"I wanna give into your dark temptation... I wanna touch you like nobody does!" (x)
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New Frayed Knots chapter today! - The Fairly OddParents
Chapter 43 - "Nymphomania"
📖 Read on FFN - T || Read on AO3 - T
❗ Alt E-rated version - AO3
☁️ Cloudlands AU
✨ More Fairly OddParents 'fics
─✶ 🜲 ✶─
I did not mind her kisses… but I had not arrived tonight for kisses alone. Blonda, luv… Let me show you, undeniably, exactly where I stand with you. All the words I’d written in my unsent letters, and all the ones I still planned to write…
Blonda chuckled into the curve of my shoulder. “Calm down, Fionn mac Cumhaill… I’m not going anywhere.”
“As you say,” I murmured back, and when she blanketed me with steady arms, pulsing warmth, I could not help but believe her.
In which Anti-Cosmo indulges in pleasure most fleeting, for Rhoswen foretold the way this story goes (Autumn of the Flaming Clouds).
OR, the one where Blonda finds out her magazines lied.
(First 1,200 words under the cut)
Nymphomania
I could scarcely believe the words that left my lips. I think some part of me applauded, for when had such bravery alighted in my soul? Had I simply grown up? Had this strength lain within me all this time? I felt the breath of Dayfry on my ear, whispering ancient secrets of sacred love, and Saturn’s steady hands upon my shoulders as he offered me enough nerves to remain upright. Sunnie’s blessing washed across me next, for I could not be more focused if I tried.
“‘Dinner,’” Blonda repeated. She gawked back at me as though I’d transformed into a dragon then and there. In fact, consider that metaphor an accurate one: she trembled just a bit while fingers ran across her platinum hair. Paint the scene as though she turned a museum corner and found a dragon sleeping just a breath away. “You… want to take me out?”
‘In public’ were the words she did not say, yet they took form on the cusp of her brain. She shaped them the way I shaped my fanatic affection. I frowned, quite uncertain of where to meet her dropped-off words. Nonetheless, I cupped them where I could. I kept hold upon her hand, freshly kissed, and drew myself so close to her, I tasted the beat of her core through soft skin. “Well… Yes. Is that such a difficult thing to believe? We have discussed it.” ‘In private,’ I did not remind her. “Were you not the one who invited me ‘on the town’ after we met for lemonade?”
“‘Dinner,’” she said again, looking at me in question. Colour prickled at her cheeks, betraying her in a way that likewise stirred satisfaction in my deepest self. Inside me, some ancient puzzle slid a new piece into place as though guided by the hand of fate.
You only have one shot at this. Why deny yourself? “Yes, that’s what I said. Clean out your ears, woman.” Did my own finger shake? I reached forward nonetheless, aiming to capture her chin, and in doing so, I also caught her eye. I tipped her face just so, and when our gazes linked…
… Well. I simply lost my train of thought. It plunged off the cloudcliffs, hurtling to Earth far below, and must have shattered over rocks or been lost among the sea. In the milk-pink softness of her eyes, I drank the taste of desperation and lapped at the nectar of wanting what could never be. Her gaze absorbed my very essence. All of me, when Blonda dipped her eyes to my feet and slowly drew them up again. Her fingertips hovered against my wrist. She touched gently, like a flower petal, as if unsure whether to push me aside or allow my lingering. We floated above the walking path that separated small student residence buildings from the open woods, and all manner of eyes might peer down at us from the windows or the trees. Yet I could not find it within myself to drop her cheek, nor back away. Had she charmed me with the pheromones that wreathed the air between us? (What little space there remained between us, anyway). Can Fairies do that? Might I be more susceptible than most?
Soft fingers slipped past my waist. They cupped below my wings - far below, in my sitting place - and Blonda touched my crumpled, hidden tail for the very first time. Spittle chilled my mouth. Perhaps she owned my yoo-doo doll. I could not tear my eyes from hers.
“Anti-Cosmo,” she murmured, softly as a snowflake. I sucked in air. Every pin and needle Venus Eros had sewn Cosmo’s doll up with jabbed beneath my skin. Prickles raced themselves up my neck. My wings jerked forward. I think most of my body did, for I fell upon her and she fell upon me; we clung against one another for support while bracing the other up. I stirred against her, and some small part of me awoke.
She called me by my public name. Less intimate than any whisper on Mona’s lips. Why was it, then, that some force compelled me ever closer? To brush my hands against her; reel her tightly in? As I wrapped my hands behind her back, I pressed my nose to her neck and inhaled the cherry scent of pheromones straight beneath my skin. The nutty undertone balanced on my tongue.
Do you really want me, Blonda dear? Oh, how I wished to cry that thought from the rooftops beside us! My wrists shook- My breath crispened like apple pie in a gust of wind. Would I offer myself if she spilled confession that she did? I stirred my tongue, even when Blonda tightened her grip upon my buttock with a squeeze. “We… We’ve dined together before- Perhaps not as a couple, but as ourselves. I daresay it would be appropriate, yes, for us to meet briefly for, um… decompression, and all matter of- of opportune things. You’re very pretty, darling, and your mind delectable.”
I could hear her core pulse very quick then, spinning magic through her lines. Blonda rested her palm behind my head, caging me there against her neck. Her other pressed all the tighter at my rear. Her wings stuttered; it could not be denied. “Do you mean that like a Fairy?” Blonda murmured directly in my ear. It twitched of its own accord. I did not think she could pinch any tighter, and nearly yelped when her nails dug in the soft places my scales ran thin. Her searching eyes combed my face, and she held me there like a dragonfly hoisted in a stained glass lantern. I certainly felt the stains budding in my soul as my thoughts wandered about in all the places they were never meant to go. Blonda tilted her head by a thin degree. Her pale neck, exposed against the air, both wet my mouth and dried it with a longing pant. I think I nearly whined. Unperturbed, she said, “Or does ‘Pretty’ mean something different on your side of the border?”
“Well, this ‘side of the border’ has become my home, in some regard.” I fixed my claws in Blonda’s shirt. She did not deny me when I reeled her lips all the closer up to mine. I twisted them, smiling just a hint, and chuckled at the way she squirmed against my hand. “I’ve lived a long life in Fairy World, my dear. Sometimes I wonder if there’s nothing left of Fairies for me to learn. You’ll prove me wrong, I hope?”
Blonda’s eyes clicked shut, audible with tears. Fairy dust glittered on her cheeks. When she blinked, I expected wetness, but it seemed she’d swallowed most of it away. “And when did you grow such an alluring tongue?”
“When I knew I couldn’t risk my shot at you.” And I laughed a mite louder this time, loosening my grip upon her shirt. Blonda hovered as though conflicted, and while I knew she could poof away if she truly did not desire my advances, it did me no harm to back off a bit. Perhaps I came on strong enough to worry her. “Wanda is in hospital. I daresay that woke me up to the dangers of our campus life. I’ll return to Boudacia soon enough, and then I’m with my godkid until he requires my service no longer. After that, well…”
“… You and Anti-Saffron will be married.”
I twitched my lips in the slightest smile. “Guilty as charged.”
why does he still look anxious and pathetic even when he's plotting a takeover... he's the goofiest guy. I love him.
Liveblog Notes
As far as me loving characters with traumatic backstories goes, I do enjoy Peri, but he has way too many blank spots in his lore and things that are making me look at him sideways, waiting for him to say something I can work with.
I would've liked to see more of his backstory come into play... I feel like that would've been a great episode theme focused on the Peri-Dev dynamic (Them figuring each other out, uncovering bits and pieces, struggling to find areas where they relate until they do... like the clinginess or abandonment issues). Hopefully we get that in the future.
- Don't get me wrong- I'm really enjoying Peri, but from a fanfic perspective, I don't have enough breadcrumbs that don't come from the OG series I based my aged-up Poof on anyway.
- That said, still love the implication that he brought Dev to his parents' house while he ate too much sugar and Jorgen almost caught him, and I'm deeply interested in his many layers of trauma. No notes.
I can make up stuff for Peri, but... I've already been making up his story beats for 8 years, so I'm personally not excited at the thought of designing a new backstory from scratch if I don't have any springboards like his friends, school life, where he's been living, or what he did while his parents were gone for 10,000 years. The OG series gave me Sammy Sweetsparkle, Goldie, and Spellementary and Steve, my beloathed. I don't have much to go off here.
We don't even know what his relationship with Irep is, like if "Best of Luck" was the first time they'd seen each other since Spellementary and/or if Irep was banned from continuing his schooling. I mean... one would have to assume Irep has his godparenting license if he's allowed to jump in on Dev, but who knows...
Me just now blinking in confusion that Da Rules allow Irep to yoink Dev as a godkid when Irep blatantly disregards all the other Rules. Cherrypicker...
And yes, I can work with it if I want to, but I already write a bunch about their dynamic, teen, and adult years in Cloudlands AU, so... I'm fine letting other people deep-dive into him; I'll probably be surface level on my end <3
So... That's all set-up for why I think Dale is my favorite in this show... He captivates me by having this clearly defined mess I can pick at. Locked up and forced to make lemonade for 7 years? wild. We know what it was like, where he was, how old he was when it started, who did it, for how long, how he escaped, what his family situation was, and we saw Doug's estate in "Engine Blocked," so we have a decent idea of where he lived and how he grew up.
We've seen a lot of clues about how his trauma lingers around him today, how he forbids his son from drinking lemonade around him, he seems to be withholding details from Dev (who has no clue who Vicky is and seemed grumpy that lemonade is presumably a trigger for his dad and thus he's not allowed to have it). We also know how his young self ended up as an adult... We know he has meltdowns when he loses money and he doesn't bat an eye about stalking or hurting children...
We've got a partner missing from his life, so he's got single dad stress in there somewhere unless the O-pairs were there from the day Dev was born... potentially divorce or widower baggage and either of those is funny... I still think Doug might be dead in New Wish and that becomes increasingly likely the more I look at my age timeline compared to how old Doug was when he struck gold, which is canon in New Wish rather than given to us by the OG...
And if he and Vicky are the same age, were they friends when his torment started? You can even mess around with vibes like "Did Dale get a fairy?" or alternatively, "Why WASN'T he miserable enough to qualify for a fairy?" because that gets really dark if you start thinking about Vicky yo-yoing his emotions to keep him on the line above misery. What was she doing to him...
Like ??? unfortunately, the most obvious thing I can think of is that Dale was so blinded by his vision of Vicky being his friend (and/or crush?? idk) that he kept forgiving her, which is... awful.
We never got a confirmed reason why Tootie didn't have a godparent despite Vicky tormenting her daily, though I always felt like age or her blabbermouth tendencies might play into it (or she clung to Timmy for stability and thus wasn't miserable enough so long as Timmy was there to "support and comfort her" (her perspective).
?? Did Fairy World think it wasn't worth the paperwork to assign someone to Dale because they assumed he'd just make a single wish to free himself and then be fine? skdljf...
I just can't stop thinking about it. It's not like his father's wealth disqualified him; Remy and Dev both had godparents assigned. Idk! I think about it a lot. Fascinating.
AND you're telling me this kid grew up with the OG cast after his escape?? There's a LOT there I can play with. Did he have to go to high school with Vicky? I want to believe he was homeschooled, but we never see Doug with a partner AND Doug is a busy person running a ton of businesses. The logical assumptions here would be either "Dale went to public high school" or "Dale was shipped off to boarding school" or something like that. Each of those comes with its own implications, which excites me.
As a bonus, this guy's severe trauma is connected to lemonade?? A drink that shows up a bunch of times throughout the OG series because it's just casual and everywhere? That's so funny...
Insert joke about how it's smart to give your protags weaknesses or fears that are commonplace so they'll run into them in a casual adventure or everyday life
And YET... Despite everything we know about him, there's still plenty of wiggle room for me to play with. I like that.
Honestly, I love the entire Dimmadome household... Dale and Dev and the O-pairs and Peri and the weight of absence of whomever else was in Dale's life once upon a time. Dev is a cool character at all, but at the end of the day, he's a 10-year-old bratty bully who's neglected and lonely. I appreciate him dearly, but it's nothing I haven't seen before.
Dale is my favorite. His utterly bizarre backstory has captivated me. I can make him worse <3
I did have a role planned for him in my Cloudlands AU 'fics - have since 2018 - but I was gonna play him as quiet and jumpy... Curious, easily excited, but not as fingers-in-every-pie as his father. But nowhere would I have guessed 7 years of trauma. And that changes everything. I'm extremely excited to play with that.
He's been on my backburner for ages as "one of those characters I want to delve into when Timmy's older and has a reason to cross paths with him, such as in the working world as Dale becomes more involved with the Dimmadome businesses."
My plan's always been to make a funny trio of Dale, Remy, and Dale's wife [my very first FOP OC, Hadley] (whom I've been slowly setting up to become Remy's close friend in the 130 Prompts series when they're kids) and they're just... laid-back rich people who hang out and go on silly rich adventures.
Here's a fun Hadley profile, finally digital since I've only drawn her in colored pencils up 'til now!
In spite of me repeatedly mentioning her in my New Wish liveblogs, words cannot express how shocked I've been to see Dale, who was a tiny mention in the OG series, come back as a critical character...
My girl's shy husband in Cloudlands AU canon, whom she was betrothed to when neither loved the other, turned out to be a horrible person in A New Wish who's 99% likely to have divorced her, and I could NOT be more ecstatic to work with that in 'fic. It's like this was set up just for me! :D
- How funny would it be if they had a Season 2 arc where Dev disappears for a while because he's staying with his mom? lol.
- If Dev's mom suddenly showed up because she'd just left for an extended work trip or something, would that be silly'd up or what?
Bonus Hadley Facts!
- She's 12 & 13 around Timmy's time period and attends middle school with Remy. They went to a dance together.
- She and Timmy are briefly in middle school together. They vaguely knew each other in elementary school before either had a fairy- I like to think they had multi-grade gym classes, field day, lunch, and stuff like that and sometimes saw each other.
- Never had Crocker as a teacher, but has crossed his path at the grocery store and stuff. She skirts around him.
- Her mom is a professional painter. She also has a blood blossom garden. Leadly keeps making Hadley give them to people he's trying to sus out as witches.
- Very aware of her dad's horrible dating life. Unfortunately knows he's chasing magical creatures because he's getting desperate for "idk, something new and fun" at this point. Bribes Cupid on the regular. Unclear if Cupid is screwing her dad's life up on purpose to keep the money coming in.
- Has been to Texas a bunch of times (Pencil Nexus has a branch there - "The Boss of Me").
- She hums the Pencil Nexus theme a lot, especially if she's waiting in a line or doing chores. She's bad at sneaking around because she'll forget she shouldn't hum.
- At the time of posting this, her two speaking appearances are in the 130 Prompts "Back In Action," where she's at the Jimmy-Timmy Power Hour dance chasing squirrels, and "Trying Too Hard," where Ed Leadly brings her along when he tries shaking Gary and Betty down for the Learnatorium (again); Hadley's very embarrassed.
- Although offscreen, she was heavily mentioned in "End of the World" when Timmy led Remy to her house so she could help with the cure for Juandissimo's fairy flu. She was briefly mentioned in "Opportunity" when Leadly put the pieces together and realized his daughter has a fairy godparent.
- Her surname was dropped in "Entire World," "Solo," and "Looking Back," confirming her as on the Pixies' radar & as a member of Gary and Crocker's Fairy World invasion team.
- I designed her in December 2015! Nearly 9 years ago now :'D
So, there ya go... That's Hadley.
Basically, instead of meddling and buying buildings and stuff, my vision of the future "rich kids" generation is that they're "supposed" to be in the city like their parents raised them to be, but they blow it off to hang with friends. This whole generation is rebelling against their parents. Are they making things worse for the city? I don't know.
My rough plan was Dale and Hadley bringing their kid [His planned name was Dave] on ski trips and yacht adventures and world travels, with Remy and Juandissimo being bonus parents as the kid grows up :) Aroace Remy making peace with living mostly alone, my beloved... BFF Hadley ensuring he's not ignored when she gets a partner, my beloved...
And my main idea here was "Their kid is so spoiled, but he's also getting incredible amounts of attention and love... It's the first time in AGES Dimmsdale has broken its "miserable rich kid" curse, and Remy and Juandissimo couldn't be happier. I just realized that probably doesn't make sense out of context- but yes, in Cloudlands AU, Juandissimo and Remy are still together when Remy's an adult.
But it was always my "Eh, I'll think about it later" arc, and Dale a "think about him later" character. And now ?? I just want oodles of him... He's so funny. I've already got a whole sketchpage of him on my desk... I probably won't scan it because it's messy as I'm exploring him in my style, but I really like drawing his hair <3
Dale had a bad week or two with Vicky in my head, but he was gonna grow up fine and live with his friends :) Or... Hadley's friends. Unclear. This doesn't really work with the New Wish canon, but I still think it's funny. I think in some way, this still happened in my canon, but only during Dale's early adulthood. He and Hadley split, orz...
Like... I can't even be mad, because in my canon, they were arranged (upper class kids; Doug cared more than Remy's parents) and in Cloudlands AU, they're affectionate but not in love until they slowly grow on each other while raising their kid, but... GURL, you were supposed to carry this for me, SKDLFJ...
Hang on, I gotta draw exactly what I mean by "Hadley didn't ignore her BFF when she started a romantic relationship..."
Bonus context for Remy's arm for anyone curious & here's him in color
They're just so funny to me... Dale and Hadley are each other's comedic straightman somehow. My favorite thing is Remy being a good friend despite actively trying not to be.
There's a secret joke here about how Remy's dad is also aroace in Cloudlands AU, but his whole thing was being repulsed to the point that he was relieved every time his wife had affairs :'D Fortunately, Remy's glad Hadley found someone else to bother and never got him involved in that drama. Remy still doesn't know what's up with his parents' love life or lack thereof, but... he knows what he himself wants (Peace & quiet and 2 hang out with Juandissimo).
tl;dr - I like what A New Wish has done with Dale specifically. It's definitely wowed me, it's way more captivating than anything I'd loosely planned for him, and his layers of trauma, wealth, and negligence really take me back to the OG series vibes, so I like that!
I can't wait to do 'fics with this fascinating, traumatized loser... but Hadley is definitely his wife and/or ex in my works <3 b/c I set my plot up for this 6 years ago and it would make me sad to "boot" her from my Along the Cherry Lane 'fic plans lmao. I will never experience this oddly specific situation ever again; you gotta give this to me.
Also:
He done goofed...
I couldn't decide on dialogue, but I was thinking "In my defense, I never had a health class and I didn't know babies came that fast." (She was there for many hours btw).
"As I breathe into our silence, there's a voice that comforts me... It's a voice of understanding... It's the voice of empathy." (x)
New Fairly OddParents 'fic today!
Prerequisite: "All I Ever Wanted"
❤️ Kisses Full of Broken Glass
Rated M - 4 chapters - 32k words
Look… Who her partners’ counterparts turned out to be wasn’t anything she could control. Tens of thousands of Fairies and Anti-Fairies had twinkled through life since the dawn of Fairy World.
Goldie did her research; she picked a drake she liked whose counterpart seemed to be a fair and reasonable guy. She tracked their nights together and gave Anti-Marigold full calendar access. What more could she do?
I can’t throw my life at my opposite’s feet, and I won’t do that any more than Poof should turn his life over to Foop just because Foop holds high status in Anti-Fairy World. So she’d stick to her choices just fine, thank you, actually.
Goldie's poly lifestyle reflects back on her terrified anti-will o' the wisp counterpart. Foop makes those nights as easy on his girlfriend as he can.
It's fine, by the way... really. Anti-Fairies take care of their own. They've only been doing this since their species began.
Read on AO3 🔒
Cloudlands AU
Story Arc Navigation
More Fairly OddParents 'fics
Contains exactly what it says on the tin; mind the tags.
All 130 Prompts are G and T works; you don't need to read these non-Prompts to understand or enjoy the main story arc.
(First 1,000 words under the cut)
Kisses Full of Broken Glass
Wednesday January 15th, Aurora 178
Year of Water; Winter of the Shattered Lake
Anti-Fairies took care of their own. No one else was going to do it for them (Least of all in Fairy World). Massive oversight, really. Ever since the Barrier separating Hy-Brasil from Tír Ildáthach came down, well… You can’t go three streets anymore without tripping on an Anti-Fairy beneath the dawn-painted skies. Some Fairies went the other way, but not as many as you’d think. They should make their own safe places in Anti-Fairy World. No one else will do it for ‘em.
All this to say, it’s not like Anti-Marigold didn’t trust a well-vetted damsel healthcare center. She did. Actually, growing up, she’d been in and out of one. Anti-Primrose (who didn’t deserve the title Mum) had a nasty habit of getting in trouble with Anti-Fairy Council and leaving her kids hungry at home in the process. First there were drinking problems. Then it was late-night sex work that lost the “work” aspect somewhere along the way. Then came pyramid schemes dressed up in fluff and lace.
Anti-Primrose wanted all of it. Forget black cats, spilled salt, and broken mirrors… You could bait a literal trap in the park with a few bills and coins to lure her in. She hung in a tangled-up corner of the family tapestry, and Anti-Marigold snipped her out the day she got her adult wings. Changed her crystal ball number that week and never answered an unknown call again, no matter how the clouds inside stormed. Honestly, she would’ve stayed in school longer just to keep away from her, but when the offer of sandwich shop work hit the table, the thought of turning profit across the Fairy World border - where Anti-Primrose wouldn’t dare step - caught her by the throat. At home she had two little brothers to look after (No thanks to Anti-Zinnia being absolutely no help). Making time for homework didn’t come easy. Sometimes she slept in class.
So she quit. “Dropped out,” or “Bought the farm” or whatever. Of course, Foop slumped at the thought of never helping her through labs anymore, but his mother pulled Anti-Marigold aside and told her very seriously that sandwiches were “Good business,” and hell; the High Countess had never steered anyone wrong before. Even her husband took her advice, and he hardly listened to himself. It’s a freakin’ miracle Foop turned out so well-adjusted. He should play the lottery. Takes after his mum hardcore.
Which she’s grateful for. Seriously, she’s grateful! This isn’t about not trusting the healthcare centers and it isn’t about wishing Foop would do more when he’s already doing all he can. Flip, if Anti-Wanda ever gave her son The Talk on how to treat a damsel in distress, he must’ve locked in and hung on each no-nonsense word. Did my name ever come up during that conversation? Like, ‘Wait for the right place and time’ or ‘Make sure you treat that sweet girl right.’ Surely it must have. After all, she’s an anti-will o’ the wisp… Their Seelie counterparts are sort of known for getting around (If you know what I mean).
Anti-Marigold did stare after him sometimes (Foop). He just had that sort of face. And hair. And neck. He twitched his nose like a squirrel when grading papers, reading glasses slipping from his ears. Mystique and charm wreathed that open-book nature of his.
How many hours had she passed working on her knitting, sighing at tangled yarn, just to look up and see him lounging like a regal wolf in the sofa cushions, safe and untouchable from the world. He marked papers like he thought them equal to his own. He finished every project ahead of time and cracked open his study books for more. Nothing could catch him off guard. He wouldn’t let himself be anything less than the most intellectual powerhouse he could. She hadn’t told him this (because it wasn’t his business anyway), but Anti-Marigold liked it best when Foop wriggled close and lay his head against her chest. And those eyes, when he looked up-
They were the softest eyes she’d ever seen. She could push her lips against them. She could nuzzle her cheek up with his. She wouldn’t, though. It wasn’t her place. Not when he… Plus his family. Y’know?
Except she had touched him like that. Only sometimes. When they wouldn’t get caught (or sometimes when they would). Real talk? Foop seemed to live his life chasing punishment. He craved it like an ice-cold soda thick with syrup and bubbly carbonation. She saw him crumble - hit the floor - after that first night in the Castle, when his father floated past her with a book under one arm and his mind on politics, saying something to the Head Pixie without turning to Foop for any more than a ruffle of his midnight curls.
He tries harder now (Nearer, louder, more often and more desperate) to draw his father’s ear. Anti-Marigold said nothing about it, of course. She just leaned against him while he buried his face in his hands, heaving sobs that would not bring his father’s ire. They’d go unheard.
“My life’s a joke, Kelsia! How can he tell me stories of how badly he wanted a child if he can’t be bothered to set me straight when I mess around? Does he even remember how young I am? That we aren’t married? Does he know? What else doesn’t he notice? It’s like he’s missing all over again, and we’re still in this smokeforsaken war-”
“You’ve told your mum about us, right?”
“Bloody heck, I couldn’t keep a secret from that woman if I tried. She knows. I just wish he’d yell at me again… He treats me like an egg in his hand. I just want my Da back… I want him back, Kelsia…”
She could understand that, actually. She’d never met her own father. Anti-Quince, apparently. Not to be confused with Anti-James, who’d fathered Anti-Zinnia… Anti-Marigold had two full-wisp brothers through Anti-Quince, and both still too young for their adult anti-names.
I moved a lot of early FOP character studies and warm-ups to my unrevealed Riddle WIPs collection on AO3, so they're easily on hand for me to tag and post when I feel ready.
A lot of these are things I enjoyed, but didn't feel comfy sharing back in 2016/17. They're cool to look back on and I'm ready to let them go. Some are suggestive, some are emotionally intense, some are very simple character studies, so as always, tread with care.
I also think they're neat because they don't build on each other, so they're pretty low-brainpower reads (imo), which some people may like.
I don't expect to post one of these old things every week, but they'll probably show up on Mondays or Wednesdays or something like that (Once Life of a Loser stops posting on Wednesdays, which is in two weeks).
As per the norm, M and E works will be under the ScarletPenguin pseud, so if you know that's not your cup of tea and you see the email, you can delete it without needing to open it or check tags.
These old pieces will be exclusive to AO3 (Organization, easier for my brain, etc.) On the off chance anything becomes a Prompt, it will go on FFN.
Not planning to do Tumblr announcements or cover images for them. They're off to the side for the people interested. Might shout out a few favorites, though.
AO3 series to subscribe to or avoid at your preference:
🌈 Rainbow Train - All FOP 'fics that aren't 130 Prompts (i.e. It will include these old pieces).
🖤 Off the Rails - Stuff that doesn't fit my main AUs (Cloudlands, City Lights, Reedfilter). Most old pieces will go here since they're non-canon now.
❤️ Red Train - Romantic or sensual works (All FOP AUs).
Additional reminder:
🚂 130 Reasons Why I'm Fairy Trash - Everything in this one-shot series is G or T. If you feel uneasy about Rainbow Train, you can filter M and E stuff out by subscribing just to this one!
Under the cut, I have examples (i.e. screenshots of these WIP titles and summaries like what you would see when scrolling AO3) to help people get a feel for the vibe.
Suggestive or gross summaries & commentary; proceed at own discretion. Obviously, #ridspoilers.
Reminder - These are WIP screenshots. The pieces will have proper tags and meta before they're posted. Titles may also change.
Bonus disclaimer: If you see a line in an old WIP that seems familiar... I do yoink things from these sometimes because I wasn't planning to post them, yes <3
This will be the first one:
Exactly what it says on the tin- Super simple.
Here are a few more examples (No specific order)-
A scene from Frayed Knots I've always regretted cutting even though it was for the best, but y'know what? It deserves to be shared because it's funny :)
Another moment from canon translated into my style! There's also a "Flappy finds out Gary and Betty knew about magic the whole time" bit somewhere in here that I had to throw out after "Solo" happened.
I will not apologize for my deity break-up drama. I might apologize for Prince Thursday's seasonal torment, but he's the nature spirit of Leaves, so-
Unpleasant non-con / dubcon situations... We know how this goes.
And the obligatory sequel to the above. That pixie sure can character arc!
Very cursed flirty pixies, my beloved...
Do you have any idea how weird it feels to post pre-reincarnation pieces out of context... skldjf...
It's gross! It's goofy! Cupid's ancestors took her mobility aid because they're unpleasant people! We just keep winning!!
Uncut version of the Ambrolara scenes! I sadly cut some of my favorites lines from "Hate That I Love You" because it would've crossed the line... but I love them....... my cursed OCs who are awful for each other.
No one understands Sanderson's mind, not even me 7 years later... He can do whatever he wants forever.
Foop's romantic scenes during the late-Prompts era are some of my favorite warm-ups... He's here, he's queer, he's having a mental breakdown spitting and crying over his dad not noticing him sneaking in a girl, he was forced to marry someone he desperately does not want to be intimate with, he loves his mom, he's losing the power struggle against his alt personality, he's this close to losing his inheritance, he calls his wife his mistress's name... No one is doing it like him. Probably because he's doing SO bad!!
The preview scene you see in "Trouble Beyond Paradise" finally broke me... It's been a favorite since 2017 and I just really want to share... That one's a multi-chapter and I hope you guys like it.
I love Foop/Anti-Marigold and their weird situation... Like, of COURSE if Poof has severe anxiety about accidentally forcing them into dubcon, Foop's genius idea is to get the first time over with before Poof/Goldie can bind them into it. So funny. They are silly little guys... the people have a right to know...
Very old anatomy study. It's about bees ripping apart when they mate. It's... sort of cute? Mostly horrific and full of pain and sobbing? :'D If you pick this up, you will very quickly see why I never intended to post it, but... It's 2024, baby! Welcome to my mind...
- This one will likely get a new title, so be careful if this is one you want to avoid.
- Where is that post that goes like "Why do all my ace friends write the most bizarre sex scenes?" followed by "Have to throw in something interesting for us." sdfkj. Yeah... It's me, I'm that guy. And this kind of guy.
And more!! I hope you like reading these old pieces, but if they are not your thing, that is perfectly fine. Some of these are not even my thing, but sometimes you have to write it to know that! Sometimes you knew that and wrote it anyway because ??? idk.
I think it's neat to see my style change over the years. I hope you get some joy out of them, even if they're hyperspecific.
"Anti-Wanda, are you daft? Your boots are filthy! It took me 20 minutes to arrange those flower petals properly. And what if your hooting wakes the castle? Well?"
"Then we all have a dance party, and you show me off for everyone 'cuz I'm your queen and you love me farther than Yugopotamia is, and we'll have a real good night all around."
"That is true... That is very true."
Summary
A Romance and/or Sensuality collection... sometimes with Fluff, but often Angst and Drama.
No arc- It's just the place to find this stuff. Some pieces that aren't part of the 130 Prompts series are here too.
Can contain any FOP characters. Other trains are "subscribe to this group of characters" series, but this one's just for vibes.
⭐ Any Rating - Everything in the 130 Prompts is G or T. However, Red Train is a catch-all that can include M or E
Read the 130 Prompts on FFN | Read these works on AO3
130 Sums | Full 130 Prompt Series (AO3) | Other Arcs
Cloudlands AU - Detailed warnings & other AU info
#130 arc guides - More posts like this
More Fairly OddParents 'fics
Notable works in this series:
"Make You Proud" - Anti-Wanda is ecstatic to have won a gold medal at the Fairy Games and craves her husband's approval. Anti-Cosmo, however, isn't one to rest on laurels.
"Gentlemanly" - High Count Anti-Cosmo and his chief of finances, Anti-Wanda, have an argument. They decide to settle things over lunch during what, in retrospect, could be called their first "date."
"Repeat" - Cosmo and Wanda flirt in bed... Cosmo struggles through trauma from his past that makes intimacy difficult.
"Temptation" - Having taught their counterparts Poof and Goldie some Anti-Fairy cultural dances, Foop and Anti-Marigold slip outside the cabin to take a walk and have a romantic talk about the most romantic of subjects: Politics. This one's a personal favorite.
"No Absolutes" - The political and familial reflections of High Countess Anti-Wanda, shortly before her pregnancy. Just another story about the leader of the Anti-Fairies and her husband.
... I actually have a lot of sensual stuff I don't share because... most of it is pretty flippin' dark since they're warm-ups and backstory explorations I never planned to post (Ex: will o' the wisp stuff, a bunch of characters who end up with trauma, the whole "insect people literally have to fight not to die when they mate" lore exists), but I'm not as hesitant to share that stuff now as I was years ago, so... Let me know if that interests you. This is where it would go!
"Whoa, why is there so much trauma here?" - I don't know how to tell you I write 'fics for a show themed around trauma
Read the 130 Prompts on FFN | Read these works on AO3
"Don't you worry your pretty little mind! People throw rocks at things that shine, but they can't take what's ours~ <3" (x)
An exploration of Pixie and Anti-Fairy culture in a world where Anti-Cosmo overthrew his brother and the Head Pixie drowned his predecessor, H.P. Reedfilter... with unfortunate emphasis on flirting and bribery to get what you want.
Also, Anti-Wanda runs a sandwich shop and is living her best life.
OR, that one FOP AU with simultaneous "H.P./Anti-Cosmo ship" vibes and "Everyone is aspec" vibes, but also... I have no idea what this is. They're raising A.C.'s kid, but I think if either of them considered letting down their walls for a relationship, they would die and the other would be pumped. Diversity loss! Nobody wins!
#ridwork guides
#ScarletPenguin for rating
What Is Reedfilter Rules AU?
Pixie World's half-will o' the wisp outcast (Fergus Whimsifinado) and Anti-Fairy World's bachelor prince (the Anti-Cosmo) bounce off each other while raising Anti-Cosmo's kid despite living in separate worlds.
Anti-Cosmo faces mounting pressure to select a partner to rule Anti-Fairy World with. Meanwhile, Fergus sets his eyes on the Head Pixie position... and neither has any shame in what they need to do to get there.
AO3 Series: 🗄️ Reedfilter Rules
Blog tag - #Reedfilter Rules
An AU inspired by that moment in "Fairy Idol" where Fairy World refers to H.P. as "Sanderson's friend," and by the slideshow in "Fairly Odd Baby," where Jorgen shows Timmy a photo of H.P. and Anti-Cosmo with an anti-fairy child and heavily implies they raised the kid together.
tl;dr - The vibe I was going for was "As opposite as possible from Cloudlands AU without blatantly contradicting show canon."
"Oh, does that mean you finally wrote A.C. as a suave, sexy villain? :)" Absolutely not; I would not dare ruin his cringefail loserboy swag. But I gave him charisma!
Tone
Mostly angst, light romance, seduction, and drama (especially of the bureaucratic and political variety). Comes across gloomy and serious. Spurts of humor, but not a lot of cheery fluff to be found. Hey, they're pixies and anti-fairies- What did you expect?
By romance, I really mean H.P. seducing people in cold blood to scale the corporate ladder while Sanderson cringes in the background. Meanwhile, Anti-Cosmo juggles his multiple partners, heirs, and impending betrothal.
Also plays with some fairytale lore I didn't delve into with Cloudlands AU, such as further splitting the Seelie and Unseelie Courts into their seasonal states
Characters
Most of this AU takes place pre-canon, focusing on magical societies that don't have many named characters in show canon.
❗ Anti-Fairy identities will always be made clear in-scene (assuming it's important).
🌸 Fergus Whimsifinado - A pixie/will o' the wisp crossbreed struggling in his marriage... and raising his adopted anti-fairy son (Talon).
Thirty-Seven | H.P. 37 | 3700307
🌸 Rani Reedfilter - The reigning Head Pixie, frowned upon for a string of poor political decisions, such as snubbing the Anti-Fairies' leader. Very lonely. Once tried to seduce Anti-Cosmo. He got mad.
Three-Nines | H.P. 36 | 3699924
❄️ Anti-Cosmo - Bachelor prince of Anti-Fairy World's Winter Court (on the heels of his elder brother's mysterious disappearance). Mother hopes he'll settle and marry, but commitment just seems so last millennium... He's got 2 biological kids and 1 adopted one.
🍁 Anti-Wanda - Some cheeky girl from the Autumn Court who runs a sandwich shop. Once had an affair with (Gasp!) the counterpart of her own counterpart's partner. What a scandal it would be if that news got out! ... 10/10 experience; would hit him up him again.
Vixil | Tas-pri d’vixil
❄️ Talon - Anti-Cosmo's son, abandoned in a Pixie World casino as a newborn and taken in by Fergus. Never satisfied with where he is, but never satisfied by his plans to change course. Doesn't know his mother and Anti-Cosmo seems intent on keeping that information private...
Eskel | Urn d'eskel
- Not a hypochondriac like he is in Cloudlands AU. Hm...
🌸 Sanderson, Ennet - The 2nd of two known pixie/wisp crossbreeds. H.P. took him under his wing after he found him passed out at a party. Very fidgety, likes music, and tries to keep H.P. in line. He has a couple half-siblings.
🌸 Longwood, Markell - A high-ranking pixie and Sanderson's rival. His mother (Columbine) is a royal pain in Pixie society, but she only wants the best for her precious son.
Other - Cosmo, Wanda, Jorgen, plus some Anti-Fairy OCs who appear in Cloudlands AU and play parallel roles here:
Ru-vika d'hi (Mona | Anti-Saffron) - A.C's past flame
Tin d'lomdi (Eurydice | Anti-Miranda) - A.C.'s adopted daughter
Shon-vi d'tatla (Nova | Anti-Phoenix) - A.C.'s bio daughter
Kat d’reija (Judith | Anti-Snowball) - A.C.'s niece
There are no anti-pixies in this AU (RIP "Clash With the Anti-World"; I'll call you back).
This AU focuses on Pixie and Anti-Fairy culture. Between August 2016 and August 2024, it was confined to 2 stories with no more planned.
It's now organized in its own AO3 series, opening potential to explore more someday (such as Fairy culture or human godkids).
Ships
Please do not come here expecting a consistent status quo. We live on a merry-go-round that moonlights as a chopping block.
H.P./Sapphire - Fergus and his partner were arrange married, their relationship now straining as Sapphire struggles with her growing attraction to him (Not something you want to admit in Pixie World).
Sapphire picks a new persona (gender, name, personality) every 500 years.
H.P./Reedfilter - Reedfilter was ordered to cut ties with her husband in order to become Head Pixie. Fergus catches onto her loneliness and flirts with her regularly... which must be kept under wraps.
Rumor has it he's responsible for her untimely death. Surely not...
Anti-Cosmo/Anti-Wanda - Once had a fling; currently living apart as casual friends. Anti-Cosmo would die of embarrassment if anyone found out he flirted with the counterpart of his own counterpart's partner. As you do.
Anti-Cosmo/Anti-Saffron - Had a summer fling. Anti-Saffron had her daughter with another man. Anti-Cosmo, by his own admission, was "young and desperate" and took the kid under his wing.
Background relationships - Shout-out to Sanderson's dad and Longwood's mom being exes who hate each other. Sorry about your divorce; congrats on the government-assigned lesbianism.
Whatever this is*:
* I am once again taking that photo of A.C. and H.P. raising a child together in "Fairly Odd Baby" 100% seriously.
Well... by "together," I mean Fergus is raising him and Anti-Cosmo pretends to pay child support, usually in the form of candy (which he's addicted to in this AU).
Also, A.C. is hiding a crush that will definitely not be taken advantage of by someone with a history of seducing authority figures. Yeah, we're goin' there.
Setting
🌸 Pixie World - Big business. Fergus recently retired from casino work to look after his son and moved to office work. The Head Pixie heavily dictates everything, from education to work assignments to matchmaking to approving conception.
Pixies receive a magic boost during spring
☀️ Fairy World - Paradoxically obsessed with both freedom and order. Plenty of small towns and big cities, but lacks the heavy emphasis on "downtown office building aesthetic" you see in Pixie World. Sometimes streets are multi-layered and made from playing cards. A mess to outsiders, but locals like it fine.
Fairies receive a magic boost during summer
🍁 & ❄️- Anti-Fairy World - A dreary-looking land that thrives nonetheless, self-sufficient without the other worlds (and proud of it). The Autumn Court (east) has a culture of hunting, livestock rearing, and farming. Lots of clothing shops, taverns, and bakeries. Big on outdoor survival.
The Winter Court (west) has academies, training fields, and castles; they teach magic, reading, writing, culture, history, politics, social skills (especially for interacting with Fairies or aliens), and more.
Anti-Fairies receive a magic boost during either autumn or winter depending on their family affiliation
Is It For Me?
This AU is firmly in the upper teens and/or M range due to innuendo and seduction. Not likely to have E-rated works, but we'll see.
This universe's lore sticks pretty close to show canon. Worldbuilding does have depth, but I consider it pretty shallow.
-> There's no Wolbachia pipientis, Anti-Fairy zodiac culture, honey-lock, gynes, drones, preening, anti-pixies, or Refracts here
-> Insect and bat DNA is played down, so the Fae are pretty much just "small humans with magic and wings." That said, I leaned into some pieces of fairytale lore (with a lot of creative interpretation).
-> I consider this AU easier to get into, though it's definitely... one of the story flavors ever. Is it fluffy? No. But can we expect happy endings here? ... I have no idea! :'D
⭐ Seriously though, I don't suggest this AU if you're uncomfortable with angst or unhappy plots. This is a messy one full of villain characters making poor backstory decisions.
"Riddle, why do you keep doing this to us?" / "Look, when I try writing things with wider market appeal, they're original work. You guys get the wild stuff."
Major Themes
Choice, expectations, identity, pushing against tradition, power, trust, secrecy, deceit, finding your place.
There's also a theme about friendship, but I need you to understand that I am standing over it and looking at it with a sigh. This is an AU where friendships go to die.
- Fergus struggles to save his marriage when his partner admits she's more attracted to him than Pixie culture really normalizes.
- Fergus sent Talon to Spellementary School. When he never arrives, Anti-Cosmo flips.
- Anti-Cosmo and Anti-Wanda are forbidden from flirting with each other. This doesn't stop them in the least.
- After Fergus kisses her to clear her head with a pixie's oh-so-logical saliva magic, H.P. Reedfilter starts falling for his charms. Secretly, of course.
- Sanderson refuses to accept that he's been fired (or that H.P. doesn't like him). He hangs around despite blatant attempts to shoo him off.
- Anti-Cosmo gets increasingly paranoid by the thought that he may have more kids floating around than he thought.
- POV: You raise a kid with a guy for centuries and now you have a crush on him, alone in a hotel room where you're supposed to be signing a contract. You're both notorious for seducing people as a scam. oh no.
Ongoing?
Drafts for this AU began in 2016, with the first piece posted August 12th of that year. Many loose drafts exist, but polishing and organizing them in a coherent and chronological storyline takes time.
This AU is ongoing, but updates slowly as it's low priority compared to Cloudlands AU works.
Reedfilter Rules AU now has its own series on AO3! Subscribe there if you'd like emails.
Warnings, notes, and explanations below so readers can learn more about this AU. Don't like? Don't read.
Very long - Click at own discretion
👀 Take a Peek
New here? You might like to start with these:
Just two works in this AU so far. Keep scrolling!
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Recommended ways to get into the full AU
📅 Main 'Fic - Reedfilter Rules
A pixie would never flirt his way up the corporate ladder. It's simply... not done.
A collection of scenes from multiple POVs, kicking off with Fergus's failing marriage (and Reedfilter hitting on Anti-Cosmo, who's not impressed).
🌄 First Written - "Only an Idea"
The new Head Pixie takes a curious interest in a lowly cubicle worker who wandered into a party.
OR, Sanderson's first encounter with H.P. occurs when he wakes up hungover. H.P. can't get rid of him.
📅 Chronological Start - TBA
Reedfilter Rules is currently the chronological start of this AU, though there may be earlier pieces in the future (since turning this into a series frees me from the restriction of keeping everything within the one work).
🗺️ Worldbuilding
Fairly light worldbuilding, although Anti-Cosmo's POV definitely depicts him rambling on about it since that's kind of his thing as a character. Worldbuilding is pretty much what canon said on the tin: you've got several magical races living in the clouds above Earth, and some of them aren't so nice.
This AU pushes the ideas of the Seelie and Unseelie Courts... Specifically, the idea that Fairies, Pixies, and Anti-Fairies are all mischief-makers. Fairies just have a prettier reputation in human eyes... but the humans aren't here right now. Are they?
There are tons of species in this world, but they're considered their own unique species (as opposed to Cloudlands AU where they're considered Fairy subspecies).
Fairy World is a melting pot that welcomes people of any race
Seasonal Strength - Magic ebbs and flows with the seasons, affecting how willing each race is to use their magic (especially against the other races).
🌸 - Pixie World gets a boost in spring
☀️ - Fairy World gets a boost in summer
🍁 & ❄️ - Anti-Fairy World's two realms get boosted in Autumn and Winter (respectively).
Anti-Fairies also get a boost every Friday the 13th. Pixies get a boost in late November (Gray Tuesday mention!) and Fairies on October 31st / November 1st (Samhain).
Magical creatures can influence their surroundings - Anti-Cosmo sussed out H.P. Reedfilter when she stood on a beach, causing the surf to lap more intensely around her than elsewhere.
Pixie Culture - Pixie culture is about placing career above all, with the Head Pixie micromanaging everything (right down to who you're paired with, when you can reproduce, and when your relationship ends).
Anti-Fairy Culture - Anti-Fairies care deeply about their culture. In-story, Anti-Fairies use special given names unconnected to those of their counterparts. There's a lot more going on in their world than "plotting evil," though they're shameless about their mischief.
Anti-Fairies are very proud of their culture and individuality. It's important to them that they are self-sufficient and aren't tied to their counterparts... hence why it would be a huge scandal if it came out that Anti-Cosmo and Anti-Wanda had an affair.
In this AU, Anti-Cosmo's elder brother (Prince Mon d'lin) was meant to become High Count after his father. His elder brother's gone missing, heavily implied to be Anti-Cosmo's doing.
Anti-Cosmo is supposed to find a partner to rule beside him because magical strength shifts by season. You want both an Autumn and a Winter Court ruler on the throne at any one time... and A.C.'s bachelor days are numbered.
Also, Anti-Fairy names share their naming style with Cloudlands AU. Find a post with sample names HERE.
Genderfluidity - Fae can (and do) often change their bodies, both in anatomy and presentation. Fergus's partner Sapphire is a great example since she changes her identity every 500 years. Anti-Cosmo also flips between masculine and feminine presentations (with name adjustments reflecting this in line with Anti-Fairy name traditions).
📋 AU Notes & Warnings
Heavy focus on Pixies and Anti-Fairies. Doesn't focus on much else, as I find H.P., Sanderson, Anti-Cosmo, and Anti-Wanda pretty interesting. That said, I'm not opposed to writing other POVs (like Cosmo, Wanda, Juandissimo, and Jorgen) if I think up interesting plots for them.
Death Mentions - This AU doesn't have anything I'd call major character death, but Rani Reedfilter does drown. It's not graphic, but is mentioned repeatedly.
Expect threats to be tossed around, but this AU focuses more on intimidation, manipulation, and seduction than violence.
Anti-Fairy Feeding - Anti-Fairies are like vampire bats. They drain energy from others' bodies. The neck is a classic way to get a lot of energy, but biting a finger or wrist works well.
H.P. has a lot of scars on his hands from feeding Talon. Occasionally he feeds Anti-Cosmo, though A.C. claims Fairies are more nutritious.
Interspecies Relationships (and disdain for them) - Other pixies tend to look down on Fergus and Sanderson since they have will o' the wisp mothers. They are the only non-full-blooded pixies known to the universe during Reedfilter Rules.
Fairies, Anti-Fairies, and Pixies can change their bodies and reproduce with each other (and with other magical species, such as the wisps mentioned above).
Seduction - Fergus will flirt with anyone who might give him a leg up in life, even if he feels little to no attraction himself. Chiefly that means Reedfilter (the Head Pixie before him) and... Anti-Cosmo. However, other folks such as Anti-Wanda and Jorgen are theoretically on the table. Or the Fairy Council members, for that matter.
Anti-Cosmo is also totally down to flirt with people, again whether he's attracted or not. He's less interested in climbing political ladders and mostly flirts because it's fun.
I've previously said Jorgen is a no for them to flirt with because he's a rule-follower and not the type to go for seduction, which will almost certainly remain true.
They're mean to each other, they're implying things that have never happened, and it means NOTHING to them; do u see my vision?
Seductions can include one-night stands, longer-term flings, infidelity, and a general vibe of innuendo throughout this AU.
I'd say... Tentatively expect making out and potential sex scenes, but you shouldn't be surprised if those things appear in a more censored form (Ex: Heavily implied or fade to black). Not sure how much detail we'll get, but Reedfilter Rules is marked M, so it could definitely go that way.
My OG draft for Fergus seducing Rani (written 2016) probably took things farther than any other FOP work I've posted to date, and I've written alt (more censored) versions several times, but... that OG really calls to me as my favorite version, so I waffle between "Is this too much for people who've come to expect tame content from me after 8 years?" and "I really like this version better." I've gotten bolder about posting M or E works in recent years, so... /shrug.
As always, my M and E works are kept under my #ScarletPenguin pseud on AO3 so they can be easily avoided if you browse my main page (or easily found if you want them).
Also, AO3 has a built-in filter system on user pages you can use to filter out such works with a few clicks, which people who read on AO3 probably know, so maybe I'm just being over-paranoid... :')
Light Romance - Anti-Cosmo is semi-seeking a partner to settle with. He flirts a lot and has a growing crush on both H.P.... and Anti-Wanda, although he tries not to let on.
Pregnancy & Childbirth - Definitely exist in this AU and are referenced on occasion. However, these don't play a large role, nor do I intend to portray them graphically.
There may be upset stomachs and pain mentions, along with conversation revolving around children (Ex: Speculating parenthood)
Other Drama - General political and magical drama, such as Pixies working on 37-year plans while Anti-Fairies get extra mischievous on Friday the 13th. Bickering over land, resources, godkids, and Da Rules. Messing with Jorgen. Stealing stuff. Also, cultural differences causing interpersonal conflict.
Sanderson is sex-repulsed in this AU and only bonded with his first match, so he ignores all orders to sleep with the 2nd he was assigned to (to H.P.'s severe annoyance because he can't stand this guy pushing back).
This AU is still pretty rough since it's a collection of many pieces and they're shared with the public only when I'm 100% satisfied with the world they present. These are the big-picture issues I foresee, but there's potential for more.
If you think of any warnings I missed, please let me know!
✋ Notable Posts & Asks
Cloudlands AU was called Riddleverse Classic prior July 2024.
"Could you tell us more about the Reedfilter AU? What makes it different? Any favorite parts or ideas in mind?"
-> HERE - Outlines major characters
"Without too many spoilers, who is Rani Reedfilter and how does her leadership style compare to Fergus? How did she get her position, and are either of them better than the other as Head Pixie? How long did it takes for Fergus to seduce Rani?"
-> HERE - Rani details
"Once he’s Head Pixie, what does Fergus see in Sanderson, and how (If at all) does that slowly morph into an actual friendship? What surprises him about Sanderson?
Fergus seduces others and uses sex in the most calculated, un-loving ways possible, so what is it like for him to NOT take things with Sanderson in that direction?"
-> HERE - Sanderson details & a clarification that sex isn't Fergus's go-to tactic.
"You’ve given us some info on how A.C. and H.P. get along (which also makes some talks between them in Fairy Baby seem even more flirtatious now) but how does Jorgen fit into things?
Did H.P. ever try to seduce him? Did A.C. ever try to seduce him!? (Trying to seduce Jorgen honestly sounds like a competition just dumb enough for them to try)"
-> HERE - H.P.-Jorgen rivalry, A.C.-Jorgen rivalry, & info on Pixie World's size.
Doodles & Talon's AU introduction -> HERE
"How does Longwood fit into the Reedfilter AU? Do any other pixies that we know of from Origins/Knots play any notable roles?"
-> HERE - Explanation on how parallel universes work in all my FOP worldbuilding & Longwood details (Daddy issues)
"Is Anti-Sanderson still Head Anti-Pixie in Reedfilter Rules AU? If not, what's he like?"
-> HERE - No anti-pixies in this AU
"In the Reedfilter AU, what are common stereotypes for Pixies, Anti-Fairies, and Fairies compared to Classic? Also, does the hierarchy established by the Eros family still exist?"
-> HERE - Rivalries & explanation on unique species for this AU
"In classic, it seems like H.P. tries to take over Fairy World more for attention than anything else. What are his motivations for “evil plans” in Reedfilter Rules?"
-> HERE - RR!H.P. is less extreme. "He’s more relaxed, less aggressive, and less likely to grab the spotlight. He still enjoys the spotlight, but the attention is a side benefit and not the main goal."
- More Fairly OddParents works
- Want more info? Send an Ask!
You can create works based on this AU. Please cite me and/or the AU as appropriate (i.e. for things very specific to this AU). You are free to expand on ideas you've thought of thanks to my AU as a jumping off point. I'd love to reblog or link things to my AO3 works if I see them!
I write content with morally gray characters. Please don't portray my story events or worldbuilding out of context with intentional malice. As in, I request you do not post things created for the specific intention of bashing me or the AU
"I keep pushin' forward, but he keeps pullin' me backwards... (Don't pick up the phone; don't let him in; don't be his friend...)" (x)
Top 10 Hanahaki Life Hacks (#9 Will Shock You)
Sour Petals AU Guide
❤️ Read on AO3
🧡 M - 119k words - Complete
💙 Blog Tag - #Sour Petals AU
💚 More MCYT AUs
“Just… Tell me you were drunk or something. At least try to make up a story I’ll believe. Do you even care? Am I just…? Does it even matter to you, what I think?” And with a hasty backpedal, “If she took advantage, you can tell me. You can tell me. She’s Scott’s ex anyway; I’ve got her blocked everywhere I could think of. We never talk.”
“It was late and I boarded the wrong subway,” Martyn says again, but he is lying. It’s always an excuse; never an apology.
Martyn coughs up flowers for years after the divorce, making bank as a florist, dye salesman, painter... anything he can put his on-and-off Hanahaki disease to use for.
Cleo just wants to move on.
A Double Life & Limited Life inspired AU set in a modern Hermitcraft world.
(First 1,000 words under the cut)
New Rules
- 🥀 -
Martyn Littlewood started dyeing at age 31.
Every day, 6:15 AM, Cleo stands by the stairs that lead down to the subway, waiting by the window while Martyn rips flowers from his skin. The stems snap off, but the roots remain. They’ve got him so fiercely, tongue-tied and ripped apart, that every time he laughs, he sounds more undead than alive. How many surgeries can a florist afford to get those things removed? Or does he do it all himself? He looks awful sometimes (especially in the summer) when thorny vines wrap his arms and legs. Sometimes his arms hang like limp meat at his sides. The tubes, canes, and chairs he uses look increasingly expensive.
32-year-old Martyn Littlewood runs the flower shop in Aqua Town. Cleo’s stepped through that door to stand among lush, strong-scented plants more times than she’d care to admit. They’re… cordial. At least, Martyn doesn’t seem to hate her. She’s never hated him.
“Well, you’ve made me a rich man. I don’t spend a lick on material. It just comes to me.” He crushes blue petals with a squeeze of his hand. Cleo grips her bag in one hand, gazing back over the rims of her sunglasses. Martyn has stitch marks up and down his face. All over his hands. There’s one right across his forehead. He wears a neck brace now. Or if it’s not a brace, it’s some sort of bandage. All her own marks are zombie-themed tattoos. They fit her zombie aesthetic. The aesthetic came first. He smiles, painfully from behind the counter, and threads baby’s breadth in a bouquet as a filler flower. It’s coming back in style, he says, after a decade of it being overdone. Honestly, Cleo doesn’t get why he even tries selling the flowers; he should stick to dye. Everything is dying here. Except his energy, when he says, “What brought you in here, m’dude? Hot date tonight?”
There’s silk and chocolate in his voice. It catches her through the gut, like she tripped and speared herself on a stalagmite. Uh. Cleo lifts one finger to the window. “You took down your neopronouns sign. I just wanted to ask what’s up; if you’re okay.”
The sign was mangrove wood and cut in the shape of a peony. Martyn flicks his eyes to the place it used to hang, then goes back to work. “Aw, that… Well, flower pronouns aren’t super practical when I’m in the shop. I’m looking for others. Something more versatile. Nothing has that same rush, but I’m not giving up.”
That makes sense. Does that make sense? He doesn’t look at her. “You’re still wearing your wedding ring,” she says without thinking. Martyn stops. His eyes stay pinned on the nearest wilting rose.
“Yeah. Are you not cool with that?”
It’s not a challenge, but she knows he’d shove back if she pushed. It’s easier, running fingers through her hair. “Honestly, it’s fine. Mine’s still on the bathroom counter. I see it every day. Sometimes I still wear it. Mostly when I’m out with Scott or Cub.”
After a moment’s hesitation, Martyn nods. His hands move again, fluffing the tiny flowers from below. “People talk.”
“They do.”
He clears his throat in his fist. Cleo moves away, examining the fridges in the back so he can cough up petals without an ex hovering around him. His coughs are thick and damp. He stands and leaves the room.
- 🌹 -
Martyn’s work often took him away from Hermit Hills. He and his best friend ran a summer camp called Dogwarts out in the flats, in that little piece of rumpled land that sat too near the desert for the local farmers to take an interest. She met Martyn because of that camp, actually, when they were 24 and 25 and he reached out with a little Hey, I love your work and we’re mutual friends with Scott and Pearl email to ask if she’d do a presentation on insects and other forest wildlife for the kids. He said his usual presenter was out tagging eagles that week, and honestly… Where do you even go from that? He and Ren offered good money, too. She could probably type up her research remotely for a few days. A few weeks. Even if she didn’t make as much progress as she’d like, the network opportunity might be worth its weight in diamond blocks.
“You should,” Scott encouraged when she called him up to check if this Martyn guy really was his friend. “Pearl and I are counselors. We can all hang out together! And you can tell the kids about that time you bottle-fed the bear cubs.”
… Yeah, all right. She worked more often with bats, but talking about the bear cubs always turns eyes her way. Wildlife rehabilitation isn’t really a standalone career, and that’s a good thing to prepare kids for at an animal-lovers camp. She could still smell the baby formula blended with blueberries, the cubs with creamy droplets smeared across their muzzles and cheeks.
She took the offer. Three weeks later, there she was… Camp Dogwarts and its insects, poison ivy, and whatever else lay waiting for her. Cleo basked a few last seconds in the bliss of the air conditioning, then switched off the car and stepped into summer sun. Martyn and Ren both shook her hand, beaming. He/him or flower/rose. He/they/it or neopronouns that fit a canine theme. They said it back to back, fluidly and effortless.
Cleo paused. Then, “She/her professionally. I’ve… considered experimenting, but my social life’s been tied to work for so long, I don’t know where to start.” With Scott, obviously, but pronouns sounded like such a big commitment. Ren clasped their hands; if they’d had a tail, it would have wagged. And he probably would have loved that.
“Oh, dude! We have so much to talk about! Can I call you ‘dude?’”
“Sure. That’s fine.”
Martyn gave the tour while Ren and the counselors kept an eye on the kids. The hilltop pergola made a perfect lookout point. Martyn shielded his eyes, then pointed across the field to a second hilltop building in the distance. “Bean Hill. Rrrrright over there, that’s the edge of camp.”
His eyes? Flower’s eyes? She understood the pronouns in theory, though trying to wrap her mind around them left her suddenly aware of everything she didn’t know. She felt like she’d been stripped, her clothes dunked in the lake. “Cozy place,” she replied. “You and Ren built all this?”
“Yes, ma’am! Placed every block with our own four hands.” And they talked about that, soaking in the sunlight, until Cleo asked the itchy question that wouldn’t leave her thoughts alone.
“Real quick… You don’t have to get into it, but how did you find neopronouns that were right for you? Or… how did you decide to take that leap? I imagine people talk. Ask a lot of questions. So, you must be pretty committed to them if you share them openly.”
Martyn gazed out across the hill, sighing through his(?) nose. “I use them at camp. Not so much at home. I don’t dare discuss it with my parents.” Then, leaning rose’s shoulder (was that right?) on the pergola support, flower said, “You know that discourse that goes around every once in awhile about gift giving being a ‘selfish’ love language? Or have you ever heard someone talk about how they’d never be able to stand dating someone who sort of expected gifts throughout the year?”
“Yeah?”
“It’s like that. I’ve always thought gift giving wasn’t so much about what was given as it was about the thought that you exist in someone’s mind even when you’re not there in front of them. Like, they care enough about you, they wanted you to know they saw something and thought of you. When someone puts the thought into my pronouns… it means they thought about me. And the world is better.” Flower bent down and pulled a dandelion from the grass. “Ren says it would probably be called it/its more often if it really did have a werewolf form, and sometimes that feels good and sometimes it’s lonely. I dunno… Everyone’s just out here getting by, I guess. It’s worth having something to smile about every day. Neopronoun use is like that for me. Free smiles in the tip jar.”
“I’m not sure tips are free.”
Flower laughed like a cawing crow. They had the tour and sat together at the wooden tables at the pergola for dinner. Ren too, of course; pup turned out to be just as knowledgeable about the local area as pup was friendly, especially where the plants were concerned. Not quite as familiar with bugs and bats. “But that’s where you come in, dude! Oh, I’m so ready for this...”
