I usually don't interact with fandoms enough to create an OC but Stray has me in a chokehold so YAAAY
This is SnAIder, an AU version of Snyder but.. AI. They're some sort of journalist but they don't have anyone to report back to so honestly they're just a stalker. 😭
Their head was referenced off of B-12's cameras, but the residents of Midtown dislike them because they look like a peacemaker, and the peacemakers don't like them because they're not actually a peacemaker.
Despite being a camera head, their vision sucks because of the crack on the right side of their face. They can't get it repaired, so as a workaround they... find (COUGH) other companion heads to use and create a wider POV for themself.
More details below cut (TW just in case: SnAIder is a murderer, nothing graphic happens but I wink-wink hint-hint at it)
Snyder/SnAIder honestly try their best to do things the real way: learning how to code, use tools, etc. But often times they get frustrated studying so they cheat with dream-logic: telepathy, manifesting materials, etc.
SnAIder likes to keep interfering with the environment to a minimum (SnAIder bro, YOU KILL PEOPLE) and I'm sure they've tried to manifest a repaired lens, replace their head, manifest null-companion heads, etc. but because they don't do their homework none of those things work properly.
Even worse is technically they only needed one companion head for full vision, but for whatever reason all heads get damaged on their right side once they're in SnAIder's possession. Eventually SnAIder goes crazy about this and keeps collecting more heads to makeup for lost POVs (that they don't even really NEED).
Anyway back to dream-logic, they don't use wires like Zbalthazar, it's a closed system (telepathy). Technically I don't think Elliot would be able to repair any of SnAIder's captured heads, but it would be really cool if he could. Also Zbalthazar being able to interfere with SnAIder's independent system is wildly funny to me. (as you can see, I do as much research about computer science as SnAIder does, aka none)
I was gonna talk more about the logistics behind SnAIder in the Stray universe but dream-logic breaks if you think about it too hard, so I'm gonna stop here. 😭
Redid SnAIder's ref because they didn't want to wear the hat I gave them. I wonder why, it's my gardening hat... oh right, they don't have access to the outside. HAHAHA anyways-
I wouuuuld make short lore snippets that are posted every once in a while so they're easier to digest, buuuuut I don't have the patience for that, so BIG FAT MEGA POST IT IS!
Below cut is a basic ("basic") outline I made after the May 28th dream I had but I forgot to write it down until now.
Oh also just in case, I put a picture of body horror SnAIder because I thought it was cool.
Yay!
Okay moving on-
Part 0: The Assignment
Snyder/SnAIder is a journalist. Other eldritch-journalists submit their assignments via the stars. However, Snyder has been put on some sort of auto-submit program because their boss thought it would be easier for them.
Snyder doesn't really like this and wants to be like everyone else, so they request that they be able to use the star system during their next mission. Their boss is reluctant, but since it's technically possible (cough) they allow it.
They send Snyder to the Stray universe and all of Snyder's submissions to their boss can only be done via the stars.
COUGH
Part 0.5: B-12
SnAIder stumbles into the Inside Of The Wall. They see the cat family and notice the broken pipe. With a snap of their fingers, the pipe is magically fixed and the cat family live happily ever after.
:)
This has nothing to do with the rest of the story, I just wanted B-12 to suffer for absolutely no reason.
Part 1: Midtown
After some more stumbling around, SnAIder finds a gap in the wall and makes their way to Midtown. They're given odd looks by both residents and peacemakers alike, but SnAIder doesn't pay too much mind and settles in.
SnAIder starts out their job how they normally would, jotting down their observations while interfering with the environment as little as possible. However, most bots aren't comfortable with someone staring at them from the shadows across the room. (their vision is also garbage and they often have to keep inching closer anyways)
SnAIder tries making general conversation, but residents think they're a peacemaker trying to pry information out of them and peacemakers think they're trying to impersonate them.
Overall, they're not having a very good time in Midtown.
Part 2: The Realization
It's time for SnAIder to submit their crappy notes to their boss!
What's that? Walled City 99 has walls and SnAIder can't use the star system to submit their work?
And they can't communicate with their boss until they leave their assigned universe?
And there's no way of leaving the Stray universe unless SnAIder reaches the submission quota?
Fantastic!
Part 3: Murder Murder!
Part 3 was SnAIder's original flat concept before I decided to expand on it, so the transition story-wise isn't all that smooth.
Basically, SnAIder goes serial killer mode because they're sick of being bullied by Midtown. Also since their vision sucks and it makes gathering observations difficult, they use the dead companion heads to widen their own POV so they can take better notes.
Originally SnAIder just destroys Walled City 99 like Godzilla, which is technically still an option, but I've decided to give the story a bit more depth before we get there.
Part π: Zbaltazar
Technically SnAIder can use their dream-logic to see through the heads, but whenever possible SnAIder tries their best to do things the normal way. They probably studied a bit of coding as a foundation and then used dream-logic for whatever they couldn't understand.
And because of this, they managed to catch the attention of...
Zbaltazar! (yay!)
Zbaltazar and SnAIder definitely have beef, but I wouldn't be surprised if SnAIder at some point starts treating Zbalt like their boss, sharing their notes, thoughts, ideas... and Zbalt just sits there trying to figure out what to do with this weird serial killer.
One day during SnAIder's and Zbaltazar's usual skirmishes, Zbalt tells SnAIder to stop their serial killer nonsense and leave Midtown (which they did a million times...).
"Wha- that's an option?"
"..."
SnAIder never realized that Midtown literally sits above the other sections of the city. No this isn't inspired by the fact that Sneeze never realized this until their 3rd playthrough (cough).
Anyways, SnAIder literally just dives off the Midtown ledge and into the rest of the city below.
Part 4: Dead End
SnAIder crashes into Dead End but they're fine because they're technically invincible, and guess who they meet...
Doc! (yay!)
He's happy to finally see another bot, but he doesn't know how to leave Dead End due to the zurks (SnAIder doesn't appear to be as nimble as the cat). SnAIder can easily take care of the zurk problem but they don't want to reveal themselves as an eldritch being, so they lay low for the time being.
Snyder/SnAIder actually knows a good deal about animals and anatomy due to their previous adventures/disguises. With their knowledge about biology and the Outside, I assume SnAIder and Doc would become good friends.
Anyways, eventually SnAIder convinces Doc they'll be fine handling the zurks and they essentially run through the entire in-game Dead End chapter.
Part 5: The Slums
Yay everyone is so happy to see Doc! They are also very very very unhappy with seeing SnAIder. SnAIder's thoughts race, and they run off to go hide in a quiet corner.
"I just arrived here! Is it my face? Or do they know? What if they know?? How do they know?! I thought there was no communication!"
Well you see, Momo has built up the courage to try and find a way to contact his friends. He found the notebooks, fixed up the transceiver, and...
Zbalt is a snitch.
That's it (for now)
And just like with OG Snyder's story, we have a cliffhanger!
To be honest, the easiest ending option for me would be the godzilla ending, but I kinda like where all this is going so I'll leave it open.
Also similar to OG Snyder's story, I'd like to explore the concept of "character is invincible except for the very thing they created". In the OG story, Snyder placed an ice curse on someone and that person made a knife from one of the ice shards. It'd be really cool if the mirror equivalent here was Elliot and Zbaltazar find a way to fix SnAIder's assimilated companion heads and did... something.
