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I know I said that Franklin/Dedrick could only happen in a universe where Nate never has kids, but I can't help but wonder how differently Dedrick would handle Alroy dragging Franklin on "investigations".

Delilah definitely would have some qualms with throwing hands with her Beloved Big Brother she Vowed to Protect and would feel guilt because Franklin was Alroy's friend first, but I don't see those being obstacles for Dedrick. From what I know, Dedrick couldn't give two shits about Alroy.

#{behind the magic} | ooc #《 why do I have to come up with these things 》 #《 I was vibing with my comic and now I've become a mad scientist again now that my wifi is kaput 》

[magichcuse]

Damn it—I completely forgot about the Franklin/Dedrick crackship I hid in one of the tags...and I can totally see it happening.

Franklin can relate to Dedrick's feelings of abandonment (even though he has a loving adoptive family and he swears he doesn't have any lingering trauma) and he's made being a caretaker his personality. He will heal Dedrick's hands, listen to him vent, or even just quietly vibe with him (Franklin is really good at doing that).

I'm not sure how they'd get together though. Franklin isn't so good with the playful flirting, so he can't build chemistry that way. I also feel like Franklin would be too embarrassed to do the secret admirer thing (at least, as blatantly as he would for Delilah) because he's not sure if Dedrick would be receptive to Sappy Stuff. Hell, Franklin would probably be completely oblivious to Dedrick being gay. Franklin just assumes Dedrick is aro/ace. I can't really forsee a situation that would force either one to confess their feelings, but Dedrick does have the advantage of not being put up on a pedestal like Delilah. The chances of Franklin building up courage to confess are higher.

Even though Franklin would like to be a dad, I can see him being okay with not having kids if he's with Dedrick (especially if it is framed as Franklin being able to take care of himself for once after spending a good portion of his childhood helping care for his younger siblings). Franklin can have fun being an uncle...and then have the luxury of going back to his quiet home with Dedrick where he can make himself a priority. Since Franklin doesn't have inferiority complex issues to overcome, I can see a relationship with Dedrick being much chiller than his relationship with Delilah. He'd still protect and take care of Dedrick, of course, but I feel like Franklin wouldn't let himself be consumed by love like he would with Delilah (not like he's completely defined by her, but being "hers" is always going to be part of Who He Is no matter how much he tries not to put her on a pedestal).

#{behind the magic} | ooc #headcanons #《 Delilah will always be Franklin's number 1 》 #《 but in another universe...he wouldn't mind this so much 》 #《 damn it why do i actually like this 》 #《 not as much as dedrick/walter and franklin/delilah but i can still see it 》

[magichcuse]

I reread old headcanon posts and got myself invested in all of this potential again (especially new Gaubert, he is the embodiment of sad kitten energy)

#{behind the magic} | ooc #《 Gaubert and Laurent remind me of what Vivian and Patrick used to be but less annoying 》

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Dad Laurent Headcanons

Laurent wouldn't have a lot of photos of Gaubert because his primary concern was Keeping Everything and Everyone Alive. It doesn't hit him until he sees Theo's pictures of Dedrick and goes down a self-loathing spiral.

Speaking of photos, Laurent would be hesitant to ask Theo to take a picture of Gaubert using the Aubépine antique camera to continue the tradition because it's Theo's camera now and it feels rude to ask. Gaubert just assumes Laurent is ashamed of him. After all, he doesn't have many pictures of him in general.

Gaubert would also be a little behind in his early childhood development because Laurent doesn't have a lot of energy and he assumed that kids just automatically learned things at certain ages. It didn't occur to him that Gaubert wouldn't learn to speak if he didn't talk to Gaubert. (Or worse, Gaubert picks up on the wrong words and Laurent panics.)

Once Laurent finds out Gaubert is delayed, he'd get pretty much the entire school to supplement his education (except Damion—Laurent says he'll fire Damion if he goes anywhere near his son...good luck to Damion when Gaubert gets older and wants to talk to him out of spite). There was a point where Gaubert spent so much time with the teachers that he wasn't sure who his parents were and that put Laurent in an even worse mental state.

Despite Vivian genuinely caring for Gaubert, Laurent wouldn't approve of them getting together if they developed romantic feelings for each other because it'd be "unprofessional" for Gaubert to date a future professor when he's going to become the headmaster. I don't really blame him for thinking that, but it also makes Gaubert upset and just resent Laurent more.

#{behind the magic} | ooc #headcanons #《 Laurent is a hot mess 》

[magichcuse]

I was originally trying to make a height comparison thingamabob with multiple other characters, but it didn't turn out so well. At least Gaubert and Vivian look nice.

#{behind the magic} | ooc #headcanons #mun's art #《 idk if I'm gonna finalize Gaubert's markings and height 》 #《 Vivian is still pretty short so Gaubert being taller than her doesn't necessarily make him tall 》 #《 but i might want to make them closer in height 》

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End of Life Sylvain Headcanons

Sylvain was alive for a brief while to see Dedrick after he hatched. He'd come over as often as he could to help Theo out and cradle the bab in his arms. When he got too weak to visit Theo, he'd ask Theo to bring Dedrick over (and he'd want Theo to take pictures too because he has a feeling he won't be around long enough for Dedrick to remember him).

In addition to the photos, Sylvain would want to give Dedrick something to remember him by. Well, multiple things.

One of them is a wand made from a branch from the hawthorn tree—this is usually reserved for Aubépines, but Sylvain was under the impression that Dedrick would be his only grandson (or closest thing he'd get to one) and he wanted to continue that tradition. Sylvain knows that Dedrick will probably want to choose his own wand when he's old enough to use one, but he doesn't want to deprive his grand baby of a hawthorn wand.

The second thing is a green scarf (Sylvain wouldn't know that green is Dedrick's color, he just personally likes green.) It's more of a sage green, but it's green nonetheless. He'd knit some other stuff for baby Dedrick, but he wants Dedrick to have something that he could use when he's older.

The final thing is a pocket knife. Sylvain figures that boys like knives and Dedrick will have fun with it when he's old enough. The handle is made from wood from the hawthorn tree because of course it is.

[Side note—Dedrick getting to spend time with Sylvain (however brief it was) and receiving gifts from him is something Gaubert is envious of, but he bottles it up. Gaubert thinks Dedrick is more deserving of it anyway, because Dedrick wasn't a Mistake (again, Gaubert doesn't know Dedrick was an accidental baby). ]

In addition to the Aubépine antique camera, Theo will also inherit...Sylvain's water cooler. He will make sure Theo stays hydrated, even after death.

Theo would probably inherit some other stuff too, but Sylvain would also make sure to leave some things for Laurent. For example, Theo would be too tall to fit into Sylvain's clothes. Laurent wouldn't be able to fit into them either at first, but he eventually runs himself ragged to the point where they start to fit and Laurent doesn't try to get into better shape because he wants to be able to wear his dad's clothes.

Whether or not Damion is invited to Sylvain's funeral or not is up to Theo's discretion. Although Sylvain hates what Damion did to Theo, he did see Damion as a friend at one point and he can't bring himself to explicitly uninvite Damion. (Assuming Damion gives enough of a shit to go—Sylvain wants to believe Damion cares about him, let him die believing that.)

Sylvain would want to give out favors for his funeral. Think mourning rings, funeral biscuits, etc. There'd also be some lil trinkets made from dead tree branches of the hawthorn tree. This isn't usually standard practice, the Aubépines try to keep all parts of the tree to themselves unless it's necessary for School Purposes (ie. using hawthorn berries from the tree for potions class), but Sylvain is a Sweet Old Man who wants to share a piece of the tree (and by extension, himself) with the people who care about him.

#{behind the magic} | ooc #headcanons #tw: death

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Gaubert is short and scrawny. Definitely not the shortest in the school in general, but the shortest guy for sure.

On one occasion, Gaubert tried hiding his markings to see if that would get people to like him more. After getting Laurent's hopes up (Laurent thought Gaubert was healed through the tree being in better condition), Gaubert decided never to do that again. He'll live with students thinking he has a contagious disease if it means he never has to see his father emotionally devastated again.

Laurent has forbidden Gaubert from taking dueling classes, which leads him to having this sort of fascination with Damion? He knows Damion has a Bad Reputation, but not being allowed near Damion and Laurent assuming it's obvious why Damion is bad causes Gaubert to build up some level of sympathy. From his perspective, Laurent and Patrick are ganging up on this poor teacher who just wants to do his job. Once Gaubert gets into his angsty teen phase, he'd try to sneak into Damion's classroom so he can at least have enough information to form his own opinion.

Despite knowing that people are going to judge him for his appearance no matter what, Gaubert still puts in effort to look nice...even if he has to fight against the effects of the tree to do so.

Gaubert has shown up at Theo's or Patrick's house before just to see if Laurent notices that he's not at Weissdorn like he should be. It takes a while for Laurent to notice.

If you go to the library, you're likely to find Gaubert there. He likes organizing the books and helping people find what they need. Even if he's in bad condition, Gaubert will claw his way into the library. He'll sleep on the library couches if he has to.

You can also find Gaubert in Laurent's office filing paper work (when Laurent remembers to supervise his son). Since Gaubert doesn't have a lot of hobbies for Tree Reasons, he's desperate for things to keep himself busy. He'll grade papers if he has to.

Gaubert has asked Laurent if he needs help taking care of the tree (back when he was looking for ways to spend time with his dad), but Laurent always brushed him away because this is Laurent's Sole Responsibility and Gaubert shouldn't have to pay for his mistakes. To Gaubert, it just comes across like Laurent doesn't care about spending time with him.

#{behind the magic} | ooc #headcanons

[magichcuse]

Here is the new and improved Gaubert! Can't decide whether I like the saturated spots or the desaturated spots.

#{behind the magic} | ooc #mun's art #《 yes the hair color is linked to the tree too 》 #《 Sylvain is close to having brown hair but he hides it 》

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Laurent putting effort into being a cool uncle for Dedrick while neglecting to meet Gaubert's emotional needs makes Gaubert jealous.

However, this jealousy manifests itself as an inferiority complex. Gaubert sees himself as a mistake that ruined Laurent's life and Dedrick as this super cool guy who is Better Than Him and Doesn't Ruin Lives, completely unaware that Dedrick was also an accident because Gaubert is too afraid to talk to him.

Laurent wonders why the Aubépine/Daskalakis bond isn't continuing with Gaubert and Dedrick.

#{behind the magic} | ooc #headcanons

[magichcuse]

Working on my redesign for Gaubert but first, some context—

After Laurent loses both of his parents (his mom dies of a broken heart when Sylvain died idk), he fell into a depressive spiral and took on some self destructive tendencies. The Hawthorn tree's condition gets worse because Laurent doesn't have the energy or motivation to maintain it anymore. He has a one-night-stand, in the hopes it'd make him feel again. It works.

It makes him feel anxious.

Laurent wasn't aware he got the woman eggnant until she appeared at Weissdorn with a wicker basket containing an egg and a note. At this point, he's flipping the hell out because he definitely hasn't been maintaining the Hawthorn tree and now this poor innocent baby will have to suffer because of it. Part of Laurent hopes the egg goes cold so he can stay the only person who has to feel the consequences of the tree's condition. The egg hatches.

Laurent doesn't know who to reach out to. He doesn't have a lot of friends, at least, not friends he'd feel comfortable asking to help raise the baby with him. The closest thing Laurent has to family (aside from the baby, of course) is Theo, who is already stressed the hell out with his own ONS baby. Instead of bonding over this predicament with Theo, Laurent opts to hide it. (He doesn't think Theo cares enough or has enough free time to check up on him anyway.) He struggles to take care of the baby and the tree, only barely managing to juggle those responsibilities. Laurent neglects his own needs in the process. He doesn't even have the time or energy to get on Damion's nerves anymore. (Unfortunately for Damion, Patrick has more than enough energy to make up for it.)

After a certain point, Laurent primarily focuses on his duties as the headmaster of Weissdorn and trying to fix up the tree to make up for months of neglect. By the end of the day, he doesn't have a lot of emotional bandwidth left for Gaubert. Despite trying his hardest, Laurent puts Gaubert in a similar position as Sylvain. Vivian offers to spend time with and tend to Gaubert, which puts her in Laurent's good graces. It helps that Vivian genuinely cares for Gaubert.

I haven't decided on how severely the tree impacts Gaubert's health yet, but he has asthma at the bare minimum. He has permanent red marks on his face and body, due to the leaf spots on the hawthorn tree when he hatched. Unlike Sylvain's parents, Laurent doesn't force Gaubert to hide these markings to save face. It serves as a reminder of how much Laurent messed up.

#{behind the magic} | ooc #headcanons

[magichcuse]

Thinking about having Hawthorn tree diseases show up on the Aubépines? Still trying to work out the specifics though.

#{behind the magic} | ooc

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When it's not 4 AM, I'll rework Gaubert and see if I can make him more interesting than just "perverted creep"

#{behind the magic} | ooc #headcanons #《 I also want to give him a more interesting design 》

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Sylvain would ask Theo to grab things on high shelves for him because he's tall. The world could be ending and Sylvain would send Theo a letter through magic asking if he could help him reach his boysenberry jam.

#{behind the magic} | ooc #headcanons #《 Sylvain used to do this with Damion too but stopped once Theo was tall enough to reach the things he wanted 》 #《 it also serves as an excuse for Theo to get away from Damion (even if it's just for a lil bit) 》

[magichcuse]

Ebony would definitely have to serve as a voice of reason for Kathleen if she were to become a parent, if the other parent was too busy or incompetent to do so already.

Kathleen: Hey, Eb. Do you know where I can find a hood for a baby?

Ebony: Aww, you want to get [Baby Name] a hoodie?

Kathleen: *confused* No? I want a welding helmet for my baby.

Ebony: ...have you considered there's a reason people don't make welding helmets for babies???

Kathleen: Damn, you're a buzzkill.

In the AU where Kathleen pretends to be Dedrick's mother to help Theo, Ebony would ask both Kathleen and Theo multiple times if Theo had Dedrick by accident and he's paying Kathleen to get rid of him, because that's the only thing that makes sense to her. (She stops asking it by the time Dedrick would be old to understand her, because she doesn't want to hurt his feelings and they wouldn't have let Dedrick get that old if they wanted to get rid of him.)

#{behind the magic} | ooc #headcanons #《 there is a reason Patrick takes Vivian to work with him 》 #《 that and he wants to annoy the hell out of Damion by playing the same nursery rhyme CD on loop #《 loud enough for Damion to hear in his classroom 》 #《 Patrick wants Damion to hear 'Do You Know The Muffin Man' in his nightmares 》

[magichcuse]

In an AU where Kathleen pretends to be Dedrick's mother, it'd be a miracle if he didn't end up with more scars than he already has. She'd give him things that probably aren't safe for children so he can entertain himself.

At least Kathleen would supplement their income enough to keep the house warm during winter.

#{behind the magic} | ooc #headcanons #《 She'd be better with Kit but not that much 》 #《 The only reason Vivian turned out the way she did is because Patrick had to put his foot down 》 #《 Pat and Kat balance out each other nicely in terms of parenting 》 #《 Friendly Gay Co-Parenting 》

[magichcuse]

I just realized I could bring back the thing where Vivian develops a crush on Alroy and he breaks her heart by being more rude about it than he really needs to be

#{behind the magic} | ooc #《 Vivian stops visiting Delilah because she doesn't want to run into Alroy 》 #《 which means Delilah has to do her own potions homework 》 #《 oh and Kit would make Alroy's life a living hell 》 #《 there would be heated arguments between Nate and Patrick 》 #《 it'd be a mess 》

[magichcuse]

Despite retconning the draining magic thing, I still want Vivian and Corbin to interact.

I can see Corbin trying to use his siren powers on Vivian and it fails miserably, which annoys him at first, but he eventually appreciates having a friend who can appreciate his voice without falling deeply in love with him.

#{behind the magic} | ooc #《 Vivian would also try to help Corbin get with Bennett somehow because she wants him to be happy 》