An Orphan Rat

Borderlands OC RP blog for Jubilee. Semi-Selective. Multiverse/Multimuse friendly. Follows from the-composite-doll

[small-lost-rat]

What if Jubilee returns?

[small-lost-rat]

Jubilee came out of his little den, sniffing around before deciding where next to go.  He had found himself a nice little cave with a natural spring, which would be a good habitat for a starting Rat.  With work, he could make this his home.

[spellshite]

'Ello! Mun for small-lost-rat! I'm curious as to your headcanons on Rats.

Henlo! :D

Okay, so, my headcanons will mostly be a sort of "addition" to yours because I like yours a lot and I'm realizing that mine are similar to them.

Anyway, let's see if I can put my thoughts into words:

I like your idea of the Rats having a polytheistic religion, also because this builds on what we suppose is canon (at least because it's written in the wikia), the part where the masks have become a sort of "sign of status" and used in "ceremonies and sacrifices".

Occasional cannibals like most Pandorans, or just a little more often depending from group/clan to the other esp basing on what caves or ruins are inhabiting. Like...if in that area is more difficult to find a source of food, they'll have to resort to cannibalism more often obviously.

Another part of your headcanons I like is the "created in a lab to find Eridium". That fits so much with the "Lab Rats" that you could find around, more in the area of the mines near Lynchwood - IIRC - so this could be a perfect explanation! And also could fit well the fact that they have claws!

I also headcanon that the first ones were people that have mutated after being exposed to/in contact with Eridium and other dangerous minerals and materials for too long. An example could be what happened at the Headstone Mine back in BL1, where the miners and workers there started "going crazy" and mutating becoming the first Psychos. Some could have become Psychos, other - maybe depending on genetics or maybe how much exposure they had - could have turned into Rats. (this could also go well together with your headcanon about them having a penchant for stone/lapidary)

I agree with you about them being subsistence thieves: in caves, old mines and other places there isn't much and after a bit, you'll have to go find and steal what you need to keep surviving. Some might have taken a shine on the looting and tend to do it more often and keep also things not needed for survival but because they like them, but most of the Rats steal and loot only because they need things to keep living. As any other Pandoran going around and looting hoping to find anything useful to survive.

Aaaand that's it, I think. Honestly I never completely fleshed out my HCs on the Rats so probably it's not much lol

[small-lost-rat]

Found my old art of some of the Rat Gods.  These are Major Gods.

Top: Goddess Carmeli:

Goddess of Harvest, Weaponry, and Childbirth.

Symbols include a bushel of harvested grain, a newborn rat, and holding a spear.

Offerings include food, and weaponry is often carved with the image of her spear.

Expectant mothers pray to her in hopes of healthy births and children.

Middle: God Transiebat

God of Death, Travel, and Transitions.

Symbols include a beckoning bell, and a tongue of flame in his halo.  He leads souls upon death.

Figures of Transiebat are also often incense holders.

Those who go to travel to other clans often ring a bell upon arrival to indicate peaceful intentions.  This is not to be violated.

Bottom: God Caedes

God of Malevolence and War

Figure is always a knife, to which one priest whets with their own blood to keep the god content daily.

Those who call upon Caedes in war surrender their immortal souls to Caedes upon death.

[small-lost-rat]

Rats (Headcanons)

I’m not going to go into a *rant* about my opinions of the Rats’ initial designs.  I am just going to put up the Wiki page and bullet points of what I noticed, and let the tags tell you.

Rats: Borderlands Wiki

Rat Concept Art By Gearbox

Rats (Canon)

Cannibals (and enjoy this very much so)

Thieves and obsessed with loot

In some sort of cult.

Called Rats and are treated as Vermin

Look at the face...  Hooked nose.... 

Live in caves/mine tunnels, in toxic/filthy conditions

Jubilee, by Mun

Rats (headcanon design)

Cannibals at around the same frequency as most beings on Pandora.

Subsistence thieves, though sometimes for sport.

Being created in a lab to prospect Eridium, many Rats also have a penchant for stones/lapidary, and thus many are talented with masonry or jewelry.

Many can ‘sense’ Eridium, often by feeling tingly in the hands or feet.

Also tend to live in caves, but always with a water source.

Religion is organized and polytheistic, with ‘Main’ and ‘Regional’ Rat Gods.

Clean, using water and soap to wash hands and face every time they come home and before eating and bathing regularly.

Rat features came from being spliced in the labs with rat DNA, and even if they cross with ‘normal’ humans, the Rat features can take several generations to fade. 

[small-lost-rat]

2021 redraw of Jubilee

May wake up this blog again, who knows

[thoodleoo]

im really in love with the ancient greco-roman artistic tradition of making lil figurines of just. mice having a Snack

[cypric-rat-hyperfixation]

Hey, you. I... I couldn't help but notice you are having a rough day... May I offer you some snuggie rats in consolation?

[thecorefather]

some heartwarming content

[small-lost-rat]

@littlestlabrat​

[small-lost-rat]

@truxicanfalconer

“I heard you crying.”  Jubilee’s voice was small and timid.

He had been passed from family to family in the settlement the Crimson raiders guarded, but no one seemed to want him long-term.

But for now, Jubilee was far more concerned about Mordecai.

[small-lost-rat]

@followxme

Jubilee had never been to a place like this before.  But, it was supposed to be a nice, carefree day for him to play and have some fun.

Some of the kids were nice, but a few others, and their parents, shunned him for looking strange.  Sure, his features made him look like a literal rat, and he dressed however he damn well pleased.  Jubilee found himself enamored by the pinball machine, but then noticed something underneath it.

A glove?

[small-lost-rat]

Picture by Gemworks

Commissioned at Zipcon 2020

Jubilee and @ashowofmoxxi ‘s Foxxi Moxxi

[percy-phone]

*shows you a picture of a rat*

*shows you a picture of a rat*

*shows you a picture of a rat*

*shows you a picture of a rat*

*shows you a picture of a rat*

[littlestlabrat]

Jubilee had not been seen for a time, until now. His hair had grown out into soft curls, and he was looking a lot better. He found some garnets and brought a few to Cosi.

Cosi turned and looked to him, blinking a little when he offered her the stones. “Uhh…” she was very unsure about taking them after hearing how some rats offer stones as a gift of affection. She bit her lip and smiled some. “Th-thank you?”

@small-lost-rat

[small-lost-rat]

“I got lotssss, sssso I ssshare.  That’sss all.  You did a lot for me.  Thisss isss for thanksss,” Jubilee clarified.

These were nicely-sized garnets, and Jubilee knew where to find more.  He was making a decent living finding and selling raw stones.

[littlestlabrat]

Cosi smiled and nodded taking them and purring softly. “Thank yousss. Isss glad to be of help!” she grinned and placed them in her pocket save for one which she examined. “You are okay, yesss?”

[small-lost-rat]

“Yesss...  I make a living now.  I am looked after.  Can avoid Banditssss.”  Jubilee grinned.  “Gemsss and itemsss.  I find and sssell.”  However, Jubilee did have a rather large knife now to defend himself.  “Rat named Grandma Abalone looksss after me.  She worksss for Mad Moxxi.”

[littlestlabrat]

Jubilee had not been seen for a time, until now. His hair had grown out into soft curls, and he was looking a lot better. He found some garnets and brought a few to Cosi.

Cosi turned and looked to him, blinking a little when he offered her the stones. “Uhh…” she was very unsure about taking them after hearing how some rats offer stones as a gift of affection. She bit her lip and smiled some. “Th-thank you?”

@small-lost-rat

[small-lost-rat]

“I got lotssss, sssso I ssshare.  That’sss all.  You did a lot for me.  Thisss isss for thanksss,” Jubilee clarified.

These were nicely-sized garnets, and Jubilee knew where to find more.  He was making a decent living finding and selling raw stones.

[ashowofmoxxi]

small-lost-rat‌:

Jubilee was uneasily dozing, but woke up when Abalone let Zed in.  He backed up, hissing in puffs.  Abalone calmed him, reassuring the boy that he was safe.

While Zed worked, there were a few words that would be repeated over and over.

Neglect

Trauma

Maltreatment.

Jubilee was afraid to be touched, and Abalone had to gently hold him so Zed could look at him.  His claws had been chopped to the quick, and one was getting infected.  Jubilee squeaked out and cried, confused and scared as his vitals were taken, despite understanding what was being told to him.

He was worried he would soon be someone else’s Loot Rat.

“Moxxi, mind helping?” Abalone asked, her attempts to comfort Jubilee unable to calm the squeaking boy.  He was clearly afraid of Zed, and lashed out when a skin scraping was taken for culture.

Moxxi followed Zed into the room quietly, watching how the boy reacted to the presence of the doctor. If she could have, she would have asked for him to leave. But they had to check the boy out and make sure he was going to be alright. So she bit her tongue and steeled herself to get this over and done with so then the boy could relax.

The words that came out of the doctor’s mouth as he worked made the vixen feel sick. But she was glad she had ended the Nomad who had done such things to the boy. She didn’t want to think what could have happened to him had she stood back and done nothing. But Moxxi had never been one to just leave a kid suffering like how he had been.

When Abalone mentioned her name, the fox shifted over, crouching down, not wanting to seem like a threat. Her movements were slow, voice soft, needing him to focus on her instead of the doctor, reaching the back of her hand out towards him to show she wasn’t going to grab him.

“Hey, hey, shhh, you’re alright. You’re safe. That Nomad isn’t gonna harm you ever again. I will not let anyone harm you while you are here under my care. You’re ok. We’re gonna get you all healthy and happy, alright. I promise, you will be ok.”

[small-lost-rat]

When it was all over, Jubilee shivered and squeaked in Moxxi’s arms, a child needing the love of a mother.  Zed cautioned that the rashes could be contagious, but Abalone crossly hushed him.

Over the next few days, Jubilee cautiously started exploring his new room.  His skin was pink from the medicated calamine painted onto the rashes to ease the itching and kill the source of the rash.

He enjoyed seeing Moxxi visit him every few hours to check up on him and make sure he was safe.  Still, he seemed too nervous to say anything to her.  Jubilee was grateful for the meals Abalone made to slowly get his appetite back.

All was well, until there was a loud yelling from the bar.

“MAD MOXXI!  I HEARD YOU ADOPTED A SON!  CONGRATULATIONS ON BEHALF OF TORGUE!  WHERE IS HE?  I BROUGHT GIFTS!”

[balacaliente]

(small-lost-rat) Jubilee had managed to fell a young Skag. Noticing Mordecai and Talon, the boy dragged his kill over, "Share?" The boy was thankful that Mordecai had saved him previously. The Skag pup's tongue poked out from its mouth.

Mordecai recognized the small Rat, so he didn’t recoil when he dragged the skag over.“Thanks but I ain’t hungry.” Talon, on other hand, was already on the ground, trying to tip the skag’s tongue out of its mouth.

[balacaliente]

small-lost-rat‌:

“Thankssss…”  Jubilee took a few sips, careful not to touch his mouth to the flask.  But what he really needed was shelter, someplace safe.

He dug around in his things, and offered.  “If you keep me until I get better, I will be usssseful.  Here are sssome thingsss I found”  He showed Mordecai some semi-precious rocks, a few small weapons, Bloodwing feathers, and a small chunk of Eridium.

“Don’t think many people’d like t’keep you ‘round Sanctuary. No worries, that li’l camp’s right near Sanctuary, ‘n Audrey’s a friend o’mine. You can come up and visit whenever you like.” Mordecai took the offered gifts and placed them in one of his satchels.

[small-lost-rat]

The sick Rat nodded, and went to follow Mordecai to the camp, in hopes they’d care for him until he got better.