Can I bother you for some Xanthous headcanons? Or Cyrus headcanons?
The Xanthous information would be a headcanon for sure, but Cyrus is an OC so it would very much be canon if I said so haha. Iâll give you five of each and (just in case you were meaning the version of Xanthous I have developed for my story) Iâll give you five extra headcanons that involve them both.
Spoilers ahead. Youâve been warned.
1. Xanthousâs mannerisms evolved quickly as he grew, meaning he matured quickly and found solace in seriousness, because of the switch from being a member of the Fairy Council to becoming the literal Demon King. Itâs different when you have people there to bounce ideas off of, to keep you in check, to not let the power of ruling over a completely subservient species like the demons get to your head. Xanthous faced difficulties while being the Demon Kingâmany of which coincided with what the previous Demon King dealt with. Eventually, this started to change him into someone like the person he was reincarnated from. Thankfully, Xanthous had the self-restraint and respect for the demons to contact the fairies and have them help him. As a group, they planned out how the demons could learn self-governance, and this allowed Xanthous to rejoin their ranks despite remaining the Demon King. However, his personality would never quite go back to what it used to be when he was younger.
2. Xanthous took a while to learn about the full extent of the LGBTQIA+ community. At first, he thought it only consisted of people who were attracted to the same gender. Then, when he discovered the possibility of someone being attracted to both genders, it started to open his eyes to the possibilities. The first time he encountered someone who was transgender, he knew that person belonged under the same umbrella as himânot because he was trans, but because they were both othered and differed from what was considered ânormalâ. Heâs always been an advocate for everyone included in the queer community, and the people who go âLGB without the Tâ make him unfathomably angry.
3. Xanthous never focused too much on education until he got to a point in his life where he realized that being a member of the Fairy Council and Happily Ever After Assembly (this headcanon is before Alex so itâs not the Happily Forever After Assembly just yet) meant that he was one of the rulers of the world. As such, being educated was extremely important, and so he began to teach himself various things he never learned in secret. Because of this, heâs actually quite the learned man and thatâs why he takes a lot of pride in his station. He also enjoys the new sense of efficiency that comes with being knowledgeable about the best courses of action, and this is why we see him run the Bailey home in such a strict fashion. He doesnât mean any harm by it, he just knows the best way to keep everyone safe.
4. Xanthous didnât notice it until it was pointed out to him, but his Demon King crown and cape resemble an angelâs halo and wings. Not being particularly religious (even if he knows demons exist and therefore it does make sense that angels might as well), Xanthous didnât question much about it. Then, he started looking more into the known lore about angels and demons⌠Suddenly, the stories about demons being fallen angels started to make a bit of sense to him. Angels that lived in the heavens must have been able to withstand heat incredibly well because of how close they are to the sun. If they were fire beings all along, then it makes sense why they would want to build their home in the center of the earth after falling. Xanthous couldnât make much sense of it, since they were just myths and legends, but he likes to think that demons are just angels that followed their own paths in life. If that got them kicked out of heaven, then perhaps it wasnât so great up there. This is all just speculation to Xanthous because he doubts heâll ever know the truth.
5. Xanthous doesnât know his true birthday. He has a general sense of when it may be solely because he knew to watch out for when his father would suddenly become worse at some random point in the year. Because it happened like clockwork around a specific month, set of weeks, or even couple of days, heâs narrowed it down to a range of times. However, he doesnât trust himself to give accurate information on that, so eventuallyâwhen he was free from that lifeâhe just picked one of the days and stuck with it. That became his birthday, and it wasnât like the specifics really mattered because he aged every year regardless. But, everyone he knows (namely the Fairy Council) respect his decision to have chosen his own birthday and celebrate him on that day. Despite having the power to potentially find out for sure when he was born exactly, they would rather Xanthous have the positive association of assigning his birthday to himself rather than any of the negative aspects that came with his actual birthday. Short headcanon: Brystal definitely knows and sheâs only told like Emerelda, but they care for Xanthous too much to tell anyone else.
1. Cyrus has quite a few motifs that go into his character. One of the biggest ones is the connection to butterflies. Not only do butterflies symbolize growth, transformation, and development through facing challenges (all of which are central themes of his character), but they also represent things like freedom and hope. Cyrus doesnât actually embody all of these aspects because heâs more like a caterpillar than he is a butterfly. Heâs still going through the stages of trying to become what he was meant to be, but (unlike actual caterpillars), Cyrus has a series of physical, mental, and emotional blocks that prevent him from getting to the butterfly stage. His story has strong roots in the realistic journey of life where you find yourself tossed into situations without many tools to help you navigate it. The more he learns and practices, the more tools he obtains. The more tools he obtains, the easier his life becomes. That is the moral and significance of being taught in a way that benefits youâas is eventually seen through Cyrusâs character growth.
2. Cyrus is incredibly musically inclined. While he canât play an instrument, he likes to hum tunes he is familiar with and particularly enjoys specific orchestral pieces because of the layers to the sound. He has a preference for when all manner of instruments can come together to produce something full and moving, and he is the type to get goosebumps when the music gets really good. He has a way of deciphering whether or not someone puts their emotions, heart, and soul into a piece they have written or are performing, so he actually is a little picky with what he enjoys hearing. Of course, he knows itâs not his place to be so judgmental when he canât even play an instrument, but his taste for quality music doesnât go unappreciated when people ask him for feedback. Cyrusâs complements to musicians go above and beyondâsince he is familiar with some basic musical terminologyâso he tends to deliver very specific insight into pieces. Because of this, he tends to befriend people who are musicians or similarly musically inclined (like Juniper for example).
3. Cyrusâs magic has strong familial roots, and this is why he is so disconnected from it. While capable of training himself to get better at it over time, Cyrus can never fully unlock the potential he has for magic until he faces his ancestry. This happens within the story, but Cyrusâs father is a very central figureâespecially when it comes to Cyrusâs magical capabilities. His techniques and affinity with splitting apart the fabric of reality are actually generational secrets passed down in the Amury family that Cyrus never got to know because he had no recollection of his father. Before being cursed with amnesia, Cyrus was beyond compare when it came to magic. He was taught by only the best of the best, and he excelled within all manner of magical study. Unfortunately, in his story, Cyrus struggles to get back to that level of magical prowess even after regaining his memories. This is because, even with the knowledge of how his magic really works returned to him, he still has the memories of endless struggle and strife while trying to relearn it. This mental block continues to plague him and is the last remnants of his Magiclexia. He is capable and can do magic well, but there will always be a part of him connected to Magiclexia.
4. Cyrus prefers places that are high up. He used to love flying before his wings were ruined, so itâs only natural that he would find himself climbing to the tops of places just to enjoy the feeling of being away from the ground. When he gets used to his magic and has a decent amount of confidence in it, Cyrus uses it to fly short distances. Granted, nothing ever feels the same as flying with his wings, which is why he doesnât like doing it for too long. The freeing feeling comes with the sorrow of knowing heâs doing it from a difference source. His wings give him grief for quite some time, but he does actually get them back in the future as a reward for completing his journey and returning to his true form. Because of that, Cyrus has to relearn how to fly with them. Just because itâs the end of his journey doesnât mean his struggles end. Again, his experience is rooted in what would naturally happen if someone just stopped using some of their muscles for a very long time. It requires training and effort and determination to get back to the state they were once in. This is what Cyrus undergoes, but he does it without too many hurdles because the goal is incredibly important to him (which is great motivation).
5. Cyrus enjoys being lazy and procrastinating, but he doesnât let himself have the luxury of rest because of his stubbornness. In an effort to prove people wrong about him, Cyrus overworks himself. This is obviously the wrong answer to how someone should approach the situation of being judged, but Cyrus has a complex of needing to live up to the expectations of others. This is why whenever he does something wrong, Cyrus either defends his actions until his dying breath or makes up for it as best he can. However, when he has a day to himself where he doesnât have to do anything, he likes to rot in bed and not leave it. This is a double-edged sword because he eventually feels like he didnât accomplish anything and that the day was wasted. Unlike most people, who may tell themselves (or be told by others) that self-care is important and itâs ok to take a day to just be lazy and procrastinate, Cyrus doesnât have access to that mentality. This becomes a vicious cycle of despising himself to the point of overworking which leads to the eventual need for a lazy day and it repeats all over again after that. The only one who has helped him gain a better sense of self-care when it comes to lazing around is Gale, but Cyrus only listens and abides by his words for so long before he does it again. Such is the way of habit and negative mentality. It takes him a while, but eventually he does get better about it permanently.
Cyrus and Xanthous (Head)Canons:
1. Cyrusâs fake sense of confidence has provided him with a real ego that surprises him sometimes. Because of his failure in certain aspects, when Cyrus excels at something he latches onto that pride and becomes self-assured. However, this balancing beam where he sometimes leans too far into confidence and sometimes too far away makes him come off as either too humble or too arrogant. Heâs been fighting to get a good balance of both, but itâs extremely difficult for him. Thatâs where Xanthous comes in. By either hyping him up or humbling him, Xanthous effectively nudges Cyrus into a better position on that balancing beam. While it may come off as Xanthous being a little cruel to him, he is benefiting Cyrus in the long run. In the future, Cyrus is thankful for his assistance. It made him a better man.
2. Xanthous and Cyrus do their best conversing whenever they are seated. It may sound weird, but the way the atmosphere between them changes when they are stationary and locked in to a conversation is astounding. Xanthous eventually catches on to this and makes Cyrus sit down before he eases into a potentially tense topic. Gradually, Xanthous began to choose locations that Cyrus preferredâones that made him more comfortableâto entice him to stay despite what he had to tell him. Eventually, Cyrusâs reactions to the topics became less intense and he would engage with patience or understanding. Xanthous successfully managed to train Cyrus into being more accepting of information so long as he was sitting down, and that is why there are so many scenes of them sitting together.
3. Cyrus has a spot on the back of his neck (thatâs involved with part of his curse) which is very sensitive to touch. Itâs basically his weakest spot, and when it is hit too hard or even grabbed a specific way, he has a chance to go into a kind of shock. Xanthous learned this the hard way one time, and Cyrusâs reaction scared him so bad that he has never brought his hand even close to the back of his neck. However, that changed one time when he decided to ask Cyrus about how the back of his neck worked when he saw him massaging it to make himself feel better. Once Xanthous knew the specifics, he finally felt good enough to give him pats on the back again. The worry that he will accidentally hurt him never leaves Xanthous though, and this is why he eventually starts to pat Cyrus on the top of the head whenever he is proud of him. It makes Cyrus feel a little like a dog whenever Xanthous pats the top of his head, and that leads to him commenting on it or smacking his hand away. Secretly, Cyrus doesnât mind it because he likes head pats or scalp massages. Xanthous probably knows that he doesnât actually mind it and thatâs why he keeps doing it.
4. Xanthous doesnât realize how central Cyrus is to his daily routine until Cyrus is absent from it. Of course, Xanthous doesnât mind it and can continue to function perfectly fine without him around, but there is always this little sense that something is missing from his life. Even though itâs time-consuming, Cyrusâs little quibbles with him are one of the things that keep Xanthous on his toes. Since Cyrus is naturally curious, Xanthous has to call upon his wealth of information to answer some of the questions he has or challenges he makes to existing notions. Itâs like an exercise for his brain, and without Cyrus there, Xanthous feels like heâs not thinking to his full potential. Cyrus misses the presence of Xanthous much more than Xanthous misses him when they are apart, but there is still a piece of the both of them that feels incomplete in each otherâs absence. When Cyrus and Xanthous are reunited, itâs like an itch that has been scratched for Xanthous when heâs met with the inevitable comment that gets his brain thinking. He, of course, has to be correct when challenged by his apprentice, so not only does it give his brain a workout⌠it also feeds his pride. Cyrus has attempted to chip away at Xanthousâs ego for so long, but it never seems to work.
5. When Xanthous and Cyrus become comfortable with one another, Cyrus eventually starts to settle himself in close quarters with him. One of the things he likes to do is sit and read his books when Xanthous is busy doing some manner of Fairy Council paperwork or something. Heâs the type to face his chair at Xanthous, right next to him, and put his legs over his. Xanthous was irritated by this at first, but then it started to feel a bit more like the comfort of a weighted blanket. Because the both of them enjoyed it, the practice of sitting like that became commonplace. While Xanthous doesnât allow it where other people are free to look at them, he will sit and do his work or read with Cyrus just so they can be seated like that. Itâs basically a little treat for the both of them. While Xanthous does like his bubble every now and again, heâs gotten so used to Cyrus that he lets him invade it without consequence. One might even think that Xanthousâs personal bubble expands just so Cyrus can be included and close to himâŚ
But heâd never admit that in a million years.
Thanks so much for the ask! It was a lot of fun to think about little details or things that may or may not be true. Also this was done right in the middle of my homework, so sorry if it seems a little wonky. I have like .5 of a brain cell left đ
