exploringwonders-mads

[exploringwonders-mads]

The bottom left is me.

Cram boy

F2U - no credit needed

[exploringwonders-mads]

The main issue is, Sanzang thinks to himself as he watches Wukong hop from tree to tree. That this love isn’t the kind one can live with, that you can hold quietly in your chest.

It’s the kind he was warned against all his life.

It started as this...twisting in his stomach, in his chest, an odd sensation that simply happened every time they met eyes.

But it’s gotten worse over the years to the point where he fears his behavior permanently altered.

He ...can’t use the fillet anymore. He just can’t. He gets sick just thinking about it! He remembers what he did, and he was just so angry—and that must've been what he was warned about, surely. He loves him. So he is too invested, too attached. Sanzang let Wukong’s cruelties hurt him, and he retaliated—and he can’t do it again.

He can’t.

He'll lose him.

But it’s not like Wukong’s truly done anything to deserve it—lately—sure, he knows for a fact he still kills occasionally because as much as his eldest disciple is a trickster and a cheat, he is entirely too comfortable with him, and often forgets about the blood—but he comes back to him an increasing amount of times now with a crease to his expression he’s never had before.

Guilt.

It’s cold of him, but he’s frankly relieved that the Great Sage can feel guilt at all. After all they've done he...he worried that his disciple wasn't capable of guilt of remorse.

He can’t sleep alone anymore. Nearly every night for a decade now he’s fallen asleep with a creature made of stone laying on his chest and frankly it’s gotten to the point that sleeping alone has become unbearable.

Paranoia creeps in that he’ll be taken away in his sleep, that he’ll wake and Wukong will have already have gone and gotten into trouble—and he gets so cold.

Another thing the monks warned him against. The moment Wukong started sleeping on him to protect him from demons…he’s forced to contend with how spoiled he’s become on his eldest disciples tending.

It’s not the demon’s fault, he’s simply been a good disciple and did his best to get him food and water and keep him safe and warm...it’s just that Sun Wukong’s best is a lot more than most people can physically do.

Oh, but It’s not just what he does for them—because Sanzang has realized recently that Wukong does everything for them, from finding them food to solving their problems to mending their clothes; It’s only, that when he’s gone, it feels as if he’s missing a limb.

What is he doing if he’s not arguing with Wukong? Well If not arguing they’re peacefully enjoying the silence together....or they’re debating. Morals, philosophy, death. (Always an interesting topic between them when one of them has been to and broken out of the underworld) Sanzang knows his scriptures quite well and can be stubborn admittedly, but his disciple is old and sharp and lives to be contrary.

Why does he drag himself forwards when he’s dead on his feet and hates the very fact he breathes never mind what he thinks about the journey? Well firstly Bailong refuses to let him give up even when he‘s not on the dragons back. But secondly it’s because Wukong will prod and poke at him until his hearts in it. If only to chase the damned ape.

How would he survive without the demon by his side? Well the short answer is he wouldn’t, over the years Wukong has proven again and again that he’ll try his best to save him from hands that he refuses and teeth intent on tearing him apart. All wish to consume him and Wukong has never let it happen.

When Wukong not at his side, when he’s out of his sight, when he’s not prodding or debating him, or laying on his chest or fetching him water—

Sanzang feels lost.

And some days he hates it. Is he not still independent? Does he not have his own will? But what does he do when left to his own devices? Seek out the former demon king in his service.

Like now.

He had the opportunity to not attach himself to Wukong like a burr, he didn’t want to be alone but he’s sure Wujing wouldn’t mind going through their meditations together, even if lately he doesn’t even need guidance anymore, or he could’ve goaded Bajie into sharing any gossip he heard at the last city, even though he has a feeling this time he really doesn’t want to know. Or hell he could’ve prodded Bailong into practicing her human form. She still makes the spine too long!

But no.

He’s here.

Watching as Wukong peers carefully at a fruit before dropping it into the basket Sanzang’s dutifully holding out.

“Must you examine every fruit so?” He asks the demon curiously.

“You didn’t have to come with me for this Master.” His disciple points out, leaping to another tree to examine yet another unfamiliar fruit.

He shakes his head, offering out the basket. “Don’t be defensive my friend, I’m only wondering—“

Another fruit is dropped, then Wukong himself drops from the tree, hanging by his tail. Sanzang blinks as their eyes meet.

Sanzang is always troubled by those eyes. They're marvelous, you know, lucky. Bright red and burning gold, his disciple has the luckiest eyes and—

He walks a lot faster than he would’ve with the basket, tail swaying as he goes. But there’s a tension to his shoulders he doesn’t like.

Well those lucky eyes seem rather unimpressed with him about now. “I’m not getting you guys bruised fruit or anything with bugs in them.”

He squints down at the nearly full basket in his arms, then back at the Monkey King. “Perfectionist.”

His disciple scoffs, dropping down from the tree limb, gesturing back the way they came. “Not my fault I have standards, I did this for my little ones too!”

“Pilgrim! Are you comparing us to helpless children?” Sanzang teases, hefting the basket and turning to leave.

Wukong ducks under his burden and easily yanks it out of his grip. “No, Tripitaka, my children eat people, even the youngest isn’t as helpless as you four.”

He smiles to himself. “Now now, we’re not all useless.”

Wukong turns his head to raise one incredulous eyebrow at him. Sanzang is pleased to gently tug the basket from his grip. He doesn’t have to let go, Monkey’s a lot stronger than him, but he does.

He can’t help that he ducks his head a bit too close to his, just a hairs breath. “Wujing has done nothing to deserve such slander.”

His disciple's eyes widen before he ducks his head and snickers, fully letting go. Sanzang can’t help but feel smug as he carries the basket back.

[exploringwonders-mads]

Fellas, you're getting 1 AM suntang content, including rambling

Fear me.

So hears the thing, I don’t see their relationship as...sexual. not because I care about the religious stuff but because *Sun Wukong explicitly doesn't give a shit about sex* he points out beauty, but like? He doesn't care! It motivates none of his actions! and Sanzang actually does care about his religious stuff. He gets flustered, and all but the despair he goes into when he gets Attention is quite apparent. ...And so are the insults. He would beat women off of his person himself if not for the fact that hitting goes against his entire thing.

(And you know its absolutely a good thing that Wukong doesn't care about sex canon wise because then Bajie wouldn't need to exist as he does due to the metaphor, and I like their constant fights, its a staple)

I see their relationship as romantic, however, because I find the entire premise of them, despite and perhaps because of their differences falling in love, really romantic. There is a reason so many people *do* make them fall in love. Their dynamic is pretty romantic as a premise anyway. Someone who needs to save someone else constantly from creatures that want the other for their body? Oh gee, not like i haven't seen that ten thousand times. The thing is, they just keep making Tripitaka a girl!

And for that, I would like to say, very gently, in understanding that its hard to get media that is even slightly gay up and doubly so for china; Cowards.

Idk I feel like there's some internalized homophobia to play with there, nothing quite like a ye olde fantasy Monk who has to work out who knows how many layers of things to find out about yourself by being attracted to *that*.

Fellas, that is a former supervillain of a demonic monkey with inexplicably vast magic powers who is centuries older than him and is also his student. And also; a man! I don't even know how many labels that lands you with nowadays, furry being the least of it; but I feel like it's a lot?

And like

Its just the fact that they are the heart and the mind, and they conflict, yes, but they need each other. What is a mind without a heart, a cruel one, a monster. But what's a heart without a mind, a soft one, a fool. They genuinely need one another to change—I find that to be so dramatic and intense, and at my heart, I am only a shipper.

Though, mind you, I will take it in any form i can get it. Platonic or not, I adore these two, and if you do their interactions justice at all, I already am in, ya know?

[exploringwonders-mads]

"How come he assaults my master and then gets to date his reincarnation???"

I recently thought about this and honestly giggle about it a few days

Please tell me I'm not the only one who thought it's funny

[exploringwonders-mads]

I say this every time, but THE BABIES!!!!!!!

[exploringwonders-mads]

I'm curious.

My thoughts under the cut. Please vote first. I don't want to influence you.

I totally ship it. However, my shipping is purely romantic, as I see them both as asexual. For Wukong, that's canon. For Tripitaka, a vow of celibacy doesn't automatically mean he experiences no sexual attraction, but I still highly suspect he doesn't. So that is the capacity with which I ship them.

I see where other people are coming from with the father/son relationship, but it's just not how I see it.

[exploringwonders-mads]

It's the most beautiful thing I've ever seen!!!!

ouch

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I wonder how much time and/or reconciliation it took for the banishments to turn into an inside joke.

Somebody does something that creates a minor inconvenience, and Trip is like "you're gone."

Or Bajie and Wujing joke a bunch with each other, saying "careful, or master's gonna banish you."

I wonder if Wukong is actually bothered by the joking because he used to mean it when he said that. But he doesn't say anything because he's supposed to be the strong unbothered one.

[exploringwonders-mads]

Oh my goodness I loved that scene!!!! And now I can see it!!! And the size difference is so adorable!!!!

A simple comic based on @tuima11 's fanfic 'Sleep Training' chap 10 This one is one of my fav scenes, they're both so silly here 👐

I'm not good at making words, but the point is, the whole fic (including the other part) is part of my soul now. So much heartwarming and angst, I'm so well fed. Their imperfect relationship is perfect.

Allow me to use your design. I hope I described it well and hope you like it!

Sorry for the inconsistency anyway-

[exploringwonders-mads]

The way he grabbed him with a hand AND a foot, I love them!!!

I was just feeling it

-----

Sanzang at every mountain "I have a bad feeling about this"

Sanzang after getting on the mountain "Look a perfectly innocent bystander! Let's go help them!"

Me, way too used to modern story structure: I am BEGGING you to PAY ATTENTION TO YOUR BAD FEELINGS

[exploringwonders-mads]

I headcanon that Tripitaka was a deep sleeper before the journey, and immediately became a light sleeper about two days into it.

Then he eventually found a happy medium where normal wilderness or companion sounds (bugs, frogs, nearby rivers, Bajie's snoring) wouldn't wake him, but anything even slightly abnormal would.

For example, before he got used to the sound, he woke up every time Bajie (or anyone else, but usually Bajie) passed gas. And then Wukong made fun of Bajie for farting so loud that he woke their master.

He sleeps much better (on average) when they stop at a city or monastery, because it reminds him of Chang'an, where no one has ever tried to eat him.

[exploringwonders-mads]

Why do I suddenly have Marry Me by Jason Derulo stuck in my head?

Some sketches I did, might colour it later. Hope I won't mess it up😭

(This is like Wukong being a simp lol)

[exploringwonders-mads]

*gasp* Thank you!!!!!!

I started play Journey 'Renewed Fate Fantasy' and gosh I love a running joke that Wukong shrinks and EVERYONE NEED TO COMMENT THIS

That's probably first time when I got interest about plot in gacha game lol Plot is interesting, characters are cool. F2P feel nice, I didn't moticed any problem with that (I make like...around 400+ summons less than a week lol)

And it's probably the most interesting Tripitaka description from latest adaptations! I love his chapter so much 10/10

My only complain is that Wujing don't have a beard. What the hell bring my man his beard back😭

[exploringwonders-mads]

I wish this game was available in my region

I started play Journey 'Renewed Fate Fantasy' and gosh I love a running joke that Wukong shrinks and EVERYONE NEED TO COMMENT THIS

That's probably first time when I got interest about plot in gacha game lol Plot is interesting, characters are cool. F2P feel nice, I didn't moticed any problem with that (I make like...around 400+ summons less than a week lol)

And it's probably the most interesting Tripitaka description from latest adaptations! I love his chapter so much 10/10

My only complain is that Wujing don't have a beard. What the hell bring my man his beard back😭

[exploringwonders-mads]

Your Honor...

Your Honor, I'm in love with this.

💥

[exploringwonders-mads]

Time to answer a question that no one asked! What is each of the pilgrims' favorite song from KPop Demon Hunters?

Wukong cannot get enough of Takedown. A song about ripping demons' hearts out? Yes, please! The part about them using illusions is also a nice bonus since his idiot master (his words, not mine) constantly falls for the 'look human' trick.

Tripitaka loves Golden. It actually has very little to do with him being the Golden Cicada, and a lot to do with the song outwardly saying everything is fine when everything is indeed not fine. If that doesn't scream Tripitaka, I fear nothing will. He's very much fallen for the 'everything is fine' message and doesn't really acknowledge the truth underneath it.

Note: Both Wukong's and Tripitaka's favorites are songs that tried and failed to create the golden honmoon. They have some growth to do before they can agree What It Sounds Like is actually pretty catchy.

Bajie's favorite is Soda Pop. Not only is it about a drink, but it also has certain implications that I will not get into in case some of you are too pure. Bajie is not too pure.

Wujing loves Free. He relates in particular to Jinu's verse, and was heartbroken to find out later in the movie that half of it was a lie to manipulate Rumi, whom he saw to represent his companions.

The horse (I cannot find a name everyone agrees on) claims he doesn't like any of the songs, but occasionally someone will catch him humming Your Idol.

In the very frequent event that Tripitaka gets kidnapped, Wukong, Bajie, and Wujing jam out to How It's Done while they go rescue him.

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Tangled: the Series reference?

Anyway, he is beauty, he is grace, he will blast you in the face

2 am sketch time:)