(with free bonus: )

I have no idea why anyone follows this shitpost of a blog but I'm glad folks do

Many thanks to my wonderful friends for helping me unfuck part of my fic. I am now feeling quite chipper about it again. I also want to dump a little quick backstory/lore info here re:Sara and her stupidity. I may have mentioned it on this blog before, but if so only glancingly... so. I'm putting it under a cut because it's ... ish? spoilers, but not really? because this is mainly meta-knowledge. and I don't think any of the characters will ever actually figure any of it out. OH WELL.

Backdraft as a group is/was older than it let on, but its form and function had seen a lot of radical changes in the ~half century prior NC0.

Backdraft used to have a very purist policy for their membership - it was a "I do what I want" club comprised largely of rich Imperial families and their kids. You didn't join this group you were invited - and you could only actually join if you could prove you were some stripe of Imperial descent. (I need you to picture that the kind of folks running this would be the kind of folks who would've been on Prozen's side, pre-crazy.) As time went on and politics became bland by way of a benign but totalitarian government, the populace lost both interest in and knowledge of their backgrounds. Imperial or Republic heritage didn't matter anymore, not to anyone but a select few. As proto-Backdraft's membership was aging out and dying off, it realized to survive as an organization it had to relax its requirements. The furor this caused led to the Committee structure being formed, so there wasn't (as intense) squabbling over leadership and the way things were being run. A lot of older folks in what soon became known as Backdraft caught and maintained good-old-days-itus, in which they began to resent the org being "polluted." But most everyone at this point had fixated on Backdraft's control and moneymaking capabilities - completely losing the original concept(s) in the process. Enter Sara and her years-long power grab. In the process of viciously making her way up the ladder, she learned about the org's history and had the bug put in her ear about the good-ol'-days. She wanted to return Backdraft to being Imperially-rooted for the following reasons: -she, herself, is categorized as from the Imperial line -she thinks herself superior to other folks and is, in fact, aware of her Zoidian genetics, minus the knowledge that they're Zoidian. -her understanding of history boils down to "when the Republicans touched shit everything got fucked up, wow." Which is a gross oversimplification and hilarious misunderstanding of Literally Everything, but this is the kind of shit that happens with history! Especially when immersed in roiling Agendas. Which tl;drs to, if she decides people need to die, she's going to target one group over another, very much. Sara this is eugenics please stop

In reality: -Raven is the reason Sara's bloodline is considered Imperial. Ryss never made it into the recorded equation. Considering that Raven himself probably wasn't of Imperial descent (his parents seemed kind of faction/location agnostic - which is a whole other population nuance rarely considered), Sara isn't really Imperial at all. -As a result of the Cataclysm, records went to SHIT. And a lot of information was basically re-compiled after entire cities & their associated recordkeeping had been destroyed. What could be recovered and rebuilt was, to a degree. But a lot of information came from people's recollections. Most records have a large degree of uncertainty in them. -Once science recovered a little, there were sufficient advances in technology to allow a degree of insight and provide better resolution for well known families/lineages. But most people didn't care by this point... and this kind of information was seen as little more than a rich person's vanity pursuit. (please see: the other post I did awhile back about modern technology's development being oddly stunted due to many societal factors, most of which are intentional) -The genetics of Ryss's bloodline are known but not associated with her or Zoidians. They're erroneously lumped in with all the other genetic fuckery going on with Imperial bloodlines... almost all of which was self-imposed by the royalty and nobility early on inbreeding too fucking much. -Sara's dumb quest to have Best Baby resulted in her having None Baby - she miscarried multiple times. Vega was her last try, more-or-less an accident, and absolutely not what she was after: on paper, Vega's father is Republican thru-and-thru. -...because anyone in from Hiltz's lineage are Republican. He sired kids in a Republican colony when he lived with the Scholar. Whoops, nobody knows. -But this ruins Sara's whole feeling-real-special thing, so she went full sunk-cost-fallacy and ignored it all. And though she does love Vega, you can't help but wonder if this colors her perception of him at all ... or she's just in complete denial of reality and substituting her own (yeah, it's this one.) The amount of characters who have any of this knowledge is very small and getting smaller by the minute. :I again, oh well.

Not 100% certain of the username here of lurkweed, who's been leaving much-appreciated comments on Ao3 - but wanted to note something re: the survivability of Organoids. Specifically ones without heads. tl;dr Core-based creatures have varying levels of requirement for their heads/brains. A Core covers functions that'd be considered part of a terran creature's nervous system: the Core covers the functions of the CNS (re: innervating the body and being the primary target for input/output), brainstem, and cerebellum. Their "brain" part is only analogous to the cerebrum, but even then most sensory and motor info is processed in the Core. Zoids have a lot more body to work with than Organoids and smaller creatures do. Zoids are able to isolate the Core in the face of extreme non-central injuries to protect it from damage and fuel+blood loss. Zoids' "brains" - especially manmade ones (the octagonal memory cells) - aren't actually that important to the Zoids' survival. Sure, it will lose its memory and personality if their "brain" is completely removed or destroyed, but as long as the Core's okay, a Zoid can regrow those and continue on. (In the case of manmade Zoids, this is just replacement & refurbishment, as regrowing things takes both a) a long time and b) the right environment - it can also result in very non-standard (read: difficult to service) configurations. This is part and parcel of the inhumane treatment Zoids are constantly subject to on modern Zi. They largely aren't acknowledged anymore as living entities.)

But Organoids, having evolved the unique inner-cabling network, actually lost the ability to internally cordon off their bodies in the same way. And their brains are far more critical to them functioning. The portions responsible for being able to bond & communicate are all there. A wild Organoid would likely die of shock just from being severed from the colony. The domesticated ones are hardier in this way. Realistically One and Zero are the only Organoids capable of actually surviving an extended loss of their head though. A normal Organoid, if helped very quickly, might be able to heal such an injury and survive. But otherwise, losing their head would be fatal (if not from shock, then because they'd quickly bleed out.) And since what happened was effectively the same thing as losing a head- Zeke as anyone knew him ceased to be in KYH - if his Core hadn't been removed immediately, it would've died in a minute or two. Zero? Just has (extremely severe) memory problems...

I'd offer a (remote, refusable if undesired) hug, though the prehensile organoid innards probably have that covered.

I appreciate the hug offer! I do not particularly need or want Organoid-based hugs, they seem hazardous

I additionally apologise in advance for the track this story wants to take.

No one is okay in this story.

Man I don't think I've ever felt so emotionally damaged by something I wrote before. I'm genuinely sad. WRITING IS FUN, THEY SAID (it is, but I did not expect this turn of events. and I'm the fucking author. what???)

Neat elaboration on zoid & organoid breeding. Curious about ancient zoidian bond partners' effect on the latter.

I have a moderately-cursed 6 page document on the subject if folks really want it posted.

blegh I realize I forgot to explain the "male" Organoid side of things. "male" because Organoids are hermaphroditic - but so are all Zoids. let me explain Zoid reproduction in general first. The main difference between Organoids and other Zoids (incl. the "critter" Zoids) is that Organoids lay eggs. All other Zoids just drop Core buds.

Generally groups of wild Zoids have a handful of 'females' and many more 'males', since Core-budding is extremely successful (if the offspring are protected and can grow) but also very taxing on the fitness of the creature. all Cores kind of have a set amount of reproductive units that they were born with/grew with; budding depletes these units, but milt is simply produced by them and it doesn't actually remove them. This means 'male' Zoids technically can live longer, but this balances out because they tend to get into much more combat (territorially and reproductively) and die as a result. Any creature with a core can technically create clones of itself via budding. Cores do not have to be "fertilized" to become a Zoid. A core bud that's been "fertilized", however, can integrate some of the father's genetics and become a genetically unique specimen. These tend to be more robust and grow faster, quickly outcompeting any unfertilized buds. Organoids evolving to produce eggs (to protect vulnerable core buds while they grew) actually damaged their ability to create clones absent this "fertilization." Organoids can start to grow from core buds alone, but fertilization is necessary for proper shell formation and, ultimately, for a viable Organoid. Organoids' cores don't produce milt or buds unless properly stimulated, so there'd be nothing to harvest or use from a dead individual. (If you were thinking said stimulation is copulation, you'd be correct. However their experience is wildly different from humans'/Zoidians'; they're not working towards ejaculation. They're going for duration, as longer connections prompt more buds/milt to be pushed into the reproductive cabling - which it not only has to do from their own cores, but in the case of male-acting Organoids, they also have to propel their milt sufficiently far into the females' cabling to actually reach the buds. So, re: evolutionary impetus - they basically experience the equivalent of an orgasm the entire time. Some Organoids in colony settings may mate "incorrectly" in short intervals, aka against hierarchy or with unreceptive partners. Many Organoids also engage in same-sex copulation, which won't produce offspring but functions exactly the same and tends to make for very strong "social cliques." or more bluntly, big groups of recreational fuckbuddies.) No one's ever discerned the any of the finer points of their reproductive process, which is why there's never been any human-produced Organoids. They erroneously tried to reproduce them using the methods that work on Zoids. Spoilers: it didn't work. Healthy Organoids that don't regularly mate with another Organoid may produce slugs. They tend to eat these (or offer them to their partner), because it's a needless waste of nutrients otherwise. Organoids can also get eggbound like reptiles do; in a colony setting this was generally a death sentence, but it's rarely an issue for domestic Organoids, who can get help. hmm yhea I think that's it.

I know my fic output is catastrophically low right now, but I'm still writing. just having to complete a big intertwined chunk to make sure the sequence doesn't end up with chronology problems (there are a lot of very different things happening at the same times, in different locations.) comics too mainly because Pantheon is a heavy lift. it's fucked up and sometimes I'm just not in the mood for that. all the other comics, I'm undecided on - either story-wise or "how to present" wise. so if anyone has any questions, I have answers (and maybe they'll also help brain go brrrrr on comic selection, idk.)

There are at least three of us

Here is a better set of illustrations about organoids' cabling structural cabling is what they use for a variety of basic internal functions. that I can go into if anyone is interested but otherwise just, the category works this is also the cabling they grab/hold passengers with GI cabling is exactly what it says on the tin, and equivalent to having a bunch of very aggressive intestines Reproductive cabling, they've got 6 of:

and these are lined with little villi-like structures that core buds get pushed into. and if fertilized, they become eggs, and Organoids can have massive clutches. Most of the other "critter" Zoids share these three types of internal features in some way. they're often utilized in different ways too, eg:

k? k.

Here is a better set of illustrations about organoids' cabling structural cabling is what they use for a variety of basic internal functions. that I can go into if anyone is interested but otherwise just, the category works this is also the cabling they grab/hold passengers with GI cabling is exactly what it says on the tin, and equivalent to having a bunch of very aggressive intestines Reproductive cabling, they've got 6 of:

and these are lined with little villi-like structures that core buds get pushed into. and if fertilized, they become eggs, and Organoids can have massive clutches. Most of the other "critter" Zoids share these three types of internal features in some way. they're often utilized in different ways too, eg:

k? k.

some projects are getting Done, I can actually Draw Picshur again occasionally, hooray

Hello, back with more disturbing, fucked up Zi biology facts re: Organoids. I'M SURE EVERYONE IS VERY EXCITED (or running away, idk) It always has bothered me I didn't have a solid behavioral bead on how Organoids went from hunting Zoids to teleporting/fusing with cores. Apparently my brain has been thinking about it on some secret extra backburner because I just thought of this all suddenly the other day:

Zoids in general have something like this as a "nervous system" of sorts as relates to their cores. wild and zoidian zoids were more organic-ish while modern zoids' are basically purpose-built

this is sort of how the conduit stuff grows (top) vs is is "populated" (bottom), but the end result is basically the same. You have a core "nerve" suspended in matter in a tube. this blueprint of internal conduit is true for all Zoids, including, Organoids. Except with Organoids the concept just went utterly batshit. so while a huge amount of Organoids' evolutionbeing so conduit-heavy had to do with reproduction (re: adding a whole new step to encase core buds in protective eggs) it also had to do with a heavily-utilised feeding strategy. As I've talked about before, Organoid colonies are hypersocial - they maintain individuality but are all attached to their colony's hivemind. This made them really distressing predators - because while they were smaller than much of the Zoid megafauna they hunted, they did so in groups ranging from a pack to a swarm. One that could perfectly coordinate at all times.

If you're familiar with how wild dogs/hyenas/etc tend to go after their prey you might see where this is headed. I'd post a picture but that'd be kinda rude on random folks' timelines, so if you really don't know google youtube videos of african wild dogs killing large herbivores. basically pack carnivores usually go for weak points like orifices to start ripping into things. which works great when the whole prey is made of food... but Zoids are encased in a lot of armor and the best parts are very difficult to get to. which would actually lead to extremely protracted and dangerous hunts because it takes so long to destroy enough of the Zoid to actually immobilize it

SO the genesis of the whole fusion concept actually lies in the strategy Organoids as a species tried to solve this with - attacks that could directly target the core. Basically a swarm of Organoids overwhelming something, chewing holes in it to access the "conduit" - then, while the Zoid is being overwhelmed by a bunch of Organoids still attacking it, a number of them cling on and shove their own, much smaller cablings up through these 'conduit veins', damaging things and eventually getting access to the core chamber. refresher from my organoid anatomy bullshit - there's three types of this cabling:

one of these is GI - these type usually connect to the craw/stomach but they don't have to (I realized in writing this last night/today that there's some function "rules"/descriptions for these cables I've never articulated, but I've had those in mind for a long time, I'll write them down sometime soon I guess) but re: everything above, In what's basically a starfish move Organoids shove their own fucking guts up directly into a Core to start feeding on it. It's very miniscule individually, but multiplied it'll rapidly damage and collapse the Zoid's core, stopping (and killing) the prey for Everyone

When Organoids became more benign, and Zoids weren't hostile to their presence, they found they could accomplish this same basic thing individually without, yanno, all the Horrifying and Death, so. everyone was happier the end

thanks for coming to my fucked up ted talk. that's why you follow this blog right? lmao

the most high-effort shitpost ever, posted here without context. because why not. Brought to you by @impassive-aggressive

Ooh, nice cockpit glaze on that Fox + unhinged passengers closeup. Also, that lighting & angle augments the living hell out of the Genos' fear factor (it usually takes those extreme closeups of the anime Death Saurers' jaws to hit my 'slightly wigged' button).

Thank you! And 'tis actually the Blade Liger's cockpit! Know I smashed FX all over the pic, but these are the underlying lines:

I'm learning blender and will probably make some cockpits in there or in SketchUp because holy shit I hate drawing them, but want to have images with them more. (the scale is very Bad here also, but by the time I discerned this I was all nahhhhh. some of these I just draw to think out loud about a scene, so they don't get fretted over that much) Fox has only one seat and I'd prob draw such a shot closer w/it, because its visor is solid. Also Fox is now kind of a scared baby that is going to hesitate to go outside. it's very Death out there. Glad you liked the Genos tho @_@ I am so excited for them to get to be properly horrifying I was actually specifically thinking of them making the growling noises the Saurer did in this scene:

hooray~

Horrid, horrid thought: think Elephanders have a condition akin to musth?

Oh hell no, hahaha. In ye olde ancient times, herd-based Zoids with recognizably-patterned behavior probably had a rutting season/similar. So probably some ancient ancestor of the Elephander's genetic line did, but man-made Zoids have lost the majority of their instinct/behavioral/physiological drives.