hi grey! i can’t even begin to find the right words for how much ailuronymy has meant to me, and just how much it’s added to my life over the years. it’s the reason i started using tumblr way back in early 2012! i came into your blog as a 13 year old curious about traditional naming, referencing your naming guide for all my oc’s, but my experiences here became so much more than that. as a kid, i definitely looked up to you (i thought you were very cool; still do!), and this blog was genuinely enlightening to me.
the critique you shared on the misogyny and ableism in the writing of warriors stuck with me from a young age and really opened my eyes; i started being very critical of that in writing. i wouldn’t realize i was disabled until years later, but when i did, i remembered that you were always on my side in that way—you stood up for us. i remember you once said that weed (heh) wasn’t a valid prefix because the plants may be “weeds” to us, but they’re still individual species of plants, and now here i am, memorizing plants i see out in nature, plant identifier app always at the ready and checking out books about flora! i probably would have always thought of them as weeds without you. once upon a time, it was ailuronymy, too, that introduced me to messybeast, where i dove head first into a special interest in cat coat and eye color genetics that ive had ever since! i look at the world through such a different lens than i would have otherwise, and it truly enriches it.
a long time ago, you commented on someone’s submission saying that there was no such thing as “biologically male” or “biologically female” and that anatomy is not inherently gendered. as someone who had just realized they were trans, and had never heard someone say that before, that just... changed everything to me. it was a game changer for my dysphoria, and something that still comforts me 8 years later. i never let anyone use those words to refer to me again. as a trans person, you made me feel supported—like you were always in our corner. someone that i had respected and looked up to for years stood up for me, and i felt seen.
and while i’m not much of a writer myself, i’ve always loved hearing what you have to say about the subject. if anything ever did inspire me to write, it was the advice and thoughts you shared about it here. you’re one of my favorite writers! the warrior cats fics you’ve written had a profound impact on me emotionally and i wish the books themselves could come close. i remember enjoying the tallstar’s revenge one so much, having not read the book, that i decided it would stay as the definitive version of it in my mind simply because i adored the worldbuilding. your interpretation of the warrior cats universe will always be a joy to read, because there is so much careful consideration behind it. it really comes through on the page, and you can feel it.
all this to say: thank you, grey, for all of the love you’ve poured into this blog. i wanted to tell you the impact you’ve had on my life, with even the most casual things you’ve said. it has all mattered to me, and it always will. it’s hard to say goodbye, but i’m excited to see where you go next, and i’ll happily be following solacefruit! you’re an inspiring and delightful presence in this world, and i know i would be the luckiest student ever if i had you as a teacher.
It was difficult to know how to reply to this message, because it’s one of those times where it feels like I can’t do justice in a simple “thank you”--but there’s also no way to really capture everything that I would like to say, so: thank you.
There is so much here that I’m grateful you’ve shared with me. I am so glad I could be a supportive voice for you in times when that was something you needed, and I’m glad that what I’ve said here resonated with you and brought you solace and comfort and insight into your own experience.
I’ve always tried to do what I thought was right by people here. And I think I often missed the mark, and made mistakes, and there’s a lot I wish I could redo in ways that were more inclusive and kind to begin with. But I am very very glad that, despite all my own imperfections during my time running this blog, that I was able to do so much right by you. That alone would make ten years of work worth it.
I’m very proud of you. Being “different” in any way is an incredible act of courage, but not one that many people--queer people, disabled people, people of colour--get to ever opt out of. You have to be brave because if you want to exist, that’s what it takes. But I still think it’s something that should be recognised and honoured, and I am so glad that you’ve been able to discover so much about what brings you joy during your time reading Ailuronymy. It’s really something wonderful to know that this blog contributed in some small way to you becoming the person you are.
Thank you for telling me. Take great care of yourself. <3
