WOLF SENSES TINGLE

(post!iotdrpg)  This speaks for itself. Explores the confusion and complication that is James Arthur Reid. James is the local cool physiatrist of Mystic Falls whilst balancing out the fact that he’s a werewolf. He’s local town dad in a local grandpa’s mind. 

(missing!verse) When James first made his wolf shift after killing his wife’s suspected murderer, James didn’t shift back like he was supposed. Instead, he lived his days secluded in wolf worm for a good couple of years. James miraculously turned back the morning after a full moon in a small town in Virginia, Mystic Falls. With no real memory of himself and his mind struggles to separate human form from wolf form after being in wolf form for so long. 

“That’s not necessarily a bad thing. As long as you’re happy and feel like this is your balance. Some people, are consumed with their work. It’s the nature of their profession. I mean, you’re a physician, so that makes sense. But it’s also good to take a break, if you want, though. I know I’m the kind of person who loves a good break or a staycation.” He nodded, as he listened to all of the languages the other spoke, “God, that’s awesome,” was all Theo could really say because he felt incredibly stupid compared to the other. He was decent in school, got into a prestigious school and all of that, but that was because his parents pushed him. His whole family pushed him academically because they wanted him to be something huge. Something about bringing prestige and even more status to the Fells, probably. It was all about image for them. Even for his parents, who he found the least concerned with image in the family, still had standards for their son. They wanted him to be just as good, just as smart as his cousins. “So just a little younger than me, then,” he observed.  Theo tried not to roll his eyes reflectively, since he knew it was a joke. His family he had a love-hate relationship with. He managed not to, holding his breath for the other’s reaction, though. He laughed when the tension broke, “Not disappointing as well.” Theo didn’t let go of the other’s had. “Okay, that actually all sounds really good.” His smile grew wider, feeling much more at ease.

James feels more relaxed as time goes by.  There’s not exactly a pressure by any means anymore. He just wanted Theo to have a comfortable and memorable experience even if it’s confined to the smaller space of his neat little apartment. He’s put cards on the table he probably wouldn’t have last month. Or last year. He held them close to his chest until the right person came along and Theo was, as it seemed to him, just as excited about getting to know him as James was him. It’s the right amount of giving a take that he wanted. James didn’t think he was that cool. His achievements weren’t really done for the bragging rights but for his love for learning more and taking a grip of the things he could control. “Staycation. That’s cute.” A soft laugh. He’d definitely use that in future. James usually spoke so formally even when he didn’t have to. It’s out of practice really and his presentation in front of friends of his family whereas James was an outsider. He always had been and was very comfortable with that label too. James boldness didn’t really stop with his questions but followed threw in his actions too, to much success at that. He kind of felt like a high schooler again. He didn’t really get to hands with boys back then. Guys just teased him and girls thought he was awkward so not many hand holding back then. He missed out a lot of things until college came around. He shuffles upward in his slump position, just to face him more head-on. No distractions. A smile matching Theo’s own. Not even the food had him right now. “Have you kissed another guy before?” He asked in his own curiousity. “Because I really would like to kiss you right now.” He tilts his head. “I mean, well, only because I can’t risk the food getting cold for too long but I can’t risk haven’t bad breath if I wanted to do that later.” He laughs at it but he thought it was semi-logical.

“I’m an orphan times three.” Charlie clarifies, holding up three fingers as if she wasn’t clear - though, with the slur in her words, they might have been necessary. “Good.” She wrinkles her nose - not because he orders a glass of water, but because of the disappointed look on his face. It made her angry, because these days the only thing she could manage to feel was anger. “You’re not my dad,” she gripes, “or my psychiatrist, anymore. I don’t need the disappointed father act.”

He talked a lot when he was nervous, and dating made him the most nervous. Probably because he hadn’t had too much luck with it. It was easy to blame other people, but the truth was, Theo was too complacent. He was always too afraid to tell people how he felt, or in what direction the relationship was going. He’d always assume the best and get hurt when it was just friends with benefits, or sex, or that they just weren’t ready. He was working on it, though. Communicating better. He knew what his feelings were, that wasn’t the issue. The issue was mustering the bravery to actually speak about them. He didn’t know why that was. A part of him is just a bit afraid that James will try and psychoanalyze him to find out and then realize that Theo had some sort of childhood trauma he didn’t even remember. Or that he had some issue with his brain. He didn’t like to toot his own horn, at all, but he liked to see himself as pretty normal. He felt like that was a good thing. “What’s stopping you?” he asked curiously, “Except for the busy work schedule?” Not everyone got the summer off like he did. “How old is she? I’m an only child, so, I never really got that from anyone but my cousins. But they were pretty easy on me.” Theo breathed, before saying, “This is my first date with a guy,” he admitted.”

“I guess not much.” James figures. But he’s always doing something work-related even when he’s done for the day. He’s either reading or planning or writing. He doesn’t really stop when it comes to work and maybe that’s why he’s not had a long-lasting relationship since his wife had passed away. Maybe he threw himself into that commitment in fear of another. “Well, I think my French is pretty good. Same with my Spanish. I had classes in Latin. It was my mom’s idea. And I’m fluent with my ASL” All proud achievements and James, if he really focused, could pick up another language like that easily. He was always reading some other foreign texts that were transcribed to English so he’s not completely clueless. “But my German, as you know, not brilliant.” He almost laughs but knows but it’s already more than a lot of people. He’d love to talk to some of his clients in their natural tongue. It’d be a lot easier for them. “My sister? She’s twenty-four.” James and his sister were a little distant in his childhood because he didn’t get to spend much time with her. His head was always in his books or extra circular classes like his piano lessons. “Well, I suppose the Fell founder’s dynasty must extend beyond you, Theodore.” He teases before moving his hand to rest in his hand as he listens. He’s surprised. He just sits there for a few moments and blinks. “Oh, goodness. I hope this hasn’t been severely disappointing for your first time?” He started to second guess his whole date plan. Maybe it was a little much having him over to his place for a first date. Maybe he should have taken him somewhere. He used to love planning dates but Esme never took to the idea of having a planned date. She was more spontaneous. “And I’m treating you with a TedTalks and Chill and made you get the food.” He moves his had, rather boldly to take his after the screen shows his YouTube recommendations filled with documentaries of psychiatry, TedTalks and evaluations on technology. He’s laughing nervously. “I hope it’s not exactly too forward of me, but I would like the next time so I can take you out properly. Then that won’t be your first date with a guy. It’ll be your second. Much less daunting, really.” It seemed way smoother in his head than out loud but hope his words worked to ease his mind a little either way.

James was nice enough, and this felt good to Theo. It felt easy, but he wasn’t sure if he was acting really like it was a date. Theo had always considered himself LGBT-friendly, but living in a small town in Virginia growing up made him lean very much into the straight part of his bisexuality. He wasn’t even sure he had said the word out loud. Maybe it was some internalized issues, but he had never really dated a guy, or been on a date with a guy before. There were definitely some drunken encounters with some his fraternity brothers, but the next morning, they would both just act like it never happened. And Theo would act that way, because he felt like that’s what the other wanted. He never really faced it. Which is why he was acting more like a bro on this date than a romantic interest. It was new territory for him. “I mean, nothing wrong with copying if it’s a good answer for you, right? Brazil,” Theo mused for a moment, rifling through his mind for what he knew about Brazil. Truthfully, it wasn’t much, but he still wanted to offer up some sort of inclination that he knew what was there. “A huge, multicultural country. Might take a while to explore it. But Tokyo, Japan in general—I don’t know man, they have their shit down. They have it together. I feel like you don’t really hear bad things about Japan. Excluding World War II, but you know what I mean,” Theo blabbered, mentally willing himself to shut up when James came out with the food. He really was thinking they’d just eat out of the cartons, but this was good, too. Fancy. Kind of like when his mom would invite people over for dinner, order out, but arrange it all pretty like she made it. “Oh, well, that’s quite a fear. It looks good. He wouldn’t call you an idiot sandwich, so.” He gave a soft smile, digging into his own plate, nodding and waiting to swallow to respond to James ‘ appreciation. “Can I tell you something?” he hesitated, not sure if he should say it.

Details were important at least to James who could get fixated on one little thing for hours if he really needed to be. That together with his cool exterior, always watching and observing, had perfect for his job. Dating’s definitely not his expertise. He was married for years and he’s not even sure he could call what he had with Esme the classic ideal of dating considering it was a lot of cat and mouse. Getting back out there into the dating had been hard. He locked himself out off that and threw himself into his equal obsession; his work. But he asks a lot of questions because he’s interested in Theo enough to care about all these details. So the need to pressure himself, just seemingly, moment by moment, fell away. He just can’t turn off work mode because it’s been long who he was before he went into his medical profession. James does his listening and hearing Theo ramble the way he did just had he smiling, even more, a small chuckle escaping but not at him, rather with him. “I’d love to learn the language. I’ve been meaning to learn another.” It gives Theo another clue to what type of person James does. He likes the world and the information it has to offer him. He had to keep up and be on top of a lot. Most would complain, but he enjoys it. “My sister would definitely call me an idiot sandwich. Enough so I’m started think she coined the phrase.” He laughed before he rests back into his seat a little more comfortably. His eyes looking at Theo in concern. “You sure can.” He nods simply. Not saying anything else.

Theo’s just a compassionate person, who gets along with most. He put kindness over anything else. It was just the way his parents raised him, and it was the way that Theo felt like was best for getting what he wanted, and the way that gave others what they wanted as well. He’s warm by nature. Which is hard for him, because sometimes he’s aware that he is far too sensitive, that he sometimes lays it out all on the table too much. “Oh, well, I try. I’m not being modest, I mean, I really do try to be…decent,” he figured that was the word for it. The next question was a hard question, and a very much so first date question. He thought a moment, “I don’t know, I feel like somewhere that needs me. Not me, specifically, but teachers. Rural areas in Indonesia where it’s hard to access education unless you’re in a big city—yeah, I think I’d want to stay there. How about you?” He gave the other a smile when he finally finished talking, finished deciding his answer, really. “Kind of sounds like my parents. But I was an only child, so I got looped into it all. Whatever they both wanted to do, I ended up doing. I actually ended up learning the trumpet for a while because my dad wanted to do it, too. But he forgot about that, and then donated the trumpets, so it didn’t really go anywhere.” He took another sip  of his beer, fondly recalling the memories of his childhood. “I’m chill with the couch,” Theo mentioned , taking himself and his beer in that direction, before pausing to ask, “Wait, do you need help with anything?” He didn’t want to be a horrible house guest and make him do all of the work.

He doesn’t mean for this to sound like an interview but he’s very careful with his romantic relationships after marriage. It was really difficult for him to seem potential in his own dating life until now it recently. Theo’s answer seems even better than he’d hope for. He’s endlessly fascinating. At least, to him. James could tell a lot about the people he talked to by asking the right things and analyzing them in detail. Theo’s ticking checkboxes he would want. He’s a good person. It’s obvious. A magnet for it too. James aspires towards that good nature that seemed to come naturally too him. James is a little tense and not too many people like his seriousness. He has to follow up and now it seems and feels lame. “I don’t mean to sort of copy you here but I was going to say something similar.” He laughs, rubbing the corner of his nose. “I guess that kind of goes to show we’re on the same page with a lot of things.” At least, that’s the conclusion that James had come to. “I bet I’m starting to feel like a total cop-out but Brazil is my second answer. I’ve never visited. Work. It’s top of my travel list next to Tokyo.” James liked to travel because he liked people. He liked places and in comparison, American’s could be about the most boring people he knew. “I’ve got it. I’ll be a second.” He chuckles. He’s already done enough. It’s James’ turn to impress him to some degree. Finishing up in the kitchen, he comes over with their food, doing his best to evenly divide the goods of Chinese food Theo had gotten them on food trays. Some sort of mediocre act of swagger in his walk as he gets to the couch. Then he jogs back quickly to reach his own can of beer and then dropping next to him. “I hope my presentations okay. Gordan Ramsay instilled the fear of himself into me so I’ve been practising.” He’s joking as per usual, he’s not sure everyone gets his sense of humour but he’s trying hard. “Also, I know the thank you would usually come at the end of the night, but thank you, Theo. I haven’t done the dating thing in a little while but you make it worth it.” 

In many ways, James and Esme’s entire relationship was unconventional and yet it worked so well. A beautiful couple. As if they were made for each other. She was his soulmate whether she liked the phrase or not. Esme had James on strings like a puppet and James wanted to solve Esme like a puzzle. So somehow, they compliment each other. She was an enigma he couldn’t wait to uncover and he doesn’t think he ever really truly knew the real her but he was as close as anyone in her life had ever gotten to crack the code. She was beautiful chaos. 

When James first met her, gathering the courage to ask her out, she said no. And time after, she said no. It didn’t take long for James to get the hint that she wasn’t interested which was fine but she didn’t get rid of him. They spoke and something clicked. Esme played James like a chess piece for a while. Tested him as if he was a science experiment and yet James, perfectly agreed even when his friends tried to warn him. When they dated, she would continous momentarily break up with him. More tests to observe what he would do and then drag him back. It was a cat and mouse game and yet James was completely falling for her. Her mind. He thoughts. The way she saw the world. It was all incredibly fascinating. A feeling he’d never had and he went with it.