#mcyt aufest

[freyfall]

Phil promises his firstborn child to a demon (Scar) and a witch (Grian), who are enemies, without the other knowing. When Tommy is born, both Scar and Grian come to claim him, but find themselves stuck in a loophole. Now they must figure out how to raise this chaotic child together while trying not to murder each other. Shenanigans ensue.

I recently had the amazing opportunity to participate in the MCYTblr AUfest! This piece was drawn for the fic A family can be a demon, a witch and a firstborn child, by Finis Inire! The fic is an incredibly fun read, and I definitely recommend checking it out! :D

[maiya5t]

pkm au emduo for MCYTBLR Aufest

Im so happy to create with other creators, and I hope you guys enjoy it too! ;D

[martynsimp69]

Dogwarts - A Horror-Themed Minecraft Map

Ever since the beheading, paranoia has taken hold of the Red King.

Dogwarts is a short Minecraft map full of secrets, made for AUFest 2024's Reverse Big Bang. You can find more information on it here, including the world download, content warnings, how-to-play guide, and a video showcase for anyone who can't or doesn't want to play through it themselves.

As part of the event I had the honor of working with two INCREDIBLE writers, Sparrow @erstwhilesparrow and Writer @capriciouswriter207!! Both of them did a masterful job bringing this story to life in a new medium, and I'm delighted that I got to have them on my team <3 Check out their fics:

branches, but softer by sesquidpedalian

The things Martyn carries with him have dwindled to almost nothing. One bucket that he doesn’t dare abandon to the capricious shadows, a handful of glass bottles. A scrap of banner that he keeps in his pocket, that he wipes his sweat on but never without feeling a little bad. If it’s the tunnels themselves that are responsible for all his misfortune, they never make a sound to suggest so. If this place is haunted, it’s not haunted by any ghosts but his own.

What happens below (none will ever know) by Writer207

The enchanter must be protected at all costs. Away from prying eyes, deep below the ground, nobody but Ren will ever lay their eyes on it again. A labyrinth of dirt and stone must be dug to further protect it. The process weighs heavily on Martyn, and the tunnels themselves seem to suffocate him. It's all worth it, though. The enchanter must be safe.

Thank you, and enjoy <3

[maigetheplatypus57]

Hey guys is this anything

[mcytblraufest]

And the discord is OPEN, and artist creation has begun! What has begun, you ask? MCYTBLR Aufest is a Reverse Big Bang, where artists have a month to make an art piece, and then writers have two months to make a fic (5k minimum) inspired by the art. And then we all post all at once, in a big BANG of content.

Open to all of MCYTBLR, whether your smp is still airing or has been done for a while. Dedicated ctommy artist? Come, join us! Really into vitalasubzam? You are welcome! Witchcraft Cleo and Scott is just very important to you? Come on down and tell us! Art is the only way to express your feelings about the etho+gem combination? You're not washed up, you're welcome at the aufest. Need to spread your Ianite agenda? Have you considered doing so through an art plus fic combo? Wake up and go to sleep dreaming of Bagina? We welcome you to come art at us about it.

And the content rule is just that it has to be an au— what kind of au? Sky's the limit. Fantasy AU, Mecha AU, Miraculous Ladybug AU, High School Theatre Production, Lighthouse Horror, Western, Superhero, Vampire, Daemon, Witcher, Warrior Cats, Minimum Wage, Cyberpunk, Eldritch Abomination, Historical, Hunger Games, Murderbot, Survival Narrative— go absolutely crazy. Celebrate the highlights of the AU, subvert it, nod to canon or go off inventing your own new joys whole-cloth. All we ask is that your piece not be canon compliant. Artist's creation periods start now! We encourage all artists to join the discord during the creation period, and you're also welcome to come hang out if you're a writer or a beta reader! Come and join us! Experience the beauty of aus!

DISCORD HERE

[ks1971]

There was someone in a trench coat and ski mask at the front counter of the Dairy Queen. Ranboo wasn’t quite sure if the place was being held up, which was a suspicion the employees seemed to share. The person was currently occupied with paying for their order in pennies. Ranboo looked back at Tubbo on the other side of the table. “Sorry, what?” Tubbo raised his eyebrows. “You having a good time, bossman?” 

Extra piece that was made for Trying Hard Not To Smile Though I Feel Bad by @antimony-medusa for the MCYTBLR aufest 2024! Beeduo date time :]

[seawaveleo]

your honor they're silly

[daisymooonart]

I'm happy to finally show off my piece for @mcytblraufest! I really had fun making this AU: Double Life with science fiction and human experimentation. Check out the fics!

tallying heartbeats in empty cells by @thatapolloguy

half of me is half of you know (i'll have to cut myself in two) by @ty-bayonet-betteridge

[lucasleppy]

Huitzil is a project me and @chillingxy worked on together for @mcytblraufest reverse big bang! WEEE MAY HAVE SILLIED A LITTLE TOO CLOSE TO THE SUN

The original song is in Spanish but English lyrics have been provided by xy!!!

A BIGGGG THANK YOU TO OUR AMAZING WRITER @justfor2am WHO JOINED US ON THIS JOURNEY AND BROUGHT IT ALL TO LIFE!!!! ENJOY THE FIC -> HERE

One last doodle of the sillies as a thank you for reading this far!!

[freyfall]

"Do you want to do this?" "I'm being a person with you. I can do it."

Once again, I had the lovely opportunity to participate in the MCYTblr AU-fest! This time, I drew art for the amazing fic A Hundred Things You Have Not Dreamed Of by antimony_medusa! This art is also featured in Chapter 4 of the fic, so please please go and give it a read! It's an amazing fic and I could not recommend it more :D

[onawhimsicot]

HELLO I wrote a supervillain!Tango + superhero!Jimmy AU fic for the @mcytblraufest​​ where Tango is essentially Dr. Doofenshmirtz....so Jimmy is lowkey Perry the Platypus lol

Shockingly, it's not a Crack AU, but I have been describing it to everyone as “not a Phineas and Ferb AU...but it’s not NOT a Phineas and Ferb AU?” LOL This is the longest thing I have ever written (the initial estimate was 11k..let’s just say it’s not that anymore) It's a fic full of silly fun times, so please check it out!

Please check out the amazing works of art that got made for my fic!!! @quilldesignz​ made this gorgeous piece and @arofundy​ made the most adorable game!!!!!

This was beta’d by @vesperaink (fun fact: the idea of the AU was initially created for her birthday, so it wouldn’t exist in more ways than one if not for her!)

As the supervillain Dr. Blaze, Tango has a penchant for oddly named "-ificators" and stylistic flair. His goals include trying to take over the city, shaming superheroes for their basic costume designs, and then sending said heroes home with better equipment that actually matches their aesthetic because clearly, if he wants a cool fight scene to happen, he's got to do everything around here himself.

For some reason, not many people think he’s evil. His one comfort though is that his nemesis, the superhero Canary, does and has made it his personal mission to bring down Dr. Blaze.

But when Canary suddenly goes missing, his superhero partner, Parrot, is convinced that Tango is at fault. Seeing as this is not true at all (kidnapping is so gauche), Tango is offended that someone is trying to steal his nemesis right from under his nose. If Tango wants to get his nemesis back, he'll have to work together with Parrot to find and rescue Canary from whatever danger he's got himself into this time.

After all, what's a supervillain without a nemesis?

[copepods]

my piece for @mcytblraufest, a companion to an upcoming chapter in like real people do by @1ncr3d1bly5tup1d :D

[floralmonarchh]

WELCOME TO RANLIVE EXPO!!

my second piece for @mcytblraufest !!!! and the fic my wonderful friend de_hautdesert on ao3 wrote for it :') pls give it a read and give it some love it's a really fun fic!!!

[conarcoin]

"We only have so much in the way of budget, Jawsh!" Berd practically whines. He's looking at Jawsh with an almost pathetic expression. "We can't afford to get something else."

"Why do I have to wear some costume in the first place?" Jawsh shoots back, raising his voice a little. "We're not comic book superheroes! This is fucking stupid."

The door suddenly slams open, and Berd and Jawsh are jolted out of their argument. Jawsh swears he can hear his ears ringing, and considers (just for a moment) writing a letter of resignation.

(Or: the one about superpowered odd job contractors, a missing cat and a ransom note, a mysterious lone wolf, and economic schemes.)

Based on artwork by @amixofpersonalities! This is my piece for @mcytblraufest!! I got super out of my comfort zone writing this and I had a lot of fun. I hope you guys like it!

[mcytblraufest]

As the dust settles on Aufest 2024, we start to look forward to what's happening next year. Because three years of aufest just sounds like a great precursor to four years of aufest: barring disaster, we'll be back next year.

But in what FORM will we be back next year?

One thing has been consistent so far with our event. We've done a new thing every year. So the decision is, do we go back to something we've done before, or do we try something new? And that's where you come in. Yes this is a post about a poll.

The Options

Option 1 - Fandom Exchange: We do what we did Aufest 2022 and we do a Fandom Exchange. Similar to the Holiday Exchange that runs in the winter, everyone will sign up and be paired with another person, and they'll have a month to make that person a gift. People will have a chance to opt into art, fic, web weaves, playlists, podfic, or other, and the basic expectation will be 1k or a clean finished art piece in a month, all on the theme of aus. This would be a one-month event.

Option 2 - Big Bang: We do what we did Aufest 2023, and we do a Big Bang. Writers sign up with an au that's halfway done, and they get matched with artists who draw art based on their fic while they finish their au. The basic expectation is 5k in two months for writers, or a clean finished art piece in one month for artists. This would be a two-month event.

Option 3 - Reverse Big Bang: We do what we did this year, and we do a Reverse Big Bang. Artists sign up with completed au art, and then writers write a fic based on the art. The basic expectation is a clean finished art piece in one month for artists, or 5k in two months for writers. This would be a three-month event.

Option 4 - Battleship. (Though we'll probably call it Dungeon Crawl.) This is the new option, if you want to try something new. This is a competitive fic and art game, heavily based on the multifandom exchange Battleship. Participants are divided into teams, and each team is assigned a board, a 10*10 grid. Each square on the grid is assigned with two tags, things like "space au" or "divorce" or "tooth-rotting fluff" or "cannibalism", and a number between 10 and 20. Participants write a fic or draw an art that can be tagged with the one of the tags on a square, gifting it to a request made by someone in the event, and once a square is "hit" the number of times indicated on it, it clears that square, and the mods will tell you if you hit a trap or a treasure. Teams race to disarm all the traps on their board before moving on to the next stage. The basic expectations for this one would be a clean sketch on unlined paper or a 300 word fic, literally as fast as you can turn it out, but most participants in battleship write multiple fics/draw multiple arts before all boards are cleared. Battleship runs until all boards are cleared, but generally people expect to see a 3-week event.

Which of these do you want to see next year?

[tunastime]

Stars Realigning

what's GOOD! happy mcyt au fest day(s)! this is my contribution to 2024's mcyt au fest, based on the art of my fantastic artist in crime @eyesandbees. super shoutout to tetris (GO LOOK AT THE ART RN), this au really did something fantastic for my brain :3 and kudos to all the @mcytblraufest mods, contributors, and my mutuals new and old who joined in. mwah!

Xisuma and Exonia were explorers by nature—and how could they not be, when the world rested right outside their fingertips. When Xisuma pulls himself and their brother into an unfamiliar End dimension, their only chance of escape is with a player they've hardly met, to a space station they've never even heard of. Built on the foundations of exploration and discovery, HC might be all the opportunity the siblings need to start a new life—or ruin their only shots at understanding themselves.

(12,765 words) (Read the whole fic here!)

Every player knows two facts about the End: one of those is that it is very large. The other is that it is very dangerous. The islands stretch onwards as far as they eye can see, tipping over a black horizon line invisible to the naked eye. The static particles of void—ink black and speckled grey—fill the spaces that stone and cities and blocky fruit trees do not. No players make their home here—none dare to spend more time than they must. The End is a utility, more than it is a dimension of its own. Hostile conditions make it unlivable to those other than the ones that know it best: endernians, endermen, the dragon, and her egg. 

The third, most often overlooked fact, that meshes with the others in vastness and hostility, is that the End is no place for strangers to combat. 

Xisuma is one of those strangers—was one of those strangers. World hopping was dangerous, unpredictable, dimension hopping even more so, especially for them—for the untrained. He hadn’t meant for either of them to tumble into the End dimension, prepared or otherwise, with its thin air and itchy end dust and large, very large, very angry dragon. It's the first thing his eyes catch—the movement of large wings and a massive, black snout as the world tilts and settles around them. 

Xisuma gasps as they finish settling into the world and Exonia follows suit, shoving them both behind the pillar beside them. The air feels charged with energy, thick with the beat of air from the dragon’s wings. Xisuma swallows as the two of them drop behind the pillar, and as they manage to catch their breath from the initial shock, he stirs up the courage in his chest to peek out behind the pillar. He steps out into the ring around him, eyes searching for the dragon above him. He can hear her cry even from on the ground. The crystals that bolster her strength glow brightly as she passes. It only takes a moment for her to swoop down as she circles, and it’s in this moment that Xisuma realizes he’s been seen. 

They freeze.

The dragon crashes to the ground, the heavy footfalls of her landing shaking the dirt around them. 

Xisuma stares into the creature’s face, purple eyes unblinking.

Something grabs his hand. It takes him a startlingly long moment to realize it’s Exonia, their eyes wide behind their tinted glasses. He’s still too busy staring up into the maw of the black dragon, her eyes trained on his every movement, the betraying flick of their tail. His heart beats fast in the base of their throat. A voice jumps to life in his mind—surely if he stays put, if he doesn’t move, the great dragon will turn her head away from him, and spare him, and spare his twin, and the world will be right again. Xisuma shuts their eyes. The beat between his first and second breath feels like a millenia.

The dragon snuffs a great breath that catches into a screech, its heavy head whipping back and around as Ex tugs on his arm. His eyes snap open. 

He’s not dead.

The dragon roars.

If he squints, Xisuma thinks he can see a shape, blurred by the scent and fog of the dragon’s breath, barely visible against the dark black obsidian pillars. It draws back its glittering weapon and fires, arrows flying high above the dragon’s head and to the peak of the pillars above. The peak explodes; obsidian chips and dust rain down from the blast.

He jerks his head to look at Ex. Their face is pulled tight in confusion and fear, a mask of anger flickering over it instead as they tug his hand again. He stumbles forward, feet catching pocks in the stone before he regains his footing. The dragon’s focus stays trained on the newcomer. She slashes with her claws, jaws chomping on thin air as the figure darts around with the effort of someone trained to deal with monsters her size.

An adventurer. Another player.

He turns back to look at Exonia—the back of their head, the tip of a pointed ear they can see. They’re practically pulling him along into further darkness toward something he can’t yet see, weaving between obsidian pillars as the island stretches out in front of them, all the way to a noticeable drop into void. As they cut through a section of chorus trees, a craft makes itself known on the next ridge.

A way out.

Xisuma pales, the oxygen in his lungs suddenly feeling very thin.

“What is that thing?” he manages as they start to slow. Ex shoots him a look over their shoulder, eyebrows tightly furrowed.

“A ship!” they say. “Don’t be foolish!”

“We don’t even—” X starts, but Exonia pulls them further forward. They dip their head, avoiding the endermen that roam around them, sinking in on themselves to appear smaller. They scramble up the next hill. In the short distance they’ve put between the dragon and themselves, they can still hear the screech of her anger and the beat of her wings. X’s heart still slams away in his throat.

“D’you want to be eaten, you derp?” Ex hisses, dropping into a crouch as they shimmy over the crest of the hill. X scrambles after them, finding their footing on the steep slope and up onto the ridge.

“No!” They blanch at the thought of the dragon finding them again, with her huge, yellow-white teeth and debilitating breath. “Why would I want that?”

Ex shoots them a pointed glance, taking a few quick steps around the edge of the “ship”—if it was a ship at all—as they do.

“Then start lookin’ for a way in!” they bark. Xisuma sets his jaw. Sighing through his nose, he picks himself up from his crouch, and follows suit. The ship is bright white and grey-black, hidden carefully by the dark sky around them and by shimmering enchantments that Xisuma can only guess at as he travels around its side and toward the back. It’s not a large craft—certainly different than anything he’d ever seen. 

Ex investigates with the unshakable confidence of someone who’s read far too much about this exact situation, or craft, or biome, or what have you. Xisuma tries to siphon that energy for himself, watching as they track the side of the metal with eyes partially obscured. They reach the back together, the ship’s large bay door shut against the End and void around them. X watches Ex’s face, their tail flicking agitatedly. Their hands find a depression near the fins of the ship. As they press into it, the door hisses, starts to lower onto the dusty stone below. Exonia scrambles back, catching Xisuma as they do, their hands clasping together again. Xisuma watches as the dark inside floods with the End’s pale glow, illuminating the sparse space within. 

It’s a holding bay—a handful of boxes are scattered around, their heavy plastic lids strapped tight. Bolted storage units line one wall, and a short staircase leads upward, into the space Xisuma can only assume is the main cabin of whoever that figure was.

Xisuma blinks. 

Exonia enters.

Enters is a loose term, because as his foot steps onto the metal-ribbed platform, Xisuma feels something crawl it’s way up his spine and turns, much too fast, Ex’s name already jumping from his throat.

There’s a crackle, like the sound of fireworks in the distance, as the sky fills with soft purple light. Xisuma alone watches the figure turn, a large, dark object cradled in their arms, and feels them stare back. Distance and the helm obscuring most of their face doesn’t do their features justice—it looks like a man, a human, staring back at him, eyes wide and bright, expression unreadable from here. All Xisuma knows is that the chill starts at the base of his neck and pulls through him, catching his lungs and heart and spine all the way down, hooking him in place. 

“Xisuma—” Exonia starts, tone bordering on impatient, but as they turn, they see exactly what they did. And they say again, their voice taking a fine, fearful edge:

“Xisuma.”

The figure starts toward them, and X can feel the immediate betrayal of all his senses, all at once, as his hackles raise, body recoiling until his feet hit the cold metal of the ship behind him. Exonia grabs his arm as he stumbles from the platform, tugging him away from the ship as the figure starts to close the distance between them. The man is carrying the dragon egg, much too large for his arms as he calls out to them.

“Hey! Wait! Wait!” The man calls. Xisuma stutters as he tries to scramble away, skittering to a stop at the man’s plea. As he turns to look over his shoulder, against all better judgment, he realizes the man has crouched by the entry door, egg still in his arms. The beat between the man stopping, dropping to a crouch to make himself small, and his next words is a rift Xisuma considers just jumping into. He wills a small, shaky breath into his lungs. The man sets the egg at his feet, hands spread.

“Are you okay?” he asks, breath evening as he stills for a moment. “I didn’t mean to scare you away. The dragon looked pretty dangerous!”

Xisuma blinks, breathing hard. Exonia manages to summon the courage he can’t seem to even taste, voice coming small from beside him.

“Who are you?” they muster. The man dips his head.

“I’m sorry for scaring you,” he says slowly. “I’m Keralis. Are you two from here?” 

Xisuma shakes his head. The man, Keralis, nods.

“Are you lost? Do you need help going home?” 

Xisuma offers a nod this time.

“Do you… know where home is?”

There’s a beat. The silence stretches on in the absence of anyone’s voice or actions, until Ex finally says:

“Not anymore. ‘S too far.”

Keralis doesn’t say anything for a moment. He stares instead down at the egg in his arms, the only expression on his face evident by his eyes through his visor. Xisuma watches him, trying to read that expression and coming up blank. It doesn’t look malicious, though. He’s begun to settle from the razor’s edge of nervousness and back down into a sense of normalcy. 

“I don’t want to leave you here. I…” Keralis hums. “I can take you back with me. And then maybe there will be someone who can help you get home, how about that?”

“Where’re you from?” Exonia asks. Keralis smiles—Xisuma can tell by the squint of his eyes.

“I’m from a ship. A spaceship in the sky.”