--- 2011/02/11(Fri)17:42 No. 280986 ID: 3e6377
File 12974749659.png - (302.72KB , 640x480 , c2-2.png )

~dark~

~stuck~

The shape a chaos creature is when it attains any form of limited awareness will define its shape for the rest of its life. Common shapes include serpentine, ball and hub-and-spoke structures. What shape should this new life possess?

>>280986
Cube shape.

>>280986
Ball!

>>280986
Tetrahedron.

Penrose Triangle

Tesseract.

>>280993
this, mostly

--- 2011/02/11(Fri)18:13 No. 280998 ID: 3e6377
File 129747682347.png - (333.83KB , 640x480 , c2-3.png )

The nameless chaos creature forms into a ball like shape.

~dark~

~stuck - scared~

>>280998
I'm to understand your first order of business (and also most of your orders of business from this point forward) should be to go get food.

>>281001
Dark sounds like a name to me!

>>280998
So, i guess your name is "Dark", if we follow the other que... i mean... the other chaos creature that we (The Thousandfold) helped.

OK, don't get scared, we are going to help you because... we just like helping. Try to move using those, if you are stuck, against what?

--- 2011/02/11(Fri)18:44 No. 281007 ID: 3e6377
File 129747866597.png - (261.63KB , 640x480 , c2-4.png )

~food~

~eat~

~free - safe?~

The chaos creature now known as Dark has managed to eat its way out of its parent's body.

>>281007
Eat mom as fast as you can, we need that DNAbiomatter.

>>281007
Continue to eat. Anything that you can get.

For now, eat. Size is power here.
This also means you should be prepared to flee anything larger than you until you can become less tasty.

If you find any siblings, fratricide is probably your only option.

Eat as much as possible. Watch out for cannibalistic siblings.

>>281007
You still need to eat more.

At your current size and level of lucidity you're not likely to be long for this world otherwise.

Dark 2011/02/12(Sat)18:08 No. 281160 ID: 3e6377
File 129756289386.png - (366.02KB , 640x480 , c2-5.png )

~eat - eat - eat~

~others - eat - eat~

~feel~

~feel bigger~

~feel... think~

Dark, like any chaos creature, can reshape its body, but such alterations are only temporary and will collapse when under stress or when injured. However, it now possesses enough awareness to develop a change so well that it need barely give any conscious thought towards keeping it formed. What new permanent feature should this tiny chaos creature manifest? It currently possesses no permanent features beyond its mouth, teeth and tongues.

More mouth, teeth, and tongues.

>>281161
Yes, upgrade mouth to level 2. More teeth and tongues!

Dark 2011/02/14(Mon)16:56 No. 281612 ID: 3e6377
File 129773136093.png - (436.43KB , 640x480 , c2-6.png )

Dark shifts its mouth to have additional teeth and tongues. Its current senses are limited general awareness of light levels and detection of fluctuations or disturbances in the flow of the Chaos.

~caught! can't free! stuck!~

-You did this to it! All of you! You killed Reason! You killed a far better chaos creature than anything you'll ever become! I'll rip you to pieces like you did to Reason!-

~can't get free - hear noise - don't understand~

>>281612
Okay that thing is huge. You definitely can't fight it, and I'm thinking your odds of escaping it aren't very good either because it can probably move faster than you possibly could without much effort. It's probably going to tear apart and/or eat all of the creatures that have been born of the one you have...

I am half-tempted to say to get its attention and try to get it to feel sorry for you... it seems to be rather different from the more self-interested creatures, and it seems like it'd be better to try your luck that way rather than getting hunted down and eaten.

Don't move. Stop eating. Try to respond in some way... Manifest a temporary feature (or two?) that will allow you to communicate and understand.

Dark 2011/02/17(Thu)16:10 No. 282131 ID: 3e6377
File 129798785920.png - (359.21KB , 640x480 , c2-7.png )

Dark attempts to understand the larger chaos creature, but lacks the presence of mind to do so. It stops eating. The larger chaos creature moves Dark towards its mouth.

-All of you mindless little things. You're nothing. Nothing! You don't even understand anything I'm saying, do you?! You can all go die in the Chaos! Go on, eat each other! That's all we do, isn't it?!-

The larger creature lets go of the one identified as Reason and moves away, still holding onto Dark. It does not appear that it is aware it is still holding onto Dark.

~stuck - scared - eat free eat free~

Nor does it outwardly appear to notice or react to the effects of a tiny, tiny chaos creature nibbling away at it.

>>282131
Well, this is interesting.

I almost want to say to try to get the larger creature's attention, but... I don't know, just hang where you are for now.

>>282131
Burrow deep dark safe deeper inside

...hmm. I think we should stay with this new creature. It will probably survive our nibbling, and may even notice us *after* it's calmed down.

Try to spread out the nibbling over the surface. Do not venture inside it.

Dark 2011/02/17(Thu)16:57 No. 282138 ID: 3e6377
File 129799067299.png - (504.54KB , 640x480 , c2-8.png )

Dark continues nibbling at the larger chaos creature, and manages to get enough body mass to consider an additional permanent feature. Current permanent features: - Stronger Jaws The larger chaos creature notices Dark and forcibly removes it.

-You! You're one of the things that killed Reason!-

~noise - words? - can't know - what is words - almost know~

Something to let you talk or understand words.

>>282138
Imitation! Make noises! Reason! Reason!

>>282141
...

Yes.

Reason.

Permanent feature: grabby things all over Dark's shell.

>>282138
Dark: Suddenly know how to speak

Dark !TEEDashxDA 2011/02/20(Sun)22:06 No. 283041 ID: d677cc
File 129826841817.png - (378.94KB , 640x480 , c2-9.png )

Dark gains Improved Communication. At this early stage in its life, this merely grants it the ability to talk earlier than it should, but later in life this early focus will grant it a greater advantage in attempting to sway potential allies and deter threats willing to stop and listen.

-no hurt-

-...you can communicate? But you're tiny. You're tiny! You shouldn't even be able to wrap your tiny little consciousness around anything I'm saying!-

-i tiny-

-Yes, you are. Too small to be of any benefit to me if I ate you, too big for me to just ignore you. What do I even do here?! Reason would know what to do but it's dead now! And it's... probably not just your fault, you're more of an effect than a cause, but... it's not fair!-

-not fair-

-Yes, not fair. You probably don't even know what that means, do you. What do you know? ...what do you want to know?-

>>283041
Who was Reason? Why did Reason die?

>>283043
Reason was our mother/father. She died because nobody has invented the vagina yet.

Why not fair?

How make fair?

>>283041
>>282142
...
Huh.

>>283096
Cirr spent all day on a Resonance update and only had this one written when he noticed it was like 3 AM local time so I volunteered to draw him an update. I didn't write it.

>>283100
I can vouch for this. Updates will resume as normal hopefully from this point on.

>>283041
"i know fear? I know you? i from you? i from reason?"

Dark 2011/02/21(Mon)15:48 No. 283194 ID: 3e6377
File 129833209937.png - (454.90KB , 640x480 , c2-10.png )

-who reason-

-Reason? Reason is- was my closest ally and most treasured friend until it died moments ago. You're one of its offspring. I'd question your lack of preservation not fleeing from me, but I guess you're a little different to most newly emerged chaos creatures. You're also the only surviving part of Reason I have left to talk to. It's going to be a while before you're much of a good conversationalist, I imagine.-

-why die-

-Because you and all your siblings came into being, or, well, Reason became all of you, or whatever happened- it's difficult to explain, okay? You'll understand when you're a little bigger.-

-how fair-

-What do you mean?-

-make fair-

-You want to make things fair? That's... significantly more advanced a concept than I'd have thought you could process. You're like nothing I've ever encountered. I want to see how you develop. Let's go get you some food. Hold on.-

-hold on-

Dark holds on tightly to the chaos creature as it soars away.

Dark 2011/02/21(Mon)15:48 No. 283196 ID: 3e6377
File 12983321151.png - (562.00KB , 640x480 , c2-10b.png )

Seemingly effortlessly, the unnamed chaos creature spirals around a smaller chaos creature and grabs it, its finlike protrusions cutting into the smaller creature's body. Streams of fluid trail out of it.

-don't kill me i'm not useful to you you are too big to gain any benefit from eating me please let me go-

With another finlike protrusion, it places Dark onto the head of the smaller creature, and keeps it restrained. It seems to be waiting.

>>283196
...

-not fair-

>>283196

End the cycle of killing. Become a different representation of an emotion, a more peaceful, non-killy emotion.

>>283197
More broadly, it's not really fair for this creature to take down something that big just so that you can eat it. I know it's interested in talking to you on a higher level as soon as possible because it desperately misses its late friend, but fairness is basically the only abstract concept you've wrapped your head around this far and it won't do to let go of it.

Of course, you might be able to get something out of the fluid it's already lost. But killing it would certainly not be fair.

>>283201
Oh, and, uh, see if you can ask your much larger friend here what you can call it.

... Miiiight be hard with two word sentences, but you should at least try.

Feed without killing.

Go to one of its wounds and drink the fluids that are leaking out without disrupting the creature's form too much, after all we don't want to kill it or leave it in a state where it is too weak to stay alive.

Dark 2011/02/22(Tue)12:59 No. 283399 ID: 3e6377
File 129840838717.png - (573.14KB , 640x480 , c2-11.png )

-not fair-

-...Life isn't fair, little thing. Eat and grow, or don't and stagnate.-
-please let me go please please i want to live i want to live until i die and reproduce i want to live on as shards and fragments even though i'm gone i'll still be alive just scattered please you haven't eaten me yet i know you will listen to reason please i'm sorry i'm sorry-
-Be quiet! I am tempted to devour you just to make the noise stop! Okay, you don't have to kill this one, little thing. You can feed from it without killing it. I'll remove you when you reach a point where further feeding would severely harm it.-

-no kill-

-Yes.-
-if you let me go and let me live i'll let you do what you want please don't hurt me-
-Stop struggling. Oh, and you can call me Curiosity. I'll call you little thing until you're big enough to have a sense of identity.-

Dark begins feeding on the captive chaos creature. It wriggles in protest as Dark leeches it of negligible amounts of body matter, but does not appear to be otherwise adversely affected. It will shortly be able to manifest another permanent feature.

>>283399
EYES

WE NEED EYES

Bristle with grasping tentacles.

>>283400
Sure, let's go with this.

Eyes with which to behold this dark world. A dark world we could work to make a bit brighter, perhaps?

What about sonar/radar? Then we can ping the universe.

A top-hat-shaped appendage, so we can be fancy.

>>283476
This is brilliant and I am changing my vote.

>>283476
As a submarine fan, this!

Dark 2011/02/28(Mon)16:15 No. 285132 ID: 3e6377
File 129893854053.png - (146.22KB , 640x480 , c2-12.png )

Dark currently senses the world through passive sensing of vibrations and fluctuations in the Chaos, and has limited awareness of the ambient light around it. It forms active sonar and its perception of its environment dramatically changes. Its awareness of the existence of light and dark seems to matter less.

-There. Go.-
-thank you thank you i will leave you alone-

-So... have a sense of identity yet, little thing?-
-my identity is dark-
-Dark? That seems... relatively primitive a concept to latch onto.-
-i can sense in the dark around me - i don't fear it-
-...you could make eyes, little thing. It's not very difficult. Do you want advice?-
-no eyes - everything feels clearer-
-You are such a strange creature. I am glad I didn't eat or harm you. You are a fascinating new perspective. We can learn from each other! I don't know what to teach you, though. I've only taught Reason things before. Is there anything you want to know?-

You're a weird-lookin' little thing, you know that?

Um, hm. Ask what Reason was like?

What are other people like?

How do people keep eating and not stop? Where does the extra energy come from?

Are those things behind me going to mess us up majorly?

-Why am I hungry-

You should see inside others, you can learn to help them stop loosing liduid. Sew wounds shut with your tongues and detach them and regrow them.
It's not much biomass lost.

Be the first doctor.

Sage to avoid bumping.

>>287845
>Be the first doctor.
[insert Doctor Who reference here]

Dark 2011/03/24(Thu)12:16 No. 290520 ID: 3e6377
File 130099417131.png - (152.61KB , 640x480 , c2-13.png )

-what was reason like-
-Reason is an amazing individual- was. Reason was an amazing individual. It was kind to a fault. It never sought to attack anything that did not intend our destruction, and we discussed so many things with each other, like how there were patterns to the flowing of chaos, and... and I don't want to discuss Reason any more. It's reminding me of what just happened.-
-what are others like-
-Mostly cruel and vicious, but we have to eat each other to grow, and if we don't grow, we die. Compassion is difficult to maintain when we have to eat things that aren't so different from us ourselves. Reason would only eat anything if it attacked first, and still gave each creature a chance to flee. I don't. I eat anything that attacks me and prevent it from being a threat in the future.-
-why are we hungry - why do we have to grow-
-If we don't, the chaos whittles at us slowly. We can survive on the fluid, but creatures who do just that wither away until their husks fragment.-

Dark 2011/03/24(Thu)12:16 No. 290521 ID: 3e6377
File 130099418326.png - (216.40KB , 640x480 , c2-14.png )

-where does the fluid come from-
-It comes from outside.-
-outside-
-There are holes sometimes, to outside, and things fall out of them. They become fluid after a while.-
-are the things behind us a threat-
-...what things?-

Dark senses a sudden rush of movement around the area.

>>290521
Investigate.

>>290521
They've surrounded us. Don't think in 2d! Go up! Curiosity can determine if we should stay and fight, but I'm guessing that a swarm like that should be run from.

Ask Curiosity if you should flee.

Dark 2012/04/07(Sat)19:42 No. 399320 ID: f2c010
File 133385292438.png - (107.61KB , 640x480 , c2-15.png )

-many others- -we need to go-
-I don't see many others. Are you sure?-
-we need to run-
-You do not need to fear, small thing. If there was a threat, I would notice it--

Dark senses extremely high velocity next to it, knocking it back through the fluid chaos. It senses that the cause of the wave is currently impaling Curiosity. More waves of force push Dark back as more entities pierce Curiosity, hurling themselves as weapons. Curiosity does not articulate anything further as it is torn to pieces by the creatures burrowing through its body. They do not display any awareness of Dark's existence. They begin to devour Curiosity from the inside.

You seem to be too small to be worth eating. You should try to eat some of what's left of Curiosity. You need to eat anyway, and I think we should try to dignify the memory of the closest thing to a friend you have by refusing to let its killers eat all that it was.

>>399320
Stay here and wait, and hope for scraps. They are ignoring you, because you are too small. You either look like nothing at all to them, or you look like a non-threat and non-meal.

We can't let Curiosity go! Think of all it's done for us!
We've got to save him/it somehow! What do we do? we're totally outmatched, there's nothing we can do what can you do, Dark? What can you do think, think, use your head use your head eat his head EAT HIS HEAD, DARK.

EAT HIS HEAD AND ABSORB HIS MIND. WE SHALL BE ONE.

Be extremely cautious of any signs that the assailants notice you. If you're careful, you can get a good amount to eat without being attacked.

run like hell. these things are smell enough individually that one of them might decide to eat you.

Dark 2012/04/07(Sat)20:38 No. 399341 ID: f2c010
File 133385632005.png - (111.12KB , 640x480 , c2-16.png )

Dark watches the interlopers devour its friend.

-not fair-

Dark drifts closer to Curiosity's body. The predators do not pay it any attention. Dark begins to consume Curiosity's biomass. The other creatures eventually leave as one, chasing after larger, more satisifying prey. Dark pay its respects to Curiosity's memory through consuming it. Dark has never consumed so much of a single creature before. It is an overwhelming, bittersweet sensation. It tastes the last moments of Curiosity's life. It tastes the joy of its time with Reason and the despair and anguish of its death. It tastes the many creatures consumed by Curiosity. It tastes the hope and fascination Curiosity had for it. Dark feels the alien emotion of grief for the first time in its brief life as it finishes the last mouthful of its friend's body. It can gain four additional permanent features now, in addition to its stronger jaws, improved communication and active sonar.

>>399341
We need to survive. We have a unique ability to detect other creatures through sonar. Let's build on that.

Ink spray- other creatures near us cannot see, but we can.
Sonar blast- An invisible blow to shock and confuse our enemies.
Faster movement- yeah this is basically standard.
Grasping tentacles- I'm interested in getting a squid motif going here.

1)Sonic Blast
2)Electroreceptors, lets us detect electric fields, such as those generated by living things
3)Spines/Quills A bit of defense from casual snackers

I think it might be useful to be able to hide from things better. Some kind of thing that we can control that would make ourselves difficult to see to things using conventional vision.
Perhaps also some kind of thing to prevent things from grabbing us and not letting us go, like poison spikes that we can make limp or retract or something so that we can still touch things.
Probably some way to grasp things, like a tentacle or something.
And definitely some way to escape, like a tail or something that we can quickly propel ourselves away with. It's no good to be able to sense threats if we can't get away.

1 Empathy, let's mature it into some sort of mind-reading ability.
2 Speed
3 Chameleon skin
4 Dexterous tentacles. Let's learn to build tools.

can we somehow revive Curiosity mind?

>>399344
>>399356

these are good ideas, we should separate ourselves from the senses of our more aggressive allies, and find a way to disarm our foes without harming them. some form of empathy would allow us to boulster our own strange senses with the help of our allies, making things we would otherwise miss perceptible.

speed. asstons of speed.

An Ink gland would be useful since our sonar is more concerned with density than light waves. Other than that, siphons for propulsion, spikes, and enhanced communication ability whether through enhanced range or empathic methods.
It would be interesting to see the reactions of creatures if they got caught in a cold, dark spot... but that is somewhat specialised and would be somewhat costly to work properly and it's not really what we need at the moment.

Empathy or Speed.

Dark 2012/04/08(Sun)20:54 No. 399613 ID: f2c010
File 133394366260.png - (95.47KB , 640x480 , c2-17.png )

Dark is overwhelmed with new thought. It reshapes its body as awareness floods through it, developing faster movement and manipulating tentacles. It develops spines across its body. It also develops an empathic sense, which, for the moment, goes unused.

~awareness burns through me~

~It reshapes me~

It causes me to reconsider all I know so far.

I have consumed most of Curiosity. Part of it lives within me. I know faint echoes of its life, but only all I knew of it while I lived. Shouldn't have died so quickly. This is not a fair existence.

Where do I go from here? Spend the remainder of my time alive devouring the weak and ignorant, until I make a final mistake?

No. You will eat as much as you need to stay alive, but you will not seek to grow, or at least not grow too fast. Curiosity grew too large and died--or lived on through you and some other new beings, depending on how you look at it.

Don't kill any creatures you feed from--if possible, don't feed from them unless they attack you, so it is in self defense.

If you want a more lofty goal than merely staying alive, how about learning more about this place you inhabit?

You could try to just live off of assailants, and try to make friends with the people around you?

>>399613
Absolutely not.

Curiosity said Reason saw patterns in the flowing chaos. See if you can find them with your senses. Let's research this place while evading and perhaps sometimes eating hostiles.

It would be nice to find someone to talk to again, as well. A research partner would be optimal, but a mere ally in a fight would be good too.

find how the chaos flows. can use it to find a relatively stably place.

Begin something bigger than yourself. Build. Recruit others to help you. You have the abilities you'll need already; it's now time to turn them into tools.

>>399671
yes, this madness and anarchy have gone on too long. we will build something better, but we can't do it alone. we will find others who are not satisfied to live as beasts and try and create a new way to live. it will be hard, maybe even impossible, but it is a cause worth spending our life striving for.

try to escape the Chaos.

>>399628
>>399689
these are the best ideas.we will develope senses that allow us to see and possible even manipulate the flow of chaos. we will build a network of likeminded beings, and create safety in the chaos.

>>399692
there is no escape. however... chaos creates within itself patterns of order, this is its nature. i propose we MAKE somewhere outside of chaos.

Dark 2012/05/01(Tue)14:23 No. 406587 ID: f2c010
File 133590739187.png - (110.63KB , 640x480 , c2-18.png )

The chaos sustains me. If I were to somehow leave it, I would die.

I will learn. I will consume only those who strike first. Making things. This is a strange concept for me to consider. How do I make things? The only things I know of are the dead mass of other creatures. It is more useful eaten before it is absorbed into the fluid chaos. Only life preserves anything with structure.

Something is nearby. I know it to be unaware of my presence. My new empathic senses are unfamiliar to me. Many weak sensations blur into themselves. I cannot discern any strong emotions. It is doing something strange. I do not understand.

Greet it.

Approach cautiously.

follow cautiously. do not get in it's range of sight.

Dark 2012/05/01(Tue)15:12 No. 406616 ID: f2c010
File 133591033826.png - (115.19KB , 640x480 , c2-19.png )

I approach with caution and alert it to my presence. -I do not intend to eat you.-

The other creature freezes up. The only movement it makes are the gentle motions caused by the flow of chaos around it. I move a little closer.

Its head slowly moves to face me. It remains silent and begins to turn pointed appendages towards me. It does not feel aggressive or overtly hostile. It does feel cautious, however.

Ask it if it can speak, and maybe give it a little space so it feels less threatened.

Dark 2012/05/01(Tue)16:09 No. 406658 ID: f2c010
File 133591377289.png - (36.87KB , 640x480 , c2-20.png )

-Can you speak?-

It does not respond. I move away. It continues to watch me, its appendages still raised to defend itself.

-I mean you no harm. I wish to exchange information for mutual benefit.-
-There is nothing you can know that I can consider useful.-

And how do you know that, my friend?

>>406688
Yeah, this.

Introduce yourself.

Ask it what it was doing just a moment ago.

Dark 2012/05/01(Tue)21:24 No. 406783 ID: f2c010
File 133593269826.png - (69.70KB , 640x480 , c2-21.png )

-My identity is Dark, for it was within darkness I gained awareness, before I grew to peer into its physical and conceptual depths. Why do you assume I cannot share anything useful with you?-
-Dark? Not Memory?-
-No. I have known others named Curiosity and Reason, but not Memory.-

I feel a strong wave of relief so palpable I almost feel washed away by it. It dies quickly and is replaced by confusion and curiosity.

-Your confidence is strange and unsettling. It is as if you were aware of my intentions without me communicating them. I believe knowing how to do that is something I will consider useful.-
-Then there is value in sharing information. What is your identity, and what are you currently doing?-
-My identity is Shape. I am attempting to form the chaos into things, but it is proving difficult. I am considering assembling lower creatures into structures. It is difficult to convey my ideas. What do you know of effective and efficient communication?-

Communication? That's one of our special traits! Sign us up!

Suspicion: Are we projecting thoughts? This creature seems a large amount of things that are interesting.

Then again, probabilities and chaos never work well together.

I wonder if you could use empathic thingy to make mindless beings do things for you.

Perhaps we can learn a trait to shape the chaos mentally? Some sort of cohesive and formative powers, like a kind of telekinesis. That would be wonderful to our mutually convergent goals.

Tell him that you were just thinking the same thing. Become partners.

>>406901
this is an exelent basis, but i dont think it will be so simple. Shapes ideas of creating structure from the interactions within beings less able to decide their own actions is a worthy one, and reminds me of cellular automata.

but is it possible to do something of the scope we speak of, create a haven in the chaos, by using units not elementary to ourselfves, IE thousands of tiny life structures? such things could be used to help build and portect our haven, like cells in a body, but they would not be the haven itself.

WE NEED TO GO DEEPER.

Dark 2012/05/02(Wed)15:54 No. 407144 ID: f2c010
File 133599925604.png - (41.42KB , 640x480 , c2-22.png )

-I am able to communicate effectively.-
-This is what I was referring to. I meant a way to share my ideas as this is too limiting. This communication. It is hard to explain.-
-I was considering making something from the chaos also. When did you begin?-
-Long ago before you ever came nearby. I thought of doing this before you did.-
-Understood. Can I help?-
-What do you know about making things from the chaos?! I have been trying to do this instead of finding anything to eat for so long, I am twice the length of my head shorter than when I began! What insight can you possibly offer?! You can't possibly understand anything I am trying to do here!!-

>>407144
Ask if it can help you understand.

Can we change a permanent feature? Absorb the spines for the moment for IMPROVED COMMUNICATION so you can explain how your EMPATHY works to Shape

You understand that there needs to be more to life than just murdering and eating until you get murdered and eaten yourself, and that trying to make something, be it physical or otherwise, is the only way you can give your life any meaning?

he gains a fresh perspective, and another pair of hands. the two of us working together are more likely to succeed than either of us working alone.

>>407218
>>407160
these

Anyone else thinking multi-cellular life needs to be invented?

>>407288
>>407237
these

>>407144

size matters, but it isn't everything.

Dark 2012/05/03(Thu)11:14 No. 407591 ID: f2c010
File 133606887944.png - (48.08KB , 640x480 , c2-23.png )

Dark already possesses Improved Communication. The barrier in understanding lies not in Dark's ability to communicate ideas to Shape but in Shape's ability to communicate ideas to Dark.

-I want to understand. I know there has to be more to this life than the endless cycle of eating and killing until death and creation of more creatures. If we work together, we can achieve more than we could working alone. I can sense your emotions, Shape. I know you have no anger against me. I can feel your sorrow. I know you do not know if you can trust me, but I can trust you.-

Shape is very silent. I place a limb on its head as a gesture of trust. It stares for a while and places one of its own appendages onto it.

-This is all so futile. All of it. I have eaten mindless creatures and learned they were not always without thought. It became too much for them. Too much thought about this existence. They felt consciousness was a pointless waste. They swallowed their own minds for better weapons, better shells, faster movement. They felt pain when I ate them but no sadness, no fear, no regret. Nothing but reflex action and memories too advanced for them to understand.-

Dark 2012/05/03(Thu)11:14 No. 407592 ID: f2c010
File 133606888906.png - (81.76KB , 640x480 , c2-24.png )

-I want to change this existence. I want to create something. I will die. All of us will. I want something to exist when I no longer will.-
-I want to help.-
-Why?-
-Why do you want to create? Instinct dictates I should eat you or flee from you. But instinct can be ignored. Perhaps even changed. I have learned from another the value of co-operation.-
-It's all futile. Even if we succeed, what next? Continue lead by a fantasy until we are interrupted by a mindless but strong creature that effortlessly drags us screaming into its maw?-
-We are thinkers. We can plan. Perhaps we can make something that will have a use beyond merely existing. Perhaps a weapon or a defence.-
-Why create something like that when we can shape ourselves for such purposes?-
-Why remain limited to the constraints of our bodies if we can assemble external structures and use them?-

Shape says nothing but I know something stirs within it. I am aware of a growing excitement, one which I partially share in response.

-Yes. We shall work together! I still do not know how to share my designs with you, however. I cannot contort myself into the right shapes.-

contort something else into the shapes. draw blueprints or something.

Or have Shape trace it on you with a tendril

Why limit yourself to two or three dimensions when you could express plans in pure mathematical terms? You could create structures of arbitrary complexity, n-shapes capable of confusing most non-thinkers. Even a simple hypercube fort would foil most attackers. An 11-D fort would be a maze of passages all leading in different directions, each part integral to the design.

As a bonus you could share simpler designs in pure math as well. But the primary benefit is being able to develop arbitrarily complex constructs.

>>407774
exelent; with mathmatics all we need do is develop terms for the concepts, and we have the language required to tranmit any data, no matter how complex.

>>407592
Would it be possible for us to form a temporary organ for even better empathy- enough to convey images or thoughts?

Or maybe there is some way we could take advantage of our unique senses, and Shape could 'draw' in the chaos in a way we can see.

Or we could capture another chaos creature and use its body as a canvas. Yessssssss.

>>408008
Or temporary telepathy (or improved telepathy if that's already how we're communicating) so we can understand Shape even if it doesn't know how to convey its ideas?

Dark 2012/05/09(Wed)09:09 No. 409999 ID: f2c010
File 133657974661.png - (119.05KB , 640x480 , c2-25.png )

-Trace the shapes on me.-

I hold out one of my tentacles and flatten it out. I take another tentacle and trace a line around to indicate what I mean. Shape's eyes widen and its tongues wiggle rapidly.

-That's a brilliant idea! Why did that never occur to me? Hold still.-

Shape starts tracing marks on my flattened limb. I stain the parts of me it touches and change the texture. Hopefully this will let both me feel what Shape is trying to convey and allow Shape to see what it is tracing.

Dark 2012/05/09(Wed)09:09 No. 410000 ID: f2c010
File 133657975976.png - (38.60KB , 640x480 , c2-26.png )

-I do not know how to make these designs, but perhaps you can share some insight or new designs. I had the idea firstly for a structure to provide some protection from the open chaos and its constant flows. I was inspired by the thick shells of some of the larger creatures. Its size would depend on how it could be built and what would be used to build it.-

Dark 2012/05/09(Wed)09:09 No. 410001 ID: f2c010
File 133657977383.png - (55.08KB , 640x480 , c2-27.png )

-I also had the idea of a structure to capture several smaller creatures. I had this idea watching a group of creatures hunting. We could try to befriend and teach those with the promise for greater intelligence and use the rest as a low risk, high yield food source.-

Dark 2012/05/09(Wed)09:09 No. 410002 ID: f2c010
File 133657978379.png - (57.04KB , 640x480 , c2-28.png )

-Your suggestion of a weapon reminded me of a needle launcher I grew once. We could create needle launchers for use by both of us with suitable materials. This would provide us with a useful weapon while leaving us free to focus our bodies on other things.-

-If you have any ideas, show me them. Also, I was once considering trying to make things by swallowing the materials and assembling them inside me, but this won't be practical for large objects and I don't know how I would safely remove the objects once assembled without some internal damage.-

You know, if it's possible to make things that behave like certain parts of chaos creatures, you could probably make something that works like what you're doing with your limb to portray images, and store them.

>>410002
Structure+gun. Weapon emplacement. Smaller structures capable of being 'worn', for personal armor. Propulsion attachments, for extra speed. Cluster structures, to add extra security by limiting paths which attackers can take.

the two of you could grow an organ that allows consumed material to be spit out as a sticky fluid that dries solid after a while. like a mortarbutt or something.

Dark 2012/05/21(Mon)18:11 No. 414909 ID: 9e3c3d
File 133764909070.png - (91.70KB , 640x480 , c2-29.png )

-First, maybe keeping these plans would be a wise idea.-

I will sever my flattened appendage. It does not prove difficult. I weaken the connection between the appendage and my body, and bite it off. Ouch. I grab at the stump in reflex and in pain, but the idea seems to have worked.

Shape, confused, bats at the floating limb, before taking hold of it and scrutinising its own work.

The severed limb starts to wiggle and writhe. We both hold it still. Shape looks at me with wide, concerned eyes.

-Is there any particular reason you feel like shedding biomass? If you're that desperate to lose it, I'll put it to good use.-

Dark 2012/05/21(Mon)18:12 No. 414911 ID: 9e3c3d
File 133764914887.png - (70.13KB , 640x480 , c2-30.png )

The flat limb slips out of our combined grips and is gone before I even realise. Shape snares it with its tongues and drags it, squirming wildly in protest, into its mouth.

-You are the blandest creature I have tasted in my entire life. Blegh. Still, got it while it was in one piece.-

I don't know how to feel about that. The loss of that limb is not a great detriment to me right now, but I won't be trying that again in the future.

-Well, tasting lousy means it's less likely you'll eat me, right?-
-Did you know that some creatures think that consciousness is directly related to tastiness? It was something I picked up on from a mindless shell a while ago. Thank you for disproving that theory entirely. That one had a much better flavour.-

Did I get insulted?

Dark 2012/05/21(Mon)18:12 No. 414912 ID: 9e3c3d
File 133764916278.png - (101.00KB , 640x480 , c2-31.png )

-Back to our ideas, however.-

I probably taste great! Wait. If I try to test that now Shape will be suspicious. I'll find out later when Shape isn't paying attention. Oh. Shape is waiting for me to say something.

-Ideas? Oh. Yes. I think structures to defend would be beneficial. Places to position ourselves to launch attacks at intruders. Armor that can be attached to ourselves without being part of ourselves. Propulsion structures.-

Shape doesn't respond, but I can sense its approval. It waves its limbs for me to continue.

-Maybe we could form these structures by spitting out materials that would become solid outside our bodies?-
-Again with the unnecessary biomass shedding.-
-Do you have any better ideas?-
-Not throwing away biomass when I'm already starving!-
-But you just ate my-
-Already starving. Do you think a severed limb is enough to keep me stable? You could use a meal to make up for that limb, too. Let's go look for food. We can think after we eat.-

Dark 2012/05/21(Mon)18:12 No. 414913 ID: 9e3c3d
File 133764917367.png - (83.19KB , 640x480 , c2-32.png )

Against my protests, Shape moves and I follow. -There are a lot of clusters of smaller creatures nearby,- Shape tells me as we move, -and they have often been a useful food source.-

-Is eating those far smaller than us wrong?-

Shape ponders my words. -No. They are still not thinkers. Watch them. They group to feed on each other, not to ally.-

I feel tiny disturbances in the chaos around us as the creatures rip and tear chunks of biomass from each other.

-Have you fed from a swarm before?-
-No.-
-I strongly recommend you think through what you want to do before you charge in. If you just rush straight at them, there are more of them than you, and for each creature you can defend against many more will attack other parts of you.-
-Can we work together?-
-I am not sure how it would help. What are you thinking?-

I can feel a far larger disturbance approaching this swarm slowly.

>>414913
Tell Shape that something is coming, he is not likely to know yet. Try to estimate how long it will take for it to get here, and give Shape that estimate- he should have a better idea about how long it would take to catch some of these things.

Personally I think that picking off a few at the edges of the swarm would be a good idea. Try not to get the attention of the whole swarm while doing it. Be sneaky.

Aww! You made a baby! I guess you should probably remember how shedding that stuff works. It would be useful to be able to not explode into babies all at once when you get too big. Maybe in the future if you get better at food you can keep one! Raising your own child would be a step up from most chaos creatures.

Also you should probably tell Shape that something's coming so you guys don't get eaten...

>>414915
Sounds good

Also: Did your biomass keep its shape, for the most part? Or was it completely unstable?

>>414913
>-Can we work together?-
>-I am not sure how it would help. What are you thinking?-
Tell shape to go with his usual plan of attack, while you'll follow behind and snap up the ones that try to latch onto him so he can feed without concern. After all, he's the smart one, and you can't think on an empty stomach, since he'll be doing a lot of thinking after this feeding session.
Also let him know that you have the ability to sense large predators from beyond visible distance, and if you say it's time to go, it means something BIG is headed our way.

>>414913
>I can feel a far larger disturbance approaching this swarm slowly.
Oh boy, tell Shape to hold back, you sense a bigger Chaos creature has already targeted this swarm. Ask him to wait a little bit to see if it stays the course. If it is big enough, you might be able to sneak some bites off of it, it might even be reasonable. Remember Curiosity's lessons:
>-what are others like-
>-Mostly cruel and vicious, but we have to eat each other to grow, and if we don't grow, we die. Compassion is difficult to maintain when we have to eat things that aren't so different from us ourselves.