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glassesblu · 2 years

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CHANGELING INGO AU (part 1)

Hi hello, you might have seen me post an occasional drawing and tag it with this AU. I’ve chatted about this AU extensively with @belltrigger (our AU >:) ) And there’s a lot of fun ideas from it! Why not make a big post and talk about the story so far? :)

I kind of want to draw or write for this AU some time, but i’m pretty busy and I still want to share what is thought up! alright o/ (CW for death)

So this AU starts right from their childhoods! They come from some outskirt village near a forest. Emmet’s family have been in an unfortunate accident, where is house went up in terrible flames with the parents trapped inside. Emmet’s just a little kid who can only watch, and people are on their way but its definitely not fast enough (they lived a bit a ways from other people). A shift mass starts shambling out of the forest behind him, before settling into a near identical copy of Emmet. Emmet sees the figure next to him, who looks exactly like him. But instead of being afraid, he’s comforted because that means he’s not alone. Soon, other people arrive, and they’re like oh, two kids? Well ok then.

Changelings in this AU are sort of trickstery concept beings who’s goal is mostly to find someone to copy, kill, and replace! An individual can have their own goals and what not, but do kind of have an instinct to do their changeling thing.

Ingo kind of existed for a bit, but not rly manifesting in the world. He doesn’t really remember this part if you asked him though. He was still new and never copied anyone before - and he also copied a kid, and became a kid himself. So imagine a being with a predatory instinct, that’s also a lil child.

As kids, Ingo was bit of a bully to Emmet, played shitty pranks on him and what not. Emmet was pretty quiet as a kid, and other kids didn’t really want to hang out with him, so he still only had pretty much Ingo as a companion. And while shitty, Ingo also played Emmet’s games and didn’t really shrug Emmet off when Emmet clung to him. Though I think at this point, that was mostly out of indifference. He would also do things like hug Emmet too tight, stare at Emmet while he was sleeping - and Emmet might attribute it other things really, like wanting to be close to him or Ingo not knowing when a hug is too much. Sure, his brother kind of pushes him around, but he’s also always there for him. Emmet doesn’t really have anyone else to turn to.

It kind of escalates until Ingo pushes Emmet down the stairs without Emmet seeing that it was him. At first, it is satisfying to him. It’s playing around with his food so to speak. But this is also the first time Emmet actually cries because of something he did, and it diminishes the satisfaction. And since he’s also been around when Emmet cries, he does the same here.

From then on, Ingo was like that was weird? He cuts back a little on targeting Emmet, though that’s still his prey. He experiments by getting into fights with other kids. And he doesn’t really feel much about that. It doesn’t feel bad like when Emmet cried. It’s a little satisfying though. He tries responding a bit to Emmet being affectionate, and it’s ok actually. So he does it more.

And Emmet sort of grows on him, now that he’s being less indifferent with Emmet. He becomes jealous of others who might try to take up Emmet’s time and attention. Emmet doesn’t really mind. He feels great joy when Ingo starts talking to him and being more playful. He’s always seen Ingo as his companion, and this only bolsters his feelings of affection for Ingo.

it’s getting long lol (it will get longer)

They keep growing up. Ingo gets into more fights with kids, and now it’s because maybe someone teased Emmet or bullied him. It gets some of the aggression out too. But this also means Ingo gets punished a lot. Emmet tries to get into the same punishments as him, but doesn’t do severe enough things to warrant it. Ingo only lets up when he’s threatened to be separated from Emmet, and he can’t allow that.

He can’t really explain it. He kind of feels that there is something about him that is different. He also feels some violent urges toward Emmet. There’s like a deep inside instinct that he stopped looking at when he grew fond of Emmet. But from his early teens to his mid teens he starts examining that again.

He researches, and reads things. About legends and folk tales, drawing from like the shit he feels inside himself and he... doesn’t like it. He does not like what he has to see, and that makes him afraid. He tries to withdraw from Emmet, avoids him, is cagey with him. But that makes Emmet follow him around even more, hiding in order to try and sneak his way into being near Ingo. Ingo tries something else, and admits to Emmet that he was the one pushed Emmet down the stairs. That he’s actually a terrible monster that will eat Emmet up and that Emmet should stay away. Ingo also kind of says this a bit desperately and rambly, and Emmet is pretty confused about it. How can Ingo be a monster? because he’s kind of a bully? But he isn’t anymore, so it’s fine. And Emmet finds it hard to believe that Ingo pushed Emmet down the stairs. It’s been so long that the memory does not matter to him, except that Ingo was there when he cried.

Ingo finds this frustrating and cries, and Emmet tries to comfort him, though he does not understand what Ingo means when he says he’s a monster. Emmet just says he loves him even if Ingo is a monster.

It is also around his mid teens that Ingo feels a deep exhaustion that makes him sick. Emmet tries to care for him, but he’s worried because Ingo has been resting to no available. Ingo feels something tug in him. He feels his body twist, and churn, and he wills himself to stay the same.

Thing is, whatever power changeling’s have to copy someone’s shape is limited until they actually consume their prey and lock into their form. They hold it for some time, but eventually they either have to eat their prey or revert into an inhuman form to rest and recuperate. Unfortunately for Ingo, he’s stayed for so long in his human form without doing anything with Emmet that he’s severely burnt himself out. He sees his body try and distort itself, and he holds it for as long as he can. Emmet is always right by his side. It comes to a head when Ingo feels like he can’t hold it any longer, and runs out of the house and into the woods. He yells at Emmet to not follow him, but that has never stopped Emmet before.

Emmet tries and chase Ingo, and he’s crying because he doesn’t understand why Ingo is doing this. He’s sick! He should rest! Until he sees a large form ahead of him. It’s also running away. But Emmet recognizes that the thing is wearing a stretched and torn up version of Ingo’s clothes, and he starts chasing it. That’s Ingo! He’s sure of it!

Ingo is distraught, because there’s no more denying that he’s a monster. He’s living it, he’s not a person, he’s just an evil creature who was going to kill Emmet. He has to get as far away as possible. And he can hear Emmet chasing him, yelling for him. Ingo tries his best to get high up where Emmet shouldn’t be able to reach him. But Emmet prevails. Ingo has climbed up a jaggedy rock, and Emmet tears and scratches his arms and legs climbing it. But he *has* to get to Ingo.

He almost falls, but Ingo catches him the last minute and drags him up.

Emmet tries to sit up immediately, but Ingo is scrambling away from him and cowering. Ingo has never been in creature form before, and he can’t talk like this.

Emmet doesn’t want Ingo to run away again so he doesn’t get closer yet (though at this point Ingo is exhausted. He had a burst of fear energy but he still hasn’t rested from holding his human form so he’s kaput.)

Emmet is asking questions, mostly if Ingo is ok? Does it hurt? Is he mad at Emmet? He’s trying his best to hold back tears.

After a bit, Ingo can’t stand it and goes near Emmet because his brother looks a bit battered from running through the woods and climbing up sharp rocks. He’s worried about Emmet too, though it’s hard to fight with his own anxiety. Emmet is the one to close the gap, and hugs Ingo tightly and asks him to not run away again. They sit there for quite some time.