blackberrybrambles

[blackberrybrambles]

I will be going through and writing a complete sort of story background for the Blackberry Brambles AU that explains more concisely what is going on.

It'll explain Sun and Moon's background.

It'll explain the importance of the blackberries.

It'll explain my overall plans for the reader.

and I hope to start doing some random stories featuring the group from that point on :3

#I actually hate how the 2nd part of Blackberry Brambles turned out #like I'm sure I wrote it just fine #I established what I wanted to establish #but I feel like I didn't portray Sun right #it felt like the shitty sequel to the first part

[blackberrybrambles]

So why did Moon decide to keep eating meat despite the ostracizing he knew he would face? Was it before or after he met Sun?

Okay so by and large a lot of important information pertaining to this can be found here, as it'll actually explain a LOT of what's going on with Moon. But I'll throw more under the cut to explain in... Quicker detail.

Basically, Moon would have been ostracized regardless of whether or not he chose to eat meat. Because Moon is a "Blighted Fae", and ergo considered to be a bad omen. His life before was not a pleasant one.

He was born from hate and spite and was rejected by his parents. Thus resulted in him being taken in by a Bear (named "Hawthorne"), who from that point on became his mother. She nursed him as if he were her own baby. She invaded bee hives to get honey for him. She loved him and she nurtured him. She caught fish and other animals to feed him once he desired to eat solid foods.

He had tasted raw meat before even attempting to integrate himself back into Fae society. But by and large, he survived as a street urchin. He wound up being stunted as far as his education went, because it wasn't until he was more grown and ergo able to start threatening others that he was able to start forcing them to teach him how to better speak, read, and write.

He's actually a bit older than Sun, but not by much. And he grew slower due to his poor care, because a bear can't quite provide the same as proper Fae parents.

Sun was the only one who didn't hate him. Sun would go out of his way to try and interact with Moon. And Sun was so tempted by Moon's behavior that he dared to taste raw meat in secret, while alone with Moon. And he concluded that it was delicious. He avoided being ostracized as a result only because Moon never told on him. Moon didn't tell because he cared about Sun, and didn't want to see them hurt.

So basically, Sun and Moon have been together nearly their whole lives, save maybe a decade. Moon was born to be hated, and Sun rejected the notion of that prejudice.

#ask #fun stuffs

[blackberrybrambles]

FAE FILES: The Ancestors

A bit of an info/lore drop that I'll throw here so I can link it to an ask I just got :3

Examples From AU: Sun, Moon, and Eclipse

Fae Type: HumanoidSub-Type: None

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Sex Status: Intersex, functioning on a Binary Spectrum. Children are seemingly born female but will develop either male or female traits come puberty.

There are no true males or females among the Fae Ancestors, but many individuals will go by either male or female pronouns/status based upon their greatest level of sexual traits. Individuals that are functionally male will still have female traits. Individuals that are functionally female will still have male traits.

Common female traits include the development of breasts (capable of producing milk), softer skeletal structures, shorter bodies, are more well developed vulva, and other visual traits that could be described as “Soft” or “Feminine”.

Common male traits include a lack of developed breasts (or an inability to produce milk), harder skeletal structures, taller (often stronger) bodies, the development of a functional penis, and other visual traits that could be described as “masculine”.

Any combination of traits is possible and the preference to rely upon common binary labels such as “male” and “female” generally exists more for the sake of differentiating roles in relationships and society than for anything else. It is, however, important to note that functioning on the binary in this means is required. The use if “they” as a singular pronoun is relatively common among the Fae Ancestors. This is particularly true among individuals with a mishmash of sexually defining features. When the features remain as this mishmash, it makes using the binary terms difficult.

This distinct intersex status of the Fae Ancestors has assured continued reproduction abilities even in situations where “males” and “females” appear, outwardly, to have a dramatic imbalance. This is because “males” and “females” are both capable of producing children, especially so when taken into account that the actual method of reproduction is almost entirely external. Even underdeveloped vaginas provide enough room for a Love Blossom to develop and emerge from the body. This wide range in sexual traits assures that, regardless of a couples situation, there will always be a means of caring for the child.

Two individuals unable to produce milk themselves can turn to others for help. Couples fortunate enough to both be able to produce milk are able to not only care for their own offspring, but for the offspring of those who are less fortunate. This spectrum of traits assures survival and encourages cooperation among the individuals in the Fae society. All adults play some part in rearing the children born into these societies.

As another random note, testicles are nonexistent in these particular Fae. Both internal or external. Outside of states of arousal, the presence of a penis can largely be missed as a result of their penises being elongated clitorises. This is what gives their penises such a peculiar, tentacle like appearance.

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Primary Magics: None. Magic Generalists

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Diet Type: Omnivore. Functionally vegetarian.

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Roles: Territory keepers and farmers. These Fae are responsible for setting up and establishing enchanted territories in which other Fae inhabit. They are also the “Ancestor Species” of all known humanoid Fae.

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Description: The Ancestors are a type of Humanoid Fae which reach heights ranging between 6 to 9 feet tall on average, with a handful of outliers reaching heights of up to 12 feet.

They are a thin, lanky looking race that would appear to be quite frail. However their tall bodies and thin statures conceal a physical strength that far surpasses that of any human.

Visually speaking, they are often mistaken for “Elves” due to their very human like appearances. They have long, pointed ears and come in a range of skin colors generally matching that of human capabilities (White to very dark skinned). Though there are a few acceptations that can lead to very inhuman looking skin tones (see “Other”).

What genuinely sets the Ancestors apart from their closest relatives, the Elves, is their teeth and their tongues. Among other aspects best discussed in the reproduction setting. The Ancestor Fae have not one, but three sets of slightly elongated, sharp canines. These canines provide the basis for what could be considered a very powerful, very dangerous bite. As these Fae once lived on a diet that encouraged the consumption of raw meat and bones, these teeth were once incredibly useful in daily life. Now these teeth only seem to remain as a reminder of their status as Ancestors.

These Fae also have long, forked tongues that can come in some rather peculiar shapes. The shape of the tongue will actually vary from individual to individual. Some will have narrow, pointed tongues best compared to that of a serpent. Others have minor forks and their tongues instead are flattened out, forming a sort of leaf shape that creates more surface area for them to work with. The range in tongue shape does not have any real reason, and could be comparable to how humans have a wide variety of potential nose and ear shapes.

As a Generalist species, these Fae do not specialize in any one type of magic and are instead well versed in virtually any known magic type. Individuals of the group will have varied levels of control over the use of these magic types, with it being rare for any sort of mastery to be achieved. They live by the phrase “Jack of all trades, but a master of none”.

They are a Fae that largely exist without any sort of established purpose, with their only real duties being to maintain the land they live upon. Eons ago these Fae would have been nomads fanning out across the globe in search of fertile lands to take root in. There, they would have established magic territories (such as the Fae Forests), which would then provide them and many other types of Fae safe havens from the outside world. These territories are especially territory in this more modern era, as humans have destroyed a great deal of land where Fae would have once been able to safely take root.

It is unfortunate to say that the Ancestors are a slowly fading breed for this very reason. Just as humans encroach upon the territory of animals with habitat destruction, the modernization of the landscape greatly limits the Fae in terms of their ability to thrive. Established territories struggle to be maintained, especially in the event of a catastrophe that might wipe out or weaken a local population. This leads to many Ancestors being refugees without homes, as the barriers established around their territories have either diminished beyond their means of repair or they have been destroyed entirely.

This allows outside threats to get in, which then drive these Fae from their homes. With their populations dwindling, that means that it has only been made harder for the Fae Ancestors to set out and establish new territories. Refugees often set out in search of already existing territories to move into - or take over. The level of hostility between groups of these Fae has started to increase dramatically due to the increase desperation to survive.

Thankfully any of their descending relatives (Such as elves) also contain the ability to establish new territories, so all will not be entirely loss in the event of an extinction. But these other races have become more specialized and are ergo less adaptable in terms of how to utilize their magic. So as a result, their efforts in establishing new territories will have mixed results, and the efforts themselves will be very strenuous.

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Reproduction Description: As humanoid Fae, the Ancestors reproduce externally through the planting of a Love Garden. Specifically through the planting of special blossoms produced through the development of strong bonds of love. The only aspect of this which is prone to being internal is the growth of these blossoms, which will emerge from the “mother’s” body roughly 3 to 5 days following a bonding event.

These blossoms are birthed in pools of honey and emerge entirely white. Colors will develop in the days following planting. The blossoms can come in any range of color from white to black, with Gold being incredibly rare. Golden blossoms are born of very specific, very intense bonds of love, and from these blossoms the “Golden Children” will emerge. These children are believed to be the result of pure, genuine love and are ergo treasured among the Fae community.

The blossoms themselves begin small, with the smallest of them only being about the size of a strawberry. They emerge from the mother’s body tightly closed, and quickly develop a series of long roots. These roots are semi prehensile, and are often used to first cling to the mother to assure safe travels on the way to the garden. There is no actual rush to plant the blossoms, as they can survive for a very long period of time without access to the ground.

Once planted, the love blossoms become entirely immobile. Their petals will open within the first day after planting, at which point they will remain in the soil until it comes time for a baby to be born.

When a blossom decides that it is ready to transform into a baby, it will close its petals to resume to the shape of a bud, and it will undergo a rapid period of growth in order to make room for the baby inside. The interior of the petals floods with nectar, and the flower itself will act as the womb in which the child grows.

There is no actual set time for the development of a Fae baby. Gestation of the fetus can last anywhere from a few days, to a few years. Factors such as the strength of the love used to create the specific bloom that is carrying the baby, to the whims of the Earth itself determine the speed at which a child will be born. Parents are expected to provide extra care to these blooms as they develop, as their love with further encourage the growth of their baby.

When it comes time for the baby to be born, the petals of the flower will slowly open. The nectar inside will spill out, flooding the surrounding soil and causing the abrupt growth of plant life. The original bloom itself will die, seemingly transforming into a bed of small flowers, upon which the new baby will comfortably rest. Very little warning is given between the leaking of the nectar and the arrival of the baby. So that makes it all the more important for Fae parents to regularly check on and maintain these precious blooms, otherwise they risk missing the birth of their babies. If not worse.

The bed of smaller flowers dies after a few days, leaving behind barren but fertile soil which can then be replanted in. A properly cared for bloom will provide a healthy baby, which grows at a rate equal to that of human children up until reaching “prime adulthood” (Somewhere around 25). At which point Fae generally stop aging entirely and then become immortal.

Unlike human babies, however, Fae babies require little care in terms of food requirements and diaper changing. Fae themselves do not produce bodily waste, and Fae as a whole can live on nothing more than Milk and Honey. What a Fae baby does need, however, is lots of love and attention. A neglected baby will inevitably grow weak, and a weak baby will inevitably get sick. At which point it is entirely within the realm of expectation that that baby will perish.

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Other:Golden Children) The children born of beautiful, golden blossoms that shine with the radiance of the sun. Easily distinguished from the normal yellow blossoms thanks to their glow and shine. These children are often born with either skin that shines the color of gold, or markings that shimmer and shine as gold. Their hair is often blond or might even be a beautiful shade of platinum. Their eyes can come in any range of colors common to the Fae, but when using magic, their eyes will turn gold regardless of their original hue. They are no stronger and no more magically gifted than the other Fae of their kind.

They are simply considered to be miracle children due to having been born from such a pure, uninhibited incident of love. As such they are generally spoiled by those around them, assuring that they live happy lives. They are also known as “Sunkissed” Fae, as their magical abilities are known to greatly increase under the light of the sun.

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Pestilence Children) The children who have, unfortunately, been born from Love blossoms that have started to die. Be it as a result of neglect or from their parents beginning to fall out of love and turn to hate and spite, these children walk the fine line between “Love” and “Hate” and will go on to lead difficult lives. Pestilence children are easily distinguished from others of their kind as a result of their unnatural appearances. They often have eyes of two differing colors, and one of their eyes will glow red in the event of intense anger.

Their hair is likewise prone to coming in multiple hues, with the “unnatural” hues being blue or white - the colors of the Blight. Their skin can, but does not always, have unnatural blue splotching to further establish their status as “Half Blighted”. Unlike the Golden Children, which do not attain any peculiar magical traits as a result of their unique appearance, the Pestilence children do. They share in the dark, twisted magic of the Blighted Fae. Meaning that they likewise draw as much power from death and destruction as they do from life.

They carry a balance of power obtainable by no other abnormal Fae. Equally as capable of granting life to their surroundings as they are in terms of sapping the life from it. But they are heavily, heavily discouraged from acting upon their Blighted urges, lest they be driven from the societies that they were born into.

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Blighted Children) Vile, disgusting children born of dead love. The Blighted Children come from gardens or from improperly disposed of withered blooms that then went on to produce corrupted children. They are born with blue tinted skin and icy blue eyes that will shine red when enraged. Their hair will either be ghostly white or some shade of blue. They may have on them markings that shine like silver, in a stark contrast to the golden shimmer of the Golden Children.

The Blighted Children are spiteful creatures born without the ability to love. They feast heavily on flesh and are drawn to death and destruction. Their magic is drawn most from the moon, making them strongest in the dead of night, when the other Fae are asleep and vulnerable. They rarely sleep themselves, known only to slumber when the moon itself is dark. They are masters in the art of taking life, and generally fail in the art of giving life. For this reason, they are rarely taken in by the parents that sired them and are left for the wilderness to deal with.

In the event that a Blighted Child somehow survives to childhood, they will become objects of disdain that live among other Fae only by virtue of the fact that they have right to the grounds they were born upon. But they will largely be denied rights bestowed upon the other, natural Fae.

Blighted Children will never be allowed to own proper homes. They will never be allowed to marry. If they could even reproduce, they would be denied that right as well. They exist only as drains on the societies that they were born into, and generally terrorize those around them with their baneful existence. The are unwanted. Unloved. Unnatural. Worthy only of fear and of the hate that produced them.

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Mutants) Fae children born abnormally shaped Love Blossoms. The most common cause being improper planting resulting in two blooms merging at some point during child development. These mutant Fae are often born abnormally large and will have developed extra limbs or features as a result of their peculiar development. In some cases, this is the direct result of two developing buds merging while two separate babies are gestating, resulting in conjoined twins - or a scenario in which one sibling absorbs the other during development.

These mutant offspring are often larger and stronger than their traditional counterparts. They retain full use of any additional limbs, and additional body features (such as eyes or tongues) are also entirely functional. They are, for all intents and purposes, just a little freaky in comparison to their peers and are otherwise perfectly healthy so long as they were properly cared for during vital childhood years. The only real downsides of their situation are the stigma that often comes with looking different.

Mutants are often feared by other children for any number of reasons. They may suffer stunted growth due to the extra demands of their larger bodies. An abnormal number of them are also born as Pestilence children, which only adds to their difficulties in life. But they are perfectly capable of fitting in with their society, so long as enough efforts are made.

#Worldbuilding! #Fae Lore #Fae Files

[blackberrybrambles]

Sorry I'm not really going to follow a linear format with Blackberry Brambles, the storyline wasn't built to follow a linear path ;3;

The random options would just be my writing a random snippet of something that either expands upon the storyline or something that expands upon the Fae realm. It would be built as a story, but the focus would be less on characters and more on that.

#poll #buffering

[blackberrybrambles]

Are angsty prompts allowed? (Sorry I like angst a lot fgdjkhkg) Because if so: I don't quite remember if it was mentioned how much the human and fae realms overlapped but thinking about some of the last asks sent, and of Sun's words during that first meeting, what if one day, after years have passed, Briar is near the edge of the territory and happens to hear some music that seems familiar. Maybe something that used to be a yearly celebration back home and it brings back memories and the realization that she can never enjoy the activity again? And what if a while after she had taken Sun's words to heart and actually felt like she ought to not cry due to it being useless (but actually really needs it because she is currently hurting a lot but she's just trying to bottle it up in hopes of convincing herself she has actually gotten used to this life already and it can't hurt her anymore). Bonus points if Sun presses for why she is obviously feeling down and she can throw back at him the "there's no use in crying line" hehe

Ahh, sorry I know this is more headcanon territory haha, so don't feel pressured to use this, or if you do tweak it however you see fit!

Angst prompts are generally fine, yeah. Hell there's been planned stuff of Briar encountering something that reminds her of home only to realize that she'll never be able to go back. Only the idea itself was spotting someone in the forest that they knew. And realizing how much time must have passed, because of how much older they look.

You can peer into the human realm from the Fae realm, which is how this would even take place. But its still a rather angsty scenario that would take place many years following the actual abduction. Just waiting for the opportunity to write it out :3

Like I said. Angst prompts are chill. Just prefer the prompts written a bit more to the point so its easier for my brain to wrap around what I'm responding too, lmao.

#prompts of any sort are fine! #and encouraged! #but for story prompts I need them separate from groups of questions #for ease of working with my ADHD brain

[blackberrybrambles]

"Juicy Oral Kiss"

im obsessed with this audio and i HAD to draw it with sun

#That is a phrase I didn't expect to hear today #but alright #c'mere Nano

[blackberrybrambles]

Opening commissions to replace the fans in my PC!

One has stopped working completely and the other two are barely holding on so it's a bit urgent, considering I use my PC to create content and as the family computer. The goal I have is $100 USD for the fans and to cover shipping.

More examples and info can be found over on my Ko-Fi! https://ko-fi.com/juicydem0n

#I'm getting one #but reblogging anyways #also paradox #mmm

[blackberrybrambles]

Oooh! And talking more about the future, which of them is the one to decide they do want to be friendlier instead of just polite? To let go of the resentment and want to form something more? I assume some of it happens naturally, but maybe there is a realization one day?

I'm guessing it would be Sun or Briar first taking those steps, since Sun makes an effort to be polite despite his anger, (although maybe it would be harder for Briar since she is aware now that mistakes can happen by ignorance and might fear taking the wrong step might earn her more ire from the fae) and Moon seems to be the angriest about it all.

But I wonder how that hurt might be walked through in this case. In the lore post it is said that Moon by choice of his diet is completely shunned by the majority of his kind. Maybe he'll get to relate to Briar in that loneliness where she can never return to all she knew? Where she now must live apart from her own kind, kind of like he does (even though it wasn't really by her own choice?)

More fun questions :3

As far as just being friendly goes, that falls on Sun. He's just generally better at being social than Moon is, for a variety of reasons. But Moon does also eventually chill TF out and just become this grumpy guy that Briar has a lingering fear of due to their history.

As far as things getting romantic/sexual... Well. Lets just say the planned event involves some mead, some intoxication, and all three letting go of their inhibitions. But I'd say that it still falls more on Sun to get that ball moving, just because of his general roll as the one to encourage things to progress past a specific boiling point.

As for the hurt/comfort aspect; it will largely fall on Sun for a good, long while because Moon struggles to form emotional connections to others. He even has his moments of being emotionally distant from Sun. Despite them being married. Sun is just better at dealing with these issues and it takes a long while for Moon to start coming around. Though his attempts will have been there long before Briar has reached the point where she's made aware of them.

And speaking of lore! There's a lot more relating to Moon than meets the eye. His background is very, very complex. And a lot of his behavior (like his socialization issues) track back to that.

#fun stuffs #anyways #to anyone reading #prompts are always welcome #cause y'know #story building

[blackberrybrambles]

Oh, I see!

So to Sun and Moon, they are applying a punishment equivalent to the crime. (And to the following you don't need to answer because you've said you want the Blackberries stuff written as a story post but I'm just gonna give some thoughts hehe). So the punishment is one year per Berry, and it involves taking care of the forest, so I'm just wondering if it has to do with the well-being of the nature around them in general, at least what consists of the fae territory. Hmmm, I really wonder about the loss of identity part, and if that serves it's purpose or if that is just the part to pay for the offense and anger caused towards the two fae for getting them in trouble.

And since this is still a x reader story I'm very curious on how the relationships will advance! I'm guessing at first "Briar" will just feel... very hated XD The coldness of the hosts seem to make that clear, even if they are supposed to care for the snatched human now. And if that grab from Sun earlier really did bruise them, they will feel very unsafe for a good while. And lonely. Very lonely.

Also, I do wonder if they will come to regret that pain, or if because they are following their ways as fae, it's just something they will remain firm about. I can see "Briar" growing used to their new life, only for a couple of years to have how much they truly lost sinking in once again and cause them a good bit of grief. I don't know if forgetting about other things like it happened with their name is something that might occur, but the knowledge that they forgot must also be really painful.

So I do wonder how that might go, when some care has been established between the three of them and old pain resurfaces with a vengeance.

Oh, and I'm so curious about Eclipse! Since he comes in after a good while of Briar having been there, and is polite enough to Moon, could he turn into a potential friend for Briar if the relationship with Sun and Moon is just polite still? He wouldn't have a motive to be mad at the reader right? Unless blackberries are so important that all fae would be mad about that regardless XD

More fun questions!

You're right on the money in guessing that the berries, by and large, play part in keeping the Fae territory safe!

As for taking the reader's name (Aka, her identity); that's actually the main part of how they trap her in the Fae Realm. By taking her name and giving her a new one, they basically put an enchantment upon "Briar", assuring that she'll remain trapped in their realm. If she should ever manage to get her name back, she can escape.

And you're right to assume that there's a fair amount of negativity in the relationship, at the start. Particularly from Moon (who we've already seen is quicker to fly off the handle than Sun, who did his best to remain kind and polite all the way up until the Reader attempted to disobey and leave). The way its mapped out, Sun is generally nicer while not hiding the fact that he is angry. But as Briar has already been given their punishment, he is doing his best to keep from being any more cruel than he already has by trapping her in the Fae Realm and forcing her to work. Moon is the one more prone to losing his temper flat out, but outside of some verbal abuse and generally being scary, he never seriously hurts Briar (and if he does do physical harm, its largely unintentional). By and large, it takes YEARS for the anger to soften and for Briar and the Fae to start developing a positive relationship (which is why Blackberry Brambles isn't meant to follow a set linear story, but would, ideally, just consists of stories of them in the realm throughout various points in time). Once that positive relationship starts to develop, everything softens. And she starts to learn things about the Fae that largely wouldn't be made obvious otherwise.

There are definitely moments where Briar will be faced with the fact that she's trapped in this place and the world she once knew is moving on without her. The people she once knew are growing older, or even dying. No one knows where she went. And by the time she's set free, there won't be anyone left who will know her. The instant that she set foot in the Fae Realm, her life was gone. And that's a painful thing to think about.

But once the group are on more positive terms, they do show genuine care for Briar. This isn't to say that they wouldn't have tried to protect her from the start, but the closer they grow emotionally, the more meaningful it is to be comforted.

And Eclipse, by and large, is free game to be befriended or made into a lover. He has no reason to view the Reader in a negative light, and by the time he turns up, its established that she's under protection of Sun and Moon. So even if he had some sort of problem with her (and he doesn't) he'd know better than to act upon his negative feelings. By and large, Eclipse will turn up and be a tense acquaintance for a while before eventually establishing himself as a trustworthy ally.

#lore #fun stuffs #asks

[blackberrybrambles]

Oh yeah! (same anon as before but I figure I should probably ask here instead haha), I imagine the perspective on the situation will change as Briar finds out the true nature of the berries! I just really like imagining the angst possibilities heh. Like they very much had tasted the berries, so the flavor alone could bring back the feeling of absolute fear of that night when Moon came for them.

I'm intersted in a lot of things honestly! Sun mentions that they have to be mean due to the reader's actions, which I suppose is a diffenrence in perspective between fae and humans? Because technically to a human, no matter how they phrase it, it's still a choice. One that means their whole life will be uprooted. (Also I wonder if there was an effect to eating the berries that will come into play later)

Also, reading the lore post, I imagine Briar will become one of these touched by the Fae, I think it was called? So they would become sort of immortal in order to be able to go through the whole one year per berry punishment deal. Which also makes me think of a whole angst potential for that as well. If time runs in a similar manner in the fae realm than it does in the human one, if by the end of the punishment they wanted to return to their own world, how would they even right? Because if so many years have passed, their home and belongings would no longer be there, anyone that knew them would probably be dead, and how would they explain their sudden reappearance (unless taken by the fae is something known to be common enough)

And oh! I'm curious of the human perspective about the fae. I know there are offerings and gifts, but how well known are they? Sun said there were signs to prevent people from taking the blackberries, but why did no one warn the reader of what they were? Did people assume they would know already? Did they just get particularly unlucky comming across a generally unknown group of berries? And also are people who are knowlegeable about the fae only respect them? Or would they react negatively to one touched by the Fae?

Sorry for so many questions haha!

Going through and reading this, there's a LOT of very good questions here which I'm happy to answer!

The importance of the berries is very, very major in the grand scheme of things. But it's something I'd rather answer in the form of a story prompt than through directly revealing it in a question. But without giving away any major details; eating the blackberries won't do anything to people.

The instant they're consumed or destroyed (as in through cooking or cutting, etc), the magical properties that make them so important disappear. And THAT in and of itself is part of why Moon (and Sun) have been left so greatly infuriated by what "Briar" has done. Its not entirely about the blackberries, but more about the consequences of what can or will happen with the blackberries gone. And those potential consequences do directly tie into why the reader is being punished the way that they are.

The Fae are getting even. And in expanding upon the story, it'll become easy to see how it is that they're getting even through their chosen means of punishing "Briar". Because what Briar has done will have major, major effects. And they must be held accountable for their actions.

Moving on to the "Fae Touched" aspect - you're right on the money! In fact, mortal creatures in general will just stop aging once in the Fae Realm. Because that's sort of just how the magic in the realm will work. Whether you go there for a year or for a thousand years, you will not age a day (though your hair and nails will grow, albeit as a slow pace). But the actual process of becoming magical involves so much more than just being in the realm. You have to consume of Fae Food and drink and even interact with the Fae of the realm for the effects to really start to take root, and even then it takes decades for anything to start happening. And you might not even be aware of these effects at all, for a while!

But part of the punishment (aka part of how the Fae are being cruel to the reader) has been specifically made to strip them of their former life. They have lost their home. They have lost any friends or family. Their life, as they knew it, is gone. And it all ties back to the consequences that the Fae now face because of Briar stealing the blackberries.

As for the Fae realm itself and how it ties into the mortal realm: by and large, Fae are considered to be a silly superstition to humans. There are groups who firmly believe these superstitions, those who don't, and then those special few (witches or Fae descendants) who know the truth.

Fae Forests, like the forest that Sun and Moon live in, act as tourist traps or as wildlife reserves in the human world. Leaving an offering is a superstitious thing to some, but just a silly game to others. It all depends on the induvial and where they come from.

In "Briar's" case, these "signs" discouraging people from picking the blackberries were treated as another silly part of local superstition. Because people pick blackberries there all the time. It all narrows down to when they chose to pick these berries (poor timing on their part, as the blackberries are normally perfectly fine to take. They just happened to pick the berries during a point in time where the berries were said to be "off limits").

#I do so enjoy these questions #I love hinting at important things #and sharing lore

[blackberrybrambles]

Oh man, after such a rough start, having been taken from their home, and getting literally everything (name included) taken away from them for something like blackberry picking, I can see the poor protag not ever wanting to be in the presence of a blackberry, sacred or not, in their entire life.

I wonder if it would be the case, even when getting on better terms with Sun and Moon, since the last time they literally tasted blackberries, their home was destroyed, broken into, and jars where being exploded against the walls. Sun mentioned that no one was meant to touch the berries until he and Moon had gotten what they needed from them, which tells me afterwards it would be ok to pick them, but even so, if it was me, I would probably panic at the mere thought of having one in my mouth oof

That would be a very valid response tbh. Because yes. From the current perspective of the reader, they've lost almost everything that there is to lose (home, freedom, identity) over... Blackberries, of all things. All they did was pick some wild growing blackberries and make jam.

HOWEVER

There's more to the blackberries than meets the eye. The importance is there, it just hasn't been discussed yet.

#prompts always welcome #and will help me expand on the story as a whole :3 #blackberry brambles isn't planned as a linear story #more a series of snippets put together to make a story

[blackberrybrambles]

Blackberry Brambles - 1

The next part of Blackberry Brambles! Fae AU. Here we meet Sun. And we get our Reader's official name in the story.

When you wake, you wake to a dull throb in the back of your head. At which point you snap your eyes open and jolt into an upright, sitting position. Whereupon you discover that you are no longer in your home.

The room that you now sit within is a stark difference from the building you’re familiar with. Walls made of wood and stone surround you. The window on the nearby wall is open faintly, allowing a warm breeze to waft into the room. Everything about the setting sings to you with a familiar tune, creating memories of log cabins tucked away comfortably in the distant woods. The space itself is comfortable and luxurious. Though the luxury is deftly lost in the haze of panic that settles over you.

You know not how you got here, but you know that this is not your home.

The pain in your head remains as a reminder of what transpired the night before. Memories of the terrifying statue creature invading your space and flying into a rage over something so simple as blackberries.

You recall the destruction to your home in faint flashes of recollection, the pain only growing more intense the more you linger on these thoughts. So much so that you’re forced to clutch your head in an attempt to soothe away the agony as it sets in. A low groan escapes you as you do so.

In a way, you feel hungover. Your head and your body ache in a manner all too familiar to anyone unfortunate enough to have poisoned themselves with one to many sips of alcohol.

But the pain gradually fades as the memories finish playing out. Until finally you’re left in more of a daze than anything else. Confused and terrified. Completely unsure as to how you’ve come to arrive in this cozy little cot, but certain that being here is not a good sign.

Your anxieties only grow as you take notice of a familiar sound. Footsteps upon a stone floor. The sound echoes from behind the distant door, cluing you in to the fact that some entity is quickly approaching you. So quickly in fact that you only have the time to throw the blankets off of your lap before the door swings open.

“Go----od morning~!” An unfamiliar, overly enthusiastic voice hits your ears as your eyes settle upon the terrifying entity which has made its way into the room.

Another creature with a face made of wood and stone. One which strongly resembles the “Moonman” that had invaded your home and attacked you the night prior. The difference now only being their vibrant coloration and their pale, lifeless eyes.

Where the Moonman’s eyes had been cast alight with the fiery glow of hate, this entity; the Sunman as you’ve quickly decided to call them, has wide eyes that give away none of their emotions. Gazing upon them is genuinely like gazing upon a statue.

If not for their energetic movements and the friendly sound of their voice, you would not have been able to tell what manner of mood they were in. And even though you’re admittedly relieved to find that the Sunman does not share in the Moonman’s blatant malice, you’re still terrified.

You do not know what this creature is or what it wants. All that you know, at this moment, is that you’ve been stolen away from your home.

You don’t know if this creature seeks to help you or to harm you. You don’t know if they’re a friend of the creature that abducted you, or if they’re an enemy of theirs. But you know that they unnerve you. Even as they stare at you with that wide, seemingly friendly smile, you’re nervous.

They appear to take notice of this. And as such let out something that could be described as a nervous laugh.

“Oh! How silly of me. One moment.” The entity utters.

You then watch as they reach up towards their round, oversized head. Admittedly you’re a bit surprised to find that it isn’t their head at all, but some manner of oversized mask that had been secured to their real head through some unknown means. Regardless of how the mask has been so securely fitted, or how they manage to see you from behind it, you’re relieved to find that this creature isn’t a walking statue at all.

When the mask comes off and your eyes settle upon the human face, you first mistake them for another person. Though that mistake is quickly corrected when they smile at you.

Three sets of sharp canines are put on full display when the man grins.

Despite his smile appearing to be genuine, the inhuman state of him quickly makes you feel all the more uneasy.

All at once you find yourself honing in on all of the other abnormalities with his features. His pointed ears. The freckles upon his face that appear to shimmer like flakes of gold in the sun. For as human as he initially appeared to be when the mask came off, you quickly recognize that he is anything but human.

He puts his mask down upon the floor, before pointing to his face.

“Here I am!” He utters in a playful tone, before stepping further into the room.

You respond in kind by backing up upon the bed, rightly terrified of this inhuman being that has approached you. He seems to be a bit taken aback by this, before letting out another nervous little chuckle.

“Oh. I suppose I should be explaining a few things, while I have you here.” He mutters, sort of anxiously studying you as you study him in turn. He then clears his throat, before motioning to the bed.

“May I sit?” He asks, now addressing you in a polite tone as he makes his request.

The energy from before is all but gone as he changes everything about his stance. The energy now given off by him is one of seriousness.

You timidly look from him to the edge of the bed, before violently shaking your head. While you can appreciate the fact that he bothered to ask, you genuinely don’t want him drawing any closer to you than he already has. At least not right now. Not when you’re so completely and utterly confused.

He offers a curt nod in response, before crouching down upon the floor. He lets his arms rest against his knees as he stares at you.

“Hm... Well. Forgive me, I’m not quite sure where to begin. I thought that Moon might have already filled you in on everything.” He utters, tilting his head in a rather curious manner as he speaks. You tense slightly as he draws reference to the other thing.

The thing that stole you.

The Moonman.

The Moonman who you now realize was probably another of whatever this man happened to be.

He begins to sway ever so slightly in place as he stares at you.

“Well, friend. You have gotten us into quite a bit of trouble.” He flatly states, his tone going a bit sour as the words pass his lips.

“You’ve stolen some very important blackberries from my friend and I. Very important blackberries indeed. And I’m afraid it's been decided that punishment is in order.” He adds, finally bringing some manner of specification to light. Specifications that you have been stolen from your home and brought to this place to be punished over blackberries.

Blackberries, of all things.

Blackberries that you’ve apparently stolen from these creatures, though you fail to grasp why it is that they seem to be upset over it.

The harvesting season has only just started. There will be more blackberries to pick in a few more days. You’ve taken nothing that can’t be readily replaced with time.

Still, you manage to find the nerve in you to speak.

“P-punishment?...” You timidly utter in response. The male offers a slow nod of his head.

“I’m afraid so. You see, no one is allowed to take any of the blackberries here until Moon and I have taken what we need of them. For some reason, you’ve ignored that fact. You’ve ignored the signs. Now my friend and I have found ourselves in some very serious trouble. Seeing as you can’t give the berries back to us, it's been decided that you need to repay us in other ways.” The Sunman explains, giving you a rather roundabout explanation behind your having been brought here. You furrow your brows in response, rightly confused.

This has to be a dream, right? Strange men with pointed ears and teeth don’t just come storming into people’s homes over fruit.

“Other means?...” You quietly murmur in response, unsure of what to make of this peculiar situation. The man offers another nod, this time leaning forward about as he does so.

“Mhmm! Because you’ve stolen something so important, it has to be a very particular punishment indeed! So Moon and I have decided on the perfect thing! You’ll stay here and help us maintain the forest. You’ll stay one year, per every berry you’ve stolen.” He states, sounding rather proud of himself as he does so.

Your heart sinks in response. Both from the absurdity of it all and from the implications of being held hostage for what must have been close to a hundred years, if not longer.

You begin to frantically stumble out of the bed in response, intent on trying to get away from this madman.

He stands up and curiously watches you as you scramble to your feet. But before you can force your way past him, he catches you by the arm.

A whimper of pain escapes you in response. The sheer force of his grip is overwhelming. Inhuman, even. Without saying a word, he leads you back to the bed and has you sit back down.

You obey, if only out of fear.

Once you’re sitting, he lets go of your arm. He moves to stand between you and the door just as your eyes dart in its general direction. Tears well in your eyes as you rub your arm. The place where his hand held you hurts. You aren’t sure if he’s bruised you, but he definitely held you much tighter than needed.

“Now now, no need for that.” The man utters, reaching to gently wipe away your tears as they begin to trail down your cheeks.

“There’s no use for it.” He adds, his voice suddenly having gone cold. His friendly demeanor has all but disappeared completely as he stares down at you.

The rage in his eyes is quite obvious as you lock eyes with him. Subdued and menacing. Every bit as laced with spite as the eyes of the Moonman had been.

You take in a shaky breath as he continues to wipe your cheeks. His touch proves surprisingly gentle, despite the absolute malice given off by his gaze.

“I didn’t mean to hurt or scare you. Genuinely, I didn’t... But you must understand the trouble that you’re in. The trouble that you’ve gotten Moon and I into. Normally, we’d never be this cruel. Never, never!... I’m sure you didn’t mean for this to happen. I’m sure you didn’t mean to hurt us. But you have. And so we have to be mean. I’m sorry.” He states, bringing his hands to gently cup your face as you clench your eyes shut to repress a sob.

For as apologetic as his tone is, and how gently he handles you now, you’re still terrified. Terrified because you’ve been dragged to this unfamiliar place to be punished so sternly over something as simple as going blackberry picking.

He gently hums a little song to you as you burst fully into tears. He remains still and silent outside of this, allowing you to cry until all that remains are the quiet, distressed hiccups of your anguish. At which point he takes his hands away from your face as he stares down at you.

“I think we’ve gotten off on the wrong foot.” He mutters, taking a tense step back as he speaks. He remains in the way of the door as he does so, assuring that you cannot make a second attempt at escape. Not that you would do so with him standing in the room. You’re afraid of how much harder he might hold you the second time around.

“My name is Sun. My partner’s name is Moon. You’ve already met him.” He introduces himself politely, before going quiet. And waiting.

From his gaze alone, you can tell that he’s waiting for you to give him your name in turn.

Not wanting to risk angering him further, you offer your name.

“...” But as soon as your name passes your lips, you’ve forgotten it.

Bewildered and confused, you stare up at him. His beautiful eyes shine gold for a few seconds, before going dark. A deep sense of fear overtakes you once more as you come to realize what’s just happened.

“Your name is Briar, now.” He coldly states, before he turns away from you. You’re left alone in the room but a moment later. The door, tightly shut and no doubt locked to prevent you from trying to escape.

You’re dazed and confused. Having just had your name stolen away from you by a malevolent Fae. Having just been informed that you’re to be held here for god knows how long. Just because you decided to go blackberry picking.

Just because you decided to go blackberry picking.

#Blackberry Brambles #ch 1 #Fae AU

[blackberrybrambles]

Alright y'all. I'm off tomorrow and will be doing a writing stream! Idk how long the stream will be, but you'll get words.

I know for sure I'll be writing the next part of "Blackberry Brambles", but any additional content is TBD.

#updates #delete later

[blackberrybrambles]

If the vote winds up being yes, I'll work on random lore things and respond to any questions/prompts I get in

#poll #buffering

[blackberrybrambles]

#poll #buffering

[blackberrybrambles]

with the blog open and all my current lore posted; remember that my asks are always open and are HEAVILY encouraged! Some story and lore elements are going to be kept largely in the dark until the right prompts are sent in.

#casual updates

[blackberrybrambles]

@thatmooncake pspspspsps

Have they developed some new level of passive aggressiveness to combat the fact that they’re typically expected to attend to all visitors whether they like them or not?

Have you ever seen someone in customer service get really sassy in a way where it would look polite on paper? That. They use words that are sweet but their body language and tone will establish "I do not want you here" right now. A polite guest will be sure to pick up on this and leave before they are asked. A not so polite guest might try to push their luck.

It is incredibly rare for a Fae to overstay their welcome in another's home. Because the expectation of being polite does go both ways, it is simply emphasized more on the host. But a guest, for example, is expected to be grateful for anything that is provided to them.

An example being that they will be expected to consume food or drink provided to them by their host (if they intend to eat). To not eat the food or drink is considered an insult. To ask for a different meal to be provided is also considered a great insult - unless a valid excuse can be provided.

By and large, a host must be hospitable and provide. A guest must accept the accommodations that are provided. Making unreasonable demands is liable to get them thrown out and labeled as an "Unruly Guest". And Unruly guests are unlikely to be able to maintain any level of access to the hospitality of others for long.

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Would giving people a sample of their luxurious food be considered this?

Oh this is absolutely a sign of passive-aggressive "fuck you" behavior. Treat it like being given uneaten food scraps off of someone else's plate, because that's effectively what is being done. The food is just being packaged nicely to assure that nothing is dropped or lost.

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Are they afflicted by any disabilities specific to their species?

I can't say for sure if these issues would be exclusive to the type of Fae that Sun and Moon are, or if they are more a common disability of the humanoid Fae, but there are some examples I can provide.

Firstly; its largely more common for a Fae to develop a disability later in life than they are to be born with it. Serious injuries or lack of care can lead to physical or mental disabilities, and these disabilities may or may not be permanent depending on how they came about.

In terms of mental illness, it actually triggers some pretty horrific shit. In the Fae realm, something like serious, ongoing depression can literally transform a Fae into a "monster". Grief, anger, hate, etc - if experienced constantly enough for long enough, it becomes a physical problem that everyone has to deal with.

Mental illnesses are not invisible in the Fae realm. Untreated mental illnesses lead to very, very serious consequences. Which is part of why Fae society is so greatly established around a community effort.

Because of how they reproduce, it is actually a bit common for physical deformities to occur. Fae with these deformities are, by and large, referred to as "Mutants". They more often than not are born with extra limbs or body features (extra arms/legs, eyes/mouths etc). By and large these Fae are still perfectly functional in a physical sense, as in all of these extra body parts are fully developed and don't provide any sort of inhibition (for reasons pertaining to being born into the realm of magic), but they do come with a lot of social downsides.

When you look different, you are often treated different. The more different you look, the worse it gets. You might wind up isolated from your peers as a result. Prejudice is just a bastard like that.

But it is important to point out that these extra limbs do often create extra physical demand on the body in terms of energy requirements, particularly during vital years of early development. So these mutated Fae generally grow slower because they require greater care.

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And also, how long is considered typical for a visit or does it vary completely?

Visits definitely can vary but it all depends on a scenario. A standard visit is estimated to last somewhere between 1 and 3 hours, depending on what will be happening during that visit and whether or not you were invited (if you're invited, you often stay a bit longer).

Long term visits are very, very rarely planned and often only happen as a result of hardship. Such as if a serious accident has caused a Fae to lose their home or if they have suffered a serious injury. Fae without homes are often invited into the homes of other Fae for a long-term visit while everything is rebuilt.

If a Fae has been injured and cannot take care of themselves (and they live alone), they will likewise be taken in by another Fae household to be looked after.

And believe it or not, there will be a LOT of arguments about who takes the guest in in either of these circumstances... But in a positive way. Its not an "I don't want them, how about YOU take them" argument. Its an "Oh I'm sure they'll be more comfortable with ME, so I'll take them in" style of argument.

Fae can be very prideful creatures. And they like being owed favors, even if they'll rarely ever expect those favors to be returned.

#worldbuilding! #fable #menace