Mongo is appalled.

Hey! This was an idle blog for a long time. I crawled back to here for the hopes of finding a community for us desperate Dungeon Crawler Carl fans. I might post ficlets here or there about that crazy world. My writing can be found on AO3 with the name railou (archiveofourown.org/users/railou/works)

[gremlinangel2]

not getting enough attention today might blow myself up for fun

[itmightbehere]

Liaison Orren by Andrew Mar

[mlledanglars]

[Description: a humanoid frog-woman in long robes comfortingly hugging a man in a leather jacket and very boxers. Text beside the pair reads: “An anarchist, a warlord, a primal. An author. Her little brother.” End description.]

https://archiveofourown.org/works/65586508

Inspired by the fic “little brother” by railou.

Tags: rated Teen, gen, fandom: Dungeon Crawler Carl, relationship: Milk & Carl, canon compliant, Book 7: This Inevitable Ruin, Hurt/Comfort, the Cookbook Authors as a family

~

This was one of my favorite scenes in the actual book, and seeing it from Milk’s perspective just made it hit that much harder. I love both book scenes and fics for DCC that remind the readers of how human these characters are… even if they’re not actually “human.” I encourage you all to read this fic, it’s a lovely little piece. I decided to draw the scene of the two authors meeting each other to fill the “create art for a fic in a small fandom” square of the bingo card from the @fanartfrenzy event. Hope the fandom becomes less small soon!

[hello-railou]

What We Can’t Erase

(1557 words) by railou Chapters: 1/1 Fandom: Dungeon Crawler Carl Series - Matt Dinniman Rating: Teen And Up Audiences Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply

Relationships: Carl & Princess Donut (Dungeon Crawler Carl), Carl/System AI (Dungeon Crawler Carl), Carl & Katia Grim

Characters: Carl (Dungeon Crawler Carl), Princess Donut (Dungeon Crawler Carl), System AI (Dungeon Crawler Carl)

Additional Tags: Post-Canon, Post-Crawl (Dungeon Crawler Carl), Spoilers up to Book 7, Trauma, One-Sided Relationship, Permanent Injury, They are struggling, but they keep going, Always keep going, Donut loves Carl, Carl loves Donut, The AI loves Carl('s feet), Carl tolerates the AI

Series: Part 10 of DCC Oneshots

Summary:

The radio turns on with a click and for a few seconds, I can only hear static. Then, Hii, Sweet Feet! I say nothing, so it continues, No? How about Schmootsie Footsie? Honey Toe-Woe? Donut sniggers next to me. The AI has gotten into pet names lately, and every day it comes up with more and more ridiculous ones. I let myself sigh loudly. “Hello”, I finally say, when it has calmed down with its daily list of nicknames. “How are you?”

The Crawl has ended, but life goes on.

[luna-azzurra]

Tips for Writing Injuries

✧ Broken ribs suck. You don’t just “walk it off.” Breathing hurts. Laughing hurts. Existing hurts. Characters with rib injuries won’t be doing heroic sprints.

✧ Concussions aren’t instant naps. Dazed vision, nausea, dizziness, maybe even personality changes, but they’re not going to collapse neatly like in the movies.

✧ Blood loss is sneaky. It’s not just about dramatic pools of blood. It’s dizziness, confusion, and the body getting cold as circulation tanks.

✧ Adrenaline lies. Someone can take a serious injury and not feel it until the fight’s over. That “I didn’t realize I was bleeding until later” trope? Very real.

✧ Twisted ankles are brutal. One bad step and suddenly running is off the table. Even walking hurts like hell. Perfect way to ground a chase scene.

✧ Burns linger. Even small burns hurt more than most people expect. Blisters, infection risk, constant pain, it’s not just a cool scar later.

✧ Dislocated shoulders = useless arm. Characters can’t keep swinging a sword or firing a gun. They’re basically fighting one-armed until it’s fixed.

✧ Shock is a thing. Pale skin, trembling, rapid heartbeat, and eventually disorientation. A character might not even realize how bad their wound is.

✧ Stitches aren’t magic. Getting sewn up is painful and recovery takes time. They’re not instantly battle-ready after a needle and thread.

✧ Scars tell stories. Some fade, some don’t. Some stay sensitive forever. Don’t forget the aftermath when the wound becomes part of the character.

[hello-railou]

I Would Rather Have Watched a Zack Snyder Film

(1033 words) by railou Chapters: 1/1 Fandom: Dungeon Crawler Carl Series - Matt Dinniman Rating: Teen And Up Audiences Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings

Relationships: Carl & System AI (Dungeon Crawler Carl), Carl & Princess Donut (Dungeon Crawler Carl)

Characters: Carl (Dungeon Crawler Carl), System AI (Dungeon Crawler Carl), Princess Donut (Dungeon Crawler Carl)

Additional Tags: Canon Compliant, Sensory Deprivation, Sensory Overload, References to book 6: The Eye of the Bedlam Bride

Series: Part 9 of DCC Oneshots

Summary:

‘It’s not like you’re at a disadvantage when the descriptions are long. You know your perception of time slows during these moments? I could make one of these as long as a Zack Snyder film, and it wouldn’t matter.’

Fuck me.

The AI has had enough of Carl's complaining.

[hello-railou]

HI HI HI I LOVE UR DCC FANFIC SOOOOOOO SO SO SO SOOO MUCH AND I FINALLY FOUND U ON TUMBLR YAYYYY ANYWAYS I JS WANTED U TO KNOW. UR SUCH AN AMAZING WRITER. AND EVERYTIME IM LOOKING AT DCC FANFIC AND I SEE UR USERNAME I KNOW ITS GOING TO BE AMAZING. <333

HI HEY YES I remember seeing your comments under my fics, thank you so much!! You're so lovely, absolutely made my day to hear this 🥹🩵

[aru-kii]

Wanting to post to social media again purely because of this series

I fucking love Carl and donut…gotta draw mongo next. Part of me wishes mordecai got to stay a demon.

[roosterjazz]

Pinup Carl for @waterkangaroo.

The idea behind this is that Borant demanded that all of the top crawlers pose for a pinup calendar. Carl is not pleased.

[hello-railou]

The Broken Glass of My Life

(3542 words) by railou Chapters: 1/1 Fandom: Dungeon Crawler Carl Series - Matt Dinniman Rating: Mature Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings

Relationships: Carl & Carl's Father (Dungeon Crawler Carl), Carl & Monobrow Sam (Dungeon Crawler Carl), Carl & Carl's Mom (Dungeon Crawler Carl)

Characters: Carl (Dungeon Crawler Carl), Carl's Father (Dungeon Crawler Carl), Monobrow Sam (Dungeon Crawler Carl), Carl's Mom (Dungeon Crawler Carl)

Additional Tags: Canonical Character Death, Suicide, Domestic Violence, Child Abuse, Childhood Trauma, Spoilers up to book 6: The Eye of the Bedlam Bride, Canon Compliant

Series: Part 8 of DCC Oneshots

Summary:

There was a note next to the running sink. I picked it up, simultaneously turning off the faucet. The sudden silence pressed on me. I didn’t look at the thing hanging from the ceiling. It turned slowly in a circle behind me, making the pipes creak ominously.

Carl, the letter said on the back. I turned it around.

This is my birthday present to you.

Carl's 15th birthday.

[hello-railou]

Little brother

(1109 words) by railou Chapters: 1/1 Fandom: Dungeon Crawler Carl Series - Matt Dinniman Rating: Teen And Up Audiences Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply

Relationships: Carl & Milk (Dungeon Crawler Carl)

Characters: Milk (Dungeon Crawler Carl), Carl (Dungeon Crawler Carl)

Additional Tags: Canon Compliant, Book 7: This Inevitable Ruin, Hurt/Comfort, The Cookbook Authors as a family, i needed to get this out of my system, please think about Milk and Carl with me

Series: Part 7 of DCC Oneshots

Summary:

She looked over the ragtag group of injured, bloody, shell-shocked crawlers, really taking the scene in. All of them were still so, so young. Their hardened shells cracked down to their cores.

One of them was staring at her, she noticed. The rest were busy recovering, talking loudly amongst themselves, but that one crawler was standing shock still, his hand against the wall, stiff legs unsteady under him.

He looked human, Milk noted. But his race was primal. Carl was his name. Warlord Carl.

“Milk?” he whispered.

The first meeting, through Milk's eyes.

[hello-railou]

Seven Ways to Style a Warlord’s Hair

(5328 words) by railou Chapters: 1/1 Fandom: Dungeon Crawler Carl Series - Matt Dinniman Rating: Mature Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings

Relationships: Carl/System AI (Dungeon Crawler Carl), Carl & Katia Grim, Carl & Rosetta Thagra, Carl & Britney (Dungeon Crawler Carl), Carl & Bonnie (Dungeon Crawler Carl), Carl & Elle McGibbons, Carl & Imani (Dungeon Crawler Carl)

Characters: Carl (Dungeon Crawler Carl), Britney (Dungeon Crawler Carl), Rosetta Thagra, Princess Donut the Queen Anne Chonk, Bonnie (Dungeon Crawler Carl), Katia Grim, Imani (Dungeon Crawler Carl), Elle McGibbons, System AI (Dungeon Crawler Carl), Orren (Dungeon Crawler Carl)

Additional Tags: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, One-Sided Relationship, Non-Consensual Touching, The AI gets a little handsy in this, Also Consensual Touching, Hair Braiding, The Crawlers as a Family, Hurt/Comfort, A love letter to all the awesome women in Carl's life, Book 7: This Inevitable Ruin

Series: Part 6 of DCC Oneshots

Summary:

“Yo!” Elle called the moment she stepped into the guildhall. “This time it’s me who gets to do his hair.”

“Well, obviously”, Donut said before I had the chance to reply. “We all agreed we’d save him for you this time.”

“What?” I said. We had not agreed on anything like that.

At least not out loud. I got the sudden uneasy feeling that they might’ve been talking about it in a chat group I wasn’t involved in.

“Perfect”, Elle said, clapping her hands together. “You just sit tight, boss. I’ll be ready for you in just a moment.”

I raised my eyebrows at Donut, who flicked her tail impudently. “What?” she asked. “Don’t look at me like that, Carl.”

Carl has long, beautiful, and very braidable hair. Everyone else seems to like it a lot more than he does.

[hello-railou]

railou, you are literally becoming one of my favorite ao3 authors

I was feeling in a funk, and the ao3 notification made my world a happier place.

thank you

Aw I'm glad I was able to make your day a bit better 🫂 That is the best thing to hear as a writer, so thank youu! 🤍

[hello-railou]

The Eye of Crawler #4,122. “Carl.”

(5757 words) by railou Chapters: 1/1 Fandom: Dungeon Crawler Carl Series - Matt Dinniman Rating: Mature Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings

Relationships: Carl & Princess Donut the Queen Anne Chonk

Characters: Carl (Dungeon Crawler Carl), Princess Donut the Queen Anne Chonk, Mongo (Dungeon Crawler Carl), System AI (Dungeon Crawler Carl), Katia Grim, Mordecai (Dungeon Crawler Carl), Elle McGibbons, Louis Santiago 2

Additional Tags: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Book 6: The Eye of the Bedlam Bride, Major Character Injury, Eye Trauma, MAJOR eye trauma in this, The System AI being a little shit, But also surprisingly helpful, Angst and Hurt/Comfort

Series: Part 5 of DCC Oneshots

Summary:

No. No.

I healed myself again. Darkness continued to press against me, relentless. Raul yelled something. He was getting closer; I could tell by his voice. My health kept stuttering, despite the heals.

My eyes, I thought. It was the only thing I could focus on. There was just too much going on, and none of it mattered. I was dead. Without sight, I was dead. Donut was dead.

Carl loses both of his eyes during a battle. The situation seems hopeless, but the dungeon is not done with him yet.

[hello-railou]

Love Is in the AI

(2457 words) by railou Chapters: 1/1 Fandom: Dungeon Crawler Carl Series - Matt Dinniman Rating: Teen And Up Audiences Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply

Relationships: Carl/System AI (Dungeon Crawler Carl), Carl & Princess Donut the Queen Anne Chonk

Characters: Carl (Dungeon Crawler Carl), Princess Donut the Queen Anne Chonk, Mordecai (Dungeon Crawler Carl), System AI (Dungeon Crawler Carl)

Additional Tags: this one is pretty silly, and a bit OOC, Canon Compliant, Kinda. this is just for funsies, One-Sided Relationship, Unhealthy Relationships, Princess Donut is a Romance Connoisseur, Don't Question Her, Spoilers up to book 4: The Gate of the Feral Gods

Series: Part 3 of DCC Oneshots

Summary:

When the love songs started on the fourth floor, I began to lose patience. Every last one of my goddamn alarm traps played a different popular, cheesy love song as the track. After blasting “Can’t Help Falling in Love” by Elvis Presley and “Kiss From a Rose” by Seal back-to-back, I was starting to think the trap modules didn’t choose just any random songs from the US Billboard hot 100, but that the songs were instead chosen by the AI just to mess with me. “Fucking hell”, I swore out loud when one of the traps I was certain I had chosen a different song for, started blasting “I Got You Babe” by Sonny & Cher. “There’s just no way.” “I like this song”, Donut commented. “Not as good as ‘Wonderwall’, though.”

The AI tries to court Carl. Carl, on the other hand, is not very impressed.

[hello-railou]

He’s Been With the Family For a While Now

(8387 words) by railou Chapters: 1/1 Fandom: Dungeon Crawler Carl Series - Matt Dinniman Rating: Mature Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply

Relationships: Carl & Princess Donut the Queen Anne Chonk, Carl (Dungeon Crawler Carl)/Beatrice (Dungeon Crawler Carl)

Characters: Carl (Dungeon Crawler Carl), Princess Donut the Queen Anne Chonk, Beatrice (Dungeon Crawler Carl), Monobrow Sam (Dungeon Crawler Carl), Gravy Boat | Ferdinand (Dungeon Crawler Carl)

Additional Tags: Princess Donut POV, Canon Compliant, Pre-Collapse (Dungeon Crawler Carl), Minor spoilers up to book 6, Domestic Violence, Nothign graphic but it's Beatrice after all, Carl has PTSD, he's doing his best, Unhealthy Relationships, Princess Donut loves Carl, Carl loves Princess Donut

Summary:

The man waved a hand at her from the doorway. “Hi, Donut.” Princess Donut narrowed her eyes at him. “Come on, Carl”, Miss Beatrice said, taking his hand and pulling him towards the bedroom. The man nearly stumbled on Princess Donut’s precious Mouse toy that lay on the floor. They both giggled drunkenly. Princess Donut sighed. Another of these kinds of manservants. Princess Donut watched them go, judging harshly. Carl. She rolled that name around in her mind. Carl. It was a good enough name, she supposed.

Life through Princess Donut's eyes before the Collapse.

[mongo-the-liensis]

Carl textposts again because he's just my most special-ist little guy being tormented by horrors