#soft body horror

[five-rivers]

Ghost puberty but like bug version for the soft body horror idea request

The body horror here is a bit more subtle than with the other ones I've done, but I hope you enjoy it nonetheless. :3

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You didn't know that Clockwork had a garden, but you are sitting in it now. You decide it suits him. It is divided into quarters, into seasons, the tree at the center flowering, fruiting, and withering all at once.

You are in the spring section right now, among copious flowers. There is enough pollen in the air that even your nose twitches, and you never really had any problem with allergies.

There is a tiny bare pavement square in the middle of the section, ringed with benches. At the center of the square, there is a plinth. On the plinth, there is a beehive, and this is what occupies your attention at the moment.

It is not a typical beehive, like what might be found in the human world. The bees weren't alive. But neither were they exactly ghosts. Instead, they were tiny clockwork automations, exquisite works of bright bronze, blackened steel, and gem-bright glass. They flit eagerly from flower to flower nonetheless, and you wonder what they get out of it, if anything. Not food.

A few of them land on the rim of your bowl, which you have momentarily set aside. Clockwork has been feeding you a lot, lately, mostly a series of sweet, parfait-like concoctions. You aren't complaining. You've been hungry, and your weird not-biology craves equally weird things. Whatever Clockwork has been feeding you, it helps with that.

"Bees are holometabolous," says Clockwork from his position next to you on the bench. "Do you know what that means?"

"Something to do with their metabolism?" you guess. You shake your head. "No, not really."

Clockwork hands the bowl back to you, a silent encouragement to eat. "Holometabolous insects undergo what is called a full metamorphosis. They begin life as an egg, then hatch into larvae, which then turn into pupae, and finally emerge from their pupae as adults. Butterflies and moths are other examples."

You nod, trying to show that you are paying attention, even as your eyes are on the mechanical bees that have landed on your arms. You scoop a large spoonful of maybe-yogurt, probably-granola, and hopefully-honey into your mouth.

"The mature versions of such an insect are often quite different from the larval form," continues Clockwork, "and, at least in the case of bees, their final form is dependent on what they were fed as larvae."

"Like, whether they're queens or workers?"

"Precisely."

You sit quietly for a while.

"Clockwork," you say, "what does this have to do with what makes an Ancient an Ancient?"

He doesn't answer right away, and in the meantime, you are distracted both by your food and by the bees. They really are beautiful, with all the intricate gears and fittings.

"Would you like a closer look?" asks Clockwork.

"Huh?"

"At the hive?"

Your spoon clinks against the bottom of the bowl, and you nod. "Sure," said Danny. "If it won't disturb them."

Clockwork smiles and holds out his hand. You take it. At once, you feel yourself shrinking, just like that time with the Fenton Crammer. You squeak and cling to Clockwork who is also shrinking. By the time it stops, the bees that were crawling around on your hands earlier are twice or three times as big as you.

Clockwork, still holding your hand, knocks on the abdomen of the nearest bee and it opens up.

"Here," says Clockwork, gesturing at the opening.

"Um," you say. "We can fly?"

"At this size?" asks Clockwork, mildly.

You are even smaller than you were when you and Dash were hit by the Fenton Crammer. Your powers failed very quickly that time.

"It is a very long walk," continues Clockwork.

"It's just weird to crawl into a bug," you say, as you crawl into the bug. It takes off, and you marvel at the smooth movement of the gears - and lean into Clockwork, wary of getting hair and fingers caught in them.

The flight to the hive is uneventful, otherwise, and when you arrive and emerge into the hive, the way that the mechanical bees bustle around makes you feel like you're some kind of celebrity or dignitary.

Clockwork leads you around for a while, showing you the honey-gold and bright bronze of the hive. Old bees are repaired by their sisters, and new bees are constructed, bit by bit in specialized cells. Then, you enter into a large, long room with a grand dining table complete with chairs in the center. Among all the honeycomb and the bees, it looks like something from a dream.

Your stomach rumbles.

"Hungry?" asks Clockwork.

You duck your head, embarrassed. You just ate. But maybe you're finally coming up on the growth spurt that will take you up to your father's height.

"A snack, perhaps."

You sit down at the table, and in doing so, you remember the conversation you were having outside, on the bench.

"You never answered my question, you know," you say, not accusing, exactly, but curious. You'd asked for a reason.

"I suppose not," says Clockwork. "One moment." He takes a tray from a bee. It is covered in small bowls of honey. "Here, try this."

He holds out a honey dipper to you, and, aware this is another tactic to distract you, you take it. "I still want to know," you say. Then, you decide to suck on the honey dipper like it was a lollipop, which is probably not the intended use, but you don't really know what is.

"Yes, yes," says Clockwork. "As I was saying, the type of adult depends on what it is fed as a larva, before it pupates. Queen bees are fed only royal jelly as larvae. Ancients are similar."

You squint at Clockwork and pull the honey dipper from your mouth. "They're given something special as younger ghosts? Something that makes them develop into Ancients?"

"And each of the Ancients has a version of royal jelly that they keep safe, in case they might want to use it."

You still, the dipper in front of your lips. You aren't stupid, really, and the implication there...

"The word pupa ultimately derives from a word meaning 'doll,'" says Clockwork, apparently oblivious. "It is very appropriate for the pupae of the Ancients."

You think, for a moment, that you can feel your skin hardening around you, but you shake it off. Or, at least, you think you do.

"Clockwork," you say, "this isn't- You haven't been feeding me--?"

Clockwork leans over and puts his hand on your shoulder. It is firm, comforting. You can almost feel the vibration from his ticking clock echoing through your bones. "Daniel, it is a metaphor. The 'royal jelly' of the Ancients isn't anything like food."

You nod, but you put down the honey dipper. "I think I'm done eating for today, though." You stand up. You must have been sitting longer than you thought, because the movement is stiff, your limbs half asleep.

(You experience a brief moment of alienation, as if your body isn't yours, as if it doesn't belong to you.)

Clockwork shifts his grip as you move, almost as if he is contemplating picking you up. He doesn't, to your relief. Instead, he pats your back and walks ahead.

"There are other things here that might interest you," he says.

You follow.

[krownjester]

commission i finished for WinterBones on discord, of her D&D character morqoth!! she asked for five full-body illustrations :] always love doing stuff for her

[gummigvts]

🫀Transmogrify

transform in a surprising or magical manner; to change or alter greatly

soft body horror poster design

Inspired by some comfort from Jax <@jimposts> and Billy <@silliest--billiest>

[vialdovi-artstuff]

Sketch thingy

[zwei2x]

"In rot, I flourish." 🍄

[wifeofwolfman]

she's got a big smile!

[120daysofsodomm]

[diaphorotes]

Scolopendra

[thenerdycupcake]

More about Meat Marionette Au

 Thinkin of lil Robin and all of them being very fluffy with like, almost down mixed with fur and softer larvae-like chitin. Way softer than Bruce’s chitin that can take some ridiculously solid hits before cracking. Bruce gets so stressed when Dick gets his secondary body because like?? Small child with?? Large blade?? On the end of a tail?? And long claws??? This kid is like, nine at most and has very sharp blades now that can’t be taken away. He’s so very stressed. 

 I like to think the robins all vary in size by like a few inches but they’re all child-sized just so they can sneak around easily and hide in the Bat’s back. Plus then Bruce can pluck them up whenever they decide to try and sneak out or attack someone lol

This is a combo of my cryptid batfam au & @phoenixcatch7's Possessed Doll au, which is amazing and you need to check it out if you aren't aware of it <3

[mellosdrawings]

His tongue is fiii-i- I mean-

Ok, headcanon time guys! I like imagining that Jamil gains a lot more to his snake gimmick than what's already there. His tongue's forked, he has fangs, he can unhinge his jaw, his legs actually get caught up in a simili of snake tail made of blot, etc.

I once read a LeoJami fic where Jamil was secretly a snake beastman and it stuck with me. I don't go there for regular Jamil, but OB!Jamil? Yeah, gimme all the snakey things pretty please!

[piosplayhouse]

Sweet baby newborn foal skinhe based on @meltedmush 's binghorse

[77-natchan]

I made a little creepypasta comic hope you like it

[sttinkky]

Lady gaga <3

[creamtreats]

MASK OFF

[s1x-foot-deep]

scene from the radio drama+Great Soft Jelly-Thing concepts

[skumhuu]

✨👑 Throne 👑✨ pages 15-16

Beginning

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