#catgoblinchelly

Nai would be a Sabbat warrior salubri

YES!!! YES ABSOLUTELY 100%.

I have a good friend that I talk with a lot about Knives, and we've discussed this a lot--how long does it take to get to Knives's true love? And what does it take? Is it possible? (Anything is if you're a persistent cockroach like me.) And what does it end up looking like?

I think you'd enjoy my friend's work, wreckage of july. It's really good. I find myself going back to it every so often for Knives savior goodness.

Let's do this thing.

💌 a romance-themed headcanon: I keep getting this funny idea that Knives reads up about very archaic and stiff forms of romantic courting in order to get some semblance of "normalcy" in his relationship, so cue Knives knocking on your door in a nice suit holding a bouquet of flowers (he made them himself, literally; he grew them from his body) and stammering out the most rehearsed lines possible. "Would you like to, um. Accompany me. On a. Daaaate." You don't have it in your heart to say no, because his awkwardness is just too damn charming.

💕 a loved-themed headcanon: I think it's hard for him to receive love in return. (Just like his brother. And like Wolfwood. Wow... Seems to be a common problem.) The first time you return affections to him, he just sort of... short circuits. He's totally still, not sure if he should start screaming or if he should beg you for more. He'll slowly get more and more used to it, but there's still times where you might catch him off guard with a kiss and he just looks like a deer in the headlights.

You know the drill--NSFW below!

🔞 a nsfw-headcanon: Like above, it takes Knives a while to open up to physical intimacy. There's a lot of things to be scared of, like what if he hurts you, what if he's not right for you, etc. It takes lots of reassurance to get to this point. But once you do? I think there's some things that he gets into.

He starts letting you take control more often. Whatever that means in the relationship--if that means topping, if that means dominating through words and dynamics, if that means both, he's urging you to take those roles more often. Show him what you want to do. Claim him instead of the other way around--he's done enough claiming, the mantle should be passed to someone else.

Oh, yeah. He's into cumming inside. On both ends. Get what I mean? Whether it's him into you, or you into him... Right? You get it.

I think Vash would both love this, and be suspicious! Vash puts on his goofball persona to soothe those around him into security; to make sure he isn't "othered" by people/humans. So while he has fun being around a similar goofball, his hackles are just a bit raised. Are you hiding something? How could someone be this genuinely happy when the world is the way it is?

Eventually, when you prove that it's not an act, Vash will so fall in love. He'll seek out your optimism and zest for life whenever he's feeling down - whether he means to or not. It's such a breath of fresh air to find someone who isn't mean, down in the dumps, or just apathetic to life. That isn't to say you're not allowed to feel that way. Everyone has their bad days. But with Vash, you will be able to get back on your feet as his own optimism and belief in people bolsters your own.

and I got to wonder how would he react to seeing more such memories. of humans treating plants with genuine kindness and concern for their wellbeing beyond just what they can get out of them. finally getting to if not agree with vash or think he's maybe wrong, then at least start to at least understand his point. just getting a more neuenced view of humanity.

Oh you're definitely right about that, I think it's really interesting.

I think Knives has such ripe potential for growth, and a lot of writers don't really see that so much, which is sad!

Speaking of writers exploring this, if you want some more in-depth explorations of Knives...

fakekniferealketchup's teacup initiation (which talks about his relationship with Tesla, or lack thereof)...

also by my friend FKRK, wreckage of july (where the reader scrapes the bloody lump he became after july off the streets)...

psyhost22's (that's me!) Paradise, Lost (a re-exploration of the scene where Knives is shot in the leg)...

also by me, Unfulfiller of Dreams (where Knives has a dream about the scopes of humanity, and how things could have been different)

... this is to say that me and my friend are in the trenches when it comes to Knives content, getting gangrene and such together

In essence, the only humans that Knives has ever willingly been exposed to are Rem and [maybe] some of the experimenters on the SEEDS ships. Otherwise, the humans he comes into contact with become his henchmen, or are quickly turned into people sausage. No comment.

One could say then that the burden of teaching humanity to Knives would fall on his mother, Rem, but that's not really true, either. How was she supposed to know that he would grow up like this? How was she supposed to know his reaction to Tesla's files?

And look at Vash--he turned out fine.

It was just two different trauma reactions to the same event. Basically...

I think if he saw more memories like that, he'd eventually break down. I don't think he can live in a world where his ideals that he's held about humanity for over a century are suddenly shattered. It's why he had to force his sisters to "work" with him, because otherwise, he'd probably have very few who felt so strongly as he did about humans.

This is definitely something that gets to me easily, because I generally see myself as someone who gives kindness first. But it also makes me think of a reader/human/self-insert who is so willing to try and see things his way, so willing to attempt to connect with his ideals, that they're willing to accept whatever he bestows on them.

There was this post somewhere on here that had a quote from it that really stuck with me. I can't find the post anymore (maybe someone knows who wrote it?) but here's the chunk I had to save:

“Can’t help it when I’m alone. I just start thinking, and... And maybe [Knives] ain’t so wrong. Maybe everything would be better off if he just got rid of us, ya know? Because really, we’re an invasive species, right? We just crawl into places we don’t belong and eat up everything good. Maybe it wouldn’t be so bad if he ended it all - all the suffering and the fighting and the low-down, no-good cruelty. Wouldn’t be so bad if he did it quick, like we all go to sleep and just don’t wake up.”

Something about that last line stuck with me.

What if you're so deeply in love with someone who's hellbent on killing your species? Would he willingly put you through the torture that's being effectively isolated from the rest of your species? Would he make you watch as he kills the rest of your friends and family? Would he spare you?

But back to what you said--maybe it's the same in reverse for him.

What if you're so deeply in love with someone who's hellbent on being kind to you? Would they willingly try to take you away from the pain that you've wrapped yourself in for over a century? Would they make you stay as they tell you that they still love you regardless? Would they forgive you?

I'm not sure. I'm never really sure, and sometimes I start to wax poetic about it--but I think if you love someone, and if someone loves you, the two of you slowly begin to change. For better or for worse.

vash getting scores of followers more easily and without even intending to while knives has to bust his ass and he's just more incredulous than mad. like "WHAT THE FUCK HOW IS HE DOING THAT?"

Knives: So you're telling me, if I were simply nice to people, and didn't kill them, they'd willingly follow me?

Vash: Yeah, emphasis on the not killing them thing.

Knives: I don't believe it. I've been approaching this whole thing wrong the entire time.

...

Vash would totally hate having any sort of cult following like that, but I think he'd be easier to follow, simply because he wouldn't sacrifice you to a "greater cause" or whatever.