Overview
Callupso is a severely defective member of his species -- Rulers! Initially created to rearrange the Mindscape neatly in a way that will help the Recipient Body and Mind function correctly for an active lifetime, our Callupso, well -- struggles with feeling normally for the Recipient Body, for himself, and for Existence as a whole; all the while persuading himself he's "certainly doing things correctly". He's not. I assure you, they're not all like him!
Being a mind Ruler, Callupso's life -- or existence, might I say, is that even a life? -- has always been summarized to rearrange the mind of the Recipient -- Scalene Metriya. He's been watching closely and analyzing Scalene's life through a screen that displays what the triangle directly sees through their very eyes, and from the constant echoing of their thoughts all over the vast Mindscape.
Background
In Callupso's mind, it was always clear as day. It was either he escaped that cramped Mindscape, or he'd find another way to ---- -------. It didn't matter. He was meant to meet the Recipient one day or another. So what would a little advance do, either way? If they made him feel greater, then he was owed this. It had to happen. They can't do nothing but nod their head because... they know that he's right!
With that mindset, Callupso was in for a loooooong ride, and the start of his downfall into defection began. He committed the greatest mistake of his existence by giving up on his purpose, while being oh, SO certain he's accomplishing what he's always been supposed to do. And he hasn't ever felt as big - isn't that a great benediction, rather than a mistake?
Personality
Callupso is a sneaky, snide and apathetic Ruler whose 'Shell' takes the form of a blue arrow with a yellow bowtie and long ribbons. He suffers from a dysfunction in his essence that could be equivalent to Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD) & Narcissistic Personality Disorder (NPD) in a normal brain.
taking a trip down memory lane
i remember...
the first day light shone through the screen in the big ol' control room! it was truly a sight to behold -- little thing opened their eyes for the first time, granting me the gift of sight as they did!
And there began our beautiful connection. Isn't it gratifying? we both need each other to exist... you owe me one, Metriya!
i recall...
how cruel they were to me -- making me witness such things without the possibility to act! Argh! Can you believe it, i had figured it out aaaaaaaall along for this imbecile of a heart! When Scalene and Cuoris shared their first kiss, you bet i was devastated! I just knew they were setting themselves up for destruction! WHAT AN IDIOT!!!
And, you know, one thing leads to another - so they say. when the result of their kiss occured, I just stood up and left the control room promptly. If i was a worker in the outside, I probably would've gotten myself a cup'a'coffee at that instant. But i'm not!!!!! so, I... I guess i just stood outside the room. I looked down to my feet. They're just completely stupid -- it doesn't have to be my fault.
i reminisce about...
the day i found out i was Alive. One beautiful day, I started staring at the screen much differently than I did usually -- and it was eating at me! sometimes, it felt like they were looking right through me, when they were just looking at themselves in the mirror! And I experienced... feeling. For the first time, I put a word on that occurrence.
Sometimes I was cheering, others I was frowning, laughing -- and it was all for them! This feeling, it's a four letter word starting with "L". no, not love, silly -- Life! And it's all yours, it's all mine: the "essence". that's one of the maaaaaany things you are. And, aahh, you know, buddy -- I need life to be closer to me!
That way, i'll be Alive forever.
mindset
If Callupso was given the chance, on the "social spectrum" he'd be quite the outgoing one! No one says his company would be enjoyed by many, however. his personality is marked by an excessive need for admiration, a tendency towards manipulation, a lack of empathy, a sense of superiority, and a propensity to lie in order to preserve this "idealized image" of himself. Yet, he's so, so deeply loving, inside and out! That being said, his inability to express such attachment in a way that is healthy, or, hell, even the very fact he would rather hurt the recipient mentally rather than let them know who he truly is -- all that makes for him to be quite the dysfunctional individual, and, unmistakably, that led him to some of the despicableness that fuels the character he plays.
Relationships
scalene - You're my Favourite
He's the ruler of Scalene's Mindscape. His relationship with them is... complicated. He's not a decent person with them and orchestrated their downfall... It's bad bad! Despite that, it'd be a lie to deny he hasn't completely fallen for them through the screen. Narcissistic AND parasocial? Just WHAT issue does this guy NOT have?
He has always disregarded that strong and burning feeling as "his essence of Life", what "makes him sentient". To him, ---- is a meaningless word. What they have is bound to be FAR greater than what a limited definition offers - and he's gonna do EVERYTHING for the terrific ever-after of his wildest dreams, no matter if he's the only one having fun until the end.
"Well, DUH! Of course it wasn't a dream! What, did you think death was for one day ONLY? That's where you're dreaming, buddy!"
trivia
- Even while being the antagonist, Callupso was the first ever character to be created for the purpose of spe.
- While the first time shared to my friends on discord was in approximatively late-february of 2025, Callupso's conception goes back to late 2024, when I was looking for an interesting game pitch, and the first concepts of SPE started emerging.
- On May 15th of 2025, a close friend offered for the 'ship' involving Callupso & Scalene to be named 'tiramisu' following an inside-joke. I've been calling it that ever since. do what you want with this information
- Callupso's most notable inspiration would be bill cipher for his initial creation. Later on, BFDI characters such as the algebraliens started playing a role in his inspiration.
- In a theoretical scenario where he'd live in the physical realm, Callupso's favorite hobbies would be eating and sleeping.
- While all rulers are biologically sexless, all of them tend to present as masc-aligned or male - therefore, Callupso presents himself as male.
- Callupso sees himself as some sort of God-like creature, but if it was possible to extract him out of the Recipient's mind, he'd be rendered entirely powerless, for his force is sourced straight from Scalene's imagination.
- Callupso's name is a pun on Callisto, a moon of Jupiter; Calypso, a Greek name significating "she who hides/conceals" and "up" - the direction where his arrow shaped body points towards, most of the time.
ribbons
for credits and further meanings of the following ribbons, visit this page.
other - author notes
this guy is my guilty favorite, sometimes. how can i explain to anyone that my favorite character of all time is a mentally ill queer arrow antagonist? I think i should squish him under my feet like the bug he is.