/brains/ - Neurophilia

>>262

Monster Brains Chapter 1: Griffon Brains

Keiru woke up in her little straw bed, stretched out, and smiled. It was just after dawn, and light filtered in through the waxed-paper window to her side on the top floor of the house. It was a few minutes before it was time to get up, but she thought, what the heck. I’m going to get ready early!

Leaping out of bed, she ran her fingers through her hair, and with a swift tug the top of her head was off, exposing her brain. Tapping its pink, lightly pulsing surface gently with a fingernail and twitching gently, she smiled. It was only a few days since she turned 16, and the top of her head had been taken off. It hurt for a bit, but a little healing potion dabbed on the incision area worked wonders for the pain. Now it didn't hurt at all.

Grabbing her satchel on the nightstand, pulling a shirt and pants on, and replacing the top of her head, she smiled. Her first day learning magic! She couldn’t believe it. All her life she had lived in envy of all the people who could heal themselves with a thought, could start a fire so hot that it could melt iron- or cool enough to touch, and of those people who could set a cart going at breakneck speed without lifting a finger.

Until recently, though, it all seemed quite distant to her. She knew that everyone in her town, and perhaps the entire country lopped off the top of their heads when they came of age, and that everyone had some special power because of that. She knew of those wizards who could use powers beyond her mind’s capabilities to comprehend, and she knew of the marvels of technology that were created using the humble brain as a power source.

But she hadn't really imagined that she would become part of that five days ago, when she nervously sat down in a chair and the village surgeon cut the top of her head off, along with fifteen others who had just come of age. There was a large celebration afterwards, though. Despite the fanfare, the songs, drinking, dancing, and the talking about their future, she distinctly remembered feeling nervous about the entire affair. Maybe it was the whiskey she kept pouring over her frontal lobes to prevent infection, or maybe it was the unfamiliar sensation of the top of her head being missing. Shrugging, she opened the door and stepped to the stairs.

>>263

Stomping downstairs, she was greeted to the sight of her mother, a tall, brown-haired, average looking lady, making her breakfast. Bacon and eggs sizzled in the pan, with a giant heap of fried potatoes on a trencher to the side. As her mother turned around, Keiru could see her brain, glowing and pulsating red with magic, as the pan sat on the stove. “Good morning, Keiru. My, you’re up a little early this morning.” As she put the rest of the food on the trencher, her brain stopped glowing, the pan ceasing to sizzle. “Oh, and you’re an adult now. Take your skull off when you're indoors.”

Keiru pulled the top of her head off again, her brain gently pulsating. “It just feels weird, Mom,” she said as she pulled up a chair. It pulsed even faster as she shoveled food into her mouth. “I don’t really feel anything up there.”

Her mother smiled and sat down, her brown-haired skullcap and a jug of milk levitating over, as her brain started to glow again. She poured milk into the unoccupied skullcap, laying the top of her head in her hands, then proceeded to sip it. The milk jug drifted over to Keiru’s unused skullcap, pouring milk into it, before slowly levitating down at the center of the table. “Don’t worry, Keiru, you’ll get used to it. Soon you'll be walking around like nothing happened.”

Her plate clean, Keiru took the top of her head in both hands and chugged the milk, with the occasional strand of hair getting into her mouth. She walked over to the sink, washing out the inside and outside with soap, before putting it on her head again. Shouldering her bag, she shouted a happy goodbye to her mother before opening the door. Her mother’s voice suddenly rang out. “Oh, and can you say hello to your father for me when you get out of class? I’ll be busy with your brother. Thank you!” A baby started to cry inside the house, and Keiru could hear her mom’s feet stomping as she rushed to change him.

>>264

Outside, there was already a small stream of pedestrians on their way to the market- all kinds of people. Humans, minotaurs, centaurs, satyrs, with the occasional orc. Their neighborhood was packed but clean, a row of houses leading towards the town center. In front of the house was a small cart- without a driver, but with several passengers and a basin containing a pulsing brain and several glowing crystals. She got on, and soon with a gout of steam, the cart was off to school. Out of the corner of her eye, she spotted a female centaur- a small one, with the lower body of a pony and the upper body of a small girl, chestnut-haired and with horse ears popping up from the top of her head- it was Ceres, her best friend! “Hey Keiru!” she shouted and waved. “You ready for your first day of magic class?”

Keiru smiled as her centaur friend caught up with the cart, eager to talk to her. “Heck yeah I am! I’ve always wanted to cast a spell! But, it’s weird getting around without the top of your head.”

Ceres galloped alongside the magic cart slowly, nodding. She remembered the tough times the surgeon had before the ceremony. About an hour had been spent trying to gauge the best way to expose her brain without cutting off her ears by mistake, and the best way to actually hold her still to cut her head open. It was not easy for a centaur to become an adult. “Yeah, it is.” She unconsciously traced the gap between the rim of her skull and the top of her head. “I’m not planning to take the advanced courses, though. My parents need me for the harvest, and I don’t really see the point of calling down meteors or summoning demons when the crops are in the field.”

After about five minutes of walking and discussing the finer points of what happens when they touch their brains, they arrived at the school’s gates. Formerly a manor estate, it was donated to the townsfolk to serve as a “center to educate the malleable minds of children.” The center building was abuzz with all different kinds of students- from overalled farmers’ children, too young to work, to the fancily clad children of noblemen, dressed in fine but simplistic clothes. Some older students were bent over, letting inquisitive youngsters prod and poke their slimy brains, and some were in the shade, appreciating the breeze blowing between their frontal lobes. The smaller buildings to the right and left were dedicated to magic and crop research, respectively, and they started to head down the path to the magic building.

Keiru spotted someone approaching them out of the corner of her eye- her childhood friend, Okari. Black-haired, carrying a wooden sword and what seemed to be twenty pounds of books on his back, he called out to them. “Hey, Kieru! I haven’t seen you in a week! How are you?”

“I’m going to get seated right now, you go on and talk to your friend,” Ceres whispered. Galloping away to class, the top of her head suddenly blew away into some tall grass as she rode into the wind. Her brain jiggling like crazy, she started to frantically search through the plants as Okari and Keiru looked on. “So,” he said, turning to Keiru, “I see she isn’t quite used to a removable skull top.”

Keiru giggled. “So am I, but I never lose it as often as her. She loves galloping through the wind and feeling the wind through her hair, so it always ends up blowing away.” Across the field, they could see Ceres finding the top of her head and putting it back on- backwards, and her confusion as she tried to turn it back around.

Okari sighed. “Heh. I’ll probably lose the top of my skull way more often than her, but I’m itching to learn some magic. I know that it’ll be a year until I come of age, and it’s driving me nuts! My older brother keeps tormenting me using his magic, and I can't wait until I can pay him back.”

Ceres finally got the top of her head back on properly, then galloped over to the magic building. Keiru lowered her voice as they heard a group of magic students approaching. “But you have! Remember the time you filled the top of his head with oatmeal?”

Okari traced a line across his scalp. “Yeah, I remember,” he groaned. “It wasn't hot, but he needed healing potion for the brain damage it gave him. Mom was so furious…”

Noticing the crowd of people moving to the magic building, Keiru spoke up. “I’m sorry I had to cut it short, but our classes start quite soon. See you after school?”

Okari smiled, and walked away. “After school!”

>>265

Rushing down the path, hand on top of head, Keiru entered the magic building, turning down a hallway to her classroom. She opened the door into a room filled with desks and chairs, and students chatting away. Near the back, her horse parts curled up on the ground, was Ceres at her desk. She beckoned to Keiru, who sat down on the desk next to her. “Hey Ceres. Sorry I’m late!”

Ceres turned and smiled. “Not at all. You actually arrived on time! I was worried that I might be late for class, what with me losing the top of my head and all. Say, why is the teacher’s desk so big?”

Indeed, the teacher’s desk was a slab of mahogany that looked like two men could lie comfortably down on it. Papers were strewn everywhere, and two cups, one filled with shelled walnuts and the other with dried meat, stood on the left side of the desk. On the right was a cage in which four rats could be seen scurrying. “Odd,” thought Keiru.

Suddenly, the door to the classroom opened. To the horror of the students, they saw a fearsome beast emerge. It was at least eight feet tall, with a lion’s lower body, muscular and sleek. Its massive wings were folded on its back, and it had fearsome hawk talons for hands, which looked like they could eviscerate someone in an instant. Its head was that of a gigantic bird of prey, with… glasses on it? It was also wearing a nice robe, and a pointed hat that just screamed “wizard.” It took off its hat, and started to address the class. “Ahem. Students, welcome to my humble classroom. I’m Mr. Griffith, and I will be teaching you this year on the wonders of magic.” Staring out at the silent classroom, he cawed quietly in amusement. “What’s the matter? Haven’t ever seen a griffin before?” With a faint pop, he removed the top of his feathered head, exposing his wrinkled, wizened brain. “But don’t worry now. My mind is 100% human, as all of you are. Please, remove your tops now.We’re all of age here, and you all must get used to going around with your brains exposed.”

The classroom seemed to come alive with squelching pops as everyone in the class pulled off the tops of their head. Keiru stared at Ceres’ cute little brain, seemingly firmer and more resistant to the faint pulsing she saw in the others.

“Ah, that’s better. Now, before we begin, who here isn’t human?” A few hands shot up- some dog-furred and dog-muzzled, some with horns and hooves, and two centaurs, Ceres being one of them- and one with grey fur, a long wormlike tail, clawed hands, and the face of a rat. “Yes, you in the front, the rat person- what’s your name again?”

The ratman smiled. “Rhett.” “Well then, Rhett, can you explain why so many people here don’t look like humans?”

Rhett coughed, and began to answer the question. “Well, that’s because of brain transplants. When the human brain is put into a body that’s completely different, it changes the body to be more similar to the baseline human form. This is because the human brain is one of the most powerful sources of magic, and the brain works on a subconscious level to make sure its body can be used properly.”

“Well done, Rhett!” Griffith exclaimed. “Many of you here are using bodies that you were transplanted into. Centaurs result from a human brain donation to a horse or pony, orcs from a human brain into a pig or boar body, lupins from a human brain and canine body, ratfolk from a switch with a giant rat, and minotaurs from a human brain in a cow body. For some reason, cat-human brain transplants result in the creation of elves, and giant moles and badgers turn into dwarves when a human brain is transplanted into their heads.” Poking his brain appreciatively with a talon, he continued. “Because of obvious size limitations, a human brain either must be in its early developmental stages or magically shrunken before being placed in an animal’s cranium. Most animal-human transplants are done to save the life of a baby or young child, though it isn’t that rare for these operations to be done as part of a custom or tradition. Oftentimes, the sex organs are transplanted as well, so the transplantee can give birth to human children.”

The minotaurs, ratmen, centaurs, satyrs, and lupins looked around nervously- except for Ceres and Rhett. They seemed to be… relatively nonplussed, as far as things were concerned. Ceres turned to Keiru, whispering. “I was actually around two when I was made into a centaur. Long story short, my old body was pretty much pulped by a thoroughbred pony, my parents didn’t feel comfortable with it around but didn’t want to kill it, a trip to the surgeon later, and here I am right now.”

>>266

Oblivious to the class’s discomfort, Griffith continued. “However, while a human brain in an animal body results in a new sentient creature being created, an animal brain will be unable to adapt to a human body. The leftover animal brain, though, can be recycled.” Suddenly, a maid-uniformed woman walked into the classroom, The top of her head was gone, and instead of a pink and wrinkled organ was a metal-and glass container, roughly the shape and volume of the human brain. Within was a bubbling liquid- and a small, twitching brain.

“This is a Marionette Brain,” the griffon announced. “Made using an animal brain, either lobotomized for docility or unmodified for added personality, it is used to animate empty but still-living bodies to act as servants. The outside casing is a sort of artificial cortex- it regulates the impulses of the brain inside, while at the same time augmenting the brain’s intelligence and allowing it to use a human body. How are you, Sparky?”

The woman, ramrod-straight, barked out the answer as her tongue lolled out. “I am fine, Master! The building has been fully cleaned, and my artificial cortex has been successful at preventing me from chasing small animals! However, it has failed to prevent me from sniffing fifteen posteriors within the last hour. Recommendations are replacement of artificial cortex or lobotomization of…” she struggled to say this, “…organic, canine, brain.”

“Thank you, Sparky. I will look into procuring a new cortex for you. You may return to your duties,” Griffith said, as she walked out the door, a relieved expression on her face.. “Now we have finished talking about normal animal brains, we can start to get to the interesting part. Who here knows what a monster is?”

>>267

The entire class’s hands shot up as he finished his question. “Good, good. Already this class is showing some promise! Let’s see… ahh, you!” The griffon pointed to Keiru in the back.

“Well, sir, a monster is a magical creature that should not exist in nature,” she choked out, brain jiggling faintly. “While many might be similar to already existing animals, like wargs being bigger wolves, they all have some magical trait or ability.”

Griffith clapped his talons eagerly. “Exactly, exactly! Monsters are magical creatures. They were created by magic. They use magic. They can’t live without magic! Monsters, despite some of their more deadly traits, are actually needed by society. Case in point: the manufacture of magicite.” He reached behind his desk and pulled out a faintly glowing red crystal. “Magicite is the crystalized brain fluid of magical brains, such as a human or monster brain. It is used for many purposes- enchanting tools, powering inventions, and even carved into weapons. While human-based magicite is the highest quality, you either must essentially keep a human brain imprisoned against its will in order to get a significant amount- or, you can pay significant amounts of money trying to buy it from an ethical source. Preserved monster brains are magical enough to create it, and though rare, are common enough to be a good source of magicite before they deteriorate.”

He coughed, and continued. “Some of you may be wondering why the wilderness on the outskirts of the village has not been cleared, and why there are town guards defending it. This is because the wilderness is crucial to harvesting monster brains. Monsters don’t breed in captivity, and they are only found in areas where humans rarely tread.” Pausing to hear the class’s reactions, he basked in the students’ amazement and intrigue.

“But, monster brains are not the only bits of monsters that are valuable. Their bodies,” he calmly stated, “are probably the most valuable things of all. Their cranial capacity, with very few exceptions, is very large, allowing a human brain to be transplanted in them with very little difficulty. Their bodies quickly adapt to the personal preferences of their new brains, allowing a new transplant to start using the new body almost right away. And most importantly, a human brain in a monster’s skull has access to all the monster’s abilities, while still being able to cast magic. Case in point: me.”

Griffith leaned forwards, his elbows on the desk. “You may not have known it, but the body the marionette brain was operating earlier on was my own. I only call myself “Mr” because this body’s male.” Moving out from behind his desk, he padded out on all fours to move in front of it. “I may be a monster, but my brain’s as skilled a wizard as you’ll ever see. Which brings me to my next topic- students, please turn to page 10 in your books. Today, we will be learning two spells- a minor barrier, which is used to keep dust and grime off your most important organ, and a minor divination, used to locate the top of your head in the event that you cannot find it. Let us begin.”

And so Keiru, Ceres, and Rhett began their study of magic. Along with Okari, they became a near-inseparable group of scholars and friends. A year later, though, they would find their bonds in danger, by a monster from the outskirts of town…

Next chapter: Warg Brains

Loving it so far chief, keep it up!

Superb! Really enjoyed that, particularly at the start-the slice of life stuff seems the most interesting part to me, but the whole thing was really well done. Looking forward to seeing more!

>>262

Guys, do you know of any place that would be good to post this, and a way to post stories in a pdf file to 8chan?

>>273

It's a good question actually. It's too tame for Gurochan, maybe not furry enough for furaffinity, maybe not hentai enough for hentai-foundry…one of the latter two is the best I can think of really.

>>273

I've gone ahead and enabled .pdf uploading on this board, so if you wanna stick em here, go for it!

>>281

Oh you're still around. Thanks for having made this board, I thought you'd have left.

I was the one who made the banner images, I remember when this board was a little tight virgin :) Thanks to everyone who fondled it into what it is now.

>>282

Thanks again for those, by the way.

I've been here the entire time, though the low content put out means I sometimes don't check very often.

I do post here though, I don't post with the name on unless necessary, to give the community room to grow.