#((...of course I'm thinking about how different this is from my Seph's lingering body horror wing but neverrmind nevermind))

[goldendivinewrath]

Inside the protected shield is all warmth and softness, feathers and flowers. Safety. Comfort. Outside of it is where he is, outside of it is the truth--

Sharp edges and wrong angles and panting in irregular bursts because it hurts. When he does this, it hurts but it's worth it to protect what must be protected, but it hurts in another way because they cannot see him like this. They can't see him like this.

Even if they love him (and they do, they do), he is still something Other. Unsettling. Inspiring a completely understandable primal kind of fear that remains somewhere in the brain stem, but that doesn't make the fear any less real. He is still a monster. A loved monster is still a monster, and that love will always come with a shudder.