i'll play god, today

Adora Jane AJ Darke. 20. Bridgemead native. Leader of the scooby gang (working title). play that god a poker game, walk away with all our little god's spare change.

[investigatingaj]

“If the apocalypse comes, beep me.” / introducing aj!

BASIC STATS

Full Name: Adora Jane Mary-Anna Darke

Nickname(s): AJ, Little Darke (from older people in town)

Age: 20

Date of Birth: August 30, 2000

Hometown: Bridgemead, Massachusetts

Species: Human

Gender: Cis woman

Pronouns: She/her

Sexuality: Unsure, most likely not straight

Religion: Atheist 

Occupation: Assistant to Delia Darke

Living Arrangements: Darke residence, North Bridgemead

Faceclaim: Lili Reinhart

MINI SUMMARY

AJ is the Scooby Gang’s leader and, god, does she hate that name. She takes what they do pretty damn seriously, which is why she accidentally formed a little group of friends that spawned this bigger one. She has good leadership qualities, for the most part: she’s diligent and diplomatic, always willing to listen, but she’s also firm when it comes to what she wants and slightly manipulative. AJ prefers to keep all her cards close to her chest and doesn’t show them to just anyone, getting to know her on a deeper level isn’t easy and she finds herself building the walls back up even when it comes to her closest friends. Figuring out Bridgemead is an obsession to her, even if she’s trying to do good things in her process of investigation. It’s all a little more complicated and difficult than she thinks even she’s ready for, but she tries to be prepared for the worst, always. 

TROPES: Constantly Curious, Damsel out of Distress, Screw the Rules, I'm Doing What's Right!, Guile Heroine, Plucky Girl

HEADCANONS / OTHER INFO

AJ drives a baby blue Mustang Convertible passed down from her grandmother that’s somehow in pretty decent shape. She’s thankful for the Darke family money for that one. 

If she’s not in Scooby Gang HQ, your best bet is probably her aunt’s house, though she’s unlikely to be doing much work for her, she’ll more likely be snooping through her personal library. 

AJ is about 95% sure she isn’t straight, but that’s about it. She’s had her first kiss, but anything beyond that is foreign to her. Honestly, the easiest way to trip her up would be to flirt with her, because she’s so extremely inexperienced and unsure about that stuff, it just might work. To her, it’s been because she’s always been busy with other things, but it’s more likely a fear of intimacy. 

Back in high school, she told everyone that she had no intention of going to college, but that was only after being rejected at the small amount of schools she applied for which no one but her parents knows about. She thought she’d be one of the people to get the Bridgemead local scholarship, but she didn’t, so she’s figuring it out one step at a time now. The disappointment wasn’t much of a surprise, secretly she knew it was coming, her grades dropped after she got so swept up in everything happening in town, but she prefers not to think about what could have been. 

While she has a friendly demeanour about her, she can come off a little pushy when she wants something from someone. She likes to call it consistency!

AJ hasn’t worn a skirt without some form of thick tights or leggings underneath it since she was in ninth grade and she doesn’t wear skirts often these days at all. She much prefers pants, ranging from thick, coloured corduroys, to jeans, to suit pants and at times, even the occasional pair of overalls. 

She’s often not caught dead without her favourite leather jacket, passed down by her mother from the 90s and still in quite good condition. She also wears a crucifix with a built in tiny blade, carries holy water and a sheathed dagger charmed by the Scooby Gang’s witches to protect her and sometimes even wears leather fingerless gloves... for punching.

Her relationship with her parents is interesting, to say the least. With her father, she’s unimpressed and more or less is happy to use him for extra cash to fund things for the Scooby Gang and herself. She doesn’t know the woman she caught him with and refuses to talk about it with him, he pays up because he’s a little bit of a coward and feels bad. 

While she loves her mother, she often finds she resents her for not being around when she needs her to be. Skype calls with her dad beside her can only go so far. She’s only ever been on one trip with her, a couple of summers back, otherwise her mother is a lone wolf about her travelling and is gone half the year, typically. 

Her house is one of the restored, historical homes in North Bridgemead, her father paid to have it done up before she was born, after her parents moved to town. It’s a dark brown Victorian style home with a wraparound porch and lots of windows. Her bedroom uses one of the turrets as a reading nook. It’s beautiful, but probably should he haunted. 

[investigatingaj]

61. favorite line you heard from a book/movie/tv show/etc.?

Not to be cliche, but probably “There is only one thing on this earth more powerful than evil. And that is us.” Season seven of Buffy can be a real bummer, but I think about it a lot. 

[investigatingaj]

☎

NAME: finley parker

RINGTONE: general scooby gang tone which is the monster mash

PICTURE:

LAST TEXT RECEIVED: probably something in regards to town history since she’s been looking into it, some sort of weird ritual that left weird burn marks in the grass on someone’s property or something else strange. 

LAST TEXT SENT: “can you do some research into the legitimacy of using voice recorders to hunt ghosts?”

[investigatingaj]

kickasskody​:

        the cheery smile occupying his face as he shows off the boobuddybear he’s been hyping up for the past few days quickly vanishes as aj stomps all over the idea. kody doesn’t appear necessarily hurt by her comments, but his expression takes on a rather blank one as he listens to her disapproval. “well i’m not gonna get it if you’re gonna be all extra judgy about it.” he mumbles, eyes scanning the rest of the wall to see what else could possibly be useful. there’s several emf readers, which he assumes aj will also reject, considering the witches on their team. it almost seems as though any item on this wall could be replaced by one of scooby gang members powers. kody kind of considers that to be beneficial, but he doesn’t exactly know how to communicate that to aj without it being obvious that he himself harnesses powers that could benefit the team. he knows that if they were constantly using him for his supersonic hearing, or incredible speed during investigations he might feel a little uncomfortable or even overworked being a human microphone or mode of transportation. the other members must know that they aren’t just valuable for the powers they possess, but kody can’t help but want to make sure.

       “okay, what about this?” he says while pulling a voice recorder off the shelf and flipping it over to inspect the back of the packaging. “scottish ghostclub girl has one of these. it picks up all the super low frequency sounds that we can’t hear, so you set it up when you’re trying to communicate with ghosts and play it back later to see if they responded!” the moment he’s said this, he’s pretty sure aj is going to once again say that the witches on their team can do exactly what this voice recorder can, and he sighs, shaking his head. they’ve been here for five minutes, and already kody is regretting coming here. it’s not often that he’s worried about looking silly in front of aj – in fact he usually never cares when she answers a question of his with a rather sarcastic and teasing tone, but right now… all of a sudden, his body visibly shrinks, looking rather defeated and a little embarrassed too. “nevermind.” he starts, putting it back up on the shelf. “maybe you’re right. all of this stuff is probably useless.” 

turning away from aj’s view, his arms cross over his chest as he returns to scanning the wall, this time quietly to himself. he’s hopeful that there’s an item that aj will come across on her own that she might find useful, but he’s not going to hold on with too much faith. “i guess we don’t have to get ghost hunting stuff…” he mutters after about a minute of silence, “did you see any other stuff here we could use? i’ll chip in if it benefits the group.”

     for all the stomping all over his fragile heart aj does, she never feels prepared for when he actually reacts to it. so often he breezes through her critical and disproving words that she almost doesn’t notice the way his shoulders deflate and he seems to recoil like a kicked puppy. his expression is pitiful and she instantly feels injected with guilt just looking at him. she’s been too hash, she knows that. though she believes that she’s right, that almost none of these gadgets is likely to do anything if they’re being advertised to the everyday person and not specifically people who really know about the supernatural and ghosts, it doesn’t mean nothing is worth considering. she exhales and turns away for a moment, but she’s watching again as he pulls the voice recorder off the shelf. it’s not super expensive, that’s the first thing she notes as she glances at the price. at first she’s still unsure about it, but hearing his enthusiasm come back for a brief moment has her looking like she may consider it, not that she thinks kody’s noticed at all. 

     “kody...” she doesn’t like seeing him so defeated. he’s the cheeriest of the whole group, the one that keeps them positive and amused in the face of some really freaky crap. there’s no pride in crushing his spirit. “well, we came here to get ghost hunting stuff... so let’s get this. i really think we need to go back to the cemetery at night still, anyway and maybe it’ll help us get something concrete.” she tells him as she pulls the voice recorder off the shelf and holds it in her hand, hoping it’ll ease him a little. 

     thinking back to the crossbow, a cheeky smile forms on her lips. “i know something we can look at you’ll think is cool.” she takes a hold of his sleeve and leads him through the store, the voice recorder in her other hand. she’s planning to pay for half, because she thinks it’s ridiculous for him not to spend most of his money on himself and not scooby gang endeavours, as much as he loves what they do. as they get to the aisle full of hunting weapons, she stops him in front of the glass case, pointing up at them in all different types of colours and materials. “don’t tell me you don’t think it’d be kinda sick to have one... use wooden arrows, take down i don’t know, vampires or something? i’ve thought about them since dyl told us they existed, though i have no idea when we’ll see one.” she nudged him, imagining it in an almost childish way. “i’m guessing they’re not as easy to use as they look, but god, do i wanna try.” 

[investigatingaj]

thejordana​:

jordana didn’t like to think about where she’d be in that moment if it wasn’t for the fact that she’d been adopted. for a while, she thought that she would go to eighteen without having anyone and then she’d just have herself but life had a funny way of working out, giving her the chance to go after her dream career. jordana couldn’t correct aj because she was right, she’d gone through life not being wanted and she was expecting the same thing to happen again. it was also part of the reason why she never wanted anyone to know what was happening to her, worried that she’d have to leave. “i guess you’re right….it’s just not something i’m used to, being care for and i know i need to make a little more effort with them myself.” her parents made sure to call her every weekend and sometimes jordana would purposely ignore it and she knew she shouldn’t. plus they made the effort to come and see her and she knew she was lucky in that sense, not many parents would do that. 

the last thing jordana wanted was for the sombre mood to linger but it was the first time jordana felt comfortable talking about herself, even if it wasn’t super detailed. “i guess that’s another thing, i’m probably going to get settled here and then no doubt something will pull me away once i’m done with college.” she hadn’t explored a lot of bridgemead but she did have the scooby gang now and while she didn’t know them all that well, they meant something to her. “there’s never really anywhere i’ve considered home.” even now, she didn’t think she could consider bridgemead home when her parents lived elsewhere, it didn’t feel right. 

there was so much more she could say, she knew that but she also knew she couldn’t. “i don’t think so….there’s just been a lot of changes lately that i’m adjusting to, like being in the scooby gang,” she explained, not giving anything away about the other changes in her life. “i’m hoping it’ll change once i give it a bit more time, i’m just not a patient person.” 

as far as aj could tell, not wanting to chat with your parents every weekend anymore after going to college was a normal thing. just because jordana was adopted, didn’t mean she needed to thank them every chance she got. “i mean... in a general sense, they’re your parents, right? you don’t owe them anything if they really wanted you. and everyone forgets to call in college, but i’m sure it wouldn’t hurt to contact them.” she offered, wanting to take the weight of any possible guilt off the other girl’s shoulders, because she didn’t think it was necessary. her own mother seemed to call less and less these days when she was away, even if she still seemed to try once a week. she heard the conversations that her parents had when they thought she was out, how they both worried she was going to amount to nothing and waste all her potential.

potential. what bullshit.  

it didn’t surprise aj, that jordana had trouble too with settling down because this was her college town. there were no guarantees she’d be staying long. “sure, i guess that makes it easy to tell yourself that you shouldn’t make ties... but you don’t have to live here to be friends with us. you’re presumably here until you graduate, what’s the harm in having a positive experience somewhere instead of constantly looking over your shoulder?” it was so easy to get deep with other people and to help them try and unpack whatever was going on in their heads. maybe she did it so it didn’t have to be her, or maybe she really did have good advice to offer. she hoped some part of the other girl wanted to listen to it. 

“mmm...” changes. aj was pretty sure she could tell what that one meant. “who is a patient person?” maybe the blonde could manage it from time to time, but not often. “i think... you’ll adjust. you’ll figure it out. you just gotta let people in first, like you are right now with me.” she told her, giving a tender smile before the waitress came over to bring their drinks. she assumed their food would be a little longer. lifting her iced coffee up, she initiated a toast. “to possibly maybe one day letting people in?”

[investigatingaj]

all the numbers ending in 5

5. do you prefer to drink soda from soda cans, soda bottles, plastic cups or glass cups?

Probably bottles? I prefer something that I can put a cap on so I can move around. 

15. favorite book you read as a school assignment?

Frankenstein. 

25. first song you remember hearing?

Something on the radio? I don’t know, my parents weren’t really big into music. 

35. average time you fall asleep?

Depends, I have a lot of trouble falling asleep, usually. Maybe three a.m., if I fall asleep.

45. which genre: sci-fi, fantasy or superhero?

Fantasy.

55. favorite fairy tale?

Blue Beard. 

65. any permanent scars?

Nothing big, just a couple little marks on my arms and legs from childhood. 

75. when did you lose your first tooth?

Fell on my face and lost my first one at 6. Left it under my pillow and it... got lost. It sucked. 

85. fairy tales or mythology?

Mythology. 

95. favorite app on your phone?

I don’t know... Spotify?

[brittsmemes]

Put ☎ in my ask for your muses info in my muses phone:

NAME:

RINGTONE: 

PICTURE: 

LAST TEXT RECEIVED: 

LAST TEXT SENT: 

[tr33-g1rl]

weird asks that say a lot

in

1. coffee mugs, teacups, wine glasses, water bottles, or soda cans?

2. chocolate bars or lollipops?

3. bubblegum or cotton candy?

4. how did your elementary school teachers describe you?

5. do you prefer to drink soda from soda cans, soda bottles, plastic cups or glass cups?

6. pastel, boho, tomboy, preppy, goth, grunge, formal or sportswear?

7. earbuds or headphones?

8. movies or tv shows?

9. favorite smell in the summer?

10. game you were best at in p.e.?

11. what you have for breakfast on an average day?

12. name of your favorite playlist?

13. lanyard or key ring?

14. favorite non-chocolate candy?

15. favorite book you read as a school assignment?

16. most comfortable position to sit in?

17. most frequently worn pair of shoes?

18. ideal weather?

19. sleeping position?

20. preferred place to write (i.e., in a note book, on your laptop, sketchpad, post-it notes, etc.)?

21. obsession from childhood?

22. role model?

23. strange habits?

24. favorite crystal?

25. first song you remember hearing?

26. favorite activity to do in warm weather?

27. favorite activity to do in cold weather?

28. five songs to describe you?

29. best way to bond with you?

30. places that you find sacred?

31. what outfit do you wear to kick ass and take names?

32. top five favorite vines?

33. most used phrase in your phone?

34. advertisements you have stuck in your head?

35. average time you fall asleep?

36. what is the first meme you remember ever seeing?

37. suitcase or duffel bag?

38. lemonade or tea?

39. lemon cake or lemon meringue pie?

40. weirdest thing to ever happen at your school?

41. last person you texted?

42. jacket pockets or pants pockets?

43. hoodie, leather jacket, cardigan, jean jacket or bomber jacket?

44. favorite scent for soap?

45. which genre: sci-fi, fantasy or superhero?

46. most comfortable outfit to sleep in?

47. favorite type of cheese?

48. if you were a fruit, what kind would you be?

49. what saying or quote do you live by?

50. what made you laugh the hardest you ever have?

51. current stresses?

52. favorite font?

53. what is the current state of your hands?

54. what did you learn from your first job?

55. favorite fairy tale?

56. favorite tradition?

57. the three biggest struggles you’ve overcome?

58. four talents you’re proud of having?

59. if you were a video game character, what would your catchphrase be?

60. if you were a character in an anime, what kind of anime would you want it to be?

61. favorite line you heard from a book/movie/tv show/etc.?

62. seven characters you relate to?

63. five songs that would play in your club?

64. favorite website from your childhood?

65. any permanent scars?

66. favorite flower(s)?

67. good luck charms?

68. worst flavor of any food or drink you’ve ever tried?

69. a fun fact that you don’t know how you learned?

70. left or right handed?

71. least favorite pattern?

72. worst subject?

73. favorite weird flavor combo?

74. at what pain level out of ten (1 through 10) do you have to be at before you take an advil or ibuprofen?

75. when did you lose your first tooth?

76. what’s your favorite potato food (i.e. tater tots, baked potatoes, fries, chips, etc.)?

77. best plant to grow on a windowsill?

78. coffee from a gas station or sushi from a grocery store?

79. which looks better, your school id photo or your driver’s license photo?

80. earth tones or jewel tones?

81. fireflies or lightning bugs?

82. pc or console?

83. writing or drawing?

84. podcasts or talk radio?

84. barbie or polly pocket?

85. fairy tales or mythology?

86. cookies or cupcakes?

87. your greatest fear?

88. your greatest wish?

89. who would you put before everyone else?

90. luckiest mistake?

91. boxes or bags?

92. lamps, overhead lights, sunlight or fairy lights?

93. nicknames?

94. favorite season?

95. favorite app on your phone?

96. desktop background?

97. how many phone numbers do you have memorized?

98. favorite historical era?

[just-a-donut-who-reads]

Ask away!

[investigatingaj]

TASK ONE: ABOUT ADORA JANE AJ DARKE !

Character’s full name: Adora Jane Mary-Anna Darke Reason for name and/or meaning of name: Adora Jane is her first name... yes, both names. All of her names come from family except Adora, because her mother always loved that name and She-Ra. Jane comes from her paternal grandmother, Jane Darke and Mary-Anna is her maternal grandmother’s name. Character’s nickname: AJ, Little Darke (to a small few) Reason for nickname: Her parents have called her AJ since she was a kid, she’s always preferred it to her full name. Older people around town have taken to calling her Little Darke since she was a kid, because she looks like her mother and because she’s the youngest member of her family, naturally. Birth date: August 30, 2000

Physical appearance Faceclaim: Lili Reinhart Gender: Cis woman Height: 5′8 Build: Slim and relatively fit Eye color: Green Glasses or contacts?: No Distinguishing marks/scars: She has a couple of small, faint scars on her arms and legs, most of which her parents assumed were from her childhood as she had a tendency to scratch herself during her nightmares. She has a very faint collection of freckles on the bridge of her nose and at the tops of her cheeks. She also has quite a few beauty spots/freckles on her arms. Hair color: Blonde Type of hair: Long with a slight wave, has some layering to it and is mostly nice due to her mother taking her to get it done whenever she’s home. Hairstyle: Typically she wears it half up half down, though she’ll often do a low ponytail or just have it out too. Voice claim: Lili Reinhart but without her singing voice... AJ cannot sing at all. Physical disabilities: N/a Clothing style: Mostly can be found in pants, ranging from thick, coloured corduroys, to jeans, to suit pants and at times, even the occasional pair of overalls. She’s often not caught dead without her favourite leather jacket, passed down by her mother from the 90s and still in quite good condition. She loves to wear button up dress shirts, vests and blazers. She’s typically in something belted and high-waisted. She also frequently wears boots and sneakers most often. She’s at all times wearing a crucifix with a built in blade and caries a worn shoulder bag. AJ tends to favour shades of brown, grey, black and green. Make up: If she’s had a late night, she might put on some concealer. If she wants to look nice, she’ll add eyeliner and maybe a tinted lip balm.

Personality Good personality traits: Quick-witted, loyal, intelligent, resourceful, charming, adventurous, amicable, playful, broad-minded, brave, determined, imaginative. Bad personality traits: Headstrong, secretive, compulsive, impatient, resentful, manipulative. Mood character is most often in: Contemplative but hiding it, usually wearing a smile Sense of humor: AJ loves to be sarcastic, she loves wordy, stupid jokes, also doesn’t mind a good pun Articulation: She’s fairly well spoken and tries to always pick her words carefully, she was really into giving speeches in middle school after she finally got some confidence... she then realised how embarrassing that was Character’s greatest joy in life: Being with her friends, uncovering new information with them and putting it all together Character’s greatest fear: Not being able to help or protect her friends and somehow losing them to her own ignorance Character is most at ease when: In her element, researching or putting together the board in Scooby HQ Most ill at ease when: She’s stuck on one particular thing and can’t get past it. She’s not good at putting things down and moving on, ever. Enraged when: Someone hurts one of her friends or lies to her Depressed or sad when: Her mother leaves for another trip Priorities: Unravelling the supernatural shit in Bridgemead, her friends, her family Life philosophy: Almost nothing is impossible Greatest strength: Her determination and strength even when things feel so much bigger than her Greatest vulnerability or weakness: Her tendency to push down and hide her emotions

Goals Drives and motivations: The search for knowledge, being able to keep herself and others safe Immediate goals: Solving each mystery/helping each person as they come along Long term goals: Becoming a fixture in her town, being appreciated beyond her circle

Childhood Hometown: Bridgemead, MA Type of childhood: From the ages of about 4-8, AJ was plagued by nightmares that seemed so incredibly vivid that they made her a very anxious, exhausted and grumpy little girl. Her parents tried to give time and energy to helping her, after it became clear that ignoring the problem wouldn’t help. Professional help is what they swore saved them all. Despite some of the more horrible stuff in her childhood, her parents did their best with her even if they weren’t really the most affectionate or naturally empathetic people. They never took her fears seriously, though. She formed a much closer bond with her mother, clinging to her even more when she started travelling again. She gained a lot of independence as she got older and when her parents noticed it, it gave them the confidence to let her do as she pleased, but it also let them pull back a little as parents, guilt free. Pets: Her dad is allergic to both cats and dogs, so they had a particularly large tropical fish tank instead. AJ didn’t name them because she liked calling them their scientific names instead and she liked watching them. Most important childhood memory: The first time her mother took her to the lookout tower 40 mins out of Bridgemead. It was towards the end of her struggle with the nightmares and she was feeling exhausted and sad, so her mother told her to get on her snow gear and took her out to look at nature as the sun went down. It was beautiful and probably one of her nicest memories from this time. Dream job: Private detective, but maybe the supernatural kind Religion: Her parents raised her as Christian, technically, but they never went to Church

Present Current location: Bridgemead, MA Currently living with: Still with her parents in North Bridgemead Pets: None, she wants a dog Religion: Athiest Sexuality: Not straight, but unsure Politics: Very left learning, always votes but struggles to stay up to date with everything Occupation/education: Graduated from high school, currently an assistant for her aunt, Delia Darke Mode of transportation: Baby blue Mustang Convertible, passed down from her grandmother, the family has paid to keep it in good condition

Family Parent one: Harrison Darke, doctor at Bridgemead General Hospital Relationship with them: Though AJ and her father are always in the same house, they kind of end up being two ships passing in the night, for the most part. He’s a workaholic and so is she, in a sense, though if he ever heard what she actually did outside of working for Delia, he’d be pissed. The two of them barely speak and their relationship only worsened when AJ came home unexpectedly early one day after a Scooby Gang and found her father with another woman in his study. He asked her not to tell her mother, so she asked for cash. He’s been paying her monthly ever since. Parent two: Clara Darke, travel writer Relationship with them: AJ’s mother is quite the flighty type, she hates staying in one place too long and is a social butterfly intensified by a hundred. She loves her job and sometimes spends months out of the country. She’s a little famous for her writing if you’re interested in travel. She tried a little harder to be a good mother when AJ was younger and they have a good bond when she’s around, but it’s mostly because AJ never wants to be ruining her moments with her by getting upset/complaining. They only really talk about superficial stuff, nothing deep and while she feels bad not telling her about her dad, she tells herself there’s no reason to ruin everything. Siblings: N/A Relationship with them: N/A Other important family members: Cordelia ‘Delia’ Darke, great aunt and her father’s aunt... often referred to as just ‘aunt Delia’

Favorites Color: Dark green Music: Moody 90s indie and rock music, she loves Fiona Apple and Hole Food: Steak Film: Heathers or Hellraiser Drink: Screwdriver, probably Form of entertainment: Does research count? She likes true crime documentaries and podcasts, too. Most prized possession: Her car

Habits Hobbies: Very early morning runs, research, puzzle games, sketching, journaling Plays a musical instrument? Only a little bit of acoustic guitar Plays a sport? She used to run track in high school, but that’s it How he/she would spend a rainy day: Probably cooped up in the library or her bedroom with several books in front of her, music playing, a scented candle lit and coffee. Spending habits: She tries to save as much as she can, despite the money coming in from two sources now, it’s not actually that much. She doesn’t splurge, mostly because she also doesn’t need to let anyone know about the whole blackmail thing. Smoking/drinking/drugs?: She drinks occasionally, if everyone else is doing it. Smoked once at sixteen, never again. Extremely skilled at: Research, gently manipulating people/getting what she wants, keeping secrets/hiding what she’s thinking, talking to people, thinking outside the box. Extremely unskilled at: Opening up to others, being sensitive enough to not choose the logical option, getting eight hours or sleep, patience. Nervous tics: Her stare typically intensifies in annoyance/anger when she’s nervous. Usual body posture: She has pretty good posture, always walks with her shoulders back and her head high. Mannerisms: She tends to get lost in thought, noticing things when maybe she should be listening. She folds her arms over her chest a lot or scratches the back of her neck when she needs to think quickly and feel stressed. Peculiarities: She sometimes won’t allow herself to do certain things until other tasks are done. Like, if they order pizza, she can’t have a slice until she finishes a task.

Traits Optimist or pessimist? Somewhere in the middle Introvert or extrovert? Daredevil or cautious? Depends on the situation, she leans towards cautious Logical or emotional? Leader or follower? Disorderly and messy or methodical and neat? There’s method to her mess, okay? Prefers working or relaxing? Confident or unsure of himself/herself? Animal lover? She thinks they’re okay

Self-perception How do they feels about themselves?: AJ is confident in herself because she knows her abilities and thinks she’s capable of a lot... but she also knows that she’s not really a good person, even if she justifies the things she does for the sake of the group or someone’s wellbeing. One word the character would use to describe themselves: Strong What does the character consider their best trait?: Her quick wit What does the character consider their worst trait?: Her inability to let things go What does the character consider their best physical characteristic?: Her legs What does the character consider their worst physical characteristic?: She never bought into the whole women hating their bodies thing, but she wishes she had more muscle definition How does the character think others perceive them?: She thinks people see her as strange, charming and determined. What would the character most like to change about himself/herself: She’d like to be stronger.

Relationships with others Opinion of other people in general: She thinks most people are blissfully clueless, but she doesn’t hate them for it. Opinion of the Scooby Gang: She’s protective of every member. She thinks they all have something to offer, but she also cares about them and considers all of them her friends. Does the character hide their true opinions and emotions from others? Absolutely, she’s not into sharing things unless they need to be shared. Most important person in character’s life: She would hate to answer this question. She’d say her aunt or her mother or even Arabella, but maybe it’s... herself? Best friend/s: Arabella Byrne, Dylan Frye and Kody Pierce. Dating experience: Literally none. AJ doesn’t date and claims loudly that she’d never want to date. One time a guy tried to ask her to a dance in middle school and she got so freaked out that she kicked him in the balls and ran away. That being said, her first kiss has happened and it was Arabella, but that’s not really a romantic thing. It was just the only person she trusted enough to do that with at the time and they were quite young. Romancing: First of all, AJ would probably bury those feelings so hard and avoid them so she’d never even go about romancing anyone. If she were really trying, or at least subtly trying, though, she might just do little extra things for them, leave them small gifts. It would be subtle. She has no active interest in dating.

Extra Physicality: AJ keeps relatively fit, but she doesn’t have fighting skills outside of self-defence just yet. She’d like to learn some. She also has started occasionally lifting weights to build up muscle. Species: Human How do they feel about it?: Part of her always feels a little uneasy because of how vulnerable she is, but she’s not sure she’d be lining up to be anything else just yet.

[investigatingaj]

thejordana​:

“okay, so if you ever go missing, need to go to arabella and dylan, got it,” she repeated with a small smile, choosing not to push on it any further because it was obvious that it was important to aj and jordana didn’t want to get in the way of that. if she kept it to herself, there was obviously a reason for it and jordana had to respect that. there was also a reason why people kept certain things to themselves and she would know, she was pretty much an expert at it though maybe there was a chance that she could learn to open up to the gang. if she was going to keep continuing to be a part of it, then she figured she had to learn to trust them and one step of that was probably telling them about her past. jordana was happy keeping that limited for the time being though and she wasn’t sure when that would change. 

how she got to bridgemead seemed like a good place to start and while she was uncomfortable doing it, she wanted to learn to open up, even if it was to one person at the beginning. “yeah, they’re the reason i’m here,” she explained, running the tips of her fingers through her hair. “they’re not the most maternal but they care about me and after fifteen years of not really having that, it makes a refreshing change.” jordana would always be thankful for them coming into her life and they were giving her the opportunity to go after her dreams. she had to make a little more of an effort in keeping in contact with them though. 

about to respond, jordana was cut off by the waitress but she plastered a smile on her face. “i’ll have the same but a black coffee instead please…need something to keep me awake tonight so i can do school work.” putting the menu down, jordana smiled as the waitress walked away but it dropped slightly when she remembered what they had been talking about just before she’d come across. “when you move around as much as i have, you sort of get used to being the person people want you to be,” she explained finally, looking down at her hands. “and even though i’ve been here a year, i don’t think i’ve ever felt so unsettled.” jordana knew why but it wasn’t anything she could talk to anyone about. 

it made sense to assume that jordana had lucked out in the adoptive parents department, if she was attending bridgemead. though she could have had a scholarship, or something, that wouldn’t be her typical assumption. the other girl stating that much didn’t surprise her and it made her smile softly, glad to hear that they were part of the reason she was in the town and part of the scooby gang in turn in the first place. “that good, that you have that.” she told her sincerely. “it sounds like you struggle a little, with believing they’re as good as they seem or like they aren’t gonna change their minds. you can correct me, if i’m wrong, but it sounds like they care. they’ve invested in your future, i think that counts for a lot.” 

she couldn’t help but think of her own college fund, sitting there untouched. her parents were still holding out foolish hope, but when would she have the time? what would she even do?

the waitress smiled and took their menus as they finished ordering and they returned to the slightly sombre mood from before she’d approached. aj crossed her arms and leaned them on the table in front of her, watching the other girl as she spoke. she could understand shifting yourself, trying to change into what other people expected to make them happy. “maybe it’s because it’s college... you’re not here forever. you go back for breaks... or maybe it’s this town.” she sighed, shoulders deflating. “bridgemead can be a little funky that way sometimes.” 

the thing was, aj knew there was more to it, she knew that there were other things under the surface of her words. of course she felt unsettled. she was in the deepest denial, hiding herself from everyone. “do you think... is anything else making you feel like you can’t feel settled?” she asked, cautious in her wording. 

[investigatingaj]

betaxbe-were​:

“Oh damn Aunt Delia!  Do you know who it is?  I can put in a good word for her.  Not that she needs it, her personality speaks for itself.  I guess it’s serious if she knows about the whole werewolf thing.”  Dylan didn’t know why anyone would give a werewolf something they didn’t want to be broken - he made sure to drink only out of plastic mugs and cups because he was always accidentally breaking things.  It was really easy to forget the heightened strength thing.  “Yeah, any advice is welcome.  I didn’t think it was all going to be easy, but I really didn’t think it would be this hard.”

He smiled back, rearranging his bags on his arms so that the weight was more evenly distributed again.  They weren’t heavy, but he was realizing that maybe he’d gone a little bit overboard.  Ah well.  “I’ve got a mountain of biology work already, and midterms in a few weeks.  Feels way too early, but I guess they know best, right?”  He trusted his professors.  Dylan nodded, easily keeping up with AJ as she lead the way down the alleyway.  “Did she give you any info about it, or are we going in blind?  Either way, let’s get weird.”  He was on board.

AJ made a face and quickly shook her head. “I’m sure she’s got it... plus, I don’t actually think he told her, per day. She knows everything. It’s like she’s a litmus test for supernatural creatures.”  That was another reason why she always went to her, as strange as she was. As Dylan explained that he had a lot of college work to get done, she nodded, peering away. She wasn’t sure if she was jealous or relieved or... if she felt bad that Scooby Gang stuff seemed to eat away at their time. “Sounds rough.” She offered, feeling a little useless. “But I know you’ll get through it fine.” 

As they reached the middle of the alleyway, they were faced with two doors. One was old, with cracked paint and looked as if it hadn’t been opened for years. The other was a deep blue and had a ‘We’re Open’ sign hanging on it. “She didn’t really give me much other than instruction on how to get here and...” She reached into her pocket and pulled out a roll of cash an envelope. “This is payment, I guess.” Putting it back in her pocket, she shot Dylan a smile before she opened the door of the store. A chime sounded as she pushed it and she found herself pushing past a curtain before she was hit by the strong smell of incense. “Jesus...” She muttered as she walked into the small shop, overcrowded with shelves of products. 

[investigatingaj]

wickedbells​:

arabella couldn’t help but rolling her eyes amused at the blonde “my nosiness gave me magic powers, never forget that” she said patting her own shoulder a couple of times, pleased with herself. saying those words out loud still felt kind of ridiculous, no matter how true she knew them to be. besides, in order to be part of the scooby gang you had to be a little nosy and curious, they were after all, getting into everyone’s business looking for supernatural clues. textbook nosy.

arabella cocked one eyebrow up, aj’s quick wit will never not be impressive to her, this was very much a perfect game for her. however arabella was willing to go down fighting “do you really think using big sentences is gonna throw me off?” she shot back, giving her a little wink.

that was an excellent point. aj made a mental note to thank god, or whatever else had a hand in deciding how things went down on earth for her nosiness, then. she was just as nosy herself, though she doubted that her family had any hidden powers or stories they weren’t telling her, despite the eccentric aunt delia. she’d already tried to ask. twice. 

the two of them were in full competition mode now, staring back at arabella with the corners of her mouth lifting into an amused smirk. “do you really think that i think you’re so easy to throw off?” though, there she was avoiding her gaze a little. she hated winking. it always looked like flirting.

[investigatingaj]

thejordana​:

“oh yeah?” not being from bridgemead meant that she didn’t know many of the good spots but she was always open for opportunities to go, more so if it meant that she got to get out of the town for a bit. “maybe you could direct me to it so i can check it out or we can go whenever you need or want to go.” jordana was still learning what it meant to have friends but she hoped she wasn’t overstepping any boundaries. “obviously if it’s just a you thing that you do on your own, then i completely understand.” she was sure that it was the first thing she’d learnt about aj properly and it made her feel a little easier about sharing her own things. 

stepping into the place, she glanced around and smiled at how nice it looked. she was really going to have to make more of an effort to check out some places in bridgemead. pulled out of her thoughts by the question, jordana ran her tongue over her bottom lip as she wasn’t sure how much she was going to admit. aj was someone she trusted though and she’d already talked about herself, even if it was in a small way. “um…no. i was in foster care from when i was a baby up until i was adopted at fifteen,” she explained, clearing her throat because she felt super uncomfortable revealing something like that to someone but at least she could say she was trying herself. “up until i got adopted, i didn’t stay in one place for more than a year.”

shaking off her own jacket, she pulled out her seat and sat down, picking up the menu in front of her. if it had been anyone else, she probably wouldn’t have admitted so much but aj was the first person she felt as if she could talk to. “that’s a deep question,” she chuckled, not looking at aj and instead glancing at the menu. “i guess standing still, settling and then having it change again.” jordana felt the same way about the other changes in her life…if she allowed herself to get comfortable with what was happening to her, then no doubt it could change her or things around her would change and she wasn’t sure she could handle that again. “sorry, probably not what you had in mind when you wanted to come here.”

aj’s demeanour shifted slightly at the offer, but it was so subtle she doubted that jordana really clocked it. she was thankful when she explained that she got if it was just a thing that she did alone and she felt a little less guilty when she replied. “well, yeah, i don’t really take anyone... not a sharing thing, really. bella and dylan know where it is, if i ever happen to go missing.” she didn’t want to clam up and go back to hiding herself artfully, but she knew that lowering the curtain a little was necessary to gain the entire gang’s trust. what was why her best friends trusted her so deeply. she felt responsible to them, but she also appreciated them for following her into battle the way they were. metaphorically, that was. she hoped she’d have more time to prepare for any of the physical stuff. 

her guess for the reason why jordana had been moving around so much was way off, but truthfully she’d had her inklings about it. the way she seemed so closed off, it suggested there was possibly some feeling of the world punishing her for trying when she was younger. pursing her lips, she found she was unsure what to say for a moment, but she found her footing as she elaborated. “that sounds like it would have been really overwhelming... i’d hope your adoptive parents are kind?” she phrased it as a question, still trying to subtly extract information. 

with her own gaze also on her menu, she pretended to read so she could take the pressure off the other girl just a little bit. “you don’t feel like you’re on steady ground.” aj spoke softly, letting herself look at the other girl again, her head tilting to the side. “don’t say that. don’t apologise to me. friendship is about being able to talk to one another, whatever the topic.” she told her. just in time, a waitress made a beeline for the two of them and aj couldn’t tell if the interruption was welcome or irritating. still, she got to ordering regardless. ‘okay, i’ll have the cheesy fries and an iced coffee, thanks.”

[toomucharitime]

[investigatingaj]

betaxbe-were​:

“Ah, Aunt Delia.”  Dylan nodded knowingly.  “How’s she doing?”  Glancing down at the bag AJ was holding on her hip, Dylan shifted his bags around and held out an arm.  “Need a hand?”  He didn’t have all that extra strength for nothing, after all.  “Weird store?  One in town?”  Realizing that he’d just asked her a handful of rapid fire questions, he chuckled. “Sorry, I don’t mean to ask you twenty questions.”  Not that it was out of the ordinary, he almost always turned to AJ for direction and answers.  He just didn’t want her to feel like she always needed to have them.

Dylan let his gaze fall to the bags he was carrying, shrugging.  “A bit, I don’t think these will last long.  I’ve got a few overnighters ahead of me, so I want to make sure I don’t go hungry.”  Hopefully she didn’t poke fun at his snack selection.  “Where’s the store?  I could walk with you, if you want some company.”

AJ’s eyes widened and she fought back laughter. “That’s okay. As for Delia, she’s currently trying to romance one of the werewolves in town and invited him over for tea. Last I saw he was desperately trying not to break one of her delicate teacups. I’m hoping she’ll be able to give me advice on this ghost thing when he leaves.” She only knew in the first place that he was a wolf because Delia had told her so, she tended to give her more details than she asked for or wanted in the first place. “I can handle this bag, I promise... but thanks, Dyl.” She gave him a sweet smile. 

Turning her body again so she could continue trying to figure out where the door was, she nodded at his question, brows knitted together. “Got anything on top of Scooby stuff? Schoolwork?” She asked idly and then as he offered to come with her, she exhaled. “Yeah, actually, it would help. I think it’s down that alleyway.” She said, pointing before she began walking. “Come on, let’s get this over and done with. I feel like it’s gonna be weird.”

[investigatingaj]

thejordana​:

jordana wasn’t expecting anyone to understand because she didn’t really understand herself. she was starting to think that she hadn’t brought anything up because she knew it was a ridiculous question but she was frustrated. apart from dylan, aj was really the only other friend she had, not that she would ever call dylan a friend to his face. “sometimes you just feel like driving for hours?” jordana could understand that, especially for people who had lived in bridgemead their entire life, though she didn’t know if that was the reason aj did it, she was just making assumptions at that point. 

running her fingers through her hair, she sighed softly at the slight change of direction, wishing that she’d just stayed quiet but it was probably too late for that. “okay, i’m going to trust your judgement on this but if they don’t do good food, i’m going to have to think about this whole friendship thing.”

tucking her own hands in her pockets, she walked in step with aj but the question caught her by surprise. she knew she had two options, either open up a little or shut down, though she wasn’t sure how to shut down without being seen as a bitch. “uh….i guess frustration at being in one place for a long length of time. i um…i moved around a lot through my childhood so being settled isn’t something i’m used to. it’s a little hard to adjust.” she’d probably said a little more than she planned but it was out there now.

“it’s odd. in my first year, the craving to run wasn’t there but now i wake up in the middle of the night and it’s all i can think about.”

“yeah, for hours or, well most of the time i just drive forty minutes to this lookout tower that my mom took me to once as a kid.” that was one of the few things that aj shared with people, usually preferred to keep most of her anecdotes close to her chest and even then, it was barely a story she was telling jordana, but it still felt private, just like any mention of her mother. glimpses of the woman felt so rare these days, she was sure her friends forgot she had one. still, it was a tiny personal thing she could offer while she waited for the other girl to open up a little more about what she meant. 

rolling her eyes at her warning, she resisted shoving her. “watch it, torres. you’re not getting rid of me that easily.” she warned, already able to smell the delicious scent of melted cheese as someone pushed open the door and passed them as they reached the entrance. “see? it’s called the good bits for a reason.” 

pulling the door open, she listened as jordana gave her an answer to her question, wanting to get more information out of her. it seemed like every time she spoke she indicated more her little werewolf problem really was real, but there was no way to point that out without risking their whole friendship. “oh yeah? what were you, uh, army brat?” she asked, trying to be polite but wanting to get more information. “i guess if you’re not used to settling down that would make a lot of sense that you’d feel a sense to keep moving.” as she pulled her jacket off, she got them a table by the door and settled into it. 

the place was cozy, with not too many people at the other tables, but aj still kept her voice low as she picked up her menu and glanced up at the other girl cautiously. “what are you afraid will happen if you stop running?”

[riverdalecentral]

#step on me