#its sad.. so sad.. its a sad sad situation!

[makersruin]

sorry i just cant stop thinking about the inu/kagome and inu/kikyo ship wars that are still going on in the present day. as someone who isnt invested in it at all (both presently and in childhood) im really fascinated how it managed to stand against the test of time and still be a topic of discussion for 28 years. i'm sure there's more to this that i'm missing because i'm looking primarily at youtube comments which can, at times, be the bottom barrel of the internet but im part not-surprised part alarmed by how the discourse never moved past the standards of writing for female characters in 2002. so much of 'kagome is useless and doesn't deserve him', 'kikyo is a whiny loser who cant give him up', etc etc. has anyone considered that inuyasha might not deserve either of them. ok well thats not true but it also doesn't feel very fair to go band for band on worthiness, which is a kind of meaningless method of measurement on the subject of love, and leave the guy out of it.

when it comes down to it, inuyasha as a story is about a group of people who have been deeply traumatized and cannot move past these traumas until they address the root of it, which is the shikon jewel. the end goal of the story is for them to overcome their pasts. his relationship with kikyo and kagome is exciting and romantic, but they also do the more important job of being representations of the past vs the future. if the story is committed to its thesis, then inuyasha can't be with kikyo. and its not because she's unworthy or a bitch or any of that nonsense, its because kikyo is dead and her soul already reincarnated. kagome is kikyo, not in a literal sense, but in that she is the part of kikyo who has chosen to move on and live. what's left is the bones and grave dirt and regrets of a woman whose life was ruined by the shikon jewel. inuyasha can't be with that. he can't bury himself alive for someone who isn't real anymore, no matter how much he loved her and regrets what happened. this isn't a win for kagome or proof of that kikyo is lesser, its a tragedy that the three of them are going to have to heal from. and when talking about the three of them, any consideration taken away from the weight of that seems like a shame to me.

[annawayne]

Anna I'm just curious how old are you?

Sorry if I'm being intrusive I just overthink too much if I'm too old to be in fandom You can not answer if it's uncomfortable, so please don't feel pressured to answer

Much love!

Hi anon!

I'm 27, and it's all fine, don't worry!

And you know, I would say that fandom is the place that doesn't have any restrictions: we gather together not by the age, but for our love for the same things. And this, this love doesn't know no age, it always go beyond. So, anon, no matter how old you are - 20, 38, 45, or 60 - you're welcome in any fandom because you share the same love like other people do :3

I know that a lot of people think that being in fandom is not "serious", when being an adult, but the truth is that the only "not serious" behaviour is to judge other people by their interest (as long as this "interest" is not harmful or insulting others, of course).

I actually had a situation when some very toxic man (lol, of course) said to me regarding my love for AruAni, "You're obsessed and it's not very good for you. You're already a grown-up woman, you better act like one". Well, there's always an ultimate answer to it, the one I said to him, "You're right, I'm a grown up and, unlike you, I act like one, so I don't listen to rude shitbags like you who tell me what to do with my life" ┐⁠(⁠ ⁠∵⁠ ⁠)⁠┌

And this is really it, you don't have to listen to anyone what you should love or not. Your interest is yours.

I understand that, of course, it's also difficult because of the social pressure, but if we will listen to anyone's what to do with our lives, what will be left for us? Life is a very fragile thing. And this fragility is for us to keep, not for other people with malice on their fingers trying to touch it.

I'm just like anyone else - I have a full-time job, mundane chores, health problems, taxes, medical check ups, sleep deprivation, maintaining my finances (I also have another quite specific condition - living in a war, but it's another thing), but I also have my love for theater and classics and rock concerts, my obsession with literature and ethno/vintage, my love for cinema, for art, for studying, for silly socks with hilarious print under the black palazzo pants and massive boots, my love for AruAni, who I adore with all my heart, for creating - writing and drawing, for wheezing when I see kitties or doggies, for cuddling with my plushie shiba-inu (his name is Mochi, I love him).

I can go to the opera, and then come back, write some AruAni angsty scenes and scream here with everyone on Tumblr on some headcanons - if Armin loves sharks, how Annie tries not to lose herself during the Ambassadors meeting when Armin looks like that etc etc - before starting working usually 8 hours. And it doesn't make me less or "weirder", or special or anything else. It just makes me - me, and there's nothing bad about it. In fact, it only brings me joy.

So, anon, no matter how old you are, what matters is your genuine passion and love, and if anyone tells you how to live your life - the only thing I can tell, is that such people are just jealous deep inside that you can openly love something and enjoy something, when they are not capable of it, being embarrassed or losing all the interests in general, caging themselves into "adult" frames, too pressured by social standards or simply not even having time for it - the whole list of reasons is enormous, and it's very sad, in fact.

We all sometimes lose our interests and hobbies in this adult life hurricane, but if you have it - defend it like the tree defends its roots in the storm: like its life depends on it, because being able to have the interest and being passionate about something, this is what is worth fighting for. It's a blessing and we should cherish it. It's not easy, but it's worth it.

(sorry for the sudden long read, I'm sorry if I bored you. It just seemed to me that this topic bothered you and I wanted to support you)

[creatively-cosmic]

i wanted to draw something different today soooo. i went n scrounged up a buncha pokepastas that ive read/pokepasta ocs ive seen around recently (mostly via mutuals)! ill tag creators and link sources under the cut, and ramble a little abt my thoughts... ^^

if anyone wants me to untag or remove their stuff from this btw let me know i didnt ask i kinda just. started doodling.

also half of yall i either never followed or only Just did i need 2 remedy that. ive been observing yalls stuff from a distance i keep forgetting to Press the Fucking Button is all

Your Friend Silver (Elias) by @uuberwachen ! this was such an INSANELYYY well written story and it stuck with me for DAYS. it really slots in the space in my mind that holds the classics and the twists and stuff with it genuinely got me. i cant recommend it enough if anyone who sees it hasnt read it yet. i got so excited when i saw a dedicated ask blog went up. i wish i werent scared of sending in questions to those things

Pixel Blue: 3DS VIRTUAL CONSOLE (2016) by @calybunz ! ahhh this was such a cool one to read! id see updates on it incidentally n i can tell a lot of work went into it- it was definitely worth it! its well written with a lot of heart.. maybe im just a sucker for stories that focus on a sympathetic blue.. the ending made me so SAD dude what the fuck. though my favorite parts were probably the dream sequences- godd the imagery of it all was fantastic!

Nuzlight (Mia) at @nuzlight-mia ! this is one i dont know much about yet, but her personality and design really captivated me when i first saw her! she seems like such a sweetheart and i look forward to getting to see more of her :3 i feel so bad for her situation.. the story n concept are all so interesting!

Missing Numbers (Green) at @themissingnumbers ... is our thing but green is hells (@hells1nfern0 ) dude that i have no sway in so. whatever. im unwell about him im excited for more to be revealed abt him :] i cant really say more than that since i know his secrets

FIRE RED FREE DOWNLOAD (Infected/Abandoned RED) by @aibouart ... another one i saw the design of first and was just IMMEDIATELY struck by. i love when stories twist in-universe things that're generally treated as normal and mundane and use its horror potential! a parasect parasite outbreak where the protagonist gets infected by that and ends up full of mushrooms...? thats the kinda shit i love to see >:)

Jack by @sparklingdemon ! cool ass design ive been wanting to draw and a cool concept to go with- the creepyblack protagonist as a grinning-reaper type where the ghost is an extension of him rules. i also loveee when designs utilize the fossil missingno stuff!! kabutops's arms lend themselves REALLY well to being a scythe

Glitchy Red: Retold by @lycankeyy / @glitchyred (idk which blog youd rather have tagged sorry). so i saw this when the official ao3 repost went up or got mentioned or something and it. really. resonated with me. like its hard to put my thoughts into coherent words, other than i had to just. Lay Down for the rest of the night after reading it and just feel whatever emotions struck me. it cut really deep but honestly- that's just fantastic. it's not often that i read something that makes me feel as viscerally as this rewrite did, and i have nothing but adoration for it because of that (we do have the plural bias which doesnt help regarding this lol). in my mind this is the definitive version of glitchy red.

Sanctuary AU (Aster) by @possiblyfunny . ANYWAYS ON A LIGHTER NOTE i fucking love aster more than i can put into words. given we get tagged in almost every piece of him that goes up its always such a delight to see and learn more about him! id been planning to draw him for months at this point but only just got around to it haha -v-" i look forward to seeing more abt the sanctuary au! please continue to tag me in those posts idc if it includes my guys or not i just care so much abt it

[olympeline]

Got a sweet message about my FrUK posts. So have a few more headcanons for posterior posterity:

Arthur developed a crush on Francis almost immediately after they met as children. He used to trail behind Francis like a tousel-headed duckling after a swan. Scarlet faced and hanging on to the back of Francis’s robes. Francis found it adorable but didn’t reciprocate. You know how kids are. Even though there would only be a few years between them in human terms, young Francis already saw himself as far too old and sophisticated to return the affections of his “little baby” neighbour. He couldn’t resist teasing Arthur and giggling at his childish efforts at courtship. Only to feel bad when the teasing inevitably went too far. Francis promised himself he wouldn’t do it again every time he saw little Arthur’s lip tremble and his eyes fill with tears. Kids are cruel unfortunately and Francis broke that promise more often than not. He grew up to be kind in love, but he didn’t start out that way. Actually, remorse over the way he treated Arthur was probably one of the reasons Francis grew up to be kind in love.

Their childhood friendship soured after the Norman conquest made England a French colony (kinda, sorta. It’s complicated). They’d both suffered under Rome and Arthur naively expected Francis to do more to protect him. Only to be shocked and hurt by Francis’s seeming callousness. Francis wasn’t really callous. He was just older and understood their situation better. This blew up into their first really bad fight. Francis kept insisting William would be a good king and Arthur should just accept the situation with grace for his peoples’ sake. Arthur kept begging Francis to do something to help him. Francis - much more miserable than he was letting on - lost his temper. He exploded at Arthur in uncharacteristic rage: calling him an idiot baby and saying it was no wonder he kept getting conquered. That he deserved it for being so stupid and weak. Francis was going through national personification “growing pains” at the time. Chin deep in dealing with the angst of the actually-kinda-horrifying-if-you-think-about-it existence of their kind. Something I headcanon all nation people experiencing when they’re old enough. Arthur, still too young to understand, was stunned and dismayed. The guilt at seeing him this way only made Francis angrier. He ranted at Arthur, who ran away sobbing and hid for days. Francis, still horribly guilty, pushed it down with bitterness and didn’t apologise for a long time. One of Arthur’s worst traits is his ability to bear a grudge and, oh boy, did he bear one after that. Even after he himself grew old enough to understand, he didn’t let Francis off the hook for his cruel outburst. Swore he’d get revenge someday and make Francis feel the same pain he did under William. A “someday” that would come a few centuries years later during the Hundred Years War.

They are both perfectly capable of speaking the other’s language but choose to communicate in their mother tongues. Arthur complains constantly about Francis and his “frog language” but secretly* he finds French unbearably sexy. Especially the French exonym for England. All Francis has to do is purr Angleterre in Arthur’s ear and he’s all shivers and tight pants.

(*Well, he thinks it’s a secret, lol).

Arthur’s first kiss was given to him by Francis: a quick peck during their childhood days. He was very disappointed to learn he wasn’t Francis’s first kiss in return. That was Antonio who, ironically enough, ended up being the one Arthur lost his virginity to. As a prisoner on Antonio’s ship during the Age of Sail. Pirate sex, yo! You gotta love it. Meanwhile Francis’s first time was with a young, French farmhand. A very beautiful mortal who came to a sad end. The encounter left him overpowered by a draining need for Francis that mortals aren’t capable of resisting. A human can’t cope with romantic love for a nation person without being ripped apart by its intensity. The poor man eventually went mad and drowned himself in the river. Near to the bank where he’d first made love to Francis. Which traumatised Francis so badly when he found out that he never became romantically involved with a human again. Yeah, for some reason I headcanon Francis as suffering a great deal from being a national personification. I don’t know, I just see him as seeming to carry a lot of sadness from it, you know?

Francis is one of the few non-magical nation people who can see Arthur’s fae friends. Not often and not very clearly. He’ll just catch a glimpse every once and a while. Out of the corner of his eye when the light is right.

As nation-people, they can’t get married in the human way unless their countries join in a political union. Instead they have the equivalent for their kind. The “next best thing” for personifications. It’s another headcanon I play with. I’m not sure what it would be, but some kind of “terra” wedding? Non-binding in any legal way, but a symbolic way of making it official. Only recognised by other nation-people. Like they’d still have rings but wear them on chains around their necks instead of on their fingers. Because symbolism. Both romantic and tragic! So yeah, in modern times they’re married and call each other “husband.” Just in a way that avoided creating Angevin Empire 2: Electric Boogaloo, hehe.

Arthur is slo-o-o-owly getting over his Alfred induced blood spitting sickness as time passes. In the early years after the American War for Independence, he would get it so badly that he was crashed out and bedbound from mid-June to late August. Alasdair would take over as leader while Arthur was indisposed so the UK could carry on as normal on the world stage. These days Arthur is doing much better and is usually up and about before the end of July. Unfortunately Francis’s birthday is Bastille Day and, try as he might, Arthur still isn’t strong enough to get out of bed by the 14th. Let alone do anything to make Francis’s day special. They had lots of fights about it after they became a couple. Arthur is a stubborn creature and two things bring it out that trait particularly badly: hiding weakness, and his love for Francis. Yeah, not a good combo for this situation, lol. Francis kept postponing or cancelling his party to come to England and nurse his sick spouse. Something Arthur absolutely did not want. It made him feel even worse to know he was keeping Francis from what should be his happiest day. Already cranky, he would tell Francis to piss off back home and leave him be. Francis would retort that Arthur was an obstinate fool if he thought Francis could enjoy himself when the love of his life was alone in bed vomiting blood. Arthur couldn’t make Francis leave (he even picked the lock and broke in once!) so instead he tried to force himself to attend the party. Relying on magic and handfuls of human medicine to keep himself upright. A bold attempt which only made everything worse. The staff at the Élysée Palace still haven’t gotten all the bloodstains out of the furnishings. One explosive fight later, Francis and Arthur came to a compromise. Arthur spends July in France where Francis can look after him. In return for Arthur tolerating his fussing, Francis attends his birthday party. Promising to put Arthur out of his mind for one full day and night.

I like the headcanon that all nation-people are good looking. That even the least of them would be considered very beautiful by human standards. Fits with the “more than human, less than gods” thing they’ve got going on. I think Francis would be the most beautiful of them all. So much of his history and culture revolves around the appreciation of art, love, and beauty. I think it would “come out” in him as a personification and he would be a work of art himself, you know? So much so that he would have to “tone it down” around humans to avoid hurting them. Other nation-people aren’t harmed like the poor farmhand was, but that doesn’t mean they don’t get tongue-tied around gorgeous Francy-pants. Especially the younger ones. His good looks radiate off him like the sun’s rays. Something he passed on to Alfred, incidentally. Meanwhile Arthur isn’t as stunning at a glance - you wouldn’t take a second look at him if you saw Francis first - but instead he has the kind of beauty that surprises you. Visitors are always shocked at how lovely Britain is once they get out of the tourist traps and see “real” parts of the country like the Lake District or the Cotswolds. It’s an unexpected but pleasant revelation. I think Arthur’s beauty would be like that: hidden, but then suddenly smacks you in the face and leaves you stunned. Francis would have been one of the first to notice, beauty connoisseur that he is.

I’ve got loads more but this post is getting long so I’ll cut it here. Hope you enjoyed (￣▽￣)ノ

[figuringthengsout]

I did read the new POVs! My question stands.

Oh, okay!

Here's the original ask for context: "What do you mean 'Aaron figuring out before Dobson that Andrew needed approval.' ?"

By approval I obviously mean approval of Andrew's sexuality. In the new extra content you can read the part where Aaron realized that Andrew never talked about Neil to Bee or, better, about Neil in the context of his relationship with him. Because of Andrew's past we know that this decision could come from different reasons, but what Aaron seems to think - and what the context then seems to confirm - is that Andrew never talked about his relationship with Neil with Bee because he was afraid of losing her (this reminds me of him and Cass, but this is another discussion). Andrew was afraid that by admitting his orientation Bee would see him under another light and distance herself from him. And the same fear applied for Aaron (which is really sad if you consider that Nicky had been a stable presence in both of their lives for years by that time).

Anyways, the point is that it took just a few minutes for Aaron to understand what the hold up with Andrew was, whereas Bee seemed to still be in the dark.

Now, you could argue that Bee might have already sensed something and that she decided to not bring it up for whatever reason, but why would she when she knew how much Andrew craved her (and his family's) approval? Why not try to reassure him beforehand? Especially considering his past? Wouldn't that be cruel?

And if she hadn't known how to bring it up with Andrew, why wouldn't she try with Aaron first (despite the difficulties and his refusal to talk)? The same way she did now by testing the waters with Nicky's situation? Why wouldn't she help Andrew see that there was no need to be this scared?

I honestly think that Aaron was the first one to really see through Andrew and to make sure he knew he was not only accepted, but also respected. Aaron seems to be the only one able to properly see how scared Andrew is, always.

And I think that's because Aaron sees himself in Andrew and vice versa. They're so alike and they both want the best for each other, but that's a scary thing to want when the world has always dealt you bad hands. Because Aaron in its fundaments craves the same things as Andrew: for Andrew to accept his love for Katelyn and respect his decision to stay with her, despite the challenges that might arise or the risk that she would take advantage of him; and he knows that's asking for too much. He knows that they're flying too close to the sun, but they've been playing safely for so long and they're so tired that it's worth taking the risk of crashing. Especially now that they're sure they'll always have each other. Now that there's no more need of a deal. Now that they're just brothers.

[remembrancer-of-heresy]

Since the other anons are imagining how would be if the Primarchs have actual children, I've imagined certain situation with Sanguinius if he had a daughter:

Everything is happy at first, she has little wings and is pretty as her father. Is his little cherub, he is a loving father and will teach her how to fly. And, apparently, there is no signs of the Red Thirst on her. Maybe she was lucky or this curse wasn't inheritable...

Until one day, she (now a young child) was playing with her pet or playfully chasing a bird on a break of the Blood Angels in Baal or Terra. Nothing bad seens to happen, until Sangy stops supervising her for a moment and then, later: he heards her screaming.

He flies fast to her direction to see what happened and finds her sobbingg, crouched down, with her little hands and mouth covered in blood. With tears in her eyes and trembling, she says: "I'm s-s-s-sorry D-Dad...I didn't want to...I-I couln't s-s-s-stop..." . So...the pet or bird was no more :(

He didn't tell her at first, he tought she wouldn't need it and wanted her to live without worrying about it. But now Sanguinius holds her, pats her back and tries to comfort her: "It's okay, little one, it wasn't your fault...". Now he has to teach her to control it and hide it.

@solspina, you have to see it.

Honestly cant add anything exept that its absolutely gorgeous idea. I really like sad stories which start too innocent. The fact that Sanguinius didnt see such future and belived that his daughter wouldn't has a blood thirst and yet shes like him kills me. Its like a death for him, a sentence. That his little child has to suffer because of her father genes and he couldnt even to see it.

[suzukiblu]

Two-thirds more sounds adorable (and/or sad, if that hits better) - I saw that story too!

Nobody’s here to tell it the procedures, so it can just make its own. Can–“extrapolate in a crisis situation”. 

It’s supposed to learn how to do that someday anyway. Supposed to be good enough to do that someday. 

If it doesn’t get scrapped for not being good enough to do anything at all, anyway.

[ms-m-astrologer]

2024 Libra New Moon/Eclipse

Wednesday, October 2, 06:49 UT, 10°04’ Libra

Chart erected for Washington, DC

Ordinarily I would rattle off the key phrase for a New Moon - but this one happens to be a solar eclipse, and it’s better not to mess with it. I’m including a lot of information from various sources, to help you make sense of it.

This series of eclipses (Saros Series 8 South) isn’t “fun” - in The Eagle and the Lark, astrologer Bernadette Brady wrote:

Separation and loss. To be parted. To finish something, and to feel sad at its completion. Physical injury is also possible through over-straining one’s strength. This is not the time to undertake strenuous physical activities.

Previous occurrences of this series happened on September 22, 2006, at 29° Virgo; September 11, 1988, at 19° Virgo; and August 31, 1970, at 8° Virgo.

This is also a South Node solar eclipse. The South Node indicates behaviors we have “maxed out” - we have learned everything there is to learn, and we have done everything there is to do; we can no longer make any progress or achieve any growth here. It’s time to reach out to that North Node, using its ruler (Mars/Cancer) for specifics.

Looking at the actual chart: there’s the eclipse, very closely conjunct not only Mercury but both Black Moons Lilith. This is a particular mentality of deliberately not seeing ourselves and others as we really are - of sugar-coating (Libra) reality.

In Finding Our Way through the Dark, Demetra George wrote of Black Moon Lilith:

She forces us to look at ourselves with utter, naked honesty and makes us demand the truth of things, from our families, partners, groups and governments. She is ruthless in destroying any of our life structures or relationships that are built upon a foundation of deception and disrespect, or do not express our true individuality or appropriate life path.

Note also that the eclipse is square both ends of an opposition between Mars/Cancer and Ceres/Capricorn. Nothing like a family member to cut through our crap, is there? But (on the other hand) there’s also familial pressure to “be” a certain way - to assume a particular role in the tribe - whether or not we’re actually suited to that role.

If we throw in the North Node/Aries, we have a Cardinal sign grand cross. Difficult aspects in Cardinal signs are indicative of issues and problems we have been aware of for some little time, but haven’t done anything to address. Steven Forrest wrote,

When the Grand Cross falls in the Cardinal Mode, its main strength lies in boldly initiating action and in attracting support, while the main forms of self-sabotage lie either in starting things that should never been started in the first place, or in failing to follow through on one’s inspired beginnings - the failure to finish what was started…. In the dark expression of Cardinal Grand Cross energy, this sickness manifests as endlessly beginning new projects in a spirit of hope that a new day is dawning, only to lose interest and focus for no obvious reason. (The Book of Air, pp 290-291)

So: let’s look at some of the more negative Libra traits:

Going along to get along

Manipulating people and situations to get one’s own way

“Peace at any price” (see: Neville Chamberlain)

Refusing to take a stand or to commit

Too “refined” and “aesthetic;” superficial

Opting for style over substance

I dunno - it just seems to me that if something must come to an end, maybe it should be something negative? Or maybe some behavior that worked like a charm back in 7th grade, but is no longer valid years later? If all we get out of this is learning how to pray for grace, that would be a good thing.

———————————

Venmo Mary_Brack

PayPal MaryVBrack

Thank you!

[nonbinoclard]

they could never make me hate you, miss oranje

[hi-intrepid-heroes]

i know gilear is first and foremost a funny character but theres something truly heartwrenching about someone whos had so much bad luck its become an integral part of his identity

[turtleblogatlast]

Sorry if you've gone over this before but I was curious as to what you'd think it would take for Leo to finally break in front of his brothers?

We’ve actually seen Leo break his persona multiple times throughout the series! And pretty much each and every time has a common theme present: his family being in danger.

[ezlo-x]

I LOVE HORROR!!! I LOVE HORROR SO MUCH ESPECIALLY WHEN ITS EXECUTED VERY WELL!!! I WANT TO ADD MORE HORROR INTO MY TLOZ AU BUT I AM OH SO SCARED OF IT TURNING OUT EDGY OR SMTH HORROR IS SO COOL I THINK THERE NEDDS TO BE MORE FANTASY HORROR IM SILLEY!!!!!

[daisybell-on-a-carousel]

*Ages of this post based on information from Jason and Tim's original runs in the 80s, as im still in the process of reading the comics and I respect original runs more anyway

Jason was 12 (pre-crisis, not contradicted) when Bruce adopted him at some point after Dick left, and Dick had left Wayne Manor for about 2 years by the time Jason died (Batman #436) making Jason 14 at death, to turn 15 that year if his birthday is August 16th

Tim is 13 when he introduces himself after Jason's death (Batman #441)

They have like, a 1-2 year age difference

Jason returns to life 6 months after his death, spends 1 year in the hospital, then 1 year on the streets before someone recognizes him as Robin, then 1 year with the league of assassin's before being thrown into the pit (Batman Annual #25)

A total of 3 years with Jason running on just instinct and muscle memory before being healed by the pit

Therefore, Jason, while physically older, is largely missing 3 years of his life

Jason is younger than Tim

Thank you coming to my ted talk

(Dont take this seriously please bcksbdjsnks)

[starry-bi-sky]

Names, Marbles, and Fae-vors - More Lore on my Changeling Danny Au

In my last post I talked about the Infinite Realms and the three different planes existing inside it - the Long Far, Home to the Ancients and Celestial Beings. The Fey Wilds, Home of the Fey and other such Mythological Constructs. And the Ghost Zone, Home to the Mortal Spirits. - as well as three of the different ways beings inside the Infinite Realms can travel between planes; the Lake Portals, the Cave Tunnels, and the Starflare Currents. The Lake Portals and the Cave Tunnels don't have an official term for them yet, but I'll come up with something :).

In this post we'll be talking about some of the abilities of the fey! Specifically the things they're most popularly known for: their name stealing and etiquette thing.

For those who are not as well-versed in Fey Lore, or need a refresher, (and because I just want to yap infodump), one of the first rules you learn when interacting with the Fey is that you never, ever, say "thank you" or "I'm sorry" to them! Which is crazy, because they're really big on etiquette and being polite to each other, which is why one of their epithets is "the Good Neighbor/s". So why should you not say two phrases most commonly used when being polite to someone?

There are two big reasons for this, and the reason I'll be focusing on for this au is because, to the Fey, saying "Thank You" is acknowledgement of a debt that's owed to them. It turns the action or gift into something transactional, and results in a verbal contract that the receiver must then repay later down the line -- and whatever point in time, and with whatever the Fey they are indebted to sees fit. Whether that be food, valuables, or your firstborn child.

The other big reason is because some Fey just think it's rude, and view "thank you" as something that dilutes their act of kindness, and/or implies that they are there to serve you. One of the best summarizations I've seen for fey is that they're bros; they're doing this because they think you're friends -- or something similar to the sort. It's deeply insulting to do all these nice things for a friend, only for that friend to reveal that they don't view you the same way at all.

It's for similar reasons that you also shouldn't say, "I'm sorry" either, except instead of repaying a gift, you are now making reparations for a wrong you have done. A misdeed must be repaid in full, now how are you going to make it up to them? And also because well, I imagine that if saying "thank you" is seen as rude, "I'm sorry" is the exact same way because it dilutes the act.

If you're in a situation where you must say "thank you" or "i'm sorry" there are ways to get around it. "I'm grateful", "you're too kind", "I apologize", or "I feel regret" are just some examples I saw used.

NOW! How is this used in my Changeling AU? The Fey work by these same rules, the only difference is that I've added a physical aspect to it! If Fey are capable of stealing the abstract and turning the incorporeal corporeal, then lets run with it!

"Thank Yous" and "I'm Sorrys" are debts, and Fey can magically bound you into a verbal contract with that alone. However, it's not uncommon -- and actually pretty standard -- for Fey to weave the excess magic of that debt into something physical. They create these delicate-looking, iridescent threads that they then weave into their hair for decoration. And in some areas of the Fey Wilds, use it as a way to show off wealth and/or their own wit.

Ever heard of Fairy Hair? Yeah, same concept.

Debt Threads, as I am temporarily calling them, are thin and airy, and not that much thicker than gossamer. Since it's a debt that is intended to eventually be paid back, it's not practical -- nor is it seen as such -- to use the threads for anything more than temporary cosmetics. As a result, they're usually used for decorating the hair, but some crafty fey use their threads to decorate other appendages, or as form of makeup. Despite their dainty appearance, the threads are actually very sturdy and can only be unweaved by the Fey that created it.

You can, technically, take back your debt thread. However, the threads are made using excess magic of the debt, and not made of the magic of the debt itself, which is why it's so thin and airy. So if you do manage to get it, congrats! All you've got is some pretty string and a pissed off feyrie whose hair you probably just yanked out.

Danny's managed to accrue a few "debts" before he realizes he's a fey, mostly from his friends and sister -- although there are a few from his parents, and some from the other student body from when he was unknowingly and instinctually doing Fey Bullshit. As a result, he starts forcing Sam and Tucker and Jazz to stop thanking him for things, and typically makes them repay him through petty, menial stuff. Like getting him food, or buying him a small but relatively inexpensive trinket he's been eyeing for a while. Never usually anything super important - it's his own way of apologizing for indebting them to him in the first place.

As for his parents... well, he'll hold onto those debts for now. Having a way to magically get them off his back with no questions asked is a boon he's pretty willing to keep close to his chest, and no amount of persuasion will convince him otherwise. Sorry Jazz, Fey side wins out on this one. As for some of the students he's got, Danny manages to psych himself up and release some of them from their contracts without repayment -- even if it makes his bones itch.

AND NOW THE NAMES! You never give a Fey your name because they say everything literally. "Can I have your name?" is a literal question -- they are asking for your name, and thus ownership over you. The other thing is that Names have power, if a fey knows your Full Name they can make you do things for them -- however it goes both ways so you could do the same thing if you learn a Fey's name.

Knowing a Name and owning a Name are two different things, with owning a Name being, naturally, more dangerous as you are basically submitting yourself to permanent indentured servitude, among other things. Knowing a Name can be risky because it results in being more susceptible to fey charms, enchantments, and requests.

But! I digress! Just like how Thank Yous and I'm Sorrys can be turned into a physical object, so can Names! This is not obligatory, nor is it recommended to do often because unlike debt threads, these can be taken back, but it happens!

Names can be trapped in these little, colorful glass-like orbs -- marbles, they're marbles/pearls. They can be trapped in what are basically magic marbles, and just like debt threads, be used for decoration. They're more versatile though, and are used for different things since unlike debt threads, the pearls are meant to be permanent! They make beautiful jewelry, since the pearls come in various different colors depending on the person it once belonged to, and the intent behind its creation.

The marbles have a hard outer shell, with the cores having a fluid, shimmery appearance. Look up liquid core dice, and Name Marbles have a similar appearance, just more... ethereal, with different shades of the same color swirling inside. Not two pearls look the same, and even ones that have similar colors or appearances have subtle differences in them that are imperceptible to the mortal eye. Some pearls look like the deepest trenches of the ocean, blacks and dark blues swirling around each other as flecks of bioluminescence float inside. While others look like a lilac winter sunset, with hand-held purples bleeding into pink and gold.

Convincing Danny to return the Names he's gotten is harder than convincing him to absolve the debts. It takes a lot more psyching up on his part to actually do it, and more verbal coaxing and negotiating on his friends' part. Because on an instinctual fey level, those names are rightfully his. For all intents and purposes, he was given those names freely and without reservation, and so to be told that he has to return what were essentially gifts to him is... deeply distressing.

Lots of cognitive dissonance there. His human-raised brain and morals know why he needs to give them back, and he feels bad for owning them. But his new changeling-baby fey-brain is deeply upset at the prospect, and is a liittle bit stronger than the once-human part of him. He rapidly becomes overwhelmed when trying to convince himself to return the Names. He does, eventually, end up doing it, but he's unwillingly upset the whole time.

[sunsetsandsunshine]

Imma just wait until TOTTMNT comes out on my very trusty (and very legal) site because y’all gmfu if you think I’m using Paramount 😬🤚🏾

Have a Leo tiktok for your troubles 🫶🏾💗