#Get in the tags & tell me what to make BigB

[bidoofenergy]

don't leave me hanging alone again

also on AO3

After the end of the session—after secrets are revealed and the rewards are reaped—everyone just hangs out. It's the no-man's-land of time, a few hours without fighting—and also without peace. You don't build new alliances or lay new traps. You use the time to breathe, to talk, to try to laugh. If you do it right, you won't hate your friends when you leave.

That's what you like to do at least. Jimmy likes to use this time to apologize. Back when you were soulmates—2 games and a Hermitcraft world ago—this was endearing to you.

Now, you wait for it.

You and Skizz catch up with Impulse, laughing about the game of tag, commiserating over your failures. Your conversation is light—it's Impulse and Skizz. You three have been friends for so long you can't be anything but. This is bearable. Manageable.

Several minutes into your conversation, Bdubs sidles up next to Impulse, fitting himself so perfectly into Impulse’s side it’s like the space had been left for him all along. The two of them aren't together this time around, but their history folds wrinkles into their every interaction.

For now, Bdubs is here to gloat.

Skizz watches them carefully, the way they bend towards each other without even meaning to. He's trying to understand them, trying to understand ex-soulmates—has been trying to understand for the last two games. Skizz missed just one of Grian's invitations and returned to a tangled web of feelings that have only gotten more and more knotted every time the games started back up again.

The longer this goes on, the more it’ll be clear to Skizz just how messed up you are over Jimmy—messed up in a way the others aren’t over their own ex-soulmates. Even if Skizz hasn’t already heard it directly from Impulse—and he definitely has, you know your friends—he’s figuring it out now. You can hear him and BigB whisper to each other, usually when you're on the other side of their island futzing with the stupid chicken machine.

How do you explain it to someone who wasn't there? How do you explain the way blood, injuries, every fraction of a heart lost all meant something bigger than yourself? That that was the game?

You didn't like being responsible for someone else's loss. You don't miss it. You don't want it back. But you would carve another 19 hearts out of your chest just to feel Jimmy's pain again.

How do you explain that to someone who wasn't there? You don't. You can't.

You won't try. You listen to Bdubs brag instead, laughing when Impulse gets under his skin— gentle. Oh so familiar with what makes him tick.

You won't try. You’ll let Skizz stay disbelieving, shooting you looks with one eyebrow raised, whispering with BigB when they think you're busy, listening to Impulse tell stories they think you don't know about.

You won't try. Bdubs is interrupted by Jimmy finally bounding over with a cheerful “Hello!”

“I heard you blew our boy up!” Impulse gestures at you—did Bdubs tell him? Do you even care?

Jimmy grins, canine sharp, and you both laugh like nothing hurts.

“We should take your name out of the drawing for that.” Skizz says and his easy-going smile is just a little too wide.

Jimmy turns to you and before his face can even fall, you say, “Don't worry about it.”

He smiles at you, not even relieved he was so certain in you. And it's just like before, standing right up against the thing that will hurt you, just because he's there smiling on the other side of it, just because you miss your heart beating with his. And isn't that exactly what will get you killed?

[fountainpenguin]

Things that happened in Martyn & Cleo Double Life canon:

Cleo hoping to find her soulmate and start a life with them

Cleo dumping Martyn without giving him a chance to explain his side of the story, but hearing him out when he comes to her later

Martyn watching Cleo through his spyglass and telling the audience she seems safe and happy even though he thinks it's weird she's outside at night

Martyn, after he's had time to consider how he wants to play this, spinning a story about trying to be a provider for her and Cleo explaining that she wanted him, not things

Cleo not being remotely impressed by the "I was providing" sob story, lol

Martyn calling Cleo selfish for choosing to be with Scott because she's supposed to be HIS soulmate and he wants a partner

Cleo willing to forgive Martyn if he meets them halfway

Martyn refusing to meet them halfway because he doesn't think he did anything wrong

Martyn screaming about how Cleo's building bridges with Scott but "When will she think about mending our bridges???"

Martyn explaining to Cleo that he doesn't understand why his Session 1 actions bothered them

Martyn centering his character arc and roleplay on trying to win Cleo back without actually apologizing

Cleo giving Martyn a flower and stating that if he loses it, she'll be real cross with him

Cleo chasing Martyn out of her yard because he tried to put an HOA sign on her base and she wanted to make it clear that she wasn't associated with them and their hate for his base (even though she does think his heart base is strange)

Martyn attacking Cleo after she said attacking is a form of affection to her

Cleo setting boundaries with Martyn and explaining what he can do to get her back

Cleo sighing when Scar set her up on a date with Martyn, but taking the chance to talk to him instead of walking out

Cleo genuinely wanting Martyn in her alliance

Martyn and Cleo giggling constantly when they chat

Scar asking if Martyn wanted him to play a romantic music disc for him and Cleo (and Martyn getting excited and saying yes)

Martyn offering to take Cleo's armor and weapons to the deep dark so he can enchant them and bring them back while she stays safe

Cleo gifting Martyn diamonds, expecting nothing in return but not wanting him to die from lack of a good sword

Martyn and Cleo forming a secret alliance that allows Cleo to live with Scott while being on good terms with Martyn

Martyn expressing frustration that Cleo wants to keep this alliance secret because he wants them to be public allies; Cleo softly shushes him when people approach and might overhear

Martyn telling Cleo that she's putting out a lot of mixed signals because she keeps reeling him in and then pushing him away, claiming he is very confused about where he stands with her

Martyn teasing Cleo by punching her off a cliff and accidentally killing her and feeling so bad about it that he apologizes profusely despite roleplaying as someone who refused to apologize for Session 1

Martyn and Cleo immediately threatening Bdubs together when he said hi to them while they were hanging out, sdkfj

Martyn genuinely apologizing to Pearl for dumping her after Session 1

Martyn hiding under Cleo's bed while she defends him from an enderman attack

Cleo offering to let Martyn move into her house after Etho and Joel grief his base; Martyn saying he might take her up on that

Cleo and Martyn agreeing to move out and base together at Box

Cleo trusting Martyn with the location and resources of her red life base

Martyn rushing to Cleo's aid in the deep dark and trying to turn everyone against him instead

Cleo responding to Martyn's panicked shouts for her to eat by opening her inventory to get food (and drowning because she forgot she was in water)

Cleo hanging back and letting Martyn attack Scott while she does nothing to stop him from doing so, implying as much as she likes Scott, she won't kill Martyn (and herself) for him (and/or she trusted Scott to handle himself even though he ran away while Martyn was shooting at him)

Things that did not happen:

Cleo unwilling to forgive Martyn or consider being his friend and partner

Martyn and Cleo hating each other

Thank you for coming to my TED Talk

[verdantglow]

Okay so @plumadot’s posting about her D&D Traffic AU has made me remember how much I love my Dungeons & Traffic AU & I Must Talk About It Now.

Basically all the characters are in a modern setting, playing a rotating cast D&D game DMed by The Watchers. (I never really decided how that works. Plan was for everything in out of game space be completely mundane except for the floating purple eye behind the DM screen lol.)

But yeah! So I picked classes & heritages that the characters would pick themselves based on play styles & preferences. &, uh, here they are!

Bdubs: Firbolg, Light Domain Cleric of Helios

Of course he’s a light cleric. Of course his god is literally the god of the Sun. This man does not fuck with the night & darkness At All. (Also he wanted to be tall lol.)

BigB: (???), (???)

Okay, gonna be honest, BigB is the last one I need to make decisions for ‘cause I feel I have too many knowledge gaps about him to figure this out. Was thinking Paladin maybe??? But I will totes take input, please help me here. Only restrictions: I’d prefer if he doesn’t double up on heritage or subclass with anyone.

Cleo: Reborn, Circle of Wildfire Druid

Cleo’s gotta be a zombie, so Reborn is perfect. & who can deny Cleo the opportunity to have a skill set based entirely around setting shit on fire?

Etho: Shadar-Kai, Way of the Shadow Monk

He’s a ninja lol. Also in this AU I was thinking he & Gem would be siblings, so having him play an emotionally flat dark elf played nicely with what Gem goes with. Which…

Gem: Eladrin, Eldritch Knight Fighter

Gem had to be a fighter, that girl is a fighter through & through, but she’s definitely not playing a boring character. Eldritch Knight adds some magical flavour that goes well with her being an Eladrin. & she had to be an elf of some kind; I think she’d like the versatility & expressiveness of Eladrin.

Grian: Changeling, Pact of the Tome Warlock of the Archfey

Okay, I know this is probs controversial but hear me out. 1) Grian being a Warlock I think is just very in character. 2) Pact of the Tome lets him cast catrips from other classes & you unknowingly he’d get a kick outta that mechanic. 3) His patron is a homebrewed version of The Traveler, half way between 5e canon & Critical Role canon. Trickster vibes are real. 4) This dude has had so many skins. Changeling energy. (Also I just love changelings & Grian made the most sense to me.)

Impulse: Hill Dwarf, Forge Domain Cleric of Tharmekhûl

Another controversial one, but I’m not a fan of demon/tiefling/horned Impulse. & he legit has been a dwarf before. Hill dwarf because they get a Wisdom buff & that makes sense for Impulse. Cleric of Tharmekhûl because forge/light vibes & also he’s the god of smiths & that feels… like something Impulse would choose. (Impulse’s character is also min-max’d to hell. This man is going to win at D&D.)

Jimmy: Human, Oath of Glory Paladin of Tyr

Jimmy got overwhelmed by all the heritages & just went human for simplicity. He takes regular human rather than variant because he doesn’t want to learn all the feats & getting +1 to all stats is pretty good, right? Oath of Glory Paladin of Tyr because he really, really plays into being Lawful Good, & being The Law of the party.

Joel: Half-orc, Path of the Berserker Barbarian

Half-orc for being the closest I could get to an ogre. Path of the Berserker because he’s all about The Rage.

Lizzie: High Elf, School of Enchantment Wizard

Idk Lizzie just has big Wizard vibes to me, but like. Not the best wizard. Like she’s powerful, but rolls shit. She couldn’t get anyone to sleep in the Secret Life campaign because her DC is kinda low & everyone kept making their saves. (Except Joel. He failed his save on purpose. <3) High Elf for Queen Lizzie.

Martyn: Tiefling, Swashbuckler Fighter

Another natural fighter choice imo, but Swashbuckler for The Performance. Tiefling because he’s a bit impish & also so he can have Thaumaturgy to constantly scare everyone with monster/mob noises.

Mumbo: Rock Gnome, School of Evocation Wizard

I need to Mumbo to be a glass canon. School of Evocation Wizard does that so well. He can blow shit up so good, but he takes one hit & he’s out. Rock gnome because he just wanted to be a little guy & so he can be a Tinker.

Pearl: Wood Elf, Beastmaster Ranger

Beastmaster Ranger so she can have Tilly as an animal companion. Also more combat than magic focused, ‘cause that feels right? Elf because that’s her vibe, wood elf because it made sense for her build.

Ren: Werewolf Shifter (Doglike), Bannerette Fighter

Ren really wanted to be a fighter, but he put all his points in charisma RIP. So yeah, he’s the fighter class that does the least actual fighting lol. Doglike werewolf because of course.

Scar: Half-elf, Wild Magic Sorcerer/School of Eloquence Bard multiclass

His first few levels were in sorcerer, to reflect his absolutely bonkers all or nothing luck. School of Eloquence because he’s the type to talk his way out of most any situation he can. Also: Scar is 100% a charisma caster. (He still uses a longbow, don’t worry; he gets proficiency with it from being a half-elf.)

Scott: Fairy, Lunar Sorceror

I have changed my mind the most about Scott. Landed on Fairy, because the Vibes. Sorcerer because I felt he’d have innate magic, Lunar because it gives him access to a wide variety of spells that make sense for him. (Like Shield. He uses Shield all the time. Can’t hit this man, no sir.)

Skizz: Protector Aassimar, Path of the Ancestral Guardians Barbarian

He attac, he protec. & most importantly, he place high value on bonds between folks. So giving him Ancestral Guardians just… yeah.

Tango: Fire Genasi, Battlesmith Artificer

I don’t think I need to explain this much. His Steel Defender is an Iron Golem.

[watarfallar]

Incorrect quotes because I'm worried about how many people are gonna lose their last life this session

Pearl: How do you do that? Tango: I'm fearless. Scott: I saw you run from bees yesterday. You flailed around and tripped over a chair. It was both hysterical and sad. Tango: I'm mostly fearless.

Jimmy: Hi- Martyn: Leave before there's a terrible misunderstanding between my foot and your ass.

BigB: It’s not gonna work, I’m not a snitch. Cop: Fine, let's try something else. Tag a friend you recently committed a crime with. BigB: Lmao, @ Impulse.

Etho as a child: I can’t wait to grow up and have cool adventures! Etho now: I can’t wait to go to bed.

Scar: I don’t even use tubberware anymore. Skizz: What are you saying? Say it again. Scar: Tubberware. Skizz: Say it again. Slow. Scar: Tubberware. Skizz: Slow, very slow - actually, say the first syllable. Scar: Tub. Skizz: Wrong. Scar: What do you mean, wrong? Skizz: I thought I caught that. You’re saying tub. It’s P. Scar: What are you talking about? Skizz: Tupperware. Tupper. Scar: It’s tupper! Skizz: It’s tupper, always has been, always will be. Scar: I thought it was tubberware because it kind of looks like a tub.

Scott: Why are you doing this? Cleo: Same reason I do everything, Scott. To get somebody to like me.

Joel: Do you even know what an amulet is? Grian: Of course I do! I eat amulets sometimes. I like the ones with cheese and onions! Joel: Grian, those are omelettes. Grian: Oh. Then I’ve got nothing.

Pearl: Guys it’s a shooting star, let’s make a wish! Mumbo: I wish for good grades. Etho: Nerd. Mumbo: Nevermind, I wish upon the shooting star to fall down at a 30° velocity aiming for Etho. :) Pearl: Mumbo…

Martyn: *pulls back the curtain while Jimmy is showering* Martyn: Hey did we - stop screaming it’s me - did we run out of Cheerios?

Lizzie, about Joel: Can I tell them they look nice? Cleo: Sure. Lizzie: Can I tell them I respect them? Cleo: Maybe, if they ask. Lizzie: Should I show them an oil painting I made of us surrounded by our three cats and four dogs? Cleo: … Cleo: I’d save that for later.

Grian, sniffling: Calm down, I’m probably not sick. It might just be allergies. Jimmy: Okay, tell me this: are you like, really tired? Grian: I have depression, what do you think?

Pearl: I started school with straight A’s. Now I’m not even straight.

Bdubs: Wait, if baby oil dissolves condoms, what does it do to babies? Cleo: Believe it or not, babies and condoms are made of different materials. Gem: It’s like rock paper scissors. Baby oil defeats condom, baby defeats baby oil, condom defeats baby. BigB: Rock also defeats baby.

BigB: I dare you- Skizz: Scar is not allowed to accept dares anymore. BigB: Why not? Scar: "I have no regard for my own or others personal safety", as some would say.

Scott: Don’t preach to me about romance, Joel. I had a three-way in a hot-air balloon.

Tango, to Lizzie: You know, BigB can be really aggressive, so it's important to take all the necessary precautions when approaching. Tango: *blows airhorn at BigB* GET FUCKED!

Mumbo: What language do they speak at the center of the earth? Mumbo: Core-ean Joel: The center of the earth is arond 5430 degrees Celsius! Nobody is going to live there so they don’t need a language! Impulse: Core-ean.

*the Squad cleaning up* Etho: Pick up the nearest piece of trash and throw it away. Pearl, to Tango: Aight, which bin do you wanna go in—

Mumbo: You're ugly. BigB: Tone indicator? Mumbo: Oh I'm sorry! You're ugly. /srs

Tango: Cleo... Why did you draw a pentagram on the floor? Cleo: Your text told me to satanize the house before you returned. Tango: Tango: I wrote sanitize, Cleo.

Gem, to Impulse: Are you peanuts? Because I want to boil you alive.

Grian: May luck (and this picture of Scott eating shredded cheese at 3 in the morning) be with you.

Etho: You have Crayons? Grian: Yes, I have— Etho: You're— how old are you? Grian: YES I AM AN ADULT AND I HAVE CRAYONS, I HAVE A BOX OF EMERGENCY CRAYONS IN THE CABINET UNDER THE TV BECAUSE EVERYBODY NEEDS CRAYONS SOMETIMES, OKAY? EVERYBODY NEEDS CRAYONS.

[asketho]

Oh snappers! Go get your snacks!

BdoubleO100 told me about this whole blogging thing... he said that the Ethogirls were a bit scary but... it can't be that bad, right?

Asks always open!

Please:

Send as many asks as you'd like; plaintext (non-emoji) signoffs are preferred, but do what you like!

Send lore-heavy asks, as much or as few as you'd like

Send silly/non-lore asks

Please do not:

Be excessively NSFW. Mod is an adult, but this is not the place for it beyond innuendo/implied

Be genuinely rude or cruel to anyone, Ethomod, other mods, or other askers! Roleplay is fine, but if there are concerns I will step in.

Assume I speak for any other ask blogs, even those below in my links section. We all know each other, but we are not a hivemind. Respect their boundaries on their blogs as you respect mine on mine.

Important info & housekeeping links below the cut - posted jun 9, updated jun 27 - please read

OBLIGATORY DISCLAIMER: I AM NOT ACTUALLY ETHO. IF ONLY.

i try my best to recreate his style but i am, at the end of the day, just a really autistic he/him. please be nice to me

This is also my interpretation of Etho, as a character [do NOT come for me I do NOT condone being weird to real life ccs - see below] and YMMV

Tags & Links

About this c!Etho

AskEtho Timeline (important events)

The Ask Hermitblr Discord

#blog-e-e's / #blog e e's: in character posts

#mod-e-e's / #mod e e's: out-of-character [ooc] posts

#nsfw & #nsfhc: self explanatory. minors dni. block only #nsfhc if you only want to avoid it on this particular blog

#art-e-e's / #art e e's: posts with sketches by me!

I tag names mentioned in asks (ex: "what do you think about doc doing xyz?" -> #docm77). If a creator goes by their real life name (ex: joel smallishbeans, lizzie ldshadowlady, etc) I will use that when writing responses but I only tag as their full player name [except etho]

Other Hermits

General Guidelines

Ariana Griande / @arianagriand3

Bad Boys / @ask-thebadboys

Bdubs / @askbdubsblog

BigB / @ask-bigbstatz

Cleo / @ask-zcleo

Cubfan / @ask-cubfan

Cuteguy / @ask-cuteguy

Cyan Snail / @askcyansnail

Doccy / @ask-doccy

Docm77 / @ask-docm77

Etho / @asketho <- YOU ARE HERE

Evil Xisuma / @ask-evil-x

False / @ask-falsesymmetry

Gem / @ask-gemgem

Grian / @ask-grian

Grumbot / @ask-grumbot

Hotguy / @ask-hotguy

Impulse / @ask-impulse

Jimmy / @ask-jimmy-solidarity

Jrumbot / @ask-jrumbot

Lizzie / @ask-fairy-lizzie

Logoslab / @asklogoslab

Martyn / @ask-martyn

Mother Spore / @ask-mother-spore

Mumbo / @ask-mumbojumbo

NPC Grian / @ask-npc-grian

Pearl / @askpearlescentmoon

Poultry Man / @iampoultryman

Ren / @askrendog

Scar / @ask-gtwscar

Scott / @ask-smajor

Skizz / @ask-skizzleman

Smallishbeans / @ask-smallishbeans

Stress / @ask-stressmonster

Tango / @ask-tangotek

Watchers / @ask-the-watchers

Wels / @ask-welsknight

Xisuma / @ask-xisuma

Zedaph / @ask-zedaph

Don't bring real life discourse here. Etho does not care about this or that or problematic whatevers. The mod does, but asks about it will be deleted unless specifically addressed to the mod.

I reserve the right to delete asks that are not relevant, make me uncomfortable, are triggering, or sexually explicit. While NSFW is allowed to a degree it will always be tagged both as #nsfw & #nsfhc [so you can avoid specifically this blog's nsfw without having to block the general tag]. Minors should not interact with nsfw posts and I will check.

If you use a cc's real name when they don't actively go by that online [ex: bdubs' real name is online but he does not use it for yt] I will delete your ask or answer privately telling you to resubmit. I respect their privacy and I expect you to do the same. I will not discuss events in the real life cc's personal life most of the time

[zzombiecleo]

what love could get this vicious?

i'm only like 2 hours late technically? whoopsie daisy! here's day 4 of yuri week! obligatory @mcyt-yuri-week, please enjoy this (or not, its not everyones thing)! check it out on ao3 as well!

fandom: life series smp characters: ldshadowlady, zombiecleo, mentioned bigb+ others ship: ldshadowlady/zombiecleo additional tags: major character death, graphic depictions of violence, alternate universe - superheroes/superpowers, superhero ldshadowlady, villain zombiecleo, emotional manipulation, manipulation, manipulative relationship, unhealthy relationships, unrequited love, murder, revenge, grief/mourning, mental instability, brutal murder, theyre both fucked up in this one!, drabble, mcyt yuri week, toxic ass fuckign yuri (affectionate), soemthing something revenge something something two graves summary: a grief-stricken hero hunts an unrepentant villian — mcyt valentines yuri week day 4: grief/revenge

LDShadowlady, superhero extraordinaire, is, according to everything Cleo knows, usually quite a nice and polite hero. Sweet, bubbly, but capable of dealing with threats easily when needed.

Unfortunately, her friend BigB never seemed to have quite perfected that skill.

Probably why it was so easy to kill him, actually.

Look, Cleo is well aware that she’s a horrible person! It’s her whole thing! She’s a villain for a reason, people! Killing someone who betrayed her the way BigB did is really not that big of a deal. She has done domestic terrorism before, murdering one random hero is not her worst crime. Yet, it seems that it’s the one that LDShadowlady has fixated on. Or, rather, the one Lizzie has fixated on.

Maybe she’s just upset about Cleo’s whole ‘tricking you into finding me sympathetic, making you fall in love with me so hard that you start spying on other heroes for me and then murdering your best friend in front of you after I got what I needed’ thing. Actually, not gonna lie, that does sound like the most likely reason Lizzie is currently on a one woman hunt for Cleo’s head. Attached or otherwise. In Cleo’s defence, what kind of hero actually falls in love with a villain. Also, the little shit deserved it. Maybe if he didn’t leave her for dead, they wouldn’t have killed him.

Joe always tells her she’s very vindictive. He also often tells them it’s one of their best traits. So, realistically, this is fine. This is fine.

Okay, so maybe the whole ‘pretending to date her’ thing was a teeny bit mean, even for them. Especially when she did it to one of the top heroes in the country. Cleo is, to be honest, screwed. Completely and utterly screwed. Apparently grieving and vengeful superheroes don’t tend to be very delicate when it comes to dealing with threats like, let’s say, a villain ranked #5 most wanted in the country. A villain like Zombie.

Cleo is standing on the roof of an apartment building, a cool night time breeze blowing her hair back, the only sounds the distant cars far below. It rained earlier so everything’s wet and they’re left to stand. She’s pondering all her life decisions, trying to figure if it was worth it. Just as she’s deciding that yes, revenge was in fact worth them being hunted by a pissed off hero, she hears a faint splash of something stepping in a puddle behind her.

Spinning around, she’s greeted by pink hair and a tear stained face. Lizzie. Fantastic. Just wonderful! Everything is fine!

“You!” Lizzie snarls, “You bloody monster!”

“I mean, I think that’s very subjective.” Cleo says, desperately wishing they actually told her friends where they were going today.

“Oh my gosh, I-” She stops and smiles, something dangerous and just a little unhinged hiding in her expression, “You know what? I really want to see you die!”

She launches herself at Cleo, not even bothering to use her little flower power to attack, going in with her bare hands. They smile and dodge. Despite the lies, fighting with Lizzie always felt like a dance. This will be fun! As long as they don’t die, obviously.

Lizzie swings wildly at them, nailing a solid punch on her jaw. Her eyes are wide with prominent bags and she doesn’t seem to be wearing her comms or the legally required camera that all heroes should have. That’s not good. But it’s fine. It’s all fine.

“I can’t believe I trusted you! You lied to me and I trusted you! I-” Cleo backs up and Lizzie slips in pursuit, grabbing their leg on her way down and dragging them along, “I bloody loved you, do you get that?! How could you?”

Lizzie climbs on top of her, keeping them on the ground and murmurs “The worst part is that I still bloody do! Because I’m stupid. And you’re beautiful. And you knew exactly what to say every time. I can’t believe I fell for you, for all your stupid lies!”

Cleo finally struggles free and throws Lizzie off of her and takes several steps back, wishing they kept comms on them.

“When you- When I saw you k-kill him, it didn’t quite hit and my first thought was about blummin’ heck, it was about helping you cover it up! You charmed that bloody badly, trained me like a blummin’ dog!” She stands, her costume dirty and wet, hands shaking, and they take some more steps back, “Can you even imagine how much I loved you? How much I still do because you know, I told you, that I hate letting go of people? You bloody monster. Did you ever even care?”

“LDShado-”

“Don’t! You know my name. I know you do, Cleo. Don’t be shy now.”

“Fine. Lizzie, then. What I figure is, I figure you’re real mad right now and- Well. You have the right to be, okay? I messed up, is what I’m saying. But I promise th-” They just wanted to buy some time, spout some of that bullshit Lizzie loves and get out. Clearly they didn’t say the right thing, not this time. No charming their way out now.

“No! No, no, no!” She lurches forward and grabs Cleo by the shoulders. “Oh no, you don’t! If you won’t say anything important. Then- Oh my gosh, then I suppose I can just cut to the chase!”

Lizzie pushes, far harder than they’ve ever felt prior and they land on the ground. Hard. Lizzie flips in her in a smooth move and grabs the back of her hair. They struggle but she won’t let go and the realisation strikes that no, everything is not fine, and that they never said bye to Joe when she left earlier and she left Scott on read and Stress was meant to drop by tomorrow and-

They realise the last thing they’ll ever see is the dirty concrete. The last voice they’ll hear is someone’s who loved them far more than they even thought of her. Will her friends even know what happened? There was so fucking much Cleo wanted to do! They wanted to tear down all this corrupt bullshit and have fun doing it! But now-

“I’m gonna avenge BigB. And myself. And my bloody heart! All in one!”

Nothing will come of any of it now, will it?

Then Lizzie pulls their head back and slams it into the concrete. And then does it again. Again. Again. Again, again, again againagainagainagain-

When the authorities arrive all that is left is a woman wailing and the unrecognisable remains of someone she thought was her forever.

[indigo-flightly-falls]

Indigo you should tell me about Dogwarts

-@10piecechickenmcnugget

*tail starts wagging at incredibly high speeds*

As a warning this post is going to be all over the place and long because I Have Thoughts about these blockmen.

So first off, they are so fucking loyal to each other. I am stressing that because they came together during 3rd Life. The season of loyalty, but also betrayal. Dogwarts is the only team besides Flower Husbands to have not turned on each other at any point at all. (besides Martyn planning to betray Ren. But that's not canon so-)

And also they're just so fun to watch? Like you see them in any non-dogwarts pov and you think they're scary and they know what they're doing at all times, and then you watch a dogwarts pov and they're. goofing around. Ren and Martyn are roleplaying while Skizz and Etho do their own thing. BigB is somewhere. Maybe in the caves. Do they have a plan? No. But they're going to fight anyway.

Also they had a snowball fight with Grian & Scar at one point. During Impulse's 6th episode at the end you can see it. They called for a snowball fight in the middle of a war. What was happening.

And on the note of Impulse, Ren, Etho & Skizz all trusted him. Martyn was a bit suspicious but he trusted Ren's judgement. They all let Impulse into the group because he gave them some arrows. And where did it get them? Impulse killed two of them. Martyn's second life and Etho's final life.

Also Etho & Impulse during 3rd Life is actually just tragic. They were friends for a while, and Etho never distrusted Impulse until the end of episode 7. They were based together. They literally lived together. And the Impulse is a traitor. And he permakilled Etho in the end. And then until Limited Life they were basically enemies. (Traffic! Etho & Impulse is a topic for another day tho)

Actually if I'm talking about duos and how they interacted, Etho and Skizz. They've never not been teamed and they're so fun to watch. They just have a way of working together and it's amazing to watch. Most underrated traffic duo in my opinion. Like, they were working together at the end of episode one. They've been teamed the entirety of the traffic games and I think that's really interesting.

Actually Etho & Skizz seem to mirror to Ren & Martyn. They had basically never interacted before 3rd Life, but they've always allied together afterwards. They've both partaken in a execution of each other, to give an advantage to the team (Ren was killed by Martyn so he could actually attack Scar instead of being forced to only use self defense, and Skizz was killed by Etho so that Etho could have a bit longer to live). I am going crazy about this whole thing

I don't have as many thoughts about BigB because I'm still currently working thought his pov so take a very mini rant:

I love the traffic fandom, I do but like. STOP EXCLUDING BIGB FROM DOGWARTS. Yes, he was absent during session 7. He was still part of the team. He's a red banner. He's also always been teamed with Ren. Dogwarts, The Fairy Fort/The Shadow Alliance, the Box Boys. They've always been teamed and I think more people need to acknowledge that.

You've probably already heard a bunch about Renchanting. I love them but like. Could people stop filling up the Dogwarts tag with just Renchanting? Please? Please stick to your own tag. I just want content of my five silly guys.

And going back to Dogwarts as a whole, they react so fast to everything. Like that time when Etho went out to try to rob Desert duo and got killed? Within like three minutes, max, almost all of dogwarts was there. They prioritized Etho's wellbeing over anything else in that moment. And when Martyn killed Ren, Skizz was ready to fight Martyn without a second thought. And when session 8 started, and BigB was vulnerable, they all went to make sure he could get out from the caves without dying.

And also a fun fact I will never get over, Skizz forged the Red Winter axe if I'm remembering correctly. Skizz's impact on that whole thing is so direct, but next to nobody knows about it. And another thing I remember, is that when Skizz stormed the Crastle, nobody went in trying to get the axe. They all went to stop (or at least help) Skizz, who rushed in. His bloodlust overcame everything else, and he ran. But not before giving everyone a golden apple. Which was also the last thing Etho ate to try to keep himself alive.

And I remember seeing a comment about both sides losing at the end of session 7. Grian & Scar seemed like they lost because two people on their team died and the desert trap didn't work. Dogwarts was out numbered. They had lost a teammate to being permakilled, and one to being a traitor. They were 3 against 8. And then 4 against 8 by session 8. But they were still outnumbered. There was next to no way they could've won. Maybe if Skizz hadn't died, they'd have more of a chance. Maybe not.

It's two years to late to wonder about what-ifs anyways.

------------------

Flower symbolism time :DDD

Also known as I have a list of flowers that make me think of dogwarts.

Alliums - strength, you're perfect Catchweed - Clinging, do not let go Pink hyacinth - harmless mischief Forget me not - Do not forget me, remembering, links to the past Black rose - beauty, farewell, impending death Yellow rose - caring, platonic love, welcome back, friendship Meadow clover - Revenge, I promise Ivy - Endurance, dependence Holly - Defense, difficult victory attained, enchantment, good luck, am I forgotten Yew - Leadership, silence, honor Zinnia - Absent friends, friendship, loyalty, thoughts about absent friends Yucca - A friend in need, best friends Immortal flower - Cheerfulness under adverse conditions, immortal remembrance, eternity Bluebonnet - Forgiveness, self-sacrifice, survival pink bluebonnet - memories of those who died, struggle to survive Garden heliotrope - Devoted attachment, devotion, eternal love Dogwood - Durability, duration Cedar - Goals, I live for thee, I live you you, think of me, strength Milkweed - Hope in misery

....I think you get the point. These guys have a lot of flowers.

------------------------------------

Anyways it took at least 45 minutes (probably closer to an hour) but here's my thoughts on Dogwarts :D

Now my laptop is begging for an update so if you don't hear from me for a few days you know why (<- has a laptop that hates updating).

[thelazuliwitch]

I agree with everything OP said. And to continue their rant: I will admit I am new to this fandom space. Though and avid watcher of Hermitcraft since season 6 and life since 3rd life, I have never been in the fandom spaces until now. Which means I am learning quite a bit. And I was horrified to see the hate Grian (who mind you gave us this series, so remember that) and also Scar (who is one of my favorite POV's to watch and puts so much effort like the rest of them to give us content). I love watching many of the POVs, several, but yes there are people in HC and Life whom I don't, and you know what I say to them, *NOTHING*. Because they are real people at the end of the day. Real people who are working their asses off to give us amazing content for their intended auidences. But I came to tumblr because I wanted to see the art, see the chit-chat, the theories, the WILD LIFE Bingo cards. I did not sign up to see hate on some of my favorite creators, hate that has built up so profoundly two friends fear they can't team up anymore. But I ignore the bashing if I can and I move on, even if it saddens me. But Grian and Scar are content creators, they CAN'T ignore the hate and I don't think they can avoid taking it personally eitherr, after all they are human and real people. Charles and Ryan live behind the monitor and have to make the choices on what will get watched so they can make a living--- and yes I use their names because I want to drive in that they are in fact people with feelings. I think we need to remember that, because if your spreading hate, you are hurting the creators first. With minecraft smps the line between fiction is blurry, (and I'm not talking about shipping here, do what you want, and I don't know the lifers or the hermits to tell you their boundaries), so it's easy to forget that yes they are playing characters, but they also aren't, and the stuff they get hate for is often directed to the human beings. So here's a life tip: If you'r not liking their videos? Stop watching them. And stop hating on the fanartists, the animators, the people who do watch them--- filter the tags if you SO don't want to see them. Remember that Scar and Grian, especially Grian has a young adience so you the chances of you bullying a child are fairly large. And like OP said, it's not the fandom's job to appease anything, just themselves because fandom is hobby, it's fun, it's not a moral obligation. People are gonna do what they want, and people are gonna have fun, and if they aren't doing what you like, don't make miserable for both of you by hating on them, avoid it, move on, and find something else. You might even have more fun.

I do have one question for OP, what did Tango, Zedaph, and BigB say??? I'm so confused.

One big problem with Scar's recent tweet (the one stating him and Grian have to avoid each other due to lots of negative feedback) is the sort of unawareness on this website. Yes, CCs certainly don't step foot here nearly as much as other websites, but acting like it's solely a YouTube and Reddit problem is driving me insane.

For the past year most of Trafficblr has been nothing but negativity and complaining towards folks that post Scar and Grian together, complaining that they're overrated and that they're sick of seeing them together. Almost all of the "hot takes" and "discourse" that people post are just whining about how annoying and popular Grian is, and how everything is desert duo, and how they want to see other things.

And I've pointed that out. Several times! Few people listened! Mcytblr confessions is almost entirely negativity, I see rancid takes about Grian alone (not even MENTIONING desert duo or scarian) on a damn near daily basis. I've gotten hate asks saying things along the lines of "of course you post about Grian and Scar" and "I followed you for Joel, not scar". Popular fan artists and bloggers hopping on the hate train, bullying popular fanon concepts and canon concepts, saying they hate the angst, or that it's overrated, or that there's too much shipping and they don't like it anymore. People that like other MCYTers like Zedaph, or Big B, or Tango, or anyone and everyone under the sun all blamed Grian and desert duo for their lack of content and accused Grian fans of not putting enough effort into fandom. Effort! Into fandom! Like it's a requirement and not a hobby you do for fun!

And those exact same people are shocked right now. I'm going to pull you all close when I say this: fandom is supposed to be fun. It is not a job. Nobody is required to like certain things, and that applies to your dislike of Grian and Scar together, true... But the wave of hate the past year or so has been ridiculous. If someone only watches Grian or Scar, that's fine. They don't have to watch anyone else. If they only post about desert duo or scarian it doesn't make them shallow or basic.

If you are genuinely upset by this, please, I beg of you: take a break from fandom. There have always been more popular characters and pairings in fandom. That is a fact of life. If you are genuinely, seething, furiously upset about all the Grian and Scar, or anything in fandom, take a break. You have to remember that the CCs don't have to do this, and they are friends and people too, and the negativity you have towards your fandom make them think you hate it. While it's true the bottom of the barrel dwell in YouTube comments and on Reddit, I see a lot of negativity on Twitter and Tumblr.

Frankly, I'm pissed. And grateful we even have a life series anymore, with all the negative feedback they get on every little aspect of the life series. Let friends be friends, for fuck's sake. And if you feel you MUST post negatively about anything in the life series or group, I suggest you make like the DSMP fandom and add CC! or C! indicators. Someone on Twitter bemoaned they weren't complaining about "fanon scarian, not canon scarian" which I think is a roundabout way of denying they're two separate things. But I digress as that's not what this post is about. The point is is that those same people that were so eager to complain about Scar and Grian being overrated are awfully, awfully quiet now. For shame, do better, and have fun. It's Minecraft YouTube, not a job.

TL;DR: Traffic Twitter and Trafficblr both have problems with hating on Scar and Grian disproportionately and now that it's rearing it's ugly head, they blame YouTube and Reddit to absolve themselves of responsibility. Fandom is supposed to be fun!

[fountainpenguin]

🚥 Pixels Imperfect AU 🚥

A great read if you like drama, moral ambiguity, and 3rd Life series. Focuses on life and worldbuilding in a digital universe where all players are hybrids born of dragons, their bodies are made from pixels, and hybrid mob behavior increases when the moon is full.

3rd Life SMP & Adjacent Series

More MCYT AUs

#ridwork guides

What Is This AU?

A series of slice-of-life stories themed around life in the Between dimension, which hybrids can explore when their human players exit Minecraft.

The lawless landscape has been griefed by anarchy players for years. New Star Station - perhaps the last non-anarchy hub left - is hidden underground, with hybrids playing on servers to distract themselves from the ever-approaching threat that one day, their safehaven will be discovered and griefed too.

Dog's Life builds tension with the encroach of anarchy players drawing ever closer. Mayor Scott | Smajor1995 will do anything to keep his beloved home safe... even if that means locking everything down.

AO3 Series

Blog tags - #Pixels Imperfect & Dog's Life art

Subseries - Grian, Scott, Etho, Martyn, and some others change a lot over time. Find subseries dedicated to their arcs here.

Meta Spreadsheet - List of characters and their hybrid species.

Tone

Mostly drama with fluff, angst, romance, and comedy mixed in.

- The vibe here is "children on the playground who never had to 'grow up and get jobs,' so they continue this playful behavior into adulthood and it's important in their culture.'

- The main longfic is Dog's Life, which is a dramedy- defined by "telling serious stories ... [about] real life situations, grounded characters, and believable situations [plus] jokes and situations intended to make you laugh." (Cambridge Dictionary & Wikipedia)

- But tbh, the whole series is one big dramedy. Buckle up!

Characters

Heavy focus on Life Series SMP characters- specifically, the Last Life SMP cast. I've written each member several times. Lots to read!

-> Also, their camera accounts, who are treated like people (All the accounts I could confirm + some OCs).

-> Did you know PiglinMyNose is actually Joel's cam account? Now you do!

-> Minor appearances from other SMPs (such as Hermitcraft and Empires), some lesser-known characters (like NPC_Grian), and some OCs to flesh out the world.

Ships

The vibe here is "A lot of relationships are roleplay, but some affect characters deeply. Everyone is friends and co-workers despite their drama." People date and separate throughout the series. We have:

- Post-3rd Life Scott and Jimmy dating in the hub (until Last Life).

- Post-Last Life Martyn and Mumbo married for a while (until Mumbo's Season 9 hiatus).

- Post-Double Life Grian and BigB dating in the hub (Relationship under light strain during Dog's Life).

- Drama due to Grian cheating chronically on the wife he was betrothed / arranged married to (i.e. the character Jimmy used for Grian's wife in his Superflat video, 14:19)

- Grian/Bdubs as the Jungle Duo while on the Dog's Life server, flirting and flouncing while roleplaying as archaeologists. Of course he's cheating on BigB too; what do you take me for?

-> Zombiewoodn't - Some Pixels Imperfect works overlap my series of one-sided Martyn/Cleo content.

- Etho teased for being "obsessed with Joel." Is he? You decide!

- Etho acting clingy towards SnifferMyFeet, who's "just like Joel, but without having to share him."

-> Sniff hates being perceived as "Joel or Grian 2.0," but he also has a lot of their memories, so it's confusing to him. He's my favorite and for this, I will not apologize.

And more... (Also, I have notes about common fandom ships that are platonic in this AU; click the Read More.)

Setting

Our story is set supposedly 11,000 years into the Between dimension's existence. The land's been heavily griefed and both the Cluckshroom Dragon and Allay Dragon have been slain, leaving their mob and hybrid offspring on the verge of extinction.

Some works explore Between at large, but most take place in New Star Station, which is hidden underground.

- Herobrine's Guide to the Between Dimension (T) describes the world and its biomes before they were griefed.

- One and a Half Birds (T) is a 15-chapter story (113,700 words) that takes place entirely in New Star Station, showcasing the living situation there (and hub life in general).

- "The Man He Sets His Spawn With" (T - 11,800 words) occurs late in the timeline and contains minor series spoilers, but it's a great look at the social culture. Everyone takes their skins off so they (in their glowing soul forms) can rinse the Secret Life mod from their code. Grian sprays his friends down with a power washer; it's great :)

-> Heads up for Joel and Etho having a huge fight about trust violations.

Is It For Me?

- This AU moves between on-server play and server hub life. If you like hybrid biology and game mechanics, you might like this AU. Characters explode into pixels when they die; no blood or gore.

- This series is Life Series-focused, but there are Hermitcraft elements (Ex: Mumbo eating Grian's soul)

- Lots of characters are recovering from drama in their pasts, such as the EVO crew. In this AU, EVO was a non-anarchy hub with super strict rules that still haunt the characters after they left.

- Characters parallel their creators in many ways. Ex:

-> Mumbo is a wandering trader who loves his llamas, paralleling IRL Mumbo's love for travel and cars.

-> Tango is married to a character based on Mrs. T's character and she puts silly hats on him like she does when he streams.

-> IRL Netty is on break from YouTube to raise her kids. In-universe Martyn doesn't know that and is sad his Netty's not around.

- Lots of drama in this series, but at the end of the day, they're friends and co-workers and they care about each other <3

Major Themes

Complicated relationships, community, trust, heartbreak, secrets, consent, recovery, growth, power, choice, friendship, love, acceptance, found family, and trying to do the right thing.

Plot Highlights

One for each character, just for kicks.

- Allay hybrids Scott and Scar pushing through life in the wake of their mother's death. Their species is prone to vex data corruption, slowly going extinct, and any death in the Between dimension will be their last.

- Imp and Skizz leaving their life of anarchy behind, but still haunted by their past... I think. One of them can't seem to remember.....

- BigB clinging to the illager culture that was stripped from him after he gained Bad Omen and went into hiding.

- Scott, Scar, and Tango running for mayor, each with drastically different visions for New Star Station's future.

- NettyPlays logged out 288 in-universe years ago and never came back. Martyn is unraveling, longing for her return and wondering if he should date again.

- Jimmy accidentally becomes captain of a pillager mob patrol. What do you mean they'll shoot him dead if he puts the banner down?

- Joel and Lizzie plan a ceremony to renew their wedding vows... and find a body in the decorations closet.

- The Grian born in Pix Impf AU and the Grian born in Neighborhood Watch AU switched places after EVO. They're both fumbling, trying to figure out each other's worlds.

- Cleo searches for their beloved cluckshroom eggshell, which was stolen after they placed it in New Star's museum.

- Ren goes on a date with a dragon. Also his hands get dissolved in a corrupted river after PiglinMyNose left him for dead, but it's fine.

- Etho finally cracks and goes shopping for new clothes. Bdubs introduces him to the latest fashions.

- Mumbo comes out of smuggler retirement to hunt down more hybrid eggs. Also, he falls in love with water skis.

- Pearl discovers a special item, once believed erased from the world, that could change all of Between.

- Newly spawned SnifferMyFeet searches for his own identity, haunted by Joel and Grian's memories that feel like his.

Ongoing?

Drafts for this AU began summer 2022, with the first work posted August 2023.

This series is ongoing, with over 1 million words to read at the time of posting this, and many more works on the way.

Warnings, notes, and explanations below so readers can learn more about this AU. Don't like? Don't read.

👀 Take a Peek

New here? You might like to start with these:

"Dogwarts Lullaby" (G - 2800 words) - Short 3rd Life character study for Martyn and Ren, with Martyn wandering the map while Ren wonders if he ditched him.

"Grian's Room" (G - 2900 words) - Short 3rd Life piece where Scar realizes he can't feel the softness of Grian's blankets. Grian, shocked that Scar came into his room, tries to shoo him out.

"Yes, And?" (G, 5600 words) - Early in Limited Life, Etho isn't sure how he feels about being assigned dad by the narrative. He visits Cleo late at night to share his concerns. A fan-favorite (and one of mine as well).

"Only Borrowed" (T - 5700 words) - A Last Life piece about Joel barging into the Scottage. After Pearl kills him, she's a bit shaken up, so Scott helps her take off her skin so he can wash it while she rests. This was the first piece to depict the "skins are like onesies" lore and I think it does it well.

- "You Can Sleep While I Drive" (T - 13,500 words) - Ficlets for each Double Life pair with one soulmate watching the other sleep. Good way to glimpse my take on many characters in a single 'fic.

- "Here's to the Health of Married Men" (T - 42k words) - Ballroom 'fic about the Double Life pairs at a post-game party. Scar feels numb and confused about his relationship with Grian. Ren discovers Grian is BigB's secret admirer and challenges him to death, which will have severe consequences in the server hub. Fun read, longer than my one-shots, but one of my shorter multi-chapters.

Start Reading

Recommended ways to get into the full AU

🌄 First Written - Dog's Life & Recap Doc

Longfic that reveals pieces of the worldbuilding slowly over time. The story opens with Session 1 of a new Life Series game with two gimmicks: you gain the traits of the most recent mob you killed, and every player is assigned a quarry to hunt, whom they can steal lives from to boost their own count.

This work explores both the game and life in the server hub (New Star Station between sessions, with underground New Star one of the last non-anarchy hubs in a griefed, anarchy-ridden world. Tensions rise as the game leaves its mark even on server hub life.

- T-rated, 536k words and counting at time of posting this.

- Watch everything come together in this piece (as opposed to snippets of worldbuilding across other works).

- Shifting POVs, with each Life SMP player in the story getting their turn. Enjoy many characters and the individual ways they perceive the drama around them.

- I consider this the best starting point for the AU since you get to see the worldbuilding develop as I myself discover it, but due to length and drama, it may not be for everyone.

-> If you're okay with spoilers, you may like the recap doc, which summarizes each chapter in detail (with links to each chapter in case you only want to read a few that catch your eye). Each chapter is separated by a spoiler guard page.

📅 Chronological Start - Criminal Experience

A story about Mumbo, Impulse, Skizz, and BigB before they went into hiding underground. Specifically, Mumbo is a wandering trader assigned to carry allay spawn eggs to a creeper city, with Impulse escorting him through a rugged landscape. They cross paths with BigB: an illusioner on patrol.

- Depicts the world in an early state of anarchy, before the landscape was further destroyed

- Tosses you in with the POV of a character who is factual and straightforward about his experiences.

- I'm planning to write one-shots about characters living with their dragon moms when they were new to the world, but Crim is probably the better start to the chronology.

🗺️ Worldbuilding - Herobrine's Guide to the Between Dimension

A comprehensive overview of the worldbuilding, covering all the meta I could think of in great detail. Topics include hybrid biology, hybrid behavior, Between's unique biomes, and a bestiary ft. mob biology and behavior.

- This piece was written mainly for me to keep my facts straight and direct people to if they have questions. It's likely overwhelming to read with no context, but it might be fun. Lots of digital art to look at.

- Contains meta notes behind spoiler dropdowns. This is to show examples of that worldbuilding in story context.

📋 AU Notes & Warnings

All characters are hybrids born of dragons. Many suckled when they were newborns while some were fed mouth to mouth. Hybrids perceive dragons as mother figures.

Some dragons carry their babies in their mouths. There's one scene where the Slime Dragon tosses PiglinMyNose into the air and "eats him," though he later oozes back out of her slime. He's fine.

- Canon-typical violence and canon-typical character death (Yes weapons, yes whacking people, yes deaths and respawn, no blood or gore)

- Body Horror (A little somethin' for the ladies)

-> Skins can be removed like clothes.

-> People glitch, exploding into pixels when they die.

-> When dragons die, the person who killed them gains a star on their hand, which passes to whoever kills them afterwards. The Allay Dragon's star passes through the hands of some major characters. It allows people to manipulate their surroundings and even shapeshift into a small dragon.

-> Anivores (soul-eating species) can use their fangs to pull souls from bodies [while in the Between dimension]. Generally, this is played as a one-hit KO, especially from phantoms who swoop from above, but there are occasional pieces with slower logouts.

-> These souls are consumed, which forces a player out of Between and onto their AFK server. Particles leave the anivore's body through the skin. When the refresh cycle is complete, the player can exit their server and their body will be fresh, meaning dirt, scratches, and chipped nails are gone.

-> Zombies (Cleo), phantoms (Bdubs, Martyn), and vex (Scar, Cub) are anivores. This lore reflects Scar and Cub's early lore that their characters eat people, plus Mumbo (an omnivore) eating Grian's soul in Hermitcraft Season 8.

-> In One and a Half Birds, Mumbo asks his husband Martyn to chew on his soul, which he finds sensual, as he's already become contaminated and "it can't get much worse" :') ...

-> I personally don't find it gruesome in the main series, but I'm working on a piece called "Moonwild," which is a zero-dialogue series of ficlets about hybrids with their mob instincts at max. This one focuses more on animal-like hunting and soul-eating.

- Pixel bodies (Players lack collision and phase through each other, so it's hard to hug or pick people up. No human reproductive parts. Breasts are understood only vaguely and mostly in the context of dragons)

-> Golden carrots increase collision with other players. However, eating too many will put you into love mode (See below)

-> Their digital bodies differ from human bodies. The only characters who've heard of sex (or kissing) are those who've heard about it from Grian, who switched universes.

-> Grian's arc revolves around him feeling upset that he'll never experience sex since he switched universes, so he sometimes discusses such things or asks to kiss people (who respond with confusion).

-> Shout-out to the mini arc where Scar misinterprets Grian's off-screen explanation of sex as "lovers punching each other in private." Comedy of errors...

- Love mode could be seen as dubcon (Players having love hearts acting like mobs, who try to reach other mobs with love hearts and produce baby mobs)

-> I emphasize consent in my work, but the idea of players desiring babies when their love hearts are up may be uncomfortable to some readers

-> "The Leftovers" (T - 10k words) depicts Cleo eating carrots so she can carry narcoleptic Martyn to bed after the phantom hybrid fell asleep at Box. Cleo is in control, but Martyn is embarrassed to look at her even though he isn't in love mode.

-> Dog's Life Chapter 30 depicts a love mode scene with Bdubs explaining to Grian that he may need to be pinned down so he won't run off and spawn babies with a random stranger. Grian scoffs at this, believing he'll have full control, and is embarrassed when he doesn't.

-> All my love mode works are tagged #Golden Carrots | Love Mode. Browse or avoid it as you wish.

-> If you'd like to post your own love mode work for this AU on AO3, I suggest this exact tag so people can find it if they click this tag on one of my works!

- Hybrids can't produce hybrids, but they can poof sparks into existence through love mode, provided there's an available bed. Sparks grant sentience to mobs or blocks. Grumbot is a sparked build and Hermes is a sparked armor stand.

-> Love mode requires golden carrots, which are extinct in Between. They're only available on servers.

Non-human characters with mob-inspired biology and behavior. For this AU, this means YES:

-> Body parts like wings, fangs, claws, gills, antennae, and tails.

-> Some creatures (like allay) are fey and adhere to specific social rules, or have certain abilities (such as allay having the ability to gather memories).

-> Preening, biting people, hunting prey, bats hanging upside-down, body language such as beating wings, rolling around on the ground while scratching and nipping, and enjoying things that humans are not inclined to, such as Cleo liking to bury herself in dirt.

-> All hybrids hatch from eggs. Baby mobs poof into existence, as do sparks (See below). No pregnancy or graphic births.

-> You could pick SnifferMyFeet up by his scruff; he hasn't grown into his skin yet and has newbie flab back there.

-> Mild interspecies bickering or mob hybrid racism, but there are no humans in this world. Everyone is a hybrid, so interspecies conflicts come from things like Nether species having a unique style of rest that isn't technically sleep, which really bothers local phantom hybrids who want them to go to bed.

-> Mob behavior increases when the moon is full and decreases when it's new. Ex: a blaze hybrid is more likely to attack using fireballs than a sword when the moon is full, and fox hybrids may prefer to dig a lot or hide in "dens" to soothe their skittishness.

This AU does NOT have: Heats/ruts, hybrid litter births, hybrid litter lactation, or mobs as romantic partners. To clarify: Dragons can have litters, but hybrids are infertile. In fact, hybrids have 0 teats and no reproductive anatomy, so all birth and lactation is dragon-exclusive. Also: Love mode (The love hearts that show up when mobs are bred) does exist for hybrids, and is prompted by golden carrots. Some people may see this as similar to heats/ruts, but it's not technically animal behavior, so it's discussed more below. Also: It's not unheard of for mobs to hang out with you, such as villager mobs settling in your village, or illager mobs joining a patrol of hybrids. They're treated as companions and/or their own species. -> On rare occasion, a mob might think your wings, colors, or fighting skills are cool and hit on you (like how birds sometimes express courtship behavior towards humans IRL, especially pet birds who get pet and fed by a human), but hybrids are encouraged to shut such behavior down. -> This doesn't really come up (atm it's only been mentioned in Herobrine's Guide as a warning to watch for such behavior), but worth mentioning in case that's someone's deal-breaker.

- Allogrooming (Ex: licking or nibbling to groom someone).

-> Can be platonic, romantic, or parental. Usually done with fur or feathers, but other things like hair work too.

- Allofeeding (Ex: Dragon moms may feed their young mouth to mouth. Also, hybrids can do this too).

-> Not normally done with physical food; usually reserved for souls, which are carried in a throat pouch and difficult to carry with hands

-> Can be platonic, romantic, or parental

-> Phantom hybrid Bdubs used to feed Martyn souls before his adult fangs came in

-> Zombie hybrid Cleo hunts souls and offers them to phantom hybrid Martyn in exchange for favors (Namely, sneaking out with her so they can bury themselves in dirt and pretend to be dead)

-> In Dog's Life, parrot hybrid Grian puts a chunk of bread between his teeth and offers it to someone he's flirting with

- Ableism plots (Ex: Scar is very frustrated that the practice of unthreading is banned in New Star, because unthreading guarantees people gain a chronic glitch)

-> Scar himself is unthreaded, as is SnifferMyFeet. They both see unthreading as the best thing that happened to them because this state allows them to move in and out of servers freely, which most hybrids can't do. Scar is frustrated that society tends to view unthreading as harmful... people tend to focus more on the glitch and less on the ability to exit servers without your outside player.

-> Scar and Sniff ARE disabled; they both experience sensations like pain (and phantom pain) due to their chronic glitches. The glitches move around their body, affecting different areas throughout the day. Scar usually has a cane, but sometimes uses his wheelchair. Sniff spends early Dog's Life without a mobility aid since he's unthreaded in Chapter 7, but when Scar introduces him to aids later, he's excited to learn about them and daydreams what he wants his to be.

-> Since unthreading is banned in New Star, it's not always accessible to mobility aids. Scar was an emergency rescue unthread and Sniff was done under the radar and against the rules. Scar is very annoyed about this and increasing mobility is one of the main things he wants to do if he can win the mayor election in Dog's Life.

-> Grian is studying for his unthreading license throughout the series (and is due to receive it after Dog's Life). Scar is very anxious that Grian will unthread his wife (who can't leave their AFK server) and he's worried that Grian will be ableist towards her.

-> There are some subtle sideplots as well, such as Impulse being unable to hunt because he lost his ability to aggro on people when he had life-saving surgery. He drinks from a thermos, but usually needs to be fed mouth to mouth. Impulse was born a phantom hybrid, but feels disconnected from that community because he can't hunt.

-> The other phantom hybrids pity him (despite, y'know... life-saving surgery) and sometimes comment on "his terrible loss" or how he'd "definitely be flock captain if he hadn't lost his aggro" without realizing the ableist implications of what they're saying.

-> Ableism is a topic in this series and I do my best to handle it with care. Are you suggesting my society of underground people who cut themselves off from the world may have skewed, flawed views? le gasp.

- Some Hermitshipping/Trafficshipping (Usually this means characters in a relationship during some parts of the timeline, but separating later).

-> For example, Mumbo and Martyn still being married after Last Life until Mumbo left the hub during his Hermitcraft Season 9 hiatus. One and a Half Birds portrays them flirty during that point in the timeline, but they separate down the road when the initial playful buzz fades.

-> Many characters consider a relationship that starts while on a server to be roleplay. Some live with other partners when at home. The general vibe is that a "real relationship" should have serious talks in Between, reducing the possibility of outside player influence distorting feelings.

-> Tango in "Shack Up Like It's Summer 2022," is a good example: he playfully fawns over Jimmy in that story, but acknowledges his wedding ring. Tango finds value in his relationship with Jimmy even though he considers it roleplay. At home, he's married to Cocoa, who's based on the MC character owned by Mrs. T (Tango's wife).

- Relationship negotiation and status quo changes (This series is a dramedy; relationships take many twists and turns).

-> Enjoy fluff and shippy moments while they're there, but prepare your heart for a bumpy ride. At the end of the day, everyone is still friends.

- Some non-consensual implications (Jimmy's canary biology was forcibly modded on during his time in the EVO hub).

-> Many people view anarchy players as lawless, wild, and aggressive. They fear anarchy players will forcibly mod them for a laugh, which is scary to them.

-> Joel (an ex-anarchy player) disagrees with this view, as he saw that life as one of creativity, self-exploration, and freedom. He doesn't think it's likely anarchy players carry mods with them or give them to random people, since mods take a long time to make and are usually custom; he's not afraid of this happening to him. However, he doesn't like discussing his positive anarchy experiences because he feels it's insensitive to his friends.

- Mind and memory manipulation (Ex: People changing behavior based on their life color during Life games, with yellows being more defensive and reds more aggressive).

-> SnifferMyFeet spawned in with Joel and Grian's Double Life memories. He's convinced he's married to Etho and Scar, and lashes out when told he isn't. His plot follows him discovering his own identity (and trying to separate himself from Grian and Joel). Etho and Scar are confused by Sniff dropping into their lives and try to figure that out as best they can.

-> At one point, a character is attacked and loses some memories. Another character loses some memories after experiencing a flashbang at close range, damaging the cameras in their eyes.

-> There's a scene where Scar, in the heat of the moment, plants one of his own memories in SnifferMyFeet to convince him that Sniff's Grian memories are implanted and aren't real. Sniff gets upset.

-> And more... Keep your eyes out!

I thiiiink these are all the topics worth warning for. If you think of anything else, send me an Ask and I'll add it :)

This AU plays these popular ships as platonic. Here's what to expect:

Grian & Scar: My first encounter with them as a duo was 3rd Life and "servant swearing loyalty and committing" has long been one of my all-time favorite platonic tropes. So... here we are!

-> Grian's arc focuses on him being cupioromantic and panicking due to his struggles with attraction, especially after his discovery that this world has no sex (Grian swapped places with the Grian native to this AU; this Grian came from the NW AU).

-> Grian tends to be anxious, push people away, and chase what he thinks he wants. One day boy's gonna get septuple dumped :')

-> Grian was betrothed to Scar [Oscar Goodchild] in the NW universe. Lots of messy feelings to unpack and he's not sure he's ready for that can of worms.

-> Grian is paranoid that since Scar "conveniently forgets things" and regularly ignores him, Scar won't care about his boundaries

-> Scar is dealing with a lot of hurt from Double Life, like Grian's comments of "Why does everyone else get a real partner except me?"

-> Scar is recipromantic. He clocked Grian as not being interested in him, so doesn't consider him a suitor. Grian gives mixed signals sometimes, which is confusing to Scar.

-> This AU plays Grian with emphasis on being pushy, disrespectful, or mean, such as a scene where he asks Scar to be his partner, then lashes out when Scar says no. They're coworkers and friends, but romance isn't their natural inclination in this AU.

Grian & Mumbo - My vision is that they're committed to the bit above all. They'd never date because it would be too on the nose... A bit must be silly and a little unpredictable. Yes, they'll claim Grumbot as their son because it's hilarious. Yes, they go home to separate living spaces and no, they don't cuddle much because that's not funny. Do you see my vision?

-> The vibe here is that they're close friends who are comfortable joking around. They both like that and have no desire to change.

-> One and a Half Birds examines their relationship as Grian struggles with secrets from his past, Mumbo prepares to eat his soul, and Grian is willing to do anything for his best friend.

-> I like this piece because it shows Grian's anxiety around the soul-eating, even pushing Mumbo away when he comes on too strong. Even Mumbo can make him fret his boundaries will be forgotten; nonetheless, he allows him to continue.

-> I feel like Pixels Imperfect Grian envisions himself with Mumbo more easily than Scar, but he's also more likely to ask Scar out since he assumes Mumbo isn't interested in being touchy-feely.

-> Ex: It was quite a shock to Grian when he found out Mumbo and Martyn brought their married life roleplay from Last Life into Between, and until it was confirmed, Grian denied it at all turns (Outright ignoring Martyn's claims that Mumbo was his husband & even refusing to believe they were married despite seeing them share a bed).

Character Grian has a pretty black and white view of things. Honestly, I think that defines him completely and I'm surprised I didn't think of it sooner.

Etho & Bdubs: I watched Last Life with no context for their Mindcrack or Hermitcraft pasts. Team BEST always gave me a college roommates vibe (especially after Bdubs divided the castle), and that's always stuck with me. They're long-time friends and trust each other deeply, but don't flirt (apart from the occasional nudge-nudge in jest).

-> Fun fact, that vibe is also why I play Bdubs as an aggressive phantom hybrid who pushes people around and Etho as a more passive, skittish fox... Bdubs was certainly the one to put his foot down about staying in the snow fort.

-> Bdubs visits Etho most nights to log him out [i.e. eat his soul]. It's "their thing," but Etho struggles with feelings that Bdubs only visits to make a meal of him.

-> Sometimes Bdubs feels unappreciated and unwanted. Etho has a mini-arc of changing his view of the logout dynamic, exploring why it's important to Bdubs.

-> Bonus: Etho is only attracted to warm souls, but he doesn't know that :') It's a nod to the Etho in NW AU, where him coming to grips with that attraction is a much bigger part of his arc. The two worlds exist in parallel, so he's the same here.

Etho & Cleo: I write a lot of Clocker family in various AUs. In Pixels Imperfect, the Clocker dynamic is roleplay. No strong romantic connection, though they're sometimes playful (when they're not self-conscious). The dynamic still tails them and they fall into the roles sometimes because they enjoy it.

-> My vision is that Etho is nervous around Cleo. After Limited Life, he tries to convince himself he likes her, again playing into that idea that he doesn't know he's attracted to warm souls (Cleo's is chilly).

-> The vibe here is family dinners and friendly chat about deep topics, like identity and boundaries, while maintaining that platonic vibe. No cuddle sessions or sleepovers (that I know of, anyway).

-> They'd probably date a little if one asked the other out, but neither is dying to make a move. They like their friendship as is.

-> Of my Clocker AUs, Pixels Imperfect is notable for Cleo and Etho coming together after a divorce bit was established. In other AUs, their past romance makes things extra complicated.

Martyn & Ren: I always read them platonic, especially in 3rd Life with Martyn wandering around and Ren saying things like "Martyn has to feed his kids," so that's what this AU leans into.

- Friends who are on and off between platonic and queerplatonic. They admire each other aesthetically. Ren especially likes that Martyn is an undead monster who could eat him (and plays along with his dramatic bits) and Martyn thinks Ren is cool and creative and fun.

-> Ren is dating a dragon btw. Specifically, Martyn's mom because I thought the bit in Double Life Ep 2 where he asked her out was very funny sdflk;

-> Martyn is a hot soul who only likes cuddling cool and chilly souls. He admires Ren, but prefers high-fives since Ren is also a hot soul (and they'd both overheat).

-> "Business partners" is probably the best way to describe their vibe in this AU. In this canon, they were queerplatonic in 3rd Life and Martyn gets huffy if anyone acts like that's unimportant.

You're welcome to read your favorite ship as romantic! Just don't get your romantic expectations too high :)

- More MCYT AUs

- Want more info? Send an Ask!

You can create works based on this AU. Please cite me and/or the AU as appropriate (i.e. for things very specific to this AU). You are free to expand on ideas you've thought of thanks to my AU as a jumping off point. I'd love to reblog or link things to my AO3 works if I see them!

I write content with morally gray characters. Please don't portray my story events or worldbuilding out of context with intentional malice. As in, I request you do not post things created for the specific intention of bashing me or the AU

[erstwhilesparrow]

oh good i love doing this. fic recs (primarily traffic series, a handful of empires and hermitcraft, and exactly one (1) origins smp) under the cut!

Traffic Series:

Close to Your Chest; foxgloveblue (cornflowerdye) - AU where Joel and Etho are the last ones standing at the end of Limited Life. If I had to pick one word to describe this, it'd be cinematic. It pays such attention to how light falls on things and people and the prose is gorgeous and their Joel + Etho is beautiful.

Bad Habits; SemperAeternumQue - Character study focused on Pearl after Double Life. Huge fan of how it acknowledges that the players go on / continue to do lighthearted things after / between seasons but also cares about the marks the games leave on people. Feels very quietly thoughtful, confident, and lonely in a way that suits Pearl very well.

these old ghosts; Thunderbirds_and_Lightning - Team Rancher Pacific Rim AU, with Flower Husbands as backstory. Breaks my goddamn heart every time I read it, but it's brilliant. Action sequences and specificity and beautiful prose and the type of gut-punch sentences that make me want to hug every character but especially Jimmy Solidarity.

everything anyone ever ignored; Sixteenthdays - AU where taking the last of someone's time in Limited Life causes you to acquire their traits. Snapshots of people coping with this to varying degrees of success. It's lovely. If you are not already aware that Sixteenthdays is an extraordinarily competent writer, what are you doing. Read this and learn.

I want to say I'm sorry for stuff I haven't done yet; the_hypercube - Mean Gills relationship study. Scott and Martyn can't stop seeing their past relationships in each other -- it makes breakfast together sad and complicated and full of thorns. I love the vibes of this one -- they're both good at the game and trying to keep it together but you can see the cracks and it is the most delicious thing.

Stop; KieIsWrite - Time stops for Martyn after Limited Life. Haunted by Scott's memory, he does not handle this well. Mind the tags. Quiet and visceral and horrifying in a way that creeps up on you. So gorgeously written I kept it open in a tab on my computer for weeks after first reading it so I could be reminded of it intermittently.

With All Due Zeal; savannah_owl - Not long after joining up, Ren is rushing around trying to get everything done at once while Bigb scrambles to keep up. Really really sweet. They do some tactical fishing together. Captures their mannerisms and voices super well.

Gallant; zornographic - Grian, grievously injured, is happened upon by Etho, a wandering knight. The worldbuilding of this fic is deeply compelling, and the use of language is such fun -- it feels like watching someone dance? The sort of thing where you can tell no motion is wasted and the person dancing has absolute control and awareness of where and how their body moves. Like that, but with writing.

Empires:

mists in the dog-days; darubyprinxx - Pixlriffs shows up unannounced in Sanctuary. Reading this fic feels like reading a poem; it's just SO pretty. Every other turn of phrase is astonishing and lovely, and it gives me SUCH feelings about Sausage and Pix meeting after all their warring and antagonism and just... sitting with how they feel about each other and work around each other now.

when we're wearing thin; artanogon - Scott shows up on Sausage's doorstep after freezing Gem and asks to be hurt for what he's done. Sausage offers him kindness instead. Friends-with-benefits fic!! It's very tender and very good! Sausage knows about not deserving forgiveness and being given it anyway!!

Hermitcraft:

you cannot square a circle drawn in blood; wizardlover - Scarian Sangfielle AU. You don't need to know Sangfielle, just understand that the vibes are dark fantasy / western gothic horror and it's fucking immaculate. Follows the development of Scar and Grian's relationship as they explore the world of Sangfielle and take turns getting each other out of trouble. (wizardlover does great Scarian just in general; worth checking their other work out as well!)

Normal People in Hell; SlashMagpie - Bdubs discovers Hell (Twitter). In many ways, a meditation on parasocial relationships and Minecraft roleplay. In many related ways, utterly horrifying (extremely complimentary). Mind the tags!

Origins:

Soothing Natural Energies by Rebalancing External Wealth, Today, At Rekindled Flames Marriage Therapy Conference; antimony_medusa - Heists and hijinks galore. I don't even go here and I still think this is the funniest thing. Please read this.

you know, what with both guess the author and the au fest big bang ending recently, there are a LOT of great new fics out there, i bet! also it's been a bit since i've done a lot of hc fic reading, so... hey hermitblr and also adjacent fandoms (trafficblr, for example), got any fic recs?

i'll start with three fics i've been reading recently:

i'm like very behind currently on writing_and_worrying's comms au, but it's an EXCELLENT fic that makes really fun use of the medium! i'm not sure how to describe it other than "the comms logs of an increasingly tangled knot of sci-fi horror". it's great.

speaking of aufest: i read Tangotek Evil Incorporated by onawhimsicot and it's a spectacularly fun fic! in which tango is a very ridiculous cartoon supervillain who has to go rescue his nemesis, jimmy, with help from jimmy's partner, grian. made me laugh out loud a few times. big recommend.

finally, snake's always gonna be one of my favorite hermitcraft writers, and i've been reading Lost On a Starlit Sea lately to prove it again. in which iskall and zedaph are astronauts who go on a mission that appears to be going quickly awry thanks to secrets being kept from them. looks very fun!

however, that's only three fics out of the MANY MANY that have been posted lately - y'all got any fic recs you'd like to share? i'd love to hear them! i'll reblog any lists that get put on here but also i'm hoping there are a lot of suggestions in the notes. (also, feel free to promo yourself or if, say, you were on a big bang team, feel free to promo the author you worked with for that!)