#I really like Mei and Red Son's dynamic

[imminent-danger-came]

you have a point about fandoms as a whole having a sexist lean but isn't mei is literally one of the most popular characters in the fandom and dragonfruit one of the most popular ships in the fandom? It's one of the top 5 most written about ships on ao3 if you remove self insert stuff.

So I'll preface this with I only have experience with the lmk fandom on tumblr.

But like, it's 90% shadowpeach stuff (with maybe MK as a third wheel). I know this, you know this. If you look through the "lego monkie kid" tag right now Ne Zha has more content related to him and only him than Mei does—she's usually gonna be thrown in with dragonfruit and traffic light trio (though, admittedly the lmk fandom has a problem of viewing characters outside of shipping in general). For every 1 Mei fanart there's 1 piece of Ao Lie fanart to match despite their vast differences in screen time. Like, am I insane? Am I insane for thinking it's the sexism?

[foxgonyoom]

He's everyone's older brother in my book

[semisolidmind]

alright, so. season 5 of lego monkie kid.

(before i start, lemme preface by saying that any comments made about the animation are made knowing that sometimes a production has to change studios, which means unavoidable changes, and there's not a whole lot to be done about it.)

with that in mind;

AAAAAUUUUUUGGGGHHHHH

spent the first two episodes acclimatizing myself to the puppet animation. after having rewatched season 4 to refresh my memory, the difference in movement is jarring. it was almost unpleasant after having gotten used to flying bark. and the fact that they used footage from previous seasons in flashbacks didn't help one bit. i had to keep myself from wishing i was watching one of the previous seasons instead.

story-wise, it felt super rushed? i dunno if that was intentional, considering what felt like an underlying message of "you have no control, except when you do, and things don't always work out like you expect" that i felt like i was getting? that, and a lot of the emotional and story beats just weren't hitting for me.

was glad to see another red son and mei interaction, as short as it was. i missed their dynamic (even if that scene did just feel kinda recycled from season 3).

of course, we get no more clarification on wukong and macaque's past beef other than a few flashes of a fight. but, i am glad to hear them argue and be bitter frenemies again. the monkey bro trio had some good interaction this season. i'd like to see more of them all being silly together and pulling pranks, personally.

some of y'all said i'd like the new villain. some of y'all were right. ya can't really go wrong; a cool snake dude with off-kilter morals and a nice voice? AND he turns into a big monster? of course i think he's cool. can't wait to see where they take us with this guy.

was kinda expecting more with nuwa. but a primordial snake goddess is pretty cool, even if she did feel kinda two-dimensional (but that may just be from lack of meaningful screentime).

that ending felt really...abrupt. and a bit phoned in? rushed, even. again, i assume there's new writers, along with the animators? maybe they were being pushed to finish it quickly, idk.

overall, not a terrible season? but not my favorite.

[peachburger]

Hey sorry if you already talked abt it so i probably just haven’t seen the post, but could you go more in depth with your AU? I just think it’s really interesting and would love to know more! The designs are AWESOME btw !!

Strange Beginning AU(LMK)

Context: set in the Song Dynasty in China, humanity has never seen demons because they were in hiding to blend into the crowds of humans. However that changes when a certain demon monkey meets the monkey king and his warrior.

MK grew up in a small demon village, living with his adopted father Pigsy and his friend Sandy who supported him during his life. However MK was the only demon monkey in that demon village, that’s when he realized he must have been from The Monkey Kingdom in flower fruit mountain which he wasn’t fully aware of till he discovered the stories from Sandy and Pigsy. MK being quite adventurous attempted to travel all the way to The Monkey Kingdom.

During his travel, he’s met small human villages but knew a couple things of being hidden as he hid his tail and ears from them. It worked successfully and he managed to leave the villages and continue his journey- only to find the wrong location..The Bull Demon Fortress.

MK snuck inside only to meet Mei and Red Son. Who had caused the three to become startled by one another, the two royals were close friends- specifically only friends from being restricted by the outside world. Which makes them astonished to see a demon monkey in person, the two immediately started asking questions and giving MK a tour besides turning him in to their parents. After awhile, they let MK secretly stay for the night and find out MK was searching for The Monkey Kingdom. So the three had agreed to help each other.

The trip wasn’t long as MKs old trips before he met the two royals, and it was a relief for the young simian. As they inch closer to The Monkey Kingdom, they were ambushed by a group of simians who were in the lookout, startling everyone and preparing to fight. However during the fight it was cut off as Macaque had cornered the three down. MK was astonished by seeing many demon monkeys, specifically to Macaque by seeing his ears while Mei and Red Son were too busy trying to escape them.

Macaque had brought them in and informed the king about the three intruders, instead of them being taken to be punished. The king was quite immature than Macaque, laughing and joking towards the children- he was actually excited to see them and introduced himself as Sun Wukong.

Sun Wukong and Macaque had discussed with the three young demons, MKs main purpose was to find where had came from and lead him to travel here. It left the two simians confused as they had never been informed of a missing simian child from their kingdom. Leaving everyone concerned and confused, MK wasn’t originated from this kingdom and it left everyone wanting more answers. During the time, Wukong had decided to give the three children a tour around the kingdom since they never had guests at all. Macaque kept guard of him and Wukong kept teasing about it, MK had noticed their dynamic was strange but he didn’t know what it was.

MK has stayed in the kingdom for quite some time, having permission for Pigsy and Sandy to visit at any time. It was later announced that MK would be trained by Macaque to fight much better, seeing that he was a poor fighter in general. But as the two train more and more, MK learns a lot of things about the royal guard. Revealing that macaque isn’t a regular demon monkey but instead a celestial like wukong. Along with a possession of a strange ability that manipulates shadows. The two had kept it secret till it was the right time to tell the others.

Besides the demons point of view. humans were inching closer into finding out about their kind and beginning a uprising of killing all of them. A couple of demon monkeys were found and tortured as well as being held in captivity. Causing the monkey kingdom to grow worry as they noticed a couple of their friends and families going missing.

During that time, macaque and MK went out of the kingdom to start their routine, but while they head to their spot they found a human village near the kingdom. But what had caught MKs eyes were cages of bloody corpses of familar simians, MK informed macaque immediately and without macaques permission, he had went out to try and help a few escape. It was successful but unfortunately the two were caught and had begun running back to the kingdom, sadly the humans were inching closer to them and Macaque had decided to hold them back to let MK and the other simians to escape easier. Only for the dark furred simian to be struck in the eye by an arrow as he was too distracted fighting with many humans.

MK made it back to the kingdom and informed Sun wukong, seeing the king become pale and shock had startled MK of seeing his cheerful expression disappear.

Sun Wukong went out to save his companion, Macaque, only to see his beloved friend injured and bleeding out on the floor. However he wasn’t dead due to his immortality but he felt regular pain regardless. It had angered the monkey king and left him into a frenzy.

(THATS ALL I HAVE FOR NOW BUT HERES SOME INFORMATION OF THE LOCATIONS)

The Monkey Kingdom

Set in flower fruit mountain, this kingdom is filled with many primates from Large to Small. The main temple/castle is hidden behind the curtains of a waterfall and their emperor is none other than The Monkey king AKA Sun Wukong.

The kingdom is quite far and hidden, but they are known to be a good asset of strength and agility. However, they’ve never interacted with other kingdoms in the last century.

Besides their emperor, they have a second command and also the royal guard who protects Him, The Six Eared macaque.

They celebrate a lot and have many festivals with foods and drinks, known for their tropical fruits.

Sun Wukong wasn’t the original founder of the mountain but instead was the third (and permanent from being immortal)

The Bull Demon Fortress

It’s the second strongest kingdom in China, known for their manipulation of power and flames

The kingdom associates with the dragon kingdom making them close allies (which is why Mei and red son are friends)

Despite their brute force, they have exotic foods as well but mostly meat and spices which they sell and gain more wealth.

The Demon Bull King hates the monkey kingdom because the last time he visit wasn’t a warm welcome (so the relationship of these two kingdoms isn’t good but they keep their distance towards each other)

[itsabouttimex2]

AAAAAAAAAAAAAA I LOVE YOUR AU!!!!! IT'S SO GOOD!!! op, your ideas are fantastic, you're really creative and an awesome writer!! 💫🌟

The monkiefam dynamic is so fun to read about — and pretty sad in MK's case, the poor guy.

Hopefully it's not too dark of a question, but how brutal does MK get during the primal moon? If he gets too violent with reader, does Wukong or Mac try stopping him or would they just let the natural pecking order happen?

I feel so bad for him, he's is gonna have a hell of a time acknowleding all the stuff he did during the primal moon week :/

Thank you so much, that means a lot to me! I’m glad people like my silly little things! (UPDATED to add a few extra characters!)

Thankfully for Y/N, MK isn’t too brutal- I don’t think they’ll come out with anything worse than a sprained wrist or ankle. The trauma will persist far beyond their injuries, however. When the last green moon of the week fades, he’s positively distraught.

Lining his hand curiously up to a slap mark on Y/N’s cheek to check it, tears brimming in his eyes when it lines up too perfectly to be a coincidence.

I don’t know whether he heartbrokenly distances himself or tries to make up for it with extreme smothering. The poor kid just wanted to spend what was supposed to “just another green moon” with one of his best friends.

And as for Macaque, though he’d really like to help Y/N… he just doesn’t have the ranking. MK is above him in the hierarchy, so he genuinely can’t do anything to upset or piss him off. This only that accomplishes is him getting smacked around right beside Y/N. All he can really do for them is apply herbal balm and bandages after the fact. If he hasn’t had a seal applied to his powers yet, Macaque might think about trying his shadow portals, but… it’s probably better not to risk having two angry monkeys on his tail, demanding to know where he’s hidden their beloved cub/rookie.

Sun Wukong is crazy delusional under the moon’s influence- to him, Y/N getting thrown and tosses all around is just “playfighting”, so he won’t interfere until after things get genuinely harmful. The moment he hears his little “cub” scream and start to cry, Old Sun is there in a second, bringing them into his arms and cooing softly. If they come to him begging for protection and use a “Bàba” to sweeten the deal, they’ll have his shelter for a number of hours, so it’s not impossible to get away from MK… just very hard.

And even after learning that something as severe as a broken wrist has occurred, Wukong coddles MK and forgives him on your behalf, writing the whole thing off as an accident. Not that you get any less smothering then him- you’re now stuck in bed with stiff bandages and surrounded by young mountain monkeys and sweet fruit. In a way, it saves you from any further rough play.

All three of them are dangerous in their own ways, of course. None are outright above “disciplining” you, with slaps or bites or shoves. There’s no (intentional) bone-shattering or flesh-tearing, but they make you afraid that there will be.

———————————————————————

After the Primal Moon ends, there’s a lot of patching-up to do afterwards. For example…

Pigsy has to come down from the constant self-drugging, taking more than a few hours to compose himself and make the rounds with his friends, calling them all up in short order. Once he’s gotten through everyone- Tang, Sandy, Mei, even her parents… then he spends a few minutes making sure he hasn’t gored any holes into his restaurant. Unlocks the windows and doors, but doesn’t flip the open sign.

He’s not up to deal with customers right now. All he wants is to check on his kids.

He’ll take MK and you out to eat today, he thinks. You’ve both earned it, after a week of isolation up in your shared room, under strict instructions to stay inside and come down for no one and nothing.

Red Son is always horribly humiliated when everything is said and done, a groaning and red-faced mess of shame. Another week of essentially devolving into a child, desperate for love and attention. Another, slow, grudging week of constant begging for skinship and words of praise. Needless to say, he’s pissed off and looking for an outlet, and beating on the numerous Bull Clones just doesn’t seem all too enticing… when he’s got a much squishier target who’ll actually squirm and yelp?

Sure, he’s not going to outright mangle you. No permanent burns. No shattered spine. And he’ll take pity on you eventually and stop with the torment. After a few months, he might even start to like you.

Let’s hope you get there mostly unscathed.

[thrandilf]

Oof, yeah. People in fandom spaces really love making every parent abusive, and the way they so desperately want to pretend that it‘s canon is exhausting.

I‘m baffled every time I see it. Parent barely raises their voice, and doesn’t immediately whisper an apology?

ABUSE

Parent puts their foot down in any situation where they are at odds with their kid?

ABUSE

Parent grieves a little too hard for a little too long, and isn’t present at 100% capacity?

ABUSE

And it always feels like surface level teen angst that is blown way out of proportion. It‘s especially telling when you notice the pattern of 'the child has never done anything wrong, ever, in their life.' Because at that point the projecting, and not wanting to take responsibility for their own actions becomes painfully obvious. Because blaming the parents is easier than accepting a characters flaws.

(unless these flaws are; 'cares too much' or 'being insecure'. Because those are cutesy enough I guess 🙄)

AND THEN there is the fact that, putting actual mythology aside, Nezha and Red Son are treated as LITERAL ADULTS IN THE SHOW.

*incomprehensible screaming*

Sorry for the vent, I got a little heated. But I‘m so fucking glad there’s at least some people in the fandom who agree that the bastardizing of characters is getting way out of hand.

I'm right here with you anon I've also been a bit heated but YEAH

No what kills me about LMK is how the parents in question may be a bit gruff/rough around the edges, DBK is someone who's generally like that regardless of who he's talking to

But never does Red Son or Nezha even face consequences when they do screw up in their parent's eyes

Like abusive parents will have that undercurrent of Bad even when nothing's gone wrong but here even when THEY DO fuck up there's no consequences

And when they don't it isn't a Toxic Bad dynamic either

AND AS YOU SAY Red Son and Nezha are also both portrayed as adults in LMK and while they do want to make their parents proud and care about their opinion they are on much more of a peer level than someone would be if they were an actual kid/teen

Same with Mei because I've seen bad takes on her parents but in canon it's literally just "we don't see eye to eye/we have our own familial/cultural expectations which you don't share but we love you and are proud of you and we don't care that our entire house is wrecked and that you took the sword we're glad you have it" like HELLO? But people will act like she should cut them off or they're bad parents

Like Mei and Nezha's parents both overtly say they're proud in the limited screentime they have while caring about their children who they naturally have differences with but that's It.

And Red Son's parents are down to just do whatever he wants I guess re food truck family business and it's just. oh yeah I'm sure they don't value his opinion huh like sure DBK likes cooking but this was clearly Red Son's idea.

[amazingdeadfish]

Got any other fav ships besides shadowpuppets? Not that I don't like them.. I was just wondering, cus there are ~other~ toxic co worker pairings 👀👀

Hmmm... I'm not that much of a multi shipper but I do find some ships 'interesting'!

Toxicinsanity (Mayor X Syntax) is always a fun one. I love the art and the angst that goes with it. I mean, Mayor literally kills Syntax so anything healthy coming out from it is a bit of a far stretch. I talked about it in another ask recently but yeah this ship is good lol.

But the idea of a healthy relationship being a far stretch is the same with shadowpeach (Wukong x Macaque) for me. I mean, I kind of like it? I see the appeal (I won't pass up their gay monkey content). But with the way the characters have been established as of right now (pre season five) I cannot see Wukong and Macaque fully reconciling with each other and making full amends for their wrong doings against each other. Even if the idea of these two becoming as close as they used to be before the attack on the celestial realm seems too strange for me. Some relationships can't be repaired. But honestly the idea that the two were childhood lovers or had crushes on each other before the falling out is really sweet so I'll give it that.

Destiny bones (Mayor x LBD) is a ship I would love if not for how LBD literally just replaces Mayor with Wukong in S3 Finale. But honestly given how LBD was literally going to die if she didn't do that I'm pretty sure Mayor would forgive her (I mean, I doubt LBD could do anything for any reason to make them not worship her anymore). And, to be honest, if she really did want to replace the Mayor with a more powerful servant, then she probably would have already gotten rid of him when she regained her hold on Macaque. But anyways, I love the dynamic of LBD having so much control over Mayor and what that could mean for their relationship. I can definitely see Mayor being in love with LBD (in all the ways possible), it's just the idea of LBD loving Mayor in turn which makes me contemplate it a little. I mean, I just don't see LBD as someone who would invest in a romantic relationship? Or any relationship at all? Not because she is heartless but because she has dedicated her life to her destiny. She does not have time to pursue personal attachments. All in all, another not really healthy relationship (in which they are low-key co-workers/partners in crime) but it makes my brain turn/pos! Boss and henchman dynamic for the win!!!

And now for some honourable mentions (might be updated when I think of some more opinions)!:

Silktea (Sandy x Huntsman) - Read a few fanfics and seen fan art, I like it but Cyberhunt (Syntax x Huntsman) has grabbed my brain a little bit more solely because it is in fact, a toxic co-worker dynamic LMAO.

Dragonfruit (Mei x Red Son) - This beats spicynoodles for me ngl. I think it's just because the dynamic between these two is stronger and they have more moments together. But then again, I think the Traffic Light Trio are better off as good friends.

BrokenBonesTrio (Macaque x Syntax x Mayor) - This isn't necessarily a ship but the dynamic between these guys is so funny lmao. None of them are normal and so they will not do normal things.

Freenoodles (Pigsy x Tang) - Also really sweet to me, I just, love those two. I know that Lego will probably never officially make them canon but I think it's just a given that the two are in a relationship, married or not. Sometimes the coding in the writing is enough.

Syntax x Shoe Store Worker - An inside joke between me and a mutual of mine but it's a very silly crack ship.

Regardless, none of these ships will top Shadowpuppet for me. I rest my case.

[quitealotofsodapop]

So will Jade faced princess ever be mentioned in your au? Since LMK kinda goes "Don't trust history" I like to imagine she was just Red's babysitter and people assumed she was a mistress

Oh man I went down a fox-hole with this. I find her potiential as a character so good for the LMK verse. She could be a villain, an ally, a general, or in my personal fave idea: Ultimate Auntie. (One of my fave interpetations is by @harveylikestoart).

So my idea for Princess Jade Face / Jade Faced Princess / Yu Mian Gongzhu is this:

Birth name is Ruan Yu (soft jade/nephirite), but goes by Jade to her friends, and Auntie to anyone she deems younger than her.

Appearance wise: she's a humanoid fox spirit/Huli-Jing with dark green hair, pale skin, and big green eyes. Loves wearing really old fashioned long-sleeved hanfu that trail behind her (mostly to shield her tails without glamour), and is hyper-feminine. Wears obnoxiously patterned cheongsams while out and about.

Has a "feral" form of an eight-tailed dark green fox. She mostly shifts into this form for comfort. Think of the shapeshifter equivalent of taking off your bra after work.

She's a minor royal of a big family of fox demons. Same family as Jin & Yin's (+ Lin the accountant's) mom actually! She likes visiting them whenever she's in the city.

Knew DBK long before the Brotherhood days. They were childhood best friends in the Underworld who got mistaken for a couple a lot (cus "a guy and a girl can't just be friends" obvs /sarcasm). When PIF came along, Jade was one of DBK's biggest hypemen.

Her dynamic with DBK and PIF is essentially an older Traffic Light Trio, with her as the Mei. Green coded, high energy, and adored mutually by the others.

Because of her chill nature and hyper-fem style, people assume she's dumber than she actually is. She plays up her more "Barbie" qualities when she's tricking people/gaining information.

She's ridiculously good at handling babies and toddlers since she grew up with so many little nieces/nephews/niblings. When baby Red got fussy, a little visit from Auntie Jade immediately perked him up.

Wasn't an "active" member of the Brotherhood back in the day, but was a big supporter and intelligence gatherer. She almost got charged with treason after Sun Wukong's imprisonment, but PIF covered for her - despite their first impressions not being so great. She offically left the Brotherhood after Princess Iron Fan and Demon Bull King's engagement.

Was really sad alongside PIF and DBK when Red Son/Boy got taken to the Southern Seas by Guanyin to rein in his emotions. The "affair" mentioned in JttW wasn't an affair at all, but a human misinterpetation of how DBK was helping out his homie emotionally. Jade never forgave the writer for branding her as DBK's mistress.

Is extremely doting and embarassing to Red Son even when he's an adult. She's practically his second mother. Cheek pinching, calling him "kit", saying that he needs to eat more food, sharing baby photos with his friends etc...

The "Jade" in her name is not only a reference to her dark green hair/fur. Her family are Rock/Earth-type demons. She was so good at handling Red as a baby since fire doesn't bother her as much. She also owns a fox mask made of literal jade that she wore back in the Brotherhood days to hide her identity she thought looked mysterious and dramatic.

Doesn't have an actual spouse or biological kids of her own. She's happy being the best unmarried Auntie she can to all the kids.

Will def appear later in the "Monkey King and the Infant"-verse as Red's fave Auntie. Once PIF has "picked up" (read: kidnapped) Red back from the Southern Seas, Jade is immediately called in for babysitting backup.

She and Macaque became friends again on accident while working at the theatre together. She's part of the costume and makeup department, and it took them a few crossed paths to finally recognise one another. She is def partially to blame for Red's flair for dramatics.

Has a particular grudge against Zhu Bajie for whacking her with the rake. Has a nasty scar that starts on the back of her head down to her shoulder blades from the fight. Was extremely cold towards Pigsy before she realised (very embarassed) that he was just Bajie's decendant.

Initially disliked Sun Wukong when they reunited, but quickly it became clear that the the two's more loud, reckless natures bounced off one another. Are rivals for the title of "Best Babysitter".

Spoils baby MK and the other kids rotten. Doesn't matter if the baby is a mystic monkey, dragon, cat demon, human, or demon bull calf; baby is baby.

Takes an obscene amount of luggage with her no matter where she goes. Is "hairdryer in her purse" kind of prepared.

Yips when she's excited/happy. Also chirps in response to Baby MK's monkey chirping. The language crossover of fox and monkey sounds is surprising.

Voice claim: Diane Morgan/Philomena Cunk. She has a softer British accent compared to her related demon niblings. Red Son may or may not have developed his accent from her.

Gosh I love weird women characters.

[lmk-aus-galore]

Cinema Sins/Wins Rip Off of Lego Monkie Kid.

Yeah yeah I’m back folks, I just decided to take a looong break.

Inspired by @satansaidmyturnintheh3||scape

Rules:

-I won't be counting Animation Mistakes, because Idk how to do that, and I myself am a beginner animator (more like incredibly amateur, to the point I'm asking my sister for help) Unless of course the Animation is obviously and clearly having a mistake for me to watch.(Or it is said in the wiki) The other reason is because I don't want to keep repeating a scene just to check for an animation mistake.

-!This is mostly for entertainment purposes, sorry if I sound too mean!

-I also won't be counting flashbacks as 'mistakes' because most of them are based on bias.

-I'll be formatting it like this

-Neutral

-Sin

-Win

Let’s get started.

——————————————-

-Intro.

._.

-Love how you can see where Mei, Sandy and MK are in this scene.

-On the other hand why does Pigsy have a random game machine beside his shop? I know there are apartment buildings on top of said shop but in Season 2 he actively has authority to remove it.

-Secondly is MK currently on break at the moment or is he just, ‘slacking off’ judging by his clothes he should be currently working.

-Dragon Horse and Stone Monkey.

-Ah yes the underrated trio. Sandy, Mei and MK. Please tell me this group has a name.

-Bad time to call your daughter.

-The way Mei is so nervous to talk to her mother and the way she talks as if her mother doesn’t even give her enough time to explain, like I think Mei’s Mother is cutting her off at times here and it’s not really okay. It feels like Mei is talking to her boss than her Mom.

-Sandy for the win.

-The finishing move is a spin of the staff and a hit to the leg…wow MK.

-I really love how Sandy is just casually friends with these guys. Like these guys just met Sandy a few weeks ago and all of a sudden they said ‘Let’s be friends’

-Ok MK you should really get social cues…or at least let Mei get a word in-

-‘I always wanted to see Mei’s secret Dragon House full of secret Dragon stuff’ makes me wonder why no one believes in the Monkey King stories. Either that or why Mei isn’t being worshipped like a deity by now.

-Also MK, kinda creepy…but to be fair Mei put cameras on all of you…

-BRO THIS BULL CLONE HAS EVERYTHING ON HER?!

-Why does this Bull Clone pull out the same Two Pictures twice?

-Mei doesn’t smile in her photo, along with the rest of her family :(

-In fact she looks kinda restricted.

-Also Key detail, looks like Mei’s little green hair things are dyed!

-PIF confirms that Sha Wujing’s spear and Zhu Bajie’s rake are Celestial Weapons that later tie into Season 4

-We also have the Calabash, PIF’s fan, Wukong’s staff, Nezha’s spear and two of the Samadhi Fire Rings…though I think by this time of development this probably is Nezha’s little ring thingys in his shoes? Not really sure. The only one we don’t know about is the unidentified sword and the random rope.

-Also is she implying that her own fan is a powerful artifact? I guess that makes sense…?

-Why does PIF’s animation always stretch her or squish her I can’t take her seriously XD worse that it’s usually the face.

-Mei wanting to be a normal child is so sad. On the other hand why don’t we have more fanfics of Mei and her family dynamic? Come on people the angst is right there!

-When you think about it, the High-Tech security might’ve been the reason Mei became the ‘Tech Girl’ in the group. Since her family dabbles in High-Technology it’s only obvious she grew curious of that stuff.

-On the other note, what’s with Ancient families and suddenly getting a grasp at handling High-Technology? Like bro Red Son and Mei have so many parallels to each other it’s insane.

-MEI THIS IS WHY YOU DONT LEAVE THE DOOR OPEN.

-You know Red Son you might need to double down in calling Mei a peasant because uhh…wow, the place is huge.

-Mei’s room doesn’t have a door, which shows how shitty these people actually are.

-Also Mei has a lot of rock aesthetic posters, including one with a spider meaning Mei canonically had a rock phase. That or a goth phase so goth Mei is probably canon.

-Why I thought of rock is because of the two sets of guitars she has, one being an electric guitar.

-Mei also has a skateboard indicating she used to skate.

-She has an indoor TV with two game controllers (Why didn’t they just play in her bedroom?)

-And finally she has some things I think her parents would’ve given her such has the pony statue and the meditation carpet on the floor.

-Also apparently she plays the piano? Or is that even a piano?

-The legend of Mei’s sword is kinda cool actually.

-WHAT DO YOU MEAN YOU’RE NOT ALLOWED TO TOUCH IT?! HOW DO YOU DECIDE WHO GETS TO WEILD IT THEN?!

-I have a feeling I know why no one has been able to hold that sword in like…ever (They all look so mean)

-‘You two boot up the old TV!’ What TV? There is literally no TV there? Is there a TV off-screen? Even so where would you put said TV? And again, why not your room?

-MK control your strength- how the hell does that even happen?

-Bull Clone literally just yeeted his hat at him.

-Said Bull Clone took the precious Dragon Sword despite the fact that he was struggling to get it off the statue

-Mei calls her Motorcycle like a horse, get it? Dragon Horse?

-Okay now I don’t blame MK I think that pinball machine is old. BECAUSE HOW DOES THAT JUST HAPPEN?!

-Mei this house should at LEAST take up a whole acre, HOW BIG IS YOUR HOUSE?!

-Mei fixing her bike is while she is chasing the Bull Clone is badass as hell. We do not talk about her enough.

-Pro tip: Never mess with Mei.

-This is why we need to give this family some doubt, okay if literally all her ancestors are dissing her and insulting her to her face because of the way she acts then maybe you shouldn’t turn a blind eye.

-‘You know what I am part of this family! I am Mei! Descendant of the Great Dragon of the West Sea, this is mine! And this is my House!” You go girl, show these guys a what you’re made of!

-A very good take on Mei accepting who she is despite her family’s expectations on her. She’s part of the family but she knows that she needs to stand up for herself. Good bravo.

-IS IT JUST ME OR IS THAT THING BIGGER THAN NORMAL?!

-I wonder what the parents’ reaction was, Holy cow this might’ve been QUITE the sight.

-Yep that Bull Clone is straight up dead.

-MK I think that machine is really just old.

-Lol, Sandy making sure MK doesn’t lose focus.

-‘Somebody forgot our luggage’ then she stares directly at the dad and said dad doesn’t give a damn.

-The fact that Mei has to apologize first before getting praised is messed up as hell. If someone is trying to steal a really powerful relic such as that, then obviously it’s gonna be chaos, but the fact she has to apologize first before they acknowledge she did something good is messed up.

-But to be fair I think they do love Mei, really, but the way they parent just icks me.

-And Mei’s mom sounds like she pulled that whole talk out from google.

-Mei’s dad sounds…familiar hold up-

-KNEW I HEARD THAT VOICE SOMEWHERE. (Also apparently Mei’s mom is the same VA as Mei, so Stephanie Steph is just talking to herself)

-Poor MK…

[ninja-knox-ur-sox-off]

Which character from Monkie Kid is your favorite?

Impossible question. It really depends on the day. some days I think about some characters more than others, and more often than not its usually the dynamics between characters rather than specific characters. I do create more content for Pigsy, Monkey King and Mk I think so that probably says a lot lol, but also like, I can't write Mk without Mei, or Red Son without Mk and Mei, or Pigsy without Mk and Tang, or Monkey King without Mk, just feels like they're not complete without certain other caracters y'know? Can't just think about one character without thinking of the others so picking a favourite is darn near impossible. I love the dynamics too much hGLSK;JFDD

[lilithblackwood]

Lan’s Relationships

The poll results have officially declared my next post be lore about “Lotus of Rebirth”, so I figured what better way to give you just that than Lan’s relationships with the show’s cast! Keep in mind that I will purposely keep some vague to avoid spoilers, and even redact those that will contain too much information, so read carefully ~

MK: One of her best friends for as long as she could remember, Lan’s always acting as the voice of reason when it comes to being dragged into his antics. She’s always overwhelmed by all the crazy situations she keeps finding herself in thanks to his uncontrollable ability to find danger, but if push comes to shove, she’s perfectly willing to step out of her comfort zone to lend him a hand.

Mei: Her best friend along with MK, Lan is a polar opposite to Mei because of her meek and socially awkward nature contrasting against the dragon girl’s optimistic and outgoing attitude. One way to describe their dynamic is the popular girl to Lan’s quiet girl. Despite the differences in their auras, Lan is always more than happy to have Mei’s back and vice versa, even if it means allowing herself to be filmed on her livestream to “show off her cuteness” (Mei’s words, not hers). However, it doesn’t exactly stop Lan from being the tiniest bit jealous of her when it comes to family matters…

Pigsy: As the adoptive father and boss of one of her best friends, Pigsy is similar to that of a grumpy uncle figure to her. She occasionally delivers him vegetables she’s grown herself for his cooking, which the pig demon appreciates immensely to the point where he uses her as an example of hard work to MK whenever he slacks off his job…which is a lot. Even she’s not spared from his constant yelling when it comes to all the recent chaos she’s dragged in, but it doesn’t change the fact that he’s just as protective of her as he is of MK.

Tang: Lan easily bonds with Tang when it comes to trying not to get dragged into danger as much as possible, the two sometimes acting as the brains of the group when it comes to being the only sane people in general. Though, it doesn’t really stop her from actually getting annoyed at him whenever he suggests running away when things get too messy.

Sandy: Lan immediately befriended Sandy on their very first meeting when she saw that not only was he a true pacifist, but also incredibly therapeutic with the number of cats he owns and the exceptional tea he brews. Whenever she gets too stressed or is simply having a hard time trying to find peace with herself, she’s always quick to go to him for comfort, and the blue giant’s more than happy to brew her a fresh cup of tea for her issues (even if she can be a little too…intense with her anxiety).

Sun Wukong: At first, the Monkey King was perfectly casual with her when they first met and even let her play with his fellow monkey friends on Flower Fruit Mountain when he saw how attached they were to her. But as Lan’s powers get stronger and her dreams get weirder over time, it’s not long before she starts to suspect that he may have some kind of connection to her previous life…

Red Son: To say that they did not have the best first impression of each other would be a major understatement. Only five seconds in, the demon prince proceeded to burn her beloved flowers in front of her, right before he started chasing both her and MK around all over the city like a lunatic during the pilot. Fire and plants were never meant to mix well, but who’s to say things will turn for the better over time? (Fans of the “Opposites Attract” trope here?)

Demon Bull King: Was not above including her in his targets to destroy when she accidentally awakened her powers and used them against him as soon as he was freed from the Underworld. The only reason he decided to spare her and instead focus on capturing her in the beginning was because of his wife’s suggestion…along with her history with the florist’s previous life.

Princess Iron Fan: The former celestial maiden seemed to recognize Lan upon first sight, her suspicions being confirmed when she accidentally awakens her powers in front of her. Whatever history she has with whoever Lan was in a past life seems to be important enough for her to convince her husband not to kill her, instead urging him to take her as a hostage instead to utilize her powers for themselves. At least, in the beginning…

Macaque: [HEAVY SPOILERS; WILL BE CONFIRMED IN LATER CHAPTERS]

Mayor: [HEAVY SPOILERS; WILL BE CONFIRMED IN LATER CHAPTERS]

Nezha: [HEAVY SPOILERS; WILL BE CONFIRMED IN LATER CHAPTERS]

[imminent-danger-came]

Very very sorry for the spam but you are the only person outside of my immediate friend group who enjoys both shadowpeach AND dragonfruit in the very specific way that I do 🛐🛐🛐

Like I am the BIGGESTTTTT believer in aroace swk who has only ever really loved mcq in That Specific Way. Like not romantic but also not completely platonic— he loved him and he loved him in a way he never loved anyone else which is what mattered most. And mcq I see as...idk! Maybe he's aroace too, regardless I think he also loved and only loved swk BECAUSE he was swk. That is all that ever mattered to him. That it was swk. Loyal to a fault; even after swk hurt him so much, even after he hurt swk just as much. (Haha this is just like I'm Your Man by Mitski—)

And I do NOT see them as cutesy or as like a sweet and domestic couple. They are FAR from over their many, many issues and they will always have that bit of toxicity and hurt no matter how much they may hypothetically mellow out bc the ways in which they hurt each other WAS unforgivable. But the thing is, does that even matter? Does it matter if they'll still love each other anyways? If, in the end, all they ever wanted was to be by each others side even as they were covered in each others blood and blinded by their own heartbreak, anger, and hatred. Love. Obsession. Whatever it was that they felt for each other.

I also like,,, even if they somehow hypothetically hot their shit together enough to be a "functioning couple", I do not see them w any of the typical relationship labels like I think mcq would hurl if u called swk his boyfriend, husband, lover, etc like PLEASE I understand not everyone will have the same opinions and ship dynamics and I respect it, but I have a very specific view on their relationship and they are neither romantic or platonic, but a secret third thing. But they are also actually both. Whatever it is, it's love. A love that grew sharp and bent in its intensity when that love festered into a hatred that edged the line of obsession far too many times to ever be "normal" hatred.

Okay I think I've ranted enough. For now. Thankyou very much if u read all of this I have so very many shadowpeach thoughts 🛐

OMG HELLO

You are the only person outside of my immediate friend group who understands shadowpeach the way I do

I could honestly also read Macaque as allo, but no matter what their relationship is so aspec/arospec to me. Like whatever their bond was, it didn't matter because they had each other. Until they didn't. Until they knew their relationship was one of hatred. Until it was somehow even more complicated.

What drives me crazier is at this point, they would both choose MK over each other. It's pretty clear that Macaque expected Wukong to sacrifice himself in MK's place v ("He needs to know it's not all on him" "It doesn't always have to be you!" "Get the kid you idiot" "Wukong..."), because that was what he was willing to loose. He had already lost Wukong before, but MK? He's someone neither Macaque or Wukong could bear leaving them (the way they left each other). Like s5 committed so hard in the run motif ("You're the one always running off!"), and MK has been set up to be the one to leave Wukong since like s2.

It's also rare for me to run into another dragonfruit fan!! Tbh it is kinda just the text, but I find them so interesting. Like what if Mei handled the worst parts of Red Son better than he ever did. What if their mentor/mentee dynamic parallels MK and Macaque ("You don't use a weapon, you ARE a weapon! - "Don't use the flame Mei..." "Be the flame!"). What if Red Son knew Mei would stop at nothing to free his parents, the way he stopped at nothing to free her.

But also, what if Red Son was Mei's silly rabbit.

I know some people despise 5x05, but the truth is that Red Son has always been a support character to Mei. Even in AHiB, Mei and Red Son are often singled out together (ilu Mei saving MK and "I'll handle this" scenes). It's more obvious in 1x06 or 1x08, where Mei and Red are both racers and, of course, "Red flames are cool! Want to see some green ones?". RoTSQ focuses entirely on Mei and Red Son's relationship, which is continued into 3x06 and beyond.

Thank you for the rant it was a good read!

[short-black-diamond]

I really like hearing people talk about things they've noticed in something so it's so fun to read what you've notice in The Tomato Can 🫶

Bbg Vasily and Elijah

About the ocs, Mei and I guess Merida would be actually such an interesting new dynamic to see with Milana🤩🤩

- 🍰nom

aw, thanks love! Anyways, if you want to, I could continue...? I still have a lot to discover, and I can't believe that I actually overlooked a lot of things..

We love babygirl Vasily and Elijah

Yesssss, But if you want to, you can also request OC's to me if you'd like to! But I think I would rather call Merida Mary-Anne or something? Idk but I just---don't want her to the the name of a disney princess

Anyways, I'll post your other request, tged x male! reader in here. Also it's going to be angsty. Sorry not sorry, my sweet strawberry shortcake 🍰-nom. But don't worry, there will be a lil kith at the end.

Also I didn't proofread.

---

Who are you, Lloyd?

You knew that you shouldn't be here. But his parents asked you to. You knew that it would make your friendship with him all the more worse, if you even were friends in the first place.

But, for the sake of the baron's son, you had to ask a witch about Lloyd. She was a rather pretty woman, but she was a scaredy cat. So when she first saw you, she shrieked. I mean, who wouldn't, when your face was tinted red from the bear who just tried to eat you? Luckily, none of that blood outside your body belonged to you.

"I'm sorry to bother you, but I have a question.", you said as you stepped into her humble home without asking, nor brushing your mudded boots, to which she grumbled under her breath.

"Make it quick. And also clean up your shoes."

"It's about the son of the baron I'm serving. Lloyd Frontera. He's uh...he's...not really himself?", you tried to explain, but you missed the words which woud suit for what you were wanting to say.

However, the witch was patient, and so, with you trying to form sentence upon sentence, did you finally manage to tell how from a Lloyd who was a drunkard and bad person became suddenly an estate developer and a businessman.

"And he just recruited a hundred and twenty Orcs for faster building? I don't even recognize the person I have to look over anymore...!", you finished, sipping on the sweet tea the witch brewed you while you were telling the story.

"Hm...to me, it sounds like a rare occurence of 'soul exchange'. Maybe, and I am talking on a very wild guess, it can be that the Lloyd you knew all your life until these past days has...well, died."

You flinched. "What?! D-don't you think that's a bit exaggerated??"

"There could be a chance, no? I mean, according to you, he was a drunk guy who was just utter trash. And maybe, he died at the same time another person died.", the witch's soft voice explained. Actually, she could be right.

If there could be Orcs, witches, monsters, dragons and elves in your world, why couldn't there be a new Lloyd?

"But...what should I do? I can't just tell him that he's not the same he once was!"

"Why don't you try getting to know the new Lloyd then?"

You blushed at that. 'Th-the knew Lloyd? Hmm...such a hassle. No, I'm going to confront him!'

...

"Ah, ____! There you are!", the baron's son exclaimed as he saw your approaching figure. 'Damn, the author really did describe ____ exactly how he looks in front of me. Tall, handsome, and nice. At least he's not like Javier. But still...he's beautiful...!'

He noticed your frown, a troubled expression on your face as you strutted uneasily towards him. "Mr. Frontera, I-I have a request!"

"Eh? A request? For me??", Lloyd asked with a confused smile as he followed you. You lead him to your home, and Lloyd blushed more.

'What is he trying to achieve...? I have work, but if ____ needs something, work can wait...What are your plans, ____?'

You led him to your table, with a freshly baked apple pie standing on it. You applied a little too much sugar, but you did it with the intention of him hitting you, but none of it. "Mm, your pie is good, but you applied a little too much sugar, ____. But is this the only thing you-Whoah!!"

Lloyd found himself pinned against your kitchen table, with your larger frame right on top of him. Lloyd couldn't miss the way you growled at him, demanding an explanation. However, Lloyd didn't know what for you could need an explanation for. All he could think about were your glowing eyes, your angry expression, how you were holding his hands in one of your larger ones and your other held his waist to the counter.

Yeah, Lloyd was turned on right now. "U-uhm, ____? D-do you mi-"

"You are not the Lloyd I know, so tell me who the hell you are!", you hissed as you glared at him angrily. But, Lloyd could see tears swelling in your eyes. Maybe out of frustration?

"____...I'm sorry. I've changed-" "Stop! Stop it!", you yelled as you puched him away from you and gripped your hair tightly. "I know that you are not Lloyd, but please, whoever you are, tell me where the old one is!"

There was a moment of silence, with you panting as you looked at 'Lloyd' with a look of hurt, betrayal, hope, and big sadness.

Suho Kim, who now possessed Lloyd's body, looked at you with guild. "____, I'll...explain everything to you. My actual name is Suho Kim, and I think I died in my previous life...? Anyway, now I'm in Lloyd's body, and, well, I tried to make the most out of it."

You only stared at him before leaning against the wall and sliding down while covering your face. (drama queen ig)

"Listen, I know that it was hard for you to endure this all, given the fact the Lloyd you knew before is no longer there, but I promise that I'll be better than him. I'd also like to get to know you better, ____."

Lloyd sat down next to you. "You know, at first, I thought that you'd be just like Javier, but you're not. You're so much sweeter, kinder, more emotional, and you tell me more. You're a good guy."

Suho slowly couldn't contain your silence anymore, and for a moment, he thought that you'd had fallen asleep. But you just raised your head to him. You looked depressed. "I don't like how you compare me to Javier, and I don't like how you talk about Lloyd as if he was a bad person.

Lloyd might have been trash, throwing tantrums, drinking the whole time and being horrible with women, but he was the one me and Javier had to dedicate our lives to. I don't know if Javier enjoys being your knight, but I'm glad that you, Suho Kim, could cure his sleeping problems. And as for me...", you trailed off, averting your eyes shyly.

Suho remembered that you were actually introduced as the love interest, but you died protecting Lloyd. Lloyd actually never liked you, but you just found something in Lloyd very alluring, and Suho didn't know what.

Suho felt bad. Bad that you lost the person you somehow fell in love with -he wanted to hit the author of the novel for putting sweet you together with somebody like Lloyd and the also having the audacity to give you a grotesque death scene- and even worse that you found out about it.

"...I don't know why, but I felt shy whenever I looked at him. Sure, he is not the best option to fancy, but I just...I felt a connection to him. And now he's gone..."

Suho sighed. "...____, could you try moving on? Forget about the old Lloyd...if it helps you in some way, uh, I c-could go on a few dates with you...!", the man sitting next to you advised, and you both blushed furiously at the thought.

You groaned. "Thanks, but...I don't know...I feel like everything's moving too fast? Yeah, that must be it...", you muttered, staring at the dust which was starting to form on your boot.

But, Suho didn't want to give up yet. You were sitting next to him, in all your vulnerability, and...he wanted you. All to himself.

"I'm the greediest man you know, right? All about money, coins, all that gold and silver and being rich. Well, I'm also another kind of greedy.", he whispered as he looked up to you.

"I'm greedy for your love, ____."

Your flustered expression couldn't have been cuter, and Suho smiled fondly at you. "I know this is a lot to take in, but please bear with me. You are one hell of a handsome knight, ____."

"W-wait! You can't just confess! We-we don't even know each other!"

"Ah, yes...but hey, at least you know that I like you. And I'll make you fall for me in no time!", was the last thing Suho said before he gave you a little kiss to the cheek and ran out of your house.

He left you sitting in your kitchen, with you hesitantly touching the place he put his lips on, and you sighed with a red face.

'Feelings are so hard...', you thought.

Meanwhile, Suho ran as fast as he could away from your house, and into the secure walls of his chamber. There, he panted as he jumped on his bed and kicked his feet.

'Oh my god, I can't believe I actually did it! It feels so right, but what if I can't make ____ fall for me?! I'm not even good with women! Why did I even say such a thing?! And his cheek, gosh, ____'s cheek! It's so soft!!!! AAAAARRGH! What should I do!??!', Lloyd thought as he giggled and whirled around in his bed.

Javier, and Lloyd's father exchanged concerned looks as they heard Lloyd's giggling.

[botanicallyinclinednerd]

LMK's animation is inspired by anime, and also fully hand-drawn for the first four seasons so it's really dynamic :D As for peaches, yep. The Monkey really likes peaches lol. In JTTW, Heaven has a whole garden of them, the peaches of immortality that Sun Wukong basically nyam nyamed. Also, the fire guy's name is spelled as Red Son (lol yes I know.) Mei is 23, so I think we guessed MK's age at 21. Glad you're liking it so far! Perks of being so short is how bingeable it is. Like...four seasons + 4 specials equals to 28 regular sized episodes. Which equals to roughly 9 hours of content. That's basically a school day.

Its honestly quite beautiful, the fight scenes especially so.

I now can't decide who named Red Son, whether it was his parents or he changed his name to that. Both seem equally likely.

Oh damn, okay, they're both a bit older than I had guessed, I thought they were teenagers. Well, I guess college age is slightly more reasonable for destiny to be thrust onto him

Oh, yeah, if I wasn't in my work week right now I could destroy that in a day, but it'll probably take me a few days, work has been tiring lately

Thank you for sending this!

[sweetpeathecat]

Things I liked/loved about LMK season 4(spoilers)

-the animation is awesome as always

-the writing is still super funny

- the comparisons between the JTTW pilgrims and the modern Monkie Kid crew. How the 2 group’s members have their own unique strengths and weaknesses. That one group is necessarily better than another. How the Monkie Kid crew learns from their counterparts.

-confirmation that Monkie Kid crew Pigsy, Tang, and Sandy are reincarnations of their JTTW counterparts

-Monkie Kid crew actually gets proper training.

- the motivations of the new antagonists. How it addresses and builds of the past antagonist’s motivation

-the new antagonists look cool and are fun to watch

-Azure Lion’s final design/outfit

-Monkie! MK!!!! I’ve been wanting this since I watch the “making of LMK franchise”. During the documentary, concept art of Monkie! MK was on the wall.

-how the scroll’s curse creates an ink embodiment of a person’s insecurities and regrets

-Ink Monkie! MK. He is so mean but sassy.

-the show finally addressed how little we actually know about MK. The due was a huge mystery when you really think about. (At least in the original English version of the show) “MK” is just a nickname and we don’t know his “real name”. Up until this season, we knew more about Mei than than the main character. The show up until this point, never addressed why MK was chosen as SWK’s successor, why he could lift the staff, why he came out of an STONE EGG in the pilot episode or why he as any of SWK’s powers.

- more of LMK’s version of JTTW

- more context on SWK’s past relationships. His dynamic with Azure Lion and Macaque are the most interesting to me. I like how Azure Lion said(I don’t fully trust him though. He did keep trapped SWK in scroll 📜 ) he want to patch thing up with SWK after his mission is done. Like he still hurt by SWK’s betrayal but still has a soft spot for him. In comparison Macaque seems more interested in getting revenge on SWK for his betrayal.

-we got to see Red Son and Prince Nezha again!

-DBK like a woman who can kick his ass 🤣. More information on PIF’s backstory.

-we got to see a a bit of Erlang Shen(but only in the opening)

- SWK made a geese shelter for that farmers lady. It’s a cute little details that show SWK care about other even when it doesn’t fit his goal(he thought MK got trapped in the scroll 📜 too and was looking for him). How he is actually a genuinely good guy post JTTW.

[itsabouttimex2]

Hi would it be alright if I request yandere Redson x Mei story /one shot please 🙏 💗 I really like their dynamic and I heard that demons back then would kidnap woman to marry them (even by force if necessary)

Would it be possible to request yandere Redson kidnapping Mei to marry her please ; if you wanna go dark you can do! I look forward to seeing what you come up with 💗 ^^

(if romance makes you uncomfortable, then maybe yandere platonic Redson doesn’t wanna share his only friend Mei with others )

Caleo Courtnapping

(Romance isn’t usually my cup of tea, but it’s nice to try new things! Also, a new Azure Lion bot is in the works!)

“…you’re very pretty,” Red Son finally says. He’s been sitting at the table for nearly an hour, seated opposite his bride-to-be. Each minute not spent staring at her is spent brainstorming and sketching on blank sheets of paper. “You’ve always been pretty. I only wish it hadn’t taken me so long to realize something so obvious.”

In his other hand is a custom cocktail, made by a well-dressed Bull Clone- there’ll be alcohol served at the coming wedding, and he’s been combing through a list of potential options.

“Strawberry daiquiri, sweetened with sugar and served with a splash of lime for freshness. It’ll match our colors, too.”

The fiery prince turn to his ‘darling’, wearing a smug grin that vanishes when he sees the furious expression apparent in her eyes.

“Oh, don’t look at me like that, Mei.”

From behind an intricate and gilded muzzle, the swordswoman snarls.

“I tried to take it off, darling. You wanted to breath fire at me. Bad idea, by the way- fire’s my thing. I’m not too sure what you expected, actually- stop thrashing around!”

Red Son rounds the table to his intended bride’s side, groaning at her fury. He hadn’t intended for the wedding planning to be a matter of trying to coax nods or shakes from his beloved dragon-horse girl. No, he would’ve much rather spent a lovely evening together, trying wine and sampling sweet pastries for the inevitable day of union that they would share.

But she had made the decision to get physical, so the prince had made a decision of his own- that restraints were now necessary.

And now Mei sits on a sturdy redwood chair, cushioned by lush velvet and installed with many metal shackles to hold any unwilling spouse defiant individual in place. With her wrists and ankles firmly latched down, she found it hard to do much more than writhe.

But writhe she did, so Red circled the chair and slapped a button on the side with little fanfare. A clanging SHUNK sounds as two crescents of metal meet around her waist, tightening slowly to adhere her more closely to the thick wooden chair. Another button, a loud banging of metal that leaves her forearms bound with steel.

“There. That should keep you from ruining your-“

Pause. What did Mother say? Be honest with her instead of playing coy or being proud?

“…you have lovely skin, my dearest spitfire. It would be a travesty if you broke it by thrashing about. That wasn’t a threat, by the way. Please stop writhing.”

Nailed it. Mother would certainly be pleased by his efforts to open up to his future wife, and his expanding complimentary skills.

Or she would start expecting grandkids.

Maybe it would be better to keep this to himself, actually.

With a sigh, he moves one hand to the woman’s muzzled cheek.

“I’ll let you have a drink, darling. But only if you promise to behave.”

There’s a clear enthusiasm in Mei’s burning green eyes- no doubt that she believes Red Son is about to hand her another chance to try and escape his care.

He dashes those hopes by procuring a blindfold. “Misbehave again and this will be going on next,” is his level-voiced threat. “Do not make me cover up those gorgeous eyes, my sparkling cinder.”

Red Son carefully unhooks the muzzle from around her face, taking the moment to brush one of his thumbs across her bottom lip.

“…you really are very pretty,” he comments, a striking note of simple sincerity in his voice.

If she hadn’t been kidnapped and shackled down, Mei might have been flattered.

But all she can manage is a roll of her eyes and a shrug. “Sure, whatever. Give me a sip.”

Seethed through clenched teeth her words may be, they’re still some level of non-violent. So, as he is drawn to do- Red obliges the the wishes of his darling dragon.

“A toast,” he proposes, taking up the wine glass. “To our enduring union.” The glass is tipped to the lips of the swordswoman, allowing her to imbibe the frosty spirit. Made with frozen strawberries to keep ice from diluting the flavor and a shot of internationally imported and very expensive white wine, bright and refreshing- so very like the woman he vied for.

“It’s fine,” the tempestuous woman scoffs in turn. “The sangria was better.”

Watermelon sangria- served with a handful of frozen blueberries in the glass to keep the drink cool, with orange wedges soaking in the pitcher to add a dash of vibrant citrus.

“We’ll have both, darling,” he reassures. “And I suppose we’ll have to rummage up something spicier, too. It won’t be any good if all the spirits are sweet.”

“Pineapple margaritas,” she excitedly says, forgetting for just a moment her predicament to instead gush about something she enjoys. “With jalapeño slices! Ooh, and mezcal!”

Even just that spark of exuberance reminds Red Son why he’s so intent on marrying this warrior of a woman. The light that sparkles in her eyes, the upwards pitch of her delightful voice- how could he not love her?

“Anything for you, darling,” he says, and certainly not for the first or last time.

“I would do anything for you.”