Ever After High Fandom Wiki

🖋️ Welcome back to the Ever After High Fandom Wiki. Read our Rules and Etiquette and Start Your Journey.

READ MORE

Ever After High Fandom Wiki
Register
Advertisement
Quotation1 And just one mistake is all it will take: we'll go down in history, remember me for centuries.

Fall Out Boy - Centuries

Airmid Valerian [he/him] is the next physician of Death in Godfather Death. A future doctor in possibly every way, Airmid is an embodiment of the principles of science and medicine. Enthusiastic and ambitious to a fault, he is here to succeed and reach whatever potential he can, help however many people he can – no matter the costs.

Character[]

Personality[]

First impressions, Airmid Valerian is the eccentric scientist who is never quite able to be still. He's always full to the brim with innovative ideas and scientific facts, and is prone to constant rambling and info-dumping.

Quotation1 Obviously, it’s the philanthropist option! ... Advocacy for the right of autonomy! That’s a system worth fighting.

on being a Rebel

When Airmid talks, he always brings up the knowledgeable database of information he carries around in his mind, and augments that with his strong opinions - opinions on how he wants the medical industry to be reformed, opinions on how incredible life and the living world is, even opinions on things that seem very minor. He is passionate and driven, fueled by the things he loves - science, life, their role as a physician and all the fascinating nuances of human experiences that come along with that.

Quotation1 I hope I helped, as a doctor should.

Honoured to exist in this world and to have marvellous opportunities presented to him, Airmid believes that the best use of his life is to live life. To study so that he can serve other people, so that he can save lives, so that he can make this world a better place for other people to live. It is this belief that drives his motivation and ambition and general determination. So vehemently does he encompass this belief, that he has become an overachiever in everything he adores.

Quotation1 “Come through,” greeted Airmid. They gripped the doorknob with one hand and held a mug of coffee in the other. The handle was shaped like a burning match, and on the mug’s surface were the words ‘it’s lit’, accompanied by a cutesy illustration of a book burning. Airmid Valerian was the next physician in Godfather Death. Already done with highschool-level science, he spent most of his time on the campus of the closest university trying to get a head-start on his destiny. In his room, textbooks laid scattered, and yet another sizeable coffee mug rested on top of a sizeable volume of “Activists, Unequal Healthcare, and Other Revolting Things (Part IV, Edition LI)”.

As a result, Airmid's good at latching onto obsessions, and surrounds himself with things he cares about. He spends countless hours reading up on new medical discoveries, he surrounds his room and living area with comfort items, such as candles. Once again, I must reiterate: Airmid Valerian seemingly cannot shut up. He talks about his interests in great detail, down to the most obscure of facts. Such things led itself in a tendency to hoard: you will see candles, fire-starting items, books, potted plants, so many things that he has learnt to collect and love. Never will less than half a dozen lighters will be present on his body, never will Airmid Valerian not make reference to the things he cares about in casual conversation, even if others are unable to discern what he's referencing. And unfortunately, because Airmid's interests have all been typically "academic" - scientific papers, history of medical studies -, he commonly gets dubbed as "pretentious".

Quotation1 Besides, I’m Airmid Valerian. Surely that’s enough.

Do note that Airmid Valerian does not want to be seen as pretentious or a "try-hard know-it-all". Although he can over-judge his own abilities, Airmid never undermines the abilities of others. He knows, factually, that he's not better than anyone, and factually, that he has never "deserved" any better than anyone else. Truth of the matter is just Airmid Valerian cares a lot about a lot of stuff, and wants to share his fascination for the world with others.

Quotation1 Looking back, that comment of mine would have sounded sassy. I suppose my encouraging intentions fell through.

A scientist and a physician should care about spreading truth. Airmid Valerian is blunt. He speaks his mind, even at the expense of sounding rude. Insistent on elaborating all their thoughts and opinions, Airmid aims to make himself clear and articulate. Being Death's physician means being at the forefront of attention when it comes to medicine. He understands that this role means that his voice will be heard. What Airmid wants from there is to make sure that he is being understood.

However, despite the love for knowledge, despite the love for life, despite his genuine care for the well-being of humanity, Airmid Valerian is still young and still in the process of learning how to be the best physician he can. There are things that he struggles on that he is attempting to improve. One of them is his difficulty in picking up on emotional cues. Given that he's so blunt and truthful in the things he says and his beliefs, then add the fact that Airmid expresses his emotions outwardly mostly through his hands (flailing, clenching into fists), rather than his face, Airmid has a tendency to forget that not everyone behaves in this same way. Social dignity can sometimes be lost on him, and frankly, Airmid Valerian doesn't care. If social rules get in the way of him dispelling misinformation, if social rules get in the way of people getting the care that they need, then what is the purpose of "politeness"?

Quotation1 What is genius without risk? How does one seek knowledge without stepping outside their predetermined comfort zone? Do you think humanity advanced by spending their time staying in caves, painting mammoths all day?

Above everything, sometimes even truth, Airmid Valerian values effort. He values diligence, and he values the ability to recognise that you care about something, and push towards it. To become Godfather Death's physician is a selective honour, to have this position in life to make a difference is something Airmid Valerian cherishes. He wants to hold onto this for as long as he can, and have his work and his memory venerated among the annals of history. The path to success in his eyes is only lit by the candles of hard work.

Appearance[]

Airmid is white and German. He has a strong face, with a square-ish jawline and an aquiline nose. His hair is a dirty blond, which is usually worn down or in a loose ponytail or bun. He likes to keep it long because he has a habit of playing with his hair, a behaviour that aids in his "metalhead" look. His eyes are green, wide and inquisitive.

Hobbies, Interests and Skills[]

Science: specifically Biomedical[]

Nothing defines the way that Airmid Valerian treats the world as accurately and precisely as science does. As a scientist, as a science enthusiast, Airmid Valerian views the world in a sharp scientific lens. He is a strong believer in logical thought, believing it can overcome any problem. Being scientifically-minded also means that you must be willing to change your worldview with new information.

His way of speech is excessively scientific. It's not an intentional thing, and certainly it's not to sound smart. It just shows how he perceives and understands the world he exists in.

To Airmid, science is not merely an intellectual challenge. It's a way of paying homage to the universe that they live in, and the beauty of that universe. Airmid thinks that life itself is incredible - whether it be people or plants or even bacteria. What better way to show that you love life, than to appreciate and elucidate the mysteries of it? And what better way to help life, than to understand it, and then how to support the world in the future?

Due to this interest, Airmid is naturally argumentative and fond of debate. His scientific mind quickly brings up points to back up their beliefs with substantial reasoning and evidence. But pair that with his lofty idea of "human intellect overcoming anything", and you will find that Airmid is stubborn and arrogant, often believing himself to be in the right. Although this is often the case, he feels easily ashamed and embarrassed to find himself in the wrong (though he makes the effort to apologise and correct himself).

Additionally, a scientific view of the world leds to adaptability and flexibility. With his obsession for "going down in history", Airmid is earnest to succeed. He believes that those who succeed aren't the smartest of the strongest, but those who adapt the most easily. Airmid Valerian grabs opportunities with both hands -- if there's a way of changing his plans for the better, he'd take it.

Aside from the enthusiasm Airmid has for scientific thought, this boy actually does science. Airmid is currently working at a university local to Ever After at a lab, to gain experience as they already past-exceeded the scientific workload of Ever After High. Here are some things that Airmid has done in it:

  • He helps contribute to a world-wide effort to sequence the entire Fairy Genome, known as the Pixie Genome Project. From his diary, we can deduce that he mainly helps by doing spectroscopy.
    • According to his diary, Airmid was part of the group that invented a new method of centrifugation.
  • He has gotten his name on papers (though not yet as a first or second author), and has given a ReadTalk (TedTalks).

Candles, Fire, Explosions, and the likes[]

In the story of Godfather Death, life and light are intrinsically connected. As someone who is obsessed with the former – obsessed with living, obsessed with achievement, obsessed in enjoying this world that they were born in –, it is of no surprise that Airmid is as obsessed with the latter.

He carries several lighters on hand with him (no less than half a dozen), and even a few safety matchboxes. He stims using lighters, by striking them and watching the flame go on and off, which you can observe when he's particularly uptight or nervous.

Extending on from that, Airmid also has a fondness for other forms of combustion in general, and would say that his favourite type of fireworks would be Roman Candles.

Philanthropy[]

It's safe to say that the image Airmid Valerian has of himself in his head is of a hero. It is not a sharp sword that he is armed with, but sharp wits, and the only punches he would throw successfully would be verbal quips. But like a hero, Airmid works for the people. As a future physician, Airmid has a natural inclining towards helping people. An advocate for people's welfare, for universal healthcare, Airmid Valerian volunteers out in the community and also makes donations for charitable causes.

Other[]

  • Airmid's favourite music genre is death metal, which was chosen for the pun.
  • He knows how to play chess! This is a nod to the "Chess with Death" trope - a reaper cannot claim your soul if you beat them at chess. He's not particularly good at chess, so Airmid is well-aware that he's unlikely to win a chess match against a reaper. But hey, they cannot deny that they tried.
  • His ideals were highly, highly inspired by "The Age of Enlightenment", a European intellectual movement. This was chosen for the pun: Enlightenment.

Fairytale: Godfather Death[]

Quotation1 Pale Death beats equally at the poor man's gate and at the palaces of kings.

Horace

Wikipedia

How does Airmid come into it?[]

Airmid is the thirteenth child to a poor set of parents. He was chosen for his destiny when Godfather Death himself, Lanius Nightshade, became his godfather. To avoid compounding further stress on the biological parents, Lanius soon adopted Airmid as his own son.

Opinion On Destiny[]

Quotation1 The world will remember Dr Airmid Valerian. I swear to this.

Airmid Valerian's diary

It's a nice destiny, he'd admit. It's nice to be a protagonist, it's nice to be hailed as a world-famous physician – the best, even. But as a famous musical said, nice is different than good.

Airmid finds it fundamentally wrong to have a universal cure, and not to give it to anyone. The point of medicine is so everybody gets a chance in life, that everyone is not snuffed of their potential. In fact, what the physician does in the fairytale goes against the Hippocractic Oath – one of the basic ideas in medicine. To Airmid, the mere fact that reapers get to choose who lives or dies an elitist concept. It undermines both his field and the morals he holds dear.

As for his destined death? It's less of the death itself, but the motive behind it. It's selfish to save a princess simply because you wish to marry her. After all, how is she more deserving of life than any other person?

Additionally, Airmid thinks of his physician role as something fundamentally nepotistic. It's only because Godfather Death gave the physician a herb that the physician could succeed – without it, he would be nowhere. Airmid knows that he wants to make a change to this world, that they want to be a world-renown physician, and to deserve that title.

There's something to be said for those people who constantly strive. And this physician is determined to go above and beyond the parameters of his destiny. For that reason, he aligns Icon-Rebel Rebel.

Interpretation[]

Quotation1 Do no harm, but take no shit.
  • deep sigh
  • from the get-go, airmid was based off the age of enlightenment. he represented a new age of men, who believed in rationality and reason, and thought that the human mind could conquer problems
  • because of this, i started writing him as a bit cold and awkward, but deeply driven by his love for science and medicine, and from that, emerged a love for life and other people
  • calling to the motif of a candle, airmid is firey, passionate, and like fire, he's consuming -- full of potential, with the optimistic belief that he can always do more, be more, change the world, stand out among the others
  • i love him so much he's one of the most important characters ive ever written
  • when i wrote Airmid, i was 14 and wasn't quite sure on what i wanted to be. i didn't really think myself as interested in the biological sciences until i was 16, and that was when i found a shift in how i wrote airmid
  • i started caring about science more than just... facts, but as a process, on a philosophical level. it became part of my ideology and how i view the world. i don't think a zena exists without science ingrained into me.
    • this is also a reason why airmid interprets the world scientifically. you can see this clearly in some of his dialogue.
  • and i thought more about medicine. universal healthcare gained so much traction as a movement, as something to fight for (esp in the united states) over my teenage years.
    • and godfather death goes against this ideal. the fairytale itself goes against the hippocratic oath, which insists that you should do what good you can do. and from there, over time, as i became more invested in science and medicine, i gained a newfound anger on how to approach airmid as a character
  • the thing about science is that it's a process. it's not truth handed down like a doctrine. it's a process in which you stay critical of yourself, stay critical of the past, and keep pushing to understand the world more deeply, in new ways, and not be stuck in cycles of dogma
    • i love science im going to cry
  • airmid's premise represents this idea. godfather death, lanius, is ashamed of his past and always tries to outrun it. but airmid does not - he confronts history, he recognises the steps that were taken to get here. he believes in documentation and not sugar coating things like lanius does.
    • scientists are not shameful that once, in the past, people historically belived in the four humours or spontaneous generation. no, they recognise it, and the power of the important experiments that disproved these beliefs
    • after all, didn't newton say we stand on the shoulders of giants?
  • another thing about caring about scientific history, in airmid's eyes, is that he wants to see himself among the great people that stood before him
    • he is, after all, like a fire. driven by potential.

Parallels[]

  • The physician was prideful and thought that he was capable of cheating Death. Likewise, Airmid has a certain arrogance to him, believing that he can be the one physician that goes down in known history.
  • Airmid has pyromania, finding comfort in a lit flame. This, and his subsequent obsession for candles and other sources of fire (even carrying several lighters to stim), stem from the idea that candles are literally his life.
  • Fire is often a source of light.
    • The premise of Airmid's entire personality was actually the Age of Enlightenment itself - the belief that human thought can overcome worldly problems. Similarly, Airmid was drawn with blond curly hair, as a nod to the hair (wigs) of men like Voltaire.
    • Likewise, in fanfiction, it's really common for Airmid to be compared/paralleled to sources of light. There's several instances in the Manhunt, if you look closely.
  • Airmid's determination to fulfill the Hippocrates Oath and do his best to cure anyone, no matter the costs, might be a subversion of the original physician, who only wanted to cure the people that his godfather wished him to, or those who were rich/powerful/otherwise beneficial towards him.
    • This stems from my own personal belief in the egalitarian nature of medicine, which Airmid represents strongly.
  • His interest in death metal music is a pun on death metal.
  • Since the conception of his character, Airmid has been written as rebellious and anti-authoritarian. While this was intended as a nod to the contrarian nature of the Age of Enlightenment, it could also be taken as a parallel to how the godson disobeys Godfather Death.
Airmid's bio, explained

TBA

Quotes[]

Quotation1 We're philanthropists, not hot headed revolutionaries looking for a fight!

Airmid explaining their idea of the Rebel cause

Quotation1 I'm a bit miffed that the tower fell. I was proud of how neatly I stacked all those chairs up.

Airmid's love for arranging things asymmetrically

Quotation1 Being a physician, naturally. I wouldn’t mind doing that for the rest of my life. But I want to do more. I want to do research, I want to share that research, I want to break paradigms and rewrite the system. I want to make healthcare more accessible, I want to separate medical institutes and the medical industry from private corporations. I want poor, underprivileged people to realise they deserve the right to healthcare. I want the government to realise everyone deserves that right. I want to get medical insurance incorporated into the state, into the country, into government. I want to make healthcare something for the people, by the people, I want, I want–

Airmid, when asked about their future & what they wanted to do, from Airmid Valerian's diary

Quotation1 Only someone clueless about their study would struggle to explain it in layman’s terms.

buuuuuuuurn

Quotation1 How morbid. Grimm, if you would.

Airmid, to Headmaster Grimm, in The Manhunt, Ch. 1

Quotation1 Please, you dismiss truth like a climate change denier.

The Manhunt


Etymology[]

Airmid is an Irish diety of healing, while Valerian is a poisonous plant.

This naming scheme of 'deity of healing/eminent historical doctor' (given name) + 'medicinal plant' (surname) is outlined in the Regrettable Accounts of Godfather Death. Note that this naming scheme was created much later.

Had I named Airmid later in my OC-making career, he would have most likely been named Asa Bayer, or Hippolytus Crates.

Trivia[]

  • Airmid is not only Zena's first Ever After High OC, but the first still-active OC to be posted on the EAHFW.
  • In real-world terms, Airmid would be from Berlin, Germany.
    • This is a nod to the famous German pharmaceutical company, Bayer, which was founded in Berlin.
  • Airmid was in the same year as the main cast (Legacy Year at the time of the Rebel Movement), and did not sign the Storybook of Legends on Legacy Day. He eventually worked on skipping a grade, and is now the same year as Icarus Juniper.
  • He is transgender and straight.
  • He is autistic.
    • In the Manhunt, he is shown to stim by striking lighters. He also would stim with science toys, similar to what one can find on ThinkGeek.
  • As revealed in Manhunt, Airmid wears fake/pre-tied ties. This is because he can never do up a tie without it being wonky, and that bothers him to bits.
  • His go-to karaoke song would be something by Metallica, perhaps For Whom The Bell Tolls.

Acknowledgements[]

  • Thank you to the Dead Epics Society and everyone who participated in its RPs. Those were so vastly helpful in solidifying Airmid as a character and personality.
Quotation1 Burn the things you have to burn. Save all the people you're supposed to save.
Advertisement