Randall Kirkwood

Randall Kirkwood
Portrayed By	David Krumholtz
Gender	Male
Date of Birth	June 1, 1983
Age	25
Zodiac Sign	Gemini
Aliases	None
Place of Birth	Davis, CA, USA
Current Location	New York City, NY, USA
Occupation	Various blue-collar
Known Relatives	Charles (father), Lisa (mother)
Significant Other	Kory Alexander
Known Abilities	Can detect Evolved powers. Or so he believes.
First Appearance	Broken Glass

Randall is an itinerant Californian in search of the paranormal - white magic, alien technology, what have you.

History

Growing up, Randall displayed a moderate intelligence and work ethic, and enjoyed a healthy social life (eccentric by nationwide standards, but fairly normal for the area).

An early interest in comic books was limited by his allowance, so he contented himself with the occasional random sampling. During high school, he became interested in the Church of All Worlds, spending some time during the summer with their nest in Sonoma; his parents didn't think too highly of the idea, but let him have his way, figuring that denying him at that point would merely inspire him to rebel.

He drifted further down to Berkeley, majoring in history and continuing to pursue his intuition that Something Important was playing out in the realm of the paranormal. He picked up bits and pieces from physics and literature, but avoided getting too detailed in any one area, rationalizing it by insisting that the value of doing so was offset by a forest-and-trees problem.

Equipped with a patchwork of theories and a Greyhound schedule, he set out for New York. (Not that important things weren't going on in California as well, but he felt he was too easily distracted by its mundane aspects, and needed to start fresh.) His plan is to live cheap, work some odd jobs, and keep his eyes wide open.

(OOC: Randall's ability to notice and correctly interpret Evolved powers is limited to human perception and misperception, and can thus be as accurate - or as laughably inaccurate - as you like. Feel free to make suggestions, or to let me pick something that will maintain variety.)

Timeline

Early 2007

• February 2007:
  • Arrives in New York.
  • Meets Daphne. They suspect each other of being Up to Something. (A Bum with a Theory)

• March 2007:
  • Meets Stefanie, who drops absolute proof in his lap. (Little Shop Demonstration)
  • Narrowly avoids getting shot in Chinatown when gang violence unexpectedly erupts. (Massacre in Sandwich Hell)
  • Mistakes a shadowed Richard for a ghost. (Unlucky Few)
  • Agrees to help Stefanie and Sakura figure out what's what. (Dinner And A Show?)
  • Helps Elena check up on her old man. Macks on her a bit, and gets punched for his trouble. Not by the old man, surprisingly enough. (Opening Night)
  • Witnesses a mutant cannibal bum attack Samantha before going down to a headshot. (We Come In Peace Shoot To Kill)
  • Also witnesses a power briefly slip out of control, though it's not obvious whose. (Shaking Things Up)

• April 2007:
  • Spends April Fool's Day in the spirit of Emperor Norton, hiding Easter eggs in Central Park and conversing with a fellow noble. (Hobnobbing)
  • Narrowly avoids getting shot again, this time while driving a cab. (Tunnel Vision)
  • Attends a charity benefit. Lots of stuff happens. All at once. Bat Nasal Transmitters are involved. (Abandon All Sanity, All Ye Who Enter Here)
  • Runs across some, uh, bad wiring. Yeah, that's the ticket. (Cutting Loose)
  • Narrowly avoids hypno-suicide at a Yankees game. (What The Hell Just Happened) Afterward, meets Desiree; they turn out to have a few things in common. (Connecting To Your Psychic Powers)

• May 2007:
  • A would-be coffee fix turns nauseating. (Bad Plumbing)
  • Visits a pizza place that totally isn't a Mafia front. (Legal Matters)

• June 2007:
  • Narrowly avoids getting trampled by a rhino on the loose. (Curse You, PETA)
  • Arrives in Battery Park on the tail end of an accident with a truck and a Porsche. (Truck of Cookie Doom)

Late 2007

• August 2007:
  • Is asked to help track down a pair of abductees. (Have You Seen This Girl?, I Have FBI)

• September 2007:
  • Visits a comic book shop. (Candy Apple)
  • Star Wars in the park! He does not get one of the cool parts, though. (I Wanna Be Darth Maul)
  • Runs into Kory from the comic shop again, this time during her dog-walking gig. (Matching Philosophies)

• October 2007:
  • First date with Kory. (Sweet Somethings)

• December 2007:
  • Stumbles across KeLyssa while her ability is going off, only to have Kory stumble across him in turn during one of her dog-walking sessions, ending their accidental separation. (Much Ado)
  • Over a series of visits to the comic shop where Kory works, he's told about how Lee fits into the picture (Attracting the Wrong Crowd), and later meets him in person (Banter with the Best Boys); mistakes Portia's mad musical skills for an ability of some sort (A Very Artoo Christmas); learns that Benjamin is not exactly hip to recent movies (Enter the Holiday Matrix), and that Magneto is not the only one of the X-Men to celebrate Hannukah (Blintzes, Books and Banter); meets AJ, who's doing a show next month (Post Giftmas Revelations); and hears about Kory's tentative plans for a tattoo (Moon Madness on Monday).
  • Last-minute holiday plans are discussed. (Coffee, Friends and Chit-Chat)
  • Leftovers are stockpiled and touristy visits are promised. (Christmas Catch-Up)
  • Kory catches him up on Lee's hospital visit and brush with death. (Boxing Day)
  • A throwaway comment about Trekkies leads to an extended round of film geekery. (A Night at the Pub)
  • On the way to work, he runs across Kory in the middle of one of her dream psychology sessions. (The L Word)

• January 2008:
  • Randall and Kory finally sit down and discuss their abilities. (Two Guys, a Girl, and a Penthouse)
  • New day job, doing charcoal portraits for tourists. He might actually hang on to this one for more than a month. (Who We Are)
  • A search for an invisible visitor is interrupted by news of Niki's disappearance, leading to a moment of self-discovery. (Bad Day At The Geekatorium) Later, the search is continued via anonymous e-mail. (Wabbit Season)
  • Kory mentions that she's worn herself out helping Peter deal with Sylar. (A Lot More Complicated) Randall looks up the unfamiliar name, and doesn't deal with it well at all. (Fractured Dreams)
  • After a chance meeting with Kory's brother Anzeti goes south in a hurry, Randall receives a strange visit and a stranger warning. (A Butterfly Effect)
  • Discovers that he was reading Portia all wrong, and also that his future will not be including a singing career any time soon. (Fox on Ice)
  • Is schooled in high-class bartending, then gets dragged out of a bar brawl and back to his home state. (Not Tonight) Later on, he and Charlotte start getting properly acquainted. (Networking)
  • The time apart from Kory is interrupted, and not in a happy way. (Cold Snap)
  • Nope, the portrait gig fell apart over sick days. Ponders making more of his amateur photography. (Mornington Crescent)
  • Indulges in some teen angst with Chase. (A Talk in the Park)

• February 2008:
  • Narrowly avoids being dragged into a mob hit law enforcement action. (Nothing to See Here)
  • Re-hired for portraits, he gets to watch Jamie play Evel Knievel. (It's All Fun and Games)
  • The time apart from Kory is formally ended, unintentionally driving Leslie further over the edge in the process. (Making Up Is Hard to Do)
  • Makes plans for an impromptu Valentine's Day date to cement the reunion (Playing Dress Up), only for Kory to drop off the face of the earth (Where in the World Is Kory Alexander?). Good thing he recently met someone who can find her… (Nine Kinds of Crazy)
  • Kory gathers the strength to reach out to Randall once more as he dreams. (Signal and Noise)
  • While Charlotte and company mount a rescue, Randall and Ian chase down Leslie on foot and haul him back to the Lair (Save the DJ, Spare the Nerd), where Sophie digs out his remaining secrets (Deprogramming). Kory finally collapses from the strain, and is rushed to the hospital for treatment both conventional and otherwise. (Down to Earth)
  • He and Kory start to get better acquainted with Peter and Sophie. (Visiting Hour)

• March 2008:
  • Kory and Lee are asked by Leslie's lawyer to settle out of court (Blood in the Water), which has the advantage of not having to explain six impossible things to a jury before breakfast (Waffles Plans Puppies And Waffles).
  • Talks with Kory about long-term career prospects, and her (hopefully) temporary depowering during her recovery. (A Job and an Adventure)
  • This time, Peter drops out of contact (In Search of...). The Scoobies folks at the Lair prepare to look for him, only to be warned off by his future self (Time for the Twilight Zone).

• April 2008:
  • Warns Niki away from a run-in with Sophie, but the damage is already done. (Tangles)
  • Learns from Kory about his possible dark fate in Future Peter's timeline, and starts brainstorming on averting it all. (Cue Billy Joel Please)

• May 2008:
  • More brainstorming, this time including the creative possibilities of the Deveaux building. (The Swinging Bookcase)
  • A throwaway line covering for Sophie catches the attention of Chase, who knows lies like the back of her hand. (Hot Streak)
  • Learns that Pinehearst has succeeded, but might still be stopped before they go public. (Contagious Justified Paranoia)
  • Dodges a bar fight before drawing Chase into the project. (Fist To Future (Pt.1))

• June 2008:
  • Learns about the father and daughter behind a new threat. Meets Gabriel for the first time. Kory invites him to move in… (What Do You Do With A Problem Like Elisabetha?)
  • …but he declines, explaining a little more about his personal research and its dependence on his own apartment. (Sapphire and Teal)
  • Is summoned by a dream vision, along with others, after Future Peter's death. (Carrying On)

Relationships

The Secret Lair

Kory Alexander

DJ, dog-walker, and manager of The Secret Lair, which she explained was founded as an intentional weirdness magnet. Randall's girlfriend, cemented by several weeks' disconnection due to a botched phone number, and later the discovery that she has an Evolved ability of her own - but he didn't take it well when he found out she was using it to poke around in Sylar's head, and asked for a month to work through his own issues. Eventually, he accepted that she was clever enough to handle such things, and that with her help, he could pull himself up to a similar level… only to be forced to get started without her when she went missing, pulling together a team to get her back and stop her abductor. She's currently working on her own team-building project to stop Pinehearst from creating a formula that can give anyone an ability, based on a list of people provided by a time-travelling Peter from a future in which they succeed. Randall is helping as best he can, not least because that future seems to involve him being part of the problem. Firsts: First meeting: sorta, for really reals First date First kiss First encounter with her ability: indirect, direct First fight and reconciliation First direct clash with rival for her affections

Lee Jones Reluctant relative-in-charge of the Lair's owner. Randall is tolerant of his snarkiness, especially after the Leslie fiasco.	KeLyssa Gallagher Randall stumbled on her ability in action once, but agreed to keep it quiet. Now that she's working some shifts at the Lair, giving Kory a much-needed breather, he plans to ask more questions at some point.	Leslie Fuchs-Wacker (I am not making this up) Alpha geek among the Lair's roleplaying crowd. Increasingly convinced that Kory should kick Randall to the curb and pick him instead, he finally snapped hard enough to kidnap her and lure his rival into a series of elaborate deathtraps (the message was mistakenly delivered to Lee, who survived with relatively minor injuries). Fortunately, like most Evil Overlords, he was defeated, smacked around for a while, and finally taken away by the authorities.
Charlotte Corday Teleporter. Manager of armed goons. Rescued Kory in Randall's time of greatest need, for which he is eternally grateful. Has also hinted at knowing others who share Randall's interest in how abilities work. Unfortunately, she seems to be wearing rose-colored glasses for Pinehearst.	Ian Jackson A man of few words, preferring to let electricity do his talking for him. Helped Randall chase down Leslie and bring him back to justice.	Sophie Petrov Helped investigate Kory's kidnapping, despite barely knowing any of the people involved, and offered keen insight into possible motives. She can also see memories and remove false ones, both of which greatly sped up the aftermath. Recently charged with delivering some final messages from Future Peter.

Others

	First person to reveal an unmistakable ability to Randall (and a few others).
	Randall and Stephanie agreed to get together at some point and help her figure out her ability. Unfortunately, he's since lost touch with them.

Owner of Enlightenment Books, another confirmed weirdness magnet. Randall hasn't asked for a job because he'd be too busy reading the books himself to do a good job selling them.
One of Cass's employees. Randall made some comment about anime during their first conversation, so now he's permanently associated with it in her mind.
Another of Cass's employees, or was once. Charlotte once teleported the three of them to Disneyland by mistake.

	Fellow believer in psychic powers. Randall told her about his first-hand experience with mind control; she told him about Ramon's experience, and how she helped.
	One-time romantic interest. Randall accompanied her to a party once, to help her check up on her father. Apparently dating Peter these days.
	Punched Randall as revenge for getting too close to Elena, which in turn was Randall's comeback for Jack insulting his manhood. They've stuck to verbal barbs since then.
	Elena's dad and Desiree's friend, though he hasn't had a chance to talk to him directly about the latter.
	Overhearing one of her musical performances, Randall thought (incorrectly) that he saw evidence of an ability; they agreed to do a recording at some point, though she didn't know what was really driving his interest. Later on, he managed to work out what she can really do.

Met Randall on April Fool's Day, and proved to share his appreciation of running gags.
Randall has witnessed his zany hijinks in person on multiple occasions.
Scared of being locked up and studied, she revealed her ability to Randall (rather than risk him discovering it on his own), then warned him not to pry into things too deeply.
Charlotte's armed goon. And clotheshorse. Another man of few words.
"Multi-talented", able to echo the abilities of others. Focused on helping people one at a time, though he seems to get dragged into larger things. Good thing he can heal re-learn to heal. Apparently dating Elena these days. Currently out of touch, but his future self is was on the case.

Quotes

• "And the thing with New York is, it depends on how you measure it."
• "I guess you're right… there's kind of a Fletcher and Tanya vibe to the whole thing, if the book's all you have to go on."
• "I'm not pursuing my dream into corners like that."
• "…or have we looped back around to Topaz yet?"
• "Hurt. Trying for me! But hurt."
• "He's hiding something."
• "I did that because I had to. Something like that could happen again, but I'm pretty sure I don't have the right mindset to go looking for it."

Trivia

• As part of his Emperor Norton gag, Randall sent a serious letter to the president. The form-letter reply is now framed and hanging on his wall.
• Randall has never done an opening voiceover, but maybe someday...

Paths not taken

In an alternate future, Randall heads up a drug ring that sprung up around the Pinehearst formula, putting him in excellent position to get his own fix on a regular basis; thanks to the formula, he now has a real ability in addition to his imagined one. Portia is his head of security and lover, in that order.

• Discusses business with his gang, and learns that Sophie is now in his way. (Merchandizing)
• Sends KeLyssa to deal with it, which doesn't work out how anyone expected. (What You Need)
• Debates the situation with Kory when she drops into his dreams. (Transmissions from Sanctum Somnus)
• KeLyssa reports in on Niki and Kory, and is advised not to attack them or their allies directly. (Best Intentions)
• Locks himself away for some personal time with Portia. (Behind Closed Doors)

In a different alternate future, Randall remains in quiet solitude while the Evolved take over the country.

Gallery