Stuck On The Idea Of Vampires As A Kind Of Reverse Fae, Or Like Someone's Twisted, Perverse Attempt At

Stuck on the idea of vampires as a kind of reverse fae, or like someone's twisted, perverse attempt at moulding humans into fae.

They're repelled by liminal spaces.

A vampire could never enter fairyland, not just because they'd never be welcomed, but because most of the usual entry-ways are naturally barred to them.

They can't cross running water. They can't be seen in mirrors. They will wait forever at a crossroads, unable to pick a direction to go in. They can't even step over a thresh-hold unless there is absolutely no ambiguity about whether they are welcome inside.

They crave human blood, iron and salt, but are repelled by herbs and plants. They are supernaturally prevented from harming you unless the rules of hospitality have been invoked.

A fairy may replace your newborn child with something unnatural and ever-hungry. A vampire will do the same, but with your grandmother's corpse.

The fae are typically associated, even in stories where they're the bad guys, with flourishing and purity. Vampires, even in stories where they're the good guys, are typically associated with decay and corruption.

The fae turn ancient human burial mounds into fancy halls for their courts. Vampires take ancient human castles and let them grow mildewed and cobwebbed, exchanging the beds for coffins, turning them into burial places.

Fae don't tend to live among humans, but can generally pass for them with relative ease if they so choose. Vampires nearly always live among humans, but tend to find not revealing themselves a huge struggle.

I can't think of many stories I've read where fae and vampires even exist in the same universe, let alone ones where they actively interact. I feel like their enmity is almost more inevitable than that between vampires and werewolves, however.

The rivalry between vampires and werewolves is, essentially, the rivalry between two apex predator species who share a territory. (Even in stories where the werewolves aren't actually hunting humans.)

The vampires hate the werewolves because the werewolves interfere with their access to prey. The werewolves hate the vampires either because they consider themselves aligned with humans (the prey species), or because they are also predators and the vampires are competing with them.

By comparison, I think there's some story potential in the fae finding something genuinely creepy and uncanny valley about vampires.

They're immortal, like them, but also dead. They can be beautiful, like them, but that beauty is something they actively require humans to sustain. They like to inhabit beautiful and ancient ex-human dwellings, like them, but they actively work to make those places dark, damp and empty.

Fairies who are unflappable in the face of all sorts of Otherworldly monsters, can look an eldritch horror in the eye(s) without blinking, and have never been phased yet by any human, but will recoil from even the weakest vampire.

Vampires who hate fairies just as much, but in a more envious way. The way that the creature for whom immortality is a curse is bound to hate the creatures for whom immortality is an eternity of sunlight and laughter.

Maybe their touches burn each other. Maybe vampires can't stand physical contact with anything so alive and vital. Maybe immortal fairies become ill from too much exposure to the undead.

Maybe they fight over the human population when their territories overlap. The fairy need for servants and people to make deals with, competing with the vampire need for thralls and blood to drink.

Just… fairies and vampires. We need more stories about them interacting.

The Siren Tamer

Ambrose is an interesting sailor with a mysterious gift: he can travel the oceans freely, and will never have a single Siren try to lure him to his death with their beautiful songs. The deadly creatures of the sea always leave him alone. Ambrose has found a way to turn this into a living -- by becoming a paid escort for those who wish to travel through Siren territory unharmed. But the reason for the female creatures leaving him alone is one no sailor ever expected.

Warnings: close encounter with Sirens, description of past torture and cut vocal cords, scars

There was a man in the small oceanside village named Ambrose, who was legendary among the townsfolk for his ability to sail the ocean freely without danger of being lured into the waters by Sirens. No one quite believed him at first when he claimed the Sirens always left him alone -- until he'd finally taken up the challenge to prove it to everyone, and sailed a tiny boat straight into the heart of known Siren territory, and miraculously came back alive -- something no one else had done before. And with gifts he said the Sirens gave him themselves -- some deep-sea fish.

After that there was no denying that he spoke truth when it came to his relationship with the wild and dangerous Sirens of the sea -- though no one knew how he'd managed to get into the good graces of the very creatures who took pleasure in entrancing humans with their songs and drowning men.

Bur Ambrose was special, protected somehow. And he found a way to make a living off it -- as an escort for boats who wished to travel through Siren territory without losing sailors along the way. Normally the ships would have to waste extra time sailing clear around the Siren zone, but with the Siren Man, they could cut straight through the territory and save over a day's worth of travel, making trade journeys more efficient.

Ambrose was always paid very handsomely for his services as the life-saving escort who guaranteed the safety of all who were aboard any ship he was on. The only one who could do it. His presence was sacred, more valuable than gold. Everyone knew his name, and townsfolk would wait weeks to book a trip with him as their guide, not daring to venture into the sea anymore without him, especially since the Sirens’ territories has noticeably expanded over the years -- the creatures were showing up more frequently in unexpected locations, which often proved fatal to the unlucky souls who discovered that fact.

But Ambrose was never harmed, no matter how many times he encountered the Sirens -- sailors who traveled with him described it as a miracle, telling tales of how the Sirens would approach the boat and speak to him like an old friend, never singing their death songs in his presence.

Ambrose was a strange man indeed -- quiet and mysterious, who didn't talk much aside from what was strictly necessary for business.

Today was a day like many others -- a group of five skilled sailors hired Ambrose to see them safely through Siren territory, and they boarded a small ship together, setting off into the deadly waters. Ambrose had cost a fortune to hire, but he was well worth every coin.

The captain of the ship -- Barley -- tried to break the ice between him and Ambrose by striking up a friendly conversation to pass time during the long trip. But Ambrose was the silent type, giving simple answers and not speaking unless spoken to directly. He stayed at the railing of the ship while the captain spoke to him, gazing out over the endless blue waters with a tense expression.

Barley eventually gave up trying to create small talk with him -- Ambrose appeared to be too distracted to hold an interesting conversation. So the captain let him be.

The journey was several hours long, and as they neared the end of the Siren territory boundary the captain wondered if they'd even see a real Siren at all -- he'd never laid eyes on one before. But he must have brought bad luck to his crew, because shortly after the thought had crossed his mind was when his spotter called out that sharks were approaching.

But all of them knew that sharks never swam where Sirens lived. Even they knew better than to cross paths with the terrifying women. Which only meant that the 'sharks' his spotter was seeing... were the Sirens themselves, closing in on the ship. Fast.

The crew seemed to come to the same realization, and all gathered together with the captain on the main deck, weapons at the ready and shifting around anxiously.

None of them knew what to expect, what to brace for, and that was terrifying. And the profound sense of sheer helplessness that they were all feeling was awful. Knowing that they didn't stand a chance against a Siren's hypnotizing song.

They held no power in these waters, none at all. At the complete mercy of creatures so ancient they dated back centuries, their full faith in the single man they'd brought aboard precisely to protect them.

Ambrose had wandered over near the low wooden platform on the side of the shop where fishermen could stand near the water to cast nets. He was the only one who didn't seem worried or frightened.

And that's when the first Siren breached the water.

She was... exactly as every description pictured her race when her head popped out of the water -- irresistibly, devastatingly beautiful, with a natural disarming charm that drew men in even without singing her deadly songs. She had long silver hair that flowed over her shoulders like seaweed, and soft, elegant features that brought life to her pale face. Both very attractive, and very dangerous. It was hard to take your eyes off her. No wonder so many men had fallen victim to her kind over the years.

The captain and his crew huddled on the far end of the ship, furthest away from where the Siren was swimming closer with gentle sweeps of her fish-like tail.

The stunning creature came close and docked herself on the wooden fishing platform, resting halfway out of the water.

"Cordelia," Ambrose greeted with a respectful dip of his head.

Oh, so the creature had a name, Barley thought. Ambrose knew a Siren by name. It baffled him, and he stared on in awestruck wonder at the unusual exchange taking place, between man and monster.

He waited for the moment when the Siren would snatch him and drag him down to drown him, but... it never happened. The woman didn't even sing a single note toward Ambrose as they talked.

"I see you are escorting yet another group of poor sailors around," Cordelia said mockingly, and smiled with razor-sharp teeth at the crew cowering far behind Ambrose just to make them squirm with fear. "I assume they are off-limits too?"

"Yes," Ambrose confirmed. "I've made a living off ensuring sailors' safety through these waters."

Cordelia wagged a finger at him jokingly. "Ooooh, looks like someone's taking advantage of our hospitality. Very naughty, human. You're stealing all our fun away." The Siren pouted, though she didn't sound angry or harsh.

"What, not enough men available for you to drown?" Ambrose chuckled good-naturedly, as if he weren't holding a conversation with the most dangerous breed of creature lurking in the ocean. He showed no fear that the Siren could grab him and drag him overboard in an instant.

Cordelia let out a cackling laugh.

A second Siren suddenly came swimming to the surface to join her, launching up enough to balance her upper body on the wooden platform like a sea lion would, her tail still in the water.

Unlike the first Siren, this one had a wide, ragged scar across her throat she wore like a cruel collar, along with dozens of other smaller scars littering her skin. Her tail was pale blue with some darker scales scattered throughout like stars, complementing her sea-green hair and eyes.

"Sylvia," Ambrose greeted warmly, offering a friendly smile that the creature didn't hesitate to return, showing sharp teeth. "It's always good to see you thriving in these waters." He angled halfway around to address the group of terrified sailors behind him, who were clustered on the far side of the boat and watching things unfold with huge eyes.

"Sylvia is the reason I am a protected human among the Sirens," he explained. "She was once captured by a deaf sailor who couldn't hear her song, making him immune to her charm. The man had a fierce grudge against Sirens, though, for killing a close friend of his -- so he tortured Sylvia as a way of getting revenge, cutting her vocal cords so she could never sing or speak a word again, to take away her greatest weapon -- her voice. He left her stranded on a beach to dry up and die in the sun, which is where I found her." His face was solemn and sad.

"Despite knowing what she was and what she could do, when I found her I brought her to shallow waters and treated her injuries, saved her life by making sure she was well before letting her go home to the deepest parts of the ocean. Her story spread among the other Sirens, and I have been a friend to them ever since."

"He also offers us pleasant gifts from time to time," Cordelia added. "If he has extra fish from a catch, or interesting human trinkets, he generously donates it to us. We are quite fond of him."

As if to confirm her words, Ambrose reached into his pocket and pulled out a shiny silver compass, crouching down in front of the beautiful Siren to offer it to her.

"Speaking of which, I know you like to collect sparkly items, Cor, so I couldn't help but get this from a trade ship when I saw it."

Cordelia squealed excitedly, a surprisingly human sound, and took it in her webbed hands, examining it closely and tracing the intricate pattern engraved into the compasses metal case.

"I owe you one, love," she said softly, staring at the silver compass with awe. Her icy blue eyes flicked from the compass up to Ambrose, and she leaned up to affectionately kiss his cheek in thanks.

A Siren's kiss, rumored to doom a man forever if they survived it. Said to be so intoxicating no person could resist, rendered into a mindless plaything for the monsters to toy with.

But Ambrose didn't look dazed or under some spell, he looked completely unaffected, lightly kissing the Siren's wet cheek in return in some sort of silent communication between them.

Cordelia chuckled, then turned to depart, sliding back into the ocean to swim off and add the new trinket to her collection.

Sylvia didn't leave with her companion, though, blushing slightly as she reached underwater to where her tail was -- and brought up a strikingly colorful seashell, offering it as a gift.

"I-I wouldn't accept that, if I were you," one of the terrified sailors behind Ambrose stammered. "Rumors say you should never accept offerings from mers nor Sirens, because then you'll be indebted to them forever."

Ambrose barked an amused laugh, taking the seashell delicately in his calloused hands.

"That rule doesn't apply to me," he chuckled, "any gifts offered to me come with no strings attached whatsoever. Thank you, Sylvia -- this shell is very beautiful." He turned it over in his hands, marveling at the polished surface.

Sylvia smiled shyly, and with a nod, she turned and dove into the ocean as well, disappearing in the dark blue waters with a few beats of her scarred-up tail.

Only when the last traces of the Sirens’ visit had left did the captain let out a shaky breath of relief.

Yes, Ambrose had been expensive to bring along – but Barley was so, so grateful he'd decided to pay him the amount he did. He was, like he hoped, worth every last coin he'd spent.

And Barley would have one heck of a story to tell when he and his crew finally reached their destination. They were now part of a growing number of humans who had laid eyes on a Siren and lived to tell about it, thanks to Ambrose.

The man was a legend indeed.

Masterlist

@scoundrelwithboba @lumpofsand @isikedmyself878 @iamheretohurt @fleur-a-whump

@ay5ksal @otterfrost @sausages-things @togzy

@whump-till-ya-jump @cravesunconditionallove @whumpwritinglover222 @written-in-the-stars135 @neverthelass

@starz8nk @redwinesupanover @whumpisgoodwhumpislife

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starz8nk

6 months ago

Me When I'm A Fucked Up Looking Mob That Lives Somewhere Dark And Unexplored With A Game Mechanic That

me when I'm a fucked up looking mob that lives somewhere dark and unexplored with a game mechanic that revolves around one of the 5 senses ...

9K notes View Post

starz8nk

6 months ago

to everyone who sees this:

I CAST 10000000000000000000000000 GENDER EUPHORIA 🏳️‍⚧️🏳️‍⚧️🏳️‍⚧️🏳️‍⚧️🏳️‍⚧️🏳️‍⚧️🏳️‍⚧️🏳️‍⚧️🏳️‍⚧️🏳️‍⚧️🏳️‍⚧️🏳️‍⚧️🏳️‍⚧️🏳️‍⚧️🏳️‍⚧️🏳️‍⚧️🏳️‍⚧️🏳️‍⚧️🏳️‍⚧️🏳️‍⚧️🏳️‍⚧️🏳️‍⚧️🏳️‍⚧️🏳️‍⚧️🏳️‍⚧️🏳️‍⚧️🏳️‍⚧️🏳️‍⚧️🏳️‍⚧️🏳️‍⚧️🏳️‍⚧️🏳️‍⚧️🏳️‍⚧️🏳️‍⚧️🏳️‍⚧️🏳️‍⚧️🏳️‍⚧️🏳️‍⚧️🏳️‍⚧️🏳️‍⚧️🏳️‍⚧️🏳️‍⚧️🏳️‍⚧️🏳️‍⚧️🏳️‍⚧️🏳️‍⚧️🏳️‍⚧️🏳️‍⚧️🏳️‍⚧️🏳️‍⚧️🏳️‍⚧️🏳️‍⚧️🏳️‍⚧️🏳️‍⚧️🏳️‍⚧️🏳️‍⚧️🏳️‍⚧️🏳️‍⚧️🏳️‍⚧️🏳️‍⚧️🏳️‍⚧️🏳️‍⚧️🏳️‍⚧️🏳️‍⚧️🏳️‍⚧️🏳️‍⚧️🏳️‍⚧️🏳️‍⚧️🏳️‍⚧️🏳️‍⚧️🏳️‍⚧️🏳️‍⚧️🏳️‍⚧️🏳️‍⚧️🏳️‍⚧️🏳️‍⚧️🏳️‍⚧️🏳️‍⚧️🏳️‍⚧️🏳️‍⚧️🏳️‍⚧️🏳️‍⚧️🏳️‍⚧️🏳️‍⚧️🏳️‍⚧️🏳️‍⚧️🏳️‍⚧️🏳️‍⚧️🏳️‍⚧️🏳️‍⚧️🏳️‍⚧️🏳️‍⚧️🏳️‍⚧️🏳️‍⚧️🏳️‍⚧️🏳️‍⚧️🏳️‍⚧️🏳️‍⚧️🏳️‍⚧️🏳️‍⚧️🏳️‍⚧️🏳️‍⚧️🏳️‍⚧️🏳️‍⚧️🏳️‍⚧️🏳️‍⚧️🏳️‍⚧️🏳️‍⚧️🏳️‍⚧️🏳️‍⚧️🏳️‍⚧️🏳️‍⚧️🏳️‍⚧️🏳️‍⚧️🏳️‍⚧️🏳️‍⚧️🏳️‍⚧️🏳️‍⚧️🏳️‍⚧️🏳️‍⚧️🏳️‍⚧️🏳️‍⚧️🏳️‍⚧️🏳️‍⚧️🏳️‍⚧️🏳️‍⚧️🏳️‍⚧️🏳️‍⚧️🏳️‍⚧️🏳️‍⚧️🏳️‍⚧️🏳️‍⚧️🏳️‍⚧️🏳️‍⚧️🏳️‍⚧️🏳️‍⚧️🏳️‍⚧️🏳️‍⚧️🏳️‍⚧️🏳️‍⚧️🏳️‍⚧️🏳️‍⚧️🏳️‍⚧️🏳️‍⚧️🏳️‍⚧️🏳️‍⚧️🏳️‍⚧️🏳️‍⚧️🏳️‍⚧️🏳️‍⚧️🏳️‍⚧️🏳️‍⚧️🏳️‍⚧️🏳️‍⚧️🏳️‍⚧️🏳️‍⚧️🏳️‍⚧️🏳️‍⚧️🏳️‍⚧️🏳️‍⚧️🏳️‍⚧️🏳️‍⚧️🏳️‍⚧️🏳️‍⚧️🏳️‍⚧️🏳️‍⚧️🏳️‍⚧️🏳️‍⚧️🏳️‍⚧️🏳️‍⚧️🏳️‍⚧️🏳️‍⚧️🏳️‍⚧️🏳️‍⚧️🏳️‍⚧️🏳️‍⚧️🏳️‍⚧️🏳️‍⚧️🏳️‍⚧️🏳️‍⚧️🏳️‍⚧️🏳️‍⚧️🏳️‍⚧️🏳️‍⚧️🏳️‍⚧️🏳️‍⚧️🏳️‍⚧️🏳️‍⚧️🏳️‍⚧️🏳️‍⚧️🏳️‍⚧️🏳️‍⚧️🏳️‍⚧️🏳️‍⚧️🏳️‍⚧️🏳️‍⚧️🏳️‍⚧️🏳️‍⚧️🏳️‍⚧️🏳️‍⚧️🏳️‍⚧️🏳️‍⚧️🏳️‍⚧️🏳️‍⚧️🏳️‍⚧️🏳️‍⚧️🏳️‍⚧️🏳️‍⚧️🏳️‍⚧️🏳️‍⚧️🏳️‍⚧️🏳️‍⚧️🏳️‍⚧️🏳️‍⚧️🏳️‍⚧️🏳️‍⚧️🏳️‍⚧️🏳️‍⚧️

reblog to give your mutuals gender euphoria

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starz8nk

6 months ago

Saw this on Reddit, if this helps anyone (credit to OP)