So, you may have noticed a lack of Nichols. There are a few reasons for this.

1. I had to catch up on episode. (I am now, so it's not a problem.)

2. School...when I stress out I go to the muses I know inside and out. Nichols isn't there.

3. Trying to figure him out in my head. And I suppose that's the one I should go into.

The first thing I had to do was really to look at him in the context of a potential relationship. And have come to the conclusion that, realistically, he's just not a shipable character. Sure, he'd date and have relationships that last for a time, but Nichols isn't going to settle down comfortably. He's a middle aged bachelor who had a marriage that didn't work for a reason. He's also a horrible flirt. It's just who he is.

The second is that I think I see him a little differently than other people looking at him in the fandom. It's easy, I think, for us to turn him into something harmless and less than masculine. He does odd things and shops and had some really heavy quirks early on. They've faded more to the background and he comes through as an intelligent, more subtly manly detective. There's a reason women react to him so strongly in episodes and it's not because he's some bumbling weirdo. He knows when to charm and what to say. He just seems to get easily distracted when he knows it doesn't matter as much. So...it's hard to get this out in rp like I'd like. I love the subtly affectionate/aggressive relationship between him and Wheeler. I look forward to seeing what they do with Eames and he. But I think he's going to stay on hiatus a little longer. See if I want him to get to be a prompting muse. Since that's what I do if I'm being honest with myself.