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The Other Side of The Moon
—Tagline
Atlas Myddrin,full name Atlas Aurelius Myddrin (He/Him), is a late 2017-2018 introduced character. He is the first-born son of Merlinus 'Merlin' Myddrin and Lunete. He takes after his mother's destiny in his generation's rendition of Yvain The Knight of The Lion. He is a Classic Year student by the time of the rebel movement and regarding it, he stands on the Royal side. As his ancestors going off-script has cursed the destiny he's tasked to complete. Therefore, he doesn't want to deepen the curse for his own sake.
Despite not being completely satisfied with his destiny, regarding most of his story degrading, he has taken it upon himself to make sure all the characters in his story are on board with reliving the story with as many minor tweaks needed to make the experience less embarassing or outright ofensive to everyone involved.
To the naked eye, Atlas is a stoic, stern and down to earth boy who keeps to himself. Despite that, he would always try to show off academically. As a textbook definition of a perfectionist, Atlas won't rest until things or people meet his standards and anything that is below them, isn't worth any of his time.
Despite him being quite rough on the outside, if you manage to rip through the walls he has meticulously put up, you will discover a boy who is actually very sensitive, curious and eager to be of help to others in any way he can, yet he is anything but a people-pleaser and can easily discern when people take advantage of him. He has a tendency to subconsciously side to the underdog, despite being a royal himself, and is very compassionate with children and younger students, knowing how much potential someone can hold and that success is a matter of persistence.
Atlas values hard work the most and aims to do his best with whatever he's tasked with, usually going overboard and disregarding his own well-being, often ignoring his own needs.
After his run-in with king Arthur, Atlas has developed a problem with authority and can be described as defiant and stubborn. His very individualistic personality also gives him a lot of trouble in group-based activities.
Hobbies and Interests[]
Reading & Writing: Atlas is an academic and enjoys consuming every bit of knowledge he can grasp. Whether it is trying to take advantage of his own magic touch or trying to replace more unpleasant memories to no avail, Atlas can be found constantly reading and experimenting. Trying to innovate and maybe become part of the authors he so admires.
Potion-Brewing: Atlas has an uncanny talent for potions, which mirrors his sister's talent at spells- but, unlike Io, Atlas has taken full advantage of his abilities- even running his own off-the-page potion business at school. If you need an outstanding and effective potion, Atlas is the one you go to.
Violin: Being raised by king Arthur after his father's untimely 'death', Atlas was fed with etiquette and various hobbies that would benefit a boy in high society. Despite his hatred for each and every one of those traditions, Atlas has a reluctant liking for playing the Violin, one of the many classes and hobbies he was forced to take.
Swimming: Another hobby of his' is swimming. Usually something he only indulges in back home in Landuc or at the Swimming club. Though he's only picked up the sport on his Freedom Year at Ever After, it is something he's very passionate about; so much so, he aims to become captain of the team... god have mercy on them.
Black Cat's Treat-tise: As the arthurian court withdrew Atlas' right to allowance upon finding out his relationship with Casanova Charming, Atlas had to find a part-time job once he transferred to Ever After High. After a couple of failed interviews, Atlas found his place by working at the library café. The quiet, calm enviroment was more than a welcome break from the ruckus of school and Atlas' magic touch comes in handy as he can easily memorize the inventory, codes and locations of a customer's desired book. Regardless of the various perks and discounts the café gives his employees, Atlas loves his job and can't thing of being anywhere else. He is planning on working there until he eventually graduates and has to go back to Camelot.
Appearance[]
Atlas is a very pale boy that stands at 172 cm. He's got sapphire blue eyes and white hair, which turned its unnatural color at the age of 16, after signing the storybook of legends. Despite his poor care of his own body, Atlas mantains a fascinating and androgynous beauty, which has fueled rumors that he is the offspring of a succubus along with his twin sister, Io. His movements are self-contained and calculated, as if he was worried about making any noise. He also has a small mole on the left side of his face, mirroring his sister's.
Often dressing in over-sized clothing, people may assume Atlas is lanky, but he is actually quite lean and has broad shoulders thanks to his swimming hobby. Because of his pale skin, he burns easily.
As an obscure story, not many people know of the story's existence outside of the tight circle that composes the offspring of the Arthurian Legends. Atlas will take his mother's part as a major supporting character, Lunete, charged with making the main couple of the story fall in love to restore balance to the kingdom of Landuc amidst an impending invasion from Camelot.
All identifying texts and illustrations of the original Lunete outside her story have disappeared, only leaving her basic role untouched. This is an after-effect of The Faceless Curse, the result of one of the Lunetes going off-script after signing the Storybook of Legends.
As a result, the people assigned to the role have struggled to fulfill their duties afterwards, including Atlas’ late mother.
According to the curse’s rules, all instances of Atlas’ mother outside her story have been wiped from people’s memory, including her full name and appearance. Even photographs are subjected to this rule, leaving an uncomfortable emptiness where she was supposed to be.
How does Atlas fit into it?[]
Early Childhood: Emrys Manor[]
Closely before completing her story, ?????? ‘Luna’ ????? became Lady Laudine and Yvain's main advisor and would often accompany them on trips to other countries, including Camelot. There, she met the countries’ court magician; Merlinus ‘Merlin’ Myddrin.
Despite their large age gap, the two got along nicely and seemed to become more and more fond of each other as time passed, often writing letters back and forth every day. However, Merlin was hesitant on initiating a relationship not only because of the difference in age, but the hostile environment between the two countries they worked for.
It took a lot of work and a couple of years for the couple to get properly settled, but, despite their attempts to keep their relationship secret from their respective courts, it was already obvious to everyone they were mutually attracted to each other.
So, it came to no surprise when a pregnancy was announced. Soon afterwards, Luna and Merlin eloped, the woman taking maternity leave and moving to the fabled Emrys Manor, where she'd carry her pregnancy to term.
She was the one to give the kids their first names while Merlin was tasked to give them their middle names, hoping that way the two would hold a tiny bit of their parents inside of them. Atlas was born first, with merely just five minutes difference between him and his now sister, Io. The two, though slightly lighter than average, were healthy identical twins.
Everything seemed so perfect- for their first months, Lunete and Merlin would stay in to take care of the two kids while working from home, which only made the confusion even greater when, at only 6 months of age, Luna left her children and husband behind to never be heard of again.
The most affected was Merlin, who, out of shame and sadness, preferred to avoid the subject all-together and became sort of a shut-in, only going out for the sake of his children’s schoolwork. not thinking about how that would eventually affect the twins.
Atlas, being the eldest twin, was assumed to be the next Merlin, so it was only natural he would be bred to succeed his father, on the flip side, his sister learnt mostly illusionary and moon-related magic, since it was assumed she would follow their late mother's path.
Despite their wildly differing destinies, Merlinus would try to put both of his children on the same level of magic training, mostly to make sure to keep Atlas from forming an ego and avoid any discord between the siblings. They were also sheltered from their father’s fame, Merlinus making directives and teachers swear secrecy about the twins’ parentage as well as maintaining fair treatment in their school.
This, of course, wasn’t very effective. Even if, as kids, were asked not to tell about their father’s identity, they would still hear the other children talk about their father as some kind of “god” and wonder who would be the successor of such a great magician.
Atlas, even if he thought his dad wasn’t that big of a deal, took pride in being the answer to that question. Even if he was never able to brag about it in his youth, pouring everything he had into being the best of his class to be deserving of that title.
Maybe that was for the best.
Atlas’ first 8 years were simple, happy, and carefree. These later becoming treasured memories for the boy; Trips to Tales and Camelot, exploring enchanted forests and visiting their dad’s friends, Atlas was able to explore most of Great Britain and figure himself out, meeting new summer friends and even his first crush, a lumberjack’s son that lived deep in the forests of Tales.
As time passed by, he was trained in all sorts of magic by his father and took on as many subjects at school as he could. Yet, It wasn't a secret to him that Io was better at many things, including some spells, but her complete disinterest in magic let him take the spotlight he so yearned for- as well as time to train and hone his abilities to the max, eventually surpassing her. His magic knowledge getting more complex and advanced as time ran by.
Yet, something felt wrong. Things weren’t supposed to be this perfect
Merlin wasn’t a perfect man, and he was getting lonely. He knew he wouldn't be able to raise his children alone- and so, he made the decision of opening up to dating once more.
Despite their father’s attempts to find a good match for their family, the twins weren't happy. They were already left in the dark about their biological mother and had already lived a seemingly happy life without one in their lives, so the two didn't understand why they needed a replacement. Not to mention they were well aware of the story- the last story that their dad appeared in; "Merlin and The Lady of The Lake".
If they allowed him to pursue romance any further, they may lose the only family they had.
They would constantly sabotage their dad's attempts at finding love, thinking it'd be for the best- after all, why couldn't Merlin be happy with what they already had? This desire of yearning for more was dangerous, and the twins knew.
Despite that, Merlin's own desire to look for a new spouse sparked curiosity inside Atlas' mind;
who exactly was his mother?
Why, after all those years of grieving over her loss, did Merlin decide to move on and find someone new? Maybe, if he found more information about her, if he somehow found her, maybe dad would stop his search for a new lover?
The boy stopped helping his sister's attempts at foiling the dates and dedicated himself to memorizing his father's routine- from Monday to Sunday, from the exact time he woke up to when the man would give into sleep. Even with Io's reluctance about his theories and refusal to help, Atlas would raid the house's libraries, offices and the master room, looking for traces of his missing parent.
Despite his thorough research, every time he looked for any information led him to a dead end- not even a first name! He knew Merlin called her Luna, but that was just a mere nickname… there had to be more information somewhere. He had to be more thorough.
Atlas threw himself deeper into his investigation. Yet, he couldn’t find anything of worth. There must be something his father was hiding- Of course, nobody could just disappear, right?
If only Merlin was busier. If he wasn’t there all the time, Atlas would be able to investigate without worrying about being found out.
If only…
Late Childhood: Emrys Manor[]
Her name was Vivienne. She was way younger than their dad. 15, 20 years maybe? Their dad’s decision to take in a new apprentice took both twins by surprise. Last time he’d taken one in was before he’d even met their mum.
Time was running out and Atlas wasn’t making any progress.
Yet, now that he had a student under his watch, the old wizard was distracted enough as to misplace the key to his private office. Distracted enough to not notice Atlas was out of bed, and distracted enough to ignore the subtle opening of doors.
and sure, there it was... the knowledge his father carefully hid from Atlas; Hopefully he could find answers before the sun rose or his father found out he was missing an item. He didn't sleep that night, the boy engulfed all of the books, journals and documents messily arranged around the room.
Morning came soon enough- Too soon perhaps, as Atlas had to scramble the room back to its original form merely minutes before Merlin woke up and noticed the missing key.
With seconds barely in his favour, Atlas snuck away from the office. With just his father's new girlfriend noticing him put the key away where it initially was.
The boy thought he would've gotten away with it- until, a day after the heist, he got pulled away from his classes by his father.
-"You know what you did, son?"- That question felt like a bucket of cold water. Had he done something wrong? Had that woman ratted him out? Atlas nodded, there was no use lying to Merlin. The man knew as much as an ancient wizard would.
-"Did you find what you were looking for?"- The kid, this time shook his head, his eyes sinking to the floor. and his father put a hand on his shoulder.
-"I... I didn't find anything. I thought… I thought you knew everything."
The two made their way to the outside of the school, where a walled, bushy forest barely let any light out. -"Your mother… She was a good woman.... I'm sorry I can't give you any more information other than her name."- Merlin started, -"If I'm honest with you, my knowledge about her faded as fast as I learnt it... It's like she was deleted from this world- I'm sorry, Atlas."
The boy, finally, broke down in tears. Buried into his dad's embrace. Atlas let all his fears and worries out as the man softly stroked his hair, whispering reassuring words and promises that he'd never let him and his sister be alone.
That would be the last conversation Atlas would ever have with his father before Merlin would be turned into a tree by his apprentice, who ended up being his story's Lady of The Lake in disguise.
After their father's curse took effect, the Myddrin twins had to fend off for themselves. Sure, Merlin had arranged for the kids to be taken after his death by their godfather, King Arubian Pendragon, but the twins' trust on people and each other had permanently broken when Vivienne, a woman whom their father had welcomed and lived with, managed to achieve such betrayal to someone who they thought all-knowing and all-mighty.
The twins managed to fend off by themselves by using basic illusions to manage Merlin's quaint but successful potions shop. Atlas - naturally gifted at potion-brewing and bottle spells, took charge of stocking and making the potions, while Io's better understanding of casted spells let her maintain a believable enough illusion for the citizens of their small rural town to not be entirely suspicious of Merlinus’ sudden disappearance.
Despite their joint efforts at the shop, their home life was a completely different story - Io would often slack off on her chores and some days would even refuse to get out her bed... even eat. Atlas didn't blame her. He knew how she felt. After all, he felt the same as well; most times wishing he could just fall asleep and never wake up.
But that wasn't the point. They needed food, clothes, and they needed to keep their facade if they didn't want to be swept away by a stranger or placed into an orphanage; And if his sister couldn't help, Atlas would have to take the full brunt himself.
The boy stripped Io off of almost all her responsibilities aside from keeping the shop's illusion running and took the rest on himself - becoming the sole caretaker and provider for the two. Oftentimes, he'd find himself having to sacrifice more and more of his free time to keep up with maintaining the manor and his own school tasks, which led him to also having to switch up his schedule greatly, affecting his friendships with the town's kids. But this wasn't about him anymore, it was about keeping Io safe, it was about keeping their tiny family together for as long as he'd be able to.
Not very long after, Io came to a state in which she would start skipping school, and Atlas would also have to regularly end class early to come home and take care of household duties as well as tutor Io on the subjects she had missed. It came to a point their presence at school became sporadic at best and rare at worst. They somehow still kept stellar grades, assuming Atlas would take extra homework to make up for both their missed assignments- But everyone had just so much time in their hands compared to him, and now, school wasn't a priority on Atlas' mind.
To say it felt awful was an understatement; seeing his life crumble and his sister waste away in a bed, their father’s office gain an ever-growing layer of dust as the enchanted appliances they relied on stopped going there for their daily sweep. His hands and fingers slowly gain new scars as he taught himself how to cook, and the overwhelming silence of what was his home, with no one to console him inside.
Early Teens: Arthur's Court[]
As years passed, the absence of the Myddrin twins,especially Io, in town became even more noticeable. So much so, notice of their absence travelled to their godfather, King Arubian Pendragon.
Close to their 12th birthday, a caravan arrived in Caledon and reached the depths of Brocéliande, the famous residence of the Myddrins. Following an absent-minded Atlas who just was returning from the market, they were able to locate the elusive mansion. What he found was, in his words, a madhouse; The children had been fending off by themselves for almost four years, with Atlas taking full responsibility as the eldest and more mature one. The two had basically dropped off their childhood life and had adapted to now having to do all what their father had done on their own.
Of course, in Arubian's perspective, two kids wouldn't be able to do all what Atlas had achieved, and attributed their survival to sheer dumb luck, and despite the twins’ various protests, took them back to Camelot to resume their studies.
Atlas didn't take the move well; Being stripped off his childhood home and taken to a strange and cold castle overrun by a man who dismissed his own hard work and treated him like a helpless child. As a product of this, Atlas would often show off and not abide by what he thought were frivolous and overly controlling rules.
Misbehavior wasn't welcomed at Camelot, and the boy took the brunt of many nights without dinner and various punishments throughout his first year at the castle, which proved to be more difficult given the strictly high standards he was held up to and the little free time he was used to was now replaced by a schedule filled with all the subjects and topics he'd missed since his father's death; Being subjected to a military schedule to make up for missed time. To his dismay as well, he was separated from Io, who now had to follow a different life separate from her brother, tailored to her supposed future destiny as a handmaiden.
Etiquette, Languages, Sparring, Debate and Music were only but a small selection of the classes Atlas was forcefully shoved into, and, even if these attempts were met with a lot of resistance from the boy, whom had quickly become burnt out with the sudden influx of information, there was only so much he could do; and he knew that this was necessary. Even if he dreaded every second he spent encased in those cold stone walls with what, in his childish mind, thought was the cruelest, most tyrannic man he'd ever met. Even if he hated every minute he was stripped away of his individuality, he couldn’t help but want to excel at what he was tasked to do. The future Merlin had to be good at this, so Atlas had to be good at everything that was thrown at him. He had to make his late father proud somehow, and, despite his reluctance to admit it, he felt he had to make it up to king Arubian for being, admittedly, a brat... only sometimes, though.
Even though Atlas didn't get along well with the king, he was still given some slack and favour given he had supposedly inherited his father’s role, and the Arthurian court knew that being in good terms the bearer of that destiny was crucial to preserve most if not all their stories; as well as keep power over the southern half of the country. Having the next Merlin on their side would prove that the Vulgate cycle was the superior retelling.
At the age of 13, shortly after the strife of Camlann and King Arubian's death, Atlas was re-introduced to school and was finally be able to interact with children his age, namely, he would be able to meet and possibly befriend the next generation of knights of the round table. The sudden change of routine was but only one thing Atlas had to learn to adapt to once more, but ar this moment in his life, he was already getting used to these drastic changes.
Being isolated for almost 5 years now, Atlas had a lot of trouble fitting in with his peers and often chose to keep to himself, only talking when talked to. The boy's introversion and shyness made it difficult to socialize most of the young knights, who've been used to being a very tight group, and his exceptionally good grades sparked some jealousy between his peers. Atlas wasn't explicitly hated, but he wasn't liked either.
It didn't help that the leader of the group, Archivald, wasn't fond of Atlas either. They'd been living together for 2 years now, and it would be an understatement to say they didn't get along with one another despite the late king's attempts to make them work together.
He was the next Northern King Arthur and was well-liked by everyone. Who wouldn't trust someone like that? Who choose a runt like him over the future King of legends? Archivald knew he could easily pin the blame of his mistakes onto Atlas, after all, not only Atlas was a year older, so he should be a role model to Archie, but he also was his future advisor. So, if the prince was misbehaving, what better excuse than to say Atlas just gave ill-intended advice?
It was a jarring realization of how much easier life was under the late king's supervision despite them constantly butting heads. Solely due to the fact that at least king Arubian was aware of his son's antics.
Having effectively become a scapegoat, Atlas' reputation inside the court was on the floor. He didn’t have any friends. He had nobody to rely on besides himself and the vague promise things would get better.
In Atlas’ eyes, though, Io was almost in a completely opposite situation, she had adapted well to her new school life and had seemingly made friends with most kids in their class, leaving Atlas behind in his perspective. The boy didn't want to act or feel bitter towards his sister, but whenever Io had friends over or would get invitations to parties he'd always feel a tinge of jealousy, but at least he had his destiny to hold on to.
Even if he didn't have any friends, the boy always found solace and a sense of belonging within his studies; which he focused most of his time on. Listening to the praise of his teachers and getting good grades as a result of his effort... it was comforting- and soon enough, he did garner a bit of positive attention from other people than the school staff; Mostly other kids who were struggling asked for help or tutoring from him, which Atlas found surprisingly very enjoyable.
Despite him being a bit strict or demanding, Atlas was able to garner a couple of friendly acquaintances from those few tutoring sessions, one of those being one Lance Galatine. Sure, people still wouldn't talk to him much unless they needed help with classes, but it was better than being outright ignored- and even if most everyone didn't bother to ask him how he was doing or invite him to birthday parties; at least he had someone to talk to from time to time.
Lance is the estranged son of the knight Lancelot, who vanished from Camelot long ago and was commonly seen as one of the villains that brought on the war and ultimate fall of the kingdom to Mordred. Being his child, the one who bore the same destiny, Lance was treated as somewhat of a pariah in any place other than his foster mother's house.
Atlas quickly related to Lance despite their different situations- they were both outsiders in their own way, and even if they didn't have much in common, they understood each other. The two also found ways to help each other on what they lacked the most; Atlas would help Lance with the one or two subjects he struggled with whilst easing him into group tutorings, while Lance helped Atlas learn to interact with others and come out of his shell. Yet, what was most important was that the two knew that they'd be there for each other, a belief that would make their friendship last for longer than what Atlas could've expected.
Another boy he met was Graham Gwyar, son of Gawain. He hadn't really noticed him before, after all, he'd be one of the kids that would often hang around Archie; So it was a surprise when the young knight approached him for the first time under the excuse of getting help for a Magicology assignment. He didn’t pay much mind to him, after all, it was better than gaining another enemy at school. Yet, despite their limited interactions, Atlas noticed something. Something like Graham's eyes lingering for longer after they'd finished talking or how his voice turned into soft mumbles whenever they spoke, contrasted with how wild and loud he acted around his other friends. To be entirely honest, Atlas thought Graham wasn't fond of him at first. This wouldn’t be the first time someone from the future round table didn’t like him, after all.
So, It came to his complete surprise when he received a small box of chocolates with his name labeled on it and Graham's scribbled below in the 'from' section.
"Is this... yours?" As the bell rang, Atlas approached Graham's seat and placed the package on his desk. "I... I think you got the wrong person- or did you want me to give it to my sister?"
Graham looked at him, dumbfounded. "N-... No... It's for you, uhm..." The boy shut his mouth tight, it was obvious Atlas had never received something like that, and Graham wasn't sure how to react.
".... Really?" Atlas looked down at the box, softly putting his hand on it. "... why? I mean-... It's not my birthday or anything..."
Graham shrugged a bit. "I just... I thought you'd like it..."
Atlas sputtered. "I- I like it.... but, I just don't understand- why would you do this? You hate me?"
"What?? No! I just-" The young knight rubbed the back of his head. "I just think you're nice... and- and I wanted to thank you for the tutoring and... all that.."
"Wow… really… uhm. Well, thanks." Atlas finally took the box of chocolates, a small smile blooming on his face. "I don't really get many gifts."
As Atlas put the box in his bag, a teacher peeked onto the classroom and announced they'd have to leave school soon. "Well- Thanks again for the chocolates." The boy started to walk away to the door until he felt something grasp at his arm.
"Atlas- I like you-! ... Like, Like like you-" Graham finally managed to get the words out of his chest, and Atlas, in turn, felt his cheeks burn.
"... For real...?"
Graham gulped and nodded, straightening his posture. "Would you... would you like to go out with me?"
Atlas' chest felt heavy, he barely expected to have any friends, but someone having a crush on him? That was absolutely… crazy. What should he do? Sure, he’d had crushes before, but he wasn’t sure Graham was… one of them.
"... yes." He said without thinking, it'd been so long since he'd had any sort of affection, Atlas' words just bursted out by a reflex. He just wanted to have someone, anyone.
It was… odd, to say the least. Atlas didn’t often act on impulse; especially with things this serious. He had always dreamt about a knight in shining armour sweeping him away and living his own version of happily ever after; But he never pictured Graham being that knight. Yet, that was possibly the best he could find out there, right? Apparently nice knights were in shortage recently.
In the short period they spent together, Atlas learnt three things: He definitely only liked boys, that thing was not very accepted in the Arthurian court, and Graham was definitely not his type.
Don't get him wrong, Graham was- is a sweet guy, but they weren't really compatible per-se. Graham was much more reserved and self-centered than he'd thought, something which directly clashed with Atlas' affection and his desire to be reciprocated- not to mention the secrets. Atlas didn't like secrets, he wanted to be open about things with whom he hoped would be a great companion- someone he could rely on after having only himself for such a long time, this contrasted Graham's desire to be not only completely private when it came to the publicness of their relationship, but who also thought Atlas’ desire to know the knight better and create a stronger bond was silly and weird. “We don’t need to do that if it’s just kissing and holding hands, right?”
When it came to the break up, to say it was messy would be an understatement; Lots of pleading, begging and bargaining from Graham's part, sometimes using Lance as a messenger, which only strained their relationship more, as Atlas thought the next Gawain was using their mutual friend as a bargaining chip.
In The End, not only Atlas finally managed to get out of Graham's grasp but their not-so-tiny secret relationship got revealed to the Arthurian court, which didn't take the news well at all.
1st Year- First Semester: Princeton[]
When his past relationship and Atlas’ sexuality was forcefully revealed, chaos broke inside the Arthurian circle.
Though Atlas had made it no secret he was attracted to boys, and he did hear comments here and there about it; he never expected to receive such a big negative reaction towards him dating any of the knights. Sure, he usually kept his crushes hidden in fear Archivald would mock him more than he already did, but despite the comments degrading him for his likes or speculations about any boy he interacted with, they never felt… serious. So why was this such a big deal? Big enough that the adults intervened?
For another time in his life, he found himself making more memories he’d wish he could suppress.
After all this time, trying to do his best to keep himself afloat, to come out on top and make his father proud, it all came crashing down all at once. Whatever crime he’d committed by dating Graham- or maybe breaking up with him, was something so bad and disgraceful Atlas was forced back into isolation. This time, by being sent somewhere he would be ‘fixed’ according to his caretakers. This time for good.
Princeton Academy was advertised as a correctional school for wayward princes, where, despite its luxury exterior and prestigious standing in the country’s academic charts, was an establishment that didn’t tolerate anything but perfection as set by the rigid standards of Engrimm and Camelot.
His first months at the school weren't the best- with his reputation already tarnished by his past relationship, he was put in close watch by the directives, not allowing him to form any friendships of his own as to avoid him getting too ‘close’ to any of the other students. It didn’t matter in the End, though. As his peers, to his surprise, were even more violent and vile than the knights at Camelot. Their destiny didn’t depend on the young wizard, so they had no need to sugar-coat their insults or hide their outright disgust at him. Sometimes, even feeling like it was encouraged to antagonize him for the sake of a few laughs.
Atlas was alone again, but this time, he didn't even have Io or Lance to keep him company.
Over time, Atlas grew used to the comments and insults often hurled at him at the halls and eventually learnt how to keep a low profile, as well as avoid certain students who had taken a liking to teasing him around the halls.
Yet, even when he tried his best, he still managed to catch someone's attention.
He would have never expected it.... Blonde, fit and with with eyes of the most unique blue he’d ever seen, it was ironic this guy, who seemed to have everything just at the tip of his fingers had taken time off to merely look at a disgraced runt like him, even more help him out when a group of students had just passed and shoved the stack of books Atlas had over a bench, making them fall to the coarse, dirty ground.
The boy offered the books back to Atlas with a soft smile that didn't reach his eyes "Uhh-... hey, are you okay?"
"Wuh- why wouldn't I be?" The young wizard blurted out in a defensive tone- shit... he was too rude, now the boy might change his mind about helping him.
"Well... I know some guys can be jerks around here." The blonde boy rubbed the back of his head, still offering the books to Atlas, which he cautiously took out of his hands.
"...And you aren't one of those, I suppose?" Curiosity sparked in Atlas' mind, were there actually decent people here at Princeton?
"I hope not." He chuckled, "Sooo, why all the books?" The question made Atlas crack a small smile, he thought it would've been obvious.
"I like reading?" He sat down on the bench he was at before and opened the book to check for any damage.
"Oh- So I guess you must be pretty smart, right??" The boy asked excitedly, Atlas nodding in response.
"I suppose so... Why, do you need a tutor?" The question came as a reflex, he was used to asking this when someone new approached him. It was usually why they talked to him in the first place.
"Oh- heh. Was it so obvious?"
Atlas shrugged, "Well, It was either that or you threatening me to do your homework, which would be stupid if you saw me earlier." He gestured at the direction the bullies had ran off to after Atlas zapped them as retaliation.
"whuh- I wouldn't threaten you!" The boy seemed insulted by the assumption, but Atlas knew better than to trust anyone who'd be ‘’that’’ nice at first.
"That's debatable... Why would you ask me anyways, don’t you have anyone else?"
"Should I ask someone else?"
Crap, hold up- "I- I'm just curious why you asked me-"
"You seem smarter than me… or anyone I know, really." He looked down, a bit dejected, if the wizard had paid attention to his surroundings better, maybe he would’ve realized that they’d had a couple classes together already.
Atlas sighed and raised an eyebrow, was he really this desperate for finding a tutor? "... How low? …Uhm. Your grades, I mean."
They couldn’t be ‘’that’’ bad, could they?
… Yikes.
With that, Atlas made up his mind about tutoring this boy- A boy named Casanova Charming.
He wasn't.... Like anybody else at Princeton- He was nice, sensible and so endearingly sweet, and Atlas often found himself looking forward to every tutoring session, which they had each night after Casanova's Bookball training. The two became closer and closer as time passed and the moments they spent together became his favorite- often staying up late as he lost track of time when being with Cas. Yet, he never expected his feelings to be reciprocated, knowing the hostile environment he was already in.
So, it came to his complete surprise when, as the two sat together in the castleteria, the prince tried to convince Atlas to a longer, more rigorous tutoring session for a hexam, by giving him a kiss the wizard could only describe as movie-like .
"Well- was that enough damage?" Casanova asked as he pulled away slowly. Atlas, shortly before, had dared him to do something that would prove his commitment- that he wasn’t just using him to get better grades as he often feared. He honestly expected anything- a silly prank or a weird statement on social media. But he never expected… this.
Was the kiss… genuine? Atlas never said he had to do anything romantic, so why did he do that? The boy stayed silent for a second in shock. Mulling over in his head the possibility of a crush of his’ actually liking him back.
"Hm..." He looked around the Castleteria, mostly to avoid Casanova's gaze and resist his natural charm... but the damage was already done. He truly, really liked this guy. "I-I suppose that works... Tutoring is the same hour as before. Don't be late."
"I won't." Cas kissed his cheek, forcing Atlas to do a double take again. Maybe this wasn't just a dare after all...? Maybe he had a chance?
"Oh, please..." the wizard tried to hide his happiness, though he was already over the moon over this discovery. On an impulse, and under wishful thinking, Atlas took a chance and pulled Casanova into another kiss.
"I- I'm not-" The boy's face turned a bright red as Atlas returned the favor, which made him smile just a little. He was truly adorable... But maybe he had overdone it. Maybe he did commit a mistake- maybe it was just a dare in Casanova’s mind. Either way, he had to play it safe.
"Of course not- I’m not.. I'm not either-..." He lied through his teeth, simultaneously trying to make his nervous laughter sound more like a snicker. He didn’t know for how long he could keep that charade, but it was worth it to be able to keep his friendship with Cas.
Though, that facade the two boys put up would only last for the remainder of the day as the two quickly started a relationship that same afternoon.
Their first three months together were like heaven... Casanova was everything Atlas could've ever asked for in a boyfriend and more, and it looked like the feeling was reciprocated. The couple often spent most of their free time together just... talking, and even if they didn't have anything to talk about, they still felt comfortable with each other's silence. Sure, they didn’t really have that much in common, but they worked it out. Whether it was by trying to reach a common ground or immersing each other into their respective environments.
Casanova helped Atlas a lot by getting him out of comfort zone; Inviting him to parties, early morning jogs and screaming his lungs out at book ball games to support his boyfriend- Casanova gave him the chance to explore parts of himself he wasn't able to when he was hidden away at his hometown or during his stay at Camelot. He gave him the chance to be... himself.
But good things never seemed to last long for Atlas.
As suddenly as Casanova took notice of him, he started to ignore him as well. It was subtle at first, cancelling dates last minute or finding excuses not to spend time together after school; Then it quickly progressed to not answering messages or ignoring him at class or at the school halls.
It's not like they didn't talk anymore, it's just that it was short and far in-between... And it often only happened when Casanova needed something from Atlas.
The boy tried bringing it up, but Cas would often get irritated, saying there was nothing wrong- that he was overreacting, and at first Atlas thought so... but the tangible proof said otherwise. What was once milk and honey had turned sour- various screaming matches ensued, there was crying, name-calling and many other nasty things, and even if Atlas knew he still loved- adored Casanova, he had to end things before they got even more ugly.
Despite his wishes, their break up wasn't amicable at all- In fact, it may have cemented what would become an almost 4-year long rivalry.
As things would have it, Atlas' relationship also leaked out of Princeton (Not that the two were really good at hiding it either way), and as a result, another scandal befell him in Camelot. This time, resulting in him being disowned by the Arthurian court. The silver lining of this situation, though, was that he could at least now choose which school to attend. And so, he was transferred. This time, to Ever After High, where his sister and one and only friend were already attending to.
Atlas' name comes from Saturn's moon. It is a tradition on his mothers' side of the family- whilst his middle name, Aurelius, references the first Merlin's father. Given their father was unsure of which destiny each twin would get, they have names that relate to both stories.
Atlas considers both his white hair and photographic memory a curse stemming from his destiny.
Atlas' chosen face claim would be Ezra Miller in 'We Need to Talk About Kevin'.
Atlas is deadly afraid of horror movies and is a bit ashamed of that. He usually can't stand more than 15 minutes of a good horror flick.
Given Atlas and Io's birthdays are on April Fool's day, he is very picky on who he tells the date of it to. He'd usually stay on his dorm and order take-out to watch a movie by himself.
Despite the original Merlin being welsh, Atlas is born somewhere in northern scotland and, therefore has a scottish accent. He is still knowledgeable in welsh and can speak it fluently.
I've made a nifty playlist describing Atlas' arc from his early life to redemption: Link
As a footnote, the song that opens the playlist (Golden Antlers by Glass Animals) is his theme song
When dating Casanova, Atlas was given various moon-related nicknames that now are used mockingly. A few are: Moonpie, moon boy, moony, moonlight, moonshine, moon-moon, etc.
His voice actor for talking would be similar to youtuber Scott or Dangthatsalongname, whilst singing he'd be voiced by Ryan Guldemond.
Lago and Atlas' relationship mirrors Merlin and Vivienne's story with inverted roles; Atlas, seeking out guidance from Lago with botanics and magical plants, starts a romance with him; one that eventually becomes co-dependent and has catastrophic consequences.
Quotes[]
We'll get there... when we get there... Okay?!
—To Io
I am not your moonpie- no-... not anymore.
—To Casanova
I don't care! I don't care I'm not the next Merlin! I'll become better than him- I'll become better and I'll prove it- I'll prove it to him!
—Midnight rants
I always do my assignments weeks in advance, I need to prove im better than everyone else
