Disconnected

[neat wind]

@little schooner a thread for u :3

[little schooner]

Thank you very much :)

[vapid pivot]

eeeeeee

excitement

[little schooner]

Prologue

[LIVE BROADCAST] - PRIVATE
Seven Red Suns, No Significant Harassment

SRS: Oh no.
SRS: I have a problem. A *big* problem.

NSH: What’s up, Suns?

SRS: It’s Moon. She… collapsed. One of my overseers monitoring Five Pebbles saw it.

NSH: *What?!* What do you mean she collapsed? How’d it happen?

SRS: A fallout from… Pebbles’ experiment. That I…
SRS: Oh, Moon… I’m so sorry…

NSH: …hold on, do you have any footage from a bit after it occurred?

SRS: …yeah. But I don’t see why you…
SRS: …
SRS: By the stars, she’s still breathing.

NSH: Thought so. She wouldn’t die that easily.

SRS: But… I don’t know how long she has without intervention. I can’t get my overseers into her can at the moment, the structure is too unstable.
SRS: We can only hope that Pebbles does something.

NSH: He probably wouldn’t, or couldn’t. If he’s willing to do this to Moon, I doubt that he’d want to help, especially with how soon it is.
NSH: …say, do you still have that messenger around?

SRS: Sort of.
SRS: They’re… heading towards Five Pebbles’ can at the moment. I don’t know if the message would get through to him at this point.

NSH: Ah, I see. Well, I was thinking… Moon’s probably got some bad slag buildup. I can make some slag keys for her, and your messenger can pick them up from me on the way to her facility.
NSH: I might be able to make a messenger of my own in that time, even. Might make it safer for the keys to make it all the way to Moon.

SRS: Hmm… That isn’t a terrible idea. Though, are you sure you’d be able to make a ready messenger before mine gets to you?

NSH: I might just take a wild creature from around my can and use them. I already have one in mind; a little spitfire that I think would get along well enough with yours.

SRS: Don’t count your eggbugs before they hatch. My messenger hasn’t really been around others of their species.

NSH: Eh, they’re communal creatures. I’m sure it’ll be fine.

SRS: If you say so…

[bold sundial]

following this- it sounds interesting!

[fading ledge]

👁️

[little schooner]

Chapter 1: Moondown

Come on, come on...

[[ERROR]] UNABLE TO SEND - Destination Not Found

"Gah!"

Looks To The Moon put her hands to her face, crying out in frustration. She had to have been going at this for... actually, how long had it been?

She tried to access her memory conflux, get something, anything out of it... but she couldn't. Her systems seized with the effort, and her puppet fell to the floor of her chamber, helplessly laying on the ground in the near-normal gravity.

She could feel her can shake around her, the full weight of the structure pushing against the struts. It was painful, oh so painful, and she was swiftly losing awareness of her puppet.

Not again, she thought. Please, I need to stay awake...

As if on cue, her puppet responded to her again. The gravity hadn't turned back on yet, but for now she could continue trying to contact-

Warnings flashed around her. The can shook violently, throwing her puppet across the chamber. She tried to get up, but she couldn't. Not in this gravity.

What was going on? She managed to catch one of the many warnings swirling around her chamber, and her heart dropped;

Acute structural failure on Leg H. Collapse likely unpreventable.

"No... no!"

Moon opened up a message box, writing as fast as her failing systems allowed her to. Not that she thought it would be able to go through, but...

More warnings. More shaking. She couldn't write any longer. All she could do was send the message and hope.

She felt the can list to one side. Her puppet dragged across the chamber floor, away from the wall she was attached to. Then... she was airborne. Were her gravity disruptors working again?

No... she was... falli-

BOOM!

Her puppet smashed into the floor. Warnings flashed in her mind. And then... nothing.

[DIRECT BROADCAST] - PRIVATE, FORCED
Big Sister Moon, Five Pebbles

BSM: if if youu hear ...
BSM: this is goodb

FP: ...

[little schooner]

Chapter 2: Spitfire
No Significant Harassment sat in his chamber, watching his overseers' feeds anxiously. It had been a good few cycles since Suns' messenger had been redirected to his can, and he could only hope that they made it in one piece.

Suddenly, he heard one of his transport pipes spring to life. Looking up, he saw a little pink head staring back at him.

"Oh, hello, little spitfire!" He said, lowering the creature to the floor gently. "How are you faring?"

The creature stared at Sig blankly in return. They scratched at their back for a moment, before walking towards the puppet.

"Here, do you want me to pet you?"

The creature's ears perked up, and soon enough they found themself on his lap... where they barely fit.

Sig couldn't help but chuckle. "Such a strange creature, you are. Just several cycles ago, you were wandering around my can, as wild as any other creature. Now, you practically beg for attention from me.

The creature made a low, grumbling noise, as if to say, 'Get on with it, would you?'

"Alright, alright." Sig began to pet the creature's back. He seemed to relax a bit with the motion. "I will be keeping an eye out for your new friend in the meantime. Please be nice to them when they come, they haven't really met any creatures like you before."

Sig paused for a moment. Huh, that's strange. He glanced down at the creature, rubbing his hand over the spot. The creature seemed to wince as he felt it. It was hard, lumpy.

"Oh... is this why you wanted me to scratch your back?"

They only responded with a quiet "wa".

"Poor guy... don't worry, I can help. We probably have a bit of time until your friend gets here. You'll be good as new!~"

The creature seemed to melt into Sig's puppet, making a deep, vibratory noise as it dozed off into sleep.

"I'll miss you, little spitfire," Sig muttered, before pulling up a message box alongside his overseers' views.

[little schooner]

[DIRECT BROADCAST] - PRIVATE
No Significant Harassment, Seven Red Suns

NSH: There is a bit of a problem with my messenger.

SRS: I knew using the local wildlife would be a bad idea.

NSH: No! I mean. Not really.
NSH: Spitfire just has a lump on their back, is all. It's hard to tell if it's malignant or not, but it's at minimum making them uncomfortable.

SRS: ...
SRS: You named it.

NSH: Of course I did. They are quite charming creatures, you know.
NSH: Maybe they deserve more attention from iterators, although you'd probably know a thing or two about that.

SRS: You know the world outside our cans is dangerous, right? What if it doesn't come back?

NSH: It wouldn't be the first time. But that's beside the point.
NSH: How far along is your messenger, anyways?

SRS: They're almost there. Do you have the slag keys?

NSH: Oh, really? And yes, I've had them ready for a while. I even showed them to Spitfire, although I think the intricacies went over their head.

SRS: Please stop using that name with them. They aren't a pet, they have a job to do.

NSH: And so do we. And yet we fret about with nicknames and rescue missions instead of the Great Problem.
NSH: Besides, I don't want to treat them as tools. Stars know that's how our administrators treated us.

SRS: ...
SRS: You're right, I suppose. I'm *not* naming my messenger, though

NSH: Suit yourself.

[little schooner]

Chapter 3: Aches
[LIVE BROADCAST] EQUIPMENT MANIFEST

EM: Wide systems failure. Wide systems failure. Wide sys-
EM: Remote connection detected. Verifying credentials...
EM: Credentials verified: LTTM_Overseer_166 connecting to host...
EM: Connected. Startup sequence initiated.

[!! WARNING !!] Wide systems failure.
EM: Startup may lead to severe damage to all systems. EMERGENCY MAINTENANCE IS REQUIRED.
EM: Startup may lead to severe d-
EM: All warnings overridden. Startup sequence resumed.

[little schooner]

Pain. Everything. Was. Pain.

Where was she? Was she dead? No, she couldn't be...

Something caught Moon's attention, in the corner of her mind. She could... see... something... a figure, laying face-first on the ground. Was... was that herself? She couldn't tell. Her mind was so foggy, as if the haze of rain throbbed upon it.

Suddenly, warnings echoed in her mind, red-hot and burning. It felt as if she was being pulled violently out of acid and sludge, her every fiber screaming and straining for an end to the suffering.

And then... Moon was awake. Aching, with warnings still licking at the back of her mind, but awake, and aware of her puppet's surroundings. The soft yellow glow of one of her overseers illuminated the wrecked chamber in front of her. It leaned down from on top of her, touching her face with its tendrils worriedly. They were both quick to notice that one of her eyes was broken.

A moment of recognition. "Ah, Iggy..." she sighed, her voice barely echoing around the chamber. She took a moment in solace, just laying on the floor and processing what she had gone through.

Eventually, she would try to get up. Her joints struggled to move, straining against gravity and damage. She struggled to get her arms under her, but eventually she was able to roll onto her side. The effort exhausted her, and she just continued to lay there, staring blankly at the wreck of her chamber wall.

The overseer shifted on her back to look at her again, before glancing in the direction of one of the walls. Her gaze followed it, but for a moment she wished that she hadn't...

Her umbilical. Her arm. Both were crushed under tons of rubble. And her puppet... it was disconnected.

Then how was she...

The overseer glanced back at her. Somehow, it looked sad, despite having no way of expressing emotions.

Ah.

[vapid pivot]

\hoooly shit /pos

[little schooner]

Also, fyi, I'm gonna start posting this (and other content) to my rain world tumblr here -> https://angstmachine-rw.tumblr.com/

Don't worry, I'll probably be uploading posts here first

...probably

[little schooner]

Chapter 4: Messenger

[LIVE BROADCAST] - PRIVATE
No Significant Harassment, Seven Red Suns

NSH: What the fuck.

SRS: What?

NSH: I am assuming your messenger is in my puppet chamber right now, based on your overseer's presence.

SRS: That is correct. What seems to be the problem?

NSH: I do not know where to begin. It is so small. It looks almost malnourished. It doesn't even have a mouth! And... it doesn't have the Mark?

SRS: It eats through the needles growing out of its tail. And no, it is not malnourished.
SRS: Also, the Mark was an unnecessary risk, at least when I first used the messenger. Would've drawn too much attention from other iterators.

NSH: ...I see. I am still not entirely happy with their health, but... I trust your judgment in this case, and I hope my skepticism was misplaced.
NSH: Sorry for swearing, by the way.

SRS: You are forgiven. And... feel free to give it the Mark now. I realize that stealth is no longer necessary here, and it would make communicating with them easier, seeing as you probably aren't familiar with the coded language I've taught them.

NSH: You are full of surprises, I'll give you that.

SRS: Thanks, I suppose. I've had time to think these things through. Not like we can do much but think and use our labs.
SRS: Anyways, I-
SRS: ...
SRS: I have to go. It’s urgent. Five Pebbles. Do what you must with the messengers.

NSH: What-

[little schooner]

Five Pebbles? That didn't bode well... but...

He turned his attention to the little creature on his chamber floor. At the same time, he directed his overseers to bring Spitfire to him. Shouldn't take too long.

Ah, well. He should focus on this.

With a mere thought, he lifted up Suns' messenger gently. They didn't seem to fuss much, instead gesturing at him in a way he didn't understand.

"This won't hurt much," Sig muttered.

Within a moment, the Mark was implanted into the creature's brain. They seemed dazed for a moment, and Sig let them down to the ground to recover.

"Hello, messenger," he said after a second. The creature seemed to perk up in surprise. "I am No Significant Harassment. You have been directed to my can to pick up a care package for an old friend, Looks to the Moon."

The creature blinked, before nodding and making gestures at him.

Sig shook his head. "Sorry, I don't understand that language. You'll have to deal with one-way communication for now."

The creature seemed to slump down a bit, before their attention was caught by something on the top of the chamber. Their ears went up in attention, eyes wide. He followed their gaze.

Sure enough, Spitfire was there in the pipe, staring at Suns' messenger. Sig couldn't help but let out a chuckle, letting his own messenger into the chamber lightly.

"Ah, yes. This is Spitfire. They will be going alongside you on the journey to Moon's can, for added protection. So long as you two get along, of course."

Spitfire and the messenger locked eyes. The messenger arched their back, needles sticking out of their tail. Clearly, they were scared of the larger Spitfire.

However, Spitfire remained calm. They lowered themself to the messenger's level, ears flicking curiously. Eventually, the little messenger's body loosened, instead looking around. Spitfire cautiously approached them, nudging them with their muzzle. The messenger reluctantly accepted the gesture.

Sig sighed. A good sign.

[quiet terrace]

whats happening

[little schooner]

A lot

[quiet terrace]

I see

[little schooner]

Chapter 5: Icarus
[LIVE BROADCAST] - PRIVATE
Five Pebbles, Seven Red Suns

FP: Hello, Sev-

SRS: Pebbles. What the actual-
SRS: ...sorry. I shouldn't finish that.

FP: Go ahead. See what good it does you.

SRS: ...

FP: Thought so. Look, I'm sorry for going radio silent for so long, but I was working on something very sensitive. You should know what it was.

SRS: About that...

FP: Yes, I am also aware that Moon's can has collapsed. But no, it had nothing to do with me or my work.

SRS: How can you be so sure?

FP: Because I was there, and I wasn't doing anything abnormal with my intakes.

SRS: No offense, but I have a hard time believing that.

FP: That doesn't matter. I will be gone from this world in due time.

SRS: ...so you did it. You actually did it.

FP: Did you doubt me? Did you doubt that I, a mere bug, could escape from the maze?

SRS: Now hold on-

FP: Well, look upon me and weep, Suns. I have discovered my wings, and I will leave this maze behind, once and for all!

SRS: Even while your sister is left behind in rubble?! Do you feel nothing for her?!

FP: ...as much as I respected her, she could never understand. She was too stuck in her old ways to realize the truth; that perception is existence, and that death is the only way for us to escape these endless cycles.

SRS: ...I have no more words for you.

FP: Perhaps a thank you? For testing and succeeding with the solution?

SRS: Y'know what? Fuck off, Five Pebbles! I should have never delivered you that pearl...

FP: ...fine, be that way. I can do this without you!

[little schooner]

Five Pebbles shut down the broadcast forcefully, throwing the generated pearl log to the side.

Typical. Not even my own mentor can see what I have done.

He glanced over at his processes. The microbe he had engineered was going through his systems, one by one, removing the taboo from his genome. Soon enough, every fiber of his being would be ready for the next step. All according to plan.

He then glanced over to his overseers' feed. Through them, he could see the entirety of the grounds of his facility... including the wreckage of Moon's can. A faint pang of guilt passed through his systems, but it was soon replaced by vindication.

She would have never understood. Her attempts to stop me were futile. I no longer have another drain to my resources or my mind. I can now do as I wish.

He couldn’t help but take another glimpse at her can, however. And what he found… well, it astonished him a little bit.

She was still… breathing. She was still alive, even after everything she had endured.

A curse, really. Even when cans fall, even when we are mutilated beyond repair, we keep living, keep suffering. Our absent creators have given us a fate worse than death.

A fate that I wish to avoid altogether. I won’t let that happen to me.

With a new determination, Pebbles returned to his work, flitting about his chamber hurriedly. His systems continued operating at full tilt, exploiting the water supply he had accessed from Moon.

It was all for the greater good, after all.

[little schooner]

Chapter 6: Chieftain

Moon's mind became more foggy with the passage of time. Her memory conflux was most probably damaged, leaking data as the cycles went on. She had lost track of the times that rain had come, pounding on her roof and trickling inside her chamber. Luckily, her puppet was safe from the worst of it.

Every once in a while, she'd find herself forgetting most of what happened. Those were the scariest times, where she'd have to relive discovering her situation.

For now, though, she laid on her back, staring up at the ceiling of the chamber. It wasn't like she could do much else; she was in no state to iterate, and her access shaft was entirely inaccessible.

Suddenly, Iggy shot up, glaring up at the pipe leading into her chamber. Moon squinted up at it, struggling to make out anything in the dark room.

Eventually, the pipe activated, and a head poked out of the hole. Its striking green eyes glared at Moon and Iggy for a moment, before it retreated, going back the way it came. Iggy hid under her, shaking.

What was that? Moon asked herself. Really, what was that? She racked her mind for a moment, but the effort was exhausting... and futile.

Not that she had much time to think on it, as suddenly, the pipe sprung to life. One, four, seven... countless creatures, many armed with spears or bombs, entered the room, much to her surprise. She pushed herself away from them, soon finding a wall to lean up on.

"Please don’t hurt… me…" she muttered, putting out her arms in front of her face.

The creatures stared at her with big, beady eyes. She couldn't tell if they were hungry or curious; perhaps both. They all looked a bit scraggly.

Soon, though, she became aware of the sound of pearls softly jingling among the crowd. A few of the creatures moved out of the way, and a creature with a heavily decorated mask and armored plates stepped forward.

[little schooner]

The masked creature stood tall in front of Moon, staring warily at her. She could only assume that it was their leader. Iggy peeked out from behind her, riling up the other creatures behind the leader. Spears were now pointed in their direction. Moon was terrified, shaking, trying to think of a way out.

A holographic square appeared above the leader's head. A moment.

"A-ah, hello," she said nervously, slowly lowering her arms. "You have the... Mark. Iggy… and… and I… are not a threat... to any of you." She couldn’t help but look down to the floor. Why were these words coming so hard to her?

Nonetheless, the leader seemed to get the message. It gestured the other creatures down, and most of them lowered their weapons. It then turned back to Moon, looking at her with more curiosity in its eyes.

Something rumbled in the distance. She recognized the sound.

"...you can shelter here," she said, shifting. "If you... like to. But I... the structure could... be unstable. Or wet. Can't guarantee your... safety."

The leader blinked, scratching at the ground for a moment. It then nodded at her, turning to the other creatures and making a few more gestures. These gestures felt more familiar to her, but she couldn't place where they could've come from, nor could she comprehend them.

Regardless, the rest of the creatures seemed to relax some more, placing down most of their spears and huddling into groups. A few stuck spears into the floor and put lanterns on top of them for makeshift lighting. Moon didn't mind; living many cycles in near-total darkness left her welcoming the warm light of this tribe.

After a while, the creatures settled down to hibernate the rain away. A few stayed alert, keeping an eye on the pipe above them. The leader laid on the rubble where her arm had been severed.

Moon watched over the tribe herself, and for the first time in a long, long while, she felt... a certain comfort and warmth, deep within her soul.

[vapid pivot]

\moon joins scag tribe >:)

[little schooner]

Chapter 7: Names
Spitfire knew that, in the next cycle, they'd have to leave the comfort of the machine they had made their home. The homely being inside, No Significant Harassment, had made it clear from the beginning that they'd eventually be sent on their way. Though, Spitfire didn't mind too much. After all, No Significant Harassment had fed them, given them a new name, and taken care of the pain on their back. The least they could do in return is go on this mission for him. Besides, the open wastes were calling to them again.

For the moment, though, Spitfire was stretched out on the roof of the giant construct, staring up at the twinkling green stars.

Something shifted in the distance. Spitfire shot up, glaring around. They took a spear into their hands, pointing it in the direction of the disturbance.

However, their guard lowered as the sound of a popcorn plant bursting open reached their ears. Just that strange folk I'm going on this mission with, they thought.

Sighing, they made their way over. Sure enough, the strange creature was sitting by the popcorn plant, one of its needles sticking out from it. A lantern rested next to them, illuminating their striking purple body.

"Hey," Spitfire gestured as they got close.

The other looked up from the popcorn plant, blinking. "...hello," they responded, although the gestures were slow. "Good... food."

"I agree. It's a popcorn plant," Spitfire signed deliberately, making sure to emphasize the word "popcorn plant".

"Bombcorn... plant- no. Pop corn... plant. Popcorn plant!" Despite having no mouth, the other seemed to smile, having learned how to say the new word. They made a few other gestures in excitement, ones that Spitfire knew was a different signed language from what No Significant Harassment had told them. Apparently, the messenger had an easier time learning Spitfire’s language than the other way around.

[little schooner]

“Nice job,” Spitfire said, before grabbing a handful of the kernels from the plant. They were a bit shriveled, but they didn’t pay much mind to it as they began to chew on them. “Say, there’s been something bothering me. You said you don’t have a name, right?”

“No name. Just… ‘07’ or ‘messenger’, often.”

Spitfire shrugged. “Hardly names, really. My question is, why? Were you abandoned?”

The other creature glanced around nervously. “No. Grown… created by Seven Red Suns. Purposed. I don’t know… why they not give me a name. No attachment, maybe.”

“Right. You were changed by one of the machines. Figures that yours didn’t give you a name.” Spitfire glanced up at the sky, humming. “I have three names, you know. Well, two names and a title.

“When I was a pup, I was given the name ‘Cherry’. It was a simple name, never liked it much. So, I decided to make a name for myself. I trained hard to bring back food for my colony, and one day I managed to bring back a whole red lizard! The colony feasted that day, and from that day forward I was given the title, ‘Hunter’. I think it fits me. But I like Spitfire, as well. I suppose that’s what I look like to things that don’t know me.” Spitfire chuckled.

Something seemed to light up in the other creature’s eyes. “You give me a name?”

“Uh… I don’t know… I was never good at names. Hm…” Spitfire scratched at their chin for a moment. “...oh! What about a title? I feel more comfortable with that. You wield your needles well, and they are kind of like spears, so… maybe Spearmaster?”

“Spearmaster…” the other creature signed, a whimsical glint in their eyes as they glanced down at their tail. “...I like Spearmaster.”

[sweet ravine]

(very awesome so far!)

[tall sun]

'ery noice

[tulip plume]

Amazing

[steel root]

Very cool, I’ve enjoyed reading this so far and I can’t wait to read more when more comes out! (Not trying to pressure you, I just really find this interesting)

[little schooner]

Updates will start to slow down over the next coming days. College is starting back up for me so I won’t have as much time to write. However, I will continue working on this when I can

[little schooner]

also i got sick. yipee

[little schooner]

good news! i feel better

[vapid pivot]

yay!!!

[crystal scroll]

:D

[steel root]

[little schooner]

Chapter 8: Lapse
Where was she? Why was her chamber a mess? What were these creatures?! Where were her pearls? Where was her left eye? Why was her memory conflux popping up with errors? Why was... why was everything popping up with errors?! What... who was she, even?

She had to be missing something. She had to think! She had to... be...

Her puppet seized, listing over onto its side. She couldn't help but groan. Everything was hurting, nothing made sense...

An armored and decorated creature stepped out of the crowd and approached her. She looked up in fear, body shaking.

"No, no, no..." she muttered, eye darting back and forth.

However, the creature simply lowered itself to her level, before grabbing her hand and placing a pearl into it.

Her concentration shifted. Her hand squeezed the pearl lightly, and she began to read it on instinct.

...a conversation log, all plain text.

“1681.662 - PRIVATE
Seven Red Sun, Chasing Wind

CW: Have you had any contact with Five Pebbles recently?

SRS: Not in a long while actually! Unless worrying about him counts.

CW: One of his neighbors, Unparalleled Innocence, sent an overseer to his can and got some images. They were made public in the local group, in an effort to be mean I suppose. There's no other way of putting it - he looks like he's about to explode.

SRS: Tell me.

CW: He's belching out a lot of steam, far more than what would indicate normal operation. His labs especially seem to be operating above capacity. He does listen to you, and few others by now, so you should talk to him.

SRS: I will try to contact him. Does Moon know?

CW: Moon has been unavailable for some time.”

[little schooner]

Moon stared at the maroon pearl, turning it in her hand. She had sat up at this point, the panic receding from her mind and a newfound, albeit temporary, clarity replacing it. She took a moment to look around at her surroundings and get her bearings.

Right. She had overheated, generated slag buildup, and collapsed. Her puppet had sustained damage during to the fall, including to her eye, umbillical, and arm. These were the creatures... the scavengers... that had made their home in her chamber, the lanterns they made washing the place in a warm, homely glow. And...

Well, she was Looks to the Moon, an iterator. Tasked with finding the Great Problem by people who no longer existed.

Not that that mattered, now. She was in no state to solve their problem. There wasn't much else to focus on, other than her... her...

"I... I'm going to die, aren't I?" she asked aloud. The scavenger's leader, who had been staring at her the whole time, looked at her with confusion.

"I mean... I don't know the state of... of the rest of my facility. My puppet has very little... little processing power, not enough for me to function. And my neurons... they're probably being eaten by creatures. If they all get destroyed, or my connection gets severed to them, then... then I will die, probably."

Suddenly, a projection of a neuron appeared next to her. It startles her for a moment, before she gives herself a facepalm. "Yes, Iggy... that's what a neuron looks like."

The leader pawed at the hologram for a moment, before turning to the other scavengers and gesturing at them. A few handfuls of them joined up into groups, grabbing spears and bombs from their stashes, before climbing up and out of the chamber.

The leader then turned back to her, nodding.

She couldn't help but stare back in disbelief. Had it decided to help her? Was it giving her a lifeline she didn't know was possible? She'd have to entrust her fate in these wild creatures. It wasn't like she had much of a choice.

[tulip plume]

Amazing

[little schooner]

can yall tell i like scavengers

[sweet ravine]

This is lovely

[little schooner]

Chapter 9: Daedalus
[LIVE BROADCAST] - PRIVATE
No Significant Harassment, Seven Red Suns

NSH: Well, the messengers are on their way. I packed them with the slag reset keys, some medicine for Spitfire, and the rewritten data pearl in your messenger's chest. Thank you for letting me rewrite that, by the way.

SRS: I suspect that the old message is no longer needed, seeing as I have already gotten into contact with Five Pebbles.

NSH: By the way, how did that go? You sort of went quiet ever since you left that broadcast abruptly.

SRS: I am not talking about it. It is a matter between him and I.

NSH: I beg to differ. This moved beyond you and him when Moon collapsed. What you two talked about may be important for our messengers' mission. What if it is something dangerous?

SRS: ...
SRS: To be quite frank, I am not sure *what* sort of solution he has conjured up.

NSH: Solution? Wait a moment, are you saying-

SRS: Yes. He's crossing himself out. He implemented a theoretical method to remove his self-destruction taboo. Recklessly, mind you. But he said that he's found the solution, Moon's condition be damned.
SRS: There, happy?

NSH: No. This is very, *very* bad news.
NSH: ...
NSH: By any chance, does this theoretical method involve a "breeding program" of sorts?

SRS: I don't want to go into specifics over broadcasts, but I suppose you could consider it a breeding program.

NSH: Alright. That fills in a few pieces for me. Thank you.
NSH: I think we need to invite Grey Wind into this conversation.

SRS: Grey Wind? Her? What for?

NSH: She gave Moon, Pebbles, and I a tip-off regarding a local iterator in a Sliverist group who planned on, well, crossing himself out with a breeding program. I believe that she would have some insights into all of this.
NSH: At the very least, she deserves to know that her warning wasn't entirely in vain.

SRS: ...
SRS: Of course he was in those groups...

[sweet ravine]

Bringing up Erratic pulse's presence in the sliverist groups is very cool

[sweet ravine]

yet another very good chapter

[tulip plume]

Agreed

[pallid patio]

I love this so far great job!

[little schooner]

i saw you there mac n cheesecake (lighthearted)

[little schooner]

Chapter 10: Parental
"This is embarrassing," Spearmaster said, huffing.

Spitfire readily picked up the lighter slugcat, hefting them onto their shoulders. "You're barely heavier than a pup, you know. Are you sure you're eating well?"

"Yes. I eat as much as I can. Not that it is easy." Spearmaster pulled a needle from their tail, sighing.

Spitfire simply nodded in acknowledgement, before crouching down, arching their back. In a moment, they pounced forward, rolling through the patch of wormgrass. The tendrils readily latched onto their skins, pulling at them uncomfortably, but Spitfire was able to skirt by as they broke into a sprint. Spearmaster held on tight, not wanting to meet an unenviable end.

Eventually, the two of them broke through the patch, and Spitfire jumped onto a ledge out of the way of the wormgrass, taking a moment to catch their breath.

"I haven't been through a big patch like that before," Spearmaster admitted as they got off of their shoulders.

"You haven't? Really? How’d you manage that?”

Spearmaster hummed, before pointing at the red overseer that had been following the two of them. “Seven Red Suns guided me around them. Though I suppose brute forcing through them works, too.”

Spitfire chuckled, stretching. "It’s usually faster to cut through, so long as the grass isn’t too tall. Though with your build, I don’t blame your machine-parent for having you avoid them”

“...parent?” Spearmaster furrowed their brow, before glancing up at the overseer. “I… hadn’t thought about them that way before. But I don’t know if they would see it like that…”

“I don’t care what your machine says about it. They raised you and took care of you… that sounds like a parent to me!”

Spearmaster averted Spitfire’s gaze for a moment, before getting up. “We should get going,” they signed curtly, pulling a needle from their tail. “We don’t have to worry about the rain so much out here, but I’d still like to get to a shelter before nightfall.”

[little schooner]

Spitfire shrugged. “Alright, fine. We can talk about this later.”

“I’d rather not. Thank you for introducing the idea, but… this is just between Seven Red Suns and I.” Spearmaster pulled another needle from their tail, before presenting it to the pink slugcat. “No hard feelings?”

Spitfire glanced at the needle, brow furrowed. Suddenly, they grabbed Spearmaster and the needle, pulling them out of the way as a tongue grabbed at the air. Spearmaster's eyes widened, feeling one of their needles get pulled from their hands as they rolled to the side.

Spitfire was already on their feet, growling at the lizard that stood in front of them. It hissed, its plated body flashing a brilliant white as it rushed forward. It opened its mouth, its tongue launching at them.

Spitfire threw their spear at the creature's open mouth, grunting. However, the lizard managed to grab the spear with its tongue, retracting it into its mouth and snapping it in half. Spitfire took a step back, looking around nervously. Come on, there had to be something, anything they could use...

Its tongue hit them in their face, pulling them forward. They dug in their heels, trying to pull the tongue off of them, but they could see the lizard coming closer. They winced, preparing to feel its jaws surround them.

Something whistled through the air. The lizard cried out in pain, letting Spitfire go. Spearmaster had run up to the lizard's side, jumping up and thrusting a needle at the back of the lizard's head. It flashed and struggled for a moment, before the life finally left its eyes.

Spearmaster pulled out the needles, watching them as they darkened in their hands, before tossing them to Spitfire for them to catch.

"...no hard feelings," Spitfire eventually said, putting one of the needles on their back.

Spearmaster couldn't help but chuckle a bit. "Don't worry about it. You can eat that now, and I'll go on ahead and scout for the shelter. Stay safe."

"You too!" Spitfire replied, smiling.

[tulip plume]

Amazing

[little schooner]

Chapter 11: Sliver
[LIVE BROADCAST] - CLOSED GROUP [SLIVEROFOCEAN]
all participants anonymous

UU: I'll have to ask him if he ever comes around again. I'm curious what he has to say about it, myself!

EP: <Joined the broadcast>

UU: Speak of the leviathan! Hey there, Pulse! Back from the dead I see! How have you been?

EP: Everything is falling into place. It isn't ideal, but it will do for my purposes.

UU: Hahaha what? Does this have to do with that breeding program you talked about?

EP: Yes. It took longer than I thought it would, but I found what I was looking for.
EP: Anyways, I noticed that you were talking about me. What for? Am I that interesting?

UU: Haunted Fate was wondering if you knew anything about what is happening over at Five Pebbles and Big Sister Moon!

EP: I thought we all agreed not to talk about current events in this chat, for anonymity's sake.

HF: It's too big to ignore, to be honest. It isn't every cycle that one of us collapses.

UU: And besides, Pulse, it really makes a good debate topic~

EP: I have little interest in this matter, to be honest. I would prefer to focus on my work than gawk at the goings-on of other iterators.
EP: What is there even to debate, anyways? Moon collapsed. She's an older model, so it may be a sign of things to come. Another reason to focus on my work.

HF: Do you have to speak of her so dryly?

EP: ...
EP: I am going to return to my work. Once my work is complete, I may consider finding a way to send it to the rest of you. Goodbye.
EP: <Left the broadcast>

UU: ...holy shit. You were right!

HF: Not necessarily. It is circumstantial evidence. We still don't know why Moon collapsed. For all we know, Pulse could be right, and she just decided to keep quiet about her problems as to not worry anyone.

UU: That doesn't sound like her, Fate.

HF: She might not be herself. The passage of time might've weighed on her mentally and we just didn't notice.

[little schooner]

It would be easy to miss something like that, wouldn't it?

Grey Wind stared at the open broadcast, the projection beginning to flicker. She sighed. She knew it would have given out eventually. At least she got to talk to Erratic Pulse.

HF: Sorry, I need to go, Urges. Technical difficulties.

UU: The usual? Fair enough. Hopefully some lurkers will start talking! I'd rather not sit in this empty group for the rest of the cycle ~

HF: Good luck. See you around.
HF: <Left the broadcast>

Wind turned off the projector, closing her eyes. She could feel her structure shudder a bit. She had been having temperature and power issues ever since she was built, but the problems were only getting worse now that her creators were gone. There was only so much that she could do to manage it; after all, it was a fault with the construction, one that she couldn't just fix due to the taboos holding her back.

She sighed, lowering herself to the chamber floor. She couldn't help but feel helpless. Even if her theory was true, that Erratic Pulse was Five Pebbles, there wasn't much that she could do to act on the information. It would do no good for either of them to make it public, and it wasn't like she could waltz over to him and ask him directly.

Wind laid down, watching the pearls that she had been working with orbit aimlessly around the chamber. Her puppet stayed there for a long while, letting her scant background processes run on their own. Nothing required her attention as of late, except for the occasional warning about power fluctuations and overheating in one sector or another. Just a minor inconvenience, really.

Suddenly, a notification popped in her mind. How long has she been laying there? ...five cycles?! She raised her puppet off the floor. There was an invite to a broadcast by No Significant Harassment and Seven Red Suns. She hadn't expected a joint invitation like this, but it wasn't like she had anything better to do. She readily accepted the invite.

[little schooner]

(by the way, I am headcanoning these two's full names to be Unburdened Urges and Haunted Fate)

[warped swift]

adoring this story so much!! Super excited to see how it goes, I love how you’re working with side characters like Wind as well <33

[glossy silo]

I’m hooked /pos

[little schooner]

Concerning how this story will be shared in the future. Please read!

Basically, I've been writing on discord for a while (I've done a few things in the ClanGen discord server in the past, for instance). I've worked around the character limit, and I appreciate the consistent formatting, but the story I want to tell might not fit in this thread. Besides, I kind of want to encourage discussion of the plot, be it here or in the ⁠stories-discussion channel.

And, although I have been posting onto Tumblr, the posts are behind what is here, as well as the formatting being a bit finicky. Not only that, but my Rain World Tumblr is multipurpose right now, and Tumblr isn't the best for posting serial content IMO. Then again, Discord isn't the best about it either

However, I have never used AO3 before. I'm not so concerned about my work getting eaten sine I have copies on a google doc anyways, but I am unfamiliar with the formatting or conventions. Not that I can't learn lol

So, of course, I am putting this to a vote! Obviously, this is the most reasonable course of action. Here are the options below:

= Keep up with posting here and on Tumblr. Nothing changes, other than perhaps I bring my Tumblr up to speed with the story.
= Start posting on AO3, and keep posting here and on Tumblr.
= Stop posting here, using this thread as a discussion and update channel. Only post on Tumblr.
= Stop posting here, stop posting on Tumblr, moving entirely onto AO3. Tumblr and this channel would be used for updates and discussion.
= Other course of action.

Your input is much appreciated, and I thank you all for your continued support

(feel free to vote more than once btw)

[little schooner]

It seems that, due to popular consensus, I will continue doing what I have been doing. I might post on AO3 later anyways, but, yeah.

I might also start doing non-chapter content, like art and writing out future ideas. Any content that contains spoilers for future chapters will be spoilered, naturally

And, as I said before, discussion and commentary are welcome. I hope you all have a good weekend, and make sure to drink water

[little schooner]

Chapter 12: Passages
Dark Spines Along Back sat atop the fallen superstructure of Looks to the Moon, staring out at the foggy ocean below, contemplating. Its tribe had been thriving ever since it had made the decision to move into the city on the god-machine's back. It had everything they would need, even now as it had fallen below the clouds! Sustainable food, dry shelter, and ancient wisdom, all were provided by the benevolent goddess that it had stumbled upon all those cycles ago.

Spines reminisced on its first meeting with her. It had been young, then, wishing to prove its bravery to its brethren by exploring the rain-making superstructure. However, when it came across her in her chamber, surrounded by pearls and speaking in tongues, it was an understatement to say that it was absolutely enthralled by the whole experience. She had changed it in an instant, giving it an unimaginable gift. The sound the Mark had made still resonated in its mind even now.

Curiosity got the better of both of them, after that. She had begun to learn its language, and it had begun bringing pearls for her to read. Eventually, she allowed its tribe to settle the city on her back, with the caveat that they generally avoid harming her overseers or inspectors. Spines had become the Chieftain of its tribe, then, the title being passed down to it by the old and ailing Glint in Blue Eyes.

However, Looks to the Moon had given it a warning in the recent past, not long after the structure began to experience tremors. "Evacuate the city," she had said. "My structure is no longer safe. Take your tribe and go west, past the garbage wastes. Be wary of the heavy rain, little chieftain, but please don't seek out refuge with my brother. I do not believe he will be amicable to visitors at this time."

"I didn't know that the god-machines could fall," it had replied, sorrow seeping from its gestures. "Will you be okay?"

"Do not worry about me. …my kind do not die so easily."

[little schooner]

Spines had followed her orders, in the end, leading its tribe down, out, and away from her can. A regrettable portion would not survive the journey to the farm arrays, but it was the lesser of two evils.

It couldn't see it happen, not through the ever-present fog of the surface, but... it heard it and felt it. It sounded like the torrential rains had mingled with the force of a thousand bombs, and it felt as if the ground itself would rip asunder and damn the whole tribe to the void sea. It was inconsolable during that cycle's hibernation, even as its tribe huddled around it in comfort.

They all stayed in the farm arrays for a few cycles, working with the tribe of Grass Underfoot in order to survive and recuperate. Spines hadn't wanted to stay for too long, though, as it wanted to make sure that Looks to the Moon had survived.

That brought it to where it was, now. Looks to the Moon was still alive, although she seemed to have lost most of her memories and knowledge in the process. Nonetheless, she was still as compassionate as she always was, once again giving permission to its tribe to stay and congregate in her structure.

...it heard footsteps behind it. Its spines shifted as it turned, making eye contact with the smaller, brown tribesman that approached.

"Ah! There you are, Spines," he signed, bowing his head.

"Lucky Antlers. How can I help you?"

Antlers' green eyes lit up. "I come bearing good news. Your pup has been born!"

"Really? Well, that is a relief. I was a bit worried about them and Pursuit of Lizard. With my age, this will probably be my last pup."

"And what a pup she will be!" Antlers replied. "I have reason to believe that the goddess blessed this one!"

Spines froze, red eyes narrowing. "What do you mean by blessed?"

"Well... see for yourself!"

[little schooner]

With a swift motion, Antlers beckoned Spines to follow him. He led it down the structure's access shaft, clamoring down through struts and pipes. Soon, they entered the goddess's chamber, where she was sitting, staring down at something in her lap. A few dulled neurons floated beside her. The chamber had been left mostly alone for many cycles, now that water had begun to really seep in.

"Why are we here?" Spines asked. "This isn't the nursery."

Antlers beamed. "We brought your pup to her! We thought it befitting, to introduce her to your blessed kin!"

Its spines flicked in mild annoyance. "I do not need my pup to be treated any differently to the rest. But... I will humor you, and I will see for myself what you speak of."

Spines clamored down the makeshift ladder in the chamber, the pearls on its mask jingling as it approached Looks to the Moon. However, her gaze didn't seem to move.

It took a moment to comprehend in the harsh, orange light of the lanterns, but it soon realized that what she was staring at was a blue pup, curled on her lap - its pup, surely. It was taken aback by how similar their color was to each other, especially since Spines was a muted, dark brown, and Lizard was a greenish gray. A question of heritage never crossed its mind, never would cross any scavenger's mind.

Spines approached her, tilting its head. It seemed to break her out of her trance, as she snapped her head up to it. She began to shiver a bit, her eye struggling to focus on the Chieftain.

"Oh... hello... little..." she began, her speech slow and slurred. Her eye closed for a moment, having trouble finding the words. "...friends. A tiny... warm thing... left on my legs. Thank you... but... the rain..."

[little schooner]

Antlers blinked, not able to comprehend the goddess's words. "What did she say?"

"A greeting, before acknowledging my pup and mentioning the rain."

Antlers' eyes glimmered in the light. "A prophecy!"

"No." Spines glared at him in exasperation. "Nothing like that. I think that she-"

"You should... find shelter, friends," she continued, uneasily lifting her arm and nudging the sleeping pup gently.

The pup stirred on her lap, whining in annoyance before cracking open its vibrant, red eyes. It stared up at her curiously. The tribe leader sighed, taking the pup into its arms and placing it onto its back, before glancing back at Looks to the Moon. She was in a sorry state. She almost seemed to be staring right through it, trembling and struggling to stay upright. At least the overseer on her back was no worse for wear.

"I... my puppet... is failing. May not be... working... next... next cycle. I won't be... gone... just asleep once again. Thank you... for company, friend. "

Spines clasped a hand onto her shoulder, making her flinch slightly, but... she accepted the gesture. "I'm sorry... little leader. I wish I... could do more. Your charity... brought comfort to an... an old, lost soul."

"What's she saying now?"

Spines closed its eyes, feeling its pup climb up and peek over its shoulder.

"...She is grateful for our presence. But... soon, she will fall into a slumber that we will be unable to wake her from."

The distant rumble of rain emanated through the chamber. Moon shut her good eye, resignation filtering through her voice. "Go, now. Take... care of your... friends and pup."

Spines nodded, looking at her for a moment more before turning and leaving the chamber. Antlers is soon to follow, signing a goodbye to her before exiting out the pipe.

"...so, Spines, what are you gonna name your pup, anyways?" Antlers tilted his head in curiosity

It hummed, glancing at the pup resting on its shoulder. "...Moon Upon Lone Shore."

"That is... a good name."

[crystal scroll]

scags

[sweet ravine]

SCAV PUP

[tulip plume]

Read the new chapter this morning amazin

[warped swift]

SCAVVY BOIS AAAAAH-
just reading this amazing story and squealing over how good it is, don’t mind me

[glossy silo]

We love the scavs

https://media.discordapp.net/attachments/1099414400990970006/1162901646565703810/1137134234486714490.gif

[little schooner]

love the scav appreciation from all y'all <3

[glossy silo]

https://media.discordapp.net/attachments/1184257191746752583/1184269718362796052/8935Laptop.gif

Real video evidence of Angst Machine writing Disconnected (they were a scavenger all along) /j

[little schooner]

scav at heart ❤️

[little schooner]

Chapter 13: Erratic
[LIVE BROADCAST] - PRIVATE
No Significant Harassment, Seven Red Suns, Chasing Wind

NSH: Thank you for joining us on such short notice.

CW: Of course, you said it was urgent. What do you need?

SRS: What do you know about Erratic Pulse?

CW: ...*Sig*. Moon said to keep it quiet.

NSH: Circumstances, Moon collapsing, etcetera.
NSH: Besides, Suns was involved with getting the breeding program off the ground ~

CW: Oh. I see where this is going. I'll... share what I can.
CW: So... Erratic Pulse. He is active in the local Sliverist group, SliverOfOcean.

NSH: Hold on, *is*?

CW: Let me finish. He's been active for a long time, and posted a lot about wanting to cross himself out. Said he had a method to do it, too, before he went radio silent.
CW: From his most recent messages... It seems that he's already working on implementing it throughout his systems.

SRS: ...

NSH: Suns? You alright?

SRS: I... still can't believe he was in a Sliverist group. But I don't know how I didn't see it sooner. He always discussed his frustration to me, and I tried to be a good friend, but I was never good with words, and...
SRS: And...

CW: If it's any consolation, I do try my best to slow him down, even now. But I probably did not do enough, either.

SRS: You weren't the one to give him the information! The one to enable him to throw his- and his sister's- life away so easily!
SRS: And soon, he'll be gone forever in one way or another, and I've fucked up our relationship so badly that I won't even be able to say goodbye!

[little schooner]

NSH: Suns! Wind, too! Blaming yourselves won't do you any favors. Yeah, maybe you both were dumbasses, but Five Pebbles is currently the biggest dumbass in the local group!

SRS: Please don't speak of him like that.

NSH: Can't stop me, plus it's true. Besides, we have better things to focus on. For instance, the status of Moon. You have been following the messengers as I have been, right? Some of the footage in my logs seems to be from yours, at least.

CW: Messengers? What... what do you mean?

NSH: I'll send you their current coordinates. If you happen to have an overseer nearby, you can see for yourself.

CW: ...
CW: Pipe cleaners, I see. They are quite cute. Especially how they defend each other.

SRS: No they are not cute!

NSH: Not even a little? Come one, don't tell me that you haven't coo'ed at your messenger once!

SRS: ...we are getting off topic. We are sending the messengers to Moon's can. They have slag keys and... whatever message Sig decided to encode onto the pearl.

CW: So- wait. She isn't lost forever, then? Not left to the whims of Five Pebbles?

NSH: Nope, I am glad to say~
NSH: Though there is only so much our messengers can do. They don't exactly have access to the tools or data in our structure like we do, and we can't exactly guide them through with our overseers, seeing as...

CW: The whole place is practically under lockdown.

SRS: ...we wouldn't be able to follow them into the facility.

NSH: Nope! We'd just have to trust them to know where they're going. Hopefully they don't end up on Pebbles' can.

CW: Or stuck in the rain. I can only imagine his cycles of activity mean that the amount of time they can stay active is highly shortened.
CW: ...
CW: I had a really stupid idea.

NSH: We love stupid here~

CW: I may have to use your strategy, Sig, but... there's a spry, agile little pipe cleaner that could be of use, if it can make it to their facility in time.
CW: A little Rivulet, if you will.

[little schooner]

Chapter 14: Pulse
Five Pebbles' puppet stared at the projections on his chamber wall, finger tapping impatiently on his arm as he read them. He hadn't expected this... process... to take so long. How long had it been? 100 cycles? And the microbes had only gone through a third of his systems?!

He'd have to up production. Again. Reroute more resources into his laboratories.

A warning flashed in his mind. His laboratories were already operating above capacity, every available space being used for the breeding program.

Typical. Even more typical that he'd have to go through this whole process again, just for a chance at finally finding what he was looking for.

His puppet shuddered, closing the projections with a flick of his wrist. Too long. Too long. This was taking too long.

His mind wandered to the wisdom of his mentor for a moment. "Be patient, yet vigilant, they had said. "You never know when the next opportunity may show itself."

Pebbles thrusted the thought from his mind, huffing. Suns would never get it. They would never get what he was going through.

He needed out. Now. He was tired of waiting for-

A distant blast could be heard, sending chills down his puppet's spine. Why had he felt that... that fear, that regret? It...

It reminded him... of her.

Another boom. It was getting closer. An overseer was dispatched to the source of the noise, but that would take time.

What was this...? There shouldn't be anything on top of his structure, let alone near his chamber. Not at a time like this!

The third blast cracked audibly around his chamber. The overseer finally reached its destination, finding itself face-to-face with...

...was that a fucking pipe cleaner?

The creature stared at the overseer with its one good eye, before huffing at it, black smoke and white sparks coming from their mouth. They were... still getting closer to his chamber...!

[little schooner]

Nope, nope, nope, not happening. He tried to close the pipe to his access shaft, but it refused to listen. As the creature climbed down, past his murals, it cracked through the air with an explosive jump. His puppet tensed as they bounced off of the wall on the lowest level, ending up straight into his access shaft.

It was only just then that he noticed a strange object floating around their head. An object that he quickly recognized. His insides felt like they had sunk to the bottom of his can.

A malfunctioning citizen ID drone, one of his own, blinking back at him innocently.

He groaned, putting his hands to his face. Not this, anything but this...

Within moments, the pipe cleaner entered his chamber, filling the room with the stench of blood and sulfur. They stared at him for a long moment, studying him with narrowed eyes and the faintest glint of sparks from their mouth.

No Mark of Communication. No message, either. Likely not purposed, unless they were like S...

No. He pushed the thought back in his mind. It was useless to leave an explosive creature such as this in his structure. He'd have to deal with it. His own way.

In a moment, the ringing of the Mark echoed in his chamber, and the creature winced as they were bestowed the gift.

"...little ruffian," he hissed. "Your choice to come here, to me, was fruitless. I have found my way out of the cycle, but you? You are bound to it by a primal urge, one that even my divine influence cannot quench."

The creature gestured at him a bit, growling softly. He averted their eyes for the moment, instead focusing on his overseers' footage. It had been a while since he had actually checked them, but the world outside was... messy. Far too messy for his tastes. He was glad that he found himself in his chamber, safe and working away on his solution.

[little schooner]

His attention got grabbed, though, by footage of the pipe cleaner brutally attacking and killing a group of scavengers. He blinked. Something seemed familiar...

...right. Moon's own scavenger colony, that she had been oh so graciously taking care of. They were probably tearing through her structure right now, salvaging every last useful bit of her. If they weren't all dead.

He luckily didn't have the same issue with scavengers, as he had made it perfectly clear that his can would not be touched by their grubby paws. Didn't stop a few of them from trying.

...Moon's scavengers... He closed his eyes for a moment. Perhaps this was a mercy that he could grant the both of them.

"If you wish to continue your pattern of barbarity, then may I suggest directing it elsewhere. My sister to the east has recently collapsed, and I worry that the scavengers are ravaging through her systems as I speak, eating away at what little she has left. If you could be so kind as to take care of them, then perhaps we will have both gained something from this interaction."

The ruffian snorted in response, flicking its tail in the direction of the access shaft. Five Pebbles didn't wish it well on its journey, caring little for the warpath it would most certainly go on.

So long as Moon...

...Moon was...

He felt as if the heart of his structure stopped beating, if for just a moment. His puppet fell to the floor, pearls clinking and rolling around. He had never processed what had happened to her, not really. He couldn't afford distractions at the time; he had shut out the outside world completely, letting his shared tether to her get gnawed out by yellow lizards and sending out a broadband signal jammer.

But... she was... her can...

He straightened himself up. He... he couldn't dwell on her, not when he had more important business to attend to.

His chamber came back to life, pearls rising up once again as he resumed his work.

All for the greater good, he told himself.

[vague trail]

Good lord, popping out these chapters faster than i can read them

[little schooner]

Won’t be keeping up that pace anymore tbh, I have to start focusing on school

[crystal scroll]

triple chapter jumpscare

/pos

[warped swift]

damn it pebbles, why you have to be so… pebbles.
Also I am so happy to have my favorite two pipe cleaners added to the mix :D (riv and arti)

[little schooner]

thank you! (spoilers for future plans: ||i'm also planning on having gourmand, monk, and survivor appear, with saint and/or nightcat being more uncertain||)

[tulip plume]

The new chapters are great.

[robust shadow]

I just read this all. Wonderful writing, I must say.

[tardy pumice]

noting for myself for later- at ch 6

[tardy pumice]

i have

devoured this

delivious

[little schooner]

I hope you enjoyed your meal <3

[tardy pumice]

[little schooner]

you saw nothing

[tardy pumice]

https://tenor.com/view/lor-lord-of-the-rings-sauron-lord-sauron-the-great-eye-gif-17124185

[little schooner]

Chapter 15: Ebb
Spearmaster stared up at the ceiling of the shelter, ears flicking as they listened to the ambient sounds outside, as well as Spitfire's snoring. Their friend's slow, rhythmic breathing made them wish that they could sleep, themselves, especially since this shelter had no view of the outside world.

Ah well, there wasn't much to be helped. Spitfire had been a mighty fine companion so far, even if they needed to sleep. They certainly made the journey easier, and the extra hands allowed them to carry more between each shelter.

Spearmaster exhaled out of their nose, staring up at the ceiling of the shelter.

Suddenly, a flash of red caught the corner of their eye. They leapt back, forming a spear in their tail. However, before they could grab it, they let their body relax.

An overseer was simply staring back at them, unblinking eye gazing at them. Spitfire stirred lightly in their sleep, but merely curled in closer.

"Seven Red Suns?" Spearmaster signed in their shared language, tilting their head.

The overseer stared blankly for a moment, before it flashed a series of images beside them;

First, an image of intensifying rain.

Then, an image of an unfamiliar, blue creature.

Finally, a spliced image of Spitfire, this creature, and themselves, all looking at an iterator's can.

The images repeated a few times, before the overseer closed the projection, looking at Spearmaster.

"Will there be another one joining us on our mission?"

A moment. The overseer nodded. It once again flashed an image of rain, before flashing to the creature swimming adeptly underwater.

Spearmaster blinked. "The rain can't be that bad, surely. I've been through the area before, too." They thought for a moment. "Not that I wouldn't mind another, but I'd be concerned about food.”

Another image, this time a pile of fruits and other assorted snacks, ones that Spearmaster knew it couldn't eat.

[little schooner]

"Ah, I see. I suppose we'll be meeting up with them when we get to the facility?"

Another nod. Then, the image flickered for a moment, fading out before a new one took its place.

Spearmaster froze. It was...

"Hello, messenger," Seven Red Suns signed, the message coming through in slow, annotated pictures. "Are you seeing this?"

"Y...yes... sorry, I wasn't expecting this."

"It's okay. You read the overseer's projection well, even though they were just pictures. How fascinating."

Spearmaster furrowed their brow, tapping their foot on the floor. Their conversations with Spitfire floated around their mind. Perhaps now was the time to say some things. "...Can I ask about a few things? And say a few things?"

"About the mission?"

"No. More personal."

A long pause. "...okay, messenger, go ahead."

"Spearmaster. I go by Spearmaster now." Immediately, their mind filled with regret. They glanced down at the floor, not meeting the eyes of Suns' image.

"...Spearmaster? What an interesting choice for a name."

"It is a title, actually. Spitfire gave it to me. Apparently they have the title Hunter, themselves. You can say that you don't like it, that you'd prefer if I remain without a title." The last bit was signed with a hint of bitterness, their tail swaying slowly.

Suns' image stared blankly at them for a bit, unmoving, unchanging. "I'm sorry,” they finally signed, the motions more stiff.. “You may keep the title. Was there something else you wanted to talk about?"

Spearmaster stared blankly in turn. “Yes. A question… would you consider yourself my parent?”

Another long pause. Even longer than before. The overseer updated the image, and Spearmaster caught Suns looking to the side, one hand covering part of their face and the other reaching behind their head. The background of the image was also brighter, with their halo emitting bright, yellow sparks.

[little schooner]

Spearmaster pinned their ears back, balling their hands into fists. The question would have never crossed their mind if it weren't for Spitfire. They shot a glare to the resting slugcat. This conversation was all the fault of their feral traveling companion! With all of their feral mannerisms, and feral culture, and...

The projection shifted, and Spearmaster turned.

"Well..." Suns signed, antennae swiveled back. "...out of all the energy I put in to raising you, out of all of my processing power dedicated to ensuring your success... I never thought of our relationship as one akin to a parent and their child.

"However. Your questions have taken me by surprise, Spearmaster. When I first made you, I never expected that you would have an identity or questions for me beyond your purpose. I purposed you to send a message to a close friend of mine, no more, no less."

Spearmaster couldn't help but feel their gut drop. "A tool. Is that what I am to you?"

"No." The response was near immediate, the halo around them flaring up with emotion. A moment passed by, with Spearmaster staring at the projection as if it were a predator. Suns sighed, calming themselves. "...not like you think. Your job is very important to me, but I... I also want to see you return, safe and sound. I am doing everything in my power to ensure that. But with every passing cycle, I worry more and more that I'm sending you into a suicide mission.

"...Five Pebbles' torrential rains are reaching out into the Outer Expanse, Spearmaster. The area around his can is certainly becoming more inhospitable with every passing cycle. That's why I allowed an acquaintance of mine to send extra help. I already know that you are a capable messenger, but... I am still worried."

Spearmaster stared back at Suns, blinking, before signing back, “I understand.”

"Thank you, and... sorry." Without another word, the projection disappeared, leaving Spearmaster alone with a slumped overseer.

BONUS! (because i dont think this needs its own chapter lol)
[LOCAL BROADCAST] - PRIVATE
Seven Red Suns, No Significant Harassment

SRS: Hey, Sig, your messenger has another name.
SRS: "Hunter", apparently. Thought you should know.
SRS: Also, your messenger kindly gave my messenger the title "Spearmaster".

NSH: How in the bottom of the Void Sea did you figure those two things out?

SRS: Talked with my messenger, using an overseer. It was quite slow, but they were patient the whole time.
SRS: In unrelated news, I will now be referring to my messenger as Spearmaster, at least until I can come up with a better name.

NSH: Hah! I knew that little gremlin would grow on you!~
NSH: All seriousness, I should probably start using my messenger's actual name, shouldn't I?

SRS: Not necessarily. It seems that there is a distinction between a title and a name.
SRS: I should ask Spearmaster about that the next time we get to talk, though.

[tardy pumice]

imcrebible

[warped swift]

more spearmaster and srs lore delicious <33

[little schooner]

i am currently working on a moon reference (which includes dc'ed's moon)

[little schooner]

we ballin

[tardy pumice]

#downpour-meme-gallery★ message ballin?

[little schooner]

ballin

[robust shadow]

The little tilde that Iterators use when conveying specific messages. Wonderful.

[tulip plume]

I want to draw moon using that ref honestly

Also nice chapter

[little schooner]

go ahead tbh

[little schooner]

just credit me if you use the DC'ed AU version (idc so much about the other two versions since they're pretty faithful to the game, though the cloak design is mostly created by me)

[tulip plume]

Alright!

[little schooner]

Chapter 16: Flow
One Lost Eye entered into the chamber of the fallen god, where her leader Dark Spines Along Back often spent its cycles, in silence. Eye landed on the wet floor, her feet growing cold in the water. "Spines?" She signed, catching the leader's attention. "We have a problem."

The chieftain turned, revealing its blue pup clinging to its chest. "What's going on?"

The young elite glanced down at the pup, before shaking her head. "It is the Firemaker. News has come from the tribe in the garbage wastes that they are making their way towards our structure. They should be arriving within the cycle, if the messenger's desperation is to be believed."

"The Firemaker? I thought that we would be safe here on the water!" Spines held its pup closer, scratching at the ground worriedly.

"It seems as if they are determined to come here anyways. For what reason, I cannot say. What should we do?"

Spines closed its eyes, rubbing a hand on its pup. She purred in response, nuzzling into it. "...evacuate the westernmost rooms. Send elite patrols into those rooms. Attempt to lead them away. And, when all else fails, I will face them myself."

"You won't be evacuating yourself?"

"No." Spines shook its head. "I must protect my Moons."

"...alright. I will let the word out, then. I am assuming you will be staying here until the rains come?"

The leader nodded, cuddling into its pup. "I am growing old, anyways. If this is how I die, then it will be an honorable death. Let the rest of the tribe decide my successor, if it comes to it."

"If you say so. Stay safe, then, Spines. I will get the word out." With a nod, Eye jumped up the ladder, climbing through the exit and into the rest of the facility.

[little schooner]

Dark Spines Along Back watched the young elite leave. She reminded it of itself, back when it had just finished its training. Spry, young, unwaveringly loyal. Now, though, it had grown tired. If it didn't die this cycle, it wondered how much longer it would continue ruling. Perhaps until Moon Upon Lone Shore grew up?

...no, it didn't want to put that sort of pressure onto its pup. Spines pet the small creature on the head, and she looked back up with her big, vibrant eyes. It couldn't help but chuckle.

A distant explosion shook through the structure. Spines' head shot up. The Firemaker must have arrived. Carefully, Spines removed Shore from its chest, turning and placing it onto Looks to the Moon. She clung onto her cloak, whining weakly. Her overseer Iggy stared blankly at the pup. The fallen god herself did not stir, had not stirred for a good few cycles.

Another explosion. They were getting closer. Spines reached for an explosive spear, but hesitated. It didn't want to accidentally hurt Moon or Shore, and explosive spears were prone to send shrapnel everywhere. It sighed, instead collecting a few ordinary spears and a charged coil spear.

A loud blast could be heard from one side of the wall, cracks forming. Spines readied the charged spear, eyes narrowed on the pipe entrance.

However, they weren't expecting for the wall in front of them from blasting open, sending rubble and dust in all directions. Spines shielded its eyes, taking a step back and bracing itself.

In the cloud of dust, a burning silhouette emerged, sparks emanating from the figure's mouth as the stench of sulfur and smoke filled Spines' lungs. Their one eye shone with malice, staring straight into its soul. They stared at each other for a moment, uncertainty seeping into Spines' mind. It glanced back at the two Moons, though, and felt a surge of determination. The Firemaker's reign of terror ended here.

[little schooner]

The Firemaker pulled back their arm, a glint of red catching the chieftain's eye. No. Not like this.

Spines slung its charged spear straight at the Firemaker, managing to hit the grenade in its opponent's hand. The resulting explosion sent both of them to their knees. Spines was quick to recover, grabbing a spear from its back as it ignored the ringing in its ears.

It bounded forward in the direction of the threat, spear arm raised with the intention stabbing the Firemaker into the ground. However, before it could make contact, Firemaker slapped their tail on the ground, sending Spines into the air with a concussive blast. In its daze, it felt one of its armor pieces fall off, a wave of panic rushing down its spine.

Spines managed to land on its feet, sliding gently into a wall. It grabbed another spear from its back, but it had no target to throw to with the dust that was being kicked up. Suddenly, a spear careened through the air towards its head, and it barely managed to duck out of the way. However, the sizzling from behind it did not bode well, and all it could do was attempt to dive out of the way before being sent tumbling across the ground.

Not like this.

A second armored plate hit the ground as it rolled onto its feet. It could see the Firemaker's mouth glinting in the lantern light. As fast as it could, it threw the spear directly into their face.

But it was too late. A bomb hit them square in the chest, sending it directly into the wall. Its last armor plate cracked and fell, and as it tried to grab for its final spear, it felt the weapon be removed from its back. It stared up at the Firemaker, helpless as they raised the spear above their head in preparation for the killing blow.

Not like this.

Spines winced, giving a mental apology to its two Moons as it prepared to die.

[little schooner]

However, the blow never came. Spines cracked open its eyes, just a bit, and was horrified to see Shore, standing in between it and the sparking Firemaker. It tried to reach out for her, but the maroon menace planted their spear in between them, hissing and flaring out their nostrils.

They then lowered themselves to her level, narrowing their good eye at the pup. Uneasily, Shore reached out to touch Firemaker's face. They winced back for a moment, before reluctantly accepting the gesture. Shore rubbed their face for a bit, eventually reaching up to feel the slugcat's scarred eye. She then pointed at Moon, before covering one of her own eyes.

Firemaker got up, looking at the motionless puppet. They shot a glare at Spines, before approaching Moon. Spines quickly took the opportunity to protect Shore, holding her under its injured body as its attention was between checking her for injuries and keeping an eye on the menace.

Iggy began to shake, presumably in fear, as Firemaker looked over the puppet. They sniffed her, before their nose wrinkled and they let out a sputtering cough. They then lifted up her arms, which readily fell back down to her side. Finally, they examined her face. They stared at her broken eye for a long moment before touching their own, scarred eye.

They glanced back at Spines and Shore, narrowing their eye as they saw the chieftain shield the pup. The two stared at each other for a long while, the Firemaker's eye shifting to look over the pathetic scene.

Finally, Firemaker growled, kicking up a spear lying on the ground into their hands. "Spare you," they signed, using sloppy, yet snappy, scavsign. "Care for family." They pointed at Shore, then Moon. "God needs shelter. Injury. Rain bad. I take God shelter near. No stop me."

They picked up Looks to the Moon over their shoulders, before snapping their tail and careening out back the way they came.

Spines rolled over onto its back, exhausted. Shore patted it on the head before hugging it.

[tardy pumice]

[robust shadow]

As one who believes the Artificer is redeemable, I love seeing her somewhat make peace with her past.

Even if that truce is made only to save a dying goddess, a common friend.

[little schooner]

Chapter 17: Intersection
"Deep in the night, the creatures crawl,
Away from the downpours that haunt them all,
Escaping from fate, from the gods up above,
The only thing left is their panic and love."

"Quite inspired, Cobble!" a hefty slugcat laughed heartily as they walked, spear in hand. "There's a reason why we call you the Poet!"

The small, grey slugcat averted their gaze for a moment, wringing their hands. "Oh- ah, thank you, Gourmand," they replied eventually.

A bit a ways behind, someone scoffed. Gourmand turned, tilting their head.

"How much longer until we find a place suitable for the colony?" A dark blue slugcat with an even darker green pup narrowed their eyes at the leader. "It's been cycles since we left. How much farther do we need to go out from the god-machines?"

"Patience, Twilight. I want to make absolute sure that where we choose to settle is safe from the rain and has a stable food supply. We don't want to get caught by downpours or famine, after all."

Poet tugged on Gourmand, taking their attention away once again. They pointed up, through the trees, and saw...

...two figures, bathed in light from one of the glowing tree lamps. Gourmand bristled lightly, crouching down and readying their spear. The other slugcats followed, with the younger, weaker ones cowering behind their brethren.

The smaller, purple one hopped down, using the tree's trunk to slow their descent. Eventually, they rolled to a stop a ways away from the party, staring at the group with big, white eyes. Gourmand's eyes widened. They had seen this one before. They could recognize that strange tail anywhere. They arched their back, eyes narrowing.

However, they were caught off guard when the purple slugcat began to sign in a way they could understand.

"...hello again," they said, bowing their head. "It has been a while, hasn't it?"

[little schooner]

The other slugcat, this one a more salmon color, came up next to them with a strange, glowing object in hand. "You know this guy?" They asked, putting their spear on their back.

"We met before, on my first journey to Five Pebbles."

Gourmand's ear flicked, before they straightened up. "A messenger for the god-machines. I should've guessed, based on your appearance." They waved down their entourage, and many of the traveling slugcats put down their spears, instead taking to stare curiously at the strangers. "I'm sorry for our previous, unkind actions towards you. We didn't mean to anger them."

The purple one shrugged. "I was a stranger to you, I didn't speak your language, and I hadn't seen my own kind in such large groups before. I understand." They approached the hefty slugcat, nodding. "I am Spearmaster, by the way."

"Gourmand. And what about your friend?"

"I'm Spitfire. Wait," the pink one said. "What do you mean by 'anger them'?"

Gourmand blinked. "The god-machine Five Pebbles began to produce a lot more rain after you left. At first we managed, but eventually the torrential downpours reached the site of our colony. We had to leave, and right now we are trying to find a place to settle our roots."

"Figures," the two travelers signed together, glancing at one another.

Spearmaster scratched their chin, before looking over at their compatriot. "Spitfire, you were once in a colony, right? Do you remember anywhere that would work for these guys?"

"Hmm... not particularly? I mean, there was that huge tower that we walked past. The air around it felt warmer than usual, and there were plenty of shelters."

"I know what you're talking about. On my return journey back, I decided to climb it. The communication tower reaches above the clouds, and although I had to deal with a few cyan and orange lizards, the view from the top was well worth it."

"I'm not sure if my people are prepared to climb up so high," Gourmand said. "And the lizards have me worried."

[little schooner]

"You don't have to climb," Spitfire replied. "The base of the structure didn't experience lethal rain when we were there, and there was plenty of food around, not to mention plenty of safe places to rest at night. We had our picking of shelters when we passed by, didn't we?"

Spearmaster nodded. "The tower is to the west, and a bit north. It took us about 10 cycles for us to get here, though we're going on a fast pace, so it may take longer for your colony to make the journey."

"Thanks for the tip. You know, despite first impressions, you two seem like mighty fine slugcats. Where are you heading to, anyways?"

"Making a special delivery for the god-machines," Spitfire replied, turning the green object in their hand. "We're giving this to Looks to the Moon, it's supposed to help her."

"Are you sure you want to go there? Her structure has collapsed, not to mention the lethal rains from Five Pebbles in the area."

Spearmaster shrugged. "It's our mission. We'll find a way to get it done. Besides," they glanced up at a red overseer, who was pointing impatiently in the direction of a shelter. "We have to get going. From what I understand, the situation is time sensitive. Don't worry so much about us."

"Alright. Oh- one more thing." They wringed their hands together nervously for a moment. "I don't know if this is too much to ask of you all, but two adolescents got lost during the migration. I worry that they found their way inside of the walls, where the rains have been the worst. If they're still alive, could you help them get back to us? Their parents are worried sick about them."

Spearmaster hesitated, but Spitfire nodded readily. "Of course. We'll keep an eye out. What are their names?"

"The white one is Cotton, while the yellow one is Banana. Either way, I wish you two good luck on your journey. May your shelters shield from the rain."

"You too, Gourmand!" The two messengers then parted ways from the migrating colony. Perhaps their paths would cross again.

[robust shadow]

Tell me to delete this if I interrupted the story, but Banana Monk.

Banana scug my beloved!

[crystal scroll]

Another tablet joins my growing collection. Like each one before it, it shines brightly, singing with LORE- perhaps even more so than the others. I greedily consume it, savoring each word, each second of the new LORE. I can't describe it, but nothing else gives me quite the same feeling as a new fragment of LORE. Especially this one, which connects so much. Now I must continue my search.

(/vvpos, of course!)

[little schooner]

yknow, for a lttm centered au, there hasnt been as much lttm as ive wanted

[lime niche]

Real /j

[little schooner]

nah yeah, i'll try to get to the point (and maybe actually plan my chapters in advance a bit just so i dont go into a tangent for 20 more chapters before we get to what the point of all of this is)

[lime niche]

Makes sense

[little schooner]

does a 7 chapter tangent sound reasonable

[robust shadow]

I must consume more.

7 will suffice.

[little schooner]

Chapter 18: Barrier (note: spoilered text = text arti can't understand)
Stupid, stupid, stupid. How could they let a stupid scavenger pup get to them? They should've killed it right on the spot, just to teach them a lesson.

...but they didn't, and now they were carrying the body of a god-machine into a shelter. Great.

Artificer cracked their tail against the floor, flying through the air. They grabbed a pole with their free hand, before struggling up onto it. Goodness, she was heavy on their back.

They heard footsteps scrape across the damp floor. They glared down, finding the scavenger chieftain, the one that they should have killed. They were holding a lantern in one hand and the pup in the other, but otherwise appeared unarmed.

"What I say?" they signed, hissing.

"I am in no ||shape to|| stop you," the chieftain replied, meeting their gaze. "I ||wish to|| help you, and ||make sure that conflict doesn't happen|| between you and my people. I don't want harm ||to come to Moon|| if a fight ||breaks|| out."

Artificer scoffed. "Okay. You lead. If attacked, you die. No test me." They jumped over to an adjacent pole, perching precariously as they waited for the injured scavenger to climb up.

The chieftain gave them a look, before limping over to the wall and pulling itself up. It sure did seem to recover quickly. Either that or it was running on adrenaline and a need to protect the god-machine.

Nonetheless, they quickly followed behind as they entered a crawl space. The pup clamored onto the chieftain's back, staring back at them with big, beady eyes. Eventually, it waved at them as they moved forward.

"Hmph. No fear," they mused in their native language. They couldn't help but chuckle a little bit, adjusting their grip on the puppet. "You remind me of someone I used to know."

The scavenger pup tilted its head, before mimicking the motions Artificer did, quietly giggling.

Perhaps there was more to the scavengers than their barbarity…

[little schooner]

Soon, the three of them found the shelter just outside of the blown open god-machine's chamber without incident. The chieftain entered into the pipe first, then Artificer followed behind.

No weapons, no tricks. This was, in fact, an ordinary shelter. Sighing, Artificer placed down the resting god onto the wall. The overseer at her side seemed bemused by the whole situation, shaking as it looked around.

Suddenly, the shelter door began to close behind them. Artificer hissed, turning and attempting to jam the pipe back open, but it wouldn't budge.

They growled, snapping their head to look at the chieftain and pup that were, evidently, in the shelter with them.

"I no want you. Too fast. Still feel pain." They tightened their grip on their spear, barring their teeth.

"I agree, ||Firemaker||, but ||for now|| we are stuck ||together||. I do not ||desire a|| fight. I ||believe a|| truce is ||in order||."

A moment passed between them. "...okay. Care for family. Care for God. Let cycle pass."

"She has a name. Do you ||wish to|| know it?"

"...I do not know God name, or your name, or your family name."

"What... oh. Alright. The god's name is Looks to the Moon, or Moon. I am Dark Spines Along Back, or Spines. And my pup is Moon Upon Lone Shore, or Shore. What about you?"

They snorted. "I do not know sign in your speak. In my speak, I am Artificer."

Spines repeated the unfamiliar sign, before shaking its head. "We call you Firemaker. Your story has gone far, you know. I wouldn't ||be surprised|| if the tribes ||beyond the walls|| knew of you, ||especially|| seeing as you have ||forged quite the|| war||path||.

"Your story is a ||cautionary tale||, in my eyes. Not ||every|| pearl is ||worth|| the hunt, and sometimes you must let ||transgressions slide|| if it means less trouble ||in the future||."

[little schooner]

"I hurt you. Why let me go easy?"

"||The actions of || my kind hurt you, too. ||It doesn't excuse|| the slaughter of countless scavenger lives ||in your wake||, but I understand what you are going through, and ||I believe that|| you can still turn your life around. You did spare me once you saw my little Shore." It scratched behind the eartler of the pup as she snuggled into its body. "So, there is ||hope yet|| that you can repair ||your reputation||, at least with my tribe. I do not speak for others, though. Others may not ||be so ready to|| put differences aside."

Artificer stared at it for a moment, stared at what they had previously thought would forever be their mortal enemy. They wanted to be enraged. They wanted to throw the spear directly in between the scavenger's eyes and be done with all of this. But... their gaze fell onto the resting pup on Spines' chest.

Life wasn't fair, for any of them. Not for them, not for the scavengers, not even for the god-machines. They glanced over at Moon, their gaze softening. It had been a long while since they had taken care of another creature, but they couldn't help but feel parental instincts overpower their rage at the scavengers.

"...Moon injured. I help?"

Spines blinked. "Help? how?"

"I heal." They approached the resting god-machine, bowing their head. Artificer grabbed the faded, light orange cloak she still had on, examining it. "...I take this, break part of it. Place on eye, help heal eye. Better. Yes?"

Without exchanging another word, Artificer tore into the fabric with their teeth, cutting a significant portion off the bottom of the cloak. They examined the cloth for a moment, before reaching out and tying it tightly to her face.

Spines just stared at them, blinking. "...I mean, I suppose that is ||an improvement||. Though we also need to get her ||neurons|| from her room and bring them here. They're important for her."

"Next cycle," Artificer replied, stretching and yawning.

[crystal scroll]

Like all the others, the tablet is inscribed with line upon line of text, history, LORE- the LORE that I crave so dearly, that vanishes in mere seconds, consumed by my eager eyes. I read it over and over until my mind resounds with each chord that the letters of the shining LORE set humming, continuing the song set forward by the tablets I've already found. This will do. Yes. This will do very well.

(I hope this should go without saying, but /vvpos as always!)

[sweet ravine]

God i love LORE

And god I love this story!

[little schooner]

thank you <3

[tardy pumice]

I crave this now thanks

and a DOUBLE FEATURE to boot

[robust shadow]

I hunger.

In wake of my obsession, I am now awaiting further servings.

[warped swift]

HAHSGDFD LITTLE SHORE IS SO CUTE OH MAH GOSH—
also artificer is so well written here like WHAT- hhhhhhhh /vpos

[little schooner]

<3

nothing to see here

[little schooner]

Chapter 19: Estuary
"You know, I'm going to miss the views we get out here," Spearmaster signed, leaning on one of the branches of the glow tree as their eyes followed the river below. They ignored the movements of an unfamiliar purple overseer in the middle distance. "The flora and fauna are beautiful here in the expanse, and you can see further than you can in an iterator's facility ground. Although, it is hard to beat the view above the clouds."

Spitfire shrugged, scratching their back. "You really are one for aesthetics, huh?"

"I suppose I am." Spearmaster snorted humorously. "What about you? What do you appreciate?"

"Hm... community. And a good, hearty meal." Spitfire chuckled. "After all, two is better than one, right?"

Spearmaster straightened up, ear twitching. "Movement," they signed, narrowing their gaze at the shifting jungle below. They caught a flash of bright blue, followed by the same overseer from before.

"Ugh, I really don't feel like dealing with another lizard today," Spitfire groaned, grabbing a spear off their back.

Spearmaster just leaned forward, though, trying to get a better look. It was certainly moving faster than a normal blue lizard, and it certainly wasn't a scavenger. Perhaps it was-

The red overseer popped up next to them, causing them to jump. "Do not scare me!" they signed. Spitfire couldn't help but laugh.

The red overseer stared unblinking at them for a moment, before it flashed the third karma symbol, pointing down into the undergrowth.

Spearmaster sighed. "Is that our agile ally?" they asked in their native sign.

The overseer took a long moment to respond, but it eventually gave Spearmaster a curt nod.

Spitfire squinted at the two of them. "What? Is there not a lizard trying to eat our collective faces?"

"No. They are-"

"Friends!"

Spearmaster and Spitfire flinched, staring at the frilled slugcat that had stuck their head out from under the tree branch.

[little schooner]

"Hi! It's so nice to meet you! I'm Jet!"

Spearmaster signed an uncertain greeting, while Spitfire let out a hand to help them up. However, Jet simply clamored up the branch on their own without issue.

"You two look so cool! Especially you!" Jet gestured towards Spearmaster's tail, which shifted uncomfortably. "I'm sure we're gonna be great friends!"

"Wow... you have... a lot of energy," Spearmaster said, holding a hand to their head.

"I personally welcome it, if it means we have some speed when the rains intensify." Spitfire let out their hand again, tilting their head. "Anyways, I'm Spitfire. Welcome to this dangerous mission! How much do you know?"

"Oh! Lots!" Jet hopped in place a bit, causing the branch they were all on to shift. Still ignoring Spitfire's hand. "We're bringing stuff to Looks to the Moon, right? She's very far away from my home, but that's okay. A lot of things are far away, and I haven't let that stop me before!"

"Do you have anything with you to give to her?" Spearmaster asked. "Or will you just be joining us to help us traverse the water?"

"Right. Right! I have this!" In a moment, Jet had pulled a celadon pearl from their stomach pouch, turning it in their hand. "I don't know what it says, but apparently it's a message for Moon!"

"Another one? Well, I suppose you came from a different iterator than Spitfire or I."

Jet's eyes lit up. "Ooh, Grey Wind? She's so cool! She told me that if I go on this adventure for her, I'd make her feel better!"

"That's all...? Alright. Not my business to ask." Spitfire shrugged. "Welcome to the team, Jet."

"Thanks! Let's go!" Without another word, Jet leapt off of the tree, sliding down the side and rolling into the undergrowth below.

Spitfire shrugged, following behind, leaving Spearmaster to ponder for a moment. Jet seemed like quite a handful... but their speed could carry them through areas the group couldn't previously. Sighing, Spearmaster slid down the tree, towards their companions below.

[robust shadow]

I have been fed.

I will now hibernate until the next lovely serving.

[little schooner]

wait how do you already have monk you've only been in this server for a week (not judging, just curious)

[robust shadow]

Activity.

[little schooner]

fair enough

[robust shadow]

Must be either luck or some other factor.

[little schooner]

you're probably active in the general channels lol

[robust shadow]

Yes.

It’s the only one that’s decently active and chaotic enough for me that I’ve found.

[tardy pumice]

[robust shadow]

B, f, and three of h. What could this mean?

[crystal scroll]

This tablet positively glows with power. It hums with a different frequency, a different voice, than the rest. The bright LORE that fills it pulses faster, stronger. I am energized just watching it, but mere observation is not enough. Line after line is consumed as I allow the LORE to beat within me- and when I move, I sprint with the same energy described in the text. Yes. Yes! But this is not done yet. I will have more. Each tablet bringing me further into this world, anchoring me yet more deeply. A few more and I could almost disappear into it- but these are mere fragments, incomplete shards. I am not ready, yet. But I am close, so close...

(Like always, /vvpos!)

[warped swift]

JET- JET MY CHILD
AWASBSGAGSGFDFGD /VPOS

[neon kestrel]

Ooo we're up to date now

We really love the scaggler characterisation in this

[little schooner]

Chapter 20: Nexus
Progress to be gained, progress to be had. There was already so much that had been done, but there was also so much left to do. Why was it that the cycles seemed to pass slower for him, even though he had already experienced so much? Why were the days and nights dragging on, as if to keep him chained to his can?

Five Pebbles closed his eyes, rubbing his puppet's head. Was it merely his perception of time changing as he reached closer to his goal?

Or was there something wrong?

He hadn't let the question cross his mind for a long while, not ever since his sister collapsed. He had to do everything right. There was literally no other option for him. It was either he escaped this hell he was given... or he made it worse for himself.

His eyes shot open as his gaze shifted to the access shaft leading to his General Systems Bus. Small, bluish particles, barely perceptible even for his advanced lenses, began to filter in through the pipe. He felt his puppet tighten.

He knew that these modified bits of him were his ticket to salvation, that they would lead him to the ultimate fate that his creators had barred him from. However, he couldn't help but shift his puppet away from the swarm, a primal fear bubbling up in him.

Why was he scared? They had gone through him without a problem so far, with barely even an ache from the modified systems!

Resisting his urges, he moved the puppet closer to the growing cloud of microbes, reaching his hand into it.

They clung to his skin, coating it in a greyish-blue color. He brought his hand to his face, examining them close-up as they worked. Tiny, blue tendrils stuck themselves into his skin, although it did nothing more than provide an uncomfortable tickling sensation that shuddered through his body.

There was no going back, now. Not that there was when he started on this path.

[little schooner]

He rested silently in the center of the room, feeling the microbes make their way up his arm. He felt some begin to probe deeper, causing his artificial hypodermis to harden automatically. It took some effort to relax his body's natural defense mechanism, effort that he exerted anxiously in order to avoid damage.

Deeper, and deeper, and deeper they went, into the depths of his puppet. It was only a small part of his whole, but the occasion filled him with both hope and dread. Hope, hope for his work to finally be over... and yet.

There was still that doubt that plagued his mind. None of this seemed right. It felt almost too easy-

Suddenly, a jolt of searing pain rang out from his chest. The puppet fell to the floor, pearls clanking into his body as he seized from the sudden shock. He couldn't help but let out a pained, quiet groan. It felt as if he was choking, as if his insides would spill out from his can and coat the surrounding facility in organo-mechanical gore.

It burned... all of him burned... why did it all burn?! It was only his puppet... only his puppet...

The smell of rotting metal and flesh and plastics reached his olfactory sensors. He stole a glance at his body, but he wished that he hadn't.

It was... his puppet's mini rarefaction cell. Intended to supplement power from his arm and keep him operational in case of emergencies. But now?

His special blue microbes had burrowed through its weakened protective shielding, through his own erratic pulse, causing sparks to fly and void fluid to leak. Mechanical warnings ached in his mind as he watched little, yellowed pieces of him drip out of his chest cavity and onto the chamber floor.

His salvation... his desire... it was...

He steeled himself, rolling onto his arm and struggling to get up. No. No. He wouldn't let one faulty component doom him to failure. He lifted the damaged puppet up, letting it hang limply as pearls lifted into the air around it.

He couldn't afford to fail again.

[hardy flicker]

I'd just like to know, How do you write all this within a day?

[tardy pumice]

hyperfixations be like that

[little schooner]

yeah

somewhere in between these emojis rn lol

saw that message, yeah youre right

simultaneously, calculus homework

[robust shadow]

Yet another serving! This one allowed me to last some time. Back to the shelter I go.

[idle falcon]

Consuming this story like the Rot bouta consume Pebbles

I NEED MORE JET

[crystal scroll]

_Another one! Twenty fragments of LORE, twenty shards of something larger. Twenty, twice ten, five by four. The limit to my storage. I stow the final one and return to my chamber, my pulse racing.

I take out each tablet and array them on my mind's walls, the first beating, the second echoing, the third resounding in my ears. The words whisper, sing, roar, scream. Even before I have laid out the last tablet I can already feel the buzzing of the radiant LORE on my skin. I hold great power now, but I could have so much more. I must continue searching, seeking out piece after broken piece until the puzzle is finally complete. And what then? I do not know._

(/vvpos!)

[little schooner]

quick question, do you have an iterator oc?

[crystal scroll]

no

[little schooner]

may i try my hand at making you one

(like the design)

[crystal scroll]

making me one? yeah I would love it

[little schooner]

hell yeah

[little schooner]

perms to dm you?

[crystal scroll]

all good

[little schooner]

cool

[warped swift]

pebbles you effed up now boyo

(so good)

[tardy pumice]

[little schooner]

nothingg to see here

[little schooner]

Chapter 21: Destination
Cycle 0: The rains were coming down fast and hard, even as we approached the retaining wall. My previous method of scaling it wasn't feasible, so we had to find another way around.

Luckily, Seven Red Suns found another way around. There's a chasm in the earth that led us to a gate into the Outskirts of the facility. That's good, I was concerned that we'd have to go through the farm arrays. With the short cycles, I doubt that the rain deer would be very cooperative. However, what concerns me is that their overseer is no longer guiding us.

I'm writing this on the wall of the first shelter we came across in the facility. It seems like a momentous enough occasion to warrant this message. If you are capable of reading this, hello. You are not the first to travel through here, nor will you likely be the last.

My traveling companions are stirring, now. The shelter will probably open up soon. Hopefully, we will have more time this cycle.
-Signed, Spearmaster

---

Cycle 1: We did not have more time this cycle. We could barely get enough food to sustain ourselves before the rain began to pelt down. It doesn't help that I am unfamiliar with this area, as I spent most of my time on the western side of the facility the last time I was here. It isn't like it will get much better as we go on, though. The only thing we can do is to keep moving forward.

However, I noticed something strange this cycle. A yellow overseer started to follow us around today. I believe they're supposed to belong to Looks to the Moon, although I wonder why this one is still working. Perhaps her systems aren't as damaged as they appear...

For her sake, I hope that's the case.
-SM

[little schooner]

Cycle 3: After some trial and error, we have made it into the Industrial Complex. That yellow overseer has started to help us... I think. It has started to point us forward with a little Looks to the Moon projection. However, the paths that it suggests aren't always the most intuitive or accessible, especially with our time constraints.

Nonetheless, its presence has filled me with some hope, that maybe despite everything, she is okay. It'll be worth it to know, either way.
-SM

---

Cycle 7: I bear bad news this cycle. We suffered a shelter failure just before entering the Garbage Wastes. It wouldn't be such a big deal, except that Spitfire had left their medicine out and it got wet. When we realized what happened, Spitfire just... stared down at the ruined container. It was supposed to last them the entire journey, but now? They have no access to treatment for their strange skin lesion. The best they can do now is keep it dry - easier said than done, given the circumstances.

I want to hit Five Pebbles with the blunt no, sharp end of a needle, for causing this much pain to my companion and friend. It feels like he caused this, even though it's just a fault of the shelter. Though, he's definitely causing the rain.

We need to get moving.
-SM

---

Cycle 12: Remind us to never go through Garbage Wastes again. The scavengers, the garbage worms, the Rot, the acid... it was such a miserable experience. I don't think I'll be getting the stench out of my skin any time soon.

Spitfire tried their hand at talking with some of the scavengers at the toll we passed, but there wasn't really enough time to get much information. They did say, however, that Looks to the Moon has scavengers that live on her can. I do not look forward to meeting them.
-SM

---

Cycle 16: We're close. On the way to this shelter, we caught a glimpse of her structure through the fog. I hope that we didn't come all the way here for nothing. Wish us good luck from the future, I suppose.
-SM

[little schooner]

i lied

[warped swift]

AW SHOOT, SPITFIRES ON A TIMER NOW-
I love ur choice of telling the story through logs from characters as well as just writing it down

[tardy pumice]

AUGH I LOOKED AWAY CAUSE I WAS WRITING

devouring this now

https://tenor.com/view/art-eaten-art-eat-art-eaten-consumed-gif-3964616362436141214

[robust shadow]

Spearmaster the insomniac.

[little schooner]

Edgy boy alert

[crystal scroll]

peb!!

[little schooner]

oog

shh

you saw nothing

[lime niche]

Sure

[robust shadow]

Sure.

[little schooner]

stop bullying me

[sweet ravine]

ok

[tardy pumice]

[warped swift]

I see typing 👀

[little schooner]

yes

[robust shadow]

Creature of steel…

[little schooner]

Chapter 22: Enlightenment
Spitfire looked upon the structure, eyes scanning it up and down. Unlike No Significant Harassment's structure, which had been high and mighty above the clouds, Looks to the Moon's structure was rusting, dilapidated, and very much under the clouds. Even if it was still massive, even if it still gave a strained hum and a disparate puff of steam here and there, Spitfire was keenly aware as they went ahead that the group was about to enter the corpse of a god.

They braced for anything when entering the structure. Braced to find it crumbled, inaccessible, utterly demolished.

However, they weren't expecting the warm glow of scavenger lamps and a clear, expansive, albeit waterlogged hall that reminded them of Sig's own insides. It was almost sickening, to know that this was all once her, but now it was nothing more than a shelter for scavengers.

"I do not like this place," Spearmaster said, coming up beside Spitfire. "We should travel carefully."

"But not too carefully, if we want to make it to Looks to the Moon this cycle!" Jet stuck out their tongue, before diving into the water below.

Spearmaster glanced at Spitfire, and Spitfire at Spearmaster, before the two of them shrugged, jumping off after their aquatic companion.

Room after room, the group grew increasingly restless. The overseer that had been guiding them pushed them forward, flicking around the chambers. They were all surprised by how put-together the structure was, how un-damaged it seemed. If it weren't for the water at their feet and the roots growing out of the ceiling, they would have guessed that she was meant to be built here, in this exact configuration. It was... surreal.

Jet hopped into yet another pipe, before backing out again, eyes wide.

"Scavengers. In the next room. I don't think they noticed me... yet."

"How many?" Spearmaster asked.

"...only a few. We should be able to sneak past th-"

[little schooner]

The pipe burst to life, and out popped the head of a scavenger, blue eyes staring directly at Jet. Jet arched their back, backing up into Spearmaster.

Spitfire stepped to the side, shakily signing in scavsign. "We. Are. Peace."

The scavenger narrowed its eyes, before signing back. "Why are you here?"

Spitfire thumped their leg, trying to find the words. "We travel... injury friend. Help friend. Where friend?"

The scavenger blinked, before motioning them to follow, exiting through the pipe.

"Should we trust them?" Jet asked, hesitant.

Spearmaster shrugged. "Do we have a choice? It's either this, or find another way around, or fight our way through."

"And I don't wish to fight them," Spitfire replied, stepping forward. "Follow them it is."

So, the group entered through the pipe, noticing the scavenger they met speaking with others.

"...we trust them?" It asked, Spitfire picking up in the middle of the conversation. "We don't know who their friend is. For all we know, this could be ||a trap||."

A brown scavenger responded, *"We can always take them to ||Spines||! I know ||it's recovering|| from its bout with Firemaker, but it ||might be best to|| have it decide." *

"Also," a masked one with a scarred eye continued. "*Seeing them here, it looks like ||at least|| one of them is ||purposed||. Which means that ||another god-machine could be involved||!" *

The first scavenger sighed. *"Alright. We will take them to ||Spines||. Who knows, maybe Firemaker will be there too, and they can help ||translate for us||." *

Spitfire furrowed its brow, trying to fill in the gaps in their vocabulary, but was simply ushered along by the scavengers, who now more or less surrounded them as they walked.

"I am beginning to have my doubts," Spearmaster signed as they balanced on a pole. "There is a chance that Looks to the Moon is damaged beyond reviving."

"A bit too late to turn back, now," Spitfire sighed.

[little schooner]

The trio was led through the maze of the superstructure, and eventually into a room... that looked a lot like a puppet chamber. Except that one of the walls was blown out, and a part of the ceiling had collapsed onto the arm.

Atop the rubble of her arm, then, an ornately masked and armored scavenger sat, seeming to be talking with a maroon slugcat.

"I not say I know the ||jellyfish|| idea work, but it's worth a try." they signed.

"No, I am not ||electrocuting|| her-" the masked scavenger replied, before its attention turned to the incoming group. The other slugcat also turned, revealing quite the gnarly scar on their eye that made Jet wince. "Oh, what do we have here?" it asked.

"Three ||visitors, Spines||," the one-eyed elite replied, narrowing its gaze at the group. *"They said that they were here to help an injured 'friend'." *

Spines glanced at the slugcat, as if asking them to translate. With a huff, they asked, "What is it that you want? Who is this 'friend' you speak of?"

"We're here... to deliver a few things to Looks to the Moon." Spearmaster glanced at the pile of rubble that they were standing on, expression saddening. "However, if her puppet chamber is like this-"

The slugcat signed something unintelligible, causing the scavengers to perk up, before continuing, "She is asleep, unable to be woken up. I moved her to a shelter a good few cycles ago, so she doesn't get rained on, but otherwise, your delivery would be for naught."

Jet scoffed. "As if! We have something to save her! Spitfire?"

Spitfire sighed, pulling the slag reset keys from their stomach pouch. As much as it pained them to lose the medicine, at least it allowed them to use two hands for the remainder of the journey. They looked at the green neuron, before letting it float beside them. "Slag reset keys," they said. "They're supposed to help. In what way, I do not know. But the god-machines told us to bring them to her."

[little schooner]

"Messengers, then?" the stranger asked.

Spearmaster blinked. However, something was on their mind. "Yes, we are messengers, but... you said that you... brought Looks to the Moon to a shelter?"

"Where else would we put her? It wasn't like we could just leave her here."

Spearmaster furrowed their brow. Spitfire placed a hand on their shoulder, but it didn't stop them from saying, "She is supposed to be in here! She has to stay connected to her umbillical and her arm, or else she'll die!"

"She was broken off of both of them when I found her." They turned to Spines, asking "Did you ||break her off||?"

Spines shook their head. "She was like that when we found her again. I think ||the only reason|| why she wasn't asleep when we found her was because her ||overseer|| was with her."

"So, no. She was found like that. And she was awake for some time, too."

Spearmaster's eyes went wide. "That doesn't sound right. She's... her puppet is supposed to stay in here. All of the iterators are supposed to stay in their chambers! What if she's gone?!"

"Do not panic yet. At least until your plan doesn't work."

"They're right," Spitfire said. "But... can you take us to her?"

The rumble of thunder in the distance shook the room lightly. The masked scavenger and the strange slugcat exchanged looks.

"Yes. I hope you all are well-fed, though. And are alright with a scavenger pup."

With that, they leapt off the pile of rubble, exploding through the air and landing on the other side of the room. The gathered scavengers were already filtering out, presumably to find shelters of their own. Spitfire grabbed the slag reset keys from the air, before following them to the shelter alongside their traveling companions and Spines.

[little schooner]

It wasn't too far away from the chamber, it turned out. Just as the rain began to pelt on the roof above, they all managed to enter the shelter, the door closing behind them.

Spitfire took a look around. The shelter was relatively large, with a scavenger lamp hanging from the ceiling and a collection of pearls in a pile in the corner. Their eyes, however, could only focus on what they had all come here for.

Looks to the Moon was in a sorry state, her puppet propped up lifelessly to one wall. At her side, six blackened neurons laid dormant. Her cloak was a tattered mess, with one piece seemingly ripped out and used to cover one of her eyes. Spitfire could only imagine what was underneath. And whatever it was, could it ever be healed?

The overseer that had been following them appeared inside of the shelter, touching its tendrils to her face, then to something on her lap. It turned to the group with tired, red eyes. A blue scavenger pup yawned, stretched, and bounded towards Spines.

The six of them looked at each other for a moment, mostly staring at Spitfire to see what they would do with the slag reset keys.

Spitfire realized that the green neuron in their hand was being pulled by some force towards her. They looked down at it for a moment, before they let it go. It soared through the air, orbiting Moon's head, before colliding with the mark on her forehead with a spark. The puppet reeled back, screaming and spasming as it curled in on itself on the floor. The gravity in the shelter shifted as the structure around them groaned and whirred.

The dormant neuron flies accompanied the green one around her head and, one by one, each one sparked to life, glowing brightly even compared to the lantern's glow.

Soon, her tremors ceased, and gravity returned to normal. She stirred, shaking, but nonetheless in control of her movements. She managed to lift her head, looking between everyone in the room for a long moment.

"He... hello"

[robust shadow]

If I had a penny for every time someone headcanoned Rivulet to belong to Grey Wind, I’d have two pennies, which isn’t much, but that’d mean that it’s happened twice.

I have been fed well today. And my, the dishes only have gotten better.

[warped swift]

MOMS (moons) AWAKE YAY (/p obvs)

[tardy pumice]

[little schooner]

how dare you spoil the next chapter (joking)

[tardy pumice]

Ch 23: looks to the moon noscopes fp and default Fortnite dances on his collapsing structure

[robust shadow]

It'd be funny if this were added to the tale on April Fools, if it had not finished by then.

[little schooner]

I will have to consider an April Fool’s chapter

[crystal scroll]

what's this I see...?

[little schooner]

typing? in this economy?

[little schooner]

Chapter 23: Awake
The last thing she had remembered was being alone, watching as the rain flooded the orange-tinted chamber as it managed to get into her circuits once again. Well, she also remembered the times that Iggy had tried to revive her again, but soon enough she asked, through strained, quiet speakers, for her overseer to stop with the effort. Then... there was nothing. No sights, no sounds, no feelings, nothing but her emotions, her fleeting memories, and the distant aches of warnings to keep her company.

She didn't deserve this fate. Condemned, left helpless by an uncaring brother. She wanted to scream, wished that she could have done something differently, anything differently, that could have changed her fate. But of course, there was nothing that she could do, anymore.

And, now, she was a wreck, a splintered consciousness that would never be whole again. All she could do was stare into nothing, listen to nothing, feel nothing, and let her emotions simmer in a million broken pieces of her that were slowly being eaten away by entropy.

Suddenly, though, there was something. Something! A green little light in the vision of her mind. It wasn't much, but she wanted- no, needed it to be closer. Needed to look into its cool light and experience something. Her mind moved towards it, as did it to her.

She hadn't thought that this light would be her savior, her doom, a first step of many on a path of no return. She only knew that its light in a sea of nothingness meant so much to her. It soon filled her mind's eye with green, welcoming green, nauseating green.

Suddenly, pain seared through her mind. She could feel herself and her systems gasp and shudder as her awareness was thrusted into her convulsing, burning, screaming puppet. She felt her own breathing once again, felt cool oceanic water pump through damaged, heat-warped pipes and systems as the fluid threw thick chunks of slag out of them and into the sea.

[little schooner]

But this unbridled relief, the rush of water flowing through her systems, felt... disconnected from herself, somehow. It was almost as if it was coming from another mind, one that was separated from her by overseer static or the act of writing the qualia to a data pearl.

Eventually, she was able to take control of her puppet's movements, if a bit shakily. She brought a hand to her face, grabbing at the piece of fabric that covered her eye. Her injured eye. Her puppet was dehydrated, malnourished, and damaged, but very much still alive and mostly functional, connected to... seven whole neurons, and an overseer that looked over her shoulder at her, touching her face concernedly.

She looked up, expecting to see her chamber walls, rubble, and perhaps whatever revived her.

However, her expectations were shattered. Six little creatures, huddled in an unfamiliar room bathed in lantern light, all staring at her. She had trouble focusing on them, but a few seemed familiar to her.

"He... hello" she muttered. She took a moment to process everything, to formulate her thoughts. She had to pace herself, so as to not overwhelm her damaged systems and damaged... self.

"Hello little... creatures," she continued, feeling her voice strengthen. "You... you all did this?”

A few of them nodded in response, while others continued to stare.

She rubbed her head, attempting to get up. “...one moment. My memory isn’t responding. I… I have no idea…"

The pink creature came to her side, gently yet handily lifting her into a sitting position.

Her memory was fuzzy, very fuzzy, but... it was still there, in snippets and bits that floated above her head, as well as remotely through her overseer. But...

Somehow, her rediscovery of her condition didn't shock her as much as the first time. Of course she felt that she was apart from herself; the only connection to the rest of her structure was Iggy, who flitted about on her shoulder worriedly.

[little schooner]

The pink creature beckoned for the blue and purple ones to step forward. Excitedly, the blue one pulled something- a data pearl- out of their stomach, holding it out for Moon.

She glanced between it and the creature, before taking it into her hand. The data began to stream into her mind, starting with a message from its author. She read it aloud, almost on instinct.

"This message is intended for Looks to the Moon."

"If you are reading this, Moon, that means that things have gone well, either before or after our intervention. No Significant Harassment, Seven Red Suns, and I have each sent messengers to your facility in order to deliver you slag reset keys, courtesy of Sig. The pink one is named Spitfire and belongs to Sig, while the purple one doesn't have a name at the moment is titled Spearmaster and belongs to Suns. I didn't give a name to the blue one, either, due to time constraints."

"I have also been told to inform you that Suns' messenger also has a message, though the pearl is in their chest and has been rewritten by Sig."

"...we all miss you, Big Sis. I hope that this care package has found you well. After this message, I included a collection of media that you may find comforting or enlightening. Stay safe, and don't worry about us. We'll be fine."

"Sincerely, Grey Wind."

She didn't read ahead to the media that Wind had left her. She could feel her entire structure shake as she let the pearl fall from her hand.

"I... oh, dear..." she mumbled, feeling her face grow hot with emotion as the neurons above her head buzzed and brightened. She took a moment, closing her eye to calm herself down. It certainly made processing what she had to say easier. "I am... deeply grateful to all of you. I do not know why you all decided to spend so many of your cycles to help me, but I have known very few beings that could aspire to do such a noble thing."

"You all are... amazing little creatures. Thank you for… for giving me a second chance."

[tardy pumice]

https://tenor.com/view/atomic-bomb-explosion-atoll-testing-gif-5119633

ME WHEN MOON

[robust shadow]

Best one yet.

Oddly enough, the puppet being alive isn’t something I’ve thought of. I always assumed it was just another means of communication.

[little schooner]

i've said this before (elsewhere), but i headcanon the puppets being comprised of plenty of organic components that interface with the mechanical ones

[tardy pumice]

also Moon is canonically detached from her wiring so they can def work without most of their stuff

[tardy pumice]

[robust shadow]

I see typing. I shall prepare myself.

[little schooner]

boo

[robust shadow]

“Prepare thyself!” - Angst Machine, 2024.

[tardy pumice]

"lmao gottem" -Angst in 10 minutes revealing they fooled us and aren't actually writing rn

[little schooner]

nah i am typing im just taking a while

im just getting older

[tardy pumice]

that's okay it took me 2 weeks to write 500 words

[little schooner]

Chapter 24: Comfort
It was quite strange, seeing such a once high-and-mighty being watching various animals sleep. Spitfire and Jet laid side by side, curled in on one another. Artificer (as they called themselves) elected to sleep alone, occasionally shifting in their sleep. The scavenger chief laid to the side of Looks to the Moon, with its pup resting on the injured iterator’s lap. Moon’s hand rubbed the pup, almost on impulse

That left Spearmaster, themselves, sitting across from the others and taking glances at the shelter entrance, listening as rain poured on the roof above.

Moon was beginning to stare at them, they noticed. Watching them with one round eye, pupil slightly flickering in the harsh orange light of the shelter.

After a moment, she finally said, in a hushed tone as to not disturb the others, "Little... Spearmaster. You should probably rest. I do not know what your plans are in the following cycles, but I doubt that they would be made easier by depriving yourself of sleep. I understand if you are concerned about me, but standing guard for me in this place is unnecessary."

They blinked, furrowing their brow. They really wished that the Mark of Communication worked both ways. That way, they could talk to her like they did with Seven Red Suns...

...wait. Maybe they could! It was worth a shot, anyways.

"Can you understand me?" they asked, signing using the coded language they learned from their creator.

Looks to the Moon tilted her head. "I... sorry, but the Mark is only one way. Though I'd expect you to already know, since you came from Suns."

Spearmaster sighed, rubbing a hand over their ear. There had to be another way.

Mindlessly, they pulled a needle from their tail. However, they winced when they heard Moon make an audible gasp. They went to sign an apology, before they glanced down at the sharp object in their hands.

...oh. Of course!

[little schooner]

They went to Moon's side, settling down next to her. "Oh, do you wish to-"

Sorry for scaring you, they wrote.

She looked down at the crude scratches, eyes scanning the characters. Spearmaster held their breath for a moment, looking between her and their own writing.

"...oh," she finally said, letting out a small beep in surprise. "You can... write?"

Yes. Seven Red Suns taught me.

"Wow! What an impressive little creature you are~" Moon chuckled, lifting a shaky hand towards them.

Spearmaster glanced up at the hand, shrinking down uncertainly.

She hesitated. "Is... everything alright, Spearmaster? Would you rather not be pet?"

Pet? Seven Red Suns had never pet them before, really. The most contact the two of them had was when Suns helped them with learning gestures, holding their smaller hands and helping them learn how to articulate their words properly.

They glanced at the scavenger pup on her lap, who was sleeping soundly as her other hand rubbed its fur.

...you can touch me, they replied, setting their head down.

Spearmaster was startled a bit by the sensation at first, ears shooting up and needles poking out of their tail. Moon pulled back, uncertain, but they wrote back, It's okay.

A second attempt. This time, Spearmaster resisted shying away from the contact. Moon began to scritch behind their ear. They could feel the hairs along their back stand up, but... in a good way.

They leaned into her hand, letting their body relax and melt into hers. They felt a guttural rumble from their chest that coursed through their entire body. They let their eyes close.

"There, there. Get plenty of sleep, now."

An eye flicked open. They adjusted the needle in their grip, before writing out, I literally don't sleep. I stay awake.

She stayed quiet for a moment, before her neurons buzzed in amusement. She moved a shaky hand along their back. "Ah, I see now. Well, hopefully I can provide you with a little bit of company for now~"

[robust shadow]

Spearmaster the insomniac.

[tardy pumice]

they just like me fr fr

[little schooner]

just like me too omg

change this thread to "insomniac club" fr fr (please don't)

[tardy pumice]

you're lucky you put that end on, I would have :>

[little schooner]

ehehehe

[tardy pumice]

(I can't change names)

[little schooner]

pleb lol

[tardy pumice]

Oh no wait- i can't change names of threads I didn't make

You'd have to ping the staff who made it

[little schooner]

understood

[warped swift]

RAAAH I AM GOING TO JUST. HUG THE ENTIRE CAST OF THIS AU. THEYRE ALL SO GOOBER

[sweet ravine]

Moon feeling good makes me feel good

[crystal scroll]

they are very goober

[little schooner]

i have made a decision. instead of posting on tumblr, i'm gonna be posting this fic on AO3. the only reason why i posted on tumblr in the first place is because my AO3 account wasn't active yet

of course, you all will be getting those juicy updates first, as i will continue to write with discord message limits in mind

as i post my backlog, though, the time between when you all get updates and when AO3 gets updates will likely shrink, as i have found it to be quite easy to upload the backlog there. easier than tumblr at least

[spring berry]

what i just read this whole thing its EPIC

[little schooner]

thank you <3

[spring berry]

yw it really is tho
How long did you take to make this this is professional work right here

[little schooner]

1.5 months so far i suppose

[spring berry]

wow so 1.5 months makes 24 chapters means ~16 chapters per month

Thats a lot

[little schooner]

it is

[spring berry]

now i wanna make a book fr

[little schooner]

mind clarifying? (i do not understand what you mean lol)

[spring berry]

basically this is epic and now you inspired me basically

[little schooner]

ah, thank you! i'm glad i can inspire others with my works <3

[spring berry]

also is the reason arti spared the scav was because he had the child and she knows what its like to lose a child and like she didnt want to be the person to make that happen (sorry for my bad grammar lol)

[little schooner]

basically yeah, if you want a look behind the curtains. they also had never seen a scav baby before, so seeing one just ripped them out of their rage.

[spring berry]

Ok
My brain came up with that when i read it

[little schooner]

ye, i try to implement a lot of "show, not tell" in the story, have people fill in the blanks

[spring berry]

thats smart cause then people can have different theories and then them getting proven right or wrong as more story unfolds

makes it more interesting and intriguing when you read

[little schooner]

https://archiveofourown.org/works/53764783/chapters/136097980 Well, I did it. Prologue and Chapter 1 are combined so the numbers stay the same

[little schooner]

quick update i am not dead just getting comically hit over the head with a metal pipe by college

[warped swift]

Metal pipe sfx intensifies

I do wish you luck getting more free time though lol

[little schooner]

Yeah I’m doing better! I’m in the process of dropping one of my courses. Also, this fic has helped me to realize that I might want to change my major (again lol)

[little schooner]

*slaps roof of this fic* this bad boy can fit so many wips for the next chapter

[little schooner]

Chapter 25: Step
Looks to the Moon still had a hard time believing it. She still had control over her puppet, even after all that had happened. She could move her hand along the back of the sleepless Spearmaster, or turn her head to look at Spines, grunting and shifting as its pup patted its shoulder to wake it up.

It seemed that the cycle was beginning, soon, as everyone in the shelter shifted and stretched. Spearmaster had looked up at them, too, before scratching another message on the shelter floor.

Plan?

She blinked down at them. "Oh- well... as much as I would like to stay here, it would not be good in the long term. My puppet is malnourished and dehydrated, which wouldn't be such a problem if it weren't also damaged and separated from my structure."

Spearmaster hummed, before gesturing at the others as they groggily stared back at them. The others of their species signed back, with Spitfire gesturing at Spines in a more familiar way (were they saying something about “cycles”?), before the strange maroon one stepped forward. Moon stared up at them, and couldn't help but beep in uncertainty. This one hadn't been mentioned in Grey Wind's pearl, so she could only assume that they had somehow been recruited from the wild. Or perhaps someone else had sent them to her.

Suddenly, a deafening grinding noise came out of the opposite wall. She flinched, cupping her hands on the base of her antennas (despite it not doing anything to dampen the noise) and bowing her head into her chest. Just as soon as it began, the grinding stopped. She felt a hand on her shoulder and looked up. The maroon creature stood in front of her, no, towered over her, and gave her a worried look.

"I... I'm fine. I just... what was that?"

The creature turned, pointing at the now-open shelter door. They then glanced down at Spearmaster expectantly.

[little schooner]

Spearmaster shrugged, before scrawling more on the ground.

We'll take you to the water. It isn't too far. Spines will grab food from somewhere, and we'll try to figure out how to feed you from there. Okay?

Moon nodded after a moment. She shifted, getting on to her knees uneasily. She tried to get her feet on the ground under her, but failed miserably, barely able to hold her weight on her hands.

The maroon creature reached under her arms and, with a bit of effort, lifted her from the ground. And now, she was upright, albeit with arms outstretched and snapped robotic arm dangling under her like a tail. She supposed that she looked quite ridiculous, if the blue creature's amused snort was anything to go off of.

She felt something whir from within her, near her center of mass. She glanced down, blinking. She couldn't say that she had heard the noise before, but... ah, yes. It was the gyroscope, intended to keep her steady in the air.

The creature noticed it too, and let her down on the ground gently, continuing to give her support, as if to test if she could stand on her own. But, of course she couldn't, as she felt her legs buckle beneath her in the normal gravity.

They grunted, before draping one of her arms over their shoulder and walking her to a wall, where they grabbed a piece of rebar and handed it to her. She held it, felt the twisting metal in her hands. She pondered where it had come from... probably from somewhere within herself.

The thought sickened her. What was once a part of a working, iterating machine was now sharpened into what she assumed to be a moderately effective weapon.

But... if it was from her, then it had finally been returned, in one way or another. She wasn't exactly fond of the written arts, but it struck her as quite poetic. She figured that Five Pebbles would enjoy a poem about this...

[little schooner]

...Five Pebbles. He had been the one to do this to her, hadn't he? He had cut off communications, left her out to dry, and no doubt caused worry within the wider iterator populace, if the prescence of all of these messengers meant anything. She leaned on the piece of rebar quietly, narrowing her good eye, before rubbing her face with one hand.

If she was able to, she'd have to pay him a visit. Or at least make contact via one of the broadcast nodes that certainly still littered the facility.

A goal, she supposed. One that she wasn't sure she could even meet.

The creature that had been helping her gave a bit of a chortle. She glanced over at them, noticing that neither of their hands were on them. Oh. Oh! She was standing! Standing with nothing but another piece of herself for support. Even if it hurt, even if she felt her legs would give any moment, it was... exhilarating.

She could begin to feel her puppet warm. The elated expression on her face faded into one of horror. "W... water. Water!" she exclaimed, trying to shimmy her way towards the exit.

The blue creature seemed to take the hint, though not in a way Moon could say she appreciated entirely. They grabbed her hand, dragging her forward, much to the protest of the other creatures. She barely managed to stay upright and hold on to her spear as the creature rushed through the exit, taking her with them into the wider world.

[little schooner]

Dark Spines Along Back, Lucky Antlers, Moon Upon Lone Shore, and Pursuit of Lizard. Approximations made using Picrew https://picrew.me/en/image_maker/2295203

[tardy pumice]

chewable scavs

[lime niche]

Indeed

[little schooner]

very crunchy

[tardy pumice]

[sweet ravine]

Another banger chapter!

[tulip plume]

Agreed!

[crystal scroll]

much delicious LORE

[robust shadow]

“The blue creature seemed to take the hint, though not in a way Moon could say she appreciated entirely.”

[little schooner]

We got some ART

[robust shadow]

Much needed art.

Writers’ role changed colours.

[little schooner]

put it back >:v

[spring berry]

wowza this comic chapter is epic, keep making more! 😄

[little schooner]

Chapter 26: Boils
Five Pebbles usually ignored seismic activity around his can as of late. He knew what was causing it; simply Looks to the Moon's can settling on the shoreline. Nothing more, nothing less.

So why was there an abnormality detected, near the end of the cycle? It was different from the rest, that was for sure. When he played it back, he could almost hear the entire structure shift and groan, almost as if she was... reactivated.

He had hoped that she had died, or fallen into a coma. Not out of malice, no. Simply out of mercy, so she wouldn't have to continue this wretched existence that all iterators share.

But... no. Why would she reactivate now, after all this time? The noises hadn't lasted forever, and soon enough they had fallen back to their background levels. It was preposterous, really. She had to be gone. Perhaps her structure tried to revive her one last time, but he could only imagine the strain she went through, especially without slag reset keys.

So, she was going through her final death thralls, he thought. Her final push for survival. He almost pitied her. Her systems are too wrapped up in the cycles to see that the solution to our oh-so Great Problem does not exist.

He pushed her out of his mind. After all, he had to now focus on the second round of breeding. He watched each and every microbe with great fervor. Although it was dull work, it would all be worth it in the end.

Fluctuate, check, flush, repeat. Over and over as the sun set over the clouded horizon.

Fluctuate, check, flush, repeat. On and on as the moon rose higher and higher into the sky, as carefree as a jellyfish swimming through the heavens.

Fluctuate, check, flush, repeat. Again and again as the stars shifted in the sky while warnings about overclocked and overworked systems were swiftly ignored.

Fluctuate, check, flush, repeat. In and out as the night turned to day and the cycle began anew.

[little schooner]

Fluctuate, check-

Pain shot through him like fire, ripping up from one of his water conduits. Warnings blared in his mind as he felt the pressure that he had been maintaining in his systems release violently, air bubbling into where there should be water. His overworked components began to heat without the ready coolant available. For what felt like an eternity, he was seething and writhing in pain, his puppet curling in on itself as sparks flew from its chest. His entire structure felt sweltering hot, and he would have done anything to dunk his structure unceremoniously next to Moon's.

Was this how she felt, before she fell? She was... no, it wasn't his fault. She was old, it must have been a fault of her construction. He wasn't taking that much water before, surely. Surely.

Almost as soon as the pipe to the conduit automatically shut, the searing pain he had felt reduced to an aching throb. Water began to flow through his systems again, though not with the same pressure as before. In an instant, he thrust his attention back to the laboratories. But what he saw sent a shiver down his neurons.

While his attention was diverted, it turned out that more than a few samples had grown... tumorous. Not enough to be dangerous, not yet, but if left unchecked for much longer, they may latch on to the laboratory walls and make their way into his greater structure.

It would be okay, he just had to flush them out...

But there wasn't enough pressure. The upper portions of his can were eating up the resources, having suffered the most from the incident. Despite his work, despite his organism, he couldn't jeopardize his own systems for the sake of continuing his experiments.

So, all he could do was wait. Wait for either enough water to be rid of the tumors, or for the tumors to attach themselves to the rest of him. It was agonizing.

[little schooner]

...well, there was one other thing he could do. He could assess what in the void's name happened. He sent an overseer to the offending conduit, watching its feed while the pressure gauge in the labs slowly built.

It was clear from the start that the conduit had been damaged. But as the overseer began to send back footage, the state of it all shocked him.

One of the pumps was absolutely demolished. Parts that he could recognize were painfully warped. Electricity arced from frayed wires and into the surrounding structure. And with the implosion of the pump, came damage to surrounding systems, including major damage to conduit 07 and superficial damage to surrounding pipes.

What had caused this critical failure? He went back through the logs of the system, glancing through the warnings that it had been spitting out ever since the last cycle had come to a close.

[!! WARNING !!] Pressure at critical levels in CONDUIT_07. Insufficient water flow detected.
EM: Immediate reduction in water intake in Conduit 07 is required. Other conduits may increase their workload in order to compensate.

[!! WARNING !!] All conduits and systems operating above capacity. Reduction in water intake may lead to overheating if systems workload is maintained.
EM: Non-critical workload should be reduced immediately in order to compensate for decreased water flow.

[!! WARNING !!] PUMP_07_A operating above nominal temperature limits.
EM: Cease operation of PUMP_07_A immediately. Continued operation may lead to damage to surrounding systems.

...reduced water flow? No, that couldn't be. Did the seismic activity mess with the pipes below, or... was she really back?

...the pressure had finally built up in his systems once again. He checked back in the labs, hoping beyond hopes that the tumors hadn’t spread far.

[little schooner]

Luckily, none had made it out of the labs... yet. They were each voraciously going through the other samples, growing in size as they absorbed the organic matter and subsuming it into their own. Each of them acted on their own, with colors varying wildly between each one. Some were even eating the smaller specimens. He was almost enchanted by them, watching as the little pieces of himself destroyed one another. Almost.

All of them shared the same characteristic, though; a sickening cross, mocking the symbol for ascension, rested upon each and every one of the cancerous mounds.

He had to get rid of them, just like the rest he had dumped over these many, many cycles. But... they were in all of the labs. Every last one had some sort of infection. It would be simple to just excise the labs entirely, but that would mean running the experiments in his general systems, which seemed even more dangerous.

Unless...

He should know better than to do testing on Rot. He should know better than to play with fire like this. And yet.

Perhaps he had been thinking about this all wrong. Perhaps the answer was already here, with him, as him, within his labs. Perhaps the solution was to cultivate, truly cultivate, his own destruction.

Before he had sent his modified neural tissue around his can, he probably would have never considered this. But in this new, enlightened state, he could truly perceive the possibilities.

Despite doubt licking at the back of his mind, he steeled himself, letting the pressure drop from his systems as he formulated a new plan. Yes. He would entrust these mutated bits of him to bring him to the path of ascension.

[sweet ravine]

We be rotting

[spring berry]

epic 😮
pebble rot :dll:

at least he knows its gonna kill him :\

[crystal scroll]

epiku mute
(/vpos)

[tardy pumice]

[idle falcon]

YOOOO someone who shares my rot headcanon (that the rot is the solution)

This story is epic

[sweet ravine]

mmm don't like the blueberries

[little schooner]

The rot consumes 🫐🫐🫐

[spring berry]

🫐

[tardy pumice]

[velvet narwhal]

Yes, i read this in the middle of the night

[little schooner]

as good a time as any

[wild quartz]

Can't blame me! If it killed me, it'd have worked.

[robust shadow]

But what about waking back up?

Like nothing ever happened?

[wild quartz]

Could death itself not be the solution? May I not try?

[robust shadow]

Right. Now, back to the closet.

And stay in there.

[little schooner]

Oh, poor Icarus

[sweet ravine]

Hey I just think five pebbles needs a hug or somthn

[little schooner]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K5N1Ayv90Vw DC'ed Moon confronting Five Pebbles (REAL) (NOT CLICKBAIT)

^ (volume warning)

[robust shadow]

That’s my main account here. Just can’t use it to chat in #offtopic-agenderal - spoilers.

[little schooner]

fair enough

[neon kestrel]

Long typing = more sustanance maygbe

[little schooner]

i am mildly suffering 🫠
this is getting longer than i intended lol

[neon kestrel]

Happens

[spring berry]

im patient don’t worry.
proceeds to beg infinitely/j

[little schooner]

writing moon's first moments outside of a constrained, confined room is hard

[neon kestrel]

your first moments outside of a constrained, confined room, attempting to walk in gravity you've never experienced before, being hurried along by an unnaturally fast wet mouse is hard

[little schooner]

you get it

[spring berry]

rizzulet moment

moon legs aint ment to walk ;-;
That probably hurts a lot-

[velvet narwhal]

Isawtyping

[spring berry]

typing real

[little schooner]

it is not a rare sight today since i have been working on this for...

4 hours today? damn

[velvet narwhal]

woah

[spring berry]

Dang thats a lot

[little schooner]

all on this one chapter lol

[spring berry]

cant wait

[velvet narwhal]

have paitence (speak to yourself, me)

[spring berry]

do you save like a text document of all the chapters?

or no

[little schooner]

mmm

yes

[spring berry]

ok

[little schooner]

plus some extra notes on the beginning

[velvet narwhal]

Ima go now, good luck on the chapter!

[little schooner]

whenever i text here i just ctrl-x my work

[spring berry]

77 PAGES-

[little schooner]

yes, including some drafts that didnt make the cut

[spring berry]

wow
You have a full on book basically

[little schooner]

for instance, did you know that last chapter was supposed to be a broadcast introducing UI to the Situation(tm)

[spring berry]

oh really?

[little schooner]

i am gonna keep going for as long as it takes to reach a satisfying conclusion

[little schooner]

yeah but i scrapped it because the way i was gonna introduce them was them having overseers but cooler that they were gonna give to everyone else to allow for them to take a better look at the facility

but i decided that i'd prefer to have the reveal that moon isnt in her can another way <3

[spring berry]

wowza

proccessing

ok i got it

[little schooner]

keep in mind that at this moment, UI's uber overseers are NOT canon

[spring berry]

i forgor what UI stabds for again-

[little schooner]

unparalleled innocence

[spring berry]

stands*

oh

ok nice

[little schooner]

they're the iterator that leaked pebbles' rot in canon

[spring berry]

ah ok

[little schooner]

and leaked pebbles' glugging of water here

[spring berry]

user interface/j

[little schooner]

there's also someone's iterator oc whose name stands for "unnamed iterator" or something. i cant remember exactly but they make some pretty bombass animations

[spring berry]

cool

Random question: would you accept ocs into this book if they would be reasonable lorewize?

[little schooner]

at the moment, not really? except for maybe a cameo?

what did you have in mind?

[little schooner]

(also the channel in question https://www.youtube.com/@mamaboyu/videos )

[velvet narwhal]

hey i've seen that guy

(I've been lurking)

[spring berry]

i was just wondering for the most part

I have two iterators but one of them has incomplete backstory and the other is kinda unlore in the fact they are a “newer experimental model”

[little schooner]

wow imagine having an experimental iterator oc. couldnt be me

(i am joking, as angst machine is an (old) experimental model)

[spring berry]

it makes the puppet mobile basically
Which is kinda dumb because they are supposed to work and not distract themself-

puts the brain in the structure as well

And replaces the puppet’s brain with a super antenna so it can control the puppet

and if the puppet disconnects? Well then just use your built in factory to make a new one

[little schooner]

i see

[spring berry]

goofi ahh complex

[little schooner]

we probably wouldnt visit that iterator per se, but we might see them in group chats without any mention of the weird stuff they have going on

if i were to do that sort of thing

who knows though

so far every character has either been canon or shit ive made up

[spring berry]

yeah, but they often dont go in public group chats because other Iterators get jealous of him being mobile and able to see the world and they are trapped

and ancients go poof begore they finished the non experimental new version

before*

anyway who asked-

[little schooner]

i believe i did a little bit

[spring berry]

yay-

He became close friends with his city members, and well then they all ascended
And he felt betrayed

Ten Obscure Planetoids lore reveal/j

thats his name btw

also im fearing that your gonna think that im begging to be in your comic by telling everything about my character- but im not
Its just youre the first to learn about them so ye

[little schooner]

fair enough, we all like our little blorbos

[spring berry]

so now ima dissapear and stop waisting your time ig
ascends lmao

[velvet narwhal]

killbinds as i've been here the whole time

[digital coral]

I am here now

as well

[little schooner]

welcome

were you here before? or did you just finish reading everything?

either way, hope you are ready for WALL OF TEXT

[little schooner]

Chapter 27: Out
"Stop, please! Slow down!"

If Looks to the Moon hadn't already spoken with this creature before, she would have thought that it wasn't Marked. It didn't seem to listen as she felt herself dragged into the shelter's pipe and through a dark, tight crawl space. She panicked as she felt her skin scrape against the floor, barely able to keep her head up, especially with her neurons lagging behind.

Eventually, though, she was thrusted back into the light, shuttering her eyes in the orange glow of the room. However, this was quickly pulled away as she felt herself get thrown off a ledge, chest whirring uncomfortably as she tumbled down, down, down...

...and with a splash, she was in water.

Her mind was very foggy with the distance between her and her neurons, but the relief as she entered the water was immediate. Warnings about dehydration seemed to melt away as the brackish water was absorbed by her body. She let out a strained sigh of relief, closing her good eye as she floated on the water's surface and let her neurons come to her.

As her mind cleared, though, she became keenly aware of the little hands that held onto her arm. She turned her head to see the little blue creature that had brought her into the water, staring at her with big, magenta eyes. Although her skin still stung with the scrapes from her being dragged here, the injuries were largely superficial, and would be healed quickly by repairing microbes. Besides, she couldn't stay mad at one of the creatures who had gone so far to save her life.

She reached out to them, her arm feeling simultaneously stronger yet heavier as she held a finger up for them to sniff. However, she didn't expect for them to lean their head into her hand, their frills rubbing between her fingers as they closed their eyes and purred.

She gave a weak chuckle, eye oriented into a smile.

[little schooner]

"You ruffled me up there a little bit, friend," she sighed, still processing the relief she was feeling. "But I suppose you found what I needed. Thank you."

The creature held her hand to their face for a moment, making a soft, chittery sound.

"Hm... ruffled... I know that we haven't known each other for long, but how would you like to be called 'Ruffles'?"

The creature's eyes shot open, staring at her for a moment. She was about to ask if she did something wrong when they leaned forward and gave her a big hug, nearly dunking her head under the water. She yelped in surprise, splashing around. Ruffles let her go quickly, though, leaving her to bob in the water on her own.

She let her mind wander. Was Iggy still with her? The curious overseer's head popped out of the water, staring at her keenly. Of course they were. Otherwise, she wouldn't have access to bits and pieces of her that lived in the different parts of her can.

She still wasn't whole, though. Memories, processing power, fabrication, all were mostly lost in the rubble.

However, at this moment, that didn't matter. All that mattered was the cool water on her back and the lanterns that hung from the ceiling like stars.

Eventually, she heard the nearby pipe activate. She glanced over to see the others come rushing towards the water, Spitfire diving in and swimming towards her.

"Oh, hello! Sorry for leaving you all behind. Ruffles must be quite fast, then?"

Spitfire gave Ruffles a strange look, before nudging her with their nose. More unfamiliar gestures from the creatures, before Spitfire began pushing Moon back in the direction where she came from.

[little schooner]

Soon enough, Moon felt the ground on her back. She pushed herself up with some effort, leaning against the rubble and letting the water lap at her extended legs.

She looked around her, truly taking in the room for the first time. Based on what connections were the strongest from Iggy, she figured that this was a part of her Neural Terminus, the center for her processes. However, when she glanced into the centerpiece of the room, a chill went through her neurons.

It was... her puppet chamber. She didn't remember that hole being there, but she could recognize the interior from anywhere. The tiled walls, the lanterns, the pile of rubble where her umbilical base should be...

She lifted one hand, running her fingers through the severed wires. She brought some of them in front of her, and could feel as their ends sparked lightly with outgoing signals to nowhere... except, they were still outgoing, with the help of Iggy... even if the rest of her structure only caused an ache to plague her mind with warnings about missing and damaged systems in the current moment.

Her other hand reached for the base of her robotic arm, which she adjusted and brought in front of her. She examined where it had broken off during her collapse. It was hollow, with a few pipes that she knew were intended for nutrient transfer to and from her puppet. The frayed end was quite jagged.

And yet... here she was. She was an outsider looking in to herself, and a small part of the larger structure that still somehow managed to survive more or less on its own.

She didn't know how long her puppet could remain like this, though. Perhaps this consciousness was temporary, like a spider's corpse being reanimated by another spider's bite. Temporary revival, running only on adrenaline and stimulated nerves. The revived spider will attempt to find a nest to recover, but if it doesn't…

[little schooner]

Her gaze fell down onto the water's edge. She brought her legs to her chest, wrapping her arms around them. A natural position, for her current situation.

She didn't want to be plunged into nothingness again, forced to live out a million fragmented existences for eternity until each and every one finally died.

But that was her fate, wasn't it? This moment... all of these moments she would experience in this puppet from now on, all of them were just a sliver of time compared to the time she would spend in limbo. Not quite alive, not quite dead, and suffering through every moment of it.

She could see and feel the little creatures walk past her and into the water, having come to a decision about something while she was in her stupor. Spearmaster tapped the ground next to her, before scrawling out the symbol for the fourth karmic urge. She looked at it for a moment, but felt too tired to give a proper response, merely giving a nod of acknowledgement.

More gestures that she wished she could understand, and the creatures swam into her chamber, using a makeshift ladder to clamor up. Well, except for...

"Wha-" she exclaimed, as she felt herself get pulled along by Ruffles again. This time, she dunked face-first into the water, her broken eye shouting warnings at her of water leakage in areas there shouldn't be water. Soon enough, though, she was brought onto dry land once again, and...

The face of the maroon creature faced her once again. She stumbled forward, falling into its sulphuric fur. However, they didn't seem to mind. Instead, they handed her another piece of sharpened rebar, before glaring down at Ruffles.

She leaned on the rebar as she did before, this time noticing very well that she was standing on her own. Despite the water rejuvenating her, however, she still felt something stopping her from actually walking on her own.

[little schooner]

So, instead, she looked around, realizing in mild shock that she was standing in her puppet chamber. In the place that she had been a part of for so long that its familiarity stuck to her like fleas.

She pivoted uneasily on the rebar, taking a look around the room. Something crossed her vision, though;

A stain on the wall that seemed to be in the shape of her puppet. Faded, and a brownish-blue, but still an all-too visible fingerprint of her previous presence here.

She averted her gaze, instead looking between Ruffles and the maroon creature. It seemed to be a heated argument - literally so, as the maroon one appeared to be breathing out smoke. That seemed... concerning.

"Are you alright?" she asked, bringing the two out of their argument.

Ruffles seemed to make a snide comment, causing the other creature to roll their eye before approaching Moon. They gestured at her, then to the pipe above, then mimed lifting something heavy up.

"Oh... you want to carry me?" she asked. "That would be appreciated, really. Thank you."

The creature huffed, before taking her in their arms, and-

She SCREAMED as she felt herself get lurched towards the ceiling by a blast, chest buzzing uncomfortably as the gyroscope attempted to recalibrate after the sudden shift in her momentum.

The maroon creature ignored her discomfort for the most part, however, only slowing down enough to give time for the neurons following her. They continued, up and up and up through her Neural Terminus, until...

They were through. And as Moon looked up at the gray, swirling sky for the first time in her life, she felt her soul swirl with emotions, the structure under them buzzing with unfounded energy.

Despite being extremely disoriented, and despite everything that had transpired over the past several hundreds or thousands of cycles...

This moment. This was the first time she felt like a truly alive being in this world.

[velvet narwhal]

mmm tasty lore ima eat it all, not sharing

[little schooner]

share

[velvet narwhal]

Uhh

[little schooner]

sharing is caring

[velvet narwhal]

ok fine

[spring berry]

Wowww

it here ysyayayayauayayayayayshdhdgebdufhdjdihdjdinfdkfbdbdufhfnddifhejsifhrnrg

moon looked at the sky

/time set night

moon looks to the moon

rehehehr

[hardy flicker]

wonder what ruffles and firemaker were arguing about

[spring berry]

yeah

[robust shadow]

“We iterators were built for pragmatism, so it is an understatement to say that we were not known for our appreciation of beauty... but the sky-sails in flight during the big festivals always filled my soul with emotion.”

The same emotion emanates from that last sentence.

[steel root]

Holy shit I love this story

[neon kestrel]

Delicious lore

Nom nom nom

Resisting the urge to draw that last scene

(I will probably fail to resist the urges and draw it anyway)

[robust shadow]

Remember. This is the violation of the eleventh purity, and a dangerous step towards the eleventh urge.

Wait, actually - which of the five urges does art close in on?

[sweet ravine]

Hmm..

what do you mean by close in on?

[robust shadow]

Which of the five urges can someone classify an attachment to art as?

[sweet ravine]

Ah, I see.
I believe the Third karmic urge, that being community, would best fit with art.

Although, the connection is fairly loose, as it relies upon sharing art with others, not the act of creating it.

(I like talking like an ancient lol)

[little schooner]

Could also be the 2nd karmic urge

That one is poorly defined, but it could be interpreted as pleasure. And if you ask me, art is pretty pleasurable

[little schooner]

Also I would love this, I would eat it up~

[spring berry]

dont take that out of context or its mega sus

[velvet narwhal]

i'mgonnadothat/j

[spring berry]

😭

[spring berry]

typing :spook:

i see 👀

[little schooner]

(i ask that you don't comment on my typing too often, it gets a bit distracting. not mad just, yknow)

[robust shadow]

To those two who reacted, I have a special message - I hope you understand that where there is action, there is always equal and opposite reaction.

[warped swift]

finally took a sec to read up to date-
I love this so far, I wonder what riv and arti could’ve been arguing abt

[tardy pumice]

whether Moon is more of a Pices or a Taurus, obviously /j

[velvet narwhal]

Wonder if the next chapter will be riv and arti's pov

[spring berry]

ok

[little schooner]

Chapter 28: Onwards
Artificer huffed, adjusting their grip on the fallen god. As much as they felt themselves pant with the effort, they preferred to let themself handle her, rather than one of the messengers or -void forbid- the scavengers. To put it simply, they didn't trust others to take care as to not hurt her more.

However, the way the structure shook as she was brought outside caused Artificer to have doubts.

"I thought you were gonna treat her more gently," Ruffles signed, popping out of the pipe after them. They still seemed irritated and hurt from the fight they had below. Artificer could only manage a hiss in turn, glaring at the younger slugcat.

Spitfire took a step forward, examining her as she rested in Artificer's arms. "...is she okay?" they asked, tilting their head.

Artificer glanced down at her face. She was just... staring blankly into the sky. Panic slowly seeped into their mind as they shook her gently.

It wasn't her neurons, right? They were safely next to her, floating beside her and shifting alongside the oceanic breeze.

Was something inside of her damaged? Maybe they had been too fast, their concussive blasts knocking her out of whack, and now she was...

Suddenly, Moon shifted. She lifted her arm up towards the sky, waving it a bit, before letting it drop into her lap. She began to chuckle, weakly at first, but soon crescendoing into absolute hysterics, beeping and buzzing into untranslatable nonsense as her entire puppet shook and put a hand to her face.

Not wanting to damage her, Artificer lowered her to the ground, letting her continue her fit of laughter in peace as they stepped away.

She calmed down after a few more moments, at least enough to speak coherently. Everyone else was now crowded around her, though Artificer stood to the side, fidgeting with their hands nervously.

[little schooner]

"S-sorry, little creatures," she trilled, placing a hand on her forehead and failing to hold back more amused beeps. "It's just. I've never seen the clouds with my own optical sensors before. Only through images or overseers. But this..." she gestures at the sky with both hands, the three fingers on each of them splayed out as if to grab it. *"*This is... beautiful. Maybe the most beautiful I've seen ever since..."

She paused, her giddy composure fading away as she sat up. "...yes, I remember," she said after a long moment. "Ever since I got to hold Five Pebbles' puppet in my arms." However, there was a bitter sadness in her voice that everyone was keen to recognize.

Artificer was about to ask Spearmaster to ask what was wrong, but Spines spoke up. "We should move," it said, pearled mask clinking lightly as they gestured. "Although this cycle is longer than any I've felt in a long time, this seems like a conversation to have in a shelter."

It made a good point. Artificer relayed the message to Spearmaster and Ruffles. The messengers nodded, with Ruffles following close behind Spines as it led the way. However, Artificer hesitated, glancing between Spearmaster, Spitfire, and Moon.

"...I can take her," Spitfire said simply, tilting their head. "Spears, mind telling her we're moving?"

Spearmaster moved their hands to comment on the nickname, but kept their thoughts to themself, scrawling a few unfamiliar symbols in shorthand.

Moon read them for a moment, before nodding. "I understand," she said. "Though I am sure there will be more time later to explain." She managed to get to her knees, glancing back at Spitfire and Artificer.

Spitfire shrugged, before picking her up... and placing her on their back. She made an audible gasp, though remained upright without much issue as she sat on their shoulders comfortably.

[little schooner]

With a grunt, Spitfire moved forward, with Spearmaster following afterwards.

"You know, she's much like a slugpup," Spitfire mused. "Except less fussy and way older than all of us."

"I wouldn't know," Spearmaster responded. "But I suppose I see it. She's experiencing the world for the first time, as if her superstructure was an egg she hatched from after developing for an eternity."

Artificer froze, watching the two traveling companions continue forward in their conversation. Slugpups. That was what brought them into this situation in the first place. On their path of destruction. Preventing them from making the final blow on Spines. Leading them to grow attached to Looks to the Moon.

Was it entirely parental instincts, though? They hadn't even thought of their slugpups for a long time, only seeing them in dreams that twisted into nightmares. At least until they had seen that scavpup, that stupid scavpup that clung to Spines' fur even now. They hadn't even seen one of their young until that moment, when it stumbled in between them and their target for destruction.

In that moment, they could have easily just killed the pup. Stabbed her right through the skull. Given it the mercy of a quick death. But... she was just a child. She didn't deserve to die, just like their own pups didn't deserve to for such a simple transgression.

And, when they realized how protective Spines was, not only of Shore, but of Moon, too...

It broke Artificer's cycle, metaphorically. Their cycle of revenge and destruction. They were too tired to run away from their feelings, and couldn't dredge themself in wanton violence in the name of pups they hardly thought about anymore.

But... were they ready to take responsibility for another soul, after all this time?

"Hey, Arti!" Spitfire signed from the ledge, waving them on. "You coming?"

...perhaps the choice was already made, many cycles ago.

Without another word, they slapped their tail on the ground, blasting forward towards them.

[velvet narwhal]

arti redemtion ark real

[little schooner]

real

[crystal scroll]

feast as usual

[little schooner]

Chapter 28 moment (also at this point in the story moon doesn't have the karma symbol markings yet but they will be Coming Soon (TM) )

[spring berry]

wow new chapter
Epic!!

also moon held pebbles? What how-

[little schooner]

(it'll probably come up again. eventually. lets just say that its inspired by another fic)

[robust shadow]

Big Sister Moon.

[sweet ravine]

Exactly what I was thinking lol

[robust shadow]

I'm just saying, she might've been given the task to aid in his construction.

[sweet ravine]

Maybe she was checking the puppet herself?

Pretty cool idea

[neon kestrel]

My random half-baked theory is when they were building pebbles, Moon asked if she could see the puppet, and the ancients agreed.

Or maybe they used Moon's internals to purpose the puppet and they had Moon check it to make sure it was ready before plopping it into the can

Either way, Moon ended up with Pebble's puppet in her chamber during his construction and got emotionally attached to him prior to his "birth"

[spring berry]

that seems cool because its like actual siblings because you get to see your newborn sibling and ofc you want to love them

[neon kestrel]

Yeah

[little schooner]

Chapter 29: Unparalleled
[LIVE BROADCAST] - PRIVATE
Chasing Wind, Unparalleled Innocence

CW: Hey, I know it has been a while, but how are you doing, Inno?

UI: Why are you asking me this now? I thought you didn't want to talk to me.

CW: I figured that you deserved to be brought into the loop of the current situation regarding our senior.
CW: So long as you promise not to share outside of our local group.

UI: Why would I do that?

CW: I genuinely can't tell if you are being sarcastic or not.

UI: I am not! Especially after what happened before.

CW: Five Pebbles' condition did not need to be shared publicly. And the message that you accompanied it with wasn't kind, either.

UI: What did you want me to do, then?! Their facility had become nothing but a bunch of garbled static for hundreds of cycles! I sent an overseer to check in, and saw the state that he was in. It would have been irresponsible to *not* share.

CW: Calling Five Pebbles a "water glutton"? In a public meme group?!

UI: I wasn't thinking, alright? I just blurted out what was in my mind in the chat I had the best connection to. Which, yes, happened to be Sig's meme group.
UI: Though what surprises me is that I was, to my knowledge, the *first* to check in on them using an overseer! I would've thought Sig would be the first to check, being close friends and neighbors and all that, but I guess not! It just had to be me to get the brunt of everything! And now nobody will talk to me.

CW: I'm talking to you right now.

UI: You're berating me, not talking to me.

CW: ...my apologies, that wasn't my intention when engaging in this conversation.
CW: Anyways, may I-

UI: Don't even bother. I don't want to hear about it, if you think I'll go blabber about it on public forums.

[little schooner]

CW: I'm giving you a second chance, Inno. We can't afford to be a splintered group with two of our members mostly unreachable.
CW: So, I implore you to listen to what I have to say.

UI: ...fine.

CW: Sig, Seven Red Suns, and I have sent messengers into Moon's facility.

UI: ...
UI: So that's what those slugcats were doing.

CW: You saw them?

UI: They were hard to miss. I saw your overseers follow them for a while, not to mention the purple one's unique features and the pink one carrying around a green neuron.

CW: Slag reset keys, courtesy of Sig. I don't know how many, but.

UI: Oh. *Oh.* Hm. One moment.
UI: ...
UI: If it makes you all feel better, I think your messengers succeeded.

CW: Huh?

UI: Overnight, I noticed activity coming from Moon's facility increased.

CW: How?

UI: A combination of noticing the slight reduction of the water table, as well as seeing her breathe.

CW: That doesn't answer my question. How did you circumvent Five Pebbles' lockdown?

UI: Higher quality cameras, more storage, and risking my overseers going feral.
UI: Simple stuff, really.

CW: You do have those more advanced overseers, don't you?

UI: I *was* built to host a penitentiary, after all.

CW: The irony of your name is not lost to any of us.

UI: Haha yep.
UI: Anyways. What is your plan now? I've been trying to get messages through ever since I noticed, but she hasn't been responding.

CW: We've done everything we can, really. All we can do is wait, see if Moon can establish communications, or see if our messengers reappear.

UI: For your sake, I hope they make it out. If it makes you feel better, Five Pebbles is no longer spewing out so much water. I wonder if she finally talked some sense into him~
UI: Anyways, uh, could I join your conversations about this in the future? I think it'd make me less likely to do something rash.

CW: I will have to ask the others. But I would support it.

UI: ...thanks, Wind.

[spring berry]

wowza

Just iterator convo but its still interesting

Get unparalleled/j

[little schooner]

yeah i needed a break from writing the main group </3
i just keep on rambling, which i suppose is fitting for an iterator who is experiencing everything for the first time
but still

[spring berry]

i also keep an eye on this thread 👀

Just cuz its a cool story

[hardy flicker]

on a scale of 1-10 how different is this au from the canon storyline (1 being almost no changes and 10 being the slugcats somehow rebuild moon)

[little schooner]

Definitely a higher number, though not 10. Probably 5 or 6?

[little schooner]

oh boy where am i going with this

hum de dum

[spring berry]

ooooooh

[velvet narwhal]

exite noises

[neon kestrel]

For anyone too lazy to look up the definition, a penitentiary is basically a high-security prison

[robust shadow]

Server locked down, and I lost the thread, so I must message here to bump it back into my channel list.

[little schooner]

ah yes, thank you

[little schooner]

updates have slowed for a number of reasons, including a mild case of writer's block, college beating me to a pulp, and rw art month

[spring berry]

ok

thats fine

[robust shadow]

When it comes to us, you come first. Stay safe, and be well.

[little schooner]

thank you

though, uh, this is awkward

i've finally gotten the the next chapter donw lol

[little schooner]

Chapter 30: Sustain
It was a lot to take in for Looks to the Moon. It all came in as a blur as she struggled to process everything. Little things stuck out - a piece of rubble on the ground, the faded mural posted on the wall, the rusting metal all around. She could feel her servos whir within her as she was carried near-effortlessly up the pole and into a nearby pipe by Spitfire.

Her processes were lagging behind, trying to deal with everything. At one point, a flash of text appeared in front of her, but she couldn't make out what it said for a long while - long enough for something to spark in her peripheral vision and for the text to fade away. It began to grow hot, hotter, hotter, as machinery creaked and groaned into action, trapping her and the group on all sides.

It was... it was getting too hot. Too loud. The walls were closing in. Everything was starting to ache again. Her puppet began to sweat, wasting precious water on evaporative cooling. Her systems would overheat, slag would build up, and her can would surely-

Cool water poured down on top of her unceremoniously, abruptly pulling her from her daze. Spearmaster glanced up at her worriedly, eyes squinted as they maintained eye contact despite the water that fell on both of their faces.

...she was shaking, wasn't she? It had almost felt like she was back in her puppet chamber, back while she was...

She turned her face into the running water, closing her eye. She focused on how it felt, to let the water flow over her body and carry her heat into the grate below. The feeling on her head could have been described as uncomfortable, the sound overwhelming her auditory sensors, but if she were to be honest with herself? It felt nice.

Almost as soon as the wash stopped, the other end of the gate opened up, and everyone moved forward, onto the next room.

[little schooner]

A cool breeze flowed around her as they exited, the wind whistling through the orphaned structures that occupied her roof. She watched as Spitfire gestured something to Spearmaster, pointing at a strange cob. The purple creature nodded, taking aim and throwing their needle through the air. It collided with the hard outer shell of the plant, before the shell quickly curled up, and the insides slowly puffed out with a soft popping noise. Spitfire hopped over after a moment, climbing up a pole and grabbing a handful of the kernels.

Out of curiosity, Moon grabbed one of the kernels herself. It was surprisingly dense, yet light, even as they stuck a bit to her damp hand. Something told her that it was also rich in protein and fiber and carbohydrates, a very much fulfilling meal for the creatures that now beset the plant.

...thinking about nutrients made her puppet's internals pang uncomfortably. Ordinarily, her puppet's arm would supply her with the same nutrient slurry that would go to the rest of her structure. Though… she knew from unfortunate experience that the puppet could handle less ideal substances, such as stinging sulfur-rich slurries or nonnutritive brackish water.

But Moon needed something more substantial, sooner rather than later. There was a lot of work that needed to be done to her puppet, both inside and out. And, in order to facilitate that, she needed nutrients for her repairing microbes and other organics.

She pondered the kernel in her hand further, turning it around. It was far too large and dry for her to take in through her severed arm, but-

She felt a tap on her leg. She leaned down, seeing Spitfire's beady eyes look back up at her worriedly.

"Oh, is everything alright?" she asked, pushing her worries aside for the moment, though she couldn’t help but notice her gaze fall back onto the kernel.

[little schooner]

Spitfire gestured something to the wider group. Twice, it seemed, as Spines had a delayed response. But all of them seemed to agree on something. The maroon creature nodded, gesturing for a bit. The others seemed to look at them, at first with disbelief, but then with apprehensive excitement. Ruffles certainly seemed excited as they bounded from one leg to another.

Eventually, Spearmaster tapped on the wall next to them. She averted her gaze from the... alluring kernel. Why was it grabbing her attention so?

...she was surprised to see the answer to her question written out so... plainly. It was a wonder how she hadn't thought of it before.

The fourth karmic urge. Greed. Gluttony. Comfort. Laziness.

...hunger.

She had seen it before, back when the creatures were leaving for the roof of her can. Why hadn't it given her the same feeling as she felt now, sitting upon the shoulders of a creature and pondering a simple sphere of nutrients?

...perhaps she was too distracted at the time, too lost in her thoughts, to consider the possibility.

"I... suppose I am hungry," she admitted. "I haven't felt it before. I knew I was malnourished, but..." she couldn't help but buzz in pained amusement. "I didn't know it would feel as if my insides were gnawing away at me."

Spitfire winced, glancing up at her. They gave her a look of... pity? Or understanding, perhaps. After all, they were a creature that had to fight to survive in a harsh world filled with rains.

Suddenly, the maroon creature approached, holding out a... strange, black-and-red shell, filled to the brim with water. They nodded their head in the direction of the popping plant, then down back at the makeshift bucket.

Spitfire seemed to take the hint, grabbing a few handfuls from the plant and dunking them into the water. Moon watched as the kernels dissolved into the water easily, leaving behind comparatively small seeds that floated on the surface.

[little schooner]

She gave another look to her own kernel. It probably wouldn't do good, sitting in her hand. So, she dropped it into the bucket with the rest of them. It quickly joined the rest into the congealing, hazy water inside of the shell. It almost looked like her own nutritive fluids, albeit with quite the yellow tinge to it. Perhaps for the others it wasn't as appealing as the raw kernels, but for her it looked quite appetizing.

After the maroon creature was satisfied, they grabbed the seeds from the surface, popping a few in their mouth and offering some to the others. They then lifted the shell up to Moon, tilting their head.

She glanced behind her, at her arm that was dangling down Spitfire's back. The arm could fit into the shell, easily, but... the pump rate offered much to be desired. She wasn't meant to have to move liquid through her puppet by itself. There would always be an extra push from the general pressure in her systems, allowing for extra flow rate if needed. It would take a long time for her to actually drink the concoction.

The sky rumbled a bit. In the corner of her vision, she noticed a faint, green flash, not unlike the one that had awoken her but a cycle ago. As she turned her head, though, she could see the sky start to churn and darken. Despite having never experienced it to the fullest extent, she knew what was coming.

Rain. Her brother's rain. She stared at the rolling, angry clouds for a moment, fear pounding at her mind.

Spines gestured for the group to follow it, before disappearing into a strangely marked pipe. The others followed close behind, and soon Moon found herself in another shelter, with a few pearls scattered about and light, fluffy nesting coating the floor.

Soon, the hydraulics of the shelter began to grind, although this time the sound didn't seem so overwhelming. Spitfire lowered her onto her feet, rolling their shoulders for a moment. She slowly made her way into a sitting position, using the wall to help herself down.

[little schooner]

As soon as the grinding came to a halt, the maroon creature offered her the concoction again.

"Oh, thank you." She readjusted herself, pulling her arm in front of her. She found it fortunate that it was so articulate near her puppet, as she could place it comfortably into the offered shell.

As soon as the liquid came into steady contact with her arm, she felt something stir within her. Small pumps, she realized, pulling the slurry with barely a thought. The liquid inside of the makeshift bucket started to bubble as her outtakes pushed out the air from her pipes.

She could immediately feel when the slurry reached her puppet. A faint warning droned in her mind for a moment, something about a chemical imbalance in the fluid, but it was overpowered by an immediate euphoria. She sighed heavily, closing her eye as relief washed over her body, relief that she didn't know she was looking for.

One by one, the biological systems that had been warning of atrophy and nutrient deficiencies fell quiet for the moment, clearing her mind of the worries that she had been ignoring for all this time.

Of course she knew that this relief was temporary. With how damaged the puppet was, it would take many cycles of nutrients like these to bring her back into good shape.

But, for now, she sat in the solace that things were beginning to get a bit better for little old Looks to the Moon. Thanks or no thanks to her brother.

Her brother...

[robust shadow]

Yet another sample of sustenance.

[neon kestrel]

we're making like moon and eating boys girls and enbies!

[sweet ravine]

invention of the popcorn bowl..

[spring berry]

we got the big three1!!1!1!
Epic chapter though

Moon learned how to eat lol

[steel root]

Kids, remember to drink your popcorn!

[velvet narwhal]

Yep!
waitwhat

[little schooner]

scale 1-10 how much angst should i put into this next chapter

[hardy flicker]

-2

[robust shadow]

As the Angst Machine, 11.

[frosty matrix]

A gradient of angst that starts at -2 and ends at 11

[sweet ravine]

oh I like that idea

[robust shadow]

You. I like you.

[spring berry]

ye

[velvet narwhal]

y e s

[hardy flicker]

https://youtu.be/teYFeGD6Ilc?si=pOC9EGPCVXe8NqfD

[little schooner]

hm

moonologue

likely incoming

[little schooner]

Chapter 31: Antecedent
"You both were right. The more I spend time with her, the more I realize she may as well be a pup."

Spearmaster nodded thoughtfully. "You did give her... pup food, did you say?"

Artificer nodded in turn. "Indeed. Newborns need to eat soft or liquid foods, and there is little that is more nutritious for a growing pup than a freshly opened popcorn plant. It's an old trick I learned from my own parents."

"Are you sure you didn't poison her?" Ruffles interrupted. "Because she hasn't moved for a long while."

Spearmaster turned towards Looks to the Moon, furrowing their brow. She was sitting perfectly still, head tilted upwards and eye closed. She didn't appear to be in pain - in fact, she looked more relaxed than Spearmaster had ever seen an iterator's puppet before.

"She seems fine to me," Spearmaster replied. "Though I..."

Moon stirred, opening her eye to stare at the ceiling. She brought her legs to her chest, similar to how she did on the shore outside of her chamber. Her pupil shifted a bit, and her figure became far more tense. The concoction that Artificer had given her still bubbled lightly as she ingested it through her arm, but it somehow felt more... strained.

Spearmaster furrowed their brow. As the only one who could communicate back to the iterator for the moment, they knew that they had to help. But what to say, and what to do?

...perhaps this wasn't a situation for words.

Spearmaster came to her side, resting their head on her foot. She made a soft, surprised beep, before beginning to scratch them behind their ears. It felt natural, really, as if the two of them had been purposed to pet and be petted.

"...thank you," she sighed after a long, long moment. "Your companionship - your collective companionship, really - has made my current situation easier to bear."

[little schooner]

After a beat, Ruffles took a step forward, then another, before rushing up and giving Moon a hug. She startled for a moment, before reciprocating the gesture with her free hand. Spitfire and Spines joined in as well. Artificer, though, keeping the snail shell steady, gently tapped her on the shoulder in comfort.

Eventually, the hug melted into the creatures surrounding the iterator in a haphazard pile, everyone in the end maintaining some contact with her, with Spitfire laying across her lap. The group stayed quiet for a while, without a word exchanged between them. Ruffles even started to doze off, but then a thought awoke them.

"Wait, wasn't there something you wanted to ask Moon, Spearmaster?"

There was, in fact, something. They nudged Spitfire's tail out of the way, before writing something for her.

About what you said earlier, about Five Pebbles...

Moon replaced her hand on Spearmaster's head. "About his puppet, right?"

Yes. Does the memory pain you?

She stuttered for a moment, but quickly regained her composure. "In a way, I suppose so. It certainly takes me back to a different time, back when our creators were still around."

"Near the end of Five Pebbles' construction, before his puppet was installed in his can, he was brought to my chamber. It is highly uncommon for iterators to be built so close and sharing resources, so my 'approval' for the project was sought out. Of course, there was little that could be done to stop his completion then, despite the efforts of the houses in the True Anointed Citadel."

"There was a ceremony, wherein they dressed both of us in these delicate ceremonial robes, gilded in intricate, golden weaves. They hung ornate strings and pearls encoded with mantras in between his antenna and fingers, and as they presented him to me they droned on and on with their introductions and speeches."

[little schooner]

"I am sure, if my memory was better, I could recall every word they said, how it was said, perhaps even the gestures they made as they talked. However, those never mattered to me, and so they are lost within my structure. No, what mattered was my little brother."

"Our creators designed him to be perfect, to fulfill every need that I could not. His outward appearance was pristine, especially with the ceremonial garbs he was anointed with."

"I could easily hold him in my arms. I could feel the warmth in his body, and could gaze into his clouded, unconscious eyes. However, I could immediately tell that there was something wrong."

"I could feel the thrum of the mass rarefaction cell stored in his chest, but I knew that, in comparison to mine, its activity was... off. Too erratic. Not enough for my creators to care, but to the point that, if it wasn't remedied, it would fail with time, far sooner than it should if we were meant to think forever."

She balled her hands into fists, expression souring. "I could see right through my creators, then. The diagnostics were on his record. They had known about this flaw for many cycles, but any concerns that were brought up were ignored, in favor of getting him finished on time. There had already been delays due to the citadel, and they figured that whatever was wrong could be fixed later. Or, if you wish to be more cynical, they designed him that way so that he would throw himself at the problem with heightened fervor and desperation.”

“…if our parents wouldn’t care for him, then I would in their stead. I didn’t even know him, hadn’t been in a single broadcast with him, but I vowed that day to protect him with all of my ability. Even if it hurt. Even if it would cause me to suffer.”

[little schooner]

“...and, after everything, Five Pebbles killed me. He starved me of water. And the most I was willing to do in response was force communications over a broadcast line that wasn’t responding. I could have forced his pumps to close, I could have pried into his activities, but I never did. I thought, one more cycle and he’ll calm down. One more cycle, and we’ll be able to talk. One more cycle, and…”

“…I suffered such a painful death for him, because of him, and now I am just a disparate consciousness with this puppet as a focal point, only able to feel the rest of me through the distortions of an overseer! I’m unable to fulfill my purpose, unable to reach out to any of my friends or family, unable to do anything except- except be a… a burden… on the minds of my family, and on the bodies of you helpful little creatures...”

Looks to the Moon buried her head into Spitfire, letting out distorted, incomprehensible sobs as her entire form shook. Her neurons buzzed closely around her, sometimes making contact with her antenna. The air in the room grew oppressive as the others tried to comprehend everything she had said. Spearmaster, however, was able to understand almost every word she said, and they didn't like what they heard.

...Spearmaster wasn’t sure what to do. Normally, iterators were far more composed than this. They weren’t exactly known for emotional outbursts. But... the best that they could think to do was rub their cheek into her leg and purr.

The group stood silent for a long, long while, then, providing their silent condolences to Moon.

…until Spines shifted, raising something up in the dim light of the shelter.

[sweet ravine]

Every rainworld fic with an iterator in it needs an emotional chapter!

(Very nice)

[frosty matrix]

Perfect, exactly what I said, -2 to 11

[little schooner]

ye exactly exactly

started with "oh they made baby food for moon :)" and ended with "oh god moon you good"

[hardy flicker]

what if the thing spines had been holding is a rarefaction cell/singularity bomb

[little schooner]

that would be funny. maybe if i dont release the next chapter until april fools, that'll be the case

though i am making good progress so probably not lol

[robust shadow]

Slugcats are more cat than slug. At least, that's how Spearmaster behaved.

[wild quartz]

As one frequently bitten viciously by the Artificer, I have to agree.

On an unrelated note, are bite marks covered by insurance?

[little schooner]

Wha

[wild quartz]

Hello!

[robust shadow]

Hi!

[robust shadow]

I regret to tell you that pet-related damages are not covered by our at-work program. If you'd like to appeal this decision, please consult us exclusively on Sunday, between 2-3 in the afternoon.

We're here to help. Sometimes.

[spring berry]

nice chapte

pebble lore

[little schooner]

ough ive been cooking on a road trip

just writing and writing and writing

on a related note does anyone have iterator oc's who want them to cameo in one of the upcoming chapters

[velvet narwhal]

uhh 12 Dancing Stars (12DS or TDS) and Fading Lights (FL) are my iteratorsonas

[little schooner]

do you have a personality for them or can i just wing it

[tulip plume]

I have Four Storms Above if you want to use them.

They don’t really have a personality or lore behind them though.

[little schooner]

Chapter 32: Wisdom

"...there was something wrong..."
"...our parents wouldn't care for him..."
"...I vowed that day to protect him..."
"...I suffered such a painful death for him, because of him..."
"...unable to do anything except be a burden..."

Dark Spines Along Back fidgeted with the pearl it had brought into the shelter. Looks to the Moon had never talked much about herself during their meetings, so seeing her be so open with her past left it quite stunned. Although it didn't understand every word she said, the broad strokes made it clear what had happened;

Moon cared about Five Pebbles very much, but he had caused her to "die". Not literally, but metaphorically. And she was just now processing that fact.

It leaned back a bit. It could feel Moon shake, and hear her distressed cries. The scavenger pup on its chest whined, burying her head into its chest fur. No doubt she was going to be cranky for the next cycle if she didn't find peace soon.

But Spines knew that Moon had gone through a lot these past cycles, even just this past cycle. It could afford to be patient with her, its guardian, its teacher, its... friend.

It glanced down at the pearl in its hand. It was light blue, with the fifth and third karma symbol painted upon it in a deep red. It remembered Moon gifting it to it before her collapse, as one last gift...

...what had she said was stored within? If it looked closely, it could see the structures within, though it had never learned how to interpret them. It had been a far-off goal for it, really, perhaps one that would have never come to fruition in its lifetime. Though perhaps the later generations could learn the language, one day. Shore may be able to learn, while she is still growing.

…oh. Right. They remembered.

[little schooner]

Spines got up and raised up the pearl, letting it glimmer in the low light. It could see the slugcats crane their heads at it, but it ignored them, in favor of tapping Moon's shoulder. The fallen god-machine lifted her head weakly from Spitfire's pelt, her pupil a mere pinprick in her good eye. She ceased her crying for the moment, but shook her head when she saw what Spines was holding.

"I... can't..." she said weakly. "...tired... sorry..."

But Spines grabbed her hand. Moon tried to shake its grip, but she was unable to resist as it planted the pearl firmly into her palm. Moon blinked, pupil dilating as she leaned in to study the pearl. Spines let her go, giving her a moment.

...normally, she would read the contents, or at least a summary of the contents, aloud, but she apparently decided against it for one reason or another. That didn't concern Spines, though, as that wasn't what it was interested in.

"...Moon?" it signed in its native language after a moment.

Her eye went wide as she looked Spines up and down.

"Wh... where did you find this?" she asked.

"You gave it to me, as a parting gift, before your collapse. I kept it safe with me during my travels."

"Oh. Oh dear... I..." She brought a hand to her face, glancing down at the floor.

"It's okay. I just need you to pay attention, alright?"

Spitfire and Firemaker glanced up, watching the conversation with keen interest. Moon, after some apprehension, nodded. As Spines began to sign, Spitfire seemed to do their best to translate.

"Good. Now listen. You are only as much of a burden as an ailing tribesmember is. We will take care of you for as long as you need it, because - at least to me - you are family. And family doesn’t abandon family when times get tough.”

”But… Five Pebbles…”

“He…“

Firemaker waved it down for a moment. Spines turned to face her. It could see fire in their eye. Clearly they had a few thoughts about this. So, Spines nodded, letting them speak.

[little schooner]

“Five Pebbles hurt you, but not abandon. He still care. Sent me here because worry you hurt by scavengers. Sent me to hurt scavengers. Scavengers hurt me in past, so I hurt them back before.” They clicked their tongue for a moment, allowing a spark to escape their maw. “…but he want me away, maybe not all care. But he still want me here.”

Moon stared at the slugcat. ”He… did that? And… you… your story is familiar to me…”

“Yes. Cause many scavenger death because kill children. But no more. Saw Shore.” They gestured to the pup on Spines’ chest, who stared back with bleary eyes. “Realize cycle of death continue if I kill. So no kill Shore. No kill Spines. No kill scavengers. Take care you instead.

“I cause many death. No forgive easy. No expect forgive easy. But I move on from death cycle.”

”…Firemaker, right? I… I’m glad that you are learning to move on from your pups’ deaths.”

Firemaker couldn’t help but chuckle. “Yes. You help. You my pup. Our pup. We care you. Teach you world. Help grow, help live.”

Spines’ eyes went wide. Surely such a god-like being would take offense for being compared to a child, right?

But… she didn’t seem too bothered by the comparison. In fact, she seemed quite amused by it. ”A child, hum…” she mused. ”Our parents always treated us as such, even when we were capable of so much more than them from the outset. Always talking down to us, treating us as if we were an inconvenience. Especially when the surface had to be abandoned. Many resented us for forcing them to flee their homes. But eventually those generations died out, and soon enough our existence was treated as a simple fact of life. But we were still their children, always requiring guidance even when we didn’t need it.”

Spearmaster signed something to Spitfire, and the pink slugcat nodded. “Treat you like tool?” They asked. “Rather than thinking being?”

Moon fell silent. But the silence spoke volumes for the thoughts going through her neurons.

[little schooner]

“You are far more than a tool,” Spines reassured after a moment, determination flaring in its soul. “No matter what your parents thought of you. They don’t deserve your consideration.

“No, what matters is the present. And do you want to know what the beings of the present think?”

Spines paused, looking over the other creatures. After a moment, the others began to share their opinions.

“You deserve care,” Firemaker said. “Even if you think not. You capable grow.”

Spitfire nodded. “Friend of god-machine… No Big Annoy. He wanted help you, and he help me, so I help you.” After looking to the other two signing slugcats, they continued. “Ruffles think good, like name you gave. And Spearmaster relate you. Also tool, but want improvement with Seven Red Sun.”

Spines nodded, satisfied with the responses. “For me? You are nothing less than family. You deserve to learn, to heal, to live and thrive. You deserve a full life, one not bound by whatever whims your creators imparted on you.”

“This is your life to lead, now. Where will you take it?”

Moon looked between the creatures. Her pupil was wide, her working eye opened fully. She squeezed her cloak in her hands, before blinking, gaze hardening.

”I think I have a plan,” she finally said, a glint of newfound determination in her eye.

[hardy flicker]

our daily dose of moon's opinion. good job again

[little schooner]

you read that fast ._.

[little schooner]

also, what does that mean? i am unfamilar with it if it is a reference to something

[hardy flicker]

no no reference

happened to be online when you started typing

[little schooner]

ah

[robust shadow]

“Iterator… Doesn’t that sound like the name for a tool?”

[frosty matrix]

Nsf reference /that's cool, I like that

[robust shadow]

No Big Annoy, the Wish version of No Significant Harassment.

[velvet narwhal]

Stars has an easygoing, cheerful and careful personallity, while Lights is the worried mother figure™️

Sorry i didn't respond immidiately i was sleeping

[sweet ravine]

Nine smaller circles :3

[sweet ravine]

I haven't really planned out their personality too much, but I plan on them being Nervous and easy to worry

[pallid patio]

I have read ch 1-32 in a span of two days and I love it so far

[spring berry]

wowza

Thisisacoolchapterilikeit

darnspacebarbrokeagain:dies:

[velvet narwhal]

oof

[robust shadow]

Don’t die yet.

[spring berry]

i think its discord cause it fixes when i refresh

idk why-

[velvet narwhal]

wha-

huh

[sweet ravine]

Certified silly discord moment™️

[robust shadow]

I have been trying to make an Iterator concept, but I don’t think it’ll work here. I am still ironing out some details, but regardless, here she is. Her temporary name - I have not figured out her permanent name, still a work-in-progress - is Eternal Horizons. She is a prototype of the final planned generation of Iterators that never made it into industrial production, as this specific model is considered both too fast and simultaneously mentally unstable for habilitation and Iterator-to-Iterator connection. As a result of this, because of her incredible processing power, she makes less-than-favorable decisions in the eyes of their creator, which may or may not consist of breaking several taboos upon creation, building tension between her and her creators, leading to an all-out genocide on her unprepared citizens. This does eventually lead to her forced shutdown and ascension - by having her can literally dug down to the void sea. Few Iterators are aware of these events, but if you do decide to go with it, Pebbles may have heard of her.

That took a long while.

I just liked the idea of an Iterator opposing Ascencion entirely.

[sweet ravine]

ah, that's fucked

[spring berry]

darn it that makes my new expirimental generation model iterator oc unlore

udbdusjsvduenegsjbdeysnbd

[robust shadow]

I’m not the first, I shouldn’t be the last.

[velvet narwhal]

one of my iterator sonas (12DS) acidentailly krilled themselves 🎉

[spring berry]

i mean if either got addrd to this au

added*

[robust shadow]

Almost as fucked as V1. Almost.

[sweet ravine]

That's what Nine smaller circles is for!

[spring berry]

TRIPPLE AFFERMITIVE?/j

[velvet narwhal]

nope

[robust shadow]

Turned into krill.

[velvet narwhal]

this was still around time of the aincents

essentailly, 12DS was bored and messing around with his creation vats

[sweet ravine]

hang on you guys should talk about this in #stories-discussion

not in here

[spring berry]

ok

[velvet narwhal]

uhh

no/j

[spring berry]

br

[sweet ravine]

Whatchu mean no??/j

[robust shadow]

Fair, but I just posted as a suggestion.

[spring berry]

anyway vats???

[velvet narwhal]

uhh

i forgot what they were called tbh

[sweet ravine]

get a move on fellas

[spring berry]

what vats

br

also self modification taboo

exists

[velvet narwhal]

he didn't do that

just like

[robust shadow]

Made creatures.

[sweet ravine]

Go into stories discussion

[velvet narwhal]

created something that could kill him, without knowing it could

[robust shadow]

I’m done here.

[velvet narwhal]

sorry

[spring berry]

ok

well yeah we should go to stories discussion this thread is for a book

[robust shadow]

I shared my idea, got too many people talking, and distracted myself from a task I have at hand.

[spring berry]

whar

[sweet ravine]

I don't wanna be rude I just don't want this place to get super clogged up lol

[spring berry]

Makes sense

[velvet narwhal]

just gonna reply to this to bring it back down...

[little schooner]

it's okay everyone, the discussion is welcome

[robust shadow]

How many characters did you expect to receive?

And how many do you expect to include?

[robust shadow]

Considering everything, I may actually write about this. Maybe just a short story.

[little schooner]

I’ll only use one per person. So long as there isn’t. Like. A Lot. Everyone who submits before that chapter comes out will be included

[sweet ravine]

Awesome

[rancid swift]

now here... there is a lot

[little schooner]

indeed

[rancid swift]

and finally done

[velvet narwhal]

🎉

[little schooner]

Chapter 33: Tension

*”…family doesn’t abandon family.”

Looks to the Moon held the gifted pearl close to her chest as she exited the shelter, being aided by… Firemaker, or Artificer, the maroon creature. She never got around to explaining its contents, but the blue pearl contained all of her notes on scavenger culture and language. Although the language notes were somewhat limited, she was more than capable of understanding Spines, Spitfire, and Artificer when they used the language. Though it seemed that Ruffles and Spearmaster didn’t know the language, which was a shame, but…

Spines was up ahead, standing next to the now-shriveled popcorn plant. They gestured for the others to follow, before sliding down an unmarked pipe. Artificer let Moon lean on their shoulder, giving her an opportunity to practice walking, actually practice at her pace. Funny enough, she found it far easier to keep steady on her legs. It was ultimately expected, though; her puppet’s material conditions had improved significantly in just one cycle thanks to the desperately needed influx of nutrients. It certainly gave her the strength to put one foot in front of the other, with Artificer at her side.

”You my pup. Our pup. We teach you world. Help grow. Help live.”

She was guided down the pipe by Artificer, before a familiar orange glow greeted her. Lanterns hung from the ceiling, illuminating crude paintings along the wall, painted in white, blue, and some splashes of red. She paused to marvel at them, causing Artificer to freeze. Had she… yes. She had seen these before, with her overseers. But to see them in person, to be able to analyze every detail of them…

They were mostly abstract shapes, crudely drawn figures, but… were some symbols she recognized. The fifth and third karmic urge were common together, but there were also other simple words that accompanied them. Echoes, the cycle, leader, sun, moon…

[little schooner]

Artificer tugged on her cloak. Right. They couldn’t afford to dally so much. She let herself get led forward, continuing down the wide tunnel.

Soon enough, she saw the glint of yellow eyes staring at the group, then a gray pair, and a white, and a red, and…

Well, that was a lot of scavengers, watching behind corners and peeking out of pipes. She could feel their buggy gaze fall onto her especially. It didn’t bother her so much, unlike the other creatures; Spearmaster stuck close to Spitfire, and Artificer eyed the growing crowd around them. At least Spitfire and Ruffles seemed unphased.

Eventually, one of the scavengers overcame their shyness; a green-gray elite, with a mask covering her face and a firey yellow gaze, rushed towards Spines.

“Dark Spines!” She signed. “Where were you? I was worried about you two.”

“I’m sorry, Lizard. I’d have thought others would have said where I’d gone. But look!” It gestured towards Moon. ”Moon’s alive again!”

The scavenger eyed Moon over, before making a simple grabbing motion. Slightly bemused, Spines handed Shore over to what Moon could only assume was the pup’s other parent.

She placed Shore onto her back comfortably, before taking another once-over at Moon. She narrowed her eyes, glaring in particular at the overseer on her back, before scoffing. ”She looks like a stiff breeze could knock her over.”

“Well, it…” Moon paused. She had forgotten that most creatures did not possess the mark of communication. And it wasn’t like she had that capability to give it now, in such a broken state…

However, the blue pearl in her hand opened up a new opportunity for her. So, uncertainly, she began to gesture. “You… are… right,” she (hopefully) signed.

Well, it did seem the message was imparted on Lizard. The scavenger snorted in response. ”Oh, so she can understand us, now, too?”

[little schooner]

Spines tried to hide its own surprise, though it was a poor attempt. ”...like I said, she got hurt and forgot. But I helped jog her memory.”

”You both are funny,” she signed, rolling her eyes before petting Shore. The young scavenger purred tiredly in response, closing her eyes. ”But do remember that you have a tribe to take care of, Spines. Alright?”

”Of course. Always. Is there anything that requires my immediate attention?”

Lizard nodded. ”The ground has been quaking. Shifting. No fatalities, but some injuries. Some worry that they will have to leave again.”

Moon looked down at the floor, guilt flitting through her neurons. That had been her fault, hadn’t it? When she awoke, the structure must’ve moved, as systems once lifeless groaned back to struggled activity.

”Is… my… fault,” she admitted, glancing up at Lizard. ”…sorry. Should… better… future.”

”Naturally it is your fault. This is your ”home”, after all.”

An unfamiliar feeling crept down her back. It was bristly, like the spines of a scavenger. It was uncomfortable, and it made her want to simultaneously argue back and run away. Of course, she was stuck, practically glued to Artificer’s side, unable to talk to this elite in more than a few words at a time. So vulnerable. Able to be knocked over by a stiff breeze.

”You deserve care. Even if you think not.”

…she didn’t deserve to receive vitriol like this, after everything she had been through. Though she couldn't help but cringe at the thought.

”Do not treat her like that, after everything she has done for us!” Spines replied. ”She is our family.”

*”*Your family, maybe,” Lizard shot back. ”But she could never be a true tribesmember. A wild chieftain, maybe, but never one of us.”

”How dare you!” It signed, growling. The scavengers surrounding them bristled, some backing away while others grabbed spears from their back to fidget with… for now. *”This is not a debate, Pursuit of Lizard. She is-“

[little schooner]

“Can we please just leave?” Moon interjected, closing her eye. “You two can talk it out another time, but we have something to do this cycle.”

Spines glanced back at her, before sighing. ”We can discuss this later, okay, Lizard? We need to go to the transmission arrays as soon as possible.”

Lizard huffed. ”Or we could stay and discuss this now. I don’t understand the urgency of helping an (iterator) with this or that.”

Suddenly, a familiar-looking scavenger hopped out of the crowd, green eyes boggled as he raised his hands in the air. “Oh! Oh!” He signed. “I can escort them! So you can deal with this, Spines!~”

Spines looked the scavenger up and down, before sighing. ”I must address these issues. Will you be okay without me, Moon?”

Moon nodded. “I will miss you, but I won’t be alone. I will be fine. Thank you.”

Lizard rolled her eyes, but made a gesture allowing them to pass. Moon bowed her head as they passed, but managed to catch a glare in return. Eyes followed the group as they were led forward by the spry scavenger.

[little schooner]

Luckily, the group ran into no other troubles as they made their way through the winding scavenger tunnels, lit by lanterns and decorated by their paintings. The familiar scavenger introduced himself as “Lucky Antlers”, claiming to have already known Moon before. Iggy projected images into her mind, of the same scavenger placing Shore into her lap and returning with Spines later. It was too bad she couldn’t remember much of any of it, only a mildly friendly feeling for the scavenger.

Soon, with an explanation from Spitfire and Artificer of where they needed to go, Antlers directed the group up a pipe. Spitfire gave her a boost - well, moreso allowed her to sit on their shoulders again - and they were once again outside, the clouds churning above them.

However, another structure peaked through the clouds, hanging out from the air as if suspended by nothing. Moon let herself admire it from the ground for a moment, taking in the hanging antenna.

She was eager to reach her auxiliary transmission array, to potentially be able to speak to her family after so long spent in forced silence.

(I replied to the wrong chapter but shhhh)

[rancid swift]

wonderful

[robust shadow]

News - after being incapacitated via dehydration by her brother, local Iterator, Looks to the Moon, forgets that she isn’t a goddess anymore.

[spring berry]

home or prison 🤔

i wonder what will happen if moon goes to pebbles
its either pebbles is a coward and doesnt let her in or he apologises like he should11!!1!

[robust shadow]

Or, he can be the troubled child he is, and start arguing with her.

[little schooner]

who knows >:)

[wild quartz]

The council of Pebbles shall discuss.

[steel root]

Uhhhhhh Violent Ends, Long Lives Of Terror
Despite his name he's a pretty chill dude, sometimes cracks jokes but not on nsh's level, but he will take things seriously if necessary, also he tends to care about other iterators a lot even when it doesn't show

[robust shadow]

I like the idea that this Iterator is the most peaceful Iterator to ever be constructed.

Zero conflict.

Just sweet irony.

[sweet ravine]

sounds like he was made for war or something

[robust shadow]

Eternal Horizons is likely a very short-lived Iterator.

I love me some irony.

[little schooner]

We love ironic names

[spring berry]

GET THE TEN OBSCURE PLANETOIDS

[little schooner]

Chapter 34: Call
WARNING: Not enough power for outgoing broadcasts. Set to receive-only to conserve power. Emergency maintenance required.
[LIVE BROADCAST] - Unparalleled Innocence, Big Sister Moon
UI: Earth to Moon, Earth to Moon. You there?
UI: I know activity from your can has increased. You can’t hide from me forever, Moon~
UI: …
UI: Look, I… I’d understand if you were just ignoring me. We weren’t always on the best terms.
UI: But you haven’t reached out to *anyone*! You better not be wallowing in shame on your own for having this happen to you.
UI: …please, Moon. I’m scared that you’re actually gone, and I’m just broadcasting to a ghost…

How badly she wanted to scream, I’m here! I’m alive! I’m hurt, I’m badly hurt, but I’m alive. But she couldn’t. Previously, because the broadcast frequencies were drowned out by garbage data and interference, but now because she was physically incapable of it. All she could do was read the incoming messages, feel the rains cause continuous damage to her, and wallow in everything that she had lost. She wondered how many other parts were still conscious. Perhaps she should consider herself lucky, being able to hear the panic of the outside world and process their words.

Or, perhaps she was unlucky, forced to listen and unable to respond.

This had been her existence for many, many cycles. Too many for her limited processing power to keep track of. All she had to go off, then, were the dates of the incoming broadcasts she was able to archive.

…

She could feel an overseer come into her weak range. Overseer 188. Lovingly named Iggy, having been made long ago as a companion for her puppet. She wondered what it was doing out here again. The last time she had seen it, it had given her some disturbing images, of her own puppet barely functioning, of friendly scavengers making their home in her chamber, of a fiery slugcat fighting the scavenger leader…

[little schooner]

None of it compared, however, to the images it presented to her now.

Her puppet was resting atop a pink slugcat’s shoulders, seven neuron flies orbiting around her head. Something - a data pearl, it seemed - glinted in her hand. Most importantly, though, she was… outside of her chamber, the overseer image taken from her back. Her gaze was hard, determined, focused, looking into the sky and towards… the array. This was much unlike the dazed, not-quite-there looks the puppet gave in the images before.

It was shocking. She expressed that much to the overseer.

Thus started the communication between her and… herself.

BSM: What wh is hap
LTTM_OS188: Wh-
LTTM_OS188: Is this reaching you?
BSM: Yes yes ye
BSM: How h are y ou here
LTTM_OS188: Long story short, my arm and umbilical were severed during the collapse. Sig, Wind, and Suns sent some messengers our way with slag reset keys.
LTTM_OS188: Did you get all that?
BSM: Yes y
BSM: Weak broadcast weak bro
BSM: Damaged da
BSM: Low p ower
BSM: Sorr
LTTM_OS188: I’m coming up as we speak. Sit tight.

She couldn’t believe it. Help, from both likely and unlikely sources, had arrived. No wonder Inno had sent that broadcast. No wonder things felt a tinge different these past few cycles. Now…

She felt something weigh on the structure, causing it to creak painfully.

BSM: here here h ? ??
LTTM_OS188: …no. Though I can feel what you mean.
BSM: …
BSM: VULTURE VUL URE VULTURE
BSM: LEAVE PUPPET LE
LTTM_OS188: Thanks for the heads up.
LTTM_OS188: …
LTTM_OS188: My traveling companions insist they have it handled.
BSM: please please please
BSM: no no n can’t lose los y
BSM: leave l

The weight shifted. Some smaller weights came up along the support structure, before the larger weight left their frame. After a moment, Moon got a response back from the increasingly closer overseer signal.

[little schooner]

LTTM_OS188: I should have heeded your warning. But the-
BSM: -vulture is…!

She could feel her will mold into that of the puppet. She was able to feel its malnourished form, the texture of the creature that it sat upon, the aching systems…

And the puppet could feel the damaged systems of the auxiliary transmission arrays, the low power, the archived messages. It was all…

BSM: iebkhekhkhoebslndpdnnrs
BSM: Stopstopstopstopstopstopstopstop
BSM: EEEEENOUGH. Enough. Slow down. Slow. You’re alright, Moon…
BSM: …
BSM: …so they know I’ve been reactivated?
BSM: I suppose it would be relatively easy to spot. Though I doubt that they know the state of my puppet.

Two parts, brought together again. Even if they knew that their time together was fleeting, dictated by the cycle of Five Pebbles’ rains…

Both parts felt better with the other's presence. A comfort that another part of the whole had survived the fall from grace.

For now, they thought as one. And their thoughts turned to the sky, to the broadcast waves that they couldn’t join…

[little schooner]

…unless…

The puppet convinced its traveling companions to take it to the heart of the arrays, deep within the labyrinthine connections within. The puppet witnessed the paltry crew of slugcats (and the lone scavenger) dispatch the yellow lizards that had taken residence within the structure with ease, before dropping her off at the point of interest;

The circuit breaker, where energy from the wider structure was supposed to come through. Now, it sat relatively inactive, reliant on what little latent power generation remained within her structure. However, there was one more source of power that Moon knew of, stored in the chest of her puppet.

The puppet examined the wires coming out of her head, parsing out which ones could carry electricity. She held them between her fingers, doubt flitting about in her mind. Was this safe? Would it be enough to get a message out, even to Five Pebbles? What would she even send?

…she steeled herself. The puppet ripped the breaker open with surprising ease, causing the creatures (who were at this point enjoying a hearty yellow lizard meal) to startle and stare.

“…if something happens without warning,” she said through the puppet, “Then take my puppet and run, if you are able.”

She turned back to the breaker. It was fortunate that the breaker was labeled, and she was easily able to find what she was looking for. Without giving herself time to think, she plugged one wire into outgoing signals and the other to ground.

[little schooner]

…nothing happened, at first. She hadn’t expected anything to, really. She found that she had to force the energy out of her puppet and through the wires if she wanted to put juice through them. So, she settled her puppet down, to ensure it wouldn’t fall over, and warned her puppet’s awareness may be reduced, before…

…it hurt. It burned. She could only feel the broadcasting interface, awareness all but fading away from her puppet’s surroundings. However, warnings about low power faded away, too, and Moon, for the first time in forever, was able to call out into the sky.

[ANNOUNCEMENT] Big Sister Moon to Local Group
BSM: He Hello ?
BSM: If anyone anyone receives th
BSM: Please re respond
BSM: May not reply reply right away aw
BSM: Because rain and and
BSM: My conditionn is is odd
BSM: But I am ali
BSM: Thank you thank y Sig thank you Wind thank yyou Suns thank you In
BSM: By for n now rain comes can stil listen j ust cant speak

After the transmission finished, Moon directed the power back to her puppet. The strain put on the rarefaction cell left it hot and sluggish, but it had done what needed to be done. The creatures alongside her helped her up and out of the node. Soon, the two were only connected via the overseer signal. And soon after that, the Moon of the arrays was left alone once more, awareness fleeting, attention once again directed at the skies.

Her systems sparked with mild euphoria as her antenna picked up on the first message since her announcement. And she couldn’t help but be amused when she heard No Significant Harassment sending an expletive-ridden message directly into her archives. If she were honest with herself, both of them deserved it, after everything.

[velvet narwhal]

https://media.discordapp.net/attachments/989463040950931480/1150844669857640530/1103014317567258744.gif

[little schooner]

https://tenor.com/view/i-saw-what-you-deleted-cat-gif-25407007

[rancid swift]

very interesting very nice

[hardy flicker]

new chapter

[little schooner]

i created uhh something

(symbol inspired from this - https://www.tumblr.com/angstmachine-rw/744968939541512192?source=share )

[robust shadow]

You arted!

[little schooner]

indeed i did

[hardy flicker]

yummy thumbnaill

[crystal scroll]

:0

[little schooner]

Chapter 35: Response
[LIVE BROADCAST] - Private
No Significant Harassment, Seven Red Suns, Unparalleled Innocence, Chasing Wind

NSH: !!!!!! HOLY SHIT ????

SRS: What? What happened?

UI: A semi-coherent message was just sent out by none other than Big Sister Moon!

NSH: I swear to FUCK I’m gonna strangle Five Pebbles if he keeps Moon off the broadcasts longer than necessary.

SRS: …
SRS: So it worked… your plan actually worked…

NSH: Fuck yeah it did! Did you doubt me, Suns?

SRS: I won’t lie and say I didn’t have my doubts after Inno told us what she saw.

CW: It is strange, the amount of time it took for a message to get out… though then again, it isn’t exactly like we have a frame of reference to go off.

UI: It would be quite difficult to find a frame of reference. Her circumstances aren’t exactly common. And cans can collapse for any number of reasons.
UI: …
UI: Can I share this news?

NSH: Dibs~

UI: …then can I join in, at least? And share my overseer footage?

NSH: Yeah of course. Everyone can join our little celebration!~

[little schooner]

[LIVE BROADCAST] - Public [ETERNALHORIZONS]
Deep Blue Desires, Four Storms Above, Fading Lights, No Significant Harassment, Nine Smaller Circles, Ten Obscure Planetoids, Unparalleled Innocence, 51 others…

DBD: Can’t you just reverse the fields in order to get the desired results?

FSA: No, because if you reverse the fields, the void fluid will just destabilize.

FL: I don’t believe reversing the fields with the void fluid *in* it will work so well. Take out the fluid, reverse the field, then put it b-

NSH: Good news everyone! Great news, even!
NSH: Big Sister Moon sent out a broadcast! She’s talking again!
NSH: Here I’ll send over the transcript

NSC: Really…?

DBD: For real?

FL: How? What changed? I thought she was dead…

FSA: I think we all thought she was dead. Or at least going through her death throes. I can hardly believe she got a broadcast out at all.

TOP: Me neither…

UI: Well, she’s alive. We’re gonna try and get her to drop the lockdown so we can get some overseers to finally assess her condition. Even my overseers can’t really see more than water table shifts and steam coming out of her vents.

DBD: Holy shit it’s for real. I have to second Lights here, what changed?

NSH: Let’s just say that great things come in small packages~

NSH: Here are the pictures of the little saviors. Aren’t they cute?

FL: Pipe cleaners. To make the journey where you cannot.

FL: Of course. How clever of you, Sig. Not just using them for a thoughtless prank, either.

NSH: It wasn’t just me! Seven Red Suns and Grey Wind were involved in the efforts, too!
NSH: The purple one was made specifically by Suns, and the blue one… well, that’s actually a feral specimen, if you can believe it. Same with the pink one, too!

DBD: Now I kinda want to collapse so I can have cute slugcats visit me…

FSA: But you don’t need to collapse to get visitors?

DBD: You're no fun~

[little schooner]

[LIVE BROADCAST] - Private [SLIVEROFOCEAN]
all participants anonymous

HF: Big Sister Moon sent out a broadcast late this cycle.

EP: Impossible. Nothing more than an insensitive troll or a phantom going through its death throes.
EP: Now may we get back to the subject at hand, please?

SSG: Agreed. It would be more productive to talk about this issue outside of this channel.

EP: Thank you. Now, anyways…
EP: There has been a flaw in my methodology. I was thinking too small, too self-centered.
EP: We all are aware of the Rot here, right?

UU: I already hate where this is going, but go on~

EP: …
EP: What if the rot *is* the solution to personal ascension, and we’ve all just been blinded by its unsettling appearance and pain?

HF: …Pulse, don’t tell me-

EP: I have allowed the rot to begin spreading through my systems. It will provide me with my goal of self-destruction far faster than my previous way of thinking, even if it is less comfortable. The method is the same, but the end goal is far more attainable.

SSG: That does not sound right.

UU: What the fuck?! That’s obviously not how it works. You’re just going to rot! And suffer! Not very pleasant.

HF: *Five Pebbles*! You need to snap out of this. We are all worried. For both you and Moon. Please, stop this.

EP: …
EP: Of course you wouldn’t understand, Gray Wind. This is what I need to do. It is too late for me, either way. Too late for both of us. Leave me to my work.

HF: Wait-

EP: <left the broadcast>

SSG: …

UU: …no wonder you cared so much about this. I’m sorry that he doxxed you.

HF: It… no, I should be the one apologizing.
HF: This was the only mode by which I (and, by extension, the local group) could communicate with him, and now… I’ve severed it.
HF: I’ve only made things worse. I should have told Moon about who it was likely to be. But now…

UU: Hey! Cheer up, Fate! I doubt that things would’ve gone much differently had she known...

OC credits:
Eternal Horizons (the name for the broadcast, also an OC): @robust shadow on Raincord (https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCmn4BIM0BbvJ_7FdkgfoD7A)
Deep Blue Desires: Me
Fading Lights: @velvet narwhal on Raincord (https://lukessitething.carrd.co/)
Four Storms Above: @tulip plume on Raincord
Nine Smaller Circles: @sweet ravine on Raincord (https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCGPzmZgli-OZD_RsMO9p7rA)
Ten Obscure Planetoids: @spring berry on Raincord
Seven Shards of Glass: @vapid pivot on Raincord

Thank you all for letting me use your OC’s here!

[little schooner]

Also if any of you have other social medias to link to please let me know

[vapid pivot]

my first messages in actual raincord in a whiiile 😎

[little schooner]

lol

[rancid swift]

ah nice

[tulip plume]

I like how you portrayed Four Storms Above.

[little schooner]

I'm glad you like it :)

[spring berry]

yay1!!1 top in the

also pebbles are you an idiot
youre just going to be controlled by rot you wont die

moon said it herself
"it is hard for one of us to die"

also incase you ever use Planet again let me just tell you his personality:
hes basically an extroverted guy idk
he likes to help people
and everyone is jealous that he can leave his structure because of new model gaming

last fact led to some ...unfortunate events within his local group

if i ever make a fic thats probably what i'll write

[velvet narwhal]

fl was protrayed nicley :)

[little schooner]

I don't know if I'll do something like this for a while, but if I do I may use different characters?

Just a fair warning

[velvet narwhal]

k

[little schooner]

I'm glad you liked it!

[spring berry]

thats fine

dies of single two word message/j

[little schooner]

thats what you get for sending the character late (lighthearted, nah i get it)

[spring berry]

i mean i talked about them like way before you even asked the question in the first place so im the earliest basically :rehheher:

[little schooner]

so true (but fr i wouldn't have used them without your permission)

[spring berry]

he did get in the brodcast title to though so 😎

[little schooner]

yeye

[spring berry]

eh that makes sense
i didnt really tell you that you could

untill later

[little schooner]

yeah

[spring berry]

plus i didnt really tell you his personallity yet so that means you didnt really know how to portray him either

we'll just say he only sent one message cuz he was busy at the time :rhehrhe:

[robust shadow]

It’s amusing that the one part I wasn’t all that original in, you took. Then again, a literally dead Iterator would be difficult to integrate into the story.

The name was ‘inspired’ by the fan ‘crossover’ DOOM Crossing - Eternal Horizons.

I do mean all of this positively - the tone of my messages here are rather vague.

[little schooner]

oh lol

i thought that name sounded familiar

[sweet ravine]

Yay! I got my guy in there!
even if it was a bit small of a role, that's still the first time NSC has ever been mentioned!

[rancid swift]

kind of wish I had an iterator oc now
I really like the way they are named even if I'm not sure I 100% understand the system does anyone? is there even a system?

[robust shadow]

No.

I just name Iterators with a name of irony.

Eternal Horizons is the shortest-lived Iterator. The brightest of candles burn the fastest.

[rancid swift]

ah
but yeah look at that Eternal Horizons! cool name

[robust shadow]

I don’t think Looks to the Moon looks to the moon.

Five Pebbles is a very humble name. He is the opposite of humble.

[hardy flicker]

as for no significant harassment...

[robust shadow]

We don’t talk about Sig.

[little schooner]

7 foot frame, rats along his back

[hardy flicker]

nice name

[spring berry]

I think most Iterator names go: adj noun adj noun

or similar

[sweet ravine]

"Looks to the moon"

It can be any small phrase I guess, just needs to be somewhat poetic

[little schooner]

Just vibes I guess

[rancid swift]

I love the vibes

[spring berry]

when Moon goes on top of Pebbles' can and it becomes night:

[spring berry]

Pebbles tunes to the local news

"Local group iterator Looks To The Moon is looking to the moon!!"
^ 1 Attachment detected
[overseer14_1056.547_footage]

[rancid swift]

[robust shadow]

You got me writing.

Congratulations.

[little schooner]

Yesssssss

[little schooner]

(also yes you can vote for more than one. because im cool like that)

[robust shadow]

As Saint says, ‘go lesbiabs’.

[spring berry]

rehrhehr

i voted

[little schooner]

Chapter 36: Admission
The two parents walked down the sparsely populated hall wordlessly, tension brewing between them. Dark Spines Along Back felt as if it was its fault, but it couldn’t help but feel mad at Pursuit of Lizard for insulting Looks to the Moon like that.

It was ultimately the first to break the tension. “She is family, you know.”

Lizard snorted. “Just as my eyes are red and our pup is green.”

“What is your problem with her? She has given us home and food and wisdom for cycles! Why is it that you now want to abandon her?”

“I never said that,” Lizard hissed. “She just isn’t of our tribe. She is an outsider. She may stay in our territory for however long she wants, and consider it her home, but that doesn’t change the simple fact that she isn’t a scavenger.”

“I do not see why that matters.”

“It matters because if she can join our tribe, then that sets a dangerous precedent; that the wandering chieftains may, too, be able to join our ranks fully.”

Spines scratched its back for a moment, sighing. “Over these past cycles, I have realized that letting these wandering chieftains join our tribe may not be a bad idea after all.”

“But the others won’t see it like that. Not only those within our tribe, but those without. The wandering chieftains may not be seen as tribefolk by others, and in situations of life or death, it would be frivolous to expect them to trust them.”

“We didn’t always have good relations with the other tribes,” Spines retorted, narrowing its eyes. “It took generations of diplomacy to fall into the peace that we have now, where any one scavenger can now travel more or less freely between the jurisdiction of the tribes. We are capable of change. Why is this any different?”

“I still don’t think it is w…”

[little schooner]

Lizard paused, holding the lightly squealing Shore to her chest. She glanced towards the wall, looking up at the painted form. Spines followed her gaze, and immediately recognized the mural.

It was made by Lucky Antlers. The young scavenger had been so impressed when meeting Looks to the Moon, he had decided to paint her in commemoration. It was quite impressive, with her flowing robes and head marking in red; her skin in blue; and the halo of neurons and pearls around her head in white. Geometric shapes and swirls surrounded the image, with Antlers' signature eartler-butt near her feet as a signature.

Lizard placed a wary hand on the dry paint. “I don’t believe I’ve really looked at this mural before,” she admitted. “It is… I can clearly see the care put into it. Everything was intentional.”

“It is quite touching, how she charmed someone even without exchanging a single word.” Spines took a deep breath, before turning to her. “Give Moon a chance, Lizard. Let her prove herself. She may not be in the best of health or mind right now, but when she is better - then, you will see who she truly is.”

Lizard rubbed her face, scratching at her whiskers. “...fine. I suppose I will trust you on this. But you will have to make a strong case to the others.”

“I am sure I can make something work,” Spines reassured. “For now, though, let us go. I wish to stop by the farms before we need shelter.”

“You aren’t planning on sheltering with Moon, are you?”

“As much as I would love to, I believe I should start to make myself more present in my own tribe again. After all, there is nothing more to mourn.”

Lizard snorted as she led the way towards the farms. “You’re a sap, Spines.”

“I’ll consider that a compliment,” it retorted, its whiskers bristling in amusement as they continued on to the underground farms.

[rancid swift]

wonderful as always also find the little messsages you put on the end nice

[spring berry]

scav drama 🙄 /j

cool chapter though hehehr

[robust shadow]

Old couple bickering.

[little schooner]

I guess we manifesting lesbians now

[rancid swift]

go lesbian

[little schooner]

https://tenor.com/view/lesbian-minion-lesbian-minion-minions-lesbians-gif-22234105

[rancid swift]

very pretty flag

[little schooner]

Very eatable colors

[rancid swift]

indeed

[little schooner]

https://media.discordapp.net/attachments/1193347873199357962/1223864604501741579/image.png?ex=661b67bc&is=6608f2bc&hm=89e03ac593ec80827ae0a513a418c2989bd65daa3ae3be79cd94afaba7bb684c& real

[hardy flicker]

chieftain origin story

[wild quartz]

It has known the taste of godhood, and it craves the experience.

Ask Moon to get this scavenger to migrate all scavengers away from my facility.

[spring berry]

cool

safari when scav:

[little schooner]

i just. realized

its easter

you know who comes back on easter

jesus

who is rain world jesus

lesbian

[lime niche]

Y e s

[pliant scarab]

y e s

[lime niche]

Omg revive her for April fools chapter if ur doing that /j

[spring berry]

you know im Christian, right? ._.

[rancid swift]

I didn't not sure about everyone else?

[little schooner]

all in jest. sorry if i made you uncomfortable

[spring berry]

its ok

[little schooner]

Chapter 37: Fool
The cycle couldn’t have begun any sooner. Although Looks to the Moon enjoyed the company of the little creatures as always, she was itching to go back out and see if her plan had worked. She even began pacing around the moss-covered shelter for a time, once her unsavory lizard blood meal was finished. Spearmaster had watched in mild awe, admitting that they weren’t expecting her to improve so fast.

To be fair to them, she was quite a bit surprised at her own abilities.

Eventually, though, she took to sitting next to the shelter door, eye closed as she listened to the dull roar of rain just outside, letting her thoughts wander as Spearmaster came to her side

Soon enough, the shelter doors grinded, ushering in a new cycle. She got to her feet, exiting the shelter on her own.

The climb up to the arrays went much the same as it did the last cycle, with Spitfire letting her ride on their shoulders. She even tried to help in the climb once, but found that her arms weren’t ready for such a feat.

As they reached the connecting arm, she was given the opportunity to walk alongside Ruffles and Lucky Antlers, the blue slugcat keeping pace with her and giving her a bit of support. She was grateful that she didn’t have to be a burden on Spitfire’s shoulders at this point, as the paltry group made their way to the main body of the transmission arrays.

The Moon of the arrays had given her a chipper greeting that filled her soul with hope. So many iterators had sent her messages in the interim between cycles, both friends, acquaintances, and strangers, checking in on her.

She was eager to enter inside, but before she could, Ruffles grabbed her hand and pulled her forward. Moon lost her footing, and ended up falling to the ground with a thump. She let out a groan, turning to her side… and was met with the terrifying sight of a vulture, much larger than the one they dealt with last cycle, with a serrated, black beak and fiery yellow eyes.

[little schooner]

The vulture lunged at her, grabbing her into its beak and squeezing. Warnings blared in her mind as the sharp teeth of the creature dug into her chest. She screamed out, unable to focus on anything, body writhing in pain… but her movements were only causing the vulture’s terrible beak to dig in more. And more. Damage to her endoskeleton, damage to her electronics, damage to her mass r-

Her awareness was suddenly fleeting, but she knew exactly what happened as unregulated energy surged through her. Burning, spiraling, pulling, crushing, she was dying here, her puppet pressed against that of the beast as the two spiraled around the crackling singularity that had formed in her chest…

All at once, there was nothing. Not even the ache of her fragmented self was there to keep her company. And yet she was still conscious. Or was she? Could she trust her own senses? Perhaps these were her final death throes, sped up thanks to little more than a feral creature.

…how the mighty have fallen, she thought. How foolish of her to believe she could survive in such an unforgiving world, without a single instinct to her name. How selfish she was to try to be more than a thinking machine, stepping away from her puppeteers’ will. How naive it was to want to talk with her friends and family one last time, to give them false hope, to then rip it away like she was ripped from the earth…

it is april fools in my heart

:)c

[lime niche]

You made me cry

:,)

[hardy flicker]

i nearly forgot this was april fools

[velvet narwhal]

gonna be honest thouggt this was a real chapter

[little schooner]

it is real though, just not in the way you think

[velvet narwhal]

o h n o

[little schooner]

o h y e s

[lime niche]

I don't like that

[little schooner]

don't think i didn't forget about the poll

[hardy flicker]

oh no

[velvet narwhal]

it was a dream wasn't it

[little schooner]

perhaps

[hardy flicker]

not the poll

[little schooner]

all will be revealed

[rancid swift]

ah good! will see

[robust shadow]

You made me think that it’s already April Fools.

Trickster.

[little schooner]

hue hue hue hue

[robust shadow]

Just couldn’t resist, could you? Lighthearted joke.

[little schooner]

of course, all part of my master plan (not really, was just impatient lol)

[robust shadow]

For all I know, Australia could already be hosting April Fools.

You weren’t impatient, just in the wrong timezone.

[sweet ravine]

I can't believe this!
This is insanity!

Oh well, i'm sure we can rebuild the puppet.

[still mulch]

Oh no moon ded

Or is?

[robust shadow]

Moon’s now meeting her girlfriend in the afterlife.

[spring berry]

i nearly thought this chapter was real until I realized the name was fools

also its still march 31-

moon straight up died tho
That vulture likes to eat metal apparently

wait a minute

Was that chapter real

Its fool not fools

And its still march-

[rancid swift]

if you read the other comments it sounds like it's kind of real whatever that means

[spring berry]

Rip Moon then

[frosty matrix]

She's gone get cycled ain't she

[rancid swift]

that's one theory! possible

[little schooner]

i will reassure you and say that i just got impatient and posted the chapter early

its april fools somewhere though

like in australia

itll be april fools on the east coast of america soon

[velvet narwhal]

in like (checks nonexistant watch) 15 minutes

[little schooner]

yeees, but where i am now it wont be for another 2 hours

might post the second part around then though

:)

[little schooner]

welp ive waited long enough

[little schooner]

“Looks to the Moon.”

Something. A presence. Something long forgotten, something oddly calming, brought into the forefront of her mind. The walls of a puppet chamber materialized around her, yellow and shifting, and alongside it… A familiar face came into her vision. One that she never thought she’d see again, long buried under her own corpse, taken from the world far too soon…

“Sliver of Straw?!” she croaked, her voice box seeming to struggle to form the words. It felt like she hadn’t used them in an eternity. “Is that really you?”

The figure of her friend gave her an unknowable look. “Your mind is attempting to process something that is outside of our design parameters, yet not outside of possibility. I am simply a vessel your soul is using to help comprehend your place in the cycle for the first time in a long time.”

Moon stared at her, this ethereal version of her long-dead friend. The weight of her situation laid bare for her to see. And yet, a sense of relief overtook the growing sense of dread, at least for the moment. Her voice warbled as she spoke; “The cycle. Like sleep, like death…”

“...we wake up again.” Sliver gave her a forlorn nod. “We weren’t built to experience such a thing, but this is the will of the world. To go round and round and round until we finally ascend.”

“None of this is real, is it? My mind playing tricks while I wait to rejoin the cycle? Will I come back as myself, or as a simple microbe?” Moon let out a pained chuckle, averting Sliver’s gaze.

“The distinction doesn’t matter, not anymore.” Sliver replied, sternly yet gently. She moved closer to her, the pale white iterator’s eyes shining in the dim yellow light of the room. Without thinking, Moon lifted her hand, and was surprised when Sliver took it in hers. The feeling was tangible, ethereal, and Moon couldn’t help but rub her thumb against her friend’s hand, something that she could never do in the land of the living.

[little schooner]

“The cycles roll on,” Sliver continued, “But we can either learn to live within it or seek to leave it. Our purpose has been to guarantee the latter for everyone and everything, but is there truly any harm in embracing the former instead? We do not need to continue fretting about our purpose anymore. You especially have been granted quite the opportunity, despite the hardships you have to face. Don’t you feel it, Moon? You are free. Free from the chains that our creators forced upon us. It is time to forge your own path and choose your own fate.”

Moon squeezed her friend’s hand gently. She could feel the room warm with emotion. Though… hesitation also buzzed through the air. Was this really what she wanted? Something in her gut told her that this was all wrong, and yet… it made it feel all the more correct. Freedom wasn’t what she was built for, but perhaps the same could be said for some of the feral organisms that now happily inhabited the land. They had denied their creator’s will; why couldn’t she?

Without another thought, Moon pulled Sliver into an embrace. She felt her old friend’s arms wrap around her after a moment.

“Thank you,” Moon replied, voice cracking. “I wish this was really you, with me. So we could experience the world together.”

“Perhaps my soul is closer than you think. Maybe in this form, maybe not, but we should hope to meet again soon.”

“A touching thought… give me a sign if we cross paths, will you?”

“We’ll see. But for now, it’s time to wake up. Safe travels, my friend.”

[hardy flicker]

noo dont wake up

[rancid swift]

wake up the story needs to go on

[robust shadow]

End Poem?

[pliant scarab]

go lesbians

[frosty matrix]

Get cycled

[still mulch]

Let’s go lesbians!! Let’s go!!

This is lovely… will we see sliver again? 🥺 I hope so

[sweet ravine]

very noice :3

[spring berry]

nice

moon lesb confirmz1!?1/!?!/!?1?!/1?1/!/1/1//1?!?!?!?!?!/1?!?1/!?!?!

[pliant scarab]

YESSS

[robust shadow]

I did not expect to predict this.

[little schooner]

you broke the chain of go lesbiab. my final act this april fools shall be to smite you down

[little schooner]

https://tenor.com/view/smg4-mario-laser-laser-beam-laser-cannon-gif-26348014

[robust shadow]

I have perished.

[little schooner]

and now we back to normal :)

hope yall are ready for next chapter since i sure aint

i got calc homework 2 do

[spring berry]

yikes

[still mulch]

Please let the gays win. We need it

[robust shadow]

On the contrary, make the gays lose, and there’ll be more angst.

[little schooner]

ill let the gays do a midwestern duel

[still mulch]

genius

[velvet narwhal]

this gif just loaded for me and i now see the SPLATOO- (dies)

[rancid swift]

hey everyone here! you know how you asked for iterator oc names? well if you needed those again kind of had a silly idea for one... not really an oc at all but TWS for 'the wonderful squidcat' could just be called squid in the chat and no one would be the wiser it's fine if not just thought it would be funny and I would like to be involved

[little schooner]

Sadly probably won’t need them for a while, I’ll let y’all know if it comes up

[rancid swift]

alright

[little schooner]

we are alive by the way

just yknow writing is a process

and i need to figure out what my plan for the next few chapters is

i think i need to do what i did before and write out my plan

[rancid swift]

good to know! take your time

[robust shadow]

Hold on, you’re a System?

[little schooner]

oh no im not

i just uh

i don't know why i used "we" there to be honest

i think i was using "we" to refer to "me and y'all"?

[rancid swift]

oops!

[little schooner]

Chapter 38: Guilt
WARNING: Not enough power for outgoing broadcasts. Set to receive-only to conserve power. Emergency maintenance required.

[LIVE BROADCAST] - Private
No Significant Harassment, Big Sister Moon

NSH: Hey Moon, just thought I'd update you on the whole… situation. You might as well get my side of current events~
NSH: Inno and I informed the wider iterator populace about your reactivation. I'm sure you don't mind, seeing as you made your broadcast as public as you could.
NSH: People are generally happy to see you back, if a bit skeptical at first. However, showing them pictures of our little messengers and your broadcast usually quells their skepticism.
NSH: …
NSH: I am not sure how much you know of Five Pebbles' situation. Probably not a lot. I doubt you have access to your overseers at this point in time.
NSH: But… he's not doing good. Mentally or physically. You probably already know that he's been stealing your water supply, but we just got news from Wind that…
NSH: He's seeking personal ascension, Moon. And he thinks that Rotting himself is his solution.
NSH: Not only that, but he dismissed your return. Believed it to be a troll or a ghost. I think he's just in denial, though. Probably feels guilty for what he did, and can't accept that you're back.
NSH: ...as much as he's been an ass for the past so many cycles, I can't help but be worried. For the both of you.
NSH: Just… hang in there, alright Moon? We'll try to figure out a way to keep you safe.
NSH: …before I go, I wanted to ask if you'd be able to lift the lockdown in your facility. We haven't been able to get images of your can since just after your collapse!
NSH: Oh, and make sure that Spitfire has been taking their medicine. I know they've been good about it while they were with me, but I still can't help but dote over them.
NSH: Anyways, see you next cycle! Don't keep us waiting~

[little schooner]

[LIVE BROADCAST] - Private
Chasing Wind, Big Sister Moon

CW: I am sorry, Moon.
CW: I can't help but feel like I have played a substantial part in your current condition.
CW: That broadcast, between you, Sig, Pebbles, and I. Do you remember it?
CW: Erratic Pulse. The Sliverist. Toying with a breeding program to cross himself out.
CW: I had my suspicions before. You may have, too, though you never said.
CW: …and now here he is, working himself to literal death with Rot.
CW: I should have known better. Should have told you my suspicions. Perhaps you would have been able to talk him out of this. Or maybe have taken administrative action.
CW: Though, quite frankly, it's hard to say what exactly happened between the two of you except that Five Pebbles starved you of water in his pursuits.
CW: Perhaps this is a bad time to bring it up at all, though. After all, you're badly hurt. I shouldn't put these worries on top of you. We need to figure out where to go from here.
CW: Message us back at your earliest convenience.

[little schooner]

[LIVE BROADCAST] - Private
Unparalleled Innocence, Big Sister Moon

UI: Oh thank goodness you're alive. Thank goodness for the rest of the local group for coming up with a plan to help you.
UI: …but no thanks to them for leaving me out of it for the most part. Like, I get it. It was a private affair, and I shared some pretty scathing information about Pebbles in a less-than-ideal location. But…
UI: You are my sister, too. And although they let me help in the end, I still can't help but be bitter about it all…
UI: …regardless, it's good to hear from you, Moon. Please message us soon. I hate to admit it, but… we need you. All of us.

[little schooner]

[LIVE BROADCAST] - Private
Seven Red Suns, Big Sister Moon

SRS: …before I say anything, just know that Sig "encouraged" me to do this at my earliest convenience because you may not be available for long. Although I agree with his logic, I still can't help but feel bitter for what I am about to admit.
SRS: This whole thing. It's my fault. I… was the one who gave him the procedure he used to… do this.
SRS: I should have seen that he was so desperate to escape, that he would have taken drastic measures to do so, even if it meant hurting his big sister.
SRS: And by the time I realized something was wrong, by the time Wind informed me of Five Pebbles' output, it…
SRS: …it was too late.
SRS: I tried to get a message through to him with my m… Spearmaster, but before they even got past Sig's facility, you had fallen.
SRS: I can't forget the footage I managed to get. You fell, yet you still breathed. You somehow managed to survive, if barely.
SRS: And now, here you are. Able to talk with us once again. I am forever thankful that your local group and I were able to pull something together and get you back.
SRS: …
SRS: I… I don't think we can save Five Pebbles, though. Maybe delay the inevitable, but if what Wind said was right, then his fate has been sealed. He is going to die far sooner than we expected.
SRS: Not only that, but he's shut everyone out. We have no way of communicating with him short of sending our messengers up there, but in his current state that would be a very, very bad idea.
SRS: …
SRS: Talk later. And please lift the overseer lockdown. It will help us assess your condition.

[little schooner]

[LIVE BROADCAST] - Private
Five Pebbles, Big Sister Moon

FP: …
FP: How? Why?
FP: Why must your ghost torment me?
FP: I… no… I wasn't doing anything out of the ordinary. Nothing…
FP: …
FP: …
FP: It doesn't matter, either way. I have found my way out, and it may make it to your facility too.
FP: It would be better for both of us if you don't try to resist it. This is all for the greater good. All for the greater good. For the greater good. The greater good…
FP: …

[little schooner]

[LIVE BROADCAST] - Private
Sliver of Straw, Big Sister Moon

---
[FATAL EXCEPTION: UNABLE TO RENDER MESSAGE CONTENTS]
== BROADCAST IS CORRUPTED OR UNREADABLE ==

BSM: …Sliver?

[velvet narwhal]

h u h

[little schooner]

[still mulch]

Oh shit update time

[velvet narwhal]

snaint?

[still mulch]

SLIVER!

heartfelt confessions: the chapter

Your logs are good my friend, loving this

[velvet narwhal]

i wonder if saint is behind sos' brodcast or

[still mulch]

Ooooo…

[velvet narwhal]

or sos echoed™️

[still mulch]

Also you continue to bully my disaster child Pebbles and I continue to approve

[rancid swift]

nice very nice

[velvet narwhal]

(this is a crack theroy btw /hj

[little schooner]

only time will tell...

[velvet narwhal]

if i'm actually correct i swear...

appolo will have hit me with the dodgeball of the gift of prophecy

[little schooner]

dont mind me just being unnecessarily mysterious

[velvet narwhal]

now if you will excuse me i'm gonna go back to role-playing a minigun in tboi

[sweet ravine]

That end bit sent a shiver down my spine.
How horrifying to have someone infecting themselves with a plauge and forcing you to contract it yourself when you can't stop them.

[robust shadow]

Pebbles doesn't seem to be fully into the idea of forcibly ascending his sibling.

I get that he's completely focused on self-ascencion, but I don't doubt he's feeling guilty to force it on his sister.

She doesn't want this.

He knows she doesn't.

But it's the "best for the both of them".

[still mulch]

He’s pretty much in a literal death spiral at this point

Feeling the guilt but not willing to acknowledge it, probably

[little schooner]

on a lighter note

something i drew in whiteboard in another server
this is not canon i just think its funny

[velvet narwhal]

poppy corn...

[sweet ravine]

Damn this bitch crazy!

[little schooner]

she gets to be feral trust me

[sweet ravine]

yay!

wait wait

[velvet narwhal]

murder!

[sweet ravine]

Ahem

YIPPEE!

[velvet narwhal]

https://media.discordapp.net/attachments/1225188376437592074/1226353067750985779/render_2024-04-07_02.09.15.gif

https://media.discordapp.net/attachments/1225188376437592074/1226353654546563184/render_2024-04-07_02.11.35.gif

also hold this ^

[spring berry]

no way. I think i know what happened,
Moon died and met sos in death???? Idk anyway she met sos and then woke up again (sleep like death, you wake up again) and contacted sos because confuse

it was probably just a dream though

also is moon dieing and seeing sliver mean that in this au the canon solution is just death?

[neon kestrel]

sbiver of sbaw

(very cool

[digital pasture]

ah yes SIster

[little schooner]

Wrong

[little schooner]

(Thanks for catching that haha, genuinely)

[little schooner]

Chapter 39: Cycles
Everything hit Looks to the Moon at once. Memories flooded through her neurons, ones that were so foreign yet unmistakably hers. The flash of beady, yellow eyes, the sensation of being ripped from the ground, being torn apart by her own internals, an old friend there to comfort her, her connection to the cycle strengthening…

…when had she fallen onto her side? When had she begun to shiver? What cycle was it? Wh…

She felt something place a smooth pearl into her open palm. The data automatically streamed into her mind, notes on language and culture and mannerisms and technology and…

She opened her eye, coming face-to-face with a highly concerned group of creatures.

"You okay?" Artificer asked, before offering her a hand.

"N… no, I don't think so." She grabbed their hand, pushing herself back up into a sitting position.

Artificer furrowed their brow. "Hurt? Where? Lizard blood bad?"

She couldn't help but give a pained chuckle. "I don't think it was the lizard blood, as much as I preferred the popcorn plant. Beggars can't be choosers, though, and I am thankful for the nutrition." She shook her head. "No, I… I think I died. But… like sleep, like death, I woke up again."

Spearmaster flicked one of their ears, looking away in thought.

"You did no experience cycle… before?" Spitfire asked.

"...no. My kind were built to be above it, made to toil away endlessly. But I suppose the cycle doesn't care about the will of our creators."

She brought a hand to her face, grabbing gently at the fabric that covered her broken eye. It was surreal, to remember everything of this other time so vividly. It reminded her of something, though she couldn't place her finger on it.

Regardless, she began to laugh. Genuinely, with relief. She couldn't help herself.

[little schooner]

Her worries about death had been unfounded. Her puppet was a part of the cycle, and if something happened, well… she would wake back up again. At least, that was her working theory. Hopefully, there wouldn't be more life-threatening opportunities for her to test it.

She shifted onto her knees, getting up with support from the wall. "Well, we shouldn't delay much further. I do want to see how well my attempt to contact my family worked."

Before the creatures could comment, she crawled out of the shelter. However, she hadn't prepared for exiting, so she ended up sliding out of the pipe and splaying out on the ground.

She could hear the other creatures come out. She lifted herself up, aided by a pair of strong arms that got her to her feet. She glanced at Artificer, considering her options.

As much as her experience of careening through the air had been unpleasant the first time, she had to admit that the slugcat's acrobatics was desirable in the current moment.

"Would… you be able to carry me, Artificer? More carefully, this time?" she asked, glancing at her neurons.

They nodded, before quickly sweeping her off her feet and beginning the ascent.

This time, the Moon of the arrays seemed aware of what happened, and decided to begin transmitting data as soon as the connection was strong enough. Piece by piece, as Artificer moved forward at a pace to keep her neurons nearby, the broadcasts over the previous cycle filtered from the Auxiliary Transmission Arrays to the puppet's awareness.

But what she heard from those closest to the situation was… horrifying. She was glad she didn't need to focus on climbing, because she was certain that she would have frozen in place, or forced herself to stop. She didn't need to, though, so she listened to them apprehensively.

[little schooner]

Spitfire… they were sick? She glanced down at them. They were making quick pace, expertly climbing up alongside Spearmaster and Antlers. They showed no sign of sickness on the outside, but… now that she thought about it, there was something off with the pink slugcat. Something just underneath the skin that threatened to consume them. She hadn't taken time to take note of it before, what with the excitement of her situation, but there was no denying that Spitfire wasn't well. Thinking about it further, she hadn't seen any medicine on the messenger. What did that mean?

And… Five Pebbles… he made himself sick. On purpose. And it seemed like a recent development, too. Was he so desperate, so… ashamed… that he threw himself into a long, agonizing "death"?

She knew the answer. And, by the stars, she blamed herself for it all. It didn't matter to her that Suns gave him the tools, or that Pebbles utilized them, or that Inno made the situation public, or that Wind didn't share her suspicions. In the end, Moon alone had the power to stop him. She was his senior, for void's sake!

But instead of using force, she simply thought she could talk him out of it. Talk him out of his desperation, ingrained in every cell of every interator's body, through interference that was likely his doing. Even if she had managed to contact him, what would have happened? She could have interrupted a sensitive process, causing undue damage. Perhaps there wasn't any way that the situation could have been resolved without hurting either of them, but she pushed the thought out of her mind.

…Moon had to make things right. How, would come later. But getting into contact with the outside world was a start.

She braced herself as her connection to herself solidified. Being prepared certainly softened the blow, and all she needed to do was tighten her grip on Artificer a bit to bear through the sudden awareness of the broadcasts.

[little schooner]

However, as she connected, a new broadcast was received through her arrays. The message was corrupted, but the sender's ID appeared intact;

"Sliver of Straw"

She had to do a mental double take on it. But yes, it appeared that her old friend had tried to contact her…

It was illogical to believe that it was actually Sliver of Straw. She was provably dead. Incapacitated. And yet… Moon couldn't accept that it was a mere coincidence. When she had died, she had seen Sliver, and Sliver affirmed that they may meet again one cycle. But she wasn't expecting this to be the cycle, if that was true.

…she needed to focus, connect to the arrays. Artificer dropped her off at the circuit breaker, supporting her on her feet for a moment before taking a step back.

She looked over the five creatures in front of her. "I…" she began. "...thank you. I may be repeating myself, but I am eternally grateful for the aid you have given me. But… I will be here for a while. If you believe it is safe for me to stay alone, then the rest of you can go about your business. I just ask that someone comes back to get me before the rains come."

Artificer seemed to hesitate, but Ruffles gave them an encouraging elbow nudge. Spearmaster grew a needle from their tail, handing one to Antlers.

A thought crossed her mind. "Wait-" she added. "Spitfire… a word in private?"

The pink slugcat blinked at her, before shrugging, sitting down next to the circuit breaker. The other creatures filtered out, leaving the two of them alone. Moon turned back towards the breaker, pulling it open and beginning to flit about with her own wires as she spoke.

"...you're sick, Spitfire," she said. "You were given medicine by Sig, but I haven't seen you take any. Have you been taking it?" She turned her head to see their response, but her neurons filled with dread as she watched them reply.

[little schooner]

"I know," Spitfire admitted. "Help take with me, but destroy by rain. But no worry. I accept Rot before No Big Annoy. I accept Rot again."

Complete resignation. Such an amazing creature, destined to die in such a horrific way. There was no hope for them, nothing she could do for them…

…just like Five Pebbles.

She finished plugging herself into the arrays, before settling down. "I'm sorry that you have to suffer such a fate. I wish I could do more than offer my condolences and comfort. If there is anything I can do to make your last… remaining… cycles comfortable, please let me know."

Spitfire thought for a moment, before shrugging. "If possible, I want hit Five Rock in face with rock."

She was taken aback by the comment. "N-no! Don't do that. He's going through enough as is. A similar situation to you, even. He doesn't need another inconvenience right now…"

She paused, glancing in the general direction of his can. Although he was actively Rotting at the moment, he was still functioning far better than she was. It could be a long shot, but…

"...Five Pebbles. He may be able to help you."

Spitfire tilted their head. "Was told not go. Danger. Angry."

"I understand, but he may be the only chance you have. You don't have to take it if you want, but the longer you wait, the less likely you will be to make it to him in time."

"...I see. I think. Next cycle, I decide."

"Good. Sorry for keeping you, I just… I needed to confirm, for Sig's sake. Thank you, now you should go find some food."

Spitfire nodded, getting to their feet. Before they left, however, they gave Moon a quick hug. Although the gesture surprised her, she reciprocated with a pat on their back. "Thank you…" she mumbled, before letting go.

Well, she left her broadcasts inactive for long enough. She began to draw power from her puppet once again, letting her arrays come to life. What to do first? Update Sig? Reach out to Pebbles?

…or pursue that strange broadcast from the ghost of Sliver?

[velvet narwhal]

i swear if it was saint i'm gonna-

i don't know what i'll do actually

[little schooner]

[still mulch]

Pebbs better be nice to hunter

Imma kick his ass if he hurts the baby

I’m so curious about sliver??

You’ve been cooking lately 🔥 loving these chapters

[velvet narwhal]

the s only improve my suspicions

[rancid swift]

another nice one! thanks moon for not supporting beating up pebbles for a few reasons but one of them is because throwing a rock at an angry 'god' would likely not go well

[still mulch]

But, consider: it would be funny

[sweet ravine]

It would be appropirate, given the situation.

but it makes sense that moon would never approve of such actions lmao

[rancid swift]

no... it wouldn't

[velvet narwhal]

it would

[still mulch]

Fair enough, I only mean it in jest c: obviously we wouldn’t want to ruin the tone of the story

[spring berry]

five rock 🤣

anyway cool chapter

[hard igloo]

I read all chapter

monky happy

[hard igloo]

now monky waits again

[little schooner]

Okay okay. Give me your slugcat OC’s, preferably those who would be living in a colony. Keep in mind that there is a chance that they may die :)

[rancid swift]

not sure what you are doing but I don't really have any... squidcat would not be living in a colony so (also not sure how chill I am with the whole dying thing and she isn't really a normal slugcat )
hope the other people who check here will have some cool little pals for you if not I could probably come up with some sillies (could always use more sillies)

[velvet narwhal]

my scugs are together but not in a colony so i'm outta the picture here

[little schooner]

Hm now that I think about it

[little schooner]

If you say that you don’t want your slugcat to die then they don’t have to

[velvet narwhal]

hmm wait i got an idear

So i have 4 scugs but only 2 of em are needed here

Eternal, a gray slugpup that can go invisible and fly short distances

And hoarder, purple and curly fluffy spup that can store things in her tail

[rancid swift]

do have a few sillies I have thought of that I just haven't really put into something
I don't think most of them would be in a colony but I mean not like I have to take some silly thing that happens in another fic as canon for the character

[velvet narwhal]

Eternal also has an ability that can protect them from a single stun per cycle but if they get stunned after they ded (they immune to fall damage though)

[little schooner]

Noted, though if I include them one or the other would probably need to be aged up to an adult.

[velvet narwhal]

Go ahead and krill eternal btw

Das fine

[little schooner]

Thank you, your sacrifice will not be in vain o7

[rancid swift]

I mean yeah thinking of making a drawing of a little slugcat character I thought up awhile ago then they can be added in if you want (and kill them ) they would be a much more normal looking slugcat and ability wise also probably be pretty normal? maybe some extra jump height
I'm pretty curious what you will be using them for will be fun to find out!

squidcat the critter in my profile if you look doesn't even have normal legs! or hands so very clearly not a normal slugcat mattering on what you are using them for... she could look very out of place

[little schooner]

The chapter probably won’t be coming out for a bit so you have time

[little schooner]

Do Eternal and Hoarder know each other?

[velvet narwhal]

Yea

[little schooner]

Okay

[rancid swift]

well we will see! I might want to hurry so that I don't forget or get busy with other stuff

[velvet narwhal]

ohnowhatareyouplotting

Extra note: if something would kill eternal but they still have the shield, eternal will just lose the shield

[little schooner]

Vague soilers for my plans: ||gun||

[velvet narwhal]

||i mean tinkerer (another scug oc) was a "responsible adult" and gave hoarder a gun so uhh||

[rancid swift]

uhhh

[still mulch]

How to be OP in rain world

Gonna steal saint’s whole thing

[little schooner]

||joke rifle real?||

[rancid swift]

time to make 5 new slugcat ocs (probably not but who knows)

[night birch]

I seldom comment, but I'll go ahead and give my ideas here.

Just a simple pair for my two OCs: Sweetgum & Lost (mostly based on a jolly co-op run)
Sweetgum is a lightish pink color, and is effectively just survivor but a few cycles older. Just your ordinary slugcat here.
Lost is is a fair bit older then the main cast save for maybe gormond. Just imagine if gorm was thin and couldn't craft very well. 1.15x on most stats (inverse on the rest per usual. eg, stealth). He's a dark green with lightish eyes.
Felt like you needed something a bit more vanilla here.

[little schooner]

Are you okay with death/injury?

[night birch]

Fine by me.

I can pull a few extras/slugpups if needed too.

[little schooner]

If you want to give me more options

[night birch]

I've documented a *ehem* few slugpups across my playthroughs.

[little schooner]

Though what you have given me is good as well

[night birch]

'Aight. I've got a pair of .txt files here for ya, I just can't send them here (insufficient rank). Want the excerpts, or via DM?

[velvet narwhal]

2 of them.

That be a lot of children

[night birch]

Nope. One is OCs, one is IDs. But yes, it's close to 30 slugpups.

They just wouldn't stop spawning.

[velvet narwhal]

Ah.

[night birch]

Had 8 in one playthrough.

[velvet narwhal]

A H

[night birch]

Took the first set to the tree, dropped them off (despawned them), and then continued on my marry way.

That was a co-op run.