#Journey to the rent

[mehiwilldoitlater]

Journey to the Rent

"Can I trust you?"

"Did I ever make you think otherwise?"

"..."

"Well?"

The sunlight passing from the window dances on your face; a soft sound in the back of your head slowly woke you up from your exhaustion. You forced your eyes to open up to adjust to the unfamiliar place that welcomed you last night. For a moment you forgot what had happened, but the empty walls and the naked mattress made you recall the events of last night.

You dreamed...or, at least, you remembered those few phrases that you two exchanged before your holiday. You should have said that you indeed did not trust him... 

You needed a few more minutes to finally connect a few more wires in your brain to realize that the sound that you were feeling wasn't in your brain or imagination but it was, in fact, the gentlest knocking you ever heard in your entire life.

You were grounded, something a yawned coming while you reached for your pants, left on the floor the night prior, guilty of your poor state of mind and your tired ass. You should have at least tried to look a little more presentable, but who cared? You didn't, at least.

After opening the front door, in front of you a young man, at least it looked that way, was holding a small bag and cup of paper.

The first thing that caught your attention, or at least that made you wake up faster, was his hairless head, which made you, for a moment, ask yourself why Lex Luthor had appeared at your front door with some coffee.But Lex Luthor would have never worn what this one was wearing at that time, which was a baggy shirt and some harem trousers. He wore a string of pearls at his neck, each of them in different colors and materials. He had the most kind and gentle black eyes that you ever saw, similar to the ones that Wujing showed you, but these ones were like the ones you saw on some Asian statues that you found in some restaurants or SPAs.

"Oh, did I wake you?"

And he had the kindest voice, even calm, and surely he could have been the greatest voice for some of those ASMR videos.

You needed to massage your face, and it was hard to hide the fact that you still had the shape of the pillow on your face.

"Yeah, I," you cleared your voice, a bit embarrassed, "I…was kinda still…you know…"

"Oh no, my apologies. I didn't intend to wake you up!" He seemed really apologetic by his look: "I thought that you would need something to eat after last night."

"O-oh…w-why so?" Ugh, yeah, good way to go, Y/N.

"Your fridge must still be empty, I guess." He said, Chickling a little. Ah, well, that seemed the most reasonable reason… and the gurgling of your stomach didn't help too. Come to think of it, you didn't touch anything last night…Not like you were hungry either. He kindly extended the two small envelopes to you; the heat from the cup reached your cold skin in one second, already sending you a small shiver of leisure.

"Consider it a welcome gift. I'm Tang Sanzang, the actual owner of the stable."

"Oh, Mr. Wujing said something about the real owner…"

"Yeah, that's me. We usually make all the decisions together, but I always have the last word."

"…So you're the one in charge of putting people out in the streets?"

"That's such…That's a hard way to say it!"

"I'm sorry!" You felt embarrassed already by what you said, "I didn't mean to—"

"Oh please," he laughed; he had the most kind laugh you ever heard. "I'm not that out of this world! I know how landlords can be…questionable. I can assure you that I won't get inside this apartment without your knowledge."

You sighed in relief…. Wow, you didn't intend to be that blunt with him; it came so easily… almost unnatural…Must have been his aura? You were still looking inside the small pack when you noticed his piercing eyes scrutinizing your face, making you panic for one second.

"…Your eyes are all red and puffy; did you cry?"

"Eh?!"

"So He was right after…"

"…Who was right?" It was now your turn to be confused by his way of speaking. Did Wujing tell him that you looked like you needed to cry? You were sure that you held together till the last moment yesterday, so how?

But, to your surprise, he dropped the argument, shrugging his shoulders, and made a small bow.

"Please, don't be bothered by my words. If you like, you can come in our quarters after you're done eating and preparing. We can help you with the water supply connection and some more adjustments."

"Oh, thanks…again!"

"Don't worry. Later than Miss…"

"

"Oh! Y/n… L/n Y/n…"

He bowed again, then started to head to the stairs. You closed the door, still quite surprised by this visit.

He wasn't bad…He speaks like an old man, and he seems like one, too, but he seems like a really good guy! But…It wasn't like your sixth sense helped you last time on this matter… Well, no one needed to know now; what you needed was some good hot water and a good connection for your new apartment. So, you headed towards your room with some coffee and the will to use your phone, blocked your ex on every possible app, and then made some adjustments for lunch.

On the other side of the door, the same bald head looked towards the small landing, making sure that you indeed closed the door. After confirming that you had in fact disappeared inside your apartment, he slowly approached the door, making sure that you could not listen to his bare feet on the marble with shoes in his hands. After reaching the door, he carefully started to mimic writing with his index and middle fingers on the wooden surface, mumbling something. He then posed the same hand that had written on the door, and a golden circle appeared, alongside the now-visible symbols that he had written on it. He seemed pleased with his work, and when the circle and the symbols started to fade again, he took his merry way towards the stairs, now planning to leave you alone for real. Now, Wukong would not complain about a sleepless night.

///

After you were able to make yourself presentable and call the cavalry, you were able to reach Tangzang and the other apartment. Honestly, you weren't sure if they actually lived together, but it became clear when, after your knocking, the same pig-faced man from the stairs opened up the door.

"Oooh, well this is a surprise!" He said with a small chuckle and that kind of smile that just made your eyes roll.

"If I knew we had a guest, I would have prepared myself better!" Ugh, so he lived with Tangzang? …Or Wujing maybe? Nah, maybe you just took the wrong-

"Ah, there you are! Ready for Settle all the messies parts?"

The appearance of Wujing behind this one confirmed the fact that the two lived together…you guessed. Great, just great…

Wujing, on the other hand, noticed his friend's way of leaning on the doorframe and his expression, of the most genuine and kind individual you could ever meet, became stern and severe. His friend must have noticed, since now he looked like a child that felt the eyes of his parents on the back of their head.

"Bajie…are bothering our new guest?"

"…Noooo?"

"Miss, was he bothering you?"

His eyes looked at you, begging you to grant him mercy.

"…Nah, we were just presenting each other! Y/n L/n, and you're Bajie, right?" You offered your hand, a smug smile on your face, like secretly telling him that he owed you this one. He sighed, squeezing your hand, accepting this small defeat.

"Zhu Bajie… another owner of this stable."

"Wow, how mamny owner one place need?!"

"Ah! You don't need to know, darling…"

Well, at least you knew that this one, Bajie, wasn't exactly that impossible to have around…in some certain way.

Finally, he made you space to get inside the door, Wujing starting to lead you to the living room to help you settle the last few expenses for your new home.

Their place seemed quite unique in some way, decorated in different ways that made the place a bit of a mess but still quite warm in its way. There were several photos of not only the two that now were in the house with you, but they were alongside Sanzang, the real owner, and the man in the hoodie from the night before. The place had a few plants here and there, lamps that had different shapes and styles, and there was even a lava lamp, decorations here and there, and several rooms. After the small corridor that connected the living room to the front door, the place became bigger; a large and old couch, patched up here and there, rested in front of a quite nice coffee table made of wood, decorated by some flowers and plants. The TV, an old piece of junk that seemed to belong to the house of an old lady, rested nicely and tidily on a large library, full of books, more photos, and some souvenirs from places.

Separated by a wall and an arch, there is what is supposed to be the dining area, a large table with some chairs, each one different from the other. Behind it, a large balcony that face directely to the garden, giving the place a good light from the exterior.

"Woah…you both live here?"

"Yes and no! We live here alongside our friends, the owner and another one of us."

"You mean the man in the hoodie from yesterday?"

"So you met him!"

"…Kinda. I….I think I'll meet him soon as I think."

"I know, Wukong can be kind of… Ominous at the first meeting, but I can assure you, no one can be trusted more than him!"

When he spoke his name, your reaction was one of surprise. That wasn't the first time that you heard that name…if you could just remember where…

Wujing looked apprehensive for a moment, fearing he had touched a ground that he shouldn't have.

"REhm…Are you okay?"

"Yeah...I just...nevermind, it must be me!"

You decided to ignore the subject; after all, it wasn't like a famous person could live there, right? You took your laptop out of your backpack, following Wujing on the sofa and placing it on the small coffee table.

"Let's start…water?"

"Yes!"

///

For the next two hours, everything was focused only on finding the best companies with the best prices for everything you needed. You wanted to settle for your old companies, but these men were far more educated about the matters. Your previous gas company, which they knew, was immediately set aside for various complications.

"They technically set one price for the few months, but, as soon as they can, they start to charge more. It's not obvious; they are just small amounts such as cents, but the more they get, the more you lose."

"Oh gosh…I didn't know!"

"We found out because Sanzang confronted the papers." Bajie muttered, holding you and Wujing two cup of coffee.

"Isn't that illegal?"

"It is, but technically they can do that if they find the loophole. They usually do that…"

The first part of your day passed online with a confrontation and some suggestions on how not to spend so much. Which was quite odd; you thought that a landlord's first intention was to make more money from the ones that lived under their roof… Well, they must have been an exception.

You were typing the last few details when you heard the front door slamming and the sound of someone muttering.

"Stupid bone lady … I swear if I can't get her-…"

He suddenly stopped, feeling your gaze and two pairs of piercing eyes on the back of his head.

"…Wukoooong! How was…the fixing of the tubes…of the old lady?!" Said Wujing with a suspecting tone.

"…Great…Amazing even…What is she doing here?"

You felt a little offended by that tone; how rude! Okay, you were in his house, but seriously?

"We're helping her by teaching her the mysterious ways of the gas companies." Bajie tried to lighten a little the mood, and, speaking of gas, would you like to stay for lunch? I bet your fridge is still empty!"

"Oh, I would love to!" You swayed your hand, noticing the disapproving look from the newcomer, "But I already have an appointment with some friends. Maybe another time."

"Such a shame, well have fun!"

You thanked both again, especially Wujing for his patience, while you started to move out from the apartment, feeling the look of Wukong on you. Yes, maybe you weren't that scared of him like you were the previous day, but surely you thought that he needed a few lessons in how to treat a guest.

Now that you were able to fix one problem, another one was ready on your path.

Lunch with your best colleagues.

///

"HE DID WHAT?!"

You tried to shush Talisha from her outburst; her fresh-from-the-salon nails were so sharp that they could leave signs on the table of the café.

"Tali, please!" Oliver tried to calm her down, "Not here! Some of our costumes may see us!"

"Then they'll know not to mess with us, and most importantly, WHO CARES?! It's not me, the one with the broken heart!"

Talisha was literally your work mom. From the first moment you stepped inside the company that you were working on, she took you under her wing, helping you around and making sure that no one bossed you around.

And, of course, she was far more experienced with men than you, since from the first day she met your boyfriend. She had her eyebrow raised in a judging look. You should have listened to her; you would have avoided sipping your chocolate milkshake with a sorrowful expression.

"Okay, enraging aside," took the word from Oliver, allowing Talisha to cool down on her glass of white wine."How do you feel?"

Oliver was hit a few weeks before you and was basically your first friend in the office. He tried his best to be the most inclusive that he could, and, like now, he was more concerned about your mental health. You sighed, looking up at the ceiling of the café.

"Hurt, betrayed…like a duckling that had seen its mother get shot!"

"Oh no, not the duckling…"

"Yes, the duckling…" you sighed again, your hands on your face. "If I think about that, I need to furnish my new apartment—"

"Hold on there!" Talisha raised her hand. "Your new apartment? Why do you have a new apartment?"

You gulped in silence, feeling those two pairs of eyes scrutinizing you. Then it was their round to gasp.

"You ran away?!"

"Well—"

"Did you confront him at least?!"

Only the clattering of the plates on the tables was heard after that question.

Oliver gasped, Talisha Just raised her hands on her head, looking at you in disbelief.

"You just left?! You found him with another girl and—

"Tali."

"Oliver, I don't—"

"Tali, for real…"

When she saw your face, a rush of tenderness melted her rage. Your hands were supporting your face on the table, hiding your mouth and cheeks; your eyes were starting to get wet again, and your sorry expression was trying with all your strength to conceal all your pain…in vain, since it was pretty much visible.

You weren't that kind that made sure that your attire was top-notch on every occasion, but your creased t-shirt, your shabby hair, and the state of your face make clear that you had better days.

You were holding on to a thin straw, and you weren't in the mood to face another reality, a sad one either.

Pressing the matter would only bring you more discomfort, and Oliver, bless his heart, had enough sympathy to take that. He cleared his throat, smiling kindly at you.

"So…a new apartment? How is it? Nice?"

You slowly moved your hands down from your face, sniffing a little and sighing, noticing that he had changed the subject to help you.

"…Yes, It Is…The complex is quite cute, and the owners are just too nice… They even helped me find a good gas company."

"Oh!" Talisha laughed, "MY landlord forced me to make contact with the one where his brother works! They must be the gems in the rough!"

"Hehe, yeah, I know… They LET me in even without anything about me! They were some kind of saints!"

Oliver sighed dreamily.

"In the end you were able to get a lucky deal for a good living at least…Ah, what about your staff?"

"Well, I was considering redecorating my new place… I'm sad to have given up my other staff…"

"…Well," Oliver started, "you can… still go to your old place when he's not there and…take it!"

"…Are you suggesting I sneak in?!"

"You still have your own keys, right? And, besides, he made another girl sneak in; it's even!"

You started to consider this idea… even if it was a little immature. You had to comfort him. One day or another…

While talking about landlords and how bad they can be, you started to guess a little the ones you ended up in this mess. They were good; they didn't have any bad vibes at all. What gave you a strange feeling was…their name. You were sure you heard them before, especially the one with the hoodie…Wukong.

///

You were good. You weren't fine since you still had a lot of things to resolve, but being able to see you work, being able to properly vent with them, and enjoy a nice lunch at your favorite place made you just…good. Talisha even wanted to help you with the recovery of your precious belongings, and you even allowed her to bring her three-year-old son.

He would have broken a few things? Yes.

Was it a perfect revenge? Maybe, but you didn't care; you wanted to be petty now.

You separated from your friends an hour ago, getting the chance to make a long walk towards your apartment, checking a few stores on the road (like a pawn shop that had some really nice pieces of furniture and at such a good price), alongside a small shopping for your dinner, just some pots and an instant ramen. That day you received the message that your gas and water were ready, and it was quite strange at first, but then you remembered that Wujing had told you something about it.

"We have a few friends there; we can pull some strings!"

You never had friends anywhere… Now you were curious about what kind of people these four were…

Speaking of which, while you were returning from the front gate of the condo, you noticed someone attending to the small garden. You didn't have the chance the previous night to Look at it, but now that you got the chance, you noticed how nice and well-attended it was.

Divided by the rock path, the garden covered the majority of the external surface. At the sides of the path, young trees, now naked for the winter, followed the way towards the entrance of the complex. They must have been planted on the occasion of the summer, taking advantage of the green leaves and the shades they make.

Around, settled in an order that presumably had more sense when still covered in their green mantles, almost naked bushes with a few leaves left on them.

The smell of fresh soil was quite strong, probably because it was the same area It was worked on in order to make it softer.

"Let me tell you, it's not that great now, but wait for spring. Then you'll admire a well-done job."

You were so captivated by this new aspect of your new place that you haven't noticed the presence of Bajie in the garden. His jeans and his Hawaiian shirt were replaced by a pair of old and consumed overalls and what you guessed was the t-shirt from a university. With one hand digging a hole with a small scoop and the other fixing something round from an old burlap sack in it. His hair was fixed in a messy ponytail; who knows how long he had been working there?

You haven't noticed him at all, surprised by the man that, despite being quite loud, he could actually stay quiet as a body.

"Oh," you spoke, "I haven't seen you here!"

"Eh, a handsome man like me, with his hands in the dirt, all covered in mud… I know, kinda crazy, right?"

You narrowed your eyes again, but this time you were a little curious about his duty. You weren't an expert, but, by the look of it, that garden seemed like it was lush and well-gardened, especially if it was of that size. You were curious, to say the least.

"…What are you doing?"

"Taking care of a few things. After the rains, the soil is soft and perfect to start to put down some plants."

"But, it's winter. It's not the worst time to start doing this?"

"Au contraire!" Yoh snickered at that fake French accent. "It's actually a good moment to start putting down some bulbs and taking care of future parasites! Must say, those peach trees are my pride and joy! Not one singular insect, I swear!"

Oh, so those were peach trees… You remembered a few of them back at college; they were a nice spot to sit with…

"When it's summer, we have so many peaches that we can give them away or make some jams! You'll love it!"

You looked back at the man and…well, now he was something else. He seemed like he liked to talk good of himself and even better of his gardening.

"You're a gardening enthusiast?"

"Guilty, your honor!" He looked back at you and said, Say, want to help me out here? If you have some time, of course!"

You started to think about it, looking back at your window, at the empty and depressing apartment…

"…Sure, why not?"

///

Bajie, like he usually liked to be called, was someone that had a high perception of himself, to the point that he could look annoying or even depraved. But in that garden, more focused on taking care of the plants, digging, and cutting, he showed you a side of him that made you change your mind.

Talking with him was easy, mostly because he wasn't a judger since he was���himself. He liked to joke around, playing with a few bubs, showing off a little. And, most importantly, he talked with you like a normal person, not trying to woo you off or something.

"I used to be a farmer, back when I was married." He confessed. "It was hard, but it was honest work!"

"Oh,"you looked at him curiously. "You were married?"

"Yup, we had our issues, to use simple words. Mostly me."

Well, that was interesting; he didn't look like the kind who admitted his own fault, especially for a lost marriage. He certainly was different from another person that you knew.

"But she remade her life! So I suppose that, in the end, everyone got their own happy ending, right?"

"Umm…One of my friends ended her marriage after just one year…"

"Ooouh, tough …Well, it happened."

"Yeah, but… They were high school sweethearts, you know? They seemed so…connected!"

For a moment, you wondered even why you were talking about this now with him; he still was a total stranger to you.

"Sometimes, the sweetest love stories are just told by others. Sometimes, small issues that seem unnotable are, in fact, the peak of the iceberg."

…Wow, that was deep…You removed from the hole you were digging a worm, thinking that, when he talked with his heart in his hands, Bajie was a good date material.

He stood up, holding his rake on his shoulder, checking around.

"Um…yeah, it seems nice… Thank you for the help! It wasn't drinking wine in front of a fireplace, but it was a nice way to know each other better, eh?"

You nodded; this place was big. How was he able to take care of such a large garden anyway? Well, it was his work after all, or maybe he was an actual hard worker.

You were pondering about how much first impressions could be deceiving when you noticed that, as much as you were occupied with Bajie by working and just talking, your mind was actually quite able to shut off all the negativity that had been in your head for the last two days. As you were surprised, you felt a sense of relief.

Some peace, and you weren't thinking about if it could come back at all. Yoh sighed; he had never gardened before; it sure was a stress-releasing activity. If you had only known sooner, maybe you would have avoided that mental breakdown back at college!

Still focusing on feeling that sense of relief, you found yourself with the leaves of a leek on your face.

You haven't noticed Bajie Washington away from the garden and reaching his personal vegetable garden that he had mentioned before, holding out to you a basket with some seasonal vegetables.

"You need to work on your focus! There, so you won't starve. "

"Oh no, no!" You raised your hands, trying to move away the basket. "These are yours! I just wanted to help, Nottingham more!"

"And I refuse to not have a way to thank you properly."

"I don't even have a fridge!"

"It's cold! They'll survive outside the window, I insist! If you don't…well, I'll gift you a date with me!"

You snatched away the basket from his hand. There he was in the same new neighborhood. By your action, he just started to laugh, holding his tummy in the process, finding that response quite hilarious.

"All right, all right! I set you free, little lady!"

"…Thanks, I… I really appreciate this, really."

"Aw, don't think about it. I'll suggest you take a shower; this dirt can stay FOREVER!"

You greeted him again, now with a new and positive thought about Bajie.

After entering the building, something hit you immediately: it was cold, very cold. A small cloud of heat is forming from your breath, the sudden freezing feeling of the muddy dirt on your hand giving you some pain.

"Ugh, why is it so cold in here?!"

Oh please, you just arrived; you didn't want some broken heater problem now!

You were searching for your keys when you heard a... whisper.

You stopped for a moment, looking around… No one was around.

You started to head for the stars when, again, a whisper caressed your ears. You weren't sure those were even words, but you could perceive that it was a woman's voice. It was frail and small, but it was so near that you thought that whoever was talking was just a few inches from you.

You turned around so quickly that you almost lost balance on your feet, and yet again, no one seemed to be around, except a subtle luminous fog.

Wait, what?

Not far from your feet, an ominous strange smoke was spreading around. By the way that it was moving, it reminded you of gas, and the idea of a leak almost made you turn back and run towards Bajie to call for help, but it didn't make any smell and…well, it was luminous. It emitted a curious cold bluish light, and, as much as you knew, gas didn't have color.

Following it, you found that, following a small corridor that you had barely noticed before, it came from a door under a small pair of stairs. On the door, the sign of the laundry, the one that they said was under repair, but they never spoke about a gas leak…

Suddenly, again, the whisper came again, closer and stronger, and you felt an urge. You felt like you needed to open that door, to get inside and to look. You didn't know why, and, to be fair, it wasn't like you had never seen a laundry before, but…you wanted it. Maybe you were curious about this gas, or maybe you just wanted to go and see some broken washing machines.

Or maybe it was this cold sensation that made your hand move on its own towards the doorknob, feeling the iceberg feeling from it, and the whisper almost screaming in your eardrum. You slowly started to turn it, hearing the clickling movement of the lock, and then his hand grabbed your wrist. You gasped, when did you stopped breathing?!

His long and onyx nails could almost cut your skin, his iron grip , strong but firm, was more similar to a statue than a hand made of flesh. You noticed a stiff presence of fuzziness on his hand and torso, a big amount for a man.

"I thought they told you you shouldn't come here, did they?"

His voice was low; it rumbled a little, and alongside that sensation that accompanied him the previous day, you started to feel small and scared by his mere presence. You forgot the bravery from that morning in the owner's apartment; just near you, Wukong was capable of making you feel like a small child.

You dared to look at him: a hood covered his head; you couldn't even see his head properly alongside his face, covered in a surgery mask, the only light color from his outfit.

You couldn't get his eyes, but what you thought you saw was a pair of burning furnaces. You gulped, feeling that hand thag you could swear, the strenght in It was so strong that could broke yohr arm in two.

"I'm…I'm sorry," you tried to speak, holding the trembling tone in your voice "I was…just curious."

"Curiosity kill the cat, didn't your parents teach you that?"

His hand finally leaved your wrist, but your arm stayed in that same position for a few secondo, fearing that a movement could cause something else fron this…man? He was a man? You weren't that shre now…

The hand that was holding you now was pushing your shoulder, forcing you to face the other side of the corridor, and, with the same small push, he started to lead you out, back at the base of the staircase.

"There," he reached the basket, grabbed it, and put it in with some kind of force in your arms. "Now go inside and do… Whatever you girls like to do in your free time, try to leave your pretty hands out from the nasty things, all right?"

And you stayed there, with a confused look on your face, trying to register the last few minutes, and… you started to happen with your fingers in the basket.

His tone has changed; from that stern tone back at the door, his voice became flat, boring, almost…mockingly nice. Come to think of it, from the start, he had zero interactions with you, and, at least for decency, he could at least present himself to you. Not only that, he had handled you like a child, moving you around like a puppy, scolding for a door…

He had already passed you, reaching for his apartment door when you finally spoke.

"You know, a bit of manners wouldn't hurt you."

He suddenly stopped, your eyes glued in a scorn over him, while he slowly turned around, raising an eyebrow.

"Come again?"

"… Oh miss, I'm sorry! This place is in need of repair! I thought you knew!… Is it so hard to articulate a phrase without sounding so annoyed?"

You didn't know what was into you; you had just properly met this dude a few minutes ago, but his way of acting, his attitude, was irritating. Maybe it was your patience over these kinds of jerks that had run out from last night. Even if it could put you in big trouble, you wanted, at least for once, to speak.

He stared at you after that interpretation of him talking nicely, and maybe there you felt your resolve crumble… And then he laughed.

It was a thing of an instant; one moment he was throwing daggers with his eyes, and the next he was holding his belly from the laughs. Was he crazy besides being rude?!

After he had finally calmed down and cleaned a few tears from his eyes under the hoodie, he took a big breath.

"Wow…just wow! You kind of are something else, aren't you, uh?!"

He keeps on giggling like an idiot, opening the door that he was trying to reach before, opening it and revealing the sound of a soap opera from the inside.

"I like this one better than the crying and meek one. Try to use it more, all right?"

And, with that, he just disappeared again.

You stayed there for some more, trying to understand again what had just happened and… Did someone tell him that you had cried last night?…

In any case, he had no right to call you like that! Cry baby?! Did he know what you had been thrown?!

With a sigh, you started to walk towards your apartment, more annoyed by this creep than before.

The one from the laundry, on the other hand, promised to herself to make that bastard pay for stealing her metal.

((OOOOH GOOOOOSH I TOOK SO LOOOOONG!!!!!! At least is FINALLY READY!

I'll post it later on Ao3 too!!))

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shake art is peak

[arataka-reigen]

The main reason for the decline of shoujo anime for me really is that girls/women will still consume shounen while boys/men will not consume shoujo as much, so for producers if you have to choose between a shoujo or a shounen you will go for the shounen because you know you will be able to get both audiences while with shoujo the audience will really be majorly female and you will be losing money from half your audience. And that is also why shounen these days incorporate a lot of shoujo tropes into their stories (ikemen, romcoms, etc.) but still do it in a way that is mostly targeted for boys (male protag, big boobs and heavy sexualization of female characters that is not as present in actual shoujo stories), they do it to make sure they will grab both audiences. That is not to say that seinen and shounen can't do great animes like these (just look at horimiya and skip to loafer), but it also means we get a lot of anime that is trying to do the same but in a very harmful and sexist way (just look at shows like rent-a-girlfriend and the millions of bad isekai that come out every season). So, shounen is stealing shoujo tropes and making them worse (most of the time), and we're eating that shit up simply because there is no actual shoujo coming out as often as it did before.

[masond-jar]

[tortibomb]

Beyond Evil | Episode 9 | Letting Go

A very small... mistake?

In Aesop's fable, do you know the story of the hare and the tortoise racing? The story says that while the hare was taking a nap, the tortoise kept on going without stopping and won the race. What do you think the lesson of the story is? If the strong don't make a mistake, then the weak will never be able to win.

If your son's existence is a mistake, then will you get rid of him too?

[theredalice]

Wall-artist2 posted a poll and it inspired me to make a longer post about it. Its a long post. And I love the heros journey. I'm so sorry if it sounds arrogant- this is my interpretation of the game and how it applies the heros journey in the context of the poll

Mouthwashing is told from Jimmy and Curly's perspective.

A protagonist is defined as the main character. They are the driving force of the plot and the reason why this story is being told. This would mean that Jimmy and Curly are the protagonists.

Now, what are their goals?

Jimmys goal is to evade responsibility. To protect his peace. To do what he wants with little consequence to himself.

Curly's goal is plainly stated in the game, "I want to make my life one im not trying to fucking run from all the time."

The force that hinders the protagonists is considered the antagonist. The opposition, the one that gets in the way.

Because of this, I feel I can very plainly say that Anya is the antagonist in Jimmys story.

This is NOT to say she is the bad guy, this is to say that she is the one who hinders Jimmy through his story. She is the true outside conflict of the protagonist. She is the one that makes him stop in his tracks, makes him face his actions. If even he doesn't recognize it and actively ignores it, she is the one who annoys and fucks with his plans the most.

For Curly, I'd say that Jimmy (and maybe Pony Express) is the antagonist. He's in the process of foreging his life out of the hellfires of Capitalism. Of course, this is a struggle caused by PE, but Jimmy is the one who ends up physically stopping him from his goal (I.E completely disabling him). He cannot create a life when he's stuck in space and entirely reliant on Jimmy.

Jimmy is the one who gives him meds though the game. They quickly run out of bandages post-crash, so his only means of physical omfort is the painkillers.

Writing this, im thinking about the birthday party. Curly expresses his need for a better life, and Jimmy explodes. "WE'RE the ones you're trying to run from."

Jimmy feels abandoned before anything has happened. His company dumping him isnt such a big deal, but his best friend?

What he's really saying is, "I'm the one you're trying to run from."

Which brings me to "wouldn't Curly be Jimmy's antagonist?" And I see your point. But I feel that Jimmy has attachment and abandonment issues. Curlys been with him for a long time. He's the only consistency in this world. Is Curly leaves, what would that make Jimmy?

Alone. Abandoned. Trash. Useless worthless man.

I feel Jimmy is too obsessed with Curly and his image to see him as opposition. I see it more as a Curly is Jimmy's favorite person and is constantly splitting in him.

Curly is never the one who stops Jimmy. Curly didnt stop him going into the cockpit. Curly wasn't the cause of Jimmys muder-suicide.

Curly paved the way for Jimmy. Curly carved the path Jimmy walks on. Anya was Jims catalyst for action.

"What about Daisuke and Swansea?"

Diasuke is faded in the background when it comes to their stories. He doesn't play a substantial role in stopping or progressing either goals. He's more of a Herold. He let's Jimmy know that Anya is locked in medical and that is the message that propells the second half of the game (the message in the first half being the notice from PE)

Swansea is a threshold guardian. TGs are the force that hinders the protagonists path but for a milestone in the story. Sometimes they can be overarching and defend different thresholds, but Swansea is just a TG when he is guarding Utility. Possibly when they are running in the crypt, but for this post I'll focus on the in-reality part.

Swansea isnt seen through the game as an obstacle until Anya is locked in medical. He, like Daisuke, are background characters. Until he stands in the way of the only way into medical, then he is an obstacle and must be removed. Daisuke doesn't do much except be a tool in Jimmy plan.

Anyways this too long, hope it all made sense!

[summertimemusician]

Hero's Purpose Episode 6 Release Date

WE ARE SO BACK

[rosylina]

my magister and her wife in their matching outfits╰(*´︶`*)╯♡

[laughterspren-abound]

so i made the decision to take my time while diving into the cosmere. there’s like 10 years before the next stormlight and a few before ghostbloods. i have time.

however, i’m reading 1984 rn and i cannot wait to get to WoR. i miss roshar

i’m loving 1984 and everyone should read this but like, i can’t stop thinking about the sanderlanche and the plot twist in shallan’s last few chapters

[mehiwilldoitlater]

Journey to the Rent

You sniffed again, your eyes glued to the streetlamp; the light trembled here and there, a few moths attracted by its light.

You lost track of time; how long were you sitting on that half-wet bench? The Clouds i. The sky covered the moon, and you needed to turn off your phone. You didn't want to hear It rang; you didn't want to talk or be found right now. Your luggage near you reminded you about your long-lost happiness, wishing that you never had to take the planet back in this city that now, more than ever, felt so big and cold.

Yes, cold, you felt cold... well, you were in the middle of a park at night, of course. It was cold now. This thought, luckily, was able to take you away from the reason why you couldn't go back to your apartment...

Yes, at that right moment you were currently homeless. To be fair, you had all the rights in the world to stay in your home, but the idea now... It made you sick. You felt like a coward even, why weren't you fighting back?

Because you felt that it was coming...

No, no distractions. You straighten your back, now focusing on your important task: not dying on a cold November night. You rose up, taking your backpack and your luggage, slowly walking away from the small playground, hoping to find in the meantime a good idea.

Calling your parents was out of the question; they lived far away, and you didn't have any energy left for another trip. You could have asked your friends to stay the night, but you didn't want to involve them in your drama. You all went on vacation to help Nicole tò get over her divorce. After a single One year of marriage, which was ALREADY enough for her. And, the most important part, was that he knew all these people, he had their number, and he could have easily found you.

At least for that night, you wanted to be invisible, disappear, and not exist.

Maybe you could book a room in a motel? Yeah, no pass. The idea of freezing to death was more appealing than passing it inside one of those places...Maybe an hotel? It seemed the most rational idea! But you didn't know how long you would have stayed there, and that was pretty much money drying. Not to mention that, right now, you have zero idea how many hotels near your workplace are available.

You started to contemplate going to a shelter for the homeless when a small glint caught your eye. It was a small gleam, for only a second; if it wasn't for that car passing by near the gate of the park, you would have surely missed it. A notice board, one of those people put photos of lost pets, a number for reps for school, a job advertisement, and all of those staff. Some people preferred a more direct approach than using some apps, and those noticed board were pretty usefull sometimes.

There, tacked over the other, a golden piece of plastic paper. The writings were in a darker shade of red, and by the looks of the ink, it seemed that they made it by hand, and that was the first, if not the only, of that advertiser made it in that way.

At first glance, you would have found It was quite tacky for its presentation, arrogant even, since it covered all the other papers but dismissed everything when you noticed what the paint strokes were saying.

Thunderclap apartments. 

Bilocals ready To immediate use: car parking, functional elevators,

and a private pool for the residents. 

A refuge for the mind and the soul!

Alongside that, an address and a few phone numbers, from the owner probably.

In other situations you would certainly have avoided something so tempting like this one, since it was probably a scam. And yet, you took the golden, plastified paper, looking at the phone number, desperate enough to try everything that you could find.

When you reached the nearest phone cabin, you had a few second thoughts about this idea, but as soon as you inserted the coin and typed the number, you felt more adamant about it.

A few minutes passed, and there was no response. Maybe it was really a scam; maybe no one was behind that number... maybe coming back wasn't such a

"Hello?"

The voice of A man came from the other side. It felt like the voice of someone that could break your back in two with an Hug and yet seemed nice by the tone he used.

"H-hello?" Your voice trembled a little, whether from the cold or from the nervousness you didn't know. "Is this Thunderclap Apartments number?"

"Wujing, it's dinner time!" An acute voice came from the background; you had a little more conscience on what time it was now.

"Yes, yes, it's me! Well, I AM one of the owners, of course! You can call me Sha Wujing! Can I help you?" A shuffle, he must have stood up from his seat. Yes, he was really helpful now.

"Oh, hello! My name Is Y/n F/n and...I found the announcement for the apartment, and I was—" you heard a rumble in the sky—"more than interested!"

"Oh! Oh yes, the announcement! Yes, of course! We can set up a meeting tomorrow after-"

"N-no, Mr.... ehm, Wujing... I wonder if the immediate means...like now..."

"Now?...now now?"

"....yes..."

While the silence and the small murmur in the background kept going for a minute or two, your anxiety kept on growing in your belly. It wasn't about the possible rejection; that you know was more than just justified; you literally asked to get a roof over your head pronto. No, what you feared was that the only option there was to go back to face the inevitable.

"Are you in some big trouble, uh?"

"...well, not troubles like police and stuff, but... yeah..."

He sighed; you prayed for a quick no, swift and painless.

"Well, I can't turn down a request for help. How long till you're here?"

The surprise of the respond was enough to make you speechless. Really? Just like that?! Wait, maybe that was really a scam! Maybe they were—

"Miss? Miss, are you there?"

Okay, no, no more questioning!

"Ah! Yes! Yes, I'll be there as soon as I can!"

"Good! Later than!"

"YES! Thank you, thank you so much!"

You had to hang up, and... you felt a wave of relief washing over you. You had to give yourself a few slaps on your cheeks, enough to believe that you really resolved your problem in such a short time... there was still the chance that it wasn't safe at all and you were literally giving yourself to a bunch of criminals, but you wanted to push this small moment of luck that you had found.

It was when some cold drops of rain and some more thunders reminded you that you needed to find a taxi, and so you sprinted out from the park.

///

As soon as you reached the place, it was now raining hard. You even had some trouble seeing through the old glass of the car, but, from the lack of lights and buildings, the complex must have been built a little far from the center of the city.

It wasn't such a bad thing, especially in your actual situation. You'll have to find a way to go to work, but you had time for that. Maybe it wasn't so bad that the bad weather forced you and your friends to come back sooner...

At least you found out ...

Before you could go back to your spiral of thoughts, the cranky voice of the driver got you back to reality.

"We're here..."

You paid with the little cash you had with you, forsaking the fact that you had brought everything with you EXCEPT for an umbrella. The driver didn't have anything left from other customers, so you had just the option to walk under the pouring rain.

The Rain made It hard to see the palace, even if the lights were lit up, but what you could see was that it was quite big. By the iron fence, the lamps that decorated the pavement from the main gate to the entrance and the lights from the structure, it seemed like an old place that was renowned.

The main gate, a big old-fashioned kind of metal one, was left open. Maybe it was supposed to be that way, maybe left for you; you didn't care. Your worries now were to run as fast as you could under the rain, protecting your laptop in your backpack, which your friends had made fun of you for since you had brought it on a holiday, and the few important items that you wanted to be dry.

You found refuge from the rain under the patio that preceded the door. It was an old type, made of wood, and the center decorated with stained glass, a fancy design with several flowers and plants. The only contemporary object was the intercom on the right of the door, and after a small research of the right button, you called inside, waiting for a response.

Between the sound of the raging door and the heavy drops camping from your now soaked form, the intercom lightened up, showing a sign of life from It. Before you could hear any sound from it, the light from the other side of the door had turned on, showing some movements from the other side and a staircase, which you weren't sure was an actual one until two figures had moved quickly on it.

Strange, you thought, then a long beep emitted from the intercom.

"Hello? Miss Y/n?" It was the calm and understanding voice of Wujing.

"Yes, it's me!"

"Ah! Good! Please come in!"

A small click from the door and a good push, that was all you needed to get in. It was an old door, but it seems that the owners decided to install all the security in it! And, speaking of the owners...

When you heard the voice, your first thought was that this Sha Wujing was some kind of big man; what you couldn't understand was that he was quite REALLY a big man! The two first features that caught your attention were the fact that he was almost near 2 meters in height and large like a bear and his vibrant hair and beard, colored in a vibrant red. Tied up in a high bun, they almost looked fake by the color they showed, since it was almost impossible to exist such a color in nature! His eyes were dark, and, despite his oriental name, they were quite big and round. He almost reminded you of a fish by those curious traits.

He seemed like the kind of man that you REALLY didn't want to have against you in a fight, because by the looks of it, he was really strong, maybe able to crush a skull between his thighs, covered in a pair of thick jeans. And yet, despite his looks, his face showed a kind and patient smile. Honestly, if you had to guess a possible second work aside from being an apartment owner, you could guess between a bodyguard or a teacher, since he had that kind of smile that could make every kid behave.

"Finally, it's nice to have a face on the voice!" he said between a small chuckle, ignoring the dripping water on the carpet that you were leaving. "And by the look of it, the rabbi found you first..."

"Yeah..." you scratched your head a little, posing down your backpack."So, umm... nice to meet you! I'm Y/n...Y/N F/n...I'm... I'm so grateful for your kindness!"

"Oh please! You're not the first one to ask for such a thing! It's our duty to help the ones in need!"

Wow, so they did this thing often? They didn't care about records or stuff? You started to wonder about the other tenets of that place and were a little worried since you'll have to stay there for who knows how long. You noticed then that he was looking at you with a strange anticipation...like waiting for something.

A minute passed; you cleared your throat, waiting for him to show you the house, and he just looked around, feeling your same nervousness.

"You know... You can take it off!" He exclaimed, moving his hands.

You raised your eyebrow, looking at him in a mix of confusion and disbelief. You touched your wet hoodie, the only warmth you had from it now gone with the freezing rain.

"...My...hoodie?"

"Come on, darling! I'm sure you're ADORABLE!"

The second voice came from the stairs, where the two figures that you spotted from outside were. Leaning from the railing on the stairhead, just in front in what you supposed was the elevator, the one who spoke was a large man; the muscles were not as prominent as the one of Wujing, but he still gave you the idea of strength in him. He had the kind of face of the men that you met in a disco, who try so hard to woo you for hours and don't take a hint even if it's splatted on their face. It seemed like an offense, but...his face reminded you...a pig... He had a large nose, decorated with a large nose piercing, his eyes still large but like Wujing ones. His hair, black like ink, was tied in a low ponytail. 

The second one...honestly, you couldn't look at him for so long. It wasn't the fact that you couldn't even get one inch of their feature; guilty, the sweatshirt they wore, it was his...aura. You never had believed in that staff, but in the moment that you really tried to focus on that second figure, you felt his eyes on you, and you had to divert your eyes from them, and, with the corner of your eyes, you almost believed that they were glowing for a second. You couldn't describe it, but you believed that that was the same sensation that a prey feels in front of the predator, or like when you're in front of something so big that you have to take a step back.

You felt small, and you really wished that Wujing could just take you away; instead, he just shushed the first one. 

"I understand; you don't feel comfortable! Here, I'll do it first!"

"You... want to take off your tank top?" Oh no, please, not a nudist club!

You really started to panic when a voice thundered from the stairs.

"Wujing, she's NOT..." His voice was... you couldn't describe it, but it seemed like a snarl from the tone. Wujing looked at him for a few seconds, then his eyes came back to you.

"...You're not... OH... OH GODS!" It was his turn to panic and to feel mortified for the terrible idea that he had and the first impression with you. You just looked at him, more confused and awkwardly since you were still there trying to understand what he was talking about. You noticed that the second man had the same expression as him, less mortified and more embarrassed. The third one... seemed to not care at all.

"Oh no, I was assuming...the advertiser... Wait, you're dripping wet!" He had noticed just now? "You need a towel or you're going to catch a cold! Don't move, stay here!" And he disappeared behind a door that you noticed just now, behind a large vase, an Asian one by the looks of it, where a series of some small version of a bamboo grew. The silence fell again when the door slammed for his strength, leaving you there with the mysterious duo.

"...I'm not...what?" You finally were able to speak again.

"Um...a lawyer." The large man received what you supposed was a dirty look from the other, but what you saw was just a movement with his hands that was supposed to be Are you serious?" Wow, you weren't one to judge, but his fingernails were...long and sharp...nice.

"Because..." the large one continued, "Lawyers don't...go around...during a storm...."

"...I guess?" No, they weren't nudist; they were crazy. Well, better crazy than criminals, right?

Honestly, what was wrong with them?! Firstly, they act all nice and dandy, like you were some old friend coming to take a visit in town, and now they act all strange and worried? That wasn't a real criminal kind of way to act, but it seemed like they were expecting something from you, which you didn't know what it was, honestly. When the door opened up again, Wujing was holding a ...pink fluffy towel. Really not something that you expected, but you couldn't guess much when he was literally drying you like you were a toddler.

"You... you don't have to!" You tried to smutter up while he was creating fire with the many strokes he gave you.

"No, no, I left you here in the cold... gods, what a night..."

"You...could say that..." you sighed, finally free from his grasp and the towel around your neck. 

His look, still worried for something that you didn't know what, looked at you for a few seconds, and there, you started to wonder if there was some sort of problem with you. He clicked his tongue, searching for the right words.

"Y/n... can I call you Y/n, right? No matter um..." He clearly didn't know how to explain whatever he needed to do; maybe it was too complicated to explain? "You...you are...a normal person, right?"

"Normal...OH!" You felt a rush of fear crossing you; he was having second thoughts?! So much to help someone in need! "OH! Oh yes! Please, please, I need to stay here! Here! I have my laptop; we can check my bank account together. I just need—" You were already opening your backpack when his hand stopped you, trying to calm you down.

"No, no, I believe you! You don't need to show me anything, but... um... you said you found the golden paper, right?"

"Uh...yes, in the park. I have It right here, see?" You took out from your pocket the plastic paper, opening up in front of his quite surprised eyes. He looked at it, then at the two on the stairs, to which they responded with a shrug from them.

It seemed like they were confused about the fact that you actually had that thing in your hands, which did worry a little your stressed mind further. But, before something else could happen, Wujing just turned back to you, a tired smile on his face.

"Well, I guess it is what it is!" Welcome to Thunderclap apartments, Missy!"

...Wow, everything turned back to normal? Well, sort of at least. Before you could react, he took your luggage from the ground, holding it like it wasn't weighing a thing.

"All right, let's take the elevator. We have a good place for you on the first floor, but we can take it in this case."

You wondered how tired you looked, or pathetic and desperate, but at that moment it wasn't the first of your worries. You just wanted to collapse on a bed and try to sleep...

The two men looked at you from the stair, now with a punch of curiosity in this new presence in the building. You felt again that heavy feeling on your shoulder every time the one in the hoodie watched you; this time you even noticed something off with his face ... It seemed like his nose was... flat? And he had a pair of long teeth. For the nose, you weren't sure, but for the teeth and his looks, maybe he was one of those wannabe vampires.

Finally, the door of the elevator closed up, and you breathed normally.

"So," the almost normal member of the owners spoke, "I don't want to dig in your business, but... you really look..."

"Like SHIT?"

"Your words, not mine!" You chuckled a little.

"I... well, let's just say I had a hell of a day. I'm sorry to be a trouble, anyway."

"Nah, you just surprised us, that's all! You looked like you were running away!" He wasn't lying, though...

"I had just returned from a peaceful holiday, and now I'm on the street, not a runaway, I swear."

"Ish, from Heaven to hell, huh?"

This time, you actually laughed. Despite all the strangeness that they showed, this Wujing seemed like a pretty decent guy. He was nice, understandable, and kind enough to not pry too much into your current situation. He was quite nice and the complete opposite of what usually house owners are described as, giving a sense of relief and the feeling of being lucky once in a while.

Once you reached the floor, another small ping came from the elevator, and you both exited the small cabin. In front of you, two doors faced each other with 3 meters of separation by the landing. Wujing reached for the One at your left, opening with One of the many keys hanging from a keychain, a strange metal thing, it seemed like a small stick with a crescent moon on one side... He must had liked Sailor Moon.

Once he opened the door, you were able to look inside and... It wasn't bad at all.

The living room wasn't too big or too small but just enough to put some furniture here and there. The most interesting thing was the big window that faced towards the road, giving you the idea that once under the sun, that place was made to be bright.

"Wow, I have lights and electricity?"

"Yeah, we decided to give you an extra because of the rush. It seemed like we were right, uh?"

The kitchen and the living room faced each other; an island made of wood was the only object that separated the two. It was a good idea of someone wanting to throw a dinner since it was easy to transform the living room into a dining room. The kitchen had what every kitchen needed: a few shelves, a pantry, and the stoves.

"This is the bathroom! We renovated the apartments, but we decided to just give a refresh to the bathrooms for the Styles. My mast—I mean, my co-owner—believed that taking away their original design was a sin!"

And you couldn't agree more! The color of the times was a soft shade of honey tones, and Just in the middle there was a series of ones that reminded you of some seaweed by the designs. The bathtub, a large One with Lion paws, was near the stained-glass Windows, wich reminded you of the feont door! Then a sink, some shelves...but something's missing.

"Uh...what about the washing machine?"

"Oh..." he scratched his head with an apologetic tone. "Well... yeah, we had a few... issues with our laundry area..."

"You have a laundry area?" There wasn't anything about it in the advertiser..."

"We...didn't put it...because of the issues!" 

"...What kind of issues?"

"Pff... some... tube issues... do not worry too much! We're working on it! For now, there is a good laundry shop not far from here!"

It sounded more like an excuse, but he said that it was something temporary...so maybe they were just using it for some drugs or staff; who were you to judge?

And finally...the bedroom. A spacious room, an old bed with a mattress that, despite the place, seemed quite clean, and a balcony that led to the other side of the building. Simple, no furniture... But it seemed quite lovely, just like the rest of the house.

"So...that's it! It's not that big, but quite nice as a flat. The price is 600 dollars monthly, bills excluded. You can use the free Wi-Fi of the condo, but I suggest you buy a Wi-Fi as soon as possible!"

Honestly, with that price, you felt like they were literally gifting you this place! Maybe staying wasn't such a bad idea after all! He gave you the key, and you led him to the door, listening to the last information that you needed.

"I leave you alone now; you look like you need sleep. Tomorrow we'll fix the last small details."

"Seriously, you're a lifesaver..."

"And, as I said, you're not the first one. We do this all the time... Are you sure you don't need any blankets?"

"Nah, got my staff...thank you..."

"Eh, you're welcome... night!"

When the door clicked, you felt the strength in your legs start to fade away. You touched your hair, feeling the dampness of the towel...ah, you forgot to give it back...another small thing to do in the morning. You could have just changed, taken the pajamas in your luggage, and cleaned a little yourself, but you didn't have any strength to do that. You found yourself removing everything except that old t-shirt that you had inherited from your dad, a stupid thing with a fish coming out from a tunnel and the ominous writing soon on it.

You allowed your body to collapse on that mattress, ignoring the possibility of getting some bedbugs on you. In all honesty, you didn't care at all; you just turned off the light and started looking at the ceiling, rethinking many life choices and many things that happened in the few hours.

You left your house... your shared house... you left your boyfriend there... him alone... with that girl that he had told you to not worry about. A girl that you saw plenty of times at the theater, that you wanted to believe was just too friendly.

He had cheated you while you were away... You came back sooner, and you found him red-handed... and you ran away. You did nothing, just ran away...

All the tears that you kept in you finally started to come out. And, between sobs and sighs, you found yourself crying yourself to sleep.

///

 Blasting music came from a car, one of those that really rich kids can even manage to possess. He fixed his long hair out from his electric blue jacket, laughing and jumping out from the vehicle. A girl laughed alongside a few of her friends while talking about the douchebag that was flirting with her all night. The rider, a boy with a huge grin on his face, looked at the one that was still saying goodbye to his friends.

"Yo, same time next week?"

"Please, please, please, you have to come, Lie! It's not fun if you're not around!"

"You heard the lady, big man!"

He laughed, splashing some puddles with his expensive and far too colored sneakers, while slowly reaching for the complex while the light lamps started to open up. "All right, all right! You babies always act as brats! I'll accompany you again, but you have to behave, alright?!"

And with more laughs and taunts, the groups drove off, the music slowly disappearing, letting the music of the night come back to the area. When Bai Long walked towards the door, he imagined the disappointed look of his master, questioning him about his whereabouts of the night; instead, he found himself alone in the entrance hall. Everyone must have been asleep, he thought, but hearing a few smacks from the stairs and some ominous little lights, floating here and there, making the place more freezing than it was supposed to be, he must retake his own words.

Since he hated doing his own business, he decided to follow the sounds and the creepy lights, only to find his old brother, staff in his hand, sitting with his back on a door, smacking a few of those evil spirits away. A yawn from him was enough to understand that he didn't exactly want to be there; who knows what he had done this time?

"Oh! Did you make Master angry again?"

"You're late again, "the cranky voice spoke."Had fun?"

"As always!" said Bai Long, sitting next to his brother, while a long and scaly tail came from him, smacking another of those little things."You should come one of these days; it would be a change of air at least!"

"Nah. I don't like that blasty stuff you hear at those clubs that you like."

Bai Long laughed a little; he knew his brother far too well, and he loved messing around with him a little. Then, his attention came back to those spirits, trying to get to that door it seemed.

"Quite feisty this night, huh? What's inside this flat anyway? Wasn't it empty?"

"A girl came..."

"A demon one?"

"Nope, a mortal one." Bai Long gave him a look like asking him if he was joking. "Yeah, I know...crazy, right? Master asked him to guard her for this night. He plans to do something tomorrow...some mantra or staff to protect her..."

"Wait...how does a mortal find this place anyway?"

"She found the golden sigil..." Bai Long gasped, "Yup... I know..."

A silence has fallen between the two, now two objects smacking the spirits away from the door or just smashing them. It wasn't the first time a mortal found that place, but it was abnormal that the golden sigil led them there. It was made for... non-mortal people.

"I don't know what's wrong with her, but she had cried herself to sleep."

"Oh...a runaway maybe?"

"Like I care..." And again with the attitude of the cold-hearted one... If he really didn't care, he would not have guarded that door even. It was a master order, but he would have found a way to sneak around the job, and he even listened to her cries... Well, it wasn't his problem, but he would have used that against him one day.

"...We need to fix the laundry problem," said Bai Long, smacking another spirit. "These things are starting to get on my nerves."

"That old lady loves sneaking through the tubes, you know that..."

"Yeah, but it was you the one that had trapped her in the washing machine, remember?" Bai Long's old brother decided to stay silent.

[midnightfanatics]

[szynkaaa]

Zhu Bajie and the Violet Spider (and i guess all the other tragic love stories)

Alright, finished Chapter 4 in my NG+ and here are some of my thoughts, ramblings and musings about Zhu Bajie and the Violet Spider. Also will be going with Black Myth Wukong's version of JTTW

Everything is under cut because long text

What we know:

ZBJ was an Admiral in the Celestial Court, there was a maid working there who was crushing on him and took care of him at some point. ZBJ gets cast out from the court into the mortal realm and turns into a pig. Maid tries to follow him, but gets turned into a spider because the word pig (猪zhū) and spider (蜘蛛Zhīzhū) sound similar and she thought he turned into a spider.

The pilgrims run into White Bone Demon, who turns into 3 mortals and each time SWK beat them down. It is not explained how they fell in love or why, just that he was in love with her. The subtitles from the scene:

ZBJ: "It was her tricks that made Master drive Wukong away" Old Monkey: "On White Tiger Ridge, he forsook his lover. Three times he broke her into pieces, convincing himself his heart would ache no more. Yet, as you must know, he had never let go of her. Otherwise, he wouldn't have been so eager to get away from the Buddahood he attained."

Side note, in CN the old moneky says "他倒是狠心绝情", which translates to "he was very cruel and heartless".

Like all the other demon in the book they wanted to eat Tripitaka because they were convinced that would grant them immortality. In JTTW, White Bone Demon transforms herself into a young lady, then elder woman and then old man, pretending to ask for help. Each time SWK was able to see through her disguise and he struck them down. Tripitaka thought he was killing innocent mortals so he sent SWK away, said he wasn't one of his disciple anymore. iirc ZBJ was not helping lol.

I hope the DLC will shed some more information on the romance, but I also understand if they don't elaborate further. According to some redditors the White Bone Demon romance is a nod towards another game Game Science worked on where SWK and White Bone Demon where a thing.

Later on in their journey, ZBJ sees a bunch of pretty women bathing. He turns himself into a fish. The Violet Spider recognizes him and I guess they reconcile?? or not really because the spiders also try to kidnap and eat Tripitaka and SWK leaves ZBJ to take care of the spiders, he killed everyone except the Violet Spider, who had to eat the remains of her sisters in order to survive.

Speculation from my side is if SWK knew about ZBJ history with the Violet Spider. I think it would be interesting for them to have a conversation about it at some point, since both of them had demon lovers who tried to eat their master so they were forced to kill them (except ZBJ spared the Violet Spider). Maybe SWK wishes he had that option too instead of living with the pain later on. A lot of wiggle rooms for interpretations and headcanons.

lot of shit happens. they finish their travel, SWK attains buddahood. Realizes he hates the court life, also cannot let go that he had to kills his past lover. just wants to chill with his homies and be back on his mountain. and the circlet is still there. hatches his masterplan to die so he can be reborn and be truly free

Throughout the game and dialogues in the game, we know that there were several monkeys/Destined One attempting to retrieve all 5 artifacts and become SWK. The way I understood is, if you reach the bad ending, the cycle starts a new. a new monkey will arise and try again until said monkey reaches the True Ending.

It is very heavily implied that the 4th spider was in love with one of the reincarnation, and they were supposed to get married or have gotten married. but alas monke has to continue his main quest, and he never returned back to her.

My question is, do each Destine One reincarnation retain memories from previous Destined One? Does "our" Destined One know who she is and what he means to her? fun things to also think about.

Oh yeah also pretty sure ZBJ and the Violet Spider got married in chapter 4 LOL. Very questionable marriage since ZBJ was not in a place to consent to it and was pretty much forced into it. But she came out wearing a red wedding dress and then sisters were telling him what to do and not to do, and they were also saying he is the one mother wants all those years even though they disagree with the choice. And then later on before the Violet Spider boss battle, iirc ZBJ says she should have just eaten him before the vows and stuff. Either she mates and then eats her husbands LOL. and her daughters also feast on the newly wed husband.

Heavily implied that the youngest spider kid is ZBJ and Violet Spiders kid. At least that's how I interprested the scene, why else would she show him the youngest daughter? Also all the daughters were born after ZBJ killed Violet Spider's sisters and left her to die, as they say it all happened before they were born so they cannot understand mother's obsession

My 2 cents: None of the spider sisters share the same father. I believe that the Violet Spider would find a new mate, get married, consumate the marriage and then eat the husband. Probably got pregnant from each marriage. It seems like the spider sisters are also very familiar with the ritual ( also LOL would the 4th spider sister have eaten the Destined One??). I also thought at first that Chapter 4 is the first time since JTTW Zhu Bajie bumped into the spider sisters and Violet Spider, but after my NG+ playthrough I realize that would not make much sense. If the youngest daughter really is their kid, then that means they must have met before the current event and JTTW.

We know that this is also not the first Destined One ZBJ met: when we rescue him in chapter 3, he says something along the line "great another mute" - implying he has helped other DO before. Which also means he has visited the spider lair with the DO before, so my guess it is very likely that he may have done the deed with the Violet Spider, and this is how the youngest daughter was conceived? And then he and the Destined One left once again, leaving the 4th Sister and Violet Spider behind again. I think that this would also "make sense" why the Violet Spider was so obsessed and hung up on ZBJ in chapter 4. It couldn't have been "just" what happened in JTTW, some more things must have happened in-between. ZBJ constantly picking bros before hoes I guess.

Fan speculation is also that the reason why ZBJ cannot be with the Violet Spider is to protect them from the Celestial Court.

We have 4 different love stories in this game: SWK and White Bone Demon, Zhu Bajie and the Violet Spider, Destined One and 4th Sister and then the Bull Demon King and Princess Iron-Fan.

I don't haven't started my chapter 5 playthrough yet but the gist I got is that their story isn't a happy one either and controlled by the Celestial Court. It sounds like none of the love stories have a happy ending and in one way or another, the Celestial Court is the cause for it. SWK and White Bone Demon doesn't fully fall into that category, but in JTTW it is said that all the demons they encounter were all orchestrated by Buddha, where they have to face 81 trials. Putting that into BMW's version of JTTW, technically a higher being still interfered with their love story and "forced" SWK to kill his lover, if they put White Bone Demon into their way. Again, this is just my musing and headcanon, and nothing of this is confirmed.

This is my opinion, but I personally love that Game Science gave both SWK and DO and ZBJ a love story, some more obvious than the others. It just adds a more human touch to the overall story of the game that I personally love.

Now excuse me while I go try to smooch a stone monkey.

[quiescentdestiny]

Ah yes my favorite brand of romance.

The brand where you're literally dying in someone's arms and they are kissing you and you think you're maybe already dead because how else could this be possible and you are somehow still referring to this person as your enemy.

[realtapiocafan]

credit: anontatum on x

i've got you brother - the jays