InsaneJournal

Depictions of mental illness, PTSD, the catholic church, murder, death, demons, demonic possession, and possession, serial killers, kidnapping, abusive childhoods, abandonment.

What to expect from a Human/Demon hybrid? Cloven hooves? A forked tail? Horns?

Nah. She's mostly your average warm-blooded human. If you're lucky, you might even catch a glimpse of impossible pale skin, offset by black veins. It's just how those Helstrom siblings roll, you know? Looking like warm-blooded humans, until they rage out, at least. It serves as a good reminder that they're not fully human, but there's nothing quite as blasé as horns, tails and cloven hooves.

Flannel, rain boots and Kirkland signature are a hard and solid pass for someone like Ana Helstrom, Human/Demon hybrid, and a woman who looks like a pissed off Patrick Nagel poster - an annoying brotherly quip - that by-passed 80s fashion and dove straight into vintage fashions of yore and walked right back out with the sleek, high-maintenance bob that marks her as a Louise Brooks and Ginger Rogers-esque fashionista (I think?).

She's the picture of needle-straight spines and near-perfect composure perched on top of designer heels, and her sharp cheekbones and dark makeup give further weight to her brother's 'Patric Nagel poster' quip, but that playful almost-would-be-a-smile twitch at the corner of her lips isn't quite there, and her neutral gaze can turn dark on a dime, giving way to indifference, anger or rage.

It's her low empathy you see, first honed by a possessed serial killer for a father - yes, it's a mouthful, and just as complicated - only to be tossed into foster care without as much of a thought. Or at least that's how it felt like at the time. So don't be too surprised that she's has coping methods, her clothes are armor, or her high-maintenance cut gives her enough time to shake off the nightmares just behind her.

This is actually decent for once.

HUMAN/DEMON PHYSIOLOGY It's based on averages at best, especially in a world where aliens and superheroes run amok, but compared to most ordinary humans, her strength and durability are well above average, leaving her capable of not only walking away relatively unscathed, but also being able to survive being set on fire and being buried alive. But there's another tell, one that implies she didn't fall into a vat of radioactive waste after all - pale skin, black veins that look like they could pop right out of her skin, and a primal scream trapped in her throat. Fortunately, those moments are far and in between.

LIFE-FORCE ABSORPTION This could've been titled 'kind of like a succubus, except not quite'; through physical contact, Ana can drain someone's life force; her emotions can also negatively impact any plants or trees around her.