Under the Influence: Urban Fantasy

If you knew what you were looking for, you could spot the ones who were under demonic influences (as the genteel put it) or the headfucked ones (as the general public knew them). Something blue, worn on them, close to their skin but still always visible, was one of the rules. Once everybody figured that part out, you'd be surprised how fast all the kids clothes in baby blue disappeared. Later, of course, we learned that it had to be a blue stone, or something that had once been part of a blue stone. Some clothing dye processes counted, and some demons apparently went to the trouble of manufacturing stone-blue ties just to mess with the general people who couldn't be sure without asking (or even after asking--demons aren't exactly known for telling the truth, after all!) if the person they were dealing with was under the influence. Cufflinks were very popular, as were earrings, necklaces, and other jewelry. It's sort of a pity. I inherited a sapphire necklace from my great-grandmother. It's stunning. But I could never wear it in public, because everyone would assume certain things about me. And I've overheard some of the things that men walk up and brazenly ask a demon-influenced woman. It's like they forget that there's a woman in there at all; they just think she's a meat-puppet, and if they think she’s an attractive meat-puppet, well, then they ask the puppeteer.


Inspiration: Woot.com's picture of blue cufflinks + "Control" - Traci Lords
Story potential: High. An interesting take on the urban fantasy demon trope.
Notes: And yeah, it means something pretty significant that her great-grandmother had a sapphire necklace after all. And somehow that comes to affect her, but not in the way that these deals usually end.