#Macaque being in denial

[nekohime19]

It took mini Macaque a while to befriend Wukong so of course it'll be the same in a relationship.

That's so true! Macaque didn't have any friends before Wukong so, really, he has zero experience when it comes to romance and picking up on social cues.

Wukong is in for a long courtship period.

[cubbyhole-for-flea-bee]

Once the theatre monkey discovers angsty broadway musicals its all over y'all

or: I got a new personal project I'm workin' on! I'm at the first pass on the animatic rn! I forgot that 'generate matte' is a thing you can do in SB Pro for a whole hour!! I'm suffering!!!

[askblueandviolet]

Macaque...

Didn't you feel something different to mayor?

How your heart was beating in a different way...hmm???????

Don't you think it might be a....sign of...being more deep relationship with mayor?

MASTER POST

Asks Start 💜

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[cloud-somersault]

Macaque Moodboard for When He Hears Wukong's Tantrum From Miles Away and Still Decides Not to Visit Him

[monkie-brainriot]

The subtle but increasingly annoyed expressions on MK & SWK's faces #father and son trying to bond with an unwanted tag-along that wont leave them alone and wont shut up about wukong

Macaque: I don’t really talk about my problems

Also Macaque: *truama dumps on Mk* *truama dumps on Mk* *trauma dumps on Mk* *trauma dumps vaguely on Tang*

Mac: I am mysterious and no one knows anything about me. I’m closed book, a riddle-

Mk: i asked for none of this 

[aleiiii]

Hello again back with another angsty thought roaming about. Don't know if it's been brought up yet but if Na is mortal or not but if she is a mortal , how does Wukong (and Mac) cope with the thoughts of him outliving her ( like he did with all of his old friends)?

Or does he try to figure a way to extend her life?

FROSTED 🫵🏼

These angst asks are so yummy, thank you ��

Holy moly,,,,, yknow I can see Wukong being in huge denial, especially after going through losing his previous companions, probably encountering other mortals come and go. He’s really reminded about Nà’s mortality after the Lady Bone Demon encounter, she’s tired and worn out from the venture. Probably a little injured (from Wukong no less uh oh). He fights the internal battle of either going behind her back and giving her an elixir or a peach from the gardens, or just straight up asking her,,,, BUT that runs the risk of her rejecting Wukong’s wish to make her immortal, and that’s really not an option in Wukong’s eyes.

Macaque tries to be a point of reason. Maybe she does want to live a normal human lifespan, and that would be her choice…. But he’s also grown extremely attached to her. He wouldn’t want to lose something so dear to him again. As much as he tries to allow Nà to have her own will, Wukong can be a bit of a barrier.

[enka-antix]

I'm just imagining the Camel Ridge Trio being very confused when Sunny is released because that's Sun Wukong, but not? Things get even more confusing when Sunny doubles down on his refusal to believe he's Wukong-

"You look like him."

"NO I DON'T!"

"You specifically look like him when he's in human form."

"NO I DON'T!"

"You- Azure, stop looking at him like that-"

The conquest of Heaven is delayed for at least an hour because there's so much confusion and denial of reality.

xDDD sadly Sunny isn't released with the others cause he's all glitchy making Azure clearly see that he's Wukong and leaving him trapped like in the og- (they also try and trap macaque but Sunny follows instinct and pushes Macaque into the portal beam thingy with one of the others)

tho this sorta is what it's like during the big battle.

Azure: Sun Wukong! Finally i-

Sunny: uhhh it's Sunny.

Azure: what?

Sunny: also like I for real barely know who you are so um if you could be so kind as to tell me what "I" did to piss you off that would be splendid!

Azure: wha????

Sunny: Oh and you're rating is like 2/10!

Azure: ...???????

[fellow-fandom-fruitifier]

Also, fic idea 4 this is that 6EM would b so relieved 2 know that it’s false, he’d b shook ofc & he’d prolly feel guilty bcz of his whole revenge thing, but he’d also b relieved 2 know that SWK didn’t actually kill him. So he doesn’t see this as a problem in the way of their relationship n e more, bcz it didn’t happen. But SWK absolutely thinks this is a ✨Problem✨™️, bcz What The Actual FUCK Macaque??

So, new problem: 6EM has had centuries to cope (cough master being in the river of Egypt cough cough) w/ SWK “killing him”, & SWK has had, like, 3 minutes💀. So ofc 6EM just wants 2 skim past this & continue pretending that everything is Fine™️, but SWK has finally remembered his ✨Enlightenment✨ & desperately wants 2 talk 2 6EM abt this v real issue.

Bcz this isn’t healthy 4 either of them. SWK has been violently made aware that as long as 6EM has a chance 2 have their friendship back he’s willing 2 4get/put up w/ anything. (Which honestly wrecks SWK & makes him wonder how much he’s alr done wrong, what unknown boundaries he’s crossed.) & 6EM is, well, he’s refusing 2 face his issues & shit cause he just wants 2 have SWK back.

The fic would basically b like:

SWK: “Macaque… we need to talk.”

6EM: “Look man, if this is about the peach chips I swear it wasn’t me! The-“

SWK: “Macaque. I’m serious.”

6EM: “Oooo, he’s serious! Careful there, wouldn’t want you to pull something!”

SWK: *Obviously frustrated but choosing to ignore him, knowing they won’t get anything done if he engages.*

SWK: “We need to talk about what happened the other day! I mean, did you really think that I would-“

6EM: “Psshh, that? Don’t even worry about it peach! It’s in the past, been debunked, remedied, coped with, I’m 100 and 10 percent over it- all that good stuff!”

SWK: “‘Over it’?! This isn’t something you can just be ‘over’!”

6EM: “Yeah? Well, I am so over it, looks like a speck- an ant!- from this height. Soooo! It doesn’t matter! Can we just move on? It’s fi-“

SWK: “Plum.”

6EM: “It’s fine! It doesn’t matter. It wasn’t even real and-“

SWK: “LIU’ER!”

6EM: “…”

SWK: *Heavy sigh, taking deep breaths to calm down.*

SWK: “Look, Macaque. I-“

6EM: “I have to go, um. Scheming business, you know?” *He’s cracking a, albeit horrible, joke btw. Not taking a dig @ SWK.*

& then he’d bail. Not 100% sure how’d they’d eventually get thru 2 him, prolly either SWK or himself breaking down abt it.

If SWK broke down it’d prolly b abt being a failure, that he can’t even prove himself 2 b safe enough 2 talk. 6EM would calm him down, 1 emotional talk l8r & 6EM reveals the real reason he didn’t want 2 talk abt it. If 6EM broke down it’d prolly b abt how there’s no reason 2 b so upset, that it’s not real, ect. SWK would do the same, calm him down, & he’d say that it’s valid 2 b upset & that it doesn’t matter if it was “real” or not bcz it is real to Macaque.

I’m leaning more towards 6EM breaking down abt it bcz I feel like SWK, after everything, would feel comfortable enough talking 2 MK or Sandy. Meanwhile 6EM is only rlly close 2 SWK, MK, & Mei, but he can’t talk abt it w/ SWK, can’t w/ MK (cause y’know), & certainly not Mei (bcz Y’KNOW).

They eventually talk abt it, boundaries get set up, safe words 4 when sums going on they don’t like but aren’t 100% comfy outright saying or don’t wanna explain. (Let’s say it’s pears 4 now, shout out if u know what fic that’s from. If u don’t it’s “Buy One, Get One Free” by MondaysMushroom, pls read it, it’s so good.)

These were mainly made 4 6EM but SWK def uses them 2. (After a talk w/ Sandy abt how him using them would prolly help 6EM open up 2 using them, also bcz it’d help SWK 2 & pls stop being stubborn and let others help u u stupid monkey-)

If u want extra hurt/comfort I’d make the 1st safe word used b abt SWK’s staff. Like SWK just trying 2 show off, MK asks 2 see him & 6EM spar. They do, but SWK pulls out his staff & 6EM panics so badly, & he just blurts out “Pear!”, & once he’s calmed down he’d prolly b v embarrassed over it. Pulling the classical move of “lmao how embarrassing haha, let’s crack a joke and 4get this ever happened”, but SWK has enlightenment (and Sandy) on his side. So eventually 6EM spills that he remembers SWK killing him w/ it (whether or not SWK actually gave 6EM his eye injury or not is up 2 u) & SWK instantly agrees 2 never use it against him again.

The 1st time SWK used it would prolly b 4 sum a lot more nuanced? Like it’s p obv y 6EM wouldn’t want his murder weapon in the general vicinity of his TKO spot💀. But w/ SWK I think it’d b more, like, 6EM w8ing 4 him. I feel like it’d b hard 4 him 2 explain/put in2 words, cause may b he doesn’t even know what’s scratching at his brain every time 6EM says “I’ll w8 4 u, dw” or sum. Eventually it’d get out & 6EM would agree 2 do sum else while w8ing so it feels less like he’s w8ing 4 SWK.

Does any1 else just casually wonder wtf it’d b like if SWK didn’t actually kill 6EM & it was all a plot by the big bad? Like imagine he & 6EM start healing

(I REFUSE 2 BELIEVE THESE DUMBASSES WOULD TALK ABT IT, THEY WOULD SHOVE IT DOWN LIKE “PAST IS PAST LMAO” REGARDLESS OF IF THATS HEALTHY😭)

& sumhow sumway it gets revealed that 6EM fully believes SWK killed him. Remember what Pengshit said abt how SWK can’t do anything 2 break his hold over 6EM? Right, well imagine how SWK would feel knowing that his most loyal friend is so loyal he’d stay even if he thought SWK did, like, The Worst Thing Ever™️ to him.

Like I feel like that’d fuck him up soooo bad. Cause now he’s gotta clarify that, no, I didn’t kill u. And, also, Why The Fuck r u still here??? Bcz now bro has 2 cope w/ the idea that 6EM genuinely thinks SWK has it in himself 2 literally murder his oldest friend, but also has 2 cope w/ the fact that 6EM loves him sm he’s just willing 2 try & 4get abt his literal DEATH 4 him

ALSO CAN I PLS TALK ABT HOW IF SWK DID ACTUALLY KILL 6EM HOW PENGSHIT IS SO FUCKED UP FOR THAT LINE⁉️

Also I think it’s 4shadowing 4 s5. Like obv if SWK & 6EM r gonna heal they gotta b near eachother/work 2gether. But Pengshit’s last word is gonna instill even more doubt. Bcz now that the question of “is there anything SWK can do to me that’ll make me any less loyal to him??” has actually been spoken aloud, it’s a tangible thing. It’d also b worse if it was a private thought 6EM had, bcz then he knows he’s not the only 1 thinking abt it.

So now 6EM is caught in wanting 2 fix their relationship & not sure if he should. Which is just gonna do absolute wonders 4 their A-grade communication I’m sure (WHY CANT THEY JUST FUCKING TALK LIKE NORMAL PEOPLE-)

[emelinstriker]

☆ More ESAU Headcanons ☆

Happy New Year! :D

And since my recent art burnout's been a bitch, I decided to at least cook up something by writing down headcanons. Soooo here's some mostly trivial headcanons about the Champions. :)

☆ ~ Headcanons ~ ☆

☆ Wukong

>Did you know he has a collection of snacks hidden on his side of the bedroom? No? Now you do. Macaque already knew that since the start because Wukong isn't subtle about grabbing bags of peach chips from his hiding place. The bags are loud enough that Macaque's intense hearing isn't even required.

>He's also still a hoarder at heart. So don't be surprised if you find out that his closet is filled with items you can tell he doesn't need at all. The only reason the room itself isn't messy is because otherwise Macaque would forcefully shadow-portal his items away to keep things as presentable as possible.

>Not hard to figure out based on his design, but he's not really a fan of shirts. His cape and shoulder guard are fine, but an actual shirt or something else fully covering his torso feels like it's too much. He can get a bit annoyed when dressing up more as a form of disguise, but he also won't openly complain about it.

☆ Macaque

>Definitely holds the record for the highest kill count in the palace. Sure, he has a head start with how long him and Wukong had been servants before the others, but he still has more kills than his brother regardless.

>Him and Ao Lie aren't just besties in regards to them being both concerningly out of their minds, but they also both enjoy reading and gushing about fiction. You could find Macaque often hang around the library even before Ao Lie joined. Though, their tastes in the genres are a bit different. Macaque leans more towards overdramatic romantic books. Or just drama in general. They give him inspiration.

>He accidentally spilled just a tiny bit wine on the carpet once while trying to seduce a Master, and he never forgave himself for that ever since. He was so convinced that single mistake ruined his chances.

☆ Mink

>Despite the way he acts around the other Champions, he actually does care about them... somewhat. He certainly wouldn't be all that opposed to the idea of some of them suddenly disappearing. However, much like a previous point I talked about regarding him being physically unable to have a crush, the same principle applies to true hatred.

>He doesn't hate the others, contrary to popular belief. He just manages to annoy them to the point of some certain Champions wanting to fight and beat him up whenever possible. His blunt way of speaking and casual demeanor, no matter the regular emotion one would have in situations, only adds to why he's not well-liked in the group. That's him pretty much mirroring the Guardian.

>Deliberately leaves tiny pieces of his ink around the palace. The others believe it's just Mink being an asshole and refusing to fully retract his ink. But it's just him doing his job. They have no idea about the lost souls that walked into his small puddles.

☆ Nezha

>Daddy issues. Only really internally though since he can barely remember much of his family. But he does get a bit jealous whenever he sees one of his Masters have a happy relationship with their father. He can't explain why either, but he also would never admit to it. He's in denial.

>Secretly helps out Red Son in subtle ways. Like placing items he was supposed to find for their Master in an easier spot.

>His bed and its surroundings have so much pink and red going on, it looks like he's ready for Valentine's Day all year long.

☆ MK

>You know how his memory is absolutely the worst out of all of them? Oddly enough, he's a fast learner despite that. He may even retain certain parts of what he learned, especially if it involves muscle memory.

>Sleeps with plushies, of which some may be gifts from previous Masters.

>Gets this really odd feeling of familiarity whenever he see the people from that one noodle shop his Master sometimes sends him to. But he also doesn't like sticking around for too long because they've been trying to convince him to stay. That doesn't sit right with him. Their scents also made him suspicious. The green girl smells a lot like Ao Lie, so he doesn't trust her.

☆ Red Son

>Great at cooking and crafting, but horrible at gardening. Nezha can vouch. He once tried teaching Red Son a bit of gardening in case he couldn't tend to the courtyard for a while. It ended up in Nezha's soul nearly leaving his body at the sight of some plants catching on fire.

>If there's something like a broken toilet, he unfortunately is the one being asked to fix it. He's never been given any direct orders about it, but he ended up fixing such matters regardless to get a bit more recognition amongst the servants.

>He owns cute little cookie cutters in the shape of the Champions. One Master formed those for him, and he's enjoyed using those whenever he could.

☆ Azure

>"He asked for no pickles"-energy when out with the other Champions just to relax and hangout in the city.

>Unironically once put a leashed harness on MK after he managed to get lost too many times while the two of them, plus Nezha, were on a mission.

>Gentle giant with a heart of gold... But he also won't hesitate to swiftly crush someone if they were to go against any rules he himself follows. Of course, he would never willingly harm any of the other Champions, even if they sometimes do get on his nerves by breaking rules... We're going to ignore the fact that he has disposed of a few unruly low-ranked servants that spoke badly of his Master and their legacy.

☆ Ao Lie

>The wholesome persona he puts up is more fake than Macaque's glamor. They're both pretty much close to equally unhinged and psychotic, but Macaque is a lot better at hiding it.

>He's surprisingly skilled at crochet. It's actually something he started doing because Azure was trying to get him to open up a bit more, so he showed him how to make some lil crochet animals that Azure had learned from a previous Master.

>Bookworm who has dissected a Celestial Hunter out of curiosity before, as if it were a fun school project.

☆ Jin

>Without his brother around, he is actually extremely calm and laid back. Not that he isn't with Yin around, but it's a lot more prominent when his brother isn't hyping him up with more of his own energy.

>Really likes putting together puzzles and organizing things. Which is why he tends to help Ao Lie organize books that weren't properly put back. He's also really good at playing Jenga with how he also enjoys stacking.

>Gives off a calm dad-vibe similar to Azure, but a lot more nonchalant in the way he reacts to things. Unlike Azure, he's not really a fan of upholding certain rules.

☆ Yin

>Without his brother around, he tends to act more cold and somewhat more easily aggressive. Usually Jin would hold him back and balance him out with his calmer energy.

>He had a run-in with a Karen one time while him and his brother were on a mission in Megapolis, and now he really does not like socializing with the humans in the city. As in, you know those annoying moments where your parent meets a friend at a store at random and they start to small-talk, and you just want to go home? That's how he feels whenever his brother is being all laid back about socializing with the humans they have to interact with.

>Actually more experienced in close-combat than Jin. He used to rub that fact in just to tease him, until he lost in a sparring match to Wukong shortly after having joined the ranks of the Champions... No, the match wasn't required for anything, nor did Wukong even want to do anything at all that day. But Yin kept on boasting so much about his close-combat skills towards Jin that Wukong felt a bit annoyed and asked for a match to let Yin prove himself. Unsurprisingly, Yin lost the match fairly quickly, but it only made him respect the Blue Champion... Oh, and he shut up about his close-combat skills, which Jin was silently thanking the older Champion for.

[ Masterlist ]

[googleitlol]

Okay, so really interested in the False Hero AU, but... with the events that go down in the show, Macaque's version of events really isn't sustainable.

It's probably sheer luck that the Buddha didn't call him out at the end of the journey. But eventually, the truth is going to get out, whether Nezha asks WTF Macaque is or the Camel Ridge Trio call Macaque out or even Lady Bone Demon.

How is Macaque going to react when the truth gets out? How is MK going to react when he learns that he's doomed to inherit a false legacy?

I should have made it clearer in the summary, but Macaque didn't just go around saying one thing was true. He acted as Wukong for a little while, the pilgrims never complete the journey in this au because Macaque replaces him and doesn't exactly care all that much if the pilgrims die. When he goes back to being himself and begins to enjoy being the 'hero', he enacts his big battle with a clone (we all know how dramatic he can be).

As for people calling him out, nobody knows that Wukong got sealed away and replaced, just that Macaque beat him after he went off on a rampage when the pilgrimage failed. The only person that could tell the two apart when Macaque was impersonating Wukong in the book was The Buddha himself, and unless he gets called on or something worse than the world-ending stuff in the show happens, I don't see him interfering with all of this. Hell, Macaque is even helping people now. There might be some that argue he was doing a better job than Wukong ever could!

As for what Macaque would do if the truth got out? His first step would be damage control. Someone is saying that he's a liar? Well, he'll just have to sit down and chat with this person to iron out any 'misunderstandings' between them. What's being said about Wukong being a hero? Those are just rumours. Besides, look at all the things he's done to help the world! How could anyone think he wasn't telling the truth?

Macaque will fight with every tooth and nail he has to ensure his version of events is the real one. Deep down, it's how he sees it all, anyway. Wukong is the one who betrayed him. He's the one that pushed for more sources of power and immortality, he picked a fight with heaven. It was Wukong who left him for those pilgrims and stupid journey! Once his little 'show' on the journey was over, he was the one that decided to become the world's protector.

If the world he fought so hard to mold and protect ever turned against him? He might just snap.

As for MK… hoo, there'd be so many emotions if the truth ever got out. MK looks up to Macaque in the same way he does to Wukong in the show, that's his hero, his idol! If you tried to straight up tell him Macaque has been lying, he just wouldn't believe you. There'd be tons of denial unless he could see proof himself of the truth. Even then he can't believe it. The person he's spent his whole life looking up to isn't who he thought he was?? How can that be true?! And if MK's mentor isn't the person he thought he was… what does that make him?

"This isn't true, right? Monkey King? You saved the world from Sun Wukong, right?" "…"

The tension between him and Macaque would be palpable. The world turning on him would be one thing, but MK? The people lining his home in those photos? He cares more about them than anything, they're his family– MK is his family!

If he lost them all… there would be nobody else to blame but Wukong.

[swkbiggestdefender]

I'm bored so this is my take/headcannon on shadowpeach feelings and relationship

In the past:

macaque was in love but kept it to himself because wukong is his best friend and he doesn't want to ruin that

wukong was also in love but do to him not understand social cue and romance he just put it as macaque being his favourite person and best friend

during jttw:

macaque was heartbroken after their argument but still loved wukong deep down but was too afraid to talk to him after all that time so decided to just go with whatever the brotherhood did

Wukong after a while understood that his feelings for macaque was romantic and he wanted to fix things more than anything and tell him his feelings

(they both got fucked by the narratives)

in the present:

macaque in season 1/2/3 was in denial he wanted to hurt wukong because he thought wukong wasn't hurt but in s4 after seeing that wukong was tormented by the past too he decided despite everything to be on his side

wukong in season 1/2/3 have mixed feelings but mostly anger at macaque he tries to ignore it and not think about him (it doesn't work) in s4 after after macaque came with mk to rescue him he accepted that he still wants macaque to be a part of his life despite evreytime

season 5:

macaque just heard the word trust from wukong and was never the same because that's what he always wanted wukong to trust him that's why he did everything he could to insure that wukong trust doesn't fade again because he wants to be someone wukong can relay on because he still love him

wukong trust that macaque is on his side and try not to think about anything else he wants macaque around but at a safe distance deep down he knows he still love him but rather keep that to himself he'll settle for macaque being his friend even his allay at most not wanting to crack their already fragile relationship

[quitealotofsodapop]

DBK: Oh, you should have seen Macaque when Azure first showed up at our doorstep. Had Wukong not been right there and clear that we had needed the alliance at the time, he probably would have ripped that lion to shreds the moment laid a claw on Wukong's shoulder in greeting!

Macaque: I did not- You know as well as I did, that Wukong can handle himself just fine when it comes to courtship!

Tieshan, cackling: Doesn't stop you from being jealous about your precious 'Sunshine' having so many suitors, my dear brother!

DBK: You still get that way as well, or do we need to remind you of just how you decided to introduce yourself to young MK here? And he hadn't even been a suitor, merely someone spending for too much time with Wukong for your taste until you realized the nature of their bond!

MK: Wait... the reason you attacked me was because you were jealous of me!? Because I was close to Monkey King? Who, need I remind you, is your ex??

Macaque: Look, you were a strange mortal who Wukong just randomly picked as his successor after years of isolation, and I was freshly revived. What the hell else was I supposed to think!?

Prev.

YUP! Simp Macaque behaviour! XD

He was so aggro towards MK at the start because this shadow monkey is a yandere in denial.

HIs feral brain was firing off thoughts like; "Who's this? Why are they occupying my mate's time? Angry!" which after some time developed into "Oh nvm. It's a cub. Our cub now." :3

Wukong isn't any better. If he saw how many admirers Macaque had before and after they broke up - he'd turn into a snarling jealous monkey in an instant.

Random Demon, slides up to Macaque: "Hey handsome, can I get your numb-" Wukong, jumps between them:

Random Demon: "Oh damn! My bad!" (*leaves*) Macaque: (*smugly preens over Wukong's shoulder*)

[itsabouttimex2]

Just dropping in your inbox to say that I enjoy in your writing and also in reading the criticism you have about the show. It's a nice feeling to see someone else's insights on some writing choices in LMK (ex: Pigsy's denial of being father figure to MK never made sense to me personally). I'm looking forward to seeing more of your future stories and takes and I hope you have a wonderful day.

Yeah, I am not a fan of that decision either. At absolute best I think the show is planning to go down the “Pigsy has daddy issues”, given that none of his photos feature a parental male figure, in spite of having both his mother and grandmother portrayed very positively. It might be that his father walked out, died early, disowned him, was racist against humans, etc, but clearly there either isn’t currently a father figure in Pigsy’s life or he never had one, at least not that he’s fond of.

Especially since, given how incredibly important heritage and tradition are to Pigsy, I doubt he simply “forgot” to put something up.

But, even if we do get a retroactive explanation for the absolutely insane “You’re not my son” -> “Okay never mind, you totally are!” we would also need flashbacks to his character growth between those two points, because as it stands his “Dad Arc” is basically just an extremely truncated version of the “Redeemed Iron Fan and Bull King” or the ongoing “Sun Wukong and Macaque Reconciliation Arc”, which already are not good. It can’t just be that a character changes, you know?

We should be able to watch how they grow and change, not have them come onscreen with a radically different personality or dynamic in play that got jerry-rigged onto them offscreen!

As it stands, Pigsy literally does not develop or grow as a character at all in terms to his relationship with MK- he simply goes from “I’m not exactly your dad.” to “Good job… son.” without actually bridging the gap between those two halves.

Which is… not great. So either the show cuts into an already very small running time (100-140 minutes, minus the intro and outro lengths!) to have his growth portrayed purely through flashbacks, or it simply gives us a reason why he reacted the first way without actual depicting his growth from Perspective 1# to Perspective 2#.

I can hope, but I don’t think we’ll get anything too satisfying in regards to that.

[cloud-somersault]

Soul anon here!

Let me at the dissenters with weapons and the power of incredible violence.

I, for one, am looking forward to some Mac centric fic for you.

THIS ASK MADE ME CRY????? LMFAIODJA THANK YOU no violence needed, though. i'm just gonna get drunk i think.

glad you're looking forward to it! i don't know how to tell people that macaque's curse also won't be fixed in the epilogue. 😊

[moobloom-mention]

Drunk Words Are Crafted From Sober Thoughts

Summary: Drinking is one of Wukong's favorite pastimes. After all, it's way easier to heal a bruised ego when you're seeking the remedy at the bottom of a bottle.

It's not his fault said remedy always leads him back to Macaque.

Content Warning(s): Alcohol abuse, Mentions of vomiting

Word Count: 3096

It took me drinking way too much alcohol and three hours spent in a toilet bowl to give me the motivation to finish this thing.

----------

Wukong had never known himself to be the brightest lantern set before an altar.

It was a fact he'd come to know well in his millennia of life; something he'd chosen with care to hide beneath his tongue whilst his throat sang melodies refuting such a concept. After all, it had never mattered to Wukong whether his actions proved his dimness time and time again.

Denial was a war, and one that he'd always intended to win.

He never fought hard in the miniscule battles of intelligence he'd lose to cheap jabs that ridiculed his inability to write or frustration with court etiquette. Eventually he'd scrape together some form of "win" and proclaim it to cancel any other loss that came before it.

Besides, being a jack of all trades far made up for it, with hands that had been dipped into almost every barrel of skill known to the Three Realms.

...intelligence just happened to be a barrel his hand was not dipped far into.

The skill of retaining information, however, now that was something he might as well have bathed within. It'd been a skill he'd fostered from the day he was born, from learning how to tell the little ones of Flower Fruit Mountain apart all the way to recalling the names of the thousands of different demons he'd fought.

Of course there were still things- small things, with such insignificance that Wukong would never notice were gone until a thought sparked vague recollection -that would manage to slip so easily through the cracks of his mind, deaf to his pleads to return to him less they become mere droplets in a sea of forgotten information.

It'd first become noticeable after he'd attempted to convey his distaste for a book Peng had coerced him into reading.

In an earnest moment of honesty, Wukong had admitted that almost every word his eyes had managed to flit over was nothing if not a rhythmic patter of gentle rain; an endless contribution to his stream of lost information that quieted only in the moments it had taken to turn the page.

And then it'd been those detailed soliloquies Yellowtusk so proudly dedicated to his sigils.

Wukong had been entertained, sure- the elephant rarely ever expressed his passions -but they were still another complex monologue to cast within the river after good friends gave their parting goodbyes.

Besides, the dialogue had fit perfectly beside those pesky admissions of adoration that Azure tended to offer like candy to a child.

…okay, maybe his hand didn’t reach too far down the information retainment barrel either.

Wukong was always quick to blame immortality anyway. Small details were so quick to fade when faced with the grand scheme of experiencing millennia of life.

Still, there was always one thing he found himself able to recall even centuries after he'd lost the need for it; a piece of information he could stake his life on knowing without understanding exactly how. It had always just...been there, like a ribbon that'd wound itself tightly about his index finger at birth and refused to leave despite his desperate attempts to get rid of it.

Because why would the Great Sage, Equal to the Heavens themselves, ever need to recall Macaque's whereabouts?

And why would he only ever be able to locate the shadow during moments of intoxication?

The first time Wukong had found himself blackout drunk in front of an abandoned house- one that upon entering revealed a not-too-happy Macaque -it had been easy to wave off the circumstance as pure instinct. Being in such a state of vulnerability would've triggered some need to surround himself with the familiar.

And with Flower Fruit Mountain so far, and the addicting thrum of Macaque's magic nearby, the choice had been obvious.

But the dozens of times after that? The intoxicated flights away from the island to random cities?

Yeah, no. It was more than a little odd.

For the longest time Wukong had convinced himself it was his wine storage, that every bottle had been cursed to lead him into trouble. But countless visits to bars and the wine cellars of nameless mortals all proved to yield the same results:

A furious shadow and Wukong awaking to memories he could just barely touch the beginning and endings of.

With a sigh of defeat he'd relented that he just seemed to have an internal compass; one that annoyingly pointed itself toward Macaque.

Did he have the capacity to understand it? No.

But was it beneficial in pitiful moments like this? Absolutely.

So maybe he'd overheard a mortal talking about how Lantern City had the best liquor in China. And maybe his ass had been kicked a little too hard during training that day.

Sue him, there still isn't a better remedy for a bruised ego than the bottom of a cheap bottle of whiskey and mortals cheering him on. By the time the bartender had deemed him too drunk and ushered him from the bar, the sun had still yet to rise from the east.

The city had never looked so bright against the darkened sky painted above it. Mindless neon signs flashed around every corner, each with their own calling to whatever craving a mortal could have. A dulled pink one told the story of a rundown sushi shop. Another of some nightclub Wukong could already see drunk patrons stumbling from, their shirts rumpled by their own hands and the weighted drag of sweat.

But he didn't linger for long on the streets; he was on a mission after all.

At least, some kind of mission. His brain hadn't quite told him the specifics, but his feet kept walking and fuck if that wasn't reason enough to continue onward.

Sign by sign the city's bright lights began to dull, caving to make way for the humble atmosphere of residential housing. Admittedly, it was nice to know there were still neighborhoods that resembled architecture from a time predating the invention of "electricity".

It was enough that it made his chest bubble with pride, lungs jolting. Ah, nope. Just a hiccup.

With a woeful sigh he pauses to lean heavily against an obscure house's door. The wood feels cool beneath the tips of his fingers, the temperature a kind reprieve from the warming embrace of alcohol.

Apart from its temperature, the door isn't...unique. Which is kinda disappointing if he's being honest.

It's only a darkened shade of that one Blue Guy's skin, the words of "dark navy" an already long-forgotten thought lost to the midnight air. Who needs fancy words anyway?

The door's some sort of blue. That's all that matters.

Cobbled pebbles consume his vision and it's only after a blink that he finds his claws dug painfully into the grooves of the door. It's a weak attempt to stabilize himself, but it works well enough as he refocuses his eyes.

If he can't stare at the ground then he might as well inspect the door at hand.

Y'know what? Now that he's gotten a closer look at it, it's kinda pretty.

The perfect shade of blue that manages to calm the spots of green that dance behind his eyes, the dark swirls engraved within its wood a calling to Wukong's attention. It's a damn-good piece of wood, and one that totally deserves a place in his treasury.

...isn't that a thought?

A door. In his treasury. A laugh escapes between clenched teeth.

It'd certainly look nice. Not many celestial beings he stole borrowed from had stunning doors. This would be the first of its type to see the light- or lack thereof -within Wukong's hoard.

He could already see the excitement in the door handle's polished reflection. Or maybe that's his own reflection.

If only he could just relocate it to its new home.

"Sorry 'bout this-"

There's a shrill screech as Wukong's claws dig further into the door's wood, intricately carved symbols reduced to splinters in his feeble attempts to rip it from its hinges.

His eyebrows furrow as the door barely moves toward his pulls, a little miffed over its audacity to remain put. His treasury is far better than whatever shithole the door guards now. Why can't it see that?

Wukong's tongue runs itself along his teeth as he finally lets the wood go.

Maybe it's one of those "push" doors?

He swiftly turns at such a thought, shoving his weight loudly against the door. It groans, and much to his delight, begins to bend at its middle.

Ah, that's better.

At least until the door against his back gives way.

Wukong's gasp quickly surrenders to a wheeze the moment his spine hits the ground, vision a chaotic swirl of dark colors and mind vibrant with the sudden thud of a migraine. It quiets only once his eyes refocus on the organized blend of black, red, and yellow shades that cautiously lean over him.

It's undeniably Macaque, alive and just as disgruntled as Wukong had always known him to be. Actually no- he looks just the tiniest bit more disgruntled than usual, a long stick that's notably thicker at its end resting against his shoulder.

Wukong's only half-sure it's some sort of bat.

For a moment he lets himself blink, an odd itch at his fingertips as he gazes at Macaque. There's just...something about the demon that's off.

The frazzled fur and annoyed expression are the same, down the subtle scrunch of Macaque's nose and the flatness of his ears.

...

...oh! His ears!

His claws dig their home within the palm of his hand as he glares heatedly toward the single pair of ears that flick against black fur. Pfft, as if glamor would make Wukong forget about the other two pairs he favored far more than the dulled pink ones currently displayed.

Still, doubt crawls ruthlessly amidst the lining of the deity's stomach and Wukong surfaces the sudden urge to touch Macaque's face- to confirm with every press of his fingers that his internal compass hadn't finally guided him wrong.

It isn't until the familiar demon properly stands up that Wukong realizes he'd already been in the middle of an attempt to grab the other.

"Macaque-" he whines, the name a sweet sap on his tongue. Or maybe that was the one glass of wine he stole from a mortal; wine always did tend to leave a sweet aftertaste.

Ah, nope, it's definitely Macaque's name. Everything about the other sings of sap, from the way the shadow slowly goes back to hovering over Wukong to his honeyed voice.

It's an addicting sound even in its a state of confusion and irritation.

"What the fuck are you doing?"

Wukong allows himself a few seconds to swallow the instinctive reprimand of "language" that threatens to escape alongside a hiccup. He has greater things to worry about anyway.

Like how he should’ve warred true hell against the Heavens for ever daring to stand between him and such a beautiful demon. Even the idea of just looking at Macaque is thrilling; it was like looking into the eyes of a siren, one who he’d follow to the ends of the three realms just to hear a single song from. 

Gods, he’d carve his heart out and gift it on a platter. He’d only need Macaque to give the command. 

His mouth unhinges awkwardly to confess such a thing, only for his lips to snap shut at the jarring hiccup that jolts his lungs. His chest hurts amidst the instinctive squeeze, and ever the type to ruin the butterflies within Wukong’s stomach, Macaque’s face does something...odd.

It flickers at the edges of Wukong's mind, sweetly reminiscent of their shared youth millennia ago. A mercy, he supposes, one he only receives in moments where his memory will fail him the morning after.

Dark brows pinch together before they're hidden by a hand that presses against them, a fire in those yellow eyes that feels much tamer than the usual bite of Macaque's anger.

"You're drunk, aren't you?"

Wukong's lips twitch into the beginnings of a smile, praying to the Heavens that his attempt to look smug outweighs the flutter in his stomach.

"...'might be."

There's a harsh hiss that faintly resembles a curse before Macaque takes a step away.

Wukong lurches to his feet at an instant, his mind alight with panic.

Macaque is leaving and he needs to come back- please come back come back comeback comebackcomeback-

As it turns out his lurch only gets him to kneel in the doorframe, mind settling only once Macaque's voice returns.

"Are you coming in or do I have to drag you inside?"

Like a balm, the underlying tones of amusement soothe the thud that plagues Wukong's mind. It floods him with enough relief that he nearly heaves on the spot.

Heavens above he loves the way Macaque asks questions.

Wukong barely takes in the fact he's moving, his legs relying on instinct whilst his mind stares at the curious expression on the shadow's face. If he weren't so drunk he would've labeled it more akin to fondness than anything.

A few steps ahead Macaque pats at a dark grey couch and Wukong barely manages to crash onto the lumpy cushions before the shadow whisks himself toward a kitchen.

For once the world grows quiet, sans for the opening of cupboards and gentle hiss of water pouring from a sink.

Wukong lets himself bask in it for a moment before he decides that he despises it.

"Y'know," he grunts, the pillow beneath his chin pinned rather comfortably between his face and the couch. "You're a worrier."

Macaque's impressive hearing must've failed for once as the demon blinks, puzzled, in the corner of Wukong's eye. Half of his body is covered by the countertop as the shadow juggles two cups in his hand. "A warrior?"

Wukong thinks Macaque's gaze to resemble how one would look when confused over a jigsaw puzzle and he silently hopes he has turned into a jigsaw puzzle. Anything to remain the eye of Macaque's attention.

"No," his brows pinch, a spark of anger igniting over the miscommunication. The issue's even frustrating enough to make him lift his face from the pillow- a difficult battle but one he reigns triumph over. "A worrier."

It must've been the wrong thing to say because there isn't a snort of laughter that filters through Wukong's ears but instead a distasteful click akin to nails on a chalkboard.

"I'm not a worrier."

The way Macaque spits the word is almost spiteful enough for Wukong to redirect his anger toward the word as well. If the demon doesn't like such a comment, then it must have been downright terrible.

But then the shadow perches at the couch's arm to Wukong's right, two cups of water in hand. The staple image of a worrier.

"The kid just woulda been a mess if his mentor got himself mugged on my doorstep."

"Pfft, it woulda been fine," Wukong waves aside, and his next thought is funny enough to get himself to snort.

Wish you'd mug me.

Again Macaque's face does a funny thing, his lips twitching into a thinly veiled grin.

Ah shit, he'd been caught. Quiet thoughts, quiet thoughts.

Thankfully, Macaque nods his agreement. "Quiet thoughts are a good idea."

Wukong must've hid his shock a little too poorly because Macaque suddenly laughs. It's a rare thing, and reality be damned, Macaque's subtle laughter is enough to shake the world; to cause a disastrous earthquake historians will write about for centuries to come.

He's only able to bask in such a sound for a couple seconds before a shadow tendril nudges him to lift his head.

"Sit up and drink some water. If you throw up on my couch you're cleaning and replacing it."

Much to Wukong's delight, the moment his head lifts the shadow fits himself close to his side before offering one of the cups.

He barely manages a couple gulps before he sets it on the ground, lolling his head until it leans against Macaque's shoulder. The shadow stiffens only slightly before he melts back into the touch.

A hand even lifts and entangles itself between fur of gold, eliciting a gentle purr from Wukong.

Now this is familiar. It doesn't matter that he can't remember why it's so natural, just that he's grateful he can fall back into a habit so comforting.

There isn't even the echo of television to disrupt them, silence enveloping the house all at once.

He lets himself wrestle with the idea of breaking the silence. While he wouldn't mind letting the peace lull him into a nap, he knows this atmosphere of tranquility is only a mercy he'll be given tonight.

Tomorrow Wukong will wake up back on Flower Fruit Mountain and should he run into Macaque, their conversations will only consist of lashing tongues and harsh words.

An olive branch will only ever be extended during times of intoxication, and truth be told he'd much rather try a civil conversation than fall asleep.

"I've been thinking," he finally decides on.

"That's new," Macaque grins. Yellow eyes only roll as Wukong's tail swats at his thigh. "What about?"

"Mm," Satisfied, Wukong leans further into the gentle fingers that comb themselves through knots. It's nice; Macaque had always been unfairly talented at grooming. "Your ears."

He nearly whines as Macaque's hand lifts, uncertain why the attention had stopped. "What about them?"

"I want 'em in my treasury."

The other's expression falters and again Wukong can't make sense of why. Is this another door situation? Something untakeable?

"I wouldn't take your face," he adds for good measure. "You always look too sad anyway."

At least that gets a scoff. "I do not."

"Totally do."

"You're such an idiot."

Ah, low blow. It's a good thing Wukong's had millennia to practice his retorts. "Nuh uh."

"Yea huh."

But it isn't enough. Macaque's hand doesn't return to comb through his king's fur.

"What's wrong?"

"Nothing," Macaque hums, if a little too quickly.

"...what is it?"

"Drop it."

It's a weak demand, unfitting to quell the king's curiosity. He'll pry and pry until there's nothing left he could grow surprised from hearing. "Nah."

"Please?"

But that one's new.

"...let me have this?" a black tail flicks in the corner of his eye and Wukong finds himself uncertain at the other's show of anxiety. "You won't remember this in the morning anyway. You never do."

Still, with all the bravado a drunken sage could possess-

"Just watch me."

"Whatever you say, Wukong."

[mysticmonkeybusiness]

Prompt: post s5, Mac goes to find Wukong and find him he does, along with a broken mirror; given by @visionaryscribe

-

He never knew the world could get more obnoxiously loud. The change was slow, but at this point Macaque’s certain it’s a side effect of shattering the five stones of creation. Now he can hardly step foot off Flower Fruit Mountain without reducing his hearing to human levels. Human. At least at demon levels he can still hear magic, but he’s practically crippled like this.

But it’s like the kid can’t go one day without getting into trouble, so Macaque sucks it up, deafens himself, and finds time to check in on him regularly. Wouldn’t want another world ending disaster to go unnoticed until it’s too late to do anything about it.

It becomes routine. A boring, straightforward task with little to no surprises outside of the mundane shenanigans MK and the dragon girl get up to. After a few weeks of this, Macaque makes the mistake of letting his guard down.

He lingers a little longer in the shadows of MK’s room, watching the kid draw. This is the most relaxed he’s seen the kid since the pillar. It relaxes him in turn, something within him unwinding and feeling a little less like the world is actually out to get him. The moment he hears the pig come up though, he makes his exit. The kid is getting better and better at spotting him and without a distraction keeping him from looking up, Macaque doesn’t like his chances of remaining unnoticed.

Returning to Flower Fruit Mountain is simple. Removing the deafening spell takes barely a thought.

Or it should.

It’s still too quiet and he wonders how he could have messed up a spell he could cast with his hands tied behind his back. Recasting the spell does nothing to fix things. Frustrated and assured he’s alone, he rips the glamour on his ears off as well to no change. His breathing hitches as he clutches at his ears and reflexively expands his range.

To his surprise, it works. It only takes a second for the thought to hit him with all the force of a certain red and gold staff.

Wukong’s not on the mountain.

With more panic than he’d ever admit to anyone – only because if Wukong’s missing, he must be getting into trouble – Macaque scrambles to locate peaches-for-brains and has to stop himself from slumping in relief at finding the white noise of Wukong’s magic at the temple on the mainland.

He tells himself it’s a reasonable response at finding out Wukong hasn’t brought some world ending disaster down on their heads.

Macaque finds it a bit strange though. Wukong’s been spending most of his time split between his hut and the noodle shop. If he wasn’t being an overprotective mother hen, he was lazing around in his hut and gorging himself on fruit.

Lingering adrenaline and piqued curiosity is enough to have him shadow portal to the temple. He grimaces as he adjusts to the noise volume, suppressing his hearing as best as he can without magic.

The sharp tang of copper lingers in the air and sends his adrenaline spiking yet again. When he finds Wukong he’s going to punch him in his stupid face for giving him this much stress.

He follows the smell of blood to the bathroom and immediately zeros in on the Great Pain of Heaven. He found Wukong alright, along with a shattered mirror.

Curled in on himself, Wukong’s claws are digging into his skull and his heartbeat so rapid that it’s likely without the immortalities he would have given himself a heart condition.

Glass crunches underneath his boots as he steps closer, but Wukong doesn’t even flinch. Worry breaks through his denial and he crouches barely a handspan away, eyes catching on the pinprick pupils, the glittering glass sprinkled amidst sunset orange fur, and the already healing scratches on Wukong’s face. Almost entirely hidden beneath his curled hands, a long, shallow slice on his temple tells him exactly what set this off.

A slow wave in front of his face doesn’t even make him blink. Wukong’s clearly not registering anything he’s seeing.

“Wukong,” he murmurs softly, trying to snap him out of it without touching him and possibly setting him off further.

Macaque should have expected something like this to happen, but with the damn circlet long gone, he thought they managed to get past it without an incident. Figures Wukong wouldn’t deign to have his breakdown when he is around someone that could help him.

MK would be better for this. Even out of his mind, Wukong would never hurt the kid. His instincts wouldn’t let him.

Macaque doesn’t have that assurance.

Claws twitch and dig further until there’s the distinct crack of hitting bone. Before he even registers the lump in his throat, Macaque is reaching over and ripping Wukong’s hands away from his head. Any damage he could do removing them would be nothing close to what Wukong could do to himself.

Like he has nothing better to do than cause Macaque problems, Wukong immediately begins thrashing, mouth open in a silent scream. He’s thrown off, but picks himself up, hurls himself at Wukong, and sends them both through a shadow portal back to Wukong’s nest.

As he had hoped, the change of location sends Wukong off balance. It’s enough to let Macaque pin Wukong to the nest and reinforce the hold with his shadows. Wukong still struggles, but slowly, that resistance fades away as the differences in his surroundings start trickling in. Familiar scents instead of blood. Comforting fabrics instead of sharp glass.

Capitalizing on the opening, Macaque thinks to himself, Can’t believe I’m doing this, and makes a low, rumbling purr. It almost hurts at first, having been centuries since he’s worked these particular muscles, but it gets easier as he keeps it up.

Beneath him, he can feel the gradual way Wukong relaxes. With his hands occupied he has to use his head to nudge the side of Wukong’s in encouragement, keeping the purr up all the while.

He’s not sure how long they stay like that, but by the time he feels safe enough to let go of the restraints, he feels exhausted. Wukong, the prissy princess, tensed up again every single time he so much as let up on the pacifying gestures. He leans back just enough to see Wukong’s face and has to fight the urge to strangle him when he sees the idiot is asleep.

Faintly, he considers portaling back to his own bed, but frankly, even that’s too much effort right now. Besides, after what Wukong put him through, he can deal with waking up next to Macaque. He lowers himself back down, this time on the side and gets the source of all his problems curling into his chest for his efforts.

He contents himself with the fantasy of kicking Wukong away and wraps an arm around him because Wukong might as well make himself useful as a blanket. His eyes slide shut and he takes a deep breath as a scent that never fails to register as safe despite everything that screams otherwise fills his nose.

Macaque never sees the way eyes peek open a sliver before falling closed once more.