#FREE SUN WUKONG HE DID NOTHING

[starrclown]

Are you excited for season 5???

I'm EXTATIC.

I know I'm gonna be upset for a few episodes cause they CROWNED MY BOY WUKONG AGAIN. FREE HIM HE DID NOTHING WRONG.

I also know that Redson gets like one episode, sad

:(

But overall I'm EXCITED.

Not super excited to see the new artstyle but it's genuinely not worth quiting the show.

I'm also excited to see my bbg Pigsy 😍😍😍

- ⭐️StarClown⭐️

[szynkaaa]

Some more Black Myth Wukong Destined One x reader / OC / self-insert / whatever-floats-your-boat thoughts

***** Black Myth: Wukong Ending Spoilers *****

While I know that in the true ending, the Destined Ones inherits all of Wukong's power and skill and memories and is basically the Monkey King reincarnated, I still kinda see them as two separate beings?

Especially in terms of shipping Destined One x reader LMFAO. IDK I just think this has a potential to be angsty or ending in a tragedy, like yeah you have heard stories of the great Monkey King (or not, depending on your character's backstory). But the monkey you are traveling with doesn't seem anything like the Great Sage you have heard so much about. It's hard to tell what he is thinking or wants but with time you learn how to read the Destined One (see my other hc here). This is the monkey you've been traveling with for some time, protecting you, listening to your woes and shower thoughts. Who made sure you were fed and safe and warm at night.

What does it mean then when he inherits all of Wukong's power and will and memories? Is his personality slowly gonna shift to be more and more like the monkey king's? Did the Destined One ever had a free will on his own? In the game when you die, a lot of times enemies will say "oh you are nothing like him" and that it is also not the first time the Destined One has been here (which I guess is tied to one of the game's ending). I think it's just kinda sad that the purpose of his entire existence is to go find the 6 relics, and then inherit Sun Wukong's memories and be basically the Monkey King reincarnated.

So I'm writing this with my OC in mind, but I feel like if she learns that his whole journey at the end is to become Sun Wukong and be his reincarnation, idk she is gonna absorb that information well. It may suddenly feel like you never really knew the Destined One at all? Was there ever a chance for you to be with him or be together? Once the Destined One inherits all of Sun Wukong's memories, will he still feel the same way about her? will he remember all the good times and bad times and ugly times they went through? I feel like there would be a whole new adjustment period lmfao. ofc this can all still end in a happy ending way, but right now my brain is just stuck in how sad this could also potentially be.

I think part of the reason why I also feel this way is because I am generally not a fan of the whole "past person reincarnated" trope (love isekai though).

I do love the game's ending as it is, but in terms of shipping with an OC or whatever (which is what I always do when I ✨ obsess ✨ over a fictional character), it's not my favorite

anyway yeah, I'm not good with putting my thoughts into words so I hope it makes sense what I'm trying to say

[itsabouttimex2]

MK and Mei’s Friendship

Wukong and Macaque’s Fallout

Mei isn’t the next “warrior”, and she would 100% beat your ass for implying she’s like Macaque

I’m going to preface this for anyone who might want to leave early- I personally dislike this theory!

Because to me, it isn’t a theory- it’s just wrong.

And usually it’s so wrong that it shatters the reality of MK’s and Mei’s character for the sake of forcing them into little “Sun Wukong” and “Macaque” shaped balls.

And so often it starts with demonizing MK/Wukong.

I see, so often, this portrayed in two ways:

1. MK loses his mind and becomes a vicious monster that must be collared and restrained for the good of all around him.

2. MK becomes obsessed with power and fighting, thus driving Mei away.

And both of these are done in an attempt to “link” the kids with the monkeys.

MK-Wukong and Mei-Macaque

We don’t really need to talk about the first two- most of the show is about MK interacting with the Monkey King and learned to handle his legacy and foes- we’d be here all day.

But, what sort of interactions do Mei and Macaque share? Well, for Mei, it’s:

1. Being a victim of his violent and murderous actions

2. Being extremely close to his other frequent victims

3. Bafflingly having no negative opinions on the man who led an assault on her people’s palace, tried to murder her friends, and forced Tang to unleash the Samadhi Fire, nearly killing her in the process.

4. Being a weaker character for her lack of hostile dynamic with someone who has hurt her again and again and again

5. Having a worthless “team-up” with Macaque without the show ever having her address what he’s done to her and her loved ones

6. Weaken her character by taking away characteristics like “willing to call people out” and “gets violent when people try to hurt the ones she loves” for the sake of a boring and short “team-up”.

…yeah, thats not a great list.

Already, Mei’s non-violent interactions with Macaque leave a lot to be desired- and don’t hint to anything even close to her being a “successor” to his story like MK is to Wukong.

Back to those two first bullet points, now, right under the read more.

Sun Wukong and MK are not; and never have been, “mindless monsters”, in spite of MK’s destructiveness in his monkey form- it is explicitly made clear that he’s in control of himself.

“There’s nothing “mindless” about this.”

And he was right. MK is completely awake and aware in his monkey form, with full mental faculties. He’s verbally capable of shredding Azure and decrying his crimes in an efficient fashion, all while kicking him around.

MK wasn’t “going insane”- he was having fun.

(That’s a rant for another day, though)

Nor did Sun Wukong solely drive Macaque away.

The crux of Wukong and Macaque’s fallout is clearly displayed in the show, in the fourth season of Monkie Kid- it started from a single fucking argument.

Now, I’d like to preface again: this is the first point that I see many, oh so many theorizers, artists, writers, etc- get wrong.

SUN WUKONG IS NOT THE “BAD GUY” IN THIS SCENE.

THEY ARE BOTH AT FAULT.

Sun Wukong is trapped. For attempting to overthrow the Jade Emperor, he is sentenced to FIVE HUNDRED YEARS trapped under a mountain.

Let me elaborate for anyone who doesn’t sympathize.

For the next five hundred years, Sun Wukong will be 75% immobile and alone under a nearly lightless mountain. There will be no noise, no stimulation, and no company. He will suffer in silence, and he will suffer alone.

But you know who ISN’T being punished for an attempt to overthrow the Jade Emperor?

Macaque.

Now, this is funny. Wukong leads a six strong band of brothers against the forces of the Celestial Realm, but only ONE of them faces consequences for the rebellion- himself.

Even five hundred years later when Wukong is set free and traveling with his fellow pilgrims…

No one else has faced consequences for the rebellion. All five of Wukong’s “brothers” (Azure Lion, Peng, Demon Bull King, Yellowtusk, and yes, Macaque) get away scot-free to continue their plans and schemes.

I would be pissed. You would be pissed. There is not ONE SINGLE PERSON in this world that would NOT be pissed about how blatantly unfair this is.

Especially not after spending five hundred years nearly immobile under a dark and lonely mountain.

So, even before all, here and now, under that mountain, before five long and lonely centuries have passed, faced with the current injustice of his predicament-

Wukong lashes out and blames Macaque.

No. Fucking. Shit.

All of us (none of us are saints, do not try to say otherwise) would have snapped in anger.

All of us would have been angry. Each and every last one.

Mostly immobile and imprisoned alone to take the blame of six guilty men, Wukong lashes out at the nearest person.

And what does Macaque do, when blamed one single time for something that is mutually the fault of six men, including himself?

He lies and runs away.

No the fuck you didn’t.

Macaque nudges the idea. He implies the idea. He hints, quietly and softly.

“You’re really going through with this?” Is not him shutting down the idea of fighting the Celestial Realm.

It’s him being a coward and trying to dance around the issue without a direct confrontation.

Not even once does Macaque say: “We shouldn’t fight the Jade Emperor.”

Macaque directly LIES to present himself as being the better person during this fight.

MACAQUE IS FUCKING LYING TO HIS BEST FRIEND’S FACE TO MAKE HIMSELF LOOK BETTER, THEN RUNS AWAY AND NEVER COMES BACK DESPITE HAVING FIVE HUNDRED YEARS TO DO SO.

(But because it’s their ‘pewfect pwecious Maccy’, the fandom blindly ate this blatant dogshit lie up and took it at face value. Y’all don’t deserve unreliable narrators and mature themes go watch cocomelon/s)

The moment something goes wrong, what do these two do?

Blame each other to absolve themselves of sin, and then one runs away and chooses to never come back.

This was fucked up and toxic from the start- Macaque was a cowardly little bitch, and Wukong was a power-hungry idiot.

And both of these dumbasses have ZERO communication skills.

You know who doesn’t fall into those categories? OUR KIDDOS.

Mei and MK fight too- as soon as the first season.

And what does Mei do when her best friend accidentally wrecks her bike and nearly costs her a race that was EXTREMELY important to her?

She forgives him almost the moment he apologizes, and he immediately works on making it up to her.

Well, hold on a minute! That doesn’t sound like, I don’t know…

Lying to make yourself look better, throwing the blame around instead of accepting it, and running away for five entire centuries?

Huh. It’s almost like, maybe, instead of being built on one-sided adoration and tenuous “brotherhood”, Mei and MK see each other as, of all things-!

Equals. Friends. Partners.

Mei will NEVER abandon her best friend. Nothing could make her. Even when facing down lethal odds, her first response will ALWAYS be to run to him.

Even if she has to be forcibly dragged away, screaming and in tears, Mei will always fight to stay by MK’s side.

Nothing in the world could tear them apart. Not a petty fight. Not a presumed death. Not demons or celestials. Not an inky scroll of eternity inscribed with the past.

There is ONE circumstance in which she runs away from him-

When she’s overwhelmed by the Samadhi Fire and terrified of hurting the person she loves most with a

DEMONIC FIRE FUSED TO HER BODY THAT COULD EASILY BE USED TO DESTROY THE ENTIRE PLANET

then, and only then… does Mei run.

That is what it takes to drive her and MK apart. Not an argument. Not a game of flinging blame. Not a mishap or a tumble.

But fear for his life.

She runs away because, even if she wants to stay- Mei loves him.

And she loves him too much to think of putting her own life and desires before his.

Mei and MK are not the “hero and the warrior”.

This is not MK and Mei. And it never will be.

This is Macaque and Wukong, two people driven apart by boldness that was brashness and cleverness that was cowardice. This is a tale of adoration and anger and heartbreak and betrayal.

This is not MK and Mei. And it never will be.

Because they love each other too much to ever be “the hero and the warrior”.

And they’re all the better for it.

[fansids]

Shadow of the King Au Art Dump

Since I very rarely get past the sketching phase any presentable art is rare, but I managed to find some for ya'll

Warning for some old ass art:

1. The Stalwart Generals

I spent an ungodly amount of time figuring out the designs, dynamics, and personalities of all of these monkies so I'll be damned if I don't show them first.

The Generals take care of anything SWK is unable to. They are in charge of FFM when he's not present.

Marshal Ma - While technically all the generals are the same rank, Marshal Ma is considered SWK's unofficial second in command. She's calm in every crisis with a very low bs tolerance and is 75% of the reason why the island doesn't fall to chaos every time SWK leaves. She's highly respected by all the inhabitants and can and will break your spine Bane style if the situation calls for it.

Marshal Liu - Mean bisexual. Marshal Ma's sister and the bane of her existence. On duty she takes her role very seriously. Off duty she likes to keep Ma on her toes with her dumbassery. She's easy going, hates clothes, and loves to fight. She has a slightly concerning amount of knives on her person at all times. She is big gay for General Beng.

General Beng - Meaner lesbian. A siamang and the largest and tallest of the generals. She enjoys dressing up, tea (both kinds), and a good party. She has a very short fuse. While her size and strength alone would generally deter anyone from testing her temper, there are always idiots. She can fight, but she knows her Liu would enjoy it more.

General Ba - The youngest of the generals. While she's not shy, she is very quiet. She does not waste her words. But, when she speaks, the others will stop whatever they're doing to listen. She likes to spend her free time in the libraries. Get her in the right mood and she'll argue with you for hours about the most random subjects.

.

2. Macaque face evolution

Was trying to get a feel for Macaque's face and how it changes throughout the au. Top right is the youngest, bottom right is the oldest. Bro gets all sorts of messed up from the whole died and resurrection thing and very much looks wrong afterwards.

.

3. New fit

Macaque and SWK have the whole cape thing going on, I figured SWK gave Mac one of his own when he was still training under him. I like to think it holds a lot of sentimental value to him since he still wears it in present day but he would rather get his head smashed in again than admit it.

.

4. I'm sure this won't come back to bite anyone later

Eeesh. Imagine spending your whole life training to receive and keep the Sun Wukong's attention only for him to casually give it to some random human boy thousands of years later. I mean, Macaque did betray him and everything, but it's the principle.

.

5. The Tongbi Gibbon Concepts

One of the four world-wrecking/celestial monkies. My brain was very focused on the whole pulling celestial bodies out of the sky part of her abilities that I made her based around that line.

Don't know if this fit is still canon as she and the Horse Monkey had a large role to play in Shadow of the King, and I'm considering if I should take them out

.

Bonus:

I consider the Tongbi gibbon and the Horse Monkey to be older than both Sun Wukong and Macaque in Shadow of the King. The Horse Monkey is the eldest, but the Tongbi's age is nothing to sniff at.

That being said, that does not mean she can't be bought.

Takes place after all the traumatizing shit in SotK

Panel 1

Tongbi: Child, I am an ancient being. I hold the power of gods within me. I was witness to the birth of the Great Sage himself. I have seen nations and empires rise and fall. I have gathered and spent innumerable wealth. Yet you think you can bribe me with 20 yuan?

Panel 2

The host: ...how 'bout 30?

Panel 3

Off-panel (Horse Monkey): TONGBI!!

MK: I thought the nimbus made you airsick

Red Son: Not helping, Noodle Boy

Tongbi: BOTH OF YOU SHUT UP!

[googleitlol]

This oneshot is more the length I thought the other one would be, a little under 2500 words. Hope it packs just as much emotion in it, enjoy!

TW: Dead Dove, severe burns

Dove Masterlist:

Samadhi

How on earth did things end up like this?

“Hey.��� Sun Wukong, the Great Sage Equal to Heaven, looks down to his left to see his engaged. His beloved Dove gives him a worried look as she puts a hand on his shoulder. She looks stunning, she always does. “Something is on your mind, Peaches.”

The two of them stand on his somersault cloud, Wukong’s arm is wrapped around Dove’s waist to keep her close so they can both fit on the soft platform. It moves slowly to their destination where others wait for their arrival. He could make the cloud go faster, but he doesn’t want to. He can’t help how fear grips his heart in anticipation for what they are about to attempt. “It’s nothing.”

“Over a decade we’ve been on this journey together, and you think you can still lie to me?” She frowns, her expression more annoyed than anything else. It shifts back to worry as her hand shifts up to hold the side of his face. “We’re supposed to confide in each other, My Love.”

Sun Wukong hums with a small smile, though he can’t hold the facade when she gives him that concerned look. Amidst these last twelve years, she’s become one of the few people that can read him like a book. “I just want this to work. I can’t stand seeing you like this.” His free hand reaches out to her outstretched arm that holds his face. He’s gentle as he encloses his fingers over the wraps that envelop her arms, his thumb brushing back and forth over the material. Wukong has seen the bandaging over her abdomen, the burns that scar her hands. Despite it all, the mortal he’s promised his life to smiles.

“How could it not? I know you three can do this.” Dove reassures him, the fire in her eyes bright as he leans into her touch.

He just has to tell himself this is it. It’ll be over after this. “How is it healing?”

Her hand retracts, and Wukong lets go of her arm so she can inspect it herself. “I’ve taken care of enough burns to know what I’m doing.” She laughs a little, maybe to make light of the injuries. When she looks up to see his furrowed brows, she sighs. “Maybe in a few days, after Iron Fan and your brother have a few days with their boy, we can visit them for dinner. It’ll be nice to hold Red Son without the fear of him bursting into flame, hah.”

“Red-Brat is more like it.” The sage mumbles under his breath, earning him a light slap on his armoured chest.

“Wukong!” Dove scolds with a sharp glare, and he lets out a chuckle.

That baby could burn her a thousand times, and she’d still defend him with her life. “I know, I know, he’s just a kid.” He can’t help the smile that finds its way onto his face, he loves seeing her jump to his nephew’s defence like that. Gods, never would he think someone could hold compassion for another that does them harm. Wukong will always love her for that compassion.

Despite her wounds, his engaged has held a soft spot for the boy since the moment he was born. With how destructive Red Son’s fire is, Dove’s ability to soothe the infant quickly became a crutch that pained him to see used. Wukong still doesn’t understand her patience, not when the baby nearly kills her as an everyday occurance. Still, she showers Red Son with love. He only wishes she had been that forgiving when they first met. It would have spared him a massive headache.

“Look at me.” Dove’s voice draws him back to the present, the determined look in her eyes captivating his attention. “It’s going to work.”

Even with the soothing presence of her gift, he doesn’t need it to ease his worries. Not when the confidence in her voice puts his troubles to rest. “I know it will.” As he speaks, she leans up to place a kiss over his forehead. “I can’t worry when I have you with me.”

Her smile is warm when she looks up at him. “I love you, Peaches.”

“I love you, Dove.” Wukong pulls her closer to his side, and his beloved rests her head on his shoulders.

Dove breathes a content sigh, her eyes focused on the sky ahead. “Maybe after this, we can ask Sanzang for a little break? We could visit Flower Fruit, spend some alone time together.”

Wukong hums with a small laugh. “Alone time sounds nice… y’know, with all the other monkeys crowding around us to get a look at their soon-to-be Monkey Queen.”

“Hah! I can’t wait to meet them properly.” She smiles, and Wukong looks down to take in what he can of her features. He can’t wait for when they retrieve those scriptures and they can go home, to stay. When this journey started, all he wanted was to be free from the burden of helping the monk and his cranky companion, but she changed that. Now, all he wants is to wake up each morning with Dove by his side, so he can take in those features in dawn’s light in their home.

“It’s settled, then.” He sighs before turning his attention back to the route ahead. “We’ll visit the little guys tonight. Master should be fine for one night without us.”

“With our luck, don’t jinx it.” That gets him to laugh. He supposes Dove is right, he shouldn’t say anything to risk their chances of a battle-free night. When she lets out a soft exhale, Wukong can feel himself relax just a bit more. “I can’t wait to get a proper tour of my new home with you.”

~~~~

It was supposed to be simple. Split the fire and find someplace to hide his own ring. Easy as that.

DBK won't have to deal with his home burning down every other day and call Dove to calm down his hot-tempered son. Sun Wukong admits, the kid is cute when he isn’t burning everything to the ground. Dove is so fond of him, how can he not like the little guy? Still, he hates every time she’s asked to help him. Dove has been burnt in her efforts to tame his flame, and relying solely on her to ensure a little kid doesn’t destroy the world isn’t a viable option anymore. Nor is it one he’s comfortable with.

The air is heavy among all who stand with the sage. Sun Wukong stands in a circle with his master, the Demon Bull King, and the Third Lotus Prince, Nezha, with the baby Red Son engulfed in flames in the centre of them all. The Monkey King’s brothers, Wujing, Ao Lie and Bajie all stand behind their master, and Dove stands a few paces behind to her Peaches’ right. She has to be on standby in case the separation fails, but it won’t. Like Dove said, this is going to work.

His master steps forward and taps his staff against the drawn out circle on the ground. “For the Samadhi Fire to be split into three, you must harmonise your energies.” He instructs, and the three chosen all look to one another with a nod.

The circle lights up, illuminating with life as it begins. The glow from the markings on the ground encapsulates Wukong’s vision, blinding his peripherals so that all he can focus on is the ring that begins taking form in front of his hands.

It’s a little surprising, how it feels at first. Wukong isn’t sure what he was expecting, but he thought there’d be more… pain involved? Maybe it’s because he can only feel a third of the fire feeding into the ring that takes shape in front of him, but it’s a little underwhelming. He’s taken the brunt of the Samadhi Fire before, he knows it can hurt, but this? Sure, he can feel the heat of the flames pretty strongly, but it's nothing he can't handle. It’s no wonder he was chosen as one of three that could withstand it. Maybe Nezha is having more trouble than him, the lotus prince has always been a bit of a baby compared to the other immortals he knows.

There’s a few flames that lash out more than the others, but it’s easy enough to keep them under control. “You know, this is kind of easier than I thought it would be.” He laughs a little, and that’s when his focus slips. That’s when it all goes wrong.

A flame lashes out as the baby in the centre shouts, and fire shoots out towards the three rings. The sheer force knocks Wukong onto his knees. The other two ring-bearers in the circle shout out at the sage, too late to stop a wave of fire that spews out in every direction. His dragon brother, Ao Lie, is quick to respond to flames that hurtle towards their master and takes a hit head-on. The Monkey King is quick enough to jump back to his feet and take this next hit easily.

But then he hears her scream.

Wukong freezes, Dove’s voice shooting ice through his veins. His eyes shoot wide at the sound of his worst fears coming to life. “Dove!” He hears Wujing call out to his love before heavy steps rush to her location just out of his view.

He moves to turn his head before she shouts. “NO! Don’t– haa… Don’t look, don’t let him…” She shouts out, her voice twisting in anguish, “Don’t stop, Peaches! The ring is almos–” She can’t even finish the sentence before letting out another shrill scream.

Every bone in his body is pleading for him to turn around, and it takes every ounce of willpower not to. His heart is thundering in his chest, fear claws at his skin as he begs himself to focus on the rings. She won’t stop screaming, she won’t stop screaming–

“Dove?! Dove!!” She can’t answer him, can she even hear him?! Gods, he can’t see her! His eyes shut tight, and he fights every fibre of his being not to abandon the ritual and run to her side as Bajie and Wujing shout from behind.

“It won’t go out!”

“It can’t go out!”

Wukong shakes his head, their voices pushing him to the brink of madness. “Dove, please– hang on!” Help her, he needs to help her, shit, he has to move, she needs help! Help her, help her!!! She’s screaming, she isn’t stopping she won’t stop– she’s screaming! Even when she stops, he can still hear her screaming. Her voice rings in his ears.

When the rings fully form, Sun Wukong’s drops to the ground. He turns to run to his love, only to choke back a gasp when he sees her. The fire that had been burning its way up her body whisps away with the rings now complete. Left in their wake and in the arms of Wujing is a limp body.

The sight of her alone is nearly enough to send him falling back. Her entire lower half and right side of her body is covered in fourth degree burns. Her clothes are singed and melted into her skin, into her arms and torso. There’s muscle tissue visible in the meat of her hands and along her legs from where the fire had its fill. All over her body are contrasting amalgamations between charcoaled skin and raw pinks of every shade, even the white of bone pokes out from her right shoulder and knuckles.

“Dove!” He doesn’t waste another moment rushing to her side. Despite her injuries, the woman still breathes. Each inhale is laboured, every exhale pain from her burning lungs. Her voice barely carries to shout when he moves her from Wujing’s arms to his own. “No, no… no, no no no! Somebody help!”

His head whips around to those that now surround them, Demon Bull King hiding away his son’s face from them while Tripitaka rushes to their side. He gasps at the sight of his friend, his staff dropping with an echoing clang. “Master, please!” Wukong begs, his voice never before sounding so desperate.

His master crouches down slowly, his eyes never leaving her, his first companion on his journey. “They’re… they’re too severe.”

“The hell do you mean, too severe?!” Wukong snaps, but the monk can’t even move to flinch. “She’s dying! We have to do something!”

He looks back to Nezha, his brothers, anyone! “Please! There has to be something– we can’t–”

“Peaches…” He barely hears Dove, her voice holds only a shell of the life it did a mere hour ago. He looks down at his love, only now can he realise how blurred his vision is when he can barely make out her features. There’s tears streaming down her face, her eyes are open but unfocused.

Her breathing is ragged as Wukong holds her hand in his. “Shh, shh… it’s okay, Dove.” His voice cracks, he needs to comfort her. “Don’t try to say anything, we’re gonna help you. We–”

His head whips back up to the friends that have gathered around them. “We have to do something, now! Master, there has to be a way! Nezha, there must be something, I won’t let her die! Please!”

“Brother…” Bajie rests a hand on the sage’s shoulder, and Wukong snaps his head up to him. But his brother isn’t looking at him. His gaze is focused on Dove and–

He can’t feel her. That calming presence he’s so used to walking with every day. It’s gone. She isn’t breathing.

“…Dove?” Wukong checks for a pulse, but he finds nothing. His heart sinks. “Dove? Dove, please– Dove?! We said everything would be okay after this.” His voice feels strained, it’s throbbing, there's somethings choking him.

“Dove, don’t do this to me– please! Please!”

“Dove! Dove!”

The king throws his head back in outcry, his queen limp in his arms. His voice is bloodcurdling, his scream so visceral it shreds into every soul present. Wukong pulls the shell of his love into his chest and sobs, burying his head into her shoulder. Her body is warm, but it isn’t her warmth.

He can’t feel her. Why can’t he feel her in his arms anymore?! This isn’t what was supposed to happen, how could this happen? How on earth could things end up like this?! He was supposed to stop her from getting hurt! “Please, Dove… we’re visiting home tonight, remember?”

“…We’re going home tonight.”

[sun-of-4-gun]

reeding your Six ear backstory I'm curious on what the jttw gang thought of him? where they like:

"that monkey looks a lot like you"

SWK: yeeAhh how much of a coincidence O﹏o

hahah essentially!

Tang: Why did he look like you?!??

Monkey: No idea (lie), but I am flattered! Not happy about everything else though.

it was a very "Fuck You. Random Chimp Event 🫵" moment because to the pilgrims, Six seemingly came out of nowhere and took Monkey's place after he was banished. later on they thought they had him back but it was an imposter! I'd imagine it was Sandy & Horsie who were suspicious of "Monkey", because Pigsy & Tripitaka were thinking of him as being much better than before, except it isn't really Monkey or Stick and neither were being aggravatingly annoying or frustratingly aggressive!!

Monkey only realised what Six was when he was just about to destroy him. with the No Killing Rule by Tripitaka, and Buddha & Lin's sympathy for him 500 years ago, he gives it a second thought to not kill this guy, who to his understanding is basically just a younger version of himself under different circumstances. in a way maybe it would've been like killing himself, or at least these negative aspects within that manifested to ruin his own life, metaphorical &/ literal self-sabotaging & harm if you will. because "Six" was initially pushed away & buried to the back of his mind, but bottling up ruins you, and that's exactly what almost came to be

so he does it again, but this time with a positive outlook and hope this six-eared macaque will understand that what he did was wrong during timeout. just as Buddha did for him once!

there isn't much to think of for the others since it was all so chaotic & confusing. one moment Monkey killed a bunch of guys and claims he didn't, and after being banished by Tripitaka for "lying & murder", he came back to apologise because apparently he did kill people! but it turns out no, he didn't, because that was the six-eared macaque who framed him, stole his identity, & almost got away with their luggage if it weren't for the real Sun Wukong! I don't think Monkey even tells/confirms to anyone about the fact that technically he created Six, so this is all his fault for not talking about his feelings 5 years ago, and he's still not going to talk about this maybe after 1,000 years because it's just so out of the blue!

Pigsy assumes that was just a rogue hair clone, he teases how more pleasant & tolerable Six was compared to the original, and prefers a quiet Stick. this earns him a bonk in the head

Tripitaka hopes that Monkey keeps his promise to free Six in 500 years & give a chance to redeem himself like he has for him. he's glad his youngest disciple didn't kill the specious macaque & is being considerate of other's feelings

Sandy was absolutely furious about fighting his own shadow, as Six borrowed it to match his prowess when they battled. I'd think he has ideas of his origin but it remains a quiet understanding and unspoken secret between him & Monkey

Horsie prefers the original and did not like Six even when he was in disguise. I imagine he instantly sensed it wasn't his friend but couldn't understand what was different. the vibes were just off but again, didn't say anything

and so after that kerfuffle, they'll carry on their journey like nothing happened to the next episode!

[gh0st-t0wn3]

Lmk ss edits + Headcanons, Part 2 (Pigsy, Tang, Sandy, Sun Wukong, Macaque)

- He/Him

- Bisexual

- Huge environmentalist, if you put any garbage or recycling in the wrong bin expect to get at least a three hour lecture, no you can not escape this, yes MK and Mei have tried, no they did not succeed

- ONLY shops from farmers markets/family businesses, you will never catch this man supporting a corporation

- Use to steal Tang's college hoodies

- Took him the longest to get used to having Redson around and a part of the group , but eventually warmed up to him (is still kinda salty about Redson burning MK's room though)

- Grows his own herbs

- Gets incredibly frustrated when he gets the hiccups (writing this as I'm fighting off hiccups)

- Loves watching true crime shows and listening to true crime podcasts while he does household chores or while he's setting up/closing the shop

- Got his ears pierced with Tang

- MK and Mei call him mom when he's being overbearing, Tang calls him mom now too to tease him

- Once caught Mei and MK sneaking food out of the kitchen at 3am and beat them with a broom for a solid minute because he was too drowsy to recognize them and assumed they were intruders (they were fine)

- Is the type of person to call his husband (Tang) "bro", "dude" etc

- Got drunk in college once and talked about nothing but how much he loved Tang, didn't remember any of it the next day but Tang asked him out pretty quickly after that

- Exchanged a few recipes with DBK while they were at the beach, they still do exchange more recipes once in a while but they don't talk much outside of cooking related topics

- Learned how to play dnd in college because Tang liked the game and ended up liking it a lot more than he expected to so they wound up playing together all the time (they still play it once in a while if they have time)

- Him and Sandy get together every other weekend to try and help Pigsy with his anger management issues

- Never called MK his son while he was growing up because he was scared that MK's real family would show up one day to take him back home, finally realized that no one was gonna show up a short while after MK turned 10 and started acting like an actual parent (MK always saw Pigsy as his dad though)

- Always says "this is the last time" when giving Tang free noodles (it is never gonna be the last time, and Tang knows it)

- Once bumped into a mannequin at the mall and apologized to it, Tang still makes fun of him

- Use to take Mei and MK to conventions all the time until Mei learned how to drive and could take them herself

- Won't care for people getting hurt in movies but will be absolutely crushed if something happens to an animal (sobbed when he watched "A Dog's Purpose")

- Smells like noodles

- Love language is acts of service

- Keeps trying to convince Tang to come with him to family events, has yet to succeed

- Carries around an extra pair of headphones in case Tang or MK needs them

- Almost threw hands with DBK and PiF after hearing about how they treated Redson (seriously guys, I need Redson to have a good parental figure in the next season, please), this man is a father to everyone

- Snores loud as fuck, it's a wonder how Tang gets any sleep

- No fashion sense what's so ever

- Insomnia

- He/Him

- Gay

- Once zoned out and stared at a wall for six hours straight

- Desk is covered in pencil shavings and pen ink

- Constantly bruised from always falling (weak ankles)

- Fluent in Polish, don't ask why, it just feels right

- Doodled all over his books in school (they made him pay for new ones)

- Never up before sunrise

- Got in some random dudes car once thinking it was a taxi and almost got himself kidnapped

- Will make the most annoying, smart-ass remark to anything anyone says

- I'm not actually sure if it's ever mentioned in the show what Tang does for a living but it doesn't matter, he's a college history professor now

- Has grandma floral bedsheets (we've all seen his sleepwear, you cannot tell me that man doesn't have grandma floral bedsheets)

- Somehow always cold

- Constanly napping, he can and will fall asleep if he's left alone for too long (his students once caught him asleep at his desk after lunch break and dipped class)

- Used to have hexagon glasses cause he thought they looked cool but found out Pigsy liked circular ones better so he got new ones

- Still has a septum piercing he got while he was in college but keeps it flipped up, he also has ear gauges

- When he met Pigsy's parents he was super nervous and ended up passing out half way through the night because of anxiety, he has not lived it down and refuses to go to any events with Pigsy if his family is gonna be there (they actually really liked him and are disappointed when he doesn't show up)

- Doesn't own a bookshelf for some reason, everything is just piled on the floor

- Very faint freckles

- Needs a daily 'to do' list, his whole day gets thrown off if he doesn't have some kind of schedule

- Maladaptive daydreamer

- Never showers, only takes baths

- Needs headphones on crowded transportation otherwise he'll get stressed at all the noises and talking overlapping eachother

- Severe rsd (rejection sensitivity dysphoria,  "benched" was an especially bad time for him)

- Number one art appreciator and constantly drags Pigsy to museums

- Smells like a library (please tell me you know what smell I mean)

- Love language is gift giving ( and you KNOW he loves you when he shares his food with you willingly)

- 76% of the clothes he owns are thrifted

- Blind as a fucking bat, if he looses his glasses he's on the floor feeling around for them like Velma,  I swear they could be two feet in front of him but he won't even notice

- Hypersomnia

- He/Him

- Bisexual

- Huge conspiracy theorist, ask him anything and he'll have some in depth explanation on how it relates to cryptids or something (I'm talking Matpat level conspiracy theorist, seriously, someone get him help)

- Slowest typer on the planet (mainly because the screen is too small for his hands), will respond to something 3-5 minutes after they changed topics

- Made seed bombs and threw them everywhere at random around the city and now there's a bunch of flowers and vines growing everywhere

- Was the first one (Aside from Mei and MK) to welcome Redson into the group with open arms, everyone else was still kinda cautious

- Would literally die for any of his friends, no questions asked, no hesitation, just jumps in the line of danger as soon as he sees one of his friends about to get hurt

- Didn't have a lot of friends growing up until he met Pigsy in his last year of high school because everyone was afraid of him

- He and Pigsy were in a band together in college, Sandy discusses it with pride, Pigsy gets embarrassed and denies ever being in a band at all

- Since he also has scales he's the one who teaches and helps Mei look after her scales and keep them from drying or getting damaged

- Yoga master, wakes up super early to do it during sunrise

- Has the best taste in music, he can find the most amazing, tear jerking, heart wrenching, underground music ever effortlessly

- Hasn't met a single person he wasn't able to get along with

- Firmly believes in all the little wishing rituals (11:11, shooting stars, birthday candles, blowing dandelions etc)

- Learned how to whistle so he could sing along with birds

- *gets robbed* "oh, i bet he needed the money, it's ok"  "I really don't think he did." "...maybe he's gonna donate it!"

- Favourite kind of tea is earl grey

- Named one of his cats Maquack after Macaque

- Sometimes cat sits for Bai He when she goes to doctor appointments, family visits out of the city, etc

- Got his piercing while he was still in a band but kept them in because his band mates were some of his first friends and they all got pierced together

- Has a tail to help him swim better (unfortunately I could not add it in the edit above but just I imagine he has the same kind of tail as the water Na'vi in Avatar ig)

- Skin has a faint ombre to it (his hands and feet are lighter and fade around his forearms/knees to a slightly darker blue (i did add this one in my edit but unfortunately I don't think it's as visible as I wanted it to be, my bad)

- Webbed hands and feet to help him swim better

- Has adipose eyelids like a fish to protect his eyes from the water, block exposure of harmful ultraviolet light into his eyes and act as protection against impact to the eye in aquatic environments. Since his eyelids are transparent though, he has to wear a sleeping mask at night

- Smells like a mix of ocean air and tea

- Love language is quality time and physical touch (will pick up and hug his friends all the time no matter the place)

- His hair and beard always have something in them, sand, seaweed etc

- Shoes are actually really uncomfortable for him to wear because his body is evolved for an aquatic environment, but he doesn't want to be rude so he wears them anyway (Mei found out and got him a customized pair of shoes so he could be comfortable without feeling like he's being rude)

- Uses Kaomojis

- If he's not busy, or doesn't have anything planned for the next few hours, he'll spend his free time cleaning up the ocean and beaches from any garbage

- He/Him

- Pansexual

- Everything he has ever done has been an impulse decision

- Is the type of mf to kick the inside of someone knee while they're walking to make them fold (Tang is the primary victim)

- Chews his nails

- Made up his own constellations as a "fuck you" to the universe (somehow managed to convince some mortals they were real constellations too)

- Mk and Co constantly forget how ancient swk is until he says some old person shit

- Naturally has curly and untamable hair, uses glamor to avoid getting called out about not taking care of it

- Horrifically optimistic

- Always has leaves and dirt and sticks etc in his hair

- Will sit out in the rain for hours on end

- Follow up on the last hc, he's been struck by lightning.. twice

- Actually has really heavy eyebags but uses glamor to cover them up

- Gets bored super easily

- Has naturally long lashes, Mei is still convinced he's wearing makeup though

- Cannot cook for the life of him

- His memories are always in shades of gold, no ones sure if it hasn't something to do with his gold vision or not, even himself, he just can't remember things in normal colour

- Stress induced migraines from the circlet

- Not a fan of big cities but loves how the lights look at night

- Stacks of notebooks and loose paper, cannot keep anything organized

- Takes a nap everyday at exactly 2:38 without fail

- Freezes in the winter, man's house has no insulation whatsoever

- Doesn't like big crowds but also can't stand not being the center of attention

- Once picked fleas out of both MK's and his own hair and ate them, MK was and still is disgusted, he will never look at Monkey King the same way again

- Smells like Peaches (it's like the only fucking thing he eats)

- Love language is physical touch

- Kinda chubby (mostly around his stomach and thighs) but still has muscles

- Always teasing Redson about the fact that he's technically his uncle since he and DBK are sworn brothers, he finds Redson's overreactions to it funny but is secretly kinda hurt that Redson doesn't think of him as family anymore (He use to when he was a little kid but stopped seeing Wukong as family after he sealed DBK away. They've started to try and mend their relationship after the events of season 4, it's slow but it's progress)

- Sometimes the monkey's on FFM will come into his house through the windows at night to sleep with him for comfort

- Really bad with technology but pretends he's just too good for the internet so he can avoid using it without looking old

- He/Him

- Bisexual

- Says his "S"'s really sharply

- If you ask him anything about himself he'll give you a different answer to the exact same question everytime (he thinks it makes him mysterious,  it does not)

- Lower lid eyeliner >>>

- If you say something stupid or weird he'll just stare judgingly until you take it back

- Actually lost his mind when he found out what blowing bubbles were

- Drinks tea with an ungodly amount of sugar

- Chronic eye pain + headaches. It's gotten significantly better over the years but.. yk, eye gouged out

- Has a deeply relaxing voice, strangely enough

- Has tried to compliment people before but it always ends up coming off as an insult

- Classical music or heavy rock, no in-between

- It is literally impossible to take a bad picture of him

- Puts his hair up in a bun whe he doesn't wanna deal with it

- Has patches of freeze burns from LBD, along his right side (mostly just his arm).

- Theater kid

- Rose tea enjoyer

- Likes to bake sometimes and frequently exchanges recipes with Pigsy and DBK

- Like to watch the sunrise and sunset

- Hates being out in the sun too long, not having a shaded area nearby for an easy escape stresses him

- Will stare out the window while it rains, Mei once said he looked like he was pretending to be in a cringey early 2010 music video

- Hard of hearing, his six ears are very sensitive and all the fighting and screaming has definitely done some damage to them by now

- Follow up on the last HC, despite being hard of hearing he will either absolutely refuse to wear hearing aids, or will wear them (albeit begrudgingly) but cover them with glamor

- Septum and snake bite piercings he got during his emo phase

- Smells like grapes, don't ask

- Love language is quality time, he doesn't care to actually have a conversation, though, he's fine just sitting in comfortable silence

- Will use his shadow transport for the dumbest things when he's lazy, like teleporting the TV remote to him if it's on the other side of the couch, teleport a bag of chips from the pantry to him in his bedroom,  etc

- Room is covered in scented candles

- Sandy has invited him over to work out some of his problems multiple times, he doesn't really care to open up though, he just goes for the cats (Sandy let's him)

- His hair is always soft and he refuses to tell anyone what he washes with, MK has asked multiple times and he gets a different, vague answer everytime

[newkatzkafe2023]

@lara-legomonkiekid

What if Y/N gets jealous of a girl who around Monkey King Or calls him a cutesy Nickname in public.

(Lmk Wukong) He was hanging with Mk and the gang again at Pigsy Noodle shop until he heard your voice from outside.

Monkey Queen (Y/N): Sunflower!!! 🌻

He froze no no you did not just call him that. He turned his head towards MK and the rest who were trying to hide their giggles even Pigsy was fighting off a smile.

Monkey Queen (Y/N): I know you're busy but I want to let you know. I brought more peach chips from the store. I'm gonna put him in a cabinet at home So if you want some stop by my mountain. I still have some errands to run I'll see you later love you sunflower 🌻.

And with that you ran off to the market down the street. As soon as you left, everybody burst out. Laughing hysterically to the point where some of them could even breathe. Wukong's face was so red you would think he was on fire.

Macaque: Sunflower 🌻 huh???😏😏

Sun Wukong: Ok number one shut up an number two when did you even get here?!?!?😡😡😡😡

(Nezha Reborn Wukong) He was at the workshop with Li Yunxiang help with his motorcycle. Until he heard you come in

Monkey Queen (Y/N): Fluffy you Left you toolbox at my house again!

This made him spit out the water He was drinking just now as Li awkwardly stood next to him.

Monkey Queen (Y/N): I'm gonna leave it by the door I have to go to work so I'll see you later.

You then ran off as your running late and need to catch the bus.

Li:.......um😥

(NR Wukong) Breathe a word of this to anyone and I'll kill you myself👿☠️

(MK Reborn Wukong) What was Provoking and fighting some palace guards it's from the emerald temple. He destroyed the massive peach tree.during the He was in the zone of fighting until

Monkey Queen (Y/N): Sourpatch!!! stop fighting those two little girls right now Your trashing the place!!!!!😡😡😡

Everybody in the area froze at the sound of your voice. As a female monkey with snow white Fur and Piercing navy blue Eyes glared into her husband from down below. You then stomped pass Master Tang and down the hall to calm down. Wukong was Not only disrespected but also embarrassed by you once again. That's what he gets for getting worked up over nothing.

Guards: Did she just call us little girls😟😟😟

(HIB Wukong) Since his release from the mountain prison Buddha put him in he had went to try and find you, but the children were asking a billion and one question. As he was getting more and more Irritated a soft voice called out to him

Monkey Queen (Y/N): Ah, grouchy Bun, I thought you were dead. But we both know that's impossible now isn't it😉😉😉

He froze seeing his Wife from across the Field beautiful As the day he left her, but he wasn't fooled by her gentle tone she is Furious with him and he has a lot of making it up to her to Too bad that didn't distract him from the giggling children behind him Something else he was going to have to explain😥😥😥

(Netflix Wukong) He was spending time with Lin bragging about How he recently saved the village from another demon when,

Monkey Queen (Y/N): Ok chestnut that's enough Bragging for today now come home and have dinner with me

Wukong's face lit up a bit before Muttering a yes dear and said bye to Lin trying to block out the Her giggles.

Feel Free to Reblog😇👍

[quitealotofsodapop]

Between Azure and Wukong... I think he did manipulate Wukong into taking the fall for them when their initial attempt to overthrow the Jade Emperor failed, similar to how he had manipulated MK into freeing the other members of the Camel Ridge trio. The difference, I believe, is that with Wukong, he had done so unknowingly. He truly had admired, possibly even loved, Wukong... but he'd done so in the most toxic way possible, and when Wukong was young and at his most arrogant, making him easy prey to fall for it. And I think the entirety of the odea to overthrow the Emperor was Azure, tbat maybe the Havoc Wukong had caused may have unintentionally opened the door for them to rally behind, but the truth of the matter was that Wukong was jsut lashing out and hadnt actually intended or wanted to start a rebellion. I think Azure put the idea into his head, or rather, put it into everyone's head and then just elected Wukong as leader after hearing the story, leaving him the perfect scapegoat for when the plan went south.

And Wukong KNOWS he was manipulated into it. He knows it and wants to protect MK from this. When he spots Azure, he IMMEDIATELY pushes himself to the front to block his view of MK and Mei. He was at the back of the group but pushed himself in front to block Azure's access to the two youngest members of his new family. I don't think he's entirely aware that it wasn't intentional, but I'm certain Wukong is self aware enough to realize who it was who wanted the Jade Emperor's throne and who was it that got pulled around like a puppet and then had hsi strings cut the moment he couldn't live up to his puppeteer's expectations

Huehuehuehue

My buddy @a-tea-goblin has done some amazing posts on why Wukong despises Azure specifically for what he did to him, even if the lion isn't aware of it.

This shot in particular I think sums up Azure Lion's motives;

Azure pretty much put Wukong on a pedestal. A powerful demon king with loyal subjects. Someone able to go toe to toe with the gods. Thats what Azure, Peng, and Yellow Tusk saw. To make someone an idol is to unknowningly dehumanize them.

Wuong is someone that DBK calls their "youngest worthy brother/xiandi" in JTTW. Someone who became king of his people when he was barely a cub. Someone who is clearly not mature enough to rule the Universe. People like DBK and Macaque were able to see this side of Sun Wukong that the others couldn't.

Azure used Wukong's immaturity to head the charge when even his own brothers saw him as "the Leader", because he was trying to defer punishment that would have befallen him if they had failed.

For Azure, it was easier to say that Wukong "betrayed" his brothers when he was captured by Erlang (and Furnace'd) + forced to surrender to the Buddha, rather than admit that he allowed their youngest brother take the blame.

And it was easier to think that Wukong had "become a warrior for the oppressors" than admit that the monkey was on religious probation. And ofc dodge the tiny detail that Camel Ridge stripped the dao of it's surroundings into a desert + in the novel was actively hunting and eating humans and sapient animal spirits. Macaque gained his reputation as a "coward" not because he ducked out at the sign of danger, but because like Wukong - Macaque cared for his own people and not for some Demon Las Vegas like the other Three.

even Macaque points this out in the S4 special

MK: "I thought he wanted to help people. He said he wanted to be the hero." Macaque: "I'm sure he does. Everyone thinks they're the hero of their own story. Azure's always been good at convincing people he's the good guy. He's even fooled himself."

Ultimately I think Azure's greatest sin is Inaction/Refusal to take blame. Even when he was at peak power in Heaven, he said nothing about the divide between the celestials and mortals. Azure doesn't want to admit that he was no more than a celestial agent who jumped straight to rebellion instead of reform. Someone willing to fight but die for their cause.

Which the lion attempts once again when he manipulates MK into rescuing his old brothers from the Scroll. Azure literally sees Wukong within MK, and by seeing the full of how much alike MK & Wukong are; he panics and almost cuts him down.

Because Azure saw the "old" Wukong in MK, and when he saw the "new" that he had encountered back during th Journey - he knew his attempt to make MK the new rebellion's idol had failed.

Think about it. Why did he only show MK his memories and not his allies? Because someone more emotionally mature like Pigsy or Sandy would have immediately clocked on that Azure was full of it and called him out.

Azure, describing Camel Ridge: "But the celestial realm did not abide competit-" Tang, interupting with his copy of JTTW: "Didn't you guys eat people!? Alolai was a paradise because it was full of peaceful non-people-eating monkeys!" Pigsy, furious: "That is it! Stay the Diyu away from my kid!" *whacks Azure with the Jade-Toothed Rake*

Even if Azure doesn't realise that he's doing this conciously, he still manipulated Wukong and attempts the same on his successor. Whilst LBD sought out a new world order by erasing the past, Azure does so by repeating the steps of his past failure.

And we see that when Azure does become a true leader when he takes the celestial throne, his decaying mind defaults to accusing his remaining comrades of treachery and Wukong of poisoning his mind when it is his own refusal to admit that he's in way over his head.

And of course, it is only when Azure is defeated and being ripped apart by the Emperor's power does he recognise all of this...

[nekohime19]

Mini Mac # 11 : lil guy meet the sworn brothers

Now the brotherhood understand everything a lot better! Mini Mac has been introduced!

Spring was in full swing, the breeze carried the airy scent of blooming flowers and the sky oscillated between clear and cloudy. Macaque was sitting just outside of the waterfall, enjoying the warmth of the declining day while it lasted. He wasn't daring enough to go, alone, in the lush forests of Flower Fruit Mountain. But since he managed to befriend most of the monkey cubs, he felt more at ease, less threatened. As such, sometimes, he sat just outside of the water-curtain cave, on the rocks that led to the waterfall. He was fond of the rock's freshness and liked to look at the clear water rippling. He also enjoyed the sky. Dusk and midnight were his favorite times to sit outside, he found beauty in those fleeting moments of peace. Sometimes, he would also accompany Sun Wukong and delve deeper on the mountain. The golden-furred monkey liked to show him his favorite spots to nap and his prefered peach trees. Macaque would sit on his shoulder and let himself be taken, enjoying the free ride.

Macaque looked up, admiring the last rays of light, before rising and stretching himself. He turned around when he heard a rustling coming from the forest before him. He was on guard for a second before huffing after recognizing the sound of the step. Sun Wukong came out of the forest, his face brightening when he caught sight of him.

“Hey, Mac!” Greeted the sage as he walked towards the lil guy and crouched before him. “How was your day?”

“Fine.” Shrugged Macaque “Weren't you supposed to head towards one of those fests with your sworn brothers?”

“Yeaaah, about that.” Nervously chuckled the sage, he averted his eyes and mumbled : “Usually we don't have those fests here… but our usual spot was trashed and I kinda, maybe, invited them?”

“Why are you so nervous about it?” Asked Macaque with a raised eyebrow.

“I know you think we're too loud.” Muttered Sun Wukong with flushed cheeks.

“It's your mountain, Wukong. You do whatever. I'll just be in the mansion.” Replied Macaque, even if he did dislike their loudness, he wasn't going to forbid the brotherhood’s entry on Flower Fruit Mountain because of his sensitivity. Sun Wukong was the King of this place, he was the one to decide this sort of matter.

“Hey, you wanna join us?” Proposed Sun Wukong the second he saw Macaque turn around to regain the water-curtain cave.

“I'm not one of your sworn brothers though?”

“It's fine! They're not gonna mind!” Quickly replied the sage with a blinding smile, already excited at the prospect of having Macaque beside him in a fest. Macaque was on the verge of refusing, he didn't like people in general, especially giants, but he stopped himself once he saw how excited Wukong was. The black-furred monkey sighed and awkwardly scratched his neck.

“I'm not… staying the whole night. And set the table near the cave.”

“Of course! Of course!” Giggled Wukong with a thrashing tail, he took one of his hair and blew on it to create a table, he then placed it a few meters away from the waterfall, in a nearby meadow. Macaque followed him and climbed the table as Wukong was bringing wine, chairs and different kinds of fruits. Wukong eyed him as he sat on the table, leaning on the back of his chair with a foolish smile.

“What?” Asked Macaque with a raised eyebrow.

“Nothing, nothing.” Chuckled the sage. “I'm just… glad we're friends.” Macaque huffed, faking discontentment, the wind ruffled his hair for his dishonesty and he swatted it away with his hand. He was glad too, even if he could never fully admit it. Mayhaps one day he would. Sun Wukong chuckled at his behavior and created a silk napkin with one of his hair for him to sit on.

The brotherhood arrived shortly after, Macaque recognized them easily, their voices already familiar with how much the wind carried their conversations. Sun Wukong greeted them with bear hugs and laughter.

“Guys, I brought the… person I talked to you about!” Excitedly chirped Wukong, he went behind Macaque and gestured at him as if he was some sort of grand treasure. “This is the Six-eared Macaque!”

They had various reactions to his presence. The lion eyed him up and down as if he had trouble believing what he was seeing, the bull was chuckling as if he just realized a long time joke, the bird was scowling at the golden-furred monkey and the elephant looked like he was hit by a sudden epiphany.

“Well that explains a few things, I'm Azure Lion, a pleasure to meet you.” Chuckled the blue-furred lion as he sat around the table.

“Hm… You can call me Macaque.” Awkwardly replied the lil guy as he nodded at the lion. The rest of the brotherhood greeted him with various levels of inquiry. They began pouring themselves glasses and took various fruits and dishes. Sun Wukong conjured a thimble with one of his hair and poured some wine for Macaque before filling his own glass.

“I never thought I would see you pouring someone glass in my life.” Snorted the golden-winged Peng with a little smirk. Wukong looked up at him with narrowed eyes while Macaque raised an eyebrow (after all, Sun Wukong always served him).

“Really? You always serve my glass or cut my fruits though.” Pointed out Macaque as he took a sip out of his thimble.

“Oh you do now, Wukong? You usually only think of yourself.” Peng smirked as he leaned over the table.

“You paint me as if I'm a selfish prick.” Huffed the sage as he took a gulp of his own glass.

“I wouldn't say selfish prick but you do have a tendency to focus on yourself, brother.” Teased the lion with a smirk of his own.

“And you usually wave your glass around enough to spill half of it on the table.” Added Bull King with a mischievous glint in his eyes, Yellow-Tusk only shook his head, amused.

“I don't always do that.” Nervously chuckled the King as he glanced at the lil guy.

“You know I have six ears, right? I do hear what you're like when I'm not here.” Snorted the Macaque as he settled more comfortably on his napkin. Sun Wukong hid a little behind his glass as the others barked a laugh.

“So Macaque, from what we heard you lived in the mansion before Wukong?” Asked Yellow-Tusk with a tilted head.

“Yeah, I was in the mansion long before Wukong.” He exaggerated a little, but the wine was pleasant and the buzz loosened his tongue.

“And the beginning of your relationship was tumultuous I guess.” Chuckled the lion.

“A little.” Admitted the macaque with a nervous chuckle. “But he's my friend now.” He ended, a bit more firmly, Wukong's tail thumped against his own chair at those words. Macaque didn't react much, he was already used to his thumping. The brotherhood raised their eyebrows and snorted at their littlest brother's reaction.

“So did Wukong tell you about all his adventures?” Asked Peng with a smirk.

“Sometimes.” Shrugged Macaque, he turned towards the fruits for a second but brushed aside the idea, he was feeling too lazy to cut them into fitting pieces for him. Sun Wukong noticed his glance, he took one of the mangoes and cut some pieces for him. Macaque thanked him for this and ate happily, tail swaying in joy. When he looked up he found Wukong watching him with a beaming smile.

“Did he tell you about the time he was stuck with pink fur for three days because of an argument with a spirit?” Chirped Peng. Sun Wukong strangled himself with his wine and glared at the bird.

“Oh no, I never heard of this, do tell.” Snickered Macaque as he leaned forward, Sun Wukong hid himself in his hands in embarrassment.

All in all, Macaque thought that it was a rather fun night.

+cut scenes

SWK *with the brotherhood* : 😈🤩😛

SWK *with Macaque* : 😇😆🤗

Brotherhood inner thoughts when they saw Macaque :

Azure : Suddenly a lot of things makes sense 😌

Peng *look at Wukong* : Oh I'm gonna embarrass this man so much 😈

Yellow-Tusk : I didn't know such little macaque existed 🤔

DBK : I have to be careful to not accidentally crush him 😑

SWK *once Macaque left the fest* : I can't believe you guys said all that stuff! 😣

Peng : It's our duty as brothers 😌

Wind : sooo, how did the fest go? You said you didn't like the brotherhood much before. 🤔

Macaque : I still think their plan is idiotic but they do have interesting stories 😌

Wind : Ohhh, spill! 😏

*the Wind and Macaque then gossiped about SWK silly antics for the rest of the night.*

SWK and Macaque during one of their outing :

Macaque : Hey it doesn't bother you if I sit on your shoulder? You walk too fast. 😑

SWK : yeah, sure! 😃

SWK inner thoughts : ahjdhnklzl, he's on my shoulder!!!! 😆

Ch1 / Previous / Next

[starrclown]

FREE HIM!! HE DID NOTHING WRONG!! My boy didn’t deserve this.

-⭐️StarClown⭐️

[cottoncandyclown123]

Hello everyone! I know it has been a very VERY long while since I’ve posted 😅 I’ve just been busy with my personal life and my motivation declined a lot for the past months.. but it has come back! And I missed posting here!

While I was away I made a few illustration of the main characters (and one villain)! I redesign a few of them and i am much more happier with there new designs! I hope you love them as much as I do!

First is my jttw oc, Tao Huwang! I changed is hairstyle to make it more accurate to Chinese culture (his previous hair didn’t make any sense idk what I was thinking) and made his clothes more fighting style but still classy! I saturated his colours a bit more to make him less grayish and made his face/expression more fox like. It’s not a HUGE redesign but still a much better one

Next is, Sun Wukong! I completely redesign his outfit because his old one was ugly as shit. I was mainly inspired by the Reborn version of Sun Wukong from the movie: Monkey King Reborn, but I guess if you know that movie it’s pretty obvious that I was inspired by him (I love that movie). I changed his eye color to a orange red to indicate more the furnace he was trapped in the beginning of story and made him have some battle scars! So yeah, big redesign from him!

Next is, Tripitaka! For Tripitaka I didn’t change anything major, just a few different details but not a very noticeable (ex: His hat, his staff, slightly colour change). But I did make his face lean more on the softer side to make him more friendly! So, no big difference.

Next is, Sandy! Just like Tao, I didn’t change anything major except his hairstyle. I made it longer and more curly, I also change his eyes to be more round than pointy. So yeah, just a few changes nothing to major!

Next is, Pigsy! For Pigsy, I changed nothing! Except, I changed his eyebrows a bit and put a tiny scar on one of them. But other than that, there is nothing to change!

Next is, Ao Lie! Again, like Tao and Sandy, I changed his hairstyle! I made it into a two ponytails because I think it would be funny to see a horse with two ponytails (plus it fits him), and I made his tail shorter to make him more horse like but still dragon-y. As for the rest, nothing as changed!

And finally, last one, Macaque! This one is actually not a redesign. I decided since I was redesign the others, that I should probably design one of the villains, and who could it be better to make a design than the fan favorite! I absolutely LOVE how I did him and tried to make his designs the opposite of Wukong, by making his colour the opposite (white for black, purple for red, grayish white fur for bright brown), making his “hair” longer, his outfit looser instead of tighter, his eyes more orange than red and giving him a hat (because I think it works on him)!

So yeah, that’s all of them (for now)! Thank you so much for being patient and I hope I can post more drawings soon! If you have any questions for the characters or any requests for the next character, than feel free to ask! Have a amazing day!

[alexitheslayer02]

Poison AU/Story Thing/ Lmk

Warning! Angst! If you don't like angst, I suggest finding another thing to look at. This is for the angst-ivores. (I am making Angst-ivore a thing) Feel free to send asks! It will likely help give me ideas on how to fill this out more.

Fandom: Lmk

AU Name: Poison (Placeholder title)

Main ship: Shadowpeach (mega slowburn)

Details

//Macaque\\

His shadow

His moon

All he wanted, all he felt he needed, was to be of some use to Wukong. It was not because of anything Wukong did that Macaque did not feel to be of enough worth to stand by his side, but rather... his own thoughts and insecurities that poisoned his mind. Yet he felt most comfortable here, and was content. Then it happened, and Wukong was imprisoned. He lost his sun. The one he depended on for so long... The one that kept him sane. He held some hope Wukong would come back, but the rest of the brotherhood doubted. The pilgrimage, seeds of doubt. The brotherhood's words were like venom in his ears... "Wukong betrayed us", "He abandoned us". His hope dwindled over time, but embers remained. Then there was that fateful day. When the embers were smothered. Ashes in the wind. That monk had put a circlet on Wukong... He had heard the pain it brought, but could do nothing. He would be helping...right? Just get rid of the monk... He fought. But Wukong fought to, trying to stop him, to protect the monk. He was confused. Then it happened. One strike, one agonizing strike. Everything was over in the blink of an eye. The embers died, and something snapped. Wukong had killed him...

The Lady Bone Demon brought him back. She wanted him to bring about "destiny". He helped, for a while, until the notion of bringing Wukong to her was presented. Fear. He could not face him again. So he ran. He did not want to die again... Wukong killed him once already... Not again, not again, not again, not again, not again, not again, not again, not again, not again- She forced his hand. He had to obey... He pitied the kid. Smiling the pain and fear away, the scar hidden behind glamour, he fought for his life...

//Wukong\\

He did not mean it. He didn't... He swore he did not. It had to be a mistake. But the blood was everywhere... WHY WAS THERE SO MUCH BLOOD?! what happened to his face...

Everything shattered that day, it hurt more than the circlet. It would not wash away... He was glad to be rid of the staff. The only good thing it did was seal away Demon Bull King. The kid had it now... Maybe it'd be better off in his hands. The kid was such a kind soul after all.

Macaque is alive? How? He saw it, he swore he did! Had he finally lost his mind? Trying to act like everything is normal, but is that fear in Mac's eyes...? But he's smiling...

------------------------------- Basic things for now

-------------------------------

Wukong: Did not intend to kill Macaque. Has hemophobia. Unaware of his own feelings for Macaque. Unaware of Mac's feelings for him. Not fully aware that Macaque is scared of him (has suspicions).

Macaque: Genuinely scared of Wukong to a degree. Does still care about Wukong, but the fear overrides that for the most part. Does not even like to be touched by Wukong or be too close. Is far more comfortable around MK. MK: Emotional support student asdfjakbh. No seriously... Willing to help if Wukong freaks out upon seeing blood. Willing to help if Macaque freaks out for whatever reason (poor boi was scared the first time Mac had a panic attack). Genuinely concerned for the both of them.

------------------------------

I will write some things for this

------------------------------

The Day the World Shattered (the start)

-------------------------------

For now, here are my random notes.

Other Notes down below:

[lint-beetle4]

shadowpeach. I am giving you free rein here. Just shadowpeach.

Pick A Flower (ShadowPeach)

This one is hella cheesy ngl, gotta hide it out of some slight embarrassment. I kind of liked how it turned out, but it's pretty short. Hope you enjoy!

“Who’re you?” 

“Oh. You look just like me.”

“Friends? Why?”

Macaque was loyal once the King had found him. The monkey himself knew of his abilities, but he–like the king–was young, uncontrolled with his abilities. Greeted with the sight of demons, now brothers, Macaque made a promise to himself to watch over his companion. In his quest for immortality, Macaque joined him, staying behind and orbiting the sun to ensure his safety.

“You won’t stand a chance against us. Why not bow down to your king already?”

“Heaven won’t be able to ignore you after this. You’ll shine among the other gods!”

“Do you really need to head up there? You already proved your worth, Wukong, why not just stay here and enjoy the life we have?”

They defeated countless monsters and demons, letting the Sage prove his worth to heaven as his shadow watched from the ground, tending to their, now shared, subjects. Centuries passed as the Sage toiled in heaven, meaningless task after task before he came back, ready to battle the gods. Macaque joined him, ready for the fight, but against all of heaven, Wukong was captured, and several brothers had been taken or imprisoned already. Macaque lingered, effectively hiding in his shadows and away from the glares and mocking words of his brothers. They never liked him, choosing to spit at his wise cowardice.

“I’ll keep waiting for you.”

“I’m sorry.”

“We should head back to the waterfall. I hear no other heartbeats on the island.”

So, Macaque became the one to regroup his subjects, caring for the younger ones who had been forced to shed blood before they could even grow tall. It had been centuries since Macaque had seen Wukong, their last interaction being a parting of ways from the mountain.

“I’ll protect you. I won’t leave you like your king did.”

“I would’ve helped if I could.”

“You did it for yourself.”

Macaque’s home was no longer his, but even then, he couldn’t help but aid in their efforts once the ruthless Erlang set fire to the mountain, hunters claiming subjects as food and mere entertainment. Macaque retrieved the subjects he could find, the waterfall becoming their shelter as Macaque tried to collect who had been taken away. In his search, Macaque was met with the most disgusting, almost hilarious sight.

“I’ll find them. All of them. No one will bother this island after I’m through with those monsters.”

“The fires have stopped. Do not leave the waterfall unless you need food or water. Be wary of what remains about there.”

“So this is where the Great Sage lurked off to?”

There he was, Sun Wukong, Great Sage Equalling Heaven, leashed like a dog to some mortal with a foolish quest. Macaque watched as the Sage was sent away, his heart softening at the speed in which Wukong fled home. Macaque set on his quest, choosing to pocket his observation for later. With newly learned portals and a greater ability in his magic, Macaque had returned lost monkeys back home.

It was then that the dark monkey could enact his revenge, to free his partner from the muzzle that trapped him with such a lowly group.

“I won’t allow anyone to make a mockery of him.”

“Go off now. I have business to attend to with some people.”

“He’ll be freed from this mess once and for all.”

It was easy really, to be Wukong. Macaque found comfort in his stories, learning how to act and perform various characters and personalities. It lightened up darker days without their sun where ash would cover the skies and rain would fall black as tar. No, to Macaque, it was a game, seeing how far he could go while staying under the radar. Those foolish men saw nothing but Wukong acting more subdued, something sparking like a flame that flickers wildly in the wind yet still remains in the pit it burns, and that is exactly what Macaque needed. 

In the dead of night, Macaque laid in his disguise, his plan so close to completion.

Macaque had gained the trust of Wukong’s captors, and they slept thinking they were protected. Yet, the moon’s light hid away this week, casting the night in shadows. Macaque released his form, glad to feel the comfort of his body.

Yet, before he knew it, Wukong had done more than get captured. He had betrayed his kingdom and his brothers. He had betrayed the gentle love between both celestial primates, and Macaque laid on the ground, screaming to his angered lover.

“Wukong! Stop! Please, stop, I–!”

But, the sun’s light had risen, casting away the moon for eons to come.

[deliveryboysomewhatequaltoheaven]

The Macaque Problem

I would definitely say Macaque's character is an issue for the show. His redemption arc is not good, and it brings down the other characters and takes up their time and arcs.

When we first see him in S1 and 2, he is an old frenemy of Wukong's bitter over an unspecified falling out. He is angry and lashing out at MK and his friends, projecting this feud onto them. He claims MK didn't notice his friends were gone, but we see him trying to call Mei, and that the others were resentful, but we see tang looking upset being forced to attack MK. Seems like a clear enough villain concept with some room forward right? But S3 and 4 derail that.

Chronologically, we can talk about the Brotherhood, (which he was not a part of in JTTW, and he complained abt being left behind in S2 but here he was?? Eh) He claims that Wukong pushed ahead without thinking or listening and that's what got him trapped in the mountain. But what do we see before Wukong surrenders to the Jade Emperor?

The rest of the Brotherhood trapped by the Celestial Army. We don't see Wukong fight the Jade Emperor. He was an immortal shapeshifter, I have no doubt Wukong could have escaped. But he turned himself in to save his friends. Was he in a bad mood in the mountain? I mean, yeah, but Macaque doesn't seem to consider that he's free because Wukong is not.

We still don't know about the final falling out and Macaque's seeming death, though S5 implies that Macaque pushed the situation. Still, it's not good, because if they can't properly resolve it, than it's just going to remain between them and Macaque's grudge against Wukong can't be properly moved past, which hampers his arc.

But then S3 happens, and honestly I think Macaque's motives are dumb. Why is he trying to get in the way of them stopping LBD if he also wants to be free of her? It's a positive for you! But they also start trying to portray him as someone who 'calls Wukong out' because S3 and 4 really try to make Wukong out to be a jerk. He made mistakes but it was a desperate situation against the Lady Bone Demon. I love Mei and Pigsy but they also call him out when they said nothing about the Fourth Ring/visions.

'You will make things worse for MK when I personally attack and threaten him and his loved ones for my own gain' OK Macaque!

But the S3 special is the real kicker. Macaque apparently changes his mind and we don't know why. They show some mistrust at first until MK says he knows Macaque is not a bad guy deep down... but doing one or two helpful things after three seasons of stalking, threatening, and attacking the gang doesn't exactly convince me.

And then this bit from the S3 special finale:

Uh, how??? Wukong is right, Macaque was until very recently willing throw everyone under the bus so he could get away from LBD. It's pretty rich that he would call Wukong self centered. Whatever Wukong did was trying to stop her and protect MK from having to deal with it.

In the S4 special, they also have Macaque talk about Azure Lion, and again I'm not sure why we are listening to him on characters' morality

Says the guy who wrote a play about how 'Sun Wukong is a big old meany who hurt my precious little fee-fees' if I never see or hear the hero and warrior monologue again it will be too soon but I will say he at least seems to consider he might have been wrong, though they don't really dwell on it...

Even in S5, we get this bit.

Once again, Wukong is right!! After 3 seasons of attacking and harassing MK I don't think he really gets to give advice. Plus WUKONG WAS TRYING TO TALK TO MK ABOUT IT RIGHT BEFORE THIS! But MK was not doing well emotionally and Wukong was trying to be mindful and not push!

And honestly I think they all let Macaque off easy for the S3 events, he literally choked out Mei and threatened to kill her! (Sidenote: he can call MK and Tang by their names, but Mei was just 'the girl' throughout S3... urgh)

But when Wukong gets mad at him, Macaque says "I didn't do this!" Well you forced the gang to do something that you didn't know what the consequences of would be! But Tang intervenes saying he did it, even though he awkwardly admits Macaque forced him but that he felt he should because of the golden cicada. Macaque later decides to leave the situation he forced. He later does help some, but doesn't really get held accountable for his part in everything.

But I guess it's fine bc at the end of the special MK gives him this drawing. This is actually kind of really upsetting and again makes little sense considering how much he and Mei care about other otherwise. But nah Macaque is cool now it's fine...

And Ao Guang! This is a tougher one, but in S5 they had Macaque let himself get sent to the Pagoda to buy others time... well I just say that's karma!

And Macaque comes back, of course, but we never hear more about Ao Guang. Even when they send the power of the Stones out, we do in fact see the East Sea Palace and the attendant, but not him, so his fate is unclear.

So yeah, overall, I think he was forgiven too fast, the root issue of his fight with Wukong unaddressed, and he takes up time from the others characters.

[googleitlol]

Moving forward, Dove and Wukong are gonna be a LOT of fun >:)

Fr tho, I'm so excited for their dynamic as they move forward and stop seeing the worst in each other teehee, anywho~

TW: mentions of domestic abuse

Dove Masterlist:

New Normal

It doesn’t take long to explain the entire situation to Sun Wukong, and soon you find yourself perched on his shoulder while Pigsy leads the way to the Yellow-Robe Demon’s home.

You turn back the moment Monkey King touches the ground, the grand pagoda the demon calls home greeting your group. There is laughter a little ways away that perks the monkey demons ears before addressing you. “Dove, go find the princess and bring her out here.”

“Remember Wukong, we promised to bring her back home.” You remind him, the poor woman has already been through enough in the thirteen years she has spent married to her captor.

Wukong rolls his eyes with a smirk. “Yes, I know. I have no intentions of hurting her, we just need to free Sandy and trick her husband. Trust me, I already have an idea.” He seems a little excited as he reassures you of the princess’ safety, and you aren’t entirely sure whether or not that’s a good thing, but decide to trust him nonetheless.

You run into the pagoda, calling out for the princess as you run through the halls. The demon should still be with his in-laws in the kingdom, which will make finding Sandy much easier. You turn a corner before hearing a door slide open. Turning back, you see the princess looking back at you with a shocked expression.

“What are you doing back here?” She moves quickly to take your hands in her own, her worry loud through her voice. “If my husband–”

You use your gift on the woman, holding her hands to soothe her nerves. “Don’t worry about that, my friends and I are going to take care of him once and…” Taking in her features, you frown. Under her eye and the side of her face are heavy bruising, purples lined with yellows. Looking down to her hands, you see that just peeking out from under her sleeves are marks circling her forearm, like the ghost of a hand.

She follows your gaze, letting go of your hands to pull her sleeve down. “I’m alright now, it could have been worse if not for your friend, that Sha Monk.” You frown, did he decide to take his anger out on her? For helping you retrieve Tripitaka? At least Sandy seemed to have been able to help somehow, but you have to take care of this demon, tonight.

“Once we deal with Yellow-Robe, you will be back home with your family.” You reassure the woman, and she nods in response. “Follow me, my friend has a plan to stop him.”

The princess nods, and you lead her back outside to where your two companions await. As you approach the door, the screams of younger voices alert the two of you that Pigsy and Wukong do not seem to be alone. The princess runs past you, letting out a shout of her own once she gets outside. You follow her, seeing for yourself the two young demons each disciple held up in the air by the backs of their clothes. “My babies!”

“Ah, you must be the mother. We found these two playing outside.” Sun Wukong grins, holding up his hostage.

“Sun Wukong, what are you doing?!” This woman doesn’t need any more heartache. Is your faith in the Monkey King already showing to be a mistake?

The sage shakes his head playfully. “Calm yourselves, just do what I ask and I will return your children to where they belong.”

The princess frowns. “What do you want?”

“My brother, Sha Wujing, is being held captive in your home. Bring him out, then I will let your sons go.” He calls down to her with his demands.

The woman looks to you from the side of her eye, to which you shrug with a guilty laugh. “I will make sure he does not harm them.”

“Thank you.” She whispers, glancing back up to her children in worry. “I was having trouble thinking of an excuse to free your friend anyway. Please, just make sure nothing happens to my boys.” You nod and with your confirmation, the princess rushes into the cave behind the pagoda.

The two disciples return to the ground, their hold on each boy unbroken as you walk to them. “I hope you don’t plan on doing anything to those two, they are still her children.” You give a pointed look to each demon, Pigsy looks away and refuses to make eye contact while his elder brother gasps.

“What? Me?! Why would you ever think–”

“Wukong.”

“…Fine.” He grumbles before looking over to Pigsy. “Maybe you could refrain from throwing them down, just make sure their father knows to come home.”

You let out a relieved sigh before noticing the horror-stricken looks on the two boys’ faces. Placing a hand on each of their heads, you use your gift to calm their minds. You can’t help but feel sorry for them, they should not have to face any sort of punishment for the sins of their father. “Do you two understand what you have to do? Find your father, and tell him I am waiting.” You explain once their breathing has returned to normal.

The older one gives you a wary look. “What are you going to do to our mother?” The question makes you pause. As much as you don’t want to hurt these kids, you aren’t sure what they may repeat to their father.

“If you do what we say, your mother will be safe, alright?” Giving them a more vague answer is the best you can do. You don’t want to scare them, but it is better than risking them telling their father that his wife is aiding you in his own defeat.

As you step away from the two, Sha Wujing emerges from the cave. The second he catches sight of Sun Wukong, a smile erupts over his face. “Brother Pilgrim, you came back!”

“Someone had to rescue you, and I did not think you would count on Pigsy for that.” He chuckles, the pig demon in question looking between his two brothers in annoyance. “Hey!”

“Here, catch.” Wukong pushes his hostage into Sandy’s arms. “I imagine Master would appreciate it if we lure the Yellow-Robe Demon out here without any citizens before engaging him in combat. I want you and Bajie to go deliver these children to the palace. They will tell their father to return.”

Once the Great Sage is done explaining, Sandy lets out a small huff of satisfaction to accompany his smile. “It is good to have you back, Brother.” With a nod to Wukong, then to Pigsy, he takes off into the sky with the demon boy in his arms. Pigsy quickly follows suit, leaving you with the Monkey King as the princess returns outside.

Her head whips around frantically, a frown framing her features. “Are my children safe?”

“They’re on their way to your kingdom.” Wukong explains as she approaches. “After we take care of your beastly husband, you can join them.”

Her frown deepens at the King’s words, and you put a reassuring hand on her shoulder. “They will be safe with our friends, trust me.” She looks to you as you speak, almost studying your features for a moment before the weight of her brows start to lift.

“For now, you should find a place to hide.” She turns to Wukong as he addresses her again, and she nods.

“What will the two of you do when my husband arrives?” She asks, her gaze shifting between you and the sage.

Wukong smirks at the question, taking your hand in his. “We are going to put on a show.”

Your tilt your head with curiosity as he leads you into the pagoda and bids farewell to the princess. “What do you have in mind?” You ask, intrigued by the look of excitement on his face.

“We are going to surprise him.” He explains, allowing you to enter first before following behind. “He will be expecting an attack, so first we lower his guard.”

“And how do you plan to do that?” You question, looking back to face him– only, it isn’t Wukong who is with you now. Instead, the princess stands behind you, a tail tucking away into the skirt of her dress. Ah, that’s how.

The Monkey Princess holds up his arms, the voice of Yellow-Robe’s wife echoing out of his mouth. “How do I look?” Even with her voice, his tone is enough to tell you that it’s him.

You can’t help but smirk, the disguise amusing you. “Like a pretty princess.”

“Perfect.” The word almost comes out like a purr, the mischievous cackle that rumbles from his throat makes you laugh. Seeing him so excited by whatever scheme he has planned is much more fun to watch than you thought it would be. Something about his twisted little smile just feels satisfying, especially knowing what it means for the demon that has been causing you and your friends so much trouble. “Do you think you can play along with what I have in mind?” 

“Of course I can.” You grin, the demon mirroring your expression before beginning to explain the rest of his plan.

By the time the Yellow-Robe Demon arrives, you’re ready for him. You hear him land outside, a great thud shaking the ground. Footsteps thunder closer until their owner enters his estate. A demon with indigo skin clutches onto his scimitar with a vice-like grip, his purple hair wild and yellow garments still dirtied from the last time you initiated him in combat. His teeth grit together once he sees you, his golden eyes narrowing at the arrow pointed towards his ‘wife’ who kneels at your feet. “Welcome home.”

Sun Wukong seems to do an amazing job at playing his role, tears stream down his cheeks as he looks up at the demon, who only looks at him with worry before turning his attention to you. “You don’t know when to give up, do you, little birdie?” His voice is low, almost seething from the tableau in front of him.

You find his anger amusing. “I admit that I can be stubborn at times, though it isn’t all that important now. Listen closely at what I want you to do.” He growls as you continue. “You are going to dispel the disguise you put on the monk, and in return, your wife keeps her life.”

“Please, don’t let her hurt me!” The ‘princess’ cries, only fueling the demon’s boiling anger.

“And what makes you think I will let you leave here the minute you lower that bow?” He glares, eyes narrowing as he keeps a tight hold over his weapon.

“You won’t get the cha–” As you speak, attention focused on the demon, the ‘wife’ pushes into your legs and nearly tripping you. You stumble back, which is enough for Yellow-Robe to jump into action. He pounces, shoving you to the ground and knocking your weapon from your hands.

Your eyes widen as you’re disarmed and find the monster hovering over you. “Wait, wait!” You shout, holding your hands up in surrender. “Wait, please!”

“Scared, little bird?” A wicked grin stretches across his face, and you do your best to hold your own as he glares down at you with a sadistic satisfaction. He seems too pleased with catching you off guard to notice your hand reaching down for your concealed dagger. “Worry not, I shall make your death a quick one.”

He hoists you up by your shirt with one hand, his scimitar in the other when the ‘princess’ takes hold of his arm. “Darling, wait.” She sniffles, tears staining her cheeks. Wukong looks pathetic enough for the demon’s smile to drop upon seeing it.

“Are you alright, beloved?” He rests his weapon against a wall, turning his attention to his precious ‘wife’.

She nods as he holds the side of her face in his hand, her hands gliding up his arm to hold his. “I will be fine, but… I am afraid I cannot say the same for you.”

“What?” Yellow-Robe has no time to ponder the words before you stab into his neck with your dagger. Blood flies through the air, red splatting over your face. The monster drops you, roaring in pain and stumbling back. His hand shoots to his neck and before he has a moment to recover, an iron staff collides with his side, sending him flying through the wall.

Dust kicks up in clouds as the wall is destroyed, and you waste no time in retrieving your bow. The demon sits up in a daze, wincing while still holding tight onto the wound on his neck. “What? How could– why would you…?!” He looks at his ‘wife’ in complete confusion.

The woman smirks while you nock another arrow. “Maybe you should take another look at your lovely wife.” With a wipe of his face, the disguise is washed away, revealing to the demon his true identity.

Yellow-Robe’s eyes widen with shock, and you draw your bow to aim at the demon. “What’s the matter? Is your beloved not as you remember her?” Monkey snickers at your comment, glancing over to you before returning his attention to your shared opponent.

The demon’s brows furrow as he looks at Wukong closer. “I know you… you’re the one who caused that chaos in heaven!”

“As well as the Tang monk’s eldest disciple. The same monk I hear you have been causing some trouble for.” Wukong adds, spinning his staff in his hand. “I should show you what happens to those that cause seek to harm my Master. Don’t you agree, Dove?”

“For once, I can say that I do.” You grin, the demon letting out a snarl as he rises back to his feet. He grabs hold of his scimitar and the two of you jump into action. 

The Yellow-Robe Demon shouts as an arrow imbeds itself into his shoulder, glaring at you before lunging to attack. You jump back, Monkey King leaping in to swing at the demon. He only just manages to block the sage’s attack, the two locking into combat. “That monk is only supposed to have two disciples!”

“I may have been gone for some time, but I wouldn’t expect you to know the sentiment of, ‘Once a teacher, always a father’.” He speaks almost casually, blocking each hit from his opponent as though it is the easiest thing in the world.

The Monkey King’s mocking mixed with another three arrows piercing the demon all at once makes him cry out in anger. His head whips back to you as you ready more arrows. “Wukong likes to be the centre of attention, but don’t forget about me.” You tease, egging him on enough to lunge for a strike.

Taking avian form, you fly above the demon, turning back mid-air to shoot into his back. Sun Wukong deals another blow as you land, sending the demon hurdling out the entrance of the pagoda. You follow him out, but as you exit the building, you find only the wilderness waiting for you.

You frown, scanning the area as Wukong does the same. “Where did he go?” The monkey demon narrows his eyes, hopping onto his cloud to get a better vantage point to view the surrounding space.

He comes back down moments later, shrinking his staff down before tucking it away in his ear. “He must have turned tail and ran, I can’t see him anywhere.”

The confirmation of his disappearance is enough for you to lower your bow and tuck your arrow into your quiver. “Where do you think he might have gone?”

“I cannot say for certain…” Wukong hums, raising his hand to his chin as his eyes search the ground for an answer. “He did say something odd, though. He recognised me.” He glances up to you while giving voice to his thoughts, making your brows furrow at the revelation.

That’s right, he mentioned Wukong’s time in heaven. “And he had no idea you were Tripitaka’s disciple, yet he knew you from your rampage in the jade palace.”

The Great Sage shows you a lopsided smile. “Maybe our foe is more than just a demon…”

“…He’s a spirit from heaven!” You finish, your face brightening at the revelation.

Wukong mirrors your expression, humming to himself. “If we don’t know where he is, perhaps we can find out by taking a quick trip to the Jade Palace.”

“We better hurry, then.” You nod before gasping as the Monkey King scoops you into his arms to fly off. “Wait!”

“What?” He looks down, frowning before his expression shifts to one of understanding. “Oh, yeah. Your face.”

“What a lovely way to put it.” You deadpan, it would probably be a good idea to wash the blood from your face before meeting any heavenly officials. ~~~~

Your trip to the heavens was thankfully a quick one. After speaking to the Celestial Masters in the palace, they were able to figure out one of the constellation spirits was missing, the wolf star. After summoning him back to the palace, you have to stop Sun Wukong from killing him outright.

He’s still in bad shape from your earlier fight, and with the other deities awaiting his arrival, he has no other choice than to go into their custody. With the demon now in heaven’s hands, the two of you are free to return to the kingdom where the rest of your friends await.

When you finally return to the kingdom’s palace, several days having now passed in the region below, the princess already has men awaiting your arrival. They lead you and Sun Wukong to the wing where your companions wait, the other disciples having lifted Tripitaka’s false form.

You follow the palace servants down the corridor, glancing over to the Monkey King by your side. Ha, how strange it feels. You have worked together in the past to defeat demons before, although this is the first time it has gone so well. Being honest with yourself, it was actually sort of fun. Never did you think you would have fun with the Monkey King of all people.

The demon in question has his eyes trained to the floor, his brows set in a worried frown. You notice his fists are clenched, tail swishing from one side to the other. Is he nervous? You’re not sure you can blame him, this will be the first time he’s seen Tripitaka in over a month. With how things were left between them, it makes sense for him to feel on edge over a reunion. You nudge him with your shoulder, the action nearly making him jump out of his skin. “Are you worried, Wukong?”

The sage blinks a few times before putting on an unconvincing smile. “Me, worried? Over what? Don’t make me laugh, Dove.”

“Hey,” you stop the King and take hold of his shoulders, making sure to look him in the eye, “it will be fine. Tripitaka has missed you as much as you have.” You reassure him, his eyes widening just slightly at the news.

He’s silent, studying your face for a moment before his brows begin to relax. A lopsided smirk begins to form as he chuckles. “I can feel what you’re doing right now.”

“Good, you’re supposed to.” You return the smile, your hands dropping to your sides once he’s calm enough. “This is part of why I’m here, remember?”

“Yes, I suppose so.” He rolls his eyes, his smile refusing to fade. “You know, you are much better company to be in when you’re not glaring or cutting me down with your words.” He adds as you both hurry to catch up with the servants.

“And I guess you aren’t that bad either when you’re not conspiring to push me out of a tree.” You jest, spotting the ones leading you to your friends entering a room, likely to announce your presence. 

Wukong frowns a bit at the reminder. “I had a perfectly good reason for that!”

“You also just wanted to.”

“…Yes, I did.” His reluctant admittance makes you snicker, the sage joining you in laughter. The two of you, laughing over a time he nearly got you killed. Who would have thought?

“Sun Wukong?” The voice makes the monkey pause. It takes him some time to turn around, the sight of his master almost makes him unable to function.

He clears his throat a bit, glancing down at the ground before looking the monk in the eyes. “Hello, Master–”

There isn’t a chance for him to say anything else before Tripitaka pulls him into a tight embrace. “I am so sorry for sending you away! I never should have doubted you.” The man is nearly on the verge of tears, the past few days showing to have really taken their toll on him. “Thank you, Pilgrim Sun.”

Wukong looks up in surprise, looking as though the monk may squeeze him to death, if he could die. It seems he truly was not expecting such a reaction to his return. “…Of course, Master. Just… think twice before using that tightening spell?” He gives an awkward smile to the man who finally releases him.

“I am sorry for that as well.” Tripitaka looks down, clearly shamed by his actions. “Thank you for coming back to save us, even after I gave you every reason not to.”

The Monkey King, seemingly starting to recover from his shock, shrugs playfully. “I would never leave you in peril if I knew I could help you.”

With a smile, Tripitaka nods before addressing you both. “Now that you have returned, the King has allowed us to rest here for tonight as thanks for bringing his daughter back home. In the morning, we are free to continue to the thunderclap monastery.” You smile at that, content in knowing the princess was finally able to reunite with her family.

Tripitaka pulls Sun Wukong aside to catch up while you excuse yourself to the stables, to check up on Ao Lie. He injured himself while fighting the Yellow-Robe Demon before Sun Wukong returned, and you want to check in on the dragon-horse now that the monster has been dealt with.

When you get there, you see he is being taken care of well. The horse has a trough full of feed, though you still offer an apple to thee steed. He seems more than happy to accept it while you explain to him everything he missed. While you do, you find a hard brush and decide to groom the horse while you catch up. “I have to admit, I am surprised you actually fought this time.” You had gotten so used to him in this form, you sometimes forget that Lie is truly a dragon.

He snorts, shaking his head slightly in response. “You did good.” You smile at him. These past days have been nothing but chaos, but it feels as though everything is on the verge of returning to normal.

“The horse actually did something?!” You whip around, the voice making you jump. Sun Wukong stands by the doors to the stables, the look on his face expressing his shock as he moves closer. “You must have been truly desperate.”

Your brows furrow from his arrival. “What are you doing here? I thought you would be resting in your room by now.”

Wukong shrugs. “I am not exactly a person with the need for sleep, it is not all that exciting for me to lay in a boring dark room.” You hum in acknowledgement at the explanation. 

The Monkey King scratches the back of his head, albeit a little awkwardly. “I wanted to say that, uh, you did good today. With Yellow-Robe.” He specifies, though the comment takes you a little off-guard. It feels foreign to hear praise from him of all people. “I nearly forgot how much of an actor you are, but you nearly had me convinced with how scared you looked when he grabbed you.”

“Please, you were the one playing an entirely different person.” You glance away with a smile, crossing your arms before your eyes meet his again. “You did great as well. We never would have been able to do this without you.”

“…Thank you” He smiles back, and you’re struck with this odd sense, likely due to the fact that you feel no malice behind the gesture. It’s strange, there being no hostility between the two of you. After a moment, he looks away and clears his throat. “Well, I suppose you need your sleep, even if I do not. You should go rest, I’ve been hoping to catch up with Ao Lie anyway.”

“Alright, then.” You say, not wanting to admit that the strain of recent events are starting to take its toll on you.

You go to exit the stables, looking back to your friends. “Have a good night, you two.”

“You as well, Dove.” Wukong calls back. With that, you go to find your room for the night, neither of you noticing the way Ao Lie looks between the two of you with as much confusion as his long face can express.

By the time you’re ready to drift off to sleep, you feel lighter than you’ve felt in a long while.