I drew this during new years! It's a redraw of the bunnyboy noah i drew last year... but yeah i think i did a lot better this time! His thighs... goo... ill put the old one under the cut :3 at this rate it's gonna be a yearly tradition
Because i went past the word count on the last one... oops... same tws.
Victor has been trying to make a cure but to no avail because everything's just infected and disgusting. Not a sterile surface in sight. Can't make heads from tails out of the biomass.
When the residents finally find him, he realizes he never had a chance of making the cure. He's begging them to save him but he can't be saved. He sees the creature and goes enranged because if it weren't for it, he wouldn't have had continued doing it because he was successful (classic Victor putting the blame on everyone else...)
He gets enraged enough that he goes full mutant mode, taking a little piece of each Nepe Zombie. 701's ribbons that come from her body, Raven's wings, EL's teeth, Atlas' relaxant, Siren's hallucinogen, and Nameless' roaring.
Everyone has to help kill him now. Justine is in tears doing it because that's her childhood friend goddamit!!! But he's no longer the person she knew
Noah's so happy/j. He feels bad bc this is his student but at the same time what the fuck man.
They let Ben free to attack Victor but he nearly loses himself to the infection...
Noah does manage to figure out a sort of vaccine which cant reverse the damage, but definitely help stop it/clear it out of someones system. Using the strain in Creature which has since stabilized further, hes able to inoculate everyone on the team.
Now it's just a matter of introducing it to the world.
Bens condition has been halted but his body is more gelatinous/sensitive, meaning theyll have to take care of him. Theyre more than happy to bc at least hes not dead :3
YIPPEEEEE Happy ending
Now you guys may be wondering why everyone lives... bc i want them too but also considering Thy Creature is a zombie apocalypse adjacent story and the residents survived that ordeal. I think they would survive this one.
Redid this entire fic at 4,131 words </3. Cw for blood and corpses and spoilers below the cut
It would have been a lie to say it started out normal.
The first day had started normally at least. It was the end of September and Noah was to count his finances.
–
September revenue: 500
Expenses: 50
Orphanage support funds: 200
Birchwood purchase: 150
Maze flower purchase: 10
–
That would have left him with 90 to keep for himself.
The tower was its own secluded society. It felt strange as to how he knew everyone. However once a body came in, he couldn't recognize it, even in its perfectly intact state.
Perhaps it was best he didn't recognize them, so as to not form… attachments.
Noah was surprised by the profit he made from it. He prided himself for performing up to standards. Even more so as he provided his luxurious services at a lower cost. His coffins were handmade by him with some assistance. The grandeur of the designs however was of his own creativity. Lilies were picked and arranged by him from his own secret source. Even after a week they would still hold the same sweet scent. A fashionable way of sending your loved ones to their final destination.
It was all damn well worth the price, in his opinion at least. His astounding generosity went as far as to provide discounts. Reserve for two and get a discount on coffins! Over the age of 50? A burial piece with the blessing of an apostle comes free!
Might as well have been selling modern-day indulgences. Realistically his practices were predatory.
He'd come to them at their desperate hours only to pull out a spreadsheet listing the cost of each service. He'd dab their tears away with a handkerchief, the illusion of a gentleman cracking once he said "free of charge" with a soft smile. Perhaps he shouldn’t have been charging his prices for a tender event such as a funeral.
All for a good cause however. 40% of his profits were going to the Winston Orphanage he so dearly cherished. He wasn’t heartless either, he respected the stories of the people he was to send off. Each one was notable in one way or another. The least he could do was send them off with style.
That was why when the first body disappeared, he had been left aghast.
The gas lamps had been closed and the door shut locked with his key. All the Nepis had left the area to gather elsewhere.He would come back in the morning as he always did.
It was secured, each tool and sheet of paper would stay where he last left them.
At least, that was what he thought.
"Unbelievable." He was left at a loss for words. His warm hand held the cold knob, only to be met with looseness.
It wasn't broken, far from it. But it was open, it was deliberate. Someone had picked the lock. He damn well knew he locked it, clear as day. He never went careless.
Noah half-expected to get attacked if he was to see what was behind the door. He shook away the silly paranoia in his mind before pushing it open.
Everything was in its place, the sheets intact and the tools unbothered. It was all normal, except for the morgue door cracked ajar.
They did not…
No goddamn way.
When the realization hit, he couldn't help but dash to the other side of the room and into the morgue. The store was already small as is, a few steps would lead one across, but time was money. And Noah had already lost much.
The light blue glow of the maze flowers illuminated the decrepit room. Just barely however. Noah shakily readjusted his glasses before opening the doors of the first column of corpses. He didn't have to look much longer as the second row had yielded empty results. 3 missing corpses he didn’t even have time to look over.
Those were new arrivals…
The only thing Noah could do was lean his forehead against the wall. What on Earth happened? Who the hell dragged 3 corpses out? Even if they hadn’t succumbed to rigor mortis yet, they were still bodies weighing over 80 kilograms. And to carry out three? What sort of madman would do such a thing? Unless they were as built as Noah himself, they could have had some sort of assistance. Either way, he would have their heads over this.
Unless, they were those damned bastards that sold the bodies for reasons he didn’t wish to care for.
That would be an inquiry he has for later.
How was he to explain the disappearance to the families? They weren't going to give him money for services that wouldn't even proceed. He was to either find those corpses or break the news to them. He couldn't decide just yet.
It was a goddamn marvel, 3 corpses in 1 night?
Thankfully they had not touched the 19 year old male nor the 16 year old female. The second specimen would have raked in extra for autopsy charges. Even then, Noah felt his hand tinge in pain from the way he was clenching the small knob.
Whoever this was, he would make them pay.
But first, he would have to write a complaint on the management board. He was a vital part of the tower's ecosystem, they couldn't let such a hindrance to his services just get by! While he was there, he might as well have written an inquiry on hypothetical body stealers. He could check back again tomorrow.
He had a chance to salvage the bodies if he found them now. Surely the thief wouldn't come back? Perhaps he would catch them in the act if they did.
—
The second time it had happened, Noah cursed his own pride.
His complaint to management would take a while for them to look over. Meanwhile he would have to wait patiently, hoping the thief wouldn't come back.
It was a productive day of securing purchases and Nepis biting at papers. But the matter of the stolen corpses was still on his mind. How would he break it to the families? His reputation as a sleazy businessman had finally come back to bite him. There was a risk of being accused of stealing and selling the bodies. It wasn’t a far off possibility, but he would not be the one to do such an act. He had standards.
No one else was as comfortable with the dead as he was. That was why he was their resident mortician.
And that was why he never would have assumed this event would occur. The uneasy thoughts plagued his mind as he snuffed the gas lamps.
Even with his groggy focus in the morning, he knew the blood stains trailing to his store was no illusion. His hand met the loose knob once again.
Unbelievable.
The skid marks continued past the door and all the way to the morgue. Whoever it was had gotten sloppy.
All the suspense from the first day was nearly gone, he knew what would await him as soon as he checked. Even with his better judgment, he still followed the trail of blood into the morgue. Curiously enough, with the dim light of the flowers, he spotted no marks in the morgue itself. Almost as if the corpse was punctured in the storage room before being dragged out.
Noah never planned to carry a funeral for a person he had killed. Right about now he was reconsidering.
It was the same song and dance, opening each storage unit until one was uncharacteristically empty.
The culprit was inexperienced enough to take the bodies closest to the door. Yet the singular body they had taken sent Noah into shock.
The 19 year old male was gone. 30 marks or more down the drain.
The culprit had gotten cocky enough to come back for more.
Enough was enough. Management wouldn't do much for him, he would have to take matters into his own hands. He wouldn't have the opportunity to install a lock just yet, but the order was placed that very day. The thief was experienced in picking locks, his key was practically useless at that point.
A combination lock however couldn't be cheated. After all, there were more than 10,000 possible combinations. Unless the thief was to go through the trouble of going through all of them, it would be secure. They didn't seem to be the aggressive type either. If they didn't smash his doorknob into pieces then they wouldn't smash the combination either.
The rest of his work day consisted of scrubbing down the blood stains to the best of his ability. The management board yielded no results either, the news of the robbery shocked everyone as much as him. He received a few estranged looks, presumably because they had assumed him to be the robber. But a simple alibi from people who had seen him that night would dispel their suspicions. Whoever the culprit was, he would make them pay in more than money. If he could think of a proper punishment that is.
Could they not have been more careful? The blood seeped into the cracks of the floorboards and just wouldn't get out. He could only imagine what the body looked like as it scraped across the wood. Then there was the matter of telling the families. He hadn't told the first three what had happened to their dearly beloveds quite yet.
The combination lock would arrive the next day and the only thing he could do was to board up the door for now. The birchwood he had purchased was for the construction of coffins, but the criminal had made him waste his money already. At this point Noah had no other choice but to throw more marks down the drain. Reluctantly he nailed the planks to the morgue door. This was getting ridiculous.
It was the same as always, closing the lights and locking the door. It wouldn't have made much of a difference if he left the door open either. The thief would come back to rob him blind.
Noah was lucky he didn't get his other belongings snatched. Yet those bodies were his only source of income. The thief might as well have stolen his pouch for the same effect.
On the third morning, Noah wished he took his glasses off. The bloodstained trail was back.
The thief had decided Noah was compliant with their robberies. If they hadn't broken the doorknob with a rock, Noah could have with the way he gripped it. The force was enough to rip the knob clean off the wood.
Planks had been left discarded on the floor. Not broken into pieces, merely the nails were ripped out. Either way, it sent Noah into rage.
The open door was practically a mockery. As if he was as forgiving enough to look over how the planks were not replaced. Forgiving enough to let the bodies be stolen. Forgiving enough to let them come back.
The 16 year old female with an unidentified death was gone. Along with that, a 56 year old male had disappeared. This case had now cost him more than 300 from the lost bodies to the wood used. The dimly lit room only served to worsen his mood.
That day was spent on the locksmith, cleaning the blood, and writing yet another report. He was dancing around the issue for far too long. He would catch that thief hook, line and sinker.
The lock had been installed with his combination and his daily rituals were carried out; they were more performative than usual, as if to welcome the intruder back. Why yes he was closing the lamps and organizing for their convenience so as to not knock into any obstacles while dragging his corpses out. It was all clean for his special little guest.
Noah scoffed to no one in particular.
Whoever this was must've known who he was at least. If they didn't, Noah may as well punch their lights out. He was not a violent man, but his occupation was important to him. His purpose was to send people off with grace, and the profits went to his beloved home. He had a reason to fight for; by extension, live for.
He quietly chuckled to himself before locking the door to his store with his key. It was time for a stakeout. Noah was quite the chatterbox, to Justine’s chagrin, but he could also be stealthy. After turning the corner, he hid in the darkness amongst the barrels, a small maze flower lantern keeping him company.
A few hours past 8 pm and the stakeout was of no success. Noah considered calling it a day and hoping for the best. No one even came around these parts during this time. His eyes were starting to strain from the dimness of the corridor. He had gone elsewhere for a few breaks, and the culprit hadn't come to his room quite yet. The locked handle indicated so at the very least.
Just as he was about to leave, he could hear the sound of footsteps from the hallway across. The fact that his stakeout wasn't for nothing was enough to nearly make him shake the barrels in anticipation.
Got you, bastard!
If he had half his self control, this would've been the moment he popped out and slammed the culprit to the ground. His heart nearly beat out of his chest in irritation.
This was the moronic bastard that was going to run him to the ground. This was the selfish bastard that was siphoning away funds for the orphanage. This was the irresponsible bastard that did as they wished.
The burglar clicked around before picking the lock in no time. They had gotten too comfortable with the routine.
If Noah had half the patience, he would have taken them by the wrists and thrown them out by then.
Nevertheless the thief had stepped foot into his territory, past the files and coffins and towards the morgue. Noah crept up behind, side grazing against the door frame. That long black hair… Oh he knew this bastard.
"Dammit." The criminal's hand fidgeted with the lock to no avail. Noah couldn't help but smirk at his victory. And thus he couldn't help the words slipping from his mouth.
"Oh? Victor?" He asked with a clueless lilt. Really he was the one farthest from clueless.
"Shit- Noah-" Victor looked behind, head turning with enough force to snap it off his neck, he was done for. All formality abandoned in the act as he let go of the lock and hid his hands behind his back. His yellow eyes met Noah's icy blue ones.
So he did know who Noah was. That would be one less verbal beating for later.
All dignity had been abandoned too. The long black coat that normally dangled across his shoulders had been discarded. He was left with his vest and his white button up, rolled up to his elbows, was stained with all sorts of fluids. He looked absolutely disgusting. Now that Noah thought of it, he had heard from Hanna that Victor was holed up in his room for quite some time. He didn't pay it no mind till now.
"I will pretend I didn't hear that. What brings you to my lovely establishment?" Phase one of the interrogation had started. Even when he placed his lantern down and turned on a singular gaslamp on the wall, his gaze hadn't left Victor at all.
"Well I-"
"I came here because I forgot my ledger, see?" Noah pulled it out of his pocket; a blatant lie on his end, but he enjoyed toying with his catch.
"But if you are in need of my service, I will graciously oblige." Victor knew he was caught red handed, Noah's teasing words only unnerved him further. As if he was expecting a confession when he damn well knew what had happened.
"Has your loved one passed? Oh dear oh dear. Do you need an autopsy? A procession? If there's two I can give you a deal.~" Noah stepped in closer with every sentence. Victor was left with nowhere else to go but to back into the morgue door, lock jamming against his lower back. He was only shorter than Noah by 8 centimeters, but Noah's calm smile and pressing words served to intimidate him. The distant light of the lamp reflected from behind his glasses.
"Or perhaps… You wanted the bodies themselves."
Victor's anxious expression stayed stationary.
"So you don't deny it." Noah placed his hand on the other man's shoulder. The grip held Victor in place, if he said the wrong excuse, he would make it hurt.
"Let me explain-"
"Get lost." The snarl came out from a saccharine sweet smile. It took everything in Noah's body to not throw the stringbean out.
"Wait! I still have them- I can buy them from you?"
"Surely, you jest." Noah gave a mocking laugh, the proposition was too ridiculous to have been serious. At least, until he looked down at Victor's uneasy frown.
"Are you kidding me?" He had abruptly stopped laughing once he realized. Was he being offered money for corpses he was to attend to?
"You- you- You're buying my corpses? The corpses given to me to host funerals for? The corpses given to me with monetary compensation? The corpses I work my ass off to clean up?"
Right then Noah had to let go of Victor, lest he crush his shoulder in his bare hand. He scoffed in disgust, not even giving the other man an opportunity to speak.
"You privileged. Aristocratic. Bastard. Do you think all your problems can be solved by money? Do you think that poorly of me? Do you think this position was handed to me? Do you think I have no self-respect? You didn’t even ask. And now? Now you’re offering payment? Do you even care where that money goes? Do you even know where any of my money goes? Do you think I take handouts just because you heard I would? Did you think you could've waltzed right in here to steal what belongs to me?
"Disgusting. Stealing corpses, this isn’t even about money. Never even giving the family any sense of closure or respect, are you even human? Not only that, you mishandled and brutalized them. No respect for the dead either? Tch."
Not only was he being taken for granted as a greedy money-grubber, there was no chance of salvaging the bodies either. The corpses given to him by grieving families wouldn’t even have a proper resting spot. Every passing minute, he found a new reason to be outraged.
"Did you think about anything? Anything at all Victor Frankenstein? With all your lofty ideas I would have assumed you knew I was losing profit from your insanity. I cannot even begin to imagine what you did to them…" Noah rubbed at his temples, he didn't want to be here anymore. Even with the oncoming headache, that wasn't all he had to say on the matter.
"Knowing you, they are all rotting away by now. See those stains on the floor you moron? That's from you."
The outburst had nearly shook his glasses right off his face. In an attempt to recompose, Noah pushed them back up with his thumb and index. What on God's green earth did Victor do to those bodies?
"You disgust me. Come back here again, I dare you. I'm sending a report to management." Noah coldly let out his last words before going to pick up his lantern. He couldn't even make his first step as Victor had pulled on his sleeve.
"No!- No… please… no… I- I apologize." It really was over for Victor. He couldn't continue his research elsewhere. This tower was…
"Cry harder, maybe then I'll pity you. Do you even know who you're apologizing to? Or even why? Get out." He didn't have anything else to say, nothing Victor could do would pique his interest in furthering the conversation.
How did such a sad man lug around 6 bodies over the span of three nights? Assumedly with no assistance or experience. Victor was tall at 180 centimeters, but not as muscular as Noah himself. Looking down at Victor’s hands certainly proved so. Smooth, but dirty. His rolled up sleeves revealed equally smooth forearms. It was a miracle as to how he managed it by himself.
"I'm sorry Noah… Please…"
He really was pathetic, eyes pleading like a lost dog. Noah thought of a solution that would somewhat satiate his rage, even if it was at the cost of his pride.
If Victor thought the consequences of his actions could be nullified with money, Noah might as well feed that fantasy. He would bleed him dry. He’ll see how a pathetic man such as Victor fares without the money he carelessly threw away.
If Victor thought of him as a cold-hearted businessman, he could take that role all the way.
"You want it your way? Fine. Compensate me for all my troubles. Those corpses cost… let's see here." He roughly jerked his sleeve away in favor of the ledger in his pocket. Opening it revealed numerous notes at risk of flying out and falling. Each note however was vital in his financing.
"The first three corpses were worth about let's say…" He hadn't thought of a price for the three, but anything to make Victor squirm would do.
"200. The 19 year old male was worth 30. The 56 year old male was worth 35. The 16 year old female was worth 15, but the autopsy was worth…" He idly counted on his fingers, making up some imaginary number to milk Victor for all he was worth. It seemed to have been working, Victor was nervously looking up at him. Noah only gave a smug smirk when coming up with an answer.
"25. And the wood you made me use was worth 30. Not to mention my new toy there hm?~" He playfully pointed at the combination lock, a legacy of Victor's shame to come.
"That was worth 140~" He couldn't help but to grin from ear to ear, the look on the other man's face was priceless.
"If we tally that up now that'll be-" the numbers all clicked together, but Noah paused just to prod at Victor even more.
"475." Noah was a natural at accounting in his head. Watching the color drain from Victor's face was incredible. Maybe his frustration was worth it for all this.
"Now to compensate for my future expenses. You may not think ahead at all, but I've considered what would happen to my business if the families you had stolen from demand compensation. Heaven forbid legal action. What should I tell them? Since your dim-witted little plan did not account for it, I might as well. For 200 more, I'll consider letting you off."
"So… for 675, would you stay silent?"
"I would certainly consider it. I know that number is pocket change for a man such as yourself." Perhaps Noah had been more scathing than he normally was. It was 12 in the morning and he was done with this nonsense.
Wordlessly Victor had taken his pouch and started counting under Noah's watchful eye. Not a single unit would be cheated from him. For all his previous reluctance, Victor had put no resistance into the bribe. Was there really something far more important than this? Important enough to defile corpses? Victor was left with 3 marks by the end. Perhaps he had more stored elsewhere, but Noah hoped to at least make a dent in Victor’s current finances.
"I would say 'pleasure doing business with you' if I wasn't utterly disgusted. This better have been a lesson in economics and humility for you. Get out you bastard, and never come back. I never want to see you again."
Noah had the final say as Victor scrambled out the entrance. The money he had made just now was enough to take a break for a whole month. However a one time payment of 675 wouldn't keep the orphanage afloat forever. It did make Noah smile to himself, a spiteful little thing but nonetheless a smile.
He just hoped never to see that worm again. Now it was a matter of what to tell those families. He had essentially just let himself be bribed into silence. Those bodies could never be found, at least not intact. The gold pieces in his hand felt filthy, but he had no other choice. At the very least it all went to Winston, his only comfort in the messy situation.
So, remember that long ass post i made abt noah thy creature characterization bc i was ill. Here to back up on my claims btw. Spoilers below, this is info i gathered from regis altares stream as i cannot play the game </3
I... i kind of miss early access thy creature. The story and the flow was just, so much more natural and endearing and calm. Like you had time to savor the residents and get to know them. There wasn't a rush. This isn't to say the new version is bad, I just enjoyed the early access much more. Specifically the introduction. The way Noah is introduced first makes him feel more personal to the creature. In the final version you meet Noah, El and Justine all together. And oh my god El.
Where do I begin. He is not a bad character, on the contrary I think hes ok. But it feels as if he took Noahs more positive traits like the kindness and selflessness. And he feels ever so slightly shoehorned in, BUT he does have an important role. Afaik he is the nepe of madness, mazm spoiled that in like previous material and shit like im assuming its supposed to be a surprise but its so obvious theyre related. But to a newcomer it would be a surprise so i wont riff on mazm too much.
So yeah we meet El in the beginning as opposed to later on. This is important because madness is the third floor boss, if they wanted the twist with El to hit, the player would have to know him since the beginning. Since early access didnt have El then, they'd have to change up the approach.
Tbh how I'd write the new version would be keeping the EA plot, BUT, introduce El in the beginning with Noah, and also develop their interpersonal relationship because it seems Noah does trust El. It would be good to develop a reason why he trusts El and also El can convince him to help the creature. It would hopefully keep the same effect as the final version where you still get to meet El in the beginning.
While we are at change, Noah feels ever so slightly flanderized from early access, its hilarious. HE LITERALLY MAKES CASH REGISTER NOISES THATS HIS SFX!!!! Its so funny it makes me laugh, mori calliopes mickey voice for him is priceless. BUT, in a story sense, flanderization is kinda, not good. Its not good to reduce characters to a singular trait as that is how they become one dimensional.
However, I am making these assumptions based on the 3 hours of gameplay i have seen, and I am not saying this is Noah in entirety. For all i know he may get development and grow as a character. I applaud mazm for their characters as that is what they mainly focus on when it comes to writing. They want memorable characters, I just dont think flanderization is the way to go.
Noah in the new version is a man that lives by the sigma grindset. He cracks a lot more mortician jokes which is rlly funny that can stay. There is also a flyer for a "evans funeral service" which gives a two in one coffin deal, sounds familiar doesnt it? If Noah's last name is "Evans" then thats a pretty clever way of revealing that. But hes far more transactional and light hearted compared to previous Noah who could be an absolute edgelord if he wanted to.
EA Noahs lines about beggars asking for free services and his more dry sarcasm conveyed a more adult vibe to him. Hes like 33 hes seen some shit. Thats not old but more like enough time for him to be thoroughly unamused by the world. His tired lines reveal just how little faith he has in anyone but himself and certain people. But then you get his memories, you see that sweeter side to him, and he gets more lighthearted and a friend to the creature. He makes jokes with the creature, he teaches it about life and new words, all sorta fun stuff.
Hes still using it, hes 100 transparent about it and he apologizes for lying to the creature about going up the tower. However, the friendship it builds with the creature feels more personal, more earned. He helped the creature not because of someone elses interference (El in the new version), but out of his own will, even if there was financial intent behind it. He was the one that tried breaking down the door and failed. He had far more of an independent role and felt like a character, not azul ashengrotto 2.0. I have joked abt Noah being an MLM salesman but I did not expect this.
When Noah got his memories back in EA, he had a strong reaction to them, and you got to learn just a bit more about him, adding depth to his character. In the new version it doesn't really feel like you're getting anything new from it. Sure the meat is in the memories, but I think the character's reactions to those memories also matters a lot. It shows how they've changed as a person, and its a subtle way of self reflection.
I feel as if because we don't know about new Noah that much yet, he does fall a bit flat. I hope that his arc does not end here! And I am sure it wont! I'm sure his story will continue even beyond floor one. Mazm is amazing at characters when it wants to be, and for a game like thy creature, i think it does want to be outstanding.
