What are Glasskins?

Identification

Glasskins can be identified by their gray hair/skin, black/blue eyes (drawn as grey-ish blue), short height for adults, unnaturally dark blood, the panel of glass located on their body, large teeth, and hair that appears to defy the laws of gravity. Glasskin skin tones can range from dark grey to almost white depending on genetics. Their front 2 incisors are large and blunt and their other 2 incisors and canines are much larger and sharp. Compared to humans who have 32 small teeth, Glasskins only have 22 teeth. Ever since they've been documented as their own species and race, nobody knows where they originated from, but some features make them seem as if they came from all over the world. Glasskin's hair can range from 4c to 1a. Glasskin's eyes can be monolid, hooded, and shapes like round or almond. Their noses can be buttoned, hooked, upturned, and more. Despite these features making them appear Asian, Black, Hispanic or European, they all still share their monochrome hair and skin, with their eyes always being the same color. Some families commonly pass down a distinctive feature to their children, with the Rose's having a birthmark somewhere on their face and the Vans having square eyebrows.

Culture, Origin, and Monsters

The first Glasskins weren't noticed until their population began to grow and began their own community in the tail of what eventually became Mexico. Nobody knows where they truly came from and what species they evolved from (some theorize they're a form of mutated human.) After several years, so one is sure where their ancestors came from, considering their features resemble a bunch of differing races. They just call themselves Glasskins (Glass kids for teens and younger) and they all speak English, although many teach themselves other languages for fun and are bilingual. Azrael, being raised by 3 parents of different nationalities, can understand 4 languages. All Glasskins today are born in the country and to date, there is no Glasskin who was born outside the country. They have their own country on the tail of Mexico called The Mirror District (Located IRL as Baja California and Baja California Sur but slightly misshapen) The land is joined by Glasskins but the North and South still have their differences with the Central being a balance of the two while still being unique. Basically Florida. The Mirror District is impossible to get into unless you work for a Glasskin family, you're a visiting A-list celebrity or higher, or you're a political leader who has business with The Mirror District government. Occasionally, famous chefs, fashion designers, and artists would be allowed to open and run their own restaurants or shop in the town of their choice. One downside is that the owner would have to run their own shop and if they wanted to leave to manage a business outside the country, they would have to sell their building. There are very few cars in the district as public transportation like trains and buses are more popular. Cars are frowned upon as they produce too much air pollution, so only electric ones produced by the Mirror District are allowed. If one absolutely NEEDS a car, they may rent one for however long but charging it is so difficult one might as well not bother. The only Glasskin in the country who uses a car is Adrian Michael.

Humans aren't accepted in the Mirror District. When Glasskins began developing their own community, they had a large amount of land, living peacefully with the nearby communities of indigenous Mexicans (a majority being a variety of monsters). Eventually, humans discovered and colonized the land and pushed them into the tail of Mexico, where they closed themselves off from the rest of the world to be safe. During the colonization, the Glasskin community helped their native neighbors escape into their community to join them in safety. This was the beginning of monsters living with Glasskins. This event in history is still taught from elementary school to high school, never letting anyone forget what humans did to their ancestors. Since humans don't have any powers and have way too many weaknesses, they are seen as weak and useless. The only time a human is allowed to enter the Mirror District is when they are an S-list celebrity, but even then their stay is limited to a few days and local Glasskin avoid direct contact with them. They don't even get negative attention, as any kind of attention is still attention.

Glasskins are so highly ranked in the world that almost every family has at least 2 personal employees that can range from housekeeping and personal chefs to nannies and tutors. Monsters that work for Glasskins can get paid better than some doctors outside the country, but at the cost of that under their employer's contract: they can't leave the country more than 5 times in a year, they can't have contact with other monsters outside the country through technology (letters and packages are allowed) when they quit they can't speak of their work (their contract is magically binding so even if they try, they can't), and there is a chance they will be transferred from home to home depending on demand. Monsters are allowed to quit and leave whenever they want, but the pay is so good that most never quit until retirement or until they have enough money to be set for life. A Glasskin dollar is equal to $10 in America. After making enough money, a monster may move out of their employer's living quarters and buy their own home, although most prefer to live with their employer as it makes work easier. Some families are kinder to their help than others, with some treating them like other members of the family and some Glasskins just letting them do their jobs and staying out of their way. If a monster were to attempt a relationship farther than friendship with their employer or another Glasskin, they would be given their final paycheck and deported, even if they're both consenting adults. If a Glasskin were to attempt an intimate relationship with a monster, the monster would be transferred to a different part of the country and the Glasskin would be banned from seeing the monster, facing further punishment if they attempted to see them. This almost never happens as most Glasskins believe they should stick to being with their own species. Once a monster quits and leaves the country, all contact with their previous employer and co-workers ceases but they may use them as a reference when looking for work.

Family

Due to almost all Glasskin having trouble conceiving and rarely having more than 1 child, when a Glasskin finally does become pregnant, they are treated like royalty by everyone. From the first to last trimester, the soon-to-be mother has everything taken care of and everyone in their circle would do almost anything for them so they don't have to lift a single finger. It is believed even a little bit of stress is bad for pregnancy so everyone in the entourage works together to make sure the expecting is at their most comfortable. When the mother does desire to go out and do stuff, they will never be seen alone and will always be accompanied by their support group. Strangers around them will be extra friendly and almost feel honored to see a pregnant person in public since it's rare. Once the child is born, they are doted on by everybody who was around before they were even visible on an ultrasound. They will be raised by their parents and regularly receive visits from their godmothers/fathers. Outsiders believe that Glasskin children are raised more by hired monster nannies than their own parents but this is an extremely incorrect rumor made to make Glasskin look bad. In reality, the monster nannies are only really there for when the child is toddler age and the parents step out for a few hours. Once the parents are back, they immediately go back to their child. A big reason for the lack of bad behavior in the Mirror District is the fact that bad behavior never has a chance to start at home. Children are raised with nothing but love and are taught to be respectful and patient. It is extremely illegal to harm children and there are no orphans, so if a Glasskin were to not want their baby or have it be taken away, there are tons of couples who would gladly take in the child to raise as their own. There has only been one case of a child being actively disliked in their own home and they were instead raised and loved by the monsters who worked for the family.

The North

The North is refined, modern, and follows a very proper (and kind of dull) lifestyle. If the North had a soundtrack, it'd be classical and elevator music. The North is also where the Queen's residence and the primary government building are, which makes the surrounding area very posh, put together, and lavish. There is a shopping area only open to other Glasskin, celebrities, or just really rich people (including monsters who work in the district). It is basically a tourist spot for outsiders so locals won't be disturbed. Everything in the shops is locally made and the prices are racked up for non-citizens. Monster employees get a huge discount. The North's fashion trends consist of white clothing and simple patterns that cover a lot of skin. The North is primarily populated by older Glasskins, so outfits that show a lot of skin are uncommon and are only really worn by young adults. The main form of transportation is bullet train. There aren't many schools there, but the ones that do exist are very strict with dress codes and language, and most, if not all of them, are private schools separated by gender. Cities are plentiful and lively and almost all families live in mansions that are a decent distance from each other. The North is also where most Glasskin come after retirement. Compared to the Central and South, it's the most developed land.

The Central

The Central has the South's fun and some of the North's poshness. The Central is where many Glasskin celebrities originate from and it's also where Azra, Kat, and William were born. It's populated by families and it's very child-friendly. The neighborhoods are large and are located close to the school districts, which are primarily public schools. The fashion trends are casual with most outfits usually being the typical monochrome with a splash of color. Alt fashion is more socially accepted compared to the North, but some adults will still show judgment. There are more towns than cities, but the Central is also the largest area with the highest population. It's a simple but high-class part of the Mirror District and a great place to start a family. The main form of transportation are tram buses. The Central is basically the ultimate suburb and it has the most amount of monster employees. There is some undeveloped land between the Central and the South and people have turf wars for fun.

The South

The South is a lively, young, and colorful part of the Mirror District. Artists flourish here and it's the only area of the country where Glasskins can truly be themselves without judgment. Young adults and independent teens make up the majority of the population and it's home to theme parks and shopping centers that appeal to more out-there fashion trends like Lolita, punk, goth, and decora. The most common fashion trend is wearing all black or a lot of color and showing skin. The South is full of tourist attractions and many from the North and Central come down for vacation. The main form of transportation are tram cars. The South is where many young, rebellious Glasskins want to live and some do end up moving there while some mature and stay where they are, or they move to the North. Unsurprisingly, the South is the smallest section of the Mirror District and was the least populated. Was, because not long after Azrael left, the population there boomed and is rising close to matching the Central. The South is also the most educated about sexuality and most teens are encouraged to explore themselves. A majority of the clubs are open for everyone but the underground clubs are where gay and lesbian couples can really get together. A lot of the teens who live in the South District are openly LGBTQ+ but most are still uncomfortable about showing PDA, especially if they grew up in the North. Homosexuality isn't illegal but a surprising portion of the population isn't aware due to older generations frowning upon it, so they feel like it isn't allowed. Despite the smaller size and age of the district, there's still a large amount of desert land that isn't very explored and developed, as most are too scared to go past the towns. There could be some neat stuff out there, who knows? The South is currently winning the turf war against the Central.

Fashion

Most Glass Kids (5-12) wear uniforms while out of the house on a school day. Like the rest of the clothing everyone wears, all of its colors are on the greyscale. The uniform consists of a black turtleneck with a grey vest and black leggings or jeans. The last part of the outfit is simple light grey flats or sneakers. On days there is no school, children wear whatever their parents allow them to wear. Adult and teen Glasskins get to wear whatever they want, but they usually follow whatever trends are in. To show wealth, some would wear jewelry and even give their employees expensive clothing and accessories to wear in public. White symbolizes maturity so older Glasskin wears more white over black, which is seen as a more "immature" color. Many adults see bright colors as unsightly and any actual colors worn, like pink or blue, would be pastel and easier on the eyes.

Music

Music genre popularity depends on the area but the most popular music regardless of the area is EDM. There are many clubs in the South district and they all usually play electronic music. While music like pop is more popular with adults, just about every Glass Kid prefers electronic music. Most of the teen Glasskins who want to grow up as music artists usually go towards the pop idol dream.

Government

Glasskin just kind of do their own thing. Crime never happens and everyone plays their part in society (the price to pay to be a criminal is too risky). Almost every shop is run by another Glasskin, except the ones run by monster celebrities. The government has 3 branches. The first branch is the most socially influential Glasskins, usually famous Glasskin's or the oldest and most successful members of large families. When a topic comes up, they get together, discuss it, and determine if it has to be taken to the higher branch. 

The second branch consists of 10 actual politically involved Glasskins that oversee what the first branch approves and get into more problematic issues with the country and neighboring land. They do most of the work. The first generation made official peace treaties with the Mexican government due to being right next to each other. They also approve a person to become house help and they are incredibly serious about who can be trusted, so they only allow monsters with 3+ years of experience in their field of work or 7+ years of experience with children if they will be a nanny. They must be at least 24 (younger is acceptable if they exceed expectations/are recommended by a Glasskin/their position is in desperate need of more employees,) have a high school diploma, be 6'0"+, and clear a physical and intellectual course in case they must protect their employers' and their children. Regardless of the experience they have, they will still receive formal training. If there was a situation no one could find an answer to, it would be sent to the final branch. The only time a candidate is accepted without needing the physical training is when they are accompanying a celebrity for a mundane job. An example of this is Sasha Enam who came to the Mirror District with their boss, a celebrity hair stylist, as his co-owner.

The final branch only consists of one person. She is the Queen and if any dangerous situations were to come up, she would take charge. There was only one time when an issue past the power of the second branch was moved to her, but it ended up being an easy solution. She has been alive longer than any of the Glasskins and there are rumors of her great power. She's basically a Glasskin goddess, the "mother of all Glasskind". No one has seen her face and she never leaves her building. She has two guards that deliver her news and they're the only ones who keep regular contact with her. There are rumors that she is the most powerful Glasskin to ever live and she could kill thousands in seconds. It is unknown how she has managed to live for so long, some believe she isn't even real and has died long ago. 

Despite the Mirror District having a Queen, their government is not a monarchy. It's a democracy where the people have the last say. The Queen simply watches over her people and waits until she is needed in an emergency. After so many years of her just hiding and rarely being needed in political discussions, she's more like an idol to praise than a political figure. She represents all Glasskins. She was the one to create the barrier around the Mirror District and the first person to accept monsters into their community. She's basically a celebrity but only in the Mirror District, almost nobody outside the country knows about her. She is the last fragment of the beginning of the community.

Powers

Glasskins are capable of doing things other species can do but they have unique powers too.

Accelerated Regeneration

All Glasskins are born with the natural ability to regenerate quickly. They have no control over it and the second they are injured (a cut or bruise) it immediately begins to heal. Depending on the brutality of the wound, the healing can range from 2 seconds (paper cut) to 2 hours (arm chopped off). If they put all their focus on a heavily injured part of their body, it can speed up the healing just a little more. Broken bones can heal too. Most would assume the bone would just set in the way the bone is broken but the body has memory and knows what is right and wrong, so a broken leg would regenerate to its original position. Food poisoning and simple illnesses like the common cold can still affect Glasskins, but it wouldn't last as long as a human with it. It is extremely rare for Glasskins to have common allergies, like Azra's intolerance to dander, but all Glasskins are severely allergic to Doomlooms (a rare species of flower banned from the Mirror District due to how dangerous they are.) Once a Glasskin heart stops beating, they lose too much blood, or they suffer from too much brain damage, their body stops regenerating and they will die from their injuries. They can regenerate everything quickly except hair and nails (which grow in on their own time), teeth (if the whole tooth is pulled), and their own glass. If their glass is cracked or broken, there is no way to fix it and death will follow slowly and painfully. There is a rumor that a Glasskin can survive its glass cracking if it's no larger than a single hair. If a Glasskin were to lose a body part, they could reattach the limb before the new limb regeneration begins, this is an extremely quick shortcut that is hard to pull off and if done too slowly, won't work.

Glass Manipulation

All Glasskins can hold hot, melted glass, and shape it with their bare hands without being burned. When a Glasskin touches melted glass, they'll be able to handle it when it's cooled but it will pass through any other Glasskin, making their piece unique to them. All Glasskin phases through fully cooled, solid glass uncontrollably. Normal glass windows and mirrors can be phased through as long as there isn't a barrier on the other side. The glass has to be made from sand or else they can't pass through. This ability is helpful when a Glasskin wants to break into a building with windows or is too lazy to use a door, but any other time, it's inconvenient. This ability makes it impossible for Glasskins to hold anything made of glass, including snow globes without a bottom, jars, and cups/glasses. The only way to get past this is by wearing canvas gloves. Canvas is the only known material that can be worn as regular clothing that helps a Glasskin handle glass. Clothes that Glasskins wear will phase-through glass with them, but only if it's on their body or they're holding it. Objects can phase through with a Glasskin but they must maintain physical contact or it won't pass. Non-Glasskin can't pass through glass even if the Glasskin is making physical contact with them. Glasskin can't phase through laminated glass but they can cause it to crack and shatter with physical contact. This only applies to authentic glass, as plastic/fake glass won't even crack. Some Glasskin are capable of breaking glass with their screaming, but not everyone can do this, only people who scream so often from childhood have their larynx adapted to their constant voice straining. 

Examples of glass-breaking screamers: Azrael Rose, Adrian Williams

Sand Shifting

Sand shifting is an uncommon ability, but it still exists. When a young Glasskin is born with a creative mind and a desire to make their crazy ideas come true, they can create their own unique ability that involves manipulating glass. Even though calling it glass shifting is more accurate, Glasskin's named it sand shifting because it's cooler. The closer their ability is to their glass spot, the easier it is to control. Angie uses glass wings attached to the glass spot between her shoulder blades to fly, protect herself, and shoot glass shards. Alice has Prince Rupert's drops braided into the ends of her hair, they have no real purpose other than making it look like Alice's hair moves by itself, but when she fears for her safety, she can break the tails of the drops, causing them to shatter and send glass shards to everyone in the vicinity. They're also quite hard, so if hit while she swings them, it'll hurt like a bitch. The Kitsune Sisters have glass tails attached to the glass spot on their lower back. The tails are extremely heavy, and getting hit by them could break bones. Adrian's ability is unique in that his is long distance. His primary weapon is a stop sign but he stuck glass he has handled onto the back. When it is out of his reach, he can summon it back to him by reaching out to it with his left arm, like Thor's hammer, Mjölnir.

There is a school in the North District just for teens who have the ability and they grow up learning how to improve and master it. The minimum age requirement to apply is 15 and most students graduate when they are around 19-20. Younger kids may also attempt to apply but their ability must really impress the teachers to be accepted at their age. The youngest student to be accepted was Alice Ito, who was 13. All students who graduate are incredibly important to the Mirror District and are seen as the pinnacles of society. They typically get jobs as high-ranking guards, architects, teachers, and some may even join the 2nd branch of the government when there are openings. Students who graduate are also given the perk to leave the Mirror District more often for fun. Not all students graduate, as some pull out to attend other schools that are easier as the specialized school's regular courses are extra advanced, especially for students with abilities with high potential.

Glasskin's who graduated from/attended the school: Adrian Williams, Alice Ito, Avery Rose, Angie Van. (Azra was accepted into the school but left before the semester began)

Light Gravity

For unknown reasons, Glasskins aren't affected as much by gravity compared to other species. Most people don't notice because it's so useless compared to other species that can fly or use magic. When a Glasskin jumps or falls, their descent is slower and their falls are softened. When they hit the ground, it doesn't hurt as much as it should. Some theorize that Glasskin's hair charms float because they have their own center of gravity that is just strong enough to pull in objects lighter than air. This is actually a close theory as to why hair charms float over Glasskins' heads. Each hair charm is unique to its owner, like a fingerprint. A Glasskin can't have more than 1. Their light gravity makes their hair defy most logic. Azra's hair is short and wavy, so the ends of their hair are constantly swaying as if there was a light breeze around them. Angie has a large dense ponytail, but it curls and points up instead of straight down and she can't feel its weight. Glasskin's have normal mass and weight but when they lose contact with the ground (jumping, falling, being picked up,) they become extremely light. If they focus hard enough and tense up though, they can become heavy again while in the air.

High Mana

Glasskins aren't aware of it, but they naturally have very high mana that's on par with a Triclops (a species with the strongest mana). Glasskin don't practice magic (as it's frowned upon and seen as a monster-exclusive thing), so they're unaware of their potential, but their high mana allows them to do things most average mana users have trouble doing, like being quick learners with physical activities and having an uncontrollable ability to charm and attract strangers. This makes it quite easy for a dedicated Glasskin to be on par with an advanced Olympian before they turn 15. Most believe Glasskins pull in a lot of attention for their beauty or their interesting personalities, but they still pull in attention even when they're disguised or no one knows who they are, as their high mana attracts anyone (except people who've been exposed for long amounts of time and people born with the inability to feel a Glasskins charm). Examples of people who aren't affected by high mana because of overexposure: The Enam Family, all of Azra's exes. There hasn't been any in universe studies but it is canon that sociopaths are born with the inability to feel Glasskin charm and instead it have the reverse effect, giving them an overwhelming urge to dislike them for no reason. Because of this, they are social outcasts. Examples of people who are born with the inability to feel their charm and hate them with a passion: Jacky Brown, Edgar Valentine.

Dissolving

Almost all Glasskins are capable of dissolving into sand but it is only taught after they turn 20, as they're usually more emotionally stable after their teen years and have finished growing. Without knowing what it is, a Glasskin won't be able to teach themselves without at least seeing an example. It's like telling a 3rd grader to do statistics but they've never heard of it before. When a Glasskin focuses and is extremely relaxed, they can dissolve into a pile of sand that equals their current weight. Clothing the Glasskin is wearing will dissolve with them but not objects. The Glasskin can return to their physical form whenever they desire, but it's recommended to turn back to normal in under 5 minutes as waiting for too long makes it harder to reform. If someone were to try to touch/take sand from a dissolved Glasskin, they would immediately reform. This ability is primarily used as a way of hiding from danger. The only part of the body that doesn't dissolve is the glass spot, which will be hidden in the center of the sand pile. When a Glasskin loses part of them, like a limb, the limb will dissolve into sand in a matter of seconds. This applies to their hair as well, except instead of turning into sand after being cut, it will simply dissolve into ash then disappear. This makes holding onto a Glasskin's DNA through skin and hair impossible. The only thing that can be taken from their body without disappearing is liquids like saliva and blood. If a Glasskin's blood is exposed to oxygen for a few seconds too long though, it will quickly harden and basically turn into stone.

Not Powers but Interesting or Strange Quirks

Scent Marking: Like cats, Glasskins have scent glands on their forehead, cheeks, and chin. When a Glasskin really loves someone, normally their romantic partner, they will gently headbutt and rub their cheeks against their partner's head/shoulders as a sign of affection. People who are scent-marked have an extra aura surrounding them that only other Glasskins can feel. This aura is unique for each Glasskin and it is a way of saying "This is mine, don't touch or I'll know." When scent-marking begins, it's barely noticeable, but the more couples spend time together and continue scent-marking, eventually, their entire body will give off their partners' aura. If (A) has marked (B) but (C) tries to mark (B) and cover (A's) aura, (A) will be able to notice this on (B) and can cover up (C's) marking attempt. Glass Kids are unaware of this ability and naturally headbutt stuff as a form of affection, beginning with their plushies and moving onto their best friends, and eventually their romantic partner. If close enough, a Glass Kid may unintentionally do it to their nanny. As soon as a Glasskin baby is capable of crawling, they start headbutting stuff. At first, this trait was believed to only be put on other Glasskin but Azra proved this wrong. Azra always headbutted stuff as a child and scent-marked their caretakers: Jenny, Emmet, and Darlene. After meeting Kat and Will, Azra's scent marked them too, which other Glasskin noticed. After leaving the Mirror District and reuniting with Kat and Will, they continued to scent mark them every single time they showed affection: hugging, cuddling, anything involving physical contact. Kat and Will just thought this was a specific way Azra showed affection when they would be headbutted by them. It wasn't until Kat and Will returned to the Mirror District that everyone in a 6-foot radius could feel an extremely strong aura coming off of them. Due to this, other Glasskins would try to avoid making physical contact with Kat and Will so as to not disrupt Azra's marking. When Azra notices an aura disruption on Kat or Will, they get really offended.

Cold Blooded: All Glasskin are cold-blooded. They can't regulate their own body heat and they thrive most in warm and hot temperatures. Since Glasskin spends so much time in the sun, their metabolism is faster than the average warm-blooded person and this lets them eat a lot and not have to worry about their weight. When a Glasskin is in a home that isn't as warm as they'd like it to be, they would go to a nearby window and bask in the sun like a cat. Glasskin also prefers to be under some kind of heat source before going to sleep as their body temperature slightly drops when they sleep. Being cold-blooded makes them more sensitive to temperature changes, so they could be sleeping and the second they feel the air getting cooler, they'd wake up in the middle of the night. Not being able to regulate their own body heat is a big problem when it comes to trying to live in cold conditions. Like frogs, if they're somewhere where the temperature is just at freezing point, they will freeze up, and lose consciousness. Glasskins are well aware they are cold-blooded, so when adults leave the district, they do their best to avoid cold countries and states and only go out during the summer. It is extremely common to see Glasskin couples cuddled up to each other as a form of affection and a way to keep warm while sleeping. This is the primary reason Azra is always sleeping in Kat and Will's beds even though they wear a full set of pajamas.

Azra lives in Nevada and has to stay inside all day during the winter and has space heaters in every room.

Early Menopause: Glasskin don't live very long for a monster (average life expectancy is 90) but the time they can get pregnant is even shorter. Glasskins, both male and female, have quick puberties (typically hit at 14) and a majority of female-born Glasskin normally start having children between the ages of 21 and 35. After 35, female-born Glasskin begin menopause and the longer they wait to have children, they are more likely to have miscarriages or children who will fall victim to SIDS (Sudden Infant Death Syndrome.) Ngl it's fucked up. Like female-born humans, Glasskin are born with a set amount of eggs but much less than a human, only around 500. Actually trying to have children is even worse. An egg is only released once a month and expires the day after if it isn't fertilized. Periods begin the day after the egg dies and only last about 2 days with minimal cramps. This leaves an extremely short window for fertilization and it takes extremely close planning to actually have a child. If a couple is lucky, it'll take 2 tries, but most of the time it takes at least 7. It's rare for a female-born Glasskin to have more than 2 children. Due to how difficult it is to have children, most couples give up after having their first child, hence why so many Glasskin grow up without siblings and their population as a whole doesn't really grow. Glasskin women who manage to have 2 or more children are praised and become popular in their community. The birth rate syncs up with the death rate so the Mirror District will never be overpopulated.