nova-gt

[nova-gt]

Wandering Fortress (Pt. 1/2)

Post-apocalypse, far off in the future as the world has recovered, cities in ruin and life flourishing in every corner of the world once more. Humanity is nowhere to be seen, whatever happened to them is only speculation from what little evidence was left behind, or has lasted this long. A lone machine, a wandering fortress created to house and protect humanity, covered in overgrowth and bits of rust, the soft creaking of mechanical parts with each step. Has it ever even encountered a human within its existence? Or was it activated after the fall? Whatever the case, it wanders alone now, with programming plaguing its isolated thoughts, a demand that can never be fulfilled. On an uneventful morning, a signal, soft and broken, is caught by the machine. It was unlike any it had heard before. While there were other metal beasts that roamed about, each with their own outdated objectives, this was new.

Unfamiliar. The fortress ambles towards its call, a curious feeling driving it forward. When it reaches the source, it finds a small pod, covered in overgrowth. A metal exterior with vines wrapping around it, and a glass ceiling that appears to have been shattered, a closer inspection from the titan shows that it had been broken from the inside. Its limbs creak as it draws closer to the foreign object, its processor slow to conjure information from the deep recesses of its data. It seems to jolt at the information when it finally comes through, a cryopod. Its investigation instantly increased in intensity as it scanned the scene, picking up whatever bits and pieces it could gather. One thing stood out from the rest, hidden in the foliage, among the grass and ferns, footprints. Distinctly human footprints. It chortles out clicks and whirs from speakers that hadn't been used since its creation, a foreign sense of...excitement? Joy? An overwhelming feeling as it is wrapped up in the ecstasy of this discovery, a human, alive! It's system's once pointless purpose could be fulfilled! However, a sense of urgency quickly overtakes the joyful mood. The human is alone, unprotected! It needs to find them, before any harm can befall them, it will not allow this hope to be ripped away so quickly. As swiftly as its rust-riddled limbs allow, the machine carries after the clumsy footprints that litter the mud.

----

You find yourself wandering the wilderness alone, confused as your sleep-muddled mind starts to shake off the remnants of rest. You’d been "awake" for a few days now, confused and groggy after the cryopod finally gave out, stirring you from your artificial slumber.

The first two days, you remained close to the device, confused and afraid of the unfamiliar surroundings to go very far.

However, your needs pushed you forward, forced to venture into the unknown to find food and water, as well as any information they could gather.

There was little to find from the pod alone, its interior was the only part that had any surviving paint. The seemingly random placement didn’t seem intentional, lost perhaps?

The dense fog that clouded your mind did little to assist, memories either blurry or completely absent from its place. Whatever the case, it wasn’t going to help you right now.

 

As you carry on, the shapes of long forgotten buildings and overgrown towers come into view. The rubble covered ground was lush with green, as you find yourself scuttering through the seemingly vacant city.

It felt peaceful, but in a deceptive way. Like sitting a top a raft in a vast ocean.

The sudden feeling of isolation, the realization that you are simply gazing at the surface of this place, the understanding that you don’t know the extent of what exists here.

This uneasy feeling isn’t going to stop the hunger gnawing at your insides though, as you sift through the foliage in hopes of something edible.

Maybe it was the loud shaking of brush being moved by your hand, or the cacophony of noises from birds that accompanied the late morning, but you find yourself suddenly pulled from your musings as a distant creaking sound becomes more prevalent.

The foul sting of fear makes itself known within your chest, as you hastily scan the environment for the source of that foreign noise.

Panicked, you scramble to find a place amongst the rubble to hide away, finding a nook within the concrete covered in forbes, fronds, and creeping plants.  

Not soon after, a massive metal creature comes into view, the titan seeming to still after a moment or two. It doesn’t have a tangible face, its structure is boxy and alien, but you can practically feel its sight pin you down. 

 A stand-off, where both parties remain frozen in place as they attempt to gauge each other's reaction.

Unbeknownst to you, the machine can almost feel a weight lift from it’s impossibly heavy body. 

----

The human, they’re here! They’re okay!

Its senses hone in on the organic lifeform, picking up whatever details it can from its aged sensors.

A few moments pass with no movement from either party, until the machine takes a grinding step forward.

This seems to do something, as the human immediately flinches back, like a startled hare spotting a fox.

The metal titan instantly freezes once more, the realization that the human is…fearful of it…it does not sit well within its processor.

The fortress wants nothing more than to delicately scoop up the lifeform in its tarnished appendages and squirrel them within its own interior, to settle its coding by protecting the human from the unfamiliar world that they were so abruptly thrown into.

But it knows that it can’t do that right now, no matter how much its coding writhes in demand that it be done.

The human looks about ready to bolt, and the rusted and vegetation-covered machine knows it wouldn’t be able to catch up, even if it was in its prime.

While it could certainly pursue the human, to have them out of its sight could lead to something harmful finding its way into their path.

No, it will not allow that. It has been patiently waiting for its entire life, it could wait a few more minutes. As carefully as it could, the titans' limbs creak in protest as it settles on the ground. Small clouds of dust dislodge from the space beneath it, as the steel finds its place atop the broken concrete.

The soft rumbling of mechanical parts was all that could be heard over the sounds of nature.

It felt similar to how a dog might lay down to comfort a small animal, the human’s shaking seemingly to ebb away by the gesture.

It didn’t dare move, seemingly content to watch the human instead. 

[nova-gt]

Thinking about tired, reserved giant playing hide and seek with excitable tiny. This little puppy of a creature just running circles around their feet, begging them to play. Giant is like, "Okay, okay. One game." The giant doesn't really realize their mistake until 10 minutes have passed and they haven't found the tiny yet. Then they're like, "Oh. Oh no. This was a bad idea." Their search becomes more frantic with every minute that passes, trying to keep their calm demeanor but growing more panicked with every spot checked. After an hour, the giant is practically pulling their hair out with stress. Eventually, after a grueling search, they spot the tiny in an absurd space, the little beast giving a reaction of innocent joy to being found. The giant lets out a sigh of relief, picking up the tiny and walking over to the couch for a nap. They place the tiny on their chest once they settle down, a hand cupped over them in a protective gesture as they doze off. Bonus: Giant has now banned hide and seek and tiny is not happy. Tiny tries to defend, saying that the giant is just a bad seeker and the giant can only give the tiny a tired look.

[nova-gt]

Please Reblog This If It’s Okay To:

Send questions about yourself

Ask questions to/about your characters

Ask about your headcanons 

Send questions about your works (fanfics, art, music, RPs, etc) 

Ask about popular ships/headcanons

Ask about plot ideas you’ve had but haven’t acted upon yet (snippets of AUs, a scenario you wish to write/draw but haven’t gotten to yet)

Questions about other ships/headcanons that aren’t as popular or are rarepairs

Questions or comments about favorite tropes, headcanons, characters, foods, weather, or anything else you are okay in answering!

[nova-gt]

Imagine a giant imprinting on you. This colossal being trailing you like a lost duckling, curious of everything you’re doing and wanting to help/learn.

Especially thinking of newly created machines, so curious and confused of the world around them. You, in some way or another, have found yourself the topic of interest for this unfathomably complex and powerful machine that acts like a big puppy dog. Demanding attention, never wanting to be alone, sometimes overly protective of you when something is new or unfamiliar, other times hiding behind you from said new or unfamiliar thing. I also like to think of just how exhausting it’d be, like a tired parent with their 10 ton metal child/little sibling.

[nova-gt]

Every now and then I lovingly rotate the idea of a world of large abstract machines, created by humans, living in a post-apocalypse that’s been reclaimed by nature. Like, not humanoid in any fashion, just these metal creatures wandering about the flourishing place, creating their own way of existence having never interacted with humanity due to their disappearance. Then suddenly one day a human pops out of the woodworks, and long-buried programming re-emerges the second they encounter one another. Just “creator?? So small?? Squishy?? Must protect! Too dangerous for small fragile human!” While the human is just started by these strange machines showering them in curiosity and affection.

[nova-gt]

Finally starting to settle on how SOL looks, ft. Adder. I love these dummys and really need to write more about them .u.

[nova-gt]

Thinking about different kinds of giant werebeast again

Werewolves that are very gentle with their tiny friends, trying to play like how dogs will run around babies to make them laugh. Constantly whining when their friend goes into the wall/out of sight and just sits in the same spot, waiting for them.

Werecats that constantly pick up their tiny friends and carries them to bed, constantly purring as they corral them into a blanket nest. Every time someone tries to leave, they just gently pick them back up and start grooming them like a kitten.

Werecrows that keep bringing them shiny things and trying to brood. Small friends are cold! They have no feathers! Maybe even giving them their own feathers as a gift. Now the tiny’s room is filled with giant soft feathers.

Werebats that like to follow their tiny friends on escapades through the house, or they leave and come back with food for their friends. The werebat feeling worried because their tiny friends aren’t leaving the ‘roost’, or maybe they’d be more fearful of these small creatures exploring outside thinking they might be ‘too young.’

Werebears becoming fuzzy landmasses that like to laze about in the general area of activity, only engaging if one of their tiny friends asks first. Not because they don’t want to! They just don’t want to hurt their little friends, so they’re content to exist with them.

So many werebeasts, so much potential!!

[nova-gt]

This years prompts are here! This time around will be a bit special. To offer more ideas we've decided to make two prompt lists!

You can flip between the lists day to day, stick to one list, or even combine them! (Like mixing Mist + Ren Faire and see what you come up with!)

Do it however you want, this new list isn't meant to confuse and overcomplicate, but rather offer something to those who are struggling to come up with something or want an extra challenge of two prompts instead of one.

And just like last year, this isn't just for visual artists, any form of art is welcome. We also gathered prompts from our discord server once more!

When posting your submissions, use the tags #gtober, #gtober2024, or #gtober 2024!

If you have any questions, feel free to ask!

[nova-gt]

Woe, borrowers be upon ye Infodump + backstories under read more because I love them both very much:

I love the idea of borrower niches, in that there are different species of borrower that have adapted to their environment ^u^

Adder is a mouse-borrower, known for their relatively short and compact build. M borrowers like to reside outside of residences as compared to within them, which also earned them the nickname “field borrower” due to their preferred biome. M borrowers are also solitary, often leaving their homes once they’ve reached maturity in search of a place to call their own. They can become territorial of their homes, having a very scrappy and standoffish nature.

Adder is a prime example of this as, despite their size, they will often pick fights with larger predators that stray a little too close. If the borrower is hiding or against a foe that’s far too bold, they’ll use the scavenged rattlesnake rattle they’d affixed to their tail to help spook it. As for Adder’s story, they’ve been drifting from place to place for a few years since they left home, the rolling plains getting more crowded with buildings and humans, forcing them to move further and further from their familiar grounds. They’d often settle for a little bit in a human house before moving on to the next, that is, until they were found out by a very peculiar device. An experimental prototype AI, a massive computer that sat in tangles of wires and screens, created for a purpose unknown to Adder. The AI, known as SOL, is insatiably curious, seeking any and all information it can gather from any new stimuli. The borrower was terrified at first, getting suddenly picked up by a gentle cord and being “interrogated” by the machine, if you could really call the calm and innocent questions that. Adder was quick to realize that this…whatever it was, didn’t intend any harm. More like how a child or a puppy would react to something new, with a much more formal output. It most certainly drew something out of them, they should’ve left the second they were found out, but that damned little question dragged them back the next day. “Will I see you again?” It asked, despite its monotone voice, it sounded like a child asking their parent when they’ll return from work. The question gave Adder pause, before the turned slightly to the machine, its monitor in view. A heavy sigh left the borrower, “Yea. I’ll be back. Just-“ They paused to take a deep breath, “-don’t tell anyone, okay?” The borrower didn’t really wait for an answer before slinking off into an opening in the wall.

“Pup” is a type of Nomadic borrower, their species being on the taller end of the spectrum. They’re characterized by their long, jerboa like legs that are made for sprinting rather than climbing. Unlike the Mouse borrowers, Nomadic borrowers stay solely in the wilderness. Though much less common than their smaller counterparts, they are highly social, living in large colonies within expansive underground burrows or dead trees that’ve been hollowed out over time. True to the name, the colony often moves from place to place, primarily using bat mounts to travel these long distances.

Pup is a nickname, as younger individuals are not given names until they’re earned. Unlike many others, Nomadic borrowers have titles instead of proper names (I.e Trapper, Artisan) as well as more "abstract" ones like Pursuant, Hidden, etc. Unfortunately, Pup’s colony home was struck with a wildfire, causing chaos within the troupe as they scrambled to flee. Pup was lost in the fray, fleeing to a burrow to escape the smoke and flames. When the fire eventually settled, they traveled by foot back to their home and remained at the abandoned sight for a few days. In these situations, borrowers who get separated from the group are told to return to the nest so they can reunite with the colony before the move. Pup, however, seemed to reach the evac. point too late. After the days passed with no sign of others, it was safe to assume that they'd left without them. While Pup was worried, their extreme optimism and naive nature pushed them forward to follow after the trail left behind. I could keep going with these two but this post is already so long so feel free to send asks .u.

[nova-gt]

Prompt from this post! "Sounds more like stealing rather than borrowing to me." 

The soft buzzing of the artificial voice spoke, a moment of pause between its responses. Adder replied with their own silence, a look of light confusion and heavy consideration, before landing on a slightly offended expression. “It’s not stealing, beans don’t care for crumbs or any of that other stuff.” They replied to the initial accusation with a small bit of sternness, before tapering off into a more casual tone, “Besides, if he wanted to keep it, he wouldn’t have told you to get rid of it.” The borrower mentioned with a point of their finger, directed towards the dull computer screen across the way. One of the many tasks assigned to the immobile device was to ensure the environment was as clean as could be, but it seemed to put off the task while the tiny individual was out and about. Whether it be for their own benefit or Sol’s own curiosity overriding its multitasking ability, they’d never know. 

After an all too familiar pause, although a bit longer than expected, the electronic device speaks up again. “You are not borrowing. To borrow is to take or receive an item with the intention of returning it.” Adder rolled their eyes at the comment, knowing full well what was happening next. “You do not intend to return any of the items taken, nor would it be sensible to return things such as food items.” As Sol reached its conclusion, a firm explanation in its monotone voice, the borrower continued to wander about the countertop. Adder had disappeared behind the many scattered jars of various spices, containers, and chip bags that littered the surface. They could practically feel the computer’s electronic eyes boring into them, awaiting an answer. The borrower had learned by now that the device didn’t need a direct line of sight to know exactly where they were, so long as it was active in the same room. A few more beats passed as they picked up some broken pieces of a chip that’d been discarded, peeking out from behind one of the plastic cups with a slightly tired expression. Their body language was casual as they responded to the machine, “Scavenging. How’s ‘scavenging’ sound to you?” 

More silence, Adder watched the little specks of light on the dark screen dance around as it processed the word. The borrower was starting to grow a little concerned at the extended period before the display stilled once more. “This is sufficient.” was all it said, the dull screen returning to its idle state. Adder huffed, knowing that it would only be a matter of time before the artificial intelligence came up with something else to ask. But for now, it seemed content to simply observe the borrower continue their ‘scavenging.’