Happy mines update day, Mistrians!! In honor of the occasion, have some headcanons I've had stewing in my head since the last update. These are what I think each romanceable's favorite form of physical affection is, specifically with a partner. I put a lot of thought into them, so let me know if you agree or disagree with my takes!
Oh, and just so you know, I take requests for Mistria drabbles and headcanons now! Hope you enjoy. <3
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March will never admit it, but he adores having you rest your head on his shoulder.
When you’re next to him for an extended amount of time for literally any reason, he tugs you closer and subtly offers his shoulder to you.
Occasionally you tease him a little and give him a smile, asking if he wants you to snuggle up to him. He always blushes as red as his hair and stiffens up…but he doesn’t pull away. Instead he nods and mumbles a small “Yes. Obviously.”
You can feel his posture relax when you set your head down. The closeness of the gesture makes him feel like your protector, like you see being nestled at his side as a safe place. He wants to be a safe place for you.
Don’t mention it when he silently rests his cheek atop your head or he’ll stop. LOL
Balor likes kissing the back of your hand.
Or hand kisses in general. Those are big for him; he just loves them.
He makes it a habit to press kisses to both your hands whenever you come up from a dive in mines with something shiny for him. It’s a token of thanks for your labor.~ (And also a tiny way of saying ‘I’m glad you came back safe.’)
Balor isn’t a PDA kind of guy for the most part. Sure, he isn’t keeping up a mysterious persona anymore, but he’s new to romance. Give him some time and he’ll warm up to it.
In the meantime, hand kisses are a sweet, playful way to show affection that he feels comfortable doing anywhere. He always greets you with one in the morning, no matter where you run into each other.
Caldarus will never stop loving the softness of your lips on his.
It isn’t just the physical sensation of kissing that appeals to Caldarus (though, trust me, he adores it). There’s an emotional aspect as well.
Kissing you makes him feel…human. Or, humanly connected to you, at the very least.
That isn’t to say he feels insecure about his human-esque form, or feels he cannot love you the same way as your fellow humans. Not at all. He just loves connecting with you in distinctly human ways. Kissing, especially on the lips, is such a distinctly human way to express love. He is overjoyed when he gets to relearn humans through you, after his long slumber.
He wonders often what you feel when he kisses you, what his lips feel like to your mortal ones. He hopes his are as warm as yours.
Hayden is the world’s biggest (and best) hugger.
This is just common knowledge. Hayden loves giving and receiving hugs. Hugs are not partner exclusive for him, either; if he knows someone, he’s hugging ‘em.
That being said…you definitely get the rights to some extra special, super exclusive hugs as his lover.
When Hayden hugs you, his hands splay across your back, like he’s trying to feel as much of your skin as he can. He holds you impossibly close and squeezes you tightly, but not enough to hurt. Years of handling animals have taught him the perfect amount of pressure to apply in any embrace (he hugs a LOT of animals).
Each and every time you hug, he nuzzles his cheek against your hair and coos words of adoration. No, he never runs out of sweet nothings for you.
Reina loves letting you lay your head on her chest.
There’s nothing she loves more than allowing her hardworking farmer to rest with her at the end of a long day. She gets so much satisfaction and joy from laying with you and letting you snuggle into her chest.
Her biggest love language is acts of service (largely through cooking). Acting as your pillow makes her feel like she’s providing for you, but in a cuddly way! What can she say? She’s a pamperer.
She runs her hand through your hair every time, either humming one of the songs her mother taught her or chit-chatting about her day.
Occasionally, you fall asleep like that, nestled against her. She never wakes you. You need your rest! She stays put until you wake up (or, more often, just falls asleep with you).
Valen never misses the opportunity to rest a hand on the small of your back.
The dear town doctor is a bit teasing with her touch. She likes watching your body respond to hers, even in the smallest ways. She’s very observant of how you react to her attention.
On evenings spent at the Sleeping Dragon, she slides her hand across your lower back as she takes a seat on the stool next to yours. She lets her hand linger there once she’s settled.
Valen isn’t one to interrupt your conversations with others when she wants attention. But she isn’t one to sit idly by, either. Instead, she approaches from behind and silently waits her turn. This waiting, of course, includes her placing her hand on your hip and giving it a small squeeze, before her fingers wander to your back and wait there while you finish your chat.
Juniper gets cranky if she doesn’t have time in the day to rest her legs on you.
At the end of a long day, there is nothing Juniper enjoys more than draping her legs across your lap. She particularly enjoys doing this while she drinks wine and, well, whines LOL. Or gossips with you. Often both.
It’s something she can do in private, that both lets her be in control of things but also shows you that she trusts you and enjoys your presence…without having to say so aloud.
She never asks you to, but you can tell from the almost imperceptible red hue that appears on her cheeks that she loves when you rest a hand on the bare skin of her leg as you listen to her, nodding along to show your focus. And when you start tracing soothing patterns with your thumb? She has to take a sip of her wine to hide her face.
Ryis knows it’s basic, but he can’t help the way he loves holding hands.
Ryis is a romantic. He knows it. You know it. Everyone knows it.
Holding hands is classic. It’s cute. (“Almost as cute as your smile,” in his own words.) He loves it. It gives him even more of the warm, fuzzy feelings he associates with even just the thought of you.
His favorite time of day has become his breaks, when you make the time to join him on the Eastern Road for a few minutes. You two sit on a bench across from the tree you grew together and watch the birds.
No words need to be spoken when he slowly moves his hand closer to you, his pinky finger grazing yours. You merely laugh and intertwine your fingers. He gives your hand a squeeze in reply.
Eiland insists on linking arms whenever you two stroll together.
It is nonnegotiable for him! He wants to be your gentleman, always. He grew up with a lot of etiquette training, and by gosh, he wants to finally put it to use!
I’m being so serious. If it weren’t for you being the most capable adventurer he knows, he’d be throwing his coat over puddles for you. (He still will if you let him. Don’t, by the way; you both know he likes his clothes and will be sad after.)
Eiland knows he can be a lot at times, and that his mind can wander. Having your arm in his, with you walking steady at his side,it grounds him. It makes his thoughts go from flitting here and there, past and future…to settling on you, and your present. Together.
Adeline absolutely melts whenever you hold her face in your hands.
She had no idea how much she liked the feeling until you came along.
One day, she was rambling, stressed over her duties and feeling like she wasn’t doing enough. Mid-sentence, you gently took hold of her face, your hands cupping her cheeks. You swear to this day that you watched her eyes turn heart-shaped in real time.
She didn’t know she needed that sort of thing until that very moment. And now that she does know, it’s become your patented tunnel vision breaker. Whenever Adeline gets in her head, you lovingly cup her face and all her thoughts turn to jelly.
Sometimes she can feel an anxiety attack coming on and goes to you before it gets bad, lifting your hands and pressing them to her cheeks.
Celine can’t keep herself from kissing you on the cheek.
She just loves giving you little smooches to show her appreciation! You do so much for her, and for Mistria, on a daily basis. She can’t help but swoon over you.
To Celine, cheek kisses are simple, sweet, and effective. And she can do them in public, too! They’re not overboard PDA. To her, they’re just right.
No matter how many times she gives you a quick peck, she always blushes afterward. It’s a Pavlovian response at this point. Even if she’s keeping her cool pretty well, there’s no stopping the giddy flush on her face and the little giggle she lets out.
On sunny mornings, you stop by her garden on the way into town. Every time, she gently places a flower in your hands and a kiss on your cheek.
Sleeping positions with the Bachelors/Bachelorettes of Fields of Mistria (SFW)
Hi!! I added in Caldarus♥️♥️ sorry for the weird formatting! I’m on mobile but I’ll fix it when I get to a computer
Adeline🌸 - She strikes me as the kind of person who likes her personal space when it's time to sleep (although loves to cuddle before) but has to keep one part of her body touching yours ie interlaced arms, holding hands, an ankle over your ankle, etc
Balor💎- He sleeps completely intertwined with you, facing each other like one long, warm, sleepy hug. He loves running his fingers up and down your back, and if you run your fingers through his hair or massage his scalp he'll be out like a light
Celine🌼 - I feel like you start the night cuddling super close, but then Celine starfishes and takes up most of the bed, usually leaving you to snuggle in where you can lol
Caldarus🐉 - he’s still getting used to the whole “sleeping-in-a-humanoid-body” thing. But one thing he has really enjoyed about the experience is falling asleep embracing you. He’s a SNUGGLER. There’s not one set position he prefers but I know for certain that he gets as close to you as possible. You’re laying on your back?? His face is nuzzled into your neck. Your back is facing him?? Okay his face is in your hair and there is not a millimeter of room between you. I need to go lay down.
Eiland🍰 - He likes sleeping face to face with one arm slung over your waist. You fall asleep this way almost every night with him telling you about the exciting artifact he discovered today, or you telling him about what you saw in the mines earlier
Hayden🌾 - You cannot tell me this man does not LOVE to be little spoon. He's so big and burly and affection starved that he would just love for you to wrap yourself around him and make him feel safe and cared for OKAYI'MDONE
Juniper🔮 - She's a fitful sleeper who tends to toss and turn, however most nights you end up with your arms over each other and your legs completely pretzeled, literally tangling together as she moves around in her sleep (Dozy also nuzzles his way in, either in the crook of your legs or if he's lucky smack dab between you two)
March♥️ - You usually start out shoulder to shoulder maybe holding hands, because even though you know each other well enough to sleep in the same bed, he's still a little awkward and getting used to affection and intimacy. You do, however, literally always wake up to him holding you close as the big spoon
Reina🍳 - I feel like with Reina if you lay on your back she's going to wrap herself around you like a koala on a tree lol She also strikes me as someone who takes up a lot of space when she sleeps, so she's definitely keeping a leg slung over your hips at all times
Ryis🪶 - You sleep chest to chest, he usually has one leg over yours and a gentle hand cupping the back of your head, fingers massaging your scalp. He also tends to nuzzle close and keep his lips on your forehead in a perpetual forehead kiss
Valen❤️🩹 - She likes to sleep on her back with you tucked into her side. You tend to be the one to fall asleep first because she always rubs your back, squeezes you closer to her, and gives you soft and sweet touches
Summary: General headcanons as to how the bachelors display romance!
Warning(s): Nothing explicit! Maybe a tiny bit of some suggestiveness here and there, but nothing to write home about!
Side Note(s): Apologies for this taking a while to come out, y'all! A few things are happening irl at the moment, so it's taking my focus away from writing for a bit! I'll try to get back into the swing of things soon!
Balor
Very big on expressing his feelings through his words.
Sure, Balor's not too shabby either when it comes to the realm of giving you gifts and being physically affectionate. But he prefers to be generally romantic with you through what he says and means it. If he says he loves you, then he'll usually follow up his words with a flower, maybe a gift that you've been eyeing, or a rare gem that you've only mentioned once.
With him, I feel that Balor would want you to feel as if you're constantly being swooped up into the arms of a prince or a very handsome thief trying to steal away your heart.
As I mentioned before, flowers and rare gems (as well as gifts you've mentioned wanting beforehand) are his go-to, but he'll always make sure to give you the gift with care.
A date night under the stars, maybe after he recently came back from one of her merchant travels.
The whole nine yards!
Eiland
Almost similar to Balor, I can imagine that Eiland likes to show and display romance through gifts, but also does so through spending time with you.
No matter where you may be in town, Eiland is going to find a way to locate you and offer to spend time with you!
Personal duties and matters be damned, if you ask him to be more romantic with you, then he's going to do it! And it helps that he likes being by your side as well! If you're planting crops on your farm, he's right there talking with you and even trying to help out from time to time.
If you're traveling to the Mines, then he's traveling right by your side, maybe he won't go into the actual Mines himself, but— he was at least there to support you through his words and presence! As well as encouraging you to get back to him safely, otherwise he'd be saddened by you being injured or something worse!
In the case of date nights? While it'd be easy to say that he'd take you on an expensive date (and don't get me wrong, he would do it occasionally). I feel like at-home dates or quiet dates in a comfortable place in the woods are more his style.
He feels like he can be himself the most when it's just the two of you, and in those cases, it's when Eiland is capable of really showing just how much he likes to be at your side.
Ryis
Also, another candidate for showing romance through "spending time with his partner."
However, I can see Ryis being the type to really like quiet birdwatching dates. Underneath a tree, and anytime there is a bit of talking between the two of you, it's usually Ryis expressing his appreciation for you, for you enjoying his hobbies, as well as making sure to tell you that he wants to know your interests as well!
He doesn't want to be the only one in th erelationship whose doing things that he likes; he wants to do things that you like as well!
Even if it's something considered "tedious". So long as it involves being with you, then Ryis doesn't really care about what you both do.
In the case of doing something other than quiet birdwatching, however— I can also see Ryis being the type of person who's somewhat big on expressing himself through physical affection as well?
Nothing explicit, but mostly Ryis either hugging you close to him or kissing you until he's sure that he's going to run out of breath. Either way, though, Ryis is a heavy "let's spend time with one another" type of romancer.
March
Okay, sue me but— I don't see March as an extremely romantic type? Admittedly, I can see him more as the type of person whose just happy to be breathing the same air as you.
When it comes to romance, I imagine that he's not the type to plan elaborate dates, and while he adores spending time with you, he also likes to still spend time honing his craft as a blacksmith!
However, he's definitely the kind of person whose extremely dependable.
If you say that you need something at a specific time on a specific date, then he's there, waiting with the item in hand.
If you're going through a rough time, be it something light such as a bittersweet ending in one of your favorite shows or a sudden death in the family, then he's right by your side, a shoulder to cry on and comforting words waiting for you hand and foot.
Of course, he'll say that he loves you, he'll cook you meals when you need them, and read books with you on the couch, but outside of that? Fancy dates (unless it's a special occasion and you really want to do that type of thing with him) are rarely seen.
But although he's not the most romantic type of person, you're not going to doubt for a single second that he loves you.
Caldarus
Probably the most romantic person on this list ngl
He's spent thousands of years trapped inside a statue. Every waking moment he spends at your side is a gift, and he's going to make sure that you know it, and most importantly? That you can feel it through the way he speaks to you, compliments and admires your appearance as well as your personality.
He'll clean and spend time with you in any way, shape, or form. Be it early morning, evening, or night!
Caldarus does the work of researching the best dating spots around town, thinking up different meals to make for the special occasion (headcanoning that he treats every date like it's the first— every single one is special to him ✨) as well as just generally taking the lead when it comes to the more romantic aspects of the relationship.
Of course, he appreciates it when he receives the same in return, but I feel like he likes to display his affection more often. You're the one whose responsible for him being freed from the statue, the one who gave him an entirely new life, as well as his first friend and relationship in the current age.
And on a more headcanon-y end note, I also imagine that he's had plenty of relationships throughout his long life, so he likes to use old customs to really spice up the relationship when it comes to romance, dates, etc.
Long after a sweet confession you decide to take your relationship a step further...just as you close your bedroom door a thought pops up: will this be their first time or do they have experience?
Turns out beneath their usual confidence in their respective fields of interest lies a timid, awkward self under the sheets. As you get undressed in between sloppy kisses your beloved face becomes redder than the best tomatoes you have harvested this season; though their excitement is no less than their nervousness! They try their best to compensate their inexperience showing you how much they love you, perhaps it would be best to be in charge this time and guide them?
☁︎ . * Eiland, MARCH, Celine ✰.·✧*✲ﾟ
Their curious hands exploring your body with uncertainty answers your previous thought, but the eagerness they show can practically be felt in each touch. Despite their naivety and the awkwardness to bring up such topic they sought advice in lovemaking from their closest relatives as well as searching knowledge in books. Hell, even Elsie offered unsolicited tips before marriage... might as well put in practice what they were taught
☁︎ . * Adeline, Reina, Ryis ✰.·✧*✲ﾟ
Finding out how much they know sure is a pleasant surprise. They lost their virginity in previous relationships a while ago, of course, seeing how attractive they are it wasn't odd to imagine this. It might be mildly disappointing to think you won't get to be their first, but their suave performance is still dyed with hues of flustered adoration; no matter how many they slept with it is their first time with you, and they will keep blushing like the first night you embraced them
They were isolated for far too many full moons until they stopped counting. You know few close to nothing about their younger days, were they always alone? Did they ever have someone else to love? Would they go rough or slow? Your mind wonders all of these and more questions but it is better to give them time to adjust themselves to this decade before you pry into past experiences they may not remember yet. They show doubts prior to the fateful day, repeatedly asking you how it is done in this day and age, whether there are preliminary techniques which were born during their lonely imprisonment they need to learn, the words and movements you would prefer...
Now that your sweetheart feels ready is time to find out the limit of their practical knowledge
☁︎ . * Caldarus, Priestess ✰.·✧*✲ﾟ
Thanks for reading! Hope you have enjoyed reading these short hcs ♡ Also if you are a minor or you don't have age in your bio interacting in any way with this post will result in a block
my take on march and olrics’s parents- olin and jade
my silly headcanons about them under the cut !!
olin - sea merchant 🌊
probably a VERY good looking man !!
loud, boisterous, possibly a ex-ladies man (until he saw jade and became completely and totally devoted to her)
no family, an orphan who was raised on the docks. probably lived on his boat for the majority of his life before meeting jade.
knows a little bit of every language thanks to years at sea
dyes his hair red to be popular with the ladies (march's dialogue about 'no one in his family being a natural 024 red made me think about his dad or mum dying their hair that colour?? also maybe march dyes it to feel closer to his deceased parent?? lots to think about here lol)
jade - master blacksmith ⚒️
very beautiful and elegant !!! olin falls in love at first sight because she's so breathtakingly gorgeous.
she's quite quiet and serene. has a calming presence. very serious and passionate about her work. very knowledgeable about metals, gems, materials.
comes from an eastern country (fom's equivalent of japan??)
has her hair in a hime-cut to keep it out of the way while smithing.
very traditional, comes from a long line of master blacksmiths so she's incredibly dedicated to her craft. fiercely protective of her family’s reputation, which is maybe why she was so hesitant about olin at first.
march's necklace he always wears was once hers. it’s a family heirloom, traditionally passed down when a child forges their very first blade, and he's worn it ever since.
misc headcanons
olin fell in love at first sight- she however didn't share the same sentiment - sure he was good looking but she thought he was ridiculous. tool loud, too charming, too... everything. definitely not the kind of stable, serious man she thought she'd end up with.
he makes a million excuses to visit her at her forge, jade sees right through him and constantly scolds him for wasting her time. he starts leaving her little things from his travels. rare shells, colorful silks, pressed flowers from foreign ports; tiny tokens that slowly worked past her walls. she finds her self listening to his sea tales, stealing glances at him while he's working at the docks, and slowly realises she's falling for him.
when they get together they're inseparable. very grossly in love and very much a power couple. she's making gorgeous crafts and he's getting the very best prices for them selling them at the top bazaars and city markets. he'll never accept any prices that he feels demeans his wife's work (it's very rare that someone offers a low-ball price though as her work is very much in demand and known throughout the world for its top quality.).
when they get married olin takes on his wife's last name (he's never had a last name as he grew up an orphan on the docks, raised by sailors who came and went. he was just “olin” his whole life). the act of taking jade’s name feels symbolic to him: he’s trading his drifting, rootless life for something solid and grounded with her.
they have olric and march soon after they get married.
they move to mistria after hearing about the abundant minerals and gems in the mistria mines (march and olric were young - i'm thinking olric was 9 and march was 2).
they both involve the kids in their work. jade usually has baby march strapped to her while she works the forge, and has little olric working as her little errand boy. while olin takes the boys on little trips to different cities to sell jade's pieces.
jade enforces discipline (bedtime, chores, training), while still being a very loving mother! olin is very lax with the boys, sneaking them sweets or letting them stay up late to hear sea stories.
march definitely takes after jade more in personality but looks more like olin. he inherits jade’s work ethic and perfectionism.
whereas olric looks more like jade but takes after olin's personality. (tho olric inherits jade’s keen eye. he can spot quality gems, metals, and rocks instantly, a skill she nurtured in him).
got on very well with hemlock and josie, jade and olin would leave march and olric in their care while they went on trips to sell jade's goods. hemlock and josie take march and olric into their care when jade and olin pass away, they're already close to the boys
rambling now, so i'll end it here :)
oh hey i heard we’re sharing parenting headcanons about March
honestly i think he’ll be a good dad. and i think he’s one of the bachelors that would WANT kids, something he’d be able to admit when he feels like he can safely be vulnerable
what he will ALSO be is a helicopter parent.
there’s no way around it, that man will HOVER. he will worry, he will wring his hands when his kids are too close to the waves at the beach or when they’re scaling rocks or if they get even a hair’s breadth too close to the forge (March will paint a line around the forge so the kids know where they’re supposed to stand but honestly he’s not gonna be able to concentrate with them standing there. at least not while they’re little! what if they get burnt by an escaping ember? what if the hammer flies out of his hand somehow and hits them in their perfect little face?? WHAT IF)
i also think that becoming a parent would unlock a lot of his personal grief and trauma. he wouldn’t see it coming; though he’d probably assume he was going to start having SOME complicated feelings re: the death of his parents, if he gave it a moment’s thought.
but the second he’s holding this brand new, squawking, helpless little baby in his arms (and he’ll be damned if it doesn’t feel like he’s holding the whole entire world somehow, nothing else matters, he’s not going to leave this baby’s side for a single second), all the walls he built up around himself are gonna come crashing down.
then he’ll be new parent exhausted and crying way more than he ever has in his life and constantly in a state of anxiety - why won’t she take a bottle? she only sleeps in my arms right now is that safe can she breathe? ok she’s not rolling yet but all the books Balor found us say she SHOULD be or at least trying to so what does that mean?? - AND he’ll be constantly pummelling himself with all the thoughts he’s been keeping a tight heavy lid on!! because honestly, when you’re sleep deprived and strung out and up at 2am facing only the weight of responsibility in your arms coupled with the unbearable silence of a dark, sleeping house, there’s no distracting yourself from the feelings and fears you didn’t ever want to have to address
it won’t be forever but the only way out is through. and it’ll take time. but if there’s anything March is, it’s stubbornly determined to fix things. once he knows it’s a problem he can’t force himself to ignore any longer, he’ll do what he has to, to work through it.
also, he makes his own baby carrier out of soft fabric and leather. has he ever done anything like that before? no. is that going to stop him? also no. he will take an inordinate amount of pleasure out of everyone’s squealing delight at seeing him striding around town with his baby peeking out of the carrier on his chest. big proud smiles - yeah, that’s my kid, i helped make her, she’s the most adorable baby that’s ever existed, it’s true
—Fields of Mistria Ryis and Hayden pregnancy/parenting headcanons
𖠰 wc: 1.2k
𖠰 Content: gn!Reader(reader can get pregnant), fluff
𖠰 [a/n]: I need to get Ryis pregnant. NPC Studio release the update right now please please please pleasw please
Ryis
𖠰 God help us all, he wastes no time locking in.
𖠰 Would spend sleepless nights planning out the whole nursery if you didn’t drag him to bed yourself.
𖠰 Yet you worry even in his dreams he’s thinking about blueprints and wood measurements instead of actually resting.
𖠰 He really means no harm whenever he accidentally gets too wrapped up in his meticulous planning ahead.
𖠰 It gets to the point where soon-to-be great-uncle Landon has to intervene himself and make Ryis realise he’s not running out of time and has nine whole months to calmly work on stuff.
𖠰 Calm is what Ryis used to be before he found out he had a child on the way.
𖠰 He’s the annoying pregnancy week-by-week guide books nerd that refuses to enable your unhealthy cravings.
𖠰 He knows how much you want it, but he is not letting you near the dangerous chocolate bar that could threaten the health of his beloved spouse and his unborn child… how about you try this nutrient-dense lentil soup that he cooked up instead? Page 142 of “To Grow a Baby” states that a healthy fetus needs both the iron and folate that it provides to regulate blood sugar levels and help deliver oxygen to the blah blah blah…
𖠰 You feel your eye twitch.
𖠰 You swear that if you didn’t love him as much as you did, you’d strangle him with your own bare hands.
𖠰 But it all turns out for the better when he finally holds his child in his arms after the long wait.
𖠰 Despite growing up in a big family, he doesn’t aspire to that.
𖠰 1 or 2 children; he keeps it demure and orderly
𖠰 It’s because he grew up in a big family that he does not want it. He knows far too well how much work only 2 children are.
𖠰 The founder of gentle parenting.
𖠰 His children turn out to be the most polite and well-mannered ever.
𖠰 I swear this man has patience to spare.
𖠰 He does not fold if they throw a tantrum when he says no. He lets them cry it out if they have to, even as they tug at his clothes to try to change his decision as he goes on with his tasks. He converses calmly with them once they cool down to explain his reasoning, and answers all their questions.
𖠰 He always offers them a hug afterwards, and if they embrace him, he kisses their cheek and forehead and reminds them he loves them. If they are still mad at him and prefer to be alone, he will give them the space they wish to have, not forcing anything as he knows they’ll eventually go back to him and will ask for the hug regardless after calming down.
𖠰 Ornithology books. Whether it is colouring books, illustrations of different species or actual scientific texts, they basically grow up with them and it makes up 70% of your household’s library.
𖠰 Which then comes in handy when he formally takes them birdwatching for the first time.
𖠰 He loves to include them in everything he does, and when they keep curiously looking over his workbench or playing with small pieces of wood and acting like they’re building something, he can’t help but start a small project for a birdhouse with them. He lets them participate and make decisions from the blueprint to the painting.
𖠰 His heart squeezes with fatherly pride whenever he sees the finished product despite the wonky painting and the small flaws,
𖠰 It reminds him of the birdhouse you two made right before becoming a couple. It still stands on the Eastern Road, and every time he walks by it to visit his uncle, it reminds him of the day you two became official, a feeling he can’t wait to have as the years go by and his children’s first project will still be in the same place despite them growing up.
Hayden
𖠰 Alright… so contrary to Ryis, he does not limit you, but enables you.
𖠰 walk with me here.
𖠰 You’re craving apple pie during summer? He’s buying overpriced apples from Balor and dusting off his grandmother’s cooking book. You want honey to eat with bread at 11 p.m? A chocolate bar? He’s waking up Nora and Holt with his knocking at the general store as we speak. He apologises profusely, but he really can’t let his spouse grow his child without indulging in their every request.
𖠰 He tries to tone it down after getting medical advice from Valen, but eventually admits to himself that he can’t resist you and goes back to pampering you.
𖠰 He’s a weak man despite his size.
𖠰 Henrietta has to learn to share the favourite child spot once the kid arrives.
𖠰 Y’all know the voicelines where he says that he wants a big family? yeah.
𖠰 3 to 4 children…
𖠰 This man LOVESSS being a dad.
𖠰 It feels wrong not to see him with children.
𖠰 He takes them everywhere he goes.
𖠰 Not even with a stroller, he just rawdogs it and carries them around town.
𖠰 His children grow up to be very lively and independent; they’re not scared to get dirty or play in mud, and they’ve been doing farmwork disguised as fun activities their whole childhood.
𖠰 Though that freedom leads to a lot of close calls: You may or may not be growing white hairs faster than you should from all the times your children have slipped off horses when little and caught at the last second by their father as he makes a playful comment about “daddy having really good reflexes”
𖠰 He’s kind of a permissive parent. He cannot find it in himself to put his children in time-out for too long or not give in to their puppy eyes when they demand ice cream for dinner or doughnuts for breakfast. Yet you have not seen a man switch his resolve as quickly as he does with just a glance from you.
𖠰 Henrietta learns to love them. Despite her air of pride, you can see how she often lingers near them and “tolerates” their pets, making Hayden nearly shine with happiness.
𖠰 He can’t put that damned camera down. Even if you try to tell him that their first time eating apple pie isn’t a huge milestone, nor was the picture of them eating lasagna for the first time yesterday, he is already preparing the shot to add to the individual photo albums he has for each child.
𖠰 A couple of times a year, he takes them to the Deep Woods to visit great-grandmother Greta. He tells them how great a woman she was, and uses those moments to reflect on how he wishes he could be as good as her and give them the childhood he had on the farm.
𖠰 He loves having them in his arms and reading them to sleep. His heart has never felt more full and at peace than when he has his loved ones at arm's reach. I truly don’t believe there will ever be an age when he will stop holding them or picking them up.
March headcanon/analysis no one asked for :
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8 hearts event spoilers / Trauma headcanon / Game dialogue & backstory interpretation
I remember the first time I saw this scene. I thought it was relatable and just rolled with the ''workaholic perfectionist under pressure'' narrative. I didn't think much more of it.
He's also shown slow but willingness to open up, diligently. Very very slow but I think it's a nice realistic growth in a way? This guy wants to heal surely.
So I re-watched it recently..
And then it hit me.
This guy got some massive mommy issues huh? damn. I don't know why I didn't read it like that the first time. And as much as he seems to want to heal, it's not there yet.
I feel like he might understand how emotionally charged this sounds in his situation? Proud of himself? Then what does his mother's legacy have to do with his pride? Bro??
He's getting there.. He's so close. Unless he already knows but only opens up with what he's comfortable sharing for now.
Also, consider this. Right before that, Olric clearly triggered him by talking about how their mother would be proud. The anger and avoidance storms back in so fast.
It's not just about being proud of himself and he knows it. He's just trying to prove himself he's above that but damn he's really not. Even if he knows.
And it's not just about abandonment, or this one time they never came back. It's not just the idea that there's still an irrational fear of being left behind after an accident... Or anger that they left them on their own this one time..
This was their usual.
Talk about inconsistent parenting lol.
And honestly, when the only dialogue we get about them is only about their work, how they worked together, how they moved for their business, etc.
No shit bro feels pressure, craves approval in his accomplishments, pushes his own high expectations on the farmer at first, can't ask for help, and is insecure as hell. I'm surprised he ain't coping with alcohol more than that!
The only thing missing would be for him to fail the farmer in one way or an other, and he'd absolutely break and push himself away again.
The pressure is on making the people he loves proud of him, pushing others away is the relief. But this pressure is based on his own expectations because he didn't grow with a consistent parental figure. No one taught him how to feel proud about himself beyond his accomplishments. And Olric was just a kid too. There's no way he could've provided for March when he didn't even get that himself.
Josephine and Hemlock have their own kids and their own jobs too...
This guy could've never been enough for his parents to stay, or for the townsfolk to stay.. And I can only feel the subtleties in his dialogues now. How goddamn scared he is if you mention you used to do gig jobs. He almost sounds like he's trying to prove himself you cannot be like his parents. If you were, he'd be in denial.
Oh how much he must hate himself for having feelings for someone despite it all.
Sure, he didn't want to depend on anyone. But now that he's letting someone in, it doesn't magically go away.
Every day you stay in town is an other day where he's proven wrong. This is constant. This is still present.
I'm wondering how much he'd be aware of all that? How much he keeps to himself still. Or if he's truly oblivious while fighting with himself. A push and pull of fear, trust issues, wish for closeness..
At the same time, he'd probably not think twice at the idea of marrying the farmer if asked. It would fill this crave for security.. The idea that he might have been proven wrong since you wish to settle in for good.
Might be the case until anxiety settles back in.
...
But considering the type of game this is, I don't expect him to self-sabotage the relationship while trying to figure this out. That'd hit hard though.
