study 02: cracked porcelain.
As explained in another post, Ahreum is a literal shapeshifter: she’s, in fact, able to modify and rebuild her physical appearance at will. Among the various forms that she can take, the hybrid one retains her humanoid features with the addition of those elements that symbolize her identity as a Gumiho Although the evident presence of nine cushiony tails, of diamond-hewn claws and acuminate fangs is perhaps what captures the attention of any possible witnesser’s the most, there is another detail that is easily noticeable, especially when her silhouette is partially or completely revealed: sable markings.
When transformed, upon the porcelain complexion of the woman’s flesh, many markings can in fact be seen. Sinuous and elegant like the branches of an old tree, these black symbols partially resemble a floral pattern: thin and long, they oftentimes curve in various directions only to afterwards separate into two parts, over and over again, reaching for the further extremities of her body ( although they do reach her feet, they currently do not spread higher than her cheekbones ) . They are birthed in the middle of her chest, right above where her heart is indeed supposed to be beating: there, a large blackened stigma covers almost entirely her left breast.
Truth to be told, Ahreum is unable to recall the exact moment in which these symbols have appeared for the first time. All she knows is that they were initially nothing more than an obsidian spot across her breastbone, which has afterwards grown larger and larger, to the point of spreading across the majority of her body. Few older Gumihos as well as many other supernatural creatures have been questioned about the nature of these markings but very few responses have been given as far as their nature and their meaning are concerned: some have claimed that she has been cursed, others have stated that this is a gift of the all-mother but until the present day, their significance remains unknown.
Detested and loathed by Ahreum, she has come to consider them as the visual proof that her heart has indeed stopped beating and that she has ultimately become a heartless creature, someone who can no longer be saved.
For visual reference ⇢ 01 , 02 , 03 , 04 , 05.
