#hdm au: attwn

[lordeasriel]

Do you have a take on what Phillip and Vera’s daemons would be? Or any of the other guests’ for that matter?

Hehehe yes I do, I've been waiting for this question for so long lmao I'm working on a new fic that is ATTWN written by the Agatha Christie of Lyra's world so I had to come up with daemons for all of them.

I'll start in reverse order, from Vera to Marston, since you asked about her first anon.

For Vera, I was torn between a brownish/greyish owl and a marmoset. I really can't imagine any other Vera than Maeve Dermody, and because appearance is important when thinking about Daemons (because daemons lend something of their animal form to the human, ie 'a serpent daemon usually has a human with a serpentine vibes' this was said by Philman in an interview), I think an owl would have suited her. She has big eyes, that are always darting around; she's often immobile, observing her surroundings. However, I think that a marmoset suits her better because Vera has a Hannah Relf quality to her (another marmoset daemon, in case you haven't read the HDM books). It's that silent attitude, keeping to herself, wary of her surroundings and while she seems weak and fragile, Vera is not afraid to act or reacts extremely if the situation calls for it. She is also very shrewd, and I chose the marmoset for her because there is something so appealing to see Vera, big eyes and shrewd attitude behind a mask of silly girl, with a daemon clinging to her neck, observing the room, tiny and silent, but just as clever as she is.

For Lombard, and this one was a no brainer, he has a panther. Show! Lombard would have a black panther, because it suits Aidan Turner's looks; for the book, it would still be a panther type, but a spotted leopard one. Book! Lombard is more earthy than Show! Lombard, hence his daemon having a lighter, more brown palette. As for the reason, there wasn't a lot of thinking when I chose this; in the book, Lombard is described many times like a panther: dangerous, lithe, moving quietly about the house. Everyone in the house feels this vibe and they know he is dangerous, and he sees them as prey (because one of them is the killer and he is just waiting to catch them). I think for a man like him, having a big, dangerous daemon, is very suitable. There is also something of Asriel in him, both in the show and book, so it's fitting they have the same/similar type of daemon.

For Blore, I knew it had to be a type of dog. Everything about Blore screams "barks more than it bites", and while he can be assertive and take control, he always defers to people if they say the right thing to him. Book! Blore would have a boring, but bigger dog, I imagine; he is described as a big man, and he has a very thuggish attitude. Maybe a German Shepherd. Show! Blore is more sleek and clever, less thuggish more alert and paranoid, but also more in control. He dresses nice, is rather vain specially towards his skills, so I gave him a black poodle, a small one though. Blore, although assertive, always is overwhelmed by Armstrong and Lombard, both men that have a bigger presence and willpower than he does.

For Armstrong, I was torn between weasel and a badger, and I think the badger suits him better. It's tempting to go weasel and say he was oh cunning and sleek, but I don't think that's true. While Show! Armstrong loses his shit fairly quickly, even in distress he maintains some control (like when he insists to take care of Mrs Rogers despite Rogers saying she was alright; or when they are all dancing and he is staring at Vera and Lombard, suspicious, trying to steady himself). The Badger fits him better: grounded, stable creatures but also very vicious if they have to be; if my doctor had a badger daemon I would feel safe, I think. Examples of badger daemons in the books I think it's Malcolm's mom, who is incredibly down-to-earth and assertive, which represents Book! Armstrong better, I'll be honest, but I can see Toby Stephens with a badger daemon as Armstrong as well. His character is a man with a sense of belonging, and he perceives his surroundings very well. In the book, Armstrong is more cool headed (for the show, him and Vera have their attitudes swapped, which I like but it's fair to mention here as well) and more in control of his motions. He moves around everyone and doesn't start dissent like in the show, which I think makes sense for his daemon. He doesn't fight unless he has too.

For Wargrave, and this was fun, but I was torn between a butterfly and a chameleon, and I ultimately decided for the butterfly because I thought the chameleon was too on the nose with his twist. This is for both show and book, and if there are changes it's probably just in colours and patterns. In the book, Wargrave is often described as someone with a reptile smile, hence why I chose the chameleon at first, but I think he is still a fragile man at his core. Butterflies are synonym of beauty and change; they tend to be associated with evolution and growth, and that's Wargrave's story I think. He is a man who spent his life working in law, seeing dozens and dozens of criminals come and go and die: he was known for having a high death rate, so I imagine he dealt with heinous crimes the most (I don't know for sure but I don't think they hanged people for stealing or whatever in the early 20th century, but take this with a pinch of salt lmao). Then one day Wargrave meets this Edward Seton, a total sadist (and a serial killer in the show) and he realised things about himself that he didn't know before. In the show, he has a line about Seton having a legacy of terror to be remembered, while he and everyone else would be forgotten and I think that's very much what the butterfly represents for Wargrave. When he finds out he is sick, he finds growth in pursuing his true passion, which was murder. The butterfly is also a very fragile daemon, and because of that she doesn't reflect his true physique (despite sick he is nowhere near as frail as he appears to be), and her beauty helps lure the trust of people, make him seem trustworthy (Vera on the show, Armstrong in the book). Just to add, he is also separated from her, and this is how he manages to fake his death well. (i was saving this twist for the fic but I might never finish it lmao)

For Miss Brent, this one had me thinking a lot. Like, a lot. I was torn between a toucan and a spider, and I ultimately decided to go for the toucan, mostly because I think it suits her better. Spiders are often associated with storytellers and creative people and Emily Brent is far from creative. She is judgemental, conservative, vain and nasty towards anyone she considers unworthy. In the show, she has an attitude towards the General, she likes him well and they don't quite explain why, but I think it's because he is from her generation - and social status - and she respects him for it. The same goes for Wargrave and Armstrong, but towards Armstrong she just respects his status, not his age. She sort of sees him as "still young but on the right path". She absolutely resents Lombard - as she does in the book, probably for the same reason: he is pretty much a living hands to mouth kind of guy and he is immoral according to her - and she doesn't think highly of Blore either, also because of social status. Anyway, I can do a separate post about this, but I chose the toucan because they are beautiful birds, a little menacing, and they have a bit of a bitchy attitude. No deeper thought to that to be fair lmao. Toucans make me think "vain" and I love this concept because Miss Brent loathes women who wear make up or show off, but I think this Is clearly a façade on her part, because she is also vain, in her own way.

For Rogers, I was torn between a big, posh dog and a fox. Now, this one is tough because we fall into that "good servants have dog daemons" rule, which I think it's too simplistic to define a person's nature. I'm more inclined towards the posh dog, mostly because I think that helps Rogers fit in with a crowd that isn't his; and sure, he is a cunning man (like a fox daemon would evoke) but I think a dog like a Dobermann suits Rogers best, in the book at least. A fox would suit show! Rogers better, but the dog suits him too physically (tall, slender, mean looking), so I'm sticking with the dog.

For the General, I think a hawk. A bird of prey. He was a soldier and he was fucking shrewd to send a man to die in such an inconspicuous way. Birds of prey Daemons have very passionate humans - Ma Costa, Tony Costa, Anthony Hassall, as well as Bud Schlesinger and Marcel Delamare with their owls - but while owls are tame and introvert, hawks tend to be extreme and out there, lashing out and being menacing with ease. This was a natural choice for me, although I also considered eagles for him later, but changed my mind. (On my notes I wrote "def not an owl" lmao)

For Mrs Rogers, I think a mouse would suit her, and I know this is painfully obvious, but that's the vibe she gives me. A small person, being coerced and oppressed by a petty tyrant, and she just lets things steer her by, absolutely not in control of her life. I also gave her a same sex type of daemon, because she just has that uncanny aura, I don't know how to explain it; I can see that affecting her life since childhood, and steering her towards a man like Rogers, who would take advantage of her loneliness. Same sex daemons are rare and the example we had was in someone extremely sensitive, and I feel that in Mrs Rogers.

And lastly, Tony Marston, and this one I had too many options, but I opted for a Margay, who was suggested to me in fact. It's a feline daemon, very slick and lithe but also very ethereal looking, which I think suits Marston: handsome but lacking substance (not lacking so much substance in the show tho lmao get it? cause he did cocaine? a substance? Haha please don't unfollow me). Frankly, because he dies first I didn't give this too much thought, but I knew it had to be a wild daemon, quick and lithe.

Honorable mention to Fred Narracott and his seagull daemon. Thanks for asking this anon, I had a blast!

[lordeasriel]

Ah well you know me, 3. attwn hdm au for the WIP ask meme please 😅🏝

haha! i'm glad ur interested! this one has been a long and tiresome work that i haven't progressed much with, but you can have a chunky snippet! thanks for the ask!

“Crazy, I tell you!” A well-dressed man was talking to an elderly man by the dock, holding their hats against the wind coming from the sea. “No respect for traffic laws whatsoever! Drove me off the road, he did!”

The scent made Vera dizzy, but she tightened her grip on her suitcase, and walked towards the men, since a third man was waiting by the boat, holding a sign that said Soldier Island. Her marmoset daemon held to her back, unobtrusive; Vera’s short heels - not high quality, since her payment wasn’t enough to afford all that - struggling against the stone floor.

“Well, I assume you’re off to the island as well, Miss--” The elderly man greeted Vera, who forced a smile.

“Claythorne. Yes, I suppose so. I’m Mrs. Owen’s secretary.”

There was a moment of awkward silence between the three of them. At the mention of their hostess’ name, the two men exchanged quick glances. They didn’t bother questioning her, however; common sense dictated that staff had good gossip that never reached other people in direct ways. 

Once her suitcase was handed to the sailor with the sign, who introduced himself as Fred Narracott, the wind blew as a wave crashed against the shore, and sent Vera’s hat away. She made a shy attempt to pick it up, and so did her daemon, but neither of them reached it in time.

She tried to see where it went, and it hadn’t been far. Her turn on her heels matched the quick catch of the man from the train, with the black panther; his daemon did a steady, elegant hop and fetched the hat from the air as easily as if it had been a small bird. Vera’s lips tightened, when the man approached her and handed her the hat, not saying a word. She mimicked him, nodding as a gesture of gratitude, but his demeanour, albeit quiet, was rather malicious. She couldn’t see his eyes behind his sunglasses, but she felt the weight of his gaze nonetheless.

The elderly man, General MacArthur as he had introduced himself nodded cheerfully at their arrival. He seemed to live close to the coast, so he had arrived early whereas their train had been delayed a good half hour.

“Scotland Yard is being thorough, with all these protests by the faithful.” Justice Wargrave said, his butterfly daemon, beautiful and shimmery even in the sunny day, resting on his shoulder. He had been in the cabin with Vera for the rest of her journey after she moved places. Both the doctor and the general seemed to recognise him, and if Vera had been paying attention, she would have noticed that the man called Davis seemed to know him too, although the judge didn't show any signs of recognising anyone but the general. She had only recognised Davis as the man who had easily walked past security back at their train station.

Old men always know other old men, her daemon thought, and that made her restless. The sea scent was enough of a discomfort, her mind drowned in memories, most of which she would have prefered not to recall at all.

“Too much fuss, if you ask me.” Davis said, his black poodle lying lazily at his feet. He had an unusual accent, Vera thought, like South African perhaps, but as Orpheus bitterly reminded her, she didn’t know anyone from South Africa to actually know that. “I bet there is nothing to worry about.”

None of them knew this, but he didn’t actually believe that. However, they all looked at him with discomfort; anyone who could read knew there was plenty to worry about, inside and outside of Brytain. One had to simply look around, frankly, Vera thought. Even she, in her world of daydream and mindlessness, knew that.

As Narracott prepared the boat for departure, carefully loading the new baggage onto it, the men got caught up discussing the state of things. Vera was tired of that subject, everywhere and nowhere at once, and she noticed no one seemed to have asked the man with the panther for his name. True, they were all caught up in Wargrave’s acknowledgment of the general and vice-versa, but a man like that was hard to ignore. It wasn’t deliberate, of course, but deep down there was a hint of avoidance or so Vera felt. It was natural to her, he was the kind of man who would have made her change places on the sidewalk to avoid him.

He didn’t seem troubled, dressed in expensive but unusual clothes, tinted vibrantly in dark blue opposing the earthy colours of the general, the judge and the foreigner, and the lighter clothes of the doctor. Up close, she realised he was too sunburnt, which was odd.

Where have you been?, she wondered. Someplace interesting, I expect.

A man like that didn’t belong to the same world as Wargrave and the others belonged, Vera was worldly enough to recognise that on sight.

“Full of thoughts, are you, Miss Claythorne?” He said, and that startled her, because his face had been looking towards the men chatting, but his eyes - behind his sunglasses - had turned to her. His daemon had warned him, through thought no doubt or a mere brush on his leg, that she had been staring.

“I was thinking you didn't introduce yourself, mister--” Her secretarial efficiency was showing, despite the fact she had little experience in that role.

He turned his face at her, half a grin on his lips, perhaps pondering if she was worth the time and trouble. Or if she had a secret agenda lurking behind big doe eyes and an unappetizing attitude. She could have been a spy, he thought. She wasn't, but she could have been. England is so full of spies nowadays.

“Lombard. Philip Lombard.”

The others acknowledged his introduction, but apart from Davis, they didn't seem to mind Lombard's Irish accent very much. The other daemons, talking between each other or resting lazily close to their humans, seemed wary of his panther, though. Orpheus seemed twice as wary, but he didn't show, hiding on her neck, behind her hair so neatly kept in a dark net.

She broke eye contact as soon as Narracott called out to them. The sea seemed agitated, despite the fact the sun was blazing the Earth. It was a hot summer, regardless, but the day seemed to be getting colder, or windy, at the very least.

“I already took some of the guests there, the sea was quieter then.” Narracott said, messing the engine while the men made their way inside. “A storm is coming, we best get going.”

Everyone looked at him with skepticism, the sun brightly turning everything vibrant and golden. His seagull daemon made a noise to heed the guests into the boat, probably used to people doubting her human's skill. Armstrong went first, followed by Lombard and Davis, who helped Wargrave with his cane.

Vera hesitated, if only for a moment. Not because of the sea, slowly beginning to rage and move about, but because she had searched for the island in the horizon and saw nothing but the vast, endless sea. It was soothing and painful at the same time.

“Chop-chop, Miss Claythorne.” Lombard taunted her, and offered his hand to help her in.

Vera frowned, displeased, and seeing her hesitation before Lombard’s offer of help, the General offered her his hand instead, which she took with relief. His hawk daemon perched close to the panther and whispered something Vera couldn’t hear. Whatever it was, Lombard hummed a laughter, although in reality he had been chastised for his straightforwardness.

She sat at the bow, trying to see the island, but failing.

“You can’t see it from here.” Narracott said, and when she turned, she saw Lombard had sat opposite of her, but he wasn’t watching her this time. He was observing the same thing she was. “But it’s not that far off, I promise.”

“Isn’t this boat too small?” Armstrong voiced everyone’s concern, almost politely.

Narracott laughed before starting the engine.

“Safe as houses, mister.” The waves crashed against the boat, splashing cold droplets on their faces. “Safe as houses.”

[lordeasriel]

ATTWN HDM AU 👀

I think it's probably my biggest and most daunting project, as it's supposed to be And Then There Were None as if it were written by Agatha Christie from Lyra's world (she might have existed there, as Philman mentions her books and The Body in the Library in LBS). It mixes the book and the most recent show, as I didn't want it to be a full rewrite of the book.

I had to give daemons to everyone of them and I tried to settle the story prior to the Swiss War in Lyra's world, to be a match to WWII in ours - roughly the same time Christie wrote this. It has a bit of HDM worldbuilding, as the character talk about the Magisterium and Oakley Street a lot; I also intend to work with different daemon concepts, such as separation, daemon abandonement and same-gender daemons. It's currently early on the story, roughly chapter two/three of the book, they are having drinks pre-dinner, so here's to me ever finishing this lol

Here's a lil passage from the first bit, if you're interested!

There was no war yet, Vera knew, but the tension growing overseas as Geneva tried to blockade all trade coming and going through England was enough to set the country's alarm. Scotland Yard was spread thin, guarding all major transportation methods, docks and the like, and all trains were checked by guards before leaving any main stations. It was all over the newspapers, alongside the clash in politics about how certain MPs were interested in yielding to the Swiss. The military was vastly unhappy; there was a terror case too, but Vera had skipped that.

There was only so much horror she could withstand.

The queue finally moved, and Vera took a step forward. In front of the men ahead of her, there was another man, in his 40s, wearing a thin moustache. He looked around anxiously before approaching the policemen, who took a quick glance at his identification and quickly sent him on his way to the train. Vera thought that was odd, if only for a quick moment, before her mind was emptied of thoughts once again.

Her daemon clung tighter to her clothes but he didn't say anything. She knew he was thinking it though; that she was being more thoughtful, paying more attention to her surroundings, making sure she was not slouching in her new outfit. The advancement paid by her new employers had covered her rent, food and the train ticket, as well as the new traveling outfit she had bought and a dress for a dinner party. She didn't own any good clothes, but it had been implied the Owens were well off and as their new secretary, she was required to look presentable.

“Miss.” One of the policemen nodded at her, as she handed him her identification and ticket. Unlike the other man, they took their time inspecting her credentials.

There was nothing to find, of course, she was a mere games mistress, going to the Devon coast so she could do a summer job as a secretary, to make up the rent during the vacation period. In her plainness, Vera Claythorne exuded an energy of boredom that made all the eyes that would normally be set on a good-looking young woman, to look past her. It gave her comfort, safety.

“You can go, miss.” The man returned her documents and rushed her forward. “Safe travels.”

She picked up her suitcase, with her very few things, and boarded the train.

[lordeasriel]

I know I'm late for fics updates but I'm currently working on:

What Yet Lingers, chapter 26;

Unsolicited affairs (Dorothea x Marcel, Dick x Lyra, Hannah x Godwin, Godwin x dude from the War Ministry I keep forgetting the name)

ATTWN HDM au fic;

Zealot! Asriel prompt number something

And I'm brainstorming a Dragon Age steamy one-shot.

Thanks for sticking around!

[lordeasriel]

2020 Creator Wrap: Favourite works

rules: it’s time to love yourself. choose your 5 favourite works you created in the past year (fics, art, edits, etc.) and link them below to reflect on the amazing things you’ve brought into the world. tag as many writers/artists/etc. you want (fan or original) so we can spread the love and link each other to awesome works!

i was tagged by @coulter, thank u very much soph!!!

this vera claythorne + rilke quote is my absolute favourite thing i did this year, I think. i love everything about it, and i love the colouring and the quote and maeve dermody so much. *sobs* this year was my full conversion into an attwn cultist lmao

this oc set which took me forever. but it’s so beautiful and i love the vibrance and the mood in them! the sparkles are so neat!

this marcel gifset for hdm week! beautiful! sparkly! slowly brainwashing the fandom into fancasting him as aidan turner lmao

i like it when you’re gone: a marcel & lyra bonding au fic which was prompted to me by sami, and i love it to bits! and i just live in this parallel universe where philman will do them justice and like. write them helping each other please!

what yet lingers: a worldbuilding fic set during the events of both trilogies. This is not fully created yet, but it’s my favourite project I’ve worked on this year. It’s just so peaceful to get immersed in Lyra’s world and just write whatever I feel like and it’s even nicer knowing people enjoy reading it!

I’m tagging (and i’m sorry if you’ve been tagged already, and no pressure to do this at all!): @queenofnabooty @belacquaparry @laciefuyu @cozcat @amirwilson @bitchinlyras @torrefaction-of-silver and if anyone else wants to do it, feel free to do it on my behalf!

[lordeasriel]

Tag game!

I was tagged by @torrefaction-of-silver (thank u!)

Rules: Post the names of all the files in your WIP folder regardless of how non-descriptive or ridiculous. Let people send you an ask with the title that most intrigues them, and then post a little snippet of it or tell them something about it! And then tag as many people as you have WIPs.

the empress

zohariel

attwn hdm au

bud x dorothea

f! asriel

gene reid // maeve gallagher

lucy fic

an au and it’s sad

asriel and lyra au

on the nature of daemonic existence

tagging @cozcat @queenofnabooty @moustache-bonnet (if u want to of course!!!)