#Lcf

[nonexistentirl]

Rosalyn: Any guy can be a babygirl, but it takes a real man to be a mother.

Ron: You're correct, Miss Rosalyn, but may I ask what prompted this thought?

And they both proceed to look outside at Cale playing with the three children.

[halloween-neko96]

… I see a pattern in my favorite Korean novel MCs. It's the resting bitch face but with an expressive inner voice. Also unreliable narrator for real lol.

[nukudraws]

Guys, the most canon accurate Eruhaben panel just dropped:

Goldie Gramps looking ethereal compilation under the cut 🙏🙏

[zorlovinghue]

pressing on stab wounds and swallowing back a mouthful of blood My god. Oh my god. This addresses something I could feel but couldn't exactly articulate out loud.

Now that certainly reshapes something. No, it just reassembles the whole thing. More specifically, it feels like I've been putting on puzzles that fit the box but didn't accomplish the desired image despite it working well outwardly. Op I am chomping on this with all my might. coughing up more blood

You know what's painfully heartbreaking to me? I CHUCKLED, I LAUGHED, I'M READING WITH FOND FRUSTRATION OVER SOMETHING SO GLARINGLY OBVIOUS IN MY BLINDED EYES. COMEDIC SENSE?? THE SAME COMEDIC SENSE THAT IS THIS AMALGAMATION OF PAIN?!!! I AM THE ONE THAT IS OBLIVIOUS! THIS IS NOT A BLISS!!

Can we really call Cale oblivious?

When I was reading tcf for the first time I had the question "Why is cale oblivious to his own actions destroying his slacker dream? Why does this man turn the world upside down and still thinks he might be unknown at the end of the day? ?" In my mind all the time..

So, I decided to analyse his actions in his own perspective!

What did Kim Rok Soo do that was so different from Cale? Nothing really, in both lives he's doing the same exact thing :

• Fighting the evil beings with overwhelming advantage (as much as he could).

• Scamming the bad guys in whatever way he does it.

• Preparing several plans for most possible situations before stepping in.

•Encourages and helps his people to become stronger and uses their abilities in the most efficient way helping them 'stand out more than him' as he thinks.

• Has no problem in retreating if the situation is not going as intended, prioritise his people's wellbeing above all else!

• Works from the rear as a strategist, but is always ready to step in whenever the situation goes south to flip the tables; not just turn them.

He has been doing this since he became a team leader and has continued in the same manner after transmigrating, so far almost 13 years !!

But here's the one most important difference between now and then: Cale is not affected by the White Star's curse anymore! Since it broke the moment he transmigrated into Cale's body nothing now is hiding his achievements from the world.

However, as a victim of both WS's reincarnation and og Cale's transmigration, (the curse's cause and its breaker) he had no idea, until recently, so this is the thing Cale does not understand the most. He may have figured out the concept of what effected him but he's yet to link his past to his present comparing them to the point he believes this is an important factor of why he's becoming a worlds wide hero.

So when he says 'i just wanted to be a small hero why isn't it working like it always has?!' he actually means it and is genuinely confused! (And certainly justified) Because why ,if he does almost the same strategy, is he's having different results this time!?

The variables become clearer if you have an outsider pov, for example: krs's curse made it that he can't cherish anything or be cherished, that's why all the people he cared about left him one way or another, This explains why Cale can't understand why his family care for him. Something inside of him thinks unconsciously "How are they still here?". It's not that he's in denial, it's rather that he has never been given the chance to process this love and care in his 40 years of life, for as soon as he starts to accept that he may have a chance of happiness, it's immediately stolen from him, leaving him more traumatized than before...

Another side would be that every time a chance arised for him to standout in public, like the speech thing he talked about, "something" would happen; a monster outbreak, an accident, or maybe an unexpected attack from some evil ability users...

Which means it's not only his desire to stay hidden that has been keeping his achievements in the dark as krs, it was mostly his curse and when he couldn't be praised he thought 'Well, who wants public recognition anyway?'

You can see he was well-known inside his feild, the government,guilds and throughout the company, He was almost an idol to the people in the brain team! But that's where it stopped, always.

So, it's totally understandable how Cale gets confused everytime he does something good and is praised and cheered for by the citizens; what he had learnt from YEARS of experience is that whatever he did, in the end it remained between these companies walls. [It mostly won't go further unless someone is digging around, like the assassins and illegal guilds that hated him]

No matter what good deeds he does, he can't be 'loved', for he is cursed to be left alone. I mean, we still barely know ANYTHING about team leader krs,his abilities, exact strategies, his team and their relationship with each other what other hardships did he face?

The speech curse is one thing we figured just recently and it never crossed my mind before that he could have been in such a situation...

Maybe he never bought a better house because each time he tried it would get destroyed because he "can't have anything to cherish" so he had to be stuck with the wrecked place that triggered his records and brought him more pain and suffering...?

Back to the point, krs was free to do much more without standing out, he didn't have these "fame/heroic consequences" as for he thought this was the norm for him at least, and tbf that's a major one less headache for him to deal with since he had enough enemies already. And he's a shy little boy but we don't talk about that !

And one little thing to note, he's used to trouble coming after him, and he has this sense of responsibility that he should be the one dealing with all of the trouble since most of the time he concluded that he was the reason everyone around him got hurt...and he can't forget so that's two reasons why he's now dealing with all these problems even if his actions now have such consequences or if it brings him more trouble.

If your daily life was like this of course you'll be confused to WHY ISN'T IT WORKING OUT I JUST WANTED TO LIVE IN PEACE !!!

[iikisa]

I drew some krs today on magma but sorta another krs au where birth of a hero world and earth 1 collide and gives us this amazing baby you know? shenanigans ensue

[fireofdestruction23]

Remember how Cale had ask to cough up blood more “Elegantly”? Well, Goldie gramps did it!! And he looked so freaking good while doing so! Look at him!! How can he be so hot?!😫✨

[certifiedcoffeeaddict]

"why are they all cale" he's main character in tcf and in my mind, okay💔💔

sources under the cut!

picture source: lout of the count's family manwha (duh)

textpost sources:

okay done :thumbsup: source

blood "loss"? source

the urge to set things on fire source (afa i could tell!)

in trouble source

'you wouldn't pirate a-' source

you're so resilient! source

[weirdsht]

Volatile - Cale & Child! Reader

a/n: this is based on epic the musical's "the horse and the infant" and "just a man" as requested! I wanted to make this longer and write what happens after reader grew up a bit but i also want the focus to be in Cale's feelings and their reunion :<<<<

tags: male! reader, reincarnated! reader, child/baby! reader, spoilers about Cale's past life, set around the ending of book 1, fluff and angst, platonic relationships, hints of mentally unstable Cale (it's Cale what did you expect), yandere Cale if you squint very hard.

Pls don't repost my work anywhere without my permission

Requests are open and welcome

Navigation Masterlist

req by: @xjdjfbcuf

Kim Rok Soo does not know many things about life. Despite all those experiences, even with the combination of his ability “record“ and read many books he is not all-knowing. But that’s normal, expected. If there’s one thing the man had learned it’s accepting just how unpredictable life can be.

That's why, whatever life throws at him, he accepts and adapts with ease. It’s not easy, both mentally and physically. But what else can a hopeless man like Kim Rok Soo do? If he cannot adapt, then he dies.

This was why even when the most precious people around him died he moved forward. Represses his emotions so that the people under his care do not experience the same thing. Put others above his wellbeing for he is empathetic and compassionate like that despite the whirlwind of bullshit life has put him through.

But sometimes his efforts aren’t enough.

Kim Rok Soo poured more than blood, sweat, and tears just so you have the same as Choi Jung Soo and Lee Soo Hyuk. As a young child under his care — used to be under their care — Kim Rok Soo doesn’t want to lose you or abandon you. Hence why he tried his damnest just so his team would have a 0% mortality rate.

Not everything goes according to plan though. Kim Rok Soo can have several contingencies, and make plans a to z, but that would never stand a chance when the gears of fate turn against him.

And turn against him they did.

For not long after his brothers you also died.

Your death devastated him. You were so young, so little. He was supposed to protect you, shield you from the cruel and harsh outside world. 

But he failed to do just that.

And so his baby died.

Alone

Scared

Helpless

Just like how he is feeling now, Kim Rok Soo cannot take it upon himself to dwell on his feelings.

Once again the only thing the man named Kim Rok Soo could do was adapt and move on.

Ignore the pain.

Ignore the longing.

Ignore that empty feeling.

Other people are counting on him, he cannot let his flimsy mental state ruin their lives too.

He already ruined theirs, he cannot ruin anymore.

This kind of mentality continued as Cale Henituse. From picking up weapons to picking up bottles of booze. From warding off monsters to avoiding annoying nobles. Cale Henituse adapted seamlessly to this new life he was thrown into without any notice or manuals.

However, there is one thing that bothers him as he goes on his quest to get his slacker life.

When he first woke up in this world there was a small note in his pant pocket and all it said was:

[The heir shall await for the day you relieve it from its fate.]

This kind of thing was never mentioned in the novel. In the first place, Cale Henituse never had a major overarching role. He was just there as a small obstacle course for the main hero, Choi Han.

So what exactly did that note mean?

Why was it in his pocket?

Why did it feel divine?

Is that note for him or the original Cale?

Questions he had no way of answering kept piling up each time he took out the small, yet sturdy piece of paper. Hence why he decided that he has more pressing matters to deal with, like preparing for his slacker life, and that note can wait later. 

True enough the answer unveiled itself when the time was right. And that time was when White Star was finally defeated. 

Cale Henituse should be resting. He wasn’t gravely injured or anything but everyone kept giving him scary glares when he tried to move around too much. Cale knows his weak, but seriously? Just how much of a weakling do the kids imagine him to be?

Usually, he would be more than happy to do nothing. Relish in the short lavish lifestyle of doing nothing but eating, reading, sleeping, and repeating it all over again. But this isn’t his usual situation. Despite the White Star and the Seal God being defeated another annoying thing has popped up.

[The heir awaits at the temple.]

Another note slipped in his pocket. At first, he tried to ignore it, his too tired and weary, surely it could wait for another day?

[You must go now before it becomes a bigger threat.]

Another hour, another note. Cale continues to pretend that it didn’t exist.

[Defeat her while he is not ready yet.]

Okay, that’s it Cale has had enough. His pocket and mind feel too heavy to the point he cannot sleep without those notes haunting him.

Which brings him to his current predicament. Sneaking out at night to go back to that blasted temple to kill whatever heir White Star — or so he assumes — left behind. Throughout Cale’s walk notes kept popping, guiding him where he needed to go.

Finally, after 5 minutes of walking Cale Henituse comes across a closed door where that heir is supposed to be. As he opens the door he readies himself for any possible attack that might come. However, none came. Instead, a lone crib draped by a canopy sits in the middle of the room.

“You’ve gotta be kidding me…”

Cale spoke for the first time that night as he approached the crib.

“You have got to be fucking kidding me..!”

He cursed as he looked at the baby inside the crib.

At just one glance he instinctively knew who that baby was… Cale– no, Kim Rok Soo instinctively knew that this baby was you, or at least a reincarnation of you.

This is not White Star’s baby.

This is his baby.

He cannot kill the baby he already failed to protect once.

“I’m not gonna do it. I’m going to take this baby under my roof.”

Cale spoke with finality, if he were speaking to his people they would know that this decision was absolute. That no amount of convincing can change his mind.

Unfortunately, this unknown god doesn’t seem to be aware of that fact.

[That child is the White Star’s heir. If you don’t end him now he’ll come back to avenge his father.]

“His father that is incapable of loving? His father that he won’t even remember because his a literal baby right now?”

[It does not matter, end this baby now or this baby will end everything you have worked for in the future.]

Cale crumpled that last note, but another one appeared almost immediately. 

[You already have blood smeared on your hands. You cannot avoid smearing more, you can only choose whose.]

“Bullshit.”

The commander spoke as he scooped the baby— his baby, not White Star’s— from his crib. His voice sounded strong and nonchalant, but the tremor in his hands betrayed the facade he was putting on.

Deep inside, despair and agony wash over his entire being. Crashing against his heart like tidal waves that cannot be controlled. Visions of his people dying reel over his head like a broken record desperately begging to be destroyed. 

“I’ll raise him as my own— no he is my own. He doesn’t need to know who the White Star is.”

And yet he is resolute.

[The other gods will make it known how much of a sinner his father is.]

“Try that and see what will happen.”

Cale Henituse is ready to take that risk. More than that he is ready to go against literal gods just to not lose you once again. He cannot take going through that whole ordeal a second time, he doesn’t think he can handle it.

And so he leaves the temple as silently as he entered it. Leaving no trace except for the crumpled notes that littered your crib.

Silence lingered in his temporary room as Cale closed the window after entering through it. Everyone else was asleep— well the assassins probably know he snuck out but trust him enough to not follow him— and the kids decided to leave him alone and sleep in another room as he is still “recovering” according to them.

With only you and the moon accompanying him, the commander silently arranged his bed to be baby-friendly so that you could rest. There are so many logistics and care that go into taking in a baby, but he can think of all of that later. For now, he’ll relish in the fact that he has reunited with his estranged. A supposed miracle sent by the gods, if it wasn’t for the fact that those very beings want you dead.

As Cale settles the both of you on the bed you use your tiny hand to grab onto one of his fingers. It was as if you were aware of your past life and knew just how much he cared for you. His heart swells with pride and love, his feelings are so strong that he cannot help himself but let out a small smile as you squeeze his finger before falling back asleep.

Just like that the two of you fell asleep, unaware of the inevitable chaos your presence is bound to cause in the morning.

“This old man let you sneak out last night because he trusted that you know what you’re doing. But it seems like I overestimated my puppy young master.”

It looks like this is going to be a long morning…

[fictionalcreator]

I’m still writing this btw. We’re 5k in and I’ve barely gotten a shirt open. These two are INSUFFERABLE (affectionate)

as an asexual i am horrified to say this but as an ao3 author and reader it is my duty: i need more fics of cale getting railed. specifically by alver/alberu and over a's desk.

[records-of-a-slacker]

So I was writing the AngstyTM part of my fic and Cale's Record is basically going complete bonkers during his fever and he's got all sorts of fun little whump-y symptoms (hallucination, coughing up blood, nosebleeds, throbbing headaches, etc., all that fun stuff) and while writing up symptoms, I remembered my photography class where they talked about Red Eye Effect and the thing about Cale's eyes being reddish-brown and thought. huh. maybe that could be a symptom for Record overuse.

According to google,

We know from the novel that Record functions by using his eyes (no duh but hold on) and eyes work by absorbing light (it's more complicated than that but biology really isn't my subject in this case). Since red eye effect roughly happens because your eyes are absorbing too much light, for example usually because you looked directly at the lens when flash was on, so they need to restrict the amount of light that goes in and reflect the rest, I figured the same could be applies to record. So when Kim Roksoo is overusing record and therefore probably absorbing too much light, a physical sign of his overuse would be shown through his eyes faintly glowing kinda red on the surface.

Someone smarter than me please elaborate or add on, but I just thought it's a very fun headcanon, especially during his team leader years. Because can you imagine Kim Roksoo, in addition to his scary aura, also has red fricking glowing eyes. Can you imagine being some mafia boss guild leader thing and then The Company comes for an inspection and he's looking around your desk and his eyes start glowing fricking red as he questions you. Can you imagine being some random employee, walking down the office because you're stuck doing overtime, and then there's just this guy sitting in the dark in front of a screen on excel or something and he turns around ans his eyes are glowing. Red. at 3 AM.

I imagine because of this he'd get tons of more fun nicknames, but I bet with the Soos and his old team they're like "hey the demon's been summoned again" and someone just comes in and drags Kim Roksoo away from whatever he's doing and forces him to take a nap and shut his eyes. "Kim Roksoo did you stay up late reading fantasy novels again." Kim Roksoo, with glowing red eyes like a demon king pouring hot water into the whole box of coffee beans instead of his mug. "No."

I honestly bet Choi Jungsoo just thinks it's kinda cool. And when he transmigrates as Cale we know he doesn't use Record as often, he started really using it at the directory. So can you imagine Alberu Crossman, Sun of the Roan kingdom, opening a zoom call from resident island-exploder and not only has he unbuttoned his whole shirt his eyes are glowing red.

Alberu: I knew you were the devil but what the hell

Cale, drowning himself in cold water: What are you talking about

And if you're his enemy? Locked up in a little dungeon when young master silver shield strides in, looks at you with the scariest expression imaginable, and his eye start glowing red as he lists every crime you've ever done and hand that vicious 30-year-old looking guy beside him a knife and now you're wondering if you really ended up in hell and the person in front of you is the devil himself incarnated by the gods. Little did you know even the gods are freaked out by this delusional little guy.

[murasaki-cha]

Oh good lord oh Jesus thank you like amen hallelujah I am suddenly so freaking religious god bless I finally get it now 🙏 🙌

[nonexistentirl]

Continuing the headcanon that Kim Roksoo loved to cuss people out in languages they didn't understand.

Cale: 야이 씨발 개자식이야

White Star, taken aback: what language are you speaking?

Cale: the language of your ancestor, you son of a bitch.

[ariesimping]

Another Cult in the Fandom, Eruism Cult.

[nukudraws]

Cale who ate another rock before: welp

[penguin-stars]

The biggest tragedy of TCF is that Cale beating the White Star with a pebble happened inside an illusion