Seth | The Southern Hunk

Introduction

This YuuriVoice original character debuted on May 18th, 2020, in what would retroactively become the second episode of BitterSweet. At his inception, Seth was supposed to be a rival character to Alphonse, as a visual novel inspired "route" choice the listener could pursue. However, things became clear very quickly that Seth wasn't meant to just be any old motorcycle riding Southern bad boy when he revealed that he was an ex lover of Al's, and that their criminal past wasn't quite done with them yet!

Background & Traits

Seth returns to the small town that is the central setting of BitterSweet after spending time in prison for a crime Alphonse committed, and returns to find his bubblegum prince has long since moved on. Of course, it's far more complicated than that, as are his feelings on the matter. When he discovers that Alphonse's new Boo is brave, charming, and has a heart big enough to hear his story and care about him despite the awkward situation and criminal past, he can't help but be happy for Alphonse. Even worse than that, he feels a comfortable familiarity with Boo that leaves him wishing he'd met them much sooner in life.

While he puts up a tough front, Seth is a soft, nature loving, adventurous man at heart. He's always had a love for hiking, camping, and getting lost in nature. His mother Jessie left when he was young, and he wonders if the similarities they share led to additional tension between he and his father, who took a greater interest in drinking once she left.

It was in his teenage years that Seth found himself doing everything he could to spend more time outside of the house, and thanks to Alphonse and his family, he often landed at their place. If not there, then he and Alphonse would camp in the neighboring woods. The two were long time friends, and eventually, more than that.

It is heavily implied that the townsfolk frowned upon his relationship with Alphonse, and it also impacted their view of Alphonse's parents. On top of that, his father was often on the receiving end of all the gossip, as the owner of the local tavern. For the sake of the family businesses, the boys simmered down, and eventually, Seth set off for the city to stay with his mother.

Seth's story and themes overlap a great deal with Alphonse, but stands apart when it comes to the nature of his grief. While Alphonse grieves parents who passed away, Seth grieves the relationships that have broken along his journey. A mama's boy who just wanted to be cared for and remembered, a son who couldn't do right in his father's eyes, Seth has been contending with the loss of his parents while they are very much alive.

While his relationship with Alphonse was flawed during their time together in the city, he sees the way that Boo has had such a powerful impact on Alphonse even in the face of his past. To be loved unconditionally, unwavering and steadfast, was something new to him. When Boo and Alphonse extend that love to Seth, he sets off on his own path of healing, and hopes that one day he can be brave enough to extend that love to others as well.

Fantasy, Magic, and Cryptids

Seth has an inclination towards fantastic ideas and adventures that go beyond the mundane and natural world. Perhaps it was a part of his wish to escape from his home life, to ease his mind from the worry and sorrow for his mother, or just some part of his heart that longs for more than what can be seen with the eye, but it's very much a part of him.

He's taken an interest in cryptids, specifically the Mothman, but all manners of urban legends appeal to him. In a fateful conversation with Boo, he mentions casting a spell under the moon, and likens the night he convinced Alphonse to come with him to the city to a curse.

Beyond that, in the same conversation, he mentions recognizing Boo in a way that isn't quite literal. Something deeper. He claims that he can feel that little pieces of him once knew Alphonse, and now, he sees that same familiarity in Boo. He never explains it, and in all likelihood he couldn't even if he tried, but as the events of their relationship unfolds throughout BitterSweet it rings truer with each passing moment.

The BitterSweet Trio

During the course of BitterSweet, Alphonse and Boo share their unconditional love with Seth, hoping to nurture the parts of him that have weathered away with time and trauma. This love is explicitly undefined, so that listeners can interpret the relationship dynamic as best suits them, as the trio represents no one specific type of love, but rather the healing of unconditional love. For some that may be best experienced romantically, and others may prefer it to be platonically, or even familially.

The beauty of it is that there is no incorrect interpretation, and every possibility is equally valid. This medium of self insert audio content allows for a collaborative fantasy between creator and listener, and is a strength unto itself.