moon and stars

there would have to be something else on top of kindness, though. dimitri would be drawn to a partner that has a quirk of some sort, whether it be corny humor or wacky hobbies & interests. he considers himself to be rather plain, so encountering someone that could bewilder him with their uniqueness would have him particularly drawn. you enjoy collecting bugs? he doesn’t quite understand it, but the novelty of it has him intrigued enough to ask you questions and show his support. always cracking jokes? he might act stern and annoyed with your humor at times, but he’d look forward to seeing you just to hear your laugh.

someone with strong ideals and morals would also be incredibly attractive to him. he has his own goals and ambitions he’s passionate about, and he’d want to hear about yours, too. he would only fall harder if his partner shared the same ideals as him. 

he struggles to initiate and can get consumed by his own thoughts, so a straightforward significant other would keep him grounded and build his confidence. someone comfortable making the first move until he’s ready to take the lead (this is less of an issue post timeskip and post unhinged emo era). he’d be simultaneously flustered and infatuated by someone who wasn’t afraid to praise or compliment him outright, anything to show he’s not overthinking the possibility that his affections are reciprocated. it would be a bonus if they had enough charm to tease him and bring out his playful side.

[ dedue molinaro ]

as shown in his supports, dedue is not much of a conversationalist. that being said, he would be drawn to a significant other that can fill the silences that are sure to come in the beginnings of your relationship. he can be flighty and dismissive at times as a means to keep others at a distance, so being around someone that compels him to stay with their own outgoing nature would make his heart flutter. he wouldn’t like feeling pressured or pushed to talk, but having a partner with the ability to smoothly coax responses out of him until he’s fully engaging in the conversation would go a long way. 

dedue with a chatty partner! even if the conversation consists of them rambling about their interests, or their day, or the food served at dinner evening, he’s enamored. dedue is an exceptionally good listener, and overtime he would come to realize that he could listen to you for hours on end. there would have to be moderation, though, as he would want to be able to enjoy quiet moments with you, simply enjoying each other’s company.

stoic and reserved, dedue can be difficult to read. he would benefit from an observant partner that could pick up on his body language and subtle tells. being able to notice when he’s uncomfortable with something and see past his neutral front would make him feel seen in a way he isn’t accustomed to. 

and, of course, be kind to him. ignore his protests that there is no need to flatter him or treat him kindly, and be earnest and genuine in your affection for him. he would be taken aback at first, possibly even uncomfortable, but overtime your amicable gestures would break down his defenses. dedue would fall for a kind soul, one without discrimination or malice. 

[ sylvain j. gautier ]

oh sylvain. moving past his issues with genuine connection and intimacy, sylvain would be capable of falling deeply for someone, given they were able to work with him and his issues. he would be attracted to someone more on the no-nonsense side, someone capable of putting him in his place at first. pre-timeskip sylvain would be difficult to grasp unless you’re able to see through his flowery nonsense and be straightforward with him about not tolerating his behavior. there would be push and pull, and the game of that alone would keep him engaged. he would shift between waving off your rejections, becoming internally frustrated with his developing feelings, and ultimately seeking out your company for genuine connection. it’s stereotypical, but being “not like the others” would unfortunately catch his attention and draw him to you. 

in order to keep this up, you would need to have a lot of emotional maturity. sylvain can be incredibly perceptive and introspective when he wants to be, and having a partner with a high level of emotional maturity would encourage him to show this side more. he would try to deny it at first, but being with someone that’s able to “read” him upfront and see his true feelings would be… relieving, to say the least.

he would be attracted to someone creative and intelligent, with their own set of unique interests and hobbies. a benefit to being with sylvain is that he’s incredibly open-minded and nonjudgmental, so a nerdy, eccentric partner would only intrigue him further. he’s also a lover of the arts himself, and he would be enamored if you had a knack for art or writing (his supports with bernadetta are a testament to this). his encouragement may seem insincere at first, especially if this is before the timeskip, but he’s genuine in his interest in your work. 

[ felix h. fraldarius ]

felix is a tricky one. he’s so stubborn and people averse that he wouldn’t even have an idea of what traits he’s attracted to. in an opposites attract sort of way, i can see him falling for someone sweet and cheerful, or at least kinder than he is. he would act annoyed at first, of course (unless your personality is similar to annette, in which case he may be less harsh), but he would find himself drawn to a friendly and kind disposition. the stark contrast to his own rough around the edges personality would soften him, much to his dismay, and encourage him to loosen up a bit. it would also cause some inner turmoil, as he tells himself to stay away for the sake of preserving your light, something he doesn’t believe he has. in the end, his own infatuation would compel him to stick around despite his inner protests.

he’ll deny it at first, but felix would like a playful partner. not in a boisterous, pulling pranks sense, but a good-natured, humorous, “saying something that you know will crack a smile out of him” kind of way. he can stand to be teased a bit, too, even if it initially seems like a way to instantly annoy him. he would come to appreciate the lightheartedness, as it would coax him into somewhat letting his guard down.

he would appreciate someone strong, though their strength wouldn’t have to be purely physical. a quiet, unyielding strength would intrigue him, especially if he initially saw you as weak. he would also appreciate someone that isn’t too sensitive, as he can be harsh with his words and delivery. granted, he would try to mince his words for someone he truly cared about, but a partner that’s, for the most part, unbothered by his brash way of speaking would put him at ease.

going further into felix preferring someone with thicker skin, he would secretly swoon over a partner that’s willing to stand up to him when he’s being too edgy or stubborn. he admits that he can be a fool at times, so having someone to keep him grounded and embrace his own humanity would benefit him.

of course, he would immediately fall for someone that challenged him. someone he can train with, improve with, someone he can lose to. that alone would keep him engaged and wanting to be around you more.

[ ashe ubert ]

i have a headcanon that ashe gets crushes rather easily, giving him a wide range of personalities he’d fall for. of course, he would find someone kind and cheerful to be endearing, feeling soothed by their gentle nature. he would also admire a confident, outspoken personality, since he’s working to find his own voice and confidence. i could even see him falling for a shyer personality, as it would encourage him to seek you out and initiate conversations.

a commonality amidst all of these personalities would be that his potential significant other would have to match his earnestness. ashe wouldn’t care if you didn’t share the exact same interests, but seeing you passionate about anything would fill him with admiration. he would fall for traits he could admire; tenacity, creativity, vigilance. 

 similar to dimitri, i think ashe would appreciate eccentricity. he’s open-minded and intrigued by most things, so being around someone that introduced him to new and novel interests would enthrall him. he would appreciate someone that he can explore new things with, someone open to adventure and exploring. bonus points if they’re more adventurous than him, as it would encourage him to come out of his shell. 

though he would definitely fall for someone kind and good-natured, he would also be drawn to someone blunt and straightforward. ashe can be too kind at times, and he would genuinely appreciate being with someone that can help him decipher when he’s people pleasing too much. 

[ annette f. dominic ]

annette would like a strong but silent type, someone that balances her cheerful and bubbly nature. she wouldn’t be attracted to a personality that was too dark or brooding, rather a grounded presence she can feel secure around. she’s naturally clumsy and prone to occasionally making small mistakes, so having someone that can keep her on her toes (figuratively and literally), would be endearing. 

to add to this, she would like having a partner she could spend a lot of time with. it could seem like she’s dragging you around, but ultimately she just enjoys being able to try new things with someone. she would fall for someone open-minded and lacking in harsh or judgmental opinions, as she has her own quirks and hobbies she would want to feel comfortable sharing. 

she would fall for someone hard working, earnest, and willing to grow with her. she’s incredibly heard working and fastidious, and she would benefit from a partner that shares her desire to succeed and improve. with this comes patience as well, as she wouldn’t mesh well with someone too critical or irritable. 

[ ingrid b. galatea ] 

ingrid would fall for someone hard working, passionate, and goal-oriented. she would prefer a partner that she can work alongside; i don’t see her faring well with someone lazy and unmotivated. she takes her ambitions very seriously, and she would be drawn to someone of a similar nature, even if their goals are different than her own. the passion alone is what matters to her, and she would seek a significant other that could provide a dynamic of mutual support and encouragement. 

with encouragement comes improvement, and she would admire a partner that wasn’t afraid to give her constructive criticism. she prefers direct communication, even if it’s difficult, so her ideal partner would be capable of communicating clearly and honestly. 

she would enjoy a competitive partner, or at least a partner that’s playful enough to push her out of her comfort zone. she can get stuck in her own routines, so having someone that can steer her away from comfortability would be a must. 

the ultimate bonus is someone that can cook or shares her love for food. omitting everything above, food might be the key to her heart; she would inevitably find herself falling for someone with culinary prowess. 

[ mercedes von matritz ]

perhaps this is controversial, but i feel that mercedes would fall for a significant other that harbors their own fair share of issues and trauma. if they were troubled in their own way, but earnest enough that they were clearly willing and trying to improve, her heart would draw her to them. not necessarily in a savior complex way, but in a such way where she would appreciate your emotional complexity and find herself drawn to your humanity. 

this goes both ways, as mercedes has her own issues and traumas that she mostly keeps to herself. one of the reasons she would find herself drawn to a partner with their own set of baggage is that it would encourage her to open up about her own. she would appreciate the mutual connection, and having someone that understands and empathizes with her would warm her heart. 

even though mercedes is perceptive enough to read you on her own, she would appreciate a partner that’s open and honest. she loves candid conversations and values communications highly, so she would be drawn to someone sociable and outspoken. 

“dorothea needs a volunteer for some duet she’s planning for the children in the monastery. she tried to volunteer me, but i have plans.” that was… likely a lie, but you fought the urge to question him since you knew that, in truth, yuri just hated singing in public.

“but,” he continues and you suddenly understand the knowing look in his eye, “i happen to know another musically inclined bird, a songbird to be exact. and i wager this songbird is much more interesting to hear, wouldn’t you?” 

“and here i thought i was being visited by my loving partner because he missed me or something. but alas, he’s just here to proposition me.” yuri scoffs and rolls his eyes at that.

“i wouldn’t say proposition, but request,” he emphasizes the word with a lifted hand and a caress to your cheek. despite appearing pouty, you lean into his touch anyways and blink up at him, seemingly unconvinced. 

“look,” his smirk falters as he becomes more serious, his tone softer, “you don’t have to. but i wouldn’t ask if it wasn’t serious-”

“i know, i know, you don’t have to explain.” you lean out of his touch and chose to take his hand in yours instead. “i’ll do it.” even though he was the one that asked you, he still appears a bit shocked, as if he didn’t expect you to agree so quickly.  

“you’re sure?” you smile and nod, and yuri’s face takes on a softer, more genuine expression as he brings your hand to his lips and kisses your knuckles. 

“you’re amazing, you know that?” you roll your eyes and look off to fight off the blush that creeps its way up your cheeks. “yeah, yeah.”

“i mean it, you really saved my skin.” he pushes himself off the table and leans down to give you a chaste kiss. “and don’t worry,” he chides against your lips as he begins to pull away, his tone sultry, “i’ll make it up to you plenty.” 

“pfft- i’m holding you to that,” you sputter, simultaneously amused and taken aback. you’re fully blushing now,  and he chuckles as he pulls away and turns on his heels to leave.

“of course, of course. i always repay my debts. see ya, songbird.”