The Strange Ones

A collection of stories about nonhumans. Thrilling nonhuman romances, wholesome love. Story One: Fractured Lover Would you like to date a shape-shifting lover? He can indulge your sudden whims and your fickle desire for something new. You think it's just a little game your lover plays to spoil you, never realizing that they've split into who knows how many pieces. Whatever type you like, they'll split off into the version of him you want. And completely surround you. Story Two: The False Insect Mother Humans can't reproduce through males yet, but what if a swarm of bugs called you “Mother”? After accidentally being injected with insect-mother pheromones, you gradually start hearing strange rustling noises, and all sorts of bizarre, fanatical “men” begin appearing around you. They all share one hobby: enthusiastically inviting you to visit their beautiful homeland. You can't stand the harassment, but fortunately, fate brings you together with the person who becomes your lover. You're happy. Until these people tear open their withered skins, revealing wings and stingers, and call you “Mom” in a frenzy. Only then do you realize that their so-called destination is the warm nest of the insect race. You flee in a panic, and just as you're about to rush into your lover's warm embrace, you discover that he has a pair of golden insect eyes too. Story Three: Tending the God Your elders have told you since childhood that you are a servant of the gods. You must serve the gods reverently and resist the temptations of the outside world. You can't escape the village, and the constant belittling as you grow up leaves you almost numb with resignation, even though deep down you don't believe the gods are real. Until one day, white light bursts from the idol, and a god covered in cracks appears before you. He gently cares for you alone and gives you all his favor. And so you find a strange kind of happiness. In this clan, crazed with faith in the gods, you are the only one who can see the god, and the god loves only you, the one person who doesn't believe. Once, you were trapped by your role as the god's servant. Later, in the name of tending the god, you trap the god instead. Story Four: The White Knight You are the most gifted holy son the Church has seen in a hundred years, and countless knights are devoted to you. But the only knight you favor is the one you personally rescued. This makes the knights from noble families terribly jealous. They even ostracize your knight behind your back, calling him all looks and no substance, and accusing him of using his beauty to climb the social ladder. But they don't know that your knight holds your “secret” you have no talent at all. The sacred crown and scepter fill you with fear and worry, and you're terrified that if your secret gets out, the respect and preferential treatment you've received will kill you in an instant. Luckily, you have your one and only knight. He's loyal and gentle, and truly cares for the weak. He'll help you keep this secret. He's a perfectly good knight. Even if, in private, he's infatuated with your unguarded sadness and longs for your affection. After all, it was for you that he turned from a monster into a knight. Reading notes: Medium-to-long unit stories, told in third person. Set in a fictional world with no connection to reality. Please don't read it as a reflection of real life. Cover artist: @BoiledWaterDuck Theme: A harmonious and diverse way for humans and other species to coexist