Desirée Russo

Desirée Russo
Portrayed By	Minnie Driver
Gender	Female
Date of Birth	October 9th, 1970
Age	38
Zodiac Sign	Libra
Aliases	Dezi, Fairy Godmother
Place of Birth	Biloxi, Mississippi, USA
Current Location	New York City, NY, USA
Occupation	Midwife, paramedic, cupcake-maker…
Known Relatives	Yolanda and Johnny (parents), Joseph, Dwayne (brother; deceased) and Leonard (brother), Parker (son), Portia (daughter)
Significant Other	Recently divorced from Lance Maddox
Known Abilities	Precognition
First Appearance	Everyone Is Crackers Here

"She's like Isaac Mendez, but with cereal." - Cass

Desirée: jack-of-all-trades, master-of-few. Out of place in NYC, the big city nevertheless has something to offer this visiting good-natured Southern import. Or is it that she has something to offer the city?

History

The sole girl to follow after three boys, Desirée Ginger Russo was born in Biloxi, Mississippi. She as given the middle name of Ginger after her "beloved great aunt". She would later come to suspect it was after her mother's dog, but she never held a grudge.

Her entire life, Desirée found herself starting and stopping. She always had the best of intentions, big dreams and hopeful plans. She sincerely strived, doing hard and honest work for what she thought she wanted. Her two oldest brothers went on to be accomplished professionals, while the one closest to her age died of a drug overdose in his early twenties. To her family, it seemed like Desirée was caught in-between her siblings, never quite living up to her eldest brothers. She was used to being underestimated.

Her education went through numerous ups and downs, one dream crushed after the other, particularly when she was diagnosed with a tremor that put an end to her desire to be a surgeon one day. She worked as a paramedic in Laurel, Mississippi until she met one Lance Maddox, a bigshot at an advertising firm.

It wasn't exactly love at first sight. To make a long story short, they got married earlier than they should have. They soon had twins together; taking care of them was a fulltime job in and of itself for Desirée. She went through a handfull of jobs during the time that she was married: she made quirky homemade candy and cupcakes to order (it wasn't particularly popular), experimented with music, became a midwife. As usual, she was barely commended for any of it.

It was a long time coming, but eventually the marriage fell apart for uncountable reasons - the umbrella to these causes was that neither of them could find it in them to care enough to keep it together. They got joint custody of the children.

Cut to a year later: the kids were away on a foreign exchange program in France, and one of Dezi's friends, an expecting mother, was about to travel to New York City to be with her family. Alone and grateful for something to devote herself to, Desirée agreed to accompany her as her midwife. She was thankful for the opportunity to go some place else, having felt a little bit like she was going insane at home; seeing images in ordinary objects, connecting dots that weren't there. She's just stressed, she told herself; the trip would do her some good.

Abilities

PRECOGNITION

Desiree has the ability to see the future. This power of precognition is by no means straightforward and is often difficult to interpret. Desiree sees the future in her environment: looking at certain objects, or a particular pattern, triggers her. Often, the objects that trigger her will be related to the "vision" she sees (ie. seeing a building explode by looking at pieces of broken bricks), but not always.

To give an example: say there was a pile of marbles on the floor. Everyone else may see a simple mess of marbles, but Desiree may see a pattern or picture, perhaps made more clear by rearranging the marbles. Her rearranging may make a vague picture more clear to others, not unlike making primitive art - but to Desiree it's much more vivid. It may be cryptic and hard to interpret, or conversely, detailed and vision-like. If it's particularly intense, she may go into a trance-like state.

Desiree always "sees the future" by seeing a specific pattern - a future possibility (or is it set in stone?) - in apparent randomness. With practice, she'll be able to willfully pluck patterns out of things, but this will take intense focus, and even then, will be hit or miss. If there's no pattern to find, it can't be made, after all. Although her ability often manifests in a somewhat artistic way, straightforward art in the form of drawing, painting, or even writing, does not seem to trigger her precognition because its power lies in the ability to visualize rather than create.

1-800-Psychic-R-U

(Click to display Desiree's visions.)

(Click to hide.)

When	Trigger	Vision	Outcome
Everyone is Crackers Here (January)	spilled box of crackers in grocery store aisle	???	???
Spooked (February)	coffee-stained notepaper from Paige's homework	a man reaching out to Paige, apparently, in an emotional scene	(unknown to Desiree) Noah and Claire's lookalike in Costa Verde, California (happened)
It Ain't Okay (February)	flower from Tamara	Tamara, a young man, a laboratory, street signs, 215 Reed Street, #7	young man: Marcus; address: Isaac's loft/Reed Street Laboratories (has not happened)
Shattered! (February)	money in Jane's guitar case	Jane screaming, a streetlight shattering, time on a clock	Jane experiencing the effects of her own powers a few minutes in the future (happened)
February, March, April…	all over the damn place	the globe, New York City, dots on a map being wiped out	presumed: people with abilities convening in the city; some predict it to be the results of "the tornado" foretold by a Mendez painting (has not happened)
Mad World (Part One) (March)	spilled red wine, broken glass	heavyset man in a ballcap, Ramon firing a gun at him, East Village signage	Ramon going to kill the man he thinks murdered his wife, culminating at The Secret Lair (prevented)
Meet the Oscillating Unit (March)	Monopoly money	Mara, a ticking grandfather clock that becomes shattered, red	Mara's grandfather clock; she believes it to be her death at the hands of Sylar (has not happened; prevented?)
Someone's Watching Over You (April)	random groceries (chips, bananas…)	heavyset man from previous vision, hypodermic needle, IV, Ramon in a hospital bed, Beth Israel Hospital (also, a winning lottery ticket for the owner of the groceries)	"puppet" trying to kill Ramon (prevented)
The Mendez Method	Magic Eye book	her own death by gunshot outside the Gomez residence after getting groceries	a mind-controlled woman coming to presumably kill Desiree (prevented); stopped by Manuel and Ramon
Once More, With Meaning	Magic Eye book	Elena and Manny fighting at a waterfront	To Be Determined
Crashed	EvoSoft stationary	a young man inside a car, hit by a truck and falling off a ledge or overpass	Jaden and his car hit by a truck and flying off the end of a pier onto a boat (happened)
The Reaper's Touch	medical supplies	Manny and Elena standing over a dead body	Manny killing Peter when his power goes out of control (happened)

Timeline

(Click to display timeline for January '07.)

(Click to hide timeline.)

• January, 2007:
  • Everyone is Crackers Here —> arrived in New York on her trip in late January. She meets Benjamin at the grocery store and realized they have some unusual things in common.

(Click to display timeline for February '07.)

(Click to hide timeline.)

• February, 2007:
  • Spooked —> meets Paige at Common Grounds; the teenager spills her coffee, sparking not only conversation, but for Desiree to unexpectedly see an image on coffee-stained paper, depicting a man and Paige in an emotional scene. Spooked, the girl left, but Desiree then runs into her a few days later for apologies on both sides.
  • Life, The Universe, and Coffee —> waxes philosophical with a member of SWAT.
  • It Ain't Okay —> finding herself at a Catholic church in search of vague answers, she meets Tamara. It's then that the flower Tamara had given her the night before, at Central Park, reveals itself to Desiree in the form of a scene involving Tamara, a young man, and a laboratory of some kind. Seeing an address in the petals, she and Tamara embark to find it - it turns out to be Isaac Mendez's Loft, although she doesn't know that. They find a sign on the door that says Reed Street Laboratories.
  • Next Time Take the Train —> a bus crashes when the driver falls somehow unconscious at the wheel; Desiree, a passenger, gets a mild wrist sprain but tries to help the injured before the (…licensed) paramedics arrive. She also runs into Benjamin again, albeit briefly, in the chaos.
  • Shattered! —> meets a street performer - Jane - near Times Square and sees an image from several minutes in the future by looking at the change in her guitar case. It turns out to be Jane experiencing the effects of her own powers, which she then tests out with Desiree's help, leaving them both confused.
  • Higher Meaning —> Church is her destination again when she attends a service on a Sunday morning in the first week of the month; she meets Ramon, who gives her some wise advice, and then meets his family officially (including Elena who was at the bus crash site). They go to lunch.
  • Twenty Questions —> Desiree's friend has a healthy baby, which she helps to deliver. While in the hospital, Dezi spots Marcus and recognizes him from the vision she had with Tamara, confusing the poor man out of his wits.
  • Continually questioning her sanity and what it all means as she keeps seeing things that shouldn't be there, goes back to Mississippi.

(Click to display timeline for March '07.)

(Click to hide timeline.)

• March, 2007
  • Plagued by constant images of the same thing, over and over again, she believes she has to return to New York City to find out what it all means. She packs up her essentials and journeys back in mid-March.
  • Meeting in Locomotion —> arriving back in NYC, Desiree meets Zac and spots Jane again.
  • Mad World (Part One) and Mad World (Part Two) —> after seeing a confusing, vivid series of events in spilled wine and glass on the floor of a B&B, Desiree goes on an ill-planned mission to stop Ramon from killing the man he thinks murdered his wife. When calling him reaches Elena instead, Desiree heads off on her own and finds him at The Secret Lair, where she stops him from doing something he'll regret - and good thing, because the man he would have shot was under the control of the real killer. The owner of the store, Nima, comes across them and finds herself wrapped up in it, too. So, basically, Ramon finds out Dezi is precognitive, she finds out he's telepathic, no one goes to jail and the plot thickens.
  • Meet the Oscillating Unit —> at Mount Sinai Hospital to speak with an official about their paramedics, Desiree is drawn into Detective K.L. Damaris' hospital room where she sees a vision in Monopoly money from the game Mara was playing with Peter. Among the images were a ticking grandfather clock and Mara. Fearing it foretells her demise by the hands of Sylar, the detective panics, just in time for Detective Parkman to deliver the news that Sylar took Molly and Mohinder. All of this was new and confusing to Desiree, who made sure to stay nearby to keep an eye on Mara.

(Click to display timeline for April '07.)

(Click to hide timeline.)

• April, 2007
  • Someone's Watching Over You —> Dezi gets a vision that brings her to the hospital Ramon is staying at after his recent heart attack in order to stop the mind-controlled man (from Mad World (Part One)) from killing him.
  • How to Harbor a Psychic —> When Elena gives her some flowers in thanks for helping out her father, they also run into Peter Petrelli, an Desiree shares with them the vague vision that she's been seeing everywhere. They think it might be the tornado Isaac Mendez painted.
  • Feminine Magic —> Surprise Russo! Desiree moves in with the Gomezes for awhile. She bakes Ramon cupcakes.
  • Fondunnit —> * Ramon asks Desiree on a date. Some day it happens.

(Click to display timeline for May '07.)

(Click to hide timeline.)

• May, 2007
  • The Mendez Method —> Elena gets the idea to use a method on Dezi similar to the one Isaac Mendez used while creating his paintings: not heroin, but the use of her ability to transmit euphoria. It works, and Desiree is unfocused enough to get a vision bigtime… of her own death.
  • Once More, With Meaning —> understandably upset, she breaks down a little — or a lot — and hides in her room (actually, Juanita's) and doesn't relay what she saw until the morning when Elena brings her breakfast.
  • Phantom of the Friggin' Opera —> Ramon and Dezi finally go on their date — and make the point that neither of them exactly behave in a cultured manner. But they have a good date and are silly and kiss.
  • Crashed —> she happens upon an EvoSoft cleaning house event wherein CEO Jaden Cain is tossing office supplies off of a roof in Times Square and winds up having a vision wherein Jaden is in a car accident. She tells he and Jane about it and insists the young man stay out of vehicles.
  • To Thine Own Self Be True —> the Alchemist's puppet comes to the Gomez residence just like in her vision, but unlike her vision, Desiree is inside and Ramon and Manuel are outside the apartment to intercept the woman. Manny takes her down, prompting Dezi to tend to the resulting gunshot wound. The woman comes out of her trance and is revealed to be Mary Jones.
  • She's Afraid If She Leaves, She'll Become the Life of the Party —> Desiree attends Jaden Cain's party dressed as The Fairy Godmother. Glitter ensues.
  • You Gotta Have Faith —> Desiree talks about music and costumes with Jane and McAlister at Common Grounds.
  • Dancing in the Street —> Desiree encounters McAlister again later that day during a summery street party with music and sprinklers. There, she meets Heidi (and remembering her as the lion from Jaden's party, encourages her to dance) and William. It's silly fun, until someone messes with the hoses, resulting in Heidi's son Monty breaking his arm when the water pressure explodes. Desiree stays to help the child until he can be taken to the hospital.

• June, 2007
  • Humans and Animals —> Ramon happens upon Desiree singing one evening. Unrelatedly, they talk about the nature of humans and how they can do horrible things like what was done to Mary Jones, but Desiree doesn't stay on the subject long. When she talks about her kids who are back from France in Mississippi, Ramon says she is family, that they're a clan, and if she stays in New York they might get a house.
  • Deja Vu and You —> Desiree runs into Benjamin in the snack aisle of a food market. …wait, didn't this happen before? When the two realize they have friends in common (the Gomezes), Desiree invites him over for dinner.
  • The Reaper's Touch —> After getting a vision about Manuel, Elena and someone getting hurt in the Gomez apartment, Desiree rushes over. She's too late: Manny has already killed Peter when his power goes out of control after a misunderstanding. He regenerates, miraculously, but Dezi is still horrified.
  • How'd It Get So Bad? —> Desiree takes Manny outside to cool off and talks about what happened and what's to come.
  • Parker and Portia call … from here in New York. Because they are here. In New York. !?!
  • The Ex Factor —> Losing his mind because the kids didn't return as scheduled to Mississippi, Dezi's ex-husband Lance shows up at the Gomezes in a fluster. The result: Ramon punches him in the jaw. Elena punches him in the throat. He deserved in on account of being an ass.
  • Return of the Prodigal Twins —> Parker and Portia show up at the Gomezes' door a few hours later, safe and sound, to reunite with their mother and explain that Portia wants to be a star, Parker was looking out for her, and their sudden trip to NYC was full of sound fourteen year old logic, et cetera. Dezi, truth be told, is just happy to see them.
  • Advent —> Dezi accompanies Ramon, Peter and Cass to the business supposedly run by the Alchemist. This involves some sneaking around and being invisible, thanks to Peter. Inside, they discover Nima and Lee's father, as well as some disturbing files that have photos of the people the Alchemist has killed, along with photos of Heidi and Elena. There's a connection to a fertility drug. Huh?
  • The Trap —> They come home that morning to explain their findings to Elena. Peter calls Heidi, who also comes over to be warned. Eric stops by for a visit.
  • Truck of Cookie Doom —> While Dezi and Portia are having a girls' day, a car driven by Jaden flies into Battery Park trying to get away from a wild delivery truck. Jaden heads off the pier onto a boat while the truck crashes: her vision about Jaden comes true, but he (and his naked mole rat) are unhurt. Desiree finds an unmarked glass bottle in the cargo that was supposed to be cookies.
  • Desiree takes on an actual job as a paramedic now that she's supposedly staying in New York for awhile.

Connections

• The Actual Family
  • Joseph Russo - brother!
  • Leonard Russo - another brother!
  • Lance Maddox --> ex-husband. Only marginally applies. Kind of an ass. In Mississippi. Ignore.
  • Portia Maddox —> fourteen-year-old daughter!
  • Parker Maddox —> fourteen-year-old son!

• The Gomez Family
  • Ramon Gomez —> they met at… church. Desiree is a houseguest of Ramon and his family; she likes to try to take care of them. They have been on a date, and given that they see each other every day, they're something of an item. Or something. Desiree cares for Ramon quite a bit and seems to bring out his less staunchly serious side. Cuteness ensues.
  • Elena Gomez —> Elena is the one who invited Desiree to stay with them in the first place, after learning she was staying at a B&B — and that she has visions of the future. Dezi really likes Elena and thinks she's a good kid with a lot of potential. She also really respects her for her goals, smarts and abilities she already has, and is protective of her as if she's her surrogate daughter.
  • Manny Gomez —> Manny makes Dezi a little wary; he reminds her of her bullheaded brother Leonard, truth be told. She doesn't know the kid well, and he probably thinks she's insane, but she tries to steer him in the right direction when she gets the chance.

• About Town
  • Benjamin Winters —> Desiree met Benjamin randomly when she first visited New York back in the winter. They shared common experiences in a grocery store, ran into each other again during an unfortunate bus accident, and then later met in a a market again only to realize they had the Gomezes in common. Dezi thinks Benji is a nice guy.
  • Jane Forrester —> Desiree has ran into this woman several times since first meeting her in Times Square and predicting the lawyer's manifestation of her powers by getting a vision from the contents of her guitar case. They're on friendly terms. Granted, Desiree is on friendly terms with just about everyone, but she's been warned of Sylar from Jane and collaborated with her on trying to save Jaden.

• Bad Folks
  • DESIREE LOVES EVERYONE.

Quotes

• "I think I could take 'er, she looks like she got the arthritis." - Everyone is Crackers Here

• "Ooo, are them gingersnaps?" - Everyone is Crackers Here

• "No one can do everythin', you know? I just gotta wonder, is there one thing someone's good at? One big thing they're meant to do in their life? Then what happens if you don't go through with it?" - Life, the Universe, and Coffee

• "Everyone's got problems. I got problems. That lady who almost got hit with a street lamp got problems. That fella over by the bustop with that really… silly reindeer hat got problems, prob'ly more'n both of us. I bet yours ain't so terrible. Just gotta figure 'em out first." - Shattered!

• "But I'm from Mississippi and New York City may's well be the Amazonian Jungle!" - Mad World (Part One)

• "You're plannin' on doin' somethin' stupid. Ain't ya? Well, I'm here to make sure you don't do it. 'Cause you ain't never gonna be the same if you do. Ain't worth it, whatever it is. So." *Thwap* "Hey, snap to! I'm like. Psychic. Mm-hmm. Yeah, so you can't deny anythin', and I'm tellin' ya, don't do it. You gonna come with me before the man you wanna kill comes along or what, Mr. Gomez?" - Mad World (Part One)

• Biker: How about you wait your turn, missy? Get the hell out of my face!" Desiree: "Oh, how 'bout shut your face, Snake-Eyes. I jus' need a minute!" - Someone's Watching Over You

• "… 'Hi, Mister Puppet Man, if you could… hi, mister, I'd really appreciate it if you could not stab my frien's IV with… no… hi, you goddamn—hey, if you'd just put down that hypodermic needle 'cause I'm trouble too I'd be real thankful… hi, mister…'" - practicing what she's going to say to the man about to kill Ramon, Someone's Watching Over You

• "All's I do is go where I see in the pictures." - Someone's Watching Over You

• "Don't be scared if he don't talk in full sentences or if he kinda glares. That's jus' how his face is." - on Ramon, Return of the Prodigal Twins

Trivia

• Desiree has a pretty decent singing voice and can play the guitar and piano, but she's usually too shy to let anyone hear her. (Wait, Desiree, shy, what?)

Songs to Live By

• Minnie Driver - "Stars and Satellites"
• Rilo Kiley - "Accidntel Deth"
• Ingrid Michaelson - "The Way I Am"
• David Myles - "When It Comes My Turn"