#fae five

HMMM I would say a firm: not as a child

He would probably get wings after he meets Claire though.

So much about the fae au is based on expectations. Reginald expected to see one of the miracle children, and so Five played his part. His siblings expected a mouthy little shit who was too smart for his own good, and Five played his part. Reginald expected a weapon, Five played his part. His siblings saw him as their brother, as family, and Five played his part. 

The only reason Five grew into a teenager so quickly at all is because his father, his siblings, the public, even Pogo expected him to grow. That’s what children do. He kept up with his siblings because he had reasonable expectations. Oh? His sibs grew taller this year? Well so did he! After all, if would be weird if Five stayed the same size as any of his siblings.

The reason Five still looks like a teenager is because the Handler removed outside influences, and without knowing how to change and without the expectation of change, Five stagnated. 

So what does this mean for wings?

FIve doesn’t have wings as a kid. Why would he? His powers are to do with jumping not flying. None of the other kids have extraneous limbs and they all look entirely human when not using their powers. No one knew that Five was fae, and so Five looks entirely human.

And when he comes back, well. He’s the same Five as normal. If he was fae the whole time, then that just means fae don’t have wings right? Right. 

And then Five meets Claire. Claire, who is a child. Claire, who has grown up watching fairy movies and who has a pair of costume butterfly wings that she still wears around the house upon occasion. And then Claire meets her tiny uncle, and gets told that he is fae

so of course Claire’s immediate first question is: Where are your wings!?

And Five is like ???? I don’t? Have any?

“All fairies have wings.” Claire says, like she is the ultimate authority on the fae.

Five blinks, “They do?”

“Maybe yours are in hiding.” Claire says sympathetically, “Mean people hunt fairies for their wings.”

“How do I bring them back?” Five asks, fascinated despite himself.

Claire thinks for a minute. “You gotta close your eyes and think real hard about them coming back, I think. You gotta have, uh, have belief! Yeah, and think about magic too maybe?”

“Worth a shot.” Five says, and together they both close their eyes and think real hard about wings and when they open them - lo and behold Five has these intricate translucent wings on his back.

They’re blue, almost electric blue in some places like his jump energy. They shimmer and when he flaps them experimentally a glittering substance is dislodged but winks out of existence before it hits the ground.

“Five.” Claire says very seriously after a solid minute of just gazing at his wings, “I need you to make me a fairy, too.”

“I don’t think I can do that, kiddo.”

“You don’t understand.” Claire says, desperation on her little face, “I need wings.”

“Well you can’t have mine!”

Anyway so Five comes down to dinner with these pretty princess fairy wings, much to the immediate confusion of his siblings. But you know what? This year has already been so goddamn weird so yeah, their little brother might as well sprout wings in the space of an hour since you’ve seen him! Why not!

And of course Claire explains that Five can hide them again, just in case any mean people come to try and hunt him for his wings or something and it’s better that he blend in. Five could get in lots of trouble if his wings are stolen!!

And Five just nods along because lets be real, he doesn’t actually know how this whole fae things works any better than anyone else. All he has to go on are feral fae instincts and whatever the fuck he gleaned from looking at the Handler, who didn’t have wings when she spoke to him but hey she’s also a shapeshifting mythic bitch so