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lets-try-some-writing · 4 months

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I evedently forgot how to draw using the pad, so have this terrible sketch instead for now.

anyway lore:

I imagine the blood mold would have five growth stages.

dormant spore. Its just a small dark red growth, looking vaguley like a seastar with too many arms. its very unoticeble in this stage and only syphons a minimal amount of energy from its host.

young mould. It progresses to this stage if its either attached to a optimal host species or a dormant spore attached to a suboptimal host species detects its host being invaded by another parasite. It gains basic sentience during this stage and acts agressivley towards any potential treats.

adolecent growth. As it grows it splits into many interconected pieces, each having its own set of eyes and operating on a kind of hivemind if disconected from the original pice. at this stage it tends to focus on the habits and behaviors of its host species, adapting as well as it can to its host body structure and abilitys, integrading as smoothly as possible. If attached to a more inteligend species, it tends to get sassy at this point, it also starts picking up on its hosts emotions, wich can overwhelm it at times.

adult colonie. A large growth fully encompassing the space provided by the host species, this is generally as big as it can get if attached to a suboptimal host. It has now fully adapted to its hosts body and can make the best use of it when it comes to defending itself. it syphons as much energy from its host as it is able to do without causing harm, as well as begining to use photo- and chemosynthesis to produce and store extra energie wherever it can, both to sustain itself and its host if nesessary. it mellows out quite abit at this stage, leaving more of the general movement and activities up to its host, as well as exhibiting some of their personallity trates.

Mother colonie. A large colonie grown beond what its host can support. At this point the blood mold gives up its own live in favor of turning into a ticking time bomb, any energie stored is used to produce as many spores as possible before the mother colonie bursts, hurteling its contents into the atmosphere. if sutible hosts are nearby small pieces of the mother colonie may latch onto them and persist. it can not reach this stage if attached to a suboptimal host species.

I imagine it originating from a mostly organic planet and having adapted to infect cybernetic species later on, leaving cybertronians like ratchet as the aformentioned suboptimal host species.

It would adapt to the cybertronian ability to transform by ceperating the outer armor from the internals, leaving the mold as the only conection point, and creating a cell type that can harden on command. this would not inhibit the cybertronians ability to transform, but would allow the blood mold to open up the armor and expand in size along the transformation seams, protecting any newly exposes inner circutry with a thick layer of hardened gel, while streching out the limps and creating more spaces to observe and lash out from. its very sturdy like this and can use its stored energy to rapidly regrow lost tissue.

I think it would most likley remain compliant with optimus up until it reaches the adult colonie stage, at wich point it would pick up on ratchets personallity and become defiant. it now packs enough of a punch to hold its own against optimus and bumblebee, provided it has stored enough energie to shrug off any damage dealt to it.

Though i could also see it get hit with ratchets fear and worrie during the adolecent growth stage and decide that optimus is too much of a threat to remain around, instead taking its chances at fighting the smaller bumblebee after making a run for it.

i could also see it forefitting its control over ratchet entirely, in favor of hiding so its host could be accepted by a more protective force such as megatron and his army. this has great angst potential when sooner or later somebody finds out.

i also love the way you made it speak. it would absolutley only comunicate in broken statements and incomplete scentences. also alot of hissing in displeasure. it would be completley apathetic to anything that doesnt concern its host or the rival parasite species. but it would absolutley try to compfort ratchet once it can sense his emotions, stress isn´t good for its host after all.

thats all i got for now, enjoy! :3

This is FABULOUS lore. I will apply this in your request friend :)

I love the idea of the blood mold as a whole. I have a thousand and one ways this could be incorporated into the Pretender au. Such a fun concept, especially when pitted against its arguably more successful counterparts.

#transformers #maccadam #transformers prime #ratchet #moldy ratchet au #pretender au #world building

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lets-try-some-writing · 4 months

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the scenario with the blood mold, but from ratchets perspectice please! :3

I am adjusting your request just a little bit, but I hope you like it :)

━━━━━━ ⊙ ❖ ⊙ ━━━━━━━━━━━━ ⊙ ❖ ⊙

It did not know exactly when the world became real. One moment it was in the warmth of some sort of fluid, and then the next thing it knew, it was dragged from its chamber and pinned down. Instinctual knowledge came to the forefront of its mind as a Cybertronian specimen held it in place, its singular optic observing it. From what it knew, Cybertronians were varied but usually had at least two optics. This one was unusual.

“This specimen is defective.” A chilled voice echoed in the space, and while it struggled to comprehend the words, it knew enough to understand that it was in danger as it was taken from its bindings.

It tried to squirm and use its underdeveloped body to flail as the Cybertronian with one optic carried it away from the lights which blared above. Its eyes frantically scanned the area as it searched for an escape. But it was a worthless endeavor. The mech with one optic opened some sort of container, and before it could so much as attack, it was shoved into the dark space and sent tumbling into the gloom. Its fleshy form absorbed most of the damage, but it still ached as it landed. Its various limbs spasmed as it observed its situation and came to a stark conclusion.

It needed a host or it was going to die. Compared to the giants made of metal, its soft body would fail to protect it from even the most simple of foes. This it knew instinctively just as it knew that given enough time, it could eventually withstand the might of the superior species on this world.

And so it crawled, its many eyes directing it toward the only light in its environment. The area was littered with what it could only assume were failed organisms. There were some made of metal, and others that mimicked it too closely to be comfortable. The Cybertronian with one optic was spawning at an incredible rate, and seemingly with limited success. It assumed it was one of the discarded offspring considering it was down in the dark with the corpses of its… siblings? It was unsure what to label them as.

Eventually, as hunger began to grow within it, light at last basked its small form. It was running out of time before its stores of nutrients ran out. It needed a host, and it needed one soon. As such it did not waste time as it pulled itself up through some sort of shaft leading to the surface. And even as its limbs ached and its eyes burned from the shift in light, it continued on and dragged itself across the ground in a desperate search for something to fuel it.

It was unsure how long it crawled, but eventually it found something it could use. A healthy Cybertronian was sprawled out on the ground, seemingly exhausted from perhaps running. It was weak, vulnerable, and the perfect host. The Cybertronian was panting, its vents flared wide and heat escaping it at a worrying rate. The vents would be dangerous, but it had confidence that it could endure.

“What-?” The Cybertronian gasped as it seeped into the exhausted mech’s vents. But the mech was obviously too weak to fight back as all it did was groan in pain as it moved deeper into its host. Integration was swift as instinct took control of its form. Its body stretched and it began to connect with cables and fuel lines, its hunger being sated as it continued its rapid growth. This was right, this was how things were meant to go. A proper host for it to inhabit.

All was right, until it moved toward its host’s processors.

There was something else within its host. A squirming thing which spread roots much like its own. It hissed, it screamed. How dare this creature inhabit its host. It could already sense that the worm intended to kill their shared host. The spawn of some other being was going to devour the one fueling them. It could not allow that.

The worm was weak, and while it did lash out and attempt to kill their shared host if only to make them both suffer, the worm’s efforts were useless. It was quick to slaughter the invader and devour it to ensure its dear host did not suffer any side effects. From there, nothing impeded it. As it expanded, its host's knowledge filtered through it. The data was too much to absorb all at once, but it came to understand what it was and what the nearest dangers were.

It was an organic parasite, one which according to its host’s knowledge, was largely based upon mold. It was not fond of considering it’s origins. However it did note its coloration and structure. It would require a designation to give to the enemies that waited for it. According to its host, it was the color of organic energon.

What was the name? Ah, blood. That was its coloration. It was a blood colored mold. A rather self evident name, but it served well enough.

“Sire! I’ve found him!” The blood mold scrambled, quickly snapping to attention as it connected to its host’s optics. A yellow and black scout, one who its host told it was called Bumblebee, drew closer. The youngling approached and dragged its host before the blood mold could react.

“Bring him in. He must be examined. His EM signature is unusual.” The blood mold felt its newly formed feelers tuck closer to its host’s protoform as it recognized the voice and form of the far larger being that called out. The blood mold sifted through memories in a frenzy as it and its host were dragged into a structure and propped up against a wall.

It was then that the blood mold extended its new feelers and eyes to observe and promptly shrink back in fear at the being before it. Optimus Prime, it’s more successful counterpart. It could sense the touch of their shared creator all over its supposed sibling. The Prime reeked of the same basic organic structure that the blood mold was made of. And yet, it knew that their functions differed. This being was bound by a different goal.

It was kin, but it was also a threat. A threat that tried to consume its host.

The blood mold would not stand for it.

---------

“Sire, what has happened to Ratchet? Has he not become one of us?” Ratchet stirred groggily, his frame burning and his spark fluttering in terror in his chassis as he became more aware. The pretenders, they did something to him. Optimus put something in him-!

Tendrils warm like solvent crept along his protoform and Ratchet had the all encompassing urge to purge as something slithered within him. What in the Allspark did they do to him? This wasn’t like Orion’s symptoms, this wasn’t right.

“This one has adapted unorthodoxly.” Optimus stared down at Ratchet, or rather whatever it was that was snaking along his form. He refused to look, he didn’t want to look at the thing that caressed his protoform. This had to be a dream, a fragged up dream.

“I will repair it.” Fear spiked in Ratchet’s spark so sharply that he almost screamed as Optimus reached out for him, those too long and far too sharp digits creeping toward where his plating flared against his will. He felt coolant gather in his optics as he watched, time seeming to slow. He didn’t want to die like this.

“What in the Allspark-” Ratchet couldn’t help but murmur as the thing underneath his armor hissed at Optimus, several long red tentacles emerging from his frame to grasp at the air in what he could only assume was an attempt at being intimidating. It was swifter than Ratchet could properly track as its tentacles collided with the Prime’s face, prompting the pretender to frown but otherwise remain still. This wasn’t like the thing that took Orion or whatever Bumblebee was. This thing was new, and that terrified him.

“You can’t do that!” Bumblebee stepped forward, his frame coming undone like a bunch of coiled wire as he raged. Ratchet wished he could fall back into recharge and wake to find everything fine. He couldn’t handle this. How could he handle this?

“You must respect our Sire!” It didn’t matter who Bumblebee was talking to. Optimus leaning in too closely and Bumblebee’s entire face falling to pieces was enough to cause Ratchet’s vents to hitch. He could hardly draw fresh air into his systems, and it was only due to the thing that lived beneath his armor that his fans were forced to keep spinning.

“This can’t be real.” He all but pleaded for reality to rewrite itself, for this nightmare to end. Death by whatever was put into him was a brutal fate, but at least he knew what to expect. Living with this thing? This creature squirming underneath his armor… he wasn’t sure if it was better than dying or not.

“Larva, are you capable of communication?” Ratchet wanted to say something, anything to get out of the situation. But before he could so much as gasp, those writhing tendrils crept up his neck, digging past protective armor and into the components of his vocalizer. It ached, but it did not truly hurt. The thing, whatever it was, seemed to not want to harm him. Somehow that scared him more than the mindless larva that had been inserted into his optic a mere few groons earlier.

Then, the thing forced his vocalizer to activate, and it spoke.

“Affirmative.” His own voice rang out, cold and uncaring. Ratchet froze in terror, his mind blanking as the thing within him and the pretender Prime began to converse. Much of their conversation flew right over his helm as the thing within him wrapped around his protoform tighter, almost protectively. He wanted to rip it off, to remove the thing creeping along his most sensitive components.

Why couldn’t it have just been death by a larva that awaited him? At least he was familiar with that.

“You cannot flee. Megatron will not house you. Jazz has already left. And should you run, my pure spawn will hunt you down and end you both.” Bumblebee’s mandibles chattered and Ratchet wanted to purge. The only thing that stopped him were the tendrils buried into his neck forcing him to speak against his will.

“Do you understand?” Optimus leaned in close, his far too wide optics cycled in on Ratchet’s plating like a predator observing prey. Ratchet wanted to cry, but he could do nothing as the thing underneath his plating forced him to confirm what he dreaded most.

“Affirmative.” The thing replied with his voice before its tendrils retracted and it again settled tightly against Ratchet’s protoform. The moment the tendrils were removed from his vocalizer, he doubled over and purged what little energon was in his tanks. This was a nightmare. He refused to believe it was real even as the thing squirmed along his sides, forcing his vents open.

“Bumblebee, watch over him. In light of his defective nature, I must begin the conversion of another instead.” Bumblebee smiled as his disguise slipped back into place. Ratchet’s vision blurred as terror forced him to freeze. He could do nothing as Bumblebee grabbed him and dragged him somewhere in the facility.

All the while the thing within his armor squirmed, and a small voice sounded in his mind.

“Will protect you. Don’t worry. Will guard you from the kin.”

#transformers #maccadam #transformers prime #optimus prime #ratchet #bumblebee #alternate universe #pretender au #moldy ratchet au #fanfiction #enjoy friend

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