#the culture has a superstition that the world will end when the flame goes out

[gl1tchxr]

me: please just let me think of a plot for my story. please it's been so long

my braincell: sure sure in a minute. first let's consider how the architecture, trade exports, and culture of a city would be affected by the fact that it was built around an eternally burning flame

[glaivenoct]

Dancing’s Not a Crime

Pairing: Noctis Lucis Caelum/Nyx Ulric Rating: Teen and Up Words: 2,856 Summary: “Dance with me,” Nyx says. His voice is so soft and hypnotic. Noctis can’t tell if it’s just him or if the crackling fire and shining stars make Nyx seem that much more magical. Noct swears up and down he can't dance, but Nyx refuses to let him be a spectator. (ao3) I’d love to hear your thoughts :) For the final day of the @nyxnoctocalypse nyxnoct weekend! Not quite pertaining to Noct’s birthday, but still meant to spoil him with good times and alotta love! I’d also like to recommend the song that spawned this idea a while ago. Even if you don't know Spanish (hello from a hispanic that isn't even fluent in it, yikes), the song's still amazing and meant to be what these two dorks end up dancing to! Disclaimer: I don't know shit about dancing, but I did my best? This is meant to just be silly and cute~

He’s a vision in the golden firelight. Swaying careless and free to the upbeat rhythm of drums, piano and an acoustic guitar. Noctis can hardly contain his own marvel as he watches Nyx dance alongside Selena and Crowe. He can’t tell if Nyx is a little buzzed or riding the high of being back home. Either way, Noctis sits mesmerized by the dopey stretch of his grin and the dorky way he bumps hips with his sister.

The moon casts it’s pale light among the trees of Galahd’s forest. Noctis can see them beyond the fence of the Ulric family’s back yard. Further in the distance lie vast mountains, where darkening clouds cloak them and forewarn of a pending storm. A few hours and everyone will be dancing to the clap of thunder rather than the music. Not that Noctis can imagine most of this little gathering being fazed by any of it. Ghalad has a thing about rain. A few things, actually. Old folktales, exaggerated superstitions and a cultural dance revered by its people.

Part of Noctis wonders if he’ll be lucky enough to see Nyx partake in that dance one of these nights if not tonight. It’s the first bonfire of their third night in Galahd, but not the first time Nyx has danced beneath the stars. The first time was after the grand Welcome Home dinner Nyx’s mother had prepared. That time Noctis was certain he was buzzed.

The second time was the next day when Noctis sat huddled with the Ulric family on the back patio. He was listening intently as they recounted old memories, especially when they landed on the subject of dancing. Selena enlightened him on the dance classes she took when she was young. She grew so enthusiastic when she mentioned dragging Nyx (“Bully,” he corrected) into helping her practice, and that Nyx was a pretty decent dancer when he isn’t being purposely ridiculous. Noctis dared Nyx to prove it and, of course, the glaive refused to back down from it.

Needless to say, Noctis became infinitely more attracted to him in less than a minute of watching. All while Mrs. Ulric clapped for her children when Selena decided to jump in with him. They demonstrated an old routine they’d perfected together for one of Selena’s recitals. A lot of quick footwork, wild twists, swinging hips and elaborate hand and arm gestures. All staples to a certain branch of modern Galahdian dance, Noctis learned.

Noct’s the only one not dancing right now. Neither is Libertus or Mrs. Ulric, but they’re busy in the kitchen preparing the final batch of baked goodies for the night. Nyx, Selena and Crowe are all close together, mismatching dance moves to an upbeat song in their native tongue. Noctis sits by the fire with his chin cradled in his palm, unable to tear his attention away from Nyx.

He’s lip-syncing to the final chorus in the song. All three idly move their bodies to the beat, each with one hand raised to the sky. Selena even twirls around in a small circle, joining Nyx in mouthing the final lines. Two which Noctis can pick out and understand all on his own.

Everyone can fall in love. What we feel is not a crime.

What is a crime is the way Nyx moves, gods. Noctis’ fingers curl over his lips to contain his smitten little grin while the other collectively “Woo!” and high five. He claps for them after, getting Selena and Crowe to take a dramatic bow as Nyx whirls on a heel to face him.

Nyx tilts his head, flashing Noct a sly smirk when he approaches.

“I can’t believe I never knew you could dance until this trip,” Noctis says, accepting the hand Nyx holds out to him.

“We danced that one time at my place!”

“It was three AM and I’m pretty sure we were just spinning in lazy circles for five minutes.”

Nyx chuckles and brushes a thumb over Noct’s knuckles. “Well, if you think I knew what I was doing through those last two songs, you’re giving me too much credit.”

“Don’t be modest, Ulric.”

“Don’t be a spectator, Caelum.”

In one swift, firm tug, Nyx has Noctis out of his chair and on his feet, hands immediately locking on his waist. He pulls him flush to his chest and looks into his eyes like he’s trying to crack the wonder Noctis is. There’s a glint of flames dancing in Nyx’s contrasting blues. Noctis blinks up at them as the world around him soon narrows down to them alone.

“Dance with me,” Nyx says. His voice is so soft and hypnotic. Noctis can’t tell if it’s just him or if the crackling fire and shining stars make Nyx seem that much more magical.

“What?” Noctis asks, fighting a blush as the grip on his waist grows tighter.

Then the melody of the next song starts up, the slow hum of its artist following. Nyx’s brow perks up in recognition. “Wow,” he laughs.

“What?”

“This song…” Nyx sways his hips side to side, urging Noct to follow his lead while the beat of the first verse builds. “It’s called Dance Me. Couldn’t be more perfect.”

“Might be if I could actually dance.” Noctis averts his eyes down to the ground.

“You don’t have to actually know how to dance, Noct.” Finally, Noctis lets up and allows Nyx guide his hips in sync with his. “It’s all in good fun. Just follow me.”

“Nyx, I –”

The abrupt strums of a guitar kick in and Nyx turns Noctis around, bringing his back against his chest. Noctis makes a small noise of surprise, but soon bites his lower lip as Nyx’s hips grind against him briefly. He’s led to jerk his own with the beat. Mere seconds apart; left-right, left-right. Left-right, left-right.

A blink later and he’s turned to face Nyx again, shaking his head timidly. Nyx just keeps dancing. He puts his arms into it, aimless and spirited. Noctis finds it downright baffling how the man can look so good doing it. Far removed from Noctis’ world of waltzing at formal balls and royal affairs. Livelier and wild. Something Noct’s certain he’ll never have in him the way Nyx does. Nyx’s always been on another level he’s yet to fathom.

Seeing him at home cranks it up ten times more than usual. He’s more lighthearted when he’s home. Easygoing and at peace. Not that he can’t be that way back in Insomnia, but it’s not the same thing. It never will be with the way many Insomnians turn their nose at the representative braids and tattoos Ghaladians sport. Nyx doesn’t have to face any of that here. He doesn’t have to hold back anything about himself here when he wanders the streets.

And that unabashed pride to be back home gives Nyx a beautiful glow that’s amplified beneath the firelight. It captures Noctis’ heart and makes it grow larger and larger for the silly dancing man. Though it’s not quite enough to make him forget his own embarrassment.

“Nyx, no!” He shouts over the music, a bit amused by the way Nyx raises an eyebrow and both arms in unison. “I’ll look like an idiot.”

“We both will,” he says, twisting counterclockwise on the ball of one foot in short increments. He mouths the lyrics as he goes; Báilame, twist, yeah, twist, yeah. When he’s facing Noct again, he reaches for a wrist. Noct’s tugged back to him, led two steps forward and then two steps back. “What’s your point?”

Noct opens his mouth and quickly shuts it again. A startled noise slips from his mouth as Nyx raises his arm and guides him into a swift spin. He’s stumbles when he comes full circle, but Nyx’s arm is around his back a second later, catching and dipping him backwards. Noctis huffs out a breath, eyes expanding. The light of the fire flickers against Nyx’s features, highlighting a dashing smirk. Those lips are on his before Noctis can process it, kissing him hot and zealous like the dancing flames, lighting a fire of its own in his veins.

He’s panting by the time Nyx parts from him.

“You’re too beautiful to hide off on the sidelines, y’know. Let loose a little, Noct. Dance like an idiot with me.”

Well when he says it like that…

If Noctis didn’t feel the heat before, he’s feeling it now. Straight to his cheeks and ears, down his neck and through his spine. There Nyx goes again, being far too good for him. Free of judgement. Always accepting to what Noctis considers to be the more awkward aspects of himself. Encouraging and matching them so he doesn’t feel like a complete fool. All in good fun, he reminds himself. For Nyx, he decides because Nyx’s been having nothing but a good time since coming home. Who was Noctis not to indulge him further with one little dance?

(It wouldn’t hurt to have Nyx grind against him again, either.)

Nyx pulls Noctis upright as the second verse begins and, at first, Noct’s at a loss of what to do. He tentatively moves his hips lefts and right and Nyx is quick to nod in approval. He beckons him closer. One step and those hands are back on him, drawing their hips together, urging him to roll his round and round. And oh. Oh. The way Nyx dares to tease him by grinding forward like that. (It’s like the man read his mind.) Noctis needs to get him back for that.

He feels something brazen awakening in him. Lured away from comfortable shadows by Nyx’s infatuated stare and enticing grin. The chorus sounds again, an energetic tap-strum, tap-strum, provoking Noctis to go with it and jerk his shoulders side to side.

“There you go!” Nyx cheers with a clap and a nod.

Everything beyond it is haphazard and nonsensical. He tires mimicking Nyx at some points. The rapid footwork, the way he uses his arms brisk and nimble between each beat. No doubt stemming from his days practicing with Selena. Noct’s sure his execution is clumsy in comparison but, for once, he doesn’t give a damn. He feels like a pro when Nyx keeps encouraging him and eyeing him like some sort of treasure.

Noctis lets the rest of his body sway in turn with his hips. It’s in such a fashion that he can imagine Prompto shouting “Let your whole body talk!” if he were here. He’s never felt so keen to follow the advice or to let himself feel so lost and liberated in a rhythm. He laughs for no reason other than that, even as Nyx wraps an arm around his waist and gently takes his hand. Noctis rests his free one upon Nyx’s shoulder out of instinct.

“We should dance more often.” Nyx says over the mellowing bride of the song, letting the hand on Noct’s waist roam low around his back. “I love seeing you dance.”

“I don’t know how to dance, Nyx.” Noct chuckles, becoming distracted as the fingers entwined with his trace up his arm. They curl around the back of his neck and Nyx leans in to press their foreheads together.

“You keep saying that and I keep not caring.”

“I think you’ve had too much of Crowe’s punch.”

“I think I haven’t had enough of you.”

At this rate, Noctis will crumple right into Nyx’s arms if he keeps up the sweet talk. Six, his knees feel weak as it is. His nerves tickled with every touch. His head fuzzy, heart elated and cheeks burning with every word.

“Love this,” Nyx lavishes a kiss to his jaw. “Love having you home with me.”

“Nyx…” Noct releases a breath, eyes fluttering shut as Nyx’s lips wander down his neck. “Seriously, are you drunk?”

“No, baby.” Nyx’s laughter vibrates against him, tickling his neck and ear. “I’m just happy. Dance with me, will you?”

Noctis smirks, feeling his heart rate rise with the build up of the chorus. The familiar tap-strum, tap-strum and Noctis is a step away from Nyx, letting his body fall back into the rhythm. Arms thrown one way, hips rocked the other, feet following senseless front-back-side-side steps. Nyx’s moves are more distracted while he fixes his attention to his prince. The look on his face is half lustful if Noct isn’t mistaken, and it’s the perfect opening for payback.

He practically hops forward into Nyx’s personal space, bumping his chest into Nyx’s repeatedly. He rolls his hips forward, grinding against Nyx’s and encouraging him to follow the motion. The glaive’s brows rise, face lighting up as he shakes his head appalled and grins. Noctis nods and reaches to tangle his fingers into Nyx’s braids.

“Little shit,” Nyx mutters as they resume their previous position. Joined hands, one on Noct’s waist, Noct’s on Nyx’s shoulder.

His mind reels back to their lazy three AM dance in Nyx’s apartment. Though, the way they spin this time is far from lazy. It’s wild and rebellious, matching up to the tempo of the chorus. Báilame, spin, yeah, spin, yeah. And Noctis laughs silly enough for Nyx to question his sobriety right back.

He’s not drunk. A little dizzy, maybe. Otherwise, he’s just so damn happy.

He’s happy when Nyx stills, raises an arm to lead him into a solo spin this time. He’s happy when Nyx’s arm hooks around his back, keeping him secure as he dips him like before and steals another kiss.

He’s happy when Nyx helps him back up, brings him close, swaying them a little slower now as he says, “Dance me.” Báilame, Noct remembers. Nyx is singing the last lines of the song, he realizes, and gods he can’t take his gaze off him all over again. “Wet me with a kiss. I’ll have fun with your hips. With that swing trap me.”

Noct’s lips part, breath catching in his chest at those words. Nyx shoots him a crooked smile, distracting him from the couple steps he takes forward. So much that he trips over his own feet on the final strum of the song. He lurches forward, attention still glued to Nyx even as he catches his weight. Noct’s gasp stops short, and in the silence, he hears his heart thumping in his ears.

They both burst into laughter, Noctis bumping his head into Nyx’s chest. Maybe he was right. Maybe they should dance more often. He could learn a thing or two from Nyx and Selena. Show it back off in Insomnia. Vex some of the royal council men and women and send the media in a frenzy at the same time. (Perish the thought of the crown prince dancing like the immigrants!) That has him laughing harder.

Nyx wraps his arms around his waist and rests his chin on his head. “Seriously, are you drunk?”

“No. I’m just happy.” He could fill a book with how happy he is in this one moment. Here, beneath the stars, the flicker of fire, and Nyx’s strong arms, he feels alive. He loves Nyx for dragging him out of the sidelines of his comfort zone. For the way he made everything else around them seem so insignificant and unworthy of Noctis’ tendency to become self-conscious.

For the way Nyx helps him be a little braver sometimes. Noctis smiles into the fabric of his shirt. He soaks in the heat between them, feeling Nyx’s own heart thudding against his cheek.

“Hey lovebirds!”

The shout snaps them back into reality. They turn their heads to see Crowe and Selena standing side by side. Crowe’s got a hand on her hip while Selena’s muffling giggles into her palm. At any other given moment, Noct might feel mortified remembering oh yeah, they probably saw the whole thing. Right now he couldn’t care less. He just wants to bust out laughing again, stick his tongue out at Crowe’s mock look of nausea.

“You two done being gross yet?” she asks.

Nyx flips her off. “Give us five more minutes!”

“What kind of magic does that crystal of yours have, Noct?” Selena chimes in. “I’ve never seen anyone get Nyx all hot and bothered so easy.”

“Selena!” Nyx gapes at her across the yard. Noctis snickers and Selena waves innocently at him.

“Love you, big brother!”

“At least your mother didn’t see,” Noct says to bring back his attention. “Selena’s kinda right though. Pretty sure we spent the last half of that song dancing in puddles of your drool.”

Nyx scoffs at him and pinches his sides, making him giggle and grab his wrists. “Hush, you.” He lowers his voice. “Don’t think I’m not getting you back tonight for that little grinding stunt you pulled earlier.”

“Is that a threat or a promise?”

“I think I’ll let you stew in suspense for a few hours.”

“Guess I’ll just trap you with that swing in the meantime.”

“Gods, stop. Little shit.”

Noctis throws his head back when he laughs this time, slumping happily against Nyx’s chest while the next song begins to play.

[fan-clan-fun]

Fanclans Masterpost

Unlike some writers,  I have a tendency to focus on the culture and worldbuilding of a particular idea, which means I often get caught up in the nitty gritty details and never write stories about them. So here is a simple masterpost of all the many fanclans which i have developed over time, which anyone can ask questions about.

Clans for my Oracle Project, set in the North Carolina Smoky Mountains:

Ashclan: The most diverse clan, which believes fire as their deity. Ashes are a main component of clan ceremonies, and they have a unique rank who dedicate their lives to tending the living flame of their clan. They are adaptable, and admire and appreciate someone who can overcome their shortcomings to become a better cat. They live in a forest often wracked by fires.

Coveclan: Their spirituality is tied to water, but they also have a firm belief in a Great cat, whose two eyes are always watching, the Night eye, and the Day eye. Most of their beliefs and culture center around dualities, thee are always two sides to a story, two forces at work, good or evil. They live on the edge of a lake with their camp in a cove.

Ridgeclan: The martial clan, they are very heavily tied to earth, and their spiritual place is a spire of quartz which reaches into the sky, a perfect example of how the earth connects to the sky and Starclan. They are very no nonsense and have rules for everything, and despite having the largest amount of territory spreading across a ridge, they also deal most frequently with predators and prey shortages.

Bloomclan: Almost a matriarchy, this clan is heavily centered on familial interaction, particularly between a mother and her kits. As such this is the only clan where the requirements for deputy are either mentor an apprentice/or raise a litter. In many ways, they are the most flexible or lax when it comes to traditional clan ways, particularly about mates and mating. They are firmly connected to nature and plants, and always bury their dead with seeds and seedlings so that a new thing may grow from the remains of an old. They live in a meadow which supports many species of trees, shrubs and flowers.

Clans for my old roleplay site, Ancient as the Sea, set on the coast of North Carolina:

Rootclan: The most traditional clan, they split from Waveclan due to disputes on the warrior code and Starclan. They are exclusive to the point of beginning to have issues with severe inbreeding. Like one of my previous clans they are more strict and martial, but they focus around aspects of the code and staying traditional to the original ways. One might call them the extremist clan, where they pursue everything with passion and fervor, including their belief in Starclan. Rootclan is a clan of competition, of honing skills through activities, they have tournaments and hunting challenges as part of their holidays, a chance to earn rewards in prey and prestige. They live in a heavily forested area and are expert tree climbers.

Waveclan: The clan of water and ocean, this clan is deeply in tune with the tides and the changing of the weather. Half of their territory is waterside, briny water with water foul and the coast, the other half is open windy fields. They have the rank of Skywatcher, who works to predict the weather and help protect the clan from the violent storms which once flooded the clan and nearly drove it to extinction. Waveclan has a higher amount of prey and as such have more free time than the other clan to enjoy their territory and cultivate relationships. They consider themselves to be a huge family, and nothing goes on in the clan without everyone knowing. They are generally a peaceful clan, especially after an event  which only the elders remember where a warmongering leader led an attack on Rootclan which ended up killing the medicine cat. Leaders have been encouraged since then to avoid war and aggression, which leads the younger generation to feel like the other clans walk all over them.

Ferryclan: This clan is an urban clan, living in a town which holds a ferry to the Outer Banks. The clan is an odd mix of kittypets, rogues, and clan cats. They are the most open of outsiders, but before a cat become a warrior and full member, they must take a journey and make a specific oath, at this point, the least dedicated are often simply encouraged to seek another lifestyle. As part of being an urban clan, they are far more lax when it comes to certain parts of the code, particularly involving humans. Since there is less prey to hunt, particularly during the winter, Ferryclan makes use of every resource available, and thus will accept food from humans, or steal it, in order to survive. Their contact with humans has allowed human vocabulary/ knowledge or certain items to make their way into clan knowledge, and certain prefixes exist in the clan, like pepper, salt, oil, gravel, which dont exist in any other clan.

Other info of note: These clans share a very similar religious structure, in that their dead are all buried in a specific burial place, in order that their spirits may ascend to Starclan. If their bodies are not buried there, they become trapped as spirits on earth. This is why the greatest punishment on a clan cat is to be refused to be buried there, either by exile or other methods. Since spiritual energy is far more active in these clans, certain ranks have very specific spiritual energy attached to them, thse are leaders, medicine cats, and the guardians. Each of these ranks have special abilities, but also consequences. Leaders gain nine lives, but these lives are the spirits of past cats which become fused to their own bodies, which means leaders sometimes have cats speaking to them in their head, or can lose their own sanity and identity. Leadership is not for just anyone. Medicine cats bond with a significant cat of their past, often a medicine cat or their mentor, and thus gain a line of access to Starclan for spiritual advice. And Guardians are the protectors of the burial grounds, and fight off scavengers, predators, and malevolent spirits. They gain enhanced abilities, endurance and a second sight which allows them to see spirits and spiritual energy. Any cat of these ranks who has become connected to Starclan through spiritual energy is forbidden to bear or sire kits, with the understanding that that spiritual energy would be both physically, mentally, and spiritually harmful to any resulting kits, if they even managed to survive. Of course there is more to this religious system, and is possibly the most complicated I have ever created…. Yet.

And my most recent project, my medieval scottish clans. I intend to make them a roleplay if anyone is interested!

Quick Note: My medieval clans are still somewhat under construction, particularly their religion and pacts with the Faerie. If anyone has any suggestions or knows a lot about the mythology of Faeries, send me a message, I need all the help I can get! That said I do have a few things figured out. First of all, In ancient times, the first clan cats made a pact with one of the most powerful of the faerie. In return for service  in the afterlife (and essentially guarantee of an after life), some cats, those who became heroes and legends in their lives, could essentially become faeries themselves. Unfortunately because it was a faerie deal, it did not go too much as planned, yes the cats would go to the stars, but very few became actual faeries. As such there is gratitude but also great distrust. However, some faeries offer better terms, certain deas to certain cats which improve the lives of cats and increase the chances of becoming a faerie in the afterlife. Each clan and rank has a pact with different faeries. Also, in Scottish folklore, Cat Sith are black cats who are associated with faeries or witchcraft, but are untrustworthy and thought to steal souls. For the clans, having a solid black pelt is considered at least unlucky, and at most the dangerous possibility that they are not true cats at all but faeries in cat skin. Black cats outside the clans are vehemently driven away, and never welcomed into the clans. Names are also considered sacred, and some mothers give their kits secret names, under the hope that this means they cant be replaced as changelings. A lot of what I want to do with these clans is take certain superstitions in medieval times, and play with them, as well as give a completely different context and time period for a warriors world.

Moorclan: The clan of the high moors, descended from actual Scottish Wildcats, who were pushed out of their territory by human villages and the domestic cats within them. Some would say this clan is the most broken and hurt. Their decisions, made in terms of survival, are often considered barbaric in the eyes of others. Yet they are quite structured in their own way, with certain specific roles which attempt to maximize the abilities and potentials of the cats they have. They have two unique aspects, the rank of counselor, who serves as a repository for the knowledge of clan history and law, and the herbalist, who serves as the main healer for the clan. Because of the counselor’s importance, they have a bodyguard which happens to be their apprentice, who protects the teachings in order that they may be passed on, and since one healer for an entire clan is not enough, the healer has three assistants, who specialize in specific areas, but who may or may not succeed them as full healer. What sets them apart from the other clans however, is their stance on faeries. While they are a part of the original pact, they became immediately displeased with faeries, and sought a way to cut themselves off from them in any way. They found one faerie, who offered to essentially cut their territory off from the fae world, but asked a terrible cost. Any kit born with a solid black pelt  must be sacrificed to them, in the possibility that they might be a faerie kit, who could disrupt and destroy that isolation from the faerie realm. Of course the clan does not directly murder the kit, but simply leaves it out in the open, exposes it to the elements. This more than anything has isolated it from the other clans and most other outside cats. This also means that neither their leader nor their healer have any faerie bond, and so are as mortal as any warrior.

Pineclan: Pineclan lives in a predominantly pine and evergreen forest, which runs to the coast and some cliffs. The closest to human settlement, but remaining separate from them, Pineclan has the widest range of pelt colors and genes, with accents like silver, and amber, and chocolate. Perhaps they have been influenced by humans, as they follow a fairly linear hierarchy. Their leader is the Monarch, chosen from amongst the kits of the previous monarch as the one with most potential and insight to lead the clan. The deputy/second of this clan, is the chosen Consort of the monarch, their pair and counterpart who compliments the skills of the monarch and fills the gaps in the leadership. Often they share two separate skill sets, where one specializes in the matters within camp, social interactions and mentor/apprentice pairings, while the other specializes in matters outside of camp, such as organizing hunting, and territory patrols. Although it is encouraged that the consort and Monarch also be mates and produce kits, it is not required, in the case that they are both of the same gender. In this case, what is preferred is a strong bond and ability to work and lead together. For this clan, the faerie pact which was made to benefit the clan was made to extend to the specific royal line, so if a leader must be chosen, they must be chosen from the royal line to accept the blessing. This blessing involves longer life, but also the benefit that they cannot get sick (in this case are also immune to cancer). Eventually there are things which the blessing cannot cure or suppress, and the cat will die, after a longer than average life, or in battle. Healers also have a pact with  a faerie, but it is one which must be earned. The healer has 2-4 apprentices when the time comes to choose, and they learn the arts of healing, but also of good counsel and wisdom, and of cunning. They are trained with how to deal with faeries, of the dangers. Then they go to the faerie ring within their territory and pass into the faerie realm. There they must make their way to the faerie which issued this challenge. If they survive, and do not get lost or flee from fear, they gain the ability to walk between the real world and the faerie realm. With this ability they can protect their clan from certain faerie interference, and save cats on the verge of death. But it is dangerous, and they must choose who to save, because they only have a certain amount of energy to use in saving others, lest they risk being stuck in the faerie realm forever. This clan, although it interacts with faeries, is still quite wary of them, and cunning and word games are encouraged or taught to kits, because words and names are quite powerful, and faeries although they never lie never tell the full truth.

Firthclan: The clan of the pure mountain waters, and the mysterious bogs and fens. This is by far the most spiritual of the clans, and the one most open to faerie influence. Firthclan cats are very respectful of faeries, and very tolerant of them, even of the smallest variety, and interact almost daily with them. This means that there are more benevolent faeries to grant them even small gifts, but many of the most heinous villains, under the promise and pact of a malevolent faerie, originated from this clan. They are somewhat removed from the other clans, and there has been debate if they should just give up the territory on the other side of the firth to the other two, but there is significant benefit to what they do have, and so they still maintain their borders, although not as aggressively or strictly as the others. Their relationship with faeries has made them bitter enemies to Moorclan, and some of the more precocious Firthclanners have been known to sneak into Moorclan territory and save black kits left out to die. They have the traditional leader deputy structure, and the faerie pact which saves the leader is one which is similar to the traditional understanding of nine lives. If some injury or sickness would take a cats life, faerie energy heals them. As for the healer, the pact is one in which the healer communes with benevolent water spirits, and urges them to heal and soothe an afflicted cat, especially in times where herbs may not be enough, like in an infection where the water may cleanse it, or a fungal or viral sickness. Firthclan focuses greatly on an understanding of purity, and greatly values honesty and truth, and perceives kindness and caring of others in the clan to be high value.

Anyway these are my main clans that I have contributed to and devoted significant time to developing. I can always create more detail, and give more unique aspects which is why i enjoy worldbuilding so much!

Also if anyone likes an aspect or two from my clans, and would like to borrow it for their own (in combination with other unique aspects to make it new and unique) feel free to let me know. Or if you want to brainstorm for your own clans send me a message!

[darthbutterfingers]

Child Abandonment, Rey, superstition about Darth Vader and the Knights of Ren

So I wrote this for an online Reylo forum and got one positive comment but then as has happened before the thread died almost the moment I added a post (Kylo may be the Jedi Killer but I am the thread killer). Anyway, I thought I’d put it here and see what people think.

Child Abandonment, Rey, superstition about Darth Vader and the Knights of Ren

So I was in Wikipedia looking at the Chinese practice of infanticide (1), in particular the practice of female infanticide or gendercide. I was looking because I wondered if this historical practice (including very recent history) may have had an influence on the creation of Rey’s background. The practice both was and was not condoned in China. It happened because children were valued less than adults and female children in particular. Buddhist teaching frowned on it, believing the practice would bring bad Karma. On the other hand parents assuaged their guilt with the belief that the child would be reincarnated anyway (doesn’t excuse it in my book).

Infanticide (and mostly gendercide) was used as a kind of family planning method/population control. The Aftermath book series hints that child abandonment did happen in the outer rim/unknown regions. So I was wondering if Rey really is a child abandoned by her family as opposed to other options such as her parents being dead, or she was stolen by non-family before abandonment or something.

I’m going to go off on a tangent here but I’ll get back to Rey eventually. The Star Wars galaxy is one that seems to be rife with myth, legend, superstition etc. in relation to force use. There are the old myths and legends about the Jedi still floating around the galaxy. In the absence of the actual Jedi Order quite a lot of myths and legends etc. have no doubt arisen. Even with Luke’s attempts to rebirth the Jedi, there is no doubt still a lot of “fake news”, “alternative facts” and “convefes” out there about force use. Even Luke is viewed as a myth.

Add to that the spectre of Darth Vader and you get a really dodgy soup. Family connections to him are apparently enough to get you the march of shame from the senate as your political career goes up in flames despite everything you’ve done for the Rebellion and the success of the New Republic. The shadow of Darth Vader doesn’t just loom large for unfortunate family members though. His shadow still darkens the galaxy. Darth Vader is both revered and reviled. There is so much mythology surrounding him now it’s hard to know the truth (a fact Snoke has happily taken advantage of).

So imagine you’re in the camp that reviles Darth Vader or at least views him and anything about him with deep superstition. They don’t tell ghost stories in a galaxy far far away, they tell Darth Vader stories. So if your parents/family find out you’re force sensitive, or suspect that you are, and they’re scared stiff you’re going to grow up like Darth Vader and child abandonment is a practice in your culture...I reckon you can see where this is going.

The Aftermath series points to Jakku as being important to the Emperor and possibly the dark side. Is it possible Rey was abandoned there on purpose? A force sensitive child abandoned on Jakku by people with deeply held superstitions and beliefs about Darth Vader and force sensitivity as a whole. In ancient Greek culture babies that were deformed, or even had birthmarks, were abandoned on a mountainside to die. If force sensitivity was seen in a similar way then it makes me wonder if Rey was intentionally abandoned because of her force sensitivity.

Why Jakku? Was it a planet where young force sensitive children were abandoned in the hope that they would die and never become like Darth Vader? Another possibility is the idea of abandoning a force sensitive child on Jakku, a place synonymous with the dark side, in a sacrificial sense. Maybe even the idea that if they’re abandoned there and survive…sort of like a proving ground for the force sensitive (although it sounds a bit over-the-top).

Rey believes her family will come back for her. Was this just something she was told to stop her leaving the planet? Maybe they were going to come back…if she survived? Or maybe her parents believe she will be taken in by the force? Whatever they needed to believe to assuage their guilt in leaving her. She’s force sensitive so she has that to help her survive, right. In Rey’s case that turned out to be true. Still, it’s not a recommended way to raise a child.

Of course, along comes Unkar Plutt and his particular brand of child exploitation. Did her parents know about him or not? I don’t know.

If you ask me there are a lot of signs and snippets that fit with the theory that Rey was abandoned, possibly intentionally due to her force sensitivity, and that her parents may have chosen to abandon her on Jakku for a reason.

Anyway, back to child infanticide in China. According to Wikipedia “The Confucian attitude towards female infanticide was conflicted. By placing value on age over youth, Confucian filial piety lessened the value of children, whilst the Confucian belief of Ren led Confucian intellectuals to support the idea that female infanticide was wrong and that the practice would upset the balance between yin and yang.(1)”

Now in all of that did I read the word REN. My mind immediately went to the Knights of Ren. So what is Ren? According to Wikipedia “Ren is the Confucian virtue denoting the good feeling a virtuous human experiences when being altruistic. Ren is exemplified by a normal adult's protective feelings for children (2).”

“Ren relies heavily on the relationships between two people, but at the same time encompasses much more than that. It represents an inner development towards an altruistic goal, while simultaneously realizing that one is never alone, and that everyone has these relationships to fall back on, being a member of a family, the state, and the world.(3)”

So what if the Knights of Ren believe themselves to be an altruistic organisation with altruistic goals in mind. They consider themselves a “family” with the First Order as their “state” and the galaxy as their “world”. As Kylo Ren, Ben Solo has rejected his birth family and accepted the Knights of Ren as his family. That’s one reason why he knew killing Han Solo would be his test of loyalty, not just to Snoke but also to the Knights of Ren. In fact his birth family represent everything that the Knights of Ren and the First Order are against.

I’ve often wondered about Snoke’s statement “If Skywalker returns, the New Jedi will rise.” In which case they would be in direct opposition to the Knights of Ren as an organisation and a philosophy. Kylo Ren understands this. Remember Adam Driver’s comments about both sides thinking they’re right. The Knights of Ren believe themselves to be an altruistic organisation bringing order and peace to the galaxy. The First Order has the same philosophy – they’re bringing Peace and Order to the galaxy. Whether they really are is up for debate. The inaction of the New Republic Senate certainly fed that view though. There also seems to be a lot of organised crime going unchecked in our galaxy far far away as well.

So what does all of that have to do with Rey? Well let’s think about Finn for a moment. “I was taken from a family I’ll never know…” It seems to me that the First Order is snapping up children for their Stormtrooper program. Accusations of child abuse aside, why are they doing this? They need troops of course. Why is no-one jumping up and down and saying this is bad, stop it. Probably because the First Order thinks they’re doing a good thing.

We have a part of the galaxy where child abandonment is a reality. In the Outer Rim (and possibly the unknown regions, wild space etc.) there is much poverty. There is much crime. I’m not sure about slavery but can you say it’s not happening. The First Order probably believes that they’re doing a good thing by turning these kids into stormtroopers instead of them becoming criminals or being left to die or have miserable lives of some kind. Or at least that’s how it started (or what they tell Kylo Ren – puts a different spin on why he called Finn a traitor). Things probably got out of hand, which is why Finn said he was actually taken, not just picked up after he was abandoned or something like that. And I think we all got the bit we’re Hux’ Stormtrooper program is particularly brutal and dehumanising.

Another possible reason to abandon a force sensitive girl on Jakku was to keep her away from the Storm trooper program and the First Order. But then that would be giving Rey’s parents a bit of credit. If they really wanted to protect her then they would have stayed or dropped her off with the Church of the Force guys at least.

Oops – maybe the Church of the Force on Jakku also has something to do with why force sensitive children were abandoned on Jakku. Maybe her parents were hoping the Church would take her in but for some reason they didn’t (I’m looking at Unkar Plutt here).

Anyway, the Knights of Ren, believing themselves to be an altruistic organisation also believed that they needed to help abandoned children or at least stamp out any practice of child abandonment. Perhaps Kylo Ren knows what’s going on with Rey because of this (“It is you” TFA novelisation). Perhaps there was a force sensitive child that they had tried to acquire to become one of the Knights of Ren but she ended up abandoned on Jakku instead. If child abandonment is a thing in the outer rim etc. and it was something both Luke and Ben Solo were aware of, then maybe they had different ideas about how to deal with it, given that it is as much a bad cultural practice as well as a criminal issue.

Ben seems to know more about Rey than she knows about herself (according to the novel). He got this from her head as well as her emerging abilities. He knows what kind of child she is. A force sensitive child abandoned by her parents on Jakku – who damn well SURVIVED. But there is something more isn’t there. Maybe they know about one particular child and the story of her abandonment and had once tried to do something about it. Obviously without success. Maybe this was the thin edge of the wedge for Luke and Kylo.

When Rey gets to Ahch-To and Luke says “Who are you?” I wonder if he’s saying that not because he really has no idea who she is but, just like Orson Krennic to Jyn when they finally come face to face in Rogue One, he knows there’s something to her story that links her to him but needs some more information to connect the dots (no she’s not a Skywalker). Is this the force sensitive girl from the past who was abandoned that they couldn’t find or were too late to rescue (or something like that).

Rian has said in TLJ he is going to really “test” the characters. They’re going to face things that really get at the core of who they are. If Rey were to find out that her parents intentionally abandoned her on Jakku because of her force sensitivity and lied to her about coming back…that would test anyone.

Refs

(1) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ren_(Confucianism)

(2) Mungello, D. E. (2012). The Great Encounter of China and the West, 1500–1800. Rowman & Littlefield. ISBN 9781442219755.cited by Wikipedia at https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Female_infanticide_in_China

(3) (Chi-Yun 34) quoted in https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ren_(Confucianism)