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life

Seth was a relatively normal kid. Rai had friends. Rai had a normal relationship with rains parents. Rai never went to college, but rai did move in with one of rains highschool friends in order to pay rent. Seth works at a mall kiosk that sells mobile devices such as phones and tablets. Rains life isn't particularly interesting or going anywhere revolutionary, and rai anticipated leading a peaceful but stagnant life. The most exciting thing going on in rains life is rains search for a better job.

life after death

Of course, no one’s life was more ruined than the kid who had died, torn into pieces like an unwanted document in a brand new paper shredder. There was nothing more important to lose than one’s own life.

The story opens with Seth getting murdered by Emily Richardson's ghost on the way to work one morning. The Guide approaches rain with an offer: come back to life after every death, but in exchange help The Guide hunt down the violent souls unwilling or unable to move on. This changed the course of Seth's life forever, possibly even moreso than the act of dying itself. Whenever Seth dies, rai wakes up at the morning that The Guide has 'saved' for Seth to wake up on. The living world is seemingly reset, but the land of the dead is the same as it was before, resulting in a pseudo time loop where Seth can attempt to retrieve a soul as many times as rai wants. The catch? Anyone else that dies stays dead. Rains own life is trivial, but the lives of others hangs in the balance.

personality

Seth is a very pragmatic person. Rai automatically eliminates options that may result in punishment or other negative consequences and rarely takes chances. This doesn't change after Seth gains rains ability to reset a situation via death, but sometimes rai takes a "given enough time everything is a certainty" approach to solving spectre-based problems. People often mistake Seth for being overly rational and emotionless, but rai is actually quite compassionate towards others and likes to help those rai cares about. On the flip side, however, Seth can get easily annoyed by goofy and unnecessary antics, especially if they get in the way of what rai's trying to do. Rains result-oriented mindset makes it difficult for rain to enjoy most activities, but rains not particularly bothered by this fact. Seth generally values stability and safety over adventure and excitement, but when rai dies rai expresses fear that rains old life might not have been worth living after all, indicating a sense of unfulfillment. Seth is also observant and exhibits curiosity in cases where there is no threat to rainself. What rai considers a threat over the course of the story gradually becomes more and more extreme, resulting in Seth taking certain risks that rai may not have in the past.

relationships

alphonse bellamy❤❤❤❤♡

Seth is on good terms with rains roommate. During many of rains 'resets' Alphonse tries to save Seth's life, which would probably put strain on their relationship if Alphonse remembered it. Since he doesn't, however, their amicable relationship is maintained despite Seth's increased self-destructive behavior.

the guide❤❤❤♡♡

The Guide majorly disrupts Seth's life, but also Seth wouldn't be alive without him. The two's relationship is strenuous, but they have good moments. In the end, though, Seth just happens to be a useful tool for the Guide and the Guide is simply a way for Seth to continue living rains life.

lord byagoona❤❤❤❤♡

Lord Byagoona becomes Seth's closest confidant and vice-versa. Lord Byagoona doesn't remember resets, of course, but it is at the very least aware of them. Its knowledge of ghosts is immensely helpful to Seth, and Lord Byagoona enjoys having someone to talk to that doesn't consider it a nutcase.

emily richardson♡♡♡♡♡

Emily is the first ghost Seth encounters, as well as the one that killed rain. As such, Seth doesn't like her.

haley alvarez❤❤♡♡♡

Seth feels sympathy for Haley, but she's as dangerous to rain as any other ghost. Rai's more partial to her than other ghosts, however.

eden reyes♡♡♡♡♡

Eden is another ghost Seth has to neutralize, resulting in a mutual distaste for each other.

casey ward♡♡♡♡♡

Though Emily is the one that killed Casey, Casey blames Seth for it since Emily was trying to kill Seth and missed. The two dislike each other as a result.

relevant world lore

the realm of the living

The world that all living things experience and interact with is known as 'the realm of the living.' It has a flow of time that can be disrupted by beings of significant enough power, and everything tangible is considered to be on this plane. Ghosts can interact with tangible items, and humans will be able to see their effects. Living beings cannot see ghosts themselves, however, except under special circumstances.

the realm of the dead

The realm of the dead is not a defined place like the realm of the living is, rather it's a secondary layer to reality similar to a drawing done on a clear sheet of paper being laid over a background. Though it generally follows the same timeline as the realm of the living, the realm of the dead cannot have its time flow disrupted or reversed and once it claims a person or an animal they're there forever. The realm of the dead is not where the dead actually belong, rather it is a transitory space between their old life and their next one in the reincarnation cycle. It is the job of psychopomps to guide souls from this insubstantial realm and take them to their next path. Beings in the realm of the dead can interact with the realm of the living, but not vice versa. Dead souls are allowed to stay for as long as they'd like so long as they are peaceful, but if they turn violent they have to be forcibly removed. Though Seth is possessing a tangible body, rai is considered to be in this realm.

links

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trivia

• Seth's favorite color is sky blue.
• The Guide often calls Seth his 'badger.' Their relationship is thematically inspired by the relationship honeyguides and honey badgers share: the Guide brings Seth to a hive (ghost), and Seth destroys it.
• Seth's story was originally a short story for creative writing class that only featured Seth, the Guide, and Emily Richardson. Seth had neopronouns for no other reason than me testing my creative writing teacher's opinion on them. She didn't comment or care that rai used them, which was the correct answer.
• Seth's story was also the first time I realized I had free will and could give my OCs neopronouns, so Seth was my first OC to have neopronouns.
• Seth has top surgery scars, but this probably will not be mentioned.
• Seth is canonically very pretty to the other characters that interact with rain, but honestly rai's not really my type.
• Seth does not have any creative hobbies. If rai gets bored, rai cleans the apartment or runs errands for Alphonse.
• Seth has a driver's license. Rai does not, however, own a vehicle and instead walks to work.
• Seth's first name was suggested by my mother, while rains last name was picked from a randomly generated list.
• Seth is a kinetic learner.

gallery images

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by others

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