Background Character // The Mage
Crispin comes off to others as a slightly bitchy, blunt, and dramatic person. His intentions, usually, are good - he doesn't mean to be a bad person, or to hurt people, unless he sees a valid reason to do so - but often his well meaning comments are...less than kind. Much of his hurtful or offensive behavior comes from defense mechanisms - he keeps others at a distance so they have less power to hurt him.
To those who know him, who have gotten close despite his thorns, they understand that he is just as loving and caring as anyone else. He's aggressively loyal to his friends, and will do anything to protect them, even to the detriment of his self. Any slight against his friends is a slight against him and he will not stand for it. And all walls are down around Emmett - his husband is the one person he can be a complete dumbass around and not be afraid of the consequences.
Crispin dislikes and distrusts Holwell. For a long time, he distrusted monsters as a whole - the realization of their existence was an unwelcome wake up call, coinciding with the loss of his elder brother Alistair and his father Benjamin. But growing up, knowing of their existence - and learning of his own magical heritage - he slowly let go of...most of that distrust. Dating and then Marrying Emmett was, for him, something he'd never have even considered as a child.
Learning more from the monsters and nonhumans he was exposed to growing up, he learned of Holwell. Their control of the "other" side, their...lack of control, in many aspects - and their failure to prevent the loss of not only his family, but countless others. He blames them for their failings, and when the time comes that they come to him for help identifying a potential lead, he is initially unwilling.
He comes around eventually, of course, but it takes more than a little nudging from his Husband, Emmett.
Character Playlist:
https://open.spotify.com/playlist/7jGc4PRO6QAEMdw9YWWSfW?si=Qzm6l37uRIu9DEouqOZXLQ