Touchstarved OCs in College AU (+Additional Modern AU Thoughts!)
After seeing some Modern and College AU posts with the Touchstarved cast, I decided to slap my own OCs in this AU too! :D
Warnings: Talk of religion in Daniella's section
Notes: No notes! This is all just very self-indulgent, haha >w<
Word Count: 2.3k
Daniella
Course/Studying: Elementary Education
I can see Daniella wanting to be a teacher! :D She's always liked children, so her choice of college course reflects that-- I can see her aiming to teach younger kids though, rather than older ones.
Was very nervous about going to college and living away from her family, but she likes the independence she has now :] She was a bit overwhelmed by college life at first, but she adapted to it fairly quickly
Daniella: Why do we have to pay to study??
Ais: Welcome to college.
Relatively well-balanced student?? She gets overwhelmed by coursework on occasion, but aside from that she?? Has a balanced life?? Like girl what do you mean you have time to yourself?? Apart from that though, she doesn't really stand out too much
Despite her major being elementary education, she's surprisingly really good at philosophy?? One of her roommates, who is a philosophy student, is very thankful for her existence asdkja
When she makes dinner, she ensures that there's enough for her roommates! She very rarely gets takeout
Now that I think about it, she'd make for a really good roommate?? She cleans up after herself and makes an effort to connect with the people she's living with,,
I'm not sure how to describe her fashion sense- Simple?? Cozy-looking?? 🧍 But she does wear a wristwatch! She always wants to be aware of the time
Her circle of friends isn't very big, but she is close with the friends she does have!
She met Mhin by going to the same study area as they do- She saw them there fairly often, so she decided to go introduce herself! She makes sure Mhin isn't crumbling from sleep deprivation, and Mhin gives her feedback on her curriculum drafts-
Mhin brought her to a cat cafe, and Daniella could have sworn her entire life shifted /lh
She eventually meets the rest of the TS cast through Mhin- Leander sees them both hanging out and goes up to say hello- He's happy to see that Mhin has a new friend finally alskda /lh
She occasionally goes to Leander's parties! Like in canon, she still fusses over him from time to time-
Daniella: No, Leander, your eyebags don't "add to your aesthetic." Take a nap. 😐
Leander: 😔
Ais and Daniella would have a pretty nice friendship too, like in canon! They still have the 'bad boy x sheltered kid' dynamic- I like to think they would ride around on his motorcycle together (shoutout to the people who came up with Biker!Ais I owe you my life orz)
RIP Dani, she was excited, but pretty nervous about riding a motorcycle- But Ais eased her into it! (Although, he did do that thing where bikers make those small zigzags on the road to lightly rib at her, making her shriek a little bit AKSJA) (Even if that part was unexpected, she had a lot of fun!)
Ais still calls her sparrow/bluebird- The nickname is a constant across universes 🫵
Daniella doesn't know a lot of music, so she gets playlists from Leander (Vere also recommends a few songs- Some are genuine bangers, some are just filled with swears but are also bangers /lh)
As for other Modern AU thoughts, she has an online friend with the handle name Kyklospex! He was very much a secret she closely kept when Daniella still lived with her family. She's never met him in person before, and she doesn't know what he looks like (though she does know he's blind in one eye), but they've been in contact for a long time now. She'd love to meet him someday!
Had a phase where she unironically said 'fiddlesticks' when she was like 12
Her adopted older brother, Kenan, is alive in this AU, but he's in another college farther away. Despite that, they're still as close as ever!
Carrying over her Unnamed background, Daniella grew up in a big and religious family. Similar to canon, her parents were very controlling of her and her siblings, and deliberately sheltered them from the world. She was raised Mormon, but became Catholic after she left for college.
Once Daniella realised how flawed her parents were and how demanding/controlling Mormonism was, she decided to leave her family and convert religions [Side note: I don't mean to come across as if I'm insulting/bashing Mormonism! It's just that my friend, who was a Mormon in the past, told me stories and details about their experiences 🙇]
She was scared of leaving her family, thinking that they would hate her, but with encouragement from Kenan, she picked up the courage to leave. She's on very, very low contact with her parents and older family members, but she's still in touch with her siblings and worries about them a lot.
Aside from that though, Daniella is very grateful for the new experiences college life has brought her. :]
Edgar
Course/Studying: Biological and Biomedical Sciences
He's an alchemist and scientist in canon, and he's still going to be a scientist here! (minus the magic and graverobbing) (RIP the graverobbing swag, you'll be missed 😔 🥀)
Finds his professor, Laetitia, amusing. She's lowkey a little unhinged, but she's good at what she does! He's learned a lot from her, and he's one of her favorite students
He consistently gets very high scores!
Semi-formal/Classy attire. Someone get this guy a graphic t-shirt-
Comes from a very wealthy upper-class family, but doesn't really talk about it
His parents probably run/own a well-known real estate company, and his older brother is expected to take over
Has a good relationship with his younger sister, but is distant from his parents and older brother. If you see him smiling and talking on the phone, chances are that’s him talking with his sister
Lowkey kind of a cryptid- You see him in class and in his club, but aside from that, he is Gone™ ✌
He's in the Literature club, and since his character is inspired by Frankenstein, let me tell you his thoughts: he thinks Frankenstein is a melodramatic schmuck AKSJHDA He sees Doctor Jekyll as the superior doctor to Frankenstein (the self-experimentation, him having accountability, and being an actual doctor + having a degree charmed him /lh)
He's roommates with Shinju! The two of them get along well :D They have a closer relationship here than they would in canon- Edgar’s one of the very few people who sees him with his guard down (and is one of the few people who can genuinely get under his skin if he wants to asdfgjka)
Shinju introduces him to Leander, and he eventually gets to know the rest of the TS cast!
Edgar went to one of Leander's parties, and now he's finding every excuse there is to not go to another one
I think Mhin would also study something in the science field, so their paths would cross! They both give each other pointers and advice asdjka- Mhin thinks Edgar's kind of weird, but he knows his stuff
Kinda friends but also not really friends with Vere- The two of them met through Leander, and they really do randomly bump into each other by genuine coincidence (much to Edgar's amusement and Vere's annoyance)
Their relationship is kind of hilarious to Ais, who sits back and watches them go at it (Vere says something to get a reaction out of Edgar, and he gives him absolutely nothing to work with in return, always remaining very "🙂")
Edgar, with his natural resting face: :)
Vere: Can you quit aura farming?
Edgar: This is my natural aura
Vere: I'll kill you
Ais once let Edgar ride with him on his motorcycle because he was curious about what it was like. Edgar then had to sit down on a bench after the ride because he got motion sickness (it seems that even in a Modern AU, Edgar still has Victorian Susceptibilities™ /j /lh)
Edgar, head in his hands with regret:
Ais: Don't look down. You'll make it worse.
Ais, twenty minutes later: You good?
Edgar, staring at the lamp post across the street, still visibly nauseated: Do I appear "good?"
Ais: You look like shit, sparrow, I'm gonna be honest.
Edgar: Well then, there you have it.
Edgar probably works part-time at the clinic Kuras runs/works at??
Since we're on the topic of the TS cast, I wanna bring in Sen (Edgar's intended love interest) real quick- We don't know anything about her, so I'm just gonna make stuff up ;w;
Sen's studying mortuary science (yes, that's a thing), working part-time as a security guard at a place kind of close to the clinic- Edgar and Sen both bump into each other walking back to their dorm, and Edgar recognises her from college, so he decides to say hi and introduce himself
(Fast forward to them dating in like five/six years) (Even in a Modern AU setting, any romance with Edgar is still a really long slow burn) (This is what emotional isolation does to a guy)
Shinju
Course/Studying: Marketing and Sales
Shinju "The Grind Never Stops" Touchstarved 2025
He's a merchant in the OG universe, so he's still pursuing his capitalistic dreams here 👍
Has a pet tarantula named Hansuke! He's had a lot of spider pets over the years, but he's been the closest with Hansuke
Ais 🤝 Shinju (Pet owners) (They bond over this fact)
Somehow always busy but always has time for stuff??
Like, he's got a part-time job in a pawn shop, is in the Art Crafts club, is a campus tour guide, is a volunteer tutor at the tutoring centre, but yeah, he's got time to get a coffee with you on Monday
Speaking of clubs, both Shinju and Daniella are in the Art Crafts club! :D They make cute little trinkets and sew/knit together. He’s especially good at anything that involves yarn or threads
Daniella crocheted him a little Hansuke spider plush, and he’s still trying to find a way to return the gesture, even though Dani insists he doesn’t have to
(Side note- I'm not sure if Vere would join an arts and crafts club [he'd probably opt for a painting/drawing club instead, though he does like handmade stuff], but I do find some amusement in Daniella, Shinju and Vere being in a club together)
Shinju's a really social person, so I can see him meeting Leander (who's also social and well-known around campus) very easily! The two of them are good friends in this AU (though Shinju does express exasperated concern whenever Leander shows up the day after one of his many parties, as he's usually hungover)
Shinju: Let me guess, you partied too hard, got a hangover, and didn't eat breakfast again.
Leander: ...I had a Rice Krispy Treat on my way here? :D
Shinju: Good lord.
Shinju doesn't like anything messy or unorganised, so when Leander shows up looking dishevelled, he smooths out his collar/clothes (though Shinju hardly considers this a friendly favour, they both look Gay As Hell™ to onlookers /lh)
He's also friends with Elyon since they're both capitalist supporters /j /lh (But I do like to believe they're both studying the same thing! :0)
Business casual ahh fashion sense (unlike Edgar though, he does own a graphic t-shirt that he only wears in private)
Kind of an overachiever LMAOOO
Shinju "What Do You Mean I Didn't Score the Highest In the Class?" Touchstarved 2025
He SEEMS composed, but just wait until he gets a score below 99 or it starts raining outside
Shinju: I got a 90?!?
Leander: If it makes you feel better, I got a 78--
Shinju: YOU DON'T UNDERSTAND LEANDER MY GPA IS FUCKED
Whenever he gets nervous, he looks up at what's happening with the economy alskjda- /lh
Shinju's seen SO many burnt-out and overworked students- Most of them scrape by, but he's seen some crash and burn
He knew a guy who didn't have any forks or spoons, so he broke off a piece of a coat hanger and ate his food with it. Shinju's advice? Don't be this guy.
HAAAAATES the rain- it makes everything wet and he finds it to be an annoyance-
Cue Shinju standing at the living room window like an old man, holding the curtain open and staring at the rain in disdain
(Edgar finds this hilarious. He'd love to take a picture of whenever he does this, but Shinju has a sixth sense for these things and always disappears when Edgar comes back with his phone)
He seems well-adjusted, but wait until exam time rolls around. That's when he lowkey becomes a hermit, pouring all his energy into studying in his room
Edgar notes the drop in Shinju sightings, and checks up on him to make sure he's still alive kjsdna- He knocks on his door and brings him food
Edgar: *knocks on door* Have you passed away in there? I'd hate to be the one to break Leander's heart with the news of your death.
Shinju: You say that like I'm actively dying. I'm only compiling the study material.
Edgar: Ah, so you're close to death as we speak.
Shinju: You think you're so funny, don't you. :|
Edgar: I'm not sure what you mean. :)
Extra Content!:
Edgar: *got a 100*
Daniella: *got a 98*
Shinju: *got a 97*
Shinju: :) *exploding himself in his mind 💥💥*
Edgar, helping Daniella come up with a science programme to teach to children:
Shinju, helping Edgar make a budget spreadsheet for his spendings:
Daniella, helping Shinju by pet-sitting Hansuke when he and Edgar are away:
Edgar, leaving the dorm room:
Shinju: Edgar! You forgot your house keys! *throws keys at Edgar*
Edgar: acK- *the keys hit him square in the chest and he has to do that awkward scoop to grab them*
How They React Getting a 99
Daniella: Oh, I got a 99! If I'm lucky, I might get full marks on the next test! :D
Edgar: Oh, I'm one point off of 100. Oh well, there's always next time to get full marks.
Shinju: ... *he looks like he's considering whether or not he should throw himself into the sea*
