#am I gonna admit my life has changed or am I gonna beg for goggles?

[francesderwent]

apparently no one told my program advisor the “don’t make major life decisions in February” rule because I got an email asking me to set up a meeting with him in the next two weeks. prayers appreciated

[purebarnes]

courage to change— (fem!avenger x bucky!)

ꜱᴜᴍᴍᴀʀʏ ➢ sam, bucky and y/n get in an intense therapy session when bucky gets arrested, lashing out at eachother only wanting to finish the mission and go their separate ways.

ᴡᴏʀᴅ ᴄᴏᴜɴᴛ ➢ 3.1k

ᴅɪꜱᴄʟᴀɪᴍᴇʀꜱ ➢ angst, mention of deaths, intense convo, yelling/swearing

ᴀᴜᴛʜᴏʀ ꜱᴘᴇᴀᴋꜱ ! ➢ nothin, please enjoy!

every once in awhile, silence would creep upon y/n and it was completely be torture for her. she would stay quiet for along time and just stare at the floor or even at a wall. it was unhealthy for her to not talk about how she felt but she had no one. she stared at the all slumping into her chair just waiting to get off the plane. sam looked up to see bucky and y/n silent just not saying anything. he closed his eyes and then spoke up, “you alright?” she swore every time someone would ask that question, she grew even more aggressive. it wasn’t their fault but she hated that question and it was even worse when she wasn’t. she looked up to meet sam in his brown eyes before nodding to not worry him about anything.

she was someone to express her feelings and especially to sam or bucky, she saw them as family even when she didn’t want to admit it. sam went on to go and ask bucky if he was fine, “let’s take the shield. let’s take the shield and do this ourselves.” bucky spoke wanting to have that shield back so badly, “we can’t just run up on the man, beat him up, and take it. do you remember what happened last time we stole it?—maybe—I’ll help you in case you forgot. sharon was branded enemy of the state, and steve and i were in the run for two years. i don’t know about you, but i don’t wanna live the rest of my life la vida loca. we just got our asses handed to us by super soldiers, and we got nothing.” sam explained.

y/n looked up to see them, “not entirely true.” bucky got up his seat and went to go sit next to sam moving slowly, hearing his dog chains move along while he went to sit. he wouldn’t say anything until he spoke up, “there is someone that you guys should meet.” they made it to baltimore and had to walk down to someone’s house. the girl honestly was going to leave and not look back but sam dragged her because he didn’t want to be alone with bucky. they encountered two kids playing on he streets, “hey, it’s black falcon, what’s up?—it’s just falcon, kid.” sam told the little kid, “no, no. my daddy told me it’s black falcon.” sam stopped with y/n to hear how this was going to end, bucky kept on walking.

“is it because i’m black and the falcon?—well, technically, i mean, yes—so are you, like, black kid? i got him, right?” sam chuckled when he rolled his eyes in defeat while y/n kept walking to meet behind bucky to finally be standing in front of a grey house and a sign that said no trespassing. y/n looked over to see the neighborhood, bucky knocked on the door making it open. “we’re here to see isaiah—nobody named isaiah lives here.” the boy said not wanting them to enter but bucky begged.

bucky told him, “we just want to talk to him—you must not hear what i just said. you ain’t getting in this house. y’all can leave now.” he said to them making y/n stare at him uneasy, “tell him the guy from the bat in goyang is here. he’s gonna know what that means.” the kid went to leave to see if they could all come in and once he came back, he opened the door and let them all in. y/n grew confused as what was happening and how bucky knew this older man as he never told her anything about him. “look at you—this is, uh, sam and this is y/n. sam, y/n, this is isaiah.” he introduced all of them to each other.

“he was a hero. one of the ones that hydra feared the most. like steve. we met in '51—if by met, you mean i whupped your ass, then, yeah.” bucky smiled lightly, “we heard whispers he was in the peninsula. but everyone they sent after him, never came back. so the u.s. military dropped me behind the line to go deal with him. i took half that metal arm in that fight in goyang, but i see he’s managed to grow it back.” isaiah said noticing the metal arm bucky had on, “i just wanted to see if he got the arm back. or if he’d come to kill me.” he finished before bucky spoke, “i’m not a killer anymore.” bucky whispered softly, “you think you can wake up one day and decide who you wanna be? it doesn’t work like that. well, maybe it does for folks like you.”

the man through a lot and y/n could tell how, the way he spoke and the pain in his voice. “isaiah, the reason we’re here is because there’s more of you and me out there—you and me.” he interrupted him not believing anything he was saying, “and we need to know how—i’m not gonna track about it anymore.” isaiah grabbed something and through it into the wall with a lot of force making y/n look at him. he walked to bucky, “you know what they did to me for being a hero? they put my ass in jail for 30 years. people running tests, taking my blood, coming into my cell. even your people weren’t done with me.”

the pain in his voice and hurt made y/n want to show sympathy but he wasn’t having it from her, “get out of my house!” he yelled as y/n walked behind sam following them outside and y/n couldn’t believe what was happening. “sam—why didn’t you tell me about isaiah? how could nobody bring him up? i asked you a question, bucky.” sam was angry, “i know—steve didn’t know him, did you know?” sam pointed at y/n and she shook her head , “no, she didn’t. i didn’t tell her or steve.” bucky said looking at her, “so you’re telling me that there was a black super soldier decades ago and nobody knew about it?”

the next thing they heard was siren and they all looked up to see what was happening, “hey—what’s up, man?” sam asked not wanting to cause anything, “is there a problem here?—no, we’re just talking.” sam tried once again to not cause anything with the police. y/n knew what this was about and it was wrong of them, “can i see your id?—i don’t have id. why?” y/n sighed at the police men and was grossed out to them, “okay, sir, just calm down—i am calm. what do you want? we’re just talking.” sam said.

“give him your id so we can leave—no. i’m not giving him shit. we’re just talking.” y/n moved from behind bucky and the police saw her and softened when she noticed who she was, “oh, miss stark. is he bothering you?—what, no, he’s not bothering me. do you know who this is?” she raised her voice as bucky pulled her back, they both whispered something about them being the avengers. “oh, god. i am so sorry, mr. wilson. i didn’t recognize you with the goggles. i’m really, really sorry about this.” the officer laughed nervously which no part of what he was doing funny at all. bucky moved to them before whispering, “i didn’t tell anyone because he had already been through enough.” sam just looked at him in disbelief.

the officers went back to all three of them, “mr. barnes, there’s a warrant out for your arrest—the president pardoned him for all that.” sam said telling him before the officer explained it again, “not for that. you missed your court-mandated therapy. it’s like missing a check-in with your po. i’m sorry, mr. barnes, you’re under arrest.” bucky sighed walking over to get handcuffed and entering the cop car.

sam and y/n went to the police station to see bucky but was met with a unknown face. “sam. I’ve heard a lot about you. i’m dr. raynor. i’m james therapist.” she stopped when she saw y/n looking at the floor just think about anything, “and you must be y/n. i have heard a lot about you as well, a little more than expected, miss stark.” y/n looked up smiling and got up to shake her hand and greet her and her heart ached a bit. “oh, it’s nice to meet you.” sam thanked her to get him, “that was not me.” she said before looking at john.

the door buzzed and bucky came out while bucky kept staring, “james, condition of your release, session now. you too, sam and y/n.” she said before y/n could protest to not wanting to be in a therapy session with bucky. “no... that alright, i’m—that wasn’t a request.” she told them as y/n sighed before following her already looking annoyed. they all sat next to each other not speaking already. “who would like to start?—all right, look, dr. raynor? i get it why you want us to talk to freaky magoo over here. but i’m 100% fine.” sam said gesturing towards bucky.

“it’s my job to make sure that you’re okay. and so, yeah, this may be slightly unprofessional, but it’s the only way that i can see if you’re getting over whatever’s eating at you.” she told them while y/n rolled her not that this lady was bogus but that she didn’t need this at all. “this is ridiculous—yeah, i agree—yup.” they all agreed not wanting to be in that position, “see? making progress already. so, who wants to go first.” no one spoke up and the silence was eating them alive, “no volunteers? wow. how surprising. okay. we’re gonna to do an exercise. it’s something i use with couples when they are trying to figure out what kind of life they wanna build together.” bucky glanced at y/n but she kept looking away so she wouldn’t meet his eyes.

“sam, i want james and y/n to go first though. turn around face each other.” she said while sam moved to the side waiting for bucky and y/n to face each other. y/n moved her chair and bucky did the same meeting her eyes but she just stared at the wall. dr. raynor saw y/n not meeting bucky’s eyes. a moment passed before she spoke, “okay, y/n tell me what bothers you about james.” y/n looked up to see bucky and glared at him as bucky went to stare but in a timid way, “he’s prevaricator. yeah you know it’s funny because sometimes i thought you would turn out different but i guess they were right.” she said.

bucky looked at her wanting to say sorry for everything he has done to her, “honestly, i feel fine. i don’t need this okay?” she told them sitting up straight crossing her legs. dr. raynor looked up and sighed since she wasn’t getting anything from her, “y/n, you’re father died. i lost many people, you must feel some type—nope, i’m alright. when will people stop telling me how to feel.” she sighed not meet the therapist’s eyes because deep down she knew she was right. “he’s gone. but nothing will bring him back... i’m waiting for some easy way out. i was isolated in my room and i wouldn’t leave, not when i had no one.” y/n breathed out, her foot shaking.

it was something she did to calm her nerves, “i never called.” bucky paused looking back up to see her staring to see what he would say, “i never called because i didn’t know what to say.” bucky felt this way because the winter soldier was the one that killed her grandparents. she knew that but she also knew that he was brainwashed and so that wasn’t him. not the real him. y/n inhaled and sensed, “i lost everything, i... uh, i was hurting and all i wanted was someone. to ask me how i was doing or to tell me everything was gonna be ok but— i kept hoping to get a call from the person that i loved..”

bucky looked up to her and looked at her with sympathy as she said she loved him but winced at that being in the past. he couldn’t let her be in pain but could anything he would say to her, help at all in the situation. “i guess miracles don’t just happen.” bucky sighed when she got up and moved to the side.

after dr. raynor went to write a few things in her notebook as sam went to move his chair, “you should really enjoy this—i’m going to—i know you are.” not even ten seconds and they started bickering at each other while turning to see each other. “let’s do it. let’s stare. this a good exercise. thanks, doc—all right,get close. get closer.” she said when they went to get close, “which way you want to go?—right or left?—you know what? fine here.” they kept arguing about how close they wanted to be, “you happy now? we’re locked in—that’s a little close.”

“that’s very close. that’s what you wanted right?—guys.” dr. raynor told them to stop it before telling them to look at each other, “look each other in the eyes.” it took a moment before they both looked up, “there, you see? that wasn’t t so hard.” they started staring at each other trying to intimidate each other as y/n rolled her eyes at their childness. “wait. what are you doing? at you having a staring contest? just blink.” she snapped her fingers causing them to blink. she asked what agrravated bucky about sam.

bucky smirked wanting to say something, “and don’t say something childish—why did you give up that shield?” y/n could sense something was going to happen between them both, she knew this was a horrible idea. “why are you making such a big deal out of something that has nothing to do with you?—steve believed in you. he trusted you. he gave you that shield for a reason. that shield. that shield is... that is everything he stood for. that is his legacy. he gave you that shield, and you threw it away like it was nothing—shut up.” y/n was hurt by hurt bucky was feeling, she understood what he was feeling but maybe sam had a reason to do that.

“so maybe he was wrong about you. and if he was wrong about you, then he was wrong about me.” bucky seethed while sam asked if he was finished so he could go, “all right, good. maybe this is something you or steve will never understand. but can’t you accept that i did what i thought was right?” sam scoffed wanting to end all that was happening. “you know what, do ? I don’t have time—no, we don’t have time for this.” sam looked at y/n, “we have some real serious shit going on. so how about this? i will squash it right now. we go deal with that, and when we’re done, we both can go on our separate, long vacations and never see each other again.” sam spoke.

y/n nodded while getting up, “thanks, doc, for making it weird. i feel much better. let’s go y/n. i’ll see you outside.” she nodded walking out the door before glancing at bucky then making her outside. this was a chance where she could leave and not look back. when sam and bucky noticed she wasn’t by their side, bucky went to call her name. no response, bucky sighed going to walk towards her and grab her hand as she yanked it away. he stepped it back and it was a habit that she would do.

she bit her lip them turning to see him, “where are you going?—i’m leaving bucky. this wasn’t a good idea. we both know that.” she scratched the back of her head while sticking her tongue inside of her mouth. “you can’t leave. we need you.” bucky put his hands in his pockets as the wind his his face, “no, you guys don’t. i’m unstable and will ruin—just stay. please, i need you to stay.” bucky wanted to bring up what happens back there but he saw sam calling him over. “stay here. give me a minute.” she nodded waiting at the exact same spot, him running off.

the girl could hear faint arguments from the boys and john but didn’t seem to care. she was getting colder as time went by, she saw them walking towards her. y/n shivering and her nose red and her not having a coat or jacket made everything worse. bucky noticed her getting cold and started to take off his jacket but she stopped him, “keep it. i’m okay.” she lied right through her teeth, she wanted that jacket so badly but she wouldn’t show him that he had that effect on her. he took it off completely and handed it but she wouldn’t grab it.

bucky took that as she didn’t want it then he went to put it around her shoulders. she gripped her shoulders from behind and tensed at the feeling when he let go. the tension they both had for each other made things difficult and sam watched them awkwardly not knowing what to say. “yeah, ok. can we go?” bucky looked at him, glaring at his direction leaving to walk with both of them.

y/n asked what john had to say to them and they just told her that they needed to stay out of his way. she raised an eyebrow at what they told her, walking around. “i know what we have to do. when isaiah said “my people”—don’t take that to heart. that’s not what he meant.” sam told him when bucky went to explain what they needed to do even if y/n was still going to work with them. “no. he meant hydra. hydra used to be my people.” sam scoffed not wanting to listen to bucky about his new plan. “walker doesn’t have any leads—i know where you’re going with this and no.” y/n spoke up and bucky turned to see her and when she had his jacket wrapped around her arms he smiled but not enough so she could see.

“y/n, he knows all of hydra’s secrets. don’t you remember siberia?” y/n shook her head not understanding the whole concept of what he was getting out. “so you’re just gonna go sit in a room with this guy?—yes.” bucky hesitation come from him while sam and y/n shared a look then sam spoke up. “alright. we’re gonna go see zemo.”

[dancingthesambaa]

The Smell of Plum Blossom Tea Ch 2

Summary: Just like a butterfly wing, a single act of kindness can change the course of the future, it certainly did for MK as a black-furred monkey put out a hand towards him.

Rating: Teen and up

Chapter 2: What’s in a Name?

It was a week since Macaque had taken MK in and to the child it has been the best week of his life. When he woke up in the mornings he didn’t have to worry about there being no food as he smelt it as soon as he opened his eyes, he could play in the forest with all the monkeys as long as Mac was there and he even had clothes that fit him instead of the same stinky shirt on days end. Everything was just wonderful.

“MK, what should we do about school?”

Or at least it was, but as soon as the monkey demon asked that question, MK's whole body deflated. “Do I have to go to school?”

“Education is important shooting star,” he said as he diced up some plants. “It helps things we don’t know and things we want to know.”

“Okay, but it is really boring, I always lose all my stuff all the time, and the teacher always explains it so weirdly,” the child pouted.

“Everyone has a different method of teaching, so you may have a method of learning as well.”

“Oohh….what does method mean?”

“It’s just another word for way.”

“Oh okay,” MK then tilts his head, “so what are you doing anyways?”

“Well right now I’m cutting up some herbs so I can use to make medicine,” he explained in simple terms as he then picked up the diced up blue plant and placed it into a cauldron and began to stir it.

“I didn’t know you could make your own medicine from home!” He leaped up and tried to poke his head over the counter to watch, “I always thought that you get it at the doctor's office.”

“Well doctors actually get it from a lab where people make the medicine there, this space here is my own lab.” He gestured to the room that was filled with all types of different ingredients all placed in a package inside of one storage cabinet and in another was a cabinet filled with modern lab equipment.

“So you don’t have to be a doctor to make medicine?”

“Well for most yeah, but for me,” he grinned as he picks up MK with one hand and placed him on his hip as he continues to stir with his other “let’s just say that I have been doing this for a little over 500 years, so I have a tad bit more experience and knowledge than regular humans.”

“Can I try?!” He excitedly asked.

“Well I don’t know, sometimes it will be a bit too dangerous for you to even be In here, which by the way, do not enter this lab unless I am here,” he sternly told him.

“Okay, okay got it, but pleaseee.”

“I don’t know, think you can handle it,” he teased.

“I’m a big boy! I can handle anything!”

“Hmmmm,” he pretended to think before conceding, “Alright you persuaded me, so I’ll allow it this once,” he said as he put the spoon down, “so first we make sure we have our safety gear on.”

“Check! Check!” MK adjusted the goggles on his eyes and showed off his long sleeve jacket and gloves.

“Next, what you have to do is go slow and make large circles.”

“Slow and large circles, got it,” he then proceeded to pick up the spoon and do what he said as he stirred.

“Good job kiddo, but how bout we make that circle a little bit bigger,” he gently grabbed MK’s hand and made it a bit wider. Soon enough the medicine's previous light yellow had transformed into a dark green.

“Look, it changed colors!” MK pointed out.

“That’s the beauty of medicine kid,” Mac grinned as he set him down, “now all I have left to do is to let this simmer for a few hours and it will be ready to be bottled up.”

“That’s a lot of medicine, is that all for you?”

The demon shook his head, “no it’s actually for one of my regular clients. His students routinely injure themselves, sometimes in the dumbest of ways, so I usually make batches of this every month.” His ears then slightly twitch as he grinned, “speaking of students, MK come here. I have someone here for you to meet.”

“Who?” He tilted his head as the monkey put a lid on a pot, proceeded to put away both of their safety gear as they left the room.

“Hey old-timer, I know your hearing isn’t that bad!” A voice yelled from down below that MK could barely hear, “come grab me, I’m carrying too much shit to climb up!”

“Someone to help,” was all Macaque said before he leaped out of the open window and less than a few seconds later, returned with a short bluenette woman in his arms. “MK this is Yanyu,” he said. “Yanyu, this is MK.”

“Uhhh, he shuffled his feet awkwardly as he gave a slight wave, “hi.”

“Awww,” she cooed at him, “it’s nice to meet you MK. You're rocking a pretty cool shirt there.” She pointed to his solar system shirt, “it’s really far out man.”

There was a pause as MK stuttered out a thank you and Macaque put his face in his hands.

“That was terrible, I hope you know that,” he groaned.

“That’s what you say, I know my puns are rockin my world,” she smirked at the louder groans.

“Please stop, I beg you.”

“Then beg.”

“Are you human?” MK bluntly asked, which made the two pause.

“Strangely enough that isn’t the first time I was asked that, but yes I am fully human. Though a small percentage of me is most likely full of crazy,” she grinned widely.

“I think you have those backward,” he muttered and didn’t even flinch when she elbowed his stomach. “So your probably wondering why she’s here right?”

“Uhhh yeah,” he nodded.

“Well, I have come to the realization that despite my many years with humans, I have never actually taken care of a human child outside of giving them medication.”

“Which he means that he knows not a single thing about taking care of you tiny ones,” Yanyu butted in as she crossed her arms, “and this is where I come in.”

“Oh well that’s good...I think?” MK didn’t exactly know what she meant, but since they said it’s a good thing, he feels like he doesn’t have any complaints.

“Oh trust me, it will be,” she said as she put down the bag and it was filled with books when she opened it up. “I may be a big sister of five, but even I can admit that I don’t know everything, so I brought some parenting books, nutrition, school, and a lot more.”

He couldn’t help but deflate slightly at the last word, which the bluenette noticed.

“Don’t like school?”

“Not really, it's just that I can’t stay focused sometimes,” he admitted as he lowered his head.

“Hey now,” Mac kneeled and ruffled his head, “you don’t have to feel shame for being distracted sometimes.”

“Hmm, well if you have troubles with traditional school classrooms, then how about you try online schooling?” Yanyu said.

“Online school?” MK tilted his head.

“I didn’t know it was also available for the younger grades, I thought it was only for the college classes like you had,” he admitted as he used his feet to pick up one of the parenting books.

“Nah, it was incorporated for all years a few years back. It certainly helped a lot of students out and one of them being me,” she proudly pointed a finger to herself, “let me tell you, kid, it was the second-best decision to do online school. Made my life so much easier.”

“What was the first?” He curiously asked.

Yanyu walked over to Macaque and patted him on the shoulder, “begging this ol doc here to take me on as a student. It was the cheapest and most informative learning I ever had since high school.”

“Student? You were a teacher!” MK's eyes widened as he looked at the monkey demon.

“Kinda, though I did question my sanity during those times,” he said as he flipped through the pages.

“Oh shut up, if it wasn’t for me you would still know squat about technology.”

“I wasn’t that bad.”

“You were still using the Jiaguwen system when I first met you.”

He winced, “okay yeah you got me there.”

“Anywho, it’s gonna be a right pleasure working with you MK,” she held out a fist bump to him, “we’re gonna see a lot of each other.”

MK looked at the outstretched fist and gave a little grin as he fist-bumped her hand.

“Boom,” Yanyu made an exploding sound as she opened her fist when the two parted.

He looked at her strangely.

“Don’t worry Starbright, she’s just weird like that,” Mac patted his head.

“Hey!”

A few months have passed and MK has taken to online schooling like a fish to water. He found it much better to concentrate and while there were still a few issues over understanding the problem itself, he had the help of both Macaque and Yanyu. The last one herself was helping him with his writing.

“The girl is walking to the market by the river to get milk for her mother,” MK repeated to himself as he finished writing.

“Congratulations kid, you have finally graduated from Yoda writing to a regular language,” she gave him a little applause.

“Thank you, thank you you're too kind,” he also jumped out of his seat to give a mock bow.

“But for real kid, you have really approved with your writing,” she gave him a high five, “nice job.”

“I couldn’t have done it without you both,” he scratched the back of his neck.

“I know that you would have been just fine even without our help and I know your dad would agree.”

“Really!” Then MK realized what she said and backtracked as he flailed his arms about, “Wait dad?! I mean dad is kinda a big word and he just adopted me, so he probably doesn’t even see me as a son, more like a responsibility he has to take care-,” he was stopped by a hand gently covering his mouth.

“Whoa there little monkey easy, I can’t keep up that fast,” she lightly teased as she put her hand down, “now you want to tell me what that was all about?”

“Well,” he sat down and kicked his feet, “I-its just-I don’t really-.”

“Take your time,” the bluenette said.

“Well,” he twisted his hands “is it okay if someone-and I don’t mean me just someone I know-don’t call mom and dad, well, mom and dad.”

“Yeah,” she said easily.

“Wait really?” He was a little more than shocked at how easy she said that.

“Really. You, or my bad that person you know, don’t feel comfortable or don’t want to call their parents so that they don’t have to.”

“But they gave birth to me-I mean that person and they raised them, so shouldn’t they have that name?” He tried to insist but was shut down by her shaking her head.

“They don’t keep that name if they harm the child, no parent ever deserves that kind of title if they purposely try to bring harm to their child. It is wrong,” she stated.

“Oh...and what about those that do?” He shyly said, both knowing what he was implying but not saying it out loud.

“Then you say it when your ready,” Yanyu simply said.

“I don’t think it’s that easy?”

“No, but what is?”

MK just shrugged his shoulders.

“Now how about we put away this stuff for ten more minutes before we get into history,” she pushed away from the materials and made sure the laptop was charged up.

“Yes!” He fist-bumped the air as he then spotted the pencil on the ground and tried to pick it up with his feet.

Yanyu had to press her lips together to fight against the bubbling laugh in her throat as she watched MK struggle to pick the pencil with the socks on his feet.

“Oi bastard I need a little help ova here!” A rough voice yelled out as it was followed by a loud bang, which led to the eight year old flailing off his bed.

“How many times have I told you to stop that?” He heard Macaque's familiar voice being annoyed.

“Too many times to count,” another softer voice replied.

“But you think that gunna sticka?” The third voice laughed out loud. “That’s a laugh!”

MK slowly opened his door and crept quietly to the living room as the voices got louder.

“I guess it is too much to ask you to be quiet for once?” The monkey deadpanned.

“Now why would I do that?” The first voice said.

It was at this point that MK managed to poke his head into the living room and saw three different demons, he knows they are demons this time, and his da-Macaque.

There was one whose skin was dark brown, but lighter above the shoulders. The more he looked, the more he could see that they were actually feathers all along the body, and instead of hands, they had clawed bird-like feet and two large black wings protruding from the back.

Another one was softly glowing a light blue hue that matched the pale blue skin as the creature was gently floating just a smidge above the ground. They had almost a mushroom-shaped hat covering their eyes and dozens of dark blue and purple strings attached all around the bottom of the hat as they hung just above the demon feet.

The final one is something that MK could clearly tell what it was as he had seen a bunny before, though this one was way larger than the other bunnies he had ever seen. The demon had pure gray fur and large white fluffy paws, if he wasn’t so nervous right now he would ask to pet them.

“Well I was hoping that you would have kept it down for the kid that is currently living with me right now,” he cracked a smirk at their frozen faces.

“Huh?” They all said in unison.

“Speaking of kids, you can come out MK. Don’t worry bout them too much, they ain’t harmful, just insane.”

At the prompting MK slowly shuffled into the living room and he saw three heads swivel towards him.

“Uhhh hi,” he gave a little wave.

“You have a kid?!?” They all shouted either loudly or softly.

“It’s not that big of a shock,” he grumbled as he walked over to the child and threaded his fingers through his hair. “Sorry, these knuckleheads woke you up.”

“I know I have not been gone that long for you to have a chick without me knowin!” The female bird demon squawked as her feathers puffed up in indignation.

“Nah, adopted him a few months back.”

“And you didn’t tell us?!” The bunny huffed as they thumped his foot in agitation.

“Nope,” he grinned as he watched their growing frustration.

“There are times where you are the best of us and times you are the worst of us, I don’t know which one this falls under,” the mushroom head demon groaned as one of the strings was massaging the top of his head.

“Are they your friends?” MK loudly whispered to the monkey demon.

“I don’t claim these lunatics,” he bluntly said.

“I think you mean to say that we are your amazing, wonderful, fantastic friends that you hold dear,” the bunny demon pointed out as they put an arm around his shoulder.

“I was forced into this,” Macaque said as a wing wrapped around the two of them.

“Ah just admit that you have a soft fuzzy heart for us,” the bird demon grinned.

“Not even when my bones decay away.”

MK just blinked at the unprompted scene as he saw the glowing blue demon approach him.

“Sorry about my companions, they can be a little much sometimes,” he smiled softly to him.

“It’s fine, you're not the only ones who make a loud entrance,” he thought back to the times Yanyu would kick the door open when she walked in.

“I suppose not,” the demon then held out one of his arms to the child, making sure his tentacles were out of the way, “my name is Bohai little one.”

“I’m MK,” he smiled back and shook his hand.

“Oh, we’re doing introductions?! Well, I’m Daiyu chicky,” the female demon grinned or at least that's what he thought she was doing with her scarred beak.

“I’m Minsheng,” the bunny demon twitched their nose and gave a toothy grin, “you're so small that you remind me of my siblings when they were born.”

“How many siblings do you have?” He curiously asked.

“Pfft older or younger? I stopped counting after we reached the 200s,” they laughed.

His eyes widened, “over 200! That’s a lot of brothers and sisters.”

“Well, you know how bunnies are.”

Before MK could question that he felt two furry hands cover his ears.

“How about we don’t talk about that to a kid who has probably never had a crush before,” Macaque hissed to the bunny who had their hands held up.

“He’ll learn eventually.”

“But I would rather have that explained to him by literally anyone but you.”

“Fair enough.”

“Anyways,” the monkey took his hands off MK’s ears, “what were you screeching about earlier?”

“Oh well I got a bit nicked with some of dem cretins after a territory dispute you know how it is and,” Daiyu turned around and showed her back...which had a few knives sticking out of it. “I got a bit scratched up in the tussle.”

“At least you had the sense not to take it out,” he couldn’t help but sigh. “You at least win?”

“Who do ya think your talkin to?” She proudly puffed up her feathers.

“And people say I have too much pride, you damn vultures take the cake,” Macaque rolled his eyes as the two of them walked towards the infirmary room.

“You say that as if you never met Flicker before,” she chortled.

“Well there’s a stark difference between you two.”

“Wha that?”

“He actually has a brain.”

“Hey!” She attempted to pull his dangling fur, but he ducked away in time.

“Can I stay up a little longer!” The seven year old asked before the door could shut.

“Only for a little bit, but when I get back it’s straight to bed.” He answered back and then the door closed.

“Thank you!” He called out regardless as he fully knew that he could hear him.

“And that’s the whole lot of us kid, we're only half as insane as curly made us out to be '' Minsheng joked.

“Almost all of us,” the jellyfish demon said.

“Who you? Ha! Hate to break it to you, but the last time you lost your patience was when they didn’t make your starfish the way you wanted and you paralyzed the entire cooking staff.”

“You didn’t have to bring that up, but no not me,” he waved one of his tendrils. “I meant Ahmed.”

“I didn’t include him in the first place because that man does not even classify as insane,” he bluntly said. “He has the patience of a monk to deal with our brand of insanity which, in hindsight, is insane itself.”

“Whose Ahmed?” MK asked, “is he another friend of d-Mac?”

The two looked at each other before Baiyu spoke, “yeah, he’s a friend of Macaque.”

“Ouch, that’s a low blow for poor Med,” they grinned then winced as a tendril shocked their arm. “What? You know I’m right.”

“You know as well as I do that he can still hear you.”

“I’ve been craving death anyways,” they then turned back to the kid, “so you want to hear some crazy stories about your old man.”

Needless to say that Mac had tackled the bunny demon to the ground, with two violet glowing escrima sticks in hand, in the middle of their story on how the fierce monkey demon had to dance his way across a road of hot coal as he tried to outrun an angry herd of demon pheasant while wearing a rather beautiful kimono.

Macaque was reading out on the patio when his ears twitched as he heard a soft whimpering coming from MK’s room. He put the book on the table when he walked in and safely crept his way over his room and like many times before MK was crying in his sleep from a nightmare once more.

“It’s okay shooting star,” he gently began to thread his fingers through MK’s hair, “it's just a bad dream. You will be fine.”

At first, it didn't have any effect, but the longer he talked the softer the whimpers began to die down and the kid's eyes softly began to blink open.

“W-what's goin on?” He hoarsely said as he rubbed his eyes as he realized that he wasn’t dreaming anymore.

“You just had a bad dream kid,” he hummed as he continued stroking his hair.

“Oh.”

“Want to talk about it?” He received a firm shake of his head, “that’s okay, do you want to lie back down, sing, water, or want me to give you a little shadow puppet show?”

“Shadow show please,” he muffled out as he gripped tighter onto the blanket.

“One show coming right up,” he used a shadow clone to bring back a lantern as the room began to softly glow. When all was set Macaque began his tale in a low voice, “There once was an old man who lived in a shack.” He used some of his shadows to show a picture of an elderly man and wooden shack, “he was nothing special, did nothing extraordinary, and his life was simply normal. Until one day he happens upon the most peculiar thing.”

He continued to tell the tale of the old man even when he, unknowingly, had wrapped his tail around his child’s hand and MK, who was slowly drifting off into a deep slumber, held a tight grip upon it.

MK was currently sitting on the edge of a large lake as he kicked his feet in the water. He was alone at the moment as the monkey demon was tending to the plants that he needs for various medicines. The lake itself was a beautiful view filled with lily pads, reeds standing tall in the crystal lake, fishes and herons swimming in the water. Though he was trying to guess what that large dark shape was, it was nothing he has ever seen before.

“Hmmm I don’t think it’s a fish...maybe a duck?” He leaned in to get a better look and noticed. “Or maybe a turtle!”

The shape shifted as it appeared to be getting bigger and bigger as MK now noticed that he had never seen a turtle with long arms and claws before. He then saw there was long string hair upon what he thinks is its head until suddenly it disappeared and was replaced with two beady eyes. His heart dropped when the creature opened its mouth to reveal countless rows of sharp, pointed teeth. Then it began to rapidly swim towards him.

MK, frightened, fell on his back as he tried to crawl away, but it failed as the creature burst out of the water and onto the ground merely a foot away from him.

He let out a piercing scream, “DDAAADDDDD!”

At the same time the creature, with his mouth wide, said “hi there human child!”

“What?” He abruptly stopped his screaming right as an ominous force suddenly filled up the area as MK then felt two familiar hands scoop him up and hold him close as the voice spoke almost lowly.

“What happe-oh it’s just you,” Macaque let the pressure go back to normal once he realized that there wasn’t a true threat that was trying to attack his kid.

“Bwahahaha,” the creature let out a bellowing laugh, “sorry sorry. I must have scared your youngin.”

“No!” MK instantly said, but then he wilted and nodded, “just a bit.”

“Sorry about that little child, I just get a bit excited when a new face comes around my lake and all,” the webbed creature gave a toothy grin. “I know I startled the pant off Minzhe when I first met him.”

“Your lake? You live here?” MK, after being let down, carefully tried to examine the waters closer.

“Right on the mark, since being a Shui Gui and all.”

“Shui Gui,” he drawled out as he thought about that familiar name.

“Or Kappa, our damn naming changes so often that at this point I just go with the flow.”

“Oh! I know what a Shui Gui is!” MK brightened as he began to tell what his...mom used to tell him. “Aren’t they vengeful demons that have drowned and are bent on dragging helpless victims underwater, drowning them and finally eating their...flesh to…to...” his face took on a look of horror as he realized what he just blurted out. “I am so sorry!”

Luckily though the two demons chuckled, or at least Macaque did as the Kappa was holding his stomach. Though this did make MK’s face flush in embarrassment, he should be glad that the demon wasn’t angry, but he didn’t find any humor in what he said.

“Well I’ll give you credit,” Kappa said as his laughter died down, “what you said was mostly true, except I’m not a demon, just a ghost.”

“And let’s be clear he hasn't eaten people since two-maybe three millenniums ago,” the monkey demon intruded as he knew what MK was gonna ask next.

“You humans have become much too stringy for my taste,” he joked, but it served the opposite purpose as the small child paled even further.

“And this is why your only friend is an adrenaline junkie who has a taste for his own death,” Mac deadpanned as he soothed MK down.

After his heart stopped thrumming in his ears the human managed to look up at his guardian and his eyes widened as he noticed that Macaque suddenly had three pairs of different colored ears: red, blue, and purple. “When did you get three ears?!”

“You just now noticed?” He raised an eyebrow.

“Did you have them all this time?!?!!”

“Not all the time, but I do when it’s quiet usually.”

“Cooolll!” He attempted to climb the monkey to get a better look, “Is this how you're able to hear things from so far away?”

“Yeah,” he lets him examine his ears as only his eye minuscule twitch when MK accidentally pulls it too hard. “Be careful now, only have three pairs of them you know.”

“Right, sorry.” He apologized as he became gentler with his touches. He couldn’t help but gently drag his fingers through the oddly pointed ears and he smiled, now he understood why some of Mac's clients called him the Six-Eared Macaque. He eventually got down and faced the spirit once more, who was just looking at the two of them with amusement. “I’m real sorry for screaming at you.”

“Water under the bridge young child,” he waved him off, “least you apologize for it. I know that half the ones in these woods won’t even say sorry for ramming into you.”

“There’s more of you?” He tried to look in the lake, but he was once again met with only fish and water.

“Me specifically no, but spirits, demons, and other whatnot. Oh yeah there's hundreds of them dwelling in this here forest.”

“Wowww,” his eyes sparkled, “so does that mean that we are all neighbors.”

It was stunned silence before the Shun Gui began laughing once more as he bends down, “PFFTHAHAHA!”

“Did I say something funny?” MK looked towards Mac who was pinching his nose once more.

“No, he’s just obnoxious, that’s all.”

“You know what I like you kid, yeah we’re all neighbors, man even Ping would get a laugh out of this,” the water spirit said after his laughter died down. “Welcome to the neighborhood MK!”

“Thanks...umm what’s your name again?” He embarrassedly asked as he realized that he never got a name throughout this whole interaction.

“Oh here we go,” Mac sighed as he got comfortable and plucked up a Ravenna grass and began to chew on it. He grimaced as he realized that he had plucked up a weed again.

“Eh, you can call me Kappa if you want, don’t care for the whole naming thing,” he shrugged as he got back in the lake and laid there.

“Why not?” He curiously followed him.

“Why should I?” He shot back with a grin.

“Huh?”

“Why should I care for my name? It’s my name and I can do whatever I want with it, so I just choose not to care.”

“But don’t you like your name,” he was very confused about how this conversation came about.

“Oh I do, but truth be told, most of the time I forget others' names, so one day I just thought ‘you know what, what if I just don't use my name all the time’ and I didn't,” he finger gunned at the blank face child.

“You're kinda weird,” he bluntly told Kappa.

“I’m sorry,” Mac spoke up in disbelief, “You met a trio of lunatic demons that are a hot mess in general, an insane human who likes to add too much ghost jalapeño to her food, one of my clients who have their organs outside of their body and this is where you draw the line of weird?”

“I just wanted to know his name!” He threw his hands up.

“Just whatever is fine,” he laughed.

“Well fine! Your name is Whatever now!” He said in a fit of frustration before he realized what he said, “wait! I didn’t mean-,”

“Pfthahaha!” The spirit once more threw his head back in laughter.

“...what is even happening,” MK deadpanned.

“Welcome to my life Starchild,” Mac said as he ruffled his hair.

“That’s an interesting one, alright Whatever it is then,” he gave him a toothy grin.

“Wha-no please no,” MK almost begged him. “I didn’t-,”

“Nope too late, I won’t respond to anything else but Whatever from you. Hope to see you around short stack, you really know how to bring a laugh to a vengeful spirit face,” he let out a bark of a laugh before diving down deep into the lake.

MK blinked for a few moments before turning to Macaque, “is he really gonna-,”

“Oh yeah he is only gonna respond by that name,” he cut him off, “called him a Kappa once to his face and that slimy frog hasn’t let go since.”

“...I think I want to go back home dad,” said MK as he leaned into his fur. “I think I’m done for the day.”

Macaque’s breath hitched as he then gave him a gentle smile and scooped him up in his arms. “Yeah, I think I am as well.” And with that, the two mentally exhausted people made their way back to their warm home.

MK, who proudly turned nine as of a few months ago, was playing in an arcade as his dad was grocery shopping. He stuck out his tongue as he attempted to repeatedly punch the monster in Monkey Mech, but he keeps getting beaten right before he can land the final punch. He mused up his short ponytail out of frustration that was held by a red ribbon, “Oh man! I swear this guy cheats, alright seventeen times the charm.”

“I thought it was the third time the charm?” He turns around at the voice and sees a pigtail girl around his age looking at him.

“It is, but I lost sixteen other times, so this time I will win,” he confidently said as he put another token in, and just like before he lost. “I almost had it!”

“Move over,” the girl pushed him aside and took over the controls, “let me show you how to really play.”

MK's jaw dropped when the Winner title popped up after she managed to land the final triple axel uppercut to the enemy. “How’d you do that?!”

“Oh just a lot of practice, and searching online, to find the right moves to slain the beast,” she bragged.

He went down on his knees and bowed to her, “oh teach me your ways oh wise one.”

“You may refer to me as Master Mei,” she deepened her voice to sound elderly, “and who shall I call my young student.”

“Call me MK,” he followed along with glee, he hasn’t played with a kid his age in so long.

“Well then let me show you the ways of Monkey Mech,” and with that the two proceeded to play the game, playfully pushing each other as they double battled in a co-op mode. It wasn’t until a few hours had passed, and they had long passed Monkey Mech and went into all the different kinds of games in the arcade when MK noticed the digital clock behind the counter.

“Aww man, it’s getting late,” he pouted as he didn’t want to end, “I have to meet up with dad.”

“Awww,” Mei's shoulder slumped as they walked to the prize area, “that sucks.”

“Yeah,” he slumped his shoulder, as well as the two, looked through the prizes available, which did brighten the mood a bit as Mei left with a strange mutated stuffed dog that had three eyes, a few pieces of candy, and three bouncy balls, while MK was sucking on a swirly lollipop, pieces of chocolate in his pocket, and a sticky hand sling that he is slinging everywhere.

“So you like racing?” MK asked as they left the arcade, besides the Monkey Mech he noticed that Mei tended to go to the racing games more often.

“Yes! One day I will have my own motorcycle and I will be faster than anyone, even the Monkey King!” Mei declared.

“Even the Monkey King? Wow that is fast,” he said in awe, he read the story of the Journey to the West from the library. He was quickly enamored with the story the more he read and he soon began to idolize the great Monkey King. To think that such a being could ever exist in the first place was amazing! He did find it funny that the great Monkey King rival was named Macaque, it was hilarious to think that his dad could ever have powers to fight on equal standing with a god-like immortal. Grumpy? Sure! Easy annoyed? Oh yeah definitely, but scary? Ha! The scariest thing Dad has ever done was glare at his patients when they were being too noisy, but for some reason it always works as they shrink back in fear. He mentioned it to Yanyu and the demon gang one time and well-

“HAHAHAH/PFFTTTTT/SQUAK SQUAWK SQUAAAKK/SHEHEHEH,” Yanyu was rolling all over the floor as Minsheng was banging his feet, Daiyu was slamming the table with her wings, and Bohai was using all his tentacles to wrap himself.

-they burst out laughing when he mentioned this to them. He still hasn’t gotten a full answer for that one, all they told him was to wait.

“I wonder how far that can go?” Mei curiously asked as she watched the green sling attach itself on the top of the door that they were exiting.

“Not far, how high can your bouncy ball bounce?” He asked as he then watched her bounce the ball and saw it soar a bit high above their heads.

“Not that high either...how about we combine them,” she gave a mischievous grin as MK followed suit as he used his sticky sling and attached it to the ball.

“One,” Mei started.

“Two,” MK raised his hand in mid-air.

“Thr-”

“Ready to go kid.”

“AH!” They screamed and watched the sling and ball slip from his hand and instead of bouncing, it was thrown in Mac's face, who easily caught it.

“Not the first time I had something thrown at me,” he didn’t even blink at the outburst, though he did take a second glance at the other child next to his son, “though your new, made a friend Stardust.”

“Her name is Mei!” MK excitedly said though it didn’t look like Mei was paying attention to him at all as her focus was all on Macaque, or more specifically, his head.

“What?” The monkey demon raised an eyebrow.

“You have the longest hair I have ever seen,” her eyes sparkled as she instantly zoomed behind him and started to pull on his fur. “Can I braid it?!”

“It’s actually fur,” he corrected her.

“Can I still put it in a braid?”

“Sure.”

“Then I don’t care!” She happily proclaimed and pointed to one of the benches. “Sit.”

“...” he looked towards his kid who just shrugged his shoulders, “well I guess this is happening,” he sighed as he got a clone to take the rest of their groceries back home.

Needless to say that Mei very much enjoyed putting the demon fur in a messy, but still manageable, braid.

“You know if I had some Morning glories, they would look amazing in your hair,” she mused.

“You know their weeds right?” He pointed out.

“So? They look awesome.”

“You got me there.”

“There!” She proudly finished her creation with her green ribbon tied up at the end, “you have very fluffy hair.”

“Fur,” he once more corrected her.

“Eh fur, hair there the same thing,” she turned back from the monkey and to MK with a nervous smile, “you will definitely come back right? I haven’t finished playing all the arcade games with you.”

MK looks towards his dad with puppy dog eyes and Mei easily follows suit.

“You know those don’t work on me right,” he deadpanned and smirked at their hanging heads, “but yeah, I’ll drop him off from time to time.”

“Yes!” They both jump up in cheer, only for some of their candy to fall out and onto the floor.

“My babies!” MK rushed to pick up his pieces of semi-melted chocolate.

“Noooo!” Mei quickly began to grab as many of her jawbreakers as it rolled away.

Macaque watched them in amusement at their mad scramble to save their sugar fix.