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Still funny to me that I started to play rain world because I saw that it had cool robots ( ᴗˬᴗ)⁾⁾

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i couldnt help myself tentative design for moon?? i like her a lot shes very pretty to me she deserves the world

bonus propaganda surprise

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Machines of Wartime AU character study #1: Unparalleled Innocense

Buckle the fuck in folks this is gonna be another long one because I'm passionate about how I characterize them here. Long post again, so more info comes after the cut. Note for reference and clarity that throughout this post UI will be referred to with they/ae pronouns quite interchangeably, so instances of either set are in reference to them.

No real major content warnings here, although I'll give a small warning for self destructive behavior, as well as a more minor precautionary warning for brief mentions of neglect and dehumanization from their admins.

UI is, essentially, a high energy constant stimulation seeker at their core, and a lot of what they do shows it in some way. It's a major reason (along with far less personality shaping going into their generation) behind why they used to be quite mean here before making steps towards improvement. They were never taught a healthy outlet to seek stimulation, so they will try pretty much anything to see what sticks; pretty much anything that gets a form of reaction from others is included in what does stick.

Spreading rumors and other bits of info makes people react, whether good or bad. This means results. People who learn them often further spread them. This means even more results. And when you build a reputation for yourself as "the mean rumor spreader", these results will get back to you all over again. Messages, reactions, more people coming to them to start shit; it's all results and reactions and stimulation. It's an easy way to get what ae want... even if it means people thinking less of aer for it. But hey, can't get lonely if you're constantly too stimulated or too busy seeking more of everything to really think about how nobody quite genuinely likes you! It's easy when you don't let yourself focus on feelings, just shut down any attempts at self awareness!

The reason they're like this, in reality, primarily comes not from being truly mean or spiteful at their core, but just from being built in a way where lack of proper guidance or true care from their creators after creation has left them both feeling a little abandoned ("why bother behaving when nobody cares about me anyway") and physically incapable of tolerating understimulation ("if I'm not doing enough it almost physically hurts"). They have incredibly high processing power; a measurable amount more than even Pebbles, and Pebbles and UI are respectively the first and second iterators of their generation to be created. If they're not using enough of that processing power, it drives them up a wall a little; they genuinely cannot stand being in a state where they're not receiving enough stimulation of some sort. They hate boredom and lack of activity and even just sitting still for too long. Movement, sound, reading messages, running 5 background processes at once, taking on multiple high intensity projects, whatever; it's all the same as long as it gives aer what their systems crave. More stimulation. And saying and doing shit to get reactions is heavily related to that; it's negative stimulation seeking behavior that was never properly taught as "don't do this it's not healthy", because quite frankly aer admins don't care what ae do, as long as ae have a high work output. They're just an iterator after all, right?

And then we come to why they're not really like this anymore, way more toned down in how they act. One big reason is simply time and maturity; they've gained more life experience and kind of just grown away from this sort of behavior in favor of better outlets. They're still young and reckless, but not as overwhelmingly so after a good few decades of time to live and grow. They've seen that it makes people not like them to act like that; even now they still have no real friends due to their reputation. It makes them lonely now that they've calmed down enough to actually think about how others view them instead of living in the moment; they don't want to be lonely. They don't want to be sad. Ae don't want to experience negative emotions, because feelings as a whole tend to be very intense for aer and bad ones really suck to deal with. And they want to get away from these feelings.

Another big reason is because of Pebbles, as was alluded to a little in this post. He's their partner, he cares about them, and they care about him too. For one thing, they don't want their own behaviors to reflect poorly on him by proxy; they're self aware enough now to see that this could happen, and they don't want anyone else to be made to feel like a bad person simply because of being associated with them. They don't want this for someone they love. For another thing, he honestly just makes them feel seen. He can see that they struggle quite badly when understimulated; but unlike aer admins who simply ignore anything that's not work and results and responsibilities, he actually cares enough to help them find a healthy outlet to, well, actually properly stim instead of leaving them to seek unhealthy, and ultimately self destructive since it blows up their ability to maintain friendships, methods. He views them as an entire person deserving of respect, not just a machine with a purpose. That's why they're actually together quite a lot; he's willing to give them what they need to get that stimulation in a more healthy way, whether that be engaging them in direct conversation or letting them constantly fidget with his clothes or just giving them a good squeeze because ae like the feeling. He loves them and cares about them and will go out of his way to keep them happy and engaged and focused on more positive outlets. He involves them in projects a lot because they're actually a very good worker when they care about the task at hand, and they love being delegated tasks to engage with! Giving them more tasks + generally more ideas on how to properly and healthily stim is exactly what they need, and he gives it to aer. It's a big part in why the two of them have a very strong relationship now, the level of genuine care and respect they've cultivated for each other.

They're actually getting a lot better now! They've mostly moved away from the more toxic sorts of behaviors they used to display, since they now have much better outlets. They're not a completely different person personality wise; they're still quite socially driven, and ae do love a good bit of interesting information. They're just mature enough now to not spread things they shouldn't. Ae still don't have true friends really, but they're working towards that and finally starting to gain acquaintances who actually like them and value them for who they are as a person. And they're a lot happier for it; they feel seen and valued and like they have actual reasons to try and be better now. They are loved, they are seen, and they are better off for it.

TL;DR UI is essentially a high powered supercomputer with ADHD that went completely unmanaged for a long time, and as a result they started seeking out negative stimming behaviors. They were never shown anything more healthy as an alternative. They matured over time and were finally shown better stimming methods by someone who cares about them, and it's helped them grow and improve a lot.

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trying to figure out how to draw them,,,,

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my awful take on suns 💥💥

they deserve to be floofy tbh

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<3

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Just a little height chart reference thing here for the hell of it + some basic design stuff + heavy iterator generation lore. Warning; this gets LONG, so the rest after the height chart is under the cut. Massive lore dump inside, be prepared.

The height order of the main iterators mentioned in this AU, from tallest to shortest, is Wind > Suns > Moon > Pebbles > Sig > UI.

UI is pretty much around as short as iterators get, Suns is around as tall as normal iterators get. For comparison; UI pretty much comes up to around mid chest height on Suns.

Wind is a special case and is one of the tallest select few because they're a patriarch. For another comparison, Suns comes up to their shoulder at best. The tallest patriarch however, and iterator as a whole, is Omen; they're at least a solid head taller than Wind.

Patriarchs, who mark the beginning of the first generation and the creation of iterators as a whole, are absolutely massive and are just generally quite bulky due to technological limitations so early in, making the progress towards a more streamlined design a later trait. They're built to last over to look good. There's more dramatic head shape variation in patriarchs than in other iterators. They tend to have dull main colors, often shades of gray, with bright markings.

Patriarchs are the centers of regional groups (multiple clusters of local groups forming a broader region), in charge of keeping watch of and keeping order in their regions. They're the ones who big issues are brought to, and their cities can pass laws that effect the entire region, although this level of involvement is rare.

Patriarch examples include:

Wandering Omen; they have a light gray puppet with green markings, a more blocky/squarish head shape, and short, straight gray antennae.

Chasing Wind/Grey Wind; they have a medium gray puppet with orange markings, a longer face (think that common Pebbles design trope type of head design), and long, mostly straight gray antennae.

Epoch of Clouds; they have a dark gray/nearly black puppet with light blue/cyan markings, a very round head shape, and gray antennae with a curled/curved shape starting about halfway to the tips.

First generation iterators are generally on the taller side and are rarely below where falls Pebbles in height, most being around the same height as Moon give or take a bit. After the time of creating the patriarchs, the rest of the iterators in this generation were generally designed with a very friendly appearance in mind, to help further increase public favor towards iterators. They often have a more rounded/"soft" looking build, although there are a few rare exceptions, and they typically have softer features and friendly looking design traits such as rounded or circular heads, vibrant or pastel color schemes, and big antennae. Not a lot of points and edges, lots of curves.

First generation iterators typically hold important roles in their local groups, and are usually the first sources younger iterators go to for guidance. Quite a few are group seniors; the heads of local group who act as leads of sorts, ranking directly below their patriarchs and reporting to them any issues that need greater interference than what they themselves have authority over. They are as vital to the functions of their local groups as patriarchs are to their regional groups.

First generation examples include:

Secluded Instinct; they have a light dusty blue puppet with yellow markings, a head shape similar to Moon (but a bit more tapered at the chin), and short, rounded dark gray antennae. They have a slightly slimmer build than a lot of first generation iterators, but still a bit rounded/"soft" looking. They're a local group senior under Omen.

Sliver of Straw; she has a dull cream puppet with darker cream markings, a round/circular head shape, and long, thin, straight antennae shaped similarly to thin rods. Her rather muted color scheme is notably somewhat rare for this stage in the generation. She has a similar build to Instinct. She's a local group senior under Epoch.

Looks to the Moon (we all know more or less how she looks); she has a turquoise(?) puppet with red markings, a rounded face shape, and somewhat rectangular light gray antennae. She has a more rounded/"soft" build that's typical of her generation. She's a local group senior under Wind.

Second generation iterators vary heavily in design overall, from height to build to colors to common traits. This was by far the longest generation, spanning at least 1000 kilocycles, and it shows in the sheer number and variety of iterators created during this time period. Quite a few of them have more unusual physical traits, as during this time the Ancients experimented with just about anything at least once. Technology was improving and changed heavily over the duration of this generation.

While iterators of this generation are typically no longer group seniors, early second generation iterators are also common sources of advice to turn to, and they may temporarily fill in for their seniors for certain tasks in the case of said senior being away, incapacitated, or otherwise temporarily occupied.

Second generation examples include:

No Significant Harassment; he has a green puppet with lighter green markings, a rounded face shape, and light gray antennae bases with no "proper" antennae. He has a very rounded, stocky build, more so than even a lot of first generator iterators such as Moon. He has a screen/LED type display for a face in order to make him more expressive; looking too closely or when his display is off can get creepy however, as what resembles pupils in the display are actually typical iterator eye cameras that are more visible due to the screen. He at one point filled in for Moon and acted as her replacement for a rather important project she couldn't supervise at the time.

Pleading Intellect; they have a pale gray puppet with orange markings, a slightly tapered head shaped (sort of a heart shaped face look), and long, mostly straight dark gray antennae. They have a medium to somewhat thin build.

Seven Red Suns; they have a light yellow puppet with red markings, a tapered head shape (their face more resembling a mask in a way than anything), and long, outwards pointing triangular dark gray antennae. They have a very thin, almost lanky build. They have quite a few odd traits. They have expressive antennae that are mobile sideways, unlike normal iterator antennae. They have very unusual eyes with colored "iris" lights in the usual black eye; the right is red and has an actual camera capable of zooming and taking pictures, the left is gold/yellow and actually has fairly poor vision due to only being intended to give them a proper field of vision and depth perception when not using their camera eye. They're also the last or one of the last few iterators in their generation, and they have some third generation level technology as a result.

Third generation iterators are usually on the shorter side, with most ranging in height from as short as Unparalleled Innocence to around as tall as No Significant Harassment. They're typically very slender, being quite sleek and streamlined in build, with a few sporadic models with a slightly bulkier build mixed in. Their colors vary heavily varied in range, with everything from muted monochromes to bright vibrant hues and anything in between. In a more canon leaning timeline this would be a very short generation, not even 100 kilocycles before ending in mass ascension, but mass ascension didn't happen here so it could theoretically last at least a good bit longer than that.

Third generation iterators have no real notable positions in the chain of command; they're simply made to iterate and get their tasks done while doing so. Unintentional built in flaws or outright oversights and careless design traits aren't uncommon in this generation, having started to pop up at the tail end of the second generation and becoming more common at this point.

Third generation examples include:

Five Pebbles (we know more or less how he's gonna look too); he has a pink puppet with yellow/gold markings, a longer face shape, and long, mostly straight gray antennae antennae. He has a thin, almost too skinny looking build. His appearance, especially head shape, is notably odd among iterators of his generation; this is this is because he was modeled after Wind, with intent to directly resemble them, and as a result he heavily looks like a smaller, more streamlined version of them with different colors, down to having the same forehead markings. This is also why he's the tallest in his generation.

Unparalleled Innocence; they have a white puppet with light teal markings, a rounded face shape, and two small to medium sized, gray inwards pointing triangular antennae on each antennae base. They have a sleek/slender build that's typical for their generation.

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i have Thoughts and Feelings abt spearmaster

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Grrrr I need to learn to draw humanoids I wanna draw some iterators so bad. I have design ideas (which I WILL talk about soon anyway :yippee: gotta set the mental image) and everything.

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Thought of a name for this AU now; Machines of Wartime. So if you want to find more of these posts, look up the tag "machines of wartime au" to find them.

Adding another Rain World AU to the endless pile today after a long day of talks with @lncomprehenslble. TL;DR ascension via void fluid is made illegal due to its risks, leaving dependence on iterators at an all time high and tons of unrest. A lot of cities have turned against each other and even iterators are sometimes personally at odds. Random trivia highlights reel to grab interest maybe:

Suns is like 10 levels deep into religious doctrine.

Sig has a police grade taser in his hand and has had to use it before.

Moon is attacked and ends up with another very paranoid iterator in her can over it.

Pebbles temporarily loses an entire arm to another iterator and is left largely out of commission for cycles.

UI kills someone with a built in EMP gun.

Wind has to deal with the political fallout of multiple attacks on their iterators and of one of the iterators in their regional group killing a senior iterator from another regional group.

Ships here are FP/UI (eventually becomes FP/UI/SRS) and LttM/NSH.

Anyway I suck at giving info unprompted so like feel free to ask questions if you want that'd be cool, no pressure though lol.

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Hmm... I should redo my bio a little. If you see changes a few times over I am indecisive lol.

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Now that I'm talking more about this AU more, and since I've mentioned I'm taking asks, I figure I should probably give some basic info on pronouns/gender being used here for reference so nobody is potentially wondering on that, especially since headcanons are used quite a bit, and because Chasing Wind/Grey Wind and Unparalleled Innocence don't really have canon gender iirc.

Pebbles is transmasc, he/it pronouns and primarily masc terms.

Moon is a demigirl, she/they pronouns and fem or neutral terms.

Suns is unaligned nonbinary, they/them pronouns (but will accept most except he/she) and primarily neutral terms.

Sig is transmasc agender, he/any pronouns and masc or neutral terms.

UI is transfem nonbinary, they/ae pronouns and neutral or fem terms.

Wind is genderfluid (and alternates which name they prefer or both), they/it pronouns and any and all terms.

As for orientation if curious (because why not talk about this too), that's a bit trickier to get at because I've not thought in depth on some of them but nobody is straight here lol. A lot of them are in some capacity unlabeled or not fully labeled in orientation, there's a few specifics though.

Pebbles is probably bi or something close to it (and often has difficulty with identifying when he's experiencing attraction at first).

Moon is queer in some capacity (bi maybe?) and asexual.

Suns is pretty damn unsure on their own orientation (and so am I tbh they're a mystery but honestly why stress about labels too hard), but is also queer in some capacity and demisexual.

Sig is aroace but experiences nonromantic attraction.

UI is pan.

Wind is queer. That's all they'd say if asked, completely unlabeled beyond that, they're old and queer and don't care too much to find a more specific label when just queer fits them just fine.

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You know what. I'm gonna talk about FP/UI more, in reference to this post from the other day. This one goes out to @matchedpowerofthesun (sorry for the random ass mention from this Tumblr rando aka me o7 but you mentioned innopebbles in your reblog tags and that jolted some creativity juices out of my brain so like this one goes out to you).

Starting off; some relationship history. Pebbles and UI were the first two iterators of the third generation; built only a kilocycle or two apart. The first time they met was through UI reaching out to Pebbles via one on one message. UI was not nice to him at all at first! They were bored and had no real friends so they liked fucking with him and being mean for fun. Pebbles would be an ass right back because he had zero chill.

Then eventually he just...stopped fighting back. He just took it and didn't have the same bite in his replies anymore, then stopped really replying at all. UI got bored of messing with him after that because he wasn't fun for them to be mean to now that he didn't fight back. They pretty much lost contact with each other for kilocycles after that.

Eventually though, they ended up meeting again, when one of them was urged to contact the other by their admins in a bid to form an alliance with a close neighboring city. They started actually talking like adults instead of bullying each other all the time, and started reconnecting and actually getting closer from there. Neither really had any true close friends still, so it was nice having someone to talk to, especially someone so close in age. Over time one thing sort of just leads to another, and in turn to them getting together as partners.

Their relationship is open knowledge here; people rely on iterators more than ever, why hide it when neither of them will face any formal consequences? (Informal consequences however are still a rather dangerous possibility...) Plus they're both quite young and reckless (I'd probably put them both at about early to mid 20s in terms of equivalent maturity), so why not rebel a little in a way by breaking what is or used to be so taboo?

They honestly care a lot about each other though. They know more about each other than most others do, whether it be generally personal things only a close loved one would know or intimate things only a partner would know. They still bicker sometimes, but nothing awful or to nearly the same level as when they first met. They're pretty good to each other and for each other these days.

UI is also... quite worried about Pebbles honestly, even before the start of the focused upon time period of AU and the events that follow. They do know a lot about him after all.

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Sensory

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has this been done yet?

Lady with an Ermine but it's Suns and Spearmaster

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Rain World Art Month #31 - Unfortunate Development

This entire story is one unfortunate development after another... wanted to try and do something that captured that. What a fun li'l thing to do each day! :D

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day 26 - making spears

normal friend activities!