#cloudlands au

OVERVIEW

Name Within Pixie Society: Mister Markell Longwood

Name Outside Pixie Society: Markell Longwood Mayfleet

Title(s): Vice President, Head Pixie II (Presumably) Preferred Form of Address: Longwood Alternate Forms of Address: Markell / V.P. Longwood / Mr. Mayfleet / Longwood Prime / Pixie-Longwood / Woody / Toothpick / Dad Aspiration: Live a happy married life, get control of his kleptomania, and lead the Pixies well (as a neutral party that doesn't play favorites between Fairies and Anti-Fairies)

Born: Autumn of the Tall Cedar

Zodiac: Leaves Birthday: November 6th (Celebrated February 12th) Hometown: Inkblot City, Pixie World; Central Star Region Came Into Adult Wings: 164,021 (Average) Age During Frozen Timestream: 251,649 (Mentally 22) Age As of “Live For the Moment”: 399,080 (Mentally 35) Age As of Devil’s Backbone: 414,909 (Mentally 37)

Race: Fae (Seelie Court)

Species: Pixie Ethnicity: Second generation pixie (Faedivus quadratum) Nationality: Formerly Ildáthachian (Obtained at birth); automatically changed to Spriggish shortly after the War of the Angels when Pixies became recognized as their own class Patron Insect: Polistes dominula (European paper wasp)

Mindset: Gyne (Subordinate)

Alpha Retinue Drone: N/A Previous Alpha Drones: Alapin Wilcox Pheromones: Immature. H.P. has threatened Longwood with death if his pheromones become mature (which would place him in a position of rivalry against H.P. rather than successor).

Counterparts: Longwood > Dame Longwood > Anti-Longwood

Core: Rolled scroll Core Color: Pink Core Trait: Willingness to sacrifice their own wants for others' needs Anti-Pixie: A frequently drunk fellow unusually skittish and quiet around Anti-Sanderson; drives a pink battery-powered jeep Pixie Refract: A friendly lone wolf who loves supporting Dame Sanderson, but rarely obeys the Dame Head

Stats:

Power: Below Average Endurance: Above Average Wisdom: Above Average Adaptability: Average Charisma: Below Average Openness: Above Average Conscientiousness: Above Average Neuroticism: Average

Magic: Tomte | Unstable | Weak | Average | Strong| Luz Mala

Crown Lift: Very low Breathing Lines: Triple fishtail braid Karmic Weave: Frayed | Sparse | Plain | Average | Thick | Elaborate | Royal | At Equilibrium || Manifests as long sequin dress Fagiggly Color: Lavender Preferred Shapeshifting Form: Gray wolf Signature Tactic: Waiting in the Wings - Never at the forefront, but always ready to strike when supporting someone else

Wand Type: Ipewood (Later platinum)

For refined, skilled users who value accuracy over strength.

Family: High status and wealthy (Whimsifinado)

Creed: Páistí refracta foirfe daoine - “Heirs don’t make mistakes.” Caretaker Spirit: His Glory Twryth (The wild hog)

Permanent Residence: Pixies Inc., Inkblot City; Pixie World

- Apt. 002 - Rooms with Sanderson, Hawkins, and Wilcox - Central Star (Purple)

Occupation: Vice President of Pixies Inc.; presumed future Head Pixie II

Previous Employment: Interned at Wish Fixers during youth

BACKGROUND

Self-Perception: A loyal, hardworking, genuinely skilled employee who's also a competent future Head Pixie

Alignment: True Neutral MBTI: INFJ Deadly Sin: Lust Heavenly Virtue: Humility Love Language: Physical touch Reinforcers: Physical and emotional affection, workplace promotions, pay raises… Things more tangible than praise alone

Personality: Longwood is shy, easily distracted, a hopeless romantic, has little to no preening drive, constantly forgets his coworkers’ names, and has a selkie girlfriend he dares to hold hands with in public... all of which make him extremely unpopular among other pixies.

Despite this, Longwood is open, friendly, and quick to compromise. He prioritizes others’ needs above his own, which often gets him into trouble as a potential leader, but makes him a figure outsiders are happy to communicate with.

He’s also a pacifist, which is simultaneously a relief for H.P. (who prefers a successor less likely to kill him) and a massive concern (since Longwood might not defend himself in a fight).

Longwood has a strong moral compass and is notable for being one of the only pixies to refuse underage drinking, given that it's illegal and he'd rather side with the law. When it comes to leading the company, he believes in maintaining a positive reputation, being on good terms with others, and being known for honesty and keeping his word. Breaking the law might come back to bite him. Then again, playing too heavily on the side of Da Rules can be off-putting to Anti-Fairies, leaving Longwood caught in the eternal dance of balance between them, fighting to impress both sides.

While many Pixies hold H.P.'s Daoist beliefs, Longwood follows China's Zodii philosophy. He would love to have his own bedroom (which he could decorate to fit Zodii customs to his core's content), but H.P. has asked him to "keep an eye on Sanderson and Wilcox," so they're roommates to this day. He wears a green ring for his birth year, Leaves. Since he'd like to marry his girlfriend Naelita someday, he'll switch it to a black band with her zodiac stone at that time.

Longwood is more critical of his boss than most pixies are, though he wisely keeps his mouth shut about it. He considers H.P. a highly flawed individual and believes the Pixies are viewed as a flawed species as a result. He disagrees with H.P.’s obsessive desire to regulate magic and control the cloudlands and only goes along with his boss’s plans to keep the peace. H.P. has always seen Pixies as an orderly race who combat chaos as opposed to a neutral race who stand between good and evil.

Longwood’s plan is to emphasize the neutrality of the Pixies one day and refuse to take sides with either Fairies or Anti-Fairies, merely existing as an independent nation that can’t be bribed or baited easily. That’s if Smith and Sanderson don’t take him out first, at least…

Assuming Longwood does become Head Pixie II someday, he will thereafter be addressed as H.P. (and the former H.P. will reclaim his old name, Fergus). Since Longwood is a kleptomaniac with an impulse to steal from superiors, time will tell how long his desired neutrality holds.

Education: Longwood's education differs from that of other pixies. Many of them received an acceptable education at Spellementary School, but Longwood was forbidden from attending. Instead, H.P. tutored him personally and arranged for study abroad opportunities with the Anti-Fairies.

Specifically, he was tutored by Anti-Phillip: Anti-Bryndin's heir. This arrangement allowed H.P. to train Longwood in the ways of being a gyne and future leader away from Sanderson's prying eyes. It also kept Longwood safe, preventing him from getting into fights with other gynes while unsupervised at school. After all, it's incredibly inconvenient when your heir goes and gets himself killed.

See also, "Made to Be Broken"

Other Tutoring: Growing up, Longwood took interest in China's architecture work (and Zodii research), so he turned to her for advice when possible. While staying home, he also learned from H.P.’s father (Ambrosine) and sister (Emery) on occasion.

Like other pixies, he was trained from childhood to keep a straight face, speak in monotone, and not react easily when startled. However, Longwood is more likely to break the rules than many pixies, as he's a gyne (i.e. H.P.'s dominant gyne influence holds less sway over him than it holds over drones).

Further Education: Longwood was accepted into multiple professional schools he applied to thanks to great test scores, opportunities, and tutoring from leaders like the Head Pixie and Anti-Bryndin. Despite H.P.'s wish that he attend the Fairy Academy, Longwood chose to pursue a business program with the Anti-Fairy Academy. This allowed him to work on projects while in Pixie World for most of the year while also giving him opportunities to explore his Zodii beliefs and make Anti-Fairy friends.

Though some Fairies claim he "doesn't have a degree," Longwood is more educated than H.P. (who dropped out of the Academy, tried going back to school in later years, and dropped out again).

Favorite Magic Subject: Ethics of Time Travel

Least Favorite Magic Subject: Potions

Favorite Non-Magic Subject: Business Associations

Least Favorite Non-Magic Subject: Chemistry

History: Longwood is the fourth offspring of Fergus Whimsifinado, raised as his boss’s intended successor practically since birth (much to firstborn Sanderson’s chagrin). He was born while H.P. was married to his selkie wife (China Mayfleet), so unlike most pixies - especially the older ones - he grew up in a nice home with a mother figure. Longwood grew up in the small town of Lau Rell. He attended school, and during his youth, H.P. and China divorced. Longwood never let go of China and continued visiting her as he grew up.

After Longwood molted from his nymph form and revealed his gyne freckles, H.P. struggled against the instinct to kill him (since gynes are natural rivals). Because of this, H.P. stayed distant in Longwood's youth... and honestly, through most of his life. Even so, Longwood became the pixie marquess at a young age, before the vice president position was properly established (See "Playing With the Big Kids").

He was the obvious choice, as the Pixie race is full of drones and they defer to gyne pheromones. Longwood and Sanderson have been rivals since childhood, as young Sanderson noticed H.P. giving Longwood extra attention despite the emotional distance. In fact, Longwood's status as marquess (and heir to Pixies Inc.) was kept secret from the other pixies for many years, as H.P. knew Sanderson wouldn't take it well and hoped he'd grow out of that jealousy.

While not one for calling his employees his sons, H.P. does see Sanderson as his firstborn more than he sees Longwood as one. In the era H.P. grew up in, it wasn't unusual for gyne parents to consider the eldest gyne their firstborn (skipping past the drones). Pixies Inc. is a business and Longwood is the intended successor, but H.P. has tried to give Sanderson an important role too (The alpha retinue drone position).

Longwood grew up feeling a weird distance between himself and his peers. Being a gyne among drone siblings, he noticed the differences between them at a young age. In some cultures, gynes are celebrated - treated as more attentive or more intelligent than most - but Longwood always felt like the odd one out and a failure. For instance, the drone pixies have a swarming instinct that allows them to move or act as a group, and Longwood felt like a fraud who never fit in.

H.P., unwilling to have difficult conversations until he has to, dragged his feet on explaining to Longwood exactly what a gyne was and what it meant for Longwood's future. Longwood wasn't thrilled to learn the details, as he feels like he was singled out just for the way he was born (with freckles) and not because of his efforts and time. He feels like he's never appreciated and that everything he does is the baseline expectation of what he's "supposed to do."

In general, Longwood is helpful, attentive, and hardworking. He grew up trying to make himself useful around Pixie Village and eventually Pixies Inc. Since gynes are foragers, he was given tasks such as buying groceries or keeping track of deliveries. He's often treated as part of a quartet alongside fellow early-born pixies Sanderson, Hawkins, and Wilcox.

Specifically, he's closest with Wilcox: his roommate and eternal confidant. There's no one else Longwood would rather tell his secrets to, and he takes care of Wilcox too. Longwood tends to stand up for people even when they're unkind to him. Since Wilcox is an easy target for bullying, Longwood will always cover for him. They consider themselves more like brothers than co-workers, though they're not inclined to say so.

Longwood has a very tense relationship with the next eldest pixie gyne, Smith. Smith is widely considered "a better successor" to H.P. than Longwood, as his pheromones and charisma tend to turn heads. Despite him being organized and a hard worker, many see Longwood as awkward, flaky, or irresponsible (Especially with his reputation of slipping off to flirt). Longwood finds preening repulsive while Smith embraces it, so it's no surprise that many drones would rather seek Smith to satisfy their pheromone needs. Years ago, Smith lashed out at Longwood and chased him out of Pixie World. If their relationship was tense before, it was a disaster after. They can't stand to be in the same room, though occasionally grit their teeth and bear it for H.P.'s sake. Very occasionally.

Longwood famously lost his notebook privileges after misplacing sensitive material one too many times. He has a very meticulous notetaking system that he loves, but outside of Pixie World, he's forbidden to carry his best books. He's also supposed to be accompanied by another pixie to ensure he won't sneak off to flirt. Having a steady girlfriend has been good for him, but before he met Naelita, he certainly had a wandering eye.

... Someone named Aspen seems to be an important part of his past, but the details are unclear.

Notable Likes:

- Naelita (His girlfriend) - Affection (Physical and verbal) - Bullet journaling - Black and white movies - "Bye, Bye Birdie" - Expensive steak dinners (Unusual for Pixies, as their culture favors plant-based diets) - Anti-Fairy culture (particularly the overlap with Zodii philosophies) - Taking notes - Walks in the woods - Animal noises in the distance late at night - Looking after young pixies... and human children - Mice

Goals:

- Be a successful father who takes good care of his sons - Finally experience sexually intimacy (Preferably with Naelita) - Save the Pixie reputation by playing nicer with Fairies than H.P. has in recent decades... and setting firmer boundaries with Anti-Fairies - Become a Head Pixie the former H.P. can be proud of - Indulge in all the things H.P. has ever kept him from

Beliefs:

- The most important things you can do for yourself are keep a level head and preserve your reputation, even if it means stifling yourself long-term - All good things to those who wait - Karma is neither immediate nor consistently visible, but the universe will balance itself eventually

Fears:

- Getting killed by H.P. (or Smith) - Having to lead the Pixies through war - Widespread hate that leads to him being banned from his favorite locations - Making irreversible, difficult decisions that don't work out

Upsets:

Frustrated by stubbornness and disrespect from other pixies Stressed by other gynes nearby Flustered by romantic gestures

Comforts: 

- Taking care of children, reaching out to China 

Indulgences:

- Kissing Naelita, watching movies, eating meat

EXTERNAL

Verbal Notes: Informative and professional; often comes across as stern. Longwood has a certain poise to him that makes younger pixies straighten up and listen. Since he's tall, he tends to command attention. When he's with Sanderson, many people default to focusing on him, but Longwood is quick to let them know when Sanderson is the one they should talk to (when applicable).

Longwood is more critical in H.P. than most Pixies, but prefers keeping this to himself. He's very self-sacrificing, always willing to swallow some pain for the greater good. Perhaps that's why Sanderson rubs him the wrong way, as Sanderson prefers to be blunt and sassy. Longwood tends to agree and follow orders, but he's no pushover. He'll stand firm if he doesn't want to do something, or look at you weird and walk away if you have no authority over him. He loves talking and will explain himself if asked. He's not easily made jealous, but it's not uncommon for him to get flustered and angry. Very embarrassing.

Since he's a pacifist, Longwood will usually try to soothe others and avoid saying things that might start a fight.

Language: Fluent in several languages (Notably Snobbish, Elrulian, and Chif), and is mostly fluent in Milesian. He speaks professionally, keeping his words clean. He's quick to praise or mention concerns.

Can speak some Vatajasa, but has a hard time wrapping his tongue around some of the sounds.

Physical Notes: Longwood is taller than many Pixies, but a lot thinner and lighter weight than H.P. He is infected with Wolbachia pipientis. The changes that bacteria made to his body are all internal.

Longwood has asthma due to surrendering a large portion of magic thousands of years ago (Donating breathing lines to twins Mullins and Tolbert when their birth nearly took H.P. out).

Handedness: Left dominant Body Language: Longwood comes across as professional, but approachable. He's not likely to flinch, stare, or shy away from Fairies. He comes across as respectful and in tune with Fairy society. He's more likely to express his emotion through body language than many Pixies, as he'll lean or cross his arms while most of his co-workers would stay stiff Hair: Soft black hair that's flat in front and spikes in the back, forming an L Teeth: Small but extremely sharp; must chew on solid things in order to keep them from growing out of control Wings: Pixie wings mimic those of the Polistes dominula. Pixie hindwings are stunted compared to most Fairies’ wings Gyne Freckles: Heavy dusting on face and throat, lighter dusting on shoulders and upper arms. His freckles reach higher up his face than H.P.'s do Scars: N/A Notable Tattoos: Has H.P.’s company mark branded on the underside of his left wrist along with the number 004. As of the Year of [REDACTED], he has his own company mark branded on the underside of his right wrist along with the number 001

Style: Clean and put-together. When he expects others to see him, he strives to be "on" and professional, even when relaxing. The future Head Pixie can't just be dressing down, after all. Unless he's with his girlfriend.

Regular Clothing: Usually wears his suit in public. Where most pixies wear neckties, Longwood wears a bowtie. His floating hat has a star on top. Casual Clothing: In the privacy of his apartment, he usually wears white button-ups. On occasion, he wears fun tees that fit his girlfriend's alternative style, but avoids doing this where the other pixies can see him. He sometimes breaks out such clothes when he knows Sanderson's away on a long trip with H.P., as he's less concerned about snide comments from Wilcox (who's generally supportive). Preening Clothing: Longwood shies away from preening as a rule, but prefers staying dressed up when it does happen. He doesn't find it fun. While he respects the intimacy of it, it's a professional relationship at the end of the day, so he'd remove his suit jacket at best, but stay in his button-up shirt. Nightwear: When he knows he's not planning to leave his bedroom for the rest of the night, he likes wearing fun tees (See Casual Clothing section). He enjoys cuddling with Naelita when possible, but sometimes cuddles with Wilcox (His roommate who famously likes shapeshifting into animal forms, which can be more approachable than a fellow pixie) Ceremonial Clothing: Royal purple robes decorated with scattered golden stars; only worn during deep preening rituals with important political figureheads. These are very similar to special red robes with golden stars that H.P. uses in special preening rituals. Longwood doesn't really use his ceremonial clothes, but he has to have them in case he needs to as vice president. If he takes over as Head Pixie, he'll inherit the red robes. Other: Since his girlfriend is a selkie, Longwood enjoys swimming. He has gray swim trunks, but doesn't normally wear a shirt with them (to H.P.'s chagrin). He'll put it on around other gynes so it doesn't look like he's flaunting his freckles or trying to start a fight.

Height: 4′2″ (Average for a pixie; tall for a fae)

Hygiene: Longwood prefers cleanliness, but isn't obsessive about it. He finds preening gross, so he tries to keep his skin clean and prefers others do the same. He showers every morning and doesn't normally exert himself, trying not to sweat much. He continues Pixies the cleanest race between Fairies, Pixies, and Anti-Fairies, so he's proud of that.

Morning Schedule: Usually awake before 7:00: quick to wash up, dress, and ping to work. The faster he can get out of the apartment and off to work, the less time he has to deal with Sanderson in the morning. Before settling in for proper office work, Longwood keeps an eye out for who's coming into work and whether they need anything.

Typical Day Schedule: Longwood keeps himself available for H.P. to reach out to him as needed. Most of his work involves coordinating with the heads of different departments: meetings, crunching numbers, and checking up on people. For instance, he works closely with Hawkins to ensure various projects are staying within budget. Longwood also meets with many pixies in person, giving 1-on-1 feedback and performance reviews as appropriate.

Meetings take up most of his time, along with writing reports for H.P. (Usually about those meetings, but occasionally about other statistics or projects). Longwood loves taking pristine, aesthetically pleasing notes, so he takes great pride in his work. He usually keeps aesthetic copies for himself and writes proper memos for H.P.

In his younger years, Longwood often left Pixie World to gather food and other supplies for the pixie race. This later changed to overseeing delivery cloudships: a duty that later passed to Smith.

Evening Schedule: Longwood prefers starting work early so he can clock out early, stealing time before he attends evening meetings. He'll sometimes go out to dinner with his girlfriend or watch a movie with her, though most of their dates take place on weekends so he doesn't need to constantly watch the clock.

Longwood meets with H.P. most evenings to update him on the status of Pixies Inc. (and the Pixie race in general). These meetings usually take place starting at 8:00, but don't go past 9:00 since that's when Sanderson starts preening duties for H.P.

See also, "Grooming."

Sleep Schedule: Longwood's usually home sooner than Sanderson. He'll wash up, briefly decompress, sometimes talk with his roommate Wilcox, and get to sleep as quickly as he can. He doesn't enjoy hanging around Sanderson more than he needs to, and he does enjoy a good sleep in a room where he feels safe (Given that his awake hours usually leave him watching for other gynes who might see him as a rival).

He often spends Thursdays with Naelita and will stay the night when possible, but being Vice President keeps him busy. He swears H.P. always knows when he's not around and will call him back for the most mundane things…

PERSONAL

Relationship Status:

- In a long-term relationship with his selkie girlfriend, Naelita

Ideal Relationship: The freedom to pursue, explore, and discover himself without the constant chill of H.P.'s eyes on the back of his neck. Sanderson might want the boss's attention constantly, but Longwood's the total opposite.

Sexuality: Longwood is interested in damsels, but lives a celibate life under H.P.'s orders. Once the Head Pixie either dies or leaves Pixies Inc. for a new location, Longwood has the chance to become dominant gyne, and presumably will end his celibacy at that time.

Attractiveness: By Pixie standards, Longwood is considered decently attractive. He's successful and hardworking, so many co-workers admire him. H.P. came from a completely different walk of life, so Longwood represents what a modern pixie can become. He's polite, friendly, clean, organized, and professional: all excellent traits. However, Longwood's pheromones are immature. He doesn't draw the eye quite as much as certain co-workers. He finds preening gross and doesn't like to do it, nor is he excited for his future as Head Pixie. He might be vice president, but many people consider confident Smith much more attractive.

Fairies, who aren't normally allured by things dull and gray, don't find Longwood especially attractive. He's odd for a gyne since he's not very muscled and seems prone to snapping in half. He's known by some (Particularly those who keep up with politics) since he's heir to Pixies Inc. and will speak for the Pixies someday. Some people find this intriguing and enjoy flirting with him when he's out in public. He's rich and powerful, after all. He's a popular option for a celebrity crush, but usually among youth who are considered "weird" among their peers. As a pixie, Longwood has weak, unstable magic, which isn't considered attractive either.

Anti-Fairies tend to find Longwood appealing due to his brains and work ethic. His thin, non-muscular body more closely aligns with Anti-Fairy ideals, though most Anti-Fairies want a partner a little more exciting. It's a lot more fun to socialize and chill than to do paperwork, right?

Intimate History: Affectionate with Naelita. Longwood enjoys touching and kissing, which isn't too accepted in Pixie society. H.P. tolerates it, but often sends someone with Longwood when he leaves Pixie World to ensure he won't get sidetracked.

Turn-Ons: Sneaking around is its own thrill… Possibly because Longwood's a kleptomaniac. Call it youthful rebellion or fighting the machine, but Longwood finds a lot of joy in kissing, cuddling, or just whispering to his girlfriend when he's supposed to be on the clock or at a networking event. He's a physical person and likes to touch, especially holding hands. He likes the feel of magic leaving his body, moving from his hand to Naelita's.

Reproductive Status: Capable... No further information at this time

See also, [REDACTED]

Children: Aspen, Blackwood, and others

- Aspen is a notable character in late Origin of the Pixies - Blackwood is a major character in Devil's Backbone - He's also an unofficial unofficial guardian of Larkspur Mayfleet following her mother's death (See also, "Health Bars")

Sire: Fergus Whimsifinado (Head Pixie the First)

Grandsire: Ambrosine Whimsifinado Granddam: Solara Wurpixiz Aunt: Emery Ranen (née Whimsifinado) Uncle: Logan Ranen Cousin: Chrysanthemum “Zan” Ranen

Uncle Figure: High Count Anti-Cosmo Julius Anti-Cosma

“Cousins”: Anti-Westley Anti-Lunifly (Talon), Larkspur Shiny Mayfleet - Doesn’t consider Anti-Poof (Foop) or Anti-Dusty (Smoky) to be cousins. - H.P. and Anti-Cosmo share custody of Talon and Larkspur, so they visit Pixie World frequently (and are closer to Sanderson’s age). He accepts them in his familial circle, but certainly not Foop or Smoky.

Mother Figure: China Mayfleet

- Longwood is closer to Larkspur than other pixies are, as she's China's biological daughter

Girlfriend: Naelita

She's a selkie; Longwood has her coat. Details unclear, but they're physically affectionate. Many Pixies don't particularly like Naelita since her alternative style clashes with theirs.

Anti-pixies - Longwood tries to be as respectful towards the anti-pixies as possible, but has very different values than they do. He especially dislikes Anti-Sanderson, whose chaotic personality clashes with Longwood's calm, straightforward ways.

He wishes Anti-Longwood would stand up for himself against the rough situation he's in and strongly frowns upon the poor situation the young anti-pixies are in, especially those born after the war (when the anti-pixies were locked in their city, shut off from Anti-Fairy World).

Sanderson - Despite Sanderson’s life revolving around one-upping Longwood and seizing the vice president position for himself, Longwood barely registers Sanderson as a threat and views him more as someone to be protected. Longwood has his grievances with Sanderson, seeing the older pixie as an enabler of H.P.’s vices, but he wouldn’t call him a rival.

Sanderson and Longwood share an apartment suite (with Sanderson rooming with Hawkins, Wilcox with Longwood), but they don’t get along and avoid each other when possible. Sanderson sees Longwood as a rival for H.P.'s affection while Longwood sees Sanderson as annoying, desperate, and kind of pathetic. Despite that, Sanderson is the "older sibling" in this dynamic, so Longwood looks up to him. Their relationship has grown more bitter over time, but in their youth, Longwood treated Sanderson as an older, wiser protector.

In their teen and young adult years, Sanderson developed as a drone while Longwood began entering his gyne phase. While Sanderson struggled with his new dynamic with H.P., Longwood began feeling more protective towards him. Longwood often thinks H.P. mistreats Sanderson and he'd like to see Sanderson thrive, but knows his co-worker isn't interested in hearing that perspective.

Due to being vice president, Longwood is usually more dominant in social situations: speaking up around other people while Sanderson hangs behind H.P. However, there are times when it's appropriate for Longwood to defer; he recognizes those times and does, as he does respect Sanderson despite their rivalry. Longwood believes Pixies should be united and wouldn't fight with Sanderson in front of people they're supposed to impress.

Smith - Rumor has it that H.P. might name another pixie, Smith, his heir instead of Longwood at the last possible minute, no longer needing a pacifist around once he’s on death’s doorstep. Longwood lies awake at night wondering if his position has been a joke all along and making plans to escape Smith, who will certainly kill Longwood if he does indeed take over. When you’ve got someone like Smith breathing down your freckled neck, you don’t have time to worry about your whiny roommate.

Generally, you'll never see Longwood and Smith in the same room. They're both gynes, and that tends to go poorly. Smith has lashed out at Longwood and even overthrown him multiple times, and only other people interfering has reined him in again. The best adjective for Longwood's feelings for him is "Paranoia." He sort of respects him, but skirts him at every opportunity. Not one to attend his presentations in the conference room.

Anti-Cosmo and Anti-Wanda - As a fellow follower of Zodii philosophies, Longwood holds great respect for the High Count and Countess. Longwood strives to balance the beliefs of Fairies and Anti-Fairies and is proud of his own Zodii knowledge.

That said, Anti-Cosmo and Anti-Wanda aren't his favorite people to work with. While he does respect them, he considers them chaotic and cruel, which goes against his plan to move the Pixies closer to neutrality.

Jorgen - Longwood respects Jorgen as an important political figure, as Jorgen speaks for the Fairies in many situations. Longwood believes the Pixies should be neutral instead of favoring either Fairies or Anti-Fairies, so one of his main goals is to foster a better relationship with Jorgen (or the next Keeper of Da Rules) than the relationship Jorgen has with H.P. Longwood isn't one to discuss feelings easily, but he does admire Jorgen's relationship with the Tooth Fairy and would certainly confide in him under the right circumstances.

Jorgen has never been fond of Pixies and is pretty dismissive of them, Longwood included. He acknowledges Longwood as next in line to be Head Pixie and they have an acceptable business relationship since it's likely they'll work together someday. Jorgen respects Longwood's opinions in some circumstances, though he generally sees him as "In the way, but less annoying than the old H.P."

TRIVIA

- Born with Wolbachia pipientis, and with a broken fairy crown under his hat.

- As pixies are genetically identical, a DNA test would identify his parents as Fergus Whimsifinado’s parents (Ambrosine and Solara).

- If his offspring step on cracks, Anti-Fairies will break his back.

- I created Longwood because I always thought it odd that even though H.P. clearly likes Sanderson enough to let him follow him around and assist with his schemes, Sanderson doesn't seem critical to keeping Pixies Inc. running and his only known job in the canon was working at the complaints department, which isn't very glamorous. If Sanderson isn't the real high-up of Pixies Inc., it created the perfect opportunity for a rival pixie OC to take his place.

- I once had a teacher named Smallwood and I've always wanted to name a character that since it sounds cute. Longwood is the opposite of Smallwood, with the idea being that the guy with "a tall name" is a good rival for puny Sanderson.

- The name Mayfleet comes from the protagonist of The City of Ember by Jeanne DuPrau (Lina Mayfleet). Longwood's mother figure, China, was given this name since her name rhymes with Lina. Lina works as a messenger, so it was a fitting name for Longwood the errand boy too.

- Doesn't identify with the Whimsifinado surname. Normally uses the surname Longwood to avoid sideways looks, but identifies with Mayfleet despite H.P. divorcing China while Longwood was still young.

- I give fae "alphabet hair" when possible (mimicking Poof's P and Foop's F hair curls). Longwood's hair is like an L lying on its side.

- Longwood is one of very few pixies who will obey the commands of authority figures without checking in with H.P. first. This has to do with him being a gyne instead of a drone. Drone pixies automatically defer to the most dominant gyne in the area- In this case, that would be the Head Pixie. Being a gyne himself, Longwood lacks this instinct.

- If given a choice, Longwood would have preferred Sanderson be vice president instead of him. He feels like he was made to take a lot of heavy responsibility he never asked for, and hates the idea that "some kind of instinct" led H.P. to give him that role. Longwood often feels undeserving the role and wishes he didn't have to deal with Sanderson judging him all the time.

- Longwood is one of very few pixies that the Head Pixie doesn’t share Santa Claus powers with during Gray Tuesday. He needs to run the company while the others rest.

- Other pixies stereotype Longwood as being into flings, but he's an old-fashioned romantic who's into committed relationships.

- Although Sanderson and Longwood are rivals, their anti-pixie counterparts are friends. They party together and get into trouble, though Anti-Sanderson doesn't treat his younger brother very well.

- Sanderson can drive cars, but Longwood can't (since one of the key traits of his anti-pixie counterpart is that he drives around Anti-Pixie World in a pink Barbie-style Jeep). That Jeep somehow ended up in Anti-Marigold's possession before Poof and Foop entered high school

See also, "Opinion"

- Longwood has a poor sense of what behaviors are or are not considered scandalous, as he was taught to suppress emotions from a young age and H.P. isn't a great teacher. He considers holding hands to be pretty spicy.

- Wolbachia pipientis prevents him from bearing children the traditional way. It also blocks all other STDs.

- Can pass theory of mind tasks that many drones can't. Always felt like an oddball as a child compared to the other pixies.

- His preferred password is 0rang3 ju1c3.

- Of all my FOP OCs, Longwood is probably my favorite. He's great at filling the role I needed him to and I really enjoy writing him.

APPEARANCES

Main Blog Tag: #Cedar toothpick

Sideblog Tag: #RD Longwood

AO3 Tag - #Vice President Longwood

Longwood's debut appearance was at the end of my first Fairly OddParents 'fic, Baby, You're a Rich Man.

He's a major character in Origin of the Pixies and makes many appearances throughout 130 Reasons Why I'm Fairy Trash, as well as smaller 'fics like "Health Bars" and Pink and Gray.

He's also a major character in Devil's Backbone alongside his son, Blackwood.

Nymphomania

I could scarcely believe the words that left my lips. I think some part of me applauded, for when had such bravery alighted in my soul? Had I simply grown up? Had this strength lain within me all this time? I felt the breath of Dayfry on my ear, whispering ancient secrets of sacred love, and Saturn’s steady hands upon my shoulders as he offered me enough nerves to remain upright. Sunnie’s blessing washed across me next, for I could not be more focused if I tried.

“‘Dinner,’” Blonda repeated. She gawked back at me as though I’d transformed into a dragon then and there. In fact, consider that metaphor an accurate one: she trembled just a bit while fingers ran across her platinum hair. Paint the scene as though she turned a museum corner and found a dragon sleeping just a breath away. “You… want to take me out?”

‘In public’ were the words she did not say, yet they took form on the cusp of her brain. She shaped them the way I shaped my fanatic affection. I frowned, quite uncertain of where to meet her dropped-off words. Nonetheless, I cupped them where I could. I kept hold upon her hand, freshly kissed, and drew myself so close to her, I tasted the beat of her core through soft skin. “Well… Yes. Is that such a difficult thing to believe? We have discussed it.” ‘In private,’ I did not remind her. “Were you not the one who invited me ‘on the town’ after we met for lemonade?”

“‘Dinner,’” she said again, looking at me in question. Colour prickled at her cheeks, betraying her in a way that likewise stirred satisfaction in my deepest self. Inside me, some ancient puzzle slid a new piece into place as though guided by the hand of fate.

You only have one shot at this. Why deny yourself? “Yes, that’s what I said. Clean out your ears, woman.” Did my own finger shake? I reached forward nonetheless, aiming to capture her chin, and in doing so, I also caught her eye. I tipped her face just so, and when our gazes linked…

… Well. I simply lost my train of thought. It plunged off the cloudcliffs, hurtling to Earth far below, and must have shattered over rocks or been lost among the sea. In the milk-pink softness of her eyes, I drank the taste of desperation and lapped at the nectar of wanting what could never be. Her gaze absorbed my very essence. All of me, when Blonda dipped her eyes to my feet and slowly drew them up again. Her fingertips hovered against my wrist. She touched gently, like a flower petal, as if unsure whether to push me aside or allow my lingering. We floated above the walking path that separated small student residence buildings from the open woods, and all manner of eyes might peer down at us from the windows or the trees. Yet I could not find it within myself to drop her cheek, nor back away. Had she charmed me with the pheromones that wreathed the air between us? (What little space there remained between us, anyway). Can Fairies do that? Might I be more susceptible than most?

Soft fingers slipped past my waist. They cupped below my wings - far below, in my sitting place - and Blonda touched my crumpled, hidden tail for the very first time. Spittle chilled my mouth. Perhaps she owned my yoo-doo doll. I could not tear my eyes from hers.

“Anti-Cosmo,” she murmured, softly as a snowflake. I sucked in air. Every pin and needle Venus Eros had sewn Cosmo’s doll up with jabbed beneath my skin. Prickles raced themselves up my neck. My wings jerked forward. I think most of my body did, for I fell upon her and she fell upon me; we clung against one another for support while bracing the other up. I stirred against her, and some small part of me awoke.

She called me by my public name. Less intimate than any whisper on Mona’s lips. Why was it, then, that some force compelled me ever closer? To brush my hands against her; reel her tightly in? As I wrapped my hands behind her back, I pressed my nose to her neck and inhaled the cherry scent of pheromones straight beneath my skin. The nutty undertone balanced on my tongue.

Do you really want me, Blonda dear? Oh, how I wished to cry that thought from the rooftops beside us! My wrists shook- My breath crispened like apple pie in a gust of wind. Would I offer myself if she spilled confession that she did? I stirred my tongue, even when Blonda tightened her grip upon my buttock with a squeeze. “We… We’ve dined together before- Perhaps not as a couple, but as ourselves. I daresay it would be appropriate, yes, for us to meet briefly for, um… decompression, and all matter of- of opportune things. You’re very pretty, darling, and your mind delectable.”

I could hear her core pulse very quick then, spinning magic through her lines. Blonda rested her palm behind my head, caging me there against her neck. Her other pressed all the tighter at my rear. Her wings stuttered; it could not be denied. “Do you mean that like a Fairy?” Blonda murmured directly in my ear. It twitched of its own accord. I did not think she could pinch any tighter, and nearly yelped when her nails dug in the soft places my scales ran thin. Her searching eyes combed my face, and she held me there like a dragonfly hoisted in a stained glass lantern. I certainly felt the stains budding in my soul as my thoughts wandered about in all the places they were never meant to go. Blonda tilted her head by a thin degree. Her pale neck, exposed against the air, both wet my mouth and dried it with a longing pant. I think I nearly whined. Unperturbed, she said, “Or does ‘Pretty’ mean something different on your side of the border?”

“Well, this ‘side of the border’ has become my home, in some regard.” I fixed my claws in Blonda’s shirt. She did not deny me when I reeled her lips all the closer up to mine. I twisted them, smiling just a hint, and chuckled at the way she squirmed against my hand. “I’ve lived a long life in Fairy World, my dear. Sometimes I wonder if there’s nothing left of Fairies for me to learn. You’ll prove me wrong, I hope?”

Blonda’s eyes clicked shut, audible with tears. Fairy dust glittered on her cheeks. When she blinked, I expected wetness, but it seemed she’d swallowed most of it away. “And when did you grow such an alluring tongue?”

“When I knew I couldn’t risk my shot at you.” And I laughed a mite louder this time, loosening my grip upon her shirt. Blonda hovered as though conflicted, and while I knew she could poof away if she truly did not desire my advances, it did me no harm to back off a bit. Perhaps I came on strong enough to worry her. “Wanda is in hospital. I daresay that woke me up to the dangers of our campus life. I’ll return to Boudacia soon enough, and then I’m with my godkid until he requires my service no longer. After that, well…”

“… You and Anti-Saffron will be married.”

I twitched my lips in the slightest smile. “Guilty as charged.”

FLORENSA "MAMA" COSMA

Occupation: Professor (Godparenting)

Former Occupation: Military; fairy godparent

Birthday: Spring of the Fallen Embers (Fire)

Height: 3′6″ (Average for a fae)

Age During Frozen Timestream: 652,562 (Mentally 58)

A bit younger than Robin; about 90k years younger than H.P.; about 30 years younger than Big Daddy

Age As of Devil’s Backbone: 815,822 (Mentally 72)

Alignment: Chaotic Evil

MBTI: ENTJ

Love Language: Words of Affirmation

Handedness: Left dominant

Hometown: Serentip - A highly congested port city in Fairy World full of apartments and skyscrapers

Core: Screwdriver -> Drill

Core Color: Yellow

Crown Lift: High

Wand Type: Ipewood

Fagiggly Color: Mint green

Preferred Shapeshifting Form: Bear

Bio: Florensa was born the youngest of three children on the heels of the War of the Sunset Divide (sister to Harold and Joanie Lunifly). From a young age, she showed a prowess for books and art... No surprise to anyone, given that her counterpart (Eleanor Anti-Florensa) quickly gained a reputation for brawn and skill.

Not to be outshined, Florensa joined the military straight out of upper school. During her service, she met Robin Cosma. Both completed their required service years and chose to return to school, officially dating during this time. They were married about halfway through their advanced education, leading Florensa Lunifly to become Florensa Cosma. She soon graduated with her godparenting license.

She's always cared deeply for her husband, whom she describes as "fascinating, intelligent, and so, so romantic;" she took very good care of him during his pregnancy and was always the first to sacrifice her own comfort to assure the best for her husband and sons. Notably, the pregnancy occurred shockingly early in Fairy culture (~Age 21 mentally where most Fairies wait for mid to late 30s). Florensa and Robin certainly received a lot of sideways glances due to their youth, but they worked hard to give their sons the best lives they could. They loved the idea of being a family.

Florensa prides herself greatly on her military training. To her glee, there's no question that she can hold her own on the battlefield. She fought for that joy every step of the way, regardless of those telling her not to bother because "her counterpart would always outclass her." Her short temper, rash attitude, and brazen overconfidence get her into trouble, but she pays her penitence when its due.

She's very passionate about making a better life for herself and her children... perhaps to her sons' detriment. Hardened by a cruel world, Florensa favors fawning over her boys, constantly assuring them that they're enough just the way they are and that she'll always love them. That said, she cannot help but see the flaws in the choices they make and tends to keep them on a tight leash. Well... At least one of them.

Florensa teaches godparenting classes, and was even assigned to teach Wanda during her time on probation (i.e. summer school; see the end of the Season 3 episode "Where's Wanda?") Her hobbies include playing card games (especially Bridge; see the Season 6 episode "Odd Squad"), networking with fellow educators (and Jorgen), caring for her home, plotting against Wanda Fairywinkle, and kidnapping figures of high social standing (See the Season 5 episode "Big Wanda").

While she isn't fond of either of her sons' partners (Wanda Fairywinkle and Ingrid Wandflick), she enjoys doting on her grandchildren. Poof has a lot of mixed feelings about Mama Cosma due to her dislike for his mother. Dusty acknowledges her hatred and plays along as if it's roleplay (to Wanda's hurt) because at least he's getting cookies and might inherit some interesting items someday. Snowball buys completely into Mama Cosma's agenda and is blatantly Grandma's favorite. Ah, well... Everyone has issues with their mother-in-law, right? What else can you do but tighten your lips and bear it?

Notably, Mama Cosma stood by her devotion to her husband in Origin of the Pixies Chapter 37 ("Off") when she affirmed her adherence to the practice of lifelong monogamy prevalent in the common fairy subspecies. However, Sanderson called this into question in "In Confidence," pointing out her affiliations with Dusty Fairywinkle Jr. ("Big Daddy") don't appear purely platonic in nature. Hmm...

ROBIN "PAPA" COSMA, SR.

Occupation: Librarian; poet

Former Occupation: Military

Birthday: Summer of the Pacing Voles (Breath)

Height: 3′10″ (Tall for a fae)

Alignment: Neutral Good

MBTI: INFP

Love Language: Quality Time

Handedness: Left dominant

Hometown: Emper - A small town on the outskirts of Fairy World, occasionally circled by pirates

Core: Whetting stone

Core Color: Purple

Crown Lift: Average

Wand Type: Chesberry

Fagiggly Color: Green

Preferred Shapeshifting Form: Swan

Bio: Robin was the eldest of two boys born to Gonzo and Starling Cosma. He was born and raised in a traditional estate alongside his younger brother (the chronically ill Hawk), their Anti-Fairy counterparts, Anti-Starling, and their Refracts; notably, this excludes Anti-Gonzo, who wandered Fairy World with his flockmates and famously only appeared when required to sire Anti-Robin and Anti-Hawk.

Robin always held a strong sense of kindness, community, and goodwill and always made an effort to care for his younger brother and include him in all his games. Sweet, loyal... Robin became everything Anti-Robin wasn't, but that's another story. Does it matter? They both died long ago, before their younger sons really got to know them.

After upper school, Robin joined the military, where he met Florensa Lunifly. He kept one foot in the military all his life, but returned to school alongside Florensa to pursue education as a librarian. He became pregnant with Robin Jr. (Schnozmo) shortly before graduation, then had his second child (Cosmo) some years after. Schnozmo would describe Robin as "Plenty loving, but not always fully engaged." Robin always did love staying busy, serving his community, and responded quickly when danger struck.

Unfortunately for Robin, he was a first responder when his son (Cosmo) entered the Terrible Twos and cast a bubble around a large portion of Fairy World, which slowly deprived those within of magic. Robin was last seen pounding his fist on the inside of the bubble, pleading with Cosmo to end the magic, but sadly succumbed to asphyxiation along with many other individuals. To this day, Cosmo blames himself for his father's death; he cares deeply for his father's poems and even pursued writing himself.

Robin Cosma Sr. is best remembered for his poems, which explore a wide variety of topics and play with elegant language. While many of his poems could be classed as feel-good and well-liked by the Fairy population (and many were steamy in nature), an astute eye will catch the societal criticism lurking underneath...

Related:

Rabbit's Howl

When I rode the Head Pixie’s cloudship, wind ruffling my hair as fiercely as a winter storm, he asked me why I attended a Fairy high school. I could not fault his curiosity. Proper Anti-Fairy schooling is entirely different: an intricate system of self-guided study, personal projects, traveling the cloudlands, and well-researched presentations. Strictly speaking, I would have been a shoo-in. Believing my future lay at the Anti-Fairy Academy, I’d read books, taken notes, and even outlined papers on the nature spirits before I turned half a decade old. By nine, I considered myself at least marginally informed about my own anatomy and the basics of reproduction. I could have taught a lecture hall. Anti-Elina had wanted me to once or twice, despite the dissenting voices of my mother and the High Count.

Evidently, the Head Pixie knew his way around a share-hall campus. He mentioned off-hand that he’d attended a few on business and one on early education. Said some begrudging thing about admiring our style of citation that quirked my mouth up at one end. Maybe you know the way he leaned against the rail: his chin on one hand, avoiding my eyes the moment pride in his own culture fractured in the face of careful Anti-Fairy academia. I think I proved myself attentive, even if I would have preferred leaning so far over the cloudship’s edge, we had to put that elastic cord he’d tied to me to unexpected test.

“I want to give you some advice,” he told me way back then (not so long ago). Even in the whipping wind, my ears pivoted to catch his every word. I even tore my eyes from the blues and greens and browns of the planet far below us. I’d seen Earth in paintings, of course, but even then, I had not realised it would be so green. It didn’t look half so pretty in the old textbooks of my youth.

“I’ll gladly take it, sir.”

The old chap motioned me away from the rail. He sat me down at a table and two chairs that had been sculpted directly from the wood, which I politely floated above and did not lay my seat upon. With hands folded in front of him, the sky shrieking as our ship flew on, he looked me in the eye and had this simple thing to say: that when a rabbit cries out in pain, the fox is first to come running to its side.

“What?” I asked, unsure I had heard him right at first. He was not a man who often spoke in metaphor. At least, not when I had crossed his path before.

“Reason through it. It’s straightforward; you’re not some Fairywood chump.”

All right. “‘When the rabbit cries out,’” I repeated, “‘it’s the fox who first replies.’” Yes, I suppose I shouldn’t have startled when he dropped those words upon me. “True artistry and painfully sensible. You imply Fairy World does not look kindly upon a Hy-Brasilian such as I.” I did know that. I did not think that he did not know I knew that. Pretty words, but hardly new information.

He made a Speak further motion with the very tips of his fingers. The movement may be slight, but to him (I think), it must have felt as though he painted a target on his head and ran across a saucerbee field. Sometimes I think he would have rather lived and died a mere concept than a person. He said nothing; his pale eye did not so much as twitch. I considered a few wingbeats more.

“The rabbit which survives with twisted leg is the rabbit that silenced its own tongue.”

“The answer I had in mind was ‘flicked off back to its own kind,’ but yes. Accurate. To be clear, you’re getting a decent letter of rec out of me. Dust- If I had the gaskets at your age to ask a multiregional business owner to vouch for me on the blitzing godparent track, I’d be living quite a different life. There’s good magic in godparenting.” Vague gesture. “Helps get it up.”

I concurred. He stood then, bidding me space even though I think he meant to bid good riddance. He went to speak to the captain of the cloudship, and I spent the rest of our flight pressed up against the rail. Still, even when we landed, I turned those words like a feather in my hand. When the rabbit cries, the fox is first to answer.

I threaded that cryptically straightforward statement across my teeth and kept it at my breast. It did not help me anyhow.

… I blitzed a Fairy last night.

[Basic overview, cnt'd from above; the spoiler bits come later]

Cosmo is a mama's boy! We know that pretty well from canon; it's one of his most obvious traits. However... he won't leave Wanda for her (as much as his mother antagonizes him).

- He's VERY loyal to Mama Cosma, to the point of sneaking her into his and Wanda's underwater castle in "Hassle in the Castle" and not telling Wanda about it.

- I think "Presto Change-O" and "Odd Squad" showcase his attachment well- He's reasonably concerned for her and very caring, but he's clearly living his own life at home.

- When he darts out on Timmy in the former episode, he first assures Timmy that when he and Wanda are back, they'll "all do something really fun and magical together." After Mama Cosma recovers from her 9-hour flu, he doesn't make Wanda wait around and takes the lead in getting them out of there (with a cheerful good-bye to his mom).

Context: My Cloudlands AU 'fics strive to be "as canon as possible," and I'm particularly proud of a scene I wrote in "I Just Live Here" where Foop reflects on family relations (and we see evidence of Cosmo and Wanda's relationship straining due to insults):

Once he came clean about his marriage to a damsel she couldn't stand, Mama Cosma couldn't keep her hands out of his life. She threads her son's mind with all sorts of poisoned commentary and doesn't seem to feel a smidgen of remorse. Like… wow. I lie, cheat, and manipulate people too, but when I try to imagine my own mother fighting tooth and nail to split me apart from my friends, that just seems unnecessarily cruel. It's weird. I know my auntie has done her best to tolerate it (holding her tongue and temper in a way that even I admire), but once when I was lurking around Timmy Turner's house before he came home from school, I heard she and my uncle break into a fight. Well… More of a scolding, really. After three or four minutes of listing her grievances against Mama Cosma, Auntie Wanda simply burst into tears. "I can't go to her house anymore. I can't keep going to these fancy lunches in Fairy World. But I worry all the time that if I don't go, you won't come back to me. Mama Cosma can really stick her hooks in you. I just don't feel like you respect me anymore, Cosmo, or like you believe living with me is an improvement over being a mama's boy and staying all day in your childhood bedroom. I need your support when she bears into me. Can you do that?" "I'll try to be better," was his response, stunned and shaky. I'd felt that way myself, curiosity getting the better of me as I floated as near to the window as I dared, my ear pressed against the wall. I could hear my uncle's fingers fiddling with his tie, wrapping the fabric around and around his wrist. "I don't know, Wanda… She's my mama. I know she can be a little harsh sometimes, but she's just getting a little old and cranky. She wouldn't do anything to really hurt me…" "She's been flinging insults at me for years." "… This is real? It's not all just some smart people test about sarcasm or irony or hidden underlying meanings? I'm not good at picking up clues, Wanda… You know that." Then, more quietly, "I'll try… It's just that sometimes I have a hard time keeping up with what's going on. I never feel like I'm in on the joke, and then when I finally am, it's like everyone thinks it isn't funny anymore. And what's more confusing is that sometimes, people say something I thought was kind of mean and everybody laughs, but then other times, everybody gets real quiet and uncomfortable. It's really hard for me to figure out the difference before the words are out of my mouth. And I don't always know there's something wrong unless it's explained to me with puppets or words… but I'll try. Can you keep being patient with me, even when I mess things up all over again?" "Every time, Cosmo. I love you… SO much…" Well. That had been an awkward thing to overhear. But I know why they had that discussion when they thought they were alone in private. I don't blame my auntie and uncle for trying to keep the trials of their marriage away from their son and two godkids. They're doing what they can to provide stability. My own parents could likely learn a thing or two from them. My father shouts a lot when he's upset, and my mother often floats there and takes it, not saying a word. I've overheard breaking plates and sometimes the frustrated pounding of a hand against the wall, but… Well.

I really like this scene because I think it's a good balance of Cosmo being insensitive, but at least somewhat justified in his confusion and misunderstanding ("But... you also say mean things to me" and/or "People think it's funny and I don't always get when it isn't"). It allows me to treat their bickering as canon while also showing them working things out in the background.

It's got Wanda standing up for herself and Cosmo wanting to be better... and I like my set-up of them talking where they know Timmy wouldn't hear, and Foop's just flat-out eavesdropping. Makes me laugh. Everyone here is spot-on, imo.

"Crocker of Gold" is an episode I like for Cosmo's misunderstandings- That's the one where he dresses as a leprechaun and Crocker catches him and demands gold, so Cosmo takes gold from real leprechauns and leaves them a note. They're upset with him, and both Timmy and Wanda are shocked he left a note. Cosmo claims it would've been rude not to. He generally is following a social script... it just might not match the circumstances he's in. I like to think that he skates through life trying to be polite, salty, under the radar, or playing dumb. Those things have gotten him this far in life, so he defaults to them. -> I showed a screenshot earlier of Cosmo changing his body language to match Wanda's. I don't think it's common for him to want to learn new things or change his behavior, but he's all-in at being a good dad and tends to mimic what he sees Wanda do. He follows role models. -> Jorgen is clearly his role model in "Cosmo Rules," since Cosmo also opts for a military get-up while defending Da Rules despite that not being required (Juandissimo didn't) -> In "Oh, Brother," Cosmo lists things that a brother can do for you- Drive a getaway car, lend you bail money - which he's probably saying because his older brother is a con artist. -> In "Something's Fishy," he even mimics Schnozmo's catchphrase: saying "Two words!" followed by something that's not two words. Hilariously, both of these happened in Season 5- Long before Schnozmo was introduced in Season 7. -> And by that logic, it's not surprising Cosmo can be rude and speak his mind a lot since Mama Cosma and Schnozmo are both known for that. Heck, Cosmo gets under Juandissimo's skin in "Fairy Fairy Quite Contrary" by mimicking him, and it was his own idea to do so.

Notably, in Poof's POV section of this same story, he says he and his dad visit Mama Cosma's without Wanda, and shares this:

When I'm with the Cosma side of my family, Mama Cosma lets me put my feet up on the furniture if I want to. I definitely can't do that at my granddad's because my nonna would have a fit. Mama Cosma doesn't care if I eat in the living room, even on her couch while we look at old scrapbooks of my dad and Uncle Schnozmo when they were kids (Plus old yearbooks of her and Papa Cosma… but my papa died when my dad was only two, so I never got to meet him). There's definitely… a weird vibe at Mama Cosma's prim and frilly little house, though. She loves my dad and he'll usually spend the whole visit with me when we go, but my own mama won't set foot anywhere near my grandmother's house anymore. When I was a baby I didn't really get it, but then I learned to read and figured out why. Mama Cosma frosts all her cookies so they say my mother's name with large Xs or strike symbols through them… or if not that, then symbols of raging fire. I feel really bad not eating her cookies because she always works so hard on them and they taste so good, but I feel like I'm betraying my mama when I do. My dad gets quiet and evasive about it, but… he just tells me not to worry. He says I can do what I want, and that if I don't want to eat them, he isn't going to force me. So there's that. I've seen my dad get confrontational before, but he's usually pretty tame around my grandma. I brought up the cookies to my mama once and she tersely said we'd "talk about it when I was older." So I asked Timmy while we were filling out coloring books and he told me everything. Mama Cosma can't stand my mama… Timmy says it's because my mom "took away her little boy" by marrying her, which is what led him to move out of her house and into a new place with my mom. It's weird. There's a nagging feeling in my gut that makes me suspect that's not the whole story. I'm not even sure I want the whole story, so… I guess I'll take my mama's word for it. She'll tell me "when I'm older."

They are brothers, your honor...

Mama Cosma is important to Cosmo. She may not like his wife, but she was also his sole caretaker for tens of thousands of years (knowing what we know about the war between Fairies and Anti-Fairies taking place 90k years ago, since "Balance of Flour" is its anniversary, and we know Cosmo and Wanda have only been together 10k years).

I like to think Cosmo wants Poof to know his grandma since Cosmo and Wanda were cut off for so long. Cosmo has a paternal grandpa on his canon family tree ("77 Secrets of The Fairly OddParents (Revealed)" - Grandpa Gonzo - but Cosmo lost his dad young and I don't think he's close to his grandfather.

Family's important to Wanda too - she's very close with her dad - and I think she and Cosmo both make sacrifices for each other's happiness and Poof's sake, even though it's hard on them both.

Again, I like to play Cosmo as a mama's boy trying to balance the complexities of his life... Allowing Wanda space away from his mother, but also letting Poof have the chance to meet his grandma, but also telling Poof that if he doesn't want to eat the I Hate Wanda cookies, he doesn't have to.

I also think it's worth noting that Cosmo tried his dang hardest to be very positive about his pregnancy and childbirth.

- He had a lot of hormones messing with his mood (leading him to be confused when he batted Timmy into the basement while in bear form, then returned to fairy form and couldn't find him), but he was super grateful for his pregnancy (Handled his morning sickness without disgust & we see him apologize for inconveniencing Timmy several times). - He didn't even resent Timmy for snapping at him and telling him to get lost, which is nice since Cosmo has a history of petty grudges. During his contractions, he's the one telling Timmy and Wanda to remain calm and to enjoy "this beautiful moment." - Even while actively giving birth and clearly in a lot of pain, he insisted childbirth was a wonderful experience (fighting for a smile through his tears, his eyes red around the edges as he held and rubbed his belly... Doin' his BEST to get through it). - I think it's interesting how positive he was since sometimes he can be very pessimistic (Ex: "End of the Universe-ity" when he points out that "Fairy powers are totally lame and limited and will last 5 more years, tops" compared to Dark powers).

I have to showcase Cosmo's happy moment followed by /double blinks in confusion as his newborn is taken from him.

Every one of these faces is precious... He's a daddy! Thank goodness he has his precious baby! His hair is still extra ruffled from his stress and strain! He's in his hospital gown! His baby is his world! His godkid is delighted, and Cosmo is so happy to have his two boys in his life! ... oh no. help him.

Does Cosmo have his feet spread under the blankets the same way Peri, Anti-Cosmo, and Anti-Wanda all spread their feet in A New Wish to support heavy books? That's funny... He has a big baby in his lap...

I think... that covers my overview of How I Suggest Writing Cosmo In General:

- Mama's boy who's thoughtful, salty, a good dad, and doing his best to keep his marriage together because he loves his wife (although he does struggle to find the line for his teasing). He's not big on confrontation, though he'll stand up for his family when push comes to shove. - He does get jealous, but he and Wanda BOTH admit to having crushes outside their relationship; I don't think it's entirely fair to judge Cosmo for his fantasies without also judging Wanda, who's equally blatant in multiple episodes and has very questionable interests. I like to think they both know the other wouldn't really go for anyone else, though I do agree I'm not the biggest fan of these jokes. - He loves both Timmy and Poof. I didn't touch much on Timmy in this post since it's long and there are many good episodes of their dynamic (Timmy has a tendency to trust Cosmo and leap without looking). - Looks for role models to mimic. For better or worse, he grew up with Mama Cosma and Schnozmo, so he can be overbearing, sly, and rude. Loves his baby and his family very much. Very protective... Please let him take a grenade for them.

I think if I were to personally start my take on Cosmo from scratch, I'd ask this:

- What am I depicting Cosmo do? Who taught him this behavior? -> His mom was overprotective of him, so he probably read it in a book, got it from a kid at school, or picked it up from his mom or brother. - If it's none of these things... Why is he doing that action? (If he's older, maybe he got it from watching a godkid or reading a comic book). Is he following a social script from his culture? -> That's a good opportunity for worldbuilding. - He might've put in a lot of work, because something about the behavior is important to him (or was in his past). Since he's often associated with cars ("School's Out! The Musical" flashbacks, "Cosmonopoly," he's the car in "Odd Squad," his racecar bed in "Hassle In the Castle"), -> I've always imagined his car was the one thing he had that was truly his, and it represented freedom from his mom. After all, two episodes confirm he was driving in his younger years (and we know from "Transparents" that Wanda lacks experience)

These are good starting points if you're looking to develop a deep Cosmo portrayal with layers of backstory, though you can always keep it simple (especially for short one-shots).

I do think nailing down your interpretation of Cosmo's backstory is a critical aspect of deciding how you portray him in present day (as with any character). Everyone's vision of his story will be different, leading to their own take on Cosmo (and potentially Anti-Cosmo).

⭐ Here are some backstory jump-off points!

- "This Is Your Wish," "School's Out! The Musical," & "Cosmonopoly" are three episodes from the OG series episode covering the main story beats of Cosmo's backstory (Implied to have lost his dad young, grew up with his mom, forced into military school against his will, sunk Atlantis (9 separate times as of "Something's Fishy"), marrying Wanda). - "Double-Oh Schnozmo" debuts Cosmo's older brother, who clearly takes advantage of him. Schnozmo was off the radar enough that he didn't know Poof existed. Cosmo has great faith in and respect for his brother, and is heartbroken when he realizes Schnozmo took advantage of his trusting nature- There's a moment as he's talking through it that you can SEE the moment he breaks... That to me is quintessential Cosmo.

Cosmo, having just said "He must think I'm the biggest fool in the world!" and freezing up one beat before he hurls his ham into the forest and takes off to be alone... He knows. Their past, their fond memories... How much of it was real to Schnozmo? Does his brother even care for him? He splinters.

- Neither Cosmo's mom nor Wanda's dad knew their children were married until "Apartnership" and "Talkin' Trash" (respectively), though Blonda seemingly did in her debut. Cosmo implies at the end of "Talkin' Trash" that he wants to take over the Fairywinkle family business?? Also, it's heavily implied Big Daddy was going to let Cosmo stay with Wanda when Wanda moved home, and it's important to me...

- Speaking of family, Cosmo found out in "Cosmo Rules" he has von Strangle blood. In my canon, he trains to take over as Keeper of Da Rules after Jorgen after he leaves Timmy and Chloe (and it's probably something I'll carry for him to New Wish 'fics since he could be doing it in his godparent retirement era- especially since Jorgen's more mellow in New Wish). There's lots you can do with that!

- Anti-Cosmo was old enough to represent his people in a truce attempt during "Balance of Flour" (canonically 90k years pre-series, as it was the anniversary in that episode), heavily implying Cosmo and those older than him fought in this war.

- Cosmo claimed he never went to Spellementary School (in the episode of the same title), but in "Love Triangle," he confirms he had a role in the school play.

-> He becomes a "pageant parent" to Poof in this episode, hovering around him and making Poof run his lines over and over even though Poof is clearly uninterested (Wanda even using the words "You know Poof doesn't want to be in his school play"). He reminds me of his overbearing mama!

- "Truth or Cosmoquences" depicts Cosmo's high school years. Juandissimo claims he met Wanda during high school, they're confirmed to have dated, and Cosmo taunts Juandissimo in "Fairy Fairy Quite Contrary" by claiming he "lost his woman to an idiot."

-> Juandissimo is on good enough terms with Cosmo and Wanda that he attends, like, 5 different parties at their house in the OG series (including the baby shower Wanda's family didn't show up for) - I don't normally see people treat "Cosmonopoly" as canon, but I personally like it; I use the diner as the place Wanda started to fall for him since she wasn't very happy about being hit by his car. - Cosmo confirmed he designed his Cosmonopoly game to remind him of the day he met Wanda. He heavily implies he went to Pixie World to do his laundry that day (Pixie Woods is a location next to the laundromat). In my 'fics, I depict him sneaking out to get time for himself and using his laundry time to write his books. Funnily enough, Pixie World's laundromat was already established in my works even before this, because Rosencrantz works there. -> This potentially plays into the Pixies having Cosmo on their radar & Cosmo implying he met Sanderson sometime before "Pixies Inc." (i.e. he told Sanderson that if he "doesn't recognize him, it's probably the hat").

- Officially, Cosmo was designed with a 50s aesthetic. You could draw inspo by researching the 1950s. What hobbies or special events were popular?

- He's likely to have Megan Bacon trauma (a past godkid of his from "Past and the Furious"). Canonically, the past versions of Cosmo and Wanda are AWOL when Timmy looks for them in the past because they were hiding in her closet.

-> She's still alive (and fairly young) in present-day Dimmsdale, having gone on to open a notable restaurant seen in many episodes: the Cake 'N Bacon. In "Vicky Loses Her Icky," this restaurant was inexplicably across the street from Timmy's house.

-> Funnily enough, I don't think he really showed what I'd call "Vicky trauma" in the OG series, despite the fact she did mess with him. That's more of a New Wish thing, but I do think he had Megan trauma.

- In Season 5's "Hassle in the Castle," Cosmo and Wanda keep portraits of all their past godkids, including those they had poor relationships with (with these replicas of MaryAnn and Pierre specifically wanting revenge on them; MaryAnn claims they "deserted her."

Cosmo and Wanda instantly recognize MaryAnn when she's running around the castle, even though she killed Archduke Ferdinand and it's been a while since they've seen her. Even Cosmo? Who's not always the best with names? -> That said, we do know Cosmo snuck Mama Cosma into the castle in that episode and her door is down near the portraits. Him sneaking his mom in is a whole other can of worms. Also, they have Crocker's portrait in the Hall of Fame, not the Hall of Infamy!

- And if you want to go all the way back to Season 0, Cosmo and Wanda claim in "The Zappys" that their godparenting career is "speckled with failures," which Cosmo seems sad to admit.

- In both the OG series and New Wish, Cosmo and Wanda have separate beds. Cosmo's is a racecar:

Hilariously, this is one of the episodes Wanda blatantly tells Cosmo she's daydreaming about Juandissimo. For all the bickering and irritation and "the ol' ball and chain" and "naggy wife" jokes... I do think it's funny that they're both completely open about having crushes on other people. Totally fair if people have a strong dislike for that part of their characterization, but I can't help but respect the sheer confidence and closeness they have to admit those things and that it won't ruin their relationship.

-> We know from "Stupid Cupid" that Cosmo finds Juandissimo hitting on Wanda annoying, but lets him flirt with Wanda because he keeps sending her food, which Cosmo eats because Wanda doesn't want.

-> Shout out to Cosmo in "Truth or Cosmoquences" when Juandissimo hit on Wanda and Cosmo instantly broke character from his façade as Britney Britney's husband and shoved himself between them... and then had to back down when Juandissimo innocently asked why he was so huffy about him merely asking for a dance with his unmarried secretary 🥺

Season 6's "Wishy Washy" gave us teen Cosmo and Wanda, where we see Cosmo with braces and a skateboard. He confirms to Timmy that at this point in his life, Wanda wasn't his type (because "he likes 'em with a little more swirl in the curl.")

I've always thought it was funny that Cosmo likes to say "swirly" when he's absentminded, like "Portals are swirly." Man's always thinkin' 'bout swirls...

I drew him and teen Anti-Cosmo once!

- After Cosmo started disguising his nose with magic ("The Boy Who Would Be Queen"), but before Anti-Cosmo chose to do the same. - Specifically, Cosmo went through a rebellious teen phase (slipping away from his mom to go play & later pick up a job at the diner, planning to buy a car himself). - Anti-Cosmo became excessively devoted to my zodiac-themed Anti-Fairy culture (He's wearing a shirt depicting the Fae zodiac & wearing bracelets to symbolize being born in the year of Water).

It's very important to me that teen Cosmo and Wanda refused to play along with Timmy until he uses reverse psychology on them by insisting they're not meant for each other. And that SNAPS them to attention... At their core, they've always had their rebellious streaks. They do not like being bossed around.

Honestly, if you're only going to pick one thing to focus on... I think the most critical detail to consider when writing Cosmo and Wanda is that they eloped without telling their parents. If you think about how they left their lives of being coddled behind for each other, you can take that anywhere.

Anti-Cosmo's backstory is pretty unknown, but you can use parts of Anti-Cosmo to build a take on Cosmo as well.

For example, Anti-Cosmo's mother might be very harsh to him since Mama Cosma coddles Cosmo. Or, you could argue his mother's completely absent from his life since Cosmo's is always around. I like to think she really wanted Anti-Cosmo and Anti-Wanda to get married. I personally play her as both physically abusive and emotionally overbearing. Cosmo crushed on Wanda for a long time, but I really enjoy slow burn A.C./A.W. as they slowly move from being annoyed by or disgusted with each other to admiring, respecting, and loving each other. I gave Anti-Cosmo bipolar disorder (due to his extremely high-energy moments in "When Nerds Collide" (where he rapidly flies in a circle 13 times in a row while still talking... yes, I went frame by frame and counted) and "Balance of Flour" (where Anti-Cosmo was unable to sit still while in disguise and revealed himself in front of everyone by running off and laughing). In his other episodes, he's in a mild state. -> Fun Fact: Technically, Anti-Cosmo has a magical parallel of bipolar rather than what humans have, and he treats it by rubbing Fairy pheromones on his face. In-universe, Fairies consider him to have divus displacement disorder (D3) and consider him "a Fairy in an Anti-Fairy's body" while Anti-Fairies believe he was born with his soul intertwined with a nature spirit's (whom he called Clarice in his youth). A.C. has a habit of drifting near H.P., who has strong-smelling pheromones. Anyway... My Cosmo has depression - especially postpartum depression - as a parallel. He struggles with a lot of personal issues, especially regarding his magical strength (Ex: turning his dad into a fly as a baby, leading his dad to never be seen again in the series).

Here are detailed examples from the backstory I gave my Cosmo because... I like talking about him:

Cloudlands AU Cosmo - #ridspoilers

Major spoilers up to the end of where we currently are in the 130 Prompts; if you've made it to "Sentry," you've seen it

I treat "77 Secrets of the Fairly OddParents (Revealed)" as canon, meaning Cosmo's deepest secret - that he's the author of Astrophysics For Morons and several other books - is something he has ISSUES telling people about... which I tie into "Wishology"'s canon of portraying stars as ancient Fairies.

Yeah... Cosmo writing stuff that his culture hates does not go well for him in my work :'D

Cosmo struggles a lot with his love of books, hence why this is a secret for him. In Cloudlands AU canon, Fairies tend to have a brawn over brains culture and Anti-Fairies a brains over brawn one; Mama Cosma sent him to military school against his will to try to push him towards the brawn culture.

During / after the war with the Anti-Fairies ("Balance of Flour"), Fairies weren't exactly charmed by brains or Anti-Fairy culture sympathizers, and Cosmo - who used to write political commentaries and kids' books that broke culture down in easy to understand ways - became an instant target, leading us to this scene:

"Let them come for me." Cosmo raised the point of his wand against his temple. "These memories are all that I have left. Look, it's simple. You don't want my insights on politics and religion leaking any further into the world, and I don't want you in my life ever again. So if you take one step forward, I'll blast them out here and now. You can tell Adelinda that you were left to scrape my time keys off the floor." "So I am the bad guy now? We've opened the castle for refugees like you! Art, history, all the science you could ask for… The charts, the maps!" Cosmo bobbed gently up and down, but otherwise didn't move. He didn't even blink, the wand still pressed thumb-deep into his head. "Yeah, right! You've von Strangled every scrap of success I ever had out of my hands. Why would this be any different?" A scowling Jorgen shifted forward then and Cosmo threw out a hand. "No further! Or I'll wipe my memories here and now!" Jorgen braced his staff against a jutting piece of the wall, leaning beside it with folded arms. "The revolutionaries are out there hunting for those who threaten society with radical ideas, Cosmo. Your stories of gas balls and tongue lashes towards the Council are the reason you've landed in their sights. You can burn your books, but erasing private memories hurts no one but yourself. Plus, I can still take you to the Pink Castle anyway. It seems a very foolish trade you are fighting to make." Cosmo narrowed his eyes. "But when you get me behind those walls, you're going to scramble my mind up anyway, right? Because you work for the Fairy Council? At least if I blast myself, then I don't let you get to have the satisfaction…"

"Repeat"

After this point, Cosmo started erasing his memories on the regular and became a lot more unstable and unhappy with himself.

That said, I do think the war helped give him a purpose, lifting him a bit from the depression of his younger years over missing his father. He finally felt like he had something worth fighting for and was making up for the harm he caused, now out there protecting his people.

It's around this point in time that Cosmo - looking for a new career and now a smidgen more confident in himself (and looking for a new passion in life) - switched to the godparenting major, where he ended up doing a trial program with Wanda for Erg.

Erg being the godkid they claimed to have 50k years ago in an episode where they're celebrating their 10k years of being godparents, implying Erg was a special one-off case... Checks out since 50k years ago would've been well before they were married ("The Past and the Furious")

Cosmo grew increasingly infatuated with Wanda from here on out, and learning to be a godparent also kicked off his love for children.

I like to play Wanda as "better with" wish-themed playtime and adventures while little kids tend to think of Cosmo as "more fun" when they're playing with toys. He's pretty imaginative. I like to think Wanda's humor is high-brow and flies over little kid heads (Depending on their age). One of my favorite headcanons is that Cosmo owns a lot of toys and likes to leave one with each godkid. Probably a bunch of toys his mom gave him since she coddled and fawned over him so much, so he's rehoming them.

So /claps hands. We've set Cloudlands AU Cosmo up to want a baby. Can u see where this is going?

I personally treat the baby H.P. and Anti-Cosmo raised as 100% canon. I made him the counterpart of the candle model!

Here's some 2018 art, though I need to redraw / redesign now that my art skills have improved. Btw, I saw someone say they were sad this screenshot was fake, but :'D... I assure you, it's 100% real. It's in Jorgen's presentation of "Fairly Odd Baby" when he specifically uses the word "raised" to speak of Anti-Fairies and Pixies with children, and he shows this photo plus a flashing sign labeling H.P. specifically as "Bad," implying the kid has a connection to Anti-Cosmo in species, but H.P. was the real threat. I don't know why they drew H.P. with those glasses or added shading either, but it's real.

Let's talk Westley first! If you remember he's living with Blonda and showed up in "I Just Live Here..." congratulations! Poof slept in his room when he stayed with his Fairywinkle family for spring break that year.

He leans in to kiss me on both cheeks. I blink up at him, wide-eyed, and he pats my shoulder instead of ruffling my hair. Even though I have really, really ruffle-able purple hair, so I'm kind of glad he refrained (I don't like anyone but my parents and Timmy touching my hair, except I sometimes let Gary do it, and I really hate combing out the tangles). "Go back to sleep, cuginetto. We can talk more in the morning."

He was raised by Jorgen and Binky, specifically (playing into "Fairly Odd Baby" canon where Jorgen tries to take Poof from Cosmo and Wanda, telling them he'll raise him and will only let them visit him for one day every other millennium, plus Jorgen shows himself holding a baby in his slideshow presentation).

Binky dropped out of godparenting to be a stay-at-home caretaker for him on Jorgen's behalf.

Reminder: Binky and Jorgen are a gyne-drone pair. They don't live together, but they're basically in a QPR The Origin of the Pixies chapter "Inner Workings" is a good peek at their dynamic (back in the day), though H.P. refers to Binky by his surname (Abdul).

Westley is extremely bitter towards his bio parents and, while he respects Binky, doesn't particularly like him or Jorgen (or Cupid) as all three played a part in removing his chance at "a real family." He cut ties and changed his family name to Periwinkle.

AKA, before Poof was born, Westley went into modeling in Fairywood and Blonda took him under her wing. Blonda considers him a nephew

Poof looks up to him a lot names things after Westley - notably his egg baby in "Two and a Half Babies" - and that was canon in my work for years before A New Wish, sdkflj...

If I had a nickel for everyone in this family who changed their name to Periwinkle...

Frayed Knots is a 'fic about how Anti-Cosmo got to the point that he ended up with Talon - Westley's anti-fairy counterpart - and why H.P. is the one helping him raise him... Short answer? Anti-Cosmo wrecked his life for that child and a lot of people have issues with him because of it :'D But H.P. took him in...

Talon sneak peeks from late Frayed Knots!

“Yep. Talon, your dad’s out of it. Which is perfect, because that means I can do this.” H.P. clamped his hands around Talon’s waist and tossed him into the air. Talon squealed with surprise and apparent delight, and H.P. caught him when he came back down. “You are adorable. Oh yes you are, my Cú Chulainn. Yes you are.” “Again!” Talon cheered. “Nope.” There was a pat like H.P. placing small anti-fairy feet back on the floor. “One free sample per pup. If you want more services, you have to pay for them.” “Again!” H.P. sighed good-naturedly. “All right. One more time, Cú Chulainn. But, only if I can trust you to keep this our little secret.” “No! I’m going to brag to all the others that you tossed me twice. I had my fingers crossed about the promise.” “Oh, you’ve got me there,” H.P. told him in monotone. He rustled Talon’s hair with his huge hand. “Go play.” Talon trotted away, laughing. I clenched my claws deeper in the ruffled fabric. He never laughed for me like that.

&

Talon stomped his foot. “I don’t wanna go back with you! I want to stay here with my other dad!” H.P. and I looked at each other. Then he dropped his attention to Talon again, bending on one knee. “Talon, you’re adopted.” “Really,” I cried, “you’re starting with that?”

Also, shout-out to older Talon in Pink and Gray-

"I hate the inheritance traditions!" Talon's wings exploded behind him, flapping wildly. "It's not fair! You weren't even supposed to become High Count after Anti-Bryndin. Everyone only agreed to let you lead the Anti-Fairies because you have green eyes, but when it's me, your son, who should inherit after you, they're not going to listen, are they? They're not! You don't want me to be your heir! You only keep me around because I'm the only anti-fairy who's been born since the fairy baby mandate cut off all your other options. Or else you'd just dump me on H.P. forever so you don't have to look at me anymore and think about all your old mistakes. You want another kid because I was born with red eyes like some kind of commoner!" "Talon, enough." Anti-Cosmo swept his arm to the side. "You'll wake the hotel. Worshipers have traveled a long way to visit the Water Temple." "Look at me! Look me in these eyes and tell me it's not true!" Anti-Cosmo clenched his teeth, but didn't glance away. "I said, that's enough now. I broke the law to give you a healthy life, child. One would think you'd respect me for that." "The people," Talon snarled, stabbing a claw vaguely in the direction of Anti-Fairy World, "should accept me as your heir, no matter what color my eyes are." "I don't disagree, lad, and I don't intend to argue with you. However, you must realize that it isn't within my power to alter the expectations of an entire society." He stepped forward, fur bristling. "Bet the gossip's true! Bet you were unfaithful. Bet you had me with some hired anti-will o' the wisp for a handful of coins. Is that where I came from? Are you even my real father? Do you ever plan to tell me anything?" Anti-Cosmo tightened his grip on his wand, but regarded the furious anti-fairy with cool collection. His hand twitched, but he kept his arm low. "I will not argue with you, Talon, and I will not succumb to your goading. I am your father, Anti-Wanda is your mother, and despite your legitimacy, you did not inherit our spirit-blessed eyes. That is all you need to know, apart from the fact that if you do not hold your tongue, you will lose your inheritance tonight. Do not try my patience further." Talon simmered a moment more, then swung around and stalked away down the hall. "Telford Anti-Westley Anti-Lunifly. You have yet to be dismissed. Don't you dare turn your back on your High Count while he's trying to converse with you!" "'Trying,'" Talon said, and kept walking.

& "Health Bars"-

"What did you bring me?" Talon asks, looking up. Anti-Cosmo's eyebrows shoot into his hair. "'Bring you?' Why, I wasn't even aware you would be here tonight." Talon sticks out his tongue. "H.P. always brings me stuff when I see him." "True," I acknowledge. In my head, Anti-Cosmo's hitpoints drop into yellow. Anti-Cosmo gives the younger anti-fairy a pitying look. "Then he's spoiled you into being a selfish little brat, I'm afraid." And to me, narrow-eyed, "Thanks for that, actually." "Whoa. Hey. It's not my fault you deprive him of modern technology when he goes to stay in Anti-Fairy World. We agreed from the start: If you want to raise him Zodii, then I get to expose him to pop culture. Go ahead– ask him about memes. I've trained him well."

I just love him and my messy 'fic drama so much... Talon, my beloved.

Because this is a notable part of Anti-Cosmo's backstory - especially the conflict Anti-Cosmo and Talon have - it played into me giving Cosmo that aforementioned dream of wanting kids, which led me to scenes like:

"So, when can I meet Nixie?" Saffron frowned in the rear-view mirror. "Oh, did I not send the letter? You sounded like you'd read it over the call. You seemed fine with it." "L… letter?" "I changed my mind about adopting her out. Jorgen said he'd waive my file at the station if I trade her to him instead of you." He slammed so hard on the brakes, Saffron's glossy lip tube flew past the windshield.

"Repeat" - Cosmo's failed attempt to bring Nixie into his life... Nonetheless, he didn't give up

So... I found an episode with an interesting detail, and I really latched onto it and built my images of Anti-Cosmo and Cosmo around it. Simple enough start!

I lucked out in finding something I thought was super interesting to delve into (especially at a time no one else in the fandom had mentioned it... or at least not in 'fics tagged H.P., because I think I read all those and most if not all of the Anti-Cosmo ones available back then, at least on the sites I used, haha).

Even though I don't consider "The Fairy Beginning" canon as a whole (due to it violating too much established canon), it's still canon in my works that Cosmo stayed with his aunt and uncle for a while and lived under their stairs, which is... hoo boy.

"No, I didn't! I didn't do anything wrong!" Cosmo tightened his arms around Westley's back, beneath the baby's tiny fluttering wings. "It's not me or my fault, okay? It's just… just… Look, it wasn't supposed to happen this way!" Holding babies left him breathless, and Cosmo tried to shift his weight to hold him a little better. Westley kicked him in the chest. "I know I can't keep him, but you can't let Jorgen take him away." "Oh heavens, that's a real baby. There is a fairy baby in my house right now. I'm gonna be sick." Blonda floated backwards, one hand on her stomach and one on her mouth. The sleeve of her robe slid down to her elbow, dangling like a fish fin. She turned a full circle, pacing in the air, then swept back and grabbed him by the shoulders. "The A.B.B.'s been out for weeks. How hasn't Jorgen found you yet? Tell me you haven't been on the run alone. At least say you have another friend in the world besides my sister and me." "O-okay… Uh, we haven't been by ourselves all this time. Is that the right answer?" Blonda leaned her head back against the whitewashed wall. "Oh, Darkness devour me…" Cosmo bit his lip. "We were staying under my aunt and uncle's stairs for a while, b-but I know they're getting close…" As the breathing lines clenched up around his throat, his fingers curled into the yellow towel a little tighter. "Please, Blonda… Can we stay? And can you help me find milk without showing my face at a store? I ran out, and Jorgen wants to take him away so he can teach him to fight and bully everyone. I can't watch that happen! And… and Cupid will just throw him in a cage for the rest of his life. And I'm scared! If Jorgen takes Westley to his fort, then Anti-Cosmo will waltz straight in and waltz out with him again. A-and babies can't waltz!" "What… Where did you even find…? Babies are illegal in our subspecies without Eros consent. And the Eroses never consent outside the exhibit stock. Did you break into the Nest and take one of their kids?" "Blonda, I… couldn't just let them…"

"Repeat"

And from there, we get this art of Cosmo, Westley, and Nixie:

And this bit from "Told You So"-

"He went for milk," Florensa repeated as though in a daze. Sanderson… sighed. He replaced the silk cover on his crystal and dropped his eyes to his desk. Had his elbows always been this pointy? His arms looked thin and scrawny, barely able to hold his weight. He leaned against them anyway and brought his eyes to hers again. "Forgive me for the small talk. My question may be useful to you… Has your son experienced a major drop in energy? An increase in time spent sleeping? A lack of interest in his usual favored activities? I can't imagine he's in the most whimsical of moods right now." "How do you mean?" "Well… Last time I saw him was at Fairy Con. He floated on sagging wings, looking distressed out of his mind. H.P. had me report it. Even for a fairy, I noticed he expressed considerable emotion during Jorgen's speech. Dm. Cosma, I didn't mean to eavesdrop, but I think I heard your son ask if he could go back on forget-a-cin. Is this true? Pardon me if I am insensitive with this subject, but… How is he handling the separation from his kids?" There it was… cold and dark between them, like a smooth stone dropped into an unmoving pond. Florensa's blue eyes sharpened like snakeupine quills. "Those… those LEECHES under Jorgen's wing are not my son's children! That miserable SHREW forced responsibility on my precious boy! Oh, I'll wring his little blue NECK until he turns purple from it all!" Sanderson stared blankly back at her, too tired to argue. Now would have been a really good time to have his shades. Could she read his thoughts from his eyes? He tried again. "Has Cosmo spoken lately about the kids? I seem to remember he tried to disappear after Westley was born. Fairy World put out an A.B.B. It wouldn't surprise me if he still thinks about them sometimes. Perhaps he went looking for them. Or went to challenge Jorgen." If Jorgen had crushed him into oblivion with one of his mighty fists, that too might explain the shattered wand. Florensa's wings bristled up. "We don't talk about the kids at home," she snapped. "It wouldn't be good for his health! My son is… He's… he's… Well, he's been under so much stress in the workplace! You know how it is, particularly at his age. I just hope he's not been hurt." Hurt? Sanderson grimaced. It was all too easy to imagine Cosmo flattened into pancake form if he set foot anywhere near Westley or Phoenix. The pair were still the talk of Fairy World to this day. Two common fairy babies… the youngest of their subspecies. The first ones born in 370,000 years. They had to be 40 millennia by now. Jorgen bragged about them at every social opportunity, like he'd finally filled a void deep inside him that godchildren never could. And Anti-Cosmo, of course… Well, Anti-Cosmo had been elated with how things turned out. That was sarcasm. Ha ha. Ha ha. But still true, to some degree. Emotions can be hilarious. From the way he fawned over Anti-Westley (Well… "Talon") with his hands clasped against his cheek, you wouldn't think Anti-Fairy World's bachelor king actually lost his first wife over the whole affair. Or his daughters, for that matter… Anti-Saffron had taken both Anti-Miranda and Anti-Phoenix when she left him. As far as the media could guess, the High Count lived by gritting his fangs to bear it.

Aaaaaaaand this plotline in 130 Reasons Why I'm Fairy Trash! :')

"A firstborn will always have more magic than their siblings. Up to two layers of magic can wrap themselves around the core. If the child is the father's firstborn, they'll receive one extra layer, and if the child is their mother's, they'll receive two." Poof's head snaps up like a spring. His hand jolts after it. "But it's okay if they don't… right?" His question seems to catch Serena off guard. "Uh. Well, there's nothing wrong with not having the layers. Younger siblings can be equally as healthy as the firstborn. The extra magic is simply a small benefit the first receives." "Um, what happens if you're a firstborn who doesn't have extra core layers?" "Then that person isn't actually a firstborn." "… What? Are there any exceptions?" "To the firstborn bonus? I don't believe there are any. At least, I've never heard of one." Denzel keeps his head low, scratching out notes, until the silence between the two fairies drags on way too long. Uhh… He looks up again. Poof stares back at his grandmother, shock bleeding his face out to white. She hovers at the front of the room wearing the same look of confusion that Denzel himself might have shown to dancing chipmunks on a ceiling fan. "That's… not true," Poof croaks back. His voice wavers on a string. He drops his head to the desk, wrapping his stubby arms around his head. Um.

"Looking Back"

"Am I adopted?" Poof blurted, not answering the actual question. Auntie Wanda's brows shot off her head. She looked at Cosmo. Cosmo stared back at her, wide-eyed and frozen

&

And he laughed, throwing his arms out too the side. "Poof, do you even hear yourself? Or did you just flunk anatomy class? Only firstborns get extra core layers." "… Aren't we firstborns?" "Do… do you not know?" The mental damage Poof took after those words slammed straight into his brain a second later. Foop flinched back, gripping his hair in one fist. Poof's heartbeat spiked- hot, fast, and undeniable, because a cold cloud crashed into Foop's chest like a clenching fist. A spark of purple fire flared like a spooked rabbit in the depths of Poof's eyes. He's not joking. "Has your dad not talked to you about this?" Gary made an attempt to suggest they call it quits for the day. Foop only half heard him. "Poof," he spluttered, "what? You know my Vatajasa name is Fry-sün d'ichord. Did you think I use the title 'second child; second son' ironically!?"

"Sentry"

Finley was just, like… taunting me and saying that I'm adopted." The memory flares tears in my eyes. I sniff, sort of pathetically, and wipe my eyes on the back of my hand. "But I'm not… I'm a Cosma and a Fairywinkle." "Adopted," Big Daddy repeats. He flicks his eyes from my crown to shoes. They coast along the freckles down my sides. He shakes his head then. Firm. "You wouldn't have the gene for lateral spots if you weren't a Fairywinkle. Your pheromones match the family's too. Cherry almond. Even if yours are underdeveloped, I can sniff that on you from here. Forget about it, Poof… There's no doubt about it. My little cannoli Wanda is your mother, as sure as I'm your granddaddy."

"I Just Live Here"

😬 ... Yeaaaaaaah...... I've been planning this since 2016.

So, hmm.. I wonder why I drew this during my music meme years ago...

Yeah... Yeeeeeeaaaaah... That's rough, buddy.

Also, no matter the universe, Anti-Cosmo is notoriously bad at paying child support and consistently has a rougher relationship with Talon than H.P. does :'D

I also want to point out that when you're introducing characters and major plot points, take the time to consider how they fit into the world and play off other characters! Talon and Westley influence a ton of people, including Anti-Cosmo, H.P., Anti-Wanda, Cosmo, Wanda, Poof, Foop, Blonda, Big Daddy, Jorgen, Binky, Cupid, Sanderson, each other... etc. And all this from two photos of two characters who were onscreen for mere seconds, several seasons apart, and don't have speaking lines or even animation...

The big follow-up & "tying loose ends" 'fic for Poof's "Am I adopted?" anxiety is the upcoming Don't Let Your Babies Grow Up to Be Pixies - named after a song Wanda wrote, according to "77 Secrets of The Fairly OddParents (Revealed)."

It's Poof POV and parallels Foop's war POV in "You'll Never Know." I'm looking forward to posting it, but it's massive and - despite everything this post covers - still contains a lot of major Frayed Knots spoilers related to Cosmo's trauma that we didn't even touch on here, so... it's my baby. Huge personal favorite, though <3

The night before you sent this Ask, I actually sketched potential animatic panels for the Big Fish song "Showdown," even though I don't plan to make an actual animatic. It's been on my Poof inspo playlist for YEARS and was haunting me...

btw, if you like this song... I'm not telling you to do anything, but I AM telling you the songs for this musical regularly disappear from YouTube and have been on and off for many years

Cosmo Wrap-Up

So... [inhales].

When it comes to writing a fan portrayal of a character, there's no replacing doing your own personal study, whatever that means to you - watching episodes, reading 'fics, studying other people's analyses - as you strain out your own version of him.

I think backstory is a really good jumping point for deciding what kinds of things you want to do with Cosmo, and how it ties into how he acts in canon.

Obviously, there's a lot going on in Cloud!Cosmo's backstory... and this despite the fact he's one of the characters I rarely put onscreen. He's one of those "characters who haunt the narrative" for me.

... I barely touched on Nixie drama in this post, but if you can guess where THAT'S going... congratulations! It's been heavily foreshadowed in my lore since the start and is super messed-up :'D.

Frayed Knots, my cruel beloved...

My Cosmo is super specific, and the many intricate layers at play here definitely influence how I write him. Which is a fantastic jumping off point for me if I ever get stuck.

Key points that come from the backstory I've given him include:

- Cosmo growing up without a lot of life experience, so he looks to others for advice. This can easily lead him to trouble if he follows the wrong crowd. - Tension between Cosmo and Mama Cosma, especially in regards to her being annoyed at Wanda and wanting Cosmo to marry someone who's "better for him" - Cosmo doesn't give up easily & is willing to take matters into his own hands. However, he does have his breaking point and massive amounts of trauma and anxiety, which he covers by wiping memories from his head - Cosmo is overprotective of his car because it's one of the only things in his life that's exclusively his and which he has control over (Setting us up for drama in "Repeat" when Poof panics about how he crashed the car... which spirals Poof into his vegan lifestyle, where he punishes himself by cutting meat from his diet despite being a carnivore, so that's a whole thing) - Cosmo is smart in a very specific way related to the stars, cars, energy, electricity, and the Fairy baby ban history... things that aren't necessarily common for godkids to ask about. Also, some random smarts leak through his fractured memories - Cosmo struggling with self-hatred because "he used to be smarter" and gets upset he can't remember things well - Cosmo in hiding (Ex: Only pays with cash to avoid being traced; I have an upcoming scene where he starts panicking about how he's slow and holding up the line and Poof steps in to help) - Cosmo's memory problems (Regularly on forget-a-cin) - Cosmo being clingy towards Wanda and/or struggling to make friends and trust others (especially in academia) - Cosmo's postpartum depression (Struggles with snappiness, loneliness, and fear that Poof doesn't like him) - Cosmo and Wanda having their second kid (Dusty) very early compared to the usual distance between siblings in Fairy society - Cosmo desperate to soak up time with his kids / godkids (Leading him to grant Timmy's secret wish to freeze time - Canon event) - Cosmo and Wanda being really anxious about Poof's relationship with Goldie, who comes from a species known for "tempting drakes away from their parents to join harems" (à la "Opinion" when they try to discourage Poof from dating her) -> And the change of heart Cosmo and Wanda have later in "All I Ever Wanted" when they tell Poof they support him and don't want him to elope and cut them from his life like they cut their parents. -> And Cosmo being extremely "dad" and gentle with Poof in that piece when Poof has his anxiety attack - Cosmo will absolutely have a breakdown if you ask him directly about Westley or Nixie, which is why he and Wanda are waiting until Poof is older to bring it up.

Actually, here's a scene about that last one!

“My friends said I’m not a firstborn because I don’t have the extra magic layers around my core. Am I really your first kid?” My dad screamed. No words, just a scream. I jerked back, and he whirled around and slammed his hand into the wall. It slid down, and he went with it in a shaking mess on the floor. Mom took my elbow and guided me from the room, promising we’d talk later after she made sure he was all right. I hovered in the next room, hands clapped to my mouth, not sure what to do. That evening, Mama came to find me. “Poof-” “I don’t want to know,” I blurted, plugging my ears. I clenched my eyes shut. “Just tell me I’m a weirdo who was born without the extra layers. If I’m not your first, I don’t want to know.”

Don't Let Your Babies Grow Up to Be Pixies

:'D ...

[Laughs in Frayed Knots] - Cosmo honey, you've got a big storm comin'...

For anyone wanting to write Cosmo, I suggest finding some moments from the show (OG series, New Wish, whatever) that you find interesting and want to delve into (or that you use to define your personal view of Cosmo- Who he is; what you like about him).

You might end up wanting to write a backstory 'fic, and if you don't, at least you'll have a good idea of what you envision his story being like, which can shape creative interpretation of his character.

A loose outline, thought web, or note sheet might be helpful- I usually make Tumblr posts or write one-shots to work through my thoughts.

Obviously, a lot of the stuff I listed above are things the series never delves into. I like the freedom of making stuff up for Cosmo, exploring what makes him tick in my own way, but there's nothing wrong with keeping it simple like "Well, my Cosmo was a small town kid who didn't really leave home until he fell in with Wanda."

Whatever you do, I'm sure it'll be interesting! Feel free to tag me when you post your 'fic so I can check it out <3

Other Cosmo writing resources:

- My brief bio of Cosmo

- Let's Talk Cosmo - Early character study

- My "Cosmo can be a tricky character to write" video clips + my analysis of them (I always meant to do one of these for other characters, but never got around to it~)

- Personal analysis on Cosmo's depression - I write Anti-Cosmo with bipolar disorder and this has been an interesting parallel.

-> Cosmo's postpartum depression is particularly fun for me and was glimpsed in "Repeat" flashbacks where he was hiding emotions from Wanda & working through his "Why would the baby like me if I don't even like me?" struggles. I always wanted to make its own 'fic about it, but it was very depressing, so I stopped :'D whodathunk...

- I like this scene in "I Dream of Cosmo" where Cosmo is trying to pull the reins in on Timmy's Dad :)

- I also like this scene from "Desperate Without Housewives," which takes place in Season 9 (after Jorgen stops wiping Crocker's memories in Season 7*. In this scene, now that Crocker's memory isn't wiped anymore, Cosmo blatantly outs himself as a fairy and Crocker just :|

* very heavily implied; my interpretation of the ending is that Jorgen actively exposed Crocker's relatives to Fairies to power the Big Wand and why would he erase Crocker's memory if he's doing that, but it's not technically confirmed... However, the episodes after this do seem to depict Crocker extremely sure of Timmy's fairies, no longer theorizing, and Kevin... also seems to have some memory immunity? Unclear, but if Cosmo was acting Like That in "Chip Off the Old Crock" because he was trying to pull the same joke with Kevin he pulled with Denzel, that's flippin' hilarious. But Timmy's Dad doesn't know and I like to think Crocker is covering for Cosmo in front of him in this scene when he nervously laughs Cosmo's comment off

Characters I Find Tricky to Write

I'll try to keep this section short since this post got out of hand, but thanks for asking!

I do think Cosmo is very hard to write. I'd probably say he's the most difficult for me. I can talk all I want about what I think his character IS, but that doesn't mean I know what to make him SAY in any given scene- especially considering I tend to write drama stories, and that's not a good playing field for him (He's better with adventure or romance or humor).

Secret knowledge I have from a close study of Cosmo I did once upon a time - he favors long sentences, not choppy ones. I feel like it's easy to default to "This character doesn't have deep thoughts, so I'll just have them say something quick and random." I'm sure Cosmo has his fair share of short comments, but recognizing his long sentences changed something for me. Made me think more carefully about how specific he's going to be.

I think he worked great in "Repeat" when he was the POV character and had to move things along - he had no choice & his internal dialogue was able to cover for the characterization his dialogue couldn't - but I don't do well when he's a side character and I need him to "say something funny" to sound like Cosmo.

Not one of my favorites to write, but that's because I like making characters clash and have long conversations about complicated topics. Cosmo isn't necessarily a fun one for that, or to see get in an emotionally heated situation with. I think he'd just leave... ... but I liked "Repeat" when he COULDN'T leave us, so we were privy to all the secrets he wouldn't say.

You might be surprised, but I genuinely like writing Anti-Cosmo long and rambly- I get to do this in Frayed Knots (which is a completely unique narration tone from Origin of the Pixies, which is informative but blunt).

I especially liked Reedfilter Rules Chapter 2, when he uses some VERY heavy (as in flowery) and long-winded language for his internal commentary. Sadly... a lot of people aren't fans of reading that kind of thing :'D And I do not blame them... but I enjoyed it.

That chapter took YEARS of on and off attention to finalize because I wanted him to be perfect before I locked myself into a certain style for the rest of the AU, but honestly... I'm not sure I can - or should bother to - mimic that for future chapters.

idk. I think it's fun, but my goal was to write RR!Anti-Cosmo's internal narration distinct from Clouds!Anti-Cosmo's, and I think I succeeded. Just not sure if it's worth doing twice to that extreme.

One of the comments Frayed Knots tends to get is that it's exhausting... not only for length of its own merit, but also because Anti-Cosmo rambles about worldbuilding and it can make readers free pressured to retain the info and/or it just confuses or bores them. And I totally get that...

... but also, I cannot emphasize enough that Knots' style is like that on purpose. Have you met this man? He SHOULD be bothering you- he's REALLY annoying and he talks a lot. And also, if you get lost along the way, I think he'd find that amusing and would do it more. lmao. get wrecked.

/whispers loudly - His whole thing is that his mom and stepdad think he's annoying and they're not especially nice to him - in fact, they both outright abuse him - and they don't really feel bad about it because he is just THAT bothersome, which is why he falls in with people like H.P., Blonda, and Anti-Wanda - who "just get him" - down the line. Hilariously, Wanda does not have patience for him... as much as he has a crush on her and wishes she did.

Sorry to everyone who takes his longwindedness as clumsy, frustrating writing. You're correct, but so am I. If I have to sit here in his annoying head for 8 years of writing this 'fic, you have to sit here with me <3

Genuinely though, rambling is A.C.'s thing and I like doing that in his other POV stories, like "Yellow Flower Number 9" (linked below). He literally stops shopping to dump his woes on a cashier and I think that's very fitting for him. Man loves his monologues...

I write a lot of H.P.-Anti-Cosmo interactions, but because I strive for canon-compliancy, I can't allow H.P. to call him by his "A.C." nickname until he canonically gives it to him in "Fairly Odd Baby" (A.C. seems surprised by the nickname, but says he likes it).

- You wouldn't think it would matter, but the amount of times I've had to sigh and fix a draft with the nickname is not 5. - Compare with "Yellow Flower Number 9," where he calls him A.C. like 4 times in 20 minutes, lol.

Hmm, hardest character... Ooh, I think it's Jorgen. I really like how I wrote him in "Whatever," specifically here-

Jorgen's hand shot forward. He grabbed Juan in his fist and squeezed until the fairy shrieked and started spitting pleas. Then Jorgen jerked his hand over to Seneca. She flinched back. "I am not here to wait around and answer all your pathetically obvious questions. That is what he is for. You can ask him. As for me, I have two appendixes to separate and a great deal of paperwork to do." He dropped Juan to the floor, then crashed his walking stick (Star staff, sun staff) down too. The force of it sent a shockwave across the clinic.

- but I'm extremely self-conscious of him in general. I don't use him much.

Oh, Chloe takes a ton of attention. She has a super specific speech pattern of using contractions to start her many, many follow-up sentences to her thoughts (She builds on her thoughts and elaborates in a series of addendums).

She speaks her mind and is kind of "deadpan snark" about it, but in a happy way. She also has very weird phrasings. Fascinating.

I wrote about her speech pattern HERE, but she's unique for sure. I'm quite pleased with how I wrote her in "This Is a Box."

I also think Vicky can be tricky to balance realism with what a threat she is... particularly if you're trying not to lampshade the consequences of her actions (although the show does). I look forward to writing her in combination with Dale especially. I have free reign to push Dale way past where I can realistically push Timmy without Timmy reacting, so I think that might be fun.

I had a lot of fun writing Trixie in Chapter 4 of Come What May, when Kevin meets her at Shirley's Pizzeria (and I enjoyed Tad, Chad, and Veronica both in that chapter and the previous). Kevin meeting the popular kids was one of my favorite topics in general :)

I struggle with Kevin flipping from high energy to extremely self-deprecating. I tend to play him as dead inside, which I do think is accurate, but I do think Come What May is missing the humor that comes from being the guy who kicks down a door yelling "Yo, yo, you! Crockmeister in the hizzy!" or answers his phone with "This is the Crockmeister; crock to me!"

I'd love to finish this 'fic, but it always feels depressing to me :'D I was going for "quirky middle grade adventure," but I ended up with gloom and creepiness. Idk what to do to make it fun and I hesitate to touch it if it might bring me down, so I procrastinate.

I think I need to practice my Mark Chang voice to make him more fun and quirky instead of stating plain facts.

Also, for the longest time, I felt kind of guilty that I write Anti-Cosmo as an overly anxious loser when (afaik), most of the fandom don't consider that even close to their vision, so I felt like I was bashing on their favorite even though I was genuinely trying to write him the way I see him, but... sldkfj. vindicated!!

Thank you New Wish for reminding me he really is that much of a cringefail loserboy <3

DUSTY FAIRYWINKLE, JR. – BIG DADDY

Occupation: Business owner (Trash removal services)... That's all you need to know

Birthday: Spring of the Staggered Volumes (Love)

Height: 4′0″ (Tall for a fae)

Age During Frozen Timestream: 652,591 (Mentally 58)

About 90k years younger than H.P.; about 30 years older than Mama Cosma

Age As of Devil’s Backbone: 815,851 (Mentally 72)

Alignment: Lawful Evil

MBTI: ESTJ

Love Language: Words of affirmation

Handedness: Ambidextrous

Hometown: Starglint Town - Small, somewhat wealthy town located in the woods not far from Emper (where the Cosmas live)

Core: Crowbar

Core Color: Blue (Layer 1 Purple; Layer 2 Yellow)

Crown Lift: High

Wand Type: Zinflax (Reinforced)

Fagiggly Color: Purple

Preferred Shapeshifting Form: Whatever gets the job done. Especially fond of hawks

Bio: Dusty is the firstborn son of Dusty Sr. and Ember Fairywinkle (Nana Cadabra). Since birth, he's carried heavy expectations on his shoulders. As a child, Dusty developed into a gyne: a large, freckled Fairy on the path to developing into a "queen bee." While gynes are often feared and regarded with caution, his parents couldn't have been more thrilled. Who doesn't want the heir to the family business - Heck, their entire estate - predisposed to bulk and brawn?

Ember and Dusty Sr. insisted he was well-educated, well-tutored, and set him up well in life. Dusty Jr. learned quickly that asking to take things slower - or searching for other paths than the one they set him on - wasn't an option. Not for a firstborn Fairywinkle gyne like him. While he didn't enjoy studying, he performed well and took pride in his scores (and received praise from his parents in the process).

As a gyne, Dusty Jr. took many grappling classes and occasionally fought other gynes in his general age group. His badge (Legally required to be worn on upper school property) is a red star. If this lore sounds unfamiliar, remember that Poof's gyne badge is a red heart.

Dusty Jr.'s life is best described as "maintaining a cool exterior while suffering in silence." He chases peace, fun, and beauty wherever he can, whether that's his secret indulgence for horse head plushies like Mr. Neigh-Neigh (See the Season 5 episode "Big Wanda") or the affair he had on his honeymoon with a will o' the wisp that landed him pregnant with Blonda and Wanda and no easy way out.

He cares deeply for Serena, though from her view, their relationship might be best described as "cordial." Suffice to say, she never forgave him for the affair, but puts on the impression that she did.

To most people, Dusty Jr. comes off as intimidating. When left to his own devices, he's reserved and quiet. He'd love a life of raising his daughters in the privacy of his own home, but sadly, duty calls. He's done his best to live up to the Fairywinkle legacy. Despite some attempt to shield his daughters from the darker side of his work, he does layer certain pressure and expectations on them, as his parents before him.

It's no secret that Serena runs the home and hosts most events for their large family, but Dusty Jr. is a very engaged grandfather. He knows all his nieces, nephews, grandchildren, and his siblings' grandchildren. He blatantly favors Poof - the eldest and a gyne like him - but while a few grandkids may feel slightly bitter, he does an excellent job in expressing affection to all of them so no one can say they've been left out.

He's now raising Poof to take over the family business... and - in theory - raising Poof to publicly kill him one day to ensure the Pixies don't swoop in and try to steal his business. See also, Don't Let Your Babies Grow Up to Be Pixies.

His anti-fairy counterpart is Anti-Buster: the First General who helped raise Anti-Cosmo (and who shows up multiple times in Frayed Knots). Allegedly, Dusty Jr. is seeing Mama Cosma in secret, which is a huge no-no for members of the common fairy subspecies (whose culture strongly rejects serial monogamy). Serena doesn't stop him, but it's safe to say she knows... and that the estate yidreamu has been dead for longer than they would ever publicly admit.

SERENA FAIRYWINKLE (NÉE WILDWISP)

Occupation: Spellementary School teacher

Birthday: Winter of the White Peaks (Soil)

Height: 3′8″ (Tall for a fae)

Age During Frozen Timestream: 648,598 (Mentally 57)

About 96k years younger than H.P.; about 4k years younger than Mama Cosma

Age As of Devil’s Backbone: 811,858 (Mentally 72)

Alignment: Lawful Neutral

MBTI: INFP

Love Language: Acts of service

Handedness: Left dominant

Hometown: Starglint Town - Small, somewhat wealthy town located in the woods not far from Emper (where the Cosmas live)

Core: Teapot

Core Color: Purple (Layer 1 Pink; Layer 2 Yellow)

Crown Lift: High

Wand Type: Ipewood

Fagiggly Color: Purple

Preferred Shapeshifting Form: Raccoon

Bio: Serena's life revolves around giving her time and energy to others. She helped raise her younger siblings, went into the teaching profession, married young, and has raised her husband's affair children ever since. If Big Daddy is the man you don't want to mess with lest he "take care of things," Serena's the one you don't want to tick off lest you lose her interest in "taking care of things." She has her thumbs in the pies of many important social and childcare programs across Fairy World. Is losing your healthcare a risk you want to take?

Serena met Dusty Jr. at his half-brother's coming-of-age ceremony and later married married him (Both mentally ~23). She is not the biological mother of his daughters (That would be Kylia Swiftspark), but she's treated them as her own as best she can... though she may have favored Blonda more than Wanda.

Today, Serena is a Spellementary School teacher who focuses on the cohort above Poof and Foop. She cares deeply for her students and doesn't tolerate bullying or hazing in her classroom. She does her best to push her students, though many would say she puts them on the spot as if grilling them in an examination room. Both Poof and Foop refer to her as "Nonna" even though Foop is an Anti-Fairy. She appeared in "Looking Back," "I Just Live Here," and Frayed Knots chapters 41 & 42.

Foop is Dusty and Serena's garmhac- The grandson of their counterparts

In her personal life, Serena hosts large dinners, community events, social groups, and gatherings at her home. Family is very important to her, though the apron strings between her and Wanda have unraveled across the years. Despite the affair that soured their relationship, she does wish to maintain good faith ties with her husband. She does what she can to keep this ruffled family from breaking at the seams.

Anti-Serena isn't in the lives of Anti-Wanda, Anti-Wendy, or the Anti-Fairywinkle family at all.

Related:

Wanda's Bio || Blonda's Bio || Poof's Bio || Dusty the Third's Bio || Westley's Bio || Family Tree || Fairy Class Overview

Additional Family Notes

- The Fairywinkle family are well-known for their cherry almond pheromones. It's very strong in their line, so all family members have this scent unless they married into the family or they were born of someone with stronger pheromones (Unlikely).

- Both the Fairywinkle and Wildwisp families speak Lialia at home (Italian parallel). In "I Just Live Here," Poof noted that some of his second cousins only speak Lialia (not Snobbish, the English parallel) and that he wasn't bothered by the language barrier as a baby since he was used to people not understanding him

The Fairywinkle family is large. In-story, Poof refers to many people as "his cousins" even though they are his second cousins. He also knows some people who are technically his second cousins' cousins (no immediate relation to him), but they're still classed as cousins. Since being embraced in the Fairywinkle family, it's expected that he know and care about these individuals, even if he's not biologically close to them.

- Big Daddy has a half-brother named Bryndin, who was born for political reasons (to provide the ruling Anti-Fairy family with a biological heir when they asked for one); Anti-Bryndin is High Count when Anti-Cosmo is born (See also, the Anti-Coppertalon family tree).

Big Daddy and Bryndin share their mother (Ember), but have different fathers: Dusty Fairywinkle Sr. (Common fairy) and Henrie Northfeather (Swanee).

- Big Daddy accepts Cosmo in the family with little complaint, though he does think Wanda could have done better.

- Fairy World looks negatively at twins, especially the second in a set of identical twins, due to a belief that they have a connection with Anti-Fairies (who are also lookalikes who appear after childbirth). Due to this, Blonda's existence was largely shielded from the public. Publicly, she was treated as her father's drone son, Walter, until she renounced that life and embraced being a woman.

Blonda was seen as Walter in the Origin of the Pixies Chapter 36. In Frayed Knots, Anti-Cosmo meets her after she's come out publicly as Blonda (end of Chapter 30).

- Westley Periwinkle (Blonda's ward) occasionally stays in the Fairywinkle home. Poof considers him a cousin; we saw them together in "I Just Live Here."

- Cosmo and Wanda's second child, Dusty the Third, is named after Wanda's father.

- Poof is much closer to the Fairywinkle side of his family than the Cosma side, and his brother Dusty is the opposite. He often stays with his grandparents at their Starglint Town estate during school breaks and/or when his parents are busy with a godkid.

- Poof's relationship with his Fairywinkle family is a major plot point in Don't Let Your Babies Grow Up to Be Pixies.

- The Fairywinkle family carries a very rare gene for lateral spots: freckles down the sides of their torsos, but which are only visible in gyne offspring. As far as it matters in Cloudlands AU, Poof and Big Daddy are the only two Fairies who show lateral spots. Big Daddy pointed this out to Poof in "I Just Live Here" when assuring him that he's indeed a Fairywinkle because he wouldn't have that freckle pattern if he were adopted.

Two AUs

Dale's profile aligns with both Cloudlands AU and City Lights AU. While the AUs are not canon-compliant with each other, in 2018 I set my OC Hadley up to marry Dale... a character I never expected to see in official media again :'D

As of September 2024, Dale's fate in Cloudlands AU has been tweaked to better mimic his A New Wish Season 1 lore. The original plan was for the couple to be betrothed - and married - young without romantic feelings for one another, but they'd grow closer as they raised their son (Dave) and took him around the world on adventures. And, well... Close enough! I'll take it.

As far as Cloudlands and City Lights canons are concerned, Hadley is Dale's wife and Dev's mom, and Dave's been replaced with Dev. My initial personality for adult Dale (Self-conscious and avoidant) still lurks under the surface, but he comes across as the same ol' confident jerk we know and love. The info below reads correct for both AUs!

OVERVIEW

Full Name: Daedalus Dallas Peddler "Dale" Dimmadome

Preferred Form of Address: Dale Dimmadome, Owner of Dimmadome Global Alternate Forms of Address: Doug's Son / Twerp / Mr. Dimmadome / Maverick / Dad His dad called him Daedalus or Peddler in his youth, but that phased out as he got older. Nowadays, only his wife calls him Daedalus (only when she REALLY needs to get through to him) Aspiration: Maintain his wealthy lifestyle and create his own legacy... in a hopeless attempt to "win his late dad's love."

Born: Spring of the Echoing Peaks

Zodiac: Soil Birthday: May 5th, 1986 Hometown: Dimmsdale -> Dimmadelphia, California; USA Age During Frozen Timestream: 16 - Turned this in both 2002 and every year for the 50 years retroactively condensed into 2003. Turned 17 in 2004. Age When Married: 24 Age at Dev's Birth: 26 (Nearly 27) Age During A New Wish Season 1: 36 (37 in May)

Species: Human

Ethnicity: Mostly English through the Dimm line with some Scottish, German, and Italian mixed in. Pretty familiar with his family history- He could kick your butt at Dimmadome trivia any day. Nationality: American (Texas proud!) (This is untrue)

Mindset: Extremely hardworking and devoted to a fault... to the things he chooses to put his time and care in. Not accurately described as "nervous and jumpy" so much as "paranoid and defensive."

Complex PTSD: Many layers of severe trauma related to his 7-year streak of abuse at Vicky's hands (on top of his parents not being... great). As an adult, Dale can push through a lot of things, but there's a lot of flickering between what he was able to handle as a kid (when he was used to being around such things) and stuff that's more triggering now that he's an adult who's kept his distance.

Notable triggers include lemon scent, loud voices, small spaces, the dark, hunger, rodents, toothaches, stomach pains, going too long without proper hygiene, and being barefoot (among other things). Some days he can handle his triggers fine, other days he can't... Just depends how haunted and jumpy he is.

Ex: Some days he mixes drinks and eats limes, some days limes are not distinct enough and touching the rinds upsets him. Sometimes he can touch dirt, other times he'll avoid it. If he made the decision to gulp down lemonade, he could do so - He grew up with it and is familiar with the smell and texture - but on a day he's not in the mood, it's very upsetting for him. Some days he's fine seeing citrus designs on clothing, other times he leaves the room to be annoyed in private. Notably, few people know about Dale's trauma as his dad was very insistent on keeping it quiet. Dale doesn't trust that information to others lightly.

Struggles with survivor's guilt and other complicated feelings about his trauma (often blaming himself for not being a good friend to Vicky and therefore pushing her to become rough with him). Struggles to connect with people and tends to keep his walls up. Lots of trust issues.

He sleeps with a nightlight and/or phone light on. Avoids things that remind him of cellars and trapdoors... Escape rooms and submarines would really affect him, but he does okay in helicopters. Mostly. I don't know why I'm saying this; he sends them crashing to the ground instead of landing properly.

If you ever tell Dale you sent your kid to bed without food, he will remember that and chalk you up as an unsafe person. What if you take his food? He will not come to your house, follow you, or be alone with you. You're scary.

Hypervigilance: Tendency to spiral, follow extreme trains of thought, and believe things that aren't true (Ex: "Hazel is going to ruin me, she wants to see me fail, she's part of a larger scheme, who does she work for, she wants to tear Dimmazon to the ground, she wants me to lose everything, she wants me on the streets, she and whoever she's working for are scheming to rob and hurt me).

Although not always obvious to Dev, Dale gets very anxious around mealtimes- Dev has hypoglycemia and Dale's the one who insisted to the school that the au pairs are medical devices to help monitor that. When Dev started school, Dale was absolutely the nervous parent who called multiple time to ask if he ate. He's grown more lax over the years due to his faith in the au pairs, but if he had his way, Dev would never be more than 10 feet from an au pair, ever. Too many bad things could happen. Terrifying.

Dissociation: During his stressed-out spirals, Dale sometimes loses his sense of being grounded to reality. Everything feels ambiguous and like it's trickling through his fingers. Sometimes he might still feel like he can function, but feels like his body's on auto-pilot and he's floating outside it. He might jolt "back to reality," check a clock, and realize an hour passed and he has no memory of it.

- Very common experience when studying falling stock charts, lying awake at night, thinking too much about his dad, riding in a vehicle, typing up data, fixing robots, cleaning things, in long meetings, showering, or during flirty bedroom moments. - Dale and Chloe are two sides of the same coin: Children struggling under grand expectations who go into anxiety attacks and dissociative episodes when criticized. - Adult Dale uses this as a shield for justifying his neglectful parenting ("You don't understand what I've been through / I can't be better than this because I have X and Y"). But if he ever said that to Chloe, her mouth would drop open for 5 seconds before she socked him in the jaw. Say good-bye to that last tooth, bud.

The boots, au pairs, beeping wristwatches, phone alarms, and physical touch from his wife or son help... a little.

OCD: Prefers routine- Hates going to bed without knowing what the plan is for the next day (or week, or month, or quarter... The list goes on). Doesn't love when things don't go as planned (and definitely doesn't like someone inviting him to go somewhere if he hasn't been warned in advance).

You will not get him to close his eyes and follow you for "a surprise." Repeatedly checks to ensure he left the doors unlocked so he doesn't get stuck inside (See also, open entrance to his tent in "Lost and Founder's Day").

Constantly checking his schedule out of paranoia he'll forget a meeting (Ex: Struggles to get through dinner without being plagued by thoughts that he was supposed to be doing something else). Tries to eat at a consistent time- Gets frustrated when Dev has other plans.

Lots of unwanted thoughts and impulses, especially in regards to pleasing his parents or Vicky. Sometimes lies awake wondering if his wife or business partners are manipulating him and he just can't see it yet (He's not great with criticism- See also, switching off the au pair that asked why he was hurting people).

Does not do well with his wife's hoarding OCD- Lots of boxes remind him of crates full of lemons and cramped conditions. Puts up with it because he has to, but he and Hadley have separate bathrooms, and he and the au pairs do their utmost to maintain Dale's bedroom spacious, clean, and uncrowded by her stuff. Hadley has her own bedroom, but it's so full of stuff that she seeks out his bed anyway.

Tends to scratch and pick at skin (in addition to pulling out hair). Mutters repetitive phrases sometimes.

Likes things laid out around him, easy to see, especially in a consistent color theme. Doesn't like when things don't match (Ex: If given the choice, he'd rather build an entire fleet of Version 2.0 au pairs rather than 1 or 2 new models alongside old versions... He'd just throw them all out). Has very specific layouts he prefers for buttons, switches, and knobs.

Often prefers symmetry (Ex: hedges and string lights on both sides), but he also likes alternating up-and-down patterns (Ex: Likes the levers in his control room to be up-down-up patterns. Tends to set them like that without thinking through the consequences of flipping things). Horrendous habit of walking into someone else's space and flipping THEIR levers without asking what they do.

Contamination OCD, especially regarding water (He does not like dirt in it) or food given to him by others (What if it's drugged or poisoned? This stuff could make him sick. Actually, we will sit here at the fancy dinner table not eating until everyone else does, and sometimes not even then. It's fine.) If you hand him a box of food, the first thing he'll do is check the expiration date. If it's too close, he'll throw it out.

Feels much safer with the au pairs cooking for him than a hired human chef. That's how people get murdered, Sally. "But what if his robots glitch-" Did I stutter. This man has never heard of "Too many cooks in the kitchen" and he always has several au pairs on the same meal at once. If the day comes where there is a glitch he can't fix, he will cook for himself instead of hiring someone. Do not touch his plate unless you're his wife or son, and even then... he might not eat it. But he also hates going without food, so you can imagine the internal conflict. Thankfully, he is actually married to someone who grew up cooking and who taught Dev to cook for videos. Unfortunately, Hadley is a hoarder and will keep food past its expiration date or when it's moldy. She is not allowed in the kitchen without Dale, Dev, and/or an au pair. Dale loses his mind if she goes in there unsupervised. You do not mess with his food anxiety. It's the thing they argue about most, mostly because Dale knows Hadley will just eat moldy things (or offer them to Dev) rather than throw them out. Thank goodness for au pairs that can cook and discard expired food; they are holding this family together. If you gave Dale the choice between eating something Hadley made or Dev made, he'd choose Dev's every time. He honestly likes his wife's cooking because she's dang good at it, but the picky eater is way more likely to throw things out if they're bad. -> Dale often compares his son to a machine, but in this case, it's a compliment. Dale would stake his life on Dev's ability to put his foot down to Hadley about expired food. He actually has had to do this when ingredients are separated from their labels; it's a huge relief that Dev also thinks her food hoarding habits are unsafe, because Dale finally has someone who Lives In This House and Gets It...

Misophonia: - Hypersensitive to sound; gets very snappy very fast when a sound upsets him. Often unclear what sets him off vs. what doesn't, but screams, squelches, splashes, and rodent squeaks are fairly consistent "Hell no"s. Less bothered by chewing food, but doesn't like whistling or random mouth noises for the sake of noise.

Likes beeps and boops, but prefers when he's in control of them (or they're in musical patterns)- Presumably, he likes when keys he presses make noise, as it draws him in and helps him block out sounds he doesn't like. Easily annoyed by random background sounds.

Very sensitive to the noises his au pairs make. Can instantly tell if one nearby is flying in the wrong direction, which tends to stress him out (What if his security's been compromised? What if someone snuck in? Must check immediately.)

Inattentive ADHD: Does much better with a to-do list or schedule in his hand than he does without (and does better when his list is typed on his phone or tablet instead of a piece of paper he's at risk of putting down).

Easily distracted when things don't snag his attention. Loses interest in meetings that stray from the topic of money and electronics. Although his wife's an influencer and puts out frequent videos, he doesn't watch them (unless something with robots or piles of money catches his eye). Mind glazes over when Dev shows him memes.

When something snags his thoughts, he has a difficult time shifting away from it (See also, unable to focus on the festival or his business in general while plagued by thoughts of Project H, which devolved into "all he talked about" for months). Doesn't switch gears easily when he's in the zone. Hates interruptions and has a hard time switching back if someone - mainly Dev - breaks his concentration.

See also, "only his wife calls him Daedalus and only when she really needs to get through to him." Dale snaps to attention when he hears his full name, but gets quite anxious as he assumes the worst.

Dale's not the best at organizing his thoughts in a coherent to-do list, but he's really good at sticking to a schedule once it's in hand. Maybe too good (and inflexible). He's picked up some of Hadley's list-making tactics over the years (and learned a lot from job shadowing his dad). He's getting better at prioritizing (and learning how to say No to pushy people), but the au pairs are a big help.

Sometimes gets sidetracked and changes course - see also, pursuing Danky in "Stanky Danky"; did Dev go home by himself? - and gets very sucked into what he's doing (Leading to rapid turnaround of his Danky Days marketing). Dale does have humans working in his company - and can turn to the au pairs for assistance - but he'll often do things himself since he feels he can do the work better and faster. He has a vision...

He talks a lot, tends to fidget, and interrupts people. Not very patient with those struggling to get their words out (his wife included). Still has outbursts and doesn't often apologize for cutting people off.

When his wife is stuck on a word, he'll usually fill it in for her and sometimes continue the sentence with his assumption of what she meant- often followed by the classic cartoon vibe of "Excellent idea! I'm glad I thought of it."

In the early years after his Vicky trauma, he was fairly quiet (Lots of racing thoughts inside his head), but even more fidgety than he is now. These days he might just bounce his leg, shift in his chair, or rub his thumb on the table while trying not to make noise that offends his misophonia. As a teen, he'd avoid eye contact, play with his sleeves, pick at stitches in his clothes, bite his nails, scratch his skin, and so on. Skin picking or pulling his hair is definitely one of his go-to behaviors since it's quiet.

Dale is less fidgety during meetings when eyes are on him, but he moves a lot when he's alone (See also, walking in the park while on the phone during "Lost and Founder's Day," taking work calls on Signal Hill more than once, and dancing in his control room).

Stats:

Power:  Average Endurance:  Above Average Wisdom:  Below Average Adaptability:  Below Average Charisma: Average Openness:  Below Average Conscientiousness:  Below Average Neuroticism:  Above Average

Residence: 1 Silver Spoon Hill, Dimmsdale -> 1 Dimmadome Way, Dimmadelphia

Occupation: Inventor (Robotics), owner of multiple businesses (Listed in first bullet point at top), Hadley's partner / assistant in her business affairs.

Heading Dimmadome Funds: 2014 - Present day Heir: Dev Dimmadome Previous Employment: Intern / assistant of Doug Dimmadome. We don't talk about the lemonade stand

BACKGROUND

Self-Perception: Went through hell for a best friend who didn't deserve his love and loyalty, but got up and made something of himself- Something his dad is sure to be proud of. No one in his family will ever be scrabbling for food again... and he's a lot more careful with his trust now than he was back then.

Alignment: Neutral Evil MBTI: ISTJ (Turbulent) Deadly Sin: Greed Heavenly Virtue: Diligence Love Language: Words of Affirmation Reinforcers: Security; making money; well-deserved vacation days

History: Born and raised in Dimmsdale, California- Specifically, in his father's precariously perched cliffside estate (S3's "Engine Blocked").

This extremely questionable environment to raise a child left him overly cautious of where he put his feet and whether people were walking towards him. He learned pretty fast that toys that go over the edge aren't coming back... at least, unless you pull up your big boy pants and take the long walk down to retrieve them from the beach.

See Dimmsdale Map - Dale grew up in the northwest (Through the woods, down a long and windy road, up on a cliff).

Dale didn't have many kids over to play during his youth - or throughout his teen years at that - as watching more than one kid would've really split his parents' attention. -> Adult Dale let Dev wander Dimmadelphia from a young age in part due to this warped idea he has of a child's ability to recognize danger (But mostly because he trusts the au pairs to grab him if he runs into the street).

You wouldn't know it looking at him now, but Dale was a very playful and curious child. He didn't have siblings and his parents' attention towards him was hit-or-miss. He kept himself entertained by exploring the beaches and cliffs around his home (along with any other location Doug brought him, such as Dimmsdale Farms and Dimmadelphia).

He poked through a lot of driftwood and garbage washing up on shore, taught himself to fix broken toys that went over the edge (like toy cars that popped their wheels out of place, or inflatable things that needed a patch).

Despite his mother (Pearl) living the stay-at-home-mom life, Dale preferred spending time with his father. Pearl came from generational wealth (as opposed to Doug's self-made wealth accrued from striking gold and using it wisely as he built up a larger fortune)- It was very important to her that Dale would grow up to be her vision of elegant and proper-mannered.

Pearl had very high expectations, especially in regards to what Dale ate. She struggled with an eating disorder in her teens and never quite let go of it, even though she recovered a lot. She cooked healthy meals and hated if Dale dragged his feet about it. Junk food was banned in the house, and if they attended an event with desserts, Dale was forbidden from eating them (She'd smack his hands if he tried). She commented frequently on his weight, as Doug's family is heavier than hers (especially since anxiety and eating disorders sprinkle her ancestry).

- When they were kids, Vicky snuck Dale sweets and snacks. What a good friend! - If you'd asked young Dale, he'd politely tell you he loves his mother, but as an adult, the question would be met with a pause. He has a lot of conflicting feelings about her... and we've only scratched the surface.

Doug went along with a lot of what Pearl said (Very "Doug is in charge of businesses and Pearl is in charge of the home life" vibes), so he never complained about the fresh-made meals even when Dale struggled with them.

Dale has some good memories with his mom - like playing Dimmanopoly and other board games - but he preferred the company of his relaxed father. Doug may have been too relaxed in some areas, leading to inconsistent parenting (with Pearl trying to set a standard that Doug ignored when she wasn't around and encouraged Dale to flaunt too with a wink and smile).

Dale loves his dad very much, having grown up with Doug as the epicenter of positive things in his life: Dad let him goof off, didn't control what he ate, took him to events (especially those hosted at the Dimmadome), and could do everything. He's so smart and fun!

Dale spent a lot of time following his dad around, being his very curious and eager-to-learn self. He happily volunteered for farm chores and found a system for cleaning and organizing; he'd get a head pat and words of affirmation from his dad, and has been neat and tidy ever since. Even as a very young child, Dale spent many afternoons happily scrubbing his dad's office desk, windows, or floor while Doug talked on the phone.

Dale's preschool, kindergarten, and 1st grade years were marked with people who seemingly only took an interest in him because he came from wealth... or alternatively, kids who were children of wealthy families themselves. Dale attended many fancy social events growing up and became familiar with the rich kids his age range. Still, he reached the point where he began introducing himself outside the wealthy social circle as Dale Donovan... which is the name Vicky committed to memory (and never questioned).

Dale wasn't a kid who threw money around (See Remy Buxaplenty doing things like renting out an entire theater just for him and bags of money). He also wasn't "popular" per se- Not like Trixie, Tad, and Chad are in Timmy's era. In fact, Dale had no real money of his own and was pretty get-your-hands-dirty, down-to-earth. He was definitely provided for, but wasn't spoiled to the degree that Dev is. Dale was pretty content as a kid and didn't ask for much- He kept himself entertained, he liked exploring, and he liked cleaning. He lost some toys and balls over the edge of the cliff, but he learned to retrieve and repair them rather than throwing a fit and demanding a new one. Very "It's much faster if I do this myself" energy. - He'd ask for comic books (and maybe a few toys), but he received enough attention and friendship that he was simply happy with his life. It's possible he would've become more restless and spoiled if he hadn't befriended Vicky, or if the Lemonade Drama hadn't happened. -> All of this plays into Dale seeing himself as someone who worked for what he has. Yes, he inherited some generational wealth, but he doesn't consider himself a child who grew up with lots of liquid cash. He sees himself as a child who was grateful, worked hard, and achieved success. -> Dale gets frustrated with Dev and sees his outbursts as evidence he's a spoiled brat, hence Dev's bed being labeled S.S. Spoiled [in French]. Dale doesn't get why Dev "can't just be grateful he has a nice life." -> That said, he's also not the kind of dad who would tell Dev to stop hanging out with Hazel, even though Dale was frustrated with her during his Project H arc. Dale had a friend growing up- He figures Dev has several friends too (and is fine with Dev exploring the city... If only that dang kid would digitally mark when he's eaten!!)

Dale saw Vicky as "his only friend who cares about me for me, not my dad's money" and latched onto her. While he was still polite to other kids, Vicky knew him better than anyone (and he probably knew her better than most people, too... Arguably, he still knows her really well, which is uncomfortable for both of them).

See also, "50 Words of Dale and Vicky" (Age 6 to 9).

Dale always saw Vicky as clever, fun, and a good leader. He trusted her deeply and clung to threads even when she turned cruel towards him. Dale is very aware that "bad things happened" and "he felt hurt and scared for a long time," but he's uncomfortable when he thinks about Vicky as a person.

In his mind, the change was so extreme that he had thoughts like "This can't be who Vicky is- She's definitely under extreme distress. Something else is causing her to be lash out. I'm her best friend and I love her. She doesn't hate me; she's just upset. I forgive her, because that's what friends do. This is probably my fault; I'm not a good friend. I'm upsetting her. If I was better, she wouldn't yell at me."

He had a VERY difficult adjustment period after leaving Vicky. It was not easy for him to unlearn his attachment to her and it is consistently ambiguous to everyone (including himself) how he feels about her. He definitely hung out with her during his recovery period more than he should have.

Dale spent several years working through trauma- He reunited with his family, got doted on, was held to certain expectations, attended social events, played some basketball, played a lot of Sims, learned some languages, and gradually returned to school. Reunited with his mom - Lots of tension there - and was pretty clingy towards his dad.

See the Recovery & Time Freeze section of Dale's education details below.

When Dale was 19, his dad and Ed Leadly arranged a betrothal to Leadly's middle daughter. Since Hadley was someone Dale actually knew from rich people social gatherings, Dale was relieved for the chance to marry someone he knew rather than a stranger from out of state or something (and curious about getting set up with someone his dad liked).

Not much changed for them early on, but they made more of an effort to talk to each other at social events. They went on some walks, ate some treats, and got to know each other. Dale was still in recovery, Hadley more interested in school and friends, and that was expected. They didn't go out of their way to meet each other outside fancy social events.

With the betrothal in play, Dale continued his gap years and personal study; this set his university years up to overlap Hadley's. They lived apart for the first 2.5 years, gradually moving from "vaguely betrothed couple" to "pair who go on actual dates." Dale spent this time working up the courage to hold hands and touch another person (i.e. putting arm behind Hadley while watching a movie).

They married the January Hadley was 21 (and Dale 24), moved in together, and continued their schooling. Doug grew increasingly ill during this time. Despite his wife's excitement for kids, Dale was reluctant to go through with that part of maintaining the Dimmadome family line. Nonetheless, he is nothing if not everything his father wanted him to be; Hadley conceived Dev the summer she was 22 (~1.5 years after the wedding).

Doug passed just before Dev was born. Dale still beats himself up over "not just gritting his teeth and having the kid sooner so Dad could've seen him."

Since Hadley had graduated, she kept herself entertained by filming vlogs of her pregnancy and Dev's early years while Dale continued university studies (and working on the au pairs when he could find time). Dale wasn't often left the primary caretaker of Dev, but he sometimes was when Hadley wasn't available. Dev's hypoglycemia stressed him out very early, and Dale was relieved when the au pairs could monitor Dev's blood sugar levels.

When Dev was 6 and the au pairs were functional enough to handle some basic care (Like holding Dev back from playing in traffic), Hadley took to traveling the world. Ever since, Dale and the au pairs have split Dev's caretaking (with Hadley returning now and then before taking off on her next adventure).

Father-Son Relationships Note: Dale received plentiful physical affection from his father growing up, but as he grew older and more bitter, he resented his dad for giving him "just pats" without expressing his thoughts through words and engagement. He's since twisted his past into believing that Doug's care for him boils down to "needed an heir," that Doug has never been proud of him, and that his dad barely paid attention to him.

As an adult, Dale doesn't recognize how meaningful physical touch was to him. Because he always had it - and even got hugs from Vicky as a kid - he didn't know its absence and fails to process how desperate Dev is for physical affection.

Clarification: Dale lacked physical affection in the lemon pit, but had a lot of other things going on that made "not getting hugs" low priority.

Despite Dale's love for boots (and his fixation on the past, his trauma, and his dad) taking priority in his thoughts, he actually is a decent* parent when he's not working. Dale struggles to take breaks largely because he feels he doesn't deserve to (and/or believes he had to sacrifice work-life balance for success), but there are some situations that let him justify relaxing the reins.

Dale relaxes more during holidays. Yes, there's a lot of business-related things he can still be doing, but let's take Christmas as an example: It's a federal holiday... and it's a day where people open packages they received as gifts, which were possibly ordered through Dimmazon. He helped people find good gifts and have a happy Christmas. Thus, he deserves to relax... It's a holiday! Christmas and similar days Dale has decided are worthy of breaks are the moments Dev waits all year for: the time when his dad addresses him happily, keeps away from his phone and office, picks him up, plays games... or just crashes for a nap.

* "Decent Parent" Notes: Dale IS an inattentive parent and that should not be overlooked, but he brings Dev to city events, lets him hang out in his command tent, and responds to Dev's business-related questions in "Lost and Founder's Day." He greets him - even asking how he's doing this afternoon - when Dev returns home for lunch in "A New Dev-elopment." The au pairs were designed with the ability to cook and recognize when Dev wants a hug. Dale's not always there emotionally, but he sure can keep that kid alive. Dale's relationship with Dev is much more "job shadow me because this will be you soon" while the Buxaplenty's plan for Remy is that they will simply not die until they're very old. Who's Liam and why does it matter if he has enough skills to survive when they're gone? ... Remy. I meant Remy.

⭐ Dale is just "good dad" enough that Dev clings to that, believing "If Dad didn't have to work so much, he'd give me love and attention." Also, Hadley tends to see Dale either in his middle or positive states of being a dad and misses a lot of Dale's questionable moments... The "downs" are more likely to happen when Dale is the sole parent.

The only thing worse than a cluelessly neglectful parent is a try-hard who keeps leading you on. Come on, Dev- He's your father! When he's there, you have everything you've ever wanted... Don't you know how hard things are for him? He's doing his best; he had an abusive childhood and he works so hard. Of course he loves you. He'll come back around if you're patient; just keep on trucking. Smile wide. Work hard. Be a good boy. Give him another chance......

These breaks spent with family are the ones Dale internalizes as "This is who I am as a person; I've given my son everything and here he is. I made him. My kid's a brat, but I can't even blame him- I'm just glad he's safe. And honestly, no DNA test necessary- I get it, buddy. He's mine. I have a wife. I have a kid. I enjoy my family and life."

Despite the way Dale brushes Dev off a lot when he's in business mode, he's a good person. Why wouldn't he be? He's a real man's man- He makes the big bucks and provides for his wife and son! What more can you want? You're asking a lot. Geez... Dale was abused as a kid, you know. Cut him some slack :/

See also, the note on Dale's relationship with fundamental attribution error (Emoji star after the Personality section).

Personality: Dale's always been curious, but his bright mind and love for exploring new things is overshadowed by the trauma of his youth, which pushed him to fight for survival. In fact, he'll fistfight you if you push him into it- or even wrestle you to the ground. He craves security- His dad, boots, money, and straightforward instructions embody that for him. So does Vicky, but we don't have to go there.

Dale's a hard worker, very clever, and willing to fight for what he wants. He gets sucked into projects for weeks or months at a time, but he gets results. Fear, rage, and jealousy boil beneath the surface, but he's better at holding his temper than you'd think. Doesn't often snap at people- More likely to gripe and mutter. Not afraid to get his hands dirty- Always the first to leap into action when he needs something done. No one's as fast or committed as him- Why rely on other people when you can do everything yourself? Day after day after day...

Trust no one. Pay for nothing you don't trust. Make it yourself.

Beneath his "pulled myself up by the bootstraps" persona, Dale is anxious, awkward, and aware of it... The quiet and fidgety kid he was still lurks beneath the louder and more pompous exterior. He looked to Doug and Vicky for so long, he still struggles to be the prime decision-maker (apart from his impulsive adventures).

Dale exhausts himself with his day job, where he's a CEO of multiple companies and juggling tasks (A recent notable one being "overseeing the construction of an indoor amusement park"). In his personal life, he'd rather do low-brainpower things like take a nap- He has little energy for Dev after work. However, he'd find food for both of them if the au pairs glitched out. Their core purposes is to keep Dev from going into a seizure, passing out, or dying, and that's not an "I'll fix it later" problem. If we eat cupcakes in the Wall-2-Wall Mart parking lot at 2 AM, so be it.

After work hours, Dale wants to do the least-brainpower things he can, so he'll crash and sleep... or look to Hadley for instruction (when she's around). Sometimes Dev shows him videos while Dale is sprawled on the couch, but his dad does not understand what he's looking at 90% of the time.

Unless he's in a very stubborn mood, Dale tends to do what people tell him to do. He won't if it's in direct conflict with his money-making goals, but if you ask him to be an extra pair of hands while bringing in party decorations from your car, he'll do it. Beyond his egotistical attitude and hatred for recycling, he's a surprisingly good neighbor & husband (which is probably why people don't realize how neglectful he is to Dev). If you find him in the supermarket and ask if he knows where the spaghetti sauce is, he'll point you towards it. His default response is to be friendly... It's just something that was heavily beaten out of him by Vicky's cruelty, his dad's "Don't talk about your trauma" attitude, and the cutthroat business world. See also, ignoring Hazel's name when he saw her in "A New Dev-elopment," but still greeting her and Dev and asking how their afternoon was in the first place.

Dale is curious, likes learning, and will follow the lead of anyone he deems interesting, relevant, and knowledgeable:

From this post about Dale and Kevin Crocker going out to dinner

Somewhere underneath his poor parenting, Dale wants to be a decent family man... After all, he can't disappoint Daddy there either. But he didn't have good role models for that and putting in the work is hard. Someday... someday when he's not so busy...

⭐ Dale is a textbook case for "guy who doesn't fall into fundamental attribution error easily." In other words, Dale takes circumstances into account when judging people's actions (not just attributing things to personality)... Perhaps to a critically unhealthy degree.

- Dad loves him very much. He's just really busy... Dale already has his father's love; what he needs is something he unquestionably deserves because he worked for it: Daddy's pride in him. - Vicky can't be a horrifically cruel person because no one is actually like that. Vicky is just stressed and scared. She's doing her best and doesn't understand the effect she has on people. - Conversely, Dale has a very hard time recognizing the effects of his neglect on Dev. Of course he cares about Dev- Would he provide for him or spend time with him if he didn't? -> Dale doesn't see himself as "a bad person" or "a terrible dad" or "someone who would hurt a child." He sees himself as "a guy trying to grow and make money in ways that some people look down on or consider amoral, but everyone defines morals in their own way and you can't please everyone, so he's going to chase success regardless of what others think."

At his core, Dale is haunted not just by the abuse Vicky inflicted on him, but by the lack of praise and support he received from his dad growing up. But it's okay. Dad was just busy. He's over it. It's fine.

Education: Dale was a very enthusiastic student. He loved learning and would raise his hand for almost every question. He consistently landed top scores, was deemed "the smart kid," a suck-up, and a little too "goody-two-shoes perfect" for his own good.

Although restless and a little forgetful - ADHD be like that - Doug and Pearl kept him on track, and he did a mostly good job at turning in his homework.

Dale was very much the type to stand up to bullies. He got into several fights growing up, even as a 1st grader (Even with Vicky, who forgave his stupid acts, because she is a good person).

Elementary School: Dale attended preschool and kindergarten at a private school, but asked to be put in the same class as Vicky for 1st grade. Doug shrugged and did so, glad his son had a friend. Thus, Dale moved to Dimmsdale Elementary (with his dad's personal assistant dropping him off, as he was outside the school bus range... See also, lived beyond the woods up on a cliff).

Dale disappeared at the end of his 3rd grade year. He missed several years of school, including his entire middle school period.

- Despite several kids aware of Dale's family name, Vicky believed his surname was Donovan. Why would he lie about that? - If you asked Vicky directly, she'd say something like "Well, I found out his real last name at some point, but he always told me it was Donovan, so I kept calling him that. I thought he came from a family of successful farmers." Whether any of that is true is anyone's guess.

Recovery & Time Freeze: After leaving Vicky's lemonade factory, Dale spent some time "crashing"... mostly curled up in bed, struggling through a lot of feelings, and remembering how to live in a house (Preparing food, adjusting to bright lights, people coming and going, getting dressed every day, and so on).

Generally, Dale got pushed into things (like social interaction and independence) by his dad before he was ready. This may have been beneficial in the long term (seeing as Dale wanted to lay in bed for weeks or months, or maybe on the couch if he was daring), but he wasn't happy about it at the time.

Dale played a lot of PC games (Mostly Sims) and slowly caught up on his schooling... or at least the parts Doug cared about.

Notably, this is how Dale spent the 50 years time was frozen. He also picked up new skills like languages (for fun because he found them interesting), but like everyone else, he was under "It's uncommon to advance through school years because of time manipulation" rules, so... he looped through recovery, personal study, and a small amount of academia- Not a full year of schooling like other kids his age.

Dale also looped through job shadows with his dad. He became very knowledgeable about meticulous business workings and the stock market, farm-related expertise, and social events.

He also became incredibly good at card games (like Blackjack and Texas Hold'em), which surprised everyone including himself. He could consistently clean out his dad's gambling buddies after several loops at age 16, which they found adorable. They were very excited to take him to Vegas when he turned 21.

"Is that legal even if it happened in their own home?" -> We don't have to talk about that. Unrelated, but the Dimmadomes sure own a lot of business fronts and buy weird art pieces, huh?

Since businesses, product releases, and tech advancements continued changing as the years went by, Dale was exposed to many new things and was arguably more prepared for adulthood thanks to the time freeze than any other noteworthy character in the Cloudlands or City Lights AUs (except perhaps A.J.)

Like everyone else, he thinks he gained all his knowledge during 2003- Not during repeated 2002 years.

High School: Dale enrolled in a private school, his learning supplemented with private tutors - namely Denzel Crocker - but that didn't stop him from loitering around Dimmsdale High in search of Vicky. He had several run-ins with her, Justin Jake Ashton (Mark Chang), and other kids their age.

From this post about Dale (and Happy Peppy Gary) spying on Vicky & Justin

Further Education: Took several gap years before attending Archimedes University in Dimmadelphia. He took his courses slowly, just a few credits at a time, and his schooling was stretched out over a long period. He studied robotics and business (and later got a master's).

During this time, Doug passed on, Dev was born, and Dale inherited the Dimmadome fortune.

Favorite School Subject: Science -> Physics -> Robotics. He also enjoyed math, art, and marketing.

Least Favorite Subject: Biology

Clubs: Robotics, of course! (Nerd)

Friend Group: Jeremy and Watson- Upper class folks such as Remy, Trixie, Tad, Chad, Veronica, and Hadley. Also Mikey Munroe (Security expert like his parents), but who's asking?

Notable Likes:

- Boots - Robotics - Naps - Getting into a flow state without distractions (Especially noise) - Boots again - Drawing (Especially with colored pens or markers) - Dancing - Rodeos (plus state fairs, farms, cows, and horses) - Big buildings - Sims games and any card or board game that lets him accrue many pieces and cards. Worst Uno player you've ever met. - Snappy turnaround on his projects- He lives by an "It's faster if I do it myself" attitude - Feeling like he deserves rest (Like that ever happens) - When his wife is away and he gets the bed to himself - When his wife is home so the hypervigilance doesn't hit as hard - His wife :( - Following lists and meticulously organizing things - Cleaning products that don't smell like citrus - Puffy jackets with chunky zippers - People commenting he's gained weight - Sunlight (but no, he won't open the bedroom windows) - Rain and snow - Paloma cocktails - Boat rides - Gambling - Basketball - Animal print - Hunting - His wife in THOSE boots

Had Fairy Godparent: ... This page seems kinda smudged.

Favorite Wish: Hm. I don't think the archives ever wrote that down...

Goals:

- Build generational wealth to pass to his descendants - Stop overthinking things at night; go to bed satisfied - Accrue a lot of knowledge and learn many skills - Teach Dev things about business so he'll be more prepared to take over the Dimmadome fortune than Dale was - Reduce the number of prototypes it takes to land a great robot - Unwind... Rest... Take more guilt-free naps - Be a good family man (??)

Beliefs:

- Hard work will be rewarded - Security and stability are everything - Good branding doesn't guarantee success, but it sure makes things easier - Don't separate a traumatized person from their comforts. Or most people from those things. But Dev shouldn't have screen time too close to bed- Taking his tablet is good for him. - No one is truly evil; everyone is a good person with reasons for what they do. Knowing why people act the way they do is the key to negotiation and communication - Anything can be learned. Anything - and any person - can be improved with hard work, time, and dedication - Robots are helpful and improve quality of life... Good robots that people who know what they're doing built, at least. - Being left unsupervised as a child probably messed him up. Thank goodness Dev has au pair guardians - The ends justify the means

Fears:

- Disappointing his dad - Being abandoned by everyone (Vicky, his dad, his wife...) - Losing everything he's built up - He and/or his family getting kidnapped (and tormented) - Ed Leadly (Father-in-law) - Waking up in the lemonade factory (It was all a dream...) - Vicky Incorrect. Vicky is his friend. She would never hurt him.

Upsets:

- Losing money - Faulty au pairs - Random background noises - Animals (especially furry ones; very unhygienic) - Dev talking back to him, fidgeting during social events, or refusing to eat at a nice restaurant - Lemonade - Hadley dragging her trash into his space (or gifting him things that don't fit his organization system... but she's forgiven) - Loose seashells or stones lying around - Being separated from his boots - Unlabeled items that might contain lactose or mold - Dev not marking on his digital checklist that he's eaten around mealtimes. Boy, don't play these games... - People sneaking near his house

Comforts:

- His lucky boots - The Dimmsdale Dimmadome - Clothes that ease body dysphoria (Like puffy jackets that don't cling to his thin frame) - Things neatly put away (and his stuff still in the same place he left it), especially in his closet, office, bedroom, car, and bathroom - Having enough light to see - Clean water, abundant food, plenty of cash... The basics - Words of affirmation - Decorations and branding that remind him of his dad (Even if he's not a big fan of his dad's hats personally)

Indulgences: Cartoons from his childhood... but he doesn't watch often. When he does, it's probably with headphones on (and the sound low) with the door extra locked.

Sometimes he splurges on Crimson Chin comics since they can go for a high price (and he can afford it). Splurging often sucks him in, leading to binge scrolling and bulk memorabilia purchases.

Some of this stuff ends up in Dev's hands or Hadley's hoard. Dale will hold things in his own room briefly (i.e. while actively using them), but if he doesn't have a consistent storage space, he'll give them to a family member, sell them, or throw them out when he's done.

I am lying. You don't throw things out in Hadley's household!

EXTERNAL

Verbal Notes: Loves to talk; gets big and loud about it. Likes adjectives. Comes across as quite cheery (Was scolded post-lemonade factory for being quiet and fidgety, which was "weak and shameful"- He learned to "shape up" and mask a lot of what he felt).

Loves talking about himself, his businesses, and his dad's accomplishments.

Picked up old slang terms from his dad (and Dad's gambling buddies... who were also Dale's gambling buddies). "Tough titties, kitties" is one of his go-tos, though he censors it as "tough tittles" around Dev.

Other favorites are "Nifty!" (Cool), "Swanky" (Looks great; elegant), "Ah, applesauce!" (Dang it!), "Get a wiggle on" (Let's go; get moving), "Dry up" (Shut up and get lost), and "Bank's closed" (No making out tonight). I wish I was making that last one up. Dev finds these embarrassing and rolls his eyes, but at least he has something to throw back at his dad if Dale ever grumbles about Dev's preferred slang. Also, Dale would rather say "folks" than "everyone" or "guys." He sees people as customers, clients, or walking wallets, but will correct himself to more socially acceptable words (like "lovely people," "other students," "persons," or "kids your age").

Not afraid to share his thought process even if it's a little amoral (See also, "tends to assume others experience emotions the way he does"). When he sets rules and expectations, he'll explain why (Ex: "You can't go out alone; the au pairs are on the fritz" or "Finish your homework before dinner; we're going out tonight"). Dale likes knowing what to expect, so that's how he talks to other people.

Example from canon: "Devin, turn down that game. I can hear the incessant beeping and booping and tapping all the way in my office. I have an important project I'm working on for Founder's Day." -> As opposed to "Turn that off; it's loud." Dev picked this up from him- It's in the way he tells Hazel he's no longer interested in the treasure hunt because "It's silly to jump through hoops." Then he IS interested and explains why he snapped at her. He expresses frustration with Hazel's lack of frustration when he cheated in Rock, Paper, Scissors, etc. Say one thing about those Dimmadomes... They're not always on the same page, but they sure explain what they're thinking. I guess you don't get to be a great business negotiator without communication skills.

Dale's instinct isn't to be complimentary. During business meetings, he'll grit his teeth and fake enthusiasm, but he's definitely had moments where he wants to insult everything around him. He's sweeter with his wife than with most people, but focuses on topics like financial success and elegance.

Ex: "Way to rake it in, Hadley! The stocks are up this month" & "Now that's a classy look" as opposed to "You're such a hard worker" or "You look beautiful tonight". It's just his brain's go-to.

Since he didn't care for Doug's physical affection like pats and hugs but craved praise, Dale mirrors that towards Dev. He expresses pride (i.e. "Keep up the good work and you'll be running with your old man in no time") when he feels Dev "achieved success"... which usually means Hadley's Dev-themed videos are doing well, Dev won money from a tournament, or Dev scored all A's at the end of the year.

Big "Great; that's what I expect. You're a sharp kid; a real chip off the old block- you just need to apply yourself more" vibes.

He tends to overlook or diminish Dev's accomplishments. Are all A's that impressive if you weren't the best in class? Dev gets praised, but it feels hollow... He is never good enough.

In other words, Dale's compliments sound backhanded despite them not technically being rude... He just focuses on "things that help our success and status" more than the people he's addressing.

Dale uses tag questions like "Innit?", "Wouldya?", or "Do I?" Many sentences end with upward inflection. [ Think ~, ?, !, or :) ]

He has a great memory for names. Or rather, the importance of knowing names was drilled into him early on. He'll address people by name if the situation calls for it (even if they're a trash monster). And don't you dare insult the trash monster. That's his friend now. Very good at greeting people that he cares about when he sees them, especially in business situations.

Almost always calls his son Devin. Occasionally calls him Dev or a special nickname like "Kiddo," "Bud," "Son," or "Junior." Dev's full forename is Development, but that's reserved for special moments... Like pride, but never in scolding. Dev doesn't jump in alarm at the sound of his full name the way Dale does- Dale calls "Devin!" if he's mad. For all his emotional distance and dehumanization tendencies, Dale genuinely views Dev as his son. He refers to him as such and doesn't cut ties for the sake of professionalism... which is more than I can say for some people...

Language: Speaks fluent English; can pull off business talks in Mandarin and Japanese.

Better at Japanese since his wife's a big fan and has been learning the language since she was a kid, but Hadley speaks it with "an anime accent" and Dale speaks it with a more professional one.

Languages were one of the things Dale kept himself entertained with during his mental recovery years... Played a lot of video games with different language settings, listened to a lot of audiobooks. He knows all the Simlish words that actually are consistent words.

Physical Notes: Very expressive with his body language, but if you compare him with other people, you'll detect a certain stiffness or reservation in some movements (Ex: Tries to stop himself from flinching. If he does, he'll snap upright and square up... General sense that he doesn't let himself feel certain emotions. Compare with Mikey Munroe, who bends his entire body backwards and curls up when startled).

Tends to lean, often cocking one hand on his hip. Usually has a device in his other hand. Often walks while scrolling through his phone or tablet, or while talking on the phone. Prone to fidgeting (Ex: bouncing his leg) or dancing, especially when he's in the zone. He's dramatic even in his office- kicking himself across the room on his swivel chair or acting out mental images. Walks around a lot while listening to music, pretending he's in a dramatic scene.

Doesn't pocket his hands as much as Dev does and is more likely to pocket one than both. Blinks infrequently. Stares a lot (especially at screens). Often avoids eye contact.

Not afraid to pump his arms, throw his hands in the air, dance, stomp, hop, finger gun, flash peace signs, or whatever it takes to get people's eyes on him while he's trying to sell stuff.

In his teen years, Dale slouched a lot, fidgeted - especially by rubbing his cheeks since his mouth hurt - and struggled to look at people. His dad really pushed him to stand straight, shake hands, and talk more.

Does not often touch people - combo of OCD and trust issues - but he'll lean on them if he's in the zone and talking big (Ex: thumping his elbow on top of Danky while baby-talking him).

Has an easier time touching people with a clothed arm than making skin to skin contact.

Doesn't reach for people absentmindedly. Way more likely to hold his hands close to his chest than take his wife's hand. But sometimes he does, especially in front of cameras (You can't be the Dimmadome power couple if you don't convince everyone you're a couple). He'll clap a hand to Dev's shoulder when talking to or bragging about him.

He does this a lot at bustling social events because if he takes his hand off that child, he will probably lose him within 10 seconds.

Break Dale's trust forever by grabbing his extended hand and yanking him forward (or squeezing way too tight). Like an elephant, he will never forget and will keep an extra step away from you at all times. Do not grab or push him. He will go on guard around you.

Handedness: Right Body Language: Often stiff with a tendency to stare, though he does a lot of leaning. Becomes expressive when he's talking up a storm. Doesn't blink much. Usually holding a phone or tablet. Hair: Thin, often splitting at the ends, and comes out in clumps. Has some pomp and fluff to it, but he's pulled out a lot of that over the years. His front loop is a natural curl that will spring out again even if he clips that bit off. Specifically, it grew in as he got older and his front puff reduced in size. I don't always, but I like to draw the two stray hairs in the back like lowercase Ds (hanging on from their bottoms). Teeth: Had his missing teeth replaced with gold. Back when they were missing, Dale avoided smiling or talking much. Mouth hurt a lot for years. Scars: Physically, not as many as you'd think. But emotionally? Imagine the toil. Tattoos: None... to his wife's disappointment. Hadley would love for him to get a little cherry blossom with a cute branch wrapped around his ring finger to compensate for the sensory issues his wedding ring gives him, but being stabbed repeatedly with a sharp object does not factor into his life goals. When he goes out of town for business meetings, Hadley will often video call and ask to see the ring and/or ask him to write her name on his chest or stomach. She is THAT paranoid... but y'know, we can make small allowances for her. She's his friend wife!

Style: Has a funky, modern, sleek, and not necessarily professional style (See also, chunky zippers and sequin pants). Gives off huge "new money" vibes that make people in his social circle glance at him funny, but no one says anything because he's a billionaire.

Wears his puffer jacket even in the California summer because it makes him look less scrawny. It's a recent addition to his wardrobe, but it tremendously improved his confidence and self-perceived attractiveness. He loves it and is very proud that he found it himself. This man is also a tech geek who does not really understand fashion. He dresses how he wants.

Notably, Dale is very neat and doesn't like items that don't fit his closet organization. He'll humor his wife when she brings him new clothes, but they both know he'll discard it if it's inconsistent with what he already has and likes.

Dev owns a lot of oversized shirts because they were passed down from Dale; Dev wears them to bed sometimes.

Regular Clothing: Big puffer jacket and sequin pants, really leaning into that funky modern geek vibe. Casual Clothing: Anything baggy that doesn't cling to his scrawny figure, but it has to be something with a tight enough collar that it won't hang off his shoulders. Besides white and gold, he also likes purple... It's safe... Nightwear: Animal print boxer shorts. Sometimes leopard, sometimes zebra, sometimes cow... You never know! Hadley gives him pajamas for her holiday videos, so he'll wear those until he doesn't want to. He tends to like his things, but he also likes new and fun things. Formal Clothing: White suits with black and gold accents, as Dimmadomes are wont to do. Other: Cannot emphasize enough how much this man likes animal print. He will wear anything you give him, but cow patterns are a favorite (Probably because he grew up around them). Being barefoot is a huge trigger for lemonade pit memories (specifically, having dirt and grime underfoot). Dale has a stockpile of identical boots because they bring back memories of a safe childhood, his dad's affection, and his recovery process... but he'll still cling to one pair until it's absolutely falling apart. -> Mostly, he only takes the boots off only when getting dressed (They won't fit, but he'll leave them on if he's putting on something with wide leg holes) or in the shower (He cares a lot about scrubbing his feet to get off grime since that's the point of wearing them). -> If he gets separated from his boots, he'll keep his feet off the ground and call for someone... but everyone in his household knows not to touch them, so he's rarely without. Yes, the boots stay on in the bedroom. All the time. Not a big fan of hats... Specifically, his dad's style of hat. He would never, ever tell his father that.

Height: 6′4″

Hygiene: High risk of neglecting hygiene due to hyperfixating on his projects. The au pairs give him reminders, but it's not unusual for him to brush those off. He tries to take care of his remaining tooth.

Dale takes long showers due to mild contamination OCD (especially regarding his feet)- the shower is the only place he likes taking off his boots, and he cares a lot about scrubbing his feet. The feel of dirt or crumbs on his feet is a big trigger, and he wears the boots to take the edge off that.

Sometimes he dissociates, so he ends up in the bathroom longer than he needs to. He might jump on a phone call with Hadley to keep grounded, but strictly no one else- No business talks, no extended family. Wife only.

This is Dale's personal self-care-slash-check-in-with-wife time and he gets snappy if Dev interrupts him. Keep conversation to dinner, kid. If you want to talk to your mother, hop on call in the other room.

Morning Schedule: Brief morning shower (super quick rinse), hair care, check Dev marked himself as "Ate breakfast" on his digital daily checklist, start work.

Typical Day Schedule: Work- Lots of reviewing reports, contacting people, giving presentations, and sitting in meetings. Juggling multiple businesses. Check Dev ate lunch.

If he didn't mark it, stress out. Call school nurse; get assured he's fine. Pace around stressing over Dev until he finally gets the indication he's eaten. Stare blankly at screens, trying to get back in the zone. The usual.

Evening Schedule: Shower. Dinner with Dev (sometimes with fancy people). Stress out if Dev is late.

Dinner is when Dale and Dev talk the most. It's at that time that Dev will talk about his day at school (Ex: If he scored well on a test). Dale doesn't have much to say to Dev because the au pairs and/or Dev's daily checklist keep him on track with chores, homework, hygiene, and "No screen time an hour before bedtime" reminders. That said, if Dale makes plans that involve Dev, he'll tell him (Ex: "Tomorrow we're going out for dinner, so be ready to go by 5:30" or "I need you to pass Dimmlets out to your class." Not great at expressing interest for Dev's life, but he sure tells you his plans. Also, general father-son conversations like Dev getting permission to host a sleepover ("The Wellsington Hotellsington").

After dinner, Dale handles personal life money-related things, like bills, checking stocks, or donating money to Dev's school ("28 Puddings Later"). He'll handle communications with friends and family during this time if applicable (Ex: If his in-laws text to ask about family reunions).

Also does repairs or upgrades to the au pairs (and focused on Project H for a while). He's often on the phone with his wife while doing this since she gets lonely when she doesn't hear from him. Sometimes he's on the phone with other people, including for business reasons (Thus cutting down Dev's ability to engage with him).

Dale can easily get sucked into his projects, but the au pairs will get him when it's bedtime and that helps. He'll tidy up, do some night hygiene things, and try to sleep.

Dale is pretty repetitive with his schedule; he likes it to run smoothly. Very frustrating when things unexpectedly go awry (Ex: Dev was late getting home for dinner). That's a sure way to land him in a bad mood and he's more likely to be snappy about things that annoy him (See also, misophonia).

Dev does his best to appease his dad, but he feels awful if he slips up and his dad gets very grumpy about it. He will absolutely get home on time (and will probably be sitting at the table early) if he wants to ask permission for something. And if he was late, he'll be as quiet and non-needy as possible.

Hadley's often away from home, and Dale's often exhausted by the time he heads to bed. Maybe some light flirting, but sleepy cuddles are much more likely than sex. Their fantasies are a little elaborate... Tired owners of multiple businesses gotta sleep sometime.

Weekend Schedule

Slower to get dressed and up on weekends. It's not uncommon to work from bed, checking up on things and sending emails (Maybe with au pairs bringing him breakfast). Hadley sleeps late, but thrashes less in the early morning hours than she does in the night, so there's that.

Weekends are really their only option for married life intimacy, and only if Hadley's home. Despite Dale's general performance anxiety, he enjoys the cosplay and roleplay aspects, which can get pretty fancy. Work hard during the week, play hard on your half-day off.

He's not always into the things his wife's into, but he likes being told what to do, so take that as you will.

Don't worry- he's very good at pushing his own wants too.

There's plenty of general house stuff to do too, like fixing au pairs and making sure everything's running with the bills and garden.

Dale is mildly more attentive to Dev's personal life on weekends (especially Sundays and/or when Hadley isn't there), offering the hope of a relationship that keeps Dev going between holidays. Still, Dev doesn't see his dad as much as he wants to. It's fine.

Sleep Schedule: Does not sleep well. Even when his wife isn't thrashing around in bed, he's a light sleeper and tends to jolt awake. Very sensitive to sounds; struggles to feel safe at night. Often crashes into naps.

That said, having Hadley around does have its perks, like reducing anxiety that someone will sneak in and kidnap him.

Dale and the au pairs have made multiple attempts to clean Hadley's room so she'll sleep in hers instead of his, but it never works. She'll cuddle up to him despite Dale's annoyance with her thrashing around in her sleep. He tolerates it because... Let's be honest- He's aware he's A Lot, so he can put up with the fact that he's a married man and it's common for couples to share a bed. And while they're both awake, the cuddles aren't bad, so there's that.

Often struggles to drift off and then jerks awake, hypervigilance kicking in (and flooding him with adrenalin). He'll slip out of bed and make the rounds (Checking on Dev himself rather than sending flashy, beeping au pairs... It's easier to find the source of strange sounds when you're not trying to listen over the sound of whirring fan blades).

Sometimes gets up to work in the middle of the night to get a head start on projects. Often looks for food. Sometimes Dev comes down in the early morning to find his dad on the kitchen floor surrounded by boxes, often with a huge pile of opened things that are now "at risk foods" that clearly need to be thrown out. Food anxiety is rough.

Dale actually does like cuddling... Hadley's just not good at staying still. He likes holding Dev more than you'd think- After all, "Someone might kidnap my son" or "My son might die if he doesn't eat" are thoughts that keep him up at night, so it's easier to fall asleep when Dev's on the couch with him (or at least in the room).

Dev might seek him on occasion (i.e. holiday naptime, Mom's away and Dev's spooked by something, or camping), but Dale never asks for this (because... he's not going to ask his son to sleep in bed with him). He does request Dev or the au pairs to knock on his door if he came home late, but that's it. And Dale gets frustrated when Dev's not home for dinner, so sometimes he'll grump and grill him on what kept him out so long and if the reasons help him network. Dev usually avoids approaching his dad, not wanting to upset him (especially if he's ill or feels dumb for being spooked by loud noises). It's a balancing act, but whatcha gonna do?

PERSONAL

Dale's Family Tree: HERE

Disclaimer: If future New Wish seasons give us relatives for Dale, this family tree (and Dale's history section) may change. It also might not. We'll see!

Relationship Status: Married to Hadley Harrington (Ed Leadly's middle daughter). Dale loves her dearly, as far as he has love for a fellow person. Don't quote me on that; it's possibly untrue.

Wedding Anniversary: January 21st, 2012 - A few months before he turned 25

Dale reunited with Hadley at age 15 (after escaping Vicky) as she was part of the social circle he was re-introduced to after many years away. Since he's 3 years older, she was quite young when he went off the radar, but he's technically known her all her life.

Hadley's older sister (Harper) is Dale's age. For a while, he knew her better- He used to play with her as a kid. Harper's the one he (presumably) would've been betrothed to if she didn't fight her dad on the idea of betrothals in general. Hadley didn't mind marrying a man she might not love, so the offer fell to her. Dale still considers Harper a friend and enjoys seeing her at family reunions, but Harper and Hadley don't get along well. Not that Dale notices.

Since he's known her for years, Dale grew familiar with Hadley; she's easily the person he's closest with. He trusts her with his life in almost all situations... but he will still ritually check the expiration dates on every ingredient she cooks with (and will sometimes make a loop to check on things that make him nervous even if she already did it). And yes, he still loves his boots and will say so. See? You don't need to hoard to be happy! Just hyperfixate for life!!

It's almost hilarious that Dale has extreme trust in Hadley while she's paranoid he'll cheat on or divorce her. Hadley asks a lot of questions about where he's been and who he's with, but when she returns from a trip, he'll smile and adopt an attitude of "Hey! You're back!"

Exception being if she interrupts him to tell him she's home. He doesn't love when something breaks his concentration and will be snappy and fussy for the rest of the evening... but if he wraps up his work and then leaves his room to find she's home, he'll throw his arms in the air with a smile and acknowledge she's back. Wife :)

He will not be there emotionally, but he definitely knows when there's someone in his house.

Hadley has an outside entrance to her storage rooms so she can unpack while he works on late-night projects... They realized pretty fast that Dale doesn't handle unexpected door squeaks and footsteps very well.

Dale finds it very attractive that Hadley's always been friendly to him, including when he was fresh out of the lemonade pit, emotionally raw, and didn't look or act appealing. They bicker on occasion, but she's never threatened to hit him. In fact, she's pretty patient when he takes his time working up to things. Hadley came from a very wealthy family (thus cutting down the risk of her being a gold digger), yet is also a hard worker very devoted to her self-made career: making videos and selling a wide variety of products (especially things that don't fit his expertise, such as travel supplies and workout gear). Dale places a lot of value in work and independence, so he's very fond and supportive of his wife. She's a good, safe person. He genuinely doesn't mind when she's away traveling... She's there just enough to be comforting without being around so often that she's super annoying. Dev would benefit from having more parental attention, but Dale does just fine, so clearly his son is fine too.

Despite the conflicts that crop up in their marriage (such as Hadley being a hoarder while Dale is neat and tidy), Dale has a lot of positive feelings towards Hadley. If a positive thought about her comes to mind while she's in the room, he'll just say it. Surprisingly, that's gotten him far in life.

If you get him started, he can gush on about how much he likes his wife, who is very cool and hot...... He'd just also be able to walk away from this relationship without being too bothered that it ended. They might be a little TOO independent...

The vibe here is definitely "Enjoy what you have while you have it." Neither of these people likes letting go of things, so they continue enjoying what they have.

Dale has an interesting quirk of referring to Hadley by name rather than labels like "my wife" due to her extreme determination to make a name for herself; she'll jump in to say her name if she's around when he does use a label like that. Sometimes he'll say "your mother" to Dev (in the same vein he told Dev to "listen to his business partner" in canon), but he's broken most of the "my wife" habit.

Dale is significantly more touchy-feely with Hadley in front of crowds or cameras than he is when they're at home. That is, he'll sit with her at a dining table, hold her hand, or even frog-jump right over her to chase something that caught his eye.

He isn't the most complimentary, he's not great at sharing the spotlight, and he doesn't always sing her due praises despite listing off the many businesses he owns, but he'll smile at, finger gun, throw his arm around, or openly flirt with her.

... If you can call it flirting.

Dale is not big on being lovey-dovey, but he'll play up the flirting when people are watching (Ex: Bragging during a press conference, pulling her right up against him at a party while telling someone she's cool, leaning on her, handing her the microphone with no warning, and dropping comments like "Aw, ain't she a doll?") I mean... that's what people on TV do, right? He also texts her photos of him scoring business deals and/or covering himself in money. Sometimes he just stares at her from afar. Wow... wife...

He tends to talk over Hadley in public- She often stutters and isn't as loud and dramatic as he is, so he'll swoop into her conversations (Sometimes throwing his elbow on her head or shoulder, leaning a lot of his weight on her). He has an equally bad habit of getting distracted and wandering away during events, leaving her to wrap up what she was doing and then look around in confusion for him.

They are sickeningly cute in matching pajamas, which is most likely to happen when Hadley's pulled the family together for a game night, video, or vacation. Dale will probably be on the couch scrolling through his phone, but he lets Hadley sit near him. Maybe even lay her head on him. Even Dev can wriggle up to him when he's in vacation mode... Dale is definitely more at ease when Hadley's taking charge and telling him what to say and do.

Again, Dale is chronically unable to convince himself he deserves rest. When Hadley's in charge and "makes him rest" as a family bonding activity, he's actually okay with that. He'll let Dev climb in his lap and snuggle. Dale's not incredibly affectionate even during holidays, but when you're Dev, you take what you can get.

Dale is prone to both hyperfixations and dissociation; sometimes he feels like seconds or minutes passed when really, it was hours. The au pairs keep him grounded enough to eat, but if he's left alone without them, Dale will completely zone out and neglect all his needs (from hunger to bathroom to hygiene... not to mention Dev in general).

Criticize him for Dev's impersonal, drone-related upbringing all you want, but the cursed alternative is "Dale fails to feed his hypoglycemic little boy, who has a seizure and no one's there." The au pairs are holding this family together... Lost chargers, power outages, and long road trips without electricity cause genuine anxiety in the Dimmadome household. A family of 3 who all have ADHD/OCD comorbidity can get by together, but the worst part about the au pairs is how reliant you end up on them...

Dale considers himself to be an attentive parent "when not working" and fails to recognize the impact his devotion to business-y things has on Dev's daily life.

Cross-reference with H.P., who avoids admitting family relations, actively pushes his offspring away when they touch him, will stay awake until everyone else in the room is asleep, and is always micromanaging. H.P. has a "Not ever; that's unprofessional" approach to touch and family attitudes while Dale's energy is along the lines of "Not now; I'm busy" and "I loved my dad, so Devin loves me" and /takes his son's arm and points at him- "I made this."

Dale wants to be a good dad... he just has skewed memories of what his own dad was like, he's bad at talking to children, and doesn't care if he secures money (i.e. safety) in immoral ways. There's a lot going on inside his head, and frankly... He's not going to listen to your critique. You don't know what he's dealing with. He's raising this kid his way. Money is safety. Safety is everything. Dev is doing fine.

Dale and Hadley are also that couple who, if you put them in a room with a bunch of other people to play games, will always team up. They didn't come here to make new friends... They don't trust like that. Partner with someone else?? You're asking a lot.

Dimmadelphia's ruthless power couple, everyone.

Often takes off his wedding ring for sensory reasons and forgets where he put it (Don't tell his wife) (Oh no, she's onto him).

Due to the triple combo of Dale not wearing his ring, walking around separately at events, and not calling her "my wife" in conversation, there are a lot of people who don't know he's married... Including every teacher Dev's ever had until they get the jumpscare of Hadley showing up for parent-teacher conferences. Many people consider Hadley Dale's personal assistant and don't connect the dots that she's Dev's mom. Yes, they're uncomfortable if Dale hints he's slept with her. Every now and then, Dale attends a social event where some widower or divorcee asks if he'd be interested in joining a singles support group (to his bafflement, and he always turns them down because they're clearly trying to scam him out of money). He's been asked out multiple times... and since he's not great at reading signals, he's inadvertently gone on many dates he thought were business meetings. Sometimes he brings Dev with him "so the kid can get some business experience." Dev can instantly clock when the vibes are flirty and will try to subtly get his dad's attention or cut in with a comment about his mom, but he's often ignored. Comedy of errors...

Betrothed to Hadley at age 19. They'd run in the same social circle all their life, so they were certainly aware of each other despite not being romantic. Well, Dale missed 7 years, but other than that...

Specifically, their dads worked this out as an option in their youth, pitched it to them individually, and they both accepted. Dale was relieved to marry someone from Dimmsdale. Doug definitely had some options from elsewhere in the country and Dale was nervous to meet new people and explain all his trauma. Hadley actually saw him during recovery, so he never had to get into detail, and she's pretty accommodating. They get along great.

Clarifying note: They weren't married until they were older, but the betrothal was locked in at that time since by age 19, it was time for Dale and Doug to nail down a plan. Since the Leadlys are multimillionaires rich enough for Leadly to drop 17 million on a spontaneous purchase ("Dog Gone"), one of his daughters was the ideal place to start asking.

Simple courtship. Mostly, Dale and Hadley continued seeing each other at the usual social gatherings, but slowly moved towards deeper talks about their future. Lots of showy gifts exchanged in the way you'd expect upper class kids to privately flirt.

Dale definitely took his time working up to, y'know... talking to people. Neither Dale nor Hadley trusts easily, both having come from families that raised them to be wary of someone taking advantage of them for wealth. However, their shared backgrounds and planned betrothal helped grow their trust in each other, leading to them both feeling very safe in the other's presence.

Ideal Relationship: Back in the day, Dale would've had a hard time putting into words what he wanted- He was just glad to have his life back. Hadley fits snugly in his life and is a lot of things he never would've thought to ask for.

Besides the obvious - i.e. non-abusive - she's pretty lax, likes to schedule, openly communicates, enjoys her personal space, and has done her utmost to make a name for herself without relying on her dad or husband. She has the right amount of "Likes things done her way" energy to parallel Dale's "After work, I don't want to think, so just tell me what to do" energy. Hadley's been to Texas many times (since Pencil Nexus has a branch there). She also loves hunting, which Dale (child of Doug he is) enjoys too. They share a lot of interests. She also indulges his boot-related fantasies, which he likes. Wouldn't trade her for anyone. He might leave her to live alone, but he wouldn't trade her.

The areas they clash most are Hadley's hoarding OCD - very frustrating for him since her stuff gets everywhere - her paranoia that Dale will cheat on her, and Dale not being emotionally there when Hadley wants a vacation.

Although Dale was a curious child who likes exploring, he lost a lot of that during his trauma. Hadley is much more adventurous than Dale is (both in terms of travel and their bedroom life). Dale does not budge easily from his comfort zone and he wouldn't mind if she slackened the reins.

Hadley would've loved to have more kids. On some level, Dale does equate more kids to being more successful and would enjoy having more of them in that regard (especially since he, his dad, his mom, and his grandparents were all only children- Dale has no cousins, uncles, or aunts and doesn't know how to talk to such people).

That said, Dale doesn't feel a specific desire for more kids. He's very hesitant to stray outside his safe zone, especially while his life is currently in balance. He'd definitely be the type to assume more kids will "fix things."

- He would've preferred waiting until he was older to have a kid if it weren't for the crushing weight of Daddy's Expectations looming in the background... Doug always found it weird that Hadley wanted to do business things (like run her own company) and not exclusively be a stay-at-home mom like his wife was. - Dale still tosses and turns over the fact that Doug never got to meet Dev... Daddy never got to see him "succeed at continuing the Dimmadome line"... He will never know if he's proud. It's fine. He's fine. He's actually over it, haha.

Sexuality: Unclear and generally unimportant- 7 years of trauma did a number on his ability to identify emotions or trust other people, and now he's married, so who cares? Not the best at reading the room. Or himself, for that matter.

Grew up in the '90s and 2000s, missed a bunch of school (health class included), wasn't raised in a home that discussed many options beyond growing up to marry a nice woman so he could continue the Dimmadome line... and frankly, if he thought about it and realized there's a chance he may not have ended up with a woman and had a kid, he'd probably have an anxiety attack. We Do Not Disappoint Daddy In This Household.

All this said, Dale is aware of some Pride symbols - mostly rainbows - due to the Pride rodeos held at the Dimmsdale Dimmadome every year he was growing up (They were quite popular in Los Angeles Dimmsdale throughout the 90s). He attended several in the early 2000s, including the 50 years of frozen time. -> Dale has very positive memories of attending rodeos and similar events with his dad, and was none too pleased when they were banned from Los Angeles Dimmsdale in December 2023. See also, "Dirty Roads and Sterile Hearts." Dale also played a lot of Sims games... Up to Sims 9 or 10, in fact, given how products kept coming out during the 50 years of frozen time. He's not oblivious to sexualities, but it's not something he likes thinking about in relation to himself. He'll sell rainbow things for money and be done with it. He's definitely in the camp of assuming everyone experiences attraction (and most emotions for that matter) the way he does... which is to say, very little on the attraction front. Romance plots in media are baffling to him. He's glimpsed some anime and manga through his wife and son, but he's not invested in Kennueth's romance arc (despite Dev thinking it's heart-wrenching and fun).

Dale tends to ask people to lunch or dinner if he finds them intriguing - maybe at a nice restaurant, maybe at his house... maybe at Dimm-'N-Out Burgers - but if you asked him if he was attracted to any of these people, he would say "Of course not- I'm married" or "That would be unprofessional."

The more he wants to impress and befriend you, the more anxious he feels. He definitely has a squish on Kevin Crocker. Dale doesn't care about most people, but when you have a mouth full of implants and you've built your own line of robots, the dentist-slash-fellow robotics expert from Archimedes U is high on the Cool People list.

From this post about Dale and Kevin going out to dinner

It's very possible that Kevin (who's happily married and monogamous with Chloe) is Dale's type, but who knows if Dale's that self-aware.

If he did, it probably wouldn't change how badly he wants to talk to Kevin about robots. Even in a universe where they did date (and subsequently break-up), Dale would follow him around asking robotics questions. Given his struggles of letting go of Vicky, you can bet he'd be equally fascinated by Kevin. Geek to geek communication; romance optional.

No one ever knows how Dale feels about people or where he hopes things will go... Not even Dale.

Intimate History: Sexually intimate with only one partner (His wife, Hadley).

Cherry lemon ship masterpost

Didn't date anyone while in post-trauma recovery, and by the time he was ready to think about his intimate future, his dad already had betrothal options in mind. Dale accepted, never dated anyone, and never looked back.

Despite his unintended not-business dates, some odd workplace conversations, a few awkward doorstep encounters, aggressively flirtatious Amanda Killman, and people who are genuinely trying to seduce him just for money, he is completely faithful to his wife. Why wouldn't he be? He distrusts everyone equally and was probably backing away even before he realized they were flirting.

If you think this man is going to follow someone he doesn't trust with his life to a private location, think again... You have no choice but to flirt with him in front of his employees, weird drones who could probably fling you into the distance, his wife, or his son. You're dang right the office door is staying open.

No, you're not sharing the bed on this business trip. You can have it and he'll find another hotel. He will pry you off with a crowbar or drag you to the front desk before he ends up in a room with you alone. Don't test the man.

Turn-Ons: Prefers knowing what to expect- Giving him a schedule or explanation note in advance is practically a must. If you try to surprise him with spontaneity, he'll be fidgety and anxious the whole time. Feels most comfortable being told exactly what to do.

Dale: We should have a 24/7 total power exchange dynamic. Hadley: We're not doing that. Dale: Welp, not arguing with a bossy lady. Whatever you say...

Loves animal print and ranch-themed cosplay... It's really hot when his wife shoots a gun while wearing denim, cowgirl fringes, and rhinestone-coated boots tbh. Actually, can we keep the boots in the room? You... you can just put them on top of him. Please do that. Hadley, come back-

Very into recording videos of himself and/or Hadley covered in money, but has absolutely stopped Dev from browsing that au pair's collection in the nick of time. Dale is bad at many things, but his uncanny ability to cross paths with Dev .4 seconds before disaster is unparalleled.

Children: Dev Dimmadome

Dev gets most of his looks from Dale, though he has some of Hadley's tufts and curls (plus her body type).

... Sorry? Did you say someone on the family tree seems to be missing? That doesn't sound familiar.

Notable Grandchildren: I've heard Dale's obsessed with finding "the lost Dimmadome heir," whatever that means... I think Dev's profile might have more info for you there.

Father: Doug Dimmadome

Grandfather: Duncan "Development" Dimm Grandmother: Griselda "Penny" Dimm (née Huber) Notable Ancestors: Dale Dimm, Francis Macdome Dimm, Dimmalonius

Mother: Pearl Dimmadome (née Doe)

Pearl disappeared around the same time Dale went missing, leading many (including Doug) to wonder if she'd taken her young son and run off.

Grandfather: Cassias "Cash" Doe Grandmother: Aurelia "Goldie" Doe (née Astor) NOTE - No relation to John and Jane Doe from A New Wish at this time (Hazel's landlord & landlady; parents of the twins). The surname Doe is a play on "dough" being a word for money, which fits the name scheme of old money families we know. If we don't get a Season 2, I'll likely connect them (since John's hair gives me Buxaplenty vibes anyway and I think it would be interesting to play with that), but there's a chance they're aliens or something. No known relation, but this could change (and possibly land Dale with cousins) in a future update to this profile.

Fairy Godfather: [REDACTED]

Hmm... I think he was green?

Pixie Godfather: Fergus Whimsifinado (H.P.)

Met at some point. Memories are fuzzy...

Wife: Hadley Harrington (née Leadly)

- Met in early childhood. Grew up in the same social circle and saw each other at fancy parties. - Hadley used the surname Leadly in her early years, only taking her mother's name after the divorce

Celebrity Crushes: Why would he crush on someone when he's richer and better than all of them?

Current Love Interest: ........ Still Hadley? Unclear.

Other Important Relationships: 

Vicky Aingeal - Dale's childhood best friend since he was 6. They spent a few years playing together (and doing school projects) before The Incident that spiraled into a cover-up... and the lemon drama.

Related Works: "50 Words of Dale and Vicky," Lemonade and Papercuts, "You Deserve It."

Despite years of abuse beneath Vicky's hand, Dale had a very hard time adjusting to life without her. During recovery, he met up with her a few times in a desperate attempt to convince himself she felt bad for what she did and didn't mean to hurt her best friend. Because... she did. She... can't NOT regret what she put him through...

Dale cared deeply for Vicky and doesn't think of himself as someone who would betray his BFF... An emotion that's side by side with the desire to scream and hurt her just to give her a taste of what she put him through. His trauma haunted him for years (and still haunts him as an adult) as he's very broken up about what happened to him. -> He often blames himself. Ex: "She cares about me. She was only mean because I put her in a bad situation. If I'd been a better friend, she wouldn't have gotten upset with me." As he's gotten older, Dale's stopped clinging to those rose-colored glasses as much as he used to. He still feels awful and conflicted about what happened (and is quicker to find fault with his actions than Vicky's). Since his father's dead and Dale still feels like he never lived up to Daddy's expectations, there's a part of Dale that desperately wants Vicky to apologize and rekindle their friendship... She was his friend. He's supposed to hate her. He'd be reluctant to trust, but would probably hear her out if she asked him too. An apology would likely bring him to his knees, spitting and sobbing and screaming at the overwhelming emotions slamming over him... That's rough, buddy. -> See also, this comic I drew of City Lights Dale and Vicky hanging out at a party after A New Wish Season 1.

Ed Leadly - His father-in-law! ... Dale is overly showy and trips-over-his-feet-attentive to Hadley when her dad is around. Do you have any idea how many trees that man cuts down for pencils? Dimmsdale's [presumably magical] forest is literally kept in check because of Pencil Nexus ("The Boss of Me").

Yeah, we don't pick fights with the CEO of axe-wielding. Leadly is not afraid to hunt, chop wood, hunt, gut animals, or otherwise get his hands dirty and Dale is very afraid of him.

Remy Buxaplenty - A frequent contact. They do a lot of shipping-related business together (Remy with trains, Dale with drones).

Remy's also a long-time friend of Hadley's, so he's one of Dale's most common associates in personal life as well.

Timmy Turner - Not close in Timmy's youth, but once Timmy turned 18 (and forgot the magic parts of his childhood), he got into hunting with Sparky. Dale and Hadley were also hunters and let him join their trips several times. They consider each other buddies.

Dale doesn't hold Timmy up on a pedestal- As far as he's concerned, he got himself out of the lemon pit- Timmy's just the guy who let him eat and wash up while waiting for his dad to drive over. But they do know each other and crossed paths on occasion. Timmy knows Dale better due to Timmy living a double life as the mysterious benefactor who throws Septimberfest every year ("Momnipresent").

Amanda Killman (Sigh) - Another wealthy individual in the tech field. Amanda blatantly finds Dale attractive and has no shame in admitting it (or coming onto him). Dale thinks she's a creep and avoids her whenever possible. Hadley distrusts her and is paranoid her husband will cheat on a business trip someday.

Mikey Munroe (& Bunsen) - Met him a few times while his parents were installing security systems; Mikey followed in his parents' footsteps with Bunsen right behind him. Dale does not like either of them, but that doesn't stop Mikey from talking his ear off or trying to "fix" everything in his house. He does think Mikey's parents' drones are neat, though.

Dale can't deliver products to Beast World directly because there are no Beast portals in California, but Mikey orders things on their behalf and sends them through Muckledunk's portals.

Mikey and Bunsen have been trying to hang out with Dale for ages. They bounce around him when they visit (usually to install security or show him broken robots) and have a long history of sending Waffle House coupons in the mail. Every week. For 22 years. There are no Waffle Houses in California. Where do they even get these? Say one thing for Dale, though- He's better than many big companies at acknowledging the existence of the Beasts living both under and aboveground. Beast World is still a largely untapped market and he incorporates them into his campaign plans (and presumably, that's what he thought Danky was). Fun timeline note: Mikey didn't know Bunsen during the 50 years of repeating time, as Bunsen only met him after meeting Cosmo at Creature Con. Beasts were driven underground during the 2nd Creature War (See The Fae Wars) and have only been allowed aboveground for ~21 years as of A New Wish. Many places still don't trust or cater to them, but Dale will chase whatever makes him money. His old money friends are horrified, but he's pretty pleased with himself. Every now and then, someone tells Dale to "go to Hell" to which he responds "I'm already there and I'm making a killing."

TRIVIA

- Dale's MBTI is ISTJ while Hadley's is ESTJ. They're very similar people, though Hadley's definitely the more outgoing.

- I'm not yet consistent with my Dale design, but my vision is that the younger he is, the more front hair puffs he has (i.e. losing them slowly over time, not all at once). He pulls his hair a lot, but it grows back.

- I based his signature off an image I found of Steve Jobs' signature, which was all lowercase letters with a big dot on the j.

- Read his fair share of Crash Nebula and Crimson Chin comics as a kid. His collection was mostly tossed during his lemonade factory absence.

- Grew up around cows, horses, pigs, sheep, goats, and cattle dogs; went to the state fair with his dad every year growing up. The Dimmsdale Dimmadome hosted many rodeos over the decades.

- Walks on tiptoe more than you might think. It's a habit from his old days of exploring and trying not to get too dirty.

- No cousins. Has distant extended family he may refer to as uncle, aunt, or cousin colloquially, but they're not close.

- Dale will eat just about anything (Preferably lactose-free, though he's been desperate enough to eat that too), but he especially likes charcuterie boards, chips and salsa, carrots and ranch... Really, anything he can dip to feel "luxurious." Big fan of chocolate fountains- He gets really into carefully coating things. Dev has a lot of good memories of chocolate-coated marshmallows with Dad.

- Greatly enjoys beef and steak. Ate a lot of it thanks to Dimmadome Farms... In fact, he might like hamburgers a little too much (and even founded his own burger chain).

- He's lactose intolerant (and passed the gene to Dev).

- Often eats with his hands when alone (Ex: Spaghetti)- a leftover habit from not having silverware underground.

- Doesn't like the color green (Vicky's shirt). It's not a trigger- He just thinks the color's unpleasant.

- He's a card counter. It's a skill he picked up very fast, and the real trick is slipping under the radar. ADHD/OCD comorbidity + aggressive business instinct + 50 years of frozen time go brrrr...

- Has a weird relationship with holidays. Dislikes Halloween and April Fools Day - Neither is great for relaxing - but he does enjoy Christmas and Valentine's Day. While he's not the best at being emotionally present, he can follow the script for getting gifts. He's a lot more likely to be with family around Christmas, lured in by his wife's holiday video requests and the socially acceptable time of year to take a break.

Valentine's Day is a breeze- He has few qualms about spending money on expensive chocolates and big flower displays and they don't even need to be tailored to Hadley's personality. She both enjoys it personally and makes videos about his gifts. Black Friday weekend (Up through Cyber Monday) is a very busy time of year. Founder's Day also hits that time of year, so there's a lot to think about. Fortunately, no Dimmadomes have birthdays or anniversaries around then.

- Makes schedules he's bad at sticking to. Tends to go off-script, but at least the act of making them gives comfort in the moment.

- Constantly berating himself for not being "clever enough" or "productive enough" to be "more successful."

- Has a bad habit of running out in rain or snow without dressing for cold weather. He went without for so long...

- Scary in a fight. Although his build is thin, he's tall, broad-shouldered, and isn't afraid to listen to his survival instinct. He'll slam his elbows on you, bite, twist your arms, go for your face... Whatever it takes. Not a sleeping bear you want to poke.

- Tends to bite his nails, scratch or pick his skin, and pull out his hair. Tends to nibble on his hair, but gelling it back really helps.

- Has mild claustrophobia, though not as bad as it once was. He does fine in elevators, but tunnels and the underground make him uneasy. He sleeps with a nightlight, but doesn't mind dim light as long as he can see. However, he hates sleeping near windows.

- Contrary to everyone's belief, he actually does know his son's birthday and all his dietary needs. In fact, Dale is VERY paranoid that Dev will go into a seizure or die due to his hypoglycemia (and that was a big reason to build the au pairs in the first place).

- Owns a pair of similar-looking boots without spurs for safety in crowds, but good luck getting him to wear them.

- Simultaneously loves and loathes hunting... Misophonia be like that, but he wasn't gonna tell his dad it's hard for him.

- Has his anniversary date engraved on the inside of his ring.

- Running gag of Dale being a better parent when he's multitasking: Reaching over to seatbelt Dev while talking on the phone, catching Dev by the back of the collar before he can run into the street, covering Dev's eyes whenever they walk past a scantily clad advertisement even if his eyes were downcast the whole scene, picking him up to carry him across a dangerous or sopping wet part of the hiking trail even if he's checking stocks, or sensing Dev's about to eat something with lactose before Dev does. Parental instinct finds a way...

- If he's not on a call, he plays music to block out noises that trigger his misophonia. If he's in a bad enough mood, he'll be upset those songs bother him too.

- Dale and Hadley both like wearing cowboy hats and boots, especially when they visit Texas. A lot of their promotional images (as well as digital wallpapers) depict them in such clothes.

While Dale doesn't have a family photo as his phone background, he does have one on a laptop he only uses for family-related things (e.g. Scheduling vacations, checking on Hadley's businesses, making donations to Dev's school). It's... everyone sitting on a bench in boots, and the boots are the centered part. Close enough.

APPEARANCES

Main Blog Tag: #Dale Dimmadome owner of Dimmadome Global

Sideblog Tag: #RD Dale

AO3 Tag - #Dale Dimmadome

Dale makes most of his appearances in City Lights AU, with minor appearances in Cloudlands AU's Along the Cherry Lane and 130 Reasons Why I'm Fairy Trash.

His most notable appearance in the latter series is "You Deserve It," where he's the POV character, talks with Timmy, reunites with family, and attends his first fancy social gathering after escaping Vicky.

He's the protagonist of Lemonade and Papercuts and the antagonist of Dev's life... just in general.