#and then add content warnings if need be

[piningpebbles]

the dream smp journey: attempting to make the lore of the dream smp more accessible.

so back when i first wanted to get into the dream smp i had absolutely no idea where to start. i asked some people and they told me pretty much “look up dream smp + [insert youtuber name] and start there” and so i did, but i quickly came to realize how much i was missing from the story by not seeing all the different points of view.

so i decided to make my own playlist.

it was just for myself at first, but as i got more obsessed with the story, i also gave the link to some friends of mine so they could have the full experience, and they loved it. so i kept updating it.

my goal was to try and make a capsule of the entirety of the lore on the dream smp across almost every single POV, because while i do appreciate those who make recap videos, they always miss something and it’s usually with peoples’ POV who aren’t considered to be “main characters” which sucks because one of my favorite things about the dream smp was how everyone was their own main character with their own individual storyline you could get invested in.

i’ve seen every single video in the playlist, and did my absolute best to discern what should be included and what didn’t need to be. 

for instance, while i personally enjoyed streams where they’d just goof off, this is a lore-centric playist so i didn’t include all of them unless one of the jokes or such gets mentioned/becomes important later on. or if there is a lore event happening but two people have almost identical streams to one another then i decided between the two of them which one to keep. or if the cc themself made an edited version of their experience, i would decide whether to go with that or keep the original vod

it’s far from perfect. i tried to keep up with it as long as i could I STILL HAVE VIDEOS IN MY WATCH LATER THAT I PLANNED TO ADD but simply put while the dream smp storyline got longer and longer it became harder to keep up with. i watched pretty much all the streams when they happened but failed to update the playlist accordingly so right now it has almost everything up until ”Hitting on 16.”

i always wanted to finish it before i posted it, but i’ve been seeing people talk about how they miss the experience of watching the dream smp and while i obviously can’t provide the full interactive experience that the dream smp offered as it came out, i knew i couldn’t just keep this in my back pocket and thought i could at least offer a good chunk of the experience for you guys to still be able to keep!

here’s the playlist, spanning over 300 videos.

there’s also a semi-canon playlist (not nearly as thorough) for events that get mentioned by the cc’s a lot or are just cool to have and i wanted to include them somewhere so here it is also!!

to go along with it i also made a masterpost (can you tell i love making lists) which is what every single video on the playlist is supposed to be (and was last i checked, but videos get taken down every so often so there might be a couple missing here and there).

i hope to update this one day and have it fully finished, but with my schedule (full-time college student babyyyy) and simply the hundreds of hours of content i’d need to sift through it just seems impossible (and frankly just really intimidating) to challenge alone right now. so i also wanted to give this to the community to maybe be able to do what i couldn’t!

my hope with this is that if someone in a year or two (or whenever really) is interested in the dream smp they won’t have to sit through recap videos and instead can watch the real thing in a single playlist connected to the doc. my dream is for the masterpost and the playlist to go hand-in-hand, being like a guide people can follow that would also link to other moments and lore that is saved but just not avaliable on youtube, so we don’t have all these moments just lost to time.

i want to make this collaborative, i’m hoping this will maybe spark others to share what videos/moments they have saved and stored with each other for the dream smp and maybe together we could complete this thing somehow!! make the playlist and masterpost i dreamed of (the one right now is scuffed, but at least it’s something). the dream smp is one of my absolute favorite pieces of media out there and i want to share this with people but (as you can probably tell) i have no idea what i’m doing!! any step to help make the story more readily accessible is a good one, though!

i know i’ve missed things but i’ve done my best. and while not the perfectly polished thing i hoped it would be when i sent it out to the world maybe it could be a good building block for the community to use. so please share this!! reblog it!! all that jazz!! i want this to be for everyone!!

anyways, this is a long post. but the whole reason i got into the dream smp in the first place was because of the awesome fan content i saw and this crazy and creative community and i want to be able to give back, if i can.

[wearysaer]

▲ swish ▽

(rotoscoping of Reigen's twirl in op3 of Mob Psycho 100)

Finally done!!!! It took me way too long and a lot of it is still pretty rough TTvTT

Here are the static twirls:

And now some process gifs for anyone interested (I exported lines, flats, and shadows separately, then added some effects in video editing):

[m3dz3r0]

haha. more 666 posting. yeah

[pekoeboo]

practicing with emotions and body language again. really wanted to see if I could convey a feeling of anxiety, embarrassment, and pain all in one sequence.

my poor son always struggles to tell people if he's not feeling well and needs help - especially if that person is Melvin (@baskervilleshound's OC). I guess when your dad told you for most of your life that you're a selfish burden for asking such a thing, it's really hard to break out of that mindset even with a father figure who actually cares. ;n; so proud of Khalan for pushing through that fear and admitting that he's not okay so Mel can help him out, though 😭

felt good to draw this kind of RP art again, tbh. it's been a while since I've attempted some kind of expression sequence like this. I really missed it :'0

please do not repost. (reblogs are ok) also on deviantart

[greenheartart]

Am I so excited to finally be sharing this story that I made a cover image for it? You bet I am!

More info under the cut :D

A Lovely House of Bones is a story very much inspired by @tyranttortoise and her wonderful "Skeletons Squatters and the Landlady" because goddamn am I a sucker for tropes and found family and slow burns, and she inspired me to write my own take on the concept.

Chapter 1 will go up on Saturday July 29th, and I plan on releasing new chapters every other week going forward, so there will be something of a consistent update schedule (fingers crossed!)

I've been rolling this story around in my head for a long time, so it's so exciting to finally be putting it out into the world. I really hope you guys enjoy it! ♥

[slicedmayonnaise]

[ghosttotheparty]

a mess of holy things (preview) cw: (soft) dom/sub; mentions of god & church; nsfw

“You’ve ruined my spirit,” Steve giggles, dodging Eddie’s hand as it whips out to tap his cheek. “Defiled my soul!”

“Don’t say it like that,” Eddie laughs, snatching a pillow up and hitting Steve with it as Steve laughs, trying to catch it. “Like I’ve corrupted you.”

The word does something to Steve, who falters as he grabs the pillow from Eddie and hits him back. Eddie hides his face, laughing in that way he does, his nose scrunched, eyes squeezed shut. Steve looks at him, hesitating. 

“...What if I’m… Like. Into that?” 

Eddie looks at him, flicking his hair back and raising his eyebrows. Steve’s face flushes with embarrassment, but it fades after a moment when Eddie reaches for the pillow and tosses it aside, pushing Steve back against the armrest of the sofa gently, leaning over him. 

“Well, in that case,” he says slyly, smoothly, leaning down to kiss Steve’s lips chastely. Steve’s chin tilts up, and his eyes flutter for a brief moment. He looks up to find Eddie gazing down at him, eyes shining, lips curved into a small, soft smile, and after another moment Eddie kisses him again, his hand lifting to hold the side of Steve’s face as their lips part. Steve reaches to hold his waist, fingers tightening on the fabric of his shirt.

They’re both panting when they part, lips wet, and Steve opens his eyes to look at him.

“You like that I fucked you up?” Eddie asks softly, and Steve squeezes his eyes shut for a moment, nodding. 

“Yeah,” he says breathlessly. “Yes.”

Eddie smiles at him, caressing his face. 

“I want…” Steve trails off, eyes trained on Eddie’s lips, his heart pounding. Eddie nudges their noses together, still smiling. 

“What do you want, baby boy?” he whispers. “Tell me.”

“I…” Steve shifts, and Eddie lets him sit up, leaning back to sit across from him. Steve looks at the sofa between them, his fingers tangling anxiously. “I want…” He takes a short breath, closing his eyes as he exhales, finding his words. 

“I wanna belong to you,” he says slowly, still looking down, “the way… the— the Church thinks I belong to them.” He pauses, biting his lip, cheeks hot. “That doesn’t make any sense,” he mutters almost to himself, but Eddie interrupts before he can apologize. 

“That makes sense,” he says, his voice light, gentle and quiet. “...Look at me.”

Steve is helpless to obey, lifting his gaze to meet Eddie’s, throat suddenly tight, and Eddie’s expression is soft, head tilted. He reaches out to touch Steve’s cheek, running his fingertips down to his chin to lift it as he leans in to kiss him softly. Steve melts into it, shoulders slumping. 

“You know you don’t have to be ashamed of what you want from me,” Eddie says gently, still holding Steve’s chin. “Right?”

“Yes, sir,” Steve says weakly. Eddie’s smile widens a little. 

“Good boy,” he murmurs. “Now look at me,” he says more firmly. “And tell me what you want.”

His hand falls. 

Steve’s eyes flick back and forth between Eddie’s, and he takes a deep, slow breath, pausing for a moment. His fingers are still tangled in his lap, and he wants to reach out and hold Eddie’s hand, but he can’t make himself reach out to him. 

“I w—” His voice cuts off, and he looks away as he swallows nervously before he meets Eddie’s eyes again. He sees the brief shine of approval in Eddie’s expression, a slight smile and a nod. “I want you to… to remind me that I’m yours.”

He takes another breath, and Eddie waits. 

“And no one else’s,” Steve adds, his voice soft and weak. “…Not even God’s.”

Eddie blinks at him, quiet. 

Steve’s heart is beating so fast it might jump out of his chest, and he can’t really catch his breath, even when he inhales slowly and deeply, it’s like his lungs don’t quite fill all the way. After a moment he realizes Eddie’s eyes are shining like he might start crying, and Steve’s chest tightens even more, aching as he leans a little bit closer, longing to reach out and touch him. 

Eddie beats him to it, hands raising to Steve’s face, holding his cheeks as he leans in and kisses him hard, their mouth crashing together as Steve gasps. It’s a lingering kiss, softening after a moment, and Steve finally touches him, lifting a hand to hold his wrist. 

Eddie presses their foreheads together when they part, breathing hard, and then he lifts his head, looking at Steve. His eyes are still shiny. 

“I want you to go to my room,” he says quietly, firmly, “and get naked. And I want you to wait for me. I’ll be there in a minute, okay?”

“Yes, sir,” Steve breathes, eyes falling to Eddie’s lips as his brain fuzzes. Eddie smiles softly, kissing him again before he lets his hands fall. 

“Go on,” Eddie says, lifting his chin in the direction of the door, and Steve exhales, leaning in to kiss him one more time before he stands shakily and leaves the room. 

His hands shake as he lifts his shirt over his head and folds it before setting it on Eddie’s desk chair. His chest still feels tight, but he can still feel Eddie’s lips on his, Eddie’s hands on his face, Eddie’s whispers ghosting over his skin. And it all makes him feel better. Makes him feel like God isn’t glaring down at him. Makes him feel right. 

He shivers when he’s bare, making sure his clothes stay on the chair before he looks around the room, pausing, unsure of where he should wait. He eyes the bed for a moment; it’s made neatly, the blankets smooth, pillows organized, but after a second his gaze falls to the floor next to it. 

He kneels. 

The wood makes his knees ache, but he sighs in relief, closing his eyes, hands folding over his lap as he waits for Eddie. The skin of his thighs is warmer than his fingertips. 

He opens his eyes when he hears the floor creak outside the bedroom door, a slight shift in weight, and Eddie is coming in, eyes trained on Steve. His hair is tied up now, and his sleeves are pushed up to reveal his inked forearms, and Steve feels his blood rush. Eddie closes the door behind himself like they need privacy from the rest of the apartment, and something about the way he does it makes Steve’s head feel too light for his neck. He exhales slowly, lifting his chin to look up at Eddie as he approaches him. 

Eddie touches his face, holding his chin, sighing softly. 

“Did so well waiting for me,” he murmurs. 

“I like being good for you,” Steve says without thinking, his voice slow and sleepy. Eddie smiles down at him, and then he’s moving down to the floor, kneeling in front of Steve, their knees touching. 

“I know,” he whispers. “‘S why you’re my good boy, right?” Steve is nodding before the last word is even out of Eddie’s mouth, and Eddie’s smile widens, his eyes sparkling. “Always so perfect,” he adds, murmuring, his hands touching Steve’s face. Steve’s eyes close. 

They open when Eddie’s hands disappear from his face, desperately looking for him even though he’s right in front of him. Eddie is pulling off his flannel, eyes downcast, and his shirt rides up his stomach a little bit as he reaches up to set the flannel on the bed. Steve’s eyes get stuck there, gazing at the strip of pale skin, at the whisper of dark hair and the tiny bit of visible ink, and then Eddie’s shirt falls again, hiding it. Steve’s eyes fall to Eddie’s lap, to the bulge under his jeans. His face flushes with heat, with want and something he can’t name. 

He swallows when he finally lifts his gaze to meet Eddie’s. Eddie is looking at him, half-smiling, and Steve feels even more bare than he is. He can’t hide the way Eddie is affecting him, not when he’s naked like this. And Eddie’s eyes keep scanning his body, sliding over his spotted skin like he wants to eat it. (Steve would let him probably. Eddie tends to make him feel a little crazy.) His eyes linger on Steve’s lap, and Steve’s cheeks burn with shame. 

Eddie’s smile grows and he moves close. Reaches to touch Steve’s face with a feather-light touch that makes Steve close his eyes, makes him turn his face into Eddie’s hand. But Eddie’s hand doesn’t linger, slipping over his throat teasingly, over his neck, to the back of his head, where it buries itself in Steve’s hair and tightens. Steve’s breath catches in his throat as Eddie pulls gently. Steve’s vision blurs when he opens his eyes, looking at Eddie’s face longingly as Eddie leans closer.

His voice is quiet, dangerous, tender, when he whispers, his breath on Steve’s face. 

“Do I tempt you, Steve Harrington?”

And Steve nods dumbly, eyes stuck on Eddie’s mouth, lips parted. 

“Yes. I…” He shivers when Eddie traces a line over his jaw with his other hand, then a line on his cheek, connecting two moles that Steve knows are there, that he knows Eddie looks at a lot. “I want you.”

Eddie leans closer, and their lips brush, and Steve keens, closing his eyes as he aches with it, with the desire. It’s in his bones, hot and molten, making him melt against Eddie’s body, falling against his chest, and Steve knows his own heart is pounding, but now he knows Eddie’s is too, and he suppresses a smile when their lips brush again. Eddie’s fingers tighten in his hair. It hurts. But Steve just sighs, lifting his head into Eddie’s hand, and the next words that come from his throat are weak and breathy and fucking desperate.

“I need you.”

-----

Steve is from a small town; less than 3,000 people, and he's been lonely all his life. When he leaves for college, his parents warn him against the heathens of the rest of the world, but his eyes find someone interesting, someone his parents would hate, hide from, pray for. And Steve finds that he can't really bring himself to care what they'd think. As his faith fades, so does his loneliness, and something else takes their place.

permanent taglist: @estrellami-1 @theplantscientist <3 (comment to be added to permanent taglist or taglist for this specific fic when i start posting it)

[folliesoftheforest]

A Walk in the Park

The first installation of the Follies of the Forest for y'all! As for content warnings: be aware this story contains themes of peril, fear, transformation, and light gore!

Crunch.

Crunch.

Crunch.

Fallen leaves and twigs made their satisfying sounds as Shop marched through them with a rather large bag on her back, although the short, wild haired lady didn't carry much for herself.

SD followed close by her side, eyeing her wearily through his lens; she had begged him to let her come along this evening. A full moon hid under the cover of early twilight as the sun continued its slow descent beyond the horizon. Even though he had already had the misfortune of transforming into what he could only describe as a monster a few times before, this would be the first time he would be doing so while "prepared"; that is to say, on a full stomach, with supplies packed and away from people; well, most people. Shop had been stubborn since the day he had met her, but always meant well. Inside, SD was grateful for the company, but still scared for his friend, almost regretting letting her come along as the night drew closer, his stomach already starting to churn in anticipation.

"This looks as good a place as any!" Shop proudly exclaimed, pulling SD out of his thoughts.

He looked around for a moment before responding, "I, suppose. Seems like any other patch of forest in this area…" he scratched his beard in indifference; they had stopped in a rather openly wooded part of the woods, nothing too out of the ordinary as far as he could see.

"Well, it's pretty far from town, and from what I could tell, there seems to be plenty of game in the area, plus the creek that runs through-"

"You seem to have planned this out thoroughly." SD interrupted with a short snort, a warm smile growing across his face as Shop's cheeks glowed just the slightest bit red as she looked back up to him. "I just, wanna make sure you'll be ok…"

"I would be more worried about you…" he clicked his tongue and removed his glasses, noting how much fuller his beard felt, and the churn in his stomach as the sun sank lower in the sky. "You… did bring the sedatives, yes?..." He asked with a note of worry.

"I- yeah, yeah I did…" Shop at this point had set down her bag, rummaging through it briefly before producing a few small bottles, the liquid inside shining in the last of the daylight. "I really don't get why you would want to go through all the trouble of getting these…" she added as SD knelt to meet her, before he placed the bottles back in their place in the bag.

"I know, I know, it's just a precaution, remember? I don't-" he paused, seeming so uncharacteristically unsure of himself. "I don't want you to get hurt is all, ok? Besides, it gives me, peace of mind…" his bright eyes seemed a bit glossy as his head started to ache, so he pressed his glasses into Shop's hands, drawing his own away quickly when he saw how much his nails had already grown to resemble claws.

Shop looked up as she received SD's glasses, looking back up and into his eyes. Usually, those familiar eyes were full of confidence, but now? He looked, in a word, terrified. She hesitated as he stood back up, the sound of his joints popping like old wood in a fire putting her on edge. 'No, no no please-' she thought to herself as SD began to draw away from her with a pained huff as the last bit of daylight escaped beyond the horizon.

She wanted to reach out to her friend as his groans became more and more inhuman, to comfort him as she watched how his body already began to grow and morph, but the invisible force of fear tied her to the ground; the weight of the back bag felt like an anchor that held her back from running to SD.

His form quivered under the intensity of the transformation, it was by far the worst part of this predicament. His vision blurred as his body felt like it was going to burn from the inside out. The last thing he could clearly make out was Shop, balled up in the small clearing as he turned one last time to her. SD knew he would have to act fast to put some distance between the two of them, lest that, beast, went after her when he inevitably succumbed to it. So he stumbled away from her, his body feeling more and more foreign as he fought to stay in control, if even just a little bit longer.

SD continued to grow and change at a rapid pace, his groans of pain turning into animalistic growls, his body threatening to rip through tightening clothes as dense fur encased him. With sense still with him, SD worked quickly to pull off his clothes, so they wouldn't get shredded, tossing them haphazardly as he walked out as far as he could, before his legs gave out from under him. His head spun, an unwelcome feeling, made worse when he felt his very skull shift, particularly when the antlers began to sprout from his head. The inner crackling sound of bones changing shape and place elicited an unearthly howl that announced the creature's monthly return to the world.

~~~~~~

The creature let out a low, pained hiss as it staggered to find its footing, dragging dagger-like claws into the dirt beneath. A strong crocodilian tail unfurled and swayed gently to counterbalance itself, occasionally knocking into trees and shrubs as the creature stretched out its neck, sniffing the air for any potential prey; it was hungry, and wasted no time in hunting down its first meal of the night.

~~~~~~

Not long after Shop had watched SD stumble into the woods, she got to work making a fire, her brain having gone into autopilot to remember what she needed to do. She gathered stones and wood, making sure to not stray far from where she was. She kept herself on high alert nonetheless, especially after she heard a grotesque roar ring out from the darkness.

Definitely time to be on high alert.

As much as she wanted to trust that her friend was somewhere inside that beast, she knew she would most likely have to fend him, it, off, for her own safety. Thankfully, they never had any incidents with people becoming a midnight snack, but if she had to guess, Shop figured she'd might as well be on the menu along with everything else in the surrounding woods. Hopeful still that she could avoid any confrontation, she got back to work building a sizable fire; it was going to be a rather long night.

Snap-

Powerful jaws made quick work of another meal for the mysterious behemoth, where the sound of bones breaking like twigs resounded through the trees. Warm blood oozed from its latest kill and left a warning to all others to steer clear, lest they be next. After the creature had eaten its fill, leaving nothing but bones and scraps, the carcass was quickly overtaken by all manner of plant life.

Thirsty, it made its way to the creek that bubbled through that particular part of the woods, following the smell of freshwater. It drank what it wanted before a small flicker of light in the distance caught its eye and curiosity, tracking the light down, following the creek.

~~~~~~

Shop stared aimlessly into the fire she made, her thoughts swimming with worry and exhaustion. She quickly snapped out of it at the sound of bushes and branches rustling, accompanied by low, heavy panting. She felt her body lock up, unable to move as a pair of large, glowing eyes emerged from among the underbrush, low to the ground. She knew in an instant that these eyes were far too big to belong to anyone- anything else but the monster that took her friend every month. A chill ran up Shop's spine as the beast continued to stalk forward, the fire illuminating its strangely slender, scaly snout, with coarse fur framing its features with antlers that seemed to crown this creature. Soon, she was hit with the pungent, albeit fading smell of blood and wet earth, accompanied by the sound of the creature's guttural growl.

Her heart racing, Shop reached for the first thing she could, the end of a slender log that was burning in the fire. She shakily stood up, adrenaline pumping through her body. She could only hope that the flames would ward off the beast, treating it as though it were any other large predatory animal. At least, that was her hoping for the best. She tried to make short self seem bigger as she shouted and stomped her feet, waving the torch back and forth in front of the now tense creature, who's eyes now laid locked on the fire, its brow seemingly furrowed. It didn't seem affected by the display, and only moved in closer, revealing its true size as it stepped fully into the clearing. It could easily overshadow Shop at the shoulder if it were to stand right next to her, with giant front paws that looked very much like a bear's, and shaggy fur that draped off its arms and seemed to mimic the mosses found at the base of trees.

It didn't seem too interested in making a meal out of the human, its eyes trained on the waving flame, staring with a blank, but focused expression. Panic began to set in for Shop as she realized her plan wasn't working. Even with all the light from the fire, she could only make out in the dark of the night and flickering light. She took a step back and stepped into her bag with the sedatives still inside, but Shop grimaced at the thought of using them. Turning her head for even a moment was a mistake though, as it gave the creature enough time to step in closer to Shop as it tried to investigate her, though it seemed hesitant with the fire she wielded.

In a knee jerk reaction, Shop spun back around and swung her torch log blindly, and incidentally smacked the side of the beast's face, sending embers flying as it bellowed and reflectively swiped at the source of pain, snagging onto Shop's midsection. She let out a pained cry as she stumbled and fell backwards onto her bag, which broke her fall. She hissed through her teeth as she gripped the shallow slashes that quickly began to bleed; it was all over in an instant, but time still seemed to stand still before the creature retreated from the flamed whack it had received, thundering back into the woods.

Shop was left in shock, which staved off the pain for a moment, but it wasn't long before it wore off, welcoming all the sensations that had been repressed. Tears streamed down her face as she inaudibly gasped for air, every motion bringing waves of burning pain to the wound. She felt immobilized, and scared; what would happen now? Would it come back to finish her? Should she really have come along in the first place? What if something else came and finished what the creature started? Her head swam with thousands of thoughts as the adrenaline left her body and her tears dried out, with the fire starting to die by her side. She didn't want to go to sleep, she didn't want to give in, but her body decided for her as she collapsed and fell where she laid.

~~~~~~

Rubbing its cheek with the back of a paw, the creature did what it could to groom its singed cheek. Something about the human it encountered seemed familiar, but it did not dwell on the thought. Its ears picked up a new sound as it drank more from the creek, which it had ran back to to help clean its face; a few crows and other scavengers had made their way towards the makeshift campsite in the wee hours of the morning, as they followed the faint smell of blood and now lack of huge beast to fend them off. The creature, knowing exactly where they were, lumbered its way back to the site. It let out a low growl to any animals there that didn't immediately abandon the site, bearing its teeth in warning to all others.

It made its way in front of the still, small body, taking a seat as it lowered its head to sniff at the comatose form, as though inspecting the damage. It let out a curt snort when it breathed in some of the torn cloth before it stood up with a shake of its mighty head. It paced around the makeshift campsite for a minute, stomping through the remains of the firepit; it seemed to be trying to figure something out. It stopped again in front of Shop, eyes seemingly locked on the torn and bloodied shirt and the wound underneath. Gingerly, it pressed its nose to the slashes, earning a pained, quiet inhale from the human, to which its ears perked up at. It rolled out its tongue and dragged it across the afflicted area a few times before it stepped away, letting out a wholehearted chuff with another shake of its head as it now seemed to become disoriented. The horizon had begun to glow with the promise of morning, signaling the end of the strange beast's time in the woods.

The creature snarled as it stumbled back out of the open clearing and into some bushes, shaking itself wildly, knocking into trees as it began to shrivel in size, its pants becoming raspy as the sky began to light up with a gentle orange that bled into blue, pushing back the inky dark of the night sky. Bear paws shuddered and shrank into well worn hands, hind legs snapped and popped back into aching feet, and a muzzle receded into a more human-like face, accompanied by SD's exasperated exhalations as he knelt in the leaf litter. His vision was still blurry, and his whole body screamed in pain, but he could at least think for himself again. And the first thing on his mind? Water. He clambered, half blind in the very early morning toward the sound of moving water, not hesitating to shove his face into the cool, refreshing creek. He paused as he came up for air, silently acknowledging that he was not completely back to normal, yet, at least. His forearms were still covered in short, patchy fur, hands decorated with dirty claws; he could feel the scoots and scales running down his back and across his chest, and hear just how sensitive his elongated ears were to the world around him, not to mention those lovely antlers that adorned the crown of his head. He groaned and rubbed the exhaustion from his face, grateful he could at least do as much, though he winced as he touched his cheek. Was he attacked? It felt, almost like a burn... To him it didn't matter much, at least for now; slouched by the water, he stared into the broken reflection of himself, water still dripping off his face. He quickly decided to wash himself up as much as he could before making his way back to Shop, which wouldn't be very hard, if he just retraced his steps.

SD managed to find the clothes he had chucked into the bushes with relative ease, grimacing as he held up the stretched and dirtied clothes. 'It could be worse…,' SD thought to himself. 'At least I remembered to strip this time-'. He carefully put on the worn clothes, even if they sat uncomfortably on top of his remaining fading features.

Eventually, SD managed to trudge back to where he had left Shop. He poked his head out of the bushes bordering the spot, and the color drained from his face. She laid sprawled out on the ground, ashes from the makeshift fire pit scattered across the leaf litter, her shirt in tatters, blood drying on her hands. SD slowly crept out into the open, approaching his comatose companion. He cupped her head in a hand before removing the bag supporting it; it worried him that she seemed to barely move, if at all. He stared at her, his heart pounding in his ears as the pieces came together. The half charred log at her side, the claw marks embedded in Shop and the ground around them, his burned cheek.

That monster must have done something to her. He, must have done something to her.

SD swallowed his rising panic, opening the bag. There was no sign of any of the sedatives being used, and he sighed when he pulled out all three vials from their pouch. “Why didn't you use them…" he muttered to himself, almost dejected that she so strongly refused to use them. Still, he put them back as he grumbled to himself, the clothes he wore irritating him a bit as he did his best to slowly kneel down next to Shop, almost scared that he might hurt her by bringing her closer, but he had to if he wanted to get a good look at her, and held her sleeping form close as he inspected the wound with quivering hands.

Luckily it seemed that the gashes were shallow enough to not slice through her muscle, and curiously, as SD would quickly observe, it was already clotted over and appeared to been overgrown with small ferns and lichens that had looked to be dried out as they grew out of her injury, lacing the gashes together. Settling her down on his lap, he apologized silently before tearing off the rest of her shirt that was still intact with his dulling claws, tossing it to the side. SD took a deep breath to calm his shaking hands, he'd still not learned what power this forest dwelling beast had, or rather, what power he possessed; Shop was the one who had started to keep track of that. He knew from her that anything it killed would be returned to the woods, overgrown and bountiful with budding life, but this, this was a mystery to him. Was she…? No, no, she couldn't be, her chest moved in shallow breaths, and he could hear the weakest of heartbeats. SD took another breath, unable to suppress the shuddering worry, and slid his arms around the young woman to cradle her, and pressed his forehead against hers, rocking her ever so slightly. A headache seemed to blossom out of nowhere, but SD knew what it meant, confirmed by the dull clatter of antlers that fell from his head, and onto the leaf litter. Tears began to spill out of his eyes, ashamed that he could not stop any harm from befalling his dear friend.

SD was always strong, but in this moment of vulnerability, he sobbed, clutching Shop closer to himself as he sunk and inwardly begged for her to give him a sign that she was alright. His tears poured onto her bare skin, soaked up by the dried ferns that adorned her midsection. They reacted to his tears as they began to spring to life, unfurling and growing green as dawn continued to approach.

At first, SD didn't notice, preoccupied in calming himself down, but Shop began to stir, slowly, as if from a deep sleep.

"S...D?..." she whispered, barely above a breath, sluggishly lifting a bloodied hand to his weeping face. As soon as it made contact, he gasped, eyes going wide in panic as he shot his head up to stare at her, bewildered. But it didn't take very long for relief to overwhelm him, causing a big toothy grin to spread on his face as tears continued to stream down his cheeks, raising Shop to hug her. It was short lived, as she winced with a small whine, and SD immediately set her back down before rubbing away his tears with the back of his now bare hands.

"W-what?...happened…" Shop tried to inquire, not yet comprehending the state she was in. SD took a moment to compose himself before answering, choked up.

"It would seem, that you were attacked by, them… and, when I came back, you were laying here, and… I think my tears, helped, you? I'm, not quite sure what to make of this…" He sat Shop up as much as he could so she handle could see her wounds, the ferns soaking up the small rays of early light. She tried to respond, but coughed, her throat dried out.

"Oh, water, that, that would be good to have-" Reluctant to leave her, SD leaned over to the bag and rummaged around until he produced a small canteen, setting it on the ground before turning back to Shop. "You were right to stay here, you know? That creek you mentioned has been coming in handy, heh… Come here, drink…" SD received little response from Shop outside of a weak glance and half hearted nod; the poor thing was beyond exhausted, he thought to himself as she finally managed to drink, exhaling a small bit when she was settled.

She started to look a bit better than when he found her, and he breathed a sigh of relief as he shuffled to sit down properly, earning him a small groan from Shop, her body aching from its current condition. She took slow, steady breaths as she tried to prop herself up, before her eyes grew wide in embarrassed realization that she was not wearing a shirt, and moreso, that the tiny, fresh green ferns and mosses were beginning to fall away, leaving healed gashes in its place. She looked back up to SD, fear in her eyes as she mouthed confusion towards the predicament.

SD took a moment to gather himself, he hated to see Shop so panicked and scared. Brushing her wild hair to the side, he spoke. "To be honest, I'm not sure how this all happened… all I know is that when I found you, these ferns looked dried up and dead… then, well, I was, crying over you… and I suppose some of my tears fell onto them, and they sprang to life… After that, that's when you woke up." He seemed in disbelief over his own words, holding Shop's hand in his own. "Shop… you had the sedatives… why didn’t you use them?..."

Shop's eyes grew misty as she listened; her hand slid out of SD's and wandered to his face, where she had hit him earlier. He had to stop himself from flinching away, perking up when he heard Shop speak, if only a little above a whisper. "They… didn't… attack me… I did-" she started to hiccup, tears falling out from her eyes. "I-I, was so-so… scared… but, but you-it, they only s-seemed ca-cautious, of the, the fire…" SD wiped away her tears, his heart sinking as he lifted her head to his, his hand cradling the back of her head. "They, they got, too close… and I, smacked them w-with a burning log… a-after that, th-they must, must have lashed out, in defense…"

SD's eyes softened as Shop muttered several weak apologies, shushing her with a gentle peck to her forehead. "You have nothing to apologize for dear," he said with an aire of finality. "You defended yourself against that, monster, and, well, I would say you did well, given the circumstances…" Shop glanced up at him from behind her wild, matted fringe, as if to ask if she really did. "You did good, I promise. Although… I wish I knew what to do about that." He gestured to Shop's patched up wound, which she reached down to to brush with a hand.

"Do you, um… think we should try to… pluck them out?..." she asked. SD sighed lightly, looking over the stray leaves that had already fallen off. "I think… maybe we should leave them until they’re ready to fall out." Shop hummed in agreement, shuffling to readjust herself as best she could. She shivered a bit in the coolness of the early morning, which did not go unnoticed by SD. He reached into the bag that laid slumped now, pulling out a sweater he would have worn before he draped it over Shop, blanketing her. She gave him a grateful nudge with her cheek before her eyes wandered up to the sky, spotting the moon that still lingered as the sky grew lighter and lighter, although SD's monstrous features had basically melted away to nothing. Her eyes wandered, glossing over her surroundings.

"Hey, SD?...”

"Yes?"

"Can we take the antlers home with us…?"

He huffed, but smiled warmly, looking over to the antlers in question that sat just ahead of the pair. His head hurt just thinking about those things being on his head, but he ignored the phantom sensation. "You want to try carving into them again?"

"Maybe… I think I'm getting better at it…”

“You are dear, you are.”

[plightofthecentipede]

thoughts about where stress sits in the body & the grotesque as divine // a sketch i ended up not using for a current project

ko-fi

[rogueddie]

Aspec Steddie Fics

Important: READ THE TAGS! Also, leave a comment and kudos! These fics are amazing and I love them and I hope y'all do too 💜💚

Ace of Hearts

buttered_toasty

It’s kind of always been there. A voice prowling the back of his head, growling and grumbling that this is what he’s supposed to do.

Steve is uncertain that he actually likes guys, because when you like someone you’re supposed to be sexually attracted to them, too, right?

Words : 2,533 Chapters : 1/1 Rating : Teen and Up Audiences

AO3 : x

Conversations About Love

MuseumGiftShopEraser

Steve gets his heart absolutely shattered in a bathroom at a random Halloween party. He storms off so no one can tell he’s on the verge of tears and finds Eddie Munson smoking a joint in the master bedroom.

Steve pours his heart out and tells Eddie that he just can’t get it to come naturally with Nancy. No matter how hard he tries so play at romance, he can’t love her the way he’s supposed to.

Eddie, who’s known he’s queer since middle school, sees something of himself in Steve. But as their friendship progresses into something more, Steve has to confront the fact that he might not be gay after all.

Words : 41,803 Chapters : 9/9 Rating : Mature

AO3 : x

Under the Light of the Evening Star

greenflower209

Eddie and Steve talk about sexuality and find a new sort of comfort in each other

Words : 1,153 Chapters : 1/1 Rating : General Audiences

AO3 : x

you are so magnetic

the_maybe

Steve and Eddie kiss. Eddie is not into it.

Words : 886 Chapters : 1/1 Rating : Mature

AO3 : x

Amour Déroutant

aromanticsteddie

“I think I’m broken, Robs.”

Robin was half asleep, and Steve would have felt bad about disturbing her had he not been staring silently outside for hours upon hours. She shook her head above him, where his was resting on her chest. “No, you’re not, Stevie.” She made it sound so simple. If she thought it was, then it must be, right?

Words : 3,750 Chapters : 2/2 Rating : General Audiences

AO3 : x

mixing it up

Isabelle Hemlock (isabelle_hemlock)

Steve seemed to perk up when Eddie hadn’t outright declined the offer, but his brain was still catching up to the legitimacy of his words, utterly unprepared for the way Steve’s restrained smile now widened as he tipped his head to make his eyes look even more round and beautiful, “But if that’s your only hesitation then let’s move forward to the planning portion of a date.”

Date, Eddie’s mind repeated, sputtering back into motion, date that thing where people - “What - exactly would a date with you look like?”

Words : 7,369 Chapters : 3/3 Rating : Mature

AO3 : x

cw: ableist language

+ Bonus Stobin

Describing Colours

envyenvy

Two unknowingly closeted aromantics try to explain crushes to each other, it goes about as well as can be expected.

Words : 7,374 Chapters : 1/1 Rating : Teen and Up Audiences

AO3 : x

[wildflowercryptid]

tealmaskshipping has infected my brain so severely so here are some very specific things ( like themes & imagery ) i accociate with mjverse!kieflo :

kieran-specific — hydrangeas & hinoki cypress, glitches, folkflore, nightsky, angel / bird wings, yellow + red-violet + green, the porygon line, darling by materu ( jayzeroey ver. linked bc i really love it ) & figure you out by djo

florian-specific — lily of the valley & yellow roses, mythology & fables, mornings, butterfly / moth wings, scarlet & vermillion, the rotom line, fireflies never came by harumaki gohan & dandelion by iyowa

hedgehog's dilemma

destiny knot / red string of fate ( with it tangling around kieran's neck & florian's legs )

mutual obsession & idolization

cupid & psyche

and suddenly everything is different. they have looked at each other.

sacrifice of the self ( sacrificing one's identity vs. sacrificing one's safety )

leaning on each other ( for support or as a display of affection )

unyielding devotion

deep admiration

stars

fireworks

daybreak / sunrises

anemone & bellflowers

shades of magenta

the applin line ( and apples in general )

songs — goodbye, my danish sweetheart by mitski, friends with you by the scary jokes, fireworks in the summer end by jin

[uriswhumpchamber]

day one of @augusnippets ! path of hurt: brainwash

content warning for medical whump (mostly setting, dw).

Their gaze stays on the ground, picking a spot to fixate on, and then the next, and the next, and the next. They cannot afford otherwise, cannot afford more than barely listening to the doctor as he speaks ever so softly. Cannot afford more than a slight wince at the needle stabbing their flesh, cannot move, cannot stop their thoughts, for that would leave an opening.

It is sudden, the hand on their arm, grip tighter, rougher than anything the doctor has done so far, and the man has hurt them already. They barely manage to remember.

“Word spreads awfully quick, doesn't it?”, he says, but he does not say it's a rumor, and that might as well be confirming it. The fact that he doesn't seem to care is unnerving. “There really is no use fighting it this much.”

They don't know if it's the phrasing of that, or the tone, or that he's still grabbing them, but they look. They lift their head and stare directly at him, and open their mouth, giving up on their attempt to not snap.

They feel it, before being able to say anything. They feel it, as soon as they realize the doctor is also staring at them.

They want to scream, to curse at him. They want to fight, in any animalistic way they can manage, dignity be damned, there is no place for that in this Hell, there never was. Yet their body locks in place, and by the time they remember that about not leaving any gaps between their thoughts, it's far too late. The feeling of something — something prying open their mind, slowly making its way in between their thoughts, not stopping even as they try, try, try to fight.

And it crawls in their head, pulls at their nerves, makes the back of their eyes burn and yet doesn't allow them to close them, to even fully blink.

No, they're doing that by themselves. It wouldn't matter, at this point — the thought finishes, and they realize it is not theirs.

As if anything is, now.

It settles in, pushing everything else out — all but the fear, if it isn't fear itself, and dread, and desperation. It, no, he, for that has to be part of the man staring at him, if he can be called just a man. And they realize, as it shifts yet again, pulling on old memories that flash and decompose behind their eyes, that if he wanted to, their entire mind would have collapsed already. Nothing left but whatever has managed to make a nest in their brain. And they realize they don't know why it hasn't done so.

They finally can manage to blink, their ears ringing with the man's laughter. They don't know if they're actually hearing it, or if it's still inside their mind.

“Wouldn't be a proper experiment if I fully broke you now, would it?”

They attempt to speak again, and something begins stirring in their head.

[avirael]

FFxivWrite 2024

Day 03 - Tempest

(Content warning for slavery and violence)

It was the sound of the pouring rain that brought A'viloh back to his senses in the middle of the night.

Even down here, lying on the dirty old floorboards of the crew‘s quarters, he could hear the heavy raindrops drumming against the hull of the ship.

For some reason the slavers hadn’t locked him up again with the others as they usually did when they were done with torturing one of them. Vaguely he remembered how he had gotten here and immediately wished the rain hadn’t awoken him from his stupor.

He pressed his eyes shut hoping to go back to that hazy numbness, that somtimes graciously spirited his mind away when the monsters returned to fetch him from the cell. He didn’t want to be here and if he couldn’t change physically being here, he at least wanted to be elsewhere mentally.

He was so tired. So exhausted. But he knew he wouldn’t be able to sleep, not here. Sometimes he thought he would never be able to sleep again at all.

In the distance he heard the creaking of a wooden door and with it not only footsteps appeared but also the noise of howling wind outside. Heavy boots made the floor tremble right beside his head and he prayed to remain unnoticed, as if a naked Miqo'te with long tangled fire-red hair sprawled all over the floor was something that could just turn invisible. Maybe if he prentended good enough though they would think he was dead and throw him overboard or at least leave him alone for a while.

The man who had entered the room however didn’t pay any attention to him. Nonetheless his angry deep voice startled A‘viloh as the man began to shout.

„Get yer asses o‘ hammock ‘n onto deck! The Seven Hells be breakin‘ loose up thar! The cap‘n wants all o‘ ye ugly bilge rats t‘ muck in!“

A few ill-humoured groans echoed through the room and after another impatient yell by the first mate the remaining crew members reluctantly crawled out of their hammocks and up the stairs leading to the deck of the ship.

One of them stumbled over A'viloh in his drunken half-sleep but luckily just got up again with a string of profanities on his lips but without really taking notice of him.

Then the Miqo'te was left alone in the dark stuffy room and finally dared to breath again. And as the thunder outside began to growl and everything turned silent apart from the muffled sound of the storm, he allowed himself to cry. For a long while his pained bitter sobs where all he could hear until with a deafening crash another lightning struck down from the sky and made the whole ship tremble.

Alarmed A'viloh shrieked and stared up to the ceiling with his arms raised in defense. This sound had been too loud, too close, and the yells on deck got louder and more nervous too. For a moment he just lay there and listened, trying to understand what was going on.

Something was wrong.

This is your chance!, a voice whispered in his head but he knew better than to listen to it. The first time he had tried to flee - or whatever you would call the only way to escape from a ship in the middle of the ocean - he had been caught quickly. Immediately they had noticed him running over the deck and before he could even get one leg over the railing they had grabbed him. Their punishment had been severe and the black and blue bruises all over his body still reminded him never to misbehave again.

But what if you all break out at once?, the voice whispered. Now they are distracted. There won’t be a better opportunity.

Weakly A'viloh tried to sit up but every single part of his body protested. He hadn’t eaten anything in days except for a few crumbs of moldy hard bread they had thrown to their captives. Neither did all the bruises covering his body help, nothing dangerous that wouldn’t heal but it hurt nonetheless. He remembered the captain ordering his crew not to damage his cargo beyond repair, after all he still planned to sell them all. And yet A'viloh was quite sure one of them had broken his tail earlier that evening and apart from this he also felt pretty much beyond repair too.

Suddenly something upstairs creaked dangerously, followed by a loud crash and more shouting. Whatever was going on there, seemed to be more than a small problem. Maybe no one would see him distracted by the turmoil…

With his eyes always fixed on the doorway he wrapped himself in the tattered rugs he had been given instead of his clothes and slowly crawled towards the stairs. He used the doorframe as support to get onto his feet but the ship swayed strongly and his legs felt so wobbly that he more stumbled up the staircase than walked. However when he saw the chaos unfolding outside he froze in his his steps.

One of the two masts had broken and fallen sideways, maybe struck by the lightning A'viloh had heard earlier, causing a great amount of damage to the ship. There was fire, bright and hot, greedily spreading itself over the deck of the ship and everyone seemed to run around without coordination, trying to put out the flames or pulling on some ropes, to at least keep the rest of the ship working. For a moment A'viloh just stared in disbelief before one realisation flared up clearly in his mind.

The ship is going to sink.

He whirled around in panic and ran down the first and also the second pair of stairs as fast as he could, down to the cargo hold of the ship. Weakly he threw himself against the heavy wooden door and rattled at the handle. A face appeared behind the little barred window. He couldn’t recognise it in the dark but the voice sounded familiar.

„A'viloh? You are back! What is going on? Are you alright?“

He didn’t answer the question and instead kept pulling on the doorhandle with as much energy as he still possessed. Of course it didn’t open.

„It is locked“, he croaked and noticed how thin and hoarse and miserable his own voice sounded to him. Disheartened he added, „I think the ship is going down…“

Wasn’t that what he had wished for? For these monsters to get their rightful punishment? Hadn’t he been willing to welcome death gratefully if it meant for him to get away from here?

Why did he still feel so terrified then?

„Do you know where the key is?“, the voice on the other side of the door asked. Nervously A'viloh searched the room in front of the door for any clues but could only shake his head.

„I think the guy with that ugly scar on his face has it.“, another voice called from inside the cell. „You have to get it, A‘viloh! You have to get us out of here!“

Horrified he stared into the darkness of the cell. He would never be able to steal the key from one of these men, especially not if he had to search for him in that chaos upstairs first. And what if they caught him?

„Please!“, one of the Ala Mhigan girls cried in fear but to A'viloh it felt like a slap through his face.

They were all going to die unless he did something. So he nodded and turned around, running up the stairs again. He at least had to try.

When he arrived on the deck wind and rain greeted him, but despite the rain the fire had already gotten worse. Hesitantly he stayed hidden in the half-dark of the doorframe and tried to find the pirate the woman had spoken about but with smoke and chaos everywhere this wasn’t an easy task.

After a few moments that felt like an eternity his eyes finally landed on a man at the front of the ship, pulling with all his power on a rope attached to the front mast. A'viloh thought he recognized his hair and his clothes even without seeing his face and indeed he spotted a key ring fixed at the side of his belt.

As quickly as he could he sneaked along the side of the ship, trying to stay unseen and avoid running into any of the pirates. But they had different things to worry about anyway…

Carefully he climbed the handful of steps leading up to the front deck, not that anyone would have heard the boards creak through the noise of this tempest.

There right in front of him the man stood with his back turned to him, focused on his work, and at his belt the wanted key ring.

Slowly he stretched out his hand.

Just a little more.

Then another loud crash split the air.

For a second A'viloh thought he had lost his hearing but then he heard the man in front of him scream.

Panicked he jumped backwards in fear but the scream hadn’t been directed towards him. Instead the man retreated while he stared up to the mast, which had apparently been struck by another lightning. Slowly the material cracked and the mast started to tilt. A'viloh could see the thoughts racing on the man‘s face, as he quickly dropped the rope and tried to run away. He wasn't fast enough though. In a slow but unstoppable movement the mast fell towards the back of the ship burying some of the crew beneath it. The weight of the impact tore a gaping hole into the deck and made huge chunks of broken wood fly in all directions.

For a moment most of the screams apart from the wails of wounded had gone silent. Then through the noise of thunder, wind and rain the ship started to groan. A deep, ominous sound that made A'viloh shudder.

Luckily he had remained unharmed by the accident and briefly he wondered if he could reach for the keys still at the belt of the man who lay buried beneath the front mast a few yalms away from him.

But then with another ugly crunching sound the hull of the ship, weakened by the fire and the damage, broke apart.

The whole vessel tilted dangerously sideways.

For A'viloh on his shaky legs it seemed impossible to remain standing.

With a yelp he fell to the floor and began to roll over the wet planks of the more and more tilting ship.

He tried to hold on to something but before he could find anything his back painfully hit the railing of the ship.

For the tiniest moment he was flying.

Then he hit the water.

Shocked he gasped for air but instead swallowed a mouthful of sea water. The ocean felt cold but the salty water burned. In his eyes, in the scratches all over his body, in his lungs. He had never learned how to swim, not that he would have had the power to do so now. Instead he helpless struggled against the waves and tried to reach for a piece of wood that swam in the water beside him.

But the slippery surface escaped his fingers and another wave of angry water hit him, almost pushing him under. Gasping and coughing he thrashed around, trying to stay afloat.

Then finally he got a grip on the broken piece of the ship’s hull. With the last bit of his energy he pulled his body onto the lifesaving piece of the wreckage, before he fainted.

[specterofyou]

The scarring wound never fully closes

[off-mozzarella]

Blurrying everything bc reasons (not that it made sense anyways) but this is where I'm """"organizing"""" all the body swap au stuff + the longest related comic which I'm not sure I actually want to draw out

Do you understand my pain? Please help

[thefictionalfacade]

Ch14 P14 TW Sensitive Content??

Full version also under cut for potential tws

tried to make the censored version a bit sensical in terms of upcoming pages, but it’s still a bit disjointed.

Hate this guy RAAAHHHHHHHHHH