to lacerating the wrists on her to the wrists and ankles on the second murder. Though he stayed the same when sexually assaulting the person and picking a type, “Mhm, I will keep that in mind, thank you, Sam. ” he replied while nodding his head - he was going to keep this in mind.

“Good evening, Dr.Aguilar,” Lucian said with a smile while the young prodigy walked into the room with him and Special Agent Samantha Stannis. Picking up the document again, he was looking at the pictures of the two women. They both were very similar in appearance and about the same level of attractiveness. Where did he meet women like this? Is he on a killing spree, situation, or do they know him? In Lucian’s eyes, women who leaned to be alphas, attractive, and intelligent were not going to just go along with a man that they just met - women who were not this didn’t automatically trust a man unless they were going to clubs and trying to have one night stands, even then they were cautious. Lucian had a feeling that the unsub and the victims knew each other or he was way more organized than they were thinking he was.

Lucian seemed to chuckle before replying to Dr.Aguilar’s, consumption comments, “Well, we now know you cannot truly participate in this conversation,” his voice was playful, teasing, almost trying to see if she was going to react or not. He had no plans on having a serious conversation besides informing them about the case and getting on the plane as soon as possible. Though it was true, alcohol consumption would limit brain function even if you didn’t go over the legal limits of 0.08% BAC.

Going to take another sip of his coffee, he realized he was out and glanced at the bottom of the mug which had only a few drops of the dark liquid left. Sighing and going over to the drink station to fill up, he planned on getting no sleep tonight. “Everyone will get here eventually, I called you all at the last minute, so I am not surprised everyone is taking their free time. I wouldn’t be surprised if someone was sleeping before I sent the message,” he informed Dr. Aguilar while fixing himself another cup of the caffeinated drink. “How was your Memorial Day?” he asked while turning around and putting his attention on the young prodigy with a faint smile.

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Interactions: @evierose@Artemis Arts

[Artemis Arts]

SSA Sam Stannis

Criminal Profiler

---

"Hey Chris." Sam greeted, holding her mug up with a nod and a small smile. She enjoyed working with the young doctor. She always had interesting takes on their cases and reminded her of life before kids. But nothing could stop the laughter that came out of Samantha's mouth when she just blurted out- and in front of their boss no less- that she had consumed some beers earlier. Well of course it was a national holiday! Sam had a few herself throughout the day but she certainly wasn't blurting it out to the team currently present.

"Oh did you now?" she laughed, shaking her head as she looked down at the cup cradled in her hands. When she heard Lucian's response, her eyes traveled up to glance at him, a small smile on her lips hearing him carry on with a lighter tone. She didn't hear that from him enough, and it made her happy. "And you came to work- kudos to you and your ability to still function. But we need your brain on this one. So sober up kiddo." She motioned to her mug of freshly brewed tea, bringing her own to her lips and taking a nice sip of her still hot coffee to wake up again.

Sam never minded taking on a maternal role on some of the members, then again some were around her sisters' age and it just came to her without hesitation. Ben claimed that it happened when Delilah was in college and her father passed suddenly, leaving her to take care of her grieving mother and the family. He also suspected that was why she was so good with the kids- it came naturally to her. She thought she was an alright mother, fearing that she spent too much time at work and not enough time with her little ones but someone had to do her job, and if it wasn't her then who else? She enjoyed what she did, despite how draining it happened to be... But seeing her kids whenever she managed to get home for a night or two after a case? Nothing beat that feeling in her mind. She knew Lucian understood that feeling- having so much love for a child that you thought you might explode. Sometimes she felt that for her team, viewing them as family instead of colleagues. They had a special place in her heart.

"So," she began, drawing out the word a little after their unit chief inquired about her holiday. "Do anything actually fun Chris? A cookout, a parade? If you tell me that you read books all day I'm going to cry." She gently teased, leaning back in her seat and crossing her legs, giving off a tired, but comfortable air around her.

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Interactions: @OddApproved @evierose

[Lord Wraith]

J O S E P H T H O R E A U
J O S E P H T H O R E A U

A N T H R O P O L O G I C A L C R I M I N O L O G I S T & F O R E N S I C P A T H O L O G I S T
A N T H R O P O L O G I C A L C R I M I N O L O G I S T & F O R E N S I C P A T H O L O G I S T

---

The satisfying snip of the garden shears rang out cleanly in the stillness of the sunny afternoon. In the distance, soft waves rolled over the numerous smoothed stones that lined the waterfront at the foot of the large yard. Adjusting the straw hat atop his head, Dr. Joseph Thoreau picked the cane beside him up from the ground, planting it firmly before lifting himself to his feet. A cry of protest in the form of a dull ache radiated from the old wound beneath the pleated pants and heavy apron. Finding his balance, Joseph picked up the dozen freshly cut roses before him, minding the thorns, before pocketing the shears in the front of his apron. Slowly he made his way inside, Joseph entered through the reardoor of the large colonial-era home. Sheets and tarps were draped across the antique furniture that lined the hallways and the living room looked like it hadn't been touched in this century.

It would be enough to unnerve the common man. It was almost downright macabre, the entire place looked unlived and abandoned. Pausing at the doorway into the large kitchen, a sad smile found its way onto the grizzled features of the older man. His hand traced the moulding around the door, dwelling on the notches made by the very same pocket knife that sat on his belt. Names in his own indecipherable scrawl were written beside each mark accompanied by a number.

Clearing his throat, Joseph resumed his pace. His cane tapped along the marble floors of white and black tile until he came into a large study. Placing the flowers down atop the waiting wrapping, Joseph maneuvered himself onto the nearby work stool. Expertly creasing the wrapping, Joseph deftly turned the items before him from a bunch of roses atop a few pieces of paper into a beautiful bouquet.

It was around this time each year that Joseph would visit her grave. It was after all his fault she had died. Had he not talked to the media all those years ago, Mesmer wouldn't have escalated. Mesmer wouldn't have come after him, or his family.

The black Jaguar roared down the hallway leaving the old estate in the distance. Joseph had been so lost in his thoughts and memories that he barely remembered getting into the car. The sun was still shining, even as the afternoon was bordering nearer to dusk than it had originally. In the distance, the spire of the old Anglican church rose over the horizon, soon followed by the iron gates that closed the fence surrounding the graveyard.

Stepping out of the car, Joseph adjusted his sunglasses before placing a felt brimmed hat upon his head. Leaving the vehicle behind, Joseph wandered into the graveyard, passing through the iron gate before making his way through the rows of tombstones. It was a path he knew well, Joseph had become a profiler over a decade ago. He thought he was well equipped for the job, but the first two years were tough.

But nothing compared to the third.

Climbing a small hill, Joseph sat down on a granite bench situated beneath a large oak tree. He was a very well-educated man, and his meandering career path had afforded him opportunities many would be jealous of. By the age of thirty-nine, Joseph thought he was prepared for anything. He was an accomplished crisis negotiator, he knew how to speak to people going through their worst. But he was not prepared for how the media took his words nor the fallout.

"I'm sorry." Joseph stated, breaking the silence as he laid the bouquet of roses down on the bench beside him. He lowered his sunglasses before removing the hat from his head. Turning his body to look towards the urn occupying the end of the memorial. His hand traced along the engraving, fingers feeling out the letters spelling 'Beloved Daughter'.

Time always seemed to stand still when he spent time with Ainsley. Dusk turned to dark and soon Joseph was roused from reading aloud under the moonlight by the ringing of his phone. Recognizing the ringtone he had assigned to members of the Behavioural Analysis Unit, Joseph slid the device out of his overcoat's pocket and unlocked the screen to view the message. With a heavy sigh, he bid Ainsley goodbye and tucked the book away.

There was something relaxing about driving at night. Joseph certainly found it preferable to driving during the day. Most people would argue driving during the day was easier, but there was something the older man found comforting about travelling along a single illuminated path. Lucian hadn't divulged any details of the case in his summon, but Joseph had learned to trust his Unit Chief's discretion even if he hadn't fully learned to trust the former undercover operative.

Leaving his Jaguar under the care of the Bureau's parking garage, Joseph took the elevator to the BAU's offices finding himself among the last of the team to enter. Nodding towards Stannis and Dr. Augilar, Joseph placed his bag down at his desk, before leaning against it to take the weight off completely off both cane and old injury.

"Happy Memorial Day, hope you both were able to take the opportunity to spend it with family." He stated, his faint English accent making the 'R's roll more than his true American colleagues. Despite all the years he had spent out from under his father's roof, he had never quite managed to lose the accent.

Even after living in Chicago.

"Stannis, I'll wager your children are growing up fast. Jenny must be, what, almost one by now and Nathaniel must be about ready to start kindergarten in the fall." Joseph added, picking up the latte he had carried in. Lucian no doubt brewed a pot of the black tar that the F.B.I. 'graciously' supplied its agents but Joseph had learned a long time ago that you did not start the case with that taste in your mouth.

The room was on edge, their tension was hidden behind the idle small talk, but Joseph knew that if there was a case worth being called in at this hour, then the clock was ticking faster than any of them wanted to admit. The other two were younger, Stannis had a family and Auiglar, though brilliant, was still wet behind the ears. Turning towards Neagore, Joseph opted to pull the bandage off.

"Two questions," He stated, "How many bodies, and when are we in the air?"

---

Interactions: @Artemis Arts @evierose @OddApproved

[evierose]

Chris Aguilar

Criminal Psychologist

---

Chris paused for a second after Lucian’s playful tease. “Sir, it’s past 11 on the last day of the long weekend. I don’t think anyone would have their full brain capacity.” Some would call her too serious; some would say she lacked social skills; she called this her personality. “I should be glad Chief texted early enough.” Following Sam, Chris also took a swag from her mug. The sensation of hot beverage running down the esophagus was satisfying. The slight bitterness that lingered on her tongue was welcoming.

In the little time Chris has been a part of the team, she figured out that Lucian and Sam often acted like the parents of the team. Having a biological family was already enough, how can people be so willing to take strangers as family. Dr. Hodgson and his wife too. She was grateful the care they had given her, but she simply couldn’t understand the sentiment.

Chris almost rolled her eyes when Lucian started the most-dreaded topic. Great, there is it. There’s really no escape, is there? With a sigh of defeat, she put down the material, and answered back. “I wish I read books all day. But no, I was visiting my family.” She almost never talked about herself. Most of what the team knew about her family, and her life in general, came from the personnel files. Maybe it was the 0.04% BAC, or maybe she knew they weren’t going to let her off easy, she opened her mouth again.

“We did as we always do: a brief visit, a formal dinner, and a bunch of useless prayers. It’s not an easy time for my family, nor is it easy to be around them. It’s been 10 years and they’re still not letting go.” Chris’ hands tightened around her mug. The light and playful air sank with her words. She didn’t know why she said all that. She didn’t need or wanted to be consoled. She needed to change the topic. Her first option was the case, but it didn’t seem like Lucian wanted to talk business right now. Thankfully, Joseph stepped into the office to save her the trouble. She nodded back to him as he made his entrance and took the floor.

---

Interactions: @OddApproved@Artemis Arts

[Artemis Arts]

SSA Sam Stannis

Criminal Profiler

---

Sam was fully prepared to made a toying retort back when the doors opened to reveal the final straggler of the team- Joseph. His face told her everything she needed to know about how to address him tonight- he must've had a very long day. And not a fun one at that... There was an air of calm to his features, but something under the skin wasn't quite there and she decided to drop it since it was going to be a tough case as it anyway.

Listening to Chris speak as he walked in caught her attention and she was a bit surprised to hear the bitterness in her tone- that wasn't typically there. Then again, she wasn't typically one to come into work after a few beers either. "I understand..." She simply replied with a nod and looked at her, keeping her eyes gentle to convey her message fully. "If you need to rant, you can have my ear on the flight. Ben and the kids are asleep by now. so you'll have my undivided attention. And I promise not to profile you- this time." She half smiled, taking a sip as she redirected her eyes to her final colleague and gave a nod in greeting.

"Oh yes!" She replied happily, always glad to talk about her children to the team. They were all incredibly aware of how much she talked about them, and she had to admit it might've gotten a little annoying at this point. "Jenny is almost one, you're correct. Her teeth are coming in alarmingly fast and her latest obsession is everything but sweet potatoes, vegetable are going to be tough with her." She lightly laughed and took a sip before continuing on. "Also, Nathaniel is more than excited for school. His best friend will be in his class so that eases my worries." She explained and gave her body a stretch before crossing her legs again, once more listening to Joseph speak, this time getting straight to the point about the case. And they called Sam the workaholic!

But at this point, she simply stood up and made he way over to get another mug of coffee, adding her cream and sugar once more before slowly walking back to her desk and taking another glance at the photographs on the file- her mind finally making the switch from home to work as she began to brainstorm again.

His work wasn't exactly clean- but it certainly wasn't sloppy. Then again these were just photos... If they properly maintained the crime scene then they would all be able to gather far better information. She wanted to take a look at the bodies, talk to the families or at the very least sit in on the interviews depending on who Lucian wanted to take lead. Looking at the type of victim he was targeting, there might be children involved which meant she'd most likely sit in on those interviews if he wanted to speak with them just to ease their tensions. That was one part of the job she always took home with her; interviewing children was more draining than directly dealing with an unsub.

She found herself chewing her lip, deep in thought as she spaced out in the direction of the folder, her mind switching theories every few breaths- settling on her original theory. He was finding his signature, and this was what he- or she- settled on. There could be more victims that the unsub targeted and the police were just too slow to figure that out.

---

Interactions: @OddApproved@evierose@Lord Wraith

[OddnessApproved]

𝕃𝕦𝕔𝕚𝕒𝕟 ℕ𝕖𝕒𝕘𝕠𝕖

Unit Chief

---

Lucian was starting to think that old age caught up to Joseph Thoreau before the agent popped into the office. He was deciding to get out the whiteboard to break time and maybe to express more about the case. Within the beginning moments, Thoreau walked through the doors into the common space of the B.A.U. and began to mingle with the other agents. Sighing in relief, he took another drink of his coffee - he was not planning to sleep tonight, or was he? Maybe get a few seconds or minutes of shut-eye on the plane ride.

Walking over to Samantha’s desk for a moment, he wanted to make sure his case file was intact. Everyone should have a case file to pick up since he liked to make it individual, so if people wanted to write notes, “Case files should be on everyone’s desks,” he informed them while taking another drink of the dark liquid. He decided to down it, so he did. Walking towards one of the walls, his face went sour almost, and he coughed a little. His free hand went up to his neck while he realized that chugging hot liquid was not the best idea. Too late!

Lucian cleared his throat while putting the mug down on a random desk by his luggage. He began to unzip an area and put the case file in the pocket before zipping it securely back up. Enjoying that everyone was getting along and chatting about their long weekend, Lucian chuckled when Thoreau went to ask the go-to questions. “First, I thought old age was catching up to you,” he joked with the man before turning serious. “Two bodies and Kullins wants us there by 11 a.m. tomorrow,” he informed the other man while grabbing onto the suitcase.

“I hope you guys at least brought a travel bag because we need to head out as soon as possible,” he informed the group.

---

Interactions: @evierose@Artemis Arts@Lord Wraith

[Lord Wraith]

J O S E P H T H O R E A U
J O S E P H T H O R E A U

A N T H R O P O L O G I C A L C R I M I N O L O G I S T & F O R E N S I C P A T H O L O G I S T
A N T H R O P O L O G I C A L C R I M I N O L O G I S T & F O R E N S I C P A T H O L O G I S T

---

There was something comforting about catching up with the team, even if the situation that brought them together was less than ideal. Joseph would have happily continued to chat with Agent Stannis, but there were unfortunately more pressing matters to attend to. The mention of a travel bag prompted to Joseph to reach under his desk, producing a simple black duffle bag. The strap had several baggage check labels on it, spanning years and locations all across the U.S., to some, it might be misconstrued as bragging or even trophies of all Joseph's travels. In reality, they were a warning to never forget that there's always another monster lurking in the shadows.

Speaking of monsters, Joseph found himself opening the case file while settling into his seat aboard the team's jet. The lacerations around the wrists of the victims were deep, consistent in both cases. The second victim however was sporting them on their wrists as well, did she fight back more? Was that why the escalation in restraints? He would need to examine the bodies himself upon landing. Talk with the local Medical Examiner and find out what they had discovered in terms of physical evidence. Both women had been assaulted, but did he wear a condom? Perhaps the assailant was impotent or a woman, and the assault was carried out by another instrument.

If Joseph were to construct a profile based on the file splayed across his lap, he'd wager they were looking for a white male in his twenties to thirties. Both women were nearly identical in physical description, and the Unsub had additionally added the mole above the lip.

The beauty mark.

Physically, both women had a Marilyn Monroe look to them, the beauty mark put it over the edge. That wasn't where the similarities ended either. Joseph noted both women had been recently widowed, assumably by men serving in the military. He would have to confirm that once they landed of course. The similarities clearly pointed to the Unsub looking for surrogates. That meant he had to be stalking them, at least enough to know both had recently lost husbands and presumably husbands who worked in similar occupations.

Milatary, Law Enforcement, even the Fire Department could be considered similar enough depending on the level of delusion this Unsub has.

The plane was starting to descend now, prompting Joseph to clear his throat looking around to see which members of the team were awake.

"I've been looking over the case file for most of the flight," He began, straightening up in his seat. "I'm thinking we're looking at a targeted spree-killer motivated by revenge. The bodies aren't going to stop, I would worry less about a signature, that's not what this is in my opinion. Instead, I'm led to believe these women are surrogates for his real target, someone who hurt him, someone who made him feel abandoned and neglected. Both women lost their husbands, and the scenes were staged to look like a suicide. If we could narrow down the suspect pool more, I'd imagine we'd find a boy who was abandoned by a maternal figure who took her own life following the death of her partner." Clearing his throat, Joseph continued.

"The level of assault is personal, suggests a male victim, I'd hazard a guess at some in their mid-twenties to thirties." Joseph paused to rub his eyes, taking the last sip of the cold latte beside him.

"I'd like to arrange a visit to the ME's office to take a look at the bodies while the team meets with local law enforcement if that's at all possible, Lucian."

---

Interactions: @Artemis Arts @evierose @OddApproved

[OddnessApproved]

𝕃𝕦𝕔𝕚𝕒𝕟 ℕ𝕖𝕒𝕘𝕠𝕖

Unit Chief

---

Making his way onto the Bureau's private jet, Lucian glanced back at the team before putting away his luggage. After that, he decided to sit in his usual chair and get comfy for a few hours ahead. Usually, he would participate in a conversation if it was a group, singularly called out, work-related conversation though it appeared to be a quiet flight today.
Staying to himself when the plane was taking off was a common behavior from the leader of the team, he didn’t have motion sickness, but he didn’t enjoy the turbulence of what a private jet would go through to get off the ground. Pulling out a book ‘on the Origin of Species’ by Charles Darwin, Lucian was already reading by the time the plane was ready to take off.

Even though he was reading a different genre and not looking at the case file, he couldn’t help to think about the case ahead. Why was someone, who most likely was a middle-aged man attacking middle-aged widows? Displaying them out in high traffic areas for many eyes to witness and report - along the side of not getting caught at all. Along with the many details that were not shared or discovered yet, those details about the sexual assault, assault, and causes of death would help the team understand who they were dealing with more.

Only feeling like a few minutes before Thoreau began to talk and said that he had looked over the case file for most of the flight. Chief Neagoe had to glance at his watch to see the time, they were arriving in Milwaukee, Wisconsin very soon. Putting his attention on the other male of the team, he listened carefully or tried to at least while putting his book away. “You believe that the unsub is taking his anger and frustration out on look-alikes to his actual stressor?” questioning to make sure he was fully understanding the criminologist's thoughts and ideas about this unsub.

Thinking about his words before speaking, he agreed that they should go to the medical examiner, “I agree on the unsub not being more than forty years old. If that is the case, we will want to research old cases that dealt with widowed women, who fit the physical characteristics of these women, that committed suicide within the past fifteen to twenty years,” by researching in this span when thinking about someone who is not over the age of forty or not greatly over that specific age. If the maternal figure committed suicide in the unsubs lifetime it would have been in between their teen and current years of life.

“I’ll go with you to the medical examiner's office, since I want to discuss the cause of death of both victims since it wasn’t stated in the reports we received,” clearing his throat and grabbing the profile, he opened it up one last time to skim through. “Plus, they haven’t filled out a few things that I want to discuss either,” he said more to himself than anyone else.

---

Interactions: @evierose@Artemis Arts@Lord Wraith

[Artemis Arts]

SSA Sam Stannis

Criminal Profiler

---

"Sir, I think that I should speak with law enforcement alone. There can't possibly be enough files to warrant both of us searching through them right?" She asked, arching a brow at Lucian as she removed an earbud from her ear. She wanted to do everything and anything besides sitting in a room and flipping through someone else's scribbles while they got to go out and do some dirty work. She selfishly figured that Chris would be more suited, and maybe more excited for something like that. The girl was a doctor after all...

She looked down at her half consumed coffee, making a mental note that it was her fifth cup and that she should honestly stop but she had been reading over the file on the flight, making idle case chatter with her team and had a list of questions for local law enforcement- like how they could have let it get to this point?

Mainly, she had questions regarding the victims, their families, their pasts, and any potential suspects that they have had their eye on. Were they tailing anyone at the moment? Any potential surveillance? Did they even have the manpower to do that on two or three potential men? It's not like she wouldn't be leaving Chris alone, she'd never do that if the situation didn't call for it but she needed to get them relaxed and talking to get a full read on how they'd compose themselves around her and the team.

From past experience- like clockwork they'd clam up and act as professional as possible around Lucian. It was habit considering he was in charge, calling the shots and directing them where to go to complete a case with as few casualties as possible. They would listen to Joseph, and she would be able to tell by their eyes, their lips and their brows if they'd be actually listening to him, or half listen and come up with their own conclusions anyway... Watching Dr. Aguilar converse with locals was interesting because she cared, she could tell that by how she held her posture and her eye levels. But people listened to her- to a point. They disliked feeling like they were being obviously profiled, but sometimes you had to do that in order to see behind the smile and between the lines. Sam just liked to get people comfortable, and willing to trust her If that took minutes, hours, one time it took two and a half days of just talking with the unsub to get him to give up his dumping ground. But that was her specialty- disintegrating barriers.

Looking back up, Sam finally paused her music and began to wrap up her headphones, sliding them into the table compartment in front of her on the plane to display that everyone had her full attention at this point.

---

Interactions:@OddApproved@Lord Wraith@evierose

[evierose]

Chris Aguilar

Criminal Psychologist

---

Chris also had her travel bag stored at her desk. Unlike the one Joseph grabbed, it barely looked used. It was, in fact, never taken on a trip. The job description said there would be out-of-town work, but this was the first time she would be sent on one. As much as it was inappropriate to be excited in regard to a case of brutally murdered and assaulted women, there was a part of her that was.

On the plane, after familiarizing herself with the case, Chris decided to catch some sleep in the corner. She would be in better shape after resting, with what happened during the long weekend and whatnot. Plus, there was only so much information given in the files, and the rest of the team, who were all senior to her, probably picked up on all the clues they could from them.

The sound of people talking stirred Chris from her sleep. Chris wasn’t a heavy sleeper, especially on the plane. Her mind was still on the case and thoughts leaked into her dreams. The dreams were far from the reality shown through words and photos, but they provided her plenty of inspirations and potential lines of inquiries. They must be getting close to their destination if discussions were starting. It was high time she got into work mode.

She quietly listened to the profiles her coworkers had on the Unsub. It was more or less what she figured, too. Of course, her thoughts were much less detailed, though, seeing how little time she’d spent scrutinizing over the case. It wasn’t that she didn’t care about the case— she just wanted more information to work with before making judgements.

“Chief, I can handle the past records alone.” Chris was more than happy to dig through the records, especially when the alternative was talking to people. Now, there was one question that had been on her mind from her dreams that was screaming to be answered. “Why now? Why yesterday? If the Unsub had been emotionally damaged from a young age, what kept him from doing anything for so many years, before committing two assaults in one day?” There could be an answer in the local police department’s archives, or the locals might have a vital hint unknowingly.

---

Interactions: @OddApproved@Artemis Arts@Lord Wraith