Body horror, my beloved

Artworks by @corvidaeconundrum

'Hail, True Body' is a religious horror series that focuses on what it means to be human in a world that God has abandoned. For Mark Owens, 1993 is shaping up to be the worst year of his young life - and that's saying a lot all things considered. When his best friend Cesar Hernández calls him one night in October, Mark ignores the broadcast warnings to help him out. But Cesar is acting... strange.

Though perhaps that's understandable. His mother did just die, after all.

Or: An eldritch beast tries a little too hard to be human. It goes about as well as you'd expect.

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Please be aware of each story's tags before you read. All Parts are in the order that you should read them.

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Overview/Summary of the Series (a quick guide)

PART 1: Mimicry (complete, 6 chapters)

PART 2: Where Is Your God Now? (complete, oneshot)

PART 3: Old Rugged Cross (complete, 5 chapters)

PART 4: What's In A Name? (complete, oneshot)

PART 5: The Good Samaritan (complete, 16/16 chapters)

PART 6: An Eye For An Eye (ONGOING, 3/? chapters)

(more info + reviews under cut!)

HAIL, TRUE BODY ANIMATIC by freezie!

Also! Grace and Rocky! I really liked that you let him be weird (or werider, I guess) about the whole touching another human being. I don't know, it just feels like it makes more sense with his whole avoidance thing that his touch starvation circle to touch aversion. And also, the last time he touched someone is was a dead body and the last time he was touched by a human it was definitely not good. I guess, it just makes sense that touch is now something that makes him uncomfortable.

Also! Also! Thank you for giving something to Rocky. I have read a lot of fanfics about Grace needing touch, but I think this is the first time that I have read when the author takes in account the fact that Rocky is also starved from a connection in regards of his biological needs(?. The way that Rocky was mesmerised because Simon made sounds similar to eridians? How he sang to him? Gosh it was mind blowing. Really, thank you.

fshejsjdjksgdjdkd thank you so much this is so kind!!! 🥺💜

I love exploring Simon's mindset so much - that he's justified every bad thing he's ever done with the idea that it was for some greater good. He couldn't protect his mum but he can protect Eden and make sure it survives for as long as possible. He copes by disassociating whenever he commits terrible acts like killing the other boy, Jacob, when he was 17 because it helps him accept the cult's doctrine and way of life. Once Eden sort of gives up on itself, everything he has (which is practically nothing) becomes meaningless. He's the last son, the last tree of Eden and all he really knows how to do is survive no matter the cost. I'm really excited to reveal more of his backstory in future chapters!! My guy has had a really rough go of it and it's only going to get worse lmao

I'm glad you like Grace, too! I try to keep elements of the PHM novel mixed in with the movie version, just sort of cherry-picking my favourite parts of his character: positives and flaws alike! Combining the two versions made me realise that touch aversion born from touch starvation would actually make perfect sense for Grace, especially because, like you said, the last time he touched another human, it was the dead bodies of Yáo and Ilyukhina. Anything more intimate than clinical, medical, necessary touch is a bit too much for him to deal with as we saw in Chapter 8 with his meltdown after comforting Simon. It'll take time and a lot of patience, but he'll open himself up again.

As for Rocky, he is my son and he doesn't get anywhere near as much appreciation in bloodymary fics as he should. I agree that there's a lot of focus on Grace needing human touch in other works and I think there's so much potential for Rocky's relationships and character to grow too. Having him be invested in Simon to the point that he tries to be parental to him is such a sweet concept and I am biting the bars of my enclosure whenever I think about it. Rocky really heard the weird half dead human in the airlock making ultrasound waves and went 'my child now, statement'. You just can't really have Grace without Rocky and Rocky without Grace. They complete each other and support one another so wonderfully and it's why I'm making sure in my fic that that aspect is always shown, whether it's through their banter, exploring Rocky's trauma, or them doing science together. Rocky is often Grace's anchor in both the book and the film; whenever Grace starts spiralling over having too many ideas or getting stuck on a problem, Rocky is always there to set him back on track again. He's the common sense to all of Grace's scientific logic and I love that about them.

"Like he didn’t try and hurt you first, That smaller, pettier part of himself sneered unhelpfully. 

The ghost of a palm against his windpipe, thumb and fingers following the curve. Not hard enough to hurt, barely any pressure at all - no restrictions on his breathing - but the unspoken threat had been there, had forced him to back off, instinct taking over. Curie hadn’t pushed any further but he didn’t have to, his touch light and yet as deep and wounding as a brand, leaving an ache beneath the skin that reared its head whenever Grace stopped thinking long enough to remember that it even happened. The fear on Curie’s face turning lax, softening out, no longer snarling snapping teeth behind the muzzle of a non-rebreather but confused, hesitant. Letting Grace step away and out of his hold that was more of a touch, the pad of his thumb rasping against the vulnerable join between neck and jaw.

He didn’t try to hurt me. If anything, he tried his best not to."

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