#golden sun AU
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darkpuck · 11 months ago
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Golden Sun: The Northern Wind
Once upon a time, a child fell from the sky and landed in a small desert town. Hailed as a child of the gods, she was adopted by the mayor of the town and raised alongside his own children, protected and loved. An evil, greedy man heard of this child, and of the ruins the town protected, and kidnapped her in order to force the townsfolk to build a tower to the skies in his own honour, using their holy ruins as the foundations for his blasphemy.
But this is not that story.
The winds of fate are tricky, you see, and there is little narrative difference between a desert of sand and a desert of ice.
And so, once upon a time, a child fell from the sky and landed in a small desert town. As before, she was unharmed, but unlike the people of this town, she had no protection against the ice and snow, and might have died soon after had they been less compassionate. But no, as before she was taken into their homes and hearts, not necessarily as a child of the gods but a gift from the dragons these people worshipped.
Personally, Agatio felt that maybe the dragons should have dropped this little one off further south, where she'd be in less danger from the cold. What did a Proxian know about the needs of this little scaleless child? Only rarely did they feel the cold. So while his mother and father dithered about the fire, and how close the child needed to be to it, the young boy grabbed his sword and his bow and strode out into the wild.
He returned three hours later with a brace of rabbits and a snow fox. All were taken to the local furrier, who accepted the meat and bones of the creatures in exchange for crafting a small blanket and gown for the child of the sky. By the time the sun set, the child, named Sheba by his mother, was clad and wrapped in a fur blanket and held against Agatio's chest as he stared sullenly into the fire. He didn't even like the girl, but he was by far warmer than his parents, and it was better than seeing her pitiful shivering.
She was small and tan and scaleless, but she stared at them all with a solemn expression and shed not one tear, voiced not one wail. She didn't bear the blood of dragons as the Proxians did, but Agatio had been to the Lighthouse north of the village, near the Edge, and had seen the glyphs there. Perhaps one day she would grow feathers or gills.
And, inexplicably, she seemed to like him. She didn't wail, when he consigned her back to his mother's care, but he could feel her eerie violet eyes on him as he left to attend Psynergy lessons, and when he returned, she stared until he picked her up again. "Don't get attached," he told the solemn little thing sternly as she nestled against his chest. "I don't like you."
She looked up at him, seemed to think for a moment, then decisively proclaimed, "Ba."
Despite himself, he smiled. "Yes," he told her. "Bah."
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Sheba grew rapidly, in the manner of small children. She was too small yet for the clothing he'd worn at her age -- Agatio had always been big -- but she wasn't the only child in Prox. He didn't particularly enjoy dealing with Menardi and the biting cackle that was her laughter, but Karst's baby scales had finally hardened, turning a darker pink than her sister's. There was clothing to be passed on, now.
He also had a sinking feeling that he would be seeing much of Menardi as Sheba grew older, and even more of Karst.
Menardi opened the door when he knocked, stared, and cackled.
Agatio sighed.
But she invited him in, plopped Karst into his arms so he could admire the hardened scaling, and whipped through the house as she searched for Karst's outgrown clothing. "Bring her over next week," Menardi said, throwing a jacket at him with the precise amount of force needed for it to cover his head.
Giggling, Karst pulled it down and proclaimed, "Pikabu!"
"Absolutely not," he told her sternly, earning another giggle, then turned his gaze to Menardi. "Bring who over?"
Menardi stopped, glared, and then hurled a cape at his face. This time, he ducked. "Your sister, snow-for-brains," she drawled.
"She isn't my sister," Agatio said, and ducked a shirt this time.
"I'm not going to dignify that stupidity with a response," Menardi told him. "Karst, tell cousin Agatio what we think of bullshit in these parts."
Karst met his eye and then blew a very deliberate raspberry.
Agatio opened his mouth, and got a pair of socks to the face for his trouble. He closed his mouth; there was no speaking to Menardi when she was like this.
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quackysmackk · 1 year ago
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Part 43!
A ghost from the past.
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Part 42 | Part 44
Start from the beginning -> Here!
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arttrashking · 18 days ago
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Mac’s disgust with a chicken sets off Wukong’s husband senses
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allieseas · 17 days ago
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Based on recent events in @kyri45's awesome LMK AU (sorry I was late for the takeover!) I really like the lineart/expressions but colouring this was a huge debacle. Might give it another try later Lyric from Way Down We Go by KALEO please do not repost without credit
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strawbubbysugar · 1 year ago
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En entire stained glass window that will be hidden behind 80% of the wedding art hsgdgs
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quitealotofsodapop · 8 months ago
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Just imagining, in a world where Wukogn wasn't immediately trapped in the scroll of memory after Azure freed the rest of the Brotherhood, he'd have some things to say. I'm thinking TMKATI au post Wu is Wikong reveal
Wu: MK... who helped you get me out of there?
MK: Oh, this only friend of yours. Called himself the Azure Lion?
Wu, immediately going pale as a ghost: Azure Lion!? MK, please tell me you didn't listen to him or make any deals!
Pigsy: What? Why would it be such a big deal? He's your friend isn't he?
Wu: Azure is anything but a friend! He's the reason I was trapped on the Furnace and under the Mountain to begin with, him and his rebellion!
Tang: Uh, what? But all the stories say it was because of the Havoc you caused!
Wu: The Peach Festival I crashed and ruined was hardly important enough for Heaven to do what they did to me, even with the pills and immortal peaches and wine I had stolen. It was just the catalyst. I was still a cub back then, a stupid, reckless cub who was impressionable enough to trust the wrong person. And then Azure had left me to take the fall for the rebellion he had started! Whatever you do, don't trust Azure!
Tang, taking in the implications: ...I'll kill him.
+Bonus:
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Even if Azure did not realise it himself, he had built Wukong up in his mind to be the matyr of the Rebellion. And when Wukong surrendered, rather than die for it, Azure became convinced it was a great betrayal.
There's even hints of Macaque recognising/suspecting this sort of manipulation all the way back during their carefree Brotherhood days. There's a split second in "New Adventures" just after Azure convinces the others to make Wukong the leader of the rebellion, when Macaque is clearly unhappy/thinking about the situation. The only reason he doesn't speak out then and there is because Wukong seemed so sure of it. We see a similar look again just before they head out on their first attack.
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And of course there's the memory Tang wanders into in "Court of the Yellow Robed Demon" thats very telling;
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Peng: "Wukong is a traitor! He'll end us the first chance he gets!" Yellowtusk: "Yes. The Stone Monkey is unpredictable. Now he's thrown his lot in with the Celestial Host, there's no telling where his true allegiances lie." Peng: "You're characteristically quiet, Macaque!" Macaque: "I just think we should consider all our options before we—" Peng: "What's to consider? Wukong's made his choice. I say we strike him down now while we have the chance!"
The Trio are discussing attacking Wukong for aligning himself with "the Celestial Host" [i.e helping Tripitaka on the Journey so he can do parole] - the memory taking place within Camel Ridge.
Macaque's reaction brings up a super interesting twist to the story told in JTTW. Was the whole plan of disguising himself as Wukong and taking the scriptures not his own? Did the other three or an unknown villain working in the background insist he do so? Did he do it to stall Wukong so that his best friend/mate did not fall into a trap from the rest of the Brotherhood? Did Macaque die trying to give Wukong another option less the Monkey King risk being captured or worse at the hands of his former sworn brothers?
Macaque recognised that *something* was super wrong in how the Brotherhood treated Wukong, especially how Azure directed the situation. But being the same, barely-a-cub, age Wukong was at the time, Macaque wasn't sure/confident enough to speak out about it.
And ofc this whole thing with the Brotherhood would come to a boil in the TMKATI au when Macaque and Wukong are having their Big Fight.
Wukong/Wu had long since recognised that Azure was grooming/manipulating him for the fall, but isn't sure why he tried attacking him afterwards. Macaque is a bit proud in a "I told you so"-way and says that Azure had expected Wukong to *die* in the war as a matyr rather than live as a prisoner.
Wukong: "Why didn't you say anything!?" Macaque: "I was as young and stupid as you were! I only wanted to see you happy!" Wukong: "Oh yeah! Like you did when you left me under that mountain!" Macaque: "You weren't exactly grateful for the company at the time." Wukong: "Uh, need I remind you that before I was imprisoned, I had just spent 49 days being broiled alive!? I wasn't exactly firing on all cylinders. You could have atleast tried to visit me after a few years!" Macaque, uncharastically quiet: "I wanted to..." Wukong: "Huh?" Macaque: (*goes silent and leaves the room*) Wukong: "Wait! Mihou! What do you mean "you wanted" to!?"
note: Tang is accidentally privy to this convo cus he was in the stairwell when it started and got nosey. Then he kinda gets kidnapped by a baby bull demon before he can ramble his discovery to Pigsy and/or Sandy.
Wu gives the clipnote version of events to the gang as he's trying The Big Stupid, and they are horrified. The Monkey King, one of the most infamous tricksters in folkore, was ultimately a groomed teenager at the time of his punishment! And the Macaque was in the same boat, just more cautious...
When things are said and done - Wukong and Macaque go out of their way to tell their kids to always be wary of powerful people who put you on a pedestal. Perhaps not delving into their personal history (they are Normal Demon Parents™ afterall), but using the story of the Monkey King and his Brotherhood as an aesop. The Monkey King had many friends who thought he should lead them, but they shrunk away for whatever reasons when he chose to live and not die in heaven.
MK thinks its the saddest "superhero backstory" ever.
So when S4 of TMKATI comes about and the memory curse gets loose...
Azure Lion: "Ah, Monkie Kid-" MK:
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Legit the only reason Azure is able to get away unscathed is because he's the only one who knows how the Scroll works and MK and the rest of the babus want their parents back.
Red Son is on standby (fire ready) outside the Scroll in case Azure tries some sh-t. But of course that doesn't last long.
Tang, Pigsy, and Sandy: (*released from the scroll. Sees Azure Lion*) All three: "YOU."
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Then again this is all with the idea that someone else was additionally pulling the strings to ensure the demons downfall...
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starpunz · 5 months ago
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FNAF WORLD if gay people were real
Springbonnie is a con man trying to invoke any scam he can to the neighborhood fast food places and chains to help Fredbear’s place in secret as a means of keeping a promise he made long ago
The world I envision would take place in the fnaf world setting where all animatronics were furries, they all start as anthro animals and all the colors are dyed, spring and feed bear dyed to match
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twisting-roads · 3 months ago
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Idk what I have or havent posted rn whoops
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scarredlove · 11 months ago
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And they don't stop coming, and they don't stop coming, and they don't stop coming-
Love, Death and Rollerskates - @spadillelicious Sun and Moon
Celestial Tinkerer - @justfangirlstuffs Inspired by @naffeclipse's Sleuth Jesters, and @sunnys-aesthetic's Detective AU Sun
Reality is Stranger Than Fiction When Five Nights at Freddy's is More Real Than You - @crazedauthor Moon
Accidentally Undercover - @lavenoon Dusk and Dawn (Moon and Sun)
Part1 / Part2 / Part3 / Part4 / Part5 (OH GOD-) / Part6 Without white text:
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missterious-figure · 7 months ago
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Tiger Eclipse pls? Also, can we see them as cubs???
Okay! Here you go!!!
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As for the Sun, Moon, and Eclipse as cubs, have this little sketch of them loafing!
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starsfic · 7 months ago
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Monk and Monkey, Back Together
Summary: Qi Xiaotian has been kidnapped by a cult. When Wukong raids the cult's compound, he finds a familiar face.
A familiar face, yes...but the same personality? No.
Notes: A birthday gift for @unseelie-robynx, based off their Cult AU (basically Tang Sanzang goes nuts after splitting his soul and starts a cult in Wukong's honor) and the fun AUs that branched off.
-_-
Sun Wukong was furious.
Stories had been told of his fury, of the always burning rage that lived deep inside him, no matter how calm or collected he seemed. Wukong, when he was younger, didn't mind the stories. He was always up for a fight, no matter how Macaque complained. As he grew older and more tired, he had found himself worn out.
He was too old to be angry.
Not right now, however. Now, Wukong was a burning ball of rage.
Qi Xiaotian, his successor, his star, the thing that made him get up in the morning, was gone.
Had been stolen.
Wukong hadn't known for two days, not until Pigsy called him (he had no idea how he got his number) to ask when the kid would be allowed to leave in order to come home. The confused "What are you talking about? The kid's not here." sent Xiaotian's family and friends scrambling.
Wukong had first assumed the kid had been courtnapped, but his search provided nothing but Red Son offering his help. He had next assumed Heaven, but the gods up there had no idea Xiaotian even existed, excluding Nezha. Macaque had come to him first, allowing Wukong to ransack his properties to kick him off the list. Which left them with no clues.
Not until Xiaojiao had cornered Yin and Jin.
"All we heard was that there was some cult, out in the Gobi!"
"Yeah, yeah, there were rumors that they stole some prince!"
"Maybe not your prince, but it's worth a look-see, right?!"
They were right, it was worth a look-see. Wukong had even given them a headstart before calling Nezha about his stolen stuff.
Down below, he could see what appeared to be a temple. It was done in white and gold, the roof gleaming like a star in the sunset. If this was any other situation, Wukong would brush it off as a ruin. But it looked too new, too kept, to be anything beyond the location he was looking for.
Wukong jumped off his cloud and landed right in front of the gates. He slammed his foot into them, and they banged open, revealing a courtyard. It was empty, but that wasn't what made him stop.
It was the giant gold statue of him.
Sure, plenty of statues of Wukong existed. But none had been as big as this one, depicting him dressed in his finest garments and holding the staff. Despite the warlord dress, he was shown with a gentle, almost loving smile, his hand reaching down to the flower-decorated base as if to offer help. If this was any other case, Wukong would love it.
Now, it just felt creepy.
Wukong eyed the statue as he marched into the pagoda of the temple. He threw open the doors and felt his brows raise higher.
The temple was decorated with him. The walls were done with tapestries and paintings of him and his victories, both on and off the journey. The floor was tiled with peach flowers, matching the flowers that lined each piece of art. In the center of the pagoda was a large pool, flowers gently bobbing in the water.
Once again, there was another statue of him sitting in the center of the pool. This one was dressed more simply, smiling at a baby monkey, both wearing flowers. More flowers were piled at the base of the statue, which must've been the source of the floating flowers.
Even weirder, it was dead silent.
"Where is everyone?" Wukong looked around, wondering if he had missed guards or assassins lurking in the shadows. Nothing met his eyes. However, that was second to the more disturbing thought working his way in.
Was this cult dedicated to him?
As a rule, Wukong destroyed cults. A few had sprung up after the journey, with humans wanting to eat Tang Sanzang's flesh in hopes that it would give them immortality as it did demons, requiring Sanzang to be rescued. (Wukong hadn't minded, more than happy to get a chance to see his old master.) One or two had mentioned him, but none had been dedicated to him entirely. He couldn't even see any signs of his brothers in any of the art.
But why take Xiaotian?
Wukong groaned, rubbing his forehead. "I wish Sanzang was here," It wasn't the first time he had made this wish, but the first since Tang and Pigsy and Sandy had taken him aside and delicately told him their suspicions. He had no idea what to think of the idea. But, right now, Sanzang might have been able to offer an alternate view.
But, Wukong was alone. Nobody had come to see what the noise was when he slammed open the doors. So, he took in a deep breath and allowed his eyes to light up in gold.
Above, there was nobody. He couldn't see movement at all. Maybe it was just the fact that he was on the main floor and this was a big compound, but Wukong had a feeling that wasn't it. He looked down.
Bingo. Three gleams, moving about a floor or two down below. None was the bright supernova that was Xiaotian and all his magic, but it worked.
The cult must've moved to another place when they heard that he was looking for Xiaotian. These three must've stayed behind for some reason. Wukong chuckled as he started to move, looking for a way down. Despite it being cheery, it was dark, broiling with emotions.
It was their mistake.
The iron doors were easy to spot, lit by the lanterns that lit everything. They creaked loudly, revealing a small dark staircase lit by only torches. Wukong wasted no time in heading down them. Once he got there, he followed the gleams to a cell. The doors were double unlike the simple barred cells. This must've been where they kept Xiaotian.
Wukong slammed his foot into the doors. They banged open.
"Alright, you guys better tell me where Xiaotian is!" he barked, looking around.
A few things stuck out to him. One was Yellowtusk and Peng, both bound in golden rope and frantically struggling with gags in their mouth. Second were the empty chains. Third was the chair, its back facing him. The fourth thing was the chuckle. "He's not here, my king…"
The chair spun around. Wukong felt his entire being freeze.
"He hasn't been here in weeks." Tang Sanzang sighed, staring at him from the chair. A heartbeat of silence passed. Wukong couldn't bring himself to move. The monk did first, standing up and folding his hands in the gold robes he wore. He looked like he had the day it was announced he was moving back into the cycle of rebirth. "This one…" Sanzang pressed his hand to his chest. "Did his best to care for him when he was allowed contact but the Azure Lion was rarely so indulgent as to allow-"
"Azure? What… I don't… M…" Azure had been in the underworld last he checked. Sanzang had rejoined the cycle of rebirth. Confusion was overtaking his anger, and Wukong felt the fire slowly die. "Master? Is that… I don't understand, what's going on?"
Sanzang laughed, the sound gentle and warm, as he spread his arms. "Would you be willing to allow this one to explain?"
Wukong couldn't help himself. It had… it had been so long since he had hugged Sanzang. He allowed himself to be folded into the monk's arms, leaning his smaller body against the other man. It was warm and comforting and Sanzang even reached up to that small area on the back of Wukong's head to gently scritch where the filet had rubbed his skin raw. It was one of those gestures Sanzang had done in apology. It still made Wukong melt, falling to his knees.
Unlike all the times before, Sanzang followed.
"He stole him," Sanzang whispered, but the noise still carried in the room. "Azure hurt him. He wanted to twist him into what he wanted you to be. He wanted to break his will. He-" A noise of disgust that was familiar in Wukong's mouth but alien in Sanzang's mouth escaped him. "He made him call him Baba."
Baba.
Wukong's stomach heaved. He had always known that Azure hoped that, one day, Wukong would love him back. That they would get married and have children in a warrior's dream. Peng, in a rare burst of spite aimed at Azure, had once told Wukong that Azure had written out possible baby names.
Qíngyí or Míngxiá for a girl. Yìchén or Mùyáng for a boy.
Wukong had never confronted Azure to see if this was the truth. He had kept his silence, hoping his lack of response meant that Azure got the hint.
But he never imagined…Azure was charismatic enough to start a cult, ignoring the question of how he escaped the underworld. But to try and force Xiaotian to see him like that?
"I did my best to help Xiaotian, I swear I tried," Sanzang continued, voice trembling with heartache. Wukong barely noticed Yellowtusk lurch to life, frantically trying to say something through his gag. "He's such a bright boy, he deserves better," Wukong nodded. He did, he definitely did. "But Azure demanded what he thought he deserved."
Oh, kid…
"But, now you're here." Sanzang pulled away to reveal a sunny smile, one rarely seen on his face. "We can find Azure together and bring Xiaotian home. We can fix things, make them right," He squeezed his hands. "Together."
Wukong was confused. He was scared. He was angry. He was-
"OH, FOR FUCK'S SAKE, ANOTHER WUKONG ADMIRER?!" Peng's gag had somehow managed to slip off. The bird angrily squawked. "HE'S NOT EVEN THAT HOT!"
He really wanted to smash Peng into bits.
However, he didn't have his staff. Plus, Sanzang was here. His poor master never got the handle of seeing blood or gore, even when he grew to understand that violence was sometimes the path that had to be taken. Wukong was supposed to be better than that now.
He didn't feel like it with Xiaotian gone, but everyone in the crew felt like that.
"C'mon," Wukong got to his feet, ignoring as Yellowtusk renewed his thrashing, and held out a hand. He fought back a shiver as he remembered the statue, because that wasn't important. Sanzang, taking his hand and rising gracefully to his feet, was. Xiaotian was the most important thing here. "If Azure has him, there's one place he'll definitely go."
Wukong led the way. He didn't notice Sanzang pause and glance back, flashing Yellowtusk and Peng a nasty smirk before he followed his monkey.
A thought occurred to him and he turned at the doorway, just in time to see the gentle smile reappear. "By the way…how are you here?"
"Whatever do you mean, my dear monkey?"
"It's just…" Okay, this felt a little stupid. "I heard you joined the cycle of reincarnation. One of Xiaotain's dads- his real dads-" Because Xitaotian wasn't his son, despite Wukong's most secret wish. "Has your powers. His husband and his friend, they might be reincarnations of Bajie and Wujing-" He glanced at the floor, trying to figure out how to word this, failing to notice the anger that briefly lit Sanzang's eyes. "-So, I thought…ugh, this is so dumb…"
"It is," Sanzang nodded, reaching out and cupping his face. Heat rose up in Wukong's face at the touch. It felt a lot more intimate than their touches before, and considering the amount of just naked cuddles they had done (actual cuddling, not sex Bajie), that was saying a lot. "You should know by now that I'll always be here for you for whatever you need."
Peng gagged in the background.
Something felt weird about Sanzang's tone, but Wukong couldn't put his finger on it. Whatever it was, it probably didn't matter.
They were back together, the monk and the monkey, and they would fix things.
"I'll call the others and let them know what's going on," Wukong pulled out his phone. "I think Camel Ridge is an archaeological site right now, so maybe Tang-" Okay, it felt awkward to think about him now with Sanzang there. "Maybe Tang has a friend who spotted something." His phone dinged and he glanced down.
NO SIGNAL
"Of course," Wukong sighed. "I'll go upstairs. While I do that, I'll also let Nezha know he has some prisoners he needs to pick up."
Sanzang nodded. "Of course. I'll be glad to meet your new friends."
"…thanks, master."
The moment Wukong was gone, the cheeriness and light faded from Sanzang's reflection, the darkness of the room closing on him. He took in a deep breath and stretched. It had been a long time since he had needed to lie so boldly. He turned to Yellowtusk and Peng, who both glared at him. "You're lucky Wukong was here," he said simply.
Yellowtusk threw his head back, allowing the gag to slip down his mouth. If he had managed before, Sanzang's plan might've been blown up. "Our brother is more clever than you think-" he panted, eyes furious. "He will see through your ruse-"
"Oh, well, eventually," Sanzang shrugged. Wukong was smart and clever. "Not until the Jade Emperor's dead, and I've given him the throne at least." He pulled out a phone. "I will need to contact the others and let them know the plan has changed." It was likely that the monks sent to guard the prince with Azure were dead.
He mourned for a second. But they knew their purpose. They would not have mourned.
It was so hard running a cult sometimes.
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quackysmackk · 1 year ago
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Part 44!
Even a virus can’t get rid of its roots.
Part 43 | Part 45
Start from the beginning -> Here!
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hearts401 · 1 year ago
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cassidy and evan as teens
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glitchypotato3000 · 11 months ago
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Fun fact about these Sequence:
was planning to make it just black and white like those Ink brushes kind of style, I did have the draft version of it but my brother being a critic said that it looks weird and maybe actually coloring it was a good idea
VOTK LMK AU Tag/comic guide
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and he was not wrong tho especially the first sequence. so far the most juiciest one to draw
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squidkid15 · 1 year ago
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local mountain himbo makes a graceful getaway
bonus closeups
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quitealotofsodapop · 4 months ago
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Mentioned in a Post a while back about a Jttw/LMK AU I had regarding the "Yellow Robed Demon" Arc when Tripitaka got turned into a tiger.
Book Summary;
Tripitaka manages to escape his capture (for once) and passes on a message to the King of Baoxiang from his daughter, Baihuaxiu, explaining that she was kidnapped and made the forced bride of a demon (ironically making it a magical version of what befell Tripitaka's mother when he was a baby).
Kui Mulang rolls in with a human glamour and goes: "Nu-Uh! I'm but a humble human hunter. THIS guy is a tiger demon who attacked a girl some time ago. I save her and we've been living a simple life for the last 13 years!" (Lie)
So the dude pulls an Uno-Reverse and transforms Tripitaka into a tiger (or in some versions, glamours him into one). The King and his subjects believe this 100% since Tripitaka and the Pilgrims don't look so great without Wukong there to act as PR (he was exiled at the time for the White Bone Spirit incident).
Tripitaka is apparently aching-beautiful no matter his form though;
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Wukong even feels kinda bad for his Master, since the transformation is so good that he can't even see through it with Gold Vision. Also imagine a sad giant kitty, that would bum anyone out.
Of course things are resolved by the end of the arc; the gang reunite with their monkey, Ao Lie gets his own badass chapter, the Princess is saved, Bajie kills the couple's two half-demon wolf children, the Yellow Robed Demon is revealed to be Revatī - the Wood Wolf of Legs after Wukong catches the demon commenting on his performance during the Havoc (Wukong has a few Columbo moments in the book like this), and Tripitaka is transformed back into his squishy monk self.
Bonus - Tripitaka as a tiger from a book illustration + the 1999 cartoon.
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The book illustration + description suggests he's a rare Pseudo-melanistic "Black Tiger" seen in India, possibly an Indo-Chinese Tiger, or a South China Tiger with a darker back.
So here's where the timeline shifts...
The Wood Wolf of Legs ain't happy to be dragged away from (what he believed to be mutual) his true love on earth + his two kids, so he curses the Tang Monk to not only retain part of the glamour he imposed upon him, but to transform him fully into a carnivorous feline demon. Also as an extra "F-k you!" to the Jade Court he and his past love fled from, since the Queen Mother is a celestial tigress herself.
The Pilgrims freak out, obviously.
Guanyin is called up and is like;
Guanyin: "Well, you did unjustly punish and exile your best bodyguard because you didn't trust his judgement, seeing him only as a murderous beast... so *your* punishment is to deal with the rest of your Journey as one of the very same creatures you see as mindlessly bloodthirsty." Tripitaka, now cursed to stay a catboy: "Dang it." (≽^╥⩊╥^≼)
He still gets to wear the robes and walk upright -think Master Tigress from Kung Fu Panda but as a wimpy, twink-shaped, monk.
Tripitaka aint' having fun. He's a life-long vegetarian who's suddenly an apex hypercarnivore. He tries his best for the longest time to stay on the veggies (and durian weirdly enough since tigers like those), but eventually he will need to chow down on some bleeding protein.
And his team literally consists of the main diet of a tiger...
Wukong, a monkey: "Master isn't looking too good." Zhu Bajie, a pig: "I don't like the way he's been looking at us. I burnt my finger making the campfire and he looked ready to pounce!" Sha Wujing, a fish: "I'm not surprised. Cats are of few beasts that absolutely require meat protein to survive." Ao Lie, currently a horse: "If he goes feral, I vote we sacrifice the pig first." Wujing & Wukong: "Agreed." Zhu Bajie: "HEY!!" (₍•̀ ⚇•́ ₎) Tripitaka, meditating hard: "Perhaps if I eat a watermelon, it would sustain my desire for flesh?"
What worse?
Tripitaka is still considered smoking hot. Now by demon standards too!
The Trio of Lion Camel Ridge prepare to attack the Pilgrims when;
Azure Lion: (*sees that the Great Monk is actually a beautiful tiger.*) Azure Lion, lowering his sword: "Guys, do not mess this up for me." Peng & Yellow Tusk: (*annoyed groans!*)
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