When you have no earthly clue what your medical historian bf is talking about but he’s hella cute while saying it
or
when you have no earthly clue how to handle affection
Ok I'm really loving the relationship with Seth and Rufus. It's so awkward but they are trying.
And I find rufus to be an interesting character cause theres hardly anything known about him. He the kings brother that has no Crest and is a massive play boy. There is just so much you can do with him and I'm glad you made him a dad that is at least trying.
Also I really like Seth! boy just want to vibe and be lazy and I can respect that.
Yeah those are like. The only three things we know about him:
-- older brother
-- playboy
-- no crest
Everything else is just *vague handwavey stuff* so any fic writer that wants to use him can do anything they want! Others have him as the evil uncle, or Actually-Now-A-Slitherer, or convenient antagonist, or any other fun stuff.
For me, in canon, i kind of expected him to fill the 'evil uncle' role, especially when it seems dimitri was in a hurry to get crowned and doesnt seem to have a good opinion of his uncle. And then (Azure Moon was the first route I played), he just dies. Got killed and Dimitri was blamed, which was then used to justify his execution. And then any mention of him completely disappears for the rest of the game and we're left to wonder what kind of person he was.
For me, I thought. Oh, not evil. Just a bad king (I think? I vaguely remember some of the characters implied it, but its been a while since I played, so), and probably a very bitter man when you take into account that he was the older bro, passed over for the heirship because he didnt have a crest, and that bitterness translated into being a promiscuous. At least, thats what I assume, lol.
Djdjd in this story, he was kind of a distant father to Seth during his childhood. Maybe like. Comes in, asks about lessons, then just escapes. If Seth wasn't mentally an adult, itd have probably given him attention-seeking issues growing up. But he is, and he recognizes an adult that just Did Not Want or Know how to handle a child, and so left it to caretakers that did.
It's only when Seth grows up into a very independent teenager that Rufus sees him more as an individual rather than an easily impressionable dependent, and because of that, they start to bond. Rufus starts to think he does kind of like being a father and sort of regrets missing most of his son's childhood, and a little bit bitter at himself for doing so.
--
Seth just wants to live his dream of never having to worry about money or literally anything ever. He already died! Let him chill!
for heavy is the golden head: sylvain might end up a page or similar in rufus's court, just because the alternative is staying home with *miklan*, who isn't disowned until a year *after* the tragedy. just a fun timeline fact for you, that in no way might possibly cause rufus problems in some way :3
Seth, gesturing at his dad, rufus blaiddyd, playboy extraordinaire, regretfully still hot enough to score a new fling every week: "this? This?? Is what you want to be when you grow up?"
Sylvain: "useless and pissing off everyone in his wake and enjoying it? Oh, yes. Absolutely. Look at him. he's just vibin'"
Seth:
Seth: "DAD. I NEED YOU TO SQUARE THE FUCK UP RIGHT NOW AND BE AN ACTUAL GOOD ROLE MODEL. ISTG IF DIMITRI'S FRIENDS END UP GIVING HIM MORE TROUBLE WHEN HE'S KING IM GONNA--"
and this is the story of how rufus blaiddyd was forced to become a responsible adult.
Okay but anon. I have many thoughts about Sylvain and Miklan so only continue if you want to see me ramble, but Consider This:
--
So Seth and Miklan and Glenn seem to fall under the same age group. Consider, instead, that theyre friends the same way the faerghus four are-- in which their parents are also kinda friends/acquaintances and theyre forced to interact because, "youre the same age son. that automatically means you can create an instant friendship."
Miklan and seth get along because theyre the 'crestless' sons of their family, glenn is along with the ride despite bein 2 years younger than them and also has a crest. Miklan has complicated feelings on glenn on account of him being 'crested,' but theyre friends, even if miklan is kind of a dick and spiteful sometimes. Miklan's much more comfortable with Seth, because theyre both the Disappointments of their family
(at least, for Mikla. Seth and Rufus have a chill, "are ya winning, son?" Relationship where rufus is an awkward dad who doesnt know how to dad and seth is an awkward son who sometimes feel older than his dad, and they are both awful at expressing feelings but they kind of get along in an 'awkward pat' kinda way. Lambert likes Seth in that his son has an older brother figure, like he and Rufus had been once upon a time.)
Miklan nearly killing (i know it happened. Something with leaving him overnight somewhere?? I need research but am too sleepy) Sylvain still happens. Seth finds out, and a spectacular fall-out happens because dude?? Thats fucked up???
Seth stops hanging out with Miklan. Glenn soon follows since miklan's bullying is more spiteful than Seth's teasing one. Glenn and Seth get closer, but Miklan loses both his friends.
He gets more bitter and angry at sylvain who he cant help but see as the cause of this. Its not a good time for the boy for a while, but he quickly realizes he's just making things worst with the only two people he genuinely liked that has never judged his lack of crest. So he stops and avoids sylvain instead.
(Miklan wants to fix things. He doesnt know how. He ends up isolating himself, made worse by his father always belittling him and such. Resentment builds up...
Except. Heres the thing. Seth is, mentally, an adult. He's bitter and spiteful as well, but a lot of these people are kids in his eyes. He's better at recognizing issues. He sees miklan's jilted way of trying to fix things. He goes, "ugh. I dont want to be the adult here," but he does. He strongly suggests miklan apologize to sylvain. what miklan did may have been mostly fueled by a teenager's anger and jealousy and spite, born from his issues with his own father/family, but it was still fucked up. he couldnt lash out on his father, so he lashed out on the only person he could-- and it was Sylvain, who was never at fault for it. Seth is not impressed, but Miklan was a teenager in a bad situation. Seth gives him some leeway, for now.
Years later, miklan still hasnt apologized to sylvain out loud, but he's nicer in a way a coworker that doesnt like you is nice to you. They dont want to, but they try because they recognize there are more important things (like his relationship with his friends) than their hatred of you.
Things are awkward between the three, but not overly hostile.)
On Sylvain's side:
Seth is the older brother he's always wanted. He's sarcastic and kind of lax, but he lets Sylvain get away with anything, even sometimes helping him if he finds the trouble Sylvain's in funny enough. The first time Sylvain gets drunk at one of his father's parties (@ 14, which was roughly the same age I first tasted alcohol. i was supervised, dont worry.), Seth is the one that finds him and instead of scolding him, goes and joins him instead (seth only drinks one glass. He is, unfortunately, supervising the brat and has to babysit). Seth is the one that helps him hide his first ever hangover. Seth is the one who, without question, lies to cover sylvain when he asks for it. And even when he doesnt ask for it. When his father scolds him for not taking his studies or his lessons or his future duty as heir and, later, Lord Gautier, seriously, its Seth he runs to (if he's nearby. if not, well. Thats fine. He can complain to seth when he next sees him). Sylvain doesnt ask for comfort, but Seth is good at distracting him, and he always ends up feeling better afterward.
After the whole Miklan incident, Sylvain likes him even more, especially when Miklan actually leaves him alone now. He's kind of jealous Dimitri has both a good father and a cool older brother figure. (Dunno enough about mama Gautier to know what she's like, or if she's even alive)
But. Uh. The whole, "actually, im not crestless. Surprise!" reveal happens post-fic.
So.
Sylvain is. conflicted. Seth is someone he kind of wants to be. Cool and doesn't give a fuck about anyone's opinion of him. His lack of crest just made him better, because he never even considered that it was holding him back. In fact, he never even seemed to care if someone had a crest or not.
Except he, apparently, does have a crest. And now he's King, and playing 'nice' with nobles in his own crass and grumpy way. And it turns out he had been hiding his crest. And Sylvain--
Something ugly bubbles within him. (Seth had never, not once, ever been judged for his crest like Sylvain was. Never had his entire life fashioned around it. Never had to know that it was the only worth he had to his own family. Never had to face the fact that his own brother hates him and his own father only notices him for something he never chose to be born with. Never had to wonder if someone was being nice to him/trying to be friends with him because he had a crest.)
And then he threw that freedom away--
(for his brother cousin, for his family)
Sylvain doesn't know who he's more jealous of: Seth, or Dimitri
As for Miklan,
It kind of feels like having the rug pulled under you, except there's a hole on the floor, and you're falling the entire time as you watch someone you had always considered your friend get everything you've always wanted.
Respect, recognition, a Crest
Seth had been someone he thought understood him more than anyone in the world. A noble born crestless, looked down on for it. There were other nobles in the same situation, of course, but they didn't have to live through the same contempt he and Seth had to, (Miklan from his own father, and Seth from literally the whole court because he wasn't just a noble. He was a royal, and that came with its own list of expectations that Seth had never met)
But it turned out it was all a fucking lie, and Miklan felt like he had been made a fool of by someone he thought he could trust. Did Seth find all the shit he had to go through funny? All the insecurities, the anger, the heavy weight of knowing you were worthless in your own father's eyes amusing?
