Warnings: Gore. Kinda gross towards the end but nothing graphic.

Like Mother Like Daughter

The blood-curdling screams had long died down, having been replaced by the cries of a newborn infant. Colossal arms gathered the screaming bundle of flesh, abandoning the still body on the dingy mattress.

"Shhh..." The demon hushed, a permanent Cheshire grin on his monstrous face, held open by oversized gnashers - between which lay chunks of grizzly raw flesh and the lower part of his face was spattered with gore. Glowing crimson eyes gazed down at the newborn, rough hands which had seen the demise of millions caressed tender meat, almost lovingly. Talons grazed against the delicate, blood covered skin, threatening to lacerate - twitching with the urge to do harm. To tear, crush, squeeze the life out of the innocent being and yet he remained perfectly stoic. Perhaps even merciful by his own standards. In one quick movement, the umbilical cord was sliced with a deadly nail. He would make quick work of cleaning the blood from the child, the same way as any mammal other than human would.

"Can I see them?" A small voice whimpered, her eyes screwed shut and hands clutching at her open stomach.

The shadowy figure danced around the mouldy bed which was coated with encrusted crimson stains. The beast inhaled the sweet scent deeply, keeping the baby cradled in his arms. It's cries grated on his sensitive ears though he was well used to it now. His protruding ribcage rumbled as he gazed down at her in odious joy, coming to a still by her side.

She gazed right back at him, then her eyes flickered to the baby he was holding onto. She opened her arms expectantly.

"You've done well." He drawled, clawed fingers coming to brush through her matted hair which lay slick against her scalp. "Thank you for such a delightful specimen."

She only nodded, barely acknowledging him. Grudging his hands on her but knowing him well enough to not object.

His brute hand moved to incase her skull, grip tightening. "But your work here is done now." And with an easy increase in pressure, her temples caved in with a sickening crack, bits of bone and brain matter covering his bare hands without so much as a flinch on his part. She didn't even have time to register what was happening, let alone to scream. He gazed at her, satisfied as the light left her eyes and she finally became silent. When he removed his hand she slumped forward unceremoniously.

With the crying child still in his arms, he parted his mouth to reveal a gaping void of swirling daggers, lurching forward to claim what was his. Eager to satisfy his voracious appetite for meat.

· · ─────── ·𖥸· ─────── · ·

The house had been silent, save for the howling wind outside. The clock on the mantel had stopped working decades ago and the walls had long begun to peel. Dust coated every feasible surface including the unused couches, table, cold fireplace. Even during the daytime sunlight was barely able to strain through the boarded windows, which helped to maintain the pretence of an abandoned house.

The newborn had fallen asleep under the watchful gaze of her would-be father. The demon had long harboured a curiosity about sleep. The notion that these creatures would willingly fall unconscious and allow their minds to succumb to mere fantasy was utterly fascinating. A foreign concept which he would never understand. He leaned closer, listening to her soft snores and the steady beats of her tiny heart.

When the still-unnamed child started awake with an ever pathetic cry, he sighed aloud before swiftly moving to pick her up. "There there..." He held her so that her head was rested on his colossal shoulder and one of his hands patted her back, careful not to exude too much force. He angled his head so that the curve of one of his gigantic ram-like horns wouldn't knock against the soft cartilage of her undeveloped skull as he wandered over to the long-outdated phonograph, switching it on and beginning to sway in time with the music. The tips of his wings dragged along the floor as he danced, permanent smile stretching glistening black scales across his face and masking his true thoughts.

Anything to get it to stop making that noise.

· · ─────── ·𖥸· ─────── · ·

Tiny feet pressed against the grubby carpet as wobbling legs tried to take their first steps towards the golem creature who was knelt upon the ground, arms extended and hands open towards her, a neutral expression adorning his face. Then she tumbled and fell, bringing forth a savage laugh from him.

Moving to place her back on her feet, he chided: "Almost there." Gripping her pudgy hand in his own, the leviathan stood beside her, the top of her head barely came to his knee and her arm had to stretch way above her head to hold his hand. She settled for gripping two of his fingers in her fist.

"Now, take my lead." One step for him was several for her but her balance was improving some.

She paused for a second before she retracted her hand and fell on her backside, her face twisting in discomfort and bottom lip beginning to quiver before the damn broke and she squealed aloud, clutching her hand to her chest.

"Oh dear..." He knelt to inspect her hand, eyes honing in on her bloody palm. "It appears my nails have cut you. Terribly sorry about that." He said, voice lacking any discernable emotion.

Human parents would kiss their offspring when they got hurt - though in his true form his giant teeth made the endeavour quite a challenge. Instead, he opted for the next best thing.

Bringing the still-crying child's hand up towards his face, he ignored her weak attempts to pull away and began to swipe his tongue along her palm. For a moment nothing much happened. Until eventually her cries began to subside, her hand was cleaned and she started to giggle.

He paused. Why was she laughing?

She continued to stare at him, no longer trying to pry her hand away from his grip. Instead, she presented her outstretched palm toward him, as if urging him to continue.

When he did, she laughed again. In fact, she found the sensation quite ticklish.

"You humans are so strange..." he mused, licking his lips and peering at his brewing meal. "You still need a name, don't you?"

She only gargled, reaching a hand to grasp the curve of one of his horns. He sighed again, allowing the contact and pondering for a moment.

When the idea struck him, he bellowed a laugh which shook the walls, making the child stare at him in confusion. His shoulders shook and his eyes glinted in relish. If possible, his grin seemed to widen. "Oh yes, it's perfect. I shall call you Chibous."

· · ─────── ·𖥸· ─────── · ·

"Your mind is so incredibly simple. As ever Chibous, you fail to see the bigger picture, to connect actions to their consequences. It's an easy enough concept to learn." The demon picked up the rattle from where it had landed on the floor, presenting it to Chibous with a look that could kill. "If you want to keep the rattle, do not throw the rattle."

He didn't even flinch as the toy was promptly thrown back at him, bouncing square off of his face and proudly retaking its position on the carpet.

His hand twitched and a barely contained growl emitted from his chest. If only he could wrap his hand around the little-

But it wasn't time yet. She wasn't ready.

Chibous let out a high pitched coo, staring at the titanic creature in vague amusement. She liked throwing things at Father. Very much so, in fact when his chest made those funny noises she felt compelled to throw more things at him - while attempting to mimic his coarse growls.

Later she had decided that throwing toys was no longer enough, and when it was dinner time a cunning thought sprung to mind.

With the tiny spoon clasped in the demon's scaled fingers, oversized talons overlapping and dwarfing the plastic utensil, she decided to spit her food out towards her father.

He tilted his head, a wad of mashed up food dripping down his face while he was positively yearning for the day where he could throttle her without restraint.

· · ─────── ·𖥸· ─────── · ·

"Father, look!" A beaming Chibous of age seven frantically scurried towards the towering figure, paper firmly grasped in her tiny fist. She slammed into his leg with an "oof!", letting out a giggle as she was lifted up by a pair of strong arms.

A chuckle emanated from the beast's throat. "What do we have here?"

She sent him a toothy grin, revealing she was missing one of her front teeth. "I drawed a photo of you!" She presented the crumpled up page to him.

Keeping the child cradled in one arm, he brought the other to accept the drawing. Opening it up, he stared at it blankly for a moment. She observed his reaction intently, eager for praise. After a minute, his pupiless eyes shifted to her. "You've signed it with your name as well. Well done, Chibous." He said gently, petting her hair.

She nodded briskly, before asking. "Can I feel your wings now?"

"Oh, I see how it is. Your gift was a mere ploy, was it?" He accused playfully.

She let out a nervous giggle, shyly confirming his assertion.

He sighed dramatically, pretending to ponder for a moment in a dramatic gesture, before agreeing. "Very well then." He brought his almighty midnight wings to encase them both, moving to sit so that Chibous was seated in his lap. She reached behind him and gently ran her fingers over the soft plumage, bringing her hand down to caress against his inky feathers. His wing shifted slightly beneath her touch, causing her to giggle as the tips of his quills tickled against her arm. She brought her head to rest against his rumbling chest while her hand remained clasping a fistful of feathers - which the demon quickly accepted that he might be missing shortly.

"Father?"

"Hmmm?" He craned his neck down to look at the one he had claimed as his daughter. Her wide eyes gazed up at him, full of childish innocence and wonder. It was sickening.

"Why can't I have wings too?" She tilted her head to the side, her pupils fixated on his shining quills and delicious envy rolling off of her in waves.

He chuckled. "You are human. And humans don't grow wings."

She pouted. "I don't want to be human. I want to be like you."

"You flatter me."

"...what's flatter? Like flat? Did I squish you?" She frowned, staring up at him in unbridled curiosity. She looked him over, double checking that he wasn't flat.

He scoffed. "No. You aren't strong enough to do that. It means to compliment someone. To say something nice." He explained, satisfied when she gave a nod in understanding.

"You're wings are really soft."

"Why thank you."

"As soft as my hair?"

"Of course not." Clawed fingers moved to stroke her head of onyx tresses, as if in confirmation.

"You flatter me." She mumbled, eyes finally shutting.

Happy meat tastes better. He reminded himself.

· · ─────── ·𖥸· ─────── · ·

"Alright, let's see what you remember. Two identical strips of nylon are charged with static electricity and hung from a string so they can swing freely. What would happen if they were brought near each other?" The demon asked, pacing at the front of the room with his wings dragging along behind him.

Chibous raised her eyebrows, wracking her brain for a moment before eventually shrugging.

He ceased in his pacing, turning to stare at his daughter and in this moment - pupil. Had he been in human form, he would have raised an eyebrow. "You didn't do the homework I assigned?"

"Well, yeah but...I don't remember anything about that."

He sighed, wondering if he had perhaps been raising an ape as opposed to a human. This wouldn't do at all. "What do you remember?"

"That...same electrical charges- oh! The strips of nylon would repel each other because they have the same charge!"

He nodded. "Got there in the end."

"Can I go now?"

"What?"

She rolled her eyes. "I'm bored. It's all so boring bec-"

"Because you're on your own." He cut her off, sighing. "So you keep saying. You have everything necessary for your survival, why do you continue to complain?"

She didn't answer him. He may have been her father but he wasn't like her. He wasn't remotely human, he wouldn't understand.

· · ─────── ·𖥸· ─────── · ·

Chibous was unable to sleep. Her brown eyes snapped open in frustration to reveal the darkened room - the same room she had spent her entire life in. With a desire for fresh air, she sat up and switched on the light, heading for the door leading to the outer world. She was barefoot and without a jacket but she would only be a minute.

She had only barely creaked it open when her father's voice came from behind her: "Out for a late night stroll?"

She jumped, turning to face the beast with a gasp. "Yeah.. " she placed a hand over her racing heart. "Can't sleep."

He came forward to open the door and accompany her. "I've told you before. You must tell me when you go outside. What would you do if you encountered another demon?" He chastised.

She sighed, her breath fogging in front of her face in the cold night air. They didn't venture far - only several steps away from the house. "You're a demon and you haven't hurt me."

"And, as I've stated before other hungry demons will without hesitation."

"You said there wasn't many left."

"Not as many as there once was. Nevertheless, the ones that do remain converge anywhere there's fresh meat to be had." He moved closer, clawed hand resting on her shoulder as he leaned down to look her in the eye. "You must understand that I...merely wish to keep you safe."

She tilted her head, meeting his sharp gaze. "What makes you different then? If demons are as bad as you say...if they've killed every-"

His toothy grin extended slightly and he retracted his twitching hand. "My hunting style is different than them. Come now, inside." He had long decided he liked this method of hunting much better than forming contracts. He no longer had to follow the orders of mankind, but rather, in a way, they now served him. The superior being - the way it should be.

Chibous cast a fleeting glance towards the vast open grounds, at the dancing fog swirling between the shadow-cloaked trees and then she turned back to him with pleading eyes. "Just a bit longer?"

"Unacceptable. I won't repeat myself thrice - come." He gripped her arm and easily dragged her indoors, slamming the door closed behind them.

"I hate you sometimes, you know that?" She snarked, stalking away and pointedly ignoring the serpent-like hiss he directed at her.

"I spend all my life in this damned house!" She went on, leering. "I have nobody else. It's not fair." She flinched when she was spun around and met with a hard slap.

The beast snarled aloud. He was under the impression that food shouldn't argue back. He could also appreciate the human tradition of disciplining their offspring, it worked a treat, he had found. His nails dug into her flesh where he gripped her chin and forced her to look up at him. "I see no matter who raises you, your kind will always be incredibly ungrateful. I've provided you with everything you need to survive, dedicated my time and energy to tend to your every need. And all you wish to do is disregard my efforts?"

His slap had rendered her with bloodied gashes on her cheek. They stung but she held her own. While nurturing when necessary, he had a temper and was quite frankly, terrifying when crossed. His eyes were alight and she could feel his ragged breaths escaping from between his deadly teeth. She suddenly felt bad, her scowl melted away and she brought a hand to assess the damage to her cheek.

"...sorry." She muttered.

· · ─────── ·𖥸· ─────── · ·

An uncomfortable sensation between her thighs woke her up. She turned, noting that her father had yet to come and wake her. Sitting up with a frown, she flung back the covers and moved to see what the issue was.

Upon turning around she gasped, frantically throwing the cover back over the mattress and backing away with wide eyes, unsure of what to do or even what was happening. She cursed inwardly as she heard footsteps coming towards her room. The thing about her father was that he was always close by. Always keeping an eye (and ear) out. She barely had any time to herself.

But when the door opened to reveal a stranger she screeched, backing away even further. "Who the hell are you?! Father!" She called out, wondering how this stranger even got passed her monstrous father.

The stranger stopped at the door, combing a hand through midnight hair - matching her own. He raised an eyebrow. "Dear, Chibous. You'd fail to recognise your own father? I'm very disappointed."

She gazed at him. No doubt, she recognised his voice but his appearance... "Why do you look human now?"

"Do you not approve?"

"...I preferred the way you were."

He blinked. Now that was interesting. When raised from birth with only his true form, humans all seemed to come to favour it over any other form he may take. At least, it was what he had found thus far. He threw her a sardonic smirk and began advancing towards her. "Well, I'm sorry to disappoint but I must be in human form for this to work."

"...for what to work?" Her wild eyes anxiously flickered between him and the bed. She squeezed her legs together, still feeling the stickiness over her thigh. She needed to know what on earth was going on, yet couldn't find it in her to just ask amidst her confusion over her father's sudden change in appearance.

"You're always wittering on about how lonely it is, having no one else of your own kind around." He stood over her, looking into her wide eyes. "It seems as though you're ready." He murmured, the smell of copper was intoxicating his very being and turning his eyes from brown to red.

"...what?"

"You never did wonder what your name meant, did you?"

· · ─────── ·𖥸· ─────── · ·

He had never harmed her on purpose before. Certainly not with his teeth - which now tore into her stomach without mercy. Completely ignoring her pained screeching and wailing until eventually, the blood-curdling screams died down, having been replaced by the cries of a newborn infant.

The name Chibous is derived from the Latin word cibus, meaning food.

This story was vaguely inspired by the Netflix movie: I Am Mother.

{It's nothing like this though}