maiden-of-the-waters

[maiden-of-the-waters]

Here too

don't give up

[maiden-of-the-waters]

This is a cute story, 10 out of 10 I would recommend my followers. Should give it a read too if you haven’t already. 😉

Eyes of Gold (Part 9)

(A WukongxReader story inspired by Beauty and the Beast and Lutung Kasarung.) (First) (Prev)

            “I think it’s just up ahead!”

            The trees lining the trail were starting to thin out, more sunlight streaming in where the forest ended. Excitement tingled your fingers and lightened your feet. An hour of walking had finally led you to the edge of your home.

            You rushed down the path, pulling Shihou by the hand. He let himself be dragged along, easily keeping pace despite the heavy basket he carried for you.

            “Slow down, the village isn’t going anywhere,” he chuckled. As the last of the trees fell away and the sky broke through, you both slowed to a stop.

            Where the Monkey King’s domain ended, so did the forest. The wall of emerald greens came to an abrupt break at the foot of Fruit and Flower Mountain. Beyond it was a sparce field dotted with thorny brambles and spindly trees stripped bare by winter. A single, winding path led from the mountain down to the village nestled in the valley.

            “There it is!” you breathed, tears welling up at the sight. Everything looked so tiny but familiar; you couldn’t wait to see it up close again.

            “This is as far as I go, then.” Shihou set the basket down and unfolded a heavy mantle stored inside. “Put this on. Once you cross over, it’ll be winter weather the rest of the way.”

            You nodded, pulling the cloak over your robes. The fabric was thick and warm, making you sweat in the summery heat. It was only made worse when Shihou hoisted the basket onto to your own back. While the fruits inside were invaluable, their combined weight was nothing to scoff at.

            After the last of the straps were secured, Shihou laid a hand on your shoulder. “Are you sure you want to do this?” he asked, unable to hide the concern in his gaze.

            “I’ll be fine,” you assured him, grabbing his hand and giving it a gentle squeeze. “Just a quick visit to the elder so she knows I’m safe. Then I’ll drop off the fruit and leave before my sister finds out.”

            Shihou didn’t seem convinced but nodded all the same. “One more thing.” He grasped your hand and held it out before you. Plucking a hair from his head, he quickly tied it around your wrist like a bracelet. It was thin, nearly invisible; only seen when light glinted off its golden-brown sheen.

            You raised a brow at him, biting back a confused smile. “Thank you?”

            “Just a little piece of me to carry with you,” Shihou explained, one hand sliding up to brush your forearm. “It’ll keep you safe when I’m not around.”

            Shihou had fussed and fretted for days following the wolves’ attack. Personally changing your bandages and checking for infection, he insisting you postpone your village visit until your wounds fully healed. Even after the scratches had faded to barely-there marks, you frequently caught Shihou staring; a haunted, regretful look dulling the brilliant gold.

            A moment passed as he continued to hold your hand, fingers caressing soft and sweet over your skin. It was like when he comforted you after the attack, cuddling you close and lulling you to sleep in his embrace. The memory burned through you and flushed your face with embarrassment.

            You kept reminding yourself it was innocent; just kind reassurance for a friend in need. Shihou was a perfect gentleman the whole time and didn’t impose you in the following evenings. Part of you wanted to invited him back, knowing he would accept in a heartbeat. The other part held yourself in check, wanting to sort through your flurry of feelings first.

            Shihou’s voice broke through your yearnful thoughts. “Are you ready?” You met his curious gaze only to quickly look away, blushing bright red when you saw him smirk out of the corner of your eye.

            “Yep!” you squeaked out, hiding your burning face with a nod.

            “What time will you be back?” he asked, giving your cloak a final adjustment. It sounded casual but there was a subtle reminder hidden in his question.

            “I need to return by sundown.” You glanced at the sky, calculating the journey to and from your village against the daylight left. “But it shouldn’t take that long.”

            Shihou smiled, all soft fur and gilded eyes that set your heart aflutter. “Alright. I’ll be waiting right here.” He backed away, fingers reluctant to release their gentle touch. “See you soon.”

            With a final, bashful nod, you turned away and marched over the boundary of the demon mountain.

            The shift from pleasant summer to icy winter left you dizzy and shivering. White puffs poured from your mouth with every breath. Your fingers, toes, and nose started to go numb, nipped by the chilling wind. Tugging your cloak closer, you set a brisk pace towards the village.

            You don’t know how long it took but you were exhausted when you finally arrived. The basket seemed to get heavier with every step, throwing you off balanced as you hurried between the buildings. As much as you wanted to visit home, the threat of your sister was still too real to tempt. Instead, you took the longer route through the village, sticking to secluded paths and empty alleys. Soon, you arrived at the elder’s door, knocking with a weary, shivering hand.

            Elder Gran was one of the most respected members of the village for both her wisdom and compassion. Many times, she had brought issues and grievances to your father on the villagers’ behalf. When your sister took over as the new overseeing noble, the elder had been less than impressed, criticizing her decisions without fear of retaliation. If there was anyone you could still trust in the village, it was Elder Gran.

            She looked quite surprised to find you on her doorstep, dressed in strange clothes and carrying a wicker pack. “You’ve returned! Everyone thought you dead! Quick, come inside out of the cold!”

            You were ushered in and bundled by the fire, your basket removed and set aside. A blanket was thrown over your shoulders and a warm drink pressed into your hands as Elder Gran tutted and chastised your frozen state. Finally, she sat as well and pinned you with a hard stare. “How did you survive the mountain, child?”

            And so, you told her everything. Getting lost immediately after your banishment. Meeting a strange monkey named Shihou. Discovering the source of your rash was poison ivy. Being cured and offered a safe place to stay. Hearing the Monkey King himself had invited you as his guest raised the elder’s brows to her hairline but she said nothing, only nodding along with your story. Finally, you opened the basket and showed Elder Gran the fruits inside.

            “Sun Wukong said I could bring these for the villagers. I trust you to give them to those in need.”

            “It’s been many years since the Monkey King allowed the fruits of the mountain to be shared,” Elder Gran pondered, eyeing the food suspiciously. “What does he expect in return?”

            “He asked for nothing,” you said, latching the lid close. “He also said if the village needed anything else, he would do what he could to help.”

            The elder shook her head in disbelief. “That’s quite generous of him. The village has struggled under your sister’s rule but it’s nothing we can’t handle. If things become dire, I shall keep the Monkey King’s offer in mind.”

            “Thank you.” You stood, handing back the blanket and empty mug with a grateful smile. “Now I must go before my sister discovers me and does something extreme.”

            “You don’t plan to stay in the village?” the elder gasped, clutching your robe as you turned to leave.

            “No, I promised to return to the mountain,” you explained, patting her hand in comfort. “I hope to visit again soon and bring more food to see you through winter. Until then, take care.”

            Giving Elder Gran a final hug, you slip out the door and out of sight. Immediately, you missed the warmth of the hearth as you traced you way back out of the village. The sun was starting to set when you reached the field again, time moving much faster than you had anticipated.

            You raced down the path, wind whipping your face and cold burning your lungs. As the light grew dimmer, the green of the forest grew closer. Soon, you could see the invisible border and Shihou waiting just on the other side. In a final burst of speed, you launched yourself over the boundary just as the last rays of the sun dropped over the horizon.

            Shihou caught you in his arms, holding you close as you recovered your breath. Between his warmth and the balmy breeze of the jungle, the chill of the winter you left behind quickly melted away.

            “Made it!” you panted, giving Shihou a triumphant grin. He only shook his head in bemusement, smiling softly to himself.

            “Welcome back. Was the running leap really necessary?” he teased, setting you back on your feet.

            “I promised I’d be back before sundown,” you said, glancing at the evening sky. “I don’t know why but it seemed important.”

            Shihou tilted his head with a smile. “Maybe because you can’t see in the dark?”

            “Oh.” The obvious and mundane answer made you blush. “I guess that makes sense,” you muttered.

            “Lucky for you, I can see just fine.” Shihou grabbed your hand, gold eyes glowing in the growing darkness. “Just stay by my side.”

            Feeling bold, you laced your fingers with his, the burn of your blush reaching all the way down to your toes. You couldn’t see Shihou’s face but felt him startle at the touch. After a moment he relaxed, pulling you closer by your clasped hands as he led the way through the night.

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I almost made this two small chapters but figured one big one would be better. Enjoy some village lore and more Shihou feelings.

Thank you for reading! Happy New Year!

[maiden-of-the-waters]

If this pops up while you’re scrolling, I wish you unconditional love and massive success.

[maiden-of-the-waters]

Mini hiatus

Did everyone have a happy New Year’s?

I hope you did. I hope you also had a very good holiday season.

I should be back soon. I’m trying to finish a book. I was writing that has nothing to do with journey to the west.

I have one chapter left!! Wish me luck, and then I should be back here. Until then enjoy this mermaid that I drew.



@dunanana @szynkaaa @marcu-bug @s0rr3l

You guys are awesome friends. I wish to connect more soon.

[maiden-of-the-waters]

I WANNA SAY WELCOME BACK BUT I DON’T KNOW IF YOU’RE BACK YET!!!

LOVE YOU ART! YOU ARE POWERFUL

This Wukong art piece (top) is one of my favorites, so I wanted to do my version, and it was fun! I feel super good to be able to draw some good art after 84 years :D

[maiden-of-the-waters]

Tagging the og poster since I stole the picture of Twitter/X from Papa Woof und Krampus und Bleaken. @blackheartbiohazards

But this. THIS.

If you don’t like something don’t read it. The discourse over tagging and warnings with fanfic is ridiculous. As long as something is tagged or made a warning you cannot bitch at someone about it. You’re responsible for your media consumption. Be responsible.

If a tag brothers you, block it, filter it ignore it. Learn how to use the filter systems on the sites you consume things on. That is the safest option for you as a consumer.

[maiden-of-the-waters]

Saving this

It’s winter so you know what that means

I was gonna wait a week or two but patience is for losers so here’s my bingo card for season 6 feel free to use it if you like

[maiden-of-the-waters]

Black Myth: Wukong BiliBili New Year's Eve Gala Concert

Here is the link to the full concert, which is a medley of all the chapter animation ending songs + headless monk song. I recommend watching the full video because the stage special effect are stunning

side note love this rendition of the birthstone and our monkey embryo

Zhu Bajie and the Violet Spider

WE NEED MORE HD RENDER OF MONKEY DOING THIS POSE

also great reference for how the shoulder armor pieces moves when he has his arms up like this

[maiden-of-the-waters]

This is incredible 💜💜

Black Myth: Wukong - Ripples in the Pond

This is my outline of how the Destined One's hourney would go with Liyu as a companion!

As you can see, there are several new areas that I made up that are directly related to Liyu's storyline 🐟

I'll make a more detailed storyline (like a game walkthrough) for these two later, as well as the other endings that I hinted at in Liyu's character bio

@jeminiikrystal @blackknight-kai @marcu-bug @szynkaaa @dunanana @maiden-of-the-waters @rovobeam

[maiden-of-the-waters]

AHHHHHHH CONGRATULATIONS!!!! 🎉🎈🎊🍾

yesterday, in fact.

i am. so tired.

[maiden-of-the-waters]

Always amazing

Same goes for me. Art and writing will be slow. I apologize.

I'm drownin with wip's but when am i not- but I MISS THEM SO HERE THEY ARE ❤️❤️❤️😤 Featurin The Destined One with my oc Birdie!

With holidays comin, I'll be much slower than ever to upload much so sorry in advance TwT

@marcu-bug @maiden-of-the-waters @szynkaaa @s0rr3l

[maiden-of-the-waters]

My very first thought after reading this and seeing Redson appear was

“Oop, he’s probably gonna get jealous.”

The SECOND! Was

“You can legally change your name… wait…

MK: REDSON!!! MARRY ME! ILL TAKE YOUR NAME!!

Redson, who just wanted to grab MK and LEAVE! : “I DON’T THINK NOW IS THE TIME!!”

*gasp!* is this... character development???? in MY Shadowpeach Bio Parents AU??? It's more likely than you think

Shadowpeach Bio Parent AU (PREV / FIRST /)

Next part is coming on December 4th, 1PM ET

REMEMBER TO PREPARE YOUR POST FOR THE DECEMBER 6TH TAKEOVER!!

[maiden-of-the-waters]

This was amazing!

Presenting the art-swap challenge, where each artist does a sketch, sketch gets passed to the next person to be lined, and then moved to another person to add colors.

So essentially three different artists worked on one piece :)

You can open the image into a new tab to zoom in onto the details, we will also be uploading each sketch, lineart and colored piece as its own post the next coming days!

From top to bottom:

Bèiké belongs to @maiden-of-the-waters Birdie belongs to @dunanana Lǐyú belongs to @s0rr3l Oz belongs to me Yù belongs to @marcu-bug

[maiden-of-the-waters]

Lmaoo!!! These are pretty good.

new reaction image

[maiden-of-the-waters]

Oh amazing! I bet the creators of the game and everyone involved is so proud!

Congratulations to the entire team for making it. You deserve it

Golden Joystick Awards 2024 gave Ultimate Game of the Year award to something that truly deserves it. One of my favorite games of this year and one of my all time favorite games now as well. Outstanding.

[maiden-of-the-waters]

@dunanana @szynkaaa @s0rr3l @marcu-bug

IM SCREAMING!!!!

So I was rereading one of the ATLA comics today and

Hold the fuckin' phone.

[maiden-of-the-waters]

LMAOOOO I LOVE IT!!! LOOK AT MY BOY!

Here's my part of the Modern AU with my friends @maiden-of-the-waters @szynkaaa @marcu-bug @s0rr3l

My version of Birdie here is that she's a formerly Peking Opera singer who got scouted to become a world renowned popstar. But her fame is not without its costs, as she is trapped under a very strict and unfair contract her younger self signed. Will her friends at the cafe or a certain monkey help her gain the strength to stand up for herself and finally make music she can be proud of? or will she succumb to fall under the clutches of the corrupt producers?

MORE SKETCHES BELOW: FIRST MEETING!

It was love at first hit I mean, sight for Gold there (our nickname for Bèiké’s version of Wukong as her brother) He snuck in Birdie's room not knowing its not his sisters and got a surprise 🤭and ever since then he's been tryin to woo her in uhhh varying degrees of success?

Due to her circumstances, Birdie never really allowed herself to date. But I'd say she warms up eventually 😌

He's so pathetic for her and I love that 😩its karma for all the pining and unrequited feelins Birdie had in the canon verse-