What is a poor Elf to do?
If she follows her heart and her instincts, she will shut herself away like a hermit, avoiding all interaction with the humans who can be so destructive, and teaching her child to do the same.
She will protect herself and her offspring from their prying, judging, condemning eyes, and refuse to explain herself and her lifestyle choices to anyone. She will risk jail and worse to protect what is dear to her and she will educate her child herself, in her own way, the way her mother taught her, and her mother in turn taught her. Down through the ages for as long as can be remembered.
She will live off the land as much as possible and only purchase what she cannot make herself. She will avoid all modern conveniences and technology and live as simply as possible, a life her ancestors would be proud of. Giving deference to them and the gods that came before, she will worship in her own way the oldest of religions and ask for nothing except to be left to live in peace.

If she follows her conscience and her obligations she will live cautiously in the community, choosing wisely the humans she will interact with, and teach her child to do the same.
She will protect her offspring from their prying, judging, condemning eyes, by teaching her child that they only judge and condemn because they are too afraid to simply accept. She will politely refuse to explain herself and her lifestyle choices to anyone.
She will risk everything to protect what is dear to her, including exposure to the world, to show her offspring that there is nothing to fear, as long as they are circumspect and show adequate common sense in choosing whom they can confide their deepest thoughts and feelings to. She will unhappily send her child out into the world for their education, but she will never show them how much this necessary action scares her, or how worried about them she is every minute they are in the world alone. She will accept that they have to learn to live in this world of humans, and that this is the only way. But she will not like it.
She will live off the land as much as possible, and will only purchase what she cannot make herself.
She will embrace technological advances and modern conveniences as long as they are used with restraint and common sense and do her best to offset any harm they may do to the planet, whilst accepting that some such things are worth their weight in gold as a way to communicate with others in exactly the same situation as herself. Or possibly even as a way to help those in a worse situation.
Living as simply as possible without pretending not to exist at all, a life that her ancestors would be proud of. Giving deference to them and the gods that came before, she will worship in her own way the oldest of religions and ask for nothing except to be left to live in peace.

I ask you..............What is an Elf to do?

follow her conscience and her obligations. Though instinct and heart are strong and often wise, to shut oneself away is not always best. If detached from the world she may not see a threat before it comes, might be cut off in such a way that she would not be able to deal with the threat. In order to be safe and prepared she should learn of the human world and interact slightly without becoming immersed. with knowledge comes power and safety. with detachment comes surprise and ignorance. learn, but don't become.

That is exactly what she did Katie, and although on days like today I wish she had kept me all to herself, I will be grateful to her forever for the sacrifices, and compromises she made in order that I should have the experiences I need to ensure growth and development instead of stagnation of mind, body and spirit.

Amin Mela Lle atara haba.

That is a powerful piece of writing Elvin.
Thankyou for sharing your feelings about motherhood.

I hope one day my children will feel the same for me as Darkness obviously does for you.

Zygo

I am sure that throughout this life you have only done your best for your children Zygo. Although they may not always appreciate it, and may not realise it now, I have faith that they will recognise that your efforts have always been on their behalf, and that you have only ever wanted them to be happy.

Elvin your choices as a mother knowing what you knew must have been hard and frightening. I am glad that, having taken the time to look past the obvious impatience of youth Darkness posesses in abundance, I can see your efforts were not in vain, and your choices, except for the occassional bump in the road, have been exactly the right ones.

Be proud of that, and many other things Elvin. You are doing a great job.

Katie, your advice, as ever, is kind, sensible and spot on. You have a marvelous way of looking at the world. I have a feeling you are going to go far! And I would not like to be the person who tries to stand in your way.

Love to all of you.

Lady C.

Know what's weird? i had no idea elvin was darkness's mom. huh. and thank you ctm! for the person who stands in my way i first try to walk around, move them out of the way, and then i tend to just run them over. with big heavy boots. and a laugh mua hahaha!

but i loved this post, i guess i didn't mention that before. but i do!

Oh Katie, I'm very sorry. I thought you knew. I thought everybody knew.
We didn't keep it a secret, but since we didn't exactly broadcast it, I ought not to expect you to just know should I?
If I'd known you didn't know I would have told you, then you'd have known.

Seriously though I am really sorry. I hope you're not annoyed that I didn't tell you myself. I honestly just never thought about it.
Forgive me?

Please don't send the squirrels after me..................Please............
AAAaaaaaggggghhhhhh!

.........

haha. no worries! i'm not annoyed at all. more like, 'huh, that's cool'. haha. it's not like i expect everyone to make a tree that shows their connections to everyone else within the forum. it was just new. either way... i promise i won't send the squirrels! i dont do many dealings with those traitorous creatures anyway...

Oh WOW!
You two are mother and daughter? That's so cool.

But Elvin is and elf and Darkness is a cat-were right?
I am sorry if I'm being really foolish, and I suppose I probably am, but I would have thought that an Elf would give birth to another Elf, is that not the way it works then?
Sorry, I hope I haven't offended either of you, or anyone else for that matter.

Faith.

as far as i know it's more otherkin generally give birth to otherkin. But humans can too. I don't think the rules for birthing otherkin follow the same rules that science give. I don't think it's in the genes, but more the soul.
but that's my opinion.

Hi Faith,
It is kind of odd so don't worry about not understanding. LOL
And mum and I are usually happy to answer any genuine queries.
So here goes.
Otherkin spirits of any kind can be born to ANY kin or human 'host'. Occasionally you get a spirit born to the 'correct' spirit parent as with mum and I. She is not only the human body host that gave birth to me but she is also my kin mother too. So she is my maternal relation in every sense.
I believe Lady C is also in the same position? If she would care to comment or correct me that would be great.
I have never been born to anyone else, and I am her only child. We tend to spend our 'down time' (which is what we call the time between lives), together too. So what she is I am, but our 'kin' works a little differently. We, as a race, are a mix of 2 types and she travels the path of one of the kin types and I travel the other path. The same kin, but different branches. If that makes sense.

I hope so.

Well yes similar but slightly different as both my parents are both my parents in both ways you describe Darkness if that makes sense.

Do I assume then that as your mother obviously followed the Elvin path and you, also obviously, followed the were-cat path that all your people are a mixture of those two creatures? That is different for it to be an entire race of kin that are mixed, usually it is a few anomolous cases. Have your people always been this type of kin or did it evolve from two races and become one over time?

Lady C.

I would just like to say.

I wish my Mum had been just like you Elvin.

I have found you to be a wonderful person and so true of spirit that I would have been honoured to have you and your beloved as parents.

Zygopterix