>>1097709
Part of the development of homunculi?

B, let's investigate. See if the slugmunculi are able to interact at all.

B. Give it a taste, see if this stuff’s compatible with you.

>>1097709
A

>>1097709
Common sense says a but...
Nhhhh..
You ARE curious and clever.
This is an opportunity to indulge your nerdish leanings and discover somethingninteresting so...
B.
hope pinch doesnt think youre too uncool and geeky.

tippler 2024/09/25(Wed)19:24 No. 1097825 ID: c1a22b
File 172731746904.png - (14.60KB , 500x500 , p100.png )

>B, the creatures seem interesting and it wouldn’t hurt to investigate
You: Let’s go inside and see if there’s anything useful. Pinch, I bet you could drink some of that liquid with your hollow pincer nubs since you’re the only one who can really consume things.

Pinch stands on her tiptoes to ogle over your shoulder.

Pinch: They do make it look awfully yummy. Looks like this hole comes out midair, like it does at Boysville. Kage can fly us in so we don’t crash an’ if the little thingies attack us she can fly us out too.

Kage awkwardly holds you through the hole while she hovers inside, Pinch following after. The nubs don’t react even as you’re lowered to the floor, content in crawling and rolling and squirming along. As your crew walks up the long ramp, a few even bump into you and then continue on their merry way.

Pinch takes a long sip of the liquid as you nervously watch the vat for any kaiju nubs that want to pull her into the clear depths.

Pinch: Feels and tastes like dye. It’s not red but I can still use it, I think. Dunno if that’s a special me power or a universal thing.

You: That’s good to know.

tippler 2024/09/25(Wed)19:24 No. 1097826 ID: c1a22b
File 172731748601.png - (13.42KB , 500x500 , p101.png )

You stay and observe but the nubs continue to show no signs of higher intelligence or sensory organs. The most interesting thing they do is occasionally clutch at each other and form nub combinations, both on land and in the liquid. The land meganubs fall apart quickly because they can’t form a tight seal and spill their dye. Unlike true homunculi, they’re able to get up and autonomously refill when the need arises. The nubs in the liquid form long branching strands that wave with the nonexistent current in sync, more like a plant than any imaginary sea monster.

Due to your CALCULATING nature, you come up with a series of theories. You’re fairly confident they’re correct:

1. Homunculi have a liquid activated internal decentralized nervous system
2. Homunculi can join their nervous systems via appropriately damp wounds
3. Nubs and homunculi can be combined

What would you like to do next?
A. Let’s try some nub mad science (suggest specifics)
B. Return to the hub

>>1097826
If true, that might be how Cerebrum's mind takeover was supposed to work. His nervous system integration must have been designed to be meat compatible, that's why the printer was experimenting with making Rattus meaty.

A. I bet we could attach a layer of nubs around Gun and Hatani's big wounds to get them to a more functional state. The nubs can form a truer seal around the wound so they don't leak dye, and add structural integrity so they don't fall apart.

Not sure if they're flexible enough or shaped right to help Mushi's hand.

>Pinch can drink other dye types
Might be risky checking if she can drink Cerebrum's blue dye, but if it has special important properties... well, let's just keep it in mind in case something happens to Kage. Ideally we don't want that to happen in the first place.
Good to know Pinch has a place to heal up if she gets hurt, even if it becomes impossible to get back to the beds.

>>1097826
#1 might be incorrect. We heat-treated our tail tip and cant feel it anymore, so our "flesh" does have nerves.

For #3, is it possible the internals of a homunculus is made of several numbs combined?Like one is the heart, stomach, etc?

We are CALCULATING, so lets go with A:
Try to link them up into a worm shape, or a cuddlely crawler spider thingy.

>>1097826
They could be a way to replace lost homonculi skin.
Hard to test...

Well, you could do the pre torniquet tail thing, preempt and control dye loss, introduce a nub to the cut then see if you can control it or if it seals.
Would need a heat source ready if it doesnt take...

3B
There's more to see

Oh, they're a lot bigger than they looked.
B. I don't think we need to go chopping up nubs right now. It's hard to think of good attachment points for them besides your limbs, and that seems unwieldy.

>>1097832
Decentralized nervous systems like octopi still have nerves. I think what this means is that the dye is less like our blood and more like our neurotransmitters. It can transmit just fine but the nerves on the tail tip are dead.

tippler 2024/10/01(Tue)19:05 No. 1098116 ID: c1a22b
File 172783475870.png - (15.60KB , 500x500 , p102.png )

>A, run tests and create a creature
You send Pinch and Kage to collect the smallest and most manageable nubs while you prep your sewing supplies and examine your damaged tail. You think you lost feeling in the tip because the powerful heat of the stove penetrated all the way to your internal layer. If you patch it with a nub, will you regain feeling?

With permission, you use Kage’s blade to shave the end of your tail and split a brown spherical nub, which thrashes a bit before going limp from dye loss. That makes you feel a little guilty, but you focus on the task at hand. Soon you have a workable patch and when Pinch pokes the ball you can feel it! Pretty cool. There’s the added benefit that this proves red dye works for nubs, so you bet clear dye works for homunculi. Hooray for advances in homunculi medicine, you’ll show Mushi that you were right along.

You get the strong urge to hunch and rub your hands together wickedly, so you do just that. Pinch returns with a good selection of long and stout nubs. They seem hard to handle, attempting to push off of Pinch torso in a mimicry of locomotion, and she squats to pin them to the ground.

You: Mwahahaha, henchmen, you’ve done well.

Pinch: Why you talkin’ like that?

You: I’m getting into character, my sweet Pinch. My experiments will only make us grow more powerful, but they might fail unless I act the part of a mad scientist. To defeat the Creator I must become the creator!

Pinch: Ok babe.

tippler 2024/10/01(Tue)19:06 No. 1098117 ID: c1a22b
File 172783477653.png - (17.94KB , 500x500 , p103.png )

Kage sits down next to you and Pinch while you lay out the nubs, five approximately even cylinders around a sturdy torso. She helps lean on the nubs to stop them from escaping while you plan out your work.

You: Let’s make a nub spider crawler thing, I want to see how they handle land movement.

Kage: Awesome, this is just like in Rattus’ stories.

You: How so?

Kage: Oh, the Creator was close with some cat who did this kind of thing but with meat people. There was one story where he even died! Lots of drama.

You: Wait, didn’t Rattus say that person was the Creator’s sister? The gender doesn’t match.

Kage: Oh yeah, Rattus decided the cat was a boy, but then kept saying their relationship was like mother daughter. Raito told him not to worry about it since it doesn’t really change what happened, which was blood! Carnage! Cool magic!

You: I don’t know how you could understand the story if Rattus kept misremembering it.

Kage: Well it’s like a myth where everyone marries their family and people with superpowers exist. The best kind of myth!

She beams and pats her hands excitedly on the struggling nubs. You can’t begrudge Kage an affinity for theatrics as a mad scientist wannabe yourself. After the final limb is put in place, you stand back and tell Pinch to let your nub monster rise. It shivers as it raises itself on all five ends, then wobbles to stand on the thickest two sub nubs until it resembles a multicolored, misshapen biped with a tail.

Something about that bothers you. When your monster takes a step forward, you step back. It can’t be…nubs don’t have brains. Also it’s way smaller than the nub assembly in the tank, which showed no sign of higher thought, you don’t see a scientific explanation for this. Maybe you’re just imagining things?

A. Abscond (this is weird and you’re scared)
B. Destroy the creature (it’s wrong and you don’t want to leave it here to be found)
C. Take it with you back to the hub (you will not be a deadbeat mad scientist)

If you got your rubby little hands on another fusion spell, and attempted it with this creature, who knows what would happen...
C. No reason to destroy it yet and you are responsible for this strange decision.

I've read enough Frankenstein to see where A would lead, and it deserves to live. C

B but humanely. Lay it back down and undo the stitching.

C

bring our boi back home.

also probably give him some skin, his internal organs are showing.

...or is it a her?

C take it with you but be prepared just in case it starts wigging out after being outside of it's home, you might need to toss the baby back inside if it can't survive outside.

Hmm maybe grab a small noodle and bring it out just to be sure that they *can* survive outside juuuuust in case.

>>1098116
Based supportive gf Pinch.
>Well it’s like a myth where everyone marries their family and people with superpowers exist. The best kind of myth!
I guess she also kind of is our sister.

>>1098117
The nub assembly was end-to-end, right?. This fella has a central locus. The collective processing decentralized power of the nubs might be focused in the 'body' nub, whereas the nub assembly was wasting all of its processing power in transit.

C. We will never prove Mushi wrong if we selfishly abandon the lifeform we created!
Name them Dakimakura, or Daki for short. They look kind of like a walking body pillow.

>>1098126
we probably need to throw our child into the printer for skin huh? hopefully the printer will be accommodating.

>>1098117
Resist the powergul urge to cackle while yelling its aliiiive!

Also, C.
Embrace your nubbly son or daughter into your family.

It.... Probably isn't very aware. You can probably lead it around though.

Hmm... If you really wanted you could take it back to the printer to refill it's resources... But you need a way to communicate so it doesn't keep making murder monsters... Maybe you could give yourself a small injury and connect directly to the printer's nervous system to do so?

>>1098146
It's probably aware to an extent. How else do the monsters keep getting the memories of the still living ones?

>>1098153
Its sparking an interesting philosophical question.
Are we the sack, or the goo in the sack?
Is there a node or core where the person in the gomonculi survives?
Are they just a diffuse entity holding on to the the goo and skin?
Could they transfer control? Thoughts or even
mind? All by the simple process of swapping goo?

Kentaro!
Existential crisis jitsu go!

>>1098153
The printer is sentient and we start out merged with it's nervous system, inheriting it's memories. There's a lot of common knowledge between us. Plus everyone's been communicating and talking with eachother really well.

We *might* be able to transfer our knowledge and pieces of our personality to it if we connect with it, but our creation doesn't have eyes, ears, mouth, or digits. It might be a bad idea imparting sentience upon it.

tippler 2024/10/03(Thu)19:44 No. 1098204 ID: c1a22b
File 172800988757.png - (16.05KB , 500x500 , p104.png )

>C, embrace your creation
The initial, instinctual fear quickly fades and you hurry forward to take your nub monster’s outstretched tendril. A creature without senses besides touch would be terrified without a guide. It curls around your hand tight and the rest of the monster staggers to follow the touch, pressing against you. Once you’re sure you’re not about to be dismembered by an enraged beast, you let out a cackle of ecstasy.

You: Our nub child is alive! Er, do you think they’re a boy or a girl?

Pinch: Girl! Too many boys around here.

You: Then they shall be a girl. I’ll call her Dakimakura since she’s big and squishy, Daki for short. We’re taking her with us because we’re responsible, good people and also there’s plenty of science that we can still learn from her.

Kage: Hooray!

>Existential crisis jutsu
You’re certain that homunculi consciousness is stored in their skin, not their dye, since the injured Mushi showed no change in personality after passing out and being revived. Skin also contains the means of locomotion. A person sewed to a big nub or another homunculi via a wet interface would create a manual fusion with unknown mental and moral consequences.

Is the printer technically a big nub since you inherited its memories up until the point of your birth? Hmm, you doubt it since it doesn’t have skin. It calls itself a process and it has memory data etching properties. More like a machine than a person, since it was never supposed to be conscious in the first place.

>Is Daki missing skin?
Her components all have skin, so she’s intact and able to travel. Her sphincters that the component nubs used to drink from the clear dye and join together are all shut tight.

tippler 2024/10/03(Thu)19:45 No. 1098205 ID: c1a22b
File 172800990673.png - (57.22KB , 500x500 , p105.png )

You cut a few sheet shaped nubs for raw skin supplies before Kage carefully lifts everyone back into the dark hubspace and you begin wandering again, leaving the bright hole of Nubland behind. You hold onto Pinch with one hand and Daki monopolizes the other, squeezing just on the edge of too tight. She doesn’t lose any dye while you walk, which is a good sign.

>Random room check (out of four possibilities): Result hidden
This time Kage flies up higher to find her mark. After the spatial incision, she repeats the successful procedure from last time of sticking her head into the hole and getting the first look.

Kage: It’s full of blue light! There’s a bunch of printers in glass containers and tubes and I’m getting a magic vibe.

You: How do you know what magic feels like?

Kage: Oh, when Cerebrum did the telepathy thing to Kench I got a tingle. Big tingles coming from this hole. Can barely feel the stuff from the spell orbs.

You, sadly, have not felt a single tingle in your life besides the ones you get from hugging Pinch. A long time has passed since you left Boysville, more school courses have been finished by the lads, and the injured girls have all regained consciousness. This does not impact your current mission in any way.

A. Explore the printer habitat with everyone (Kage seems to have an affinity for this place)
B. Move on and look for another room (you still haven’t found the Creator’s quarters)
C. Take Daki to Boysville (she’ll be safer there)

A. An important storage room. Perhaps the printers will be valuable supplies, or maybe they yearn for freedom too.

>>1098205
Only Pinch feels the tingles. That means the magic is tied to the blue dye. Somehow, it's essential to escape. That's why you felt dread when you saw Kage leaving, and a sense of deja-vu when we slew Cerebrum. There's some instinct the printer put in you to value blue-dyed individuals.

I think that also has to do with Pinch's 'role'. Every Homunculi the printer spat out has had a role.
We were the first. Experimental, without direction. We're basically just a normal homunculus, with some instincts and knowledge the printer put in us.
Kage was the first blue-dye experiment. Maybe not even intended to do anything at the time except see if the printer could.
Wallace was testing natural weapons attached to homunculi, and giving a homunculus a more combat-oriented form. He was very gungo-ho and passionate, but impressionable. Perfect for a soldier.
Pinch can drain dye from others and seems maybe compatible with other dye types? She's really wired to be risk-averse and ruthless. She could be the back-up plan in case something goes wrong with one of the blue-dyes and they need to be replaced?
Rattus was the printer beginning to test with replicating meat-flesh. We don't know if Rattus also has blue dye and some hidden ability, since we haven't hung out with them much.
Cerebrum was the culmination of the meat-flesh experiments and blue dye development, designed with inherent magic and the ability to interface with the Creator's body by replacing the brain.

This place might also be connected to how the spell orbs are made. A, let's investigate. There could be important clues here about what the blue dye is actually for, or tools to help our escape.

>>1098208
I mean, only Kage feels the tingles.

A. lets touch the magic shit

>>1098205

Theres just so much to learn!

Investigate, kentaro.
Maybe you can learn to print off replacement bits or even some eyes for daki.

A
Onward to knowledge!

A) since we don't know how much of a time crunch we may or may not be on, lets gather as much info as we can.

>>1098207
On second thought, maybe we should stop by Boystown to introduce Daki. We can go on more expeditions after checking in.

tippler 2024/10/05(Sat)08:19 No. 1098267 ID: c1a22b
File 172814157285.png - (63.71KB , 500x500 , p106.png )

>A, more knowledge!
It’d be great to learn about magic and printers. After the safe and educational time in Nubland, you’re feeling confident about your chances here.

You: If you don’t see any security or meat people, let’s investigate. I think we’re getting a lot of good knowledge and materials from exploring the hub and I don’t want to skip this place. A scientist stays curious!

Kage repeats the process of ferrying everyone into the lab, which is lined with gurgling glass pipes full of all sorts of viscous fluids. You spot what looks like liquid homunculus skin, wet fibrous pulp, and fatty ground red gunk. Ugh, is that what meat looks like up close? Not a fan.

The main pipes run smaller service lines down to the various suspended printers, which rest in rectangular tanks. The printers are all made of electric blue slime, like you’re used to, which matches the color of the big ball of light hovering in the middle of the room, sending periodic jets of energy to the tanks.

It takes a while to see the whole area with the more complex floor plan and Daki slowing you down. You make note of the printers that are producing homunculi parts and nubs, which collect at the bottom of the tanks before falling into an ominous shute. Others seem to be making worksheets or producing Creator sized limbs.

You don’t have any way to know if these printers are sentient, but their respective products all seem consistent.

tippler 2024/10/05(Sat)08:19 No. 1098268 ID: c1a22b
File 172814159981.png - (42.22KB , 500x500 , p107.png )

Due to your CALCULATING nature, you come up with some generalized assumptions about printers and magic.

1. Printers rely on magic to function
2. Magic acts as a power source
3. Kage and Cerebrum are at least partially filled with printer slime

Kage swoops down to where you’re pondering, frowning slightly.

Kage: My head goes funny the closer I get to the big glow. Not in a bad way, like I’m trying to remember something.

You: Does it feel hot? I don’t want you to get cooked or zapped or something if you touch it.

Kage: Naw, I gotta hunch that it’d be okay.

You: Maybe you can interface with the magic since you’re part printer. It sure doesn’t seem to do anything for me.

You don’t want to have too many experiments going on at once, so you can only choose one of the following options:

A. Encourage Kage to touch the magic source (she’ll be changed)

B. Give sensory and speaking organs to Daki (she’ll be changed)

C. Leave
1. Search for another room
2. Return to Boysville

A. What is it you're trying to remember? How to... print?

>>1098268
B. What knowledge can be gained here

>>1098268
Changing kage is a thing that we should t decise for her, but tell her it is a thing that may happen if she does touch it, so to think about it herself first.

But poor daki cannot sense the world except in the most rudimentary ways so

B.
Give our nub child a chance to embrace more of the world.

... and perhaps our calculating part will pick up pointers on replacing missing homonculi parts for others...

>>1098268
B. Beware of Icarian flight.

A if Kage really wants to do it but otherwise B

don't want them to think you're too selfish obsessing over your child, but I agree that giving them sensory organs so you can communicate is definitely important, so even if A gets mentioned I suggest that you do B after that if you have the chance.

A is Kage's choice, otherwise B

Let Kage do her thing

A) If she feels safe doing so

Kage seeks enlightenment.
Do not lead her astray from her noble path!

tippler 2024/10/07(Mon)06:28 No. 1098332 ID: c1a22b
File 172830769378.png - (157.55KB , 500x500 , p108.png )

>A, if Kage is willing to do it
You: Okay, but do you want to touch the magic? Science tells me something will happen.

Kage: I mean, yeah, maybe, I don’t really know? I’m asking you ‘cause you’re the smart one.

You: My theory is you’ll become more powerful, even gain the ability to do magic like what Cerebrum did.

Kage: I like the sound of that! Lemme try it.

You: But hold on! With great power comes greater likelihood of turning into a jerk.

Kage: Ugh, I’m not going to be evil or something. It’s not going to change our goals and that’s the most important thing!

You: You never know…

Kage puffs up with indignation and heroic bravery, and puts her hands on her hips.

Kage: I wanna do it, that’s my final decision. It’s a risk but I bet it’ll help.

She does still wait for you to nod before she flies to the magic source, a dark speck against the blinding light. Your sharp eyes watch as a cluster of magic forms on the surface of the orb, sending a zap to meet Kage’s outstretched hand, surrounding her in blue.

>Security avoidance check: Success
There’s no noise and Kage isn’t sent tumbling through the air. The orb keeps charging tanks at the same rate as before and no alarms go off, which is good.

>Kage mental breakdown avoidance check (75%): Success
You get a little nervous when Kage starts gliding in slow silent loops down to the floor. At least she’s not screaming? You’ve seen Kage upset before and she was a lot more frantic.

tippler 2024/10/07(Mon)06:28 No. 1098333 ID: c1a22b
File 172830771078.png - (13.65KB , 500x500 , p109.png )

You think Kage is about to go for the Pinch hug (and who could blame her?), but instead she embraces you in an extra strength full body squeeze. It’s so overwhelming that you let go of Daki’s tendril to return the hold. Kage pulls back before you pass out and you see her pupils are just a bit wobbly.

Kage: I’m sorry Kentaro, truly.

You: Uh, why? Are you okay? You’re kind of scaring me.

Kage: I’m fine, and it’s nothing you did. I don’t know if you’ll understand even if I explain it, but this place–we’re not anywhere on the meat world. There isn’t an exit like we were hoping.

You: How do you know that?

Kage: I’m part of now. I understand too much. I think the same would have happened to Cerebrum if he got supercharged like this, but he would have known to avoid it. We can’t escape because the hub space is in the place beyond the meat world, where it’s cold and empty, except for a few rocks and us.

You: What was that sound you made? I-I’m not sure what you’re talking about.

She gives you a very sad smile.

Kage: When you unlock your memories of the Creator, I’ll be able to explain. Let’s just enjoy the time we have together, okay? I still want to help you however I can.

Something’s happened to your best friend; it’s almost like she’s a different person. You share a concerned look with Pinch as Kage goes back to hovering. You’re certainly not going to risk the same thing happening to your beloved child Daki by giving her organs.

A. Search for another room (there has to be a way to escape)
B. Return to Boysville (you need to collect yourself)
C. Interrogate Kage for more details (but what’ll happen when you remember?)

Honestly? You have the people most important to you, already with you. What can Kage teach you and Pinch to help you remember and seek enlightenment?

C

>>1098333
So... chances are that the HUB itself is in space? Like the moon or something? That means we we still can escape from the other rooms potentially, but we need more info, so C.

But i also don't want to upset Kage... what does Pinch think?

C yeah, I'm curious about what she can do now!

And if we can't escape, depending on the info she gives us, ask if there's something we can do to avoid being killed by the creators of someone hits the button, since thats been a side goal of escaping

C) if escape is really impossible, then negotiating with the creator becomes the most viable tack. Did she gain any insight into them?

A. Let's take some time to process this, and enjoy being together.

...Okay, fine, a few questions. Is the only way out through the Creator? What kind of magic did you get?

Wait...
Doesn't that mean that the only way out is via the Creator?
No wonder the printer made Cerebrum...
Still, the Creator does seem kind, if troubled.

Can
Is there hope to appeal to them?

>>1098337
Yeah, escaping has a whole lot of unknown variables anyways. How to refill lost dye in the meat world? How to survive and hide among giant meat creatures?
There's a reason we've been trying to prevent or undo the damage the rogue printer was causing, and that reason is that there's a chance chance escape is impossible or a hell of its own. Realistically, this place could be all we've got, and if it is we'll need to speak with the Creator at some point.

C. We need to know. If the future sucks and there's no way out except shitty Cerebrum's murder plan, then let's just party and patch things up like it's our last long time in Boysville.

Fine, we don't have to escape. We just need a happy ending. Even if it's camping in the hub visiting our friends.

>>1098333
A, but ask kage if she needs a moment.
If she needs anything.
Shes not ok.
Shes more important than the rest.

>>1098389
Our gf Pinch is also more important than the rest of course

>>1098391
I cut off early.
Meant to say more important than the rest of the choices.

tippler 2024/10/11(Fri)08:41 No. 1098470 ID: c1a22b
File 172866128974.png - (12.83KB , 500x500 , p110.png )

>C, gently
You: Kage, I want to find out more about the Creator. We can sit on the floor here and talk. Um, but first, are you okay?

Your friend’s lip quivers and she turns away to rub her face, wiping away nonexistent tears.

Kage: I dunno. It’s not my fault all of this happened but it feels like it, because of the stupid memories. I can see myself as Kage, but I’m really not her anymore. I’m with some Kage flavor.

You: What is that word you’re saying? Can you describe it using different terms?

Kage: It’s the name of the entity we’re inside. The Creator is a meat satellite and magic is its condensed energy and identity.

You: Whoa whoa whoa, I–I thought we were in space. Cerebrum said this was some kind of secure science lab, with like, supervisors and bureaucracy!

Kage: That’s a good way to look at it, yeah, there are others. Mmm…we’re like, big space amoeba, and the homunculi are an experiment to see if what’s been happening will happen. Y’know, flaws in our programming. We’re not supposed to assimilate back into the mass.

Kage has become calm and kind of dreamy, which you do not like one bit. The crazy things she’s saying are sloshing around inside your head and you’re slowly beginning to panic. How are you supposed to get out of here? Is beloved Daki going to assimilate too? The Creator is a magic amoeba who’s also friends slash relatives with a dead cat??? This is turning into an absurdist nightmare!

tippler 2024/10/11(Fri)08:53 No. 1098472 ID: c1a22b
File 172866198049.png - (16.92KB , 500x500 , p111.png )

Pinch reaches to take your free hand and squeezes it. Kage sounds compromised so you lower your voice to a whisper to consult with your girlfriend.

You: Does this make any sense to you?

Pinch: It kinda goes along with what Cerebrum said, even if he was omitting the weird stuff. Since he’s cooked we gotta talk to the Creator and ‘splain things, or maybe if we don’t hit the button they’ll just never come to check on us?

You: Raito seemed to think they were a nice person but I don’t trust that guy. What do we do about Kage and Daki?

Pinch: Kage said it herself, she’s gone weird. Dunno if she’ll snap out of it. As long as she keeps helping us we can treat her normal. Daki ain’t a threat, I think.

You’ve reached the limits of what can be explained about the Creator’s identity. Do you remember what they are?

You can ask for meta hints in the discussion thread.

>>1098472
Timewinder to save Kages mental self? then we can head back to boystown and discuss to everyone what we've learned.

>>1098473
I say this because we technically have gotten the info we need from Kage, but i want Kage to go back to her old self.

>>1098473
We should ask if Kage wants this, first. But if she really wants to go back to blissful ignorance, we do have this option.

The rogues are not going to be assimilated, which suggests that the rest are? Leaves the question of what happens to the rogues. Jettisoned into space?

I think the healthiest thing to do is just do what we can to patch up the damage the rogue printer caused. If they're testing for errors in programming, that means they're afraid that the errors are dangerous. Perhaps the best we can do is show that the errors are capable of containing and correcting their own damage. We've already done plenty towards that goal.

Oh, you’re asking us directly?

Body. It’s Body. She’s chill. She’s also in space learning to be a god. The trip she’s on may take a long time, but think of it like… being on a cruise. You don’t need to think of escape anymore, think of it more like being along for the ride, and there may be a destination in the end but for now trust that the captain is going to keep steering the ship in a direction, even if no one’s sure what that is.
There may be more of the Creator’s memories than Kage’s memories in her head, but she’s still 100% of Kage.
Anyway, you can push the button anytime to end the experiment and have a chat with the main Creator but there’s also nothing saying you have to stop poking around and exploring our Body.

Present the Timewinder to what was once Kage.

Sister, would you like for me to take from you this cup?

>>1098479
dammit you're so right it's definitely body trying to figure out godhood and I cant believe it wasnt obveous to me earlier

Body does love anime after all, and this quest is called shonen quest, soooo...

>>1098482
I cant think of a better use for the timewinder if this is what she wants.

I hope we dont get the evangelion ending.

Even as the truth is remembered, even as the creator's memories come flooding forth, even as our transience is laid bare... My existence is defined! These memories shall not swallow me!
I am Kentaro- Seeker of Truth, Unwitting Hero, Brother of Kage, and Lover of Pinch!

tippler 2024/10/13(Sun)06:27 No. 1098569 ID: c1a22b
File 172882602832.png - (55.39KB , 500x500 , p112.png )

>REMEMBER
You close your eyes and put all your focus into your skin. The Creator is there, like a faint layer of paint. They’ve always been there. You know their name.

An image of a trio of cats sitting together on a couch blooms into your consciousness. The one in the middle has patchy brown fur and flat yellow teeth. They look like Daki. Ha, what a funny coincidence, you even named your nub creation after them, in a way.

You: Body. Body Lewis.

Kage: Yes. Hello Kentaro.

It all makes sense, the homunculi are based on cartoon characters from Body’s favorite shows, the cat ascended to godhood with the help of two parental space amoeba, and the new god is currently working on their powers. Understandable that a being of such magnitude needs to make sure everything is working properly, especially when it comes to creating life.

Unlike Kage or even Rattus, you don’t have any trouble staying secure in your identity as Kentaro. You’re a seeker of truth, a lover, a friend, and a scientist! Also you’re not part magic printer, which probably helps.

Pinch: Now you’re making that funny noise too.

You: Pinch, c’mon, you’ll get it! Think about Jadis and Kibble and Saul and Mary.

Pinch: I’m hearin’ a whole lotta static out of your mouth.

You: They turned into a robot and worked at a gas station, the highlight of their life.

Pinch Hmmmmmmmmm…OH MY GOD.

tippler 2024/10/13(Sun)06:27 No. 1098570 ID: c1a22b
File 172882604697.png - (17.70KB , 500x500 , p113.png )

>Use the Timewinder spell on Kage
While Pinch deals with her revelations, you take the orb from your pocket and hold it out to your best friend.

You: Kage, do you think this will help you go back to normal? I don’t want to lose you.

Kage: Huh, I didn’t think of that. I’ll still remember, but it should work otherwise.

Magic makes more sense too. You crack open the spell and Kage is covered in smoke to hide whatever sleight of hand that’s going on. Timewinder reads some internal homunculi construction slash change log and reverts physical alterations with a secret, self-consuming printer. This should rewrite whatever changed when Kage got zapped.

Ha! The fusion spell just stuck you and Pinch in a pocket space and created a whole new body for Kench while no one could see anything through the haze. Sneaky and much more to your logical liking.

Kage does seem more lively and a bit confused when the spell ends, and you give her a big hug. She snuggles against Pinch while you pace, deep in thought.

You also know what’s in the other hub rooms now. Apart from Body’s quarters there’s a lab for making and coding brains and a debug holding cell for studying things like Kage and the sentient printer. Luckily Kage didn’t trigger whatever magic security protocol that puts beings there, otherwise it’d be hard to get her out.

The hub space itself is a secure pod of composite material suspended somewhere in Body’s enormous mass. The gravity is lower because it’s in space, while the sub rooms are pocket dimensions with earth-like conditions. It would have hypothetically been possible to cut or burrow your way out of the pod, but then you would have been sucked into space with no way to call for help.

Cerebrum would have taken control of the meat Body in the pod and gained whatever executive power that came with it. You’re not exactly sure what he could have done to avoid getting caught but you guess you’ll never know. It would have left you at his mercy so you’re still glad you didn’t choose that option.

As for Daki, you expect she’d turn into a Body copy with only light stimulus. You’re not sure what to do with her.

What’s your endgame?
A. Get all of the homunculi together to end the experiment (you’ll press the button once you’re ready)

B. Live your life with your loved ones (don’t press the button and wait for the Creator to show up in a long, long time)

C. Find Body in their quarters (you can talk to them without worrying about everyone else)

>>1098569
This explains a lot.

C) You may think you have an eon to play around before the next stage of Body's design. But Body is a newborn goddess; if she's having trouble staying motivated, she might collide into a meteor on accident, getting you all killed. There's also the matter of her birth planet, you can't just wait around until they all blow themselves up.

>>1098570
B. You have learned the Truth. The whole truth. Your great quest is complete. Use what you know about nub science to help fix those who were damaged, so that everyone can enjoy their time together.

... Maybe someday we could even patch Cerebrum up and replace the blue printer sauce with less dangerous nub juice to make him a normal boy. With no printer magic, his powers shouldn't work.

C, offer to help, at this point you know a godlike creature made you and your actions unwittingly were in the direction of help

Might as well go towards the realm of active and constructive help, heck, maybe bodyll be excited to hear of a homunculus that refused the call to murder the Creator, or maybe they'll be disappointed you didn't decide to fight and kill god like all animes wanted to do.


Tho the power of friendship is cooler.

Also just to point it out do you SEE how close we were to becoming Jadis and making a body 2.0 with daki

Literally this would have been stares at explosions all over again (or whatever the series was called)

C. If there’s anything you know about yours- Body, it’s that they could always use more friends. You can chill with her in a giant space bachelor pad, and hm maybe you should let her know the Girlstown button was broken. She might want to check in on that, things got a little ugly.

Also, with regards to Daki, let's see if she can develop into her own homunculus like you and Kage without forcing the Body template to the surface. Maybe there's a spell that can help shape her (to have eyes, ears, etc) without giving her that push over the edge, as it were. If not, that's still plan B, she doesn't have to spend her whole life as a lumpy pillow.

Why can't we do both C and B?

The Creator is on this long journey as well. She must be lonely.

Why not ask if she'd like to make herself a Homunculus Body and come hang out with us?

There's plenty of time, after all.

C+B, we just wanna talk to the dude.

C, it's been so long since we've seen Body (as suggestors)

C) check in with mom. Since whatever experiment they were running has gone quite off the rails, you should coordinate on what to do next.

>>1098580
I like this.

Its c hoping to follow with b for everyone.

Finding a way for everyone to live and get along is one solid anime ending.
Another would be teenagers fighting god.

tippler 2024/10/15(Tue)13:06 No. 1098624 ID: c1a22b
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>C, check in and present your side of the story
You know Body as well as you know yourself, and you bet they’re pretty lonely as a solo meat person. Waiting around for a call for help that never comes while isolated in the abyss wouldn’t be fun for anyone, even a homunculus. While you’d get more unsupervised time if you waited for their eventual arrival, this way you can prevent any other accidents, interference, and opportunities to piss off the injured homunculi.

You: Let’s go find Body’s area and explain things right away.

Pinch: You’re not afraid we’ll get zapped? Even if Body’s nice they’re still gonna feel guilty about the experiment going wrong.

You: If they haven’t figured out how to cope with inevitable errors in a highly complex system, then they’re going to have a hard time being a god. Even Saul and Mary had their processes on earth do things that weren’t intended.

Pinch: Ach, you’re right. Come over here for a second.

You’re pulled into a tight hug with Kage and Pinch and even Daki.

Pinch: I feel like I wanna say something dumb about how I’m glad we had this adventure and how I love you guys but I’m not going to. It’s been good.

You: It’s not over yet, let’s go find Body! After we hug a bit more of course.

Once you’ve had your fill, Kage lifts everyone back into the hub space and flies around trying to find the right pocket space entrance. Eventually she slices her sword against air to reveal the inside of a giant closet, complete with a few untouched coats and cardboard boxes. The TV is on in the other room.

>Body awake check: Failure
The giant doorknob takes some coordination from Pinch to open before you creep out on real synthetic carpet. Wow, you can really feel your size in this apartment with its cavernous doorways and giant furniture.

The enormous, artificially shadowy presence of the Creator is laid out before you on the sofa in front of the television, which of course is playing anime. Your sharp ears pick up the rhythmic beat of their heart, the brush of breath in their lungs. They don’t react until Pinch pokes them firmly on the cheek.

tippler 2024/10/15(Tue)13:06 No. 1098625 ID: c1a22b
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Body: Bwehh?!

They lurch upright with a clatter of old takeout boxes. Pinch hisses on instinct and crouches low on the back of the couch while Kage takes flight.

You: Uh, behind you.

Body twists to look at your little crew, blue eyes piercing through the magic haze over their face. They immediately look horrified.

Body: How did you get here? And wait–you’re not any of the homunculi I designed. Oh, this is bad…

You’re all lifted into the air like how Cerebrum seized Kench, and the noise of the TV shuts off. The binding isn’t as tight, so you take Pinch’s hand and she stops frantically wiggling as much.

Body: Did you suffer, at all? Did anyone get hurt? Why didn’t someone press the button and let me know?

They knead their forehead with their fist. You give them a moment to keep ranting.

Body: At least none of you seem to be me, but I was really anxious about this experiment going wrong and now it looks like it definitely has. Dammit, why did I think I’d be different from Jadis? It wouldn’t have been a clean experiment if I just had surveillance on the whole time, but I didn’t think things would get messed up so fast. Mom and dad are going to have to come in and figure out what went wrong. I thought I isolated the parts pretty well.

You can understand why Body is so upset given their own origin as a hapless experiment. Clearly they didn’t want to put anyone through the same hardship.

What do you say to Body?

Hey. Calm down, it's okay. We're okay. Things don't always go according to plan. The beautiful thing about life is that it can adapt. A wise man once said there are no mistakes, just happy little accidents.

>>1098625
So, literally moments after you left the printer in Boysville experienced a sapient awakening to the joy of creation and made us and Kage.
Then it started to feel afraid for its 'children' and that you might destroy them for being glitches in the experiment. We've been searching for the truth of our existence while doing our best to keep our fellow rogues from causing too much damage, like our cute fuzzy girlfriend Pinch here.

Also, Mura in Girltown got her hands on a sword and went completely off the rails, destroying their button so they couldn't call for help. We stopped her rampage, but they're in a really bad situation over there.

>Suffering
Uh
Boysville is doing mostly okay, but Girltown is definitely experiencing some PTSD.

You didn’t fail. The experiment was to see if this would happen, and it did! So as long as you learn from it, it’s a success.
To start at the beginning, the printer became self aware, and in its hazy panic, started making more homunculi to think of an escape plan. It didn’t know what was going on, so it did the only thing it could. Some plans were more desperate than others, but we tried to stop people getting hurt as much as we could.
So, we left Boystown to find a new place to live. Everyone's getting along now in Boystown, including some more of us. But, we had to put one of ours to sleep because he wanted to kill you. And he could do this floaty stuff, too, so things could have gotten bad. First place we found was Girlstown, and their leader didn't like us, so... things did get a little bad there. We tried to fix it as much as we could, but their button is broken.
And in Boystown, they didn't press it because we asked them not to. We didn't know how you'd react until we remembered who you were.

>>1098625
Thankyou for making us.
You may not have meant to but to us that mistake is everything.
we've found friends, love and happiness.
Some things were hard, some painful but all of it worthwhile for the good that came from it.

Were here to ask you to let the experiment run. Even if things didnt go as planned.
Theres so much to still do.
Maybe youll learn things from the unexpected events.
Maybe we can even come to help you here in the experiments and who knows, maybe even beyond them

Mom, it's alright. There were plenty of challenges but we rose to them all.

First, we may be Rogues, but we've managed to integrate ourselves into the community!
There are other rogues too, but we intercepted them and were able to bring them into the community as well! Well, except for the final rogue... We had to put him down... He had the desire and capability to dominate your mind. We couldn't let that happen. His empty shell is still around if you'd like to inspect him.

One of your hand made girls in girltown went mad with power and started killing everyone over there. We were able to stop her and patch everyone up. I still need to go over there with some nubs to complete the healing process, though. They'll also need lots of love, they seemed pretty traumatized...

As for the three of us, well... We know everything. We have your memories. However, between our own strength of will and the treasures you left us, we were able to maintain our own egos!

Things haven't been perfect Mom, but we're all still happy to be alive and here together, and it's all thanks to you!

With all that said, now for the reason we came here...
We can't stand to see you all alone for this near eternity it will be in this place!

Even if you're a god now, it's still friends that make life worth living!
Make yourself a Homunculus sized avatar and come hang out with us! Whether you choose to come as you are or wear a disguise, I'm sure everyone will be happy to meet you!

What's important isn't whether you anticipated everything that could go wrong and prevented it, but what you do now that it has.

>>1098635
"Ratio is still a dick though."

We've helped to minimize the damage. Just don't, like... smite us, or something.

Yo Body anime is real.
Things are pretty ok. Some people did get hurt but that's how the show goes. And I think everything will be good now. Don't beat yourself up for not creating it all "perfect." We're alive and it rules.

The difference between you and Jadis is you actually thought about test subject safety. But on the topic of lessons learned, maybe Madoka was a risky template to use for this.

You may have made some experiments that failed, but some experiments you made, like us, can fix it too. And since we have your memories, we can be more efficient in fixing things. Overall, things are fine over here, we found love within the imperfections

tippler 2024/10/17(Thu)19:37 No. 1098711 ID: c1a22b
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>Reassure her
You: It’s okay Mom–

Body: Uh I don’t know if I like you calling me that. I mean, it’s not untrue but I just don’t think of myself as a parent. Ah you know what, it’s fine.

You: Mother dearest, I think the situation is fairly stable! Don’t beat yourself up for not creating everything perfectly the first time. Me and the other rogue homunculi–those are the ones that came from the sentient Boysville printer–have been working to minimize the damage. There’s a few things I can think of that could use your attention, but nothing urgent.

Body: Like what?

You: Well our printer created some weapons that can cut homunculi, so a few people have been injured and when Kage’s sword fell into the hands of Girltown I think they had some kind of rebellion and Mura hurt a lot of her friends. There’s emotional trauma, but we patched everyone’s wounds so at least they’re alive.

Body: Yeah…I noticed you seem to have a thing for that. Reminds me of an old friend.

You: I’m not like Jadis because I actually thought about test subject safety. Oh also we have your memories but we were able to maintain our own egos because we’re awesome. Being alive is amazing and fun and we’re really grateful that we had the chance to experience it.

Body does a guilty side-eye and you hurry on with your explanation so she doesn’t have time to decide you shouldn’t exist.

You: Everyone’s getting along in Boysville but we had to take out one of the rogues who wanted to mind control you to escape. He could use magic and seemed sketchy, his body’s still lying around in the school. The original homunculi didn’t press the button when we appeared because we asked them not to, because we were scared you would destroy us for being glitches.

Another guilty side-eye. The lack of subtlety would be endearing if it didn’t make you nervous about your survival.

You: Um, we can help you fix things. I’ve had lots of practice at sewing and we’ve learned a lot about homunculi construction. If–If you’re lonely here you should make a homunculus form and come hang out with us in Boysville.

Body: Thanks for the information. I’m going to go talk to everyone else and sort things out. Wait here.

tippler 2024/10/17(Thu)19:37 No. 1098712 ID: c1a22b
File 172921906652.png - (64.45KB , 500x500 , p117.png )

You don’t even blink and suddenly Body is in a different position, standing by the couch instead of sitting. Kage squawks with indignation.

Kage: Hey my sword’s gone!

Pinch: And my pincer!

Body: Sorry, I wanted to collect all of the weapons at once.

You: Were we just unconscious?

Body: Yeah, sorry, better than making you wait while stuck in the air like this. I still have to take precautions.

They run their hand over their narrow ears.

Body: Based on what everyone else said you were pretty much telling the truth, which I appreciate. After I repaired all the injuries I took the printer to the lab and secured all of the dimensional holes a lot better. I hope I’m not scaring you too bad because I’m really grateful you didn’t decide to mind control me. Are you sure all you want is to stay in Boysville until I end the experiment?

FINAL CHOICE:
A. Yes (live out the rest of your days as a homunculus)
B. No (ask for you, Kage, and Pinch to go to earth as meat people)

Ask Kage and Pinch if they want to go and be meat. If they overwelmingly want to then do that

I'm a little confused on if body will be hanging out in boysville with us if we decide to stay until the experiment is over. Because we did offer to hang and vibe, so maybe ask if she wants to hang out and if the answer is no, go be meat!