#but Rictus gets jumpscared))

[thralls-for-alls]

Jump-scare a Thrall?

“So, y’re just playin’ a sim tonight?” Rictus rested his chin atop Tango Zulu’s mess of bristles as he wrapped his long arms across the other’s stomach.

The mouse clicked as TZ continued setting up the archaic program. He sighed. “Yeah, kind of? Someone suggested I try doing “Let’s Plays” so I thought I’d show off my bravery by facing “Five Nights at Foxtrot’s”.“ He chuckled at the thought of facing the assorted animatronic clones in animal costumes being anything but ridiculous. “It’s supposed to be really spooky. There’s no camera this time, so you can watch if you want?”

“Spooky eh?” Rictus’s eyes followed the little arrow dash across the screen. Lifting his stripes to show the tendril tips at the edges of the monitor, he hummed, “I’m much scarier than any sim, mate.”

TZ wrapped one of the tendrils around one of his scar-splashed fingers, careful with his trimmed, but still sharp nail. The freezing smoothness of the tentacle slipped easily between his digits. His hand free, he double-clicked on the brand-new icon and the screen went dark. “Of course, you’re the scariest grumpy thrall who loves his birds too much.”

Rictus chortled as he pulled his tendrils back under his skin to swirl into his stripes. A toothy bear stared back to them from TZ’s screen, a low thrum escaped the speakers. The clone selected “New Game” and the screen flickered to a control room. A phone rings but TZ clicked another button to skip the cutscene. Instead he opted to press the bright red buttons on either side of the screen to close and open the doors; turn lights on and off; and flip up a menu from the bottom of the screen to show security cameras staring at a stage occupied by three robotic animals, including the bear. The battery icon ticked down to 99%.

“Why’s there a computer in the computer?” Rictus asked as he let out a whistling huff through his nose.

“So I can watch the robots so I know when they’re coming to attack me.”

The screen flicked back to the stage as TZ brought the menu up; the bear was looking at the camera now. Rictus’ indigo plates rattled as a shiver crawled up his spine. They seemed to have been turned off, but the beady light in its eyes reminded him of the Stareaters. His grip across TZ’s shoulders tightened as tentacles slithered from their skin-deep prison to grasp the clone a little more. “So, what’s goin’ on wit’ the bear?”

“I think he’s turned off?” TZ glanced up to the underside of Rictus’ chin with his third. With his left hand he tapped his clipped claw to the purple surface. “But, he’s supposed to walk around to try and get me.”

“Get you?” Despite the affectionate poke to his chin, Rictus’s eyes narrowed in suspicion as the monitor flicked back to the stage. The bear was gone.

The encroaching chill of the tendrils curling around his shoulders soaked through his shirt to tickle at his skin. TZ chuckled again, finding it cute. “Yeah. He’s gonna come out and bite me. It’ll be cool.”

The battery in the corner read at 50%.

“I don’t want him to bite you.” Rictus took his eyes off of the screen to stare off at the rest of the dark room.

“It’s all right, I’m protected, see?” TZ toggled the left door open and shut as a demonstration. Leaving it shut, he flipped through the cameras again. The bear was still no where to be found.

When Rictus looked back, the number had dropped down to 25%. “What’s the battery for then?”

“The camera monitor, probably.” TZ shrugged. “Maybe the lights too.” He clicked on the button to light up a hallway outside the door. The number fell to 24%. “See?”

Rictus rested more of his scant weight on the clone, a low, worried grumble in his throat. “I guess. Still don’t like it though.”

Closing his third eye and tilting his head from the extra rumble from the Thrall's rumbling, TZ couldn't help the smirk across his face.  "I'll just keep the doors closed. It'll keep them out and I'll be safe.  See?”  The lavender glow from the underside of the Void-touched one’s horns brightened as there was a clawing screech against the the metal door.  “Perfectly safe.”

5%.  “I guess.  ‘T’s not like the doors’ould open if the power goes out...”  Rictus hummed as he pulled his tendrils back under his skin.  “That’d be dumb.”

“Right?  This game’s too easy.”  TZ sat back in his chair, the best he could with Rictus still hanging over him. 3%  “I was told it was going to be scary... guess they were scared of you.”

“But aren’t sims supposed to... uh... challenge you or somethin’?”  He huffed as he opened a clawed hand.  2%.  “I’d think that there’d be somethin’ there to keep you from doin’ exactly this...” 1%.

Before TZ could say anything, the screen fell dark and they could both hear the metal doors clank open.  Despite clicking each of the buttons one after the other, nothing would turn on or move.  Then the music started; the tinny notes of a music box playing some ancient tune sent fresh quivers across Rictus’s long plates.  Beady eyes and sharp teeth shone from the darkened doorway.

A harsh growl escaped through too-long fangs and several inky tentacles wrapped around TZ as the song ended.  Silence fell through the machine’s speakers as the screen went dark.  Only mixture of soft illuminations from both being’s eyes and the gentle, tiny sparkles that seemed to hover around the Void-touched one cut through the darkness.  A serene moment that let the tension melt ever so slightly...

SCRRRREEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHH!!!

Before TZ could do anything he found himself hanging two feet above ground and a few feet behind Rictus as he hissed at the Foxtrot bear behind the game over screen.  Wiggling in his physically impossible bonds, all the clone could do was giggle.

With his heart in his throat and his body low ready to pounce, the laughter over his shoulder broke Rictus from his snarling trance.  He slowly glanced over his shoulder at the crazy, chuckling clone before realizing that he might’ve over-reacted.  Still, he was unable to catch his racing, whistling breath.  “Wot?”

“It’s a sim, Ricky.  Remember?”

Rictus glowered back at the screen, before lowering TZ to the ground and peeling back his grip from him.  “Right... a sim...”  He could not hide the embarrassed side-glance or the flush of pink across his white face.  “‘T’s not real...”

“Yeah!”  Then it clicked for TZ, Rictus might not have been familiar with these old sims...  All three eyes went wide as he assured, “yeah, it’s not real.  We’re fine.  See?”  He flashed a wide smile and gave two thumbs up.  “Everything’s good, bro.”

Despite crossing his arms in an effort to show that he was above the “spooky” game, Rictus still shivered where he stood on the spot.  “... don’t think I much like these sims.”

“That’s okay...”  The clone grabbed one of the Thrall’s arm and tried to pry them open.  “That one wasn’t very fun anyways... I could show you a different one that’s not spooky?”

A confused huff chirped through his throat as TZ tugged on his arm.  “Uhh, yeah.  Maybe?”  Rictus relented as he held still to not accidentally hit him with his sharp horns.  Muscular arms wrapped around his waist and held him tight as he felt the weight of the clone’s head on his shoulders.  Unsure what else to do, he just stood there and purred with a squeaky note escaping his nostrils.  “Sure?”

“Yeah, of course.”  TZ beamed hearing the strange, but too adorable sound from the Thrall’s chest, but still held him close.  Rictus’s plates still rattled from the startle.  “That way you’re the spookiest one.  Not some silly, fake bear.”

Rictus peeked back at the screen which had turned off in the mean time.  He cautiously smirked.  “That’s right... ‘sides, I’m real and he isn’t.”

“Exactly!  And I think I have one all about birds that you could play.”  He took a step towards the computer chair to guide the spindly Thrall to it.  Realizing the chair’s back would get in the way of Rictus’ plates, he opted to drag Rictus to the couch to let him sit on the end of it instead.  The desk scrapped against the floor as TZ dragged it over in front of him and set up the aforementioned game.  It might have been deemed “for children,” but TZ figured it would be best for a spooked Thrall.  “This one uses pictures and talks to you too, so there’s not that much reading.”

Again, Rictus felt the weight of the Clone’s body against his and an arm wrapped around his back between his shorter plates.  The screen turned pink with flowers and birds and cheery music played, a far-cry from the previous, creepy title screen. 

Maybe, he had overreacted. Sims might not be that bad?

[chthonicgodling]

Achlys [Goddess of Poison and the Rictus Grin] & Phrike, [Goddess of Horror and the Petrified Scream] - obscure daemon daughters of Nyx and Erebus—

♥ ♥ aaaaaand Epi’s favorite sisters! ♥ ♥

alright lmao for literally no reason I re-designed my absolute favorite background-background-background-background cameo characters from long long long ago, I actually first drew designs for these two over a decade ago, like way before I ever posted art on tumblr, back when the elysium’verse was in baby stages. Achlys (left) and Phrike (right)! their faces are each frozen completely like that, who knows how they speak clearly or eat or drink, but hey! they make it work!

My running joke with myself continues to be that despite appearances, these two are actually the most normal and well adjusted of all of Nyx’s kids. whoops! its also been canon that Achlys at least has always been close friends with her little brother Epi, who despite current appearances (shapeshifter tricks aay) also grew up reviled and ostracized for looking horrifying in his youth & life,, so now in the modern era as I’ve drawn these im deciding (headcanoning?) that his other older sister Phrike also remained a friend. most of Nyx’s kids have significant age differences and most of them also don’t really get along with each other so it’s a rarity :(( but both of these two live happily ever after in their own properties in Tartarus and i’m sure they all meet up together every month for lunch

So i’m hammering my point home with some wacky cute family photos below my jumpscare portraits uwu

 left: ~*The Children of Nyx Family Reunion*~, featuring the-ran-away-from-home-as-teens-and-never-came-back-club watching their trainwreck of a family from a safe distance; 

right: a throwback to baby twinsies, Ty and Bel Meeting their Auntie, and oh god no Ty don’t put your hand in the goddess of horror’s mouth that’s YUCKY no no no no—

[[my darling fave forever Epi belongs to @fenixethekid, so do (bby)Ty and Bel; these two queens are mine!]]