Herbert West identity related headcanons:
ftm (obviously) gay and demi
if he’s 24 in 1985 then he was born in 1961 oof
I’m also using some info from the novelization as canon so he is Canadian and his parents died in a chemical fire in the house when he was 12-13
was forced to take ballet when be was 5-10 (something Jeffry Combs joked about in the commentary from Bride)
his parents were neglectful of him and didn’t really care about him wanting to have short hair or boy clothes plus they chalked it up to his presumably undiagnosed autism
realized he felt weird about the older boy in the foster home (13-18) but didn’t really understand it; mostly he is jealous when girls take away the boy’s attention; closest friend he ever had as they were alone together but Herbert knew he could never act on it so he kept those feelings to himself
he wants sex but only from someone he’s emotionally connected with which itself is rare and at the same time intellectually he considers sex to be debasing, while also being curious about the sensation and knowing the benefits of the chemicals produced during orgasm
this is coupled with the fact that at least before starting T any thought of sex or masturbation made him extremely dysphoric and repulsed so his whole relationship with sex is very complicated
he is deeply repulsed by femininity bc it reminds him of his childhood spend as his agab and the stupid gender norms his parents thrust upon him including dismissing him being a scientist just because he had the wrong parts
he is canonically annoyed by pretty much all sounds and I suspect higher pitched sounds including women’s voices are worse; lower register sounds like thunder and men’s voices can be calming to him
upon moving from Canada to the U.S. as a student at NYU he used his new name on everything and making a clean break from his old identity was a big reason why he picked a different country to study in
hated NYU and the only good thing was it was easy to synthesize testosterone
T made him so fucking horny and also eviscerated his dysphoria; man was cranking it fucking constantly for a year straight and did some of his best work before moving to Switzerland for 3 years
Dr Gruber immediately figured out what his deal was but didn’t say anything and just treated him normal and for that Herbert was extremely devoted to him; Dr Gruber also did his top surgery in Switzerland despite having never done such an operation before
Dr Gruber was the one and only member of his support system the only person who knew everything about him and understood him and accepted him, losing him was a devastating blow and Herbert decided he would keep himself closed off
Also Dr Gruber didn’t have anyone either and adored Herbert and according to the book fucking left Herbert his money when he died which paid for his tuition and moving costs etc
if I didn’t genuinely like the father/son dynamic they have, I would absolutely say he was fucking that old man
So he was cool and clipped to Dan when he first met him and when he moved in trying to keep Dan at arm’s length away but he saw how smart and hardworking Dan was and he knew how difficult it was to conduct this research alone and he desperately wanted the company
and Dan reminded him a lot of the first boy he ever had a crush on and it would give him a certain satisfaction to vicariously have his first crush through Dan yet also knowing that Dan is way better than the idiot teen boy he was in the foster home with who never gave him the time of day; he’s also pleased with the idea of dragging Dan (normal, supposedly heterosexual, law-abiding) down with him; he’s pulling the brightest kindest handsomest hardest working med student out of Miskatonic into his orbit and making Dan’s life revolve around him
literally “look at the bad bitch I pulled by being a little freak” absolute nightmare Herbert West takes personal pleasure in ruining sweaterboy Daniel Cain’s life
the chaos of everything they do is so much more important that when Dan finds out Herbert is trans and gay it doesn’t even phase him.
(Daniel Cain is bisexual and basically decided it was just easier to be pretend to be straight and get a girlfriend so he ignored his feelings for men. But now with Herbert he doesn’t have to.)
he is completely shocked by sex with Dan however despite knowing that Dan is experienced he was not prepared nor was Dan prepared for how awkward yet demanding the virginal Herbert West would be, yelling at him one moment before becoming cock stupid the next
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3.119 Sparkly eyes
After enduring so much pain and heartache, adrenaline coursed through our veins, and our hearts pounded with excitement. We had to get out and celebrate our new chapter and returned to that fancy restaurant in Tartosa. Sophia glowed with joy over her pregnancy, and the sizzling hot leather dress she put on only made her even more stunning. Her radiant smile illuminated the entire place, and her eyes sparkled with a mix of joy and contentment. The way that dress clung to her curves accentuated her little baby bump, making her even more captivating. She had a gentle sway in her step and moved with a newfound grace. As for me, the weight of our struggles lifted, and I felt a surge of confidence I hadn't experienced in a very long time. I stood taller and squared my shoulders, dripping triumph and pride and newfound purpose. Other diners glanced at us as we strolled by, swagged out in all black. If they thought we were celebrities, I wouldn't blame them. We certainly felt like millionaires.
The hosted placed us in what I felt was the best seat in the house. We were inside, but right on the edge of the patio that had a great view of the ocean. As if on cue, as soon as I opened the menu, my phone rang; it was my sister. A lingering unease from last night made me hesitant to answer, especially knowing whatever she had to say might sour my mood. It wasn't just her unexpected pregnancy that unsettled me; it was the persistent apathy and weirdness I dealt with my entire life. I was at a place in my life where I wanted peace, and more often than not, she disrupted my peace. But despite my reservations, I answered the call. She was my sister, after all, and I loved her. As soon as I picked up, she dove straight into gossiping about Mama and Dwayne without so much as a greeting, causing my eyes to roll. She said something about an argument and him storming out of the house but didn't overhear any details.
Women were funny creatures and did weird stuff of whom Mama and Alessia were chief. I didn't think I would ever understand them and had to learn to be okay with that. So many questions came to mind, particularly why Mama wouldn't marry Dwayne, but frankly, I didn't care. That subject always disrupted my peace, and my wife's sparkling eyes beckoned for my attention. I told Less I was out with Sophia and would see her tomorrow at the party.
The ambiance in the restaurant seemed to match our high spirits. Soft music floated in the background, mixing with the clinking of glasses and low hum of conversation. The setting sun cast a warm glow on the patio that mirrored the warmth in our hearts. We finally broke free from the emotional prison that had trapped us. Everything felt brand new and wonderful as we rejoiced in the moment. We savored every bite of our meals, cherished each other's company, and laughed louder than ever before. The life we dreamed of was finally within our grasp, and every touch, every taste was a celebration of that victory we fought so hard to reach. We were invincible. Nothing could dampen our spirits or dim the sparkle in our eyes.
The sun had completed its descent by the time we finished dinner. I still had so much excitement brewing inside and wasn't ready to go home yet, so I asked Sophia to dance. The restaurant wasn't designed for dancing, but she didn't let that bother her like they do in the movies. She got up immediately, grabbed my hand, and pressed her body against mine. Her baby bump was so small, but I loved feeling it pressed into my stomach as we danced. It was odd, but I really felt like there were three of us present in that moment.
"How do you feel?" I asked.
"I'm good," she purred. "I'm better than good."
She turned around and gazed at the ocean, caressing her belly so tenderly. Knowing the baby couldn't feel what she was doing, could it feel the loving energy emanating from her hands? Did it know how much we loved it despite not being fully developed yet?
"I'm glad to hear it... Are you scared at all?"
"About which part?"
"I guess... The part where we're in charge of this little sim for the next 63 days and making sure they turn out decent."
"Hmmm...that does sound daunting. I'm not scared, though."
"Yeah?"
She turned around to face me, assaulting me with those sparkly eyes, and my readiness to return home increased exponentially.
"You're a good sim...I'm a good sim. We make a great team, and between us both, we have enough examples of what not to do, so I think the odds are in our favor," she said.
"That's a good way to put it."
She reached for my hands and held them gently.
"Let's promise that we'll always make time for this," she said.
"Date nights?"
"Maybe. I mean, let's make sure we always have time for us, no matter what that looks like."
I knew exactly what she meant because I saw it play out despite my parents' estrangement. Mama was always so wrapped up in making sure we felt loved and comfortable. She didn't really start taking time for herself until we were well into our teens, and Dad started much later. Raising children took a lot of effort and energy, and I watched my parents get sucked into our atmosphere time after time. My child wasn't even born yet, and it still consumed many of my thoughts. And knowing how mesmerized we'd be after its born, we definitely needed to make that promise. My love for Sophia will never die, but I could see us sacrificing our togetherness for the sake of our child's well-being, especially after working so hard to bring it into the world.
"I promise I will always make time to celebrate us."
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