#just knows og!cale's not there anymore

[dan-ish]

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 !!!

[blueteller]

Hi! Can you please tell me the cannon events of ogCale. I want to know about ogCale's life from his childhood till his death.

There are too much misinformation about him in the fandom. I can't decide anymore what is canon and what is fanon about ogCale anymore.

I would also like to hear your head-canons about ogCale's past.

You might want to check out this recent post of mine, concerning what is canon and what isn't about OG Cale's personality. As for the exact events? Let's see... (Big Spoilers Ahead!)

OG Cale was born in year 763 of Felix Calendar (the particulars of the calendar are never elaborated upon), in the main city of the Henituse Territory: Rain City or Weston, depending on translation. While the details of his childhood are never directly stated, it's implied to be a happy upbringing by his parents, until the death of his mother Jour/Drew Thames (Jour was first proposed version of the name and I'm personally partial to it over EAP's "Drew") sometimes around the year 771. Jour got into a carriage accident when coming back from Harris Village, where she split her own plate and hid half of her Anciet Power, the Annual Rings of Life, making it seem like it was the carriage crash was the cause of her death. OG Cale only found out the truth about the even after he made the deal with the God of Death many years later.

Within one year Deruth Henituse, Cale's father, met and married Violan, whose past is mostly unknown aside from the fact that she comes from a merchant family (which raises all sorts of red flags, considering how the Hunters like to disguise themselves as merchants, but it might just be red herring) and that she had a son named Basen/Bassen from an unknown previous relationship (no mention whether she was married or not). Basen is 3 years younger than Cale, so he had to be born in 766, and shares no blood relation with him as his step brother (although Kim Rok Soo!Cale is unaware of this fact for most of the story, as he never was given any details about OG Cale' mother and her death). Deruth and Violand had another child named Lily/Lilly, Cale's half-sister, who was born in 774, 3 years into their marriage, when OG Cale was 11.

We know that in year 771 Basen and Cale had a conversation where OG Cale told him to pretend to be Deruth's biological son. From that point on, he did his best to act like "trash", aka. a spoiled brat, with the explicit goal to be kicked out of the family and pass the heir position to his step brother. In year 778, when OG Cale was 15, he added drinking to his personna and became known as an alcoholic with low alcohol tolerance and terrible, violent temper when drunk. It continued that way until year 783, when 18-year-old OG Cale met Choi Han, on his way to report the Harris Village massacre that occured on March 28th ("third month of the year" to be exact, but we never got any direct confirmation that that months were named differently in this universe, so whatever). "Drunk" OG Cale insulted the dead villagers to Choi Han's face, possibly because he was being "in-character", but canonically also because he hates Harris Village as the place where his mother died. Which lead to OG Cale's brutal beatdown documented in "The Birth of a Hero" series, Volume 1.

Now, let me dive into that for a bit, because there seems to be a huge misunderstanding about the following events among the fandom.

I carefully re-read the beginning of the novel recently (the official translation that is, mostly to see if there were any major differences from what I remembered of EAP's translation), trying to fish out as many details as possible about the TBOAH timeline. One intersting thing about OG Cale's introduction in the books that Kim Rok Soo read is that he did not actually appear just once. He was not a recurring character mind you, nothing particular being mentioned about him or the Henituse family after the first Volume, but it was clearly stated Choi Han "bumped into him a couple of times" before their final confrontation.

The way I see it, the timeline of TBOAH probably like this: Choi Han must have passed a bar where OG Cale was having a huge public tantrum over his wine not tasting good, causing it to be mentioned in TBOAH, which was written from Choi Han's POV. It probably did not count as a meeting though, with Choi Han having no reason to actually enter the bar. But that tantrum caused OG Cale to injure himself with a piece of broken table leg, making KRS!Cale notice that he did not have a scar on his side when he transmigrated; a specific detail which allowed him to place his position in the TBOAH timeline.

We don't know what Choi Han did for the next couple of days; possibly he spent looking for something to eat, a place to rest, or asking for information about where was the man in charge and how he should approach him. Maybe he spent time in the slums, met some homeless kids along the way (the reason why Cale had a specific quote in mind about them when he met On and Hong), got into some fight where he showed his fighting prowess (more on that in a bit), possibly went past the Man Eating Tree, prompting its backstory regardless of the fact that no one got the Indestructible Shield Ancient Power in the TBOAH timeline (at least, not within the first 5 Volumes which Kim Rok Soo had read). Kim Rok Soo never thought about the narration seeming too strange, and he's an observant guy. So it must have felt like natural exposition for the audience. Perhaps Choi Han met Billos/Bilose Flynn as well, prompting his introduction and backstory.

What we know for sure is that OG Cale and Choi Han had their "first meeting" the next day after Choi Han jumped over the wall (missing Hong and twisting his ankle as the result, slowing down his progress on top of physical and emotional exhaustion), while OG Cale was out and drinking. But I think it also makes sense to assume they did not exchange words just yet, as Choi Han was in full depression mode at the time had no reason to be chatty. It's possible OG Cale just threw a casual insult at him, reinforcing Choi Han's terrible impression of him. In other words, they had at least one "meeting" by that point in the timeline, but OG Cale did not get beat up just yet.

In TCF, Deruth also mentioned that "Cale would leave for the capital in five days", causing Cale to think how "OG Cale would get beat up in four days time", delaying the actual confrontation of these two from Choi Han's initial arrival quite lot - about a week, in fact!

Here's what I pieced together: in order for Choi Han to meet the Count he had to find way to get past the guards, without showing an identification or fighting them, which he was actively trying to avoid (his conscience recovered enough for him to remember not to kill innocent people regardless of his rage). So the meeting was no accident: he must have approached OG Cale on purpose, knowing that he was the son of the local Count. He probably asked for help regarding the Harris Village directly to OG Cale in hope that the man would be sympathetic enough to let him meet his father (not a very good plan, but probably the best one he had at the time). We also know it happened on a rainy day, and it did NOT rain when Cale first met Choi Han in TCF, nor the day after when he got the Shield, which took a couple days of buying bread for Cale to acquire (and when he finally did was only foggy, presumably because of On helping, but not raining!). After Cale got his Shield, it was explicitly stated that it rained heavily for a several days in a row; like during Cale's talk with Billos about his father. Once the rain passed, Cale was satisfied with the fact that the deadline for his beating had passed and he successfully avoided that fate.

So... Choi Han must have spent a full week in Rain City before he beat up OG Cale (minimum of 3 days of Cale buying bread, and 4 consecutive rainy days), unlike many fans seem to believe; the generall impression I get is that Choi Han stayed in the city for barely a day or two before moving on.

We also know that Beacrox/Vicross Molan met Choi Han exactly four days earlier in TCF than in TBOAH. Which leads me directly to the bottom of the misunderstanding I mentioned earlier.

In TBOAH, after Choi Han beat up OG Cale, there did not seem to be any legal complications for him; no mention of him paying a fine, since he was homeless and poor he couldn't have afforded it, and no mention of guards trying to arrest him. Either no guards witnessed the confrontation, or they chose not to help OG Cale. I find the second option hard to believe though, since what we have seen in TCF seems to indicate that despite OG Cale's behavior, the Henituse Territory's knights were quite loyal and competent. I think they probabably didn't see nor hear anything BECAUSE of the rain. Someone could make an argument that Beacrox COULD have seen something, but that's highly unlikely; instead, I think Choi Han must have had a fight with someone else, because it was mentioned that Cale wanted Choi Han and Beacrox to bond over Choi Han impressing him with his strength. I don't see how "impressive" it would be to see Choi Han beating up OG Cale, who was completely ordinary in strength... I think that's where the common misunderstanding among the fans lies.

To sum it up: I am fully convinced there was no one around when Choi Han beat up OG Cale. It was raining, OG Cale was too stubborn to admit defeat or to call out for help, and Choi Han was never arrested. I'm 100% certain there was no witnesses, especially not Beacrox.

And beside that, if we sum up days, we reach another crusial conclusion: Choi Han met Beacrox before approaching OG Cale.

It only makes sense from the timeline! When I mentioned earlier that during the week that Choi Han spent in the city, "he possibly got into some fight where he showed his fighting prowess", that is what I meant. Either Choi Han got into a fight with some thugs (which do exist despite the Henituse Territory not having a criminal underground; TBOAH narrative clearly states that OG Cale liked to terrorize thugs instead of bothering innocent people), and Beacrox happened to see it, or they bumped into each other and fought personally. Possibly both.

Choi Han's exact TBOAH activities might not seem all that relevant to the original question regarding OG Cale, here's where we come back to the main point. Namely: Ron and Beacrox leaving OG Cale behind to travel with Choi Han.

Since Ron was such an important figure in OG Cale's life, we can imagine him leaving (wihtout a goodbye or warning, no less) affected him quite a bit. But fans like to make extra drama, and somehow created this narrative where 1) Beacrox sees Choi Han beating up OG Cale and doen't stop him, and 2) Ron leaves OG Cale with the guy that harmed his charge without any care in the world. Which simply does not add up at all! This is the reason why I think that there were no witnesses when Choi Han beat up OG Cale: Ron absolutely would have tried to avenge him!! For his own professional pride if nothing else - he wouldn't have simply left with Choi Han if he knew!!!

Yes, Ron and Beacrox were under the impression that Choi Han was involved with Arm, due to him "having their scent" (more of my exact thoughts on that in this post). So they decided to follow him not because they LIKED him, but because they found him useful. Their comradery developed slowly and gradually after that misunderstanding got resolved and got to trust him more (and Choi Han lightened up a bit after the events in Harris Village). But I'mstill pretty sure they never found out about Choi Ha being the one who beat up the guy they worked for over a decade. The Henituse had always been generous with them, and aside from OG Cale's bratty behavior they really had no reasons to complain. And no matter his protagonist status, Choi Han certainly wasn't "charming" enough to make them forget all of their gratitude out of the blue.

You might be thinking, "but how could they not figure it out"? Well... OG Cale was known for causing trouble. Someone beating him up around the same time that Choi Han was in town? Doesn't mean much. And Deruth wouldn't have let it slide either! If he had any idea what Choi Han had done to his son (remember, he beat him up NEAR DEATH), Deruth would have never sent Hans to help with the proper burial of the villagers! That kind of gesture of good will just doesn't make sense, no matter how tragic the massacre was. OG Cale was clearly found and brought in for healing, Choi Han got the audience he wanted with the Count, OG Cale wasn't around to make any comments on it because he was stuck in bed, and Basen went to the capital for Zed's birthday instead in his older brother's place.

Then the terrorist attack happened, and the rest of 5 Volumes of TBOAH happened, followed by the Henituse Territory invasion by Clopeh Sekka... 20 years of war, erased from the timeline by the transmigration deal with the God of Death... and the rest is history.

So, here's the quick summary of my long, LONG post about what exactly is canon regarding OG Cale:

OG Cale was born in 763 (no exact month of birth confirmed)

His mother died in 771 (when he was 8)

Deruth remarried same year, Violan and 5-year-old Basen becoming Henituses

OG Cale started acting as a spoiled brat to help his step family

He added alcoholism to his personna in 778 (15 years old)

He met Choi Han in 781 a couple of times (18 years old); first time probably sometime 1st of April, and got beat up around 5th-6ths, around 1 week after the massacre of Harris Village on March 28th,

He probably spent the next 2 years trying to get himself kicked out from the family but Deruth nor Violan ever allowed it (because their love was unconditional)

Henituse Territory fell in spring of 783 to the Indomitable Alliance of the northern countries, officially lead by Clopeh Sekka of Paerun Kingdom

He transmigrated around 803 (40 years old), becoming 36-year-old Team Leader Kim Rok Soo

What fans commonly misunderstand and get mixed up:

Choi Han did not beat up OG Cale upon their first meeting

Beacrox did not see OG Cale getting beat up nor stood on idly the sidelines watching

Ron probably never found out Choi Han was the one who beat up his charge either

Neither did Deruth or anyone important someone would have tried to arrest Choi Han or at the very least fine or blacklist him from Rain City, none of which got mentioned in TCF

So Ron and Beacrox did not merrily set off into the sunset with the guy who beat up OG Cale, they left to keep an eye on the suspicious guy who smelled like Arm (Beacrox liked sparring with him but that was just a side bonus)

We do not know whether Basen died or got hurt in the terrorist attack as it was never explained in TBOAH, we just know he had to be there instead of OG Cale

It is implied that all the Henituses aside from OG Cale died during the invasion, but the how any why was never explored so anything about that topic is pure speculation from the fanbase

OG Cale fought in the war later but his exact role was never elaborated on either

I hope you find this helpful! Have a good day everyone 💖

[Bonus: I forgot to adress one last thing: the scene OG Cale witnessed in the final battle. OG Cale saw the White Star grab Choi Han by the arm (not the neck unlike most fanart of that scene!) and say the line about his time being warped. There is no mention whether OG Cale have ever actually met the White Star before that point, and there is no information regarding their relation (which is implied because of how similar they look and how White Star was able to use the Annual Rings of Life, which could be only used by the Thames). So anything about OG Cale's family is still yet to be adressed in canon. OG Cale's unknown relative (possibly uncle because of Jour mentioning her brother) showed up exactly ONCE, and he never even showed his real face. So everything connected to that stuff is still only theories and all.]

[delusional-daydreamer18]

Dunno, this is just a random headcanon but what if Og!Cale used to be a huge nerd when he was a young child? He'd be the most curious kid out of all the noble kids that exist out there in Roan, and he would have some weird interests/hyperfixations that would throw off most people (and some would comment "Act more properly like a noble, be composed.") — and because of that he doesn't really talk much about it. Except ofc to his mother because she would be the only one who'll listen to him patiently. Occasionally he would try to talk about it to Deruth but the man is a busy count so he doesn't get much time to talk to him freely.

But when someone shows interest in it, or even brings the topic up (usually, it's Eric) — Og!Cale will gush about it and begin to ramble nonstop, with sparkling eyes and a bright smile. The northeastern nobles trio would just listen, and would think from time to time how cute Og!Cale is when it comes to sharing about his interests.

Then his mother died and everything fell apart from there.

He begins to lose interest in most things he finds fascinating and would only cling to a few ones that actually comforts him, especially when he starts to pretend to be trash for both Basen and Violan and distances himself from the people he truly cares about.

The war happened and he completely lost interest in everything other than taking revenge for his family.

When he begins to live his life as Kim Rok Soo, slowly — he tries to regain his interests. He would try reading random strange books, would probably try to eat poison just to test something, and he'd try to cook meals Beacrox used to make for the Henituse back then because while he often acted as if his food tasted vile, he absolutely adored Beacrox's cooking and he regrets not getting to spend more time with his hyung bec of how he had to keep up a trash facade back then.

Whenever his teammates bring up something that is of his interest, Og!Cale — now Kim Rok Soo — would excitedly give feedback and proceeds to ramble like the nerd he is. His teammates are flabbergasted bec even though their team leader has been acting a bit off and unusual lately, he never runs his mouth as if his life depends on it — heck, he once said he prefers speaking in short, concise sentences to not waste his saliva!

Yet, they find themselves smiling, listening intently, wanting to get to know their team leader more. Maybe, just maybe, Kim Rok Soo is finally putting off the stoic mask he usually keeps around them and is now more comfortable being himself.

So they let Kim Rok Soo talk about his hyperfixations more, they'd try to learn more about said hyperfixations, and would even try to bond with him.

For the first time in his life, Kim Rok Soo feels accepted for who he is — mainly because he doesn't have to hide who he is anymore.

He is not the trashy Cale Henituse everyone finds revolting.

He's Kim Rok Soo, surrounded with his precious niece and people who support and love him for who he is.

Not for what he was.

[slackerlifewhere]

Cale Henituse and Kim Rok Soo

After I posted yesterday, I saw an opinion that I kind of agree with about the difference between Cale Henituse and Kim Rok Soo.

I'm gonna say my opinion without trying to offend the whole fandom. Again, you can read fics about OG Cale as MC. I will not stop you just because I have my own opinion. You are free to read whatever you want. If you don't agree with this, it's fine and if you do, don't antagonize or attack the fanfiction authors who made these fics. Let them do their own thing, okay?

This post is not a rant but me sharing my own thoughts and opinions about this topic.

To make this easier, I'll call OG Cale as Cale and OG KRS as KRS.

[✋SPOILERS for the first part of the novel✋]

Some say that Cale Henituse and Kim Rok Soo are the same person. While I don't know if this is true because I haven't read the second part of the novel yet, in my opinion, they are not the same.

Again, I repeat, I like Cale Henituse. He's very intelligent and kind to Basen to the point of destroying his own reputation, he targets thugs and scammers whenever he's "drunk", he's willing to sacrifice his whole identity in order to save his world after surviving for twenty years by himself. He's a complex character and in another world, if given the chance, he would've been a great MC.

But that's the thing, he is not the MC of TCF, Kim Rok Soo is. And I think some fans forget the reason why Kim Rok Soo became the MC and not Cale Henituse. Because in some fics that I see whenever I scroll down to look for something to read, Cale completely replaces KRS' presence in the story, to the point that he doesn't exist anymore.

Let me explain.

Kim Rok Soo

Kim Rok Soo is a very integral part of the story. You can't easily replace him with another person, normal or otherwise, and expect the story to go the same way it did in the novel. He did things his way because he's a chaotic little shit. He's a different person from Cale, no matter how many or few similarities they both have.

It's not because he's simply smart or OP (as some would say) that he won a war that ended in only two years, but it's also because of his past and the bonds he made as himself.

He's a person full of empathy for these people that he meets wherever he goes, regardless whether he knows them from a book or not, because he understands them and their pain. He does not hide his personality and in a way, his charisma attracts these people who see him for who he is, a kind person.

Kim Rok Soo is different because he survived in an apocalypse by himself until he meets Lee Soo Hyuk and Choi Jung Soo. Plus, he did not have a great childhood. He was abused and lived by himself for the rest of his childhood and teenage years because of a curse (or maybe because his uncle is just a shitty person, who knows).

The opinions he has and the way he thinks are shaped by his own experiences. He is the Kim Rok Soo we see in the novel because he grew up under these circumstances.

To say that he's easily replaceable would be too disrespectful to the sacrifices he made as both Kim Rok Soo and Cale Henituse.

Cale Henituse

Cale, on the other hand, is different. He lived alone for how many years because he deliberately pushed everyone away because of his grief and after what Jour told him. It's not because of a curse that he became this way but because he chose to.

Yes, everyone he knows should've tried to make an effort by comforting him or talking with him (his family, the nobles he's close to, Ron and Beacrox) but that did not happen because he's the one who chose to live like this. I've mentioned it in my post about Deruth but if a person doesn't want comfort or doesn't want to talk, they will not talk, especially someone as stubborn as Cale. To blame all these people (including the kids) and the rest of the world because of his own choice is simply not right or fair since the only one responsible to actually help him is Deruth. Violan is not given this chance nor did she try as his stepmother but it all comes down to Deruth. But of course, he did not get any help nor did he seek any.

He lived his years shrouded in grief until the very end. He's a kind person but unfortunately, life is not kind to him.

Later, he survives in the war until the White Star kills him. What did he choose to do in the end when he made that deal with the God of Death? To return to the past so he can save everyone? No. Instead, he chose to go to KRS' world to find his mother. If CJS were given the chance to decline a proposal, why didn't Cale? He could've said he'll do it himself but instead, he left it to KRS. We all know he's stubborn enough to ruin his reputation, is he not stubborn enough to make a deal to save his world as himself?

You can argue it's maybe because the God of Death didn't give him the chance to argue with it but there are other ways the god could've sent KRS to this world. Like Choi Han or Choi Jung Soo.

Choi Jung Soo

Choi Jung Soo is a prime example of what could've and couldn't have happened if he agreed with the God of Death's proposal. He is not KRS. He has his own opinions and experiences that make him unique. He is not like Choi Han who drowned in his despair in TBoaH but instead, is a man who wants to survive with his friends (brothers) and smile with them despite the pain he suffers in.

If he were to replace KRS, the story would've gone differently. He might find Choi Han and they would do their best to survive in this new world together. He may or may not find Raon and the kittens, depending on the time and location when he arrives in this world. Alberu may or may not completely trust him like how he didn't completely trust Choi Han in TBoaH because unlike KRS who is too similar with Alberu, CJS is different. He might not look for the ancient powers since he has his own ability, leaving some that the White Star could've taken like the Sky Eating Water and Super Rock. In fact, the shield could've been left at the tree unless CJS knows about it and takes it. (Let me remind you that no one in this world knows there's an ancient power in that tree in the Henituse territory.)

I can list down things he could've or couldn't have done but it might be too long.

But my point is, it could've been Cale, Alberu, or Choi Han who were sent to the past but the story would've gone differently because these people are all different in their own ways. Heck, if the God of Death truly wants to save this world, he could've sent back Choi Han or Alberu instead of Cale. Because these two are also powerful in their own ways that do not need the help of ancient powers. Just give them enough information and they could've ended the war faster than twenty years.

Conclusion

So, yeah. Kim Rok Soo became the main character for several reasons. He was an ability user and team leader back in his world, he has the curse attached to him because of the White Star, he was an abused kid who had a sad childhood.

And I think there are other reasons why, if KRS is not the MC, that the story could've ended differently. Put aside Raon who is powerful and has a connection to Sheritt and the Dragon Slayers and would be integral to the story, On and Hong could've died with no one knowing about them because they were barely mentioned in the books. Mary could've stayed in the City of Life because no one would need her to help Ron. Hannah and Jack could've died because no one would've known that they were killed. Paseton has a chance to live but no one knows where he is.

Some characters would live and some would die if Kim Rok Soo is not the main character. That's basically what I think about all of this.

The reason why they survived, aside from the books, is because Kim Rok Soo's heart is so big that he wants to help people or give them the chance to survive. Some people would ignore or not notice these people because they have their own problems to deal with.

But Kim Rok Soo just wants to live. And I think that's why the story went the way it did.

Kim Rok Soo, the man who became Cale. His life motto was pretty simple.

Living long without pain. Enjoying the small joys of life.

Living a peaceful life.

- Chapter 2: When I Opened My Eyes

Again, I'm not stopping you from reading these fics nor am I telling you to attack fanfic authors because of what they write. This whole post is just me sharing my opinion.

You don't have to agree with anything I said. You can ignore this and read whatever you want to read.

This is not a post undermining or disrespecting what Cale sacrificed and felt as a person. This is a post to share my opinion that Cale and Kim Rok Soo both deserve the respect that they should get for everything they did and to not completely erase a character for the other. But if someone does it, then I can't do anything about it.

As a Mob Psycho 100 fan, I will end this with one line that perfectly summarizes what I think about this topic.

Your life is your own.

[elaemae]

What did Og!Cale sacrifice?

Genuine question...

Hear me out;

I'm reading the latest chapter of 'In an Instant' by Messy_haired_bum and something just clicked in my head.

See, I know that the Og!Cale is a fan favorite, something that I didn't really understand because we don't know a whole lot about the guy, but there's just something that's been stopping me from getting enamored with him via various fanfictions I've read even though they've made the Og!Cale very lovable, and I didn't really know what it was, for a long time, until now.

There are various posts circulating around saying that Og!Cale sacrificed himself greatly with the deal he made with the GoD, and at a time, I believed that. But... reading this chapter opened my eyes and made me think, what did Og!Cale sacrificed?

What did he sacrifice that he didn't already lose?

A lot of ppl say that Og!Cale lost everything to be KRS but the only thing he had left was his identity. That's... not a lot to be honest. Not enough, actually.

Now, I can hear y'all thinking "Current!Cale got his wealth, backing, and a family–", but so did Current!KRS.

Current!KRS also didn't need to deal with a world war involving a megalomaniac, entire enemy nations, and a literal divine being.

Og!Cale was a foot soldier for 40 years, most likely didn't help a lot against Arm and The White Star, and he died without any (known) great feats but he's given such an amazing opportunity to take over the body of someone that'll need to deal with all those problems? An opportunity of rebirth that even Lee Soo Hyuk wasn't given until he gave one up of his abilities to help seal a deity?

He knows he couldn't shoulder the burden of saving the world so he just... washed his hands off that responsibility... And then occupied the body of a high-ranking well-known individual to then go off and get a happy ending with his reincarnated mom.

As the excerpt above said, it's a win-win for him, he doesn't get soul-crushing responsibilities, he gets a high-ranking position that grants him power, he can deal with the learning curve due to being given Og!KRS's abilities and having an actual reliable guide, and he gets to be back with his mom.

And...

... If Current!Cale ever fails?

He can just shrug and say it's not his problem anymore.

He's got his new happy life now. (I'm not saying he will, I'm just saying he could, if he was a lesser man)

Current!Cale lost everything he had too, all the fruits of his labors, the results of him dealing with all sorts of issues and problems for years, just... taken away by a stranger in his body. You can say KRS!Cale wasn't really happy, that Og!Cale didn't know if the body he'll end up in would be okay, that he gambled with his life in taking over Og!KRS's life.

Life that... he was about to lose anyways.

It just wasn't fair...

If we ignore the fact the KRS!Cale is literally thriving and just look subjectively at the situation of the body switch, KRS!Cale got the short end of the bloody, hellish, rotting stick.

I can only get closure if I personally find out if Og!Cale ever gave a fuck about the uninvolved, innocent guy that he sent to deal with a 20 year war, and not in the 'Is he doing the saving he's supposed to?' typa way, I want to find out if he ever feels guilty of the responsibility that he gave the man, if he ever worries for KRS!Cale's personal safety and mental health, for putting an innocent man through war. An innocent man that couldn't just stand by, as the world he found himself in, burns around him.

I don't want to dislike the current KRS, I want to love him actually, but this is my current perspective on the matter and you guys are free to share yours so that I can broaden my mindset about Og!Cale (pls do, I wanna like the guy but I wanna know if he's a good guy first, I wanna know why ppl love him so I can love him as well)

[thegradus2]

Im having modern day au alver x ogcale thoughts :,)

The setting is sort of like a earth 1’s korea except the catalysm happened waaaaay before like decades before, so fighting the monsters is way easier and more normal tho its still considered really hard and dangerous work (barely any deaths anymore but injuries are p common)

The soos all work at the company together. Cale (22 yrs old) is estranged from his family and also works at the company (hes happy to watch his little brother and little sister succeed from afar). Cale and kim rok soo constantly get compared bc theyre both serious and hard workers who tell people all the time that they wanna quit/slack off (they will never actually quit or slack off). Bc cale isnt actually in his familys life anymore he doesnt need to pretend to be trash and hes smiley like when hes krs in canon

Bc kim rok soo isnt as traumatized as in canon from losing his only friends he manages to make more friends (taylor sten, cage, eruhaben, he obvs manages to find his kids, choi han is also here and not as traumatized he just got kidnapped by monsters for like 10 years and is back home now, the whale tribe the wolf tribe the jungle queen the- you get the point. Kim rok soo is basically the companys information network at this point)

Idk if i should make krs and the other soos 36 etc still or if i should make them younger? (Like in late twenties, just a little older than when the soos minus krs died in the og timeline). In any case somehow its still cale nagging krs abt staying healthy and eating well and exercising, not the other way around

Maybe cale still has his adopted niece (aka reincarnated mom but ig he doesnt know that in this au)??

Alver (27 yrs old) has inherited his fathers trillion won company and is a repressed workaholic CEO (or maybe his father has a rlly succesful company and alver has become rlly succesful in politics instead?? Tho what ive seen the rlly succesful companies’ heirs in korea are lowkey treated with the same importance as a politician so it doesnt rlly matter)

Tasha pressures alver into taking 1 single day off. He obliges and almost gets assassinated by the mob (the white stars gang, and yes they do have powers). They decide to hire alver a specialized bodyguard. Cue the company: cale gets chosen as a guard while a few others (including kim rok soo) work on figuring out how to take out the white stars little group

Idk what power to give cale yet 👀 i wanna say either smth to do with time or smth to do with plants BUT i can also just give him both?? Or a power that combines the two?? I will look up symbolism to decide later lol

ANYWAY smiley bodyguard cale x repressed ceo alver. Cale falls first alver falls harder. Cale surprising alver with loyalty and cunning and with how he goes out of his way to take hits meant for alver. Alver being perfect and cale doing his best to goad alver into letting go of that mask every moment theyre alone

Multiple specific scenes im thinking:

- alver is goaded into taking a day off by tasha again a few months after the assassination attempt, this time with cale. They go to a café and have cutesy talks together (cale is just constantly being glib trying to trip alver up while alver is annoyed and into it)

- alver has to go to a high-end event. Cale comes with as his bodyguard/date (the date part is just a cover but they both wish it was real). They meet basen who is in complete and utter shock trying to hide it (he will do a full report back to the henituse family later)

- i need the company to go to a karaoke bar every friday bc i love karaoke. Cale sort of likes it and puts up minimal resistance every time. Kim rok soo does NOT want to go but he ends up napping the whole time every friday so its not that bad. During his bodyguard job with alver cale has to decline a few times. The company manages to wrangle cale into just bringing alver with him to karaoke (the repressed ceo of a trillion won company going to a shitty karaoke bar with a bunch of rowdy office workers/sort-of-soldiers is funny to me)

- at some point it gets serious and cale takes a bullet or otherwise rlly damaging attack that was meant for alver. He has to go to the hospital and alver realizes that oh shit its not a good idea to develop feelings for someone whos job it is to take bullets for you. And then he realizes of shit i developed feelings wtf??? And then he thinks i should stop feeling this way. And then he looks at cale again, whos passed out in the hospital bed and hes like im not gonna be able to stop feeling this way, am i. Fuck. Shit. Damnit

- they have a summer wedding 🥰

- neither of them are even involved w the white star mob. They just suddenly get a call from krs like “hi. I did the job. The others want me to tell you that im in the hospital btw.” Cale and alver visit him in the hospital and cale comforts krs by saying “dw, one day youll have your farm with the other two idiots. One day. Maybe.”

- that one scene in adventure time with bonnie and marcy and bonnie leans against marcy and closes her eyes and is like “wake me up in like 20 minutes.” Them. Them. Them. Them-

- cale slowly connecting with his family after him and alver met basen at that one event. First its deruth just calling (most painful and awkward phone call in the world where deruth very obviously avoids talking abt anything important and cale is just too confused abt why hes calling to pick up on any of it.) Then basen and lily start texting him. Then lily just shows up at his house to visit. It all snowballs from there with just little awkward moments of the family trying to rebuild a bridge with cale and cale just being confused abt what they want from him and why theyd wanna see him (its bc they love him bc hes family and theyre worried abt him)

- eventually deruth visits his house in person. This is also the moment where they finally actually have The Emotions and deruth acknowledges the abandonment and emotional neglect and cale confesses it was all an act but that he also actually thought they really didnt want him and that he thought he was ruining his fathers perfect new family with his presence and that he got rid of himself bc he thought it would make them happier

- cale goes to therapy.png. The family rejoices. The company also rejoices. The company stops rejoicing when he starts badgering everyone else to also get therapy (they really really all need it)

- the confession happens after cale isnt alvers bodyguards anymore. Cale has managed to talk alver into meeting every week at alvers place and just talking or playing chess or whatever they feel like doing. Theyre just doing their weekly catching up and cale is being especially wonderful talking abt his kid and alver being especially sleepdeprived just kisses him right on the mouth. He immediately backtracks and tries to be glib abt it like “im so sorry i dont know what came over me-“ but cale just kisses him back and then the next scene they wake up no clothes in bed together. They have been pining for at least a year by this point they deserve this

- alver goes to therapy after they officially get together bc cale pushed him to. It actually helps a little??? He is absolute shit abt opening up but the therapist has some generic tips abt managing his overworking problem

- most of the groomsmen/bridesmaids (or groomsmaids??) are part of the company. Tasha is alvers maid of honor. Basen is cales groomsman or honor or however the hell thats called lol. Cales niece is the flower girl and raon is the ringbearer. Cales family is there and robbit and his wife are there too + obvs alvers maternal family.

- summer wedding

Ok this is all for now

[fictionfixations]

can i just say

you know those transmigrater(?) grator?? i odnt. i dont know the terms for this man

but you know the the the. transmigrates into usually the villain kinda stories?

you know whats my favorite for that kinda stuff? where we were the actual character all along (i think its.. regressor...? ??? either going back into your past as yourself or living another life and then backtracking to a past life of yours that being of generally the villain? idont know if thats what it actually means)

ive also never seen it but i just. think its really cool. and i like reading fics where theyre the same person

in the same way i like it when they have motives. let me be clear, ive NEVER seen the source material so i have no idea whats canon and whats not

but you know what id like to think is canon? shen jiu being a former slave and being super bitter at the world for being very cruel and thats why hes an asshole in like. book canon.(? canon. of. the book. ..in the story.? i think the the the book in that one is like Proud Immortal Demon Way...? IDK man)

or like like. og cale henituse acting like trash because he cares about his siblings and doesnt want negative attention on them also dont know if thats canon. but yknow what? thats my canon

now about time travel in general since it kind of relates, romance is always iffy because its like you know everything that'll make this person fall in love with you. or like, theres an age gap now, and it might not bother them but its not like they know. i know. (its worse if youre like back in your teenage years while youre already an adult cause at that point it feels a little gross)

its that sort of discrepancy(?)

so like. i dont like that there needed to be an entirely new person to be in that body to make change or do things for the better or make everyone like that person

it feels like a cop out.

and also people believing that that person suddenly changed for the better when they arent that person at all???

which. ow.

maybe thats my bad. maybe im secretly an apologist for them, idk, maybe im projecting

but like idk man. the world telling you youre not enough so someone else ends up in your body and then fixes literally every issue in the world (and everyone liking this 'version' of you better). like ow me heart

in all fairness the og's wouldn't have knowledge of the book they're living in??? which is why the transmigrator can do so much

but. THUS. new life AS the transmigrator, then regressing(?) back into their past life with that new knowledge. and probably character growth cause maybe they experience what being loved is like (familial. imagine how cruel itd be to have a lover then one day waking up in a past life of yours that you can only associate as cruel and punishing, and you genuinely cant be sure if that person was made up or not. like was it just a dream? also 'oh god the people i thought mightve been dead are alive')

tbh though it might be because while op time traveling shenanigans (or anything in between) is cool with me, i also like the angsty time travel of 'when i look at them, i keep seeing their dead faces'

of 'how do you know this' (accusatory, 'are you a traitor?')

of also grudges and stuff

but also. more character growth refacing trauma theyve faced before

also maybe probably very much selfish because they kindaa probably just wanna protect their family and will do anything to do so (and thus embrace the 'villain' part that people think of them as)

i dont know if im making sense anymore

now LET ME BE CLEAR i dont like that shen jiu hit his students and shit and was a huge asshole and its not going to suddenly go away. but. its acknowledging what you did wrong, making up for it, but knowing that it'll still stay there. that he still did it even if he deeply regrets it and even if everyone forgives him. because i really dont know in what situation itd be okay to be hit? and also that hopefully hes not that person anymore, but that he wont hide it and will own up to it as a thing he did and shouldnt have done.

anyway i dont know what og cale did besides act like trash but its either the fics im reading are downplaying it or like. thats really it. i have no clue. but still the same thing. if he did some horrible thing, ABOVE.

i just like redemption. and revenge stories. and character growth-ing.

and maybe thats on me for liking villain-ish characters. (im saying villain-ish though because supposedly og cale didnt play a huge part in the book? ....Birth of a Hero...?????? like he just happened, got beat up, and dipped? i think? thats what ive heard anyway. so i dont know if he really counts as one since like uh. white star.????????? ????)

anyway uh thought dump over

feel free to correct me in comments i like learning about things

[youngyoo-apologist]

Writing fanfic with like 90% of the plot already planned is so funny but also so painful because every time there’s a mystery I purposefully put into the story as something that will be foreshadowed to revealed and revealed later in just praying people don’t think its a plot hole.

Like for example, the timeline OG Cale and Choi Han living in being different from TBoaH with some similarities. (The major differences being that Lily Henituse is alive, and while the rest of the continent took a pretty hard hit with the war, the Roan Kingdom managed to rebuild some of itself later in the war) , this one is so important because like, things aren’t supposed to be that way! I didn’t change canon for no reason! That happened for a reason! Guys! I swear!

Same thing with like KRS and OG Cale being able to hear eachother since they were young through their dreams, like that also has a reasoning behind it I promiseeee guys I swear😭😭 it’s like my biggest irrational fear that people will think that I’m just doing these things with nothing to back them up even though I know I shouldn’t rlly think abt it too much and just write the story like I intended 😭😭

I feel like a part of writing fanfic, especially LCF fanfic that makes me so nervous is the fact that canon is already and established and really well written universe. If things change, I feel like I need to make it OBVIOUS that they changed on purpose and not cause I’m changing things for the sake of changing them.

Sometimes I re read older chapters and go “wow, the delivery of this line sucked! I should re-write that slightly” because I’ve gotten better at phrasing things but WHAT IF ITS TOO LATEEEEEEE 😭😭😭😭😭😭 when I don’t have a limited vocabulary anymore it’s going to be the day I write something real good

Like I’m reading the early chaoters of [In the Borderline] and it’s like, FUCK some of these things just look like a dues ex machina even though they have reasons behind them.

I think a huge part of it is because of the wording, and how sudden everything is, I should have emphasized the characters confusion to these things to as a way to show that yes, things are off, BUT I DIDNT BECAUSE WHEN I WAS WRITING I FORGOT TO PROOF READ 😭😭😭😭 AND NOW ITS TOO LATEEE

Idk I’m just saying stuff at this point, but I guess my point is for a story like lcf, I want my fanfic to be something good becauee I really love lcf. I want to be able to write a story that shows how much I love the characters and things I want to see happening, but without erasing importance of characters or anything from TCF because I firmly believe that KRS is important no matter what.

There are things I will never change, like KRS being the one to name Raon, KRS being the children averaging whatever years old’s father, KRS having the silver shield(cause I think that’s like THE ancient power that represents him, that and Vitality of the Heart)

In a regression fic like [In the Borderline], where the time line has diverged so much, and in general is a fic that plays the long game when it comes to plot points, I just want it to be clear that everything happens for a reason and that I’ll never change KRS’s importance to the story, cause in that fic, OG Cale and KRS are both so important.

Choi Han too but he’s like, supposed to be cool and mysterious rn I can’t reveal too much abt him and TBoaH and why the world Cale and Choi Han lived in has so many differences from TboaH novel

[letcaleslack]

Well, Deruth can call bull at KRS's antics, but maybe OG!Cale was a better actor or Deruth was worse at seeing through his actions.

Multiple factors could play into this like Deruth being busy newly married at the time OG!Cale started acting like trash or him believing that the trash behaviour is a symptom of OG!Cale's grief or acting out at his new step family.

I also believe that Deruth generally is quite content with just letting his kids do whatever they want to do. Like his daughter wants to be a knight? Ok, fine, I'll support you. His first son is going to a war zone on request of the crown prince? I don't like it but I respect your decision. Cale becoming a commander and fighting on the front lines for every single battle? Deruth must have hated this but he respected Cale's decision and tried to support him by hiring all those merceneries. He doesn't care about his childrens' reputation. He just wants them to be happy. He doesn't try to force his children into any boxes and make them act a certain way. Of course this also has its negatives, namely being at times neglectful and accepting his childrens' behaviours without trying to understand the reasons for it.

I believe Deruth didn't know the reason OG!Cale started acting like trash (to protect Basen) and so he only saw the act without the motivation behind it. While he probably didn't like the act, he decided the best thing to do is to let Cale act however he wants to. To show that he accepts Cale however he is. I think this is also the reason he accepted Cale distancing himself. But since he didn't regularly see and interact with Cale anymore and he was still a father concerned about the welfare of his child he had his people watching Cale and reporting back to him.

Because Deruth didn't know the motivation behind Cale's trash act he didn't understand that Cale himself didn't want to act like trash and was just doing it because he felt like he had to. It's a situation that feels like just one conversation in which everyone openly talks with each other for once would resolve the misunderstandings and fix everything. But initiating this conversation is very difficult because at this point Cale doesn't see his father as a person he could confide in anymore due to the neglect he experienced in the years following his mother's death and maybe even believed that his father didn't like him anymore and didn't want to spend time with him. Deruth on the other hand doesn't know that there is something that needs to be cleared up.

Should Deruth have tried to talk to Cale, to get to know his son again after he worked through his grief for his wife? Yes, absolutely. It would have been absolutely awkward in the beginning and he would have to work hard to reassure Cale that he could trust him again. That Deruth didn't do this and that he neglected Cale to begin with is his greatest shortcoming.

Okay, Deruth has always been able to tell when Cale is faking it. Like when Alberu announced that Cale was dead after the fight in the Jungle, and when Cale came back on Choi Han's back pretending to be unconscious. While everyone else believed the lies, he called bull almost right away. There is absolutely no way this man did not know his son was faking a trash personality for a decade. Question is, why did he let the kid continue to keep up the act? Instead of doing something to protect Basen, he let Cale destroy his reputation for the sake of his step brother. And instead kept an eye on Cale in secret. What was the purpose?

[illusionsofdreaming]

i miss og!cale

You sat by the hill that overlooked the courtyard you frequented as a kid. Your eyes were drawn towards the cherry tree that stood by the corner, fondly recalling memories of planting a fragile sapling that have now grown healthily into the formidable form it has today.

“You’re really leaving.”

You turned your head to the side, squinting against the bright sunlight to find his familiar form standing close.

Instead of answering, you patted the ground beside you and he sat down wordlessly.

You watched the scenery before you for a while before he broke the silence once more.

“Why?”

You looked over at his somber expression, brows pinched together as he watched you. You smiled gently.

“Probably the food?” you said lightly and only half jokingly, knowing ‘he’ wouldn’t see the morbid irony behind it. You thought back to the picnic you had a few days ago, when he handed you homemade sandwiches, carefully cut into adorable shapes. The kids and others spent much time preparing for the outing and he had been kind enough to invite you along, unknowingly handing you what was akin to poison for someone who’s allergic to wheat like you.

Perhaps you’d known all along. That ‘he’ was not him and hasn’t been for a long time.

You turned your gaze back towards the courtyard you spent many hours of your childhood running around. “He’s not coming back is he?”

A breath of silence confirmed what you already knew. A wry smile scratched itself across your face as your heart broke anew.

“I’m sorry.”

“Don’t be.” you closed your eyes. It’s not ‘his’ fault, someone who tried to make the best of his situation and was doing so much for this world. ‘He’ could’ve abandoned everything upon realising his situation but instead he’d tried to salvage the ruins and pick up the pieces. Still, something picked at the back of your mind, “Is he…”

There was a soft sigh, “He’s happy there.”

“That’s good.” you could only manage. Something heavy and large filling up your throat. You’re glad he’s happier there but you won’t deny that some part of you raged and despaired that you weren’t enough to bring him back, that you weren’t a good enough reason to stay.

“I’m sorry.” he repeated again and you could hear the frustration within his tone. Directed at his own powerlessness at the situation. In this, they are very much alike.

You opened your eyes, the blue skies filled your vision as you inhaled deeply. “It’s hard for me to accept it now but that’s his choice.”

“and I’ve made mine.” you reached out to hold his hand and stood up.

“It’s been a long dream.” you allowed yourself to smile, it was painful, it was broken but it lifted the burden that weighed you down for too long. The restraints that have been threatening to suffocate you snapped off thread by thread and for the first time in a long while, it became easier for you to breathe. You turned to meet his conflicted expression, familiar in the shapes and angles that’s your Cale and yet not really at all.

Before you left, you bent down to brush a kiss on his forehead, a final act of selfishness. “Thank you for everything.” you whispered to him.

For all the good and bad, for all the joy and despair, for the past and now the future.

.｡*ﾟ+.*.｡　　　ﾟ+..｡*ﾟ+.｡*ﾟ+.*.｡　　　ﾟ+..｡*ﾟ+.｡*ﾟ+.*.｡　　　ﾟ+..｡*ﾟ+

It was long after your silhouette had disappeared from the horizons and the sun began to dip did he finally unfurled his fist. Nestled in his palm, a silver ring that once meant a promise between two people, now worlds apart, reflected the day’s last rays up at him.

Notes: I said I would write competitive hand holding next but this came out of nowhere and blindsided me like-

Ft: Cale (KRS)

[hajidumps]

og!Cale: you're right

og!Choi Han: ....

og!Choi Han: are you sick?

[delusional-daydreamer18]

Was just thinking of how KRS!Cale and Og!Cale deals with loss differently.

Looking back at his backstory as Kim Rok Soo, KRS!Cale deals with the loss of LSH and CJS with an impassive face, and it seems that it doesn't bother him at all, misleading others to think he doesn't feel any sign of grief or remorse. He even eats and sleeps normally like what an ordinary person would do contrary to a grieving person.

In reality, he's deeply affected by it and so he represses his emotions. Because it's easier to avoid it than to process it. Because he always has to move for survival, not giving him the room to just process all of his emotions in appropriate ways. In that one sidestory, when he laid down on his apartment floor doing nothing, records begin to stab him painfully and he can feel himself spiralling — until a call rang and asked for his assistance in a monster attack if I can recall correctly. Relieved, he went to do that, because then he wouldn't have to focus much on the grief that is wracking both his mind and heart.

He focuses intently on working, so much that the director in one of the side stories said he's the most passionate worker/ability user in the company (he doesn't want anyone in his team to die anymore).

KRS!Cale represses his emotions by distracting himself with work — because he can't find it in himself to come face-to-face with it (because he always has to be on the go and he doesn't have time for it — he has to focus on things that actually 'matter' more after all).

Then we have Og!Cale who he lost his mother at a very young age.

We don't know exactly how he reacted towards his mother's passing, but knowing how attached he was to his mother since she was all he could ever think about throughout his 40 years of life — well, we can assume that he reacted greatly. He might have cried loudly and lashed out since he was just an 8 year old child — but when he saw his father somehow being in a much more dire state than him, he probably tried to shove his emotions away temporarily to comfort his father instead, pretending he was alright. He prioritises the other's feelings and well-being than his own, very evident with how he is willing to act as trash for his step-family.

But...maybe with his trash act, it isn't just for his step-family and maybe it isn't also because he has no desire to be the young patriarch of the estate — but playing a role by throwing tantrums and drinking alcohol daily is how he copes with the loss of his mother because he didn't get to show his grief outwardly in healthy ways, prioritising his father's instead. That doesn't mean he feels good whenever he does.

When his family died in the war, what did he do? He enlisted as a soldier. To get revenge on the White Star. Fighting as a soldier and battling against enemies in war actually makes him release all his emotions, similar to his trashy act — and so he does exactly that. It doesn't matter if he dies in war so long as he rightfully gets revenge for his family, and it aligns perfectly with his sacrificial nature (like how he willingly ruined his reputation just for his new family to get accepted in high society, if that isn't sacrificing idk what).

So we can conclude that he probably deals with loss with self-destructive coping mechanisms and aggression.

Unlike KRS!Cale, he isn't fanning down the the flames that threaten to choke him, he's bursting into large sparks of flame that can get anyone — and even himself — get caught in it.

But contrary to his outbursts, it isn't loud — it's quiet. It seems loud but it is all just a pretense or a mask to make himself look strong, deep down he's just bone-tired and weary.

He probably knows how he copes is unhealthy and is hurting him in more ways than one, but the thing is, that's the only way he knows how to cope because he couldn't properly process and assess his emotions when he put others such as his family above him.

You know the saying "Fake it till you make it!" ? Somewhere along the way, that's exactly how it happened with Og!Cale when he acted as trash more often — he might have even genuinely thought that he's trash.

Faking as a trash and then actually becoming one! Like how he didn't need to poke Choi Han's nerves regarding the Harris villagers but he would have felt intense regret swirling in the pit of his stomach because he knows that what he did was absolutely wrong and he shouldn't have insulted the deaths of the person's loved ones because he knows how and what it feels like to deal with loss (even if he has some grudge or resentment against Harris Village because they're somehow involved with his mother's death, he shouldn't have done it).

But hey, his automatic response is to act as trash and he does so, even unwillingly.

That's all he ever knows after all.

In conclusion! KRS! Cale deals with it through repression (burying his feelings underneath the guise of a cold and stoic front) and Og!Cale deals with it through aggression (with self-harmful and self-destructive ways).

[scammysmileroksuu]

—includes spoilers for part 2, beware!!—

I don't think Ron knew his identity was changed imo, because who would actually think of transmigration when someone close to them suddenly has a change of attitude? It's too absurd, one would just guess that something made them change them.

But I do think that he knew og Cale was acting as trash. And there was an instance where Ron heard Cale say "I can't stay as trash forever", I think he believed that statement for a while and thought that Cale was starting to act like a proper person again.

But then, there are some things that probably made Ron have his doubts. Like the message from the GoD that Cale refused to tell anyone its actual content, the sg test, the appearance of sui (we didn't get much reaction from Ron on this one though), and more scenes that i dont remember now,,,, and finally the current murim arc, where Cale in his young krs form claimed that cjs was his best friend.

I mean. Ron had been with you for your entire life, when did you even befriend that choi han looking guy.

As for the lemonade theory, I don't really have an answer to whether it was a test or it was just Ron annoying the scared Cale or whatever, but i can add that there were only two times (iirc) that Ron had served Cale a drink that's not lemonade or a sour drink: the first time was right before the Henituse territory vs paerun arc (which, Cale didn't get to drink because an attack came right after), and the second time was in murim where Ron served Kim hae-il sweet tea.

It went back to the normal sour tea after that one time, and Ron had said that he just hadn't found something similar to lemonade in central plains at that time, but would that really hinder our almighty butler from finding whatever sour drink to serve Cale? I don't think so. Considering it was right after an important moment of soos reunion and possible identity reveal of KimCale, I think it wasn't just a coincidence.

There is actually a chance that Ron might be thinking that Cale regained hos past life's memories or something, which is, to be honest, more likely than thinking about transmigration...but well.

Anyhow, while it would sound quite sad, I don't think Ron would be too shocked to know Cale is not og Cale anymore. Kimcale was being too sus that it'd be weird if Rom didn't doubt things before.

Additionaly, it was mentioned that Ron didn't care much about og Cale. He went on his path for revenge rather than helping out the injured og Cale after ch beat him up, and honestly no one can really blame Ron for doing so. Because in the end, they were a master and a servant, not a grandfather and their child. And his own child, vicross, wanted to follow ch, so what's stopping him?

I would like to think that at least he would feel sad later that he couldn't really help og Cale with anything while he was there. Ron is basically the person who brought og Cale up

But honestly, the novel have been really dismissing many things about og Cale and how his relationship with Ron formed/changed over the years, and we didn't really get much of his reaction either whenever Cale was acting sus about his identity. They said they'd talk after they go back to Rowoon, so.... we just have yo wait to find out, ig :')

Thanks for typing out your ramble, it was fun to read. I love them too.

I need your opinion, do you think Ron knew that Cale was no longer the same person?

I was stalking the fandom (as usual) and I saw a comment, by who I assume to be a new reader, wondering how Ron would react finding out Cale was actually KRS, that the child he watched grow wasn't actually the man he believes and it made me think a bit.

When I read tcf the first time, one of the things I was most curious about was all the odd looks Cale got in the first few chapters, and my biggest question was, surely a very sharp and experienced assassin who knew the know-hows of blending into different crowds would have immediately noticed that "Young master" was no longer the same person.

I'm sure you caught this too when reading, but there were many moments when Ron's expression turned odd after Cale did or said something.

Ron the whole first chapter:

It starts by something he dismisses, such as Cale waking up immediately after Ron calls out to him, on the very first attempt. But as the chapter progresses, Ron gets more and more intrigued.

He notices how Cale says thanks after he receives water and when servants dress him. Along with his other odd actions, asking the date, repeating his own name, asking to go to the study, not breaking things etc.

And then finally, Ron gives him the ultimate test, the lemon tea. I think this was his way of confirming that Cale had changed. It proved to me Ron was definitely onto something.

Now this is where I need your opinion. From my interpretation of Ron's character, yes he "loved" ogCale or held at least a bit of affection for him. Let me pull up some receipts:

^(sorry for light mode)

Although Ron treated him like his grandson he did not think Cale had a soft spot for him nor that he treated him like a person and never really took much interest in him aside from his duties.

And while I was doing a deep-dive I went on the wiki and saw this.

So Ron saw ogCale, his situation and therefore pitied him, yet he thought of him as a helpless impertinent puppy, which is why he did not have much issue with following Beacrox who wished to leave with Choi Han in BOAH. But only after Cale changed is when he begin to be interested.

Now the question is, was the lemon tea experiment he did, just to test whether Cale had become aware of Ron's true identity, or was it to confirm Cale was a changed person entirely???

Personally I think it was both, and that Ron was aware from the very beginning. However this is where I am conflicted, because the idea of Ron watching that small boy become so big and smart is so satisfying to me, because the author wanted to paint this as a "cale finally stopped pretending to be a dumb oblivious trash and started to take matters into his hand" like it was all a plan cale had to hide his powers and get stronger in secret while acting unsuspecting. This is what the public believes and it sounds very cool but... hmm I wish we got a chapter focusing more on Ron's feelings.

Like I am aware he loves Cale very much and especially after getting the new arm he started to feel a sense of loyalty for Cale he didn't have before but the fact that he was one of the few people og Cale was very close with since he was very young, the fact that a whole new person was in the body is kind of not addressed in its full concept, this transition from no interest to loyalty was also a transition from og cale to krs cale so I wish we got more on it.

Thanks for reading my ramble. I love them.

[murasaki-cha]

Og!Cale: Bud could you tell Choi Han that he’s an asshead but I still love him

Og!Bud: Why don’t you tell him yourself?

Og!Cale: We’re fighting

Og!Bud: You’re sitting on his lap??

Og!Alberu: Cale and Choi Han get sad when we have fights.

Og!Alberu: And we don’t want anymore blown up ARM buildings ahead of schedule so we keep them as close as possible

Og!Bud: Why don’t you help them make up

Og!Alberu: I may be their boyfriend but I know better than to get in between those two fighting. They’ll just make me mad too and I’ll also be joining Cale on Choi Han’s lap

Og!Bud: You guys are so weird I’m done

[mypromptlair]

TCF Prompt 10

AU. No KRS, Main OG Cale

Harris Village, a small place located near a dangerous, forbidden location. A place Cale Henituse despised with his very being. Because, like his mother, he knew the truth. Those people were not as innocent as they portrayed. They were not as kind as Choi Han believed, playing him like a fiddle. After all, they were after people like Choi Han, beings who cross time and space: transmigrators, and people like himself who regress. A organization known as Hunters. A villainous group even more older, annoying and more powerful than the White Star. While it was a help they took that bastard down, they also slew Choi Han and himself immediately after(causing even more chaos).

With things really not ending up well afterwards, the damned GoD sent him back to when he was 18, waking up in agony and finding the Molan's gone. What a pain.

But this time, he doesn't seem to be alone. This time he has his hyungs and noona with him(were they this...protective before?). Gains some very talkative ancient powers, saves some adorable bratty kids he would die for, and unknowingly creates a family along the way.

And after giving up so damn much the first time around, and seemingly having to do it again, when all was said and done he was going to go off and just slack. Rest somewhere away from everyone with the kids…maybe even have a garden? Or perhaps a farm...

It's just his luck that his mothers family decides to come out of the woodworks this time around. They look torn between wanting to throttle him and smother him in hugs. Weirdos.

Wait, Noona, why are you laughing? What do you mean I fit right in!? - Cale

----------

The Village did cause the carriage accident, though only Cale was able to figure it out due to his mothers journal(amongst other evidence, which was too late to bring to his father. As the man didn't see him anymore).

Eric, Gilbert and Amiru all have a huge part to play and are way more active, and more powerful/strong in their own right.

Cale ends up going to the capital instead of Basen. It becomes a shitshow, thanks to Choi Han intervening with him, but at least they stop most of the bombs.

Hans is also more involved. Slowly becoming more and more loyal and protective of his young master.

Protective!bamf Thames family(they are not very impressed with how Deruth has treated Jour's son either). They also know Cale regressed and are horrified. Which is why they came out of hiding.

Protective!dragons(Eruhaben, etc.) and allies.

Cale's plate is very thin, caused by his regression. He's a bit annoyed, the coughing up blood thing is getting old.

Cale's trash act is found out to be just that. Everyone's upset he would hurt himself in such a way. Especially Basen and Lily.

It's also found out that some of the staff and relatives tormented and lied about Cale without even Ron knowing. Beacrox is furious to find out they also tainted Cale's food(some of which HE had made himself). No wonder Cale stopped calling him Hyung and had those "tantrums"…

The Molans have a lot of regrets towards Cale, but they make up for it.

White star is eventually dealt with, in such a surprising ease that Cale may or may not be a bit slightly annoyed at the fact.

Choi Han and his gang eventually become allies, but it will be a while yet.

Choi Han also finds out about the Hunters and is devastated to learn the truth of Harris Village. He also gets some much needed therapy for being alone for so long(along with the culture shock, etc.), thank you Eruhaben.

Cale gives him some cookies, as that damn fatherly dragon dragged him off for a similar reason as well. Then Ron gives them lemonade...urk.

Alberu also joins the older siblings train, though he feels like he's the only "sane" one(he says being a dark elf while wielding Taerang, a gift from the sun god, after dealing with Adin and his tower).

Cale, Cage and Bud are drinking buddies and get into shenanigans.

Cale gives his AP's grey hairs(if they could have them), Super Rock just wants to trap him in a rock and protect him there. He regrets constantly saying "are you trying to sacrifice yourself". It gave his wielder ideas...

The greatest enemy is the Hunters who are slowly taken care of.

[ayowuzap]

Posting this here cuz my phone's notes can't handle me anymore help

*This is just an idea! Anyone can use and/or take inspiration from the thing that i wrote but please don't driectly copy my thing please!*

TCF FIC IDEA CUZ WHY NOT LMAO will edit later ig

Summary probs idk more of a prompt i think: KRS!Cale's Indignity Test: Alberu Crossman meets his "version" of Cale Henituse except Alberu knows that Og!Cale being trash is just an act and attempts to make him either a dongsaeng (cuz of TCF!Alberu's actions and IT!Alberu having visions of those two interacting) or an ally for future purposes. (Its actually just an excuse to write these two heh)

i.e. thengalulu convo between these two ye:

Alberu then looked straight in the eyes of the notorious trash, Cale Henituse, as if he was initiating challenge, before starting to skim through the Henituse Records. (10mins and 14secs)

"Richard, a butler-in-training and servant, was fired for theft and embezzlement, Nala, one of the head maids, was accused of harassing lower ranking maids and the young master and young mistress' Basen and Lily, and was promptly fired later on by the Count and Countess themselves, Vroyz, a citizen in Rain City, kicked out of the  territory after people testifying of him attempting sexual assault, property damage and theft and succeeded in most attempts, Helen, one of the higher ranking knights, was kicked out of the Henituse Brigade after being accused of harassing the new countess..." (22mins and 17secs)

This went on for who knows how long but it still effectively confused but made the suspicions of the disguised dark elves and some human servants loyal to the first prince, more solid and clearer than ever towards the young master, while also making Cale forget that he was in front of a decent amount of people and the crown itself, and broke his act slightly as his not so drunk eyes widened in shock everytime a certain name was mentioned in the records.

'Fuck, I've been found out.'

Cale clenched the wine glass that was graciously given to him prior to this mess and gritted his teeth, opening his mouth to at least save or salvage some of his left over reputation that he worked so hard to build for the past years that was quickly getting trampled down but was promptly stopped by the noise of papers smacking onto the table.

"These are the recorded files of the fired employees of the Henituse County for the past nine to ten years."

He saw Alberu's hand hover his hands softly like a fluttering bird's feather over the papers, with the gaze of his eyes as soft as a doe's and smile as bright as the sun, contrasting his previous actions greatly of practically throwing the files on the table and nearly making them fly. (will probably keep the exaggeration idk)

"And..."

Gentle blue yet sharpened sapphire eyes (im sho shmart) moved towards the red head's, whose face is as red as a rose and eyes shook with emotions that could not be distinguished but is usually seen as between irritated drunkenness or absolute annoyance. (9mins and 32secs)

However, Alberu knew.

"These were the people that the infanous eldest young master of County threw a bottle or four at, prior to their punishments."

He knew it was raw anger and pure fear for his family's safety.

The crown prince smiled gently and youthfully towards the fuming red head, as if he hadn't just dropped a dangerous information bomb for and against a neutral noble, and tilted his head mockingly, asking the other to just give it up.

"Tsk."

What the blonde didn't expect, however, was that he would actually comply. Cale downed the whole glass of wine in his hand that he nearly splintered to pieces if he was any stronger, and slammed down the now empty glass, still skillfully maintaining his elegance all throughout his outburst.

1) "The Henituse Family bows to the collective Royals, not because they were forced to or chose to."

Rust colored eyes beneath the still, slightly bowed head peeked dangerously between the veil of hair and towards the young sun. (npi)

2) 'But because they see no reason to go against them.' (1 and 2: 5mins and 42secs)

The hand that was still holding onto the empty wine glass tightened until the knuckles turned pale white. (2mins and 19secs)

"Yet you seem to be testing my limits here."

Cale finally let go of the sole object that would normally give him a false sense of calmness, crossed his arms and legs in an extremely graceful manner and cocked his head aloofly with the most unrelaxed-relaxed face in existence. (8min and 22secs)

"I will give you what you want that I can with my power, excluding future territorial and political support, in exchange of not coming anywhere near my family."

A finger settled on his bicep started to tap restlessly as his patience wavered as he raised his brow.

"So? What do you want?"

'What do you want from a son of a neutral family?'

Cale was genuinely curious. The crown had not just found him out-the people who were supposedly there, how come they didn't know? Why? Did they not care enough to know what he was trying to do? what he was risking for that was much more valuable than his life? why-and just practically wasted his time and effort and taking advantage of his wide network full of information of different nobles, kingdoms and empires alike just for what, to exploit a weakness of the son neutral family? Or is there something more than that? (13mins and 2secs)

"Why, of course..."

A human servant clasped his hands to his mouth and a disguised dark elf's gaze had darkened in wariness as they both knew what was happening and what was going to come.

"Companionship!"

3) Alberu said with unreasonable pride, smiling impossibly brighter than before as he settled his chin on top of his crossed fingers that is placed on the table with his elbows propped up. (the fanfics that ive read good lord-)

4) 'Never mind, we don't know what's happening anymore.'

5) Said human servant unintentionally smacked his hands towards his forehead as the disguised dark elf bit her lower lip, both faces deadpan. (3, 4 and 5: 17mins and 56secs)

"Haa..."

Cale sighed as he pinched the bridge of his nose understandably.

p r a i n b o w e r