i’m not obsessed, I’m just curious.
when most kids were learning the difference between right and wrong, gulf was learning how to flatter other people. all shapes and sizes, nothing mattered as long as he could manipulate enough to get away with his obsessions. he needn’t be reminded how unhealthy it was.
as he grew older, his quirks turned into character defects. but flattery was more valuable than money, and he had a supply full to get him through schooling. flattery couldn’t stop him from being estranged from his family. a few bank frauds saw him exiled from the only important people in his life.
still, a man his age needed to live on his own, be independent. his rage saw him force his way into numerous police departments, solving cases pro bono until he got an offer to be a consultant.
now he has a private practice, a place to pursue his schemes and a respectable way to watch the people he wanted to watch. his line of work—moonlighting as a detective—has afforded him a furnished apartment and office space, but should anyone go snooping, they would find that gulf’s targets are not mandated by the government, they’re personal.
⠀ ⠀THE STALKER
had there been a full moon the night gulf was gifted a telescope, he might not have stumbled upon his most beloved obsession. he asked himself many nights why someone would have no blinds, no curtains, if they didn’t mean to be watched. his fascination began with a neighbor. From the male’s love affair to the spousal quarrels, gulf was able to learn every intimate detail just by watching. his first experience with sex was watching the neighbor pound their mistress’s against the very window.
being caught ruined the appeal the telescope previously held. various odd jobs eventually funding a self-made kit, equipped to allow him access to anyone who caught his interest.
school was where he took the most risks. his notebooks littered with notes about other people. if one had asked him why he was so fascinated, he would not have had an answer.
his self-sufficiency came at an early age, his parents not impressed with his ability to open up credit cards under their name unknowingly. he was exiled by his family at age sixteen, which also became the start of doing nefarious things to afford a roof over his head.
once schooling was completed he had to completely shut off that side of him. putting his stalking and worshipping interests to the side so he could invest in a career that would protect it.
⠀⠀THE DETECTIVE
it took a bit of convincing, but eventually he was able to work his way into helping the police department solve numerous cases. the first time was a complete fluke. his former barber had been a murder suspect. the wife of the barber killed in a crime of passion. fortunately gulf studied anyone he came into contact with, so he had known for a long time that the wife had been having an affair. fortunately for the barber, gulf also knew that the man sleeping with their wife was a convict. while the cops focused in on the barber, gulf followed the wife’s love, eventually leading police to an airport before the killer fled the country.
the work ran dry eventually, but his name was known enough that if anyone bothered the police enough about cases, they sent them to the detective. his agency was ran mostly in his car, any available cafe, and in the most extreme cases, he’d allow the client into his small office space.
every once in a while he mixes business with pleasure, but for the most part, gulf has put his stalking by the wayside.