#tillichan

✧ PROFILE

— STORY

Your upbringing was quite comfortable. You came from a well-off family and grew up in Kyoto, and later on you were enrolled in Hakuho High since your parents wanted you to have a good education at a reputable school. While your parents often had high expectations and encouraged you to do your best, they thankfully were not overly demanding or controlling; you were largely able to pursue your interests and indulge in whatever hobbies you developed over the years.

You have been formally invited to join a special manager training program. This is a program designed to train individuals to properly manage players and teams in a competitive and professional football setting. The program will include evaluations to ensure that candidates have properly grasped the program’s goals and can prove their capability as a manager. You have been selected as a candidate due to your academic achievements as well as your abilities in other fields. If you are interested in this opportunity, please report to the following location, [ADDRESS], at [TIME] on [DATE]. We hope you will seriously consider this offer. Any further questions or concerns will be addressed on-site on the specified date. - Japan Football Union

The letter you received in the mail came as a surprise to you. It came out of nowhere, no event or advertisement, and it wasn’t like you applied to anything like it. You were a bit wary—while the Japan Football Union was well known, you couldn’t find any information about this program online—but you were still quite curious nonetheless. Your friend Reo explained that he and Nagi had gotten invites to some special training program for football… but not a manager program, and even they had limited information about the whole situation. But the letters came from the same place, and the address was the same. While you didn’t have a ton of experience with football, you’ve been helping out with the team at Hakuho so you knew some of the ins and outs of practice and games. Still, you never really imagined being a manager in a professional context and you were just helping out as an extracurricular.

In any case, you figured a change of pace might do you some good. Taking the chance that the letter was legit, you went out to the designated location on the indicated date (a different date than Reo and Nagi, you noted). When you arrived, there was a small handful of others that came to be part of the program as well, all with different backgrounds and skillsets. That was when the head of the program–an eccentric, lanky, black-haired man with rounded glasses–made his appearance to explain the manager program to everyone.

And so, along with the other aspiring candidates, you underwent training of your own during Phase One of the Blue Lock project parallel to the main Blue Lock program so you could become capable team managers. It was a lot of work, especially since you really had to start from the bottom and learn as much as you could about the rules and technicalities of the sport, on top of being taught how to properly oversee and promote a professional sports team. Even with your experience, there was so much to learn. There were times you felt like you bit off more than you could chew, but you were determined to see things through!

For much of Phase One of Blue Lock, you and the others cycled through the different teams and groups, everyone getting a turn with each team, meaning you got to meet all of the future-best-striker hopefuls. It was nice seeing your old friends again, but it was exciting meeting everyone else as well. Once Phase Two rolled around, you and the small handful of managers who were left got to pick one of the teams to personally oversee. You thankfully got your first pick, which was Manshine City—you really wanted to be close once more to Reo and Nagi.

— AFFILIATIONS

Blue Lock / Ego Jinpachi and Teieri Anri, Manshine City (Phase Two).

— EGO COLOR -> lavender

— MANAGER DUTIES

Keeping water, towels, and refreshing but healthy snacks on hand for everyone. -> You’re very much a sweet, caring, and motherly manager, and it definitely shows in the way that you take care of your team. During practice, you’re quick to hand over towels and beverages to your team when they take a break. You also make sure to keep healthy snacks on hand and you always bring options so everyone can have something they enjoy. (Extra snacks normally wouldn’t be allowed, but Ego allows it just because you tend to pick natural, balanced options and it’s not an everyday thing. Maybe it’ll even boost motivation).

Tending to injuries. -> Football can be a really rough sport, especially when players get overly competitive and aggressive. You hate seeing your team hurt and you’ve taken it upon yourself to learn first aid basics, and you have become the go-to person when they need any scrapes patched up or joints wrapped up in compression bandages. After you’ve made sure that they’re okay, you scold the players that have a tendency to be a little reckless and get themselves hurt more often than they should.

Tracking player progress and reviewing recent matches. -> A lot of your time as a manager involves closely watching your team’s matches (both live and through recordings), and you have a keen eye looking for areas of improvement and finding weak spots in the players’ teamwork and coverage. The more experience you get and the more you learn about football, the more you are able to help with planning training exercises and giving advice. Your extensive chess knowledge is very helpful in deciding the line-up for a game, as well.

YOUR MATCH IS…

✧ NAGI SEISHIRO

-> [ Prior to Blue Lock, the two of you only really saw each other in passing while at Hakuho High. ] Of course, you properly met him through Reo, who was a good friend of yours. Nagi kept to himself with the exception of Reo, and even then he preferred being alone when possible… He’s really not the social type. Your conversations with your apathetic classmate back then were minimal, but not unpleasant. He was distant, yes, but not unkind. In any case, it was nice to see familiar faces within Blue Lock, so you were equally happy seeing him and Reo whenever you got assigned to their team.

-> [ Not everyone has the patience to deal with someone like Nagi. ] You, however, have seemingly boundless patience when it comes to children and the childish—and you can’t help but see Nagi as endearing more often than not, anyway. Despite his laziness and apathy, he’s really quite cute and sweet in your eyes. Besides, once Nagi gets to know you better, he gets a bit clingy with you! He really likes how you’re always kind and sweet, even when he’s being a bit fussy. Others may see him as a bit of a brat, especially when compared to you, but Nagi really does appreciate how much patience you have for him (even if you can get a little bossy sometimes), and he tries to show that by spending time with you and paying much more attention to your conversations and interests.

-> [ Nagi’s growing crush on you isn’t very obvious. ] At least, not to most people. Reo might pick up on it, noticing that your mutual white-haired friend seems to be growing increasingly tolerant and even fond of your presence, but he doesn’t ultimately think much of it. Aside from gravitating towards you more often, Nagi starts growing a bit more touchy. Nothing major, but you’ll catch him leaning on you, resting his chin on the top of your head as he tries to look at whatever you’re reading (often a clipboard of tasks and notes). During any breaks where you two can briefly get out of Blue Lock, he might surprise you with random, small gifts (“I saw this and it reminded me of you, so… Here.”)

-> [ Nagi confesses to you early on in Phase Two. ] It’s one of those confessions that are so casual, so out of the blue that it catches you completely off guard, and his overall nonchalant and minimally expressive demeanor certainly doesn’t help this fact. It happens one evening after practice; Nagi’s hair is still wet from his shower and you just finished tidying up the training facilities with plans to review some data. More often than not, you and Nagi hang out for a while in the evenings, you reviewing data, games, or even reading manga while he plays on his phone. So the two of you start settling down in the guys’ shared room, Nagi sprawled across his bed and you on a plush chair, and as you’re getting comfy Nagi surprises you by saying:

“Hey… I really like you, by the way.”

-> [ With your influence, you might get him to cut down on his phone and game time, just a little. ] While Nagi might complain initially, he actually really likes doing activities such as going out on walks with you. It’s a change of pace from his norm of playing football then being glued to his phone, but he enjoys your company to the point where he’s willing to do things he might otherwise deem troublesome. (He’s also very curious about horseback riding since he knows you enjoy it but it’s something he has never done before, and it seems kind of cool).

-> [ Nagi finds you to be very cute, both in appearance and personality. ] You’re decently tall, but Nagi still towers over you! Definitely the type to compare his hand size to yours (and then lace your fingers together so you’re holding hands). He loves seeing your smile because it’s such a warm expression and your dimples are absolutely precious. You’ll often find him reaching out to poke at your cheeks and dimples. He also really adores when you lovingly tease him. Your outfits always look so comfy, too—perfect to laze around in. Perhaps he could convince you to settle down and take a nap with him?

-> [ The fact that you’re more of a homebody works out very well with him. ] Nagi just doesn’t have the drive to live a super hectic, busy life—he prefers when his free time is relaxing and peaceful (which is something he can achieve very easily by your side). If he is visiting you, it’s not uncommon to find him lazing around with your cat and/or dog. One of his favorite things to do when you’re both staying in for the day is reading manga with you! The two of you may or may not have different tastes, but it’s still really nice being able to settle in somewhere comfy and quietly read together. And, if you’re up for it, he’ll allow you to try some games on his phone or Switch—he actually thinks it’s pretty fun watching you learn how to play.

-> [ Dates with Nagi are on the calmer, more relaxing side. ] He’s not the type to want to go to super busy, crowded places… though if you two can find a quieter arcade, he would love to go with you! In fact, he might suddenly disappear on you if he spots one while you two are walking through town so he can peek his head in and check it out. Gardens, nature parks, and aquariums are solid date spots in his book, especially if you guys can find somewhere relaxing to take a break.

— ADDITIONAL HEADCANONS ->

-> You are Choki’s second parent. You and Nagi definitely adopt more plant children together, especially whenever you manage to get your own garden started.

-> Nagi will let you sit him down and put him through skin and hair care regimens. He thinks it feels really nice!

-> Nagi always ends up falling asleep while birdwatching with you.

-> Throughout his time in Blue Lock, Nagi makes quite a bit of emotional growth. He might make even more headway with you at his side, with your willingness to understand and connect with him.

— SHIP TROPES ->

-> mothering (you) x childish (him)

-> warm personality (you) x cold personality (him)

-> the calmest couple

✧ RELATIONSHIP WITH…

— MARC SNUFFY-> Your mentor figure and someone who ends up viewing you almost like a daughter. Managers have a unique role in the Blue Lock program, so while you do spend much of your time overseeing the Manshine City team and working alongside Chris Prince, you also get to learn a bit from other teams as well. Snuffy has a great eye for tactics and seems to organize his teams really well, so you wanted to learn a few things from him since Chris tends to be much more loose about his team structure. Not to mention, Snuffy has a very welcoming personality and is more than willing to give you advice.

Snuffy thinks you have a really good head on your shoulders! You’re responsible, kind, smart, always willing to learn and help others. He thinks you’re way too nice to a lot of these brats in Blue Lock, but also believes you’re a good influence on the ones that you interact with often. Over the course of the NEL matches he ends up doting on you much like a father would dote on a daughter.

— MIKAGE REO -> One of your closest friends. Reo has never had a friend be so attentive towards him, considering most of his acquaintances from high school just hang around because of his status and influence. You’re very genuine with him, and he finds it funny when you’re comfortable enough to tease him. He finds a lot of solace and comfort in you, especially when he feels abandoned by Nagi (and he’d be lying if he said he didn’t fall in love with you at some point, but he’s not really sure if that happened prior to Blue Lock or after). He honestly gets a little jealous whenever you spend too much time with Nagi, but tamps those feelings down once you and Nagi start dating. You’re both too important to him to risk losing either of you. He regularly invites you two out to hang out with him.

(Reo is a very close runner-up for your match, and you would likely do just as well with him as you would with Nagi! Reo’s emotions can fluctuate a lot when distressed, however, and he is prone to bouts of jealousy and dramatics… You would do your best to empathize with him and understand his troubles and reactions, of course, but this might overwhelm you too frequently for your liking. Additionally, the dynamic he has with his family doesn’t exactly bode for a simple and peaceful future, either, which can be quite stressful. Still, he’s someone you can have a lot of fun with, and you both can bring out the best in each other with enough time, patience, and healing.)

— HIORI YO -> Childhood friends! Both of you grew up in the same neighborhood in Kyoto, and still spend time together even after you went to different high schools (usually on weekends, since you had to temporarily relocate to Tokyo for school). You gave him an outlet other than football and video games, and you always listened without judgement whenever he wanted to express his worries or frustrations about the pressure his parents put on him. He is admittedly a little video game obsessed, and if left to his own devices he could easily become a shut-in, but there are days where you make him leave his room and take a break from the games. Honestly, he’s happy to get out and do something different (even if it’s just hanging out at your house) so long as it’s with you.

He was very much caught off-guard when he saw you at Blue Lock as a manager-in-training, but overjoyed to see you! It had been a while since the two of you last met up, and you two have a lot to catch up on, it seems! Despite the high stakes, Hiori seems to be more relaxed in Blue Lock since he’s away from his parents, which you’re happy to see.

— CHIGIRI HYOMA -> Despite his appearance, Chigiri is naturally very sassy and this ends up bringing out your teasing side quite easily once you get to know him a bit better. You feel comfortable teasing him because he isn’t overly reactive or sensitive, so he can take a joke and play up the banter with you without being too harsh. He is definitely your go-to person if you want to exchange skin or hair care tips, and you two regularly have little self-care sessions together. It really brightens up his days in the dreary, restrictive Blue Lock environment! Chigiri is a bit protective of you because he thinks you’re almost too nice and there are a lot of guys who can be jerks in Blue Lock, so he’s quick to stand up for you if he notices anyone being a little too rude or harsh towards you.

— ITOSHI RIN -> You’re the introvert that’s easy to get to know, but Rin is the introvert that one has to fight to get to know. Like with everyone else, Rin is initially very dismissive and cold towards you—but he doesn’t find you nearly as annoying as most of the other guys he has to deal with. While he isn’t very friendly towards you, you notice that he tries not to make as much work for you to do, especially when it comes to little things like tidying up the training rooms. He keeps to himself and sees himself as different from his peers, but you don’t seem to ever judge him harshly even when you start noticing his quirks… he can’t help but appreciate that, even if he doesn’t verbally express the sentiment.

— ISAGI YOICHI -> The way you dote on others makes him see you as an older sister figure (regardless of your actual age compared to him). You bring such a different energy than all the other guys he’s surrounded by, and he really looks forward to any interactions with you, even if they’re brief! Kindness and patience might be what most people focus on when they think of you, but Isagi latches onto your sharp intelligence, and definitely comes to you for advice on more than a few occasions.

— KURONA RANZE -> Kurona has a thing for hair, and he really likes yours! It was the first thing that really caught his eye on you. It’s so well taken care of, and he learns that it’s very fluffy and soft (thanks to the time you allowed him to touch your hair—he really wanted to braid it). Hair aside, he thinks you’re very sweet and warm, and he always feels at peace in your presence. Gives you the nickname “Dancer” once he finds out that you enjoy various types of dance, which also echoes the elegant, graceful way you often move in general.

✧ PROFILE

— BACKSTORY

Lush green grass tipped with morning dew, the whisper of wind as it rustles through trees, the quiet babbling of a nearby river. Tall stone walls, a blooming flower garden, soft ballroom music echoing through decadent corridors.

Those were merely a few of the sights and sounds that surrounded the home you grew up in. You are a fae—a diurnal fae rather than a nocturnal fae, so you are not of the same court of the Draconia family in Briar Valley. Even more specifically, you are a woodland fae, not to be confused with those cute, tiny wood fairies that often flit about various forests. Many of the smaller varieties of fae reside in the Faeland, and you live in a territory adjacent to it called Fernmoss Grove, a land which holds its own governing body, its own nobility, with many of the inhabitants being human-sized diurnal fae; it can easily be considered a brighter, sunnier counterpart to Briar Valley. If the nocturnal fae of Briar Valley are comparable to the Unseelie court in folklore, then your home territory would be the Seelie court.

And yet, you are not merely an inhabitant of your land. Rather, you are the daughter of a prominent noble house. In human cultures, your parents would be considered something like a duke and duchess. So, you are not part of the actual ruling family in Fernmoss Grove, but still part of the upper echelons with some sway in the politics.

As such, you lived a life of comfort and even a little extravagance. It was not all fun and games, however, and you had high expectations placed upon your shoulders. While your parents were not especially strict or harsh, they still wanted you to flourish and excel to the best of your abilities. You were given a rigorous, well-rounded education and encouraged to dabble in various hobbies to build skills. When you weren’t busy studying history and politics, you were riding horses, learning different styles of dance, practicing various languages, or tending to the large gardens that sprawl across your family’s estate. Being a fae, magic was imbued in your daily life, shaping not only your personal upbringing but also the very culture that surrounds you. It still gets the better of you at times, because you are quite young for a fae and you are still learning things every day, but you developed great control over your magic at a young age. So was it really any surprise that an esteemed magical academy extended an invitation of enrollment to you?

The most-discussed magic schools on Sage’s Island are certainly Night Raven College and Royal Sword Academy; there is no doubt about that, given their history and influence. However, it would be incorrect to believe that those are the only magic schools on the island! In fact, you started attending Crystal Tower Academy, an all-girls school on Sage’s island that is very often considered an equivalent to RSA, distinguished and elegant with a bright and welcoming atmosphere.

While NRC has historically been an all-boys school, the headmaster and professors decided to trial exchange programs with other schools—regardless of the exchange students’ genders—to see what the impacts of this would be on their overall school performance and culture. Nonetheless, the school population is still primarily boys. When your school offered you the chance to do a year-long exchange at NRC, believing you would be a very good representative for CTA, you agreed. In your eyes, this should be a very good experience and a way to further broaden your horizons. You’ll miss your classes and friends at CTA, but you’re looking forward to seeing how other magic academies operate.

Just like NRC’s own students, you are brought to the school via a magical black carriage. In order to properly welcome their exchange students, the school makes sure that they are part of the entrance ceremony that they hold every year, complete with a dorm sorting by the Dark Mirror. It’s a much gloomier, atmospheric entrance ceremony than you experienced at Crystal Tower Academy, but it sure sets the mood for your days to come.

It seems this next year is going to be an interesting one!

— DORM

The Dark Mirror peers into your soul and observes the essence of your being, declaring that you would be suited for…

✦ Heartslabyul

A dorm based on the Queen of Hearts’ spirit of strictness. It is known for its long list of rules that its students are expected to abide by. Should they break even one, it will result in their “beheading” by the housewarden.

Perhaps this is a surprising result for you! Perhaps you would have preferred another dorm, or you feel that you might not fit best here overall. Sometimes, dorm placements are a bit unexpected—after all, a troublemaker like Ace ended up in Heartslabyul, and he often becomes frustrated with the sheer amount of arbitrary rules to follow. Epel isn’t the most enthused about his placement in Pomefiore, either, feeling out of his element surrounded by the elegance and high standards imposed by his dorm. For you, there are times where you will thrive within Heartslabyul, and times where you are forced to grow. In any case, you’re determined to get along with your dormmates and learn what you can from them—and they will likely learn plenty from you, too! If you are truly feeling out of place here, though, the Dark Mirror may be willing to consider re-assignment.

You always strive to do the “good” or “right” thing—you have your own moral code that you follow no matter what, though you also generally respect that others follow their own codes (so long as they don’t participate in acts that you deem utterly reprehensible). You know who you are and where your loyalties lie, you know what you like and dislike, and you refuse to lose yourself by throwing away your principles. While you aren’t really a stickler for the rules (unlike your housewarden), you tend to be rather content following most rules so long as they are reasonable and just. If they make sense and are relatively easy to abide by, you will find a way to comfortably live within them.

That being said, you do find many of the Heartslabyul rules to be a little ridiculous… and you often feel that Riddle overreacts when someone happens to break a rule. There are so many, you honestly can’t keep track of them yourself—you can’t even imagine anyone else but Riddle could remember the 810 rules. The only time you disobey your housewarden directly is when Heartslabyul’s Unbirthday Parties roll around, and you absolutely refuse to use actual paint on the roses! You insist they only get altered by some harmless magic. You’re very firm on some of your stances, and Riddle also isn’t the type to back down from arguments when he feels that he’s in the right—Trey and Cater often end up stepping in to diffuse the situation, trying to reassure the both of you and find some sort of compromise.

Stuffy rules aside, life in Heartslabyul actually isn’t all that bad. The dorm building and its gardens are gorgeous, and you often sneak away into a quiet corner of the gardens when you need a bit of time to yourself. While you might disagree with how some of the celebrations are set up, you are ultimately very helpful when it comes to getting everything organized and ready. Life in this dorm is very busy! Many of your dorrmmates are quite friendly, too, even if you’ve barely interacted with them, and it’s not uncommon to get invited to small, spontaneous tea and dessert parties.

You don’t interact too often with the third-year students given your differing schedules and responsibilities, and you try to keep your interactions with Trey and Cater short and polite. They’re nice and surprisingly helpful when it comes to getting you adjusted to life at Heartslabyul, especially with you being an exchange student, but you can’t see yourself becoming super close friends with them. But, despite your courteous distance from them, they both actually view you quite favorably! In their eyes, you are a cute and respectful underclassman. Trey keeps things a bit formal between you two, and is always happy to offer advice or answer any questions you have about Heartslabyul or NRC as a whole. Cater is much more casual and friendly, as he is with most people, and puts in a bit of effort getting to know you. One of the first things he asked for was your Magicam handle and he was absolutely flabbergasted when you said that you didn’t have one. He insists that if you ever want help setting one up, he’s happy to help!

Riddle is a second-year like you, and you actually get along with him very well anytime he isn’t acting like a tyrant. Both of you have a lot of respect for each other’s magical prowess and abilities. Riddle is very curious about your culture and heritage, and he feels that you’ll overall be a good influence and example for others in the dorm (even if you two butt heads about the rules sometimes).

Ace and Deuce are almost like younger brothers to you—funny, energetic, though sometimes exasperating. However, you enjoy spending time with them whenever they aren’t running off and getting themselves into mischief with their little first-year friend group. They love including you whenever you aren’t busy, though! Deuce often approaches you for advice, while Ace often comes to you when he’s sulking about getting in trouble by Riddle.

(See relationships below for further mentions of Riddle and Deuce!)

— CLUB

✦ Gargoyle Studies Club

The sole member of this club is Malleus who spends his club activities walking around the campus and observing the variety of gargoyles, or researching books in the school library.

You very, very nearly joined the Equestrian Club given your fondness for horses and your previous experiences with horseback riding, but you ultimately decided to join the Gargoyle Studies Club because you simply couldn’t bear the thought that Malleus had no clubmates. It seems rather interesting, anyway—it is a very unique club idea, and maybe you could learn a lot.

However, you find that you can’t stay away from the Equestrian Club completely! Even if you are not an official member, there are times where you find yourself joining the club with their activities some afternoons when you aren’t particularly busy. Since you’re not an official member, you don’t have any club responsibilities, which is quite beneficial for you. It is mostly a way for you to have some fun with a hobby that you’ve enjoyed! It also helps that you know Riddle, Silver, and Sebek, so they ultimately don’t really mind seeing you around the club.

— UNIQUE MAGIC

✦ Reverse the Clock -> “Heal these wounds, erase all harms - reverse the clock!” As indicated by your incantation, your Unique Magic allows you to heal the wounds of others. It was born from your deep desire to help and protect others, and you discovered it a few years before you first started attending Crystal Tower Academy. A (literal) golden veil made of light stretches between your hands like silken, shimmering fabric and you drape it over a living creature to heal any injuries. It is powerful, but all things have their limits—if a wound is especially grievous, you may not be able to heal it fully. However, any healing is helpful and can still be lifesaving even if the wound is not fully reversed. You are unable to use this ability on yourself.

(Unique Magic name inspired by Rapunzel/Disney’s Tangled)

— NIGHT RAVEN COLLEGE STUDENT ID

A prestigious four-year arcane academy. Its doors are only open to students deemed to possess magical aptitude as determined by a magical artifact called the Dark Mirror.

Welcome to Night Raven College!

✦ Grade: Sophomore (2nd year) ✦ Class: 2-A (Seat No. 8) ✦ Club: Gargoyle Studies Club ✦ Best Subject: Animal languages

(Side notes: You are a student of Class 2-A, meaning that Silver and Kalim are among your regular classmates. You are the second member of the Gargoyle Studies Club alongside club leader Malleus. Your best subject is animal languages, which is something you have in common with Ruggie.)

YOUR MATCH IS…

✧ MALLEUS DRACONIA

-> [ When Malleus lays eyes on you, he thinks you have hair like sunlight and eyes like a cloudless sky. ] Immediately, instinctually, he knows what you are—you are a fae, similar to him yet distinct. While he does not often interact with diurnal fae, he is well aware of the various types of fae that would fall under that umbrella. Ah, but how fitting that your blonde hair and blue eyes would echo the colors of daytime, given your diurnal heritage. However, despite the curious pull he feels towards you, he decides not to speak to you when he sees you relaxing in the shade of a tree on campus. This is in part not to bother you, but it is also because he believes your paths will inevitably cross again. Fairies and fae are not terribly common on NRC campus, after all, and they tend to be drawn towards each other in human territories.

Still, he is a bit surprised when you appear in front of him a week or so later asking to join the Gargoyle Studies Club, but is happy to welcome you nonetheless! Malleus is very eager to have someone else to chat with about these gorgeous pieces of functional art.

-> [ Oh, he’s so very smitten with you. But your relationship progresses naturally, and could even be considered a bit of a slow burn. ] As a fae, Malleus has a slightly different sense of time to humans—but with you also being a fae, there is a good chance that you will understand where he’s coming from (although you tend to be much more punctual than him…). Still, he is not the type to rush things. He does not want to push things too far too quickly with his first friend, his first love. Malleus takes his time getting to know you, so that there is plenty of time to really open up to each other. While you two are in different classes, there are many times you happen to cross paths by chance and he whisks you off to spend time with him. You both have feelings long before the two of you officially begin your relationship.

“Sometimes I lose track of time when I’m with you. It’s a strange feeling, but not an unpleasant one.”

-> [ Perhaps fittingly, he confesses to you late one evening, while the both of you are out stargazing. ] What makes this even sweeter is that you are the one who invited him out this particular night, which makes Malleus rather giddy and excited. As the night drags on and the moon curves high in the sky, you become a bit sleepy, but still happy to be spending time with him—besides, you really want to see the meteor shower! A couple weeks prior, you discovered a nice spot at the upper edge of the NRC campus, just beyond a thicket of trees; NRC is already situated among mountains, meaning that you’re already above the rest of the glow of the lights on Sage’s Island, giving you an amazing view of the starry sky above.

Much like the first time he tried confessing to you, it’s not planned, but feels right for the moment. Sitting side by side with you in the grass, Malleus gets your attention by placing his hand atop yours. When you look at him, he leans in slightly, his words heavy with meaning. “I find myself utterly fascinated and charmed by you. If you’re interested, I’d like to officially begin courting you.”

-> [ Dates with Malleus are both planned and impromptu. ] He loves being able to invite you out to something, or if you invite him (especially then), but there are many instances where he will whisk you away without any preamble because he feels like spending time with you away from your other friends at NRC. Malleus prefers dates in quieter, less busy locations, which generally works out just fine with you - peaceful dates are much more your speed. He has no complaints if you’d prefer to stay in and have a nice at-home date. However, if there is some interesting event going on, he truly doesn’t mind checking things out with you, and will stay out for as long as you’re comfortable.

-> [ Malleus’s main love language is definitely quality time. ] Being able to spend time with his loved ones is extremely important to him, especially if he feels that his time with them is limited. Thankfully, with you being a fae with a long lifespan, he has fewer feelings of “running out of time” with you, which would be an entirely different case with any of his human companions. Other than making it a point to spend as much time as possible with you around your busy schedules, he is very verbally affectionate. He is always complimenting you, and he is rather fond of writing letters to you that express all of his sweet musings and smitten thoughts. His penmanship is beautiful and the letters are always written on such nice parchment, and he often gives these letters to you along with a small gift.

✦ ADDITIONAL HEADCANONS ->

Most animals tend to naturally be afraid of Malleus, which he was already mildly disheartened about, but this is even more so the case after he learns how much animals mean to you. He wants to befriend all of your animal companions, and is willing to put the work in and be patient. Only time will tell if they eventually grow comfortable with him!

You should show him some manga! It should be a rather funny and entertaining ordeal, and he might actually really like some of it. Malleus is well-read, certainly, but he really hasn’t delved into anything like comics or visual novels.

Neither of you are terribly savvy with human technology, which is quite endearing to those who know both of you. Malleus does get excited whenever he learns how to use appliances, however, and you are always the first person he goes to whenever he wants to show off his new knowledge.

✦ SHIP TROPES ->

-> light fae x dark fae

-> noble couple

-> affection-starved (him) x affectionate (you)

✧ RELATIONSHIP WITH…

— SILVER VANROUGE -> You and Silver are kindred spirits, incredibly similar in your overall calm, peaceful dispositions. Silver is a bit more stoic than you, a bit more reserved—and while you are not especially extraverted yourself, you are still very warm and welcoming towards others and happy to get to know them. The two of you met in class, often sitting near each other. At first, you were very frustrated with this silver-haired boy who kept falling asleep in the middle of class. How rude! you would think, especially when it happens more than once per class period. But then you started getting a little worried, because even the biggest slackers don’t sleep this often in class. Maybe he has a health condition…?

In any case, you started getting to know him when the two of you got paired together in alchemy, and the two of you became fast friends when you realized that Silver is actually a very kind, responsible person. You two often walk to classes together and study together; you stay on top of shaking him awake whenever he unintentionally dozes off, for which he is incredibly grateful! He doesn’t mean to fall asleep in class, and there are times it affects his grades.

— LILIA VANROUGE -> Lilia wants to know when you and Malleus plan on getting married! He has an outfit and wedding gifts picked out already, so it better be soon! Jokes aside, he is very invested in the relationship between you two and truly hopes for the best for both of you. He thinks that you’re amazing for Malleus, and he is so glad that the dragon fae met you. You’re so level-headed, patient, and empathetic that he hopes Malleus will mature a bit more quickly by your example. Thankfully, he does not actively stick his nose into your guys’ business very often, but he does latch onto any details that you or Malleus share with him. He loves hearing about you two.

On another note, Lilia is quite interested in the fact that you’re a diurnal fae! Nocturnal and diurnal fae don’t actually interact very often, and he can’t remember the last time he visited the sunny, nature-filled lands you hail from. He asks you for recommendations on places to see and things to do for the next time he travels there.

— SEBEK ZIGVOLT -> Remember how shocked he was upon learning that Malleus had feelings for you? Just wait until the two of you actually start interacting and he starts to learn a bit more about you. Very quickly, he shifts from calling you “that pesky girl” to using “Lady” in front of your name as an honorific once he hears about the fact that you’re fae nobility. It’s not like he would have really known beforehand, since you don’t exactly advertise that you’re from a noble house in your lands and Sebek doesn’t have detailed knowledge about the diurnal fae societies, but he is aghast at himself and is very quick to offer apologies for any offense you might have taken with his previous words.

You can’t help but dote on him sometimes, getting him little gifts and just checking in on how his day has been. For as loud and severe as he is, he can really be quite cute sometimes! Sebek can’t help but become a little flustered anytime you spoil him. “Thank you. But!! I don’t need this—ah, but I will graciously accept!”

— DEUCE SPADE -> Deuce considers you a respectable, capable, smart, pretty, charming upperclassman whom he is very infatuated with. He has such a big crush on you and the poor boy cannot hide it. Whenever he has to talk to you for more than 30 seconds, his face turns red and he starts stuttering. (Ace teases him all the time because Deuce cannot hide his feelings for the life of him). You find it a bit funny in an endearing way, and you can’t help the giggle that escapes whenever he ends up like this. Still, Deuce doesn’t make any distinct mention of his feelings, and you also avoid bringing anything up in order to prevent things from becoming awkward. Besides, once you and Malleus start dating, that news spreads like wildfire—there isn’t much to explain, and Deuce congratulates you and wishes you the best with Malleus once he learns of your new relationship status.

Crush or no crush, that doesn’t stop Deuce from occasionally seeking you out for advice on magic and classes when he feels like he is drowning in homework that he barely understands! He is trying really hard now, but Past Deuce really made things difficult for Current Deuce when he went through that rebellious phase of his prior to NRC, and as a result he could really benefit from a helpful classmate who is willing to help him master some spells. You’re great at explaining things in a way that he understands, and you have significantly more experience with magic than he does, so you have a lot of good tips.

— KALIM AL-ASIM -> Kalim absolutely adooores you! He is among your closest friends at NRC and could very well be considered your best friend. He is just so warm and friendly, and you feel very at ease around him! You try to believe in the best in everyone, but sometimes you get more than a little exhausted dealing with the rambunctious, often selfish students at NRC—thankfully, Kalim is very different from the average NRC student. Empathetic and motherly as you are, you sometimes stretch yourself a little too thin for your friends and loved ones. However, Kalim’s warm presence is very soothing and energizing for you! (He always invites you to his parties, but you do politely decline on occasion since you don’t always feel up to socializing on that scale; Kalim pouts about it for a moment, but is quick to brighten up with a “well, maybe next time!”)

You don’t interact very often with Jamil (though wherever Kalim goes, Jamil is often not far off), and he doesn’t have any strong opinions about you. Your relationship with him is a bit distant; there is something about him that sets you on edge and you feel like you can’t fully trust him. He does, at least, appreciate that you are responsible and calm—he can trust that you will not purposefully get Kalim into some ridiculous, dangerous situation.

— RIDDLE ROSEHEARTS -> Despite his strict and often harsh attitude, you can’t help but consider him cute (he would very much disagree—he is dignified, not cute). Be careful if you tease him about it! Although… he is slightly, slightly, less likely to scold you compared to the others in your dorm. Or he isn’t likely to scold you as harshly, anyways. Besides, you have a lot of respect for him because he is very capable and skilled, and he is extremely diligent in everything that he does! He very much appreciates that you tend to follow the rules and you’re not the type to intentionally cause problems for him or others.

When you start showing up to the Equestrian Club meetings on your free days (something Riddle mildly disapproves of but decides to allow since you are responsible and very good with the horses), the two of you start to get to know each other a little better. You two often start meeting up in the afternoons in the Heartslabyul dorm for tea! Also, since you’re in the same year, and you’re one of the few who actually seems relatively comfortable being in his presence, he approaches you in the days leading up to exams asking if you’d be interested in studying together.

— PROFESSOR TREIN -> Trein thinks that you’re a good egg. Polite, smart, diligent, focused in class… You’re such a breath of fresh air compared to the many unruly and boisterous students he has to teach on a daily basis. You show up to class, complete all of your assignments, and do well on exams. Ah, it’s so nice! Besides that, you get along very well with his cat! Little Lucius isn’t the most friendly of felines, but you always cheerfully greet him whenever you come into class, or when you happen to spot him wandering around the halls between classes. You are very respectful of Lucius’s boundaries, and while he is not the most affectionate to anyone who isn’t Trein, the cat does allow you to gently pet his head on occasion. A friend of Lucius is someone to be respected, in Trein’s eyes.

— DAWN ARRIVES ✩

The 20th of July. From the start of the day, a number of your dormmates have been buzzing around Heartslabyul—you can hear them, busier and noisier than usual this morning, while you get ready within your private dorm room. You’re still rubbing the last remnants of sleep from your eyes when you step out of your room, and you catch sight of Ace trotting down the hallway, a large cardboard box in his arms.

“Oops—sorry!” the redhead chirps as he twists out of the way, narrowly avoiding bumping into you. Still, he continues right on his way, though he does call out over his shoulder: “Good morning, by the way!”

“Good morning…?” you trail off, the normally kind and warm response laden with confusion. Ace is pretty energetic, but he’s not what you would consider a morning person, with the first-year being on the grumpy and fussy side as he gets ready to go to class. Speaking of which… where is he going with that box? And why is he up so early? There’s still quite a bit of time before classes start.

Shaking your head, you decide to continue on your way. As you walk through the halls of the dorm, you can hear noise coming from the kitchen. Peeking into the room, you see Trey busy making something, countertops littered with various bowls and ingredients. While it’s not unusual to find him in the kitchen baking some sort of sweet treat, he isn’t typically in the kitchens so early. Before you can say anything, though, Cater appears in front of you, lightheartedly turning you around by the shoulders and nudging you back into the hallway.

“This is a very busy work zone this morning. No unauthorized personnel~ Especially today, and definitely not you. No offense.”

You don’t put up much of a fuss and decide to continue on your way with a “fine, fine” which is met with a chuckle from Cater. Whatever Trey is making, though, it’s already smelling delicious.

When you cross through the main lounge, you see that Ace has set the box down on the floor in one corner of the room and is currently rummaging through it. Deuce is sitting on the couch, eyebrows furrowed and the tip of his tongue peeking out past his lips in concentration as he fiddles with… some string and paper? You step over to him, standing off to the side of the couch as you lean over and look at whatever he’s doing.

“Ace, could you grab me that other stack?” Deuce mumbles, vaguely gesturing towards a small stack of paper cutouts in the shape of various flowers sitting on the side table, just out of his reach. Ace glances up from where he is in the corner of the room, head popping up over the back of the other couch, but you’re already passing the stack to Deuce since you're quite literally standing right there. “Thanks—wait,” he pauses when he notices the dainty hand that is definitely not Ace’s.

“What are you doing?” you ask, nodding your head to the way Deuce is fastening the paper flowers onto the string. The pieces have already clicked into place for you, though, especially considering the long half-folded banner on the opposite couch that has a very bold BIRTHDAY written across it, along with half of your name peeking out from one portion. Besides, you’re very well aware of what the date is.

Deuce blinks, looks down briefly at the craft in his hands, and then glances back up at you; he appears mildly panicked, like he was caught doing something he shouldn’t have been doing (or something that should have been more of a secret). “Uh—”

Ace pipes up from his spot, the box now overturned so he can root through the contents more easily as they spill out across the floor. “Oh come on, I’m pretty sure the cat’s out of the bag. Happy birthday! Make sure to come back here right after classes today!”

You snicker at Ace’s bluntness and the truth of his statement, and Deuce chuckles, a bit embarrassed. “Yes, happy birthday. We’ll celebrate later today, okay?”

— MORNING CLASSES ✩

Your first class of the day is Animal Languages.

“Here—a gift from me! And Leona, technically,” Ruggie says, handing you a small, brightly-colored bag that you’re certain you’ve seen hanging in Sam’s shop. It comes as a surprise to you, because while you and Ruggie often paired up for practice and study for this class (since both of you were naturals with animal languages, and it simply makes sense for you two to practice together given your similar skill levels), you weren’t exactly very close friends. Not to the point of exchanging gifts, anyway.

“Technically?”

“Yeah, technically. I had to pick up a few things for him and I figured I’d get you something for your birthday while I was at it, courtesy of his bank account,” Ruggie explains, briefly waving around Leona’s bank card to emphasize his point before slipping it back into his pocket. Before you can say anything about him using someone else’s money for a gift you really don’t need, the hyena beastman continues. “Don’t worry, he knew I was going to get something for you, and told me to make sure I got something nice. As nice as you can get from Sam’s shop, anyway.”

You blink, looking down at the colorful bag in your hands. The sentiment is nice, especially from someone you’re not especially close to, but you almost feel a little bad for him going out of his way like that. Still, you shake your head and give him a smile; the gift is sweet and very much appreciated, and Ruggie has a practical taste in gifts from what you can tell. “Well, thank you very much. I’ll open it later, okay?”

Ruggie puffs up his chest, nods, and grins. “Sounds good, I hope you like it.”

As he starts heading across the room to sit in his assigned seat, he throws a glance over his shoulder at you. “And you’re still up for being my study buddy before the exam next week, right?”

You can’t help but laugh—it’s just like Ruggie to use a gift to secure himself as your study partner like a favor, even if you would’ve done it anyway without the gift. Oh well. You mentally make a note that you should also thank Leona later, whenever you see him. “Of course.”

-

In your next lesson, you settle down in your seat that’s diagonally situated (to the right and one row behind) from Silver’s. Your friend looks sleepy, like he’s struggling to stay awake sitting there. You greet him as you sit, and he seems to perk up a bit.

“Good morning,” Silver murmurs, a mild but genuinely happy smile on his face. He turns from you briefly, pulling out a cream-colored envelope that has your name elegantly scrawled in black ink across the back, and sealed with a deep forest-green stamp of pressed wax. “Here, Malleus wanted me to give this to you. Happy birthday—this is an invitation to a celebration we’ve planned for you. He seemed very pleased to officially invite someone to something, by the way.”

(Ah, that must have been why Lilia was pestering you about birthday plans last week. Your Diasomnia friends were planning a birthday bash for you!)

Remembering the fact that your own dorm wants to celebrate your day after classes, you open up the envelope right away to read the invitation—and the mild concern you were feeling melts away when you see that the set party time is later in the evening.

With a warm smile on your face, you turn back to Silver and nod. “Thank you; I’ll be there!”

— LUNCH BREAK ✩

An unlikely friend of yours is Floyd Leech.

The eel adores interesting people, so of course a girl (and a diurnal fae no less) at all-boys NRC was quick to catch his attention. What was even more interesting to him was that no matter how much he pestered you, you never seemed to get annoyed and never shooed him away. Eventually, this resulted in him often going out of his way to greet you if he spots you around campus and dubbing you sea bunny—a cute, small, delicate-looking mollusc that is toxic, technically, and yet some of its toxins hold promise for cancer treatments. You would consider him a fairly good friend of yours, even if you only occasionally spend time with him.

“Heeey! Sea bunny!”

Floyd flags you down in one of the halls as you make your way from your last class of the morning to the cafeteria. Pausing your steps and turning towards him, you give the energetic eel a smile, though it’s quickly replaced by a startled expression when he wraps you up in an almost-bonecrushingly tight squeeze. But you’re released after just a moment, and you take the time to pat and straighten out your uniform.

“Hello, Floyd. You seem to be in a good mood.”

You notice that Jade is not far behind, trailing after Floyd with that seemingly ever-present and ever-charming smile on his face. And just behind him, you spot Azul who gives you a nod and smiles at you in greeting.

“Well, yeah! It’s your birthday, isn’t it? I had to give you a birthday squeeze!” Floyd answers with a shrug and an easy grin.

Jade steps up beside his twin, then, presenting you with a little gift box, lavender in color with a teal bow. As you take the box, you can smell a sugary sweetness wafting from it. “This is from Floyd and me. Sea salt chocolate, homemade. It is quite delicious, according to our taste testers,” he smoothly explains, noticing your curious look. Though he does not chat with you as often as his brother, he is very well aware of your fondness for chocolate.

“And here’s a voucher for one free item off the Mostro Lounge menu for the next time you stop by,” Azul adds, placing a business-card sized envelope on top of the box already in your hands. Simple and straightforward, though you suspect he just wants to try and solicit more business from you. “Happy birthday.”

-

Once you’re in the bustling cafeteria, weaving between throngs of students who are obtaining food and finding places to sit, you hear your name loudly being called out by a familiar brash voice.

“Please come here!” Sebek declares, courteousness somewhat hidden by his curt tone. But you have long gotten used to his way of speaking, knowing he is (usually) not as harsh as he tends to sound. He’s sitting with his other first-year friends, including Ace and Deuce. Ah, you’re certain this is going to turn into a mini party right here in the cafeteria with these guys. This little group always gets a little rambunctious.

Ace waves. “You’ll come eat with us today, right? Of course you will.”

“Ace, don’t answer for her!” Deuce scolds.

Laughing, you shake your head in amusement as you take a seat between Sebek and Epel, with Jack on the other side of the lavender-haired boy, which leaves Ace, Deuce, and Ortho across the table. “It’s fine. I’m happy to sit with you guys today.”

“Happy birthday! I don’t have it with me right now since I wasn’t sure when I was going to see you, but I have a fresh batch of spiced apple juice from my hometown that I want to give you,” Epel tells you, eager as ever to share the fruits of his little wintery hometown.

“Ah, I wonder how the diurnal fae celebrate their birthdays?” Ortho wonders, his electronic voice clear over the din of the ever-present chattering of the other students in the cafeteria. “Perhaps I should do some research! In any case, I wish you a happy birthday. My big brother also wants to wish you a happy birthday.”

You hadn’t even noticed that Ortho had the tablet that Idia always uses instead of being physically present in class.

“I, uh, what??” the voice of Idia comes through the speakers, tinny and a bit quiet. “I mean—we don’t really know each other that well, but yeah… Ch-cheers, happy birthday.”

Sebek huffs and utters: “what a lack of enthusiasm!” But without picking more of a fight with this perceived slight against you, he turns towards you, determined as ever to show you the proper deference he believes you’re owed. “I very sincerely offer you the best wishes today! Silver tells me you will be coming to Diasomnia this evening.”

Ace gasps, scandalized. “What about our party??”

“Don’t worry, Ace,” you reassure him. “I’ll still be celebrating with all of you back at the dorm. I don’t need to go to Diasomnia until later tonight.”

“Abandoning us…”

Deuce smacks Ace’s shoulder. “Ace, quit!”

Jack shakes his head, giving you an empathetic glance over Epel’s head. “Sounds like you’ve got a busy day ahead of you. Good luck—and you better have fun. I have a winter cactus that isn’t quite ready to be repotted and gifted yet, but it should be good to go by next week. I’ll swing by and give it to you sometime.” How cute—sometimes you almost forget that the wolf beastman enjoys growing cacti! You’ll definitely welcome the new addition to the family of plants in your room.

— AFTERNOON CLASSES ✩

Just as you’re about to step into one of your afternoon classes, Kalim excitedly waves you over to stop you from going into the classroom right away. He’s standing a little ways down the hall from the door, in front of a large, sunny window.

“Hey, hey! Happy birthday!” he comes up to you, giving you a quick, tight hug (nowhere near as startling as Floyd’s earlier, though). “We have a gift for you! Also, we gotta throw the biggest party for your happy day! We can get a band, lots of food, elephants, camels…”

“She might already have plans, Kalim,” Jamil tsks, reasonable as ever and also unknowingly saving you from having to let your dear friend’s hopes down yourself. “But maybe we can have a party this weekend, if she isn’t busy.”

Kalim blinks, as if the thought hadn’t even occurred to him. But he takes the consideration in stride, and he grins at you again. “Ah, that’s true. You’ve probably been pretty busy all day, haven’t you? You get along with everyone so well! Well, let me know when you’re ready to have that party with us!”

“I will, I will,” you laugh.

“Here.” Jamil holds out a rectangular box, patterned in gold and bright red. “Kalim and I have gotten together a variety of teas from our homeland. Hopefully they suit your tastes.”

-

After all your classes conclude for the day, you eagerly set off on your way to the Hall of Mirrors to go back to your dorm, only for Rook to suddenly pop out from behind the door of said Hall. Even if you’re not the overly jumpy type, the Pomefiore third-year is incredibly good at catching people off guard; you swear he almost gave you a heart attack just now!

“Mademoiselle Tranquillité!” he cheerfully greets, voice bright and audible over your startled yelp, acting as if he didn’t just send your heart racing out of your chest. “Joyeux anniversaire!”

“Rook, quit scaring the poor girl,” Vil sighs, fingers pressed into his temple in exasperation at his vice housewarden’s behavior. But his scowl towards Rook is quick to give way to an enchanting smile directed towards you. “We heard from Epel that it’s your birthday today. We may not see each other very often, but I wanted to thank you for looking after him. If I’m guessing right, you’ve been a rather good influence on him.”

Vil then hands you a small gift bag, in a rich shade of deep purple and the handles tied with a shimmering gold bow. Despite its small size, it has a definite weight to it, and you can hear the faint clinking of glass as the bag is placed into your hands. You wouldn’t be surprised if some sort of skin or hair care item is within; and from what you know about Vil, he would only give someone an item of good quality.

“Oui, Monsieur Pommette always speaks very highly of you! You are a good friend to him, kind and helpful even when you’re not in the same year. Quelle bienveillance! Beauté!” Rook gives you an envelope along with the slew of praise, likely a card of some sort. Yet when you take it, you notice it’s a bit thicker than usual. It has a slight give when you press it, leading you to believe that there may be more than just a card within the envelope. Knowing Rook, you’re a bit uneasy about what it might contain, but you’ll worry about that later.

The Pomefiore third-years allow you to go on your way after that, courteous enough to not keep you for too long when it’s clear that you have places to be. You thank them both before stepping through the magical mirror that transports you to the realm in which your dorm resides.

— AFTERNOON PARTY WITH HEARTSLABYUL ✩

Back at the dorm, the Heartslabyul lounge has been transformed.

You recognize some of the dorm’s usual birthday decor that is used for everyone else—the tablecloths, a few not-personalized birthday banners, hanging decorations—but there are a lot of new decorations that you weren’t expecting. The leafy garland Deuce was working on this morning should’ve tipped you off, but you suppose you didn’t really think much about it at the time. Pretty but festive nature-themed decorations fill the lounge, a mix of paper crafts and actual potted blooms that must’ve been temporarily taken from the garden. A birthday banner (the one you saw folded up this morning) with your name is proudly displayed on the far wall, painted and personalized in your favorite colors. It seems they wanted to make this day a little extra special for you, as an exchange student.

“Happy birthday!”

Trey brings out a cake—a simple vanilla cake, not overly sweet, with a layer of fresh, delicious looking berries on top with a honey drizzle. It looks and smells amazing. Riddle gifts you a new tea set, delicate porcelain painted with red blooms reminiscent of the Heartslabyul gardens. Cater’s gift is a blue silken scarf that matches your eyes, embroidered with white feathers. Ace and Deuce went halfsies on several volumes of a manga that you’ve recently been getting into. Each gift is reflective of their personalities, yet showcases very clearly that they’ve really gotten to know you well over these last few months since you started attending NRC.

“No Unbirthday Party today,” Riddle says, sitting off to your side. There’s a decadent strawberry chocolate cupcake in front of him on a small plate, and you know he’s waiting until people’s eyes are off him before he devours it. His next statement earns an amused bark of laughter from you. “Perhaps this means we won’t be arguing about the roses and hedgehogs, hmm?”

Any time you spend with your Heartslabyul friends is chaotic but bright, and this afternoon is no exception. You can’t help but feel ever grateful that you have such welcoming dormmates. There are plenty of sweet treats and tea to go around, your friends revolving around you on your special day—though, thankfully, they still converse amongst themselves so you’re not having to juggle five different conversations at once.

— AN EVENING WITH DIASOMNIA ✩

As the sun dips below the horizon, leaving the early evening sky a dusky blue with the faint glimmering of stars just beginning to shine for the night, you decide to rest up in your room for a moment before you start heading out to the Diasomnia dorm. The top of your desk is now covered in the various gifts and cards you’ve gotten over the course of the day. As for a few of the gifts you hadn’t already opened earlier, you’ve received: a new hairbrush made of intricately carved bamboo and a set of fun, soft hair ties from Ruggie; a nail cuticle oil and hair oil from Vil; a small collection of well-taken candid photos of you and your friends from Rook (it creeps you out a little, but you hold out hope that it’s just Rook’s strange way of showing care and affection).

With a sigh, you plop down on the desk chair, stretching your arms above your head to loosen the muscles.

You’re mildly startled by a few quick knocks to the window. Upon pulling aside the curtains, you see Lilia hovering there with a bright grin on his face.

“I’m here to whisk you away to the party,” he announces, placing his hand to his chest and dipping into a playful bow. You ignore the fact that he’s just levitating outside your window.

“Lilia!” you laugh, sitting up straighter in your chair. “You could have just come in through the front doors!”

“Oh, but where’s the fun in that? The mystique of being spirited away by a fae in the night is so much more interesting, don’t you think?”

It’s not long before you’re stepping foot in the dark and dreary realm of Diasomnia, but the sight of the ominous castle-like dorm only fills you with a giddy excitement. Lilia leads you in, straight to the main lounge. This party is much smaller in scale compared to the one your Heartslabyul dormmates threw for you, but the more intimate setting is very welcome after the hectic-but-fun day you’ve had.

“Happy birthday, my dear,” Malleus greets you sweetly as you enter the room, the tall fae stepping over towards you to give you a quick, chaste kiss to the cheek. Your cheeks feel warm, though you’re not sure if it’s more because you’re flustered at this affection being displayed around his family or because you’re so happy to finally see him today. “To your health and happiness.”

“Another year wiser and greater!” Lilia cheers, moving past you (and through the lounge to the adjoined kitchen) and breaking the small moment of saccharine shyness that had been building between you and your beloved dragon. Malleus takes your hand in his and leads you over to a long table filled with various foods and desserts, many of which you recognize as your favorites.

“You’ve probably had your fair share of treats today, but maybe your stomach has room for a few more?” Malleus lightly teases, watching your gaze roam over the display.

Lilia comes out of the kitchen, then, holding up a plate with… something questionable. You’re truly not even sure what it is, but the colors are unnatural and you can’t quite tell if it’s supposed to be a dessert or an art project. “I decided to make something special for us, since it’s a special day!”

Somewhere behind you, you can hear Silver gasp and mumble a “when did he do that? I thought we managed to stop him from cooking anything earlier” followed by Sebek’s agreement. You try to keep your face neutral instead of laughing.

“Lilia-sama, let’s save it for later, okay?” Sebek steps forward to try and mitigate the situation, having the older fae set the odd concoction down on the far end of the table.

“Saving the best for last, hmm? I can understand that.”

Malleus shakes his head with a soft, weary sigh at his family’s antics, though he still seems rather endeared by them nonetheless. He grabs a beautifully wrapped box off the table and holds it out to you.

“Here, this is from me. I do hope you like it—and be careful when you open it.”

Eagerly, you quickly but carefully unwrap the gift. Inside the box is a set of gorgeous glass sculptures, a bundle of translucent but bloom-colored flowers and a little hummingbird. The craftsmanship is amazing; you can see the creases in the petals and individual plumes in the wings.

“Oh, wow,” you whisper, gingerly examining both works. Mentally, you make a note to keep an eye out for more works from this particular artist.

Silver peers at the gift from over your shoulder, nodding appreciatively. “Malleus has good taste.”

“I’m glad you seem to like them, my dear.”

“I love them!”

“Ah, the rest of us have gifts for you, too!” Lilia comes over, his gift for you in hand. Silver and Sebek grab theirs off the table as well. You now have a dragon and mage salt and pepper shaker set courtesy of Lilia, a book detailing the culture of nocturnal fae in Briar Valley from Sebek (you’ve given him a similar book on diurnal fae in the past), and from SIlver a very practical pair of horse grooming gloves given your frequent visits to the Equestrian Club.

“Now—it is time to eat, and sing, and celebrate!” Sebek proclaims once you’ve opened all your gifts, apparently taking charge of the little get-together. Lilia snickers, but urges you to take a seat at the table, and Malleus of course takes the spot to your side. Silver had started dozing off a few chairs down, and Sebek is quick to admonish the boy and wake him up.

You can’t help but hope that all your future birthdays are filled with such warmth and joy, however that looks in years to come. In any case, your birthday at NRC will definitely be unforgettable.

✧ Profile - MHA

— Story

The first time you ever used your Quirk was when you were six years old. You were attempting to soothe a scrape on your leg; you had fallen off of a bike while trying to learn how to ride it. You were young, and you didn’t really know what you were doing - all you knew is that your leg hurt, it was bleeding, and you wanted it to stop. A shimmering golden disc appeared in front of your hand, and within a few moments that superficial little scrape was healed up. You sat there for a few moments afterward, shocked… and then you were quickly hopping up onto your feet, good as new, excited to tell your parents that you got your Quirk! (You did not attempt riding the bike back to your house, just rolling it alongside you as you ran back home).

You always admired heroes, much like many of the young and starry-eyed kids who hoped to make a difference in the world some day in the future. Heroes were hailed as strong and kind and helpful - those were traits that you very much wanted to emulate to the best of your ability. Since your Quirk developed at a young age, you’ve had plenty of time over the years to consider your path. You definitely wanted to work as a pro hero to some capacity, but you were also very much aware that your Quirk wasn’t suited for combat. But support heroes were always needed, especially ones who could heal.

On the topic of healing, that was all you believed you could do for a while. It wasn’t until you were in middle school that you realized you could actually neutralize the effects of other Quirks. There was some fight between two of your classmates during break, an argument that quickly took a turn for the worse with the teacher not present. One used their Quirk, causing strange, painful scales to erupt all over the other’s skin. You stepped in, then, while a couple other students helped break up the fight. You weren’t sure if your Quirk would do anything, but it was worth a shot, right? None of your other classmates had a healing Quirk. But to your surprise, the scales gradually disappeared, leaving behind your classmate’s normal skin.

You realized then that your Quirk is more flexible than you initially believed, which could open more doors in the realm of hero work. This incident only solidified your desires to help others and become a pro hero that supports and heals. Of course, this means that you’re considering UA High for school. While UA has various courses, you really want to try aiming for the Hero Course. If you have to settle for the General Course then you will, but your ambitions are clear.

When it came time for the UA entrance exams, you passed the written exam with flying colors. You pride yourself on your intelligence, and you were happy to put in the needed effort for studying. The practical exam was a bit difficult for you, though, because your Quirk wasn’t suited for combat and the exam was very much combat-based - you worried that you weren’t going to rack up any points, since you couldn’t exactly take down those robots with your bare hands. However, you were able to provide healing to your peers, which allowed you to score enough support points that you were able to enroll in the Hero Course, landing in Class 1A.

— Abilities

Quirk -> Heal-nullification

Your Quirk allows you to neutralize the effects of most Quirks on yourself and others, as well as provide small amounts of healing to superficial injuries. Neutralizing the effects of Quirks does not necessarily reverse all effects to the fullest extent (i.e. you would not be able to regenerate missing limbs, or return a stolen or destroyed Quirk if someone such as Shigaraki or Overhaul got ahold of them). However, you can reverse transformations, neutralize and remove poisons, and cancel the mental influence of various Quirks. Your ability manifests as discs of golden-white light in front of your palms, and you must hover your hands over the affected areas in order to apply your Quirk. Directly touching the affected areas also works and is far more effective, but can also result in exhaustion for you more quickly.

Extensively training your Quirk might allow you to “throw” your healing discs; healing from a distance and nullifying other Quirks would certainly prove to be immensely helpful, should you manage to master this skill.

Side effects from overusing your Quirk results in physical exhaustion, tremors in your hands, and a tingling-burning sensation in your palms.

You are one day planning to debut as the purifying hero, Harmonia!

Equipment -> Your hero costume includes circular wrist braces that resonate with your Quirk and extend the radius of the healing discs that you omit from your hands, making your Quirk more effective without you needing to put out more energy. However, there are also times you need to do harm instead of heal. Your wrist braces also have small hidden blades that spike outwards on the outer half of the braces, which can allow you to attack and defend yourself from opponents in close quarters.

You are also equipped with a spiked whip (spiked only at the end), which allows mid-range attacks and immobilization. If you are creative and careful with its usage, you can use it to pull injured allies away from danger so you can get them away from the fight to be healed.

Your match is…

✧ Todoroki Shoto

-> [ Shoto’s initial impressions of you were very neutral. ] Part of this is because he was so focused on proving himself as a capable prospective hero without using the fire half of his Quirk - he didn’t give any of his classmates much of his attention at first. But as he starts to change, as he starts coming to terms with his own goals as well as deciding how he wants to interact with his father, he slowly begins to open up and seek out friendships. He interacts with you on a regular basis, considering the fact that you’re classmates. Shoto thinks you’re very kind and sweet, and your Quirk definitely has its uses both on and off the field. He’s not the most talkative and doesn’t open up the most quickly, but he finds that you’re a very comfortable person to talk to.

-> [ You are probably the one who confessed to him. ] Perhaps sometime in your first year, perhaps later on - but you definitely get together as a couple at some point during your years at UA High. Shoto can be… more than a little dense at times when it comes to other people. He seems the type to not realize that he loves someone romantically until that certain someone expresses interest in him. You can’t beat around the bush, either - you have to be very straightforward and direct when you express your feelings for him, or there’s a very good chance he won’t realize that you’re confessing to him and asking him to be your partner.

A public confession definitely isn’t your style, so you wait until you’re alone with him. It happens on a comfortably warm afternoon, classes are over and the two of you have nothing else to do. Instead of heading back to the dorms, you two decide to relax beneath a few trees on school grounds while you enjoy the sunshine and the feeling of nothing pressing to do. You’re each lying on your backs in the grass, dappled sunlight streaming through the leaves - and in a moment of quiet when the conversation lulls, you work up the nerve to confess your feelings to him.

-> [ The two of you work well on the field together. ] You’re not a power type - but that’s fine, because Shoto has great offensive and defensive capabilities with his fire and ice. Also, due to his upbringing and training with his father, Shoto tends to focus on defeating or catching the villain; he doesn’t automatically put as much thought into rescuing and aiding, unless he is given specific instructions to focus on those things. But because of your Quirk, that is what you gravitate towards. So, whenever you two work together, you are able to cover a wide range of situations.

-> [ He appreciates your desire to live a quiet, peaceful life. ] It is certainly difficult to balance that desire with the desire to work as a pro hero because the two lifestyles are often contradictory. However, you can deal with the hectic, dangerous life of a pro hero so long as you can have a nice, calm life at home when you’re off the clock. You still have a while before you’re able to graduate and become a full-fledged hero, so thankfully in the meantime you just have to deal with school, assignments, and internships (as well as… well, everything that goes on with the League of Villains and All for One).

-> [ Shoto adores your whole demeanor and appearance. ] You have this very pretty, angelic look about you that just catches his attention in the best way - and he thinks that your appearance fits your sweet personality very well. He tends to stare at you when you smile because of your dimples; he’s obsessed with them, and he doesn’t think he has ever seen such a cute smile before. He likes holding your hands whenever possible because they fit so nicely in his. And, as a bonus, he can warm your perpetually cold hands up - he just uses his Quirk to warm his left hand up enough to help keep yours toasty.

-> [ Whereas you are sometimes easily overwhelmed, Shoto is almost always steady. ] Shoto can easily be your rock, someone who can offer you emotional stability and support more often than not. He’s very sweet, too, and he’s happy to just listen if you need to vent and express your emotions. He wants you to feel safe and supported, especially since he knows how much you do for others. While he wouldn’t change anything about you, he does worry that you’re almost too empathetic sometimes, that you emotionally stretch yourself too thin for others when you should be worrying about yourself - but he’s here, whenever you need him.

✧ Relationship with…

— Midoriya Izuku -> One of your closest friends at UA! He also quickly developed a small crush on you early on in your first year, but never dared to voice his feelings - thankfully, this does not color your interactions poorly in any way, and you two have only ever been platonically friendly with each other. He is ultimately very happy for you and Shoto, and thinks that you two are a great couple that will bring out the best in each other. You and Izuku have a very wholesome relationship, and your calm patience is so helpful when it comes to settling his nerves since he tends to be a bit high-strung and anxious at times. You two have study sessions before exams, complete with your favorite snacks and beverages.

— Amajiki Tamaki -> Tamaki is an upperclassman who knows how to operate as a sidekick. He has an extremely versatile Quirk that allows him to be both offense and support, depending on what is needed in a given situation. He might be able to give you some very good insight and anecdotes about working on the field as a support hero, given that you’re both still students. Although… First, you have to get him to actually open up and speak to you - good thing you’re patient! It still takes him quite a while for him to get over his social anxiety to the point where conversing with you is easy, but at least you don’t have an overwhelming personality. Your warmth and optimism reminds him very much of Mirio.

— Aizawa Shota -> He is so very grateful that you are calm, polite, and well-behaved; he tries not to pick favorites, but you are among the handful of students that he is particularly fond of. There are so many rambunctious students in Class 1A and he is so very tired - you are a breath of fresh air for him. Still, even as level-headed and sweet as you are, you can still get swept up into various situations because of the other students… but it is what it is. You guys are young, figuring yourselves out, and having fun whenever possible. He thinks that you guys should find time to have fun, especially considering everything that you guys are going through as high school students (things that you guys shouldn’t have gone through at such a young age, in his opinion - but the situation is what it is).

— Wild, Wild Pussycats -> You shadowed these four during your internship after the UA sports festival! Since they are a group that specializes in rescue missions, following them around allows you to get a lot of practical use out of your Quirk so you can learn your limits. Because of your healing and neutralizing abilities, you are likely going to be leading a lot of rescue efforts when you become a pro hero yourself, so you truly appreciate the opportunity to learn from them. Besides that, these four are hilarious and are extremely welcoming - you have an absolute blast working with them. They all think that you’re absolutely adorable and they are often found cooing and fussing over you, making sure you’re safe after a mission.

— Todoroki Fuyumi -> She adores you to bits! Fuyumi thinks you are absolutely precious - so sweet, so kind, and so understanding. She thinks that you are amazing for her baby brother, and can definitely see your influences on him not long after you two become friends (and even more so when you start dating). You get along really well with her, since you two have similar kind, motherly, patient dispositions. Fuyumi really, really hopes that you and Shoto never break up, because she would love to eventually have you as a sister-in-law. Whenever you come to visit the Todoroki family home along with Shoto, Fuyumi always steals you away for a bit to have a chat over some tea.

— Todoroki Enji -> This is a very… interesting relationship. Complicated. You have mixed feelings about Shoto’s father - Shoto himself has mixed feelings about his own father. You hate how Enji has treated his children, but you can also recognize that the man is making attempts to change. More importantly, you know it’s not your place to tell Shoto how he should feel about his father’s actions, both past and present; all you can do is be there for him and support him. Shoto does seem open to interacting with his father to a limited degree, so you do end up encountering Enji every once in a while. Things are… civil, if a bit tense. Initially, at the beginning of your first year, Enji thinks that you’re just a distraction for Shoto. Thankfully, he has no problems with you currently, but also isn’t especially friendly either. He definitely tries, but is a bit awkward.

✧ Profile - KHR

— Story

You are Tsuna’s cousin, your mother and his mother being sisters. Because the two of you were very close in age, you spent a lot of time together growing up! You both practically viewed each other as siblings due to this, and it was very common for you to stop by Tsuna’s place for a short visit on the way home from school, or to spend time with him and Nana on the weekend. Your early life wasn’t particularly exciting nor troublesome; it was fun, peaceful, and simply dotted with the usual trials and tribulations of a child growing up and learning how to navigate the world.

That all changed, of course, when Reborn came into Tsuna’s life - and by extension, your life.

Ever since then, you started to encounter a lot of… interesting characters. A number of them you had briefly encountered in school, and others were unfamiliar to you as they had come all the way from Italy. Funnily enough, you seemed to take everything in stride better than Tsuna. Your poor cousin was always prone to panicking, easily becoming overwhelmed at responsibility and trying to navigate these new relationships and expectations. You, on the other hand, quite enjoyed meeting all of these intriguing people even though you were generally more introverted. Besides, you found that you got along with many of them quite well.

Reborn’s main task may have been training Tsuna for the role of the next boss of the Vongola Famiglia, but he also had to curate the boy’s support network, his circle of allies. Of course, given your strong bond with Tsuna and your dedication to helping others and supporting those whom you love, you were a great candidate. You weren’t going to let Tsuna out of your sight if you could help it. While you knew that your life was forever going to be changed by the involvement of the mafia, and that the mafia wasn’t all fun and games, you were curious to see how it would all play out in the years to come.

Ten years in the future, you’re a well-established member of the Vongola Famiglia. With the patience and level-headedness of a saint, you prove to be a valuable advisor to Tsuna, and a much-needed mediator whenever there are important meetings and discussions. There are a lot of strong personalities both inside and outside the Vongola, and meetings can get quite… hectic and messy. But you pride yourself in being able to get along with many different kinds of folks, and you have strong peacemaking skills. Aside from playing the role of an advisor, though, you also provide aid and support during important battles and operations, with your abilities in healing.

In regards to Tsuna’s rather complicated plot to stop Byakuran by bringing the past counterparts of the Vongola to the future, you are (fortunately or unfortunately) not privy to the plan. It is not a decision that Tsuna makes lightly, given how close you two are - and yet, it is necessary that you aren’t aware of the truth because of your close relationship. It is to protect you, and to ensure that the plan progresses as smoothly as possible. The eyes of both your allies and enemies are going to be on you after Tsuna’s supposed death, and the more genuine your reactions, the more likely the plan will succeed.

— Affiliation

You are automatically affiliated with the Vongola Famiglia due to your close relation to Tsuna. Due to your role as an advisor, you do have some dealings with the Varia, especially when messages are passed along between the two groups.

— Abilities

Flame -> Sun.

With your preference for having powers related to healing and light, the Sun flame simply makes sense. The Activation characteristic of Sun flames has the power to increase the rate of blood flow and cell regeneration, making it optimal for support roles such as healing and strengthening individuals. Sun flames can also stimulate muscles and joints, increasing the user's body functions drastically. While you are not filling the role of the Sun Guardian within the Vongola Famiglia (as that position is Ryohei’s), those with Sun flames are still very important within other teams and departments within the Famiglia.

Thankfully, you work with plenty of others who would be considered power types - meaning they can fill that role, and you’ll fill in where you can as support.

Weapon -> Spear. Suitable for both offense and defense, and can also have some use outside of battle. It is beneficial for you as it can help keep opponents out of immediate striking distance from you. Besides that, the spear is a weapon that you can use leverage to help bolster the strength of your attacks, since your physical strength is somewhat lacking.

Box animal -> Cat and dog duo.

The same idea as Yamamoto’s bird and dog duo. Rather than a single box animal, you have two that are housed in one box! You absolutely adore them and you love to play with them (yes, you know they’re technically weapons, but… how can you not pet them and cuddle them?) so you often keep them out of their box.

When the animals are infused with your Sun flames and are being used in combat, the cat helps promote the healing of wounds with its purring and the dog enhances the physical strength and endurance of those who pet it.

Your match is…

✧ Gokudera Hayato

-> [ The two of you… initially did not get along very well. ] Gokudera showed up, challenged Tsuna, and was ready to blow the kid to smithereens - needless to say, you did not look kindly upon him when you two first met. You are not an angry person, but you also do not tolerate people threatening those close to you. Once he and Tsuna figured out their differences, and Gokudera had a complete change of heart and decided to devote himself entirely to Tsuna, things started to be a bit more smooth sailing between you two. Your interactions were still a bit stilted for a while, neither of you really knowing how to act around the other given your close relationship with Tsuna and Gokudera’s newfound devotion to the up-and-coming boss.

Eventually, something more comfortable settled between the two of you. Both of you have Tsuna’s best interests in mind, though you both have very different perspectives considering Gokudera was raised in the mafia and you were raised as a civilian.

-> [ He is the one who confesses to you. ] It happens sometime after you two graduate from high school, once the Vongola under Tsuna’s management really starts getting established. There’s a lot going on and it’s very hectic, with everyone really coming into their roles and dealing with the problems developing due to the Millefiore. You two had been busy on a longer mission out in Italy, some sort of operation that required Gokudera working with the Varia to establish more surveillance in Italy while you accompanied him for diplomatic reasons (i.e. Gokudera cannot be trusted on his own interacting with the Varia without getting into severe arguments).

While it isn’t originally in the plan, you two decide to do a little sightseeing after the mission is over. You had never seen Italy before, and you’re eager to experience some of the country before going back to Japan. In the middle of one of your sightseeing days, while he’s getting gelato for both of you, Gokudera has the sudden realization that your activities together are starting to feel very much like… a date. On top of all that, he realizes that he enjoys your company more than he ever cared to admit. It flusters him, but he keeps his mouth shut right at that moment, even when you question why his face is suddenly so pink and why he seems a bit antsy.

He doesn’t say anything until the two of you get back to the hotel, right before you part ways to your separate rooms - he grabs your wrist and he looks so serious that it almost makes you nervous. It’s a sudden, quick confession: “I realized today that I really like you.” He lets go of your wrist and takes a step back, and the ball is in your court - he will take a rejection gracefully if you’re not interested, but his cheeks blush a pretty pink and he can’t hide his bright grin when you express that you like him back.

-> [ Hopefully you can smooth out some of his rough edges. ] Gokudera is not an easy person to get close to. He doesn’t trust easily, and his words and attitude are often rather abrasive. Your patience and kindness will go a very long way here, because you’re actually willing to put the effort in to get to know him and see past his rough exterior. You’re so sweet that Gokudera finds himself acting a bit more soft when around you - he is very smitten. He would do anything for you, no complaints. If you think he’s devoted to Tsuna, he is even more devoted to you as his partner.

-> [ You sometimes get to enjoy listening to him play the piano. ] While it is tied to some unpleasant memories in his past, it still remains a very important hobby for him since his beloved mother always encouraged him to play, and it’s one of the only things he has left to actively remember her by. He has a piano in his apartment, and though he doesn’t touch it often, sometimes you are lucky enough to hear him play if you stay the night and you happen to sleep in late. The story of his past is one that you won’t be privy to for a long time, but you can’t help but notice the mix of pain and nostalgia in his face whenever he plays.

-> [ He will watch nature documentaries with you if you watch alien documentaries with him. ] Gokudera loves learning in general and documentaries are a fun way to do that - and besides, the two of you can make a cozy at-home date of it. You two typically plan to watch nature documentaries one night and then alien conspiracy documentaries another night - neither of you really like watching one nature documentary and then one alien one afterwards in a single night because the vibes get weird.

-> [ Playing chess with him is fun and is a frequent passtime for you two. ] You love that he’s actually quite challenging to play against, with his intelligence and inclination towards strategic thinking. Gokudera really enjoys it too, and the two of you get a bit competitive with each other some days. You two make silly little bets and “punishments” - but really, the punishments just involve the loser spoiling the winner extra that day.

-> [ Gokudera struggles to get along with Uri - but his box animal adores you. ] He insists that he is absolutely not jealous about the fact that Uri will come right up to you for cuddles, all while purring and meowing happily - but you can tell that he is completely and utterly envious. You do try to help the two bridge the gap between them, but it’s a… work in progress. On another note, your cat and dog box animals get along extremely well with Uri, and the three are often found playing together somewhere in the Vongola base.

✧ Relationship with…

— Sawada Tsunayoshi -> As mentioned above, the two of you are practically like siblings. Because you both have numerous similarities in your personalities and abilities, it’s very easy for you to relate to each other and understand each other’s concerns and struggles. You always have his back, and he always has yours. Honestly, Tsuna finds himself relying on you more than he ever expected, especially in the future. You’re just so considerate and thoughtful, and your skills in peacemaking and “babysitting” childish adults (because there are certainly many in your shared circle) are endlessly helpful. On a more humorous note, you two often bond over your struggles with active, strenuous games - especially in light of many of your friends’ top-notch physical abilities and their competitiveness.

— Hibari Kyoya -> When the both of you are in school, you two don’t interact too much, but you often seem to find yourself bumping into him. Most are terrified of him and his severe demeanor - and honestly, you were a bit intimidated by him at first as well - but funnily enough, he’s quite calm and even somewhat kind (?) to you. Hibari is quite fond of small, cute things like animals and children, and your calm, peaceful demeanor and youthful appearance results in him sorting you into the cute category. So, basically - he rather enjoys seeing you around when the two of you happen to cross each other’s paths, though the two of you do not necessarily spend much time together. In the future, he will occasionally seek you out to see if you want a cup of tea and a quiet moment to relax.

— Yamamoto Takeshi -> Two peas in a pod! You two get along extremely well, since you’re both very kind individuals who strive to make others feel comfortable and welcome - he’s just much more extraverted than you! Though he is often considered dense by his friends, he is surprisingly perceptive at times. This allows him to notice when you’re a bit overwhelmed, especially in situations that are very emotionally charged and tense. He’s a great friend to have around when you need a distraction or someone to talk to. Yamamoto doesn’t judge, and while he isn’t always the best at giving advice, you can at least count on the fact that he’s an empathetic listener.

— Bianchi -> Older sister that she is, she is very protective of Gokudera (even if he literally can’t stomach being in the same vicinity as her). She definitely does the older sibling thing of judging their younger sibling’s partner, making sure that their partner is good enough for them. Although you weren’t exactly raised in a mafia family knowingly, she appreciates that you’ve accepted the fact that you are now affiliated with one and that many of your peers are also mafioso as a result. It doesn’t take long for her to see how you strive to be kind and open-minded to everyone, and she feels that your peaceful temperament will help balance out Gokudera.

— Reborn -> Despite your and Tsuna’s similarities, he is much less harsh on you than he is with Tsuna - after all, it is your cousin who is meant to be the next boss of the Vongola, not you. What might hinder Tsuna will work very well in your favor, strengths that you can utilize more flexibly in whatever role you might assume in the future. Still, you get involved in some wild situations because of Reborn’s meddling as he tests your skills and challenges you to grow, and you’re not quite sure if you’re exasperated or appreciative. Perhaps a mixture of both. Despite his form as an infant, you do view him as an uncle figure of sorts, something a little more familial than a simple mentor.

✧ Profile - L&DS

— Myth

Eternal and timeless. You used to be able to describe your life with those terms, as a celestial being working beneath and alongside various other divine beings. Their roles were numerous and vast, and your domains included those of light and healing.

Ever since you came into being, you knew what your role was: oversee the mortals and provide impartial aid to them. You were allowed to bestow small blessings of knowledge and divine power upon those who were worthy, those who dedicated their lives to your domains - they became your emissaries, guiding and aiding others of their kind. Your job, otherwise, was largely one done from a distance. You were supposed to allow the mortals - of their varying cultures, species, lifespans, and abilities - to make what they could of their fates. Death is an inevitability, just as life is; disasters and blessings go hand in hand.

But your heart was too big, too caring - you were warned not to interfere, but you just couldn’t help it. The plight of those who struggled time and again, only to meet their demise without achieving their goals or some semblance of joy and peace towards the ends of their lives. You found yourself boosting their meager efforts to fight darkness and disease when things were especially bleak, healing fatal wounds so a poor soul wouldn’t meet its end at that moment, staving off plagues that threatened populations. You knew you were overstepping the bounds of your role, but you just couldn’t help it.

Eventually, other celestial beings caught wind of your actions, looking upon you with a disapproving eye.

And so, as punishment, your immortality and divine powers were stripped away from you. No longer were you a part of the celestial realm that oversees anything and everything - no longer could you assist those with less power through your divine intervention. You were cast down, much like those stories of fallen angels, to the realms where mortals reside. But the other divine beings still saw use for you, for your abilities - or, at the very least, some saw you as a source of entertainment. Instead of living out a single mortal life and fading to nothingness when you inevitably died, you were made to reincarnate, over and over, living multiple lives over the course of time, and even in alternate timelines.

The only catch is, you will have no knowledge of any of your previous lives, divine or mortal. Perhaps, if the stars align and certain criteria are met, you could recover some of your old memories… But that won’t be guaranteed.

— Life in Linkon

In your current life, you are an office worker at the Hunter’s Association - specifically, you are the main secretary for the UNICORNS division.

Having a calm, peaceful life is one of your goals, so you searched for a job that would be both fulfilling but not overly chaotic; eventually, you came across an opening at the Hunter’s Association, and the rest was history. You have a deep desire to help others, and while you’re not out there risking your life as a Hunter, you can certainly help their lives go a bit more smoothly by taking care of some of the tedious tasks. While the Hunter’s Association has a number of divisions, you specifically work for UNICORNS, handling the bulk of their communications with other departments within the Association and even with outside businesses. There is a lot on your plate on a day-to-day basis, but you like it! It keeps you busy, but usually isn’t too overwhelming.

Yet, sometimes you feel like keeping yourself extra busy! Perhaps you just don’t know when to stop and rest? In any case, you also find yourself helping at Akso part time. Your Evol allows for a small degree of healing, which is of course highly sought-after in the field of medicine. You did consider working at a hospital full time, but something in you held you back - there’s something deep inside you that shies away from the idea of devoting your entire career, your entire being, to healing others… like you know it will only end in heartbreak.

— Abilities

Evol -> Moonbeam

Moonbeam is a versatile and unique evol, reminiscent of your powers when you were once a celestial being (not that you would remember, of course). You conjure beams of white light that can be used as shields and to promote the healing of wounds. The light is not overly bright like sunlight would be, but rather a gentle light that can still brighten up dark areas. While you are able to use beams of light to attack opponents, that is not the most effective use of your evol.

Weapon -> Staff.

It has the appearance of a clear, pale blue crystal, with silver vines winding up the staff. The head takes the appearance of a sphere with feather wings spreading out to the side. It glows with a silvery white light whenever you channel your evol through it.

Your match is…

✧ Xavier

-> [ The first time you meet Xavier, he is sleeping on the subway after he finished hunting down Wanderers. ] You’re on your way home from work, hopping on the subway to get home as you plan on relaxing and unwinding from the busy day you had. Since you tend to get off work a little bit later than most, you typically miss the major after-work rush, which you genuinely don’t mind. There are a handful of people in the car, one with ashen hair sleeping with his head leaning uncomfortably forward. People dozing off on the subways isn’t an unusual sight, but it always makes you worry a little. What if they miss their stop, or someone takes advantage of them? You hesitate for a few moments before taking a seat next to him and gently shaking him awake.

It doesn’t take much to wake him, and his gorgeous sea-blue eyes are meeting yours. You think he looks vaguely familiar, but you’re not quite sure where you might have seen him. Quickly, you shake yourself out of your thoughts and apologize for waking him, explaining that you didn’t want him to miss his stop. He smiles and thanks you, but “my stop isn’t for a while.” His statement confuses you - how can he know when his stop is, if he was sleeping? - but you don’t question it.

You are, however, surprised when he gets off at the same stop as you, and even more surprised to learn that you two live in the same apartment building.

-> [ Xavier stops by your desk with your favorite fruits, tea, or black coffee. ] During that initial meeting and the shared walk to your apartment building, the two of you chatted a bit. You learned he was a high-ranking Hunter, and he learned that you were the main secretary for the UNICORNS office. Ironically, it seemed like the two of you just kept missing each other at work! But now, Xavier makes it a point to stop by your desk if he’s heading into the office during work hours - and he always comes in bringing you something tasty for you to snack on or drink. Your coworkers like to tease you two about it, talking about an office romance, but it’s all lighthearted.

-> [ Xavier is perfectly content waiting, but he is not shy in his affections for you. ] While he isn’t exactly unfriendly, he is rather distant with everyone else around him, never allowing people in too close. But he warms up to you quickly, fondly remembering his past with… the other version of you that he once knew. He loves getting to know this you, too, learning all the similarities and differences you might share with her. He stares at you with such affection in his eyes that it takes your breath away sometimes. His confession comes in the form of sleepy words whispered to you as the two of you doze off in the middle of a sunny afternoon beneath the shade of a tree in a quiet park.

-> [ You will hear no complaints from him that you’re a homebody. ] Your desire to live a peaceful, quiet life is a very valid one, and one that Xavier very much shares. Yes, the two of you set aside time to go to fun festivals or events, but you’re both happy to spend weekday evenings indoors with each other. It’s just you, him, your pets, relaxing in your home (and yes, he stops by your apartment more often than you stop by his - he says that your home is much more lively and comfortable than his). Xavier adores cuddling on the couch with you while you two put something on the TV or read together.

-> [ He absolutely adores your pets. ] Xavier loves animals, especially when they’re cute, cuddly, and well-behaved. He actually didn’t know you had pets until he stopped by your apartment, noticing the dog hovering around your legs and the cat tree along the wall. He definitely wants to win your pets over, and he is confident it will happen! After all, just like him, your pets adore you so much - so of course they should be able to bond over their shared love for you. It is not uncommon for you to come home only to see him napping on the couch or floor with both your cat and dog on him, snoozing away.

-> [ Xavier obviously enjoys playing Kitty Cards - but he’s also happy to play chess and other board games with you. ] He almost never wins against you - professional chess player that you are - but he still has fun playing and attempting to beat you. However, he does tend to win at Kitty Cards… even when you think you’re getting the upper hand! But honestly, as long as he gets to spend time with you, he’s happy; it doesn’t matter if he wins or loses, in his eyes. He can get playfully competitive at times, especially if you declare that you’re absolutely going to win that day.

-> [ Your evols are very compatible with each other. ] Your Moonbeam ability will enhance his, similar to the way a resonance evol might be able to - light is light, after all, even if it comes in different forms, and he finds he is easily able to make use of the beams of light you’re able to conjure. In addition to this, your fighting styles compliment each other quite well. While your job isn’t hunting down Wanderers, on occasion you might get sucked into a battle alongside Xavier just while you’re out and about. He’s strong and he knows it, so he jumps right into battle (and can be rather reckless). Thankfully, you’re there to provide him with some shields and healing if necessary.

✧ Relationship with…

— Zayne -> Zayne deeply appreciates your efforts whenever you help out at Akso. He is a workaholic, so he is often somewhere around the hospital whenever you pick up a shift on the weekend. You really enjoy chatting with him whenever the two of you happen to run into each other while on your (all too short) breaks. The two of you often share your latest favorite healthy recipes, or good restaurants that might suit the other’s tastes. You also both share a deep love for animals - Zayne makes sure you get the chance to meet his dear squirrel friend, Clopidogrel.

— Rafayel -> You met Rafayel when you had to reach out to him for a few follow-up questions regarding the mysterious painting linking the demise of Raymond to his gallery. Whatever you expected from a world-renowned artist, Rafayel… wasn’t it. Despite his initial aloofness and moodiness, the two of you got on quite well, and he decided to continue communications even outside of work as he found you rather fun to interact with. He always makes sure that you have tickets to his latest exhibitions (and he will, surprisingly, make an appearance if he knows that you’re indeed going). You adore his paintings, the vibrant colors and beautiful, surreal sceneries he often depicts catching your full attention - and you absolutely gush about his skills right to his face, which earns you an amused smile from the artist.

— Sylus -> You’re not likely to run into Sylus often. You tend to avoid areas that are known to be dangerous, and Sylus doesn’t make very frequent trips into Linkon unless he has business to attend to or something catches his eye. That said, there is a particular crow that hangs out in the tree just outside your apartment that you’re trying to befriend, but it never seems to get too close. You know it’s the same crow, too, since it looks a bit different than the others you see around town. Occasionally, you come home to find shiny gifts like gems and jewelry on your balcony. You have a feeling that it’s the crow leaving the gifts, but you have yet to catch it in the act.

— Jeremiah -> You actually met Jeremiah before you encountered Xavier. You stopped by the Philo flower shop on a semi-regular basis, whenever you wanted to add a new houseplant to your collection or to get a bouquet for yourself or someone else. Jeremiah knows of you; he knows you’re the one that Xavier has been looking for, the one that is tied to his past (a life that he has lived, but you have not yet experienced - such is the confusing nature of the timewarp due to the Deepspace Tunnel). He has some great recommendations when you decide that you want to start a small garden on your balcony - whether you want to try growing fruits or vegetables, or just some beautiful flowering plants.

✧ Profile - JJK

— Story

You were born to one sorcerer parent and one non-sorcerer parent, which made for a rather… interesting upbringing. Your parents happened to meet and started dating when your father was still an active sorcerer, but he retired a while after that in order to properly settle down with his partner - and, some time later, you came along. You grew up being able to see cursed spirits, and your father made sure you stayed safe and kept away from cursed spirits as much as possible, but also did not shy away in telling you about your abilities and the nature of curses. Knowledge is power, after all, and very much necessary for you to stay as safe as possible.

Despite your parents’ best efforts to keep you safe, there was an incident when you were 10 years old. While on the way back home from school, a journey that your parents allowed you to make on your own due to your home’s proximity to your school, a centipede-like cursed spirit that had been hiding in the shadowy spaces between houses snuck up on you, scuttling after you. Panicked, you ran and ran, trying to lose it, but your little legs could only take you so far. Not far from home, you stumble onto the sidewalk, scraping up your hands and knees. The cursed spirit rears up, ready to attack - and in your desperation, you throw your hands out and a shield made of thick strands of cursed energy appears before you, keeping the spirit back. It buys you enough time for you to quickly scramble home, your father rushing out of the house at the same time after he felt the spike in cursed energy near your home.

After that incident, while you were understandably shaken, you decided that you didn’t want anyone else to feel as threatened and terrified for their life as you felt in that moment. If you have the means to protect others, then it just makes sense for you to actually follow through with it.

You were never pressured into going to Jujutsu Tech, both parents knowing well how tough and dangerous of a lifestyle it is. In fact, your father was rather reluctant about the whole idea, not wanting you to risk your life on a regular basis… but he has always allowed you to make your own decisions. Despite the risks, you decided to go anyway once you were of age to enroll, because you wanted to develop and expand your skills to help others and defend yourself. You’ve always been more interested in healing rather than hurting, especially knowing the dangers of an occupation where you and your fellow sorcerers are regularly faced with life-or-death situations. Thankfully, your preference for this often keeps you out of direct combat, but you’re still out on the field helping out.

You enroll alongside Maki, Inumaki, and Panda, subsequently meeting Yuta when he eventually enrolls as well.

— Abilities

Innate Cursed Technique -> Thread Weaving

Woven barrier -> You can create a barrier with thick threads of cursed energy, either in a floating barrier or one that stretches between two objects. The more cursed energy you put into this ability, the stronger the barrier is, with fewer weak points. These barriers hold up very well against physical attacks, but are susceptible to falling apart with attacks made with cursed energy.

Puppet strings -> You are able to attach strands of cursed energy to opponents, either inhibiting movement or forcing them to move in ways that you direct - like a puppet. The stronger the enemy, the harder it is to control them. While this can be a very powerful ability, it is also very hard for you to control.

Spider’s silk -> You are able to stick very thin, fine strands of cursed energy to an object while the other end is connected to your fingers. The purpose of this technique is purely for scouting purposes - you can sense whenever a strand is crossed or broken, allowing you to keep track of your opponent’s movements.

Domain Expansion -> Not something you have developed or learned at this point.

Reverse Cursed Technique -> Your primary use of your cursed energy, despite the versatility of your innate cursed technique. You didn’t start learning how to really use any reverse techniques until you entered Jujutsu Tech, but you and your teachers quickly discovered that you were quite a natural at it! Your innate technique plays a major role in how your reverse technique is applied, as you use threads of cursed energy to heal wounds from the inside out, quite literally stitching others’ bodies back together.

You are a Grade 4 sorcerer like the majority of students are when they join Jujutsu Tech, but quickly make your way up to Grade 3 within your first couple years. By the time you’re close to graduating, you make it up to Grade 2, but by that time you’ve largely dedicated yourself to your role as a healer.

Your match is…

✧ Okkotsu Yuta

-> [ Very much a slow burn type of relationship. ] Yuta is very timid at first, having had so many poor experiences with his peers in the past. Not to mention, he’s still trying to figure out how to control and utilize Rika, and simply learning how to go through life knowing he has a curse bound to him. And yet, despite his unique circumstances, you’re so warm and understanding, treating him with kindness and patience. It doesn’t take very long for the two of you to become friends, but it does take a while before either of you start to develop romantic feelings towards the other (and it takes even longer for you two to start dating).

-> [ The two of you spend forever pining for each other before Yuta finally goes for it and confesses. ] It gets to the point where Panda, Toge, and Maki have all noticed the budding feelings between the two of you, and yet… you’re not yet in a relationship yet. They collectively come together (despite Toge’s own little crush on you) to try and get you two together. They plan a group meet-up at a café, making sure both you and Yuta are either already there or on the way there, before the three of them “unfortunately” have to cancel because of a last-minute mission or task. They do keep an eye on your “date” from a distance, though.

While you and Yuta are both slightly off-put by the sudden cancellation from your other three friends, the two of you decide to make the most of it since you’re already there. You have a sweet and mild herbal tea, and Yuta has some basic vanilla latte, and the two of you are chatting and laughing away. At some point, Yuta goes a bit quiet, thinking about how pretty you are when you smile and your blue eyes catch the sunlight filtering through the windows - when your expression shifts to one of concern and you ask him what’s wrong, he just blurts it out: “I really like you!”

-> [ While he doesn’t have any pets of his own, he loves animals. ] Perhaps your dog and cat stay home with your family, perhaps you keep them with you in the dorms - or perhaps, as a third option, you temporarily keep them in the dorms with you whenever you’re not especially busy. Either way, Yuta would love to meet your beloved furry friends at some point, especially knowing how important they are to you. He’s very sweet and patient with them, too, if they need a bit of time to warm up to him. In the event that you ever need to leave your pets in his care, he is very responsible and follows any instructions you give him down to the letter.

-> [ When you want to stay inside during cold and rainy days, Yuta has no complaints. ] It’s the perfect weather for staying in and cuddling up, in his opinion. There’s no point in going out and getting soaked if you don’t need to. Perhaps you two can put on a movie, maybe even a nature documentary if that’s what you’re in the mood for that particular day. It doesn’t really matter to him what you two do together, just as long as he gets to enjoy your presence. Although… He realizes too late that being cuddled up with you gives the opportunity to use him as a hand warmer for your perpetually cold hands, your icy little fingers sapping the heat from his own.

-> [ He loves all your houseplants, though he’s kind of hopeless when it comes to taking care of them. ] It doesn’t take long at all before your dorm room is full of plants of varying types and sizes, and you take care of them very diligently. They give your room a very calming and natural feel! Just… Don’t ask Yuta to take care of them for you if you ever have to be away for an extended period of time for a training mission - he can take care of animals without issue, but he will struggle hardcore with any plants. Even if you write instructions for each one, he overthinks them and somehow manages to mess it up. And don’t get him wrong, he will do his best! But… he feels terrible if he accidentally causes any of them to wilt.

-> [ Yuta loves going out on walks with you. ] While you tend to be a homebody, you do enjoy getting out to enjoy nature on a regular basis (especially when you actually get a chance to relax and enjoy it, instead of being bogged down by missions and training with your cursed technique). Tokyo is very much full of urban sceneries, but there are some nice nature parks that you often visit. You like to bring Yuta out bird and animal watching, teaching him how to identify certain birds. He does his best, but only really remembers the ones that look especially distinct, but he adores listening to you spout off fun facts about different species.

✧ Relationship with...

— Gojo Satoru -> One of the first teachers you meet after starting at Jujutsu Tech, and for a while he was your main instructor. He’s very good at pushing your limits but encouraging you at the same time. While some of your classmates (namely Maki) seem to get frustrated or just baffled at your rather eccentric professor, you just watch his antics with a sweetly amused smile. With his major and ever-present sweet tooth, sometimes he likes to surprise his students with sweet treats. You’re not typically a fan of the extra-sugary baked goods he loves (he’ll eat just about anything and everything sweet), but he does take his students’ tastes into account - so he’s happy to snag you ripe fruits or desserts that are a little more natural if he’s out on a snack run.

— Ieri Shoko -> Needless to say, Shoko acts as your mentor. Once you start developing your reverse cursed technique and you express your desire to primarily act as a healer, much of your instruction is taken over by Shoko given her proficiency in both medicine and reverse cursed technique. However, she… still isn’t the best at explaining things, even after all this time, so you have to take her vague instructions in stride as you work on expanding your skills. She’s very much the type of mentor who will let you fail and struggle first before she steps in to help - she can be very sweet, but she also doesn’t have the patience to coddle someone. As long as you’re willing to learn and put in the effort, she will continue to teach you what she knows.

However, Shoko might give you some questionable advice sometimes, considering the fact that she cheated in order to get her doctor’s license.

— Fushiguro Megumi -> He sees you as a kind, helpful upperclassman. Initially, you don’t have very much interaction with Megumi given the fact that you’re both in separate years and each year is busy with their own things at the beginning of the school year. However, once the upperclassmen start working with the underclassmen more often, he seems to naturally gravitate towards you. You’re very calm and patient, which means you’re very much a breath of fresh air compared to the two knuckleheads he typically has to deal with (AKA Yuji and Nobara). You remind him of his sister a little, honestly. Definitely sees you as skilled due to your proficiency with reverse cursed technique. He allows you to pet and play with his shikigami pretty much whenever you want, knowing how much you adore animals.

— Zen’in Maki -> Initially, this is a relationship that is a bit dicey at first. Maki can be rather cynical and harsh given her upbringing, and upon your first meeting, she sees you as someone very soft and naive. In other words, she doesn’t think you have what it takes to be a Jujutsu Sorcerer. Give her some time, let her see your dedication and conviction to helping others - she will gradually come to see that you’re not as weak as she initially thought. She eventually steps in as a bold, older sister figure for you. Maki is very strong-willed and is a natural leader. While she comes off as cold and no-nonsense most of the time, she truly does care about those close to her deep down.

You’re definitely more feminine than her, and you’re very sisterly/motherly to boot. Every once in a while you’re able to convince her to have a girls’ night with you with skin care and hair care (Maki feels very much out of her element here), and it’s rather fun for both of you considering the others in your year are all guys.

— Inumaki Toge -> He may have a crush on you. Just a teeny tiny little puppy crush, one stemming from pure admiration. You’re so very sweet, always treating him kindly. Your patience is very important when it comes to getting to know him, considering his verbal communication is very limited. It doesn’t take very long for you to start figuring out what he means, and it helps that you’re quite good at reading his expressions and body language. It’s not a crush he ever acts on, and no one really knows about it (though sometimes he thinks Panda might suspect that something is amiss).

Toge really enjoys reading manga with you - fantasy shoujo isn’t his typical go-to genre, but honestly, he’ll read just about anything as long as the characters are interesting enough. The two of you set up little reading sessions in one of your guys’ dorm rooms, complete with snacks and drinks and cozy blankets.

— Panda -> A good friend of yours and a huge supporter of you and Yuta. Panda welcomed you very warmly during your first year, which was truly a breath of fresh air considering Maki wasn’t initially very friendly and communication with Toge was limited. Panda is upbeat without being too overwhelming, and he matches the energy of others very easily - he is an amazing friend and you find yourself relying on him if you ever need someone to talk to. On a similar note, he’s very perceptive and can tell when you and Yuta start developing feelings for each other, and he tries to subtly encourage you two together to see if anything blooms. And when it does, you can bet that he’s overjoyed.

Sometimes, Panda enjoys joining you and Toge during your manga-reading sessions. He’s definitely more of a shonen enjoyer rather than shoujo.

✧ MALLEUS DRACONIA

[↟ Oak - First meeting and their first impressions of you.]

The first time Malleus lays eyes on you is when the two of you cross paths in a quiet, nature-filled part of NRC campus. Or, rather, you’re sitting in the shade beneath a tree and enjoying the peaceful atmosphere, eyes closed and head tilted upwards to allow the light filtering through the leaves to kiss your skin, and he was passing along nearby. The first thing he notices about you is your very elegant, dignified aura. You are sitting still, but he does not need to see your movements to know that you surely must carry yourself well.

Pretty, graceful, and composed are his very first impressions of you. The next thing he notices is that you have hair like sunlight and eyes like the sky—ah, when did you glance over at him?

Briefly, he considers speaking to you to satisfy his curiosity about your presence (why is there a young lady such as yourself on NRC campus? You have a uniform, strangely enough, so you must belong here. Maybe if he didn’t forget to attend that meeting Lilia tried reminding him about, he might have some inkling to the reason behind your presence…), but ultimately decides against it. You seem to be very relaxed and he isn’t quite sure what he would actually say to you anyway, so he would hate to bother you unnecessarily. Besides, he is on his way to meet with Lilia right now. So he continues on his way with a bemused smile, leaving you slightly perplexed and tilting your head as you watch him leave. Malleus figures that you two will likely cross paths again, anyway.

The second time Malleus sees you, and the first time he actually interacts with you, is when you track him down to tell him that you’d like to join the Gargoyle Studies Club. NRC requires students to join a club, and while you don’t love the idea of being stuck with one, you figured that Gargoyle Studies should at least be interesting! Besides, you dislike the fact that there is only one sole member—it seems a little sad and lonely. Malleus is a bit surprised, since the vast majority of people he encounters are terribly intimidated by him, and yet here you are smiling so warmly at him without a care in the world.

But, as that initial shock melts away, he is truly quite excited to have a new club member! Perhaps the two of you could become good friends? The first friend that he has made wholly on his own, without the influence of Lilia.

“I’d be happy to welcome you to the Gargoyle Studies Club. Many people don’t appreciate the works of art known as gargoyles.”

[↟ Maple - When and why do they start developing a crush on you? How long does it take for them to realize they like you? What makes them realize it?]

Truly, it does not take long at all for Malleus to start developing feelings, though he does not immediately identify them as romantic in nature. He may come across as ever-composed and even comfortable with his own company, but the truth is that he’s very lonely. Most people keep him at arm’s length; even Silver and Sebek can be a little distant at times, due to their technical role as his retainers (and he, their liege). Deep down, he craves companionship—whether that is in the form of a friend or a lover. So, when you start getting closer to him, he simply interprets the warmth blooming in his chest as platonic affection for his dear friend.

There are so many things that draw him to you, so many things that he just adores about you. It’s your warmth and kindness, the way that you so willingly extend empathy to him even when you barely know him. Despite your introversion, you’re so willing to put the work in to reach out to him and get to know him. All in all, it boils down to the fact that you put the effort in to spend time with him, in a way that most people are too afraid to do. It also helps that he thinks you’re very pretty, in that dainty and elegant way.

Malleus realizes the true nature of his feelings for you one particular afternoon, just as you place a flower crown upon his head. The sun is setting on the horizon of Sage’s Island; the two of you had decided to take club activities off NRC campus to examine gargoyles in other areas throughout the island. Is this allowed? Probably not, but it’s not as if anyone knows where Malleus is half the time when he isn’t in class. As the afternoon drags on and the sun’s rays redden the sky, the two of you find yourselves taking a moment to rest in a grassy field full of wildflowers. It was your idea—the flowers looked too pretty, you just had to go see them up close—and Malleus is happy to indulge you.

The dragon fae is distracted taking in the scenery (as a creature of the night, he doesn’t often make it a point to watch sunsets), and he doesn’t even notice that you start busying yourself with weaving together various flowers into a simple, beautiful crown. (Of course, true to your love for preserving nature, you make sure to only pluck ones that are a little too close to crowding out others, and you use a bit of magic to promote new growth). Pulled from his thoughts, Malleus blinks and glances down at you when you move in front of him with an affectionate grin, flower crown cradled in your hands. You motion for him to lean down (he’s far taller than you!), and he feels like his heart is about to beat right out of his chest when you gingerly settle the blooms atop his dark hair. And in that moment, he realizes that his feelings for you run far beyond the bounds of mere friendliness—he hasn’t felt love before, not love like this, but he is certain that this must be what it is.

[↟ Birch - What do their friends and family think about their feelings for you? Do they know about it? How would they tease them about their crush? Would they try to help them?]

Malleus’s little Diasomnia family do know about the dragon fae’s feelings for you, though they do not all find out at the same time. Lilia absolutely teases Malleus about it in a very affectionate and good-natured manner. He’ll often say things like “it’s about time!” and “make sure not to scare her off.” Silver and Sebek are supportive, but aren’t the type to tease Malleus about matters of the heart. Lilia will, on occasion, recruit Silver and Sebek into orchestrating pseudo-dates for you and Malleus as an attempt to get the two of you closer, but for the most part the three of them actually let the relationship develop naturally. They don’t want to overstep, knowing that they should allow Malleus the chance to navigate the situation without much outside influence.

— LILIA VANROUGE -> The first to know about Malleus’s feelings for you, and figures it out quite early on (perhaps even before Malleus truly realizes his feelings). Upon seeing the two of you interact, observing your friendship flourishing, Lilia makes the (correct) assumption that Malleus must have feelings for you, because he has never seen him act like before. He would know, given the sheer amount of time he has spent raising and teaching him. There’s a softness in the younger fae’s green eyes and an affection in his smile that is new to Lilia. Given the fact that he basically considers Malleus as one of his children, he considers you as something akin to a daughter-in-law (even though you two are not married, much less dating… yet, in his eyes). Needless to say, Lilia is very supportive of Malleus’s feelings for you, and he hopes for the best. Even if you two never end up dating, he still hopes that you will remain a good, supportive friend.

— SILVER VANROUGE -> The second to know about Malleus’s feelings for you, sometime after Malleus himself realizes his romantic feelings towards you. Though the change in Malleus’s behavior is subtle, Silver easily sees the soft and affectionate way that the dragon fae approaches you—if it were a stranger, they might not have noticed anything different with Malleus, but Silver grew up alongside him and knows his habits quite well. However, he takes it in stride and is overall very supportive and happy for you both. Silver is actually in the same class as you, both of you being second years—so he knows you and feels like you and Malleus would be very good together! He is very subtle about it and makes no mention of Malleus’s feelings for you, but he tries to suss out how you feel about his friend, just because he’s curious to know if the two of you might get together anytime soon.

— SEBEK ZIGVOLT -> The last one to know about Malleus’s feelings for you. He actually only learns that Malleus likes you because Lilia and Silver were talking about it—he didn’t personally notice anything different with his liege (shame on him!!) Initially, Sebek is shocked to learn of Malleus’s feelings for you. His first reaction is “how could she (or anyone) possibly be good enough for Malleus-sama?!” So he has to take a minute to actually calm down and think rationally about the entire situation. But, clearly, if Malleus thinks highly of you, then you must be a good person, right? Sebek hasn’t actually interacted with you very often prior to this, only seeing you in passing whenever you’ve been spending time with either Malleus or Silver, but he definitely makes it a point to get to know you when he discovers that his liege has feelings for you. He has to make sure that Malleus is making safe, responsible decisions!

[↟ Beech - What do they usually say about you to their friends and family? How would they react?]

The only things that come out of Malleus’s mouth about you are praises and compliments. He always speaks very highly of you! Most often, he talks about how much fun he has had with you recently, things that you have invited him out to do or that you two have gotten up to during club hours (there are only so many gargoyles to inspect on NRC campus, only so many books to read on the history and evolution of the gargoyle). He does also frequently mention how kind or sweet you are, and how capable you are, and how much he enjoys your presence.

That said, Malleus is not the type to constantly gush about you or bring you up in conversation all the time—so his friends are not subjected to constant talks about you and how much he adores you. However, there are still occasions where he talks about you for what feels like ages—usually, this is whenever the two of you go out and do something fun together or when Lilia asks him probing questions about how things are going between you two. He definitely talks about you most often to Lilia, given the older fae’s fatherly role in his life, but Silver and Sebek are not spared from Malleus’s ramblings.

Lilia is deeply amused whenever Malleus speaks of you, but also finds the whole thing extremely endearing. As noted above, he is very happy for both of you and he truly enjoys hearing about what Malleus has to say. He tends to react with something along the lines of “ah, young love!” Silver will often react with a soft chuckle whenever Malleus talks about you, but he might accidentally doze off if Malleus is 30 minutes into telling some story about what the two of you did recently. Sebek always listens very attentively to anything Malleus says, and has a great memory for details. He is probably the one who asks the most follow up questions about Malleus’s stories. Sebek insists that his attentiveness is just because he wants to make sure Malleus stays safe and that you are not a “suspicious person.” Silver often has to tell him to ease up on the skepticism because he knows you don’t deserve such scrutiny.

[↟ Spruce - Are they the jealous type or not? How would they react if you get hit on or if they find out that someone is in love with you too?]

Malleus is a moderately jealous individual, and this trait of his appears once you two consider each other good friends. It does get a little more pronounced once he develops feelings for you, and that is when you start to notice it.

On the one hand, he is very sure of himself and places a lot of trust in you and in your friendship. He knows that you consider him a close friend of yours, and he is happy to have this place in your life. On the other, he is somewhat resistant to change and he has a very hard time letting people go (especially since there are very few people he actually considers as close friends or loved ones as it is). He isn’t considered clingy in the typical sense, and he really tries not to monopolize your time, but he dislikes when you spend too much time with others.

His jealousy is very quiet; there are many times you don’t even notice that he’s jealous, simply because he is quite good at keeping up appearances. That said, you can pick up on these reactions of his pretty easily, especially as you get closer to him and learn how to read him—though you aren’t always certain if what you’re picking up is jealousy or not. Most of the time when he is jealous, he comes across as petulant and pouty, which typically happens when he feels like you are not spending enough time with him. He does not want to make a big deal about it because he respects your autonomy, and he would never want to isolate you from your other friends; he just pouts and sulks a bit, not wanting to make it your problem but also not being able to fully control his reaction.

However, there are times where his jealousy comes across as cold and just slightly possessive. This happens when there is someone flirting with you, or if he discovers that someone else has feelings for you and wants to act on those feelings. Malleus may have a lot of faith in your friendship and he is fully aware that he cannot force any sort of relationship with you, but he still wants a fair shot at winning you over and does not take well to competition. Despite his regal and calm disposition, the prince of Briar Valley is a bit spoiled—he isn’t used to not getting what he wants. His jealous attitude and behavior is never directed at you, though, and his wrath will only be displayed towards the ones who think they can try to win you over.

Endearingly, his jealousy settles down very quickly whenever you reassure him (even if sometimes you don’t quite realize that he’s acting out of jealousy rather than loneliness or protectiveness).

[↟ Walnut - What lovesick thoughts do they have about you? What do they think about you? What do they like about you the most?]

Oh, poor Malleus.

You are his first love, and he fell hard and fast. His thoughts drift to you so very often, and he can’t help but be infatuated with every little part of you. Any time he isn’t particularly busy with anything, thoughts of you worm his way into his mind. He is absolutely, irrevocably lovesick.

Frequently, he finds himself smiling whenever he thinks about all your soft, playful teasing and the silly nicknames you’ve given him. He adores that you’re comfortable enough around him to actually be playful with him like that. Being teased by a peer—a friend—is a very new feeling to him, since he has only really gotten teased by Lilia or his grandmother up until this point. But it’s different coming from you, and it gives him butterflies in his stomach. As sappy as it might sound, he’s so happy that your respective paths led to the two of you meeting, overjoyed that you’re in his life. It has gotten to the point where he can’t imagine his life without you.

Even if you two were to part ways (which he truly hopes doesn’t come to pass anytime soon), he will always cherish the time you two have spent together and the influence you have had on him. The warmth and kindness you have shown him, when so many others fear or hate him, have touched the deepest parts of his heart.

Malleus can’t help but often imagine the future—the future is often on his mind, which is largely in part due to his role as heir to the Draconia family. A future leading his country is one thing, but a future with you by his side? It is hard for him to imagine, but he would love to have a happy future with you. Heavy is the head that bears the crown—and he is certainly not afraid of ruling, but he can’t help but feel that his days would be brighter with you.

[↟ Hawthorn - What do they do to win you over? What is their best and worst flirting attempt?]

The future king of Briar Valley is very sweet, though he has rather particular ways of showing his affection towards others. Flirting does not come naturally to him, and he has zero experience in the romance department, so the concept of it is slightly daunting but not to the point where he would shy away from it completely. That said, the manner in which he speaks could sometimes be considered as flirtatious—though that is largely unintentional. None of his flirting attempts have been terrible, per se, but there have been a few moments that were… perhaps a little awkward, though still able to bring a smile to your face.

Most of his flirting comes in the form of gifts. Small things, usually, things that remind him of you. These will often be flowers—bouquets, pressed flower bookmarks, scent satchels with dried petals and other aromatics. He occasionally finds cute animal figurines and carvings and gives them to you, knowing your adoration for any and all sorts of creatures. When he learns of your fondness for dragons (something that draws out a chuckle from him—he’ll teasingly tell you that “this dragon is fond of you, too”), he makes it a point to gift you some dragon-themed trinkets. One day, eventually, he will gift you some of his scales—but that likely won’t happen until a few more years down the line, and only if you’re together, for his scales would represent a promise of everlasting love.

[↟ Dogwood - What are they willing to do for you? How would they help you, protect you, comfort you?]

Malleus would move heaven and earth for you. He is one of the most powerful mages in the world and thus is more than capable. What is he doing with his power if he is not using it to take care of his loved ones? He is extremely protective of the people and things he holds dear, and will do his best to keep those close to him as happy and safe as possible. Anything less and he would feel like he is failing them and himself.

His best subject at NRC is protection, so he is clearly well-versed in protection magic and spells, and deems it important enough to put effort into learning and practicing these spells. So long as he’s around, he will not allow any harm to befall you. Besides, he seems to be physically stronger and faster than most humans, so if you were to ever need any physical assistance or protection, he is more than willing to do so. Malleus is also very skilled at practical magic; the fae have a lot of magical prowess and they use magic in almost every area of their lives. They have very little (if any) human technology in Briar Valley, and things that could be done with human technology are done with magic instead. Any little thing that you might need help with that Malleus could easily complete with magic, you just say the word and it’s done. Anything to make your life easier! Besides, the less you have to worry about, the more you can focus on him.

As for comforting, this is not an area that Malleus has a ton of experience in, and yet he is quite decent at it. His presence is quiet but soothing, and you can speak as much or as little as you need. While he somewhat struggles with finding the right words with which to comfort you, there are times where he gives you extremely wise, comforting advice. He might be young for a fae, and he’s still growing and learning as a person, but he has still had a fair amount of experiences and his own struggles that he has worked through. His advice might sound rather similar to LIlia’s, given that the older fae has comforted and taught him over the years.

[↟ Ash - How do they react to physical touches? Are they affectionate with you or try to keep a distance?]

Despite how reserved and poised he often is, Malleus is actually quite touch-starved—though he likely doesn’t realize it. He wouldn’t personally describe himself as touch-starved, anyway. During the time he considers you as just a friend, he almost never initiates any contact with you, even though he’s not against the idea of a bit of physical affection between friends. This does not change much in his pining stages, though he starts to grace you with the occasional pat to your head, and perhaps—on rare occasions—even a gentle caress of his fingers against your cheek disguised as an attempt to brush an errant strand of hair away from your face. But that’s only if he is feeling especially bold. Do not misunderstand him; he is not intentionally distant. His distance is primarily out of habit, since he is not used to being so close to others, not used to others wanting to be so close to him.

However, any and all touches from you? He happily accepts them, and often looks forward to them once the two of you get closer.

He especially likes when you loop your arm with his and tuck your hand into the crook of his elbow as you’re walking side by side with him, the two of you looking like a proper, elegant couple. It makes him feel really giddy and light inside, and he can’t help the little grin on his face whenever you two are together like that. Perhaps surprisingly, he really likes whenever you ask to touch his horns. He is typically very particular about who is allowed close to them, but he fully trusts you and is glad to satisfy your curiosity. You’ll probably fluster him slightly whenever you give him a hug, his eyes wide and cheeks flushed a light pink, though after a moment he gingerly loops his arms around your shoulders to return it.

[↟ Ironwood - How did they plan/want to confess? Are they afraid of rejection? Are they nervous? Did they have failed confession attempts? When/where/how did they finally confess?]

Malleus fluctuates between being very decisive and overthinking things—and it turns out that he is rather indecisive as to when and how he wants to confess to you. For a long, long while he repeatedly turns over various ideas in his head, imagining several different possibilities and how they might play out. What feels comfortable for him? What should he do to make it feel special? Would you accept regardless of how he confesses, or does the actual time and place matter? Should he try and make it feel simple and casual, or would something more formal and poignant be better? He imagines the moment in that wildflower field where he realized his feelings for you—maybe he should confess there, to make that place special for you like it is for him?

Despite the sheer amount of overthinking he does, he isn’t actually very nervous nor afraid of rejection. Sure, rejection wouldn’t feel very nice, but if you’re not interested in him in that way then it simply is what it is. He is willing to accept your response, whatever it might be, and he wouldn’t consider a rejection as a personal failing on his part. His overthinking simply stems from the fact that he wants it to be as perfect as possible for the both of you.

There is only one failed confession attempt. The two of you are in the greenhouse, your Gargoyle Studies Club meeting turning into a stroll around campus instead; it started with you wanting to do a bit of birdwatching, and then you remembered that you wanted to check in on a few plants in the greenhouse to see if they were growing well, and so that is where the two of you ended up. Malleus didn’t exactly plan on confessing that day, but the moment seemed ideal—the greenhouse is quiet, pretty, and neither of you are in any particular rush anywhere. Malleus only gets as far as saying, “I would really like to tell you that–” before he is interrupted by an overly energetic Sebek who happened to spot Malleus as the two of you were heading into the greenhouse.

“Malleus-sama! Please remember to attend the Diasomnia dorm meeting later this evening!” the minty-haired first-year shouts, unknowingly having interrupted his liege’s confession.

“… Of course,” Malleus’s smile is tight, polite despite the way he starts to sulk internally, but Sebek doesn’t pick up on the tension in the fae’s face. Proud that he completed this sudden little side-mission of his (he wasn’t exactly looking for Malleus, but figured that he should notify him since he happened to see him out and about campus), Sebek puffs up his chest and nods, promptly departing the greenhouse. Quiet settles back in the greenhouse once the first-year leaves, and Malleus lets out a sigh as you giggle goodnaturedly.

When you ask Malleus what he was about to say, he just gives you a rueful smile and shakes his head. “Ah, I can’t recall. I will let you know if I remember.” It’s a harmless little white lie, but the peace of the moment has been disrupted and he feels like it might be best to broach the topic another time. Perhaps, if the two of you have another moment like this, he will take the opportunity to confess. In the meantime, he will enjoy this afternoon with you.

As for his next (and successful) attempt to confess… You will simply have to wait and see how that goes, won’t you?