If You Saw Me, No You Didn’t

As a kid, Sebek used to call Silver and Malleus “big brother” because that’s what he referred to his own brother as. Lilia also encouraged it because it was adorable and it made Malleus quite happy even if he didn’t fully recognize it.

However, a member of the palace found it inappropriate and scolded him for it. “You’re a commoner and a half-fae at that. Had the line of Baur not been muddied I would see a reason for you to be in the palace. How could you even refer to his highness, the Prince, as your brother? Even the young Lord Silver, though human, is the son of General Lilia and is above you in rank. It is wholly inappropriate for you call either of them your big brother.”

After that, Sebek slowly stopped referring to them as his big brother and became greatly aware of where he stood amongst the residents of Briar Valley. Not human, not fae, a third thing, a muddied thing, an anomaly amongst the proud and noble fae.

He never tells anyone about it and it is never revealed until years later when Sebek is transformed back into his 5-year old self. Sebek goes about calling others he meets big brother (big brother Leona, big brother Ace, big brother Riddle, etc.) he even calls Silver big brother again. But not Malleus, never Malleus.

Malleus, who is so bad at hiding his jealousy, and surrounded by classmates who so love to mock and tease finds himself in hell. Jealousy burning through him as the others flaunted the way Sebek adored them and how he drew them pictures. But not Malleus, Malleus never got a picture.

After all, Sebek is a half fae and “the Prince has portraits of himself painted by the greatest artists in the world. What need would he have for you childish drawings?”

Malleus couldn’t tell if he was inadequate at keeping his hoard or if he hoard no longer wanted to be with him. But either way, he was not happy. He was jealous and angry that everyone got drawings and titles. Even Lilia was called Godfather again, Grim was now Mr. Grim and Yuu had convinced Sebek to call them “Best Sibling”. They got cute screensavers and hugs and requests for nap times. But not Malleus, Malleus gets nothing.

So, Sebek has been stuck has a five year old for about a week, and everyone notices how Malleus is the only one that isn't referred to has big brother, and they start to wonder why.

So, they all try to ask him, but Sebek just goes quiet and runs somewhere else. Non of them knows how to get him to answer without running away.

That is until Lilia remembers that baur told him how if he ever needs sebek to tell him something instead of running he should "give him something sweet, cause then he thinks that it means that you know how to keep a secret" (he didn't eat a lot of sweets has a child cause teeth doctor parents).

So Trey (he always has something sweet on himself) gives Sebek a sweet and asks him (Malleus is hiding under something cause he afraid Sebek won't answer if he sees him).

And Sebek in all of his five year old glory and with the most innocent and at the same time saddest look ever says "The important (mean) fae said an anomaly like me isn't allowed to call him big brother." There is a thunder.

half of them are about to cry, the other half is planning a murder. Malleus (he came out of his hiding place the moment Sebek called himself an anomaly) is just giving Sebek an hug and tells him how to not listen to that mean fae and that he can call him his big brother.

I headcanon that Sebek has such strong younger brother energy that he manages to get all the housewardens and second-years into treating him like their younger sibling. It’s wasn’t intentional, it just happened.

Sebek is in the Equestrian club with Riddle and was inspired to join by Riddle, despite his fear of horses. Riddle oversaw his development and lessons, and ended up being the one getting him into dressage. Now, he’s at every competition making notes of Sebek’s mistakes so they can improve after and congratulating him when he does well or learns something new. Riddle is also inviting him to Unbirthday parties since Sebek has somehow helped Deuce and Ace bring up their grades.

Sebek, being friends with Jack, sometimes goes over to Savannaclaw to train and runs into Leona. They don’t get along at first with Sebek disliking Leona’s insults towards Malleus and Leona finding Sebek loud and too straight-laced. However, Sebek is pretty good and spelldrive and overall physically strong, and Leona at his core loves a challenge. It’s also nice to play Spelldrive when your Diasomnia opponent isn’t a Magical Nuke.

Azul finds Sebek amusing with how gullible the first-year is and how easy it is to manipulate him but he doesn’t go as far as to trick Sebek the way he does with others. Part of it is how quick Malleus, Lilia, and Silver would be after him but the other is how Sebek had fallen into a habit of cooking with Jade and Floyd. It was by accident but seeking to improve his own skills and save his dorm from Lilia’s cooking, Sebek started to take lessons from Jade and Floyd in return for helping them out during dinner rush. He came to enjoy it so much that the twins gave him a permanent place in the kitchen and Jade even dragged him to go mushroom foraging.

Sebek being part crocodile-fae means he’s so sensitive to the cold and Diasomnia with its stone walls and the occasional storms, means it’s constantly cold. Sometimes he ends up in Scarabia, napping on fine rugs and a pile of pillows while Kalim and the first years study around him, and occasionally looking at his notes. Jamil always makes the point of making fresh, hot chai during these sessions and ensuring there is warm naan and curry for when they’re done and Sebek wakes up.

Vil admires Sebek’s determination and constant pursuit to be better and laments that had Sebek not gone to Diasomnia, he would have been a great addition in Pomefiore. When Epel started getting his fellow first-years into trying skin care, mainly to show them how annoying and time consuming it was, Sebek stated he enjoyed how it felt on his scales. Rook, overhearing this, reported to Vil who sent Epel with a personalize set suitable for crocodile faes and scolded him on not recognizing that his friends have different skincare needs than his own.

This is such a personal headcanon, but I think Idia and Ortho makes the music for Sebek’s Dressage Freestyle. Sure he can use classical or some pop song that Neige sang like the RSA students, but Tempest just moves better to the mixes Idia makes. Also, Sebek being a nerd for romance books and Idia being an otaku, would bond over some manga like Frieren. The story of an elf who lives too long and only realizing mortality when the male lead passes away would have the two crying and live-texting when the newest manga chapter comes out.

As a bonus, Malleus and Silver get to experience the brand new feeling of jealousy when Sebek who has never called them older brother before starts calling the others “older brother” or saying things like “the way you treatment makes it feel like you’re my older brother”.

Sebek to rest of the diafam is that one cousin that is more your sibling than cousin , like yes technically he has his own family and is their cousin but if you say that they would be like no , he is our brother ?? Take back that nonsense at once. ( if they were honest for once with their feelings) Sometimes all of them forget he has his own family . Silver has the same exact position on the Zigvolts . Because there is no may Mr. Zigvolt or Ms. Zigvolt just left baby Silver with his dad who thought his baby would just come back after he crawled away , like no we are co-parenting now . like Lilia is giving his best but his best isn't that great , still a good dad but he needs help. That Man and Mal are the reasons Silver grew up relatively healthy. They would have went that boy is ours too now ( no Lilia bashing but his cooking is deadly)

To Lilia he is one of his boys, he isn't the legal parent of Mal either, and yes he isn't Sebeks dad but that is his boy , he may have good parents but hey they can share. They already do .That is the boy he saw grow up and a constant in his home , he is his teacher , mentor and adult responsible for him . Thats not his son but one of his kids.

To Silver , he is a core part of his family , what you mean he isn't ? Thats his little bro from another father/mother , his best friend he has know him for all of his life , when he thinks family he thinks the dia4. The Zigvolts have pictures of Silver with the rest of the kids at their house change my mind . It isn't even a question for him Sebek is family thats it.

To Malleus he is one the little kids that he saw grow up , he may have not held him as a baby but as a toddler , he may be obsessed with him , but Silver is obsessed with mushroom risotto and he is with gargoyles thats just how Sebek is , thats his littlest guy . His little guy who cried bc he couldn't do magic. Yes he might be annoying sometimes but everyone in this family is sometimes thats normal . Mal is that one sibling with a huge age gap who basically raised his little siblings . If Lilia and Silver are his family so is Sebek . He will protect Sebek with his life , he chose those two as knights not because of their strength but because of their hearts, they will never be afraid of telling the truth to him ( or so he thinks) And with them close he can protect them .

His dream isnt about Malleus ruling the world him being fully human/fae but just what he thought his life was going to be , its the dream that is closest to the real world .

Just a week ago that was his life. Just his family living a happy life , Mal doing a internship he likes Lilia doing something good for his home that he likes like tech, which also shows how he belives Lilia is helpfull and how Sebek wants the Valley to become more modern. And he will be going to school with Silver and after all that they will go home , Lilia loves his family and would not leave them would he ?

Sebek values the cabin as much as Silver seeing it as home as it is one of the places he grew up in. Believing thats where they will all go back to.

the first years decided to go into town and enjoy themselves

within ten minutes this happened

Turns out there's a childhood disease to the tune of measles that erodes the carapace, and the first symptom shows up about a week before any actual damage is caused.

Grace comments to Rocky that one of his students seems to be turning oxidisation-green. About a week later that student has to be hospitalised for this illness.

Eridian scientists realise pretty quick that Grace can detect the illness long before any of their equipment can, and when caught that early it is much, much easier and safer to treat.

I couldn't miss an opportunity to make epic geological phenotypes for eridians:D them rocks will look fly as hell on my watch!

Nerding out under the cut:)