There's a joy in short and fleeting things, don'tcha know?
Welcome to the shortest TreebarkWeek event we've ever done, Treebarkweek-End 2025! Because maybe we all might need a bit more time to ponder that finale.
As you know, this event is dedicated to creating content for the Treebark ship and sharing it with others who like it too. However, since December is a busy month, we've decided to make this event TreebarkWeek-End, lasting only from December 19th to December 21st, and with one prompt per day.
Use the event tags #treebarkweekend and #treebarkweekend2025 so we can find your post and reblog it for others to see! You can tag us as well to make sure we see your post.
We also have a Twitter account now, so you can tag us somewhere else too if you're sharing your pieces in more than this platform!
Souslmake Submission: Milk, Eggs, Sugar, and Flour!
Aren't I so good at titles
An Archive of Our Own, a project of the Organization for Transformative Works
General, no warnings apply (this one is happy i promise)
Chapter 1 of 6(?) from the au me and @sia-and-or-mia created for the @soulsmake event! Ranchers, fluff, rival bakeries, and everyone's (My) favorite team up the Gluten Guy! Gluten guys move into their new bakery and find that across the street the Bad Boys have had a bakery for a while. Despite the rivalry that forms between them, Tango can't help but steal glances at one of their "enemies". And Jimmy may be stealing glances right back at him!
Reblog this if you want readers to come into your ask box and ask for the âdirectorâs commentaryâ on a particular story, section of a story, or set of lines.Â
Or, send in a âstarâ to have the author select a section theyâve been dying to talk about!
TREEBARK TITLE SWAP: Stand Up and Youâll Find Youâre On Your Own
Hereâs my second contribution to @treebarktitleswap. This oneâs a little shorter but itâs got all the things I wanted to put in it.
An Archive of Our Own, a project of the Organization for Transformative Works
Teen due to MAJOR CHARACTER DEATH AND IMPLIED DEATH AT THE END
Dogwarts is victorious after the siege, but it came at a great cost. Ren is now alone and wanders the lands remembering what it was like with his hand. Cue angst.
First of three treebark title swap works is out! It took me a while to figure out what I was doing with this one but after that it was smooth sailing! I hope I did this prompt justice
An Archive of Our Own, a project of the Organization for Transformative Works
General, No warnings, confessions at a ball and the promised dancing. It took me longer than expected to do this and I feel like it trailed off at some points (I should really get a reliable beta reader). Happy readings!
Uhhh I never thought I get this far. Itâs actually 52. I genuinely donât know when this happened.
Thanks for reading Slime, Trees, and Bark. Itâs been a journey (forgetting to write for it so often.) And thanks for all the comments! I never thought my slime rancher AU would be liked by that many people.
Iâll definitely be continuing it when I can. Iâll be busy for a bit but I would imagine you can expect a new chapter by the end of the month or so. And once again thank you all for the support. 457 hits is also no small number. It truly means so much to me to know so many people like my stupid little writings. I will definitely continue it far into the future, and Iâll even go through the storyline of slime rancher 2 if we get there. But for now we still have a long way to go.
An Archive of Our Own, a project of the Organization for Transformative Works
May the lord forgive me for what Iâve done. Explicit, 1.9k words, cowboys smp confessionals fic with preacher Ren and bandit Martyn. I am ashamed yet I will not stop. Thank you to my lovely beta reader @starcrossedandstupid for the help. No clue what Iâm doing first time trying out smut I will go back into my hole now until the demons possess me again.
An Archive of Our Own, a project of the Organization for Transformative Works
HEARTSBANE
1k, no happy ending here. TW for death and technically suicide.
Martyn is sent on one final mission, to kill the beast in the woods. But he knows who that beast is, and he knows he isn't able to do it. Ren longs to become human once more, but this is not a tale they survive.
Martyn ran into the forest with his crossbow in hand. The silver arrow was ready to be fired. And he knew it was for the best if it was him that did it. âRen, please listen to me. You have to leave. Theyâll be here any minute now.â
The wolf stood in front of him. A creature made of fur and fangs and blood. It stood and talked like a human, but it was no longer one. But Martyn knew who it was, and he knew not to be afraid. âMartyn. I donât want to run anymore. I donât want to scare anyone anymore.â He looked towards the glowing lights of the city. Martyn knew what Ren wanted. But he wouldnât survive it. They wouldnât know who he was. They wouldnât care. But he knew how to end it as painlessly as possible.
He slowly raised the weapon. The moonlight caused the metallic tip to sparkle. He aimed it straight at Renâs chest. The red poison on it dripped onto the ground. It carried the color of the beautifully toxic heartsbane foxglove. A rare variety bred solely for becoming the strongest poison a hunter could buy, named for its blood red color and its effects. All he had to do was pull the trigger and the toxin would immediately stop Renâs heart.
Ren turned to face him. He did not back away. He did not try to attack. He simply stood there, observing Martyn. He did not plead or threaten. Ren just watched silently. Waiting for the piercing pain of an arrow. His face was empty, a hollow feeling Martyn couldnât bear to see.
Martynâs hands shook as he placed his fingers on the trigger. There were tears in his eyes. But he did not move. He put the crossbow down on the ground gently.. âNo. I wonât do it. I met you on my first mission, beaten and bruised from an encounter with a bear. I would have died if it wasnât for you. You gave me life, you didnât care about the risk. As much as I could have taken it from you, you gave it back to me. You nursed me back to health, we figured out how to control your curse. To bring back the humanity you still have in there. I canât kill you.â He ran towards the beast, knowing who hid behind the brown fur. âI wonât leave you. This is us now, us until the end. Weâll figure out a way to live. We can stay in the woods, build a home, help people who are lost.â
Ren grabbed hold of Martyn. His fur was soft and warm. Martyn had spent ages brushing out the matted mess the last time Ren turned and it had paid off. Ren held him gently, tracing his claws on Martyn's back. âMartyn. I donât want to stay in the woods any more. If we can make it to the town I know Iâll turn back.â
âCanât we ride this one out like we always have? The two of us?â
Ren shook his head. âItâs different this time. It craves something more human. It craves the townâs warmth.â Ren put Martyn down and ran towards the faint yellow glow. There was a festival happening in town, everything was lit up for it. The people danced to music past the woods, laughing and cheering at their happy scene. They were the ones that sent Martyn out to hunt the creature in the woods. Ren would be spotted immediately.
Martyn picked up the crossbow. He ran after him but knew he couldnât stop Ren. Ren was determined to finally find connection. To find his humanity again. And he wouldnât give up. He could not hear the townspeople but he knew they had seen the dark figure in the trees. And he also knew that the new orange glow wasnât from the festival.
Ren cried out in pain. Martyn felt his stomach sink. He reached him too late. There were arrows lodged all across his arms. Torches began flying at the woods, setting the brush alight. Ren tried to run back but was faced with a wall of rapidly growing flames. Martyn ran out to try and get in between the people and Ren. Ren held him back with one arm.
âThey will hurt you. They know what youâve done. I can hear it.â
Martyn desperately tried to get loose. âRen. I can convince them you arenât the forest beast. Please.â
Ren shook his head. Martyn could hear the shouting from the villagers. âRun. Donât come back. I promise I wonât hurt anyone.â
Martyn didnât run.
âDonât stay here, it's not safe for you. Go.â
Martyn stood his ground silently. He could feel the flames licking at his fingers. âNo. I promised I would stay with you until the end.â His voice trembled as he spoke. âI know who you are, Ren, and I refuse to let you die.â
Ren smiled for a moment before lunging out to the side. He cried out in pain once more. The tip of an arrowhead poked out of his abdomen. It was stained dark red. It had hit his stomach.
Martyn kneeled down to help amidst the cheers of the townspeople. There was nothing he could do to save Ren. He placed his hand on Renâs chest and felt his heartbeat. It was faster than usual, but still beating. He could hear the whispers of the townspeople as they came closer, debating what they were going to do to the beats and the traitor that was helping it. They were not going to be killed for a long time if they got their way. Martyn couldnât let that happen.
âIt was true in the end.â Ren spoke hoarsely. He winced in pain before continuing. He was returning to his more human form. âI would never be human.â
Martyn cupped Renâs head in his hands. He wiped away Renâs tears, ignoring his own. âYes. You would never be one. Because you would never be cruel enough to be one of us.â
âDo you mean one of them?â Ren smiled a foolish smile. The townspeople were closing in, still shocked at the scene before them.
âNo.â Martyn leaned in and kissed Ren. And Ren kissed him back. Martyn lifted up Renâs injured body and held it close, making sure to line up their hearts for a clean shot. He pointed his crossbow at Ren's chest once more, but this time his hand did not shake. âBecause I am cruel enough to kill you with a kiss.â He kissed Ren one final time, trying to take in the last few moments he would ever have with Ren. His fingers didnât falter. They fell silently, painting the ground a deep red.
And the only thing that ever grew where they fell, was the heartsbane that killed them both.
Both? Is that even allowed? And no I am not late I swear.
An Archive of Our Own, a project of the Organization for Transformative Works
1.6k words, a lot of references to The Little Prince. Very fluffy. I really like this one I think I might someday make a second part to it.
Martynâs home asteroid crashes into the sun, on which Ren has been living on. Maybe this will help their loneliness?
Martyn sat down on his small chair. It was one of the few things he owned on the small asteroid he lived on. It was bigger than most of the asteroids around him, and he was grateful for that.
He was on what we would call asteroid R612, neighboring asteroids R610, R611, R613, and S001. The asteroids around him used to have more people like him. R610 was overtaken by baobabs and the roots of the large trees tore it to bits one day when its resident forgot to do the daily weeding. R611âs resident built a machine to take them to the stars, leaving their home behind. R613âs resident didnât talk to him often, and when he did it was only about how sad it was to live on an asteroid in space with no purpose. Martyn didnât like talking to him very much. And S001 only orbited nearby once a year, and it had been years since it did. Martyn had a lonely existence really, but he attempted to not let it bother him.
Martynâs own asteroid contained a few things. There was a small vegetable garden where he grows his food. He used a volcano to heat it, as volcanoes on asteroids are very small and easy to control. He has a chair and a blanket for when it got cold at night. And that was all.
He lived a monotone life. It was as follows: when he wakes up he begins weeding the asteroid to ensure there are no baobabs growing today. Then he cares for the roses and the vegetables. After this his daily tasks are complete, he is free to sit on his chair and watch the sunrise.
This is what he is was doing. Martyn watched the sun rise. It made him feel at peace there was something else in the world. That he isnât truly alone. It cheers him up when he is sad. And if he wanted to see the sunrise again all he had to do was move his chair over a few steps. See, his asteroid is small enough that taking a few steps will bring him to the opposite side of it, where the sun is rising again. One day he even saw it forty-four times. That was not a happy day.
This went on for longer than he could remember. Then one day he realized the sun looked bigger than usual. He shrugged it off that day, but he had the sinking feeling something was off. The next day it was even bigger than before.
For the next few days the sun became bigger and bigger. The asteroid did not grow warmer, or brighter. The sun simply became bigger. And one day it overtook the entire sky. This was when Martyn realized he was going to collide with the sun.
He ran to the other side of the asteroid to avoid being crushed. He began to feel as if he was falling, and in truth he had always been. The impact sounded almost like glass shattering, and stardust floated all around him. The impact had made him fall over. He finally gathered his bearings and climbed down onto the sun.
He was on a glowing yellow surface that was surprisingly cool to the touch. It was covered in a layer of stardust that flowed around his feet like water. It was much larger than his asteroid was. He couldnât see the edge of it at all. It was beautiful in a way.
âHey! Are you okay?â
He turned to see where the voice was coming from. There was a man approaching him. He had long black hair tied up in a low ponytail. He was wearing black sunglasses and a red button up shirt. He had a pair of suspenders holding up his blue jeans and a pair of read sneakers at the base of them. One of them was untied. He was lightly dusted in the starlight, making him appear as if he was glowing. Martyn was amazed by him.
The man came over to him and looked him up and down. He seemed to be checking for any injuries, of which there were none. Martyn was thankful for that.
The man moved on to inspecting the asteroid Martyn had landed on. âWhatâs your name?â
âMartyn. Whatâs yours?â Martyn sat down in the soft stardust. He didnât expect anything to have survived the landing. He was correct.
âIâm Ren. You look a little shaken up.â Ren suddenly took Martynâs arm and began dragging him over somewhere. He was surprisingly strong. âHere, you can rest at my house for a while.â
Martyn didnât know why he went with the man he had just met. He didnât look malicious, but he didnât know that for sure. Maybe it was because he had finally met someone else. Maybe it was because Ren reminded him of all the times he would talk to the sun when he was alone. Whatever the reason, maybe Ren could help him.
Ren led them to a small house built from red bricks and roofed with a black slate. There were windows filled with geraniums dotting the walls, and there was a porch with ivy trailing up the railing. It was a cozy house. Ren brought Martyn inside.
There was a small sitting area by the entrance. The shag carpet covering the wooden floor was colored in hues of scarlet and carmine. The couch upon it was well worn, patchwork squares keeping the stuffing inside. There was a small rocking chair nearby, one that had been broken and glued back together before. The light in the room came from a lamp with a stained glass lampshade, reflecting rainbows all around the wall. A small low table was placed in the middle of the space, in which a white mug stained with brown sat. It smelled faintly of tea and citrus.
Martin sat on the couch. It was surprisingly plush despite the clear signs of use. He let himself relax a little bit. Ren brought over a clean mug filled with hot water and placed a teabag in it. Earl grey.
Ren sat down on the rocking chair. It squeaked slightly when it moved. âSoâŠyou come from an asteroid?â
âYeah.â Martyn took a sip. It was bitter, but it was good. âAnd you come from?â
âThe same actually.â Ren rocked slowly on the chair. âThe bricks here were made from the asteroid I landed in.â
âHow long have you been on the sun for?â
âYears I think.â
Martyn paused before asking his next question. âDoes it ever get lonely?â
Ren let out a short pained laugh. âYes. Yes it does. I used to talk to the moon at night. Well ânightâ. It doesnât get very dark here.â
âThe moon?â Martyn had never seen a moon in the sky before. It was only the sun.
âYour asteroid. It was my âmoonâ.â Ren drank from his own mug of tea before continuing. âIt was the only thing I could see from where I was. And it looked just like a moon. When the light hit it just right I could even pretend it was the sun and that Iââ
ââwasnât alone anymore.â
Ren cocked his head to the side. âDid you get lonely as well?â
âA little.â Martyn looked around the room again. It was the same as before but something felt different. âI used to watch the sunrise when it got bad. On my asteroid it was really easy to walk a few steps and see it again.â
âThat sounds nice. I miss the sunrise.â
âOnce I saw it forty-four timesâŠâ
Ren looked sad for a moment. He seemed to understand. He sat up and placed the mug in the kitchen. He took a while to come back. âYou werenât alone.â
âWhat do you mean?â
Ren turned a little red before he continued. âI heard it. I heard you talking to the sun. I liked to pretend you were talking to me.â
Martyn dropped the mug. It shattered and stained the carpet a light brown.
âAre you okay? Did you get hurt?â
Martyn stuttered a no. âYou. Heard it all?â
Ren nodded. âYes. Well most of it. Sometimes I even tried to talk back but I donât think you heard.â
Martyn recalled hearing someone far far away. He liked earl grey and the colour red. He lived in a red brick house with geraniums at the windows. He was lonely as well. âI wasnât sure you were real.â
âI wasnât either.â Ren looked away for a second. âItâs a really weird ask but. Could IâŠgive you a hug?â
Martynâs heart beat a little faster at that. He remembered the very last thing he said before he realized he was crashing soon. He wanted a hug. âYes. I would like that.â
Martyn felt the world melt away for a moment, replaced with the warmth of a star. Ren smelled like cinnamon and citrus. He was in a different world now. One that wasnât so lonely. He didnât want to leave.
Ren let go after a long while, it seemed like they both needed that. He smiled a soft smile. One that Martyn liked very much. âAre you maybe going to stay for a bit?â
âI think I am. Maybe we wonât need to talk to a sun or moon anymore.â Martyn leaned in close to Ren, feeling the warmth from his body again.
âI think we wonât.â Ren didnât shy away. He seemed to like it as well. âLetâs go to the flower garden. They look like little stars here.â He held onto Martynâs hand for a moment before pulling away shyly.
Martyn took Renâs hand in his. âLets go then.â
If you're seeing this and you don't know what Soulsmake is, it's a low stakes, low pressure Life Series fandom event in which you sign up, are assigned a soulmate, and the two of you plan an AU together. All you have to do to complete the event is have a conversation, though any kind of creation is encouraged! Sign ups will open July 7th and run until July 19th.
In anticipation of Soulsmake, we're going to post a question every day until the event starts.
Todayâs question: What are your favorite tropes to read or write?
You can reply or reblog this post with your answers!
I have no clue why the link is different but oh well
1k words, it starts of slightly angsty but it gets tooth rotting fluffy eventually. Yes this is my apology for Ruins. They have a happy ending in this one.
Their death in Wild Life leaves them somewhere they arenât meant to be. Ren and Martyn have escaped the games, and are finally free to love each other.
âDoes that hurt Ren?â A sword cut into them, unraveling the rose bramble that stitched Martren together.
âIt is hurting! It is hurting!â There was nowhere else to go. Before them was Joel, behind them were the rocky cliffs of the mountain. Ren had to make a choice. Martyn had finally let him be in control, and it was time to choose.
It is peaceful to fall. Ren hadnât realized how it felt. To feel the wind whip against you, to be free of the ground. To no longer have to run. It was the only peace Ren knew that day. The fighting for who had control of their body, watching everyone he cared about fall one by one. It made him happy to fall, to know he was free.
âMartynâŠI love you.â
It hurt when the stalagmite impaled them. But nothing hurt as much anymore. It split them clean down the middle. They shared their dying breath, going out at the same time.
âI love you too.â
Ren opened his eyes. He felt water flow above him. It was cold. Refreshing after all that had happened.
He sat up. He seemed to be in a shallow pool. He swished his hands aroundâ
His hands. Ren had two hands. And two legs. In the reflection of the pool he could see himself. He wasnât split down the middle, fused with someone else. He was finally himself again.
He stood quickly. His clothes didnât feel soaked despite the fact he had been lying in a pool moments before. He knew why. He was dead. But he wasnât a specter, nor a zombie or a skeleton. He was just him.
Ren looked around the new area he was in. There were many other round pools of water nearby. He could also hear the sound of water falling down somewhere. To his left was a forest. It looked like old growth, enormous trees blotting out the sky and the ground littered with ferns and dried leaves. To his right was a meadow dotted with flowers. The sun shone down on it warmly. The grass looked soft and fluffy, and there were millions of wildflowers painting the ground with sparks of color. It smelled of honey and roses.
There was a splash in one of the pools beside him. He looked over to see someone laying just below the shallow waters. A man with blonde hair and a green hoodie. A man he recognized.
âMartyn!â
Martyn stood up suddenly. The water rippled with his movement. âRen? Are you really there?â
They looked at each other for a moment. Neither of them moved. They didnât know what to do. This wasnât a trick. Not this time. They werenât where the watchers usually put them. They didnât feel like they were doing things to entertain anymore.
Martyn looked around the place they were now in. âAre we free? Are we actually free?â
Ren tackled Martyn. They rolled around in the pool of water. âWeâre free! Itâs over dude!â They laughed as they got their bearings and stood back up. The last sunlight of the day bathed them in shades of gold. They were happy. Actually, finally happy. No more fear or pain or death. Just pure unfiltered joy.
âŠ
Ren sat down beside Martyn on the ground. He felt the heat of the fire bathe him warmly. The light flickered in and out, casting a yellow glow on them. He was tired but it was a welcome feeling. Ren shivered and leaned in closer to Martyn for warmth, but there was no chill in the air
âDid you mean it?â
Ren perked up. He turned towards Martyn who was tracing something in the soft dirt beneath them with a stick. âDid I mean what?â
Martyn didnât look up. He stopped drawing on the ground for a moment.. âWhen you said that you loved me.â
Ren looked away. He hadnât been sure if he had actually said that or not. He scratched the back of his head awkwardly. He didnât know how to reply. They sat in silence for a moment.
âForget it.â
âNo! I mean. Yes. Yes I meant it.â Ren looked down at the ground. âI meant it dude. I meant it since the start. Thatâs why I always wanted to be around. To be with you.â He kept speaking. He didnât know why. He could ruin it all right now, lose Martyn because of some dumb feeling. But he kept speaking. âI love you Martyn. I really doâ
Martyn looked at him with a shocked look on his face. He had blown it. Blown it all up just because he couldnât shut his mouth for one second and nowâ
Ren felt two hands hold his cheeks. They pulled him in and suddenly there was a pair of lips on his own. He closed his eyes and stayed in the moment. He wasnât sure if he was dreaming or not but he definitely didnât want to wake up.
Martyn let go. He looked bright red despite being the one who started it. âI uhh. I love you too Ren.â
Ren looked at him, frozen. He reached out slowly and put an arm around Martyn. He was warmer than the fire. Ren pulled him in gently. Martyn didnât protest and nuzzled into Renâs embrace.
The fire eventually burned out, revealing the stars above them. They looked up at the skies. The constellations in this world were different to the ones they were used to. Ren pointed up at the sky and traced shapes in the stars. âThat one looks like an axe! And that one looks like a tree!â
âI donât see it.â
âHave some creativity man!â Ren flopped down on the ground to get a better look at them
Martyn chuckled softly. He laid down on top of Ren. âYou know what? I kind of see it now. That one looks like us.â
Martyn traced the shape of two stick figures in the stars, one of them holding the other. They looked like they were looking down on Ren and Martyn. Maybe they were tracing them in their own night sky.
âYeah. That one does look like us.â Ren held Martyn in closer. No more death game to distract them, no race against the clock to win. It could finally be them, together. And it felt good. âHow about we call that one âRen and Martyn flying high?â
Martyn pushed Renâs shoulder playfully. âToo long dude. How aboutâŠâthe loversâ?â
âIs that what we are now?â Ren wrapped his arms around Martyn fully.
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