Cowrie Shell Bracelet

[kat-us.livejournal.com]

Okay, I 've just left Ebay and the ever present listings of replicates of Brian's cowrie shell bracelet.

What I'm curious about is there any fic out there that addresses the absence of the bracelet after Justin returns it Brian?

Why did he stop wearing it and when?

Found! Link in comments to fic, thank you!

ETA: I found this quote from Patrick Antosh and thought it was interesting, hmmmm.

www.angelfire.com/home/qaf/cowry.html

Comments

[lumcheng.livejournal.com]

Well, the last time Brian wears this bracelet is 304 - Justin helps him tiing it around his wrist, but in 305 and ongoing you never see it again.

I hurd many theories why Brian/Gale stopped wearing it.
For example I hurd that this bracelet really belonged to Gale and when he realized, that more and more fans started wearing a similar one, he got tired of it and stopped wearing it and so did 'Brian'.

Another theory I hurd, is, that after Ted lend it from him, it wasn't really the same for Brian anymore and shortly after he stopped wearing it.

[bidyke73.livejournal.com]

It's shown in 304. Justin ties the bracelet around Brian's wrist, but the connection with Justin hurts him so much that he removes it and tosses it to the ground.

I do remember a few fics about the bracelet as long as he still wears it, but not afterwards.

[xdunyax.livejournal.com]

I think Brian stopped wearing the bracelet in 219 episode, after the bowling match (when he finally realized that Justin was really cheating on him). At least I don't remember seeing Brian wearing it after that. As for 304 episode, Brian didn't show any intention of putting the bracelet on, only when Justin offered to do it for him. And Brian tied the bracelet off as soon as Justin left. My guess is that Brian wore the bracelet as the symbol of the most important things in his life: power, wealth and sexual prowless. But he realized that all these thing became meaningless to him, and there was something (someone) much more significant in his life at that moment.
As for the fics, concerning the issue, I remember Blank Canvas (http://www.queereyes.net/blankcanvas_01.html) by Layla V (in this fic there's a short part about it in the begining) and Cowry (http://www.queereyes.net/cowry.html) by Luceononuro

[abrokencompass.livejournal.com]

Just butting in to say that I really love this interpretation of events. I never noticed the disappearance after the 219 episode, but I'll go back and watch those episodes again now, definitely. This theory actually makes the most sense, to me, and could also explain why he lets Ted even wear it, if it's lost it's meaning to Brian.
:( The end of the second season, probably from the "your partner just made partner" especially, and Brian realizing that Justin is cheating on him, to the reunion scene in 308 are just difficult to watch. I guess it doesn't help that I always hated the way that Justin went back to Brian. It was such a cop-out, I wanted Justin to realize his mistake on his own, not because Ethan cheated in turn on Justin.

Anyways, back on target, just wanted to say that I love your interpretation of events, and the links you provided.

[xdunyax.livejournal.com]

Thank you! I'm glad I you liked my theory and the fics I recommended ^_^ And I agree that the reunion should have been a bit different, but I'm happy that at least B/J did reunite. :)

[vlredreign.livejournal.com]

Nope, he wore it after that. In 304, after Justin puts it back on him, he walks away from the camera, and you can see him fiddling with it. Someone else here suggested that he threw it to the floor, but you don't see that. All you see is Brian dropping his right arm down to his side. After this, the bracelet is gone for good.

[lumcheng.livejournal.com]

Yeah, I also always wondered, if he really threw it away in that scene, because I never actually saw that ^^;

[kat-us.livejournal.com]

Thank you so much!! I just read Blank Canvas and it is simply magnificent!

[gaedhal.livejournal.com]

He didn't wear it at all in S3 and it was never mentioned again.

In fact, Gale was sick of wearing it -- it was his bracelet
to begin with and not part of the written show as originally
intended.

[kat-us.livejournal.com]

Interesting, how do you know that it was Gale's personal property and that he was sick of wearing it?

[gaedhal.livejournal.com]

I've been in the fandom a long, long time and read every
interview.

If you check Patrick Antosh's site he talks about the bracelet
and that it was Gale's and also how it became something all
the extras and fans of the show started wearing. Gale got
tired of wearing it in every scene after two years, which
is natural.

The whole plotline with the nephew accusing him of molesting
him is from the British version of QAF -- but they added
the detail about the bracelet, probably to give the whole
thing a little closure, since it had become an iconic
prop.

[vlredreign.livejournal.com]

The whole plotline with the nephew accusing him of molesting
him is from the British version of QAF -

Okay, that's new. I've still not seen the UK version, after 4 years, and I didn't realize that, past S1, that they were using plotlines from that version still. I'm curious, are there any others that show up after S1?

[lumcheng.livejournal.com]

Yes, he does.
And that's the interesting part of it - he wears it in 301. You can see it at the end, when he lies in bed and smokes and then the trick, that should look like Justin, bangs on his door.
And then Brian goes to open the door and - he doesn't wear it anymore.

So he took it off before fucking that guy...

[xdunyax.livejournal.com]

Hmm... I think, they used the scene from 215 ep. in 301 (I have no idea why they did)...You know, the one where Brian was waiting for Justin to come home from the comic book store. If you watch these two scenes, you'll see that they are completely identical. Besides, Brian had shorter hair while lying in bed, and when he opened the door to the hustler, his hair were much longer. :)

[lumcheng.livejournal.com]

omg, the hair - you're right.
why do they do this? lol

but then again, they make new scenes for flashbacks (like the ice-cream scene...)
sometimes I just don't get cowlip, lol

[gaedhal.livejournal.com]

Yes, that's a reused scene -- it's not really from
Season 3.

He doesn't wear the bracelet after Season 2.

[vlredreign.livejournal.com]

Well, I'm re-marathoning, so I'll be sure to pay very close attention this time around. I think that when you become si used to seeing something, you don't notice that it's gone until it's brought up specifically, eg 304. I thought for sure he was wearing it at Babylon in 301.

Okay, now it's bugging me. I gotta go see!

[kitty-84.livejournal.com]

"it belonged to Gale and when he realized, that more and more fans started wearing a similar one, he got tired of it and stopped wearing it"

that's what i heard too..and i read it in some website long time ago,can't remember where!!

[bidyke73.livejournal.com]

>My guess is that Brian wore the bracelet as the symbol of the most important things in his life: power, wealth and sexual prowless. But he realized that all these thing became meaningless to him, and there was something (someone) much more significant in his life at that moment.

Agreed. But they also used it in the series as a sign for identification. He lends it to Ted one day to make him feel like Brian Kinney and to make the other sex partners believe that he is Brian Kinney. I imagined that those places where he meets others guys like backrooms and baths are kind of dark and dim places and the bracelet is something haptic that helps identifying who you are with.

[lumcheng.livejournal.com]

Hm, I like that one with the identification.

(But didn't this Tedster-thingy went all wrong? lol, I remember his hot fantasy and then another flashback where everything was awkward XD )