𝚃𝙷𝙴 𝙾𝚄𝚃𝚂𝙸𝙳𝙴𝚁.

ezra fike. transfer student. secret weapon.

[fikefilms]

ezra  fike  of  northridge’s  love  club.  the  scholarship  student  with  a  vendetta  that  can’t  be  seen  on  the  surface.  does  he  have  what  it  takes  to  be  scotland’s  next  griswold?  tune  in  and  find  out.

his  about  is  here  and  his  spotify  playlist  is  here!

[fikefilms]

céline.

cél’s  soft  giggles  can  be  heard  as  the  two  walk  side  by  side,  joking  around  and  flirting  the  entire  way.  she  happily  takes  his  hand  and  blushes  at  how  crazy  the  butterflies  in  her  stomach  are  going.  being  with  him  made  the  princess  feel  alive.  a  contrast  to  any  of  her  other  relationships.  ezra  was  different,  not  because  he  came  from  a  completely  different  background  than  her.  that  didn’t  matter  to  céline,  wealth  and  status  were  never  important  to  her.  his  personality  and  way  of  being  were  the  things  that  attracted  to  him.  the  things  that  made  her  fall  in  love.     “     i’m  assuming  you  tag  along  with  the  janitors?     ”     she  asks  playfully,  sitting  next  to  him  and  looking  around.  northridge  was  a  very  beautiful  campus,  and  she’s  glad  she  has  someone  like  ezra  to  show  her  the  hidden  spots.  secret  meetings  filled  with  sweet  whisperings  and  joyous  behavior.  céline  wishes  things  were  like  this  all  the  time.

setting  her  bag  on  the  ground,  she  faces  him  with  a  smile.     “     sugar?  what  kind?     ”     double  meaning  as  cél  gets  closer  to  him,  eyes  falling  to  lips  then  to  meet  his  eyes.

being  with  céline  was  different  than  being  with  anyone  else  in  the  love  club.  when  he  was  with  her  he  didn’t  focus  on  the  fact  that  he  was  with  a  princess,  a  future  queen.  instead  he  appreciated  her  for  what  was  inside.  that  was  the  version  of  her  that  he  had  been  falling  in  love  with,  the  true  cél.     “     i  don’t  like,  hang  out  with  them.     ”     he  moves  his  right  hand  up  to  scratch  the  back  of  his  neck.  he  doesn’t  know  why  he  feels  weird  answering  the  question,  wondering  if  he’s  being  judged.  ezra  knows  that’s  not  who  she  is.     “     they  give  me  information  when  i  talk  to  them.  say  that  i’m  nice  and  they  want  to  pay  me  back  for  not  littering.     ”     actually,  he’s  helping  one  of  them  learn  how  to  play  chess  and  another  one  how  to  be  better  at  math.  on  the  forefront  that  doesn’t  sound  bad,  but  it’s  not  hanging  out  so  he’s  technically  not  lying.  he  relaxes  in  the  hidden  spot.

ezra  grins  slightly  as  he  moves  his  left  hand  to  rest  right  next  to  céline.  then  his  right  hand  moves  the  chocolate  up  to  his  face  when  he  leans  closer,  now  only  inches  away  from  her  lips.     “     looks  like  you  have  a  choice  between  two  types.     ”     they’re  not  going  to  spot  them  here.

[fikefilms]

vera.

          perhaps  vera  should  consider  being  a  little  softer  towards  nicolás’  closest  friend,  but  the  prince  was  always  a  far  more  open  and  generally  𝒃𝒆𝒕𝒕𝒆𝒓  person  than  vera.  plus  nicolás  trusted  people,  whereas  vera  tried  her  best  to  stay  as  far  away  as  she  could  from  those  that  felt  like  they  could  stab  her  in  the  back.  and  truthfully,  maybe  she  could  be  able  to  find  ezra  as  charming  as  others  do,  but  it  seemed  since  vera  offered  so  little,  ezra  𝒎𝒂𝒕𝒄𝒉𝒆𝒅  her.  it  was  unlike  isabel,  who  felt  like  a  warm  spring  breeze  despite  vera’s  darkness,  unlike  theodore,  who  was  the  easiest  conversation  she’s  had  since  coming  to  northridge.  so  it’s  𝒅𝒊𝒇𝒇𝒆𝒓𝒆𝒏𝒕,  and  it  was  complicated,  and  every  time  princess  vera  myeong  of  belvan  was  met  with  complicated,  she  challenged  it  with  the  icy  exterior  she  found  her  safe  haven.  

“  thank  you ,  ”  vera  said  as  he  held  the  door  open  for  her,  walking  past  him  and  standing  in  line.  she  peered  around  and  noticed  the  lone  table,  pressing  her  lips  together  slightly.  the  mock  trial  was  so  soon  —  vera  had  to  study  and  collect  herself  for  the  love  club’s  first  big  obstacle.  “  if  you’re  going  to  sit  at  the  free  table  then  i’ll  be  joining  you.  so  you  may  as  well  take  it  and  tell  me  what  you’d  like  so  i  can  order .  ”  her  tone  felt  a  little  more  𝒄𝒐𝒎𝒎𝒂𝒏𝒅𝒊𝒏𝒈  than  she’d  like,  but  it  left  no  room  up  for  debate.  either  ezra  could  snag  the  table  now  and  work  with  her,  or  maybe  he’d  tell  vera  he  saw  another  friend  of  his  he  was  going  to  sit  with.

          back  home  ezra  was  used  to  having  to  make  himself  tough.  he  dominated  chess  competitions  because  he  was  a  mirror.  what  his  opponents  gave  to  him  was  what  he  returned,  therefore  they  couldn’t  predict  his  next  moves.  now  he  realized  he  was  repeating  the  same  patterns.  soft  with  isabel,  fun  with  nic,  distant  with  vera.  there  was  no  suspicion  from  his  side,  at  least  not  on  the  surface,  but  there  might  have  been  paranoia.  why  didn’t  she  trust  him?  the  pink  haired  male  made  it  out  to  be  something  wrong  with  her  in  his  head.  all  of  the  facts  pointed  to  him  being  the  outsider  and  that  was  a  common  force  of  distrust  among  a  group.  still,  since  he  wasn’t  used  to  that  from  the  others  it  only  begged  the  question  as  to  what  vera  was  up  to  instead.  not  only  that,  but  did  she  know  something  the  rest  of  the  love  club  didn’t?  

the  queen  was  barking  orders  and  upon  a  quick  observation,  the  rook  realized  he  had  no  other  choice  but  to  follow  them.  ezra  held  onto  the  books,  bracing  himself  for  the  journey  to  the  table.  he  did  one  quick  glance  at  the  staff  too,  smiling  in  his  head  even  though  his  jaw  was  practically  shut  tight  outwardly.  “  banner  knows  my  order  and  you  can  tell  them  you’re  with  me.  the  drinks  are  on  my  tab.  ”  what  did  that  mean?  it  was  coming  out  of  his  paycheck  but  he  didn’t  want  to  say  that.  at  least  someone  that  knew  his  order  was  working,  that  way  vera  wasn’t  going  to  know  it.  he  disappeared  into  the  crowd  to  get  the  empty  table,  but  flirted  with  the  one  towards  the  front  to  move  it  a  bit  to  snag  both  outlets.  ezra  then  sat  down  on  the  chair  with  direct  view  to  the  front  door.  he  set  the  books  down  and  waited  patiently.  

[fikefilms]

céline.

céline  quirks  her  brow  up  in  intrigue,  biting  her  lip  at  the  idea  of  following  ezra  to  the  other  side  of  campus  just  to  study.  the  tint  of  red  that  appears  on  her  cheeks  is  a  good  enough  reaction  to  his  words.  céline  appreciates  the  gesture.     “     i’ll  make  sure  to  thank  my  guardian  angel  for  putting  you  in  my  path.      ”     she  matches  the  energy  as  demeanor  softens.  it  was  much  easier  to  be  herself  whenever  she  was  around  ezra.  he  did  not  hold  her  to  the  same  expectations  like  everyone  else.  cél  did  not  have  to  prove  anything  to  him.  she  was  the  most  genuine  version  of  herself  in  his  presence.  for  this  reason,  she  agrees  to  let  him  show  her  said  spot.  though,  she  knows  it’ll  be  anything  but  distraction  free.  not  that  she  minded.

then  for  a  quick  second,  theodore  crosses  her  mind.  she  thinks  of  their  latest  argument  and  the  nature  behind  it.  maybe  it  wasn’t  a  good  idea  to  continue  to  dig  this  hole  she’s  in.  it’d  be  best  if  cél  just  cut  things  off  with  ezra  and  remained  platonic.  but  then  she  thinks  of  how  theodore  treats  her.  no  romance.  no  chase.  there  was  no  chemistry  between  them.  the  fights  were  overbearing  and  she  doesn’t  remember  the  last  time  that  they  had  a  genuine  moment  of  affection.  he  simply  didn’t  make  her  happy.  no  matter  how  hard  she  tried  to  hold  their  relationship  together.     “     lead  the  way.  i’m  interested  in  seeing  this  little  spot  you  speak  of.     ”     cél  says,  completely  pushing  those  thoughts  aside  and  now  standing  besides  the  male.

his  knowledge  about  royalty  is  slim  to  none.  aside  from  what  google  has  to  offer,  nicolás,  céline,  and  vera  are  the  only  examples  he  has.  one  is  his  new  best  friend,  another  the  woman  he’s  secretly  in  love  with,  and  the  last  someone  who  he  suspects  can  get  anyone  killed.  they’re  all  so  different  which  is  why  ezra  views  them  as  normal  people.     “     maybe  they’ll  start  making  us  bump  into  each  other  more  often  if  you’re  really  appreciative.     ”     he  knows  he  wants  more  with  her  and  theodore  stands  in  the  way,  but  he  also  doesn’t  care.  the  scholarship  student  is  tired  of  life  restricting  him  just  because  he  doesn’t  have  the  means  or  isn’t  from  a  social  class.  lawyers  get  killers  off  scotch  free  and  he  was  sure  he  could  bend  social  norms  a  bit  to  keep  on  doing  whatever  it  was  cél  and  him  were  doing  behind  everyone’s  backs.  

ezra  takes  a  normal  walk  through  the  campus,  making  sure  she’s  with  him  every  step  of  the  way.  he  ducks  into  one  of  the  archways  and  then  slides  in  between  a  narrow  hallway  behind  a  dumpster  and  some  trees.  he  leads  céline  down,  offering  his  hand  when  he  knows  they’re  out  of  sight  from  everyone.     “     the  janitors  come  here  to  smoke  sometimes.     ”     which  means  it’s  not  a  place  they  frequent  often.  he  takes  a  seat  like  it’s  the  most  normal  thing  in  the  world  and  smiles  brightly  at  cél.  then  ezra  takes  out  a  piece  of  chocolate  from  his  bag,  offering  it  to  her.     “     we’re  going  to  need  some  sugar  to  stay  awake  during  our  studies.     ”     sometimes  he  offers  the  love  club  treats  so  that  they  can  associate  him  with  the  rush  of  dopamine  they  get  consuming  chocolate.  a  way  to  keep  him  wanted  on  the  inside.  with  céline  things  are  different,  he  just  wants  her  to  be  happy.  

[yelenadelova]

Euphoria: “Trying to Get to Heaven Before They Close the Door”

[fikefilms]

vera.

          fuck  —  when  ezra  announced  his  coffee  shop  plans  vera  second  guessed  going  there,  but  she  couldn’t  simply  avoid  ezra.  plus,  𝒔𝒄𝒓𝒆𝒘  𝒊𝒕,  she  was  headed  there  too,  they  didn’t  have  to  be  close  by  any  means  but  they  could  be  simply  civil.  vera  was  a  princess  —  a  future  𝒒𝒖𝒆𝒆𝒏.  she  knew  how  to  speak  to  people  to  some  extent  and  offer  them  up  her  good  manners  and  politeness.  she  just  hoped  it  wouldn’t  invite  ezra  to  do  something  ridiculous  like  join  her  at  whatever  table  she  chose  to  work  at.  

“  as  am  i ,  ”  vera  said,  though  her  voice  was  quieter  she  was  positive  he  heard  her.  vera  started  walking  as  well,  𝒒𝒖𝒊𝒆𝒕𝒏𝒆𝒔𝒔  setting  over  the  two.  frankly  it  would  have  been  almost  more  awkward  had  vera  not  said  anything,  playing  the  infuriating  game  of  pretending  not  to  see  one  another.  though  momentarily  vera  considered  it’d  be  𝒔𝒊𝒎𝒑𝒍𝒆𝒓  than  this.  she  kept  her  gaze  locked  ahead.

          the  powers  that  be  are  truly  after  him.  is  this  the  karmic  justice  he  deserves  for  saying  that  his  parents  are  dead?  vera  isn’t  going  to  be  the  one  to  fold.  the  queen  on  the  chessboard  never  does.  like  a  social  chameleon,  he  isn’t  going  to  do  so  either.  a  soft  smile  will  always  be  on  his  face,  just  like  beatrice  taught  him.  respectful  enough  that  he  seems  like  a  good  person,  but  small  enough  that  he  doesn’t  come  off  as  a  creep.  as  soon  as  they  step  foot  in  the  cafe  he’s  going  to  have  to  make  sure  to  get  a  seat  away  from  her,  preferably  the  corner.  

“  great  minds  think  alike.  “  four  words  seem  like  too  much  compared  to  her  three.  ezra  keeps  his  eyes  forward,  going  from  the  area  ahead  and  the  pavement  below  them.  when  they  get  to  the  coffee  shop,  he  opens  the  door  and  holds  it  that  way  for  vera.  a  queen  can  never  touch  a  door  or  whatever.  he’s  trying  to  scan  the  shop  through  the  glass  windows.  fuck.  from  what  he  can  tell  there’s  only  one  small  table  free.  

[fikefilms]

céline.

céline  is  finding  herself  on  campus  more  and  more.  with  the  mock  trial  quickly  approaching,  she  wants  to  be  fully  prepared  for  whatever  craziness  ends  up  occurring  in  griswold’s  classroom.  so  it’s  no  surprise  that  she’s  on  her  way  to  the  library  after  a  quick  lunch  with  desirae.  fingers  are  currently  preoccupied  with  replying  to  a  text  message  from  her  mother  asking  how  things  were  going  in  scotland.  cél  catches  her  up  on  the  normal  things,  like  her  grades,  budding  friendships,  and  her  brother.  just  small  talk  to  keep  her  distracted  from  the  biggest  question  of  all:  the  engagement  rumors.  god,  is  céline  tired  of  being  asked  that.  even  if  she  was  excited  to  be  engaged  to  theodore  duponts,  hearing  about  it  this  much  would  make  her  lose  interest  quickly.  was  there  anything  else  they  could  ask  about?  apparently  not.

slipping  her  phone  into  her  back  pocket,  she  walks  up  the  steps  that  lead  to  the  library  only  to  be  met  with  locked  doors.  great.  letting  out  a  huff,  cél  slightly  jumps  as  ezra  approaches  her.  how  long  has  he  been  standing  there?  quickly  gathering  herself,  she  flashes  him  a  warm  smile.     “     just  my  luck.     ”     descending  the  steps  and  getting  closer  to  him,  cél  shakes  her  head.     “     i’m  also  caught  up.  i  just  needed  a  space  where  i  can  study  distraction  -  free.    ”

everything  floating  around  the  campus  about  the  love  club  was  starting  to  get  to  ezra.  he  was  charming  enough  to  lie  his  way  through  most  of  the  conversations,  but  he  couldn’t  help  that  some  of  the  things  ended  up  getting  to  him.  for  example,  céline  and  theodore’s  engagement  rumors.  maybe  that  was  why  he  buried  himself  in  work  and  studies.  both  to  prove  he  belonged  there  and  to  not  let  his  minimal  emotions  make  him  do  something  he  was  going  to  regret.  the  closer  that  he  gout  to  the  bouiettes  the  deeper  he  got  into  this  world.  best  friends  with  nic,  twin  flame  to  isabel,  friend  to  cél  even  though  he  was  crushing  hard  on  her.  all  of  that  is  already  hard  to  manage  and  that  doesn’t  even  include  the  other  four  members  of  the  love  club.  he’s  going  to  betray  some  of  them  at  the  end  of  next  semester,  that’s  the  only  thing  he’s  certain  of.  

a  charming  smile  forms  on  his  face  and  his  tongue  swipes  over  his  lips.  if  ezra  had  influence,  power,  he  would  have  gotten  the  library  opened  up  just  for  the  blonde  in  front  of  him.  sadly,  he’s  just  some  poor  boy  from  detroit.     “     of  if  a  distraction  is  what  you  need  then  your  guardian  angel  brought  you  to  me.     ”     he  allows  himself  to  be  more  lighthearted  around  céline.  more  carefree.      “     there’s  a  couple  of  trees  that  block  out  the  sun  and  the  view  from  others.  it’s  a  little  further  down  the  hill  on  the  side  of  the  campus.  i  can  take  you  to  it.     ”     what  ezra  isn’t  going  to  say  is  that  a  janitor  was  the  one  to  tell  him  about  it.  

[fikefilms]

vera.

          not  that  vera  trusted  many  people,  but  there  was  something  particular  about  ezra  fike  that  made  vera  a  little  𝒘𝒆𝒂𝒓𝒚.  she  knew  far  too  little  about  him,  besides  the  fact  that  he  was  seemingly  close  with  nicolás  and  isabel.  he  was  𝒅𝒊𝒇𝒇𝒆𝒓𝒆𝒏𝒕  —  and  it  wasn’t  that  vera  didn’t  like  him,  she  just  walked  around  ezra’s  presence  carefully,  at  arm’s  length  and  with  her  guard  up.  so  vera  didn’t  necessarily  choose  to  spend  any  extra  time  around  ezra  when  she  wasn’t  forced  to.  

but  they’re  part  of  the  love  club,  and  they’re  on  campus  together,  so  they  were  bound  to  bump  into  one  another  at  some  point.  vera  looked  up  when  she  noticed  ezra  approached  her  and  she  simply  watched  him  speak,  expression  unwavering  as  he  gestured  to  the  very  library  vera  was  hoping  to  get  some  studying  done  in.  her  eyes  traveled  down  to  the  books  in  his  hands  before  meeting  ezra’s  eyes  once  more.  “  no  i’m  𝒂𝒍𝒓𝒊𝒈𝒉𝒕 ,  thank  you .  ”  vera  looked  to  the  side,  wondering  if  maybe  the  coffee  shop  on  campus  was  open  and  she  could  go  there  instead.

          everything  about  this  conversation  was  going  to  be  awkward.  ezra  was  comfortable  around  nicolás,  céline,  and  isabel,  but  vera  was  a  whole  other  type  of  rich.  if  he  didn’t  approach  her  to  speak  then  that  would  have  been  even  weirder.  they  were  in  the  same  club  with  six  other  people.  if  they  didn’t  speak  on  campus,  then  people  would  start  thinking  something  was  wrong.  even  though  he  didn’t  trust  her,  he  was  doing  this  for  the  love  club  which  meant  that  he  was  doing  it  for  his  ultimate  victory.  the  lengths  he  would  go.  

his  free  hand  moved  up  to  rub  the  back  of  his  neck.  the  end  of  september  was  supposed  to  be  comfortable  for  someone  that  grew  up  in  detroit,  yet  he  was  burning  up.  “  well,  okay.  ”  all  ezra  did  was  nod  once  before  he  turned  his  heels.  “  i’m  going  to  study  in  the  coffee  shop,  so  catch  you  later.  ”  hopefully  that  was  the  last  thing  he  was  going  to  have  to  say  to  vera  for  the  rest  of  the  day.  it  would  be  rude  not  to  say  his  goodbyes,  so  he  turned  towards  her  and  smiled  softly.  then  he  waved  and  started  to  slowly  walk  away  from  her  and  towards  the  coffee  shop.  

[fikefilms]

you  belong  here.  it’s  something  that  ezra  has  to  constantly  repeat  to  himself  in  his  brain.  his  clothes  are  all  sewn  by  him  and  he  just  stitches  designer  tags  on  them.  he’s  living  with  nicolás  and  feels  bad  that  his  best  friend  is  footing  all  of  the  bills,  but  there’s  plenty  of  things  he  still  needs  to  buy  for  himself.  ezra  fike  is  a  fraud  and  he  always  has  been.  he  pushes  that  all  out  of  his  head  as  he  walks  out  of  the  library.  he  can  do  this,  he  belongs  here,  he’s  one  of  them.  

then  in  that  same  exact  moment  he  saw  one  of  the  other  love  club  members.  it’s  odd.  for  all  of  his  life  he  was  locked  outside.  now  he’s  in  the  most  elitist  club  in  all  of  northridge,  hell  all  of  scotland,  and  he  still  feels  like  a  nobody.  he  takes  in  a  deep  breath  and  holds  the  two  books  he’s  checked  out  with  both  hands.  that’ll  give  him  an  excuse  for  not  shaking  their  hand  and  revealing  how  sweaty  his  palm  him.  

the  smile  that  cracks  his  emotionless  demeanor  is  small,  like  the  ghost  of  a  smile  he  was  supposed  to  first  have  as  a  child.  the  thing  about  always  being  on  the  outskirts  is  that  he  never  felt  the  happiness  of  the  warmth  inside.  ezra  takes  in  a  deep  breath  and  size,  picturing  himself  to  be  one  of  the  chess  pieces  on  his  board.  knight  to  e5.

“  they’re  closing  for  lunch.  something  about  having  to  redo  the  systems  because  the  intern  messed  it  up.  “  as  he  motions  to  the  library  behind  him  he  wonders  if  they’re  hiring.  “  i’m  ahead  on  the  reading  for  class  if  you  need  one  of  the  books.  “  keep  it  educational,  they  don’t  need  to  know  how  pathetic  his  mundane  life  is.  

[fikefilms]

EZRA  FIKE  was  born  on  february  14th,  the  day  of  love.  what  was  ironic  about  tala  giving  birth  on  this  day  was  that  her  original  due  date  was  the  13th,  a  day  filled  with  bad  omens.  even  though  she  was  never  going  to  hold  her  baby  in  her  own  arms,  she  thought  the  date  of  his  arrival  was  a  curse.  that  was  what  she  got  for  sleeping  with  a  married  man,  right?  

when  she  was  late  and  ended  up  giving  birth  on  valentine’s  day  out  of  all  days,  she  was  even  more  scared  about  what  it  meant.  this  child  wasn’t  a  product  of  love,  what  if  he  grew  up  thinking  he  was?  

this  also  makes  him  an  AQUARIUS  SUN,  GEMINI  MOON,  &  LIBRA  RISING.  his  mind  controls  most  of  his  actions,  he’s  versatile,  has  a  romantic  personality,  and  his  mood  easily  changes  with  the  situation  that  he’s  in.  ezra  is  a  triple  air  sign  which  means  he  can  be  quite  floaty  at  times  and  doesn’t  ever  feel  like  he  fits  in.  

[castillopratts]

You’re gonna figure out your way around that. How?

[fikefilms]

hello  everyone  !  my  name  is  jay  (  24,  he/him,  est  )  and  as  you  all  know  this  is  ezra  fike.  below  are  some  bullet  points  about  his  life  but  his  full  biography  +  stats  can  be  found  HERE.  

after  his  own  info  you  can  also  find  part  of  the  app  where  he  related  the  love  club  to  his  awards,  have  fun!  his  bio  is  hella  long  so  i  hope  to  keep  this  short  lol

tala  &  luciano  had  an  affair  at  the  beginning  of  med  school.  they  were  21  when  ezra  was  born  and  couldn’t  even  look  their  child  in  the  eye.  they  gave  him  up  for  adoption  and  lived  their  lives  like  their  relationship  never  happened.  they’re  now  rich  and  well  known  surgeons  in  the  states,  but  he’s  never  sought  them  out  or  researched  who  they  were 

his  adoptive  parents  were  scum.  they  took  him  in  for  the  checks  the  government  gave  them 

beatrice  was  a  local  elderly  woman  in  the  neighborhood  and  she  was  the  one  that  mainly  raised  him.  she  saw  he  was  great  at  chess  and  hyped  him  up  when  it  came  to  his  academics 

he  cut  his  parents  of  after  he  turned  18  and  bea  died,  went  to  college  and  started  working  endless  jobs,  tells  everyone  his  parents  are  dead 

applied  to  northridge  because  of  isabel  and  is  happy  for  the  opportunity  and  acceptance

academically  he’s  incredibly  bright  and  has  always  been  on  the  honor  roll 

mentally  he’s  less  emotional  than  most  and  tends  to  mimic  their  own  emotions,  molding  his  personality  into  the  people  around  him,  he  probably  has  a  personality  disorder 

socially  he  looks  like  the  outsider  looking  in,  but  he’s  hungry  for  recognition.  he’ll  stop  at  almost  nothing  to  get  what  he  wants  

what  he  related  the  love  club  members  to  xoxo

isabel reminded him of his community outreach award that he received for doing so many hours of community service. while he no longer felt like he was a service project for her, he still had to admit that she was honorable and nice. she was everything he wanted to be when he was younger and that was something that was admirable. no wonder they were working together. winning with her would mean that he would have won with his good side, because he’s sure she’s the reason it’s still around. 

nicolás was his individuality award. for so long it was something that he packed into a box and hated looking at. yet after meeting the other man, he realized it was something to be proud of. there was no one that was going to tell nic who he was, not even the royal crown. that was something that he was aspiring to do now. he didn’t want to be an individual because he was an outsider, but he wanted to be praised for the fact that he didn’t have to fit a certain fold. ezra sat back and wondered if there was ever going to be a day he didn’t have to worry about who he was. 

céline was his best supporting actor award. he did two plays in high school because he needed extracurriculars that weren’t academic to make himself stand out. there’s nothing about céline that he perceived to be a supporting role, that distinction was important. still, the person that she presented to the world and the one who she was when they were alone was completely different. he was entranced by how she swiftly made the shift sometimes as well. it didn’t matter what would she was in, she was going to adapt and that was beautiful. 

kamile was first place prize for the middle school math competition. he viewed her as a scale or angle in geometry and that was why he related her to math. with her interest in tennis, he was also intrigued by how much she was able to split her time. if there was anyone else in the love club that didn’t feel human, he would have to say it was kamile. that wasn’t an insult either seeing as how he often times didn’t think about himself as a human either, at least not one from around the area. 

theodore was his certificate for the latin and philosophy honor societies. they didn’t necessarily talk with the socratic method when they were together, but there was a deeper meaning between the two of them. ezra knew that his feelings for céline would betray both nicolás and theodore. that was the reason why theo reminded him of philosophy. whenever he was around the man he thought about what if’s. was there a world where he didn’t end up hurting him or was he going to end up the villain in the man’s story? 

desirae was his award for the most accurate latin translation in that college course he took during high school. the way that he viewed desirae has always been from her family history. she not only came from old money, but she also acted like it. like latin, he knew that if he wasn’t smart enough to get into the love club he would have never had the opportunity to speak to her. ezra feels like the only way to speak her language is to become a worthy opponent, show that he isn’t just a little wallflower. 

vera was the last award that he won in a chess championship. he viewed her as one of the pieces on his chest board. not someone that he needed to move and use in order to win, at least not outwardly, but a powerful piece all on her own. the queen could move wherever she wanted and how far she wanted as long as no one was in her way. ezra pondered to himself if he could predict vera’s moves like he did his opponent’s on a board. after all, this was a competition and he wanted to win above all else. 

griswold was the hardest to pinpoint. he wasn’t an award, he was the crumbled up adoption papers that he kept hidden in his room. ezra viewed the other man as another older person who abused his powers to get something that he wanted. he lured them in with false security, much like the blanket he was wrapped in when his adoptive parents took him home. then griswold sprung the competition onto them and slowly turned them all against each other, much like the lack of love from his childhood.

[fikefilms]

𝚃𝙷𝙴  𝙰𝚀𝚄𝙸𝙽𝙾  +  𝚁𝙾𝙼𝙰𝙽𝙾  𝙵𝙸𝙺𝙴  𝙵𝙰𝙼𝙸𝙻𝚈  𝚃𝚁𝙴𝙴  

tala  and  luciano  decided  to  give  their  beautiful  baby  boy  up  for  adoption.  they  didn’t  even  look  twice  when  they  did  it.  instead  of  being  raised  by  the  now  prosperous  surgeons,  ezra  was  taken  in  by  the  fike  family.  they  were  only  in  it  for  the  government  checks,  but  at  least  they  gave  him  a  roof  over  his  head.  lying  is  a  risky  business,  especially  surrounded  by  future  lawyers,  but  ezra  hopes  he’s  never  questioned  when  he  says  his  parents  are  dead.  

𝚃𝙰𝙻𝙰  𝙰𝚀𝚄𝙸𝙽𝙾  (  ina  raymundo  ,  46  ,  biological  mother  )  —  currently  she’s  a  neurosurgeon  in  one  of  the  top  hospitals  in  the  united  states.  ezra’s  biological  mother  is  where  he  gets  his  emotional  spectrum.  she  mimics  emotions  that  she  sees  in  others  instead  of  feeling  them  herself  initially.  that’s  what  makes  her  such  a  powerful  attending,  she’s  what  every  patient  needs  and  she’s  dissected  her  own  brain  several  times  through  scans.  as  soon  as  she  found  out  she  was  pregnant  she  knew  she  was  giving  him  up.  till  this  day  she  still  doesn’t  know  what  her  son  looks  like  since  she  never  looked  him  in  the  eyes.  

𝙻𝚄𝙲𝙸𝙰𝙽𝙾  𝚁𝙾𝙼𝙰𝙽𝙾  (  dj  cotrona  ,  46  ,  biological  father  )  —  currently  he’s  a  cardiovascular  surgeon  in  one  of  the  top  hospitals  in  the  united  states.  ezra’s  biological  father  was  a  cheater.  he  was  in  med  school  with  tala  when  he  knocked  her  up  at  21,  but  he  had  a  wife  already.  story  has  it  that  he  has  two  children  with  this  other  woman  and  none  of  the  romano’s  know  about  his  affair  during  the  beginning  of  med  school.  he  has  a  couple  of  books  published  on  the  heart,  but  ezra  hasn’t  done  the  research  to  know  who  his  parents  are  and  luciano’s  name  was  never  included  on  the  papers.  

𝙴𝚂𝚃𝙴𝙱𝙰𝙽  𝙵𝙸𝙺𝙴  (  esai  morales  ,  59  ,  adoptive  father  )  —  currently  he’s  a  mechanic  back  in  detroit.  ezra’s  adoptive  father  was  never  really  around  for  him  while  growing  up.  hell,  some  of  the  neighbors  didn’t  even  know  the  kid  belonged  to  that  apartment  when  he  was  growing  up.  he  was  very  aloof,  more  than  anyone  even  knew.  there’s  a  shady  history  with  him  also  being  involved  in  the  drug  cartel,  but  that’s  even  less  of  a  public  knowledge.  after  he  turned  18,  ezra  swore  of  his  adoptive  parents  and  hasn’t  heard  of  esteban  since.  

𝙲𝙰𝚃𝙰𝙻𝙸𝙽𝙰  𝙵𝙸𝙺𝙴  (  salma  hayek  ,  55  ,  adoptive  mother  )  —  currently  she’s  a  restaurant  cook  in  detroit.  ezra’s  adoptive  mother  was  more  around  for  him  than  esteban,  but  she  shouldn’t  be  winning  any  awards  either.  she  showed  up  to  his  school  when  needed  and  drove  him  to  competitions.  still,  the  woman  was  only  happy  that  the  state  was  paying  her  to  take  care  of  the  young  boy.  she  gave  him  all  of  the  freedom  in  the  world  and  let  him  roam  the  streets.  the  only  thing  he  learned  from  her  was  how  to  cook.  like  his  adoptive  father,  he  also  cut  all  ties  off  with  her  and  claims  she’s  dead.  

𝙱𝙴𝙰𝚃𝚁𝙸𝙲𝙴  𝚃𝙷𝙾𝙼𝙿𝚂𝙾𝙽  (  angela  bassett  ,  63  ,  mentor  )  —  she  has  already  passed  away,  but  when  ezra  knew  her  she  was  a  lively  woman  in  the  neighborhood.  everyone  called  her  grams  and  she  welcomed  all  of  the  locals  to  hang  out  with  her  in  the  park  or  community  center.  she  tried  teaching  a  couple  of  kids  how  to  play  chess,  but  ezra  was  her  only  protege.  she  always  told  him  to  follow  his  dreams  and  was  the  first  to  note  how  smart  he  was,  how  his  brain  worked  in  a  mechanical  way.  while  she’s  already  gone,  ezra  still  keeps  a  photo  of  her  in  the  apartment  he  shares  with  nic.  

𝙴𝚉𝚁𝙰  𝙵𝙸𝙺𝙴  (  evan  mock  ,  25  ,  beloved  son  and  mentee  )  —  the  man,  the  myth,  the  legend  himself.  ezra  is  the  only  scholarship  student  in  the  love  club  and  practically  a  nobody  in  northridge.  in  scotland  as  a  whole  he’s  practically  even  more  invisible.  sadly  he  knows  he  has  traits  from  all  of  the  people  mentioned,  assumes  when  it  comes  to  his  biological  parents  since  he  doesn’t  know  them,  but  it’s  something  he  tries  his  best  not  the  acknowledge.  when  isabel  and  him  win  the  competition,  he’ll  never  have  to  think  about  his  past  aside  from  beatrice  ever  again.  

[fikefilms]

xoxo when photoshop starts working for me again mayhaps i’ll be able to do an edit for this

thoughts on being accepted into the law program.

"first and foremost i just want to say it’s such an honor to be here. i owe isabel a lot for recommending the program to me and professor griswold for accepting me.” ezra gets that out of the way first and foremost. he smiles over at the interview and relaxes his shoulders a bit. “it’s an honor to be here. it’s my first time being in scotland and also getting the chance to have a real career in law. whether i win or lose i’m ready to give it my all.” 

how’s it like living with nicolás and being friends with céline?

when the royals are mentioned his posture seamlessly changes. it’s almost like he’s mimicking the crown princess in public, legs crossed at the ankles and back straight. nic would have been more relaxed, but that’s not what he needed to be right now. “like the others in the love club, they’re amazing and have grown dear to my heart.” it sounds like a facetious answer, but he means it. “nic has come to be one of my closest friends and it’s try what they say, the blood of the covenant is thicker than the water of the womb.” it’s a small jab at his family. somehow, ezra manages to avoid going too into depth about céline, he doesn’t want any of this getting back to theo. 

what was your childhood like? none of us have ever been to detroit.

"i’ll tell you one thing, it’s nothing like scotland. the beautiful thing about where i grew up were the people. you could run into so many different personalities in just one block.” that’s how he learn to absorb so many traits as well. “beatrice was the heart of our block. she taught me how to play chess and was a mentor for me.” may she rest in peace. 

we saw one of your short films. care to tell us more about that or any other hobbies you have?

at the mention of his films, his chest puffs out a bit to showcase that he’s proud. “you probably saw the one i made to apply to northridge! it was totally elle woods of me, but i feel like videos are personal. i love documentaries and i enjoy mixing reality with a bit of a spark.” he gets to tell the story, string together the lies. “i’m also really into chess because of miss bea.” one thing he won’t say is sewing. they don’t need to know he makes his own clothes. 

what’s your strategy for the competition? 

"is it bad if i don’t have one?” ezra’s head tilts somewhat to the side as he’s asked the question. it’s so that he can look more innocent, clueless even, but it’s all a facade. “i’m pretty much just planning to study, keep my head up, and do whatever i’m told. if at the end griswold likes my work ethic and we mix, then great!” he’s teaming up with isabel. walk her through the academics and she’ll walk him through the social circles. if he really wants to win, he’s going to find some dirt on griswold so that two people ca walk away victorious and not just one.

thoughts on professor griswold?

this time he uncrosses his legs and puts his hands on his lap. “he’s an amazing professor and an even better lawyer. i hope one day i’m going to end up like him and get the chance to help people that may not be able to help themselves. he gave me a shot when not everyone can.” and he’s ready to spit in his face. everyone has a weakness, he just has to find it.

what challenges do you expect from the competition?

ezra takes some time to think this one out, not wanting to be too eager. “for me the biggest challenge is probably going to be the culture shock.” he nods once, almost like he’s reassuring himself. “scotland and detroit are vastly different. i don’t want to accidentally get left behind or offend someone because we’re on two distinct planets.” 

what’s your biggest strength and greatest weakness?

”weakness i would say my attention to detail. some would say that isn’t a bad thing, but sometimes i’m left in the library for hours because i’m dissecting every single meaning of a book. i’m working on that though! i’m making schedules for myself and forming things in S.M.A.R.T. goals.” always say how you’re trying to improve. he’s almost proud of himself. “my strength is that i offer a different perspective. i’m not from around here and i come from a different background. i think that’s going to allow me to see things that the other members might miss.” 

where do you see yourself in 5 years?

the hardest question that he never knows the answer to. he’s practiced for it though. “like i said, griswold is my aspiration right now. in 5 years i hope to open up my own firm and have enough funding to do pro bono cases. i want to give back to the community and give a voice to the voiceless.” what he doesn’t say is that he just wanted to be needed. ezra doesn’t care where he is as long as people are going to require his presence for survival. 

what would you say to your younger self?

"you can never be too weird.” he snickers a bit as his own answer, trying to keep the interview light. he’s not going to say he’ll never know love or things will always be out of reach. “being different isn’t a bad thing and i wish that was something i knew. i hope i’m going to be a role model for all the young outcasts out there.” that mold themselves to be in the inner crowd.

do you believe you have what it takes to win the competition? why?

once again in a polite manner there’s only one nod. “we all do. i think that’s the point of there only being eight members, we all bring something different to the table that can take us to the top.” especially when you’re working with someone to get there together. “all my life i’ve put time aside to work hard on my academics and i’ve been at the top of my classes.” none were like the ones in northridge. “so i feel like my determination can take me to victory.” then he notices the time. 

“thank you for everything! i have to go now, nic is going to think i ditched him.” he bids his goodbyes and makes a mental note to send all of them a thank you card later.

[fikefilms]

𝒐𝒏𝒆 ,   hi my name is … jay ! also rip at my photoshop being full & me not popping up in the tags . 

𝒕𝒘𝒐 ,   the character that’s gotten my interest is … ezra ! 

𝒕𝒉𝒓𝒆𝒆 ,  the reason this character got my interest was because … pls i feel like he’s trying so hard to be an insider that a part of him has been lost ? like he’s molding himself into those around him and that’s going to lead to some shit . i also like the angle that not only is he the scholarship kid, but there’s this small town boy trying to make it big vibe and i just know he’s hungry TM for influence . there’s also something sinister lying underneath it all i just know it . 

𝒇𝒐𝒖𝒓 ,  what are some characters that would inspire your portrayal of the character you’re interested in? ok so hear me out wes from htgawm would be the obvious choice , right ? but i kinda see laurel castillo because she’s like the silent weapon in the first season , the one no one expects to be good at this . some others are dan humphrey from gossip girl , adam parrish from trc , richard papen from tsh , beth harmon from the queen’s gamit , ryan atwood from the oc , mona vanderwaal from pll .

𝒇𝒊𝒗𝒆 ,  which character, if accepted, are you most interested in interacting with? is it cheating to say all of them ? aside from his connections cause i feel like those are obvious , i have to say theodore . ezra is either gonna have to betray him down the line or not follow his heart if they’re rly good friends and i think that’s spicy . 

𝒔𝒊𝒙 ,  i’m excited to see this happening in the group … it’d be a shorter list to say what i’m not excited to see . i’m kinda buzzing at any competitions that the players are going to have to play out ? ezra & isabel are working together to win , but how are they gonna get over there only being one winner ? betrayal , angst , drama , but also just letting go and having fun after a stressful week of assignment ! 

𝒔𝒆𝒗𝒆𝒏 , what’s an event or task idea that you have that can fit into the grad school and royal/rich lifestyle aspect of this group? murder mysteries , trips to one of the royal lands , defending someone famous / wealthy in court ! 

𝒆𝒊𝒈𝒉𝒕 ,  any questions or comments for the admins? just that this is stellar ! 

[the-yennefer]

“Chess isn’t always competitive. Chess can also be beautiful.”

[raelynnnix]