A Few More Lore-Bits for Cruz
That's right! More stuff that I didn't think to add to the boi's info page and am instead posting last-minute since my interest has been reignited!
Just a couple days ago, I remembered how the lovely @sammys-magical-au not only made a bunch of LixianEgos, but gave each of them a pet to reference irl Lixian's cat, Cookie. Something I can't believe I forgot to include when I first came up with Cruz as a gift-character for Sammy and @inkbedou. . .
Enter Macaroon: a vague little creature that seems like a ragdoll cat at first. If you happen to look at him too closely, you'll end up catching a glimpse of something ABSOLUTELY HORRIFIC in the rough shape of a feline.
I've already said that Cruz is doing business with EldritchPlier (and, by extension, Lunky and his friends). I have way too many WIPs on my plate, but I'll definitely write about their meeting/bargaining someday. Whatever form business comes in, there's always give and take. EldritchPlier may be an affront to nature and sanity itself, but he still knows that hard work deserves compensation. And Cruz is nothing if not a hard worker.
I know Eldritch isn’t quite so developed lore-wise, but we can all agree that he’s the ruthless type. A calculating monster who’s willing to lie, cheat, steal, manipulate, do whatever it takes to get what he wants. And what he typically wants, of course, is to lure victims into opening doors for him so he can snatch them away, never to be seen again. (I personally think he does this in order to get. . .let’s say fuel for whatever is going on at Plier Corporation.)
Now, being the way I am, I’ll say that Eldritch sees his contract with Cruz as a. . .special case. You know what kind of trope I’m talking about.
“Hu̍m̠͔a̲̮̘n̨͍̓s̵̖͈ a͐͐re_̕ p̈́̊i̡t͎if̳u̷͛͟l l͍͚i̪t̰t̾ͮ͟l͉̘̞ė͜ p̢laý̳tͣh̛in̟g͙s, t͓͇ͭh_̭ͥḯ̅s on̥̋̾e̹ jͬ͞ùs͘t͙ͧ sͩe̛ͯe̲͐ms a b͘i̩ͫṫ͙͛ m̼͔͗oŗe̴̬̓ u̵͘͡s̗̒e̢͉fͧȗ̓l t̹̐͝ha͗n ȁver͍̈ag̵͙̗e̸…wa͖̗i̾t, h̎̇͂ǒ͖l̢ͮͮd̟͂ ón—GͮͮO̯ͮ̈Dͮ̚D̎A̠͌Ḿ̶̝N̊͟ IT̴͐̎ h͒e’̗͐s̝̈ͦ ả̵c̠̽tͦ̉u͊͘a͚ͤ͜ll̥ͦ̓ÿ̙́ ḵind̼ͬa͙̦ FU̇̿ͮN͖̬͐ an̨̨̔d̟ͪ CL̽͞EV̧̆E̴̯͒R͍ a̧͌n̶̖d CR̼͜EA͉̅TI̛V̲̜E f̳̏ö̠ͣr̢͢ SO̪ͥ̚M̌͊́Ḛͣ R͈͌E̋ͩÂSO̩͟Nͣ s̞ͫo I̔’̷̓l̑l̤̬ͬ k̓͐e͛̈̚e̬̰̚p̻̔ hͤi͉̳͐ṃ a͎l̡ͅive̲ at l̀eaš̩̙t f̄ͫ͜o̵ͥr a l̳i͋̅͠ttͦ͢le̯͆͗ wͯ̕h̘̦̉i͚̗̫l̘e̾ I̬ G̪͘Üͭ̿Ē̢SS̑ bͅut̟ if y̗͟ȏ̧̞u͛͠ fu̲ͦͫcͮ͌͞ḱ͎i͎ń̜g͑͊ ṭ̄͟e̵̜̭l̷̠l͔͟ a̖͑n̹ͮy̯_ o̽̅f̞ t̵͔h̃̇e ot͚͛ͥhe̼̜ṙ̠̳s͛ abǫ̞͒u͌t̸̷̀ t̬̊hi̾s I͋̌’̧l̵ḽ̨͌ sp͓͡e̡ͪ͢n͠d t͎̄hͧȅ͎͂ n̦ex̭t TḨ͈O̧̘̐U͈͍S̍͟A͝N͉D͓̘ Y̢̡ͪEͯĂ͡ͅR̮͢S͉͒ͅ t̎̒o̟͟rt̸u͑̍̾ŗ̵ï̡ͅnͬ̀g͒̂͜ y͖͈ͧoù̽̅ in̓̋ ẃ͓a͚̼ͪys̪ͨ t͒h̫̋͞a̮ͬͪt w̪ͯo̐͆ul͢d maḳe͗̊ E̓VE̟N̞̈̓ TH͓E͡ MOͪSͪ̅͆T HO̎RR̮ͯIF̧̳͑I̟̦̱C̶̯͋ Sͣ̍OU̮L̷̟̈S S̾Q̆U͍I͇ͭ͟R͉̎M̤̓̿!̻”
I've recently learned about some of the finer details in the classic old-gods-and-cosmic-horror novels. (To be clear, there's more than just the ones written by H.P. Lovecraft, who I do NOT want to reference in any of my projects. Iykyk) One example described an outer monstrosity rewarding his servants by literally ripping off a piece of his body and giving it to them. That piece would then morph into an intelligent, loyal pet to assist the servants in their duties.
This seemed creepy enough for my standards, so why not have Eldritch do something similar to give Cruz a present in the form of Macaroon? (Again, I'll try to elaborate the process with a story someday.)
So. . .yeah. Not only does Cruz mingle with abominations, he also gets to keep one as a pet! Lucky him!
Like normal cats, Macaroon can be a bit bipolar. Sometimes he's just chill and lazy, sometimes he has a temper, sometimes he's all cute and cuddly (in very unconventional ways. Remember, this is a cosmic horror in disguise we're talking about.) But whenever there's a ritual on the agenda, he's an invaluable friend to have around. . .😈
(ᴵ'ᵐ ˢᵒ ˢᵒʳʳʸ ᶠᵒʳ ʰᵒʷ ˡᵒⁿᵍ ᵃⁿᵈ ʳᵃᵐᵇˡʸ ᵗʰⁱˢ ᵍᵒᵗ 😅)