#{ Seriously he beats Skwisgaar / Angela / Eris / Gabby etc by MILES }

[bitofthisandthat]

HEADCANON || René’s FATHER.

I already touched on his mother a little, but René’s relationship with his father is a bit...more...enigmatic.

And I have their names at last: Alphonse ( father )  Fromage Édelie ( mother ) Fromage

Alphonse is a prominent attorney, from old AND new money--he is far too drudged and busy in his affairs to have ever posed any real interest in his son other than the times he noticed that he excelled at track and also his studies. He pushed him growing up, but not in aggressive ways, more subtly. If René did well, he was “acknowledged,” and if he did REALLY well and beat his competition, he was called into his father’s office at their town-estate and lectured on how important it is to be the best, and only dregs come in second place. He’d offer some small compensation or pat on the back, then he’d dismiss him, and go back into his work. He also pushed how sacrifice is everything if you want to succeed, and that means giving up meaningless distractions to get it.

To be honest, René already pushed himself hard and believed these things without his dad’s influence, but couple this with how his mother was so self-involved and snobby, he didn’t have a sounding board to express his annoyance and frustration. So he ran more. And studied harder. And instead of rebelling, he decided that when he surpassed both his parents and had all the accolades they wanted, he would snub THEM and deny THEM the joy of sharing in his spoils.

He had no contact with them once he started his Olympic training and got “famous.” He gets messages from them both personally and through his agents/their office trying to contact him, but he tosses them all. He controls when they get his attention now, not the other way around. 

Not that René didn’t rebel in his own way, after all his parents were hands-off most of the time, so he was left to his own devices, so if he felt like going out when they weren’t around, he did it. If he felt like drinking from the expensive wine case, he did it. ( When he was a teen of course ). If he felt like snooping through his parents’ paperwork and seeing just how much they were worth and what they were up to, he did it. It’s not like they noticed. And the few times he did get caught sneaking out after hours or traipsing into the fancy parlor in sweaty clothes, and plopping down on the refined furniture, he just exchanged silent, seething stares with his father, that often resulted in Alphonse simply exiting the room, mumbling under his breath of his disapproval. So, René learned early on he could push his father back, and never get punished for it. Because of that, he assumes deep down he’s won, he’s the Alpha. Another reason he sticks it to his parents by not reaching out to them after all his success.

Deep down, however, René wants all three of them to be close. And although he “doesn’t care” how they all are, a part of him hates how he treats his parents back.