#antler cutting tradition

[emkini]

If you've been keeping up with me lately you'll know I'm obsessed with In the Hall of the King Underhill and related stories by @hellenite, so I took the time to create some beeduo character designs!

Portrait shots, design notes, and extras under the cut. Note that everything here is just my own personal headcanons based on how I interpret the characters and story.

Human Tubbo:

Perpetually has plants in his hair, which one might assume he picked up in the forest or placed there manually. Curiously, however, they seem quite resistant to removal.

Will find a way to get dirt on himself, no matter the occasion.

Shares a wardrobe with Ranboo, and so everything is too big on him. Fortunately, he's able to pull it off.

Fae Tubbo:

Is designed to invoke the image of a warrior prince. He is well-dressed, but not extravagantly so. The majority of his clothing is practical, and his grand cape is easily removed should the need arise.

Has 9-point antlers which denote his age and power. His main beams are hooked forward: these are deadly weapons, and he wears them as such. Conceptually, they serve close him off from the viewer.

Is dressed largely in earth tones, but wears a red petticoat embroidered with dark hounds. These symbolize his history of trauma and violence, and hint at a darkness beneath his initially warm impression.

Wears many animal traits in his favored form, though he can reduce their number as needed.

Human Ranboo:

Has a natural white patch in his hair: a result of hair heterochromia. This may also predispose him to anemia.

Often wears a red sweatshirt, which makes him stand out like a bloody target on the green forest landscape. Thematically, this sweatshirt sets him apart from Tubbo and his later self.

Possesses the world's saddest pair of doe eyes and does not seem to grasp the devastating power they hold

Fae Ranboo:

Matches Tubbo's design thematically, but sports a far lighter color palette and dresses in a less traditional manner. Conceptually, his clothing is meant to represent his youth and gentleness: he isn't dressed for war.

Is young for a faerie, and only has 5 points on his antlers. They may grow as he matures. His wide and open spread serves to give him an approachable air.

Wears an oft-unbuttoned jerkin embroidered with scenes from the Unicorn Tapestries. Often interpreted as an allegory for the capture and crucifixion of Christ and/or a celebration of marriage, such a reference seemed thematically appropriate.

Also emblazoned on Ranboo's jerkin, directly atop his heart, is a friendly-looking hound. This references Tubbo's red hounds and symbolizes the part of him which now lives within his husband.

+ A couple of extra sketches from a magma board with @piersthesniper, who makes lovely art as well. Go check out his blog!

[filurig]

its been a while but new pareidolia creature!! ive been thinking of making these for a while. in case u don't know what an älgfrode is (a bit more of a niche nordic mythology creature), an älgfrode (or elgfróði in icelandic) was mentioned in hrólfs saga kraka, one of the old norse hero sagas. while the context for that was one specific character i just wanted to make moose people..

more info abt my creatures below the cut...

they wear more clothes than in the ref this is just to show their anatomy LOL. clothing is actually very important to them and textiles will almost always have a role in any tradition/significant social event. their textilework is very renowed and is one of the trades that cause some other vättar to want to trade with them as mentioned in the ref!

one potential reason for their high level of defensiveness is that their species suffers from a higher than average infant mortality rate - with time, this mortality rate has lowered from what it used to be, but when the species first appeared, it wasn't unusual for a mother to have to give birth to many calves before one even made it to adulthood. this rooted a deep set vigilance in them - even now that the rates have stabilised a bit. the high mortality rate was probably due to the affected "shift" gene sometimes activating improperly which could result in stillborns. with time and selective pressure new gene mutations would arise in the species that "counteracted" the instability of the first initial one and made the infant mortality decrease. it is, however, still a little higher than usual for similar species, and so it is traditionally encouraged to have many children.

gender roles for älgfroder are interesting - there is a strong sense of "equal strength", or "laorhgr" in älgfrode, which is important. while males are usually slightly larger than females, there is emphasis on the importance on a pair being able to stand their ground both physically and emotionally to the other and a relationship can only go ahead if a spar between two älgfroder is fair. this extends to an interesting dynamic that involves polyamory. älgfroder can be both monogamous and polyamorous, however polyamorous relationships often only arise when there is a big physical differential between two parties. the belief is that if one party is stronger than the other, that strength can be equalised if the other party is accompanied a second partner of similar strength - usually this happens between one strong male and two females on the smaller end. that way the resulting relationship has achieved "laorhgr". this ofc varies as everything does but ya. basically if you are a big strong älgfrode dating a small petite älgfrode it's seen as shameful and barbaric. there is also a bias to heterosexual relationships as it is seen as an important social duty to at least successfully raise one calf.

dhukohr are the more commonly occuring intersex condition in älgfrodar, but there is an equivalent to it for "males" where they fail to grow antlers and have very small dewlaps due to low testosterone levels - those are usually referred to as kvikohr. they are often recognised as their own gender respectively however there are many that identify as men/women too. some of these dhukohr/kvikohr are actually moreso trans than intersex - simply having utilized faerie dust in order to transition. this can be a bit of an ordeal though because usually this requires being administered it by a tomte which, depending on the settlment, can be a tense negotiation, although individuals usually have a less hard time with that.

älgfrodar and bäckahästar can hybridise and do sometimes produce fertile offspring! i would have to think more about this though erm. but i think it does and can happen. there is a sense of rare camraderie between the two species in many cases but especially so between älgfrodar and bäckahäst communities that choose to spend more time as their faun shift than their base shift - in fact a few of these bäckahästar choose to integrate into certain älgfrode settlements, but this is more of a rare occurance. most bäckahästar that possess "unishift" clothing have actually had them made by älgfrodar, or at least had the fabric sourced from them

[writingsofwesteros]

Helaena is given a limited freedom on who her husband will be, her options aren’t as plentiful as Rhaenyra’s but it’s more than most noble girls get.

Still, most (mainly Alicent and Otto) expect her to choose between her brothers, both because of tradition, politics and because honestly she doesn’t really know any other men. She wasn’t very social and her family guarded her honour relentlessly.

What no one knew was that Helaena knew who her husband would be, she had dreamt him long before and was determined to follow her path to him, to have the life he promised, and not be trapped in the Keep for the rest of her life.

Even if most in the realm predicted a incestuous match that didn’t stop the Lords of great houses from presenting themselves or their sons at court in homes of dragon-riding heirs one day.

Including Lord Borros Baratheon and his son, The Young Stag. He’d thought the princess was a beauty, but her starring was odd. He just took it as a compliment and winked at her in the throne room, as he hadn’t the chance to talk to her during yet. Perhaps he would at tomorrows ball.

That night Helaena dodged her brothers drunken flirting and subtle advances and waited until nightfall. He would be in the garden, as she had dreamed. She wanted that future, him, storms end, their children, the fiery passion he would give her. She wanted it now, and she wouldn’t let her family deny it to her.

The Stag was surprised when she appeared in the garden, bathed in moonlight and wearing her nightdress. He wondered if perhaps he wasn’t meant to be in this part of the garden, if this was her private space, but she didn’t look angry to see him, she looked pleased in fact.

His flirtatious words seemed to fall on deaf ears however, she glided straight to him they died on his lips. She braved a hand against his broad shoulder as she pulled up her skirt with the other and climbed into his lap.

It’s not often the Stag is left speechless but he had to be impressed by her boldness, even as she whispered strange things in his ear. She spoke of dragons with antlers and fire breathing stags and how the seed was strong. Her words confused him but the rocking motion of her hips was loud and clear, a motion he was very familiar with.

The king, the queen, the princes, the Hightowers and his father would probably skin him for this, but he just couldn’t help it. Baratheons were hot-blooded and virile, the Stag had very turned down a pair of spread legs in his life and who in the world would turn down a princess?

The Stag’s hands reached beneath the hem of her nightdress, one started frantically pulling the strings of his breeches loose as the other softly caressed between her legs, and they both moaned softly at feeling her cunt bare and wet. Perfect.

As soon as his cock was free he began teasing her with his great length, running his blunt head along her slit, rubbing her pearl as she moaned and sighed in his ear.

He’s taken enough maidenheads to know that she still had hers, that is until she sinks down onto him. He can tell by the resistance, how tight and sweet she is, how unpracticed her movements are. And he knows he should stop, but instead he grabs at her hips and ass as he guides her rocking back and forth, thrusting his hips upward.

Even as he gets closer to his peak, he knows he shouldn’t do it. Even as he feels her squeezing him, whimpering and whining in pleasure, he knows he’d be in trouble for it, it’s all well and good getting a minor nobles daughter or a serving girl to drink moontea, but a princess? They might just cut his cock off for this. But he’s gone too far at this point not to finish the job, and who knows? Maybe they’ll see sense and just make him marry her, so she won’t be baring bastards like her sister.

Cuz if he knows anything, this’ll take.

His thrusts get harder and deeper, dragging her hips down as his slam up, her sounds of pleasure and the slapping of skin only making his blood hotter. As she squeezes around his cock one more time, she’s still whispering strange but pleasing words to him as he cums, planting his seed deep inside, thrusting up into her again and again, not wasting any. She moans in what sounds like satisfaction now.

She may not have Storms End yet, or marriage, but by the way he gazes up at her, she has her Stag… and his heir.

- 🌝🌚 Helaena deserves more love

She does! She's so very precious and I adore the idea of her just moving to get what she wants thank you!

She shivers on top of him; her delicate hands stroking his muscled chest as the Princess slowly comes down from her high. Her gushing pussy milking him still but his cock is soon a mess from the both of them.

A whine escaped her when he moved to gently leave her but she feels so good - so full. His fat cock against her gummy walls had Helaena nearly purring

[satoruoo]

VIA VIA VIA HEAR ME OUT. secret santa b they get u and accidentally spill it / the big reveal…

(NOT SO) SECRET SANTA - aki hayawaka

summary: despite aki's best efforts to keep your gift a secret, his (stupid) roommates somehow manage to spoil the surprise.

genre: fluff, non-devil au, everyone is happy, crack

warnings: swearing, denji, f!reader, suggestive

notes: hope u like it babe !! this is my apology for the recent aki slander 😈🔥

now playing: rockin' around the christmas tree - brenda lee

"for the millionth time, do not tell [name] i got her, understood?"

denji and power sit crossed-legged on the floor, looking only half interested in what aki is saying. they're dressed in christmas gear from head to toe, heads swaying slightly to the christmas music coming from the record player.

power looks awfully happy with the pair of antlers that denji unwillingly brought her from the store after she threatened to throw a fit in the middle of the aisle. they're decorated with little bells, and every time she nods her head, aki can visibly tell how delighted she is from the jingles that they make. she now refuses to take them off.

denji's gone for a more traditional approach, sporting a santa hat with a light up pom pom at the end.

(the hat also says "ho! ho! ho!" if the button on the left is pressed, but denji had overused it so much that aki cut it open and took out the speaker. he then burnt the speaker. denji was told told it must have broken.)

"duh, i ain’t a snitch!" denji claims, saluting his roommate with a shit-eating grin. he would snitch, aki is fully aware of that. bribe him with a lollipop or a tit squeeze? done deal.

"why are we not allowed to tell her?" power asks, fiddling with rudolph's nose on her christmas jumper.

aki audibly groans, fingers working at his temples in exasperation. "because, it’s a secret santa. we aren’t supposed to tell anyone who we got."

power's face twists in mild disgust, "what is the point of that?! just give me my present now!"

aki rolls his eyes, raking his fingers through his dark hair, "because it builds the suspense, power. do you want to have all your gifts now and have none on christmas day?"

she seems to quieten at that, closing her eyes as she mulls over his words. after three agonizing seconds of her silence and aki wondering whether it'd be easier to just throw himself out of the nearest window, power pouts and nods.

denji dramatically sighs before aki can say anything further, slapping her twice on the back in an attempt to comfort her, "i feel ya, powey."

the girl mirrors the sigh, slumping against denji as she flips aki off with a scowl.

"you should thank me, human! i will not go and tell [name] that you have her!" she declares smugly, resting her body weight on the male next to her.

aki vaguely hears "ow, fuck! power, y’re crushin’ me! how the fuck are ya so heavy?!" and a loud slap that probably came from power as he walks away.

• . ✿ ° × . *.

aki really does try his hardest to keep the secret.

he finds himself slapping a hand over denji's mouth when he almost lets it spill, and shoving a piece of food into power's when the topic of the secret santa comes up.

it's only halfway through december. he doesn't know how much longer he can keep this up. he can tell you're starting to pick up on something fishy and it's beginning to stress him out.

"and so aki has-"

"what are you doing?"

power freezes up at the sound of aki's voice, head lifting from your lap as she scrambles to defend herself.

"nothing!" she says a pitch higher than usual.

your eyes narrow at aki who sends a subtle glare in power's direction before taking a seat beside you on the couch. you're immediately taking his hand in yours, rubbing the pad of your thumb over his knuckles to soothe his anger.

the man melts so quickly that it should be embarrassing, shoulders relaxing with a simple touch.

"she was telling me about secret santa," you fill in gently, "something about who everyone has."

power wishes she was dead.

the glare that aki gives her makes certain that she'll be banned from chocolates for at least a week. that's practically the same as death.

"was she now?" aki asks, an angry rumble in his throat.

the girl is looking at anything but his face; when had the wall become so interesting? look at that, is that a new vase? what are denji's pornos doing on the floor-

"why don't you tell both of us, power?"

before anything else can be said, she shoots up from her spot on the couch sweating bullets.

"meowy needs to shit!" is all she says before leaving the room at hurricane speeds. (if only she were that quick to close her mouth.)

you smile, turning to look at your boyfriend with a raised eyebrow.

"so?" you question, idly threading your fingers through his.

"so, what?" aki responds.

he can tell from the way a small laugh escapes those pretty lips that playing dumb isn't going to work.

"nothing, just a bad day." he tries, resting his head in the crook of your neck.

"you're snapping at power because of a 'bad day'?" you state, scepticism evident in your tone. "righhhht."

aki chuckles into your flesh, placing a chaste kiss there before pulling away. "yeah, that's all."

you press a kiss to his lips, tongue swiping over his. "sure, okay. i'll let you have this one, handsome."

the edges of his mouth tip up at the nickname and silent relief fills his veins at the clarification that you won't push the matter.

"thanks, love."

• . ✿ ° × . *.

aki swears on his life that he tries his hardest to keep the secret.

it's just that denji and power are not good secret keepers. they're a pair of loudmouths who are easily bribed. if not for your presence to keep him sane, aki's sure he would have strangled denji and confiscated power's antlers. actually, he's sure that if the gift he'd gotten you wasn't so important, he'd have let his roommates tell you already.

"makima, c'monnnn! i licked the floor so ya owe me a tit squeeze!" denji whines in a kneeling position on the floor.

going out for christmas lunch with you, his two roommates and makima may be one of the best and worst decisions aki's ever made in his life.

power still has her antlers on with a scarf wrapped tightly around her neck, you had to persuade her to wear it, as she makes fun of her friend. there are still remnants of the snowball fight he was forced to engage in on her coat, and her nose is pink from the one denji threw in her face.

denji is as desperate as ever - shame didn't seem to find a place in his vocabulary. his purposefully broken santa hat is still finding a home atop his dirty blonde hair, though the pom pom looks like it's about to give up and fall off.

you on the other hand look ethereal in his eyes, a smile etched into your gorgeous features. with every small giggle that escapes your lips, aki feels his chest constrict almost painfully, heart thumping loudly within his ribcage.

you're still holding his hand; you have been for the past three hours.

"only if you tell me who aki has for secret santa, denji." makima answers, voice silky smooth.

it's meant as a joke 100%. everyone else in the room, even power, understood the joke. curse aki for forgetting denji's inability to read social cues.

"he has [name]!!"

on december 23rd, the day before christmas eve, denji tells makima who he has for secret santa in exchange for a tit squeeze. typical.

there's silence for a while. no one really knows what to say. all eyes are on the dark-haired male who genuinely seems to be in the middle of a breakdown.

denji's all frozen up and fully ready to make a run for it if needs be.

"i already know he has me, though." you say, confused.

comically, multiple heads whip towards you.

"...you do?" aki breathes, annoyance towards denji disappearing as fast as it came.

"well if you didn't already know, you suck at keeping secrets, honey. i've known for ages."

part of him feels relieved. if you already knew, then technically he didn't fuck up. technically, it didn't even count-

"it doesn't take a genius to figure it out, you know."

"for real, bro. i knew ya sucked ass like in general but not at lying as well-"

denji will be dead by morning.

BONUS:

"your secret santa gift was an engagement ring?" power asks, mortified.

"what a shitty gift!" denji pipes up, "it's not even edible- ow!"

you chuckle, fiddling with the ring that fits perfectly around your finger as aki smacks denji's arm.

"really? i think it's a wonderful gift." you muse, "it'll last way longer than food."

"so what?! food stays in your tummy forever!" power argues with her hand pointing at her stomach.

"no the fuck it doesn't! ya shit it out, duh!"

their bickering falls upon deaf ears as aki steals a sneaky kiss from you.

"merry christmas, [name]. i hope we'll spend many more together." his cheeks are definitely not dusted pink as he says that. not at all.

[invisible-pink-toast]

who's who in the zoo wilderness

like many yellowjackets fans i am Obsessed with the flashbacks in the pilot episode - but while many theories are about who pit girl is or who the antler queen is i also wanted to have a look at who each of the creepy cloaked cultee's might be under their masks...

Info

in the flashbacks we have nine characters -

pit girl (called "The Runner" in the script)

antler queen (called "The Shaman")

the one wearing beaver fur ("The Overseer")

the one wearing a skunk fur ("The Hunter")

the one in the pink hood ("The Butcher")

one wearing an owl

one wearing racoons

one wearing what appears to be a wolf

one wearing pants/leggings in a way that looks rabbit-like.

The antler queen is the name the fans have given the mysterious veiled figure - but the creators have been firm in saying that is an interpretation and not a fact. What we know about this figure is she's referred to as "The Shaman" and she's obviously a significant figure in the group - but not necessarily the queen/leader. I don't think this character is automatically the leader of the cult.

The definition of a shaman includes:

A member of certain traditional societies, especially of northern Asia and of North and South America, who acts as a medium between the visible world and an invisible spirit world and who practices magic or sorcery for purposes of healing, divination, and control over natural events.

The term shamanism comes from the Manchu-Tungus word šaman. The noun is formed from the verb ša- ‘to know’; thus, a shaman is literally “one who knows.” 

So of these nine, seven of them must be our seven known survivors:

just a note: aside from sammi hanratty (misty) none of the other actors were playing characters in this scene - those roles were filled by body doubles. so i'm not going to be too specific in comparing looks to try and match these characters to our known characters. There's also the fact that these scenes were written and filmed for the pilot before the show was greenlit and since then the story has changed somewhat (for example - van most likely originally dying from the wolf attack but that being rewritten because they loved what liv hewson did with the character and wanting them to continue). So I'll mostly be focusing on the characters we know were absolutely intended to be there: Shauna, Tai, Natalie (confirmed to survive in the pilot) as well as Travis and Lottie (confirmed to survive later in s1).

Theories/Predictions/Headcanons

Only one figure is 100% confirmed - the Overseer being Misty, as she is the only character seen to remove her fur mask at the end of the pilot episode.

The other that is basically confirmed is the identity of the Butcher being Shauna.

Not only was Shauna... literally the butcher in the past and the present ("Shauna, you're the best with the knife, so you'll handle the body. I mean cut it up." - Misty in 1x10) but when Shauna kills Adam she has flashbacks that include the Butcher bleeding the Runner's corpse.

Then there's the Runner, and given that she dies gruesomely she is not one of the survivors, but is one of the yellowjackets who survived past the end of s2.

Aside from her face, she is the character we see the most of physically (so i will mention her physical appearance in relation with who her character might be) - she has long dark hair and lighter/olive coloured skin.

based on this we know that pit girl is most likely either Gen or Mari (my vote is mari, and i wrote a meta on why). now that gen has been recast for s3 :( i'm thinking it's almost definitely mari.

that's 3/9 and where the clearest examples stop.

Owl

I think the animals were chosen with intention, both by the costume designer and within the story by the characters. whereas the other masks seem more for the sake of warmth (like the raccoon pelts sort of sewed together into a hood) this one feels a lot more symbolic. like can you even skin an owl while keeping the feathers??

I think this is a reference to Tai's connection with the "Other Tai" - the one who comes out in sleepwalking, and somehow knows the lay of the land (where the symbols are, where the other yellowjackets are) in a way that Tai doesn't understand. The imagery of having a character appear to literally have two faces just screams Tai to me.

From some very basic research it seems that owl can symbolically mean: wisdom, a guide in the dark, death, visions, etc.

While this could relate to Tai, it could also relate to Lottie.

While as the audience we know Lottie is schizophrenic and without her meds, the others have taken Lottie's visions as signs from the wilderness and treat her as the resident seer. While she's clearly trying to pull away from that role and the responsibility it entails by the end of s2 - the other yellowjackets already look to her as someone with the knowledge to guide them through the wilderness.

There's also the clothing. While most clothes seem to be passed around communally (a sweater Misty & Mari wear in s2 is the legwarmers on the owl and the mask on the skunk) there are some items that are reserved for specific characters (like Shauna wearing Jackie's butterfly shirt).

In the '96 timeline Tai wears a lot of patterned blue and purple clothes, some of which almost definitely become part of the outfit for this owl character.

There's also the vest - it could be an animal fur but it has some of similarities to Lottie's fluffy coat, especially one that's become dirtier while stranded without the cabin. This coat is only worn by Lottie. The raccoon character also wears a similar vest, so it could just be fur, but Lottie's coat resembles the owl character's vest more based on the colour, or the coat could have been split in two.

Overall I think the owl character is most likely Tai.

in doomcoming and in the hunt in the future the upper half of tai's face is covered and it makes sense to me that trend would continue in all her hunt outfits. there's also the repeated imagery of eyes within her story - the man with no eyes, her grandmother's eyes, sammy's doll on the altar missing an eye, so her outfit having a taxidermy owl with no eyes tracks.

Wolf

unfortunately not many clear images exist for this character. i'm not even sure if the pelt they're wearing is a wolf, it could also be a bear, but i'm going with wolf for now.

i think this is Travis. travis is the other hunter of the group and it makes sense that the characters furs might come from their own hunts/kills. symbolism wise travis does fit a wolf as well - loyalty, protection, strength. wolves are closely tied to the bonds of packs and family, making sense that travis would be the lone wolf as he's lost his father and brother out here.

tai and van are also associated with wolves - but i don't think either of them would want to wear one all the time, given that van was attacked by one and tai is haunted by them.

the wolf character also has some small details that fit for travis' character. their face is covered from the eyes down, something travis often does throughout season 2. the wolf, owl and skunk characters are also the only ones (that we can see) wearing fingerless gloves. given that the last time travis saw javi happy was him being gifted gloves by natalie, and that much of their clothes would have been destroyed in the fire (but not javi's, which were most likely still outside) i can see travis wearing javi's gloves.

The Hunter / Skunk

i think this is Natalie. before the season 2 finale i would've said this was 100%. now knowing that natalie is their new leader, there is the possibility that she is the antler queen character, which i will talk about later, but for me this character only makes sense as natalie.

nat's the hunter! even as a new leader, she's still the most capable and knowledgeable in hunting. travis is very much her second while she leads the hunting trips. it also makes sense that as the leader she would be the first one to check The Runner, to stand over the pit. both an 'honour' and a duty.

natalie's also been the one standing over the bodies so far. she's the one waiting outside with jackie's body at the start of 2x03, she's the one who takes jackie's remains and has a short memorial for her. she's the one who stays outside the longest, standing over travis with javi's body. obviously not definitive but does work with the skunk character.

as for the clothes - the hunter wears the iconic co-ed soccer shirt, pink converse, and for a mask the cloth is currently a sweater within the show.

the shirt begins the show as van's - but almost every character has worn it now (including tai, travis, akilah, etc.). the pink connverse have never been quite as clear, but it appears that might have originally been shauna's (a darker colour that most likely faded over the 19 months) and have been worn by at least lottie, gen & tai. the sweater that the mask is made of has been worn by misty, mari & mel. so none of that narrows anything down sdjflsakhfl;h

i think the skunk is quite a specific choice too. could be about seeing things in black & white, about keeping your distance, etc. there's not a lot about skunk symbolism but it mainly seems to involve confidence, courage and direction. these are interesting when paired with natalie, given that she fits some very well but struggles with others.

it's also implied in the original pilot script that this character is natalie.

while we do see the hunter pulling up the runner's body with the rope, the scene with natalie does not make it into the episode. it does suggest that when filming the pilot this character was thought of to be natalie though. of course, as the show progressed this may have changed.

still in 1x10 when it's decided that shauna will cut up adam's body, natalie is the one who volunteers to help her, while misty is the one who directs all of them, mirroring this scene with the butcher (shauna), overseer (misty) and hunter (natalie).

some say that the hunter is van - has a similar build and the general blankness/darkness that van has by the end of s2, as well as being the shirt's og owner. but van wasn't supposed to be there in the initial conception of this character. while it may have changed now, for me this character is natalie.

Raccoon & Rabbit

I'm honestly not sure who these two might be. One is most likely Van, given that we know she survives.

Early on there were theories that Jackie was the Rabbit, due to her association with rabbits, which makes sense, but now we know Jackie's dead. Then they were possibly Javi, but he's dead too. As for symbolism, I'm not sure who of the remaining Yellowjackets fits either of these characters.

I think the creators were purposefully ambiguous to leave themselves with options. If the audience doesn't know who is who, they have the opportunity to change the story slightly as the show progresses (like with Van surviving).

The Shaman / Antler Queen

while initially thought to be lottie, as she is set up as the leader in the wilderness, the season 2 finale revealed that natalie was the new leader. both of these characters could be the shaman, but i feel as though it makes more sense for natalie to be the hunter. even though there are moment that in retrospect hint that natalie becomes the leader (misty's devotion, natalie stating that she lacked a purpose after they were rescued, tai and shauna's conversation about nat being the reason they're alive), there are no clear references to natalie being the antler queen character in the story so far (although that could have been hidden on purpose for the reveal).

in the adult timeline the others are terrified of the antler queen in a way that's different from their reactions to the symbol from the wilderness. when they receive the postcards or realise the symbol is under travis' body they are disturbed, they have a distrust of the symbol and everything it reminds them of.

but their reactions to the shaman are different. she appears in shauna's flashbacks when she kills adam, in natalie's visions/hallucinations after she overdoses, and in lottie's visions/hallucinations after hearing natalie's experience and in her office with the fake therapist. each of them are utterly terrified when she appears.

i think who the shaman is depends on what her role truly is. as i've already said, the "antler queen" is a title made up by the fans.

Leader:

The Shaman does appear to be the leader of the group, sitting in the centre of the semi-circle, being elevated, everyone waiting for her go-ahead to begin the feast, and everyone waiting for her to leave first.

If The Shaman is the leader, then she is Natalie.

This is supported by the editing in the pilot episode - at the '96 party when Natalie gets high, she stands by the fire and sees Misty standing across from her. It then cuts to the Overseer bringing the Shaman the cooked feast.

Chief Mourner:

If the Shaman is the chief mourner, it would depend on who the Runner is. If she's gen, the Shaman would most likely be mel in this instance. if she's mari, the most likely mourner would be akilah. the shaman doesn't appear to have akilah's dark skin, but body doubles were used and her face is veiled. if akilah has already died, the mourner might be lottie or gen.

It would be interesting with the idea that the antler queen changes from person to person. That they're all still terrified of "her" when what she represents is you losing the one you love most, you being the one with the most grief.

This is supported by what's happened with the two acts of cannibalism so far in the series. Shauna is Jackie's chief mourner, she is the one to light her funeral pyre, she is the one to give the go ahead that they should eat Jackie's body ("She wants us to." - Shauna in 2x02). Travis is Javi's chief mourner, and he is also the one to give the go ahead to eat Javi's body, everyone rushing in for the 'meat' after Travis has put Javi's heart on the pan.

However the Shaman is never seen eating. Both Shauna and Travis have the first bite of their loved one, whereas the Shaman only nods for the feast to start. It's possible this is part of a ritual that evolved over time, but it's still puzzling.

Spiritual Advisor :

if the antler queen is some sort of spiritual advisor, then she's most likely lottie. this fits with what we've seen in the '96 timeline already, with lottie's wilderness connection and the reverence shown to her by other team mates. even though lottie abdicates her role of leader in the s2 finale and claims she 'can't hear' the wilderness anymore - it's clear this is because of the weight of the responsibility to keep them alive, as well as her grief and guilt over javi's death.

still, several of the others seem confused at lottie's decision, and only seem to be accepting natalie as the leader because lottie said so. if this is something that creates tension within the group, it makes sense that natalie might appoint lottie a role where they can still look to her.

natalie as the leader/hunter is the one brining in the kill, but lottie as a spiritual advisor/shaman is the one leading the ritual.

this is supported by how in the adult timeline when they are having another hunt, it's lottie that leads it, not natalie. though that may be because lottie was the one to initiate the hunt. lottie also still acts as a spiritual advisor, with the others coming to her for advice.

the other option for a spiritual advisor is Tai. Not necessarily tai though... but Other Tai.

Much about Other Tai still remains a mystery. Is she another personality, a response to the trauma and repression, some sort of possession from the wilderness? In the adult timeline Lottie says that Other Tai is a part of Taissa, but Other Tai's conversation with Van in the woods raises questions about this.

Van: How do you know where you're going? Other Tai: He shows me. Van: Who's "he?" Other Tai: The one with no eyes. Van: Is that who you always follow? Other Tai: Only when she lets me. Van: Okay there's a "she" too, am I "she?" Other Tai: [shakes head] Van: Then who is "she?" Other Tai: Taissa. Van: Then who are you? Other Tai: [gives Van a look before walking away]

Other Tai's ability to track the whereabouts of the other survivors (Javi, Natalie), her connection to the man with no eyes, and knowing where all of the symbols are imply something more supernatural then just "sleepwalking".

Other Tai is the one to participate in cannibalising Jackie, she's strongly implied to be the one who pushes Taissa to continue running for senate even after she told Simone she would drop out, and she is the one to behead their fucking dog and make an altar in their basement. The creators and actors have talked about Other Tai and explain that she has Tai's best interest in mind, but she is willing to do what Tai wouldn't do to get it. Other Tai has a connection to the wilderness and the supernatural, she desires power and can become violent. She could very well be The Shaman.

"I don't know how bad it's going to get this time, but you know how bad it can get." - Tai in 1x06

Group Hallucination:

It's been theorised that the Shaman / Antler Queen doesn't really exist at all.

With the show toeing the line between visions, hallucinations and grief-induced psychosis with multiple characters (including Lottie, Tai, Shauna, Natalie, Travis) it's possible that as the group spirals more and more out of control and into ritualistic cannibalism - a way that they attempt to cope is through this Shaman. A 'physical' manifestation of the Wilderness itself. Something that gives them permission to feast on the flesh of their teammates, but does not eat herself, because she's not really there.

We only see The Shaman during the feast scene, and in other's visions/hallucinations. We know there are seven known survivors, but during the pilot's flash forward scene we see eight. Only if The Shaman doesn't exist, it's our seven survivors and a hallucination sitting around the fire.

So in the end my main theories/predictions/headcanons stand as:

Mari as The Runner / Pit Girl

Misty as The Overseer / Beaver

Shauna as The Butcher / Pink Hood

Natalie as The Hunter / Skunk

Tai as the owl

Travis as the wolf

Lottie as The Shaman / Antler Queen

the one I am least sure of is The Shaman, she could still be Tai or a hallucination, and I look forward to finding out!

[lailoken]

Traditional Evil Eye Amulets (SOLD OUT)

The Evil Eye is an affliction recognized and dreaded across cultures, with innumerable traditional practices utilized to avert its affect. One especially popular method for protecting against the Evil Eye is the employment of magical devices designed to turn away its influence, and what I offer here is one such traditional amulet.

Each amulet is crafted from hand-foraged shed horn antlers, which I cut and sanded to shape, before lightly sealing them with a ritually empowered wood varnish made from a number of arboreal resins, such as Dragon's Blood, Storax, and Amber. Using this same empowered varnish, I then meticulously capped the tips of each piece with a gilding leaf made from .999 Pure Silver. When they were all fully dried and burnished, I sealed each piece with one final coat of preservative lacquer and set each one with a Sterling Silver pendant bail. With physical construction complete, each amulet was hallowed in a Warding Ritual, which activated and aligned the defensive virtues present therein.

Each piece can be purchased on my webshop, Wending Wares, as a standalone pendant, or can be outfitted with a Sterling Silver box chain measuring approximately 18 inches / 46 centimeters in length for an extra fee using the drop-down menu. Feel free to reach out through tumblr as well, if you can't use my website for some reason.

If your piece breaks suddenly, it traditionally indicates that it has absorbed an especially potent attack directed at its bearer. It should, thereafter, be buried at a Crossroads. If this does happen, and you find that you would like a replacement piece, simply reach out with a picture of the broken amulet, and I will gladly offer a new one at a discount.

[little-cereal-draws]

Details I noticed in Nimona pt 2

In the opening narration, when we first see Gloreth in the scrolls there are words behind her that read "Salva nos" which translates to "save us." When she stabs the monster there are words that read "mori" which translates to "Death."

One of the newspapers on Ballister's innocence wall reads "Black Heart Out There"

When Nimona bangs on the tower door you can see her shadow under the door

The first time we see the circular saw in the tower it's off. Then it turns on just so Nimona can lean on it. Then it's off again

Nimona wears a black pair of glasses when she asks Ballister about the job while reading the newspaper. She drops them on the table but wears them again as an otter after the second fight at the Institute

When Ballister is screaming "Murder him, murder her, murder everyone!" Nimona sees Ambrosius first. She looks between Bal and him a few times before Bal notices

Back at their hideout, when Bal looks over the couch to see Nimona cooking, he looks around like 'uhhh...' a few times

The item Nimona classified as most deadly was a HUMONGOUS chainsaw. The chainsaw gets moved around the tower a bit but ends the movie on a top shelf in the alcove

In the top left of Nimona's updated murder wall, there's a drawing she did of a design for Ballister's arm. It's shooting fire and is labeled, "Literal firearm." Next to it is a self portrait she did

When Nimona suggests maybe there's nothing outside the wall before they go to the market, Ballister blinks and actually considers it for a second before deciding that's wrong

Nimona's right (our left) fang is bigger than the other

The sign in the subway projecting the train arrival times said that the C to Marketplace arrived in one minute, the Q to Castle Cross arrives in six minutes, and the 6 to Victory Ave. arrived in ten minutes

When Ballister tries to convince Nimona it's "easier to be a girl" during their subway ride, there's a poster behind him that says, "Put Your Faith in the Institue." I love how unsubtle they were with their subtext in this movie lol

When they go up into the subway air vents to escape Ambroisus, Nimona beats her chest once in gorilla form

The highlights in the squire's eyes are pentagons. I know ppl have done metas abt what the eye highlights mean but idk how pentagons fit into there

While trying to stuff the squire's unconscious body into their trunk, Ballister drops him. On his head

The bandage that Bal uses to heal Nimona's knee is the bottom of his cape, we see him tear it off while she's talking. Also the bandage has increasing amounts of blood on it as he wraps it. It's still not very much but it does increase the longer it's on there

After coming back to the tower from the second fight at the Institute, Nimona almost hits Bal in the face with the door but he catches it at the last second

On top of the wooden case where the Director was hiding Ballister's real sword is a huge old book. It's in a glass case that she rests her hands on while talking to "Ambrosius." Again, I love how obvious they were being with this movie; she's hiding the weapon that she used to kill, frame, and exclude people to preserve oppressive tradition under smth that looks exactly like a medieval Bible. They were not subtle lol

When "Ambrosius" dies, there's blood on his armor and the sword. Not very much but you can see it

One of the citizens watching the news about the Director's confession is an old lady. She's got a couch, a tv stand, and two framed pictures of chickens on her wall. That's it; the rest of the room, like behind the TV (which is in the middle of the room for some reason??), is completely empty. I just thought her chicken pictures were funny lol

When Bal and Ambrosius are arguing in the Antlered Serpent, Bal says, "You know what? You are so full of-" And then he gets cut off by the waiter, so we'll never get to hear him finish that sentence

Also in that scene, there's a portrait of the Queen behind Ambrosius but nothing behind Ballister. Again, they're using the environment/background to show where characters' loyalties lie

Nimona's got a little pink and white circle on the bottom of her boots. You can see it when she wakes up on the couch and when she jumps off the balcony in the Director's office. I can't get a good image of it but I'm guessing it's some kind of logo

In the flashback with Gloreth, Nimona is pretty shy and reserved until she can use her shapeshifting. Then she's chatty, she's fully engaged in the games, and she just looks so much happier. She knew she could trust Gloreth and wasn't worried about hiding a key part of her identity. She shapeshifted and then she was free (ignore me crying)

When Nimona turns into the big shadow monster at the climax, the initial transformation destroys the well where she met Gloreth. I'm sure there's some symbolism in there but I'm leaving that for someone else to figure out lol

When Todd crashed his hoverscooter, he went all the way through the billboard. I thought he just hit it but no, he made a giant hole

When Ballister shows up to the city for the final sequence, the "A New Era of Heros" billboard is burning behind his right (our left) shoulder. Again there's probably symbolism in there but I'm leaving it to someone else

When Bal's sword hits the ground after he drops it off Gloreth's statue, it turns off. It's the first time in the movie where it hasn't been glowing. It really drove home that he's done with the Institute. He's not carrying it, it's not even on. He's helping Nimona

Ambrosius tries to carry an unconscious/severely injured person off the wall as Nimona's flying at it but he puts the person's full weight on his injured shoulder. Bc he's big brain like that

The scene where Bal and Ambrosius kiss is actually on top of the wall. Maybe that was obvious, but it took me forever to realize. They've turned it into a park and have made it accessible to the public. Also it looks over the entire Kingdom and it's HUGE! I've seen people worrying about how they fit all those people in the walls but it's actually ginormous

pt 1, pt 3, pt 4, pt 5

[atlaculture]

Building Up: Arctic Tools & Weapons Pt. 1

Wanted to do a post on real life arctic tools and weapons that I’d love to see the Water Tribe using. This will be a three-part series.

Ulu Knives

Probably the most well-known of Inuit tools due to their unique shape. It’s an all-purpose knife traditionally used by Inuit, Iñupiat, Yupik, and Aleut women. It’s utilized in applications as diverse as skinning and cleaning animals, cutting a child's hair, and slicing food. It could also be used as a punch knife. Traditionally, it was made with a handle of caribou antler, muskox horn or walrus ivory with a slate cutting surface. Nowadays, the blade is commonly made of steel. I think it’d be cool if Katara always carried one on her for emergencies and Sokka occasionally borrowed it to touch up his undercut.

Cable-Backed Bows

Also called Pisiksi in North Slope Iñupiaq. A cable-backed bow is a bow reinforced with twisted cables; the cables strengthen the bow and increase its power. These bows were utilized by both Inuit and Inupiat hunters; they used sinew cables on bows of baleen, horn, or antler to make them less likely to break from tension and give them greater spring. I love the distinct look of Copper Inuit bows (pictured above), as they’re like the diametric opposite of traditional Korean bows in shape.

Kakivak Spears

Kakivaks are three-pronged fishing spears with backward-facing barbs. Specifically, the outer prongs have their own “teeth” which point toward the center prong. The teeth are meant to hold the fish on to the main prong to stop it from falling off or wiggling away. These spears are primarily used by Canadian Inuit. It would probably really hurt to get stabbed in the arm or leg by one of these.

Like what I’m doing? Tips always appreciated, never expected. ^_^

https://ko-fi.com/atlaculture

[juno-infernal]

the first christmas after my brother died, my family—with gritted teeth and grim, unspoken determination— went through the motions of tradition. our efforts produced varying degrees of success. we purchased gifts and (mostly) managed to wrap them. we put up a few strands of lights, though only inside the house. we bought a christmas tree and plopped it down in the center of the living room, where it sat entirely undecorated and mostly ignored.

none of us had the willpower to dig through my parents’ garage for the box of decorations, or to see my brother’s toothy grin in cheesy childhood photo ornaments, or to remember the way he’d take charge of the tree-decorating process whenever he was around, cajoling the moodier family members (like myself) into resentful participation and relaying our grandmother’s aesthetic directives with great seriousness and purpose. i looked at that tree and i could see him so clearly, in his battlejacket and stupid light-up reindeer antlers, telling me to turn off the shitty emo mixtape and be part of the family. remembering was like touching a hot stove. it was another unbearable task in a season that had been full to the brim with them.

on christmas eve the year my brother died, we all looked at the bare tree, and at each other’s hollow, exhausted faces, and collectively decided to go to bed early. there was nothing else for it.

it was the first time my then-partner spent the holidays with us. he didn’t know my family very well at all, and he’d never met my older brother. he did his best with my grief, but it was hard. he hadn’t experienced that kind of loss. often he did not know what to do or say, and i did not know what i needed, and it was a painful mess that ensnared us both as we struggled to build a relationship in its shadow.

that night, when everyone else headed to bed, he tracked down a box of scrapbook paper languishing somewhere in the house and set to work. he spent the entire night carefully cutting and folding and affixing, and when the rest of us got up the next day, the tree was strung with dozens and dozens of beautiful origami hearts. my family is not the “crying in front of people” sort, but everyone cried.

5 years later, my mother still has all of those paper hearts in a box in her bedroom (except for a few my sister took home with her, and the one i keep in my wallet) and they make an appearance in the decorations every year.

the heart-maker and i aren’t together anymore or even on speaking terms, but i think i will carry that act of kindness with me forever. now when i reach out to love someone in the deep trenches of new grief, i remember that no words of condolence ever reached me there. but i also remember how it felt to wake up and see all those folded hearts, and my grandparents’ teary-eyed joy, and someone who loved me passed out on the couch, surrounded by bits of paper.

[amadenchart]

the saigans seem so lovely! what are the most common scale/hair colors among them?

Light colors, mostly whites and off whites with black hair! ^^ The Saigans are also the only Varanar ethnicity that can display a pearlescent/mother of pearl effect on their scales.

There are lot of thunderstorms in Saigan territory, and one of their customs is to cut and sand their horns so they can wear fake antler-like racks made out of fulgurite their collect from the wilderness.

It's a common tradition to pass fulgurite racks from generation to generation, from parent to child. Also common for husbands to collect fulgurite pieces and add to their wives bridal racks.

[confusedlittleguy]

i love thinking abt fashion and beauty standards in WoF bc its so interesting how different the culture between each tribe is

like

i tried to type out my ideas but its not coming outta my brain hold on

icewings with being shiny and having the biggest antlers and being the cleanest and who has the bluest eyes and having the sharpest quills, theyd probably only wear white or blue 😒

sandwings with having the coolest patterns and having well-groomed hair and stuff abt hair length and style standards changing over time and whos ruling them - up until Oasises rule the beauty standard for hair would be whatever the queen (and sometimes her relatives) look like, and then during the sucession war youre hair could indicate whos side you were on, like being on Blisters side their hair would be braided and long and never cut and facial hair meh :/ they can do whatever as long as its taken care of, but on Burns side theyd have shorter hair, often being shaved/cut into a buzz cut and then cut/shaved back before it grows back and always growing out facial hair and on Blazes side they would care more about their hair being shiny and light or colourful, often beached/dyed white or blue to show that they are allied with icewings, and even soem dragons imitating Queen Glaciers mane of quills but not growing any facial hair even tho they are based in the Ice Kingdom bc honestly Blaze isnt that much of a practical thinker (or one at all) and Scorpian Den dragibs giving zero fucks abt the beauty standards of the rest of the tribe, individual gangs/cults/families/whatever have their own thing and after Thorn becomes queen hair styles become less 'everyone should be like this and or strive to be this' and more of an occupational and place in society type of thing, and also things like obsidian and sapphires and black, blue and pink fabric would probably be something that they think looks pretty

rainwings and being bright and colourful but also being flexible (BECAUSE ITS COOL AND THEY WOULD THINK ITS IMPRESSIVE not for sexual reasons and if someone makes a comment like that im going to throw up a foldable IKEA table) but also smelling nice, like certain flowers or fruit

nightwings with being large and healthy would probably be the traits that they find most desireable, i think that they would incorperate lots of moons and stars and space imagery into their fashion as well as silver and gold

mudwings actually probably wouldnt have beauty standards because they dont care that much about attracting other dragons, but for specific rare 'falling in love' type of instances they would learn about what that dragon likes, for fashion they also probably wouldnt have much except for gold veins between their scales and some headpeices that look like plants or are woven from plants, but that would be more common for higher classes and less common for lower classes

with skywing fashion i was thinking sorta based off european culture (mostly gaelic culture), but for skywings their beauty standards and fashion change with their royalty more than any other tribe, i think in Queen Firestorms rule the beauty standards would be far more relaxed than Scarlets beauty standards, but under Queen Rubys rule the standards would be the most relaxed, but all of them do have one thing in common - jewels, although commonly skywings will uphold the standard that traditional european based (closest to canon) skywings and rocky skywings are more beautiful, although within the avian skywing community they do have similair standards to birds, although its more that avian skywings of all genders look for shinier and brighter partners, duller avian skywings who dont end up having eggs probably end up with each other in toxic marriages/partnerships because they dont really love the other but they want to keep up appearances within their community

seawings - i think they, surprisngly dont have that many beauty standards despite the only two queens we've been shown being absolutely obsessed (/j i am joking) although they definitely do like pearls and probably shells, and patterns of sea stars and sea jellies would be used in clothing

[unironicallytes]

Mor'iargalthil: Some Garb & Lore

Mor'iargalthil is an imagined place in the northwest Grahtwood region during the Third Era, based off of ESO's established lore (which I have not played because I'm not super interested in playing a TES MMO, no shade tho).

The "av Mor'iargalthil" of Zath's name means "of/from an inhospitable grove" in Bosmeris (non-canon extension of canon language). Here he is in traditional Galthili garb, though he would have been much younger the last time he was there. He doesn't have antlers of his own like some Bosmer do btw, those are just sewn into his hood.

To make a long story shorter, Mor'iargalthil is a small clan of descendants from Gil-Var-Dell survivors who retreated to more isolated places. They're generally a dour and wary group. Galthili Bosmer observe the Green Pact, but are more entwined with neighboring Wood Orcs than other Valenwood Bosmer. This cultural exchange unexpectedly resulted in Galthili Bosmer incorporating Mauloch/Malacath into their pantheon alongside Y'ffre. Their traumatic history with Daedric Princes instilled a complicated mix of reverence and hatred, but Mauloch resides in a grey area and is an exception. His fables speak to them as people who feel they too were "consumed and twisted" by another force.

Here's some extra doodles and more clothing details under the cut.

Those aren't permanent tattoos, they're more akin to henna. Zath was born under the Serpent and it affects many aspects of his life, so he often adorns himself with the inauspicious sign.

Zath's hood is separate from the rest of the bow sleeve and can be attached to the beaded leather mantle instead.

Speaking of the hood, it has openings for the ears to keep that super cool merrish hearing unobstructed.

His thumb guard is made of mammal leather - I imagine most Bosmer use thumb-draw instead of finger-draw so that they can move around while keeping an arrow nocked.

These Bosmer use a lot of reptile parts for their leather and shells. Gators, turtles, etc., perhaps even the occasional Daedroth since regions of Tarlain Heights likely still have remnants of that influence.

The front half of the foot is exposed for tree-climbing, but the heel remains cushioned in soft leather. Bosmer unfortunately refuse to put those dogs away cause they gotta grip that tree bark.

As for the horn bow, I'm pretending Bosmer do some Special Stuff to make the horn more flexible, or it's just Magical Creature Materials(tm).

[allmyey3s]

In the Woods Somewhere

Chapter 7: Heat

He stops halfway up the incline. The glowing dots seem placed a little higher than usual. Perhaps it's the weird angle he's looking at him from.

Phantom already wants to take a step further, but then the creature tilts their head, causing an outline of their antlers come into view. They're most definitely a whole lot taller than what he's used to, which should be alarming considering Mountain is a giant on a regular Tuesday.

But he's not thinking with his head anymore. He can feel his cunt soak as soon as soon as he catches the smallest whiff of his mate's misty forest smell. He shakes his head and finishes his ascent to the giant silhouette of his beloved mate in a few quick strides.

The green eyes follow him all the way. He stands in front of the beast and looks up at them. "Mountain, I need your help," he states simply, as if that would be enough to bring clarity into this situation.

The green lights peer back down at Phantom.

If he noticed they are darker than usual, he would have known.

And if he actually paid any mind to the abrupt change in height, he would have known.

And if he noticed the beast smells of misty forest and ash, he would have known.

-----------

Tags: dubcon, plant sex, general mindfuckery, jealousy and possessiveness. Cryptid boys back at it again :)

Summary: Phantom pops his heat unexpectedly and goes to find Mountain in the woods in the middle of the night to help him out, but wait, that's not his monstrous mate...

Read under the cut or on ao3

He should have known as soon as his clit started tingling.

Phantom was watching a movie in the common room with Cumulus, Aurora, Rain and Dew when his cunt started growing wet, little by little. Instead of doing anything about, it or even paying it any mind, he just shifted a little and discreetly rubbed a finger over the seam of his sweatpants twice.

He absent-mindedly processed the events of this morning, how he woke up weirdly horny and just pulled up his shirt, rested his hands above his head with crossed wrists and imagined Rain or Swiss or anyone really tying him up and pulling him apart with their skilled lips. In his groggy state, he didn't think much of it. He must have had a wet dream, that's all.

Oh how stupid he was.

Right before he was about to go shower, Phantom checked his period calendar app. It's a running joke between the band ghoul packs, to try and track their heats with human-made period calendars. And well, he did not expect a week from today to be lit in a rainbow color.

Well fuck.

He showered, quickly contemplated sticking his fingers inside himself but eventually decided against it, wished his packmates goodnight and then shut his door. He even double locked it, in case his smell got too bad through the night.

This felt wrong. He never hid from his packmates when in heat, not even when their cycles followed suit. But he knew heading over to one of them for help would just fuel his little problem, and the traditional way of solving it with a gangbang didn't sound too appealing at the moment.

Instead, he craved a very specific person. Or rather, monster. His body sang for Mountain, for his clawed hands around his throat, his snarls and dirty words that never failed to get him wet, and especially for his monstrous cock.

He needs it buried inside him yesterday.

So here he is, rushing through the dark woods as quickly as he can while also trying his hardest to remain silent. He snuck out of the window, which felt like something straight out of a movie.

Is going out into the woods at night a horrible idea? Absolutely. Does he need to get his mind fucked out of his skull? Absolutely.

This leaves him with no choice but to try to find his way to the cottage where he knows the big beast resides.

His breaths fog up as dried leaves crunch under his feet. The little clouds of mist follow eachother tightly as he takes quick shallow breaths while making his way through the dark forest. It's even more eerie this way. Every shadow seems like it's moving. It fills him with a crippling feeling of unease.

The only reason he's capable of remaining somewhat calm is the bite mark on his neck. He soothes himself with the idea that whatever lurks in here can smell Mountain's scent saturated on his skin as well as in his very body, and would most likely leave him alone. It's undetectable to humans, somehow to ghouls alike, but he knows, or at least hopes, that other creatures of these woods know better than to engage with Mountain's mate.

He pulls his jacket tighter around himself. His teeth are chattering. It's so damn cold. It's nearing Yule time now, so he should be glad that at least the ground isn't covered in snow, but it barely makes a difference. He's been to Mountain's place quite a few times now, he can find his way there.

Maybe in broad daylight.

Because frankly, he is lost as shit right now. He can't see two feet in front of him, and even though he's been following the trail he usually travels on, the forest looks like an alien planet.

"Mountain!" Phantom calls out, his voice echoing off the bare trees and spreading through the cold night. He knows it's stupid, but he's also aware of the fact that Forest Dwellers tend to be nocturnal, so there might be a slim chance of his mate hearing him. The most efficient way, of course, would be whistling, but while Phantom is a bit reckless, he doesn't have a death wish.

He calls out for his mate again, but just like before is met with only silence. He stops and stands still to listen for any sound, any at all. But it's like the endless darkness of this moonless night swallows every sound. He feel so very alone, as if he were standing in a large, empty void. The dread pooling in his gut becomes just a little overwhelming, and he almost turns to head back, but that's when he sees a pair of green floating orbs in the darkness. He quickly recognizes them as Mountain's eyes, which tend to glow in the dark. He doesn't know why, but in his opinion it's cool, so he doesn't ever question.

"Mounty!" he happily squeals as he runs up the small hill towards the glowing eyes. "Oh, Mounty, you don't know how I-"

He stops halfway up the incline. The glowing dots seem placed a little higher than usual. Perhaps it's the weird angle he's looking at him from.

Phantom already wants to take a step further, but then the creature tilts their head, causing an outline of their antlers come into view. They're most definitely a whole lot taller than what he's used to, which should be alarming considering Mountain is a giant on a regular Tuesday.

But he's not thinking with his head anymore. He can feel his cunt soak as soon as soon as he catches the smallest whiff of his mate's misty forest smell. He shakes his head and finishes his ascent to the giant silhouette of his beloved mate in a few quick strides.

The green eyes follow him all the way. He stands in front of the beast and looks up at them. "Mountain, I need your help," he states simply, as if that would be enough to bring clarity into this situation.

The green lights peer back down at Phantom.

If he noticed they are darker than usual, he would have known.

And if he actually paid any mind to the abrupt change in height, he would have known.

And if he noticed the beast smells of misty forest and ash, he would have known.

The green orbs fall low, as if the creature lowered their head. He feels a faint breeze on his neck, accompanied by quiet sniffing. They move lower, to his chest, down to his stomach, then eventually pause on his groin's level. They give two sharp sniffs before shooting forward.

Phantom feels two huge, clawed hands wrap around his thighs and grip firmly, while the monster shoves their face right between his thighs. He lets out a little squeak and tries to shuffle away, but a growl stops him in his tracks.

"Uhm- Mounty--" he starts, reaching down to gently touch the shiny tips of the antlers he can see reflecting the minimal light.

"I am not Mountain," a deep, smooth voice cuts him off. They sound so much deeper, so distorted, so much more monster-like. He knows right then and there they are not lying.

He sees those dark green specks of light lock on his own eyes. "But you are Mountain's claim."

Before Phantom can ask anything, the creature lunges at him and pins him to the ground. A sharp gasp cuts through the air, followed by a thump and a grunt. Before he could even regain the air that was knocked out of his lungs, thick vines wrap all around his body.

"W-What--" is all he can stutter as he squirms in the plant's grasp while his clothes are yanked off him. It all happens so quickly, before he knows it the cold winter air assaults him and causes goosebumps to form all over his body, stiffens his nipples and clit.

"Woah- hey!" he yells as he feels large hands wrap around his bare thighs again. "What are you doing? Who even are you?" he demands. Fear is creeping into his voice, and he knows damn well that he won't be able to remain calm for much longer.

Those dark green orbs focus on him again. A deep chuckle reverberates through the freezing air. "I'm just helping you with your heat, little one."

Not even a moment later the beast buries their face in Phantom's cunt. He gasps when he feels two long fingers push into him and curl right onto that sweet spot he needs them on. The intrusion is accompanied with cold lips latching onto his stiff dick and sucking on it harshly while also cat-licking it over and over again.

A punched-out moan is ripped out of his throat as the sensations combine. He squirms wildly in his organic bondage, but gets absolutely nowhere. "Wa- Wait! Stop!" he yells. He squeezes his eyes shut and whimpers as the fingers inside him start curling repeatedly and petting over his sweet spot. "Stop! No!"

He doesn't know this person, this beast. He wants Mountain, but his body is so lost in all the hormones and instincts that it doesn't even care who is behind that sinful feeling, only that it's finally getting what it needs. His own body, betraying him.

Phantom's struggles and denial seems to only fuel the monster as they suck harder on his clit and starts thrusting their fingers in and out while curling them every time they pass over his g-spot.

High-pitched whines are all Phantom can come up with as all the sensations intensify. It's only been a minute, yet the coil in his gut is wound so tightly he thinks he might explode. "Stop- Stop! I'm gonna cum, stop!" he yells hopelessly as he thrashes around in the vines, but is effectively held in place.

Those lips on his clit thin and curl into what must be a smirk as they continue their ministrations. He can't last much longer, he's already growing so wet. But if he holds out just a little more--

Phantom screams as the beast presses their other hand into the lowest part of his stomach, effectively pulling his orgasm out of him. It's such an intense sensation, the scream he made in reaction was so underwhelming. His whole body seizes up as his eyes clench shut. He squeezes tightly around the monster's fingers, liquid gushing out of him, yet they seem relentless.

A panicked whimper leaves his mouth as they keep sucking harshly on his clit even after he just came obscenely hard. "S-Stop, stop! Please stop!" he pleads again. He prays to the Dark Lord the monster would have mercy and just let him go. He'll find Aether and have him break his heat, anything to get away from this. It feels so good, he's floating somewhere in the orbit, but it's so much all at once. Too much pleasure, too good, too soon. His brain is completely disconnected from his body, but his nerves are in fire, especially in his crotch.

They finally pull away for a second. All he can see are their green eyes. "Have you ever thought about having kits?" the beast asks in a quiet, almost calculated tone.

Phantom's eyes widen, but before he can even answer that no, he's scared of pregnancy, the creature cups each of his pecs and squeezes lightly. For just a second, he can see a faint green glow, but it's gone rather quickly. He should be thankful for that, because if he saw his tits regrowing, he would have fucking passed out. That, however, is not the worst part. A second later he can feel something warm trickling down his chest, and when the monster leans over him to lick the mystery liquid off his tit, he know exactly what it is.

It makes his stomach churn, and he hates how wetter it makes him at the same time. He's absolutely disgusted by this, but so damn turned on as well. "Oh fuck..." is all he can manage, his voice breaking just a little on the curse.

He shuts his eyes as tight as he can, and tries moving once more. He can't as much as twitch, his bindings tight, but he doesn't care, he has to get away. If Phantom ever thought Mountain didn't quite understand human ghoul morals and general manners, this creature seemed Neanderthal in comparison.

A high-pitched cry is wrenched from him as the beast wraps its lips around one of his nipples and latches on, then sucks the pearly white liquid out of him. He thrashes around, but doesn't move even an inch.

It's pitch black around him. He can't see anything, so the yelp that comes out of him as the monster pushes two fingers inside of him again is louder than it normally would be. They push in deep, concerningly so, and all Phantom can do is groan pathetically as they invade the most private and hidden spots of his body.

"Why are your fingers so damn long?" he bites through gritted teeth. His eyes screw shut from the pressure building inside of him, and not only the pleasurable one this time. All he gets in response is a dark chuckle. Before he can come up with more questions, the fingers inside him start moving again, thrusting in and out.

It feels so odd, they're suddenly so much thicker than they were earlier, but then one second they thin out to the point it's barely filling him up. Then right back again, stretching him out until it burns.

It takes a moment for Phantom to realize that they are, in fact, not thrusting but rather... undulating, almost. Thickening and thinning out over and over again, causing it to elongaten and then shorten, poking and prodding into the most secret nooks and crevices inside him.

He only realizes it's not the monster's fingers at all when he feels something almost bumpy and writhing brush against his inner thigh. It's one of the vines.

Phantom gasps sharply. "S-Seven hells!" he yells out as his body spasms. The vine inside him thickened out so abruptly that it caused his stomach to balloon up. He can't see it, but he can feel a bulge in the taught skin of his lower belly.

It feels so wrong, he feels disgusted with both himself and the creature. They changed his body to their liking, only to use it to fuck with his head. He feels sick, yet his body is begging for more, more. Slick is practically dripping out of his cunt, and there must be a pool gathering below him with the steady little droplets that he feels occasionally catching on his rim.

He's so desperate, it's not enough. He wants to shy away, but he's so aroused it hurts at this point. His first orgasm didn't quench his thirst at all, if anything it threw him deeper into the throes of his heat.

He's already losing his mind. His brain is leaking out of his ears, joining the puddle of breast milk, slick and drool gathering below his suspended, squirming form. Little noises keep spilling from his lips, mixed with constant "no"s and "please"s.

As if the beast wants nothing more than to rip all of Phantom's pride away, to humiliate him that much further, another vine is suddenly shoved into him, this time in his ass. It's lubed up, thank fuck it's lubed, because he doesn't think he could handle going at it dry. Where they got the lube, he doesn't question, but he has a strange feeling it's a mixture of his own fluids. That makes his stomach flip harder, suddenly feeling as if it's doing somersaults beneath his skin. But there's nothing he can do, except thrash around and whimper.

Suddenly, there's a rustle somewhere in the darkness. Phantom doesn't even register it at first, he only realizes something is wrong when the vines inside him stop and the warm wetness around his nipple leaves. His eyes open, his body still as a dead thing. Only when the familiar scent of damp woods and cinnamon hits his nose, does he dare move.

"Mountain!" he yells in such a hopeful tone, eyes widening in hope. But a second later a rough clawed hand is clasped over his mouth. He struggles, mumbles incoherent threats and even goes as far as to bite at the fingers pressing against his lips, but they don't budge. If anything, they tighten.

"Phantom? What are you doing he-" Mountain's voice cuts through the tense silence. Before he can finish, the other beast interrupts them.

"He was in my territory. He reeks of heat. I'm giving him what he needs. You on the other hand," they state in that same calm, calculated tone. Their green eyes flash for just a second on that last part. "Have no business here."

Silence.

Why isn't Mountain saying anything? Why isn't he rushing down here to save Phantom? Can't he see how horribly ruined he's getting? He went apeshit when he saw Swiss pouncing onto him with the intention of burying himself inside him. Swiss, who was, for the lack of a better phrase, a mere ghoul in that situation. Now, this? One of his own kind toying with him in such a degrading way? Why is he just standing there?

"Phantom is my mate. Don't act like you haven't seen the mark on his neck," Mountain finally speaks again. He sounds... scared. He sounds scared and angry, seething even, but thay rage is somewhat pushed down and poorly concealed.

"This?" the other asks in an almost bored tone, pressing a pad of a finger onto the slightly glowing bite mark on the ghoul's neck. A surge of strange, yet familiar pleasure shoots down Phantom's spine, a faint golden glow spreading down the invisible veins in pulsating patterns.

A barely audible growl rumbles from the shadows, but is quickly stifled out. "Earth," Mountain hisses. "Let him go. He may be in your territory, but he's still mine."

The monster, Earth, lets out an amused, almost mocking laugh. "Oh, sweet little Mountain," he starts, and suddenly the hand around Phantom's mouth leaves. "I'm just helping a poor creature in heat. You know that's what I do. Quite personally now, don't you?"

Phantom tries to lightly wiggle in his binds, but even with Earth engaged in the conversation, he doesn't seem distracted, so he's kept in place.

Another growl rasps from the darkness, this time accompanied with some rustling. "Shut it. Give him to me. His heat is my issue and mine only," speaks the normally calm beast, who sounds so on edge right now, moments away from exploding.

There's more rustling, coming closer and louder, as if Mountain finally gathered the courage to step forward and actually do something about this incredibly embarrassing and humiliating situation.

The ghoul is being moved then, tugged back and released from the vines, but immediately pressed into a hard, cold chest. "Stay," the big beast warns. "You know what happens to trespassers, Mountain. I wouldn't want our past to be so easily forgotten."

This time, Mountain lets a full snarl slip. "I don't care what you think we had, it all came down to you and your filthy desires. Give me my mate, or I'm going to break your antlers off your head and snap your fucking neck," he threathens, untamed and dangerous, all that previously bottled up anger now spilling into his words like venom through a dying animal.

Silence, again.

Then, a strangled sound comes from Mountain, along with branches snapping and scurrying through the leaf litter, as if he was stumbling around clumsily. "Get out of my head!" he yells, and he sounds so awfully strained that is pains Phantom's heart.

A moment later, he stills, but huffing and panting can still be heard, as well as snarling. Pissed snarling.

"You know you don't think that. You don't have to pretend just to seem big and strong in front of him," Earth speaks once more. He sounds oddly amused, a little smug even, as if he found what he was looking for when he so rudely rummaged through Mountain's mind. He runs a cold finger over Phantom's jaw, tipping his head slightly upwards with a claw. "After all, I'm sure he would understand what it is that we shared." Dark green light casts over the ghoul's face as the beast looks down at him for just a second. The glowing dots crinkle at the edges, as if he was smiling. All Phantom can do is bare his teeth at him.

Earth turns back to face where Mountain supposedly is. "You're jealous," he states. It's not a question, he knows.

Another moment of silence.

"Of course I am, someone else is fucking my mate while he's in heat and then decides to rub it in my face," the beast eventually spits. He sounds more pissed than Phantom's ever seen him. Sure, he's seen him a little aggressive and possessive, but this? He seems like he's going go rip Earth to shreds.

"Have you thought about asking to join?"

The question is worded in such a simple, every-day fashion. As if the monster in front of him is no danger at all.

Phantom is confused, as well as a bit scared. What the ever loving fuck is going on right now?

Once more, silence falls upon the forest. The tension is so thick you could cut it with a knife. It's odd, since the ghoul half-heartedly expected his mate to immediately decline and call nonsense.

But they are hesitating. He somewhat understands why this is as well, after all, what are their options aside from that? The other beast made it very clear he wouldn't just give him up.

After what felt like just a bit too long, Earth moved again, pulling Phantom away from his chest and setting him on the ground. The cold, damp leaves stick to his back as he squirms immediately upon contact, but he can't really get anywhere before the monster's claws dip the skin on his stomach, threatening to pierce the skin. "Stay," he rasps above him.

The monster's dark glowing eyes momentarily flash down to his face, before looking at Mountain once more.

"If you can't make your decision, then I'll continue on as we were. I'll drop him off at your doorstep after I'm done."

"Wait-!"

Before Mountain could even fully form a protest, a loud wail rips from Phantom's throat as Earth suddenly shoves his cock inside the ghoul's warm cunt. The intrusion is so unexpected his whole body seizes up. It almost hurts, the slick having slightly dried while the two beasts were arguing. In this moment, he's just a little thankful for the vines that were violating him a few minutes ago. While it felt absolutely humiliating, it at least prepped him for the giant cock that was splitting him open right now.

Mountain's big, inhumanly (and rightfully) so. Phantom's cervix was heavily bruised after their last little session, but this? He feels like he's about to burst. He can feel it in his teeth, squishing the air out of his lungs, rearranging his guts. His hands fly down his body, trying to somehow push the beast away, but ultimately fails. In the process his palm brushed over his stomach just enough to feel the concerningly large bulge, moving up and down in time with Earth's thrusts. It hurts, it hurts so much, and he knows damn well that if he wasn't in heat right now, he wouldn't be able to handle it.

"Fine!" Mountain's yell finally cuts through the night and stops the big beast for just a little. "Fine. I'll join in."

They're clearly less than delighted to utter those words, but it's their only chance to be somewhat close to their mate in this situation.

Phantom can practically hear the smirk that spreads across the other creature's face, even if he cannot see. The beast shuffles around a little, crunching footsteps come closer to him, and sooner rather than later, the little ghoul finds himself sandwiched between the two large Forest Dwellers.

As soon as he's settled, Mountain wraps his arms around Phantom tightly. "Mine," he growls in clear agitation and aggression as he buries his face in the ghoul's neck. He feels sharp teeth brushing against the sensitive skin, and just a second later, those dangerous razor points tear into his skin. A reedy whine sounds from him.

Mountain bit into the marked side of his neck. He's never done that before, since the day this mark was given to Phantom. And it feels fucking phenomenal.

The ghoul's eyes roll so far back into his skull that his already minimal vision blacks out. White hot pleasure shoots through his veins, making his muscles weak and bones shiver. He clenches around Earth's dick hard as a second orgams shakes him to his very core.

He can vaguely hear the older beast's booming laugh, but it's distant, somewhere far away. All he truly registers is Mountain burying themself in his ass, Earth picking up his harsh thrusts once more, and he's gone. He briefly feels his mate bumping into a slightly raised spot inside him that feels so much more sensitive than anything else. Dew and Swiss once talked about testosterone apparently having the ability to make you grow a prostate. But he doesn't really remember that, it's nothing more than a distant echo in his mind.

Mountain would much rather be the one claiming Phantom's cunt, but considering how adamant Earth is being about having earned his prize, rutting into their mate's ass is all he can do for now.

It doesn't take them long to notice the new addition to the ghoul's chest. Clinging hands soon began to wander, and the possessive growl they let out at the discovery makes Phantom wetter than he would admit.

But Phantom's floating somewhere near the orbit. He's so far gone at this point he's not even making noises anymore. He doesn't know how many times he's cum, or if he's been cumming all this time. All he knows is endless rapture, blinding pleasure burning him from the inside out.

After hours or minutes, he's not sure, Earth finally pulls out. Pearly liquid spills onto his stomach, staining his skin but not his insides. As much as the monster wants to agitate Mountain, he knows that spilling inside their mate, let alone knotting him, would surely not end well.

The last thing Phantom feels is Mountain yanking themself out of his ass and harshly burying his cock inside his cunt. They barely get a few thrusts in before they too are done, gushing rope after rope of hot seed deep into his womb, their own knot locking them together. Earth is once more latched on his chest, he's sure Mountain is there as well for a second. But before he can feel embarrassed or humiliated again, his sight fades to black. It's too much, too soon, more than his small body can handle in the cold of a winter night.

But luckily Mountain is there, and they're going to make sure Phantom makes a full recovery.

----

Phantom stirs as warm sunlight falls on his eyelids. Blinking his eyes open with a yawn, he slowly looks around.

Mountain's cabin. If the sight of those familiar stained glass windows, decorated with dried orange slices threaded on strings isn't enough, the comforting smell of cinnamon and pine resin saturating the atmosphere reassures him of his whereabouts.

He slowly sits up. Every muscle in his body aches. He's so sore everywhere, especially where he was suspended by Earth's vines the previous night. But of course, it's worst in his crotch and chest. He looks down, relieved to see he's in one of Mountain's large, knitted sweaters. The collar is hanging off one of his shoulders, but he couldn't be more grateful for the warmth it provided. He reaches up under the hem of it to rub at his chest. It's flat again, mostly at least, but he has a strange feeling that if he rubs a little too hard a few leftover droplets might ooze out of him.

The quint raises his head to look at the open bedroom door. "Mountain?" he calls out, only loud enough to be heard. A few seconds later his giant mate comes shuffling through the doorway.

His hair's a bit messy, his eyes a bit more closed than normal. Groggy. He looks as if he woke up not so long ago. A soft smile tugs at his lips. "Hi Bug," he greets, leaning on the doorframe. "How are you feeling?"

"Sore," Phantom mumbles in response. "Surprisingly not dirty though." Last night he was covered in sweat and dirt and all kinds of bodily fluids. This morning though, there was no trace of any of them.

A quiet chuckle rumbles from the beast's chest. "Good. Ran you a bath when we got home last night. You were so tired you just slept through it." They walk over to the bed and sit down next to the ghoul, the mattress dipping under their weight.

Phantom groans and lets himself lean on the big monster. "I don't even know what happened last night," he complains. He's obviously being just a bit dramatic, Mountain knows. But he's had a long and eventful evening. After all, getting your heat broken by not one, but two forest cryptids can be tiring.

Mountain wraps an arm around his mate's shoulder and rubs his arm comfortingly. "I'll explain everything, I promise, my dear. But first, let's get some food inside you, yeah?" A gentle kiss is placed on the crown of the ghoul's head.

Phantom nods. "Food sounds nice. I'm fucking starving."

Another chuckle rumbles from Mountain, and soon Phantom finds himself in the wooden kitchen, seated in his mate's lap with a plate of deliciously smelling french toast in front of him, because this big beast is nothing if not loving, sweet and cheesy.

[monasims-gallery]

In my DnD game next session my players are *infiltrating* a fancy party, and I decided to give all the NPCs who are also OCs portraits to do some visual storytelling with them.

Characters are arranged so no one's name gets cut off as there's two different image sizes. You can tell who belongs with who with the background colors.

CC Links and Credits under the cut, for my simblr peeps

Some other fun lore and world stuff under the cut as well

Gregor Le'Chelle: Skintone, Skin Overlay(Pallor), Skin Marking, Eyes*, Hair, Hair Overlay, Ears, Eyeliner, Lip color, Blush, Earrings, Top, Undershirt, Pants, Boots

Tiffany Le'Chelle: Skintone, Ear Preset, Eyeshadow, Blush, Lipstick, Hair, Hair Overlay, Hair Pin, Earrings, Necklace**, Dress, Undershirt*** Ring

Kristoff Tele: Skintone, Antlers, Ears, Face Markings***, Eyeshadow(64), Eyeliner***, Blush***, Lip color, Lip tattoo***, Hair***, Outfit***, Sword Belt

Damian Le'Chelle: Skintone, Skin Overlay(Pallor), Skin Markings, Ears, Eyeliner, Eyeshadow***, Blush, Lip color, Hair***, Outfit,

Lucille Belle: Skintone, Ears, Blush***, Eyeliner, Eyeshadow***, Lip color, Hair, Nails, Circlet, Earrings, Top, Pants, Boots

Lucia Iuliana: Eyes, Eyeshadow***, Eyeliner, Blush***, Lip color, Necklace, Top, Pants, Boots

Trisha Le'Chelle: Skintone, Ear Preset, Body Markings, Face Markings, Eyeliner, Blush, Lipstick, Hair, Earrings, Necklace, Top, Gloves, Glove Acc, Skirt(Mesh), Shoes

Her skintone is probably either Lore or Moonlit but tray importer wouldn't tell me so I have no idea

Derayth Whitehawk: Skintone, Ears, Blush, Body Blush, Eyeliner, Eyeshadow, Lipstick, Wings, Hair, Circlet, Earrings, Shoulder Armor(desertwindchimes), Dress**, Rings, Nails***

*Used for all the elves

**Simsfinds

***TSR

Many thanks to: @strangestorytellersims, @wistfulpoltergeist, @shandir, @myfawnwysimblr, @ravenpuffsims, @okruee, @btsims, @tzuhu, @lamatisse, @pralinesims, @thepeachyfaerie, @oydis, @yakfarm, @praleska, @zeussim, @crypticsim, @eggbeatersims, @northernsiberiawinds, @evilquinzel, @sforzcc, @taty86, @berryqueercc, @oranos, @mercisims, @remussirion, @regina-raven, @sentate, @boonstoww, @jewishsimming, @gilded-ghosts, @arltos, @twisted-cat, @simbience, @woodlandpalette, @ravensim, @serenity-cc, @pictureamoebae, @its-adrienpastel, @sychik, @obscurus-sims, @kaguya-fox, @shushilda, @mmsims, @saruin, @rona-sims

______________________________________________________________

-The Le'Chelle's, Lucille, and Synthia are Sun E.lves

-Kristoff is a Winter E.ladrin

-Lucia and Marah are human

-Derayth is a full A.variel and Aymeric is half A.varial and half Sun E.lf

-Mayeve is a D.row

-Remiel is an A.asimar, and of a subrace specific to my setting

-Gregor & Tiffany are married, Damian & Trisha are Married, Marah & Aymeric are engaged, Mayeve & Synthia are Married, and Derayth & Lucille are married.

-Though the setting is steampunk, it's uncommon for anyone not of the Clergy to wear clockwork parts, marking Remiel as part of the church.

-A few characters are in cultural garb rather than what's fashionable in the city: Marah, Derayth, and Mayeve are all wearing more traditional clothes for their cultures.

-Marah and Aymeric swapped Holy Symbols, can you spot them?

[hexiva]

ON NAR SHADDAA, UNEXPECTED HAVEN FOR FORCE BELIEVERS

Twenty-one years after Order 66, Hutt mystics still practice Jedi-like ways

By Angan Agondo, Alliance Network News

‘Spirituality’ isn’t the first word you think of when you think of Nar Shaddaa. But that’s exactly what Quiga Len-Wi (20) was seeking when he first set foot on the Huttese moon, three years ago. A native Mirialan, Baloo grew up in a culture with a deep connection to the Force, and with a deep affinity for it. If he had been born just a few years earlier, he probably would have grown up in the Jedi Order. 

But these days, believers in the Force are cut off from any galactic community. The Jedi are gone, and ancient local practices face serious repressions from the Empire. 

Len-Wi first heard about the Hutt mystics from a Twi’lek medic who visited his small town on Mirial. Charitable organizations from wealthy Core Worlds sometimes send out groups of medics and droids to provide care to the ‘magenta’ worlds - a list of worlds devastated by the fall of the Republic, so called for the magenta dots used to signify them on Imperial Holovision’s galactic map. 

“She wanted to treat us,” Len-Wi recalls, “But most of us just wanted to hear what was going on in the galaxy. No one trusts Imperial Holovision on Mirial, so whenever we meet an offworlder, they’re sure to be bombarded with questions about Coruscant.”

The medic had never been to Coruscant, but she was happy to tell stories about her life on Nal Hutta. 

“I’d spent my whole life wanting to be a Jedi,” Len-Wi says. “But there was no chance of that in the Empire. So when I heard about these Hutts who are in touch with the Force, who use it for spirituality and combat - I thought, what do I have to lose?”

Indeed, the similarities between Hutt mystics and Jedi are hard to ignore. “The Force is the Force,” Master Borgga Agashjic (724) says. “Certain species connect to it in different ways, but at their core, all Force traditions are similar.”

Aesthetically, Hutt mystics couldn’t be more opposite to the Jedi. A 12-foot-long Hutt, Borgga wears no robes, but instead a black-and-white mask with large antlers. Their amber eyes are hidden behind black lenses, and their mouth is covered by a gas mask built into the mask. Their green skin is covered in colorful body paint. 

But when they practice their art, any human watcher is immediately reminded of the old stories about the Jedi. With a wave of their stubby arm, they levitate the row of mystic masks which line the walls. They lunge across the room like a dancer with a speed and delicacy which belies their size, and at times it almost seems that they defy gravity. Humans aren’t used to thinking of Hutts as beautiful, but watching them, it’s hard to deny their alien grace. 

Unlike the great Jedi temple, there is no central locus for Hutt mystics. There are instead thousands of smaller temples, each with its own competing power structure and beliefs. But, like the Jedi and Sith of old, Hutt mystics are divided. 

“The Force flows through all living beings,” Borgga emphasizes to me. “You, me, Emperor Palpatine - all of us equally. So how can you justify slavery?” They shake their great, masked head. “Nal Hutta is the capital of the greatest society that the galaxy has ever known - we don’t have to allow this unnatural state to stain our history.”

Borgga is not alone in their anti-slavery stance. The greater community of Hutt mystics is torn between unilateral support for the policies and practices of the ruling Hutt Clan, and a long tradition of societal criticism. Although Hutt mystics are often separate from the ruling clans and their financial dealings, they enjoy a certain degree of traditional protection, and they have always engaged in a delicate push-and-pull relationship with the ruling clans. 

Borgga goes further than most, though. At Borgga’s small temple, crammed into a complex in the Nar Shaddaa industrial district, Hutt mystics practice their art alongside a handful of humanoids. Len-Wi is one of them. A tall fat man with green skin and black hair, his traditional Mirialan tattoos are hidden under body paint, and he wears a horned green mask. 

“People always talk about Hutt chauvinism in the Empire, how the Hutts think they’re better than everyone else and look down on humanoids,” Len-Wi tells me. “But what about human chauvinism? I might look more like a human than a Hutt, but humans still treated me like dirt every day of my life in the Empire. There’s nothing left for me back there. Even if the Rebellion triumphed, I wouldn’t go back.” Because of the Hutt Clans’ relationship to the Empire, Hutt Space enjoys a measure of protection from the restrictions placed on Imperial citizens. 

But not everyone in the mystic community has such a rosy view of life on Nar Shaddaa. Soan Starkiller, the only Twi’lek in Borgga’s temple, says that the movement still has a long way to go. “My family thinks I’m crazy for joining a Hutt temple,” she says. “Mostly, mystics are the same as other Hutts - they think a Twi’lek is a commodity, not a person. Master Borgga has done a lot for our people, but even here, all of the temple masters are Hutts. Humanoids, and especially Twi’leks, can only rise so far.”

When I point this out to Borgga, they look past me at my camera crew, and note that they’re all human. “Progress isn’t overnight,” they say. “But Hutts live a long time. If the Force is with us, I’ll live to see a Twi’lek temple master - and an Organa in the Imperial palace.”

[disneyanddisneyships]

Alaponi singing 'Baby it's cold outside'

YESYEYSYEYSYEYSYYSYEYSYSY WAITWAITWAIT.

IM WRITING IT.

Summary: Alastir and Aponi host a Christmas party

Warnings: Alastir being ooc probably. Dont come for me for the fact Theo exists, I know reproduction is impossible for sinners but just let me live. Bit of angst at the end but nothing tearjerking. Alastor and aponi being utterly in love.

Aponi and Alastor were hosting a Christmas party.

Of course they knew that most people wouldn't care for it, this being in Hell and all... but it was a tradition that both of them had gone through in life that they figured out they had in common.

Alastor was in charge of food, catering, and music.

Aponi was in charge of decorations, invitations, and matching family clothes.

When alastor brought up the idea of a fuet between him and his wife, Aponi was ecstatic.

And they settled on a song that was to both of their likings.

Aponi sat on her knees as she buttoned up Theo's red vest over a green collared shirt and little brown trousers.

He wore little Holly accents on his antlers, and his hair was slicked to the side with a ridiculous amount of hair gel.

"Mama why do I have to wear all this? It's itchy!" Theo complained as he scratched at his neck, the little white and red candy cane bow that sat there moving out of place.

"Si, I know amor. But please, stop moving the bow. The faster we cooperate, the faster this party ends and you can get all clean in your pajamas," Paoni stated with a smile as she readjusted the bow into place.

Theo sighed.

"Alrightm perfecto. Go downstairs to field your father so I can get ready, okay?" Aponi asked as she kissed her son's forehead.

Theo took off downstairs, his little tail wagging as he ran.

Aponi grabbed her red and green dress out of the closet, putting it on carefully and doing her hair and makeup.

"Ah, you look magnificent, my dear!" Alastor called out as his wife made her way down the stairs.

Aponi curtseyed.

"Why thank you, Kind sir!" She joked. "Is everything ready?" She asked as she adjusted some of the decorations.

"Everything is perfect!" Alastor replied with a wide, genuine smile.

Aponi sighed, relieved, before a knock on the door sounded.

.......

The night was a flurry of people walking in, talking, and having fun.

Even Aponi's mother showed up, and she seemed fairly impressed.

Theo and Emma sat at the bottom of the stairs, playing with toys and such that their grandparents and uncles gave to them.

"Gabe, I cannot believe you just gave Theo a doctor kit," Aponi stated as she took a sip of her wine.

"And I can't believe you're drinking again," Gabe stated.

"One night a year, little brother. Alastor has been watching me and keeping me safe with it. Don't worry," Aponi replied with an eyeroll.

"I still don't like him," Gabe stated in a sing-song voice.

"You've never liked anyone I've dated," Aponi replied.

"And I was right every single time, was I not?" He asked with a smirk.

"Whatever. You're such a-"

Aponi was cut off by a glass dinging.

Everyone looked over to see alastor.

Aponi took the cue, setting her drink down and going to stand beside him.

"My wife and I have a surprise for you all tonight! As you all know, both of us do love our music, and so, we've decided to sing for you all tonight. I for one suggested it, because I enjoy my beautiful wife's voice," Alastor spoke as he turned to Aponi, a smile on his face.

Aponi giggled as she sat at the piano, beginning the music.

"I really can't stay~" Aponi sang.

"Baby, it's cold outside!" Alastor sang along.

"I've got to go away!" Aponi sang once again.

"Baby, it's cold outside!" Alastor responded as he leaned over the piano, watching her.

This evening has been Hoping that you'd drop in So, very nice I'll hold your hands, they're just like ice

As the two sang, people in the crowd smiled, beginning to sway to the music.

My mother will start to worry Beautiful, what's your hurry? My father will be pacing the floor Listen to that fireplace roar So, really I'd better scurry Beautiful, please don't hurry But maybe just a hald a drink more I'll put some records on while I pour

Aponi giggled as she sang.

Alastor took that as his cue to use his powers, the piano continuing as he took Aponi's hand and began to sway her.

The neighbors might think Baby, it's bad out there Say, what's in this drink? No cabs to be had out there I wish I knew how Your eyes are like starlight now To break this spell I'll take your hat, your hair looks swell

Theo took Emma's hand as well. The two 7 year Olds dancing as best they could and giggling the while time.

I ought to say, "No, no, no sir" Mind if I move in closer? At least I'm gonna say that I tried What's the sense in hurting my pride? I really can't stay Baby, don't hold out Baby, it's cold outside

Alastor used his magic, more instruments making their way into the music.

Aponi giggled as he dipped her. "Ugh, you're very pushy, you know?" She stated.

"I'd like to think of it as opportunistic!" Alastor replied as he leaned over her before standing back up slowly.

I simply must go Baby, it's cold outside The answer is, "No" But, baby, it's cold outside The welcome has been How lucky that you dropped in So nice and warm Look out the window at that storm

As all the couples swayed through the room, it truly felt like Christmas.

Which was a wonderful feeling for Aponi herself, given how religious she grew up.

But at the moment, all she could do was sing go her husband.

My sister will be suspicious Gosh, your lips look delicious My brother will be there at the door Waves upon a tropical shore My maiden aunt's mind is vicious Gosh, your lips are delicious But maybe just cigarette more Never such a blizzard before

As everyone danced, Theo and Emma stopped.

"What's a blizzard?" Theo asked.

Emma shrugged and the two kids began to dance again, very off rhythm, but cute enough for Mal to take a video that she'd send to Aponi later.

I've got to get home Baby, you'll freeze out there Say, lend me your comb? It's up to your knees out there You've really been grand I thrill when I touch your hand But don't you see? How can you do this thing to me?

Aponi smiled lovingly at alastor as she sang, trying not to giggle at how silly he was wgen when spun her around, her red dress twirling around her.

There's bound to be talk tomorrow Think of my life-long sorrow At least there will be plenty implied If you got pneumonia and died I really can't stay Get over that hold out Baby, it's cold Baby, it's cold outside

As the sing finished, everyone stopped dancing and began to clap.

Aponi made a few more rounds with her friends before finding Theo and Emma asleep on the staircase together.

Mal, Vox, and Emma headed home for the night, saying their goodbyes.

Alastor worked on shutting down the party while Aponi took Theo up to get him ready for bed.

As she washed the gel out of her son's hair, Theo rubbed his eyes.

"Mama, what's a blizzard?" He asked.

Aponi gave a small frown, realizing her son would never know the feeling of snow.

"Um... well.... you know how we freeze water to make ice?" Aponi asked as she scrubbed his scalp gently.

Theo nodded as he played with his toys.

"Well, on earth, there's this thing called snow. It's basically soft sticky ice you can play with. And a blizzard is like a tornado with snow," Aponi explained as she rinsed out his hair.

"Ohhhhh..... I hope I can see snow one day!" Theo exclaimed happily.

"Yeah.... me too," Aponi replied.