History Literature / DifferentlyMorphous

A sequel, Literature/{{Existentially Challenged}}, was released December 2021.

** This becomes a plot point later in the novel when Alison's neighbor claims Shgshthx is the [[spoiler:Fluidic Killer]]. Unfortunately they can't identify ''which'' Shgshthx it is clearly enough for Alsion to understand. [[spoiler:Turns out the Shgshthx in question is the ''original'' body who's killing its renegade bits via its infusion in Jessica]].

* ItsAllAboutMe: Neita’s tendency to make everything about her and accusing Elizabeth of sabotaging her interview hints that her crusade is more for attention than actually caring about discrimination.

* PoliticalCorrectnessGoneMad: As a CentralTheme is society's slow but inevitable acceptance of things it previously ignored or denied, some of this is inevitable. Most of it comes from [[SoapBoxSadie Nita]], but in-universe comments and chats show she's far from alone.

A sequel, [[Literature/Existentially Challenged]], was released December 2021.

A sequel, ''Existentially Challenged'', was released December 2021.

* CrouchingMoronHiddenBadass: While Dr Diablerie is entirely unhelpful in nearly every scene he appears in, Elizabeth informs Alison that, despite his persistent lack of intervention, not only has not a single one of his partners ever been seriously injured, but he has been with The Ministry longer than anyone else, and has never failed a mission once. [[spoiler:This leads Elizabeth to become extremely suspicious of him (see: ObfuscatingStupidity)]]. During their time together, Alison discovers that Diablerie does indeed possess a proficiency at lockpicking, a [[StrongerThanTheyLook surprising amount of physical strength]] and, [[spoiler: an affinity for Rune-Crafting]].
** It should also be noted that other demon-hunters, like Mike and Chris, have enormous respect for Dr Diablerie, and break into cold sweat at the mere mention of his presence.

* FeigningIntelligence: Dr Diablerie has quite the knack for saying things that certainly SOUND like something a master of the occult would say, many of which, characters in the know are quick to observe, possess little to no actual meaning. [[spoiler:Subverted when it's revealed that he is actually ObfuscatingStupidity.]] [[spoiler:Subverted AGAIN, when it's revealed that the Dr Diablerie persona actually IS that stupid, and it's his TRUE personality that actually isn't. Subverted YET AGAIN in the same scene where it turns out the true personality's read on Diablerie is definitely wrong in the specifics.]]
* FoeRomanceSubtext: In the sequel this is how everyone treats Victor's relationship with his gender-ambiguous nemesis, which initially confuses Adam because Victor is straight. [[spoiler:In the end they break up as nemeses and decide to start fighting other people, but stay enemies.]]

** Dr Diablerie mentions in passing that [[spoiler:dabbling in rune-crafting runs the risk of erasing one's personality. This is precisely what happens in the climax/ending of the story.]]

* ObfuscatingStupidity: Liz suspects Dr Diablerie of this, citing how his suspiciously impeccable track record contrastes with his apparent ineptitude. [[spoiler:She's right of course, but only on a technicality (see:TheReveal)]]

** [[spoiler:Dr Diablerie is revealed to the audience (unsurprisingly) to have been a double agent the whole time in the final chapter, the persona of "Dr Diablerie" is actually an incredibly elaborate spell, that transforms him--personality and all--into the "character" of Dr Diablerie.]]

** Dr Diablerie's name is an allusion to the forbidden act of Diablerie from the World of Darkness universe (confirmed by Word of God).

* FoeRomanceSubtext: In the sequel this is how everyone treats Travis'relationship with his gender-ambiguous nemesis, which initially confuses Adam because Travis is straight. [[spoiler:In the end they break up as nemeses and decide to start fighting other people, but stay enemies.]]

* ExactWords: Dr. Diablerie does a lot of this when he's totally-not-mentoring Allyson. He loves hiding things in flowery language or using somebody's misconceptions, like assuring Allyson that [[spoiler:he is "as real as the consequences of reading Robert Denby's unguarded words into his father's face" when everyone at the ministry but her fully realized from the beginning that she would face none whatsoever.]]

** While The Ministry itself appears in [[VideoGame/ChzoMythos several of Yhatzee's previous works,]] several characters make reference to a specific event from "10 years ago". While the actual details provided about said event are slim, they do bare a suspicious resemblance to the events of VideoGame/{{The Consuming Shadow}}, a game which Yahtzee also made, and which takes place at approximately that time.

* BrokenMasquerade: The fluidic's mass-migration blows all of the Ministry's careful obfuscation clear out of the water.

* RealityEnsues: Much of the plot (and [[HilarityEnsues humor]]) derive from the results of the BrokenMasquerade and society's subsequent shift to incorporate knowledge of the supernatural into their lives. The results are decidedly non-apocalyptic; while ''[[NoodleIncident something horrible]]'' did happen ten years ago (with similar incidents constantly possible due to humanity's close proximity to [[EldritchAbomination The Ancients]]), day-to-day life doesn't change much. Politicians and government workers swoop down to either control the situation or else exploit it for their own benefit, people start heated debates on forums... and life just goes on otherwise.

* FeigningIntelligence: Dr Diablerie has quite the knack for saying things that certainly SOUND like something a master of the occult would say, many of which, characters in the know are quick to observe, possess little to no actual meaning. [[spoiler:Subverted when it's revealed that he is actually ObfuscatingStupidity.]] [[spoiler:Subverted AGAIN, when it's revealed that the Dr Diablerie persona actually IS that stupid, and it's his TRUE personality that actually isn't.]]

* ExactWords: Dr. Diablerie does a lot of this when he's totally-not-mentoring Allyson. He loves hiding things in flowery language or using somebody's misconceptions, like assuring Allyson that [[spoiler:he is "as real as the consequences of readying Robert Denby's unguarded words into his father's face" when everyone at the ministry but her fully realized from the beginning that she would face none whatsoever.]]

* DramaticallyMissingThePoint: When the Ministry loosened the secrecy restrictions after they found out they could get away with a lot thanks to WeirdnessCensor Badger misunderstood and started just introducing himself as a Demon Hunter and casually mentioning what he's doing to bystanders. This was what gave the whole game away and broke the masquerade.

* TheReveal: Eventually it is discovered that The Fluidic Killer was [[spoiler:Jessica the entire time.]] however the trope gets taken a step further, as it is then revealed that [[spoiler:her online “friend” xxReaverxx was actually Jessica’s Ancient, who is THEN revealed to be the original being the Fluidics escaped from.]]

* DastardlyWhiplash: Dr. Diablerie is a [[DarkIsEdgy black-clad]] LargeHam AttentionWhore who [[UnspokenPlanGuarantee proclaims his]] [[ThePlan intentions]] [[NoIndoorVoice to everyone in a five-mile radius]] while driving a [[CoolCar ridiculous car]] around the countryside. Even [[NiceGuy Adam]] hangs a lampshade on his "villainous" persona. He does deviate from the formula in two vital ways: first, he's ([[AmbiguouslyEvil probably?]]) on the side of good, and second, that he's ''[[BunnyEarsLawyer actually good at what he does]]''.

* JerkWithAHeartOfGold: Victor is always flippant toward "politically correct" viewpoints. He especially shows little sympathy toward individuals who "carry the taint" of an Ancient. He was dismissive of Aaron's speech and later repeatedly mocked Adam for "buying into it". However, [[spoiler:when he had Jessica at his mercy, an individual who's possessed by an explicitly malicious Ancient, he hesitated in finishing her off, nearly costing him his life. A later scene implied that Victor bought into Aaron's speech more than he let on and his hesitation might have stemmed from a desire to show mercy to a possessed]]

* Foreshadowing:

* Foreshadowing: Dr Diablerie mentions in passing that [[spoiler:dabbling in rune-crafting runs the risk of erasing one's personality. This is precisely what happens in the climax/ending of the story.]]