𝓜𝓙

trigger warning: alcoholism, child abuse, death

Once a party girl, MJ always has and still is a social butterfly. She is charming and knows how to work a crowd in her favor. There was never a lack of friends and social contacts in her life, despite the fact that she moved around a lot as a child. People knew her and people liked her. That’s just how it worked. However, it never made her arrogant. MJ just liked being around people. But mostly, she liked being liked. Though the need for acceptance came from a rather dark place.

The Watson household wasn’t a place of serenity for MJ. Her father, who never seemed to be able to fulfill his dream of becoming a successful writer, often reached for a bottle. And when his verbal abuse didn’t grand him enough satisfaction, he eventually used his palms. Which lead to her mother leaving him and taking MJ and her sister with her. Their constant moving came to a stop and the women stuck together. However, MJ eventually lost her mother too and went her own way. She wanted to pursue her dreams and actually be successful at doing so - unlike her father.

MJ is clever. She knows how to read people and how to connect dots. She’s just naturally perceptive. It’s why she makes a hell of a good reporter. The idea of applying at the Daily Bugle came naturally. She was in on most things happening, had a broad network of contacts and knew how to make people comfortable during conversation. So when she got hired, she jumped right in, chasing stories ever since. She’s unafraid to face the truth and she’ll dig deep for it. There’s a sense of justice within her laced with the need to give a voice to those who are drowned out by the masses. She’s surrounded by so many people with powers beyond her imagination and while she admires the ones who use them for good, she can’t help but feel a bit small sometimes because of it. So the job at the Bugle really gave her a purpose. She could fight her own battles with the weapons of her choice - a notepad, a pen, and a voice recorder.

When her own world started crashing and burning, MJ was right there, helping civillians through portals and trying to save as many as possible. She only fled when she was put into a corner and had no other way to escape. On the other side she found herself in Gotham and quickly wrapped her mind around what was going on in this new, strange place. Almost immediately she found familiar faces and she started investigating, trying to settle down in the midst of chaos. Even though the idea of heading for New York was tempting, she also knew this wasn’t her home anymore so instead she decided to help those who fought for the good.

She still loves acting, theater, and modeling. She even still sews from time to time. She attends many workshops, goes to castings and tries to stay in the loop. The big broadway lights still make her eyes twinkle and the idea of her face looking back at her from an ad in Times Square makes her heart skip a beat. She like the attention and she’d never deny it. As a teenager, being in the center of every party kept her thoughts occupied, made her feel wanted and it distracted her from the grim reality she faced every day at home. However, now that she’s a bit older, she knows how to spin that desire to be accepted by the masses into art. And the way she put on a facade for so many years and played pretend has blessed her with a talent that shines on stage. She’s a good actress with a pretty face but on her part, it helps her escape her own life from time to time and she’s very fond of that idea. Even though she definitely put it on hold.