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Queen of Rot and Fungus

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Well then, I thorough fucking hate this new character, which I believe is rather the point, so good job on the writing! I look forward to our Queen of Rot decaying Inari conceptually for breaking the rules of hospitality, before she can properly retaliate.
 
Darkphoenixlady said:
Are you talking about what happened to Jaden? If so, then that's what I levied a punishment for.
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That would be presumably happening in a later chapter?

Because if it's intended to be the reading for the last one it...kinda doesn't convey that as written.

So far, what seems to have happened is the Kitsune coming in, plucking a child out of the Queen's hands while the Queen stands there gormless, and then the Kitsune transforming the kid into a fox.

And while the queen certainly gets (understandably) angry afterward, the Kitsune basically responds by saying 'that's funny, but I'm far too strong for you to do anything about it'.

And then the chapter ends.

If the penalty response is up next, then fair enough. But if it's intended to come through in the existing chapter...it really doesn't.

But either way, the whole incident does pretty fundamentally change the 'vibe' of the whole 'mortals in the mound' thing. Because it's a pretty direct example of the Queen effectively failing her noblesse oblige as the ruler of the mound. Which breaks from the more whimsical dynamic that has so far been in evidence with the mortals resident there.

Even if, as the reply implies, the Queen now exercises some form of penalty against the Kitsune...the kid is still a fox, and that was still immediately under the Queen's eye, with the child in question being plucked directly from her hands. Kind of breaks any illusion of royal guarantee of safeguard. Or, in mortal terms, it indicates that the protection offered is insufficient to deal with the increased threat the provider brings with them.

Maybe that's intended, I suppose we'll see going forward.
 
Darkphoenixlady said:
Irish/Gaelic peasantry rather than European. As that's where the Sidhe originated. Funnily enough, it could also describe the English gentry from their PoV.
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Again, calling Irish/Gaelic mid-post roman Peasantry a "society unconstrained by rules" is a wild take to me. Their society not functioning like ours in no way makes them a "wild, do whatever." Also, the idea that Faeries can't lie has very little basis in the actual folklore. If we look at the fable of Elidorus from the 12th century, we get
"They never took an oath, for they detested nothing so much as lies. As often as they returned from our upper hemisphere, they reprobated our ambition, infidelities, and inconstancies; they had no form of public worship, being strict lovers and reverers, as it seemed, of truth."
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However, this is a "revere the truth" not an "incapable of lying"
The Irish legend The Destruction of Da Derga's Hostel has three riders Identified as
three champions who wrought falsehood in the elfmounds. This is the punishment inflicted upon them by the king of the elfmounds, to be destroyed thrice by the King of Tara
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This research taken from Honesty Tradition and the Fae
 
sunsunsunsunsun said:
Again, calling Irish/Gaelic mid-post roman Peasantry a "society unconstrained by rules" is a wild take to me. Their society not functioning like ours in no way makes them a "wild, do whatever." Also, the idea that Faeries can't lie has very little basis in the actual folklore. If we look at the fable of Elidorus from the 12th century, we get

However, this is a "revere the truth" not an "incapable of lying"
The Irish legend The Destruction of Da Derga's Hostel has three riders Identified as


This research taken from Honesty Tradition and the Fae
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I appreciate that you have obviously done far more research on the fae and their origins than I have. However, when it comes down to it, I'm the one writing the story. As such, incapable of lying remains in. After all, if I paid too much attention to the original folk lore, the seasonal courts couldn't exist. Only, maybe, the summer and winter courts.

And I didn't say unconstrained by rules, as you'd hardly have a society at that point. I said that fae were constrained by hidden and arcane rules which the irish peasantry were not. There is a very big difference there.
Ina_meishou said:
But either way, the whole incident does pretty fundamentally change the 'vibe' of the whole 'mortals in the mound' thing. Because it's a pretty direct example of the Queen effectively failing her noblesse oblige as the ruler of the mound. Which breaks from the more whimsical dynamic that has so far been in evidence with the mortals resident there.

Even if, as the reply implies, the Queen now exercises some form of penalty against the Kitsune...the kid is still a fox, and that was still immediately under the Queen's eye, with the child in question being plucked directly from her hands. Kind of breaks any illusion of royal guarantee of safeguard. Or, in mortal terms, it indicates that the protection offered is insufficient to deal with the increased threat the provider brings with them.
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Much like having royalty turn up at a minor nobles home made a mockery of their power in the tudor period. Assuming the royalty cared to exert their power over the servants.

At the moment, most of the residents of the mound don't even know what Inari is, let alone how powerful she is.
 
Darkphoenixlady said:
Much like having royalty turn up at a minor nobles home made a mockery of their power in the tudor period. Assuming the royalty cared to exert their power over the servants.

At the moment, most of the residents of the mound don't even know what Inari is, let alone how powerful she is.
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TLDR Taylor is a big fish in a small pond (Brockton Bay) and was aware of nearby lakes (the Courts). There is now a stream connecting said pond to the ocean.
 
So the thing about these power levels-

If we're here for a curbstomp I want the protagonist to be the stompER, not the stompEE. That's just personal preference though.

Let's see where things go next chapter. But this chapter definitely took us away from the original framing and premise of the fic.

The story so far was creating an alt power Taylor, declaring her to be far above and beyond the power of all in the bay, beyond the reach of any parahuman, so that they all must abide by her rules…

… and then this turn has introduced all these other fantastical elements, that are far far far far far more powerful than Taylor and don't have to abide by her rules.

This chapter introduces multicultural "all myths are true" "all gods are real" elements. It also for whatever reason places the fae firmly at the bottom of that power structure, but that's author's choice.

We are now firmly in the realm of urban fantasy power creep, where the mundane is no longer important (they have no agency in power levels like these) and the protagonist herself is equally powerless to affect the actions of the supernatural beings that far outstrip her. Beings plural, because all gods are real and all myths are true, etc.

Like, I mean, then what's the point of it all? Is this a worm fanfic any more at that point?

You might as well just pluck out and give up the one last name tying it to that fandom and rename the protagonist to something more appropriate.
 
armorfiend said:
The story so far was creating an alt power Taylor, declaring her to be far above and beyond the power of all in the bay, beyond the reach of any parahuman, so that they all must abide by her rules…
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Explain the Queen of the Marsh (or the Queen under Captains hill) then... At no point did Taylor claim to be all powerful. This has never been about an all powerful Taylor. It is about a Taylor who plays by different rules to parahumans, on a different board. Now along comes someone who plays by different rules on the same board.

Taylor has only ever claimed to be independent of those more powerful than her. Not that she is more powerful. In fact, I showed you one of her glaring weakness during this chapter.
 
My only vague complaint about the last chapter was the fox showing up feeling rather abrupt, but otherwise this has been very fun story. I'll be interested to see how things go moving forward.
 
Darkphoenixlady said:
Explain the Queen of the Marsh (or the Queen under Captains hill) then... At no point did Taylor claim to be all powerful. This has never been about an all powerful Taylor. It is about a Taylor who plays by different rules to parahumans, on a different board. Now along comes someone who plays by different rules on the same board.

Taylor has only ever claimed to be independent of those more powerful than her. Not that she is more powerful. In fact, I showed you one of her glaring weakness during this chapter.
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How and why would I explain two characters named but not seen in the story?

In any case, I meant what I said about the urban fantasy power creep. This chapter feels like the start of the sequel novel where we find out that the hundred year old vampire from book one is beholden to the thousand year old dragon. Or the werewolves live in the woods because the never before seen Native American skinwalkers chased them there.

The low level human stuff from prior doesn't seem like it's going to matter at all going forward because the humans (nor parahumans) simply have no weight to throw around with the fae, much less all the new factions coming in.

Like, you have to have read urban fantasy series, yes? Hamilton, Novik, Butcher, Lackey, and so on?

Book one we learn there are weird things and the girl is meeting up with the local vampire, werewolf, witch, or fae. By book ten the gods are throwing hands because the authors found their formula and rode it into the ground.

But like, this is book two, and book one wasn't really long. We haven't really seen Taylor develop and do much of anything, except to try to live up to her father's request.

So this pacing is really jarring, and also feels like it invalidates what has come before.
 
I'm eagerly anticipation how Taylor, and Mermaid House, get out from underneath the pernicious paw of the commander-in-Floof. Considering the power levels involved, it might be best to just point her at something entirely more interesting. Although, considering she's taken a liking to Ali, she's going to be around for a while.....

By the Gods, I just realized with Libby being a member of Taylor's court and her mother now being under Inari's influence, The nine-tails is now akin Taylor's in-law! They're family. Welp, holidays will be fun.

Also, and this is entirely subjective but one can't simply introduce the foxy floofs and then leave poor Lisa out in the rain! There might be an angle Taylor can investigate. Throw Lisa at Inari! That ought to keep her busy for a decade or two.
 
Something to bear in mind if you please. A boon, minor, was promised until it is granted there is a debt. The debtor is subject to the rules of that boon regardless of power. Much can be made of this.
 
Aillianna said:
Something to bear in mind if you please. A boon, minor, was promised until it is granted there is a debt. The debtor is subject to the rules of that boon regardless of power. Much can be made of this.
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Do you mean the one promised if Ali was harmed and returned home safely? Note the difference in wording between the two boons. Then consider that Ali wasn't harmed (otherwise, why specify still human in the major boon)
 
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Chapter 10a, Inari's perspective. New
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    • From what I can see Inari is not looking to be a dominating or malevolent presence but is definitely being capricious.

    I presume not to judge intents but I can see a few points here from Inari's point of view:

    • A mortal stumbled into her realm seeking to trade for grain: not unheard of but also not common.
    • The mortal survived an encounter with a known danger, keeping her head and even doing well enough to escape it herself: Now that mortal is something special.
    • The mortal is then brought before her. She is polite enough, but also careful and smart enough to keep to the rules she knows that would keep her safe: Even more interesting... though her rules won't exactly protect her here.
    • The goods she has brought are of acceptable quality (tasty enough to eat them all), the company fair enough... but the new information she carries about the mortal world at large is priceless...

    From there I cas see Inari following the following thoughts:

    Oh bother an outsider has come for the Mortal. A small thing, but one bound to serve another (A Queen even). How inconvenient! They should not have been able to get here to take this priceless and intriguing mortal away!

    This cannot stand. but I can't just kill the sprite and steal away the mortal either. That would not be polite after all. (And attract the ire of Royalty too... And also make the Mortal uncooperative too I suppose.)

    But wait, I have not been the best of hosts! I have taken far more than given! (though I probably could call it my due as a ruler of the domain. But thinking of it like that doesn't help me with my problem so let's not go down that path.)

    And there is also the matter of the young one that still needs a mother's care and attention. Perhaps... yes! Give this mortal the gift of becoming a Kitsune! That will even the scales some, give the young fox a new mother, and also coincidentally tie this facinating mortal to me... and as an extra bonus it also gives me an excuse to go out and see how much the mortal world has changed too! See these facinating new thing the mortal has been speaking of for myself

    Okay transforming the Mortal has worked so far. Time to take this mortal back to the place she calls home! Put the Mortal in the basket with the flour and the young one. There that will let the poor thing bond with her new Mother.

    Oh the Sprite doesn't have a name? Let's fix that! It'll help with keeping it out later if needs be. After all the one who gives a thing it's first name has some small power over that thing... and it also rewards the Sprite's cunning and Foxy qualities (Always omething worthwhile to do).

    Ah here we are, the Mortal's home. Hmm doesn't seem to be much. Huh? Is that the Queen? How adorable! It is so young!

    Ah... that must be the Mortal's child there too. How inconvenient it is only but a babe.

    Hmm too young to be separated from the Mortal. And not doing anything will be a step too far for any mother. But then again... Yes, Perfect! After all the baby of a Kitsune is a Kitsune! I'll just sort that out and... there, all done!

    Oh hoh, the Little Queen seems a bit put out with me? How precocious! But I best let my hair down a little too. Can't have this Little Queen think she can just boss me around after all.

    Now then, all that's left to do is to teach the mortals the basics and have a good wander around and see what is interesting!
     
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    • Shaneusm said:
    From what I can see Inari is not looking to be a dominating or malevolent presence but is definitely being capricious.

    I presume not to judge intents but I can see a few points here from Inari's point of view:

    • A mortal stumbled into her realm seeking to trade for grain: not unheard of but also not common.
    • The mortal survived an encounter with a known danger, keeping her head and even doing well enough to escape it herself: Now that mortal is something special.
    • The mortal is then brought before her. She is polite enough, but also careful and smart enough to keep to the rules she knows that would keep her safe: Even more interesting... though her rules won't exactly protect her here.
    • The goods she has brought are of acceptable quality (tasty enough to eat them all), the company fair enough... but the new information she carries about the mortal world at large is priceless...

    From there I cas see Inari following the following thoughts:

    *snip*
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    Exactly, and it gets her out of rulling for a few years. (Kitsune being creatures of freedom and mischief)
     
    From introduction to intense dislike in a few paragraphs. That's gotta be some kind of record.
    I don't know much about Japanese folklore, but from what I've learned from mangas, seems like it is time to get Bitch involved (apparently kitsune don't like dogs) and steal the kitsune's star ball (or whatever it's called).
     
    Hmm, Inari as I recall is the deity of foxes, fertility, rice, tea, sake, agriculture, industry, general prosperity and worldly success as well as a patron of swordsmiths, merchants, entertainers and swords in general from what I recall and over a third of all Shinto shrines with full time priests are apparently devoted to Inari.

    If the shrines without full time priests as well as household and corporate office shrines and Buddhist temples were included number of places devoted to Inari would apparently increase by an order of magnitude so she's a pretty major deity to have show up.

    As I recall Inari has also known to be depicted to take the form of a dragon, a snake, at least once to punish someone's wicked behavior a giant spider and apparently in general has a mindboggling amount of variations of depictions including as a motherly figure, a deity might cure illnesses where doctors had failed and so forth.
     
    Alane1 said:
    Hmm, Inari as I recall is the deity of foxes, fertility, rice, tea, sake, agriculture, industry, general prosperity and worldly success as well as a patron of swordsmiths, merchants, entertainers and swords in general from what I recall and over a third of all Shinto shrines with full time priests are apparently devoted to Inari.

    If the shrines without full time priests as well as household and corporate office shrines and Buddhist temples were included number of places devoted to Inari would apparently increase by an order of magnitude so she's a pretty major deity to have show up.

    As I recall Inari has also known to be depicted to take the form of a dragon, a snake, at least once to punish someone's wicked behavior a giant spider and apparently in general has a mindboggling amount of variations of depictions including as a motherly figure, a deity might cure illnesses where doctors had failed and so forth.
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    Yep, but she's not Inari the god. She said as much when Ali met her. Instead she's the first servant Inari created.
     
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