#kinda like a dog that starts to do zoomies bc they're a sign he feels save in his environment

[decoloraa]

Casther occasionally gets described as a "man in a child's body" which references his tendency to joking around a lot and refusing to be too serious at times. It's easy to write him off as someone who failed to grow up, but it's the complete opposite!

From early age on, he was forced to grow up fast: His mother got ill when he was still a child, which caused him to take on more responsibilities bit by bit. Then, when he ran away from his dad together with his younger brother, Casther had to take on the role of the caretaker. He had to protect them, provide them with food and raise his younger brother.

While Casther had some rather peaceful years in his childhood, he quickly had to become mature. He was basically robbed from his teens, which is a big part in life where it's okay to be irresponsible, to chase after fun.

At Briggs he find himself in an (mostly) safe and structured environment, but also ends up being a place where he can trust other people. He didn’t have that for over a decade, he and always fought to survive day after day.

Sure, he has responsibilities too and he IS capableof being serious, but there are moments where he can let his guard down. With the save environment and save relationships he can allow himself to goof around and be silly.

So his childish tendencies are just him feeling save enough to let go and doing things he wasn't allowed to in his childhood.

It doesn't mean he's not able to be serious and responsible! Casther is very good at determining wheter a situation is critical or if it's a bad time for humor. He'd never do something that's reckless and endangers others. (Doesn't mean some of his shenanigans go differently than he planned..)

Val understands this and knows that he's just trying to catch up on some experiences (even if it's mostoy subconsciously). So whenever he gets wind of one of Casther's pranks, he let's him do it. It's about letting Casther's inner child roam free, but at the same time about him having to learn consequences. When Casther messes up (because instead of annoying Miles he pissed off Olivier), Val says "that's your problem". But not because he doesn't care. Val knows that he can't save Casther from learning things like this, and he refuses to be take on a parental role.

Val basically says "We're in a relationship, I am NOT your mom. I'm not gonna run after you so you don't hit your head." And he also knows that Casther wouldn't do something real endangering (and if he did, Val would intervene).

Not the biggest fan of ships where one person is responsible and reasonable and the other one is kinda like their grown-up kid. Not the most healthiest dynamics in my opinion 🫡 (or it CAN become a bit icky) That's why I'll never write Val going "Omg he did what?? I have to run to him and look if it's alright". Val being like "He did what? Is someone hurt? No? Then it sounds like it's not my problem" is far more funnier.