#df tradition

[residents-of-the-darkforest]

Naming Ceremony (short story)

Alderstar lay upon the fattest low hanging-branch of an alder tree, though one would be forgiven for not being able to properly identify it with every leaf blackened and scattered upon the ground. Grousemane had suggested the location for his ceremonies and meetings long ago–it was easy to remember. Alderstar would be found at the alder tree. Not to mention its height, standing out among the other massive trees, was useful in finding the place. It was helpful, too, that it was in eye-view of the Eye-Out Thorns, though far enough for the more faint-hearted to feel comfortable.

Once everyone was gathered, he rose and spoke loudly across the small space. “Welcome, kin and friends.” So many ceremonies like this had passed that he had forgotten what words would have been spoken when he was alive and the leader of Shadowclan. Something about their warrior ancestors, he’s sure. But those were taught to him by his father and the leaders before them. These are his own words. Every leader who gives names gives them with their own words.

Alderstar had even gotten into a routine, too. Or perhaps it is better to call it a tradition. Because he no longer lived in a Clan and was much less likely to know the traits that some cats had, parents who planned to have him do the naming would inform him. Sometimes when they were about to become ‘paws, sometimes when they were kits or even expecting. 

Alderstar would then occasionally watch the kits train, observe them. He would take time to speak one-on-one with the parents, mentor, and the kit themself. It was a good way to pass the time. He found he greatly enjoyed having something to do, too he greatly enjoyed thinking up warrior names, and he was satisfied with the ones he picked out for this batch.

“Today, we honour six apprentices, who defied their fate long ago. Had the Stars had their way, they would have remained small and defenseless.” The faces of several of the apprentices–namely Smallpaw–snarled at the idea. “We are not the Stars,” Alderstar said with pride, his chin lifted and chest puffed out. The families and mentors in the crowd purred in agreement. “We defied them, we defied the logics of death, and we grew. Now, we shall honour the growth, the strength, and the courage in these six young cats, now ready to become full warriors of the Place of No Stars.”

Yowls of excitement rang around the clearing. Alderstar waited patiently for them to calm down before going on. He had plenty of time. “Antpaw, step forward.”

Antpaw did as told, his steps shaky and his eyes round. “For your resistance against fate, and your heedful nature, you shall from this day forth be known as Antgrove.” 

He was happy to see Antgrove’s worry-edged smile quickly shift to one of delight as he dipped his head, and moved to the front of the crowd. All names had to have meaning, that was Alderstar’s rule. Antgrove loved to explore groves. It was where he was the most comfortable, where he felt the most peace. Alderstar had hoped that by giving him the name, he was hearing that his introverted nature was not only being noticed, but celebrated. Judging by the look on his face, it had been heard.

“Smallpaw, step forward.” 

Smallpaw’s reaction was much different. His body was tense, clearly it took a lot for him to pad forward gracefully and not simply race to the open space in which he would stand.

“For your resistance against fate, and your fierce bites, both real and metaphorical, you shall from this day forth be known as Smallclaw.”

Smallclaw’s smirk was broad. He took a moment to bask in the attention before he dipped his head and padded to sit beside who might have once been his brother. Alderstar wasn’t sure, all he knew was that the kits separated because of the different views they had on their deaths and crime.

“Hootpaw, step forward.” Alderstar had to hold back a smile as the name reminded him of his lovely mate. He was definitely going to nuzzle her and Myrtlewing once this ceremony was over. 

Hootpaw padded forward patiently. His ears were pricked and he looked up at Alderstar with interest and patience. Alderstar had wondered a long time how to convey THAT in a name.  “For your resistance against fate, and your ability to follow the wind so long as you see fit, you shall be known as Hootbloom.” Hootbloom’s eyes shone with a hint of pleasure, and something more beneath that.

It was good. Flowers bloom at different paces, some slow, some fast, but they all open up in the end. The same went for the kit. He had patience that astonished Alderstar, but the patience was for himself–he only felt it because time mattered only to him. He was slow and easy when he wanted to be, and fast as a frog’s tongue when he wanted to be. He bloomed when he wanted to bloom, it was no one else’s choice. This name was a way to announce it.

“Cinderpaw, step forward.”

Cinderpaw raced to the spot before Alderstar had finished the final word, her eyes wide and bright, and her fur dusty from the run. Kiteburn huffed in irritation where he sat with his and Cinderpaw’s family.

“For your resistance against fate, and your ability to see the heart in everyone, even when cold ice surrounds it, you shall, from this day forward, be known as Cinderrose.” The colours differed in meaning. Alderstar imagined the pink and white ones, happiness and innocence. Those were the two words that always sprang to mind whenever he thought of Cinderrose. She was an eager young cat, always ready to learn and make new friends. Even then, he could see the trauma that she was pushing away. He didn’t want to make her think about it now, or anytime she heard her name, so he stuck with the positives. Perhaps she could find help or figure out how to accept her past now that she didn’t have so much time taken up by training.

“Flarepaw, step forward,” Alderstar continued once Cinderrose was seated beside Antgrove, Smallclaw, and Hootbloom.

Flarepaw was slower. He didn’t look afraid, more curious, like he was still shocked that he could really be receiving his warrior ceremony even though he had died as a kit. Alderstar gave him a reassuring smile. “For your resistance against fate, and the justice that burns like fire in your paws, you shall, from this day forth, be known as Flarelight.” It was a double-name, what flares brings light, but Flarelight does in two ways as well. He brightens the space wherever he is, making jokes and always making sure that everyone is as comfortable as can be. As well, he never looks away when he notices that someone is being mistreated, even by a single whisker. He sheds light on the situation until it is solved.

Flarelight’s whiskers quivered in delight. He took a moment to grin at his father, Cricketclaw, before joining the line.

“Lavenderpaw, step forward.”

Lavenderpaw was not slow nor fast, she moved at an even pace, though stumbled a few times as she was unable to remove her gaping gaze from Alderstar in the tree above her. “For your resistance against fate, your way of hearing sorrows and spreading joy, you shall from this day forth be known as Lavenderspring.” It was another name with two meanings, one indicating the spring Lavenderspring always tried to bring to everyone’s steps, and in symbolism to the body of water, gentle and comfortable, which she always tried to be to those who needed it.

There was one more part of the ceremony that had to be done. He leaped from the branch and padded toward Antgrove. “Are you ready?” He asked.

Antgrove’s voice quivered. “Yes. I would like it by my tail.”

“Stand.”

Antgrove did as told. He sucked in a breath, and Alderstar laid a claw across his skin. He dragged it down deep enough to last, but not enough to cause serious damage. Then he laid another, smaller mark beside and just across it. “You are a true warrior now,” Alderstar told him. He repeated the markings onto the other newly-named warriors on areas of their choosing, before backing up and addressing the crowd once more. “Let us call out their names, and tell the Stars they have no strength here.!”

“Lavenderspring!”

“Antgrove!”

“Smallclaw!”

“Flarelight!”

“Hootbloom!”

“Cinderrose!”

================================

I will be explaining how the kits differed when the grew, and this claw ceremony thing! Basically really, it’s different leaders conducting ceremonies mark cats they named. I figured in the Dark Forest, that wouldn’t be frowned upon at all. Alder’s marking is like a branch with a thorn on it.

@frightnightindustries

@wills-woodland-warriors

[ohpsshaw]

Quick-shitty-marker-headshots! Thanks so much, guys! I enjoyed drawing your babies (and one of mine) AND trying to match colors to my small library of markers.

I'm also enjoying the OF subscription you helped me get. Enablers.

[mintyblood-222]

I bought new markers, which means DF gorls time!

[themandylion]

Wow your five pie dinner lifestyle is LIVING THE DREAM omg

Normally it's: apple, cherry, (mock) mince, pumpkin, lemon. But we are having difficulties sourcing our cherries this year (we don't do normal canned pie cherries, there's this entire system with dried cherries and apple juice and tapioca) so instead we're going to try peach. Should be fun!

[marinatyulpanka]

HALLOWEEN! 🎃🎃🎃

In honor of Halloween, I drew my characters in interesting costumes. I will be very grateful if you like, repost, or write something good. Have a spooky Halloween, my dears!

[uooj601]

Abit of a "Sketch Dump" of sorts

Not DF related but reckoned ide put up some misk drawings if anyones interested

The Axe Man, Flint Vagabond, Villain, Hero and Teacher for hire, the only constant his obsession for personal strength and a hatred of weakness, most of all ones own

Mr Thorn Justice swift and steady hand, Was once blasted by a cascade of wild magic, fortunately the only obvious effect was being cursed with long locks of a rich Pink, He Detests Pink

Ms Shawn Buck, An odd druid, known to fill a shot gun with seeds and plant them at terminal velocity...

An outlaw, some say he was the greatest Gunslinger of a century until he met a fey whom had sworn to "steal his thunder" Now thay say he stalks the land, intent to master another weapon, so that he may challenge that fey and Reclaim his thunder

All we know is hes called The Hat

And lastly one of Pizza before i solidified his design and added the cyborg hand

[tanadrin]

in traditional fantasy dwarves live underground because they are based on scandinavian earth-spirits--hence also their association with mineral wealth and craftsmanship.

in a high-magic d&d-like setting i think it would be fun instead to play dwarves as paranoid survivalists who live in the fantasy equivalent of fallout shelters and nuclear missile silos, deadlocked in some kind of sorcerous MAD dilemma with each other and terrified of the collapse of civilization. maybe i'll play my next DF fort like this...

[shredsandpatches]

I probably wouldn't work too hard to specify, unless I had a good idea or my imaginary actors/designers did -- I think I'd mostly focus on being clear with the class and temporal signifiers (and I'd keep the American aesthetic, I think, given the time period I zeroed in on). And of course the Pope is still the Pope.

Thinking about my imaginary Doctor Faustus production again (like you do) and how the unspoken premise is that it's set in a Bible college in, like, West Virginia, circa 1930. Not in a way that works too hard to localize it, just a vibes-based thing that makes the repressive elements of the play's religious landscape visible but without direct evocation of present-day evangelical culture -- like, I would want that side of the play to also have an emotional pull, that's why I'd want to use e.g. Sacred Harp for the production music, because it's beautiful and also a lot of it is really judgmental and that's a good way of underscoring Faustus' dilemma.

But the other thing that just occurred to me is that that second-quarter-twentieth-century vibe would make it really easy to signpost the passage of time in the play: after all, Faustus signs over his soul for twenty-four years of demonic service, and the play should feel like it has a ticking clock. And you can do that easily with visual cues (probably also soundtrack cues) if you have that recent-past aesthetic, even if you don't want to lean on specific historical details.

(It also occurred to me that, while I haven't actually seen many productions of the play, I definitely haven't seen or read about one that does that -- in period costume the cues would be too subtle and modern-dress productions seem to go for "eternal present day")

[spacelazarwolf]

(to your knowledge) are there any genuinely trans affirming versions of ra/di/cal feminism? I've seen a few people here and there on the internet saying Their version of it is trans inclusive but I haven't had the time to do any extensive research..

imo no. ra/di/cal feminism relies on the idea that there is a Victim Group and an Oppressor Group. for traditional ra/df/ems, those groups are based on agab. "females" are victims and "males" are oppressors, and these are immutable categories. if you are female, you are and will always be a victim and nothing you can ever do will change that. if you are a male, you are and always will be an oppressor and nothing you can ever do will change that.

for neo ra/df/ems (tirfs, whatever you want to call them), those immutable categories are "man" and "woman", or sometimes "man" and "nonman." if you are a woman or "nonman", you are and will always be a victim and nothing you can ever do will change that. if you are a man, you are and always will be an oppressor and nothing you can ever do will change that. this ideology appeals to a lot of groups like trans and queer people who were afab that don't align with manhood and also to trans women and trans femmes, because those are groups who understandably have a lot of resentment toward the patriarchy for the trauma it's caused them.

but when you look at the other side of the constructed binary, you have a lot of trans and intersex people (whether that's trans men, trans people who pursue masculinizing transition, trans people who align with manhood regardless of agab, intersex people who choose to align with manhood or are forcibly aligned with manhood because of their intersex traits that are perceived as "male", or trans people who were amab that are forcibly aligned with manhood because of the way they present) who simply do not hold any societal power and are in fact profoundly oppressed under the patriarchy who are now being labeled as oppressors simply because of the way they identify or they way they're forcibly aligned. this can be particularly traumatizing for trans people like me who have a lot of deep trauma from the several decades being perceived as and treated as a woman/"female", because our trauma is usually dismissed as "misdirected" or "not as bad." this incongruence between lived experiences of oppression and perceived status as oppressor further marginalizes these groups; they continue to experience oppression in general society because of their status as "other", but are also turned away from safe spaces because of their perceived status as oppressors, and this leads to high levels of isolation, depression and anxiety, violence, and suicide.

ra/di/cal feminism also holds the idea that misogyny is the one true/most important form of oppression. it asserts that all other forms of bigotry stem from misogyny, so the priority should be to overthrow the patriarchy. which sounds like a noble goal in theory, but in practice what it really looks like is a lot of white women wanting to flip patriarchy on its head so they're the ones in charge instead of white men. and historically white women have had an integral role in maintaining white supremacy, so it's understandable why a lot of people of color, including women of color, reject ra/di/cal feminism.

this presents itself in neo ra/di/cal feminism as well when discussions surrounding gender based oppression and transphobia fail to take race into account. trans men are perceived as transitioning into an Oppressor Group, therefore they must be transitioning into an easier and more privileged life. but black and brown trans men report experiencing more violence after they transition. white trans women's voices are prioritized over trans men of color because one is seen as the Victim and the other as the Oppressor, which results in white voices and narratives being prioritized in trans discussions, and does not take into account the way white women have historically used their whiteness as a weapon against black and brown men.

so in conclusion of this mini essay, i argue that there can never be a form of ra/di/cal feminism that is truly accepting of all trans people because the mandatory binary way of thinking is incompatible with queer and trans existence, and because it is not structured to take race and ethnicity into account which makes it inaccessible to racial and ethnic minorities. intersectional feminism that challenges binaries and targets the system instead of individuals or groups of people will always be more inclusive and successful.

[marejadilla]

José López Vergara, “The Plague”, oil on Belgian linen panel. b. 1994 México DF, raised in Madrid. INPRNT Traditional Art Award 2020 Finalists @beautifulbizarremagazine Art Prize,

[folkloristico]

Some Daphne & CoL (& Bloom) headcanons that have been haunting me nonstop lately

So I’m sharing them here.

A key factor of my understanding of Daphne is that she was homeschooled and as a result grew up mostly sheltered from the outside world (courtesy of the war as well), being more familiar with (formal) adults than her own peers. As a result, she developed a strong relationship with all CoL members.

Oritel

Daphne is totally a daddy’s girl. Sometimes when she’s still in her early teens and life is calmer, she knows how to tug at his affection to get what she wants. She isn’t spoiled, exactly, but Domino prides itself of being one of the most ancient and powerful monarchies (though most of them do, really; they aren’t rich and powerful for no reason) and Daphne herself isn’t immune to this.

Daphne often ditches her royal maids (the three we see in the second movie) and goes searching for her father, usually finding him busy in his office. Once she unlocks her basic fairy form and is free to soar into the sky it’s over for them. Oritel does admonish her (sometimes), but he’s too fond of her to send her away and so they end up spending lots of time together like this.

They can go on for hours playing strategic games together.

He teaches her sword-fighting. Sometimes he lets her win, but Daphne points it out to him that she doesn’t like it and so Oritel stops.

He also teaches her how to play the piano—it’s the only artistic talent he has, Marion being the true artistic soul of the family. (And Bloom, too, later on.)

Marion

Moments of intimacy between Daphne and Marion are rare because Marion does the majority of the traveling on behalf of the kingdom. She is better at handling people than Oritel is, and being the one born into the royal family comes with a fair amount of advantages. (Slightly unrelated to Daphne but still worth mentioning—they both know it’s how most people see them and it’s something that makes them uncomfortable, for different reasons, but they soon grow to ignore it.)

As a young princess (late teens-early 20s), Marion would sometimes name-drop the Dragon Flame just to see how people would react. It was the little power she was granted over them, and she isn’t proud of that now. What she is proud of is seeing Daphne is much more wary with the DF than Marion herself ever was.

Soon the word spreads that the young princess is an amazing Guardian and Marion takes it upon herself to teach Daphne everything she can.

Both Marion and Oritel are very protective of Daphne because of reasons that stem from their childhood/families, and they try so hard to keep Daphne safe that it sometimes backfires.

Like during the war, they start drifting apart. That is because Marion and Oritel are so determined to protect Daphne while she’s still a teen that they don’t tell her many things, and Daphne, who is incredibly receptive, isn’t to be fooled.

She grows to think they don’t trust her as much as thought they did. There’s still an insane amount of love between them, but sometimes it feels like it’s not enough. Especially on Daphne’s part.

Hagen

He’s been around since Daphne can remember, and he’s as close to an uncle as he can get.

Most people find Hagen’s presence to be uncomfortable because he speaks ever so rarely that they don’t know what to do with him, especially in a climate where people are always meddling and poking their noses around—Downton Abbey kind of thing, where no one, from servants to royalty, knows how to shut the fuck up, ever.

Oritel doesn’t have much time to take Daphne to the stalls and just hang out, so Hagen takes it upon himself to teach Daphne how to properly take care of her horse—which Oritel and Marion gave her as a gift. (In a world of technology and magic, of course, there are countless ways of traveling that are indeed faster, but people in the Magic Dimension are still attached to traditions.)

Ironically, the longest conversations Daphne ever has with Hagen happen when she asks him questions about subjects he’s interested in—mostly sword-fighting and sword making, occasionally battle strategy and tactics.

Saladin

He’s the kind of guy who gets along well with everyone.

People who meet him might think he’s naïve, but despite having an easy-going personality, he’s wary of the people he can trust. His kindness shouldn’t be mistaken for foolishness.

Because of this, Daphne is quick to warm up to him.

She has a lot of questions about… anything, really, and he makes sure to respond to them as best as he can. Marion and Oritel are often too busy to spend a lot of time with him when he’s visiting. Hagen and Faragonda only half-listen to him rumbling about this or that, and eventually they get tired of it, but both are too considerate of his feelings to let him know.

Saladin knows this, and sometimes uses these occasions to make fun of them.

Daphne, on the other hand, can never get enough. She grows particularly fascinated with Andros because of some similarities the planet shares with Domino (and because it’s the home planet of Sirenix), and it just so happens that Saladin has some acquaintances from the planet, in part thanks to his work at Red Fountain.

He brings Daphne gifts whenever he can; she has a whole shelf dedicated to them. With time, she feels she should reciprocate somehow, so she starts meddling about the palace trying to find anything that could interest Saladin.

Because he knows so much already, surprising him is hard, but still Daphne does her best. Eventually, even Marion and Oritel fall into this routine and whenever they find something of interest, they make a mental note of mentioning it to Daphne. But she’s the Biggest Nerd Ever™️ and usually knows about that stuff already.

More related to Marion but still worth mentioning, Saladin is Marion’s favorite person to have around when she has to attend royal business meetings/parties. He’s fun to be around and has a knack for always steering the conversation in the right direction, which comes particularly in handy when they’re in the company of someone who Marion doesn’t like. (She’s too polite to say it to their faces, but there are some people she just can’t stand.)

Faragonda

Faragonda is the kind of person you go to when you want to have a sincere and mature conversation about something.

She’s a powerful fairy and, like Saladin, has a kinship for academics. But she favors interacting with people over researching, and so she doesn’t have extensive knowledge on everything.

But being the only fairy of CoL outside of Marion, there are things Daphne prefers asking her rather than Saladin. Like when Daphne first considers the idea of studying to become a Nymph, Faragonda is the person she goes to.

During the quietest years of the war, Daphne spends some months at Alfea and they get closer than ever. (Though it was partly because Oritel asked Faragonda to keep an eye on her. He thinks Daphne doesn’t know this much, but she does.)

Because Faragonda knows Daphne has a kinship for the academics, she offers Daphne to help out at Alfea after the Sirenix Curse is broken.

Griffin

Griffin joining the Company goes opposite from smooth and so Daphne is kept at a distance from her. Oritel in particular is wary of her and doesn’t want Griffin nowhere near his daughter. 

Marion is of a slightly different opinion. At first, she doesn’t trust Griffin more than Oritel does, but she’s too preoccupied with the war and everything else to even consider the idea of Daphne developing a relationship with Griffin.

Because the truth is, none of them believe this allianceship will evolve into something deeper. But slowly—very slowly—they fall into a new routine and Griffin goes from serious threat to someone who’s just there to someone they can actually trust.

While there isn’t any active form of discrimination against witches by the time Daphne is born, anti-witch sentiment is still very real. Because of that, Daphne has never met many witches before. Griffin is the first chance she’s got at interacting with one, and she’s mesmerized by Griffin’s extensive knowledge. It doesn’t go as far as Saladin does but rather limits to certain aspects of magic for which they both share an interest.

Daphne is weirded out by her, but in a strange, almost funny way. It’s like there’s this person who just came out of nowhere and everyone just accepted it. Well, not everyone, exactly—half the palace wants her dead, but she has the approval of the queen and—reluctantly—the king, and so no one dares to say anything.

It’s only later that Griffin grows comfortable enough to tease Oritel about it, who, for his part, always looks on the verge of a stroke everytime he’s reminded how close Daphne has gotten to Griffin. Which only sets Griffin for even more teasing.

Marion has since longer abandoned her prejudices and isn’t worried about their relationship. 

Griffin will never admit to it, but she enjoys Daphne’s company in the library as much as she enjoys Faragonda’s.

Only sometimes does Daphne cross the line and ask questions Griffin doesn’t know how to respond to—mostly about the war, or if Daphne is feeling particularly bold,  Griffin’s past affiliation with the Coven and Valtor. Daphne is barely in her early 20s by the time Domino is wiped away; she isn’t a child anymore, but Marion and Oritel are protective of her to a fault and don’t want her to get involved.

Bloom

Bloom and Daphne’s relationship from before the destruction of Domino is almost non-existent because Bloom was still a baby when the planet was attacked. 

But Daphne, for her part, loved her, deeply and devotedly. She always wanted to have a little sister, and just when she thought it would never happen, her mother was pregnant. But months later, Marion suffered a spontaneous abortion, and she and Oritel stopped trying after that.

That is why the news of Bloom comes both as a blessing and a curse. It’s everything they’ve ever wanted, but the timing is so wrong that Marion wonders if it wouldn’t be for the better if she lost  this child as well. But she doesn’t, and when Bloom is born, Daphne swears on her life that she will never let anything bad happen to her.

Suffice to say that once Domino is restored, they all love Bloom—because how couldn’t they? She’s the lost princess who saved them all. But their own understanding of her only goes as far as the vague idea they have of her, and in reality Bloom is struggling an awful lot to fill the shoes of the person they want her to be.

Daphne knows exactly what it feels like, and as she, too, is struggling after having basically come back from the dead, she makes sure Bloom knows she can count on her anytime. Bloom feels like a burden to her, but she doesn’t realize how much she is helping Daphne in return.

Their relationship is smoother than the one Bloom has with Marion and Oritel. They’ve all gone through an insane amount of trauma, and they’re all trying their best. The fact is that Bloom never felt like she needed to meet her biological parents because she always had parents, still has them, and they’re the best pair you could ever ask for. Whenever she’s with Marion and Oritel, Bloom feels like she’s somehow betraying Vanessa and Mike.

Daphne is a whole different deal. Bloom never had a sister but always wished she had one, and in that sense, Daphne has sort of dropped from the sky. Not to mention that during the three years Bloom spent at Alfea, Daphne was always there for her whenever she could—when she was strong enough to reach Bloom in her dreams, that is—and helped her get through some tough moments.

It’s both easy and weird for them to be around each other. For Daphne, because the baby sister she once held in her arms is now but a few years younger than she is. For Bloom, because she’d gotten so used to the idea of being an only child, and of being able to only talk to Daphne in her dreams, that having her in front of her very eyes is unsettling.

Bloom often feels that now that Daphne—the princess the kingdom has known for more than twenty years—is back, she won’t be ‘needed’ anymore. She doesn’t realize just how much Daphne loves her. Because to her, it’s like the mere fact of Bloom having survived the war is proof enough that she’s succeeded in keeping her promise to keep her little sister safe.

[topaz-witch-tea]

absolutely loving the au, here to ask a question and to offer up my own ideas because i am brainrotting and adoring this

my question is, are you ok with people writimg their own fics of this au? credit of course will be given to you if permission to post is permitted on ao3, and it'll also be gifted, but i haven't written anything for hsr yet and i wanna get to practising the sillies

second, what ideas/petnames/doting names did jy, yx and df call yanqing when he was younger? and alternatively, if there's ever a time where yanqing is upset, would they call him that, even when hes a bit older, to comfort him, just an old habit they can't shake?

and, also, what similarities do yoy think he shares the most with each respective parent? yingxing and him definitely bond over swords,but what about the others?

i have plentyyy more ideas brewing in the ol noggin but i adore this AU, i think its wonderfully written and i cant wait to see what happens in elegy! have a good day!

Hello!!!!

Yes! Please feel free to write your own fics of this au, just remember to credit me and let me know because I would love to read it. 🥰 If you want any information on my AU that I have not posted about/published yet, let me know I will be more than happy to provide you with the info. Feel free to message me if you have any questions. 😁

The main petname that shows up in the fics is "Little Bird". All three of them call Yanqing this because when he was little, the sparrows and fiches would like to perch on his crib to look at him and Yanqing loved to copy them. He would flap his arms to mimic a bird flying whenever he saw one. They still call him that in private, though it gets less and less common as Yanqing gets older.

It does show up when they are comforting him, especially when he is upset about something concerning them. When he is upset, Yanqing likes to hide in dark places where other people can't reach him. He'll hide in the corner of his bed with the drapes pulled down or in his closet behind his clothes. His dads will often call him "little bird" to coax him out to get them to talk to him.

You are correct, Yanqing shares his interest in swords with Yingxing. For Dan Feng, it's the arts, primarily music. The Vidyadharas are known for their music and profoundly sad ballads. Music has always had its place in traditional education, particularly those of wealth and nobility, so I see Dan Feng knowing music and incorporating music into Yanqing's education. I can see Dan Feng giving Yanqing his jade dizi as a present.

For Jing Yuan, I don't see it as any tangible like swords or instruments but rather politics. Even though he is young, Jing Yuan will also give him exercises. "Who is talking?" "Who is listening?" "Who is at this event and who is not?" "If this were to happen, who would benefit and who would lose?" Yanqing's birth has always been a focus of gossip and his every movement is judged due to his position and lineage. So Jing Yuan considers it important he knows how to defend himself in these situations. If the three of them were to pass, Yanqing would still inherit titles and fortune and Jing Yuan could not bear it if someone took advantage of his son after he passed.

AWWW!!! THANK YOU!!! I love answering asks so please feel free to send more. I am also excited for the next chapter. I want the angst to be perfect.

[joyouslee]

Going feral again remembering the unbearable intimacy of DFS teaching LLH the secrets of beifeng baiyang. It's just not done to pass on one's secret techniques (to his neili! his inner power! the basis of his martial arts!) like that unless it's to a disciple or close family member (spouse, children). LLH killed two people for not being worthy of it (ok, and yes, for threatening FDB, but the disgust was real). It's not something you can just ask for. In wuxia tradition the teacher will at least want three kowtows.

(I love that LLH teaches FDB yangzhouman but FDB has been calling LXY shifu for a decade, so it's more orthodox.)

[troutfur]

I need to pick your brain on the Ghost Cats idea like those Brokenstar also steal kittens? or what of Thistleclaw and the rest of the Dark Forest gang? gimme the details :p

Heheheheh! Glad you asked!

Brokenstar I feel would be more of a spectre of WindClan. He appears as a biting cold in the harshest season, driving all the prey underground and trying to topple their wintertime dens in an attempt to drive them out again. Only secondarily would he be associated with taking kits. But I would imagine him more like a spirit of miscarriages and Sudden Infant Death Syndrome. If your kit dies young ShadowClan cats say that he was apprenticed under Brokenstar.

(Hmmm... Perhaps that was the origin of the concept of DF trainees...)

Thistleclaw on the other hand... I feel like he would be a spirit associated with borders. Perhaps a kind of "benevolent" spirit of ThunderClan's borders in that he will butcher you if you try to cross late at night if you are from another Clan. Perhaps there is a tradition in the other Clans that before declaring war on ThunderClan they have to perform a ritual specifically to bind or otherwise incapacitate Thistleclaw.

Rowanclaw, who within my worldbuilding is also a damned soul because of how his leadership went, is one I have had it suggested to me is a spirit of the breeze that is forever lamenting his pathetic and short run.

I am hazy on who is in the DF and what their crimes are but if anyone wants to remind me, I'm game for answering more.

Oh and as a side note, I really like the idea that DF cats can ascend and StarClan cats be damned based on changing perceptions of them post-mortem. My main example is Mudclaw who becomes a sort of folk hero as Onestar's leadership goes to shit. Hence why when the Darktail issue is over they leave him to sink to the bottom of the lake and instead hold a funeral for Mudclaw. That ritual action of the funeral is what finally lets him ascend and transfigure into his soul bird shape (another innovation of my own personal lore) of a raven.

[marinatyulpanka]

Mellis. The Divine Family.

[peridot-tears]

WIP Wednesday: Cowboy!FDB, Chiropractor!LLH, Fighter!DFS

“This entire town feels like a fever dream,” Di Feisheng finds himself saying. “K-pop aesthetics next to Old West buildings like we just walked into an old American film. Now our traditional Chinese medicine in a covered wagon.”

He gestures at the anatomical poster on the wall, which charts out every meridian point in the human body. A matching bust sits on a shelf next to it.

“When in Rome,” Li Lianhua says, pulling up a chair at the small table and gesturing for Di Feisheng to do the same. “Tea?”

“No thank you,” Di Feisheng says, but Li Lianhua is already on his feet again, pouring from a kettle into a teapot. That wasn’t a question, then.

“May I ask,” Di Feisheng says when Li Lianhua has rejoined him, “how old are you?”

“Twenty-eight,” Li Lianhua responds, pouring out cups for them both.

So he’s only two years younger than Di Feisheng, and not just an older gentleman with the best skincare routine known to man. Interesting.

“Thank you.” Di Feisheng takes a sip. He can’t taste anything, but the bouquet tells him it’s jasmine.

Li Lianhua asks, “I assume you’re a brawler?”

Di Feisheng, baffled by the buffalo, the wagon, and the man, almost forgot why he’s here.

Almost. “I am,” he says, “and I need to work the knots out of my back.”

“Not just knots,” Li Lianhua says. “You’re clearly a grappler, so I take it that your shoulder has hit the ground more times than is healthy. It should be seizing up any day now. The thin fabric on your robe tells me that you know it’s easy to choke a man if his collar or lapels are thick enough. You’ve trained for it, so you know how it feels, but still, it’s a miracle you haven’t gotten a neck cramp yet. You’re lucky to have found me—I can crack you and massage you. Whenever you’re ready, you can get on the table and we can start now.”

Yes. Di Feisheng loves a man who understands him. He didn’t even know you could get neck cramps from too much choking. He nods vigorously, following Li Lianhua’s instructions to shuck off his clothes down to his neiyi, lying on his front so Li Lianhua can probe his back.

Li Lianhua tuts as he trails cool fingers across the landscape of knots and muscles. “Di-xiansheng, you’ve done a number on your opponents, but you’ve also done a number on yourself. We call that ‘equivalent exchange.’”