#this is before the askblog takes place

[cog-go-boom]

Its pride month frost you know what that means....!

THANK YOU FOR THE SUGGESTION

( [[OOC:]] spamtoon is owned by @spamtoon !! )

(edit: also I know I forgot to fix HR's text and he says 's'. I write HR's text normally and I then need to do the switch later but I'm dyslexic so I don't notice or realize so please don't think idk how to write HR text </3 already insecure as is. i can't fix it anymore though oops! be nice)

[askdarknebby]

is their anybody you hate? And if so why

“While I won’t necessarily say that I hate them…. Marx and Magolor are definitely fit that bill”

“For Marx,he just gets on my nerves and can be super loud sometimes,Magolor is similar but he constantly wants to observe and study me because of my Dark Matter nature,like- that mage has no sense of privacy,plus he has some sort of beef towards Daroach”

“Luckily,I have only encountered them a few times before and hopefully I won’t have to talk to them again”

[rose-fall]

Sometimes I think about the fact that I have 3 separate blogs dedicated to Rose Fall (2 of which are currently inactive due to not being ready yet) and it makes my organization loving brain go wild lol

[ask-themagnificentsans]

* HEY THERE! YEAH, YOU. THE RULES ARE HERE TO BE READ. . . DON’T KEEP THEM WAITING!!

—

Take the time to read the following before submitting an ask:

By no means is NSFW allowed. Any inappropriate requests, submissions or requests will be deleted. This blog is made for all ages.

Blogs/askblogs that consist of, but are not limited to; AUs, OCs, other media and the like—are allowed to interact with Sans! But cannot dictate responses. No godmodding and no sexual advances allowed.

This Underswap is heavily based on Canonswap, fanon designs and ideas will likely not apply but this is still the Mods take on Underswap.

The askblog is not canon to Underswap nor is it affiliated with the creator of said AU.

The askblog is mainly for the Magnificent Sans, but you may also ask Papyrus questions as he lives under the same roof, and Chara, who frequents their home.

Anyone may use the art from this blog for profiles/icons/backgrounds as long as proper credit is given. (Most the art is illustrated by user @b0ne_m3al)

Underswap belongs to PopcornPr1nce

Please be respectful to the Mods of this blog.

(>>* Masterminds. (morons) )

—

F.A.Q.s

Is Sans aware of AUs and the Multiverse? Does he know Ink and is he part of the Star Sanses?

No, No, and ..No. Sans is only confined to what (little) he knows about the things going on in his AU… For now.

What characters are aware of RESETs and timelines?

The only individuals aware of RESETs are Chara, Temmie and Papyrus. But the former of the three does not recall those timelines.

Are the monsters still underground or are they on the surface?

Being as this blog takes place in a TRUE PACIFIST ending, they reside on the surface.

How old are the skeleton brothers?

Sans is 26, and Papyrus is 21.

How does Chara speak? And what pronouns does Chara use?

The human speaks whenever they feel like, most oftenly signs when communicating. (Selectively Mute.)

Oh, and the Human prefers Gender Neutral terms, their pronouns are They/Them. :)

Is Papyrus single?

* WELL, HE- [Papyrus covers Sans’ mouth.] * no.

[ooctlt]

I think the etiquette of ask blogs is a forgotten art. what I'm saying is (imo) it's not that people don't want to play, it is they don't know HOW, and more importantly they don't understand that the game exists to begin with. obviously you do not have to teach people the rules because your time and energy is finite but idk. it feels like from some of your OOC responses that you assume people know the rules and are playing badly, but I genuinely think people (me) just don't know what you are wanting them (us) to do. and also they (i) don't know how to tell if they (i) are playing the game correctly.

An example I am genuinely confused about is, is inciting a "shut up" answer a signal that the game is being played correctly, because we are inciting a reaction from the character? or is a "shut up" answer a signal that we are playing wrong and need to do something different? I'm sorry. I really love your art and seeing the story unfold but I'm confused and I want to play and I don't understand how.

yeah ive had a couple people tell me this has been the first active askblog in a while and the concept of askblog etiquette has been forgotten- @thatneoncrisis and i made a diagram:

link to full-res image

a "shut up" reaction will hopefully show whether or not it's a closed path of exploration: if you have gideon sweating, going "pshhh its nothinggg" it means there is something worth exploring. if you have harrow slamming the door in your face, that is an advance that wont work on her

transcript under the readmore:

DEAD END QUESTION ANON: CAMILLA DO YOU THINK HARROW'S HOT?

"Please stop talking to me."

This question is BAD because it's BLUNT, INCREDIBLY PERSONAL and founded on INCOMPLETE KNOWLEDGE of their relationship.

NOTE that its not that shitty questions will NEVER be answered, its that 1) they have a LOWER chance of being answered and 2) they have a HIGHER chance of being made fun of in character

gideon: haha who thinks harrow is HOT

DECENT INCONSEQUENTIAL QUESTION ANON: CAMILLA DO YOU LIKE TO DO ANYTHING FUN WITH HARROW?

"Sure. We run a lot of errands together."

This kind of question may not advance the plot, as it is INCREDIBLY BROAD yet NONINVASIVE. They're good for quick 1-3 panel answers. May generally be met with a less EXCITING answer.

It might also be DIFFICULT TO ANSWER because a broad question could include MULTIPLE ANSWERS - asking "do you guys go out" could not be answered SUSTAINABLY, because i cannot draw all the places they visit

ANON: EVERYONE, WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE CLOUD / WATER / MOLECULAR STRUCTURE / BONE / CAR / COFFEE BRAND/ BOOK CHARACTER?

me: "i have to do so much research"

NEAT QUESTION CAMILLA HAS HARROW EVER ASKED YOU TO DO SOMETHING WITH HER SHE WAS EXCITED ABOUT?

"Yes, actually. She once invited me to [REDACTED], I didn't know she liked that sort of thing."

This question is SICK AS FUCK because not only do you learn something SUBSTANTIAL about the characters, you have stumbled upon A NEW PLOT BRANCH, one that actively deepens character connections and their past within the world. It specifically remarks upon a MEMORY* rather than AN OPINION and will typically be LONGER.

Another good option is to PROMPT something following this:

ANON: CAMILLA, MAYBE YOU SHOULD TRY TAKING HARROW OUT TO DO [REDACTED] THAT SHE LIKES BEFORE XYZ?

and this can then spiral onward…

*DM, ONE TIME I ASKED ABOUT A MEMORY AND I GOT A RUDE ANSWER; WHAT DID I DO WRONG?

It's not that this topic can never be spoken about, it's about WHEN you asked it and HOW you said it, or even WHO you asked.

Some topics, like the nature of HARROW AND GIDEON'S UPBRINGING are too recent for them to talk about, it has only been TWO YEARS since they left and there are SPECIFICS about the situation that the AUDIENCE hasn't discovered yet. There are things like GIDEON'S PARENTS that she CANNOT answer because she DOESN'T KNOW and answering multiple asks with I DON'T KNOW becomes repetitive and dull for both the DM and PLAYER.

BUT! She can learn! Over time, when the time is appropriate and feels the most natural for STORY PROGESSION. Think of it like a BAD ENDING in a visual novel. You START OVER and ask a DIFFERENT QUESTION, or approach it from a DIFFERENT ANGLE. If Gideon reacts poorly to someone congratulating her leaving BAD CIRCUMSTANCES, consider talking to her about the FUTURE. Instead of trying to pry at Camilla to see if she had an INTIMATE RELATIONSHIP with Pyrrha, try to ask about other things in that period of her life, like how they met or what caused her to move out.

FINALLY, if you'd like an ask to be answered out of character, your best bet would be to goto @notedchampagne and send it there. If you'd like an ask to be answered SINCERELY or you don't want SNARK, you can specify this in the ask, but know this blog may not be your thing.

[nmoroder]

Hokland askblog post #1: will you trust your partner with your life?

Askblog tag: #nmoroder hokland ask Please see pinned blog post before asking questions!

began translating these lazily one by one, here's a start. the overall action takes place after the canon ending of LoR

[ask-vargas]

ASK BOX OPEN !!!

Please read this post before sending any asks!

Welcome to @disposal-blueeee and @cherry-207's Vargas askblog!! Ask anything you'd like but make sure to take a look at our rules first!

Be appropiate. Nothing NSFW please!!

Askblog mainly dedicated for Edgar and Scriabin, but you can ask questions to other characters (Todd, Johnny, Devi…). Also, specify which character the question you're going to ask is for!

No roleplay please! Do not ask for other characters to be added or take a role in the replies.

Please be patient. We will make our best efforts to keep this place alive, but we're also humans with lifes going on.

If you want an answer based on a chapter (also, before or after Scriabin gets his own body), please specify it in the ask!

[pkmoth]

THE ASK-A-PALOOZA HAS STARTED!!! [AUGUST 4th–31st]

Happy asking, and happy answering!!! Askers, make sure to read people's intros/FAQs before asking stuff, and participants, make sure to have fun and pace yourselves!! If you're an artist, make sure to take breaks and stretch regularly :]

Also, in case you missed it (because it was kind of spontaneous and recent), I will be reblogging all event related posts to @motherbound-askapalooza!! If you don't want me archiving your posts, just let me know!!

ALSO also, if you're not on the list but decide you want to participate, you can still join mid-event!! All are welcome :D

PARTICIPANTS:

(I tried summarizing your intros in 1-2 sentences, let me know if anything seems off!!)

FULL MONTH:

*@defector-commander [INTRO] - A canon divergent AU where Claus malfunctions two years into the timeskip and breaks free of his brainwashing, going into hiding inside the chimera lab.

*@askmagicantprince [INTRO] - Magicant!Ninten AU! Everything is perfect in Magicant :)

@pk-ghost [INTRO] - Ness and Lucas take a break from SSB to visit different worlds!

*@commandernachos (most weekends + fridays) [INTRO] - A Chimera Ness and Porky AU!

@turnaboutfromnowhere [INTRO] - A Mother 3 x Ace Attorney crossover AU, where askers take the role of Phoenix Wright in Claus's trial for the murder of "Mr. Pig".

*@jefferson-earthbound [INTRO] - A Jeff RP account!

*@stearix-ask-magikin [INTRO] - An AU where Lucas is raised by Locria after Hinawa goes missing and Flint spends all his time trying to find her.

@kerushi-lemonz [INTRO] - Their Reliving the 80s AU! Tatsuro (Ness) and his friends are having strange dreams where they have different identities (their mother series counterparts).

@nucas-roof [INTRO] - Ness, Lucas, and the OMINOUS HOLE IN THE CEILING?!

@askfuelcas [INTRO] - Lucas and Fuel, featuring Claus as well!

*@ask-commander-arild [INTRO] - Post-Mother 3, the pigmask army is repurposed by Claus in he name of peace. Arild, a former captain of the old army, is now the commander of the new army.

@ghostbox99 [INTRO] - Porky wakes up in an abandoned city one day, with only an old computer (and you, the askers) to keep him company.

*@theworldreturning [INTRO] - A post-Mother 3 AU, where the new world takes place in an alternate post-Mother 2 universe (with the inclusion of the Nowhere Islands).

@quirkyearthboundinspireddinner [INTRO] - The protagonist of eggnogisdead's comic! Ten years after the events of Earthbound, Giegue's planet wages war against earth.

@butacyanide [INTRO] -The Earthbound characters!

*@daily-dose-of-lucas [INTRO TBA] - Ask Lucas!

NOT FULL MONTH (in order of week(s) participating):

@misticfog (week 1) [INTRO] - Li'l Miss Marshmallow!

@tonys-room (weeks 1-2) [INTRO] - Mostly canon compliant, except Tony has PSI and the ability to see through the fourth wall.

@twothpaste (weeks 1-2) [INTRO] - Their Intermission AU! A modern AU of the Earthbound/Mother 3 casts in college, dealing with real-world problems (and, of course, playing D&D).

*@judgment-days (weeks 1-2) [INTRO] - Corruption AU trio! King Lucas and a severely mushroomized Ness are brought in by Giygas and Cosmic Commander Ninten for questioning.

*@kellanzy (weeks 2-3) [INTRO] - Lovebound AU: a post-Mother 3 AU where all the protagonists (and Giegue) meet in the newly made world.

@projectc-114 (weeks 2-3) [INTRO] - Takes place after Claus is kidnapped and brainwashed, but before he becomes the commander. The scientists at the lab call him C-114.

*@pkmoth (weeks 2-4) [INTRO] - Swap AU Claus and Lucas in Smash Mansion! (intro TBA)

*@tanejineri (week 4) [INTRO] - An AU Claus called Commander Samuel!

PRE-EXISTING ASKBLOGS JOINING:

*@plutothenotdwarfplanet [INTRO] - A gieeg OC!

*@masterporky [INTRO] - A Pokey/Porky Minch RP blog!

*@ask-the-fever-four [INTRO] - Mayhem AU!

*@ask-clausten [INTRO] - Clausten! >:D

*up for rp

[ask-ganondorf]

Ask Ganondorf!: The "About Page"

[[Welcome to "Ask Ganondorf", a Legend of Zelda-themed askblog formerly exclusive to Cohost! This is the post where I do a little promoting and explain a few things. This is the mod speaking; I hope you enjoy your visit here, and don't forget to leave a message before you go~!]]

[[Continue below the cut for more information...]]

[[This is an old-fashioned character askblog, the kind that was popular on here about a decade ago. Want to ask Ganondorf something? Go right ahead! You don't even need to be a LoZ fan. An askblog lives and dies by audience interaction, so when in doubt... just send whatever ask you want! Don't be scared of the idea that someone else may have already asked what's on your mind, anonymous asks are enabled in case you're feeling shy or private. I don't mind "spam like"s, comments, or reblogs, either. You can ask the mod (me) things as well if you really want! Lore, clarifications, headcanons, boundaries... though some things may be left vague until the point where you can get the information out of Ganondorf himself, heheh...]]

[[This askblog is migrating from Cohost because of Cohost shutting down at the end of 2024. I never got much following there, but Cohost's more lax content/artwork guidelines shall be sorely missed. I am going to gradually cross-post what asks I did manage to answer on the original Cohost edition; I shall also try and go through the unanswered asks I have left over in the Cohost inbox and answer them here, in kindness and sadness...]]

[[The desktop theme of this blog is currently under heavy construction. Be patient, an evil king's castle can't be built overnight~!]]

[[The "timeline" and exact time this blog takes place in is intentionally left vague, but is very much Ocarina of Time-inspired at least in terms of aesthetics. This may change as the blog evolves and builds more interactions. It's also quite headcanon-heavy (as it must be, since Ganondorf gets so little deeper exploration in canon...), so prepare for lots of fun with that! I'm also open to old RP/ask blog community staples such as magic anons, special events, prompts, themed starters, etc... Again, don't be too afraid to try sending messages yourself! One last thing to bear in mind, however...]]

[[I am NOT the character featured on this blog. Views expressed in-character are not necessarily shared or intended to be promotion.]]

[[Some content on this blog may become "dark" given the villainous focus. This askblog is not recommended for children and certain posts may be marked 18+. Please discern fiction from reality and avoid assuming malicious or dangerous authorial intent. Message me directly if you require clarification, triggers tagged, or content warnings applied.]]

[[All that said, have fun! This post may expand in the future to something like a FAQ, and will remain pinned until I create proper subpages.]]

[[As for all that you really need to know about me, the moderator, personally...]]

[hdra77]

Ok since this blog is kinda getting alot of attention i'll just make a pinned post about a little bit of myself

---- interested in commissioning me? my art commission page can be found here! i accept payment through ko-fi or paypal! feel free to dm to inquire or if you have questions! :D

!! DISCLAIMER !!

Btw please read this before following my blog!! There would be gore,body horror,dark themes and even some suggestive themes Sometimes but overall i do not post any explicit nsfw here !! (they can be filtered through tags but just putting this here as a heads up)

tags are usually: #cw body horror, #tw body horror #cw gore, #tw gore, #cw suggestive, #tw suggestive

Heyy! i'm Soren!

He/Him

You can call me zarou or dra

I am bilingual but im more comfortable speaking in english (still bad at it actually)

i really like cybercore,webcore,warcore aesthetic it may not look like it right now but expect a whole bunch of techcore designs soon

Oh and i am also a huge fan of astronomy,space and all of that sort. Along with post apocalyptic settings,body horror elements and eldritch beings.

Using my art as PFPs/Banners is okay! As long as you give proper credit! But reuploading my works without my permission or claiming them as your own is NOT okay. I will find you and i will hunt you down and turn you into a helpless flopping fish gasping for air.

Inspirations is ok too!! But please do not directly copy from the original work.

Commissions: open

Art trades: friends/mutuals only

my DNI are basically the general DNI: proshippers,homophobes,etc. you know, the general

my interest varies but i currently hyperfixtate on these fandoms so far:

Rainworld

Nine Sols

Marikinonline4

Animator vs Animation/Animation vs Minecraft

Warrior cats

My dms here are also open so feel free to send me a message! (No weird dms or you get instant block)

Im busy and i dont check discord as frequently but i would be happy to talk to you! I would also be glad to make friends im not intimidating i promise i dont bite totally-

My ask box are always open! Ask me anything basically, my aus, ocs, pretty much anything. You can also send some requests but they will take a gajillion years to finish but i promise ill get them done soon!

My socials:

Twitter - HINDRANCE77 (!! page contains some suggestive themes !!)

Youtube - HINDRANCE77

Tumblr - hdra77 (you are literally here right now)

Ko-fi - HINDRANCE77

My tags:

#hdra7shitposts - yes, shitposts

#fishdoesart - all my art comes here

#fishdoesdoodles - random doodles and some occasional shitposting, mostly on ms paint

#fishdoesrequests - all my art requests comes here, so far this is where you find my ship requests (still open for now btw)

#wips - wips

#fishbites.txt - ramblings

#othersart - gifts/fanarts! Sometimes some reblogs

#asks - all of my responses comes here

My other blogs:

@nyaworld-askblog - for the nyaworld au! this blog is story driven but asks for specific characters are always welcome!

@fallowclans-unruly-demise - for a warrior cats clangen blog, still stuck in hiatus void

My Rainworld AU tags:

#rw voided au - simple AU about iterators called voideds who drains void fluids out of other iterators, theres also some rot infection going on too

#rw disarray au/SYSTEM FAILURE - a virus in Lttm's code had created a fatal error in her system which caused her to slowly spiral into insanity as she would slowly loosen her grip onto reality, claiming that she had found the solution to their problem..but was it really the answer all along?

#rw nyaworld au - joke au about the entire rainworld cast taking place in the 2000's this one is purely just for nostalgia purposes

#into the sigverse - technically considered an au. this is just a silly little askblog about different versions of NSH interacting because for some reason they can now magically interact with different alternate universe versions of themselves. ocs being used to interact is allowed to!! anyone can use this tag however they please you don't have to send me asks to be a part of the sigverse

My Rainworld Oc tags:

#Sector7c - official oc local group tag!

#7c dystopian arbitrary

#7c golden life

#rw ocs

#ocs

-- still WIP --

[ask-the-totally-real-peppino]

Looks at Pep's profile on toyhouse:

Oooh, interesting stuff here! Also lots of sadness in the links! More thoughts below:

<"–and even being rescued himself in a few situations.">

<"- he and Porto helped me home when I was struggling to move, let alone keeping my form together -">

<"Porto, and Bello, found me when I wasn't in the best place, and very vulnerable">

My first thought was imagining Pep in 'Sopping Wet Creature' form being in either Porto or Bello's arms, but it's more likely him having a panic attack and both of them helping him get home.

<"but I realised what they needed, and I gave it to them - I still have that scar... I didn't even know I could get new scars...">

Wait, what do you mean new scars? And hmmm, clones don't really have blood (at least not like regular blood), but given what we currently know (or at least theorize) about Pep, perhaps he was the only one that could've helped Mirtillo.

(On a related note: Mirtillo being purple and considered to be Pep's baby. And a certain picture with a baby wearing purple. I'm not saying they're the same, just that maybe there's some subconscious connections here. Maybe the loss hits harder because he has lost his child before. It's twice now that he was taken away from his family.)

Also the dramatic irony of having an idea of what exactly happened to his family hurts! And every single one of Pep's links being one-sided thoughts! I'm over here making myself sadder theorizing that the last parts of each one are the exact thoughts he had while searching for them! That even though he was able to see the world outside the tower, he couldn't fully enjoy that freedom because in the back of his mind he's thinking that he failed them, that he was too weak and couldn't protect them–

He hopes that maybe, just maybe, he could find them. To be able to hug them again, hold them all in his arms and never let go. He would never ever lose them again.

Okay, I'm done for now.

On happier thoughts, Happy 1 year to this askblog! (It's March 1st where I am) Thank you for sharing this story with us! We appreciate all the love and care you bring with your designs and writing.

Always remember to take your time and have fun with it! Take care of yourself, Bean.

(Shy Theorist)

(AUGH, Shy Theorist Anon, must you sucker punch me right in the heart on this joyous occasion!!! (silly/lighthearted)

But you bring up various points! And I will provide context for others where applicable, like right now;

[Pep's updated reference on toyhou.se] and the [links where he shares his thoughts on his fambily members]

First point about [Porto] and [Bello] rescuing Pep I actually hope to touch on soon! Well, 'soon' as in 'within the next few story posts' - when they will actually be up is yet to be determined jfgksgd - but you're not too far off hehe

Second point about Pep getting a new scar - this is a little confusing since I don't draw scars in my cartoony style (for some reason that I do not remember) - unless it's like [Halloumi's] missing eye scar, which is just a big 'X' - but a lot of the characters do have visible scarring!

We just gotta hit them with the unsilly beam, like this;

And there they are! Although Pep's 'scars' are just markings to mimic Peppino's scars - except for one - while clones do not typically scar due to their healing/regeneration factor, it is possible

[Mirtillo] and [the baby in that 'certain' picture] both being purple babies might be intentional, or it might be bc I have a bias for purple, I'll never tell - but I do confirm they are not the same being, since Mirtillo has been depicted as a newborn clone (the 'gummy bear' stage) and clones made out of human cadavers do not have this stage

And yes!!! Pep doesn't know what happened to any of them, and he misses them all so much!!!

But they just might be closer than he thinks...

... Any way, thank you so much! Your kind words really mean a lot to me, and I always love hearing your thoughts and theories - even if I am a coy bastard about them sometimes, fkgfksdf

I know I keep saying that hopefully we get back to it, and I really mean it, but it in the meantime I just do what I can, and drop a few crumbs now and then hehe)

[nyaworld-askblog]

you are Enot's voice. your role is to control and shift the events of their story. just what kind of journey awaits for this strange slugcat trapped in a colorful world where nothing makes any sense? will they ever find a way out or will they be trapped here... forever? The choice is yours. reader. their fate is in your hands.

----- current character that is currently available for asks:

more info about the AU under the cut!

------ WELCOME TO MY DOMAIN !! this is the official nyaworld au askblog made by yours truly @hdra77 !! incase you are unaware about this AU. nyaworld AU is originally a joke au where everyone and everything takes into the 2000's like aesthetic. pretty much diving back into the nostalgia! but now ive decided to spice things up a bit and went 'hmmm why not add something cool?' then boom this exists! this isn't just an ordinary ask blog as you can see! this blog is a story-driven format! which means you are able to interact with Enot in the comics! give them choices!leave comments and make them insane!!suggest something!or heck, go wild!! so yes, you that's right you have the power to decide just where the story would go! and just a quick note, ask box will be closed when queue is full and once the next page is on the works heres a couple of rules to follow before hopping in: 1)obviously dont ask anything nsfw in the inbox. 2) i have the right to remove your asks if it makes me uncomfortable 3)you can ask pretty much anything as long as it is related 4)not sure how to describe or explain this properly but when i mean by 'control the story' i dont mean giving enot/anyone any objects or help them physically 5)you cannot ask a character that hasn't taken an appearance in the story. the image below shows which character(s) are available 6) also please specify if your question is outside the storyline or not!! i really dont want to keep guessing and get them wrong, this goes for specifying a specific character! ill be updating the rules overtime! now for the tags: #asksforthecast - this is for the asks that are unrelated to the current storyline #nyaworldstory - the comic where the main storyline takes place #oocasks - asks for the author(me running this blog!) #nyaworldaufanart - <3<3<3<3<3 #meetthecast - basic introduction of the characters that currently took their first appearance in the story ! #loredumps - if i ever have the motivation i would spew out random and small lore bits!

[rollfordexterity]

wrote a statement fic in transcript format that takes place in The Entwined Archives, a tma au that myself and the wonderful @simcardiac-arrested came up with! the characters featured are their ocs and can be found on the askblog @dj-wayback. this au obviously is not canon compliant to the original askblog (and no, it's not really canon compliant to tma either, but there are a few minor spoilers). big spoilers for cream's askblog though. fic is under the cut, trigger warnings are listed below

List of content warnings: abuse, graphic animal abuse, animal experimentation, dehumanisation, unethical science, overworking and burnout, hallucinations, dissociation, migraines, shock (medical), burning, descriptions of death by immolation, toxic workplace environment, canon-typical Buried and Desolation content, slightly implied cannibalism (kinda), emetophobia, suffocation, gore, blood, memory loss

Stress Testing

INT. NEEDLESS SEPARATION’S SMALL FLAT - NIGHT, RAINING (TAPE RECORDER)

NEEDLESS SEPARATION

(slightly frantic, almost whispered) …Is this working? Good. I need to - I just - I have to record this somehow. I need to be sure of this. There’s something wrong, it’s all missing, I am all missing, and if I do not say this now it might go missing too. I don’t know what happened but it’s all gone.

[BEAT. THEY TAKE A MOMENT TO COMPOSE THEMSELF.]

I… my apologies. These are not the ramblings of a drunkard or a child with an overactive imagination, I swear it. My memory of these events is lacking, I will admit, but I know that something happened, even if I cannot prove it. I was perfectly healthy before, I would not just hallucinate this, no matter what the doctors may believe.

I should start at the beginning. This started… up to six months ago, I believe. Possibly longer. My sense of time is quite distorted now. At the time, I was fresh out of school, having just completed my Masters in Theoretical Physics. It was a competitive field, but I did eventually manage to find a position as a research assistant with the company Transcendent Life Labs. The job description was a little vague, but I applied anyway, and after an unexpectedly short interview process I was hired. It was mostly the standard interview fare, about work ethic and prioritisation, strengths and weaknesses, et cetera, but there were a number of more personal questions. Asking about my social life, my hobbies, that sort of thing. It did strike me as a little odd, but some workplaces do have a more casual atmosphere.

The supervisor I was assigned to was an accomplished scientist named Finite Waves. My position as their assistant meant that I worked directly with them at an isolated research facility for some time. There was barely anything for miles around and no roads, so I had to stay at the facility in a small room. I had few personal effects, but I did not mind so much given that I did not spend much time there anyway. As we were located quite far out, the lab’s surroundings were surprisingly untouched by people and I faintly recall thinking it was quite beautiful. The other researchers were generally affable, though I rarely interacted with them. Admittedly, the cafeteria food was... lacking, and usually a little burnt, but it was altogether not an unpleasant environment at first.

Finite Waves’ research was about critical phenomena in natural sciences. Critical points are a concept originally from thermodynamics: the point at which a liquid and a vapour can coexist. If you increase the pressure, the equilibrium is broken and the vapour will condense to a liquid. A simple comparison might be that friction can build up at a tectonic fault until it has to give, resulting in earthquakes. There is an idea in criticality that the brain might operate in a similar way in order to make itself more sensitive to certain inputs and stimuli, but prevents itself from completely reaching the critical point. Finite Waves wanted to study how the brain might be pushed past that critical point, how a complete and irreversible change might be induced.

Admittedly, this was not my area of expertise: I am a specialist in quantum mechanics and when I accepted the job offer I had assumed I would be assigned to a department where they were actually doing that. I certainly wasn’t expecting neuroscience. Then again, I do not recall my interviewer actually asking what I had studied. Nor can I remember, well, anything else about them. At the time, I simply accepted that I was lucky to have found a job, and that I should treat this as a learning experience. So in the weeks before my employment was due to begin, I read everything I could find on the subject. I was quite tired by the end, but I concluded that I had a reasonable base of knowledge and if I was missing something I could find out more later.

It turned out to be gruelling, tedious work, but I have always been an efficient researcher and in the beginning I even completed some tasks with time to spare. I used to carry a small sketchbook with me, an old, battered thing I’d used so much that one half of the cover was practically hanging off it, so once my work was finished I would take a break and spend some time drawing. At the time, I reasoned that this was perfectly acceptable — there was no work left, so it would not matter if I was doing this during my lab hours. It helped to alleviate some of the stress of the job, in any case. Finite Waves walked in while I was drawing once, and although he did not reprimand me for it, the look of disapproval he gave me was enough that I was sure to keep the sketchbook in my desk when I was not using it and I became more wary about listening for their footsteps when I was on a break.

However, as the… weeks? Months? As I said, I cannot remember how long I was there — as time passed, Finite Waves increased my workload, and I found that I had far less time for breaks. I started staying in the labs after hours, writing report after report. I was also assigned various tests to run, but they were exceedingly strange. Essentially, I was performing materials testing, looking for the aforementioned critical point at which various items were supposed to “change”. The methodology was somewhat unique, however.

To begin with, I could not understand why I was being given materials like the toys and shelters from the animal specimens’ pens, and it seemed like a waste since the tests I was being asked to run usually damaged or destroyed them. It always felt like I was killing them when that happened, though I could not explain why. They were just objects. Half of the equipment I was using looked like it would be better suited to an abattoir and the other half involved using natural materials to test factors like environmental degradation. On one memorable occasion, I had a small tub of swirling molten golden fluid that completely dissolved the chewed wicker toy I was testing. Finite Waves was in high spirits that day.

It was also unclear what results I was meant to be looking for — I am certain there was a reason for it, but perhaps I have forgotten it.

Finite Waves seemed quite certain about it though. I wondered if the methodology had been approved by an ethics board, especially given the… ah, conditions of the animals. While I was not testing anything on them directly, their health often worsened significantly with the removal of such items and they were not kept together despite being a social species. Many did not even have bedding in their cages. Their keeping and observation was not part of my responsibilities; Finite Waves observed them instead and I believe he was running some other tests that I was not involved in, but I know the creatures were pushed completely to the edge of stability. I certainly noticed symptoms such as fur loss, lack of appetite and sudden bouts of aggression on the few occasions that I had to enter the containment room.

As the project wore on, Finite Waves seemed more on edge, and I will admit his behaviour was disconcerting. Sometimes I would see him performing a dissection on one of those unfortunate specimens after hours, usually a rabbit. He always seemed… slow. Methodical and drawn out, in the way that one might savour a delicious meal. I never saw him smile, but I got the sense that he relished it nonetheless. No one else seemed particularly perturbed by this, so I chose to ignore it for the time being. You meet plenty of eccentrics in this field after all, and while it was a little sickening at times I could hardly ask him about it. Not when I felt as if when he looked at me, he was simply performing another dissection.

The work was exhausting. I did question it at times; what I was doing had moved far beyond the scope of the simple theoretical physics research I had expected, and likely had little to do with proper neuroscience as well. Finite Waves tended to keep me too busy to think about it much, though. I have never been one to shy away from work, but it was far more than I had ever had to do, even during my degree. Soon, I began losing track of time. I would begin a report at two, and come to my senses well into the night with no idea how long I had been sitting there and a splitting migraine that felt as if my head would melt from the pain. More than once, I forgot what day it was, and simply kept going through the motions in a fugue state with black spots at the edges of my vision. Other times, I would bury myself in work with feverish dedication, only to finally finish a report and instantly be overcome with a wave of burning pain. On the rare occasion that I ventured to the cafeteria, I found that everything I ate was bitter and chalky, more ash than food. Curiously, there never seemed to be anyone in there. I assumed it was simply that my hours were odd, and I could hardly focus on the minutiae like that. My mouth was always dry and I could barely stand. The few nights I spent in bed were sleepless, as I spent the entire time curled up with a fan activated to try and cool my searing skin and head. Working could usually distract me from it, though, or at least I felt that it was better to be in pain and doing something rather than sitting around in agony and accomplishing nothing, so I resorted to staying hunched over stacks of meaningless paperwork. My sketchbook went all but forgotten in the drawer of my desk.

I do not know how long this continued. The calendars in the facility blurred into the background until eventually they were gone altogether. Clocks seemed to melt when I looked at them, although this was likely because of the exhaustion impairing my vision and the blistering sensation behind my eyes. My senses constantly rebelled against me; every light was near-blinding, every footstep sounded like a scream. I went days without seeing anyone except for Finite Waves. Longer, maybe. It often felt as if the facility was entirely empty.

Eventually, this came to a head. The irony that I recall this part fairly well is not lost on me. It was one of the few brief moments of clarity I had. I think I could tell that something was off that night.

It was long past dark, so myself and Finite Waves were the only ones still in the main facility. For once, he had requested that I be present for one of his experiments. Although I’m sure I had worked there for some considerable time, it was highly unusual that I was there for any of his testing when it came to the animals themselves. When I entered the laboratory, I immediately noticed the bizarre setup. There was a rabbit with a couple of nodes attached to its head locked in a cage on the central table, frantically trying to dig. It looked at me for a moment, wide-eyed and piercing. Like it knew me. It was so emaciated I barely recognised it as an animal at first, all shivering skin and bones and eyes.

I wanted to run. I should have run. But Finite Waves stared at me and I felt rooted to the spot.

As I approached the table, the rabbit began digging again. Just digging. It scrabbled at the surface of the table as if it could claw its way through the steel, its mangled paws covered in oozing scabs and sores that had clearly been reopened. How long had it been digging? With a growing feeling of pressure behind my eyes and a little sick to my stomach, I watched as Finite Waves activated what looked like an elaborate heating element on the desk, emitting an oppressive warmth which worsened my now-pulsing headache. The pressure was starting to feel crushing — and then I looked back to the rabbit. It kept digging, no longer just frantic but frenzied. The steel table was heating up, causing its paws to blister and bleed, but it just wouldn’t stop digging. Finite Waves seemed indifferent to its struggle, motioning for me to start writing down whatever result he seemed to be getting from this torture. I complied.

I wrote it all down. I noted how the welts on the rabbit’s skin began to tear and ooze dark liquid that evaporated the second it hit the table, how the melting flesh pulled back to reveal a ribcage cracking under the strain of the quickly-mounting pressure that now descended over the room, how it heaved on the bloodstained soil that spilled from its mouth, how it just kept digging -

[THEY BREAK OFF WITH A GASP, TAKING A MOMENT TO SHAKE THE INCREASINGLY FRANTIC TONE.]

- how, when it finally collapsed with a horrible shriek, golden flowers bloomed from the grave that it dug itself and burst into flame from the scorching heat.

The lab was still. The heat and pressure did not abate, but for a second I hoped that it was over. It seemed so fragile, lying there on the table, still blistering and bleeding. The stench of burnt flesh and fur was overwhelming, and the intense heat emanating from the carcass only made my head feel like it was going to split open. I tried to speak, to scream, maybe, but no sound passed my lips. When I glanced towards Finite Waves, though, they looked furious. Trying to keep my composure, I turned back to face them properly, but I am sure they saw through it. The way they looked at me… it was like I was the one lying burned and broken on the steel slab.

They started to march around the room, rifling through desks — looking for something to salvage the experiment, I assumed, although I did not know what. I stayed in the middle of the room watching them. I am not certain what I was expecting to happen, but something deep within me wanted to bolt. Except for the sound of their footsteps on the tiled floor and the quiet crackle of the still-burning corpse, it was agonisingly quiet. Finally, they brandished a small, tattered book from a drawer. It took me far too long to realise what precisely they were holding, but before I could register the dread of seeing them clutching my sketchbook, it was far too late to do anything about it. They stalked back to the central table, and I could only stare in horror and confusion as they set it alight.

It felt like time itself was melting. I was stuck in that moment for ages, watching years of progress go up in flames. As he held my sketchbook in the fire, I saw the pages begin to bubble and blister — I barely understood it at the time, but I am now certain that the dark liquid that dripped from it was blood. I think I heard screaming. Perhaps it was mine, or the book itself. Watching the flames lick the sides of my sketchbook as the pages curled and writhed like tearing skin, I felt the ache behind my eyes become sharper, stabbing until it was scorching, incinerating every neuron and synapse and leaving nothing in its wake.

I cannot possibly convey the pain I felt with mere words. There are dozens of articles online on what happens to you when you burn, reporting every gory detail with morbid fascination, basking in the horror of how the capillaries burst, how the fat melts and how the muscles contract. I read every single one I could find. None of them felt like what happened to me. None of them could grasp how it feels for your brain to cook inside your skull.

I passed out, I think. When I came to, I was lying on the floor. A person whose name I regrettably no longer remember had put me into a safer position — I had gone into shock, apparently. They had been trying to call an ambulance. As it turns out, it is quite difficult for emergency services to reach a lab in the middle of nowhere. I don’t believe they were a coworker of mine; the Hawaiian shirt was hardly appropriate lab attire, but I am grateful for their presence nonetheless. Even if I did initially mistake them for Finite Waves in my confusion. Eventually, an Air Ambulance arrived and I was taken to hospital. My case completely baffled the doctors, as I was uninjured and they could not identify why I went into shock. Eventually, they concluded that I must have been severely dehydrated and gone into hypovolemic shock as a result, that I had just hallucinated all of… that.

I had to stay in hospital for several weeks to recover, but I did return to the research facility to collect my things and resign. Finite Waves was completely absent, and according to sign-in records, had not come in on the day of this incident, nor any day after that. No one recognised my description of the person who called the ambulance either. Aside from my own testimony, there was little to suggest anything had actually happened, save for the charred remains of my sketchbook unceremoniously tossed in a waste paper basket, covered in some dark, dried substance that seemed to have leaked from between the mutilated pages. I tried not to think about it too much.

I cannot shake the feeling that I should have felt more grief in that moment. I had spent a great deal of time perfecting my art, learning how to express rather than merely copy what I saw. And yet it was as if I had never seen it before in my life. I could remember nothing about the drawings within, or how I had done them. My sketchbook was unrecognisable, and all I felt was… empty. As if the very concept of art had burned to ash within me, and taken a part of me with it.

I left rather quickly after that.

Getting back on my feet has been challenging. A number of my possessions seem to be missing, including my phone and laptop, and it is not as if I have any connections at the moment. Even my emergency contact was missing, apparently. I have only vague memories of faceless people who were… perhaps my friends and family. There seems to be very little chance that I might get another job in scientific research — having to leave your last job after having a breakdown and claiming you were violently assaulted by a senior member of staff will do that to a CV.

I did have a stroke of luck, though. Recently, I left my flat to visit a nearby café, and while I was there I ran into a person named Cognitive Dissonance, who seemed to recognise me from… when I was an undergraduate, I think she said? The encounter as a whole was somewhat overwhelming, and I couldn’t remember her at all besides a faint echo of endearment, but the broad strokes seemed to be that we had done some kind of art workshop together and been fairly close. When I mentioned that I was out of work, she suggested I join her at a research job for some kind of paranormal investigations organisation. Fitting, really. I do not think I really have anything to lose at this point, and working for ghosthunters is better than becoming homeless. I was lucky my lease was still going, and my sick leave plus the astounding overtime I was apparently owed paid most of my various debts.

[BEAT. THEY SEEM TO SNAP OUT OF THEIR STORY.]

Ah, I… think that is all of it. My interview for the new job is tomorrow. With any luck, it won’t be such a disaster, and I will have something to do again. These days are getting unbearable with nothing to do except lay down with another wretched headache.

[TAPE RECORDER CLICKS OFF.]

INT. NEEDLESS SEPARATION’S SMALL FLAT - NIGHT, DRY (TAPE RECORDER)

[TAPE RECORDER CLICKS BACK ON.]

NEEDLESS SEPARATION

…I was unsure if I still had this. Wayback’s investigation into Finite Waves reminded me of it. Evidently, my younger self was right to record it: some of these details did disappear from my mind. I had forgotten about the flowers, for example. Hardly makes for a credible statement, but we are far past that point by now.

It is unusual to hear myself talk about Cognitive Dissonance, though. Although we did maintain a good relationship, I never recovered any memories of them and we did not spend much time together. There was so much work to do, of course. They did not remember a great deal of me either then, and now they certainly do not.

It has been several years since my incident now. I have not heard anything further from Transcendent Life Labs, nor Finite Waves. For the most part, I did put it out of my mind. Though I do occasionally wonder if I might have been able to do something. Perhaps if I had hidden my sketchbook better, or left it in my room… No. It is of little relevance.

[THEY COUGH, TRYING TO CHANGE THE TOPIC.]

In some ways, the work I do now is not so different to what I did back then; my job is still to explain and predict strange occurrences. I am just as efficient and hardworking as I ever was — more, even. It is not as if I have anything else to do on the job now. Without any distractions, I get far more done. More recently, I have endeavoured to make sense of these beings that we call Entities. My colleagues believe them inscrutable, but I cannot accept such a lacklustre answer. If these beings must feed, then it stands to reason that they are to some extent living, and can therefore be observed. Categorised. Understood.

It is then perhaps bitterly ironic that for all my tireless research, all those sleepless nights I have dedicated to unpicking the patterns that emerge from supernatural phenomena, I am yet to find a clear answer as to what happened to me, or why. I don't... perhaps it was just another form of test. Perhaps I will never understand at all. And my headaches are getting worse.

…I know something is wrong. My skin is cracked and peeling, and I cannot rid my mouth of the taste of ash. Weaving Tales attempted to send me home last week with a temperature, of all things. Hah.

[A CLIPPED, HUMOURLESS LAUGH.]

But it is of no concern. While these conditions are admittedly unpleasant, they are livable. Sometimes you have to deal with things you dislike to get any work done, after all. I cannot stop now.

[TAPE RECORDER CLICKS OFF.]

[thatcreationsureisunending]

- INTRODUCTION + INFO

'eeello? heeeeeeeellllllloooo? hee-- OH oh. Forgot this works flawlessly. Whoops!

Well, thought it'd be about time to do some sort of- introduction? Something like that anyway!

Think of it likeee a preview message before establishing proper connection.

I'm Infinite Possibilities; Creation Unending. Infinite Possibilities for short (snrk) and Creativity for shorter!

Iiiii dabble in a little bit of everything- some of you might've received pearls or files from me? Yeah

But I'm primarily known for painting and making games!

Uh. Contacts are open to anyone! I'm trying to keep this short, haha.

One of my siblings has one of these connections too! You should go bother him on my behalf

============================================

OOC from here on out- as you can probably gleam, this is an Iterator oc askblog! This post took an unreasonably long time to make, and I apologize for that!

This account is run by me, Zoc @softcryz! OOC posts will be tagged as such!

Here's some important things to note-- I'll definitely add more as we go on. If you have any questions regarding rules or the blog in general, feel free to ask me on my main account!

This blog takes place post-ascension! ( Unless stated otherwise ;] )

Any interactions are open, but that does not guarantee that I WILL answer your ask. I have every right to not respond/delete things that I am not comfortable with or just simply do not want to follow through with.

^ That said, please try not to be weird about it. I mean via sending nsfw and the like. Kind of obvious but I'm still putting this here.

#ip;cu_talks // #wawa_talks -- posts where they're talking

#ip;cu_asks // #wawa_asks -- asks directed to either of those two

#LANDS_EDGE -- Local group tag!

#friend_tower -- Posts that include people IP;CU knows :]

#art_pipebomb // #(we need to make a new tag) (with some kind of pun in it) (suggestions welcomed please) -- Fanart and the like!!

If you have any questions regarding the blog feel free to send them to my main account :]

I'll add onto this as I think of more stuff, but until then! Character notes time!

============================================

INFINITE POSSIBILITIES; CREATION UNENDING

Gender apathetic - Pansexual [He/him] [ TOYHOUSE ] [ ARTFIGHT ]

Creativity is the second guy in the Lands Edge group! He was built to process MUCH more and MUCH faster than the standard Iterator-- to the point where no real "limiter" could be put on his systems because his processing just kept. Tanking and breaking it.

The infinite thinking and everything that comes with it is not entirely within his control, though. It isn't something he can shut down or slow down.

Due to his constantly-working brain and need for stimulation, he sorta just... Does a whole bunch of stuff! Just to do it! He's taken a specific interest in programming "games" for other iterators, and is very open to suggestions!

City was somewhat known for being a sort of centre of many different types of art. (He's more well-known for being the game developer guy-- and the weird iterator who keeps sending paint deliveries out to random people)

BIG guy. He's like. Two heads taller than the average Iterator. Height chart coming soon

WAWA

She/her dominant (any pronouns) [ TOYHOUSE ] [ ARTFIGHT ]

wawa.

runs on cartoon logic

a little smaller than a slugpup

insane dodging capabilities. She's also an obligate carnivore

Where's the slug in this slugcat. This is just a beast of some sort

?? JUST APPEARS? She will just teleport in your chamber. say her name and she'll appear

she also paints with Creativity :]

[thatsnotthesolution]

intro post link designs post link

Asks are currently closed while we catch up! Currently available for asks: Moon (she/her), Pebbles (he/they), Sig (he/any), Suns (they/it), and Sliver (they/she) Currently unavailable: Wind (they/them) and Innocence (he/they)

Note, ships include: pebbles and suns (sunstone), and sliver, moon, and sig (we couldnt find any existing instances of this ship. we have decided "life support" (courtesy of wea) for a name because its funny)

Hi! This is an askblog ran by @malwarechips (Eve) and @weafurry (Wea) for our Rain World AU, TNTS (aka, That's not The Solution). It takes place before any of the major canon rain world events would have, where Sliver sends what she thinks is the solution, but it instead just turns everyone into slugcats.

Asks themselves will (usually?) not be lore-based, but I (Eve) might post lore-related comics occasionally.

OOC text will either be in tags or under a cut, unless it's the entire post (in which case it will be tagged with #ooc)

(Neither of us have ran an askblog before, so apologies if its a bit sloppy lmao.)

TAGS: #ooc - out of character posts #ask - asks #story - story related stuff #tnts - AU name; 'That's not The Solution'. Will be on every post.

[velvetwyrms]

For my sand family askblog, If anyone is up for bouncing ideas around with me, I could use some insight just trying to navigate possible ships & the timeline in a way that makes sense from The Last Movie-onwards with me?

I haven’t seen much of Boruto and don’t plan to watch a lot of it, which is ironic since it might take place in a sort of ‘Shippuden,’ time-skip era for the kiddos, just FYI. If you love canon or dislike possible poly or complex relationships with the original Naruto adults then that’s totally chill but, respectfully, the AU probably isn’t for you even if I’m still very much working everything out 💖 Not much is going to change though truly, a few relationships here and there, and the whole of Team Shinki being adopted earlier than in canon.

Honestly while the askblog is gonna be canon-divergence, it’s gonna be a lotta fun and I’m gonna do the kids I’m focusing on (Yodo, Shinki & Araya) a lotta justice. Having ran a sand family askblog before, years and years ago, it should go relatively smoothly as I’m only really focusing on the Suna folks.