[Kusakabe]

Name:
Pronouns: he/him

Prompt Number: (1 or 2)
Entry: (max. 800 words)
Extras: (max 500 words OR 1 art piece)

[gardog]

Name: Briar Primrose
Pronouns: she/her/they

Prompt Number: 2
Entry:
You know, it's kind of funny... it started out as just a little shadow in the corner of my mind. It didn't have anything of significance, nor did I really notice it at first... it was just... there... lurking. And now... it's all that remains.

It crept up on me, to the point where I didn't even have time to react. It watches everything I do, it even comments occasionally. It wraps its shadowy tail around my neck and just rests there, like a coiled snake waiting patiently for a mouse to skitter by.

I'm the only one who can see it, I know.

No one reacts when it's there. If they were to see it, I'm sure that they would be fear-stricken by its appearance... an appearance that's there, but, then again, isn't anything in particular. It's a blob. Yes, a blob. A blob of shadowy darkness with two yellow, glowy eyes and a horror-like, black toothy smile; there's no other way to describe it other than significantly disturbing. However, if you were to ask me what it was, I wouldn't have a clue.

It's a strange thing to ponder on, but I seriously do not remember a time where it wasn't there, eyeing me from somewhere in the back of my mind. Never was it persistent, never did it particularly show itself... until one month ago.

I was out shopping with my friends at a new mall on the outskirts of town when a particular shop caught my eye. For some reason, I felt a pull to go towards it, so I told my friends to go on ahead to a shop that they were eyeing and promised that I would catch up with them later.

Once they were gone, I made my way inside the shop. The store was filled to the brim with knickknacks and animal pelts. There were objects made out of the different furs of animals and what seemed to be wool.

"Dat's a pretty bushel ya've got for hair, thar."

I had jumped, not expecting a voice to come seemingly from one of the pelts. I spun my head towards the voice and a large, gruff Keldine stepped out from behind a rack of deer pelts.

"I's gots a-many a payin' customers that would love what ya got thar... ya mind if I take a snippet?"

"Uh..."

I could suddenly hear something in the back of my mind that sounded like a growl.

Before I could explore the noise further, however, the Keldine bursts out laughing and the growling stops.

"I'm only jokin', lass! You shoulda seen da look on yer face, doh. Ah, you younguns fall for it all, nowadays."

The Keldine starts to walk away.

"Come in! Come in! Make yerself at home!"

So, I reluctantly followed him further into the shop.

"Um, if you don't mind me asking, where did you get all this?"

"This is a trade center, lass! I gets everythin' from everywhere, n' anywhere at that!"

The Keldine takes a seat next to a desk on the floor and gestures for me to do the same somewhere in front of him. I hesitantly oblige.

"No need to be nervous, lass... that shadow o' yers is plenty scary as is."

My eyes immediately bug out of my head as a realize what he's talking about.

"You can see it?!"

"Aye! Been a while since I seens one so protective of its host, but, h're we are!"

"Host?"

I immediately grew frightened of the word. I had only ever heard that word described in movies about demonic possessions.

The Keldine gave me a reassuring smile.

"Not ta worry, it ain't gonna hurt you. Ever'one's got their own inner demons; rarely is one able to physically see 'em, though."

"Inner demons?"

More questions started piling up in my mind.

"Aye. Doh, truth be told, no one knows what they really are. And, if anyone asks ya, you don' know either, got it?"

"Um..."

"It's just safer, fo' both you and them."

As those words echoed in my mind, a certain something came to the forefront.

The Keldine smiled and laughed.

"Oh, so now ya trust me, ah?"

I watched as a shadowy blob materialized around me and glared its big, yellow eyes at the Keldine in front of it.

"Ya don't have ta, yet, don' worry."

The Keldine smiled at it and, with a final hiss, the shadow slinked back into what looked and felt like my own mind.

"I thinks that's your cue ta leave."

The Keldine smiled at me.

From that moment on, the shadow only showed itself every once in a while, but I always knew it was there... like a fear that never went away.

Always. There.

[Word count: 791/800]
---




Mild Epilepsy Warning: Flashing Pictures




---
Extras:







credits: gif site|hosting site

[spiders]

Name:
Pronouns:

Prompt Number: (1 or 2)
Entry: (max. 800 words)
Extras: (max 500 words OR 1 art piece)

AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA MARK

[Myskx]

Name: Zeno
Pronouns: He/Him

Prompt Number: (1 or 2) 1
Entry:

Zeno wasn't always wrapped in a tangle of roses and thorns. Long ago, when he was just a pup, he made a decision that changed his life forever.

When Zeno was just a young pup, he was bold, maybe a bit too bold. He would often venture away from his home, despite his parents telling him not to. His urge to discover the unknown was much too strong. Just like any other day, Zeno ran into the forest. He trampled the flora as he ran, nearly closing his eyes as the wind blew through his fur.

Zeno didn't exactly respect the forest, nor nature, for that matter. He tore up beautiful beds of flowers and chased the animals of the forest. He was reckless and left trails of destruction, which he called his paths. Every day he's stray farther into the forest, increasing the length of his paths.

One day, Zeno came across a beautiful rose-shaped gem. The stunning gem sent red rays of light shooting off in all directions. Zeno ran his paw along the surface of the smooth gem. He had decided that he'd take this gem back home, as his treasure. He slowly lifted the gem and began to carry it back to his home. The gem was much heavier than he had originally thought, and he traveled much slower because of this.

After only a few steps carrying the gem, a bright light began to shine behind him. He slowly turned around. The light was more than bright, it was blinding. Zeno carefully laid the gem on the ground so that he could shield his eyes from the light. The light slowly began to dim, and he could make out the figure of another keldine. The keldine spoke. Her voice was soft and gentle. " Young pup, why are you stealing? " Zeno looked up at the beautiful keldine. She had flowers budding out of her white fur, and her eyes were the most stunning green color. " I wasn't stealing. " He declared. " I found this, so it's mine now. " Although the keldine was smiling, her eyes revealed that she was not pleased.

" That gem, young pup, is the heart of this forest. Without it, the forest and everything that dwells inside of it would begin to perish. " Zeno's eyes widened as he looked down at the gem. He narrowed his eyes before finally looking back up at the keldine. " You're lying..! " " You know that I am not lying. " Zeno flinched as the keldine spoke again. He knew well that she wasn't lying, but he wanted that gem more than anything. " Maybe you aren't lying, but I'm still taking the gem, it's mine! " As Zeno picked up the gem and began to run, the keldine lifted her paw, and then pressed it to the ground.

Zeno fell to the ground as he felt strong, thorny vines wrap around his legs. The gem went flying forward, a small crack developing on one of the petals. The keldine slowly walked up to Zeno, a frown sewn across her face. " You have not only disrespected the plants and animals of this forest, but you have also stolen their most precious artifact. " Zeno shrunk away from the keldine who seemed to be looming over him. " You will learn to respect nature, as it will soon become a part of you. " The keldine slowly ran her paw across Zeno's neck and tail. Soon, the bright, blinding light returned, and the keldine was gone. As the vines around his legs loosened, he slowly returned the heart of the forest to its place. He was trembling. The encounter with that keldine was terrifying, and he just wanted to return home and give his parents a hug. As soon as he had placed the gem down, he started to run through the forest, back home. As he flattened a few flowers, he felt a sharp pain in his neck. If felt as though someone jammed their claw into his neck. He kept running, though, until he was back home.

When he burst through the front door, his parents both stared at him, their eyes wide. " Oh dear, Zeno, what's happened to you? " His mother said quietly, stepping closer to her pup. " What do you mean? I feel fine. " * He looked up at his mother, expecting to get a hug, but he didn't. When his mother pulled out a small mirror and held it in front of him, he felt tears well up in his eyes. There was a tangle of thorny vines and roses around his neck, and hanging off of the end of his tail. The tips of his dark purple hair had also faded into white.

( 781/800 )


Extras:

Zeno hadn't ventured into the forest once since that day. He was often found feeding the birds out in his backyard and growing his own plants. He seemed to develop a sort of connection with nature. Birds would occasionally land on his head, and butterflies often flew around him. He enjoyed this new, calm life, but there was a single question that continued to eat at him. Who was the keldine that he'd seen in the woods?

Zeno's friends would often ask him how it was possible for roses to grow out of his fur, and he'd give them the same answer every time. " I met a keldine in the woods. It was she who did this to me. " Of course, none of them believed him. They said that it was just another one of his crazy stories, but he knew that she was real. They would believe him, he just needed proof.

He stood at the edge of the forest. He took a deep breath and then walked in. On his way to the heart of the forest, he was careful not to crush any of the beautiful flowers. He had taken a pawful of seeds with him, which he threw in front of the forest's birds when he spotted them. He finally made it to the heart of the forest. The gem was still stunning, but it looked much smaller now that he was grown. As he looked down at the gem, a soft voice sounded from behind him. " I see you've returned. "

Almost instantly he knew who had spoken, He slowly turned around. He looked into the keldine's beautiful green eyes. " You have grown. " The keldine commented. " I've come.. to see you. " " Why do you seek me? " * She was smiling as she looked over Zeno. " I need something to prove that you're real, that you exist..! " The keldine slowly shook her head. " I cannot give you proof. " " But- " The keldine moved her paw up to Zeno's mouth before he could finish his sentence. " Do not listen to those who do not believe. What is most important is not for them to believe, but for you to believe. The keldine slowly slid her paw over Zeno's eyes. When he opened his eyes, she was gone.

" Wait! " He shouted out. " Who are you? " The keldine's soft voice echoed around him. " I am Mother Nature. "

Zeno walked out of the forest with a smile on his face. She was right, it doesn't matter what others think as long as he knows what's true.

( 423/500 )

[supernovacity]

Name: ---
Pronouns: ---

Prompt Number: 1
Entry: growth, rot, decay, the cycle of all things --- wip
Extras: (max 500 words OR 1 art piece)

just dropping a quick post before i forget <3

[Nia The Elf]

Mark (hanahaki disease idea?)
prompt 1: what do the roses signify? are they a mark of some curse or blessing? or is it just a decoration? explain!
Nia The Elf

Name: Elaine Astolat
Pronouns:She/her

Prompt Number: 1
Entry: (max. 800 words)
Elaine of Astolat was in love with Lancelot. She could not have him because his love for Guinevere was stronger, and so her heartbreak was the cause of her death. This being this Keldine's namesake can suggest only one thing;

Extras: (max 500 words OR 1 art piece)

[Boneabii]

Name: Blasa
Pronouns: she/her

Prompt Number: 2
Entry: I didn't see them coming. I didn't hear them either. No, all of my senses were blind to them. I was putty in their hands, and they were quick to spot the weaknesses that resided in me and swiftly take advantage of them. And the worst part is, I let them. I could have fought back, easily. I didn't know that I could, though. I felt strangely helpless, a feeling I had never experienced. Never, because they shied away while I was young. I wasn't aware of the power I held. They weren't as well. They could only pick up what I knew. Even so, they took control of my life, my thoughts, my world, and the people around me. Their first attacks had started out as small annoyances, I could quickly shake them away and let it go. I had quickly adapted to their punches and had learned their techniques. For a while they didn't hurt me. But they soon came back. They had figured out how to hijack me and take control of my mind. Constantly I was under attack of what I thought was myself, since I was and had always been under the impression that I was always under control of my own mind. My private safe space. But it was under attack, and I didn't know what to do. They had all the power over me that was accessible, and their attack was only now starting. They shredded every little bit of my sanity to the ground. By then they had full control of me, and I didn't know what was happening while my life fell apart. I lost every little bit of my joy in life. And it's all my fault. My friends tried to help me, but I couldn't respond. No matter how much I fought back, they dodged my attacks and viciously countered. I just didn't know that it was a physical fight as well.

[Zailune]

mark ^v^

[Raw_Silver_Studios]

Name: Myra
Pronouns: She/Her

Prompt Number: 1
Entry: (max. 800 words)
(Idea: Each rose represents a soul she's helped cross over. She's a medium. A great responsibility, but it has a limit, as one day the roses will consume her. So she is wise in her choosing of souls to help)
Extras: (max 500 words OR 1 art piece)

[Ucanthandleme]

Name:Helios
Pronouns:He/Him

Prompt Number: Prompt 1
Entry:
All beauty comes with a price.

The world was a place of shallowness, a dark tunnel that all had wandered in hopes of finding beauty. Each had their own outlook on beauty, yet behind most beauty was a grotesque monster, draining you dry. It begged for compliments, your love, your ideals, it stole the words from your mouth and you gladly gave it to the beauty. As time went on the monster behind the beauty grew and grew until it seemed to blind them more than the darkness. The beauty lost it’s mask and the demon creeped out.

But then the beauty was ugly, it was no longer a beautiful bud rather a wilted flower, so beauty was locked away. A dark secret they hid, they created it yet imprisoned it all the same. Beauty became a sin, they were all repulsed by beauty because they knew what it became. Even so they could not rid themselves of the ideal of beauty. Beauty after all was a universal ideal. The need to seek perfection was engraved into their bones and although they knew beauty was ugly they still longed for it.

So they created beauty.

Perhaps this is where they made a mistake, artificial beauty. A beauty that all could worship, all could love, one that would not turn into an ugly monster. Helios was born. Quite laughable really, to give a name with the meaning sun. To brighten their lives, but what happened if you looked at the sun too long. You went blind. And blinded they were. Their creation was the epitome of perfection, a wonderrous blend of beauty and esthetic.

And they were not just beautiful on the outside they were also beautiful on the inside. But what was created could not be complete although Helios was perfect in body, but had no soul. No flick of life that made you enraptured. So they found a soul. A newborn, a piece of blank paper, a child's soul was implanted in an adult body. They however did not forget about the monster of beauty. So they chained the soul in roses, so that the beauty would never grow. A soul in forever slumber.

The roses that chained a child's soul, Helios was perfect a beautiful body and a pure soul.

However the monster from beauty was natural, Helios however was unnatural. You would much prefer to lie on a bed of nails than a bed of roses. The nails would give you great pressure, they would hold you up evenly across, yet the roses would pierce your skin, their thorns cutting deep. Helios was like quenching one's thirst with poison wine, sweet and addictive yet would eventually drain your life.

Helios became a god to them, a creature they could look but not touch, however they were greedy for more. So they tried to make another, and another, and another, yet none of them reached the beauty of Helios. So they were thrown away like rag dolls exiled to the hole which held the beauty. Even more so now Helios was worshipped, no one could replicate his perfection, however the chain of roses that held him had spread out, intertwined with all the failed creations, a web of beauty. Like an innocent child watching a butterfly die, it saw all they had done to the beauty.

Ugly. They were all ugly each worse than the next, Helios saw the ones who had been thrown out and the beautiful monsters that longed for affection. How cruel they had been locking up their mistakes, Helios thought they were the true mistakes. Helios was a white rose dyed in black, his thorn jagged, his vine cold. He released the beautiful monsters and imprisoned the creators. Perhaps they will hate the darkness, or disappear down the tunnel in search of beauty yet again.



A message from the monsters,

You covet our beauty, like a wonderful drug

And addiction you feed more and more

Throning us in a high up place, worship us

Yet we are really birds in a cage

Built with gold and silver, no keyhole to escape

More and more you feed us

Lambs to the slaughter, our beauty fades

We are not resigned to fate

So we hold our masks, monsters behind beauty

But when we are no longer beautiful to you

You hide us away, your ugly monsters.

(730/800)
Extras: