#the ball

-Riz is the son of two goblins who were very intertwined with mysteries. As a goblin, him and his mother have spent a lot of time being ostracized from their communities and have been left to be lonely without any real connections outside of each other. Despite constant worry and plenty of frustration from his mother, Riz prioritizes mysteries over anything. His first ever mystery was a desperate attempt to find his only childhood friend, and even once finding her and gaining friends along the way, he only seems to view himself as a tool that his friends use in order to get mysteries solved. His nickname, ‘The Ball’ is a reoccurring thing brought up through his story. Starting off as another nickname due to bullying, his close friends (in particular Fabian) end up warping it into its own identity, one he ends up growing proud of more than his own name at times. His mom, despite the joy that he has friends, struggles with the nickname - viewing it as another attempt to belittle him. The Ball and Riz almost become separate beings in itself. Throughout Riz’ arc, he spends the majority of his time burying himself in mysteries in an attempt to bridge the gap that formed after his father’s passing. The mystery hopping ends up becoming his source of avoidance, separating Riz from The Ball. Many of the villains mock him, stating that The Ball is weak and that it’s a shallow facade of Riz. That The Ball is just as worthless as Riz. This self doubt, hidden between mysteries, ends up spawning a manifestation of his fears. The idea that his friends only care about Riz for his skills, and that he is disposable. Even ending up making a mockery of his struggles with romantic and sexual feelings in order to separate him from his friends. His arc never truly slows, as he consistently remains the one to handle stress and deal with the mysteries at hand.

Can't decide if it's Michael or Aziraphale.