#sethlyn

For the OC Relationship Ask: Madelyn/Seth, 1, 7, 10, and 75?

1. Who fell first? Who fell harder?

Seth fell first, he was grieving his brother when he first met her and while at first he resented her for surviving while his brother was lost, he quickly grew to see her as a source of comfort and hope. Madelyn had a lot more trust issues to work through first, and she was never interested in romance because she was always focused on her education and her duties, so when she caught the feelings she honestly. Didn't recognize it at first. And then when the realization hit her, it was a shock and she tried to deny it for a while before it became too overwhelming to bear.

7. Who likes forehead kisses? Who likes hand kisses? Who likes neck kisses?

Madelyn likes getting forehead and neck kisses, she finds forehead kisses sweet and protective and neck kisses make her all flustered. She likes giving Seth hand kisses because his hands are usually dry or healing over cuts, well worn and needing love.

10. Who plays with whose hair?

Madelyn has really long hair and Seth likes to play with it but also it keeps tangling up and getting in the way when they cuddle so it's equal parts sweet and silly.

75. Which - if any - other famous ship's vibes do they emulate?

HEY I ACTUALLY ANSWERED THIS ON THE RIGHT DAY OF THE WEEK THAT'S A FIRST :D

Thanks @dontjudgemeimawriter for the tag! I think there was also some other people to tagged me but I don't remember who so I'm very sorry if I msised you. This is for Madelyn and Seth, I think.... maybe... this might be first kiss scene I've... ever written? I hope I'm doing this right sldkfjsdlkj.

Their notes and plans lay abandoned on the table as the night stretched late and Madelyn and Seth moved to the couch to continue their discussion. It'd been hours of debate and refining ideas, scheming about the future, circuitous tangents about everything and nothing, an excuse to drag the visit out just a little while longer.

It'd been a few months since their confession, and Madelyn still couldn't quite believe her fortune. After all their history, seeing the worst sides of each other, fighting with each other, fighting with each other... she realized she couldn't deny the fierce fondness she held for the witty, honorable, brave man who sat beside her now. Even more shocking was the realization that he loved her back, with all her stubbornness, despite her previous rejections, in his endless patience and quiet devotion from a respectful distance she had been so blind to notice for so long.

And now, there was no distance between them anymore. His arm was around her and rested gently on her waist as she leaned into his chest. Soft, steady, sturdy, secure. She couldn't make out his heartbeat, but could feel the rumble in his lungs as he spoke; slow and thoughtful responses to her theories whipping around like a whirlwind.

Eventually the conversation came to a lull as the deep-set exhaustion of a demanding week and the reality of the late hour sank in, and Seth gathered himself to leave the study and return to his own quarters. Madelyn sighed as his arm left her shoulders and they stood. It was so natural to be near him - not the giddy rush of a childish crush, or the sparks of passion flashing through her stomach, but a peace so fundamental that she noticed the cold void of its absence. He smiled at a joke she cracked, and she felt warm with the satisfaction of seeing his lips twitch upward into that fleeting, soft expression he guarded so closely but gave away freely to her.

"Thank you for keeping me company," she said, giving him a hug goodbye, "I'll see you in the morning but don't want to keep you from rest."

"You're never a burden, I want to spend time with you," Seth reassured her. Then, as she began to look up at him, she felt her chest tighten. Not the familiar anxiety of betrayal, the paranoia that wormed its way into every other interaction, but a new sensation of anticipation. They were so close, face to face, not for the first time but it was such a nice night and she didn't want it to end. Should she ask for more?

Before she could say anything else, she felt his lips brush against the top of her head. A shy test, a safe gamble. He was always so careful to respect her boundaries, knowing she would create the permission to let him in if she wanted, willing to wait for her cue. Now, she wanted take his.

"Aren't you going to give me a kiss goodnight?" she asked.

There was that beautiful, endearing smile again, and then she tiptoed as he leaned down to bring his lips to hers. First a soft brush, before leaning into the embrace, his hands gently cupping around her head, fingers weaving through her loose hair, pulling her close. She let herself melt in his warmth. No need anymore for worry or doubt. She could be happy, here and now, with him, and no gods or devils would take the beauty of this moment from them.

Tagging the Laoche list, you're all welcome to join if you want but here's some fluff for y'all. Ask if you want to be added or removed~

[image ID: greyscale sketch of two figures hugging. The shorter girl on the left, Madelyn, buries her face in the taller guy, Seth's, chest. Seth looks surprised, but hugs her back anyhow. Madelyn has waist length hair, wears a dress and flat shoes. Seth has chin length wavy hair, his outfit is mostly obscured, but he wears boots and a long coat. End Image ID.]

Seth: *I didn't expect affection today ESPECIALLY not from Maddie, but I'm not upset either*

Thanks for the ask! I think I'll answer this for Seth. all my characters including the only two who end up in a relationship are aspec until proven otherwise and so I apologize for my extremely limited view on what makes a Believable Romance

💓 - What are some signs they’ve fallen for someone? How do they show their affection?

While both Madelyn and Seth are slow to trust each other, Seth comes around a lot faster than she does. He had a fairly well adjusted life up until the point that he was exiled through political machinations, and his bitterness and trust issues only go so far as the people who really deserve it after Madelyn does the bare minimum to prove she's got the same goal as him. He's reasonably wary, but he's still quicker to give her the benefit of the doubt while she's actively hostile and paranoid. At first he doesn't really like her because she's made it abundantly obvious she doesn't like him, but he can stomach working with her long enough to get the job done. He's used to working with people who don't like him. That's politics after all.

But as they travel together, Madelyn starts to earn his respect - she's lost her magic and is obviously in a lot of physical and emotional pain, but she has more nerve and sheer force of will than anyone he's ever met. At first, his regard for her comes from a place of admiring her strength to keep going despite it all, and appreciating her competence despite her huge handicap. But he's also slightly horrified of her self-destructive nature. Nobody can be strong all the time, and he thinks she's foolish for being so reckless with her own stamina and putting the both of them in danger.

but eventually she cracks. Nobody can be strong all the time. And in that first moment of human vulnerability, when she's at her most self-loathing and pathetic, instead of going "I told you so," Seth sees that she really needs a friend. He sees her potential and that she needs a support structure to be able to achieve her full glory, and he's painfully aware that she's a wreck right now, but he wants to help her reach that. Maybe he doesn't fall, but that's the first moment he starts to slip down the slope.

After that, things are easier. Madelyn is still kind of a bitch and he's still a stubborn ass, and they still argue plenty, but she asks for his help now, and he gives it willingly, and those brief flashes of connection and good-will become more and more frequent, until he can really consider her a friend. She sees him as more than just his accomplishments, she stands up for his broken dignity, and as she recovers her magic, she starts sacrificing her newly renewed power for him. they joke. He appreciates her company voluntarily instead of tolerating her presence.

He's been friends with other girls before, but he's never had eyes for anyone. Too busy with work, too stressed about family affairs. Never enough attention for relationships. Too much of a hassle. He liked the idea in concept, but couldn't imagine himself being involved in one. Too big of a risk. Until one day he notices, he only has eyes for Madelyn. He notices his mood significantly sinking when she leaves the room. The ridiculous banter becomes an excuse to make her laugh. Her hands are graceful whenever she casts a spell. Her eyes are so intense and his gaze lingers on her even after she's broken eye contact.

ohohoh this is a fun question. Going to answer for Laoche because it has the highest number of OCs I could play with who aren't siblings

Most common: Madelyn/Seth because that's the canon relationship and hopefully I write it in a way that's believable enough to be worth shipping.

semi-common alternate ships:

Madelyn/Alric in a Reylo sense even though this ship would go down drowning "hand in unlovable hand"

Alric/Weswin because they travel together for a time and Alric is the first person who learns to remember Weswin despite his curse, so there's potential, but also Alric is indirectly responsible/used to work for the villain who caused Weswin's curse so it's uh. its a complicated friendship to begin with there

Stephan/Raiden because they spend a significant portion of the book off screen together and/or are getting their spin-off standalone book about their adventures and I can see people shipping them just because they're main leads.

Rarepairs:

Stephan and Madelyn, since it would be weird to ship her with her mentor/ her LO's older brother

Alric/Stephan. This wouldn't work for the same reason Madelyn/Alric wouldn't work but fandoms love their angsty relationships

Madelyn/ her as of yet unnamed best friend from back in the academy who needs character development because of the potential for childhood best friends to lovers fics.

Madelyn/Luca despite the fact that they're separated by thousands of years, their stories are connected through the Relics so I can see people turning that into a ship with AUs.

I genuinely cannot think of anyone else people would ship Seth with??? In my head hes so devoted to Madelyn that I cannot imagine him with anyone else so anyone writing alternate pairings with him would need to make it pretty OOC and that makes it a rare pair by default I think...

Thanks for the ask! I'm sorry I kind of have to go with the copout answer because I have one (1) romance in all my stories and that's Sethlyn but even if I had others! It would still rank first!

The confession of love is made in a fraught emotional moment in which Madelyn gets hurt and neither she or Seth think she's going to make it, and they need to say it before it's too late. But then she inconveniently survives and they have to deal with the Consequences of that statement skdjlsjslsjslskjsks. Even after they cool down and have the

"did you mean that?"

did you just say it back because I was dying?"

Conversation and start dating, it's a hesitant, fragile love they know could be ripped apart any minute by circumstance, and they're both very broken and slightly codependent people with trust issues, so being vulnerable and tender is unusual! And kinda scary! And unexpectedly nice once they take the leap and commit!