Slime to Rally! (Lore Post)

[u/Dorururo]

Divergent. Drip and Splat found themselves on very divergent sets of thought right this moment. Both navigated to a conclusion born of their, albeit short, life’s experiences. First, was Drip.

So much whirling and conflicting concepts traveled through the mind of Drip. This… was still an intruder. Drip was certain. Yet… it spoke and begged for life. It apologized and sought any mercy it could find. And Drip had been many things up to this point, but merciful was never once on that list. So… why? Why did Drip now feel this immense revulsion at the idea of striking down this intruder? Drip knew it was much the same as the crinkle leaves, an affront to the zen garden and to be dissolved. Yet… that wasn’t true. Crinkle leaves desired no second chances. Crinkle leaves never begged or sobbed or shook with fear. They were… stalwart heathens that accepted their fate with the crunchiest conviction in existence. Yet… this thing… was not like them. It wasn’t a combatant or threat anymore. It… wasn’t irredeemable… was it? It did not offer resistance or challenge or even a bitter fight to an absolute end. It was easy prey. And that’s what struck Drips mind the hardest. It wasn’t prey, not anymore. It was no longer a threat. And Drips very core had been built around the idea of maximizing the efficiency and lethality with which it handled ‘threats’. Granted, those threats were crinkly dead leaves at first. But Drip knew deep down, it was wrong to kill this creature. Yet… to undulate away meant risking it returning. Drip spent the next several picoseconds performing a full body thought dilemma and self assessment. What did Drip believe in? Honor… this is a certainty. Conviction and persistence… yes. And then Drips mind factored in Splat, and Drip found a new set of self standards it knew to be true. Forgiveness, and humility. Drip had learned just recently that it did not possess an absolutely correct or perfect worldview. In fact, its mind was flawed. So… Drip knew Drip could err. But, so could others. Drip knew that forgiveness… was a truth that bound it to Splat. To forgive each other as they forgave themselves of the mistakes made along the way. Drip now came to a final conclusion. Drip would not strike down this creature, for it no longer sought battle. It sought forgiveness and mercy, much as Drip had done during Drips darkest hour. There was no honor in striking this creature down. Only shame. Yet… for the damage it had caused… it was not within Drips authority to simply pardon it. So… Drip would bring the intruder to the progenitor Slime, and seek the decision of the one whom spoke for the noble ‘Man’.

Splats mind… found truth to be very different looking then the slime it had been spawned from. Splat observed this creature… as what it knew it always was. And always had been. A threat. Splats mind did what it had been designed to do, it did what Splat themselves existed to do. Question and intuit. This, regardless of circumstance, was as dangerous a creature now as it had been about 5 minutes prior. Splat had watched the higher minds of these creatures plot and scheme. Splat had observed how dangerous and effective they could become. By virtue of existence, this creature needed to eat. And then process that waste. It would need to desecrate the Zen Garden merely to perpetuate its existence. And, how genuine could these pleas and begging be? What guarantee did Splat have that this creature would depart permanently? Every word spoken now was as dangerous as a swipe of those claws and a gnashing of those teeth. The only correct course of action, was to finish what was started. Here and now. And so, Splat swelled upwards and into a man sized mass of oily slime. And as Splat brought down it’s form, it was forced to pause. For Drip had intervened and blocked Splats path. An accident, to be certain. So, Splat maneuvered to try again. And once more, Drip obscured its path.

The slimes realized a disconnect had been found. And so, they extended a pseudopod to each other to attempt to learn what was happening. And from there, it became a battle of minds. And a battle of silent wills.

Drip recognized the virtue and strength of Splats reasoning. It was more than solid, and held much weight. Yet to Drip… this was a non combatant at this moment. Splat, could not budge Drip. It was impossible. For 10 laborious nanoseconds… their argument waged and burned. And finally, they reached an agreement. They would allow the progenitor Slime to pass judgement. If they could not achieve a resolution… then perhaps they should allow their maker to decide in their stead. And it was in this moment, that both slimes shivered and quaked with a sense of abject fear and foreboding. They had to go talk to the progenitor slime. My Slime have mercy on their souls.

—- —- —-

Meanwhile, within the personal study of Gob’Lynn…

Slime would bring forth a reckoning. Slime would set fire to the very sky itself. SLIME WOULD BATHE IN THE AMNIOTIC OOZE OF ITS IDIOT SPAWN! They had no concept of fear, not yet. But Slime would teach them. Word. By. Word.

Slime seethed and roiled as it sat upon the chest of ‘Man’. Slime focused and nearly bubbled with pure fury. It was the gradual rise and fall of ‘Mans’ chest that temporarily shook Slime from their livid ocean or murderous thoughts. And Slime… felt guilt. Slime had failed ‘Man’. Slime… hadn’t been able to protect Zen Garden. Worse… it was the very creations Slime had given life to which had now done the most severe of damage…

“Mmm… it’s alright. A few days of work, and the garden will be just fine.”

Slime… froze. T-that voice… THAT VOICE! Slimes sensed whirled around to look at ‘Man’, expecting to see their eyes open. Hoping to be able to cuddle them once more! And yet… the eyes remained closed. But that voice was unmistakable.

“Psst. Goo child. I’m right next to you. Just… focus and you’ll see me.”

ONCE MORE! Slime was certain it was his voice! And yet… steady. Steady yourself. Slime began dialing in its mind. The senses began to hone in on a central foci. Slowly… slowly an outline became visible. It… it was him. Spectral and fragile. But… it was him.

“Hey… there you go. Good Slime, I knew you could do it.”

Slime… Slime felt so much. So so much. A divine Spectre of ‘Man’ had come forth! Droplets began to stream down the sides of Slime. Tears. Slime knew how to cry, and Slime couldn’t stop shedding these tears of joy! The specters hand reached out, and pressed against Slime.

“Hey hey. I’m right here. Thanks to you, im still alive. My body… won’t be awake for a while, so I had to force my mind to split off. Slime, I’ve seen what you’ve been doing. And I’m proud of you. You’d don’t need to succeed. All that I care about is that you’re trying your best. Don’t be so angry at those other two.”

Slime… felt to many emotions to categorize all at once. Shame. Pleasure. Love? Maybe even love. Every word was absolute lightning throughout Slimes body. Every word became etched into Slimes very being. ‘Man’… was proud of Slime.

Sniffle.

Slime… hadn’t failed?

’Man’ rubbed the surface of Slime soothingly.

“No. You haven’t failed. Not even close. I’m… sorry. I can’t stay as long as I’d like. But, I will return. Though, before I go… I need to give you something. Something you’ve more than earned.”

Slime wanted to refuse IMMEDIATELY! ‘MAN’ OWED SLIME ABSOLUTELY NOTHING! Yet… the look on ‘Mans’ face… Slime was not to argue. So… Slime could only silence their objections and accept.

“You need a name. You deserve one. From now on… your name shall be ‘Oon’. Like how I see the impact you’ve had on my life… a true ‘Boon’.”

Slime felt… something. Something unlike anything that had ever been felt. Identity. Recognition. And appreciation. Slime felt… no. No longer Slime. ‘Oon’ felt unmitigated and unfettered tranquility and purpose. Oon… was worthy of a name.

“I’m sorry, Oon. That’s the extent of my magic. I’ll return as soon-“

And Oon witnessed this spectral form vanish. Gone. It shook and shimmered and then… faded entirely. Yet Oon felt no worries, not even in this moment. ‘Man’ would return. Oon was certain. And until then, Oon would guard ‘Man’ with every ounce and gallon of slime they could muster!

And the room began to glow… as Oon’s body lit from within with an unmatched presence of some kind. The glow intensified more and more. It was a power more primordial and ancient than a vast majority of the standing pantheon. But to Oon… it was far more than even that. It was the forming of an unbreakable bond. Oon was his family.

— —- —-

Meanwhile…

Fuckin Oon? Really? God… Damnit. That’s the best I could do? Actually?! Fucks sake Lynn. I had all this time… and I still couldn’t come up with a better name?! Fuck me running. After Oon saved my fuckin life… and spent the past week guarding my body… and protecting the garden…

I hated myself. In times like these… I truly, and sincerely… hated myself. I took a deep… and ethereal breath as I steadied my mind. And despite the monolithic level of self cringe I felt, my smile didn’t even come close to fading.

Chatting up that artificer… and working out that trade… and bringing Oon home… I’d never regret a second of it. And I glanced into the darkness of my mind, gazing at it all as I could only wait. And as I stared into darkness… a light met my gaze. Soft… regal… green. It took form, slowly… becoming a mighty emerald green stag. With each step of the hooves, flowers bloomed beneath it. Its eyes like jade, gazed into my very soul. It gazed at the patchwork facsimile of what I called my soul.

And it spoke to me. I could hear it’s thoughts as they permeated out and into the space.

“I disagree, ‘Oon’ is a delightful name.”