#loredump!

[tricitymonsters]

(I honestly can't remember if I already sent this cause it was late at night and I was dead tired, so if you already got this please ignore :'D)

I am back to fill your ask box with more demon lore questions, might be longer than the first. Maybe I gotta ask more sexual questions to balance it out.

If the contractbound (CB) were to make more deals, could it only ever be under the demon they made the deal with? This goes back into the Monster MLM cause you said if the CB made deals themselves it would just fuel the one above them, which would mean that the CB could never overtake the demon cause they would just both get stronger right?? So like, the main question is if there anyway around that? So the CB could overpower the demon? And if so, what would happen? (I'm so sorry if that didn't make sense, I can try to rephrase it if it's confusing)

Again, if it is just one big MLM then...does that mean the demons who made contracts with the ROs are also CB themselves?? Like how does one differentiate between a reg. demon and a CB one? Are they all CB besides this... Something??

Could a demon use word play/be intentionally vauge when making a contract so that it really only benefits them or to screw over the CB? Kind of how it's said to be careful with genies cause they can twist your wishes?

What is off limits when making contacts? Either because it simply impossible, even for demons, to do or because of some demon moral/legal code?

Can demons make contracts with themselves?

Can demons be summoned? Via a summoning circle or something? Or do they just pop up around desperate people?

I could have missed it, but have we heard the names of the demons that made contracts with the ROs, do we know what they all look like? Can't remember, but it could also just be a secret until later.

Can demons procreate? Can they make other demons that's not through a contract?

And some less serious ones:

How wild the demon sex gettin' the further we get up the hierarchy scale?

Who could win in a fight between Amir, Akello, and Mori and why?

HOKAY let's see what I got for you >:9

🔸 Okay so if you think of the pyramid scheme and contractbound or lower level demons on the bottom levels, the easiest way to upend the power structure is for them to try to take over deals from other pyramids, if that makes sense. Like, a lot of the power hierarchies branch a lot (and its POSSIBLE that they all converge near the top) but at the bottom it looks like a bunch of separate groupings. Its possible for someone to snipe contracts of lateral power structures to rise up your own. 🔸 You could also try to brute force your way up the structure by killing those above you but it will be a big mess since it will undoubtedly attract a lot of attention and get enforcers moving in to deal with it too. Few lower level demons/contractbound would have a fighting chance but it's happened before. 🔸This one's a little harder to answer, not all demons are contractbound but LOTS of them are. Some demons are part of the demon mlm out of loyalty or other bonds, etc, but making bargains and stuff is the chief way demons structure themselves and gain power. There's no real physical differentiation between a demon with contracts over them and not but you can KINDA make an educated guess that like... a really powerful elder demon probably has a LOT of demons under them and not many above them. But also the not being able to tell is part of how demons play power politics with each other too, its hard to know exactly what kind of power someone has if you're not sure how many underlings they're able to command or even who's giving them orders.

🔸YES demons will SPECIFICALLY use word play to build bullshit deals and screw people around. Amir had this happen to him when he agreed to be turned in exchange for Matias' revival. Instead of being revived the binding demon just bound his soul to Amir's wedding ring. Again, this is kind of on a per-demon basis as each individual will have their own kinda approach to honor or whatever, but it is VERY common.

🔸Not much is off limits with contracts, the binding demon either has to be able to fulfill the terms themselves or enlist the help of someone who can (and again, trading favors/debt is how demonic power structure just works so its a big rube golberg machine of who owes who what). There's not much of an overarching moral or ethical code for demons as a cohesive unit, they're fairly individualized and tend to value personal strengths and powers over group ideas or ethics. You'll definitely run into the occasional small group, however, that has some kind of rule they've all agreed to.

🔸Demons can make contracts with other demons but not with themselves, you need at least two (separate) parties to make the contract magic binding.

🔸I'm not sure yet about summoning but I do know that something about the strong emotions of the desperate are like smoke signals to them and will attract their attention before long. Amir had been digging into occult stuff desperately for years before a demon decided he was a good target to deal with and Marcel had been desperate after Akello 'died' and that attracted Tor eventually (who then chose to slowly convince him to deal instead of springing it on him).

🔸No, I haven't revealed much about the demons who turned the ROs. The only one we've met so far is Tor who didn't succeed in making a deal with Marcel. Akello and Mori don't really remember what theirs looked like and Amir hasn't described a whole lot of his deal experience yet. Something for maybe a little later in the story.

🔸Yes! Demons can make demon babies who aren't innately part of the contract structure. They may end up as part of it eventually, but they're born contractless and generally envied for that.

🔸OKAY so i mean, things could be crazy wild. Those big bad demons have all kinds of physical forms, plenty of INCREDIBLY potent magic, your imagination is really the limit. I would guess at MINIMUM that it would a completely life altering experience lmfao

🔸Akello would win if it came down to a physical fight! His demon form is incredibly powerful not just in how resilient it is to physical damage but Akello's rapidly gaining very very meticulous control over it. Mori is tough and strong and fast in a conflict but he still takes damage like any flesh and blood creature. Amir's not much of a fighter, and he'll freely admit that, but when it comes to convincing others to do things, he's unbeatable. If Amir had the opportunity to talk things out before a fight it would assuredly go his way because Amir always wins diplomacy checks lmfao.

I THINK I TOUCHED ON EVERYTHING, I HOPE THIS IS TO YOUR LIKING! 💜

[eliias-bouchard]

making up oc lore: fuck yes a little guy just for me

writing down oc lore: what the fuck

[nopanamaman]

How do mutants in the Facility live?

Patreon Loredump. August 2023

One of the most frequent types of questions I get are about life in the Facility. So it seems like a good topic to start my loredumping series with! 

Apologies in advance for all the photo examples, I hope they work fine for getting the vibes across.

Overview

The facility dome is visible in the distance.

The facility in general – or, as it’s officially known, the Zh. I. Alferov National Institute of Anomalous Research – is a large structure located on the border of the Zone. Its most notable feature is the massive dome surrounded by an outside wall.

The wall. In real life, the famous building of НИЦЭВТ.

The latter is a building in itself, containing offices, lecture halls, resting and dining quarters for researchers, as well as minor labs. All entrances are supervised, though not totally closed off to the public. Excursions, official meetings, TV reports – all of those happen within the wall.

But you will not find any mutants here. As you may have already guessed, all the major laboratories, anomalous artefacts, and, of course, mutants are housed in the dome. The entrances to the dome are monitored and equipped with anomaly scanners, allowing only authorised personnel and mutants to travel between its sectors.

Mutants cannot traverse the facility unsupervised.

What is the mutant classification system?

Depending on their anomalous characteristics, cooperability and method of containment, mutants are sorted into types and numbered groups. Individual mutant numbers usually look like XT000-000.

Let’s use Dmitry as an example.

Dima’s serial number is DT001-319.

The type constitutes the first part of the mutant’s number. Dima’s mutation is Directional Type, hence the letters DT at the start (for the record, KT stands for Kernel Type).

Next we have the 00X number. Mutants are assigned a 001, 002, 003 or 004 class depending on the potency and containability of their mutation – kinda like SCPs, yeah. Dima has a very powerful mutation he has good control over, plus he is sound of mind, making him suitable for 001 containment.

The last three digits are the overall number of the mutant within their type. So if Dima’s are 319, the facility has had 318 directional-type mutants on record prior to his arrival. This does not mean they were as powerful or had the same level of control over their telekinesis, just that they possessed a similar mutation to some extent.

How do different mutant classes live?

001

001 quarters example. Not too different from a hospital or sanatorium

Subjects ranked as 001 are extremely powerful, have good control over their powers and are, most importantly, docile. Since their mutations are very potent and difficult to forcefully contain, the go-to approach is making them not want to leave.

001s spend most (if not all) of their conscious lives surrounded by doctors. The latter foster a particular mindset in their subjects, where the world outside is presented as a place that is unanimously hostile to mutants. This is done by means of propaganda, reminders about their family’s supposed mistreatment and, in case a mutant has some favourable recollections of their childhood, gaslighting. Additionally, subjects are never left alone with each other.

001s get very luxurious treatment by facility's standards, with much bigger, more comfortable rooms than other mutant types. They're even allowed to have gaming consoles, TVs with VHS and video players, and their own bookshelves. Each mutant has their own separate room, which is kept under constant camera surveillance with the toilet being the only blind spot.

Special folders are issued to 001s before experiments with lower-ranked mutants.

Experiments held on 001s are relatively humane so as not to discourage them from staying at the facility. They do undergo daily checkups mostly designed to monitor their mental state. 001s are also active participants in experimentation on lower-ranked mutants, who they are taught and encouraged to treat as lesser beings.

001s are a high-risk investment, so their numbers are far smaller than those of 002 and 003-class mutants. Additionally, because of the potential danger they present, the institute is quick to dispose of 001 subjects by either termination or reclassification to 004. Though, if a 001 manages to stay cooperative long-term, they can become a very valuable asset for the facility.

002 and 003

002 and 003 quarters example. Though, they’re typically not as well-kept

002 and 003 mutant classes can be grouped together, since their treatment is largely the same. Both of these types’ mutations are easy to forcibly contain. The difference is their danger levels. 003s require close monitoring to not be harmful to others, while 002s are borderline harmless. Both types are characterised by general cooperability.

002s live in wards for 2 to 4 people, while 003s are more commonly placed in single-person wards to prevent accidents. A standard room includes a bed, a desk and a small bathroom (multiple beds and two desks in bigger wards).

KT got to take a dinosaur plushie to her room for good behaviour.

Mutants are allowed to borrow books from the library, as well as get drawing and writing materials. If they behave well, they can get a toy or even be lent a handheld console for a few days. 

002s and 003s have breakfasts, lunches and dinners together, and can spend some time in the playroom with other mutants (that’s also where they can play computer games and watch TV) – all under very strict surveillance, of course.

In some ways, their treatment is much less cruel than that of the elite 001 subjects.

KT before the DT experiment.

Though, not when it comes to experiments. 002s and 003s are very common, and are thus treated as disposable material in a scientific sense. The people holding experiments on them are a lot less concerned with minimising the subject’s pain or discomfort. Consequently, it’s not uncommon for mutants of these classes to sustain serious injuries or die as a result of experimentation.

That said, 002s have the highest likelihood of getting released from the facility, given they meet the conditions for it (more on that below).

004

004 quarters example. Basically a prison bunker

004 is a special category reserved for powerful mutants that refuse or physically cannot cooperate. This number can also be issued as a temporary or permanent punishment to misbehaving mutants. The 004 quarters are located underground and have the highest level of security, acting as a sort of bunker for the most dangerous subjects the facility has.

004 rooms are even more barebones than those of 002 and 003s. They have no access to entertainment (unless it is somehow required to contain their mutation) and cannot leave their room under any circumstances. They are more weapons than test subjects.

Do mutants receive education?

All mutants from class 003 and above receive basic education, learning to read, write and count. They additionally get curated history and sociology lessons. Some mutants, namely 001s, attend mandatory classes in certain disciplines to better apply their mutation. For example, Dmitry studied anatomy to know the precise positioning of internal organs.

Mutants are also free to study whatever sciences interest them in their free time by asking for educational materials at the library. Needless to say, most kids aren’t too interested in that, and are very uneducated compared to their outside peers.

Is there censorship in the facility?

All the media mutants are exposed to at the facility is strictly controlled.

6 y.o. Dima and his politically correct PSP.

The only movies, cartoons, comics, books and games allowed are those that either don't feature the Zone or mutants at all, those that show the discrimination mutants face outside, or those that are very obvious anti-mutant propaganda.

In essence, there are no positive depictions of human-to-mutant interaction, aside from ones between mutants and noble scientists. And, of course, nothing that goes against the general government ideology.

Can mutants be released from the facility?

It is generally assumed that mutants that go into the dome do not come out.

While they are largely dehumanised, the facility is still publicly presented as a sort of scientific sanatorium and hospice for those that cannot safely exist in society. Releasing mutants that know the truth behind the institute’s experiments into the wild is simply of no benefit to the government. So the majority are terminated once their scientific potential is exhausted or if they become too expensive to contain. As a result, few mutants live to adulthood.

Though, there are exceptions to the rule. Occasionally, mutants deemed non-hazardous can be released back into society. This is applicable to mutants that have not experienced significant mistreatment from the facility, lack the ability to talk about their experiences and optimally have been brainwashed by an appropriate 001 subject.

Have other mutants before DT and KT ever escaped?

The funny thing is, escapes aren’t a particularly rare occurrence.

Dmitry and Katya’s escape in KT’s Official Guide to Coolness.

Despite getting a lot of funding, the facility itself is very disorganised. Most of the money is blatantly pocketed by the higher-ups, so a lot of its structures and equipment are subpar – this includes its outdated safety systems. To top it all off, the security staff isn’t especially well-paid, so their diligence is highly questionable.

With all that piling up, there are around 3 cases of low-level escapes every year. Because of tight budgets and plenty of work to do as is, these escapes are generally brushed under the rug. The institute still keeps tabs on the escapees in case they happen to show up on the radar, but it rarely organises active searches or alerts the public for that matter.

DT and KT’s escape stood out because it was anything but low-level, and pretty bombastic at that. But even that didn’t warrant a public announcement for fear of panic and reputational damage. So if you’re an 003 mutant looking for an opportunity to sneak out… Hell, man, just go for it.

Wrap-up

That’s about all I can say about mutants’ life in the research centre, scratch some small factoids here and there. I tried to answer the most common questions regarding the topic, so I hope your curiosity was satisfied!

[morelikebaldursgay]

Everyone loves to accuse Gale of mainsplaining when he's literally just infodumping. He's not sexist he's just neurodivergent!

[a-substantial-trash-pile]

hey guess what. it's finally time for my Stardew Valley Loredump. i’m about to ramble about my farmer and yo-yo/yoba and shane in a probably long-ass, disjointed post because i have a problem ok. not expecting anyone to read it all of course—just want to finally write these brainstorming shenanigans down. the loredump will be below the cut below the image 👇 (WARNING: IT'S LONG):

SAMUEL IZAWA:

*samuel is 28 years old, pan, japanese okinawan (no im not self projecting hahaha), and goes by he/they. main thing is that they’re from “our world” where stardew valley is a video game, but he died and ended up in the stardew universe. because i think isekai tropes are fun and silly. as the player, samuel can do things others in the stardew world can’t do, such as: 

summon the in-game HUD that’s only visible to him, so he can see health/energy levels and inventory and all that.

speaking of inventory, it’s essentially a pocket dimension samuel can shove stuff in. the inventory doesn’t really care about size/weight/etc as long as it’s something the system considers an “item.” so like samuel can put a whole ass four poster bed in there but he can’t do that to a person or a whole house. samuel just needs to touch the item to make it disappear into his inventory. he can then summon it back out when he needs it. the game’s inventory limit system remains the same. samuel gets 12 slots on their own, but if they have a bag on them it increases to 36.

can access the player menu you can normally access in game. so like profile, skills, collections, relationships, etc are all there. no options or quit tab though. having the relationship tab is a nightmare for samuel, who has major insecurities about what people think of him. that tab is a quantifiable measure on how much people like him. it a real brain demon for him to know it exists and is right there for him to access anytime. 

can see the “stats” of food and healing items. hp/energy recovery amounts, buffs, etc. 

*funny thing is that samuel has never played SDV himself and only has knowledge based on what he’s heard and seen online secondhand. ironically he was planning on playing the game for the first time before the whole dying thing ruined it. they can’t even remember how they died, but it doesn’t bother them as much as they think it should. they didn’t leave much behind in that life.

*anyway, i’m talking a lot of game terms here, but don’t get it twisted. while samuel has all these game systems going on, the SDV world is very much a real one that doesn’t normally work by that logic. by that i mean time flows normally like in our world and there isn’t just 4 months in a year. things exist outside the valley. there’s a whole planet of places and people. 

*luckily samuel has help in navigating this new world in the form of yo-yo the junimo, who is the first living thing samuel sees when he first wakes up in that joja cubicle. yo-yo helps explain a lot of things and guide samuel around in its own abrasive way. he’s also there to be like, “hey i gave you a second chance at life so you kinda owe me actually. sign this contract.” and samuel, who is a pushover and also confused, is just like, “ok.” (yo-yo sounds like danny devito btw. because i think it’s funny.) 

*i call the contract a “magical girl contract” because that’s essentially what it is. samuel gets access to extra powers/abilities on top the stuff he can already do as a player. in return he fights monsters n shit for yo-yo and generally does things for them that they can’t do easily on their own. the extra benefits include: 

higher pain tolerance. which isn’t always a good thing. especially when you tend to not be great with self-preservation like samuel is. 

can heal most injuries by just eating/drinking stuff to regain hp.

yo-yo can teleport the both of them around as needed, but it’s tiring and it drains a lot of magic. distance matters too.

yo-yo can spawn items but it drains magic as well. the more valuable/rare the item, the more draining it is. spawning items is already a magic-intensive thing in the first place. also yo-yo isn’t creating the item out of nothing. they’re actually randomly taking it from wherever it already exists in the world. for example, say yo-yo “spawns” a jar of pickles. somebody in the world is going to open their fridge and discover their jar of pickles is missing or maybe a grocery store will have a sudden empty spot on its shelf. yo-yo doesn’t have control of where the items are taken from (or so they claim).

samuel and yo-yo’s magic pools became connected so they can both do more than they could do on their own before. this is one of the reasons why yo-yo wanted a contract with samuel, who has a larger magic pool than normal due to being from another world. but it’s possible for one side to use up all the magic for the both of them. 

*samuel’s personality can be summed up as Awkward People-Pleasing Tired Sad Garbage Dork. either he’s dressed like a grandparent in sweaters and turtlenecks or he’s wearing a button up shirt with the collar undone and jeans. they usually have their neck covered in public to hide the mark of yoba embedded there. he has a “resting bitch face” as some may call, but that’s just because his brain is busy over-analyzing 193828 different things. he loves being outside in the grass and dirt, looking at bugs n shit. he’s also a nerd who likes to play video games and ramble about the lore in them (he likes RPGs the most, but if the game’s got a good story and cool world, he’s into it). they like to do things with their hands like model building/painting. in their new stardew life, they get into woodcarving after willy teaches them the basics (he carves shane a little chicken). 

*samuel does NOT know how to say “no.” absolute pushover. their self-worth is based on how much they’re liked by others, which isn’t healthy obviously. he has a fear that the only way he can be liked is by being useful. he’s scared that he is inherently a bad and selfish person, because he can’t say for sure if he’s helping others purely out of kindness or because it just makes him feel better about existing. deep down there’s anger/frustration that’s accumulated over the years, anger towards himself and also others because he’s always doing things for other people—going above and beyond—but it never feels like enough. at the same time though, they hate it when these thoughts come up because they believe that you shouldn’t go into helping somebody expecting that you’ll get something out of it. he hates how much of a hypocrite he is. he hates how he bases so much of his self-worth on the opinions of others, but feels helpless to it. they usually just push these emotions down because samuel feels guilty about them. how can they be a good person if they’re thinking like this? how can they deserve to exist with this mindset? however they get a chance to let out the anger/bitterness/frustration through fighting monsters. kind of disassociating in a way. this also isn’t a good thing because his demeanor is much colder and scarier during combat. having someone who’s felt powerless for so long suddenly gain power is a dangerous thing.

*this mindset when monster fighting shatters when samuel meets krobus and realizes that monsters aren’t just the simple enemy NPCs their brain had been automatically categorizing them as. guilt galore. he gets real depressed about that for a while but yo-yo, krobus, and shane are there to help him. 

*SPEAKING OF SHANE… it’s crush at first sight for samuel because hot damn is shane their type. i mean just look at him. mamma mia. haha anyyyway, they first meet at the stardrop saloon. samuel’s waiting at the bar for his to-go order near where shane is drinking. shane’s looking sad, so samuel gives in and decides they’ll start a convo to maybe distract him from whatever’s bothering him. samuel employs the “crack a dumb joke to hide the fact that i’m nervous because i’m talking to a hot person and then use that opening to introduce myself” strat. shane, being an asshole, is like, “oh so you’re the new farmer. here’s a tip: don’t bother me.” samuel takes 999 damage and their brain immediately goes “THIS IS MY FAULT I FUCKED UP like who wants to be talked to by a stranger when they’re sad goddammit why am i so bad at this?!!” it’s overall not a great first impression. after that, samuel tries to avoid shane out of embarrassment, but circumstances keep making them run into each other. for instance, samuel works a lot with marnie with her being a mentor figure to him in animal husbandry, so he and shane have a lot of opportunity to interact through that (plus marnie is secretly trying to get them closer to each other). through these meetings and shenanigans, samuel and shane get to know each other better until one day they’re friends. then good friends. then best friends. then kiss friends. then marry friends. :)

YOBA (A.K.A. YO-YO): 

*yo-yo is ????? years old and goes by any pronouns but most of the time it's it/they.

*yo-yo is actually THE yoba, but they’re not the completely benevolent creator-of-all-things humans have made them out to be. maybe they were in the past, but now they’re selfish and rude and swear a lot. but they do still care, even if they don’t admit it (tsundere-ass). yoba is currently stuck in the form of a little junimo and is substantially weakened because it gave too much of itself away to the world in the past and got burned for it. because the world kept taking and taking. and now there’s war and pollution and shit and yoba/yo-yo is maybe just a teensy tiny bit angry and bitter now. but it’s ok because now they got this human from another reality to help them reclaim the pieces of itself. and maybe along the way relearn how to love the world again.  

*oh also yoba didn’t create the whole planet like the creation story claims. they’re technically an alien that came across a young planet full of life and decided to stay and help it develop. 

*main reason yo-yo made a contract with samuel is because it needs help finding/reclaiming the pieces of itself. pieces can usually be found in strong monsters empowered by the piece. this isn’t always the case though. sometimes it’s in an ancient artifact. sometimes it’s in a specific place like a temple. sometimes it’s in a person. 

*samuel doesn’t have to deal with having an existential crisis about yo-yo, since he’s from our world where yoba doesn’t even exist as a god. yo-yo claims to be the one responsible for bringing samuel over into the stardew universe, but there are holes in their story. where did yoba even find the power to do such a thing when they’re in such a weakened state? mysterious. 

*the first time yoba reveals itself to shane is kind of chaotic. it’s in the middle of the night when yo-yo suddenly appears in shane’s room, grabs his face with its little stick arms and yells, “WAKE UP!!! YOUR BOYFRIEND IS IN MORTAL PERIL!!!” shane is like, “WHAT THE F–”     it was an act of desperation on yo-yo’s part, because samuel was in trouble and shane was the only one it could think of going to for help. essentially samuel meets something Bad in the deep mines, something that takes him out of commission and puts him in a trance state while draining his lifeforce. y’know, the classic kind of trance state where you need to figure out how to get the person back–how to snap them out of it. yo-yo tried and failed, so that’s where shane comes in. it’s the classic “love-interest-breaks-main-character-out-of-mind-control-with-sheer-power-of-love” trope. except shane does punch samuel during it. lovingly. in the face. hey it works ok.     after the chaos is over and everyone’s safe and gathered together, samuel and yo-yo explain everything to shane (well more like samuel explains everything while yo-yo wishes outloud that they had their memory erasing powers back). shane, who is canonically an atheist, learns that this talking pottymouthed jerkass apple is actually THE yoba and is just like, “yeah. this might as well happen.” and then he remains atheist because what else are you going to do when you learn that god is a talking pottymouthed jerkass apple who calls you a bitch and is also responsible for your partner having to go do dangerous shit. he and yo-yo have a rocky relationship at first to say the least. but once they both realize how much the other cares about samuel, things get a little better. 

*yeah, yoba may be a bitch and they may be angry and they may be bitter, but they really do care, even if they try to convince themselves otherwise. even though so much got taken from it, it still cares about humans and dwarves and shadow people and everything else on the planet. and when it eventually comes down to it, yoba will step up to protect what it loves, even if it means losing everything again. 

SHANE FINCH: 

*this post was technically supposed to just be about my farmer and yo-yo’s lore and stuff, but i gotta give some personal headcanons i have about shane… like for instance his last name is “finch.” because i thought the bird theme was cute. he’s 29 years old, bi, and half asian, half white (in our world that asian half is korean). i’m not being specific because i don’t know if korea even exists in the stardew world, since all we know in the game is that there’s a “ferngill republic” and a “gotoro empire.” i was thinking of just headcanoning that stardew’s planet is essentially the same as earth. so like most of the same countries/nations exist except the history diverged a bit along the way, leading to the ferngill republic and gotoro empire. OK SORRY for the tangent—back on topic.

*so shane is a trans man who started transitioning back in high school. he had two best friends who were very supportive and really helped him on his journey to figure himself out. those two friends were like family to him. it was good that he had this support because his parents were always pretty shitty and shane transitioning just made them act even shittier. the only good family member of shane’s is marnie, who was supportive, but she lived far away, was busy, AND wasn’t on good terms with her sister (shane’s mom), so shane didn’t get to see her much. 

*the moment shane became a legal adult, he got away from his parents, finding a place with his two best friends and moving in together. oh and his friends’ names were rosa and heath. should’ve probably mentioned that earlier oops.     shane, rosa, and heath go to the same college together, suffer student loans, graduate, etc. haven’t thought of what shane would get a degree in yet—most likely something “generic” because he’s unsure of what he wants to do himself (i feel u bby). 

*ok so rosa and heath were dating since high school, but they were so comfortable with shane and vice versa that things never got that awkward living together. however when rosa and heath got married (“yoba, FINALLY,” shane would say), shane felt like it was time to find his own place, much to the devastation of his bffs. the apartment ended up close to where rosa and heath lived of course—the couple made sure of it (“stop backseating my apartment hunting!” “MAKE US”). 

*rosa and heath get pregnant and have a healthy baby girl that they name jasmine. i headcanon jas as black (from heath’s side) and portuguese (rosa’s side). everyone is thrilled about the baby. shane was immediately offered godfather role and he happily accepted. jas was the cutest baby ever and he adored her. he babysat jas all the time. 

*jas was 4 years old when rosa and heath tragically passed away in a car accident. they were coming home from a business dinner when they lost control of their car on some black ice and slid into oncoming traffic. shane was babysitting jas when he got the call. in the span of one cold winter night, shane and jas’s world shattered. 

*rosa and heath didn’t have any reliable relatives either. those relatives only came to take the money and belongings. shane was the only one jas had, so he adopted her. he tried his best to pick up the pieces. he really did. he lasted for a year trying to raise a kid on his own with the salary of a dead-end job, but he knew the situation wasn’t good with the money and how much his mental health was spiraling. he knew he and jas were in dire need of more support (“jas deserves better than this”). so he turned to the one person he had left to rely on: his aunty marnie. and that’s how shane and jas ended up in pelican town.

*shane’s joja jacket was actually originally rosa’s. rosa worked as an accountant for joja and would get free promotional items all the time from the company. the jacket was one of the only things she actually ended up using because “it’s pretty comfy for being joja bs.” she would wear it all the time, much to her more fashion-conscious husband’s chagrin (yet he would patch up any holes she’d get in it anyway). after rosa died, shane kept her jacket. there were a lot of memories in it. 

~~~

ok that’s it for now. if anyone actually read all that, thank you for even wasting your time to process my ramblings. i’m sorry it’s so fucking long like jfc.

*who is mr. qi?

[no-less-than-a-god]

“May I ask a question?” The Lamb’s voice carries easily through the Afterlife, and if The One Who Waits hadn’t just watched them die (an attack that they were too weakened to dodge, an arrow piercing their chest), he would have startled at how it echoes around them; Aym and Baal didn’t have such foresight, and both of them jerked, ears flicking and tails fluffing up for only a moment before calming.

“I have told you, Vessel,” The One Who Waits answers, as the Lamb grows close. “You are free to ask anything of your god.”

“Who are these two?” the Lamb asks, and gestures to the disciples on either side of the god. Having been directly referenced, both of their ears prick up, and they stand as straight as they can, alert and curious.

“They’re my disciples,” The One Who Waits replies, “gifted upon me as kits.”

He does not mention his sibling’s name, or the fact he knows it was them. It hurts to think about it, even now.

“Do they have names?”

The god makes a motion with his chained wrist, and addresses his keepers. “Speak freely, and introduce yourself to the Lamb.”

“Baal.”

“Aym.”

“Are you two brothers?”

“Yes,” it was Baal who replies, his brother’s head tilting as he answers. “Twins.”

“Who’s older?”

There is a pause. Both disciples look upon each other silently, before turning back to the Lamb they towered over.

“I think,” it was Aym who speaks this time, as he points his staff towards Baal, “he’s older.”

“Huh…” the Lamb trails off then, before speaking up again. “Who’s better at fighting?”

“I am,” both of them reply simultaneously, and then shoot each other a look.

“I beat you last time we sparred,” Aym says.

“But I had beaten you thrice before that,” Baal counters.

“Twice,” Aym corrects.

“Thrice,” Baal insists.

In a sudden move, Aym pounces on his brother, staff brandished. “I’ll show you who’s a better fighter!” he yells, and the two throw themselves off to the side, bickering and fighting.

Both the Lamb and The One Who Waits watches the brothers for a few moments, before the Lamb looks up at their god.

“Apologies, I seem to have caused that,” they say.

“They fight, it happens,” the god replies. He does not stop his disciples, or reprimand them from fighting in front of his vessel. Instead, he watches with amusement.

“It’s entertaining, most of the time,” he adds. “I’ve been keeping track of who wins.”

“Who’s winning, then?”

Beneath the veil, The One Who Waits begins to smile, and he turns back to the Lamb.

“They’re tied.”

-------------------------------------

“May I ask what happens to the offerings I give you?”

“My disciples eat the fish.”

“You don’t?”

“I cannot.”

“Would you like me to send other things, then?”

“The fish is adequate, Vessel. You do not have to.”

“Do you know what fish they prefer, then?”

“Aym prefers swordfish; Baal prefers tuna.”

“And you?”

“...It’s been too long for me to remember the tastes, but I remember being partial to salmon the most.”

-------------------------------------

“Does it hurt?” they ask, sitting among the ethereal ground. The One Who Waits watches them, as they peer up at him.

They look so small.

“Does what hurt?” he asks in return, although he has a speculation.

“The shackles, the chains. Being bound.”

The One Who Waits remains silent, contemplating, before he speaks honestly. “They have pained me for so long, I take no further notice. I have been forced to grow used to the unbearable agony; it no longer affects me as greatly as it once did. Is there a reason you ask, Vessel?”

The Lamb, The One Who Waits surprisingly finds, is silent. They’ve looked away from him, and suddenly, they’re standing up.

“I’m ready to go back,” they claim, and there’s a tremble at the end of their voice.

Ignoring that they failed to answer his own question, Narinder raises his bony arm, chainlinks clinking together, as he resurrects them.

Later, watching through the crown, he sees the Lamb descend upon the stone statue of Heket with their oversized hammer, smashing it to pieces.

Even as it rebuilds itself, the hammer brings it all down in a fit of rage, until the Lamb is doubled over with fatigue, panting and sweating.

Eligos brings their demise two days later, and neither god nor vessel speak as the Lamb looks upon The One Who Waits.

Thank you, he wants to say, for your rage. For caring. You did not have to do that, but you did. 

But he says nothing.

-------------------------------------

“Do you know how to play knucklebones?”

“I’ve watched the rat play it, many times. And I’ve watched you play it, many times more.”

“But do you know how to play?”

“I do not.”

“Can I teach you?

“With what dice, Vessel?”

“I have some in the crown. I can teach Aym and Baal too, if they want.”

“I’m sure they’ll enjoy it.”

-------------------------------------

“Have you always had a veil?” the Lamb asks, resting in their god’s hand. They had requested to lay down, after a painful and quite literal run-in with an explosive fiend. They sit up, a curious tilt to their head.

“I acquired one not long after my ascension to a Bishop,” The One Who Waits replies. Nearby, the sound of staff clacking together continues as the twins spar. “There were complaints of my gaze being uncomfortable. Unnerving.”

The Lamb pauses, before they softly ask, “May I see?”

“The veil?”

“Your face.”

A century ago, a request as such would have given him pause. He would have declined, and sent the Lamb away.

Instead, he slowly brings his arm up, and leans down. The Lamb ducks under the veil, and for the first time, the god and vessel make true eye contact.

Red meets white. The One Who Waits looks, unblinking, as the Lamb stares back into his eyes.

Something touches his nose, and it twitches involuntarily at the unfamiliar sensation. It takes the god a few seconds to realize it’s the Lamb’s hand.

The Lamb smiles, gently. “Your eyes. They’re a pretty red.”

The One Who Waits’ ear flicks.

“Like camellias. Or fresh blood. It’s nice.”

“Vessel,” the god whispers, because they’re so close. “I ask you to stop talking.”

The Lamb leans against The One Who Waits’ nose, and all he can smell is them. “And I ask,” they reply, their smile growing, “is that I can continue praising my god’s bea-”

“Lamb-” The One Who Waits interrupts, and it comes out soft. Something warm curls in his chest, around his unbeating heart.

“What shall become of me, if I don’t stop talking?” the Lamb asks in a whisper. 

A purr threatens to rip itself from the god’s chest.

“I’ll send you back to your followers,” The One Who Waits replies.

The threat is empty, and both of them know it.

-------------------------------------

“Was Kallamar your elder or younger brother?”

“Elder.”

“And Heket was younger. Does that mean you were the middle sibling?”

“Yes, I was in the middle. Two came before, and two after.”

“May I ask what it was like, having siblings?”

“I assure you, Vessel, my experience with siblinghood is most definitely different from the norm.”

“I rephrase: May I ask what it was like for you, having siblings? May I know more of my god’s past?”

“Draw close, Lamb, and I shall tell you.”

-------------------------------------

“Shamura spoke to me.” 

The One Who Waits flicks his ear, half because of hearing his sibling’s name on his lamb's tongue, half because they sound nervous.

The Lamb continues speaking. “They told me something. A name.”

The god freezes. He stills so suddenly, not even his chains clink. It's silent.

He knows what name Shamura had spoken. He wasn't watching the Lamb during their crusade, but he knows.

He remembers, faintly, his name uttered in vain, in fear and disgust. In hatred, or indifference.

“Were they telling the truth?” the Lamb asks. “Is your name Narinder?”

Reverence. How long ago did someone last say his name with such reverence?

“It is,” he replies, and he pretends his voice doesn’t tremble at the end.

“Can I call you that?”

The answer comes at once, without thought or hesitation, “Yes.”

“Much easier to say than your title,” the Lamb smiles a little, “right, Narinder?”

His own purr surprises him, and he watches as the Lamb’s smile grows into something soft, something fond.

Off to the side, Baal and Aym shoot their master a strange look.

-------------------------------------

“What do you plan to do, once you’re free?”

“I don’t know.”

“You’ve been trapped for almost a millennium, Narinder, surely you’ve thought of something?”

“I’ve had ideas in the past, but they’ve changed. Now, I’m unsure.”

“I can help you think of something, if you want.”

-------------------------------------

Narinder, The One Who Waits, has dreamed of freedom for centuries. All he’s wished for, as time passed in his eternal prison, is that he could be set free.

The Lamb’s arrival to him, covered in chains and looking ragged, had filled him with ecstatic bloodlust.

They were it, his key. With them as his final sacrifice, he’d be free.

That thought would keep him gleeful, a comfort. With their death, he’ll find his freedom.

But something changed.

Now, the thought fills him with dread.

With their death, he’ll be free.

For the first time since he was shackled, his dreams aren’t filled with revenge, with tearing himself free and escaping.

For the first time, he becomes weary of his own domain.

He doesn’t want the Lamb to die.

He doesn’t want the Lamb to die to free him.

He wants them alive. He wants them to stay, sleeping against his claw and chest, saying his name, peering under his veil.

He doesn’t want the Lamb to die.

Which is why, when they bow to him, his crown in their hands, he cannot find the words he’s dreamed of saying for centuries, the words he’s supposed to say.

It’s why, fists clenching, he says, “No.”

Good afternoon, I woke up and chose violence today! More specifically, I decided today I would write short fragments of interaction between narinder and the lamb during their vessel years

also. lore :)

anyways if anyone's curious I listened to "Home" by Pinkshift while writing this

[sir-fluffbutts]

who's the person who introduced latte to smoking?? their design looks so cool i would like to know more good sir

I'VE BEEN WAITING TO ANSWER THIS QUESTION

------------

his name is mike, a wolf anthro and 4 years older then latte

basically he's....every edgy kids dream idol

he have a car, can ride a motercycle, vocalist in his own inde goth band , smokes and is a lone wolf but don't get bullied cause he's quite tall and is intimidating towerds non-friends

pretty much every emo/punk kid at the time knew him cause he was always there when they get together in outside groups and such events

he wasn't....bad to latte, they were actually mutualy friendly towerds eachother for years

he was just a horrible influence to him and muffin noticed it

[polliwoggers]

stuff

[fanged-cotl]

Lamb, do you prefer a normal sized Narinder or towering The One Who Waits version?

Note: Sorry for the art being semi-unfinished, it was taking a while and I got burnt out.

Lamb: "Well that's an interesting question. Let's see... when I knew Narinder as "The One Who Waits" he was massive of course, and intimidating. His voice was so loud and deep.. I could feel it at times.. and- well, you get it. I liked him."

"But... he was bitter, angry, and tired. He was scary in ways I didn't always like, and although he'd never admit it, I could tell he was in pain."

"I think his mortal body suits him better, given the circumstances..

Either way, he is still taller than me!"

[dissentersrising]

hmm

sornieth technology.

all dragon technology runs off magic. at the very base of it, all dragon technology is just automated spellcasting. you carve a spell into an object, feed it magic, and let it run. that’s it.

dragon technology can be further divided into two categories:

essentially, battery-fed technology is powered by another object charged with magic. magic-fed technology is powered by a draconic operator who channels their own magic into the appliance.

btw ignore the fact most of the examples on this post are of firearms, i just want to give the dragons a goddamn rifle sometimes.

the basic principle applies to all pieces of dragon technology. the main difference is what spell is being cast, whether it’s a Shoot A Motherfucker spell or a Refrigerate Yo Veggies spell or even a complex multifaceted knot of programmed magic for use in a computer’s processor.

this technology was originally developed because, well—

sometimes dragons want to cast magic outside their element. for example: all flights have a need for fire on demand. all flights have a need for refrigeration on demand. by automating these spells, all flights are able to have conveniences such as stoves. and fridges. etcetera.

this tech also lets dragons cast spells that are too complicated or tiring for them.

let’s not forget that this is still all magic. high level magic, sure, but magic is an innate part of any dragon, so with enough practice, particularly skilled dragons are able to replicate the spells used in firearms, for example:

but for the dragons without the skill (or maybe without the energy, too) to do such a thing— well, it’s still available to them, just with a little outside help.

dragons have also developed spells that straightup will kill the user (remember the gaolers’ ice storm?). by drawing power from a battery, instead, no one has to die and you can still have yourself a nice blizzard if you want.

this tech also led to the development of computers, which run on a web of spells that are just straight-up too complicated for a dragon to cast themselves. like, sure, you COULD run sornieth windows on yourself. but do you want to? it’d probably be running at zero processing power and even lower FPS. just get a laptop, man, it’s designed to cast all these spells for you

[opal-owl-flight]

wtf do you do when your dork of a partner crashes an important traditional clan festival and carries SUCH a presence that everyone in your family is wondering what the hell you did to get to know them and be THIS CLOSE

[theseerasures]

okay but i need y’all to realize that Little isn’t dead regardless of whether they ascend with Ruby

there’s no death in Ever After. even if they hadn’t gotten sucked in they would not have died unless the Jabberwalker eats them bc Ever After is the kingdom where nobody dies

[kadextra]

SO SO excited for new people to once again experience qommunication smp and be welcomed with warm open arms to the island found family, and then immediately be thrown into possible parenthood along with the terrifying horrors like everyone else <3

[pac1fythehunger]

ultrakill lore is pretty neat

[plezfection]

unpleasant!! why you so cat

ummh.... i dunno if id be able to get fully into it, honestly.. not in just one response, at least..

but, i guess i can explain a little bit.

so im a shapeshifter, yeah?

i can turn into lotsa things, i've had alot of forms over the years.

ive got quite a bit of history with a few of them.

the cat thing just kinda.. stuck, i dunno? i dont have any cat dna or whatever, its just the most comfortable ive had so far.

[no-less-than-a-god]

She’s been chained for days, strung along behind a fox. She doesn’t know where they’re going, who her captors are. All she knows is that she was taken as her village burned, and has been forced to walk since.

She’s hungry. Tired. Scared. She doesn’t know if she’ll live through this. She isn’t hopeful that she will.

The dog trips over her own bruised feet, but quickly rights herself before one of the robed heretics notice. She almost slams into the fox in front of her, but she’s lucky.

Behind her, a deer quietly speaks. “Are you okay?”

“Quiet!” a heretic suddenly yells, and the dog hears the sound of something dull hitting something solid, and a whimper.

She does her best to quell a whine of her own.

-------------------------------------

The dog is awoken from her light slumber by the sound of someone screaming for their life. Startling, she jerks her head around to either side of her, finding the fox and deer equally awake and nervous, but untouched.

The scream comes again, closer, and she can hear it beneath the voice: laughing heretics.

“NO!” the voice shrieks, and the dog hears branches snap beneath feet as two heretics return to the makeshift camp. The other three heretics rise as the bushes part, and the dog hears gasps.

From the gaps between hoods, dimly lit from the campfire in front of her, the dog sees a body squirming in the arms of a heretic, chained and slung over their shoulder. She can’t tell who or what they are, or why the heretics seem so excited.

“Finally,” one of them speaks giddily. “Where were you hiding, huh? We’ve been looking for you.”

“UNHAND ME!” the stranger screams, and a leg flies out, kicking their captor in the hooded face. They stumble back a step before finding their footing again, and suddenly, the stranger is being thrown into the dirt, an audible cry being wretched out of them.

“Try that again and you will regret it,” the heretic warns, knife drawn, and the camp falls silent, save for the sound of the stranger’s panting.

The heretic straightens, and gestures to the three comrades in front of them. “Lock them up in the front. We’ll continue at once.”

The new victim is picked up by a single heretic, and the dog catches a glimpse of a dirty white as they’re dragged. They’re surrounded by heretics as they’re pulled and prodded towards the other captured victims, and the sound of chains being moved almost covers the sound of sobbing.

After a minute of rustling, the heretics finally move away, and the dog can finally get a look at the stranger.

Her eyes go wide at what she sees in front of her. Behind her, the deer gasps.

It’s a lamb.

The dog thought there was none left. But in front of her, chained and sobbing, is a lamb.

-------------------------------------

They don’t speak, after being threatened. For the three days they walk nonstop, they don’t say a word; they just look on, eyes glazed over the mouth set straight. Nothing.

Not until they get to the Bishops.

The dog starts trembling in terror the moment she sees them, gathered together along the wall of the damaged temple the four of them were dragged into, filled with watching heretics. It’s one thing to know of the gods, but to see them? Dread strikes the dog, and she can’t help the fearful whine that escapes her.

She watches, terrified, as the lamb is unshackled from the rest of them, and brought to the middle of the temple. There, amidst dark red engravings along the floor, is a chopping block, and a large beast with an axe just as big.

They’re pushed, and they fall upon the block. Silently, they look up, and four gods stare back.

“Before us,” Bishop Heket begins, “stands the last of its kind. All others we have hunted down and put to the blade.”

“No!” the last lamb cries out in anguish, and the dog’s heart drops. The last lamb lays before her, destined to die.

“With this final sacrifice,” Bishop Leshy follows his sister, “the prophecy will be impossible to fulfill."

What prophecy, the dog wants to scream. Is that why the lambs were put to death?

“The heretic who lies bound below,” Bishop Kallamar adds, “will be condemned to eternal captivity."

“And the Old Faith shall be preserved." Bishop Shamura is the last to speak, and the lamb starts to shake, shoulders heaving. The dog can’t see their face anymore, but they know they’re crying.

The large beast raises his axe high into the air, and steadies it. 

The lamb still looks upon the Bishops as an audible cry escapes them.

The axe comes down, and the dog watches numbly as it cuts through flesh, decapitating the last lamb. Their head falls with a sickening thump, and the dog feels tears welling in her eyes.

The last one, she thinks, they just killed the last one.

Something black captures the dog’s gaze, and she looks to see the Bishops curtained by an inky, moving substance. When it falls to the stone floor, she’s surprised to see they’re no longer there.

“Brutus,” a heretic calls, and the large beast turns, blood dripping from his axe. “Slay these other three. We shall feast on their remains.”

“No!” the deer wails. “Spare us!”

The fox shakes his head, and backs up, tripping into both the dog and deer behind him. Together, the three fall to the floor, cowering in terror as the beast slowly approaches them, axe dragging along the stone with a grating noise.

The beast draws close, and slowly raises his axe.

Behind him, movement begins.

A body raises itself, shackles around its bounded wrists dropping loudly. All eyes turn to the middle of the room, as a head reattaches itself to its body, sinew and muscle knitting together. 

Red and black encircle the healing neck, and a collar forms around it. A bell jingles in the air.

The lamb, alive, turns as something red falls behind their back. In one of their hands is a dagger, a red eye seated in the blade. Their eyes are bleeding red.

The lamb, who should be dead, screams. It’s not the scream the dog remembers hearing the night the heretics found them, no; this scream is angry, and has something eldritch in it.

It’s carnage. The lamb kills them all in less than a minute, the wounds they gain healing immediately. They don’t falter once, don’t pause a single time.

Even the executioner falls with a single blow, hitting the floor unmoving. The lamb only steps over the body, and stands before the shackled, trembling victims.

They blink. The blood in their eyes slowly stops, and the whites of their eyes return. They crouch down, and with one swipe of their dagger the fox is freed. Two more swipes, and the dog and deer are freed too.

They stand. The dagger melts into something black, and flies from the lamb’s grip. It arcs to above their head, and reforms into the shape of a black crown, a red eye blinking open to stare back at them.

The lamb, the last of their kind, holds out a hand to the three of them. “Let’s get out of here,” they say.

It’s the dog that takes their hand first.

something possessed me LSKHDGS anyways.. the Lamb's sacrifice from the pov of what became the first three followers

(Maybe.. I'll write another version of this from the Lamb's pov...)