Eat Rock, Be Nonbianry

So I was thinking about how when the Rangers return to Azuria after the Arkveld/Simon encounter in Serathis, the lack of any reaction about their return from across the Meridian is explained away by claiming that Arken and his closest advisors hid that information on purpose.

Which seems mostly fine at first, but then I was thinking…how long were the Rangers absent? Because the longer that is the funnier it is that whatever excuse was cooked up for why no one’s seen any of them at all for x amount of time is apparently completely believed to the point their return is entirely without ceremony.

SO me and my bad memory are gonna go through and count about how many days the game implies they’re gone.

CULT OF THE LAMB - CHARACTER BIO

AU NAME (If applicable):

Is the AU Canon-Divergent? A Continuation of canon events? A separate AU / parallel universe?

Synopsis of AU – (i.e. An AU in which the Lamb escaped the slaughtering. An AU in which Narinder is a crown-bearer, etc.)

CHARACTER ATTRIBUTES

OC Name:

Alternative Names:

Age:

Gender:

Height:

Morals/Virtues: (i.e. Neutral good, lawful evil, etc)

Personality:

Temperament:

Educational Background, if any:

Hobbies:

Strengths:

Weaknesses:

Fears/Phobias:

What is something that they would never admit out loud?

What is their most closely guarded secret?

TIMELINE

Life before the Cult:

• Domestics: Who was your OC before the genocide? Did they have a family? Siblings? Parents? Were they nomadic? Did they live in the outskirts?

• Lifestyle: What did they do to survive, if anything? Were they happy and oblivious until the last moment, were they on the run? Were they in any particular biome (Darkwood, Anura, so on) Etc.

• At what age were they captured/sacrificed? Who, if anyone, witnessed this event?

Vesselhood – Cooperation:

• First impressions of their patron God.

• Learning phase – were they a natural talent? Was there a steep learning curve as the new crown bearer? Were your OC’s vision aligned to their God’s, or was there a lot of resistance?

• Cult Responsibilities – Are they a responsible leader, or did they require interference/tending to by outside parties (such as Ratau)? Do they have a strict schedule, or were they more of a go-with-the-flow kind of person?

• Religious Ideals: Passive or Aggressive? Wrathful or peaceful? Cannibalistic or grass-eater?

Vesselhood – Resistance:

• Their inner thoughts and feelings on being asked to die for their God. What led to the betrayal?

• WHY DO THEY FIGHT?

• WHO DO THEY FIGHT FOR? Their cult? Found family? Themselves?

• Do any Ideals change?

Ascension: Infancy – 0-100 years*

• Is their ascension a slow progression? Is it quick?

• What physical changes happen, if any?

• What mental changes happen, if any?

• What changes about the cult? Expansion? Shrinkage? Location change? Nothing at all?

• Any love interests to note? Do they marry their God or cast them out?

Ascension: Adolescence – 150-500 years*

• What physical changes happen, if any?

• What mental changes happen, if any?

• What changes about the cult? Expansion? Shrinkage? Location change? Nothing at all?

• SHITTENS? MAYHAP?

*** Alter timeframe and notes as needed per your AU

Godhood

• What is their goal? Who do they want to be?

• Does their morality change? Do their domains change?

• How is the cult run after they properly ascend? Are they present in daily matters or do they become more of an unseen legend?

____

1. Imagine you’re a powerful wizard

One night, I was working my last hour of my shift covering the Customer Service desk, which meant when I wasn't busy, I was supposed to help clean up around the cash registers, including taking back items people changed their minds about at the checkout. Earlier, I had witnessed a kid carrying thos cute plushy toy. It was a brown and white hedgehog. The kid, at the checkout, saw a remote control car and he told his dad he qanted it. The dad told him, "The plushy or the car- you can't have both" (by the way, I respect boundaries with kids and parents sticking to their guns about it), and the kid picked the car.

So, I'm cleaning up, have less than an hour left of my shift, and I see the little plushy hedgehog. Somehow, he never got put back nor had anyone else seen him and decided to buy him. He was just sitting there, slumped to the side, unattended.

It's Christmas and I'm a sentimental old sap at heart. My brain starts replaying the scene from RUDOLPH where he's on the Island of Misfot Toys, and is told a toy is never truly happy until it is loved. I picked him up and quickly took him back to the bin with the plushies but... It was empty. He was literally the last plushy toy and my boss was about to wheel the bin out. We weren't getting any more toys till November, so that meant any toys left at this point needed to sell or they'd be sent to the dump.

I brought the little hedgehog to the front, figuring someone would see him with the candy, candles, & Christmas brick-a-brack, and fall in love with him. When I finished my shift, I went to ask my manager a question and as I passed the Christmas candle display - there he sat, the sad little slumped over hedgehog plushy. No one had bought him, or even moved him.

My manager, Phillip, saw me and the hedgehog. He asked how the hedgehog got there. I told him how I'd put him there when the bin got sent back, and he was the only plushy left. Philip had kids, I figured he'd probably get sentimental and buy it for his kids. Nope. He shrugged and said he'd send it back to be disposed of.

That night, I came home with a plushy hedgehog in my passenger seat. My mom saw him and just thought he was the cutest little hedgehog and asked what I wanted to do with him. I told her the story, then added I didn't know exactly what I wanted to do with him.

My mom is a child psychiatrist, specializing in children with PTSD and brain damage that results in learning problems/issues with processing their emotions. She asked if she could have the plushy hedgehog (even offered to pay me for him, she didn't expect me to just give him over), so kids could hug him when they were upset in session.

Murphy, the plushy hedgehog that still slumps a little to the left when seated, has been hugged by hundreds of kids. Little girls have held him tight while explaining about bullies, little boys have held him tight while crying over their panic attacks, younger siblings have held him to whisper secrets while elder siblings and parents talk about self-soothing techniques, teenagers have hugged Murphy while talking about the worst day of their lives. Murphy has also been hugged by kids excitedly chatting about a new friend at school, a teen girl excited to be called by her name instead of her dead-name, little kids proudly saying they've mastered their ABCs, and even staff members who just need to come chat over a case they are having trouble with.

Every now and then, my mom brings Murphy home for a weekend. He gets washed (she calls it a Spa Weekend, to her coworkers, all of them laughing), dried, and sits outside with my mom in the sunshine to get aired out, then on Monday, they are back to work. Some kids even just ask to hold Murphy while they talk, no matter their mood or what they want to talk about. They just want to hug Murphy.

Spin the wheel to find out what!

Ten people you want to get to know better ✨️

Last song: I am currently actively listening to my Qifrey playlist, so the song playing right now is The Light That Comes Through by Sparkbird (very qifrey core)

Currently watching: Rewatching Witch Hat Atelier again technically, allthough I haven't watched like anything in a week cause I just moved so I haven't really had time/energy

Current obsession: You're never gonna guess... it's Witch Hat Atelier.... still crazy about Critical Role in the background of course, and the X-Men too, and my beautiful wife River Song. But mainly WHA rn.

Currently reading: A bunch of fanfic of course of course, but also I just started Lords of Uncreation by Adrian Tchaikovsky and whenever I get my books unpacked properly I'm gonna reread Emily Wilson's Odyssey so it's fresh in my mind whenever I get around to watching the nefarious adaptation

Currently working on: Mostly unpacking tbh and then I can get back to creative stuff! I'm debating actually making a WHA animatic but we'll see if I ever get around to that. I am gently rotating a couple cosplays I want to start on once I have a desk again and such.

Last Google search: "Cyclops x-men casting" not sure how I feel about the news for that one yet......... i could maybe come around to it...

Currently watching: The X-Files! I’m almost done with season two but its been a while since I’ve gotten around to it, I’ve been busy T-T

Current obsession: Guys. I know this comes as a shock to you. But I Really like Nightwing…

Currently reading: Hit webtoon Purple Hyacinth (thanks Finch)

Currently working on: Cleaning out my basement and a short Nightwing fancomic I’m in the midst of drawing. It’s gonna be a while until its done though.

Last google search: “cost for hauling away mattresses in (town)” turns out it’s a lot, rip me.

currently watching: nothing right now, but i just finished ponies. currently debating whether i wanna watch heated rivalry next (i want to understand, but equally i am asexual)

current obsession: vampires. specifically the portrayal of female vampires. but vampires in general mostly

currently reading: just finished the children. i'm rereading dracula in the background, but i think my next book will be the everlasting

currently working on: several fics for various fandoms, several original story ideas, and all the research for my dissertation (which is on female vampires btw)

last google search: "is it marshal or marshall" because i was certain it was marshal but keep seeing people write marshall. turns out i'm right and they're wrong yippee

currently watching: Beastars

current obsession: still btvs/ats (still waiting for the new comic to arrive)

currently reading: various fanfics

currently working on: nothing in particular (other than my and @lycanpunk666 's Oathverse)

last google search: lobe-finned fish (i was wondering whether i was a saltwater fish or freshwater fish. the answer was freshwater)

Last song: What Do It Mean by Lord Huron, I just relistened to the entire Long Lost album on my record player whilst I was finishing my final

Currently watching: I’m currently about halfway through season 3 of Phineas And Ferb rn, could not recommend the show more it’s fantastic! Oh and also I’m rewatching The Good Place with my partner, who hasn’t seen it so it’s been very fun watching their live reaction

Current Obsession: my partner and I both chipped in to get Tomodachi Life on their switch and ever since I started playing it, it hasn’t left my mind. I love our silly little mii oc island sm

Currently reading: Watership Down! I’m about halfway through it and it might be my new favorite xenofiction book ever, oh I’m also almost finished reading pangur-and-grim’s book, Apparently, Sir Cameron Needs To Die, it’s really funny and I am glued to the page every time I pick it up to read more

Currently working on: I’m still hard at work on Shadowed Kingdom’s animated short! And I’m working on my Cult of the Lamb oc fic, Thorns and Roses

Last google search: what are caustics? I’ve been hanging out in the pool almost every day at this point and I was texting my partner about how I wanted to get a tattoo that looks like the way light ripples through water. I didn’t have the word for it but they told me that the name for it is caustics

Tags:

Last Song: I’ve been driving for uber eats lately to make a bit of money until I start my job later this month so I’ve had my dnd character playlists on loop for a while. The last song I had on though was Wishing Well by the Oh Hellos. Damn good song, and it’s in Krage’s playlist

Currently Watching: I’m in the middle of rewatching all of The Clone Wars in chronological order since it’s been a while and I wanted to see it actually in order. Just finished up with The Box arc (aka the one where Obi-wan fakes his own death aka Anakin’s third biggest crashout), which has always been my favorite and it was great seeing it again

Current Obsession: Honestly it’s just Star Wars lmao. I like making little ocs and placing them in different situations like dolls. Also I’m loosing my mind over the guest list of obi-wans fake funeral. WHY IS SATINE THERE??? DID OBIWAN PLAN HIS FAKE FUNERAL FOR WHEN SATINE WAS ON CORUSEANT??? DOES PADME JUST HAVE SATINE ON SPEED DIAL JUST IN CASE OBIWAN DIES???? WHAT

Currently Reading: I’ll be honest I haven’t read much recently, I wanna get back into a couple fanfics, and I grabbed the new warrior cats graphic novel a couple days ago and should probably read through that again

Currently Working On: I’m in between projects after artfight but my next plan is to either work on some expressions for Krage or finally figure out a design for my character Helio

Last Google Search: I was looking up the times for a local card show I’m going to today! I’m gonna meet up with a friend there and we’re back on the hunt for more politoed cards!

okay but next day thoughts: i think my tinfoil hat theory here holds water. out of all the deleted scenes we got, this is the number one that should not have been cut.

it's fully scored by Pemberton already (thx man)

already fully voiced with the TTS 'effect' on Rocky's speech, it's ready to go

this is, i think, the only time we get to see this specific stunning lighting effect, with the green light from adrian dyeing the ship gorgeously

(for real, if this were in 2160p it would be my wallpaper)

okay fine the panspermia talk might slow the inertia of the build-up to Go Fishing Mission, but!!! this is what establishes the "shake head, nod head" joke from the final act of the movie, when Grace does it again. they kept in the call-back but didn't keep the establishment of the joke! its a continuity error (albeit a very minor one, but one many people have noticed)

therefore: this feels like a very very late cut from the movie, like post-picture lock as a response from Someone higher up. ergo: gosling really was too convincingly in love with the rock alien and cutting this toned that down juuuuust enough.