#Sensory Brooches

[niuttuc]

Hydra's Tear

Recently, I've created a magical item for one of my MtG characters, and I tend to spend a lot of time refining unnecessary details for these, so I felt like writing down what I've got on it. Feel free to include it or a variation on it in your own creations. I'll put up the story side of things with the historical model and a short description first, then go into the unnecessary details under a read more.

The Myth:

The legend associated with the Hydra's Tear harkens back to days long past, and long forgotten, on the plane of Theros. It is but one small part of the tale of the Founding of Meletis, the story of the Aesthelith. It is known to only a few yet, woven as it is into the story of Kynaios and Tiro, the Guardians of Meletis.

After defeating the tyrant Agnomakhos at the goddess Ephara's behest, the two lovers founded a city who the goddess would be the patron of. To show their love to each other and devotion, they declared that the first ceremony to be conducted in Ephara's temple in Meletis, as soon as it would be finished, would be the kings' wedding.

Ephara was pleased by their dedication and success and delighted at this announcement. She set forth to find a wedding gift fit for two kings, and for a goddess to grant as well. After giving humans magic to fight in the war against Agnomakhos, she wanted to show the good magic could also bring in peace.

Knowing his skills with magical crafts, Ephara went first to her cousin Purphoros, god of the Forge, with her requests. Purphoros assented to help her, but only if she procured for him the centerpiece of a creation he had in mind, but escaped the grasp of even the god: a tear from a hydra. Cunning Ephara assented, with already a plan to extract it from such a beast.

In Nyx, she found the great hydra Polukranos in its lair hidden in the stars. There, she waited for it to sleep, then started telling him the story of Kynaios and Tiro, of their bravery, but more than anything, of their love. The story was so beautiful that the sleeping hydra wept a single tear. The goddess was swift to claim her prize and return to Purphoros's forge.

In Purphoros's hands, the tear became a gem, and holding it firmly, the god split the green stone in twain. From its halves, Purphoros fashioned two gold brooches to his and Ephara's design. She thanked her cousin, and took the jewelry to the city of Meletis, where a wedding was being arranged.

When the day came, the goddess officiated the wedding herself, and gave to each of the kings one of the brooch. "Behold," she declared, "by my word, you who were two are now one. These are a symbol of your love, and of mine. While a brooch can fasten clothes, these will fasten people together. Like the hydra it hails from, for as long as you keep it against your skin, you will be as two heads of the same body. You shall see what the other sees, hear what the other hears, and feel what the other feels. Never again shall you be alone, in life or in death."

And as she spoke, so it was. Through the magic of the brooches, even when their duty sent one of the kings to a far-off country, they were never alone. Never separated from the other's voice, or touch, for the rest of their lives.

Then, as it does for any mortal, their time came. Tiro died first, and on that day, Meletis wept, and Kynaios grieved. And nowhere on his body could the brooch be found. Ephara had spoken true, and the brooches, created by the gods, were not impeded by death. By the next night, Kynaios smiled once more, hearing his husband's voice, seeing through his eyes the groves of Ilysia, and feeling his touch.

With his husband's counsel, it is said that Kynaios reigned in his last few years with wisdom beyond compare, for he had seen sacred Ilysia, and could through his husband seek advice from heroes past. When his own turn came, he passed with a smile, and once again, his brooch couldn't be found.

Legend tells that they used their magic still that day to find each other in the vast and lush groves of Ilysia. And that they still wore them in the centuries thereafter, their love as strong or stronger as the day of their wedding.

In Practical Terms:

Hydra's tear sensory brooches, or Aestheliths, are pairs of rare magical items that allow the wearer of one to share one of the primary senses of the other, and vice-versa. The main uses are to share hearing, sight and touch, but taste and smell are also possible. Some more nebulous uses might be possible, but if they are, their use isn't as simple. All the current examples known of the items can only share one set of senses back and forth at once.

Having two sets of sensations for one sense is quite disorienting and overwhelming at first. It takes days of training with any one before one can learn to act normally with it active, and weeks or months before being able to make reflexive use of it.

It is entirely voluntary on both ends, and can be used by anyone, even if they cannot wield magic. While the item can be controlled with a hint of magic with thoughts, it can also be set and used by hand. It is done by turning parts of it to select the sense, and pushing lightly on the gem to activate it or accept the activation from the other of the pair. The effect can be interrupted from either end with a directed thought.

Despite being called brooches, these typically sit directly on the body of the user, under any clothes in the way. They don't have traditional pins or clasps, but they stick to one's body magically, and can be moved around their skin easily with a finger to slide it around.

Besides the lack of magic necessary to operate them, they are notable against other forms of magical communication devices because of their incredible reliability. They are almost impossible to disrupt or intercept, instantaneous, and can work even through planar boundaries and other magical limits. On Theros (and probably Kaldheim and other planes with similarly physical afterlives), this includes allowing direct contact between the mortal realm and the Underworld, which is otherwise particularly difficult. Of course, getting it there involves someone dying with one of a pair, and still wanting to contact the person on the other end after their deaths, so that makes exploiting it a bit harder a task.

The Unnecessary Details:

The Gem:

A Hydra's Tear is some form of magical gem. Whether or not it actually originates from hydras and their tears is unknown. It has a rough appearance due to its property to regenerate from its largest fragment when splintered or cut, a dark green lump of irregular shape. As such, extracting it from rock is fairly easy, you can just smash the rock and get the bit that regenerates from there, but further sanding or cutting it into shape is impossible, and each Hydra's Tear will have a unique natural shape.

When cut into two exactly equal pieces, the magic of the stone doesn't regenerate it, it instead acts magically as if the stone was never cut in the first place. This link transcends distance, Realms and Planes, and is almost impossible to disrupt, offering room for interesting enchantments.

However, cutting such a stone exactly in two is an incredibly difficult task, and has only been achieved by Gods or master craftsmiths with a divine favor. Even for those, it has required a lot of trial and error and sometimes days of work. As a result, the following experiment of further cutting the two halves into exact halves (quarters of the full thing) has so far never succeeded. It might not be fully impossible, but since each stone is unique, it would require succeeding in this arduous task twice in a row, and it's impossible to tell whether a failure is due to it being outright impossible or just the result of a minor mistake. The gem is pretty rare in the first place, as are those able to cut it once, so experiments such as those have been few in numbers.

Notably, once a gem is cut in this way, it doesn't lose its regenerating properties, but as far as its magic is concerned, it is still a single gem, so chipping or breaking it doesn't cause the link to fail or anything of the sorts. It simply regenerates whichever half got chipped or broken into its proper half.

The Brooches:

The most common (but still incredibly rare) item created from cut Hydra's Tears are brooches modeled and enchanted after the mythical pair, though not all those that have made them knew the myth. Those are called Aestheliths after the Theran term, or sensory brooches. As was mentioned earlier, they allow the wearer of both brooches to pick a sense they both have, and experience at the same time their end of that sense and the other wearer's. It is disorienting at first.

It does not function when the sense only exists for one of the wearers due to different species, but it does function if one of the wearers has that sense impaired but would otherwise have it, such as with blind or deaf humans, who can see or hear through the other wearer's senses. If both wearer share a sense but differ greatly in its characteristics, such as being able to perceive different wavelengths of light or a much wider sense of smell, it will still function but will be even more disorienting and difficult to parse for both people involved.

They technically can work with any sentient creatures, but are only really practical with sapient ones. Training an animal to wear, activate the brooch and then not immediately panic at the flood of sensations and interrupt the connections has proven beyond the skills of any who have tried it.

With the typical design, as far as manual (non magical) use, a ring of sorts surrounds the gemstone, and can be turned to select a sense, then pushing on the gem sends a "call" to the other wearer that makes them aware of the initiated link, that they can accept with a push of their own end of the gem, or dismiss with a thought. The sense shared is always the same on both ends, and there can only be one shared at a time.

The brooches adhere to skin, but can be slid around freely on there, like a magnet would behave on a large magnetic surface. They are impossible to pry off without removing the skin they're attached to when active, and require quite a bit of effort to remove by a third party even when inactive. The wearer can remove their own with much less effort if they want to. Much like other controls, they can be moved around one's body with a though and a hint of magic channeled at it, if the wearer is able to channel magic.

Here are some notes on stuff to expect with the typical senses.

Sight:

Sight is perhaps the most disorienting of senses to share at first. It helps to acclimate someone to it to start with both people involved keeping their eyes as close to each other as possible, and looking in the same direction. Learning to move your body according to a point of view that is not centered on your own head takes practice, and when that point of view is itself moving, it can lead to nausea at first.

While the brooches allow one to focus on a different part of the other's vision than they are, it doesn't allow one to move the other's eyes, or head. As a result, it can be a confusing and frustrating experience to want to look at something at the edge of the other's vision, when you physically can't turn your head or pivot your eyes to see it better.

Because sight can only be shared on its own, communication is difficult with it while in different locations. Many pairs of wearers eventually develop a code, often based on blinks for humans and similar, for some common actions... Or to switch to hearing for more complex discussions.

Between species with similar sight characteristics, there can be slight differences of color in how the world is perceived, or large ones in the case of some color blindnesses.

Between species with different sight characteristics, the mind of each will eventually adapt to recognize more colors they wouldn't usually perceive, but the process can be slow and headache-inducing.

Some have reported an unusual feeling upon seeing themselves through the eyes of another, likely linked to the fact people usually only see their own face through a mirror, whereas the brooches do not mirror the images they show.

Hearing:

Hearing is possibly the most often shared of the senses with Aestheliths. It allows conversations at any distance or simply seamless eavesdropping.

It is not typically as disorienting to share hearing as sight, though it can be when trying to locate the source of a sound. Your mind will associate the location depending on the position of the ears of the other wearer, not your own. This is even more disorienting when standing in the vicinity of the other wearer, but looking in different directions.

One of the quirks of sharing hearing is that both wearers hear a different voices than they expect for the other (and themselves), but not any other person. Because people hear themselves through not only their hear but the resonance of their own body, the voice they hear for themselves and the voice others hear are different. As a result, when sharing hearing with someone else, one will hear the "internal" voice for the other when they speak, and the "external" voice for themselves as well if they speak anywhere the other can hear. The speech of any third person will be heard the same as normal.

Due to sound moving relatively slowly in air, there can be a slight feeling of echoing when speaking and listening while sharing hearing, particularly as the distance between the two wearers grows larger (but still within range of hearing the same sounds).

When hearing is shared between two species with different hearing ranges, similar to sight, the mind slowly expands to understand sounds beyond the normal reach. But, similarly, those sounds can only be heard through another's ears still.

Touch:

Touch has a lot of unique traits as far as being shared. It goes beyond just being touch and some other characteristics are shared as well. Some elements of proprioception as well: sharing touch involves knowing the position of the other's body and how it feels in many places, though the mind will try to assign that perception of the other person's body to the wrong position in space. This can be changed with trust and training, and a learned pair sharing touch can move around each other without ever getting in one another's way or looking at each other.

While touch will share many physical sensations, be they pressure, temperature and pleasure, it also has a special handling of pain, that is... Othered, in a way other shared sensations through the brooches aren't. When sharing touch, you *know* the pain the other is in, but you don't feel it as your own. This peculiarity of the enchantment is very purposeful, and one of the reasons replicating the enchantment is an intricate and involved process.

Touching the other wearer while sharing the sense of touch with them feels like touching your own body in many ways, since you receive both the feeling of touching and being touched at the same time. A fascinating experience.

Smell and Taste:

Smell and Taste are separate, but I'll address them here together, as they're similar in being more rarely used, and less unique in their handling.

Smell can be very useful if one of the wearers has a much more developed one than the other, such as when a human and a leonin are paired. Similar to sight and hearing, one learns to decode those new signals with time and headaches. Unlike with hearing and sight however, some of those might become recognizable without needing to be sharing smell anymore eventually, as faint but present. It might even allow one to become receptive to pheromones they normally do not notice or react to.

Taste has a bit more to it being shared, like touch, in that you can also get the texture and warmth of what is being tasted through the link. Interestingly, individual preferences also are translated through the shared sense of taste. If something is found delicious by one of the wearers and disgusting by another, how it is experienced by both will depend on who actually eats it, it will feel either disgusting to both or delicious to both.

Other senses:

Beyond the five traditional senses, some might be able to be shared with the brooches, though they might require being able to magically choose the sense to share, as the selector ring doesn't typically cover anything beyond the five main ones (and an standby position to avoid accidental activations.)

Other senses that can be shared this way include magnetoreception (the perception of magnetic fields), thaumasthesia (the perception of magic), vestibular sense (perception of balance and acceleration, generally pretty useless and nausea-inducing to share with another), and more... As a reminder, both wearer need to have the sense, or the potential for it, to be able to share it this way.

There are rumors that one can also share a sense of self through the brooches, in a way that would allow two people to perceive each other's thought processes. While there has been successful activations with this idea, the process is so overwhelming, disturbing and disorienting that everyone that tried it ended the connection after a fraction of a second at most. It is possible something like that could be sustained, but it would take years if not decades of very brief and lengthening contacts to be able to maintain a usable link for any reasonable amount of time. And there are worries that doing so would permanently alter both wearer's personalities and thoughts to match the other closer in the process.

[tangledinink]

question for ur gemini au: do they ever get cloaking broaches/do they have cloaking broaches and if yes why do they use them?

me: im not gonna draw anything for any of these asks, just simple easy answers, that's all--

idiot-mushroom, my beloved mutual, asking this and giving me the opportunity to make yet another set of TMNT human designs:

ANYWAY! they don't OWN cloaking brooches of their own, but every now and again they'll get a pair for the evening for some topside dinner or charity event or what-have-you that Mama wants them present for. And they look a little like this!

this is a rare occasion and has only really been something they've been asked to participate in a handful of times over the past several years. they both find it horribly stressful for a variety of different reasons.

[laterreurofficial]

Wait if the blueprints stop at late teen.... does the Senti kids just stop aging?

Nope, it's just no longer micromanaged ahead of time. The magical genetics sort of have to just... guess. It works out fine, they only veer "off-model" in the sense that sentiadults will look a bit different than what their parents might have imagined, but in truth, none of GOHSE was really thinking about the reality of sentiadults. It was all nebulous "oh they'll rule the world or whatever" and the real thought was just put into customizing the babies sims-style to maximize easy parenting.

This doesn't apply to stuff like Adrien being programmed to not have hair below the brows, though. He was designed to not have those hair follicles, and so they won't just pop in one day without re-programming himself with the brooch. Same goes for any sentidaughters with pre-programmed anti wrinkle function.

Because the amoks don't have prior input for adulthood, the way the sentiadults age will also be informed by their surroundings: The amok will 'take in' sensory data from the senti on what the 30 year olds in their life on average look like, and will try to match that. After all, the underlying purpose of all sentihumans is to mimic humanity, so the amok will prioritize that unless given explicit conflicting input. This method of data collection often ends up in the sentis resembling their parents more and more as time goes on, but that's not always how it turns out.

[gamerknight7310]

The Community Box 2025

Greetings y'all, this page will contain this year's kwamis, which is 11. All of these are mutuals/friends of mine, so go check them out as they're all cool people, but with that sorted here they are.

|Fox Miraculous|

Concept: Mirth

Jewelry: Charm Bracelet

Kwami: Jovv

Weapon: Hula-Hoop

Power: Yippee - When activated, the area surrounding the user will fill with an aura that lifts spirits, making everyone inside laugh and joyful. This will also defuse any tenseness or aggressiveness within targets.

Transformation Phrases: "Playtime!" "Naptime."

Hero Alias (Holder): Bella (@authorambermkestner)

|Worm Miraculous|

Concept: Persistence

Jewelry: Segment Ring

Kwami: Mullch

Weapon: Whip Sword

Power: Coat - When activated, a coat of slime surrounds the user, making them both physically and mentally immune to attacks. However, their slime can fall off, which in turn reduces their power, so the less slime they have, the weaker their immunity.

Transformation Phrases: "Press On!" "Withdraw."

Hero Alias (Holder): Bottom Feeder (@redtriangle)

|Bunny Miraculous|

Concept: Curiosity

Jewelry: Carrot Pin

Kwami: Currio

Weapon: Pickaxe

Power: Seek - When activated, the user can find anything or anyone no matter where they are. After activating their powers, they must say the name of the person or object, and they will know the exact location. The only things that cannot be precisely pinpointed are magical beings and objects and will give only a rough estimate of where they are.

Transformation Phrases: "Hop To It!" "Take A Nap."

Hero Alias (Holder): Lady Hops (@kittysuicoffee)

|Bat Miraculous|

Concept: Perception

Jewelry: Brooch

Kwami: Ecco

Weapon: Baton

Power: Aware - When activated, the user goes into a state of hyperawareness. This allows them to notice everything around them in detail that a normal person wouldn't. The only downside is that they may experience sensory overload if activated too long.

Transformation Phrases: "Stay Vigilant!" "Roost."

Hero Alias (Holder): Dhampir (@naturegreenr-2)

|Draught Horse Miraculous|

Concept: Strength

Jewelry: Belt Buckle

Kwami: Drayy

Weapon: Barbell

Power: Bulk - When activated, the user's whole body begins to grow in size. They become larger and stronger than all other holders in this stage. However, they do begin to deflate over time and shrink back to their original form.

Transformation Phrases: "Haul Ass!" "Breaktime."

Hero Alias (Holder): Dobbin (@bakawitch)

|Cat Miraculous|

Concept: Solitude

Jewelry: Choker Necklace

Kwami: Purr

Weapon: Teaser Wand

Power: Purr-Vacy - When activated, the user essentially becomes a ghost. They're invisible, intangible, and immune to all forms of detection and physical harm. They can't, however, interact with anything on the physical plane unless they turn off their power. They can only toggle this power up to five times before the user detransforms.

Transformation Phrases: "Stray Off!" "Pspspsps."

Hero Alias (Holder): Stray (@kari-go)

|Hamster Miraculous|

Concept: Possession

Jewelry: Fanny Pack

Kwami: Nibbs

Weapon: Chakram

Power: Pouch - When activated, the user can access the pocket dimension inside of their fanny pack. They can store items for safekeeping or even beings to trap inside. Even if they detransform, the items/beings will still be in there until the holder reactivates the power to take them out.

Transformation Phrases: "Nom Nom!" "Spit Out."

Hero Alias (Holder): Rodent Tooth (@fabseg-creator)

|Hedgehog Miraculous|

Concept: Adaptability

Jewelry: Spiked Cuff

Kwami: Quill

Weapon: Javelin

Power: Alter - When activated, the user can transform the environment around them. The user must have a clear idea of how they want the terrain to look, and it only affects a five-mile radius. They also know how to traverse the terrain with ease, knowing every detail about it.

Transformation Phrases: "Curl Up!" "Unfold."

Hero Alias (Holder): Spindash (@adventuremaker21)

|Cricket Miraculous|

Concept: Harmony

Jewelry: C-Clef Necklace

Kwami: Chiirp

Weapon: Viola w/ Bow

Power: Melody - When activated, the user plays their instrument and fills those who hear their melody with emotions. This power can be used to either aid your allies or hinder your opponents. However, if the user is interrupted by their performance, then the power disappears in an instant.

Transformation Phrases: "Let's Start the Show!" "Let's Take a Bow."

Hero Alias (Holder): Minstrel (@itskarmalonekar)

|Chinese Dragon Miraculous|

Concept: Authority

Jewelry: Laurel Crown

Kwami: Legiss

Weapon: Guqin

Power: Decree - When activated, the user can create a rule that affects a single target or an area for multiple targets to follow. The user plays their Guqin while reciting what rule they want in order to activate it. However, if the user wants to create a new rule, then the old one will no longer be in effect, as only one rule can be active.

Transformation Phrases: "To the Heavens!" "Down to Earth."

Hero Alias (Holder): Yuheng (Akay)

|Penguin Miraculous|

Concept: Community

Jewelry: Anklet

Kwami: Noot

Weapon: Paddle

Power: Link - When activated, the user can telepathically communicate with others. They can use this power up to five times with different targets; however, every time they use it, they subtract another minute from their timer.

Transformation Phrases: "Huddle!" "Disperse."

Hero Alias (Holder): Snowdrop (@dennistherabbitfan7)

[cimmerian1275]

Omg I have several more questions now

Why is Donnie keeping it secret? And how? And why does looking normal have consequences for him, and what are those consequences? Have you thought about what double-mutated him/how that went down? How long would it take the brothers to notice the changes?? And what tips each of them off, if that's not spoilers??

Why is he keeping it secret?

First of all, the sheer level of embarrassment hed have admitting that HE, Donatello Hamato of all turtles wasnt paying attention to his surroundings? Tell them about that?? Absolutely not.

He would get laughed at to the moon and back, and have to face Raphs disappointed and disapproving face and Leos teasing and tragic bird jokes (before AND after his bros actually tried helping him)

Secondly, the guilt and fear. The anxiety and worry and panic, Donnie ends up spiraling and shutting down on himself and chickening out of telling his family, because hiding it feels like the much easier option. The emotional response he has to getting double mutated shuts down his wonderful intellect and clouds his judgement from making a clear headed decision 😔 Why tell them if he doesnt really need to, hmmm?

Later on when hes had time to process it and get used to it, theres allot of "i proooobably should have told them, but its dumb to tell them NOW because so much time has passed since then, and theyll start asking why i didnt say anything earlier" (hes not introspective enough to know WHY he didnt tell them, so he also wants to avoid that question because he has NO idea how to answer that). The longer he waits to tell them and keeping it secret, the more his thoughts twist and spiral with "what ifs", what if hes like this forever? What if his family doesnt accept the changes? What if they look at him and treat him differently? Already so much has changed, he doesnt WANT more changes in his life, so hes keeping a desperate death grip on anything normal from before the second mutation happened.

He kinda just digs his own grave of "its too late to tell them now so whats the point? Plus i fixed it! Mostly- they dont need to know"

How is he keeping his second mutation secret?

Cloaking brooch :) in this AU he finds out about them before the bug busters episode! Hed been down to the HC a couple times soon after they discovered it, fixing the portal gate key was a little tricky but he managed to get it functioning again. After exploring he learned about cloaking brooches and found out about the HC library.

You think he wouldnt have found a way to secretly swipe one of those cloaking brooches as soon as he found out about them? He yoinked that purple crystal, he yoinked a brooch~ although the one he has isnt top of the line and has some drawbacks.

The consequences of staying cloaked for too long?

Its a sensory nightmare if hes been cloaked for too long. Think about it, having whole entire wings and a tail, cloaked long-term? After a while hes going to start aching in places he cant see, and the disembodied weight of having mystically hidden limbs will slowly get heavier and harder to ignore the longer the cloaking brooch is being used to hide them.

It probably feels allot like being hunched over at a desk or table for too long, but no matter how he stretches he cant alleviate the ache unless he turns the cloaking brooch off. But doing that is incredibly risky when you have 3 nosy brothers, and a ninja rat dad who can effortlessly sneak up on you.

Donnie gets irritable way faster now because of the consistent background ache he feels when the brooch is active for far too long, and its mission impossible trying to sleep wearing it for more than a few days at a time.

He also has to make the brooch look inconspicuous/hide it when he wears it. Where can he wear it where his brothers (specifically Leo) wont notice and try to yoink it?

What happened for him to double mutate?

Im cooking a sketchy comic about it thats going to be more informative, also because a visual tale scratches that itch in my brain :) Ill probably add some written scenes to, since i feel like spicing things up and switching between different ways to tell a story.

How long till the bros notice?

IFTNTH!Leo found out right away lmao.

No idea tbh, thats something i cant effectively predict so soon 🤷

Itll probably take different times for each brother to start noticing… subtle differences though. But for anyone of them to actually find out what happened to Donnie? Id assume one at a time, hed blackmail them into keeping it secret and to not tell the others, Raph would probably be the last to find out xD

What tips each of them off?

Raph just thinks of Donnies antics as middle child nonsense at first "The twins are teaming up with their insomnia at night again arnt they, thats why Donnie looks like he hasnt been getting much sleep!". Although he probably stumbles across Donnie early one morning, and in that quiet moment of observation he notices that his brother has been looking off for a bit now… hmmm, maybe he should approach him with a fresh cup of coffee just the way he likes it and see if he opens up to him a little.

Leo clocks it pretty early on that something is definitely up with his brother, hes noticed a few odd things happening and changes in how his brother has been acting, but he doesnt say anything about it. He probably brushes the signs off for a while, until they keep showing up and then he starts getting curious and worried about whats not being said. He does some snooping, some prying, some deep hidden questions layered under the jokes and sarcasm to see if he can get anything out of Donnie. Might just burst into his lab and start pestering him to see if when he snaps at him to leave he gives anything away. Hes the one who would speak up and say "Hey, is it just me or has anyone noticed that Donnie's been acting weirder than usual?".

Mikey notices the change in what Donnie feels like eating xD he also definitely notices his brothers shift in mood, not immediately, but when he does notice its impossible for him to ignore. He tries approaching Donnie a few times to try and figure out the specifics and cause and effect of whats going on with him emotionally, but gets lost and frustrated when his guesses dont hold any water. Mikey gets pretty annoyed with himself when he cant figure out how to help Donnie with whatever is clearly eating on his mind.

[geese-ball]

Something about Love & Computers: First Meeting

ao3

Every day since he found out that there was an actual real life high school that he could attend without a cloaking brooch or forged documents, Donnie was extatic. She could actually go to high school, make friends, get in a messy relationship and make bad decisions. And they probably didnt need to worry about their grades, after all he is a literal genius.

Perhaps other people would call Donnie paranoid, but they prefer the term 'prepared'. And as such, her clothes had been set out and bag packed the night before. He had planned ahead for food as there probably wouldnt be anything sensory friendly in the canteen, so they had prepared some Flavourless Juice™ for breakfast and lunch.

So when she woke up that morning, they were calm. Well, calmer than he would've been otherwise. But it was still a big change. Thankfully, they had her siblings (minus April, who was in human high school) to cling to. He got dressed in a plain black short sleeved crop top with an even shorter, sheer purple, long sleeved crop top with flowers on it. The two tops left a small gap between them. Their bottom half was relatively simple, with baggy black cargos and chunky combat boots. To accessorise, she layered a couple of simple black belts with silver studs and gromets, a choker, some dangly earrings and a purple headscarf. He quickly did their eyeliner and eyebrows, adding a few sparkles under their eyes for funsies, before grabbing his bag and heading to the kitchen.

"Good morrow, brethren, how art ye?" they greeted, placing their bag down on a chair and heading for the refrigerator. They all replied accordingly.

"You excited for today?" Raph questioned, clearly able to tell that her younger sibling was stressed. Curse their annoying yet endearing habit of speaking in Old English when overwhelmed.

"Unbelievably so, my anxiety is lessened due to having packed everything yesterday. I have my tech bō, pain killers, hydration sachets, mini sewing and first aid kits, a small selection of scientific instruments, and most importantly," he took out two bottles of flavourless juice from the fridge, holding them up to show everyone, "my flavourless juice.". They shook one before opening it and began to drink it whilst prepping their thermos with ice.

"Prepared as ever, mi hermane, we'll be together the whole time, no need to stress with Neon Leon around!" He grinned at Donnie, who regarded him in much the same way you would some gum on the underside of a desk you accidentally touched. (Donnie would never admit it, but she was incredibly thankful that her twin was planning on spending the day with her, and it made her anxiety a lot less overwhelming).

~~~

Once they reached the gates of the school, Donnie was shaking with nerves and standing so close to Leo it seemed like they were trying to fuse into one. Either Leo knew how she felt, or he felt the same, because he moved to hold Donnie's hand, squeezing it reassuringly.

The school was massive. It was painted a faint purple, which he appreciated. The main section had an arched roof, with a huge red, horned skull above the windows. To the left was a rounded tower, that was taller han the rest of the school by quite a bit, and past that was a large semi-circular auditorium with bright spotlights pointed at the stage. The seats were already filled with people. To the right was a section of the school with a slanted roof, it looked disconcertinly normal. And to the side of that was a sports area with plenty of seating for spectators and four gigantic lights shining onto the grass.

Tsking a deep breath, Donnie squeezed Leo's hand, turned the sound sensitivity on her headphones down, and began to walk inside.

Being the paranoid person they were, Donnie had made Leo come with them an hour early. For the first fifteen minutes or so, they walked around the campus to find their classes and get their bearings. When they were confident that they wouldn't get lost, they decided to go and chill in the library.

"This building is not tall enough to warrant this many stairs." Donnie huffed, out of breath from climbing up the seemingly endless spiral staircase to the library. Leo hummed in agreement.

Beyond the arch at the top of the stairs was the library. Golden morning light shone through the arched windows, glimmering off of the computers in a dazzling display. It made the books look mystical as it illuminated them and their shelves, and highlighted the plants around the room. It was the most beautiful thing she had ever seen.

Leo nudged them, so they continued walking into the library. Due to the early hour, there was almost nobody there, it was serene. They sat down at a small table that had three passably comfortable chairs and began to talk quietly.

After a short while, a door opened. Neither of them had noticed the door, but they both turned to watch in curiosity now that they had.

A tall... android? stepped out. It was almost all white with chest casing that mimicked pectoral muscles before ending to reveal a partially exposed endoskeleton. The endoskeleton was also visible at the joints, which all had golden discs at either side. There was visible wiring at the shoulders and tubing in the abdomen. Its head appeared to be an old fashioned PC monitor, with a dark green screen and a lighter green, pixilated analogue smiley face. It was holding a small aloe vera plant in its hands. Donnie couldn't stop staring.

Then it turned its head and seemed to notice them staring. "Hello, friends..." The robot stopped, puzzled. He tilted his head, expression changing to a puzzled one. "Apologies, it seems we have not met before. My name is Calculester, I am also a student here. This is my aloe vera, Plantlina Joleaf, she is not a student here. And you are?"

"I have a lot of names: Leonardo, Neon Leon, Nardo, Lee, Great and Fearless leader. But most people just call me Leo." He grinned at the sentient computer. After a few seconds, he realised that his dear twin was not talking, and nudged him with the appropriate ammount of force for such an occasion.

Donnie winced at this, but began talking anyways. "Hi, I'm Donatello. uh. Donnie" They said, quickly, still not taking his eyes off of Calculester. "I, um, I like your plant, are you into botany too? By 'too' I mean as well as me, because I'm really into botany..." They trailed off, realising that they had been talking for too long and probably was over explaining.

Calculester's expression changed to an analogue heart emoji. "Yes! Botany is one of my favorite subjects. May I?" He gestured to the empty seat. Donnie nodded.

"I think I forgot where one of my classes is, I'm gonna go double check while you two talk about plants or whatever" Leo lied, looking between the two budding botanists before he got up and hastily left the library. Donnie barely even acknowledged his departure.

"Could you tell me about your plants?" Calculester asked as he sat down, placing Plantalina infront of him and crossing his arms on the table.

Donnie's tail wags against the seat, he never gets to talk about his plants!! Of course, he goes into 'speech mode' as Leo calls it, talking all about the plants they grow, their benefits, and how to take care of them, dropping a few anecdotes where relevent. More than once, she gets a little too loud and ends up getting told off by the librarian, though she's nice about it. And then he asks Calculester about his plants, and he answers, talking about his plants, their personalities, and how he cares for them. He tells Donnie that all of the plants in the library are his, and how thw librarian and he are close, so she lets him keep a few of his plants here.

After what seemed like a few minutes, Leo reappears. "Hey, DonTron, its almost time for class, you coming?"

Donnie pulls out their phone to check the time. "Oh shit, it is." He turns to Calculester. "Um, I have class in S069, I guess I'll see you at lunch?"

"Actually, that is my first class aswell, would you like to walk together?"

"Yeah, that'd be. um. thatd be great."

And so they went to class, then ate lunch together, where Calculester introduced Donnie to a few of his friends, who she got along with decently. Score. They all exchanged numbers so that they could keep in contact outsode of school Then they went their seperate ways for their other class. And then it was home time.

~~

"He's the one."

"You say that literally all the time"

"I know but this time it's real!! Leo, he's literally perfect. He's a robot, he's sweet, he likes plants for god's sake!! He's my soulmate I swear!"

Leo rolls his eyes and resigns himself to at least a month of hearing about this guy constantly. Whatever makes his twin happy he supposes. But if their heart is broken, he's going to turn Calculester into scrsp metal. But he seems nice, so that probably won't happen.

At dinner that night, they all talked about their days. Raph played sports, Mikey did art, and Leo was with him all day. They all seemed to enjoy their first day and made new friends. When it was Donnie's turn, they talked about Calculester and how smart and kind and wonderful he was whilst the others shared knowing glances. It seemed that Spooky High was the beginning of a wonderful new adventure for all of them.

[rainbowdelicsunshine]

A question for your polymercs—if they are the type that would want to be married to each other, how would they display their commitment? Ex: some married people like to wear rings, while others may prefer to wear necklaces, earrings, or other kinds of jewelry. Some may not like to wear anything at all due to sensory issues or other factors. Do you have any specific headcanons for any of them?

This actually took me a minute to come up with a proper since they sadly still couldn't all be legally married to each other since it's considered bigomy (which is still sadly illegal in my AU)!

The Mercs all compromised with having a Commitment Ceremony/Elopement that was treated as a big party/get together celebrating their love and the time they all spent together (especially celebrating the fact they had their kiddos since at the time Lulu would've been 8 and Leon would've been 6)

And since I have a feeling that only half of the Mercs would be into having a ring, Spy came up with the idea of having a jewel-encrusted Red Aster Brooch to wear on their respective uniforms instead (Solly even sees it as his "Metal of Love and Honor" hehe)

The Brooches would look similar to this image, except it would obvs be encrusted in a shitton of jewels (Spy couldn't help himself, he really wanted something dazzling and beautiful for them all to show off lolol)

And if you were wondering, Lulu, Leon and Scout had a wonderful time at the Commitment Ceremony since Scout got to be an unorthodox version of a ""Best Man"" for everyone, Lulu got to be the Flower Girl and Leon the Ring Bearer!

The 8 respective Brooches were all carried in a Black Forest Wood Carved Jewelry Box that the Mercs still keep to this day to store the brooches in for when they need safe keeping

-----------------------------------------------------

This was such a frickin fun ask to answer, I LOVED writing all of this out I wish I had the opportunity to do it more often!

Thank you soso very much for sending this in my amazing and lovely friend, it was very much needed for the longest time since I love talking about this AU so much! I hope to see you here again soon and have a fantastic day!!

[zukkacore]

I want the director’s cut of. Honestly the entirety of if you want divinity. I’ll take whatever you’re willing to talk about. I need to just stare out a window for awhile. I feel like crying. Wow. Amazing story stunning stunning stunning.

HELLO FRIEND SCREAMS thank you so much you know how meaningful it is that people like. Like my writing and engage with it and you've been so sosososo incredibly sweet. Sorry yours took the longest, I was trying to think of something to say bc apparently there's a word limit on these things. Boo. I would totally do a total annotated doc otherwise bc im cringe but i went over like a LOT of the references stuff in Part 1, Part 2, Part 3 which honestly. Might be a lot of the process.

Imma see if I have any other notes off the top of my head:

THE POSTER: ok, so. The WEAKNESS IS PAIN LEAVING THE BODY poster. Obviously that's a bit of an ironic joke. That wasn't even really supposed to be there. I'm realizing i kept in the draft the fact that Jace makes the picture frames on Porter's desk rattle. And actually, during the implied Cassandra Divine Intervention scene where the poster falls, was originally supposed to be one of the pictures on the desk. I... couldn't justify it. I was like. idk whats weird n whats not to have as a framed picture on your desk if you're a teacher.

I'm like. Genuinely I think one of my biggest flaws as a writer is sensory detail, description, like maintaining characters geography w/in a space. King of white wall syndrome. At the bare minimum, I do think there's this kinda funny old vs. new feeling regarding Jace's belongings, his home, etc. Or like. I guess not kitsch but like something mass market vs. very old and traditional. Like the couch in my head like something small, ugly and modern, like very minimalist and kinda uncomfortable, and something a lot of people would own. But there's also the grandfather clock in the corner—to me that's also something that was passed down like the brooch. The brooch, moon n stars, obviously n heirloom—he's has like old roots in fallinel, his family is of Galicaean faith. But also The brooch is described in the same scene as the mug Porter keeps, and it's the most generic millenial like mass market slogan thing you've ever seen. There's this like. Presence of his family's influence even if he doesn't speak to them. But also a life that's. Kinda on autopilot.

I.... i always feel like I'm patting myself on the back abt this. I do really like the Detect magic + Teleport meld. I think it was clever. I'm telling myself that's ok to say. Mainly b/c it was a good solution to two problems. And a little bit b/c I think it's romantic to rip through space and time for someone. Again, I keep joking that he loved Porter to the point of invention (something i only feel self congratulatory about bc he did it in canon first).

Anyway. I was struggling SO HARD on what to do about these flashback scenes and i've said this before but like they were so close to being on the cutting room floor. I just felt like i couldn't justify them in something that was meant to be kinda... fun? Haha. "fun" IYWD. As if. The Detect thoughts i think helped with what to do about inserting those flashbacks, which i think helped resolve my problem of them feeling pointless b/c its like. It's not for our benefit, it's literally the memories weighing on Porter at like all times. They hang over everything.

The Teleport part was bc i was like. Ok. This is the biting maiming killing dropping during sex couple. If there's a question of "you can do anything you want to me", there HAS to be an escalation of stakes. But also this doesn't feel like a story that necessitates like. A lot of violence in their kinkplay I guess? When there's so much else going on, there's so much like about mourning and the violence already inflicted on Jace twofold that's actually a source of guilt for his horrible evil loser boyfriend porter. I already went through a LOT of contrivance just to get them into Porter's office (i think the fucking in porter's office jokes are fun, sue me), but I also was like. Ok. I think I need to go bigger by going smaller. If he changes the spell to rip through time, there's this like—doubling that makes it so on some level they're basically recreating their first time. Which i think makes the kinda silly vanilla (with little bit of mind reading lol) mundanity of that last part hopefully work

Fun Fact: the "I actually kinda miss you, aint that peculiar" "I'm right here" scene is the first one I wrote. It was basically the basis for everything. As it existed then, it was wayyyyy different tho. The tone was actually a lot more hostile. The patching up injuries thing actually came in way later and i was super embarrassed bc i was like that's so cliche but now i like it b/c i think there's such a Ratgrinders haunt the narrative thing about it. A Jace Cares and that's the thesis of Porter's grief thing about it.

The "there it is, the line" "you're so weird" into he never wants porter to stop saying mystifying things to him. Like. Completely changed the trajectory of what was going on almost by accident. Like. It literally wasn't until that moment that i was like. Oh. Oh. He wants porter to stay. B/c like

I see so much of the 1st half of the story as Jace like. Using Porter's want for him as a way to satisfy his own wants and needs. He wants pleasure after denying himself. But he also needs to live. I keep saying he's using sex as a tool b/c i really think he is—he wants to be so good porter can never live without him. And on level one, that's about making sure he's indispensible. Making sure he stays alive. But the second thing thats buried under there is more of a want—for Porter to stay with him. And that changed it from Jace actually fighting to have the upper hand and in some ways even getting Porter on the back foot to it being like. Actual desperation.

How many Jaces are in this story? Good question. Pre and post shatterstar for sure, but also we only see Pre in flashbacks so they're more like Porter's perception of pre. The clones are implied but do not make an appearance. And obviously after the first 5, the other jaces w/in 8 Jace thesis are more concepts in people's heads (and also one of them is 25). The Jace of Porter's memory is definitely there. The Jace Porter thought he would get after the shatterstar also haunts the scene. too. It's jaces all the way down.

Idk if it makes sense my logic behind this but. There's Porter complimenting Jace when he's really raw and vulnerable and messy and its like. Jace's response is that it's unfair. And b/c there's so much talk abt justice and unfair in FHJY i was like. Can. there be an instance in which something is unfair in a good way? Like. In that you're the one being treated unfairly at the expense of everyone else. Like. almost like. Sometimes you can be unfair in that you're easier on your friend than you might be on someone else. That's not fair, but like. That's human. Like if something is unfair you might be getting an advantage on something you didn't earn. But you don't have to earn love, but the fact that Jace didn't have to work for it, he feels like he's getting something too easily. It's unfair. In a good way.

I've said this before but I do think Porter is able to come to some sort of synthesis about Jace. And that he was maybe able to even conceive of the totality of him b/c of how the flashbacks are laid out. Like. in the first one he's unpalatable and angry and a disappointment to the memory of Jace that Porter imagined. In the second one he's sort of perfect, the scene too short and precious and romanticized to be muddied by real flaws in his mundanity and simplicity. And in the last one, Jace is mundane, flawed, overworked, overly familiar with his students, willing to play favorites, but also empathetic, good at making connections, ultimately well meaning and trying his best. Someone real, that's Porter's favorite. It's up to interpretation i think. esp bc like.

Counterpoint: I think you could also read that. Porter seems to love this Jace more the way a god loves their creation than the way a man loves another man. Like. yeah they're suckin n fuckin but also Porter being in to the fact that jace is "so trusting" is very. Helio always has a plan and i let him take the wheel, no? He's moved by Jace's devotion. Jace will take that tho. He'll take it all.

Final point: if brennan says that anything his PCs do can become fair game for him, then same for me. If Adaine n Aelwyn can use dimension door to go to her parents house / aelwyn's apartment despite the distance, that's fair game for me to misuse it < 3. (i just think if i'd allowed for the teleport it would've made way more sense to go to someone's house. And llike. that's no fun at all

I might rb with more thoughts later to be a menace. Thank you!

[acrossthewavesoftime]

Uhhh. For the game. What's the one item of clothing that you own which you dislike the most? ... if the question makes sense.

That absolutely does make sense, my friend!

See, I was in my late teens and bought a tube dress. Lace, knee-length, very tight, bright red. I bought it because it was on sale and I thought that while it doesn't fit well now, one day it might.

Fast forward to the present day, it does fit me. Objectively, it even looks great going by its fit. The colour suits me very well.

But, this is just no more who I am. It is a relic of what I wanted to be at a certain age, but nothing I would wear now.

I don't think I really dislike it in a way that I absolutely detest a specific aspect of it, or the sensory dimension of wearing it, I just... don't think I will ever wear it. It is, however, a piece of my history and others have told me it looks great, so for the moment, it is allowed to stay in my wardrobe.

I don't believe my teenage self ever saw me owning several different evening gowns, frilly 80s blouses, brooches and pearl necklaces coming. xD

[littlemoriflower]

:3 because I like asking questions (and you can answer when you aren't busy!!) What are you "go to" accessories for mori kei outfits? (like scarfs, necklaces, bracelets, brooches, etc.)

Hellooo! How are you, dear? It's always good to see you around my blog hehehe (⁠人⁠ ⁠•͈⁠ᴗ⁠•͈⁠)

To answer your question, I actually have a few, even though I am not one to over-accessorize!

However, my normal "go to" are:

Necklaces, usually made out of gold, wool or crochet, with quirky designs and forest/animal motifs

Scarves, for when it gets cold in the autumn or winter months

Socks (do these count? lmao), since I loooove socks with quirky motifs, and I love to put them on top of leggings and scrunch them up ^ ^

Brooches of any kind, normally with forest and animal motifs as well

Hair accessories, like crocheted hairclips or hairbands

Accessories like bracelets and rings are very rare for me because I have sensory issues, so I usually end up taking them off just after a hours of using them! YoY

Also, since I like to crochet, I often try to make my own accessories, whenever I have the time to do so! Otherwise, I buy accessories that could work with mori and "morify" them even further! ～⁠(⁠つ⁠ˆOˆ⁠)⁠つ⁠｡⁠☆

[quincyhorst]

Lance 💝

Shane 👗

Gareth 🖕

...First of all, thank you for sending this ask! 💖 REALLY improved an already stressful day for me ;v;

So, let's start! I'll reply to each emoji as best as I can. ~ Though be careful, it's been quite a long time since I've written in detail about Lance and Gareth's personalities, so there could be something I missed.

Lance: 💝 - A headcanon about their love language

If I had to describe Lance's LL, I think the best type that'd describe him for me (At least from what I have seen) would be Words of Affirmation. I think that if he were to have a crush/be attracted to someone, most of the time he'd have no issue approaching and flirting with them. Plus, he is very open with his thoughts as a whole: If he finds his crush beautiful or with any other quality he's fond of, he WILL say it out at any chance. He also likes doing physical gestures too, although only when things seem to go steady. But nonetheless, if you're dating him expect being hand-kissed at any chance.

A close second for his most common LL would be receiving gifts. Don't mind him, Lance has all the money in the world and wants to spend it on you (Be it flowers or jewelry). In fact, now onto an actual headcanon, it was during the FFI where he bought his first gift with romantic intentions; taking advantage he could finally talk with his crush without any intimidating adults (or little butler) around. He bought her a little KOQ emblem brooch... 🥺

-----

...Ok, I'll confess that when I first read the ask, I got confused with "Shane", given I had never written such a name before on this blog. But I soon realized it was Shine, so... Here you have. And if it wasn't him, then... Sorry! You can ask for another character in exchange. ;____;

Shine: 👗- A headcanon about their clothes

I'll be brief: Because his parents were constantly always working outside, Shine had barely any time to do clothes-shopping with them at all. So for the most part, his wardrobe is full of loosely picked clothes, leftover ones from his father's younger ages, OR, even some bought without even prior consultation. But being fair, not even he cares much about styles and all. What he values in clothing is actually texture and comfort, SPECIALLY considering his sensory issues.

Even as an adult, when he moved with grandma Sun he only brought with him a very limited number of clothes. Typically you'll see him on his most common look: puffy red jacket and grey baggy trousers. However in this life stage more choices of his do appear, such as him prefering to wear platform sneakers (Who knows why). If he has to buy new clothes, he'd rather go to a thrift store. Not only he likes what they sell, but he's also aware of the darker side of fast fashion and the ecological damage it causes. He is not supporting that industry at all!

...I'm aware that the ask game only said one (1) headcanon, but I'll add something extra here because I actually have a special HC for Shine when it comes to this specific topic:

On Sun's house there's many things she preserves from her past, and that includes clothes. Many decades might have passed, but her sundresses still look beautiful as ever, even to Shine himself. Keep this a secret between us, but when nobody is around he likes to try them out on himself. There isn't much to this at all; it's just simply something he enjoys doing. However, while he doesn't care about imposed genders on clothes, he's aware society still thinks otherwise. So for now, him wearing dresses is only something he'll keep to himself. And he isn't ready to share this with anyone else either :(

-----

Gareth:🖕 - A headcanon relating to anger

And finally... Remember when I wrote about how Gareth was pretty much forced to repress himself a lot? Yes, that includes many of his own emotions too, including anger; with the excuse that it looks "Impolite" on a butler. So yeah, he could hold the most intense wrath within him, and yet he'd still be forced to keep a numb face. Extremely damaging to his own mental health, unfortunately...

At school things are a bit more relaxed, so Gareth HAS some ways to express his anger if something or somebody is bothering him there. Best example is obviously aganist Lance, specially if he gets annoying with his "Lancelot kills Gareth" all over again. However, it is to clarify that when releasing it all, he'll mostly leash out, never going with any violence. Sucks, because there's many people that Gareth would like to fight, yet is aware of the family's reputation and how any action can ruin it all forever.

At least if you want something sligthly better, Gareth eventually manages to free his anger aganist the man that has forced to repress it. I won't be spoiling it much (?), BUT this is after the FFI, a time period when things around him started to get worse and worse; to a point where he just couldn't bottle it all up anymore.

...Regardless of how that specific scenario ended, it gradually led to a positive impact on his life; specially on his transition to adulthood. Around GO, I think the (former) butler would finally come on terms on his anger. He doesn't repress himself anymore and will express it when needed, but he still prefers to avoid extreme violence… Unless you threaten him or his spy partner, that's for sure.

[sophiamcdougall]

we went to Hastings yesterday! we didn’t know about pirate day until we got there, and it was so cool seeing them walking around! also how are there SO MANY antiques shops in such a tiny area it’s insane

Congratulations, you could not have had a more representative (or a more overwhelming) introduction to Hastings. I love Hastings very dearly -- there is nearly always a bunch of people in fancy dress and facepaint parading along the street banging drums, because, oh, who knows, it's Thursday or something. I Was There (Gandalf) for the very first Pirate Day, which back then was an attempt to break the world record for the most pirates in one place. To be counted you had to meet certain costume criteria -- stripes or a white shirt, hat or a bandana, etc. Some people had achieved this in a slapdash way, others were dressed up in extremely elaborate, and expensive-looking cosplay, with appropriate wigs, 18th century waistcoats and weapons. We gathered on the beach and eventually some kind of organiser pirate got up on a stage and announced, "Well, we're not going to break the record." Groans. "...WE'RE GOING TO SMASH THE RECOOOOORRRD!!!!" Cheers. Then, as it became rather obvious that no one had thought beyond gathering pirates to what they were going to do with them, he instructed us to storm the town. As many of the pirates had been drinking since 11am, this seemed reckless, but thankfully Hastings survived the subsequent onslaught. We did indeed smash the record, so comprehensively that I don't believe anyone has even tried to claim it since. And this was all accomplished on a weekday, which tells you everything you need to know about Hastings.

(Also, yes, the antique shops are amazing! When I had recovered a bit from the piratical and familial sensory overload today, I moseyed out again and bought five -- five! -- vintage brooches for £10.)

Come again, try the Backdoor Sausage Hole or the Kirk/Spock pub.

[binenbaumaj]

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[dennis-wisser]

Luxury Wedding Invitations: Trends, Customization, and the Art of Making an Entrance

When it comes to weddings, first impressions are everything—and your invitation is the first glimpse guests get of your big day. If your wedding is a luxury affair, then your invitation shouldn’t whisper elegance. It should scream it in the most graceful, timeless way possible. Welcome to the world of luxury wedding invitations, where art meets emotion, and craftsmanship meets customization. At DennisWisser.com, we don’t just design invites—we create heirloom pieces that set the tone for a celebration of a lifetime.

So, what’s trending in the world of high-end wedding invitations in 2025? What’s new in customization? And how can you ensure your invitation is as unforgettable as your love story? Let’s dive in.

Why Luxury Invitations Matter More Than Ever

With weddings becoming more curated, personal, and visually driven (hello, Instagram!), luxury invitations are no longer optional for couples planning upscale events. They’re essential. Think about it: your invitation isn’t just a piece of paper—it’s a declaration of intent. It tells your guests, “This isn’t just a party. This is an experience.”

At DennisWisser.com, we’ve worked with countless couples who want their invitations to do more than inform—they want them to enchant. That’s why our invitation boxes, silk folios, acrylic cards, and embellished designs are crafted with the same attention to detail as a couture gown.

2025 Wedding Invitation Trends to Obsess Over

1. Invitation Boxes That Wow

Forget flat envelopes—invitation boxes are where it’s at. From silk-covered hardboard boxes to velvet pouches, luxury invitation boxes offer drama, protection, and that “wow” moment guests experience when they first receive your invite. Bonus? They make stunning keepsakes.

Our best-selling designs at DennisWisser.com include hinged velvet boxes with rhinestone brooch closures and drawstring pouches in raw silk. These aren’t just invitations—they’re gifts.

2. Acrylic Invitation Cards

Clear, crisp, and endlessly chic—acrylic invitations have taken over the luxury scene. Whether paired with gold foil calligraphy or laid into a plush velvet box, acrylic adds a modern touch to traditional elegance. Think of it as the crystal chandelier of wedding stationery: glamorous, timeless, and unforgettable.

We love pairing acrylic cards with our custom monogram velvet boxes for a regal, museum-worthy look.

3. Minimalist Meets Maximalist

Luxury doesn’t always mean over-the-top. In 2025, we’re seeing a stunning fusion of minimalist layouts with maximalist materials—think clean typography on shimmering silk backgrounds or gold-pressed text on creamy handmade cotton paper. Less can definitely be more when your materials speak for themselves.

At DennisWisser.com, our silk and linen folios are the perfect canvas for this balance—elegant, understated design with a rich, tactile experience.

4. Textured & Tactile Elements

From embossed monograms to velvet embossing and letterpress printing, texture is a huge trend right now. Couples want guests to feel the luxury—literally. The sensation of running your fingers across high-end materials leaves a lasting impression and adds an interactive dimension to your invitation.

Our handcrafted invitation folders with padded silk interiors or laser-cut lace overlays are top choices for couples seeking a sensory invitation experience.

5. Sustainable Luxury

Eco-conscious weddings are here to stay, and luxury doesn’t mean wasteful. At DennisWisser.com, we offer sustainable silk and paper options, recyclable rigid boxes, and biodegradable packaging—so you can have the planet and your dreamy wedding too.

Our Chiang Mai-based workshop uses responsibly sourced materials, ensuring your invitations are as kind to the Earth as they are stunning.

Customization: Your Story, Your Style

Every couple has a story, and your wedding invitation should reflect you. That’s why customization is at the heart of what we do at DennisWisser.com. We don’t believe in one-size-fits-all love, so why should your invitations be?

Here’s how you can make your invites uniquely yours:

Monograms & Crests

Custom monograms and family crests add a sense of legacy and formality. Whether you’re going full “royal wedding” or just want something classic and timeless, our design team can create custom artwork that looks straight out of a palace.

Fabric & Texture Selection

Choose from luxe fabrics like Thai silk, velvet, suede, cotton, and linen—in your exact wedding palette. Want something romantic and soft? Go for blush pink velvet. Something regal and bold? Try royal blue silk with a gold brooch.

Brooch Embellishments

Nothing says opulence quite like a rhinestone brooch. Our signature brooches range from vintage-inspired crystals to modern geometric designs. They’re the cherry on top of an already exquisite piece.

Calligraphy and Printing Styles

From gold foil stamping to digital white ink on deep navy card stock, our calligraphy and print options are vast and luxurious. Add edge painting, blind debossing, or even laser engraving for that next-level finish.

Packaging Personalization

Each invitation set can come in a custom rigid box or fabric pouch—with your initials, wedding date, or even a personal message for guests. It’s like opening a jewel box and discovering an invite inside.

DennisWisser.com: Crafting Invitations with Heart and Heritage

Founded with a passion for luxury textiles and fine design, DennisWisser.com is where tradition meets innovation. Our family-run workshop in Chiang Mai, Thailand, is home to artisans who specialize in sewing, embroidery, silk wrapping, and luxury box crafting.

Everything we create is handmade—from the very first cut of silk to the final fold of a ribbon. Our attention to detail is obsessive (in a good way), and we ship worldwide to couples who won’t settle for anything less than perfection.

We’ve worked with everyone from royalty to A-list wedding planners, and whether you’re ordering 50 boxes or 500, your experience with us is always personal, premium, and polished.

Tips for Choosing the Perfect Luxury Invitation

Not sure where to start? Here are our top 5 tips for choosing the perfect invitation set:

Start Early: Luxury means time. Give yourself at least 3–6 months before your wedding to design, customize, and ship your invitations.

Order Samples: Seeing (and touching) is believing. Order a few sample boxes or folios to get a feel for materials and size.

Match Your Theme: Is your wedding garden-glam? Modern minimal? Versailles-inspired? Your invitation should be a preview of your day.

Don’t Overcrowd the Design: Luxury doesn’t mean busy. Let quality materials and expert design shine without clutter.

Trust the Experts: When in doubt, our team at DennisWisser.com is here to guide you through every step—from choosing fabrics to final touches.

Real Brides, Real Reactions

We love hearing from couples who were blown away by their DennisWisser.com invitations:

“When our guests received their invitations, we got calls saying they’d never seen anything like it. One even said, ‘If this is the invite, I can’t wait for the wedding!’”

— Emma & Lucas, New York

“The velvet box with our initials and gold foil card inside was so luxurious, it looked like a piece of art. Dennis and his team were amazing from start to finish.”

— Sanjana & Rohan, Dubai

Final Thoughts: Your Invitation Is the Prelude

Your wedding day is a story—and your invitation is the first chapter. Whether you go bold with brooches and velvet or elegant with minimalist silk folios and gold lettering, let your invites speak volumes about your celebration.

At DennisWisser.com, we believe that every couple deserves an invitation as unforgettable as their love. With unmatched craftsmanship, exquisite materials, and endless customization options, your luxury wedding invitation will be more than paper—it’ll be a legacy.

Ready to make your entrance unforgettable?

Explore our collection or start your custom design journey today at DennisWisser.com.

[duxiaomin-blog]

From Exotic Fantasy to Poetic Reconstruction: The Visual Language and Cultural Reinterpretation of Chinoiserie

The aesthetic expression of the world is no longer content with merely replicating authenticity or symbolically contrasting cultures. Instead, it increasingly embraces deeper forms of cultural intertextuality and aesthetic generation. In this context, “French Chinoiserie” is quietly re-entering contemporary discourse as a trans-temporal visual language. It is not a simple collage of East and West, but rather a “third style” born from the fusion of Eastern imagery and the spirit of French art — neither traditionally Eastern nor classically Western, but a sensorial mode of elegance constructed through curves, textures, and nuanced meaning.

From the imaginative integration of the East by 18th-century European elites to the reinterpretation of traditional patterns and materials by today’s haute couture ateliers, French Chinoiserie has always hovered between fantasy and reality. It takes the essence of the East as its soul, and the craftsmanship of Europe as its form — generating, through a mirror-like cultural reflection, an aesthetic order imbued with poetic dislocation.

Mid-18th Century Meissen Chinoiserie Family Group Figurines Image courtesy of Sotheby’s

Take for example this mid-18th century Meissen porcelain set, titled A Garniture of Louis XV Gilt-Bronze Mounted Meissen ‘Chinoiserie Family’ Figure Groups, created by Johann Joachim Kändler, Peter Reinicke, and Friedrich Elias Meyer. Mounted on Rococo-style gilt-bronze candelabra bases, this set epitomizes the Chinoiserie aesthetic. It not only embodies the materialized expression of Europe’s imagination of the East during the 18th century, but also demonstrates how the West restructured exotic cultures into aesthetic spectacles through imagery and ornamentation.

The Chinese figures are transformed into domestic scenes of familial warmth and children at play — divorced from their original religious, ritualistic, or philosophical contexts, and reoriented toward a pastoral and emotional projection of the “Orient.” Particularly notable is the central figure of a child feeding a monkey, a scene which fuses the Rococo preference for natural whimsy and sensuous lightness, making the “Orient” appear intimate, tangible, and decorative rather than mystical and distant.

At the core of this Chinoiserie work is its collage-like treatment of form and decoration. The figures wear patterned robes and sport high hairdos, but their faces are unmistakably European — a liminal state between “Western faces in Eastern garb.” This aesthetic dislocation reflects the Western psyche of the time: a simultaneous longing for and misunderstanding of Chinese culture. Through visual grafting and identity ambiguity, a stage is built that is both exotic and familiar, distant yet approachable.

Moreover, the symbolism embedded in the metallic base adds further interpretive weight. The Rococo-style gilded bronze branches and floral motifs enhance the work’s opulence while diluting the cultural depth of the original object, aligning it with the 18th-century French aristocracy’s pursuit of “visual pleasure” and “stylistic consumption.” The porcelain flowers blooming from the bronze branches are not only imitations of nature, but also nodes of intersection where materials, craftsmanship, and imagination from both East and West converge.

CHUCUI PALACE “Dews on the Vines” Brooch

Turning to jewelry, CHUCUI PALACE — the pioneer of Chinoiserie jewelry — offers an exemplary case with its brooch Dews on the Vines, themed on the Chinoiserie motif of “flower vases.” This work innovatively merges Chinese fine brushwork, Chinese carving, jewelry-style bird-and-flower painting, Chinoiserie aesthetics, and Western decorativeism. With lily and calla lily as its central floral elements, it constructs a totemic floral arrangement that harmonizes Eastern and Western imagery. Its aesthetic depth lies not only in its exquisite form, but also in the cultural semantics of flowers across traditions.

The design abandons the symmetrical and closed composition common in traditional jewelry, adopting instead a fluid layout reminiscent of “scattered perspective.” The central green leaves unfold in irregular directions, while the petals and stems curl and rise, evoking the compositional logic of Chinese painting where “spirit and rhythm dictate structure.” This non-centralized, non-geometric spatial arrangement is not meant to serve a visual focal point but to guide the viewer’s gaze to wander freely among the curves and gaps.

The color palette also reveals Chinoiserie’s heightened sensitivity to sensual delight. Green evokes layers of forested mountains; yellow and white blend delicately on the petals, with soft gradations reminiscent of fine Chinese brush painting. The overall result is an image at once imbued with Eastern restraint and botanical grace, yet also charged with the visual tension and brilliance of Western ornamentation — a realization of the Chinoiserie visual principle: “dense yet not chaotic, ornate yet orderly.”

Beyond its Eastern flavor, the brooch channels Baroque dramatic tension and dynamic rhythm. It is not static or symmetrical but structured through curves, twists, and pronounced arcs to create a sense of “visual fluctuation” — the form appears to breathe and grow. This inclined, spiraling movement is the essence of Baroque decoration, emphasizing structural tension and motion to draw the viewer’s eye into constant engagement.

The Western decorative aesthetic stresses structural integrity, the play of light and shadow, and material refinement. These qualities are evident in the brooch’s layered density, color transitions, and sculptural metal edges. The curling lines of the petals and buds form a high-density, high-gloss, highly ordered visual mechanism — where the Eastern “idea” and the Western “form” do not cancel each other out but coalesce into a complementary visual tension.

18th Century Nordic Chinoiserie Leather Screen Image courtesy of Sotheby’s

Consider also this 18th-century Nordic leather screen, whose central imagery is composed of Chinese visual motifs — pavilions, gardens, and figures. The composition features staggered levels, nested structures, and multiple perspectives. Figures wander among steps, railings, and gardens, and the visual path unfolds not linearly, but with scattered perspective across corners.

However, this “scattering” is not grounded in authentic Chinese landscape logic. Rather, it is a Western reassembly — a “pastiche of Oriental scenes.” The space is ornate to excess, the architecture vividly colored, and the black-and-white checkered floors unmistakably Western. The Chinese painting tradition’s hallmark elements — blank space, breathing room, and balance of void and solid — are supplanted by dense images. It is not a depiction of China but a theatrical stage where the “Orient” is spatially and visually choreographed to satisfy Europe’s exotic fantasy.

The six panels of the screen are independent yet continuous, forming a visual rhythm through pathways, gazes, and gestures. This suits the Western interior design principle of “decorative order”: images should not be too abstract, too sparse, or too fragmented, but should be dense, clear, and visually coherent — serving the space’s sense of order and unified ambiance.

Notably, the use of architectural frameworks, checkered floors, perspectival corridors, and archways across the screens is clearly informed by Western rules of perspective. This visual arrangement intensifies the fantasy of the “Oriental story” while ensuring the scenes can be smoothly embedded within the European decorative canon.

The figures’ costumes, hairstyles, and poses are clearly Chinese, but their activities — conversing, playing music, feeding birds, picking flowers, and frolicking — are leisurely and conflict-free. This portrayal reflects a “decontextualized” cultural appropriation: Chinese ritualistic, poetic, or familial behaviors are translated into scenes of “charming scenery” and “domestic décor.” Such treatment reveals a hallmark of Chinoiserie aesthetics: the stripping of spiritual meaning from foreign imagery, transforming it into visual ornament to be admired and displayed. Here, the Eastern figure ceases to be a cultural subject and becomes the “visual Other” that satisfies European aesthetics and curiosity.

From the everyday fantasy of Meissen porcelain and the scenographic collage of Nordic screens to the visual reconstruction of floral totems in Chinoiserie jewelry, French Chinoiserie has continually manifested its shifting, hybrid, and poetically dislocated character — reflecting the deep aesthetic entanglement between East and West. Its charm lies not in faithfully reproducing any particular culture, but in creating new modes of seeing and sensing across symbols, techniques, and imagination. In an era of reconstructed aesthetics and redefined cultural identities, French Chinoiserie is not a nostalgic style, but an ongoing aesthetic practice — one that allows us, with each gaze, to feel how culture flows and blossoms between objects, times, and places.

[always-angelic-aspie-alice]

The ocean's own unicorn 🦄 🌊

I am really picky when it comes to picking and using sensory resources. But, the other day I went with some of my family and I was gifted a narwhal. I have not used sensory toys in a really long time. This is because I am 1/very picky

2/I lost things constantly, so I wonder if I should own something new?

3/it has to suit my aesthetic/style/personality

But, I have kept Miss Narwhal in my pocket (I usually am wearing pants). I find this item to be a really good and sensory friendly stress toy. I am stressed about my chronic health conditions, my Degree and also my current work situation. But I find having something to squeeze and control is super helpful.

Technically, the narwhal is a toy, but I do not treat it like one. I am not a child anymore, as I do not know how to play. But, I also pretend the narwhal is a unicorn because has a unicorn type horn, and also I thought it was a unicorn due to its shape. A blue unicorn. Technically, narwhales are unicorns of the sea so I am not wrong!

It is squishy when I hold it; silicone or rubber? But it feels like soft velvet. Like Fran-Fran when he had his fur shaved. I hope I do not break the narwhal as it was about $7.00 on sale. For me, $7.00 is a lot for a sensory toy. This is as I see many sensory toys on sale from as little as $3.00, such as fidget spinners, and plastic peas that you can pop.

The narwhal even makes an upcoming appearance in my YouTube video which will be published this Friday, the 19th of July. I will not spoil the video, so I will not give away other hints in this post. Although, I am so, so tempted!

But, if you are looking for a new sensory toy, then I recommend the narwhal. The same company that made the narwhal also made other animals in other colours too. If I remember the name of the sensory toy company then I will make a note in the comments.

But, I have used the narwhal heaps, and the colouring of its eyes, mouth and nose seem intact still. The toy was from Kids Stuff, Castle Towers in Castle Hill. I really recommend this toy, if you are widening your collection...and if you are like a unicorn lover like me, then the narwhal might be something to consider?

In butterflies, rabbits, and unicorns we trust 🦋🐇🦄

Susannah from Always Angelic Aspie Alice

P.S: Did you notice my Disney accessories?

I am wearing Queen of Hearts earrings; red love heart studs in enamel by Disney's Coulture jewellery collection. As well, I am wearing a Marie the Arisocat brooch by Amaranta.

Side tracking: is there a unicorn from the Disney world? Does anyone know!?

It seems there is not... but I vaguely remember a unicorn toy from Fix-It-Raph, if I am not mistaken...