#what with having the Isabella and Ray's Incredibly Fraught and Complicated Relationship Tag on this blog

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Do you know of any fics about Ray looking like Isabella or having her her eyes?

The one that most readily comes to mind with Isabella and Ray's relationship as the main focus is They Don't Know You're Hers (2019) by NigiyakanaAki (there's also a sequel one-shot fic from Emma's perspective on Ray's looks, although she's not directly making the connection between them so much as noting they have a similar aura about them and how Ray's pretty like she was).

Although I'd also recommend always a riddle inside my head (aesop's kin) (2019) by evanescent.

It doesn't place as much focus on the physical similarities between them, but rather on their personalities and choices.

With this passage directly confronting what underlies any potential angst he might have associated with his features.

“It could, but you’re scared,” Isabella says then. “Of how my mind worked. Of how your own brain is wired. Is being similar to me really that terrible?” - “You made your choices…are you happy with them?”

To plagiarize myself from this post:

I don’t know if I would phrase it as him hating himself more because of [their physical similarities]? Because no one can control their genetics, and he never delves into angst over his black hair and other physical traits he inherited from her. He instead focuses on the actions of himself and others:

His phrasing of the “true nature” of demons in chapter 123 makes me think back to how he justified his self-immolation in chapter 32:

He fully convinced himself that the only way he could atone for what he did was by committing suicide as the linchpin of his plan. He views what he and Isabella did—using the children of plant no.3 for their respective machinations—as reprehensible. So I feel he would still beat himself up over this inherited nature/loathsome predisposition and how their brains must be wired similarly more than actually hating any physical traits he might have gotten from her, but they would be triggering for him any time he’s having a negative thought spiral (you could easily write all of this off as pedantic semantics though lol).

While I'm 100% on board for Ray having purple eyes, I'm not keen on them being the focus of his inner turmoil and him repeatedly drawing attention to them (or worse, other people doing this with how awkward it feels on multiple fronts) as I am for them acting as bonus visuals and triggers to kick off a deeply embedded fear of an inescapable, inherit nature that dooms him. He made the choice to use people, proved the lengths he was willing to go to, just like she did (not getting into the circumstances behind it because for all the nuance he'll afford other things, when pushed this is something he's very stark about and won't budge on.) It's not all-consuming because that places him at odds with his vow to live and take care of his family, but something he falls into now and again, believing he'll never be able to truly atone for what he did and for that he doesn't deserve happiness.

Facsimile (2020) by banana_slug_army is another fic that follows this line of thought.

Enjoyed all four of these, but it's far from an exhaustive list, so opening it up to followers and others if they have any other recs on the subject.

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#does ray lie awake at night wondering himself if he himself loves/would forgive her #overwhelmingly bitter because he never got the chance to decide #(when heroic sacrifices are somehow just another thing on the list of injustices committed but this time you can't be mad about them) #(but you ARE mad about them) (via @hylialeia)

"Does Ray love Isabella" "Would Ray forgive Isabella" Shut up. Shut up. Does he miss her? Does he still want to talk to her sometimes? Even before her death, did he think about the six years they had together that were normal? Does he miss the person he thought she was? Do you think he grieved for her before she even died?

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This cover I’m more mixed about since Isabella had given up on escape being a path to freedom and happiness by the time she becomes a Mom, and the lyrics in the second half are kind of at odds with that, but I adore the passionate yet soft delivery of the singer. And maybe I like making myself sad thinking of an older Ray getting to the point where he softly sings the first verse to other children (either his younger Grace Field siblings like Carol or potential children of his own)

Dear sweet child, no need to cry I will hold you tight So sleep all your worries and cares away No need to be scared You are out of harm’s way

I will keep you safe and warm Love you every day Reach your tiny hands for the light Take your future and make it shine so bright

Especially if he’s a bit rueful in his performance at times and there’s a little hitch in his heart because it’s what he always wanted deep down with his parent, and it simultaneously connects all of them but makes him miss her some days.