SPARKS!

C- ”You’re surprisingly good with children.”

M - “Am I? I was under the impression I frightened them.”

C - “Why would you be frightening them? They have no reason to be scared from the way you’re acting now.”

M - “I’ve been told my overall aesthetic is not the most comforting.”

C - “…Meaning?”

M - “My eyes are the most noticeable, no? That is why I am avoiding direct eye contact, as I know you’ve noticed.”

C - “Hm… I don’t think your eyes are frightening in the slightest.”

M - “No?”

C - “No.”

M - “…Well, I believe others would disagree slightly, I have not been nicknamed ‘Hawk-Eyes’ for nothing.”

C - “If you’re that worried, perhaps blinking from time to time would lessen the effect of the stare; but I see no problem with your eyes themselves.”

M - “Ah...well, thank you for the insight.”

I wouldn’t say Mihawk is insecure of his eyes, but he does know how intimating he is, which is why he thought that most children thinks he’s scary. His family probably wouldn’t react like that though seeing as 1) fear is taught so if the adults were not afraid then neither would the kids be and 2) his relatives would most likely have the same ringed eyes, so they’re all just staring at each other

also I like to think Mihawk grew up in those kind of areas where it’s like the whole area raises the kids, and everyone knows everyone, so he keeps getting handed random kids to look after

I would like to add that the reason I relate King No-One’s album to those two is because I read @manofbeskar ‘s Bang The Doldrums fic on ao3 around the same time the album came out, so it’s the whole modern au and band au idea of those two, but some of the songs can also fit with their characters anyway. Mostly from Shanks’ perspective though

this is me saying go listen to the album because it’s literally my favourite and I made all my friends listen too

one more talk about the individual songs, Nosebleed has a few lines that relate to maybe teenage mishanks: “Maybe it was just the wrong time // appropriating fate can’t happen twice // … // sometimes I feel you but you are no longer there // now your fragments come in nightmares // … // do your mates know you’re masking all you’re traits ‘cause you’re worried that they’ll hate you // was I the only one you ever trusted? // … // Do you miss me? Before we were conflicting? // will you ever kiss me again?”

the animation would just be him either after or just before a fight, and with the hc that his eyes glow because you know those animations where a light kinda has a trail behind it?? Like it was used in Akira when animating the motorbike lights, and idk I wanted to draw him mid attack w the trailing glowy eyes