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]]] This is an alternate version of the canon OC world. Here the previous government of Mistamuria is never overthrown and its corruption begins to run deeper than before. (As a result - the families that are in power in the canon version are either insignificant, repressed, or non-existent here, which means that some characters do not exist in this AU.) [[[

The current Mistamuria's authorities began conducting experiments and tampering with the nature of reality that they did not fully understand. They wanted to exploit the world’s interdimensional properties for their own gain, using every method available, including immoral ones that endangered many Mistamurians and drained the metropolis of its life.

Those experiments produced a passage into their realm for “anomalies” - disturbances in reality that manifest in various ways:

Some appear as strange radio signals or silent phone calls. Others take the form of hallucinations or voices in a person’s head. A few can affect the world itself, cracking the reality of this dimension and bending it in an unnatural ways. But the anomalies rarely take on a physical form - only one is known to the government. This entity was named “Stereo” because its form appears doubled, and its voice sounds like two overlapping voices (one female, one male).

The anomalies began to affect the people of Mistamuria in different ways - some lost their minds, others were slowly destroyed from the inside, and some anomalies even interfered with how the city and its institutions worked. Because of this, a decision was made to establish a separate organization that would work to combat the anomalies and rid the world of them for good. Thus, the Bureau of Anomaly Research and Dimensional Occurrences (BARDO) was created.

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Cora F. Lovemore - she spent her childhood in Mistamuria, but her family’s conspiracy ties eventually forced them to flee. Life elsewhere was quieter, but she never stopped missing Mistamuria (or her childhood friend - Danica). When she finally had the means, she returned "home". Thanks to Danica, she joined BARDO, but the price was high: she had to cut off her family and swear full loyalty to the government. Now she works as a link between teams, gathers information, writes reports, and keeps communication flowing. It’s not what she wanted or expected, but it keeps her close to the city she loves.

Danica R. Jutrzeńska - she grew up under constant pressure: Aurora (her grandmother) set the rules, Vesper (her father) enforced them, and the whole family expected her to restore their lost reputation. She was pushed into every training, internship, and volunteer job imaginable - all to secure a future with the government. And it worked. She entered BARDO, climbed the ladder fast, and now leads a small department of four (these four). Work fills almost every corner of her life, but it’s easier for her than figuring out who she is outside of it. But, she always tries to have time for Cora.

Flora B. Bellerose - she and her brother Clemens were taken in by Gilbert Bellerose, a disgraced aristocrat with a soft heart and no children of his own. He gave them everything he could and spent most of his savings on their education. Clemens became a doctor and found work at a BARDO-linked hospital. Flora chose a path that mixed nature with machinery (something close to biotechnology) and proved to be quite good at it. With Clemens’ support, she joined BARDO as well, where she assists with technologies used to combat anomalies.

Pearl K. Irving - she lived on the run for most of her life, drifting from job to job - dirty work, dangerous work, or whatever paid enough. She never stayed long in one place, and she never expected to. BARDO hired her because she accepted a role almost no one else wanted: heading out into unstable, anomalous zones, documenting what she finds, and removing anything (or anyone) that threatens the organization. She often drags Cora or Danica along (partly for amusement and partly because an extra pair of hands can be helpful).

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Other things:

- My main inspiration for anomalies were those early “AI images” that looked otherworldly and like shit

- They're more like a friend group than coworkers, tbh. They probably meet up after work

- The technology is comparable to that of the 1920s or 1930s + fantasy elements

- "Stereo" was my first OC ever (I made them when I was like 12 lol) - they were kind of a maniac, and they were not a real human, so I got the idea to put them into this AU

-Also: I found their old names in my sketchbook and decided that I could give them those names as middle names, as it would be a nice reference ✨ so here is what their names were at the beginning:

Cora - Fia

Danica - Ramona

Flora - Ballari

Pearl - Kiara

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The second drawing is Danica in her councilor's outfit - apart from being a member of the Lesser Council, as the future matriarch (her grandmother's successor), she belongs to the main council - the “Veiled Council.” A long veil is a mandatory part of the attire for everyone there and it's a very official matter, so the outfit must be serious and dignified.

Previously, I drew her more often wearing a veil, mainly because it used to be worn by "veiled" councilors even outside the Council, but I changed that detail.

She's the type of character who “had to grow up early,” mainly because of her family, especially her parents and grandmother (I have to draw them sometime, because I already have their designs). Overall, House Jutrzeński has the most detailed dynamics and history of all the others so far, and is the most important aspect when it comes to Danica's character.

Her entire future life has been decided for her by her family. She did not choose her position; she cannot pursue something that brings her joy if it is not “enriching for the House”; she must hide her true emotions and cannot afford to indulge in trivialities or moments of weakness. The expectations placed on her are also quite high and put enormous pressure on her.

That is also why her relationships with other characters are so important to her, because they challenge her attitude towards life:

Cora is her complete opposite, and since childhood she has been the only person with whom she felt comfortable and could be herself.

The romance with Flora is actually the first time she wants to pursue something outside of matters related to the House.

Pearl constantly points out her “mask” of appearances and crosses boundaries to see what she is really like under all that.

Anyway I love my angsty blonde 🙏

I changed the concept of this drawing at least five times (which is why Pearl's facial expression may not make sense given the surroundings) - I don't know why, but I just couldn't bring myself to follow through with the previous ideas

To be honest, I haven't yet introduced this character into the storyline. They're the case of “design first, lore later” lol

(All I can say about them is: they belong to one of the important Houses in Mistamuria, they're non-binary, they have a one-year-old son, they are very gentle and have a very positive attitude to life)

[ More about her: ]

Klara has dreamed of becoming an actress since she was a child, but now, that dream is tied to a greater purpose. With her father’s theater deep in debt and his terminal illness, she wants to save it and help her family. She takes every chance she can to earn money, believing she can make everything work out if she just tries hard enough.

Klara is sweet and endlessly optimistic, convinced she can make everything turn out the way she hopes. That same optimism can make her naive, but it also fuels her determination to make her dreams come true and protect her father’s life’s work.