Nixis

1. Name: What does your twst OC's name mean? Why does Rook/Floyd call them [insert nickname]?

My OC's name is Mel Banashi (he/him pronouns). The reasoning for Mel's name shall be explained below in the second question.

Floyd would call Mel Jellyfish. Why? Because Mel's constant/semi-permanent levitation reminds Floyd of a jellyfish (I can't remember if there's another character already called Jellyfish by Floyd, but oh well, if that's the case Mel can be called Moon Jellyfish to be more specific).

As for Rook? He would call him Monsiuer Fantôme. Why? Well, you'll see.

2. Inspiration: Is your twst OC inspired by any villains? Concepts? Anything Disney-related?

Mel is not twisted from one specific character, exactly, but a mashup of different things.

He's based on: Melinoë, the Greek goddess of ghosts (amongst other things) and the daughter of Hades and Persephone (well, in some versions it's Zeus and Persephone, but let's not get into it); banshees, female spirits from Irish folklore that forewarn of an upcoming death; and the souls of the Underworld from the movie Hercules.

These inspirations are what his name is derived from: Mel is taken directly from Melinoë, and his surname Banashi is a play on the word banshee.

3. Age/Birthday: How old is your twst OC? When is their birthday? Whose birthday (among the cast) is closest to your twst OC's? Does the horoscope lie or do they get along well?

Mel, a second-year, is seventeen. I was debating whether to make his birthday the release date of Hercules, the release date of Hades II, or Halloween. I ultimately decided to make his birthday a mix between spooky month and the release date of Hercules: October 13.

4. Dorm: Which dorm is your twst OC in? Why? Which qualities they have make them suitable for said dorm? Do they have a roommate and how is their relationship?

Mel is in Ignihyde. Like his fellow dormates, Mel is an introvert and has a bit of trouble socializing, although it's nowhere near as bad as some of the others (*cough especially Idia *cough*).

But these qualities aren't the reason he was sorted into Ignihyde. Even if Mel tends to break technology more often than not — ghost shenanigans don't mix well with machines, unfortunately — he is still very crafty, resourceful, and intelligent. And, like the King of the Underworld, he's very diligent, always seeing his chosen task through to the end, no matter how challenging it may be...as long as it interests him.

As for roommates, all second-years are required to have one roomate (unless they luck out), so yes, Mel has a roommate. They don't exactly have the best relationship. His roomate is very scared of him, and Mel also tends to accidentally piss off his roomate because, again, ghost shenanigans don't mix well with machines. They tend to avoid each other as much as possible (Mel doesn't really sleep in his room anyway, and it's not like he needs much sleep in the first place).

5. Class: Who is your twst OC's classmate(s)? How would you describe their relationship? Did they have different classmates in previous year and did they get along?

I'm not touching the whole schedule thing unless I have to. Do we even know their schedules? That's a headache I'm not looking forward to (because yes, this will haunt me one day).

6. Height: How tall is your twst OC? Are they conscious about their height? Are they close to someone with similar leg length?

Mel is 172 c.m (approximately 5'7 f.t) tall. He honestly does not give a damn about his height, especially since he's constantly levitating anyway.

7. Hair/Eye color: What are your twst OC's hair and eye colors? Who got the closest/opposite palette to them?

Mel has almond shaped lavender eyes and wavy periwinkle hair styled somewhere between a wolfcut and jellyfish cut (oh, would you look at thaf, another reason for Floyd to call him Jellyfish!).

8. Homeland: Where is your twst OC from? Do they know anyone from the same hometown prior to NRC?

Ah, to be honest, that's still a major work in progress. It's probably going to end up being a fanmade/original location anyway.

9. Club: Which club does your twst OC join and why? Is there anything memorable about the club fair day/their first day at the club? Which clubmate is their favorite?

Just like Malleus and Jade, Mel has his own club all to himself: Ghost Etiquitte and Research Club. This club mostly consists of Mel having tea parties and gossiping with the ghosts of Night Raven College (they're having the time of their unlife).

Fun Fact: ghosts LOVE Mel. They take one good look at him and boom it's insta (platonic) love. He's their precious little darling and they'd do anything for him.

10. Subject: What is your twst OC's best subject? Worst? Do they study with another whom excels at the same subject? Do they ask anyone for help with the subject they are bad at?

Mel's best subjects are flight (he's a natural!) and potionology. His worst subject is history (fun fact: he struggles with undiagnosed dyslexia, so it doesn't exactly make it any easier for him).

Despite Mel's one-sided war with technology (technology is the one waging the war), him and Ortho are the bestest of friends. Somehow, someway, they wormed into each other's hearts during Mel's first year. Other than the ghosts, Ortho is always the one Mel looks for when it comes to anything. He's the only non-ghost friend Mel has (well...).

11. Hobby: What are your twst OC's hobbies? Who among the cast will they possibly ask to join in their pastime?

Mel loves dancing, especially when it's raining. He's very shy about it and would absolutely implode if anyone caught him in the act, but he finds it relaxing to twirl around in the rain.

Mel loves gossiping with his ghost buddies; so much so that yes, it's considered a hobby.

He dabbles a bit in art, specifically painting with watercolors.

His favorite hobby of all-time is definitely experimenting with magic. From practicing different combinations to making his own spells, he could spend ours playing with his magic if weren't for a silly little thing called blot (and responsibilities).

Again, Ortho is the one Mel always seeks out. He likes to share his hobbies with Ortho (minus the dancing), but Ortho is especially invested in Mel's magical practice sessions.

12. Pet peeves: What are your twst OC's pet peeves and which one in the cast accidentally (or not) commit the "crimes"? How will your twst OC deal with that person?

Mel is actually a very chill individual. I mean, it might just be because he avoids most everyone, but he's pretty lax, and others don't really go out of their way to mess with him. But he does have three major pet peeves:

1: People insulting, disrespecting, or making fun of Night Raven College's ghosts. Those ghosts are his family and he will absolutely square up with anyone who dares make snide remarks to them or, Seven forbid, bully them. It's on sight (the ghosts would do the same for him).

2: When people ask him about his "condition" (will be explained in the backstory part). He LOATHES this. He won't become aggressive like he does when anyone disrespects the ghosts, but it will definitely put him in a sour mood.

3: Sam. Yes, you read that right. Sam's entire existence is a pet peeve to Mel. He's terrified of that man, he creeps him out to no end! Sam finds this utterly amusing.

13. Food: What is your twst OC's favorite and least favorite food? Why (optional)? Is there anyone they can share their favorite food? Is there anyone they can count on to take over the food they dislike?

Mel loves whatever the Twisted Wonderland's version of Mediterranean food is. Although Mel only needs half the sustenance of a normal human, he could eat mountains of Mediterranean food.

Mel's least favorite food is anything cold. Yes, he doesn't like ice cream.

Seeing as Mel's inner circle consists of a bunch of ghosts and a humanoid, he doesn't exactly have many options when it comes to sharing food.

14. Talent: What is your twst OC's talent(s) and who can properly appreciate that?

I would say this has already been answered in the hobbies and best subjects sections.

15. Unique Magic/Signature spell: What is your twst OC's UM (if applicable)? What can they do? What is the incantation? Is there any weaknesses/loopholes and who can exploit those?

"Hear my call, fear your doom, take your life and make it mine, Omen's Rattle!"

Allows the user to take the lifespan of a person of their choosing. The user can either keep the taken lifespan for themself or give it to someone else.

Mel has only ever used his signature spell thrice. He feels extremely guilty after using it, so he never really took time to explore it. What he does know when it comes to limitations is that it can be countered: if Mel becomes distracted, or the person being drained of their lifespan has powerful enough magic, Omen's Rattle will fail.

Mel has no idea how much of a person's lifespan he can take. He doesn't want to know.

16. Quote: Give me something your twst OC will say. Either something they always say or something iconic they said. Something that helps solve the problems or something that is a catalyst to even more issues.

Can't say he has one.

17. (Ok I'm kinda running out of ideas here) Personality: Give me 3 adjectives to describe your twst OC. Or an essay. Whichever works. Whose personality among the cast is closest to your twst OC and do they get along?

Mel, at first glance, tends to be very aloof. When he has nothing do, he'll end up spacing out and daydreaming; a habit that has, indeed, gotten him into trouble one too many times.

He's generally very reserved and doesn't like talking about himself. He prefers listening to what others have to say instead of taking the spotlight. He generally avoids any unwanted social interaction, an easy feat for him to accomplish.

He's a bit of a coward at times, and while he isn't irresponsible, he isn't exactly the most reliable person either. Still, as mentioned in the dorm section, he has a strong sense of diligence when it comes to the things he's interested in.

Whenever Mel is with people he's comfortable with, he's more bubbly, outgoing, and a bit of a goofball. Some would even say he's reminiscent of the happy-go-lucky type.

He can get fiercely protective of those he cares about. He will not tolerate any slights made against the few people who actually give a damn about him.

He's a quick thinker and very resourceful. Trash becomes valuable tools under his swift hands.

Mel is a bit unemphatetic. He somewhat struggles to decipher and understand other people's feelings. You're failing your classes and feel like a failure? You should probably study harder. You burned your hand pretty badly? It will heal with time. Your dog just died? Well, it happens. He doesn't mean to be a jerk; he genuinely thinks it's helpful advice.

And, speaking of death, he sort of has this weird, complex obsession with death. On some occasions it feels like he's obsessed with it, but other times it feels like he's mourning because of it.

18. Backstory: Tell me anything about your twst OC's backstory. Their childhood, their parents, their siblings etc. Does their backstory affect how they are as a character now and how they interact with the cast?

Oh, I should probably give a heads up that this section briefly goes over non-descriptive mentions of child mortality. It really isn't anything bad, but just in case.

Some of you may have an inkling of what Mel's "condition" is after reading everything. Either way, here's the grand reveal: Mel was born half-dead.

I'm still working out the kinks of his backstory, but here is what I have so far.

Mel's mother, Meladora Banashi, was a mortician. She did her work dutifully and respectfully, making sure that the souls of the departed made it to the afterlife prepared. What she never expected to happen was for her skill and gentle nature to catch the attention of a deity of death.

Meladora was reluctant, at first. She refused to believe that a lord of the Underworld was seeing her in person for the sole reason of being in her presence. But eventually, after many encounters and late night talks, the two fell in love.

Years later, Meladora would give birth to Mel. But something was wrong: the birth itself, blessed by powerful magic, went smoothly, and Meladora and the baby had made it out just fine...

Except baby Mel came out the womb already half a ghost, and everyone was absolutely losing their minds with shock and terror. Even Mel's father was left baffled and concerned over his son's condition. Nothing like this had ever happened before.

Mel grew up constantly being on the brink of passing over. Everyone made sure to watch over him at all times and stabilized him whenever he started losing his vitality. Mel was forced to frequently traverse between the mortal plane and the Underworld in order to keep him steady, and it took a toll on his relationships and social skills.

It was only when he unlocked his unique magic at the age of twelve that he was able to live without constantly worrying about forfeiting his mortality. But it came at a heavy cost; Mel sucked out a large portion of his mother's lifespan. She was left permanently weakened and sickly, and in present day she doesn't have long to live.

Mel was horrified about what he had done. His parents assured him that it wasn't his fault, he didn't mean for it to happen, he couldn't have known, but none of their reassurances ever quelled his guilt.

The worst part was that years later, even after Mel had taken his own mother's lifespan, no one could explain to him what exactly it meant to be half-dead. It frustrates him to end, and he wishes he could find an answer to his question; and, by extension, a cure. For himself and for his mother, before it's too late.

19. Pick only one: Let your twst OC pick only one and explain the reasons: only one favorite from each dorm, only one favorite housewarden/vice housewarden, only one favorite first/second/third year etc.

Favorite housewarden: Idia (he's biased)

Favorite vice housewarden: Trey (Mel gets the impression that Trey is the sanest one out of all the options)

Favorite first year: Ortho, once he enrolls (before it was Jack)

Favorite second year: Silver (quiet and nice, would be friends if they both weren't so caught up in their own worlds)

Favorite third year: Idia, again (he's not a fan of the third years)

20. (For my beloved yume shippers) Partner: Who do you ship your twst OC with? Are they in a relationship? If yes, how did it start/end? If no, why?