#cale the hypocrite

[blueteller]

Cale when his people commit crimes: *shudders* "How vicious...!" Cale when Cale commits crimes:

[youngyoo-apologist]

I really like to make fun of Cale for learning life changing information on accident. He’s always like “how did this happen, who could have done something that lead to this?”

Brother, you did!

[sourrattree]

like father like son 

[samberrybay]

876 chp spoilers

< Sir, I will make sure to live up to your expectations! I will be back with results within two weeks, sir......! - Sincerely, the hardworking CP >

“Human, why do you keep shaking your head like that?”

Cale just ignored the voices of the two children.

SHUT UPPPPPP!!! CALE IS SUCH A SOFTIE TOWARDS KIDS!!

Cale felt annoyed by CP, but when he thought more about it and calculated that basically yeah, this word is still a child as well, he changed his demeanor with it😭😭😭

This man is an incredibly big softie towards all the children he met so far and i can't stress enough how funny and cute this is

[drarchibaldpeppermd]

first off all dops is a joke so i'm not surprised at the lack of a hearing, but it is wild that eberle intentionally targeted cogs' head and b r o k e h i s n e c k and yet cale, who said more than once that there was no intention and he regrets the injury, is the one who was ripped apart as being the dirtiest player in the league throwing the dirtiest hit of the season. make it make sense girlie

[maria-of-the-waves]

The biggest hypocrite in the world that we all love (¬‿¬)

Cale: I want a slacker life.

Cale: But to have a peaceful life, my family needs to have a peaceful life as well, and we need to live in a peaceful world too to not be bothered by anyone.

Cale: So let’s achieve world peace.

Cale: Then let’s do multiverse world peace because other worlds could also bother us and for an unknown reason I HAVE to be the one who does it instead of sending my subordinates and lazing around.

Cale: And while striving for world peace, something that nobody has been able to achieve so far, I’ll complain that I don’t want to work and say I’m weak.

Cale: Ah, I’m weak. *killing the strongest villain who tried to become god*

Cale: I want a slacker life. *trying to achieve world peace and working more than anyone else*

Cale: Sigh…

Reader: Sigh…

[neoreader0805]

A prompt that has gotten a bit out of hand:

Cale visited Emperor Alver and found out that he had been overworking himself too much, he was sick. He forced Emperor Alver to bedrest and took over all of his royal duties so Alver could rest peacefully without worrying for the kingdom. (Alver was reluctant because of possibly disturbing Cale's recently achieved slacker life, but could only trust his dongsaeng for the well-being of the empire and their citizens). And so comes for the week of Cale majestically performing all of the emperor's duties so strictly and efficiently to the wonder and admiration of the emperor's vassals and advisers. The nobles who thought they could take advantage of this 'weakness' were given their asses right in the face because of Cale's beautifully disguised but ruthless real talk, the previous queen and the other princes didn't even have the chance. Even in the midst of all this, Cale still has the time to visit Alver and care for him after a long day, which stirs the servants into fruity storytelling of the sweetness and intimacy of the sworn brothers, rolled up into an avalanche as a rumor and a general opinion shared by the two continents that there is no one more suited to be the Rowoon Empress but Cale Henituse himself. Cale oblivious to the rumors, thought that the servants, vassals, nobles, and everyone else giving him congratulations, random encouragements, and strange looks were being weird due to the absence of their beloved Emperor.

- add a scene where Alver went to a meeting with the other leaders of allied countries and tribes because he thought to reduce Cale's work, thinking that he was feeling a little better anyway (he was not). But was met at the meeting room with a slightly furious Cale telling him to stay in bed and not compromise his health anymore (he thought it was very hypocritical coming from the redhead, but cleverly shut his mouth). The leaders and the servants present thought the scene was sweet and very domestic of the two, causing more rumors to burn up.

- add the mandatory wedding scene where Cale wears a dress (or a suit that looks like one), and wonders how everything came to that. ***He had a confession scene where Alver in all his delirious sickness confessed his feelings to Cale, how he had been simping for years thinking he's not worthy of his dongsaeng, how Cale accepts him for all he is, and how he could trust Cale with anything including his and his subjects' lives. After his reverent babbling, he somehow asked Cale to marry him to which Cale— drunk with emotions and the recent discovery of his actually not-unrequited love for his hyung— accepted, not yet registering the fact that he'll have to be empress for marrying Alver.

P.S. the emperor later promised him that he'd still have his slacker life and would only work if he wanted to.

[stanhailet]

Who's going to be hyung?

Imagine that Rok Soo and original Cale are brothers. Who would be a typical caring older brother for you? I prefer it to be Rok Soo. Let's be honest. We already have enough examples where Rok Soo is like a younger brother (unfortunately, with Basen and Lily, I don't feel any dynamics. To me, they are orig!Cale's brother and sister). And the original Cale is like an older brother(although there is almost no such thing in the book itself, there is a lot of it in the fandom).

Therefore, I would really like Rok Soo in the role of the older brother, who, like a real hypocrite, swears at Cale for carelessness. Besides, the original Cale needs someone who will know him much better than the rest of his family and could have scolded him.

[cindythecyclops]

You ever reading an OG! AlbeCale fic and they meet when they're younger and you're violently reminded that they have a five year age gap.

This is not to bash on anyone or throw shade because frankly, that's stupid and I would be hypocritical because I have read those 'problematic' fics where they meet and fall for each other when Cale's under 18 and Alberu's a legal adult.

I honestly just think it's really funny, legit muttering "your highness, that's a minor" under my breath as I continue reading.

TBOAH Modern AU meets OG! AlbeCale AU.

The modern AU characters are HIGHLY concerned and suspicious. Ron is sharpening his knives (retired hitman).

Anyway, just thought I'd drop this.

[blueteller]

HAHAHAHAHA YES THE DAY HAS COME 😂

YOU CANNOT ESCAPE YOUR FATE ARCHIE

🐳🚕

Our taxi is here!!🚕🚕

Poor Archie 😂😂:

[blueteller]

So, Let's Talk Themes in TCF!

"Themes" is such a weird topic for me, not gonna lie... I always feel like it's something you're just supposed to know and feel instinctually – like rhythm in dancing. Which, btw, I'm not really good at. So it's difficult to talk about without that background anxiety that I'll totally flop and miss the point, despite my best intentions.

Still, I decided to give it my best shot anyway, and try to decide what "themes" there are in "Trash/Lout of the Count's Family", and why I like them, because that part is subjective and thankfully, I can decide without freaking out over the "correct" answer.

First, let me make one thing clear: I don't believe TCF was written to convey a single theme or idea. It's an adventure story, and it's supposed to be pure fun. Which it is!! But nevertheless, there is a lot of effort and thought behind it, and I believe that thoughtfulness from the author manifests itself clearly in the overall work, so it's definitely worth talking about.

Now, with that lengthy explanation of what I'm going for out of the way: what are the themes in TCF that I noticed (and like)?

Found Family

Beloved Hypocritical Hero

Overcoming Prejudice

Victory in Working Together

What makes Humanity, what makes a Monster

Healing and Moving Forward

Misunderstandings

Found Family is the most obvious theme, overall, so I don't think it requires much explanation. Cale doesn't "find" his new family on purpose as much and trips all over them, on total accident – then proceeds to adopt them all, despite his inner monologue telling the readers over and over that he intends no such thing. It's pure comedy, but it's also incredibly wholesome and heartwarming. Cale has the biggest, softest heart of them all, and he's the only one who doesn't see it. I wanna squish his cheeks and coo over how cute he is most of the time.

Beloved Hypocritical Hero is the second theme, which isn't apparent at the start. Cale's biased inner monologue does his best to convince us that he's totally selfish, and doesn't intend to be a paragon protagonists who selflessly helps others in the slightest! ...However, over the course of the story it becomes clear that Cale is one, big, fat, liar. He is exactly the sort of hero he constantly denies he is. His whole spitting-blood-from-power-overuse act practically became a meme at this point. Still, despite how frustrating Cale's blatant hypocrisy is, we can't help but love him all the more for it. I'd like to say that he gets better overtime, but.... yeah, personally, I don't see much progress on that front. He did promise Raon he won't get hurt one time, and he managed to keep that promise, but then he (spoiler alert) went ahead and stabbed himself right after, so. Yeah. Cale is a hero and a hypocrite and we all love him. That's definitely a major theme in the story.

Overcoming Prejudice is the best way I found to describe the whole plot of "anti-darkness attribute" propaganda in TCF. What I love about it is that the author found a much more interesting way to convey the theme than just make it about "fantasy racism". It isn't just about the Dark Elves, it's about Necromancers too, and all people using dead mana. The best part is that dead mana is, in fact, used by the very higher-ups who spread the prejudice in the first place, proving without a doubt that it's all 100% hypocrisy and there is nothing wrong with dead mana in the first place. It's all propaganda, and it serves a purpose. The true beauty of this plot unfolds when the Sun Twins show up, and Cale brings in Mary to help Hannah with her dead mana poisoning. Jack goes through an entire arc of realizing what "true light" is, and that despite the "voice of the Sun God" constantly ringing in his ears to eradicate all darkness, he comes to his own conclusion that it isn't what the power is, it's about what ones does with the power. It's just, beautiful. I feel like that part of the story doesn't get enough credit. Mary is one of my favorite characters, and Jack and Hannah combo is amazing as well. Definitely one of my favorite plotlines in TCF.

Victory in Working Together is another obvious theme throughout the story. It isn't just reserved for the good guys, either: the bad guys have a ton of alliances, too. The difference is that the good side is based on genuine intent, without stabbing each other in the backs, while the bad guys only pretend as long as they need to, then throw away their "allies" to the wolves when it's convenient. It's portrayed less as a "message" and more of a purely pragmatic fact: to get anywhere, you need to have support. Cale knows this from the start, which is why he manages to make so many allies in such a short time. This theme is simply about being able to overcome the biggest of obstacles, as long as you honestly work together with others and put all your effort into it. It is the simplicity of it makes it so effective, in my opinion.

What makes Humanity, what makes a Monster is an interesting one for sure. In a world full of so many interesting races, the final boss is – always – human. Be it Venion Stan, Redika, Prince Adin, Queen Elisneh, the White Star, or even the Sealed God – all of the main villains are either purely human or started off that way. I think it's very much deliberate, in order to show how what makes these people evil isn't some in-born characteristic; but only their choices. Not to say that non-human characters aren't ever bad, of course not – there is a bunch of evil non-human characters all over the story. But evil, true evil, is always a choice. And thus, non-human characters who choose good are more "human" than the "monsters wearing human skins". I won't call it an allegory, because it isn't even as indirect as that: it's a fundamental truth of life that the only real monsters are people who are rotten on the inside. And since the author put so much effort to make all the fantasy races in TCF feel very much human-like, it only makes sense that their choices is the thing that makes them evil, not their race. Even actual Monsters aren't all pure evil in TCF! I truly appreciate it. It's such a simple concept, but it works extremely well.

Healing and Moving Forward is one of the themes which honestly melts my heart. It doesn't simply apply to Cale; it applies to everyone in the cast. Everyone in Cale's group comes in damaged, scarred, hurt or threatened in some way, and comes out better in the end. From the children, to the adults, the entire group heals through their "Found Family" and their quest to defeat the evil forces threatening their world, in order to achieve a peaceful, happy future. Every time we see the evidence of it – like Cale admitting his life is precious, Eruhaben agreeing to extend his life, Choi Han attribute changing, and so on – it feels like an amazing triumph, and yet completely natural and earned. One could simply call it "good character development" and move on, but I see a commond trend and it deserves to make itself a theme of its own. It's not just about everybody finding their place in the family: it's about them growing as family. And doing so, despite their traumatic pasts. And since I once called Cale a "poster child of trauma", it's no wonder he's the one who has the most of "healing" and "moving forward" to do of them all. I hope it continues all throughout book 2!

And of course, I saved Misunderstandings for last. I think the name speaks for itself. TCF is practically a comedy built upon misunderstandings; except misunderstandings of the BEST kind. The misunderstandings where people look upon Cale – tired, in-denial, clueless Cale – and see whatever they need to see the most in the moment: a saviour, an inspiration, a leader, a friend, a parent, and so on. Many misunderstandings result in people seeing Cale in too-good-to-be-true light, which is always funny (Clopeh instantly comes to mind). The thing is: Cale deserves most of it, even if he doesn't believe so. Because it's not about what Cale actually is that matters in those situations: it's about what others need. Cale inspires just by being, well, himself. And that inspiration is what changes people. It's Cale doing his best and affecting others, that makes all the huge waves of change. In my opinion, there is no better misunderstanding than one which results in inspiration: because even if "truth" was revealed later on, the effects of it were 100% real, and something to be grateful for. Imagine if you had a terrible day, and you suddenly saw someone smile at you, and you felt better. Even if the person wasn't actually looking at you in that moment – that doesn't matter!! What matters to you is that your day DID get better, and that person was to thank for! That's the beauty of TCF's misunderstandings. Cale will never truly comprehend the gratefulness of others, without understanding how he can affect them without even trying. ...Then again, his obliviousness and hypocrisy is one of the many reasons why we love him 😊

Let me know if there are other themes in TCF you like!

[lappel-du-vide83]

Trash of the count's family has been living rent free in my head for the past month so here have me LOSING MY MIND OVER HIM <3

Warning this is quite long and has swears and only starts at around chapter 300

See if you can guess what was happening ;)

Tcf rants

Chap 355 ERUHABEN PROTECTING CALE AND RAON I AM FOAMING AT THE MOUTH

352 why do I have no money? JSOWPWHEJEN PEPEFUCK YOUFUCKYOUFYUCKYOUm

And omg eruhaben picked him up LIKE A WET CAT WJWIOWQP

Like some point of record introduction is where the video call unbutton happens way before 350 why did I have to find calberu so late

OMG krs life is so sad " you were meant to die" 394

424 He and I are happy as well gahhhhhh cale crying stop QnQ

When you try to pay attention to the villains monologue but the voices in your head won't shut up 446

464  piggyback super funny bro gets carried like a haystack

485 self doubt is a bitch

BUT CALE RESOLVES IT THE VERY NEXT CHAPTER OMFG THAT WAS SO UGHHHHH <33333

THE BAIT IN THE NEXT CHAPTER AHHHH THERE'S NO SERVICE HERE

BRO that one chapter pls just LET HIM Cook

OMG "Please. Hyung-nim. I trust my smart hyung-nim.’

What in the goofy fuck is this arc (naru von ellejan)

543 was kinda cute dkwhy

582 The FEELS OMG LSH AND CALE HUG WJSIWPWPQLLQ

595 cale? Sparring? Training his physical body?? Impossible

601 BDAY CHAPTER YAYAAYy ALSO CALE HON NO STOP HURTING

602 ."God. You must have seen me die today." Holy fucking shit my dudes

"Cale had started at some point to caress Alberu’s mane whenever he had the time." kuxiydsljxkysiysitzjgzkyxou pls and thank you

Ws needs to STOP

605 ‘Even though he tells us to live, why?! Why?! Why does he push himself overboard each and every time?!’ WHY IS HE SO TRAGIC also choi han almost screaming cale instead of roksoo

"Choi Jung Soo looked as if he was about to cry as he responded to the weak voice." ubc am shakibg

Taerang is so funny omg

609 RAON IS JUST LIKE HIS DAD

612 ALBERU GOT A GUN

Let me see what you have

A gun

NO

613 "brightly as young Cale used to smile." awwwww

622 HIM SMILING BRIGHTLY OMGOMGOMG

623 "The Henituse household’s number one priority during that battle was-

‘To make sure that Cale survives.’" :OOOOOOOOO

The misunderstandings lmfaooo

626 ON AND HONG PART OF THE MOLAN HOUSEHOLD

LMFAO FREDO CALLING CALE SON AND THEN BASEN LILY AND VIOLAN LOSING IT

628 did not know duke deruth was chill like that

Poor guy cale bruh new member to caleism

644 Excuse me noble sacrifice???? Bitch you better not

646 INSTANTTTT

HE BETTER BE FINE "called the beginning and the end of everything." ISTG CALE IF YOU DIE

"Raon swore in the exact same manner as Cale before heading toward the terrace." RAON IS SO CUTE

652 RECONNECTION???? YOOOOO

655 THEY MEET AAGIN

656 STOP THIS HURTS ME BUT OMG OG CALE NOW KRS IS SO SJWOPWW

OMG why are they so wholesome to each other???

His mom bro omfg I am tearing

669 damn he's cold. But ig it's war bruh you gotta cold through the mess

670 just stab yourself they said. It'll be easy they said. BRO WHAKANDA REQUIREMENT IS THAT

671 AHH ANCIENT POWERS CALLING CALE " our kid"

The absolute disregard “Man, you talk to me so disrespectfully.”

680 THAT IS INSANE NO FUCKING WAY BRO

681 BRO DID HE JUST BITCHSLAP WS HE IS SO COOL THAT WAS EPIC

684 'cales in danger'? YOU FOOLS HE IS THE DANGER

And alberu spinning the gun??? How did he get so cool with it

685 MF JUST SOLOED THE WS THROUGH SHEER BLUFF HE IS SO OP

686 THIS PLACE ABOUTA BLOWW

687?? '“I finally think that my life is a bit precious.” CALE NO

He had an extremely useful worker BAHAHAHA

689 rasheel is so real

683 UPGRDAES PEOPLE UPGRADES

694 ALBERU IS TRULY A SIBLING OF CALE

697 HE DOESN'T EVEN REALISE HOW HYPOCRITICAL HE IS

BRO got a taste of his own medicine sit yo ass down and rest mf

699 OMGOMGOMGOMG

700 wait stop this is kinda sad

702 cale in his insane era

703 yo what is happening

705 foolishly thought there'll be angst but look at that potential

Alberu the og glib tongue

715 the sealed god better fucking stop before I beat yo ass

717 that gave me chills for some reason

720 shit not even cale is safe from the abusive childhood tragedy

BRO imma beat the ws up his stupid curse affecting krs

Also the plot thickens

723 clopeh is crazy in the best way

736 this entire arc bro cale is causing so much chaos

WTF why is krs life so sad bro

737 THE PLOT THICKENS

I love this arc wait they're supporting each other so much its so adorable

740 MF CLOPEH IS SPEEDRUNNING THIS THING LET'S GOOO

752 HE HIT HIM WITH A ROCK STOP

756 WHAT IS GOING ON????

759 AND HE STABS THIS MADLAD

760 CALE IS GONNA LIVE LOONG

And omg reactions!!

766 CALE FINALLY GETS IT

Karma bro

Sidestory 2-1 OG CALE FULL OF CLASS????

2-2 istg ogcale and krs ARE THE EXACT SAME PEOPLE "FLIP EVERYTHING OVER"????

2-3 HAHAHA I GONNA QUIT BEING THE MOST USED THREAT IS HILARIOUS

2.3 raon: can I be nice

Cale : no

WHY he so ruthless

BRO I just realised that this man has not sat down wtf he just finished fighting the sealed god let him REST

2. 4 "No matter what happened, the Crown Prince’s biggest ally was the Duke’s House of Henituse which had his sworn brother and his sword art instructor." GUYS

Ahh he was so sweet to the kid

2. 5 LET'S GOO MEET UP

2.14 wow that's insanely convenient that you need exactly 3 more assistants

2. 15 LET'S GOO MARY

RAON MADE HENI FROM HENITUSE STFU

2. 23 Mary tryna copy cale and alberu is so cute

2.23 WHY IS HE HURT????

2. 40 "The rejuvenated ancient Dragon smiled a lot more these days." AWWW GOLDIE GRAMPS

Also omfg cale stronk

2.41 so wait fire of destruction did become a god? How else does he know about super rock

2.49 AHAHAHA CHOI HAN GETTING CALE THE FUCKING PILLAR

2.55 damn our cale is strong

2.58 cale proving that once again, he is the scammer

2.59 nah bro this shit too goofy they're just waiting for him to faint

2.64 can we appreciate how fast choi han and sui khan protected cale like omg

2.65 GoD is so real bro is funny af

2.68 caleism ftw

2.70 LMFAO what does alberu want??

2.71 "I’ll give you the title of Minister of Finance. Will you do it?”" BRO IS ON HIS LAST STARW

2.72 BRO THE DYNAMIC HERE IS MWUAH AND EXCUSE ME?? ALBERU IS STILL HURT?? I WILL FIGHT SOMEONE

ALSO CALE NOT RESTING AND IMMEDIATELY GETTING AN INVITE IS RIDICULOUS

2.76 cale is too nice omg

2.79" H, human! I figured it out now! Clopeh has gone so crazy that he’s gone full circle and looks calm!" I FUCKING LOVE CLOPEH THIS CRAZY BASTARD

The foreshadowing here is nuts my dude

2.81 HELP ALBERU

ALSO THE FORESHADOWING IF HE GETS HURT ISTG

ALSO WHY IS ONLY MY MAN SEALED??

2.85 GAE-IL LMAFAOOOO

2.93 TOONKA REALLY WAS ABOUT TO THROW A CHAIR

2.96" up.? Who is above me" OMFG HELL YEAH

2.101 aww choi han and raon supporting him

2.104 AT THIS RATE HE WILL FAINT STOP IT

2.106 LMFAO THE CHOIS ARE SO AWKWARD

2.107 Jakqpqpq Ron using sneak attack to make cale rest

2.110 lmfao choi han is the best at knocking people unconscious

2.113  cale is coughing too much blood bro I know it doesn't hurt but godamn

2.116 I love dominating aura so much

2.119 I DIDNT KNOW I NEEDED CHOI HAN AND BEACROX SO MUCH

2.120 omg toonka found his bff

Tbc

In conclusion I love this story and everyone in it pls and thank you

[forgetme-eternally-blissfully]

Spoilers for Cales past and a ss of a few paragraphs of chapter 695

Cale hates when people sacrifice themselves. He hates when they push themselves too hard, especially for him.

Because that’s what happened with Lee Soo Hyuk and Choi Jung Soo, isn’t it?

Cale was supposed to die. They sacrificed themselves for him, and he lived, and now he gets visibly upset when people try to do things that are similar.

What does he think about when he sees people work themselves till they faint? It’s stupid. Not just because it’s not healthy, but because it’s sacrificial. He hates martyrs. He hates it when they’re his friends.

Cale has a weird complex, right? Sacrificing himself left and right, fainting, but not allowing anyone else to do the same? Hypocrite, right?

(Chapter 695)

This is weird, isn’t it? This complete lack of awareness is concerning! It’s almost as if he’s oblivious to the fact that he does the same thing all of the time!

To everyone else, yes, this situation with the crown Prince fainting after using all of his mana is a perfect parallel to Cale using his ancient powers too much and going into a coma.

But Cale doesn’t see his actions in the same light! He really isn’t trying to sacrifice himself 90% of the time! The collateral damage (fainting, bleeding, pain) is usually not part of his prediction, and if it is, it’s more than he expected.

His intentions and thoughts are always about keeping his friends safe, and he’s okay with coughing up a bit of blood to do that! Just a bit, maybe enough that it will look scary but it won’t hurt him in the long run and that’s okay.

If he faints? It wasn’t planned, so it’s not really sacrifice. Maybe a little but he’s selfish enough already, it’s the least he can do, honestly.

When Cale puts himself in danger it’s for selfish reasons. Self-declared selfishness, but that’s how he sees it.

Cale doesn’t sacrifice himself. Everything he does is because he chose to! He chose to. If it doesn’t hurt too bad, he doesn’t consider it as doing much at all. The level of pain he experiences in every situation is his way of determining how much he’s ‘accomplished against his will’ (sacrificed).

Not only that but there are circumstances he must be in to even consider it of consequence to other people. If it doesn’t happen while someone’s in danger, it doesn’t really matter, does it? He doesn’t understand why someone would be asking about his well-being. He doesn’t plan to let anything that happens affect his plans, so there’s no reason for them to worry.

If he’s not on a battlefield, all of the effort he puts in?

(ancient powers) (strengthening his friends) (being in pain and pushing through it) (planning and strategizing) (so, so much more)

It doesn’t count. He is familiar with meticulously and extensively optimizing his time, because as KRS, monsters attack indiscriminately. Being prepared and working hard to be strong is nothing when compared to the battle soon to come, therefore, it doesn’t count as “work.” It’s what is expected. It is the basic standard for what is required to survive.

Where everyone sees Cale working nonstop for weeks and months and years, it’s a normal weekend for him. Those days outside of battle don’t count. He worked like that for 15 years, so much stress is easy for him.

But- why doesn’t he recognize that he pushes himself until he faints? There’s a threshold that he passes where he faints, but he still keeps crossing it?

Well, because he’s the protagonist and- often, our only source of information for what happens in this world- narratively, he tends to stay awake and only faints when the battle is coming to a close, or has just closed. If the battle ends, his presence isn’t of vital importance, so it’s fine if he was unconscious for a little bit. Other times it’s involuntary and a result of his body’s terrible condition or outside forces.

He doesn’t recognize his fainting as sacrificial because as long as the battle ends on a good note and he’s still able to think and plan relatively soon after he wakes up, he hasn’t sacrificed much other than time. He also has Vitality of the Heart, which lets him feel rejuvenated after a ‘nap.’

You see, Cale Henituse is interesting. He doesn’t know how to distinguish being selfish and selfless because being selfless is, in itself, an act of selfishness. When Cale (from the perspective of his friends) ruins his health and runs from battle to battle without resting or thinking about his friends concern— it’s pretty selfish of him.

While everyone else considers him selfless, he thinks of himself as doing the “obvious” amount of work and being selfish too. That much work is expected of him, so it isn’t selfless. It’s all for his own gain, because when everything is over, he’ll be the one going away to slack off in a forest. Ha!He’s seven steps ahead of everyone (and on the verge of collapse).

How trashy.

So to answer the question? Cale doesn’t notice his own sacrifices because he feels that:

1) his intentions remain solely selfish, so fainting and coughing up blood is just something he needs to do to get closer towards his goal.

2) anything that occurs outside of battle does not count as sacrifice because it does not affect how his plans will pan out, and everything he does is just a normal amount of work for him.

3) fainting is not on his list of to-dos, it happens without his consent- constantly- and it is very annoying because it’s an unpredictable variable, but thankfully it happens when the battle is almost over/already over so it’s not really fainting. It’s like taking a nap! Involuntarily, but at least it’s sort of convenient.

4) being overly selfless is selfish, and selfish = bad, so Cale is a Bad Person and Complete Trash. Look at Cale, selfishly wanting his friends and his homeland to be safe so that he can retire. Bastard!

So, turns out his inability to realize the irony of his statements is because of the traumatizing 16 years of mental conditioning where pushing himself over the edge is normal and expected, spurred on by his socially isolated past that led to a lack of empathy and emotional awareness, and his two closest friends sacrificing themselves for him after his ability couldn’t predict the situation accurately enough.

Wow, it was the trauma all along…

€<><><><><>o

{>>>O=

^^^ my attempts at fish

Anyway, here is a compilation of my favorite Cale moments :D find it under the cut :3 they’re angsty :v spoilers ofc

Chapter 258 ^

Chapter 259 ^

Chapter 303 ^

Chapter 420 ^

Chapter 560 ^

Chapter 584 ^

Chapter 656 ^

[blueteller]

"He just thinks that he is a bad person and, therefore, when he is trying to be bad, it doesn't work out since he doesn't see the need to act." That's exactly the point, my friend! 😁

A lot of plot and comedy in TCF comes from the fact that Cale, despite being a very clever person and a brilliant strategist, really doesn't understand how other people perceive him. You can blame it on multiple factors (least of all his childhood trauma from his previous life as Kim Rok Soo), but the point is, Cale is unable to see himself from an outside point of view at all. He also doesn't realize his own double-standards.

What does "being trash" mean to Cale? When applied to himself, it means his character. He thinks that deep inside, he's "trash" because he's "selfish, self-serving, useless, a coward".

What does "being trash mean to Cale while applied to other people? It means people like Adin: "manipulative, liar, evil, remorseless".

And Cale sincerely thinks that those two categories are the same, while it couldn't be further from the truth.

"Trash Cale" means that being even slightly rude to anyone is being trash. Being actually mean to someone is "not even something as trash as him would do". He's still prioritizing his people over his own safety, he's extremely generous with his wealth, and helps out whoever needs it, all while making super weak excuses why "he's doing this for his own sake, actually". I think most readers stopped believing this BS around the time Cale adopted Raon, despite his oh-so-sincere insistence that he would NEVER get involved with a Dragon, because too much trouble-! Oh wait the Dragon baby tried to save him that one time, nevermind. He's family now. 😂

"Trash Enemies" means the WORST kinds of scumbags. Notice that not even Clopeh fits in that category – while our favorite madman fanatic is certainly a sociopath lacking any morals, and his plan to spread war and conquer for the sake of glory was quite evil... that's still not what makes someone qualify as a "Trash Enemy" to Cale. Clopeh was an evil bastard, but still had his uses. "Trash Enemies" are people who aren't even useful to Cale. Those are people who "Have To Go Down". Those are scumbags who murder innocent people en masse, spread destruction everywhere, experiment on children, plot to end the world. THOSE are the "Real Trash" to Cale.

"Being slightly rude" versus "being actually super evil"... You see the difference? ...And why Cale Utterly Fails At Acting Like Actual Trash? 🤣

I was thinking about that one tcf meme where it's like talking about how people in tcf act. Cale gets 'bad at acting bad', and it kinda got me thinking. We know that Cale can act. We love it when he does, but when he thinks he is 'acting bad,' he isn't acting at all. He just thinks that he is a bad person and, therefore, when he is trying to be bad, it doesn't work out since he doesn't see the need to act.

[brookstonalmanac]

Birthdays 12.5

Beer Birthdays

Henry Bartholomay (1829)

Jacob Leinenkugel Jr. (1893)

Five Favorite Birthdays

Margaret Cho; comedian (1968)

Walt Disney; animator (1901)

Werner Heisenberg; German physicist (1901)

Fritz Lang; film director (1890)

Christina Rossetti; poet (1830)

Famous Birthdays

Amy Acker; actor (1976)

David Bomberg; English artist (1890)

James Lee Burke; writer (1936)

J.J. Cale; singer, songwriter (1938)

Clyde Cessna; airplane manufacturer (1879)

George Armstrong Custer; calvary officer (1839)

Joan Didion; writer (1934)

Sheldon Lee Glashow; physicist (1932)

Carrie Hamilton; actor (1963)

Shalom Harlow; model (1973)

Nunnally Johnson; screenwriter, film director (1897)

Jeroen Krabbe; actor (1944)

Henry Lawes; English composer (1595)

Jim Messina; pop singer (1947)

Frankie Muniz; actor (1984)

Jim Plunkett; Oakland Raiders QB (1947)

Cecil Frank Powell; English physicist (1903)

Otto Preminger; film director (1906)

Little Richard; rock singer, pianist (1932)

Jack Russell; rock singer (1960)

Nick Stahl; actor (1979)

Strom Thurmond; bigot, hypocrite politician (1906)

Calvin Trillin; writer (1935)

Martin Van Buren; 8th U.S. President (1782)

[ohmycale]

On flaws, arguments, responses, and outcomes (long and personal) 

This post is a response/analysis of the arguments I read and even debated about certain characters in TCF/TBOAH. I get asked for reasons for my points/arguments and I repeat so much it becomes exhausting. So, I decided just to post it here and copypasta every time these arguments show up. 

When people ask me why I don't like Deruth or appreciate what he does/did, my response is I was og!cale sometime in my life and it colored my relationship with my father/parents. I admitted my bias in one of my posts and it does affect how I argue or judge characters. I also know people who were abused and neglected. While we do share a common bond (albeit a traumatic one) I do understand the nuances of every individual I knew who knew and experienced neglect. This applies to specific circumstances or even outcomes of their relationship.

 So, why argue? I don’t like to argue but I have seen opinions (fine to have whatever side you are on) that imo, lack nuances, particularly to a life that I experienced. Even their arguments make sense to me, even if I feel that they are lacking. Maybe it's not an argument per se, but a chance to provide more awareness to the issues that the canon presented itself. The details in the TCF universe are lacking but we have segments of the fandom that wants to explore a different facet of the story.  

So, the common arguments:

1. Deruth is a flawed human/parent. He doesn't read minds or act correctly every single time. Also, ‘We all made mistakes.’ (a classic excuse from neglectful parents) I agree. Nobody in TCF or real life is perfect. This argument is a ‘justification for why Deruth harmed Cale. In itself, the argument isn't problematic but the way it is used is my issue. This argument is repeated ad nauseum to me on occasions when my parent didn't step up or something wrong happens. And I accepted that for years (even now) coz it makes sense and I would be a hypocrite if I don't have flaws myself. The issue is not on the argument itself but on how it is used/delivered. Over time, this morphs into an excuse and is taken advantage of whenever something bad happened. Throw this argument and the recipient is expected to accept it again and again without question until the recipient feels that it is offensive to question why the parent has done a bad thing. It becomes worse when the recipient feels blamed for asking, ashamed for not being validated, or has no empathy thrown their way. It may be reaching but oftentimes, it can lead to gaslighting (and I don't use that term lightly). So, yeah good argument but it has an expiry date and it’s not a free forever pass. And personally, it does not cover the other lacks (effort, understanding, communication, and other relationship ingredients).

Another point the argument ignores is that Deruth is still a parent. Even if he is a flawed parent, he still has that societal and ingrained authority over Cale unless Cale himself is an adult. It's human to be a flawed parent but if a parent’s child has to step up because the ‘parent’ doesn't want to improve and take accountability, then please Google ‘parentification’. It’s a big issue since responsibility is given to a child with no authority, power, and less capability, yet still expected to perform like an adult. In my experience, parentification leads to some kids cutting off their parents or guardians because of the burden and trauma. They were also given false hope that the situation will improve. It's hard because it’s the parents who want to have children but don’t realize that children (more than not) are a lifelong responsibility and commitment. Again, its human to be but mind the responsibility that parenthood entails. Responsibility is not just the physical needs, but also the whole package of a child.  

Also, the flawed argument should apply to both Cale and Deruth. Let's do this. If Deruth is flawed, there is little incentive to try to repair their relationship. If Cale is flawed, it's okay for Cale to self-destruct and harm people because of his flaws. The people who are the recipient of Cale's actions have no right to complain because he is flawed and so they are. If we go by this argument, then nobody takes accountability. Apply it evenly and to everyone and I won’t contest that. 

‘Deruth lets Cale get away from many things/gives him freedom/Cale doesn’t get any consequences.” Its the same thing my parent's did to me. Gave me a lot of passes when I acted out and money since school and even with my income. Didn’t ask but still gave me ‘in case I need something.’ It’s bribery. Why do you ask? Guilt, overcompensation, and overcorrection.  In Cale’s case, freedom’s not a great argument considering Deruth forbade Cale to go outside (and who’s fault it again why he’s acting up?’) and have his butler monitor his movement. People might say ‘for his protection’ but it also indicates a lack of trust and controlling vibes.

There is a part two coz I wrote too much....