I fear using pillock because I always spell it wrong.
As for the changes, it's a combination of both environmental and a specific incident.
AlternaXander's specific changes have a specific trigger. You aren't wrong saying that the roots aren't the Wedding, but earlier than that. It's something that prevented him from agreeing to be part of the spell.
Rupert's changes are more environmental as a result of that decision.
[Warning: Fan Wank Alert!]
Since Xander was never part of the spell (I reason) Rupert never really got a feel for alternaXander, nor did alternaXander ever get a feel for Rupert. So, the beginnings of that friendship they had in S4 withered and Rupert never learned to see alternaXander as capable. I base this fanwank on the fact that in canon, Giles stopped questioning Xander's capabilities starting with S5 and even praised him on several occasions, such as when Xander was refurbishing the Magic Box.
I'd also argue that it may have changed how they behaved to one another on a subconcious level.
Plus, Riley stepped in to be part of a spell when he'd never dealt with magic before (unlike alterna or our Xander), when alternaXander was unwilling or unable to do it (depends on who you ask in this case), raised Rupert's estimation of Riley. Now, if Riley got a feel for Buffy, Willow, and Giles in that spell (my fanwank), then his behavior after it would have been different. Plus, don't forget, Riley died fighting to keep Dawn's identity away from the Knights. So, no matter what, Riley earned himself a permanent pass on whatever bad he did or didn't do.
AlternaXander, on the other hand, not only abandoned Sunnydale and his friends who were in need (Rupert's reasoning goes), he refused to help when alternaFaith and Rupert showed up with news about the First.
As I point out in another comment above, Rupert didn't have the Scooby support network nor did he have them around as an excuse to not reach out to the remains of the Watcher's Council (something Giles was resistant to, but was probably going to have to do eventually). He was forced to make the hard choice of reaching out to the Watchers right away and he couldn't be choosy about it. Since he didn't have alternaXander or Robin (who he never met) as examples of capable people who could serve as Watchers, it's natural he falls right back into the habit of thinking the "sacred trust" is tied to the right families.
It's the Citizen Kane scenario. When Kane buys the hoity toity newspaper across town and adds it to his collection of newspapers staffed by yellow journalists, one character says that Kane would change the way things were run at the hoity toity newspaper. Another character points out that the hoity toity newspaper would probably change Kane first. The second character was right. And that's pretty much what happened here.
no subject
As for the changes, it's a combination of both environmental and a specific incident.
AlternaXander's specific changes have a specific trigger. You aren't wrong saying that the roots aren't the Wedding, but earlier than that. It's something that prevented him from agreeing to be part of the spell.
Rupert's changes are more environmental as a result of that decision.
[Warning: Fan Wank Alert!]
Since Xander was never part of the spell (I reason) Rupert never really got a feel for alternaXander, nor did alternaXander ever get a feel for Rupert. So, the beginnings of that friendship they had in S4 withered and Rupert never learned to see alternaXander as capable. I base this fanwank on the fact that in canon, Giles stopped questioning Xander's capabilities starting with S5 and even praised him on several occasions, such as when Xander was refurbishing the Magic Box.
I'd also argue that it may have changed how they behaved to one another on a subconcious level.
Plus, Riley stepped in to be part of a spell when he'd never dealt with magic before (unlike alterna or our Xander), when alternaXander was unwilling or unable to do it (depends on who you ask in this case), raised Rupert's estimation of Riley. Now, if Riley got a feel for Buffy, Willow, and Giles in that spell (my fanwank), then his behavior after it would have been different. Plus, don't forget, Riley died fighting to keep Dawn's identity away from the Knights. So, no matter what, Riley earned himself a permanent pass on whatever bad he did or didn't do.
AlternaXander, on the other hand, not only abandoned Sunnydale and his friends who were in need (Rupert's reasoning goes), he refused to help when alternaFaith and Rupert showed up with news about the First.
As I point out in another comment above, Rupert didn't have the Scooby support network nor did he have them around as an excuse to not reach out to the remains of the Watcher's Council (something Giles was resistant to, but was probably going to have to do eventually). He was forced to make the hard choice of reaching out to the Watchers right away and he couldn't be choosy about it. Since he didn't have alternaXander or Robin (who he never met) as examples of capable people who could serve as Watchers, it's natural he falls right back into the habit of thinking the "sacred trust" is tied to the right families.
It's the Citizen Kane scenario. When Kane buys the hoity toity newspaper across town and adds it to his collection of newspapers staffed by yellow journalists, one character says that Kane would change the way things were run at the hoity toity newspaper. Another character points out that the hoity toity newspaper would probably change Kane first. The second character was right. And that's pretty much what happened here.