Skin Shapes

Merru is an empathic Shifter. He knows he is weird for wanting to take a Graven lover. The Graven are basically humans except they are born with tribal tattoos and naturally have a punk/goth look. Kiian is a mutant Graven who, instead of the normal tribal tattoos, was just born with blobs like a pinto horse. Merru, in Shifter form (animalistic: dog ears, clawed hands, clawed paw-like feet, tail, red/brown/tan color) witnesses Kiian's evil brother publicly humiliate Kiian for being gay and make fun of his mutant spots. Merru falls in love with Kiian because he empathically feels Kiian's strong emotions of anger, hurt, loneliness, etc.. Merru tires to seem appealing to Kiian by shifting himself to look like a Graven with spots like Kiian, and confesses his feelings to Kiian, but Kiian rejects Merru because he thinks his evil brother asked Merru to play the mean trick of painting blobs over his tattoos and pretending to like Kiian. Kiian does not explain out loud that this is why he rejects Merru. Merru reveals that he is a shifter and begs some more, but Kiian is weirded-out and still untrusting, refuses again, and runs away.

Merru is hurt. He decides if he can't have Kiian's love he at least wants to have Kiian's baby, so he disguises himself as a Graven (with normal tattoos) and sleeps with Kiian and gets himself pregnant. Maybe Merru pretends to be a whore and lets Kiian hire him. Merru then reveals what he has done (in a letter?) to Kiian, apologizing for the deception and saying thank you because Kiian unwittingly gave him the best think he could other than his heart.

Feeling miserable from this rejection and nervous but hopeful about the big commitment he has just made in getting pregnant with a half-human child, Merru leaves the area where Kiian is and is perhaps less cautious than usual. He is captured by the halfblood Ravennin, who hates being a halfblood and has never had a lover because normal Graven find him beastly. He cannot shapeshift, or can only shift a little, so he is permanently stuck in a half form, which is a male human body with ears, tail, clawed hands, and clawed pawlike feet. Merru is intrigued by Rav's being a living example of what his child will turn out like, empathizes with Rav's loneliness, and is flattered because ho one has ever acted so possessively towards him before, so Merru agrees to become Rav's lover despite the fact that Rav has attempted to use force against him, which Merru doesn't like. Then they break up because Merru's pregnancy becomes obvious and Rav is upset about it.

Merru, now looking pregnant and feeling alone, meets Attranath, a 'human' who thinks pregnant people are gorgeous and always wished he could become pregnant himself (but he's male). Merru is comforted by Attranath's love. Merru tells Attranath he can use his shapeshifting abilities to transform Attra into a hermaphrodite who can get pregnant. Attra begs him to do so. The change happens, and Attra immediately asks Merru to get him pregnant and asks to marry Merru even though he's pregnant with another man's child. Merru tells Attra he should definitely not marry out of gratitude or just because he wants to get pregnant, but only because he is in love, which Merru can tell he isn't. Merru gets a letter from Rav saying “Please come back I changed my mind about the baby.” (?)

Merru presents Attra as a present/apology to Rav. Attra and Rav meet and fall for each other and Rav is happy to get Attra pregnant, leaving Merru alone again. He decides to go see Kiian one last time – if not talk to him, at least look at him from afar. But it turns out that Kiian is being forced into a nasty arranged marriage by his evil older brother. Merru again uses a disguise to rescue Kiian, then tells Kiian he's free if he wants to go and still doesn't want anything to do with Merru. Kiian is shocked that anyone would do anything so nice for him, and at Merru's obviously being pregnant with his child. He's been thinking about Merru since Merru's letter, and realizing that Merru might have been telling the truth about loving him. So Kiian gives Merru a chance, and Attranath's pregnancy is starting to show, yay happy ending. :)

Bonus art idea: All 4 cast members with dog ears.

Cover illustration ideas: all 4 characters, Merru pregnant and Attra kneeling luvving his tummy while Rav and Kiian stand to the sides looking aloof?

Chapter 1

Merru is an empathic Shifter. He knows he is weird for wanting to take a Graven lover. The Graven are basically humans except they are born with tribal tattoos and naturally have a punk/goth look.

Show Merru in Shifter form (animalistic: dog ears, clawed hands, clawed paw-like feet, tail, spiky crest, red/brown/tan color) standing guard or something and being ignored by the Graven as they go by, and put his inner monologue. A close up on Merru in Shifter form for at least one panel, maybe from the side rather than the front. A camera angle looking over Merru's shoulder at the town square and passing Gravens for at least one panel. Maybe a top view showing how Merru is isolated from the flow of people traveling by. “I don't know why I am this way. Normal Shifters might be interested in the Graven the way a Graven naturalist is interested in animals, but normal Shifters don't consider Gravens attractive – they leak emotions all over the place, they are trapped in one imperfect shape, they quickly grow old. They don't consider Shifters attractive either – see them all walking by without looking at me, as if I were merely a bizarre statue, or an animal tied to a post awaiting its owner. If I called their attention to me they would only be afraid – to them Shifters are dangerous tricksters, powerful spirits with incomprehensible motives who are only saved from being terrifying from the fact that they usually don't meddle with Gravens. But I am different – I can't help wanting to 'meddle' with them. I am fascinated by their passionate emotions so different from mine, and what I want more than anything else in the world is to have a Graven as my lover.”

Kiian's brother, “You are a freak!” Merru is startled, turns to the right focusing on the beginning of Kiian's scene. [bottom of page 2, top of page 3]

Kiian is a mutant Graven who, instead of the normal tribal tattoos, was just born with blobs like a pinto horse. Merru witnesses Kiian's evil brother publicly humiliate Kiian for being gay and make fun of his mutant spots. Use the brother's rant to explain that the tribal tattoos have symbolic meaning? Merru falls in love with Kiian because he empathically feels Kiian's strong emotions of anger, hurt, loneliness, etc..

Chapter 2

Merru tries to seem appealing to Kiian by shifting himself to look like a Graven with spots like Kiian, and confesses his feelings to Kiian, but Kiian rejects Merru because he thinks his evil brother asked Merru to play the mean trick of painting blobs over his tattoos and pretending to like Kiian. Kiian does not explain out loud that this is why he rejects Merru. Merru reveals that he is a shifter and begs some more, but Kiian is weirded-out and still untrusting, refuses again, and runs away.

Chapter 3

Merru is hurt. He decides if he can't have Kiian's love he at least wants to have Kiian's baby, so he disguises himself as a Graven (with normal tattoos) and sleeps with Kiian and gets himself pregnant. Maybe Merru pretends to be a whore and lets Kiian hire him. Merru then reveals what he has done (in a letter or in person?) to Kiian, apologizing for the deception and saying thank you because Kiian unwittingly gave him the best think he could other than his heart.

Chapter 4

Merru is intrigued by Rav's being a living example of what his child will turn out like. Rav says he hates being a halfblood. Merru says hmm, he could probably make Rav look like a pureblood Graven but would have to study him thoroughly first. But why does Rav hate being a halfblood? Rav rants about the bastard of a Shifter who made his mother pregnant with him then declared him a failed experiment. Merru says that's a horrible thing to say to any child. It turns out that the real reason Rav is upset is that he feels unloveable; he says there is no mate for him, there's no female halfbloods and pureblood of both kinds think he's disgusting. Merru says he doesn't think Rav is disgusting. Merru shifts to look like a female halfblood? Merru empathizes with Rav's loneliness, and is flattered because ho one has ever acted so possessively towards him before, so Merru agrees to become Rav's lover despite the fact that Rav has attempted to use force against him, which Merru doesn't like. Thinking this will be a one night stand or few weeks interlude, Merru doesn't tell Rav he is pregnant (and he doesn't look pregnant yet, or only starts to looks slightly pregnant toward the end).

Chapter 5

But Merru ends up staying for a few days, then a few weeks. Ravennin doesn't feel like he needs his appearance changed once Merru accepts it as attractive. When Ravennin asks Merru to stay permanently and be his lover Merru feels obligated to tell Rav he is pregnant with another man's child. Rav feels betrayed and really upset and tells Merru to get out.

Chapter 6

Merru now looks a little pregnant but since he still looks male most people probably assume it's a pot-belly. He sits at a bar, and orders something non-alcoholic, which puzzles Attranath the Graven bartender. Merru explains that he was feeling lonely so he wanted the company of the bar, but he can't drink alcohol because he's pregnant. Attranath is astonished – he couldn't see the curve of Merru's belly because from his perspective it was hidden by the bar. Attranath thinks pregnant people are gorgeous and always wished he could become pregnant himself but can't because he's male. So naturally his attention is riveted by a male-looking person claiming to be pregnant. Perhaps the bar is empty enough that Attra can come around the front and look at Merru's belly? At any rate Merru explains to Attranath that he is a Shifter but because the child is half Graven he has to be pregnant the way a Graven is. Attranath asks why he's lonely, where's the father? Merru explains and Attranath thinks that it's really sad and he thinks Merru is beautiful. Merru can feel Attranath's attraction, so he asks if Attranath would really mate with him even though he's carrying another man's child. Attranath blushes and says he definitely would, he thinks pregnancy is amazing and hot and explains how he always wanted to be pregnant. Merru goes home with Attranath and they make love.

Chapter 7

Merru is comforted by Attranath's love. Although maybe after a while he gets frustrated that Attra is more focused on his stomach then on him, and thinks maybe Attranath won't even be interested in him when he's not pregnant any more. Attranath likes being dominated but Merru doesn't like doing that. Also Merru can feel how much Attranath longs to be pregnant, and Merru never did get to reshape Attranath, so now he plans how he could give Attranath what he longs for. Merru tells Attranath he can use his shapeshifting abilities to transform Attra into a hermaphrodite who can get pregnant. Attra begs him to do so. The 'surgery' works, and Attra immediately asks Merru to get him pregnant and asks to marry Merru even though he's pregnant with another man's child. Merru tells Attra he should definitely not marry out of gratitude or just because he wants to get pregnant, but only because he is in love, which Merru can tell he isn't. Merru gets a letter from Rav saying “Please come back I changed my mind about the baby.” (?)

Chapter 8

Chapter 9

Merru again uses a disguise to rescue Kiian, then tells Kiian he's free if he wants to go and still doesn't want anything to do with Merru. Kiian is shocked that anyone would do anything so nice for him, and at Merru's obviously being pregnant with his child. He's been thinking about Merru since Merru's letter, and realizing that Merru might have been telling the truth about loving him. So Kiian gives Merru a chance, and another Merru/Kiian sex scene happens. Later Merru and Kiian cuddle fondly, while Attranath is showing them excitedly that his pregnancy is starting to show and Rav stands by looking embarrassed but proud. Yay happy ending! :)

Page 1 (righthand)

Panel 1.1: Merru in Shifter form (animalistic: dog ears, clawed hands, clawed paw-like feet, tail, spiky crest, red/brown/tan color) show from the side or front quarter, standing guard or leaning against a wall and watching towards the right. (no Graven in this panel) “I don't know why I am this way.” This panel is in the upper left hand corner, 1/3 of the page wide and maybe 2/3 the page tall. All Merru's thoughts are black letters on white boxes with hazy edges.

Panel 1.2: Back view or back quarter view of Merru on the left side of the panel, we look over his shoulder at the town square and passing Gravens with emotion symbols floating around them. The Graven are human except they are born with tribal tattoos and naturally have a punk/goth look. “Normal Shifters might be interested in the Graven the way a Graven naturalist is interested in animals.” “But normal Shifters don't consider Gravens attractive – they leak emotions all over the place, they are trapped in one imperfect shape, they quickly grow old.” This panel is in the upper right hand corner, 2/3 of the page wide and maybe 2/3 the page tall. This panel set slightly lower on the page than first panel? One chunk of words is in the upper left corner of this panel, the other at the lower right.

Panel 1.3: Chibi Merru puppy looking pathetically up at big people feet walking by, ignoring him. Either tied with a rope or in a box which says free puppies or free to good home. “They don't consider Shifters attractive either – see them all walking by without looking at me.” Panel takes up the bottom 1/3 of the page.

Page 2 (lefthand)

Panel 2.1: Merru squats down to grab a ball which has gotten away from some Graven children, while they look at him wide-eyed. “At first I tried to talk to them, play with the children who are more willing to accept someone strange-looking...” Words are at the top of the panel, above Merru's head. Panel is in the upper left corner of the page, 2/3 the width of the page?

Panel 2.2: Merru, still squatting, holds out the ball and a child reaches for it, but a fearful/angry looking mother grabs the child. “But I could feel their fear and anger like a slap to the face, even though I had done nothing remotely threatening.” Words are again above Merru's head if they fit, otherwise over his legs. Panel is also 2/3 of the page wide, but aligned with the right edge instead. The corner overlaps or underlaps that of the previous panel? Together these two panels are half the page tall.

Panel 2.3: This panel background is black, with white flames and a werewolf/witchdoctor Shifter making claw hands and dancing, balanced on one foot. No Merru in this panel. “In Graven mythology Shifters play the role of trickster spirits with supernatural powers and incomprehensible motives.” Panel is 4/5 the width of the page, centered, and goes from the middle to the 3/4 mark vertically.

Panel 2.4: Merru as a statue with little birdies sitting on him, maybe something leaned or hung on him; he is longingly watching two Graven lovers across the way, embracing and surrounded by hearts. Maybe he has a hand outstretched toward them? “In real life, we are only saved from being terrifying by the fact that we usually don't meddle with the Graven.” “But I am different – I can't help wanting to 'meddle' with them.” First set of words above Merru's head, other set around the lovers' knees. Panel is the full width of the bottom quarter of the page.

Page 3 (righthand)

Panel 3.1: This panel background is black or gray, no borders, overflows into the splash. Multiple firework booms of emotion slightly overlapping Merru (looking up in wonder?). “I am fascinated by their vibrant emotions.” Top left corner, 1/4 wide

Panel 3.2: Merru kneeling looking up while Kiian (veiled or silhouetted to make him anonymous) dances around him with one hand on Merru's face, Kiian's heart-aura wrapping around Merru. “What I want more than anything else in the world is to have a Graven shower their amazing, passionate love on me.” Top right corner, 3/4 wide.

Panel 3.3: Same scene as the previous panel, but now Merru looks either astonished or pouty and has a big handprint on his cheek from being slapped, he is looking left watching the peeved Kiian stomping away to the left. “But I can't just walk up to a Graven and ask them to sleep with me. Full width of the page, position Merru so he is directly below the Merru in the previous panel.

Panel 3.4: Gravens run screaming from FrankenMerru, who is offering a daisy. “I want to try taking the form of a Graven, seeing if they would talk to me if I walked among them as one of them. But the Graven form is one of the most difficult to emulate – it's easy enough to remove my tail and claws, not too hard to replace my crest with hair, but terribly difficult to copy all those tiny little details that make the difference between attractive Graven and mannequin monster.” From middle to 3/5 mark of page?

Panel 3.5: Merru, forlorn, in the middle of a sorry-looking meadow between a wall of Shifters to the left and a wall of Graven to the right who are all giving him the cold shoulder. A small sign by Merru says No Man's Land. “And I can't find another Shifter to teach me how because if they saw in my mind what I wanted to use my Graven form for, they would be repulsed. Then both the Graven and the Shifters would think I was a -” This panel is 2/3 or 3/5 of the page wide, aligned with the left side, from the 3/5 to 4/5 mark on the page. Maybe the bottom line is angled? Its bottom right corner merges into the next panel where it becomes Merru's thought bubble.

Panel 3.6: Merru's imaginings (the previous panel) go pop! as he (from shoulders up) looks, startled, toward the right where a pentagonal or spiky speech bubble with thick black borders is coming from off-panel shouts “Freak!” This panel is half the width of the page, right-aligned, from the 3/4 mark to the bottom.

Page 4 (lefthand)

Panel 4.1: Kiian's brother Kayden yells at Kiian, waving a sketchbook. “You little freak! I can't believe this gay crap is what you have been scribbling in this damn sketchbook the whole time!” 1/2 the width of the page, 1/3 the height of the page, upper left corner.

Panel 4.2: Kayden, right, holds the sketchbook higher than Kiian, left, can grab. “It's none of your damn business, now give it back!” “It's not enough that I've put up with the embarrassment of having a weak mutant little brother with smears instead of real tattoos, now you're going to live up to your girly looks by trying to be a girl? Hell no.” Kiian's dialogue is above his head, Kayden's is over his chest or upper legs. 1/2 the width of the page, 1/3 the height of the page, upper right corner.

Panel 4.3: Closeup of Kayden tearing the sketchbook, “I won't tolerate it – you either get this gay shit out of your head and try to be a real man for once or you leave. And I don't mean just the house – you leave town, because if I catch you doing this stuff again I will kick your ass and then kick you out.” 1/2 the width of the page, from the 1/3 point to the 2/3 point vertically, left-aligned. Maybe these top three panels have angled borders because they're action-ful.

Panel 4.4: Kiian kneels facing left clutching the torn sketchbook to his chest. Kayden's legs walk off the panel? Extra thick (irregular?) black border. Space between this panel and surrounding ones or overlapping them? 1/3 the width of the page, from a bit lower than the 1/4 point to the halfway point vertically, not quite aligned with the right hand side of the page???

Panel 4.5: Merru walks over and stands facing right looking down at Kiian, who doesn't notice him. Merru is thinking, “His sadness tears my heart.” “But I doubt he would let a Shifter comfort him...” Half the width of the page, from the 2/3 point to the bottom, left-aligned.

Panel 4.6: Kiian suddenly notices Merru (Merru's shadow?) and startles back, looking afraid and clutching the sketchbook harder to his chest. Half the width of the page, from the 2/3 point to the bottom, right-aligned.

Page 5 (righthand)

Panel 5.1: Merru points at the sketchbook, saying, “I'll repair it for you.” Kiian doesn't understand why anyone would be nice to him. “Wha... fix it? Why would you do that?”

Panel 5.2: Merru squats, trying to be sympathetic and non-threatening. “I can feel how upset you are, and it's easy for a Shifter to repair.” Kiian is mortified that someone could feel his anguish and turns his head away, his mouth a hard line, letting the torn sketchbook fall loosely against his knees. “It doesn't matter. Even if it was fixed I can't keep it.”

Panel 5.3: Kiian holds his arms out before him and glares at the patches. “I can't leave town – I've got no money, the only reason I have a job is because my aunt thought it would be better to give me some work to do out of sight of anyone than leaving me to embarrass the family further by being a beggar. If I went somewhere else no one would hire a freak like me.”

Panel 5.4: Merru with question marks and pictures of stacks and leather bags of coins behind his head looks sympathetic but clueless. “I don't really understand what you need money for, but it certainly seems to cause a lot of Gravens a lot of anxiety. I'm glad Shifters don't have money.”

Panel 5.5: Kian stands up abruptly, laughing bitterly, Merru looks up at him with surprise. “You don't know anything! It would be easy to not worry about money if I could eat anything and sleep anywhere like a Shifter. But I can't. If I just walked out of town I would starve, if wolves didn't eat me first.”

Panel 5.6: Kiian gestures violently at the sketchbook on the ground “Those drawings, those dreams, have done nothing but harm me – it's not like I'd ever really find someone to love me!” “No, Kayden's right, damn him – what I need to do is just forget all this!”

Page 6 (lefthand)

Panel 6.1: Kiian stalks away to the right, abandoning the torn notebook and Merru looks surprised and sad. Maybe he has his hand out like 'hey wait...' Kiian is talking to himself as he walks away,

Panel 6.2: Merru picks up the torn sketchbook.

Panel 6.3: Merru stands and, facing the reader, absorbs the sketchbook into his chest/stomach (which is what shifters do instead of having pockets to put stuff in).

Panel 6.4: A breeze blows through the empty scene or Merru's tail leaving the scene as he walks off to the left.

Page 7 (righthand)

Panel 7.1: Establishing shot of a meadow (with a pond for reflection-gazing?) Merru is sitting cross-legged, eyes closed in concentration. “Shifters are shifters because we have the ability to reshape ourselves on the molecular level. To a more limited degree we can also reshape other objects and even living things by temporarily taking taking them in and treating them like a part of our bodies.

Panel 7.2: In Merru's inner space, show the sketchbook open to reveal a beautiful sketch of a man similar to Merru's human form. Merru comments on how sad it is to destroy something beautiful that someone obviously put a lot of care into.

Panel 7.3: Still in Merru's inner space the pages knit themselves back together, draw some molecules floating around.

Panel 7.4: Back in the meadow, Merru, smiling, pulls the repaired sketchbook out of his chest

Panel 7.5: He flips through it, commenting, “So this is what he considers beautiful...” Decorate any extra space in this page with assorted sketchies from the book.

Panel 7.6: Now Merru finds a pic of Kiian being screwed by a character much like Merru's human form and thinks, “Oh wow, that's exactly what I want to be doing.” Full width of the page, bottom of the page.

Page 8 (leftthand)

Panel 8.1: The sketchbook laying on the ground, Merru stands and shifts himself to look like the man in the drawing. Very naked and definitely male. ;)

Panel 8.2: Merru examines his new form, comments that it feels weird not having a tail, and wonders aloud about tattoos. He explains that every Graven is born with tattoos which are unique and meaningful, but he doesn't know enough about their symbolism to realistically make up a set for himself.

Panel 8.3: He hits upon the idea of demonstrating that he is a good match for Kiian by giving himself blotches too.

Panel 8.4: Looks at his reflection in a pond and rather desperately, uncertainly, hopes it is good enough.

Page 9 (righthand)

Panel 9.1: He walks back toward town, still naked.

Panel 9.2: Fortunately he remembers at the last moment that Graven wear clothes and makes some grow out of his skin. Maybe only pants.

Panel 9.3: He looks for Kiian (with empathy or not?) A passer-by gives him a weird look.

Panel 9.4: Kiian is... doing something to try to seem more masculine? Something which makes him feel angry or miserable so Merru has a good reason to want him to stop doing it?

Where'd the whole money issue go? *doh*

Attranath wakes up and is looking adoringly at Merru, who has a peaceful expression, with a few 'luv's written with balloon letters floating around.

Just Merru sleeping, smiling slightly, with more and more 'luv's piling up around him.

Merru's eyes open, and he is startled by a giant 'luv' right in front of his face.

Then Merru turns over to see that all the luvs are coming from Attranath. Merru smiles a huge smile with crescent eyes and snuggles into Attranath, murmuring, “What a lovely way to wake up.” (Was that pun funny or horrible? *sweatdrop*)