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Happy Howlentines Day!

We hope the cold has not been putting too much of a damper on the day of love, and while world extinction is certainly on the horizon, it seems the world of Mythris is offering denizens another loving surprise!

The fires scattered across the map have now begun to emit a strange, peculiar smell...and have they turned...pink? For those who had stood witness to the noxious fumes that once seeped into the northern air and soiled the once-blue-hued waters, may find themselves wary of what this new smell will bring. However, it is not a bad smell that these flames are emitting, although you do not scent a natural campfire aroma either.

Instead, miles from the flames, a floral, almost sickly-sweet smell permeates the air and travels through the cold winter wind. For some, you may grow curious and try to grow close to those rainbow colored fires. Though be warned, that if you smell too much of the sweet, candied smoke, a bizarre effect will be felt.

It will appear that these fires have now become aphrodisiacs, and for those who smell or linger too long around these fumes, will suddenly begin to feel the effects of a racing heart, a warmth in the chest, and perhaps even a sense of lovey-doviness for those around you. A love potion meant to bring you and another closer and closer together; however, if you stay too long, the smell may carry you into a world of hallucinations.

Of course, these fires aren’t all good. It’s the end of the world, after all.

These stimulating and hallucinogenic effects that come from the smoke of the fires can make you forget that time is passing around you. You may feel too good, like your body is melting, that you may even forget to eat or drink, you may feel like you want to sniff the sweet-smelling smoke more and more, but be warned of over-indulgence.

The dangerous cold is still ever-present, and if you stay too long in the frost, you may suffer the devastating effects of frostbite...or even death.

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This event will last from February 10th to March 14th, with the strongest odor exuding from the flames on February 14th.


⚄ Dice Rolls ⚄
For an extra bit of fun that is purely optional, in your threads interacting with the sweet-smelling fire, you can roll a 1d10 dice to see how long the effects of the love-potion smoke will impact your character!

1-3: *Minimal long-term effects.* One can expect dizziness, exhaustion, and a mild headache the following day after experiencing the flame's aphrodisiac effects.

4-7: *Moderate long-term effects. *One can experience a feeling of giddiness two or three days after encountering the flames, feeling warm and gooey inside, and bouts of laughter and joy. These can be followed by headaches and mild fatigue during the come-down.

8-10: *Severe long-term effects.* One can expect to experience the flame's effects days after their initial encounter. These effects can last for up to a week (7 days) and may be associated with a feeling of gooey insides, extreme warmth, excessive bouts of laughter, and mild hallucinogenic effects. Some may feel very joyful, others very lustful, and some a little disoriented. Wobbly knees can occur.

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By popular request, you may now acquire this lovely Pink Flame as a badge for the duration of this event.
Simply post below with a thread showing your character having a real good time of it in the pink smoke, and you'll be able to have it permanently displayed on each relevant character account plus your OOC account!

Remember, folks - smoking is bad for your health.

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The plagues have lifted entirely; the rivers of the Highlands run clear, the snowfall of the Alpines has been cleansed of its poison, the air of the Woodlands and Wakes is no longer wrathful or dangerous to inhale, and the Wastes no longer scorch beneath a merciless sun.

The parasite persists, invisible and deadly - still lingers in wait, anticipating the quiet moments, ready to emerge when least expected - but the land is free to explore once more.

And yet...

A low ceiling of clouds drifts in from every corner of the horizon, thick and colorless, knitting itself together until the sun becomes little more than a dull smear behind an unending sky. The light weakens, as if strained through ash, and the world below settles into darkened tones of gray and blue. With the fading warmth comes a cold that presses inward, subtle but persistent, unlike any other herald of winter you have experienced before, turning exposed skin numb and making the air feel heavy and paralyzing with every breath.

The light does not fade all at once, but in a way that feels deliberate. Shadows lengthen and deepen beneath the cloud cover, and even the height of the noonday sun cannot pierce through in any meaningful way; the earth is growing colder, more still. The chill sharpens, creeping along the ground and into earth and stone, seeping through your bones so deeply until even the quiet feels brittle.

What sort of winter was this? And so sudden, at that?

The sun's absence is felt like a held breath, and beneath the layered clouds gathering high overhead, the sense grows that the sky itself is closing. As each day passes and the sky grows heavier and ever darker, you feel the worst may be yet to come.

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What is happening?

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Welcome to the Frozen Mourning!

The world of Mythris has begun to dim. Thick, impenetrable clouds have started to gather overhead, and the temperature is swiftly plummeting as the earth is plunged into an ever-increasing darkness. Frost accumulates more quickly, nights are becoming dangerous in the northern regions, and even the Wastes have felt an unusual chill beginning to set in. All that seems to help stave off the encroaching cold are the mysterious fire-whorls that appeared not so long ago - flames that remember the sun, shedding their warmth upon all who gather around them.

Will conflicts arise between packs and individuals alike to claim the life-giving fires for themselves? Or will the denizens of Mythris work together to help each other endure this difficult time?

Note: packs and characters not located near one of these flames are not in explicit danger, but will find things much chillier and prey may be more scarce. You are not forced to leave your territories, but keep this in mind!

There are a few new badges you can earn as well. Starting from November 14th, when the fire whorls first appeared, any thread logging a character's interaction with one (burning themselves, cooking with it, staring at it, dancing around it, seeing if purple fire has a flavor and learning the hard way) will earn a corresponding badge of that flame's particular hue.
You may only earn one flame badge per character, so if you're picky about aesthetics, make sure you interact with your favorite color!

For OOC accounts: if you have characters who interacted with different hues, you may pick one of them and that color flame will display on your OOC account.

See below:



Aren't they cute?

AND WE HAVE ANOTHER BADGE TO EARN!

Those who bravely face the cold and endure its wrath starting today, December 22nd until this arc concludes (to be determined), be it:

- Protecting someone else from the cold with your body heat
- Experiencing physical symptoms (frost-nipped ear tips, white scars from ice burn)
- A limp that lasts for a few threads
- A temporary loss of smell, or having a generally intense experience surrounding the cold (crossing frozen lands, risking an overnight patrol in the alpine mountains, etc)
- Other frosty events

Will all qualify toward this little guy:

Poor fella. You can also have it on your OOC account if you like; just say so upon submission!

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Where are those flames again?

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In the Northern Alpines, this flame resides in Taiga's Promise and takes on the shade of purple.

In the Spirited Highlands, this flame resides in the Howling River and takes on the shade of blue.

In the Great Woodlands, this flame resides in Ambrosia Range and takes on the shade of gold.

In the Westmoor Wakes, this flame resides in Overgrowth Strand and takes on the shade of green.

In the Smoldering Wastes, this flame resides in Skyspear and takes on the shade of red.

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Is there anything else?

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It's starting to get dark out there, folks - and it's not bad yet. Submit your qualifying threads below with the characters you'd like each badge attached to, and have fun until the next development!

Keep hunting for those runes!

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Just when things couldn't get stranger ... the sky seems to shift again, fueled by the polarization of magical energy.

The clouds shift, swirling into what appears to be a small whorl of fractal light. And due to the dryness of the season, these clouds alight with a magical flame. These flames fall from the sky, shifting down toward the earth where they consolidate ... condensing into a single, colored burst of fire.

A magical, strange flame.

It seems to hold importance.

Each of the plague areas will experience this same phenomenon ... however, each of the flames will be distinctly unique, taking on a strange shade that seems to match the plague's unique effects in that area. How unusual!

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Small, controlled flames can be visualized and utilized, though they cannot be used to spread fire or to cause harm on another player character without permission. They can be used to cook, and to move fire temporarily from one place to another, and can be used to make small fires for warmth and cooking. They will, of course, extinguish eventually, staying strong only at their source.

Your character may feel that these flames are a bit ... unusual. There is something odd about these flames that you cannot comprehend, but you sense they will be important in the months to come.

They are small, about the size of a paw. But they are powerful, and you can feel the heat from a distance.

They cannot be extinguished at their source, no matter how much you try, and will fade away very quickly if removed from their home. In fact, when you collect them, they look like regular fire, not like the magical entity that you first witnessed. They only seem to be colorized when at their source.

These flames are gentle and helpful, mainly meant to be utilized for warmth or to cook food. However, mild burns may be achieved with explicit permission, or by accident, if players should so choose!

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In the Northern Alpines, this flame has appeared in Tiaga's Promise and takes on the shade of purple.

In the Spirited Highlands, this flame has appeared in the Howling River and takes on the shade of blue.

In the Great Woodlands, this flame has appeared in Ambrosia Range and takes on the shade of gold.

In the Westmoor Wakes, this flame has appeared in the Overgrowth Strand and takes on the shade of green.

In the Smoldering Wastes, this flame has appeared in Skyspear and takes on the shade of red.

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If you interact with this flame before the end of the season (12/21/25), you can be eligible to receive the Halloween/Seasonal badge! Please post here to show the staff that you have participated!

As always, please contact a member of staff with any questions!!

OH ALSO HERES THE MAP UPDATE

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All Hallow's Eve is upon us ... and something spooky this way comes.

Just as the strange light of the eternal blood moon wanes, there is a new magic that touches Vivarium. But this magic is dark and heavy, fraying the edges of the realm between the living and the dead.

On Halloween only (10/31—11/3), the dead walk among the living once more.

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If you have a deceased character that was once active on site, they may enter or create one thread during this time period. They will appear normally, speak normally, and perhaps retain a touch of what they once smelled like ... but they cannot physically interact with any creature, or the environment (other than normal movements). They cannot harm or be harmed. And once this thread is over, they will be gone once more, back from wherever they came from.

Please note that the thread must be started or entered on the above dates, but the thread can continue until it is finished.

If you do not have a deceased character, your character can still interact with someone deceased from their past! A parent, a best friend, a child ... etc. In this case, the "beings" may be less visible, or more like a "presence." You can take a bit more creative liberty with this!

Please absolutely DO NOT use these threads to metagame or give/gather information that could be harmful to another character without explicit permission from all parties! This is meant to be spooky/fun! But of course, we always love a little collaborative mischief, too!

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All those dead who participate:
—If you have a deceased character you'd like to participate, please reply here (with the link to your account) to regain temporary access to posting on the site!

All those living who participate:
—Please reply below if your character participates in this event, and we can grant more spooky badges!

As always, please let staff know if you have any questions. Have fun!

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For seven days, the Blood Moon hangs ominous and unblinking in the sky. At first, it seems to be only the light that dims - sunrise arrives sluggish and unnaturally red each day, the shadows stretching long even at noon. With each day that passes the world of Mythris sinks into an ever-deeper gloom, as if the heavens themselves were weeping tears of crimson as the last of their light begins to fade.

The oppressive fog grows only more so, tinged with the eerie blood-red of the moon that refuses to yield to the dawn. The air grows heavy around you, sounds muffled, and even the rare fire grows ever-dimmer beneath the watchful eye of the scarlet moon as it seems to pull closer and closer...

By week's end, there is nothing left to differentiate between day and night. The sky has turned black altogether save for that monstrous vermillion sphere, baleful and unsettlingly large as the earth is cast into a dull, living rust beneath the fog. Animals have fallen silent, birdsong has ceased, rivers seem to slow as if trapped in time; there are whispers that this could be a grim portent of something else yet to come.

When the final day arrives, the pall of darkness is complete. The inky black surrounding you is thick enough to feel against the skin, and the Blood Moon alone reigns above in silent dominion, vast and glowing with an eerie light, as though waiting for something...


... And at the coming dawn, it vanishes.

Mythris is once again under the sun's light, although it remains pale and wan through the dense layer of fog which refuses to lift.

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Any and all characters who post participating in and mentioning this spooky phenomenon throughout the week will be eligible to receive the 2025 Halloween badge, as well as their respective OOC accounts.
Just link your threads below!


Seriously, look at that.

And why wouldn't your characters notice seven days of increasing darkness underneath a pulsing red sphere of doom?

Look at that cute little badge.

You want it.

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Autumn is here. Finally, the heat of the summer is breaking, and you can breathe a sigh of relief as the cool grip of autumn touches the lands of Mythris. All across the continent, the colors begin to change ... from a vibrant green to a collection of warm reds and oranges. Frantic prey begin their troublesome hustle to store food for the winter.

But there is still the ever-present threat of the plague. The power of the dark magic seems to spread, leaving prey more and more sparse before the coming winter. There is a very palpable dread in the air as the plague continues to leech the life from the land ... though things in the epicenters are suddenly feeling suspiciously quiet ...

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Thank you all for continuing to show so much love and investment in Vivarium! We appreciate the dedication of this community so much — we wouldn't be here without you! It seems wild that yet another season is upon us ... and we'd like to start by shouting out to Vivarium's newest pack: the brave desert-dwellers of Satriya! We'd also like to congratulate the wolves of Jakten on their merger and massive success with their move! Keep up the great writing, everyone! We love devouring your stories!

The staff would also like to issue a massive thank you and congratulations to everyone who participated in our Banner Contest! We are happy to announce that with the fall update, you will see some new themes available for your use! Thank you to CJ and Micah for providing these lovely new themes! We hope you enjoy them!

Staff would also like everyone to please read THIS PAGE of the guidebook regarding some important changes to Vivarium's "Strike" system. We appreciate you reading this, and encourage anyone to reach out to staff with any questions!

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UPCOMING EVENT
Spook the Outfit — Halloween Edition! This will be a fun little spin-off of a "draw the character above you" game, but more Spooky! In this site-wide event, members can post a character that they would like someone to draw a spooky costume or outfit on top of! The following person will respond beneath them, choosing the character above to be their victim muse, and Frankenstein a goofy, silly, spooky outfit on top of said character. The next person will respond to continue the chain, continuing to create outfits for the person/character above you!

This event will be open from October 1st to October 31st. Stay tuned for more information!

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CURRENT EVENT
September 22nd through October 1st, Autumn begins. The wolves and creatures of Mythris will start to notice the cooler air. The trees begin to shed their leaves, especially in the more Southern reaches of the map. Characters may notice special cloud formations — Virga clouds. These clouds may indicate intense weather in certain areas, and it makes you wonder ... are these strange formations driven by the plague? You feel as though you should be wary ...


You can read more about this event in the following post!

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UPCOMING EVENTS
October 1st through 31st, growing Autumn. Characters may notice their bonds with the dead growing stronger ... a full Blood Moon will be visible for the week of October 5th through October 11th, with peak illumination at midnight, drenching the entire land of Mythris in a deep shade of red. This is just a hint for the power to come later in the month, for on October 31st ... something strange will happen. More information to follow, stay tuned!

October 31st, All Hallows Eve. On this particular day, deceased characters may reappear for a single thread. Alternatively, current characters may see visions of deceased characters from their past, coming back across the lines to spread messages of warning. Will these messages bring hope or despair to the inhabitants of Mythris ...? That is for you to decide. More information to follow, stay tuned!

November 1st through 30th, Autumn's closing. The dryness of the Autumn season, combined with the strange plague magic, brings unusual weather patterns at the close of the season. Those strange clouds that were previously seen seem to dip lower, swirling and sparking until small fire whirls form. These small tornadoes are extremely dangerous and have the potential to spark wildfires depending on the location. More information to follow, stay tuned!

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As the heavy fog of the virga clouds descends upon the lands, there seems to be a strange decline in the overall activity of the plague epicenters. The waters of the highlands are clearer, and the snow in the alpines is less purple. The heat in the desert seems to relent, if only slightly. Things are calming, and yet the magic of the land still brews beneath the surface. It is an ominous sort of stillness that makes one weary that something bigger is coming.

The hungry parasite still searches for hosts and remains uncomfortably present. Be wary in your search for the runes!

To read more about the Board Wide Plot, please visit the Those Who Came Before Mega Thread! And as always, with any questions or concerns, feel free to contact members of the staff team!

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FAQ

How do we join/start the BWP?
Your character has had the dream encounter off-screen (you are totally welcome to make a thread set when they wake up, if you would like a solid IC trail). To officially join, follow the visitor’s suggestion of joining one of the five threads posted by the narrator. There is no limit to characters per thread, but the thread will be closed in 7 days.

How do we meet the dream visitor?
This will be revealed after the current five narrator threads are concluded. Right now it seems there is no way to summon them or find them.

What are we supposed to look for/find in the threads?
As you join the narrator thread, after 7 days the narrator will post again with your discoveries.

Can I get to the Moving Isle right now?
Yes! You can reach it! Currently it is in Smoldering Wastes. When it relocates, its new area will be announced.

Is this really happening or a dream?
While the visits from this mystery individual happen in your sleep, the rest of this BWP happens in reality. You will actually travel to these areas to pursue the story being told!

Is the BWP optional?
Participating in the search for Rune threads and uncovering the mysteries behind the dream visitor are completely optional. However, the plagued areas are NOT. If your character ventures into or lingers too long in a plagued area, they will begin to experience increasingly worsening effects. Their length of time spent in a plagued area will also cause their illness to linger even after they’ve left, so tread carefully!

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Happy Spring Vivarium! There’s plenty to cover in this very large announcement, so read up!


OOC HAPPENINGS
HAPPY SECOND BIRTHDAY TO VIV! We’ve made it another year together. While we hit some bumps in our road to get here we are so thankful for all of our wonderful members. Without you guys, Vivarium wouldn’t be what it is today. Thank you to our community, new and old members — even future and former members. We all love this hobby and have been doing it for years, this is our home and we can’t thank you enough for being a part of this experience.

To celebrate, we have a brand new pixel from the always-lovely Nopeita. This cute little cake can be claimed in this thread, just comment to claim!

We also have a complete overhaul of our guidebook that we will be publishing very soon! Another update announcement will be launched when the new and improved guidebook goes live. We know many things can be confusing or even contradicting in our current guide, so we’re hoping these new adjustments will help everyone in the long run!


MOD ROTATION
It’s that time of year once again! We will be releasing our moderators back into the wild and trapping new ones with the allure of food. If you would like to join the running as a staff candidate please fill out this form! These apps will close April 16th.


IC HAPPENINGS
Just to make it easily found, we have had three packs rebranded with new names. Psychí Deméni is now Skjǫldrheim, Sem’ya is now Seiiki, and Warcrest is now Hildibrandr. So don’t be surprised by all these new names on our spring map!

After so long, Overgrowth Strand has finally recovered from its devastating fire. It’s free real estate. Or... has it? Something seems off. The once-well recovering area has suddenly taken a turn for the worst. I wonder what that's about?

Valentine’s Badges are able to be claimed until April 16th


EVENT
The snow and ice are melting away before your eyes and the breeze carries a familiar warmth with it. Winter is ending and Vivarium begins to welcome spring, the season of life and new beginnings. Flocks of birds will return from their migrations, trees and foliage will regain their greenery, flowers will bloom, and the days will last longer.

It’s so beautiful, and you can feel that seasonal depression shed like a second skin.

But wait…

What was that? You suddenly feel the ground shake with a wild and unexpected aggression. As it fades away, you notice nothing seems different. Was it just a random earthquake? How strange. Though there is a small voice within the depths of your mind ”it comes from the east, to the south…”

Was it another volcano? Has a ravine cracked the earth's crust? Did a meteor hit and blow it to pieces? What has happened in the south-east? Perhaps you should investigate.


MAP CHANGES
With the shift from winter to spring, we will be updating our map. A few changes have been made and it’s time for the big reveal! Smoldering Wastes has been altered as a result of the earthquake. New areas have emerged and they’re ready to be explored!

Verdant’s Grace - a range of tropical mountains

Cerulean Falls - a giant cluster of spring sourced waterfalls

Plummeting Cliffs - a vast plain that lies at the edge of a cliff overlooking dangerous waters

Endless Plains - enhancing the natural beautiful of meadows and hills and connecting our many new biomes

Reaching Plateaus - leveled buttes and mountains filled with life

Coral Shores - a white sand beach that has a coastal reef full of vibrant colors

Stoney Cove - black sands and stone surround this cluster of tide pools

Sandstone Canyon - red rock walls and sculpted arches

Shifting Dunes - Sand Dunes that easily uphold as your traverse them yet you notice they often blow away on the wind and reform

Poseidon’s Underground - Viv’s first fully submerged subarea - A cavern system that stretches for miles, filled with fresh water springs and blue bioluminescence.

In union with our upgraded Smoldering Wastes, Spirited Highlands has also gotten a new sub area! Off the eastern coast you can spot the once-deadly volcano, though you notice it is now accompanied by a large, thickly jungled island and various sandbars. It appeared overnight, as if by magic. The Volcanic Keys offers a tropical get away, but be careful! Who knows if the volcano will erupt again in the future.

You will also notice that each main area (Northern Alpines, Spirited highlands, Great Woodlands, Westmoor Wakes, Smoldering Wastes, and Primal Savannah) has one new cave. As of right now this is no more than a single room cavern with nothing all that interesting to offer you. You can’t shake the idea that there must be more to it, but every time you look, it’s the same.

Maybe they’ll be something important soon?


BOARDWIDE PLOT
While you may be able to learn what the tremors have revealed, it is still unclear what the actual cause of it was. A simple, random earthquake? Or maybe something has appeared within Mythris…?

The Moving Isle has awoken.

Off the coast, onlookers may catch glimpses of an ominous island cloaked in thick fog. Its silhouette resembles the outline of a slumbering wolf, resting on the ocean’s horizon. There may even be times when a narrator thread will open where it's possible to see a giant wolf-like Titan wading within the water, searching for its next place of rest. Warning Characters on the Moving Isle when it relocates will be teleported to a random zone inland and will not remain on Moving Isle. Moving Isle is not a claimable territory.

While this has opened a new area of exploration, you have no idea what this thing is, how it moves, or why it suddenly appeared.

An unknown Dream Visitor will be contacting you through your dreams. They seem to be in desperate need of your help. Does it have to do with the giant, walking island? What do they need help with? Why are they asking you for your aid? You may not know it yet, but all of Mythris could be at stake! Information shared by the Dream Visitor(s)—such as their names, histories, and experiences—will be shared in this thread.


BONUS EVENT!
For April 1st ONLY characters may break the fourth wall. Your character may have a dream or vision, finally learning the truth of their existence. Their free will is nothing more than a roll of the dice bot or the fickle choices of their creator.

All that trauma, heartbreak, and pain you’ve faced? Entirely avoidable, if your writer truly wished for a peaceful life for you. Clearly they seem to get some sort of sick entertainment by watching all the things they put you through, why else would they write your story this way?

You’re nothing more than the written creation of someone that really likes wolves, like really likes wolves (I bet you half of them pretended to be a dog when they were a kid, that would explain a lot about this, wouldn’t it?). But, hey! Look on the bright side! This weird person adores you! Even if they gave you a tragic backstory and took away every ounce of optimism you’ve ever had, they get so much art of you and they can’t even show 99% of the people they know irl, which means they just like looking at you. Isn’t that sweet?

Sadly, this discovery will not stick. As you come out of the vision/dream, you will return to your pixel life of ignorance… Maybe it’s for the best.