churchmousey - Tumblr blog

[churchmousey]

I’m gonna be participating in the art fight again this year, so feel free to follow @ churchmouse_ !!!!

[churchmousey]

Designation: Q_1NNC (Quinncy)

He resembles a massive and rotting skeletal Rhus. Standing around one thousand feet tall, and taking approximately several centuries to move his physical body from one end of the first joined systems to the other, this Senti-metal (sentient-metal) is the last of his kind. He prefers to stay in the largest planet... which also happens to have the best view for someone as stationary as he.

Back/story: Q_1NNC is a construction Senti-metal who was connected to the mainframe of a linked communication arm of a galaxy powered by its various stars. Despite being primarily used for construction, he was the only surviving Senti-metal after a devastating magical plague, and thus the only one to be able to keep the planets from shutting down if the Rhus manage to make it back post quarantine.

There are several hundred orbiting masses (though only 8 planets and 176 moons for his broadcasting system) all interconnected with the other via massive tethers and tunnels all overcrowded with machines so dense that many seemed like little more than slums when populated. The foremost planets are primarily filled with generators and solar panels, the middle have the most communities/communications related items, while the outermost is largely for deep memory/object storage. Moons were reserved for housing the richer Rhus, their guests, and anything befitting of their lifestyle

After a few millennia, and despite his best efforts of maintenance, things began to deteriorate or change from outside interference. Primary power storages and major memory core sections have been bombarded over the ages by asteroids and various space debris which eventually caused his paralysis. Many of the outermost planetoids in particular have been completely annihilated, and unfortunately, the deep memory moon of his base code was a part of them.

The resulting surge of power redirecting to him fried his brain and compromised his major movement abilities. Since he is not allowed to shut down while connected to the mainframe (nor shift consciousness to alternate bodies), he is fused to the cables, and stays forever awake and (mostly) unmoving. He learns how to move himself via attaching and reattaching to the more flexible wires and machines, and dragging his body to and fro. The speakers he talks out of sound muffled due to him not being able to open his mouth… and his eyes, unable to close, leak fluid constantly giving him a ghastly crying appearance. He longs for death.

The thing is, if he were to die, the system would as well— his library of knowledge, and treasure trove of technology, would be forever lost. Anyone who shuts him down would be branded as a criminal.

His electronic/communicative reach spans several hundreds of galaxies in length but most know of him already and turn change their frequencies as to not feel guilty in ignoring him. More recently, he plays soft and sad lullabies across the universe itself hoping for someone to finally take pity and end his misery. The sad and lonely souls of the universe have taken to using this as comfort—they journey to thank him for his songs during their darkest hours, and pray that he too will have someone save him for good.

This change in his calls is directly caused by bug-like beings that have taken to calling him their God. When they first arrived, they did not know exactly how large his system was and were lost for months in the labyrinthian underground of the connected planets. After Quincy noticed them, he guided them to his chamber through the vast speaker and camera systems. However, it had been several generations since their initial landing, and the bugs started to believe that it was a God that had saved them due to the echoing and ethereal nature of the voice, not to mention the sheer size of his domain.

When they arrived they hailed him as their savior and formed a religion around their now fuming “god”. It took several decades more for him to give up and accept his role as their savior.

He lets them paint his body.

[churchmousey]

WEIRDLY SPECIFIC BUT HELPFUL CHARACTER BUILDING QUESTIONS

What’s the lie your character says most often?

How loosely or strictly do they use the word ‘friend’?

How often do they show their genuine emotions to others versus just the audience knowing?

What’s a hobby they used to have that they miss?

Can they cry on command? If so, what do they think about to make it happen?

What’s their favorite [insert anything] that they’ve never recommended to anyone before?

What would you (mun) yell in the middle of a crowd to find them? What would their best friend and/or romantic partner yell?

How loose is their use of the phrase ‘I love you’?

Do they give tough love or gentle love most often? Which do they prefer to receive?

What fact do they excitedly tell everyone about at every opportunity?

If someone was impersonating them, what would friends / family ask or do to tell the difference?

What’s something that makes them laugh every single time? Be specific!

When do they fake a smile? How often?

How do they put out a candle?

What’s the most obvious difference between their behavior at home, at work, at school, with friends, and when they’re alone?

What kinds of people do they have arguments with in their head?

What do they notice first in the mirror versus what most people first notice looking at them?

Who do they love truly, 100% unconditionally (if anyone)?

What would they do if stuck in a room with the person they’ve been avoiding?

Who do they like as a person but hate their work? Vice versa, whose work do they like but don’t like the person?

What common etiquette do they disagree with? Do they still follow it?

What simple activity that most people do / can do scares your character?

What do they feel guilty for that the other person(s) doesn’t / don’t even remember?

Did they take a cookie from the cookie jar? What kind of cookie was it?

What subject / topic do they know a lot about that’s completely useless to the direct plot?

How would they respond to being fired by a good boss?

What’s the worst gift they ever received? How did they respond?

What do they tell people they want? What do they actually want?

How do they respond when someone doesn’t believe them?

When they make a mistake and feel bad, does the guilt differ when it’s personal versus when it’s professional?

When do they feel the most guilt? How do they respond to it?

If they committed one petty crime / misdemeanor, what would it be? Why?

How do they greet someone they dislike / hate?

How do they greet someone they like / love?

What is the smallest, morally questionable choice they’ve made?

Who do they keep in their life for professional gain? Is it for malicious intent?

What’s a secret they haven’t told serious romantic partners and don’t plan to tell?

What hobby are they good at in private, but bad at in front of others? Why?

Would they rather be invited to an event to feel included or be excluded from an event if they were not genuinely wanted there?

How do they respond to a loose handshake? What goes through their head?

What phrases, pronunciations, or mannerisms did they pick up from someone / somewhere else?

If invited to a TED Talk, what topic would they present on? What would the title of their presentation be?

What do they commonly misinterpret because of their own upbringing / environment / biases? How do they respond when realizing the misunderstanding?

What language would be easiest for them to learn? Why?

What’s something unimportant / frivolous that they hate passionately?

Are they a listener or a talker? If they’re a listener, what makes them talk? If they’re a talker, what makes them listen?

Who have they forgotten about that remembers them very well?

Who would they say ‘yes’ to if invited to do something they abhorred / strongly didn’t want to do?

Would they eat something they find gross to be polite?

What belief / moral / personality trait do they stand by that you (mun) personally don’t agree with?

What’s a phrase they say a lot?

Do they act on their immediate emotions, or do they wait for the facts before acting?

Who would / do they believe without question?

What’s their instinct in a fight / flight / freeze / fawn situation?

What’s something they’re expected to enjoy based on their hobbies / profession that they actually dislike / hate?

If they’re scared, who do they want comfort from? Does this answer change depending on the type of fear?

What’s a simple daily activity / motion that they mess up often?

How many hobbies have they attempted to have over their lifetime? Is there a common theme?

[churchmousey]

My new favorite genre of picture is a very special thing that most animals (and humans!) do: face nuzzling as an act of greeting/comfort/intimacy. thank God that this is happening all over the world right now

Isn’t it wonderful?!

[churchmousey]

Alien Pose Prompts

I was thinking about how it can be difficult to figure out our own creatures' anatomies because there are no direct references to draw from, and how I tend to draw my aliens in the same poses, and boom, this happened. Prompts to practice and push the limits of your alien's anatomy :) Aimed at sophonts, but a lot of them can apply to non-sapient beasties too.

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Sleeping lightly or having a nap

Sleeping deeply after an exhausting day

Scratching an itch in a hard-to-reach place

Carrying an infant

Carrying another grown individual

Holding a piece of food

Sipping a liquid

Reaching for something high up

Making themselves as small as possible

Freezeframe of moving at topspeed

Relaxed, half resting position e.g. sitting or lounging

Inspecting a novel object

Cleaning themselves

Being cleaned by another individual

Fighting without weapons

Preparing to fight with a weapon

Showing casual affection displayed with any kind of loved one; family, friend, partner, etc.

Showing intense affection reserved for a specific kind of loved one

Yawning/stretching mouthparts to their full extent

Gripping a branch or high surface, trying not to fall off

Tripping or slipping on a wet surface

Actively balancing e.g. crossing a tightrope

Suddenly noticing something near them and getting spooked

Engaged in conversation

Treating an injury

For meat eaters: in the middle of a hunt For others: foraging and collecting food

Preparing food for a meal

Tending to a crop

Using a tool

Shaking or brushing something off their body

In a state they don’t usually live in e.g. aquatic being on land, terrestrial being in water

Putting on clothing or accessories

Getting a body modification e.g. tattoo, piercings

Using fine motor control to craft something

Trying to block out unpleasant stimuli e.g. covering ears, closing off nostrils

Reacting to an unpleasant stimulus

Loading cargo for transport

Working on building construction

Riding a vehicle or pack creature

Squeezing into a small space

[churchmousey]

Chelsea, the major demon that protects its summoner from lesser demons, and Vanessa, the drop-out college student who recently learned that one, demons do in fact exist, and two, they like vocaloid

[churchmousey]

A pair of Painted, a fully dressed Painted, and a Pariah

Painted are one of the oldest species in the universe and have incredibly high levels of magic stored within the gem-like runes that "paint" their bodies. Their species is unique in that the only difference between a "male" and "female" depends on the side that has the double arm. The left side is seen as more feminine while the right is more masculine. Tail length is purely genetic.

The Pariah is Chas'vla, one of the ancient kings whose lifespans and bodies have been irreversibly changed after being infused with a God's old magic. They have no paints and their limbs seem to change sides depending on the day.

[churchmousey]

Kovulles and their Rhus caretaker/rider, Jei. The low-grav variants are used for high speed land travel while the high-gravs are primarily beasts of burden. Since portals involve a lot of magic, which is often fatal to a Rhus, this kind of travel has become their specialty

[churchmousey]

happy(?) harpy family! from left to right: Lyra (older middle), Phoebe (youngest), Maia (stepmother), Bas (family friend), Cassiopeia (birth mother), Deliah (younger middle), and Gian (oldest).

[churchmousey]

Cass & Maia

C: 4'1" at the head mint color palette free-spirited, but often crass Gian's biological mother.

M: 6' 3" at the head, 6'5" at the horns orange and purple color palette caring, but sometimes overbearing Gian's stepmother.

Cass is a regular looking Harpy who prefers to wear accessories as opposed to clothes while Maia is a regular looking Centaur who wears ancient Greek style tunics/dresses.

They are married and completely attached at the hip. Together they are raising Gian's four younger sisters, all of which come from previous marriages barring the youngest, which is from Maia. 

[churchmousey]

Gian

JZAHN (Gian) He/him

3'9" at the head in regular body, 5'7' at the head in performance body Peacock color palette with dyed purple feathers/hair free-spirited & spontaneous, but hedonistic and angsty

Gian is a regular looking Harpy who despises being exactly that, so he has magic infused gems implanted into his body to temporarily shapeshift into something more humanoid. He is a popular singer who has gained quite a following due to his effeminate punk-rocker aesthetic and unique sound. 

Basil's closest and only friend, he smokes like a chimney, and is sexually attracted to himself.

[churchmousey]

Basil Perugia

BAH-syll pehr-OO-szhah (Bas) He/they

5'8" at the head Common Cuckoo color palette, but darkened headstrong & tenacious, but often aggressive and depressing

He has a singular beak (upper) as opposed to other harpies, three malformed arms on his right, a bone-like wing on his left, and multiple strange wings on his back. His feet have a velociraptor-like toe that sticks up.

Basil is the only demigod to exist (but doesn’t know it), therefore he has magic so strong he often loses control of it, and daddy issues. He is priest advocating for worship of pure magic and the death of the Gods. Most of his protests end in violence with him as an active, and even enthusiastic, participant.

He is flightless, and lacks the distinctive lineage tail feathers of normal Harpies.

[churchmousey]

Cryus Louhnette

KREE-yoos loo-NETT (Cryus) 6'7" at the head, 6'8' at the horns dark marble color palette ENFJ, reliable & passionate, but overly idealistic and sometimes too intense with loved ones

His largest horn has geometric carvings on it to show he is taken. His upper arms are larger, four-fingered, as well as darker than his lower ones, and he walks with only his toes touching the ground/ankles up. His skin is literally stone, though his hair is relatively normal.

Cryus is a third generation mixed Faun who acts as map maker and star charter for select travelers. He lives far away and secluded from the nearest city, but enjoys the familiar visitors who come around every so often. Cryus is introverted and bookish, but opens up to friends, and especially his husband, Faulkner. 

[churchmousey]

Faulkner Louhnette

FAWLK-nerr  loo-NETT (Faulk) 8'1" at the head, 9' at the horns Yellow-footed rock-wallaby fur pattern, color palette is more similar to a tree kangaroo

ISTP, relaxed & rational, but stubborn and sometimes insensitive

His left horn has geometric carvings on it to show he is taken and his hair is somewhat wavy, but kept short. He wears 18th century style clothing usually with a cape.

Faulk is a Faun who has been rigorously socialized to be able to interact with any and every other species he happens upon in his travels. He tends to act haughty towards others when not on a job, but cherishes the few personal connections he has, especially his husband, Cryus.

[churchmousey]

got tired of storing all of my creatures on a flash drive

so this is my new guyTM space <3 it’ll (hopefully) only be filled with my art so yeah heads up