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

[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.

[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.