History Literature / InTheBlood

A work by {{Tropers/Ryumaru}} as a school assignment, [[ShamelessSelfPromotion published]] on his [[https://www.deviantart.com/ryumaru-mg/gallery/26106175/in-the-blood DeviantArt account.]] Not to be confused with InTheBlood, although the work is named after the trope.

* DarkSkinnedBlonde: Bryant/Jaden's Beast Brood form invokes this, especially since he inherited a lot of were form traits from his accidental blood donor.

* ActionGirl: Salla. She's used to doing stuff on the run.

* AuthorAppeal: Why yes, I'm a bit of a furry. Why do you ask?
* BerserkButton: If you value keeping your limbs, don't hurt Salla. Jaden/Bryant is rather protective of his [[FireForgedFriends newfound friend.]]

* NoHoldsBarredBeatdown: At the climax, for [[spoiler: poor Jaden.]] Ouch.

* RoofHopping: The escape scene in Book Two, sprinkled with a bit of ''VideoGame/PrinceOfPersia''-styled LeParkour.

A work by {{Tropers/Ryumaru}} as a school assignment, [[ShamelessSelfPromotion published]] on his [[http://ryumaru-mg.deviantart.com/gallery/#In-The-Blood DeviantArt account.]] Not to be confused with InTheBlood, although the work is named after the trope.

* RoofHopping: The escape scene in Book Two, sprinkled with a bit of PrinceOfPersia - styled LeParkour.

* ThemeNaming: All of Thanatos' homunculi were going to be named after ''Franchise/{{Castlevania}}'' characters, but I ran out of good ones. So I switched to [[Creator/MarvelComics Marvel]] and [[Creator/DCComics DC]] comics writers. [[spoiler: Yes, [[JoeQuesada Quesada]] gets killed brutally. Happy?]]

* ThemeNaming: All of Thanatos' homunculi were going to be named after ''Franchise/{{Castlevania}}'' characters, but I ran out of good ones. So I switched to [[MarvelComics Marvel]] and [[DCComics DC]] comics writers. [[spoiler: Yes, [[JoeQuesada Quesada]] gets killed brutally. Happy?]]

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* ShoutOut: I'm a huge freaking geek, so I loaded on the shout-outs. Of note is that I practically included a character from another series - Jim Qwilleran, from TheCatWhoSeries, now runs a local bookstore. There's also a series of [[ShoutOut shout outs]] to Myth/GreekMythology (''Literature/TheOdyssey'' in particular), given that it's what we were studying when it was assigned.

* MeaningfulName: Thanatos was named after the Greek god of death, which he's trying to cheat. When Bryant (who's name means "noble." It was actually accidental on my part) changes his name to Jaden Leandros, his selected last name is pidgin-Greek for "lion man." Even his hometown's name, Delphi, is an allusion to GreekMythology. And yes, it's a real town.

* ShoutOut: I'm a huge freaking geek, so I loaded on the shout-outs. Of note is that I practically included a character from another series - Jim Qwilleran, from TheCatWhoSeries, now runs a local bookstore. There's also a series of [[ShoutOut shout outs]] to GreekMythology (''Literature/TheOdyssey'' in particular), given that it's what we were studying when it was assigned.

* CrowningMomentOfFunny: What's Bryant's dad's reaction to his freaking out at the new tail [[ItMakesSenseInContext in the bathroom?]]
--> '''Father:''' Christ, Bryant, what did you ''eat''?
* CrowningMomentOfHeartwarming: "Happy Birthday."

* FridgeLogic: [[spoiler: Why didn't Thanatos' homunculi use magic against the escaping [[WereCat werecats]]?]] [[WordOfGod Answer:]] [[spoiler: Richter, the first homunculus to chase them, was a special case. Thanatos even alludes to it being semi-unique.]]

* StopHelpingMe: Salla's initial attitude towards Bryant. [[spoiler: After her legs are broken in their escape, he tells her to shut up and stop complaining.]]

* WhatDoYouMeanItsNotSymbolic: I absolutely ''loaded'' the dream sequences with symbolism and {{Foreshadowing}}. Some of it is more blatant that other bits.

* ThemeNaming: All of Thanatos' homunculi were going to be named after {{Castlevania}} characters, but I ran out of good ones. So I switched to [[MarvelComics Marvel]] and [[DCComics DC]] comics writers. [[spoiler: Yes, [[JoeQuesada Quesada]] gets killed brutally. Happy?]]

Things just aren't going well for [[OrdinaryHighSchoolStudent Bryant]]. He's just trying to drive home when a girl runs out into the street, causing a traffic pileup. Then it turns out she's chased by something that's causing water mains to explode. One such explosion sends her through his windshield, and then... well... [[ItGotWorse things get worse.]]

* NotSoGreatEscape: [[spoiler: The escape attempt mounted by the protagonists at the end. It starts out nice, but [[ItGotWorse it gets worse]] when Salla's leg gets snapped by a particularly large homunculus.]]

* {{MIB}}: While their job description is the same, Team 18 is most emphatically made up of good guys.

* {{MIB}}: While their job description is the same, [[{{Nakama}} Team 18]] is most emphatically made up of good guys.

* MomentKiller: [[spoiler: Thanatos kills a moment between Jaden/Bryant and Salla. [[AlmostKiss Just when they're about to kiss....]]]]
* MoralEventHorizon: Thanatos crosses it (in narrative) when he [[spoiler: causes a major car wreck, killing at least a dozen innocent people, just to get at two teens.]] Technically earlier, though, he [[spoiler: conducts freaky experiments on Salla, not the least of which involve [[StrappedToAnOperatingTable tying her down]] and cutting her open. She states that the only reason he sedated her was to keep her from struggling too much.]]

* NauseaFuel: Just ponder [[spoiler: the results of Thanatos drinking the screwed-up potion]] for a minute. [[FridgeHorror I'll wait.]]

* UnfortunateImplications: Believe it or not, I actually meant for this to be intentional. [[spoiler: A chunk of Thanatos' dialogue about his experiments on Salla was written to imply a sexually abusive/rape subtext. When I write somebody like him, I try and make them ''nasty''.]]

* TheWoobie: Please, guys, ''tell'' me Salla doesn't get points. On the run, [[spoiler: experimented on, both legs broken by the end of the story....]]

* BlindSeer: The old lady Bryant meets on his way out of the hospital. Just like in TheOdyssey.

* ShoutOut: I'm a huge freaking geek, so I loaded on the shout-outs. Of note is that I practically included a character from another series - Jim Qwilleran, from TheCatWhoSeries, now runs a local bookstore. There's also a series of [[ShoutOut shout outs]] to GreekMythology (TheOdyssey in particular), given that it's what we were studying when it was assigned.

* TakeThat: To TheOdyssey. Quoth the newly-christened Jaden: "It's better than calling myself Antinous."

Turns out that this girl, Salla, is a [[OurWerebeastsAreDifferent werecat in disguise]] and on the run from a [[MadScientist Mad Alchemist]]. Now he gets dragged into her world, and ends up [[LockedIntoStrangeness turning into a human/[[WereCat werecat]] hybrid himself.]] Now they have to trust each other while running like hell from [[NamesToRunAwayFromReallyFast Thanatos]] while [[IndyPloy trying to come up with a plan.]]

Turns out that this girl, Salla, is a [[OurWerewolvesAreDifferent werecat in disguise]] and on the run from a [[MadScientist Mad Alchemist]]. Now he gets dragged into her world, and ends up [[LockedIntoStrangeness turning into a human/werecat hybrid himself.]] Now they have to trust each other while running like hell from [[NamesToRunAwayFromReallyFast Thanatos]] while [[IndyPloy trying to come up with a plan.]]

* FridgeLogic: [[spoiler: Why didn't Thanatos' homunculi use magic against the escaping werecats?]] [[WordOfGod Answer:]] [[spoiler: Richter, the first homunculus to chase them, was a special case. Thanatos even alludes to it being semi-unique.]]

* ShoutOut: I'm a huge freaking geek, so I loaded on the shout-outs. Of note is that I practically included a character from another series - Jim Qwilleran, from The Cat Who... series, now runs a local bookstore. There's also a series of [[ShoutOut shout outs]] to GreekMythology (TheOdyssey in particular), given that it's what we were studying when it was assigned.

This is a work by {{Tropers/Ryumaru}} as a school assignment, published on my [[http://ryumaru-mg.deviantart.com/gallery/#In-The-Blood DeviantArt account.]] Not to be confused with InTheBlood, although the trope did inspire the title.

* PrecisionFStrike: While there is some mild profanity sprinkled throughout, Salla gets a good Precision S Strike when she founds out [[InvoluntaryShapeshifting Bryant's become a Beast Brood.]]

* {{Muggles}}: Bryant starts out as one. [[YouShouldKnowThisAlready Then the story happens.]] His parents go in for extreme examples, being pretty oblivious to his plight.

* LargeHam: Thanatos ''really'' plays it up in Book Two. Jaden even [[LampshadeHanging comments on it.]]

* ThemeNaming: All of Thanatos' homunculi were going to be named after {{Castlevania}} characters, but I ran out of good ones. So I switched to [[MarvelComics Marvel]] and [[DCComics DC]] comics writers. [[spoiler: Yes, Queseda gets killed brutally. Happy?]]