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Main Characters
Leslie "Les" Blair
A female pig who loves sushi, stuck in a job that she hates and frequently experiencing erotic dreams involving a hunky male wolf.
- Abusive Parents: Her mother, Maxine, resented her due to being the main reason why she was still married to Phil and gladly ignored her. Her father, Phil, while loving toward her, was a closeted Domestic Abuser who'd regularly take out his frustrations on Maxine.
- Affectionate Nickname:
- Trish and Derek both call her "Les".
- In Blue Blood, Khal has taken to calling her "Little Peanut".
- Always with You: After delivering a Tough Love speech about standing up for herself since no one can do it for her at this point and Leslie coming close to the Despair Event Horizon after all that's happened to her, she receives a speech from Khal and something to cheer her up: a Christmas photo of her friends and some black lipstick, like Trish would often recommend her to use. The message is clear: those are the memories she has to keep and will always be with her even if only in spirit. It's implied he is giving her similar advice to the one he uses to remember his deceased family.
- Better the Devil You Know: The reason why she won't tell her boss Hans to fuck off and keep his scales to himself: she needs the job to pay for her ever-increasing taxes and at least she knows how to handle and tolerate him.
- Big Beautiful Woman: Oh, yes.
- Born Unlucky: Now, why would this be here? (Oh, right. All of the other tropes in this folder.)
- Break the Cutie: Each issue seems dedicated to showcasing how miserable Les is becoming:
- As a little girl, she was innocent and thought she had a good family. Then, she caught her mother cheating on her dad with her lover and realized her parents were only together out of convenience and they may not have even loved her. Then, she was forced to lie about it by her mother.
- She was pretty meek and unpopular in high school, only getting a real friend when the Lovable Alpha Bitch, Trish Friha, approached her about sharing a room for college.
- As an adult, she has a lousy job at a goth themed restaurant where the boss constantly tries to feel her up and is forced to join the Reproduction Program as soon as she turns 25, even though she has personally seen it's pure bullshit.
- Her arranged date starts okay, only for her to get kidnapped by a cult and framed for Trish's murder. Then her other friend, Derek, admits he's being blackmailed to keep tabs on her and is killed too.
- Forced to go on the lam, she's left with no choice but to trust a strange wolf who resembles someone from her dreams while everyone believes she killed Trish and Derek and a police warrant on her is issued.
- And the cherry on top of the shit sundae? She finds out the leader of the cult that killed her friends and ruined her life is none other than her MOTHER.
- Brooding Boy, Gentle Girl: The Gentle Girl to Khal's Brooding Boy. Zigzagged as the series goes on as Leslie becomes hardened and more capable while Khal gradually shows his more sensitive side.
- But I Would Really Enjoy It: Even as she maintains a surface level rejection of interspecies dating, during Leslie's erotic fantasies she admits how much she'd rather have passion in forbidden coupling than loveless legal marriage arrangements.
- Celebrity Resemblance: Leslie is, according to Trish, the near splitting image of Lady Peg. The black lipstick, which she constantly uses, is the icing on the cake for a lookalike.
- Clear My Name: By the beginning of Issue 5, she's wanted for the deaths of both Trish and Derek, and has to work with Khal and his comrades to prove her innocence.
- Cool Kid-and-Loser Friendship: Surprisingly, Issue #4 reveals this is how Leslie and Trish became friends: Leslie was a Shrinking Violet and an outcast in college while Trish was a jaded Alpha Bitch who was sick and tired of being Surrounded by Idiots who were only near her because she was still popular. After talking and finding common ground 'cause they both liked Lady Peg, they agree to share a flat and the rest is history. And so is Trish.
- Curtains Match the Window: She has matching blue hair and eyes.
- Daddy's Girl: She was particularly close to her father, ironically serving also as a Morality Pet for him as he was a closet Domestic Abuser.
- Deadpan Snarker: Usually, especially when dealing with others' issues.
- Defiant Captive: Once she's with Khal, she does everything in her power to escape, even if there's honestly no place to go. Still, considering everything that has happened to her in less than two days, it's clear Leslie at this point no longer feels safe with anyone, much less a wolf she barely knows.
- Delusions of Parental Love: ZigZagged. As a youngster, Leslie was briefly under the illusion that she had two loving parents until one time when she got sick, she discovered her mother Maxine cheating on her father while saying to her lover how much she despised her own child. From then on, she never really held on to the idea that her mother cared for her in any way, only keeping her secret out of reluctant loyalty (enforced through emotional blackmail from Maxine) and necessity (any word got out of the affair and the entire family would be in financial trouble). This is also why she's so apprehensive about the idea of same species arranged marriages In-Universe, as she knows first hand how bad it is when they don't work out. That being said, she does view her father Phil in a more positive light as the only figure who cared about her, which is true but omits the fact that he was a Troubled Abuser who'd often beat Maxine. By the end of the first series, Leslie comes to terms with the amount of trauma Maxine caused her in search of power while pitying her for her miserable lot in life.
- Despair Event Horizon: Not fully, but Issue #4 onwards is a tug of war between Leslie staying strong and sane or crumbling in the face of the many miseries she's suffered.
- Enemy Within: Besides being the reincarnation of Bes, a Tijoux legend, Leslie also possesses The Albino's spirit within due to a soul bonding occurring during the Mutual Kill of both supposed lovers. Rather than just having dreams about her past life, she can sense the wolf's influence and powerful guidance pulling at her. One way or the other, she can summon his spirit by submitting to his will at the cost of being overcome with his spirit. Leslie is clearly less than thrilled with being entrusted with "such gift", not the least ´cause her survival (and others') depends on her keeping a lid on this through sheer willpower.
- Fangirl: Of Lady Peg. She has many of her records, listens to her songs constantly. Hell, that's how she and Trish started bonding.
- Fag Hag: Downplayed. She's friends with Derek, who works with her and is gay, and they clearly trust each other. That being said, there are limits neither will tolerate from the other: Leslie, fearing reprisal from the government and because she doesn't want to, won't marry Derek's boyfriend to evade taxes and Derek won't stand for Leslie talking bad of Interspecies Romances. There's also the fact Derek is Leslie's only male friend and he's Straight Gay.
- Frame-Up: As a result of The Con, Leslie is drugged during a supposed date and passes out. While it's unclear whether or not The Glance wanted her taken at that moment, Leslie is framed instead for Trish's murder (who had been killed because of her discovery of the existence of Tijoux and the legend of the Albino) in order to isolate her and keep the truth from getting to her.
- Friendless Background: Leslie didn't have her best years during high school. She was considered an outcast and outright insulted for her hair color, her species, her meekness and her weight. It's even implied Trish was her first real friend.
- Heterosexual Life-Partners: With Trish until she's killed.
- Innocent Blue Eyes: Just look at her! Such a cute look!
- Interrupted Intimacy: Twice in Issue #1, courtesy of Trish.
- She's awaken from a steamy Erotic Dream by Trish to get her to work and finds herself making out with her pillow.
- She takes a nice steamy bath after work and slips back into her interspecies fantasies to "relax", only for Trish to walk in as Les is French kissing a glass.
- Insatiable Newlyweds: Downplayed as they're more in a long-term relationship. One of Shea's common complaints in Blue Blood is how often Leslie and Khal get it on. Unfortunately, the stress of handling a new business, Leslie's recurring nightmares and Shea acting out are making things rather difficult for them.
- Interspecies Romance: Post-Time Skip, Leslie begins a relationship with Khal as they raise Shea together.
- Ms. Fanservice: Cute as a button and snarky, Leslie's disposition and relatable problems are wrapped with a sensuous ribbon by possessing a true rubenesque knockout body and curves. She's got the most nude scenes in the comic and her naked body is drawn in glorious detail. Downplayed afterwards as she continues appearing in revealing clothes but no more nudity is shown from her.
- Official Couple: By the end of UnNatural, Leslie and Khal have begun dating. By the time of Blue Blood, they're still happily together even if their intimacy has gotten strained.
- Security Cling: Tries to do this to Khal after experiencing a particularly bad Grand Theft Me by the Albino. Khal shrugs off, admitting he can do little to comfort or help her, even if she still feels she can't do it by herself after what has happened.
- Shrinking Violet: Up until college. She's gotten better since, although she keeps most of her attitude to herself when surrounded by assholes like her boss Mr. Hans.
- Stereotype Flip: Pigs are usually portrayed as filthy, uneducated, dumb and unpleasant and are usually associated with men. Leslie is gorgeous, intelligent, a bit shy and a woman, although it doesn't stop her from receiving insults and mockery from others as a result of her race.
- Trademark Favorite Food: She loves sushi. On her birthday, Trish makes sure to get her some as dinner.
- Unlucky Everyman: Gender Inverted. Leslie is smart and resourceful, but not particularly lucky, especially in matters that are out of her depth.
- Weight Woe: It's heavily implied that Les has an eating disorder as a way to cope with depression.
- You're Not My Father: Mother in this case, but same intention as Blue Blood shows a teenage Shea resenting Leslie due to the fact that being her brother's girlfriend, she shares the role of tutor, in addition to how Shea's longing for her adopted parents makes her compare Leslie unfavorably to her foster mother.
Khal
An albino white wolf who resembles Leslie's dream wolf lover and is following Leslie for some mysterious reason, which might linked to the conspiracy surrounding her.
- Absurdly Sharp Claws: Had them since childhood with a good grasp of how to use them, making them his weapon of choice as a bonafide Nature Hero.
- Accidental Murder: As he tries to keep Leslie from losing it after a harsh possession attempt by the Albino, she asks him to kill her. Hesitant, Khal proceeds but is attacked by Pif, on the belief he's causing Leslie her affliction. By reflex, Khal slashes Pif, killing him much to Leslie's grief.
- Affectionate Nickname: In Blue Blood, after becoming a couple, Leslie gladly refers to him as her "fluffy" man.
- Always with You: After delivering a Tough Love speech about standing up for herself since no one can do it for her at this point, he gives Leslie something to cheer her up: a Christmas photo of her friends and some black lipstick, like Trish would often recommend her to use. As far as he says, those are the memories she has to keep and will always be with her even if only in spirit. It's implied he often does this regarding his deceased family.
- Anti-Hero: Pragmatic and willing to use his claws to kill if ready, yet working for a noble cause intent on stopping the Albino and protective of Leslie.
- Arrested for Heroism: More for defense and since he is willing to be brutal, it's not quite for heroism either, but he couldn't explain anything to the police even if he tried. Still, had he been there when Leslie was ambushed, at least she would have escaped.
- Badly Battered Babysitter: It's not easy handling a nervous, paranoid and frightened woman in the back of a truck when you can't even tell her where they're going.
- The Big Bad Shuffle: Khal spends Issue #1-3 in the shadows, wearing a hoodie, standing and looking menacingly in the background and following Leslie closely, which could fool a newcomer into thinking he's the main antagonist of the comic. His hidden appearance and being arrested by the police for following Leslie and carrying a gun only makes him look guiltier. Then, it's revealed he's not following Leslie just because he's obsessed with her, he's trying to reach her to warn her about the danger closing on to her. Specifically The Glance and, by extension, her date Jones.
- Brooding Boy, Gentle Girl: The Brooding Boy to Leslie's Gentle Girl.
- Byronic Hero: Rude yet calm and even tempered and carrying his dark past in Tijoux every single day of his life, Khal ticks enough boxes to qualify for this trope.
- Dark and Troubled Past: He's had a pretty rough life. As it turns out, being the live image of the Albino made Khal an outsider back in Tijoux. Just as opinion was changing on him due to being a well-respected warrior, a murder occurred for which he was blamed. A mob formed, killing his parents and chasing him and his little sister out of town.
- Deadpan Snarker: This line pretty much seals it.Look at that, a pig in slop. Way to play in the stereotype.
- Deuteragonist: Halfway Issue #4 onwards.
- Eye Scream: He loses one of his eyes in Issue #10, after the Albino tries to kill him and Saya.
- Good All Along: He couldn't have looked more suspicious if he had tried, but ultimately Khal turns out to be a decent guy in spite of everything.
- Good Counterpart: As well as Foil to The Albino and Jones.
- He's the great grandson of The Albino and has been hounded for it for as long as he can remember. He resembles him in every single way, except personality: Khal, no matter how bad the world has treated him, has only gotten more cynical and cautious without losing his compassion and tries to take care of the people in his life. The Albino often sacrificed his brides no matter how much he loved them.
- Jones looks good. Khal looks scary. Khal prefers to dress casually and do what needs to be done without much fanfare, Jones dresses as dapper as possible and often has his temper and entitlement get the better of him. It's especially noticeable regarding their relationship with Leslie: Khal's frustration and desire to protect her are hindered by how upfront he is about it with Les with a bond growing gradually, with only brief hints of a possible romance; Jones used his charm and attitude to get Les's guard down and becomes infatuated with the idea of having her at any cost.
- I See Dead People: He can see the Albino's spirit clinging to Leslie.
- In the Hood: Wore a hoodie that concealed his face until the end of Issue #4.
- Insatiable Newlyweds: Downplayed as they're more in a long-term relationship, but after a brief glimpse at the end of the original issues, Leslie and Khal evolve into this by the time of Blue Blood. One of Shea's common complaints is how often they get it on. Unfortunately, the stress of handling a new business, Leslie's recurring nightmares and Shea acting out are making things rather difficult for them.
- Jerk with a Heart of Gold: He comes off as abrasive, paranoid, sardonic and a little too violent, especially before and just after encountering Leslie. But he's also trying to protect her from being taken over by The Albino and used by The Glance.
- Natural Weapon: Uses his claws as weapons to deadly effect.
- Nature Hero: Courtesy of being a former hunter back in Tijoux.
- Noble Wolf: He worked very hard to establish this image back in Tijoux, courtesy of the bad reputation The Albino left. Even with all the misunderstandings involving him, he hasn't quit being a stand-up guy. Just be careful of that sour aftertaste.
- No Name Given: His name was unrevealed until Issue#5, where we learned that his name is "Khal".
- Official Couple: Per the Time Skip at the end of UnNatural, Khal has started a relationship with Leslie as both share custody of Shea. They're still going strong by the time of Blue Blood, although their intimacy has suffered due to problems with a rebellious Shea and ghosts from the past.
- Reincarnation: Is apparently the reincarnation of the wolf, whom the Cultists call "The Albino", that Leslie sees in her past life, but claims that he isn't "that bastard".
- Stalker without a Crush:As it turns out, his main reason to follow Leslie was check for any unwanted attention. The one time he was caught by the police, Leslie was framed for murder. As the series goes on, it evolves into something else.
- Super-Strength: Being the reincarnation of The Albino grants him with unnatural strength, as he breaks out of jail by tearing out the cell's bars and easily shatters a knife with his bare hands.
- White Wolves Are Special: Zigzagged by showing the pros and cons. Due to the Albino's reputation, Khal's peculiar look (read:white fur) made him victim of the town's suspicions. Worse, due to his genuine descendance from the wolf's lineage, he also inherited a supernatural strength and claws so sharp they could cut through the night. He couldn't touch or get close to anything lest he could hurt them and the town wasn't about to test that theory. Only after learning from the Shaman did he finally learned how to handle his abilities and put them to use in a beneficial way, becoming a natural hunter. Still, a murder occurred in the rightly wrong circumstances and the paranoia boiled over. This is notable during his and Leslie's Misery Poker talk, where he can't help but discuss how horrible his life has been and how his appearance and abilities have caused nothing but grief because of who he's associated with.
Pif
A cat-sized raptor-like creature and Leslie's pet.
- All Animals Are Dogs: Technically a raptor, but acts more like a dog in all but species. He also shows some feline characteristics like purring. However it may act, it's certainly not like a dinosaur.
- Domesticated Dinosaurs: Yeah, he's domesticated, all right.
- Undying Loyalty: To Leslie. Pif is always with her and after things go south, he always tries to fend off possible threats. This ends up getting him killed when, believing he's protecting Leslie, he attacks Khal for trying to Mercy Kill Leslie, with Khal slashing him into ribbons out of reflex.
Shea
- Ascended Extra: She had a minor yet important role in UnNatural. Blue Blood upgrades her to being a Supporting Protagonist.
- Belligerent Sexual Tension: With Teo, a cat in her class with whom she initially gets into a few scuffles. Like brother, like sister.
- Bratty Teenage Daughter: Ooh, boy. For all Khal and Leslie are just her tutors, they often bear the brunt of her rough attitude, to say nothing of her fights during class.
- Contrasting Sequel Main Character: Shea's tween years are very similar to Leslie's: an outcast among her peers. However, where Leslie would often put herself as a doormat, act polite and try to avoid any confrontation, Shea is more outspoken, rude and doesn't hesitate to hurt or insult those who piss her off.
- Defeat Means Friendship: Or something else. Either way, she and Teo don't see eye to eye in their first encounter as he smugly insults her and she punches him and throws his backpack's contents off the window. It's not until they're fighting atthe hospital and they find a secret room with files that they start getting along.
- Lady Swears-a-Lot: It's quite telling that of all the characters in both series, she holds the title for swearing the most.(fake smile) Of course, Auntie [Saya]. Can you nicely tell me what the fuck's going on here, so I can humbly be of help?
- Puppy Love: Of the rough kind. Once they drop their animosity, she and Teo begin bonding over their experiences in the Slaughterhouse.
- Sour Outside, Sad Inside: The moment she drops the vitriol, she shows herself more melancholic and introverted due to being unsatisfied with her life, missing her parents and feeling isolated from her peers.
- Troubled Teen: Often has nightmares of her time at the Slaughterhouse as well as her separation from her parents. She's also a surly outcast who often responds to insults using violence.
- Used to Be a Sweet Kid: A ray of sunshine and a vulnerable girl in UnNatural, she has fully evolved into a rude Troubled Teen in Blue Blood.
Secondary Characters
Trish Friha
A female mouse and Leslie's best friend and roommate.
- Academic Alpha Bitch: As she explained to Leslie in their first real conversation, Trish has many lackeys, not "friends", because she always got the best grades in school. The fact she's miles beyond them in knowledge and emotional intelligence has made her pretty unhappy with her current social life.
- Amateur Sleuth: Deconstructed. After hearing Leslie recount her frequent erotic dreams, Trish investigates on her own to help her friend (and out of simple boredom). This becomes much more serious as her path leads her to uncover an ancient civilation named Tijoux, where legend tells of a romance between a pig (who resembles Leslie) and a wolf, all information that puts in jeopardy a thin facade of specism within their society and an overarching conspiracy put in motion by the ruling faction. She ends up killed as a pawn to further the conspiracy's goals as well as keep her from revealing the truth.
- Best Friend: To Leslie, since college.
- The Con: Trish is killed because she is close to Leslie and knows too much, but The Glance, with the help of Jones, frames Leslie for her murder to isolate her, using Leslie's hidden Interspecies Romance tendencies to portray her as a Psycho Lesbian who murdered Trish for not reciprocating.
- Cool Kid-and-Loser Friendship: Surprisingly, Issue #4 reveals this is how Leslie and Trish became friends: Leslie was a Shrinking Violet and an outcast in college while Trish was a jaded Alpha Bitch who was sick and tired of being Surrounded by Idiots who were only near her because she was still popular. After talking and finding common ground 'cause they both liked Lady Peg, they agree to share a flat and the rest is history. And so is Trish.
- Death by Woman Scorned: Invoked. Trish's death is pinned on Leslie, exploiting her latent interspecies attraction, and is painted as an (unreciprocated) lovers' spat. It works so much, even her parents believe it and demonize Leslie for it.
- Decoy Protagonist: Decoy Deuteragonist, to be precise. Trish starts suspecting Leslie's dream might be something else and launches her own investigation: she visits a library for a book on interspecies relationships and meets Ms. Weigold, who recommends one of her favorite stories written by someone named Gambots, about a place called Tijoux. This eventually leads her to meet with him and find out it's not a story, it's a journalistic recount of a real place. Then, she's killed for that information.
- Deuteragonist: From Issue #1 to #3.
- Heterosexual Life-Partners: With Leslie until her death.
- Lovable Alpha Bitch: Downplayed during her college years but she was reasonably popular in high school, enough that several high school acquaintances continued hanging out with her because of it. Also her third meeting with Leslie is amiably obnoxious.
- Plot-Triggering Death: Her death marks the point at which a story about a girl trying to navigate a utilitarian society's marriage and sex laws starts to become a lot more.
- Pseudo-Romantic Friendship: While not overtly sexual, Trish and Leslie's close bond makes them very comfortable with each other even during intimate situations, with Trish in particular playfully showing No Sense of Personal Space even when Leslie's taking a "pleasant" bath or bringing her breakfast to bed. This makes it all the much easier to frame Leslie for Trish's murder.
- They Know Too Much: While digging up info on Leslie's dream, she learns of the existence of Tijoux, a society that encourages Interspecies Romance, and she's killed by the cult to keep it a secret.
- Too Good for This Sinful Earth: All she wanted to do was try and find out why Leslie's been having her recurring Erotic Dream. And it ended up getting her killed.
- Walking Spoiler: There's a reason why most of her entries are blocked out.
Derek
A male goat and Leslie's friend and co-worker.
- Animal Eyes: Not that noticeable, but close-up panels show that he has horizontal slits like real-life goats.
- Boom, Headshot!: Suffers one at the hands of a cult member when he confesses to Leslie that he was spying on her for the cult.
- Flying Under the Gaydar: Is in a homosexual relationship with a pig. In a restrictive, heteronormative society that frowns upon Interspecies Romance, he's forced to hide it, or they could both go to prison.
- I Have Your Wife: The cult kidnapped his boyfriend, Max, and blackmailed him into spying on Leslie by threatening to reveal their relationship. After he reveals this information to Leslie, he laments that Max is probably already dead, and then he's shot by Jones.
- Regretful Traitor: Played With. When Leslie stays with him after Trish's death, Derek plays the good friend and helpful ear, all the better to keep Leslie on the dark about being the reluctant mole keeping tabs on her. While he eventually reveals the whole charade to Leslie, it's only after the Albino has briefly posssesed her and accused him of selling them out, as despite his reluctance, he never reveals the ruse out of his volition.
Saya
- Butch Lesbian: Not obvious at first sight, but once her relationship with Carol is revealed to be romantic, her tomboy looks and aggressive attitude classify her as this.
- Food as Bribe: Saya seems to realize the cops detaining her noodle cup truck containing Les, Khal and Pif are hungry, so she offers them some. As a token of courtesy, of course.
- Happily Married: In Blue Blood, she has tied the knot with Carol.
- Honorary Aunt: Shea refers to her as "Auntie" Saya, although the one time she says it, she does it while passively-agressively asking "what the fuck is going on" related to her foster parents.
- I Owe You My Life: Issue #7 reveals Saya lived on the streets up until Carol rescued her. This, coupled with the uncertainty of what to do, how much Leslie will resist the Albino's influence and the possibility of knowing Carol'll be killed if she doesn't cooperate leads her to (possibly) betray Leslie and Khal.
- The Lancer: To Khal and Carol.
- Second Love: Blue Blood reveals she was involved with Carol, hence why she was desperate enough to betray the rest of the group in the original series to ensure she wouldn't be killed. Unlike Carol's first liason in Tijoux, the two get married after she's elected president.
- Why Don't You Just Shoot Him?: In the name of pragmatism, Saya asks Carol whether it's easier to just kill Leslie if she being overtaken by The Albino is such a problem. Carol answers it's not out of the question, but the benefits of Bes, Leslie's past life, returning might be worth it.
Carol
A female pig and leader of a resistance movement against the government's breeding programs.
- Affably Evil: During her time in the cult. Carol was deeply involved in a Fantastic Racism conspiracy against interspecies all while spouting swine superiority, but even then, she was never rude or dismissive of others. She remained a helpful friend to Maxine (up to a point) and during her transitional period in Tijoux, she was always friendly to others, especially the children to whom she often read stories by the campfire. In the present time, she has fully dropped the evil part, as she now leads La Résistance.
- Covered in Scars: A large part of her body, most notably her face and one of her arms, is covered in burn scars, and she's missing an eye. It's revealed in Issue #11 that Maxime gave Carol those injuries.
- Eye Scream: She has one eye missing in the present, courtesy of Maxine pushing her face into a torch.
- Happily Married: In Blue Blood, she and Saya are shown to be living the blissful married lifestyle.
- Heel–Face Turn: Not in the story proper, but in her backstory, she's a former member of the Reproduction Program. She's the reason for the brain chips and the many, many cameras. She was also the former leader of the cult until she became involved in a lesbian relationship with a cat, which ended in tragedy when Maxime murdered the cat.
- Her Heart Will Go On: It takes several years but after Kija's death, Carol manages to find love again with Saya and finally marries her.
- Laser-Guided Karma: As Leslie mentions in #12, Carol told her she was one of the responsible for Maxine's lover Winston's disappearance, all the better to ease her into becoming part of the cult. She ended suffering the same when Maxine killed her lioness lover in a fit of madness.
- LGBT Awakening: The reason why she starts drifting away from the cult's ideology and making excuses to stay longer in Tijoux despite derailing Maxine's shaman training is her realization of being attracted to women and her growing feelings toward Kija, a lioness. This unfortunately leads Maxine to try to catch her attention at any opportunity, eventually peeking on an intimate kiss between the two lovebirds.
- Lipstick Lesbian: Her only serious relationships have been with women. This is particular as it marks her eventual separation from the cult as such ideology would never allow her to be herself.
- Redemption Equals Affliction: Growing closer to the spirit of Tijoux and especially to Kija leads Carol to reconsider her allegiance to the cult, only for her newfound happiness to come crashing down due to a heavy dose of karma as her love is murdered by a crazed Maxine, the woman she indoctrinated into the cult and from whom she snatched Winston, her lion lover, away from her. As she attacks her, Maxine pushes Carol into a torch, burning her eye and face. This series of events created a very different Carol, who in the present day is shown to regret her role in the conspiracy.
- Samaritan Relationship Starter: Carol's romance with Saya began when the former rescued the latter from the streets.
Teo
A cat classmate of Shea who matches her in terms of vitriol.
- Belligerent Sexual Tension: With Shea, as their initial conflict leads them to understanding each other better.
- Dark and Troubled Past: As it turns out, he shares one thing with Shea: a traumatic stay in the Slaughterhouse due to having gay parents. As they walk through a secluded closet in the now-reformed hospital, Teo becomes more somber as he recalls the times he spent locked in there drawing as a coping mechanism. On top of that, he mentions how one of his dads is still "recovering" from the torture inflicted on him.
- Groin Attack: Suffers this in his first appearance, courtesy of Shea.
- Master of the Mixed Message: While his introduction sees him leaning into Sugary Malice to condescend Shea's "loner" status, his interest in her drawings seems genuine. Later, as he stays behind while Shea and the rest head out to find out her foster parents, Teo finds himself concerned over her safety, something Saya teases him for.
- Would Hit a Girl: He's very much into the idea of hitting Shea or yanking her hair. Then again, she's very willing to respond in kind.
Antagonists
The Albino
An ancient, powerful and malevolent being existing as a spirit inhabiting Leslie's body.
- Animalistic Abomination: The Albino is a supernatural apex predator that the people of Tijoux made a pact with.
- Deadly Gaze: All he (or whoever he's possessing) has to do is look at someone and they'll die, typically by way of head explosion. This turns out to be his Achilles' Heel when he possesses Maxime in the finale; since the source of his power is also his greatest weakness, Leslie gouges out Maxime's eyes and his power turns inward, disintegrating Maxime's body and killing them both. Maybe.
- Fatal Flaw: Arrogance. He spends so much time thinking he's an Invincible Villain that he never considers Leslie a threat. This bites him in the ass hard in Issue #12, as when he takes control of Maxime's body, he can't use his powers to their full extent and chooses instead to choke Leslie to death, which allows her close enough to gouge out Maxime's eyes.
- I Love You Because I Can't Control You: It is implied that out of all of the women offered to him, the Albino favored Bes most of all because she conspired to kill him instead of blindly fulfilling the pact.
- Shut Up, Kirk!: Rejects Leslie/Bes’ Nature vs. Nurture speech because he enjoys being a terrifying monster.
The Glance
Click to see them without the mask
Click to see a younger Glance
The insidious leader of a secret cult that intends to harness the Albino's power. The Glance is revealed to be Leslie's mother, Maxime.
- Abusive Mom: She gave the order for Leslie to be framed as a xenophilic Psycho Lesbian for the murders of her two best friends and sends waves of agents after Leslie to capture her and capture and/or kill anyone who helps her. She does this with plans to sacrifice Leslie to the Albino. Leslie is, again, HER DAUGHTER. Also, she once told her lion lover that she saw Leslie as her problem.
- Bad Boss: They threaten to kill Jones several times for his failures. Honestly, though, Jones has a tendency to mess up frequently and talk back way too much.
- Be Careful What You Wish For: She orchestrated the comic's entire plot just so she could take the Albino's power for herself, not caring if her daughter died in the process. When she finally takes the Albino's spirit into her body, she isn't as ready for it as she thought, since he completely dominates her mind and takes over her body.
- Big Bad: The direct antagonist of the story. Arguably, they shares this role with The Albino and the Joneses.
- Clothes Make the Superman: They claim that their sacred garments imbue them with great power.
- Create Your Own Hero: While they have a foresight worthy of The Chessmaster, their blind spots end causing this to happen not once, but twice:
- Killing Kija and attacking Carol because of her "betrayal" causes Carol to pull a Heel–Face Turn, come out and form an organization opposing the cult called the Suide Alliance.
- Cornering Leslie in all fronts, intended to weaken her spirit enough to mold her into an easy target, backfires as her determination develops into enough willpower as to reign in the Albino as well as aim to attack the cult after being recruited into the Alliance.
- Death of Personality: The moment she manages to gain access to the Albino's spirit and powers, she begins to struggle with reigning him in, as she proceeds to go mad with all the power she has gained and how unprepared she is to control the much more powerful wolf. She barely lasts a minute before her body is taken over by the Albino, effectively killing Maxine's spirit.
- Foil: To Carol and Leslie:
- Maxime is the Big Bad and leader of the Suide Alliance. Carol is the Big Good, the leader of La Résistance and a FORMER member of the Suide Alliance. How Maxime joins the cult mirrors why Carol left: she lost the feline love of her life due to someone’s best, if horribly misguided intentions and has to deal with the consequences. They are both RESPONSIBLE for the disappearance of each other’s loves (Carol’s tenure as Alliance member including getting rid of Winston and Maxime’s killing of Kija for "distracting" Carol). Maxime’s love for Winston ultimately helps corrupt her into joining the Alliance when he disappears. Carol’s love for Kija ultimately convinces her to leave the Alliance when she realizes the world that they wish to create would kill her for simply existing. Maxime devotes the rest of her life to the Alliance because it gives her life purpose and power, with the promise of more. Carol devotes her life to bringing down the Alliance and Reproduction Program because she knows they’re worthless shams.
- As the reincarnated Bes, Leslie is the vessel of The Albino and gifted with horrifying power as a result. She was predestined for this from birth and after she awakens, she struggles to contain the power. Maxime, by contrast, was a normal woman who chose to become a shaman to empower herself. She’s also been training towards this for most of Leslie’s life and plans to sacrifice her to succeed. Despite also being descended from Bes, Maxime doesn’t seem to have much spiritual power. Leslie mostly manages to keep her personality and control of her body in spite of the Albino’s efforts. In spite of all of her training, Maxime lasts roughly a minute under the Albino’s influence before he takes over her body. Another minute later, he AND her body are killed by Leslie.
- From Nobody to Nightmare: She went from an abused housewife to the leader of a powerful and influential cult. To elaborate: She begins having an affair with a lion until they agree to run off together... Then he gets married behind her back. Eventually, she can't take her husband's abuse any longer and abandons him and Leslie, meeting Napoleon and joining the cult, which was led by Carol at the time. It's later revealed that the cult arranged for her lion lover to disappear and for her to meet Napoleon, all so they could find her and Leslie. She and Carol travel to Tijoux together so Maxime can begin her training as a shaman, and when she eventually finds out that Carol, who's supposed to be the strongest believer in the cult's cause, is in a lesbian relationship with a cat (a direct parallel to her affair with the lion), she snaps, murders the cat, then accidentally maims Carol, giving her the wounds she still has in the present day. After Carol disappears, Maxime completes her training, taking a velociraptor's skull as the mask she now wears as the Glance, and seizes control of the cult.
- Hypocrite: She's the leader of a cult that seeks to snuff out Interspecies Romance, and yet she herself was once in an affair with a lion, and she underwent her shaman training in a place that encourages interspecies couples. Her motivation ultimately boils down to: "If I can't love whoever I want, then neither can anyone else." It comes full circle right before she kills Napoleon (whom she just finished telling Leslie is the only person she's ever loved), telling him that every time they had sex, she was thinking of Winston.
- Implied Death Threat: They imply to Jones that they will kill him if he continues to fail to capture Leslie.
- The Lad-ette: Even before turning evil, Maxine was never one for tact. Despite having the look of a typical housewife, she'd frequently smoke, argue with her husband (with often catastrophic results) and often swore a storm with the additional Flipping the Bird should anyone piss her off, as a young Mr. Hans finds out when bothering her in a phone booth.
- Malevolent Masked Man: You look at them and tell me they're not evil.
- The Mourning After: In Issue #10, as Maxine takes a bath, she finds herself unnerved that she still reminisces about her long-gone lion lover Winston even after he "abandoned" her 20+ years ago, which contrasts with how she upholds the idea of racist unions on the outside. This culminates with her admitting to Napoleon after gaining the Albino's power how she never stopped loving Winston, even thinking about him when the two of them were making love. In a way, her entire motivation as head of the conspiracy is partly fueled by the fact she never really got over losing him.
- Retargeted Lust: With shades of Lie Back and Think of England. During her full-on power trip after getting the Albino's spirit, Maxine admits to Napoleon the only way she was able to stomach having sex with him was by imagining Winston.
- Samus Is a Girl: From Issues #1 to #8, the Glance's appearance is obscured by their attire and their skull mask, leaving their gender a mystery. It isn't until the end of Issue #8 when Jones outs them to Leslie as he lays dying: the Glance is a woman and Leslie's Missing Mom, Maxine, to boot.
- Single-Target Sexuality: Downplayed. She wasn't averse to having sex, but as she admits in her last moments, the only one she felt truly good with was her lover Winston, with the rest paling in comparison.
- Skull for a Head: They wear a saurian-like skull mask.
- Unholy Matrimony: Going by the last page of chapter 8, they have this going on with Napoleon. By the end, it's revealed to be a Mutually Unequal Relation: Napoleon indoctrinated Maxine into believing into the cause while gaslighting her into thinking Winston abandoned her just to have her for himself, while Maxine went with it to gain agency and power and only pretended to love Napoleon with the intention of eliminating him after he was no longer useful.
Nicholas Jones
A handsome male pig and Leslie's date after being applied for the Reproduction Program. It turns out he's a member of the Glance's cult.
- An Arm and a Leg: He gets one of his arms ripped off at the start of Issue #7, courtesy of Leslie while the Albino's possessing her.
- Asshole Victim: He’s brutally murdered by Leslie in Issue #8, though not before revealing the Glance's identity.
- Bad Date: Like you have no idea. It ends with Jones drugging Leslie and framing her for murder. The next day, he murders her friend, Derek, in front of her.
- Beauty Is Bad: He's an attractive male pig who happens to be a member of a nefarious cult, and is responsible for the deaths of Trish and Derek.
- Break the Haughty: Briefly, when he fails to capture Leslie again and has to answer to his father, Jones is sweating profusely and very nervous. The way his father talks about coasting on family reputation and how he should worry about how useless he is being implies some worrisome punishments should he fail again.
- The Heavy: The Glance prefers to look around the shadows like a mythic, omniscient figure and leaves most of the dirty work to Jones, who gladly executes it. Leslie has had a few rundowns with him, but it wasn't up until Issue #6, he found out he was working for The Glance.
- I Have You Now, My Pretty: In spite of himself, he has developed a possessive crush on Leslie and frequently tries to ambush her into submission whenever he confronts her. The way he switches on and off during their date and drugs her imply consent may not even be in the equation...
- I Want Them Alive!: As he tries to capture Leslie, one of his henchmen impulsively shoots at her when she tries to escape. Jones chastises the henchman for almost killing her, because The Glance wants Les alive. Of course, there may be other reasons...
- Jerkass: Smug, abrasive and willing to harm anyone who dares question him, man or woman.
- Overlord Jr.: Issue #6 reveals his father is head of Recovery Center for Anti-Nature Deviants and a sadistic Absolute Xenophobe glorified torturer who expects his son to follow The Glance's orders and insults him all the while.
- Servile Snarker: To his "Master", The Glance, whom he clearly disrespects.
- Slasher Smile: When he gets serious. And it is pretty unnerving.
- Smug Snake: His smile doesn't change once he's revealed as a villain. It just makes him look more like a punchable bastard.
- Stalker with a Crush: He appears to have some creepy fixation with Leslie, since in Issue #5, he makes a female pig wear a wig that resembles Leslie's hair, and angrily kicks her out of bed when she takes it off.
- "Well Done, Son" Guy: He desperately wants to prove himself to his father.
- Your Head Asplode: How he finally meets his end at the end of Issue 8.
Napoleon Jones
Nicholas Jones's father, head of the Recovery Center for Anti-Nature Deviants and in cahoots with The Glance to capture Leslie Blair and expand their anti-interspecies propaganda.
- Abusive Parents: Not in an overt way, but it's clear he expects Jones to follow his and The Glance's orders and get privileges for the family to get to the top and when he fails, he makes abundantly clear he's his son only as long as he shows an aptitude for it and a way to live up to his namesake. He also insists he doesn't call him "Dad" unless it's for something else other than calling in favors or trying to earn forgiveness.
- Absolute Xenophobe: Best exemplified in his interrogations: rather than letting a poor soul off after the "treatment", he comes in and asks her personal questions about how regretful she must be feeling over her "affair" and then proceeds to torture her psychologically over her misdeeds and how much it won't hurt to take her chip off. Through his grinding teeth, it's clear he's restraining himself from calling her "scum" for frolicking with other species.Maybe you're afraid 'cause you know you're a bad apple. [...] People like you never truly change. NEVER.
- Ambition Is Evil: He's involved with The Glance to gain more control over the city.
- Asshole Victim: Much like his son, Napoleon was complicit and later became one of the main authorities of the Consiracy, creating many Recovery Centers where interspecies couples were tortured and brainwashed, not to say disappeared, all to satify his twisted mindset and sadistic tendencies. Thus, it makes all the more satisfying when the one he loves, Maxine, reveals how much she truly despises him as she applies psychic, unbearable pressure to his head before exploding in a mass of membrane and bone.
- Ax-Crazy: A high-functioning example: he's grinning like a maniac during treatments but he acts coolly during reunions.
- Break the Haughty: His final moments on Earth? Spent knowing the woman he loves and for whom he gave up everything, including his son's life, despises him and still thinks of her lion lover even decades after his demise.
- Broken Tears: As the Fusion Dance of Maxine and The Albino proceed to apply pressure in his brain, she lets out a final, sadistic piece of information: she never loved him and whenever they would have sex, she'd think of Winston, the knowledge of which breaks him...just before his head explodes.
- Cruel Mercy: Once they finish, the patients can go...but not before getting a chip and a brand in the most painful way imaginable that will mark them as "deviants" to society for the rest of their lives.
- Even Evil Has Loved Ones: For all of his villainy, he honestly seems to love Maxime.
- Exalted Torturer: He takes a sadistic enjoyment out of watching how individuals get rehabilitated...and more when they get branded to exclude them form the rest of society.
- Expy: A O'Brien in a more fitting skin.
- Fat Bastard: Downplayed. He's slightly stout and earns this by virtue of being a pig and a repulsive person.
- Karmic Death: As implied by Carol's revelations to Leslie in Issue #12, some of the members made Winston disappear so Maxine could get together with Napoleon, implying he already had his eye on her back then. His death comes at the hands of the woman he loved, possessed into admitting how much she despises him and how she still thinks about Winston, before she explodes his head.
- Meaningful Name: His name comes from the main villains of the book Animal Farm, both tyrants of the titular farm.
- The Sociopath: As part of his Establishing Character Moment. Real or fake love for his son besides, he's clearly a sadistic bastard who can and will destroy a person's life with a swish of his hand and a smile and later dismiss it as doing his job, all for the sake of acquiring more power and grow within a cause he doesn't even truly believe in and provides him with a daily dose of torture kicks.
- Villain Has a Point: Deconstructed. During the interrogation, he calls out his patient for trying to bluff her way out, insisting it wasn't long ago she called him "a piece of shit" and attacked a nurse. Normally, these could be seen as fair points to take into account when running a facility, but since he is a paid psycho who forces people to repress themselves with threats of torture and would probably find a way to satisfy his urges somewhere else if not, any good point he makes pales in comparison to his brutal actions.
- You Have Outlived Your Usefulness: Once Maxime takes the Albino's soul into herself, she declares she doesn't need Napoleon anymore, and he goes the same way as his son.
Others
Winston
Maxine's lover, a lion. Only appearing in flashbacks, he plays a major role in shaping Maxine's life as his disappearance spurs her to abandon her family and become the cult leader, The Glance.
- Birds of a Feather: A main reason him and Maxine hit it off was both possessed a similar sense of humor as well as a dim view of the Leader's proclamations and push for same-species coupling. In fact, the first thing he said to her was a joke about how the Leader's looks make it almost necessary to enforce such rules to even stand a chance of getting laid.
- Hunk: Winston had a very fit build which certainly caught Maxine's eye.
- Interspecies Romance: Winston, a lion, was involved in a torrid affair with Maxine, a pig.
- Making Love in All the Wrong Places: During one of the flashbacks in Issue #9, Maxine and Winston have a sweaty tryst on the opposite corner of the house...while Phil is pushing Leslie on the swing on the other side of the building.
- Make-Out Kids: As Maxine relates in her flashback in Issue #9 and #10, her relationship with Winston began as a mere friendship only to quickly evolve into fully romantic as the two regressed into a state of "teenage love" where they couldn't keep their hands of each other, at one point having a romantic picnic under the moonlight. This got riskier as they progressed to having sex every time Phil would leave the house and even when he was in it.
- Meaningful Name: His name is a reference to Winston, the protagonist of the novel Nineteen Eighty-Four, who is similarly stiuck between following the government's rules and loving someone against society's wishes. Unlike the novel, this Winston is disappeared by a Government Conspiracy rather than bending his will to society's manipulations.
- One True Love: While Maxine's memories of him are very rose-tinted and as Leslie's flashback POV shows, she wasn't above being demanding of him, he was the love of her life, to the point that the maximum position in government, remarrying and gaining an evil spirit's powers never managed to make her happy after losing him.
- Sexual Deviance Is Evil: ZigZagged. By all standards, the relationship between Winston and Maxine puts her family in jeopardy of falling into debt due to the forbidden nature of Interspecies Romance and she fully intends on escaping with him without considering Leslie's future. However, their sexual encounters are portrayed as very active and sexually and emotionally fulfilling for both parties, especially contrasting the miserable sex between Maxine and Phil.
- Unkempt Beauty: He had wild, long, messy hair which only added to his flair as a free spirit.
Kija
A lioness living peacefully in Tijoux. Carol's first lover.
- Closet Key: Falling for Kija was what made Carol realize she was a lesbian.
- Friend to All Children: She first appears reminding Carol of her promise to tell the children a story.
Phil
Leslie's father and Maxine's ex-husband.
Virgil
A squirrel working for the Reproduction Program as a Cupid and Leslie's coach during her first date.
Mr. Hans
Leslie's Bad Boss at her job in GothLOL.
Minerva
First appearing in Blue Blood, she is a pig who has been assimilated into a branch of the original cult venerating the Albino. She's also the last Jones standing, as she's Napoleon's Disowned Child.
- Ambiguously Gay: In a flashback, she apologizes to her father over the fact she kissed a woman, one of the nurses, feebly lying that "it was just a joke". Curiously, this is not the reason Napoleon's punishing her as he mentions how she did something that made her a failure in his eyes.
- Cure Your Gays: Napoleon makes it clear Minerva's "deviancy" will be fixed, one way or the other.
- Daddy's Little Villain: She was groomed into being the "perfect child" by Napoleon, even over his son Jones. Then something happened and she became a "disappointment".
- Successful Sibling Syndrome: Implied. Her conversation with Napoleon implies she was his favorite child before falling from grace. As her father is leaving her cell, she asks to tell her if it's true her stepmother Maxine hates her, even admitting how much her brother Jones "treats her like garbage", as she thinks they resented her success and may have done something to sabotage her. Although the way she phrases also makes it seem she'd rather blame them for her failures than anything else.
