Spencer Reid's Journal

KSU Application
Player Information
Name: Elizabeth
Age: 21
Messenger handles?: AIM: zydratejunkie898
E-mail: arwenundovian88@yahoo.com
Standard Time: CST
Was Your Character Held: Yes
How Often Should You Post?: Hopefully every week

Character Information
Name: Spencer Reid
Age: 27
Fandom: Criminal Minds
Class Taught: Sociology
Housing: Preferably One, but would also be willing to share if needed
Point In Fandom Taken From: Season 4
Brief History: He is a genius and autodidact who graduated from a Las Vegas public high school at age 12. He is almost always introduced as Dr. Reid; Agent Hotchner revealed in the first season that Agent Gideon insisted on introducing him as Dr. Reid because Gideon feared that, because of his age, Reid wouldn't be taken seriously as an FBI agent. It has been revealed that he holds PhDs in Mathematics, Chemistry and Engineering, BAs in Psychology and Sociology, and is working on a BA in Philosophy. He has an IQ of 187, an eidetic memory that applies mostly to things he has read, and can read 20,000 words per minute.

In Reid's youth, his father abandoned the family when he couldn't tolerate his wife's paranoid schizophrenia. It was revealed in a later episode that his father actually left because he couldn't bear all the stress of what Diana witnessed; their neighbor Mr. Jenkins killed a man with a baseball bat and Diana Reid got blood on her clothes when she went to see what happened. Reid once mentioned that he was victim of severe bullying in school, in one instance being stripped naked and tied to a goalpost in front of other students. Reid grew up learning nearly everything he knows from reading books, and listening to his mother (a college professor on 15th century literature) read to him. Still, Reid knew that the way his mother was living wasn't healthy. When he was 18, he had his mother placed in a mental institution. Reid's mother still resides in that same mental institution, and Reid has stated that he sends letters every day because of the guilt he feels for not visiting her. Reid is also worried about the fact that his mother's illness can be passed on genetically; he once told Morgan: "I know what it's like to be afraid of your own mind."

After being kidnapped by a serial killer with multiple personalities, Tobias Hankel (played by James Van Der Beek), Reid was tortured and drugged over two days. This led to Reid developing an addiction to the narcotic painkiller Dilaudid. This problem was discovered by Hotch and Gideon over time, as well as an old friend of Reid's in New Orleans. Reid has since become clean and has attended a support group meeting for addicts in law enforcement, at which he admitted that he'd been experiencing cravings recently and spoke of the teenage suspect shot in front of him before being interrupted by a page from work. Reid has luck almost as bad as the Biblical Job. Once he and Prentiss were held hostage by a cult led by Benjamin Cyrus. Though he was not injured, Reid struggled with guilt over "allowing" Prentiss's beating at the hands of Cyrus. Reid also contracted anthrax during an outbreak in Maryland and was later shot in the leg protecting a doctor whose life was being threatened.

Reid is a good map-reader, always doing the geographic profiling and reading maps for Morgan as they chase down suspects. He also has a talent with words, and is the team's go-to linguistic profiler. Dr. Reid is also almost never seen behind the wheel. Hints are given to his lack of driving abilities, as one time when Morgan handed him the keys, JJ and Emily exchanged horrified expressions. Reid also rarely goes to arrest a suspect, preferring to monitor the team. When he does arrest a suspect, he is often seen securing the victim.

PB: Michael Gray Gubler

Writing Sample (minimum of 100 words and must be in third-person format)
Spencer Reid was not looking forward to today. He was moving into a new place today, and starting a new job in two days. He hadn't wanted to leave the BAU, but then again, that hadn't really been his call. His psych evaluation hadn't been up to scratch, and Gideon had had no choice but to let him go. He'd told Spencer his position would always be open, should he choose to come back, and Reid appreciated that. But for now, he'd teach a class or two, catch up on some of the reading he'd put off, and let himself heal. After all, he owed that to himself.

Current Mood: optimistic
Current Music: Poets of the Fall - Locking Up The Sun