DAEMON MEME

[was_no_monster]

Maybe you woke up this morning to the knowledge that something was different. Or maybe you didn't— because nothing's changed, and you've always been this way. Either way, you weren't alone: your daemon was with you.

For those of you not familiar with the His Dark Materials series, daemons are a person's inner self given a form and a voice of their own. They take the shape of animals that are symbolically representative of who you are. For example, someone given to loyalty and following orders would likely have a canine daemon of some sort, while those who are manipulative and intelligent often end up as primates. Children, teenagers, and those others who haven't grown enough to know who they are yet have daemons that shift between animals at will.

As a soul given shape, though, there are certain taboos in place. Daemons talk more frequently to other daemons and their person than to other humans, and humans are never ever to touch another person's daemon. To do so is a violation of the other person's soul... at least, when it's done without permission. When done with intimacy and trust, however... well.

This is a meme to play out what it would be like if your characters' subconscious were basically out and about— whether that's something you want the character to have always had, or whether it's something that suddenly happened. Feel free to make new accounts, add animal icons to your current account, describe things in lovingly detailed actiontags... whatever.

If the above infodump wasn't quite enough, click here for more. Have fun!

Comments

[was_no_monster]

[has a gigantic scarred wolf daemon! feel free to either tag with a scenario or just your character if you'd rather I came up with something.]

"suddenly happened" because what...am I doing......

[thisfoolishfather]

[Don't mind this little crow cautiously lookin' over your wolf from a safe distance, there. Or the guy closeby, trying to be much more discreet about his interest.]

YOU ARE DOING YOLO THAT IS WHAT YOU ARE DOING

[was_no_monster]

[...there's definitely something off about the way the two of them interact. Kaito looks at anything but her, while the wolf alternates between ignoring his existence and glaring at him, ears back and teeth bared

it's on one of those angry backward glances that she spots the crow and barks out a laugh, her voice painfully rough sounding]

"You would be a crow, wouldn't you?"

[meanwhile, Kaito winces at the sound of her voice and hunches his shoulders like he's trying to hide]

—Nobody asked you, Lilith.

YES THAT IS EXACTLY WHAT

[thisfoolishfather]

[The crow's voice is oddly calm and quiet, clearly not trying to start anything.]

"We're both appropriate, aren't we?"

Come on, we don't need to be bothering anyone.

Re: YES THAT IS EXACTLY WHAT

[was_no_monster]

[baring her teeth]

"I don't know about that— you could have been a hamster. Or a lion. One of those creatures that kills its own—"

[she's cut off from saying anything further by Kaito growling and slamming into her, knocking her over and starting a brief, vicious fight that ends with her on her back and his hands around her muzzle, both of them panting

over the wolf's muffled snarling] ...You should leave. It... we don't like you, but I- I can't restrain it while it's like this— please.

[thisfoolishfather]

[Piko scrambles back, even if he was farther away from the two than the crow fervently flapping into the safety of his hands. They both stare at the scene like it's a train wreck, and Piko is the first to find his voice again.]

It's alright. We were just passing by--we'll be leaving.

"Some other time, then..."

[was_no_monster]

[shuddering and ducking his head. this is what he's spent most of his life trying to keep hidden away, the madness and the fighting both, and having it all on display...

it's disgusting. it's obvious how little control he has, and he hates it.

unfortunately, his distraction is just enough of an opening; the wolf shakes his hands off and snaps at his stitched wrist, forcing him to back off in a hurry and giving her enough space to thrash free]

"All right? All right?! Look at us and say that again without lying, you're just as bad as he is—"

[thisfoolishfather]

[Piko wants to duck his head as well and leave like he said he would, but the crow feels the need to pipe up.]

"You're right. He's despicable."

Eir. [He adjusts his hands to try and cover her head, but instead she escapes to perch his shoulder.]

"You have every right to be livid. To think the worst and wish us the worst."

[was_no_monster]

[they both sort of freeze, Kaito on his hands and knees and Lilith with her jaws hanging open and teeth bared

then the barest ghost of something like relief crosses Kaito's face, and Lilith's tail twitches, and they both sit back and studiously ignore each other in favor of looking over Piko and the crow.]

...And here I thought that blurting out uncomfortable truths was something only mine did.

[she grumbles vaguely in warning, but does not reengage]

[thisfoolishfather]

["Uncomfortable" describes every last inch of him right now, refusing to lift his head despite the expectant look Eir seems to be trying to drill into the side of his head.]

No. She's been very...talkative, since she's shown up.

and then joining a new RP ate me for a while CURSE YOU NEW RP SMELL

[was_no_monster]

[the wolf lets out a harsh cackle, sounding more than slightly deranged; Kaito winces]

"What did you expect, when obviously neither of you listen to us?"

[howtheworldwillend]

[glorious bright red phoenix because fuck you she is a sorceress 8|b]

[defender]

[elatha lets out a jet of white steam through faintly smirking teeth in ritsu's general direction, which is apparently his way of saying hello]

[...miku will have to have a Talk with him later about that]

My apologies. He's a man of few words.

[badbye]

[a cute little one-winged raven looking somewhat helpless ;;;]

[was_no_monster]

[...and they thought they had the monopoly on "look at how symbolically awful my life has been." at least Lilith has all of her limbs. and is happy to stick them cautiously into other people's space HELLO RAVEN THERE IS A NOSE SNUFFLING AT YOU please don't go for my eyeballs '-'

he'll just. let her do that in the meantime; sometimes daemon interaction as an indicator of interest is a bit more polite than blurting out "so I see you have also been through some horrible things and also took an inauspicious shape for your soul. how about that."]

[badbye]

[tiny raven stiffens for a moment and seems a little... confused, pacing back and forth between seiichi and lilith before ultimately settling near her owner's ankle, eyeing lilith warily]

[seiichi smiles.]

Should I be afraid of the big bad wolf?

[was_no_monster]

[she yawns at him, showing off far too many teeth, and settles down with her tongue lolling lazily out of her mouth]

...Despite that display, not particularly. Wolves aren't as bad as they're made out to be.

[badbye]

[the raven croaks and pecks at herself a little, at which point seiichi leans down and picks her up in his hand]

Neither are ravens. [she relaxes a bit once he puts her on his shoulder] Though I confess I can't tell the difference from a crow.

ugh I dislike this way of formatting but I can't think of anything else \o/

[was_no_monster]

[starts to reply, only for his daemon to speak first]

"Ravens are less social than crows. We tried it, once."

...what she said.

IT'S OK BB

[badbye]

Tried it?

Re: IT'S OK BB

[was_no_monster]

[giving the wolf a Look before replying]

Before she settled. It didn't quite fit.

[badbye]

Ah, of course. My dearest here — [gently pats the bird on his shoulder, who has been oddly still for the most part] — used to be an otter, herself.

But she's still adorable, don't you think? [well, if "looking faintly sick" and "adorable" were the same thing...]

[defender]

[an enormous black dragon, curled up on itself and lazily folding and unfolding its wings]

[was_no_monster]

[there's something exceedingly strange about what's essentially taking his inner demons out for walkies. not that he minds the thought of putting a leash on her; it wouldn't be much different from what he's done for much of his life. ...every time he pictures the wolf pacing ahead of him in chains again, though, she looks back and growls, and he's not really interested in a rematch of the vicious wrestling match they'd had earlier that morning. (her teeth are sharper than his, for one.)

she's not paying attention to him now, though, which is odd; what is Lilith looking... at...

...maybe he doesn't need to worry so much about collateral damage if he loses control of the wolf, seeing as he obviously hadn't ended up with the most dangerous daemon the way he'd initially assumed.]

...Miku?

[and despite all of her fierceness toward him, the wolf is crawling toward the both of them on her belly and then rolling over onto her back with a whine.]

[defender]

Ah, Kaito. [standing outside of her house, as elatha would be uncomfortable inside — he also opens one eye to glance at the newcomers and then shuts it]

Is something the matter?

[was_no_monster]

[snorts, his expression wan and tiredly amused, only to flinch as the wolf all but cackles. her voice is unpleasantly, painfully hoarse]

...Besides that?

[defender]

[apparently elatha doesn't like that much either, as he stirs with a series of neck stretches and emits a low bass rumble not unlike an irritated yawn. miku only chuckles.]

Admittedly, I would have preferred something a little less conspicuous, but I suppose there aren't many forms a daemon of mine would find... fitting.

[heart_hidden_in_binary]

[itty bitty baby blue parakeet 'u']