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aratedfreyjablog · 4 months

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There is no such thing as “Good Guy”

A concept that makes WHB “charming” and appreciative is how there’s no true villain or hero. The line that defines evil and good, despite there being angels, dragons, demons, and humans, is nonexistent.

Disclaimer: Spoilers for Chapter 5, Events, Gamigin, and Lucifer!

We are put under an illusion such a line exists when we see the human MC get attacked by Gabriel, only to be saved by Satan. From that point on and all the way to Chapter 4, everything seems to be set in stone that the villains are the angels, whose goal is practically to assert their race as the only living race as a mean to receive all of “God’s” love since they are jealous that they aren’t the ONLY race to receive his love. This includes the whole issue of them targeting the MC as they are the descendent of the sole human who received most of “God’s” love (i.eSolomon). Hence, the MC and us, the players, are put under the impression that devils are victims since they are trying to protect their homes while owing them a debt for saving (reviving) Minhyeok.

Chapter 5, however, shows us that this isn’t the case and the situation wasn’t that simple. Though we learn of how the angels used to run a lab to experiment on a large population of devils, including Leviathan and Orias, the devils weren’t completely innocent. When discussing as to why the Seed of Knowledge would be in Tartaros, we learn of how said country used to do just the same as the angels where the devils of Tartaros had previously ran a lab and experimented on angels before Mammon, himself, destroyed it due to the experimentation posing as a threat to his people.

We also see from the two events, Requiem of the Survivors and the Life Investigation of Leraye, how Orias attempts to take Leviathan’s life just so he could consume Leviathan’s soul and obtain long-lasting youth while Astaroth is found by Sitri coming back from the human world after corrupting and ruining the life of a human. We would think the devils wouldn’t be like this as they are introduced as more of a pure and innocent existence especially when, according to Solomon and other devils, they can’t even lie. Based on these events and from seeing in Chapter 5 how the devils of Hades are able to lie, that’s not the actual truth.

If anything, it can be argued their nature and cruelty is almost closed to the angels. The few things that doesn’t make the devils from being on the same level as them is how they don’t intend to assert their race and commit genocide for said goal but exhibit consideration and sympathy towards their fellow and other races. From The Two Stars event, Gamigin’s comic, and Lucifer’s comic, we see how the devils show kindness even towards angels and dragons where the original Gamigin gives his life up to save dragon Gamigin while Satan’s camp and Satan, himself, show neutrality to Lucifer when he first arrived in Hell and takes down his fellow angels. In addition to this, the devils of Paradise Lost choose to follow Lucifer and acknowledge him as their king and “hyung” despite him being an angel.

All of this being said, there’s no “good guy” or “bad guy” in WHB. Instead, we see how war brings out both the good and bad sides of all beings that justifies reasoning for certain actions but not excusing them. There’s also emphasis that the POV of the MC can’t be completely relied on due to bias where they are mostly interacting with the devils on a normal and mutual basis. The concept of moral-grayness makes the overall story all more intriguing as more lore is revealed through interactions between MC -to- characters and characters-to-characters.

Hopefully PB will drop more content soon so we could learn more about the story and characters!

#whb #what in hell is bad #maple ramble #whb spoilers

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izel-scribbles · 3 months

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cool title or something

(closeups + oc lore under the cut)

this is eve, short for eversor (destroyer in latin) - she/they (angels dont really have gender but she's transfem yay)

eve is an angel that used to be god's right hand. her duty was to destroy sinners, as her name would suggest, but her bloodlust eventually caused her to fall from grace. the scar on her arm is from a battle with a demon. they have another burn scar on her other arm from hellfire from that same design.

their relevance to the story is that she "corrupts" beatrice (see below) craving the power she used to have, and essentially possesses her to carry out eve's orders. beatrice is still conscious during this, and the possession is manifested as the wound around her eye.

back in ancient times, eve fell in love with a priestess, but it didn't end well, and the priestess erased all mentions of eve's name from every bible she could find, and therefore effectively rendered eve nonexistent. eve sulked for a couple hundred years and then resumed her duties, but god didn't forgive her for falling in love with a mortal. thus begins eve's descent into almost becoming a demon.

also, random but her animal is the barn owl, which inspired her physical appearance, and she can see from any barn owl's eyes

also random, if she was human she'd be east asian

this is beatrice, star of our show! she is 17 at the start of the story, and almost 18 at the end. (she/her, lesbian)

beatrice grows up in a small town in upstate new york, that is almost completely isolated. this town is very religious, and beatrice is raised catholic. (i also call her betty sometimes, which is her grandma's nickname for her)

her mother died in childbirth, leaving her father to raise her. Unfortunately, he is not the best father, since betty's mom was in a marriage arranged by her parents and her father is the strict religious type. Pretty sure he's a pastor or something, idk

eve first starts speaking to her on evenings when she would want to avoid her father, and would spend time in church alone.

beatrice loves nature and animals and being outside. her garden is her most prized possession. her grandma taught her a lot about plants and biology, which her father disapproved of. beatrice also knows how to play piano, and her favorite composer is Chopin.

about halfway through the story, she murders her father under eve's guidance, after he catches her with jenna and starts yelling and threatening jenna

he's an abusive pos tho, we don't miss him <3 also, betty's theme song is "wine and wheat" by madds buckley

and now, jenna! she/they, 17-almost-18, bisexual

Jenna is your typical 80s girl. she lives in NYC i think, and every summer, her parents send her to stay with her aunt (who may be a little on the occultist side). the town her aunt lives in is the same one where beatrice lives.

over 9 years, jenna and beatrice become friends, writing letters to each other in the spring and fall and winter and spending summers together. Jenna finds herself wondering if she thinks of Beatrice as a friend or something else when she's about 15, but she doesn't mention it because she knows how it would go over given betty's upbringing. beatrice is 100% in love with her, but she doesn't know it :D

throughout the story, we get little flashbacks of jenna and beatrice's childhood summers spent together, showing how they got close.

Jenna loves queen, the smiths, etc (im projecting here), and plays their music for beatrice. beatrice commits it to memory and learns to play "somebody to love" on her piano, and plays it for jenna (GAY)

at the end of the story, after beatrice has gone on a murdering spree under eve's influence, jenna has to kill beatrice to stop her from hurting anyone else. jenna is the one person eve cannot convince beatrice to hurt. they have the big gay love confession, after which jenna stabs beatrice in the chest. obviously beatrice dies in her arms.

this entire story is taking place in 1985 i think, im not really sure yet lol

feel free to ask any questions! i've had this story brewing since about september

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fareehaandspaniards · 3 months

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Miquella is nice

After finishing the DLC, Miquella made me think a lot. Before the DLC, he had a rather… one-sided image, I don't know what else to call it. He was incredibly kind, and we saw references for his connection to St. Trina initially (because we still remember Gwyndolin, who lived as girl. And we know Fromsoftware loves the archetype of the sad feminine young man). Miquella was a victim, was a martyr, and was an incredibly kind soul who prayed for Godwyn and invented a true miracle - the Golden Needle, which can help to hold the rot.

But the DLC absolutely turned his image upside down! And it makes me very sad to see a character's incredible transition and acquisition of a new layer of morality (gray) labeled as "bad writing" and "fuck GRRM he spoiled my baby boyy :(((((".

Today after talking with my spouse (He always helps me realize any fragments of lore. Sometimes I have a hard time understanding the simplest things that everyone has long understood and accepted. Also! Happy birthday to my beloved!), I could only finally understand why everyone is getting so worked up about Michella, even though we've had a scenario similar to his "The road to Hell is paved with good intentions" a long time ago. That was Laurence, everyone's favorite in Bloodborne, and Gwyn (he really wanted good things and it didn't turn out well :/), etc. I'll also remind you that the fandom (in the general sense) of Fromsoftware games is very fond of villains, and that's fine. But for some reason, when Miquella turned out to be not the good guy everyone wanted him to be, no one appreciated it. And I tried to defend him to the last in a discussion with my husband - Miquella sacrificed everything for the "greater good" in his understanding of the word, Miquella went the way of renunciation, Miquella knew how to love and loved his sister, Miquella wanted to correct all the sins of the past.

However, unlike most Fromsoftware villains, Miquella HIDES his atrocities (even from himself). Nashandra, Shabriri, Micolash, anyone - their motives are clear. They have principles, egos, backstories, justifications for wanting to be a destructive factor, some have these reasons built in at birth, some are insane, etc. Miquella, on the other hand, finds followers by Dishonest means, condemns Radahn to suffering for which to end the festival is organized, leaves his sister to die, condemns Mohg to be a puppet in his scheming, and still thinks of himself as a VIRTUE. He believes that the era he is about to found - will be good and bright. And with words of goodness he kills us in battle with Radahn!

Miquella is a golden apple with a very rotten core. We don't know, really, at what point he started to "rot". What's funny is that of the two twins, Malenia was rotten on the outside and he was rotten on the inside.

Miquella's center is in love. He carries self-love everywhere, charming and falling in love with almost everyone. That is why Malenia says, "My brother will keep his promise. He possesses the wisdom, the allure, of a god - he is the most fearsome Empyrean of all." I think he is the type of child who got used to being loved. The problem with this type is that he can become a wonderful person, or he can turn into a monster who will take love and attention at any cost. (My spouse reminded me here of stories of crazed maniacs who kidnapped those they loved and dreamed of a nonexistent future, not realizing the damage they were doing.)

But there are many questions that, perhaps, everyone should answer for themselves?

What vow did Miquella make to Malenia?

In my opinion, Malenia was not charmed by him. I've always wondered WHY she waits for Miquella at the cocoon in the Tree, even though it clearly shows Miquella being stolen???? She knew, she probably knew his plan originally. She had been waiting for his return like a god. But what had he promised? That when he returned, he would cure her of the rot permanently?

When did Miquella begin his "fall"?

There is no denying that Miquella was a good guy. He tried, he tried to help his loved ones. He looked up to Radahn as a child with respect, as the description of Remembrance of a God and Lord says. Miquella was in harmony with his other self, Trina. But what changed him? Failures? The desire to save everyone at once? The desire to be the most loved? To be perfect - a god? I'm inclined to think it was all of those things that corrupted him at once. After all, as a favorite child, he may have been flawed deep inside from the beginning.

Miquella had resurrected Radahn as a young, beautiful warrior, just as he had been before. But Radahn does not utter a single phrase during the battle, and his movements are more automatic. Radahn feels nothing, and it makes me think more and more that he's more like Miquella's wish come true, his hope of having a worthy consort he loved by his side.

Is Radahn a puppet or a future lord?

Nothing has been confirmed. I've also read that Miquella's spell was broken when his rune was split, that's how many NPCs come to their senses and realize everything. But I think his power would be enough to, like a necromancer, control a resurrected one? And honestly, it's unlikely Radahn would have wanted such a fate. He was holding back fate itself, the stars, so that what did happen to him in the DLC wouldn't happen. Thanks to Miquella, Malenia had turned Caelid into a solid rotten mess and blossomed her divine flower, and left Radahn in an insane state waiting for a noble death at the hands of other warriors. Miquella mutilated him. I don't think Radahn would have appreciated his methods, considering how dedicated he is to warriorship and uprightness, and also honors Godfrey.

What would have happened if the Age of Compassion had happened?

I think it would have been VERY bad. And after a major flourish of life and honoring Miquella, there would have been a decline and another Shattering. Miquella shows himself to be a man who does not tolerate dissent. I think there would have been a flowering of the Inquisition, persecution, murder, and brutal tyranny. And Radahn, most likely, would have simply been "squeezed out" by Miquella and destroyed by his boundless love. Yes, Miquella rejects his love, as @jarognieva correctly pointed out. But he rejected, in my understanding (we need a clear translation from Japanese here), his destined love, i.e., his intended spouse, Trina? Just as Radagon was Marika's spouse. Our Marika is a deity, but she is capable of love - her love for her son, Godwyn, caused her heart to break.

Fandom cancelled Mohg, now he is cancelling Miquella. People don't accept and don't want to comprehend the things that make them change points of view. That's how the witch hunt begins! So stop being shitty and decide for yourself what you think of Miquella before claiming him a "bad written character"

Miquella, as a character, has become an incredible bastard, manipulative and truly evil with a mask of piety. He doesn't go into battle as an honest warrior, he uses others. He "sacrifices" himself by actually sacrificing everyone else. But doesn't that make him MORE interesting?

He's broken a lot of headcanons, but I sincerely hope that the wave of love for him as a VERY gray character will still come! After all, he's a worthy villain archetype! A true evil hidden in a pure soul. How many fanfics, how many musings can be spawned from that. No need to deny him, rather try to accept Miquella for who he is. And don't make it into "good" or "evil". There's a particular aesthetic to how awful Miquella is.

#sote spoilers #miquella the unalloyed #miquella the kind #elden ring #elden ring dlc #shadow of the erdtree #IMHO #great spoilers ahead #promised consort radahn #My honest opinion for Miquella! I am feeling too much rn

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pasteilian · 4 months

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Random question from someone who likes anatomy and fantasy anatomy. I saw your post about Leo's kids! They're adorable by the way. But I was wondering what your anatomy thoughts were if you had any? If Leo is carrying kids, are the turtles more mammalian in your AU? Or do you think Draxum managed to create something entirely new? Sorry if this is a weird question. Also love your other anatomy blurbs. Donnie with retractable teeth is very cool :)

Hullo

The way I view their anatomy isn’t all that confusing. Honestly, it’s probably surface level.

Yokai have a lot of mammalian traits, but I still see them as having the basic anatomical characteristics of their feral counterparts. However, instead of being able to breed only with species in their group, they can successfully breed with any species that has similar anatomy

For example, egg-laying creatures can only have viable offspring with other egg-laying creatures, and live-birth creatures can only have offspring with other live-birth creatures. They can attempt to intermix, but this almost always ends in miscarriage or the death of the potential offspring.

This is why turtle Yokai/hybrids are almost nonexistent. If they do breed, the child will most likely not resemble a turtle.

Now, entering the turtles bros, the problem with them is that they aren’t 100% turtle; they also have human DNA mixed within them. This is how Leo is able to have offspring with Usagi. The only problem is that he is half turtle, so his body will occasionally try to develop a live birth species in an egg, which causes instant miscarriage. This is what happened during his first pregnancy.

He was having a human child, but the child was developing inside of an egg, so it could not survive. In lore, this is called FHD—fatal hybrid development.

How I see it, Leo's anatomy can hold both human and reptile aspects, which is why he has a menstrual cycle instead of a heat cycle.

There is also the fact that when he’s pregnant, he needs incredible amounts of calcium that regular shells and bones cannot provide. The only place they can get a viable solution is from an island completely occupied by turtle Yokai called “Scute Island,” but that’s lore for later. :3

So in all Leo somehow despite all the difficulties was able to not only have triplets, and a daughter but also produce a turtle hybrid 👍 he’s built different

#rottmnt #Rottmnt-year of the rabbit #pastrieschat💌#pastriesart💌

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wylanzahn · 1 month

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New-ish post, kinda posting this on different platforms and getting a general vibe check for some ideas I have. But basically this Halloween I want to actually do something for the TTRPG and Actualplay world (oh yeah I’m into those kinds of things). I want to try and get both players, GMs, and casual viewers alike something fun to look forward to this especially spooky season. I’ll probably talk a little more when we get closer to the actual season of scare-giving but just know that if you’re interested I’m still looking for people to join in!!

As my team and I’d first debut we’re going to try and do a two to four session actual play, which will probably be released in the weeks leading up to Halloween. We’ve had a couple good friend way in on the matter of “setting” but now I come to you fine folk. Mind you this is a horror campaign/arc so if…

Isn’t your thing, keep on a moving.

But without further ado here are a couple of the possible settings for our players, and myself, this coming espookee season…

1.) Somewhere off the coast of Florida, 1926 end of the first major housing boom in the state, a small island which calls back to the Spanish Empire, is Isla Boñyela, a small port made tourist location during the boom of disposable wealth in 1920s America. A small group of friends from the northeast tag along down for the perfect paradise vacation. Only to discover the island is much much older than anyone could have ever assumed. Whilst dealing with upstart gangsters, unnerving US soldiers, and the terrified locals they find something older than even undead conquistadors.

While I don’t have a working title, this is an old project in the running which I’ve had a few attempts at revamping over time. Its previous title was ��perfect paradise vacation,” and runs on the Call of Cthulhu 7th Edition game. Anywho it’s a blast of fun with Caribbean lore, tone of anti-imperialism, and something dark lurking beneath the waves.

2.) 1950’s America, the nonexistent state of Mid-Atlantia (DMV coded) in a small suburban neighborhood where nothing goes wrong… it’s almost “All-Hallows-Eve” and little Johnny and Susie want nothing more than to trick or treat this year with all the big kids, Dad’s finally getting the big promotion at work, and Mom just got a new waffle iron! Sure everything is neat here in America. Heck you just got new neighbors! Newlyweds in fact from somewhere big and fancy, they sure aren’t like any of us in our simple town. But… and you can’t say exactly why but things are different. Or perhaps they’re all too the same? Everyday a repeat of ever other bland day that followed you over and over and over and over… and you could swear, while no one may listen to you there’s someone out there. Stalking you from outside your own home- or- perhaps, he’s just your friendly new neighbor welcoming you… to the end.

Ahhhhhh! I’ve also been working on this one for a sec and god writing it out does excite me. This is also a Call of Cthulhu game but modified/homebrewed to have a uniquely 1950s horror feel. This is definitely one of the more unique games I’ve written and am truly interested in seeing where it goes (even if we don’t choose it). This is for those who feel like isolation, fear of the unknown, fear from within, and liminal space horror comes best into play! So whadya say neighbor?

3.) The Enemy of My Enemy is My Friend, or How I Learned to Love Strahd, okay so this one is a lot less horror-y and falls much more under the comedic spooky category, just so yall know. Deep in the middle of Barovia, the ancient kingdom of Vampires, meets a council of Count Strahd von Zarovich's greatest commanders and lieutenants to hunt down Strahd's greatest enemy Rudolph van Richten and his party of heroes known as "The Grape-Smashers." Strahd's lieutenants have been gifted powers greater than any mere mortals, but are these gifts enough to stop Van Richten, or even enough to stop the personal ambitions of each other? Come find out in "How I Learned to Love Strahd."

Okay, as much as this may seem like a joke suggestion it cracks me up and I feel like it would be ill-advised of me to not at least mention it. In an era where "The Curse of Strahd," is well-overdone at this point, it's worth a take from an all evil "revenge story." Obviously this will be in Dungeons and Dragons 5th Edition, which, in my opinion, is really hard to use for horror, but this is a nice go-around. Come for the evil PCs, maybe a PvP battle or two, and a game of intrigue in the shadows of Barovia! All that and a buff Van Richten.

4.) Before Annapolis was ever called such it was known as Providence, a settlement of exiled Puritans in the Province of Maryland, but these early days were no easy set-up for the far-flung protestants... in the mid 1600s the English Civil War spilled out into their holdings across the waves as brother turned on brother, clan erasing clan, and something from the shores of the Old World would arrive in the New. When around every corner could be someone you've known your whole life, what's stopping them from hunting you in the depths of winter. All matters made worse when rumors of a witch begins circulating your small home.

Think "The VVitch" (2015) meets "A Field in England" (2013) meets Atun Shei's recent film "The Sudsbury Devil" (2023). It is the unexplored wilderness of early colonial Maryland, but the hateful warmongering that slowly builds that makes the horror and tension so clear. Unsure of what system we'll be using, but maybe the new Regency Cthulhu system.

5.) The Great Baltimore Fire of 1904 destroyed some 140 Acres of Baltimore proper... and in it's rubble awakened something far worse. But you and your fellow survivors are just trying to get by in the aftermath of the fire... only for something to call out, whether some strange magicks or perhaps just a sickness... but sickness doesn't even linger like this... it doesn't call to you...

Some more local history, aspiring from the actual Fire of 1904 things quickly devolve from there as rumors of a cult begin to spread along the streets of Rosland Park... a mysterious illness leaving even more dead... and the death of an eclectic professor. Definitely using the Call of Cthulhu 7th Edition for this one.

Aaaaaaaand that's it! Let me know what y'all think!

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theguyinthemathexamples · 11 months

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cw// 12am thoughts, lowercase intended, spoilers?, lore spill??

a sudden thought came to my mind about the Impostor!SAGAU just now

why don't the ones capable of shapeshifting, like the archons, yokai, etc., try using another form to investigate?

whether they transform into a bird, cat, frog, crystalfly, box, walking koi fish or another person entirely, just a different form than the one they went by before

like in the au where they're skeptical of the current/nonexistent creator, whether on the throne or not, or whether it's by official order, by the law or by their own volition, is real — can't they do that?

(more utc ‼️‼️‼️)

for example:

zhongli, after curiosity put him in a chokehold, decides to turn into a bird of sorts.

his movement was a bit clunky, having not taken a different animal form than his exuvia one in so long, but he got the hang of it.

with feathers of orange and black he soared, under the sunlight did they glisten like the amber and obsidian he'd used to craft the most exquisite of weapons and sculptures alike for his creator.

it was only till sundown did he see his target: the impostor.

but he won't kill them just yet — as much as he wanted to do so.

he guided his wings to a glide, swooping from the skies above and into the forestry below. his claws gripped itself onto the sturdy branches of the sandbearer tree, perching himself above the impostor.

it was almost a pitiful sight to see, really; there you were, bruises and cuts in the midst of healing, vulnerable and unaware that you've been caught yet again.

not a moment later, a plethora of fauna surrounded you, the sight baffling the lord of geo.

from large squirrels to small geovishap hatchlings, even finches and eagles of varying sizes, shapes and colours.

he shook his avian head, having seen enough that his mind could comprehend, and quickly flew away without a peep.

his wings lifted his body away from the scene, away from the forest and off into the skies.

the orange haze that painted the horizon had gradually descended into shades of purples, giving way for nighttime to creep in once he'd returned to his residence.

zhongli's form slumped on the fine furniture that was his drawer, eyes almost as wide as dinner plates. he still couldn't shake off the scene from his mind. he won't. he didn't. he never will.

there was still tomorrow to count on and he needed more time to process the information brought to him on a silver platter.

all because he chose a form that wasn't his.

slowly undressing from his work clothes, he changed into night wear and laid on his bed, not bothering to shower tonight.

... maybe he'll peck at their skin once he sees them to confirm his suspicions.

and so, he closes his eyes, his veins impatiently waiting for the next crack of dawn as he eventually falls into a deep slumber.

his eyes had failed to spot the teal bird that clung the closest to your figure. (coughcough bird xiao creator pspspsps coughcough)

anyways, scenarios just like that are what i'm curious about

thank you for taking the time out of your day and have a smexy rest of your day, you lovely, gorgeous, stunning people 😘😘

#sparkling wheat ♪#genshin impact #sagau #genshin impact sagau #genshin #genshin impact zhongli #zhongli #genshin zhongli #zhongli genshin #ft. xiao #silver lined strawberries ♪#stellar-borne cookies and cream ♪

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feybeasts · 1 year

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For funsies, and to flex my writing muscles again, I thought I'd write up a little faux-research-article on the wereplush concept I've been playing with and y'all seem to enjoy- what follows is both a vague lore framework and description of the curse via one of its first bearers... yours truly!

If it's a fun idea and you wanna subject yer own OCs to it, by all means, feel free! I'm not gonna act like I have the last say in a fun little idea, ehehe.

Below the break, then, I present to you:

THE CURSE OF THE WEREPLUSH: An Examination of Virulent Arcana

by Lena Hart.

Foreward

If there is anything I'm known for among my kind- and the many friends I've made across the greater multiverse- I would hope that chief among these qualities is my dedication to my work. In the scant few years I've acted as the Spirit Archives' caretaker, I've worked hard to document, understand, and put names to its many lost pieces of arcana, its once-nameless denizens, its peculiar quirks. I've treated my responsibilities with the utmost care no matter what sort of proverbial wrenches are thrown in the works, whether that be restless spirits, outside intervention, or- and I will fully admit this one is significant, even if it embarrasses me somewhat- my own... let's say poor luck with volatile artifacts. Such a dedication is not always easy, for when one's form is often altered, one's mind assailed, and one's breaks frequently disturbed, properly-written research papers can be the last thing on one's mind.

Even so, I endure not because I'm stubborn- though I AM that- but because this work is important. Because I believe in it.

So, with that prefaced, I hope you can fully appreciate the gravity with which I say now that the following report is... one of the most difficult things I've ever had to write. Not because the subject matter is transgressive or challenging; no, if anything, it's anything BUT that. What I've taken to calling the Curse of the Wereplush is, if anything, frankly ridiculous on the face of it- but what makes it difficult to write is... well...

...The effect that selfsame curse has had on me, as patient zero.

As far as I can surmise, I am the first wereplush in the modern age, as any mention of such creatures is... all but nonexistent before now. Before me, there was simply no such thing, no papers written, no need for classification, and that the curse has now reached such a pitch that I feel the need to write all I know on it... well... that stings a little.

"My bad," as they say.

Of course, I'd be a bad scholar if I proclaimed my difficulty in writing about a subject is borne entirely of my proximity to it. No, the challenge in writing this paper has been almost exclusively physical, as you'll soon understand. The transformation I've undergone has been so drastic both in its effect on my body and the changes in my very mind, that I've had to rely on voice transcription to write, which may lend this paper something of a more... conversational... tone than you'd expect.

Still, I carry on, and I hope that the information provided in the following pages serves some use to anyone in the future who needs it- even if it seems more and more likely it's... too late for me.

Section One: Overview

The Curse of the Wereplush is a transformative contagion of wholly magical origin. Insofar as this scholar can tell, there are no records of its creation, no mention of its original creator, and no previous cases before... well, before myself. Though it bears some outward similarity to the likes of lycanthropy in its physical transmission and transformative effects on the victim, hence the name I've given the curse, it differs significantly both in its physical effect and its... peculiar... set of 'rules'.

Upon becoming afflicted with the curse, a victim experiences a rapid set of physical changes after a brief delay, and then further set of physical and mental changes over time. In the short term, usually a few minutes to hours after transmission (depending on, as far as I can ascertain, one's magical resistances,) a victim experiences a rather dramatic physical transformation. Their body, whether previously biological, mechanical, or even magical in nature, becomes a simulacrum of itself made of living fabric and some manner of thick, soft polyfill. Defined shapes become simplified forms, digits lose dexterity, and their eyes become simplistic pseudo-plastic dots. In essence, the victim is transformed into a living plush toy, complete with knitted seams (though no actual yarn or string is visible, as far as I've been able to tell,) and a tag somewhere on their form. In addition, the newly-made Wereplush gains a squeaker somewhere within their body, usually within what was once their abdomen. Though the transformation is dramatic, it isn't painful, and in some ways, the added weight, plushness, and soft, fuzzy "skin" is... rather pleasant...

Given the wildly varied natures of the faefolk, this alone wouldn't register as much of a shock- I've personally met everything from living boulders to a rather talkative sentient volleyball, but this initial set of changes also isn't the most pressing thing about the curse. No, it is what comes next, in the ensuing days, weeks, and months, that truly makes the Wereplush curse unique- and in some ways, insidious.

To be a Wereplush is not an unpleasant thing, if I'm wholly honest. One loses the need to eat, gains impressive flexibility without bones getting in the way, and it's hard to deny just about all victims of the curse are... rather delightful to observe. It would be hard to call it a curse when one is first affected, and indeed, once you're used to your new body, you may even consider it an improvement. But one must not forget that they don't stop changing after this initial metamorphosis, and it is these slower, persistent changes that represent the more... concerning... aspects of the curse.

The first of these changes is mental. Slowly, the pleasantness of being in this new shape changes into a sort of dopey self-affection for the victim. One finds they greatly enjoy squeezing and handling their new form, a sort of mental stimulus not unlike a cat's desire to scratch furniture or a dog's need to wag their tail. Slowly, this need to be handled and squeezed begins to become their primary concern, rendering most other thoughts an easily-forgotten haze at its worst. The harsher edges of one's personality fall away, it becomes harder to grow angry or agitated, and laughter comes easily. A developing Wereplush becomes someone who is delightful and huggable, and this is only made more pronounced by the second change that occurs over time. This characterizes itself as what I can only describe as "pillowfication".

Simply put, the longer one remains a Wereplush, the plusher they become. Limbs become thicker, bellies swell rounder, cheeks fill and fill to crowd out one's snout. After a week or so, a formerly skinny Wereplush may seem to have grown chubby, but after a month, they can hardly hold their increasingly-orbicular body upright. Stuffing eventually crowds one's body in such density that they become a sort of enormous, living mattress, and this process, as far as I can ascertain, does not cease. Even if I wanted to, having been this way for so long now, my digits are too thick to hold a pen, and I could hardly lift either of my arms to do so if I wished, nor see past my own... prodigious... abdomen to boot.

Less... nuanced friends have told me I quite resemble a pink hippopotamus now... if said hippo was the size of a house.

To say I'm soft to the touch, squeezable, well, that would be the understatement of a lifetime, but it is exactly this nigh-comical plushness that presents a problem, for though one is tempted to cuddle a developed Wereplush for all they're worth, it is exactly this process by which the curse is spread- for as I mentioned previously, every Wereplush has a squeaker within their cursed form- and if a non-Wereplush manages to squeak it, usually through such unrestrained contact, the curse is transferred to them.

It almost seems ridiculous, doesn't it? Accidentally get a Wereplush to squeak, and you turn into one. And make no mistake- even at my size, one can easily still strike my own; with how deeply the curse has taken root within me, they even get a rather... dramatic headstart on their pillowfication. The last poor soul who couldn't help themself nearly instantaneously became so round they had to be rolled away, though they did seem quite pleased with themselves...

But I digress. These aspects combined have made the curse quite... astonishingly virulent, and yet they've done so simply by exploiting a desire nearly every living being has- the need to squeeze something soft.

Section Two: Origins, Treatments, Cures(?)

As I've mentioned previously, the origins of the Wereplush curse are a mystery, though I am in a unique position to speak on the original transmission vector. Deep in the Spirit Archives' storerooms, where I've tried to organize yet-uncategorized artifacts before they are studied and displayed, I have boxes upon boxes of smaller objects- pins, buttons, tags, odds and ends. In a moment of clumsiness, I was pricked by a rather nondescript sewing needle, and thinking nothing of it, I tossed it out. That the spot I was poked did not heal, instead forming a patch of strange, felt-feeling fur should have been my first indication that something was amiss, but it was only later that evening, as I readied for bed, that the curse overtook me. By then, the needle was long gone, and all that remains of its origin is the tag now affixed to one of my flanks- one that depicts the very same needle, pulling a length of pink thread, as if taunting my mistake.

Having no shortage of magical know-how at my disposal, I've tried every method I could think of to cure the curse. Brute-force dispelling has no effect, and as a Wereplush cannot eat or drink, potions and alchemy are hardly viable. I've even tried transformation magic in desperation, but even the wildest polymorphing only makes oneself a Wereplush in the shape of a given animal, it does not restore the old form. I must admit, then, that without the original implement of my transformation to study, I am without any other avenues to seek a cure, and finding it- well, that's like finding a literal needle in a proverbial haystack.

With no apparent cure, then, I must turn to treatments, ways to minimize the more... dangerous effects of the curse. Chief among these, for the safety of others, is that under no circumstances must one allow themselves to be cuddled or squeezed by a party not affected by the curse. Though a Plush is a lovely, huggable thing, soft and squishy beyond compare, though it brings us no greater joy than to be needed, loved, cuddled... transmission of the curse under such circumstances isn't simply probable, it's all but assured. To nullify this, I've found that cuddling with other plushes can satisfy the need somewhat, if not entirely. If a non-plush coming in for a hug is unavoidable, try at least to direct them to your tail, if you have one, or less important limbs- squeakers are known to migrate, but this at least helps to reduce risk until the mortal can be made to... restrain themselves.

As for pillowfication... I'm afraid there are even fewer ways to mitigate the onset. There is no visible cause of it, one does not gain weight in the traditional sense, and though one may be tempted to try to pull apart a seam and empty themselves of fluff, as far as I can ascertain, our fabric "skin" is completely unbreakable. Pillowfication is an inevitability once you bear the curse, so the best one can really do is find loose-fitting, comfortable clothing, and get used to their newfound bulk as it grows. Though it isn't much of a silver lining, I can wholly attest that the process is quite comfortable, and if nothing else, the lack of a biological body means one will never become wholly immobile.

I would like to consider this paper a living document, and rest assured- if in my research I can find a cure, I will do my best to disseminate the information promptly, but for now, the best any of us can do is try to mitigate the effects on ourselves and others.

Section Three: Miscellaneous Points

As I've been asked a number of questions that I cannot place within the broader text, and there are peculiarities to the condition I've only recently discovered, I'll try to provide a few below in bullet-point.

As mentioned above, Wereplushes appear to be functionally indestructible. We're fireproof, waterproof, can't be cut, and flattening is really just inconvenient. More aggressive victims have been kept at bay with large weights laid atop them, which work well enough, until they're too plump for the weights to find purchase, anyways.

The process of pillowfication feels not unlike having eaten a large meal, albeit the sense of "fullness" permeates one's entire body. Quite honestly, by this point I feel quite like I've been feasting for ages...

Though lighter than one's biological body at first, as a Wereplush's condition grows more advanced, their internal fluff grows denser. A new plush may be quite soft and malleable, but a deeply pillowfied plush feels like memory foam, and is just as heavy to boot!

A Wereplush's voice can change over time, some becoming squeakier and higher, some deeper and more syrupy, some not changing at all. It is unclear if this holds any significance.

Even if they were once human, a humanoid synthetic, what have you, all Wereplushes seem to take the form of anthropomorphic animals, with more animalistic folk more closely resembling their original form when transformed.

A Wereplush's tag seems to embody some aspect of themselves or the circumstances of their transformation, and is usually a simple pictogram depicting some aspect of their personality or history.

The rate at which a Wereplush pillowfies seems to vary from victim to victim, and the extent of the process appears to be limitless, though it slows once they've grown ploddingly large.

The sensations one feels if they've hit a Wereplush's squeaker, and warning signs that they've been afflicted by the curse, are an immediate sense of lightheadedness, butterflies in the stomach, and difficulty standing upright. These feelings intensify up to the point of transformation, at which point their body changes into their new, plushie self.

It is unclear how many Wereplushes now exist, but given the multidimensional nature of the Spirit Archive, and the decent number of initial and subsequent victims, there could be hundreds, even thousands...

#feylore #oc lore #c:lena #fey's writing #plushie #tf #wereplush

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