I headcannon Selwyn is actually great with kids. Especially merlin ones. Like yeah they're all scared of him but he never actually does anything and eventually they see him for like...the big cat he is. He lets them color in his tattoos, do amazing (horrible) things to his hair and makeup. He's gotten in trouble multiple times for going too soft on them during training, even if he is strict enough on a human level. They all think he's super cool and scary when instructors use Selwyn as an example for training, but Selwyn can't actually bring himself to be mean to the kids themselves. He once was told to help this merlin kid, and the kid burst into tears when Selwyn approached. Selwyn just awkwardly let them cry and patted them on the back and waited for them to calm down. The other older merlins watch in awe and confusion as Selwyn, the rude, arrogant, obnoxious asshole successfully gentle parents a kid into learning. One time he was there during an argument between a merlin and human kid and he somehow got them to admit their wrongdoings while also apolozing. He sees himself in every merlin kid, and he sees Nick in every human one. He can't possibly be mean to them. It's very out of character for everyone except Nick, William and later Bree, who know why Selwyn is the way he is. Selwyn learned to be mean out of self defense, biting first means his enemy is wounded out the gate. But kids are never enemies. They are used and molded and taught to be enemies, but at the stage they're at, Selwyn doesn't have it in him to be a threat. He knows how fast kids must grow up in the order. He knows he doesn't not have to beat the lessons into him as other inductors do.
Can you tell the sickness going around is getting to me this was meant to be like a 3 sentence post.
