Homoeros - Recent work (2025) - 3

Start from Part 1 of this series

 

 

'Tavern' sees a young man sucked into a world of wealth and power, and in this image the historical dress conveys that background very effectively. It's combined with a convincing setting, too. This is an age when those who fell from favour might face the axeman, so this grovelling submission is perfectly understandable.

 

This man, Dylan, is not faced by such an extreme a punishment, but the whipping post is bad enough. 

The kneeling position is unusual, but it works visually, introducing a sense of submission.

 

 

The rear view presented to the captor is even better.

 

 

I included a 'riding the wedge' image in Part 1 of this series, It simply showed the rider and by implication focussed on the physical and mental discomfort caused by the device. The introduction of a leather clad top here, surveying the captive, brings home his vulnerability to external interference. Indeed, the restraint arrangement offers him up to such mischief, and he looks quite apprehensive about it. His relative youth and sheer cuteness suggests an experience gap which is likely to be narrowed somewhat before too long. 

 This surprising sequel opens up another dimension to his initiation. The prospect his new visitors promise seems just as scary, judging by his face, but excitement still shows elsewhere. It looks as if he's got himself into a seriously leather, gender-neutral establishment, although the setting looks like an ordinary, nightclub, out of hours. 

It was these two images that prompted me to do a Part 3 of this review. 

 

Didn't that guy do something to me in that S&M Club last night?

Homoeros does a lot of vanilla studies. This one, showing a jogger's chance encounter in the woods, is rather nice. Love is in the air here, not fetish.

 

Two men, clad in black, commit another unfortunate to the cross.

This is a compelling image of the grim moment of truth.

 

 

 

The technician stills the condemned man by sitting on his chest.

Producing an incongruous moment of intimacy.

 

The helplessness of the spread-eagled captive is apparent here.

The outstretched arm is beyond his control

 

 

When they switch to deal with his feet,

it's another significant deprivation of any sense of freedom.

 

Then callously stroll away without a backwards look.

 

 

This device is more humane, a display spreader, according to the artist.

Would that were all it could be used for, the incumbent might wish.

 

 

  In a Police Station near you, another Hoodlum submits.

Deprived of his clothing, it might be a long night.

 

 

 

A casual encounter, the locking of eyes tells a story.

It's about wills and intents, as well as attraction.

 

 

 

 

But all is not what it seemed.

Perhaps he got what he wanted anyway.

But he might look more grateful.

 

 

 

'The Hostage' seems to have been put on display.

His sinewy muscle made useless by the simplest of bindings.

 

Read the whole series from Part 1

 

Visit Homoeros at Deviant Art

Mercenary Nick - Part 2

Start reading at Part 1

 

Day 4

8

After a night of humiliation at the hands of the Guards, I had to face my torturers the next day clad only in underpants. Even they were not my own clothes, for my guards had either destroyed, or taken for souvenirs, every item of clothing that I had on. As a sop to my modesty, they gave me a pair of underpants taken from another prisoner. He had no further need of them, they said and out of spite, they told me his name. It was one of my comrades who had disappeared some 3 months earlier, while on the same mission as myself. I was trained not to react to barbs like this or dwell on the truth of them, but the symbolism of losing the last of my possessions did hit me hard. 

I felt like I had been condemned to extinction.

Having been suspended by my wrists during those long, cruel hours of darkness, it was a perverse pleasure to be taken down and spread-eagled on an X-cross instead. I was still tied up and defenceless, but able to stand on my feet again. It was obvious that this restraint would enable the interrogator to attack all parts of my body, if I continued to deny him the information that he wanted. However, he surprised me by producing, not some ferocious flesh destroyer, but an incongruous, small batten of wood. It looked like it was fresh from a DIY shop, an unwelcome reminder of the normal world that was carrying on outside the walls of my prison, oblivious of my plight. 

The Interrogator complimented me on my physique, running his hands over my abs and acknowledging that I had been well-trained. Then he proceeded to apply his stick to my torso, landing vicious blows on it from all angles. That batten might have been small, but by heavens it stung! As time went by, the cumulative effect of hundreds of blows from it, switching between the flat sides and the sharper edges, generated a fiery furnace of pain all over my body. He beat me with it patiently, conserving his energy, so my agony might last as long as possible.

 

 

9

After a while he stopped, looked at my bruised body and sighed, as if in regret. Then he went to his bench and returned with a second batten. He used them simultaneously to beat both sides of my body. The effect of the wood smacking my abs had dulled by them, but when he switched to my ribs, the pain was excruciating. I'm ashamed to say that I gasped, quite loudly. My torturer smiled, then hit me again. I managed better control of my responses the second time, but it was difficult. My struggle to remain silent was obvious. That made him smile again, for it was a sign, a small one, that I was losing, and he was winning. We both knew that, and I trembled inside. 

Before he left to take his lunch, he signed off with the battens by rasping their rough cut edges across my body like a saw. My bruised skin was repeatedly pricked and punctured by splinters, with many of them breaking off and sticking in me. He was playing a childish game, but left me with widespread soreness that returned every time I stretched to relieve the stress of the prolonged restraint.

After he had gone, to my surprise, the Guards took me down and gave me a small but nourishing meal. I ate it appreciatively, imagining that someone, at least, wanted to keep me alive. But for what? As soon as I had finished, they tied me up again.

 

10

When the torturer returned, the games continued. It was clear he was beginning to enjoy the task of wearing me down, waiting for me to crack. He was relying on time and repeated attacks to persuade me, rather than extreme wounding. This time he took up a wooden paddle with which to torment me. 

I'd experienced the paddle before. It looks slightly comical, but its flat surface produces a wider spread of pain. The holes in it ensure that air making way for its delivery do not impair the impact. It is most effective on large muscle groups and so is widely used for buttock spanking. Naturally, my Trainers hadn't spared me that experience and humiliation, although they claimed to think it beneath them. I wasn't convinced about that after experiencing their efforts, but my torturer seemed to share their view, he made no move to turn me round to feel its sting on my behind. Instead, he applied it to my pecs and thighs, two areas which had largely escaped his attention in the morning.  

Vast new areas of fiery pain erupted to torment me.

 

11

 It was a long, long day and it left me raw, bruised and physically exhausted. My borrowed underpants were sopping wet from profuse perspiration, but thankfully, the relatively low level of brutality had spared me the humiliation of losing all control of my organs. I was glad it was over, but, tomorrow would be another day of torment and before that, I faced another night at the mercy of the Guards.

 

 Day 5

 

 

12

 

My Guards must have lost interest in me that night, for I slept right through. There had been visitors, I could tell, for when I awoke, my underwear was round my ankles and there were deposits on my skin. But I hadn't been treated badly enough to wake me up. Perhaps some other unfortunate soul had claimed the attention of the brutalisers. 

 

As usual, the Guards took me straight from my cell to the interrogation room after I had eaten. This time, however, instead of tying me to the cross or a post, they simply shackled my ankles, tethered my wrists to a dangling chain and left me standing in the middle of the room. I stood like that for about an hour, puzzling over this turn of events. Had something happened? Was my torture ended?

 

These foolish thoughts were immediately extinguished when my tormentor returned to resume his painstaking exploration of my inner reserves. To my horror, he was brandishing a bull-whip which made the reason for the changed restraints perfectly clear - he was going to work all over my body and wanted no obstacles to impair his lashes. The ploy of keeping me waiting had softened me up nicely, for I immediately began to tremble with fear. He gleefully used the stock of the whip to lift my chin and make his usual request, was I going to talk?

 

13

 

It took all my courage to refuse once again. 

Seconds later, the whip fell across my body and all the previous bruises re-erupted.

It was just the start of a slow-paced barrage of lashes that spared no part of my body. 

14

 

Before long, I was on my knees blubbering. 

But I had the strength to refuse to give in and tell them what I knew.

 

15

 

My reward was a barrage of kicking and whiplashes which sent me sprawling. 

I lost consciousness.

 

16

 

I can recall very little of what happened after that. I woke up in a primitive, wooden shack with 3 other prisoners. They nursed me back to some semblance of health, until my captors decided I was fit to work in the quarry, which was just outside our hut. This is the place I now call home.

As soon as I was able, I searched for my missing comrade, the man whose underpants I still wore, but I did not find him, only more strangers, most of whom did not speak my language. As I became better acquainted with my new companions, I was able to join in their secret, nightly intimacies, which were unexpectedly tender and comforting. Necessarily so, because of the patrolling guards who might otherwise hear us. 

In reality, though, my only real bond with them is our experience of the Orange Room, of which none of us ever speak. Whether I broke and talked or kept my silence until they gave up trying, I cannot say. It doesn't matter, because I know for sure that my mission ended in failure. It gives me no comfort to have escaped death when my other comrades may well have perished, for I have still paid a terrible price for my failure.

 

17

It's hard work, breaking the stones and carrying them to the collection point where the lorries come to pick them up. I soon discovered that slackers quickly feel the whip, and that invoked such terrible memories for me that I take care not to provoke the overseers if I can help it.

I think about escaping sometimes, but the fire in my belly has gone out. The fear of more, remorseless punishment has finally quenched my spirit. My comrades seem to feel the same, although none of us talk of our past lives or what we endured to get to here. I am one of the lucky ones, supposedly. 

So I wield my sledgehammer and count the hours 'til the next meal, which is usually quite nourishing and designed to keep us alive and working. The alternative would be starvation rations until we die. 

I'm not sure which is the worse fate of the two. 

 ~

Imagery for this story is from 'Mercenary Nick' at Real Chained Heroes.

The star is 'Robert' flaunting his fabulous physique. 

Go to Part 1

 

Leather Art by Nerone - 3

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Homoeros - Recent Work (2025) - 2

Read Part 1 of this '2025 Recent Work' article

 

 

1

 

This story, simply called 'Farm Boys', opens in a sunny field filled with gay flowers. Two Farm Boys are examining a scarecrow. Well, one of them is, I've called him Seth. The other, Tim, is keeping his distance. The scarecrow has an outer wrapping of well-worn sacking, it looks as if it's been around for a long, long time and it's very spooky. Horror movie fans will recognise the meme with relish. The pumpkins lying around on the floor confirm the worst, this has got to be Halloween. 

 

The presence of summer flowers in Autumn might be considered another spooky element. It's probably artistic licence, designed to give that initial impression of beauty, peace and well-being.

2

Despite his amazing muscles, Tim is unnerved by the scarecrow and wants to get away. Seth laughs and puts a reassuring, affectionate arm round his shoulder. The two friends walk off, unaware that behind them, the scarecrow seems to have reacted to them in a disturbing way.

3

The Farm Boys hold hands as they depart, clearly they are more than just friends. 

The scarecrow seems to be watching them. 

We see now that it isn't secured to the support.

 

4

That evening, a mysterious mist descends on the farm. 

As Seth walks home, he is unaware of strange creatures emerging from it behind him.

In the distance, the scarecrow's cross is now vacant.

 

5

Seth is attacked by the creatures, overwhelmed and stripped naked*.

As they carry him off, a storm breaks. Brilliant lightning sears the sky, 

Torrential rain pelts Seth's naked body.

*more images at DeviantArt (link below)

6

With the storm raging, the creatures carry Seth across the sodden field

Ahead, two scarecrow crosses are planted amongst the pumpkins.

One of them is already occupied, a naked man hangs from the cross piece. 

He's tied by his wrists and ankles.

7

Seth is dragged the last few yards to the crosses, where the 3rd creature awaits.

He looks up at the last minute and sees the unconscious, hooded figure already hanging there.

 

8

Seth is hung on the cross next to Tim.

The rain continues to pelts down on them, cascading down their naked bodies.

Lightning flashes illuminate their glossy, neutralised muscles.

 

You can fill in the gaps in this tale by starting to read at Deviant Art 

 

This tale is a splendid, gothic variation on Homoeros' favourite theme of crucifixion. 

A bloodless one, which pleases me. The horror iconography is a bit random, but the scarecrow role reversal is very effective, and the outcome is still disturbingly sexy. It does seem, as if Seth and Tim are being punished for being gay, the same might also be said of the story of hitchhiker Leo in Part 1. But equally, it may simply be that these malevolent creatures hate lovers and happy people.

See the foot of this post for other scarecrows 

and ominous farm settings at mitchmen.

 

 

9 Medieval 43

The artist's interest in depicting homophobic situations is even more explicit in this series, which is simply titled 'Medieval'. A nobleman's son has been caught in 'flagrante delicto' with a wandering Player (i.e. an entertainer). No guessing who's going to be blamed for this fall from grace! A dripping dick is the smoking gun. 

 

The Player is abused then dragged before a priest - to confess and reform, I guess. This is a great image with good composition and convincing figure interactions. The Renaissance style colouring and warm lighting in the style of Caravaggio is a very clever embellishment.

 

 

10 Medieval 59

The Priest proves to better at exploitation than rectification, but I suppose someone has to have a pop at the handsome offender before he is despatched to his fate. He also hangs around afterwards to legitimise the sadistic proceedings that follow. The Player is spread X-fashion across a timber frame and the whips are brought out.

 

 

11 Medieval 61

The executioner lays the whip on with ferocious energy. I can't say I enjoy the sight of blood, especially after having read about the consequences of harsh floggings in Clavering's 'Under The Lash', but this is an intensely dramatic image, made more so by the crazy angling. 

 

The executioner's arched torso expresses a determination to inflict the maximum pain. The stiffness of the victim's physique reflects his efforts to manage and contain it. The naked man's anatomy is more compact and realistic than in older work by this artist.

12 Medieval 77

Once the tormentors have completed the designated flogging and discharged their own interest, the victim is taken down. He's set on the floor, with a timber block under his shoulders, and they proceed to nail his arms to it. I've selected this single image to represent that process (depicted at length by Homoeros), because it illustrates the victim's horror and helplessness as he grasps what they intend to do to him. The torturers continue to show their keenness to do the job well, sitting astride him, not shying away from intimate contact with the condemned man. 

13 Medieval 88

When the grisly attachment process is complete, the block is lifted into brackets high up on a wall frame especially built to hold it. This elaborate arrangement suggests crucifixion is a regular occurrence in this particular dungeon, but it seems the perpetrators never tire of watching their victim's suffering and descent into oblivion. Unlike Leo the rambler in Part 1 of this post, there's no-one to rescue the young Player.

Fill in the picture gaps at Deviant Art starting from Medieval 01

 

~

 

There are a number of other examples of spooky scarecrows 

and ominous farm settings at mitchmen:-

 

Chenz-X-Chen, from Art by Chenz-X-Chen 

EdDraws (sinister happenings in a corn field)

Amalaric (scarecrow punishment in Cruel Justice)

Jotto (scarecrow conversion)

RomanAI (sinister corn fields)

Palanca (corn fields and corns)

 

click on the labels at the foot of the post for other related articles

 

~

 

14

 

Here, it looks like the Player from 'Medieval' has got himself into more trouble.

The naked man, drunk and disorderly, is arrested and handcuffed in a modern city centre.

I suppose reincarnation might well perpetuate the terrible traumas of a previous existence.

This detention may not be without bodily consequences either, invasive maybe, but not fatal.  

The moment when a man submits to capture never fails to stir me.

 

 

 

 

15

 

This appears to be a very different situation where two men have emerged from an underground tunnel to discover the opening is sealed by bars. You can feel their frustration and disappointment. This may be an escape attempt that has come to naught. Maybe they didn't even suspect they had been imprisoned, but were just exploring. Now the terrible truth unfolds. 

There's an echo of Gilgamesh in the idea of a labyrinthine prison.

 

 

16

This man certainly knows he is a captive, because he's in a bare stone cellar with his hands tied.

He must have tried to escape, but thwarted now, he kneels submissively to await his fate.

The simplicity of the image gives a sense of his helplessness and abandonment.

 

17

This captive is tied to an easel-like frame, as if by a man who sees himself as an artist.

A man who sees his captive as worthy of display, a canvass for his artistic talents.

However, it's a frame of tremendous size and strength, built to withstand great forces.

Neither of these ingredients bode well for the young captive.

His muscularity pleases the eye, but will be sorely tested in the coming days, sorely.

18

The final image in this selection is another simple but powerful idea.

A naked man has been brought to his knees by another, skimpily dressed in gladiatorial accessories.

He's not restrained, nor trapped in a cell, but bought low in a vast open, deserted arena.

With his back turned, defenceless, to his antagonist, his bowed head signals total submission.  

 

The telltale clues to this sorry state can be seen in the area below his left armpit:-

Flecks of blood and a glimpsed loop of a whip.

His strong jaw and masculine stubble underline the depths of his subjugation.

Dejection, humiliated. A great little image.

 

~

 

 Read Part 1 of this '2025 Recent Work' article

 

&

 

More Homoeros at mitchmen blog