As a person, Mikhail is what many would call an enigma. He is wicked smart, and puts this intelligence toward analyzing the world around him however he can. He is naturally driven by curiosity, and lets his pursuit of knowledge drive just about his every action. He would join a person on an incredibly dangerous adventure just to be able to observe them if they interested him, for instance. He absolutely hates being unable to learn or know things, and will get genuinely distressed if new or important information is withheld from him. He is incredibly detail-oriented, and can often get fixated on the smallest facts for days at a time. This passion will often leak into his general converation habits. Let him talk about his latest research to you and you will be in for an hours-long discussion more in-depth than you could possibly hope to know. This nature of his gives a very good glimpse into his social life. That is to say, he can be easily described as eccentric and weird. He is so odd and research-obsessed that many find it intimidating to really get to know him. He is a very logical, level-headed individual, and is able to keep his cool and patience easily. He's typically the calm voice of reason, and if he has any personal stakes in any sort of conflict, he'll typically be the mediator. He has a very unique sense of humor, one which can sometimes stray into oddly sarcastic and cynical territory. He is very honest, often to a fault, simply because he doesn't see the point in lying. If he wants to omit information for any reason, he simply won't speak. He is, in many ways, the definition of chaotic neutral, though not in a bad way necessarily. Many can describe his demeanor as almost catlike, especially due to how he flits around on his own whims quite naturally. However, while he can be weird at first, he is far from unkind. On the contrary, with those he trusts, he can get very sweet. He is very understanding to those around him, and is always willing to hear others out. He can sometimes get very playful with those he knows well, exchanging lighthearted banter much more easily than expected. He has a good heart, even if he may seem selfish or morally unhinged at first. It just takes time to really find it.

As expected, Mikhail also has his flaws. These come primarily in the form of his socialization, unsurprisingly. He cares much more for his research and the spirits/entities he researches on than most people. He had a bad past socially, and has become mostly withdrawn as a result. Without a good reason to get to know someone, he'll usually avoid interaction entirely. He can come off as cold, apathetic, and abrasive because of this, even if he doesn't always mean to. Even if he can trust others and bond with them like he bonds with his spirits and research subjects, that tends to take a lot of time and trust-building. Furthermore, he is surprisingly sensitive in various ways. He can become flustered incredibly easily with the right sort of attention, taking on an almost tsundere-like demeanor at the smallest show of flattery. While he doesn't get quite that angry, he can become so flustered he finds it hard to speak. His very knowledge-oriented mind can also make it very hard for him in various ways. He is a very logical thinker, but can often go about his thoughts in too critical of ways. He tries to apply a scientific method to everything, which doesn't quite work out. While he's the kind to think before he speaks, he's still prone to remarks that some may find cold or callous, simply because he relies so much more heavily on his head than his heart. His own emotions are an enigma to him, which likely ties into his sensitive and easily-flustered demeanor. Alongside this, he finds it difficult to really unwind. He feels the need to be constantly alert and observant to keep his curiosity satiated, and doesn't know the first thing about relaxation. He feels genuinely odd if he's not keeping his mind focused on something. Though this is also a double-edged sword; his mind can race about a million miles a minute if he's not careful with it. This coupled with his habit of fixating and obsessing over details can cause him to get sidetracked and scatterbrained often. If someone catches him at a particularly scatterbrained moment, they may figure the talk of his smarts could be overexaggeration. It can also cause him to easily get stressed. He can easily burn himself out as a result, though due to his insecurities around seeming vulnerable with those around him, he often refuses to seek help for this until he's in a bad place. He's doing his best with this, however.

In terms of defense, Mikhail mainly relies on the spirits he has bonds with to help him. He is able to summon spirits to assist him in battle through the use of portals. His left eye acts as the key to get into these portals; by uncovering it, he's able to see into spirit planes and pull the spirits he needs through to his plane. These portals almost look like spiral galaxies, and match in color to the marks on his skin. He is able to safely summon a various number of spirits, which is determined by their size/strength. He is able to summon either three small spirits, two medium spirits, one large spirit, or some combination to equal three at most (like a medium and two smalls.) If he attempts any more than this, it'll have adverse effects on him. He is able to summon them at just about any time, and can communicate with them personally to get them to use certain abilities and requests. This ability allows him to sit back and observe most of the time, instead focusing his energy into passive abilities. Naturally through his research, he has created means of healing and strengthening his allies, and weakening his enemies. He carries a variety of vials with different effects. Some can heal injuries, some can replenish energy, some can grant people boosts in strength and speed among other aspects, and some can be used to weaken or slow down adversaries. While his spirits are out, this is typically what he'll focus on, alongside giving the spirits commands. However, should he be in a situation where summoning his spirits isn't a viable option, he has other means of self-defense as well. (I will admit, I have yet to figure out which these should be wheeze. I have a few ideas, maybe I'll make a poll about them? Could be neat haha.) He could also theoretically enter and exit these portals himself if he so chose, allowing for quick getaways, but there are tons of risks associated with this that he'd rather not test... yet.

Backstory

NOTE: Okay so I really don't have any super clear ideas for his backstory right now? What I have written here are just some little things I'm bouncing to see how I like them really haha. As such, they're not written very cohesively or in a ton of detail as they're really not finalized! Please keep this in mind!

Mikhail was born into the prestigious Astaseul family to his mother, Jacqueline, and his father, Alixandre. They were a high class line with plenty of wealth to their name, known for their research and advancements in science and medicine. At the time of his birth, this was due almost entirely to his mother's successful career as a researcher. However, while they were a financially successful family, they were far from the picturesque image that was presented to the public. His mother was a chronic workaholic. She constantly neglected him and the family for her work. In the few times she was around, she was a large stressor to him. The only attention he ever received from her were chastising and abusive remarks. She pushed him to exceed far beyond he was capable, putting excess workloads and burdens of needing to be "perfect" on him. His father, while he was around more often, was never much better. He constantly felt the effects of his wife's absence, and would often try to fill the void with alcohol and other women. This once again led to a trend of neglect more often than not, often leaving Mikhail to fend almost entirely for himself. The one figure who was truly there for him in his younger years was his grandmother, Eleanor. She was the closest he ever got to a parental figure. She would often tell him stories about the world and all the fantastic things in it, what many would consider mere fairy tales. Mikhail, however, was instantly hooked to the ideas.

This joy would be short-lived, however, as his grandmother passed away when he was around ten years old. Around this same time, his mother figured out about his father's infidelity, and divorced him, leaving Mikhail with her alone. Desperate for her attention as the only close familial figure he had left, Mikhail decided to put effort into impressing her and getting on her good side. He pushed himself to the limit. He dedicated himself to his studies, working his hardest in order to get into the most highly-esteemed schools he could. He decided to become a scientist, much like his mother. At first he was interested in getting into the field of astronomy, and he dedicated all of his free time to studying it. Despite his efforts, his mother seemed to grow ever more critical and abusive to him. However, in spite of the stress of trying to be the perfect child, he discovered he truly did have a passion for learning and making discoveries. He started letting his horizons of research broaden, learning as much as he could about just about every topic he heard about, though his main focus stayed on astronomy. However, as he grew, his mind harkened back to the tales his grandmother used to tell him. Instead of sticking to the more tangible path he had dedicated himself to, Mikhail decided to change paths and dedicate himself to researching those fantastic things in the world. Magic, spirits, monsters, and everything in between became his obsession. This got a reaction of disdain from his mother, one that felt almost powerful to him at the time. If he couldn't gain his mother's approval, even after all of that work, then she was no longer worth it in his eyes. His extra effort became entirely for himself, instead of for her sake.

After graduating from his schooling, he decided to immediately hop into research full-time. He used the money he had saved up to buy himself a home/laboratory, and got to work. With more exposure to it, he gained his marks, ears, and hair color. He also eventually gained a strong bond with the spirits he focused his research on, allowing him to summon them.

• He has a generally slender, lithe, and almost feminine physique! This is mainly assisted by the bodice he wears over his shirt, which accentuates the shape of his waist more, but it isn't the only reason for it.
• He has downturned, elf-like ears! He is very shy about them, and often hides them under his hair for this reason. He'll get VERY flustered if anyone points them out. However, if he really trusts the people he's around, he's more willing to show them and actually really loves the idea of attention on them from those closest to him (like whispering, kisses, etc.)
• However, these ears are the only aspect of the traits he's gained through magic exposure that make him so shy. He adores his markings and hair. The one downside is that he almost constantly has to cover his left eye if he's not summoning spirits, as he's not able to "turn off" when he's viewing the spirit plane through it and it can cause him serious headaches among other effects should he have it exposed for a long time.
• Due to his naturally curious demeanor, he has picked up tons of hobbies throughout his years. While he doesn't quite have as much time to keep up with them now due to his research taking most of his time, he does still keep up with some. His favorites include cooking, chess, singing, playing the violin, and drawing. The drawing he is able to especially use in his research, as it makes drawing out his observations much easier.
• When he's alone, he'll often hum or full-on sing songs to himself to keep him on track. He gets very flustered if others catch him doing this.
• Aside from the unique phenomena he loves so passionately, his other favorite branch of science is astronomy. He is DEEPLY fascinated by the stars, and could stare at the night sky for hours on end.
• He really loves the flavor of herbs, like a TON. Herby foods are easily his favorite things to eat. He especially loves basil, thyme, lemon balm, lavender, and mint (not all together at once, but those are his favorites haha), and will search out recipes that feature them especially. But he loves it all. Naturally thanks to this, he is an absolute fanatic for pesto. He also loves cheeses with herbs, and his favorite snack is those sorts of cheeses with crackers or bread slices, depending on his mood.
• He also really loves citrus flavors, especially lemon.
• He is a huge fan of chicken, lamb, and fish/seafood in meals, as he thinks those meats take up the best flavors with herbs and lemon. He really loves them with pasta especially!
• Outside of herbs and citrus, he is also a huge fan of cool flavors like cucumber and melon.
• He is like the one person in the world who actually enjoys sparkling water wheeze. He especially likes putting lemon and/or cucumber slices in it for extra refreshment. It's his favorite cold beverage. His favorite warm is a tie between lavender lattes and tea of any kind.
• His favorite form of transportation is by train. He just finds trains fascinating, and thinks the experience of being on them is very relaxing.
• If ever given the chance at a vacation, there are two types of locations he would especially love. The first is any sort of monument, museum, ancient area, or anything he can learn something from. The other is any spa or hot springs, simply because he's a sucker for relaxing in those types of environments.
• Surprisingly, he puts a LOT of effort into his appearance. He always likes to look his best, and it's rare to see him dress down for any reason. If anything, his normal wear is about the closest to casual that he'll go most of the time.
• He is very prone to easy blushing, unsurprisingly. When he blushes, he'll blush DEEP. He often tries to hide this with his collar or notebook before anyone can point it out.
• He really likes the winter, surprisingly. He thinks that snow is really pretty, and he likes the longer nights as it gives him more time to watch the night sky.
• He is fond of reading! He almost entirely reads research reports above anything else, as they're the best way to gain new topics to look into, but he'll read almost anything. He tends to greatly prefer nonfiction, though.
• He has a strange obsession with ornate glass objects, especially those that have metal accents in some way. Be it mirrors, tea sets, decorative ornaments, you name it. He is absolutely fascinated by them, and will collect fancy glass pieces.
• He is also obsessed with things like antiques and artifacts of all kinds. He collects these as well, though for more reason than his glassware obsession. Antiques are filled with history, and that history allows him something to research into. He especially likes the weirdest antiques he can find above all. Give him some strange, mysterious device from centuries ago and he'll go nuts over it.
• He drinks everything and anything out of teacups. They're about the only thing you'll ever catch him drinking from, saucer included. Yes, he lifts his pinky when he drinks from them. Yes, he also naturally lifts his pinkies when holding literally anything out of habit. And yes, he will get flustered and blushy if you point this out.
• While he's often too shy to admit it, he really loves it when others play with his hair. He especially likes having his hair brushed and styled by others, and he is ESPECIALLY fond of others braiding his hair. He's not sure why, but it immediately soothes him. He also really LOVES getting massages from other people. He's often very tense, and being able to relax and melt against someone else's touch is nice for him.
• He's also a sucker for face touches, especially on his cheeks and lips. Caress his cheek with the markings and he'll totally melt. Couple that with running your thumb over his bottom lip and he'll be a literal puddle of adoration. As if he wouldn't do that with even the slightest romantic gesutre though let's be honest wheeze,,
• He really enjoys being in warm water. Be this through bathing (he absolutely LOVES taking baths) or through actually visiting hot springs (one of the only places he'll go to relax), he finds it very soothing.
• While he mainly uses his notebooks for keeping notes of his research, he is also no stranger to journaling. He loves to journal, and will often write and draw about his daily experiences.
• More later haha, I'm not entirely sure of more right now, but I know there WILL be more.