#love this bastard very much | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

foxwithashortsword · 2 years

Text

Alright on to the third, Axel.

He also has the unfortunate circumstance of terrible, neglectful guardians that Atlas had, a little less on the physical side though. The gems manipulate him solely to use his Diamond heritage as leverage and his pure facade as a means to end the empire but behind closed doors wanting nothing to do with him.

Axel does have a sweet heart, that which rivals the heart of the original but he’s got a bit of pent up everything. Understandable, I’d think, to be a walking, ticking time bomb when your family uses you for their own gain and your friends don’t know you for who you are and you are not appreciated, loved, or recognized for your sacrifice by anyone. Well, except for Connie.

Good god these two, the only thing keeping the other from flipping their shit into oblivion… except for the fact that Axel had already picked up a fucked philosophy and a bloody side hobby on his lonesome.

Thing is, repression and anger are a dangerous mix, if you put something near that concoction it always causes a violent reaction. So when someone(Connie) loves him and sees him, he latches on, viscous and protective. So yeah, you’ve got a real mixing pot of shit here, and Connie is just along for the ride because she doesn’t know he’s a literal freelance axe murderer.

Axel has this view of the world, a dillusion even; that he doesn’t owe anyone anything, that he’s spent himself year after year for nothing and that because his unrewarded efforts saved the world, he’s got the right to fuck the world right back up again. No care or consideration for anyone else, except Connie, again. And you’d think “there’s no way Connie wouldn’t catch on, what with disappearance cases everywhere in Delmarva.” Well you’re right, she does go after the killer, she just doesn’t know it’s her super powered boyfriend.

And surprise, surprise Connie catches him… pretty much in the act… and oh boy is that a fun encounter. Connie couldn’t understand, she had to see him crack someone’s skull open to understand and it takes Connie’s reaction for Axel to realize that by not involving her he just made it more difficult for them both. And so Axel makes a change. Instead of doing this bloody freedom campaign for himself… he does it for them both. He vows that he’ll do anything for her, to protect her, to cherish her and to keep her away from danger (from things that could take her away from him) by any means necessary, by that he means butchering the person in an alley or in their sleep…

And Connie doesn’t know what to do, the answer should’ve been so simple; report him, serve justice, prevent more death. But alas, it’s not so simple, not when he’s the only one who supports her, who helps her, who whispers sweet nothings to her with the same ease as breathing. What would she have if she gave him up? Who would she be? She feared she might be nothing. So all that ends up occurring is a stalemate at best… Connie doesn’t reveal him, but she doesn’t stop loving him either.

And Axel, he’s just going even stronger; under the illusion that his conquest for freedom and untethered love is even more righteous, his determination is just a fanned flame. So, one night as the news plays in the background, recounting the ever mounting piles of missing people reports and gruesome details of bodies found cut into pieces or trashed in ditches, Axel etches a word into the head of his axe, sideways, in-line with the blade of the axe. “I’ll always love you.” He whispers “always and Evermore.” A mental mantra, a carved oath, one he intends to keep, with his last breath, with every last drop of burning blood…

From there it’s rather monotonous, well, for Axel it’s monotonous: dinner date with Connie on Friday, murder the douche who called her a name under his breath on Saturday. Smoke a pack of cigarettes under the stars on Sunday, then some sort of parallelism of that throughout the following days…aside from the occasional conversation he has with Connie about his life choices that is beginning to feel more and more common. But it’s fine, she just doesn’t quite understand yet, he thinks. Yeah she’ll see when it’s done and then we’ll have the world, just us two, he agrees, and runs a small whetstone down the blade of the axe yet again. ‘It’s a nice thought’ Connie had once said when he told her of his plan. He would smile at the memory, though she didn’t seem to small quite as bright… he shakes his head, it’s a very nice thought.

#he’s lovesick yes he’s an axe murder yes #I like the trope don’t yell at me #anyways #love this bastard very much #Axel #steven universe #steven universe future #su #su future #steven quartz universe #connie maheswaran #connverse #technically?#my aus

8 notes · View notes

sneez · 4 months

Text

family portrait :D young sam and sybil are behaving themselves and vimes is throwing a hissy fit because they tried to make him wear the helmet

[id: a digital painting of three people sitting for a portrait in a domestic interior. young sam is standing with his hands behind his back and beaming proudly. vimes is standing behind him with his hand on his shoulder, wearing a shiny military uniform and a surly expression. sybil is sitting on the right with an arm around young sam, smiling at the viewer. a plumed helmet is sitting on a table on the left. end id.]

#discworld #sam vimes #sybil ramkin #young sam vimes #artwork #discworld is inspiring me so much at the moment ive got it on the brain #vimes wore the helmet for 3 seconds and then took it off and refused to comb his helmet hair which is why he looks like that #also idk where the idea of sybil wearing wigs came from (i havent read all the books yet so i am not sure if it’s canon or headcanon) but i #am so besotted with that idea so assume sybil is bewigged any time i draw her #thats why she has no grey hairs here. i imagine her having very short wispy hair underneath #i literally love her so much ive been thinking about her for days she means the world 2 me #this is the first time ive drawn either her or young sam and im so happy with how they came out thats exactly how i picture them in my head #ive drawn vimes once before but i can usually get him close to my Brain Picture without too much difficulty #i just think Grumpy Bastard (affectionate) and there he is #also happy end of the year my friends! may 2024 bring you all the things you desire i love you

1K notes · View notes

potatobugz · 10 days

Text

here is a collection of riptide drawings that i made a while ago but never posted ^_^

431 notes · View notes

carnivalcarriondiscarded · 2 months

Text

caterpillar? more like cu. more like cunty. cuntypil. um.

#you're honor he's a bastard and a capitalist but despite his faults i love him very much #so i think he should be Absolved of all crimes and allowed to stay silly w/ it #he's really The Guy of all time...#cant wait to see more of him!!!#man now i gotta go listen to his audios i need to hear his goofy ass voice again <3 #scribble salad #welcome home #welcome home puppet show #howdy pillar #blowing him a kiss and then chucking the communist manifesto at his tube head #i could radicalize him...#no actually i dont think Anyone could #he doesnt even get paid. he's out there scamming and lying for shits and gigs #i fear that he's beyond redemption but That's Okay!!!#i support howdy pillar rights AND wrongs <3 #i have faith that he'll pay through suffering The Horrors and fuck knows what else <3 #i need him to get tossed around like a ragdoll in a rabid dog's mouth #tear the bitch apart! (said so so So affectionately)

417 notes · View notes

spielzeugkaiser · 1 year

Note

hi, first off i really love your art. the h/c and warmth really hit me where i live and your illustration style is fantastic. lately i've been obsessed with the post where an unwell milek thinks geralt will leave him behind. was that an ingrained insecurity, assuming his super-witcher dad wouldn't have time for a sickly human kid?

[MASTERPOST] - Ahh, thank you for the ask! Yes, this scene.. I actually saw this a bit differently! It's not about Milek fearing Geralt will leave him behind, he actually wants him to. They need to find his Pa!! I think he often feels like a burden; Jaskier knows this, but Geralt isn't aware of this yet. Milek just wants to pull his weight, especially with Jaskier. A little sneak peak to their struggles regarding this:

Meanwhile Jaskier continues to struggle with his omega status.

#jaskier #the witcher #geraskier lovechild #julian alfred pankratz #omegaverse #there are various things happening here! a. Milek never really had to fear that Jaskier would leave him he knows he never ever would #b. Jaskier said again and again that he'll always care for him and loves him and that he doesn't have to pull any weight at all #c. Jaskier actually became the parent that just wants his kid to be educated and study and learn #(maybe because he knows Milek won't be able to do hard labour but also because he knows what Milek really wants to do)#(filed under: things I haven't drawn yet but they had their big fallout because of oxenfurt and university - things to come in the future)#d. Milek has watched Jaskier working his ass off in various jobs that he didn't like #(and he thinks that prostitution is the worst but only because they didn't properly talk about it before)#e. Jaskier is struggling with how he is percieved - which I think was never that much on his mind when he was travelling with Geralt #being a carefree bard and giving everyone the middlefinger who had some wrong ideas about what he could do and what not #but this is definitely an AU in which he doesn't have a good relationship with his father and he can still hear him say he'll become #'an unbonded omega with a bastard child working on the streets' and I think sometimes it gets to him #(because Jaskier is king of hating his parents ever being right about him)#that Jaskier kind of wants to spare Milek and quietly hopes we won't become an omega - even if he feels bad about it - shall become plot #(one dayyyy)#anyway that was a very long rant about Mileks complex relationship with him feeling like a burden

777 notes · View notes

shorthaltsjester · 6 months

Text

once again, begging, BEGGING everyone in the cr fandom to stop making posts critiquing how the fandom is being weird about one cast member by saying "if it was x, the fandom would love this/hate this even more." it turns out the cr fandom contains Multitudes of weird ass people and just because you haven't seen those reactions (or, even funnier if you are making claims about what the fandom does/does not do to other cast members, were not in the fandom during c1/c2) does not mean they do not exist. like there are certainly different social dynamics and injustices at play in some of the reactions the audience has to cast members, but almost always it is less a case of misogyny/queerphobia and more a case of people forgetting that storytelling is about understanding choices you would not yourself make and watching characters develop through conflict/struggle.

like, you can have the most salient point to make in the world about how shitty the reaction of the fandom to a certain cast member's (not their character, but the cast member as a person) choices but you immediately undo that if you make a claim like "if liam did this, the fandom would love it." perhaps the part of the fandom you are in, but certainly not the fandom that wanted to persecute him for having vax choose keyelth over gilmore, certainly not the fandom that consistently manufactured actual dislike between him and marisha throughout campaign 2 because of character choices.

likewise you might be absolutely right in criticizing the choices of the character that one of the cast members is playing, but if then in turn you say, "if this was a female cast member, everyone would hate it." my brother in christ, You are already the person who hates that character choice and it Wasn't a female cast member, so what is the truth? unless you have the statistics on the opinions every person who engages with the cr fandom has, truly just. you can make your point without appealing to a sense of misogyny/queerphobia/favouritism or whatever that you have no actual grounds for believing exists except for the fact that misogyny in general exists.

this isn't to say that things like misogyny don't influence how people react to things, all of our opinions are mediated through the social and material conditions in which we live. obviously, misogyny exists. however, truly, truly, the bigger problem in the cr fandom (at least on twitter/tumblr, idk about reddit and that is a choice I've intentionally made) is the consistent expectation that the cast adheres to what so many fans call 'comfort media' and a requirement that one's own opinions be validated by what the majority of the fandom believes (which aside from the obvious, is also an absurd expectation because trying to gauge the 'majority' of the cr fandom would be truly so much data). the cast have made it explicit many times that they value things like high stakes and big risks in their storytelling, and sometimes that means stupid character choices, character deaths, or interparty conflict. so much of the fandom has decided to engage with cr regardless of this and then gets upset when the liveplay of a ttrpg built around conflict contains conflict. similarly, people who claim to enjoy this conflict then get pissed off when other people in the fandom disagree with them and give away the ghost that what they want is validation by arguing that it is somehow problematic for the other side to have their opinions. it is much easier to blame any lack of satisfaction on how, actually, your section of the fandom has the right opinion and, actually, if everyone else wasn't queerphobic/misogynistic then they would see the proverbial light.

anyway, this is just me ranting out of both literal and metaphorical exhaustion with the "persuasive" (heavy quotes) tactics that some people in this fandom use. please look up some tips on like, how to avoid logical fallacies or formal critical thinking or just like. state your opinions and say you dislike the other options without thinking you need to provide some (often blatantly and horribly incorrect) rationale for how you're right. accept the pretentious bastard within yourself and stop seeking validation for your opinions in the fandom around you, your opinions are already correct if you assume them to be.

#yes this is about the recent ashton shit #yes ashton is a bastard. yes much of the fandom hates what he did. another bunch of the fandom Loves what he did.#i promise if liam had done it the same would be true it would just be different parts of the fandom #likewise if say laura had done something like that it might be opposite parts of the fandom than the opinions on tals choice as ashton #but the fandom would very much still feature both opinions heavily #anyway from one pretentious and exhausted grad student to a multitude of people in the fandom who have accurate things to say that get #undone by their false generalized claims about the fandom. you can just say something is fucked up/fantastic without having to address at #all the people who disagree #critical role #on fandom #my post

106 notes · View notes

nat-20s · 4 months

Text

Donna's season is definitely what I most remember of the Tenth Doctor so sometimes people talk about how Ten wasn't very physically affectionate and tended to hold himself back from touch and I'm like ????. Ten was holding hands or clinging to or hugging Donna constantly. They could not be physically separated for too long or they'd both get sad. And then I'm like ah right. Ten was his most Babygirl with Donna lmao

#tennant doctor #tenth doctor #donna noble #ten with rose: extremely silly little war criminal. still very much a war criminal though lol #ten with martha: bastard. ill kill him 🔪🔪🔪🔪#ten with donna: what if a yellow lab was soulmates with a cheetah. they switch who is who.#genuinely tho i dont think they go a single episode without hugging and or holding hands #EVEN THE ONES WHERE THEY'RE SEPERATED THEY STILL GET A HUG IN JUST UNDER THE WIRE #i love them ;-;

73 notes · View notes

bonebabbles · 2 months

Note

I remember when I was reading DOTC when I was around 10, and ever since Misty died I had been waiting for the moment where Birch and Alder learned about her murder, how everyone in their lives has kept it a secret. And then it just didn't happen.

I also remember obsessively re-reading the part where Quiet Rain blows up at Clear Sky.

Birch and Alder are two characters that are just so...

I WANT to say they were forgotten about, but that word doesn't feel right for how they're constantly showing up on the screen. Clear Sky occasionally feels guilty about how he murdered their mother, but for the vast majority of the time, that's described in passive voice. So you're not reminded of just HOW cruel he was, and still very much is.

It's like they're not allowed to be characters.

Like, how does Alder feel about Clear Sky, who seemed to be acting as an adoptive father until he beat her as a child? How did Birch respond later, when Clear Sky was so busy thrashing his sister that he was threatened by a dog? How do they feel about the man who took their mother away from them?

They keep getting cited as "Good Examples Of Non-Campborn Cats," dodging around the fact they were stolen and raised by Petal. Like a lot of the other "adoptions" in the series, she quietly stops mattering to them. But even this fact... like, they're being OTHERED when they were functionally raised SkyClan.

How do they feel about THAT? That their earliest memory is SkyClan, and yet, they'll never be considered truly, fully "clanborn."

Their whole life taken from them, by Clear Sky's cruelty, their formative years spent in his violent shadow, and the narrative is just not interested in that.

#birch wc #alder wc #I see a lot of people calling this arc So Very Interesting #Begging for more of it #but like... the more I think about this arc the more I hate it.#Both reading it and the deep dissatisfaction that settles over me thinking about how much potential it wasted #All sacrificed on the altar of Sweet Brother Love or whatever was going on there #Even people who go 'oh it was so exciting' like... when. did we read the same series #the entire thing is clear sky causing problems and then no one is allowed to react violently to them #because that makes us Just As Bad #what was interesting about 3 books of the moor cats doing NOTHING as clear makes the plot happen #And another 3 books of Clear just being a bastard and everyone feels bad about hating his guts #And here's Birch and Alder who have never really been explored ever #because it would require them to fucking hate the guy who ruined their lives #it doesn't JIVE with his exoneration arc. so it cant happen

39 notes · View notes

just-in-the-nickleback-of-time · 1 year

Text

Atreus:

#has this been done before?#probably #guess who started playing god of war again?#he’s just a little boy #a baby!#kratos: LOOK AT HIM! isn’t he handsome :) and smart? he is also very kind and loves animals :) he can turn into them #he loves his boy #kratos would be the most aggressive parent at the pata meeting #love that he went from ‘I cannot express to my son how much I love and cherish him’ to what we have no #it’s perfect #picking up his son and shoving him in peoples faces like a proud cat owner showing you their slinky bastard baby #‘LOOK AT MY SON!!!! WE ARE HERE BECAUSE HE WANTED TO BE HERE. I LOVE HIM’#truly Atreus’ no 1 fan #god of war atreus #god of war kratos #god of war #god of war spoilers #god of war 5 #I think it’s five?#kratos #Atreus #Tyr #god of war Tyr #god of war meme #striking while the irons freezing

178 notes · View notes

patrocles · 1 year

Photo

sara snow. daughter of a lord, sister of another. a bastard she-wolf. a keeper of the old faith.

#a song of ice and fire #asoiafedit #asoiafgif #sara snow #valyrianscrolls #yall im just making stuff up #the important thing to know is that ragga ragnars is 6'2 so sara is ALSO 6'2 #and in my vision she is cregans elder sister because the idea of cregan being someones baby brother is cute to ME #ive been listening to a lot of heilung so i have this whole vision about sara being like an arbiter of the faith #hippy-dippy ritual priestess type #GREENSEER MAYHAPS????#i love the idea of a bastard woman of winterfell who exists in a very specific social status #than what we know of bastardy in the south #theres so many unknown variables and so much potential to do something interesting #we have so many princesses and ladies but what about the low social class girlies #im asking the real questions

233 notes · View notes

goldiipond · 9 months

Text

HAPPY 7TH ANNIVERSARY TPN!!!!!!

i thought it would be fun to celebrate by redrawing the first full tpn piece i ever made! this series means so so much to me and im so grateful for it <3

original from february 2022 under the cut!

#skye's doodles #YAYAYAAAAAAAAA i finished this at like. almost exactly midnight last night <3 skye master of deadlines #i am so so happy w this looking at these pieces side by side just fills me w this sense of accomplishment. im proud of where my art is now #especially happy w the improvement in my colors n anatomy... n also using more funky shapes w my character designs #speaking of designs im really really happy w my designs for these guys especially emma and ray. skye faves get the latino beam <3 #the vida was still hell i vividly remember procrastinating on those bastard flowers for a week w the old one. very happy w them though <3 #anyway. im soo grateful for this community ive made some really great friends here. i love yoy #and lastly im thanking ray <3 i genuinely cannot put into words how much he has meant to me over this fixation. he is everything to me <3 #the promised neverland #tpn #yakusoku no neverland #tpn emma #tpn norman #tpn ray #tpn don #tpn gilda #tpn phil #tpn conny

125 notes · View notes

tswwwit · 9 months

Note

I know Bill's the big bad demon everyone is afraid of and he will protect his husband at all costs (when no one's looking), but I think it's also worth mentioning that Dipper, even being the dorky, squishy human that he is, also cares about his dumb demon hubby and wants to keep him safe, even if it annoys Bill, and really, he doesn't need protecting the way Dipper does. He isn't going to puff out his chest and get in someone's face like some macho man, but I think Dipper knee-jerk reaction when Bill's in "danger" isn't to just shrug because he's an all-powerful demon who can handle it. If a blast that could level a whole town was aimed at Bill's head (for him, this just means a bad hair day and a new body), Dipper's immediate impulse is to push him out of the way or defend him against whatever wants to kill his familiar. Because he's not thinking "Bill could literally end this match in .3 seconds." He's thinking "if you touch even one hair on that asshole's head, I'm going to knock yours clean off your shoulders." I don't know what the point even is in this post, just that Dipper is this nerdy, unassuming guy who ends up being viciously protective under the right conditions. Like I think Dipper pulls off the bloody and vengeful look SO well that Bill immediately melts and just lets him handle the situation, even though it's not really Dipper's fight to begin with. He's beating the guy to a pulp with zero reserve, and Bill's off to the side swooning and twirling his hair over his man for getting his hands dirty for him.

It's true! While Bill's not the type to enjoy being underestimated, he has to admit! Seeing his adorable husband all riled up on his behalf is a hell of a sight.

The thing is, Dipper's a good guy! He can't help but put himself in danger over others. Even when all reason and logic say that Bill would be absolutely fine if he got his head exploded or a shiv in his kidney, Dipper's instinct is to fully and immediately get in the way of that. To, in fact, be protective.

Mostly this is only evident when Dipper has to stand up to Ford. Yes, yes, Bill's a vile horrible monstrosity, but he didn't do that particular thing you're accusing him of. Watching him stand up to his uncle is a particular treat!

For bigger threats, though - Well. Bill's gonna be absolutely fine, no matter what happens, thank you very much. But he's definitely not opposed to seeing some guy who was about to literally stab him in the back get a few of his teeth knocked out.

#answers #Dipper doesn't like seeing his husband get hurt. Yes Bill likes pain and all but only contextually. And he's immortal.#But Dipper can't help but cringe and wince on his behalf anyway. He talks a lot of shit but he really does love his bastard husband #When it comes to most of the the Ford situations #Bill gets to have fun with those #Dipper's ready to argue on Bill's behalf. Most times. Yes a little head-explodey doesn't keep Bill down but Dipper is NOT a fan #Catch Bill standing just behind Dipper - or even leaping up into his arms and nearly making him topple over -#Only to look very self-satisfied. Going :3 'yes I am babey'#Looking like the perfect innocent cherub he absolutely isn't gets on Ford's nerves in a HUGE way #Both super obnoxious AND it makes his mortal roll his eyes at him. SO fun!#For other times he gets defended it's Bill's turn to roll his eyes #But goddamn if it isn't cute as hell. PLUS it's one of the rare times he actually sees Dipper really riled up #Not in like a flustered argumentative type of way. In an actual Fuck You You're Going Down kinda way #Real stupid that Dipper keeps doing this. But real hard to oppose it when Bill gets such a view outta it!#Also concept: Dipper trying to shield Bill while he's in his real form and feeling a moment of 'oh no' when he fails #Only for like. The knife to go 'tink' off his surface. Bill looks unimpressed #Another reminder for Dipper that yeah okay Bill can handle himself. He feels pretty dumb about it #That's okay DIpper you mean well! Bill will still smooch you for trying #APPROVED.jpeg implied but not included due to me adding too much text

69 notes · View notes

the-crow-binary · 1 year

Text

You guys want to know a fun flower fact ?

Lilies represent pure love, the nobility of feelings, but also marital union. After the death of someone, they are used to represent the purification of their soul before they reach heaven.

So now that we established that... What about we take a look at two lovely pics ? <3

First is Mathias Cronqvist and the corpse of Elisabetha, covered with lilies. Second is...

Dracula from CoD.

It's interesting to see that Mathias has a few lilies of his own. If Elisabetha's probably represent all of what i mentioned above, Mathias' lilies might only represent his feelings for her, how deeply he cared, his union with her. But it's interesting to interpret them as some sort of "mockery" of the "purification of the soul before reaching heaven" part, knowing how that man ends up. <3 Dead ? Yes (kinda). Pure ? No. Heaven ? LOL. LMAO. <3 His lilies are also clean. Just normal, pure white flowers...

Now if we look at Dracula's lily, not only is there only one, but... it's bloodied. And while Mathias' lilies were "attached" to him, Dracula is actually holding his... by the tip of it's rod. As if he could let go at any moment, as if it would slip from his hand from the slightest wrong movement. It's a very delicate situation. And the representation of his current state of mine. This man is broken. He loved Lisa so deeply he regained his humanity back while with her, but everything shattered when she died. If the lily represents his love for Lisa and what was left of his humanity, things part of him is still hanging onto... you can be sure it fell off his hand the moment Trevor killed him. Grief and rage took place in his heart, turning a love that was pure into something unholy. Into an obsession, a fuel for his madness. And while he lost the flower, the blood remained. He's forever tainted, unable to escape his sadness and anger.

This is my interpretation, though I'm sure there can be more. Thanks for coming to my ted talk.

#those men have a lily motif and I am very grateful for it <3 #castlevania #castlevania analysis #vlad dracula tepes #mathias cronqvist #lament of innocence #curse of darkness #wish there was an artwork of Dracula and Lisa + lilies. just like Mathias had with Elisabetha :<#i checked. there is no lilies in sight in the 'dracula holds lisa's dead body' artwork. :(#a shame.#elisabetha cronqvist #lisa tepes #local bastard #i love them so fucking much. GAH.

139 notes · View notes

carnivalcarriondiscarded · 8 months

Note

Im sorry but I love how Wally is just going ''aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa-'' in the background while Howdy was talking during the video [im talking about the video of the Wally plush btw]

ikr its so cute!! a lil scream he scrumpt Wally Style!

#the ad is just chock full of gems....#AND THE FUCKIN. THE CENSORED BOOTLEG LMFAO #'oh marmalade on a hotdog what is that thing!!'#top tier! i cackled #and wally's additional commentary <3 'is that an apple?'#i also love how howdy continues to Lie so Blatantly <3 #he's a bit of a bastard and im heart him #BUT YES! THE FLAT aaaaaaaaa ITS EVERYTHING #wally is the most character ever #rambles from the bog #ill need to listen Very closely to the 'corrupted' part of the lil vid. i feel like there's something in there #a voice....#i wonder if the ad is Connected to the Lore somehow... if it has implications or ties in at all? who knows!#maybe im looking into it too much! maybe its not that deep! but maybe it Is.... mayhaps. it. is.

82 notes · View notes

hcdragonwrites · 9 months

Text

A Nightmare (a @journey-to-the-au drabble)

Another one! I split this one into two- so that way the people who enjoy fluff and are sensitive to the triggers can pick one or the others. Warning: this is about the Six Eared Macaque and what happens in the Betrothal AU

Trigger warning: Gore, Violence, Cannibalism and Descriptions of the Like. Allusions of SA (nothing happens but if this is a trigger don’t read!)

Did Heaven know of nightmares?

Earth Reaching Willow couldn’t answer that. In all her endless days within the Polestar Palace, among the Orchards of Immortal Peaches, and across the wide clouded bridges and celestial marvels, she had never known anything but tranquility and Peace.

Willow felt the other Monkeys of the troop swirling about her. Mothers bared fangs in fierce smiles while fathers and brothers teetered on grabbing weapons or jumping into the fray. However the being before them, the being that had been living among them, wore a familiar face, spoke in a voice that was warm in tenor.

It was a trusted person, a king of kindness, that had sat before them with grisly gore smeared over his teeth.

This wasn’t Wukong.

The Monkey King slouched, relaxed on the floor of Water- Curtain Cave. The gray stone beneath was dark with the scattered remnants of …

Willow couldn’t. She couldn’t - who had it been? Who had they been ? Willow had spent decades among the troop of Flower Fruit Mountain, years watching her new family grow and flourish. She had welcomed new members, helping mothers tend and care in turn for the babies and teach. She had brought flower petals to scatter upon the bodies of old and fallen friends and family, returning their vessels to the earth and praying for their next reincarnation. Death was not impossible for the Monkeys of the mountain even if age was not a factor now.

Her stomach curled at the scattered red and pink and purple flecks against the gray stone.

Willow had tended and cared for her family. Liu, Rin Rin, Ma, Ba, Beng, Mama Courage, Mama Wisdom, Chestnut- and so many more. She had cared for them because they loved her and she loved them.

Willow cared for them in all the years Wukong had been away. She, wife and friend to king of Flower Fruit Mountain, understood the importance of her position.

This creature that had once been alive was now twitching as it’s body bled out.

Another rending, echoed in the cave. The teeth of this Wukong hooked into the rib cage of the fallen little monkey beneath his foot. The red flesh pulled free of the white bone with a shlap sound. This mimicry of Wukong slurped the flesh and smacked his lips as if in ecstasy.

“Exquisite taste as always.” The voice was so familiar in its sound. Wrong wrong, Willows mind warned, her stomach becoming stone. This isn’t him!

The corpse of the monkey lay near the entrance of the cavern, splayed out in the pose of a running animal having been taken down by a lion. Upon that corpse, casual foot set against its shoulders, was the monarch of the mountain.

Mama Courage was bristled, fangs flashing and eyes full of fury. For all the rage behind him, the creature that wore the skin of their friend, was unperturbed. Instead he dug his claws into the skin and pulled. The sound set her teeth on edge and her stomach to flipping. Something pink and soft was between his claws- and then down his gullet.

The mothers and the distant warriors around the cave watched in horror. Most of the troop was outside, enjoying the everlasting summer of the mountain. Willow wished she had been just a bit faster, just a bit sooner and she could have been among them.

Instead she was stuck inside a living nightmare.

The Wukong turned his head, eyes alighting on one little of the troop adolescents who came too close. Faster than any of them could react, the Wukong had seized the youngster by his tail and dragged him over. The mothers started forward but froze at the pained screams of the little monkey.

“Curious one are you not?” The Wukong grinned, all threat within that smile. He sat the youngster beside him, petting his fur and pulling it close. “Come! Take a bite! This foolish subject shouldn’t have brushed me in his haste to get by. Now he will serve me in the only remaining way he can~”

“Eat! Eat!” With his free paw he gestured to the slaughtered monkey at his feet. The individual had had his throat cut, the blood pooling beneath his dun fur. The great wound on his side had been inflicted while they had been alive, it had happened right before Willows eyes.

Willow didn’t remember what the conversation had been about before. She had been walking out of one of the stone huts, signing to Wisdom beside her. It was the season for apple picking and they were both in a deep conversation about what foods to make with the apples they harvested.

‘Pies?’ Wisdom had puzzled.

‘And jams’ Willow signed back. ‘Tarts and sauces.’

‘You want to make these?’ Wisdom signed as they turned past a curve in the cave.

‘I want to teach others how to cook them’ Willow explained. She had been baking for years now, testing and trying new creations. With so many different types of fruit orchards and with an ever abundance of rotating bloomings and ripenings, Willow couldn’t resist. Apple pies, peach cobblers, plum puddings, candied pears, and strawberry tarts. So many things Willow could make- so many treats she could spoil her family with.

When Earth Reaching Willow had started making her first treats, the smell had begun to attract some of the denizens of the mountain. Little round faces poked through the kitchen windows, eyes wide and noses inhaling. Willow had passed each little one a bit of whatever she had been making- breads full of almonds, ripe watermelons dipped into sugar, orange juice freshly pressed for the porridge she would make- and they had scurried away, excited.

It had only taken three days for the rest of the mountain to be waiting outside her door, eyes eager and arms full of the fruits they wanted made into treats.

‘Teaching will be difficult.’ Courage signed.

‘How so? I like to teach and I think most will have the patience to learn.” Willow countered gently. Then she suddenly had a thought and amended, ‘Maybe not Ba though. I think he will be the one that will possibly try to sabotage me for a prank or steal whatever I make’

Courage laughed her silent laugh. Her eyes twinkled with mirth. ‘If he switches your fruits I will make sure he gets a thorough fruit thrashing. But no- I have no concern of your ability. Only about how much space we may have in the kitchen.’

It was Willows turn to laugh.

The morning had been going so well.

And then.

The two rounded the last curve of the tunnel, coming up to the roaring waterfall that blocked the main entrance to Water Curtain Cave. It’s soft, silver light soothing to see. It was like the mountains voice, forever roaring by them all. Courage paused, grabbing at Willows sleeve.

Willow looked up.

At the great wide flat stone before the waterfall, stood Wukong. A chill crept up Willows spine.

The Wukongs eyes alighted on the two and he smiled broadly, waving.

“Mother! Willow!” He called in friendly tones. “My beautiful wife is just the person I wanted to see !”

Willow felt that chill touch her veins.

He skipped closer eyes dancing brightly. But something was off. There was a shine to his eyes that looked feverish.

Wukong grasped the limp hand of Willows and kissed it. The press of that mouth over her skin felt hungrier, the eyes of his looking upward into her own with … with an expression of love meant for …

For the bedroom.

Willow took her hand from his palm, plastering a small smile onto her face. A wolf was before her. Wearing sheep’s clothing. Willow knew a wolf when she saw one however.

Wukong and her may be husband and wife but he never hinted or tried at more romantic inclinations when they were away from the cloudy courts of Heaven.

As she pulled the hands from his there was another flash, some sort of color burning in his eyes. What was that?

“Hello Wukong.”

“My Love~” His voice was syrupy sweet. “I have missed your company these few nights. Will you indulge me? I have the perfect place picked out! There’s a pond just south of here- and when the moon is out and the water is still, it turns silver and it’s beautiful.”

“It reminds me of your beauty.”

“I would love to,” Willow felt the repulsion rise. She had to fight the urge to pull back. Courtly edicate. She had dissuaded similar trysts and attempts from far more skilled men than this Wukong. But none of them looked like her best friend. “However I’ve promised to bake an apple pie and show your Mother how to make one.”

Courage nodded, signing ‘We must be off, son. The light will soon be behind the mountain and it will be too dark to see.’

Courage grasped her hand, tugging her away.

Wukongs face fell. Another flash in those eyes.

What happened next was all too quick, all too brutal.

Wukong- the wolf in Wukongs skin- moved to catch her hand-

And Willow had retreated, barely escaping his grasping hand.

One moment, Wukong had been trying to grab her attention. Courage had caught her hand, tugging her. Willow had bowed and given her excuses, her apologies. She retreated in relief. And she saw the eyes, finally, change to an ice blue.

The next moment, as one of the many monkeys walked by -was his name Radish or Cloud?- Wukongs eyes flashed.

Wrong-they are blue with red chips within them. Why are they blue ?

It was like the striking of lightning. One minute Wukong had stood, gaze open and full of such a light as to give a dragon nightmares, and the next the world was turned end over end. The monkey had at one moment been brushing past the king and the next he had been pinned to the stone floor. The savage strike had split the side of the little monkey's flank, opening up fur and skin and flesh. Exposing the inner workings of the poor creature in a spray of red so dark as to be black. The Wukong with those painfully bright blue eyes had cleaved the bone of the rib cage as easily as a knife slicing through butter.

The monkey gasped, eyes blinking in confusion. The pain hadn’t registered yet. Only shock. Wukong tugged a bit of pink intestine out of the still writhing monkey and ripped it to shreds.

Blood.

Screaming.

Willow felt her stomach heave.

“I have your attention now ?” Wukong had said.

Not Wukong.

This creature, whoever and whatever it was, was not Sun Wukong.

It couldn’t be.

This Wukong shook the adolescent monkey it had hostage again, yanking at the corpse before him. The noise of the screams had brought the few monkeys still in the caves running, some dragging weapons. Upon seeing however, that the threat was no tiger or jackal or leopard but their own king tearing away at one of his own, had driven all the fight from them. It had left only horror.

The poor monkey face was contorted in a frozen scream. Its eyes were staring sightless. Vacant and grayed over. Gone.

“Come have a taste. I only share the best of meals with the ones I love.” The wrong Wukong spoke, tugging the poor creature forward. He held the flesh closer, eyes blazing blue. The tiny monkey squirmed in his grasp, eyes wild.

“Stop!”

The Wukong froze. The world froze as Willow called out. Her heart raced. Only her heart and the roar of the waterfall dared to make a sound.

She saw the tiny monkey squirming and clawing at the hand that was still about its scruff, whimpering. His eyes, that unusual shade of blue, slanted her way. They burned coldly, wildly, full of one such emotion that Willow couldn’t mistake.

Hunger.

“Oh?”

The Wukong set the monkey back down. He didn’t let go of the poor thing. His eyes were only for her, his attention peaked. Earth Reaching Willow, Eldest princess of the Jade Emperor, threw herself into that woman she had been before her monkey, before Wukong had come into Heaven and offered her the world. She was an actress.

As still as a pond with no ripples. He may be full of a burning ice but I must be colder- I must be that calm within the eye of a hurricane.

Willow pressed her forehead to the floor, bowing. She felt the hands of Courage tugging at her. She kept her head flat to the floor.

I must play this game. Protect my family-

Even from the one who I looks like my friend. For my friend. Wherever he is—

“Has my Wife finally decided to give me attention?” Willow heard the heavy and terrible sound of bone snapping and muscles rending. She didn’t look up. “It has been so long, my love. You’ve left your king….” A harsh crunch of bones, of noise that is the sound of teeth digging into something soft. Snapping it like a twig. “….hungry.”

“Please, let the little one go.” Willow pleaded. She felt the brush of Mamma Courage along her side, Wisdom along the other.

“Lift your head.”

Dread.

She did as she was told, composing her face to serenity. The serenity cannot withstand the horror before her. It cracked.

This Wukongs face is smiling cynically, eyes glacier blue and glowing. In his free hand, the dismembered paw of the poor deceased monkey, cut clean from mid forearm down. The bone had been cracked, the marrow dripping.

“What will you do my Willow?” He asked, shaking the still struggling babe. One of the mother monkeys barked in rage, taking a half step forward. Another stopped her. Willow felt like a mouse caught between a wolf's paws.

“Your husband is very upset at you for ignoring his … advances.”

Nothing. I won’t do anything. I will turn into the smallest speck of sand and let the wind blow me away.

Willow let her fear spin just for a moment. Then she grasped it in her mind and pressed it behind that cold veneer of courtly teachings. She had acted much of her life. She had acted to fool her father, her advisors, the very suitors that saw her as a chess piece to improve their standing within the Polestar Palace Court.

And I will act now- I will hold my horror to best give everyone a chance— a chance to get away. To prevent more deaths.

“I have neglected you husband.” The words smoothly emptied themselves from Willows lips, even as she wanted to snatch them back. Be brave. “It was not my intent to do so. I have been busy helping our family. Forgive me.”

I don't want forgiveness from you. You aren’t my Wukong. He wouldn’t demand attention from me. He wouldn’t ask me for this.

“I’ll forgive you. I’ll be pacified by you.” The imposter sounds almost relieved, as if her words had soothed a burn upon his skin. He shakes the poor baby again, eliciting a squeak and an angry chorus from the other mothers here. Willow is still surprised it is just them in Water Curtain Cave.

A miniature horror show just for them.

“I will even let this little one go, since I am such a benevolent king. No one should say that I, Sun Wukong, didn’t listen to my beloved wife.” He smiled again, staring straight into her soul. “But I want a Kiss.”

“A kiss?”

The Wukong nodded, eyes flickering. A ripple of black and then gone again. “One single kiss. To reaffirm our union. Maybe more … later.”

The ‘later’ sent chills down her spine. But Willow nodded.

“Good! An obedient wife makes a happy life!” He laughed with Wukongs voice, but none of the joy of her Wukong was reflected there. It was twisted, spun into something bent and hideous. A mimicry of joy. A sound to match the horror.

Tears streamed down her face, the only break in the smooth surface of her cool demeanor. Willow leaned forward, about to stand.

“Oh but I am not prepared.” He said. She froze. Something malicious crawled over his face. The imitation Wukong- I refuse to believe this is Wukong- took up the bloody wrist and pressed the still bloody end across his face. Willow felt her horror rise, the gorge in her throat threaten to upheave. He smeared the bloody stump across his teeth, over his lips, across his chin. Like a monsterous paintbrush, this Wukong painted his lips in the blood.

Finally the Wukong drops his captive, the little monkey scurrying up to the group seated before their King. It’s mother scooped them up, pressing them to the soft underside and trying to hide his face from the nightmare. Willow couldn’t look away. Her courtly armor, the thing she had pulled up to cover herself in, shattered into a million pieces as those blue burning eyes fluttered and locked onto her lips.

“What’s the matter darling?” The Wukong holds the arm in one hand, the free one pressed to his face, almost as if he were resting it there. The thing before her must read Willow's repulsion. His smile turns softly, a predator's smile curving away from those gore filled teeth. “Don’t you want to Kiss me?”

#ALRIGHT ITS DONE #part one of this very chilling scene #for journey to the au #sun wukong #jttw au #Betrothal Au #hcwrites #writing stuff #jttw tag #tw gore mention #tw blood #yeah this one’s a bit brutal #the next part is gonna be much softer - I have it written already but Tumblr just takes away all the little formatting I do and FIGHTS ME #six eared macaque #he’s an absolute monster in this #poor Willow I’m so sorry #also I love momma courage so much #I wanted to give her a highlight in this just because she fit so well with the setting #Willow is gonna spoil all da baby monkeys on the mountain with treats she’s learning and can bake and she’s joking with Courage when BAM #Blue spooky eyes bastard pops up.#I Wrote Willow hopefully well.#I Kinda have her some of my own ace perspectives on this #I DONT know how else to tag this lol #no music I listened to this time - listened to an audio book while writing for work.#fluff will come soon I promise #I just have to fight Tumblr #too many tags WOOPS #hcfanfics

71 notes · View notes