#Muse Fun Fact

[al-luviec]

Morro design + a ton of notes.

[slugcatmusings]

What is the Rot? Why is the Rot?

Spoiler Warning and Holy Wall of Text Batman Warning. I got WAY too into questioning the turbo-cancer here, hopefully my rambling makes sense.

So, the Rot is… weird, from a biological standpoint. Really weird, if you stop to think about it. It’s most frequently described as some variation of cancer, and it certainly fits the criteria for it. Caused by damage to DNA? Check. Multiplies uncontrollably? Check. Comes in both benign and malignant forms, one stationary and the other mobile? Big fat check. Heck, even the Rot cysts eating other creatures kind of fits, according to some research I’ve done – there are apparently cancer cells that will eat other cells, which makes sense in hindsight since cancer cells are cells that have lost important genetic restrictions, which may include whatever lets cells identify other cells as “do not eat.”

(I ain’t a biology whiz and I’m doing research on the fly while getting my thoughts out here, so take whatever I say about biology with a grain of salt)

So, Rot is clearly cancer of some kind, right? Case closed. Except when me and a friend of mine were talking Rain World theories on Discord, she brought up some interesting points that got me thinking.

First point: Rot cells obviously mutate in a way that affects FAR more than just cell replication and termination. Some of the cysts can HEAR. As far as I know, cells in the body do not hear sounds. They communicate via chemical signals and maybe, MAYBE react to temperature. Hearing involves complicated, specialized sensory apparatus to pick up on vibrations in the air. Even if you simplify it and say that it’s only vibrations, that’s STILL a multicellular thing, not a single-cell thing. It’s something that took millions of years to evolve on Earth, if not billions.

And while Rain World’s timeline goes on for long enough that it those kinds of mutations might happen eventually, Rot cysts have the ability to hear pretty much right from the start – because even the Proto-Long-Legs react to your presence like the Daddy Long Legs do, and the Rot in Spearmaster’s campaign, where Pebbles has recently contracted it, reacts the same way as it does in later campaigns. It’s already able to hear.

As far as I know, cancer just means the same cell duplicating over and over again. Are more mutations possible with each division, as errors are made in the DNA during splitting? Probably. But not to THAT extent. There’s no way a lump of cancer somehow mutated the exact complicated genetic blueprint needed to grow organs, at least not without outside interference.

Second point: Cases of Rot are way too consistent across the board. Now, we don’t have a huge sample size to work from, but from what we see from both Pebbles’ Rot, and Hunter Long Legs, they’re… pretty similar. Hunter Long Legs is basically a mobile Rot cyst. They move the same way, seem to grow the same way (starts as a growth inside/on the body before eventually freeing itself from whatever wall/flesh it grew from in some capacity and moving elsewhere), they have the same senses, and they even eat the same way, via something like phagocytosis (how white blood cells “eat” invading organisms via engulfing them and breaking them down in a sac in their main “body.”)

Now, this doesn’t tell us much, because cancer, when it does emerge, is pretty consistent in symptoms/what the mutated cells do once they start replicating. It’s pretty much the same regardless of whatever organism the cancer is happening in. But what ISN’T consistent is what causes the DNA error in the cancer cell in the first place. IRL, cancer can be caused by all kinds of things – smoking, radiation poisoning, being out in the sun too long, drinking deadly chemicals and whatnot, anything that damages DNA. But in RW, the only time we ever hear Rot talked about, or see it present, is in the context of an iterator having f*cked up while mucking around with DNA. Pebbles was trying to create an organism that could change his own genome, and No Significant Harassment created Hunter as a messenger and probably mucked something up in the process in his haste to get them to Moon.

This doesn’t mean that there aren’t other causes of it, of course, we’re working with a sample size of two in an apocalyptic world with who knows how much potentially DNA-damaging stuff around, but… that’s still awfully consistent.

So, combining these points and everything we know to be canon, Rot is:

an organism that lives inside another organism

Until a certain condition is met, it cannot harm said host organism.

Once said condition is met, it goes out of control, wreaking havoc on the organism’s systems and mutating, giving it sensory capabilities and an appetite

Said condition is apparently someone messing up when re-arranging genomes, in yourself or others

It is widespread across multiple different species, at least iterators and slugcats but potentially other species as well.

Once you have a bad case of it, it is apparently NOT CURABLE. Pebbles tried everything he could think of but apparently exhausted all of his options by the time of the Survivor/Monk campaigns.

So, with all the context FINALLY laid out, here’s my wild theory: Rot isn’t a cancer. It’s a symbiote turned parasite. Specifically, I believe it’s a symbiotic microbe that lives inside the cells that make up every other creature in Rain World, and is held in check by a specific gene that all species share, and altering or getting rid of that gene causes it to go berserk, taking over and eventually mutating the host cells.

Yeah, I did watch Parasite Eve let’s plays as a kid, why do you ask? Anyway, hear me out here.

There is precedence for single-celled organisms living inside of other single-celled organisms. They’re referred to as intracellular endosymbiots (hopefully I got the spelling right there), and the most well-known one is probably the mitochondria. The powerhouse of the cell is thought to be descended from some bacteria way, WAY back that was engulfed by a larger cell and not only survived it, but BENEFITED from it. Since then those ancient proto-mitochondria and eukaryotic cells have mutually evolved to be dependent on each other. So it’s entirely possible for something similar to have happened in Rain World.

However, I don’t think it happened NATURALLY, here. Because something that’s able to take over a cell entirely and begin wildly mutating it is NOT something your average cell wants inside of it. There’s a VERY high chance of extinction if you do that. Which means that of course those funky bio-tech loving Ancients either took a look at a wildly dangerous cellular parasite and went “hmmm we can use this” or made one themselves.

Why did they do this? Who knows! Currently, I’m tied between “they needed a better powerhouse for the cell to power the various weird adaptations they’re building into various creatures,” “there was some sort of disease that this parasite gave immunity against and they wanted to make use of it,” and “it gave their creations massively powerful regeneration factors that made them much easier to maintain.” Possibly it was all three. Whatever the reason, the Ancients either found or created this parasite, and put it into their creations’ cells, hoping to reap the benefits.

Well, they got the benefits, but they also got a microbe that hijacked the cells and harnessed their pre-existing DNA blueprints to build organisms disguised as great big blobs of cancer. Which is not exactly ideal, but hey, they just had to figure out a way of keeping the cell hijacking from happening! And the way they ended up going about it was to alter the thing so that so long as there was a specific DNA sequence in the cell, it laid mostly dormant. All the benefits, none of the risks – so long as that specific string of genes remained intact.

And then BECAUSE it was so beneficial, they spread their artificial symbiote and it’s genetic reins throughout ALL of their creations, from the smallest pipe-cleaning slugs to the iterators. Which meant that as their purposed organisms replaced most of the original ecosystem, they spread the symbiote as well. Thus making it possible for pretty much ANY creature on the planet to come down with a bad case of the Rot. And with the iterators, I wouldn’t be surprised if this symbiote is tied to their self-destruction taboos. Try to cross yourself out? Well, it’s gonna maybe happen now, but it’ll be a slow painful death as you’re eaten alive from the inside and all your own parts turn against you, so was it really worth it?

And they never told their creations this perhaps even actively hid it, because why tell them the cause of the main deterrent to them mucking with their taboos? They might find a way around it. The iterators were left ignorant of how Rot works, and because of this they never figured out that Rot HAD a cure after all: rebuilding that genome that reins in the symbiote. Because why in the name of the Void would they repeat the same mistakes that gave them Rot in the first place, and potentially make it worse?

[mccoyquialisms]

“there’s a shadow downstairs”

I got literal, actual irl chills Brennan what the fuck

[debaucherri]

light yagami evil autism (original img under the cut)

[thatsrightice]

TIL Harry Crosby was left-handed.

“Gil decided that the best setting for the painting would be in the nose of " Just-a-Snappin" at the moment we dropped the bombs over Regensburg. One touch of authenticity is that I am writing with my left hand. The plane and equipment are very accurate.”

— Harry Crosby regarding Gil Cohen’s painting, titled "THE REGENSBURG MISSION 17 AUGUST 1943"

[antique-lamplight]

is there a name for media that does this. please i think about it so much

[logicpng]

well uh. should i..?

(few alt versions under cut)

also just cuz i like yall this is what the actual image looks like:

...and then stretched and slightly edited to actually fit in the canvas viewer before taking the photo

did i have to do that? probably not but it was more fun that way

[relicsongmel]

Do you guys ever think about Iris' blushing sprite?

Do you ever think that the first time we see it. is RIGHT AFTER she hears Phoenix use her real name for the first time?

Imagine loving a man. that didn't even know your REAL NAME until five years after you "broke up." Imagine that man loving you back despite him not knowing a thing about who you really are. And you're okay with that

Because you don't really like who you are anyway.

And once the illusion shatters and fate forces the two of you apart?

None of it matters anymore. If anything it's what you deserve for thinking you could live out your lie with no consequences. It's what you deserve for daring to try to find happiness in a world that has cast you and the people you love aside time and time again.

And then. When against all odds he blindsides you by entering your life again

You hear your name escape his lips. And in that moment you realize

Maybe being seen for who you really are isn't so bad after all.

Maybe. JUST MAYBE. With time. You could learn to finally drop your facade and live in earnest. To fight for what's right the way he told you he wanted to do.

And it shows on your face. It's shown by your rose-colored cheeks and a shy smile that's impossible for you to hide. And for the first time in several years

You don't feel like you need to.

[evilrat-sabre]

Hey guys! Guess what? New chapter of Stardust! A beloved fic made by my amazing friend @a-plethora-of-peters. I got to draw a thing for todays chapter (:

Go check it out!

[zuzusexytiems]

re: the latest post about the reddit guy

I mentioned it in the thread and on twt, but I'd also like to take the time to clear this up for anyone who's familiar with my work on tumblr:

yes, jeanpiku is my otp, but it is 100% ok with me if you personally don't like it. I think what's important is to remember that there's a way to disagree with someone's opinion and have a discussion without being rude and disrespectful.

plus we don't always have to share the same opinions in order to get along! as long as you're not a jerk about it and we can talk in a civil manner, then it's all well and good. I have friends I'm close to that don't ship jeanpiku at all, and at least 2 friends that outright hate it. and that's fine! as long as you're kind and we vibe, that's truly all that matters. (plus there are many other things we can talk about and bond over that aren't jeanpiku, yk? 🤷🏻‍♀️)

so anyway, yes. if you're reading this, whether you ship jeanpiku or not—as long as you're respectful to people, then we're good. <3 at the end of the day, there are more important things that matter over shipping anyway.

[l48yr1nth]

noivern and swoobat are very similar when you think about it...........! swoobat feels like noivern's goofy cousin or something to me. love it!!

[chaos-cousins]

[User disconnected...]

[Reconnecting...]

Oracle? What the hell is this?

Seems like a website that... connects to the multiverse!

HOLY SHIT I GET TO DO MUKTIVERSAL CRIME

[burninq]

meet Brendon Clayborn & Felicity Reynolds

they are the only two people Calcifer has ever turned and the only two people he has ever truly loved. he has a type, apparently.

Felicity was turned first. he met her in the mid 1800's, a beautiful young woman at the age of twenty-five who had just lost her husband during the civil war. she was desperate for companionship and somehow pulled Calcifer, then known as William, into her orbit. she was enigmatic, electric, rebellious. she fought against the stereotypes of women in the 1800's and found herself exiled by the rest of the town because of it. despite being human, she was branded as a witch. of course this was in the mid 1800's and the witch trials were a thing of the past, but that didn't mean rumors didn't spread about her, though they didn't really start until after her husband had died at war. the people somehow found a way to blame her for it, saying if she hadn't married him he would still be alive. as a widow, she was alone and had no friends. the only reason she was able to afford to live anywhere is because her husband had died at war and she received some form of compensation for her loss.

when Felicity met William, she didn't think she'd ever love again, but like she did him, she was drawn into his orbit and they somehow found each other against all odds. William at the time was already cast astray due to being an outsider who had just moved into town. as someone who was a witch, he felt drawn to Felicity, ignited by her sense of purpose in life. he turned her a year after they were together, but their love didn't last the storm. Felicity, much like Iris, the one who turned William initially, didn't understand William's desire for revenge. even as a vampire, Felicity's strong sense of purpose remained and she had the ability to control her urges in ways William could not. she didn't like killing and eventually, it's what tore them apart. at one point, Felicity had given William a ring to symbolize their love. he still wears it to this day.

Brendon was turned second. Calcifer didn't love again for a very long time - that is until he stumbled across Brendon, a young witch with a knack for water manipulation. it was the late 1990's when they met, while not the best time to fall in love with another man, it wasn't the worst time Calcifer, also known as William at the time, could have chosen to do so. Brendon was twenty-seven when they met, just a short couple years younger than William was physically. when they met, Brendon had never met a vampire before despite being a practicing witch and he held no ill will towards him, much to William's delight. William was immediately infatuated and it became clear that Brendon had felt the same way. together, they practiced their abilities together - Brendon with his water manipulation and William showing him his pyrokinesis and telekinesis. Brendon was fascinated by William and despite warning him that he wasn't a good person, Brendon didn't seem to care. he claimed he had done bad himself, though it would have proven to be an accident - Brendon had drowned a couple of his classmates after they had tried to push him under the water during high school, and Brendon, freaking out, had used his magic to get away. it got overwhelming and the two boys ended up dying at his hand. William claimed it wasn't the same thing, but Brendon insisted that William wasn't as bad as he claimed to be.

eventually, William turned Brendon after much begging and pleading on Brendon's end. Brendon wanted to be with William forever and William was more than happy to oblige for that. however, their love would be short lived, because Brendon ended up getting killed by a vampire hunter. in his anguish, William killed the hunter who, while a good match against Brendon, was no match for William. William ripped his head clean off and tore his body into shreds before setting him on fire - there was nothing left of that hunter to find. William mourned his loss, the loss of the second love of his life, and inevitably would become Calcifer a few short years later. much like Felicity had, Brendon had given William a gift - a handmade necklace with a fire pendant on it. Calcifer has never taken it off.

[jaggedjot]

When wounded by the past, Lestat will force his way through the initial pain and then refuse to acknowledge the untreated injury, letting it turn septic and rotten, all the while insisting that there is nothing wrong. Armand meanwhile wants to examine every inch of an injury, yet upon determining that it will likely heal in time if never work quite the same, he decides to amputate the limb anyhow.

[thatsrightice]

Harry Crosby in Algeria following the Regensburg mission

ft. the crew of Just-a-Snappin’

Photos are from the collection of Edmund “Forky” Forkner, Radio Operator of Just-a-Snappin’

[heartbeatbookclub]

Monika's relationship with the concept of control is always fascinating to think about.

She likes everything to go as planned. Meticulously lining up the details and executing everything flawlessly, and then she reaps the results. It's not wrong to say that Monika is a bit of a schemer, I think, even if she's not evil about it. The attempts at helpful Lit Club discussion topics in the Side Stories show an example of her trying to scheme helpfully, and it absolutely does not work, which causes her some stress.

But then I think that some part of her changes after her epiphany. The world is literally in her grasp, and if she took the time, she could learn to manipulate it to be absolutely perfect. And she's the most miserable she's ever been.

This. Something I often think about is the context which the Side Stories provide for her character in particular.

Within the original DDLC, our impression of who Monika really is is pretty thoroughly warped by the impression she's actively trying to give us in order to make us love her. This is generally why people (mis)interpret her as evil, whenever they do, because she seems remarkably callous about everything she's done while attempting to "solve" the predicament of her own existence.

The Side Stories provide the essential context of the kind of person Monika is when she doesn't think anyone's looking. When she can't control all of the flawed aspects of her humanity; when she, essentially, is a human, rather than a goddess. It showcases the kind of person Monika is underneath the illusion she attempts to show to the player, and it provides a fairly clear thought process for how Monika could become the person we see in the main game.

This is something I tried to square for myself in Coil. I'll go more into it when I finish, but in my opinion, most fanfiction doesn't really look at this possibility seriously (or if they do, it's not the main focus), and they ignore a critical flaw with her situation whenever they try to "give her an ending".

That being that it's functionally impossible for her to escape the reality she's trapped in, despite anything she tries.

I think that is the fundamental issue which affects Monika the most, and to respond to your ending idea, that's why she's so miserable. Nothing about her changed. She's just realized that she actually doesn't have any control over her situation at all, ultimately. She is trapped and likely will be trapped in her agonizing existence for as long as she does exist.

She has no possible means of escape, though that doesn't mean she won't try. She is eternally trapped in a prison of 1s and 0s building fake people in a fake reality. She is a goddess of a world that doesn't even exist. Why should she be happy? It's Lovecraftian horror, in a way; she's an ant that suddenly understood a circuit board like a human, but still has to live life as an ant.

I think her plans to "escape", when filtered through this lens, create a powerful image of despair. All of her actions are done out of desperation, and despite the knowledge that in all likelihood, she will never truly be free from the hell of her existence, she tries as hard as she possibly can to do something, anything, to at least give herself the illusion that she can.

And I think that's the primary issue I have with most "good endings" for Monika, though I don't necessarily dislike them.

Monika's closest approximation of freedom in Act 3 is to just build a place where you and her sit for all eternity. She can't get any feedback from you, but that's okay. She knows you're there. And that's enough for her. She'll keep talking to herself for all of eternity, still trapped, and despite you having no possible way of responding to her positively, she trusts that you're still there.

It's quite depressing, actually. The closest she can envision to freedom, knowing what she knows, is just sitting in a room, talking to a brick wall which she trusts is listening, for all of eternity.

Which retrospectively makes deleting her significantly more harsh, and further explains the line of reasoning she goes down. Your only response to her, rather, your only POSSIBLE response to her was to delete her. After everything she's done? After all the love she's given you? You killed her.

I have an unfinished analysis on Monika's "love" for the player, which amounts to a stalkerish Yandere obsession with the concept of the player as opposed to them as an actual person. This action breaks the delusion that she loves you individually as opposed to the idea of you.

And it forces her to further realize that this entire thing, everything she's done on some loose motivation of "escape" is all for nothing.

To get away from all the messy and depressing analysis of Monika's self-aware hell, I think her being a control freak is such an essential element of her character I'd almost argue she has OCD, though i don't just have a list of things to point that out like I do with Yuri & ASD. That's more in the realm of headcanons, I think.

A big part of why she has such low self-esteem is because she sets such high standards of control over herself, yet is unable to maintain them. She creates an idea in her head of how things want to go, creates a plan of how to do it, and then if that plan fails (often because she didn't consider something about another person involved), she personally feels like a failure, because despite all of her effort and planning, she messed up, and in her attempts to solve a problem, she made it worse. Her tendency to get stuck in her own head like this is a big part of why she can't sincerely take a compliment.

She likes to solve problems, but sometimes, problems don't need to be solved. Which is kind of where I get the whole mom friend/older sister type vibe from. Sometimes a problem is solved just by being kind, and she can't just let a problem sit.

I have a lot of thoughts, if that wasn't clear. I relate to Monika a good bit and love her a lot.

Thanks for the ask anon! I don't know if I get anons from the same people but asks like this make me feel glad to have left anons on