#yv seth

The goth, the wanna be goth, and that one guy they're trying to convert.

This question made me re-listen to the videos, so thank you for that, it was great AHAHA

But yeah, that’s an interesting question! Why does this AU in particular interest you, if I might ask? :]

As for me, I like it! There’s honestly not one that I haven’t found some enjoyment out of. Hell, I’ve even listened to the fandom based RPs for fandoms I’m not in. Like Alucard or Guzma for example, and I’ve come out genuinely liking the interpretations! (I think it’s funny that people say they only hear Guzma when listening to Alphonse whilst I’m over here with the opposite problem AHA)

Anyway, I can dig into specifics! Spoilers ahead for anybody who hasn’t listened to it yet!

—-

I really like Seth as a character. I relate to his theme of lack of agency in his life, and that desire to rip it back into his control. Which I think reflects nicely in the werewolf AU. The way he talks about The Wolf, and how this whole thing began. The fact that there’s so much internal shame surrounding it, even if he is surrounded by others who care about him. (I love that btw. Seth deserves a good pack to rally around him, even if they keep making him just do oil changes lol) External support can only go so far unless you’re willing to look inside yourself and ‘accept the monster.’

I like that even when it’s a more ‘goofy’ concept, YV grounds it with solid character work and voice acting. Like his Scripts are great, and it’s obvious that he cares so much about these characters. The fact that Greaser Seth has a whole mini character arch within such a small window is really cool, and elevates it above a ‘what if this character was doggo’ you know? Obviously there’s nothing wrong with some fun and fluff, especially during Halloween and especially given the fact that ultimately there’s a motive of comfort within these videos. But! I love good story telling and it brings me joy AHA. It’s why I love Charles sm. He’s genuinely my fave I cannot deny-

I love that him and his wolf don’t get along, that’s genuinely such a fun concept omg. Furthermore, I love that his wolf gets along with the listener right away. How he’s able to tell really quickly that we’re into this whole thing. (I also like that it reflects what Seth said during the beginning of BS, which I’m re-listening to rn. About how he *knows* us despite having just met. I know these are two separate stories, but that theme of deeply resonating with someone is cool to me and I see it pop up so often in all of these stories.)

Also! The wolf being passed around from person to person is a fun way to play around with the werewolf trope. It’s subtle world building that really fleshes out the story in a nice way. Makes me curious about if the other dudes in that universe are werewolves or not. (Did you know that werewolf rats are a thing?? 👀)

About the listener being into it, it’s so refreshing that the listener is so enthusiastic in these. Listen I love monsters, and freaky people, so to me it’s very satisfying AHA

But I also like how it showcases acceptance. Seth was so terrified that we’d hate him, that we’d find him gross due to this other form, yet we don’t. It’s very special to me, when this happens in stories. Someone being loved, not in spite of ‘the monstrous’ but in tandem with it. Sometimes, even because of it! (Like how Charles loves that his listener is into freaky stuff themselves. I genuinely could ramble a lot over why that series has grabbed me ngl)

Is Finn referring to how Al and Seth used to date?

You’ve seen my actual legitimate theory about Finn, now you get my very unhinged totally theoretical theory about how I think Seth is Mothman. Let me explain.

Roger Scarberry and a group of friends were some of the first to witness the cryptid back in the mid-1960s near Point Pleasant, West Virginia. After spotting the creature at a spooky hangout in the woods, the group got into their car and tried to drive away. “He pushed the car up to 100 mph but whatever it was was keeping up with them, just flying. Rodger said that whenever he looked into the rearview mirror, all he could see was a shadow of a thing, and of course the glowing red eyes.” While not a pair of glowing red eyes, it is easy to imagine a lone motorcycle speeding down a desolate highway with a singular headlight and compare it to Mothman in this context. Some of the sightings of Mothman were rationalized by nature specialists as sandhill cranes. One of the most iconic photographs of this cryptid is often debunked as an owl with a snake or fish in its talons. In the same vein, we as the audience have a first impression and, later, a reasonable understanding of Seth. He has two sides to him: the overconfident bad boy archetype and the insecure man still searching for acceptance. This is demonstrated in the first chapter of Bittersweet (see And He Shall Appear and The Long Walk Home pt 2). Seth attempts to intimidate the Listener, but opens up to them and allows them to see his side of the story soon after

Roughly a year after the Scarberry sighting, the Silver Bridge leading from Point Pleasant, West Virginia to Kanauga, Ohio tragically collapsed into the Ohio River. “That very same evening there were numerous phone calls made to the local police saying that there was a large figure with red eyes—with red glowing eyes—that was seen hanging around the bridge.” It was contested that Mothman was responsible for the deadly incident. Others took it as Mothman warning citizens of the disaster to come. From his first introduction in the Bittersweet storyline, Seth was a warning sign. He signaled a trial both the listener and Alphonse would have to face together. In Cleaning Up Our Mess, Alphonse comments “I know how scary it must have been. Someone from my past who I was so close with coming back and potentially threatening us, you and me.” The second time around leads the crew to confront the men’s shady criminal past. Be that as it may, Seth’s appearances in Alphonse and the Listener’s lives have brought a few good moments. Testing their trust in one another made their relationship stronger, and the addition of Seth to their family (as of now) has made things both complicated and comforting.

There are a few other smaller hints. Seth is often focused on the future. "In the 1975 book The Mothman Prophecies, author John Keel claimed that the Point Pleasant residents who witnessed Mothman also experience visions happening. Visions into the future~” The phrase “like a moth to a flame” can be applied to two scenarios when it comes to Seth, the first of which being The Long Walk Home pt 2. Seth, thinking he hears Alphonse, says the phrase pointblank. He’s shocked to realize it’s the Listener who has come to visit him at his campsite instead. The other time is Welcome Home pt 1. The episode opens with Seth being drawn to the warm glow if Alphonse’s apartment. Like a moth to a flame, he emerges from the shadows and into the light. Seth is searching for Mothman. Where is he? How can I love him? This search, if he is indeed the local cryptid, parallels the search for self that is a prominent theme in Seth’s story. He is constantly looking for who he truly is. There is an admiration for the self that has yet to be fully unearthed. 

Sadly, Seth may never achieve his dream of proving Mothman’s existence. He himself is the manifestation of the dark creature; an omen that is neither good nor bad. It was never about finding Mothman, but about the Mothman we made along the way. At first something to be feared, Seth, like his favorite crypitd, has become something to be celebrated and loved by his small community. For better or for worse, you know something is bound to happen when this man comes around.