original skin by mango_andfrienfs on instagram, edited by me, all other art/ocs are by me unless otherwise specified
rubedo
bio
is alright being called anything, but prefers they.
lives exclusively in the nether.
note: aging is inconsistent and non-linear. has been 20 for several years.
species info
shroomlights are a parasitic species of fungus. their existence is predicated on a host.
life cycle
shroomlight spores float through the air and attach to crimson or warped hyphae. over time, they will leech nutrients from the tree while providing illumination for it, until they grow large enough to fall to the ground.
in this immobile state, they will attract sick or dying prey with their glow,1 and grow over them. this allows the fungus to take control of the nervous system of the prey, and become mobile.
in this "feeding" stage, the light will briefly take on the behavior and mannerisms of the prey,2 as the meat of the prey is digested. shroomlights are carnivorous, though they can eat plants if they choose to. this stage continues until the animal is completely covered with fungal growth, and the original body is digested.
in the final stage, the shroomlight is fully self sufficent, and needs only to feed on meat to survive. in proper conditions, it will begin to passively release spores and begin the cycle anew.
______
1 it is said that a shroomlight during its formless phase emits special wavelengths of light which may attract living beings towards them. quickly after gaining a form, most lose the ability to emit this wavelength.
2 should the absorbed form be a social creature, such as a piglin or strider, other members of the herd will naturally avoid the infected.
behavior
the behavior and intelligence of a shroomlight depends vastly on the form it takes. most are limited by the original level of intelligence that their host had. however, there are some universal traits observed across all specimen.
spores — all healthy functioning shroomlights passively release spores. the amounts generated and duration of this release is correlated with heatrise season, and over all health of the specimen.
carnivorous tendencies — all shroomlights, regardless of host, subsist entirely on meat. though they may consume plant matter, there has been no documented case of an omnivorous shroomlight.
regeneration — shroomlights are known for their self regenerative qualities. in the event of injury, such as losing an arm, the shroomlight will regrow it over time if given ample rest and food.
hibernation — all shroomlights hibernate for a brief period of 1-3 weeks during heatfall season. they will enter an immobile and inactive state, typically residing in or near the branches of empty hyphae.
history
yeah i'd probably die. also i have like a ton of free netherrack if you ever want some. i know dougal needed a lot too though
Ooo
Wardens? I can handle. Hoglins? They can piss off
well you can get rid of em easy
huh that's smart!
well i don't exactly have fire aspect
oh uh, i think i can help with that!
oh i'm not interested in taking on more work right now
but i appreciate it
fair enough
i've had way too many people offer to get me things haha
i'm gonna go get materials, i'm thinking up something for the tunnel ahead
oh uh! i was gonna ask!
yea?
i know you said you weren't interested in more work. but... i'm trying to plan a gift exchange thing?
where everyone draws someone's name at random, and gives that person gifts, and i think it'll be really fun once i get everything planned and
uh
Oooo
would you be interested in joining the pool?
oh um sure! i dunno what i'd be able to offer but it'd try my best
i wouldn't be able to. attend wherever it is in the overworld though
you could offer fungus on a stick and i would be excited
oh it'll just be on it's own pace, so either i or your gift giver will deliver it down here!
oohhhh okay
so uh, i just need to jot down a relative location as address, and maybe get some ideas from you... like, something you always find yourself needing, something you always want but can't justify getting yourself, et cetera!
oh yeah um. i live in that pod over there
oh and also your favorite color for uh, gift wrapping purposes, heh
oh right! okay!
favorite color? blue. it's a great color
it is!!
I may be biased but it is very nice
but yeah i live in that big thing over there that looks like me. don't try going in it, it might. eat you ? i'm unsure.
OH! that's what that is!
yeah that's me!
neat!
right, uh! figure i should leave you to this. thanks for your time!! and uh, i'd love to hang out more, if you want!
ah yeah thanks!! excited for the gift thing
:D
um. sorry i'm not much for conversation, i guess being in here does that to someone lol
well that's why i started this in the first place, heh!
well you have great intentions. just be careful
some people think of that as weakness
...right, i'll uh, keep that in mind
uh, nosk. you said you had someplace we could go?
Oh, right! Yes! I will go there and show! It is a long way from spawn, though.
oh, okay!
Take care, v!
see you around!
yeah, stay safe v! ^_^
oh wait um, actually
?
my name's vos
oh!
yeah
um
bye
okay!
Ooooohhh cool cool! Glad I learned it now
oh hi
heya! i uh. have nothing better to do. heh
ohhh uh yeah that makes sense
i'm sure there's more fun things to do out there than here
well i still CHOSE to come down here, yeah?
right
why ?
because i think spending time with you is fun
with me?
ummm
yeah, is that a crime? heh
well no
if you. insist?
did you want something?
do you, uh. not want me down here?
oh no no
no everyone's welcome down here, i just
no you're good
yeah you're fine
okay! cool!
me?????
you want to spend time with me, specifically?
yeah, you!
but um. you hardly know me. and i hardly know you
i just uh, like your energy i guess!
myy energy?
like my vibe?
uh. yeah! i think!
oh. um. well
where are you from then?
oh! like, my current home or like, ~existentially~
ermm. whatever you feel comfortable answering?
well! i currently live with jaladri, by the apothecary. basically right across from the main nether portal
oh really? wow, i know jaladri
oh wow! small world!
yeah, we share a place!
that's crazy, i had just spoken with them not too long ago
you must be in great health lol
oh, physical health is great. mentally, ehh, we're getting there, heh!
right, jaladri's more of a regular doctor than a therapist. i remember that
oh right i had been meaning to ask them, but i guess since you live with them you'd know too
how's the machine thing going? jaladri mentioned something about alchemy?
oh, right! i've heard of this!
though uh... it's actually kept somewhere in their apothecary, and i've never been able to find it myself, heh...
but it sounds like it's going well!
i guess that makes sense...
i'm glad to hear it! i'm sure it's not just me who needs something from them haha
so um. you live with a doctor, do you do anything fun for a living?
oh! uh! i've been working on a dye shop!
oh really? that sounds like a lot of fun
and uh, once it's ready, i'll have a nether mall spot for it too!!
oohh i was gonna ask.. i may be needing some dyes in the future if i ever wanna do fun things like banners
though i'd wanna keep the theme mostly to nether blocks, for obvious reasons
oh, don't worry, i do custom loom orders and everything— or at least i will, heh
so i mean i guess that answers the question of where you're from right now
have you always lived there?
...still trying to figure that bit out
but! i think i have a lead
there's uh, these old ruins, i found on my way to get flowers for dyes the first time
oh?
and it feels... familiar? like... i belonged there, once.
maybe you used to live there. amnesia's like super common, i'm sure yours will be resolved sooner rather than later
though that does suck
i'm hoping it'll be resolved soon, yeah...
but it's... weird. i keep getting bits and pieces, but never the full picture
i wouldn't expect to suddenly uncover something and have it all return to you. usually never works like that
like with the endermen— or with these white horses around a ruined portal
no real memories, just... attraction
are you from the end? you've got the thing with eye contact
no uh, it's the opposite
the opposite?
endermen... freak me out. WAY more than anyone else gets scared by them
ohhhh. huh. i mean it sort of makes sense
you won't find any in the nearby area if you're worried about this place. why wear that pumpkin here?
i... don't know
it just seemed standard in my nether kit, same as gold armor
maybe one too many bad experiences in a warped forest?
i guess that also makes sense. those aren't fun places to be if you can't keep your eyes to yourself
not that you aren't doing that!
just
yeah
but you're right, there's none near here...
well, i have an.. acquaintance, that's got some ender heritage. he doesn't do well with eye contact, but he has no trouble looking at me
probably the lack of facial features
huh!
yeah, so i'm at least safe to look at. you're probably just scared of eye contact
it could just be trauma yknow
yeah, maybe...
but... it would've been from something before
memory loss is common with trauma
though usually not to your extent
because i've felt like this even before getting attacked by one, at least as far as i know
well that's the fun part! you don't remember so you can't know for sure
it really does sound awful. i'm sorry
heh, well, you uh... learn to live with it, i guess?
i wouldn't know
but i like to think that anyone can live with any sort of pain and still be happy
yeah!
no offense, but this place badly needs a therapist in addition to a doctor
heh!
i uh, wish i was beter with stuff like that
i'd say milora maybe, but maaybe i'm biased, heh
i haven't met her before
i think we're all a little too messed up to really fill that role properly
i don't think you gotta be a perfect person to try and help others
well uh, i'm trying to help in my own way, yknow?
just... talking with people
right
i'd be careful you know
what if you talk to the wrong person, and they turn out dangerous?
you keep saying that, it makes me think you're speaking from experience, heh
.. i thought we were talking about you here
sorry, i don't mean to be rude
no it's really no problem!
just... when i was REALLY struggling, it was talking to people that put me on the track to getting better, you know? and isolation only made things worse
it's why i'm down here in the first place, is i don't want ANYONE to be stuck in that same isolation
well i'm glad you're doing better now, you deserve to be happy
and if i get hurt, then i get hurt! i'd rather give people the chance than assume someone's dangerous
because if someone assumed the same of me then... who knows where i'd be?
.. how old are you?
i ah... don't know, heh
old enough, i guess
i don't mean to offend, but you speak like someone who's new to. well. life
i mean i've only been 20 for a couple years so it's not like i'm old or anything
well!!!
it's not a bad thing
don't get me wrong
i'm not new to life, but kinda new to... Living? if that makes any sense??
yeah i think that makes more sense. especially with the whole memory loss
well and like
i "woke up" with nothing but an angel's feather
ohhhhh that thing
no name, so everyone just called me stranger
yeah that one loves nicknames.
here's mine. i always keep it on me
no friends other than melody, so i tried to follow what i thought she wanted
she didn't actually want anything... i was just spiraling, you know? in my own head
ohhhhhh
i was alive, yeah, but i was... basically not present, not really
yeah... attaching yourself to another person like that can be awful when you don't have your own sense of self
yeah, exactly
i mean
i haven't personally interacted with those angels much. but
i wouldn't stick too closely with them
so now i'm just! taking it one day at a time. trying to figure out this whole "having a sense of self" thing
sounds like a good plan. you've got good people in your life
yeah!!
i wouldn't want to ruin that
so... maybe that makes me naive. maybe that means i'm already messing things up, again
but so what?
we fail so we can improve, yeah?
um.. i guess, yeah
some things aren't forgivable i think. but you're not one of them
i didn't forgive myself for a while!
eh?? what would you have to be guilty over?
i think there's still some people that think my whole "failed ritual" is something i can never come back from
oh come on, really?
i mean i wasn't there but like, you're clearly not an awful person. you said it yourself, you were isolated and struggling
but that doesn't erase the things i did, you know?
i'm. trying to take accountability.
but it explains your actions. you know in your heart that you're good
am i you trying to atone, or whatever? haha
i'm just saying, imagine if you didn't know me now
ok, i'm imagining
some stranger comes along
uh huh
takes what they want, when they want
...
all to build some weird ritual that mocks someone who died doing the same thing
you'd think they sucked!
i mean, a bit yeah. but i don't think being rude is the end of the world
you never did anything irreversible
but i could have! you know?
okay? and you didn't
i ended up hurting a lot of people with that
you could have, but you never ended up doing it. because you're a good person. and you're trying to turn things around now
well you couldn't have known that then
you're making a lot of "what if" statements for something that's already passed
milora had to take a chance on me
what if you had gone through with it? what if you hadn't realized? what if the world were made of pudding?
so did jaladri
yeah. because you deserve a second chance
and the only reason i'm good now is because of that second chance!
so... thats what this is
huh?
giving chances to those that never wouldve had one
talking to even the most isolated
trying to make sure everyone knows there's someone looking out for em
that's. very kind of you
but you know some people aren't like you. a lot aren't
i'll never know if i don't try
well i'd have to wish you luck with whoever else you try this with
but i'm here for a reason. i'm sure jaladri's a good doctor. doesn't talk about about patient things with others. but i'll tell you the same thing i told them.
i deserve to be here, like this
...why?
well,
um
.. aren't we still talking about you?
come on, i just gave you my whole life's story, you know i'm not gonna judge!
i find that hard to believe. no offense. nothing to do with you
besides, your life is pretty easy to explain when you've got a whole chunk of it missing haha
i... you can tust me, vos.
i promise.
don't make promises you can't keep, powder.
i'm making the promise for a reason, aren't i?
i guess, yeah
what would you have done
if you had actually hurt people. really badly. and done even more awful things, during that ritual thing.
well, since i recognized what had happened, you know
try to make up for it in some way
what if you couldn't?
do what i can to try and ease the suffering i caused
no matter how small
i mean it's easy for you to say that
and if that's not an option... then... there's no real use dwelling on it.
i...
yeah, i dunno. maybe
what if there was a chance it could happen again though?
if you can't help those you hurt, then making yourself feel bad isn't gonna help em either
and since you know what you did wrong... then you could stop it from happening again, right? or try to?
you sure you aren't ready to be a therapist?
kidding.
i dunno
can you do me a favor powder?
yeah?
can you go through the portal over there
and tell me if it's raining?
uh. yeah. okay
uh. yeah, it is.
why?
oh
um
can i see it?
...i think so, yeah
here
take this
kill me if i try anything
okay?
oh i have my own dagger, heh
much more efficient. painless
hopefully painless
it's alright
i'm scared. a little
it's gonna be okay. i'm right here.
i'm not scared for myself.
oh
hah! thought you didn't like the cold?
it's nice...
the sky's really dark. and open
don't you find that scary?
oh yeah, compared to the nether it's leagues different
i uh. i think i find NOT open more scary
i think i should head back
whew
um
thanks
yeah! no problem!
you aren't a bad person, powder. don't forget that
and i hope you know that, no matter what happened, i don't think you are either
everyone deserves a second chance, right?
good night, powder.
