#don't come at me about how technically the school expected him to study magic practices and probably considered it a branch of anthropology

[peregrin-tookish]

Obsessed with the fact that Howl's Moving Castle suggests that a real university is giving out PhD's in magic

[lycanr0t]

if you'd like to share your thoughts on gay trans man marcille i'd love to read them and/or see your art of him! (no pressure of course!)

oh man will I share my thoughts dfjkh I was maybe going to eventually make a post to ramble about it but this gives me the perfect excuse to now :J

This ranting WILL have spoilers for anime only fans/ppl who haven't finished the manga!

Marcille is interesting to read as a gay trans man though. Because how I see it, during the events of the manga he would not know he's trans! Or at most, he would maybe have some Gender Feelings but he wouldn't really understand it yet.

To me, Marcille is the type who would at first do everything in his power to deny it/convince himself he isn't trans. I think he would have a fair bit of internalized transphobia just as a result of his fairly rigid way of going about things. He has specific standards for himself especially but also for others.

This is where my gay trans man headcanon for Falin comes in lol.

Not for romance reasons specifically, but because I think the way Marcille treats Falin when looked at through the lens of Marcille being a trans egg is especially interesting.

For my Falin headcanon, I see Falin as a gay trans man as well, but I think that he wouldn't be out to Marcille until after the events of the manga. This is very integral to how I view Marcille's gender discovery happening.

I think that during the time they're in school together, Marcille would have feelings for Falin that are confusing. In Marcille's mind they're both girls, so he must just be a girl into girls, right? Meanwhile Falin performs girl wrong and this challenges Marcille's worldview. Marcille cares for Falin, and this manifests as Marcille trying to 'help' Falin perform girl better. Basically, Marcille doubling down on his currently held beliefs of what gender is and how it functions instead of considering that it may not be that simple, and he and/or Falin may not be a girl. Falin I think would not bring up being trans for a few reasons but primarily that boy is just not big on conflict with people especially those he cares for.

But anyways. A perfect example of Marcille forcing his idea of correct gender performance being in a daydream hour page where Falin is drawn with short hair, and Marcille is visibly pretty upset by it. (I don't have the translated image but here it is)

I know that it seems like a small thing that doesn't hold much weight, and it's not technically canon but trans mens hair is often something that people feel that they need to control. A girl cutting her hair short is seen as this horrible, unacceptable thing. Now again, obviously Falin doesn't canonically cut his hair short, but the fact that Marcille would be upset and specifically wants it long again informs us about his view of these things. I think that hair being useful for magic would end up being a justification for both being upset by the concept of Falin with short hair, and a justification to himself on why he is not allowed to experiment with shorter hair. It's more practical for his line of work/study, so it's a perfect excuse to just never think about if he TRULY loves it long or if he is just doubling down on performing what's expected of him.

Marcille is a KING of appearing way more uptight than he is. He's very by the books, very strict seeming about doing magic right, but he also specifically primarily has interest in the most taboo magic. He's the loudest about complaining about eating monsters, but he's also the first one to outright say that if they have to eat demihumans then so be it. Marcille is full of contradicting feelings and actions and I think he's prone to trying to fit into what people expect but his heart isn't fully in it so he still ends up doing the unexpected as well.

Even after the manga, Marcille has lost his desire to take care of his hair but he honestly doesn't seem... that upset by it? He is upset, sure, but for something that appeared to be a pretty big thing for him he accepts it shockingly smoothly. Almost as if perhaps, it's a relief to have an excuse to try something different. To try shorter hair maybe? Because now he has an excuse other than doing gender 'wrong'. It would feel safer to explore.

Aand I have a TON of other thoughts but this is getting pretty long and I'm losing track of my thoughts SO I'm going to drop a small list of some other random half formed thoughts I think about in relation to Marcille being a gay trans man

marcille being half elf half tallman and the parallel between that and being trans and how when you're trans you're alienated and isolated. in society's eyes youre not fully a man, not fully a woman, you're both and neither and othered in a complicated way

everyone assuming marcilles wish is to become 'full elf' also is interesting to compare to the experience of people viewing being trans as 'wishing you were X gender' in a very binary way

marcille asking if his dad is pregnant in a flashback just feels like something a trans egg kid would say

marcilles overall attachment to his father tbh.

marcille being super into romance novels and specifically his succubus presenting as a pretty boy from his novels. Obviously this can be read romantic or whatever but I know personally a lot of characters I was obsessed with as a child that I thought was romantic attraction turned out to be a combination of attraction and wanting their gender expression. I think it's interesting to read into marcille's interest in romance novels as him finding a 'safe' way to explore his attraction to men and desire to be a man without actually acknowledging that directly. (a lot of irl gay trans men do similar before they realize theyre gay trans men!)

Aaand that's my thoughts for now lmao. Here's some pen doodles I did while figuring out how I wanted to draw post-canon marcille :> Still working on figuring him out but I like how these look! I like the idea of him having some facial hair (not very long as elves seem to not be able to grow much body hair) and probably cutting his hair so it's more shoulder length and a bit easier to manage!

[sweet-milky-tea705]

Abandoned Studies

Felix Escellun x GN reader, fluff, slight spice, word count: 1400

(I apologize for any bad writing or grammar, It’s my first fic lol)

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I stare blankly at the mountain of books, loose pages, and scrolls piled on the table before me. The room I was given in the tower was nice, the bed was soft and comfortable, light filtered through the dark curtains of the open window while a gentle breeze blew through them, plus, the ambiance of the room was warm and cozy despite me only being here a few days. I took a deep breath of the fresh, yet somehow also dusty, air and picked a book from the pile. The title reads, “The Comprehensive Study on the Art of Magic Cultivation”, I frown at how long and serious the title is. I take it with me and drop down onto the bed.

“At least it's not history,” I sigh, “This feels like school all over again.” My hands reluctantly open the book, I’m somehow surprised at how well the pages are preserved, the burgundy leather cover looked worn and it was clear it was more than just old, the thing seemed ancient. I turn a few pages and start reading, It’s more interesting than I had thought. I was never a huge fan of being forced to read things but if this book was on Earth, The author would’ve been a complete nutjob. I’m definitely not used to all this magic stuff here, not to say I’m not enjoying the hell out of it.

Next thing I know, hours have passed and I’m more than a quarter through the book, which is surprising given the fact that it’s about as thick as a brick. It was starting to make sense to me, but that’s definitely more in theory than practice since I technically haven’t tried anything yet. Maybe when I do I’ll at the very least understand it more. Just as I look back down at the book, I hear a knock at the door to the room, at first, a tentative tap, then a slightly more firm knock.

“Come in,” I say, laying the book and my glasses next to me on the bed. The door creaks open and I find Felix standing in the doorway eyeing the massive pile on the table. “Well...uh, that sure is a lot. Eager to study, hmm?” he says with a small, almost awkward smile. I laugh at the thought of being eager to work on anything, I don’t necessarily fit that narrative. “Not particularly, I just grabbed as much as I could carry, figured I could sort through them later.” He chuckles and takes a few steps into the room, looking at the little changes I’ve made during my stay here.

When the silence stretches a little too long I decide to speak up. “You know, I’ve really enjoyed your company lately, I’m lucky to have such a talented young mage here to help me with all this magic stuff, among other things of course.” I say the last few words with a playful tone, he flushes slightly at it before quickly regaining his usual composure.

“Of course, I have also enjoyed your presence, I can only stand Sage’s banter for so long. You have certainly been a nice change of pace.” I stand up from my place on the mattress and make my way towards him. He was a little too far away for my comfort. “Have I now? I think I understand Sage just a little bit, you are fun to tease.” Slightly flustered, his eyes widen a little bit and he coughs, moving his gaze back towards the books and changing the subject. “Good to know I suppose. How has the research been going?”

“Pretty well, it’s a lot more interesting than I was expecting. I’ve never really been a big reader. Why don't you come look?” I gesture towards the book I left open on the bed and my round glasses tossed next to it. He agrees to look at it and we both plop onto the small bed. I pick up the book and begin reading aloud to him. “It seems nice, you’ve gotten rather far into it for it being only a few hours,” he says finally, I was hoping I wouldn’t have to read aloud that much since I’m not the best speaker, but I guess he wanted to hear a good bit of it. Regardless, I smile at the praise, I’m glad I seem to be doing well, I didn’t usually hear that often.

I notice the room has gotten considerably darker, It’s getting late, isn’t it? I look at Felix expecting some sort of remark on the matter, but his attention seems to be elsewhere. Golden light shines in through the window and a small gust of wind gently blows through his hair. I never realized how long his eyelashes were, or how rosy his cheeks are. Wait. I look back up at his eyes and realize I had been staring. “O-Oh. I’m sorry I didn’t mean to stare, you just look amazing right now.” Oh my god, did I actually just say that?

I look down at his lips, parted in response he can’t seem to get out. I chuckle and cup his cheek. His eyes widen and his blush deepens even more at the touch, “You know, this book has been getting a little boring, don’t you think?” I ask, tossing the book aside once more with a smirk. When I turn back to face him for an answer, I’m pulled forward to find my lips pressed against his. Surprised at his sudden boldness, I gasp, yet I melt into him quickly regardless, the kiss deepening slightly and our lips matching pace with one another. I part away for a moment and he whimpers slightly, arm draping over my shoulder. I kiss him again harder this time. Then again.

I go further, moving onto his lap and slipping my tongue into his mouth. At this, he inhales sharply and pushes forward, hands grasping at the buttons of my shirt while mine run through his hair. Soon, my shirt is slipping down my shoulder and I tug at his hair gently. I didn’t know his lips were this soft, we move together like water against each other, only small gasps of air and the sound of our own heartbeats cutting the silence of the room as the sun continues to go down.

Our lips part after what could’ve been ages or only a few moments and I meet his gaze breathlessly, our clothes and hair awry. To my surprise, the sun had almost completely gone down and the room had gone almost dark. Felix was only barely visible, but still, the sight of him was perfect. “You are so amazing, Felix...” I whisper before peppering kisses on his face, granted, not very well since we were smiling too much. He pulls me back down for one more kiss and looks back up at me, satisfied at the happy little mess we had made of each other. He sends a small flame at a nearby candle to light up the room a bit. I look down at the floor and chuckle at the poor book that had fallen off during our...research.

I pick up my glasses and say with the most shit-eating grin I can muster, meeting his gray eyes, “Maybe we should study more often like this, don’t you think?”

“I’ll look into it,” he laughs playfully, running a hand through his hair, “Though I severely doubt much work will get done.” How can he be this effortlessly beautiful? I smooth down my own hair and pull my shirt back over my shoulder. Suddenly, with a growl of my stomach, I realize neither of us has eaten yet. “So... dinner?” I look at the door and then back to him expectantly.

He looks surprised for a moment, as if he hadn’t even noticed how hungry he was. “Yes,” he says, smiling fondly, “Let’s go eat something.” He opens the door and the candle goes out, leaving the room empty and dark aside from the gentle moonlight. The cool air ruffles the curtains a bit and the crickets chirp outside. What a lovely way to spend the evening, I think to myself and walk out the door.

[musicprincess655]

FIC IS COMPLETE

“Rei-chan, I promise I’m fine,” Miyuki pleaded, giving Rei the best puppy dog eyes he knew how to do. Which was pretty good, considering he could shift into a canine species.

“Sawamura?” Rei asked.

“Kaji-sensei says three more weeks,” Sawamura replied without looking up from tying his shoe. Miyuki glared at him.

“Traitor,” he muttered.

“Sounds like you’ll be riding the bench with me for three more weeks, Miyuki-kun,” Rei said sweetly. “I could use help taking notes.”

“Rei-chan please,” Miyuki tried again, turning up every bit of charm he knew how to use. “It’s my last year, I don’t want to start it sitting out.”

“I’d have a lot more sympathy for your cause if you hadn’t lied and hid this from everyone,” Rei said. “But since you decided to be a complete idiot instead, I feel absolutely no regret in benching you.”

“Am I ever going to live that down? I apologized.”

“And the apology is the reason you’re allowed on the bench and not banned from practice entirely,” Rei said. Luckily, Miyuki had known her long enough to know when the subject was closed, but she didn’t think that meant she was exempt from the complaints.

“Takashima-sensei?” Rei turned to see Nagao, Inamoto, and Hidokoro looking at her expectantly. “We finished that work you gave us.”

“The reading for your lesson tonight is the next chapter,” Rei said. “Take notes. This one’s important.”

“See you after practice, Sensei.” They waved, disappearing back into the school. Sometimes, they stayed to watch practice, but with the school year ramping up, they’d started devoting more time to their studies. Rei wondered if it was out of habit or something else.

The trio from Sakurazawa had become permanent fixtures in Seidou. Once the dust had settled from the death curse, it hadn’t been quite clear what to do with them, although there was a vocal faction calling for them to be sent to prison just like the rest of the members of Maimon. It wasn’t a faction that had a lot of support, considering how enthusiastic the trio had been in giving names and information on the group.

Still, even Rei had to acknowledge that they couldn’t just release the three into the world, although her reasons were very different from others. Letting them go without any support just kept the reasons they’d fallen in with Maimon alive.

What had really turned the tides in the trial of the trio was the support of the coven battle teams, which had earned everyone’s respect for how well they’d defended the city from the death curse. Especially important had been the members who’d lost cities and people to the death curse. Kuramochi’s testimony in particular had stood out.

((“Throwing them in prison won’t solve anything,” he said. “That just gives more of a reason for more kids like them to fall into the same situation. They didn’t plan this curse, and they wouldn’t have done it if they didn’t think they had another option. Punish the people who planned this, but don’t punish them.”))

In the end, the more sympathetic groups had won out. The trio was on a kind of house arrest in Seidou, boarded up in a larger room that could hold the three of them. Rei was tasked with organizing a guard for them and keeping them in line.

Basically, they were Rei’s problem now, and it was a better outcome than she’d been hoping for.

She was taking the opportunity to catch them up on everything she thought they needed to know about magic. Their knowledge was spotty at best, which was to be expected considering how long they’d been out of school. However, all three were bright students, and they learned fast. Rei was already trying to figure out how to sell the idea of admitting them as students in Seidou next year or the year after to the board. It would be an uphill battle, but she thought she’d gained a lot of support this year because of how she’d handled the death curse.

She took stock of the team on the field. Most people had healed enough that it was no problem to let them practice, although Tesshin had been taking practice slower than usual this year. Still, despite some calls to cancel the yearly match between Inashiro and Seidou, all four teams had vehemently protested, so Tesshin needed to step it up if he wanted to win.

Sawamura had healed beautifully from his concussion, and in the months he’d had to practice without Miyuki, his control had improved. Rei privately thought it was good that they had no choice but to develop individually from each other, no matter how incredible they were together.

Furuya’s shoulder had healed, and during his physical therapy, he’d actually developed stamina and control. He was stronger than ever, and Rei couldn’t wait to watch him and Sawamura compete for the main ace position. They would drive each other to new heights.

Kanemaru had also healed from his concussion, and he was coming out swinging, determined to make starter this year.

Rei was thrilled with how the team was starting to shape up, slow start aside. It was only the end of April, and this summer would be one to remember, she was sure of it.

“Haven’t they started yet?” Rei turned to see Kominato Ryousuke clumping along on his crutches. “They’re slacking off.”

Ryousuke wasn’t quite as healed as everyone else on the team. His leg had been truly destroyed, and he wasn’t even out of the cast yet. He had a long road to recovery ahead of him, but Rei had high hopes for him yet. He was technically only a sophomore, he had a long time left here. In the meantime, Rei wanted to see how the teamwork between Kuramochi and Haruichi developed.

“They’ll get started soon,” Rei promised him. “Do you want to sit in the dugout with me?”

“And listen to Miyuki complain about being benched again?” Ryousuke asked. “Pass. I’ll go hang out on the bleachers.”

He clumped back off, and Tesshin stood up, ready to start practice.

“So when are we signing adoption papers for Nagao, Inamoto, and Hidokoro?” he asked before he headed out.

“I wasn’t aware we were adopting them,” Rei replied.

“We kind of already have,” Tesshin said. “They come over every week for dinner.”

“Because I feel bad that they’re cooped up here at school,” Rei said.

“You’re personally tutoring them.”

“They deserve an education just as much as everyone else.”

“You’ve started planning how you’re going to get the board to admit them next year.”

“You saw that?”

“You left it out.”

“Fine,” Rei sighed. “We can talk about this later. And ask them later. Right now you have to run practice.”

“Alright team!” he called, drawing everyone’s attention. “Laps, and I want to hear you across the field.”

There were some groans, but everyone took off running. Rei watched as they lapped around, steady footfalls warm and familiar. They’d lost a lot this year, but they’d kept enough to rebuild, and rebuilding they were. Nothing was the same, but that was okay. Things never stayed the same year to year on this team.

It didn’t mean they didn’t still have some things from last year. There was still Sawamura, happily shouting louder than everyone else. They still had Kawakami, with his steady hand. They still had Furuya, who was more like a quiet storm than anything else. There was still Kuramochi, and Haruichi, and other pillars they’d depending on last year.

And there was Miyuki, who would be captain when he managed to get off the bench. Rei was stupidly proud of him, and she’d tell him that when she was done being furious at him for pulling that ridiculous stunt.

Nothing was the same. But they moved on anyway.

The future looked bright.