The College Dropout Turned Scientist

22

Cisgender man (he/him)

Victor Edmund Grant

Mr. Grant, Vic

Unhappy Families

Victor

Conqueror

Vic-tor

Edmund

Fortunate Protector

Ed-mund

Grant

Large

Grant

Human

Tall, lanky, skinny, long-legged.

Slightly underweight

Very pale, due to lack of sunlight and also just naturally.

6'3"

Black

Dark green

Low ponytail, occasionally a bun

None

Two faint but visible scars; one on his forearm and the other across his palm.

Victor was considered a gifted child in his school days, and the pressure from that has absolutely not helped him. He's incredibly smart; if you talk to someone who's interacted with him, that's the first thing that they'll say, probably followed by "but I had no idea what the hell he was talking about." He's very earnest, and throws himself headfirst into whatever "project" captivates him at the moment, often without any regard for his well-being. He's generally a bit shy unless he's in a situation where he desperately wants to gain approval (such as when showing off a project to a teacher), in which case he's obnoxiously showboat-y. He doesn't make friends easily, and generally struggles in social situations, often gravitating towards the sidelines or towards more mature adults to talk with. He often struggles with putting his thoughts and feelings into words, most of his notes would make sense to no one but him. He took a special interest in science at a young age--specifically chemistry--and it has captivated him ever since; he's taken just about all of the high-level science courses offered and is proficient at most of them. In fact, he would use AP level science courses as something of a coping mechanism since staying after school to study kept him out of the house and away from his father. He gravitates towards science since it has stricter rules than classes that are more based on explanations and interpretations. He has a very strong desire to be self-reliant, based in a fear of abandonment, and often refuses help on the basis of that. Despite that, however, he still tends to be a bit clingy. Unintentionally (most of the time) self-neglectful. He's a bit of a neat freak, especially with regards to his lab. God-awful sleep schedule. An odd mix of being both arrogant in his abilities and insecure about himself; he knows that he's bright, but his anxiety and his general fear of rejection make him feel like he has to downplay everything he accomplishes, no matter how proud of it he is. Absolutely terrified of losing those who are close to him, something that Dr. Flynn uses against him. He's a bit of a pushover, especially to his superiors, and doesn't really fight back when someone is berating him, something that annoys Geneva Weston to no end.

• Stands with his back very stiff and straight


• Nervous habit of rubbing at his wrist


• He keeps his shoulders almost crunched together, generally looks like he's trying to take up as little space as possible


• Speaks fairly formally, and has a soft voice

Almost all sciences, surprisingly decent chef, fluent in French.

To make it through college with Henry by his side

Writing poetry, trying to make his half of the apartment look nice, tending to his succulents.

Doormat, very quiet, tends to make poor decisions, shortsighted, almost always tired, apathetic at times, outlandish ideas at bad times, independent to a fault (i.e. not telling people when he needs help, or feels sick)

Subconscious prejudice against older men due to his father.

Asperger Syndrome, PTSD, anxiety

A pair of chemist's goggles that his mother gave him.

Alice Lowe
Henry Harrison

Henry Harrison (current)

Claire Grant (younger sister)

Cats

Left-wing

Raised Catholic, doesn't go to church but believes in God. He dislikes being in crowded and loud confined spaces, so avoids church a majority of the time.

Dark green

Tea and pasta

Alice Lowe: Alice is Victor's childhood best friend. The two met when they were toddlers, and have been nearly inseparable since. She was his first kiss; although he never had any feelings (romantic or sexual) towards her, they were in 7th grade and at a school dance, and thought that that was what they were supposed to do. Alice is fiercely protective of Victor, something he generally appreciates but also occasionally finds condescending. Most people (including Henry Harrison, initially) assume that the two of them are dating, but they never have and never will.
Henry Harrison: Victor met Henry in 9th grade, when Henry moved to Bell Creek, WI, from his home in Kentucky and was quickly befriended by Alice. Victor and Henry got to know each other better as the years progressed, and by the time they graduated, he was the undisputed third member of their trio. Henry initially assumes that Victor is straight and/or in love with Alice, whereas Victor only starts to realize his feelings for Henry after their trio splits up, with Alice going to the UK to study abroad while Henry and Victor remain in WI. They start to grow even closer while Alice is gone, and their slow build to confessing their feelings comes to a head one night in spring. Victor's final project went wrong and exploded, injuring his younger sister Claire Grant and enraging his father, who strikes him across the face and then kicks him out into the rainstorm. Victor takes shelter in a gas station and calls Henry, asking him to pick him up. Henry does, and takes Victor to his apartment. After getting Victor warm clothes, helping him to calm down, and taking care of his injured hand, Henry offers that Victor can spend as much time as he needs at his place, because "that's what friends do." Victor asks if they're friends or something more, and the two kiss, although they don't start dating for a few months after that. By the time they're introduced to the story proper, the two have been dating for around two years, are living together, and own a cat (Adam Grant-Harrison). They get engaged during the story, and marry.
Claire Grant: Victor values Claire over nearly anyone else, and has never forgiven himself for her injury during his experiment gone wrong. Despite their age gap, the two were very close growing up, with Victor almost serving as a father figure to her as opposed to a brother, something that would definitely change as she aged. He would sacrifice his safety for hers without hesitation. It's the threatening of Claire's life, among other threats, that pressures Victor into continuing to work with Dr. Flynn.
Mr. Edward Grant: Victor and his father have a very poor relationship. Mr. Grant was incredibly unprepared to deal with a neurodivergent son, and didn't realize or care that things were different for Victor than for neurotypical kids. He took great pride in having a brilliant son, but lashed out at Victor for the anxiety issues that his academics contributed to. Although his abuse tended to be verbal attacks or neglect, he has hit his son at least twice: once after Victor had an anxiety attack over his upcoming load of AP exams, and once after the explosion, when he also kicked him out and later disowned him, going as far as to have his name rubbed from the family tombstone. After Victor gains a bit of fame for his part in exposing the corruption of the Flynn family, Mr. Grant shows up with a half-hearted "apology", which Henry shoots down as too little too late, having seen firsthand the trauma that his abuse caused his son.
Dr. Calvin Flynn: A very famous local scientist, and closest thing Victor has to a favorite celebrity. His desire to impress Flynn is what kicks off the chain reaction that leads to the explosion, and Flynn contacts Victor soon after offering him a position as his assistant, as well as the funds to pay for the rest of his college education since the explosion had cost Victor his scholarship. Flynn uses Victor's idolization of him, as well as a blooming friendship, to manipulate the younger man into working on some of his more questionable experiments involving life, death, and possibly even rebirth, and turns harsh towards him whenever he expresses ethical concerns. When Victor tries to back out, Flynn not-so-subtly threatens the lives of Henry and Claire, which instantly makes him comply.
The Lowe parents and children (sans Alice): Mr. Lowe sees Victor as another son, and the familial feeling is mutual. While he's too old to legally be adopted, the Lowes all but adopt him after he's disowned. The younger Lowe children see him as a brother, and Theodore Lowe in particular looks up to him, as Theo is an aspiring scientist himself. While his bond with the Lowe siblings isn't as close as his with Claire, Victor cares about them deeply.
Frances Francis/Nan and Caleb Francis: Henry's maternal grandparents, who he lived with through middle school. Although Caleb passes away when Henry is a freshman, Victor gets to know Frances quite well. He's slightly intimidated by her, as she has a tendency to speak her mind and speak it loudly, but he has a deep respect for her. She's very supportive of their relationship, especially since she's bisexual herself, and has a fondness for Victor, who never really knew his grandparents on either side.
Martha Zhou: Martha and Victor have a few shared traits, as they're both are queer, neurodivergent scientists, but that's about where their similarities end. Victor generally finds Martha to be a bit much, as she's very excitable, shouty, and giddy, but still enjoys her company. They can talk science-related things for hours, as long as she doesn't try to drag him off to social events during their discussions.
Jackson Gavel: Jackson and Victor don't have too much in common, but get along pretty well. Much like Martha, Victor finds Jackson to be a bit too much at times, but they're still friends. Initially coworkers, they develop a slightly tentative friendship as Jackson works to undercover the secrets and corruption of the Flynn family and grow closer through that. Jackson, being Jackson, quickly takes him under his wing and as part of his friend group.
Geneva Weston: Geneva and Victor's relationship, like most relationships involving Geneva, is initially tense, with the two rarely speaking unless it's for Geneva to snap at him. Nevertheless, they grow closer during the investigation and Geneva slowly builds up a fierce protectiveness over him, almost seeing him as a younger brother.

• An avid reader, Victor doesn't own many books due to not having much space for them, but checks out a lot. The few books he owns are mostly fancy editions of classics, specifically Gothic lit.


• He also loves plants, and keeps a few succulents on the table at all times.


• He blushes a lot, due mostly to being pretty pale and wearing clothes that usually make him overheat. He's also easily embarrassed, so that plays a factor.


• He catches colds easily, but doesn't often get severely ill.


• Out of the four leads, he's the only one who hasn't had to have surgery done on him.


• He's surprisingly not squeamish when it comes to blood and gore, at least in a medical sense. It unnerves and disgusts him, but it usually doesn't make him feel ill. Unless it's his own, of course.


• He hates being asked about the scar on his palm, since he got it on the worst day of his life. He still has some discomfort closing that hand into a fist.


• He's surprisingly into film, especially older films. He sometimes wonders if he would've been a good director in another life.


• A lot of people assume that he's some fragile thing that needs to be protected, which is one of the few things that makes Victor genuinely angry. He's very capable and resilient, just in a less stated way.

Victor is the oldest of two children, with his younger sister Claire being born when he was seven. His mother was quite distant, and his father focused more on work than on his family. Luckily a family friend stepped in via Aaron Lowe, whose oldest daughter Alice was Victor's closest friend throughout his childhood and teenage years. Being a gifted (though very quiet) student, Victor was offered multiple scholarships, which he turned down to instead stay in Bell Creek to protect Claire, due to their father's growing temper. During the final project for his freshman year, Claire aided Victor in the presentation of how magnesium burns in dry ice. Distracted by meeting his idol (Dr. Calvin Flynn), Victor ignored Claire's questions on what supplies she was supposed to grab and used the wrong thing, causing a small explosion that burned her hands and forearms. This enraged Victor's father, who saw it as a damaging of his favorite children, and he disowned him. Victor then moved in with Henry Harrison, his other closest friend (Alice was studying abroad in England), who he later realized he was in love with.

In college

November 17th

Violet and Edward Grant

Adam, a small black cat

Art credit to the Adrisona picrew by Adriabun

https://www.pinterest.com.mx/ZooeySpring/victor-grant/