#Detective Monkie AU

[angstandhappiness]

AUGH I NEED THE FINAL RESOLUTION HERE IT CAN'T END LIKE THIS

Sketchy comic for Y’all’s. [DO NOT REPOST, THANKS]

Monkey and Mk follow a lead to a warehouse that seems unnervingly familiar to Monkey, though he can’t place why, and then of course they stumble right into something that makes the whole missing dad and missing memories thing seem like they’re tied to something a whole lot bigger and more terrifying than either of them had been thinking

And a first appearance from this AU’s LBD! *does a li’ll dance* (ngl the design slaps and I almost wish it was for an OC because I really love it hKFMOEW) 

Part two | Part three/Aftermath 

[children-of-the-sun-au]

*that second boom made her spaced out.*

————

*Zai was in a dark place chained up with celestial chains. In front of her was a light. She desperately tried to go to that light but couldn’t because of the chains.*

-o_ia- D_ag-n: I’m de_te-cting - fl__

[xblueshin]

xBlueShin Masterpost!

|| All My Art

|| Moon&Star (Sonas and Ocs personal "multiverse")

|| Blue's Babble (for posts where I respond to asks)

|| Blue Journal (As the name implies, I will use this hashtag for posts where I share photos and/or write about what I'm doing, whether it's working on projects or traveling around and seeing cool stuff, idk. Kind of like how I use Instagram Stories).

All my Works Divided by Fandoms:

I'm listing only the fandoms I'm mainly active on, and fandoms that I'm sure I will come back to. you can see works I did for other fandoms on the all my art link

╭────────────────────────.★..─╮

|| Sonic the Hedgehog

| Sonic Next Gen (Sonic au)

|| Detective Conan / Magic Kaito

| Kaishin fam (dcmk au)

|| Cult of the Lamb

| Shitten (cotl au)

|| Lego Monkie Kid

╰─..★.────────────────────────╯

[olderthannetfic]

Do you, or anyone actually, know where/when the '-bowl' sufix started being used in Fandom? Because I can't find any kind of origin, and surprisingly Fanlore doesn't have a article about it (as far as I checked maybe I didn't search well?). I just found and know that it's used for kinda old and relatively new fandoms, thanks to a two-year-old Reddit post.

For anyone who doesn't get/know about the '-bowl' sufix: is basically an All × One thing. For example, if you encounter 'Dekubowl' this means that Deku, the character, is shipped with everyone or that at least everyone else have a crush with Deku.

I can only think of the 'Super Bowl' (just as one comment in that Reddit post suggest) for its origin, but when we talk about Fandom culture we never know. It could have originated from anything no-related to the Super Bowl, LOL.

--

Ooh, interesting. I've never heard of this in my life, and I have no idea what a -bowl suffix is supposed to mean, even if I guess it has to do with the super bowl.

It's not surprising Fanlore doesn't have this if it's coming from BNHA or somewhere similar. Fanlore is fantastic on the history of Western "Media Fandom", zines, K/S, etc. It's much weaker in areas that OTW early adopters haven't spent as much time in.

You should write the -bowl article yourself!

--

I went into AO3's tag search and looked for 'bowl'. I found 1311 tags, 90 of them canonicals.

I'm seeing a ton of references to the Super Bowl, dust bowl AUs, pet play with pet food bowls, Dream in the fishbowl, unending uses like "I'm crying into my bowl of cereal as I write this", "bowl of honey nut feelios", "bowl of pornflakes", "me shaking the food bowl of sbi wilbur-centric angst: come get y'all's juice", etc., and plenty of references to YOI katusdon bowls. Lots of fandoms and episodes have 'bowl' in their titles.

Zeroing in on more related things, I'm seeing BNHA over and over and not much else...

EXCEPT!

Fruit bowls!

I see scattered references to "let's add him into that whole fruit bowl" and "the whole fruit bowl is here" and so on. Some of them are crack fic where everyone is a banana, but a lot of them seem to be a metaphor for "everything together".

Okay, I just spent far too much time trying to categorize tags. Out of the 'bowl' ones, about a third appear to be this kind of sense (counting by number of tags, not number of works).

Game of Thrones has a bunch, but they refer (as far as I know) to which characters will hypothetically kill each other and emerge victorious, not to group shipping.

Some tags I found, like 'edelbowl' sounded more like a group ship than an X/everyone. I also found a scattering of tags that were like 'all of them in a bowl together', which is probably related.

But mainly, what I found is that this is from BNHA and it's recent.

The other fandoms where I found it were:

Demon Slayer, Dr. STONE, Naruto, South Park, Fire Emblem, Genshin, HP, Lego Ninjago, My Next Life as a Villainess, She-Ra, Teen Wolf, Tower of God, VLD, A3! (Video Game), Assassination Classroom, Avatar, Batman, Black Clover - Tabata Yuki, Bleach, Blue Lock (Manga), BTS, Bungou Stray Dogs , Dangan Ronpa, Danny Phantom, Detective Conan, Dragon Age, Durarara!!, Fate/Grand Order, How to Train Your Dragon, JoJo's Bizarre Adventure, Kaiju No. 8 (Manga), LEGO Monkie Kid, Osomatsu-san, Ouran High School Host Club, Percy Jackson, SK8 the Infinity, Soul Eater, The Disastrous Life of Saiki K., Toilet-bound Hanako-kun, Tokyo Revengers, Virtual Streamer Animated Characters, Warcraft, Xenoblade Chronicles 2

That's giving me a very distinctive picture of a fan who's probably in their 20s or 30s, mostly like anime and some video games, and is not the type that edits Fanlore.

There's nothing actually old here: it's recent anime and stuff that is still a megafandom, like Naruto.

I'm seeing a scattering of 'dekubowl' from 2017 and then other character tags taking off in like 2019. This is definitely a recent trend in terminology, at least on AO3.

[etoilesbienne]

ok heres my hybrid au list so far

brief note i'm using the (american) english name for most of these 👍

wilbur: red fox(/anteater)

quackity: ducky

charlie: bnuuy

mariana: i think im leaning ouppy but like husky kind of dogy. he sings and cries

phil: carrion crow

missa: between mexican black bear 👍

jaiden: parakeet

roier: HYENA

foolish: shark

vegetta: monky but he only gets a tail (hes a saiyan duhhhh)

maximus: mouse as a play on the great mouse detective

dantdm: he doesn't change visibly and everyone debates what he is constantly whenever he appears once in a blue moon

bbh: fruit bat

luzu: idk but i think a black cat works

spreen: spectacled bear (it has glasses)

fit: sphinx cat <3 a little like this

cellbit: jaguar

felps: coati

forever: maned/guara wolf

pac: hyacinth macaw(/maybe pink river dolphin?)

mike: capybara (in an ironic way)

baghera: ducky as well

etoiles: weasel

aypierre: marmot

antoine: kitty cat

kameto: sasuke

[izzydaninja]

Masterpost Continuation:

_____________________________________________________________

Art/FanArt/Sketches:

_____________________________________________________________

Original Works/OC's -

Chibi (Monkie Kid Styled) Izzy Sketch

Chibi (Monkie Kid Styled) Izzy's Stuck Sketchy Doodle

Ninjago -

Come Home Artwork

Ninjago X Monkie Kid -

Redraws: The Kai Kai & Jay Witness Fire Zane & Jay Pilots Home Training Oni Transformation Home is a Desire

Practice Sketches: Zaney Bedtime Doodles 1 Year Anniversary/Zane Sketch Practice

Non-Redraws: Jay Poster Shot

Sonic the Hedgehog -

Sonic Prime: Changes Everything (Doodle)

Super Sonic Comic - Practice

Sonic Sketch

One Step Forward, and Falling Back

Living Proof

Dynamic Pose - Redraw

Future Chaos (AU)

Protect Your Heart

Before Bed Doodle(s)

Dynamic Pose - Practice

Bedtime Sketch

Sonic Prime: Alternate Ending Comic Comic Page: Conflicted Heart (Progress) Conflicted Heart Comic

Sonic X Shadow Generations: Shadow Generations Redraw Sketch

Redraw Contest: First Post Second Post

Chaotic Reaction: Sonic and Baby Shadow - Doodles (1) Sonic and Baby Shadow - Doodles (2) Sonic and Baby Shadow - Part 1 (Doodle) Baby Sonic AU Doodles - Origin of CR Baby Shadow - Doodle

The Murder of Sonic the Hedgehog: Captain Sonic Locksmith Shadow Journalist Amy Detective Tails Sheriff Knuckles Business Tycoon Rouge Titan of Industry Blaze Poet Espio ???

Legend of Zelda -

Ocarina of Time Young Link Sketch

_____________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________

[That should, hopefully, be everything! Please let me know if I missed anything! I also hope this was helpful! Though, I definitely need to work on my organization better. LOL I also apologize if any links aren't working or heading where they're supposed to. If they aren't, please notify me. Thank you!]

_____________________________________________________________

[strawbbella]

Hii! So I made a Lego monkie kid AU~ It's a murder mystery where Wukong the detective, and Macaque is a possible suspect.

Did Macaque commit the murder though or is he just easy bait

Mwehehehehe

Pls note that it is my first time writing again in a LONG time, so if you have any constructive criticisms, you're always free to leave it at the end of the story (let's keep it civilized and polite, ye?)

Chapter one if already out on wattpad! (mostly cause idk how to post on ao3)

If you have the time give it a read~ thanks and love you all

(it's a shadowpeach fanfic btw)

[obscurecharactershowdown]

Do you have a breakdown of how many submissions each character got? None of my guys got in so now i wanna know if its cus any of them got multiple submissions, that would be an alright way to go out at least

There weren't too many with 2+ submissions, so I'm just gonna put them under a cut:

Pioneer 9 (17776): 4

Husky (+Anima): 3

Blueberror (Undertale au community): 3 (might be 2--a submitter admitted they may have submitted this character twice)

The rest have 2:

Syd (One Day at a Time)

Kani Maki (Sushi Pack)

Wilfre (Drawn to Life)

Kohaku (Tsukihime)

Iji Kataiser (Iji)

Permanent Rose Casson (The Casson Family series by Hilary McKay)

Prince Andor (Mianite)

Hunter (The Dear Hunter's Act Albums)

The Fool/Beloved (Realm of the Elderlings)

Heiji Hattori (Detective Conan)

Francis York Morgan (Deadly Premonition)

1x1x1x1 (Super Paper Roblox)

Bernd das Brot (Bernd das Brot on Kika)

Strive (Starlight Brigade by TWRP)

Wx-78 (Don't Starve Together)

Mordimort/Mordi (Stella Glow)

Alcatraz Smedry (Alcatraz Versus The Evil Librarians)

Juice (17776)

Maxwell (Scribblenauts)

Lexcanium (Wasteland)

Chicory (Chicory: A Colorful Tale)

A-Through-L (Fairyland series by Catherynne M. Valente)

Zolf Smith (Rusty Quill Gaming)

Magical John (RTGame miitopia)

Jaron Eckbert/Sage (The Ascendance series)

Abe (Oddworld)

Denny (Twisted Tradition (HHN))

Red Son (Lego Monkie Kid)

[lunar-wandering]

I love the monkie kid phatom thief au, i just rotate Mk being very good at thievery and mischief in my head, i also imagine him teaching the monkies on the island how to steal things better to mess with monkie king

HELPSHDFLKSDJFLSKDJFLS

no yeah, he'd use it as like a test. you can't be a good phantom thief if you aren't also capable of catching other thieves/criminals in the act, yknow!! Sometimes you gotta pretend to be a detective!!!

[miko2495]

I posted 4,303 times in 2022

That's 4,024 more posts than 2021!

1,063 posts created (25%)

3,240 posts reblogged (75%)

Blogs I reblogged the most:

@valko-lapsus

@everythingfox

@raphorama

@pistachiozombie

@thebigpalooka

I tagged 1,732 of my posts in 2022

#lego monkie kid - 622 posts

#monkie kid - 620 posts

#the great mouse detective - 97 posts

#eclipse apprentice - 74 posts

#miitopia - 65 posts

#oc - 59 posts

#disney magical world - 54 posts

#the secret of nimh - 49 posts

#disney - 48 posts

#my oc - 46 posts

Longest Tag: 136 characters

#“conceal don’t feel” but with fox spirits for a few years until the mother was like screw it and turned to her demon neighbours for help

My Top Posts in 2022:

#5

A Switch port the 3DS Fantasy Life would be rather nice

59 notes - Posted August 19, 2022

#4

98 notes - Posted January 12, 2022

#3

I suddenly have a need for a tomodachi life on switch with the wig and make-up feature

Miitopia’s modern, slice of life AU

105 notes - Posted May 31, 2022

#2

Wukong: With great power comes great need to take a nap. Wake me up later.

113 notes - Posted August 12, 2022

My #1 post of 2022

As cool as Macaque is...

See the full post

539 notes - Posted July 26, 2022

Get your Tumblr 2022 Year in Review →

[its-kall-the-clown]

I REFUSE to start writing another story with these two. Here take this instead

[angstandhappiness]

OOOOOH OH LAWD, I NEED TO SEE THE HAPPY ENDING OF THIS AU PLEASE

Alone Again

Aftermath of this 

[skellebonez]

okay i know you probably have lots of prompts already but. listen; 28 and 41 with my Phantom Thief MK AU (well its more of a phantom thief everyone au but yeah)

So I maaaaay have been a smidgen inspired by one very specific post you made about this AU and Sun Wukong's first successful heist... I couldn't resist, it was just too funny.

You call this luck? No, this is all skill./Can you teach me how to do that?

"Can you teach me how to do that?"

The question wasn't an unusual one between the two of them. MK had asked this of Sun Wukong on more than one occasion as successor to the Monkey King as the Monkie Kid himself.

No, what was unusual was that the question came from the opposite person.

"Teach you... what, exactly?" MK asked, trying not to feel too smug about the swap in roles between mentor and apprentice. After all...

Someone had to teach Sun Wukong the finer points of Phantom Thievery.

"You know what," Wukong said with a half scowl, gesturing to way that his student (or, for the moment now that the question was asked, his teacher) was rolling an large pendant between his fingers. "Not the... you know, what you're doing now, but what you did with the pendant on your last heist where you threw it at a guard and it kind cracked in the middle with the smoke and light and stuff."

"OH," MK laughed out, tossing up and catching the coin in his opposite hand. "That's not really a trick or anything, just some incredibly strong flash paper, and other stuff, that's activated when you open it the right way."

In demonstration the young Phantom Thief did something in the way he held the pendant and one end slipped up with a soft cracking sound. Then he did something else and it open like a clam shell. He held it out to the elder, letting him see the inner workings and how it had latches and some kind of folding wall between the two sides.

"Opening it causes a chemical reaction between the two compartments. The real trick is getting everything inside without accidentally activating it on yourself, practicing the opening motion, knowing when to open it, and aiming it just so that it blinds your target at just the right moment. You know, this is probably just the right time to teach you how to use lines to keep this stuff in your sleeves and retract them too! So..."

As MK launched into a lengthy explanation on how this particular bit of his Phantom Thievery repertoire worked he failed to notice the slowly growing smirk on the Monkey King's face.

~

"What, uh... what ya got there?" MK asked, very obviously trying to keep an impassive and non-judgemental expression. And failing.

"... smoothies," Wukong answered, absolutely not hiding what he was holding in his tail behind his back as he offered one of the two drinks in his hands to the younger.

It was a poor attempt at lying, which was odd because MK knew that Sun Wukong was pretty good at lying. He had managed to convince the other that he had no idea his successor was a phantom thief for so long after all. But why in the world he seemed to be hiding a... pillow of some sort behind his back was anyone's guess.

"Why'd you bring smoothies?" He chanced asking instead, and he watched as the other's face lit up in pure victory and jubilation.

"They're victory smoothies, Bud!" Wukong exclaimed, shoving one at MK until he took it from the other. "I just completed my first successful heist! And I did pretty well, if I do say so myself." The Monkey King smirked, puffing out his chest in a show of confidence as he took a sip of what was obviously a peach smoothie. "Oh yeah, tastes like a job well done."

"Really!?" MK exclaimed, his own pride welling up knowing that he had a hand in this since he was the other's mentor in thievery. He'd told the other to start small, something that would be missed but not something that would gather immediate attention from the whole city just in case something went wrong. "That's great! What did you steal?"

"I'm not telling."

This made the younger pause, raising a brow as the elder not so subtly tossed the pillow into a nearby bush.

"... should I be concerned?" MK asked, knowing that with Wukong's reputation... he may have bitten off far more than he could chew. This was the immortal who went on a spree through Heaven that ended up with him eating a ton of immortality peaches, drinking immortality alcohol, and taking immortality pills. Among other things.

"No way!" Wukong assured, chugging more and more of his smoothie with seemingly no regard for the possibility of brain freeze. "Trust me, bud, this went off without a hitch. You have nothing to worry about."

~

Those words came back to to bite Sun Wukong in the ass.

Or, rather, they came back to throw Sun Wukong through MK's window at "way too early for this o'clock" in the morning right after he had finished sleepily getting ready for another day at work and accidentally nodded back off on his bed.

The weight of an immortal stone monkey slamming into you was much more effective than any alarm clock he'd ever used before.

"WHATWHOWHERE!?" MK wheezed out once the Monkey King climbed off him, looking around in confusion until his eyes finally fell on a third party in the room. "M-Macaque!?"

"Where's my couch you wanna be Phantom Thief!?" Macaque yelled, completely ignoring the person who's house he had just inadvertently broken into. He brushed bits and pieces of broken glass and window frame out of his fur with a scowl of anger. "I actually paid for that."

"You really think I would tell you where I stashed it?" Wukong snarked back, smirking wide as he crossed his arms. "A Phantom Thief never reveals the location of their treasure trove to their marks."

"Wait wait wait-" MK said, holding up his hands and finally grabbing the attention of the two fighting immortal monkeys. "You just crashed through my window... because... You were his first heist mark... and Monkey King's first successful heist was your couch?"

"Got it in one, Bud!" Wukong said with a laugh, not seeming to care that Macaque was slowly stewing in more and more anger and frustration. "I wouldn't have even been noticed if he hadn't come home part way through either, he's normally out later than that."

"You sent me a calling card you dumb ass!" Macaque yelled, falling into a fighting stance. "Just because you got lucky enough to get away last time-"

"You call this luck?" Wukong yelled back with a laugh, smirking as he pulled something out of his sleeve and tossed it at Macaque. "No, this is all skill!"

MK barely had time to register what happened before Wukong grabbed him and covered his eyes and a tiny explosion and a pained yelp sounded behind them as they jumped out his broken window.

"SUN WUKONG YOU GET BACK HERE BEFORE I CAN SEE AGAIN OR ELSE!" Macaque yelled, right before another pained yelp was heard. "Holy shit, Kid, why do you have so much stuff on your floor, who lives like this, I can't even WALK in here!"

MK never got to answer or be offended at the immortal before he was tossed over Wukong's shoulder as he made a break for it running through alleyways at breakneck speed before Pigsy's Noodles was no longer even in sight.

They stopped eventually, the immortal monkey putting MK down before looking around to make sure they hadn't been tailed by the other immortal. After a couple minutes it was clear that Macaque had either not followed him due to the blinding effects of the flash paper or had not been able to catch their trail. The two of them each breathed a sigh or relief, looked at each other...

And immediately burst into laughter.

They couldn't help it! It was just... so ridiculous! All that over a heisted couch. Pigsy was sure to be upset at the damage to MK's apartment but given Mystic Monkey Business and all he was certain that the fact it was only a broken window this time would be a decent balm on the damage.

"Macaque is going to get you back for this," MK managed to get out through laughs. "We lost him and now he's going to find another way to get you back, I know it."

"What's he gonna do, steal my couch?"

~

"HE STOLE. MY COUCH."

"How'd he even get to the mountain?"

"HE. STOLE. MY. COUCH!"

"I think you're missing the bigger issue he-"

"HESTOLEMYCOUCH!"

"I KNOW STOP YELLING!"

MK slapped a hand over Wukong's mouth, only barely cutting off and muffling the scream of disbelief and frustration that the Monkey King let out at the state of things.

"Why are you focused on the fact that Macaque stole your couch and not the fact that he somehow got into the part of Mount Huaguo that we have to let someone into, BROKE INTO YOUR HOUSE. and for some reason he ONLY stole your couch?"

"Oh, he's broken in before," Wukong answered once he pried MK's hand away from his face. "But I can't believe that asshole! I stole his couch as a joke, stealing mine back is just petty."

"What do you mean he's broken in before?" MK continued, voice tense and high and totally not at all feeling suddenly very anxious about this new knowledge. "Macaque's just been able to come and go as he pleases this whole time?"

"Yeah, kinda. Not exactly as he pleases but he can just come in I guess."

"These are the kinds of things you need to tell your student- I thought we talked about proper communication as one of our first lessons!"

"... oops?"

~

"When did you get a new couch?" Red Son asked with a raised brow, watching as the immortal monkey lounging on it swished his tail back and forth in contentment.

"Heisted it," Macaque answered with a smirk. "Totally worth it. But next time I'm stealing Peach's tv too, this is so comfy I could use some proper entertainment."

"YOU STOLE SUN WUKONG'S COUCH???"

[vegalocity]

The twist to that PI AU is that Xiaotian's a PI on the side too. Or, at least Xiaojiao is. The two are working together to dig up info on Macaque to help Xiaotian and his dads get a restraining order. (The last few times they tried, they were blocked for some reason.)

....

Ok but actually tho my planned twist took it a step further

EVERYONE is tailing someone in this AU.

Wukong is trying to uncover evidence that Uni AU Lady Bone Demon is fucking with the school's budget and rerouting funds from other branches for her own subjects

Macaque as we know is stalking him

Xiaotian and Xiaojiao are trying to get some concrete evidence of said stalking to finally get a restraining order on the bastard

Red Son as we know is following Xiaotian for his own plot reasons

And Pigsy and Tang are keeping an eye on Red Son bc he's not as slick as he thinks he is and they can tell he's up to something. And everyone in this family has been through ENOUGH thankyouverymuch

and it basically turns into the spider-man meme but with like seven people

[chaozsilhouette]

Uncle’s Advice

I think it’s pretty much been accepted by the Monkie Kid fandom that if the two of them know each other, Macaque functions as Red Son’s sassy uncle. Here’s my first post for my Vanishing Shadow AU.

I think it’s pretty much been accepted by the Monkie Kid fandom that if the two of them know each other, Macaque functions as Red Son’s sassy uncle. Here’s my first post for my Vanishing Shadow AU.

I’m still working out all the characters, but this meeting was always going to happen. This occurs in Season 1 after the Great wall Race but before Macaque, roughly around the same time as Impossible Delivery.

Due to Macaque’s decision not to interact with the Pilgrims, his persceptions have changed. In many ways, he is better, but in just as many he could be considered just as bad or worse.

§~~~~§~~~~§~~~~§

Red Son was not afraid of the consequences of his actions. He did not regret what he was doing. But he knew that if he was caught, spending the next month in a healing trance would be the least of his worries.

Ever since his father had been freed, their family had constantly been in conflict with the Noodle Boy and Horse/Dragon Girl, he had been experiencing strange sensations. The Great Wall Race was the most powerful example yet. He may have walked away in defeat, but he couldn’t say it was a complete waste of time.

Admittedly, he was justifiably infuriated when his parents crashed the race, leading to the idiot twins changing the course. Although given their reputation, he couldn’t be certain that wasn’t their true plan from the start. However, if he was being truly honest, his fury sparked from the bizarre sense they were intruding on something private. He replayed the recording of his father crying when his own incompetence killed the engine so many times. In private, of course.

He wasn’t an idiot.

Anyway, the problem was how his perceptions of those two were changing. Even the scholar and pig demon were transforming in his head. It was almost as if he didn’t want to rip their hearts out after publicly humiliating them. But that can’t be right.

Right?

He couldn’t talk to his parents about this. His mother was already overworked keeping their court running smoothly and managing their affairs. Father was still recovering his strength, and something told him that while his father was skilled in many fields, this wasn’t one of them. But mostly he just couldn’t stand the idea of his family viewing him as any more of a failure. No, he needed to talk to someone else. Someone he knew he could trust with sensitive information.

The timing was too perfect.

They had finally unearthed the strange tomb containing the mysterious power source his scanners had detected but were forced to put the excavation on hold for less enjoyable reasons. Their allies had responded and were willing to meet with the heads of the Iron Bull Court (originally the Demon Bull Court, but five hundred years with his mother at the head led to more than a few changes, not that his father complained).

This was to prove the couple was once again united. Father had to prove that he was truly free and had not simply transferred his consciousness into a magical construct, while his real one continued to rot under the Monkey King’s power. They could not afford to be late or reschedule, as it would reflect horribly on their already strained reputation.

The entire trip would last roughly two weeks if everything fell within acceptable parameters. As the sole heir, Red Son would be expected to manage the stronghold and monitor their operations. He was not to under any circumstances open the tomb until their return, his father had been quite clear on that. His mother also told him he was not to interact with any other Court, especially one in particular, to ensure that they displayed a united front.

Technically, he wasn’t disobeying his mother. She stated he was not to interact with another court and he’s not. He simply organized a family reunion with his favorite uncle at his private estate surrounded by trusted allies, big difference.

§~~~~§~~~~§~~~~§

One day after his parents departed, Red Son informed the servants of his departure along with the consequences should his parents discover his plans. With the utmost haste, his jet cleared the city in record time. He couldn’t allow anything to stand between him fixing whatever was wrong with him. Using a portal to cut down on travel time and reduce the chance of being followed, the young bull demon soon found himself at his destination.

An island surrounded by vicious whirlpools and underwater volcanoes that shrouded the land in an impenetrable mist and heavy storms. The island was nearly impossible to reach unless you had permission.

Eclipsed Mirage Mountain

Supposedly the birthplace of one of the four celestial simians, home to the Macaque King and the Mosaic Court.

Landing at the designated drop zone, Red Son was greeted by two demons, including his least favorite bitch, some of the highest members of the Mosaic Court. A huli jing covered in dazzling white fur with just the lightest touches of lavender and a white snake demon, who could have passed for human if it wasn’t for his fangs just peeking past his lips or the markings outlining his eyes.

“Isn’t this a wonderful surprise.” The female fox demon mused, slowly partaking of her favorite pipe. “What brings you to our humble residence?”

“Huan.” Bitterly, Red Son bowed as customary. “I do believe it was you who stated that asking questions you already held the answers to was the lowest form of intelligence.”

The male snake demon chuckled at his response. “I take it you would prefer your parents remain ignorant of your visit.” He already suspected the answer, but in such delicate matters, it was always best to have absolute certainty.

Red Son nodded, doing his best not to tap his foot in impatience. If there was one thing he despised about his lot in life, it was all the political bullshit. For over five hundred years he struggled through red tape, begging for the day it would grow slack, but it only grew more complex as the centuries passed and he took on more responsibilities. One would think someone would find a way to deal with it as clearly no one cared for it, but no. As such he could only swallow his true feelings and responses with refinement.

Not that it fooled a fox with over twice as many years to hone her skills. “Follow us. He has been expecting you.” She said with a smirk, blowing the smoke of her latest concoction into his face.

The two of them led him down a familiar path, through miles of fruit trees, and passed dozens of demons and immortal humans as they enjoyed their humble lives.

Red Son was familiar with this tactic. It was to demonstrate his patience, endurance, and grant him time to sort out his thoughts in a soothing atmosphere. He could hear a tribe of mortal macaques questioning his presence from the treetops. He picked out a few demons happily sunbathing or wrapped up in their own little world as their tea grew cold. Slowly they approached the tallest mountain of the island and the largest barrier of the inner valley, where the palace had been carved from solid stone, the Obsidian Star Palace.

For a brief moment, Red Son soaked in the nostalgia. Coming to this island was in many ways the same as stepping back in time, to a simpler age. A time when magic thrived and being a demon came with justified respect and terror. But humanity refused to fall in line, they grew stronger, more cunning, and as many powerful demons were killed or imprisoned that was all they needed to gain dominance. While he loathed the truth, he couldn’t deny he admired such determination.

Finally, he was led to a large set of elegantly simplistic doors, each bearing the Mosaic Court’s symbol. Doors he knew led to the throne room, where the man he was praying could help him was waiting.

Taking a deep breath, he centered himself focusing on the burning heat that flowed through his blood. Confident, he opened a single door and walked into a seemingly empty room.

Minding his manners, he bowed towards the throne. “Greetings, honorable uncle.”

“Red Son.” A silky voice echoed from every shadow. It was one of his favorite ways to test Red’s progress in honing his senses. “How has my favorite nephew been? It’s been almost a full century since your last visit.”

“I have been well. I apologize for not returning sooner. This last century has been difficult, but as you know thanks to my efforts my father has been freed from his imprisonment.” He stated the last sentence, his greatest accomplishment, with earned pride.

“I have, but it also leaves me with questions.” The last word sent chills running down Red’s spine as a soft breeze tickled his pointed ear. Spinning around, he saw the Macaque King staring down at him with glowing purple eyes, dressed in a simple black and red hanfu. “Come, let us continue in a more comfortable setting.”

Without warning, the shadows surrounded the two in a tight embrace, whisking them away.

Red Son opened his eyes to a new room, where a large pot of tea accompanied by a large assortment of snacks awaited them.

“Now that that’s out of the way.” The light dimmed, leaving the simian's eyes their natural color of molten gold. “Welcome back, sparks.” Macaque opened his arms, allowing Red Son to indulge in his secret joy.

Not waiting a second longer, he rushed into the kind embrace.

“I missed you, uncle.” The young demon whispered, nuzzling into soft fur and cloth.

The two of them stood in silence, savoring the simple pleasure of family and support. Five minutes passed before Macaque finally moved, leading the fire user to the over-stuffed pillows that served as the chairs.

“So, let’s get down to it. Why are you here?” Macaque asked, pouring each of them a hot cup of tea.

Red Son humbly accepted the drink, along with a plate of salty peach slices. “When I freed my father there was an unexpected observer. A human who was somehow able to lift the staff.”

“Yes, Wukong’s supposed successor. Monkie Kid’s not exactly the most creative title.” Macaque stated. “If nothing else it helps feed into his ego, I’ll give him that.” He bitterly muttered the last part.

“We’ve clashed a few times, but-” Red Son paused. It felt like the words were lodged in his throat. This can’t be happening. Not now! Downing the steaming cup like a shot, an action he would later flog himself for, he mustered every ounce of confidence he possessed and said it. “It sounds insane, but the more we clash the less I want to see him dead! At times, I feel compelled to see him beyond combat.”

Macaque stared at the youth for good minute, taking in every subconscious action. All at once, all merriment vanished, replaced by an expression of regret. “I’m afraid there is nothing I can do to help you, sparks. It’s already far too late.”

“What do you mean? Have I been cursed?!” He doesn’t even know when that would have happened. Granted he is not all knowing about his surroundings and there are many mediums to transfer a curse. His family’s enemies have proven to be quite clever in the past, but surely they would have detected it if it was a curse by now.

“Far worse. You’ve been infected with the greatest poison any realm has ever seen, Love." The black furred demon spat out the word like a curse.

“WHAT! Love!” Multiple emotions flashed across the youth’s face before settling on outrage. “You expect me to believe I fell in love with that worthless, simple-minded peasant!” He screamed, literally breathing fire.

Fortunately, none of the outbursts phased the monkie. “Does your heart race when you see him? Do you find yourself constantly thinking about him? Do you unconsciously search for his scent when you’re out? Are you catching yourself breathing easier when he survives a terrible ordeal? Do you ponder what his blood will taste like late at night?”

“I-uh-tha-I-he-What’s that have to go with anything?!” Brilliant locks alternated between catching on fire or release little bursts of steam.

“Woah.” Taking a sip of tea, Macaque pondered how the kid managed to let it get to this state. “You really got it bad. I’m sorry kiddo. I never wanted you to experience this nightmare.” If he were honest, Red Son’s reactions were far too close to his own once upon a time.

Groaning, Red Son accepted another cup of tea. He knew getting upset wasn’t going to solve anything, but maybe there was something he was missing. “Okay. For a moment, let’s put aside how insane this all sounds. I thought love was supposed to typically be a good thing. My parents are utterly devoted to each other and have brought themselves higher than they ever could alone.” Without his father’s strength, his mother may never have taken her true place as ruler. Without his mother, his father wouldn’t have amassed such territory so quickly, nor be left with anything after his battle with the Monkey King.

“That’s what make them the exception, not the rule. Sure, you have your Daiyus and your Xu Xians, but finding a partner, either mortal or demon, that will truly accept you, flaws and all, to stand by your side until you become dust? I can’t tell you how many love stories end in tragedy, because the partner could not fulfill that single requirement.” Macaque stated with a resigned tone. “The fact you’re crushing hard on your enemy does not do you any favors.”

“Okay, but you can’t expect me to believe I’m also in love with all his worthless friends!” If nothing else there was a difference between what he felt for the Noodle Boy and the Dragon/Horse Girl. And he certainly did not feel the same way about the two elders.

“I’m gonna need a bit more, calf,” Macaque said helping himself to a small chewy mango cake.

“It’s his stupid friends and father figures. I couldn’t stand them, but now…I-it’s like I don’t find their existence offensive as much?” Red struggled to find the right words.

“From what you’ve told me, he highly values their company, so you are unconsciously starting to perceive them in a more positive light. But I’m mainly guessing here. Just because I know almost everything doesn’t mean I know how your heart works.” The black simian admitted.

“I suppose. Is there really no cure?”

Sighing, Macaque leaned over to gently grasp a shaking hand. “None that you want anything to do with, kiddo. Nothing that won’t leave you an emotionless husk.” He followed just in case.

“Then what should I do? I can’t live like this!” He couldn’t simply move to another fortress in their territory. That would mean conceding to a terrible weakness, abandoning the front lines, disappointing his parents, but it would mean he’d never see Noddle Boy again. Never have to get smacked by that thrice-cursed staff again. Never see how his eyes glowed with power at the final blow. Never hear his laugh when he and Dragon/Horse girl celebrate a victory.

Oh…maybe Uncle was right. Slapping his hands over his eyes in shame, Red Son fell headfirst onto the overstuffed pillow. Not giving a smidge of concern as to how pathetic it made him look.

Seeing that his nephew was starting to realize his emotions, Macaque poured himself another cup of tea. “All you can do is live with it. You have to accept your feelings, but that doesn’t mean you have to let them rule you. For all we know, this is simply a dose of puppy love and you’ll be over it in a year or two.” Clawed fingers combed through crimson locks, gently nudging the young calf to look up. “Continue working to become a powerful demon. Reach your full potential and maybe the next time you crave another, it will be for someone who returns your affection.”

Red Son’s eyes grew bright with fragile hope. Little flames danced in the air to an unheard song. Curled up on the oversized pillow, he just looked too cute, like a feisty kitten. Macaque found himself cursing DBK and Iron Fan, they really screwed this kid.

“Thanks for talking with me uncle. I do feel an iota better.”

“I’m always going to be here, sparks.” He nuzzled his nephew, proud that he chose to seak him out instead of just bottling it up inside. “Now I saw you compete in the Great Wall Race last month. How did it feel to leave your old man in the dust?”

“Like the time you took me to burn my first village to the ground!” The fire demon let out a short maniacal laugh as he remembered how the villagers screamed.

The two talked for hours. Every topic was covered, from Red’s new inventions to the latest food trends, everything but a certain Monkie Kid.

At sundown, Red Son entered his jet with a far lighter heart than when he arrived. Waving goodbye to the monkie demon, he bared his fangs at the fox bitch who was present with her immortal wife. The fox demon winked at the youngling, while her better half respectfully bowed

Golden eyes watched as the young fire wielder took to the skies. A fanged smile twisted into a savage smirk. ‘So, you’ve taken a cub of your own, Wukong? I wonder just how much you bothered to teach him.’

Macaque turned to face his longtime allies. “Daiyu, Huan. I think I’ve earned a vacation.”

“Of course, our king.” The two responded as one, eyes aglow with emerald light. “Your destination?”

“It’s time I visited Megapolis.”

[fosermi]

SEMI BACK FROM THE DEAD PEOPLE

That's right! I'm back! And I bring to you CHAPTER 3 OF GUARDIAN MACAQUE AU

WHY?! Well because I couldn't sleep well and it's 5 am fuck my headache I give you content!! Fair warning: Macaque is a soft monkey especially to kids AND YOU CAN PRY THIS HC FROM MY COLD DEAD HANDS ABDJFKCMCM

Some days, Biming would leave to sell the rice cultivated in their field to the neighbouring village. An oddity, Hóu realised. Why sell to another village? He didn't understand… After all, there were other houses in their village. 

"Hóu?" Ai's soft voice called for the demon. Oddly enough, it wasn't her usual tone that came through her call. 

Immediately detecting the shift from her usual beat, the black monkey jumped down from his position on the plum tree that grew in the back garden of the couple's home. The tree upon which the monkey would spend most of his free time on whenever he could. "You called, Mrs. Ai?" 

"Oh! Yes, dear…" her voice dripped with worry - fear even. In her arms a red cloak, outstretched as if allowing him to take it. "Could you please accompany Biming to the town today…?" Her eyes glimmering under the morning sun with worry, begged the black monkey to take on her request. 

Hóu, with an immediate nod, complied as he gently took the cloak from Ai's grasp. Hesitantly, the black monkey built up enough courage to ask the kind lady, her worry affecting his own. 

"Mrs. Ai… is everything alright…?" His hand reached out to Ai’s in an attempt to comfort her as his eyes locked with hers, taking notes of the high level of worry embedded deep within her honey-brown eyes.

Seeing the concern in Hóu's golden eyes, Ai's tense shoulders fell as she let out a shaky breath. "Ling Fa… he warned us that demons moved in close to the rout Biming takes to the other village…" 

Ling Fa… yes…

He was the family's guardian spirit… it was his duty to protect the family, right? Of course he would warn the kind couple.

By late morning, Biming and Hóu had headed out on the road on the small mule-pulled cart with their cargo safely secured. Ling Fa had stayed behind to ensure Ai's safety as he would not have been much help with manual labor. 

Hóu rode on the back of the cart as his mind drifted off to the thoughts of the strange family guardian. They had previously met a couple of times. Ling Fa wasn't a concerning figure, in fact Hóu believed he was incapable of fighting due to his pacifistic tendencies. 

Throughout the journey, Biming and Hóu held up a small lighthearted conversation, a conversation that seemed to have only lasted a couple of minutes was in fact just two hours. 

Soon the duo were at town close to noon, Hóu couldn't believe how lively everything was! Carts and vendors and buyers were everywhere! If he was being honest, Hóu's entire world seemed to start spinning due to the overload of his senses. 

"Welcome to the market, Hóu!" Biming said with a bright smile as he handed Hóu some earplugs. "They might not completely drown out all the new senses but its something at least… if you ever need a breath at all, then tell me and we can go to a more tame part of the town were we can rest for a bit"

Hóu's reply came in the form of a nod. However, even though his senses are over exerting himself, Hóu knew that he had to allow Biming to sell their crops so they could earn the money needed. So, the black monkey decided to sit right behind the cart after putting on the earplugs, mostly hidden from the front view as she observed how Biming bargained and sold his crops. 

Eventually, daylight started diminishing as the sun was starting to head down the horizon, turning the shy a nice shade that reminded the monkey of orange peaches… something about the sunset seems to have upset the demon and he felt a pang of pain in his chest. 

Upon noticing the sadness embedded on the monkey’s face, Biming decided that it was time to head home. "Hóu, let's go home." Came the familiar voice of the young man that got Hóu moving onto the back of the cart, and once again head off back home. "We should be back home just after sunset" Said Biming in an attempt to comfort his companion, which seemed to have worked somewhat. 

The ride back didn't have many complications, it was a smooth ride back with a few conversations every now and again. Once home, Biming and Hóu carried their goods into the home as they announced their return, only to be greeted by the smell of Ai's amazing cooking as they sat down by the table to eat. 

Biming was telling Ai how well Hóu had taken to the city and how well behaved he was. He kept on flattering the black monkey demon which got Hóu to stutter every now and again when he decided to speak up. Soon enough, it was time to head to bed after it was decided that from then on, Hóu would accompany Biming to the market. 

His days spent here in the small farm house by the valley with Ai and Biming went by faster than he expected. And soon, they would have a new addition to their family in the form of a child between the couple. 

The couple at first didn't know how Hóu would react to children, as throughout Ai's pregnancy, he had done his best to avoid her as much as possible without angering her. He however instead spent his time with Biming learning how to trade and sell as well as bargain and buy goods. 

When their daughter was born, the couple found something they never had expected to see. That night they had awoken to the sound of soft cries coming from the adjacent room that Hóu had offered the baby to stay in with him so he could make sure that their daughter was safe from all harm. Surprisingly, Hóu had also swore it as his duty out of the blue one night before she was even born. 

What surprised them however, was what they saw in the room that night. They had found Hóu gently cradling their small daughter in his arms. Biming most of all was surprised at how Hóu could be so delicate with such a small fragile being and yet possess strength strong enough to carry the entire cart filled with supplies. 

Hóu looked over at the couple with worry laced all very his face. "S-sorry… she won't stop crying… she must be hungry!" It surprised Ai how well he knew how to manage a baby and how he could tell what was wrong. She stood there for a moment as she smiled at the panicked monkey before taking her daughter to feed her in the other room, leaving Biming and Hóu together in the room. 

Biming sat down next to Hóu on the bed who seemed a bit anxious. "Is something the matter Hóu?" Came the concerned question from Biming. 

Hóu's tail flicked anxiously like an irritated cat, he lowered his head and talked in barely a whisper "she's just so small Biming… will she really survive?" 

With a comforting hand on Hóu's shoulder, a smile found its way onto Biming's face "with you worrying about her like this… I know she'll be perfectly fine Hóu…" and with that, Ai came back in, carrying their sleeping daughter in her arms. 

Without a second to lose, Hóu was up on his feet to give the bed to the sleeping baby. But instead, Ai gave him the small bundle of joy with a smile. Something within him clicked that night, and for the first time he remembered something from his past. 

A conversation? 

"Hey, [~~~] why so stiff?" 

"Because! They're so small! So defenseless! How can they survive?!" A chuckle rang out throughout what seemed like a cave as the sound echoed. 

"They're children! Of course, they're small! But hey! They seem to like you!" 

"I… I guess they do…" 

"You know… if you're really worried about them so much why not take care of them?" 

"Don't you already do that?" 

"Well, technically, yes? But what I meant was you could watch over the little ones and make sure they're safe?" 

"... alright, I'll do it!" 

Hóu held the small child close to his chest, a stifled sob escaped him as a few tears flowed down his face and onto the blankets that wrapped around the baby. This concerned the couple as they barely see Hóu cry, in fact. This is only the second time they've seen him cry ever since finding him that fateful day. 

Just before they could react, Hóu faced them. Face stained with tears but his eyes held a strong determination. "No matter what, I'll make sure she becomes big and strong. I swear on my life" 

With his sudden declaration, the couple found a sense of peace and comfort. Ever since then, Hóu had appointed himself their daughter's caretaker and would help Ai and Biming with their daughter in whatever way he could. There had been countless times when Ai or Biming would search for their daughter only to find her asleep on Hóu who had her safely asleep on or under his favorite tree in their garden, sometimes asleep himself. 

Such were the peaceful times, the days he wouldn't have to worry about much except for their family's safety. Nothing could happen to them, he used to think. Not until the incident. 

Golden eyes fluttered open as he heard a faint sound of someone calling out to him. "I'm heading off to work dad!! Text you later!!" Followed by a door slamming shut and a soft ringing of a bell. 

With a sigh, the black monkey sat up and combed through his messy black hair before getting up and heading to the bathroom to freshen up. Mi Hóu looked at the mirror and examined himself only to be taken back to see a human face before remembering that his life with Ai, Biming, and their daughter Chu-Hua had ended a couple of hundred years ago. 

He had remembered everything since that time, and his true name is Liu er Mihóu otherwise known as the Six Eared Macaque. And he remembered that at this current time, he has a son. A son that he had to look out for in a world of hidden demons. But here's the catch, he can't let his son know that he himself is a demon even though he already knows about demons. Which is why he uses a human disguise. 

"Another regular day of work I guess…" he mumbled as he heard the ringing of the bell hung at the door indicating that someone had entered their home, or to be more specific, his clinic. Little did he know that this day would be the end of his daily routine of curing demons and teaching at a dojo.