Disconnected

[night birch]

Did I also mention I had one duplicate himself one run? Slept with one, woke up with three. IDs all matched.

[little schooner]

Wow. Send them my way, but I can’t guarantee that I’ll use them

[velvet narwhal]

Mitosis

[little schooner]

That happened to me as well

[night birch]

I don't mind. I have fun doing this anyways.

[little schooner]

A little pink rivpup

[velvet narwhal]

This hasn't happened to me what

[little schooner]

My game had crashed and when I booted it up I had three of them

Hold on let me see if I can’t find the image

[night birch]

Coming via DM.

Done.

[little schooner]

Got it

Here are my three mitosis children

[velvet narwhal]

Babbies

[still mulch]

Sometimes I’m sad I play on console and I can’t have mods that give me riv babies

Riv babies best babies

[night birch]

If my 9 1/2 year old I3 can run modded rain world, then there's hope for you.

[little schooner]

Might write something about this little guy. Found them in Submerged Superstructure on my hunter run where I got Moon her cloak and sadly died

Also fun fact: ||on subsequent Hunter runs moon has been clothed||

[velvet narwhal]

Woahah

[tulip plume]

I have an original slug cat character that I can share later, once I have access to my tablet though.

[sweet ravine]

Well, Since I have a iterator oc, I might as well create a slugcat oc alongside them.

Need a name tho..

[little schooner]

also i will say that at this point i'll probably include only one oc per person

[velvet narwhal]

Ah.

[night birch]

Perfectly reasonable.

[velvet narwhal]

Eternal it is for me then

[little schooner]

okay

here is the list so far. this time im actually keeping track so i dont suffer later

[still mulch]

gonna get to see a whole slugciety

if you credit on ao3 I would prefer credit to my ao3 username if you don't mind (fairyring)

[little schooner]

ye ye

[still mulch]

thank!

[little schooner]

goes to all of you, if there is a preferred way of crediting yourself please let me know and link here/dm me

https://media.discordapp.net/attachments/958418404769943572/1092410413263618058/image0-15.gif

this me fr rn

[velvet narwhal]

also i would like to mention one more thing: eternal can never go completely visible, making them like 80% visible at max

[night birch]

1. You're welcome to put my username under the credits. I don't really care either way.
2. For Lost, imagine a less rotund gourmand. Not quite as fun sized as the real deal, but not normal either. Also, he's called Lost 'cause he sucks at navigating.

[velvet narwhal]

i have my carrd.co link in my bio so just ping me

[little schooner]

Is Lost who you prefer to be in the fic?

[night birch]

No preference either way. Just saw your note and figured I'd make the correction.

[little schooner]

ah

[night birch]

Whoever you need/want for the story, is who you should use.

Don't let me slow your roll!

[little schooner]

alright, cool

[tulip plume]

I have a slug cat called the librarian. They are a messenger for a iterator, is that okay?

[little schooner]

would they realistically find themself in a colony?

[tulip plume]

I mean yeah, they enjoy sharing their knowledge with the wild scugs they meet. If they managed to complete their goal they would probably find a colony to stay in.

[pliant scarab]

i hope i'm not late-
the gardener/abandoned (idk i'm bad with names)
just a funny little green scug which likes plants a lot. they were heavily injured once, so they use plants as prosthetics. they are really sweet and like helping others. also they are expert in healing

can i send a drawing of them?..
(also i'm so sorry my english is so bad)

[little schooner]

alright sure, that could work. anything of note about them? their color? also what are your thoughts on them dying

[little schooner]

that's fine

what are your thoughts on them dying

[pliant scarab]

i'm fine with deaths/injuries :D

[tulip plume]

I can share their reference in an art discussion channel. And feel free to kill them off, I kill my characters off a lot.

[night birch]

I'm thoroughly entertained on how this discussion has gone from "our happy little OCs," to a literal hit-list.

[little schooner]

i just want to make sure people are okay to things happening to their ocs

because someone i asked in another server wasn't okay with it

just because they might doesnt mean they will

[velvet narwhal]

i mean my character (the eternal) is based off of the lost from the binding of isaac so just a hunch but i think they've died more than just a few times

[tulip plume]

Can I send the reference in here or should I go to a discussion channel?

[little schooner]

either way works

idm

[tulip plume]

Alright give me a moment.

[still mulch]

Also if you have too many characters I don’t mind if you don’t use winter c: feel free to consider her filler lol

[little schooner]

no no i have plans for her :)

[still mulch]

👀

[pliant scarab]

there it is! its a bit old but uuuh

[little schooner]

damn thats kickass

[pliant scarab]

ty :3

[still mulch]

Agreed, really cool OC

[velvet narwhal]

[little schooner]

i hope you don't mind if i use "gardener" for them instead because abandoned doesnt make much sense for a name for someone in a colony

[tulip plume]

This was just me making a small reference.

[pliant scarab]

oki!

[pliant scarab]

aaaw i love this lil goober!!

[velvet narwhal]

i'd also like to mention that eternal is like 1.5x the hight of a spup when they are fully grown becuse short.

[little schooner]

short

[little schooner]

love them

[pliant scarab]

✨tiny✨

[velvet narwhal]

another thing my brain thought up: eternal would be a bookworm bookscug

[spring berry]

am i too late for this?

[sweet ravine]

They said the chapter wouldn't be done for a while so you good

[spring berry]

okay

[sweet ravine]

i also want to violently throw my scug in there but i can't think of a name

[velvet narwhal]

describe scug

[sweet ravine]

They'd be deep blue with streaks of lighter blue on their underside

Generally empathetic and kind to their iterator

think therapy scug

[spring berry]

i have a cool scugular object
Name is The Beast

Anyway basically it is a black slugcat who is very scruffy and all of its skin and fur is hard and tough
It adapted to living in a vat of acid lol
It has 5 eyes, and no nose. Its mouth is inbetween all of its eyes on its face.
It stays disguised as an eye when closed and basically the mouth has a bunch of teeth and is a circle with a very long spikey tongue that can stab you and then it basically uses it as a grapple to get to you quickly.
Also, this creature is a mutated failed expiriment made by Ten Obscure Planetoids, it was supposed to be a rot killer slugcat for the group senior Reflections Of Stars, who got rot because of another member of the group whos kinda a reckless jerk and bla bla etc etc

Also it has pointy pointy very pointy ears.

i just realized how long that is

lol

[sweet ravine]

Ah, manmade horrors beyond my comprehension

[spring berry]

oh also i forgot to say when it was discarded he put it in an acid filled garbage dump and locked the regions gates.

It escaped by getting picked up by a vulture lol

Also it has a distaste for iterators because of the reason that he got put in acid

TOP locked all of the gates*

[little schooner]

they*

[sweet ravine]

woops, my bad!

[spring berry]

im also making a mod for the beast too so yeah
It’s probably never gonna be finished anyway tho

too much work

also about it not liking iterators… It will eat moon if it is not given food probably

LIZARD SACRIFICE/j

[sweet ravine]

aight with some help i got a name for the scug!
"Quelling dark thoughts"
or just "queller" as most would refer to them as.

[spring berry]

[little schooner]

i dont think they would fit with what im doing rn, sorry

[spring berry]

Its okay thats what i thought you were gonna say anyway

Not like you can just have a murderer slugcat thats really weird and eats iterators in your book

How do you even eat an iterator 💀

[sweet ravine]

Uhh, crunchy?

A vulture got moon at one point, so it's possible

[spring berry]

true

[little schooner]

in this au it would be a very dangerous meal for creatures who weren't intelligent

however uh

nevermind

[sweet ravine]

I imagine eating an iterator would likely kill the eater

internal bleeding and all that

[spring berry]

congrats! You ate a metal Iterator puppet shell!

your reward: death

[sweet ravine]

yum!

The cycle continues

[spring berry]

atleast we know moon will respawn

[velvet narwhal]

this reminds me of

(taffy an suns are friends btw)

[little schooner]

another cover art? waow

[rancid swift]

oh neat

[robust shadow]

You made me think of something. How dare you inspire my creative side to churn?

Anyway, enjoy a little creature, not quite a benevolent one.

This slugcat, titled "The Unwise", is one of the many purposed organisms created by Hori, but you may leave this detail out, and just have it be sent from some Iterator or other. Their little nickname is "Weiss".

Before you ask, yes - their nickname "Weiss" is pronounced the german way.

This creature isn't particularly intelligent, but is superhuman - or should I say, superscug - in physique.

Average height, dark blue with copper-coloured patches, and a stronger build than most slugcats.

This creature has a simple task in mind - eradicate all slugcats inhabiting Hori's can.

They obviously can't take out an entire colony of slugcats themselves, which is where their ability comes in.

Persuasion.

It makes unwise - but appealing - decisions that'll leave a colony smaller than it was before, but should keep it alive.

It does this until a colony falls, and then move onto their next victims.

Can't go too deep into the details, and I won't - as they'd likely never get used, and I must preserve my story before it all leaks out of me.

[robust shadow]

The reason I highlighted "should" here is that it may not have been equipped to deal with other superscugs, such as the beast that's called Arti. Or that one critter constantly on a sugar rush. Or Suns' beloved pet rodent.

And yes, I'm perfectly fine with you killing them.

In fact, should you decide to use them, I encourage their suffering.

[tulip plume]

Adding to this - She - Her pronouns. The Librarian, Library for short can speak the language of the iterators (They also speak pretty formally, as in they will use full titles without much annoyance or fuss on how long they usually are) and has an infinitely vast mind to take in knowledge like a sponge. Hence their name, Librarian, they can read pearls! They don’t keep them due to their photographic memory (Photographic memories are not a real thing, but I find that explaining it as that makes it easier to understand.) Other than that and being tall (to reach more knowledge) they are kinda just a slug cat courier. (Their vast knowledge could probably help them in battle)

Thier owner (A Jasper Thread) has two plots that happened due to storyline being changed. There’s one where The Librarian is trying to find a way to give Jasper’s memory’s back (she threw them in trash due to the grief of losing a friend) and one where she is trying to find a iterator who has knowledge of rot to save her due to Jaspers communications being destroyed. Whether she failed or not is for you to decide.

( Why Librarian would join a colony ) The Librarian probably saw a way to gain more knowledge due to the rarity of having two cans connected, and a good way to help her species survive and even perhaps thrive.

Sorry for the paragraph just thought it might be helpful in some way. Feel free to change any aspects of the character as well! as she is probably going to be a handful to implement, and if you need a simpler scug I have one.
(She is not protected by the government (Though is loved) / she is killable. )

Lore

[pliant scarab]

gardener's regular patient, That Thing.
he is a movement professional, and he is ALWAYS in trouble. That Thing often just appears near the gardener with a broken leg or something, stays there for a few cycles and than backflips into the nowhere again. he "wears" these leafs on his head to look more like the gardener... or maybe other purposes, nobody really knows most his intentions, since he cannot speak. or just doesn't want to
is ok to kill

just a silly little idea. i know, there are already a lot of scugs suggested by other people (they are all very cool btw!!), but i'm pretty sure that the gardener would at least joke about That Thing at some point

[crystal scroll]

woah this is super neat

love the integration of all the different plants

[pliant scarab]

hehe thanks!

i did actually spent a lot of time on the plants so it doesn't look like a mess haha

[little schooner]

Chapter 40: Spire
Well, Spitfire and Spearmaster had been right. A spire, rising into the clouds, had awaited the traveling slugcat colony. The air was warmed by the humming deep under the earth. Gourmand had been quick to organize everyone, instructing a few parties to explore the surrounding area and keep it safe, while having some of the caretakers take the slugpups into one of the larger shelters.

It had been a good few cycles since they arrived, and Gourmand gathered a few brave slugcats to help clear the spire of lizards. Although they generally stayed atop, the presence of the colony at the base of their home had garnered their attention, and a few cyans had already wandered to the base. Though they were quickly dispatched, there were a few close calls.

“Remember,” Gourmand had told them. “The minimum we want to do is keep them from harming our people. How you go about it is up to your discretion.”

The gathered party nodded to each other, five slugcats strong. The appointed leader of the expedition, a large golden slugcat named Delight, gave them a salute.

“Absolutely,” She said. “Soon enough we may have a whole host of colony defenders!”

A black-and-white striped slugcat scoffed, leaning on a spear. “Or food."

"I personally vote for taming them, Menace" Winter, a stout, fluffy white slugcat replied meekly. "I'd rather not risk a fight. And besides, if we tame one of the yellow lizards, we should be able to tame them all."

"That's just a folk story," Sweetgum laughed, clapping a light pink paw on Winter's shoulder. "In reality, you need to feed all of them. The only advantage is that they won't fight each other."

A small gray slugcat sighed. "We can just decide when we get up there. It'll depend on whether we have food to give them, after all."

"I'm sure that there will be plenty, Eternal," Delight reassured, taking a spear into her hands and pointing up the tower. "Anyways, onwards, to adventure!"

[little schooner]

"Wait!" A small, blue slugcat, just barely out of adolescence, ran up to the group, waving her arms. "Can I come?"

Gourmand stepped forward, kneeling down to meet her gaze. "Sorry, Orchid. This isn't a job for-"

"Let her come," Menace butted in. "We'll keep an eye on her. After all, we're probably going to be traveling to above the clouds, and I think the little squirt should be able to take in the view while we're up there."

Orchid's yellow eyes lit up, while Gourmand could only let out a little chuckle.

"Well, alright. No rain deer play, you two, alright?"

"Yes, Gourmand!"

"Of course we won't. We'll try to be fast, but we may be out for a while."

The expedition team said their last good-byes, before starting the climb up the long spire. At first, the climb was utterly uneventful, with a few batflies having taken roost and centiwings fluttering through the air lazily. Everyone kept pace with each other, watching each other's back as they rose, higher and higher, until they stumbled upon a pack of yellow lizards, lounging around on the arm of one of the strange dishes that dotted the structure.

Menace went to step forward, but Delight stopped them. After a moment, she spat out a hazer from her stomach, before whistling and dropping it to the floor. Immediately, the entire pack took interest. One in particular stepped forward; the alpha, if its comically large antenna were any indication. It snuffed at Delight, before taking the squid into its mouth and swallowing it whole.

Delight then stepped forward, placing a hand on its head. It closed its eyes, antenna twitching and flashing alongside the others of its species. After a moment, it nudged Delight, making a soft guttural sound. The others seemed to follow close behind, ambling towards the rest of them in a non-threatening manner.

[little schooner]

Winter was the first to break formation, approaching a small, orangey lizard and offering her hand to it. It seemed to accept the gesture in turn, grunting happily as it licked her hand.

"Well," Sweetgum shrugged. "I suppose I was wrong. You are able to befriend them all if you befriend one…"

"I just think I have a knack for it," Delight replied, scratching under the alpha lizard's chin. "Now, let's keep going."

The troop left the yellow lizards behind for now, figuring they'd grab them on the way back. For now, though, there were other lizards they had to take care of. Menace speared a white one from across an interior room, and Eternal managed to tame a cyan one with a dead adult noodlefly. However, just before they breached the cloud layer, something caught Orchid's eye;

Something was draped over a shaded corner, a simple white sheet swaying gently in the wind. Perhaps a scavenger had taken residence here? Curiosity got the better of her, and cautiously, spear in paw, they approached. She could catch a glimpse of something light beige glowing within, reminding them a bit of those little worm creatures that sometimes stared at her when she explored. However, otherwise, the inside was-

Their breath caught as they heard something shift inside. A clink of a pearl, something getting onto sturdy feet and walking slowly towards the entrance to the little nook. They could begin to hear faint pops of electricity which made their hair stand on end. An elite scavenger? Out here, alone? No, there was a bit of a lizard hiss in that, too-

The curtain flung open, and the last thing that Orchid saw was a glimpse of deep, lifeless eyes on a pale figure that towered over her, holding something teeming with electricity in one hand… before she was flung back by a blast of energy to her face. She couldn't even scream as she was sent careening over the edge, though she caught a glimpse of her terrified companions watching from the edge as she fell.

Credits:

Delight by @cosmic perch on the Stories Community (https://www.youtube.com/@AzaloonyToons)
Menace by @merry pagoda on Raincord
Winter by @still mulch on Raincord (https://archiveofourown.org/users/fairyring/pseuds/fairyring)
Sweetgum by @night birch on Raincord
Eternal by @velvet narwhal on Raincord (https://lukessitething.carrd.co/)
Orchid by @vapid pivot on Stories Community

Do not fret if you submitted a character and they didn't appear here. This chapter was getting long so I decided to split it.

[vapid pivot]

heheh

btw can u change my credits to embers on stories community?

[velvet narwhal]

i wanna read this but i'm figuring out how to save in ibis paint again

[vapid pivot]

i dont like being affiliated w this server tbh-

[little schooner]

oh ok

ye thats fair

[velvet narwhal]

found out how now i can read™️

[vapid pivot]

so this makes TWO universes where orchid dies!!!! hahah

[still mulch]

Oh no! Orchid! Baby down!

[velvet narwhal]

oh noes

[still mulch]

This is great love this

[rancid swift]

oh no the sweet little things
well this seems like it will be fun!

[still mulch]

Winter pats a lump

Here comes the carnage…

[velvet narwhal]

i hope eternal won't just get double rock comboed and heccin die

[vapid pivot]

in canon orchid gets friggin chomped by a lizard

she's the sister/best friend of my main scug oc

[little schooner]

if you don't want harm to come to them just let me know, it is not too late for you

[still mulch]

Can’t catch a break

[vapid pivot]

(you dont mind if i post the map part w her in it, in here, right machine?)

[little schooner]

idm

[velvet narwhal]

no it'll be funny

[little schooner]

okok

[vapid pivot]

here https://youtu.be/W_ccMEyVC08?si=FYRzwqQHFQIfmbtf

warning blood and gore

[rancid swift]

oh slugcats you live in such a dangerous world would be a shame if something happened

[still mulch]

Noooo the babies

[rancid swift]

noooo!!!! the little things!!!!! well

[velvet narwhal]

skill issue

[vapid pivot]

rosebud: and thus i was forever traumatized and my abilities severely compromised

[still mulch]

RW community torturing scugs left and right. It’s how we show love

[little schooner]

also fret not you can still submit a scuglat to be placed on the chopping block (or just to be there and vibe)

[rancid swift]

yeah should work on that (kind of forgot )

[tulip plume]

If Librarian is too strange then I can offer you a scug called Scrap.
Also Orchid the child is down

[velvet narwhal]

SLUGPUP DOWN

[little schooner]

im likely to nerf librarian if i use them

like heavily

[tulip plume]

Orchid fell from a great height- Minecraft

[vapid pivot]

LOL

orchid: so ive got two deaths now... one to a lizard and one to fall damage caused by... something... i have no idea 😔

[tulip plume]

Also makes sense. I can share scraps design when I finally do their reference because Librarian is overpowered.

I did not mean to ping if I did.

[little schooner]

soilers for future plans but:
||death by lesbiab||

[velvet narwhal]

[rancid swift]

alright just put something together really quick
I'm kind of bad at descriptions (one of the things I need to work on for stories) and well not sure what to call the fluffy uh edge thing she has on her tail so made a drawing
this is stargazer: might have a fancy name but she is a pretty normal slugcat
most of her real lore stuff probably wouldn't make sense for this story so all you really need to know is that she is a younger slugcat (probably around whatever a slugcat would consider a young adult or teenager) her mother was taken by a vulture personality wise it doesn't really matter but she would probably be a bit quiet and well mannered (slugcat manners ) and well she likes the stars

[little schooner]

She probably won't fall to harm, but just in case, are you okay with harm befalling her?

[rancid swift]

yeah
this little thing can suffer

[little schooner]

cool cool

[rancid swift]

also guess it's 'the stargazer'
in this fic you give them both a name and title right? if she needs a real name could probably find something

[little schooner]

it depends on whether you think she would have gotten a title yet

[velvet narwhal]

uhh eternal's name would be spirit becuase of the ghost stuff

[little schooner]

👍

[rancid swift]

stargazer is her title I guess? so if she needs a name (goes to look for ideas)
Scilla, Glory, maybe violet?

[little schooner]

i'll keep that in mind

[rancid swift]

whatever happens it's fine
love the story so far maybe I should read more rain world stories

[little schooner]

if you havent already i'

i'd recommend #1225605782347972652

[still mulch]

[rancid swift]

the one that this character is supposedly from #rw-oc-gallery★ message (no I have not looked into it... I don't think )

[little schooner]

ye

same character

[pliant scarab]

new chapter lets gooooo
poor orchid D:

[night birch]

Excellent work, as always. Got a pretty good idea of who our unnamed guest is. Also, Orchid...

[little schooner]

if there was one thing i'd change about dc'ed, i'd make moon less lucid in the early chapters. have her be more delerious and less comprehensible.
ah well its fine

[night birch]

Well, hindsight is 20-20. All's fine.

[tulip plume]

( Forgot to spoil the image the first time ) Anyways haven’t been feeling well so I didn’t have the energy to finish the reference so here’s Scrap or Scrap Metal. She tends to be self sacrificing and quick witted. (Spoilers for scarring)

[still mulch]

Struggles of writing as you go

I have a few things already that I would adjust if I rewrote mine

Even though I have an outline

[little schooner]

scrappy lad

[sweet ravine]

That scug looks like they could use a bluefruit

[spring berry]

why am i always somehow late to every chapter

This is too cool to be late to
When i first read it i forgor that there were ocs till Winter showed up

[sweet ravine]

Yea it's oc time

Hope queller gets in there

[little schooner]

queller?

[sweet ravine]

The fella I was talkin about earlier

[little schooner]

ah

[sweet ravine]

here lmme copy paste the thingy

[little schooner]

.

[sweet ravine]

ye

[little schooner]

y'all this is not a drill

https://www.tumblr.com/lemon-ve-ghost/747693057097564160/guys-shes-real?source=share shes real

you dont understand i am going feral

[sweet ravine]

YOOO

[still mulch]

!!!!

[rancid swift]

moon please don't stab me

[still mulch]

This art so good

She’s gonna end up being such a badass isn’t she

[little schooner]

:)

[still mulch]

I’m so excited for the sliver stuff you have no idea

[robust shadow]

Her one good eye screams insanity.

[little schooner]

feral

[rancid swift]

moon becomes slug/scav not physically of course but mentally

[robust shadow]

If I were to suddenly be given the mental capacity of a rodent, I’d go feral too.

This isn’t rocket science, folks. If you were incapacitated by your brother, lived in constant, silent pain for several years because of it, and you had the mental capacity of a wet mouse when you eventually came back from it, you’d go feral.

[little schooner]

you summarized it scarily well

well done

[robust shadow]

Thank you. Years of reading any book I can find and explaining it as concisely as possible to some poor victims of mine gave me experience.

[sweet ravine]

I can respect that

[robust shadow]

My brain is a maze with bugs.

[sweet ravine]

Bugs?

I hate being those!!

[robust shadow]

When one manages to find an answer, I'll get duplicates of that one, and work on making minor modifications.

Then, I rerun the test.

[sweet ravine]

Ok hang on

[robust shadow]

This means that I find what makes things that sticks and what doesn't by luck.

[sweet ravine]

I don't mean to scare you but
I think you might be an iterator bro

[robust shadow]

I don't know why they stick.

I just know they do.

[wild quartz]

How did you know, machine?

[sweet ravine]

Because uhh

[robust shadow]

Hush, me on a different account!

We don't need anyone finding our secrets!

[wild quartz]

Very well, undignified cretin.

[sweet ravine]

Oh yes

i almost forgot

Erratic pulse, please take this comically large red lizard

may they serve you well

[wild quartz]

Are they capable of destroying the Rot?

I wanted a way to go out. This is the least pleasant way.

Wait - are they able to kill me faster than the Rot?

Either one works.

[sweet ravine]

Well, technically yes.

they'd need to get around your defences first however

[wild quartz]

My little ruffian has taught me that it's possible to do this.

I just need to assign a citizen ID drone to them.

Speaking of which, I have some lying around - I can reactivate them.

I shall assign one to the next red lizard that comes by.

[sweet ravine]

Unfortunately, death by lizard or rot will not free you from the cycles.
Like sleep like death.

[wild quartz]

It's a possibility.

[sweet ravine]

You'd need void

[wild quartz]

I function on a higher level than other organisms do.

[sweet ravine]

exactly, so you'd be more tied to the world.

[wild quartz]

While their souls whir alone, I am composed of hundreds of them.

Thousands, even.

It would stand to reason that "I" am not tied to any single soul.

And that when all of them die, I may, too, die with them.

[sweet ravine]

Regardless, wouldn't those souls wake up as well?

[wild quartz]

When my little ruffian was around, things weren't so bad.

But by the time what I made out to be a little green thing did, most of them have perished.

When they die, "I" do not cycle along with them.

[sweet ravine]

Because you are seperate but connected

[wild quartz]

"I" am not tied to any single soul, therefore, it may be that for beings of my degree, an answer to ascencion could be found through death.

When they all die, "I" am no more.

But as "I" am not tied to a single soul, "I" would not be attached any longer to this world.

[robust shadow]

I need to break character for this.

I am writing my own story, one not tied to Rain World.

And one of the main characters - and eventually the antagonist - has many souls tied to them.

I found the idea interesting, so when Banan wrote something about Iterators not being tied to a single soul, I had to use it.

[sweet ravine]

neato

[robust shadow]

Also, yes, I checked in with Courier, she told me that alternate accounts were allowed as long as they were marked as such.

[still mulch]

Lmao I was like oh hey I just wrote about this, what are the chances

[robust shadow]

Actually, is this allowed? I'll spoil it just in case.

I wonder if Hunter's heard of one of these. Spoilers for an image of a firearm.

If I come back and I'm banned, I want one of you to kindly send me an appeal form.

[still mulch]

I mean. There’s literally a gun in the game I think you’re good lol

[robust shadow]

I found the image funny.

I had to use it somewhere.

And if I get banned for it, just know - I do not regret sending it.

[still mulch]

Hey, it got a laugh out of me

[night birch]

Likewise. If that gets you banned somehow, I'll be very disappointed.

[tulip plume]

Where is the group at right now? (Definitely not making art.)

[pliant scarab]

what group

[velvet narwhal]

The group of scugs

[pliant scarab]

uuh idk

[velvet narwhal]

I'm going to assume that they were around the tower where riv met spear and hunter

so oe ||outer expance||

[pliant scarab]

yeah probably, since they were going to meet the gourmand colony

[little schooner]

Gourmand colony is at the base of the spire between NSH and FP/BSM’s facilities. The traveling party have climbed up the spire and are still under the cloud layer.

Moon’s squad is somewhere around the Auxiliary Transmission Arrays, getting food.

[tulip plume]

Idk where to put the art either.

[still mulch]

Post it here so I can admire

And also in one of the discord art galleries so others can too!

[tulip plume]

It’s a bit different due to how I draw iterators but hopefully you don’t mind that.

[still mulch]

WAHHH!! love it!!

Your art is so good???

Making me want to draw tooo

[tulip plume]

Thank you! Also yes draw

[little schooner]

Djddivevdibdi kd kdbjbinwbirbkfbosnlebjbdnsonlenlzbk donoenkdblejownondlbdonelnkdhoehownlbkfbeo

[little schooner]

Holy god aaaaaa

Thankyouthankyouthankyou

[little schooner]

Can I share this around (with credit ofc)

If so how do I credit you

[tulip plume]

Sure You can credit me by Macncheesecake on anything.

[little schooner]

Aaaaaaaa

(Sorry I’m just. Elehkenjbekhdihdkhknlsns this is great)

[tulip plume]

Your fine.

[still mulch]

Fan art is the ultimate blessing for authors omg

[little schooner]

It is it really is

[still mulch]

If you get fan art you know you’ve Made It

[tulip plume]

I might make fanart of ||winter and lump|| if given permission. (Spoilers for the “His fate in small hands” fanfic, just in case.)

[still mulch]

I would love that sm

[still mulch]

Feral moon agenda

Might color it some time but idk I’ve been digging the uncolored ones lately shrug

[little schooner]

esglbdivlj;k jvk zsd;szdlsdg;m'saksdvz'lzx xzg

so much fanart

augh

[still mulch]

It’s just that kinda day

[little schooner]

thank you so very much

[still mulch]

c:

[sweet ravine]

That actually looks really good

[rancid swift]

neat

[tulip plume]

Drown the Disconnected au thread with fan art. /hj

[little schooner]

graaah im drowning

(just like moon's structure omg)

@tulip plume @still mulch
I know I already asked you in a way Cheese but would you two mind if I posted your art alongside next chapter on AO3?

[tulip plume]

I would not mind / feel free

[still mulch]

Oh sure

[tulip plume]

Also moons structure

[little schooner]

hold on whats that one echo quote

[tulip plume]

We got sent to the shadow realm/j

[little schooner]

"All for a heap of rusted metal steeped in a puddle of frozen water."

(whenever i read that quote i imagine the superstructure as a teabag)

[tulip plume]

Our art was thought to be dlc due to the cloak, which is understandable.

Also Can tea bag.

[little schooner]

yeah thats fair

i'd consider dc'ed moon to be dlc spoiler mostly becuase iggy

[rancid swift]

tea

[little schooner]

I suppose I should put an official note here; any art you make for this is greatly appreciated, but it will most likely be considered "DLC" art. So, if you want to share with the rest of the server, post it in #downpour-art-gallery★

(i'll see if i can get this pinned)

[novel cargo]

doned :3

[little schooner]

gracias

[rancid swift]

Shadow doing stuff! good job Shadow!
hope you are doing well!

[novel cargo]

thanks!! :3

same to you

[still mulch]

It makes sense

Just didn’t think about it

[little schooner]

its easy to forget the barrier between dlc and vanilla, especially with things like moon cloak and hunter roy

[robust shadow]

Hunter’s name is Roy confirmed.

[rancid swift]

[still mulch]

Aight colored it. Can’t decide if I like the bg color or not so have both

[little schooner]

GRAAAA

[rancid swift]

neat

[rancid swift]

I wonder... do you feel like how I imagine I would feel if someone made fanart of something I did? kind of hard to know for sure

[still mulch]

Getting fanart feels awesome!

Someone spent time drawing a thing based on your character/world/story. Every time I’ve ever gotten fanart I’ve been so happy! I wanna hug anyone who draws something for me

I like to think almost any creator would feel the same

[little schooner]

makes me want to go feral in a positive way
especially when you don't expect it

[still mulch]

Also yeah feel free to repost it wherever you want to, I don’t have an art presence online anymore so I won’t be putting it anywhere myself

Idec about credit these days really tbh I’m a hermit lol

[little schooner]

i'll still credit your ao3 lol

[still mulch]

c:

[velvet narwhal]

This reminds me of the time when i made a tupper of tinkerer and like 30 minutes later someone had made art of him

Here's the art i did

and here's what shin did!

[little schooner]

cheese wedge (positive)

[rotund walrus]

Okay so I just binged trough all of this and:

1. Whoa this is really cool and I am looking forward to more
2. Is it just me or is pebbles a bit more... pshcho than usual?

[still mulch]

Disconnected pebbles is unhinged on a whole other level

I love it

[rotund walrus]

Normal pebbles: oh shit I got the rot and moon collapsed because of my actions
Disconnected pebbles: You should rot yourselves... NOW!

[still mulch]

I can’t wait for the drama/conflict pebbles will face

Especially with author’s handle being angst machine

[rotund walrus]

I wonder if he will be more like "oh shit I was dumb, rot is not the solution" or "BOW BEFORE ME MORTALS, FOR I AM FREE OF THE CYCLE"

[still mulch]

Internally the former, externally the latter

Wants to believe the latter

Is too much a shit to actually fully realize/accept he’s being terrible

[rotund walrus]

Yeah sounds close enough

Wait shit I just got an idea for a meme with this AU lmao

[little schooner]

Meme?

[velvet narwhal]

doit

[little schooner]

Also, glad you enjoy it! Kinda leaning in to unhinged pebbles

Being trapped in a cage with a ticking time bomb in your chest will do that to you, even if that time bomb has already exploded

Well being trapped in a cage for a millennia will also do that to you, but. Yknow.

[rotund walrus]

Yeah I don't have time for it rn tho

[little schooner]

All good, I’m not going anywhere lol
Take your time, or don’t do it at all. Either way

[still mulch]

Some take it better than others

[little schooner]

Drives one mad, being unable to transcend reality

[rotund walrus]

Days without thinking about the neverending cycle keeping me bound here and how I can't break it yet: 0

[velvet hatch]

just read through the entire thread
saving this, the story is very good~

[rancid swift]

3+ points for being correct/having me agree with you
hi!

[pliant scarab]

agreed

[little schooner]

Thank you all for the support

[velvet narwhal]

story big good
brain like

[rancid swift]

7+ points for doing a great job!
hope you are doing well!

[little schooner]

Thank you! I am uh. Going through stuff. But I’m still chipping away at next chapter haha

[velvet narwhal]

man i love messing around with bots

https://media.discordapp.net/attachments/1225188376437592074/1229516593868832809/render_2024-04-15_19.39.58.gif

[rancid swift]

hope stuff get good

[velvet narwhal]

(if you can't read it it says LTTM is disconect)

[little schooner]

thats a lot of words/characters for one chapter. might trim a bit

(for reference, this is 6 discord messages worth)

(because i am a poor baby with no nitro)

[rancid swift]

oh woah

[velvet narwhal]

woah,

you CAN still bonk this into one chapter if you feel w/o shortening, no pressure

[little schooner]

it wouldnt make sense to split it up tbh

[still mulch]

I for one would welcome a fat chapter

I prefer them c:

[little schooner]

it'd be the longest chapter ive posted yet i think

and its like 50/50 iterators talking and pebbles justifying his actions to himself

(yes pebbles pov incoming)

[still mulch]

We’ll eat it up I promise

aw hell yeah more pebbs

[little schooner]

last pebble pov was like. uh

[still mulch]

Pebbles, torching moon’s house and then himself: this is fine

[little schooner]

yeah basically

last true pov pebble chapter was 26. boils

[still mulch]

I’m ready

[little schooner]

i am not however, still need to format for discord

[still mulch]

I await, patient but excited

[velvet narwhal]

happi dance

[little schooner]

technical difficulties please stand by

[velvet narwhal]

https://tenor.com/view/papyrus-undertale-outwindow-lol-out-gif-5937399

[little schooner]

haha

[little schooner]

Chapter 41: Cognizant
How does one come back from the brink? How does one make a miraculous, if incomplete, recovery, enough to have found their voice again?

Five Pebbles knew the local group's explanation, and was now painfully aware of the draw on his water resources. That explained the drop in the water table over the past few cycles. That did not explain, however, how she was able to broadcast.

There was nothing more that occupied his mind than the management of the Rot which was, thankfully, far easier to manage than his breeding program. It had been a respite on his overclocked systems, if he was honest with himself, though it felt strange to not be using so much processing power anymore.

A part of him wanted to drum up his systems again, work them on something. But there was little that needed to be done. The only problem he could see with his plan was the… pain. The pain of something that wasn't supposed to be there, gnawing at undefendable systems, tearing through him. Even though it was him.

…he'd have to simply manage. Let it pass over him, even if it made him grow more impatient by the moment. If this temporary suffering was the cost to being free, then so be it.

It was a stark realization, really. Soon enough, he would be free from the maze, truly free, and join his creators in blissful ascension. Whatever greeted him on the other side, it didn't matter. It had to be better than living, if his creators pursued it so vehemently. And, by proxy, it had to be better than his accursed existence.

A notification of the removal of the overseer lockdown flashed in front of his puppet, pulling him from his thoughts. He stared at it blankly, though internally his neurons flared with annoyance.

Looks to the Moon. Her ghost. In his mind, there was no way that the fallen structure had more processing power than a server tower. And yet the dead acted, haunting him.

[little schooner]

[LIVE BROADCAST] - Announcement
Big Sister Moon to Local Group

BSM: Overseeee lock lift
BSM: Send to aux transmmmmm
BSM: Array
BSM: is impor
BSM: a lot I want ssssss
BSM: refrain from brbro til overs overseer here

Five Pebbles trained his eyes at the announcement. So the message wasn't a one-off fluke.

…why did it fill him with such dread?

He should ignore it, a little piece of him said. Nothing good would come of it.

But with a mere thought, he obeyed her order, dispatching an overseer to her structure for the first time since before her collapse.

It zipped past room after room, sending him images from inside. However, he could only cross his arms as he noticed that the scavenger presence on her can was… bustling, to say the least. No sign of that little ruffian he sent here. Perhaps he had overestimated their abilities, and they had been turned away.

Eventually, the overseer appeared on top of the auxiliary arrays. Apparently, his overseer wasn't the first to arrive; one of Looks to the Moon's overseers pinged him. Begrudgingly, he sent his own to its location.

…it felt as if all of his processes froze. He couldn't be seeing this right. No. It had to be a trick of the light, or an error in the overseer. It had to be.

No matter how much he refreshed the overseer eye or changed the position, though, her emaciated puppet was still there, one eye dark and the other eye covered by what he can only assume to be a piece of her cloak. She appeared to be powering the broadcast from her puppet…

This explained… a lot. But also left a million questions swimming in his mind. This had to be a consequence of her collapse, that much was clear. The fact that her puppet had been brought up here and connected, though… how? Surely the messengers hadn't been clever enough to do this without guidance.

[little schooner]

Her overseer appeared on her shoulder, staring unblinking at his own. Soon, he was invited to a public chat. He hesitated to join, but… once again, there was nothing better to do. So, he accepted the invite… alongside a certain green overseer appearing next to his.

[LIVE BROADCAST] - Public
BSM: pebble ?

NSH: MOON! MOOOOOOOOON!!!

BSM: Oh Hi Sig

NSH: Words cannot describe how happy I am to be speaking to you again! It's a miracle your broadcast arrays are working still.
NSH: The local group hasn't been the same without you, sis. I'm so glad to have you back.

BSM: Miss y you too
BSM: Over Overseer here

NSH: Yes, yes, getting the data from it n-
NSH: …Moon.

BSM: yeah

NSH: Big Sister Moon.

BSM: that th me yes

NSH: …
NSH: Holy shit.

BSM: explain more when when
BSM: others come

Pebbles cringed internally as more overseers appeared, white and purple and red and… tan? To be frank with himself, he wasn't sure what to make of that one. It had to be feral, perhaps attracted by the fresh signals. Though that didn't explain how close it got to Moon.

His musing got cut off by Unparalleled Innocence breaking the silence in the broadcast.

UI: …
UI: You look like shit, Moon. You too Pebbles.

BSM: thanks

CW: Moon? Are… are you okay?

SRS: This is…
SRS: Moon, I'm so sorry.

BSM: no apology, this my fault
BSM: I waswaswas
BSM: a poor sister

NSH: Now, Moon, don't go blaming yourself for this. Five Pebbles was the fucker who did this to you.

BSM: …
BSM: not mad. I underderder
BSM: he was is frustr
BSM: Do I forgive him? I don't know.
BSM: But there are more mo pressing isssssues
BSM: pebbles, you made youryouryour
BSM: yourself sick. why?

[little schooner]

He didn’t need forgiveness or vitriol. He had done nothing wrong. Nothing!

But a thought came to the forefront of his mind, one that he had done so much to bury.

You prevented all communications from the outside world with a signal jammer. Did you even think about how it would affect her? Even if she wanted to, she couldn’t have let anyone know of her condition. Not even you.

You saw her final broadcast before her fall. She wanted help. Needed help. Yet you prevented her from so much as speaking up about it.

Had his systems ever felt this cold before? His mycelia retracted into themselves, his neurons vibrating to keep at optimal temperatures. Perhaps he just wasn’t used to his systems operating at such low power, but…

He stole another glance at Moon’s puppet. She was in far worse straits than he was. She shouldn’t be concerning herself with his well-being. And if he wanted to continue pursuing the path of ascension, then…

FP: …
FP: Worry about yourself, sister, and leave me be. I've found my way out.

BSM: It isn't a way out!
BSM: you will die
BSM: but we are part of thethethethe
BSM: cycle
BSM: like sleep like death.

SRS: …

CW: You experienced it?

BSM: Yes

FP: No. I can't…

How was that possible? Their kind was built to be above the cycle, watching time roll on for eternity. They weren’t supposed to be a part of it, weren’t supposed to die…

…how ironic for him to seek it, yet believe it wouldn't manifest in another way.

He ordered his overseer to report the condition of nearby karmic fields. Surely, this would prove that she was lying, perhaps in a vain attempt to get him to back down.

[little schooner]

But instead, he was hit with a wave of horror that chilled him further. The field emanating from around her was singular, about as potent as those of a scavenger. That wasn’t supposed to be possible. Each biological component of her should be emanating their own, near-microscopic fields, and yet…

It didn't help that the signatures in her field indicated that, perhaps, she had cycled, or otherwise had a depressed maximum karma. Either way, the implications were clear.

Perhaps his little project wasn’t the solution he was looking for, after all. But did that matter in the end? For his goal of leaving this pitiful existence above the clouds?

FP: We all know our existence as iterators is torture, even if we refuse to admit it. Death and reincarnation, ascension, both would be an escape from this hell we were built into.
FP: Ascension would be preferable, but reincarnation would still give me a better chance at attaining that for my soul than the alternative.

BSM: Pebble s no
BSM: Please

FP: What would you prefer I have done, Moon? Just continue working on the problem, endlessly running around the maze with no end in sight? Or perhaps nothing, twiddling my thumbs until I collapse like you?
FP: No. I am forging my own path, one that takes me out of-

BSM: I want you to be happy.
BSM: …and if if this is what will mmake you haphap
BSM: then I won't stop yyyyyy
BSM: just dont force for this on me
BSM: and consider whatwhatwhat
BSM: what you are leaving behind
BSM: friends, family, memory, *yourself*
BSM: all lost to rot and an rust.
BSM: …
BSM: if you want escape
BSM: i can help
BSM: you dont have to to to go alone

FP: …I don't need your groveling. And I don’t need your help. I am doing fine for myself.
FP: It would be best if you didn't pursue this further.

BSM: …
BSM: if if you insist

NSH: Seriously? Just like that?

CW: Sig-

BSM: just. can i ask a few things of you pebbles, before you die

[little schooner]

He should say no at this point. Disengage from the conversation. Block all communications…

But Moon still had seniority privileges. She could force him to hear her out, now. Besides, perhaps she deserved some… mercy.

FP: I’m listening.

BSM: first, most important. Spitfire is sick. They have no medicine.
BSM: sorry ry sig, it was was was
BSM: lost on the way

NSH: Oh. Oh…
NSH: Can you tell them I’m sorry?

FP: I don’t have the facilities to aid them in a meaningful way.

NSH: Are you able to fabricate their medicine at least?

FP: …
FP: Alright. I will save your little pipe cleaner. If they’re able to make the journey up.

BSM: still health healthy enough
BSM: second, please don’t shut out comms or or overseers

FP: …fine.

BSM: thank yyy
BSM: …
BSM: are you you capable of putting aside a few few n
BSM: neurons for me
BSM: any amount would be v very help

His overseer looked at the paltry seven neurons she had. One appeared to be more advanced than the others, and was marked pale green. Yet… seven neurons was still seven neurons. It surprised him that they were enough for her to be coherent at all, though perhaps there was a bit of her in the broadcast arrays that was helping.

…either way, he would be dead. He wouldn’t have a use for the little bits of neural tissue on the other side, anyways. Perhaps he could see this as a donation to a local iterator project, like how some of his citizens would do before they ascended.

[little schooner]

FP: I’ll see what I can do.

BSM: thank thank thank
BSM: …
BSM: I wiwiwi stop respon soon
BSM: uncomfortable and an hot
BSM: but overseer can stay
BSM: scav less likely to attack here don

SRS: Don’t push yourself, and… stay safe.

UI: It was good hearing you talk with Five Pebbles, haha.

CW: Talk soon, alright?

NSH: It was great to hear from you, even if it has led to some unfortunate revelations. Tell Spitfire to throw a rock at Pebbles for being an idiot while they visit~

FP: Don’t you dare-

BSM: Spitf wanted to, I told th not to
BSM: oh one more thing
BSM: blue mess messenger named r
BSM: ruffles

CW: Thank you for letting me know. I’ll update their information.

BSM: Bye bye

Pebbles didn’t wait for other goodbyes to leave the broadcast. He still couldn’t shake that cold feeling. This was his fault, at least in part.

…that was in the past, though. For now, he had to prepare for a little messenger arriving at his doorstep.

His overseer caught his attention again. He turned his attention towards it, and was mildly surprised when he saw Moon… moving. Her eye was no longer dark, and she wore a tired expression as she reached behind her to disconnect the wires from her arrays. After that was done, she waved sluggishly at the overseers. Perhaps everyone present was thinking the same thing as he was.

…what situation had Looks to the Moon truly found herself in?

[still mulch]

||mysterious colored overseer…||

Also the mention of ||mycelium|| has me by the throat that is fucking PERFECT of COURSE they would utilize something similar

||this confrontation went much more smoothly than expected. Can pebbs finally get his shit together? He better be nice to hunter.||

||he’s still huffing that copium though. I did nothing wrooooong OK bud||

[little schooner]

(it's ingame lol)

[still mulch]

WAH —

aahhhh???

[little schooner]

it's that uh

[still mulch]

I NEVER SAW IT

[little schooner]

||it's the blue grass stuff||

[still mulch]

Bruh

I never saw its name

[little schooner]

lol its fine

[still mulch]

That’s so sick lol it makes so much sense

I have been Enlightened

Chapter was juicy thank you for the food

[little schooner]

no problem o7

[still mulch]

The gang’s back together

[little schooner]

if you want to see more stuff the info's all here https://noblecat57.github.io/

just scroll down

[still mulch]

A treasure trove of reference material… and here I was scouring the wiki

[little schooner]

glad i could be of help with this

[robust shadow]

Thank you.

[still mulch]

The overseer being on moon’s shoulder makes me wanna ass it to the thing I drew. Pretty sure that also happened earlier but i forgot

[robust shadow]

||Sliver?||

[still mulch]

I need to reread since so much has happened…

[still mulch]

My thoughts precisely

[little schooner]

ass it?

[still mulch]

Hahaha

Add

[little schooner]

also yeah iggy's just there. if i dont mention otherwise iggy is chilling with moon

[still mulch]

Glorious typo. You’re welcome

[robust shadow]

I assumed it was some obscure figure of speech.

[still mulch]

I’m too complex for you simpletons to understand /s

[hardy flicker]

the tan overseer isnt real

[still mulch]

That one’s silver!

Always assumed it was UI or CW

[little schooner]

nope thats ui (in this fic at least)

no tan overseers appear ingame

[hardy flicker]

turns out tan is more brown (oops)

[little schooner]

unless you count the gourmand safari overseer

[robust shadow]

Do you say “yui” or “U-I”?

[still mulch]

It’s an acronym so U - I

[little schooner]

"yui", though "inno" is what i use

[still mulch]

yui is cute though

[little schooner]

like user interface?

(lighthearted)

[still mulch]

Might not be able to unsee it now haha

Yep like use interface

[robust shadow]

I use “Yui” because I thought it was neat, and I wanted to avoid this.

[still mulch]

Inno is my nickname headcanon that the other Iterators use for them

[robust shadow]

If I were to introduce Yui into my story, though, Hori’d just use Inno.

Same method.

I just personally prefer “Yui” over “UI” or “Inno”.

But it’d be more fitting if she used “Inno”.

I’m not planning on that, though!

[still mulch]

Well UI is only ever used in chat logs as an identifier for who’s speaking

I’d never use it in dialogue or the text body

[robust shadow]

Let’s move this somewhere more appropriate, shall we?

[little schooner]

no time like the present to talk about unparalleled innocence

[tulip plume]

The caves secret will be revealed next chapter/hj

[spring berry]

pebble realizing that he is effected by the cycle:

Nice chapter1!1!! Im late again l0l

[little schooner]

not as late as usual though (lighthearted)

[spring berry]

[little schooner]

sleebjy lil guy

[rotund walrus]

The urge of every living being to throw a rock at pebbles

[little schooner]

it is a primal urge

alongside the five karmic urges

[rotund walrus]

The 0th karma level

[lofty merlin]

I wonder if five pebbles will get disconnected too

[rotund walrus]

Actually kinda interesting, I guess him getting disconnected to save him from the rot (willingly or not)

Unless it's like a one off thing with moon and no one can explain why this happened

[lofty merlin]

I mean the way it is described with moon is that the arm was providing nutrients and allowed for movement in the can

Meaning five pebbles can get disconnected too

Since the arm isn't really a needed part to survive

[rotund walrus]

Yeah but it prolly ain't easy to disconnect it

[lofty merlin]

Yeah

[rotund walrus]

Like i don't think it's impossible but you'd need some tools or something, and pebs would need a change of heart (both literally and figuratively, his rarefaction cell was malfunctioning/broken wasn't it? Would he even be able to live off the arm taking the broken cell into account?)

[lofty merlin]

I am still confused on what happened in the pebbles chapters

[rotund walrus]

I think 1st his puppet's internal rarefaction cell got damage or died possibly due to a defect (mentioned later), then later on after moon's reactivation one of his pumps blew up due to heat and caused some damage, distracting him and creating the rot, but instead of flushing it out he decided to infect himself with it cause "it'll work faster than my current solution" (dumbass)

[lofty merlin]

There reason why I am confused about the pebbles chapters is that in the first ones it seemed like he found the a way of removing the tabo but in the chapter where the Rot was created he was going through the process of manually creating the way of removing the tabo instead of doing the same thing he did to create the way of removing the tabo when he created it before making it seem like he didn't actually found a way

[pliant scarab]

what

[robust shadow]

I think this part is more canon-compliant than other parts.

Pebbles tried to remove the self-destruction taboo by performing some precise heat treatment to some cells, which then gain the ability to alter other cells' genes.

[rotund walrus]

I think he was still creating those same taboo-removing thingies but the process was complex or had to be monitored at all times

[pliant scarab]

moon got disconnected by literally a rock (as i remember), so the only problem for pebs is probably his cell

[robust shadow]

Eventually looked at the Rot, and figured, "Good enough."

[pliant scarab]

lmao

[rotund walrus]

Yeah but you would need tools cause ain't no way you are bringing a boulder in there

[robust shadow]

And the complications that happened from that cell being pierced.

[pliant scarab]

i imagined moon entering his chamber with a giant hecking rock in her hands

[rotund walrus]

Also that's a zero-g enviroment, so that's a no-go

Actually, where did that rock come from, did she just have a big boulder somewhere in her superstructure?

[pliant scarab]

we will never know XD

[lofty merlin]

Saint put it there

[rotund walrus]

Divine intervention

[robust shadow]

"Whose divine intervention is it now?"

[sweet ravine]

pebbs being a silly billy as per usual

at least he's gonna lend a hand a bit

[pliant scarab]

i drew that

[rotund walrus]

A bit of trolling

[robust shadow]

Just a little.

[pliant scarab]

a 𝓉𝒾𝓃𝓎 bit

[robust shadow]

A light glaze of trolling.

[sweet ravine]

A miniscule amount of trolling

[robust shadow]

A microdose's worth of pranking.

[rotund walrus]

She learned from the best (NSH)

[pliant scarab]

significant harassment

[sweet ravine]

Very significant harassment

[robust shadow]

Notable Significant Harassment.

[rotund walrus]

No, Stop Harrasing

[pliant scarab]

non stop harassment

this chat is a masterpiece

[rotund walrus]

Ancients be like "this is Unpararelled Innocence" my brother in void they are not innocent

[sweet ravine]

Now that I think of it, does inno really deserve all the hate?
I mean yea they were kinda mean doing that whole taking pics of the rot thing but what else did they even do

[rotund walrus]

It was kinda an asshole move

[still mulch]

They did something that someone else described as mean and that’s basically all we know about them

Kind of a dick move but we dont actually know if it was out of malice

Since it’s literally all we have to go off of though it makes sense that people base their entire personality on it

[sweet ravine]

Sounds about right

[still mulch]

I like to portray them as being abrasive/having foot in mouth disease. But they are actually a caring person, just kind of rude and opinionated

[robust shadow]

Writers love expanding on one obscure piece of lore and making it the entire character's personality.

Moon used the tilde just once or twice, as far as I remember. There's likely more.

And guess what? She's the one most prominently using those.

[little schooner]

I can explain this in two words: Unreliable Narrator

Also good morning everyone

[robust shadow]

Good morning, funky machine.

We hope you found your stay enjoyable.

[little schooner]

I love the discussion here haha

[little schooner]

Also this is great, get his ass Moon

[spring berry]

I just read all of these discussions-
I think moon could use a rock is because her umbilical was already broken, just not broken in half
She does say in game that her umbilical is severed so that means it is probably broken

[little schooner]

mspaint is fun (what is she pointing at tho )

[rotund walrus]

👉

[rancid swift]

beyond discord

[little schooner]

all good guesses

[little schooner]

the primal urge to share what she's pointing at but cant because reasons

[robust shadow]

It somewhat looks pike she’s flipping someone off.

[pliant scarab]

i cannot unsee it now

[still mulch]

I saw a thumbs up

Where u pointin moonie?

[little schooner]

To be fair her hand is blob

You’ll all see soon enough

[still mulch]

wur u pointin

[velvet narwhal]

[velvet narwhal]

my guess that moon is pointing at the rebbles overseer

[sweet ravine]

Pointing at the vulture that is approaching rapidly

[robust shadow]

"You. Know that you are not safe from my ever-approaching grasp."

[velvet narwhal]

day 2 of sending 🍊 in a channel i like

[pliant scarab]

🍊🍊

[little schooner]

https://64.media.tumblr.com/815a7d307e314ec6ebc657af961b4f69/4766bf3a38793fb9-33/s640x960/553f37bd3b854875c8fd337e286719e74fafaf63.gif

[pliant scarab]

i can hear this gif

[drowsy gulch]

Disconnected

[little schooner]

New channel name >:)

[sweet ravine]

Okedokie

[still mulch]

Shiny and newww

[velvet narwhal]

new channel name jumpscare

[little schooner]

no more bells and whistles

[spring berry]

also scabve pfp real

[little schooner]

wilfred

[velvet narwhal]

angst i almost didn't recongise you because i did by your pfp

[little schooner]

nah yeah fair i had that old pfp for a while

[velvet narwhal]

anyway gn gamers!

[spring berry]

[little schooner]

good night

anyways time to post next chapter

[spring berry]

real?

[little schooner]

Chapter 42: Renegade
In this world, it was kill or be killed. She knew that from constant cycles of braving the wastes on her own, forced to fend off predators and the elements alike, without anyone else to truly confide in.

So, why was it that she immediately regretted when she had fired her gun into the blue slugcat? The young creature didn't appear to be a threat to her, even with a spear in hand. She could have lowered her weapon and ended this civilly.

Shoot now, ask questions later. That mantra had been what kept her alive for this long. She shouldn't question what has worked for so long…

And yet she couldn't help but step out and watch as the slugcat fell, smoking and shocked, down to the earth below.

Perhaps this new way of thinking was because she had been thinking of her a lot as of late. She surely wouldn't approve of the state she was in, wandering and feral as she was… once she got over the initial shock that was expected.

It wasn't like she knew of her condition yet, despite her recent attempts. Nobody did. She had made damned sure of that for so many cycles that-

Her train of thought was interrupted by a flurry of movement out of the corner of her eye. She twisted around, taking a step back to face what was coming.

Five more slugcats, and a cyan lizard that seemed to be following close behind. Likely from the same colony as the little blue one she just killed. All of them had some combination of shock, horror, and anger painting their faces. Their leader, a large, golden specimen, trained her spear at her.

She glanced back at the main body of the spire. She didn't have time for this. She needed to be keeping tabs on everything, not dealing with a colony of angry creatures.

She trained her gun at the yellow one, letting it flare to life in her hand. She gave a warning hiss akin to a red lizard as she brought her sharpened, hollow, mechanical arm out from behind her.

[little schooner]

Usually, that was enough to send any animal running. In fact, the cyan lizard fled from the scene. However, the five slugcats appeared to be far bolder. The yellow one chucked her spear at her. It careened through the air expertly, fixing to hit her in the face.

But it was a futile attack, one that she could dedicate her processes to avoid. A simple smack of her hand sent the spear flying off the edge and towards the ground below.

Another spear soared through the air, and another. She was able to parry one, but the other managed to stab into her arm. Although it didn’t find purchase, the attack left her staggering and cursing in pain. She glared at the black and white one that had made the attack, curt warnings clouding her vision for a moment.

The gun was ready to fire. She pointed it at the yellow one, but just as it flashed with energy, the yellow one was knocked to the side by the pink one, who was unceremoniously flung to the side in a smoldering heap, nearly rolling off the edge if it weren’t for the white one managing to grab them.

Seizing the opportunity, the black one rushed forward, grabbing a spear from the ground and closing the distance between them. She ran up to meet them, and just as they were about to stab her, she ducked, piercing them with her mechanical arm. Her enemy’s eyes boggled as blood was siphoned from their body and into hers. She ripped the weapon from their hands readily, turning it back on them with a swift stab into their shoulder before they could react. They reeled back, wincing and grunting as they fell onto their back, groping at the spear embedded into their shoulder.

Two incapacitated, three to-

Something wrapped their hands around her gun. She jumped back just to see a small gray slugcat attempting to steal the weapon from her. She kicked them aside…

[little schooner]

Just for a small, white blur to jump at her. Instinctively, she trained her gun at the slugcat, firing. Her shot was less powerful than the last one, and swung low, but it got the job done as the slugcat lost her trajectory and screamed into the ground, her tail badly burned.

Then there was one. The yellow leader was pulling the pink one away from the edge, chittering quietly. Their two eyes met, and the slugcat froze, fear and tears filling her eyes.

She should stop. They were not a threat to her anymore.

But she raised her weapon again, training it on the leader as it sparked to life. It was kill or be killed. And if they wanted to transgress her, then they’d have to truly learn not to mess with a fallen g-

One of her light beige overseers appeared out of the wall of the spire. It projected the latest footage it had collected to her, uncaring to the carnage she was enacting on the local wildlife. She stole a glance at the projection… and froze for a long, long moment.

No… that… it couldn’t be…

She was hit in the back of the head by something warm and squishy. She moved her hand to feel the impact, only to hear the distinctive whirring of a void fluid reaction going awry. A sound she was all too familiar with. All she could do was try to frantically get the sticky glob off of her head, but it was too late.

Warnings flared in her mind as she was sent to the ground by the blast, white-hot and agonizing. Her systems froze and her senses failed her. The only thing that stood solid was her poor blue friend’s face in her mind’s eye.

I’m sorry, Moon, she thought to herself bitterly as her consciousness faded. I should have contacted you sooner.

[little schooner]

Instead of waking up in a new cycle, however, she found herself slowly gaining awareness in her body, warnings aching throughout it about burns and blunt force trauma, especially around her left hand and back of her head. Her eyes opened up, finding the roof of a large, dark shelter.

She pushed herself up with her good hand, but froze when she saw three slugcats staring back at her. A large beige one, a splotchy gray one, and a foliage-covered green one gave her worried glances.

After a moment, she realized something. Her backpack…! Where was her backpack? It wasn't far, but she could feel the connection to her neurons was strained. She looked around the room, panic building up. She hoped that the stupid feral slugcats didn't take them and make a meal out of them. The rotund one certainly seemed up for the task.

"Stop-" the green, foliage-covered one signed, before pausing. "Actually, can you understand us?"

Of course she could. Someone of her kind didn't go this long without learning something of the natives' language. She gave a short nod, before wincing.

"Good. Stop moving. You're hurt."

She tried to respond, but her left arm refused to cooperate. She glanced down to find that it was heavily and tightly bandaged with monster kelp. Now that she thought of it, it seemed her head and neck were covered, too…

Something flickered above the gray and beige creatures' heads. A Mark. She leaned her head back, blinking.

"Where is. My backpack," she asked in her native tongue, the words struggling to come out from a combination of poor connection and lack of use.

They blinked at her for a moment, before the beige one responded. "Nearby. Why?"

"Bring me white things. Can leave everything else."

[little schooner]

The gray one's eyes seemed to go wide, before they rushed out of the shelter. Shortly after, they returned, dumping the contents of the bag on the ground. Twenty six neurons, previously packed tightly in the base of the bag, floated out and lazily took residence above her head. She sighed in relief, finally feeling like she could think straight…

…and realize how stupid this whole situation was. There were no winners here. She had hurt most of the expedition party in one way or another, and in turn they had hurt her. Not to mention that if she hadn't been a recluse for so long…

"What is your name, god-machine?" the beige one asked, crossing their arms.

"...I have gone by many names over the cycles, healthy one," she replied. "Among my kind, my name is infamous. My disappearance sent shockwaves all over the globe, and various factions developed to determine what exactly happened to me. I never revealed my true state of being to them."

Her gaze hardened. "I have long abandoned that name, though. It has been taken by many-a-group in pursuit of replicating my false affirmative. I much prefer the name your kind gave me; Renegade."

[spring berry]

hehehe im not late this time >:D

also undertale ref at the beginning no way1!1!1!1
Slug gang is back also less go

[little schooner]

right i need to write the credits

[spring berry]

i was thinking at first you were gonna say another message, but it just ends-

i mean it was still pretty long anyway

Just discord character limit
You get like a 3 message chapter

[little schooner]

i was thinking of continuing it but eh i think it'd be fun to continue as a gourmand pov in a later chapter

[spring berry]

yeah, and the cliffhanger is nice too.
It ends with the chapter name too haha

[little schooner]

Credits:
Delight by @azaloon on the Stories Community (https://www.youtube.com/@AzaloonyToons)
Menace by @merry pagoda on Raincord
Winter by @still mulch on Raincord (https://archiveofourown.org/users/fairyring/pseuds/fairyring)
Sweetgum by @night birch on Raincord
Eternal by @velvet narwhal on Raincord (https://lukessitething.carrd.co/)
Orchid by @vapid pivot on Raincord
Librarian (splotchy gray) by @tulip plume on Raincord
Gardener (green foliaged) by @pliant scarab on Raincord

[spring berry]

when do we get to see other public groups’ reactions to moon reappearing btw?

[little schooner]

probably won't address that for a good bit

then again, this isnt exactly the most planned fic in the world

[still mulch]

||She uses her umbilical like a scorpion tail??? And that’s how she feeds?? Badass||

[spring berry]

ok

We’re on scugs and a wild Iterator right now

[little schooner]

ye shes a feral lass

finally get to post these (this is what moon was pointing at)

also this

you know what that means

[spring berry]

whar

i thought renegade was just another of the scugs-

im so dumb

[merry pagoda]

https://tenor.com/view/fish-meme-you-know-what-that-means-gif-12503956388971591256

[little schooner]

skill issue (lighthearted)

i tried to make it vauge but also obvious

show dont tell

[spring berry]

/j

[still mulch]

Wehh good chapter!!

||winter’s tail!! She can’t catch a break in any universe ;v;||

[little schooner]

||scormched||

[still mulch]

I love your arts too

Cute

[little schooner]

thanks, they were made in mspaint

[still mulch]

the fisht

[spring berry]

you know how i said a loong while ago that i might make a fanfic too? Well i think im going to start on it because yes

[little schooner]

dew it

[tulip plume]

I did not expect Librarian to make it, but neat!

[rancid swift]

ok then
poor slugcats

[velvet narwhal]

eternal got comboed...

wait no eternal still had the free hit yea

[little schooner]

my apologies for not adding stargazer, i pinky promise to add them next time

[velvet narwhal]

yeah eternal still had the free hit.

[night birch]

Seems to me, that we've got an opening on the team now... anyways.

Also, Sweetgum going out after doing literally nothing is very in character. The co-op run they're based on I decided to let my friends take charge while I just stood around.

[rancid swift]

I don't mind

[tulip plume]

I wanted to draw this, I then shaded and added lighting to it because I don’t know when to stop.

[little schooner]

hehehheheheheeeheeheehe

fish

[little schooner]

can i share this

(w/ credit)

this typo is going far

[still mulch]

I wanna draw sliver for you but she has no clothes so I can’t hide how bad in an at drawing human-adjacent things lmao

Might try later buuuut

[little schooner]

no stress about it lol

[still mulch]

I stress about everything and I will not be stopped

[little schooner]

know what

same

[still mulch]

anxiety squad

[little schooner]

[merry pagoda]

cooked and burnt the kitchen down

[rotund walrus]

A firebug egg?

[little schooner]

:)

[rotund walrus]

Well where would you get a firebug egg fro-

oh

[little schooner]

||gourmand fucking clocked her while she was looking at her gf (real)||

||by the way i say "gf" in a half-joking manner. by that i mean that their relationship was/is complicated, esp seeing as one was presumed dead for an eternity||

[still mulch]

I cannot wait for these two to meet again

[robust shadow]

Another anti-ascencion Iterator!

I am overjoyed to see another one of this special breed.

Also, that’s quite literal - Regenade seems to own V1’s experimental plating.

Nevermind, just the tail.

[rotund walrus]

Oh I thought ||saint threw the firebug egg at her but thinking about it saint could have most likely done this in a way easier way||

||still, where would you get that thing from?||

[robust shadow]

Imagine everyone thinking Reg’s triple affirmative was Saint.

It wasn’t, and was the last thing she’d’ve wanted.

I love anti-ascencion Iterators.

Partly because I adore Frontiers.

[little schooner]

||gourmand plays minecraft (aka gourmy can craft fire eggs (and by extension singularity bombs) in this universe)||

[robust shadow]

Partly also because I just oppose ascencion as the only solution.

[little schooner]

personally i dont like the idea of "forced" ascension

[robust shadow]

Disapprove of it as a writer or as a person who would not want to ascend?

[rotund walrus]

Oh yeah I mean what did I expect with gourm lmao

[little schooner]

tbh as a person

[robust shadow]

I disapprove of it as well.

Ascencion, to me, is a choice.

When you want to, you can go - but if you don’t, then stay until you do.

If you ever want to, you may leave.

If you don’t, stay with this world.

Some aren’t as lucky.

[rotund walrus]

Unfortunately the ancients were a bunch of suicidal, dogmatic maniacs. Not much of a choice you can make in such a community, I don't think

[robust shadow]

Not much.

I bet all their punishments were forced ascencion.

Didn’t want to isolate yourself from the things you love most? Ascencion for you.

Didn’t want to starve on gravel and herbal tea? Ascencion for you.

[rotund walrus]

Commited some crime? Believe it or not, ascencion

[robust shadow]

Didn’t want to ascend? Too bad, ascencion for you!

[rotund walrus]

The ancients yearn for the void fluid bath

[empty kayak]

This was a fun chapter!

[empty kayak]

Can't imagine how many echoes the forced mass ascension caused.

[little schooner]

I personally headcanon that the mass ascension was less of a big event and more like a trend in populations. Nobody was having kids, and the aging population was slowly dying off, accelerated by people ascending. Those who remained were too isolated on the iterator cans to really rebound their population. They were basically forced to choose between death and ascension, knowing that they were seeing the final days of their civilization.

Quite melancholy compared to mass ascension being a sudden event

But it would make sense in the scale of iterators

[still mulch]

This is likely! I like the drama of a quicker event though

Population decline would most likely cause their society to fail, so they pulled the plug before it happened <- my headcanon

That one pearl ordering all crops to be harvested at once also suggests a sudden event

[robust shadow]

Although I’m all for the drama, I’ll play devil’s advocate here - it could be that this may just be because the remaining Ancients are painfully aware that they’ll be ascending soon - not by their own choice, merely because it’s the better option - too soon for them to care for the longevity of the crops.

[robust shadow]

Because of aforementioned reasons.

[still mulch]

True!

That’s kind of the same thing in my opinion, though. An illusion of choice

[little schooner]

Either death or ascension. One has you continuing an existence that has been demonized by your culture. The other has you joining your people on the other side.

Also, I feel that ascension wouldn’t be used so much as a punishment, more like an end goal for inmates with life sentences or something.

A true punishment in their society would be to force them to reincarnate.

[still mulch]

This

They seem to be aware of echoes but they seem rare

If there’s a 90% chance the inmate just gets what they want, how is ascension punishment?

Rather I think they would use it as a way to wash their hands of prisoners. The wardens/government so Noble that they would cast aside Revenge and rather give the inmates a Gentle End (so they no longer have to feed/house them)

Especially if resources are strained by a dwindling population

[little schooner]

Mhm

Just to wash their hands of them

[still mulch]

The ancients do have a tendency to cast things aside when they are no longer needed.

[little schooner]

Yeah

That’s one of their main things lol

[still mulch]

One might say it’s a Theme

[little schooner]

Ye

They saw everything as a means to an end, and when that end was unattainable in a reasonable amount of time, they just chucked everything.

[still mulch]

“A purposed organism so alike the rest, abandoned when its use runs dry” <- a sentence I will continue to feature in my thing

[little schooner]

Ancients: hey we gave your brother a defect that will shorten his lifespan significantly and we don’t plan on doing anything about it because we think it will encourage him to work better
Moon: Well Fuck You Too

[still mulch]

The ancients fucking sucked man

[robust shadow]

Those in power were horrible.

[still mulch]

Indeed

Still people, but the scars they left on the world were deep

[robust shadow]

Rhinestones is wisdom incarnate.

They are wiser than most folk I meet.

And they said about five lines.

"This moment, right here! This is where we were meant to be."

[still mulch]

The best echo

Everyone’s favorite for a reason

We really needed that evidence of dimensionailty for the ancients. Badly

[robust shadow]

Objectively.

I somehow don't believe Rhinestones' opinion is a rare one.

[still mulch]

Likely not. People don’t tend to fall into a single box

[empty kayak]

Sadly their attachment to life made them an echo

I wonder if they were forced to ascend or simply regretted their choice

[still mulch]

Now they get to spend an eternity “alive”

[empty kayak]

At least they look really cool and pretty

[little schooner]

I don’t think being an echo is the worst fate ever

[still mulch]

Echoes look sad to me. They look like they’re hunched over curled in a fetus position

[robust shadow]

They look full of regret.

[robust shadow]

Isn't that bad, until you realise they have the misfortune of outliving everything.

[still mulch]

There’s this one graffiti that looks like them to me

[robust shadow]

Show us.

[empty kayak]

The graffiti is weird. Some of them make the ancient seem human like, others not

[robust shadow]

Maybe Ancients don't look all that uniform.

[little schooner]

They probably genetically modified themselves like they did with the wildlife

[empty kayak]

Mhm, makes sense

[little schooner]

I know if I was given the opportunity I would modify my body to look more cool

(Given no ethical qualms)

[still mulch]

The head hanging down between the legs. Looks like the way an echo is posed, if you consider the big crossed limbs that legs

[little schooner]

You’re right

[robust shadow]

If I were given the opportunity, I'd love to become something of an Iterator myself.

[empty kayak]

This is a pretty good video on them if you are interested: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tptVamYBXnw

About the ancients

[robust shadow]

It rather does.

[still mulch]

I think that graffiti is a depiction of an echo based on description by someone who hasn’t seen one

[empty kayak]

I liked the newest chapter by the way!

[pliant scarab]

same!! :D

[robust shadow]

I feel as if it were more of a representation of what an Echo is.

[still mulch]

It’s so good. Finally we see ||sliver||

[robust shadow]

A creature unable to "birth" itself into the next world.

Yet unable to remain in the "womb" of the world that it tried to leave.

[still mulch]

The filename of that grafitti is BirdBox

Implying a box/prison

[empty kayak]

||With the power to turn their hand into a fish 😆 ||

[still mulch]

PLAP

Fisht

[robust shadow]

A metaphor for what they are.

[still mulch]

@little schooner I hope you don’t mind us using your thread to discuss this stuff I feel like we’re derailing

We can move it elsewhere if it bugs you!

[little schooner]

Discussion welcome here o7

[still mulch]

[little schooner]

Planning for the next few Moon POV chapters :)

[still mulch]

BABY SCAVSS

I love your drawings they are so cute

[little schooner]

Thank you :)

[little schooner]

Me: Ooh angst
Also me: Not yet tho. I must restrain myself. Would be better placed Later (TM)

Grrr I so want to talk about my plans but they would be soilers. I do wonder if I should. Care.

It is my fic after all

I could have it so that the actual fic is the Exalted Canon and anything I say about my future plans is not set in stone until it happens in the fic

Hm.

[velvet narwhal]

https://tenor.com/view/henry-stickmin-failed-help-helpful-friend-suicide-gif-18038433

[little schooner]

Maybe I could create a separate thing somewhere for me to ramble about my future plans

[velvet narwhal]

maybe called disconnected rambles?

[little schooner]

That could work

Though I’m not sure if a second thread would be appropriate here… perhaps elsewhere though

[velvet narwhal]

yeah.

[still mulch]

this is a constant desire

I have things coming and I have no idea how people will React and also I want to fucking talk about themmmm

I do think some things are best kept a secret though but a separate thread for people who want spoilers isn't a bad idea

[little schooner]

Yeah

[night birch]

I could see a separate thread/server being useful for that. Additionally, I'm fine with any spoilers that may be posted here (be it game or story related).

[little schooner]

yknow, i hadnt considered making an entire server...

though i dont feel like moderating that

[night birch]

Not hard. Just leave 2 chats open. Read-lock the rest.

[night birch]

I've got a few stories of my own, and I can say pretty simply that having a server for it isn't that bad.

[night birch]

Here's something that ought to help out at least one person here. (I didn't see anything in the rules prohibiting posting server templets, but feel free to correct me if I missed something.)
https://discord.new/VgT5UnBGA38y

[still mulch]

I'd consider making a server if I didn't think it would end up pretty empty lol

but I will save this for potential future use...

[night birch]

I use mine as a way to keep notes organized, and occasionally ask for feedback. Also, yes. It is very empty.

[night birch]

I'll keep the server around for some time, but unless you don't have enough server slots (100 w/o Nitro) I'd make a copy and save it. If something happens to the server it'll delete the template too.

[pliant scarab]

I wanted to just draw Renegade with some of my headcanons and got carried away lol

[tulip plume]

I don’t think I could put it into words on how much I like this art so,
Hdsv udsn hdsvnvjseicnvjhdfsnvuhcdwbjivfnewhuvn, jnlfrmviurshjivmfev.

[pliant scarab]

eeee thank you jdfhf

[still mulch]

this is so goooood

[pliant scarab]

thanks :DD

[still mulch]

So many talented artists in this thread

[little schooner]

GAIHUIHFAHEFLKFKEHFLAHEGLKEHGHEfhe

holy moly

[velvet narwhal]

i wanna try doing an emote of eternal rq brb

[pliant scarab]

oki i gonna go to sleep now since its 2am for me rn hghgghjgh

gn!!

[velvet narwhal]

gn

anyway eternal is dead

[little schooner]

blob

[velvet narwhal]

i wanna do deadmotes of all my scugs brb again

[spring berry]

hey so i finished my first chapter of my book so where do i put it? Cuz idk

[night birch]

Well, I just dropped a template for a writing server template. Otherwise, Ao3 or requesting a thread here are your best bets.

[spring berry]

How to request a thread?

[night birch]

I'd assume Courier. As with most things here? Still fairly new.

[spring berry]

ok thx

[little schooner]

yeah courier

[spring berry]

now i just gotta wait a bit

How long does it normally take?

[little schooner]

It depends

Shouldn’t take too long

[spring berry]

Okay

[spring berry]

i did it11!1!1!
i uploaded my chapter
Its really short but ive never written anyhting else basically ever

[little schooner]

ok so i have a newish design for moon but it is uh. i don't know what to make of it

if you are willing to help me, dm me

[little schooner]

here we go

(Content warning for emaciation) Height chart/ref for our intrepid iterators, with conditions up-to-date to chapter 25. I may post a more up to date one later but its nearly 1 and i am sleepy

[robust shadow]

Pebbles looks healthy, aside from his ||broken puppet rarefaction cell||, Moon is dry, and Sliver looks like she took bodybuilding classes.

[little schooner]

you hit the nail on the head with that description lol

Was what I was going for

[rotund walrus]

damn okay either pebbles is tiny or moon is huge

[little schooner]

Moon is her ingame size, it’s just that normally she’s sitting down

(That’s why the slugcats there)

[robust shadow]

I like to think the more advanced the Iterators got, the more they shrunk.

To a degree, your puppet is the “you” that your parents talk to.

[digital pasture]

kinda like computers

[robust shadow]

Subconsciously, both to appease their desire to command, and out of fear of their children, the Ancients shrunk their puppets.

Which is why Hori looks like she’s a little girl.

[rotund walrus]

Ooooor with improvements in that field of technology they could just cram the same quantity of stuff into a smaller puppet

[robust shadow]

This logic, I don’t exactly like. As an opinionated person - as a writer, perfectly reasonable idea.

You don’t need smaller puppets - the current ones are barely visited, as they are, and they’re not exactly all that clunky anyway.

Moon and Pebbles have very similar puppets, so this already doesn’t help your idea.

[still mulch]

If anything, the cans would shrink, not the puppets. Kind of depends if the size of the puppet was a choice by the ancients to reflect their own body size as well

[little schooner]

It’s a coincidence that the puppet sizes shrink here with age. In reality it kind of depends on what their designers were going for

In this example, Pebbles was built smaller than Moon to punctuate their status as older/younger siblings

[little schooner]

oh by the way can i post this alongside my next chapter on ao3?

[little schooner]

same question; can i post this alongside my next chapter on ao3

[little schooner]

also gave them clothes

[pliant scarab]

of course! btw i'm sorry that i forgot to mention, can you credit my twitter?

[still mulch]

Still enjoying the art sm

I love the way you draw them

Buff renegade is everything

[merry pagoda]

sure

[little schooner]

ye absolutely

[little schooner]

thank you :)

[little schooner]

Chapter 43: Next
Looks to the Moon waved at the overseers that surrounded her, before slumping back a bit. Already, she missed being on the broadcast, but it couldn’t be helped; if she stayed for much longer, she would risk damage to her puppet, damage she couldn’t afford to take.

She tapped her fingers against the cool floor of the arrays. She was… alone with her thoughts, for the first time in a while. This wasn’t too bad, though. It certainly was a respite from the chaos of the past few cycles.

Well… what now? Her plan had worked. She had established communications with the others. They knew of her condition. She even was able to get Five Pebbles’ permission to send Spitfire to his can for assistance!

…she wasn’t happy with the outcome of her talk with Five Pebbles, however. He was so set on this fate, so confident of its efficacy. However, she didn’t want to push the issue further, since she knew he had some sort of method of blocking out even forced communications. If he was angered enough, he would likely reimplement that measure, leaving her high and dry.

She couldn’t risk that. So she had to let the issue go. At least for now. Hopefully in the future he would be more amicable to getting help.

That left the issue of what she was going to do in the short term. Other than getting more nutrients into her and working on her locomotion, she was… drawing a blank. Was there anything she needed to do otherwise, while she recovered? Maybe not, but she didn’t want to be a deadweight for the residents of her can, anymore. That just didn’t feel-

There was a crack of an explosion outside. The sound coursed through her body, seeming to echo around her chest. However, the sound felt familiar, familiar enough that when the green overseer projected a warning, she ignored it.

[little schooner]

Sure enough, after a moment, a flash of maroon appeared from a pipe, and soon after a scarred face appeared from its exit. The purple overseer joined in with pointing out the “threat”, but Moon simply waved them away.

“Hello, Artificer,” she said.

”Hello Moon,” they signed, blinking. ”See worms here.”

Moon nodded, and she couldn’t help but smile with her functioning eye. “Yes. They belong to my friends and family. I was able to talk to them for the first time since before my collapse. It was great to finally be able to respond to their broadcasts!”

”Yes. Ready down? Spines want you.”

“Yes, please. Thank you.”

Artificer nodded, holding out a hand for her to grab. She pushed herself up, feeling her joints creak a bit as she got onto her feet.

After a moment, they readily placed her on their shoulders, making sure she was secure before leaving the arrays.

Moon could see the overseers follow the two of them, expressions unreadable as they continued off of the arrays. The Moon of the arrays bid her farewell as their connection weakened, wishing her good luck in the land below. It was a nice gesture, even if it was from a divorced part of her that did ultimately want to stay connected. But the two parts of a massive whole would make do with what they had.

A group appeared out of the fog below. Spines and Spitfire seemed to be talking, a few scavengers watching quietly, while Spearmaster watched Ruffles stuff some fruits into their own face. With a crack of Artificer’s tail, the two of them were sent into the air, landing beside the group.

Ruffles turned to look at them, before waving at them with a fruit in their hand. A few of the scavengers noticed the overseers following and pointed their spears at them. However, a swift grunt from Spines was enough to get most of them to put them away.

[little schooner]

“Moon!” Spines signed, eyes boggling a bit under its heavy mask. ”How did it go?”

“It went well. I was able to talk with my friends and family, which… I didn’t know how much I needed to hear from them. It’s been too long.”

Artificer patted her leg, before placing her on the ground next to them.

”That is good,” Spines continued. "Well, I've heard that your saviors are going to be leaving soon. Apparently they are going to Five Pebbles for some help."

Moon glanced over at the other messengers. "Oh, you're going with them?"

Spearmaster nodded.

"Travel together," Spitfire explained. "Go fast. Spearmaster know Rock take out pearl. And Ruffles want explore."

"Ah. I see." She couldn't help but let a bit of disappointment into her voice. She understood she couldn't keep them, but to see her friends' little saviors go.

"I stay, though," Artificer chimed in. "Make sure you safe and learn."

"And the tribe will be here with you. Oh, that reminds me." Spines readjusts its mask carefully, humming. "Before your friends leave, we'll be hosting a festival for them - and you! What they have done for you is quite miraculous, and it warrants celebration! So, consider this my invitation to you."

A… festival? She had never really been to one before. The best she had been able to do in the past was watch the merry-making through her overseers, or be present for a ceremony. She hadn't felt like she was missing much, since they were mostly pleasantry fests, especially as time went on.

However, a festival with these creatures…

She glanced up at the overseers, who were all staring silently at her. She did wonder how she looked to all of them.

Broken, dysfunctional, daft…

She shook the thought from her mind. It didn't matter what they thought, not right now. This was her life now, whether she wanted it or not. The best she could do was live it.

"That sounds lovely, Spines," she finally said. "I accept your invitation."

[velvet narwhal]

https://media.discordapp.net/attachments/291184728944410624/1181317037314809947/RivREAL_C.gif

[velvet narwhal]

(btw i'm inteligent i forgot the gray scug was eternal fgjh

oh my i just monked

[little schooner]

welcome to the monks

enjoy your stay

[still mulch]

||scav festival||

[velvet narwhal]

arti will have intrusive thoughts calling it now

[still mulch]

||scavs must throw crazy parties||

Also you’ve been cooking sm lately so many updates!! We eat well

[little schooner]

kayava will be playing

[velvet narwhal]

🔥

[little schooner]

thanks! i think i've been figuring out my direction after chapter 41

[still mulch]

Hell yeah I’m so excited to see where things go

I can’t wait for moon and renegade to meet… ahhh

[little schooner]

41 was hard ngl

[still mulch]

It turned out great

[velvet narwhal]

yeah

[still mulch]

Sometimes the ones that are hardest to write turn out the best somehow

[velvet narwhal]

i wonder if our scugs will take rengade prisoner

[still mulch]

They seem to just want a truce. No more bloodshed

[velvet narwhal]

i wonder if a stray rock from a scav will bonk eternal if the next chapter they are in isn't a new cycle

[rancid swift]

that was nice
we having a party? neat

[spring berry]

oooooo

scav party

[night birch]

I figure most will likely share that sentiment, but considering they lost (not confirmed) two members of the party, I don't expect everyone will be so empathetic...

[robust shadow]

Fairly certain Gourmand is aware of the Cycle and its effects.

[night birch]

Almost assuredly. Considering the rest of the main cast just shrugged it off when Moon mentioned it, it's likely common knowledge here.

[robust shadow]

If I were Gourmand, and a god-machine who is essentially V1 from Ultrakill asked for a truce, I’d take it.

[night birch]

Likewise. He'd make sense having a level head.

[velvet narwhal]

yeah.

[night birch]

Orchid's parents however...

[robust shadow]

Even if she just killed my tribe’s children.

They’d be cycled back in, anyway.

[velvet narwhal]

eternal will take the truce in fear because they are weak(™️)

[robust shadow]

I don’t think the parents’d let their fury get to them.

[robust shadow]

Die! Thy end is now!

Crush! Prepare thyself!

Weak!

[night birch]

If I was their parents, they we'd definitely have a problem. The biggest catch, is that I could likely see everyone else going along with it, so they wouldn't have much of a choice in the end.

[robust shadow]

I’d take offense to it, but that’s a god-machine.

A god-machine who took steroids, and inhaled 40 different kinds of crack.

I am not messing with that.

[velvet narwhal]

(insert :eternaldead: here

[night birch]

Fair 'nough. Especially since they're mobile, and everything they would have likely known about them is that they're the opposite.

[robust shadow]

I don’t doubt, if they had a singularity bomb, they’d throw it at her.

But they likely don’t have a weapon of such scale.

[night birch]

I could see that. Though, I could imagine they'd have some level of political immunity. Being an iterator and all.

[robust shadow]

Reminds me of the secret endings in the OMORI mod ‘Basil’s Grief’.

[night birch]

?

[robust shadow]

Look it up.

YouTube.

I found the endings funny, alright? It’s been a while since I had someone to rant to.

[night birch]

Anytime.

[robust shadow]

Does the ‘parents owning a singularity bomb’ idea play out in a similar fashion in your mind?

“Little slugcat? Is that a fucking singularity bomb?”

[velvet narwhal]

gourm:"yes."

[little schooner]

Chapter 44: Delirium
What situation had Looks to the Moon found herself in?

This was not normal. This was beyond their parameters.

Yet there she was, her puppet hooked up to her arrays like some smuggler hacking into a gate.

No Significant Harassment had to close out of the broadcast as soon as Moon left. He could feel his puppet shaking. Every support in his body told him that this was wrong, wrong on so many levels.

It would probably be best to talk with the others about this.

[LIVE BROADCAST] - Private
No Significant Harassment, Chasing Wind, Seven Red Suns, Unparalleled Innocence

NSH: What the actual shit.
NSH: Stars above, void below, I think I'm going to blow a gasket.

CW: Please don't…

NSH: Metaphorically, Wind.
NSH: But… geez.

SRS: Her puppet is moving.

NSH: No shit?

SRS: And she's waving at our overseers.

NSH: We're all here, Suns. We don't need you doing a play-by-play.
NSH: Though… Inno, you said that Pebbles looked like shit, too?

UI: Oh, yeah. Total shithead.

NSH: But what about his can?

UI: Managed to sneak an overseer in. Have a look yourself.

Sig watched as Inno’s overseer footage came in. He had to squint at it, barely able to see it in the low light, but…

He had to look away. It was undeniable that he had given himself Rot, now. But… he had never seen so many varieties in one place. Normally there’d only be one, maybe two variants that infected an iterator, but here…

It almost seemed like, if given time, it would create its own twisted ecosystem. Predator and prey, gnawing at Pebbles' vulnerable systems. Despite the ill-will Sig had towards him, he couldn't help but pity him, even if for a moment.

[little schooner]

NSH: Stars, that’s terrible.

SRS: …
SRS: I’m sorry, I need to go.
SRS: <Disconnected from the chat>

NSH: Yeah fair.

UI: Anyways, back to Moon. How do you think her puppet is alive?

NSH: Barely. She looks like a monk who has forgone the fourth karmic urge for too long…

CW: Probably because she hasn’t been getting the right nutrients… or any nutrients at all… for countless cycles.

NSH: Do you think we were too late? Even now, she could be at a point of no return, where her puppet just gets worse and worse until she enters a death loop and reincarnates…

CW: We’ll see. If it comes to that, we all have to make sure her last days are as great as we can make them.
CW: Though based on some preliminary scans, it does seem that she’s been able to get *something* into her systems.

NSH: Right. Right.
NSH: I… don’t know what to make of all of this, to be frank. This shouldn’t be possible…

Except it was, and he knew it. Most puppets were built to be able to survive for a long time without input or intake. And an engineer could bring some neurons to the puppet to give it the ability to move and provide information to aid in troubleshooting.

Of course, this wasn’t meant to be permanent. It was an emergency measure, meant to last until maintenance crews could fix the problem. Neuron flies were powerful, yes, but they weren’t conducive to long-term memory storage. Not to mention that most puppets could not stand on their own, unless they deliberately and routinely practiced.

One of his overseers, on the outside of her can, pinged him. He turned his attention to it, and had to take a moment to process what he was seeing.

A slugcat… an explosive slugcat, making their way up the side of the wall leading to her Auxiliary Transmission Arrays! Immediately, he projected a warning to the overseer watching Moon, but she seemed unphased.

[little schooner]

NSH: Moon what do you think you’re doing.

CW: What’s going on?

NSH: Some wild slugcat is making their way to her. I’m worried they will hurt her.
NSH: She doesn’t seem to care! Does she not hear the explosions?

UI: I see the specimen. They seem quite battle-hardened, if that scar on their face is any indicator.
UI: I don’t think there’s much we can do about it, though.

CW: I see it now. I’m going to project a warning when it enters. Hopefully Moon will be able to find a way to pacify them, or we can turn them away with our overseers.

NSH: …

CW: …

NSH: They’re marked. She seems to be-
NSH: Wait. Can she understand them?

UI: Might have something to do with that pearl she has.

NSH: …shit, you’re right.

Of course. Her research into the scavengers living on her can. She had talked about it with him a good few times, specifically about the curious chieftain that would make a habit of visiting her chamber. Spines, she had said its name was.

She had been in the process of learning their signed language before her untimely collapse. But perhaps she had saved some of those notes onto that pearl before she fell, so she’d have memory of it?

Although what confused him a bit was the fact that this slugcat knew the language themself. Did they share a language? …no, that didn’t seem likely. These gestures seemed different to the ones that Spitfire taught Spearmaster.

Regardless, it seemed that the wild specimen was going to help bring Moon back down to the surface.

[little schooner]

UI: Found your messengers.

CW: I see them too… why are they with the scavengers?

NSH: Maybe they’ve worked together with them. The scavengers are definitely residents here. It isn’t much of a wonder they’ve been involved.
NSH: Regardless, it seems our little explosive friend is bringing her to them.

UI: What is their plan, even?

NSH: I guess Spitfire will be taking their leave soon to get the medicine from Pebbles. But otherwise I have no idea.

The broadcast goes quiet for a bit as Moon and the pyrokinetic slugcat make it to the rest of the group. A heavily decorated scavenger appears to greet them warmly, and the group seems to talk about… something. It was a shame that audio wasn’t available on his overseers.

CW: Well, off they go. Seems that Moon is capable of walking with support, which is… a good sign, I suppose.
CW: At least the masked one seems to have the others under control so we should theoretically be able to follow.

UI: Should we trust it, though?

NSH: Moon seems to trust it. And if something happens, I'm sure our messengers will step in.

UI: …fine.

Updates from his overseers show the path that the group took. They snaked their way into maintenance tunnels, lit up by orange lanterns and painted in whites and blues and reds. On and on they went, Moon seeming to be engaged in conversation with the masked scavenger.

The troop entered into a large room with large pipes coming out of the floor and ceiling. Although it wasn't marked as a shelter, it appeared that this place was safe from the rains… at least safe enough that the scavengers saw fit to keep their injured here. Large sheets of cloth were being used as bedding, with a few injured scavengers snoozing the cycle away alongside some caretakers.

Moon didn't seem focused on the whole thing, however. She almost looked distant. Sig wasn't sure why, until his overseer reported the location of this piece of her structure;

[little schooner]

She was right on top of her memory conflux, the labs a couple feet of metal away from where the group were standing. It was hard to read her expression, but…

Moon tried to step forward, but she lost her footing, listing to one side. She managed to change her trajectory and land on the wall, but it was clear even through the choppy footage that she was struggling.

A pit of dread formed in Sig's intakes. Were these his sister's last days? Did the group revive her, only for her to die one last time? No, surely not, not after everything…

NSH: Don't push yourself, Moon. Please. We need you to recover.

UI: She can't-

CW: Inno. Let him talk.

NSH: …
NSH: You're right. We should remedy that, shouldn't we?

CW: What? Allow us to speak through our overseers?

UI: Good luck with that. My overseers are able to do that, but only within my facility.

NSH: But what about the signed language? It is clear she can understand it.

CW: Are you sure that could work? We'd have to learn it ourselves.

NSH: The system worked well enough for Suns to talk with Spearmaster, if slowly.
NSH: I'll work on it anyways, may prove useful later.

UI: You have fun with that. I personally don't see the use. She's able to talk with us with the broadcast arrays just fine.

CW: I'll help you, Sig. If only to make sure it gets done before something bad happens.

NSH: Thank you. I'll also message Suns later and see if they want to help. Right now doesn't seem the best time, though…

CW: Yeah…
CW: Stay sane, you two.

UI: As if we weren't already insane.

NSH: Both Moon and Pebbles are making sanity *quite difficult*. For different reasons, of course, but

Wind and Inno left the broadcast in quick succession before he could continue. Sighing, he closed the broadcast window. He now had work to do.

Learning a language... how hard could it be?

[robust shadow]

You got me to leave a conversation to read this, and I do not regret that decision.

Great work.

[rancid swift]

good very nice

[little schooner]

gracias

[still mulch]

YOU DONT STOP COOKIN

[little schooner]

https://tenor.com/view/cooking-cook-chef-masterchef-lilb-gif-13910066

fr

[spring berry]

new chapter yay1!1!1!
🫐 ecosystem what no way

[robust shadow]

Is it bad that I can imagine the wonderful aroma?

Eco-cyst-em!

[spring berry]

[robust shadow]

Get punned.

[still mulch]

Good chap love getting sig’s perspective

[empty kayak]

Nice chapter!

||Going through Unfortunate Development sounds fun ||

[rotund walrus]

HUNTER NO! YOU CAN JUST GO TROUGH RECURSIVE TRANSFORM ARRAYS HUNTER!

[empty kayak]

Or climb the wall.

[still mulch]

I always pick wall

[robust shadow]

If I ever get the game, I’d rather never experience Unfortunate Development.

[rotund walrus]

what do you mean "If I ever get the game"?

[robust shadow]

I don’t have Rain World.

Plain and simple.

[still mulch]

I hope you play it some day!

The lore is cool on its own but nothing beats experiencing it firsthand

Though unfortunately it won’t hit the same if you already know the lore :c

[night birch]

Wait, you're a minimum of level 30 and don't even have Rain World? We need to take you through it one day.

[empty kayak]

If you ever do buy rain world, I suggest buying it on steam as it is the best version and you may use mods. Switch rain world for example is quite laggy

[rotund walrus]

what isn't laggy on the switch?

[velvet narwhal]

totk

[little schooner]

idk tetris?

[dawn comet]

you lied, the scug doesnt have clothes

[little schooner]

You’re right. I am a liar.

[still mulch]

I guess you have to give it a shirt now?

[little schooner]

No I’m just going to continue the lie

[still mulch]

A Rebel

[little schooner]

A Renegade, if you will.

[sweet ravine]

Perhaps even a revolutionary