zebrapeople's fur isnt very long but parasites and bugs can still hide out there, so they actually still groom eachother like monkeys and brush eachother
zebrapeople often have their own brushes to brush themselves like a stimming or self soothing device and brush eachother as comfort. It's also kinda sweet because it's comfort that doesn't really need a lot of physical touch so people who aren't too close can just be like "hey, dont cry. [brushes you like a horse] ok?"
Not sure if the Tumblr community has got the memo. I've spent lockdown work with my friends and some geeks on a totally free digital museum for everyone. I think it's import art is accessible and available - if you'd like to visit you can head to https://voma.space
(unless you're Kapoor)
Stay Arty my lovelies!
Hugs Stuart x
I'm not sure if you lovely tumblrs got the memo but I spent lockdown with some geeky friends building everyone a totally free online museum - I think art should be for everyone. VOMA isn't quite finished but with the museum's and galleries shut I thought I'd share it as a wip - you can visit it at https://voma.space
Voma is friends with his caretaker and has earned his status as One Of The Girls because he has insane old man gossip of attempted/succeeded murder and also keeps confirming that random bits of gossip is/isn't total bs because of his habit of meandering around the town at night due to insomnia and observing things
Closed mouth freaks!
Debu, zebrapeople, and most vertebrates on the homo mousike planet have a gap between their front and back teeth alongside their front teeth generally always being exposed - maybe I'll make the front ones out of something stronger than enamel, but planet-wide, they use the front teeth as a manipulator. So, species and people alike with closed mouths are unnatural generally have something to hide (as an example, this social "horse" from the serendipus photo actually has loose lips that hide their sharp beak, and unfurl it to show their sharp beak as a threat to other "horses") and this is no exception for the homo mousike sophonts, especially because doing so is actually rather straining - Lepit hides his mouth glow in order to be undetected in the dark, and Voma hides his teeth.
( a good third of this post was cut off because I retconned the lore as i was writing it )
CW/TW: ↓ detailed description of drug use, addiction, and withdrawal (I realize that I really should've been putting this earlier... my apologies)
SO, PROPER NAMES: they are called the Possessed.
They're a spiritual zebraman militia who chew this fungus, a bioluminescent, poisonous stimulant in order to stain the inside of their mouth with the bioluminescence and get a high from it. They believe that the glowing mouths of Debu is the source of their strength and power, and by chewing the fungus they get that power too, which is partially correct - chewing it, they don't need to sleep or eat, get visions or hallucinations, and are working at 200% capacity while on it, becoming "possessed" by the Debu spirit (which is often said to be the source of their sudden bursts of violence...).
However, unbeknownst to the zebramen, this has awful effects on their body, as you could imagine. The Possessed are given the Possesion fruit (they call it a fruit, they are incorrect,) constantly - so they barely sleep at all, barely eat at all, outright collapse from exhaustion or drop dead out of nowhere, have seizures, chew at their fingers (sometimes they break or chew them completely off), they become nauseous and can barely hold down what little food they do eat, and their hallucinations and psychosis often scare them and lead them to depression and paranoia over everything/everyone. And if they survive THAT until retirement, they're going to have withdrawals for the rest of their life
One big symptom though, is the rotting of their teeth! The fungus is acidic and chewing it constantly has eroded their teeth into falling out, which is bad, but is especially bad considering that the zebramen are constantly showing their teeth! They have lips and can close them, but by default they're smiling. The Possessed either hide their bottom faces with cloth or unnaturally close their lips shut.
I imagine statues or sculptures of the Possessed look a lot like sumerian devotive statues... huge eyes because they're held so wide during possession that their scleras are constantly visible, and tight lips.
hi. guess who remembered how completely and utterly fucked up the Possessed as a concept are!!!!!!!! guess who just made it worse!!!!! OH BOY!!!!! VOMA;!!!! OH NO!!!! THE HORRORS OF WAR!!!!
#Repost @vomaspace with @get_repost ・・・ Getting ready to drop our first VOMA #NFT in celebration of digital artists! a collaboration with the remarkable @mynameismelvin - watch this space and keep an eye on the VOMA store - link in Bio 🤖👾🤖👾🤖 #nft #melvingalapon #newwork #voma #collaboration #auction #rarible #digitalart #newnew @vomaspace @leecavaliere (at The Internet) https://www.instagram.com/p/CMuzwLXBxja/?igshid=grdo4ksejvnd
