#or more of the human/demon/alien creatures sometime...

[whereserpentswalk]

Reblog to receive your transformation, look under the cut to find out what it feels like to transform.

Vampire: You can feel it, slowly changing you since you were first bitten by that creature. You felt stronger at first, not needing to eat, not needing to sleep. It was like the burdens of a human form were lifted from you. The only thing you needed was to drink blood, which isn't that hard to come by. Then the physical transformations began, your body becoming slenderer and more androgynous, until soon you barely are recognizable. One day you wake up and your eyes are pure black, slowly your mouth grows sharp teeth, and special joints and seams in your flesh that allow you to open it into a massive mess of fangs and teeth but close it back up into something humanoid if you want it to. As the last of your humanity goes away, your sex characteristics and body hair entirely disappears, leaving you feeling wonderfully smooth. Perhaps in the past this body would be disturbing to you, you barely look like yourself, but now, looking at yourself and feeling so much more confident, this just feels like you, like what you are meant to be.

Incorporeal: You've lost yourself. You can't feel anything. No skin, no blood, no organs. You can only really sense the vague nature of the room your spirit is inhabiting. If you want to move you just think of yourself as going to that location, and if you want to pick something up you just think of yourself as lifting it. Even your appearance is no more than a sort of hologram, able to be changed at but a thought. You feel strangely comfortable this way. Nothing can hurt you now. It takes a bit of time, you have to focus on how you look a bit to look in a way that feels really you, but it eventually feels way more like you then anything in your old body did. It's weird, your old form just felt like a vessel that you needed, but in leaving it you feel entirely free, like you just don't need that type of body anymore. You look at your old body, lying dead upon the floor, and you can't help but know that that just isn't you anymore.

Lycanthrope: It was slow harnessing the changes. The werewolf who bit you didn't tell you much when she passed on her curse. It's something you can work will, you slowly figured out how to harness small changes, modular yet more modular as time passes on. You can just give yourself the eyes, or ears, or teeth, or feet, if you need to by now. Decide exactly what is wolf and what is human. It's more normal not that you realize how fluid your body is, that every part is just a single state that part can be in and not it's permanent fate. You can choose how much of a wolf you are at any time and that's fine and normal now. And sometimes you like fully being a wolf, like how it feels to run on all fours, how it feels to taste meat freshly on your teeth, how it feels to howl at the moon. You also like being a full human at other times, especially now that that doesn't constrain you anymore. Most of the time you're just something else though. Most of the time you're just you, not wolf or human but something your own.

Cyborg: You can feel parts of your body being cut away. You don't know why but it doesn't bother you as much as you thought it would. Your legs being painlessly sliced off, those legs that hurt when you walked on them. You can feel your torso having it's organs slowly drained out of it, no more stomach pain as you have no more stomach, no more shortness of breath as your lungs become medical waste. Your fat and muscles and bone are cut from your body, leaving your body type null. A mask of sorts is closed over your skull as the skin of your face, a face you were once stuck with for your entire life, is finally taken away. And in your discarded body parts place new mechanical parts are added, and these parts are finally your own, you picked out the designs, you control exactly how they look, the art style that your new body will be drawn in, the form your form will be able to take. And if there's anything you dislike, it can always be replaced, you can't be trapped in your body anymore, and you can't be hurt by it now.

Melted: You can feel your new form, slowly writhing like the slimes you felt before did. You have no distinct parts, no bones, no limbs, no organs. All you have is the form. It feels weird, you see and feel so much differently now it can barely feel like seeing or feeling at all. It's like playing with goo in your hands, but you don't have hands anymore. Slowly but surely, you sculpt yourself a new appearance, allowing your body to be something to thrive in instead of just something to survive within. You can't control your color but everything else is up to you. It's like sculpting, even limbs and heads and eyes are all metaphors when it comes to this new universal substance that is your form. You're not sure how others will see you when you're something so strange, but you like what this means for yourself, at least for now.

Flight: Your arms have slowly been stretched out, each of your fingers longer than your entire arm once was on both hands, and this strange tight skin between them. Your body is strong in some places, but weirdly skinny in others, it all feels so different, so new. Your feet have been changed to work more like hands, now that your arms can't be used to grasp, and walking is no longer as much of a requirement for you. You feel weird, like everything is there, but it's hard to see how it all fits together. Still, now that you do get to fly it's wonderful, seeing the ground below you, seeing the sky above you, feeling so free while you're completely in the air, seeing how impressed everyone is looking at you doing that. Maybe it was worth it. Despite how much it takes getting used to you don't dislike how any of it feels, and despite what some people might think of it, it feels so nice to be able to just go through the air like that without anything restraining you anymore. You wouldn't go back at the very least.

Mind upload: You can't feel anything. But you can see, the image of what you'd expect a computer monitor to display take up the totality of your vision. You can't feel a mouse or keyboard or anything, but you can move the cursor as much as you once could move limbs. If you hadn't asked for this it would seem like the worst of punishments, but this was your desire. You can look at any website you want, and no longer do you have to worry about time, about food, about sleep. You can contact anyone online just as you once did, without any breaks. The mortal world is no longer your worry.

Limbs become longer: You know you won't be like the other giants; you'll be somewhat in-between, you're not sure if you are thankful of that fact or not. It's a lot to deal with either way. You can feel you skin and bone stretching oddly, your arms and legs doubling then tripling in their length. It hurts but you can think of all the ways you won't be human anymore. You won't fit into most spaces; you'll need certain accommodations. But you still want this despite everything that it implies. It feels strange when your torso changes, with your limbs it's just bone that's moving, but with this you can feel your organs extending and changing. Too late to change things now. You wonder how people will see you? Will they be scared? Maybe that's what you want from them now?

Pyromancy: You can feel the burning inside you now. Even when you don't focus on it in any way it's in you, your warmth, your blood always hot, the feeling with every breath that you could shoot out fire. Other people with powers need to learn how to extend them to be actually useful, not you, you had to learn how to keep yours under control. It just feels right, to be able to use fire, to feel the fire as part of your body whenever you pass by any. You find yourself fidgeting with it easily, letting the fire move alongside you, because it's just so natural. You'll light up a bit in your hands, or around your face, in the middle of conversation. It doesn't burn you anymore, it feels good, it feels better than almost anything else you've felt in your life to feel fire on your body now. A few people are afraid, but you try to keep yourself calm. Even so, it feels so good to let it burst out of you, to shoot balls of fire into the air, or breath it from your mouth, it's hard to go a long time without doing something like that. It's not just something you have but it's part of you, it's part of you that was always meant to be there perhaps.

Frog: You slowly feel yourself shrink down. It dawns on you that you're going to change a lot. But you've said your last goodbyes to your humanity either way. You can feel your hair and teeth falling out, your bones reshaping and getting smaller and more delicate. Your biology completely changing. It's a lot to get used to and it all happens within a few seconds. For a moment you're worried you'll lose your human mind, but it just doesn't happen, mentally, emotionally, you're entirely the same as you always were. But you don't have to worry about human things anymore. Frogs don't have to work jobs, or pay taxes, or pay rent, you're allowed to finally just be. When you choose to go naked, and walk on all fours, you don't even have to let on that you're human at all anymore. You can exist in peace as long as you exist and forgo the responsibility of human things unless you choose to want them.

Demon: You feel the last of your human blood get replaced with the blood of that creature. It hurts for a moment, but then you stop feeling such pain, you feel a tyle of prowess you haven't felt before. Your eyes glow, you can just feel that they glow now. Your human form begins to change, perfectly growing into your ideal body type and look, and everything feels so right. And then things go beyond just that human form. Horns grow from your head, and your teeth grow sharp, you can always feel them, even when you aren't paying attention, and it makes you feel so very cool. Your reproductive organs are replaced with a neck and head of a serpent, completely genderless, but more able to feel pleasure somehow. Wings grow on your back, and you flex them, feeling the strangeness and wonder of having new limbs and joints. You grow a scorpion like tail from the base of your spine, that equally feels so strange and wonderful and new to move. You can shapeshift back into any human form when you need to, you can even effect what people do and don't recognize as your old self, but this form, your truly demonic form, that's what truly feels like it's you.

Murder: you can kill now. No description needed.

[knight-a3]

Heavenbound AU

Hazbin Masterpost

Lilith, Mother of Demons

Notes under cut, including some Bible info!

Between dolls, snakes, apples, circuses, ducks, etc, there were just too many motifs/thematic elements to shove onto just Lucifer. So, I streamlined and distributed. Lucifer is goat themed, Lilith is snake themed. Charlie is a mix of the two. I also use this to partly to imply that "the Devil" is not solely Lucifer. But humans mistake various different demons as one character. Lucifer is just the one who gets blamed for everything. That's part of why he's a goat; he's a scapegoat.

Snakes- there is a trending theme of Lilith being associated with snakes, and sometimes being the serpent who tempts Eve. I wanted to give her snake hair, but making all of it snakes would be too many and a hassle to draw. So I went with seven to represent the 7 deadly sins. They're all named, just like how Charlie has Hugh.

Pride= Vani (vanity)

Wrath= Irene (Ire)

Gluttony= Tony (gluttony)

Greed= Ava (avarice)

Lust= Libby (libido)

Envy= Desi (desire)

Sloth= Lazlo (lazy)

Owls- lilith has sometimes been translated as owl or as night bird. In some Mesopotamian myths, lilith demons fly. Some tablets depict a lilith with talons, horns, and/or wings.

Vampires - This is a design element that I didn't realize was a historically viable association to make until after I made the design. But I figured it would be good to mention anyway. Lilith has been equated with some vampiric elements over the centuries. It comes from a thematic overlap between succubi and early depictions of vampires. So while I may not have had vampires in mind, I think some of the elements naturally bled through(no pun intended).

Dolls- I took this one from canon Lucifer and gave it to Lilith instead. I figured she was created and used like a doll, so it could fit decently enough.

Full demon form: I designed her to be similar to a lamia from Greek mythology. Lamia is the latin equivalent to lilith, and lamia happen to be associated with snakes. I didn't know that until after I designed her normal form, so it's a neat coincidence. Lamia is both a single character and a type of snake-woman creature. Waist up is woman, waist down is snake. Similar to the nagas of hindu lore. More about Lamia in a bit.

--Heavenbound Backstory--

My ideas for her backstory can be found through HERE.

--is Lilith really Biblical? Kind of, but not really--

So, fun fact. Lilith isn't really in the Bible. The word lilith is mentioned once in Isaiah 34:14 in some translations. But translation is a tricky process and subject to the interpretation of the translator. It's an inevitable issue. It's part of why there are so many different versions of the Bible.

The single mention of lilith isn't even used as a name. Lilit/lilitu/other spelling variations are a type of Mesopotamian she-demon. Basically succubi, but then the concept merged with the child-killer Lamatshu. Liliths are often associated with seduction, wet dreams, reproductive problems, and child death. Using the term lilith had a cultural context that we don't really have now. It's like how people today will blame mysterious phenomenon on aliens.

Other Bible translations will use "night creatures", "screech owls", "Lamia" or other similar phrases instead. The context of the verse can change drastically based on what phrasing is used. Most versions(including the most popular ones like the KJV) steer away from "lilith".

--The Other Woman--

Bible: The idea of a woman before Eve is based on rabbinic myths used to explain a perceived discrepancy in the biblical creation story. In one account, it sounds as if man and woman were created together. In another, it sounds as if woman was created after. These myths also accuse Eve of a lot of misconduct, so it seems like a pretty misogynistic take anyway(and I don't use that phrasing lightly). These myths didn't name the woman, as far as I'm aware.

Lilith as the first wife: The oldest known depiction of Lilith as Adam's first wife is from a medieval Jewish story, the "Alphabet of Ben Sira." The author is unknown, and it's widely considered satirical. Lilith is ultimately portrayed as the evil one.

In some depictions of her, she forces herself on Adam and has his demon children. Or she is infertile and steals and/or kills babies. Or she causes miscarriages and fertility issues.

Samael's wife: In some other depictions, she and Samael are born as one. Sometimes as a hermaphrodite, sometimes in the same manner as Adam and Eve. And yet other depictions, she is the first wife of Samael. Sometimes God castrates Samael to prevent them from having demonic children, so Lilith goes to copulate with unaware sleeping men. Other times Lilith is rendered infertile. Sometimes she's the wife of Asmodeus.

Lamia: In the Latin Vulgate, lilith is translated as lamia. There are elements of early ideas for vampirism. Then Lilith is equated with the Greek character Lamia, who also has conflicting origin stories. Lamia has a human upper half and and snake lower half. In some sources, she is a daughter of Hecate. In another, she is cursed by Hecate to have stillborn children. In another, Hera killed all of Lamia's children, and Lamia's grief turned her into a monster that would steal and devour children. In some instances she was also cursed to never close her eyes/sleep, but Zeus gifted her the ability to remove her eyes instead.

Islam: Arabic folklore depicts a character similar to Lilith. She was rejected by Adam, so she mated with Iblis(the demon king) instead. She gave birth to thousands of demons.

Feminism: Lilith, overall, was depicted as an evil character until the feminist movement in the 70s. That's when she was depicted by Judith Plaskow as a strong willed woman who refused to submit to Adam(I guess they just ignored the history of rape and child murder, great job picking an inspirational feminist icon y'all). It's this feminist interpretation that Hellaverse seems to have based Lilith off of.

I wanted to balance aspects of these while also still favoring the portrayal of Lilith as not-evil. Unless canon decides to make her evil, then I may revisit the idea.

(Feb 19, 2025- fixed typos and rephrased some lined for clarity) (Feb 20, 2025- added the names of the snakes) (Feb 27, 2025- added a full demon form design and notes about it, reworded some lines)

[hamsternella]

Second part of this one

Bill Cipher x Fem!Reader

cw: gore, bill is a warning by himself, mdni, yandere and obsessive behavior

''She's my wife! You're talking about my wife, Cipher!'' Ford ran his hands through his hair, feeling desperate. Disgust was driving him mad; fury was blinding him. ''You've crossed a boundary! You're a…''

''A monster, a madman, a sick man,'' Bill interrupted him lazily. ''Yeah, yeah. I get that a lot, thanks, Fordsy. Anyway, what do you say? Do we have a deal?''

Ford backed up a couple of steps, colliding with the edge of his desk behind him. His hand brushed against a statuette of Cipher himself; a figure of pure gold that weighed between his fingers as he lifted it into the air, eyes fixed on the demon. The latter shook his hand in denial. 'No, no. Don't even think about it.' But he did it anyway. He didn't even get to hit him—Bill had disappeared.

"Come back here, Bill!" cried the investigator in despair. "Don't you dare lay a hand on my wife again, Cipher!"

But all he received in response was a shrill laugh, and the blow of a warm breeze that made him stagger. The lights went out, and in the gloom the only thing that enveloped Ford was silence barely interrupted by his own breathing.

"My God," he whispered, "what have I done?"

After your talk with Bill, and the forced kiss that sealed an implied deal, your life becomes confusing and uncomfortable.

The demon had not stopped possessing your husband until the day you decided that enough was enough.

The limit was to have found him on you, forcing your petticoats with the hands of the man who was supposed to be your companion.

How were you supposed to know when it was Ford and not Bill? How could you let him kiss your lips with that sweetness, sometimes interspersed with the awkwardness of a need that already seemed alien to you?

When Ford found out about the situation you were acting so strange about, his fury is such that even you find yourself terrified of the human as you were of the demon.

They felt like one and the same entity. At this point you didn't know what to think about it.

Your relationship with your husband deteriorated considerably. It was easy to see how uncomfortable it made him to know that you and Bill had been intimate.

"Aren't we ever going to talk about it, then? Ford, I'm addressing the word to you..."

"I know," he interrupted you, the frustration palpable in his voice. "You've been saying the same thing every day, throughout every week; it's a regular thing come this point."

"Because we need to talk about it! For God's sake, Ford, you can't even stand to be in the same room with me anymore. Do you think this situation hasn't affected me too?"

You heard his footsteps coming towards where you were. You felt him in front of you, with his scent and his breathing altered into a choked growl. "Be honest with me, didn't you suspect at any time that that imitation wasn't me?"

"Ford, not again with this..." you sighed.

"Not again, you say? Not again, as if it were something upsetting to you," he exclaimed. "Oh, well, perhaps it is—perhaps because things happened there that I don't know about. More things I don't know—I don't want to know. Terrible things, lots of secrets hidden from me, your husband!"

"Are you serious, Stanford? You're coming at me with such audacity!" You had risen from your seat, colliding immediately with your husband's chest. His hands took you by surprise; a shove brought you back to the world as you hit the table at your side. "Ford! What's wrong with you, God..."

"This is all wrong! This is all terrible!" he shouted. Moments later there was silence. It took your husband some time to regulate his own breathing. "Whole weeks... being possessed by a creature I thought was my friend, my companion. Days believing I was falling into madness; the darkness of a confused dream enveloping me, devouring my senses... all of me. All of me! My works, my researches, my wife! He dared to possess my woman!"

"So that's what I am to you," you hastened to add. "Just your woman. That's what this irrational outburst of yours is all about, Stanford."

"It's everything! This is about everything! For God's sake, woman, understand. He's taken everything from me—he's trying to make it, and he's closing in on me by leaps and bounds... He's wanted to ruin my life completely and you don't understand! You can't be so selfish!"

"Who's being selfish here, when you were the scoundrel hiding a demon under our feet! This was all started by you, Stanford! And you never told me the truth!" You covered your face for a moment, sighing faintly. "You let him take your body and walk around the house; you kept me ignorant of your true plans while to him you built a shrine."

"How did you..."

"He told me," you interrupted him coldly, "as usual. Because of course I have to find out what's going on in my own house from a demon. Same demon who, by the way, got into our room to try to molest me!"

"You could have told me that in the first place! Things don't magically escalate."

"Excuse me? What are you trying to tell me?"

His silence confirmed the shame that had overwhelmed him by his own words.

"I'm talking to you, Ford."

"You should have told me. You allowed him direct entry."

"I don't think I gave him that much power," you shook your head. "Not like you gave it to him, Ford, with your portals and your 'insignificant' studies."

"I didn't mean to."

"And you think it was my intention to have him on top of me?"

"For God's sake—this is not about you!"

"It's never about me! Nothing is ever about me, your very wife, Ford!" You held back the heart-rending cry in your throat, until the other words snatched it from you. "I could have been raped that night and you didn't care! That thing has kissed me, touched me while in your body, and what affects you most is losing your portal! Please, Stanford, please, I beg you to understand!"

You stretched out your arms in a desperate attempt to cling to your husband's shirt. You knew where he was when you brushed against his body; there your hands rested, fingers digging like daggers into his arms. Your voice was barely a whisper corrupted by pain and despair.

"I gave up everything for you," you continued, "even my hobbies, my friends and my family. I believed in you like no one ever has; I sacrificed time, sweat and tears on your journey to glory... All for you. Always for you. When will there be something for me? When will I have a family of my own? When will I have a nice home? When will I feel safe?" you weighed a couple of raw ideas at the back of your mind. "When will I feel safe with you, Ford. You're supposed to be my husband..." you sobbed.

"I need you to understand," he whispered back. "Please, honey. I need you to."

"I'm tired of understanding things I don't know," you shook your head, possessed by crying. "You let that thing into this house. You gave your body, your mind... your wife."

"I would never allow him to lay a hand on you!"

"He's done it already!" you shouted back. "He's already done as much damage as you have, Ford! You're just like that! Unsatisfied, cruel creatures; eager to carry more than your arms can carry. He may be able to make it. Not you, Ford. And that's your problem—yourself. You're selfish, self-centered..."

"You don't know what you're talking about."

"... and I begin to believe that I have been a victim of that victorious perversity that consumes you when you get something that others want and can't. But you could! And now you want more! More of what you shouldn't, of that which you can't have."

"I can have it! I'm capable! You know it; you've heard me achieve it."

"Thanks to him. And everything has a price in life, Stanford. Who says I'm not that now?"

The laughter that your husband dismissed hurt your soul.

"It's not that simple. He couldn't want you for... I don't understand. Why would he want you for something like this? I don't get it. Why would he want you in exchange for something like this? What do you figure here, but a sack of meat like me?"

"I don't know, you tell me," you shrugged. "Why do you want me, Ford? What do you think I possess, beyond a hole for you to fuck when you're stressed? Do you consider me to have value? Maybe you think I'm a stupid bitch—"

"Don't talk about yourself like that!" he interrupted you, sounding hurt. "One thing has nothing to do with the other here, right now."

"I think it has a lot to do with when your pride outweighs your wife's honor and safety. Does that title do any good? Perhaps the term 'maid' paints a better picture, considering how much you hold me in high regard as a person."

"Stop it."

"And that's all you have to say."

Life feels empty when your marriage suddenly seems like a sham.

You no longer consider Ford a company that provides you with security; now you are truly on your own.

The world is scary.

And this is where he comes to save the day.

More or less, let's assume.

Bill takes this opportunity to start filling your head with hallucinations. You can't escape them.

Your husband is a nightmare that whispers lies in your ear, which later become truths the more you think about them.

Cipher doesn't show up in your dreams until months later, when your husband is at his worst peak of stress and paranoid episodes.

The demon is much more kind, caring and receptive to you than ever before; even manipulating your brain to reproduce his figure in your mind.

At last you meet Mr. Cipher.

"But look who it is! The protagonist of this beautiful story of bloody, forbidden visceral romance from...! Oh, forget it. The title is too long."

The triangle levitates around you with its golden glow. Its edges are sharp; it has only one eye, and it wears a galley and a staff that seems to have a life of its own, far away from you, circling in the air. It is black, just like the galley and the slender limbs of the beast.

The laughter is as loud as ever. For a moment it brings you peace. It's the same—nothing has changed nor is a lie. It's just Bill.

"That's me! Yes, ma'am." Its figure reappears in front of you, with one of its small hands resting on your cheek. "My pronouns are call/me/Bill; but I also go by he/him."

"Are you reading my mind?"

"Oh, you little bag of muscle and nerves! We're in your mind," he laughed. "By the way, you should be nicer to me."

"I don't have to be nice to you," you replied. "You've ruined my life."

"Ruin your life, you say! Oh, no, my dear, but I haven't done anything!" His hand moved away from you, returning to his back as he entwined it with the other. His eye narrowed for a moment; he was fascinated. "But didn't you mean, rather, your husband's life? Isn't it the same as yours?"

"Is that, you suppose, a comment to hurt me?"

"Hurting you is one of my last thoughts when I think of you," he said. "And believe me: I think about you a lot."

"I don't want to know what kind of things."

"And you do very well not to want to!"

Another shrill laugh pierced your ears like a needle. The sound settled painfully in your brain.

"Oh, my dear! So beautiful and so pitifully silly," he sighed. "How I've missed you."

"I find it rather disturbing the way you address me. Especially after the accident..."

"That night!" he interrupted you; so fascinated that his yellow color darkened into a kind of still luminous blush. "Perhaps I was a little thrilled by the tenderness of your flesh—how your heart throbbed! An organ pumping warm blood, under that weak skin."

The triangle was suddenly in front of you. His eye wide open.

"The way your muscles tensed in your face," he continued, "with each eye wide open, as if you could just see me. No need to when you can feel me, little one. And how did that feel? How did you feel under the rough warmth of hands on the smooth skin of your belly?"

"While you were using my husband!" you cried out in shame. "You forced yourself on me with my husband's body. You are a..."

You bit your lip, holding back the string of insults that were about to hang from your mouth. Bill narrowed his eye, humming an unfamiliar tune.

"I'm a... what? Say it, come on!"

"Just shut up," you growled. "Shut your mouth—whatever you use to talk. Shut it."

"A little bird told me something very interesting. I'm sure you want to know! I know you do!"

You covered your face, using your hands to stifle a frustrated scream that could barely overshadow Bill's animated narration. His voice was penetrating your head, which was funny to think about considering the two of you were in your mind; there was no way his voice wasn't getting through to you being in a place like this. There was no escape possible.

"Oh! Yes, that's right," he pointed out with his cane. "You can't wake up until I decide."

"That's crazy!"

"I guess... Whatever! You want to play a game of chess for which you might lose something very valuable to you when I cheat?"

"Of course not!" You rubbed both hands together, trying to stop the trembling all over your body. "Ford will notice I'm not in the kitchen; I always make breakfast. He'll notice, won't he?"

"Dear, are you asking me or are you losing your senses?"

"Isn't it the same?" you turned to look at him, narrowing your eyes. "Wondering something to you, losing my mind—isn't it the same thing?"

Bill rolled his eye, dropping his cane in the air again. "What a mood! Too many gentlemen on this world for so few ladies—"

"What do you want?" you interrupted him. There was no answer. You took a deep breath as you met his gaze upon you; too much intensity, with his figure levitating slower and slower. "Bill, please, is there something you want? Because I can't give it to you. You should talk it over with Ford, like always" you muttered.

"Something I want," he repeated. "Maybe I wasn't very clear with you. In the olden days new romantic prospects used to murder the current spouse. You want that? So freaky, grr—"

"What the fuck are you talking about! My God," you swallowed the string of insults hanging from your throat. "Cipher, let me go right now. Go and talk to my husband and do together whatever it is you have in mind. Leave me alone!"

"I tried to talk to Fordsy about you," rushed the demon defensively, "but I don't think he liked certain details... My bad, I admit it! There are always second chances—although with him we'd be going for number three hundred and twenty something, I think... I don't know, I don't care! Hey, you really don't want to play chess with me?"

"You told him about that night," you whispered. Tears began to tickle your cheeks without your noticing them. "You told him first and he never... Ford never told me—he never told me about it..."

"And then he made you feel terrible about it," he laughed. "How crazy is Fordsy. And what's with all that pushing and shoving this last week? Didn't you see it coming? Ha! Get it? Because you're totally blind—"

"I can't wail and cry if I hear your shitty voice."

"Oh, come on! It's not my fault your husband is a deranged madman. There are lots of fish in the ocean, did you know that? Lots and lots... Lots, really... Then there's me, who's better," he pointed to himself, shrinking his eye in a smile. "I mean, uh, a god, technically."

"A demon."

"Very soon a god," he corrected you.

You frowned, forcing a smile as you said, "But you're still a demon. One trapped far away from our world, aren't you? What assures you that you're going to be anything more than that, when Stanford no longer believes in you?"

"The last thing I care about is your husband," Bill narrowed his eye. "Beyond that, could it be that you're testing me?"

"Testing you?"

"If I can get out of here, if I can catch you anywhere, anytime," he continued, "does that mean I win?"

"For you everything is a game. A demon at the end of the day."

Bill's shrill laughter pierced your ears again. This time you found him in front of you in the blink of an eye; closer, more attentive.

"Does that mean I win?" he whispered. "Because I believe I can have you whenever I want, wherever I want—this is just a taste of my power."

"This is a sign of what a monster you are," you replied in kind. "Ford will not allow you to go beyond your dimension—"

"Fordsy couldn't stop me all those times I messed with you," the demon interrupted you, suddenly surly at the mention of your husband. "It's almost like he doesn't care. Anyway, that brainiac is going to fail sooner or later, and there's no corner of the universe where you can hide your head. I'll be there, in your dreams; and I'll be here, where you don't see me. Everywhere I'm going to be, dear little flesh bag."

"Don't fucking call me that!"

"Nuh-uh!"

You opened your mouth, ready to pour over his expectant eye a couple more insults, but the lack of your own voice led you to wrap both hands around your neck. You thought you were piercing flesh with your fingernails; you caressed muscle, you smeared yourself with blood. You wanted to scream, terrified, alone in the middle of an empty, dark space, but the only response to the nervous silence of your panic attack was another thunderous laugh.

Everything was suddenly red. Red and painful. A sharp stab of pain shot through your body from your throat, and with a shocking jolt you fell to your knees, drowning in your own blood. Warm, viscous, thick. You closed your eyes, too disgusted with the spectacle of intense sensations assaulting your senses, and let yourself be carried away by the spasms that seemed to go on forever. You barely felt him on you.

When you opened your eyes, overcome by another intense, hot sensation, you found Bill leaning over you. His yellow color had migrated to a deep black; red edges like your blood, glowing, and with the same wide-open, watchful eye. You noted with another kind of horror that same morbid charm in his gaze—the ravenous hunger of a natural hunter.

You shook your head, barely moving your lips in a faint 'please'.

"I missed this," he said. "I missed you. It's strange... this feeling, I mean—it's kind of weird. It's unpleasant. But when I finally have you again, when I can touch you, I can see you, I can hear you, that awful feeling goes away; it disappears and I feel good again. I feel better. It's strange, like I told you."

One of his limbs brushed against the bleeding wound on your neck. The nightmare was compounded by the pressure of his fingers playing with your flesh.

"You're beautiful," he whispered. "If you could see yourself. I don't think you'd understand. It would be fun, anyway. See you cry, make you scream," he laughed. "You know, the usual. Stanford makes you cry a lot, doesn't he? He hurts you."

It took you a while to respond, but you were able to give him a nod.

"Everything he does is a product of my own genius," Bill continued. "I'm better. A hell of a lot better. This is just beginning; there's more to this than I've shown you now. A lot more. But that's all right! We have all the time in the world. Lots of nights, lots of dreams. Opportunities, my pretty little bag of nerves."

His limb moved away from your wound, wrenching another spasm from your body. You couldn't take your eyes off the way the demon was spewing a long, slimy tongue from the strip below his eye, starting from the socket. Another repulsive limb. The flesh of your body disappeared in what was a light taste of your own flavor. You noticed the fascination in his small figure; the tremor of ecstasy bursting the moment.

"Fordsy would be delighted to know this," Bill said, squinting his eye. "You think we should tell him?"

'We?' Your own mind gave you away.

"I'm asking for your opinion! That's what couples do, right?"

Silence. Bill let out a sigh; his yellow color back with a particular glow.

"Whatever," he shrugged, "I don't think he'll mind. This may be our little secret." He approached you, levitating gently. "As for you, beautiful little waste, I hope to see you in a better mood soon. There's so much to do! So many things to talk about. Our plans ahead, of course—the big moment. What a thrill!"

Your eyes began to close. The pain gradually, gently subsided. It was getting harder and harder to hear Bill chattering.

"... portal, and the... But maybe a crazy... you and me, of..."

Before you faced the impending total darkness, Bill's intense gaze invaded your mind. This time you stopped listening to him. In spite of that, a new sharp pang of pain pierced your head; it upset you completely, as one who feels disarmed at the discomfort of their own body, and made you wake up again. This time there was no yellow demon in front of you. There was nothing, directly. Not that nothing of one whose eyes are covered—but that kind of empty expectation, typical of the blind.

'Returned home,' you thought with a sigh.

The morning was quiet, but not calm. Bill's nightmare had left you jittery, with tremors and a nagging itch in your neck. A sick kind of paranoia kept you standing between the bedroom and the bathroom, unable to go any further. It was the murmur of timid footsteps downstairs that made you make the decision: tell Ford, give him the chance again. Who else did you have in the world but him?

You walked down the stairs with the itch in your neck increasing as your husband's silence to your calls did. At a certain point, and with madness tearing tears from your eyes, you ended up tripping over an obstacle on the floor where you thought the living room was. You rested your hands as soon as you felt the blow of the air like a whip; the pain came seconds later, along with the roughness of a jacket.

Ford did not wear such jackets.

You pushed your fingers against the leather, dragging your nails along the inner fur. You felt the coolness of some pins, and maybe found a couple of holes.

"Ford?"

"He's not here."

A man's broken voice took you by surprise. You jumped up, fell back down, and began to crawl backwards across the floor. You forgot about the pain and itching in your neck.

"Who are you?! What did you do to my husband—"

"Just... just a moment! Please!" The voice broke even more, as if choked with an inevitable cry. "You said husband—you must be her, I mean, his girl. His wife. Logically, isn't it?" an unfunny laugh broke through his words. "Please, I'm not here to do anything bad..."

"Who the fuck are you?!"

Silence. A long one, interrupted by a couple of accelerated breaths.

"Stanley," the man replied. "I'm Stanley Pines. I'm Stanford's brother."

"He doesn't... No, because he doesn't have a brother. You are lying to me—"

"Are you blind?"

This time the silence came from you.

"I didn't think... Sorry, I didn't get a good look at you," he rushed back. "I'm sorry, ma'am."

"Stanley Pines," you said, "is that really your name? Stanford never told me about you." You craned your neck, gathering as much air as you could. "Stanf—"

"He's not here."

"What do you mean? Did he go out or something? Again," you sighed.

Silences were commonplace at this point. You had time to stand up with the help of the supposed Stanley. You let him guide you to an armchair, allowing him as much freedom as a tired woman could allow a man this robust. You tried not to let fear blind your senses.

If he was inside the house, it meant he hadn't set off any traps. Was he telling the truth?

"Did Ford tell you where he went?" you insisted in the absence of an answer. "Do you know when he'll be back?"

"I don't think he..." a heavy, shaky sigh. "Sorry, but I think Stanford—I don't think he can come, today, at least..."

"What do you mean?"

But you didn't need a clear answer. Stanley was still talking, saying things very unimportant to you; and yet there was something special that leapt into your mind along with the memory of a thunderous laugh. The word 'portal' throbbed in rhythm with your heart, leaving in its wake a trail of horror from which a couple of tears were born. Only then did you return to the world—along with Stanley's hand caressing your back.

"I'm really sorry," he continued in a soft cry. "I didn't mean to, I swear..."

"Through the portal?"

"It was too fast, and... and then we pushed each other a lot, and there was screaming—"

"Then I guess he's not coming back," you sighed shakily, interrupting him. "Ford's not coming back. My God..."

"I'm going to fix that thing. You have my word."

The image of Bill in your dreams quickly jumped into your memories. You reached desperately for Stan's hands, taking them in yours. You stared into the void, hoping to behold his face of -possible- intrigue.

"You can't touch that thing!" you exclaimed in warning. "Stanley, you can't go near that portal, please. You have no idea what's in store for us on the other side."

"My brother is trapped in there! God, woman, your own husband!"

"This is beyond him right now!"

His hands released yours; a push let you know that he had risen from your side.

"You're crazy," he growled. "As crazy as he is. Just a crazy couple!"

"You have no idea what this is, Stanley Pines... You have no idea. You haven't the faintest idea. Am I crazy? Do you think I've lost my mind? I think you saw Ford very well; I'd like to think there's something of him in you—that you understand why I'm this way. Whose fault is it!"

"Your husband could be dead and you just go around attributing blame!"

"Our lives are at stake! Good Lord, Stanley, you have no idea what it was like to live with him!"

The image of Bill wouldn't leave your head. At this point you didn't know if you were thinking of Ford, or the triangular demon.

"I'm going to fix that fucking machine," Stanley spat angrily, "and I'm not going to let some crazy woman stop me over a couple of superstitions. I've had enough of that with Stanford. I want my brother back, and I'm going to get him. Whatever it takes."

You heard his footsteps walk away from the room, and seconds later a slamming door vibrated through your bare feet. Until then you hadn't felt the cold seeping into your sensitive flesh. Nothing seemed to matter enough to you.

It wasn't about Ford anymore; now you had to deal with the nervous insanity of his so-called brother. Could it get even worse?

Maybe.

[whereispearlescentmoon]

Hermit-A-Day Day 12: Pearlescentmoon

A reminder that these are both individual pieces of writing that can be read on their own and supplemental material for my fic Glitch.

@hermitadaymay

Notes on the Player Known as Pearlescentmoon, Taken by the Admin.

Name: Pearl

Tag: Pearlescentmoon

Age: 28

Species: Shapeshifter

Season of Arrival: 8

Method of Arrival: Invited to join at beginning of the season

Species Traits: Pearl has some of the most unique biology of any Hermit. Her code is, by her own explanation, upside down. This allows her to manipulate it to shapeshift into a variety of forms and take on the traits of those forms. While she tends to stick to a fully human or moth hybrid form as a her default, Pearl has demonstrated the ability to shift into the following hybrid forms: Cat, Goat, Bat, Wolf, Beetle, Raven, Owl, Demon, Goose, Lion, Deer, Salmon, and Alien. She tends to stick to one form, though she can apparently mix and match.

While her hybrid forms tend towards human, typically only developing one or two traits like wings, antennas, claws, or tail, Pearl has demonstrated the ability to fully shift into certain forms like a wolf or an alien.

Admin Notes: Pearl’s presence on our server was felt before she was here. Both I and Grian have used her builds as inspiration or copied them (with permission) before she was invited to join. Her and Grian worked together to design a number of his builds on season 7. Inviting her on season 8 was only natural. Pearl is known largely for her organics, her detailed and sometimes fantastical creatures and plants (such as the large flower in the center of her Season 9 base). Her builds are often vibrant, and even the more monochromatic ones show an artistic eye for color and contrast. She makes colors that should not go together work perfectly. Pearl is an artist and building is the medium she chooses to show her beautiful work.

Pearl is a pleasure to be around. In large groups and upon first meeting, she can come across as shy and quiet. However, once she is more comfortable, her real personality shines. Pearl is goofy and makes ridiculous voices and noises. She loves a good prank and can be very mischievous when the situation calls for it. When it comes to competitions, Pearl will dedicate herself to them until she knows every bit as well as she can (As shown by her being the Queen of Decked Out 2, her record in Cub’s labyrinth, and her consistently being on the leaderboard of Hungry Hermits).

[genderlesspersonx]

Slipknot as mythical/fantasy/non-human creatures ✨

Sid: alien. Obviously. He comes from the planet mars but later moved to star sirius (gojira ref lol) where he lived for most of his life's time. Is currently on earth (has been for a little over a year) to get to know some other beings. Is still sometimes confused by a lot of things on earth but the others help him! Some of the others even asked him if he could teach them the alien language so that they can learn a little about his home!

Joey: werewolf. He isn't naturally aggressive when transformed. Only when others make him mad. Generally he's just chill when transformed. He can also transform at any night not only when full moon. He has very fluffy fur so sometimes at night when it's really cold the others may go to him to cuddle a little for warmth. He's a little annoyed but he just rolls with it. He doesn't even really do much as a werewolf he most of the times just sleeps trough the night.

Paul: selkie. when on land he's mostly with joey and underwater he sometimes visits mick. When on land he most of the time has his coat with him so no one can steal or damage it. When he doesn't take it with him he makes sure that it's safe from getting washed away by the waves and that it's hidden very good! Likes sleeping as a seal on land on the shores and watch the sun rise and/or go down.

Chris: naga. Because of his long body he can reach thing easily so the others ask him a lot to get things. He likes curling himself up or around other things (like branches of a tree) when sleeping. Sometimes when the others annoy him or if he just wants to tease them he wraps around them.

Jim: vampire. He's just so tall he gotta be a vampire (and i read too many vampire!jim fics lol). He has to wear a special sunscreen so that his skin doesn't burn during the day (in this AU vampires don't die when they're in the sun they just get sunburns more easily than humans or other beings). He very rarely drinks human blood nor does he often have a chance to drink it so he'll just drink blood from pigs, cows, ect. But sometimes joey lets him drink his blood.

Craig: Demon. Has 6 very pointy horns (3 on the left and 3 on the right side of his head) and pointy elf-like ears. His tail also has spikes at the end. Can touch fire, lava or anything that has hot temperatures without getting harmed. He sometimes goes to hell to bathe in lava. Because he also has wings he goes to flying lessons with corey to accompany him and assure his safety.

Shawn: satyr. Will ram the kegs with his horns and kick them with his hooves while performing. One time he even broke one of his horns off. It grew back though so everything's fine. It did hurt a lot tho. But he didn't really mind because he knows they grow back so he just threw the horn into the crowd. When walking on hard floors inside buildings he puts something that's similar to shoe soles under his hooves to dampen the sound of his hooves clocking.

Mick: Merman. I think it would fit him because he's introverted and has piece down there underwater. But he has his siren wife as company besides all the fishes and sea creatures :). He turns into human when going on land (he kinda sheds his tail off idk how else to say it) but he has to dry himself up with a towel or something so he can turn human. When he touches water his tail grows back (he can take a pill tho to prevent that from happening when he's planning to stay on land for a longer time)

Corey: Harpy. His vocals and chirps are very loud! Not the best at flying because of some injuries he's gotten himself while performing but he 𝘤𝘢𝘯 fly. Just not as good as other harpies or other winged creatures. In his free time he takes flying lessons to get better at it. He can't sleep on his back really good because has has to be careful to not bend his wings when getting up. He prefers to lay on the side or he kinda curls up. Also turns his bed with blanket and cushions into a nest.

[ananke-xiii]

ah yes, of course I have more to say. This time it's not about a specific comparison/trope, more about how angels are perceived by viewers (but also partly by writers, too, tbh).

anything about angels being ethereal and divine etc: I think sometimes the non-in-universe view warps what's canon when it comes to angels. For instance, the way we the audience commonly perceive angels sort of interferes with the in-universe depiction of said creatures. Like, maybe we see angels as ethereal, celestial, incomprehensible figures but in SPN they're anything but. We can very much understand their motives, their feelings and what their agenda is. It's totally not beyond human comprehension, as amatter of fact, it's very much human but it's also NOT human at the same time because angels don't have the same morality as humans do and their notion of "good" and "evil" is quite peculiar, if they even have one. This is also why the "halo and a harp" joke is thrown around quite a few times as a reminder that SPN angels are not "our" angels.

The same misrepresentation happens when it's about angels and love (and sex). It's pretty clear that in SPN (hashtag not all but many) angels are actually very, very, very much interested in sex and love. I'll concede that they tend to confuse obsession for love and that there's a lot of repression/suppression/sublimation/you name it going on in that department but, frankly, it's not something so inherently alien that humans can't relate to.

Anyhow, I don't think it's only the audience's fault, though, as I see SPN writers implicitly inserting their own personal view into the story as well. For example, the idea that Lucifer is the "primary agent of evil" in s14 after we've spent a whole season dealing with how God has traumatized and abused both his own sister and his own "son" and how said sister has, in return, abused and traumatized Lucifer doesn't exactly hold up. I mean, if there must be one primary agent of evil in SPN everything seemed to point to Chuck well before s14's big "reveal". Moreover, from their first appearance in S4 angels have perhaps wreaked havoc more than demons and other monsters combined. Lucifer is admittedly a big problem (among other things because he is an abuser and a general piece of shit) but he's not the only problem in paradise (lol).

Related to the first point, how Dean's in awe with Cas because he's a celestial being etc: this is something that I read in a lot of fics so it's just both my own personal taste and my fic preferences (I like when fics stick to canon as far as possible because I like to see how different minds might have developed a particular storyline) that differ from others and that's fine, to each their own. The thing is, I don't really see it. Maybe S3-4 Sam was more in awe with the idea of angels but after Lucifer I don't think the guy's particularly moved by them. As far as Dean's concerned, I actually see him hating on angels the most. Vampires can be okay, werewolves maybe, he's surprisingly okay with demons as well, but angels? He doesn't like them at all. And I mean this, this is actually interesting because out of all the creatures in the world he hates (and who have hurt him and his family) he ends up getting a best friend/consort who belongs to that particular flavor he just can't tolerate and who probably hurt him and his family the most ("Angels are just monsters with good PR"). As in: Dean finds Cas amazing because he's Cas, not because he's an angel but he IS an angel nevertheless and that alone causes some problems. It makes for a very interesting moral dilemma and an engaging angle to explore where a good chunk of their issues stems from.

[bitter-panacea]

I don't know enough lore to ask anything more in-depth but talk about what goultard and arty like about each other...

This is really just off the top of my head so I'm certainly going to miss some other aspects

Goultard and Arty have similar experiences with being rejected, misunderstood, feared, hated by society.

Goultard gets called "a humanoid creature" (implying that even if he somewhat looks like a human he's not one), "a scourge", "a demon", "not really a man"

Galgarion : The first issue concerns a humanoid creature that went berserk and rampaged through an entire neighborhood north of Bonta. Starting with the tower of the wealthy Homar Cherif!

Arty's treated a little differently than Goultard solely because he's a dragon. He's alienated while being put on a kind of pedestal. Clustus says just being in his presence is a privilege in itself.

Galgarion : Excuse me? A privilege to meet this monster? He's a murderer, no more no less!

And its true in a way, they're relentless forces of nature who've commited atrocities when pushed to their limits. But amidst the chaos, the fire and blood, they found each other, saw each other. They see each other for who they truly are, understand and accept each other whole, like nobody else ever could.

When Goultard finds Arty has lost control of himself, blind with rage, killing and destroying everything in sight, he doesnt hesitate a second and immediately offers himself to him. You need to take this anger out on someone, and thats what im here for. Goultard longs for someone who can rival with his strength. A fight he knows he might not come back from.

Goultard : Since you need to take it out on someone... and I'm looking for new challenges myself... I offer you a good fight.

Arty isn't scared to take it out on Goultard, he doesn't feel guilty about almost killing him, because he knows Goultard can take it. With him he can indulge the pent-up rage and violence that comes with being a fire dragon.

They love and need each other because they can keep up with each other.

Before that, when Vald was controlling the body, fully amnesiac and unaware that he's a part of Goultard's system, Arty risked his life to protect him. Something no one had ever done for him. He deserves to be looked out for and protected too.

Arty : I'm a feca... I protect... even dumbasses... like you! / Vald: This is the first time someone risks their life for me...

Goultard was still conscious of what was going on and got attached to arty very quickly.

Goultard : Arty!!! There's something you need to know... I have a lot of affection for you! It’s been a long time since this happened to me. It doesn't matter if you understand... With you I really feel like I'm getting back a little humanity!

Goultard's feelings for arty keep growing, which immensely bothers the symbiote, and he eventually abandons Goultard as a weird manipulation technique to later try to get him back. But the plan backfires. Without the symbiote, Goultard is at rock bottom, he latches on to arty and becomes devoted to him. Arty freed him and Goultard owes him.

Goultard : Don't act stupid... Don't leave me alone! What am I going to become if you leave me too? Don't abandon me!!!

Since the very beginning, Arty has a mission that he is determined to achieve, whatever it takes. Goultard deciding to assist him means the world to Arty. He's the very first person who joined Arty on his quest, who believed in his cause but most importantly believed in him, accepted him as a leader. They're extremely loyal to each other.

Arty isnt only the leader, he sometimes takes a role of caretaker for Goultard. Gou heavely relies on him, he allows himself to be totally vulnerable when he's with him. Arty comforts him, calms him down, takes decisions for him, but he also doesn't hesitate to beat him up when he's acting stupid.

Goultard worrying about his lost pet jelly and Arty comforting him. Arty : Alright, that's it! Come give me a big hug! / Goultard : You think she's okay? / Arty : I'm sure she's doing fine!

Goultard needs someone he can surrender to. To give up the fight just for a while. Just like a child, let himself be someone else's responsibility. I believe for two reasons :

Reason 1 - Because Goultard had been made to feel responsible very early in his life. He was tasked with protecting an entire village from monsters since he was just a child. The villagers clearly had no appreciation for him and his mother until he proved he could be useful to them.

Goultard and his mother, Cabotine, both sacrificed to protect the village from taurs. Cabotine : I wonder who the real monsters are, in this world!

Idolized and respected only as long as he fought for them

Young Goultard being cheered on by the villagers after beating Kriture the taur. (He looks even younger in the Goultard special episode than he does in the manga, which breaks my heart)

Great power comes with great responsibility. It comes with unbearable guilt as well. We can see Goultard feels responsible for a lot of the things that have happened to him, even if he had no control over them. He says multiple times that the murder of his wives and children was "all his fault".

Reason 2 - His past with the symbiote. I personally think that understanding Goultard's relationship with the symbiote and the trauma it caused, gives you a fuller comprehension of his relationship with Arty. When he was with the symbiote he was a brutal killing machine but he was under total subjugation, always at the symbiote's mercy. Sequestered and tortured in his own body and mind. But he was never alone and he was desired. The symbiote was OBSSESSED with him. Goultard isn't a prey like any other, he's the favorite, he's the perfect host and he knows it. And whether Goultard loved or hated the symbiote it didnt matter as long as he was his, he never had the choice anyway. (Will probably make an illustrated post focusing on Goultard and the symbiote because there's so much to say)

They're also really stupid and love to beat up people together and theyre best bros 💕

There's probably like a million other things I forgot but I've got to get this thing over with (there's now a part 2)

[sleeplesssmol]

In your opinion what is Vertin suitcase animal? I'm trying to draw different gacha games as animals like Stelle and caelus as racoons, chiefs from Path to nowhere as snakes or cats, lumine and aether as bunnies or rabbits, rovers from wuwa as ravens/crow etc.

Friend, you're opening Pandora's box! We used to talk about this A LOT but at the end of the day I think it depends on what side you want to embody.

Frog because of all rain motifs?

Snow leopard cause it kinda looks like her?

Birds for symbolic reasons like liberty, or a caged bird for the exact opposite.

We also joked around about raccoons and possums too.

But I think somewhere along the lines, I stuck with cat because its more comprehensive than the others. Here is how I see it:

Cats are clever, independent, and adaptable. They're curious little things who manage to get into trouble and hang out in places we never thought they could reach. Horrorpedia convinces her to go to Greenlake, Vertin following up on rumors in Mane's Bulletin, and sometimes she chooses to get into trouble along her crew instead of being dragged in (like in Alien T's anecdote).

Cats are cute and stuff, so we see them as vulnerable creatures but they have fangs and claws. They are built to survive! They are hunters but we forget that until they bring back their prey or decide to give us a good chomp. People forget Vertin isn't a bad fighter despite her lack of arcanums. She's strong and agile AEB fighting Schneider, fighting enemies in Labyrinth, subduing Spathodea (literal boxer) with Ezra (who is sweet bby mushroom not a seasoned fighter), and protecting 37 while fighting manus.

They are stealthy, which we see in Vertin as well when she's sneaking around on missions. There is a magical quality to them too. Cats exist beside monsters, demons, humans, and so on in many stories. They're portrayal as something mundane yet still fantastical is something that Vertin embodies. Her "stoicism" also plays into the cat theme but once a cat likes you, you'd be surprised at how expressive they can be! You just need to get to know them.

Cats are alert at night too, sometimes even with Zoomies. Nap during the day, agent of chaos at night. Vertin is shown taking naps and staying up very late. I also like the idea of Kittin living in the Suitcase = Cat in a box. What is a Suitcase but a fancy box we use to carry around?

Cats also collect/hoard things. Socks, shiny things, toys under the couch... I see her a as collector based achievements and other meta (her gathering arcanists, Uttu cards, etc).

If not a cat, my second choice would be a bird. Some type of Corvid. I wish I could give you animals that you didn't already have listed! Maybe some specific type of cat?

But also I like cats and birds so that's a bias I have.

[moeitsu]

hi moe! ♡

I just wanted to drop in and say I love your siren!arthur fic! (˶˃ ᵕ ˂˶) .ᐟ.ᐟ

I've never read a monster au before but this has honestly opened doors for me. If you don't mind me asking, do you have any monster romance books that would be good for someone new to the genre? I've seen some before but they're kinda intimidating lol, and I have no clue where to even start. I'd love to read more stuff similar to yours! (˶ˆᗜˆ˵)

~ 🌸 anon

Wowow!! First of all, thank you for your kind words anon! 💖I'm touched that my work made you want to explore this genre further!! That's such a huge compliment :')

I’d love to give you some recommendations! In fact, since I’ve gotten quite a few comments and asks from people who’ve never dipped their toes into monster romance before, I’m thinking of turning this into a little “Guide to Monster Romance” post. Since you all seem to enjoy my siren!Arthur AU!

Below the cut, I’ve put together some key info and recommendations that I think will be perfect for curious readers. 😉

(also I adore the emoji anons, It feels like I have secret pen pals hehe)

Let’s start with the basics, shall we? Some definitions are in order to better understand why we enjoy this kind of romance and the distinctions between different types of attraction.

Two terms that often come up in discussions about monster romance are teratophilia and exophilia. While they’re sometimes used interchangeably, they actually describe different but overlapping attractions.

Teratophilia refers to an attraction to beings that are monstrous or deformed by human standards. This includes creatures that might have exaggerated or unsettling features—think demons, werewolves, vampires, or eldritch horrors with too many eyes (or even siren!arthur). The appeal of teratophilia often comes from the blend of danger, power, and otherworldly beauty, as well as the emotional themes of acceptance and intimacy despite physical inhuman differences.

Exophilia, on the other hand, is an attraction to the alien, the completely other. It’s about a fascination with beings that exist outside the realm of human experience, such as extraterrestrials, deep-sea leviathans, or sentient AI/robots. Where teratophilia might lean into the monstrous and grotesque, exophilia often embraces the unknowable and the strange—forms of intimacy that challenge the limits of human understanding.

Both play into the themes of desire beyond the ordinary, exploring love and attraction without human limitations. And that’s exactly what makes this romance so compelling!

✦•······················•✦•······················•✦

Monster romance thrives on themes that tap into deep emotional and psychological yearnings—particularly those of acceptance, transformation, and love beyond the ordinary. While every story has its own unique spin, there are some recurring themes that define the genre:

The Monster as the Outcast - One of the most common tropes in monster romance is the idea of the monster as an outsider—shunned by society (or its own people), feared, or even hunted for what it is. Whether it’s a misunderstood beast, a cursed creature, or an alien being stranded in a world that sees it as a threat, the monster often carries a profound loneliness. This naturally sets the stage for a romance built on recognition—the human protagonist is often the first to see past the monstrous exterior and acknowledge the being’s pain, intelligence, or humanity (even when it isn’t actually human).

“I Am Unlovable” - Closely tied to the outcast theme is the monster’s belief that it is unworthy of love. It may view itself as a hideous thing, unfit for companionship, or even dangerous to those who come too close. This often creates an angsty dynamic where the monster struggles to accept the affection of the protagonist, fearing it’s a mistake or that it will end in heartbreak. This self-loathing is a powerful emotional hook because it allows the human love interest to challenge that perception, proving through their actions that love is not just about appearances. (This is a personal favorite trope of mine)

The FMC’s Inner Conflict - In many monster romances, the female protagonist struggles with her feelings—how could she possibly love something so inhuman? Society, fear, and instinct all tell her to run, to reject the creature before her. But as she spends time with him, she realizes that what she initially perceived as monstrous—his sharp claws, his glowing eyes, his alien physiology—masks something deeply beautiful. She sees his kindness, his protectiveness, his vulnerability, and suddenly, the way he looks no longer matters. What once repulsed her now feels familiar, even cherished. This shift in perspective is at the heart of so many monster romances, reinforcing the idea that true love is about seeing someone for who they really are.

Beauty and the Beast Reversed - While monster romance often draws from the classic Beauty and the Beast framework, it frequently subverts the idea of the beast needing to become human. Instead, the heroine often grows to embrace the monster as he is, falling for him not in spite of his appearance but because of who he is as a whole. The monster doesn’t need to be “fixed” or transformed into a handsome prince—love itself is the transformation, reshaping both characters into something stronger.

The Duality of Danger and Safety - A fascinating aspect of monster romance is how it plays with the contrast between danger and protection. The monster is often portrayed as physically powerful, capable of great death and destruction, yet with the heroine, he is gentle. There is an inherent tension in knowing that this creature could harm others—yet chooses not to, especially when it comes to her. This taps into themes of trust, surrender, and the thrill of loving something wild and untamed. (Another favorite trope)

Transformation and Acceptance - Many monster romances explore themes of change—sometimes literally, such as when a character undergoes a transformation (werewolves, vampires, or even the heroine herself becoming something new). But more often, it’s a metaphorical transformation: the heroine evolves in her understanding of what love looks like, while the monster learns to accept himself and allow love into his life. These stories challenge traditional notions of attraction, beauty, and belonging, leaving us with the profound idea that love is not about looking perfect.

✦•······················•✦•······················•✦

Alright, I think that covers everything for now. I’ll stop rambling and get to the recommendations!

If you're new to the genre and looking for something soft, sweet, and packed with spice (but not too monstrous), I highly recommend the Ice Planet Barbarians series by Ruby Dixon.

The series consists of 21 standalone books, though I definitely suggest reading them in order because there's an overarching plot that adds depth to the stories. The books follow a group of human women who are abducted by aliens, only to crash on a frozen planet where they encounter the native barbarians—large, strong, and sometimes a little rough around the edges. Each book focuses on a different couple, exploring themes of survival, love, and the fierce chemistry between the humans and their alien mates. While the romance is at the heart of each story, there’s also plenty of adventure, emotional growth, humor, and hornyness, making it a well-rounded series for fans of spicy romance with a touch of sci-fi.

The IPB series also offers great representation of diverse female characters, each with unique backgrounds, personalities, and strengths. The heroines vary in age, body type, and life experience—some are strong and independent, while others grow into their strength through their relationships with their alien mates. The series features women from very different walks of life, such as scientists, artists, and everyday women, showing that love, growth, and self-discovery are for everyone.

✦•······················•✦•······················•✦

If you’re a fan of The Dark Tide and looking for something in a similar vein, I highly recommend Emma Hamm’s Deep Waters series.

While I’ve only read the first book so far, it’s clear that this series is a perfect blend of dystopian steampunk elements and underwater fantasy, and it deeply inspired my own story. Set in a world where underwater cities are teeming with secrets and hidden dangers, the series introduces mermen who are visually striking and alien in their appearance but have rich, vibrant personalities that bring them to life in a way that feels both unique and endearing. If you love the idea of exploring mysterious underwater realms, full of intrigue and adventure, with a dash of romance and spice, these books are sure to captivate you. They're incredible slow burns that focus on developing feelings rather than just sexual desire. Plus, the cover art is absolutely stunning!

(I devoured the first book in one sitting. It's easily one of my favorite romances!)

✦•······················•✦•······················•✦

Another series that is particularly easy to enjoy for new readers is the Duskwalker Brides series by Opal Reyne.

This series blends dark romance, fantasy, and adventure, offering a captivating escape into a world filled with fascinating characters, demonic creatures and unique dynamics. Set in a world where the Duskwalkers, mysterious and powerful beings, rule the land, the series centers around women who find themselves chosen as brides to these enigmatic creatures. What makes the series so appealing is its accessibility—it's easy to dive into with engaging plots, a good balance of tension and romance, and characters you can’t help but root for. (a warning, this series is VERY spicy. There is a lot of monster fucking in these books) The Duskwalkers, though fierce and otherworldly, are complex and emotionally rich, making for an exciting mix of danger and passion. With strong world-building, character growth, and plenty of steamy moments, its a great choice for readers new to the genre or anyone looking for an enjoyable, immersive experience.

(Personally, I only read the first book in this series. It just wasn't my cup of tea)

✦•······················•✦•······················•✦

This next series focuses on MLM monster romances, and while I haven’t started it yet, Monstrous by Lily Mane is high on my TBR list, and I’ve heard nothing but rave reviews!

The series offers a thrilling mix of fantasy, romance, and supernatural intrigue. From what I’ve gathered, it dives into the deep, emotional connections between human men and monstrous, otherworldly creatures. These monsters are more than just fearsome—they’re complex, layered beings with distinct personalities that bring an exciting dynamic to the romance. I also believe some of these monsters would fall into the exophilia category. The world-building is rich, the characters are emotionally compelling, and the chemistry between the leads is absolutely electric. If you love a dark, steamy romance with supernatural twists and complex relationships, this series is definitely one to check out. From what I've heard, they re surprisingly sweet and sad and a bit graphic. Think hurt/comfort and loads of angst. I can’t wait to dive in myself!

[whereserpentswalk]

Your new job is to sit at a desk, looking at a single camera feed monitoring a small white room, writing down everything that happens in the room, and then reporting it back to your bosses. The first day, two men are brought into the room, possibly unwillingly, and are instructed to fight to the death. Neither of them think to refuse, one of them wins. You realize there's very little you can do. Though you can hear what's going on in that room from your office, it's in the same building as you, the feed is live and it is near you and there's nothing you can do.

You write the report. Your bosses say it's good work but you need more detail, they'll give you further instructions. The next day the same happens, two men are brought in, two men fight, one man lives. You can hear it all going on across the hall. But you know to add more detail, your bosses love it, they love that you gave the amount of information that you did, they say you have a good eye for these things.

Every day at your job is the same. The men are different most times but survivors come back sometimes. Sometimes they have more then two men, sometimes on teams sometimes not. Sometimes they give them weapons, things that you would find in a hardware store. Sometimes there will be special rules. Sometimes it's just two men fighting to the death. Occasionally it won't be equal, but it will always be fair, but sometimes it'll be something like a man with a fireaxe agaisnt a man with a baseball bat, or three elderly men agaisnt one man in his prime. But it's always fair.

You write down the details well. You always typed fast. Everything anyone would need to know. Anything they said. Every move each of them made. How each injury effected them. The way the blood splatters. If when a man wins if it's because someone dies or because someone is too injured to fight, if he tries to kill of an injured man or let him bleed out. If a man uses his left or right hand to hold a knife. How long a man tries to run or dodge before he starts throwing punches. It eventually stops becoming like a real thing that's happening in the same small building you work in, and more like a game, and it's a game you're winning.

Your bosses might not be human. They never show themselves, and say that you'd be horrified by them if you ever saw them. They refer to humans as separate from them, as a type of synapsid, which is technically true but still. They also just don't talk like people. They could be billions of years old, all of this could be so meaningless to them. They could be demons, or aliens, or creatures from another dimension for all you know. Or they could be rich and powerful people doing their best to scare those who work for them, though they'd be putting a lot of effort into not appearing human if that was the case. It almost seems like them being aliens or something is the less conspiracy minded answer. But still, it doesn't matter, you don't have time to question it. This job pays better then anything else, it's getting you through college, it's gotten you a much nicer apartment in a much better neighborhood then you could with any other job. Who cares if they're demons, they're paying you.

There was one day where you saw a wounded man limping out of the room where the fight had happened. It was the first time you saw someone from the fights in the flesh. It was horrifying, you wanted to turn away, not because of his wounds but because you didn't want to be a part of this. You're just someone who watches it, just someone who reports on it, you're not going to actually be involved.

There was also a time someone screamed at the camera for someone to do something while his opponent was stabbing him to death. There was nothing for you to do, but it was strange to write about. You questioned if you should describe him as begging the camera for help, or begging you for help. But it felt weird for the reports to contain the word "me", you don't think your bosses would like that. You just wrote that he was begging for someone to help, it was the easiest way to describe it after all.

There was one fighter who you really enjoyed seeing. He was young, handsome, and very good at fighting. He wore a smirk when others wore frowns, and had these beautiful blue eyes. He knew how to taunt his enemies and get in their heads. And you always rooted for him to win, and he always did. You started thinking about him more and more, reading into the smallest movements, theorizing about why he was so good, about his past, his hopes and dreams. You read his personality into all of his actions, and loved him so much for it. Part of you hoped you'd accidentally meet him on your way out, and that you'd get to know eachother. Once you even touched yourself to the thought of him with you, but the act gave you a weird type of shame. You never knew his name. After one rough fight he was too injured to fight anymore, mostly blinded from slashes to the face it seemed. You were sad about him for a bit, and then moved on.

Your bosses want you to do a major report on the fights. You get to choose the specifics and your thesis, almost like a college paper. It's so cool and exciting to get to have so much creativity in your job. You wonder what they'll do for you next. You still don't know what your bosses are but they've been talking about a promoting. You're so lucky to have gotten this job.

[hplovecraftmuseum]

Making any definite and incontrovertible statement about writer H. P. Lovecraft is risking pushback. Some say that Lovecraft did not care about earthly, mundane matters, his adult life was marked by the attitude of 'cosmicism'. Yet, adhering to the ideals of a New England Gentleman were extremely important to him. Wearing a suit of a particular cut, keeping scrupulously clean shaven with hair neatly combed and clothing pressed, were standards he rarely deviated from. Though in later years he maintained a slim frame and hated the years - brief though they might have been - when he wore 200 lbs on his bones, Lovecraft may have lambasted his own "bloated" years by giving his most famous demon- god-alien-high-priest, Great Cthulhu an obese and slimy body fitted with tiny, ineffectual wings. Though Lovecraft several times wrote of protagonists and others experiencing mind-twisting bouts of drug enduced hallucination, he himself never used drugs or alcohol in his life. Though HPL became a highly knowledgeable student of astronomy in his youth and teenaged years, he often developed concepts in his fiction that were utterly in conflict to the realities of space as he knew them. Though Lovecraft wrote about architectural structures and works of art contrary to Classical standards and reflective of many the schools of Modern Art, he himself was a dedicated aficionado of the sensibilities of ancient Greece and Rome. Though many know Lovecraft first and foremost as a rabid rascist, Lovecraft married a beautiful and intellectually gifted woman of Jewish heritage. One of his closest friends - Samuel Loveman - was also Jewish by birth. In later years Lovecraft developed friendships with other persons of Jewish roots, Robert Bloch and Kenneth Sterling particularly. In letters to friends Lovecraft seemed to admire and agree completely with the theories of Sigmund Freud while at other times he stated that Freud was shortsighted and mistaken in believing that all human motivation is based ultimately and strictly on sex drive. Though Lovecraft developed themes in his fiction that were utterly impossible and supernatural, he remained to the end of his life a strict Mechanist/ Materialist. Some critics, S. T. Joshi particularly, have suggested that Lovecraft's comments on the subject may form the ultimate definition of that assessment of reality. Taking all these things into consideration those who make any core proclomations about Lovecraft's life and beliefs are taking a risk when doing so. HPL was a highly complex individual. For every statement one might make for or against him there is another fact that stands in contrast to it. A troubled genius, a man who wrote of hideous creatures and mouldering landsapes, he loved watching sunsets. Though sometimes seeming cold and unemotional he was seriously effected by the deaths of friends and even the neighborhood cats that he always tried to befriend. Lovecraft claimed to be loyal to Western sensibilities, yet he loved Japanese painting almost beyond all other types. He claimed loyalty to England and English culture, yet admitted in letters that the French were more appreciative of art than other cultural streams. Additionally Lovecraft claimed that the people of the Far East tended to be more emotionally stable and intellectually healthy than people of the West. Those of us who have attempted to study Lovecraft, both as a man and artist are repeatedly surprised by his extraordinary complexity. He was an individual who never stopped growing, and remained open to new perspectives until the day he died. (Exhibit 548)

[mewexe]

Name: .exe or exe (real name: Mew.drw or Mew.exe but he dislikes both of them)

Age: est. 18

Species: Parasite/Symbiot, Shapeshifter, Mew, ???

Gender: N/A

Pronouns: he/him

Height: 1,2m (base)

Character Backstory: .exe

.exe is part of an alien parasite with demonic abilities, who dwell in their own pocket dimension to keep their thin numbers safe. orinigally, exe was tasked with corrupting and taking over BJ, to further their growth but he failed. Miserably might I add. After fighting and loosing around 50 times, his spirit was broken, but BJ managed to turn exe from his evil path with his now favorite snack: chocolate. BJ taught exe everything he needed to know, about living as a civilized and „normal“ being wich exe thought suited him more, than the power hungry past of his origins. They became good friends. His life really changed for the better, when one day, BJ and exe stumbled across a young Mimikyu while timeline hopping. This Mimikyu wore a costume that resembled exe and he was flattered. He took the Mimikyu (after a bit of convincing BJ) under his wing and adopted her, giving her the name „Mimikmew“. When he tried to change his outfit once, he realized that he was unable to change his form, figuring out that the jacket and cape he’s wearing are part of his body.

Now, 4 years after he and BJ first met, he lives with his best buddy and daughter in a world, that only contains humans. He jumps between worlds and universes frequently, looking and analyzing them for anything interesting. His daughter and him sometimes go on small killing trips, if a universe has peaked his interest (and has no creature nor powerful than her). He is absolutely addicted to chocolate and is negotiable, if you have a bar ready. Other than that, he likes spending time with BJ and Mimikmew. He’s also BJ’s “get out of jail free”card, saving him if anything doesn’t go according to the Mew’s plan.

Read under cut for abilities:

Body possession

Shapeshifting

Teleporting

Soul capturing

World hopping

Copying

Resurrecting creatures he killed as servants

Complete resurrection of people he killed

Regeneration

Some other stuff I’m too lazy to write down :p

he possesses a corpse, not his own but acting as their rebirth. He’s one of the 3 pieces of a person long gone. Sometimes when exe sleeps, you can him glowing a familiar pinkish color.

[peaterookie]

Had to post this late because below is like a whole indepth analysis of this drawing + Perrin's history

Happy Birthday Perrin!!! It's really been 10 whole years... it's honestly astounding to even say this. Lil bro's so old...

Ok! if you clicked the keep reading button, expect to be here for a while, for i will be walking you through every single design and aus in this drawing and the history behind it!!

Perrin, or his old name, Peater, is a silly, bastardly little boy that has the magical powers to make people's dreams into reality. But that's just his canon lore. He also used to be a winged swordsman, a kirby with a repeater hat, and a little alien that escaped a lab. In different universes, he's a phantom thief, a god, a demon, or just a simple schoolboy!

Essentially, I use him for almost any story ideas that i find cool. He's one of the first ocs that I made and he gets involved in almost anything due to him being the favorite oc. His personality, still, has been very consistent, but you should just read his Toyhouse page if you wanna learn more because I don't want this to get any longer than it already is rn

Ok! Let's get started on the first design!!

~ Kirby Era ~

Before Perrin was a human, he was a puffball!

I used to be a huge PvZ and Kirby fan (still is) and so Perrin was born as a combination of both of those things. The general gist is that its a Kirby with a Peashooter hat. Simple enough.

The left design however, was I think another concept for Perrin that I had earlier or around the same time as Kirbypeater (this is the name for the Kirby version of Perrin) So I also considered that design a Perrin design as well. Also it's just super fucking funny because of how much it stands out. It straight up looks like a Mary Sue.

These two designs have absolutely zero lore, most of their lore will be coming with the next designs!!

2015 was honestly peak Kirbypeater era in terms of development. I drew him a LOT and gave him some personality and powers.

There were also a lot of design variations aside from these four (ignore the human one for now) most of them comes down to his bandanna color, his shoes, and whether he's wearing the repeater hat or not.

I was also a big Strikeforce Squad fan during that time so I reaally reaaally wanted him to be part of the lore and be a member lmao

You can notice that I changed the Peashooter to Repeater, which is my favorite plant in pvz. Around the end I changed it to Primal Peashooter, but that change was something I ended up not approving of in the future.

The katana is inspired by Zoro from One Piece, which is my fav OP character. His swordsman skill came extremely early on. The green hair guy (the one that got hit by the pea) is just mid 2015 Kirbypeater without the hat. Sometimes he has black hair however, which hairstyle was based off of Len Kagamine/Glutamine (the utaite)

~ 2016 - 2017 ~ The Blue Bitch Era

Sadly, the Kirbypeater era has now come to an end, because shortly after 2015, I decided to transition from drawing little funny kirby creatures to little funny boys.

Okay, let's go back to the guy riding the roadroller, because that was Perrin's first human design !!

The roadroller was a reference to this vocaloid song, if you didn't know already.

The first human design takes the black hair design from Kirbypeater, and the sweater was clearly inspired from my Undertale obsession back then 😔 little did he know that sweater was gonna stay for so damn long...

The part that did not stay long however were the green eyes and the black hair, that drawing was mostly a proof of concept only and didn't really reflect on what he'd become later.

ngl, this drawing is pretty damn good for a first time. I think i really didn't want to screw up back then.

THEN OUT OF NOWHERE?? HIS SWEATER THEN TURNED BLUE!!

I call this little era the blue bitch era because the sweater he wore turned blue for no damn reason, like no, you're suppose to be green, not blue... the disappointment i hold is immense right now.

Other than the blue, his iconic green hair first appeared during this time!! I also changed his eyes to brown, maybe as a way to make his design more grounded to real life? at least i think thats what little me was going at.

The second picture is the first AU i made for Perrin, based off of my playthrough of Pokemon Crystal where I named my pokemon after my Sony Sketch friends (hence Pokesketch.) Perrin would be the trainer and yeah.

I have no fucking idea what I was cooking for the third reference sheet, I think i wanted to imitate the ref sheet style a friend had and ended up making something INSANELY cringe. the undertale fan stink radiates off of that drawing and you guys are free to make fun of it as much as you want.

alright!! now its this fucker!!

this design was made as a sort of inside joke between my friends one day, where all of us just decided to have the same profile pic and name as this one other friend. the pfp (center) was of their ink sans oc and it was fucking funny as hell

it lasted like one day but i think that design is too good to not include in the art piece. you can see him fighting the chara perrin guy as a little nod to their similar inspirations #iloveundertale

~ 2018 - 2019 ~ Ninja Perrin makes an appearance ! Also these weird guys are here for some reason.

This era is kinda weird because there's nothing really stands out in terms of changes. But that's ok! Life isn't always just bumps and... idk where i was going with that uh anyways NINJA PERRIN

his swordsman ass is back again and now as a funny ninja guy!! honestly i cant recall lore wise why he was a ninja but i think it mightve been based off of naruto (i dont even watch naruto) also wow look guys his sweater finally stopped being blue! and now he has shorts!!!

also scratch that entire part about me saying there wasnt any significant changes because there was a time where i almost made perrin's hair NOT GREEN. that's right. absolutely BLASPHEMOUS. i shouldve been pelted with rocks for even considering such things.

but being real, i think a part of me back then felt? insecure about the fact that perrin's hair was an unnatural color for a while? green especially was not a common color to use back then so i felt like people didn't like him for that reason so i changed it to brown for a while to see if i liked it. uh spoiler alert i didnt and i changed it a month later i believe.

dude wait until 2019 peater sees gon from hxh

also you might be wondering why i only drew mid 2019 perrin wearing the ninja outfit and not early 2018. that is because that one drawing of ninja perrin from 2019 got meme'd to fucking DEATH by my friend because it had a funny face. i was forever scarred and so i decided to draw it as a funny reminder of that time.

oh yeah christmas tree peater. yeah bro.

moving on, here's the collection of weird perrins from this time.

the first is art i drew for art fight 2019, where I drew perrin with outfit themed with the team i joined which was team dream. i fucking lost horrendously that year. if i had a team i regretted joining it was team dream

next is!!! these four fucks!!!

these little guys are what was supposed to be representing peater's main personality traits, i made designs for them then that was it i did nothing with them. they were kinda dumb anyway

hopefully one of you guys know that thomas sander series with the four personality traits because that was what inspired these :smill:

and yknow what? I should probably cover all of the christmas perrins all in a row because getting rid of all of them rn would better fit the writing flow better-

oh. there's a picture limit. god fucking damn!!! see you later then!!!

Second Part

[1nk-ling]

Why did you come up with that name, Deathbreather?? 🤔

Oh, Hi! Just curious (⁠^⁠^⁠)

Ooh! I have many answers to that! Changing over...many drafts of the story.

Deathbreathers are a sort of, uh, demon(?) creatures in the story. They don't exist fully on the physical plane, and can only be touched by bone and shell, though they can choose to touch living flesh sometimes. Otherwise they just pass through.

They exist by melding with/possessing a living thing and consuming its mind. They basically eat your psyche. Most of the time Deathbreathers are small enough that they won't hurt their host, and people will purposely 'take' one in to keep more dangerous deathbreathers out.

The stronger your demon the safer you were from bigger demons. As long as it didn't overpower you and suck out your mind completely.

I went through a couple names for them: mind drinkers, soul daggers, but death breathers sounded most cool to me.

Actually, at the very VERY sprouting of this idea I was using the term Deathbreather because whatever was allowing Jan (the human boy) to breathe underwater made his breath poisonous to the others. He had a whole respirator thing, but I scrapped that plot point because I wanted to see his face more of the time. But even in the current story line locals still call him a Deathbreather. Because realizing he's a worldhopping mystic alien makes so much less sense.

(And as a final reason: it just seemed like a really punchy one word title, you know? Easy to remember)

[ananke-xiii]

One of the reasons why Nick's story in s14 doesn't work form me is because of the show's insistence to pigeonhole Lucifer as "the supreme agent of evil". Of course, this is considered true in our real world (lol), specifically Christian world, but in-universe it just... doesn't work? If we want to go full-on dichotomy (and S14 very much goes there) if Lucifer's evil, who's the primary agent of good? No one, exactly. Definitely not Heaven.

Because there are, like, TEN seasons of angels going total batshit crazy, I mean we know that angels=good isn't a view the show supports since Cas appears in "Lazarus Rising". And we know that ALL angels downright lie, manipulate and coerce humans to get their "consent". We also know that the main issue with "the devil's spawn" in s12 was not so much "the devil" but the fact that "a Nephilim came into being".

The problem is NOT that who'll later be Jack is Lucifer's son, the problem is that he's a Nephilim. Lucifer has weight in the discourse merely because he's an archangel, NOT because he's the primary agent of evil. The issue is that "grace+soul"=a fucking lot of power. And a fucking lot of power means a fucking lot of problems.

We also know that humans get severely depressed after a possession, they have to face many struggles and sometimes society alienates them (see: "Repo Man"). So the argument that Nick's psyche is damaged because Lucifer's so evil his influence's still there even after he's departed is just... weak? A random demon can possess a random Jeffrey and the damages on the human psyche are still IMMENSE. From the human perspective random demon or most powerful archangel in the world are the same thing: they can carry out the same violence, abuse and trauma.

I might be wrong but what I get from the season is that the "primary agent of good" is the soul. And this is ALSO not true? Because shit gets real when Jack starts losing it, sort of implying that without the soul, his luciferian grace will make him become evil or will make him do evil things ("the devil made me do it" mentality). But we literally have a character such as Castiel, Angel of the Lord and Maker of Huge Mistakes but also Not in Possess of a Human Soul who actively strives to do good things (and he fails miserably so maybe he's not a good example but HE IS JACK'S CHOSEN FATHER, it MUST mean something ffs).

I think, maybe, I don't find the shift from "Nephilim" to "Lucifer's son" compelling because Jack's real "problem" (if we want to call it so) is that he's half (arch)angel and half human. Like, being an angel is a fucking issue in this show because these creatures are a bit deranged okay? LOL. On the other hand, being human is ALSO a fucking issue because it 100% doesn't warrant inherent goodness. Humans can be deranged creatures, too, okay? :D Both species can definitely just make mistakes, do bad things wanting to do bad things or ending up doing bad things without intention to do so. Ultimately, Jack's dilemma is being Other, just like his chosen father and just like Kripke-era Sam.

I still stand by my idea that all angels are a little bit like Lucifer. And there are episodes such as "Of Gods and Monsters" that sort of confirm it. When Nick calls Cas out and tells him "Castiel, you’re just a stone cold body snatcher. You’re no different than Lucifer" he's exactly pointing out the hypocrisy. Hell, the whole episode seems to question the season's main theme because Michael is literally possessing Dean, he conned him, he tells him that he owns him, he's creating an army of monsters as they speak, he's brutally torturing them but the primary agent of evil is still little ol' Lucifer.

Although, truth be told, I didn't particularly feel the need to learn more about Nick (sorry Nick, I know you're there so that Mark Pellegrimo could stay on payroll, I don't hold it against you), I can't deny that it had great potential as a narrative choice (let's not even go into the Sam/Nick parallels). But, to me, it didn't deliver because the show's murky on where it stands: on paper it wants to show the fallacies of "black and white" thinking but it effectively supports the same "black and white" view of the world that it seeks to question.

[monsterfuckerconfessions]

Sometimes I forget what’s actually vanilla. Other monsterfuckers sometimes will say stuff about people who like werewolves or more human vampires or shapeshifters of some kind that can look human and other creatures that can be very humanoid. I’ll see people talking about fucking some mostly human looking demon and people will be like “that’s not monsterfuckering”. And sure, I’ll see erotic vampire stories amongst the more “normal” romance novels, but then i talk to someone who is ACTUALLY vanilla and I’m like “oops” because I’ll say too much and apparently wanting to be fucked by a shapeshifting alien with tentacles, in both their non human and more human forms, with the tentacles, is not actually that standard amongst the whole, for lack of a better word, normie crowd I guess. I’ll see a werewolf romance in the more normal area and flip it open and find that they are ONLY fucking as just humans. There isn’t nearly as much bloodplay in the more normal vampire romances as a lot of stuff I read. I’m not saying this as a “not like other she/theys” just as a sort of confession, or maybe just an attempt to sort my thoughts out and maybe see if others have felt like this. This confusion about how much of what you like really is kinky, and how much is stuff someone without a kink would be into as well. There’s a lot of seemingly gray area where it starts and I’m always a bit uncertain about how much of me would actually be considered a monsterfucker. I know there’s a lot about me that is one, but I don’t really want to do something like fucking a slime monster (no shade to people who do. It just seems more clear cut). I guess I’m a little boring in some circles around here and it makes me feel awkward, even if others have enjoyed stuff I’ve made and actually posted.

.