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English
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Anonymous
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Published:
2025-04-13
Updated:
2025-04-13
Words:
217
Chapters:
1/?
Kudos:
1
Hits:
50

The Debt of Memento Mori

Anonymous

Summary:

Names

Names are not for us

Names are for the ones who let go of the ship

Who fall into the comforting night

We rise into the night

And for the first time

We choose

Notes:

The transformation is triggered by magic, genetic engineering, and mechanical shit. Also genuinely I think the Affini are the one benevolent Rimworld player who only plays with debug mode on/s

I drew a lot of Rimworld inspiration for the transformation, but unless I suddenly get better at drawing you won't likely get a good description of the form. Just know it causes the system a lot of pain.

Trenton Merrill (Male) - Normal text
The unwilling host of the Unnamed System.

Dovah (Female) - Bold text
Protector, second most likely to bite and most likely to apologize to your corpse.

Sensory (Nonbinary) - Underlined
System's little who wants their last sight to be looking at the stars. They like stars. Often cofronts.

Noble (Nonbinary) - Bold and underlined.
Memory Handler, talks the least. Most often unintentionally triggers the system's transformation.

Canis (Male) - Italicized
Persecutor-protector, the only one who intentionally triggers the transformation.

Bodhi (Genderfluid) - Underlined and italicized.
Caregater, he seems perpetually high on weed.

(See the end of the work for more notes.)

Chapter 1: Wild Beast Crying

Chapter Text

Trenton, you need to run

 

What is this?

 

Run.

 

I don't know what to do.

 

Run!

 

I will deal with this.

Light.

 

We are outside, Sensory.

 

hurts

 

Shush. You would've gotten us recaptured.

 

we hurt

 

they hurt

 

We had to survive.

 

Did we? Did we have to survive?

 

I didn't want to die.

 

Pathetic. If only you weren't the one always here. Maybe we would have succeeded when we were there.

 

Canis, quiet.

 

Canis, quiet.

 

I will not listen to the pathetic mutt and the coward.

 

Stars.

 

Look, stars!

 

Anyone want to look!

 

Sensory, please be quiet right now.

 

No.

 

Stars!

 

They are beautiful.

 

ow

 

Awww, is poor little ickle Trenton hurting?

 

Do you need your wittle friends to back you up?

 

Stop. Please.

 

Can't we just enjoy the moment?

 

please

 

you're making sensory upest

 

Sigh.

 

Did you just say "Sigh" out loud?

 

Canis, please. Dude. Don't make us play the quiet game.

 

We aren't there! We won't have to!

 

Nobody can control us!

 

Except each other.

 

Sigh.

 

There. Now, we can look at the stars in peace.

 

I didn't think they would be so beautiful.

 

Oh, shit, sorry.

 

No quiet.

 

bodhi please don't

 

I'll try to remember.

 

Stars pretty. Stars are hope.

 

out of reach

 

We never thought we would see them.

 

so long to go

 

 

Notes:

Imagine me salivating at the mouth and internally screaming as I find no fics with the appropriate amount of eldritch horror, worldbuilding exploration, acknowledgement of the parallels between the affini and involuntary commitment, dealing with psych abuse, becoming comfortable with accepting help, and relationship dynamic I want and now I have to write it myself.
And then I go and write something completely different.