I am very far from perfect, but I always try to make my writing a body-positive zone. I’m fairly proud of the character introductions in the Cat Murder Mystery that is such a mess it will never see the light of day. It’s got a wide array of human and supernatural characters. Might as well share a couple of my favorites!
Temple was coming out of the house now. She was short and stocky, graying blonde hair tied back in a simple ponytail. Her powerful werewolf muscles were softened with a comfortable layer of fat so she looked like your basic suburban mom at a glance, but she was tough and had good instincts and probably the keenest nose of anyone Lynn had ever met. She was exactly the kind of person Lynn wanted investigating Avery's murder.
That, and there was a flogger hung up on the wall. It was probably the prettiest one Lynn had ever seen, with pale pink leather tails attached with gold fittings to a ceramic handle whose roses perfectly matched the tea set.
The tails were buttery-soft, obviously not intended to deliver real pain, and made a very nice pattering sound falling back into place when Lynn flicked them to make them move.
"You like it?" The quiet voice behind Lynn startled him, and he spun to see the speaker. She was a short construct, with the same porcelain-pale complexion Avery favored and round pink cheeks, thick silver hair done up in a neat bun with a few amethyst pins. Her broad curves were complemented by a well-tailored pink and cream dress suit. There was a confidence in the way she held herself, how her silver-gray eyes flicked up and down Lynn's body to size him up before shifting politely just off to the side of him. Along with all the 'Mistress Prudence' talk, her perfectly manicured hand was definitely the one intended to hold the pretty flogger.
"That one's my favorite," Prudence continued. "Though of course I have many others, if you prefer something with more bite."
Sage was entertaining a mixed group of people in front of his seafood stall, barking his distinctive laugh at his own joke. People laughed with him, and he sold a few bags of mussels and oysters. Sage never wore glamours; the short minky fur that covered his head, the sharp teeth in his wide mouth, and his tiny nonhuman ears were on full display. He was beautiful in the way of sea lions—sleek in every line of his body, well rounded with insulating fat, his skin a deep gleaming copper. His big soft eyes brightened when he recognized Lynn.
"Lynn!" Sage threw his short powerful arms wide, inviting Lynn into a hug, and then pulling him into one regardless when Lynn didn't move away. His shoulders were wider even than Lynn's, but his very short legs meant he still fit easily under Lynn's chin. He squeezed tight around Lynn's waist, lifting him briefly off his feet and laughing again. "It's been too long, land-cat!"
Eddy was leaning against Temple's desk when Lynn emerged. She was a tall Black human woman, square shoulders and wide hips, her skin deep brown and her tightly curled hair trimmed close to her head, and both hands wrapped around a cup from her favorite coffee place. Her solid presence anchored the entire room, and Lynn headed toward her.
Eddy smiled when she caught sight of him, letting go of her coffee to reach one arm out. She looked tired, with bags under her eyes. Lynn leaned into her to let her rub his back. "Hey there," she said. "How you holding up? We went by your place last night, but you weren't in."
[a few paragraphs unrelated to introduction]
Eddy made a shushing sound at Lynn's growl, reaching up to scratch at the back of his neck, and he let himself relax into it. Eddy was too tall for him to easily rest his chin on top of her head, so he leaned against Temple's desk and hunched down a bit to lay his cheek on her shoulder instead. She smelled like her coffee and blueberry muffins and a faint perfume she'd probably picked up from Leslie and herself. Familiar Eddy smell. Lynn let his chainsaw purr rumble through his chest, tucking his face against her neck.
"You'd better not be scent marking on me," she warned, but she didn't stop scratching. "I swear I'm breaking the squirt bottle out one of these days."
Lynn was tempted to rub the underside of his chin on her just because she said not to, but he didn't. Maybe next time. "I'm being careful," he said instead, eyes falling almost all the way closed and his arm finding its way around her solid waist as he purred. His fingers kneaded slightly, but he was careful not to let his claws come out.
"I see your cat has arrived to claim you," Leslie said, briefly touching Lynn's back in greeting as she joined Eddy. She was wearing a floral perfume, but faint enough not to offend sensitive noses. She probably couldn't even smell it herself, with her weak human senses.
"I fed this flea-ridden old stray one time and now I can't get rid of him," Eddy complained, leaning toward Leslie. There was a faint smack as they kissed.
"I don't know. He might make a cute fur collar..." Leslie mused, a laugh in her voice.
"Or nice cozy pair of slippers," Eddy agreed.
"No," Lynn protested. "I've got too many scars to have a good pelt." He cracked one eye open to see Leslie.
Leslie always dressed to kill. She wore fashion like battle armor, weaponized femininity sharp enough to cut. Her bright sun dress complemented her full figure and glowing brown skin perfectly, her eyeliner immaculately winged, her lipstick red as the blood of the men who underestimated her.
Lynn had the utmost respect the art of how Leslie chose to present herself, and she made Eddy happy. Lynn liked Eddy to be happy. She'd even done the thing with her hair again—crochet braids, if Lynn was remembering the name right. Leslie had a big mane of corkscrew curls, fading from black at the base to bright gold at the tips to surround her smiling face with a thousand bouncing curls.
The morning dawned clear and bright. Lynn woke up spooned between Carlo and a deliciously toasty ifrit named Esh. Everyone else was still asleep, strewn across Carlo's big bed and the pull-out couch. Lynn tried to slip out of bed without waking anyone, but Esh moved hir covering wings out of the way as soon as he started to move.
Lynn climbed over Carlo, who made a dissatisfied noise into his pillow until Esh shuffled over to hold him. Carlo had his face mostly buried in his pillow, but Lynn tucked a little bit of his dyed-green hair behind his ear to kiss his soft cheek goodbye. Carlo's eyes didn't open, but he did smile a little.
Carlo smelled like sleep and contentment, lovely even with his cheek crinkled from the pillowcase and his hair a fluffy mess. He didn't look anything like Avery, plump and brown where Avery was white and waifish, he didn't even smell anything like Avery; but something in his sweetness, his simple joy of life, his mockery of rigid gender roles, reminded Lynn of him. Carlo was an artist, sweet and kind, and no kind of a fighter at all.
Of any of Lynn's partners, Carlo could be hurt the most easily. And he was human. He only had one life to live.
Esh gently lay hir first wing over Carlo like a blanket, and Lynn shook his head, breathing deep through the tightness in his chest. Carlo wasn't Avery. He always had friends nearby to protect him.
"Take care of him," Lynn whispered to Esh, briefly meeting hir glowing eyes across Carlo. In answer Esh stretched out hir second wing, touching one warm pinion feather lightly to the center of Lynn's chest.
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