They say that the eyes are the window to the soul - and yet -

[forwhomtheytoll]

The Dæmons AU Meme

Lyra and Pantaliamon by WinonaCookie (Flickr)

In the universe of the His Dark Materials trilogy, every person has a creature called a dæmon that accompanies them all their lives, and is emotionally and metaphysically a part of them. Dæmons are often described as sort of external souls (while the part of the personality in a human's body is the spirit).


Basic Dæmon Facts:

- they take the shape of animals
- they can talk, no matter what their shape
- children's dæmons can change form at will; around puberty they 'settle' and become one animal permanently
- neither the person or the dæmon chooses the final settled form, but it always reflects their personality (although not necessarily in obvious or simple ways)
- they are almost always the opposite sex as their human
- if a dæmon feels pain, so will their person, and vice versa
- being physically apart from one's dæmon causes horrible emotional and physical pain
- Dæmons frequently talk to and touch each other, in ways that reflect or complement their persons' interactions, but dæmons talking to humans other than their own is considered strange, and touching humans not their own is extremely taboo; it generally occurs only between long-time lovers. Touching someone else's dæmon without permission is a terrible violation.

How it works:

Just design a dæmon for your muse and put as little or as much information as you like about them (shape, name, link to a picture or species wiki if you are so inclined) in a comment, with your muses's name and series in the subject. Check out other people's dæmons and let your dæmons interact too.

You can take the dæmon test on behalf of your character to help you brainstorm animals that might fit, or you can just pick one that makes sense to you! Keep in mind that non-human characters or characters from non-earth worlds might have very different dæmons or, if they don't have souls in the human sense, none at all. Feel free to be creative, and have fun!

More info on dæmons in the original books can be found here.


Originally from memebells via funvee

Comments

Irene Adler || BBC Sherlock

[womanwhobeatyou]

[Meet Irene and Deitra, a steppe polecat currently curled up around Irene's shoulders. She's a bit adorable, isn't she? All harmless looking and cute and fuzzy.]

My turn to obsessively tag you.

[the_new_sexy]

[And Sherlock Holmes, along with a slender, well-groomed black rat named Valladon, will be staring at you from his seat, Ms. Adler.]

Shay | Uglies series | OTA

[1st_cutter]

Shay was in the wildpark, hoverboard slung across her back, and Ripper, her red corn snake daemon curled around her wrist like a stack of bangles.

Xemnas | Kingdom Hearts

[letxequalnull]

[By luck or by chance, Xemnas' daemon - a white-bellied sea eagle by the name of Atropos - even matches the general color scheme he's got going on. For now, she seems content enough to perch on his shoulder and watch.]

[flared]

[Axel's dæmon, Aria is an interesting character. She's silent, yet protective, and remains quietly settled beside him, her tail and ears flicking every so often when she picks up a distant sound.

Maybe they'll notice each other?]

Allen Walker (AU) | DGM

[thelongcon]

[ He sits on a park bench, Liz, an Indian Grey Mongoose running around his feet. It doesn't seem like it, but both are looking over at the crowd near the fountain. ]

Wheatley | Portal

[soabirdcameand]

[Wheatley's hummingbird Imri flits by his shoulder, equal parts eager and agitated.]

Apollo (Inception OC) - OTA

[apollodreaming]

Apollo was at his worktable, putting together as brief a timeline as he could, Hera draped across the back of his neck, tongue flicking out now and again to test the environment.

Hanna (Movie of the same name) | OTA

[aptoautmorior]

Hanna could easily have been any other lost girl in the city, if it weren't for the presence of the arctic fox curled up in the hood of her jacket, watching the world with hungry eyes.

Maison Roberts | OC | OTA

[big_l_librarian]

Maison was working in the actual library upstairs for once, shelving new arrivals. Estsanatlehi, his Raven daemon perched on the handle of the cart, enjoying the ride.

Icarus (Rule 63 Ariadne - Inception) | OTA

[bishopofthemaze]

Icarus was putting together a working model for the current job, and Ginger, his orangutan daemon was alternately grooming through his hair and offering pieces of foam-core to work with.

Spot Conlon | Newsies | period muses only please

[brooklyn_ishere]

Spot was on the docks that afternoon, as usual. He'd finished his rounds for the day and now it was time for target practice. And what better daemon for a Brooklyn newsie than a wharf rat that had been named 'Fang' as long as he could remember. She was currently searching between the slats of the dock for marbles that had been dropped.

Aqua | Kingdom Hearts

[wavesinherheart]

[Even if there's a point to it, too much traveling tends to be exhausting at best. As a result, Aqua's simply taking a brief moment of respite under the shade of some trees. Moana, her swan daemon, is resting near her feet.]

Clint Barton | The Avengers | OTA

[worldsbestmarksman]

[There are days that Clint Barton wished that Marian, his Red-Tailed Hawk could move more then the two-three feet away most daemons could manage. Today was not one of those days. Today he was scratching the bird's feathers and watching people pass by in the restaurant.]

Re: Clint Barton | The Avengers | OTA

[inrepair]

[ The young God of Mischief seemed quite interested in the fact Barton seemed to have a creature of his own-- not to mention the both of them had birds. Loki's own a Magpie, Ikol, the quiet spirit that settled on his shoulder and often whispered into his ear. He knows this man is a friend of his brother's, though he does not know him all that well-- still he feels no real fear. ]

What's its name?

Charles Xavier | XMFC | OTA

[calmestmind]

Charles was at his desk, going over his notes again, despite the fact that he'd already done so a dozen times and it was well past midnight. His daemon Dorothy, a common box turtle, perched on the corner of his desk as she usually was, dozing off.

STEVEN HADLEY | CABIN IN THE WOODS

[coolerwithamerman]

[Anxiety was something that Steven Hadley was no stranger to. Neither was the Jack Rabbit in his arms.

Iphigenia didn't like it-but she tolerated it. tonight's the night-tonight the world is in the balance once again. If Only Steven would just eat the food in front of him instead of tugging on her fur-]

Stop that. You're pulling.

"What specifically do you want me to do?-"

Don't pull. It's been done a thousand times.

Arthur (Inception) - OTA

[domsconsigliere]

Arthur was taking notes on their mark, it wasn't often that he had to do legwork like this, but this was supposed to be an easy job, and all he had to do was wait at the cafe and watch. Emmylou was perched on the back of his chair, her back to him so that she could watch his back, not that he really needed it.

Aja Shepherd | Pilot/Mercinary OC | OTA

[goatcanfly]

Aja was humming to herself, standing on a stepladder, halfway into the engine compartment of her sopwith camel. Pavel, a moorish gecko clinging to the underside of the open compartment panel, just watching her work for the time being.

Mukuro Rokudo | Katekyo Hitman Reborn | open to all

[tofufu]

Mukuro lounged on a couch, eyes closed as if he were sleeping. On the couch's back, above him, was perched his raven, Nevermore.

(Yes, he had a sense of humour. No-one said it was a GOOD sense of humour.)

The raven kept watch for him while he napped, poised to croak a warning should anyone approach.

[thelongcon]

[ Allen has one hand wrapped around Liz (an Indian mongoose), the other dragging an oversized luggage case as he rushes through the airport.

Seeing his gate, he slows, resting a hand on the couch that Mukuro was 'napping' on, panting. ]

This is the last time I let Lavi set the alarm, Liz. I mean it.

John Watson | BBC Sherlock

[watsoff]

[John sat in his comfy arm chair, rifling through his morning paper while in the kitchen, Beth tears into a fresh pidgeon that she'd snatched from the window sill earlier. Years of living with her and his experience in the army/as a doctor have accustomed him to her feeding habits, and the sound of dead animal being torn into no longer bothers him as it once did.]

Winifred 'Fred' Burkle | Angel

[girl_fred]

[Fred is taking a break from the lab with her robin Feigenbaum perched on her shoulder, chirping happily. The outdoor patio is such a great place to people watch.]

[womanwhobeatyou]

[It's a lovely day out and Irene has decided that taking a walk is going to be better than having the car brought around. She's walking past the patio Fred's sitting on when she stumbles, the stiletto heel of her designer shoes catching in a crack in the sidewalk.

Deitra, her daemon, leaps from where she'd been investigating a nearby picket fence back to Irene's shoulder as Irene catches her balance again.

She sighs, and slips out of the shoe. Five inches of stiletto heel are firmly wedged in the crack, and the rest of the stylish pump rests on the ground. She looks up, sees Fred, and calls out in a friendly, accented voice.]

I don't suppose I could ask for a little assistance?

[just_a_guy]

[In the quiet of the gym, the heavy footfalls on the twin treadmills was loud. Steve on one, and the lanky, long legged Josephine on the other, both panting a little as they started to wind down from their morning run.]

[blots]

Captain Rogers?

[ An attendant of the gym, neatly dressed in servant's uniform, hands Steve a letter, sealed with heavy wax impressed with a single rune, like a V on its side.

Inside, a brief handwritten message:

Dear Captain Rogers,

I have a information that may interest you regarding the artifact lost in your first polar expedition. Enclosed is an invitation card to the Black Sun [ a prestigious restaurant in the city ]. I will be there at 4 o'clock precisely.

Do not be late.

- A Friend

The attendant bows and turns away.

The knowledge of the Tesseract isn't public. No one even knew it existed, much less that it was lost in the ice. Much, much less that the Bears have been seeking it, and that the Church fights to find it first. Steve is at the center of this controversy.

Loki knows where it is.

And so, in a single hour's time, he is seated in a private table -- a sealed booth -- at the Black Sun. He orders an exquisitely prepared vegetable finger-food appetizer, and waits, his daemon on his shoulder. ]

Liquid Snake | Metal Gear Solid | OTA

[whyamisobritish]

[Liquid is out hunting jackals with a rifle and Alcestis, his honey badger who don't motherfuckin care.]

Castiel || Supernatural (End!verse) || OTA

[was_holy]

[The ex-angel and his dæmon Malach are sitting outside underneath a tree. Castiel is absorbed in a book while Malach watches a nearby flock of birds with mild interest.]

Clint 'Hawkeye' Barton - MCU - OTA

[ihazanest]

Clint was out and about, running some errands, keeping an eye on his surroundings as he usually did. He didn't expect he was going to run into trouble, but sometimes things happened. Annie, his Tarsier daemon clinging to his shoulder, dozing as she usually did during the day.

Hope you don't mind?

[just_a_guy]

Steve was...well, he was lost. As much as he hated to admit it, and as much as it bothered him to realize it, none of that changed the fact that he'd jogged about six blocks out of his slowly widening comfort zone and was currently heading in the complete opposite direction. At his side, Josephine ran along side him, her nose to the ground but even she couldn't pick out their trail. It was just too busy.

Panting, he slowed, coming to a stop outside what appeared to be a coffee shop. The patrons that graced the outdoor tables all gave him a glance, but he was used to that. He was dressed for running, after all, and he'd been out doing just that long enough to wind even his own stamina. He really didn't want to have to go in and ask for directions...

[moontothetide]

[Tara's daemon is a white Maltese dog, small enough that she can drape herself comfortably over Tara's shoulder or fit in the palm of Tara's hand. Her name is Corialis, and she is the same gender as Tara. Tara has endured a great deal of attention throughout her life because of this, including being submitted for a few scientific tests. Despite her small size, Corialis attempts to be mighty, loud, and fierce, and will frequently place herself between Tara and any new acquaintences despite the risk of being stepped on. Otherwise, Tara has a small basket she keeps the dog in.

Judging by the bandage over her arm as she sits hunched under a tree in the park, she's just gotten back from one of those tests. At least it pays well. She's currently the breadwinner of the family, even if she wishes she weren't. Tara is currently trying to delay the moment of going home with a book, but her frequent glances up towards the clock tower in the distance are enough to reveal her true intentions.]

Lonnie Chandler (Jumper OC) - OTA

[imajumper]

Lonnie was sitting still for once, which didn't happen anywhere near often enough as far as she was concerned. She was on a bench near the turtle pond in Central Park, with Freddie zipping back and forth in an orbit around her head. The violet-bellied hummingbird was keeping an eye on things and sipping from flowers as he did so, glad for the respite, even if it was just long enough to get a snack.