valrayne-faeu

[valrayne-faeu]

Here's a thought that's been banging around in my head for a while @owl-bones and @antlered-prince about the faeu

So the war between the two kings lasted *goes to check numbers, ADHD says nvm we not doing that* A Very Big Long While, right? There's plenty that changed from the coexistence of the courts to the sudden sharp division, but what I kept thinking about was the details of how the trading of goods would be affected; specifically grown foods.

Imagine you're an extremely old fae that's still around from the time of Nimh's reign. No matter what court you're from, you haven't tasted this one fruit for so, so incredibly long. Or at least, not how you remember it. It's been successfully grown in artificial greenhouses enchanted to mimic the growing conditions of the other court, but... it's not the same. Yes, it tastes the same... but it also doesn't. It's not an inherently wrong feeling, but something similar. Maybe lacking genuineness would be the correct phrase for it? It is the fruit you loved oh so much, but it also fundamentally can't be. Not without the influence of its home court woven into it's flesh and seeds and fibers. This is only a cheap facsimile that leaves a bittersweet ache in your soul, whereas younger fae enjoy it with glee, having never known the taste of it during peacetime.

And then the truce happens. It's slow, but trade between courts gradually opens up again. Tensions are still high, but are lessening with time. It's... nice. Relieving. The war is over (you hope).

One day, a friend of yours brings over some food for a picnic. They're one of the few friends you still have around from before the war, and you cherish them with all your soul. As you two are sitting down and unloading the different foodstuffs, something catches your eye. It's the fruit. The real, genuine fruit you haven't tasted for what feels like eons. They smile.

"I wanted us to try it together," they said, picking it up and gently holding it between your two laps. "It's been... quite a long time, hasn't it, old friend?"

You're breathless, and you can't stop smiling, stunned speechless. They laugh warmly when you finally do speak, cutting the fruit and handing one half to you. You take a bite together, and it's the sweetest thing you've ever tasted, warmth and love filling your mind and soul. A bit of juice dribbles down from your mouth, but you couldn't care less.

Although this fruit is grown from the other court, it feels like home.

<3

[valrayne-faeu]

Fae Ink design by @valrayne-faeu

Found this very cool fae au by @owl-bones and @antlered-prince, so I drew Ink because I think dragonflies are cool.

Also underneath is my faesona that I made. Her name is Glow, and she's part of the summer court. Her wings are based on a cabbage butterfly.

Dang it Tumblr made it look blurry, press on it for non blurry

[valrayne-faeu]

There was no love at first sight, but it was something just as extraordinary : there was no hate.

<

Inspired by @valrayne-faeu :]

As always click for better quality cause tumblr compresses everything

[valrayne-faeu]

162 layers. but now these two can have a therapy session. a win(?)

"Hey, your son is adorable! Who’s his father?" "Nightmare." "... hold on."

"... and then he stole my pelt and we had to live on an island for 6 years!" "Understandable, understandable."

[[ Wave / Bow & Fae!Soul / Rowan belong to me ]]

[[ @valrayne-faeu belongs to @antlered-knight & @owl-bones ]]

[[ Pirate!AU belongs to @superbfirnacho ]]

[valrayne-faeu]

Dust puppy

Fae au by @valrayne-faeu / @owl-bones / @antlered-knight

[valrayne-faeu]

Do Dream and Nightmare have a father? Or were they just willed into existence by Nim?

Dream and Nightmare were created by Nimh using her magic; she would say they were her magnum opus. fae can be born in the physical sense or created through magical means, though it is incredibly difficult and complicated. that she made twins as powerful as they are is a testament to just how powerful and in-tune with the realm Nimh was.

Nimh created them to take over the court and rule together when she decided she was done being queen-- she wanted them to have each other so they wouldn't be alone like she was.

[valrayne-faeu]

Hyperfixiation struck me down with so many questions,,,who initiated the war? how did the war end exactly? Did either kingdom win or was it a truce? How long did it go on for? What were the casualties?

officially it was Nightmare that declared war, but if you were to ask him he'd say Dream initiated it by firing that arrow at him and the tree.

the war ended slowly over many many decades; the battles became fewer and farther between until they de-escalated into aggressive but diplomatic border disputes. eventually they agreed to an armistice to discuss how to officially divide the kingdom in two and manage trade. Dream initially wanted to try to find a solution that kept the kingdom together, but by then tensions between courts were so high that it was impossible.

the war itself lasted for approximately 700 years. it started just after the twins turns 500, and ended a few hundred years before the current time period.

the casualties were numerous but at the same time, not as many as you'd think. the war was mostly waged around border placement and picking sides-- there were a lot of shifting allegiances in the early days as fae decided whether they wanted to follow Dream or Nightmare. many fae in what became the Winter court are originally from the area that Summer is in, but they followed Nightmare in support. likewise, many fae that are now in Summer were originally in the Winter region, and left when Nightmare took control.

fae generally don't fight to kill, but deaths during the border conflicts weren't uncommon; the number of casualties was likely less than 5,000. the courts are very sparsely populated compared to major human cities, so there just weren't many soldiers. the first casualties were the original courtiers-- Nightmare had all of his courtiers killed or exiled in the early days of the war.

[valrayne-faeu]

hello hello! Just a quick question, but what are some lines of work in each kingdom? I know that there are merchants and guards, but what else? Are there historians? Fishers? Etc,etc. thanks! This au is soo cool :3

there are absolutely historians and fishers! there are also gardeners, farmers, architects, tailors, cobblers, blacksmiths, silversmiths, potters, carpenters, leatherworkers, librarians, couriers, writers, musicians, artists, scribes, cartographers, and many more ^^

[valrayne-faeu]

Does ink still need his vials in this au or does he actually have a soul so he wouldn't need them

Ink is still without a soul, so he does still require his vials! The origin of the liquid inside the vials is unknown to everyone but them however. They just kinda seem to refill whenever no-one is looking...

[valrayne-faeu]

I was visiting some old posts and you mentioned going from Spring Court to Winter Court isnt good for mortals. Is there any big reason behind that (like an accident?) or is it just because the weather change can be too much for someone?

it's a magical reason! it has to do with the Courts being related to the seasons; Spring comes after Winter, so to travel from Spring back into Winter is considered travelling backwards by the realm and it doesn't like it. all sorts of things can go wrong if you travel through the Courts in the wrong order, and only well-travelled/knowledgeable fae can do so safely.

there isn't one specific incident to point to as the cause of it, it's just how things are; it's one of the weird 'rules' that dictate the realm.

in the interest of keeping things otherworldly/unexplainable/incomprehensible, we won't give a concrete answer for what exactly will happen. we will say that there are many different things that can happen; some benign, some confounding, and some dangerous. just know that travelling that way is like "going back in time" in a realm that isn't dictated by our familiar laws of reality. there's no telling what will happen but it's not worth gambling with it.

(for the sake of some examples, though; you could end up in a completely different area of the court with no explanation how you travelled that far or right back where you started; you could end up in the past; you could end up in the future, the journey having taken significantly longer than it should've; you could find that you've aged or even de-aged; you could end your journey finding that you no longer speak the same language as those around you; losing time from your life; shortening the amount of time you can safely stay in the realm by an unknown amount etc)

[valrayne-faeu]

Is it possible to have non bug like fae like maybe they have animal parts instead maybe feathered wings or maybe fox ears or other things?

Of course! There are lots of fae that aren't bug-like at all. Once we redo Cross's reference he'll also have non-bug features.

[valrayne-faeu]

I read on this blog that Dream was cursed after shooting his Mother tree. What kind of curse does he have?

~Easy morning 🌅~

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Dream hides the effects of his curse underneath his ecto in most day to day life, trimming the ever growing vines down to their roots every 'morning'. He has near constant lower back pain due to both the growths and the stone covering his bones. This is exacerbated whenever he overworks himself and needs to rest for longer periods of time. He does his best to manage the pain on his own, but sometimes on his really bad days he'll call on Mazarine or Toscirian to assist him.

[valrayne-faeu]

Nightmare being more prone to marriage than Dream is a surprise! Are there any particular reasons for why of that?

Nightmare is a (secret) hopeless romantic and at the point in his life where he'd like to spend the rest of it with someone who loves him and that he loves in turn. He's spent most of his rule alone and isolated and deeply craves connection and true affection.

Dream also likes the idea of romance/partnership but is currently 'too busy' to engage in a serious relationship. He'll be on the lookout for a partner after he's worked out a better way to organize the running of his kingdom (and taken a long and well deserved rest).

[valrayne-faeu]

What's the opinion of both kings about marriage? Maybe even having kids/heirs.

Both are amicable to the idea of marriage! They've had varying degrees of luck with relationships, but both would love to find that special someone to have by their side. Nightmare is more actively on the lookout for a partner than Dream is but neither advertise their interest to the general public. If it happens it happens.

Children/heirs is a trickier subject. Dream cannot have children and Nightmare is wary of the idea. Neither had good role models growing up and don't feel they are in the right place to raise the next generation.

[valrayne-faeu]

degooping

[valrayne-faeu]

Year 1 | Summer Plains

some pre-fae trauma Cîarán!! :D Him and Blue were SUUUUPER close...in more ways than one >:3c

faeu belongs to @valrayne-faeu

[valrayne-faeu]

hi the brainrots back 👍

This is Cîarán! They’re an artist/rogue thief who has some CRAZY intuition. They’re good friends with Blue (penpals, mostly) and a few other fae that they’ve encountered without managing to scare them away. They may have chronic rbf but they mean no harm, really!

Cî attempts to hide their wings, as they're very shy about the ink-blot style mutations in them. The blue side is most often hidden under a cloak, by their wings being folded or pressed close to only display the brown patterning.

They may not be the best at it, but they are an AVID student of magic; in particular, shadow and illusionist magic. Cîarán prefers to hide in shadows and trick the eyes of any perpetrators.

And the scars? Don't bother asking, they change the story every time anyone asks.

faeu belongs to @valrayne-faeu