dragon!sylus occasionally swatting at him like a cat playing with a new toy. as if maybe hitting xavier will make him glow once more

these were seriously old style - it was the early 90's but I'm sure these cartoons were already a few decades old. There's no narration or voices, only pictures and background music, so it's very, very expressive - might be why it's stayed with me for so long.

and one of them was about a poor guy in a sort of vaguely Victorian setting, repairing old toys all alone in his broken down house. Then he would put on a patched up Santa suit and go distribute the toys he 'recycled' to a poor orphanage.

and the little kids at the orphanage - all cold and hungry and wearing rags - were so, so happy to have presents, even though they were cheap, ugly toys.

- but here comes the worst part. I'm tearing up just thinking about it and it's probably been like 20 years since I've last seen that tape.

There's a little boy who's sitting on the floor. He opens a box. Inside, there's a teddy bear - a raggedy thing, with patches all over. And even though it's an old cartoon you can see the little boy's face light up like it's the best thing he's ever seen and how much he loves the teddy already - it's probably the first time he has a friend like this on his own. He takes the teddy out of the box and hugs it.

and then

and then

 the teddy just breaks down, fluff everywhere, a plastic eye popping out, etc. And the little boy's face goes from happiness and love to heartbreak just like that and I

I'm still crying oh gosh (the headcanon I just reblogged made me think of that. what if that little boy is feuilly oh no.... ;-;)