Cur

Personification of my Imposter Syndrome in an attempt to reclaim power over it. I tend to use it pronouns for dehumanization, but she/they are acceptable as it impersonates Stray and it would technically prefer those. 

A demon whose goal is ultimately to take over Stray's body and life via possession to use Stray's relationships with her loved ones as its tools to take advantage of what they can do for it. To actually possess her, it needs Stray to fully, truly believe that *she* is the demon. This mindset allows a demonic opening for it to possess and take over Stray's body permanently, where it can feast on her captive soul and her love for others while enjoying the luxuries of Stray's bonds (this is never supposed to happen it's the Game Over scenario)

It primarily imitates Stray to use and abuse her relationships to its favor, while haunting Stray and psychologically tormenting her to wear her down into believing she's the horrible demon that Cur wants her to be. But it's also volatile, impatient, and impulsive. It's furiously jealous of Stray and how much people care about her, so it often tries to steal that pleasure from her loved ones, when it can. It's incredibly possessive, controlling, and manipulative. It is literally incapable of forming a healthy relationship, and is highly toxic and abusive.

When wearing the kitsune-style Stray mask, most often hung over the side of its face, it visually appears to others as Stray. In the rare case it is pushed to a point where it breaks character, the mask can literally fall off, dropping the illusion and revealing its true nature. It tends to extend its neck in unnatural and unsettling ways when it realizes its mask has fallen and it turns to fear to control the situation. The illusion doesn't work in reflections and cameras or lenses.

In its "true" form, it resembles Stray but with some notable differences. Differences include rough and spiky fur, larger and differently shaped ears, a tattered straight tail, large thick forearms and paws, an overall thinner, but still thick, build with much less softness and a larger chest. The differences are intended to visually support that this is not Stray, not even a version of her, but a cheap, off-brand knock off.

Cur (plural curs) 

noun

 A contemptible or inferior dog.

 A detestable person.