If I have borrowed your OC you can obvs request me to adjust so that:
I stop using them entirely
I can only use them as cameo background appearances with credit
I can use them as a character with speaking and all (tell me about your OC i wish to know all the things please. Lore dump on me. Tell me things)
Our first Scout Point! The Flowerbed Fortress located in 1-3 is a large structure. As with almost every other Scout Point you will find multiple factions / multiple different teams that have agreed to a ceasefire within the grounds. Sometimes it's just a quick stop for fuel or other business. Other times some remain for a long period of time. There is no set duration of stay required.
More headcannon lore / worldbuilding below the cut
Each Scout Point is named according to obvious landmarks as a naming convention. These Scout Points were originally used as tracking markers for the Hell explorations. There are some, however, that do not follow this naming structure. These were either created in later expeditions or for a particular event or phenomenon that occur(s) in the area.
A Scout Points' size varies, but generally the rule of thumb is the higher up you are, the larger it can be. Upper levels tend to be more developed for additional functions such as testing and documentation back up archives. Deeper levels tend to be smaller and more heavily fortified; based more on function and practicality. Their information centers and relays are the most secure areas of the Scout Point as that is the primary function for their expeditions.
The number of Scout Points can vary on each layer as further explorations occurred. Sometimes there may be a primary Scout Point with satellite bases scattered about. Other times there may be multiple larger or more heavily fortified ones depending on circumstances and so on and so forth.
The Scout Points would be vital resources as the Hell Explorations and Mining endeavors were underway. They've served as a point of safety for machines and formerly Humans. In more recent times, the Streetcleaners have started to completely overtake many of them due to their cooperative nature giving them a numbers advantage. Thus they remove other machines that had formerly cooperated and taken shelter there. However, there are points that exist with mixed machine types and or entirely taken over by other particular types of machine.
For Streetcleaners in particular, as time has progressed, requests for parts or resources or etc often requires a trade of information recently observed so as to keep updated logs of developments throughout the layers. If new or uncommon information is reported, there tends to be more allocated to the request. If there is more common knowledge or little to nothing to report, the request will be fulfilled in a smaller quantity if at all depending on the Scout Point's resource status.
Knowledge is power and a Scout Point can be a vital hub of activity and trade... sometimes...
Also: Me looking at the collection of OCs I've been gathering and scooping up
[EDIT: tired me is no longer allowed to post pages late at night. Just fixed the speech bubble formats to be correct for who is speaking for the XAL units]
Oh hey you know... Waster doesn't always get immediately run off. Older Units with more experience in Hell tend to get rank over other newer machines unless there is significant technological advantages the newer machines have. (Learos is a newer model than XALSOO if you look at the numbers in their names and so "younger".)
Wonder what XALSOO has up their theoretical sleeve...
[Edit: dang it late night me forgot the extra blue boxes. I might get an edited page with them in it tonight. If you don't know about that my scrap comic has them and explains]
[Edit 2: Fixed it lol]
New Machines!
Intros are mostly going to follow that info layout I think. Kind of like Machine recognizing Machine and streetcleaners being a hivemind as they are. I also decided to adjust the visual language of the street cleaner's text. The Group Chat / Streetcleaner Hivemind is only the blue and typical local speech for all machines will be a yellow.
World building info and notes about XAL units below
More worldbuilding info can be found HERE
Please keep in mind that the only things to regard as true in relation to this are what I say about Waster and Streetcleaner society in general. The OCs from other Users featured in the post do not officially subscribe to any of my headcannons about them but do illustrate different ways to interpret my headcannons in application.
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XAL units
Extra Armor Loadbearer [XAL] units primarily carry extra fuel either for their own use or to distribute as needed. They also are capable of carrying / moving heavier weights than typical Streetcleaners. They typically are of the Defender Batch Types as they often were assigned to be placed at Scouter Checkpoints.
Scouter Checkpoints were established as basic supply stations for Streetcleaner Scouts as they progressed through early Hell Exploration Assignments. Defender Streetcleaners, remaining at these points often, helped assist with building up and reinforcing them to become more formidable structures. It is worth noting that Defender Batch Types were not exclusively assigned to Scouter Checkpoints and functions can vary.
XAL units role as a supplier makes them often targets. The extra thick armor helps keep them going and withstand more or heavier attacks. This applies to Post Humanity times as well. Fuel is a valuable resource and so it is quite dangerous for those who have more than others.
It is more common to find them in Limbo due to the relatively peaceful nature of the Layer. The primary residents being Streetcleaners helps to protect them due to Streetcleaner's having a high priority on maintaining Scout Teams.
That said... Waster is a known risk. The waste of fuel, over destructive tendencies as result, and risk of being in association with Swordsmachine gives pause to extending any team up invitations. XALSOO and Learos talking in the group chat about Waster being spotted out and about and confirming if they are alone alerts others of their team (and thus all Streetcleaners on the Layer) to these facts. Waster is aware of this broadcasting and they do not acknowledge it.
Still, being alone isn't enough to push Waster into acceptance. They are still a danger and wasteful of precious resources they are in charge of. Plus, that's their destroyed teammate Waster is savaging from...
Also, Artfight 2026 Freindly Fire! First attack goes to you lol
New appearance and our first glimpse into what that alternate path is! XALSOO has ideas and is just diving straight into it. They know there is a limited amount of time they have to get this hook out there given that reaction from Waster. It's almost like they recognize ASR-1 from somewhere (like this short comic mayhaps lol)
Worldbuilding notes and rambles beneath courtesy cut along with explination of that if formula
Convenience link: Post with the notes about XAL units is HERE incase anyone wants a refresher on them.
XAL SPEECH
You may have noticed that the XAL units have pretty extensive vocal capabilities. Since XAL units were intended to be more stationary and defensive units, it was anticipated they were going to last longer than many other streetcleaner units. Thus, it was anticipated that they would be a more regular point of contact and communication for the human operatives. This lead to them being given more advanced vocal capacity than others.
However, you still see them speaking machine like and much like a series of operations being run as opposed to full human fluidity of speech. They were still intended to be more disposable as scouts and thus didn't get the premium package so to 'speak'.
If you can't tell I enjoy abusing my limited excel/google sheets formula knowledge to help give more machine vibes to their communication. So XALSOO said
Basically that is a bastardized formula that translates to
If they're not here, we'll search limbo 1-4 to bring them back to Flowerbed Fortress. If they are here, we can just continue on. Otherwise, if they're not here and we can't find them, we'll figure that out when we get there.
ASR-1 SPEECH
ASR-1 is noted to have a much more limited vocal capacity and uses some basic sign language and gestures when needed to help communicate. Luckily though, with other streetcleaners, the "hivemind" kind of sync they all share helps him to speak more directly.
I liked the idea of representing ASR-1's speech with a sort of "degraded" version of the chat text than the more functional units. ASR-1 Will scavenge and repurpose parts from other machines so I can imagine their vocal system has been affected along the way. Kind of like the equivalent of an accent for a machine I'd guess? At least in my headcannon here (Prism feel free to yell at me if I'm way off track lmao)
ASR-1 is a scavenger and modifies himself. It will make use of other machine's assets to conserve its own fuel and he has a habit of using his flamethrower as a club more than a gun. THIS sums up Waster's feelings on this
OTHER
Why yes. That is a deconstructed mindflayer that ASR-1 is digging through. It's part of why they're hanging out at Flowerbed Fortress as it's a reliably more calm scout point and gives ASR-1 plenty of time to be left alone as he digs through possible useful bits and bobs.
Why yes. This is being counted as an ART FIGHT FRIENDLY FIRE >8D because I'm taking the cheap shot while I can since I will be out of town for a week just as it starts so I have no idea when else I might be able to get some art fight work in lol
"Scrap"
[Page 6] /// [Here] /// [WIP]
Read from the start [Here]
Ayyyyy splash page~ Since Scrap is getting a new color and shake up of what it will encompass for side stories and small shenanigans, I thought it'd be good to make a sort of checkpoint for it
OC credits and who is who below courtesy cut!
I tried to grab as many streetcleaner OCs as I could remember having found/drawn before for a group pic of some fun. If your OC is here and you'd prefer I not include them in any comic pages just let me know!
From top left moving across and then resetting down to the next row from the left
Swordsmachine [Copy] - Me!
ASR-1 - @prismsoup
EMJMM - @polumesyatsgay
Noop - @sansmeanswithout
Solitude - @tryrantula
XALSOO - Me!
Petrol & Helios - @misfirewizard
Ember - @lordboo
Learos, Waster, Roachblooded, TorpenHell, and HellDar - Me!
My brain really digs these firebugs and I am consistently wanting to lift the rock up and see what they're scurrying about doing lol
Noop and EMJMM are just having a good time.
I entirely see Solitude having issues with ASR-1 not USING the flamethrower and instead just hitting people with it.
Petrol and Helios are chilling with Ember who has stickers for all.
XALSOO and Learos are just looking at each other wondering how some of these folks are still alive. Waster just striking a pose lol and Roachblooded, TorpenHell, and HellDar on a trip with Roachblooded being alert to keep everyone safe. And good old Swordsmachine [Copy] looming menacingly.
I'm back at it! Annealing is going to keep the red line art and scrap will have a new color moving forwards to keep things more differentiated and easier to follow at a glance.
Sign language will always appear inside " { } " regardless of its source so that it is consistent. I have an american sign language dictionary i got at a book sale that i am using to reference the gestures from. I will likely leave some of the hands "uncolored" if it helps the signing read better
Also @prismsoup I am taking liberties with ASR-1 in assumption of his software skills seeing as he is an adaptor subclass survivalist batch streetcleaner here. He isn't going to be writing new complex programs, but some basic yes no triggers and getting different machine components to "talk" to each other kinds of things is in his wheelhouse.
Waster is SSOOOO in agreement that it's bad luck. Yup.(Waster runs out of social tolerance capabilities for partnerships faster than ASR-1 does and often tries to get rid of the perceived "threat" when that time comes.)
I decided not to be hard on myself as this is supposed to be a low pressure fun thing with no real standards so after being so busy IRL have a text heavy page lol
But heeeyyyyy look at that. We're being invited to go see other Streetcleaners. Wonder what Machines are hanging out at the base~
