Can't Stand the Heat

A little vignette I wrote a couple weeks back.  A look into Tyler's culinary past. Enjoy.

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The lens swirled open with a whir and the LCD screen flashed on. White balance slowly corrected itself, as the image racked focus between seemingly nothing and a small boy precariously standing inside the drawers of the kitchen counter. They were pulled out, arranged like a staircase. He was stabbing away at a large bowl with a wooden spoon, puffs of flour whooshing out with each jab.

“Hey Bay-bee, what’cha doing?” inquired the camera operator as she tracked around to the other side of the boy.

Startled, he jumped. A cloud of smoke hit him square in the face, as the foot in the bottom drawer slid backwards. His mother’s hand reached into the image and helped him out of his multi-level splits.

The boy’s eyes darted to the right of the screen, focusing on the red record light. He wiped flour from his lips before staring the lens down. “Moooom, I don’t wanna be filmed! Turn it off!”

“Aw, but come on! What are you doing? Tell Mommy what you’re doing, Ty-Ty.”

“I’m cooking a soufflé, Mom. Duh.”

“Oh really?” She zoomed in on the contents of the bowl: flour, cornstarch, three sticks of butter, and other various dry ingredients. “Why all the butter, Bay-bee?”

“It’s French. Get with the program. It’s a soufflé.” He shook his head, and hopped down from the drawers. The camera followed as he stumbled over to the refrigerator and pulled out whipping cream.

“And what, might I ask, inspired you to make a soufflé, little boy?”

He gave the camera an indignant glare.

“Excuse me. Big, master chef? Is that better?”

“Only slightly. But now you’re just being…” He slammed the carton of cream on the counter, and ambled up his constantly shifting stairway. He stared Heavenward in thought. “…patronizing.”

His mother laughed. “Alright. So I have a baker and a master wordsmith in my home. Now, are you going to tell me what inspired this ‘soufflé’?”

Cream splashed into the bowl, droplets splattering onto the already disastrous counter-top. The boy made a swift cycle around the bowl, took a tiny lick of the gloppy contents of the spoon, and shook it at the camera. “You see, Mom… Eating over at Alexia’s – they have a cook there – I’ve become accustomed to good food. And Mom; no offence, but…” He dropped his voice and offered the camera a sympathetic bat of the eye. “…your food stinks. A lot.”

There was an offended gasp. The camera began towards the foyer, no longer targeting the child. “Well. I guess I know when I’m not – I’ll just leave… and pout.” Hands wrestled with the camera, jerking it every which way – the ceiling, the sink, the floor, and back to the ceiling.

“Oh hey, Mom?” The camera movement ceased for a moment, as the operator awaited a bid to return. No such luck. “Before you leave, you think you can grab me the pudding? I think this needs some more…flair.”

A truncated grunt as the power switch is finally rediscovered.

Counsel Me!

Travis Kenneth Ashiro

Date of Birth: July 23rd, 2036
Species: Demon
Race: Siren/Mizuchi/Kodama - Greek, Japanese
Powers: Siren Voice, Hydrokinesis
Eye Color: Blue
Hair Color: Black
Skin Color: Slightly Tanned
Height: 6’0”
Distinguishing Features: Lean muscular build, Tattoo in Greek on his wrist
 
Bio/Personality: Charismatic and confident, Travis is a demon who has somehow managed to be accepted by the human student population. He's a nice guy who is quick to solve problems and always willing to lend a few words of advice. As Senior Class President, he knows almost everybody at school. Frequently, he can be found playing guitar in the choir room with his close friends: Joey, Kurt, and Nathan.

Travis' obvious social graces cause people to wonder how he could be related to a loser like Tyler Son. Yet, Travis has lived with the Son family since the age of twelve. When seen together, the two cousins interact more like brothers. Travis tries desperately to help Tyler with his social setbacks. But, too often, he finds that his cousin is a particularly difficult demon to assist.
 
Family: Kazuhiku Ashiro (Biological Father), Ligeia (Biological Mother), Alexander Son (Adoptive Father), Saturn Son (Adoptive Mother)
Friends: Tyler Son (Half-Cousin), Joseph McKinney, Kurt Saunders, Nathan Hamilton, Becky Brooks, etc.

Favorite Color: Green
Favorite Food: Cookies
Favorite Drink: Grape Juice
Favorite Movie(s)/TV Show(s): Revenge of the Samurai, Dragon's Fist 5, Ultimate Gladiator, Final Destruction
Favorite Music: Old Alternative/Indie Rock
Favorite School Subject: Psychology and Choir
Hobbies: Playing Guitar, Kendo, Singing, Socializing, Video Games

¡Hola! ¡Bienvenidos al Infierno!

Laurence

Date of Birth: Before Time Itself
Species: Angel (Fallen)
Race: Power
Powers: Healing, Astral Projection

Eye Color: Lavender
Hair Color: Blonde
Skin Color: Alabaster
Height: 5’9”
Distinguishing Features: Fantastically Androgynous, Small Horns

Bio/Personality: Before the uprising against God, Laurence faithfully guarded the Gates of Heaven. Should a stray comet meander towards Heaven, he was there to request it kindly turn around and head the other way. It wasn’t the most glamorous of jobs, but he was completely content. That is, until Lucifer turned his home into a battlefield.

Laurence never once considered joining with the mutineers; he fought for his lord with all of his might, and when it was all over, he was the one to open the gates so God may expel Lucifer’s ranks. Unfortunately, a particularly vengeful angel grabbed hold of Laurence and dragged him to Hell. Laurence pled for God to bring him back, be He said it could not be done. However, Laurence was given the task of watching over the legions of Hell to ensure they wouldn’t escape Hell and storm Heaven.

Ever since, Laurence has been the Gatekeeper of Hell. He passes judgment on all who enter, deciding which circle they’re fated to. Conversely, he keeps the records of the damned. Additionally, he trains every new Ruler of Hell to ensure the balance of Good and Evil is kept in the world.

Family: N/A
Friends: God

Favorite Color: Purple
Favorite Food: Apples
Favorite Drink: Water
Favorite Movie(s)/TV Show(s): The Ten Commandments, Jesus Christ Superstar
Favorite Music: Spiritual, Gospel
Hobbies: Organizing, Brightening Peoples’ Days

Shut up, I'm Tanning

Alexia Antoinette Woods

Date of Birth: September 21st, 2036
Species: Human
Race: French Creole, Scottish
Powers: N/A

Eye Color: Blue
Hair Color: Chestnut with Gold Highlights
Skin Color: Nude Beige
Height: 5’8”
Distinguishing Features: Freckles, Well-Toned, Busty

Bio/Personality:
Alexia Woods is the kind of girl every guy wants and every girl wants to be. She lives a seemingly perfect life, in her impossibly large home, wearing a wadrobe suited for the hottest celebrity. It's no wonder at least a third of the student body grovels at her feet. Alexia would never let a thing like divorced parents get in her way or slow her down. She's become the poster child for the strong, independent teen. Though, independence doesn't bar her from having a man or two hanging around. With a mother living half-way across the world and a CEO father who is frequently absent, a girl needs some company after all.
Alexia's best friend Margie can only hope the magnetism rubs off. Together, the two run the gossip mill at school, spinning and dispensing rumors at their leisure through a streamlined texting network. When they aren't obsessing over everyone else's lives, they're making themselves beautiful. Shopping with their mall slave, Tyler Son, is another common occurrence; as is tanning, mani-pedi appointments, and the occasional spa day.

Family: Mark Woods (Father), Linsey Bessette (Mother)
Friends: Margie Jo Steinbeck, Tyler Son, Renesmee Moriarty, Valerie Spicer, Jessilyn McCreery, Tanya Robinson, Kylie Zeller

Favorite Color: Yellow
Favorite Food: Coffee-Flavored Frozen Yogurt
Favorite Drink: Non-Fat Soy Cinnamon-Caramel Mocha
Favorite Movie(s)/TV Show(s): Sunrise Bay, Loving the Restless, The Hills: The Movie
Favorite Music: Contemporary R&B
Favorite School Subject: Lunch
Hobbies: Shopping, Gossiping, Cheerleading

...And She is Very Nice

Becky Ann Brooks

Date of Birth: March 16th, 2037
Species: Demon
Race: German, Dutch, English
Powers: Electrokineisis, Biological Manipulation, Force Field Generation

Eye Color: Teal
Hair Color: Dirty Blonde
Skin Color: Ivory
Height: 5’3”
Distinguishing Features: Short, Loose fitting clothing, Pigtails, Pink Heart earrings

Bio/Personality:
Born to demonic parents who fully embrace living sinfully, Becky is a modest person whose demeanor seems unsuited to her heritage. She spends her time outdoors, usually with a book in hand, and avoids going home after school due to her overbearing mother and father who constantly struggle to make her more like other demonic girls. Becky would rather read a Jane Austen novel than worry about what outfit she's wearing or how she looks. Her less than glittering appearance and juvenile hairstyle has earned her the nickname "Pigtails" with the popular girls at school, and to most other students she is forgettable at best. Fortunately, she has the companionship of Tyler Son. After being introduced by his cousin, Travis, sophomore year, Becky finds her time with Tyler to be a comforting change of pace from her usual solitude. Perhaps with a good friend beside her, Becky's junior year of high school will be her most exciting year yet.

Family: Christie Brooks (Mother), Mickey Brooks (Father)
Friends: Tyler Son, Travis Ashiro

Favorite Color: Teal, Rosy Pink
Favorite Food: Angelfood Cake and Blackberries
Favorite Drink: Earl Grey Tea
Favorite Movie(s)/TV Show(s): Sense and Sensibility, Pride and Prejudice
Favorite Music: New Age Orchestral Pop
Favorite School Subject: History
Hobbies: Reading, Spontaneous Digital Photography, Hiking, Baking

Demons

Origin

Most everyone has heard the story of Lucifer’s battle in heaven, so this is nothing new. Lucifer betrayed God, straining against Him along with a mighty band of disgruntled angels (though a few were merely weak-willed and gullible). In the end, God and his loyals won, the opposition ripped from Heaven and hurtled into an unknown territory… Hell.

The fallen angels of Hell eventually multiplied; and over thousands of years, they evolved into a plethora of demonic breeds.

Hell’s Royal Family

Lucifer, for a time, was their leader; until his subjects realized he was to blame for God’s ill graces. He had led them into the dark.

It seemed Lucifer had a mutiny of his own on his hands. He was overthrown; his own son, Belial, leading the ranks. He was banished to the Ninth Circle of Hell, his beautiful wings torn bare and ripped from his back.

As a marker of his new power, Belial took the barren and blood-soaked wings and wore them as his own. He was the new Prince of Darkness, the Ruler of Hell.

View more of Hell's Family 

Coming to Earth

For eons, Demons have been physically confined to the depths of Hell. Though, it never stopped them from wreaking havoc on Earth. To visit Earth, a demon had a few options. First, to take on an inhuman form of some sort. This is how all the images of great creatures with horns, tails, and scales came to be. And why else would a beautiful succubus such as Lilith choose the form of a snake? She didn’t have much of a choice, now did she? Second, demons could maintain their natural appearance while sacrificing their corporeal presence. Essentially, they take on the form of a ghost or apparition. Then, of course, the other option was to possess a human host; though, this option was limited to primarily Infernal types.

Now… remember how many thought June 6th, 2006 to be the end of the world? Obviously, they were wrong; however, on that day, a monstrous change occurred. Demons gained complete access to the Earth. Gone were the days of facades and indirect influence; the demons were free to indulge and nurture sin in the human race unabated.

Physical Characteristics

Generally, Demons look very much human. Yet, they show conspicuous signs of their heritage.

Ears: Their ears are long and pointed. The taper has no other purpose but aesthetic, but the length serves to keep the demonic body temperature stable in the hostile environment of Hell. Furthermore, Demonic hearing is ten times more acute than Human hearing. Loud or screeching noises do well in driving them mad.

Last note about the ears… they’re a highly erogenous zone for Demons. Fantastic way to distract a hostile attack, which is why most Demons don’t let human become privy to this information. If you touch a Demon’s ear, you might as well just plunge your hand down their pants. Don’t. Touch. The. Ears.

Teeth: Demonic canines are long and sharp, much like the fangs of a carnivorous animal. Additionally, they have the benefit of no Wisdom teeth, a lovely Human-exclusive curse courtesy of Adam and Eve.

Eyes: You’d never find a human with naturally purple, orange, teal, or red eyes, but Demonic irises come in every color under the sun. A couple races even have slitted pupils or completely black eyes.

Physiological Characteristics

Life Span: A Demonic soul can survive up to 500 years. Demons progress through childhood and adolescence at the same rate as Humans. Though, once matured and at their peak, they stay young for nearly 100 years. Once reaching 100 (20 in Demonic years), they age five times more slowly than a Human.

Once expired, a Demon’s soul is limited to Hell. (Should a Demon possess abnormally expansive power, he or she can still return to Earth in non-corporeal form or via possession. Satan is one such example.)

Immunity: Should a Demon suffer an unnatural death, they resurrect after a brief stint in Hell. They are fully healed of any injury pertaining to the death, granted it wasn’t given time to heal on Earth. Conversely, illness or a natural shut down of homeostasis is the death knoll for a Demon. Due to lack of exposure over the last few millennia, Demonic immune systems are more susceptible to disease. Thusly, Humans arm themselves with biochemical weapons to deal with any unwanted Demons; though, these are almost exclusively administered to Police and Military forces.

Sin: Demons are basically plague rats of venereal disease. They’re bred to commit and spread sin; so it’s only natural they’d be immune to anything that would directly hinder them. On the same note, Demons have a higher tolerance to alcohol, not to mention they're naturally fantastic sexual companions.

Powers/Breeds

What’s a Demon without some sort of awe-inspiring/fear-invoking power? Some powers apply to Demons of all types, while others are constricted to certain breeds.

Universal: All Demons are capable of teleportation, both themselves and objects. When applied to themselves, the ability is referred to as “Poofing”, thanks to the noise made upon transportation. Distance traveled is not limitless. On average, a Demon can poof up to 100 miles without exhausting themselves. Fatigue grows exponentially outside the average radius.

To bring an object into their possession, Demons must think of the object and snap their fingers. Not surprisingly, this technique is called “Snapping”. Snapping cannot create what doesn’t already exist; rather the subject is pulled from elsewhere in the world. As most Demons aren’t adverse to theft, snapped objects are generally illegally acquired.

Infernal: Your basic Biblical devil: fire, brimstone, possession. Hell’s Royal line is made-up primarily of Infernal Demons. Infernal powers include Pyrokinesis, Possession, and “Mind-Fuckery” (ability to put thoughts/images into a person’s head). One related power is Damnation, bequeathed only unto the current Ruler of Hell.

Lilitu: These Demons are more commonly known as Incubi and Succubi. They thrive on seduction of the innocent. To aid in this task, their pheromones are heavily enhanced and near irresistible. Starting at the onset of puberty, their libidos sky-rocket; controlling their appetites is nigh impossible.

Imps: These little guys cause mischief more than anything else. They’re compact, quick, unintelligent, and live for a good laugh. If you’re missing a sock, your car keys, or a remote control, it’s likely their fault. Invisibility is their specialty. Gremlins and Leprechauns fall under this breed.

Kodama: As demonstrated by the imps, not all Demons are inherently evil. Kodama are Japanese Demons who guard forests and the like. They get their vaguely cruel kicks from scaring away any threat to their territory. Voice Mimicry, Shape Shifting, and Invisibility are their most common powers.

Siren: Sirens have a manipulative voice. Not only can they cause sailors to follow their lofty vocals to an aquatic death, but when properly controlled, Sirens can manifest specific emotions (anger, lust, sorrow, serenity, etc) in their target merely by talking. Sirens are not, as depicted in Greek mythology, all female.

Other: There are far more breeds and powers than can be named in this summary. However, other common powers include: Electrokinesis (Electricity), Hyrdokinesis (Water), Kryokinesis (Ice), Time Manipulation, Technopathy, Manipulation of Plants, Telepathy, etc.

Say Chicka Wha?

Welcome, curious minds!  Alright, so the plan here is that Rachel and Myself will used this webspace to chronicle the development of Holy Hell! into some tangible form.  We'll post character bios, sketches, tidbits of miscellaneous info, and even written character studies.  Probably memes too... because who doesn't love a good meme?

Hopefully, if all goes to plan, this blog will keep us focused and we'll have something to show for it in the not-so-horribly-far future.  We hope you'll visit, comment, share with your friends... any sort of encouragement you can offer. So... enjoy, ja?

We'll get the ball rolling with a little about Tyler...

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Tyler Jerome Son

Date of Birth: December 5th, 2036

Species: Demon

Race: Infernal/Lilitu/Kodama – Arabic/Persian/Japanese; Chinese

Powers: Pyrokinesis, Voice Mimicry, Damnation

Eye Color: Red

Hair Color: Black
Skin Color: Tan
Height: 5’5”

Distinguishing Features: Short, Pierced Left Ear

Bio/Personality:

Eldest child of an overly affectionate (and somewhat insane) mother and a well-meaning but emotionally unavailable father, Tyler has always been a bit reserved – with few friends. However, as long as he can remember he’s been companions with the girl across the street, Alexia Woods. Whenever Tyler’s under attack for his height, his oddity, or his demonic heritage (a frequent occurrence throughout his life), she’s there to kick ass without breaking a nail. So it’s no wonder that when his hormones kick in, she’s the apple of his eye. But does he pursue her? Oh no; he’s far too much of a wuss. Girls (amongst many other things) scare him. His interests are so abnormal; he feels too much a dweeb to ever garner affection from the opposite sex. Aside from cowering in the presence of women,Tyler excels at rambling on about an era he never experienced, obscure video games, and any neurotic thought that passes his mind; and though one wouldn't guess from his stature, he manuevers well on a basketball court and is the captain of the JV baskeball team.

Family: Saturn Son (Mother), Alexander Son (Father), Hana Son (Younger Sister), Kakaro (Grandfather), Satan II (Great Grandfather)
Friends: Travis Ashiro (Half-Cousin), Alexia Woods, Becky Brooks, Danny Puckett, Lewis Stanton

Favorite Color: Red
Favorite Food: Chocolate Pudding
Favorite Drink: Coffee

Favorite Movie(s)/TV Show(s): Titanic, 10 Things I Hate About You, Bring it On, Zoolander, Buffy The Vampire Slayer, The OC

Favorite Music: Alternative Rock (circa 1990-2005)

Favorite School Subject: Home Ec

Hobbies: Video Games, Basketball, Cooking