#because they don't Get that Changelings have no idea they're not human and have no ill intentions. they're just Weird

[timey-fandom-stuff]

... I really gotta stop coming up with wildly ambitious AU ideas.

[yuki2sksksk]

Here's a fun scenario!!!

Basically, maybe in the beginning of season 1 or around Part 2, Nomura accidentally finds a relic that may have belonged to a demon, their demon art being able to control time. She keeps it in the museum for storage to be taken to the Janus Order for study.

Only for A. In events of "Waka Chaka" the relic is broken or activated and the demon uses it to escape to present Arcadia. Or B. After "A Battle of Two Bridges" a museum work mistakes the relic as a display piece and puts it up, leading to the same scenario.

But not just the demon is taken to Arcadia but also the Demon Slayers the had been chasing it, being Tanjiro, Nezuko, Zenitsu, and Inosuke.

The group is not only stuck in the modern era, but we're the land and language is so new and unfamiliar. Even more confusing is the boy in shining armor seemingly protecting some stone "demons".

(finally managed to answer an ask idk what's going on with my blog)

(update: I can answer this one only for now huhhhh anyway)

That's a fun scenario to think of! I also weighted the option of time traveling but didn't think to put a demonic relic 🤔 I once thought of having Yushiro being involved in the Trollhunters stuff starting off with his drawn portrait of Tamayo being hung in the museum (because it's one of his oldest painting and he used very old and antique painting set)

Your idea will be fun to explore! I'd imagine this being set at the option B because wohoo the CHAOS there would be so so messy.

Like in Jim's POV, he suddenly sees four unknown people stumble out of nowhere in eastern clothing and brandishing swords he recognizes as katanas (and the girl doesn't seem human???) and in Tanjirou's POV, he and his friends get transported into another world in the middle of a fight and what what are those demons they don't smell like demons wait WAIT INOSUKE I DON'T THINK THEY'RE DEMONS DON'T KILL THEM YET --

But everyone probably focuses more on the fact that they're people to protect, so Tanjirou and his gang try assisting Jim and the others despite the absolute confusion and language barrier.

The way Bular and the changelings and the goblins suddenly get overpower only by the appearance of four teenagers is bewildering like these kids aren't like Jim and Toby -- they CAN and WILL take lives. This makes Jim and Toby flabbergasted too as they watch the slayers actually don't hesitate in chopping limbs and aiming for the necks.

Surprise surprise Draal manages to have a quick but informative conversation with the slayers in the middle of the fight like he suddenly speaks fluently in Japanese (Nomura let out some Japanese curses as well) and it's a huge help to the others so they can have better coordination in fighting against Bular.

Once the bridge is down and the changelings are gone off sights, Jim and Toby have to stand as a shield of sorts between their troll friends and the slayers because suddenly the katanas are all pointed towards them.

" They don't smell like a demon. " Tanjirou says. " But they are vulnerable to the sunlight as well. "

" Drop your swords! They're not dangerous! " Jim can't help but to snarl. He's exhausted. Draal just has his right arm turned into stone and the others are not left unscathed from the battle.

These new incomers are powerful -- probably the strongest humans Jim has ever seen. They are warriors, he can tell. They have experiences. He's forever thankful that these slayers are on the good side at least.

" Do you eat humans? " The question is directed to the blue troll.

" No. " Draal answers in Japanese, his breath is heavy and tired.

The slayers exchange glances. Zenitsu can tell that there's nothing but truth in their claims. Nezuko doesn't seem alarmed as well. Inosuke decides to let his comrades lead the situation next. Then, they drop down their arms to their sides.

" So, " Toby looks around at the mess, " what now? "

This can probably be a very long one shot or some chapters. I imagine the slayers have to stay in the trollmarket (with Nezuko and all) because staying together is a better option. They'd try to explain what they work as and get accustomed to the modern world.

Inosuke absolutely loves the training ground, cackling as he dodges the swinging blades and leaping over moving tiles. Everyone gets another whiplash at seeing his beautiful face. Zenitsu jumps at every second a troll walks past him but he feels safer around Aaarrrgghh (cause he thought the gentle giant could shield him from danger).

Nezuko spends most of her time sleeping. She surprises some trolls with her strength. They compare her to gnomes, and this sparks out some angry rambling from Tanjirou who keeps claiming that she's a beau.

Tanjirou offers to help Jim in terms of stamina and muscle management with total concentration breathing. Their swordsmanship is different so there's that. Blinky thinks it'd be good to have Jim battling against an opponent with different style fighting and Tanjirou is yet to be defeated. He encouraged Jim and is very humble so he gets along with everyone.

This is all I can think of for now, but this is a joy and interesting idea to think of.

[stevieharringtonwifeguy]

changeling steve whose fae abilities activate early bc of the upside down, which surprises him bc he had no idea he wasn't human

usually changelings are a little weird, but don't become like Full Fae until they come of age, somewhere around 20, but sometimes if their life is in danger or they're otherwise under a great deal of stress, they can Blossom early

steve's never been a little weird. in fact, he's always been good at being Very Normal, always exactly what everyone expects him to be, exactly what everyone wants him to be. when he's young, his parents want a quiet boy they can show off at dinner parties, so steve dutifully bends his personality into shape, polite and good enough at the piano to play something for the grownups and let them coo over him (never too good or too polite, because his parents want him to be a little boy who'll grow into a Man's Man, and that means not liking music too much and climbing trees without getting dirty and pulling on girls pigtails)

when he gets to high school, his parents want him to join sports teams, so he bends his personality again and doesn't think about how easy it is for him to gain the muscle mass and dexterity required, because he must just have some kind of natural talent for it. the team has its own expectations of him: they want a King, someone who's good with girls and likes to kick down at the unpopular masses, so he does that too, picks up on everyone's insecurities the easiest out of all his followers, always seems to know exactly how to twist his words to make his victims feel the worst

then he meets nancy, and it's the first time he's not sure exactly what someone wants from him. sometimes he wonders if she even knows what she wants him to be. he still does his best though, because that's what he does, bending and twisting into the perfect boyfriend, sweet, attentive, a little roguish just to keep the edge on. and for a while it works, even after barb and the demogorgon and the nailbat in his trunk that doesn't fit any of the people he's supposed to be and sometimes makes him itch so much he feels like his skins going to crawl off

but then it's the next halloween, and nancy calls him bullshit and he knows she's right. doesn't know how to not be bullshit though, no ones ever wanted that from him. he could try though, for her, he thinks, if that's what she wants, so he shows up at her house a few days later with a bouquet, only to find dustin henderson demanding he take out his bat again

and later, in the junkyard, while the kids are in the bus yelling and steve's been knocked on his back by a demodog, bat out of reach as he frantically pushes at the heavy weight of the monster on top of him, he curses how weak and useless his stupid human hands are. if he was more like the demodogs, with their gnarled claws and copious amounts of teeth, he'd have no problem winning this fight. and as he thinks it, as he deliriously and desperately wishes he had some kind of natural defense against creatures like this, something changes inside him. it feels like someone's injected pop rocks into his bloodstream, and they seem to collect in his hands, where they're still uselessly scratching at the demodogs tough hide

except, they're not uselessly scratching anymore. now they're carving into the thing like butter, because his nails have gone from blunt and fragile to something long and hard like steel, and the tendons in his hands have shifted and strengthened to be much more effective at cutting through meat. he has claws now. actual, literal claws, a lot like the ones the demodogs have, although his are sort of glowing and shimmering from within like he's full of fireflies. it would explain the buzzing in his veins. but he can't think about that now, has to get this thing off of him, has to protect the kids, has to live another day

and at the same time, across town in a little trailer, the only two witches in hawkins have just gotten hit with a blast of released magical energy that's so strong it sends them physically reeling. eddie actually falls on his ass. wayne helps him up while the kid asks what the hell that was, and honestly wayne isn't absolutely sure himself. doesn't feel human, even if the mortal panic it's laced with feels very human indeed, and it takes him a while to place that fizzy feeling as fae magic. a Blossoming.

so he explains to eddie about changelings, cuffs him good-naturedly around the head when the kid immediately relates it to his nerd game (he does this every time wayne teaches him something new about magic), and explains a little more about fae in general. he's told eddie about them before, but fae tend to keep to themselves, so there's been no real need to explain more than basic etiquette and safety measures eddie should take if he ever came across a fairy in the wild

now though, he explains, he thinks eddie should reach out. that Blossom was early, panicked, which means there's some kid out there about eddie's age who's going through magical puberty into an entirely new species directly after some kind of terrible ptsd-inducing event. so he tells eddie to keep an eye out for them at school, because magical folk gotta stick together, and eddie agrees, because they do, and frankly yeah that sounds like a terrible thing to go through alone and confused

so imagine his dismay when king steve shows up to school the week after, clearly beat to shit and looking confused as hell when the things he reaches for end up in his hand without him actually grabbing them

reaching out might be a little harder than eddie expected. but, cursing himself a little for being too good a person to leave even king steve in the dark like that, he does it anyway.

[imcringeonpurpose]

the idea that Martyn takes on Ren and Scott's dog and sea monster characteristics is really serotonin-giving to me because could you imagine Ren's absolute delight when he first finds out?

"You're a dog hybrid?" he would ask. Martyn would turn to him and get very confused.

"Of course not," he'd say. And Ren would gesture to his very obvious dog ears and tail. Martyn dashes to the mirror and gapes in astonishment. He shakes his head, puzzled, and turns to Ren. "I.. I don't know what's going on."

Ren finds it absolutely adorable, claiming that his Hand's devotion to him clearly inspired this physical show of alliance and outright loyalty. Martyn would deny each claim Ren makes, and the rest of the server just assumes he's a dog hybrid.

The assumption is further proven when Martyn and Cleo have their very souls tied together, and Martyn's physical appearance doesn't shift in the slightest. If anything, his dog attributes heighten, him developing sharp fangs, claws, and his dog ears slowly move down from his head and merge with his human ears.

Martyn's hybridity doesn't come up until another Series. Once again, they're pulled from their worlds, ripped from their realities, forced into one arena. This time, they're told to fight and kill and desperately grasp for each passing second of life and blood.

Martyn and Scott find a sliver of peace together, and for the first time since 3rd Life, Martyn's physical features change. It's very slow at first - a few yellow scales on his forearm and neck, his dog ears begin to grow serrated edges...

And then, like with Ren, one day they wake up to a full-blown pufferfish hybrid, and Scott cannot wrap his head around it.

"I thought you were a dog hybrid," he'll say. And Martyn will just shake his head, tired of the speculation and the questioning. Scott will persist, and he will ask, "Are you a changeling?"

"No," Martyn will say. He will take his axe from his inventory and heft it in his hands. Despite his dog claws, despite his new pufferfish spikes on his knuckles, he will continue to fight with the axe Ren had given him all those lives ago. "Just a knight."

[annabelle-creart]

Dear Trollhunters fandom

I propose you something because I made the same with Rescue Bots and I found it funny

A Tales of Arcadia Swap Au, and I know this is the most burned idea I could think of but I don't give a shit, I want Steve to have the amulet just because a troll will beat the shit out of him and that will teach him some lessons

The obvious, one day Steve waked up, put some coins he found on his pig because he's saving for his own vespa, has a little fight with his mom and then goes out, Eli joins him only because they go to the same place and they're late, and the canal is the fastest route, Steve gaves some tricks (and fails miserably, because he's stupid and not that skilled on bicycles) and then he found a pile of rocks with a magic amulet that tells his name, he ask Pepperjack only because he's near but go away because they're late

Meanwhile, a big blue troll with large horns looks near "it choosed a human?" Not believing why the amulet that saw his father's death decided to choose a human for the first time in history...

History class is boring and instead of searching for whatever Mr. Galadriel is asking, Eli and Steve looks for the strange amulet, while Angor (he choose his own name) replies perfectly (as always) Mr. Galadriel's questions, also leaving Steve as an the clown of the class (as always, instead of replying, he made a damned joke), which is funny for Galadriel because Steve's joke was actually the correct answer, tries to talk to him but as always Steve makes fun of everything and goes, Galadriel was about to let it pass but a blue light fell on his eyes, leaving him in obvious shock, his old friend, a brute as always, must have lost the amulet while fighting with Kanjigar, and the sun was up, he couldn't go anywhere, but with Steve... maybe Galadriel had a change of getting it

Something was clear, Steve wasn't the best, but his grades were enough to be accepted at the school act "Romeo and Juliet" and he passed, but how to mantain the role when two big trolls are hiding at your garage just after believing it was racoons saying you are the new trollhunter? He doesn't know, but the show must go on. Drall, the son of the last trollhunter and the new trollhunter's coach, more of an historian than a fighter despite his height, and making him company a bigger troll with scary eyes, and big teeth, but kinder and softer than Drall, who only said his name was Bular (the guy is not a troll of lots of words)

And again, finding Eli by accident (because it seems to be the only crazy idiot who wanted to deal with this shit) Steve and Eli must run for their lives because BULAR IS A PACIFIST AND DRALL DOESN'T FIGHT?!?! HOW FUNNY!! AND A BIG, HAIRY AND SCARY TROLL WANTS TO KILL THEM, GREAT!!

After a persecussion (and Steve's great habilities as team's captain) they finally escape the troll, later being told by Dral that the guy was named Aarrrgh the feared (mostly a nickname, but a good won one) maybe the most dangerous troll Steve will met in this part of the world, also telling him about the dark lands, where Aarrrgh's master, Jognar, resided, waiting for his raise, stopped time ago by all the past trollhunters...

But Aarrrgh is not their only problem

Nomura, a changeling and ex-gunm-gunm challenged Steve, mostly to tease with his ex (whatever kind of opportunity she has to get the shit out of Drall is valid and justified for her)

Mr. Blinkus Galadriel, a changeling too but he works with the Janus Order to free Jognar from his prison (but he changes sides later)

Dolores (this time I used a play with the words Pain in Latin (Dolor) and the name Dolores because Claire has mexican ascendence) a huntress of trollhunters and most beloved and feared Hiserdoux's puppet

Walter Strickler, mostly a Janus Order puppet and also not the best in his job, but later he changes his side when he meets Barbara Lake

Toribian, the Krubera king, who first came in search of Aarrrgh, and finding he died, doesn't have other but to treat the new Trollhunter (how I hate Usurna, great Lord, but I wanted Toby to be a treat and a krubera, and his relationship with Aarrrgh deserved to have meaning too😔)

And of course, Jognar the Black, the gunm-gunm leader, who wishes to bring the Eternal Night to conquer the planet!

And the one who they will meet later: Hisierdoux, the mage of a thousand names, he was a student of Merlin, but later lost the path and became the merciless and powerfull being he is now

But just as enemies, Steve will also have his allies!

Eli, with his war-hammer and his large knowledge on rocks and legends

Angor, who accidentally almost got killed by goblins and later unites the team, also learning magic with Dolores' Skathe-Hūrn

Drall, with all the Troll's knowlegde he learned from his father and master (rest in peace both)

Bular, the ex-gunm-gunm prince, now reformed and ready to fight for his new family

Nomura, who thanks to Steve's mercy ends up helping training him (and living on his garage sometimes)

NotEnrique, a changelling of the Nuñez's only child (he's a pre-teen now) but who hates the Order enough to help the new Trollhunter (and Eli's socks are tasty)

Vendel (I didn't wanted to change the old guy, I like him a lot) and Gunmar (two are better than one), Trollmarket's most oldest and wisest troll's

And a lot more who maybe just a day or a whole life, they will help the guys to evade Jognar's rise, some lifes will be stolen on the way and some fails will hit hard, but Steve promised to get Nomura back from the dark lands and to defeat Jognar is his new goal. To see if he likes the Coach Lawrence as his step-father or not will have to wait...

I would like to do a swap au for 3Below and Wizards too but I don't like those series enough to rewatched them, not like Trollhunters, so, I will leave this here. You can add or ask anything

And also: a list, so, you get if better

Steve is the new Jim

Eli is the new Toby

Angor is the new Claire

Drall is the new Blinky

Bular is the new Aarrrgh

Jim is the new Gunmar

Claire is the new Angor Rot

Toby is the new Usurna

Blinky is the new Strickler

Aarrrgh is the new Bular

Nomura is the new Drall

Usurna, Strickler, Barbara and Gunmar are added characters (but are good👍)

All the rest is similar

That's all, bye

[a-really-big-cat]

I feel as though I see this sentiment more, with a lot of ambiguity about whether people are taking it seriously or not, and I should urge fellow autists against it:

We are not really fae folk.

We are not really changelings.

We are not aliens either.

Like, I get it, it's a fun metaphor and thought exercise, and a fascinating look into past neurodivergent culture. I too find the idea intriguing (to an extent). But I legit get concerned that many people are taking it too far and actually trying to seriously identify as "non-human". Maybe this is (ironically enough) me being autistic and taking online jokes as being unironic statements, but it is legit concerning.

This is a dangerous narrative to lean into for autistic culture. Do you know how many eugenicists and ableists there are in the present day who would love to take advantage of a narrative that we don't count as human? Do you know how many charismatic ideologues might realize that the whole esoteric "faery child/supernatural being" aesthetic is ripe ground for starting their own abusive cults, recruiting disadvantaged and neglected autistic people who want to have a supportive community and think they're "too smart" to fall for manipulation tactics like that because they're "independent free spirits"? Do you know how many neglectful parents would love to blame supernatural entities for their child's behaviour so that they don't have to get their child a proper diagnosis and the actual help they need, or that would deflect by saying "my child doesn't need help, he/she's just a special ✨faery child✨"? We already went through the indigo children and vaccine junk, we really don't need yet another supernaturalization/pseudosciencing of autism to set us back further.

We are rational human beings like everyone else, just with unique experiences of life's various stimuli, unique ways of communicating, and unique neural anatomy, all of which means that we sometimes need some support and understanding. And that's how we ought to be treated.

[fountainpenguin]

Fairly OddParents! Fanfic Trope: Wings AU. :D

Put a fanfic trope in my inbox and I will tell you how likely I am to write it and which characters or pairing I'd most likely write it for (From HERE)

This is not a trope I'm likely to write for in FOP. We have so many wings already, I don't think I'd give more to people who don't belong to one of the many flying species.

I do think Sparky without his wings would be interesting, as I would've preferred to see him played more like a dog and less like some guy who sleeps in Timmy's room.

I also think Sammy Sweetsparkle is unique for having wings, but mostly choosing to walk instead of fly (Even running for his life from a monster instead of just flying above it).

I think the most likely way I'd write this trope is in an AU where Fairies aren't necessarily born and raised by Fairies, but they're "made" (Possibly tying into the "Fairy For a Day" canon we saw in New Wish where Hazel grew wings after signing the fairy contract). I'd probably tie this to changeling lore too.

The idea here would be that Cosmo and Wanda were once human - For this AU where I ignore timeline inconsistencies, I might use what they said in "Growing Pains" about being teens in the 1590s - and they start growing wings one day, and it would be a story about them navigating lives with their parents and wishing they had someone to talk to.

Then one day, a series of events leads one of them to reveal their wings to the other (Maybe to escape chaos) and they start their journey towards training as fairy godparents.

I guess the other part of this is that Cosmo yoinks some child's essence and gives birth to Poof because he stole his lifeforce or something, but I think that's very accurate for a changeling-themed story.

Mary Alice Doombringer is definitely an option, as I've tied her to magic in my own lore. I didn't go this direction, but I think a fairy who hunts other fairies would've been sick :)

For an option that's a little more grounded in the canon that I could do a multi-chapter Wing AU with, I'd likely pick Remy. In my lore, Juandissimo legally adopts Remy and he's the only godkid who gets to keep his memories when he grows up (I prefer Timmy being an average kid to the end and therefore following the path of memory erasure like godkids are meant to).

For Remy, it's very much a story of him being given a rare opportunity and trying to be the person who deserves it... someone who has faith and trust placed in him and he doesn't want to break it, so he's willing to put in the work that comes along with this gift.

I prefer Remy being human the whole time, but if I were to do a Wings AU, he'd probably be the one I'd go with. I like the idea of him still being a human, just with fairy wings. At first he hides them, but eventually reaches the point where he goes downstairs to grab something from the kitchen, passes his parents in the hall, and they don't even comment on the wings. lol.

In my lore, the von Strangles cut their wings off (Heavily implied by the Season 0 canon where Cosmo asks Jorgen where his wings are and Jorgen replies that they were too girly and he uses a jetpack).

Jorgen has two kids in my 'fics - Italy and Fanny; twins - with the impending threat of "one of you will be taking over from the Tooth Fairy and one will be Keeper of Da Rules" looming over their heads, with the "one of you needs to opt into cutting your wings off" implied along with it.

A Wing AU where the Keeper DOESN'T cut their wings off and faces tension for breaking tradition would be pretty neat too.

Put a fanfic trope in my inbox Ask Game

[arnerdi]

I was thinking about what changelings wear. It's a little weird. I'm sure Stricklander doesn't really like these clothes. (I haven't gotten to the rise of the Titans yet, so I'm guessing a bit.) Knowing his pride, he would rather wear some kind of tailcoat. It's probably something harmful to tradition, but you know, changelings have such a poorly built society. It's basically just an organization that's trying to get Gunmar out (Actually, the more I think about them, the more it seems to me that changelings are terribly lacking in the plot. Like they're all dead?). At most, they could adopt some traditions of the trolls, but even they quietly wear more "modern" clothes. Not the most, of course, but still. And this idea came to my mind. When Troy joins the order of Janus, we don't see any changelings who walk around in the form of a troll. Which is actually a little weird. What if changelings don't really like their troll form and only reincarnate when absolutely necessary? In electric cases, they would not change clothes in the form of a troll. The last time they probably really used it was ancient times. Maybe because in the form of a troll they lived in the dark lands, which is not the most pleasant place, but in the form of a human they can walk on the ground. It's almost a dream to escape from the dark lands, which the human form can associate with.

It's a pretty interesting idea, which opens up a little more about the mourners as martyrs. Actually, I'm a little confused by how toa deals with them. What we know about them is that they were abducted as children and trapped in the dark lands. Besides, none of the trolls show them any respect. These are creatures that have been cut off from any happy future and the only hope was Gunmar's promises.

Я думала о том что носят по��меныши. Это же немного странно. Я уверенна, что Стриклендеру такая одежда не совсем нравится. (Я ещё не дошла до восстания титанов, так что тут немного предполагаю). Зная его горделивость он скорее носил бы какой-нибудь фрак. Вероятно что это что то вреде традиции, но знаете, у подменышей на столько плохо построенный социум. Это по сути просто организация, которая пытается вытащить Гунмара (Вообще чем больше я о них думаю, тем больше мне кажется что подменыши ужасно не проработаны в сюжете. Типа они прям все умерли?). Максимум они могли бы перенять какие-то традиции троллей, но даже те спокойно носят более "современную" одежду. Не самую конечно, но всё же. И мне в голову пришла такая идея. Когда трои приходит в ордин януса мы не видем не одного подменыша который бы ходил в форме тролля. Что вообще то немного странно. Что если подменыши не очень любят свою форму тролля и перевоплощаются только при крайней необходимости. В током случаи они бы не стали менять одежду в форме тролля. Последний раз вероятно когда они ей реально пользовались была глубокая древность. Может быть потому что в форме тролля они жили в тёмных землях, что не самое приятное место, а вот в форме человека они могут ходить по земле. Это чуть ли не мечта вырваться из тёмных земель, с которой форма человека может осоциироватся.

Это довольно ��нтересная идея, которая чуть больше открывает подмунышей как мучеников. На самом деле меня немного смущает то как toa с ними поступает. То что мы о них знаем, это то что они были похищены в детстве, и заперты в тёмных землях. К тому же не кто из троллей не проявляют к ним ни капли уважения. Это существа которых отрезали от какого либо счастливого буд��щего и единственной надеждой были обещания Гунмара.

[walkingstackofbooks]

Ask game! DS9 or Voyager - Easiest to take care of when they’re drunk

Ooooh, interesting.... 🤔🤔

To make it fair - because it would really change depending where in the series we are and why they're getting drunk - I'm going to set a time and place where they're all on a relatively even keel. Season 5 (so Odo can join in), post-Trials and Tribble-ations, the senior staff are all letting their hair down and getting drunk together.

Miles - He's good. Like, given when he's drunk in Explorers, he *still* manages to look after Julian, I don't think he needs taking care of.

Sisko - I think he'd just be pretty chilled-out (so long as no-one criticises baseball :P)

Quark - Pretty easy? Idk, I see him as a sleepy drunk who won't fight when you try to take him back his quarters.

Worf - Idk. I doubt he'd let himself get drunk just for fun, even when everyone else is. (If he did though, I think he'd be pretty awful, and be the type of drunk to insist he's not drunk, he knows his limits, go away, you p'taq! But at the same time he might then take himself off to his quarters of his own volition, so...)

Jadzia - She's having a blast, which is great for her... the problem would be getting her to leave when it's time to go!

Julian - Potentially problematic - he'll come up with bad ideas he wants to carry out immediately, or catastrophise about something - but he's fairly easy to placate.

Kira - I think, once she's comfortably drunk, she could be egged on to drink more (probably by Jadzia), until she starts feeling ill. Then she'd insist she didn't need any help even though she's really not okay.

Odo - Oof. He hasn't been drunk before, and drinking more just reminds him that he's only getting drunk because he's a human not a changeling and he's miserable. He also doesn't want to be taken care of, even when he's drunk far more than he can tolerate. He and Kira being ill in the bathroom together :3

[crossdressingdeath]

Orin: Husk. Maggot. A Bhaalspawn, slip-sliding in filth with these pigs. You don't deserve the Murder Lord's blessing. Kyvir: That's rich, coming from you. You're the child of a father and his daughter. Your mother was Sarevok's daughter. Orin: No no NO NO NO! He didn't... Filthy, pig-mouthed little LIAR! Orin: Grandfather loves me. He worships me. How dare you smear his name. It will not save you. Kyvir: [PERSUASION] He's your father, Orin. He abused your mother. He abused you. Orin: No. Not him. Not him... I did all this for him. Everything... everything... Bhaal Avatar: No, Orin. You did this for me. Orin: Bhaal... Father, they lie to me. They lie! Bhaal Avatar: You hesitate. If you will not fight for my blessing, I will make you something crueller. A deserving sacrifice for my child's ascension. [...] Sceleritas Fel: The changeling stands no chance, fiendish one. Eviscerate her! Orin: *ROAR!*

That transformation sequence is brutal. I actually feel really bad for Orin here. She hesitates for just a moment and Bhaal swoops in and warps her into the Slayer before she can even consider the idea that maybe she no longer wants to fight her "sibling" with the reveal that she's not Bhaal's child and in fact is the offspring of Sarevok and his own daughter. All Bhaal would've had to do was say "Yes, they're lying to you" and Orin would likely have gone right back to fighting for his favour. After all, who's she going to trust? Her much-hated sibling/a total stranger, or the god she's been groomed her whole life to be loyal to? But instead she hesitates for just a second and looks to her god for reassurance, and he forcibly transforms her into a monster on the off chance she might decide for the first time in her life that she doesn't want to fight. I find myself wondering if making her hesitate enough that Bhaal steps in makes the fight easier, too, because honestly she was not a hard fight. I could've done it without the Slayer if it hadn't been for The Vibes.

Also, playing Durge gives the Persuasion option there a fun feel; the initial "That's rich, coming from you" feels mocking (understandable, given she just took their form to mock them for the way she sliced open their skull and destroyed their mind while they screamed), but the Persuasion option feels surprisingly genuine. Especially in the context of a Durge who ultimately rejects Bhaal, there's a sense that they might really be trying to convince Orin that Sarevok and by extension Bhaal have been using and abusing her and don't deserve her loyalty. I won't lie, the idea of Durge making a genuine attempt to convince their "sister"/niece/great-niece to stop fighting for the people who hurt her so badly the same way they did for some of the party and the party did for them is very very good and sweet and the way they never get the opportunity to find out if they had even the slightest chance of succeeding in getting through to her because the moment she pauses, even to insist they're lying and beg Bhaal to confirm that, her humanity (for lack of a better word when she's not actually human) is torn from her in order to serve her up as an offering to Durge because as far as Bhaal's concerned she's proved herself unreliable just like that is deeply sad. I'm getting the increasing sense that there's a bit of a theme with the Chosen where even if they wanted to change they're in so deep with the Dead Three now that they'd never be allowed to; Durge only managed to get away because Orin's attack gave them so much amnesia they forgot they were Bhaal's favourite kid.

[weregreatatcrime]

so in your changeling Standford au i want the team to convence Standford to let them babysit his brother when suddenly Isaac grows a pair of horns and they aré freaking out in hiw did this hapen and what they aré going to tell Standford

I'm so happy to be reminded this au exists, thank you hdgfkhf

While this wouldn't happen bcz Isaac is smart enough to know not to drop his glamour in front of humans, it's still absolutely hilarious and now I'm imagining the idea of Isaac doing it because he's a mischievous little fuck

....except... except that's actually great lmfao Stanford would drag his fucking feet for a year to avoid telling his teammates about being a changeling if he could get away with it. Sage isn't going to push him. Isaac is the only one here who will Make A Move

Isaac likes these humans! They're very fun! Even the ones who don't know what to do with kids at all (Vert and Zoom) are nice to him. They all like Stanford and they all like Isaac. Sage is really cool, and she's very supportive of his Stanford. Sage babysits Isaac the most simply so he doesn't have to have a glamour on all the time. Isaac is quickly becoming the mascot of the Battle Force 5 because he's a mischievous darling little guy

Stanford has to go take care of something (idk, maybe it's his turn to make a pizza run?) and he leaves the gang Isaac because he trusts them a fair amount. They're cool... for humans. You know.

Isaac sees his chance and fucking takes it. He's a changeling's familiar, he's not actually two years old and he is much more intelligent than he should actually be. He drops enough of the glamour while Stanford is gone to show off his little stubby horns and claws. Sage is very seriously "Isaac why are you doing this?" while the humans are screaming

Isaac, giggling, crawling up the side of the wall. The humans are panicking. Stanford's baby brother is possessed by a demon?!?!? Sage isn't panicking. She isn't going to explain secrets that aren't hers so she's just watching as the humans chase Isaac around trying to grab him

Listen he let the secret out, he made Stanford's decision for him when he gets back. But he is absolutely going to have a fun time running around with horns and claws while the human scream and try to catch him until then

[geode-crystal]

Writeblr Interview tag game!

Wooo thanks for the tag @tildeathiwillwrite this looks like fun!

Open tag for anybody else who wants to answer these :)

Short stories, novels, or poems?

Yes, yes, and yes lol.

I tend to write novel-length things purely because I just... keep going XD I usually get more ideas than a short story allows. I do need to work on keeping things to the point sometimes!

But I have written short stories and one-shots (mostly as responses to promts) and I am very technically a published poet, since a few of my poems were published in a collection thanks to a writing competition back in high school .

What genre do you prefer reading?

Fantasy, full stop. I also love books that play on fairy tales and folklore.

Are you a planner or a write as I go kind of person?

I usually like to have a general idea of where I'm going, and figure the rest out along the way. Sometimes I make full outlines when projects get Really Big.

What music do you listen to while writing?

I either put on one of my incredibly random playlists or go to youtube and look for "relaxing [insert video game here] music." Pokemon soundtracks are actually really nice to write to.

Favorite books/movies?

Soooo many lol.

I'm a big fan of Disney and Pixar movies (as one of my previous posts made pretty obvious lol), particularly the Disney renaissance. Adore The Princess Bride. Love Dungeons and Dragons: Honor Among Thieves. Love Studio Ghibli movies, personal favorite being Castle in the Sky. Of course, we have the classic Muppet Treasure Island as well. And I love every version of Scott Pilgrim out there, the movie, Netflix anime, and graphic novels are all amazing.

And for books... oh my gods there are too many to list here, but shout outs to Catherynne M. Valente's Fairyland series, the Chrestomanci books by Diana Wynne Jones (as well as Howl's Moving Castle), Raybearer and Redemptor by Jordan Ifueko, and the Hero's Guide series by Christopher Healy. Percy Jackson, too.

A lot of my favorite whump moments come from the good old Deltora Quest series by Emily Rhodda and The Mage of Trelian by Michelle Knudsen.

Any current WIPs?

So many. Too many. I need to escape lol.

Do you like incorporating actual people you know into your writing?

I've based a few characters off of people I know before. Mostly my close friends. One of whom I write with a lot, so we've used each other as inspiration several times lol.

Are you kill happy with your characters?

No no no no no, not at all lolol. It's exactly the opposite. I have so much difficulty permanently killing off characters, to the point that my first novel-length project way back in my first year of high school ended with the villain getting polymorphed into a fish instead of dying. XD

I only do permadeath when it is absolutely necessary for the story. But... well, to quote The Return of Jafar: "You'd be surprised what you could live through."

Coffee or Tea while writing?

Don't usually drink or snack while writing.

Slow or fast writer?

Completely depends on the project, but I would say fairly slow. Especially compared to my writing buddy they're an absolute speed demon lol

If you were in a fantasy world, what would you be?

Depends on the fantasy world, really. Definitely some kind of musician and/or storyteller, like a troubador or something. Maybe some kind of minor nobility, with all the "fun" I've had with the burden of expectations. I would love to have some kind of magic, especially if it's music-based. So..... basically a bard!

I'd also be very likely to be something not fully human, be that an elf or fairy or mermaid... or even a changeling.

Most fav book cliche:

There's a long list! But I really like Found Family stuff, and any time magic comes with A Price.

Least favorite cliche:

Characters getting pointlessly killed off just for the sake of Extra Drama.

Favorite scene to write?

Hurt/comfort, both ends! I especially love anything with added Guilt for one or all parties!

Reason for writing?

To paraphrase Brian David Gilbert: stories come to me in my dreams like a prophet receiving visions from an angry god.

I write because I'm always coming up with different ideas. I write because I was basically designed to study and create stories. Even if I don't physically write anything down, I will always find a way to tell some kind of story, be it just piecing together ideas in my head or through singing Broadway-style songs or even just attempting to draw a character. I write because it's just what I do!

[acertainmoshke]

TELL ME ABOUT YOUR CHARACTERS!!!!!!!! (not forced! I'm just interested)

Congrats anon, you've given me an excuse to babble about the book that's in editing so I've been neglecting a bit on here lately! This book is my baby though, and I've been working on some variation of it since high school.

The most important things to know about this story is that it's basically a portal fantasy, but it's set in the 50's. Each sequel will be 15-20 years after the last one ends. Now, I'm going to just babble at length about my characters. It's going to get very long, and thank you in advance to anyone who actually reads it.

Shakatra is the main character. They are a changeling swapped for a human baby named Cassandra the year they were born, in 1916. This should make them 40 in 1956, but Fae aging is weird. Changelings tend to grow up normally until about 15 and then their aging slows waaaay down but at different, varying rates, because there's no logic to them.

So, in 1956, Shakatra is physically and mentally 20. I know that with precision, but they don't. In modern terms, they are also autistic, nonbinary, asexual, and some level of aro-spec. However. It's the 50's, so they know exactly none of that. All of it is just coding for the first book and will slowly become explicit later in the series. The lack of attraction is there if you notice it in a line or two but not super obvious because 90% of the people they interact with are their brother or children, so really it's like...they don't lust at random strangers on the street and they're not into the one girl they befriend.

The autism is pretty obvious if you know what to look for, but not named for obvious reasons. I was going to have them discover they/them pronouns via a Fae they meet beyond the veil, but now I think I'm going to keep the clear discomfort with any gender and then make it clearer later.

Their backstory is typically dramatically tragic: they were abused for being disabled a changeling (the line here is a bit blurry because changelings seem human but also "wrong" when they're young). They were bullied by their older brothers, hated school, and got blamed for the death of their younger brother. Around 12, they met Kris, a changeling already living on the streets, and became friends. When they ran away a few years later, the two stuck together and now consider each other siblings. Glamour and ice magic come very easily to them, though they have spent lots of time practicing, and they fight like a feral, frantic weasel.

When the book starts, Shaka is actually fairly content with their life. They use glamour to go unnoticed wandering the streets, sleep in the abandoned section of the city-tunnels under Seattle (originally were going to live in the Chicago subway but I decided this was more interesting), glamour people at diners into free food (they eat almost solely pancakes and chocolate bars), pick fights with wildlings (Fae from their own realm who moved here), and play dumb games with their brother. They never really wanted anything else. They don't even want to go on the quest, though it's their idea. But they realize that if they're turning 40 this year, so is the human they replaced, and feel obligated to go release her from whatever servitude the Fae have her in.

Shaka looks like a fairly standard fantasy Fae; purple-tinted skin, pointed ears, sharp teeth, silver cat eyes. It's self-indulgent, but you know what it's classic for a reason.

Kristoffer is Shakatra's brother, a changeling who grew up on the streets. He isn't sure exactly when he was born, but they guess it was also about 1916. He ages at a slightly faster rate, and in 1956 is physically and mentally 23 (not yet a noticeable difference; that comes later).

Kris is a trans man and bisexual. He doesn't have words for these things in the 50's either, but he's clear on their existence, unlike Shakatra. He considers himself a man, gave himself a name from the ones he heard human boys use when he was young, binds with scarves, and likes to people watch, both out of interest and desire. Other than being traumatized, he's neurotypical and has a secret wish for a normal, human-like life. Unlike Shaka, he doesn't enjoy fighting. Unlike Shaka, he actually has an interest in the way clothes look (though he's homeless and doesn't get to show this off). He gets bored of the same repetitive distractions. And it doesn't help that he's seemingly allergic to magic; though he can do it, it makes him violently sick so he stopped trying long before he met Shaka and has never mentioned it, just using his strength in fights, which is usually enough. The one exception, which neither of them realize is unusual, is that he has a sort of limited telepathy—he can reach out to communicate and others can think back but he can’t read minds. He and Shaka, connected like this for decades, can read each other’s emotions.

His backstory is even more tragic; he was abandoned by the family he was left with too young to even remember them and ended up living on the edge of a group of wildlings, not known for their nurturing qualities. He stayed only until he could steal food for himself, and remained completely alone until he met Shaka, lurking to watch human children play. He was excellent at surviving, but he didn't know how to read until they taught him (but then had a much bigger interest in it), and had no idea that he wasn't "supposed" to be a boy until they explained.

At the beginning of the story, Kris is restless. He isn't happy with their just-subsisting life, but even if he could leave he wouldn't abandon his sibling. So he's glad of the quest, although with new dangers the novelty quickly wears off. He likes to read, when he can, and even more than that he enjoys calculating things like years or whatever else he can think of. He's also artistic, and uses chalk and paint to draw pictures all over their home.

Kris is a Black changeling, and both he and the narrative are aware of how this intersects; a basic look-human glamour isn't enough to wander into a shop, they had to perfect one that changes everything about him and he hates it. Also people can be more scared of him at first, even though Shaka is the fiercer and more volatile of the two. He is tall and fat with brown skin covered in little spikes like acorn caps, with void-black eyes and long twisting horns that shine like abalone shell.

(ok those are the main two, the others will be a bit shorter really)

Maggie is the human who, in an ordinary portal fantasy, would be the protagonist. She was born in 1935, making her 21 in 1956, and has lived in a small mountain town her entire life. She's quirky and weird and an annoyance to her parents, but her life has been mostly alright. Her younger brother, Nicholas, was taken and replaced as a toddler. Maggie, a rare human able to see through glamour, knew immediately but no one believed her. In any case, the changeling was sweeter and she preferred him (she was like 7), so she moved on and loved him. But as his changeling traits became clearer, he faced more rejection and it became the two of them isolated in town. He died at around 13, which is actually very normal; changelings tend to be weak and ill, and Shaka and Kris surviving is the exception.

Since then, Maggie has been aware of strange Fae happenings in town that no one else saw, but largely ignored them until even the others noticed. When she meets Shaka and Kris, the entire town is huddled in the diner hiding from these beings. But all she cares about is getting out of there and finding her brother, rescuing him now that the other one is gone. So she bravely walks up to the first Fae she sees and demands to go with them. Neither have good enough social skills to refuse, so she's a part of the team.

She gets along with Kris immediately, and might even have chemistry, but they never get together (there is zero romance in this book). She's some sort of queer I think, but that won't be relevant until book 2. She distrusts and dislikes Shaka for a long time, but eventually the two bond.

Maggie looks like a typical white 50's girl (for now; might change in later drafts): hazel eyes, flipped black hair, round glasses.

Cassie is the human child who was replaced by Shakatra as an infant. She was taken to a Fae court in another realm and kept there for 40 years. She's not autistic, but she's also far from normal: she finds violence fun and exciting, is trained in singing and dancing to entertain the Fae around her, and is excellent at being in places she shouldn't.

She is also 10 years old. Because it turns out that most of the children stolen by the Fae are frozen at a young age and treated like dolls, decorations, or collections. They are expected to look pretty and have clever skills, but vanish when they aren't wanted. She represents a problem for our heroes: they were expecting to set a grown woman free and move on, but now they're stuck with a traumatized child who will never grow up.

Changelings grow to somewhat physically match the human they replaced, so she looks like a human version of Shaka: white, thick black hair, blue eyes. She chooses to go by Cassie because her full name, Cassandra, was used as a method of control and her Fae nickname, Berry, only reminds her of her trauma.

Zuri is the child that Kris replaced. Kris doesn't know his original name, so they find her by accident. Zuri is angry, and hurt, and more isolated than most of the humans at court. But she also likes to read and draw and is naturally pretty quiet.

She is 16 years old, because the Fae who took her in wanted an eternal daughter instead of a doll. She was used as a confidante and kept alone in an apartment instead of allowed to vanish without supervision like the other children.

She looks like a human version of Kris: Black, tall and fat, brown eyes, textured brown hair trimmed short. She keeps going by her full name, Zuri, despite its association with forced obedience, as a way of reclaiming what's hers. She has a nickname too, but I can't remember it at the moment.

Sparrow is Maggie's original brother. The Fae who took him was later killed so he ended up as someone else's inheritance, treated like a mildly interesting pet. He saw the other children, sometimes, but often ended up alone and became good at improvising games with leaves and rocks. He likes to hum and sing.

He's also only 4 years old, one of the younger eternal-children.

He looks a lot like Maggie: white (for now) with messy brown hair, hazel eyes, and freckles. He still goes by his Fae nickname, Sparrow, because being called his true name upsets and frightens him.

Moss is the de facto leader of the taken children. He's one of the oldest, in every sense, one of the few kept as a teenager and also having been there for several centuries. He longs for an escape but accepts that he's stuck with responsibility. He also, initially, resents Zuri for also being old enough but being kept away and not having to deal with children's drama. He's picked up a number of skills over the years, including fighting, all kinds of art, and even some limited magic (or maybe he was born with that skill as some humans are, who knows?).

He is Southeast Asian (I've gone back and forth on being more specific, but as he was taken as a baby like 600 years ago I'm not sure he'd know where exactly) with dark brown eyes and long black hair. He uses his nickname Moss, and honestly doesn't even remember his true name. It's been so long since anyone needed it to keep him in line...until now.

[fortheloveoflatinum]

Disco Thoughts

Hey there, don't let me be the one to spoil it for you. Click at your own discretion, because here there be spoilers for Star Trek: Discovery.

When are we going to see Detmer and Owosekun? Are they even going to come back for the finale? I feel like we have a whole new bridge crew and as much as I respect the idea of the Bajoran pilot - what was her name again? - she's just a stand-in. She has had a few lines of sub-standard dialogue by this point and I am unimpressed. Detmer at least had some tension to her - she was a very angry character, to the point where that was her defining character trait (I can't remember the episode but I can't forget the scene where Saru is leading the crew in a dinner and Detmer makes up a rhyme about Stamet's blood. I think it was shortly after they jumped to the future.) 💔

Um since when are so many Commanders allowed on one ship? And why were they all passed over for promotion, having loyally followed Michael into the future - as Paul reminds us right before she blasts him out of an airlock - so she wouldn't have to be alone? Rayner seems like a wild card. I would have loved to see one of the original bridge crew who followed Michael to the future get a chance to shine as her Number 1. Just because Rayner needs a second chance doesn't mean that others don't deserve a first! 🌻

Who else loved seeing Bryce command the ship? That was a first I think, and speaks to my earlier point that he would have made a great Number 1. He stays level and calm - unlike, ahem, a certain Commander *coughs* Rayner. 😂

Part of me really wants to see Michael save the galaxy yet again, but don't you think it would be more fun if, say, she failed and Stamets did it single-handedly for a change? 😉

I was talking with my neighbor (he's also a Trekkie) and we were thinking about the choice to make the Breen liquid. Why? Well, because of the Founders, of course. If all the changeling-like, Founder-esque species allied together during the Dominion war, this adds exactly no layers of nuance to DS9 canon because one can throw one's hands quite neatly in the air and say, "Heh. Our old enemy, xenophobia strikes again. Thank goodness we have our own personal savior conveniently captaining a ship capable of going anywhere in the galaxy at the press of a spore drive button, right?" 🙏

Also I personally think answering the question of, "What does a Breen look like under their helmet?" takes away from their mystique. And their fearsomeness. It humanizes them, okay, and that was the one thing the Breen didn't need. They're Breen! Also, heheh, green. ❇️

Just kidding. Imma miss the ever-living daylights out of Disco when it's gone. I was kind of hoping for it to end with a bang, but it seems a whimper is all we'll get. 😭

[bayofalgecirascranes]

I just need to scream at someone about my most off-the-wall theory for Fox's Tongue and Kirin's Bone and you have a lot of fun theory posts. I don't know if anyone else has talked about this, but I haven't seen any theories discussing it at least. So here it is:

I think Aaron and Markus are identical twins.

Listen. Listen. Think about it. Really think about it. Aaron is able to take Markus's place near *seamlessly*. When he's being questioned in the first book his defense is not to point out any actual differences between them like noses or eye shape, but that Markus is taller and better fed than he is.

His own father does not recognize any differences between the two, after Aaron has had a few months of good food and care. Another point - the Duke was very shocked to learn he had another son. Perhaps because he wasn't sleeping around *that* much to get two separate women pregnant at basically the same time?

His older sister only realizes because Aaron is *shorter* than Markus was. Here are these people who, theoretically, knew Markus very well. And Aaron, on appearance at least, is indistinguishable from Markus to them.

How much does a person reasonably expect someone to change in half a year? How different could they be until you didn't recognize then at all?

How likely is it that two half-brothers, both born at roughly the same time, are *that* identical? Like, is it possible? Yes. Is it likely? Probably about as much as them being separated twins.

And in a society that can sometimes be *weird* about identical individuals what's to say their mother didn't just give one to the Duke and kept the other for herself? We still don't know who either of their mother's are - if they're alive or dead, what relationship they had with Duke Sung.

The only real indication we've had they they are *half* brothers is the Lady's word about multiple 'indiscretions'... and in going back to the last chapter of Fox's Tongue and Kirin's Bone to check I am now just realizing that she never really answered the ''Was his mother the same as mine?" question. Aaron asked *three* questions and she gave *two* answers.

So. Make of all that what you will.

You have convinced me, it makes perfect sense. Unless Markus wasn't as strictly human as we were all lead to believe...

But I think that rather conflicts with Markus being "the chosen one destined to save Humanity" thing, and I don't think the story has made much reference to Changelings, so I'm going to go with your idea until and unless the third book disproves it.

[tir-na-dean-au]

Tir na Déan AU

Probably going to get seen by like three people, but, oh well, I feel like yelling into the void about a MCYT (mostly Hermitcraft and Empires SMPs) AU I may or may not eventually write, with loads and loads of Celtic mythology references 'cause I'm a nerd and proud of it.

So, most people are probably familiar with the idea of a "fae realm", but if you aren't, here's a short rundown:

There are multiple "worlds" or "realms" in almost every mythology. The Nine Worlds in Nordic, Tir na nOg in Irish Celtic, Olympus and Hades in Greek, and so on. These realms or worlds often exist parallel to our own, to the "mortal" plane, and to any other plane of existence. This is a very basic explanation, for an absolutely fascinating subject.

In this AU, I grabbed the idea of the Celtic Otherworld (Tir na nOg) being split into various "courts" (or, rather, worlds!), and booked it like a child with five cookies stuffed in her mouth.

So, me being a mythology nerd, and also a Hermitcraft fan with way too much time on my hands and way too many AU ideas, thought up the idea of the "Tir na Déan", or "Land of the Craftspeople" (because, y'know. Craft. Minecraft).

Effectively, each server in the MCYT is a different "court" of Tir na Déan, with smaller groups within each. I.E., in Tir na Impirí (Empires SMP), everyone who lives in Tir na Impirí is part of the Caisleán na Impirí, while someone who lives in Sanctuary, for example, is part of the Caisleán na Impirí and the Caisleán na Sagrario, as Sanctuary is just one small part of Tir na Impirí.

(I really hope this makes some sense.)

But! It's about to get more complicated!

See, there is, of course, more than one realm. There's Tir na Déan, as I've already explained; there's the mortal plane (which I've yet to name); and there's the land of the dead, which is largely irrelevant so far (and also currently unnamed. You can tell where my focus has been since I came up with this idea. Fae are much more interesting than us mere mortals). There's also a few others, but they're loosely connected to the main three and not currently important.

Now, while Tir na Déan is effectively in a permanent state of sword & sorcery/steampunk (because iron is a big no), the mortal plane continues to change and advance, up to the current day. The worlds do still interact, though not as frequently as they once did; they kinda view each other as "fairy tales" for the most part, stories told to children to make them eat their vegetables or go to bed on time, on both sides. The fae are just as scared of humans as humans are of fae. See, the humans have tales of fae eating people and stealing children, and the fae have tales of humans slaughtering trooping faeries and torturing their own out of fear of changelings (which are, in most parts of Tir na Déan, completely illegal. Symbolically. Like how it's illegal to build on a fairy mound in Ireland). Humans scare fae, and fae scare humans, just as people who are different often do.

But, of course, there are places the worlds collide. Places, on the mortal plane, like Brú na Bóinne (an Irish sidhe-mound), where the Veil between the worlds is said to be thinner and allow magic to seep through. In Tir na Déan, these places are where magic is weak, because it's magic that keeps the Veil intact. Opposites, once again, as faerie and man are want to be.

Now, because there are places where the worlds touch through the Veil, there are always going to be people who know about the other side.

Hence, we finally reach the Hermitcraft portion of this post, after... six hundred and twenty-five words. Welp. I'm more long-winded than I thought.

So, the Hermits are their own court, made up of fae who, for some reason, want a court but don't have one. There are characters who, like Grian, bounced from court to court, never really belonging anywhere until he found this chaotic court of madmen. There are others who, like Scar, were forcibly removed from their court for a variety of reasons, or, like Cub, chose to leave it. There's people from different worlds, like Cleo who came from the land of the dead, or Joe who was born on the mortal plane and just left. There's loads of different reasons they've become Hermits, or, as their court is known, members of the Caisleán na Díthreabhach, the Court of the Hermit.

(Definitely a stylistic choice, and not the fact that I can't figure out Irish plurals yet. Nope. Definitely not.)

So, the Caisleán na Díthreabhach are effectively cryptids, even to the fae. They're known as either the Caisleán na Díthreabhach, or the Caisleán na Strainséir (Court of the Outsider); they just kinda show up places, solve conflicts, and leave. Which, in my opinion, is very Hermitlike.

They appeared in the Caisleán na Brionn. And now there is no Caisleán na Brionn, just a few survivors who spoke of magic like they'd never seen before, and of friends and family who left with them. Some of them returned. Some of them didn't.

(Court of Dreams. Most of you probably get what happened.)

But they're also known to humans, too. Sort of.

Their court is built right on the border between the mortal and the fae lands, the place where the Veil is weakest.

Ohio.

To the fae onlooker, it looks like an imposing fortress. To the human onlooker, it's just a town with a really weird vibe. And yeah, there's loads of cryptid sightings in the area, but that surely isn't related to this strange little town that freaks everyone out, and whose inhabitants all give off really Uncanny Valley vibes. Surely. That's a stupid thought.

But there are also those who know. Humans who know that this weird Ohioan town is the place to go to find themselves on the other side. Fae who know that the Caisleán na Díthreabhach is a way out.

And it is. If you know where to go.

But even those who know would not dare do them harm.

After all, He Who Keeps The Void is their king. After all, He Who Walks With Spirits holds his banner aloft. After all, They Who Watch will warn him. After all, He Who Fears Not Iron crafts their blades. After all, She Who Death Cowers Before rallies his armies. After all, He Who Is Fear stands at his right and He Who Turns Winter Red at his left.

After all, the Hermits will fight.

And they will win.